Halo 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Halo 4 - Essay Example Halos are a special ring like structures quite similar to Orbitals of the solar system. Halo: combat Evolved also known as Halo: CE or Halo is the first game of the Halo Series that was released in 2001 and considered as the Killer app for Xbox gaming system. About five million copies of Halo: CE was sold within four years after its release that forced Microsoft to launch its computer versions. Second part of the Halo sequel was launched in 2004 on Xbox and later the Microsoft version for computer in 2007. The game was improved with multiplayer maps. Also, players can alternatively choose the role of a human and alien in a war that made the game more interesting. Halo 3 is the third part of the halo sequel that concluded the ‘story arc’ which continued for the previous 2 parts of the series. Halo 3 sold more that US $170 million worth copies in the first day of release that broke all the previous records. A new version of Halo 3: ODST was released in 2009 known as â€Å"Orbital Drop Shock Troopers†. Players are given the choice of two modes of playing that they can choose from. One is ‘Campaign mode’ and the other is ‘Firefight’. It is a multiplayer game with more difficult enemy line to kill and survive for longer. After releasing Halo 3 in 2007, Bungie split up in two teams, one created the ODST version while others created Reach. It came up with a new story line taking place in 2552, where humans are locked with aliens. Covenant attack the human world and players fight them back by controlling the soldier named Noble Six. Halo: CEA is an advanced form of Halo: Combat Evolved. It was released alongside of Halo 4 in 2011 by a large number of companies. It was a more advanced game with extra-ordinary features including new maps, multiplayer, Xbox live service. The game was the first that supported the Kinect in the whole series. Halo 4 is the first part of the new trilogy that was named â€Å"Reclaimer Trilogy† It was

Why America should choose to drill for oil in Alaska Essay Example for Free

Why America should choose to drill for oil in Alaska Essay Drilling for oil in Alaska has been one of the most controversial topics in the United Stated for many years. Many U. S geologists have confirmed that billions of barrels of oil lie beneath the Alaskan coastal plain. In the east of Alaska lies The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge considered to be the largest oil field of North America. It is essential for United States to take a plunge in Alaska and seek out this viable opportunity. These fresh barrels of US oil will break away the country’s dependency on the oil rich Middle Eastern countries especially Iraq. The House of Representatives approved drilling in Alaska by passing an energy bill in Aug 2001. This year, the President of United States, lifted the ban on oil and gas drilling in Alaskas Bristol Bay Prices of oil have risen dramatically in the last few years and the nation’s dependency is becoming too costly. It is estimated by the U. S Department of Interior that â€Å"nine to 16 billion barrels of recoverable oil† can be extracted from ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) in North America. This amount of oil is enough to last the entire United States eighteen months. While these statistics might seem trivial but if â€Å"the US consumes about 20 million barrels of oil per day, and at a rate of 1. 5 million barrels per day from Alaska, 7. 5% of Americas oil consumption could be met for over 20 years† (Muhawi). Prices of oil will dramatically fall. These lowered prices of oil could radically improve the economical scenario of United States. In addition to this, American oil imports will also reduce by 15% with the help of the Alaskan oil. American imports are over 25% from the Middle East. Environmentalists who fear that habitats of caribou, polar bears, wolves, and many other species will be destroyed should relax because only 8 percent (1. 5 million acres) is being analyzed for development. This development will cause negligible environmental damage. It is incorrect for media to show snowcapped mountains and polar bears as news footage because it misleads audiences and makes them believe that drilling will be in those areas. Areas that will be drilled are on a small part of Alaska where humans already live. Alaska consists of protected land of 141 million acres which is almost equal to the area of California and New York together. So, the rest of Alaska will remain preserved in its true form. The National Academy of Sciences reported lately that oil drilling had troubled some endangered species and made whaling difficult however it has neither caused huge oil spills nor a decrease in migration of caribou. Caribou herd that passes through ANWR is predicted to be harmed by the drilling of oil. However, people are often unaware that since drilling started in Prudhoe Bay in 1977 it has actually lead to an increase in migration of the caribou herd from 3,000 to 23,000. Many cutting edge technologies are also being introduced to reduce and eradicate the negative effects of the drilling. Thousands of jobs and opportunities will also be created from drilling in Alaska. It is estimated that 250,000 to 735000 jobs will be created. (Drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge). This particular development would help the Alaskans by providing them with greater incomes and purchasing power. It has also benefited Alaskans by providing them with better healthcare and schools and other positive societal and economic effects. People who oppose drilling argue that excessive consumption of United States is a bigger problem. They believe that we should rather focus our energies towards consuming lesser oil. This is a great idea yet very hard to follow. Oil, gas and coal are responsible for running eighty-eight percent of America’s transportation, businesses, and housing needs. No technology, conservation or alternatives can replace these important fuels. Many years of research and testing will bring an alternative or a solution to this problem. Till then we have to rely on our fossil fuels. Another insignificant opposing view is that drilling maybe risky because it might not yield anything. It is also believed to be our last resort and could be used when all our other sources of oil have run out. Both of these views are supported by sentiment and not facts. It is important for the average American to weigh the facts surrounding this controversy and then decide whether Alaskan land should be allowed for drilling oil or not and not be swept away by mere emotion. WORKS CITED â€Å"Making the case for ANWR development†. ANWR. ORG. 2005. Retrieved: 4th http://anwr.org/

plato :: essays research papers

Plato's Symposium provides us with many different views and theories about love. This drunken discussion of Eros presents ideas which have not lost their relevance in the millennia since. Many things have changed and there have been a lot of different views on almost every subject known to man, but the thoughts voiced in the Symposium still hold truth today. However being what it was, and that is many different peoples thoughts on the subjectof Eros, there is a wide variety of theories to choose from. Which of these speculations strikes a chord of truth in one's soul? Diotima speaks through Socrates (who is speaking through Plato) when she gives her version of where love came from. She says that Love is the child of Resource and Poverty, conceived on the day that Aphrodite was born. Poverty had come to the feast to beg and found Resource drunk and passed out. Poverty saw an opportunity to gain more resources, so she slept with him and became pregnant with Love. Love is a follower of Aphrodite because He was conceived at the party following her birth, and because "He is naturally a lover of beauty and Aphrodite is beautiful"(Gill, 203c) Because of who His mother is Love is always poor and homeless. He is quite tough from sleeping on the ground or in doorways and from wearing no shoes. Because of who His mother is, He is always in need, but because of who His father is He is constantly scheming to get good and beautiful things. He's clever, and skilled in hunting, magic and acquiring knowledge. Neither immortal nor mortal, Love can spring to life in a day and then die before that day is over. He can come back to life again like his father Resource, but cannot hold onto the resources he has. Being between mortality and immortality, Diotima calls Love "a great spirit"(Gill,202e). These great spirits are sort of go-betweens for the Gods and Humanity. They convey prayers and sacrifices from us to the Gods, and commands and gifts from the Gods to us. Because of them the universe is all interconnected and whole. The Gods never communicate directly to Humans, but always use these spirits to convey their commands. These are what priests, prophets and oracles speak to. Love is also between wisdom and ignorance, since neither the gods nor the ignorant love wisdom. The Gods already have it so the do not desire it, therefore love has no part in it. The ignorant don't love wisdom or want it, because they are satisfied with themselves. Since they do not think they need wisdom, they do not desire or love it. plato :: essays research papers Plato's Symposium provides us with many different views and theories about love. This drunken discussion of Eros presents ideas which have not lost their relevance in the millennia since. Many things have changed and there have been a lot of different views on almost every subject known to man, but the thoughts voiced in the Symposium still hold truth today. However being what it was, and that is many different peoples thoughts on the subjectof Eros, there is a wide variety of theories to choose from. Which of these speculations strikes a chord of truth in one's soul? Diotima speaks through Socrates (who is speaking through Plato) when she gives her version of where love came from. She says that Love is the child of Resource and Poverty, conceived on the day that Aphrodite was born. Poverty had come to the feast to beg and found Resource drunk and passed out. Poverty saw an opportunity to gain more resources, so she slept with him and became pregnant with Love. Love is a follower of Aphrodite because He was conceived at the party following her birth, and because "He is naturally a lover of beauty and Aphrodite is beautiful"(Gill, 203c) Because of who His mother is Love is always poor and homeless. He is quite tough from sleeping on the ground or in doorways and from wearing no shoes. Because of who His mother is, He is always in need, but because of who His father is He is constantly scheming to get good and beautiful things. He's clever, and skilled in hunting, magic and acquiring knowledge. Neither immortal nor mortal, Love can spring to life in a day and then die before that day is over. He can come back to life again like his father Resource, but cannot hold onto the resources he has. Being between mortality and immortality, Diotima calls Love "a great spirit"(Gill,202e). These great spirits are sort of go-betweens for the Gods and Humanity. They convey prayers and sacrifices from us to the Gods, and commands and gifts from the Gods to us. Because of them the universe is all interconnected and whole. The Gods never communicate directly to Humans, but always use these spirits to convey their commands. These are what priests, prophets and oracles speak to. Love is also between wisdom and ignorance, since neither the gods nor the ignorant love wisdom. The Gods already have it so the do not desire it, therefore love has no part in it. The ignorant don't love wisdom or want it, because they are satisfied with themselves. Since they do not think they need wisdom, they do not desire or love it.

Sociological Theories Essay -- Papers Sociology Class Power Conflict E

Sociological Theories One of the sociological theories is conflict theory. The conflict theory deals with people's level on wealth, or class. The conflict theory says that social change is beneficial, contrary to focuses on social order. In the story of the woman and her children, the conflict theory plays a big role on the situation. Police of higher class are threatening the homeless woman. The conflict theory is a constant struggle of people of higher class over powering people of lower class, or the weaker. The police are trying to over power the woman by telling her to leave. Even though the woman and her children were doing nothing wrong, the police used their power to tell her to leave. Also the people of the area showed their conflict theory by telling the police officers to come. They must have felt embarrassed to have a woman of such lower class to be around them. They used their power of class to have the woman removed from their community. The woman wants to be there because she has no home and it is a good community to be in, but the people look at it as an embarrassment to them because it makes their area look bad for someone of such lower class to be around them. The conflict theory is unique to all other theories because it separates people into categories determined by their wealth and standards. Their status is the element that categorizes them, weather it is class, race, or gender. The conflict theory do not always use class, race, and gender all at once. In this situation race and gender is not a main issue, although gender could be a reason, but it would fall under the feminist theory. This story is mainly dealing with class. Through all this conflict the woman feels over powered and domina... ...one another and how they depend on each other. The last sociological theory is the feminist theory. This theory deals with human life through the experience of a woman. The woman in this situation may have felt proud at first for trying to take care of her children and keeping them in a good area. She was doing all she can to keep her children in good care. But then when the cops came she might have felt upset and independent. She may have felt like the cops didn?t give her a chance to help her children out and get back on her feet. The women in the area may have felt sorry for the homeless woman and saw her as too independent. So they might have wanted to give her help for her and the children by finding a good shelter home for them. The feminist theory is unique from all the other perspectives because it expresses things from a woman?s point of view.

Consider knowledge issues Essay

â€Å"That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow.† Consider knowledge issues raised by this statement in two areas of knowledge. Nowadays, due to for example technological development, every day can bring us a new knowledge. Something that yesterday was unthinkable, today turned into reality. Does that work in the opposite way? Does knowledge from hundreds of years ago is still considered as truth? Does knowledge have a period of validity? I found it very interesting considering the fact that most people believe in everything what famous scientists say. They are learning things, which are written in books or newspapers and they consider it as truth. But how do we know that something is truth? There are various of theories which are created every day and overturned after few days or even hours. While thinking about all knowledge theories, one question is coming to our mind, how do we know that previously accepted knowledge is timeless, and when it is accountable to be inverted as new thinking emerges? On those questions I will try to answer in my essay. To accurately answer the question posed in the task, areas of knowledge to which I am going to relate my work are history and human sciences. Technological development which was mentioned before allowed us to verify whether created theories are true or false. Theories from which we obtains our knowledge are changing constantly. Some of them could be overturned after they were assessed as unreliable. Such assessment can be done due to development which we already obtained. However, technology can also be used to improve the reliability of such knowledge. As an example of such theory I will use biological cell theory. In 1590, Hans and Zacharias Janssen invented a microscope under which in 1665 Robert Hooke firstly discovered cells, the basic units of structure and function of all living organisms. There was not many informations about this new discover. For years, scientists have expanded their knowledge about cells and they are doing it even now. Thanks to technology, now we know almost everything about cells. How they replicate, what they contain inside of them. The theory has been improved so this is still considered as reliable knowledge. Another example of improvement in sources of knowledge could be found in physics. In ancient Greece, Democritus discovered the smallest unit of matter – atom. Due to  many various experiments performed till now, theory about atom has changed many times and it is still not over. Scientists are always looking for new informations, therefore they are collecting new knowledge. From this knowledge new theories are created and then, by new technologies those are considered as true or false or improved. Another example of knowledge which was discarded after a long time is psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis is a method of understanding and treatment of human psychology and the theory allows to explain the different social and cultural phenomena. It was begun in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century by the Viennese physician Sigmund Freud. For many years, psychoanalysis was considered as the best method of treatment of mental disorders based on assumptions psychoanalytic theory. It assumes that the primary cause of the symptoms is unconscious memory, which involves strong emotions, resulting in a traumatic situation. Goal of psychoanalysis as a therapeutic method is to restore the consciousness of those memories. Critics of psychoanalysis as a scientific theory argue that it cannot be verified experimentally, so it cannot be classified as science, but only to literature, pseudoscience or para-science. In addition, many authors believe that Freud in many places falsify his observ ations to confirm his theory. Karl Popper took example of psychoanalysis as a theory unfalsifiable, and therefore unscientific. Unfalsifiable of psychoanalysis can be represented by the following example. A person smokes a cigar. Psychoanalysis claims that in this way this person satisfies his oral needs. If this person confirms, it would constitute proof of the veracity of the claims of psychoanalysis. If, however, deny that the reasons for the denial of that to be found in ignorance and denial. Thus, it also confirms the truth of the claims of psychoanalysis. Except Freud, there are many other psychoanalysts. As an example I will use Alfred Adler. Alfred Adler was an Austrian medical doctor and psychotherapist who found school of individual psychology. Different case in point how knowledge can be discarded we can find in case of penicillin. It was the first antibiotic found in 1928 by Alexander Fleming. Firstly, it was considered as the best known to humanity treatment for almost all the diseases. The mechanism of action of penicillin as  antibiotics by blocking the activity of bacterial enzymes. It lend a hand to a lot of people with their diseases and sufferings and it brought a great success to scientists which found it. They even got the Nobel Prize in 1945 for inventing penicillin. However, after a few years when penicillin was on the market, many people started to complain on side effects of penicillin. It turned out that a lot of them are allergic to penicillin and therefore they have huge problems with their health. Some people even had anaphylactic shock after first dose. Moreover, users of penicillin were complaining from fever, chilling, profuse sweating, cyanosis or hypotension. These facts have rejected the recogniti on of penicillin as the best antibiotic and therefore knowledge that penicillin is the best antibiotic was discarded. Nowadays due to technology we have much better kinds of antibiotics. Many of them are antiallergic and therefore may be used by all people suffering from different diseases. Except science, knowledge changes also on historical ground. It mainly refer to revisionist historians. History we learn is changing all the time, as revisionist historians change things so as to fit the truths more likely than it is. As it is known, history is always incomplete. There are many facts about we do not have a clue or we don’t know why something happened. Thanks to revisionist historians, old theories are in fact changed into the new ones, which are considered as better and therefore more accurate truth of the world is created. In this case, old theories are not discarded, but evolved to adjust to the flow of time and new informations possessed. Therefore, theories created by earlier generations are accepted but changed in future to fit the truth more likely. This brings us to consensus that even though a few years ago something was considered by historians as truth, today due to technology and revisionist historians it may be considered as totally different. As we can see, nothing stays forever on our planet. Everyday everything changes, new knowledge is discovered and new theories are created. World is constantly evolving and brings us new technology by which we can discover new informations and therefore knowledge. Psychoanalysis, discover of penicillin, cell theory, revisionist historians and discover of atom are all  an examples of how can knowledge change due to the passage of time and technology development. Taking this into consideration, the statement mentioned in the subject â€Å"That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow.† perfectly represents the idea and speed of development of modern world. Even though today we think that something is true and different theory is unacceptable, in few years or centuries it could be discarded or evolved into the new theory.

Why Presidents Use So Many Pens to Sign Bills Into Law

Why Presidents Use So Many Pens to Sign Bills Into Law Presidents often use several pens to sign a bill into law, a tradition dates back nearly a century  and continues to this day. President Donald Trump, for example, used several bill-signing pens on his first day in office when he put his signature on his first executive order,  instructing federal agencies to uphold the Affordable Care Act while also  working to minimize the unwarranted economic and regulatory burdens on American citizens and companies. Trump used so many pens and handed them out as souvenirs on Jan. 20, 2017, the day he was sworn into office, that he joked to staff: â€Å"I think we’re going to need some more pens, by the way ... The government is getting stingy, right?† Oddly enough, before Trump,  President Barack Obama  used nearly two dozen pens to sign that same legislation into law in  2010. Thats a lot of pens. Unlike his predecessor, Trump uses gold-plated pens from  A.T. Cross Co.  based in Rhode Island. The companys suggested retail price for the pens is $115 apiece. The practice of using several pens isnt universal, however. Obamas predecessor, President George W. Bush, never used more than one pen to sign a bill into law. Tradition   The first president to use more than one pen to sign a bill into law was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who served in the White House from March 1933 until April 1945. According to Bradley H. Pattersons To Serve the President: Continuity and Innovation in the White House Staff, the president used several pens to sign bills of high public interest during signing ceremonies in the Oval Office. Most presidents now use multiple pens to sign those bills into law. So what did the president do with all those pens? He gave them away, most of the time. Presidents gave the pens as commemorative souvenirs to members of Congress or other dignitaries who had been active in getting the legislation passed.  Each pen was presented in a special box bearing the presidential seal and the name of the president who did the signing,  Patterson writes. Valuable Souvenirs Jim Kratsas of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum told National Public Radio in 2010 that presidents have been using multiple pens so they can distribute them to lawmakers and others who were instrumental in shepherding the legislation through Congress at least since President Harry Truman was in office. As Time magazine put it: The more pens a President uses, the more thank-you gifts he can offer to those who helped create that piece of history. The pens used by presidents to sign important pieces of legislation are considered valuable and have shown up for sale in some cases. One pen showed up for sale on the Internet for $500. Examples Most modern presidents use more than one pen to sign landmark legislation into law.   President Bill Clinton used four pens to sign the  Line-Item Veto. He gave the pens to former Presidents  Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush, according to an account of the signing by Time magazine.Obama used 22 pens to sign health care reform legislation into law in March of 2010. He used a different pen for each letter or half letter of his name. This is gonna take a little while, Obama said. According to the Christian Science Monitor, it took Obama 1 minute and 35 seconds to sign the bill using those 22 pens.​President Lyndon Johnson used 72 pens when he signed the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Independent Study

Independent Study Sometimes gifted students want to learn about topics that are not offered at their own schools. Fortunately, these students do have an option when it comes to their studies. Independent study is a great way to shape a program to your own personal needs. What Is an Independent Study? An independent study is a course of study that a student pursues... well, independently. Students plan a course of study in cooperation with a willing advisor who also sticks around to make sure that the student stays on track and completes assignments and tests. Students pursue independent study for a variety of reasons. Usually, students look to independent study when they have an interest in a special topic that’s not offered at most high schools. Some examples of special topics would be courses like Asian-American history, British Literature, or Chinese language. Beware! There are a few things to consider before you begin. First, you must be sure that you have space for an elective course in your diploma program. Don’t attempt an independent study if there is a chance that it will send you off your diploma schedule! Secondly, you want to make sure that any pre-packaged course you choose is sponsored by a reputable institution. There are some seedy programs out there. How Does It Work? Generally, there are two types of independent study programs: pre-packaged courses and self-designed courses. You will find that there are many pre-packaged online programs available from colleges and universities around the nation. While independent study courses have been a part of college studies for a long time, high schools are just getting around to offering independent studies for students. As a matter of fact, if you attend a small high school you may find that there is no policy at all. You may be the first student to ask, which means you’ll have some work to do. Check with your counselor to make sure that an independent study will fit in your diploma program. Of course, you want to graduate on time! Once you know it’s feasible, you can initiate the process of independent study by asking a teacher or counselor to serve as advisor. You will work with the advisor to decide the type of program to pursue. Designing Your Own Independent Study If you decide to develop a program, you may need to come up with a proposal package that you will submit to a panel of teachers, the guidance counselor, or the principal. Again, every school will have its own policy. In your proposal, you should include a course topic description, a syllabus, a list of reading materials, and a list of assignments. Your advisor may or may not choose to test you on the material. Often the final research paper will suffice. Pre-Packaged Independent Study Programs Many universities offer high school-level online independent study courses or courses that you complete through the mail. University programs have many advantages. The programs have been designed by university staff, and quite often they are monitored by staff as well. They are less work for you and your advisor. However, they do have one big drawback. You guessed it- the price! Individual courses normally cost a few hundred dollars. You can sample a few programs that are available through Brigham Young University and the University of Oklahoma.

Free Essays on Family Traditions

Family Traditions What is the meaning of tradition? According to Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary: An inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or social custom); the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or example from one generation to another without written instruction; cultural continuity in social attitudes and institutions. When I think of traditions, I immediately think of family traditions- things that we do for certain events year after year. One in particular comes to mind. It was a cold and rainy Christmas Day. My mother was the first one up, already preparing the homemade cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate that we always had for breakfast. She woke me up next so I wouldn’t miss the first hour of the Christmas Parade. While watching the parade, I had the dutiful task of taking the decoration pictures. I was to go around the house and take a picture of how everything looked, from the tree all the way down to the cinnamon rolls. This year though was different. For the first time, we had two trees, one in the Family Room and one in the Formal Living Room, and our dinning room was finally complete with twenty-three angels total on the plant shelf. After taking al the pictures, my little sister Christine was to be awaken and then coffee made for our father. After coffee was made, all of t he women in his life came into the master bedroom to wake him up with the usual out of tuned sound of Joy to the World followed by a high pitched rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas. This would usually wake him up so we could all rush down to the piano and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus in our Manger by the fireplace. After singing Happy Birthday, we would then all bring out our Bibles and read Jesus’ birth. As a family, we never wanted to lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas, why we are all so blessed to be in thi... Free Essays on Family Traditions Free Essays on Family Traditions Family Traditions What is the meaning of tradition? According to Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary: An inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or social custom); the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or example from one generation to another without written instruction; cultural continuity in social attitudes and institutions. When I think of traditions, I immediately think of family traditions- things that we do for certain events year after year. One in particular comes to mind. It was a cold and rainy Christmas Day. My mother was the first one up, already preparing the homemade cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate that we always had for breakfast. She woke me up next so I wouldn’t miss the first hour of the Christmas Parade. While watching the parade, I had the dutiful task of taking the decoration pictures. I was to go around the house and take a picture of how everything looked, from the tree all the way down to the cinnamon rolls. This year though was different. For the first time, we had two trees, one in the Family Room and one in the Formal Living Room, and our dinning room was finally complete with twenty-three angels total on the plant shelf. After taking al the pictures, my little sister Christine was to be awaken and then coffee made for our father. After coffee was made, all of t he women in his life came into the master bedroom to wake him up with the usual out of tuned sound of Joy to the World followed by a high pitched rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas. This would usually wake him up so we could all rush down to the piano and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus in our Manger by the fireplace. After singing Happy Birthday, we would then all bring out our Bibles and read Jesus’ birth. As a family, we never wanted to lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas, why we are all so blessed to be in thi...

Energy and society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Energy and society - Essay Example Large-scale federal regulation was then enacted which allowed individuals to construct generators and encouraged the power pools into independent system operators whose supply schedule was determined through auction, a move which further complicated the grid system, though no direct regulation of individual operators was put into place. However, following erroneous actions resulting in catastrophic far-flung blackouts in 2003, the Federal Energy Regulation Commission was empowered to impose new rules and regulations on grid management by way of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation which refined the qualification requirements and licenses needed for human operators (Wald, n.p.). b) Though Professionals in energy management are highly paid, complying with federal regulations requires a refined skill set including technical engineering knowledge as well as participation in ongoing education and training while maintaining valid licensing. The strict requirement for grid management work limits the scope of recruitment and there are only currently 6,000 (approx.) qualified professional in the United States. Besides the technical knowledge and skill required, certain personality traits encourage better performance in this work. The ability to function harmoniously with a group and maintain disciplined adherence to alternating 12 hour shifts and training while performing adequately in power distribution. These personality qualities are the same as those present in people who have previous experience in military settings, as they have these attributes innately and/or have already been familiarized with regimented scheduling and team skills (Wald, n.p.). a) Technical advancements coupled with environmental concerns have led to a new area of energy consumption which electricity distribution managers have had to compensate for in the fluctuating

Peshawar Terrorists Attacks Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Peshawar Terrorists Attacks - Article Example It has always been believed that Islam does not support the acts of terrorism. However, terrorism has been seen so much to be associated with Islam across the world. However, in many cases, in as much as Islam has been associated with the on-going terror attacks in the world, it has been lenient to its followers. Rarely will you hear that Muslims attacked other Muslims? It is because of this that the Tuesday attack in Peshawar, Pakistan, is considered an extreme act of Islamism. The fact that Taliban militia had claimed responsibility, makes it be confirmed that this was a war that was executed by Muslims against Muslims. Several Islamic world leaders have come out strongly to condemn the act of terror that took place on Tuesday at Peshawar. For instance, the Nobel Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai has condemned the cold blood killing if the innocent lives of school children (Sofia & Greg, 2014). Remembering the fact that she was also a victim of shooting in Pakistan as a school student when she was shot on her way to school, she has urged that those who are opposed to Islamic militant violence ‘will never be defeated.’ She reiterated that she was condemning such atrocious act and cowardly act and is in unity with the government and the military men of Pakistan in combating the terrorists. She also joined other millions of leaders and other people across the world to mourn the killed children, who are her brothers and sisters, as she stressed that the country will never be defeated in combating the terrorists. The British politicians and leaders also joined hands in condemning the attack that left around 131 school children dead. The British government, through the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, described the scenes that were unfolding in the city of Peshawar as horrifying and appalling as it targeted school children.  

The films we have screened in the second part of the course display Essay

The films we have screened in the second part of the course display some reactions to the challenges (social, political, cultura - Essay Example In this way, each of the main characters in each of these films represented the way that change is inexorable, even if society doesn't really want it, because these figures do not fight for change. They are witnesses to the changes, on the sidelines, yet, at the same time, are driving the revolutions that they are a part of. This is true of all three films – they are not necessarily portraits of people who are railing against the establishment so much as they are portraits of people who, ironically, don't really care about the establishment. This is what makes their characters so ironic and poignant at the same time. For instance, Wyatt and Billy are the ultimate nihilistic characters. One could see that, within their heads, there was never a thought that they would bring about the cataclysmic changes that men like them brought about in the 1960s. After all, the hippies were the ones who helped to end the Vietnam War, who helped usher in a period of civil rights, who preached the gospel of peace and love and freedom. They were the counterculture who helped change the dominant culture, yet there was no sense that these two men even realized how important they were in the big scheme of things. They literally were drifters – they rode their bikes, smoked a lot of weed, picked up a hitchhiker and stayed on the commune for a few days. Then they â€Å"crashed† a parade by riding in it as a joke – this got them put into jail, where they met a drunken ACLU lawyer, picked him up and brought him along on their adventure. That lawyer was killed in their camp, and they continued on their way, virtually as if nothing happened, and had a great meal and a visit to a prostitute by using the money found in George, the dead lawyer's, wallet. They give LSD to the two prostitutes, have an interesting trip in the graveyard by the Mardi Gras parade, continue on their way, and both of them soon end up dead. The nihilism of these two is shown in just about everything that happens to the two. Everything's all good, really, even though Billy does try to protest about certain things – the first hippy they pick up pumps gas for them, and there is money in that tank, which makes him paranoid, but Wyatt assures him its all good. They go to the commune and get in with that lifestyle for a little while, admiring the fact that they are living off the land. But what shows the ultimate in their nihilism is how they treated George – the man was beat to death in their camp, and, while they did seem sad about it, they weren't so broken up about it that they used George's money to treat themselves to wine, women and song. The film doesn't even show what they do with the body – presumably they left the body there in the woods, with the sleeping bag covering it. What the film is also trying to show is the struggle that the counterculture had against the dominant culture, assuming that the dominant culture is represented by the pol icemen who arrested them for â€Å"parading without a license,† the men who beat them up in their camp, or the hillbillies who killed them in the end. Which makes their nihilism all the more ironic, because they weren't struggling against the dominant culture at all, so much as they were in their own little bubble of a world. This was

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - Essay Example It is quite unfortunate that over the past three decades the research has not shown much progress, it has focused only on the pathogenic roles of cigarette smoke, inflammation, protease and antiprotease balance. Research has also established an association of COPD with cigarette smoking; and patients with emphysema are known to suffer from a gene deficiency in an inhibitor of a neutrophils protease (Stang et al, 2000). The theory of cigarette-inflammation-protease has done a lot in the field of COPD epidemiology and pathology but is not able to reduce the pervasiveness and morbidity caused by COPD. It is therefore imperative to impose an urgent necessity for research in this area. The research is directed to sustain novel concepts and innovative experimental approaches and techniques pertinently suitable to COPD research. The research is also directed to explicate the cellular pathways involved in COPD pathogenesis. This is a step helpful in clinical trials of potential therapeutics. Explanation of these pathways is the step to develop a capability of pharmaceutical industry to design the mechanism specific drugs. (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/meetings/workshops/copd_wksp.htm) The anonymity of COPD pathogenesis: COPD encompasses emphysema and chronic obstructive bronchitis, both these conditions relentlessly limits airflow that is not significantly reversed by bronchodilators. COPD progressively turn down the pulmonary functions with a rapid pace as compared to that in normal aging. Stimulating factors known to induce changes in animal lungs are cigarette smoke, pancreatic elastase, bacterial lipopolysaccharides, cadmium, chloramine-T, oxidants, silica, and rigorous malnourishment (Shapiro, 2000). It is established that many apparently dissimilar pathways are capable of causing emphysema or bronchitis,

Organizational behavior during an economic crisis Essay

Organizational behavior during an economic crisis - Essay Example Moreover, sudden changes in circumstances and events bring their own set of complications. The financial crisis that is affecting individuals, companies, industries, countries and whole regions demands more than the simple and traditional ideas of motivation. This study surveys the European car industry by taking a closer look at the industry in two specific countries viz. Germany and the Czech republic. The problems being faced by carmakers in these countries are highlighted to serve as examples of what the industry is experiencing. This provides the background for the typical motivational issues arising during the ongoing financial crisis. Methods are then suggested that could be effective during this crisis, and an explanation is offered at the outset as to why the motivation method used during crises would be different from the period before the crises. â€Å"Motivation in an organizational setting is a social process in which some members try to influence others, to work harder, work smarter, work more effectively.† (Buchanan, 1997: 83) Whether there is a crisis or not, this remains the same under all conditions unless the organization does not seek to be progressive any longer. The organizational goals are the same, and the same tools used to keep employers engaged and motivated are employed except that priorities change in line with the change in contextual circumstances. Taylor’s scientific approach to organizational management may seem to be appropriate for a mechanical production industry as the car industry is, but people are not mere mechanical beings like cars. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs provides a better identification of the needs of workers and therefore is a model for employee motivation, at least under normal conditions. Effective task fragmentation however could provide a basis for improving efficiency. Maslow’s lower categories identify physiological, safety, social and esteem needs. The first covers basic needs of food and

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - Essay Example It is quite unfortunate that over the past three decades the research has not shown much progress, it has focused only on the pathogenic roles of cigarette smoke, inflammation, protease and antiprotease balance. Research has also established an association of COPD with cigarette smoking; and patients with emphysema are known to suffer from a gene deficiency in an inhibitor of a neutrophils protease (Stang et al, 2000). The theory of cigarette-inflammation-protease has done a lot in the field of COPD epidemiology and pathology but is not able to reduce the pervasiveness and morbidity caused by COPD. It is therefore imperative to impose an urgent necessity for research in this area. The research is directed to sustain novel concepts and innovative experimental approaches and techniques pertinently suitable to COPD research. The research is also directed to explicate the cellular pathways involved in COPD pathogenesis. This is a step helpful in clinical trials of potential therapeutics. Explanation of these pathways is the step to develop a capability of pharmaceutical industry to design the mechanism specific drugs. (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/meetings/workshops/copd_wksp.htm) The anonymity of COPD pathogenesis: COPD encompasses emphysema and chronic obstructive bronchitis, both these conditions relentlessly limits airflow that is not significantly reversed by bronchodilators. COPD progressively turn down the pulmonary functions with a rapid pace as compared to that in normal aging. Stimulating factors known to induce changes in animal lungs are cigarette smoke, pancreatic elastase, bacterial lipopolysaccharides, cadmium, chloramine-T, oxidants, silica, and rigorous malnourishment (Shapiro, 2000). It is established that many apparently dissimilar pathways are capable of causing emphysema or bronchitis,

Maos policy of Politics in Command set the agenda for the Chinese Essay

Maos policy of Politics in Command set the agenda for the Chinese economy for the last half of the 20th century in China. Do you agree with the statement Wh - Essay Example In the first half of the twentieth century state policy eliminated private industry and commerce resulting to a high degree of centralized and unified planned economy. But despite this the party-state showed symptoms of incapacity in terms of confronting modernization and economic growth. Aiko Ikeo (1997) cited an example: In the early stages of the creation of New China, the method of ‘three persons’ food eaten by five’ was carried out, in an effort to assist the unemployed. During the First Five-year Plan, unemployment was basically eliminated, but because of the lower level of productive forces, in order to guarantee universal employment and individual entitlement to rations, only low-wage policies could work†¦ The parity pattern of low wages, high employment and low consumption cause universal overstaffing, inefficiency and low benefits. (p. 166) By 1960 Mao Zedong launched the self-reliance model anchored on the guiding thought of â€Å"politics in command†. This theory stressed the replacement of personal desire for material and economic interests with noble political sentiments and selfless devoted spirit. This guiding thought replaced the equalitarian thought of equal wealth distribution policy in the 1950s. (Ikeo, p. 166) The basic theme of this campaign was the proper relationship between politics and business, with the basic goal of ensuring that politics is placed at the fore. More importantly, this introduced a decentralization drive which sought to give the party more control over the economy. This was achieved by having the provincial party committees supervise economic enterprises and perform a coordinating role. (Bailey 2001, p. 170) In an effort to achieve greater party control, the influence of central planning ministries was reduced. The ‘politics in command’ policy was implemented, in effect abolishing the previous equalitarian thoughts of equal

Inclusive Instructional Strategies & Accommodations Essay Example for Free

Inclusive Instructional Strategies Accommodations Essay Diana Pastora Carson is a special education teacher and founder of Ability Awareness in Action organization. She always had an interest in changing the lives of disabled people from pitiful life and exclusion to inclusion and life full of dignity and hope. The concern in Diana’s nature came from presence of a brother who was preserved from others as a disabled and dependent human being. Diana’s Brother, Joaquin, was diagnosed with Autism at an early age. While he was in school, he had been placed in an exclusive classroom for students with significant mental retardation. He was twice placed in a state institute due to misunderstanding of his character and his attempts to communicate with his services. Currently, Joaquin resides in a state institute, where he is ill, emotionally and physically, from being locked up in a building away from his friends and family. He expressed his feelings about living in such environment to his sister in a painful way as he once said: â€Å"Diana, people are so boring here†. His family has been trying to get him out of there as soon as possible. They have also taken his case to the court and are waiting for the final decision to be made. They want to get Joaquin out of there and bring him in a home of his own with people who love him instead of staying in that institute any longer. The training, titled ‘Inclusive Instructional Strategies and Accommodations’, is about including all children, whether they have a disability or not, in general education classrooms specifically, and in the community, generally. Everybody deserves to belong to and live in their communities. A teacher has an enormous role in making all students belong to that classroom through her knowledge about each and every student of his/hers, and through recognizing uniqueness in each one of them. This should make the teacher create a supportive environment that meets each student’s needs, and an atmosphere that promotes acceptance of differences and diversity, learning, hope, and collaboration. Moreover, the teacher is responsible for building a curriculum that meets each student’s level and accommodates tests and homework. A great teacher would avoid labels that discriminate individuals with disabilities to avoid lower expectations. Those labels may help professionals recognize what disabilities the students have, in order to provide them with services that meet their needs. However, people within the same label or disabilities may vary; therefore, we cannot always judge someone based on the labels. Moreover, it is very unprofessional to address someone by his/her disabilities as no one likes to be looked at for something that they did not choose for his/her self and it may affect his/her self-confidence. Students’ dignity must be preserved by the teacher and whoever is around, for instance, peers, and family. Professionals working with disabled people should advocate the community about appreciation of diversity and encourage students to speak out their thoughts, make choices, and blend in the society. Most importantly, the teachers should listen to students attentively; look at their body language, written expressions, and vocalization for effective communication. During the training, many strategies and activities to develop a classroom community were shared by Diana, such as setting roles for the classroom, encouraging reading books that promote diversity and discussions, and different cooperative games. Diana also explained how a customized lesson should be designed as a teacher must know her/his students in order to alter lessons based on each student’s needs. Teachers should also know how to model, guide, and measure students’ independent achievements through knowledge of students’ strengths and limitations. Diana enlightened the importance of giving students’ time to process new information, retrieve old information, and speak out their answers. It is very important to break the lesson into smaller parts along with asking questions in between to check students’ comprehension and to encourage discussions about the lesson. It is very essential to bring movement and interaction into the curriculum, serve the different types of intelligences and most importantly honor every student for who he/she is and be aware of the impact teaching will have on his/her future life. Furthermore, visual aids can assist students in organizing their thoughts, memorizing them, and make learning more enjoyable and personal to them. Finally, commitment to learning, inclusion of all children, and building a quality future for each child is a must step for developing a loving community where everyone belongs. By having a brother with a disability, whose community isolated him from others by not providing him with education programs that serves his needs, making public places inaccessible for him, and not advocating the public about disabilities, Diana has learned to honor diversity and anyone who is working towards treating people with disabilities with dignity and respect. It has encouraged her to change the lives of those who are different from normal people, whether with a disability or not. It has motivated her to include all of them in a classroom that promotes collaboration, understanding, and hope. Furthermore, it has opened her eyes to the importance of advocating the society about disabilities and their inclusion, to change the image and future of the disabled in the community.

Vibrational frequencies of water molecule

Vibrational frequencies of water molecule Question 1 Normal modes and vibrational frequencies of water molecule HF/3-21* optimised geometry of the water molecule H bond length 0.967 HOH bond angle 107.7 (ii) Energy of the HF/3-21G optimised water molecule = -75.58596 au Cycle Energy Max. Grad. Max. Dist. 1 75.58553 0.01246 0.00304 2 75.58589 0.00324 0.00025 3 75.58596 0.00001 0.00000 Frequency (cm-1) Relative Motion Stretch or Bend Type Symmetry (S or A) 1799.2 Bend A1 S 3812.2 Stretch A1 S 3945.8 r Stretch B1 A HOD Energy 75.58596 au Geometry Bond angle 107.7 Bond length 0.967 Vibrational frequencies 1578.7 H moves faster than D symmetric 2815.3 D moves quickly whereas H moves slightly asymmetric 3881.7 H moves quickly whereas D moves slightly asymmetric Normal modes and vibrational frequencies of the water dimmer (H2O)2 Hydrogen-Bond Acceptor Hydrogen bond Hydrogen Bond Donor Hydrogen bond length (HO) = 1.808 Hydrogen bond angle (O-HO) = 174.9 Energy of the F/3.12G optimised water dimer = -151.18902 au (a) Potential energy calculation: ΔE = E(dimer) 2xE(H2O) = (-396 871.2KJ/mol) 2x(-198 413.2KJ/mol) = (-396 871.2) (-396 826.3) = 44.9 KJmol-1 (b)As seen from the surface diagram for H2O, the oxygen has negative charge (ÃŽ ´-) whereas the hydrogens are positively charged (ÃŽ ´+). In the water dimer molecule, the hydrogen atoms (on the H-bond donor oxygen) are ÃŽ ´+/blue region. The oxygen atom that is bonded to the hydrogen that is the H-bond acceptor has ÃŽ ´- charge/red region. Between in the H-bond, the positive(H) and negative(O) charges combine/green region. The hydrogen bond is formed between one of the H atoms and one O, instead between the two oxygens, because the two oxygen atoms are negatively charged, and have ÃŽ ´-, and therefore repulsive interactions are formed between them. So, one H reacts with the O, which donates one of its lone pairs to form the H-bond. In the structure of the molecule, the HO bond is almost linear, very close to 180 but it is distorted so it is about 175. Also, the distortion causes the bond HO to become longer. (c) For the water molecule: H bond length = 0.967 For the water dimer: H bond length of H-bond donor = 0.965 H bond length of H-bond acceptor = 0.966, 0.974 (H of H-bond) The H bond length of the hydrogen of the H-bond is bigger than the other O-H bonds in the molecule. This is because this H is bonded to the oxygen through the H-bond, and it is pulled towards the oxygen, causing its bond with the other oxygen to become a bit longer. Question 2 The water dimer consists of two fragments, the H-bond acceptor (top OH2 group) and the H-bond donor (bottom OH2 group). When a vibration causes both fragments and H-bond to move, then it is considered to be the inter-monomer because it is a vibration between the two molecules. If only one of the fragments vibrates, then the vibration is only in one of the molecules (it is internal) and it is considered to be an intra-monomer. The vibrational frequencies of the water dimer are the following: Frequency = 81 cm-1 Type = A Bending Mode Top part of the molecule moving slightly up and down, while the two bottom hydrogens move up and down as well Inter-monomer: The vibration affects both molecules connected through the hydrogen bond. Frequency = 133 Type = A Bending mode Top part and bottom part moving right and left. Inter monomer Frequency = 172 Type = A Bending mode Middle hydrogen moving right and left and two bottom H atoms moving up and down symmetrically (when one is up, other is down) Inter Monomer Frequency = 242 Type = A Stretching Mode Inter monomer Frequency = 425 Type = A Bending Mode The H-bond acceptor fragment moves to the front and then back, and the H-bond donor fragment moves up and down as well. Inter-monomer Frequency = 826 Type = A Bending mode The H of the H-bond (middle H) is moving to the right and left, causing the rest of the molecule to move in that way as well Inter-monomer Frequency = 1782 Type = A Bending Mode The hydrogen atoms on the H-bond donor fragment move up and down to the sides going further away and then coming closer. Intra-monomer Frequency = 1854 Type = A Bending Mode The hydrogen atoms on the H-bond acceptor fragment separate and go further away and then come closer together again. Intra-monomer Frequency = 3724 Type = A Stretching mode The hydrogen forming the H-bond moves closer to the oxygen of the H-bond and then further from it, causing the O-H bond to come smaller and the HO bond to become bigger, and the opposite. Intra-monomer Frequency = 3849 Type = A Stretching mode The hydrogen atoms move symmetrically so that their bonds with the O of the H-bond donor are becoming bigger (stretch out) and then smaller. Intra-monomer Frequency = 3907 Type = A Stretching mode The O-H bond of the H not involved in the H-bond acceptor fragment is stretching out, causing the bond to become longer, while the bond of the oxygen with the other H, which is involved in the H-bond, becomes shorter. Intra-monomer Frequency = 3982 Type = A Stretching mode It is an unsymmetrical movement, where one O-H bond in the H-bond donor fragment becomes shorter and the other longer. Intra-monomer Question 3 Isotopic substitution in the water dimer Free Energy (H-TS) = 37.8 ΔÎâ€" Total = 127.5 Free Energy (H-TS) = 39.7 ΔÎâ€" Total = 126.5 ΔG = G(B) G(A) = 39.7KJmol-1 37.8KJmol-1 = 1.9 KJ/mol K = e(-ΔG/RT) = exp(-1.910-3Jmol-1/8.314JK-1mol-1x298K) = 1.00000077 Deuterium prefers the position shown in B (connected to the oxygen of the H-bond acceptor fragment, but doesnt take part directly in the H-bond) because the molecule has higher free energy for this arrangement. Question 4 Interconversion of water dimer structures Frequency = i302 Type = B1 Frequency = 105 Type = B2 Frequency = 208 Type = A1 Frequency = 225 Type = B1 Frequency = 256 Type = A2 Frequency = 591 Type = B2 Frequency = 1785 Type = A1 Frequency = 1831 Type = A1 Frequency = 3829 Type = A1 Frequency = 3862 Type = A1 Frequency = 3952 Type = B1 Frequency = 3961 Type = B2 Acyclic water dimer Cyclic water dimer The acyclic water molecule energy is 3.96910-5 KJmol-1 whereas the energy of the cyclic one is -. The cyclic molecule is less stable than the acyclic one because its ability to move around is effectively reduced compared to the acyclic one, due to the two bonds formed between the oxygen of one molecule and the two H of the other molecule. The imaginary frequency has the value of i306.9. One of the middle hydrogens moves up while the other moves down, in an unsymmetrical movement as shown in the pictures above. For the acyclic water dimer there are no imaginary frequencies and it corresponds to the valley. This shows that it is very stable and this structure is preferred. The cyclic molecule contains one vibrational frequency and this suggests that it is not as stable as the acyclic one. It corresponds to the hilltop of molecule-mountain. If a molecule has more than one vibrational frequency it corresponds to the mountain passes and it is a very unstable and unfavoured structure for the molecule to be at, which most probably does not exist. The cyclic structure is not very stable, and therefore it is not preferred over the acyclic one. Question 5 Syn-butane: No imaginary frequencies à   Valley à   stable structure, highly favoured Boat cyclohexane: ne imaginary frequency à   Hilltop à   fairly unstable, exists but not preferred All-syn cyclohexane: More than one imaginary frequencies à   Mountain Pass à   does not exist, very unstable

Catholic and Christians Missionaries in Africa Essay -- African Histor

Marlow, the main character in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, is fascinated by unknown areas of the world and also enjoys the feeling of being afloat on water. To quench this curiosity of the mysterious, he ventures into the wilderness to face the adventures that lay inside the â€Å"heart of darkness†, Africa. Unbeknownst by him at first, Marlow is viewed as a missionary: the man that will bring light to the â€Å"dark† continent (Heart 3). In The Heart of Darkness, Marlow’s aunt refers to him as an â€Å"emissary of light, something like a lower sort of apostle†. It is obvious that Marlow is regarded as a missionary, although in his mind, he is simply going to Africa to complete a job. However, there were 1.6 million Evangelical Christians (people committed to converting people to Christianity) in Africa at the time that Joseph Conrad was writing Heart of Darkness (Vermeulen 2). The first of these missionaries were Portuguese Catholics that were accompanying seafaring explorers. They first arrived in Sub-Sahara Africa in the 1400s and immediately saw their toil come to fruition when â€Å"Kingdo...

Taoism in Chinese Culture Essay examples -- Taoism Chinese Culture Tao

Taoism in Chinese Culture Taoism, known as â€Å"The Way,† can be categorized as both a Chinese philosophy and a religion. Taoists believe in accepting and yielding to the ways of life, complementing nature and being by internalizing their goals rather than worshipping a god externally. Taoism, in its metaphysical and philosophical nature, is much like Confucianism, but the ideal interests of the two religions are contrasting. Confucianism was formulated during a time of war and relies heavily upon a moral and political system that fashioned society and the Chinese empire, while Taoism correlates to a time of peace and honors spiritual and metaphysical preoccupation (Taoism 2). The supposed author of the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu, is said to be the father of Taoism. It is estimated that Lao Tzu, spelled many other ways including Lao-tsu, Lao Tse, and Lao Tzi, was born under the name of Li Erh in Honan, China, around 604 B.C.E. Myth says that Lao Tzu was born fully developed with a long, white beard and hair the color of snow. He was somewhat of a recluse and withdrew from society to avoid governmental law and rule. He retreated to the Western frontier after the fall of the Zhou dynasty to continue his personal study of metaphysics and philosophy (Taoism 2). The collaborations of his studies and observations are said to be the basis of the Tao Te Ching, although some scholars argue that Lao Tzu’s existence cannot be proved and that the scholar Chuang-tzu played at least a partial role in the authorship. However the Tao Te Ching came to be, it is prized for being the foundation of Taoist belief and should hold merit as a universal guide, not as an aut hor’s accomplishment (De Bary, Chan, and Watson 49). There are t... ...e and space and is therefore attainable to each individual who is ready to be released from the bonds of the physical. The Tao is perfection, a place where yin and yang come together and all that lives in diversity finds unity. Works Cited De Bary, Wm. Theodore, Wing-Tsit Chan, and Burton Watson, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition. NewYork: Columbia UP, 1960. Feibleman, James K. Understanding Oriental Philosophy: A Popular Account for the Western World. New York: Horizon, 1976. Robinson, B.A, â€Å"Taoism.† Religious Tolerance.org. 28 August 2000. 15 September 2000 . Smullyan, Raymond M. The Tao is Silent. New York: Harper & Row, 1977. â€Å"Taoism.† Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 1999-2000 ed. 19 September 2000 .

The Ethical Dilemma of THE FIRM

There are a number of ethical dilemmas that are quit obvious on the surface in THE FIRM and play a large role in the development of the narrative. These dilemmas revolve around criminal activity and are obvious. The ethical dilemmas that the main character faces are that of whether or not to continue his relationship with illegal activity or to abandon his complicity of the illegality. This is, of course, compounded by the fact that the authorities realize what is going on and will prosecute the main character if he does not aid them and if he does aid them he will risk discover and, possibly, assassination. Again, while much of the narrative and the ethical dilemmas that resonate from it are obvious, there are also a number of subtle ethical dilemmas that equally contribute to the overt dilemmas that the viewer is clearly aware. Consider how Mitch McDeere, the main character, finds himself in the position that he is in, in the first place. McDeere is not a wealthy man and he supports himself through law school by working as a waiter. He is marries and we must logically assume that his wife is also financially supporting him as a waiter’s tips could never finance a full time law degree course load. (A visual motif is employed when we first see Mitch and his wife – they are eating Chinese take out food right out of the cartons. A cheap device to hint that they are short on cash) Mitch is seemingly humbled by his experience and there is a bit of inferiority found within his perception of himself. When the job offer to work at a law firm in Memphis arises, McDeere is enamored with the job for one reason and one reason alone: money. The Memphis firm simply pays the best and it is located in an area where the cost of living is low. Because of this, McDeere will reap cash rewards and, as a result, cleanse himself and his psyche of the inferiority complex that he developed pinching his budget in order to survive. Of course, this also has created a tunnel vision approach to accepting the job offer and McDeere accepts his job offer from a firm he knows relatively little about. Because he rushes into the union based solely out of a desire for a quick profit, he leaves himself woefully vulnerable as he enters a world that is hardly what it seems. He is not so much entering the legal profession as he is entering the criminal profession as the law firm is heavily involved with organized crime and money laundering. For McDeere’s wife, the dilemma becomes one that conflicts her. Should she stay in the marriage and risk her life or should she leave her husband to his own fate? For McDeere’s mentor, Avery Tolar, his dilemma is that he must convince McDeere to literally reshape his own ethical beliefs so as to accept a life of crime. If he can not convince McDeere of this, Tolar is then faced with the dilemma of what to do with McDeere. In other words, Tolar may be forced to have someone whom he considers a surrogate son assassinated. Therein lies a number of complexities within the framework of THE FIRM: the dilemmas posed to McDeere are interrelated with other characters and, ultimately, the dilemma is rooted not so much in the narrative’s complexities as much as they are rooted in the complexities of the motivations of McDeere. This is further compounded by the fact that McDeere’s motivations have shifted from wealth as a source of providing for his family to wealth for wealth’s sake to simply being able to survive. In order to resolve this dilemma, McDeere must figure a way out of a no win situation. He can take his chances with the firm and hope he will not get prosecuted or he can help the police and risk being killed. Either way, his choices are not exactly good so he must seek a third option that may allow him to circumvent the police and his employers at the firm. This leads McDeere to investigate deeper into the business practices of the firm where he hopes to find the magic bullet that will allow him a safe passage out of the dilemma he finds himself. Eventually, he does find an escape and it is the downfall of the film as a serious drama. The way in which the ethical dilemma was resolved is, quite honestly, insane. That is to say, it would appear that the producers of the film did not like the ending of the novel and wanted to create a more upbeat â€Å"Hollywood† ending. In the novel, McDeere and his wife have â€Å"co-opted† quite a bit of the firms money and run away. The novel ends with them on a ship sailing away to a new life and we presume they also will have new identities. The ending of the novel is purposefully ambiguous leading the reader to assume that the escape may or may not work. Whether it does or not is irrelevant as the purpose of the ending of the novel is to show that McDeere has matured and has become self sufficient as well as to provide a cautionary warning to those who make the errors of pride that McDeere embodied. The cinematic adaptation of THE FIRM was a summer release featuring a bankable, box office star. Simply put, there was NO WAY the studio was going to risk losing money with an ending audiences would find too downbeat. In the ending of the film, McDeere’s moral dilemma is solved by presenting the mafia bosses who employ the firm with records of over billings. This way, the mob no longer works with the firm. They will not kill McDeere because he has provided them with proof that they have been â€Å"ripped off† and now the mob will file criminal charges against the firm. To put it mildly, this ending is UTTERLY IDIOTIC, and ruins all the proceedings of the film. It is, however, the way the ending of the film is scripted and it is how a convenient ending is crafted to escape the dilemma the main character faces. Would a different framework to the ending have provided a better conclusion? Had the original ending of the novel been retained the answer would be yes as the ending would have made more logical sense within the genre as the cinematic ending was too ridiculous and contrived. Furthermore, the cinematic ending allows McDeere to EVADE his dilemma that actually confronting it. That is, he plays a sleight of hand game to remove himself from the equation and eliminate the mob’s threat. Again, the ending is silly, but it is the ending we are stuck with. In terms of the overall entertainment value of the subgenres of courtroom/crime/police procedural dramas, there are a number of reasons for the success of these genres despite the fact that these subgenres have a great deal going against them: the age brackets they appeal to are limited and plots are generally not ‘popcorn’ entertainment, yet audiences turn out in droves to see them. (THE FIRM grossed well over $100 million in theaters when first released) Of all the reasons that these subgenres are popular, there are two reasons that stand out the most. First, the audience perceives the films to be â€Å"real.† Of course, what is presented on screen is far removed from what really exists in the mundane world of criminal investigations and courtroom proceedings, but the genres root themselves in the realm of plausibility. While the events that are presented on screen generally do not happen in the dramatic manner in which the events are portrayed, there is the possibility that they could happen in such a manner. As such, the narrative becomes gripping and it draws the audience into the seriousness of the proceedings. Second, the audience finds the morality play in these types of films to be gripping. THE FIRM is not a film that deals exclusively with corruption as it relates to the plot as much as it is a condemnation of corruption in general which is then dramatized in the form of a cinematic morality play. The concept of the audience learning moral lessons in from the entertainment medium is hardly a new concept and it is perennially popular. While such morality lessons started with Greek myths they have carried over into modern cinema where they remain equally popular and will remain so for many years to come. Ultimately, THE FIRM is an excellent thriller that poses a number of ethical dilemmas for the cast of characters as well as the audience. Sadly, the ending cheats both the characters and the audience out of an effective cure for the dilemma, but the film remains entertaining overall despite its flaws. Bibliography Davis, J. (Producer), & Pollack, S. (Director). (1993). The Firm [Motion picture]. Los Angeles, CA: Paramount. Grisham, John. (1992) The Firm. Paperback Edition.   New York: Pengui

Improve Counselling Skills Essay

For this assignment you need to keep a journal for the first few weeks of the module. The aim of the journal is to reflect on various aspects of professional practice, study challenges, or any other feature of counselling work or study. You do not hand in the journal. Using the information gathered during this process you will write the practice task reflecting on your professional practice that includes three professional practice goals. It is recommended that you make a brief entry in your journal everyday in which you record events, situations, information and your insights related to counselling. Ensure that identities are protected and the focus is ultimately on you and not on others. Journal Writing Guidelines: Each daily entry should cover: the events that occurred on that day which relate, whether directly or indirectly, to your professional practice and study of counselling how you felt about these events what skills you observed that you demonstrated what skills do you think require further attention and growth the element of professional practice or study that you most struggled with on that day the element of professional practice or study that you felt most comfortable with on that day Your Reflective Practice Task requires you to examine the following aspects of your professional development: 1. Overview of 3 events from your journal 2. Your current knowledge base (this does not necessarily have to be in the counselling field. Most of you will be tapping into volunteer experience, work experience, lived experience – like relationship / parenting, or prior study experience in which your skills are transferrable to counselling). 3. Your breadth of experience to date and what you have learned from these experiences 4. Your professional practice strengths and weaknesses 5. Your professional aspirations 6. You will need to set three professional practice goals for yourself, with each goal statement demonstrating an adherence to the SMART process. You MUST apply the SMART MODEL when setting your goals. 7. How do your goals align with your values in relation to your practice 8. Lastly describe a goal for self-care protection in relation to counselling Lecture notes, articles and other reference materials will be beneficial to this process, and your ability to build on and reflect on your professional practice. Referencing In academic writing referencing is critical. Referencing is about ensuring that the sources you have used (authors, journal editors) are honoured. The ACAP manual or the Educator cannot be used as references as we are merely conveying information that others have published. It is NOT compulsory to reference and you will not be penalised for not referencing. I am just suggesting that it is an excellent study habit to get into. Although ACAP and other universities use the APA6 referencing style – I do not care what style you use – even if you put the author in brackets that’s great. See the VET 2012 Referencing Guide Link : http://my.acap.edu.au/moodle/pluginfile.php/27484/mod_resource/content/1/Reference%20Guide%20%20for%20VET%20students%20%20v2.pdf Structuring Your Reflective Practice Task This task allows you to use 1st person writing – that is using pronouns like I, We, They, Us, Them etc. I suggest that you use the following headings or use the question numbers to help you focus and stay within the word limit: Current knowledge base This does not necessarily relate to direct counsellor experience. Reflect on the other ACAP subjects you have studied to date, other courses you have completed in the past, work experience, personal experiences (parenting, your own counselling experiences as a client, relationship, volunteer work, previous studies, etc). You are wise and bring a wealth of knowledge and skills to the module and field. Breadth of experience to date and what you have learned from these experiences I expect that many of you will not be currently working in the counselling field so your professional breadth of experience may be fairly limited. It is important to honour all the work and lived experience you bring to the course and field. It is okay to acknowledge that your experience to date may be professionally limited but identify areas in your current work environment or personal life where counselling experiences are present. Remembering that skilled conversations with others involve using counselling skills like active listening, empathy, unconditional positive regard, attending, etc.

Similarities between colonization of Jamaica( west Indies) and Essay - 1

Similarities between colonization of Jamaica( west Indies) and gentrification in Newark , jersey - Essay Example t up their colony base in West Indies (Cheng 50) The colonization was characterized by slavery exchanged through slave trade and brutal working conditions in the British owned sugar plantations in the better part of the 17th and 18th century before Jamaica finally attended her independence in 1962 which saw an end to the British rule in the Caribbean island. Gentrification in New Jersey back in the 1980’s can be seen to have similarities with the Jamaican colonization because of the oppressive nature to the less fortunate in society (Lees, Slater &Wyly22). Gentrification in Newark was characterized by the poor class which mainly consisted of blacks to be fazed out of â€Å"white† inhabited areas initially inhabited by the African Americans. This brings about the similarity in that the less fortunate are oppressed based on based on their races, culture and social status. Colonization in Jamaica and gentrification in Newark, New Jersey is majorly characterized by racial discrimination based on the races of the parties involved. In the 18th century the blacks who are the Jamaicans were oppressed by the colonization of the whites who were British. Their rights were curtailed and inhumane acts done on the blacks who were treated as slaves (Giovas&Flitzpatrick 573). The island acted as a harbor for the slaves who later rebelled to gain independence from the British. Gentrification in Newark was characterized by the racial aspect in that whites moved into black inhabited neighborhoods and because of the racial superiority perception the livelihood of the Americans were made almost impossible because of the high standards of living that were brought along by the â€Å"whites† who are mainly made of high class and middle class levels forcing the poor class out of the â€Å"neighborhoods†. A form of rebellion from the parties that appear oppres sed seems to be eminent which in the two cases consists of â€Å"blacks† who feel their rights have been violated through the actions

What role does the media play in highlighting environmental concerns Essay

What role does the media play in highlighting environmental concerns and shaping decision-making - Essay Example Merskin (2001), media is a unique presentation mode, which tends to fulfil various psychological functions that are helpful for communicating messages within the parties. In this present day context, wherein the entire world is experiencing increased level of globalisation, gaining momentum of liberalisation along with internationalisation and application of innovative technologies, the role of media has increased its significance as compared to the earlier years. It would be vital to mention in this similar concern that media often plays a constructive role in this modern society in the form of raising greater public awareness regarding any particular issue and most vitally, gathering viewpoints, attitudes as well as information towards such issues. It is strongly believed that media is regarded as amidst the most persuasive communication tools, which display the real stage of community (Dwivedi & Pandey, 2013; Duhe, 2007). The diverse forms of media encompasses magazines, newspapers and books, internet medium, radios and televisions among others, which can further be categorised as the print media, electronic media and web media (The University of Iowa, n.d.). These diverse sorts of media are often acknowledged as mass media and are frequently utilised with the aim of disseminating various valuable information. It has been apparently observed that various organisations belonging to this modern day context and the governmental agencies or departments often use the above-discussed mass media forms quite extensively. It is worth mentioning in this similar regard that modern organisations generally tend to advertise their wide assortment of products and/or services through dissimilar forms of social media that comprise magazines and internet medium among others. On the other hand, the governmental agencies or departments generally use the above discussed mass media forms in order to deliver information ab out the respective governmental policies along with

Jeep Patriot Sports Car Advertisement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jeep Patriot Sports Car Advertisement - Essay Example Adverts employ a tool of art called semiotics that involves the application of signs and symbols in conveying messages. This advert has different categories of the message to the buyer. These categories consist of both the words and images. There is a whole range of captions in the advert that portray a denoted message targeted at the buyer. In addition, Michael’s wife, surprises him, by declaring that she bought a jeep in a conversation. The captions and labels, it becomes clear to the buyer that she bought a jeep patriot sport car. The word ‘jeep’ in the advert represents a connoted meaning. The term communicates a deeper meaning to the buyer because it has a long history of use in the market. Just by its mention in the advert, it conveys a certain message. A jeep is a car that belongs to specific classes of people in the society because of its features. The unique feature is the quarter-ton that defines a jeep. In addition, there is a connoted message in the de claration of the wife that she bought the jeep. It confirms to the audience that she ‘could not hold back ‘. This adds sense to the persuasion at the end urging the audience not to ‘hold back’ from buying the jeep. In addition, the advert contains a symbolic message. The pictured movement of the jeep patriot car signifies its capability on the road and emphasizes on the value of the four-wheel drive system. In addition, the woman in the advert implies that the car is suitable for the feminine gender. She is a symbol for the suitability of the car to women. This is a crucial aspect of the advert because different cars suit male and female. There is an evident gender preference of some car models and any advert should highlight this fact. Moreover, the advert has literal message that the audience can conceive easily. A real couple indulging in a usual conversation gets the buyer’s attention. The two are getting ready to leave the house. The wife brings up the idea that she bought a jeep. This fact mesmerizes the husband, as it is evident from his facial reactions. The advert then features a real image of the ‘jeep patriot sport car’. From this real image, the features of the car become evident to the audience. The car looks compact but being a jeep, has an economic engine. The couple rides in the car portraying its suitability as a family car. The car has unique features for families that prefer to own a car with multiple capabilities. This jeep has sufficient room to accommodate both the heads and legs. This offers sufficient space for rear passengers. In addition, the car has a high capacity boot that provides a family sufficient space to carry luggage. The family setting highlighted in the advert persuades families to consider the jeep patriot as a favorable choice. Through a combination of the different messages, the advert provides the audience with details about the car. In addition, there is a denoted message t hat informs the audience of the price of the jeep. With a glance, potential buyers gain awareness of the product price. The advert utilizes different efficient aspects of visual art to communicate with the audience. The advert targets families and emphasizes on the suitability of the car to women as well. The concept of commodity fetishism comes out clearly in the advert.  

Continental Europe seeks to combine flexibility with security in its Essay

Continental Europe seeks to combine flexibility with security in its relations with the workforce via a range of measures one of - Essay Example But the criticisms of the policy direct towards the fact that the diversities present at the national level leads to the decline of the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach that flexicurity model proposes (Muffels, 2008, p.386). The Union has taken various measures for the establishment of the same but question still arise regarding its effectiveness with the outburst of the worst financial crisis in 2008 after the Great Depression in 1930 (Flexicurity: Europe's employment solution?, 2008). The paper will be discussing the flexicurity approach adapted by the European Union along with the discussion of its principles and objectives and with special focus on Germany and Denmark. Highlight will be also given on the youth unemployment problem with reference to the Viking, Laval and Ruffert cases discussing the protection measures of the other countries with respect to the benefits in compliance with Art 3 and 49 of the EC treaty which focuses on the right to establish in any state o r that of single market and rights of provision of services across the European Union. Now the subsequent section will be dealing with the concept of flexicurity. 2. Notion of flexicurity In today’s labor market there is a requirement of rigorous levels of flexibility and adaptability both in the interest of the employers as well as the employees for anticipating and responding to the demands of the market (Flexicurity Pathways, 2007, p.3). The crux of flexicurity is an emerging concept in the European Union and has been considered as a significant approach in the labor market and within the employment paradigm (EU Council: Common 'flexicurity' principles adopted, 2008). The policy has been first generated in the Nordic countries for the purpose of solving European Union’s employment paradox. From the studies of Wilthagen and Rogowski in the year 2002 it gets revealed that flexicurity is regarded as the policy that directs towards a synchronized platform that boosts la bor market flexibilities, work organizations as well as labor relations with security provision for the weak group of people inside and outside the labor market. The authors highlight that flexibility and security can be achieved through focus on coordination. They stress that initial jolt will be derived from the macro level actors like government and social partners. Implementation will be established on all levels of the economy with different means of flexibility complementing each other with corresponding varied security forms (Meyer, 2009, p.87). From the early 2000s, the European Union policy of flexicurity included an amalgamation of easy hiring and firing rules benefiting the unemployed and following a pro labor market policy (Flexicurity: Europe's employment solution?, 2008). 3. Underlying principles of flexicurity The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) has been established in the year 1975 working on the area of working co nditions, living conditions and industrial relation ( Agencies and other European bodies, n.d.). The EU body while drafting policies limited itself while applying flexicurity policies with some common principles. The common principles which the flexicurity model proposes is

Music Genre of the Blues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Music Genre of the Blues - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that dating back to the origin of different kinds of music genre, it is quite clear that they came about as a result of coordination of collection of human lifestyle and movement. Contextually, we can attribute the origin of the Blues music genre to human movement and farming and also a product of their deepest expressions. The Blues itself means being sank in melancholy or being depressed. The genre came about as a result of expression of plight and predicaments by the African-American slaves. At such times the Africans were being subjected to work in the North American Colonies Plantations. As the report declares music is influenced by climate through which it thrives. This is an implication that the Blues was also shaped by outside factors besides its human architects. Music was effected in religious activities and Africans who practiced Christianity used it to propagate their spiritual religion. As the Europeans strived towards transforming African pagans into faithful Christians, it can to their attention that these Africans were exceptionally talented in music. If you are to influence someone onto doing something then it is always better and much easier to employ what they have and like. The Europeans used the African music to spread the gospel of Christianity amongst their target population. â€Å"This "spiritual" music was the first instance of African music adapted to the social environment of the New World†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

Dama presented for examination Essay Example for Free

Dama presented for examination Essay A written account of practical work undertaken in year 11 resulting in a piece of drama presented for examination. We started the Christmas term 2001 with group warm-up exercises, before even thinking about what we were going to perform in late November or who we were going to work with. These were fun class activities, used to build up group relationships. We did such things as human noughts and crosses, using nine chairs in a 3 by 3 square with the girls as noughts and the boys as crosses. We played 5 games, resulting in one draw and the boys winning 3 to the girls 1. It was fun and used really to warm us up. We then went on to play two games of winking murder. We all sat round in a circle on chairs with our eyes closed while Mrs. Powles walked round the circle tapping someone on the shoulder, telling that person that they are the murderer. Then its all eyes open and we try to work out who the murderer is. Meanwhile, the murderer is winking discreetly at people, killing them. It was very enjoyable and it helped to build up group relationships. Following that, we were assigned the task of pretending to be a salesperson of some description at a drinks evening. We had to decide what we were selling and how to sell it. Once that was decided, we had to go around the class introducing ourselves to each other and trying to sell our product to them in under 2 minutes. It involved much interaction between us all and helped tremendously to strengthen group relationships. Shortly after, we were asked to write on a piece of paper who we wanted to work with and who we did not want to work with if we thought that we would not produce to the best of our ability if we were with them. Finally, I ended up working with Elise, which was great as I had never worked with her before and we were good friends. She didnt seem to complain either, which was a good sign. Then we spent an entire double lesson going through all of Mrs. Powles plays that she had to decide on one to perform an extract out of for the exam in December. We settled finally on an extract from the play The Norman Conquests by Alan Ayckbourn, as we both decided that we wanted to do a comical piece, but not farcical, so it fitted nicely. After searching through the book for a while, we finally came across a suitable duologue between Norman and Sarah. Norman is a librarian, but this definitely does not define his character at all. He is a womaniser, married to Ruth, attempted to have an affair with her sister Annie who is engaged to Tom, and is now working his charms on his other sister-in-law, Sarah, Elises character, who is married to Reg. Sarah is a more strict, clean, and prim character. However, it is sometimes clear that Sarah is quite jealous of Annie because she is the one that Norman says he wants and she wants to replace Annie in Normans eyes. It does eventually happen, as in the second scene they kiss. The extract immediately appealed to both of us, so we decided to give it a try. The extract we did in November was actually two different dialogues taken from two different points in the play. The first is set in the living room in the house and the second is set in the garden. Immediate difficulties we experienced with the exert were few, but as ever there were some. The biggest problem in my mind at the beginning was how to perform the kissing part of the second scene effectively and without embarrassment. It really needed to look convincing as it is the peak of Sarahs life, experiencing the closest thing she will ever feel to true love. It was essential that this came across in the performance. Then came the blocking of the scenes. First of all we just exchanged ideas and thoughts, coming up with a skeletal plan for how to go about performing both scenes. We discussed things such as how lines should be spoken, facial expressions and other small but significant effects. Afterwards we concentrated mainly on the first scene to get that near-perfect before trying the second scene. Once we had familiarized ourselves with the scene and had fairly certain ideas about what to do, we started to really act it out. Not long after, we did hot-seating as a class in which the person in the hot-seat had to answer their questions as their character. I enjoyed listening to other people answer questions with much thought, as they delved into previously unexplored regions of their character. When my turn came, I found it to be a very interesting experience, being able to answer questions as a different person. I had to capture his frame of mind and be able to answer the questions convincingly as Norman. It really helped me to get to grips with Normans character, behaviour and motivation and also to further my acting ability as Norman. When it was Elises turn, it too helped me to understand her character better than I previously did, which enabled me to respond to her better in the play. Following that, we spent most, if not all, of our time concentrating on the first scene, filling in the gaps and finalising parts of it. Performing it in front of the class also helped a lot as it was open to criticism and any ideas from the class or Mrs. Powles. One idea that really affected what we had rehearsed so far was that at the beginning of the first scene, Sarah storms in and physically removes my feet from the arm of the armchair before she sits on it. We had thought this to be a good idea to convey that Sarah was angry with Norman, which she was. The suggestion was that this was not a bad idea, just that it would be more effective if Sarah came in and stared at my feet distastefully, as if daring me to leave them there. When I then remove them, she brushes the arm with her hand before sitting in the chair. This, we decided, was much better than our original plan as it shows that Sarah is a less physical person, more prim and uptight. Throughout all the extract from then on, the amount of physical interaction Sarah did was kept to a bare minimum. We started needing the script less and less and we started on the second scene a definite sign of all-round progress. I found the second scene much more difficult to do than the first, mainly for two reasons. The first was that I had to act drunk, as prior to this scene, offstage, Norman has been consuming large amounts of wine. The real difficulty with this was that I had to appear drunk by staggering around and slurring my words. The staggering part was okay to act but the slurring was the real problem as I still had to be understood by the audience. With practice and advice form Mrs. Powles, however, this problem was soon overcome. The second problem was the kissing part. We knew this would be difficult when we chose the piece, but we still chose to do it. Once the initial embarrassment of it was overcome, there was still an awkward feeling as Elise was my friend. But this we endured right up to the end. As the exam date drew nearer, we spent our time polishing up the piece and adding finishing touches to it, such as sound effects and music. We spent a lot of time searching through the sound effects for some birdsong to be used at the beginning of the second scene, just to inform the audience that it was set outside. As for music, we originally thought about using When a man loves a woman, but in the end we decided on using Irresistible by the Corrs. For lighting effects, we used straw and golden gels on fresnel spots. With regards to costume, we decided that I would look best in a pair of corduroy trousers with a check shirt. But unfortunately I could not obtain a pair of corduroy trousers, so we settled for a pair of chinos with a leather belt. This, we thought, conveyed Normans character quite well; not trendy or modern, yet laid back and charming. For Sarah, we both decided that Elise would look appropriate in a grey skirt suit, as it would convey Sarahs prim and proper personality. When the final day came, it went very smoothly. Neither of us made any real mistakes and our lines were as perfect as they ever would have been. Overall we were both very pleased with our final performance. And, thankfully the audience did seem to enjoy it as they laughed in all the right places, sometimes a bit more enthusiastically than we both had previously expected, which could have meant only good things.