Best Friends are Forever

People go through friends like women go through shoes. They try them on, wear them for a while, and then throw them out. But there is always that one pair that a women keeps no matter how many times she has worn them. That pair becomes like a part of her. A best friend is like a woman’s favorite pair of shoes; the one that can never be worn out.

Some friends can be worn out. When trust is lost between two friends, that relationship is tossed. Someone who is not trustworthy is not friend worthy. A friend should not sneak around behind a friend's back. A good friend should be straight forward and honest with their friends.

Best friend are always there for each other. When they are bored and have nothing to do, they will be there to entertain each other. If they are having a bad day and need to cry, they will be a shoulder to cry on. If you are looking to have fun, they will know where the party is. Whenever you need someone to run to, their door is always open. Life can not be complete if you do not have someone to do these things.

Only once in your life does someone find a true best friend that can always be trusted and that is always there. Sometimes the connection is so strong it is empowering; together the two can rule the world. Also the way the two connect is so odd, some kind of out-of-this world force, the way they seem to read each other’s minds. This kind of friendship is so rare and should never be taken for granted if found. Best friends are for ever; and they never go out of style.

1

Friends

What qualities define a friend? How much can you trust them, if you get along with them most of the time. Those are only two examples of what a good friend should be there are many more. People have a wide range of the type of friends that they have as well. Here is what a friend means to me.

There are many different levels of friends out there. Your best friends who you can tell anything in the world to your not so great friends that you don’t see or talk to often. It is always a good idea to have best friends because you can fall back on them when you have rough times, and have memorable times with them as well. If you are lucky enough to have a childhood friend that is something special. Growing up with someone as your friend puts that special bond between the two of you that can never be broken. Of course there are bad friends out there too. The ones that will share your secrets with others, and talk about you behind your back. This will happen to everyone so do not be worried.

As there are many different levels of friends there are also many different levels of trust. Who to trust with your secrets that no one else needs to know? Best friends of course because there is no one better. As for the rest of the friends how much trust is given should be dependant on if they have shown that they can be trusted.

2

Family

A family is a connection among a group of people that provides guidance through trustworthy acceptance, security based on concepts of love and respect, as well as stress that stems from authoritative conflict and conformity. Imagine a world with no families. You are born into society from another person and then sent away to fend for yourself in an unpredictable world. How you survive? Would you have someone to guide you through the early years of your life until you were able to take care of yourself? If this were the case, the person who guided you could then be considered a family member. However, if the person was more like a formal teacher that was there solely to give guidance and not love or affection until you reached a certain age, then it could be more plausible that a world without families could exist. But would society have an empty space where the trust and reliance on families would exist, or would people eventually grow to establish their own close groups, similar to what we now refer to as friendships, that would fill the emotional significance that a family embodies? Families are a necessity in society. Whether or not some people wish that they were not a part of their family, they would still seek the comfort and security that a family provides. .

3

Importance of Education

Education is an effort of the senior people to transfer their knowledge to the younger members of society. It is thus an institution, which plays a vital role in integrating an individual with his society and in maintaining the perpetuation of culture. Emile Durkheim defines education as “the influence exercised by the adult generation upon those who are not yet ready for adult life”.

He further maintains that “society can survive only if there exists among its members a sufficient degree of homogeneity. The homogeneity is perpetuated and reinforced by education. A child through education learns basic rules, regulations, norms and values of society”.

Education thus is an essential prerequisite of modernization. It enables people to know the world beyond their own surroundings and transforms them to become rationalist and humanist in outlook and world view. However, it has to be kept in mind that the education has got modernized and in turn is contributing to the process of modernization of the Indian society.

The traditional education system of India was quite different from the contemporary one. In traditional Indian society, the number of educational institutions was too small and the content of education was esoteric and essentially related with religion, philosophy, metaphysics and scriptural subjects.

The education was confined to the ‘twice-born’ castes and the upper classes. The organizational structure was ascriptive and hereditary. The lower castes, particularly the scheduled castes, were denied education. Even today, the Madrassah education among Muslims is largely based on religion, philosophy and scriptural messages. Shishu Mandirs also have religion and tradition as parts of curriculum.

Modern education is exoteric, open and liberal. The world-view is scientific-rational; the theme consists of freedom, equality, humanism and denial of faith in dogma and superstitions. The course contents are rationalistic and in tune with the needs of the present-day society.

Science and technology, grammar and literature, social philosophy, history and culture, geography and ecology, agriculture and horticulture comprise the vast range of subjects which are taught in schools, colleges and universities.

The modern education lays emphasis on the subjects like freedom, nationality, law, human rights, democracy and scientific world view. The other parts of education are the co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, which are often organized for total personality development of a student.The modern education is change-oriented and, therefore, courses are modified time and again corresponding to the changes taking place in society at large so as to keep pace with the needs of the changing situations in the wake of fast-changing industrial society.

4

Global Warming

One of the biggest problems facing the world today is global warming. Many scientists believe that our production of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is having a heating effect on the atmosphere, and this could be very dangerous for human life. This essay will examine the problem of global warming and suggest some ways of solving the problem.Many problems could result from global warming. One of the biggest problems is rising sea level. This could result in the flooding of low lying coastal areas and cities, such as Egypt, the Netherlands, and Bangladesh. Some countries might even disappear completely! Another problem caused by global warming is changes in weather patterns. Many areas of the world are experiencing increased hurricanes, floods, and other unusual weather. A third problem associated with global warming is the effect on animals. Fish populations could be affected, while some insects which spread disease might become more common.There are several things we can do to solve the problem of global warming. One solution is to stop producing C02. We can do this by switching from oil, coal and gas to renewable energy. Another solution is to plant more trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, which is not a greenhouse gas. A third solution is to use less energy and to recycle more products. Generating electricity is one of the main sources of carbon dioxide. If we use less electricity, we will produce less C02.In conclusion, if we make small changes now in the way we live, we can avoid huge changes in the future. Scientists, governments and individuals must work together to overcome this threat.The greenhouse effect and global warming are issues that are talked about by geologists all the time. The greenhouse effect is a natural process that keeps the earth at temperatures that are livable. Energy from the sun warms the earth when its heat rays are absorbed by greenhouse gasses and become trapped in the atmosphere. Some of the most common greenhouse gasses are water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane. If there were no greenhouse gasses, very few rays would be absorbed and the earth would be extremely cold. When too many rays are absorbed, the earth?s atmosphere starts to warm, which leads to global warming. Global warming can lead to many problems that affects the environment in which we live. In order to talk about global warming, we must first learn what causes the greenhouse effect. A lot of the rays from the sun are absorbed by water vapor that is naturally in our atmosphere. Water vapor accounts for 80 percent of natural greenhouse warming. The remaining 20 percent is due to other gasses that are present in very small amounts (Murck, Skinner and Porter 488). Carbon dioxide is also a big absorber of the suns heat rays. Humans can cause a lot of carbon dioxide to be released. Every time we burn fossil fuels, we release more carbondioxide. Emissions from cars also increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. If there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere more rays from the sun are absorbed. This will cause the atmosphere and the earths temperature to warm. The warming of the earth will cause the oceans to become warmer. When they heat up, more water is evaporated, causing more carbon

5

dioxide to be released into the atmosphere. Once this process starts, it is extremely hard to control. If the temperature keeps rising, more carbon dioxide will be released.

Another greenhouse gas is methane: Methane absorbs infrared radiation 25 times more effectively than carbon dioxide, making it an important greenhouse gas despite its relatively low concentration (490). There have been many studies on how methane is released into the atmosphere. Methane in the atmosphere is generated by biological activity related to ricecultivation, leaks in domestic and industrial gaslines, and the digestive process of domestic livestock, especially cattle (490). An environmental effect of global warming is the fact that higher temperatures will lead to a change in the water cycle. Some places may experience more rain. Warmer temperatures will cause a greater amount of evaporation from lakes, rivers, and oceans. In some areas this could begood, and in others it could be considered bad. In northern regions of the United States, anincrease in the temperature and amount of rain could actually extend the growing season of crops. This would in turn mean more money for farmers in the northern region. It could also hurt some farmers. Too much rain is bad for some crops. Certain areas will actually get less rain, which would lead to more droughts and have a negative impact on crops. Warm and wet weather is usually a factor that promotes tropical storms. Global warming would lead to tropical storms appearing with greater frequency. More rain will also force plant life to adjust. Forests and plant life migrate naturally, but scientists say that global warming would cause them to migrate at a much faster rate. If the climate changes the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says, some forest species in North America will shift by as much as 300 miles to the north. If a region is getting more rain and plants on theborder of that region need rain to survive, they will naturally begin growing in the new region. The Environmental Media Services Organization has found that the greenhouse effect could drive global temperatures up as much as 6 degrees by the year 2100 - an increase in heat comparable to the 10 degree warming that ended the last ice age. If a ten degree warming was the factor that ended the ice age, imagine what another warming by about that same amount could do. Scientists believe that a warming of only 6 degrees would cause glaciers to melt at a high rate. This would cause an increase in the level of the oceans. According to the article Turning up the Heat: How Global Warming Threatens Life in the Sea,? coastal cities and islands would be in danger of flooding if the ocean levels rose: Only a 1-cm rise in sea level can erode a full 1 meter of beach (Berntson and Mathews-Amos . Sea ice would also be susceptible to melting, which would raise the water level even more.

Global warming will not just make sea levels rise, it will also affect sea life. Corals are intolerant of temperatures just a few degrees warmer than usual (ibid.). Small increases in the temperature can kill corals. There have been problems with corals dying in the past few years because of increased water temperatures. Other marine life may migrate northward or southward because the waters are warmer. The warm water would make them think that they

6

were in their natural habitat, when they were actually migrating toward the poles. Food would be scarce in their new habitat. Patterns of the circulation of sea water are disturbed by global warming. Cold water moves along the sea floor towards the equator and warm water around the equator moves toward the poles across the surface of the ocean. It is known as thermohaline circulation. It is a very important process concerning ocean life. This circulation process brings oxygenated water to the sea floor. If this did not happen, water along the sea floor would become depleted of the oxygen organisms need to survive (ibid.). Fish, such as salmon, are also sensitive to the temperature of the water. During the summer when the water is warm, salmon have a higher metabolic rate. During the winter months, their metabolism slows down, which is good because less food is available. With global warming and increased water temperatures, salmon would have a higher metabolic rate, even if it were during the winter. Less food would be available for them and many salmon would die. Another impact of global warming will be that some diseases are likely to be spread more easily. Mosquitoes are a major carrier of tropical diseases. They are commonly known for carrying malaria, cholera, and dengue fever. Malaria outbreaks are usually confined to where the minimum winter temperature reaches no lower than 16 [degrees Celsius], according to the World Wide Fund for Nature, an independent conservation organization. Scientists are beginning to notice that malaria outbreaks are occurring outside these places. They are attributing this to increased temperatures from global warming. Places such as California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, and New York have had more cases of malaria. People from these states know that the summers have been very hot and humid lately. Malaria mosquitoes thrive in hot and humid weather.Increased temperatures and more rain in some areas will cause hot and humid weather, which will allow for mosquitoes to migrate to new places and spread the disease. A study suggests that malaria transmission would increase from 45% of the globe to 60%, if atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases reach concentrations equivalent to a doubling of CO2 since the industrial revolution (ibid.). Cholera and dengue fever are also carried by mosquitoes and thrive in warm and moist climates. As with malaria, more cholera and dengue fever outbreaks would occur because of migrating mosquitoes.

As stated earlier, the warming of the oceans will increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and will make global warming a problem of increasing severity. There are other ways that this happens too. As the weather becomes warmer, more organic matter in the ground will be decomposed. This causes carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere: ?If average temperatures would rise by .3 degrees C per decade, soils will release an amount of CO2 equal to nearly 20 percent of the projected amount released by combustion of fossil fuels? (Murck, Skinner and Porter 495 ). Gas hydrates will also decompose with warmer temperatures. Gas hydrates are icelike solids in which molecules of gas, mainly methane, are locked in the structure of water? and are usually found in frozen soil or in ocean sediments (495). Scientists have found that ?gas hydrates worldwide hold a total of 10,000 billion metric tons of carbon, twice the amount contained in all the known coal, gas, and oil reserves on the land? (495). When temperaturesincrease, frozen soil will melt and release gas hydrates, and hydrates from

7

ocean sediment will also break down. Because of this, more methane and carbon will be released into the atmosphere, making the greenhouse effect even stronger. This will damage our environment even more. Global warming is becoming a major problem as we move to the 21st century and beyond. When more greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide and methane are released, they trap heat raysand keep them in our atmosphere. This causes an increase in temperature. Increases in temperature can do a lot of damage, even in small increases. Only a few degrees ended the ice age thousands of years ago. Another warming like that can have huge environmental effects. Changes in temperature will upset water cycles. Some areas will get more precipitation, some will get less. A warming of a few degrees would cause glaciers and sea ice to melt. This would lead to ocean levels rising and would damage coastal cities and islands. It would also cause a disruption in different species living in the ocean and increase the levels of some disease,especially ones carried by mosquitoes, which thrive in warm climates. In order to stop global warming, much has to be done. Although it is very difficult to reverse once the process is started, global warming has to be stopped if we want to live like we are now. Emission of fossil fuels by humans is a big factor in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Controlling these emissions is one of the first of many steps that we must take in order to combat global warming. If it is not controlled, problems such as the aforementioned ones, along with others, will definitely disrupt our living patterns.

8

Biggest Evil in our Society

Corruption is one of the deadly, undesirable and wicked sins that has been imposed on the innocent man by some hungry looking monsters. It is omnipresent, almost like a distorted, antithetical version of God for the present times. It doesn’t sound euphonious when we hear that it has not only led to the malfunctioning of the administrative system and poor law and order, but also some serious causes like poverty and redtapism, which has led to the society’s disability. It has distorted all values and made mincemeat of morality, truth and virtue. It has entered into every single aspect of our lives becoming all-pervasive just similar to the air we breathe. It is growing massively in huge proportions and there is barely any sphere of social, political, economic and even religious activity that is free from graft, fraud and corruption of some kind. It is now regarded as a fact of life and an evil which is inseparable with which we have to live with throughout.

It happens as much as in the daylight, as it is done behind the closed doors. It is under every stone we turn and every door we open. Thus, it is this “corruption” that can be considered as a deadly sin in our society and it is a shame that we are being evasive and denying this fact by considering it as a habit and a part of our lives.

Human beings are full of temptations. After all human beings are human beings. And in fact, gold and cash acts as a bait to these politicians and officials who are fond of bribe in any way. They just need something to avoid the itching on their hands. But the stink lies not only in the prevalence of the lure of gold, but in the hypocrisy that accompanies it.

It’s really disheartening when a corrupt person after taking a bribe, talks about the high moral standards and urges people to follow the principles and ideologies of Mahatma Gandhi, and remain honest, true and just in whatever they do. Such hypocrisy complexes the offence, but the ministers, politicians and officials are getting callous and do not pay any heed. Sadly, just like one of the evil characters like Raavan in the human mythology Ramayana, there are plenty of greed addicts that are prevalent in the society which are pushing humanity into a medieval sort of decadence. Everyone now a days, from government officials to the judiciary people to the private corporate gurus, all are thirsting for personal profits.

The energetic youth today can be one source that can actually uproot the very weed of corruption. It can act like a ‘vanarsena’ and attack with full force the authorities which play the major culprit feeding this malady. Positive reforms should be brought out, so that we not only dream but also work together actively hand in hand towards developing a nation that is free from the evil called ‘CORRUPTION’.

9

Road safety

Everyday many people are involved in road accidents. Some are killed. Many more are injured or maimed. So it is important for us to learn to use the roads properly and safely. No sane person would like to be involved in an accident.

As the roads are very busy nowadays, we should be very careful when crossing one. It is safer to use a pedestrian crossing or an overhead bridge whenever one is available. Never cross a road by dashing across it. That is inviting trouble. If there are no crossings, then we must look carefully right and left and cross only when it is safe to do so.

Some of us take the bus to school. It is important that we do not try to get on or off a bus while it is still moving. I tried to get on a moving bus once. It dragged me a short distance and nearly ran over me. I was lucky to escape with only some scratches on my legs. Also we must not fool around while in the bus. A suddenly lurch can send us knocking our heads against something hard.

Using a bicycle can be dangerous too. We must pay attention on the road and never cycle too far out to the middle of the road. We must obey all traffic rules. Also we must make sure our bicycles are in good condition with working brakes, lights etc

These are some things we can do to avoid accidents. However there is no guarantee that we will never be involved in one. The important thing is to stay alert at all times while using the roads. We must know what is happening around us. In that way we can take necessary action to avoid danger whenever we see one. Road safety is very much up to how we use the roads. Use them carefully and we may be able to use them for a long time. Use them carelessly and we may never be able to use them again.

10

Benefits of Travelling

Many people ponder what they should do for a vacation and I realized a lot of people don’t seem to share my views about traveling. I believe it’s very important to see the world and different cultures. It lets us open our minds to new things and we get to experience life in exiting different ways.

Traveling gives us the opportunity to disconnect from our regular life. You get to forget your problems/issues for a few weeks, it can also help you figure things out that you would not have understood without the distance traveling can give you. We all have crazy schedules, work and a family to take care of, going away alone or with some friends can give you distance and perhaps even make you realize how important these people are for you generic viagra 100mg. Like the saying says: we never know what we have until we lose it.

Another great benefit is the relaxation you get to do. It’s nice to live life to its fullest and enjoy a stress free time with yourself. Going on vacation lets us recharge our “batteries” by disconnecting us from our regular life. When we come back we feel invigorated and we are happy to be back in our day to day routine. It’s a very good stress remover that has a lot more to give than most people are willing to accept.

Traveling increases our knowledge and widens our perspective. To view new customs, different ways of living is fantastic for the mind. It gives us a new perspective about life and especially our life, it can help us change some of our habits or even create new ones. When I travel I usually make it a point to try new food, some cultures don’t have fries in their diet and they are all skinny, others use spices to give taste and not oils or fats. Discovering different values and ways to get by in life is really interesting. You also need to visit exotic new places and discover what this wonderful world has to offer.

New experiences increase our resourcefulness by living situations you would never encounter at home, this is great experience for you when you come back to your routine. I have noticed that people who traveled a lot in life were ready to embrace change and have a natural ability of overcoming problems that others would frown upon.

When traveling with friends or family it creates memories for a lifetime. These memories will create a bond that nothing can erase no matter what happens with the friendship/relationship. It can also give a new perspective on the relationship and cement the bond forever. It also gives nice stories to tell people afterwards, you can create photo albums about your trips and when you feel nostalgic you can take an hour of your life and experience the trips again by looking at your pictures.

It’s never been this cheap to travel. With soaring oil prices the cheap travel era might be coming to an end. However there are still many budget airlines fighting for your dollar right now. With

11

the internet and all the new technology, you can plan your trip exactly the way you want it. You can choose your budget, the duration of the trip and what you want to do. I suggest to read travel blogs and see what others are experiencing, you can save yourself a few hurdles by reading about their trip.

If you have some time off I suggest to take that trip and experience what life has to offer. Don’t wait or tell yourself there will be a better time to go. Take the risk, the opportunity and buy your plane ticket right now and leave. When you come back you won’t be sorry that you left, on the contrary you will be thinking of your next trip the second you come back from the airport.

Feel free to let me know how traveling helped you out, what new experiences you lived and how they helped you in your life.

12

Music in my life

I was inspired to write this article just so I could express how much music means to me and how empty my lif would be without it.

Music is one of the most important and powerful things in my life. My life without melodies and harmonies would be totally empty. Listening to and playing different tunes helps me to de-stress, relax and it can also help to motivate me in trying times. I love listening to music while on my way to school, as I feel it helps me to prepare for the day that waits. I think it is like the memoirs to my life as it has been there throughout everything with me.

When I was younger, I didn’t have the great love for musical as I do now. I mainly listened to whatever was playing in the background or what my parents were listening to. I didn’t have much of a care for musical compositions. There was sometimes a little bit of pop music thrown in to the mix here and there, but that’s really all I liked back then. Whether I was in the car, the house, or anywhere else there was sure to be some Beatles, Buddy Holly, or the Dubliners constantly playing somewhere in the background. At the time I didn’t care for that genre of music much, but now as I’m older, I enjoy it as it allows me to reminisce on memories from times of my childhood. Once I hit my teenage years music became my life and gradually started to inhibit my soul.

I believe music has the ability to convey all sorts of emotion. Whether the emotion is joy and happiness or sadness and despair through rhythms, harmonies and the lyrics music shows it. The song “A little bit longer” by Nick Jonas is such an emotional and inspiring song that when I hear it, I always come close to tears, especially when I watch it being played live. The effect that music can have on our emotions is tremendous, as it can bring people to floods of tears or bursts of laughter.

The musical images that music and song are able to create are amazing. Music has the ability to transport me back in time just like a time machine. It lets me revisit lost and forgotten moments in life. Songs can paint a picture, for example in classical and country music where a story is being told. The music in classical music tells a story without lyrics which is an immensely powerful thing. I feel that this applies to the saying “music imitates life and life imitates music”.

Recently song writing has wandered its way into my life. I believe there is no better way to express myself than through song. After a bad day, it’s nice to be able to sit down and write about it. It can make all your problems just disappear and float away. Listening to other musical artists that I like gives me inspiration. My guitar teacher also points me in the right direction and gives me guidance as I need it. I love to just sit with my guitar and make up random lyrics about past experiences or what I’m going through at the moment.

13

I started learning how to play the guitar last year and within the past few months I have fallen completely and utterly in love with it. Once I start playing, I find it extremely hard to put the guitar down again. It’s very addictive and can also be distracting sometimes. It distracts me from my homework since my guitar sits right next to my desk. Playing guitar is one of the only things in my life in which I don’t feel pressurized to do well in. I think this is because I have a great teacher and she doesn’t push me to the music exams.

This past summer my grandma taught me how to play the piano. I had always heard stories about how my great grandfather, her father, was brilliant at the piano. He would sit at the piano for hours on end playing different well known songs as making up his own little tunes. He had taught my grandma how to play and I felt it was about time that I learnt. So when I was staying with my grandma and grandpa during the summer, I asked her to teach me. She was delighted to and now it’s something nice that we can both do together and bond over.

I believe music effects people in many different ways. To me music is more than just something to listen to or play, it’s something to feel. Music is extremely important in my life. I think it brings me closer to my friends and family. I also feel that it helps me to get through things. For example, I remember doing the twenty six kilometre gaisce hike and the whole way along the hike we sang songs. Music is an immensely powerful thing and has a huge place in my life right next to my heart.

14

Humanity.

War is, without argument the worst collective experience of humanity. It has created new nations on the rubbles of destroyed cities and humans dead.

It involves mass killing without humane feelings even if short and swift. Our recent experience with Kargil, which was not even not even a full-fledged war, reopened the sordidness of military action.

Wars, when prolonged like the World Wars, result in human brutality, mass extermination of races and intolerable atrocities on innocent civilians. All rules are kept on the backburner and what matters is victory or defeat. The 21st Century has seen the development of weapons, controlled by computerized systems, with pin-point accuracy and a million-fold increase in powers of destruction compared to our previous wars.

Weapons and tactics have undergone total transformation in the last millennium but no deterrent has managed to quell human conflict. It may look totally different has managed to quell human conflict. It may look totally different for the war-mongers but no the common man it gives the same results – death and destruction. The totally of wars since 1945 right from Nagasaki and Hiroshima to iraq and Afganistan continue to grow without respite. The irony of the new millennium is that improvement in technology and scientific advancement have given us more options, leaving us with our major drawback, our primitive human failing – the fear of the other.

The core reasons for fighting wars are about proving superiority, hegemony, competition for dominating the region or the world and for economic survival. The recent wars, to preserve the efficacy of the democratic system, may be a phase which is temporary.

The US military historian and analyst Colonel Macgregor states this explicitly, “We did not fight Hitler just because he was a Nazi or the fight against Stalin was not because he was a Communist.” Similarly the US ambassador to NATO asserted, “Our shared values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights are themselves every bit as much worth depending as our territory”. This may be applicable for the war on Iraq or Afghanistan but vital interests are of primary importance. Otherwise why has NATO kept allot from Kashmir, Africa, Chechenay or Algeria inspite of terrorism and absolute human suffering. Examples of Bosnia, Kosovo and East Timor are now exceptions but do raise our expectations for intervention in cases of upholding human rights.

The situation has drastically changed today with hand-held missiles capable of bringing down aircraft. The US faced this situations in Somalia and Afghanistan. Even very back in 1993, the US experienced the result of new weapons, in the hands of hurriedly formed mercenary and militia. The ragged, underfed and ill uniformed militia was capable of bringing down helicopters and kill marines, wrecking a super-power campaign in Somalia. The civil war in Somalia was further

15

intensified due to their intervention. The bloodshed in Algeria continued in 1998 but the NATO and other super-powers including France just sat back and twiddled their thumbs.

Serbia also proved a point by creating a human crisis which could not be solved by the forces of NATO, It had to find its own solution to the problem. Intervention in Yugoslavia or Iraq has not been able to subdue the rulers there and even after carpet bombing and unleashing their might the NATO powers could not reach a conclusion.

From these results, it has been proved that self-imposed political limitations on the amount of force to be used, can simply leave problems unresolved. The future holds more terror with smaller States like North Korea going in for nuclear weapons and States like Pakistan passing on technology to other Islamic states. Lybia under Colonel Gaddafi had been seeking this technology at any price and the day is not far off when Islamic militants will be able to get together a makeshift weapon. Major powers will be facing the paradox of yet more asymmetric warfare by small adversaries wielding outsize weapons capable of atomic explosions and chemical warfare.

India had this situation at Kargil when they faced a few hundred mercenaries, terrorists and Pakistani militia, entrenched at the heights. The result was that it took us 50 days of all out effort leaving is with 407 dead and 584 wounded, with six missing. It was only after the Air Force was put into substantial use that we succeeded in our efforts to recapture the god-forbidden heights.

Air campaigns alone today, can bring about drastic results and with precision air power alone serve as an effective and peacemaking lever. The surrender and demise of the Taliban Government in Afghanistan was activated by the non-stop aerial bombing by US fighter bombers. The terrain and the weather would have made any other mode a long drawn process with casualties shooting sky high.

Experts are of differing opinions on the strategy to be adopted in the face of threats from rogue States and fanatical groups like Islamic fundamentalists as well as peacekeeping tasks that stop short of full-fledged war. In today’s context, arms proliferation has speeded up. ‘The right computer chip in an adaptable missile aboard an off-shore trawler or a pick-up truck, makes a formidable weapon of mass destruction, launched by a small but implacable foe.’

The call by US today of a space shield and an anti-missile defence are prompted not by fear of a superpower like the erstwhile Soviet Union, but countries like Libya, Iraq, North Korea or the master of all terrorists – Osama Bin Laden. The latter could not be cowed down even after near destruction of Afghanistan. All the US monitors and technology could not stop the 9/11 terror of the towers being destroyed. The pace of ware between nuclear powers has receded, but these terror annihilations by groups. Can they be stopped? It’s a different kind of war now, but as destructive or even more than earlier, for humanity.

16

Qualities Of A Good Leader

An efficient leader is defined as a person who is followed by the others. Besides that, a leader has to know about the human nature, and be able to direct people reducing the group's doubts about succeeding. Some people believe that a leader is born that way and there is no way, practicing or studying, to create a leader. They are wrong because inside of each and every one of us there is a leader waiting to be awake and holding on an opportunity to come out. A leader is capable of influencing and inspiring the people around him to voluntarily commit towards accomplishing a certain goal. There are different types of leadership people who specialize in trying to understand this important phenomenon. The only kind of leadership in which a person communicates true self are by way resonates with other people. This behavior is highly individual and situational for both the leader and follower and therefore there are a huge variety of ways in which effective leadership occurs. On top of that, when we think about the characteristic of a leader, we often think of leaders that are dynamic, which makes each of us to follow. We could take an example, such as Hitler. He did not have the values that we should follow, but he had that inspiration for the country to follow. If we also stop to think about the leaders today, we do not get the same vision of a leader that has a dynamism that is hard to resist, but rather a leader that has a good quality. The characteristics of a leader are not behaviors that will be new to those that strive to master them. Developing a good leadership skills take time, just like perfecting an idea or delivering on a project. Without an investment of time, very few people will have the skills to become the great leaders. Thus, there are many types of characteristic of being a good and efficient leader. A good leader is confident in doing everything.

In order to lead and set direction a leader needs to appear confidently as a person and in the leadership role so that this person inspires confidence in others and brings out the trust and best efforts of the team to complete their work well. A leader who conveys confidence towards the proposed objective inspires the best effort from team members. Believing in their abilities is an essential way of a good leader. The next character of an efficient and good leader is responsible leader. A leader influences people and has a lot of power to move his team and followers. An irresponsible leader can create a disaster if he does not act responsibly. A leader must know that he is responsible for the team's achievements. If his team fails, he must have the courage of taking responsibility for that, and should then take steps to solve it. He also should not blame his team members unnecessarily if they have failed. Honesty is also one of the characters of an efficient and good leader. People nowadays want to trust their leader. The best way to gain trust in a leader is through the honest and trustworthy. In order to gain that attribute of honesty, you must go out of your way to display that honesty as an individual. When you don't admit that something didn't work, you are making a mistake. When you are honest you turn into an influence to other people. A good leader, as well as keeping the main goal in focus, is able to think analytically. Not only does a good leader view a situation as a whole, but is able to break it down into sub parts for closer inspection. While keeping the goal in view, a good leader can break it down into manageable steps and make progress towards it. No one likes a

17

slack leader. It goes without saying that the best performer or the person who is most passionate and committed should be made the leader. This ensures that a level of professionalism is maintained, and that no one starts taking it easy at any point in time.

It's easy to get carried away with a position of power, so the best leaders are those who use their power for the betterment of everyone, not abuse their power for their own personal betterment. Furthermore, effective communication is also one of the characteristic of a good and efficient leader. He should be able to put across what needs to be done and how. At the same time, he should be willing to accept relevant suggestions from his subordinates. He should have the ability to listen, question, analyze and observe effectively. He should believe that actions speak louder than words. A leader who constantly changes his or her tune will confuse the team members and this will lower their productivity. A leader must therefore be consistent in his actions, his words, and in his thoughts as well. Leaders who are biased never make good leaders, so he should be completely neutral and should display consistency that amazes everyone. Thus, an efficient and good leader must also know how to co -operate with his team. He should get to know his team members should not appear as an overly strict and rigid personality. Finally as a good and efficient leader, a leader must have passion. They should not make the necessary courageous and difficult decisions and carry them into action. So, the people around the world should give respect for all the leaders. Thus, we also should encourage the leaders by giving importance to them and also become their followers.

I have seen so many people struggle in life to succeed. They do everything possible to be a successful person. For them, success depends only on the amount of hard work they can put into their work. Besides that, a successful person is somebody who has been able to start a project and see it to the end and should also have guided quiet a number of people to bring their own projects to completion. A successful person also who is able to achieve an aim, fame, wealth or social position. Thus, there are some qualities that I feel justified in calling an individual a successful person. The first qualities that I found in a successful person are they work on themselves and never quit. Most of the successful people work on their personality, their leadership skills, management skills, and every other detail of life. When a relationship or business deal goes sour, they assume they can learn from it and they expect to do better next time. Successful people don't tolerate flaws and they fix themselves in a position. Besides that, they are self -reliant and take responsibility in their work. Successful person they don't worry about blame, and they don't waste time complaining. They make decisions and move on. Sometimes they are criticized for taking this to extremes. Extremely successful person take the initiative and accept the responsibilities of success. The next qualities of a successful person are they know how to separate what is important and what is not important. We have so many decisions to make every day. We sometimes lose our mind of what day it is because of the number of things that we think about every day. When we are able to separate what is important from what is not, we will find ourselves accomplishing the goals more fast and find ourselves doing more of what we want to do rather than things we have to do. On top of that,

18

they also make decisions and take action. Either it is right or wrong action, they do accept it. Successful person are also an open minded and are willing to learn.

They take the time to study and learn what is necessary to improve their skills. They are open to thoughts, suggestions, solutions, new information and change rather than thinking they already know everything, that there is nothing much to learn. They are also a positive person.Successful people don't let negative events alter their ego. They see the glass half full and not half empty. They are known as the ones who raise the positiveness among others. Those around them want to stay with them because they make them feel better. Furthermore, they never criticize others and never complain about others. Successful people don't criticize others when they are not listening, because otherwise people among them will recognize them as persons who tend to talk behind others. Everyone is able to complain about things. Bad things happen and complaining about them it's not a good solution to stop them to happen. If they're wrong, they are admitting to be wrong as a sign of superiority, and that's what successful people do. Trustworthy are also plays important roles for a successful person. We have know that ourselves clearly and trust ourselves at all situation. And at the meanwhile, don't forget to improve ourselves from work, books and others. We also need to focus on what we want and focus on our goal and know what we want in detail. Successful person are also leaders and thinkers.

They don't follow the pack. They are innovative and quick to offer solutions when an issue arises. They are very fast-thinkers. Successful people read books a lot. Books that will help them get ahead, become motivated, and improve their lives. They know that college or university is not the end of their learning. It may just be the beginning. Besides, successful person also is a good thinker. They solve problems, they never lack ideas for building an organization, and they always have hope for a better future. Good thinkers rarely find themselves at the mercy of ruthless people who would take advantage of them or try to deceive them. They also rule themselves under an oppressive ruler or in other difficult circumstances.

Successful people are the best time managers. They carefully check out the time frame within which they have to achieve their objectives. No matter what comes in their way, they do not stop from sticking to these timelines. Either it's their family, friends or commitments they do not compromise on their schedule and will manage in completing all planned activities within the time planned. They precaution not to be interrupted and if such circumstances arise, they go ahead with what they had originally planned. This shows that they are focused in accomplishing great tasks. The next qualities of a successful person are how the goal is or the route to achieving it, they never give up. They face every obstacle head on. Success is everywhere. People who earn their respect and reputation are successful, and people can reach their goal by their endeavor are also successful. Success is a happiness of every one's life. Thus, these are the qualities that I feel justified in calling an individual as a successful person.

19

Dream

Dream is something that all of us need to have. It is our vision. Dream is what you want to do for your future. I believe that having a great dream, is a must to us. And I have a big dream. Next year, I will confront a big examination, SPM. It is very necessary for us get a good result from this exam. This is our future.

My dream is to be great neurosurgeons. I know it is not simple at all. But I know I can achieve it. I feel like this is my destiny. This is why I came to this world. I do not know when or how I am going to achieve this. But it will not be easy. I am constantly studying in school right now. I cannot give up even if I fail. There is a saying that failure is the greatest teacher. I know in order to pursue my dream, I will face failure. This cannot be stopped. Even Albert Einstein and Sir Isaacs Newton faced failure when they are trying to create a great formula that is remained to be used till today.

I got influence when I watched a drama titled ‘Brain’. It is a very great drama. To me, brain is most powerful thing in this world. The human brain is the center of the human nervous system. It has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is larger than expected on the basis of body size among other primates. It controls everything that we do.

Brain is a very interesting and unique thing to study about. I would like to perform a surgery on brain. It will be hard, but I am ready because I always am. I will make a lot of money. I will buy my parents a house and they can rest comfortably in the house without doing any difficult works. They had gone through a lot in order to raise me and my sisters. I can always make a research on how to make a good but affordable surgery. It is very crucial because nowadays, the surgery especially on brain is costly. Not all people can afford this.

There is not much brain surgery in conducted in Malaysia because there are not many specialists here. If someone need to undergone neurosurgery, they will fly overseas where the facilities is said to be more perfect. In 10 years from now, Malaysia will change to well develop country. So the facilities here will be more perfect. More brain surgery can be conducted here.

Like I said before, it is very important to have a big dream. It is not wrong. Even if you cannot achieve if, just make it as your vision. Dream can help you to prepare to face this challenging world. What am I going through now is just the start. I just find the keys. I am still trying to open the door. When I finally did, I will not hesitate.

20

How Technology Affects our Worlds

Technology is the present world. It affects people’s daily lives. Whether it inspires somebody to be the master at videogames or makes somebody a computer hacker. It has changed the generation of teenagers/young adults rapidly. It has made the generation more greedy, ignorant, and lazy. For instance, my parents did not have fancy cell phones or high-tech computers back then because it was never created. They only had a bike and ball until it was worn out. They never thru a fit for not getting what they wanted or sat at home, playing videogames for numerous hours. They would ALWAYS be outside, whether the weather was hot or cold, playing soccer or having a snowball fight with their friends. And when they didn’t want to go outside, they sat down, read a book, played cards, or even drank hot cocoa. Now a day, it’s all about getting an ipod touch or a phone with a touch screen. Soon, people will have chairs that will fly around to get a soda from the fridge so they don’t have to get their butt up and walk. Though there seems to be more negative influence of technology, there may still be some silver lining.Technology is taking over our world. People don’t realize what it is doing. In the music industry for instance, when a new song comes out by a famous rockstar wearing a metal jacket with no shirt on and multiple piercings, people end up coming to school dressed the same way. They would say to their parents, “It’s the new style at school,” and their parents would say, “Okay wear it but, if you get in trouble don’t blame it on me.” Parents aren’t even strict anymore. If my parents even thought about doing a style like that, their parents would kill them. It’s the same thing with a rapper, if they get grills and get gold chains around their neck, so many people would do the same EXACT thing. However, music can have a positive effect on people also. It may inspire people to do what they want the most. It may also communicate important messages to the public and can also illicit emotions and memories that we always remember every time we hear a specific song. Technology also affects the computer world and cell phone world. Individuals can now hack into other people’s lives or cyber-bully someone. You could hurt or be hurt by people over the internet or by a simple text message. You can also have unlimited access to inappropriate content no matter your age. The internet has also poisoned teenagers minds. Some people are on computer games for decades. People on “myspace” or “facebook” stay on the computer so they are updated on EVERY SINGLE THING that’s happening in other individual’s lives or are posting the daily drama. Drama is already an unnecessary problem in the world and it can now be spread over technology. You could start drama over a text message or even the internet where it will spread everywhere. On the other hand, there are some pros for internet and cell phones. They are great communication tools with family and friends. Also, with the new “3G” tool on some cell phones you can use the internet anywhere. So if you have no internet on your computer, you could just use your cell phone for whatever you need. Or if you get stranded or lost somewhere, all you have to do is pull out your cell phone for navigation. Computers and cell phones are good tools for everyone to use, but it doesn’t need to be used for the above reasons. As discussed, there are many cons to technology, but there are some pro’s too. It could be useful for people’s lives and it could be used to hurt people’s lives. The way technology should

21

be used is as a tool and for helpful reasons, and should not be used for hours of laziness. overall, technology influences every aspect of people’s lives.

22

What Makes a Good Teacher

There are many things which make a teacher great and they all can`t be defined.However i`ve always considered several of them essential.In my opinion a good teacher is someonewho first of all creates interest in studying,doesn`t underestimate the children,has equal expectations of siccess from everyone and last but not least likes his job. A good teavher always has a sense of purpose.He chooses very carefully the teaching programme and adjusts it to the needs of his students.Children always come first and that`s why the decision he makes are based on how they will affect them.He shares experience with other teachers and thus is always learning new things.It is very important for a teacher to be a good communicator.He doesn`t just stand in front of the class and lecture but tries to establish a dialogue and tofind the best group activities in which every child to be involved.Discussion,peer-to-peer coaching are the things which make the process of teaching more interesting and challenging so that all students attend classes and participate actively.The good teacher works with all students.A friend of mine told me how her maths teacher tolerates only students who are good at mathematics or those who have special interest in the subject.Towards the rest of the class my friend says she`s very exacting.She gives homeworks and tests without bothering to ask about difficulties.She doesn`t try to explain it and as a result many students keep getting bad marks.I firmly believe teachers shouldn`t forget that all students no matter of their colour,race or gender have equal ability to study.Different students have different learning systems.Some can learn things easily while others need to spend more time over a given task.That`s why it is advisable for a teacher to know his students individually so that he can remember what kind of problems they have and find the right way to help them.There`s no doubt that teachers have immense influence on their students.That`s why it is their responsibility to find the best approach of teaching and make classes more amusing and interesting.

23

Change the World?

There is, of course, no end to the magnificence and horror in the human drama. Across the continents, humanity rises to every challenge, sinks to any depth. We cherish each heartbeat and murder at will. We bless nature’s miracles, yet trash the hood.We accept this polarity as human nature and we move on in our ‘glassy essence’. All the while our righteousness lords over other life; yet we beseech gods for mercy. Our angers flare to violence and we demand justice. We covet ceaselessly, give generously. Our wallowing is legion, yet we take art and science to Olympian heights. So how do we best come to terms with this ‘marble and mud’ of our existence, most immediately in the glare of last Tuesday’s horrific assault on civilization? One answer is to pay finer attention to two questions: “How deeply do I care about our common future? How do I actually make a positive difference?”Ben Okri, of Nigeria, of Africa, of Earth, observes: “There was not one among us who looked forward to being born. We disliked the rigours of existence, the unfulfilled longings, the enshrined injustices of the world, the labyrinths of love, the ignorance of parents, the fact of dying, and the amazing indifference of the living amidst the simple beauties of the universe. We feared the heartlessness of human beings, all of whom are born blind, few of whom ever learn to see.”We each need to shout humbly and confidently to Mr. Okri: “Yes! I hear you. I feel that indifference and fear it. I must care as deeply as my time permits, my breath testament to my opportunity. My life must count!”Of course, it already counts: we change the world everyday. Just by engaging in life, we make a difference. As a gregarious species that enjoys getting along well, most of those differences are positive, driven by our intelligence, our natural empathy for others, our desire to laugh, and the myriad satisfactions of helping make things better.Even when, or especially when, crisis intervenes in our life, we can create moments of grace, moments that reveal a wide range of selfless participation with each other, including not least acts of incredible courage and sacrifice.Though we can’t change human nature, we can change human nurture. Most easily, we can pay closer attention to our moral compass, to our interactions each day – and rarely do we need someone else to tell us how.It comes down to reconsidering the ethical stands we take with each other and with all life. We might not have the moral vision of Vaclav Havel or the moral courage of Nelson Mandela, but we can foster ethical awareness and leadership in ourselves.Without presumption or attitude, but merely to ameliorate, we each must be a moral guardian of this homearth. Unless we learn to respect and care for each other as neighbors, unless we come to terms with the increasing vulnerability of life on Earth, true progress will remain an illusion, mired in the quicksand of greed, violence and selfish intent.Are we watching our lives in a movie, sitting too close to the screen? Do we see only red and yellow pixels, flashed by mongers of news or commerce? Are we becoming too numb to absorb a larger reality?

24

So many people live in relentless poverty. So many are unwilling refugees. So many suffer needlessly, die as children. Each one is our neighbor, born free, deserving human rights. They must be invisible no longer. Every danger, every loss, every injustice in their lives affects us all.Think of those known and unknown who sacrificed for you. Think of those who inspire you. Use the powerful images that work for you. One of mine is the tuxedoed cellist, Vedran Smailovic, in Sarajevo in 1992. He braved sniper fire in the marketplace each day for 22 days to play Albinoni’s Adagio in G minor to honor the 22 people who were killed there by mortar fire while they were queuing for bread.Positive change is simply the currency and responsibility of individuals, of you and me. This is our saving grace. We just need to be even more attentive and curious, even more on the lookout for that one, tiny, quick, wonderfully private, unnoticed moment when you alone create a smile, lend a hand, unfurl a brow, still a cry, or calm a nerve in someone else.That’s power! In fact that’s humanity’s most powerful force for positive change – and you can do it with a wink, as quick as the beat of a butterfly’s wing. Who knows what transpires from those moments; but it does indeed change the world.It also changes us, for it is an inward flow, not just outward. The more positive energy you give, the more you get; it’s the same need, the same compliment, as breathing in and breathing out.So breathe this earth! Soar its surface! Know its people! Engage this planet, your fragile home, and all its sentient beings in the essential connection of good intent.

25