Fish Crate Christmas :: English Literature Essays

Fish Crate Christmas This is the time of year I like to sit back and take a visit to my earlier years when times were really tough. When I was a kid, we were so poor; the people on Welfare were considered better off. My father usually got laid off from his bricklaying job around this time so things got really got tight. We had coal and wood burning stoves to cook and keep warm. My grandfather would go to the fish market and get old crates to chop up for firewood. My Grandfather always cut extra wood to sell so he could buy our turkey. Meanwhile, my brother and I would take our wagon and go to the coal yard to buy a bag of coal for 60 cents. My family would never accept charity from anyone so we were left to our own resources. My Mother and Grandmother would buy a crate of celery and go door to door selling it. My brother and I would run errands for the businesses uptown to make money for Christmas gifts. On the day before Christmas, my Great Grandmother would start the cooking and baking. Everybody in the family had a part to do. In my thoughts, I can clearly smell once again the delightful smell of the cookies and that wonderful turkey. I can feel the warmth of that old coal stove, and most of all, I can still feel the warmth of the love within the family. Right up the alley from my house, was the Zion Lutheran Church, where the Boy Scouts sold Christmas trees every year. Somehow they always had one too many and they would ask us to take it off their hands. My Father, brother, and I would sit for hours changing light bulbs trying to find the one that was bad in the string of lights from last year. After much frustration, we finally got them to work. Then we finally felt like it was really Christmas and we promised each other that somehow next year, we would get new lights. Around 4:30 P.M., my brother and I would head up the street to the Woolworth five and dime store to buy our presents. There were the oversized ties that nobody would ever wear and the hair pins that would sit in a drawer for years to come. But everybody was happy to receive the presents because a lot more went into buying them than just money.

Development Assistance Essay

The best way for international donors to quicken development in poor Asian countries is to maximize overseas developmental assistance. ODA should be provided both to governments directly and to international and local NGOs. † Development can be considered as one of the most omnipresent concepts today. This term had been a commonplace in governments and non-governmental organizations alike (Nault, 2008). Overseas developmental assistance also referred to as official overseas assistance (ODA), had been a vital part of world economies especially to those who belong to the third world. As early as 1960s, underdeveloped and developing countries have seen the importance of receiving grants in forms of ODA from more developed countries (Berlage and Stokke, 1992) It is now given that most of the countries, which are underdeveloped, or those who are still in the process of developing are indeed in great need of ODAs coming from their more developed counterparts. The lack of resources on the part of the poor countries makes them suffer the opportunity cost of not attending to other pressing issues in within their territories. This paper will present arguments in two fold. First, it will make a point on how international donors can quicken development in poor Asian countries by maximizing the amount it gives through ODAs. Second, it will argue on why is there a necessity to give funds directly to international and local NGOs rather than just giving it to the government; it having the sole discretion on the funds’ disbursement. Similar to the case in developed countries, rising and relentless budget deficits had become one of the major causes for concern in developing countries. Asian countries have been suffering from massive budget deficits for the past recent years (Gupta, 1992). Given that most of the developing and underdeveloped countries are suffering from budget deficit, there really is a need that ODAs should be intensified in order to address other social concerns that are being neglected by the governments due to lack of budget. These social concerns, which deals with welfare and other public issues are often taken for granted by governments despite their noble ideas because they lack resources in financing these programs. If resources will be provided through ODA, the local government will be better equipped of bringing service to their people. Aside from mere economic progress, development must also entail improvements with regard to life expectancy, education levels, literacy, and access to resources (Nault, 2008). With more funds, which are easily available to finance social programs of the government, people may easily reap the benefits of ODAs coming from developed countries. The funds coming from the ODA can be allocated to programs aimed at empowering the grassroots and improving the living conditions of the people. With regard to economic progress, there is also a great need for the funds, which are given by more developed countries. Given the lack of resources of underdeveloped countries, they have no enough assets to stimulate their respective economies. Nowadays, government-initiated economic policies are necessary to save the worsening condition of the global economy. The world economy is being threatened by massive recessions. Hence, there is a necessity for state intervention in stimulating the economy. ODAs can be used by the government to back up state-initiated economic programs aimed at ameliorating the country’s economy. ODAs may be used as capital by the government and also as investment so that it would yield to higher profits in the future. ODAs can also be used by the government in coming up with schemes that will help protect the economy from the global trend of economic downturns by implementing regulations, which will somehow put safety nets to the national economy. ODAs may be used in employment training and job creation in order to assure that the citizens of the country are equipped with appropriate knowledge, which they may use in finding employment. Having established the necessity of increasing the amount of ODAs being transferred by developed countries to their poorer and less fortunate counterparts of Asia, the argumentation will shift towards the necessity of diverting funds not only to state governments but to non-governmental organizations as well. First, the author of this paper acknowledges the vital role being played by the government with regard to managing ODAs. Much substance have been given earlier in this paper and it is beyond argumentation that state-government acceptance of ODAs is indeed necessary. However, a new concept is being realized and offered which relates to the offering of ODAs from developed nations directly to international and local NGOs in the country. Perhaps one of the reasons to such proposition is the lessening trust of developed nations to their underdeveloped counterparts in Asia when it comes with governance. Many Asian countries, especially those who are financially-burdened, are often described in the international arena as engaging in the process of corruption. Documented evidence is being studied to support such claim (Lindsey and Dick, 2002). Good governance within the public sphere is indeed crucial in creating an environment, which will help mobilize resources, both domestically and internationally as well (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2002). Grantors of ODAs take into consideration the political climate within the country, which will receive their grant. They give premium to those who are practicing good governance. However, most countries in Asia had been involved in cases related to corruption. Hence, they do not appear as flawless to those who are sending them their ODAs. On the other hand, NGOs send a message of altruism to the international community. These NGOs project an image that they are indeed concerned in bringing progress to the countries where they have offices in. They appear as the good guys, whose business is to promote the welfare of the oppressed. NGOs are also offering programs that are aimed at bringing progress and development to their host countries. Sometimes, such programs from the NGOs are not being offered by state-governments. Another point is the fact that since grantors of aids are losing trust to corrupt governments, they are finding alternative channels to send their ODAs to residents of the receiving countries. Most NGOs in the international levels have earned themselves of the reputation to help others due to their noble causes. In spite of the manner as to how developed countries will be sending in their grants, what matters most is the fact that these grants are indeed helpful in bring progress and development to underdeveloped countries. References Berlage L. and Stokke, O. (1992). Evaluating Development Assistance: Approaches and Method. London: Routledge Publishing. Gupta, K. L. (1992). Budget Deficits and Economic Activity in Asia. London, Routledge Publishing. Lindsey, T. and Dick, H. W. (2002). Corruption in Asia: rethinking the governance paradigm. Annandale: NSW Federation Press. Nault D. M. (2008). Development in Asia: Interdisciplinary, Post-Neoliberal, and Transnational Perspectives. Boca Raton: Brown Walker Press. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (2002). Official development assistance and private finance: attracting finance and investment to developing countries. Paris: OECD Publishing.

Analysis Of The Pearl Of Great Price - 1207 Words

Turning to the Lord will lead to spiritual growth and refinement. This paper will discuss several different points about how adversity leads all of God’s children to grow spiritually. After explaining what adversity is, it will then expound on why it is so necessary to face it in this life. It will explain what benefits come because of it, also how to differentiate it from the devil’s temptation, and God’s love, and lastly how it is possible to manage it. By understanding adversity one will be able to prepare and accept trials with hope and faith, and strengthen relationships with Heavenly Father. Adversity is any type of trial in one’s life. It is sickness, injury, family problems, heartache, tribulation, the list continues on and on. There are many wonderful examples of adversity in the Pearl of Great Price, which will be discussed further. There are two main types of adversity. One is that God loves all his children and he knows exactly what each one needs in order to prove him or herself worthy. There is no fault in this person; it is the way it needs to be due to certain situations, such as an illness, or accident for example. It is a natural way of life. God has an individual plan for all of his children, which he demonstrates by telling Moses part of his plan. God says, â€Å"And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of graceShow MoreRelatedEssay on Pearl in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne771 Words   |  4 PagesPearl in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Hesters daughter, Pearl, functions primarily as a symbol. She is quite young during most of the events of this novel—when Dimmesdale dies she is only seven years old—and her real importance lies in her ability to provoke the adult characters in the book. 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