The Last Leaf O.Henry

The Last Leaf O.Henry â€Å"The Last Leaf† The Hope That Heals. The Last Leaf by O. Henry is an interesting short story about a sick girl named Johnsy, who is deeply affected by a bare vine tree. Johnsy has decided she will not get well and has reconciled herself with the fact that she is going to die when the last leaf falls off the ivy bush outside her bedroom window. Johnsys hopelessness and willingness to accept the worst without a fight is a major statement about the emotional state of the character. In his wonderful short-story â€Å"the last leaf†, using sacrificial themes, fear of pneumonia and a twist on the fatalistic tone, O.Henry depicted a really meaningful goal: Life must have hope. In brief, I love this story very much. Its plot and its characters are simply, but it is a very touching story that makes I recognize many things in life. Life is meaningful only for people who have hope and love. The hope helps us live better and heals our body and spirit. Hope is the foundation of our personal futures; each of us would probably suicide without hope. It is the virtue that helps us overcome obstacles. Without hope, we seem to give up easily like Johnsy in the story. Without hope, there is nothing. Another important thing in life is love. O. Henry, through the story, advices us should love ourselves and other people. The love between three persons, Johnsy, Sue and old Behrman makes a moving story. Johnsy had sometimes forgotten loving herself and cause the worry for Sue, but the biggest love is the love of the old Behrman for Johnsy. He was self sacrifice to save the life of Johnsy. Despite being a old man, he didnt hesitate to go out in a cold weather, climb up the ladder and paint the last leaf, because he know that it is the leaf of hope, a hope for a life that is giving up . In addition, I never see that life and death seem to be close like that. The fate is â€Å"decided† just through the last faint ivy leaf, it was such an â€Å"idiotic imaginings† (Henry 49). Life and death link together by the revivification of Johnsy and the death of the old Behrman. It is a familiar method in O. Henrys stories: everything has its own worth. The meaning of masterpiece in this story makes me change my mind. Before that, I think a masterpiece should be a large, a big, and an imposing picture. In the story, the last leaf picture of Behrman is very simple, but it is really a masterpiece by the meaning. He spent all the night under the terrible weather to draw it, and pay his life for it. Eventually, all of the leaves fall from the vine, save the one last leaf. All readers easily understand that how much effort, how much love contained in that leaf picture. More than that, the most important thing, â€Å"the last leaf† saved a life of a poor mind girl, who gave up life too easily. The end being the surprise ending that make the story feel sad.. The reader then finds out that O. Henry wrote a character that is obviously so void of passion about anything that at the first illness she gets, plans to die. Behrman, the man who will become her savior, seems to have the same lack of interest with his art. He is described as â€Å"a failure in art† (Henry 46). .†He had been always about to paint a masterpiece, but had never yet begun it† (Henry 48). If he was motivated or inspired to be an artist, he would have found something to paint in all of his years instead of waiting for the one inspiration that would create his masterpiece. Although he died, he did become what he had always claimed to be, an artist â€Å"had been waiting there for twenty-five years to receive the first line of the masterpiece† (Henry 49), his final masterpiece, which saved Johnsys uninspired life, was nothing more than a simple leaf painted upon a drab brick wall. All the things that our doctors tell us to do and undergo may not be easy, but they are meant to make us well. All the things that our love ones do to us, for us, they do for one reason: To keep us alive! We may not be living a very easy life, but all these tribulations, if surpassed, will make us stronger. They make life more meaningful and significant. â€Å"It is a sin to want to die† (Henry 51). Most of the times we are trying to be Johnsy just fearing about the last leaf, we often forget to love the life God has given us. Being Bermans is quite not possible for everyone, but at least we can live our life not just waiting for that â€Å"last leaf†. Let us, at all cost, dare to dream, dare to live, †¦ Live the life that God want us to live, no matter how short it be. Works Cited O.Henry. â€Å"The last leaf† The best story of O.Henry. New York, Modern Library.

Analyse on “Broken boat” by John Galsworthy

Good time management is essential for coping with the pressures of modern life without experiencing too much stress.If you never have enough time to finish your tasks, better time management will help you regain control of your day.Good time management doesn't mean you do more work. It means you focus on the tasks that matter and will make a difference. Whether it’s in your job or your lifestyle as a whole, learning how to manage your time effectively will help you feel more relaxed, focused and in control.â€Å"The aim of good time management is to achieve the lifestyle balance you want,† says Emma Donaldson-Feilder, a chartered occupational psychologist.Here are her top tips for better time management: Work out your goalsThis first step towards improving your time management is to ask yourself some questions. â€Å"Work out who you want to be, your priorities in life, and what you want to achieve in your career or personal life,† says Donaldson-Feilder. â€Å" That is then the guiding principle for how you spend your time and how you manage it.†Once you have worked out the big picture, even if it's quite general, you can then work out some short-term and medium-term goals. â€Å"Knowing your goals will help you plan better and focus on the things that will help you achieve those goals,† says Donaldson-Feilder.Make a listA common time-management mistake is trying to remember too many details, leading to information overload. A better way to stay organised and take control of your projects and tasks is to use a to-do list to write things down.â€Å"Try it and see what works best for you,† says Donaldson-Feilder. She prefers to keep a single to-do list, to avoid losing track of multiple lists. â€Å"Keeping a list will help you work out your priorities and timings, so it can help you put off the non-urgent tasks.† Work smarter, not harderGood time management at work means doing high-quality work, not high quantity. Donaldson-Feilder advises concentrating not on how busy you are but on results. â€Å"Spending more time on something doesn’t necessarily achieve more,† she says. â€Å"Staying an extra hour at work at the end of the day may not be the most effective way to manage your time.†You may feel resentful about being in the office after hours. You’re also likely to be less productive and frustrated about how little you’re achieving, which will compound your stress. Have a lunch breakMany people work through their lunch break to gain an extra hour at work, but Donaldson-Feilder says that can be counter-productive. â€Å"As a general rule, taking at least 30 minutes away from your desk will help you to be more effective in the afternoon,† she says.A break is an opportunity to relax and think of something other than work. â€Å"Go for a walk outdoors or, better still, do some exercise,† says Donaldson-Feilder. â€Å"You’ll come back to your desk re-energised, with a new set of eyes and renewed focus.†Planning your day with a midday break will also help you to break up your work into more manageable chunks. Prioritise important tasksTasks can be grouped in four categories:urgent and important not urgent but important urgent but not important neither urgent nor importantâ€Å"When the phone rings, it seems urgent to pick it up but it’s not necessarily  important,† says Donaldson-Feilder. â€Å"It may be more important to continue with what you were doing rather than be distracted by a phone call. When it is appropriate, it may be more effective to let your voicemail pick up the message.†Donaldson-Feilder says people with good time management create time to concentrate on non-urgent, important activities. By so doing, they minimise the chances of activities ever becoming urgent and important.â€Å"The aim is to learn how to become better at reducing the number of urgent and important tas ks. Having to deal with too many urgent tasks can be stressful,† says Donaldson-Feilder. Practise the 4 DsWe can spend up to half our working day going through our email inbox, making us tired, frustrated and unproductive. A study has found that one-in-three office workers suffers from email stress.Making a decision the first time you open an email is crucial for effective time management. To manage this burden effectively, Donaldson-Feilder advises practising the 4 Ds of decision-making: Delete: half of the emails you get can probably be deleted immediately. Do: if the email is urgent or can be completed quickly.Delegate: if the email can be better dealt with by someone else. Defer: set aside time at a later date to spend on emails that require longer action.

Agricultural Mechanizasion as a Solution to Food Insecurity in Africa Essay

Achieving food security in its totality continues to be a challenge for ever increasing population of Africa. A approaches are employed in developing countries but with less success due to a number of factors . this paper examines the causes of food insecurity in African. Scanning through researchers works ,it was noted that over seventy percent of the food insecure population in africa live in the rural areas. The paper therefore recommends that, if the ever increasing population of the african countries is to be fed, then mechanization of all agricultural operations should be embrace. In conclusion, efforts to words the development of the rural communities in Africa should be increased. Key words: agriculture, mechanization, food security, Africa, rural development. Introduction : Agriculture is the practices of cultivating the soil and raising livestock to produce plant and animals useful to humans and sometimes animals {S. N, Asogwu and O. A Asogwu,2007}, Agriculture is an important occupation in Nigeria with over 7o% of her population depending on it directly for livelihood. It provides the bulk of employment, income and food for the rapidly growing population as well as supplying raw materials for agro-based industries. World current agricultural production as an average growth rate of 1. 8% as compared to the 3% in the 1960s and therefore at a lesser pace than the demographic growth. The world bank has shown that in sub-saharan Africa (to which Nigeria belongs)the annual food increase needs to reach 4%, i. e. more than double the current figure in order to achieve food security. She suggested that this can be reached through a significant progress in plant and animal breeding that plays a key role in the development of the agricultural sector as well as a significant impact using appropriate farm mechanization {Pawlat et al , 2002}. Due to number of factors, which include rising population, increasing pressure on land resources, natural and man-made disasters such as drought, desertification, soil erosion and degradation (Raoult-Wack and Bricas, 001), the problem of sustainable agricultural production in Nigeria has assumed greater importance than ever before. Agricultural development involves three approaches namely bio-chemical, socio-economic, and engineering known as the trio of technologies (Mrema and Odigboh, 1993). The bio-chemical approach includes the development of improved animal and plant species, animal and plant nutrients (fertilizer and feed) and plant and animal protection (veterinary drugs, pesticides and herbicides). The socio-economic approach includes financial packages and management programmes (economic, business management, accounting, sociology, extension services, agricultural machines and equipment (be they human, animal or mechanically powered) for production and post harvest systems handling and storage systems and farm structures, erosion control measures, water resources development as well as irrigation and drainage structures, meteorological systems, and the technologies for optimally utilizing the above and their proper and economic use and management. Ani and Onwuala, 2002; Ampratwum et al, 2004; Onwuala and Pawa, 2004). Agricultural mechanization implies the use of various power sources and improved farm tools and equipment, with a view to reduce drudgery of the human beings and draught animals, enhance the cropping intensity, precision and timeliness of efficiency of utilization of various crop inputs and reduce the losses at different stages of crop production. The end objective of farm mechanization is to enhance the overall productivity and production with the lowest cost of production. The contribution of agricultural mechanization has been well recognized in enhancing the production together with irrigation, biological and chemical inputs of high yielding seed varieties, fertilizers, pesticides and mechanical energy. Different researchers have concluded that farm mechanization enhances the production and productivity of different crops due to timeliness of operation, better quality of operations and precision in the application of the inputs. According to NCAER (1980) survey covering 815 farming households in 85 villages, the increase was 72 percent in the case of sorghum, and 7 percent in the case of cotton as compared to traditional bullock farms. ITES, Madras (1975) found that the productivity increase on tractor owning and hiring farm ranged between 4. 1 and 54. 8 percent. The percent increase was comparatively low on custom hiring farms as compared to tractor-owning farms due to higher level of inputs and better control on timeliness of operations. These productivity increases, thus, were attributed to higher doses of fertilizer, irrigation and mechanization. Degree of mechanization is the ration of machine or technological work input to total work input (machine plus manual) into agricultural production. The importance of food security to any nation cannot be over emphasized. The issue of food security became prominent in the 1970s and had been given considerable attention since then. The World Food Programme Report in 1979 conceptualized food security, equating it with an â€Å"assurance of supplies and a balanced supply-demand situation of staple foods in the international market†. The report also emphasized that increasing food production in the developing countries is a panacea to food security. The concept of food security proposes that food is available, accessible and affordable, when and where needed in sufficient quantity and that this state of affair will continue and be sustained (Agboola, P. O. , 2002). It is a situation in which sufficient food us available at all times in the right quantity and quality, at affordable process. To accomplish this, we must have a production system that produces enough food in the short run, sustainable in the long run and does not place undue risks on agricultural producers and must respond rapidly to disruptions in the food supply due to disease epidemics, natural disasters, civil disturbances, environmental imbalances and other cause (Agboola P. O. 2002). With these objectives in mind, various efforts at the international, national and local levels had been put in place at one point in time or another to boost agricultural production to make food available to the teaming population and the ever-increasing world population. The world population. The world population explosion witnessed as at the end of 1999, further increased the fear of those concerned about world food security. During this period, the global population exceeded 6 billion. Leisinger, (2002), stated that never before in human history had the population of the earth been as great as it is today, and never before had it grown so rapidly within one century. He stated further that the doubling of world population over the past 40years had put enormous pressure on the natural systems that support all life on Earth. This pressure on natural resources also increased the burden of assuring food security for the entire world’s people international Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI, 2001) stated in one of her reports, that about 73 millions people would be added to world’s population every year between 1995 and 2010 increasing it by 32 percent to reach 7. 5 billion. However, much of this population growth is expected to occur in the developing world. If this prediction is to go by, then the food security situation of the developing world needs constant assessment via empirical research. Joachim et depal (2004), wrote that these was a strong direct relationship between agricultural productivity, hunger and poverty. He stated further that three quarter of the world’s poor people lived in rural areas and made their living from agriculture. He therefore, concluded that the higher the proportion of the rural population that obtained its benefits from subsistence farming (without the benefit of pro poor technologies and access to markets) the higher the incidence of food insecurity. Challenges to Food Security in Africa The root cause of food insecurity in developing countries is the inability of people to gain access to food due to poverty. While the rest of the world has made significant progress towards poverty alleviation, Africa, in particular Sub-Saharan Africa, continues to lag behind. Projections show that there will be an increase in this tendency unless preventive measures are taken. Many factors have contributed to this tendency including the high prevalence of HIV/AID; civil war, strive and poor governance; frequent drought and famine; and agricultural dependency on the climate and environment. Food security on the continent has worsened since 1970 and the proportion of the malnourished population has remained within the 33 and 35 percent range in Sub-Saharan Africa. The prevalence of malnutrition within the continent varies by region. It is lowest in Northern Africa (4 percent) and highest in Central Africa (40 percent) Over seventy percent of the food insecure population in Africa lives in the rural areas. Figure 1 shows the distribution of food insecurity in Africa. Ironically, smallholder farmers, the producers of over 90 percent of the continent’s food supply, make up the majority (50 percent) of this population. The rest of the food insecure population consists of the landless poor in rural areas (30 percent) and the urban poor. Throughout the developing world, agriculture accounts for around 9 percent of the GDP and more than half of total employment. In countries where more than 34 percent of the population is undernourished, agriculture represents 30 percent of GDP and nearly 70 percent of population relies on agriculture for their livelihood. This fact has in the past been used in support of the argument as to why developing countries should move away from agriculture and invest in technology. Because over 70 percent of the poor live in rural areas, where also the largest proportion of the food insecure live, it is evident that ;we cannot significantly and sustainably reduce food insecurity without transforming the living conditions in these areas. The key lies in increasing the agricultural profitability of smallholder farmers and creating rural off-farm employment opportunities. The objective of this paper is to h8ighlight the challenges to food security in Africa while providing alternative solutions to the problem that would not only allow for poverty alleviation but also wealth creation. While the focus of this paper is in alleviating food insecurity in the rural areas, effort has been made to address the plight of the urban poor.

Gun Control Annotated Bibliography - 738 Words

Frates, Chris. â€Å"The Gun Debate Isn’t Over Yet.† National Journal (2013): Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Web. 31 Oct. 2013. In this article written by Chris Frates, the author talks about how democrats and republicans are going back, and forth on gun control laws. Both parties are finding it difficult to come to an agreement. While leaving republicans asking the question â€Å"How do you take away Americans 2nd Amendment?† It’s a tricky situation as republicans, and congress continue to try find loop holes in the system to force stricter gun control laws. Despite efforts toward compromise, some Republicans doubt that any gun legislation will pass, with or without the support of some GOP (Grand Old Party) senators. As one senior†¦show more content†¦This article shows us how the gun-regulation fight is at a political stalemate. No one is making a move, and the lawmaking process is at a standstill. Congress is simply reflecting a divided public. In recent Associated Press polls almost half of Americans (49 percent) think gun laws should be stricter. The other half (48 percen t) think gun laws should remain as they are or be even less strict. So basically until either side raises in votes, new gun control laws will not be getting passed anytime soon. Kessler, Glenn. The NRA’s claim that Joe Biden’s gun advice is illegal. The Washington Post 25 Feb. 2013. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Web. 7 Oct. 2013 In this article written by Glenn Kessler, the author talks about the best weapon for self-defense. Information is given about the differences between assault rifles, (AR-15 AK-47’s) and shot guns; and which would be better in a home invasion. Joe Biden encourages people to use a shotgun if they feel threatened in any way. He states â€Å"If you want to protect yourself, get a double-barrel shotgun. Have the shells for a 12-gauge shotgun, and I promise you as I told my wife, we live in an area that’s wooded and somewhat secluded. I said, Jill if there’s ever problem, just walk out on the balcony here, walk out, put that double-barrel shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house. I promise you whoever’s coming in is not going. You don’t needShow MoreRelatedEthnographers Relevance in Aiding the Understanding of Diverse Social Issues 927 Words   |  4 Pagesrights, gun control, capital punishment, environmental pollution among others (Totten Pedersen, 2012, p. 465). The social issue adopted for discussion in this paper is the matter pertaining to gun control that has been very divisive in the nation. The debate about gun control remains a great social issue since it elicits mixed reactions. There are those who think that gun control policy should not be imposed citing that is bounds to against the fundamental human rights, while some think that gun controlRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography.1045 Words   |  5 PagesAnnotated Bibliography Columbine Massacre, the School Shooting of April 20, 1999. Retrieved from http://history1900s.about.com/od/famouscrimesscandals/a/columbine.htm The columbine shooting shocked the world and having the blame on video games was one of the reasons why these kids did this. In this article it talks about the tragic event that took place on April 20, 1999 a couple of teenagers who were being bullied throughout high school came to school and went onRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography On The Gun Of The Teeth : The Worldwide Plague Of Small Arms1597 Words   |  7 PagesAnnotated Bibliography Armed to the teeth: The worldwide plague of small arms [Video file]. (2000). In Films On Demand. Retrieved February 11, 2016, from fod.infobase.com There is one gun for every ten people on earth today. The people who supports gun control believe that if we are trying to save the world, guns for wars should not be shipped around for individual uses. There have been around 400 million deaths due to small arms and conflicts since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Once a person ownsRead More Youth Violence Essay1223 Words   |  5 Pagesmany guns are not the problem, but too few guns is the problem. â€Å"The Colorado Legislature is currently debating a bill to further enhance the state’s conceal-carry statute. 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Rules made on gun control a hundred years ago should be modified in accordance with the ever-evolving human generation. When rules that need to be changed aren’t changed, humans have the right to express their opinions by rebelling. This is evidently shownRead MoreHow The U.s. Constitution Has Evolved Over Time Essay2078 Words   |  9 PagesAn Annotated Bibliography How the U.S. Constitution Has Evolved Over Time | Scholastic.com. Scholastic Teachers. TM  ®  © 2016 Scholastic Inc. All Rights Reserved., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2016. Scholastic started as an educational classroom magazine. Scholastic books and educational materials are in households worldwide. The article briefly goes over the multiple changes and additions to the constitution and its amendments. 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