Reading Responses to a Poem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reading Responses to a Poem - Essay Example Brooks’ poetic style and substance complement each other in producing realist literary wonders, resulting in her being granted the Pulitzer Prize in 1950. It was possible that Brooks herself was influenced by her contemporaries when it comes to form and content (Hacker, n.d.). The point, however, is that when The Pool Players is detached from the consequence of such possibility or not, it is indeed a poem that could only come from poet laureate such as Brooks. Typical of modern poetry, The Pool Players does not use the classical poetic forms that can be attributed to the style of Romanticists. Instead, its form and language is basically colloquial in nature. In just reading the poem, one would have the impression of youths who are just expressing themselves in the simplest language that they are accustomed to; no flowery descriptions, no use of symbolisms, and no adjectives to clarify further what they mean. However, the effectiveness of the poem in delivering its message is d efinitely achieved through the use of such language, coarse or crude it may sound for those whose usual impression of poetry is highly influenced by Romanticist ideals. Brooks herself explained in an interview that the form or language used for the poem was not prompted by an objective related to literary aesthetics, such as colloquial rhythm. Therefore, it could not be attributed to any possible influence of modernist poets, such as Ezra Pound or T.S. Eliot (Stavros, 1970). Instead, it represented how Brooks actually felt about the subjects of her poem, young men or boys who did not believe in the importance of education in their lives and who would rather play pool or stay on the streets until death comes. The effect of the poem on the reader is more profound though primarily because of the simplicity in the language used. The reader would easily get a picture of the scene that the poet wishes to portray. The language is very direct, allowing the reader to immediately get the imag e that poet wants to impart on the reader. However, it is also because of such characteristic that there is a tendency for the reader not to comprehend the deeper meaning behind the conversational verbiage applied. Ironically, this is the main problem with such kind of language and form. Because it appears too simple, it may not encourage the reader to reflect on the meaning. The power of the poem lies in its informality; its simplicity is â€Å"stark to the point of elaborateness†¦ it is virtually coded† (Spillers, 1987, p.225). By using the very language that the pool players themselves use, the reader is taken into the world that Brooks wants to portray. It is apparent that the poet believes that it is only through such method that reader is able to analyze the message and come up with his own impression on the issue being tackled. The poem has eight lines but it is only on the last that the message is made clear but even this would not be understood without the prior seven lines. If the poem had been arranged in a non-lyrical manner, it would have appeared as commonplace as any conversation would be. However, Brooks made sure that even as she used simple language, The Pool Players is still able to uphold its aesthetic value as a literary work. Because of this,

Hedging risk exposure and arbitrage Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hedging risk exposure and arbitrage - Term Paper Example Some of the methods include hedging or diversification of risks (Madura, 2014). The investors should choose the best option cautiously not only to eliminate the risk but also to maximize revenue. This document evaluates put option as a hedging strategy in a simulation scenario. Hedging is concurrent acquisition and sale of two equivalent securities having different maturity period with the expectation of gaining from the consequent movements the price of those securities (Bouzoubaa & Osseiran, 2010, p. 78). The investors hold stocks with the expectation that at one point they will be able to sell the stock at a higher price to cover the transaction cost and other cost of holding the stock such as inflation cost (Bingham & Kiesel, 2004). The stocks are sold at a premium, but the sales may have to be delayed. The unit value of stock after price appreciation is equivalent to the marginal cost of holding that security. Anticipation of price increase in the stock value will result to an increase in the current price of the stock (Madura, 2014, p. 342). By hedging the stock investors commit to taking a minimum value of the stock and avoid making loss in case, the value of the underlying security goes below the future value of the contract. However, the hedger risk losing profit in case the value of the stocks exceeds the future contract value. It is imperative to note that the individual’s decision to hedge security does not affect the market condition because the investor transfers the risk to a willing speculator who buys a security. Also, when an investor purchases a security with anticipation that their prices will raise in the future that result in the transfer of risk from the seller to the buyer of the stocks (Madura, 2014, p. 242). However, investors accept risk premium in order to hedge their securities. The implication of risk premium is the fact that the investor has to sell

Why Do I Need This Scholarship Essay Example for Free

Why Do I Need This Scholarship Essay My name is , and currently I am a senior at . After high school I plan to go to college and major in Nursing and minor in Physical Therapy. Throughout my life there have been a number of people giving me advice, but the one person that stuck on me the most is Minister George M. Howard Jr. my youth minister. This man has been like a father to me knowing that he will always be there when I need lifts my spirit. Minister George M. Howard Jr. told me that â€Å"It’s not about who you know, it’s about who knows you because there will always be someone watching you†. See more: how to write a winning scholarship essay My dreams and aspirations are to be so successful so that I’m not dependent on anyone else. Ever since I was little I have wanted to be in charge of everyone and everything. To in charge, I first have to obtain the knowledge and in order to do that I have to go to college. I have seen so many people become dependent on others as well as the emptiness in the lives of people who can only do one thing well and I don’t want that happening to me. I plan to work and study hard, make good grades and become the head nurse in the biggest hospital. However, with my new-goal oriented mind, I realize that I am working towards my Nursing degree and my successful future. I finally understand that my least favorite subject will greatly contribute to my ultimate goal of living a rewarding life and fulfilling my career goals. I know that the courses will be challenging, but I am willing to do what it takes to achieve my ultimate goal. Now my appreciation of those classes is stronger than ever because those classes are what will prepare me for my college education. The colleges that I have chosen will not only provide me with hands-on training, but it will also teach me real life skills and communication.

Romantic Love And Consumer Culture

Romantic Love And Consumer Culture A consumerist society is one whose economy is defined by the purchasing and spending power of consumers. Even as it is similar to capitalism, it differs in that it is not as focused on monetary power as it on happiness realized through the ownership of personal property. The initiation of a mass consumerist policy, a product of the Industrial revolution, is therefore often viewed as an effective political alternative to sustain a healthy, well balanced economy (Horowitz, 2004). Ancient Rome and Egypt are examples of early consumerist societies, even as the United States of America is representative of a contemporary successful consumer economy (Horowitz, 2004). Romantic Love is often perceived to be the final repository of the genuineness and warmth lost in a progressively technocratic and legalistic age (Stearns Knapp, 1993). Whilst to some it is symptomatic of ideologies that enslave, to others it is merely a flight from social responsibility (Stearns Knapp, 1993). Romantic love, an intimate and important part of the democratic model of American affluence has concomitantly emerged with the establishment of a mass market. It has also simultaneously adopted as it were, mechanisms of economic and symbolic denominations at work in American society (Stearns Knapp, 1993). Ideologically, capitalism is notoriously Janus like with regard to the degree that it encourages the inclusion of all social classes into the market (Teo, 2009). Whilst it has ensured a common symbolic sphere wherein the twin sets of mass media and consumption are unified, it has also intensified class conflicts and divided social classes into even smaller lifestyle groups (Teo, 2009). Even as capitalism encourages the involvement of everyone in the monetary and symbolic field of consumption, it replicates and sustains itself through the division of wealth and validity of social divisions (Teo, 2009). Capitalism, as an economic system, involve(s) the production and exchange of commodities with the aim of accumulating a surplus value, that is, profit, with some part of this profit being re-invested to maintain the conditions of future accumulation. Capitalism however is also characterized by a cultural mindset whereby exchange in relationships, that of buying and selling, have permeated most of society (Illouz, 1997, p7). Capitalism ascertains the meeting of two parties primarily on the basis of economic benefit and mutual self interest, whereby transactions are justified by analyzing their benefits on the bottom-line of the balance sheet (Illouz, 1997). Romantic love, on the other hand defines relationships between two individuals who are bound together by their capacity to realize spontaneity and empathy in an emotional relationship (Illouz, 1997). In comparing romantic love and capitalism, the former is irrational rather than rational, gratuitous rather than profit oriented, organic rather that utilitarian, private rather than public (Illouz, 1997, p 11). Romantic love therefore seems to elude the regular category, wherein capitalism has been envisaged. This essay intends to understand and analyze the manner in which romantic emotions meet the economy, culture and social organization of advanced capitalism. Discussion and Analysis Sociology, anthropology and history, until the early twentieth century, categorically believed that certain emotions were derivative of subjective, physiological and psychological experiences and not to essentially be associated with study pertaining to symbolic and collective life (Illouz, 1997). Romantic love was relegated to the sociologically awkward part of social life and not discussed in terms of class conflicts, public rituals and social relationships. Recent statistics however indicate that emotions are often influenced by the norms, language, stereotype, metaphors, symbols of culture (Illouz, 1997). Even as sociologists today are keen to establish specific relationships between culture and emotion, they seem hesitant to support the concept of distinct linkages between love and economy. It is generally believed that love, like art and religion is the site par excellence of the social world, whereas culture offers artifacts, stories, symbols and images, wherein romantic ciphers can be recapitulated and exchanged (Illouz, 1997). Many sociologists have in recent years however come to recognize that culture and economy reciprocally constitute each other. Therefore, in order to discuss the relationship between romantic love and consumer culture, it is first imperative to understand the manner in which romance, culture, and economy intersect with each other (Illouz, 1997). Romantic love became a prominent cultural phenomenon in America in the early eighteenth century. Americans, more than other citizens of Western societies, began to determine their marital choices more on the basis of emotional thought than on social or economic considerations (Robbins, 2008). The choice of a life partner was left to be decided by individuals as love was considered to be of prime importance for conjugal bliss (Robbins, 2008). Couple autonomy grew over the years with increasing college attendance resulting in relaxation of family and societal control. The appearance of an alternate social sphere of youth culture validated intimacy with the opposite sex as an important characteristic of socialization into adulthood. The modification of sexual mores alternatively affected the ways in which the youth spent their leisure time, as many of the young began to engage in novel leisure practices of the hetero-social world (Robbins, 2008). The nineteenth century saw the development of dance halls, amusement parks and movie theatres (Robbins, 2008). However, it was only after 1910 that leisure industries began to strengthen their economic power and began implementing monopolistic practices. The cultural landscape was eventually significantly restructured in the early twentieth century as inventions like the high speed printing press, telephone, phonograph, radio and photography expanded access of members of the public to mass culture. The social, cultural and economic changes altered the meaning of love, even as it became an important part of mass media and culture (Robbins, 2008). The nascent national advertising system related romance to a host of attendant values, in addition to leisure, physical attractiveness and consumption (Teo, 2009). This can be observed by the evolution of the image of the couple in the already developed industry of advertising before World War II. An assessment of advertisements depicting couples exhibits how the values associated with love have changed over time (Teo, 2009). Advertising initially depicted the image of the couple, first, with domestic products associated with the comfort of the home and second with ego expressive products associated with self enhancement and expression (Teo, 2009). Additionally, almost invariably and irrespective of the product being advertised, be it soap, shampoo, clothes, or perfume, advertisements carried illustrations of couples in close embrace and in stylish apparel. Opulence and soft eroticism were part of the new model of hot romance exploited by advertisements in their efforts to promote ma ss produced consumer goods( Teo, 2009, p 4). The commoditization of romance during this period therefore began to ambiguously incorporate romantic love into the culture of consumer capitalism. Sternberg, (1998) suggests that our lives consist in battling for legitimacy to purchase commodities. We live in an excessively commodified world with requirements that are created in the interests of the market and that can be met primarily through the market (Robbins, 2008). Illouz (1997), proposes that although the market does not control the entire spectrum of romantic relationships, most romantic practices depend on consumption, directly or indirectly, and consumerist activities have thoroughly permeated our romantic imagination(Robbins, 2008). Today, it is important to spend money to be loveable, to sport the right apparel, perfumes and hairstyles (Robbins, 2008). It is also important to have money to define romantic moments. Romantic moments are in effect similar to religious rituals, processes wherein we reiterate that the world exists essentially in the way in which we perceive it. In commodifying romance, most of these moments have come to be governed by food, drink and travel. Eva Illouz, (1997), observed that even children, who have had no prior romantic experience, mention restaurants when asked to define their concept of the constitution of romantic moments. The commodification of romance has transformed it into a ritualistic process, wherein time and space are self contained. For one to act in love, one should be able to finance and implement the rituals of love; those activities that convey the appropriate meaning to the actors, activities often labeled as romantic moments. At restaurants, The meal, unlike eating at home or at a fast food establishment, is separate from the schedules and constraints of the outside world. An intimate dinner at home becomes special only if it is aided by ritualistic attributes of a restaurant dinner, like candlelight and wine (Teo, 2009, p 4). Another commodity often associated with romantic moments is travel (Teo, 2009). Travel, akin to restaurants, requires freedom and separation from a world guided by effort, work, profit and self interest (Robbins, 2008). Travel entails travel expenses, accommodation expenses and significant contribution to the tourist trade, with the pursuit of the romantic moment thus being elaborated and defined by consumer culture. Travel, in numerous ways involves the commodification of landscape to generate ritual settings to enact the creation and development of romantic relationships (Robbins, 2008). Illouz (1997, p 34), states that Capitalist society has appropriated and destroyed both the natural landscape uncontaminated by the visible hand of capital common to tourist resorts. Travel advertising, with its consistent portrayal of pristine landscapes ironically depicts what has been ruined and made more expensive, all the while denying the presence of money and other commodities. Romantic land scapes are typically the most luxurious and pricey, primarily wild, uncontaminated, isolated and far removed from the industrial world and middle class vacationers. When people recall romantic moments, they however fail to recognize them for what they actually were, namely the commoditization of romance (Robbins, 2008) The culture of Romantic love in Australia, in the early nineteenth century, was similar to that of the United States, Britain and Canada (Teo, 2009). Love was a moral, emotional and spiritual attraction that was deemed to be an important prerequisite to courtship, with companionship and marriage as its ideal goal (Teo, 2009). Romantic Love was believed to have a morally, spiritually and ennobling uplifting effect, especially on men. It was bound up in class consciousness and the demonstration of gentlemanly or ladylike behavior. (Teo, 2009) This was a result of the wider spiritualization of love in addition to partaking in the nineteenth-century belief in evolution and idealism in all aspects of society, most importantly love and morality. Whilst physical attraction was crucial and lovers wrote of their desire for contact, the heart of courtship rested on the exclusive and mutual disclosure of the self (Teo, 2009). In sharing their essence with each other, it was expected that romantic love might produce great unhappiness, bitterness and despair, as well as ecstasy and a feeling of empathy and completeness. (Spurlock, 1998, p 2) Since marriage was often taken for granted and often considered the chief aim and accomplishment of romantic love, almost everything that was a part of married life could probably be understood as a characteristic of romantic love(Spurlock, 1998, ). Some lovers therefore felt that they did not essentially expect love to produce consistent happiness after getting married as they differentiated between the emotional fulfillment and physical thrill of infatuation while courting, and the steadier, more mundane serenity of married love in which bouts of boredom or apathy might well be expected in the cycles of domestic life (Teo, 2009) Whilst certain features in the conventional idea of romantic love still exist, most nations have begun to develop an increasingly American and ritualistic understanding of romantic consumerism as an important expression of love (Robbins, 2008). As exhibited in the article, Money Can Buy You Love, in the Sydney Morning Herald on 14 February 2005, Con Stavros observed that Valentines Day has become less about intimacy than the grand, expensive gesture: the jewelry, the mink coat, the impromptu hot air balloon ride Marketing has transformed Valentines Day into a festive enterprise, If you go back even a decade, people used to just exchange private cards and have some kind of romantic [dinner]. These days the gift has to be public, conspicuous people [at work] ask each other: What did you get? (Robbins, 2008, p 61) Although the process of romantic consumerism may have become more excessive in prominent ways at the beginning of the twenty-first century, the development of this occurred in unequally gendered ways in the first half of twentieth century as consumer culture across the world became Americanized (Robbins, 2008). Whilst evaluating the consumerist quotient of romantic love in the twenty first century, it is important to observe its role in the functioning of society (Zax, 2009). Romantic love, in addition to establishing basis for marriage and reproduction, contributes to feelings of solidarity and social order. Since it involves the use of commodities, Romantic love encourages people to acquire an income. It is however important to realize the commodification of romantic love has aided in debasing or trivializing the romantic bond (Zax, 2009). The need for money has reduced spontaneity and naturalness in love and inhibited those with without money to act in love. (Zax, 2009) Whilst people do feel empowered with the experience of romance, it is important to realize that commodities primarily serve as potent aids for merely the dramatization of expression and should therefore be regarded as such. Conclusions This essay aims to discuss the relationship between romantic love and consumer culture. A consumerist society is defined by the purchasing and spending power of consumers, but differs from capitalism in that it is not as focused on monetary power as it on happiness that can be achieved through ownership of personal property. Romantic Love, perceived to be a repository of genuineness, is an intimate component of modern American affluence. It has now become inextricably linked to the mass market and adopted the economic mechanisms of American society. Sociology previously advanced the theory that that certain emotions were derivative of subjective experiences and not to be associated with study of symbolic and collective life. Romantic love was thus not discussed in terms of class conflicts, public rituals and social relationships. It however became an important cultural phenomenon in the early eighteenth century, with people, especially Americans determining their marital choices on the basis of emotions than on social or economic considerations. The advertising systems also started relating romance to numerous values, in addition to leisure, physical attractiveness and consumption. Advertisement, irrespective of advertised products, started carrying illustrations of couples in close embrace. The commoditization of romance has incorporated romantic love into the culture of consumer capitalism. Romantic moments are now strongly associated with food, drink and travel and have become intensely commoditized. Whilst certain features of conventional romantic love still exist, most nations have developed an American and ritualistic understanding of romantic consumerism as an expression of love. The need for money has reduced naturalness in love and inhibited those without it to act in love. Whilst the experience of romance does empower people, it is important to understand that commodities serve mainly as aids for dramatization of expression and should be regarded as such. Romantic love certainly contributes to feelings of solidarity, involves the use of commodities, and encourages people to acquire incomes. It is however also important to realize that commoditization of romantic love debases and trivializes romantic bonding and be able to sift genuine emotion from its consumeri st manifestation.

David Wu Essay -- Biography Biographies Bio

David Wu (Oregon's 1st Congressional District) David Wu is a member of the 110th Congress representing Oregon's 1st Congressional District. Wu was sworn in for his fifth term earlier this year on January 3, 2007. Stretching from Portland to the Oregon coast, Oregon's 1st congressional district has a population of 743,195. Congressman Wu's priorities include: improving our nation's public education system and making college more affordable; growing Oregon's economy by encouraging new business investment and supporting high tech research; improving our nation's healthcare system and the Medicare prescription drug benefit; and meeting our obligation to future generations by preserving Social Security and protecting our natural environment. David Wu was born on April 8, 1955 in Taiwan. He grew up in Portland, Oregon and has an impressive academic background that includes receiving a B.S. from Stanford University, a J.D. from Yale, and having attended Harvard Medical School. Wu is married to his wife Michelle and has two children. Wu started as a lawyer in the Portland area. His career includes a clerkship with a Federal judge in Portland, and in 1988 he co-founded the law firm Cohen & Wu. The firm served both the high technology industry and small business across Northwest Oregon. Wu is the only Chinese-American to serve in the United States House of Representatives. He currently is a member of the Executive Board for the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and served as Chair from January 2001 to January 2004. Congressman Wu is also a member of the New Democrat Coalition (NDC), a group of moderate Democrats in the House. As stated above, Oregon's 1st Congressional District has a total population of ... ...rgely in part to the emergence of Silicon Forest. The district has an extremely high level of educated people, a low unemployment rate, and a low poverty level. It is very democrat, and has a found a representative they like in David Wu, now serving his fifth term for the district. Wu is active in the house, serving on many committees and subcommittees, and he has the distinction of being the only Chinese-American to ever serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Under his service Oregon's 1st Congressional District has thrived economically, which he lists as one of his proudest accomplishments. Also, another one of his key objectives was education, the districts high school and even college graduation rate is astounding. All in all David Wu has done a great job both pleasing his constituents and making Oregon's 1st Congressional a great place to work and live.

The Farm Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

The Farm In the summer, the creek bubbles and the leaves are in bloom. In the winter that same creek is frozen and everything around it is blank and barren. The memories for me in this part of the world are unforgettable, even though some are happier than others. I can still remember a particular dreadful event on the farm like it was yesterday. I was walking through the house on a hot summer day. I dare not go outside because I knew I'd die of heat exhaustion. In the house alone were my sister and I. My mother had run into town to do some errands, and my dad was out on the farm doing some chores. The phone rang and I casually picked it up. It was my dad. â€Å"Adam,† he said, sort of anxiously, â€Å"I need you to come down the lane and give me a hand.† My sister was listening in on the conversation as usual, and my Dad dared not to give me any specifics because he knew of this. As I apathetically told him yes, I went on to the porch, grabbed some shoes and wondered what on earth he could possibly need help with. I stepped outside and the burning sun immediately attacked me. I had no doubt that if my Dad needed a hand with some hard work it would be dreadful. Just two weeks earlier he needed me to help him put some barbed wire on some fence posts. It was an awful job, and may have been the worst two hours of my life. I had helped my Dad on the farm throughout my childhood, and I knew by the particularly terrible jobs I had to help him with before, that I should always fear when he asked for help. I hopped into my steaming hot truck and started back down the lane. As I drove down further back, I remembered the terrifying tornado that had struck our house, and had ripped an entire line of trees out of the ... ...m high school here. I had also spent times playing make-believe with my brother during my elementary years. I had even gone as far as attempting to raft down the little flooded creek. What a great place, how could I ever forget it? We dug a hole right under some old, dried up looking trees. We threw her down about three feet and buried her. The one animal that had been important throughout my entire childhood was now gone. The one place that was important my whole childhood, I was about to leave. The trees, the grass, the creek and the lane, so important, yet it was time to leave them. As I had left Patch, I had left the farm. I haven’t been on the farm behind my house for the two years since Patch’s death. I guess it was time for me to grow up. I miss my dog, and I miss being young. But life goes in circles, and it’s always time to start anew.

Arguments for and Against Genetically Modified Food Essay

â€Å"Biotechnology involves any technique that uses living organisms or parts there of to make or modify products, to improve plants or animals or to develop micro organisms for specific uses† (Dr Sriwatanapongse, www. afic. org) In the past century we’ve have been lucky enough to stumble upon one of the basic building blocks of organisms, DNA. In recent years scientists have been able to develop ways in which they can manipulate, alter, and transfer DNA in forms that can help improve our lives. One way in which DNA research has been used to improve our lifestyle, is by engineering the deoxyribonucleic acid into ways which can alter food supplies to make them bigger, taste better, resistant to pests and even make them have a greater concentration of nutrients. Of course this is great news to the human population, in terms of economic and life-saving values for third world countries, yet there are still disadvantages. With all the good news that comes from these altered crops, concerns are still among people. These concerns include; whether or not these alterations will affect humans in a negative way, or how they will impact the environment. Genetically engineering crops might play a significant role in increasing crop yield therefore allowing the world to feed more people while using less land. A recent study on bioengineered crops concluded that these crops are safe and can improve production dramatically. â€Å"To date, total acres of biotech crops harvested exceed more than 1 billion with a proven 10-year history of safe use. Over the next decade, expanded adoption combined with current research on 57 crops in 63 countries will broaden the advantages of genetically modified foods for growers, consumers and the environment. † (www. monsanto. com) Those opposing the genetically altered crops state that â€Å"One major detriment to genetically engineered food is that there has been no adequate testing to ensure that extracting genes from useful functions will yield the same results in different applications and species† (www. govhs. org). Predictions of future are that, consumers are able to get foods that last longer, taste better and are more nutritious than the current foods. There will also an even greater variety of foods all year round. These products will be made possible through genetic engineering, and some of them are already available. For centuries, farmers grew plants to produce special foods with unique characteristics: better taste, higher yield or greater resistance to drought or frosts. History shows, that five thousand years ago in Peru, potatoes were grown selectively. Plants, which produced potatoes with attractive characteristics, such as higher yields, were used to produce future plants. More than two thousand years ago, tree grafting was used by the Greeks to Gain a more fruit in orchards. Now, we have genetically engineered food that has been discovered and now offers a faster and more reliable method of establishing new traits in plants to provide foods that are better tasting, more nutritious or more in amount. Although all of this may seem futuristic, such crops do already exist. Not only have these crops been in laboratories for decades, but they have been in the market for years. Humans have only just begun to realize the benefits of these genetically altered foods. Genetically altered foods allow a wide selection of things to improve upon. Some altered abilities already exists in our fruits and vegetables, these include: pest, disease and herbicide. By using genetic engineering, plants that resist disease, pests or insects can be developed. This means that less chemicals, such as pesticides, are required. In the near future scientists hopefully will be able to â€Å"improve the drought resistance of most crop species and could have major implications for crops grown in dry areas† (www.abc. net. au/news). Weather resistance Plants could and can be developed to better withstand extreme weather conditions such as drought or frosts. Genetically engineering foods make crops easier to maintain and lower the cost in maintenance. One benefit of altered foods which is often overlooked is the Improved processing characteristics of these foods, leading to reduced waste and lower food costs to the consumer. Foods are being developed to contain more vitamins, minerals, protein and less saturated fat. For example, fruits and vegetables with higher levels of antioxidant vitamins â€Å"may reduce cardiovascular disease risk and help reduce the risk of certain cancers† (www. americanheart. org). The world population is expected to double to more than 10 billion people by the year 2050. Food biotechnology can help meet the increasing demand for food. â€Å"By increasing a crop’s ability to withstand environmental factors, growers will be able to farm in parts of the world currently unsuitable for crop production. Along with additional food, this could also provide economies of developing nations with much-needed jobs and greater productivity. Genetically engineered foods seem to have solved all the problems farmers and growers have had for years. Unfortunately all the positive effects of altered foods seem to mask the reality behind these perfect crops. Some of the disadvantages of altered crops include the possibility of mutations. â€Å"Plant breeders have induced mutations in selected plants by treating them with chemicals or radiation; however this is costly and unpredictable† (Microorganisms, biotechnology and Disease). Genetic engineering changes the nature of the food eaten. It can cause unexpected mutations in an organism, which can create new and higher levels of toxins in foods. Genetic engineering can produce unknown allergens in foods. Some foods may be implanted with the ability to produce antibiotics. This may help the plant, but if these plants that are infected with bacteria emerge new strands of bacteria that may become resistant to the most advanced antibiotics, there will be a problem. With herbicide-resistant crops, weeds may evolve to also become herbicide resistant. The spread of diseases across specific species may also become a factor because of a loss of ? bio-diversity’ in crops. When crops are altered for specific abilities, they are then mass produced. They are the only type of species grown in field of thousands. Because of this, the species will only be able to pass on to all generations the same DNA. Once started, they may not be easily controlled or contained. It makes the crops hard to calculate. Unfortunately the biggest problem raised from new modified foods is the fact that the public is unaware of how it works and the results behind the genetically modified food. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the genetic code in living organisms. About twenty five years ago, scientists began to understand how DNA worked. From this ways for speeding up breeding processes were understood to a degree. Agricultural scientists today can identify the genes that carry specific traits they want, such as ? disease resistance’ or ? nutrient content’ and transfer those genes to a plant, therefore creating a transgenic organism. Genetic engineering is the process of artificially modifying these ? blueprints’. By cutting and splicing DNA, engineers can transfer genes specific to one type of organism into any other organism. Some organisms have been enhanced through biotechnology such as; tomatoes, that go ? soft’ more slowly and so remain on the vine for longer. This gives them more colour and flavour. Also, virus resistant papyrus and squash, that make the crop more dependable. Genetically modified food seems to have already changed the world today. Many countries are already considering making more of their crops with genetically engineered properties. Scientists have gained a vast knowledge of genetic engineering and are now able to make many possibilities. Genetically engineered food has brought a lot of commercial benefits; increased crops quality, harvesting quantity, pest resistance, herbicide resistance, nutrient supplementation and more. Not only have the crops improved, but more crops are produced in less space. Although the benefits of bioengineering seem fantastic, there are still many mysteries left to understand in such a vast field of understanding. Genetic engineering might cause serious consequences to our future life as well next generations to come. Deeper insight into genetic engineering may be all that is needed for us to gain truly unlimited advantage from such a vast scientific field.