What are the problems with Uganda's government?

Youth unemployment and corruption are two problems that face the Ugandan government.

Modern governments all over the world face many problems.  The two I identified are what I consider some of the most pressing that must be addressed.

Young people in Uganda are not finding steady and long term work.  Data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics reveals "64% of the total unemployed persons were between the ages of 18-30."  There are different reasons for...

Youth unemployment and corruption are two problems that face the Ugandan government.

Modern governments all over the world face many problems.  The two I identified are what I consider some of the most pressing that must be addressed.

Young people in Uganda are not finding steady and long term work.  Data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics reveals "64% of the total unemployed persons were between the ages of 18-30."  There are different reasons for this condition.  Some believe that Ugandan youth are deficient in employable skills, while access to quality education is not widespread.  Others believe that an over-reliance on agriculture has prevented young people from participating as viable parts of the labor force. The Ugandan government needs to figure out how to reverse this trend.  Played out over the long term, it does not bode well that so many young people cannot find work. Unemployed young people can trend into older unemployed people.  It is difficult for a government to lead its nation into a steady and prosperous future when youth unemployment is a significant issue.

Another problem that the Ugandan government faces is corruption.  On both political and social levels, corruption is a significant issue in Uganda. According to Peter Wandera, the Executive Director of Transparency International Uganda, "the rate of corruption in institutions like police, lands, courts, health and private companies in Uganda is way above the average in Africa."  Corruption is seen on both small and large scales. In the most recent appointment of his cabinet, President Yoweri Museveni admitted that "patronage played a part in selection." Many Ugandans believe that corruption is a part of their daily lives.  They see it in the institutions that should be free from it.  The government has a problem when administering bribes and other examples of fraud are seen as a part of common experiences.  As with youth unemployment, Uganda will find it difficult to confidently walk into the future if corruption is such a systemic part of its existence.

How does energy get from the Sun to a second-level consumer?

Energy is transferred through an ecosystem as organisms eat and are in turn eaten by other organisms.

The original energy source in most ecosystems is the energy of the sun, which is captured by primary consumers, or autotrophs. These are green plants and algae capable of carrying out photosynthesis. During this chemical reaction, light energy is converted to chemical energy in the form of glucose. Other organisms called primary consumers or herbivores, will eat the...

Energy is transferred through an ecosystem as organisms eat and are in turn eaten by other organisms.

The original energy source in most ecosystems is the energy of the sun, which is captured by primary consumers, or autotrophs. These are green plants and algae capable of carrying out photosynthesis. During this chemical reaction, light energy is converted to chemical energy in the form of glucose. Other organisms called primary consumers or herbivores, will eat the producers. Secondary consumers, which are carnivores, eat the primary consumers and obtain energy. Therefore, they indirectly get energy from the sun when they consume their prey.

As the trophic levels increase from producer, to primary consumer, to secondary consumer, and so on, the amount of energy decreases at each level. If 100% of available energy is at the producer level, the primary consumers will get 10% of that energy when they consume that producer, and secondary consumers will get 1%. This loss of energy is due to the fact that much of the energy is converted to heat and radiates into the environment. 

I have included a link to the pyramid of energy to help you better visualize the concept.

What does "a score" mean in the poem "Loveliest of Trees, the Cherry Now"?

Now, of my threescore years and ten,Twenty will not come again,And take from seventy springs a score,It only leaves me fifty more.

The word score means twenty. "Score" is not commonly used anymore, but it is not entirely obsolete. In the first line of the stanza quoted above, the poet is estimating that his lifetime should be threescore (sixty) years plus ten, or seventy years. In the second line he reveals that...

Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.

The word score means twenty. "Score" is not commonly used anymore, but it is not entirely obsolete. In the first line of the stanza quoted above, the poet is estimating that his lifetime should be threescore (sixty) years plus ten, or seventy years. In the second line he reveals that he is now twenty years old; so in the third line, when he says, "And take from seventy springs a score," he means he is mentally deducting twenty years (a score) from his seventy years of life expectancy.

Cherry trees blossom very early in the spring. The poet is calculating that he has fifty springs of life expectancy left. It is a nice way of paying tribute to the beautiful cherry trees. He is thinking only of how many times he can hope to see them in bloom again. Many people will agree with him that the cherry tree is the loveliest of trees. They are not only beautiful, but they are harbingers of spring.

The English poet A. E. Housman, who is remembered for his cycle of poems A Shropshire Lad, was born in 1859 and died in 1936; so he actually lived to be seventy-seven years old, a little longer than he had expected.

What are Winston Smith's apartment and the view of London from his window like? What do these details suggest about his life?

In 1984, Winston Smith must live a strictly monitored and horrendously bleak life--his apartment and the view from his window reflect this.

He has a spartan apartment that is almost wholly dominated by a telescreen he can never ever turn off. As such, because the telescreen is able to both transmit and record audio and visuals, Winston has to constantly control himself even in the privacy of his own apartment. 

"You had to live...

In 1984, Winston Smith must live a strictly monitored and horrendously bleak life--his apartment and the view from his window reflect this.

He has a spartan apartment that is almost wholly dominated by a telescreen he can never ever turn off. As such, because the telescreen is able to both transmit and record audio and visuals, Winston has to constantly control himself even in the privacy of his own apartment. 

"You had to live - did live, from habit that became instinct - in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized." 

Therefore, because Winston can never be sure when he is not being monitored, he needs to control his every sound and movement. He states that, though it is safe to have your back turned to a telescreen, "even a back can be revealing." In the above ways, Winston's apartment reflects how he must live a controlled life or face being punished by the Thought Police. It also plays into one of the overall themes of 1984--freedom and enslavement. 

The view of London from Winston's apartment depicts how almost all those living in Oceania, under the totalitarian eyes of Big Brother, experience a fearful and bleak existence. Winston can see a large poster of Big Brother proclaiming "Big Brother is watching you" and the street below is painted as cold and unforgiving. Not to mention Winston can see all of the government ministry buildings. However, the Ministry of Love (in charge of punishment and law) intimidatingly stands out in Winston's mind and against the London skyline. 

"The Ministry of Love was the really frightening one. There were no windows in it at all. . . .It was a place impossible to enter except on official business, and then only by penetrating through a maze of barbed-wire entanglements, steel doors, and hidden machine-gun nests."

This desolate and unyielding world outside Winston's apartment speaks to how Winston has weathered his wretched environment and can only rebel with small acts or thoughts. 

No matter what, Winston can never wear his true thoughts on his sleeve because, in truth, Big Brother is always watching him and all other Party members.  

What type of conflict is presented in Toni Cade Bambara's story "Raymond's Run" and how is it revealed?

The main type of conflict revealed in Toni Cade Bambara’s short story “Raymond’s Run” is inner conflict. The protagonist of the story, Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker, known as Squeaky, faces and defeats conflict within herself.

Although Hazel is small in stature, she has a mighty attitude, and a need for perfection in her running. In her Harlem neighborhood, Squeaky often endures taunting from other children, and lives with her nickname, which is based on her...

The main type of conflict revealed in Toni Cade Bambara’s short story “Raymond’s Run” is inner conflict. The protagonist of the story, Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker, known as Squeaky, faces and defeats conflict within herself.

Although Hazel is small in stature, she has a mighty attitude, and a need for perfection in her running. In her Harlem neighborhood, Squeaky often endures taunting from other children, and lives with her nickname, which is based on her high-pitched voice. In her group of classmates, she is not the best speller or the most musically talented, but she is the swiftest runner. She fiercely defends herself and her disabled brother, whom she cares for on a daily basis.

Squeaky deals with her inner demons as she reacts to the taunting of the other girls her age, and views the new girl, Gretchen, as an adversary to be reckoned with in the May Day Race. She does not understand how to be Gretchen’s friend. In fact, she is not a true friend to any of the girls because she sees them as frauds and competition. Hazel is devoted to practicing her craft and caring for Raymond, who is her constant companion, and whom she defends against any type of insult. Before the race, she sees her brother as someone who needs constant care, but she does not see his potential.

Only after the May Day Race, when Gretchen proves herself to be a viable competitor, does Squeaky realize that they have a common bond, and the ability to develop a meaningful friendship. In addition, she comes to see Raymond’s potential as a coachable runner. Although he was on the other side of the fence, he matches her stride for stride in the race. These two revelations help Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker come to terms with her inner conflict, and assist her in realizing that there is more to her young life than struggling with others. She and Gretchen exchange a “genuine” smile built on respect, and Squeaky thinks the two of them might even be able to coach Raymond together.

What kind of a letter did the kidnappers write to Ebeneezer Dorset? What were its contents?

Sam and Bill concoct a surprisingly credible and grammatically correct ransom letter. Ordinarily this would be effective, because it would show the father than he was dealing with intelligent men and not with a couple of ignorant hoodlums. The entire text of the letter Sam and Bill sent to Ebeneezer Dorset is shown below.

Ebenezer Dorset, Esq.:

We have your boy concealed in a place far from Summit. It is useless for you or the...

Sam and Bill concoct a surprisingly credible and grammatically correct ransom letter. Ordinarily this would be effective, because it would show the father than he was dealing with intelligent men and not with a couple of ignorant hoodlums. The entire text of the letter Sam and Bill sent to Ebeneezer Dorset is shown below.

Ebenezer Dorset, Esq.:

We have your boy concealed in a place far from Summit. It is useless for you or the most skilful detectives to attempt to find him. Absolutely, the only terms on which you can have him restored to you are these: We demand fifteen hundred dollars in large bills for his return; the money to be left at midnight to-night at the same spot and in the same box as your reply--as hereinafter described. If you agree to these terms, send your answer in writing by a solitary messenger to-night at half-past eight o'clock. After crossing Owl Creek, on the road to Poplar Cove, there are three large trees about a hundred yards apart, close to the fence of the wheat field on the right-hand side. At the bottom of the fence-post, opposite the third tree, will be found a small pasteboard box.

The messenger will place the answer in this box and return immediately to Summit.

If you attempt any treachery or fail to comply with our demand as stated, you will never see your boy again.

If you pay the money as demanded, he will be returned to you safe and well within three hours. These terms are final, and if you do not accede to them no further communication will be attempted.

TWO DESPERATE MEN.

Bill had talked Sam out of asking for two thousand dollars because Bill was having such a hard time controlling the boy who called himself Red Chief that he was already desperate to get rid of him. The ransom letter demanded a reply at eight-thirty that night but gave Ebeneezer Dorset until midnight of that same night to pay the actual money. Sam's intention was to be hiding up in the tree above the spot where Dorset's messenger was supposed to leave the reply; but he gave him some extra hours in which to raise the fifteen-hundred-dollars in cash. Sam wanted to know exactly when the reply would arrive. He did not want to be seen crossing any open space in case Dorset should go to the law authorities and they should have a stakeout waiting. As it turned out, there was to be no ransom money. Dorset sent them a reply at exactly eight-thirty in which he stated that instead of paying them $1500, he would take his son off their hands if they paid him $250.

The story is based on heavy situational irony. The two kidnappers did not foresee what a problem they would have with their hostage. Neither did they foresee how indifferent a father might be to getting his son back. O. Henry may have given the father the first name of Ebeneezer as an allusion to Charles Dickens' miserly and hard-bargaining character Ebeneezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. 

What's the setting of the story "To Build a Fire" by Jack London?

The story "To Build a Fire" takes place on the Yukon trail. The first line of the story is "Day had dawned cold and gray when the man turned aside from the main Yukon trail." Even for the Yukon, the day is very cold, and there is no sun. The Yukon lies under a thick blanket of snow and ice. The only thing that stands out in the whiteness of the snow is the black line marking the Yukon Trail, which travels 500 miles to the Chilcoot Pass and to salt water. It also leads 75 miles north to Dawson and then 1,500 miles further to the Bering Sea. The temperature is 75 degrees below zero, which does not mean much to the man in the story because he doesn't understand it. After all, he is a newcomer to the Yukon.