Sunday, December 29, 2019

Obama Stimulus Package Pros and Cons

President Obamas stimulus package, the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009, was passed by Congress on February 13, 2009 and signed into law by the President four days later. No House Republicans and only three Senate Republicans voted for the bill. Obamas $787 billion stimulus package is a consortium of thousands of federal tax reductions, and expenditures on infrastructure, education, health care, energy and other projects. This stimulus package was to jumpstart the U.S. economy out of recession mainly by generating two to three million new jobs and replacing decreased consumer spending. (See specific Pros and Cons at page two of this article.) Stimulus Spending: Keynesian Economic Theory The concept that an economy would be boosted if the government spent large sums of borrowed money was first set forth by John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946), a British economist. Per Wikipedia, In the 1930s, Keynes spearheaded a revolution in economic thinking, overturning the older ideas... that held that free markets would automatically provide full employment as long as workers were flexible in their wage demands. ... During the 1950s and 1960s, the success of Keynesian economics was so resounding that almost all capitalist governments adopted its policy recommendations. The 1970s: Free-Market Economic Theory Keynesian economics theory receded from public use with the advent of free-market thinking which postulated that the merket works optimally when without government inteference of any kind. Led by U.S. economist Milton Friedman, 1976 Nobel Economics Prize recipient, free-market economics evolved into a political movement under President Ronald Reagan who famously declared, Government is not the solution to our problems. Government is the problem. 2008 Failure of Free-Market Economics Absence of adequate U.S. government monitoring of the economy is blamed by most parties for the 2008 U.S. and worldwide recession. Keynesian economist Paul Krugman, 2008 Nobel Economics Prize recipient, wrote in November 2008: The key to Keynes’s contribution was his realization that liquidity preference — the desire of individuals to hold liquid monetary assets — can lead to situations in which effective demand isn’t enough to employ all the economy’s resources. In other words, per Krugman, human self-interest (i.e. greed)occasionally must be prodded by government to facilitate a healthy economy. Latest Developments In July 2009, many Democrats, including some presidential advisors, believe that $787 billion was too small to bolster the economy, as evidenced by the continuing U.S. economic slump. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis admittedon July 8, 2009 about the economy, Nobody is happy, and the president and I feel very strongly that we have to do everything we can to create jobs. Dozens of respected economists, including Paul Krugman, told the White House that an effective stimulus must be at least $2 trillion, in order to replace the drop in consumer and governmental spending. President Obama, however, aspired for bipartisan support, so the White House compromised by adding Republican-urged tax breaks. And hundreds of billions in desperately-sought state aid and other programs were chopped from the final $787 billion stimulus package. Unemployment Continues to Climb Unemployment has continued to climb at an alarming rate, despite passage of the $787 billion economic stimulus package. Explains The Australian News: ... only six months ago Obama was telling Americans that unemployment, then at 7.2%, could be held to a peak of 8% this year if Congress passed his $US787 billion stimulus package. Congress duly obliged and unemployment has galloped ahead ever since. Most economists now believe the 10% mark will be reached before the year is out. ... Obamas jobless prediction would be out of whack by more than four million jobs. As it stands now, he has miscalculated by about 2.6 million jobs. Slow to Spend Stimulus Funds The Obama administration has stumbled in rapidly circulating stimulus funds back into the economy. Per all reports, as of the end of June 2009, only about 7% of approved funds have spent. Investment analyst Rutledge Capital observes, In spite of all the talk we have seen about shovel ready projects, not much of the money has actually made its way into the economy yet... Economist Bruce Bartlett explained in The Daily Beast on July 8, 2009, In a recent briefing, CBO director Doug Elmendorf estimated that only 24 percent of all the stimulus funds will have been spent by September 30. And 61 percent of that will go to low-impact income transfers; only 39 percent is for high-impact spending on highways, mass transit, energy efficiency, et al. By September 30, only 11 percent of all the funds allocated to such programs will be spent. Background President Obamas stimulus package of $787 billion includes: Infrastructure - Total: $80.9 billion, including: $51.2 billion for roads, bridges, railways, sewers, public transportation $29.5 billion for government facilities and vehicle fleets $15 billion for other projects, including $7.2 billion for public broadband, wireless Internet access, $750 million to the National Park Service, $650 million to the Forest Service, and $515 million for wildfire prevention. Education $44.5 billion to local school districts to prevent layoffs and cutbacks, with flexibility to use the funds for school modernization and repair $15.6 billion to increase Pell Grants from $4,731 to $5,350 $13 billion for low-income public schoolchildren $12.2 billion for IDEA special education $300 million for increased teacher salaries Health Care $86.6 billion for Medicaid $24.7 billion to provide a 65% subsidy of COBRA healthcare premiums for the unemployed $19 billion for health information technology $10 billion for health research, National Institutes of Health facilities $1.3 billion for medical care for military members, families $1 billion for the Veterans Health Administration $2 billion for Community Health Centers Energy $11 billion funding for an electric smart grid $6.3 billion for state, local governments to invest in energy efficiencies $6 billion for renewable energy, electric transmission technologies loan guarantees $6 billion for the cleanup of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants $5 billion for weatherizing modest-income homes $4.5 billion to modernize the U.S. electrical grid $2 billion for manufacture of advanced car battery systems $400 million for electric vehicle technologies Housing $4 billion to HUD for repairing, modernizing public housing $2.25 billion in tax credits for financing low-income housing construction $2 billion to help communities purchase and repair foreclosed housing $1.5 billion for rental assistance and housing relocation Scientific Research $3 billion to the National Science Foundation $2 billion to the United States Department of Energy $1.3 billion for university research facilities $1 billion to NASA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 BY Wikipedia Pros Pros for the Obama administrations $787 billion stimulus package can be summed up in one obvious statement: If the stimulus works to shock the U.S. economy out of its steep 2008-2009 recession, and stems the unemployment rate, then it will be judged a success. Economic historians persuasively argue that Keynesian-style spending was largely instrumental in pulling the U.S. out of the Great Depression, and in propelling growth of the U.S. and world economies in the 1950s and 1960s. Meeting Urgent, Worthy Needs Of course, liberals also fervently believe that many thousands of urgent and worthy needs... long ignored and exacerbated by the Bush administration... are met by spending initiatives included in Obamas stimulus package, including: Long overdue repair and renewal of dangerously crumbling U.S. infrastructure, including highways and roads, the electric power grid, dams, bridges, levees, water mains and sewer systems, airports, and more; Vital aid to beleaguered local school districts to prevent layoffs and cutbacks, plus $300 million for increased teacher salaries Expansion of public transportation systems, building new high-speed passenger rail systems $116 billion in payroll tax relief for individuals making less than $75,000 annually, and for couples jointly making less than $150,000. $40 billion to extend unemployment benefits, and to increase benefits by $25 weekly Increased medical coverage for military members and their families, and $1 billion for the Veterans Administration, which suffered major cutbacks under President Bush Food programs for low-income Americans, including $150 million to help refill food banks, $100 million for meals programs for seniors, and $100 million for free school lunch programs . Cons Critics of President Obamas stimulus package either believe that: economic stimulus spending is doomed to fail, especially when it entails borrowing to obtain the funds to be spent (i.e. deficit spending); or the compromise size or focus of the stimulus bill doomed the measure to be inadequate to pull the U.S. out of the 2008-2009 recession. Stimulus Spending Coupled with Borrowing Is Reckless A June 6, 2009 Louisville Courier-Journal editorial eloquently expresses this con perspective: Lyndon is getting a new walking path between Whipps Mill Road and North Hurstbourne Lane... Lacking sufficient funds, the U.S. will borrow from China and other increasingly skeptical lenders to pay for luxuries like Lyndons little walkway. Our children and grandchildren will have to pay back the unimaginable debt with which we are saddling them. Of course, the fallout from their forebears financial irresponsibility could first consume them in revolution, ruin or tyranny... Obama and congressional Democrats are making an already awful situation exponentially worse... Borrowing from foreigners to build paths in Lyndon is not only bad policy, but ought to also be unconstitutional. Stimulus Package Was Inadequate or Wrongly Focused Lamented liberal economist Paul Krugman, Even if the original Obama plan — around $800 billion in stimulus, with a substantial fraction of that total given over to ineffective tax cuts — had been enacted, it wouldnt have been enough to fill the looming hole in the U.S. economy, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates will amount to $2.9 trillion over the next three years. Yet the centrists did their best to make the plan weaker and worse. One of the best features of the original plan was aid to cash-strapped state governments, which would have provided a quick boost to the economy while preserving essential services. But the centrists insisted on a $40 billion cut in that spending. Moderate Republican David Brooks opined ... theyve created a sprawling, undisciplined smorgasbord, which has spun off a series of unintended consequences. First, by trying to do everything all it once, the bill does nothing well. The money spent on long-term domestic programs means there may not be enough to jolt the economy now... The money spent on stimulus, meanwhile, means there’s not enough to truly reform domestic programs like health technology, schools and infrastructure. The measure mostly pumps more money into old arrangements. Where It Stands Congressional Republicans tore into the Obama administration over the economic stimulus plan,... arguing that the White House is mishandling the distribution of the money while overstating the ability of the package to create jobs, reported CNN on July 8, 2009 about a contentious hearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. CNN continued, The White House Office of Management and Budget defended the plan, arguing that every federal dollar spent has, by definition, helped to ease the pain of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. A Second Stimulus Package? Obama economic advisor Laura Tyson, former Director of the National Economic Council, said in a July 2009 speech that the U.S. should consider drafting a second stimulus package focusing on infrastructure projects because the $787 billion approved in February was a bit too small per Bloomberg.com. In contrast, economist Bruce Bartlett, a conservative Obama supporter, pens in an article entitled Obamas Clueless Liberal Critics, that the argument for more stimulus implicitly assumes that the bulk of stimulus funds have been paid out and done their work. However, the data show that very little of the stimulus has actually been spent. Bartlett argues that stimulus critics are reacting impatiently, and notes that economist Christina Romer, who now chairs the Council of Economic Advisers, says the stimulus is working just as planned and that no additional stimulus is needed. Would Congress Pass a Second Stimulus bill? The burning, relevant question is: Is it politically possible for President Obama to push Congress into passing a second economic stimulus package in 2009 or 2010? The first stimulus package passed on a House vote of 244-188, with all Republicans and eleven Democrats voting NO. The bill squeezed by on a filibuster-proof 61-36 Senate vote, but only after making significant compromises to attract three Republican YES votes. All Senate Democrats voted for the bill, except those absent due to illness. But with public confidence falling in Obamas leadership in mid-2009 on economic matters, and with the first stimulus bill failing to quell unemployment, moderate Democrats cant be relied on to solidly support additional stimulus legislation. Would Congress pass a second stimulus package in 2009 or 2010? The jury is out, but the verdict, in summer 2009, doesnt look good for the Obama administration.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Differences Between Bisexuality And Homosexuality, And...

Cerny and Janssen (2011) aimed to determine if self-identified bisexual, heterosexual, and homosexual men show different arousal patterns to videos showing sexual interactions of different sexual orientations. Past studies had never included a sexual stimulus that was defined as bisexual (depicting a man having sex with both a women and a man.) Past studies always look at the differences of a bisexual’s stimulation to heterosexual and homosexual stimuli compared to homosexual’s and heterosexual’s stimulations. No study had ever had a specific bisexual stimulus that they could compare bisexuals’ stimulation to non-bisexuals. Lots of studies have found the bisexual orientation does to not exist. There have been many studies that have found little difference between bisexuality and homosexuality, and bisexuality and heterosexuality. These studies were based on stimulation and physical arousal. The construct of bisexuality is a foggy one. This study provides an interesting look into something no one had done before. Having a bisexual stimulus is a great new variable. However, after dissecting the Introduction and the Methods section there seems to be some conceptual and methodological weaknesses. The literature that this study is based on is peculiar for a few reasons. First, they bring up studies that back that bisexuality exists established by interview and questionnaire studies that measure fantasies, attraction, and behavior. Then right afterwards they list variousShow MoreRelatedThe Psychology Of Sexual Orientations934 Words   |  4 Pagesstigma that still exists today. There are many different sexual orientations that people identify as (including heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, as well as many others); the orientations that do not coincide with what people viewed as normal were originally given classification as mental disorders. The most common sexual orientation, regardless of culture, is heterosexuality. This is defined as a sexual orientation in which an individual is generally sexually attracted to members of theRead MoreHistorical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality907 Words   |  4 PagesHistorical and scientific perspectives on homosexuality In contemporary Western culture, choices about romantic love and sexuality are a critical aspect of individual self-definition. Whether someone is homosexual or heterosexual is thus also considered to be a crucial aspect of who he or she is as a human being. In previous eras, where individuals were married young, and entered into arranged marriages, this was not the case. Although people had same-sex desire, this desire was enjoyed outsideRead MoreGay Marriage And Its Slow Progression Of Acceptance1441 Words   |  6 Pagessexually and romantically attracted to. Heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality are the three mostly familiar categories of sexual orientation for a typical person, and these sexualities make up for 98.9% of the sexual orientation among American adults (Ward 1, et al). But what about the other 1.1% of sexualities? While these three categories continue to be widely used to refer to all different sexualities, by those uninformed about the differences in sexua lities, sexual orientation itselfRead MoreShould Same Sex Marriage Be Legal?1551 Words   |  7 PagesThis movement caused the nation to be torn between those who were for and those who were against same-sex marriage. Although the nation has made a huge step forward, its’ people still have so much more to learn about what this movement means overall. In regards to same-sex marriage, people only think just as it states same-sex marriage, but how about the others who do not quite fit into either heterosexuality or homosexuality? Outside from heterosexuality, there are so many other types of sexual orientationRead MoreWhy Natural Law Theory Is an Inadequate Criticism of Homosexuality1147 Words   |  5 PagesNatural Law on these grounds, as well as proving that it is inapplicable when judging the ethical value of homosexuality, and discrediting homosexuality as a perversion. Act utilitarianism depicts the argument more clearly, because there are certain semantic inconsistenci es with Kantian ethical Theory that will be discussed further on. Let us first consider the premise that homosexuality is contrary to Natural Law, because the Natural Law dictates that sexual relationships must be heterosexualRead MoreSexuality And Gender : Social Constructs Essay1366 Words   |  6 Pagescontroversial topics, more specifically the spectrum? Well, the idea of sexuality being more than just heterosexuality has been challenged by conservative types and others alike for years. They may even deem anything other than heterosexuality as something abnormal and immoral. For some, it can be quite difficult to understand that sexuality is on a spectrum. Especially with identities like bisexuality and pansexuality, it can be difficult for some people to wrap their minds around that idea. In recentRead MoreThe Historical Prevalence Of Bisexuality Essay1855 Words   |  8 Pagesprevalence of bisexuality is hard to determine because same-sex sexual activity has traditionally been very stigmatized; furthermore bisexuality is often ignored in h istorical discussions of sexual orientation. Nonetheless, over the past few decades, the status quo with regard to same-sex sexual activity has changed drastically. The repeal of anti-gay laws and the 2003 supreme court decision Lawrence v. Texas which eliminated all remaining sodomy laws in the United States, the removal of homosexuality fromRead MoreHow Masculinity is Potrayed in the Movie, Brokeback Mountain1952 Words   |  8 Pages The dominant masculinity in western culture is associated with heterosexuality, a unit of a man and woman from opposite axis of masculinity and femininity. For Annie Proulx, â€Å"Brokeback Mountain† complicates the gendered duality, portraying two men acting on their homoerotic desires, but also depicts them as hetero-social. Proulx blurs the boundaries of gender and sexuality by representing her main protagonists, Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist, as bisexuals. The characters are able to slip in and outRead MoreLesbian, Bisexual And Gay1131 Wor ds   |  5 Pagesamong lesbians and gay men† (p. 215). Bisexuality involves romantic attractions of one individual to men and women. Cox, Bimbi, and Parsons (2013) claims that the individuals as being incapable of maintaining a monogamy relationship or sexually promiscuous and carriers of sexually transmitted diseases. They exist amongst women and men in the society. Cox, Bimbi, and Parsons (2013) refers that some researchers relate bisexual to heterosexuality and homosexuality while others argue that the two areRead MoreDoes Involement in Sports Begt Better Character Development? Essay903 Words   |  4 Pagesand collision athletes that supported this model. Their findings indicated that anger and aggressiveness is positively correlated with athletic identity. Men’s team sports are often associated with hegemonic (dominant) masculinity and hyper-heterosexuality. Connell (1987, 1995) provides an understanding of the problematic method of building masculinities within men‘s sports, particularly emphasizing the advantage of some versions of masculinity over others. She proposes that hegemonic masculinity

Friday, December 13, 2019

Disparities in Health Care Free Essays

Problems of Disparities in Health Care Insurance The United States leads the world in spending on health care. Yet , other countries spending substantially less than the United States have healthier populations. America’s performance is marred by deep inequalities linked to income, health insurance coverage, race, ethnicity, geography, and – critically – access to care. We will write a custom essay sample on Disparities in Health Care or any similar topic only for you Order Now Employer-based Insurance plans Income The United States is the only wealthy country with no universal health insurance system. Its mix of employer-based private insurance and public coverage has never reached all Americans. All working Americans are categorized based on annual income – top-income (earning on average $210,100 annually), higher-middle-income (earning an average of $84,800 annually), lower-middle-income earning on average $41,500), and bottom-income (earning an average of $14,800 annually) (Auguste, Laboissiere, Mendonca, 2009). As the general population knows that those are in the both top-income category and higher-middle-income category can afford any expenses that are incurred in facilities, doctor visits, ER visits, etc. ithout any hindrance (Auguste et al. , 2009). The lower-middle-income and bottom-income population have much harder time in paying for services because it puts them in a tight budget. Paying for out-of-pocket costs can be detrimental to one’s credit and often those patients are sent to collections if they can’t pay. As reported in the 2011 study done in Arizona by Herman, Rissi, and Walsh, it also confirmed that individuals who have higher income s were able to pay for medical expenses without going through financial hardships. Cost Its been reported that immigrants have less access to care due to having no insurance plans and the cost of services when they are sick than the general population born in the United States (Pandey, 2010). In Herman et al. ‘s study (2011), out-of-pocket medical expenses caused financial hardships and that top-income individuals were able to cover cost of medical services without hardships. It has been made known by many employers are making employees be responsible for a portion of health care costs by raising premiums or deductibles (Auguste et al. , 2009). Because of rising costs of deductibles (out-of-pocket costs) and the rising cost of premiums, employees are opting-out of enrolling into employer-based health insurance plan saying that to get the coinsurance amount, the deductible amount that they have to meet is out of their financial budget (Quinn, 2011). Race/Ethnicity and Environment Evidence of racial and ethnic disparities in health-care is, with few exceptions, remarkably consistent across a range of illnesses and health-care services. These disparities are associated with socioeconomic differences. Its been reported that immigrants are less likely to use the health care system yet alone have no health insurance coverage (Pandey, 2010). Its not only immigrants who have trouble getting care, but different nationalities in the United States population have trouble as well – just to name a few – American Indians, Asian Americans, Hispanics, populations that live in rural and urban areas, and the general population ranging from infants to senior citizens (Copeland, 2005). Especially the Hispanic or Latino population were less likely to seek care (Herman, et al. , 2011). African American populations are the most researched when it comes to health care issues. For example, a study was done on racial disparities in exposure, susceptibility, and access to health care in the United States H1N1 Influenza pandemic which reported that Hispanics were at greater risk of exposure, however Blacks were a lot more susceptible in contracting H1N1 (Quinn, 2011). Access to Care Unequal access to health care has clear links to health outcomes. The uninsured are less likely to have regular outpatient care, so they are more likely to be hospitalized for avoidable health problems. The lack of transportation, health insurance, providers, appointment access, and inconvenient location of doctors offices caused many people to have poor health (Copeland, 2005). In 2011, a study in Arizona was performed to see is access to care was an issue among the residents. The study found that people who were uninsured had problems paying bills which prevented the ability to seek care and receive treatment (Herman, et al. , 2011). Individuals with higher incomes were able to seek care as well as ace/ethnicity background were indicators that individuals were less likely to seek care (Herman, et al. , 2011). Conclusion Income level and race/ethnicity in relation to environment, cost of medical services, access to care, play big roles as to why there are disparities in health care insurance. References Auguste, B. G. , Laboissiere, M. , Mendonca, L. T. (2009). How health care costs contribute to income disparity in the United States. Mckinsey Quarterly, (2), 50-51. Copeland, V. ( 2005). African Americans: Disparities in Health Care Access and Utilization. Health Social Work, 30(3), 265. Herman, P. E. (2011). Health Insurance Status, Medical Debt, and Their Impact on Access to Care in Arizona. American Journal Of Public Health, 101(8), 1437. doi:10. 2105/AJPH. 2010. 300080 Quinn, S. (2011). Racial Disparities in Exposure, Susceptibility, and Access to Health Care in the US H1N1 Influenza Pandemic. American Journal Of Public Health, 101(2), 285. doi:10. 2105/AJPH. 2009. 188029 Pandey, S. (2010). Health Insurance Disparities among Immigrants: Are Some Legal Immigrants More Vulnerable Than Others?. Health Social Work, 35(4), 267. How to cite Disparities in Health Care, Papers

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Israel Marcano Essay Example For Students

Israel Marcano Essay Buddhist Monks Aim for NirvanaBuddhism states that there is a path to happiness and the Buddha canlead you there. Buddhist monks of all different orders are trying to reachhappiness, or Nirvana. There may be some differences between the sects butthe core beliefs surround the Buddhas teachings and practices. An ordainedmonk or nun lives a special life. Some last a lifetime while others onlyfor a brief time, however both experiences are moving. Tibetan Buddhist monks take there vows for life. When becoming aBuddhist monk it is very important that you do not rush into taking yourvows. Time must be taken to fully understand the advantages anddisadvantages of becoming a Buddhist monk. Currently there are monasteriesthat allow you to live the life of a Buddhist monk for a few days, weeks ormonths in order to make the correct decision. The Tibetan tradition doesnot encourage those who take the vows to give them back and return to asecular lifestyle. As long as a monk asks permission he is able to freelyleave the order. Theravadin Buddhist countries, like Thailand, believe that every manmust have served as a monk at one point in his life. These monks arereferred to as short-term monks. The period that they are actually monksmay range from a few days to as long as a few months. This short-termservice is seen as primarily a teaching tool. Living even a short periodof time as a monk is believed to prepare the individual for life as alayman, householder and family head. Also this practice helps theindividual earn merit with his family and especially his parents. Manypeople in these countries still chose to remain a monk for their lifetime. Before making any final decisions on becoming either a short-termmonk or a lifetime monk the fundamental teachings of the Buddha must bethoroughly understood. These teachings include the Four Noble Truths, theEightfold Path, and the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. Normally thisinvolves a number of years of study and practice with the help of ateacher. This teacher will be your guide and sponsor. With your teacheryou will learn how to live your everyday life according to the Buddhistteachings and practices. During this time you may live in a monastery tofully understand and appreciate this lifestyle. Once you have made the decision to lead a monks life, you mustapproach the abbot or his secretary for an interview. You are thenaccepted as a naga. Then are given training in the rules, daily chanting,and the ordination procedure. The length of training before ordination canbe one month or less, the abbot might expect an applicant to spend at least9 months as a layman and novice before higher ordination. During thisperiod the layman wears a white robe and learns eight precepts. Novicemonks wear the orange robes and are given ten precepts to follow along withseventy-five training rules. There are certain requirements that must bemet in order to be ordained. The novice must be at least twenty years old,free of debt, free of any government or military duties and they must havethe consent of their immediate family. The ordination ceremony uses thePali language and the novice must memorize the lines. The novice must alsomemorize the 227 rules of discipline, called the Patimokkha, that the monksfollow. Originally the Buddha did not allow woman to become nuns.ThenBuddha received many requests from woman to allow them to become nuns. Hereconsidered his position and decided to allow woman in to the order. Thefirst woman accepted as a nun was Paccabadi Gotami, the Buddhasstepmother, who was ordained by the Buddha himself. In establishing theBhikkhuni Sangha, or nuns, the Buddha added that any other ordinationsshould be held with a fully ordained bhikkhuni present as a witness. Since the time of Buddha there have always been nuns ordained intothe order. In more recent years the number of woman becoming nuns becamesmaller and smaller. There came a point were there were no longer any fullyordained nuns in the world. Without these fully ordained nuns there cannotbe any present at the ordination of new nuns, this prohibits any new nunsfrom becoming fully ordained themselves. Buddhist woman today can live inthe order as an eight or ten precept novice but can never be fullyordained. Stem Cell Research and Breast Cancer EssayA day in the life of a monk is simple and beautiful. Monks wake upwhen the temple gongs are sounded in the early hours of the morning. Afterthey wash and dress they meditate until it is light enough to go around andcollect the alms offering. When a monk goes on his rounds he acceptswhatever foods are placed in his alms bowl. He never asks for anything,accepting what is offered, standing silently, with eyes lowered, untilafter the offering is made, when he may chant a brief blessing for thedonor. When they return to their huts they can eat their meal. This meal isusually their only one for the day. Some monks eat a second meal but nomonks are allowed to eat after noon. The rest of their day is spentmeditating, reading, studying, and can sometimes include a nap. In theevening they attend the twilight ceremonial chanting. At night the monkssleeps for six sometimes four hours. Meditation is a conscious effort to change how the mind works. ThePali word for meditation is bhavana, meaning to grow or to develop. Meditation is very important because although we may want to make changesin our lives, it is not easy to have control of our thoughts and actions. Meditation develops awareness and the energy needed to change our old waysand prepare for the right path. There are many types of meditation, theBuddha taught a number of ways to meditate and particular ways to deal withspecific problems. The most common are Mindfulness or Insight Meditation,called Vipassana, and Loving-kindness Meditation, called Samatha. The Pali word Nibbana is formed of Ni and Vana. Ni is a negativearticle and vana means desire. The ultimate goal of all Buddhists is to endthe cycle of life and death, of reincarnation, by enlightenment andreaching nirvana or nibbana. Nirvana is not a place where we go; it is astate of mind and being. Nirvana can be reached here on earth as the Buddhahas. The Buddha said that Nirvana is the highest happiness. All Buddhist are living for Nirvana. The simple life facilitates theprocess. Meditations and ascetic living allow the mind to focus on its pathand state of being. The Buddha ordained woman and there were many nuns foryears, the teachings of the Buddha however prevents any future woman frombeing ordained. Buddhism may be all over the world and have differentpractices, but the Buddha is always the center and happiness is alwayseveryone ultimate goal. Works Cited 1. Bechert, Heinz. The World of Buddhism : Buddhist monks and nuns insociety and culture, New York : Thames and Hudson, 1984. 2. Della Santina, Peter. The tree of enlightenment : an introduction tothe major traditions of Buddhism , Taipei, Taiwan: Reprinted anddonated for free distribution by the Corporate Body of the BuddhaEducational Foundation, 1997. 3. Lopez, Donald S. The story of Buddhism : a concise guide to itshistory and teachings , San Francisco, California: Harper SanFrancisco, 2001. 4. Novick, Rebecca McClen. Fundamentals of Tibetan Buddhism , Freedom,California: Crossing Press, 1999. 5. Prebish, Charles S. The A to Z of Buddhism , Lanham, Maryland:Scarecrow Press, 2001. 6. Saddhatissa, H. Buddhist ethics; essence of Buddhism , New York, G. Braziller, 1971. 7. Schumann, Hans Wolfgang. Buddhism; an outline of its teachings andschools , Wheaton, Ill., Theosophical Pub. House, 1973. 8. Trainor, Kevin. Buddhism : the illustrated guide , New York : OxfordUniversity Press, 2001.