Consciousness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consciousness - Essay Example This is disturbing only if we assume that states of consciousness are mutually exclusive. Insofar as the same subject can experience different forms of consciousness (dreams and waking reality) they need not be mutually exclusive; rather, the fear is that a totally different worldview, and therefore a totally different mode of operating in the world, may be appropriate. For example, it would be unsettling if someone managed to convince us that feudalism is the correct worldview and therefore the correct modus operandi. Our defence of the current worldview (industrial capitalism) would be motivated not only by apprehensions of the alteration in our individual condition (from factory-owner to serf) but perhaps even more by our belief in the props (e.g. belief in free speech and free enterprise) of the current worldview. Our values and beliefs are ultimately determined by our social existence; our knowledge of the world is based on our social relations and conditions. The thesis he posited in contradistinction to Rene Descartes' "Cogito ergo sum" and which is central to Karl Marx's body of work is that "It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but their social existence that determines their consciousness" (Critique of Political Economy 2). Existence itself does not depend on consciousness, much less on meta- consciousness; neither does life or productivity depend on consciousness. Rather, given a certain social structure and an individual's relations to it, subjective consciousness arises from physical reality. Physical reality encompasses everyday material activity (Burke 3), which is determined by the configuration of the individual or socioeconomic class in the current relations of production. An early 21st century American farmer's consciousness arises from the sum of all the activities and relationships he enters as a farmer (planting with a seed-drill, selling his grain to a corporate miller, buying seeds from a transnational biotechnology giant); it is different from the consciousness of the miller or the biotech company, and also from that of a farmer in Soviet Russia. It is different and unique not only because of his position in a salient mode of production (industrial capitalism versus socialism), but also, and equally importantly, because of the non-economic institutions that reflect and propagate that mode of production. Thus the early 21st century American farmer's consciousness is determined also by the media, the church, the system of education, the family - in short, by all that can be summed up as 'culture.' Althusser calls these cultural institutions the Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs) - in contrast to the Repressive State Apparatuses (Althusser 3) which operate by direct force (law, police, army). The ISAs grow up on the base of the mode of production, reflect it, and reinforce it; they represent the ideology of the dominant mode of production. This is true of every human society under every mode or production: it can be understood, not as a conspiracy (Burke 4), but as reflections in ideology of the mode of production. By reflecting the mode of production, ideology also propagates it: every time the status quo is mirrored in culture (e.g. in advertisements or

Comparing Gods and Goddesses Essay Example for Free

Comparing Gods and Goddesses Essay Years ago, women did not have much power as they do now. Women sat back and took orders from their husbands. Whatever is asking of them to do the women would have to carry out the order with no feedback and nobody jesters. Women were more humble to men and they listened and believed whatever men told them. All women knew how to do was to be a homemaker. Women did not have a problem with staying home cooking, cleaning, ironing, and taking care of the children. Women kept everything in order at home. The one thing women did not do in the home years ago was keep track of the bills. The men did the bill back then, because they were the ones bringing home the money. When it came to spending any money for the house or for the children, the man was in charge. Women were to let the men know what was needed and they will go out and get it. Today women are different; Women are more attractive and keep themselves up. Women do not stay at home and take care of the children. The women today work, go to school, take care the children, and the home. The men today are taking the back seat. The women are in control. In some households, the women are telling the men what to do. The women today have power. To the children the women can fix anything. The men sometimes have the same thoughts. Many look up to the women. The women can heal the sick and feed the hungry and cloth the naked with very little money. Zeus a Greek God had a daughter by the name of Athena. Athena was the Greek Goddess of wisdom. She is fair, strong and very merciful to all. Athena was independent and didn’t rely on anyone. She was also known as one of the three virgin goddesses. Athena was the type of women who didn’t worry about being romanced by a male. She wasn’t concerned with marriage either. To refer back to today’s culture; Athena is what you call a, â€Å"career woman. † She was always busy doing something. The modern women today are all work and no play. Greek goddess by the name of Artemis was as strong as an ox. She doesn’t need a male to protect her. Artemis is the defender and guardian of all women in childbirth. She also loves the wilderness. So she protects those women too. Artemis dislikes men because they are of no use to her. She isn’t interested in getting married either because she feels that it takes away from a women’s freedom. So Artemis is very close to her female friends. They walk the forest together all the time. Unlike Athena, Artemis doesn’t really care to deal with the city life. She would rather be in the wilderness with the animals. Even though Artemis disliked men, she allowed the young boys to come and learn new things at her sanctuary. So she wasn’t as bad as the people thought she was. She was just a strong minded woman who loved nature. She loved being outdoors. Artemis is a great defender to all. Unlike Artemis, Athena wore a helmet and walked around holding a shield. She was rational and very intelligent. She was wise and a peacemaker. She is powerful and strong like Artemis. She defends her people in war but is also a peacemaker. Artemis is young and beautiful and wears leaves to cover her body. She doesn’t cover her legs. The costume that she wears could possibly cause problems with the Greek gods because of the way it looks. She feels that her costume represents sacrificed animals. It could represent breast and fruits also. But goddess’s views were very different from the Gods. Gods are usually described in terms of the various sociopolitical roles that they fulfill. † The function of the god myths are to explain phenomena to fasten a culture, record and pass on historical events, set example for people, and set behavior standards for generation to follow. Natural phenomena’s like thunder, lightening, miracles, and seasonal changes are all associated with god myths. God myths explain these phenomena’s that people find hard to understand. For example, the Myth Persephone and Hades started by the Greeks to explain winter and why it happens. Myths of the gods and are also created and function as explanations for happenings after death occurrences of certain miracles, and the creation of the Earth. Function of myth is to justify and validate the ritual practices and cultic celebrations. At time myth are also etiological in its function, in trying to explain the causes of certain customs and practices or how a particular name of the place originated. In traditional societies myth has an educational value, it was used to introduce or stress a particular moral value. People needing to believe is a common element in all society if you get people to believe in what you are saying the will follow. Myth by nature depicts a time period that is usually a remote past, in which gods and goddesses are the chief characters. A myth usually points to an unknown transcendental reality in symbolic form. It has a tremendous psychological impact on the listeners as it makes the listeners almost believe that those things really happened. Religious people have sacred narratives, call myths, which explain how things got the way they are. Proverbs and legends escribe wisdom and phenomenal exploits â€Å"in ordinary, profane time,† myths portray the work of spiritual power in arranging the existing order â€Å"in primordial, sacred time’ (Loewen 1969b, 150). National myths describe how tribes and nations came into being. Deity myths recount relationships between humanity and divinity: Spirit myths depict the origin and functions of lower spiritual beings. Sickness myths reveal ancient sources and causes of illness. Cosmic myths describe the origin and cause of catastrophic events, such as earthquakes, lightning, thunder, drought, rain, and eclipses. Describe the elements and function of god myth just depends on the cultures and what they have been told to believe. Just like us as human we are taught to believe what we have been taught from generation to generation from our ancestor something are believable and something’s just are not but they are not question. God is often portrayed like a person who is outside us. He controls the world from outside like a king controls his subjects. He is often called Superman who moves the earth and the heaven. God is in control of the female and male divine culture. The female and male divine possess different elements and functions starting in early era of time and carried in today’s era. The male is considered the stronger, aggressive, masculine and brutish image. The female is cunningly, not weak with an inner strength voice that speaks to her soul. The male divine is the protector of the house, the provider, and control the needs of the household. The male divine only cater to his needs and not respect the female desires. The early eras of life the female was expect to stay at home and take care of the house, children, and male and not enter the working world. Society today has changed whereas the female is working and supporting the family needs and stills mange the household. Although society has continued to change the male divine found switching the roles play by staying at home and supporting the family needs. The role play has impact a different outlook on life in the male divine. Technically the female and male divine is different hormones, brains functions, and the heritance of traits from family heritage. The female is strong minded in varies subject and aspect that affects the controlling of the household. The male divine still does not grip the concept that the female divine is powerful and put here to help support the male divine in every aspect of life. Female divine are to walk beside and not behind the male. The both female and male are difference in appearance that how the attraction for each other beginning. The outer appearance attracts male to female leading to companionship. The male looks to the females to ease the discomfort with compassion, understanding, stroking the bad feeling to make it better but the opinion of the female seem unimportant to male at the first sign of the situation. Yet the male has to make a step backward to say the female opinion is right. The male ego is a huge quest for the male to let down his guards. The female and male divine continues to live in harmony and depend on the different ideas and opinion that each possess and strive for completeness. When the male and female learns to share, communicate, listen, and willingness to share the solution of all concerns coming up with right decision as one. Female and male should not be in competition for seeing who the better person is. Throughout history the elements and function has not change for the female and male divine it just seem to adapt along with society principles of what society anticipate. Female and male divine has many elements and functions to help stay focus on the various barriers of life by adapting to society changing society. Finally, the male and the female divine share the same functions. They both are in authority to give orders, and many people look up to them both. They know life will bring different kinds for issues to endure, but they are willing to go throw and handle them with the proper approach. The male and the female divine are just alike concerning their children, and being there for their children. If mom is not available, the child will turn to their dad. The male and the female are valued. They are both beautiful people with values and power they both share. They give and take orders from each other, and other people. They both share a desire to love one another, and the male divine loves beautiful, smart women can stand on her on and fix life-changing problems. The woman wants the same values in a man. The elements and functions shared by the female and the male are on going from generations to generation.

Overview over Religion :: essays research papers

Overview of Religion In this tutorial, you will learn about the religious experience in general and some of its variations around the world. The focus will be on the types of religious beliefs and religious leaders, especially in small-scale societies. An exploration of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, or any other major religion is beyond the scope of this tutorial. The approach taken is that of cultural relativity--religious practices or beliefs are not evaluated in terms of their "correctness" or "sophistication" but, rather, in terms of their function within the societies that maintain them. What is Religion? A religion is a system of beliefs usually involving the worship of supernatural forces or beings. Religious beliefs provide shape and meaning to one's perception of the universe. In other words, they provide a sense of order in what might otherwise be seen as a chaotic existence. Religions also provide understanding and meaning for inexplicable events such as a loved one being killed in an earthquake or some other unpredictable force of nature. For most religious people, their beliefs about the supernatural are at the very core of their world views. Importance of Rituals Symbolic objects used in Christian rituals The performance of rituals is an integral part of all religions. Rituals are stylized and usually repetitive acts that take place at a set time and location. They almost always involve the use of symbolic objects, words, and actions. For example, going to church on Sunday is a common religious ritual for Christians around the world. It usually requires the wearing of somewhat different clothing and interacting with others in a particular manner in a sacred location. At the heart of this experience is a sequence of traditional ritual acts that symbolically represent aspects of the life, teachings, and death of Jesus. Maya Temple in Guatemala built on a high pyramid base to make it a sacred location Most religious rituals are performed in special places and under special conditions, such as in a dedicated temple or at a sacred spot. This is an intentional separation between the secular and the sacred. By being removed from the ordinary world, the sacred acts are enhanced for the believers--the separation makes the rituals more effective. Only allowing initiated people to participate in religious rituals also can have the same effect. Religious ritual reinforces the basic tenets of religion. For instance, the "partaking of the host" in the Catholic mass is a symbolic participation in the "last supper" of Jesus and, by extension, an affirmation of the acceptance of his teachings.

Neil Armstrong

One Giant Leap -A hero we shall always remember-Neil Armstrong â€Å"One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind†. These were the exact words of Neil A. Armstrong as he took mankind’s first step on another planet. Thousands of years have passed ever since man appeared on the face of planet earth, men have evolved, and with every evolution, men have grown smarter, men have created something useful and also achieved higher goals than their ancestors. Many have dreamed of setting foot on another planet out there, but none had the strength to follow their dream, thus it was a quest that no man ever dared venture.All but Armstrong and a few others out there, who had the heart, the dream, and the persistence to follow their dream. Armstrong ‘s legacy is known world-wide, he is considered as a hero in all our hearts, for he achieved the highest goal there could ever be by setting foot on a once alien planet, out of reach of any normal person. Armstrong’s whole dream of becoming an astronaut began at a very young age. At first, it was only an obsession with planes and pilots, like any other child. But in high school, he seemed to have set his own path for his life. All his spare time was used and focused on the subject of air and space.The first plane ride his father took with him seemed to have locked his heart on the idea of being a pilot, of devoting his life to the world of air and space. It sealed his ambition to pursue a life dedicated to air and space. After Armstrong went to University of Purdue, in his fourth year, the summons for him to begin his journey came. He was to be transferred to the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, California, to be fighter pilot. Therefore this was Neil Armstrong’s call to adventure, which leads to all his achievements later on whether for himself or for man-kind.After studying for a few years at the Air Station, Armstrong became a military qualified fighter pilot. He was sent to participate in the Korean War as a fighter pilot. His base was the aircraft carrier, ‘The Essex’. The War proved as a road of trials for Armstrong. During one of his bombing missions, he was hit by anti-aircraft fire. His plane was badly damaged with no chance of repair. Armstrong’s only way out was to eject, but that was another problem. The plane was far below the required height for a pilot to safely eject. In order to save himself and also not fall into enemy hands, everal things had to be done in the little time he had left. First of all, Armstrong had to pull the plane up to a safe height for him to safely eject, also, he had to control the plane to keep a continuous flight until he was out of enemy territory, for even if he ejected within enemy boundaries, he would still be caught and kept as prisoner. Several obstacles stood in his way, one was that his plane was badly damaged, including both engine thrusters; secondly, his speedometer and all the other gadgets on t he plane had all been disabled and lastly, his fuel tank was struck and was leaking oil.Any of these disastrous setbacks could cause certain deaths to any pilot, yet not for Armstrong. He did not panic at all; he simply switched to manual control and tried his best to bring the plane to a safer height. It was not that Armstrong was not afraid; it was because he knew that by panicking would only mean a definite death for him, whereas if he stayed calm, there might still be a chance for him to survive the devastating situation. In the end, Armstrong had escaped death’s grasp; he had pushed the bed-rugged plane to a safe height and also had brought it out of enemy territory.He had prevailed with his persistence in believing that he would live, he had also prevailed with his skills of flying and also his calmed thinking, which was the most essential part of his escaping the â€Å"Road of Trials† alive. With the reputation of an ace fighter who received a Korean Service Met al, and an air metal with two gold stars, Neil Armstrong was later chosen to be on the team of the first men to step foot on the moon. That was the journey that he took to which we can all relate to his name Neil A.Armstrong, for he was the first of our kind to set foot on the moon. To us, his journey to the moon had seemed peaceful, undisturbed, and trouble free, as if everything was going according to plan. No, that is what you are meant to see, in order to not create a world-wide panic. The true story is, after entering the orbit of the moon, the astronauts discovered that the face of the moon was dotted with craters some the size of ten football fields. The problem was apparent to the astronauts, the landing module the Eagle could not land at the scheduled set-down spot.Buzz and Collins were holding their breath, both very tense, but Armstrong was acting entirely different, he shut down all the disabled computers, switched the ship into manual mode, and started to scan the face of the moon for a safe landing spot. He searched carefully, no signs of panic showed on his face. If he didn’t find a place for them to land, the fuel for the return trip to Columbia would be impossible, which would mean tragic deaths for the three astronauts in outer space.Armstrong worked without blinking; if he had panicked then, their mission would be a failure and they would have to either return home empty handed or die there in the emptiness of the vast universe. Minutes passed, but Armstrong did not give up. In the end, his persistence paid off for he had spotted a safe place to land their landing module. Inside Armstrong, it was another story. Fear that was plain shown on others faces were trying to disturb his thinking. He would not let that happen, for that would put him and his companions in danger.This was the internal obstacle that he had to overcome. He had to take control of his fears, and it was this control that made him different than others, that made him a hero. What happened afterwards we all know by heart, the moment his foot touched the soft moon dust, he spoke to the world, making the unforgettable and significant speech â€Å"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind†, this was the â€Å"Ultimate Boon† of the journey that we were waiting for, for he had achieved his goal of his quest.This was the climax of the journey where all the practice had paid off; this was the moment when the hero gloried in the success of the journey. Armstrong’s improvising skills was most relevant throughout his journey. His entire career was full of surprises such as, machinery failure, computer shut-down and the fuel usage drained. These were both surprises and problems he had to deal with; at times he had to be on top of them within a few minutes for they were life-threatening matters.Faced with these problems, others might have only knelt down on their knees to pray asking god to give them a miracle but Armstrong take s things into his own hands; he thinks of ways around the problem even without the right tools or professional help he improvises. This is a remarkable gift and one of the best traits of Neil A. Armstrong because heroes will most definitely have to encounter difficulties along his/her journey, and if they know improvisation, then he/her will be able to solve the problem in their own way.Also, Armstrong has assurance in himself, confidence in his companions and the trusts he has for the scientists of NASA; therefore meaning that his life is in the hands of the scientists. Armstrong is very confident in his own skills, and he has always known that his journey to the moon would be a success. He had no second thoughts regarding failure, which is another way of showing trust in the people who work together to make this journey possible. Self-confidence is very important for a hero, for it enables him to stand tall against obstacles, and not shrink away.If Armstrong did not believe in him self, then the mission would have most definitely failed. For Armstrong, his courage gained him the strength to try the untried, and achieve the impossible. (Too much repetition of trust and confidence) Also, Armstrong’s persistence shone as a light throughout his journey. Starting in high school and all throughout his life, his persistence on achieving his dreams never faltered; during the flight to the moon, his persevering philosophy of, â€Å"trying without blinking† had found a safe spot to land on the moon for him and his colleagues.Without determination, Armstrong never would have gone this far. Thus was a hero of all times, a hero who is kind, smart, confident, a hero who had dreams, and was not afraid to chase after them; a hero who outdid every person on the planet, a hero who achieved the impossible, a hero that shall live on in our hearts. (a bit dramatic especially the â€Å"outdid every person on the planet†) His persistence to pursue his dreams we shall imitate, his contribution to society and the world we shall follow suit. We shall always have a part left out in our hearts, to honor our hero, Neil A. Armstrong. Neil Armstrong Neil Armstrong lied about the famous â€Å"one small step for man† words he spoke as he became the first man to take a step on the moon, according to new claims by his brother. The astronaut had always insisted that he had not planned those historic words in advance. However, in a recent interview, his brother has insisted that Armstrong came up with the words months prior to the Apollo mission in July 1969. He also has claimed that the original phrase did include the word â€Å"a† as Armstrong had so strongly insisted when he was alive. Armstrong, who died in September, was heard by millions of people around the world as he said the now iconic phrase: â€Å"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. † The astronaut had insisted upon his return to Earth that he had said â€Å"a man† but that the â€Å"a† had not been heard due to static as his voice was transmitted over hundreds of thousands of miles away. Dean Armstrong, brother of Neil, has given a rare interview to the BBC just three months after his brother's death. In the interview Dean claims to recall Neil showing him a written version of the now-historical phrase months before the Apollo 11 mission launched. He insists that the phrase shown to him by Neil was: â€Å"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind. † Dean's new claims contradict Neil's own version of events. Neil Armstrong had always insisted that he had thought of the famous phrase after landing on the moon. Follow us A BBC documentary that interviewed Dean has explained how the brothers were playing a game of Risk together when Neil handed his sibling a small piece of paper with the legendary words on them. The documentary is called â€Å"Neil Armstrong: First Man on the Moon† and explains Dean's assertion that his brother handed him the paper asking him, â€Å"What do you think about that? † Dean claims he responded, â€Å"Fabulous. † In one of the most heralded biographies of the Apollo mission, â€Å"A Man on the Moon,† by Andre Chaikin, it was claimed that as the mission prepared to launch, Neil was bombarded with proposals about what he should say if they made it to the moon. Many suggested Bible passages, and others suggested iconic quotes from Shakespeare plays. In that biography, Chaikin suggests that Armstrong did not know what he was going to say until the Eagle lunar landed at Tranquility Base. However, brother Dean has now cast fresh doubts on whether Neil had planned what to say all along. Whether Armstrong did indeed say â€Å"a man† is still hotly debated. Although just six years ago in 2006, a computer analysis of the voice recording found evidence that Armstrong's assertions that he said â€Å"a† were correct even though it cannot be heard by the naked ear. Australian computer programmer, Peter Shann Ford, claims that a software analysis picked up a sound wave at the crucial moment in Neil Armstrong's speech that potentially would have been the â€Å"a. † NASA spokesman Michael Cabbage has previously supported Armstrong: â€Å"If Neil Armstrong says there was an ‘a' then as far as we're concerned, there was ‘a'. † Here is a video of the moon landing and those famous words:

Salvador Dali Giorgio de Chirico

How could two pieces created in different art movements share similar traits? Salvador Dali’s Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening and Georgio De Chirico’s The Disquieting Muses are surprisingly similar. Both paintings take the viewer into the dream world by using different elements, principles, and subject matter. Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening was an oil on canvas painting (20 in x 15. 9 in) created in 1944. Dali was a leader in the Surrealist movement, and this painting reflects Surrealism well.The subject matter was inspired by a dream that Dali’s wife, Gala, had. The nude and idealized Gala floats above a rocky platform that is also floating above the ocean. The heart shaped pomegranate (the Christian symbol of fertility and resurrection) is cut open and has a scorpion fish bursting out of the fruit. Coming out of the mouth of the fish, is a tiger, and jumping o ut of that tiger’s mouth, is another tiger. In front of the tiger, a baoyonet is falling just inches away from Gala’s face. The bee is located beside a pomegrante directly below Gala’s ribcage. There is also another bee created out of four subjects.The bayonet symbolizes the bee’s stinger, the two tigers are the body (black and yellow) and the fish is the eyes of the bee. In the foreground is an elephant with elongated legs found in other Dali pieces. Giorgo de Chirico’s The Disquieting Muses was also an oil on canvas painting (38. 25 in x 26 in) but was created sometime between 1916-1918. The two muses are in the front of the painting. One is standing, and another is sitting. A red mask, a staff, and several other items are placed beside them. There is also a manequin in the foreground. The painting’s setting is among a couple of factories.It is a very industrialized scene that shows no signs of nature. The painting altogether shows little relation to the real world. Giorgio de Chirico was an Italian painter who believed that, â€Å" art must escape all human limits: logic and common sense will only interfere†. Chirico was a part of the Metaphysical art movement which strongly inspired the Surrealist movement. The greatest similaritiy between the two paintings is their ability to take the viewer out of this world by using unrealistic figures. Dali’s painting is based on a dream, and Chirico’s painting reminds the viewer of a dream.Both paintings use form and perspective to create a 3D world. Surrealists believed in blurring the boundary between art and reality. Similarly, Chirico’s paintings from 1909-1919 escaped reality. The two artists also shared times of chaos. Although Chirico came before Dali, Giorgio painted during World War I and Salvador painted through World War II. Despite being different wars, they were wars nonetheless, and each artist experienced the hardships that world wars can bring. Because of World War II, Salvador Dali fled to the United States to escape Europe, where as Giorgio de Chirico remained in the East during WWI.The two artists went through different time periods, and thus, experienced different cultures. In the latter time of his career, de Chirico switched his style to closer match classisicm, and even critisized the surrealists, while Dali was a proud leader of the Surrealist movement. The colors in The Disquieting Muses are warm colors along with dark values and create an feeling of uncertanity. In Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening most of the colors are cool colors, and despite the presence of two jumping tigers, the viewer still feels calm.Dali’s work captures motion in every part of the painting, from the floating Gala, to the walking elephant, to the pomegranate seeds falling. In contrast, Chirico’s subjects are perfectly still with the exception of two small flags bei ng blown by the wind. Although Salvador Dali creates a painting that is unrealistic, the subject matter is made up of objects that a human can recognize, for example, a viewer knows what a tiger, an elephant, a nude woman, and what the ocean looks like.On the other hand, Girogrio de Chirico creates muses, a mask, and other objects that most people have never seen before. In conclusion Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening and The Disquieting Muses are both examples of â€Å"the dream world†. One is actually based on a dream, while the other simply gives a dream-like feeling. Each one takes the viewer out of reality and into an unknown environment which is exactly what the artists intended to do.

Prevaricate vs Procrastinate

Prevaricate vs Procrastinate Prevaricate vs Procrastinate Prevaricate vs Procrastinate By Ali Hale Two commonly confused words are prevaricate and procrastinate. They are similar in being quite formal, Latinate, words but have different meanings. Prevaricate means â€Å"to deviate from the truth† (Merriam-Webster). It is not quite so strong as â€Å"lie† but implies an intention to mislead. It is often, but not exclusively, used in reference to politicians: â€Å"It is one of the known indications of guilt to stagger and prevaricate in a story.† (Edmund Burke) â€Å"McCain will sometimes surrender to the cheap ploy or prevarication when the moment demands it, but it is often with a smirk or a wince, some hard-to-miss signal that he knows he’s up to no good.† (Matt Bai, The McCain Doctrines in the New York Times) Procrastinate means â€Å"to put off intentionally and habitually† (Merriam-Webster). The term is often used in advice on time management or self-improvement, and can also be a noun (â€Å"procrastination†). People who habitually procrastinate are â€Å"procrastinators†. â€Å"Everyone experiences the desire to procrastinate. For one reason or another, nothing is harder than doing the one task that needs to get done.† (From How to procrastinate more productively) â€Å"Procrastination is not a problem of time management or of planning. Procrastinators are not different in their ability to estimate time.† (From Why We Procrastinate in Psychology Today) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†225 Foreign Phrases to Inspire You20 Classic Novels You Can Read in One Sitting

Inspirational and Motivational Team Quotes

Inspirational and Motivational Team Quotes Motivational quotes can be used in many different ways and can be shared through aloud or in written form. Coaches, managers, directors, and human resources professions lead, inspire, and direct their teams with quotes from major figures in literature, politics, sports, entertainment, and philosophy. How and When to Use Inspirational Quotes Its important to use the right quote at the right time in the right way. While the right quote can inspire, the wrong one can backfire badly.   Do use inspirational quotes... ...when your team is down but is still in the process of competing. Inspirational quotes are a great tool for turning the situation around even when the competition is fierce....when your team is resting on its laurels. Its easy to feel complacent when youve just achieved an important goal, but its just as easy to allow the competition to shoot ahead and win the next round....when an individual member of your team is feeling frustrated or lacking in confidence. Avoid using inspirational quotes... ...at moment of defeat or victory, when team members are feeling too defeated or excited to pay attention or take the quote seriously....when a real and serious issue has arisen and must be resolved....when tempers are flaring or team members are very emotional. To use inspirational quotes effectively: choose a moment when team  members are emotionally reader to respond positivelyuse an appropriate means to communicate; in some cases through writing, in other cases through the spoken wordvary the quotes you use so as not to become monotonous or predictabledont respond negatively if an inspirational quote is ignored or even ridiculed. 12 Classic Inspirational Quotes GoetheThings which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least. Elbert HubbardThoroughness characterizes all successful men. Genius is the art of taking infinite pains. All great achievement has been characterized by extreme care, infinite painstaking, even to the minutest detail. PlutarchTo find a fault is easy; to do better may be difficult. Steve BallesterosTo give yourself the best possible chance of playing to your potential, you must prepare for every eventuality. That means practice. Donald LairdTo handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart. Zig ZiglarTo respond is positive, to react is negative. Tony DorsettTo succeed... You need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you. George KnellerTo think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted. Stevie WonderWe all have ability. The difference is how we use it. AristotleWe are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. Michael Jordan I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. Henry FordWhether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.

I Pity the Full!

I Pity the Full! I Pity the Full! I Pity the Full! By Maeve Maddox Something strange has happened to the useful expression foolproof. Many writers are writing full proof to mean safe against misinterpretation, misuse, or failure: How to make a contract full-proof CREATING A FULL PROOF MARKETING CAMPAIGN Reduce Stretch Marks From Pregnancy Try These Full-proof Remedies Steps to a Full Proof Insect Free House 10 Full Proof Methods On How To Make Easy Income Online! The expression foolproof originated in 1902 as an Americanism meaning safe against the incompetence of a fool. It combines the words fool and proof. fool: a person lacking in judgment or prudence; a person who acts stupidly or recklessly proof: The evidence or argument that compels the mind to accept an assertion as true. Foolproof follows the pattern of such words as fireproof and waterproof and means that something has been tested and proved to withstand certain damaging agents. The growing use of the expression full proof in the sense of foolproof may stem from a reluctance to cause offense to the fool demographic. Yet the definition in Merriam-Webster Unabridged skillfully manages to define foolproof without the slightest mention of the wisdom-challenged portion of the population:    ï ¿ ¼ foolproof 1 : so simple, plain, or strong as not to be liable to be misunderstood, damaged, or misused 2 : guaranteed to operate without breakdown or failure under any conditions There probably are contexts in which the expression full proof can be justified. For example, one might demand full proof of identity. Although it seems to me that proof would suffice. The expression to make full proof occurs in the King James translation of the Bible: †¨But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 2 Timothy 4:5 The expression and discussions of its meaning are to be found on many evangelical sites: What constitutes â€Å"full proof† in Paul’s advice to Timothy? I think make full proof of means to fulfill the ministry that God gives you to do. If you just cant bear to use an expression that you fear may suggest youre calling someone a fool, here are a few words you could substitute in certain contexts: infallible dependable reliable trustworthy certain sure guaranteed Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 Idioms with HeartHomonyms, Homophones, Homographs and HeteronymsHow Do You Fare?

Managing stateless refugees Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Managing stateless refugees - Assignment Example In Ireland, the number of people who may be considered stateless is unknown. The reality of statelessness therefore communicates the need to provide durable or more sustainable solutions. Again, the fact that the status of the stateless brings about the limitation of the rights and freedoms of the victims draws the need for this consideration. The sporadic distribution of the stateless and the withdrawal of human rights and freedom from this group of people affect the rest of the world. One of the causes of statelessness is the failure to ensure the registration of children at birth. The seriousness and of the matter is underscored by the fact that approximately 51 million births do not get registered every year. This statistical provision was availed by the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF. Again, there are laws and regulations that affect the registration of birth, marriage and the accordance of citizenship. For instance, in developing economies, one is not automatically considered a citizen by birth. Instead, it is important that the individual born in the country should have stayed in the country and been registered as a citizen, in order for him to be granted this status. There are instances where nationality is strictly premised upon descent. In this case, the descent of father is what is considered, instead of that of the mother. This is very limiting since there are instances in which single-parenting may limit the applicant of nationality. This is especially the case if the known single-parent is female. Political changes may also compel people out of their country. Cases of discrimination and human trafficking are also important since they may be instrumental in rendering one stateless. These two factors (discrimination and human trafficking) are clearly exemplified by the Kurds who have been systematically oppressed and denied citizenship by

Discussion Question Week 2-1D Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Question Week 2-1D - Essay Example This difference between research questions and hypotheses can also be comprehended with the help of a simple example: Research Question – What percentage of people living in Ireland prefer cold-coffee over conventional coffee? Hypothesis – On average, 50-60% of population living in Ireland prefer cold-coffee over conventional coffee. Therefore, in one sense, research hypothesis is an assumption made by the researcher in response to a formalized research question, which helps in the assessment of researcher’s personal knowledge and approach on the subject over which study is intended. Further, it is not always possible that a research hypothesis is proven to be the right answer for the research question by results of study, and in this case, researcher explores the reason why his/her generalizations got wrong. 2. Extraction of Research Question from Hypothesis: Example 1: Sample Hypothesis: The effects of changing climate will have no contributions in Malaria pene tration into Alaskan population.

American fast food in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

American fast food in China - Essay Example However, McDonald's is the easily recognizable Fast-food brand in China. KFC has got the largest chains of fast-food restaurants in China with approximately 4000 fast-food restaurants. These restaurants are both domestic and foreign brands. The founder of this fried chicken chain of restaurant, Colonel Sanders, is one of the most recognized American faces among the Chinese. There have been emerging scandals that have been aired in relation to the excessive levels of antibiotics that have been used by American fast-food restaurants in China. Brands like KFC and McDonalds have been held responsible for claims that they have led to an epidemic of obesity in China. This weight gain can also be linked to the Chinese breakneck development. Other developing nations are rapidly undergoing an economic transition but China seems to be dragging behind as a result of a large majority of people gaining weight thus cannot manage to work properly to build the nation.The number of obese people in Ch ina grew from 18 million to 100 million in 2005 and 2009, whereas its national GDP doubled at that same period. However, it is quite surprising that even though China is known to have a population that eats a lot, the situation tends to be worse because China is considered to have another problem of having a malnourished nation. Other nations that experience the same are Vietnam and India. Diseases that are caused by consumption of excess sugar and fat have become popular in China. These diseases include high blood pressure, heart diseases, and Type 2 diabetes. An estimate of 9.7 per cent of Chinese country have diabetes especially, Type 2. This data is close to the findings of America which are 11 per cent of the total population. These findings were from a study conducted by New England Journal of Medicine. There are various reasons which have made the contribution towards the realization of massive profits by American fast food restaurants in China. This paper concentrates on the reasons as to why these changes have occurred and why they happen as they do. A lot of research has been done in an effort to investigate this phenomenon and Smith (2006) notes that localization of meals is what has contributed to the attraction of native customers in the foreign country. Localization of mea

Different internet service providers (ISPs) Essay

Different internet service providers (ISPs) - Essay Example Other providers such as satellite ISPs have their strengths in being alternatives to lack of internet service providers in certain areas, where they serve to meet client demands, but at high prices due to infrastructure needs, which is not the case for DSL, which is cheap, but with increase in speeds so does the cost. It is with these different ISPs that even Ethernet delivers high speeds that beat all the rest, but depending on the base and client needs meaning that Ethernet ISPs are favorable towards clients who need high speed internet for file transmission and reception. Introduction Different ISPs have different qualities of services, which are as diverse as their services and speeds, as well as their reliably, where each ISP has its own quality threshold. With this in mind, evaluation of different ISPs and how they work, as well as their technologies need to be reviewed in order for a subscriber to make the best decision in choosing a provider. Ethernet Ethernet, for most users uses technology from Gigabit LAN, where LAN stands for Local Access Network and the network uses a high speed connection from one internet hub to another and to other computers. As such, the technology implements a number of protocols that are required to ensure that traffic is communicated as needed, where there are two bases for Ethernet. The first one is the base 10 and the second is base 100, while there is even a third base that has come up in recent times, base 1000, and with each increase in the base, there is more throughput of data and information through the network (Smetannikov 2000, p.78). Different service providers supply internet to different clients at different localities where Ethernet is supplied according to the demands of the client. As such, clients from recent times have made use of the base 1000 model to increase their throughput and even plan for future requirements as some providers are only consistent with the base 10 model. Consequently, the Ethernet int ernet providers make use of multiple base hubs to supply internet signals on different bases so that at any given time they are up to speed and meet the requirements of different clients. This happens especially in research laboratories that transmit and receive large amounts of data, making them targets for ISPs that use Ethernet for supply. The main problem with this type of ISP is the small size of the frame it uses, which in turn hampers throughput at high speed. ISPs of this nature provide the hardware or services that use small frames in data transmission, which result in wastage of clock cycles in the CPU, which is a negative consequent. However, if well managed with the knowledge of some of these internet service providers, then the throughput can be increased by moving larger files to allow for larger frames rather breakdown of information for transmission. The prices at which internet service providers place for this technology is based on how old or new the technology in play is, as well as the throughput of information. It is also done based on the bandwidth allowed for the entire network and links to outside networks using the ISPs infrastructure, which means that all traffic is measured and billed by the ISP. Problems in the network arise from the use of cables which lead to dropped packets, and this can make

The treaty of guadalupe Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The treaty of guadalupe - Research Paper Example Therefore, this decision led to the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe in the late 1840s (Menchaca 215). Since Mexico lost its boundaries, it subsequently lost the current states of Arizona, California, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado including Wyoming. As a result, the country felt the need of finding a solution to compensate the entire loss. A meeting was thus held among commissioners from the two rival countries with the purpose of coming up with some brilliant ideas that would be used in coming up with the final solution (Acuna 123). History reveals that, Nicholas Trist (chief clerk of the State Department) and another American representative to President Polk (General Winfield) set off to meet their Mexican counterpart-General Jose Joaquin. The first meeting bore no fruits and not even a tiny resolution was brought to book (Schultz 422). The delegates to the meeting resolved to arrange for a second one, as their zeal to bring about peace was undoubtedly strong. When the time came , the delegates met a second time, and their talks were in vain lastly coming up without a solution. Failure to come with a long lasting solution meant no peace in the territories USA had acquired from the rival. Thus, USA sent Nicholas Trist for a third time, on the third meeting; he purposely went out to meet other leaders from the fallen government of Mexico. These were, Don Bernado Couto, Don Miguel de Atristain, and don Luis Gonzaga Cuevas. They were all government officials of a government, which in a way had fallen (Porterfield 5). In the treaty, fresh boundaries were set between the two countries, Mexico succeeded to win its bid on a number of territories namely, Alta California and Santa Fe de Nuejiijij o Mexico though not cited in entire treaty. Following the years of 1836, more and precisely straight boundaries were set in an attempt to avoid further war eruptions. The border consisted of Rio Grande at the northwest part with a successive stretch further north to border S anta Fe de Nuevo Mexico. Through the Gila River, to the west, the border took a straight dimension to the port of San Diego (Porterfield 17). This gave a more geographic outlook on the positions of various locations like the Lower California. Mexico realized that it was almost losing some important territories that had steered the occurrence of the war. By the time this realization came, the country had already lost quite a considerable piece of it land to remain on the current area of approximately 1,972,550  km?. as a result, United States succeeded in the seizure of Nevada, California, and Utah with its boundaries cutting further to western parts of New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. At the long run, USA had claimed an additional land of 1.36 million km? naming it the Mexican cession. In accordance to Adams-Onis’ treaty relating to the boundary, Mexico recovered only 45% of the regions fought for. Mexicans agreed in the treaty that Rio Grande would be the Texas border (M enchaca 219). Nicholas Trist and Winfield Scott of the U.S.A conducted the negotiations and drafting of the treaty with the Mexicans since further war would ultimately bear no fruits. This happened in defiance of President’s Polk orders to fight further in an attempt to claim more territories. Trist presented the treaty to the â€Å"House of Senate† in his country U.S.A for complements (Acuna 248). The

Research paper on the company Rolex, its channel market, competition,

On the company Rolex, its channel market, competition, distributions patterns. and channels - Research Paper Example Since the company has been successfully meeting demands of its consumer and consistently introducing creative and innovative designs in the market, the management and distribution strategies followed by the wrist watch manufacturer is of great interest. One of the critical aspects in quality management is logistics and supply chain as well as channel management. In the present research, various channel management strategies of Rolex will be evaluated. The research will throw light on the distribution patterns and various marketing strategies. Competitor analysis and business drivers will also be discussed. Company Description Rolex is a private watch manufacturing conglomerate involved in production, distribution and service of wristwatches under Tudor and Rolex brands. It was founded in the year 1905 in London, England by Alfred Davis and Hans Wilsdorf. The current headquarters is situated in Geneva and it has its distribution arms worldwide. Gian Riccardo Marini is the current CEO and by 2010, the total revenue earned by the watch manufacturer was 5.1 billion dollars. The company has over 2000 employees and produces more than 2000 watches every day (Yahoo, 2013) A Rolex watch on the wrist of a customer is expected to enhance the personality and style of that person. It has become a symbol of great taste and fashion. Since these watches are exclusively designed for upper class segments, not many of the people get the opportunity of owning this prestigious brand. In the year 2007, Rolex was announced as 71 on a list of 100 most valuable brands of the globe by Bloomberg Businessweek (Businessweek, 2007). During its tenure the company has achieved many milestones in terms of innovation and creativity. In the year 1926, Rolex introduced waterproof watch and became the first brand to do so. All Rolex watched are designed and manufactured with materials of dine quality and with much detail so that chances of error and mistakes are minimized. Focusing on developing w ell-designed and realistic marketing and channel distribution strategy is crucial in order to build a successful brand. Products The major brands produced under Rolex SA are Tudor and Rolex. There are three watch lines for Rolex; Professional, Oyster Perpetual and Cellini. Some of the famous modern and well-known models of the Rolex brand includes submariner, Yacht- Master, Day-date, Daytona, Day-just etc. Few of the famous Cellini models include Quartz Mens, Cellinium, Cestello Ladies etc. Retail pricing varies according to quality, materials used and models. Accordingly, Rolex watches can range from 650 dollars to 80000 dollars. Product Distribution System A distribution strategy is used in order to make products available to the target customers. Rolex has a worldwide presence. Naturally, the company has been using a comprehensive distribution strategy in order to reach its customers residing in various ends of the globe (Kerin, Hartley & Rudelius, 2011).The overall product distr ibution system includes geographic coverage, distribution channel market and distribution patterns. Geographic coverage Rolex is an international brand. The brand name Rolex was developed so that it can be easily pronounced in various languages. Having a famous Swiss background has made the brand easily recognizable in North America and Europe. The brand covers 28 worldwide affiliates and has around 4000 watchmakers working in more than 100 countries round the globe. The brand has established retail distribution in almost every

The treaty of guadalupe Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The treaty of guadalupe - Research Paper Example Therefore, this decision led to the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe in the late 1840s (Menchaca 215). Since Mexico lost its boundaries, it subsequently lost the current states of Arizona, California, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado including Wyoming. As a result, the country felt the need of finding a solution to compensate the entire loss. A meeting was thus held among commissioners from the two rival countries with the purpose of coming up with some brilliant ideas that would be used in coming up with the final solution (Acuna 123). History reveals that, Nicholas Trist (chief clerk of the State Department) and another American representative to President Polk (General Winfield) set off to meet their Mexican counterpart-General Jose Joaquin. The first meeting bore no fruits and not even a tiny resolution was brought to book (Schultz 422). The delegates to the meeting resolved to arrange for a second one, as their zeal to bring about peace was undoubtedly strong. When the time came , the delegates met a second time, and their talks were in vain lastly coming up without a solution. Failure to come with a long lasting solution meant no peace in the territories USA had acquired from the rival. Thus, USA sent Nicholas Trist for a third time, on the third meeting; he purposely went out to meet other leaders from the fallen government of Mexico. These were, Don Bernado Couto, Don Miguel de Atristain, and don Luis Gonzaga Cuevas. They were all government officials of a government, which in a way had fallen (Porterfield 5). In the treaty, fresh boundaries were set between the two countries, Mexico succeeded to win its bid on a number of territories namely, Alta California and Santa Fe de Nuejiijij o Mexico though not cited in entire treaty. Following the years of 1836, more and precisely straight boundaries were set in an attempt to avoid further war eruptions. The border consisted of Rio Grande at the northwest part with a successive stretch further north to border S anta Fe de Nuevo Mexico. Through the Gila River, to the west, the border took a straight dimension to the port of San Diego (Porterfield 17). This gave a more geographic outlook on the positions of various locations like the Lower California. Mexico realized that it was almost losing some important territories that had steered the occurrence of the war. By the time this realization came, the country had already lost quite a considerable piece of it land to remain on the current area of approximately 1,972,550  km?. as a result, United States succeeded in the seizure of Nevada, California, and Utah with its boundaries cutting further to western parts of New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. At the long run, USA had claimed an additional land of 1.36 million km? naming it the Mexican cession. In accordance to Adams-Onis’ treaty relating to the boundary, Mexico recovered only 45% of the regions fought for. Mexicans agreed in the treaty that Rio Grande would be the Texas border (M enchaca 219). Nicholas Trist and Winfield Scott of the U.S.A conducted the negotiations and drafting of the treaty with the Mexicans since further war would ultimately bear no fruits. This happened in defiance of President’s Polk orders to fight further in an attempt to claim more territories. Trist presented the treaty to the â€Å"House of Senate† in his country U.S.A for complements (Acuna 248). The

Saint Augustine of Hippo and his Confessions Essay

Saint Augustine of Hippo and his Confessions - Essay Example Monica. It can be deduced through his works that his main goal is to find the spiritual truth, and due to himself not acknowledging the spiritual presence of God everywhere he had an early life full of sins. He died in 430, just when the Vandals were starting to besiege Calama, where he stayed for the rest of his life.4 As a reformed man who used to live in a life of sin, his book Confessions was able to convey his thoughts as well as his beliefs during and after his conversion to Christianity, as well as the struggles he had to face during the time when Rome was already crumbling and a new era was about to usher in. St. Augustine’s book, Confessions recalls most of his younger life, when he was still living in sin. The first 10 books were mostly his biography, while the remaining books focused on the first chapter of Genesis, mostly dealing with creation and the fall of grace, which he personally experienced.5 While it is not said in the book that he was a very bad child, he found pleasure in committing sins due to his search of love.6 The first book deals with his infancy to his youth, and during which he was starting to question things which he must do, as well as the good and mischievous things that he did in order to gain praise from just about everyone: from his parents; to his teachers and to his peers. However, trying to gain praises from human beings was only to make oneself feel good, and for that he confesses that he only looked for beauty and not the truth.7 The second book tells about St. Augustine’s life as a youth who was sent to Carthage in order to further his studies and become a respectable man. However, due to his relishing of the needs of the flesh, as well as to satisfy the peer pressure from his friends, he has sunk into an even lower state, much to the chagrin of his devout mother. He confessed that during these times, he was doing such things in order to satisfy his need for sinning, and nothing else.8 Concluding this book is St. Augustine admitting that having friends can either be good or dangerous, and that to live away from friends that commit sins should be the best course of action to avoid becoming a sinner even further. The third book talks about St. Augustine’s life in Carthage, how he felt that he desired to love something, but instead fell into the throes of lust.9 He also loved being an audience to theatrical plays, especially those of tragedies since he sees them as a mirror to his own life. Again, just to satisfy his vanity, he committed himself to become an eloquent speaker, to impress people. But upon reading the book Hortensius by Cicero, his whole life goal changed. He now tries to pursue the truth instead of knowledge.10 During this time he was jumping from one belief to another, and he stayed in the Manichean faith for around 10 years. Finally, through his mother, St. Monica, things were starting to become different for him. In the fourth book, most of St. Augustine’ s doubts regarding the Manichean religion as well as his swindling life as a teacher of rhetoric were further

Illustrations of the text Essay Example for Free

Illustrations of the text Essay An impressive opening, a marvellous ending, an indifferent middle. Does this twentieth century comment represent to you a fair summary of Dr. Faustus? Support your views by detailed illustrations of the text. The narrative patterns of Dr. Faustus can be said to take on a loose, three-part structure, in which the first part involves the serious business of Faustus conjuring the devil, the middle involves trivial entertainment and the final section, in which the play reaches an intense poetic conclusion. It is arguable that compared to the high drama and passion evident at the beginning and end, the middle of the play has little to offer. However, despite the fact that in Faustus, Marlowe intended to portray the tragic downfall of a great man, he also included the apparently frivolous middle scenes for a specific purpose. The play opens with Faustus alone in his study, contemplating the direction in which he should take his future studies. This first speech is energetic and his words are those of a young man. As Faustus continues to reveal his dissatisfaction with the limits of human knowledge, rejecting each of the various scholarly disciplines available to him, the audience begin to become suspicious of his intentions. When Faustus proclaims that a greater subject fitteth [his] wit, and that the next step in his education must be necromancy, our worst fears are confirmed. It is important to note that whilst the modern audience may be only slightly shocked by this revelation, to Marlowes contemporaries it would have been horrifying in the extreme. In Elizabethan times, religion permeated all aspects of life, and the majority of people were devout Christians; such and explicit display of blasphemy would have been unheard of! The dramatic tension increases as the scene progresses, and Faustus arrogant proposal to try [his] brains to gain a deity confirms our opinion of him as a dangerous over-reacher. The entrance of the good and evil angels signals an opportunity for theatrical spectacle, which again helps maintain the tension of this impressive, dramatic opening scene. Faustus is seemingly unaware of these two characters (which perhaps suggests that they are rather states of mind than physical beings) but continues to rhapsodise on the varied ways he will use his power. Marlowe uses poetic language, and Faustus speech is more like a love song than a soliloquy: Ill have them ransack the ocean for orient pearl and search all corners of the new found world for pleasant fruits and princely delicacies. At this point, we are disturbed by Faustus behaviour; it is as though he is making extravagant promises to a beloved rather than seeking these things for himself. Faustus is eager to confer with his fellow scholars Valdes and Cornelius, who can be seen to represent the traditional tempters from earlier morality plays. Valdes astonishes the audience even further by promising that their satanic powers will canonise them. This implied holiness could not be further from the truth of their intentions. The first scene ends with Faustus feverishly impatient to conjure that very night. His last four words are dramatic and fearsome in the recklessness: this night Ill conjure, therefore I die. The contemporary audience, who would have believed in the immortal soul, would have been aware of the terrifying fact that if he were to die in the process of conjuring, he would spend an eternity in hell. Soon after, we meet Faustus again. The scene is pitch black and he has prepared a circle in which to conjure, and some kind of sacrifice. Marlowe uses atmospheric language such as the gloomy shadow of the earth and her pitchy breath, to evoke the tension and drama. This would have been particularly important for the Elizabethan audience who had to rely on their imaginations during the performance, rather than special effects. Faustus invocation is in Latin, which sounds powerful and sonorous. He uses a frightening mixture of the orthodox and the demonic, for example sprinkling the holy water whilst conjuring. All this convinces us that he is engaged in an extremely perilous undertaking. Some time later, once Faustus has conjured Mephastophilis, he must sign a contract which states that Satan can have his soul in exchange for 24 good years. From this point onwards tension mounts and actions follow in rapid succession until the end of the scene. Faustus must sign in blood, yet when he tries to do so it congeals, forcing Mephastophilis to go and fetch a chafer of hot coal to melt it again. This episode contributed greatly to the dramatic tension of the scene. The congealing of the blood is part literal, but part metaphorical in the sense that it is Faustus own body recoiling from the deed he is about to commit. The simple bringing of the coals in the smoking dish is also quite dramatic. The sight and smell of the flames remind the audience (and should remind Faustus) of the fact that the contract will result in his damnation in hell. The episode ends with Faustus proclamation consummatum est once he has signed. This startling blasphemy echoes Christs final words on the cross and Faustus is ironically identified with him. It is arguable that the impressive opening of the play and the dramatic scenes which follow soon after are balanced and complimented by its equally intense ending. Faustus encounters the old man when his 24 years are almost over, which signals that there is hope for his salvation, even at this late stage. It is important that the audience can still relate to Faustus and fell that he is able to make conscious decisions about his fate, all be they the wrong ones. Whilst we continue to be thus engaged with Faustus, every move he makes in this scene creates high tension and greatly enhances the dramatic quality. About half way through the scene, we witness Mephastophilis providing a desperate Faustus with a dagger to kill himself (suicide being an offence to heaven and an appropriate means of getting to hell). Although the old man talks him out of it, the audience is still wracked with suspense, particularly whilst witnessing Faustus ponder feverishly as hell strives with grace for conquest in [his] breast. However, Faustus soon reverts to his former, cowardly self when Mephastophilis threatens to tear his flesh. He instructs sweet Mephastophilis to punish the old man instead, ignoring his conviction that my faith, vile hell, shall triumph over thee. Following this episode, Faustus asks for Helen of Troy as his paramour, and speaks to her, where he advised the scholars strictly not to. We feel that Faustus must realise he has made a fatal choice -he knows that the image he sees before him is a spirit- and watch in compelling revulsion as he kisses the devil. The speech he makes is a rhapsodic love poem, which is stunning when we consider the harsh theatrical contrast between Faustus words (e. g. O, thou art fairer than the evening air clad in the beauty of a thousand stars) and the sight of the old mans flesh being torn to pieces on stage. Even more horrifying is the way in which the brilliant scholar uses the language of love poetry to damn himself, and yet the lyrical beauty of the verse remains. When he says her lips suck forth my soul, Faustus is not only using a rapturous metaphor: it is actually happening! By now, the tragedy is inevitable; Faustus has rejected all hope of salvation, and the audience wait for his impending doom with trepidation. The final scene, in which we witness Faustus death is both memorable and moving. His solitude at the end of the play compliments his solitude at the beginning, and the fact that he struggles alone maintains the dramatic tension right up until he is taken to hell. Marlowe purposefully ends the play with Faustus soliloquy, to vocalise his inner thought and emotional condition. His terror, frantic hopes and despair are all enhanced by the soliloquy, which gains dramatic power by its graphic, physical nature. In his fervour, Faustus actually tries to leap up to [his] God, but fails to do so because some infernal force pulls him down. It is a very tragic scene, particularly as Faustus in his desperation tries to conjure and command the earth to gape open but realises that o no, it will not harbour me. There is a poignant contrast between the disillusioned scholar we see here and the successful conjurer of the previous scenes. When the clock strikes to signal his final half hour, Faustus bargains frantically with God to let him live for a hundred, or even a thousand years in hell but still be saved. Upon the arrival of the devils he is seized by fear and panic, willing his soul to be changed into little water drops and imploring God to look not so fierce in him. His final desperate plea Ill burn my books is deeply moving considering the futile nature of the gesture. Whilst the tension of the final scenes is obvious, without some of the light-hearted episodes which precede it, much of the dramatic quality would be lost. For this reason, Marlowe includes a number of comic scenes to relieve some of the suspense during the middle section of the play. As well as providing entertainment and an opportunity for spectacle (for example, the slapstick comedy of the Pope scene, and the grotesque rhetoric of the seven deadly sins) these scenes also have several important points to make. A good example of this happens fairly early on in the play, where Wagner procures one of Faustus books and persuades the flea-ridden clown to become his servant. Marlowe is making the point that whilst these two characters may be banal and frivolous, they are just as capable of conjuring as Faustus! Wagner apparently has just as much success without selling his soul for the privilege. They also draw our attention to the contract which Faustus is about to make. When Wagner says that the clown would give his soul to the devil for a shoulder of mutton, though it were blood raw, we note that Faustus proposed contract amounts to something of similar value (i. e. it will gain him nothing). In this scene, conjuring is de-based so that even the illiterate clown is taught how to use black magic. This contrast with Faustus great learning demonstrates how little intellect really is needed for such pursuits. We soon witness a scene between another two comic characters, Robin the ostler, and his companion, Rafe. Robin has stolen one of Faustus books and wishes to use it to gain sexual experience. Whilst this amuses the audience, we are also reminded to reflect on the unfolding tragedy. Whilst the ostlers may be venturing in too deep, they are innocents and their desires amount to little more than a few silly capers. When we compare this to Faustus feverish necessity to push the boundaries of human knowledge we become aware of just how dangerous the situation is. As Faustus begins to age, he too appears to become aware of the consequences of his actions. The amusing trick he plays on the horse-courser in scene ten plunges him into a despondant mood, forcing him to reflect upon his fate. He is now using his powers on even lower forms of entertainment than he did by making a mockery of the Pope in scene seven. He realises that he has done nothing special and is yet but a man, which is enforced by the horse-coursers callous assumption that he is a horse doctor. In Elizabethan times, such a profession would not have been highly respected, and Faustus is outraged that this is how he is being perceived. In conclusion, I would say that although the main dramatic events of the play occur either at the beginning or at the end, the middle scenes also have value and interest. Whilst Marlowes main intention for the comic scenes was to provide amusement for the audience and some respite from the tension of the main plot, they also contribute significantly to some of the main themes of the play by comparing Faustus behaviour to that of his contemporaries, and thus drawing our attention to the gravity of his actions.

Miniature Wireless Inertial and Magnetic Sensors Research

Miniature Wireless Inertial and Magnetic Sensors Research An object in motion tends to stay in motion unless an external force acts upon it. Similarly, if the object is at rest, it will remain at rest unless an unbalanced force acts upon it. When a force acts on an object, it will cause the object to accelerate. The larger the mass of the object, the greater the force will need to be to cause it to accelerate. Sir Isaac Newton. Throughout centuries, people were fascinated with the study of motion. In fact, several disciplines were created, in which laws of physics and mechanics are applied to objects or biological systems in order to study the effect of the forces acting upon them. One of those disciplines is biomechanics, which involves, among others, the study of the kinetics and kinematics of the human body. Locomotion is one of the primary functions of the human body (Moore et al. 2010) and studying its characteristics and its effects on the musculoskeletal system is of great importance, especially in our times, when musculoskeletal disorders are ranking very high amongst the top debilitating diseases worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation (Brooks 2006; Cross et al. 2014; St. John 2015). Degenerative musculoskeletal diseases, such as osteoarthritis (OA) are most prevalent in the elderly population, of 55 years and older (Reginster 2002). Over the past decades, the United Nations reported a steady increase in the life expectancy of the world population (Oeppen and Vaupel 2008), which marked a concomitant increase in the number of years in which sufferers need to manage the disease (Cross et al. 2014), thereby not only lowering the quality of life of the patient but also putting extra strain on the health care system. Although OA is an autoimmune disease and its origins are not yet fully understood, the literature suggests that in some patients OA can be caused by other degenerative processes such as femuroacetabular impingement (FAI) (Benedetti et al. 1998; Ganz et al. 2001), genu varum or genu valgum (Moore et al. 2010), which have a much earlier onset than OA. Early diagnosis in such cases could help prevent or postpone the onset of OA in the patients joints. Motion analysis has been widely tested as a means of diagnosing skeletal misalignment processes, such as the ones mentioned above. The knee joint is not only the largest joint in the human body, but due to its position and weight bearing properties, also one of the most injurie and disease prone skeletal feature (Moore et al. 2010). After all, knee OA is one of the most prevalent types of arthritis affecting the world population (Cross et al. 2014). Moreover, the knee joint is often used in proof of concept studies, as a simplified biomechanical hinge joint (Seel et al. 2014), which only allows rotation about its main axis the flexion extension axis, making it ideal for the purpose of the current study. The motion to be analysed in the following chapters will be knee flexion-extension during dynamic walking conditions. Amongst the most popular motion analysis tools are the marker based optical motion capture systems and their associated protocols. Optical motion capture is often performed in the laboratory with very expensive equipment and using this type of equipment in a non-laboratory based environment presents significant limitations which can compromise the accuracy of the acquired data. However, the differences between the laboratory setting and a natural environment in which a movement is carried out could affect the manner in which the patient conducts himself. It is therefore of great importance to find an appropriate motion analysis tool which can be used accurately in a non-laboratory based environment, is user friendly, requires a short set up time and is cost effective. The scope of the current thesis is to combine the use of state of the art equipment and a motion capture and computational data processing protocol which allows biomechanical analysis of human motion in a non-laboratory based environment. The purpose of the study is to test the applicability, feasibility and reliability of using a network of wireless inertial sensors and a designated data acquisition and processing protocol to assess human knee flexion-extension during gait in a non-laboratory based environment. Successfully proving that using such a technique in a non-laboratory based environment is applicable and reliable, could not only offer an ambulatory, and more rapid, user friendly, and cost effective alternative to the optical motion capture silver standard, used currently in the laboratory, the applications of such a technique would be spread across numerous fields, e.g. diagnostics and prevention of disease, physical repair, ergonometry, engineering of prosthetic limbs. Objectives The objectives of the current study are to perform a series of experiments using a network of miniature wireless inertial and magnetic sensors, in conjunction with a data processing protocol, proposed by Seel et. al (2014) and described in detail in the following chapters, in order to validate the system for use in a non-laboratory based environment. The experiments will have the following purposes: Ruling out any gyroscope bias. Testing the accuracy of the gyroscope sensors and the methodology proposed by Seel et. al (2014) for deriving a rotation angle from gyroscope data, against a robotic setup gold standard. Testing the accuracy with which the cameras of the optical motion capture system track the markers in the measurement volume. Testing the methodology proposed by Seel et. al (2014) for calculating a rotation angle by combining gyroscope and accelerometer data, against the Vicon calibration wand. Validating the above mentioned method for calculating knee flexion-extension angles during gait, against the Vicon camera system current silver standard for human motion capture. Comparing knee flexion-extension angles from gait recorded in a laboratory- and a non-laboratory based environment, with the sensor system and processed with the protocol proposed by Seel et. al (2014). Aims By following these objectives, the aims of the current study are to demonstrate the following set of null hypotheses: H01 The sensor system and proposed protocol function together with high accuracy. H02 There are no statistically significant differences between knee flexion-extension angles recorded during gait with the sensor system, and the ones recorded with the optical motion capture system. H03 There are no statistically significant differences between knee flexion-extension angles recorded with the sensors system in the laboratory, and the ones recorded outdoors. Anatomy and pathology of the human knee joint The lower limbs of the human body (Fig 2.1), are part of the appendicular skeleton (Gerhardt et al. 2012). The leg is formed of three long bones, the femur constituting the thigh bone and the tibia and fibula constituting the bones of the lower leg (Rabuffetti and Crenna 2004). The femur (Fig 2.2A) is the largest bone in the human body. Proximally, the femur articulates with the pelvis, to form the hip joint. Distally, the femur articulates with the tibia (Fig 2.2A) to form the knee joint (Fig 2.2B)(Joseph 2014). The femur is positioned diagonally within the thigh, forming an alignment axis along the line of force of the quadriceps femoris muscle surrounding it, which can be represented by drawing a line from the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) to the centre of the patella (Fig 2.2C)(Moore et al. 2010). The tibia is almost vertically positioned within the shank, forming an alignment axis virtually parallel to the vertical gravitational axis, traversing the centre of the patella. The alignment of the knee joint is greatly influenced by the angle between the quadriceps muscle and the patellar tendon, called the Q angle (Fig 2.2C)(Moore et al. 2010). The knee joint is represented by large articular surfaces, with a joint capsule consisting of a fibrous external layer and an internal synovial membrane, lining all surfaces of the articular cavity which are not covered by hyaline cartilage (Drake et al. 2012; Moore et al. 2010) . The hyaline cartilage, covering the bony extremities of the synovial joint, lowers friction between the elements and additional structures, such as articular discs, fat pads and tendons may be present in this type of joint (Ellis 2006). Mechanically, the knee is a relatively weak structure, its stability being highly dependent on the strength of the soft tissue surrounding it. The most stable position of the knee joint is when a person is standing up right and the knee is fully extended. In this position, the medial rotation of the femoral condyles on the articular surface of the tibia, creates a passive lock, which is inactivated when the femur rotates laterally to allow flexion (Moore et al. 2010). The primary functions of the human lower limbs are support and locomotion (Drake et al. 2012; Ellis 2006; Moore et al. 2010). Functions in which the knee joints, along with the other joints of the lower limbs, play a crucial role. Human gait, for instance, is a complex motion which, when occurring on a planar surface, can be divided in two phases, containing 7 total events. One gait cycle (Fig 2.3) consists of a stance phase (60% of the total action) and a swing phase (40% of the total action), corresponding to a single step made by one leg. From a biomechanical point of view, joints are often classified according to their ability to move across a defined number of axes using mechanical models. The knee joint for example is often considered to be a hinge (Fig 2.4), acting like a fulcrum between two levers, represented by the femur and tibia (Moore et al. 2010; Zatsiorsky 1998). However, the movements of the knee joint are a widely discussed subject and there are at least four points of view in the literature concerning the correct identification of the flexion-extension axis of the knee joint (Zatsiorsky 1998). The flexion-extension axis is recognized as being the main axis of rotation of the tibiofemoral joint, however, it was reported that when the knee is fully extended an endo-exo rotation of the tibia with respect to the femoral condyles occurs (Ellis 2006; Fick 1911a; Hollister et al. 1993; Moore et al. 2010). Furthermore, Hollister et al. (1993) reported that full extension of the knee is accompanied by an additional abduction-adduction of the tibia. Firstly, based on the Reuleaux method, researchers claimed that the knee flexion-extension axis is instantaneous and displaces during motion (Blacharski and Somerset 1975; Frankel et al. 1971; Schmidt 1973; Soudan and Auderkercke 1979; Zuppinger 1904). However, this view was highly criticised by (Panjabi et al. 1982), who claimed that the flawed experimental designs of the previously mentioned researchers led to inaccuracies in their results. Secondly, a helical rather than simple rotation occurring about a flexion-extension axis, which changes its orientation during motion, and about an independent tibial endo-exo rotation axis, was suggested (Braune and Fischer 1891; Bugnion 1892; Zuppinger 1904) and later reviewed by (Fick 1911b), (Steindler 1955), and (Strasser 1917). However, Fick later suggested that the knee flexion-extension axis was a fixed axis located in the distal femur, traversing the lateral and medial condyle posteriorly (Fick 1911a). A hypothesis which was supported by (Elias et al. 1990) findings, which further suggested an involvement of the surrounding ligaments in the motion. Finally, (Hollister et al. 1993) claimed that knee flexion-extension is indeed dependent on the movement of the collateral and cruciate ligaments and that therefore, mechanically, knee motion occurs about an infinite number of axes. Nevertheless, most biomechanical models used in the literature for assessing motion capture data, assume a fixed flexion-extension axis for the knee (Cutti et al. 2010; Ehrig et al. 2007; Seel et al. 2014). The physical aspects of the musculoskeletal system are, however, not the only factors concerning skeletal kinematics. On a physiological level, although often considered invariable, bones undergo constant remodelling under the influence of mechanical stimuli. Bone remodelling is, in fact, a constant balance between osteogenesis (the process of bone formation) and osteoclastogenesis (the process of bone resorption), processes which regulate bone mass and are highly dependent on mechanical stress and strain (Marieb 2009). The effects of mechanical stimuli on the skeletal environment have been extensively studied in the past and mathematical models, such as Frosts mechanostat, based on the theory that the human skeleton evolves for and serves mechanical needs primarily (Frost 1987), have been developed for a better understanding of this mechanism. In Frosts view, the skeleton has an in-built mechanical feedback system which responds to increase or decrease in mechanical loading or hormonal changes by adjusting the bone mass so that it is specially distributed for optimal mechanical function (Frost 1987). Although Frosts mathematical model took into account very important parameters, such as Youngs modulus for bone, peak strain, peak stress and changes in density, it did not take into account the ability of bone cells to adapt to the environment (Turner 1999). However, Turners mathematical theory for bone biology, called the principle of cellular accommodation (Turner 1999), based on Wolffs law of bone transformation (Wolff 1982) and Frosts mechanostat (Frost 1987), offered an alternative version, which corrected for flaws discovered in the initial models (Turner 1999). In 1982, Julius Wolff proposed a theory which stated that high stress-generated potentials can act as electrical stimuli for the activation of osteocyte cells within bone tissue, which in response could trigger an anabolic event following activation of bone forming cells (Wolff 1982). Turners principle of cellular accommodation corrected for the assumption in Frosts mechanostat that suggested that cellular sensitization is a continuous and endless process, that can eventually lead to complete loss of bone mass or ossification of bone tissue (Turner 1999). In contrast to that, the principle of cellular accommodation stated that mechanical loading and unloading indeed stimulates bone formation and, respectively bone resorption, but that, over time the bone cells become immune to loading cycles (provided the load has an equal value over time) and their metabolic rate decreases. Nevertheless, mechanical stress and strain are not exclusively affecting the bones within the skeletal system, but also the cartilage and surrounding tissue. Changes in the mechanical environment or properties of cartilage within a joint, can generate stimuli, which initiate degenerative processes (Boyd and Ronsky 1997; Churchill et al. 1998b; Davis and DeLuca 1996), e.g. osteoarthritis. OA is a progressive disorder, which causes the loss of articular cartilage, exposing the joint extremities, where the direct contact between bones results in ulceration and calcification of the tissue. OA is one of the worlds leading debilitating diseases, which lowers the quality of life and can lead to immobility of the patient. The exact mechanism of OA is not clear yet, however, there are a series of factors which researchers found to play a role in the onset, incidence and epidemiology of the disease. For knee OA, these factors include amongst genetic background, age, gender, obesity (Felson 2004a), and occupational (Cooper et al. 1994; Maetzel et al. 1997; McMillan and Nichols 2005) or sports injuries (Roos et al. 1994), local mechanical factors affecting the integrity of the joint, such as muscle weakness, damage to the ligaments and meniscus, joint incongruity and misalignment of femoral condyles on the tibial plateau (Felson 2004b). It has been reported that knee injury in men and obesity in women are amongst the leading and most modifiable causes of onset or progression of knee OA (Felson et al. 2000). Moreover, (Felson 2013) claimed that knee OA is almost always caused by increased forces acting on a joint and that such forces could be a result of knee malalignment (Felson and Hodgson 2014) or a combination of malalignment and obesity (Felson et al. 2004). Causes which can be addressed and treated in order to prevent progression or onset of OA, if identified in timely manner (Felson and Hodgson 2014; Teichtahl et al. 2009). Genu varum (bowed-legs) and genu valgum (knocked-knees) are both conditions in which the alignment of the knee is affected. Genu varum is defined by a decreased Q-angle (Moore et al. 2010), and is reported to increase mechanical loading in the medial knee compartment by 70-79% (Tetsworth and Paley 1994) even in cases where the varum is as little as 5 °, which can lead to substantial cartilage loss (Sharma et al. 2008; Teichtahl et al. 2009) and the onset of OA (Brouwer et al. 2007). In contrast, genu valgum is defined by an increased Q-angle (Moore et al. 2010), which is reported to in increases loading in the lateral knee compartment, thereby, increasing the risk of progressive OA 5 fold (Sharma et al. 2001; Teichtahl et al. 2006). Furthermore, (Hsu et al. 1990) and (Kettelkamp et al. 1976) report a correlation between medial lateral forces and knee alignment during standing which, however, is only present in genu varum sufferers during gait (Harrington 1983). Motion analysis has proved to be a useful tool in the study of lower limbs kinematics and disorders of knee (Andriacchi et al. 1983; Berchuck et al. 1990; Draganich et al. 1991; Kettelkamp et al. 1976; Noyes et al. 1992; Wang et al. 1990) and increasingly more researchers use motion capture systems and biomechanical computational models for the purpose of quantifiable and numerical motion analysis (Alexander and Andriacchi 2001; Bonci et al. 2015; Cappozzo et al. 2005; Cereatti and Della Croce 2006; Cutti et al. 2010; Davis et al. 1991; Ehrig et al. 2007; Ferrari et al. 2010a; Garofalo et al. 2009; Haid and Breitenbach 2004; Kratzenstein et al. 2010b; Leardini et al. 2005; Luinge et al. 2012; Pasciuto et al. 2015; Roetenberg et al. 2003; Schepers et al. 2010; Seel et al. 2014; Taylor et al. 2005). Motion capture systems and protocols During the past decades, quantifiable motion analysis has been widely studied and the need for developing a low cost and user friendly technique, which enables motion capture in a non-laboratory based environment, has been emphasised time and time again (Calliess et al. 2014; Gaffney et al. 2011; Liu et al. 2011; Pfau et al. 2005; Soangra and Lockhart 2012; Vlasic et al. 2007; Wixted et al. 2010; Yang et al. 2011; Zhou and Hu 2004, 2008). Quite a few motion capture systems were developed in order to aid motion studies. These systems were reviewed extensively (Frey et al. 1996; Hightower and Borriello 2001; Meyer et al. 1992; Welch and Foxlin 2002) and can be largely classified in the following categories: robot aided, visual and non-visual (Vlasic et al. 2007; Zhou and Hu 2004, 2008). Robot aided motion capture This technique employs the use of electromechanical systems, such as Gypsyà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (Meta Motion) and ShapeWrapà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (Measurand), called exoskeletons, which the subjects are required to wear, in order to compute joint angles from electric resistance. These systems are not restricted to laboratory use, however, they are uncomfortable and motion restricting even in the most updated versions of the hardware (Vlasic et al. 2007).

How to Make the Malahat Safer Essay -- mountain highway on Vancouver Is

How to Make the Malahat Safer The debate about how to improve the treacherously narrow and winding Malahat Mountain Highway on South Vancouver Island has been an on-going issue since its conception back in 1861 when it was built as a cattle trail, then up-graded to wagon-road status in 1884 and eventually paved in 1911 (Commission). Currently vital safety upgrades are underway such as concrete barriers to divide the road lanes and stabilization solutions for falling debris. The presence of physical law enforcement units on the highway to manage problems like cell phone usage, impaired drivers and vehicles that are ill equipped for weather conditions is a necessary and crucial part of maintaining safety on the Malahat (Unit). However, due to the fact that the Malahat is built on the side of a mountain, with sheer drop-offs on one side and rock cliffs on the other, there are very few spots from which law enforcement can enforce speed limits. Furthermore, the highway spans over many different municipalities, and en forcement suffers from jurisdictional issues (Rondeau). Speeding is a critical safety problem that is prevalent on the Malahat; reducing speeding by installing speed cameras will substantially decrease the amount of fatal accidents on the highway, as well as save precious natural resources and billions of dollars in taxpayers’ money. There have been substantial government studies done to find solutions for the Malahat, ranging from double decking the highway to building bridges across the Sannich Peninsula inlet, all of which have serious environmental impacts, and are estimated to cost hundreds of millions to billions of dollars (Transportation). The twinning or double decking of the current highway would come with many... ...tober 2013. http://www.traffic-safety.ca/index.htm Reutter, Mark. "New Speed cameras will cost more, not less, from city's preferred vender." 19 April 2013. Baltimore Brew. Web. 10 October 2013. http://www.baltimorebrew.com/2013/04/19/new-speed-cameras-will-cost-more-not-less-from-citys-preferred-vendor/ Rondeau, Andrea. "Two-week crack down solves mystrey of Malahat crashes." 04 July 2007. Cowichan Valley Citizen. Web. 01 October 2013. http://www.cowichanvalleycitizen.com/news/two-week-crackdown-solves-mystery-of-malahat-crashes-1.159199 Transportation, Ministry of. "Trans-Canada Highway 1- Malahat Corridor study area Final Report." Not given July 2007. Web. 10 October 2013. http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/malahat/finalreport/ Unit, Constable from Intergrated Road Safety. Personal interview, getting opion on Malahat issues Linda Mather. 30 Sept 2013. Personal Interview.

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds Education Essay

Many issues that become about in a kid ‘s instruction bend into tough challenges for instructors, kids, and besides households. These issues fall under the class of â€Å" Children ‘s Oral Language Learning † and these issues are simply a trial to see merely how far instructors, kids and parents will travel to supply the critical instruction that a kid needs, and in the procedure, larning something new themselves each twenty-four hours. The subject and its issues that will be outlined and analysed that is related to kids ‘s unwritten linguistic communication acquisition is Second Language Learning. Three issues that are associated with 2nd linguistic communication acquisition will be outlined, analysed and theorised. Following that will be the recommendations and suggestions for pedagogues of immature kids in respects to 2nd linguistic communication acquisition. The first issue that is associated with 2nd linguistic communication acquisition is that kids who come from culturally and linguistically diverse ( CALD ) backgrounds may happen it hard to set in a new school and may experience left out and/or stray amongst other equals and instructors. As a consequence they may happen it nerve-racking to larn English and may show hurt or defeat in school. The 2nd issue associated with this subject is that parents who come from a CALD background may experience uncomfortable and unaware of what is traveling on in the school and with their kids ‘s acquisition because they are disadvantaged by being unable to talk or understand English. They may besides experience as if their demands and more significantly their kids ‘s demands are being neglected and non met due to their inability to talk English. The 3rd issue that is associated with this subject is that instructors should guarantee that during the 2nd linguistic communication larning procedure that they maintain the kid ‘s first/home linguistic communication, guaranting that it does non go lost in the procedure. The first issue that is associated with 2nd linguistic communication acquisition is that kids who come from a CALD background may hold trouble seting to a new school or in an environment that they are non comfy in, and holding to larn a 2nd linguistic communication can do it more nerve-racking for the kid. The key to larning a 2nd linguistic communication, particularly when it is a kid that is larning the 2nd linguistic communication, is to take it one measure at a clip. Rushing the kid through the procedure will merely do it more nerve-racking for both the kid and the pedagogue. The kid may meet feelings of defeat and hurt, hence doing it harder for the kid to set to the school ‘s environment and besides to acquire along with other equals. Educators should besides maintain in head that marginalizing and/or pretermiting CALD kids should n't take topographic point in the schoolroom. CALD kids could perchance meet similar experiences from schoolmates, such as negative behavior and attitudes including racism. Everyone has their ain sentiments and some may experience stronger about peculiar issues so others. ( Newman & A ; Pollnitz, 2005 ) . The ground as to why everyone has different beliefs and sentiments is due to their upbringing, that is, what their parents believed and taught them, their environmental milieus and the people in their community holding certain beliefs and ethical motives, hence impacting others. Whether their sentiments and ethical motives are right or incorrect, it has become a portion of who they are. Nevertheless, when people express their feelings towards certain issues, they seldom take into history how another person may experience about the remarks and sentiments put frontward ( Preston 1996 ) . This can be farther supported by Rizvi ( 1993 ) who mentions that as kids grow older they progressively seek to turn up themselves within contradictory discourses of popular racism. Contradictory discourses of popular racism can besides act upon a individual ‘s subjectiveness and where they place themselves in society, which can so hold a negative impact on CALD kids and their households as they may experience vulnerable and inferior because of how others may comprehend them. Furthermore, kids who do n't come from a CALD background could individual out, or marginalise kids who are from a CALD background, hence doing them experience neglected and isolated, and even insignificant in the schoolroom, therefore doing the 2nd linguistic communication larning procedure more hard for both kid and instructor. To assist with this issue, pedagogues are recommended or suggested to guarantee that all kids are included in category treatments, acquiring them involved in group activities and besides edifice and keeping a good and collaborated relationship between the pedagogues and kids, and besides between the kids from CALD and non-CALD backgrounds. This could include holding CALD kids bring in different resources from place such as books in their ain linguistic communication and so holding groups of kids write or draw their ain reading of the book so discoursing it as a whole about what they have written or drawn. Another illustration to assist kids experience more included and to work collaboratively with other kids is to integrate engineering into the kids ‘s acquisition. Technology such as educational computing machine games can successfully heighten a kid ‘s relationship with other kids and more significantly their literacy accomplishments. This can be supported by Resnyanicsy ( 2001 ) who notes that the new agencies of literacy through engineering opens up new acquisition chances Furthermore, when working closely with kids, households, communities and staff, it is important that early childhood pedagogues recognise the differing values and belief systems that people have in the universe. Furthermore, it is of import to guarantee that people are cognizant of how they perceive difference. It is unjust to consciously or unconsciously exclude and marginalise others based on discourses that place persons in a negative manner The 2nd issue that is associated with this subject is that parents from a CALD background may see feelings of hurt and defeat for their kid ‘s acquisition and may experience as though their kids ‘s demands are n't being met. They may besides experience as though their demands are being neglected and may experience that they and their kids are disadvantaged in some manner due to their inability to talk a 2nd linguistic communication. This can be supported by district attorney Silva and Wise ( 2006 ) who note that parents ‘ perceptual experiences towards quality attention in a school environment depend on the footing of their cognition towards quality attention and kid development. What parents delineate as quality attention depends on what they believe the household needs ( district attorney Silva & A ; Wise, 2006, who cite Emlen, Koren & A ; Schultze, 1999 ) , and besides due to their cultural upbringings, values and rules ( district attorney Silva & A ; Wise, 2006 ) . Harmonizing to Siddiqi et Al ( 2006 ) , the household environment as a domain of influence is an of import facet for kids. Children ‘s development is influenced by their household environment. For this ground household engagement is important to assist kids experience secure, loved and supported, furthermore can be seen as a measure in the right way for inclusion in the early childhood scene. Recommendations for pedagogues who are involved in the 2nd linguistic communication larning procedure in respects to this issue could include constructing collaborative relationships with households who come from a CALD background. Building and keeping collaborative relationships with CALD parents can turn out to an effectual and worthwhile experience, therefore doing the 2nd linguistic communication larning procedure easier for the kid and instructor. This can be supported by Billman et Al ( 2005 ) and Tett et Al ( 2003 ) who note that constructing collaborative and effectual partnerships amongst stakeholders, peculiarly instructors and parents, can turn out to be a worthwhile and efficient relationship between the two groups. For illustration, Billman et Al ( 2005 ) notes that what kids learn in the school environment, will trip on-going conversations with their parents at place. This of class can heighten the kid ‘s 2nd linguistic communication acquisition, every bit good as the partnership between the parents and the staff. This could include instructors holding afternoon tea with the parents, to do them experience more comfy, as an afternoon tea can be less of a formal meeting so that the parents do n't experience tense or awkward in that state of affairs. To let them to go cognizant of the regard and recognition that pedagogues have towards cultural diverseness, instructors could inquire parents to come in and convey in different resources from their background and to demo them to the kids and so leting the kids to research the different resources. Having regular afternoon teas, even if it is one time a month, is important so that pedagogues get to maintain the parents involved in their kid ‘s acquisition, and to do them experience and understand that they are a valuable resource in their kid ‘s acquisition. Another recommendation could be for pedagogues to propose to parents where they could happen topographic points where they can larn English or another 2nd linguistic communication and where they can happen resources in the community to assist them with the whole procedure. Having a multicultural twenty-four hours at the school or other cultural events could besides be another recommendation for pedagogues. This could assist parents experience and understand that their civilization is valued and respected in the school community. Besides in the procedure kids get to larn about the different civilizations of the universe and parents could convey in their cultural nutrients and music to tum it into an eventful twenty-four hours. Parents and pedagogues, from both positions, have identified in the past and at present clip that some instructors have been respectful or cognizant of other civilizations in the school, even more so than others. They normally tend to admit this factor and recognise and raise consciousness towards an issue or concern towards any cultural difference ( district attorney Silva & A ; Wise, 2006 ; Pacini-Ketchabaw & A ; Schecter, 2002 ) . Furthermore, when kids become cognizant of the constructive relationship between their parents and their instructors, so it is likely for the kid to organize a stronger bond with their instructors ( Billman et al, 2005, who cite Elicker & A ; Fortner-Wood, 1995 ) . The 3rd subject that is associated with 2nd linguistic communication acquisition is guaranting that when larning a 2nd linguistic communication, that instructors maintain the place linguistic communication in the school environment, so that it does non go lost or forgotten. It can go rather easy to ignore or bury the kid ‘s first/home linguistic communication, so it is imperative that instructors and kids become cognizant of this factor and guarantee that they do everything that they can to maintain the place linguistic communication acknowledged and remembered ( Makin & A ; Jones Diaz, 2002 ) . By keeping the kid ‘s place linguistic communication, instructors are turn outing that they are admiting and esteeming other diversenesss in the schoolroom. This can be supported by Pacini-Ketchabaw & A ; Schecter ( 2002 ) who note that Teachers ‘ engagements in a kid ‘s lingual and diverse background prove that they value the civilization and are committed to the kid ‘s learning procedure. Furthermore, cultural diverseness can be seen as the chief nexus between the place and the school, every bit good as the stakeholders, that being the parents, the instructors and the community ( Pacini-Ketchabaw and Schecter, 2002 ) This can be fbrther supported by Newman & A ; Pollnitz, ( 2005 ) who believe that â€Å" Culture is seen to compromise the manner people live- their linguistic communication, music, history, art, values and beliefs † ( p.254 ) . Therefore it is of import to include kids ‘s place languages into the school scenes to guarantee they feel valued and self worthy, this will assist observe diverseness in a positive mode. Recommendations for pedagogues for this issue could be affecting parents in their kid ‘s acquisition, as mentioned in the 2nd issue. Besides, similar to the first issue ‘s reconmendations, kids and parents could convey in different resources such as books and images from their cultural background, to heighten the collaborative relationship between the pedagogues and the parents, and besides between the kids and pedagogues, and to a fbrther extent, kids ‘s relationships with their schoolmates. Not merely does this heighten the relationships between the stakeholders, but by conveying in different resources from assorted cultural backgrounds, kids ‘s literacy skills become enhanced in the procedure ( Barratt-Pugh et Al, 2003 ) . Educators should be cognizant that a kid ‘s apprehension of literacy starts in the place. This can be supported by Jones Diaz ( 2007 ) who province that â€Å" Young kids ‘s apprehensions about literacy develop within their sociocultural and lingual communities † . ( p7 ) . Educators can integrate more than one linguistic communication pattern to guarantee kids are acquiring the best possible experience. Children and households will more likely feel that their involvements are valued and worthy. This can farther be supported by Marsh ( 2002 ) who says that kids who come from a CALD background have high opportunities of heightening their literacy accomplishments in the school environment. For illustration, instructors are able to integrate chances into the school, in this instance, heightening a non-English speech production pupil ‘s literacy accomplishments. Overall, cultural diverseness in the place, in the school and in the broader society is an facet of every individual ‘s life that must be valued, treated severally and every bit and must non be disregarded by persons, particularly by pedagogues of kids. Educators should besides be unfastened to new instruction facets, particularly when it is in respects to doing a kid feel included and besides when it involves heightening a kid ‘s literacy accomplishments. As literacy is everlastingly changing, so is the manner that instructors teach and kids learn ( Makin & A ; Jones Diaz, 2002 ) . As mentioned antecedently, engineering can be seen to be a successful tool to integrate into the kid ‘s acquisition when it comes to heightening their literacy accomplishments. However, many instructors will prefer to lodge with their original instruction ways, ways in which they are familiar and comfy with. Nevertheless, Cunningham-Andersen & A ; Andersson ( 1999 ) note that instructors should seek and avoid their ain single rules parallel to their instruction moralss to supply an instruction for kids that will heighten important and good developmental accomplishments in the kid ‘s acquisition.