Womens Democracatisation and Democracy in India

Womens Democracatisation and Democracy in India Problematising Democracatisation and Democracy in India Dreams of political improvement requests/wants vote based system and cooperation as inborn to its talk. Advancement in this sense subsequently needs popularity based choices making, educated and dynamic common society and comprehensive political structure to arrive at its objective. In the Indian setting the procedure of democratization with comprehensive support is wanted through the 73rd-74th amendment Act of Indian constitution, 1992. The Act encourages the reinforcing of neighborhood government by making open doors for comprehensive cooperation. It gives rights to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and ladies, the most underestimated in the various leveled Indian culture to take an interest in neighborhood government. Expecting to change the sexual orientation and position imbalances the Act gives 33% reservation to the previously mentioned classifications to partake in nearby bodies. Post execution of the Act that has now spent sixteen years, womens interest has been surprisingly noticeable. This has as of late brought about Union bureau favoring a proposition of an established change bill for expanding standard (half) for ladies in Panchayats at all levels (DNA 29th August, 2009). Media reports gauge more than 1.4 million ladies to involve 2,52,000 Panchayat situates in future. It likewise states, at present out of the all out chosen agents of panchayat numbering around 2.8 million, 36.87% are ladies. The Panchayat raj service report demonstrates a huge pretended by reservation in bringing ladies into standard (on the same page). As per this report, around four-fifth of all ladies agents in panchayat races got chose from saved seats and about 83% of them entered governmental issues through amount. Positive effect of entering legislative issues and filling in as a panchayat raj functionary is noticeable as 79% of ladies agents revealed better confidence, 81% anno unced certainty building and 74% expressed increment of dynamic capacities (in the same place). Such a positive report gives an image of better and comprehensive administration that India is moving towards by applying sexual orientation and improvement approach. This progression anticipates expanded dynamic cooperation of ladies in open circle and their strengthening. In any case, we have to take a gander at the political support that is imagined and the genuine execution. Would political support likewise encourage womens cooperation at dynamic? What might investment involve particularly for Dalit ladies regarding the desperate results of their sincere statement to understand their privileges? What is the job that the 73rd Amendment Act conceives for Scheduled Caste and what is the job they wind up playing? At the scenery of expanded endeavors from the state for comprehensive administration these are the lines of enquiry I mean to draw upon.â Dr. Ambedkar in the constituent Assembly, 1948 communicated his perspectives on Indian towns What is a town yet a sink of localism, a cave of numbness, extremism and communalism? (Mathew,G. Nayak,R.1996: 1). He scrutinized the for what reason should the town become the locus of the political structure?(Palanithurai 2003: 27) Villages administered by its predominant elites and upper standing have been preservationist and depend on conventional rank structure. Neighborhood self government in this way would strengthen the towns as joins of first class catches abusing the discouraged at grassroots. Issue Statement/Justification/Purpose of examination: Sixteen years of the death of the 73rd protected revision Act has achieved a surprising change in nearby administration. The conventional interest and inclusion of Dalit and ladies has expanded in neighborhood governmental issues. At this point there is a need to embrace a rude awakening. Does formal investment implies real portrayal of Dalit ladies? Is the procedure of political interest comprehensive and enabling? Does attestation of Dalit ladies prompts brutality against them as they are not intended to take an interest effectively? The paper takes a gander at Dalit womens encounters of political support in panchayat raj and its effect on their strengthening. My enthusiasm for the issue of Dalit ladies originates from various sources. To start with, from an individual encounter as entomb alia a Dalit lady. I, see a few features to the Dalit womens encounters having been raised with this character and being from a similar foundation. Besides, experience of working with common society associations on Gender Justice and privileges of Dalit ladies during the graduation as a piece of field work, entry level position with CHR and chipping in Dalit development in India caused me to notice Dalit womens gives all the more unmistakably. During the procedure I met Dalit ladies activists from country Maharashtra working at grass-roots and saw the consistent issues they looked for they tested the foundational abuse. The intersectionality of rank and gendered pecking order that gets strengthened as Dalit ladies enter the open circle approached as another learning. The socio-social situating and fundamentally the position class-sex transaction make Dalit womens encounters explicit. I hence needed to report the encounters of Dalit ladies who enter the open circle just because through proper mean, for example, political support. At last and in particular my emphasis on Dalit womens political support in Panchayat is on the grounds that at strategy level in spite of the fact that the acquaintance of reservation with underestimated gatherings (Women, SCs, STs) at nearby body imagines comprehensive majority rules system and better administration, practically speaking the neighborhood level governmental issues is a crudest unit of persecution. Hence the need to contemplate Dalit womens encounters of political cooperation emerged from my own comprehension and experience of the issue just as Explicitness of Being Dalit Women: Intersectionality Dalit ladies in India today number 80.517 million or around 48% of the absolute Dalit populace, 16% of the complete female populace and 8% of the all out Indian Population (Irudayam et al., 2006:1). Dalit ladies face separation regularly, as a Dalit, as ladies and as a poor they are in amazingly defenseless position (National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights 2006:1). Dalit ladies make larger part of sloppy worker in urban settings and landless workers in country. Foundational savagery against Dalit ladies can be viewed as a component to keep Dalit in a subjected position. It is worked in to the structure of the prevailing society, which doesn't recognize the fundamental human privileges of Dalit when all is said in done and Dalit ladies specifically. There is a conflict between the normal job of Dalit ladies and the job they accomplish on account of the differential manners by which they arrange their economic wellbeing and sexual orientation standards. The new open job that the 1992 A ct doles out them produces a conflict between customary standards and the accomplished political privileges of Dalit ladies. Dalit ladies who have the desire to possess a political position much of the time experience obstruction from the general public. General debilitation becomes brutality when they show an excessive amount of activity, shout out and gain support from the bigger network. Political interest for Dalit ladies is viewed as a danger by the prevailing standing gatherings. Dalit womens passage in legislative issues is seen as them tying down privilege to open assets. Solid Casteist and male centric inclinations against Dalit bring about vicious assaults, limiting Dalit ladies from practicing their privileges through different systems. There front at scholarly level, I accept there is an earnest need to consider the encounters of Dalit ladies taking an interest in legislative issues. It is at the town level that rank and gendered order happens in crudest structures) With this reason I structure destinations of my investigation the wide target being: Study the encounters of Dalit womens right to political interest in provincial Panchayat Raj framework. I have following explicit goal for the examination: Investigate the components that control or encourage support of Dalit ladies in provincial Panchayat Raj. Look at the effect of political interest on Dalit ladies in Panchayat Raj. Study the strengthening procedure of Dalit ladies through the political interest in Panchayat Raj. To propose suggestions for powerful support of Dalit ladies in Panchayat Raj Exploration Question: In light of the destinations of study I figured my exploration question for the enquiry What are the encounters of Dalit ladies taking an interest in panchayat raj? Has the political support affected Dalit womens strengthening? What have been the crediting/limiting elements for the strengthening of Dalit ladies? What are simply the accomplishments of their political investment for themselves and for the Dalit people group they speak to and for the general public by and large? Women's activist methodology: Inside women's activist sociology research, subjective information, specifically top to bottom meetings have Â'held a conspicuous spot throughout the entire existence of women's activist inquiryâ' (Rabinowitz and Martin, 2001:44 in Kitzenger2003:126). Center gatherings strategies are additionally utilized alongside such discussion about encounters. These are self-report techniques. My decision of point and women's activist direction required to use this technique. This returns to second rush of woman's rights (1970s) that underscored the recovering and approval of womens encounters through listening womens voices (Kitzenger, 2003:125, Kirsch, 1999:4). The individual encounters of ladies have additionally been perceived in political setting from that point forward. Further Feminist sociology analyst made it general to put together their examinations with respect to womens voices and encounters. Indeed women's activist explores planned for tuning in to womens distinctive voicesâ' (Gilligan, 1982 in Kitzenger, 2003:126) and Â'to address womens lives and encounters in their own terms, to make hypothesis grounded in the genuine encounters and language of ladies (DuBois, 1983: 108 in Kitzenger, 2003:126). With this histo

Women on a Beach Essay Example

Ladies on a Beach Essay Ladies on a sea shore conversation After perusing and breaking down the sonnet Women on a sea shore composed by Ann Michaels, I have seen numerous events of symbolism and the utilization of exacting and metaphorical language controlled into the sonnet. The primary utilization of symbolism is when Ann utilizes light picks white sails, the stomaches of gulls. Ann is portraying the area of the sonnet in a remarkable manner with the goal that its not extremely dull and exhausting and makes it all the more interesting for the peruser. Since its the main line of the sonnet, you need to connect with the peruser to keep perusing by making it fascinating. Another instance of symbolism that shows up in the sonnet is when Ann says, the sea shore sparkles grainy under the suns copper pressure. This is another one of a kind way that Ann uses to depict the scene since she calls attention to that the warmth from the sun is shinning down onto the sand and its extremely sweltering out creation it gleam. Shes clarifying the temperature of the setting In intonating way making it increasingly intelligent for the peruser. We will compose a custom paper test on Women on a Beach explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom paper test on Women on a Beach explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom paper test on Women on a Beach explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer An extra utilization of symbolism that Ann utilizes in her sonnet is the point at which she says, the breeze finger against your cheek like a ring of hair. This is portraying the slight breeze that is occurring In the scene utilizing representation. Shes crediting human trademark to something nonhuman, which for this situation is the breeze. All in all, Ann Michaels utilized Imagery all through her sonnet to change the regularly Into the novel. Cyrus Montreal

Whats Wrong with Your Blogging

What’s Wrong with Your Blogging Make Money Online Queries? Struggling To Get Traffic To Your Blog? Sign Up On (HBB) Forum Now!What’s Wrong with Your Blogging?Updated On 03/12/2019Author : Ram kumarTopic : BloggingShort URL : https://hbb.me/2OIF1Ck CONNECT WITH HBB ON SOCIAL MEDIA Follow @HellBoundBlogYou’ve decided to pour out your heart and soul into your new creative outlet and cherished brainchild, that is your blog. Naturally, you dream that it will grow and become more successful. No doubt you invest time religiously into writing, but it is quite often the case that despite having regular posts the blog still doesn’t attract as many visitors as you would wish.So What Are Some Blogging No-no’s That You Should Be Aware of?Quantity over quality  That’s right. There’s absolutely no need whatsoever to churn out crude blog material every day with the end product looking like it came off an assembly line. You can consider instead to keep the posts coming systematically but not necessarily on a daily bas is; it is much more important to make sure you provide unique and relevant information. Intrigued by the content, the visitors will make sure to bookmark and return to it. Coming up with great texts involves working hard on your writing style to make it concise and light enough for the reader to dive in headfirst and not to turn away without having reached the end of the first paragraph. Honing down your skill to express complex ideas in simple sentences will make your blog a pleasure to read. Therefore, even if you’re a quick essay writer and can produce a lot of material, it is top quality that is first and foremost in gaining your followers’ trust and loyalty.Advertising overkillIt is well-known that too much of one thing is good for nothing, and as sure as day the excess of ads drives away the potential followers. Perhaps you’ve recently started your blog, and you’re excited to see how monetization works, but take things slowly because the last thing you want to do is ov eruse the various banner ads and pop-ups on your blog page. Those are so annoying and distracting, especially when they block the content of your page, rendering it utterly unreadable. The alternative is just to place the ads as sparingly and unobtrusively as possible and at least to keep them related to the theme of your blog. Beginning to advertise only makes sense when the blog has already been around for a while and has attracted during that time substantial traffic.Slow page loadingImagine: your meta title and description are catchy and compelling, so the interested internet user clicks and anticipates a captivating read. However, the page is taking forever to load! In this scenario, the modern user can’t really be blamed for losing patience and going back to the search results to click on another link. It’s disappointing to lose readers over such a small matter, but you can easily cater to the readers’ desire for instant gratification by enhancing the speed of your blog, it will definitely be a noticeable improvement.READSearching For Free Web Hosting? You Can Stop It Right Now!Neglect of the comment sectionAfter putting your works of genius out there in the form of blog posts, it is too early just to sit back and relax. In fact, it is of utmost importance to encourage conversation in the comments and answer questions, demonstrating your dedication, involvement, and readiness for open dialogue with the readers. Show your audience that your blog is not about just your ego screaming out for approval and attention but is actually about sharing knowledge of your field with others and about mutual help. Moreover, if you browse the comment section attentively, you might come across some constructive criticism (there’s always room for improvement!) and unexpectedly useful additional information. You might even find inspiration for new topics to cover in your future posts.  All things considered, having made up your mind about a blogging topic that you†™re familiar with, especially well, spend time on providing some excellent content rather than excessively concentrating on the number of articles available for readers. Patience is a virtue, and you can exercise it by avoiding the introduction of excessive ads on your blog page so as not to repel the readers prematurely. It delays somewhat the monetization cash flow, but proves useful in the long run, securing a large dedicated audience. So, it does ensure that your blog page loads fast enough because it provides the readers quickly with the coveted information before they try their luck on another website. To further boost the success of your blog, check out regularly the comments and bolster lively conversations with the readers.Do some of the above-mentioned points strike home? Then you can consider applying some changes to your blog so that it will appeal to a wider audience than ever before.

Learn How Insects Hear

Sound is created by vibrations carried through the air. By definition, an animals capacity to hear means that it has one or more organs that perceived and interpreted those air vibrations. Most insects have one or more sensory organs that are sensitive to vibrations transmitting through the air. Not only do insects hear, but they may actually be more sensitive than other animals to sound vibrations. Insect sense and interpret sounds in order to communicate with other insects and to navigate their environments. Some insects even listen for the sounds of predators in order to avoid being eaten by them.   There are four different types of auditory organs that insects may possess.   Tympanal Organs Many hearing insects have a pair of tympanal organs that vibrate when they catch sound waves in the air. As the name hints, these organs catch the sound and vibrate in much the way that a tympani, the large drum used in the percussion section of an orchestra, does it when its drum head is struck by a percussion mallet.   Like the tympani, the tympanal organ consists of a membrane tightly stretched on a frame over an air-filled cavity. When the percussionist hammers on the membrane of the tympani, it vibrates and produces a sound; an insects tympanal organ vibrates in much the same way as it catches sound waves in the air. This mechanism is exactly the same as found in the eardrum organ of humans and other animal species. Many insects have the ability to hear in a manner quite similar to the way we do it.   An insect also has a special receptor called the chordotonal organ, which senses the  vibration of the tympanal organ and translates the sound into a nerve impulse. Insects that use tympanal organs to hear include grasshoppers and crickets, cicadas, and some butterflies and moths. Johnstons Organ For some  insects, a group of sensory cells on the antennae form a receptor  called the Johnstons organ, which  collects auditory information. These group of sensory cells is found on the pedicel, which is the second segment from the base of the antennae, and it detects vibration of the segment(s) above. Mosquitoes and fruit flies are examples of insects that hear by using the Johnstons organ. In fruit flies, the organ is used to sense the wing-beat frequencies of mates, and in hawk moths, it is thought to assist with stable flight. In honeybees, Johnstons organ assists in the location of food sources.   Johnstons organ is a type of receptor found only no  invertebrates other than insects. It is named for the physician Christopher Johnston (1822-1891), a professor of surgery at the University of Maryland who discovered the organ. Setae The larvae of Lepidoptera  (butterflies and moths)  and  Orthoptera  (grasshoppers, crickets, etc.) use small stiff hairs, called setae, to sense  sound  vibrations. Caterpillars often respond to vibrations in the setae by exhibiting defensive behaviors. Some will stop moving completely, while others may contract their muscles and rear up in a fighting posture. Setae hairs are found on many species, but not all of them use the organs to sense sound vibrations.   Labral Pilifer A structure in the mouths of certain hawkmoths enables them to hear ultrasonic sounds, such as those produced by echolocating bats. The labral pilifer, a tiny hair-like organ, is believed to sense vibrations at specific frequencies. Scientists have noted a distinctive movement of the insects tongue when they subject  captive hawkmoths to sounds at these particular frequencies. In flight, the hawkmoths can avoid a pursuing bat by using the labral pilifer to detect their echolocation signals.

Reading Quiz on Why I Want a Wife

Judy Bradys definition of a wife was first published in the feminist magazine Ms in December 1971. Since then, it has been widely reprinted. After reading the essay, take this short quiz, and then compare your responses with the answers on page two. According to Judy Brady in the essay â€Å"Why I Want a Wife,† what sparked in her the realization that she, too, would like to have a wife†?(A) a quarrel with her husband(B) an encounter with a male friend fresh from a recent divorce(C) an argument with her parents(D) a run-in with an old girlfriend who still hadn’t married(E) a recent divorce, which left her with five children to raise on her ownIn the opening sentences of Why I Want a Wife, the author classifies herself according to two roles that she plays. What are those roles?(A) wife and husband(B) mother and daughter(C) wife and worker(D) wife and mother(E) slave and mistressIn the essay â€Å"Why I Want a Wife,† which one of the following items does Judy Brady not say that she wants?(A) the liberty to replace my present wife with another one(B) a wife who will take care of the details of my social life(C) a wife who is sensitive to my sexual needs(D) a wife who will not bother me with rambling comp laints about a wife’s duties(E) a wife who will make so much money that I will never have to work againIn the essay â€Å"Why I Want a Wife,† which one of the following desires does the author state directly?(A) I want a wife who will work and send me to school.(B) I want my husband to earn more money.(C) I want my wife to go back to school.(D) I want my mother to stop telling me how to raise my children.(E) I want to be single again.What is the final line of Judy Bradys essay Why I Want a Wife?(A) My God, who wouldnt want a wife?(B) I want to be single again.(C) I want a wife who will leave me alone.(D) My God, why would anyone want to be a wife?(E) Dear God, why am I a wife? Answers to the  Reading Quiz on Why I Want a Wife by Judy Brady (B) an encounter with a male friend fresh from a recent divorce(D) wife and mother(E) a wife who will make so much money that I will never have to work again(A) I want a wife who will work and send me to school.(A) My God, who wouldnt want a wife?

Graduation Speech High School Diploma - 891 Words

Due to a lack of decent jobs, half of all college graduates are still relying on their parents financially when they are two years out of school. In the US the bottom 40 percent of income earners in the United States now collectively own less than 1 percent of the nation’s wealth, and College tuition has risen 10 times faster than the median family income. These are just a few issues that my generation, and more to come will face. My dream requires fair access to jobs and educational opportunities, work, and fair pay, all while empowering individuals to pursue their own passions. Higher education is essential to having the knowledge and experience to achieve your dream. If I don’t have higher education I would be stuck with a high school diploma. A survey, prepared by Public Agenda and released nationwide by several independent, nonprofit organizations, finds that a towering 87% of Americans believe that a college education has become as important as a high school diploma used to be. Also, three out of four Americans think that there cannot be too many people with education and training beyond high school. This fact is staggering, but we all come to the same conclusion that college is even more important now than ever. In addition to college being more important, college education needs to be affordable. â€Å"Nearly two-thirds of Americans strongly agree that colleges should be doing a much better job of keeping down their costs† ( Forbes ). My American dream requiresShow MoreRelatedGraduation Speech : High School Diploma920 Words   |  4 PagesDay after day I had always regretted not finishing school. Every day that went by Reminded me how much I needed to complete my education. I would remember applying to jobs and always seeing that dreaded sentence saying â€Å"must have High school diploma or equivalent’’. The memory of those days still feel as if it was just yesterday that I was without education. Growing up I never realized how much I would need education in my life. Education is needed to overall make a decent living in order to surviveRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School Diplomas1106 Words   |  5 Pagesstatewide were denied standard high school diplomas a nd given special education diplomas† (page 74). New teachers should care about this frightening statistics, if this happened to Latricia that means that there were more students that encountered the same issue. Additionally, new teachers need to understand how the different high school diplomas can affect the students as adults. â€Å"Students without diplomas earn much less than those in the workforce who have diplomas, and they are less likely to maintainRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School Diploma831 Words   |  4 Pagestheir high school diploma. When P-TECH initially started, it included on grade 9 and added a grade every year until it became a complete high school. The focus of P-TECH is to provide students with college level work in high school so they can earn their Associate degree at City Tech in what are called the grade 13 and 14. In personal interview with Mr. Brian Donnelly, the Deputy Director of Early College Initiative at CUNY, he described that in stude nts who are part of P-TECH experience grades 13Read MoreGraduation Speech : High School Diploma1393 Words   |  6 PagesIn the years of 2012-2013, Oklahoma s percent of students graduating with a high school diploma was 84.8%. In 2012-2013, the graduation rate was at one of the highest points it has ever been at. It is crazy to think that over 1.2 million students drop out every year just in the United States. That is a student ever 26 seconds or you could think of it like 7,000 students a day. A student that gets a high school diploma but does not go to college is going to be doing better than students that dropRead MoreGraduation Speech : A Rite Of Passage1527 Words   |  7 PagesFor many adolescent individuals in America, graduation is considered a rite of passage. Often, Americans couple graduation with a celebration of opening a new chapter of their life. Specifically, transitioning from a high school student to a graduate. In this essay I will explain what a rite of passag e is and what graduation is. Also, I will discuss how graduation is approached as a rite of passage in my culture, and what celebration in regards to graduation looks like and means to many. Almost allRead MoreHigh School Graduation Speech : Family, And Seven Years Ago1593 Words   |  7 Pagescertain situations, but families don’t always get along. We are humans that make mistakes, but we forgive and love each other no matter what. Over the past seven years, I realized how important they are to me, especially during the time of my high school graduation. Since being a part of Wilton, I’ve noticed that there’s a difference between being a church â€Å"member† and being a part of a church â€Å"family.† Church â€Å"members† are people who walk in, attend the church service, and walk out without truly knowingRead MoreAn Example of a Graduation Speech653 Words   |  3 Pagescourse taking countless exams, it is that time that we all anticipate†¦Graduation! Purpose Statement: Since the majority of us are seniors, and graduation is a little less than a month away, I am going to provide you with some historical background information and some fun facts about graduation in order to make the occasion even more meaningful than it already is. Road Map: Most of you could probably agree that high school was quite the experience with several ups and downs along the way. NoRead MoreGraduation Speech : My Graduation Essay1022 Words   |  5 Pages My Graduation A Graduation ceremony is one of the major steps in life, it marks the start of new changes in our lives. It ushers us into growing up and be responsible for our actions. It marks a new dawn of embracing life experiences, cultivation of good work ethics and eventually culminates in chasing our dreams. On my graduation day, I woke up to the sweet aroma of the breakfast my sister was making. I sat down to eat when the food was ready. It took me about 2 hours to finishRead MorePersuasive Speech: Why You Should Go to College?1010 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿PERSUASIVE SPEECH 4 Persuasive speech: Why you should go to college Attention Student debt is at an all-time high. Many college students and recent graduates may find themselves asking: whats the point? Why go to college if there is no guarantee of a great job, but you are almost certainly guaranteed to graduate with high levels of debt? But take a careful look at the statistics. While the unemployment rate for recent four year college graduates is 6.8%, the unemployment rate for recent high schoolRead More Graduation Speech Essay examples885 Words   |  4 PagesTo the County High School Class of 2012: As you sit in front of me, I know what most of you are thinking at the moment. There are those who are already pondering about what life without high school will be like; those who are debating whether or not to tell your crush tonight about your whispers of adoration you’ve secretly held for four years; some simply want to get out of that ungodly chair, get that thing that isn’t really a diploma but only tells you when to pick up the thing, and then be the

Anything free essay sample

â€Å"You can do anything you put your mind to,† they said. â€Å"Anything.† Those are the first words I remember hearing. My earliest years had proven a tough time (what with my lack of athletic ability), but in these words, I found new hope. After all, my parents could speak nothing but truth. At age three, I came to my first major career decision, and made it my ultimate goal to become a stegosaurus. Needless to say, I didn’t hesitate in putting my mind to it. I could be found hard at work, either in the park or at the local sand box during every last one of my week’s free hours. Other parents had never seen such determination; I could tell by their shocked facial expressions that they were impressed. I knew that realistically, I would never make a proper stegosaurus without sacrifice. I cut down on animal crackers and began a regimented applesauce diet. We will write a custom essay sample on Anything or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But, I soon learned the hard way the truth of the old saying: the best laid plans of stegosauruses and men often go awry. By the time I was five, demand for the services of a quality herbivorous quadru-ped had dwindled, and my playground training had, I admit, begun to feel stagnant. The time had surely come for me to pursue a more economically viable position, to start thinking seriously about making a name for myself in the professional world. Thus, I decided to shift my path to that of a superhero. I considered various aliases, most involving adjectives such as â€Å"super,† â€Å"awesome,† and â€Å"super-awesome,† all of which would be appropriate once my superpowers revealed themselves. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before I realized that my prime was behind me. I was much too old to begin fighting crime, developing telekinesis, etc. My return to the drawing board was a bitter one. With two disappointments under my belt, I began to question the val idity of Mom and Dad’s original confidence. In years since, many an occupational dream has come and left me. In no particular order, the more memorable ideas include the following: attorney at law, marine biologist, veterinarian, President of the United States, beekeeper, Vice President of the United States, prospector, President of Atlantis, cowboy, Indian, candy man (I didn’t know what the profession entailed, but it sounded like a safe enough bet), dentist, hedge-fund consultant, pizza chef, and author. The truth is, I’ve never argued in a court of law, saved a puppy, revolutionized foreign policy (in America or Atlantis), bee-kept, funded a hedge, or done whatever it is that a candy man does. But I’ve written this much, haven’t I? That might just make me an author. Maybe Mom and Dad were onto something.