Interpretations of American History Essay

History is successful when it tells you how things where, the only thing that could take you there was the imagination, but now, with all the technology that we have, we even can make a picture or a sketch of how the things were. asing on the things that had been found also. One of the things that the historians did, they constantly criticize, correct and supplement other historian point of view, they get closer to the truth arguing with one another. Historiography reminds you that history is not a closed book, is a reminder that there is always something to argue in history, it make us think or see what was before everything, the changes that have been in the growth of America, politics changes, racial justice, sex, differences in the society, education, labor. There has been a notorious change or evolution on how America has change. There are four stages in which the writing of American history has passed: the providential, the rationalist, the nationalist and the professional. The providential history in the United States from the seventeenth and eighteenth, ministers and magistrates and wrote a made of form of providential history. The puritans who settled in the United States believed that they were chosen by god that led to the form of their history to a holy chronicle one. Puritans used this form of writing for all men anybody that believed in god. The rationalism, they were very different with the providential because they didn’t believed that they were only chosen by god, they believed that opinions or actions should act on reason and knowledge not on their religious belief. They were ruled by the natural law was the idea of Newton, Locke, and the French philosophers (p. 75). The rationalist Jimenez 3 historians were the educated class in the colonies, the new story they told was of progress and reason. most of the historians of the eighteenth century were layer-politicians, planter-aristocrats, merchants or professionals. Tomas Jefferson was influenced by this movement and later on write a book named Notes on the State of Virginia in 1785. This book allow to men to discover and pursue their destiny and believed that they were free. After that, no one was free from slavery. This proves that the history during the rationalism the politicians only tells you what you want to hear, like right now it happens the same, everything was and is only about wealth, power, rights. In nationalist history changed the fact that in this stage the women contributed and argue in theirs perspectives or points of view. istorians of women rewrote the story of America from the beginning to the recent past. They did not give women a place in the existing narratives, they just reconceived whole fields of history. Their high opinion on distinguish scientifically and prove the truth from a romantic notion. In this time we can see through what has passed American History and learned about the different changes that our history has had, and also this has help to have America Jimenez 4 how is it now. Right now we see the thing different, for example, women can vote, women can do a lot more things that they couldn’t in the past, there is no slavery, everyone is free and follow their dreams and conquer their goals and that’s a big change.

Handwriting

In my opinion, right-handed girls have more legible handwriting than left-handed girls. While doing my research I wanted to know if you were born with good handwriting, or if you learn that way, so I decided to look it up and help with more research (Handwriting skills for children, n.d.). The science behind my project is the brain and how it determines whether you are left-handed or right-handed.Judging handwriting can be helpful when you look at how they form their letters, the neatness of the writing, and how they space their letters while writing (Handwriting, July 14, 2017). Handwriting specialists look at the size of the letters, the shape, and if they slant their letters. They also look at margins, format, and line features (How an Expert Compares Handwriting, n.d.). I noticed in my project that when people where on the neat section that they wrote smaller, closser, and they also wrote darker. Also, on the regular section some people wrote bigger and more spaced out. Then on the cursive section they took a little bit longer because they did not have good education on cursive writing .The hand is made up of many bones that help make handwriting easier. There is 27 bones in just one of the human hands. There is 8 carpal bones, 5 metacarpal bones and 14 finger bones. There are held together by joints and ligaments. There are lumbricals in the hand. That includes four thin muscles that bend the metacarpophalangeal joints to extend your fingers. Did you know, that there are 17,000 touch receptors and free nerve endings in the palm of your hand. There are three bones in each of your fingers, but there are only two in your thumb. (How Does The Hand Work?, December 23, 2016) Here are a couple of facts about the brain, and which part controls handwriting. The cerebrum is the part of the brain that controls handwriting, it also controls speech, emotions, vision, and touch. Did you know, the right hemisphere of the brain is dominant to the left side of the body and the left hemisphere of the brain is dominant to the right side of the body? Which means when left-handed people write it is the right side of the brain, and vise versa for right-handed people. There is a chance of about 26% that a child will become left-handed if both parents are? 8.6% of women are left-handed in the world (Handedness and the Brain, n.d.). In conclusion, the science behind my project is how the brain controls handwriting. 90% of the world is right handed and only 10% of the world is left-handed. Hand specialist look at many things while looking at people's writing. Did you know, they even made a day for left-handed people? Doing this project has taught me a lot about left-handed supplies and other interesting things. In my project, I can conclude that right-handed girls have better handwriting than left-handed girls.

Psa Evaluation of Aquino Administration

PSA’S EVALUATION OF THE AQUINO ADMINISTRATION FROM THE RESEARCHERS’ PERSPECTIVE Table of Contents Abstract†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 Methodology and Research Design†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 Findings†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦ 8 Authors’ Stand on the Assessment Presented†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 17 Conclusions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 29 Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 31 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 Appendix†¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 36 Abstract The paper PSA’s Evaluation of the Aquino Administration from the Researchers’ Perspective was conducted to inform the readers how the Aquino administration handled the crises that had occurred since its start in June 2010. The group utilized the historical research technique and content analysis strategy in collecting relevant information for the study. The data collected from various sources like newspapers and websites were then written in note cards. There were various disasters that have occurred in the Philippines, and based on the group’s analysis, the researchers have found out that the Aquino administration, in its first few months, was not able to properly handle the different adversities that have plagued the Philippines. With these, the group has concluded that the country had been inflicted with much damage by the man-made and natural disasters that took place in the Philippines. PSA’s Evaluation of the Aquino Administration from the Researchers’ Perspective It has been six months since Benigno Simeon Aquino III has taken the position as the 15th president of the Philippines. Over the course of those months, numerous catastrophes and issues have since occurred. The Pacific Strategies and Assessments (PSA) is an organization that released an assessment of how the Aquino administration performed in its first few months, wherein they criticized the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia† and that the president, along with his cabinet members and set of government officials, has not done any significant change to improve the situation of the Philippines. With its completion, this paper aims to express the group’s reaction on the said assessment and determine whether the PSA was righteous in its claims about the Aquino administration and of the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†. For the first few months, the Aquino administration has been struggling to cope with the demands of the Filipino masses. In reality, the Philippines has been plagued by malicious controversies, threatening disasters, and various crises. Based on the evaluation of the PSA, the administration was not able to handle the said adversities proficiently. Based on this, the researchers believe that it is righteous for the PSA to dub the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†. At the rise of a new administration under President Aquino, innumerable disasters and calamities have occurred. The Pacific Strategies and Assessments, with various bases, has concluded that the Philippines is one of Asia’s most unsafe destinations. Due to this assessment, concerned Filipinos desire to be further informed by the country’s setbacks and incorporate their views and opinions regarding these. In addition to the objectives presented, through extensive research and the critical analysis of the information gathered, the researchers wanted to provide their detailed criticism of the assessment of PSA on the Aquino administration. The group then aims to shed light on the following questions: 1) What is the Pacific Strategies and Assessments? What is its function? As a socio-economic organization, what are its objectives? 2) What are its bases in dubbing the country as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†? 3) According to PSA, has the Aquino administration performed proficiently during its first few months? 4) With these bases, is it right for PSA to label the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†? 5) Do the researchers agree with the assessment presented by PSA? This study will focus on four main parts: the Pacific Strategies and Assessments, five of the worst disasters and crimes—the Maguindanao massacre, the Quirino Grandstand hostage-taking crisis, Typhoon Juan, the terrorist attack threats and the various kidnapping crises—that have plagued the country, the steps the Aquino administration has taken to solve these issues, and the researchers’ reaction on the PSA’s assessment that the Philippines is the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†. On the other hand, this study does not discuss other catastrophes that have troubled the country during the Aquino administration. Although there are other disasters that have occurred during the governance of Pres. Noynoy Aquino, the researchers deem that this paper should only focus on the worst disasters that have troubled the country since these are the bases of PSA in its assessment. Moreover, from the title itself, this paper is limited to the researchers’ point of view alone because there were no interviews nor surveys conducted to determine the various reactions of the other Filipinos affected by the crises that have occurred in the country. The significance of this study is to inform the Filipino people and the people from all over the world as well, of how the other nations view the Philippines because of the disasters in the country. This study also exposes how the present administration handles the different disasters that have plagued the country. With these, this research paper will benefit the Filipino masses, for they will be informed of the adversities that are ruining their nation, and they will be educated on handling catastrophes to avoid having their country criticized as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†. This paper is also timely because it tackles the worst disasters that have devastated, and some that still wreak havoc in the Philippines up to present. With the completion of this paper, the researchers have been able to provide the Filipinos a justification of the righteousness of the assessment of the PSA to their home country. Findings This part of the paper includes the related readings that have aided the group in their research. It is comprised of the background of the PSA, its functions and objectives, and its assessment of the Aquino Administration based on five of the worst disasters that have occurred in the Philippines. These serve as reference materials, from which various information were lifted to support the analysis and interpretation of the data. Pacific Strategies and Assessments (PSA), is a socio-economic organization based in Asia and the United States of America; it has offices in Manila, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Bangkok and Milwaukee. Its Manila office is the oldest and largest branch and is currently under the management of the Executive Director Graeme Campbell (â€Å"Pacific Strategies and Assessments†, n. d. ). PSA specializes in Asian risks. At the same time, it provides discreet and confidential security and crisis management services which help different associations protect their assets, prevent security violations, respond to emergencies and facilitate business flow in times of crisis. It also assists its clients in making reliable decisions in the field of business in Asia. PSA helps reduce risks associated with various crimes through its investigation services and provides background screening of its clients. Furthermore, it prepares intelligence briefs regarding political and economic situations to its clients, in this case, the Philippines. PSA aims to maximize the advantages and minimize the risks of facilitating business in places often jeopardized by political and economic instabilities, security threats, terrorism and lax rule of law (â€Å"What PSA does†, 2010). With these readings, the researchers were informed of the functions and objectives of PSA as a socio-economic organization. This knowledge has aided the group in deciphering the right of the said organization to dub the country as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia. Moreover, these have helped the researchers know whether the PSA has efficiently performed its functions to its member countries, particularly, the Philippines. In PSA's (2010) assessment on the Aquino administration, it criticized the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia† because of the multiple risks like coups, rebel extortions, an d terrorist threats that regularly occur in the country, and the particular crimes that have haunted the Filipinos and the rest of the world during the Aquino administration. It has indicated that hese fiascos could throw some daunting challenges at the different businesses in the country, therefore, affecting the Philippine economy and the performance of the present government headed by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, or more commonly known as PNoy to the Filipino people. The following are the disasters and crimes that have influenced PSA to assess the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†. The Ampatuans have been in charge of Maguindanao since 2001. Their reign started after former Pres. Corazon Aquino replaced every locally-elected official because she came into power by means of a revolution. Andal Ampatuan Sr. was appointed by former President Aquino as the officer-in-charge in Shariff Aguak in 1986 after the successful People Power Revolution. Andal Ampatuan Sr. won the 1988 local elections and served for ten years; he was then elected as governor in 1998. He has been elected as provincial governor three times, unopposed, but with his inability to run for a third term, he prepares his son Andal Jr. to govern in his place (â€Å"Cory gave Ampatuan his break†, 2009). Authorities claimed that there were at least 161 suspects involved in the execution of the Maguindanao massacre. Director General Jesus Verzosa stated that the majority of the suspects were policemen, soldiers, and government officials under the control of the Ampatuan clan. Verzosa said that the mayor of Datu Unsay town, Andal Ampatuan Jr. , was tagged as the mastermind of these killings (â€Å"Police chief names suspects†, 2009). The Maguindanao massacre is one of the deadliest events that has happened in the Philippine history which led to the death of 58 people including journalists, lawyers, government officials, tourists, some relatives of Esmael Mangundadatu, and his wife Genalyn Tiamson-Mangudadatu (David, 2009). Alcuin Papa (2009) noted that in the morning of November 23, 2009 in the Maguindanao province, the victims were kidnapped and killed while they were on their way to file the certificate of candidacy of Esmael Mangudadatu. The victims were shot in their heads and chests at close range, and those who were still alive were finished off by Andal Ampatuan Jr. himself. The victims were buried under the mass grave which was prepared two days before the said slaying. Before the mass murder happened, Mangudadatu received a threat from the opposing clan saying that they would kill him if he pursues the filing of his COC. Mangudadatu decided to let the media cover his filing of COC to stop or hinder the said assault, but was still unable to prevent the hideous incident. These readings have helped the researchers by supporting the idea that the Ampatuans committed the horrendous crime as a means of instituting and preserving their power over Maguindanao. These readings have proven that the generations of Ampatuans have held offices in the area for a relatively long period, yet they refuse to let go of their vast influence in the region. Furthermore, these readings have also proven that the said massacre is one of the most devastating crimes that have occurred in the country’s history, and has become an essential part of PSA’s assessment, which, in turn, has greatly contributed to the group’s evaluation. On the other hand, on the 23rd of August 2010, a hostage taking took place at the Quirino Grandstand which resulted in nine deaths including Hong Kong nationals and the perpetrator Rolando Mendoza himself, a disgruntled former senior inspector. At the peak of his career, Mendoza was ranked one of the Ten Outstanding Policemen of the Philippines and was famously known for leading a group of policemen tracking down a van filled with crates of money believed to be smuggled by former President Ferdinand Marcos out of the country. In 2008, he was dismissed from his position after misconduct and drug abuse charges. At around 7 in the evening of August 23, the SWAT team began to enclose on the bus and tried to enter it by breaking its windows using sledgehammers. However, they were forced back by gunfire coming from the bus. The police's endeavor to break into the bus lasted for an hour. Tear gas canisters were catapulted into the bus as the police tried to pry open the door by tying a rope attached to a police car, which unfortunately ended with the rope snapping. Later, police marksmen in positions gunned Mendoza in the head (â€Å"Manila Hostage Taking Crisis†, 2010). Pia Lee-Brago (2010) wrote that the August 23 crisis which resulted in 8 Hong Kong tourist deaths negatively affected the Philippines' relations with China. Hong Kong calls on Filipino witnesses to help determine the real cause of death of the eight tourists and proclaimed that its government is disappointed in Malacanan legal team's order to reduce investigations and reviews against those involved in the rescue. 19 injured Hong Kong nationals including children and elderly were among those injured in the hostage taking. In addition, the 8 deceased victims' bodies have already been sent back to their families in Hong Kong. President Aquino has ordered a rigorous investigation headed by Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima (Avendano, 2010). On August 31, preliminary results of the official investigation were released and showed that a high calibre weapon fired within the bus caused the hostages' wounds. 58 of the 65 M16 rifle cartridges recovered from the coach were from Mendoza's gun. The investigation team spokesperson stated that it was certain that Mendoza killed the eight hostages who died in the incident (Wong, 2010). On September 3, however, De Lima admitted that some of the hostages may have been shot by the police (â€Å"Philippines admits police†, 2010). These served as evidences that the Filipino policemen lack the know-how of handling crimes like the hostage taking, putting the lives of not only Filipinos but also other nationalities who are residing or visiting the country, in great danger. Moreover, these readings have further proven that the Aquino administration has not efficiently done its part on the investigation of the incident causing a large gap between the China-Hong Kong-Philippine relations. With the evidences presented, the group has remained firm on their stand that the government has not yet done any significant action to solve these problems. Typhoon â€Å"Juan†, with â€Å"Megi† as its international name, is the strongest typhoon to hit the country last 2010. It had a wind speed of 250 kph putting 20 provinces on storm alert. Residents of 35 towns in Cagayan were forced to evacuate due to the danger brought about by the typhoon, according to Flores (2010). Cagayan and Isabela were placed on the highest storm signal and experienced strong winds. Some residents living in low-lying areas of Cagayan valley voluntarily evacuated while equipment in preparation for the typhoon were positioned in Northern Luzon (De Leon, Reyes, Hachero, Bengco ; Naval, 2010). Juan dumped heavy rains over Manila after leaving at least 11 people dead and 32 million pesos worth of damage to road network and other infrastructures. Data from National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) (as cited in â€Å"‘Super Juan’ leaves 11 dead†, 2010) showed 10, 434 people from 57 barangays in 27 municipalities and one city in Northern and Central Luzon were drastically affected by the typhoon. After this unpleasant incident, relief operations were provided to residents of the affected regions. Vice President Binay offered the typhoon victims PAG-IBIG financial assistance. The PAG-IBIG fund was directed to allot 200 million pesos under its calamity loan program for the victims of typhoon â€Å"Juan† (Barcelo, 2010). Cauayan, Isabela, one of the worst-hit areas of the typhoon, (as cited in â€Å"DSWD secretary flies to Isabela†, 2010) was personally visited by the DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman and DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo to assess the damage caused by typhoon â€Å"Juan† and to provide the victims of 11. 96 million pesos worth of relief goods. These relief goods consist of 5,000 food packs, tents, noodles, and 1,000 boxes of high-energy protein biscuits. In Cagayan Region alone, 3. 2 million pesos worth of relief assistance was provided by the DSWD. These information from readings have greatly helped the group be informed of the devastating effects that Typhoon Juan has inflicted on the different areas of Luzon, the innumerable injuries and deaths the typhoon has caused, and the programs and operations that the government has implemented in order to aid the victims of the said typhoon. Moreover, these readings have proven that the Philippines lack preparedness with regards to handling the wrath of natural calamities. At the height of the terrorist attacks threatening the Philippines, the Filipinos themselves turned out to be ignorant of the terrifying assaults intended for the country. Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta even said that â€Å"there is no imminent threat, there is no information which says that there is an impending attack† (as cited in â€Å"Terror Incognito†, 2010, p. A12). The nation also appeared to have no access to the information disseminated by the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and eventually France, when these countries advised their respective citizens to stop travelling to the Philippines because of a possible terrorist strike (â€Å"Terror Incognito†, 2010 ; Yap, Zamora, Papa, Bordadora ; Fernandez, 2010). The Australian Embassy even noted that â€Å"reliable reports indicate that the terrorist attacks might be imminent in Metro Manila, including places frequented by foreigners† (as cited by Brago, 2010, para 3). British and US authorities likewise declared that these menacing terrorist threats could happen anytime in Manila. Speaker Sonny Belmonte then explained via phone interview, â€Å"We are calling to our allies, especially their intelligence agencies, to share with us what they know, what this is all about† (as cited in Ubac, 2010, p. A8). Even though six countries have already warned their residents of the forthcoming attacks, Pazzibugan, Papa and Esplanada (2010) stated that â€Å"Filipino security officials downplayed the alerts. These related materials have proven that the Philippine government, along with the Filipino citizens, were ignorant of the threatening terrorist attacks, when other nations deem that the Philippines itself is the cause of chaos. Upon discovery of the root of this problem, the Philippine police and the other security groups in the country have not exercised their duties to protect and serve the Filipinos. With these, the group’s stand concerni ng the performance of the Aquino administration, particularly the police and military, has been further strengthened. Aside from these, due to the numerous incidents of kidnapping in the Philippines, the country has earned the title â€Å"Kidnap Capital of Asia. † The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism describes kidnapping in the country as â€Å"†¦ a virtual cottage industry in which little capital and apparently equally little risk can mean millions of pesos in profits† (as cited by Clayton, n. d. ). For years, this problem has been a major hindrance to the growth and development of the country. With this, many Filipino citizens requested that Republic Act 9372 or Human Security Act of 2007 should be fully supported and implemented because this is one way of preventing the surge of kidnaps in the country (Samonte, 2010). In remote places in the Philippines, there are rampant kidnapping incidents involving wealthy and powerful political families. In Cotabato, two people were killed when gunmen abducted the wife of the prominent local trader, Lucio Tan. At the age of 50, Conchita Tan was riding their car, and was about 30 meters away from their home when she was seized by about six car-riding suspects. It was said that Conchita’s bodyguard tried to prevent the kidnapping and even traded fire with the suspects, but Conchita ended up dead together with her driver (Fernandez, Senase ; Alipala, 2010). In Valenzuela City, on October 17, 2010, a criminal gang released eight kidnap victims of which seven are schoolchildren. At around 6:30 in the morning of October 14, the father of the three children and their four cousins were snatched in the said city. The victims were said to be Chinese-Filipinos or Tsinoys. According to Felipe (2010), it was the fifth kidnap-for-ransom case since President Aquino has assumed office last June 30. Meanwhile, the charred body of Venson Evangelista was discovered by a farmer in the remote barangay of Buliran, Cabanatuan City on January 14, 2010. The body has been burned with the use of kerosene and rubber tire. It was found out that a 9 mm pistol was used to kill Evangelista. The same situation also happened to another car dealer, Emerson Lozano and his driver, Ernane Sensil, whose bodies were found in Porac, Pampanga and La Paz, Tarlac, respectively. Central Luzon police director, Chief Supt. Alan Purisima said, â€Å"Probably, only one group did it. It’s positive that the body found in Cabanatuan was Venson Evangelista’s† (as cited by Galang ; Pazzibugan, 2011, p. A18). Using these information, the researchers have found out that the crime of kidnapping is one of the most devastating setbacks of the country’s security concerns. Through the years, it has remained as one of the most frequently committed crimes in the Philippines. Even though the government has plans to alleviate the various crimes in the country, it is evident that their efforts to stop kidnapping incidents in the country are futile. This part of the paper, in summary, tackles the various topics concerning the specific subjects of the study. It includes the presentation of the Pacific Strategies and Assessments (PSA) as a socio-economic organization, and the enumeration and investigation of some of the worst man-made and natural disasters that plagued the Philippines under the Aquino administration. In addition, it also discusses PSA’s appraisal that the Philippines is the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†. Based on the timely data and information gathered through broad research, the group has formulated their analysis and interpretation of the most dangerous disasters that have occurred in the Philippines. In addition, the group’s views regarding the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia† are discussed in this part of the paper. Authors’ Stand on the Assessment Presented The following are the worst disasters that have occurred in the Philippines that served as the bases of PSA in its assessment of the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†. On November 23, 2009, an estimate of 100 gunmen associated to Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. allegedly abducted in broad daylight a convoy of aides and relatives of a rival politician, Esmael Mangudadatu, and a group of journalists, as they headed for the local Commission on Elections office to formally file Mangudadatu's certificate of candidacy (COC) for the position occupied by Ampatuan Sr. then. Hours later, news broke out that the convoy had been massacred, with 58 people dead because of senseless slaughter and mutilation. This incident has left many people speechless as words failed to convey the outrage felt by those who were horrified by the said tragedy. Families who lost their loved ones on the said mishap continuously grieve and fervently pray that justice be served to them accordingly. What happened to their kin, especially to the female victims, who were said to be sexually-abused before getting killed, was so barbaric that the group, as well as the Filipinos all over the country, could almost feel their pain and anguish. The Ampatuans, long before the incident, were already suspected of being involved in unsolved killings in particular areas and regions in Maguindanao. Many were also affected by their acquisitiveness and their desire for power. Unfortunately, the people in Maguindanao were afraid to testify or file cases to the Ampatuans as they believe that the Philippine government will not be able to protect them from reprisal. The government takes a part of the blame for the brutal killing of several people, all of which were innocent. The past administration headed by former Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, was still not able to dismantle the ruthlessness in Mindanao. The government has failed to solve the cruel cases that take place in Mindanao almost everyday. Their handling of the situation weakened the people’s already fragile trust in supposedly democratic institutions as the government gave a disorganized response to the circumstances. However, as Pres. Noynoy Aquino took oath as the President of the Philippines, the Philippine government was still not able to pursue more critical investigations of the said massacre. As a result, the families of those who were killed last November 23, 2009 still continue to grieve as no justice is given to them. Although Ampatuan Jr. , with the other people involved in the crime, remains in jail because of his inhumane act, the victims’ mourning families still firmly desire to punish him more severely for putting an end to 58 innocent lives. The group believes that the frightening incident should spark meticulous going reforms not only in the region, but in the whole Philippines as well, more than merely disarming the private armies the national government truly needs to foster authentic participation by the marginalized sectors in governance. Additionally, the government needs to initiate programs and policies to give power to the poor by establishing anti-poverty measures such as asset reforms so that the poor would no longer be dependent on politicians, local warlords or traditional political families or more commonly known as trapos. More importantly, the Aquino government needs to restore and strengthen rural democratic institutions because these are considered to be the weakest links of governance in the rural areas. These institutions include the people’s organizations which remain unprotected by the government. Also, the private sector and civil society also have roles to take part in the development of these regions especially because multi-sectoral development initiatives that involve the beneficiaries have proven to be successful. If the government pursues genuine development and peace initiatives in these regions, the indigenous peoples would finally be able to pursue economic and governance activities without fearing for their lives. These are among the steps that the group suggests the present administration is expected to carry out to develop the current investigations of this atrocious massacre. Aside from the massacre, the hostage-taking incident that has taken place at the Quirino Grandstand has greatly influenced PSA’s assessment. Twenty-seven Hong Kong nationals who were on their last day of vacation in the Philippines were taken as hostages by ex-SPO2 Rolando Mendoza last August 23, 2010. The police, soldiers, bystanders, and the Filipino people, through the live coverage of the media, altogether witnessed one of the most heinous crimes to be ever committed in the country last 2010. With this incident, nine people died; eight out of the 27 tourists were killed, and the hostage-taker himself was shot, and was later declared dead by the police. Who is to be blamed for this tragedy? Whose fault was it that what should have been a joyful trip for these foreigners resulted to the loss of some of their lives? Were sound judgment and careful planning exercised by the security groups of our country in dealing with the situation then? Certainly, the service provided by the Filipino policemen and soldiers that tragic night was not to the full extent by which they could have prevented the crime or even just lessened the tension brought about by the situation. It is not that they have not done their jobs of protecting the people, but their efforts were clearly not enough to impede the crisis. The media also had the responsibility to be sensible to the people involved in the tragedy, but with what had happened, they appeared to be on the wrong track—they even covered the whole event; even the most sensitive parts of the incident were shown to the public through various media like the internet, radio and television. This crime has created a wide gap between Hong Kong-China and the Philippines as the former believes that the latter does not deserve its trust again because of what has happened. Not only that, but news about the hostage-taking did not only distress the Filipinos; it was even aired in international news channels like the CNN and BBC. This alarmed even the other nations, and with this, they were disturbed and were eventually convinced that the Philippines is an ill-fated nation, that the country is not a good place to visit at all. Worse, various photos and videos of meddlers in the crime scene, some college students and police officers themselves, were posted online for the world to see. This even triggered an angrier crowd from all over the world. Due to this, other people from the different races deemed that all Filipinos are not hospitable nor peace-loving; nevertheless, they do not pay respect to the victims of the tragedy. The current investigations of the Philippines regarding the hostage-incident are slow-paced as the country is negotiating with the Hong Kong government. Both parties could still not agree with how they will investigate and with how they will push through with the operations regarding this crime. The group sees that the cause of this delay is the ruined relationships of the two parties involved. The Philippines, under the present administration of PNoy, has been trying to offer many benefits for the families of the eight Hong Kong nationals who were killed. However, the Hong Kong government demands more than what the Philippine administration could offer. Because of this, both the Philippines and Hong Kong conduct their own investigations without the help of each other, making the examination of the Quirino Grandstand hostage incident stagnant. As of now, the Philippines is facing the challenge of rebuilding its reputation which was destroyed in just a snap of a finger. It is truly difficult to regain the trust of other nations, especially Hong Kong and China, after what has occurred. Moreover, it is hard to revive the glorious days of the nation after this disgrace. Although the Filipino citizens are in the verge of being torn apart by malice and controversy, all of them can still contribute to uplift the Philippines’ image. Each Filipino, regardless of age, gender and social status can take part in the mission of changing the way the rest of the world sees the country. Even in the simplest ways, the researchers can help their motherland recover from this misery; they can make others realize that what one man did doesn’t necessarily reflect what a whole nation of Filipinos is. On the other hand, Typhoon â€Å"Juan† (international name Megi), being the strongest and most destructive typhoon to ever hit the Philippines in 2010, has caused devastating damages to several provinces in Luzon, especially to Cagayan and Isabela where the typhoon’s wrath was felt the strongest. The typhoon caused 11 deaths, millions of pesos worth of damages, and many people homeless just a few months before the Christmas season. Could these damages have been prevented or just even lessened? What would then happen to those people who lost their loved ones and their homes? What more could the government do to help these people get back on their feet? Indeed, the government has been there to offer donations to those victims of the natural disaster as it has always been the first one being seen or heard in news, yet does their work stop there? Quite disappointing as it is, their jobs do not stop there, unlike what they believe so. The government is divided into many departments and branches that are interrelated well enough, so devastation this massive is not expected. In the Philippines, it is widely known that the months of September to early November fall under the rainy season, so the government could have been more prepared for the expected typhoon that would hit the country. The government could have started programs that would educate and prepare people on what to do in situations like this because prevention of these catastrophes is always better than alleviating the problems it causes and entails. The government could also have built concrete roads and stable infrastructures in the calamity-prone areas of the country so that rescue and relief operations could reach disaster-struck areas quicker and these services could be provided more efficiently. After the massive destruction of the typhoon, the government could help the people live normally again by providing them livelihood projects and â€Å"payment† for the damages so that people can get by and grant scholarship and health benefits as well. Instead, what the government does is give short-term relief to the people greatly devastated. After a week, when the relief goods have been consumed, what will the people do? In the end, what they need more is a greater â€Å"push†Ã¢â‚¬â€a push that combined with their own efforts, will result in greater and long-term benefits that will get them their lives back on track. In contrast to this natural calamity, the Philippines has also been threatened by terrorist attacks which caused chaos not only among the citizens of the country but among the people of the world as well. Despite all the actions taken by six countries—Great Britain, United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and France—the Philippine government continued to ignore the imminent terror attack on the Philippine territory. With this, how can the Philippine government protect its citizens from danger if they, themselves take no notice of the threat? In an interview, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III unfortunately uttered out loud two distinct possibilities behind the Philippine government’s unclenched reaction. The first probability is that, maybe, the information is unreliable and is therefore wrong. The Aquino administration is conveying an almost cavalier attitude toward it. It isn’t true—that is the government’s story, and they’re sticking to it despite the urgency with which the six countries are dealing with the information. The other was that those alarmed countries had the information, and did not share it with the Philippines. â€Å"There were several countries that discussed this among themselves, and we are the targets and lots of these people are our allies. I think we should have been informed† the President said (as cited in â€Å"Terror Incognito†, 2010, p. A12). It transpires that the Philippine allies failed to let the Philippines know about the danger, and the government took it personally. With the said possibilities, the nation cannot afford to let down its guard, but what did the Aquino administration do? Instead of providing security to the country, they chose to turn their back on the issue. For the Philippine government to put pride before the safety of its people, that scenario would be the most threatening of all. Whether this rumor turns out to be real or not, it is still essential to deal with this threat as the real thing. In a generation where small pieces of information can be as potent a destroyer as the explosives themselves, it is the government’s first duty to ensure that its citizens are safe, even if it looks like jumping the gun, even if it looks like they are erring on the side of caution. It is the correct response, no matter what. It is the welfare of the citizens that should be first taken care of by the government, and not the interest of the economy. Besides, the Philippines is not in such a precarious situation, that it cannot afford to protect the people before the businesses at stake. These terror threats may be real or ot, but it only in knowing the truth about this crucial issue can the security of the country and its people be truly served. Another basis of PSA in labeling the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia† is the high rates of kidnappings in the country. The Philippines, being plagued by frequent kidnapping incidents, does not only mark a scar on the country’s face to the whole world. This even creates a barrier that prevents foreign trade, foreign investments, and tourism of the country with the rest of the world. Because of this, the growth and development of the country slows down and is feared to come to a complete halt someday. Any person, regardless of age or gender, may be a victim of this crime. Based on the data gathered, the kidnapping of various people including politicians, local traders, schoolchildren, Filipino-Chinese people, and car dealers defines that no one is exempted from being kidnapped. Kidnapping for ransom forces one to choose between his/her life and his/her money or properties, but in some unfortunate cases, both his/her life and his/her possessions were lost. A concrete example was Venson Evangelista and Emerson Lozano’s case: they were shot dead and burned, giving up not only their cars but also their precious lives. The government should strictly implement more laws regarding the crime of kidnapping so that it could be prevented. Also, intensive investigations should be prioritized to solve the alarming rates of kidnapping cases not only in the densely-populated areas of the country, but even in the rural places in the Philippines. The increasing number of kidnappings defines that the police are not executing their duties proficiently. The police evidently outnumber the kidnappers, but if they don’t act immediately, the situation will be turned and there would be more kidnappers than policemen. Scars cannot be healed hastily; they need time to be restored. Likewise, the Philippines needs a strong medication to repair all the scars gashed by the blades of kidnapping. With these catastrophes, issues and controversies, the PSA has dubbed the country as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia† since the country has evidently remained incapable of handling the wrath both natural and man-made disasters bring. The Philippine government and the Filipinos themselves have been struggling to face the aftermath of the misfortunes faced by the country at present. With the various proofs that emerged from this research, the group has agreed with the Pacific Strategies and Assessment’s assertion of the Philippines as the most disaster-prone area in Asia, therefore labeling the country as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†. Furthermore, the group deemed that the Aquino administration was not able to handle all the said adversities effectively since the effects brought about by most of the disasters are still not resolved even after months, and even after many years. The slow progress of trials and cases that are still not brought up to court and the temporary and insufficient relief that is offered to the victims of natural calamities have proven that the administration has failed to meet the expected standard of the performance of their duties and responsibilities to the people. The administration may have helped several victims who suffered the complications brought about by the natural calamities in some short-term ways, but it was clearly not enough to sustain the lives of the many people who mainly rely on the aid the government provides. Moreover, it has not been able to help the victims of the crimes and their families find justice for the prejudice they suffered. Aside from these, the Philippines continues to be a country unaware of the impending danger in their environment causing the Filipinos to risk their lives every single second they spend in the unsecured country. More importantly, the Philippine government has the obligation to serve the Filipino masses by protecting them by all means. Simply, the government should be prepared of every forthcoming disaster since the lives of many of the citizens are on their hands. Disappointing as it is, the government has their own strategies; they wait for the disaster, and after it has already destroyed properties and has claimed lives, they plan what to do. It seems like the Philippine government has never learned from the past administrations; the officials of the country continue to ignore the consequences of their obliviousness. The Philippines has actually gone through many ills: from the typhoons that struck and flooded the country to terrorist threats that alarmed other nations not to visit the Philippines. This leaves no excuse for the Philippine government to be unprepared for these disasters. The government should have at least prepared a certain plan of action in case more disasters loom in the Philippines. Based on these findings, the researchers came up with the following important points: 1. After more than a year since the Maguindanao massacre, the families of the victims still continue to grieve as no recent investigation has been pursued to solve the said case. 2. The Quirino-Grandstand hostage-taking incident clearly did not only ruin the relations between the Philippines and Hong Kong; it also embarrassed the Philippines all over the world. Because of this, investigations of the said crime have been interrupted and delayed. 3. Typhoon Juan has greatly devastated the country, and even after months since it pummelled the Philippines, the Filipinos greatly affected still cannot cope and recover. 4. The terrorist threats in the country were not handled accordingly since the Filipinos, particularly the government itself, were not aware of the situation. . Kidnapping in the Philippines has been rampant for the past few years, and still, the government has not given any concrete explanation with regards to this. 6. The Aquino administration has not been able to present any significant development in the investigations of the said crimes and in its operations during calamities. Conclusions After the thorough analysis and interpretation of the subjec ts of the research and supporting them with the various facts and data gathered, the group has arrived at the following conclusions: 1. The Pacific Strategies and Assessments is a socio-economic organization that specializes in Asian risks. At the same time, it also assists its clients in making reliable business decisions in Asia. Most importantly, it prepares intelligence briefs regarding political and economic situations to its clients like the Philippines. The PSA aims to maximize the advantages and minimize the risks of doing business in places that are often plagued by political, economic and socio-cultural ills. 2. Numerous disasters and catastrophes have indeed wreaked havoc in the Philippines. These include man-made disasters such as the Maguindanao massacre, the Quirino Grandstand hostage-taking incident, the terrorist threats that made some countries exercise a high degree of caution in travelling to the Philippines, and the high and alarming rates of kidnapping cases in the different areas in the country. Natural disasters like the Typhoon â€Å"Juan† also inflicted vast damage in the country. These five disasters have been the bases of PSA in dubbing the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia. † 3. At its rise, the present administration has not performed proficiently. The Aquino administration, in its first few months, has not presented any significant development on the current investigations of the Philippines’ most abhorrent crimes and improvement on its operations in times of disasters like natural catastrophes. Investigations of the Maguindanao massacre, the Quirino Grandstand hostage-taking incident and the different kidnapping occurrences have remained stagnant, while the government’s plan of action regarding the terrorist threats in the country and Typhoon Juan has not been sustained at all. 4. Because the Aquino administration has failed to fulfill its duties and responsibilities to the Filipino citizens in times of disasters and other catastrophes, and the effects of the lack of political will in the Philippines were experienced by many Filipinos, it is therefore righteous for PSA to label the country as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia. † 5. The group has agreed with PSA’s assessment on the Philippines under the Aquino government as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia† since the country has been troubled by spiteful disasters and the administration has not been capable of alleviating the subsequent situations of these problems. Recommendations After an in-depth analysis of the data gathered, the following recommendations are hereby made: 1. Provide a more compelling argument of the reasons behind the PSA’s evaluation of the Philippines. In line with this, the group also recommends further research on the different disasters that have created a devastating mess in the country. 2. Look beyond the Aquino administration’s shortcomings, but also point out the weaknesses of the other people and other organizations involved in the different catastrophes that wrecked the Philippines. References Avendano, C. (August 30, 2010). DOJ chief the only spokesperson on hostage crisis probe – Palace. Retrieved 20 January 2011, from http://newsinfo. inquirer. net/breakingnews/ nation/view/20100830-289571/DOJ-chief-the-only-spokesperson-on-hostage-crisis-probe—Palace Barcelo, J. M. (October 26, 2010). Typhoon victims can avail of PAG-IBIG financial assistance, says Binay. The Daily Tribune, 10, p. 3. Brago, P. (November 3, 2010). Australia, UK: high terror threat in Manila. The Philippine Star. Retrieved January 6, 2011, from http://www. philstar. com/ Article. aspx? articled=626624&publicationSubCategoryId=63 Clayton, T. A. (n. d. ). The Philippines: â€Å"Kidnap Capital of Asia†. Retrieved January 20, 2011, from http://www. claytonconsultants. com/download/PDF/ Security-Assessment-Philippines. pdf Cory gave Ampatuan his patriarch break. (November 26, 2009). Newsbreak Online, Retrieved January 20, 2011 fromhttp://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Maguindanao_massacre#cite_note-4 David, R. (November 24, 2009). Understanding the unbelievable. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Retrieved January 20, 2011 fromhttp://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/ Maguindanao_massacre#cite_note-4 De Leon, A. L. , Reyes, V. , Hachero, A. , Bengco, R. & Naval, G. (October 18, 2010). Cagayan Valley braces for ‘Juan’. Malaya, p. B1. DSWD secretary flies to Isabela to assist victims of typhoon â€Å"Juan†. (October 21, 2010). Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 20, 2010, fromhttp://dromic. dswd. gov. ph/index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=76:dswdsecretary-flies-to-isabela-to-assist-victims-of-typhoon-jua n-&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=55 Felipe, C. (October 19, 2010). Kidnappers free 7 Tsinoy schoolchildren. The Philippine Star, XXV, p. 2. Fernandez, E. , Senase C. , & Alipala, J. (October 9, 2010). Cotabato trader’s wife kidnapped; 2 bodyguards shot dead in shootout. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Retreived January 20, 2011, from http://newsinfo. inquirer. net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20101009-296770/ Cotabato-traders-wife-kidnapped-2-bodyguards-shot-dead-in-shootout Flores, H. (October 19, 2010). ‘Juan’ pummels Luzon. The Philippine Star, 25, p. 1. France-Presse. (August 24, 2010). Manila hostage taking crisis. Retrieved January 20, 2011, from http://newsinfo. inquirer. net/breakingnews/nation/view/ 20100824-288510/Manila-hostage-taking-crisis Galang, A. , & Pazzibugan, D. (January 19, 2011). Car traders’ murders: ‘even Satan will be horrified’  . Philippine Daily Inquirer, 26, p. A1& p. A18. Lee-Brago, P. (December 13, 2010). Hostage crisis hurt Hong Kong – Philippine relations. The Philippine Star, 25, p. 1. Manila Bulletin news team. (October 19, 2010). ‘Super Juan’ leaves 11 dead. Manila Bulletin. Retrieved November 25, 2010, from http://www. mb. com. ph/node/283048/ Navales, M. (n. d. ). Introduction to Research Paper, p. 3. Papa, A. (November 26, 2009). Maguindanao massacre worst-ever for journalists. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Retrieved January 20, 2011 from http://en. ikipedia. org/wiki/Maguindanao_massacre#cite_note-4 Pazzibugan D. , Papa, A. , & Esplanada, J. (November 4, 2010). Imminent danger: US warns of terror attack in Manila. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, 25, p. A1. Philippines admits police may have shot some hostages in bus standoff. (September 9, 2010). Retrieved January 20, 2011,from http://edition. cnn. com/2 010/WORLD/asiapcf/09/09/ philippines. bus. hostage/index. html? hpt=T1#fbid=KI9W1Oknxyp Police chief names 161 suspects in Maguindanao massacre. (December 9, 2009). The Manila Times, Retrieved January 20, 2011 fromhttp://www. anilatimes. net/index. php/ top-stories/7516-police-chief-names-161-suspects-in-maguindanao-massacre Samonte, A. (October 17, 2010). Stop kidnappers and terrorists. The Philippine Star, 25, p. 18. The Pacific Strategies and Assessments. Retrieved November 24, 2010, from http://www. psagroup. com/contact/ContactPhilippines. php Terror Incognito. (November 7, 2010). Philippine Daily Inquirer, 25, p. A12. Ubac, M. (November 6, 2010). Solons urge sharing of info on terror threats. Philippine Daily Inquirer, 25, p. A8. What Pacific Strategies and Assessments does. (November 4, 2010). Philippine

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Information Technology - Essay Example A major application of information technology is however in business industry in which it has diversified applications such as visual monitoring of people, and processes in a manufacturing enterprise, and online research for customer relations management. One of the most recent technologies in business applications is the Oracle’s Exadata x3-2 that I wish to discuss in this paper. I explore the technology’s technical description and its business impacts. Exadata x3-2 is one of the recently developed Information Technology applications for managing online transactions. It was developed as an improvement to available data analysis and administration applications, and some of its major characteristics include advanced scope of information processing, and security of databases. Its features identify the technology’s technical description from three perspectives; how it works, what it does, and why it does the tasks (Oracle, 1). The technology works through an integrated system of software and hardware that processes, and communicates data. Like other analytical applications, stores and evaluates data to responds to prompted queries. (Oracle, 1). The technology offers a high-level security, â€Å"high availability, and scalability† of data and offers more opportunities for deriving benefits from Oracle system (Oracle, 1). It also responds to prompted query in its information extraction and processing. The technology’s efficiency also ensures faster response to prompts. It further compresses data and therefore economizes storage space and cost besides facilitating data backup. Lastly, the technology facilitates linkage of databases (Oracle, 1). Exadata x3-2 has been successful because of its features that meet technological demand in the market, and which establishes it among alternative technologies. This has led to its successful launch and

Supply Chain Management. Webinar summaries Essay

Supply Chain Management. Webinar summaries - Essay Example The session will include a set of video case study segments which have been filmed at the fulfilment centre in Von Maur. Challenges with order fulfilment The current challenges faced by Von Maur with order fulfilment are those to do with accuracy, productivity, speed, and flexibility in seasonality, services and products. Out of these primary hurdles in order fulfilment experienced by Von Maur are those related to providing services with respect to free shipping, free returns, free gift wrap and acknowledging offers and store coupons, speed wherein products have to be shipped the same day, selecting online inventory to the offerings in the store and offering more than brick-and-mortar stores and lastly its growth is unpredictable. Reasons for selecting mobile robotic warehouse automation (KIVA) Traditional automation ties operation to a fixed SKU set, location, workflow and order profile. On the other hand, mobile-robotic fulfilment provides picking, packing and shipping orders by ro bots, pickers stay in ergonomic work stations, delivery of inventory to stations are carried out by robots and above all robots and shelves are mobile. Also the parts of mobile robotic warehouse automation contain human operators, bots, stations, pods and software. The advantage of this system is that all activities like picking, packing, shipping, replenishment, inventory control and return are simultaneously conducted. As of now, orders received before 11 A.M. are shipped the same day, Von Maur online stocks and sells 95 per cent of items available in Von Maur stores, personnel enjoy working in the eCommerce business, this online shop will provide more items than those available in Von Maur stores starting the end of summer. Solution items The system was designed prior to the decision to erect a building by Von Maur for the eCommerce Division. Integration of Kiva Software with Von Maur’s home grown eCommerce order management software, deploying solutions took around 30 days , during the peak seasons temporary workers are hired for the back/wrap areas. Bots are automatically recharged at charging stations. Recap of the outcomes The operation is 4 times productive than when the store did not adapt the mobile-robotic automation system. During average volumes, at least 15 pickers are placed by Kiva. Inaccurate orders hardly exist and the store chain can add solution capacity in future. The eCommerce Division is rapidly growing and is keeping pace with its retail outlets. Kiva – Mobile robotic warehouse automation Kiva automated warehouse operations software help in productively, accurately, flexibly and portably picking, packing and shipping orders. Van Maur is a traditional company having a progressive thinking system. The eCommerce division contains only 35 personnel but despite this they effectively handle operations and this has led to growth in online sales of Van Maur products. Webinar 2: Global Mission Strategies - Webinar by World Trade Grou p Plant Location International (PLI) is the international Center of Excellence for IBM and focuses on economic development and international location strategies. It contains a team of 25 consultants, above 50 years of experience for advising governments and multinationals, having around 3000 projects globally, developed robust analytical and methodological tools and closely operates with IBM’s international network of operations and business strategy consultants and subject and industry matter experts. Global location trends It has been observed that recent crisis impacted foreign

Young College Female Students in early 1960 to 1963 Research Paper

Young College Female Students in early 1960 to 1963 - Research Paper Example It has become one of the basic needs alongside the other needs like food, shelter, and clothing. The need for education traces its roots to the ancient times with the need to read, write, and perform some arithmetic operations that were necessary for daily activities. Education enables individuals to understand different aspects of life in order to lead a positive way of life. It determines career and enables an individual to earn a living. Education at a higher level involves a form of training that equips individuals with knowledge and skills that can be used in different production practices. It helps individual develop a profession. It is a tool used to empower women and the marginalized groups. Education enables individuals to understand their rights and the roles that they should play in the society. Societies comprise different categories of individuals some of which are marginalized. Females and the minority groups have been the subjects of such forms of discrimination in the societies in the past. Education is essential in preventing and managing such kinds of discrimination. Access to education is affected by different social and economic factors. The financial status of an individual may deny one access to higher education that is quite expensive in most countries. The social factors like the culture that prevails in a given society may also influence access to education. In the olden times, more values were given to the males as compared to the females. In such cultures, females were not allowed access to meaningful education. The females were arguably destined to marriage and it was considered meaningless giving them higher formal education. This practice was witnessed in different parts of the world up to the twentieth century. The availability of the learning facilities is also another factor. Proximity to the educational centers can affect an individual’s access to education. Education saw significant developments across the globe over th e last century. It was observed that the number of students enrolled in tertiary colleges in the world increased over two hundred times from 500,000 students in 1900 to over 100 million in 2000.1 The proportion of female enrollment has also increased considerably in the recent decades. Various initiatives have been established in different countries aimed at empowering women and other disadvantaged individuals in the society. Various women activists have emerged to fight discrimination against women through promoting education of the girl child. The modern family planning methods have also enabled females to carry on with their education beyond high school. In the older days, women got married and were in the family way at their early twenties- mostly before college education. Thus, the enrollment of female students in institutions of higher learning changed significantly from the last half of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. Similarly, the enrollme nt of females in the colleges in the mid twentieth century is significantly different from the current women enrolment in colleges across the globe. This paper focuses on the college enrollment of female students in the United States in the early 1960 to 1963. The pattern of female enrollment that was seen before this period as well as the patterns that have been seen in the following period is also examined. The paper also focuses on the factors that could have contributed to the changes observed in the enrollment patterns. Thesis statement Despite the difficulties that the activists have encountered in the reform movements, female education has improved over the last decades with the female enrollment

LAW CASE (sheapard v. united states) Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LAW (sheapard v. united states) - Case Study Example In 1933 Major Shepard files a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari. A Writ of Certiorari is a document in which the losing party files with the Supreme Court asking them to review the case from a lower court (Techlaw Journal, 2008). This can be done when the petitioner is dissatisfied with the decisions of the lower courts including the US Court of Appeals. A Writ can be granted at the discretion of the US Supreme Court. The Supreme Court being the highest Court in the Nation has the right to not accept the petition and there has to be some kind of compelling reason for acceptance. In Shepards Case the Writ of Certiorari was granted. US Supreme Court Judge Cardozo reveals to the court that circumstantial evidence was used to prove to the jury the Major Shepard was guilty. According to the judge a conversation with Mrs. Shepards nurse Clara Brown, Mrs. Shepard asked the nurse to find her a bottle of whiskey. She then asked the nurse if there was enough left to prove the existence of poison. The nurse then states that the Mrs. Shepard accuses her husband of poisoning her. The Judge then states "The admission of this declaration, if erroneous, was more than unsubstantial error. As to that the parties are agreed. The voice of the dead wife was heard in accusation of her husband, and the accusation was accepted as evidence of guilt.

Genderroles&popularfilm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Genderroles&popularfilm - Essay Example the possibility that the film is concurrently reinforcing and challenging or endorsing and contesting traditional ideas about gender roles (John-Fiske, 1990, p, 28). The analysis is aided through the analysis of two characters in the film to uncover this hypothesis. The Lee’s film blended well with every audience based on his massive knowledge in the audience market therefore using Kung-Fu style that is associated with the stereotypical dominant male hero striving to rescue the weaker and gentler female figure. On the contrary, the film is ironic as this notion is overturned with Lee’s characters disputing the male dominant formulaic schema. The film’s fighters are dominated by the females who are depicted in ways that challenge the conventional social gender norms. Lee was therefore able to capture larger audience in his film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Before confining into characters, it is prudent to first explore the traditional perception of social gender norms. In many popular cultures, female figure is stereotyped as emotional, incapable and gentle. Traditionally, women had to depend on a stronger and agile male protection. In particular, Chinese women in late 1700s during the setting of the film were powerless over their lives. Marriages arrangements were executed without their consultations and consent, and had to heed to these arrangements without complaints or defiance. Conventionally, women were rated the weaker sex that could not defend themselves against a gile and stronger male counterparts. On the other hand, male females were confined on socially defined standards and were traditionally expected to be tough and strong with no display of being emotional that was rated as being weak males by the society. Male hero was independent, not vulnerable and self-sacrificing with Jillian Sandel’s article attaching masculinity to power and domination. Through Sandel’s article, we understand that the action of genre is dominated by the display

Women in Fashion and Photography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Women in Fashion and Photography - Essay Example The essay "Women in Fashion and Photography" talks about the woman in fashion photography and analyzes the gender issue in this context. Through this discussion, it is planned by the researcher to find better resources which could actually make a great impact on how the understanding of men and women status in the society becomes likely controlled through media works. Men were particularly known as the supreme gender in the human society. As the population belonging to the supreme gender, men are expected to have special responsibilities as well as advantages with regards the activities that they are able to do. Men were expected to have responsibilities of providing for those that belong to them. This includes their families and other people that are living around them. On the other hand, they benefit form the authority that is given to them. The power to control others, especially women has naturally given them pride when it comes to the thought of being able to rule over several s ectors of the human society. Through the pages of the human history, men of different races and different ages have primarily been able to change the ways by which humans perceive their purpose in living. Indeed, men have naturally drawn the different demarcation lines of limitations and possibilities that identify each human individual’s capability of living. Most likely, the powerful sense of being of the appearance of man has naturally affected the characteristic and the attitude that he perceives upon others. Within the paragraphs that follow, the different roles of men within the American society shall be outlined in clarity to be able to assist in the understanding of what actually is the important part that men plays in the advancement of the human civilization towards progress. II.A. Men as Key Agents of Family Strength The family is one of the basic units of social relationship within the human generations. It could be observed that men are appointed as head of the family. As head of the family, a man has the responsibility of providing the guidance that the members of the family need to be able to get through with the challenges of life. Aside from this, men also stand as the basic source of spiritual and intellectual aspects of life when it comes to taking care of the younger generations of the family. Not to mention, men are also viewed as the major providers of the needs of the family in terms of finances, shelter, food and clothing. From this particular point of view, it could be observed that men are indeed given high regards by the human society especially in terms of the role that they play in the family. At some point, they work as complimentary personnel to the fulfillment of the dream of their wives and their children. They are the primary source of strength for their family members and from them comes the most valuable advices of life that would naturally help the members of the family get along with the ups and downs of living in a more eased and controlled procedure. Certainly, men are given the chance to handle the most complicated responsibilities within the family arrangements. The challenges are really not that easy to face. However, with the strong conviction and determination of men to succeed in this particular responsibility shall give them the reputation that they need to be able

The characters in eastenders Essay Example for Free

The characters in eastenders Essay The characters in Eastenders are very stereotypical Londoners, the accent, the clothes and the way of life. Where as in Emmerdale theyre country farm type people. Their way of life is completely different that goes without saying the setting is completely different Eastenders is based in Albert Square and the Queen Vic-everything happens within these limitations and Emmerdale is based on a village and the Woolpack this is a much wider limitation. The story lines in theory are very similar but are conveyed completely differently. The camera angles used in Emmerdale arent as good as Eastenders because in Emmerdale it seems theyre limited to two cameras in each scene and theyre usually close ups of faces but in Eastenders they use 3+ cameras per scene and use a mix of tracking and close ups! In both soaps the characters all seem to have problems and big mishaps in their lives. In Eastenders ALL the characters are linked in one way or another which is done very cleverly. Its pretty much the same in Emmerdale the characters are mostly linked due to past history or such like. Using the limitations in both soaps causes intensity as everything is happening in the same place! In both shows you generally see the same faces. The shows are both based on roughly 25+ characters. The story lines are very dramatic and the acting in Eastenders is that bit better than Emmerdale but theyre both done so well. It seems inn both soaps life always goes on and story lines are forgotten with the click of a finger by characters and the audience. This happens in nearly all soaps! The audience Eastenders is aimed at is roughly 10+ due to the timing of 7:30-8pm where as Emmerdale is aimed at 8-9+ as its on at 7 O clock! In real life we have our ups and our downs but I feel it seems in Eastenders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street for that fact that everybody just has downs!!! In real life people do have complicated social relationships but in Eastenders AND Emmerdale it seems no one ever doesnt have them.-This is very fake. The television presents soaps very well and its clear lots of thought goes into all soaps but I feel that more thought and money go into Eastenders rather than Emmerdale. The meanings of most big story lines are to help others who are either in the same situation or having a bad time to boost their confidence or to draw in viewers. Eastenders story lines are more OTT and they are easily leaked to TV mags and newspapers I think this is to draw viewers but it just spoils the story lines because 99% of the time you know exactly whats happening! The audience find it appealing to watch others lives being messed up and problems happen because it makes them feel better and see their problem from another perspective and think maybe my lifes not so bad! This is good and is conveyed in all soaps. Both Eastenders and Emmerdale have a couple of really bitchy characters, which are really amusing to watch. The props in the scenes in both well thought out and in Eastenders the endings(cliff-hangers) are extremely well thought out to make you want to watch the next episode. There are several Genres within soaps these include comedy, horror mainly reality and many more. Some scenes in Eastenders and Emmerdale are funny and cheer you up and you can look back on them and still chuckle but, then again some of the scenes and story lines thought up are horrific and disgusting and you feel you dont want to watch any more but youre dying to find out what happens! There are themes within Soaps, these are the story lines within Genres! Themes are used to support views. The style in Eastenders of story lines is to take a story line and over dramatises it x10. Where as in Emmerdale the story lines are less dramatised and more realistic but this isnt what people want to see they want to see big problems and arguments. This is what makes Eastenders more popular soap of the two. The scene setting sets a basis of the soap i.e.: in Eastenders the common accents and in Emmerdale the farms etc! The presentational device is much better conveyed in Eastenders. The cast size in both soaps is roughly the same and there are about 15 main characters in each! These play the superior roles and the others play large roles but are labelled extras. In both soaps there are swines and people that are just gits and theres also the sort of people who are lovely and friendly to everyone weather they like them or not! Not everyone has someone to fall back on in soaps and this is realistic and usually leads to them doing something stupid or bizarre. Eastenders and Emmerdale are two very different, popular and competitive soaps! They both have a good narrative structure and convey stories and problems brilliantly. But thats what most of the story lines are stories and not facts or real life situations. The denotation(what is seen) is always done to a high standard in Eastenders and a good quality in Emmerdale and usually gives a clear connotation (what the denotation means!) They have a variety of Genres, which define the conventions of each story line. This forms on going story lines which isnt always a good thing because sometimes they drag on and put people off the soap! The general over exaggeration, dramatisation, tone and imagery form the presentational device within soaps. This is deep in both soaps. This causes the effect of addiction. You watch one episode and find yourself asking questions like what happened between so and so and is she always that bitchy etc then you find you cant wait until the next episode! We get so caught up in the lives of the characters their lives take priority over ours and we make time to see what is happening. The characters in both soaps use different facial expressions and tones of voice to form the structural device. This is built in to convey a point this is regularly used in both Emmerdale and Eastenders! The audience identification(what makes the audience like the soap) is the characters, you become loving or hatred towards them with characters like Little Mo(EASTENDERS) and Kathy(EMMERDALE) you want to give them a hug and some friendly advice but with characters like Trevor(EASTENDERS) and Kaine(EMMERDALE) you want them to be locked up and the key thrown away. The content of the soaps on a basis of realism is surprisingly very low because the realism of story lines is probably 90% but the way theyre conveyed takes them down to about 40% this isnt a bad thing as the audiences do love it! To round up my essay Id say Eastenders isnt realistic, it is addictive, the actors and actresses are brilliant, it has the most dramatic story lines, its camera work is more effective and its the most popular soap at the moment. To round up Emmerdale Id say its a nice location, the actors and actresses are good and very realistic, the camera work could be improved by an extra camera and the story lines could be dramatised a little more this would make the soap a lot more popular!

Frank Lloyd Wright: Literary and Architectural Legacy

Frank Lloyd Wright: Literary and Architectural Legacy Introduction: There is a depth in each building that surpasses the visible physical characteristics of its structure. The philosophy that derives the experiences created within is an essential element in understanding each building or structure. It is this philosophy that differentiates an architect from another. And it was the organic philosophy in architecture that lifted Frank Lloyd wrights status to be called the greatest American Architect of all times. Through the study of his various writings, this paper explores his philosophy and analyses it in light of his design process and some of his constructed works. The Principles of the Organic: It was Lao Tze, five hundred years before Jesus who declared, that the reality of the building consisted not of the walls and roof but inhered in the space within, the space to be lived in.[1] For Frank Lloyd Wright, the center line of organic architecture was form and function are one. They become one, they are integral. He conceived this integrity, from within outward, as the modern architects guide and opportunity. Out of the ground and into the light was an opportunity. The nature of material was also an opportunities. All three opportunities were limitations but they were also a condition of success. Human nature was one of these materials, as well, served by the building and serving it.[2] In his various writings Frank Lloyd Wright explained the principles guiding and driving his organic architecture. He believed that the knowledge of the relations between form and function was essential for the practice of architecture and could only be achieved by studying nature and its principles.[3] From the simplicity inhered in nature he deducted certain ideals for organic architecture. First, that a building should contain as few rooms as possible. The ensemble of these rooms should be considered for comfort, utility and go hand in hand with beauty. Second, the openings should be integral features of the structure and form, providing it with natural ornamentation, instead of rich looking decoration. He also argued that the appliances, furniture and fixtures should be should incorporated in the general scheme of the structure. [4] For Wright simplicity was not in itself an end but it was a means to an end. The reticence in ornamentation in these structures is mainly for two reasons: first, they are the expression of an idea that ornamentation should constitutional, a matter of the nature of the structure, beginning with the ground plan. Second, because buildings perform their functions in relation to human life within, to develop and maintain the harmony of a true chord, broad simple surfaces and highly conventionalized forms are inevitable. According to him, these ideas take the building out of school and marry them to the ground, make them intimate expressions or revelations of the exteriors; individualize them regardless of previous notions of style.[5] Natures principles also formulated other ideals in organic architecture. Frank Lloyd Wright maintained that the individuality of a person should be reflected in the style of the house he inhabits, therefore there should be as many styles of houses as there are kinds of people. He also asserted that a building should grow easily from its site and be shaped to harmonize with its surroundings, making it quiet, substantial and organic. The use of colors was also an important aspect, for they had to fit to live with the natural forms they do. Therefore he encouraged the use of soft, warm tones of earth and autumn leaves in preference to the blues, purples or greens and greys. Bringing out the nature of material was an essential ideal to organic architecture, describing them as friendly and beautiful. He believed that following the prevalent traditions leads to structures that become soon out of fashion, stale and profitable, insisting that each house should have character of its own.[6] T herefore organic principles grew out of nature and its principles; however there are other aspects that have partially led to its growth. Rejection of Classical and Renaissance Architecture: I deliberately chose to break with traditions in order to be more true to tradition than current conventions and ideals in architecture would permit. [7] The principles of organic architecture, though they seemingly developed out of natures principles were also partially born from Wrights critique of previous classical and renaissance styles. In the First evening of his London lectures in 1939,Wright declared that the classic was more of a mask for life to wear rather than an expression of life itself. [8]He strongly critiqued the view of architecture as a fashionable aesthetic, arguing that modern architecture rejects all grando-mania, every building that would stand in a military fashion. [9]He encouraged architectsto abandon the cherishing of preconceived form fixed upon them, and to exhale to the laws of common sense to determine from them the form and material of the building in light of its purpose, resulting in a differentiation between the different forms of the building due to their varying function, asserting that Form and Function are one.[10] Wright criticized the tall interiors that were divided into box like compartments, where the architecture mainly involved healing over the edges of the curious collection of holes that had to be cut in the walls for light and air to permit the occupant to get in or out. [11] Wright observed that, in nature, the individuality of its attributes are seldom scarified. Unlike the classical buildings in which an order is establishes, for example a colonnade, then walls are added between them, reducing them to pilasters, with the result that every form is outraged, the whole an abominable mutation. The Approach to Design: All architecture must begin there where they stand[12] Out of the principles of the organic, Frank Lloyd Wright maintained a design process throughout his career that he describes in his book the Future of Architecture. He strongly believed in building from within outward. To achieve this vision he started by determining which consideration came first in the design process. The first determinant was the ground. By this he meant the nature of site, soil and climate. The next consideration was the choice of available materials taking into account the financial cost. The third was the choice of means of power for construction. Man, machine or both? He believed that what rendered his buildings as creative was this process of from within outward, giving life the whole, and giving life to the structure by adopting the ideal of form and function are one, or organic.[13] Wright believed that the character of the site is the beginning of any building which aspires to architecture. He argued that architects ought to accept the fact that the ground already has form.ÂÂ   This to him was a gift from nature to be cherished and accepted.[14] Therefore, in designing his domestic architecture he was careful about considering and incorporating certain elements. First was free association with the ground. Second, sunlight, vista and a spaciousness that conforms to a modern sense of demanded space.ÂÂ   The third element was privacy. Fourth was a free pattern for the arrangement of rooms to be occupied by the families. He argued that as families vary so must the houses. However, he affirmed that these requirements should be incorporated in the architecture of the building in an integral harmony of proportion to the human figure, so that the building protects and cherishes the individuals vital necessities and fine sentiments.[15] The Logic behind the Plan: I have great faith that if the thing rightfully put together in true organic senses with proportions actually right the picturesque will take care of itself.[16] Frank Lloyd Wright believed that all the forms in his plans are complete in themselves and frequently do duty at the same time from within and without as attributes of the whole. There was a tendency towards a greater individuality of the parts emphasized by more and more complete articulation. Moreover, the ground plans were the actual projection of a carefully considered whole.ÂÂ   The architecture wasnt thrown up as an artistic exercise, a matter of elevation from a preconceived ground plan. The schemes were conceived in three dimensions as organic entities. Wright ventured to let the picturesque perspective fall how it will. With a sense of the incidental perspectives, he believed the design will develop. [17] In the Future of Architecture and in an article in the architectural record he describes the logic behind the plans in his architecture. He mentions the most important factors in designing the plan which are materials, building methods, scale, articulation, expression or style. The logical norm for the scale of the building was the human scale. He believed that the unit of size of the building varies with the purpose and material of it, therefore he adopted a unit system for the plan, establishing a certain standardization. By adopting the human scale, he trusted nature to give the proper values to a proper whole. Materials also affected scale. He used the most natural material suiting the purpose. Using wood led to a slender plan, light in texture narrow in spacing. A stone or brick plan was heavy, black in masses and wider in spacing. In cast block building, the scale was done to be adequate to the sense of block, box and slab and there was more freedom in spacing.[18] In his domestic architecture, he designed that house with a garden that arranges itself about and within it so that the individual can enjoy the sun and view while keeping privacy. He gave priority to the living room, given its status as the room common to all, adding a fireplace to it. The modern industrial developments allowed him to make the kitchen a part of the living room relating it to another part of the same. He occasionally added an extra space for reading or studying. By creating this association between living and dining he ensured the convenience and the privacy of the members of the family. Wright gave importance to the bathrooms making them large enough to accommodate for dressing rooms, closets for linen, occasionally a wardrobe with perhaps a couch in each. He made the bedrooms adjacent to the bathroom unit, designing them to be small, airy and easily accessible from the living room. [19] His logic is derived from the ideal of form and function are one. The inspiration of his ideal grew from nature, not its form but its principles. In nature, an organism is a living one when all is part to the whole and whole is to the part.ÂÂ   Wright argued that this correlation which is found any plant or animal is a fundamental principle in organic architecture. He also maintained that any building should come to terms with the living human spirit.[20] Considering the individuality of the owner in the design process, led to certain puzzlement regarding the notion of style. The Question of Style: Styles once developed soon become yardsticks for the blind, crushes for the lame, and resources for the impotent.[21] Frank Lloyd Wright asserted that he had enough types and forms my work to characterize the work of an architect but certainly not enough to characterize an architecture. To him there was no worse of an imposition than to have some individual deliberately fix the outward forms of his concept of beauty upon the future of a free people or even a growing city.[22] The form may differ, he asserted, but in every case the motif is adhered to throughout so that it is not too much to say that each building aesthetically is cut from one piece of goods and consistently hangs together with an integrity impossible otherwise. In a fine art sense the designs grew as natural plants grow, the individuality of each is integral and is as complete as skill, time, strength, and circumstances would permit. The method in itself does not necessarily produce a beautiful building, but it does provide a framework as a basic which has an organic integrity.[23] Wright believed that style came as a byproduct of the process he maintained in his design. The way an architect achieves an integrity in his design came, first, by studying natures material to find the properties most suited for the purpose, then, by using organic architecture as guide, to unite these qualities to serve that purpose.[24] In his plan Wright did use a form of standardization, a unit of size for the building. However, he warned against the tendency in the human mind to standardize. He viewed standardization as a mere tool, though indispensable, should be used to the extent that it leave the architect free to destroy it at will, to the extent only that it does not become a style, or an inflexible rule-is it desirable to the architect. It is desirable only to the extent that it is capable of new forms and remains the servant of those forms. He believed that standardization should be allowed to work, but never to master the process that yields the form.[25] In his various designs Wright took into consideration the individuality of the occupant and his needs. Wright responded to the critics who suspected that individuality of the owner and occupant of the building is sacrificed to that of the architect who imposes his own upon everyone alike, by saying An architect worthy of the name has individuality, it is true, his work will and should reflect it and his buildings will bear a family resemblance one to another. The individuality of the owner is first manifest in his choice of his architect, the individual to whom he entrusts his characterization. He sympathizes with his work; its expression suits him and this furnishes the common ground upon which client and architect may come together. Then, the architect with his ready technique, he conscientiously works for the client, idealizes his clients character and taste and makes him feel the building is his as it really to such an extent that he can truly say that he would rather have his ow n house than any other he has ever seen[26] In order to fully understand wrights methodology, it is essential to look at how his principles have formed his designs and buildings. Looking at the Prairie house style and Taliesin, the examples show how Wright succeeded in maintaining his philosophy, while providing diversity of forms. Prairie Houses: In his book An American Architecture, Wright describes his love and fascination with prairie, along with the elements of the prairie that guided his designs. I loved the prairie as great simplicity. And I saw that a little of height on the prairie was enough to look like much more. The natural tendency of every ill- considered thing on the prairie is to detach itself and stick out like a sore thumb in surrounding by nature perfectly quiet. All unnecessary heights have for that reason and the human scale, (other reasons, economic too) been eliminated. More intimate relation with outdoor environment and far-reaching vista is sought to balance the desired lessening of height.[27] The Prairie style was an attempt by Wright to create an architecture that suited the American lifestyle and landscape. Strongly horizontal plan of house with a low sheltering roof, bands of art glass windows, stucco walls with wood banding, and outreaching garden walls had many of the features that characterized this version of Wrights organic architecture.[28] The Little house on Lake Minnetonka (figure1) is an example of how organic architecture is reflected in the house. The living room is the dominant space in the house. Mrs. Little was an accomplished musician and wanted the room to double as recital space. The height of the ceiling adds to the rooms grandeur. Flanked by two long walls with more than a dozen art glass windows on two levels, the room has the lightness of an outdoor pavilion. Clear glass was used in the leaded panels so that the views, the lake to one side and the forest to another, would not be obstructed. The delicate designs of lines and triangles, concentrated on the outer edges of the window, reach across several panels, creating a larger composition than on just the one window. The art glass skylight, an intricate checkerboard of tiny squares and triangles, are framed by heavy wood moldings.[29] Wright focused on using an appropriate kind of furniture. The rectilinear Prairie Style furniture with the sturdy oak shapes of tables, cabinets, and chairs adapted easily to the houses scale. The vertical spindles of the radiator covers are repeated in the base of the print table and seem to capture the rhythm of the wood marking strips across the ceiling. The strong horizontality of the entire house and the room itself pulls the scale back down to a more human level.[30] The Taliesin: No house should be a hill or anything or anything. It should be of the hill. Hill and house should live together, each happier for the other.[31] This is Wright famous quote regarding the Taliesin in Wisconsin (figure2). In studying Wrights architecture it seems interesting to look at building he designed for him personally. This specific house is consistent, rich and appropriate in its management of prospect and refuge. It is also a gentler, more intimate, and more freely composed house than any others of wrights works.[32] In designing domestic architecture Wright regarded the house as refuge from two generalized and impersonal threats. One is climate the other is the social intrusion by the community.[33] When Wright built the Taliesin, he considered these two universal threats along with two personal threats, one external from his feeling of societal hostility for leaving his wife, the other internal from an inner sense of disorientation and confusion. [34] This attests to the individuality in his design. He built the Taliesin encircling the side of the hill, with its back to wall, making it seem as if it was of the hill. However this placement and his famous quotation about this house dont apply to previous prairie houses like the Hardy, Little, Ennis and Morris houses. Perhaps this placement was more related to the nature of the site, since in Taliesin the hill was inappropriate, partly because of Wrights sense of it sanctity, but partly because he needed to have his the therefore, its back against the wall, for which purpose the hilltop could not work. Therefore he chose the hillside around which the living spaces were arranged.[35] The dominant image was that of roofs which emerged randomly from the hillside vegetation, with a repetition of gentled shingled spaces, taking the slopes of the hills as their slopes. The deep overhanging eaves were all at uniform level, forming a continuous eave line.[36] Wright argued on many occasions that he was trying to destroy the box, by which he meant the self-contained room of traditional domestic architecture. He used the open plans in the prairie houses. However in Taliesin, in spite of the fluid disposition of the rooms, there is no sense of an open plan, rich and complex but a box nevertheless. Unlike prairie, this living space did not open through articulating devices to any contiguous space, nor did any other rooms. This was appropriate at Taliesin where containment was deliberately sought and consistency developed in so many other ways.ÂÂ   Also, the terrace did not extend from either range of windows that released the view. It lay rather behind the scenes. Probably this issue was a provision of view downward to the valley from the living room. This view would have been frustrated by a terrace, especially by one with a solid plastered rail.[37] The way Wright treated Taliesin in its particularity, attests to his claim that he didnt adopt a style. The particularity of the site, the nature of materials, individuality and function were the determinants of the form of the building. Conclusion: Wrights philosophy revolved around the organic. He articulated his philosophy clearly in his various writings that totaled to more than one and half million words. He defined the word organic as an entity, part-to whole- as whole- is to part, intrinsic.[38] The ideal of the organic was form and function are one. This ideal guided his design process, the logic behind his revolutionary open plans and is reflected in his different works. And despite the differences in his works, he managed to maintain an organic integrity in his designs. Image index: Figure 1 [39] Figure2 Bibliography: Hildebrand, Grant. The Wright Space: Pattern and Meaning in Frank Lloyd Wrights Houses. Seattle: U of Washington, 1991. Lind, Carla. The Wright Style. New York: Simon Schuster, 1992. Klinkowitz, Jerome. Frank Lloyd Wright and His Manner of Thought. Madison, Wisconsin: U of Wisconsin, 2014. Wright, Frank Lloyd. The Future of Architecture. New York: Horizon, 1953. Wright, Frank Lloyd, and Andrew Devane. In the Cause of Architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright: Essays. New York: Architectural Record, 1975. Wright, Frank Lloyd, and Donald D. Walker. An American Architecture. New York: Horizon, 1955. [1] Frank Lloyd Wright, The Future of Architecture. (New York: Horizon) 1953, p 226 [2] ibid, p 297 [3] Frank Lloyd Wright, and Andrew Devane. In the Cause of Architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright: Essays. (New York: Architectural Record) 1975, p54 [4] ibid [5] Ibid, p60 [6] ibid, p55 [7] ibid, p123 [8] Frank Lloyd Wright, The Future of Architecture. (New York: Horizon) 1953, p 225 [9] ibid , p226 [10] ibid, p227 [11] Frank Lloyd Wright, and Andrew Devane. In the Cause of Architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright: Essays. (New York: Architectural Record) 1975, p55 [12] Frank Lloyd Wright, The Future of Architecture. (New York: Horizon) 1953,p299 [13] ibid, p297 [14] ibid, p299 [15] ibid, p315 [16] Frank Lloyd Wright, and Andrew Devane. In the Cause of Architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright: Essays. (New York: Architectural Record) 1975, p59 [17] ibid [18] ibid, p154 [19] Frank Lloyd Wright, The Future of Architecture. (New York: Horizon) 1953, p 316 [20] ibid, p 298 [21] Frank Lloyd Wright, and Andrew Devane. In the Cause of Architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright: Essays. (New York: Architectural Record) 1975, p163 [22] ibid, p 124 [23] ibid, p59 [24] ibid, p124 [25] ibid, p 163 [26] ibid, p60 [27] Frank Lloyd wright and Donald D. Walker, An American Architecture. (New York: Horizon) 1955, p193 [28] Carla Lind, The Wright Style. (New York: Simon Schuster) 1992, p 72 [29] ibid, p84 [30] ibid [31] Frank Lloyd Wright, and Andrew Devane. In the Cause of Architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright: Essays. (New York: Architectural Record) 1975, p11 [32] Grant Hildebrand, The Wright Space: Pattern and Meaning in Frank Lloyd Wrights Houses. (Seattle: U of Washington) 1991, p 64 [33] ibid, p62 [34] ibid, p63 [35] ibid, p64 [36] ibid [37] ibid, p72 [38] Frank Lloyd Wright, The Future of Architecture. (New York: Horizon) 1953, p 323 [39] Carla Lind, The Wright Style. (New York: Simon Schuster) 1992, p 72