Book Review on Song of the Hummingbird Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Book Review on Song of the Hummingbird - Essay Example We can examine that Aztecs were willing and also trying a lot to make peace by doing work with Spaniards but Spaniards totally against with Aztecs and not willing to unite with them. Author also portrayed that Spaniards createsproblems with Aztecs and also they didn’t even try to understand the Mexican Culture, for this act which pertained to the devil; author saw lot of human sacrifices for this act.Mostly people at that time agree with Limon that people should understand each other because if they are not united then several problems occurred between people just like Aztecs and Spaniards. This story takes place in newly colonized Mexicoafter thirty years of Aztec Empire. Author is continuously against of war, racism and class problems. Limon argue about that people get ways from colonized mind and give the value of beauty and making love and understand each other. Graciela Limon wrote this novel in 1996 about the fall of Aztecs and discuss the end era of Mexicans by Spanish conquers. Author expresses the views of a struggling, indigenous and powerful old woman her name is Huitzitzilin for easiness people pronounce her name â€Å"Hummingbird†. Theme of starting chapters of this book is transcription of Huitzitzilinand this transcription is basically the device of this book. In other chapters it reveals that protagonist of this story is Huitzitzilin or HummingBird was a Nobel Mexica means Aztec at birth. Her age is almost 20 years old when Spaniards arrived in Mexica then after sometime these Spaniards known as Tenochtitlan. In the start of novel author writes that â€Å"Like most of her people she experienced the awe caused by those bearded white men when they first arrived; wonderment that soon gave way to outrage of seeing the devastation of her land, the disruption of her life and the end of civilization as she knew it†. From these points author narrates the powerful images and expresses the passion of a story which is the

Computer science coursework Merit Essay Essay Example for Free

Computer science coursework Merit Essay Essay Record shops, cinemas, radio stations, video rental stores and even libraries are losing customers to the global trend that is OIS (Online Information Sharing the official MPAA and RIAA term for internet piracy). It once used to be a common sight to see small record shops filled with teens picking their favourite artists new records from the well stacked shelves, paying at the desk, discussing music with others and making new discoveries. It was not uncommon for people to buy or rent VHS tapes or sit at home listening to the radio. Piracy of course was alive here, the market for pirate radio, pirate tapes and pirated videos was enormous, the difference between then and today? Equipment. Nearly every person below 40 has a computer in MEDCs and also has the knowledge to share everything they want from their media collection with others. The most significant difference between the days of pirate radio and the days of worldwide networking is that you no longer need to know how it works to do it; millions of parents mindlessly expose their young kids to P2P networks such as KaZaA and LimeWire which are full of adult content, viruses and include open chat programs which might allow sexual predators access to their children. The first consumer P2P (peer-to-peer) network of note (others such as MC2 , Direct Connect and TinyP2P had existed before but were not widely adopted by the average user) called Napster allowed only for the sharing of music files such as WAVE and . mp3 (leading to MPEG 3 becoming the most popular music format in years to come). This was the most organised piracy or the time among teenagers and young adults through the internet but had problems in terms of the danger that faced the user (being caught) in that the centralized nature of the service meant that the server not only listed the files bring shared by members but all of the files passed through it in an effort to prevent the proliferation of malicious programs. This was extremely bad news for the user as Napster now had the IP address of each and every user, an integral flaw which would come back to bite the company and its user base later on before it could change its process and remove the evidence from its servers. Napster had finally made stealing music easy but was considered flawed by many in the IT community who wanted easier methods of sharing software, video and text files and a safer method of sharing music. Audiogalaxy was the first mainstream centralized P2P client that was capable (although not by design) of sharing any kind of file whatsoever, it gained popularity after the downfall of Napster and was the first time that the MPAA took note of file sharing software as connections became more capable of allowing fast download of high quality video. Audiogalaxy only indexed *. mp3 files, the obvious way round this limitation was found quickly: by (for example) naming a *. exe piece of software from tree. exe to tree exe . mp3. This made AG extremely useful for illegal distribution of both legally and illegally purchased data between users with experience in CGI and Batch (CGI parameters had to be edited to share non mp3 files) but was not as popular as eDonkey2000 (another P2P later to become known as eMule) program which did not have the security limitations of previous P2P clients as it was much faster to decentralize and allow open sharing and indexing. Especially in the case of Napster, facilitating thousands of minor crimes led to a series of lawsuits launched by musicians against the company (Metallica, Dr.Dre, Madonna) but received praise from other artists (Radiohead, Dispatch, Editors) for allowing distribution of singles prior to an albums release. Eventually a larger lawsuit was filed against the company which eventually resulted in bankruptcy after a lawsuit (which inadvertently increased the services user numbers) filed by the RIAA resulting in Napster closing down their network and being blocked from selling the company without liquidating assets under Chapter 7 of the US Bankruptcy Act meaning that the company was forced to close. The name was later sold to Swedish pornography company PMG who run it as a paid for service using similar looking software. AudioGalaxy was also sued and shut down as its out of court settlement rendered the service effectively useless and resulted in the services user base abandoning it en masse as a result AG too, opened a pay service to distribute music. In efforts to decentralize and avoid federal prosecution, modern networks designed for file sharing are de-centralized, often encrypted and use proxies to disguise IP addresses, for these reasons modern networks make it much less likely for a user to be discovered and served with a court order or other legal reprimand. A de-centralized system does not have a server which holds the files but instead a server that indexes a list of all available files rather than storing them. Most modern p2p systems also use (as mentioned previously) a process of encryption and proxy servers to make them untraceable. The servers often do not ask uploaders and downloaders of content to register accounts as they have previously done, this prevents user name linking: a process that the CIA reportedly used wherein they would search a napster username through a series of websites trying to gain personal data on a pirate in order to find and prosecute them. Another security feature of modern P2P protocols is the streaming swarm structure which works on a rarest first basis, splitting files into multiple parts and downloading these parts (to be reconstructed into a usable file on the leech (downloading) computer) rather than an actual file. As none of these individual parts is usable as the intended finished product on its own Swedish law allows the redistribution under its own piracy laws for this reason, the most prolific pirating groups are based in the country. One such group is the Swedish pirate political party called Piratbyran, the Piratbyran, (whose motto Pirate and Proud has itself caused problems for the group) this organised group has demanded that (along with the Pirates website piratgruppen. org) pirates be treated fairly by the law of the world as they believe they have the right to appraise things and decide if they are worth purchasing before doing so. For this reason, Piratbyran have set up Kopimi, a copywright alternative (said copyme) which declares others right to use your work as they see fit (this being a more extreme version of many other previously concocted alternatives like creative commons which permit a user the right to use works for non commercial reasons of their choice) for anything at all. The group also used Bram Cohens bit torrent protocol and created the worlds largest tracker a website that indexes all of the files available through the protocol which is called ThePirateBay. com (a. k. a. TPB), this site is distributed in over 20 languages and is currently the most popular tracker for the most advanced, secure and efficient protocol that is commercially available at this time. They are however intending to create their own protocol to remove their reliance in Bram Cohen (the creator) who has recently cut distribution deals with Hollywood film studios and is believed to be considering taking the protocol commercial. Governments across the world are certainly taking note, shown in hundreds of adverts which have only proven ineffective thus far. In the USA and the UK the governments have been running multiple adverts against piracy on legally purchased DVD videos and Blu ray / High Definition DVDs which are fairly useless: the advert assumes You wouldnt steal and lists a series of items before telling you piracy is a crime and showing w young girl getting up from her computer where she is downloading a film and walking out of the door. Most people tend to be offended at the fact that, after legally paying for something, they are forced to watch an advert telling them not to steal. This string of adverts alone has caused a series of parody adverts which take off the script of the original You might steal a book and even inspired a film called Steal this movie. Of course there are also positive sides to the increase in stealing and sharing among internet users, the little guy for example is heard far more than the major executive, companies are embracing the freedom culture and popular bands are pre releasing their albums for free to gain fan support. Sharing is even curing cancer! A largely adopted project ([emailprotected]) launched by a US university is folding protein strings over a massive decentralized network in an effort to discover a cancer cure or prevention in lieu of the supercomputer they would normally require. Those passing records about in the early days probably never saw that coming when they connected their first networks! Back in the early 1980s, piracy (albeit not online) was rife amongst office workers and the computer competent, these early criminals would exchange software through floppy disk and share records between each other. As the 90s started and the first networks were being created within offices, the stealing only increased as files could be copied between computer terminals via cable rather than by hand. Now, with the age of the internet: it is estimated that over 300 million of the worlds population routinely steal information and data over the internet with millions more borrowing DVDs and books from each other, whether or not these people are stealing more or less because of the internet is unquestionable, with our ability to access millions and millions of people we are able to share and steal far more than we previously could have done and this only provides incentive to give and take more than we would normally have done in a spirit of world community that is evoked by groups that exist in this sphere such as piratgruppen and the piratbyran.

Edgar Allan Poe Biography

Edgar Allan Poe Biography Edgar Allan Poe was an important writer of the 19th Century. His imaginative storytelling led to literary innovations and earned him the nickname Father of the Detective Story' (Bio.com). His short story, The Murders in the Rue Morgue is the first example of detective fiction. His writings were often dark and scary. He was an early writer of the horror story. Poe had a rough childhood, depression and dark moods as an adult, and a bad early death. Poes life and writings can be compared to the modern writer of horror, Stephen King. There are things that are alike about the two authors and things that are different. Poe was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. He never knew his parents, who were actors. His father, David Poe Jr., left the family and died in about 1810 or 1811. His mother, Elizabeth Arnold Poe, died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty four in 191. Poe was three at the time, and her death may have warped Poe for the rest of his life. He always remembered more or less unconsciously-his mother vomiting blood and being carried away from him forever by sinister men dressed in black (Asselineau 409). She had 3 three children, and Edgar was separated from his brother and sister. His brother, William, died young, and Rosalie lost her mind. Edgar was taken in but not adopted by John and Frances Valentine Allan. Edgar was close to Frances, but not to John. John was a prosperous tobacco merchant in Richmond Virginia, and wanted Edgar to join him as a clerk in his business. Frances was probably responsible for taking Poe in. He was a good poet by the time he was thirteen, but his headmaster and John discouraged his poetry. Sometimes they were nice to him and sometimes not. The family moved to England in 1815 where Poe attended a classical academy until 1820. Then they came back to Richmond where Poe attended the school of Joseph H. Clarke and wrote several poems in honor of local schoolgirls. Edgar was in love and secretly engaged to Elmira Royster when he went to the University of Virginia 1826. The engagement fell through. Edgar did well and made good grades, but John did not give him much spending money so he got lots of gambling debts. Some scholars think that Poe drank heavily during that time, but others say that even small amounts of alcohol had a bad effect on him. John refused to pay the debts, so in 1927 Poe joined the army. He came back two years later when he learned that Frances Allen was dying of tuberculosis, but she died before he came home. In 1930 Allan got him into WestPoint, but he was expelled for poor handling of his duties, so in 1831 so Allan disowned him. Historians also know that John Allan had gotten married again without telling him, so they fought. Some people think that Edgar got expelled on purpose to get back at John. When John died, he didnt leave any money to Edgar, but he did leave money to an illegitimate child Edgar had never met. Duri ng this time, Poe wrote several volumes of poetry including Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827), and Poems (1831). Historians do not know much else about his life during this time, but in 1832 he was working in Baltimore writing short stories. By 1833 he was living with his fathers widowed and poverty-stricken sister Mrs. Clemm in Baltimore and won a $50 prize for the story MS Found in a Bottle in a short story contest in The Baltimore Saturday Vister. He also started working on a play, Politician, which he never finished. He began working for the Southern Literary Messenger of Richmond and by 1835 was its editor. For most of the rest of his life he worked for various magazines but was usually fired because of his strange behavior made worse by alcoholism. He wrote many poems, stories, and articles which got him a little money and lots of criticism. They also made him well-known. His poems always had an easy, unforgettable rhythm, and his stories were always weird and concerned with death. He still lived most of the time with Mrs. Clemm, and married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemm in 1836 who was his literary inspiration as well as his love interest (Biography.com). She was pale and fragile, like many of Poes characters. He was very devoted to her, but in 1842 she broke a blood vessel while singing. She recovered somewhat, but died in 1847 of tuberculosis. Her death caused him to ruin his life. Some historians believe that his alcoholism got worse and he took a lot of drugs. Others believe that he became ill and because of a brain lesion in his youth, had manic and depressive moods. He also began to give attention to other women and became engaged again to Elmira Royster Shelton who was now a widow. He continued to write and publish many stories and poems throughout this time. Historians do not know exactly what he did for the last of his life, and his final days remain somewhat of a mystery (Biography.com). He continued to be very distraught over Virginias death. On September 28, 1849 he attended a birthday party in Baltimore, drank wine, and went on a drinking spree. He was found ill in a Baltimore gutter on October 3, 1849. He was taken to Washington College Hospital where he died on October 7. His last words were Lord help my poor soul (Biography.com). He was buried in what is now Westminster Churchyard on October 8, 1849, and a monument was built to him later. Mrs. Clemm and her daughter are buried next to him. Edgar Allen Poes stories often have dark themes of death, lost love, or dying. His characters are often alcoholics or have drug addictions. They are not happy stories and his characters sometimes seem insane. A modern person who is like Edgar Allan Poe is the horror writer Stephen King. Both authors had a hard early life and were abandoned by their fathers when they were very young. They were both good students in elementary school and started writing when they were young. Both moved around a lot as children and were outsiders in high school. In college both of these writers started drinking. Also, both of them worked hard to make it where they got. Poe worked so hard that when he was 16, he swam 7 miles across the James River to prove himself, emulating Lord Byrons swimming across the Hellespont, as a physical expression of his determination to make a name for himself, to be a great writer (Hoffman 323). Both of the authors wrote about characters that had drug and alcohol problems. Stephen King has also written a lot of stories and is an important writer. Unlike Poe, Stephen King has had a long and successful career, is very famous and has made a lot of money. He is about sixty-five year s old and he is still writing. Edgar Allan Poe wrote many stories, poems, and other things. He was a very important writer of the 19th century and is still recognized as one of Americas most influential writers. Even though he wrote almost 200 years ago, his stories and poems still, shock, surprise, and move modern readers (Biography.com). However he never made very much money, was mostly unrecognized during his life time and died young. He will always be remembered for his fascinating and gruesome works. Bibliography Asselineau, Roger. Edgar Allan Poe. American Writers: Volume 3. Ed. Leonard Unger.  New York: Scribner, 1974. Hoffman, Daniel. Edgar Allan Poe. World Poets: Volume 2. Ed. Ron Padgett. New York:  Scribner, 2000. 323-331. Print. Perkins, George, Barbara Perkins, and Phillip Leininger, eds. Poe, Edgar Allen. Benets Readers Encyclopedia of American Literature. New York: Harper and Row, 1991.  853-6. Print. Unger, Leonard. American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies. New York: Scribner, 1974. 409-432. Print.

Old Vs Young - Tragedy :: Free Essay Writer

The older generation of people in the play can be contrasted with the two young lovers. The lovers portray themselves as rash and impulsive who are filled deeply with emotions. Their elders, on the other hand, have experienced more in life and are probably wiser, thus they see things from a different angle. This leads to the elders not understanding the feelings of Romeo and Juliet, hence causing conflicts, misunderstandings and pain to arise. The older generation in this play refer to Romeo and Juliet's parents, the Nurse and Friar Lawrence. I do agree that the older generation did play a major role in their children's destiny through their foolishness and good intentions, but not all blame is credited to them because Romeo and Juliet did contribute to their own tragedy. Fate also 'thwarted our intents'. Montague and his wife show themselves to be caring and loving parents. After the fight on the streets of Verona, Benvolio is conversing with Montague and his wife about Romeo. Lady Montague knows her son has been troubled lately so she is glad 'he was not at this fray'. Montague has observed his son's distress, 'deep sighs', 'heavy son' and wants to relieve his despair, 'as willingly give cure as know'. From here, we can detect the good intentions of Romeo's parents, thus we know that whatever choice Romeo makes, they would have rendered their utmost support to him. Older people are often thought to be wiser. Capulet admits that it is easy for 'men so old as we to keep the peace' which shows that the feud between their families can be resolved. However, it is clear that no effort has been put into ending their quarrel. This highlights the idiocy of the two men which leads to the tragedy because the young lovers could be happily married when the feud ended. Capulet has good intentions when he finds a suitable match for his daughter. Paris is a handsome and gracious gentleman. It can be said though, that Capulet is acting out of pure selfishness because he knows Paris is a relative of the Prince which is why he, later in the play, insists that Juliet marry Paris. Lady Capulet is absurd in her description of Paris, 'a flower', 'to beautify him only lacks a cover'. Her attitude towards marriage and love is so artificial and she seems more interested in the wealth and nobility of Paris.

Assignment on Principles of Management

There are many factors that constitute on how to achieve excellence in management especially in the case of Starbucks under Howard Shultz. Indeed, management is getting things done, through efficient means that would maximize profit while keeping costs down. In order to be competitive and for an organization to be successful in the field of management and to be productive, there are lots of things to be considered.Such aspects are the performance of the leaders or managers of the firm and the performance of the firm as whole, safety measures regarding the management, risks that will come along that the organization are going to face and ways to overcome them, and the influence of consultation (Pollock, 2001). In line with these factors that management of organization must consider are the needs of the organization. These needs can be achieved through the knowledge of the management and technological approaches the management would choose (Barclay, 1997).Dealing with those needs is im portant and constitute to the excellence in management. There are lots of experiments on how to achieve excellence in management was done by Shultz in achieving the status Starbucks have today. Some findings are the need to change strategies, designs that can be used to evaluate the organizations’ success, measures as standard basis, methods and ways to adapt to a complex environment; whether to stay with their current strategies in a constant environment or to change due to the changing environment, and many more (Resources, 2006). A.Ways to Achieving Management Excellence 1. Excellence through Performance Management One design that will constitute on the excellence in management of an organization is through the giving incentives to the individual. This will be dependent on their performance in their field of work. This is called the pay-for-performance system (William K. Redmon, 2005). For the simple reason, the aim for additional income, the individuals’ developmen t can be achieve by doing this. By doing this, the gap in the individuals’ goal and the organizational goal can be lessen or even better, will be gone.In addition, the costs of goods and services are also in its minimal due to the incentive pays that motivates employees. This motivation factors makes employees to become more productive. In fact, some of the companies are now changing their way on how to pay their employees, from normal salary basis and or hourly basis wage systems, to payment based on the employee’s performance (pay-for-performance system). As of this time, organizations are having difficulty recruiting workers. This may be due to the minimum wage salaries that they offer.Because of this reason, the firms and other organizations are thinking of ways on how to attract new workers and to retain the old ones. Other companies have the way of increasing the employee’s salaries, thus making an addition to their expenses and labor costs. In addition to this, performance of these newly hired workers cannot be said to have reached the organization’s needs. Then the need for performance improvement are then on the play. Here comes the study on how to management motivates employees that will become a great use in achieving organizational goal.Organizations have used incentives using incentives such as additional pay depending on the performance of individual employees (Studies, 2004). What others have done is to give those who are in the hard work for the organization’s goal some incentives in the form of not a monetary value but for the recognition of their behaviors. Such examples of non-monetary value incentives are promotions. Most organizations do such things like this for motivating their employees to be more productive. Together with the individual’s aim for promotion, is the organization having greater profit and lessens the costs of services.Other non-monetary value incentives are recognition of the empl oyees, for example, employee of the month award, best employee of the year, and many more. Such behavioral way of motivations is of great help in achieving excellence in management of an organization. Implementation of a goal through goal-setting program can be used by management to evaluate employee’s performances. Feedback program can be added and to this method. Feedback may be of good or bad based on the goal settled by the organization. For employees perception of this settled goal may have different effects depending on the individual.Some responds to the better productivity, while others have done absenteeism. An increase in productivity means the goal settled by the management served as a challenge and thus motivates the employee for better work. On the other hand, this served as constraints for other workers. Feedbacks however are used to chase away criticism but are used for employee’s performance evaluation. That’s for the reason that criticisms are a gents of exploitation that management didn’t want to interfere with the management.What feedback supposed to do is to give an evaluation, whether it may be bad or good, that will serve as a constructive criticism to employees. If the feedback was bad, that doesn’t mean that the employee was bad at all, but to show the deficiency the employee have and to overcome for the employee to overcome this. If the feedback was good, that means that the employees work was recognized and then the tendency of being a more hard working employee will come up to the mind of the employee. This is how behavioral management in an organization plays.II. Management Practices: A. Comparison Let’s take a look at some organizations/companies that won some awards regarding the excellence in management. For the supply chain excellence, the Starbuck’s Coffee chain having the strategy model of high-speed build-to-order delivery services has been recognized. The Starbuck’s Coff ee won one of the dealings on the supply chain excellence; speed. To measure the excellence in management of the Starbuck’s Coffee, a checklist was made with all the criteria of being excellent in management as the standard basis.

Ways to Improve Your Resume and Job Search With Expert Cheryl Palmer

Ways to Improve Your Resume and Job Search With Expert Cheryl Palmer During her time at the Department of Labor, Cheryl Palmer saw the need for resume writing and career coaching in the wider workforce. So, she founded Call to Career, a premier resume writing and career coaching service, to fill that need. She spoke with us about job hunting and resume writing. What are some common misconceptions about hiring that you see?One misconception is that if you are over 50, you won’t get hired. Even though age discrimination still exists, it is far too pessimistic a view to think that people over 50 aren’t being hired. People in all age groups, even highly experienced workers, are being hired every day. Much of a job hunter’s success depends on attitude. If you think you will get hired, you will. If you think you won’t get hired, you won’t.Another misconception is that sometimes job hunters think that a recruiter will get them a job. The truth of the matter is that recruiters work for the employer, not for the job seeker. C ertainly recruiters can be helpful in the job search process, but that is only true if they have an opening for which the job seeker is highly qualified. Job seekers need to use a variety of job search methods, including using recruiters, to find that next position.Where do job seekers get â€Å"stuck,† so to speak, in their search? What stumbling blocks are out there?Some job seekers get stuck because they do not clearly define their job target. It’s easy to get stuck if you don’t know what you are looking for. You can’t expect a potential employer to be your career coach. You must decide for yourself what you are looking for, and all of your job search tools need to reflect that goal.Another stumbling block is that it is easy to get sidetracked with other projects you didn’t have time for when you were working. Men especially are prone to get stuck doing their â€Å"honey-do† lists instead of focusing on the job search.What’s the on e thing we should never, ever do on our resumes?Job seekers should never, ever lie on their resumes. For some job hunters, it may seem as though this is the best thing to do, but it is very dangerous. The consequences for a job seeker can be severe. Most organizations will terminate an employee immediately if they find out the person lied. This is true even if the organization finds out years after the fact.Many job seekers feel compelled to lie because they think it is the only way to compete. They may state they have a degree when in fact they never completed college, because they see so many vacancy announcements require a college degree. Or they may take credit for something on the job that they didn’t do because it sounds impressive.But lying is not worth it. If you are found out, not only can you lose your job, but if you are in a field where everyone knows everyone else, you can also be blacklisted.Why is interview coaching so important? What’s changed about int erviews in the past few years?Interview coaching gives job hunters critical feedback on how they are coming across. Many people may think they interview well, but they may not know how they are being perceived. An interview coach can help job seekers fine tune their answers for commonly asked questions and analyze their nonverbal responses.One major change in how interviews are conducted in the last few years is that job seekers can expect at some point in the job search to be interviewed via videoconferencing. Skype is one of the most popular videoconferencing services. Job seekers should prepare to be interviewed through this new medium. There is a different feel with video interviewing than with face-to-face or telephone interviews.

The Description of Nature in Jack Dykinga Photographs

The Description of Nature in Jack Dykinga Photographs Jack Dykinga is a prominent photographer whose pictures of mountains, forests, and prairies continue to fascinate many people. His rich palette and ability to depict space is very difficult to recreate, but they produce a powerful impression on viewers. To examine his style, one can take a look at two of his photograph of Petrified Forest National Park and Sand Tank Mountains.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Description of Nature in Jack Dykinga’ Photographs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Overall, I can say that Jack Dykinga has been able to portray the beauty of nature in Arizona. Moreover, his techniques should be considered by professional photographers who are interested in landscape. There are several aspects of these photographs that I would like to discuss, namely the interplay of light and shadow and structured space. These are the issues should be examined. There are several qualities of these p hotographs that make them almost unforgettable. One of them is structured space. For instance, one can look at his picture of Petrified Forest National Park1. There is horizontal divide that separates shaded and illuminated parts of the mountain. Overall, I say that such a moment is very difficult to capture and it is a skill of a great photographer. It is worth noting that this picture was taken at sunset and but the Moon is still visible. Moreover, this picture has a very rich palette. The viewer can see how grey color of the mountain is transformed into fiery orange and this image is unforgettable. In my opinion, this effect is difficult to produce because one has to occupy a certain position and use a certain type of camera. Overall, these qualities distinguish Jack Dykinga among others. Additionally, one can look at the way in which Jack Dykinga photographs Sand Tank Mountains2. There is one detail that attracts the attention of the viewer, in particular one can mention the con trast between bright and dull colors. Overall, the photographs of Jack Dykinga enjoy considerable popularity among people who like the landscapes of Arizona. It should be noted that Jack Dykinga is one of those photographers who has made the images of Arizona nature popular among many people (Browden, 1994).Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the whole, the works of this photographer are of great interest to me. While working on this project, I attempted to recreate some of the techniques used by Jack Dykinga. For example, I attempted to emulate his palette in which there is a divide between dark and bright colors. In my opinion, this effect is very difficult to achieve because a photographer should choose a certain angle and moment when one can see an interplay of light and shadow. This task is quite challenging. Furthermore, one has to choose the best moment at which one can capture the game of light and shadow. Certainly, I will try to develop my own style of photography. However, I do like Dykinga’s perception of nature and his ability to highlight the beauty of landscape. The pictures discussed in the paper show that that a photographer is not a mere observer of people or physical environment. This individual should be able to see how colors, shapes, and space can interact. Only in this way, one can create unique and unforgettable images. This is the main lesson that I learned from the works of Jack Dykinga. Appendixes Picture 1. Petrified Forest National Park Picture 2Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Description of Nature in Jack Dykinga’ Photographs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reference List Browden, C. (1994). Frog Mountain Blues. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. Footnotes 1 Picture 1 2 Picture 2

TransAsia plane crashes in Taiwan river

TransAsia plane crashes in Taiwan river A TransAsia Airways plane carrying 53 people, including two children and five crew members, crashed in a river in Taiwan’s capital. At Least 13 People killed and Carrier loses the second aircraft in last 8 months. The first deadly incident for TransAsia in the past   year    was a plane   crashed July 23 near the airport at Magong on Taiwan’s Penghu island during a thunderstorm. As a result, 48 deaths and 10 people were injured. A TransAsia plane crashed shortly Wednesday morning and fall into a river just minutes after takeoff.  TransAsia Flight GE235, an ATR 72-600 turboprop, took off from Taipei at around 10.53am and was on its way to the island of Kinmen when the incident    happened. At least   27 people have been rescued from the plane’s wreckage. A number of people have been sent to the hospital, and the death toll has been steadily rising throughout the day. According to CNA, 31 passengers aboard the flight were Chinese tourists from Xiamen. A TransAsia media office declined to comment on possible reasons for the crash, deferring to a news conference scheduled for later on Wednesday. The causes of the disaster were not immediately clear but FlightRadar24.com, a specialist website, said the      plane had attempted to   turn back before its crash and had been in the air for less than three minutes. TransAsia Airways CEO Chen Xinde told reporters that TransAsia Airways expressed its deep apology to the victims and our crew. Dramatic pictures taken by a motorist and posted on Twitter showed the plane cartwheeling over the motorway soon after the turboprop ATR 72-600 aircraft took off in apparently clear weather on a domestic flight. Another video broadcast on Taiwanese television appeared to show the plane striking a bridge before crashing. Rescue operations are ongoing and first responders in rubber boats are currently trying to enter the aircraft.

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

Rewriting - Essay Example (2003, p.288) defines the term as â€Å"a collection of evidence, usually in written form, of both the products and processes of learning. It attests to achievement and personal and professional development by providing critical analysis of its contents.† Race (2007, p.58) has defined portfolio as â€Å"compilations of evidence of student’s achievements, including major pieces of their work, feedback comments from tutors, and reflective analyses by the students themselves.† These definitions clearly imply that a portfolio is nothing but an assessment tool, which is replete with several evidences of learning. That also includes critical reflection on their learning process. Moore (2009) argues that the teachers impart the information to the students and students usually listen to the talk passively. Mohanna et al. (2008) assert that currently, a new trend has set in where students are motivated to get involved, be independent and self-governing. According to Clouston (2005), onus of the learning lies on students while teachers provide an opportunity and congenial environment to facilitate learning. Crandall (1998) argues that a specific attribute of the portfolio lies in its providing an evidence of learning outcomes. A true learning is demonstrated not only by the collection of evidence in the portfolio but also how the students reflect on them. Girot (2000) stresses on the reflection part for the learning to take place and how the learning is applied in practice to reduce its gap with the theoretical aspects. Issues related to the use of portfolios in nursing education have been recorded. (Jasper,1995; Karlowicz, 2000; Harris et al. 2001). The first issue is about time factor as students consider the portfolio development a time consuming process and tend to delay its development. They prefer focusing on other course instead. Faculty too views portfolio development as a process that consumes considerable time.

HIPAA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

HIPAA - Research Paper Example In such a situation Congress realized the requirement of security and privacy standards for the healthcare industry in order to avoid any misuse or abuse of electronic technology (History of HIPAA, n.d). Hence HIPAA was introduced to promote health insurance coverage for both individuals and groups, ensure better security and privacy, promote the use of medical savings account, make long-term services more accessible, and to frame standards for better administration and safer use of electronic technology in the healthcare industry such as the implementation of the national provider identifier (Overview of HIPAA, 2008). The HIPAA was signed by President Clinton on July 21, 1996 in lieu of several security, privacy and abuse in the healthcare industry. HIPAA guaranteed health insurance to all Americans and ensured simplification of administrative process in healthcare in order to increase the effective delivery of healthcare to all people. Additionally the security and privacy of healt h information was also protected under the act (Security and Privacy, 2001). The use of electronic technology in healthcare had vastly expanded during the 1990s. ... These privacy and security rules apply to three groups of covered entities (CE): health care provider, health plan and healthcare clearinghouse. The healthcare provider group includes health care service providers and suppliers who use the electronic form for transactions and other health care information such as doctors, clinics, psychologists, dentists, chiropractors, nursing homes and pharmacies. The health plan group includes individuals or groups that provide and pay for health care plans such as health insurance companies, HMOs, company health plans, Medicare, Medicaid, military and other health programs offered by the government. The healthcare clearinghouses include both public and private entities that receive non-standard health information and convert them into a standard content or vice versa (Privacy and Security, n.d; Security and Privacy, 2001). The HIPAA standards will also indirectly apply to business associates or partners of a covered entity such as software provid ers and other third party vendors (Privacy and Security, n.d). The standards devised by the HIPAA for the transactions carried out in the electronic form need to the adhered to by the CEs (Security and Privacy, 2001). The HIPAA standards include transactions and code sets, privacy and security and national provider identifier. The entities that comply with the HIPAA standards are required to use the same health care transactions, code sets and identifiers. The HIPAA standards for electronic data interexchange (EDI) is applicable to claims and claim status, encounter information, payments and remittance, inquiries, referral certification and authorization, enrollment or disenrollment in a health care plan, premium payments,

Consumer behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Consumer behavior - Essay Example can be defined as â€Å"the broad concept that businesses are more than just profit-seeking entities and therefore also have an obligation to benefit society† (Werther & Chandler, 2006: 6-7). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumer attitudes about green and ethical marketing translating into their purchasing behaviour. Further, the impact of green and ethical consumerism on companies adopting corporate social responsibility measures, will be determined. During the 1980s, ethics started affecting purchasing habits due to increase in environmental awareness on the part of consumers, development of green products and the availability of green consumer guides (Doonar, 2005). The concept of green consumerism is related to environmental sustainability in which environmental quality and the conservation of nature’s assets are of prime importance. From the wise use of resources for the sake of future generations, the concept of sustainability evolved to include a focus on nature preservation for intragenerational distribution of nature’s bounty. Sustainability is a continuing process that needs careful planning and implementation to confront the problems facing â€Å"modern agriculture, natural resource management and land use† (Gunning & Holm, 2005: 129). Sustainability takes into account the human factors of production, manufacture and use along with environmental and ecological concerns such as global warming, acid rain, deforestation, ozone depletion and other occurrences (Strong, 1997). Consumers may opt for one product over another because of political, religious, social, spiritual, environmental or other motives, and may differ in opinion from one another. One common factor among ethical consumers is that they are concerned about the â€Å"effects that a purchasing choice has not only on themselves, but also on the external world around them† (Harrison et al, 2005: 2). Choosing organic foods because of a concern that pesticide use

Case study 5A Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case study 5A - Assignment Example ganization a person’s real name, the name of the organization one works for, contacts, such as office e-mail address, and optionally issues one works on. In other words, no personal information should be on the page since it does not matter. 2. Journalists are not machines, meaning that expression of emotions is expected while covering dramatic events. Concealing compassion or anger would be perceived as dishonesty. At the same time, emotions can be overused. This is not the case of Anderson Cooper. His reporting from disaster-torn regions is really quite emotional; however, his expression of emotions does not harm his objectivity. Therefore, it can be regarded as good journalism. 2. The privacy standards for people like Cooper are philosophically different from those for the people whose arrests are reporting on the Wed due to the fact that the latter cannot control the spread of personal information while Cooper has chosen to reveal the information by himself, which means he exercised control over the information at that very

Consider the functions of directors,company secretaries, auditors and Essay - 1

Consider the functions of directors,company secretaries, auditors and shareholders. In what ways do they contribute to the operation of both private and public limited companies - Essay Example Therefore the given essay analyses the role of all these four groups of actors (directors, company secretaries, auditors and shareholders) in order to demonstrate the importance of each of them in operation of both private and public companies. Firstly, directors are the key actors for the company’s performance on market. In general, they are important because they create the policy of the company (Osemeke, 2014). In the circumstances of either private or public limited company, this role changes only slightly. In fact, private company may have sole director, while public limited company needs two or more directors (Rosenfalck, 2013). In addition, Directors Board becomes the only significant representative, if there is no existing controlling stakeholder in the company (Davies, 2010). Frequently, this situation appears in private companies (Rosenfalck, 2013). Furthermore, the directors of the company are trained to act their instructions or directions. For example, when there is a serious loss in capital of public company, directors have to gather an extraordinary general meeting not later than 56 days from the day of half or less capital reduction (Rosenfalck, 2013). According to Osemeke, (2014), failures and bankr uptcies of the company are mostly to result an ineffective directors board. In this context, ineffective work of the board has been shown in a recent failures of big companies like Enron and HIH (Convill and Bagaric, 2004). Moreover, Davies (2010) said that directors should care and promote the company’s success and do independent actions. In fact, directors of public companies must be sure that they hire competent company secretary (Rosenfalck, 2013). Among the main flaws of directors that have a direct effect on the company’s performance, according to Osemeke (2014) â€Å"lack of training and induction

Life Now As a College Student and Life Before the College Essay

Life Now As a College Student and Life Before the College - Essay Example This essay discusses that many young people find that there is a huge disconnect between what is expected of college life and what it actually turns out to be. This dissonance may sometimes be traumatic. Loneliness, disappointment, and the absence of the usual familial support can make some people react in unpredictable ways. It could heighten homesickness; make you give into numerous temptations or prompt you to just dropout. â€Å"National statistics tell us that less than half of all college students finish their four-year college degrees. Slightly more than half of those who don't finish leave school before the start of their second year†. Colleges across the country are aware of this problem. And more and more colleges are focusing on helping students who are finding it difficult to make the change. Just as different people adjust to a situation differently, so too is the case in college. You will find some classmates making the change faster and adjusting better. This is no reason to feel frustrated. You are new to handling situations independently. Giving yourself more time helps. Consulting on-campus counselors also make a big difference. Life before college was a piece of cake. College, on the other hand, is a challenge in many ways. It brings new expectations, new sacrifices and a whole new load of adjustments. It is the final frontier before we set out to face the world. But the upside of this is that this is an opportunity to be an adult; to take charge of a totally new situation and eventually come out on top.

Case study 5A Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case study 5A - Assignment Example ganization a person’s real name, the name of the organization one works for, contacts, such as office e-mail address, and optionally issues one works on. In other words, no personal information should be on the page since it does not matter. 2. Journalists are not machines, meaning that expression of emotions is expected while covering dramatic events. Concealing compassion or anger would be perceived as dishonesty. At the same time, emotions can be overused. This is not the case of Anderson Cooper. His reporting from disaster-torn regions is really quite emotional; however, his expression of emotions does not harm his objectivity. Therefore, it can be regarded as good journalism. 2. The privacy standards for people like Cooper are philosophically different from those for the people whose arrests are reporting on the Wed due to the fact that the latter cannot control the spread of personal information while Cooper has chosen to reveal the information by himself, which means he exercised control over the information at that very

Life Now As a College Student and Life Before the College Essay

Life Now As a College Student and Life Before the College - Essay Example This essay discusses that many young people find that there is a huge disconnect between what is expected of college life and what it actually turns out to be. This dissonance may sometimes be traumatic. Loneliness, disappointment, and the absence of the usual familial support can make some people react in unpredictable ways. It could heighten homesickness; make you give into numerous temptations or prompt you to just dropout. â€Å"National statistics tell us that less than half of all college students finish their four-year college degrees. Slightly more than half of those who don't finish leave school before the start of their second year†. Colleges across the country are aware of this problem. And more and more colleges are focusing on helping students who are finding it difficult to make the change. Just as different people adjust to a situation differently, so too is the case in college. You will find some classmates making the change faster and adjusting better. This is no reason to feel frustrated. You are new to handling situations independently. Giving yourself more time helps. Consulting on-campus counselors also make a big difference. Life before college was a piece of cake. College, on the other hand, is a challenge in many ways. It brings new expectations, new sacrifices and a whole new load of adjustments. It is the final frontier before we set out to face the world. But the upside of this is that this is an opportunity to be an adult; to take charge of a totally new situation and eventually come out on top.

Intrinsic Motivation Essay Example for Free

Intrinsic Motivation Essay Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is learning development in which people acquire a new language – more commonly known as â€Å"second language† in addition to their native tongue. The second language is often referred as â€Å"target language† or â€Å"L2†. In addition, second language denotes any new language learned after early childhood years. This means subsequently languages learned – i. e. third or fourth language is still referred to as second language. A number of personal and environmental factors may affect the decision to learn a second language. Examples of such factors include family influences, social groups or peers, teachers, school, age, and self-concept. An individual may pursue a study on acquiring a second language skill for various reasons and motivations. In a study of UK and European students, it has been stated that the reasons a student pursues a study a foreign language are the following: 1) to be able to develop a career advantage for opportunities in the future; 2) a students personal inclination to learn the language; 3) to be able to learn and appreciate to cultural differences; 4) for an enhanced comprehension of the culture where the language is used; 5) and to be able to reside in nations where the language is used. The current teacher booklet aims to help the SLA teacher increase the intrinsic motivation of SLA learners by presenting sundry topics, including attitudes and motivation in second language learning; clarifying erroneous beliefs about language learning; what the SLA teacher ought to focus on: sources of language anxiety; the learning environment as source of language anxiety; variables of self-confidence; socio-psychological issues of language anxiety and self-confidence; instructor-learner interaction and classroom procedures; and interpretation of educator beliefs on language learning. Attitudes and Motivation in Second Language Learning In the book Attitudes and motivation in second language learning, Gardner and Lambert (1972) have identified Integrative Motivation and Instrumental Motivation as the common reason for a student’s desire to study a second language. In the context of language learning, a learner may pursue the study of English such as a second language because of one’s desire to work in abroad as well as for travel purposes. The learner’s practical rationale for acquiring a second language is referred to as instrumental motivation. On the other hand, a person may pursue the study of English language in order to successfully integrate within the community where one is currently living. The learner’s purpose can be referred to as integrative motivation. Following a learner’s utilitarian purpose, the clear benefit of acquiring English as second language is to have a competitive edge in the labor market. Such skills are very valuable as businesses are increasingly becoming global. In fact, professionals who are fluent bilingual speakers have the competitive edge compared to monolingual speakers. In addition, travel and migration of people has becoming a growing trend in recent years prompting a necessity to understand and integrate within the society which one lives in. Given that there a significant number of SLA learners, it is worthwhile to examine how the teacher may be able to increase the confidence and intrinsic motivation and lessen the anxiety of the SLA learner. Clarifying Erroneous Beliefs about Language Learning Horwitz, Horwitz Cope (1986) believe that the problem of anxiety and the accompanying erroneous beliefs about language learning, as discussed in their literature focusing on classroom anxiety, represent serious impediments to the development of second language fluency as well as to performance. In their discussion of clinical experience with anxiety as a barrier to second language development, they categorize this personality factor as that of apprehension, worry and even dread and anxious language learners often have difficulty concentrating, become forgetful, sweat, and have palpitations. Further, Chang, Horwitz, and Schallert (1999) report that there are generally two types or constructs of anxiety, which are related to second language learning in both speaking and writing. The report suggests that second language classroom anxiety refers to the anxiety felt by students in interacting with native-speaking students. It is the more general type of anxiety felt by most school students. On the other hand, second language writing anxiety refers to language-skill-specific anxiety felt by students. Chang, Horwitz, and Schallert (1999) suggest that these are two separate constructs and that anxiety levels in speaking or writing may be felt differently. Nevertheless, the report asserts that level of self-esteem is an important component for both constructs. In a research on English as Second Language, Huang (2004) reports that foreign students (i. e. Chinese) studying at North American universities have faired very well in TOEFL. While Chinese students have obtained very high marks, many still have difficulties in understanding academic lectures, taking notes, writing assignments and giving presentations. Further, this report would also illustrate that the two independent constructs reported by Chang, Horwitz, and Schallert (1999). Huang (2004) reports that the students in the study have proficiency in reading ability and grammar, and that listening and the speaking were the weakest. Moreover, the study also reports low level of confidence of foreign students in participation and interaction in classes due to this difficulty; thus, limiting their overall performance. Cummins (2000) supports that even though many have excellent English language skills in terms of social proficiency, many are still struggling with the type of cognitive academic language necessary for the success in the mainstream classroom. The Learner’s Willingness to Communicate Skehan (1989) further suggests that a learners willingness to communicate has also been related to anxiety. His research points toward some language learners attempting to avoid communicating in a second language due to fear of embarrassment over their current skill level in speaking the second language. Perhaps this is part of the reason why many second language learners, who study overseas, tend to remain connected to other foreign second language learners and avoid prolonged social contact with native-speaking peers. Though the reasoning behind each individuals level of willingness to communicate will likely vary based on the number of people present, the topic of conversation and the formality of the circumstances, avoiding discussion using the second language is a common anxiety among language learners. While many studies have shown the level of anxiety of second language learners increases because of erroneous personal beliefs of the students, most of studies assert that self-confidence is an important component in overcoming of both in classroom and writing anxieties. What the SLA Teacher Ought to Focus On: Sources of Language Anxiety Furthermore, Young (1991) provides a list of potential sources of language anxiety. In her review of the literature on language anxiety, Young asserts that language anxiety can have a variety of sources – that is, anxiety can be associated with the learner’s perceptions, teacher’s beliefs, as well as the instructional practice to second language learning. She argues that language can come from the following: a. personal and interpersonal anxieties, learner beliefs about language learning, instructor beliefs about language teaching, instructor-learner actions, and language testing. Personal perceptions and beliefs can have a great effect on the progress of language learning. These perceptions have been well-documented in the studies related to age and language learning. Hyltenstam (1992) asserts that age in relation to language learning is an important factor in achieving native-like fluency for second language learners. That is, younger students tend to learn the second language faster than their mature counterparts. On the other, self-perception of more mature learners tends to hinder in the development of second language skills, which can more appropriately termed as trait anxiety. For example, adults, who are pursuing study of a second language, may have a clear mission why they are pursuing such course and far more determination to persevere than their younger counterparts. However, a number of mature students, who enter a foreign language class, were victimized by various prejudices about second language learning. â€Å"I’m too old to learn† or â€Å"I’m linguistically challenged† are common erroneous beliefs that adult learners often succumb to. Ehrman et al (2003) suggest that the feelings of uneasiness, such as late start or a belief that one needs a special predisposition for learning learning, can be attributed to the barriers created by the student’s ego as one matures. Adult learners may perceive their performance in a foreign language classroom as unnatural or ridiculous in comparison to their experience in the first language acquisition process. Therefore, these factors often contribute to the apprehension and tension felt by adult learners in the context of second language learning, more specifically in the aspect of speaking, writing, and learning. In short, adult learners suffer language anxiety more as compared to their younger counterparts. Certainly, not all adult learners become paralyzed by negative emotions the moment they step into a foreign language classroom. However, it is a common perception of educators, who have lectured to a group of adults, that some non-native speaking students may be reluctant to participate, more especially when they realize or assume that other students are more fluent. Nonetheless, it is important to emphasize that this emotion is not alien to younger learners, but in the studies it have been well-documented that with age the tension and anxiety associated with learning a new language is stronger and more difficult to overcome. The Learning Environment as Source of Language Anxiety Furthermore, the learning environment can also be a source of language anxiety. MacIntyre and Gardner (1994) would denote this as situational anxiety. Hadfield (1992) has introduced the concept of classroom dynamics to describe everything that happens in and between the participants, both the teacher and the students. Heron further elaborates on the existential anxiety of students in a classroom setting. Moreover, Heron also lists three aspects of existential anxiety in relation to classroom dynamics: 1) acceptance anxiety, 2) orientation anxiety, and 3) performance anxiety. Acceptance anxiety would relate to apprehension of being judged in a foreign class. Often times, students as well as teachers may show approval and disapproval behaviors to others. Fellow students may show impatience or mock another as a sign of their approval or disapproval to their fellow students. This often manifest as a sign of competition for teacher’s approval among students in the classroom. Teachers may also exhibit judgmental attitude in their criticisms as well as their bodily movements to their students. The teachers may open criticize or mock a student in a class. A more subtle criticism can be observed when a teacher would correct an error of a student. Whether the teacher corrects the error explicitly, by providing the correction, or implicitly, by indicating the kind of error and giving the student the opportunity for self-correction, can make a difference in the student’s self-confidence. Orientation anxiety would relate to the personal understanding of the situational contexts of the discussion or what is going on. Teacher’s role in facilitating learning is undermined by the failure to manage classroom discourse. This leads for students to at times feel of being deprived of control. In a discussion, when turn stealing overrules turn taking, such feelings can occur. The student may feel the lack of control over his role in classroom interaction when he is late to answer a general question or the question is directed to another person. More often, students would find the teacher’s unclear or unsatisfactory explanation as frustrating and leaving a feeling of no control over the language as a system. Finally, the anxiety is further instilled with domineering and controlling teachers, who leaves students feeling they have no influence over what is going on in the classroom. Lastly, performance anxiety would relate to the apprehension or feeling of isolation in a class. The feeling of isolation may also express itself as a feeling of disregarded. The feeling of being alone among one’s peers is not uncommon in highly territorial classrooms in which students never want to change their seats or switch conversation partners. Moreover, this would relate to student’s anxiety to talk using the target language with fellow students in fear of being appearing stupid and judge as well. Hence, research reports would suggest that foreign students will tend to group with fellow non-native speakers and exhibit behavioral avoidance when studying in the mainstream English classes. Variables of Self-Confidence Self-confidence is a positive image yet realistic view of one-self and the situation. A confident person is someone who trust his own abilities, have a general sense of control in their lives, and believe that, within reason, they will be able to do what they wish, plan, and expect. According to Skehan (1989), available research does not show a single clearly-defined relationship between personality traits (such as self-confidence) and second language. He further points out that a major difficulty in investigating personality variables is that of identification and measurement, pointing toward a relatively new area of potential research needing attention. However, existing literature suggests that language anxiety can be correlated with students’ negative concepts of themselves as language learners, and negative expectations for language learning. With this in consideration, self-confidence levels can be viewed not only as a personality trait with complex factors affecting high or low confidence, but also as an outcome of high anxiety levels. This assumption is of considerable interest as anxiety tends to create negative self-perceptions about language performance and can then be tied directly to an increase in negative attitudes towards second language learning and a decrease in risk-taking and sociability. In different respect, overly high levels of confidence in language learning can have similar negative effects on language learning, hindering advancement in language proficiency as over-confidence, due to self-perceptions of high degrees of performance in oral/written communication or in positive socialization, can lead a language learner to believe that he or she has learned all there is to know about a language and lose sight of mastering higher complex linguistic skill in the SL. For example, an individual who sees that his or her skill level in the second language is superior to other SL learners who struggle with the SL, he or she might make substantial mistakes in grammar or comprehension, but remain completely unaware of their errors and thus not improve in the acquisition of the second language. Horwitz (1986) brings up an interesting concept regarding self-confidence by citing that language learning is a profoundly unsettling psychological proposition because it directly threatens an individuals self-concept and worldview. A bold statement, but it does indicate that language learning, as a whole, can be a major contributor to variable self-confidence levels based on how each individual interprets their learning in terms of culture, grammar, or any other related language learning aspect. Variable self-confidence levels in second language learners are profoundly impacted by a complex set of individualised variables that it would be difficult to label each and every possible contributor to self-confidence levels. Simply recognising self-confidence levels in SL learners as a result of language learning and of anxiety opens a variety of potential research methods to begin measuring cause and effect of variable self-confidence. Instructor-Learner Interaction and Classroom Procedures Young (1991) asserts that a learner’s beliefs about language learning can contribute to the psychological anxiety in students. Skills such as proper pronunciation, depth of vocabulary, and fluency may vary in importance for learners in relation to second language learning. Similarly, Horwitz also studied the effect of various learners’ perceptions to language learning. In fact, Horwitz reports that a number of foreign language students in his study may have unachievable personal goals and misconceptions about language learning. For example, a few respondents expressed their optimism in achieving native-like fluency in the second language in two years of study, while others expressed their belief that language learning is tantamount to learning how to translate. Clearly, these idealistic beliefs contribute to language anxiety, more evidently when their beliefs and reality clash. A very good example would be the overly optimistic goal of beginners to achieve native-like fluency in the target language in two years. Over time, the students would naturally tend to get frustrated to find the reality of their imperfect pronunciation even after a lot of practice. On the other hand, an instructor’s beliefs about language teaching can also be a source of anxiety among second language learners. The manifestations of instructor’s belief can more clearly be seen in the methodology or approach in which an instructor conducts the second language class. For example, most instructors, who employ the Grammar Translation Method to teach English, will undoubtedly argue that the most fundamental reason for learning the language is to give learners access to English literature, develop their minds through second language learning, and to build in students the kinds of grammar, reading, vocabulary, and translation skills requisite to pass any one of the variety of compulsory tests necessitated in educational institutions. These instructors often emphasize on the strict rules of grammar syntax and proper form in sentence construction. While the teacher believes that his role in class is to constantly test and correct student’s errors, some of the students might develop anxiety over their class performance. On the other hand, some instructors may choose to employ a different methodology in language teaching. Some instructors may choose to use Total Physical Response method for learners to enjoy the sessions and create a less stressful environment for the students. Practitioners argue that recreating the natural process for children first learning their native language will facilitate the learning of the second language in the same way. More importantly, it asserts that language learning method involves a substantial amount of listening and comprehension with a mixture of various physical response such as smiling, reaching, and grabbing. Thus, the aim was to lower the affective filter in order to accelerate language learning among students. Taking into account the beliefs of both learners and instructors as well as the sources of language anxieties felt by students in a classroom setting, it is also important to look into the dynamics of the learning environment. Hadfield (1992) has identified seven traits of a good classroom dynamics as shown in Table 1. Table 1: Traits of Good Classroom Dynamics 1. Student groups are cohesive and have a positive, supportive atmosphere. Group members are interested in each other and feel they have something in common. 2. The members of the group are able to compromise. They have a sense of direction as a group and are able to define their goals in group as well as individual terms. 3. Group members are not cliquey or territorial but interact happily with all members of the group. Members of the group listen to each other and take turns. 4. Individuals in the group are not competitive and do not seek individual attention at the expense of others. Members cooperate in completing tasks and are able to work together productively. 5. Group members are able to empathize with each other and understand each other’s points of view even if they do not share them. The members of the group trust each other. 6. The group has a sense of fun. 7. Group members have a positive attitude to themselves as learners, to the language and culture being studied, and to the learning experience. Interpretation of Educator Beliefs on Language Learning Many paradigms and principles in mentioned in existing literature in teacher cognition are generally by nature unobservable and researchers have defined such principles differently. Freeman defines the categories in teacher education as â€Å"knowledge, beliefs and perceptions that shape what the teachers know, and therefore what they do in their teaching. † The keywords in Freeman’s categorization would be knowledge, beliefs and perceptions. These keywords would therefore define the scope of the teacher’s competency in relation to language teaching. Ellis (2006) would further refine the three words to discuss the teacher’s biographical experience and how it contributes to their professional knowledge. Ellis (2006) proposes â€Å"knowledge, beliefs, and insights† as refinement of the Freeman’s categorization. Knowledge (cited after Woods by Ellis) would be related to facts and the â€Å"things we know†. Beliefs refers to the instructor’s â€Å"acceptance of a proposition †¦ for which there is an accepted disagreement. † Ellis further elaborates on this irony as â€Å"ESL students need explicit focus on grammar as well as communicative practice. † Lastly, insight would relate to the instructor’s â€Å"personal practical knowledge: knowledge which is experiential, embodied, and reconstructed out of the narratives of a teacher’s life†. Ellis (2006) further elaborates insight as â€Å"an understanding gained from personal experience that allows us to see how previously understood realities could be different. It illuminates something previously unseen, makes sense of something previously incomprehensible, or lends a new perspective on something taken for granted. † Conclusion Different language experiences will result to rich and diverse insights, which can be very useful to second language teachers. However, there is yet to be a methodical study of a knowledge database of the learning experiences of English second language teachers. Formal education would require and ensure teachers are equip with the knowledge about phonology, grammar syntax, bilingualism, and motivation and methodology, etc. In addition, beliefs about the theories within language learning are also formed in the process as teachers develop a technique or approach in second language teaching. More importantly, teachers gain insights from the personal experiences, particularly in teaching second language. These insights are gained from reflection and recognition the complex, interwoven, rich, and diverse nature of what teachers â€Å"know†. The contents of this teacher booklet all aim to give the SLA teacher some insight into the areas in which he exerts significant impact. If taken to heart, he will indeed be able to make a dent in language learning by lessening the anxiety of his students and increasing their self-confidence. References Chang, Y. S. , Horwitz, E. K. and Schallert, D. L. (1999). Language Anxiety: Differentiating Writing and Speaking Components. Language Learning, 49 (3), 417-446. Cummins, J. (2000). Immersion education for the millennium: What we have learned from 30 years of research on second language immersion. Retrieved on October 23, 2007 from www. iteachilearn. com/cummins/immersion2000. html Ehrman, M. E. , Leaver, B. L. Oxford, R. L. (2003). A brief overview of individual differences in second language learning. System, 31 (3), 313-330. Ellis, E. M. (2006). Language learning experience as a contributor to ESOL teacher cognition. Teaching English as Second Language or Foreign Language, 10 (1). Gardner, R. C. Lambert, W. E. (1972). Attitudes and motivation in second language learning. Rowley, Mass: Newbury House. Hadfield, J. (1992). Classroom dynamics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Horwitz, E. K. (1986). Student effective reactions and the teaching and learning of foreign languages. College of Education: The University of Texas at Austin, Texas. Horwitz, E. K. , Horwitz, M. B. Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70 (2). Huang, J. (2004). Voices from Chinese students: Professor’s use of English affects academic listening. College Student Journal, 38(2), 212-223. Hyltenstam, K. (1992). Non-native features of near-native speakers: on the ultimate attainment of childhood L2 learners. In R. J. Harris (ed. ) Cognitive processing in bilinguals, 351 367. Amsterdam: North-Holland. MacIntyre, P. D. Gardner, D. (1994). How does anxiety affect second language learning? A reply to Sparks and Ganschow. The Modern Language Journal, 79 (1). Skehan, P. (1989). Individual differences in second-language learning. London: Edward Arnold Young, D. J. (1991). Creating a low-anxiety classroom environment: What does language anxiety research suggest? The Modern Language Journal, 75 (4).

Legal Defenses in Criminal Law

Legal Defenses in Criminal Law In criminal law, offenses are clearly defined. Some require a proof of the criminal act and others require proof of intent to commit the crime. Under the law; individuals may have performed illegal acts but still not be found guilty of a criminal violation because of a legally recognized justification for the actions or because legally they were not responsible for their actions (Neubauer Fradella, 2010, p. 48-49). Legal defenses in criminal law come from the way crime is defined. There are numerous defenses that are seen in criminal cases. Self-defense is the most commonly seen legal defense. Others include duress or compulsion, infancy or immaturity, mental impairment or insanity, and necessity. To be held responsible for a crime, a person must understand the nature and consequences of his or her unlawful actions. Under certain circumstances, a person who commits a crime lacks the legal capacity to be held responsible for the act. Defenses based on justifications rely on a claim t hat the accused party did take certain action now being labeled criminal but had no other choice in order to minimize their own losses or those of someone else. A justification defense deems conduct that is otherwise criminal to be socially acceptable and non-punishable under the specific circumstances of the case. Justification focuses on the nature of the conduct under the circumstances. Excuse defenses focus on the defendants moral culpability. An excuse defense recognizes that the defendant has caused some social harm but should not be blamed or punished for such harm. Justification and excuse defenses apply to all crimes. Some defenses, however, pertain to just one or a few crimes. For example, legal impossibility is a common law defense to the crime of attempt. Justification, excuse, and offense-modification defenses all relate to the defendants culpability or to the wrongfulness of conduct. There is a difference between justification defense and an excusable defense. Self-def ense and necessity are justifiable reasons and duress and insanity are excusable reasons. Self-Defense The general rule is that a person is privileged to use force as reasonably appears necessary to defend himself or herself against an apparent threat of unlawful and immediate violence from another (Pollock, 2009, p. 90). The general rule is that a person is privileged to use force when a person reasonably believes that it is necessary to defend oneself or another against the immediate threat of danger or use of unlawful force. However, a person must use no more force than appears reasonably necessary in the circumstances. Force likely to cause death or great bodily harm is justified in self-defense only if a person reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm. In thinking about a self-defense case, attorneys need to consider police use-of-force training and standards. Attorneys will need to know a moderate amount of technical information about firearms, gunshot wounds, knife wounds, blood splatter evidence and crime scene reconstruction in or der to review and challenge the prosecutors experts (Steele, 2003, p. 659). Attorneys investigate eyewitness memory and how the client, the deceased and any innocent bystanders were affected by the stress of the incident. If the act was committed in self-defense, then the crime is not punishable. The right to protect oneself, family, and home is recognized by the common law. Model Penal Code shows that use of force is justifiable when it is used to protect and prevent against harm. To prove self-defense, one must show proof that there was a reasonableness of fear of physical harm to oneself or another and reason to perceive an imminent danger. The amount of force used must be reasonable and related to the threat and he or she who is claiming self defense cannot be the cause of the incident. Duress In criminal law, duress is a defense to a crime if the defendant was pressured or compelled to commit the crime by another. If there was a threat of serious imminent harm to the defendant or others and no reasonable escape available, then duress or compulsion can be claimed if the crime is of a lesser magnitude than the harm threatened. The common law recognized duress as a defense for crimes but not murder. Nowadays, Under the Model Code, the defense of duress is not established simply by the fact that the defendant was coerced; he must have been coerced in circumstances under which a person of reasonable firmness in his situation would likewise have been unable to resist (Pollack, 2009, p. 83). Compulsion refers to the forcible persuasion to an act. It also means the act of forceful and uncontrollable impulse to do something in the state of being persuaded. Duress or compulsion can take many forms other then physical force. It can be threats used under the heads of obedience to ord ers, martial pressure, and necessity. Duress excuses criminal behavior where the defendant shows that the acts were the product of threats inducing a reasonable fear of immediate death or serious bodily injury (Pollack, 2009, p. 83). Committing a crime because of fear of immediate danger allows state laws to excuse the criminal conduct. Duress excuses criminal culpability only if the defendant is in imminent fear of bodily harm by another with no escape and the crime cannot be any serious personal violent crime, such as homicide. To be cleared by reason of duress, the defendant must not have also been reckless in putting themselves in harms way. Although not universally recognized, woman will use the defense of battered woman syndrome. This is to say that that assailant, typically female, becomes helpless because of constant abuse and is forced to commit crime because they fear there is no escape. Infancy Infancy and immaturity is a legal defense and has been seen in criminal cases. Infancy means the state or period of being a minor and is a lack of legal capacity to be held responsible for a crime due to the age of the perpetrator. Infancy, in this case, means only that the child does not have the capacity to determine right and wrong, the age of infancy is set by case law or statute (Pollack, 2009, p. 70). The legal defense of infancy is a form of defense known as an excuse so that defendants falling within the definition of an infant are excluded from criminal liability for their actions, if at the time they have not reached an age of criminal responsibility. According to the common law, a child under the age of seven is clearly not responsible for their actions even if the child confessed to the act. A child between the ages of seven and fourteen is still considered infant and is not responsible but some cases can be overturned. The Model Penal Code establishes that any individual under the age of sixteen is to be tried in juvenile court but any individual older than sixteen but younger than eighteen at the time of the incident can be tried in adult criminal court if the juvenile courts wave jurisdiction. The exact age at which a person is no longer considered a juvenile, and can this be prosecuted as an adult, differs from state to state (Neubauer Fradella, 2010, p. 49). Most of the state courts that have addressed the issue have declared that the infancy defense is inapplicable to juvenile court prosecutions because it was intended to guard children from the harshness of the adult penal system and therefore has no relevance to a rehabilitation-oriented juvenile court system. In the criminal law, each state will consider the nature of its own society and the available evidence of the age at which antisocial behavior begins to manifest itself. Juvenile delinquency is a form of immaturity and a childs criminal violations. Common crimes include theft, burglar y, sale or possession of drugs, and criminal damage and vandalism to property. Insanity Insanity is a legal defense where a defendant claims to have been under mental impairment during the time of the crime. It is a legal term and refers to any mental illness that meets the legal threshold for incapacity. Defendants claiming insanity plead that they are not to be held responsible for their actions. In common law, courts held that if the defendant had no understanding or memory to know what he was doing was wrong, he was like an infant or world beast and, therefore, not culpable (Pollack, 2009, p. 73). Daniel MNaghten was a woodworker who believed he was the target of a conspiracy involving the pope and British Prime Minister Robert Peel. In 1843, MNaghten traveled to 10 Downing Street to ambush Peel, but mistakenly shot and killed Peels secretary. During the ensuing trial, several psychiatrists testified MNaghten was delusional. A jury agreed, declaring him not guilty by reason of insanity. This was the first case seen with the defense of insanity. To determine pure ins anity of a defendant, certain rules are followed such as MNaghtens Rules and a right and wrong test is administered because insanity is an affirmative defense. To establish criminal incapacity under this test, a defendant must introduce at least some evidence to show that, as a result of his mental condition, he did not know the nature and quality of his act or did not know that the act was wrong (Pollack, 2009, p. 75). The defendant must show burden of proof and competency to stand trial. In some cases, when the defendant is not declared legally insane, diminished capacity defenses are used such as premenstrual syndrome, post partum depression syndrome, intoxication, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and battered woman syndrome. Necessity Similar to duress, necessity is a defense used when the pressure that makes the defendant commit the crime comes from an outside source. In this case, the factors that affect the defendant come from the physical forces of nature instead of another human being. Necessity is sometimes referred to as the Choice of Evils. The evil sought to be avoided must be greater than that sought to be prevented by the law defining the offense (Pollack, 2009, p. 87). Necessity excuses criminal conduct when it is done only to avoid an even greater harm. If one believes that they or another is about to suffer significant bodily harm and there is no other reasonable legal alternative to engaging in the criminal conduct, then one may claim this legal defense and not be held responsible. For example, if you are being chased and enter a random home without permission to seek shelter and contact the police, then it is excusable and you will not be charged with trespassing although you did not have permissio n. But here, your actions would probably be excused as being done out of necessity. Necessity is another legal defense that must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence. An example is the possession of marijuana as a medical necessity. The defense of necessity excuses criminal actions taken in response to exigent circumstances, and is based on the premise that illegal action should not be punished if it was undertaken to prevent a greater harm. The test for necessity requires that the defendant faced with a choice of evils choose the lesser evil; it does not require that the evil perceived must be illegal under the law. (Graybiel, 1994). Conclusion Justifications and excuses represent exceptions to those generally applicable prohibitory norms, precluding conviction and punishment in certain defined circumstances even where an actor has engaged in prohibited conduct or caused a prohibited result. A justification centers on the external, objective circumstances that surround an otherwise criminal act and seeks to determine whether, on balance, the act has benefited (or at least not harmed) society. In contrast, an excuse generally focuses upon an actors individual characteristics and subjective mental state and aims to determine whether he can justly be held accountable.

Mac vs IBM :: essays papers

Mac vs IBM Technology has led the world into the 21st century. Competition between two main computer systems, creates controversy over which system is superior. IBM compatables have captured the largest market share, but Apple Macintoshes hold a special place in capabilities. Computer buyers need to keep in mind different capabilities and their own unique requirements when deciding which way to go. Although both provide state of the art computer systems, IBM compatibles and Apple Macintoshes attract their own distinct clients because of their unique operating systems and stand alone buying powers. Adequate performance and mediocre ease of use, bundled in an extremely low cost package, have allowed IBM compatible computers to lead the computer industry in personal computers. To begin with, the average computer generation is about six months, and with every generation IBMs increase their computers^ capacities to appeal more and more to the ^average Joe.^ Memory, normally measured in gigabits, is constantly increasing though most people cannot use as much as is available. One year ago 166 mhz was considered fast. Now 350 mhz is what is being advertised. With the ability to hold more information, graphics have also improved. Megahertz, one type of speed of computers, is increasing at a blinding rate soon surpassing the speed at which a user can operate his computer. In fact, the biggest drawback to IBM compatibles is their complexity. IBMs allow access to useless information that clutters the hard drive while confusing the user. On an IBM, all programs, including Wi! ndows, are DOS based which means one will, at some time, have to use the convoluted system that requires typing rather than point and click. Another problem is that viruses are very common on IBMs especially if connected to the internet. If a computer is contaminated with a virus, even further frustration, time and money may be lost. However, a good element of IBMs is their purchasing abilities. For IBMs there are millions of programs, including games, business tools, and other various varieties. Also, IBM compatibles themselves are relatively inexpensive, and this drives their popularity. A decent, fully equipped machine can be bought for as low as $700. While IBMs appeal to the general public with lower prices, Apple Macintosh has proven to be a better overall product. Unlike IBM marketing claims, which have mislead potential buyers about the superiority of their product by emphasizing their few strengths despite the value; modern Macs can easily outperform commercial IBM computers. Like IBMs the memory on a Mac often exceeds the user requirements. Today^s top of the

The Nature Of Mankind :: essays research papers

Society is based upon a set of rules created for all men and woman. It represents that all people of all race, religion, and ethnicity should be treated equal. The unfortuante part about society is that not all people do accept the fact that everybody is the same. You wouldn't think that this has been going on for a very long time, but really, it has. It started in the past, it still occured in the century I know best, the twentith century, and it is still occuring to this very present day. The nature of mankind is corrupt, it always has been and it always will be. I believe that this is what will happen because based on the evidence I have read, heard, and watched on television, the nature of mankind is bad.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mankind led a hard life, men and women worked long, hard hours out in the fields, just so that they would be able to survive. People knew one way of doing things, and the thought of a different and easier way to do things was out of the question. So when it came to the discoveries of certain things, people were outraged. This goes back to the early 1600's when Galileo Galilei was inventing and discovering. He came up with an invention, the telescope, to see into the outer limits of the earth. He spent endless nights, and came up with the conclusion that the moon was actually made up of craters, mountains, and jagged surfaces. He announced to the public his discovery, and many people, including scientists, were outragged. Galileo was put on trial for wrongful thinking. People did not accept the fact that people were getting smarter, and the world was changing before their very eyes. Mankind is unreasonable, right before them ideas were being brought forward, and all they did was push them back down into the dirt. Pretty evil, the world was going to change anyway, it was not going to stay the same. It goes to show what mankind is also like. For example, if all of society is supposed to be equal, then why are nobles and the clergy only allowed to have important jobs, and the peasants forced to dig in the dirt for back breaking hours. Kings and or Queens controlled what people were to be doing, if they had to pay taxes and who they had to pay.

Keywords on the Victorian Age

Sigmund Freud -? psychology->Human mind/motivation Religion: Empire: Technology: steam engines, trans Atlantic Telegraph line, big ships, railways, stamps, street lights. Mostly mobility and communication. City: Upper-class (etiquette) Middleman's (servants) lower class (survival) Nature: Art: Man: Matthew Arnold In Harmony with Nature: Stanza 1: â€Å"In harmony with Nature† Restless fool† -? The tone is set, he Is ridiculing the romantics, who see nature as something beautiful and good.The rest of stanza 1 the narrator is saying that it is impossible to be in harmony with nature. To imagine that we, humans can be â€Å"like nature strong, like nature cool†. Stanza 2: â€Å"Know, man hath all which Nature hath, but more. † – the human race has the same attributes as nature (cruelty and stubbornness) but humans are also able to feel pity and remorse, which Is both good and bad. â€Å"Man Is sick of blood† Stanza 3: â€Å"Nature is fickle, man hath need of rest;† Here is another contrast between nature and man. Man needs to be able to rest, but as long as nature is unpredictable, which It is and always will, man will not be able to rest. Nature forgives no debt, and fears no grave† Again the narrator points out that man and nature are incompatible. Man does, in most cases, fear the grave and man are able to forgive debts. That is what makes us human however it also makes us weak. A weakness, which isn't, in any way, present In nature. It links up very well with the next line that says, â€Å"Man would be mild, and with safe conscience blest† It's not that nature is evil; it just doesn't hold the attributes which makes humans human. Nature has no conscience and it's not mild, tauter does not forgive because it does not Judge, nature is cruel because it shows no mercy.The three last lines of stanza 3 sums up the message of the poem. â€Å"Man must begin, know this, where Nature ends; Nature and man can never be fast friends† – Nature has granted us with a frame for our lives it's our Job as humans to build up our homes and grow our fields in order to survive. Nature is a heartless foundation on which we must build our existence. â€Å"Fool, If thou cants pass her, rest her slave! † the final line of the poem says that If you arena strong enough to control ND use nature for your own good you will remain a slave to nature. OFF I en poem Is auto taking control over nature Ana not living along sloe It I en poem claims that it's not possible to live in harmony with nature because nature wont show you mercy if you're in need. You have to provide for yourselves. The poem is a tribute to the industrialists society where man has managed to enslave nature. This view on nature is very much the opposite of how the romantics felt about nature. In romantic literature nature was praised as the place where inspiration and life sprang from.

Significance of Social Status in the Great Gatsby

Significance of Social Status in The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby may appear to be a simple tragic romance; however, within the text, Fitzgerald identifies and defines social gaps and importance of wealth. He also presents women within a very separate space as the men. The Great Gatsby allows the reader to enter into the world of wealth and experience the joys and tragedies of being within this certain class.In the novel, Fitzgerald criticizes American society in the 1920's for its emphasis on money, superficial relationships, and obsession over class; as well as allowing the reader to interpret the position of gender inside the class. Society has, indeed, a great part to play in shaping the identities of individuals. â€Å"Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,' he [my father] told me, â€Å"just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had† (1).This quote was probably the backbone of the narrator's a ctions and character. Throughout the novel, the characters that he came into contact with were immediately associated with their money and their association with their given level of wealth. Jay Gatsby is the center character in Fitzgerald's novel. Gatsby tells Nick that from his childhood in the Midwest and his youth, he got to know Cody from whom he learned how to struggle through life and get money.He is totally self-taught and tells Nick that he had been in the drug business and later in the oil business. Throughout the novel there is an overall absence of the lower class; however, ironically, the only character that lower wealth was associated with was Gatsby. He was the most prestigious when compared to all of the other characters, yet was the only to have the absence of money in his past. With this, Fitzgerald proves that the current existence of money justifies the acceptance of character, reiterating the idea of social levels of money.