Oil Industry and Nigerian Development Essay -- A Level Essays

Oil Industry and Nigerian Development Oil is one of the most valuable natural resources in the world today. The oil industry carries with it a great deal of economic and political power across the globe. Having oil, or any natural resource, as a prime source of revenue has long been debated as being an advantage or a drawback. In any case it should at least lead to increased revenue and financing of industrial growth which, arguably, is related to an increase in the quality of life of the population. In the case of Nigeria, the oil industry is a double-edged sword. Since the discovery of oil in 1956, the oil industry in Nigeria has greatly increased the financial resources of Nigeria, and yet has proven a constant stumbling block in the creation of effective internal capability. The development of cutting edge technology and infrastructure, considering the resources available, has been marginal and the oil industry itself has not been extremely competitive (at least in expectations) on the global market. As the largest n ation in Africa, a safe assumption should be that Nigeria is among the leaders in development as a whole, or at least be progressing toward that. The oil industry has, however, interfered somewhat in the development of alternative industries. In addition, even though it is directly associated with problems in leadership, corruption has been established as a normal order of business in Nigeria’s government and dealings with oil and has grown along with the industry. While the oil industry has introduced many significant problems in Nigeria, both socially and economically, there is still promise in what it can provide for the nation while oil remains in abundance. There are some positive examples across the glob... ...formation Administration, Dept. of Energy. 31 Oct. 2004 . Nigeria: Oil and Gas Industry. 12 July 2000. Mbendi: Information for Africa. 31 Oct. 2004 . Nigeria: Oil, Poverty, and Rights 2. 4 July 2002. Africa Action. 1 Nov. 2004 . OIL AND NATURAL GAS IN NIGERIA. Human Rights Watch. 11 Feb. 2005 . Olukoya, Sam. Oil Industry Crisis Worsening. 29 July 2004. Inter Press Service. 1 Nov. 2004 . Rodriguez, Fransisco. Why Do Resource Abundant Economies Grow More Slowly? 10 Mar. 2005 . Stevens, Christopher. Nigeria: Economic Prospects to 1985. London: EIU, 1982. Oil Industry and Nigerian Development Essay -- A Level Essays Oil Industry and Nigerian Development Oil is one of the most valuable natural resources in the world today. The oil industry carries with it a great deal of economic and political power across the globe. Having oil, or any natural resource, as a prime source of revenue has long been debated as being an advantage or a drawback. In any case it should at least lead to increased revenue and financing of industrial growth which, arguably, is related to an increase in the quality of life of the population. In the case of Nigeria, the oil industry is a double-edged sword. Since the discovery of oil in 1956, the oil industry in Nigeria has greatly increased the financial resources of Nigeria, and yet has proven a constant stumbling block in the creation of effective internal capability. The development of cutting edge technology and infrastructure, considering the resources available, has been marginal and the oil industry itself has not been extremely competitive (at least in expectations) on the global market. As the largest n ation in Africa, a safe assumption should be that Nigeria is among the leaders in development as a whole, or at least be progressing toward that. The oil industry has, however, interfered somewhat in the development of alternative industries. In addition, even though it is directly associated with problems in leadership, corruption has been established as a normal order of business in Nigeria’s government and dealings with oil and has grown along with the industry. While the oil industry has introduced many significant problems in Nigeria, both socially and economically, there is still promise in what it can provide for the nation while oil remains in abundance. There are some positive examples across the glob... ...formation Administration, Dept. of Energy. 31 Oct. 2004 . Nigeria: Oil and Gas Industry. 12 July 2000. Mbendi: Information for Africa. 31 Oct. 2004 . Nigeria: Oil, Poverty, and Rights 2. 4 July 2002. Africa Action. 1 Nov. 2004 . OIL AND NATURAL GAS IN NIGERIA. Human Rights Watch. 11 Feb. 2005 . Olukoya, Sam. Oil Industry Crisis Worsening. 29 July 2004. Inter Press Service. 1 Nov. 2004 . Rodriguez, Fransisco. Why Do Resource Abundant Economies Grow More Slowly? 10 Mar. 2005 . Stevens, Christopher. Nigeria: Economic Prospects to 1985. London: EIU, 1982.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

I'm sure everyone here has seen a picture of a mother duck leading her ducklings. Imagine the mother duck taking her ducklings up some stairs. The mother duck easily climbs the first stair and waits for the other little ducks to climb up. The first duckling stretches its wings as high up in the air as it can and stands on the tips of its little webbed feet. With a little help from its beak it manages to barely make the first step. Sometimes it requires a little help from mama duck to boost itself up. Despite the cute and rather funny part of this picture, it is possible to learn a lot from the ducks. The two ideas we can gain from them are leadership and following. In life each one of us is a leader and a follower at some point. Leadership is of key importance to the Christian, and also simply to every person. It is easy to imagine the kind of world that would ensue as a result of no leadership. There would be utter chaos and nothing positive would get done. Often we think of leaders as people with great authority such as the President of the United States, bosses of major corporations, and in the case of school, the principal and teachers. But the fact that does not readily present itself to us is that each one of us in some way or another is a leader. Everyone leads at some point in their life whether they realize it or not. Younger generations always look up to and follow older generations. Although they may not admit it, I am sure the underclassmen at our school have followed the lead and example of the Class of 2006. This is an awesome task to undertake: that of leadership. It is important to constantly remind yourself that someone is watching and following your lead. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:1, "Follow my examp... ...e tool in dealing with the problems that life throws our way. As a follower we must choose wisely who we associate with. A close group of friends can provide many things that help us along life's path in the Christian walk. Good Friends can provide support through tough times, accountability, and good fellowship. Leadership and following are not generally thought of as interconnected, though each one of us is both a leader and a follower. As a leader we must be a good example and a servant. As a follower we must choose wisely who to look up to and associate with and ultimately we must follow the perfect lead of Jesus Christ. I encourage everyone here, and especially the graduating class of 2006, to remember you are a leader, leading others to know Christ and His perfect plan for them, and a follower, learning to follow Christ and His perfect plan for ourselves.

Etiquette of a Victorian Lady :: Victorian Women

Etiquette of a Victorian Lady In both the upper and middle classes, there were certain expectations, or guiding principles that women had to follow in order to be called a lady. There were numerous etiquette guides and books published in this time period regarding dining, beauty, and social activities, and most of the newspapers and women's magazines included articles on how to be the perfect Victorian Lady. These are some of the most interesting forms of etiquette. Ballroom Etiquette A Lady should always have an easy, becoming and graceful movement while engaged in a quadrille or promenade. It is more pleasing to the gentleman. --from â€Å"Etiquette for the Ball Room† Women were supposed to always be graceful and even something as enjoyable as dancing had to look effortless, and the woman always had to make sure that she appeared elegant and refined. It also has a reference to the fact that when dancing, the goal of the woman's etiquette was to please the man. Another mannerism that Victorian women followed in the ball room was that a lady should not attend a public ball without an escort, or that no lady should ever be left unattended (â€Å"Etiquette for the Ball Room†). This is just another example of how a woman needed a man in order for her to fit into society. It was considered rude if a woman were to ever be seen alone at a ball. Dressing Room Etiquette The dressing room of a lady was supposed to be her sanctuary, or a place where nobody except for her ever entered. It was a place where women were meant to admire themselves and make themselves look presentable at all times for their husbands. â€Å"The husband should always find the wife fresh, beautiful, sweet as a flower† (â€Å"The Lady's Dressing Room†). The dressing room was a place where the woman was to be vain and cover up or hide any imperfections that she may have had. The article above also asks, what is life or love without illusions? In order for her husband to be pleased, the woman was to retire to the dressing room and make herself beautiful, even if it included tricks. Above all, it was private. A lady was to look beautiful at all times, but make it look like it didn't take any effort at all. This was also the place in which the specific hairstyles of Victorian Ladies were created. It was proper etiquette to always wear the hair up.

The American Response to the Holocaust

The Holocaust is considered as one of the most violent and controversial events in the history of the world. This was a time which showed the devastating oppression and persecution of the Jewish people. Because of it, the United States of America was forced to take drastic measures against the Nazi Regime. Nevertheless, the expected response coming from the U. S. was futile. It is very interesting to analyze as to the reasons behind the events during that time, especially with how the United States of America responded.The Holocaust is described as the â€Å"systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators† (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2008). The word â€Å"Holocaust† originated from a Greek word, which means â€Å"sacrifice by fire. † In January 1933, the Nazis hold authority in Germany. They believed that the Germans belong to a superior race and the Jews are believed to be inferior as compared to them. The Jews are also perceived as a threat to the German race, which is the reason the Nazi regime ordered the annihilation of the Jews.The German also attacked other groups that they deemed as racially inferior like the gypsies, disabled, and some Slavic people. Moreover, other groups were also targeted due to ideological and behavioral reasons such as the Communists, Socialists, and even homosexuals (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2008). During the Second World War, the United States of America did not even attempt to rescue the Jews and other victims of the holocaust as this was not included in their list of priorities.Even the people responsible in the policy making process of the allied forces also did not know how would they be able to implement a rescue operations for these victims. The difficulties in aiding for these people are largely due to the problem of obtaining visas for them to the United States.The ideas of anti-s emitism or the prejudice against Jews, isolationism, xenophobia or the fear of foreigners as well as the situation of economic depression and the refugee policy of the U. S. State Department led by Cordell Hull made the entry of refugees in the country very problematic (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2008. The U. S. immigration policy indeed had an adverse effect in rescuing the people under the German atrocities and this is clearly seen in the incident of the S. S. St. Louis.When St. Louis sails from Hamburg to Havana, there were 937 Jewish refugees on board who were trying to escape the German persecution. Each refugee has a valid visa that would allow them to enter Cuba temporarily.However, as the boat arrived in Havana the Cuban government announced that the visas were invalid and prohibited their entry into the country. Negotiations were made with the Cuban government as well as with the U. S. government to allow the refugees to enter their countries but these did not succeed. The boat stayed for 12 days in the port of Havana and then in Miami afterwards it was forced to return to Europe. As a consequence majority of the passengers died in the duration of the war (Glazer, 2006).The Roosevelt administration also did not do much efforts to aid the victims as well as the refugees of the Nazi because they deemed that the best means to save these people is by winning the war against Germany as quickly as possible. It was only when the refugee problem was worsening that President Roosevelt established the War Refugee Board, an independent agency that has the responsibility of saving the Nazi's civilian victims. However, the agency rescued refugees coming from the free zones instead of the territories invaded by the Nazis (Glazer, 2006).In the spring of 1944, the Allied governments were already aware of the massive gassings that are taking place in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Jewish leaders have already begged the U. S. government to destroy the gas chambers a s well as the railways towards the camp. Instead, the U. S. air force bombs the Auschwitz-Monowitz industrial complex that is five miles away from the gas chamber. The reason behind such decision is due to the fact that not bombing the gas chamber and the railways leading to it is was part of the United States' wartime policy (Glazer, 2006).Basically, rescuing the victims of the holocaust especially the Jewish population is highly dependent in the wartime policy of the U. S. It is just unfortunate that rescue operations are not a priority in their policy. There have been efforts coming from the American Jewish community to saved their fellow Jews who were being persecuted but they, were afraid that this would result in a stronger feeling of domestic anti-semitism and jeopardizing their relationship with the Roosevelt administration.The lack of interest of the U. S. government in rescuing the victims of the holocaust is the primary reasons such efforts only fell on deaf ears (Glazer, 2006).References Glazer,S. D. (2006). Winning the War. Retrieved July 5, 2008, from http//myjewishlearning.com/history_community/Modern/Overview_The_Story_19141948/The_Holocaust/AmericaResponds. htm.United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (2008). The Holocaust. Retrieved July 5, 2008, from http://www. ushmm. org/wlc/article. php? lang=en&ModuleId=10005143.

Outline/Essay thesis Essay

Outline I. Setting A) â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson: The setting of Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† takes place June 27th on a warm, sunny day in a small town, between ten in the morning and noon, specifically in the village square between the post office and the bank. B) â€Å"The Destructors† by Graham Greene: The setting of Graham Greene’s â€Å"The Destructors† takes place in a post-war period in a London town, more specifically in a lot of an old man, Old Misery’s, home. II. Irony A) â€Å"The Lottery†: In this short story, the town’s inhabitants are gathered in the town square for the lottery drawing. The word â€Å"Lottery† may have the reader thinking that there is to be some type of prize to be collected for one person out of the many townspeople. Yet, the lottery depicted in this short story is more horrifying. Each person is required to pick a slip of paper from an old black box, and if a person receives a slip of paper that has a bold black dot on it, they are closed in on and stoned to death. B) â€Å"The Destructors†: In this short story, one area involving irony may be between the characters Blackie and Trevor. Blackie is the original leader of the boys’ small gang. He controls what is done and how it is executed. Trevor rarely speaks, only voting yes or no to the gang’s plans, up until he mentions the plan to destroy Old Misery’s home. Also, Trevor is the son of an architect. Old Misery’s house was built by a famous architect, so it is ironic that he’d want to destroy the home. III. Symbols A) â€Å"The Lottery†: One symbol found in this short story is the black box from which the slips of paper are pulled. The box itself is black, possibly representing the oncoming death of the one who pulls the slip of paper with the black dot on it. The box was said to be worn down, meaning it had been used for many years now; A tradition that the people in the town were not willing to break. B) â€Å"The Destructors†: Old Misery’s home is settled in a  poverty and post-war stricken neighborhood, yet through the destruction stood his house, built by the famous architect Christopher Wren. Trevor knew who Wren was because the architect works with upper class people, being that he used to be one of them before the war took place. Thesis The short stories â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson and â€Å"The Destructors† by Graham Greene hold as many similarities as well as differences, starting with each story’s settings. In â€Å"The Lottery†, the setting is a small town of no more than 300 people. It is a warm and sunny day, and the townspeople, both old and young. Have gathered in the village square to take part in this town tradition. In â€Å"The Destructors†, the setting is in a poverty and post-war stricken neighborhood, in the lot of Old Misery’s home, where the gang of young boys gathered every day. Around the neighborhood, as well as the town, lie ruins of homes and other buildings. Other aspects that stood out in these two short stories were the use of irony. In â€Å"The Lottery†, one would expect the word â€Å"Lottery† to have a good meaning, as if they had won something beneficial. Yet, the Lottery turned out to be more gruesome and inhumane than expected. In â€Å"The Destructors†, one of the most notable pieces of irony found was the switch of leadership roles between Blackie, the original gang leader, and Trevor, the quiet son of an architect. Trevor did not say much except when it came to voting on the gang’s doings, which usually required no more than a â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no†. A similarity that these two short stories had with one another were how they ended. Both stories did not end happily. Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† ended up with a woman being stoned to death by the entire townspeople, which included her children and her husband, as well as friends that had been made before the lottery had taken place. â€Å"The Destructors† ended with the gang successfully destroying Old Misery’s home after working diligently and skillfully to tear the house down from the inside.

How criminals have adapted to technology Essay

Technology has made our world increasingly open and vulnerable (Goodman, 2012). As companies develop amazing technology for good purposes, criminals can use that same technology to hurt people. It is a bad assumption to believe that crime-stopping technology cannot be used against the system. Lawbreakers can develop and use technology for the sole purpose of committing crimes and new technologies produce the risks of unanticipated, undesirable risks and consequences (Cole, Smith, & DeJong, 2014). There are so many different types of new technology that criminals use and that the system uses. Criminals use cyber-crime to break into people’s accounts, and counterfeiting to steal from companies, just to name a couple. Police use computers a lot for their work. New programs, like the Geographic Information System, are useful for mapping problem locations to deal with specific crime. All kinds of information can be collected in law enforcement databases: fingerprints, tattoos, DNA samples, and gun/ballistic records. I think the biggest threat to society from their adaptation is the fact that personal information is so open to the public now. Criminals have grown with the technology and know how to get credit card numbers, addresses, and so much that is very dangerous for them to have and abuse. Reference Cole, G., Smith, C., & DeJong, C. (2014). Criminal justice in america (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Goodman, M. (2012). How technology makes us vulnerable. CNN Opinion. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/29/opinion/goodman-ted-crime/.

E. M. Forster’s “A Passage to India” Essay

The chief argument against imperialism in E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India is that it prevents personal relationships. The central question of the novel is posed at the very beginning when Mahmoud Ali and Hamidullah ask each other â€Å"whether or no it is possible to be friends with an Englishman.† The answer, given by Forster himself on the last page, is â€Å"No, not yet†¦ No, not there.† Such friendship is made impossible, on a political level, by the existence of the British Raj. While having several important drawbacks, Forster’s anti-imperial argument has the advantage of being concrete, clear, moving, and presumably persuasive. It is also particularly well-suited to pursuit in the novel form, which traditionally has focused on interactions among individuals. Forster does much more in his book†¦than simply deride the intolerance of a few accidental individuals. He carefully shows how this intolerance results from the unequal power relationship between English and Indians, from the imperialistic relationship itself†¦ The process is best shown in the book in the case of Ronny, who has only recently come out from England to be City Magistrate of Chandrapore. Ronny was at first friendly towards the Indians, but he soon found that his position prevented such friendship. Shortly after his arrival he invited the lawyer Mahmoud All to have a smoke with him, only to learn later that clients began flocking to Ali in the belief that he had an in with the Magistrate. Ronny subsequently â€Å"dropped on him in Court as hard as I could. It’s taught me a lesson, and I hope him.† In this instance, it is clearly Ronny’s official position rather than any prior defect of the heart which disrupts the potential friendship. And it is his position in the imperial structure which causes his later defect, his lack of true regret when he tells his mother that now â€Å"I prefer my smoke at the club amongst my own sort, I’m afraid.† Forster tells us that â€Å"every human act in the East is tainted with officialism† and that â€Å"where there is officialism every human relationship suffers.† People cannot establish a friendship of equals when the Raj is based on an inequality of power†¦ The one possible exception to this process of corruption among Englishmen is Fielding. He is partially immune to the influence of the imperialistic power relationship because he works in education rather than government, and because, as he puts it, he â€Å"travels light†Ã¢â‚¬â€he has no hostages to fortune. Fielding establishes a friendship with Aziz and maintains it in defiance of all the other Anglo-Indians. There is some doubt, however, whether he can maintain this course and still remain in imperial India. He is obliged to quit the Club and says he will leave India altogether should Aziz be convicted. After Fielding marries Stella, thereby ceasing to travel light, and after he becomes associated with the government as a school inspector, he undergoes a marked change of attitude toward the Raj. It would surely be a mistake to continue, as several critics do, to identify Forster with Fielding past this point. The omniscient narrator pulls back and summarizes Fielding’s situation: â€Å"He had thrown in his lot with Anglo-India by marrying a countrywoman, and he was acquiring some of its limitations.† Like Ronny and the other English officials, Fielding begins to be corrupted by his position. Thinking of how Godbole’s school has degenerated into a granary, the new school inspector asserts that â€Å"Indians go to seed at once† away from the British. Fielding almost exactly echoes Ronny’s defense of the Raj to his mother when he excuses unpleasantness in the supposedly necessary imperial presence: he had â€Å"‘no further use for politeness,’ he said, meaning that the British Empire really can’t be abolished because it’s rude.† Fielding certainly did not start with a defect of the heart, but, as a result of his new position in the imperial structure, he is acquiring one. The English, of course, aren’t the only ones corrupted by imperialism. Although most of the Indians in the book have a nearly unbelievable desire to befriend Englishmen, they are ultimately turned from it by the political reality. Some succumb to self-interest. Mahmoud Ali, for example, seems to have been the first to subvert his budding friendship with Ronny by advertising their smoke to potential litigants. More often the Indians succumb to the fear, largely justified but occasionally erroneous, that they will be scorned and betrayed. The prime example is Aziz. He makes the horrible mistake of assuming that Fielding back in England has married his  enemy Adela and further that Fielding had urged him not to press damages against his false accuser so Fielding himself could enjoy Adela’s money. Aziz, of course, has been conditioned to expect betrayal from his experience with other Anglo-Indians, and this expectation provides an undercurrent to the friendship from the very beginning. After Fielding returns to India, and Aziz learns he really married Stella Moore, their relationship is partially retrieved, but the damage has been done. The new school inspector has shifted toward the Raj, and Aziz, now leery of all Englishmen, has become a nationalist, saying of India, â€Å"Not until she is a nation will her sons be treated with respect.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦