Film Critique - Dances with Wolves Movie Review

Film Critique - Dances with Wolves - Movie Review Example The Wind in His Hair, a young, angry Indian, did not trust him at all. When Dunbar brought back Stands With a Fist, who was a white girl that was living with the tribe and was attempting suicide following the death of her husband, Dunbar was looked upon the tribe less suspiciously by everybody. Then, when Dunbar came into the camp to tell the tribe about him spotting Buffalo, he attained mythical status, and everybody wanted to be his friend from that point on. Dunbar then started living with the tribe. He learned the language and married Stands With a Fist. Dunbar was captured by the army when he went back to his original post to retrieve his diary, thinking that the diary would be used to find the Sioux tribe and kill them. The Sioux brothers of Dunbar ambushed the Army men who were taking Dunbar to be tried for treason and probably hanged. Dunbar knew that his presence in the tribe made the entire tribe a target, and put everybody in danger, so he knew that he had to leave. With a heavy heart, he and Stands With a Fist left the tribe. In the captions, it was made known that the entire tribe had submitted to the white man’s rule 18 months later. One of the major themes that ran all the way through the movie was the white man’s disregard for nature and animals. Through this theme ran an undercurrent that the white man had no regard for life, period. The theme of having a general disregard for nature, thus having a general disregard for animals, was subtly introduced to the character of John Dunbar’s guide.... The Sioux brothers of Dunbar ambushed the Army men who were taking Dunbar to be tried for treason and probably hanged. Dunbar knew that his presence in the tribe made the entire tribe a target, and put everybody in danger, so he knew that he had to leave. With a heavy heart, he and Stands With a Fist left the tribe. In the captions, it was made known that the entire tribe had submitted to the white man’s rule 18 months later. Themes One of the major themes that ran all the way through the movie was the white man’s disregard for nature and animals. Through this theme ran an undercurrent that the white man had no regard for life, period. The theme of having general disregard for nature, thus having a general disregard for animals, was subtly introduced in the character of John Dunbar’s guide. This guide threw a tin can into the prairie, and by the way that Dunbar looked upon this action, it was clear that Dunbar did not approve of this. The theme was touched upon m uch more clearly in a subsequent scene – there were dead animals in a pond, all of them shot to death. It wasn’t clear why these animals were killed – they apparently were not killed for their hide, or their meat, because the entire carcasses were left to rot in the water. They apparently were killed only for sport. The next instance where the audience was shown that the white man had no respect for animals or nature came during a scene where there were thousands of buffaloes rotting in the sun. They were stripped of their hides and their tongues, then left on the prairie to rot. This was an insult to the Indians – they depended upon the buffalo for the meat, the hide, the organs, the bones, everything. They did not

Cognitive Effects of Early Bilingualism Essay Example for Free

Cognitive Effects of Early Bilingualism Essay The American educational system has fallen behind other leading nations in the world in many respects, one of which is in bilingual instruction. This has traditionally been overlooked in the United States until the high school level. Children in today’s society should be made more prepared for the growing globalism and technological advances throughout the world instead of losing educational opportunities due to economic downfall and lack of resources. This includes a second language acquisition introduced earlier in the program. On top of political reasons, the positive effects to the cognitive development of the brain when introduced to a second language are many. The age of acquisition is crucial due to the plasticity of the brain which, according to the critical period hypothesis, begins to plateau after five years of age. The current policy in early education limits greatly the amount of extracurricular lessons provided in accordance with government policies such as No Child Left Behind, which restricts school funding based on standardized testing only in certain subject areas. School programs, realistically beginning in elementary education, should include foreign language study due to the strong evidence that bilingualism in children can develop higher cognitive abilities which can be enhanced with proficiency and positively influence skills in other areas. Old arguments suggest that, â€Å"children who are instructed bilingually from an early age will suffer cognitive or intellectual retardation in comparison with their monolingually instructed counterparts† (Diaz 24). Much of the research from the past supporting this argument focused on older bilinguals, mostly adults who may have shown competent abilities in a second language but who had much later ages of acquisition and who usually acquired the second language outside of the home. Many early studies in this field worked with children of immigrants who showed lower abilities in cognitive tasks most likely because of the lack of proficiency in the second language (L2) and lack of proper schooli ng in relation to this deficiency (Kovà ¡cs 307). In correlation with poorly chosen test subjects, the studies were typically done with orthographic representations of words that would have been more difficult for younger test subjects to work with. For example, a study done by Ton Dijkstra, Professor of Psycholinguistics and Multilingualism at the Donders Institute, which focused only on adult English/Dutch bilingualsthe youngest being fifteen years old, all of whom studied their L2 in a middle or high school level. This study included only written examples of words and had the subjects determine if the word was English or Dutch. The results were able to somewhat prove Dijkstra’s theory of Bilingual interactive activation (BIA) which underlines the effects orthography has on L1 and L2 word retrieval that is â€Å"assuming, of course, that the same orthography is used in the input† (Dijkstra 217). If this study were done on younger children, it is sure they would not have performed as well since children are typically less familiar with the written language than with the spoken. Older language learners would make more use of the written approach to learning, such as a textbook, while younger learners typically lear n more from a speech-based approach, like conversationally in the home. The textbook approach is a symbolic processing which differs from the more embedded cognitive retrieval of the speech-based learning approach utilized by younger children to understand the two languages. There have been many studies over the past few years that have proven the opposite of these older arguments. Many of the studies have tested the cognitive abilities of young children, usually aged six and under in accordance with the critical period hypothesis, with both monolingual and bilingual proficiency. These experiments are concerned with cognitive tasks including false-belief tasks and grammar testing to determine the ability to hold abstract thought in the L2 as well as phonemic testing in order to find if there is an ability to distinguish between the phonemes of the different languages. The majority of these studies have tested subjects using visual representations and vocal experiments with proctors who have experience working with children and are trained in both languag es being tested. The more useful subjects are usually taught implicitly, or passively in the home. Although some make use of explicitly taught subjects, meaning they learned actively in a class setting. It has been proven that an infant of four months has the incredible linguistic discrimination abilities to distinguish languages with different prosody and phonemes (Kovà ¡cs 303). An infant is then better equipped to attain more native-like proficiency later in life when exposed this early to the sounds and rhythm of the L2. Doctor in Communication Sciences, Karsten Steinhauer explains, â€Å"that late L2 learners stabilize at some point short of native-like attainment [which] most recently has been discussed in terms of phonological/prosodic interference from L1† (Steinhauer 15). When a young child is introduced to two separate languages, the mechanisms of attention, selection, and inhibition become more fine-tuned due to the experience of attending to one language and ignoring the other (Kovà ¡cs 303, 308). The training in encoding and the association of two correspondi ng words with a common concept underlines the superior representational abilities a bilingual retains especially when the L2 is entrenched in the brain the way early acquisition allows. Linguist à gnes Melinda Kovà ¡cs presents research proving that monolinguals typically attain these abilities at the age of four years while young bilinguals gain these skills much earlier (Kovà ¡cs 316). The brain’s plasticity allows the young child to hold and use the two languages without interference and with continued usage the child will be more likely to attain full native-like proficiency in both languages. Kovà ¡cs also explains that since the brain remains active during demanding tasks, the brain may take on the extra load of two languages as a constructive challenge. The young, malleable brain may possibly â€Å"greatly adapt to [the challenge], for example, by changing its morphology† (Kovà ¡cs 308). A type of adaptation has been proven in studies done by neuroscientist Andrea Mechelli, which were concerned with the grey matter surrounding the left inferior parietal cortex, the general area associated with language use containing the Broca’s are a. These studies confirmed that the grey matter in this area is denser in early-acquired bilinguals. The density decreases in correlation with proficiency in the L2 with monolinguals having the least dense matter (Mechelli 757). This may be the case because a later acquired L2 is held at a more surface level of the brain and requires the use of the declarative memory instead of the procedural memory. Many tests have been done to determine the amount of brain activity associated with language in the left inferior parietal cortex through the use of event-related brain potential, or ERPs. Dr. Steinhauer describes ERPs as â€Å"reflecting the real-time electrophysiological brain dynamics of cognitive processes with an excellent time resolution in the range of milliseconds,† and that ERPs â€Å"have been hypothesized to be linked to rule-based automatic parsing† (Steinhauer 16). Measurements of ERPs are taken while subjects perform syntactically poignant tasks. Since it is thought that syntactic processes are generally automatic or a part of â€Å"implicit grammar processi ng† (Steinhauer 17), the ERP components would be more difficult to elicit in later acquired bilinguals. Steinhauer et al. performed several studies in this area, working with many real and one artificial language labeled BROCANTO 2. In each case, the subjects were given grammaticality judgment tasks in the given language, such as subject-verb agreement violations and lexical anomalies. For each group, the early acquired or implicitly taught subjects educed the same type of ERP responses as native speakers. Late-acquired or explicitly instructed subjects showed more shallow responses, if any at all in this area. These findings show that â€Å"syntactic processes appear to be sensitive to delays in L2 acquisition† (Steinhauer 19). One of the most prominent issues in L2 proficiency is attaining the phonemic boundary between the two languages. Monolinguals are usually unable to distinguish the sounds of a language other than their own. The more proficient a bilingual is in their L2, the more able they are to perceive the two types of phonemes and to determine which is correct in a given phonological circumstance. The phonemic boundary is the least likely area to be fossilized in a late-acquired bilingual. There have been several studies done which have proven this, including a 2008 study done by Adrian Garcia-Sierra, professor of Communications at the University of Texas. In this study, the voice onset time, or VOT, of thirty college students was tested. Half of the students were English monolinguals while the other half were English/Spanish bilinguals who described themselves as fluent speakers of both languages and who learned their L2 at home. This study was done in Austin, Texas where some Spanish is integrated into the daily culture. The results showed that the more fluent bilinguals were more apt to â€Å"a perceptual shift†¦associated with high level of confidence in English and Spanish†¦[and] that highly confident L2 bilinguals are more likely to possess a double phonemic boundary† (Garcia-Sierra 378). This shows that more proficient bilinguals will have a stronger ability to determine different phonemes, which also underlines the effects bilingualism has on a dvanced discrimination and attention skills. Another recent study performed on early bilinguals was done by a group of psychologists headed by Michael Siegal. The experiments tested the pragmatic skills of 41 children in northeastern Italy. All were between the ages of three and six years old, with 19 Italian monolinguals and 22 Italian/Slovenian bilinguals who attended the same preschool taught only in Italian. The children were tested on the Gricean maxims of conversational understanding. These are four basic rules which provide a foundation for pragmatic competence including quality, quantity, relevance, and politeness. The groups of children were shown cartoons with characters having conversations that contained one response created in order to break one of the maxims. The children were then asked which of the characters said something strange or rude and to provide a more appropriate response when the statement was positively identified. The main thesis in this study was that bilingualism requires â€Å"the capacity for flexibility in the representation of language and objects [which] suggests that early bilingualism should be accomp anied by advanced meta-pragmatic skills† (Siegal 115). This theory was upheld by the results of these tests in which the bilingual children outperformed the monolinguals by much more than a chance margin, especially in the maxims of politeness and quality even though many bilinguals had a delayed vocabulary in their L2. The psychologists behind this study suggest that bilingualism can be â€Å"accompanied by an enhanced ability to appreciate effective communicative responses† (Siegal 115). The results of this research seem to highlight the idea that the acquisition of a second language allows a child to remove themselves from the comfortable context of their native language and to realize that it is more necessary to provide useful information and use polite tones for more a successful exchange in both languages. Recently, studies have been performed concerning the effects and importance of early-acquired bilingualism in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Research in this area shows that it is less likely for a bilingual individual to be affected by these types of diseases. The majority of the hypotheses behind this statistic pertain to the activity in the brain that is needed to think and speak bilingually. This constant activity exercises the brain in a way that is counterintuitive to the deterioration involved with these disorders (Paradis 216). The research behind Parkinson’s disease explains that the procedural memory is affected greatly sometimes causing a loss of the L1. This is partnered with a tendency to â€Å"produce a smaller portion of grammatical sentences†¦and exhibit deficits in comprehension of complex syntactic forms† (Paradis 217). This is likely linked to the deterioration of the left inferior parietal cortex, the same area in the brain discussed earlier, which is associated with syntactic processes and holding the L1. On the other hand, bilingual patients with Alzheimer’s show a loss in t heir L2 as well as in semantic abilities and a gradual loss of pragmatic, phonological, and syntactic structures. More common in this type of dementia is a puzzlingly inappropriate mixture of the two languages (Paradis 222). This is due to the break down of the declarative memory caused by the dementia. The declarative memory is involved with metacognition, which is why it affects such things as the less familiar language, pragmatic skills, and the selective attention abilities of bilinguals. The major finding in these studies is that â€Å"the differences observed in psychotic conditions as well as in dementias are caused by the increased reliance on declarative-memory-based (and hence consciously controlled) explicit metalinguistic knowledge† (Paradis 222). The advances made in early bilingual research have been great over the past few decades. Through these studies and so many more, it has been made clear that bilinguals with early ages of acquisition not only achieve more native-like proficiency but also tend to have more advanced cognitive abilities than their monolingual peers. These include but are not exclusive to increased analytical, representational, selective, and control abilities. Bilingualism also implies more developed metalingustic awareness and mental flexibility. Early bilinguals have also shown greater abilities in pragmatics and phonemic discrimination. In opposition to old arguments, Kovà ¡cs writes, â€Å"The bilingual condition could be stimulating for the highly plastic developing mind of the child, and induces specific changes in the brain and cognitive systems† (Kovà ¡cs 317). The higher development has been seen in ERP testing and in the density of grey matter involved in the linguistically apt area of the brain. Educators and policy makers should consider this information when planning early education programs. Those enriched with the benefits of a bilingual education are not only better off cognitively, but in the modern world, would be more prepared for the global society and workplace. Works Cited Diaz, R â€Å"Thought and Two Languages: The Impact of Bilingualism on Cognitive Development.† Review of Research in Education 10 (1983): 23-54 Dijkstra, Ton. â€Å"Task and Context Effects in Bilingual Lexical Processing.† Cognitive Aspects of Bilingualism (2007): 213-235. Garcia-Sierra, Adrian, Randy L. Diehl, and Craig Champlin. â€Å"Testing the double phonemic boundary in bilinguals.† Speech Communication 51 (2009): 369-378. Kovacs, Agnes Melinda. â€Å"Beyond Language: Childhood Bilingualism Enhances High- level Cognitive Functions.† Cognitive Aspects of Bilingualism (2007): 301-323. Mechelli, A., Crinion, J. T., Noppeney, U., O’Doherty, J., Ashburner, J., Frackowiak, R. S., and Price, C.J. 2004. Structural plasticity in the bilingual brain. Nature. 431: 754. Siegal, Michael, Laura Iozzi, and Luca Surian. â€Å"Bilingualism and conversational understanding in young children.† Cognition 110 (2009): 115-122.

Symbolism in Lord of the Flies, by William Golding Essay -- essays res

Symbolism in Lord of the Flies, by William Golding In his classic novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses many elements of symbolism to help the readers gain a greater understanding of his message. Symbolism can be anything, a person, place, or thing, used to portray something beyond its self. It is used to represent or foreshadow the conclusion of the story. As one reads this novel, he or she will begin to recognize the way basic civilization is slowly stripped away from the boys as conflict between civilization and savagery arises. The conch shell represents power and authority. Whoever has the shell has the power to talk. The conch shows how people use objects to give power, like a crown. "Conch?" "That's what this shell's called. I'll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he's speaking (pg.33)." This shows that whoever holds the conch during meetings gets to speak At these meetings a sense of order is instilled because the boys have to wait until they hold the conch to speak. The conch becomes a powerful symbol of civilization. "By the time Ralph had finished blowing the conch the platform was crowded." (Golding, 32) Ralph shows his leadership abilities as he recognizes the use of the conch. Ralph begins to take leadership over the boys by setting rules as using the conch to let everyone have a turn to speak. Another symbol of strength and command is the fire. As long as the fire is well maintained, the b...

Girls Of Slender Means :: essays research papers

Joanna’s and Jane’s lifestyles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Girls of Slender Means by Murial Spark is a novel about the girls who lived in the May of Teck Club during the year of 1945. There are many characters involved, but the one’s who caught my attention the most are Jane Wright and Joanna Childe. They represent different aspects of ideas, lifestyles and, also, have different perspectives on the “World of Books.';  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joanna Childe was the daughter of a country rector. She was very intelligent, had “...strong obscure emotions'; (8), and “...religious strength'; (165). She was very well build. “Joanna Childe was large...'; (9), “... fair and healthy-looking...'; (22). She had light shiny hair, blue eyes and deep-pink cheeks. She never used a scrap of make-up because she didn’t really care about her looks and she wasn’t looking for a husband either.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jane Wright, on the other hand, was very fat and felt miserable about it. She tried to blame her work for her appetite. “...[she] was miserable about her fatness and spent much of her time in eager dread of the next meal, and in making resolutions what to eat of it and what to leave, and in making counter-resolutions in view of the fact that her work at the publisher’s was essentially mental, which meant that her brain had to be fed more than most people’s'; (35-36). Unlike Joanna, Jane “...was on the look-out for a husband,...'; (32) since she was only twenty two years old.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joanna’s and Jane’s occupations evolved around the world of books. However, they had different perspectives about it. Jane worked for a publisher and Joanna attended a school of drama to be a teacher of elocution. Jane thought of the publishing business as “...essentially disinterest[ing]'; (39), while Joanna chose her profession because of her love for poetry. “...poetry, especially the declamatory sort, excited her and possessed her; she would pounce on the stuff, play with it quivering in her mind, and when she had got it by heart, she spoke it forth with devouring relish'; (8). Joanna was highly thought of for it and Jane “...was considered to be brainy but somewhat below standard, socially, at the May of Teck'; (19).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both women were similar in that they did additional work besides the one’s mentioned above. Joanna had students of her own whom she taught how to speak properly, with no accent. “Joanna’s method was to read each stanza herself first and make her pupil repeat it.'; (21). Jane had several kinds of “...brain-work'; (41). “First and secretly, she wrote poetry of a strictly non-rational order, in which occurred, in about proportion of cherries in a cherry-cake, certain words that she described as ‘of a smouldering

Globalization, Education and Trade Essay

Globalization being processes and operations on a global scale cut across national boundaries for trade, integrating and connecting communities, ideas, tourists, migrants, values and increasingly flow along global pathways as well as shared global problems, responsibilities, and sensibilities thus making the world in reality and experience more interconnected and with major delinkage of money and financial instruments from territory creating major new spheres of accumulation , telecommunications and electronic finance. Trade is major against any kind of taxes collected and imposed on the people according to Ramayana-epic. It spread within South East Asia having a profound impact on the cultures of different peoples, especially art and religion. Trade brought establishment of major rivers as natural pathways or trade routes, land trade routes such as the Silk Road, navigation and shipping, spending out at sea and reaching foreign lands exchanging culture. Colonizing India established a more advanced world maritime trading through the East India Company based in Calcutta thus precipitated in the spread and influence of the Ramayana to other regions of the world. The versions of the epic in theater and dance were the most popular form of educating people. Dance and theater artists performed the Ramayana in various places by conveniently traveling with traders and merchants. Talking about trade Confucius was majorly against any kind of taxes imposed on the people, contentiously prescribing the rules of propriety, teaching on eliminating the use of imposition of will, arbitrariness, stubbornness and egotism towards achieving trade of the state and believed in making profits with good plans of selling to completely overcome selfishness and keep to propriety to attain humanness. Reference: Green, A. (1997). Education, Globalization, and the Nation State. London: Macmillan Press LTD.

Michael Ondatjee Essays

Michael Ondatjee Essays Michael Ondatjee Essay Michael Ondatjee Essay Bearhug by Michael Ondaatje Griffin calls to come and kiss him goodnight I yell ok. Finish something Im doing, then something else, walk slowly round the corner to my sons room. He is standing arms outstretched waiting for a bearhug. Grinning. Why do I give my emotion an animals name, give it that dark squeeze of death? This is the hug which collects all his small bones and his warm neck against me. The thin tough body under the pyjamas locks to me like a magnet of blood. How long was he standing there ike that, before I came? Application For A Driving License by Michael Ondaatje Two birds loved in a flurry of red feathers like a burst cottonball, continuing while I drove over them. I am a good driver, nothing shocks me. (Inner Tube) by Michael Ondaatje On the warm July river head back upside down river for a roof slowly paddling towards an estuary between trees theres a dog learning to swim near me friends on shore my head dips back to the eyebrow Im the prow on an ancient vessel, t his afternoon Im going down to Peru soul between my teeth a blue heron with its awkward broken backed flap upside down one of us is wrong he his blue grey thud thinking he knows the blue way out of here or me I choose this poet because of his outstanding work in poetry. Michael Ondaatje is a great poet because of his work and the way he expresses emotion through his poetry. I have recognized that there is a lot of animals in his poems, think this is either due to his love for animals or him simply describing the beauty in nature. A quote from one of his poems is â€Å"there’s a dog learning to swim near me on the shore. † I think that Michaels work is outstanding in comparison to other poets. Throughout Michaels work there is a use of many themes such as nature is beautiful and things aren’t as they seem. I think me and this poet are related in ways because we both have the same love for animals and if I am given this poet I can help you more easily understand his perspective through mine.

Driving Under the Influence Essays

Driving Under the Influence Essays Driving Under the Influence Essay Driving Under the Influence Essay One-third of all road accidents in the United States are as a result of drunk driving. In the year 2007 alone, the nation lost over 13,000 citizens in the name of road accidents. As if that is not enough, every forty minutes, United States of America loses a citizen due to alcohol-impaired driving. Therefore, every day in America, 27 people perish in drunk driving crashes. You do not need to be an analyst to tell that these statistics are far too much worrying. Makes you want to ask the question; how many more people do we have to lose as a nation until we can take this matter with the seriousness it deserves? Is the matter really beyond us or do we just choose to turn a blind eye on the same? Human life is sacred. The fact that to date, no one has been able to create it means it is a masterpiece and for that reason should be respected at all costs. This explains why birthdays are much celebrated whereas deaths are moments of pure sorrow and grief. The Almighty is the only giver of l ife and the right to take it should only be reserved to Him. However, drunk drivers do not seem to be in agreement with this, and that is why they continue to jeopardize the lives of others every time they get behind the wheel under the influence. This is a position paper, and it is going to expound on my thoughts, feelings and stand on drunk driving (Thompson, 2008). By the time, one is old enough to get to a driving school, he/she is old enough to know about the effects of alcohol on the human body. They know too well how alcohol alters the behavior and impairs the judgment of the user either through personal experience or from friends. Those who have not had a chance to any of the above two have witnessed it in news, movies and even stories from other people. Moreover, in driving school before one can qualify as a certified driver and awarded with a drivers license, they are made conversant with driving rules and the dangers of driving under the influence. As if that is not enough, there are posters, road signs, and ads all in an attempt to create awareness. What am I trying to say? I am trying to put across that drunk driving is never out of ignorance, they know too well what they are doing, and the dangers affiliated with the same but do it anyway. They have no much difference with those who commit homicide and are liable to face the same cha rges. Let me digress for a moment to paint the picture vividly (Kiesbye, 2011). Alcohol belongs to a group of drugs called depressants. The overall effect of depressants is delayed brain function, and a persons cognitive skills are significantly affected. These include hand-eye coordination, motor skills, judgment, reaction time and memory. We all know driving is a complex task that requires a combination of all these skills. Coordination of the hand and eye is crucial because it directs our movement on the road. A driver takes a lot of action on the road based on what they see. Their sight triggers the decision to slow down, brake, and take a right turn and obeying traffic signs. Alcohol takes away this ability; a drunk driver, for instance, may see a person and intend to brake or swerve to avoid hitting the person but since this hand-eye coordination is absent, ends up causing an accident (Martin, 2014). Secondly, memory is important, and it helps the driver be conversant with the landscape and nature of the route taken. Memory will help a driver remember where there are bumps, round-about, zebra-crossing and even different speed limits above which he/she should not drive. Alcohol interferes with memory, and we have cases of drivers speeding past speed bumps or forgetting sharp corners and running into buildings, tree or even over cliffs. Depending on the amount of alcohol ingested, ones vision is likely to be impaired. This is why drunk people are often staggering because they cannot tell where the ground beneath their feet is. Their vision is blurred, and some even start hallucinating. Needless to say, what such a person is capable of doing once they get behind the wheel (Illinois State Police, 2007). In summary, drunk driving is the leading cause of death among teenagers and young adults. Drunk driving is a crime punishable by law with a jail term or hefty fines. However, not many drunk drivers make it to the courtroom because of the severe nature of injuries sustained, and some succumb to it altogether. Traffic police also play a role in facilitating drunk driving. Some of them are corrupt and take bribes giving such offenders tickets and the mandate to kill. There may be strict laws in place to deal with drunk drivers, but the best ambassador is you. It starts with you, make it a personal initiative to take a cab when need be and advise your friends the same (Commission on Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program;, 2014). References Commission on Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program;. (2014). All about DUI: driving under the influence: a guide for your information. Virginia: Richmond. Illinois State Police. (2007). DUI: driving under the influence. Illinois: Springfield. Kiesbye, S. (2011). Drunk driving. Detroit: Greenhaven Press. Martin, J. (2014). Driving under the influence. Melbourne: Victory Books. Thompson, T. (2008). Drunk driving. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.

Resurrection And Christ Essays - Iconography Of Jesus, Free Essays

Resurrection And Christ Essays - Iconography Of Jesus, Free Essays Resurrection And Christ Resurrection & Christ. Extended Written Response. For many centuries, artists throughout the world have aimed to capture and portray a particular theme or subject in accordance to their religious beliefs, personal influences, and mood, or based entirely upon societal influences. The figure of Christ and the manner in which he has been depicted has varied immensely over the years, which is highly indicative of changing social attitudes. Piero della Francescas Resurrection of 1463, and Julie Rraps Christ of 1984, have each depicted a Christ like figure in a way that illustrates their personal beliefs and also reflects the publics stance regarding the depiction of Christ at the time each artwork was completed. The two artworks are significantly different in style and representation, as each artist has selected different media and entirely different approaches and interpretations. These significant differences are mainly due to the eras in which each artwork was produced. Francescas fresco is a classic product of the Italian Renaissance period, whereas Rraps piece is indicative of our changing society and its religious values. (Israel, 1997, p.160). Francesca composed his piece during the Early Renaissance period at the beginning of the 15th century, where faith in the theoretical foundations of art was highly placed. During this time, many examples of Ancient art were revered as both a source of inspiration and also as a record of trial and error that had the ability to reveal the success of the former great artists. (Pioch, 1996, p.1). About this time, there was still a set format of how particular Christian figures were perceived to have appeared; hence Francesca has depicted the figure of Christ in the stereo typed perception. Yet he has done so in a manner that fully exemplifies the era he was in, and also indicates his personal interest and success with the use of perspective. Alternatively, Rraps photomontage Christ has been compiled at a time when female stereo types are being challenged. The artwork challenges the male dominance of past art. Typical of postmodern art, this piece is quite the feminist statement, and is i n keeping with many of her previous artworks. (Israel, 1997, p.160). The two artworks are noticeably different immediately upon viewing, as Resurrection is a fresco and Christ is a photomontage. The fresco was compiled with the use of pigment being applied to wet plaster, whereas the photomontage is in essence an installation arrangement that has used a collage technique with the use of photographs. Rrap has used a piece of art by Munch and outlined the figure it depicted, and then positioned herself whilst semi-naked within the outline. It is this placement of herself within the outline that has enabled her to slip out of the stereotype of the female (Israel, 1997, p.160). The image was then divided and abstracted, with the use of thick brush strokes in the background, creating a sense of movement. Resurrection however has been produced in a far more simple manner, with the composition comprising of Jesus standing with one leg raised onto a tomb, whilst four Roman guards are sleeping by the tomb at his feet. Jesus, swathed in red cloth, is holding a flag in an almost triumphant and defiant gesture. The foreground figures have all been placed in perspective, yet the background appears quite out of place in conjunction. Few colours have been used in Christ, yet the chosen colours of yellow and black inter mixed in the background, red on blue for the crucifix, and the exaggerated yellow flesh tone in the photo on the blue have all been used successfully. They each contribute to the overall effect of the image in a positive mode. Conversely, Francescas fresco has encompassed the use of realistic colour throughout the entire image. The colours have been used skillfully and created tone and depth in all aspects of the fresco, contributing to the desired realistic representation of figures. (Hopwood, 1996, p.80B). Each artist has chosen and used their colour in an approach that is indicative and typical of their era, Francesca in particular. Despite the imposing position that Jesus has been placed in within Resurrection, his facial expression along with the overall composition of figures and the landscape creates an almost peaceful and

The history and developmental advances of beta blockers Essay

The history and developmental advances of beta blockers - Essay Example Drugs exerting antagonistic effects at sympathetic nerve endings are called sympatholytics. Similarly the neurotransmitter of the Parasympathetic system is Acetyl choline. Drugs accordingly are called parasympathomimetics/lytics. Both these neurotransmitters exert their specific action by interacting with target cells on specialized cellular sites called receptors. The original concept of receptor sites was introduced independently by Ehrlich and Langley as early as the late nineteenth century. It is now well established that receptors are part of macromolecular complexes on effector cells with which drug molecules interact to produce effects. Isolation and characterization of receptors has been done by radioligand binding studies. The receptors of the sympathetic system have been broadly classified into ÃŽ ± and ÃŽ ² receptors with further sub classifications. Similarly the receptors of the parasympathetic system have been broadly classified as muscarinic and nicotinic receptors. Me dical interventions have been designed during the course of research in therapy whereby either mimicking or antagonizing the role of these neurotransmitters has been exploited for beneficial effects. ÃŽ ² blockers are the drugs or molecules which block the action of Noradrenalin on the ÃŽ ² receptors which has a very specific role to play in maintaining physiological equilibrium in the body. ÃŽ ² receptors are present throughout specialized cells in the body and play important roles in physiological function. They are predominant in cardiac cells, small coronary vessels, smooth muscles like trachea, bronchi, blood vessels, intestines, vas deferens, liver, diaphragmatic striated muscles, uterus and non innervated tissues like erythrocytes, lymphocytes, mast cells and polymorphonuclear leucocytes. The type of ÃŽ ² receptors in different organs are

Accounting and Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Accounting and Finance - Essay Example Accounting and finance plays a crucial role in the modern era which is also observed to be strongly business centric. As accepted by majority of the experts, accounting and finance have been into operations since ages. As accepted by majority of the experts, accounting and finance have been into operations since ages. With a continuous development of the mankind and human civilisation the implication of accounting and its importance also have changed to a considerable amount. As stated by Elliott & Elliott (2007), â€Å"Accountants are communicators. Accountancy is the art of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers.† This statement provides a brief reflection of the role played by accountants and the implication of accountancy in the modern day phenomenon. Hereby, the paper intends to critically evaluate the statement with due consideration to the modern day perspective of accountancy. The discussion of the paper w ill initially aim at analysing the role of accountancy in the 21st century and later proceed with the intention to evaluate the similarities and dissimilarities between two major facets of modern accountancy, i.e. financial accounting and management accounting. The major users of these accounting methods will also be considered in the paper. Furthermore, it will aim at identifying the implications of these accounting standards. Conclusively, the paper will produce a comprehensive reflection of the learning outcomes from the paper. 2. Critical Discussion of the Statement It is of no doubt that accounting plays a central role in maintaining records of the financial transactions of businesses. It is often referred to as a process that encompasses a series of actions from collecting financial data on a regular basis to communicating the information to its users through financial statements. Thus, it emerges as a complex and broad concept to be defined concisely (Banerjee, 2010). Moreove r, it was also observed that accounting had a vital influence on the strategic decisions of the businesses which provided the concept with a managerial definition of a communicator. Emphasised on these characteristics of modern day accounting, experts have intended to categorise the concept in two parts, i.e. financial accounting and management accounting (Tyagi & Tyagi, 2003). Financial accounting is considered to be the pathway of gathering financial information and analysing the effects of such information on the managerial decisions of the business unit. As stated by Albrecht & Et. Al. (2007), financial accounting is particularly â€Å"concerned with reporting financial information to interested external parties†. In this regard, the accounting process emphasises on maintaining records of the financial transactions. It further concentrates on the analysis of the obtained information with the aim to assist the management in decision-making. The accounting process also tend s to identify various strengths as well as weaknesses possessed by the business units in financial terms. Through the implication of the accounting process, accountants concentrate on communicating the information with the assistance of variou9733436912s financial statements, such as balance sheets, cash-flow statements, annual income statements and others (Jagels & Ralston, 2006). Similarly, the concept of management accounting is referred to as the process to inform the management of a business regarding the financial status of the company. In a broader perspective, the accounting process intends to analyse the financial information strategically with the aim to relate the financial strengths along with weaknesses of the company with its strategic decisions. Notably, the decision can be related to the investment of working capital, future expansion of the product line or market area, mergers and acquisitions or even solvency (Albrecht & Et. Al., 2007). According to various profess ionals, management accoun

Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Global Warming - Essay Example In 1896 a Swedish scientist put forth the position that burning of fossil fuels causes accumulation of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere, which in turn creates a â€Å"greenhouse effect† and elevation of global temperatures. In the 1950s, the notion of global warming cropped up again when G.S. Callender highlighted the dangers of the greenhouse effect (Weart 2003). Weather models developed in the 1960s led to the discovery that the levels of certain gases were rising, degrading the fragile ozone layer in the atmosphere. The summer of 1988 was the hottest one on record with temperatures rising ever since and concerns about global warming have escalated since that time. Weather is truly international, but during the earlier part of the 1900s weather had low priority. Meteorologists and scientists of various countries banded together under the umbrella of the IGY (International Geophysical Year). Drilling of the ice caps commenced in Greenland, yielding the discovery that ice cores held a record of climactic history. This later led to the formation of the GARP (Global Atmospheric research program) which was headed by the Swedish meteorologist Bert Bolin, devoted to weather forecasting and the study of the steadily rising curve of atmospheric Carbon dioxide. Weart (2003) provides a detailed discussion of the phenomenon of climactic changes and the conflicting predictions of scientists on global warming and cooling. He details the IPCC reports of 1995 and 1997, wherein scientific experts predicted that by the middle of the 21st century, the temperature of the world would have increased between 1.5 to 4.50C, figures which have been recently revised upwa rds to as much as 5.50C.(Weart 2003).

Truth Is Far from Stereotypes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 21

Truth Is Far from Stereotypes - Essay Example Based on some personal or sometimes even generally accepted opinions, we may often get mistaken making the first opinion about another person. This, hence, causes prejudice and that is unfair towards the people living nearby, for any kind of prejudice is an unsupported by facts subjective belief. A similar situation has happened to me. It was several years ago when I first visited Puerto Rico. Preparing for the trip I was somewhat unsure of what to expect. I thought a completely new and, consequently, a strange and hostile environment was waiting for me. This impression was enhanced by my idea that I would be a stranger, a foreigner among the natives. At that time I was seeing Puerto Rico as a completely different world, absolutely different from what I’m used to in the ordinary day-to-day life. I guess such expectations and thoughts were the results of my unawareness of the major cultural and national traits of the land’s population. I, actually, knew nearly nothing about them, and probably that is why I was so unsure of what to expect. On the other hand, I believe no matter how much information you can get from the media, your real-life impressions will be much different from everything you learned in theory. So, I got to my destination.  

Pharmacology Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pharmacology - Case Study Example Applicable to patients who were diagnosed with hypertension, OConnell (2014: 12) pointed out the idea that â€Å"calcium channel blockers† should be given to those with African origin. Since the patient is an African man, the administration of â€Å"calcium channel blockers† is much better as compared to Maxzide 37.5/25 mg each morning. As such, the best option to improve CF’s blood pressure is to change the patient’s current medication to calcium channel blockers and ACE inhibitors (i.e. Lotrel – amlodipine and benzepril, Teczem – diltiazem and enalapril, or Lexxel – felodipine and enalapril) (Makani et al., 2011). Calcium channel blockers can effectively reduce the patient’s blood pressure by purposely dilating the arteries (Elliott & Ram, 2011). The main reason behind the need to combine the use of calcium channel blockers with ACE inhibitor is not only to increase its effectiveness in treating hypertension but also to prevent the risks of developing peripheral edema caused by the use of calcium channel blocker monotherapy (Makani et al., 2011). The following are the initial dosage of each alternative medication: BMI between 30 to 34 is classified as â€Å"obese 1† whereas BMI between 35 to 40 is classified as either â€Å"obese II or III† (University of Vermont, 2015). The fact that the patient’s BMI is 32 strongly suggests that the patient is obese. To prevent the risks of developing serious organ damage (i.e. stroke or heart failure); patient teaching should focus on the need to encourage the patient to change or modify his lifestyle. In general, BP of more than 140/90 is classified as â€Å"Stage 1† hypertension (OConnell, 2014: 12). Given the fact that obesity is one of the possible causes of hypertension (OConnell, 2014), patient teaching should include weight control through proper diet and

Truth Is Far from Stereotypes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 21

Truth Is Far from Stereotypes - Essay Example Based on some personal or sometimes even generally accepted opinions, we may often get mistaken making the first opinion about another person. This, hence, causes prejudice and that is unfair towards the people living nearby, for any kind of prejudice is an unsupported by facts subjective belief. A similar situation has happened to me. It was several years ago when I first visited Puerto Rico. Preparing for the trip I was somewhat unsure of what to expect. I thought a completely new and, consequently, a strange and hostile environment was waiting for me. This impression was enhanced by my idea that I would be a stranger, a foreigner among the natives. At that time I was seeing Puerto Rico as a completely different world, absolutely different from what I’m used to in the ordinary day-to-day life. I guess such expectations and thoughts were the results of my unawareness of the major cultural and national traits of the land’s population. I, actually, knew nearly nothing about them, and probably that is why I was so unsure of what to expect. On the other hand, I believe no matter how much information you can get from the media, your real-life impressions will be much different from everything you learned in theory. So, I got to my destination.  

American Gridiron Football Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

American Gridiron Football - Essay Example Hence, the total distance between the end zones is 100 yards. (Football Rules and Gameplay) Usually, each team has distinct offensive and defensive units. A team is said to be on offense when it has the ball in its possession, whereas, it is said to be on defense when the ball is with the opposite team. (Football Rules and Gameplay) Before discussing the anatomy of the play from either offensive or defensive point, it would be helpful to detail the different positions that players in each team can play on and the nature of the field. As already stated above, the total length of the football field is 120 yards while in width it is 53.3 yards long. The boundary lines along the length of the field are called sidelines while those along its width are called endlines. Near each end of the field is a goal line. The end zone, mentioned above, extends 10yards beyond this goal line on each side of the field. (American Football) Each team has 11 players on the field at a time, with substitutions allowed during the break between plays. A team can be divided into three units based on the nature of roles performed. These are: the offense, the defense and the special teams. A game begins with a coin toss. The team winning the toss makes one of three choices: 1) Kick off itself, or to receive the kickoff from the other team. 2) Choose which goal to defend. 3) Defer the first choice option to the second game. If the team that wins the toss decides to kick first or to receive the kick, the other team chooses its goal to defend or vice versa. Offense Anatomy of a Play Once the toss has been won and the teams have made their choices, the team that decides to kick first takes up the offensive role as it is in possession of the ball. Typically, all the players of a team round up to communicate or discuss a play i.e. coordinated movements and actions, to be followed; this rounding up of team players is called a huddle. Each half begins with a kickoff. Apart from the start of the half, the play begins at the line of scrimmage with a snap; the line of scrimmage is the position on the field where the play begins and where the offensive and defensive players line up against each other. Snap is the name given to the act of passing the ball between the legs to a teammate, usually the quarterback standing ready somewhere behind the Center. With this snap, performed by the offensive player, playing at the Center position, the game formally begins. Once the game begins, the offense has four attempts to advance the ball 10 yards towards the end zone of the defense team, or in other words, towards its goalpost. These attempts are called downs. When the offense has advanced the ball by the first 10 yards, it gets a first down. After gaining the first down, the team has another set of four downs to gain yet another 10 yards or to score. If however, the offense fails to advance the ball by 10 yards even after 4 downs, the other team gets possession of the ball at the spot of the football, hence beginning with their first down. (American Football) In order to get the downs, the ball can be advanced in one of two ways: By rushing, that means running with the ball, or by a forward pass. While rushing, one ball-carrier can hand the ball to another player, this act is known as a handoff, or throw backwards to another player. This throwing the ball backward is known as a backward pass or a lateral. "A down ends, and the ball

Post Modern Perspective on Criticism Essay Example for Free

Post Modern Perspective on Criticism Essay Post modernism is one among the highly debated issues that to a great extent has influenced the way human being think and views issues that exist in the present world .however it encounters a resounding critique from those against and support from the for generation whom believe in inevitability of change in all human perspectives.post modern perspective criticism is important because since it provides a promise of deterritorialing modernity and restructuring its political , cultural and social limits as well as affirming social gender and ethic differences as seen human daily interactions. Post modernism bear a world with a resemblance of increasing individual and mass influence on the way we think and see the world in the present times. Artifact chosen                     Martin Luther King Junior speech â€Å"I have a dream† is one of the most famous world speeches that influenced thinking million of Americans both whites and blacks (Kuypers, 2009). The speech was a very powerful tool that spearheaded the thinking of Americans and need of ending racial segregation. We may probably argue that were it not for martin Luther speech, probably the American society may be segregated even in the present. Luther calls for all American to work together towards achieving a fair and one and the same society (King and Washington, 1986). Luther employed well selected and scrutinized rhetoric modes that facilitated the appeal he desired to create to Americans. The power of his speech definitely lays in his authoritative diction and the rhetoric modes applied (Johnstone and Eisenhart, 2008). For instance, the king compares and contrast the lives of the whites a and the Negros were he notes that, the blacks continue to live in slave I n their home country one hundred years after the constitutional declaration that was signed by Lincoln .he further compares the plight of blacks to the lives of the white Americans and says that the blacks are subject to police brutality (Bobbitt, 2007). Although the emancipation proclamation was for all the whites had denied Negros the basic fundamental right granted by the constitution. Additionally, he says that emancipation proclamation came as a joyous day break to the blacks but later on turned to a long night of their captivity (Johnstone and Eisenhart, 2008). This comparison tells the audience how the declaration was of great hope to the suffering blacks, however, their hope turned to despair when the whites denied them of their rights. The Negros was saddened because even after one hundred years there were still in their own world full of pains of the manacles of racial discrimination and segregation. Furthermore, martin adds that justice shall roll like water and righteousness like a mighty stream. I n this context, the king appear to have feeling that he and other will not tire to demand and fight for blacks people rights until they are granted (King and Washington, 1986). Moreover, in his speech King employs a rich content of situational analysis of the representing the current situation interaction and expresses his optimism for a bright future, were both whites and Negros shall sit down under ones table as equal where the blacks will not nbe segregated upon .This dream sent a message of hope to the Negros that a time in coming in future when there will be no discrimination based on color. The dream also portrayed a message to the whites that blacks are tired of being segregated and were in the process of peacefully fight for their fundamental rights. Martin Luther Biography                     Martin Luther King Junior was born in 15th of January, 1929 to Michael king sr. After his father returned from a trip in German, he changed their names to Martin Luther king senior and Martin Luther King Junior. These names were adopted from a religious icon of past, martin Luther was initiated Lutheran denomination. In 1944 King Junior started his higher education at Morehouse College (Haskins and King 1992). Before then, the rampant racial discrimination and segregation had caused a lot of tension especially in New York and Michigan (Bobbitt, 2007). He later graduated with a degree in sociology and was after wards appointed his father’s assistant at the Ebenezer Baptist church. While King Junior was in graduate school he had bitter memories of house bias that existed in the American society. He says that when trying to find a house to live, he went to place in Boston where there was a sign â€Å"house for rent†. (Haskins and King, 1992. Martin literates that the houses were for rent until the servants realized he was a Negro and then the situation changed suddenly, the houses were already rented. In 1952 Martin Luther king junior met his wife Coretta; they married and were blessed with four children. Martin says that his wife was the source of strength and at some points she was much stronger that the king. On January of 1956, a strange occurrence happened whereby, Martin’s home was bombed. However, guided by his religious policy and believes of non-violence King calmly accepted the incident and even urged all the believers to go home after the meetings and adhere to policy of non-violence, a policy that is evident in his speech. Luther delisvered his famous speech â€Å"I have a dream† in 1963 in Washington during job and freedom, to address racial injustices that he and other human rights activist were against. His life came to an end when he was assassinated by James Earl Ray in 1968 at Memphis Tennessee Haskins, and King 1992). Martin Luther had just delivered another type of his legendary speech, â€Å" I have been to the mountain-top†. Martin Luther Junior died at 39 year and was buried on 9th of April, 1968 in Atlanta (King and Washington 1986). Until his death, the king was proud of his title â€Å"the preacher† because he believed that his vocation a nd strength were essential at healing the scar of racial discrimination and segregation that blacks had and giving the hope of a new dawn Metaphorical analysis                     Metaphorically Martin Luther s life that was filled with many ups and downs ideally represents the struggle and tribulations that Negros underwent in the hands of heartless whites. The passion that made him move forward to defend the welfare of the blacks shows the suffering the forced Negros and other human rights activist stand out and form liberation movements. Kings life is a clear indication of how an individual action may have resounding impact to present and future generations (Johnstone and Eisenhart, 2008). The metaphors used in the speech serves a very important role in making the audience clearly understand the message. In criticism where metaphors are used the analysis, the analysis of the artifact involves examining it for its context and dimensions and the isolating the metaphors to identify the underlined meaning that makes the artifact more appealing (Bobbitt, 2007). For instance, the artifact chosen, â€Å" I have a dream â€Å"is crammed with metaphors that ideally communicated the necessity of eradicating racial discrimination and segregation in United States of America .most of the metaphors the king uses are soft but the message is conveyed in a very unique way. For example Martin’s say that it is the high time to lift America from chains of injustices to high heights of freedom and equality (Hasand , 1992). Through this metaphor King intent to plea to all people that racism will not make the nation strong but will separate it .It is through social justice that a st rong and prosperous country will be build. Conclusion                     In a summary the metaphorical analysis appear as the best method for the critical analysis of the speech, â€Å"I have a dream† in the modern perspective. It clearly and precisely articulates ethos and logos making the whites realize their injustice towards the Negros. Additionally the method plays a very critical role in awakening the blacks to form liberation movement in demand of the rights granted by the constitutional declaration. References Bobbitt, D. A. (2007). The rhetoric of redemption: Kenneth Burkes redemption drama and Martin Luther King, Jr.s I have a dream speech. Lanham, Md: Rowman Littefield Publishers. Haskins, J., King, M. L. (1992). I have a dream: The life and words of Martin Luther King, Jr. Brookfield, Conn: Millbrook Press. Johnstone, B., Eisenhart, C. (2008). Rhetoric in detail: Discourse analyses of rhetorical talk and text. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Jr. Lanham [u.a.: Lexington Books. Manheimer, A. S. (2005). Martin Luther King Jr: Dreaming of equality. King, M. L., Washington, J. M. (1986). I have a dream: Writings and speeches that changed the world. New York: HarperCollins Kuypers, J. A. (2009). Rhetorical criticism: Perspectives in action. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books. Echols, J. (2004). I have a dream: Martin Luther King Jr. and the future of multicultural America. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. Source document

Task Based Approach to Language Learning

Task Based Approach to Language Learning The past decade has witnessed the advent of task-based instructional approaches in different names including problem-based learning, situated learning and case-based learning. Though varied in names, they all seem to have one thing in common; they get learners involved with tasks or problems as contrasted with more traditional topic-centered curriculum approaches. (Merrill, 2007). Proponents of task-based learning believe that learners involved with real-world problems form appropriate schema and mental models as they collaboratively solve problems and reflect on their experience. Task-based instructional approaches have been widely adopted across a wide variety of discipline areas including medical training, social work, design, and language learning. This paper will discuss the implication of the task-based approach to second language learning where the method has been increasingly adopted and tried in many language classrooms across the world in the recent past. In this paper, the impact of task-based language learning will be explored with special regard to adult learners whose distinctive characteristics make task-based approaches more plausible and beneficial. Task-based instruction is a small, yet fast growing, trend in contemporary second language teaching. To give an example, the ERIC database shows over 120 articles on this issue since the beginning of this millennium. In order to discuss task-based learning properly, it is important to understand what the term task means. Task has been defined by various researchers including Nunan (2004) who wrote that a task is a piece of classroom work that involves learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing or interacting in the target language (p.9). Earlier than Nunan, Jane Willis (1996) defined task as an activity where the target language is used by the learner for a communicative purpose (goal) in order to achieve an outcome (p.23). While definitions vary somewhat among scholars, they all emphasize that pedagogical task involves communicative language use where users attention is focused on meaning rather than grammatical form (Nunan, 2006, p.17). Stemming from the constructivist theory of learning, task-based instruction has emerged in response to the limitations of the traditional PPP (presentation, practice and performance) paradigm (Ellis, 2003). While the PPP approach is relatively straightforward and well-structured to be easily understood by both students and beginner teachers, it has also been criticized considerably for the characteristic that it is far too teacher-oriented and over controlled. Furthermore, the trend of globalization has urged educators and governments to improve communicative competence among second language learners, and the PPP approach has not been effective in fulfilling the mission. Short, Harste Burke argued that the behaviorist PPP approach in language instruction has been to set up desired goals independently of the learners or the situation, present language in a structured and linear fashion, then attempt to reinforce the content through non-contextualized practices. As a result, learners end up knowing about the language but not how to use it (as cited in Abdullah, 1998). As an alternative to the PPP paradigm, task-based lesson is designed around authentic and meaningful real-world tasks, which learners are asked to complete collaboratively as they interact among each other making use of all available language resources they own. The approach is based on the fundamental assumption that, as Jeon (2006) noted, language learning is a developmental process promoting communication and social interaction rather than a product acquired by practicing language items, and that learners learn the target language more effectively when they are naturally exposed to meaningful task-based activities.(p.193) Task-based approach is recognized as an effective means of developing students language output and interaction. More student-centered learning environment helps learners exercise greater flexibility in using language, develop linguistic fluency, and allows for meaningful communication. Authentic tasks carefully drawn from real-world situations will keep learners engaged and motivated more easily, which will result in better learning. As Harrington, Oliver and Reeves (2003) have pointed out, more contextualized exercises, as contrasted with academic and decontextualized vacuum, will create a learning environment which will have learners immersed in problem solving within realistic situations. The approach ultimately help teachers bridge the gap between language practically used in real world and unnatural language used within the world of school. In spite of growing evidence of success, task-based instruction shows some limitations as well. One of the most significant and frequently voiced criticisms is that the method is not as effective or appropriate to lower level language learners with limited prior linguistic knowledge as it is to higher level students. Due to the significant amount of cognitive burden it poses on learners, beginning language learners who are asked to complete a challenging task in the target language often find the situation frustrating and, as a result, develop resistance to the learning method. When asked to use all the language they can muster to express themselves, beginning language learners who are unfamiliar with the learning context may not feel comfortable or productive as if they are thrown to a deep sea when they cannot swim (Willis, 1996). In task-based learning classrooms, frustration is not only with learners but with teachers as well. In his survey conducted among English as Second Langu age (ESL) teachers in East Asian countries, Littlewood (2007) found out that key obstacles to adopting task-based instructional approach in their classrooms were; 1) difficulties getting unmotivated students participate in tasks that usually require a higher level of motivation and enthusiasm from learners, and 2) inability to manage classroom as students get easily distracted and become noisy as they engage in group interaction to complete tasks collaboratively. While these difficulties tend to arise more conspicuously in classrooms involving younger students, adult learners may benefit more from task-based instruction. In general, adult learners demonstrate distinctive characteristics that set them apart from younger learners, and some of these learning characteristics make task-based approach more plausible and appropriate for adult learners. Knowles (1990) developed adult learning theory of Andragogy based on the following assumptions: (1) Adults need to know why they need to learn something, (2) Adults need to learn experientially, (3) Adults are life-centered (or task- or problem-centered) in their orientation to learning, (4) Adults become ready to learn when their life situation create a need to learn, (5) Adults have a self-concept of being responsible for their own decisions, and (6) Adults are motivated to learn by internal factors rather than external ones. According to these assumptions, adult learners are more motivated and more eager to learn than younger learners, have clearer goals and needs than younger learners who often might be learning a language only because it is required, and take control of their own learning. They are also oriented towards problem-solving learning and they learn best when knowledge is presented in real-life context. Obviously, constructivist task-based instructional approach and Andragogy share many aspects in common as they both emphasize ownership of the learning process by learners, experiential learning and a problem-solving approach to learning (Huang, 2002). Therefore, task-based approach can be seen as an ideal match for adult learners who in general are less likely to pose above mentioned concerns voiced by teachers. As compared to traditional pedagogy, task-based instructional method demands increased competencies from teachers who will play a key role in making task-centered language learning successful. As a facilitator, teachers need to infuse the spirit of adventurism in the class to turn students into active learners who are willing to take a risk. It is also important that teachers allow learners time to make gradual adjustment to the unfamiliar learning method, provide necessary encouragement in the process, and build confidence (Curran, Deguent, Lund, Miletto, Straeten, 2000). Effective teachers in the task-based learning environment should also be able to vary the level of tasks to accommodate the needs of beginner or lower level learners in their classrooms. Effective language classroom instruction strategies require more than a simple understanding of the significance of communication skills. To help learners become active communicators, teachers should be able to employ instructional strategies that allow and support sufficient practicing of the language they have learned. Task-based instructional approach creates a learning environment where learners take control of their own learning and freely explore communicative skills focusing on tasks that are drawn from authentic real-world situations. Despite some limitations, task-based approach is still an attractive method in the field of language learning. The approach can be particularly useful in classrooms involving adult learners since their distinctive learning characteristics well match the constructivist elements of the task-based learning. With a wide variety of learning options such as distance learning readily available to todays adult learners, the number of classrooms involvin g adult learners has increased significantly in recent years. Although no single method fits all classrooms and learners in all contexts, task-based approach seems to be a highly viable option especially for adult language learners. Amidst more language classrooms moving away from traditional teacher-centered learning activities to student-centered learning environments, the responsibilities of instructors have become even greater in the instructional design process to devise adequate strategies to guide learners towards successful learning.

The Woodlanders :: Free Essays Online

The Woodlanders Thomas Hardy, the author of The Woodlanders, is "considered one of the greatest novelist in English literature"(Vol. 4). This genius was born on June 2nd of 1840 in Bockhampton, Dorset, England. He was the oldest boy in his family. Hardy began his writing career in 1862, at the age of twenty-two. In 1867, at the age of twenty-seven, he wrote his first novel. The novel was entitled, The Poor Man and the Lady. Today only bits and pieces of this book remain. Some critics did not think that Hardy’s first book was cut out for publication. George Meredith, a reader for Chapman and Hall publishers, advised against the publication of The Poor Man and the Lady. He thought Hardy had potential and encouraged him to continue writing(Pettit). Practice makes perfect. In November of 1872, at the age of thirty-two, Hardy was asked to write a serial novel for Cornhill Magazine. This was the start of something really good for Hardy. Soon after this, his career sky rocketed and he started pumping out the manuscripts. In 1874, Hardy began writing Far from the Madding Crowd. He was engrossed in the making of this book; it consumed him. While attending college classes, he resorted to writing on leaves, woodchips, stones, and whatever else he could find while moving between classes. This book marked the turning point of his career. Not to long after this, his wife passed away. It did not seem that Hardy was too broken up over this tragedy because soon after his wife’s death, he married his secretary. The marriage only lasted for a little while because on January eleventh of 1928 Hardy died in his hometown of Dorset, England. His heart was buried in the "Wessex" countryside, in the parish churchyard at Stinsford. His ashes were placed next to those of Charles Dickens in Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey. Wessex is a fictional place in England that Hardy made up, and placed his novels in its scenery. Its lush landscape is what is described in most of Hardy’s novels, especially The Woodlanders. The book has been described as being "alive with landscape"(Woodlanders). James Wood describes the book by saying it "is an anguished and contradictory meditation on belonging, on what it means to be rooted in a place"(Woodlanders). Wood also says that Hardy’s works are like Shakespeare’s, except Hardy’s works are like hard comedies and hard tragedies. The Woodlanders was first published simultaneously in monthly serial parts in England’s Macmillan’s Magazine and in weekly parts in the United States in Harper’s Bazaar.

The Last Thirty Years - Personal Narrative Essay -- History President

The Last Thirty Years My Personal Narrative (assuming I lived during the time of President Lincoln) Hi, my name is David Heard. I just turned twenty years old on February 4. I am a second generation American. My whole family is white and is originally from England. I have an older sister, Mary, who we do not see anymore, (I will get to that later), a younger brother, Adam, and both my parents. My parents and little brother live in a nice size house for the three of them. I plan to get married soon, but for now I live in a house near my parents by myself. They do not own that much land, but it is enough for my mom?s garden and for my little brother to play on. My father used to own a little ice cream and candy shop just on the outskirts of Boston. I took it over because my father does not want to work anymore. He feels that he is getting to old to be getting up before the sun rises to make candy. Exactly one month after my birthday President Lincoln was inaugurated. At the end of his inauguration speech he said, ?We (the North and the South) are not enemies, but friends?, (Out of Many, 444). As much as I respect President Lincoln for the great man that he is I do not believe this. Things in this country are going to get worse before they get better. The population of this country has dramatically increased and this is causing more violence to occur between classes. One cannot walk down the street without seeing a fight somewhere. The country is becoming much too violent. I just hope some big war does not erupt soon. Things have changed so much since I was born and even a few years before I was born. I am a strong believer in human rights, such as humane treatment of Indians and slaves. I think that... ...wide power. I hope and pray that our country can learn from its mistakes and move on to become a better nation because of them. Once people realize that our nation can be better off without slavery and the persecution of Indians, we will finally be able to treat people the way they should be treated and truly be the land of the free. No living, breathing human being should be recognized as a piece of property or pushed off of their property. As I begin to think about how our nation is developing I sometimes wonder why I have not joined my sister at the Oneida Community. They are a group of people that realizes the world is unstable and inconsistent and they are doing something about it to live a better life. I hope that in the next few years President Lincoln can change the direction that our country is going and turn us into the great country that we can be.

Response to Country Lovers Essay

The first thing that captured my interest about the story â€Å"Country Lovers†, by Nadine Gordimer was the first line. â€Å"Right from the opening sentence it is clear that this will be a story about inter–racial relationships. † ( Claxton, 2010). This sentence caught my attention because it gave me mixed emotions, first of hoping that this forbidden love would have a happy ending, and also a sense of foreboding that this would not be the case due to the inter-racial theme and the setting of the story. The analytical approach that I choose to evaluate this story would be a reader- response approach. â€Å"Reader-response criticism encompasses various approaches to literature that explore and seek to explain the diversity (and often divergence) of readers’ responses to literary works. † (Bedford, 1998). The reader- response approach is best described as connecting with a piece of work, and finding a personal or creative way to engage with the story. It will most likely come from a personal connection to a character or theme and the emotions that they elicit. In reader-response critical approach, the primary focus falls on the reader and the process of reading rather than on the author or the text. Theoretical Assumptions: Literature is a performative art and each reading is a performance, analogous to playing/singing a musical work, enacting a drama, etc. Literature exists only when it is read; meaning is an event (versus the New Critical concept of the â€Å"affective fallacy†). The literary text possesses no fixed and final meaning or value; there is no one â€Å"correct† meaning. Literary meaning and value are â€Å"transactional,† â€Å"dialogic,† created by the interaction of the reader and the text. According to Louise Rosenblatt, a poem is â€Å"what the reader lives through under the guidance of the text. † Varying Emphases: How readers interpret texts: Sometimes called â€Å"subjective. † May deal with published â€Å"readings† of texts and/or study nonprofessional readings (e. g. , students). These critics explain similarities in readings in varying ways: â€Å"styles† or â€Å"identity themes† of readers are similar (Norman Holland–psychoanalytic approach): cf. George Dillon’s classification of students’ responses to Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily†: â€Å"Character-Action-Moral Style† (â€Å"connected knowers†)–treat literature as coextensive with experience â€Å"Diggers for Secrets†Ã¢â‚¬â€œfind hidden meanings in literature, psychoanalyze motives of characters, etc. â€Å"Anthropologists†Ã¢â‚¬â€œlook for cultural patterns, norms, values [e. g. feminists, New Historicists]. Readers belong to same â€Å"interpretive communities† (Stanley Fish) with shared reading strategies, values and interpretive assumptions (i. e. shared â€Å"discourse†); concept of the â€Å"informed reader. † readers are situated in a common cultural/historical setting and shaped by dominant discourses and ideologies (New Historicist emphasis). â€Å"Reception theory/aesthetics† studies the changing responses of the general reading public over time. How texts govern reader: Focus on how texts guide, constrain, control reading; often use linguistic, stylistic, narratological methods of analysis. Wolfgang Iser argues that the text in part controls the reader’s responses but contains â€Å"gaps† that the reader creatively fills. There is a tension between â€Å"the implied reader,† who is established by the â€Å"response-inviting structures† of the text; this type of reader is assumed and created by the work itself â€Å"the actual reader,† who brings his/her own experiences and preoccupations to the text. † (McManus, 1998). For this particular piece of work, I find the reader- response approach to be the most appropriate. I do not feel that there are many people that could not connect to this story on some level. The setting and the inter-racial love story excluded, there are still the aspects of first loves, and first sexual experiences that most people can identify with. Further into the story you have the aspects of horror at the thought of an innocent baby being murdered, much less at the hands of the babe’s own father. I personally felt outrage at the lack of justice for this lost soul and the knowledge that it is all too common a reality. It would seem that my sense of foreboding at the start of this story was well justified.

Kingdom of God Essay

Describing what is meant by the Kingdom of God can be very complex, because so many people has set forth to describe this phrase to the best of their own knowledge, and generally each of these descriptions differs. Personally, besides the many verses in the Bible that are relative to the subject, it is best described by Donald B. Kraybill. In Kraybill’s novel â€Å"The Upside-down Kingdom† he writes; â€Å"The Kingdom of God is a collectivity—a network of persons who have yielded their hearts and relationships to the reign of God.† â€Å"He also notes that people must enter the kingdom because it is a state of affairs rather than a state of mind (p.19).† The Kingdom then, represents God’s power of ruling, his authority, and basically his government. â€Å"His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables† (Luke 8:9, 10). Unless an individual is a born again Christian he will not understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. The Jewish sects Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots are noted as being developed during the time of the second temple through the tenth century. This is the period that it seems that the Jewish sects were most generative. The Jewish people noted only three philosophical sects which are Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes, of the three Essenes is noted as being the one with the most severe discipline. According to Josephus, [War of the Jews] 1 chapter 8.2 Pharisees, Essenes, Sadducees, Zealots were divided into three groups which were criminal, nationalist and Philosophical (religious). The Sadducees and the Pharisees really seem to be as religious as they were political. History tells us that in ancient societies political and religious laws were pretty much the same. Moreover, the Sadducees and the Pharisees did seem to have a bit more interest in that of political power than what was religiously correct. This we know was absolutely not pleasing to our God. â€Å"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever† (Hebrew 13:8). Regardless to the ways and or the thoughts of the Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes and the Zealots one thing that remains the same and will never change is the fact that our God does not change his mind or act indifferent towards his children regardless of the mishaps that we may allow ourselves to experience. â€Å"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God† (Romans 13, 1). This verse pretty much says it all when referring to the political convictions discussed by Josephus, God is in control of all situations regardless to whether it is written in the Old or New Testament. According to Josephus, the Zealots were described as political and grouped as nationalists. However, it seemed that their religious beliefs were indivisible from their political convictions. Moreover, this is not an indication that all of the sects of the second temple were more political than religious, the truth of the matter is that there was not much partition between the two. The Essenes, Sadducees and the Pharisees stand out to more people than the rest of the sects because it is said that they were supposedly better known to people than the rest of the sects, and some people seem to think that the Pharisees were forefathers of the Rabbis. The Sadducees; were differ ent in their own way, they were not the Jewish people that simply did not believe in resurrection, nor did they believe that heaven exists. Strangely, the Sadducees were of the group that only accepted the Torah, as authoritative, this strange group of individuals were known to not be very popular with the rest of the Jewish population. â€Å"For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all† (Acts 23:8). During or around the time of 2nd century B.C there existed a monastic Jewish sect that was referred to as the Essenes. They were known to reside somewhere not far from the Dead Sea. They were pretty much isolated from the entire Jewish community. Notably, the Essenes seemed to have had closer relationships towards each other than any other sects, and were said to be Jewish by birth. The Essenes neglected matrimony but choose out of other families children to be of their family and transformed them according to their personal likings, and had a huge amount of respect and obedience for their elders. If at any time they complained against their elders or authorities they would be expelled from their community, more strangely than that if an elder was even touched by a younger person they were casted as being dirty. There is an overwhelming amount of information that openly describes how the Messianic expectation of the various sects, differs from the Messianic role that Jesus presented. Examples would be as follows; The Essenes was known as a Jewish religious sect and was in fact not mentioned in the Bible, but was indeed mentioned on the Dead Sea Scrolls. This particular group adapted to their life according to the law of the Jews, and they opposed Temple priesthood. The Pharisees were different because they were more of a prominent sect of Jewish people in the time of Christ. They were in disagreement with Jesus and his teachings. â€Å"But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus† (Mathew 12:14). The Pharisees had absolutely no love for Jesus and felt that the world would be a better place without him obviously. The Sadducees were additionally, another renowned Jewish religious sect. Their beliefs differed in another way because they only accepted more hideous things like the laws and rejections of the oral traditions; which included immortality of the soul; denial of body resurrection and existence of the spirit world. In addition, they supported families of Jewish patriots of the first and second centuries B.C. whom were totally active in the liberation of Judea from the Syrian rule. Lastly, we will discuss the difference in the Zealots concerning the Messianic expectations. The Zealots will take a total twist here from the above mentioned sects. The reason being is because according to the Bible Simon was a Zealot â€Å"Matthew, Thomas, James, son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot† (Luke 6:15). The Zealots preferred armed mutiny against Rome, in doing so they thought that God would deliver Israel with the sword. Faithfully, acknowledging the Spirit of Jesus, he {Jesus} is lead into the wilderness for the sole intention of being tempted by the devil. â€Å"He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him† (Mark 1:13). This place of wilderness was not fit for human life, water was accessible but it was an unpopulated region. â€Å"When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me, for God cannot be tempted by the devil, nor does he tempt anyone† (James 1:13), but instead, Jesus is lead, into a situation by the devil that could possibly tempt him. Jesus teaches us to pray that we are not lead into temptations, but yet he is lead into temptations while on earth so this is what the devil set out to do, which was take Jesus through the test of temptations. References Kraybill, Donald B. The Upside Down Kingdom Revised Ed. Scottsdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1990. 275pg. May 20, 2006 Second Temple Sects The Complete Works Of Flavious Josephus The Pharisees and other sects – edited with a preface by Jacob Neusne, Retrieved from http://Judaism.about.com/gi/dynamicof Josephus/.HTM on January 7, 2013

ENGL - Is vegetarianism a more healthful or a more ethical lifestyle Essay

ENGL - Is vegetarianism a more healthful or a more ethical lifestyle than a meat-eating diet - Essay Example While humans have the physical capacity to consume meat, I will argue in this paper that vegetarianism is the healthier option and support this with data that supports this viewpoint. The effects of a consuming a vegetarian diet has been widely studied. A number of different studies have come to the conclusion that people consuming vegetarian diets have, in general, a longer life expectancy and seem to have lower rates of coronary heart disease, lower rates of hypertension and diabetes. They also seem to have lower body weight and a lower incidence of high cholesterol. In addition, the presence of certain cancers is slightly lower than in people who consume meat (Fraser, 2009). It must, however, be noted that there is a wide disparity between the different types of vegetarians. The different types show different trends in health (Fraser, 2009). In fact, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and the Dieticians of Canada have published papers suggesting that a vegetarian diet that is planned properly is healthy, provides enough nutrition and may contribute to the prevention of several conditions. All the nutrients necessary for a person’s development can be obtained from a vegetarian diet. A vegetarian diet is said to be appropriate for any stage of life including, childhood, adolescence, pregnancy or lactation (Anonymous, 2003). The lowering of certain diseases is probably attributable to the fact that well-planned vegetarian diets have lower levels of cholesterol, saturated fats and animal fats as well as having plenty of carbohydrates, fibre, magnesium, potassium, folate and several vitamins (Anonymous,2003). From an ethical view, a vegetarian diet has been said to be much more humane. 15% of vegetarians reported that they turned vegetarian for ethical reasons (Vegetarian Times, 1992 from Palaniswamy, 2003). People have been

Capitalism Is a Force for Social Progress Essay - 1

Capitalism Is a Force for Social Progress - Essay Example Technological development in the modern world is as a result of funding from capitalist entities which have ensured that there is technology for everyday needs. People in society today cannot do without technology because the latter allows their lives to become easier since they are able to put in less effort in order to conduct everyday activities. The swift technological development that has been seen in recent decades would not have been possible without the investment of capital since this is the motivation behind individuals becoming innovative (Goldstein and Lee 2005, p.212). In most circumstances, it is the possible financial incentives as well as the need to improve on current technology that has spurred individuals to develop an even better technology. Through the efforts of these individuals, the investment that is made in their projects and their hope of gaining a profit from their inventions encourages individuals to create technologies that are useful for the whole of so ciety. In this way, capitalism has contributed to social progress because it has enabled the development of technology that is put into use by billions of people every day. This is a circumstance which would not be possible in any other economic system, especially communism because the incentive to advance technology would not be there since, in the latter economic system, individuals do not gain from what they invent. Only under the capitalist system do individuals have the right to private property and this gives them the freedom they need to become innovative. Â  Capitalism has been credited with enabling individuals who come from relatively poor backgrounds to advance in society and this has encouraged people to work hard as a means of securing this advancement.

The Growing Role Of Technology In Modern Age Essay - 1

The Growing Role Of Technology In Modern Age - Essay Example Ray Kurzweil addresses how nano-engineered fuel cells can be a step in the right direction as far as the future realms are concerned. He asserts that this is the next chapter of engineering since there is immense safety present as far as transmission and transfer of nano-engineered fuel cells are linked plus there are apparently no hurdles or disruptions that can be come across in the future. He has touched base with poverty in Asia and has quoted different facts and figures from the World Bank which substantiates his point. He is of the view that the potential to overcome disease and poverty is there as far as the world bodies are concerned. The will and determination must be enacted by the people who shall actually bring the very change in motion, and that too for the betterment of all and sundry. Since Ray has been a student of technology and its changing trends for a long amount of time, he suggests that technology in his view seems to develop in an exponential manner and thus raises estimated which are based around the years 2010, 2011 and 2012. He goes back in the past and tells the audience about the Genome Project that took place in the year 1990 which turned out to be a failure. Also, he talked about how serious diseases like HIV and SARS were overcome easily within a span of one month when these started to spread in different parts of the world. This was done through evidence provided by different logarithmic graphs so that data trends can be easily explained to everyone. Going one step further, he shows how cell phones, the telephone, and other relevant tools and devices took years to catch up with the people. This was made apparent through research done on his part. However, he suggested that these trends have become quicker to adopt as far as the modern day generations are concerned.

How the life and personal qualities of Harry Bridges can inspire us to Scholarship Essay

How the life and personal qualities of Harry Bridges can inspire us to achieve our goals today - Scholarship Essay Example After completing school, Bridges declined to enter his father’s real estate business, choosing to be a merchant seaman at 16. In 1920, Bridges entered the USA, and became a longshoreman at San Francisco in 1922. Bridges protested against the stranglehold of the ship owners through the company-controlled Longshoremens Association of San Francisco and the Bay Region (the Blue Book Union). Speedups, arbitrary dismissals, blacklisting of militant workers, low wages, long hours and dangerous working conditions were endemic on the docks. Bridges earned support among the longshoremen for the revival of the local of the International Longshoremen’s Association, advocating "Organization...rank and file control... unity of action... union democracy... solidarity among all Coast ports... among all unions,† (ILWU website). The local ILA was formed in 1933. Despite pressure from the Roosevelt administration, theories of a communist conspiracy and media opposition, the 1934 Wes t Coast Longshore Strike began on May 9, with Bridges as the chairman of the Strike Committee. Bridges formed a coalition of all waterfront workers and effectively stopped shipping on the West Coast. On July 5, "Bloody Thursday," the police charged the workers picket lines, shooting into the ranks of unarmed men, and wounded over one hundred men. Two men were killed. This led to a general strike and finally, arbitration commenced, with the unions successfully negotiating joint hiring-halls, a thirty hour week, higher wages, union recognition and coast-wide contracts. In 1937, Bridges founded the ILWU, serving as President for 40 years. Bridges life was characterized by a shining integrity which one cannot fail to admire. He remained steadfast in his loyalty to his fellow-workers, insisting that the salary of all union officials be the same as that of a longshoreman’s wages. His tactics are a shining example of the adage ‘United we stand,

Christian Afterlife Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Christian Afterlife - Essay Example ok in the communication between God and people according to the Christian faith, the New Testament (with concentration on Paul) gives a clear vision of the life of Christians as that which already takes part in the realities of heaven. Such Christian life is to be put into experience only after the return of Jesus Christ as well as the resurrection of human bodies. On the other hand, the Old Testament book in the bible, (Note that the Bible usually is divided into two testaments- the New and the Old) shows the images of afterlife less vividly in comparison with the New Testament. As a matter of fact, the image of afterlife in the Old Testament is only developed in a modest manner. Thus, the Old Testament, instead of concentrating on the issue of afterlife, gives a wide focus on the care that God offers to people in the context of earthly bestowments like offspring and land. It also touches on the punishment of God to the people such as the Israelites who were not faithful as well as the pagan nations in the form of death or exile. Christians, though, view the Old Testament as promising afterlife to God’s people. For instance, there is the part in the Old Testament that talks about the promises to Abraham by God in terms of offspring/land as symbolic to his afterlife blessing. This is due to the fact that the promises given by God to Abraham were not really experienced until a long time subsequent to his demise. This sense is fully expounded upon once one reads the New Testament of the Bible. (Ryken, et al, 1998 pp16,17) Those beliefs that Christians uphold are put in what is called Creeds. There are two majorly essential creeds according to the Christianity religion and these are the Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed. They (Christians) only believe that there exists only a single God, and his nature is that of Love and relationship. God’s nature is vividly expressed in the Trinity belief for majority Christians and that these are three persons by the names