Nigerian Judiciary and the defence of the common man Essay Example

Nigerian Judiciary and the defence of the common man Essay In line with the doctrine of separation of powers, which is a cardinal feature of a democratic system, the Nigerian Constitution guarantees the independence of the Judiciary. The doctrine of seperation of power was introduced by French political philosopher, Baron de Montesquieu in order to protect the people from dictatorship or authoritarianism. Under this arrangement, three branches of goverment were formed: the executive, legislature and judiciary. The legislature is responsible for making laws, the executive implements while the judiciary interpretes the laws. It was Madisons system of Checks and Balances that would keep the three in check. No one branch would be able to exploit its power without the scrutiny of one of the other branches. Montesquieu did specify that the independence of the judiciary has to be real, and not apparent merely. The judiciary was generally seen as the most important of powers, independent and unchecked, and also considered the least dangerous. That the judiciary all over the world is regarded as the last hope of the common man needs not be over-emphasised. This is why stakeholders in the justice sector often refer to it as a strong fortress, standing sure and strong, providing succour and shelter for the defenceless and vulnerable of the society; a safe haven where the oppressed, the injured, the dismayed, the upstanding, the expectant, indeed the whole society, looks up to for succour, protection and justice. But in Nigeria today, many see this statement, not only as literary expression, but as a cliche that is fast becoming a mirage to the common man because of the multitude of problems plaguing this hallowed instituton. We will write a custom essay sample on Nigerian Judiciary and the defence of the common man specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Nigerian Judiciary and the defence of the common man specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Nigerian Judiciary and the defence of the common man specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer A well functional judiciary is a central element of the civil society. It is the sole adjudicator over the political, social and economic spheres. But despite the encomiums the Nigerian judiciary has received in recent time, the justice sector has practically collapsed under the weight of abject neglect by past administrations. The sector is slow in dispensing justice. Laws are archaic and antiquated, court infrastructures are obsolete and the prisons are over-crowded resulting in the collapsed of civil and criminal justice system. The Nigerian judiciary has come a long way since its establishment during the colonial era. The Nigerian legal system has had a lot of influence from English law on its growth. According to Obilade (1979), English law has a tremendous influence on the Nigerian legal system, and English law forms a substantial part of Nigerian law. Both the suspended 1979 constitution and the never implemented 1989 constitutions, as well as the new constitution promulgated on May 29, 1999 provide for an independent judiciary. In practice, the judiciary is subject to executive and legislative branch pressure, influence by political leaders at both the state and federal levels, and suffers from corruption and inefficiency. Under the 1999 constitution, the regular court system comprises federal and state trial courts, state appeals courts, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Supreme Court, and Shariah (Islamic) and customary (traditional) courts of appeal for each state and for the federal capital territory of Abuja. Courts of the first instance include magistrate or district courts, customary or traditional courts, Shariah courts, and for some specified cases, the state high courts. In principle, customary and Shariah courts have jurisdiction only if both plaintiff and defendant agree, but fear of legal costs, delays, and distance to alternative venues encourage many litigants to choose these courts. Trials in the regular court system are public and generally respect constitutionally protected individual rights, including a presumption of innocence, the right to be present, to confront witnesses, to present evidence, and to be represented by legal counsel. However, low compensation for judges, understaffing, poor equipment, bribery, special settlements, and a host of developmental factors decrease the reliability and impartiality of the courts. The Nigerian judiciary has indeed come a long way and has evolved over the years from the 1st republic through the various military interventions to the present 5th republic. The judiciary has not been immune to the turbulent and capricious changes in leadership. Nigerias chequerd political and social evolution has indeed taken its toll on this indispensable institution of Government. Our prolonged romance with military regimes has unarguably wrecked the greatest havoc on the judiciary. The military regimes, notorious for their trademark of arbitrariness, authoritarianism and contempt for the rule of law did not regard the judiciary as an arm of government. Instead, these corrupt and unconscionable military regimes with intimidation and inducements manipulated the judiciary and effectively debased this institution. The decay of the Nigerian judiciary can therefore be traced to the military era. The soldiers always suspend the constitution when they come to power and enact decrees that guide their actions. Intimidation, extra judicial killings and assasination of dissenters which is usually the hallmark of military government all contributed to the castration and destruction of the judiciary. The massive corruption that takes place under military regime also lures some unscrupulous and rapacious judicial officers who make themselves stooges in the hands of the evil men in power just for a share of the filthy lucre. So, the military rule has had a particularly corrosive effect on the judiciary. As Justice Agboola recently put it: The aberration of military regimes dealt a dangerous blow to law because military regimes engendered lawlessness. You cannot have law when sombody is above the law. Law must be supreme. Nigeria, as a country has not lived up to the expectations of her founders in terms of overall development in different aspects of life. Nigeria is still bedevilled by various problems which has successfully impeded our adancement as a nation. Corruption is generally regarded as the bane of this country. Corrution at the different levels of government in different institutions has curtailed development in all critical sectors. Basic amenities like steady electricity, water and good roads are still beyond the reach of the citizenry. Free and fair elections have eluded us and power is still in the hands of a few privileged elite class who continue to manipulate the electoral process to install their stooges to continue the cycle of self enrichment and political aggrandizement. Corruption is indeed endemic in Nigeria; it is a way of life and in this situation, one would be stretching optimism to its greatest boundaries to expect the judiciary to be above board. With the pervasve and chronic corruption in this country and its evil offsprings: opportunism, nepotism, incompetence and mediocrity, no institution of government is wholly functional and efficient. Corrution has infiltrated all institutions and parastatals and even our learned judges are not immune. In a corrupt system like ours, meritocracy and competence are substituted with mediocrity and incompetence. A corrupt system throws up unscrupulous and incompetent individuals who are bereft of selflessness and patriotism. These individuals are greeedy and selfish, and are susceptible to financial inducements and gratifications. In such an unfortunate scenario, justice becomes a product which is sold to the highest bidders. The comon man, who do not have the finacial muscle to buy judicial favors or manipulate the process is left with the short end of the stick. In such an ill-concieved system, there certainly can be no justice for the commin man. The return of Nigeria to democatic rule was heralded by great joy and overflowing optimism. The Nigerian masses were full of hope that the years of suffering, poverty and injustice were over. The newly sworn in administration made mouth watering promises. We were told that our decaying infrastrucures will be revamped, that the educational and health system will be refurbished and upgraded, that there will be masive industrialization which will create jobs for the swarm of unemployed youths. The new government also promised to address the numerous human rights abuses of the autocratic military regimes and to respect the rule of law. Nigerians gullibly swallowed all the lofty promises and with high hopes, prepared themselves for the ride to the promised land. Alas, the implementation of the sweet promises proved not to only be an ardous task, but an impossible one. The first indication that the status quo was not about to change in the judicial system was the failure of the Justice Chukwudifu Oputa panel which was set up to investigate and resolve cases of human rights abuse during the military era. Victims attended the hearings and passionately presented their cases. But the various individuals, especially the ex military rulers indicted, snubbed the panel and refused to answer the summons. The government did nothing to make these people respect the panel which really undermined the credibility of the panel. Obviously, the hands of the government was tied because some of the indicted individuals bankrolled the campaign of the sitting president. At the end of the hearings, the renowned Justice Oputa and his colleagues made recommendations to the government which it contemptuously ignored and failed to implement till this day. Another case that comes to mind is that of the Apo 6 victims. These were 5 young men and a lady who were brutally murdered in cold blood on 7th june,2005 on the orders of a ruthless senior poice officer, Assistant commissioner of police Ibrahim Danjuma. At the time, the case generated much controversy and outrage. The police officers tried to lie by labelling the innocent victims armed robbers. These accusations were unanimously rejected by people who knew these young men as honest men engaged in legitimate business. Owing to the furore generated by the massacre, the federal government under former president Olusegun Obasanjo set up a judicial panel of inquiry which investigated the circumstances leading to the death of the victims. The panel rejected the police accusations and indicted the policemen for the gruesome murder of the innocent citizens. The federal government apologized to the families of the victims and gave them monetary compensation. The case was then transferred to court for the prosecution of the indicted police officers. One would expect that given the international attention attracted by the case and the intense media scrutiny, that the federal government would spare no efforts to ensure a expeditious and sound trial. Unfortunately, that was not the case, a year and two months after this welter of incontrovertible evidence was gathered, two of the accused, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Danjuma and Police Constable Emmanuel Acheneje were granted bail by Justice Isaq Bello of Abuja High Court. That was on Wednesday, August 2, 2006. The two were admitted to bail on medical ground. While Danjuma was said to be suffering from diabetes, ulcer and heart problem, Acheneje was said to have contracted the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and in the Justices opinion, granting Bello bail would enable him seek adequate medical treatment while that of Acheneje was predicated on the excuse that he could afflict other inmates with other ailments, which come with HIV/AIDS. And you would have thought that if for any reason whatsoever, such a man standing trial for so dreadful a crime was to be granted bail, the conditions would be so stringent, particularly bearing in mind that Danjuma had made several attempts in the past to escape from detention and also the fact that one of the principal suspects, Othman Abdulsalam, the DPO of Garki Police Station at the time the crime was committed escaped from the police detention facility and is still on the run. The case narrated above is just one of numerous cases in which average citizens are denied justice and the privileged are allowed to commit crimes with impunity. I am sure that there are cases that are far worse than this, but this one happened to come to limelight. The situation in Nigeria today is that the ordinary man has lost hope in the Nigerian judicial system. The problems are numerous and apart from corrruption, which is clearly at the root of all problems in this country, the system is run by unpatriotic and mediocre people. Approximately seventy percent of the inmates in all the prisons in this country are awaiting trial. The judicial process is so tardy and sluggish in this country that some people serve out the term of their alleged crimes before the completion of their trials. The case is even worse for poor people who may not be able to afford legal representation. The Nigerian prison system is a mess and the conditions in most of them are worse than that in Hitlers concentration camps. The police have no respect for the rule of law and ordinary citizens are sometimes treated like animals. Sometimes, people arrested for various crimes are held in police detention for extensive periods of time without reference to the stipulations of the law book for the maximum period people can be detained without trial. The police force being one of the most corrupt institutions in this country also exploits the masses blatantly by charging outrageous fees for bail and demanding financial inducements from the weak and desperate. Most analysts and stakeholders have concluded that unnecessary and frequent delays experienced in judicial proceedings have great adverse effects on the administration of justice in Nigeria. This situation is brought about by the congestion of cases in the courts as well as unnecessary adjournments sought by counsels in both civil and criminal proceedings. Recently, eminent jurist, Justice Chukwufudi Oputa, (JSC) identified delay and huge expense as twin weaknesses of Nigerias justice system. Justice Oputa said: The administration of the justice in our courts suffers from two major constraints, namely delay and expense. If it takes seven to ten years to decide a case, prospective litigants may decided not to go to court at all. But the one thing that frightens prospective litigants from the court is the inordinate expense which has to be incurred with the result that a very large proportion of our countrymen are as it were, priced out of our legal system. The present administration of President Umaru go slow Yaradua which made lofty promises of respecting the rule of law has failed to live up to expectations. There has been no reforms designed nor implemented in this institution and the status quo has been maintained. The rich are still sheltered from justice and there are still cases of judicial witch hunt. This is evidenced by the shabby handling by the EFCC of the prosecution of the corrupt ex-governors like James Ibori. The Federal government if anything has gone out of its way to protect these corrupt politicians fro the hands of justice. We all watched with shame as the Attorney general succesfully frustrated the prosecution of Ibori and his accomplices by the United kingdom. such a macabre dance can only make credible nations to scoff at the governments anti-corruption battle and further distance themselves from this cursed land. It is well known that there are two sets of rules in this country,one for the poor and another for the rich and privileged. The only area in our judicial system where we have recorded marginal success is in the election petition tribunals although it can be argued that this does not directly apply to the common man, because in most cases,the litigators are affluent members of the society. Nevertheless, this piece cannot be complete without mentioning the landmark judgements that has come out of the election tribunals in recent times. The success of Gov peter Obi at the electoral tribunals and his subsequent reinstatement by the supreme court is worthy of mention. Also, the victory of Adams Oshiomole was also remarkable given the fact that he was clearly elected on a popular mandate. Some other noteworthy judgements were bastardized by the sleazy and stinking INEC, Nigerians corrupt electoral body notorious for being an appendage of the ruling peoples democratic party. This is evidenced by the cases in Kogi,Enugu and most recently, Ekiti where the gubernatorial elections were upturned only for the shameless electoral umpire to reenact the same electoral sham. Lately, Nigeria once again made mockery of itself in the international community following the mayhem that occured in some northern states during the crash of the radical islamic sect, Boko harem with security agencies. The leader of the sect was captured and killed in police custody igniting widespread international condemnation. It is indeed, very unfortunate and distressing that in the year 2009, when less endowed countries are making progress and undergoing widespread advancement, Nigeria is still indulging in extrajudicial killing. No matter the magnitude of the crime committed, every individual is entitled to fair hearing. All accused remain innocent until convicted by a legitimate court of law. This is a basic knowlege and for the police force to disregard that shows that we still have a very long wy to go as a country. In conclusion, the fate of the common man in the hands of the Nigerian judiciary is bleak and forlorn. Infact, there is no justice for the common man in our present judicial system. The judicial system needs to be completely overhauled for it to function in line with international standards. Of course, reforming the judicial system cannot be effective without overhauling the police force which is in an even worse shape. We have to purge this country of corruption for us to make any tangible progress in this regard. We need responsible, honest and committed leadership and only a credible electoral process can produce that. Only a responsible and selfless government can implement people-oriented reforms which will impact on the various institutions in this country including the judiciary so that they can function in line with the prevailing standards in developed countries. Till then, the fate of the common man in this country remains in Gods hands.

Coles English Q W1 Essay

Coles English Q W1 Essay Coles English Q W1 Essay On the weekend of January 7-9, more than 30 peaceful protestors from throughout California joined forces in the California desert’s Chuckwalla Valley at the Corn Springs Road exit/overpass along Interstate 10, east of Desert Center, to register their opposition to the 46,000-acres of public desert lands, including a large area of Chuckwalla Valley, approved for construction on public California desert lands under the Obama Administration’s federal â€Å"fast-track† renewable energy program, as well as to the hundreds of thousands of acres pending approval for similar projects. Included among the protestors were representatives from La Cuna de Aztlan Sacred Sites Protection Circle; Citizens for the Chuckwalla Valley; Mojave Desert Watch; the Sierra Club; Desert Survivors; and Basin and Range Watch, which sponsored the protest. The protest featured desert residents and visitors from afar, and offered educational materials to the many people who visited the protest. In addition, a colorful assemblage of Aztec Dancers from Needles, along with Native American singers and drummers from the Chemehuevi Nation performed for several hours atop the Corn Springs Road overpass. Concerns registered by the sponsors and participants in the protest included: the impending destruction of 17,000 known archaeological sites in the California desert; threats to endangered wildlife species, such as the California Desert Tortoise - large numbers of which have been â€Å"re-located† at Ivanpah, where construction has already begun - and widespread disturbance of desert topsoil, a major CO2 generator. Protestors also voiced concerns over threats to air quality, a severe strain on already-limited water supplies, and irreversible threats to the fragile desert ecosystem. â€Å"What the fast-track energy program threatens to do to the remaining pristine areas of the California desert is the equivalent of clear-cutting old-growth redwood trees in the Pacific Nor thwest,† says Ruth Nolan, desert author/scholar and Professor at College of the Desert. â€Å"Those of us at the protest were registering our concerns and hoping to forestall imminent plans to turn the California desert into a massive industrial zone, leading to an inevitable ecological collapse.† Protestors emphasized that they are not opposed to renewable energy, but to the environmentally, culturally, and archaeologically threatening potentials of the massive-scale wind and solar approved or pending approval on the fast-track program. Laura Cunningham, one of the protest organizers, noted that an important focus in the Chuckwalla Valley gathering was to raise awareness of the opportunities for smaller-scale renewable energy programs. â€Å"When people are educated with the facts to the alternatives that are truly green instead of raping the desert, they agree,† she says. â€Å"We reached a lot of people this weekend with our protest, and education is so impor tant in forming an opinion.† Alfredo Acosta Figueroa, founder of La Cuna de Atzlan, which recently filed a lawsuit against the federal government - along with CARE (Californians for Renewable Energy) and six individual Native Americans - was also at the protest. â€Å"We have a MOU (memorandum of understanding) with the BLM for the protection of sacred sites, including geoglyphs that are threatened by Big Solar. We had to sue the government to halt construction of the Blythe proposal.† A separate lawsuit has also been filed by the Quechan Indian Tribe against the U.S. government on behalf of a renewable energy project proposed in the Imperial Valley. Other already-approved renewable energy sites spread across a large area of public California desert lands, primarily in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, include the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating Project, the

Information System Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Information System Development - Essay Example   Ã‚  The third stage is system design, which specifies the functions and operations of the new system. The fourth stage is system acquisition, where an organization purchases the necessary components of the system. The fifth stage is system implementation, where the responsible personnel installs and tests the new system to make it operational (Papadopoulos, 2008). The final stage is system maintenance, where there are regular adjustments to maintain its operational status until the system’s life elapses.   The approaches to system development have their differences. The System Development Life Cycle uses stages of system development, and therefore requires a lot of time to implement. The other approach is prototyping, which involves the creation of an experimental model in a quicker and cheaper manner. The other approach is use of packages, where an organization purchases fully developed programs. The other approach is the End-user development, where an organization buil ds a system with less technical assistance, using the end-users. Finally, outsourcing is the other approach, where an organization uses external vendors for the development and operation of its information system (Davies, 2011).   In the conception activities of system development, there is the creation of a feasibility report and formulation of recommendations regarding a system. System analysis involves data collection, analysis, and documentation. For instance, the data collection occurs through interviews or observations, for the determination and documentation.

Project risk and Procurement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Project risk and Procurement - Essay Example The differences appear because the future is not known or is not exactly predictable. Thus, it is evident that risk exists from the onset of an activity. The risks generally arise because either there are hazards within the activity or there is a lack of certainty about the activity which is being undertaken. Therefore, the nature of risks becomes identifiable in terms of information, control and resources (skills, money, time and equipment). Broadly, risk can be classified as litigation, reputation risk and environmental risk (Lansdowne, 1999). For example, one of the major cigarette manufacturing companies had to recall around 3 million cigarettes once it became aware of the fact that their cigarettes were potentially contaminated. This created significant negative publicity for the company and resulted in loss of reputation (Egbuji, 1999). Furthermore, this has also resulted in reduced revenue. In the similar way, Toyota, the giant car manufacturing company had to recall a number of products because of some issues in the braking system. This hampered the reputation of the firm badly (Elsenstein, 2013). However, the activities of Toyota after this incident took place, exemplifies the way how a company should manage its risks. This report seeks to investigate about the different types of risks associated with project management. In addition, the report will also throw light on activities undertaken by companies for managing the risks in small and large projects. The risk measurement techniques usually applied by the companies will be also discussed in this project. Risk in Project Management In the recent past, major corporate disasters such as the Enron Collapse, insolvency of Lehman Brothers etc. have increased the need of efficient corporate governance (Cervone, 2004). Similarly, catastrophic natural disasters, such as Earthquakes, Tsunami and man-made tragedies such as terrorism activities have greatly increased the risk awareness and its consequences (Bar ki, Rivard and Talbot, 2001). A company involved in project activities also encompasses different risk management activities (OGC, 2007; Otway, 1992). There are several types of risks associated with projects such as mechanical engineering, construction projects or information technology projects. In the context of project management, risk is defined as â€Å"a problem that has not happened†, but is yet to occur (Pavlak, 2004, p.20). As a result of that risk management is positioned high in every project manager’s agenda (Pender, 2001). There are various types of risks associated with project management. The most common risks are as follows: - Cost risk: - Cost risk is typically the escalation of the project cost due to improper estimation of the cost and scope creep. The cost risks are directly associated with the financials of the company. One of the most common examples of cost risk is the over budget. Project managers often falter in determining the cost requiremen t of the entire project and as a result of that the budget exceeds and companies experiences financial loss (Williams, 2005). Schedule Risk: - The schedule risk is the type risk in which managers fear that a certain activity will take longer than the expected time. Such kind of

Chocolate Milk As A Sports Recovery Drink Physical Education Essay

Chocolate Milk As A Sports Recovery Drink Physical Education Essay Sports drinks are a highly lucrative business with many athletes believing they significantly improve performance. However recent research analysing the potential of low-fat milk as a post-exercise recovery aid has shown that highly commercialised carbohydrate-based sports drinks may be less beneficial. I have witnessed the rebranding of drinks such as Mars Refuel being packaged in sports bottles and using athlete endorsement and am interested in its effectiveness in intermittent sports. As a badminton player, I am keen to see whether low-fat milk can be used to aid recovery in varying-intensity intermittent sports. Also, there is currently a new campaign, Milk it for all its Worth, run by the Dairy Council following funding by the EU aiming to promote the health benefits of milk in young people (Dairy Council, 2010). Therefore, it is a good time to be conducting research in this area. Title Is post-exercise consumption of chocolate milk a suitable recovery drink following glycogen-depleting exercise in male badminton players? Literature Review Roy (2008) reviewed the current research on milk and its potential as a sports drink. He recognised that the limited research in this field has been conducted into the recovery from resistance training and endurance sports. The available research suggests milk favourably alters protein metabolism and is more nutrient dense than commercial sports drinks. This review also recognises the need for further research into the possible applications and efficacy of milk as a recovery drink. Recent research has shown that milk consumption immediately and one hour after exercise, is effective for strength and resistance training athletes to increase muscle mass, encourage type II muscle fibre hypertrophy and promote loss of fat mass leading to leaner mass and favourable change in body composition, (Hartman et al. 2007 and Josse et al. 2010). This is topical as young women in particular avoid dairy products believing them to be fattening (Josse et al. 2010). Hartman et al. (2007) tested whether consuming fat-free milk post resistance exercise would promote greater lean mass accretion compared to consumption of soy or an isoenergetic carbohydrate drink in young novice weightlifters. They used a relatively large sample size, increasing reliability. Josse et al. (2010) conducted an equivalent experiment in female athletes producing similar results, verifying Hartman et al.s method. Josse et al. (2010) also theorised milk consumption may have led to increased bone health; howe ver more research is needed for verification. Cockburn et al. (2010) investigated the most effective timing for consumption of a milk recovery drink. They investigated consumption before muscle damaging exercise, immediately after and 24 hours later. The study produced the recommendation that athletes consume milk immediately post-exercise, which would allow the athlete to perform at closer to optimal levels 48 hours later. This corresponds with recommendations from Pritchett et al. (2009). Precise recommendations have been given as 50-75g of carbohydrate consumed 30-45 minutes post-exercise and 1.0-1.5g of carbohydrate.kg-1.h-1 for next few hours (Ivy et al. 2002). Research has also been conducted into the effectiveness of milk for rehydration. Shirreffs et al. (2007) found milk an effective recovery aid following mild exercise-induced dehydration. They compared low-fat milk, low-fat milk with added sodium chloride, a sports drink and water at restoring fluid balance post-exercise. A volume equal to 150% of the volume of body mass lost during exercise was consumed 20 minutes post-exercise to ensure sufficient rehydration. All four drinks initially hydrated participants. However, the gastric emptying rate of milk is much slower than for sports drinks and water. This gave a greater percentage of drink retention with the milk drinks and the subjects remained in a net positive fluid balance and euhydrated at the end of the recovery period (Shirreffs et al. 2007). Conversely, the sports drink and water increased urine output resulting in a net negative fluid balance. There was no difference between the two milk drinks possibly because low-fat milk a lready contains a moderate quantity of sodium, higher than most commercial sports drinks. Research is needed to compare milk and sports drinks containing the same electrolyte content to confirm whether it is the haemodilution effect of sports drinks that led to a negative fluid balance. Low-fat chocolate milk contains the same nutritional benefits as low-fat milk but has been found to be more palatable than popular carbohydrate replacement drinks (Pritchett et al. 2009). Karp et al. (2006) found chocolate milk an effective recovery aid between two exhausting exercise bouts. Their study on endurance-trained cyclists involved glycogen-depleting exercise, a recovery period in which test drinks were consumed and a test to exhaustion. The research showed that both the time to exhaustion and the total work performed was significantly greater following the consumption of chocolate milk compared to a carbohydrate replacement drink with subjects cycling for 49% longer (Karp et al. 2006). However the chocolate milk had no significant difference compared with the fluid replacement drink. The carbohydrate content of the three different drinks in this research were equal, which had not been addressed in previous studies and produced contrasting results showing no significant difference in performance between the different drinks. However the types of carbohydrates and calorie content of the drinks were unequal. Both the chocolate milk and fluid replacement drinks contained a mixture of monosaccharides and disaccharides compared to the complex carbohydrates present in the carbohydrate replacement drink. This may account for the results as the complex carbohydrates may not have completely digested in the 4 hour recovery period. Also the greater number of calories in the chocolate milk may have accounted for the improved performance. Thomas et al. (2009) addressed this problem with a study comparing isocaloric chocolate milk and carbohydrate replacement drinks with an isovolumetric fluid. The protocol was also a submaximal (70% VO2max) endurance exercise cycle in a glycogen-depleted state. Participants cycled for 51% longer and 43% longer with post-exercise chocolate milk consumption compared to consumption of carbohydrate replacement and fluid replacement drinks respectively (Thomas et al. 2009). This further supports the usage of chocolate milk as an effective post-exercise recovery drink, following prolonged endurance exercise. This research focuses on endurance athletes and the test to exhaustion is at a moderate intensity suggesting fat may be the predominant fuel source. The increased fat content of chocolate milk and subsequent increased concentrations in free fatty acids circulating in the plasma could account for the increased time to exhaustion, suggesting carbohydrate replacement drinks may be a more b eneficial recovery aid when working at higher intensities. Therefore, this research shows chocolate milk to only be a good recovery aid for moderate endurance exercise. Furthermore, this research was partially funded by Mars U.K. Ltd. which could be a potential source for bias. More recent research has studied this area, finding chocolate milk to be an effective recovery aid for cyclists after intense exercise. (Pritchett et al. 2009). The ratio of carbohydrate to protein in chocolate milk is similar to that in carbohydrate recovery drinks and therefore may help attenuate muscle damage post-exercise. Pritchett et al. (2009) compared chocolate milk and a carbohydrate replacement drink as recovery aids. They investigated the time to exhaustion working at 85% VO2max following intermittent high-intensity training and a 15-18 hour recovery period. Their study showed chocolate milk and carbohydrate replacement drinks are equally effective in attenuating muscle soreness. Time to exhaustion was not significantly different between the two drinks. The study by Pritchett et al. (2009) used drinks that were isocaloric and had equal carbohydrate content. The recovery period was 15-18 hours to allow complex carbohydrates to be broken down and participants worked at 85% VO2max during the test to exhaustion to ensure a greater reliance on carbohydrates as the main fuel source. Despite all this, the participants used to test milk as a recovery aid for high-intensity training were endurance trained cyclists. Therefore this is unrepresentative of athletes who participate in high-intensity intermittent sports. There has been only one recent study into the effects of milk consumption in team sports (Gilson et al. 2010). Training programmes for competitive sports containing varying-intensity intermittent exercise such as football have been shown to deplete muscle glycogen stores. Such programmes should produce similar results in badminton players. Gilson et al. (2010) found that post-exercise chocolate milk compared to carbohydrate consumption had no preferential effect on short-duration, high-intensity exercise. The exercise regime in this study may not have been of an adequate intensity to impair muscle recovery which could explain the results as increases in training volumes were relatively modest. The above evidence shows low-fat milk based drinks to be suitable for rehydration and recovery from endurance and strength training. However, it fails to reach a firm conclusion on whether they are more effective than carbohydrate drinks and lacks analysis on physiological reasons behind the findings. For example, none of these studies directly measures the efficacy of milk to promote muscle glycogen recovery following endurance exercise; only performance is analysed. Admittedly this is harder to achieve. The lack of research into the efficiency of milk as a post-exercise recovery drink to varying-intensity intermittent exercise sports, despite the large market for recovery drinks in this field of sport, has prompted my research. The aim is to find through similar testing as in the studies reviewed whether chocolate milk can be an effective aid for those who participate in varying-intensity intermittent sport, focusing on badminton players. Research problem There will be no significant difference in the time to exhaustion from high-intensity intermittent shuttle running following the consumption of chocolate milk and an isocaloric carbohydrate-based drink during a recovery period post glycogen-depleting exercise. Method Sampling County-level, healthy, male badminton players between the ages of 18-30 will be used (n=14). Other studies have used a sample size of 9 so whilst being realistic the increase should provide more reliable results. Well-trained athletes will be used to avoid mood or learning impacting performance. The standard will be defined as a minimum of 6 hours training per week, playing for their county and minimum of 3 years playing badminton. The Leicestershire Badminton Association (LBA) will be contacted to provide the participants needed. Snowball sampling may be used to gain participants or random sampling to reduce numbers if necessary. Lactose intolerance volunteers will be excluded. Procedure The procedure will be based on the Thomas et al. (2009) study, but will focus on intermittent exercise. This will be a crossover and fully counter-balanced study. Each participant will complete glycogen-depleting exercise to exhaustion, followed by a recovery period and an experimental trial on three occasions. Participants will be asked to arrive in a fully rested, hydrated state and to have refrained from strenuous exercise for 24 hours. They will be required to complete a 3 day food diary prior to each trial. They will be asked to arrive at the same time of day for each trial to minimise diurnal variation and this will be in the morning following an overnight fast. Participants will come for a familiarisation trial where they will be fully informed of all the risks and basic measurements such as height, mass, age and frequency of participation will be recorded. They will then be required to do a VO2max test, see Ramsbottom et al. (1988) for method, from which the running speeds for 55% and 95% will be calculated. They will also have a trial at the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST) (see Nicholas et al. (2000) for method) to familiarise themselves. During this they will be able to consume water ad libitum. In the following experimental trials they will be encouraged to consume an equal amount. Experimental Sessions Following a warm-up, participants will complete the LIST (Nicholas et al. 2000). Heart rate monitors will be fitted and record heart rate every 15 seconds during exercise using short-range radio telemetry. Rate of perceived exertion using Borgs 6-20 scale will be recorded every 15 minutes. Sprint times in one direction over 15 metres using two infrared photo-electric cells and computer software will also be recorded throughout the test. Following completion of the LIST they will be given one of the two experimental drinks; Mars Refuel Chocolate Milk (CM) or carbohydrate replacement drink; Endurox R4 Chocolate (CR). The volume of CR will be calculated to provide 1 g carbohydrate.kg-1 body mass. The volume of CM will be calculated to give an isocaloric amount. The drinks will be placed into opaque bottles by a laboratory assistant not directly involved in the test. Recovery drinks will be assigned to the participants by a coin-toss. Once half the sample has been assigned to one drink t he remaining participants will be given the other for the first experimental trial. Participants will be given the alternative drink during the second trial. An equal total amount of carbohydrate will be given to the participants immediately post-exercise and 2 hours into the recovery period. Although the LIST does not replicate the situation of a badminton match, it does include the correct type of exercise used in training and often during tournaments players have long waiting periods. A total recovery time of 4 hours will be given representing this waiting period. During this time water may be consumed ad libitum in the first trial. This will be recorded and they will be encouraged to consume the same amount in trial 2. After the recovery period participants will be required to complete the LIST again. The time to exhaustion and variables previously measured will be recorded. Participants will then be asked to return one week later in the same state as previously described, replicating their diet 24 hours before the trial. The experimental procedure for trial 2 will be the same, however participants will be given the opposite recovery drink. A placebo is not being used as it has already been shown in many studies that post-exercise consumption of carbohydrate improves recovery. If at any point during the trials the participant wishes to stop or their health and safety becomes compromised the experiment will be stopped. Statistical Analysis Statistical analysis will be used on the collected data using SPSS (version 17). The time to exhaustion, sprint times and heart rates following consumption of the two drinks will be compared as will the results for the initial LIST and post-recovery LIST. The significance level for tests will be P

Harmony and Howling †African and European Roots of Jamaican Music Essa

Harmony and Howling — African and European Roots of Jamaican Music English colonial rule began in Jamaica in the year 1655. The growth of a plantation culture in the West Indies quickly changed the need for labor in the area. Between 1700 and 1786, more than 600,000 African slaves were brought to Jamaica. These slaves were required to work for their English colonial masters who would purchase them from slave traders at various ports around the island. Slaves were abducted from various regions of Africa, and brought over to the New World in large boats, packed to the teeth with the Africans. The slave trade over the Atlantic served as a connection between the West Indies- islands in the Caribbean, and what was to become the United states. In fact there was a large amount of interchange of slaves between these two regions. Therefore, an American reader with an understanding of the Atlantic slave trade in his own history will have some sort of an understanding of how this system worked. Slavery was not a system designed to accomidate freewill. Slaves were literally kidnapped from Africa, and as soon as they were in custody of slave traders they were assigned a submissive position under the white and Arabian merchants. When the slaves entered the New World, they remained in this submissive role and were forced into labor. Any freewill was instantly compromised the moment a shackle was placed around the limb of an African. European, Spanish, and Arab slave traders did not particularly like the Africans who were "volunteered" into slavery. Their actions, which were considered ugly and unacceptable reinforced their submissive position under the Europeans. An example of this kind of thought is the practice some African people had of "picking lice off their heads, with their fingers, putting them in their mouth and eating them." According to this slave trader, monkeys "had a parallel custom." Observations such as these reinforced the stereotype of slaves being monkeys. This is an example of how blacks, in a white mind, could descend to the level of an animal. Today we have a term for this: Ethnocentrism, but in the days of slavery this European view drawn from their own culture only served to further compromise the dignity of the Africans in the slave trade. This degrading view of Africans also made the moral aspect of slavery easier to digest. The E... ...ngs that created Reggae music. This music came out of a struggle between black and white, and the return to Africa reinforces the black nature of the music, almost subjecting the European tradition to a submissive role. In this respect Reggae music is a response to the European traditions that were inflicted onto black slaves in Colonial times in an unjust manner. Listen: The exploitation and eventually liberation of the Jamaican people have produced a very unique social condition. Reggae music is an optimistic answer to the history of oppression that draws upon the past, and uses it as a resource. In order for there to be a good future, the past must be considered and accepted. There is no way to right the wrongs of Jamaican history, but there is a way to promote awareness of these wrongs. The harmony that exists in reggae music between African and European tradition is a symbol for how it should exist in the world, and perhaps it is a map of how to get there. If two different combating traditions can exist in one music, then it is very possible for them to exist in every other facet of our society. Is this possible? What one person considers a howl is another's harmony.

A Clinical Psychology

Clinical psychology is just one of several subdivisions of psychology, focusing on mental disorders and emotional instabilities. A clinical psychologist prevents, evaluates, and treats these problems in individuals. Clinical psychology is an important profession nowadays. Looking back, the thought of school shootings were unthinkable. Back then, the children who exhibited severe emotional/mental problems were identified and referred to for help. Now they are ignored until they come to school with guns and kill people. Then, instead of being seen as a mental health problem, it becomes a legal problem. Unfortunately, it's become quite difficult to prosper in this profession. Managed care has cut reimbursement for psychology to such an extent that private practice is becoming almost unfeasable. It is possible, though. Depending on the state, there are licensing requirements. Here in Ohio, that means taking a rigorous exam, and having the educational and supervisory requirements. For instance, one will need a Ph.D. and one year of supervised experience before being able to even sit for the exam. It's difficult to receive a Ph.D. One must graduate college with virtually straight A's, and then it's 4-6 years of graduate school. Once the person is fianlly licensed, they can set up their practice. The Federal Government recognizes education and experience in certifying applicants for entry-level positions. In general, the starting salary for psychologists having a bachelor's degree was about $20,600 in 1999; those with superior academic records could begin at $25,500. Psychologists with a master's degree and 1 year of experience could start at $31,200 . Psychologists having a Ph.D. or Psy.D. degree and 1 year of internship could start at $37,800, and some individuals with experience could start at $45,200. Beginning salaries were slightly higher in selected areas of the country where the prevailing local pay level was higher. The average annual salary for psychologists in the Federal Government was $66,800 in early 1999. The working conditions for a clinical psychologist is the same as a psychologist in any other field of study. Clinical psychologists work in comfortable office settings, classrooms, or laboratories. Some that are in a private practice choose to set their own hours, but may have to work evenings and weekends to accommodate client schedules. For clinical psychologists that teach at places of education, they might divide their time between teaching, research, and administrative responsibilities. The types of jobs available are working in counseling centers, independent or group practices, hospitals, or clinics. As you can see, there's a wide variety of places to work, it's based on the person's preference. In conclusion, clinical psychologists might have a rough time making it to the top, but once they do, it'll be worthwhile in both pay and experience. A Clinical Psychology Clinical psychology is just one of several subdivisions of psychology, focusing on mental disorders and emotional instabilities. A clinical psychologist prevents, evaluates, and treats these problems in individuals. Clinical psychology is an important profession nowadays. Looking back, the thought of school shootings were unthinkable. Back then, the children who exhibited severe emotional/mental problems were identified and referred to for help. Now they are ignored until they come to school with guns and kill people. Then, instead of being seen as a mental health problem, it becomes a legal problem. Unfortunately, it's become quite difficult to prosper in this profession. Managed care has cut reimbursement for psychology to such an extent that private practice is becoming almost unfeasable. It is possible, though. Depending on the state, there are licensing requirements. Here in Ohio, that means taking a rigorous exam, and having the educational and supervisory requirements. For instance, one will need a Ph.D. and one year of supervised experience before being able to even sit for the exam. It's difficult to receive a Ph.D. One must graduate college with virtually straight A's, and then it's 4-6 years of graduate school. Once the person is fianlly licensed, they can set up their practice. The Federal Government recognizes education and experience in certifying applicants for entry-level positions. In general, the starting salary for psychologists having a bachelor's degree was about $20,600 in 1999; those with superior academic records could begin at $25,500. Psychologists with a master's degree and 1 year of experience could start at $31,200 . Psychologists having a Ph.D. or Psy.D. degree and 1 year of internship could start at $37,800, and some individuals with experience could start at $45,200. Beginning salaries were slightly higher in selected areas of the country where the prevailing local pay level was higher. The average annual salary for psychologists in the Federal Government was $66,800 in early 1999. The working conditions for a clinical psychologist is the same as a psychologist in any other field of study. Clinical psychologists work in comfortable office settings, classrooms, or laboratories. Some that are in a private practice choose to set their own hours, but may have to work evenings and weekends to accommodate client schedules. For clinical psychologists that teach at places of education, they might divide their time between teaching, research, and administrative responsibilities. The types of jobs available are working in counseling centers, independent or group practices, hospitals, or clinics. As you can see, there's a wide variety of places to work, it's based on the person's preference. In conclusion, clinical psychologists might have a rough time making it to the top, but once they do, it'll be worthwhile in both pay and experience.