Veggies With a View: Front-Yard Gardens [iTsArticles]

Tired of mowing your front yard? Try harvesting it instead. A front-yard vegetable garden is one way to brighten up the block while adding healthy fare to your dining experience. 

"We're seeing a splurge of homeowners using their small front-yard garden space --- formerly used for flowers --- to grow vegetables and other edibles, such as herbs and fruits, because of the increasing desire to eat more locally produced and organic fruits and vegetables," said Craig Jenkins-Sutton, co-owner of Topiarius: Urban Garden & Floral Design in Chicago.

Check your local ordinances first. Front-yard vegetable gardens are not legal everywhere. If you get the green light, bring out your green thumb.

Space Strategies

You don't have to live on a large lot to enjoy an awesome vegetable garden. Even those in cramped quarters may produce crops worth crowing about.

"The key is to maximize the available square footage and to take advantage of all the available sunlight," said Jenkins-Sutton. "Most vegetables will require a minimum of four to six hours of direct light each day. To create the most productive front-yard vegetable garden, installing traditional raised beds on the ground and on front porches is an excellent strategy."

Raised beds are ideal for front yards and porches because they allow for a significantly larger volume of soil than would otherwise be available in a small or confined area, providing ample space for growing a variety of vegetables, including tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, eggplant, peas and beans, said Jenkins-Sutton.

For even smaller spaces, he suggested "pot-sized" vegetables that have been specially bred for tight squeezes, such as Tom Thumb tomatoes, Gold Nugget carrots and Spacemaster cucumbers.

Another benefit of raised beds is the ease of adding soil amendments to increase fertility and maximize drainage. If space doesn't allow for raised beds, you may use any available container as an alternative, Jenkins-Sutton said. Be sure to add drainage holes, and because plants love soil, use the largest containers possible for the available space.

Planning Your Plots

For the ideal front-yard garden, the materials you use and the crops you choose are almost equally important. Improper materials can leach potentially harmful chemicals into the soil, Jenkins-Sutton warned.

"Natural stone or untreated and rot-resistant lumber, such as cedar, are good examples of products to choose," he said. "Newer products, such as recycled decking products, are also options." 

As for containers, anything that will hold soil will work, he said. When working with containers, make sure the soil stays evenly moist and aerated, but not saturated or compacted, to allow the roots to get the oxygen they require.

Cassy Aoyagi, president of FormLA Landscaping Inc. in Los Angeles, recommended planning your plots around crops that have predictable rotations from season to season. 

"For example, beans in the fall, lettuce in winter and eggplant in spring could be one dedicated plot," she said. "Another could be radishes in the fall, broccoli in the winter and tomatoes in the spring. This strategy makes planning and harvesting the easiest."

Invader Alert

Squirrels love vegetable gardens. So do deer, rabbits and even family dogs.

Rabbits and pets may be held at bay with fencing, Jenkins-Sutton said. He suggested burying fencing at least six inches below the surface to keep rabbits from digging under, with openings kept to a minimum to keep them from squeezing through. 

"Squirrels and deer are much more difficult garden adversaries," he said. "Short of building a fence fortress around and over the entire garden, use a variety of deterrents, from organic sprays to sensors that trigger sounds/sprinklers when invaders get too close."

Growing Good Neighbors

Front-yard gardens also serve a social function that can make you the hit of the 'hood. For a "neighborly" garden, Aoyagi recommended planting close to the street instead of enclosing the area with greenery, as you might treat a more private area. 

"If you really want to engage your neighbors, plant cherry tomatoes or berries that can be picked while passing by," said Wendy Weiner, who teaches clients how to make attractive and functional gardens through her business, the Front Yard Farmer. "Plant something for this specific purpose, and put up a sign that says, 'Yes, please pick the cherry tomatoes.' "

To stimulate passer-by curiosity, put up signs offering the names of specific plants or saying, "Guess what this is?" Another helpful sign, Weiner said, asks dog walkers to keep their pets out of your garden.

To be a good neighbor, keep your front-yard garden fully maintained, attractive and appropriate to the surroundings so it doesn't become a neighborhood eyesore, Weiner said.

"I built raised bed boxes in my front yard for utilitarian reasons," she said. "In doing so, I was able to lay them out in a way that I found attractive and balanced within a classic suburban yard. I like the way the wood has weathered. I wouldn't paint them showy colors."

If you want to add whimsical features to your garden, consider what they might look like when everything has died back. "I prefer to give the plants the leading role in the garden and let a well-tended plant stand on its own," said Weiner. "Too many whirligigs and ornaments can be a distraction."

The Veggies of Your Labor

"The most important thing to remember in front-yard vegetable gardening is to have fun," Jenkins-Sutton said.

"Making a connection to where our food comes from, understanding the difficulties of food production, recognizing the taste and nutritional benefits of growing vegetables and, most of all, the satisfaction of the first vine-ripened tomato are invaluable lessons for people of all ages," he said.

ItsArticles.Blogspot.Com

Read More

Spring Gardening Guide [iTsArticles]

Grab your gardening boots and get ready to get your hands dirty. With so many returning to their roots this time of year, a talk is in order with Sheri Ann Richerson, author of "Complete Idiot's Guide to Year-Round Gardening" and "101 Organic Gardening Tips," to get the dirt on how to weed, prune and prep gardens for spring.

Early Spring: Determine Your Start Date:

While spring technically begins on March 21st, it's important to take your climate zone into consideration. "Remember, most plants prefer frost-free conditions and soil temperatures that are 50 degrees Fahrenheit or higher," Richerson said. "You can use a cheap kitchen thermometer in place of the more expensive soil thermometers -- simply insert the probe into the ground and let it sit there for five minutes so you know you are getting an accurate reading." In terms of gardening, spring starts when the soil says so.

Early Spring: Check the Soil:
First, check your soil. "Never work wet soil," Richerson said. "Pick up a piece of soil with your hands and squeeze it into a ball. If water comes out, the soil is too wet. If the soil crumbles and won’t form a ball, it is too dry." If the soil forms a somewhat crumbly, loose ball, you're ready to start prepping.

Early Spring: Clear the Area:
"Remove plant debris from the garden," Richerson said. Rake your leaves, clear out old mulch and pay special attention to unwanted refuse in the beds. If you need to turn the soil, do it by hand instead of using a roto-tiller. While you're down there, be on the lookout for insect eggs belonging to ladybugs, praying mantis or other "good bugs." "If you find these, try to leave them alone," Richerson said. Not only do they eat the "bad bugs" (the bugs that eat your plants), they also often keep you company while you garden.



Early Spring: Get Rid of Weeds:
With weeds, the best defense is a good offense. "Remove weeds as soon as they begin to emerge," Richerson said. "You can pull them or chop them off right below ground level." The goal is to get rid of any unwanted growth before it starts to steal the sunlight and nutrients from the plants you're trying to nurture.

Early Spring: Prune Now to Enjoy Later:
Trees, shrubs, flowers and houseplants all need to be pruned. "Pruning encourages new growth and helps give plants a nice shape," Richerson said. "Some plants need pruning to encourage them to continue to flower or flower more profusely." If you've never pruned before, think of it like a routine trip to the barber shop, except you're the barber and your garden is the customer. Essentially, your giving your plants a haircut and encouraging them to take a specific shape. "Always make cuts at a 90-degree angle right in front of a branch or leaf cluster," Richerson said. The goal is cut as close as you can without damaging the part of the plant you're hoping to keep. In terms flowering shrubs, remember that it's best to prune them after they flower so you don't accidentally trim off a baby bud.  Early Spring: Start Your Seeds: Now's the time to plan ahead. "Consider the plants you want to start from seed and how much room you have before you begin," Richerson advised. Then, get out your calendar and count backward. "The typical indoor seed starting time frame depends on the type of seeds -- the average range is anywhere between four weeks and 12 weeks prior to the last frost in your area." The back of your seed packet will tell you a more precise start week for your U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone.

Early Spring: Start Your Spuds:
Potato planting begins as early as November, but if you get them into the ground before St. Patrick's Day, you'll be fine. When you begin to plant your potatoes, select a spot in full sunlight and dig a trench 12 inches deep. Then "fill the bottom 4 inches with grass clippings, leaves or straw and place the sprouted potatoes on top of the straw -- be sure they are cut up and cured first," Richerson said. "Cover them with an additional 4 inches of grass clippings, leaves or straw and a light layer of soil." When you start to see refill the trench with your displaced soil.  Early Spring: Plant Cold-Loving Annuals: In the early spring, you can plant some of the heartier annuals, such as pansies, like the ones here, and snapdragons. "Once heavy frosts in your area are over – typically four weeks before the last expected frost, you can begin planting annual plants that don’t mind light frost," Richerson advised.

Mid Spring: Plant Trees and Shrubs:
If you're buying partially grown trees or shrubs, wait to buy them until you are ready to plant them. "A good rule of thumb is to dig a hole two-to-three times larger than the plant's root ball, amend the soil with organic matter and back-fill the hole," Richerson said. "Remember, the roots need to grow into the soil, and hard, thick, packed soil is not ideal for anything."
  
Mid Spring: Divide Your Crowded Perennials:
Perennials, by definition, are plants that grow from the same roots year after year, like the mass of daisies here. Unlike annuals, they don't die after germination. This means you don't have to replant perennials each season. But you do have to be wary of overcrowded roots. The solution is to divide them. "If the perennials are dying, don’t wait," Richerson said. "Do what you can as soon as possible to save some of the plant."

Mid Spring: Plant Cold-Loving Vegetables:
Peas, carrots, radishes, turnips, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, kale and Swiss chard are just a few of the cold-loving veggies you can plant mid-spring. If you're already a seasoned veteran in the garden, take notes from Richerson. "I start planting seeds for my spring garden in January and continue through March. Most people won’t start until April," Richerson said. "I also replant all those frost-loving vegetables again in July and August for a fall/winter harvest."

Mid Spring: Protect Your Plants:
If the soil dries out, your plants have already suffered. "Those tiny feeder roots dry out and then the plant cannot take up water and nutrients as necessary," Richerson said. To protect your plants from dehydration, use compost both before you plant and when the weather heats up. "It warms the early spring soil and cools the soil in summer by protecting the plant's roots." Late Spring: Plant Heat-Loving Annuals: Impatiens, petunias (like these), geraniums and begonias are among the heat-loving annuals you can plant in late spring. "Plant them after the last frost in your area," Richerson advised.

Late Spring: Prune Spring-Blooming Shrubs:
As soon as your spring-blooming shrubs, like the lilacs here, finish flowering, it's time to prune them. "The exception: plants that produce berries," Richerson said. "If you prune these, they will not fruit."

 ItsArticles.Blogspot.Com

Read More

How to Tag a Song on Facebook [iTsArticles]

Tagging is a feature on Facebook that allows you to identify and link to people, places, events and songs when you post a status on your account. When you tag a song in your status, the song will appear as a link. People who read your status can click on the link, which will take them to the Facebook page of the song you tagged. You must know the name of the song to tag it on Facebook.

Instructions:

1. Go to the Facebook home page and sign in to your account.

2. Click on the box at the top of the page under "Update Status."

3. Type the "@" symbol followed by the name of the song you want to tag. As you type, Facebook generates a list of matches below the status box. When you see the song in the list, left click on it.

4. Left click the "Post" box at the bottom right of the status box.

Tips & Warnings:

Do not type a space after the "@" symbol, but do place spaces between the words of the song.

You do not need to capitalize the names of songs.

ItsArticles.Blogspot.Com

Read More

How to Have a Great Conversation [ItsArticles]

The art of conversation takes practice, but is not as hard as you might think. With some patience and these steps, you can learn to relax and enjoy a great conversation.

Steps : 

1. Be confident. Being around confident people makes you feel good. For example, having a confident boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, or a friend makes you feel better. The other person's energy and enthusiasm is infectious, and makes all the conversation participants feel confident and comfortable. Projecting confidence is the key to a good conversation, so don't be shy.


2. Find out about the person you'll be talking to before you actually talk to them, if you can. If it's someone who you work with, or go to school with, look at their department website, or see if the person is on any social networks before talking to them for the first time. (But remember! There is a fine line between finding out general information about someone, and coming across like a stalker.) The information you get though can be a good starting point for conversations.

   "I was looking at the biochemistry department website and saw that you're working on a pretty interesting thesis! How did you come to choose that topic?"

"I saw on the office memo that you're working on the outreach project for local schools. How's that going?"

  "Milly here told me that you went skydiving!"

3. Ask questions. What do they like to do? What sort of things have they done in their lives? What is happening to them now? What did they do today or last weekend? Identify things about them that you might be interested in hearing about, and politely ask questions. Remember, there was a reason that you wanted to talk to them, so obviously there was something about them that you found interesting. However, try to space out your questions or they'll feel like you're interrogating them which is very bad and closes off friendships.

   See How to Come Up with Good Conversation Topics for ideas.

   Ask clarifying questions. If the topic seems to be one they are interested in, ask them to clarify what they think or feel about it. If they are talking about an occupation or activity you do not understand, take the opportunity to learn from them. Everyone loves having a chance to teach another willing and interested person about their hobby or subject of expertise.

   Try to get them talking about something they enjoy thinking about and something that you're interested in hearing or else the conversation isn't fulfilling and one of you will feel unsatisfied with it.

4.  Listen. This is the most important part of any conversation. Pay attention to what is being said. Make acknowledging noises or movements to indicate that you are still listening. A conversation will go nowhere if you are too busy thinking of anything else, including what you plan to say next. If you listen well, the other person's statements will suggest questions for you to ask. Allow the other person to do most of the talking. They will often not realize that it was they who did most of the talking, and you get the credit for being a good conversationalist - which of course, you are!


• Practice active listening skills. Part of listening is letting the other person know that you are listening. Make eye contact. Nod. Say "Yes," "I see," "That's interesting," or something similar to give them clues that you are paying attention and not thinking about something else - such as what you are going to say next.
• Paraphrase back what you have heard, using your own words. This seems like an easy skill to learn, but takes some practice to master. Conversation happens in turns, each person taking a turn to listen and a turn to speak or to respond. It shows respect for the other person when you use your "speaking turn" to show you have been listening and not just to say something new. They then have a chance to correct your understanding, affirm it, or embellish on it.


5.  Consider your response before disagreeing. If the point was not important, ignore it rather than risk appearing argumentative. On the other hand, agreeing with everything can kill a conversation just as easily as disagreeing with everything. When pointing out your difference of opinion, remember these points:


• Agree with something they said (state common ground) before disagreeing.
• Try to omit the word "but" from your conversation when disagreeing, as this word often puts people on the defensive. Instead, try substituting the word "and"--it has less of an antagonistic effect.
• Playing devil's advocate (pretending to defend the opposite point of view) can be a good way to keep the conversation going, but if you overuse this technique, you could end up appearing hostile.
• Don't manipulate the talk to serve your own agenda and steam-roll your counterpart. If you come away from the conversation feeling full of yourself, you used the occasion to show off your wit and knowledge. Try to keep from using a conversation to boost your ego.


6.  Do not panic over lulls. This is a point where you could easily inject your thoughts into the discussion. If the topic seems to have run out, use the pause to think for a moment and identify another conversation topic or question to ask them. Did something they said remind you of something else you have heard, something that happened to you, or bring up a question or topic in your mind? Mention it and you'll transition smoothly into further conversation!

7.  Remember that sometimes if a conversation isn't going well, it might not be your fault. Sometimes the other person is distracted/lost in thought, isn't willing to contribute, or is having a bad day. If they don't speak or listen, then they are the ones not using good conversation skills, not you. But in any case, it's still a good idea to strive to do your part as a good conversationalist.


8.  Know when the conversation is over. Even the best conversations will eventually run out of steam or be ended by an interruption. Smile if you're leaving, tell them it was nice talking to them, and say goodbye. Ending on a positive note will leave a good impression.

Tips: 

•  Forget yourself. Dale Carnegie once said, "It's much easier to become interested in others than it is to convince them to be interested in you." If you are too busy thinking about yourself, what you look like, or what the other person might be thinking, you will never be able to relax.
•  The best conversations come from gaining new understanding about the topic discussed or the person. Try to lead into personal stories and anecdotes. These give limitless conversation and are revealing about the character of a person.
•  It's okay to talk about yourself as long as the person listening is interested and getting new information about you or the topic. People don't like to rehash things they already know or have thought about so try to give a new perspective or way of thinking.
•  While you want to talk about a topic, make sure you pause in between sentences, which allows for the other person to ask a question to clarify if they are understanding you and/or for them to interject with a thought of their own. Remember, you want to have a conversation, not be a story-teller.
•  A compliment usually does the trick. For example, a "I like your handbag" could lead to a discussion over stores, bags, or anything.
•  Always make eye contact and be sure the person knows you are listening. Some people like to half-listen and usually make horrible conversationalist. If the person is doing this or is doing it often or all the time then they're not the person you want to have a conversation with.

Warnings :

•    Choose carefully when asking personal questions. You do not want to venture into overly personal issues. Even if the other person might be willing to talk about it, you may end up learning things that you really do not want to know. You certainly do not want the other person to think afterward that you coerced them into revealing personal information.
•    Beware of topics that can be inflammatory - such as religion and politics - and don't venture into them unless you know the person has roughly the same convictions as you, or the circumstances otherwise allow for pleasant discussion. Again, it's fine to disagree and can be nice to talk about differences, but it can also be a quick step toward an argument.
•    Try not to ever cut the person off mid-sentence, or when they naturally pause between sentences (or when trying to remember a detail). It seems disrespectful and it makes it seem like you think that what you have to say is more important than what others have to say. Let the person finish their thoughts and then continue on with thoughts of your own.
•    Don't make a flat statement of opinion without adding, "What do you think about that?" or, "Do you think that could be right?" or, "Is that how you see it?" If you don't give people the chance to make up their own minds, they will contradict you.
•    Always be sure to make lengthy comments back, always saying "Okay" or very short-worded sentences can cause the person you are talking to to get agitated or upset. This applies with the half-listening mentioned above.

ItsArticles.Blogspot.Com

Read More

How to Approach a Group of Girls [ItsArticles]

So the girl you like is in a crowd of girls, always surrounded by her friends. How are you supposed to ask her out? Here are some tips and tricks to acting natural and getting to know her and her circle of friends.

Steps:

1.   Be presentable. Make sure your breath smells good and you are wearing comfortable clothes. If you are unappealing, this may turn her off!

2.  Stand near her and make light conversation with one of your friends. You both should know the game plan so he isn't offended when you turn your main attention to the girls.

3.   Wait for her conversation to go smooth. Wait for her to say something funny or something that stands out, and look over at her. Repeat what she said, and when you get a response, slowly join into the conversation.

4.   You should be able to get to know your crush and her friends! This may take you far and help you make new friends and build your confidence.

5.    If you are turned down by joining into her conversation, act casual and shrug it off. She may have been embarrassed or be having a conversation privately with her friends. Turn to your buddy and tell him that you have to meet another friend, and quickly rush off the scene, making it believable.

Tips : 

Say something funny when you make the move! If they laugh, this means you're in! Add to the conversation slowly and eventually you'll be talking like you're best friends.

ItsArticles.Blogspot.Com

Read More

Facebook Scams - Applications on Third-Party Websites

Applications on Third-Party Websites

There are many legitimate Facebook applications out there that are hosted on third-party websites. However, there are many out there on third-party websites that are there to either steal your log-in information or infect your computer with one or more viruses.

Facebook Connect :

Legitimate applications hosted on third-party websites will use something called Facebook Connect to link their site to your profile so that they can work correctly. How this works is when you visit the site, a pop-up comes up telling you that the site requires you to connect to Facebook. When you click the button at the bottom of the pop-up, a separate window opens up with a log-in form. Once you enter your information and submit it, the application is now linked to your profile and you can now use it on the third-party website.

Stealing Your Log-in Information :

''Facebook Connect
If the third-party website legitimately uses Facebook Connect, you should see the pop-up below:

After clicking on the button to log-in, you should see a separate window pop up, like this:

If the log-in form is on the same page or if the new window that pops up does not belong to Facebook, do not enter your information. If you do, your account will be hacked.

In order to steal your log-in information, illegitimate applications on third-party website will do one of several things.''

The first thing they may do is redirect you to a page that looks exactly like the Facebook log-in page, but is actually owned by the attacker’s website. If you enter your information into that log-in form and submit it, the attackers will now have your information, with which they can hack your account and spam your friends. See the article on phishing for more information.

The next two things they may try both involve faking the use of Facebook Connect. The first way would be to claim that a log-in form on their page is the Facebook Connect log-in form, and that you need to enter your information there to connect the site to your Facebook profile. However, just like the fake Facebook log-in page, if you enter your information there, they will be able to hack your profile.

The second way of faking Facebook Connect would be to open a log-in form in a separate window, but that window is actually owned by the separate website, not Facebook. Once again, if you enter your information there, they will have your e-mail and password and will be able to hack your account.
How do you protect yourself against these attempts to steal your account information? If you come across a Facebook log-in page, especially after clicking a link for an application on a third-party website, MAKE SURE the web page is owned by Facebook. You can do this by checking the URL of the page in the address bar. The key is that the word “facebook” MUST come DIRECTLY before “.com”. If it does not, such as in “www.facebook.example.com”, then the website you are entering your information into isn’t Facebook, it’s example.com. When in doubt, use a bookmark or just type “facebook.com” into your browser.

By bookmarking Facebook's log-in page, you will always have a safe page to enter your log-in information into. To ensure you don't enter your information on fake log-in pages, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Facebook's Log-in Page - Type "www.facebook.com" in your browser.
2. Bookmark the Page - Different browsers have different terminology for this, but most either say something along the lines of "Bookmark this Page" or "Add to Favorites".
3. Use it - If you ever come across a Facebook log-in page unexpectedly, just click on the bookmark you made in Step 2, which will bring you to the real log-in page, just to be sure.

As for attempts to fake Facebook Connect, keep two things in mind: the Facebook Connect log-in form MUST open up in a new window, and the new window it opens up in MUST be owned by Facebook. If the log-in form doesn’t open up in a new window, DO NOT enter your information. If it does open up in a new window but the address in that new window doesn’t belong to Facebook (you can check it in the same way you check the fake Facebook log-in page), then once again, DO NOT enter your information.

Viruses :

Stealing your log-in information is bad enough, but some of these websites will try to get you to download malicious programs to your computer, infecting it with viruses. There are two common methods of doing this: claiming that the application requires a download, and tricking you into downloading something posing as a software update or anti-virus software.

Facebook provides application developers with more than enough tools for applications to work online. If applications required something to be downloaded, the application would only work for those who download it, which is a major inconvenience and would mean that the tools Facebook provides for application developers are basically pointless. The fact is that no legitimate applications require downloads, so you should NEVER trust anything that tells you something needs to be downloaded in order to make a Facebook application work. If you do download something like that, you’re probably downloading a virus, or at the very least a Trojan – a working program that comes along with a virus.

On some sites, various pop-ups will come up claiming that your computer is infected with viruses and needs a new anti-virus program, or that you need to download a new software update (which is exactly what the Koobface virus did). If pop-ups like this come up on your screen when you are on a website for an application, DO NOT download any of them, they are most likely viruses. If you think you may actually need a software update, go to the company’s website and get it from there. Don’t trust pop-ups on a questionable website.

Summary :

Some legitimate applications do reside on third-party websites, but many illegitimate applications do as well. Keep an eye out for attempts to steal your account information and infect your computer with viruses, especially if the application claims to do things like track visits to your profile, give you a dislike button, or anything else disproven on this website.

ItsArticles.Blogspot.Com

Read More

Facebook Scams - Phishing [iTsArticles]

Phishing

Have you ever seen one of your Facebook friends make posts or send messages that advertise something or try to get you to click a link? Most likely, their account has been hacked through a technique called phishing, a form of social engineering.
Phishing is the technique of tricking a user of a social networking site like Facebook into giving away their log-in information, with which the attacker can do whatever they want with the person’s account. See Facebook's description for more information.
There are three main ways of doing this that I know of: sending the target an e-mail, tricking the target into thinking that they are entering their information into Facebook’s log-in page, when in reality, they’re entering their information into a completely different website that will then store their e-mail and password for later use, and getting users to give their log-in information to phony applications.

E-Mail :

What to look out for:

• E-Mails asking for your Facebook password
• Fake Facebook log-in pages
• Applications that ask for your log-in information to work, especially those promising things that have articles written about them on this site - profile trackers, dislike buttons, etc.

What you can do:

• NEVER tell anyone your password
• Only enter your log-in information if you are SURE it is the real log-in page
• Bookmark the real log-in page
• Some legitimate applications do require your log-in information, but there are many phony ones that don't. Make SURE you trust any application you give your log-in info to.
• Keep up to date with the latest security news at Facebook Security

The way phishing typically works with e-mail is that the attacker will send the target an e-mail, saying that it’s from “The Facebook Team” or something similar. They may even go to the trouble of putting one of Facebook’s official e-mail addresses in the “From” field of the e-mail to try to convince people that it’s actually from Facebook (which is very easy to do, so don’t rely on whatever website or program you use for e-mail to tell you who is actually sending you what you see in your inbox). The message will say something to the effect of Facebook needing the user’s log-in information for one reason or another, and that the user needs to reply to the e-mail with their log-in info or go to some website and enter it there. The web site of course will look like a Facebook page but is actually made by the hacker. So, by posing as Facebook, a hacker can get the password of a user through e-mail, if the user falls for it.

Fake Log-in Page

The second way of stealing log-in information is by having the user click on a link somewhere, which brings them to a page that looks exactly like the Facebook log-in page. If the user enters their information there, their info gets sent to the hacker, and then the user gets redirected to the real log-in page, which tells them that they entered the wrong information and need to try again, making the user think they just made a typo, so they don’t suspect a thing. In reality, they’ve just effectively given control of their profile over to a hacker.
So how should the average Facebook user defend themselves against such techniques? If hackers can pretend that they’re e-mails are being sent by Facebook, how do we know what e-mails to trust? If attackers can make web pages that look exactly like the Facebook log-in page, how do we know where we can safely enter our e-mail address and password?

While hackers could do anything they want with someone's profile with that person's log-in information, they typically will do one or more of the following:

• Change the user's status to advertise something, usually with a link in it
• Post on the Walls of the user's friends and send them messages advertising something
• Promote groups, pages, and applications that serve the hacker's interests

If you notice that your account has been experiencing any of the above, you have probably been hacked and should change your password immediately. For more information, see Facebook's security page regarding phishing.

Fake log-in pages can look exactly like the
real thing, so never rely on what the page
looks like.

Third-Party Sites :

The third way of getting a user's log-in information is by setting up an application that doesn't actually do anything, but promises those who add it that it actually does. In addition, the application will tell the user that it needs the user's log-in information in order to work properly, which some legitimate applications actually do need. Once the user submits their information to the application, the attacker now has access to their profile and can do whatever they want with it. For more information, see the article about applications on third-party websites.

Solutions :

As far as e-mail is concerned, if you receive an e-mail asking you for your password, the message is NOT from Facebook, even if the message says it is and even if the “From” field in the e-mail says it is. Facebook’s Help Center states here that “Facebook will never request your password and we do not advise giving your login information to anyone under any circumstances.” Therefore, if you ever get an e-mail asking for your password, you know it’s not Facebook so you shouldn’t respond to it or click on any links in it.
As for the fake log-in page, there are a couple ways to tell. If you just recently logged into your Facebook account or have used it recently (i.e. you haven’t left your computer sitting there for hours) and all of a link you click on brings up the log-in page, then chances are, the page is fake and is trying to steal your information. Also, the URL of the page will give it away. If the URL in the address bar of your browser does not have “facebook” somewhere in there or if it is longer than normal, then the page is a fake. Even something like “www.facebook.example.com” is fake, because in this case, example.com is the actual website, not Facebook. When in doubt, if you come across a Facebook log-in page, then just type in “www.facebook.com” into your browser. You can also just bookmark the Facebook main page in your browser and click on it whenever you’re unsure of whether the log-in page on your screen is legitimate.
To combat phony applications that try to steal your log-in information, make SURE you trust any application that asks for it. If the application claims to do something that I've written an article about on here or anything that would seem to go against Facebook's policies, be sure to stay away from it.
Facebook mentions these phishing threats along with other ways to protect your account in its Help Center.

ItsArticles.Blogspot.Com

Read More

Child labour [iTsArticles]

Child labour refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labour. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organizations and is illegal in many countries. Child labour was employed to varying extents through most of history, but entered public dispute with the advent of universal schooling, with changes in working conditions during the industrial revolution, and with the emergence of the concepts of workers and children's rights.
In many developed countries, it is considered inappropriate or exploitative if a child below a certain age works (excluding household chores, in a family shop, or school-related work .An employer is usually not permitted to hire a child below a certain minimum age. This minimum age depends on the country and the type of work involved. States ratifying the Minimum Age Convention adopted by the International Labor Organization in 1973, have adopted minimum ages varying from 14 to 16. Child labor laws in the United States set the minimum age to work in an establishment without restrictions and without parents' consent at age 16, except for the agricultural industry where children as young as 12 years of age can work in the fields for an unlimited number of non-school hours. See Children's Act for Responsible Employment (CARE Act).

Historical :

During the Industrial Revolution, children as young as four were employed in production factories with dangerous, and often fatal, working conditions.^[5] Based on this understanding of the use of children as labourers, it is now considered by wealthy countries to be a human rights violation, and is outlawed, while some poorer countries may allow or tolerate child labour. Child labour can also be defined as the full-time employment of children who are under a minimum legal age.

The Victorian era became notorious for employing young children in factories and mines and as chimney sweeps.^[6] Child labour played an important role in the Industrial Revolution from its outset, often brought about by economic hardship, Charles Dickens for example worked at the age of 12 in a blacking factory, with his family in debtor's prison. The children of the poor were expected to help towards the family budget, often working long hours in dangerous jobs for low pay,^[7] earning 10-20% of an adult male's wage. In England and Scotland in 1788, two-thirds of the workers in 143 water-powered cotton mills were described as children.^[8] In 19th-century Great Britain, one-third of poor families were without a breadwinner, as a result of death or abandonment, obliging many children to work from a young age.

In coal mines, children would crawl through tunnels too narrow and low for adults.^[9]
Children also worked as errand boys, crossing sweepers, shoe blacks, or selling matches, flowers and other cheap goods.^[7] Some children undertook work as apprentices to respectable trades, such as building or as domestic servants (there were over 120,000 domestic servants in London in the mid-18th century). Working hours were long: builders worked 64 hours a week in summer and 52 in winter, while domestic servants worked 80 hour weeks.

In the early 1900s, thousands of boys were employed in glass making industries. Glass making was a dangerous and tough job especially without the current technologies. The process of making glass includes intense heat to melt glass (3133°F). When the boys are at work, they are exposed to this heat. This could cause eye trouble, lung aliments, heat exhaustion, cut, and burns. Since workers were payed by the piece, they had to work productively for hours without a break. Since furnaces had to be constantly burning, there were night shifts from 5:00 P.M. to 3:00 A.M. Many factory owners preferred boys under 16 years of age.^[10]

Children as young as three were put to work. A high number of children also worked as prostitutes.^[11] Many children (and adults) worked 16 hour days. As early as 1802 and 1819 Factory Acts were passed to regulate the working hours of workhouse children in factories and cotton mills to 12 hours per day. These acts were largely ineffective and after radical agitation, by for example the "Short Time Committees" in 1831, a Royal Commission recommended in 1833 that children aged 11–18 should work a maximum of 12 hours per day, children aged 9–11 a maximum of eight hours, and children under the age of nine were no longer permitted to work. This act however only applied to the textile industry, and further agitation led to another act in 1847 limiting both adults and children to 10 hour working days.

An estimated 1.7 million children under the age of fifteen were employed in American industry by 1900.^[12]
In 1910, over 2 million children in the same age group were employed in the United States.^[13] This included children who rolled cigarettes^[14], engaged in factory work, worked as doffers in textile mills, worked in coal mines and were employed in canneries.^[15] Lewis Hine's photographs of child laborers in the 1910s powerfully evoked the plight of working children in the American south. Hines took these photographs between 1908 and 1917 as staff photographer for the National Child Labor Committee.
Proposals to regulate child labor began as early as 1786. ^[16]

Present day :

Child labour is still common in some parts of the world, it can be factory work, mining,^[17] prostitution, quarrying, agriculture, helping in the parents' business, having one's own small business (for example selling food), or doing odd jobs. Some children work as guides for tourists, sometimes combined with bringing in business for shops and restaurants (where they may also work as waiters). Other children are forced to do tedious and repetitive jobs such as assembling boxes, polishing shoes, stocking a store's products, or cleaning. However, rather than in factories and sweatshops, most child labour occurs in the informal sector, "selling many things on the streets, at work in agriculture or hidden away in houses—far from the reach of official labour inspectors and from media scrutiny."^[18]

According to UNICEF, there are an estimated 250 million children aged 5 to 14 in child labour worldwide, excluding child domestic labour.^[19] The United Nations and the International Labor Organization consider child labour exploitative,^[20] with the UN stipulating, in article 32 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child that:

''...States Parties recognize the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. Although globally there is an estimated 250 million children working.^''

In the 1990s every country in the world except for Somalia and the United States became a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, or CRC. Somalia eventually signed the convention in 2002; the delay of the signing was believed to been due to Somalia not having a government.^[22]

In a recent paper, Basu and Van (1998)^[23] argue that the primary cause of child labour is parental poverty. That being so, they caution against the use of a legislative ban against child labour, and argue that should be used only when there is reason to believe that a ban on child labour will cause adult wages to rise and so compensate adequately the households of the poor children. Child labour is still widely used today in many countries, including India and Bangladesh. CACL estimated that there are between 70 and 80 million child labourers in India.^[24]

Child labour accounts for 22% of the workforce in Asia, 32% in Africa, 17% in Latin America, 1% in US, Canada, Europe and other wealthy nations.^[25] The proportion of child labourers varies greatly among countries and even regions inside those countries.

Defence of child labour :

Concerns have often been raised over the buying public's moral complicity in purchasing products assembled or otherwise manufactured in developing countries with child labour. However, others have raised concerns that boycotting products manufactured through child labour may force these children to turn to more dangerous or strenuous professions, such as prostitution or agriculture. For example, a UNICEF study found that after the Child Labor Deterrence Act was introduced in the US, an estimated 50,000 children were dismissed from their garment industry jobs in Bangladesh, leaving many to resort to jobs such as "stone-crushing, street hustling, and prostitution", jobs that are "more hazardous and exploitative than garment production". The study suggests that boycotts are "blunt instruments with long-term consequences, that can actually harm rather than help the children involved."^[18]
According to Milton Friedman, before the Industrial Revolution virtually all children worked in agriculture. During the Industrial Revolution many of these children moved from farm work to factory work. Over time, as real wages rose, parents became able to afford to send their children to school instead of work and as a result child labour declined, both before and after legislation.^[42] Austrian school economist Murray Rothbard said that British and American children of the pre- and post-Industrial Revolution lived and suffered in infinitely worse conditions where jobs were not available for them and went "voluntarily and gladly" to work in factories.^[43]
British historian and socialist E. P. Thompson in The Making of the English Working Class draws a qualitative distinction between child domestic work and participation in the wider (waged) labour market.^[5] Further, the usefulness of the experience of the industrial revolution in making predictions about current trends has been disputed. Social historian Hugh Cunningham, author of Children and Childhood in Western Society Since 1500, notes that:

"Fifty years ago it might have been assumed that, just as child labour had declined in the developed world in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, so it would also, in a trickle-down fashion, in the rest of the world. Its failure to do that, and its re-emergence in the developed world, raise questions about its role in any economy, whether national or global."

According to Thomas DeGregori, an economics professor at the University of Houston, in an article published by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think-tank operating in Washington D.C., "it is clear that technological and economic change are vital ingredients in getting children out of the workplace and into schools. Then they can grow to become productive adults and live longer, healthier lives. However, in poor countries like Bangladesh, working children are essential for survival in many families, as they were in our own heritage until the late 19th century. So, while the struggle to end child labour is necessary, getting there often requires taking different routes—and, sadly, there are many political obstacles.^[44]
The International Labour Organization’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), founded in 1992, aims to eliminate child labour. It operates in 88 countries and is the largest program of its kind in the world.^[45] IPEC works with international and government agencies, NGOs, the media, and children and their families to end child labour and provide children with education and assistance.^[45]

ItsArticles.Blogspot.Com

Read More

480 words article on Child Labour [iTsArticles]

Can we eliminate child labour? Though it is a desirable goal the fact remains that in the given socio-economic scenario that is prevalent in our country, it is virtually impossible to do away with child labour. One cannot dispute the fact that employers exploit children by paying them much less than what they would pay in adult and the future of the working children is ruined as they will not be able to attend schools and get educated for a better future.

But when one considers the economic compulsions of the families which force the children to work, one will be compelled to admit that elimination of child labour will be a distant dream as long as the socio-economic status of these families is not improved.

Realizing the harm caused by child labour, the Indian Government made laws to protect children from exploitation at work and to improve their working condition. Besides, a comprehensive law called Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act. 1986, was promulgated to prohibit employment of children in certain hazardous occupations and processes.

In 1987, the Indian government formulated National Police on Child Labour to protect the interests of children and focus on general development programmes for the benefit of children. As a part of this policy National Child Labour Projects have been set up in different parts of the country to rehabilitate child labour. Under these projects, special schools are established to prove non-formal education, vocational training, supplementary nutrition etc. to children who are withdrawn from employment.

Though elimination of child labour is an impossible task in the current socio-economic scenario, the Indian government is committed to the task of ensuring that no child remains illiterate, hungry and without medical care. When this ideal will be achieved is a million dollar question.

The development countries are exerting pressure on developing countries like India to eliminate child labour. According to the current thinking the developed countries may stop imports of those goods that involve child labour in their production. In some of our cottage industries like making of carpets, children are employed in larger numbers. These carpets, which are being exported, may soon lose their market abroad if the producers of these carpets persist with child labour.

Child labour is, no doubt, an evil that should be done away with at the earliest. The prevalence of child labour reflects very badly on society that is not able to stop this evil. But in a society where many households may have to suffer the pangs of hunger if the children are withdrawn from work, beggars can’t be choosers. These families have to send their children to work, even if the future of these innocents is ruined, as that is the only choice open for them to survive in this world. Therefore, unless the socio-economic status of the poor families is improved, India has to live with child labour.

ItsArticles.Blogspot.Com

Read More

How to write Essay on Corruption? [iTsArticles]

Introduction:
If two or more persons meet together and start talking about the present society of India, they soon come to the conclusion that every system, every institution of India is infested with corruption. Corruption has become so common in public life that people are now averse to thinking of public life without this phenomenon.

Meaning: But what does Corruption actually mean?
Corruption means perversion of morality, integrity, character of duty out of mercenary motives (e.g. bribery) without regard to honour, right or justice. In public life, a corrupt person is one who bestows undue favor on someone with whom; he has monetary or other interests (e.g. nepotism). Simultaneously, those who genuinely deserve those things as their right remain deprived.

Not a New Phenomenon:
Corruption in public life is not a modern phenomenon. It was prevalent in the political and civic life of even Maura period as has been discussed by Chanakya in the Arthassastra. (Give other examples)… But it is only recently that Corruption has become remnant in our public life. People no longer protest against corrupt practices, fight injustice or express any shock when big scandals are exposed.
Also corruption is not uniquely Indian phenomenon; it is witnessed all over the world (USA, Japan, Italy, etc.) Forms of corruption in India: Explain bribery, nepotism, theft and wastage of public property, dereliction of duty… etc.

Extent of Corruption:
Start with a hospital where a child is born and move further on to education – system, career opportunities, political system, judiciary, law and order, other day – to – day activities… till post – modern report and crematorium.

Results of Corruption:
Individual sufferings, people lose faith in the existing system, prevalence of chaos and ‘anarchy, society disintegrates, country becomes weak, foreign invasion may occur…’

Causes of Corruption:
It is a vicious circle. Start with those politicians, who run the state, come down to higher officials… then to the lowest rung of bureaucratic hierarchy. Lastly, come to the general people’. Who elect the” corrupt people as their representatives’ and expect special favors from them.

How to Eradicate Corruption:
A comprehensive code for ministers, members of legislature and political parties, - and such code should be strictly enforced; judiciary should be given more independence and initiative; law and order machinery should be allowed to work without political interference; a voluntary organization at national level should be established to break the vicious circle…

Conclusion:
Our entire system is bound to collapse if we do not rise the occasion and face the glaring truth with courage, foresight and patience…

ItsArticles.Blogspot.Com

Read More

Short essay on is corruption the price of Democracy [ItsArticles]

"Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by corrupt few."
—George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman

It is often quoted that monarchy is a merchantman, which sails well, but will sometimes strike on a rock and go to the bottom; a republic is a raft, which would never sink but your feet are always in the water. While absolutist or despotic governments are undoubtedly a no-no, democracy is one form which is in sync with the form and spirit of the citizenry of today.

For it must not be forgotten that while the institutions of governance, though they are important, they are not superior to the citizen. It is this individual who imparts all the meaning and importance to them.

However, with the passage of time this has been reduced to an idea that had existed sometime in the history of politics. As Ralph Waldo Emerson puts it, "Every actual State is corrupt...what satire on government can equal the severity of censure conveyed in the word politic, which now for ages has signified cunning, intimating that the State is a trick?" Quite true, for all the power now stands usurped from the citizens and the politicians and bureaucrats wield the clout.

Though India is one of the largest democracies in the world, with all the trappings of a well-defined structure— parties, assemblies, elections, free press etc—it still appears to be mere gimmickry, with rampant corruption almost everywhere.

In a democracy, the concept of people's participation is emphasized on. The people's participation in our democracy, though, is limited to casting ballot once in five years, and here too, the poor, illiterate and gullible folk are fooled into voting the same set of deceivers to power again and again.

And what a choice they have—an assorted list of those with criminal backgrounds, one set that is embroiled in a bank scam and the other in a hawala scam. If one has been caught taking money on camera, the other has been different in only the way that he has been clever enough not to get caught.

Political parties, as one would like to believe, are born of ideologies where like- minds confer and resolve to represent and work towards their common belief. As time goes by, the ideology is pushed back to gather dust and the personalities begin to take lead. The party that had originally given the men a standing is sidelined and the personalities start corrupting the body, and as a result their conduct is steadily governed by the rules of power play than by reasoning.

Looking at such a scenario, it is more than evident that simply holding sections does not signify a political democracy. The citizen of today would swear by the liberalism and advantages that are promised by the concept of democracy, but in truth he would rather not have the men who have twisted it to suit their end.
A democracy does not mean doling out largesse to benefit the supporters in order to retain them as supporters—giving away petrol pumps, gas agencies, various licenses, land etc—nor does it make room for nepotism. Yet, all this exists.

In a democracy, one does not have to bribe at every step of the way to get the smallest of things done, or to pass through an unwieldy bureaucratic tangle for the tasks that can be accomplished through simplest of procedures. And that is the very reason why the zeal and enthusiasm has been replaced by a general sense of frustration and apathy.

The representatives have been given a great deal of free hand. The current picture with the coalition governments is all the more bleak. Precious time, money and resources have been spent in just keeping the allies in good humor. (Public Welfare—well what is that? We'll see when we have time!). The principle that works here is that you scratch my back and I scratch yours, if not, then the 'dog eats dog' policy will operate.

The citizen has to realise that it is time to call for his due. In the existing state of affairs, there is no parity in, for instance, a government servant serves for minimum of fifteen years and maximum of thirty to forty years of his life and then gets entitled to receive pension, while a politician has to serve only a cushy five years where he may or he may not do any substantial work before he begins to get his pension.

In another notable condition, while the ordinary man knows nothing but waiting for the most basic of facilities, the big capitalists are gratified for they fill the coffers of the parties. The politicians use this money, gained through unlawful ways to fund the election campaigns, and therefore initiatives, like disclosure of assets are strongly resisted by this coterie.

It is ironical that the people's representatives must go abroad for medical treatment, while the masses do not even have access to primary health services in many areas. The birthdays of political bigwigs are celebrated in a manner that would berate the magnitude of celebrations on the occasion of a festival, while countless people are falling prey to factors like starvation—one of the many afflictions that plague the country.

Wisdom decrees that answer to the abuse of formal government lies in strengthening of the individual character and growth of the self beyond its narrow attitude. And crux of the matter is that all the efforts targeted at banishing corruption from our lives cannot bear fruit unless the existing democratic setup is given a shake up and reminded of its real essence that has unfortunately been long forgotten.

ItsArticles.Blogspot.Com

Read More

Descriptive notes on Corruption, Politics and Democracy [iTsArticles]

For centuries saints and sages have urged the people to eliminate graft and corruption from private as well as public life; there have been countless sermons against this deep-rooted menace that has eaten into the vitals of society, distorted all values and made mincemeat of morality, truth and virtue.

But the evil has grown to gigantic proportions and there is hardly any sphere of social, economic, political and even religious activity that is free from graft, deception and corruption of some kind. Like the air we breathe, it has become all-pervasive and entered every aspect of life to such an extent that it is now regarded as a fact of life and an evil we have to live with.

In fact, a time has come when very few eyebrows are raised when we are informed of a case of blatant bribery; it is so common, so usual and all too familiar. We give and take bribes in the sphere of education, government and private service, all branches of administration, trade and commerce, industrial activity; scrupulous honesty is rare; even temples and other places of worship are not free of it. Most of our politicians and legislators indulge in it without any qualms of conscience.

The great philosopher and reformer Edmund Burke warned the world in the 18th century that corrupt influence, which is itself the perennial spring of all prodigality and of all disorder; which loads us, more than millions of debt; which takes away vigor from our arms, wisdom from our councils and every shadow of authority and credit from the most vulnerable parts of our Constitution is a fast growing evil.

The conclusion has, in fact, been drawn that there was never anything devised by the wit of man which, in course of time, has not been corrupted. At one time, it was said that a society in which there is corruption cannot survive long, but this has proved to be a myth.

Corruption has continued, and even increased beyond measure, even as democracy has spread and civilisation has advanced; so it can no longer be asserted that democracy and corruption are incompatible; both are de­veloping fast, and simultaneously, and as far as human vision can go this duality will continue.
Hasn't the time come to accept this menace as inevitable, incurable, almost as the price of socialism, progress and civilisation?

It is all right to preach honesty and purity in life, but the preachers either live in a world far removed from reality, or are themselves hypocrites, talking of one thing but doing another, as if their left hand does not know what their right hand does—a veritable case of Jekyll and Hyde.

It is also wholly incorrect to say that our ancestors were fully honest people and that we should, therefore, follow their example. A close study of history shows that deception; dishonesty, conspiracy and corruption in vari­ous spheres of life have existed all through the ages.

Chanakya, the Machiavelli of India and the celebrated author of Arthashastra (which has been described as the manual of government in the times of the Maury as), specifically mentions 40 types of ways of embezzling government property.

Obviously, if corruption and embezzlement had not existed in those good old days, Chanakya would not have discussed this question in such detail. Graft and corruption have also been common during Mughal rule, during the regime of the East India Company, and during British rule also, though the opportunities for offering open bribes were fewer.

During the rule of the white "sahibs", the favours were secured through other ways—"dalis" for the "memsahib", receptions to officers on one pretext or the other and ever so many subtle ways to please the super bosses and bring them round step by step.

It is true, however, that the opportunities for bribery and palm-greas­ing have increased greatly with the dawn of Independence, and the growth of democracy and industry, the system of licenses and permits for setting up enterprises, securing quotas of raw materials, imports and exports and expan­sion of trade and commerce.
Consequently, the types of corruption have in­creased a thousand fold; the panorama is vast and baffling and beyond control however loud the talk of anti-corruption measures, stringent laws and of de­terrent sentences. Every few years there is much discussion of this problem which is described as the foremost issue in the country; corruption is condemned as a cancer in society, but then there is silence; the flush of enthusiasm fades away and life goes on in the same way.

The focus of atten­tion shifts to other more pressing problems of bread and butter and of politico survival; of new ministers and new parties and politicians, of enquiries and commissions and political witch-hunting, of majorities and minorities in Parliament and State legislatures.

Perhaps, the most ironic comment on the modern channels and type of corruption was by Mr K. Santhanam, Chairman of the Committee for Prevention of Corruption, appointed by the government of India some years ago. The ultimate sources of corruption, according to him, are (a) Ministers, (b) legislators, (c) political parties and (d) industrialists and merchants who seek favours from these three and are willing to pay for them. Item 6 of the terms of reference of the Committee was revealing by itself—"to suggest measures calculated to produce a social climate, both among public servants and in the general public, in which bribery and corruption may not flourish". This was an indirect admission that bribery and corruption were indeed flourishing among public servants and also the general public.

The observations made by the Committee in this connection are significant, because they stress one of the main sources of graft in the country, and also the fact that this source has not been tackled by the government. There is a large consensus of opinion, said the Committee, that a new tradi­tion of integrity can be established only if the example is set by those who have the ultimate responsibility for the governance of India, namely the ministers of the Central and State governments.

The problem is indeed dif­ficult and delicate. Ministers are the leaders of the political party which, by virtue of being in a majority or a partner in a coalition set-up, constitute the government. The Committee said that there was a widespread impression that failure of integrity is not uncommon among ministers and that some ministers who have held office for 10 to 15 years or so "have enriched themselves illegitimately, obtained good jobs for their sons and relations through nepotism, and have reaped other advantages inconsistent with any notion of purity in public life". The Committee felt that the general belief about the lack of integrity among ministers is as damaging as actual failure.

It was for this reason that the Administrative Reforms Commission expressed preference for a permanent authority to keep a continuous watch over ministers and suggested the setting up of a Lokpal, who would have the authority to enquire into allegations against a Central minister or his secretary and others.

The fact that ministers sometimes accept gifts in cash or kind is undeniable; several instances are known of ministerial corruption, but there has hardly been a case of a minister getting convicted or even publicly censured for dishonest practices. This also applies to politicians and legislators.

There have been many cases of such people accepting bribes. No wonder, there is a general belief that politics and democracy bring corruption in their wake; since politics and democracy are indispensable, corruption cannot be avoided; hence it must be tolerated as a necessary evil.

The standard or size of the bribe naturally differs from man to man, depending upon his status, his moral character, his inclinations and often the instigation and compulsions of his wife.

Every man, it is said, has his price, and by and large this has proved true. When the entire social and economic set-up breathes of what is called "speed money" to push things through, it is almost impossible to resist temptation—human beings are, after all, human beings. But the stink lies not only in the prevalence of the lure of gold, but in the hypocrisy that accompanies it.

Even after having accepted bribes the corrupt person talks the very next day of high moral standards and urges people from public platforms to follow Mahatma Gandhi's principles and be honest and pure and zealously, serve the nation.

Such hypocrisy compounds the offence, but our ministers, politicians and officials are getting thick-skinned; it is all a way of life, a routine, and hence may be described as unavoidable and a disease that is incurable. After all, when there is graft, deception and bribery, on a small or big scale at every step—in the administration, in the educational sphere, in legislatures and even, it is believed, in religious institutions—what is the relatively honest person to do but to fall in line?

Don't we also bribe the gods with gifts of all sorts, so-runs another argument. Promises and oaths of honesty are soon forgotten, and the norms return again. These norms are palm-greasing, extortions by politicians from industrialists, by inspectors from shopkeepers, by officials and clerks from the public and by everybody from everybody else, even for small favours. The vicious circle remains.

ItsArticles.Blogspot.Com

Read More