Cook or Starve to Death Professor Ramos Blog

Cook or Starve to Death Growing up in the Philippines, I would say that we were fortunate to have an all-around helper who cleaned the house; washed and ironed our clothes; did the grocery shopping and prepared our meal; and took care of us. Though tita Mercy was our helper, we always treated her like a family. (By the way, â€Å"tita† is aunt in English; we do not only use tita to address our relatives but to refer to older women who are not related to us and old enough to be our aunts to show our respect). When both of our parents went to work abroad or overseas, my siblings and I were left under tita Mercy’s care and guidance. Our father has his renovating business in Canada, while our mother worked as a registered nurse in one of the hospitals in Saudi Arabia. I was only six years old, our older brother was seven and the twins, a boy and a girl, were only four years old at that time. Tita Mercy was a strict disciplinarian but she had a heart of gold. She reared us like her own children and taught us basic household chores such as how to mop the floor and wash the dishes. Tita Mercy called me one day and told me that she was going to teach me how to cook. I was twelve years old then. I remembered protesting and asking her with a long face, â€Å"Do I really have to?† And she replied sternly, â€Å"Yes, because you are a GIRL (Oh, how I hate that word!) and it is important that you learn how to cook especially when you have a family of your own. Besides, if you do not know how to cook, you will starve to death.† â€Å"Starve to death? Isn’t that a bit exaggerated?† I thought sarcastically with a raised eyebrow. I did not even dare to say that aloud for fear that I would be castigated for answering back. My family and I love to eat and we drool over good food. However, I detested preparing and cooking a dish like how I despised and dreaded English when I was in grade school and high school because it seemed so laborious and as complicated as learning the grammar and sentence structures. I would rather be outside playing Chine se garter (two individuals will hold the garter on both ends while the other players will try to across over it without being tripped. It will start at ankle level and goes up until over the head), hopscotch or hide-and-seek with my friends than to understand the art of cooking. Anyhow, I had no choice but to stand there with a heavy heart and watch without enthusiasm as tita Mercy demonstrated how to cook chicken adobo (the chicken is marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and peppercorns, which is sautà ©ed in garlic and onions afterwards and simmered in the marinade); beef caldereta (chunks of beef short ribs are browned and sautà ©ed in olive oil with plenty of garlic, onions, and tomatoes; and slowly cooked until tender. Fried potato wedges, flower-shaped carrots, green peas, red bell pepper strips, and finely sliced bird’s eye chillis are added, and it is served with grated cheese on top); and other dishes whenever I did not have school. So every weekend I would have a cooking session with her, nonetheless, I never took it by heart. I was a teenager when my mother, siblings and I migrated to Canada to join our father. Life was tough because we had to do everything since we did not have a helper and plus the fact that it was costly or expensive to employ one. One day, our father came home from work, exhausted and hungry, only to discover that there was nothing to eat. My younger siblings and I only knew how to boil or fry an egg. Our father or older brother were the ones who would usually do the cooking because our mother is not really a good cook (shhh†¦ my mom knows how to cook but not as appetizing as our dad’s cooking). I would never forget how my father was boiling mad that day. He looked like a red Incredible Hulk! I was really scared and how I wished that I had paid attention to tita Mercy when she was showing me the basics of cooking and never took it for granted. The incident with my father played a major part for my eagerness to learn how to cook. My older brother, kuya Neil (kuya means olde r brother and a sign of respect as well), is a genius when it comes to cooking. He loves to experiment different menus and it always turns out delish. He will taste a certain dish and he will know exactly how to prepare and cook it. He really works fast in the kitchen and can cook three to four dishes at the same time. Oh how I admire that special talent of his and wish that I was gifted too. Anyway, Kuya Neil had patiently taught me everything I need to learn and this time I listened intently until I was confident enough to cook without his supervision. One evening, we invited our church pastor and his wife, who are our family friends since we were still in the Philippines, for dinner. My kuya Neil and I prepared the meal that night and I recalled vividly that I cooked spaghetti for the first time. I had watched kuya Neil numerous times how he cooked his signature sauce but I decided to do it my way. Besides, I was full of confidence and thought conceitedly, â€Å"This is just a piece of cake.† At dinner time, as we were eating, I noticed that it was only tito Neo (tito, which is uncle when translated in English) who was enjoying the spaghetti while the rest had this funny look on their faces. Kuya Sherwin, a good friend of ours and our tenant during that time, could not contain himself and blurted out jokingly, â€Å"Beks (my nickname), next time just leave the spaghetti to Neil and just stick with your pancit (made of sautà ©ed rice noodles with chicken and assortment of vegetables), which is your expertise.† Everyb ody at the table burst into laughter except for tito Neo who sincerely proclaimed, â€Å"It is delicious!† I was confused. Kuya Sherwin asked tito Neo humorously, â€Å"Tito, what do you mean it is delicious. Have you eaten spaghetti before? Do you know how it should taste like?† Tito Neo replied honestly, â€Å"No, this is the first time I have it.† Kuya Sherwin commented amusingly, â€Å"No wonder you said it was delicious,† and everybody was still laughing like a hyena. I got curious so I decided to try my spaghetti. Oh boy! It tasted horrible! It was not even close to kuya Neil’s spaghetti, which is a little bit sweet and cheesy- the Filipino style. I was really embarrassed and felt like yelling, â€Å"Please, earth open up and swallow me alive now!† Nevertheless, I took that experience as a challenge to motivate me to do better instead of being discouraged. At least, as a consolation, there was one person who appreciated my spaghetti- t ito NEO! When I got married and had my own family, my passion for cooking has intensified. I would find myself checking cookbooks or browsing the internet for recipes. Sometimes I would follow the exact measurement of the ingredients and the step-by-step instructions. When it did not come to my expectation, I would modify the ingredients until it was savory and suited my family’s taste buds. My family is the light of my life, and serving them gives me simple pleasure and joy. They are my number one critics and supporters. Occasionally, I would hear my son’s genuine opinion like, â€Å"Mom, don’t think that I am being mean or rude†¦ your soup tastes bland, but it is still good though.† Or he would always say lovingly while hugging me tightly, â€Å"Thank you so much, mom, for cooking.† In addition, hearing them complimenting me how delicious their â€Å"favorite spaghetti† is (Yes! You read it correctly, both my son and his father LOVE my spaghett i), and my son’s cheerful remark, â€Å"Mom, your spaghetti is the BEST,† is such a rewarding and it brings happiness to my soul. This is also one of the reasons why I take pleasure in cooking because of the affection and appreciation I get from them. At the same time, I am glad knowing that my family will not â€Å"STARVE TO DEATH† (*wink). I have learned that the key ingredient for cooking is LOVE, to make every dish a delight and heavenly. You need to have a joyful heart and cheerful spirit in order to produce a succulent meal. Do not cook just for the sake of cooking instead do it wholeheartedly because you love and enjoy what you are doing. My father used to say when we were young, â€Å"When you are given a certain task or duty, make sure to give your best and do it flawlessly.† I also apply that every time I prepare the food. I make sure that it does not only look appealing but it tastes yummy too. I may not be a world class chef or the master chef, Gordon Ramsay, yet, looking at how my son’s eyes lit with the sweetest smile on his face whenever I cook his favorite food is already enough to make me feel that I am the GREATEST cook!

Profits from pornography and prostitution Assignment

Profits from pornography and prostitution - Assignment Example A survey conducted in U.S.A reveals that adult bookshops and stores offer more number of books that exhibit pornographic contents that are legally banned in the country. Though legal implications are more, pornography has not been reduced and most of these forms violate the norms and regulations specified by the government. (Pace, 1983). Another organized crime is prostitution that also reaps profit to the one who owns the business. In most of the countries children below the age of 16 are also forcibly included into this act of prostitution. (Lunde, 2006). Though it is not legally permitted in most of the countries, illegal activists continue to do this organized crime. Vice Crimes are the ones that are banned either by the legal system or by the society due to the illicit problems that they bring into the society. The common vice crimes are prostitution and pornography. (Albanese, 2011). They are considered as illegal acts that spoil the morality of the people and communities in particular. Victimless crimes do not involve any third party or a person except from the one who is directly involved in it. Usage of drugs and alcoholics that are prohibited by the government is also considered to be victimless crimes. (Monkkonen, 1992). They also fall under the category of victimless crimes that are committed by organized crime. Even procuring illegal drugs and supplying them to the people are considered to be organized

Creative workplace - Is the 'studio' still important in the world of Essay

Creative workplace - Is the 'studio' still important in the world of Design - Essay Example Then, along came the virtual revolution and now designers of all kinds, hobbyists and housewives, students and retirees, the wealthy and the poor can harness the tremendous resources of online studio space and creative software to accomplish what used to require a warehouse or loft flat hybrid. This paper will review relevant literature to explore the question of how important the studio is, given the availability of virtual resources; under what conditions the non-virtual studio is or is not required, how the present-day shift to online creative space will likely effect the industry, and more importantly for me, personally, whether I yearn for a future (real) studio of my own? The first point it seems wise to make, in this paper, is that not all design studios are or should be alike. Actually, Dorgan differentiates between â€Å"space† and â€Å"place†, saying that space is uninhabited, abstract and open to all potentiality, while place is negotiated within space, and is defined in a specific way by the communication and action meanings that take place (Dorgan 2). A design studio is the inhabitation and negotiation of space into place (3). A studio is social and densely interactive; political and functionally negotiating (4) and is activist, transforming circumstances with intention (5). The studio is where we begin to shape our imagination toward transformation (15). I see that each of these characteristics can happen both in physical space and in virtual space, suggesting that studio place can be successfully negotiated in either one. The collage below, Figure 1, shows a sampling of various design studios. The collage below that one, Figure 2, shows a sampling of graphic design studios. Even a casual glance immediately registers an impression that, while many design studios attend to material storage and the mood induced by artistic physical environments, graphic design studios rely primarily on computer

Perspectives on Medicare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Perspectives on Medicare - Essay Example The system (Medicare) is structured in four essential parts: Part A is based on Hospital Insurance, Part B caters for Medical Insurance, Part C deals with Medical Advantage and Part D relates to Drug coverage, which relates to Medicare prescription. Each part is important in establishing a Medicare plan for people since there is a correlation between each of the parts that provide Medicare benefits (Ball, 1995). The relationship extends to the fact that if one component is of low quality, the other factors should be of a similar nature. Hospital insurance is designed to cover inpatient care in case of medical emergencies. It caters to home health care, a nursing facility and a hospice, which will address and cater to the requirements of an inpatient. These are essential in ensuring that a patient will have these important services that will enhance quick recovery from any injury, ailment or any other health hazard that may arise. Medical insurance is implemented in order to provide cover for services administered by health care providers (such as doctors), outpatient care, home health care, and mediation or medical equipment (Hellinger, 1998). It also covers preventive measures that ensure the wellbeing of an individual, as well as limit or prevent any illnesses from becoming aggravated or causing fatal damage. Medical Advantage is a component of Medicare that gives the option of using Medicare-approved private companies, which provide various insurance policies. It has a formulated plan that ensures an individual receives any of the benefits that are provided in Part A and B. This aspect of Medicare provides additional advantages, which are provided at an additional cost (Ball, 1995). It (Medicare Advantage Plan) also provides cover that relates to drug prescription (Part D). Â  

Comparing Families in Song of Solomon, Push, and Incidents in the Life

  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the objectives of this seminar is to "observe the images of the individual, the family, and alternative families in the writings and experience of minority groups(objective 6a)." The families of the African American subjects in these writings present abnormality and dysfunction. Normalcy, seen in common nuclear families, is absent in the minority families we have read about thus far. The protagonists, Precious, Milkman, and Linda, are shaped by their dysfunctional relationships with their parental figures. The abnormality of the mother and child relationship is apparent in the minority families in these writings. The mother figures seem to have misguided hopes for their children. We see this in "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl". Jacobs writes, "...often does she wish that she and they might die before the day dawns(350)." She also tells us, "Alas, what mockery it is for a slave mother to try to pray back her dying child to life! Death is better than slavery.(392)." The mothers would rather wish death upon their children or themselves in order to prevent pain and separation caused by slavery. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison, presents an image of an unnatural, extended time of maternal bonding. In this novel, Ruth breastfeeds her son, Milkman, until he is about four or five years of age. Ruth breastfeeds Milkman for this unnaturally lengthy amount of time because it makes her feel like her son is a part of her. Breastfeeding him gives her immense pleasure and satisfaction. However, she hides her indulgence from the rest of the family until Freddie the janitor catches her. She knows it is wrong, but it makes her daily life bearable. In contrast, Sapphire's novel, Push, depicts the bond between the m... ... see her as a human being to be treasured as a father should treasure his daughter. She tells us, "My fahver don't see me really. If he did he would know I was like a white girl, a real person, inside. He would not climb on me forever(32)." These writings, joined by the dysfunction in the families, present an insightful image of the individual and the family of African Americans. Precious, Milkman, and Linda gained strength and courage through their trials of abnormal, sometimes abusive upbringings. Each scar, whether it was mental or physical, was a lesson learned. Works Cited: Brent, Linda. "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl". The Classic Slave Narratives. Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. New York: Penguin Group, 1987. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: The Penguin Group, 1977. Sapphire. Push. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1996.   

Controlling Police Through Litigation Essay

Police departments draft and implement policies and procedures to provide consistency and eliminate ambiguity in department practices. These are guidelines are for staff and officers to follow in a variety of different situations. Police policies and procedures may have the force of law, or be considered by a court or jury in determining whether an officer acted lawfully in the line of duty. Procedures related to employee actions can also be subject to legal scrutiny in some cases. A lack of policies on issues involving the community may result in unlawful and inconsistent police action. These adverse actions can create a negative reaction within the community, and open the police officers within the department to legal liability. Michael Lyman quoted Section 1983, â€Å"Every person under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage of any state or territory, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or any other person within the jurisd iction thereof to the depravation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress.† (pg. 270) Basically, this means that police officers are prohibited from violating any person’s civil rights. Section 1983 is a tool for a citizen to use to sue another for a violation of civil rights. Some elements must be met in order to be subject to liability through Section 1983. First, he questionable liability or violator of Section 1983 must be a â€Å"person†. A police department, state agency, or other legal entity, cannot be subject to liability under the statute. Second, the liable â€Å"person† must have been acting under the color of authority when the accused violation took place. A police officer who unlawfully beats a suspect in the commission of an arrest would be acting under the color of law. Finally, the accuser does not have to prove that the â€Å"person† intended to deprive him/her of their Constitutional rights, but only that there was a deprivation. For example, a subject who was beaten by a police officer can sue that officer for excessive force, without proving it was the officer’s intention to violate his rights, but only that the officer intended to beat him. In some cases an officer’s supervisor can be held liable because he/she is responsible for the negligence of that officer. This is known as vicarious liability, or â€Å"imputed negligence† (freedictionary.com). For example, a gang member who shoots and kills another person during a hold-up is responsible for the murder, but other gang members may be held vicariously liable for the same murder. There are several different types of defense for civil suits, and also persons who are immune to the liability in question. There are three types of immunity, they are: absolute immunity, quasi-judicial immunity, and qualified immunity. Michael Lyman lists judges, prosecutors, and legislators, as those who enjoy absolute immunity during civil liability suits (Lyman pg. 272). Lyman also reminds us that police officers and witnesses can obtain absolute immunity while testifying during a criminal trial, but if found providing false testimony, may be charged with perjury. Persons within a department, performing his/her duties as assigned, during the alleged time of a Section 1983 violation, and not involved in the violation, obtain quasi-judicial immunity. Quasi-judicial immunity is provided to prosecutors who are actively involved in the trial of a person. Qualified immunity is provided to federal law enforcement officials who are accused of violating laws that have not been clearly established. If a question of liability arises, but a federal law enforcement official is later found to be acting in an â€Å"objectively reasonable manner† he/she obtains qualified immunity (Lyman pg 273). References Vicarious Liability. (n.d.) West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2. (2008). Retrieved September 30 2012 from http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Vicarious+liability Lyman, Michael D (2010). The Police: An Introduction. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Animal Testing Should Be Banned - 1656 Words

[Type text] [Type text] [Type text] 1 Prejean The use of animals in research is a widely controversial topic in today?s scientific community and raises an important ethical issue. Do animals make appropriate research subjects and is it absolutely necessary to use animals to test the safety of products? Animal testing can be referred to in a number of ways including animal research and animal experimentation, all of which involve experiments performed on animals to test the safety and effectiveness of things ranging anywhere from cosmetics to medication for humans. Products that commonly use animal testing include drugs, supplements, pesticides, cosmetics, food additives, household products and industrial chemicals. This debate affects many people both directly and indirectly because new medications and products must first pass tests in animals before they can be approved for human use. Although many people argue that these new products should first be tested in animals before ever being administered to a human, I believe that the use of animals to test these products is not necessary and there are many new alternative methods that can be used to determine the success of these products in humans. There are many reasons supporting a move away from the use of animals in research experiments. As early as 500 BC, famous scientists used animals in experiments in order to better understand how living organisms? function. However, with great advances in science andShow MoreRelatedShould Animal Testing Be Banned?844 Words   |  3 PagesShould animal testing be banned? Nowadays, a lot of animals has been tested on a range of experiments over the world. You could be supporting animal teasing cruelty without knowing it. Have you ever check if there’s animal testing on the cosmetics before you buy it? Today, a lot of cosmetics has been testing on helpless animals and there are about 1.4 million animals die each year from animal testing ( CatalanoJ, 1994). Most of the experiments that are completed in the laboratories are very cruelRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Be Banned880 Words   |  4 Pagesdepending on animals testing. Therefore, if people talk about laboratories, they should remember animal experiments. Those animals have the right to live, according to people who dislike the idea of doing testing on animals; the other opinion, supports the idea of animal testing as the important part of the source of what has reached medicine of the results and solutions for diseases prevalent in every time and place. Each year huge numbers of animals a re sacrificed for the science all these animals, whetherRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Be Banned776 Words   |  4 PagesAnimal Testing Should be Banned  ¨Over 100 million animals are burned, crippled, poisioned and abused in US labs every year ¨ ( ¨11 Facts About Animal Testing ¨). Imagine if that was someones animal getting tortured in labs just to test things such as beauty products and perfume. Animal testing was first suggested when,  ¨Charles Darwin evolutionary theory in the mid 1850s also served to suggest that animals could serve as effective models to facilitate biological understanding in humans ¨ (Murnaghan)Read MoreAnimal Testing Should Not Be Banned940 Words   |  4 Pages1). Over 100 million animals are burned, crippled, poisoned, and abused in US labs every year. 2). 92% of experimental drugs that are safe and effective in animals fail in human clinical trials. (DoSomething â€Å"11 Facts About Animal Testing†). There are currently no laws combating the testing of cosmetics on animals, but the practice is harmful and must be ended. As evidenced by the statistics above, millions of animals are tortured and murdered in the United States every year for virtually no reasonRead MoreShould Animal Testing Be Banned?1665 Words   |  7 PagesTesting Cosmetics on Animals Companies around the world use animals to test cosmetics. Animals, such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, and mice, are used to test the effects of chemicals on the eyes and skin. While animal testing is not mandatory, many companies use it. About Cosmetics Animal Testing by the Humane Society International talks about the different options companies have that do not require the cruel use and eventual death of animals. The article also talks about the overallRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Not Be Banned1572 Words   |  7 PagesAnimal Testing Every year, over two hundred million innocent animals are injured or killed in scientific experiments across the world. Of those animals, between seventeen and twenty million are used in the United States alone. It is said that an animal dies in a laboratory every three seconds (Animal Testing 101). Those in favor of animal experimentation say they are taking animals’ lives to save humans. It is not necessary to subject animals to torturous conditions or painful experiments in theRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Not Be Banned1581 Words   |  7 PagesAnimal testing is being used by different organizations all over the world to prevent specific diseases, especially cancer. Americans see animal testing having a harmful effect but it is one of the main reasons why society has most cures for some illnesses. This topic is important because people need to know what goes on during animal testing and why it is very beneficial. Animal testing needs to be used to find all cures. Some ani mals such as chimps/ monkeys have 90% of the same DNA humans haveRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Not Be Banned1721 Words   |  7 Pages † Today, more animals are being used in experiments than ever before: around 100 million in the United States alone† (3). Animal testing is now an international issue, and it is becoming a major story. Currently, animals are often used in medical testing, make-up testing, and other consumer product testing. Animals used in such product testing are often abused and suffer from serious side-effects. Animal testing can be painful for the animals, testing results are usually not even useable forRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Be Banned1364 Words   |  6 Pagesbenefit. Using animals for these experimentations usually does not come to mind. Animals are often abused, suffer, and even die during laboratory testing for the benefits of people to make sure medications, household products, newest procedures, and cosmetics are safe and effective for human use. Humans have benefited from animal testing for years while these animals suffer consequences with no positive outcomes for themselves. Even if a product or procedure is deemed successful, these animals are frequentlyRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Be Banned Essay1632 Words   |  7 Pages Animal Testing Should Be Banned Throughout the decades, animals have been used in medical research to test the safety of cosmetics including makeup, hair products, soaps, perfume, and countless of other products. Animals have also been used to test antibiotics and other medicines to eliminate any potential risks that they could cause to humans. The number of animals worldwide that are used in laboratory experiments yearly exceeds 115 million animals. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of