Childrens’ Functional Health Assessment Essay

Short Answer Questions Address the following based on the above assessment findings. Expected answers will be 1-2 paragraphs in length. Cite and reference outside sources used. 1) Compare and contrast identified similarities as well as differences in expected assessment across the childhood age groups. As a child moves from being a toddler through preschool to school-aged, they are faced with many challenges to overcome. Development growth, which is subject to the child’s environment and sphere of influential people and pressures in their lives, is directly shaped and guided by their family’s culture, religion and value/belief system. The differences are seen in how each developmental phase interacts and responds within each health assessment pattern. The toddler and preschool child need more structure and routine, whether it’s brushing their teeth, eating or bedtime rituals. School-aged children take the values and learned behaviors of being a toddler and build upon them as they move toward building their own self-concept and sense of identity. There are similarities as the children strive for autonomy and the ability to express themselves verbally. As the child continues to learn, they will develop an understanding of good behaviors and bad behaviors. Play continues to be the primary activity for preschoolers as well as for toddlers. Preschoolers venture farther from home than toddlers do and many of their activities involve other children and involve modeling behavior. Pre-schoolers prolong bedtime routines more often than the toddler. They respond more maturely to stress than do toddlers. The preschooler has a longer and more rigid bedtime ritual than the toddler. School-age children, unlike toddlers and preschoolers experience few difficulties with going to bed (Edelman & Mandle, 2010). 2) Summarize how a nurse would handle physical assessments, examinations, education, and communication differently with children versus adults. Consider spirituality and cultural differences in your answer. According to Javis (2012), children should be treated as equal partners in the health care triad. Nurses should include the child in the introductory stage of the interview. When dealing the toddler and preschooler, the nurse should interact with the caregiver first, giving the child the opportunity to see the nurse’s interaction with their caregiver. This allows the child to see that the caregiver has accepted and trusts the nurse. For the toddler and the preschooler, the parent will be providing most, if not all of the health history. With the pre-school-age population, they may be the sole source of important data to the history (Jarvis, 2012). Strategies that the nurse might incorporate include awareness of the various developmental stages that children go through. When performing a physical assessment, toddlers and preschoolers should sit on their parents laps while school-age should sit on a Big boys or Big girls examining bed; nurse should be at an eye level maintain privacy, and should use for praise cooperation. When talking to the child and explaining concepts the nurse should use simple language that the child can understand. The nurse should allow the child to hold instruments, like a stethoscope, during the physical exam to help them feel like they are involved in their own care. Sharing reading materials or media to look at can help divert their attention away from the nurse (Jarvis, 2012). References Edelman, L. & Mandle, L. (2010). Health Promotion Throughout the Life Span (7th ed). Retrieved from https://pageburstls.elsevier.com. Physical Examination & Health Assessment 6thed. St. Louis, MI: Mosby. Retrieved from https://pageburstls.elsevier.com

Biome Shifting

Global warming is a mostly natural process that has been going on for as long as Earth has existed. Global warming has many effects on the Earth such as rise in sea level, overall increased rise in the temperature of Earth, and even bizarre weather. However, the topic I will discuss today is how global warming causes climate changes and how this climate change affects our environment and our economic systems.Climate change occurs worldwide due to the growth of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere which then traps more heat coming from the sun than it would without these gases. This makes the Earth milder which then causes change in climates over the globe to change their patterns. Bimbo shifting is one main consequence of climate change and global warming. This has a broad economic impact as it alters our infrastructure and sources of goods.However, it also poses large amounts of environmental threat as there is becoming less biodiversity and habitats are shifting. This bimbo shifting affects our infrastructure in that many of the buildings we eave built up to today haven't been built to endure such a wide range of temperatures and as these bizarre temperatures continue to shift back and forth our infrastructure is deteriorating much faster than it would in stable weather. Considering this, the maintenance of these building will require much more funding as it will have to be done more often.This could cause economic problems as it could increase the need for higher taxes to do required maintenance on governmental buildings and public schools which reduces the amount of money being able to be circulating through everyday businesses. Bimbo shifting also affects the sources of many of our goods. On Canada's west coast there is a species of salmon that is increasingly economically valuable. However, this species is beginning to have reduced survival rates causing decreased population density and a decrease in the amount of fish being able to be sold as goods.This hi ts the economy as the fish were needed to provide food or work for many people in Canada. The climate change also affects some of the forests worldwide. In Alaska, a spruce beetle population has been able to grow dramatically over 20 years due to warmer weather. This then caused over 4 million acres of spruce trees in Alaska to be destroyed by the increased population of beetles. This shows how the climate change can destroy what could be used a resources in the future.With bimbo shifting causing increased temperatures in places that normally would be cooler, some species are having to slowly shift where they find their habitats. For example the long-spines sea urchin was previously only found as far south as southern New South Wales in Australia, but now, due to increasingly warm waters and changes in currents, these sea urchins have moved farther south. They have decimated kelp forests in this region causing the ecosystem to slowly deteriorate as it becomes more and more unbalance d.Climate change is expected to threaten one quarter or more of all species on land by 2050 passing even habitat loss as the biggest threat to life on land. Bimbo shifting is a huge problem for many species as they have evolved to live within certain areas under certain conditions and as these conditions change quickly, some species are unable to adapt quickly enough to survive. When one species food source can no longer survive, that species then is heartened as it must find another food source or it will not survive either.This then causes less biodiversity as species become threatened and eventually extinct. To address this worldwide problem of bimbo shifting, scientists are trying to decrease the amount of greenhouse gases that enter our ecosystem. They are collecting emissions data and trying to get the government to impose new laws and limits considering consumption of fossil fuels. Scientists are working with engineers to create new engines for cars that reduce the amount of fossil fuels required to power them or even eliminate the need for fossil fuels altogether.Solar panels and wind turbines are also being designed to harness energy from renewable sources instead of burning fossil fuels. The U. S. Has also steered away from using coal and has begun using natural gas to power the nation. This switch has significantly reduced carbon emissions over the past decade. Though many people probably think that the effects of global warming only go as far as environmental changes, there is really a ripple effect created by these changes that branches out and causes more and more problems. Global warming is directly related to environmental, social, political, and even more aspects of the world.All of the consequences prove how we, as people who rely on the Earth to survive, need to take better care of our home.

How did the world media present Japan's recent tragediesWhat lessons Essay

How did the world media present Japan's recent tragediesWhat lessons has Fukushima taught us about the Nuclear Age - Essay Example In the context of the nuclear reactor blast at Fukushima, the media certainly had two options at its disposal. Either they could have used this disaster to enhance the public awareness regarding radiation and the hazards of Nuclear energy, or they could have cashed on this opportunity to augment their viewership and readers. As these two objectives were contrary to each other, so sadly speaking, a big chunk of the media coverage was predominantly and in case of some channels, was exclusively dedicated to shooting up the existing viewership. This was more than true in case of the Asian media companies. Many a times the media tried to hype every big and small incident related to radiation leakage. Some of them even went ahead to compare the magnitude of Fukushima blast with the Chernobyl disaster in a sensational and gripping tone. This was certainly a sorry trend on the part of media, when in this age of connectivity; it had access to all the relevant facts. Luckily speaking, some med ia houses do succeeded in using the Fukushima disaster to educate the masses about the hazards of nuclear energy and to nudge the competent stakeholders to do something to avoid such tragedies in the future. Not to say, NHK, that happens to be Japan’s national broadcaster, was conclusively a voice of poise and calm amidst this catastrophe. The other thing was that this line of approach on the part of the world media died down after a few days when it realized that the alarming and sensational coverage of this human catastrophe could not be sustained for long. It was only then that the media started to focus on the plight of the people who suffered from Tsunami and Fukushima blast. Fukushima blast is a disaster that would not only find a place in the annals of history, but is also a phenomenon that left many lessons for the contemporary generations. The first and foremost lesson of this tragedy is that the modern economies running on electricity do need a reliable backup arran gement (Inskeep: Online). One impact of the Fukushima was that it immediately led to a power shut in the customer businesses, localities and concerns. Not only this, in the absence of the power supply, the rescue workers were not able to do their work at an optimal level. The businesses and factories came down on their knees and the failure to restore power simply did not allow them to rescue and restart their operations in time. This not only jeopardized the Japanese economy, but also gravely affected the economy of the nations doing business with Japanese companies. So, in the future, the concerned experts should take care that there always exists a reliable backup to meet the situations posed by such disasters. The Fukushima disaster also forces the people and experts to rethink the viability and relevance of the national dependence on nuclear power (Boyle 12)). Though nuclear energy is a cost effective sources of power, it also do poses severe threats if the nuclear reactors are not prepared with a disaster plan for such eventualities (Inskeep: Online). The most important thing in a nuclear accident is the way the management responds to that accident. It was to a great extent a timely response by the Fukushima management that the situation was not allowed to uncontrollably escalate and deteriorate as it happened at Chernobyl. Still, the international community needs to give more teeth to the watchdogs like International Atomic Energy

John Stuart Mill's principle of liberty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

John Stuart Mill's principle of liberty - Essay Example I prefer this definition of public policy because it establishes a direct connection between expectations of a society and the effectiveness of their embodiment by governments. With such observations in mind, let us try to find out to what extent, if at all, John Stuart Mill's principle of liberty is a workable and attractive basis for public policy in light of real-life challenges. ... ills principle to public policy, because in the latter case we may fail to exactly identify aspects of the principle that cause difficulties in its practical implementation as a basis for public policy. Besides, the fact Mill himself differentiated between the spheres of application of the principle of liberty in positive (freedom for personal development) and negative (knowledge that our freedom from harmful interference of others is protected) ways suggests that for him, as a utilitarian, this differentiation was needed in order to provide a practically applicable frame for his moral philosophy. Indeed, while for Mill the maximisation of happiness serves as the moral end, he realises that the task of distribution of limited amount of goods that can promote happiness requires the establishment of strict social norms violation of which should be punished for the common benefit. The first part of the Millian principle of liberty, which declares that a person has the right to do whatever he or she wants and be free from the interference from other people, stems from Mills principle of utility "grounded on the permanent interest of man as a progressive being".1 By this Mill implies that the choice of forms of governance should be based on their capacity to promote development of faculties of each individual, which would generally increase moral freedom, responsibility, and rationality among people, thus leading to more happiness. This aim is justified by the fact that free personal development is an end for each individual, and at the same time is a proper way for the whole society to thrive.1 So, it is after all the utility that dictates the best forms of social life.2 Therefore, with the personal development being the basic value, Mill states that liberty, insofar as it

Does the rise of China represent a threat to U.S. national security Essay

Does the rise of China represent a threat to U.S. national security - Essay Example This continual rise in the global power of China is likely to represent a threat to U.S national security as the country tries to replace U.S as the world’s most powerful nation. Since the end of world war and more specifically in the last thirty years, China has recorded a tremendous growth in the size of its economy. The Chinese economy has been growing at a rate of 10%, which is three times to the global average, and as a result, it has grown to be the world’s second largest economy (Randau & Medinskaya 2015, p.15). In addition, it has claimed the top spot in various economic fields and it is actually revolutionizing the norm of the global economic sector. Since 2009 China displaced Germany as the world’s biggest exporter and it has maintained the position ever since. More automobiles are now being made in China than in any other country and at the same time, the economy has the largest market for new cars worldwide. Its automobiles sales have increased tremendously in the last five years and hence it has completely displaced U.S in the field of making and buying of automobiles. China has also grown to become the largest user of energy globally and actually its energy consumption rate is believed to have increased by more than a hundred percent in the last decade (Hinrichs & Kleinbach 2012, p.15).Majority of this huge demand comes from the manufacturing sector of the country which has largely increased and diversified its operations. Additionally because the standards of living of the people have improved, their energy consumption has also increased since they are able to purchase a wide variety of domestic appliances. All these among other factors have contributed to the high rate of Chinese economy and projections show that the growth of the country economically is likely to continue increasing in the forthcoming years. It has actually been predicted that by 2020, China will be the largest economy in all spheres and U.S is likely to

EU Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

EU - Essay Example The flipside of this provision has been its penchant for predisposing member states to the inability to control entry and residence within their territory. Eventually, this has led to the member states’ trying to minimise to stem the burden that unbridled movement of persons place on them. The EU and its member states have attempted to salvage this situation by proposing and ratifying laws such as directives, regulation and articles in law, as shall be seen forthwith. First, it is important to note that even in the face these challenges, EU has never made any dereliction on the right to free movement. Particularly, according to Barnard (2007, 23) and Cholewinski (2005, 252), Article 21 (1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) continues to make provision for EU citizens to exercise free movement. The same applies to Regulation EEC 1612/68 and Regulation EU No 492/2011. In this light, there are already over 2 million EU citizens who are exercising this right. EU has tried to resolve this problem that tries to harmonise the dynamics of free movement and the burden that accompanies it through the issuance of directives such as the Directive 2004/38/EC. The Directive 2004/38/EC for instance acknowledges the fact that free movement is attributable to citizens of the EU or the EEA and the direct family members of EU citizens. The latter qualification is relevant since it expunges the non-direct family members of EU or EEA from accessing this right. However, Directive 2004/38/EC is categorical that these family members must be direct dependents of the EU citizen. The Directive 2004/38/EC is also important in absolving EU member states from the burden of free movement because it specifies those who are not qualified to enjoy the right to free movement. For instance, the Directive 2004/38/EC rules out those citizens who live in their home EU member states but have not worked in other EU member states. In this respect, all movement by non-EU family mem bers into the home estate is subject to national law. Again, Directive 2004/38/EC also recognises the right of older EU member states to exercise the provisions catered for in the transitional arrangements. The transitional arrangements inhibits EU citizens’ ability to move freely to work, provided that these citizens originate from new EU member states such as Romania and Bulgaria. The inhibition in this case can be protracted up to 7 years. It is important to note that even during this time when there is the imposition of this limit, citizens of the new EU member states are still legible for travel throughout Europe, together with their non-EU family members. The crux of the matter herein is that while free movement is not restricted, the ability to access jobs is. Thus, this is a way by which scarce economic values such as employment are safeguarded against unfair competition and infiltration. Again, it is important to note that the Directive 2004/38/EC also excludes those citizens of non-EEA or non-EU countries who are not accompanied by members of EU/EEA citizens from accessing some of the privileges that are extended to EU citizens. Some of these privileges include free and fast issuance of visas; the right to work and play for up to 90 days prior to the issuance of visas; permanent residence of 5 years; and easy right to stay in the EU country longer, should the EU citizen be working, learning. In this case, during applications, Directive 2004/3

The Effect of Technology on the Intelligence of Our Younger Generation Essay

The Effect of Technology on the Intelligence of Our Younger Generation - Essay Example Though Bauerlein and Bowman feel that technology is decreasing certain parts of intelligence, they feel that overall intelligence is not being as brutally mutilated as we tend to think, while Thompson reveals a positive aspect to younger people spending so much of their time implementing technology in their lives. In Bauerlein’s article, he points out that since most socialization is done via text messages, discussion boards, Twitter and Facebook, the current generation is unskilled in the act of reading or properly utilizing body language. Communication has become nothing more than the sharing of the written word; there is no tone of voice, pauses, posture, gesture, eye movements, or shifts in personal space. For those who were not drawn into technology are fluent in the Silent Language, but those with their noses stuck in their cell phones or laptops are unable to read the behavior of these people. Since technology keeps people physically away from one another, there is no need to learn such skills, yet this had made our current generation socially awkward. Bowman makes the case known that deep reading has become a dying art with the increasing use of the Internet. Prior to the Internet’s popularity, research for school assignments was done via books from the library. Students would have no choice but to thoroughly read the texts to gain an understanding of a topic. Nowadays, the younger generation â€Å"power browses,† which involves skimming a few lines of text on the Internet until they find a fact or idea that they can use for their assignment. Instead of reading for knowledge formation, this generation seeks only to retrieve information; the material goes from the Internet straight to the homework assignment, not making even a pitstop in the mind of the student. On the other hand, Thompson’s view of technology is surprisingly optimistic. No matter how much the older generation complains about a lack of literacy in this current generation, a study undergone by Stanford University Professor Andrea Lunsford reveals that  writing is being revived and enhanced by our technologically thriving generation.  

Assignment4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assignment4 - Assignment Example Pablo Sarozabal’s No Puerde Ser was the final piece in the concert. A couple of songs in native Samoa and Maori were represented during the concert as well. C. Generally, I was attentive listener during the concert. The performance was very engaging and I liked the timbre of the voice of the soloist. It was the first time I had an opportunity to listen to all pieces included in the concert, but I was encouraged to listen to them once again. Unfortunately, Pene Pati does not post his performances online, but he has his YouTube channel. This fact gave me an opportunity to enjoy more of his performances a couple of days after the concert in order to refresh my memory about the quality of his voice. D. The soloist had tenor voice which was easy to notice during the performance. Higher register notes were better accentuated than the lower register. Most of the selected pieces were written for tenor. The soloist was accompanied by piano. Obviously, the soloist and the pianist worked as a team on the stage. Close to the end of the concert, Pati, accompanied by his guitar, represented a couple of songs which were not listed in the program. E. Out of all pieces represented at the concert I enjoyed No Puerde Ser, Go, Lovely Rose and O Mistress Mine most. These pieces revealed the power of Pene in the best way. No Puerde Ser had fast tempo and was not as lyrical as other pieces included in the concert. It included deviations in tempo which made the piece slower when Pati wanted to dwell on separate notes. The song expressed clear Italian motifs. Even without reading the translation of the text it was obvious that it traced a love story. Pati used vibrato very skillfully; he applied it when necessary and did not exaggerated emotional connotation of the piece. In this piece, Sun Ha Yoon added a lot to the texture of the piece by her emotional and professional accompaniment. Overall, the

Culture and gender issues in Education Essay Example for Free

Culture and gender issues in Education Essay One of the most basic principles of American philosophy is the belief that all people are equal. Equal, where every individual is treated fairly and with respect and that all people have equal opportunities in life. Education plays a key role in the future of every individual. For this reason, the American education system was established. The American education system bases its principles on the philosophies and beliefs of all Americans. The USA consists of many regions and states. It is therefore understandable that in every region, a different culture is practiced. However, as in everything in this world, there are good sides and bad sides to the system. Numerous issues have risen throughout the development of American education. The most popular issues would be those related to gender and nationality. The stereotyping of males and females has been the topic of most gender related issues regarding a student’s ability in attaining good education. This issue so far has not yet reached a conclusion. On the other hand, nationality issues are as complex as gender issues. Foreign students contribute a large sum to the nation’s budget every year. Loss of foreign enrollees therefore would mean lower budgets. Therefore, the number of foreign enrollees per year must be increased if not maintained so as to support the ever financial burdens of the country. Some universities have already taken steps to promote the enrollment of foreign students in the country. Another issue is the availability of good American education to people of all statures in life. To answer the problem, American education has developed policies and other beneficial programs for people with different statures to be able to have access to a good education. Education is important for every individual. It should therefore be taken with sufficient planning as it has great effects to one’s own future. References: Kotok, A. (2007). Foreign Students Return to U. S. Colleges †¦ That’s the Good News. Retrieved August 23, 2007 from http://www. publicdiplomacy. org/73. htm Sadker, D. Gender Equity: Still Knocking at the Classroom Door. Retrieved August 23, 2007 from http://www. american. edu/sadker/stillknocking. htm

Air asia case study Essay Example for Free

Air asia case study Essay Awarding large government contracts to Bumiputra companies. 2. Requiring new listings on the Malaysia stock exchange to have an initial 30 per cent Bumiputra equity ownership. 3. The allocation of at least 30 per cent of government contracts for public and private works to Bumiputra contractors. 4. Requiring all private companies to offer employment opportunities to Bumiputras. 5. Ensuring that a minimum of 60 per cent of government procurements, contract work and other related projects be awarded to Bumiputra entrepreneurs. 6. Making government finance available for the exclusive use of Bumiputra business people. The Malaysian government claimed that the NEP fulfilled its goals since the nation was acknowledged as one of the ten fastest-growing economies in the world from 1970 to 1990, a period that coincided with the NEP’s implementation. This conclusion was in agreement with the research on Malaysian economic development3 conducted by the Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID) and Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Kuala Lumpur (ISIS Malaysia) (Snodgrass, 1996, p. 1). Despite this and the new policies that superseded the NEP since 1990, the affirmative action programme remains controversial. Indeed, many people believe that the NEP continues to define current government development policies in Malaysia. Critics of the NEP believe that the policy was only partially successful in, for example, reducing socio-economic disparity and encouraging the arrogance of Bumiputras (Anshar, 2008). Research by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affair4 (2005, p. xiii) was also critical about the alleged business restrictions that the NEP encouraged – it criticised that these were counterproductive and may even have thwarted the development of a vibrant and resilient business community. 3 The research looks into the Malaysian economic development from 1970 to 1990. Malaysia: An Economy Transformed (2005). This report on the Malaysian business environment prepared by The Economic Analytical Unit (formerly the East Asia Analytical Unit) is part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and is responsible for publishing reports analysing major trade and economic issues of relevance to Australia. The Entrepreneurial Tony Fernandes If the NEP was restrictive of non-Malay entrepreneurship, how was it possible that Fernandes, a non Bumiputra could emerge as the most celebrated entrepreneur in Malaysia? My research suggests that the NEP did not stifle entrepreneurship and that Fernandes is not the only successful non Bumiputra business person in Malaysia. This is a complex debate, and my doctoral thesis seeks to address it in greater detail. But in this paper I will outline some of the considerations that need to be taken into account in explaining how and why Fernandes rose to become one of Malaysia’s millionaires. Fernandes was born on 30th April 1964 into a family that had no prior knowledge or experience of business; his father was a physician from Goa (India) and his mother was a music teacher of Malaccan-Portuguese descent. In other words, Fernandes came from an Indian-Malaysian family of professionals; the new middle class that emerged in Malaysia from the 1960s. Like many other middle class families, the Fernandes had sufficient wealth to send Fernandes to study in England. Fernandes, at the age of 12, went to London in 1976 to study at Epsom College and attended the London School of Economics in which he graduated in 1987 with a degree in accounting (BusinessWeek, 2009). In total, he spent some 11 years in London, a painful separation from his parents who could not afford to pay for his flights back to Malaysia. It was this experience, according to Brown5 (2010) that gave him an insight into the benefits of perhaps developing cheap international carriers. However, at this stage his career path did not take him into the airline business. Upon graduation from the London School of Economics Fernandes took the normal route of working in accounting jobs. Fernandes worked briefly at Virgin Communications, a television division of the Virgin Group of companies. What did Fernandes learn from Virgin? 5 Kevin Brown is a journalist for the Financial Times. He was appointed Asia regional correspondent for the Financial Times in September 2009, based in Singapore. Prior to this role, he was Asia news editor. Previously, he was the personal finance editor of the Financial Times. The main benefit was the experience of working in a global company, acquiring insights into the running of an international business, and developing an impressive resume which worked in his favour in being appointed to the position of Senior Financial Analyst at Warner Music International6 in London. At Warner, Fernandes showed strong business acumen. He started in 1989 as Senior Financial Analyst, and by 2001, when he resigned from Warner, he was the Vice President, ASEAN region. Within 12 years at Warner he was promoted four times; that is on average he was promoted every three years. Fernandes’ time at Warner Music was significant because it was during this period that Fernandes matured and transformed himself from being a mere accountant into a strategist with an analytical mind. Commentators such as Ionides7 (2004) believed that Fernandes’ ability to think strategically, and understand his environment from a macro perspective, was the reason why Fernandes felt compelled not to be part of Warner’s ill-fated merger with America Online Inc in 2001. This incident was said to be the catalyst for Fernandes’ decision to switch careers after 12 years with Warner. A word of caution is needed: the early history of Fernandes’ emergence as an entrepreneur is based on the business press and journals. As part of my doctoral work I will be examining these issues in greater detail, and therefore reserve the right to correct the narrative as it currently stands. 6 Warner Music International is part of the Warner Music Group which is the third-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry. Warner Music Group also has a music publishing arm called Warner/Chappell Music, which is currently one of the worlds largest music-publishing companies.

The Influence Of Postmodern Dance Essay

The Influence Of Postmodern Dance Essay Postmodernism was a late 20th century movement that opposed the Modernist preoccupation with purity of form and technique, and aimed to eradicate the divisions between art, popular culture, and the media. Postmodern artists employed influences from an array of past movements, applying them to modern forms. Postmodernists embraced diversity and rejected the distinction between high and low art. Ignoring genre boundaries, the movement encourages the mix of ideas, medias, and forms to promote parody, humor, and irony. -started 1960s in a church -the word postmodern after modern techniques Graham n Isadora -influced by Cunningham n cage -timely, moving on today Where Modernists tended to believe in the future and reject the past, Postmodernists are more pessimistic and do not see the world necessarily improving in the future. 1960-1970s even though it was short time Postmodernist music includes Philip Glasss minimalist works and John Cages collaborative performances in which he involved the audience. genres like ballet and modernism and develop new styles. The most famous of these pioneers was probably Anna Halprin, who based her choreography on real experiences, not classical works. Her group, the Dancers Workshop, usually avoided traditional technique and often performed outdoors instead of on a conventional stage. Another modern dance pioneer, Robert Dunn, believed that the process of art was more significant than the end product. Merce Cunningham experimented with the relationship between dance and music and created choreography that was unrelated to the music it was accompanied by. What Followed Postmodernism? Postmodern dance was a relatively short-lived movement, but it was a stepping stone to other artistic endeavors. Performance art, a movement featuring theatrical events realized through loosely structured combinations of events, grew out of the collaboration between dance and other art forms. Dancers like Twyla Tharp put their own stamp on postmodern theory and began a return to more structured choreography, making way for the contemporary dance genre of today. Postmodern dance is a 20th century concert dance form. A reaction to the compositional and presentation constraints of modern dance, postmodern dance hailed the use of everyday movement as valid performance art and advocated novel methods of dance composition. Claiming that any movement was dance, and any person was a dancer (with or without training) early postmodern dance was more closely aligned with ideology of modernism rather than the architectural, literary and design movements of postmodernism. However, the postmodern dance movement rapidly developed to embrace the ideology of postmodernism which was reflected in the wide variety of dance works emerging from Judson Dance Theater, the home of postmodern dance.[citation needed] Lasting from the 1960s to the 1970s the main thrust of Postmodern dance was relatively short lived but its legacy lives on in contemporary dance (a blend of modernism and postmodernism) and the rise of postmodernist choreographic processes that have produced a wide range of dance works in varying styles. Postmodern art is a term used to describe an art movement which was thought to be in contradiction to some aspect of modernism, or to have emerged or developed in its aftermath. In general, movements such as Intermedia, Installation art, Conceptual Art and Multimedia, particularly involving video are described as postmodern. The traits associated with the use of the term postmodern in art include bricolage, use of words prominently as the central artistic element, collage, simplification, appropriation, depiction of consumer or popular culture and Performance art.

The Distributive and Knowledge-driven Models of Politics :: Essays on Politics

The Distributive and Knowledge-driven Models of Politics American politics, for better or worse, is prone to elitist control of various issues, some of which affect the general public in significant ways. This system is described by the distributive model of politics, where people representing narrow segments of society with high stakes in a particular issue influence public policy to a substantial degree. This explanation of policy making can be effectively used to examine and explain some political actions. However, the model is not without its flaws, and other models have developed to explain policy changes that take place under different circumstances, and with anomalous results. In areas dealing with science and technology, the knowledge-driven approach is often employed to explain policy transitions that do not fit the distributive model. The knowledge-driven approach examines how technological and scientific advances that favor diffuse interests can be used by policy entrepreneurs to bring about broad change, often against powerful and determined special interest groups. The case of air bag regulation can be used to describe and examine both the distributive and knowledge-driven models, as it originally fit distributive explanations, and was eventually taken over by the knowledge-driven system. The discussion of air bag regulation will include an overview of the relevant events, an examination of the distributive system of auto safety, and an explanation of the eventual changes ushered in under the knowledge-driven system. The issue of auto safety regulation began to receive attention in the sixties, when death due to auto accidents rose from under 40,000 deaths in 1960 to nearly 55,000 in 1969 (Fortune, 100). In 1965 and 1966 congressional committees held hearings on specific incidents of automotive safety neglect, which resulted in the passing of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (Nader, Unsafe, xvii). This act was the first of its kind, giving the federal government the right to impose automotive safety regulations on the auto industry. The job of regulation was delegated to the National Highway Safety Bureau (now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), a division of the Department of Transportation. This department was given the authority to impose safety regulations, review industry compliance, and study automotive safety in general. In 1970 and 1971 the automotive industry began to discuss the use of passive restraints in collisions to increase safety. Passive restraints are those which do not require any actions on the part of the driver or passengers, unlike seatbelts. The most popular and seemingly most feasible solution was the air bag. This bag, placed in front of the driver, would deploy The Distributive and Knowledge-driven Models of Politics :: Essays on Politics The Distributive and Knowledge-driven Models of Politics American politics, for better or worse, is prone to elitist control of various issues, some of which affect the general public in significant ways. This system is described by the distributive model of politics, where people representing narrow segments of society with high stakes in a particular issue influence public policy to a substantial degree. This explanation of policy making can be effectively used to examine and explain some political actions. However, the model is not without its flaws, and other models have developed to explain policy changes that take place under different circumstances, and with anomalous results. In areas dealing with science and technology, the knowledge-driven approach is often employed to explain policy transitions that do not fit the distributive model. The knowledge-driven approach examines how technological and scientific advances that favor diffuse interests can be used by policy entrepreneurs to bring about broad change, often against powerful and determined special interest groups. The case of air bag regulation can be used to describe and examine both the distributive and knowledge-driven models, as it originally fit distributive explanations, and was eventually taken over by the knowledge-driven system. The discussion of air bag regulation will include an overview of the relevant events, an examination of the distributive system of auto safety, and an explanation of the eventual changes ushered in under the knowledge-driven system. The issue of auto safety regulation began to receive attention in the sixties, when death due to auto accidents rose from under 40,000 deaths in 1960 to nearly 55,000 in 1969 (Fortune, 100). In 1965 and 1966 congressional committees held hearings on specific incidents of automotive safety neglect, which resulted in the passing of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (Nader, Unsafe, xvii). This act was the first of its kind, giving the federal government the right to impose automotive safety regulations on the auto industry. The job of regulation was delegated to the National Highway Safety Bureau (now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), a division of the Department of Transportation. This department was given the authority to impose safety regulations, review industry compliance, and study automotive safety in general. In 1970 and 1971 the automotive industry began to discuss the use of passive restraints in collisions to increase safety. Passive restraints are those which do not require any actions on the part of the driver or passengers, unlike seatbelts. The most popular and seemingly most feasible solution was the air bag. This bag, placed in front of the driver, would deploy

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Essay -- essays research papers fc

Born on February 27, 1807, in Portland, Maine, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was raised in a Puritan family with three brothers and four sisters. While growing up he kept a good relationship with his family members. Longfellow spent many years in foreign countries to further his horizons. Longfellow’s solitary life style would not be expected from his extreme success in poetry (Williams, p.26).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Longfellow’s boyhood home was built by his grandfather, Peleg Wadsworth, in 1784-86, and was the first brick house in Portland. As a memorial to the poet, the house is still standing today. Then the house was by the seaside, where Longfellow could hear the rhythmic roar of the ocean. Probably much of his writing for his rhythms in his writing came through his listening to the wind and waves. Longfellow always visited there, especially up to the time of his father’s death in 1849 (Williams, 29).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was a mixture of triumph and tragedy, fulfillment and disappointment. His youthful ambitions were all literary, but to please his father he became a teacher. During the eight years he taught language at Bowdoin College and eighteen years at Harvard, he never quit writing. Thirteen of his books were published, including Evangeline (1847), the Poems on Slavery (1842), and The Golden Legend (1851). Longfellow also wrote poems about is family (Evangeline, preface). Longfellow’s six children...

Journey Of A Ham Sandwich

The start of the process – the mouth: The digestive process begins in the mouth. The ham sandwich is partly broken down by the process of chewing and by the chemical action of salivary enzymes (these enzymes are produced by the salivary glands and break down starches into smaller molecules).On the way to the stomach: the oesophagus – After being chewed and swallowed, the food enters the oesophagus. The oesophagus is a long tube that runs from the mouth to the stomach. It uses rhythmic, wave-like muscle movements (called peristalsis) to force food from the throat into the stomach. This muscle movement gives us the ability to eat or drink even when we're upside-down.In the stomach – The stomach is a large, sack-like organ that churns the food and bathes it in a very strong acid (gastric acid). Food in the stomach that is partly digested and mixed with stomach acids is called chyme.In the small intestine – After being in the stomach, food enters the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. It then enters the jejunum and then the ileum (the final part of the small intestine). In the small intestine, bile (produced in the liver and stored in the gall bladder), pancreatic enzymes, and other digestive enzymes produced by the inner wall of the small intestine help in the breakdown of food.In the large intestine – After passing through the small intestine, food passes into the large intestine. In the large intestine, some of the water and electrolytes are removed from the food. Microbes are used in the large intestine to help in the digestion process. The first part of the large intestine is called the cecum (the appendix is connected to the cecum). Food then travels upward in the ascending colon. The food travels across the abdomen in the transverse colon, goes back down the other side of the body in the descending colon, and then through the sigmoid colon.The end of the process – Solid waste is then stored in the rectu m until it is excreted out of the anus.

Major Differences Between Classical Athens and Han China

Major Differences Between Classical Athens and Han China Classical Athens and the Han Dynasty In China were two of the most famous and successful early clvlllzatlons. Even though they were In different geographical regions and existed In different centuries, they were both able to make there civilizations relevant in different ways. The differences in these civilizations include size/ population and geographically where the civilization was, their government, and their different ways of life.Size/population and geography were big differences between Classical Athens and the Han Dynasty in China. Where each civilization was located is one of the many major differences between the Han Dynasty and Classical Athens. According to Document A, the Han Dynasty is shown to be near the Pacific Ocean on the other side of Asia, putting the civilization basically in isolation.On the other hand, although Athens Is near the Eurasian Steppes near the Aegean and Mediterranean Sea which would allow ma ke trading with other countries Ilke Persia and Egypt easier because the Mediterranean Sea was a great trading ground during the times of Classical Athens. Size also Is a big difference because Athens Is a city In the area of Attica hile The Han Dynasty is a little bit small than the current size of China today. Population were also two other big differences between the Han Dynasty in China and Classical Athens.According to Document B and Document C, the ratio of people living in Athens Compared to the Han Dynasty was largely in the Han Dynasty's favor. Classical Athens population in the year 432 BCE was composed of about 50,000 free male citizens, 50,000 free male non-citizens (citizens under the age of 18 and residents without Athenian parentage), 100,000 free females and 115,000 slaves for a total of about 315,000 people. The Han Dynasty on the other hand was roughly 200 times the size of Classical Athens population wise.There were an estimated 1,000 emperors and appointed offici als, 130,000 educated bureaucrats, 1 landed aristocracy, 58,500,000 peasant farmers and some skilled urban workers, 50,000 merchants, and 5,000,000 unskilled workers, street artist and household slaves for a grand total of roughly 65,000,000 people. Although these numbers can not be the accurate actual populations of both civilizations, these documents give a basic understanding as to how big each civilization was.These numbers concerning the wo civilizations show how different population wise each civilization was with Classical Athens looking relatively small compared to the Han Dynasty. The governments of both The Han Dynasty and Classical Athens were also different. Classical Athens had a democratic type of government while The Han Dynasty had a monarchical/central type of government. Many citizens in Classical Athens viewed democracy as a the role model for other countries and a precedent for future governments.Indeed, Athens' democracy did set a precedent for many democracies today because there are many glaring slmllarltles between Classical Athens' democracy and a current democracy today such as the united States of Amerlca. Slmllarltles Include tne Atnenlan AssemDly ana todays current electlons on laws and future leaders because both are using a representative type of government (Document E).According to Pericles in Document D, Classical Athen's government was the best form of government because the administration of the government is in the hands of all the people, very unlike the Han Dynastys government which, because of the Mandate of Heaven, kept the government of the Han Dynasty in the hands of the oyal family passing down the dynasty from generation to generation in the Han family (Document F).The Han Dynastys governments main focus was expanding the powers of bureaucracy which would play a very pivotal role in the amount of territory controlled by the dynasty. The emperors of the dynasty would also appoint officials to be in charge of each part of his territory in the name of the emperor. The appointed officials would act very much like an emperor to the section of the territory they were assigned (Document G). This is very different from Classical Athens because ClassicalAthens had a representative type of democracy where they would have a representative represent their point of view on a issue where as in the Han Dynasty, all decisions and issues were decided by either the officials of the sections approved by the emperor of the emperor himself. In Classical Athens, according to Pericles in Document H, a good citizen of Athens must be well informed on general politics because it is for the well being of Athens since every citizen is involved in the deciding of issues, laws, etc.That would not be the case in the Han Dynasty because hatever the emperor says goes and the citizens can only follow the law. Document I talks about the time after the Athenians lost their war with Sparta and their democratic government was destr oyed. Instead their government transformed into a type of monarchy where their main focus was on the enemies inside and outside of Athens that would try to overthrow them.This is important because of the way Classical Athens had converted to a kind of monarchy that was similar to the Han Dynasty with the fact that is was a type of monarchy but still different because in the Han Dynasty if you were able to pass the test to become a government official, you could be a part of the government whereas during this time in Classical Athens, there was group of men and only those men who controlled the government. Confucius in Document J talks about how any person who is doing good to others can have influence upon the government which would also mean they are a part of the government.This is very much Confucius' was of interpreting representation in the Han Dynasty's government, difference from Classical Athens because Athens' emocracy directly lets citizens have a say in the government whi le the Han Dynasty indirectly lets their citizens have a say in the government. An additional document of an average citizen living in both Classical Athens and the Han Dynasty would create a greater understanding and another point of view on both how effective and successful each government was.Both governments were able to lead to the relative success of each civilization, however both governments ways of making their civilization successful in different ways. Living in two different parts of the world, Classical Athens' way of life is completely ifferent from the Han Dynastys way of life. According to Document L, The Han Dynasty was a very isolated and kept to themselves while Document K shows the Greek culture of the Ancient Olympics which was the gathering of Greeks to celeorate, very mucn OITTerent Trom tne cnlnese culture 0T Isolation.Also In tne Han Dynasty the child was the lesser between the parent and the child. Filial Piety is the child showing respect to the parents whi le working for them, showing that the elders are more important that the child in the Han Dynasty's way of life (Document P). The heory that the parent is more important than the child is also shown in Document O in which Wan Can explains an event where he saw a woman let go of her child in the weeds and the woman walk away, basically condemning the baby to a death sentence.The note beneath the document also gives more evidence to this idea, stating that in order to limit family size, abandonment and infanticide were accepted means in the Han Dynasty and usually occurred on the third day of the infants life where the parents would then decide whether to let the infant live or die. Although his also occurred in Classical Athens, many people, including Socrates, do not agree with this practice (Document M).

Group Progression in Society Essay

The pressures of society force humans into groups, whether to change something, unite, or to feel a sense of belonging. Nonetheless, it can be difficult to find what groups you may fit into and these groups can change as you transform into a more critical thinker. Studs Terkel tells the story a of Ku Klux Klan member turned school board activist, C.P. Ellis, in his essay, â€Å"C.P. Ellis.† Ellis’ struggles and realizations prove what critical thinking and self-examination can do. Mike Rose’s essay, â€Å"I Just Wanna Be Average† also displays the importance of growing through groups and how changing mental habits can help transform one into a more efficient critical thinker, therefore allowing one to surpass the cultural myths placed upon them. Gary Colombo enlightens readers by defining and giving advice on how to transform oneself into a critical thinker in his essay, â€Å"Thinking Critically, Challenging Cultural Myths†. Colombo argues that by thinking critically and challenging the norms of our society we can fight to be the people we truly want to be. Humans form into groups subconsciously as well as consciously. Consequently, these groups we cast ourselves into are the very things that can hold us back from becoming true individuals. By reexamining old ways and becoming active critical thinkers, members of society can participate in groups in a manner which will allow them to grow intellectually and outlast the cultural myths that is society has placed upon them. Groups have a large impact on society since they are constructed to allow humans to do more than they would be able to as mere individuals. However, groups can often hinder the thought process of individuals and may cause people to settle for less than what they are actually capable of. The â€Å"cultural myth† of belonging in society can cause individuals to become immersed in a group’s ideas wholly instead of blending them with their own beliefs. Ellis recalls when his former Klansmen called him after he started working for integration on the school board with Ann Atwater, African American women. â€Å"My old friends would call me at night: ‘C.P, what the hell is wrong with you? You’re selling out the white race.’ This begin to make me have guilt feelin’s. [. . .] My mind was beginnin’ to open up. I was beginnin’ to see what was right and what was wrong. I don’t want the kids to fight forever† (405). Had Ellis remained a narrow-minded member of the Ku Klux Klan his judgments and perceptions would have continued to be overly influenced by the Klan’s extremist beliefs. By expanding his mind Ellis was able to work on non-Klan related issues and overcome his racist tendencies thus transforming him into a more independent thinker. Critical thinking such as this is essential in being able to think independently opposed to being over powered by a group’s point of view and opinions. Colombo defines critical thinking as â€Å"a matter of dialogue and debate – discovering relationships between apparently unrelated ideas, finding parallels between your own experiences and the ideas you read about, exploring points of agreement and conflict between yourself and other people† (9). By applying these skills Ellis talked through the issues on the school board and reexamined his relationship with Ms. Atwater which in turn matured his critical thinking abilities. These critical mental skills will enable one to choose which groups they truly belong to instead of merely becoming a drone in order to fulfill their own senses of belonging. However, not all group enrollment and involvement is by the choice of its members. Some are pieced together by members whose superiors have placed them in said groups. In some cases, placement into these groups can impede on the development of critical and independent thinking. Mike Rose’s unjust placement into his school’s vocational is a prime example of this forced-group hindrance. Colombo states that â€Å"[c]ultural myths become so closely identified with our personal beliefs that rereading them means rereading ourselves, rethinking the way we see the world. Questioning long-held assumptions can be an exhilarating experience, but it can be distressing too† (8). By rethinking the groups’ society places us in we can gain a better understanding of ourselves as well as a better perception of the cultural myths that hold our true identities down. Rose tells about that the defenses mechanisms that he and his classmates built up to deal with the below average, self-image that the vocational track gave them, â€Å"[they] to twist the knife in [their] own grey matter† in order to stand up to the mental wear-and-tear of the vocational schooling process. Rose delves further into this process: You’ll have to shut down, have to reject intellectual stimuli or diffuse them with sarcasm, have to cultivate stupidity, have to convert boredom from a malady into a way of confronting the world. Keep your vocabulary simple, act stoned when you’re not or act more stoned than you are, flaunt ignorance, materialize your dreams. It is a powerful and effective defense – it neutralizes the insult and the frustration of being a vocati onal kid. (Rose 162) Defenses like the ones used in Rose’s essay cause individuals to do the bare minimum and do not allow individuals to grow within the group but rather the opposite; it stunts their identities and makes them complacent rather than questioning the world around causing a lack of internal expansion. By questioning the cultural myths of society and expanding the mind to think more critically individuals will be able to broaden their intellectual and social horizons. Ellis reminiscences at the end of the essay about his person growth by saying that â€Å"our troubles are over with. They say the older you get, the harder it is for you to change. Since I changed, I’ve set down and listened to tapes of Martin Luther King. I listen to it and tears come to my eyes’ cause I know what he’s sayin’ now. I know what’s happenin’† (408). By progressing through groups (the Ku Klux Klan and school board) Ellis was able to become a critical thinker and overcome the many cultural myths of his life. Similarly, Rose progressed to become a critical thinker. By going from vocational track to college prep, Rose was forced to reassess his self in order to become the type of student and person he wanted to be upon entering college prep. â€Å"I’d been mediocre for too long and enjoyed a public redefinition. And I suppose the inner workings of my mind, such as they were, had been private for too long† says Rose on regards to his switch and achievement in college prep (166). Both of these experiences show that by reevaluating the cultural myths in society and growing through different groups individuals can become critical thinkers and redefine themselves as the people they want to be. Society is filled with cultural myths and pre-assigned groups for its members. Only by overcoming these myths and growing intellectually can individuals become who they want to be rather than what society decrees them to. The experiences of Rose and Terkel show what critical thinking and group progression can do to one’s true self. Since Colombo defines critical thinking in his essay, the two experiences of Rose and Terkel allow the idea to be brought to life and put his work into context. Upon building critical thinking skills and experiencing group progression throughout life, individuals will be able to gain a multifaceted understanding of their true selves. This understanding will allow individuals to delve into the critical thinking and lead them to constantly challenge the world and groups around them. Works Citied Colombo, Gary. â€Å"Thinking Challenging Critically, Cultural Myths.† Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Eds. Colombo, G., Cullen, R., and Lisle, B. Boston: Bedfortd/St. Martin’s, 2010. 1-15. Print. Rose, Mike. â€Å"I Just Wanna Be Average.† Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Eds. Colombo, G., Cullen, R., and Lisle, B. Boston: Bedfortd/St. Martin’s, 2010. 157-169. Print. Terkel, Studs. â€Å"â€Å"C.P. Ellis.†.† Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Eds. Colombo, G., Cullen, R., and Lisle, B. Boston: Bedfortd/St. Martin’s,

Positive effects of media

The media influences people in different ways, some positive and some negative. It is Important to realize although media can have a positive effect on society too much exposure to television, computers, or magazines can lead to unhealthy effects. The media gives people a way to connect with one another through news updates or even social networking. Most everyone wakes up in the morning grabs the newspaper, computer, or flips on the television to educate themselves on the worldly happenings of that day.According to Manali Oak author of â€Å"Positive Effects of the Media†, Research has revealed that media Is responsible for influencing a major part of our daily life. Media contribute to a transformation in the cultural and social values of the masses. Medla can bring about a change in the attitudes and beliefs of the common man. The persuasive nature of the content presented over media influences the thoughts and behavior of the general public. Medla has a direct impact over the lifestyle of society. The media gives society a way to come together and educate us as a whole. With this education we are able to make crucial decisions toward elections, polls, or any other vent that affects everyone In our country. -Friends and Relations: Social networks started as a place to connect with your friends In an easy and convenient way. Truly speaking, many of you might have found your old pals from school or college who were out of touch due to one reason or other, well I would say I have and I thank social networks for this.Social networks has provided us the opportunity to connect with people and bulld better relationships with friends with whom we are unable to meet personally, and let them know about our life and take Input about their lives and events happening with them. Reducing communication Barriers: With social networks we are able to communicate our thoughts and perceptions over different topics with a large number of audiences, and raise our voice. Th e sharing feature available on the social networks makes your opinion about any topic reach huge number of people (even to those who are not on your friends list).We have the option to make groups with people who are Ilke minded and share the related news 1 OF2 wltn tnem ana ask Tor tnelr oplnlon or Input aoout tne toplc. Slmply tnere are a number of options available for us to communicate with others on these social etworks. -Opportunities for Businesses: Social networks have become a crucial part of many of us. We don't even notice this but as soon as we open our desktops or laptops to access the web, we sub- consciously open our favorite social network Just to see about the updates received.Businesses have noticed the value of social networks in our life, and they are using different techniques to promote their products. There are a number of customized applications being made on the social platforms, whose main purpose is to promote the product or brand. As social marketing is c ost effective and brands have a huge udience, they are shifting more towards social marketing. Without the media, most people would know little of events beyond their immediate neighborhood. The further one goes outside of one's circle of friends and family, the more time-consuming and expensive it becomes to get information.Very few, if any, individuals have the resources to stay independently informed of world events. With the news, however, all one has to do is turn on a television or turn to the Internet. Even when it is biased or limited, it is a picture of what is happening around the world. The more sources one compares, the more accurate the picture that can be ut together. In addition to the media conglomerates, there are also a range of independent news outlets, though they have a much smaller audience.Some of these provide an alternative view of events and often strive to publish stories that cannot be found in the mainstream media. Technological advances in many industri alized (primarily Western) countries make it possible to read papers and watch broadcasts from around the globe. While language skills can be a barrier, it is possible to live in the United States and watch Arab-language broadcasts from the Middle East, or to get on the Internet and read scores of Chinese newspapers. Having access to these alternative voices limits the power of monopolies over information.Another important benefit of a functioning mass news media is that information can be relayed quickly in times of crisis. Tornado and hurricane announcement can give large populations advance warning and allow them to take precautions and move out of harm's way. In a country suffering war, a radio broadcast outlining where the latest fighting is can alert people to areas to avoid. In quieter times, the media can publish other useful announcements, from traffic reports to how to avoid getting HIV. It is a stabilizing and civilizing force. Positive Effects of Media The media influences people in different ways, some positive and some negative. It is important to realize although media can have a positive effect on society too much exposure to television, computers, or magazines can lead to unhealthy effects. The media gives people a way to connect with one another through news updates or even social networking. Most everyone wakes up in the morning grabs the newspaper, computer, or flips on the television to educate themselves on the worldly happenings of that day. According to Manali Oak author of â€Å"Positive Effects of the Media†,â€Å"Research has revealed that media is responsible for influencing a major part of our daily life. Media contribute to a transformation in the cultural and social values of the masses. Media can bring about a change in the attitudes and beliefs of the common man. The persuasive nature of the content presented over media influences the thoughts and behavior of the general public. Media has a direct impac t over the lifestyle of society.†The media gives society a way to come together and educate us as a whole. With this education we are able to make crucial decisions toward elections, polls, or any other event that affects everyone in our country.Friends and RelationsSocial networks started as a place to connect with your friends in an easy and convenient way. Truly speaking, many of you might have found your old pals from school or college who were out of touch due to one reason or other, well I would say I have and I thank social networks for this. Social networks has provided us the opportunity to connect with people and build better relationships with friends with whom we are unable to meet personally, and let them know about our life and take input about their lives and events happening with them.Reducing Communication BarriersWith social networks we are able to communicate our thoughts and perceptions  over different topics with a large number of audiences, and raise ou r voice. The sharing feature available on the social networks makes your opinion about any topic reach huge number of people (even to those who are not on your friends list). We have the option to make groups with people who are like minded and share the related news with them and ask for their opinion or input about the topic. Simply there are a number of options available for us to communicate with others on these social networks.Opportunities for BusinessesSocial networks have become a crucial part of many of us. We don’t even notice this but as soon as we open our desktops or laptops to access the web, we sub-consciously open our favorite social network just to see about the updates received. Businesses have noticed the value of social networks in our life, and they are using different techniques to promote their products. There are a number of customized applications being made on the social platforms, whose main purpose is to promote the product or brand. As social mark eting is cost effective and brands have a huge audience, they are shifting more towards social marketing.Without the media, most people would know little of events beyond their immediate neighborhood. The further one goes outside of one's circle of friends and family, the more time-consuming and expensive it becomes to get information. Very few, if any, individuals have the resources to stay independently informed of world events. With the news, however, all one has to do is turn on a television or turn to the Internet. Even when it is biased or limited, it is a picture of what is happening around the world. The more sources one compares, the more accurate the picture that can be put together.In addition to the media conglomerates, there are also a range of independent news outlets, though they have a much smaller audience. Some of these provide an alternative view of events and often strive to publish stories that cannot be found in the mainstream media. Technological advances in m any industrialized (primarily Western) countries make it possible to read papers and watch broadcasts from around the globe. While language skills can be a barrier, it is possible to live in the United States and  watch Arab-language broadcasts from the Middle East, or to get on the Internet and read scores of Chinese newspapers. Having access to these alternative voices limits the power of monopolies over information.Another important benefit of a functioning mass news media is that information can be relayed quickly in times of crisis. Tornado and hurricane announcement can give large populations advance warning and allow them to take precautions and move out of harm's way. In a country suffering war, a radio broadcast outlining where the latest fighting is can alert people to areas to avoid. In quieter times, the media can publish other useful announcements, from traffic reports to how to avoid getting HIV. It is a stabilizing and civilizing force.

Animated cartoons for early childhood science education

Animated cartoons for early childhood science education Teachers teaching methods change because of the new generation of children. For this reason, teachers should use contemporary teaching methods for improving the quality of learning. In this framework teaching innovations which can meet such expectations are needed. This paper is a report of work describing curriculum which involves cartoons as a basis for teaching science. Here we can picture young pupils gaining knowledge through texts, teacher lectures and cartoons. It is important to realize that one of the reasons why science is thought to be difficult by many students in elementary education is that it is viewed as dealing with concepts which are often difficult to be explained and understood. Some students feel that they have to learn a lot of theory without considering how this theory might apply to the real world they are living in. This study represents findings on the use of animated cartoons and how they are able to evaluate the effectiveness in supporting teaching and le arning in science. The research results provide evidence that the use of animated cartoons significantly increases the young students` knowledge and understanding of specific science concepts. The importance of cartoons in science education has been recognized in recent years as they received an increasing amount of research attention. The presentation of ideas in visual form has been proven to be particularly important as it helps the educational process in a very up-to-date way. Why are cartoons so popular among young children and how can they be used for the purposes of teaching as well as learning? Research evidence indicates that cartoons are widely used as innovative and supporting tools in science teaching. Actually, they represent a form of art that has been promoted into an important visual language, which influences the human feelings and transmit messages using symbols and pictures. They are a combination of humour , exaggeration and symbols but in a very simple way. Euli e/1969/ pointed out very successfully that cartons, contain messages and when they are selected carefully, they can easily provide information via the symbols and the exaggeration. Most important is that they use familiar pictures and objects from daily life. In addition, cartoons can be used effectively in the teaching process when they provide information with regard to concrete objects. They were used by many researches in the classroom in order to promote learning, esp. in teaching children./Madden,Chung$Dawson,2008;Peacock,1995;Tsou,Wang&Tzeng,2006/. More over, the most innovative use in the instructive practice is that they easily capture students’ attention and then they allow them to’ travel with their mind ‘in the world of imagination and amusement while they are learning. Not surprisingly, cartoons have rapidly become a popular teaching and learning approach. Keogh and Naylor /1999/ ,he creators of the ‘concept cartoon strategy, have used it incre asingly in both primary and secondary education. . Concept cartoons offer an innovative approach to gaining access to children’s ideas in science. They have been used in different ways and in different situations to teach science, to assess pupils’ levels of understanding of science matters and to involve them in scientific discussion as well as to promote children’ s argumentation in primary science /Naylor,Keogh and Downing,2007/.

Were the 1920s a period of cultural as well as political conservatism Essay

Were the 1920s a period of cultural as well as political conservatism - Essay Example The US enjoyed much prosperity after World War I and throughout the 1920s until the great depression of 1929. The decade was full of optimism and was termed the ‘roaring twenties’. The decade was marked by conservatism on both the political and cultural level; however it can be shown that there was liberal ideology that also played a part in this historical era. After the war there was a rising intolerance to difference, waspification was at the forefront of a lot of ideology culturally and politically, restrictive immigration laws and prohibition all marked the era. The decade was seen as a decade of serious cultural conflict.On the 18th August 1920 Tennessee became the last state that was required to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment thus giving women the right to vote. A new woman was born and it became more acceptable socially for women to smoke and drink openly in public. It was fashionable for women to cut their hair short, wear makeup which had always been deemed to mean a woman was loose and take risks. These women were known as flappers and jazz was the music that they danced to, a sound that the older generation considered to be wild. In the May edition of the Atlantic Monthly it was written "Flappers trot like foxes, limp like lame ducks, one-step like cripples, and all to the barbaric yawp of strange instruments which transform the whole scene into a moving-picture of a fancy ball in bedlam." 1 The war had generated a generation of men and women who broke free from social norms 1 Baughman, Judith S., ed. American Decades: 1920-1929. New York: Manly, Inc., 1996. and values finding it difficult to return to structured conservative life. 'They found themselves expected to settle down into the humdrum routine of American life as if nothing had happened, to accept the moral dicta of elders who seemed to them still to be living in a Pollyanna land of rosy ideals which the war had killed for them. They couldn't do it, and they very disrespectfully said so.'2 The liberation of the flappers was a stark contrast to the conservative cultural nature of the times. Conservatism was at the forefront of the Klu Klux Klan (KKK), an extreme right movement that encouraged racial discrimination and continues to do so to this day. The KKK originated in the late 1800s and rose again to acute heights in the 1920s. After WWI the economy was booming and the Great Migration of Southern blacks and whites began. The KKK grew rapidly in reaction to the immigrants and migrants. It was enhanced through the labor tensions occurring as men returning from the war were attempting not only to new social norms but reentering the workforce. The KKK a white supremacy organization reacted aggressively and advocated racism, anti-communism- anti-Catholicism, nativism and ant-Semitism. Lynching' and violent attacks on houses of those they opposed was at a height including intimidation through ceremonial cross burning. The KKK used its far right ideology in a tradition of lawlessness. 2 Allen, Frederick Lewis. Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the Nineteen-Twenties. New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1931. The KKK peaked during the 1920s with approximately 4 - 5 million men who believed in this extreme conservative ideology. 3 William J Simmons founded the second KKK in 1915 and under his leadership Klansmen became accuser, judge and jury, tarring and feathering Negroes and white men and women if they were any less conservative than their ideals. Jewish shop keepers were tortured being accused of international financial conspiracies and Catholics were accused of conspiring against the US with their Roman Catholic beliefs.4 The KKK took waspification to the extreme. The organization dwindled with the arrival of the Great depression in 1929 as members stopped paying their dues in a time of financial insecurity

American football Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American football - Essay Example Certain sports like football have been there from medieval times. Speaking broadly, sports were and still are played to gain political ends. Healthy and active sports industry results in booming economy of a country. Just like every other country has a national sport, America is known for football after baseball. Football is a game that requires manoeuvring, an alert and clear head and strategies that change with the course of the game. Every sport is a psychological game. That means whichever team utilizes the element of surprise effectively against the opponent wins the game. Unlike rugby and soccer, the American Football involves hands more rather legs. The history of football goes back to the second and third BC centuries in China where it was part of the military exercise. It was known as Tsu’ Chu in which the ball filled with feathers was kicked towards the goal without any use of hands. A similar game called the Japanese Kemari stemmed after some five hundred years. A Greek version of the game called â€Å"Episkyros† was followed by â€Å"Harpastum†, a Roman football game. The game came to England and fragmented into rugby and association football (soccer) in 1863. The introduction of these two games led to the formation of the Football Association in England. Hence, Britain became known as the home of football. (Fifa.com) Unlike contemporary football, in the early stages of the evolution of the game, it was much more disorganized and played violently in fields and villages with no limit on the number of participants. There were no specific rules or code of conduct. With passing time, the rules became defined and brought sophistication to the game in the 19th century. This was the turning point in the essence of football. By then, the game was introduced in schools. It brought out good character in the school students, some of them were loyalty, selflessness, unity, cooperation and respect for one another. Over the passage of time, the Cambridge

The Role of International Systems - The Balance of Power During the Essay

The Role of International Systems - The Balance of Power During the Cold War - Essay Example In itself, the balance of power theory suggests that any rapid change in the international status or power of an independent state or collection of states will result in counterbalancing actions by other states. This occurs most readily when the alliances between different states are easily broken and formed based on what is beneficial to the particular state at the time. This essay argues that the balance of power was a key factor in the Cold War and was the driving factor of many of the events that occurred, including the Cuban Missile Crisis. Furthermore, this ultimately resulted in the development of the unipolar international system that is present today. The theory of the balance of power differs substantially between authors and publications and this section will attempt to determine some of the overall themes. Some authors consider that the model is a description of the international systems that are in place currently, others consider that it is a theory of coalitions, while still others consider it a guideline to peace2. In one sense, any international system is a balance of power relationship at some level. However, the term is usually used to refer to specific systems where the actors respond to each other primarily through negotiation rather than through war and where they each attempt to protect their state’s short-term and long-term interests3. Each country has their own internal resources and interests which they aim to maintain, as well as their position on the international stage, their relationship to other international powers and international trading relationships. States must balance their internal needs with needs of the international environment. Regardless of exact definition, the balance of power remains one of the most central theories of international systems and relations.

Developing an Auger (Earth Drill) one stage Gearbox System. A Dissertation

Developing an Auger (Earth Drill) one stage Gearbox System. A comparing study between two planetary gears systems, spur and h - Dissertation Example On the other hand the helical gearbox design would require output bearings of 7309 BE while input bearings of 7209 BE. The gearing materials were found out best to be AISI 304 while the casing ought to be created from cast iron. Cost comparison shows that spur gearbox is much cheaper especially because of the lower cost of the ring spur gear in comparison to the ring helical gear. Therefore the spur gearbox design was chosen as the optimal configuration for the current problem at hand. Summary In order to determine the best possible solution for a gearbox for an auger earth drill an extensive investigation was carried out. The investigation was begun with a literature review of the relevant means to transmit mechanical power such as belts, shafts, torque converters, mechanical couplings and gears. Given the relative advantages of gears in terms of power and speed scaling as well as the cost, it was decided to stick with gears to power an auger earth drill. The commonly used gear type s which are spur and helical were dealt with in detail to understand their operational perspectives. Bevels gears were also investigated but rejected early on. Epicyclical gear trains were investigated in greater detail to achieve a functional yet compact gearbox. The three configurations possible which were star, solar and planetary were all looked at in detail. Given the gearing ratio of 5.4 to 1, the planetary gearing system was found to be most suitable and was thus used as the prime choice. It was also decided to perform a comparison between a spur planetary and a helical planetary gearbox to find out which one was better. The gear based calculations were carried out and the number of teeth was found culminating in the perfectly matching gearing ratio. The gear sizes were determined using the overall dimensions of the gearbox as a constraint. The number of planetary gears was chosen as three based on its load sharing and geometrical properties. Lubrication investigation was als o carried out in detail to find out a lubricant suitable for the gearbox. Bearing selection was carried out for the gearboxes (both the spur and helical gearboxes) based on their individual requirements. The types of bearings available were investigated at length in order to discern the best possible choice. Materials for the various parts of the gearbox were also considered in detail to discern the best possible choices. This was followed by the evaluation of spur gearbox and helical gearbox design based on cost as cost was considered as an important factor. The stress analysis of the gearbox components produced satisfactory results which indicated a large operating margin for the gears involved. Images The maximum and minimum stress levels are already pretty clear in this image and other images that I have sent you. The images are always going to be the same as the gearbox under investigation is the same. The yielding strength of the material is 550 MPa and the stress levels are a pparent on the picture. FOS FOS (Factor of Safety) is a measure used to indicate the relative resilience of a component to failure during normal operation. Generally the FOS is calculated by dividing the material’s own yield stress with the maximum available stress levels.

Organizational Development and Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Organizational Development and Change - Essay Example (Worley and Christopher, 2009:76) This paper analyses why climate change is classified to be a ‘super wicked’ problem, viable options for meaningful change and stakeholder engagement, how can we reach consensus on the global problem and the current state of the global players and their resistance to or acceptance of the problem in relation to organisational change. Global Climate Change as a Super Wicked Problem Climate Change resulting from human activity has been acknowledged as of the main problems affecting the world. It has been observed a remarkable effect on the natural and built environments (Horstmann, 2008). In general, global temperature has increased over the decades and this is mainly cause by human activity emanating from an increase in concentration of Green House Gases (GHG) in the atmosphere (Ainslie, 2001: 37). The present levels of GHG have reached the highest ever since the Industrial Revolution (Barkin, 2006: 59). In a move to evaluate the specific c hallenges facing the climate, we look at the tradition view of ‘wicked problems’. Wicked problems were viewed as lacking straightforward and simple solutions (Australian Public Service Commission, 2007: 23). However, recent studies have shown that climate change has more features than most ‘wicked problems’ thus qualifying it to be ‘a super wicked problem’. The policy characteristics are based on the features of adverse global climate change problems including, uncertainty, complexity and their long – term nature and the need for immediate intervention (Beinecke, 2009: 15). The characteristics of climate change as ‘a super wicked problem’ are explained as follows. First, there is no specific formulation of ‘a super wicked problem’ implying that we must establish the causes of the problems and its solutions in order to get a better understanding of the problem (Finegan, 2010: 123). Second, there is lack of a true solution to ‘a super wicked problem’ expressing that even though destructive human activity was stopped, there would be some level of climate change resulting from other factors. Third, ‘a super wicked problem’ is either good or bad not true or false. This is because for wicked problems, the quest is not to come up with the truth but rather to discover ways of mitigating the impact of climate change. Fourth, there is no sure or ultimate solution to ‘a super wicked problem’ as the proposed remedies may have negative effects that are not stated in advance. Fifth, all solutions to ‘a super wicked problem’ are a one shot activity and there is no chance to learn through trial and error, therefore, every attempt is considered to be important. Sixth, ‘a super wicked problem’ does not have a set of exhaustive solutions (Finegan, 2010: 123). The solutions to climate change are somewhat contested implying that there is no one s pecific solution that will stabilize GHG emission, it can only reduce it. Seventh, every ‘super wicked problem’ is considered to be unique. For instance, climate change varies across nations, communities and ecosystems (Lovejoy, 2005: 15). Eight, every wicked problem is observed to be connected to another (Frame, 2007: 1114). For example, climate change is viewed as a consequence of poor economic growth, failing institutions and population influx. Nine, the existence of ‘

Impact of Capital Structure on Financial Performance of Real Estate Essay - 1

Impact of Capital Structure on Financial Performance of Real Estate Firms Listed In Chinese Stock Exchange - Essay Example The study analyses the listed firms based on the following objectives The study is a descriptive research design that explores the capital structure of companies listed in the Chinese stock exchange in seeking to describe their impact on the financial performance of the same companies. Information about 20 companies was collected from the official website of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE). The companies were selected in accordance to the composite index of the SSE, to ensure the findings can be generalised to other firms. Quantitative data analysis methods have been utilised in analysing the data gathered form the research with regression analysis being utilised to enhance the quality of the research findings. . Different financial ratios of companies have been calculated and an industry average determined. The ownership of the listed firms is mainly by the government and legal institutions who own 28% and 24% respectively. The total debt and long term debt of the listed companies is 50.49% and 10.15% respectively. The equity over fixed asset ratio for the companies is at 92.77%. There has been a significant drop in the return on assets value which is currently at 9.74%. Chinese firms have an average liability of about 45% while the average liability of the G-7 countries in 54%. Most of the Chinese companies listed on the SSE utilise a short term financing options and this has been the man characteristic of their capital structure. The capital structure adopted by these firms has the greatest impact on their performance. The companies listed in the SSE have been posting high profits and have financial debts which are lower than the average industry level. These firms are mainly financed through equity capital which is not a debt. Low debts have had a significant effect in resulting to the high profits since there is a reduced level of interests paid, ensuring the

Production and Operations Management. Lenzing AG Case study

Production and Operations Management. Lenzing AG - Case Study Example The company had its base in the town near Salzburg since long and never felt the need to spread out far from there. The company was content with its operations and business till the year 1978 when the zeal to spread out internationally was initiated in Lenzing. The initiation or the possibility was triggered by a phone call which was made by an entrepreneur of Indian origin named Ashok Birla. The Indian entrepreneur came up with an idea of structuring a manufacturing unit in Indonesia. Initially, this proposal was turned down by the management of Lenzing owing to their lack of experience in foreign joint ventures as well as investments. However, with time Lenzing was able to identify the immense potential of the enormous and unexploited market of textile in Indonesia which made the Chairman ultimately initiate a joint venture with Birla. The outcome of the venture was a new firm named South Pacific Viscose (SPV) which was also the first foreign associate of Lenzing (Spar & Et. Al., 2 008). Problem Statement or Issues The joint venture resulted to be quite successful and in a short period of time the firm SPV started earning huge profits by being a contributor of rayon fiber to the flourishing textile trade of Indonesia. It was found that there was a huge demand of the rayon fiber in the country and the firm efficiently exploited this opportunity which resulted in the augmentation of their profits by around 15 percent every year. In the year 1988, another production plant was set up by Lenzing due to the impressive profits. The second plant was established so as to enhance its production ability from 32,000 to 73000 tons each year. With the taste of success in Indonesia, Lenzing started spreading even out of Europe by way of initiating quite some fresh projects. The experience achieved with the help of its joint venture, SPV assisted Lenzing to expand. In the year 1992, a third plant for the purpose of rayon production was acquired by the company at Tennessee. It also started its manufacturing operations in China in 1994 by way of entering into a contract with the government of China to build a manufacturing plant of rayon around Beijing. These various investments and expansions helped Lenzing acquire the reputation of the sole rayon company across the world which boasted of a factual global presence (Spar & Et. Al., 2008). The company’s joint venture with Birla in Indonesia was functioning quite productively and profitably by the year 1994. This made the company Lenzing think yet once again of expanding more with the help of starting a third manufacturing plant of SPV which would facilitate to enhance up the production to 109,000 tons. It was also planned by the company that the third plant would focus on manufacturing rayon fibers of the most exceptional quality. The company was aware of the fact that with the addition of the third manufacturing plant, the firm SPV would be placed amongst the biggest facilities in rayon manufacturi ng and would be ranked in the second position after the Austrian plant owned by Lenzing (Spar & Et. Al., 2008). Along with the profitability factor, there were other important factors too which were considered to be significant as they would majorly contribute towards the expansion. The other aspects that were measured to facilitate the expansion were the strong recognized associations with the firm’s downstream customers and also the admirable working association with the Indonesian local partner. The location of the firm in Indonesia was considered to be the major inducement behind the expansion owing to the country’s potential of turning into a motivating force for the international textile industry. Apart from the advantages that triggered the

Book Report - Middle School Series Essay Example for Free

Book Report Middle School Series Essay ? Rafe Khatchadorian has enough issues around his family life, without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix. Luckily, hes got an incredible plan for the best year ever, if only he can pull it off. With his best friend Leonardo the Silent awarding him points, Rafe tries to break every rule in his schools Code of Conduct. Having gum in class scores him 5,000 points, running through the hallways, another 10,000 points and pulling the fire alarm, 50,000 points! But not everyone thinks that Rafe’s game is a good idea, especially the teachers, parents and other students at the school, so hell have to decide if winning is all that matters, or if hes finally ready to face the rules, bullies, and truths hes been avoiding. http://www. jamespatterson. com/books_middleSchool. php#. UWY9FFdstN4 Middle School the Worst Years of My Life is written by James Patterson and is a realistic fiction book that takes you through the journey of Rafe’s first year at middle school, dealing with the awkwardness of crushes, bullies, and family issues as he tries to break every rule in the school’s Code of Conduct. The book features many different pictures that tell you what’s going on as well, and is considered a graphic novel. Middle School the Worst Years of my Life received a critical acclaim from the most reviewers, it won the YALSA 2012’s Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers award and James Patterson got nominated for the Children’s Book Council’s Author of the Year award. James has written well over 50 books, a lot of them being in series, and has won many awards. Middle School the Worst Years of My Life is the first book in the Middle School series. The setting of the Middle School series is in middle school. There is no specific day or time that this book is set in, other than it being during middle school. A lot of the time the rules that are broken are broken within the school timing, but there are one or two rules that get broken out of school times. I think the setting has been chosen well, and believed it suited the book well. The novel starts with Rafe entering sixth grade at Hills Village Middle School. Beginning the new school year with a negative mindset means that Rafe starts the year bored and believes that ‘it was a prison Pilgrims back then, but not too much has changed. Now it’s a prison for sixth, seventh and eighth graders. ’ Rafe quickly understands that he will be stuck in middle school for 3 years, and invents â€Å"Operation R. A. F. E. † with his best friend Leonardo the Silent. The plan was to break every single rule in the schools handbook. He also has to put up with the issues in his home life. His mum is always working double shifts at a diner and never gets time with her children, Rafe, and Rafe’s younger sister, Georgia. He has a verbally abusive stepfather (Bear) who looks after him when his mother is away. Then, there’s Jeanne Galletta, who Rafe is madly in love with. Jeanne is a doubtful of Rafe’s plan and wishes he would spend more time on school work then his games. Operation R. A. F. E’s consequences consists of many detentions with his English teacher, Ms. Donatello. This creates tension between Rafe’s family, and after having a fight with Bear about Leonardo and how he is a bad influence on Rafe, we discover that Leonardo is Rafe’s imaginary friend. Rafe’s actions eventually lead to bad grades, getting himself suspended, and then forced to be tutored by Jeanne, whom he had been trying to avoid because she doesn‘t like him. While the tension in the family gets stronger, Bear throws Rafe’s mother to the ground and moves out, Rafe gets expelled for spraying graffiti on the school walls, but Ms. Donatello see’s the potential artist within him and comes up with the idea to send him to art school. The final part of the book reveals that Leonardo is Rafe’s dead twin brother. An exciting part of the novel is when Rafe graffiti’s the school wall at four in the morning. ‘The next morning, I left a note for Mom saying that I had to go to school extra early to work on a project, which was basically true. I just left out the part about how early meant four in the morning and project meant highly illegal activity. â€Å"You’re not going to regret this,† Leo kept telling me. The way he saw it, the whole point of Operation R. A. F. E. was about breaking rules, so why should I let a little thing like losing the game stop me from doing the part I’d been looking forward to the most? Like I said before – genius†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦I unpacked my new flat black marker, a big old camping flashlight, and some of my latest practice sketches. I’d drawn these ones on graph paper, which is kind of like a brick wall, to show me how big everything would need to be. But Leo was feeling impatient, â€Å"You don’t need those anymore,† he said. â€Å"The clock’s ticking. Stop thinking so much and just go. † So I did. I set up the flashlight on a rock so that it was shining right at the wall. Then I picked up my marker and started. It was king of slow-moving at the beginning. I wasn’t sure what to draw first, or what order to do things in. But the more I kept going, the more I got into it, and then somewhere along the way everything started to flow†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. After a while I was running around like crazy, working over here, working over there and getting up on an old trash can to reach the higher parts when I needed to. The whole thing started to get so big that I felt like I was inside it, even while I was still drawing. It was like Leo had said – I wasn’t thinking anymore. I was just doing it, like the marker was just another part of me, and the lines and shapes and pictures were coming right out of my hand. ’ After a while, the police show up, and are surprised that a kid had done all that work, but then again, it was illegal, so into the cop car went Rafe and Leo. I like this part of the novel because I felt as if I was in the actual scene. It was as if I was Leo and I was scared we’d get caught. This scene, although it’s short, it was intense. You didn’t want Rafe to get caught, but you wanted to know what would have happened when he got caught. I just believe that the way this chapter/scene has been written makes it believable and makes you feel like you’re there. The style of this novel is average pace. The novel begins out very slowly, and it doesn’t have much meaning, but once the novel gets a fair way into it, the drama begins, and the pace slowly picks up. At the end of the novel, things get more intense and more happens in a shorter amount of time, and by the end of the novel, so much has happened, that it takes a while to comprehend what has happened, but you realise that James wrote it that way for a reason, and to me, that reason was so that he could have a short book, that had a lot in it, and might eventually be able to make a movie, much like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies. The Worst Years of my Life uses a lot of slang humour, but not so much that it’s over powering, it’s just enough that it creates the characteristics of the book. A genre is the category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter. There are several genre’s the feature in this novel, some more than others. The genres that feature heavily in Middle School the Worst Years of My Life are: Comedy Humour Drama The genre that is featured in the book, but not as heavily is romance. Have you ever had a crush on someone and had them not like you back? Romance is a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love. Rafe Khatchadorian discovers his feelings for Jeanne Galletta on one of his first days at school. They were all sitting in the school gym and she was one of the candidates for the student council representatives and part way through or speech, she offers to buy Rafe fries later that day, and that’s when he knew he liked her. Towards the end of the novel, Rafe’s grades start to go downhill and the school as well as his Mum think it’s a good idea to get some extra help. Little did Rafe know that his dream girl Jeanne was going to be his tutor. Even though Rafe is a teenage boy who likes girls, middle school would not be any good without a sense of humor or a comedian mixed into the scene. The biggest class clown in the school is here, and his name? Rafe Khatchadorian. A class clown is the funniest person in the class who often gets in trouble. Rafe’s first year at middle school is spent trouble making and trying to make people laugh, but not everyone thinks that his plan to break every rule in the Code of Conduct. Miller the Killer was the school bully, and his new prey is Rafe. Throughout Rafe’s middle school year, he comes into conflict with Miller many times. The biggest thing that happens to Rafe because of Miller the Killer is when he discovers Rafe’s notebook with all the Operation R. A. F. E. (Rules Aren’t For Everyone) and makes Rafe buy each page back off of him for a dollar a page, but Rafe discovers Miller’s plan with the notebook early on, and it isn’t pretty. Miller the Killer enjoys making Rafe’s first year at middle school hell, but Rafe enjoys the humorous side of school. School is tough on everyone, so what’s the best way to get through? Have fun! And that’s what Rafe intends to do by breaking all the rules in the Code of Conduct and earning himself points. The catch is, he only gets given three lives, and if he breaks all three, the games over. All the seriousness aside, Rafe gives himself, and Leo a good laugh. The funniest scene in the book to me was when Rafe decides to break the schools dress code, and he was given the best chance to do this with Halloween just around the corner. Leo knew that it would only be a matter of time before Rafe was caught by a teacher, so Leo was giving him 10,000 points for every 50 yards of the school he covered in his costume. Rafe ran, as fast as he could in all black, with a pocket full of Cheerios as throwing stars, and nunchucks made from paper towel roles with rope knotted at either end. Yep, you guessed it. Rafe was a ninja. ‘I came tearing out of that bathroom at full speed and just kept running – through the first floor (10,000! ), up the stairs (10,000! ), down the second floor hall past all the lockers (10,000! ), throwing Cheerios and swinging my nunchucks like crazy. ’ Right before he got caught, Miller the Killer was right in his aim. ‘I made sure my mask was pulled down tight over my face. Then I took a big windup as I went by, and beaned him upside the head with one of the chucks (10,000! ). â€Å"What the ? † Miller turned the wrong way, just as I passed him. By the time he’d figured out where I came from and where I was headed, I’d already left him in the dust. He was twice as big as me, but I was twice as fast. Eat it, Miller! ’ And then it happened. Caught right in the act. Yep, a teacher saw him†¦ Well, he ran into the teacher. Games over Rafe. ‘And then – splam! I ran right into Mrs. Stricker. Literally. Let’s just say, she wasn’t in the mood for wrestling. ’ But Rafe had another plan and it was going to earn him double points. ‘I went into the bathroom and came out a minute later without my ninja costume, running just as fast as before. Some kids got out of my way. Some even ran in the other direction. A few of the girls screamed when I cam2 through, but I dont think they meant it. And a few people even yelled stuff like â€Å"Go, Rafe, go! † and â€Å"Dont let ‘em get you! † Because, like I said, I wasn’t wearing my ninja costume anymore. In fact, I wasn’t wearing much of anything at all. ’ No, he wasn’t naked, but he wasn’t wearing much†¦ ‘Just sneakers, a pair of boxers, and a big old smile. Boy, did Rafe get in big trouble for that, but on the other hand, he did earn himself a lot of points! Rafe loves making people laugh, and I believe that the reason he does it isn’t for other people, but he does it to make himself feel good. I believe that the main theme in this novel is coming of age and growing up into a better person in a way. To me, I think this means that by using the resources that are around you (family, friends etc. ) to become the person you are supposed to be. For Rafe, this is trying to get over his prank, funny, humorous stage, and into the more serious schooling stage. This can be hard for some people, especially when they don’t get along with their family, and when their only friend is in their imagination, but by the end of the book, Rafe has realised that even though he isn’t academically smart, he does have a gift with art, which sees him going to art school. Love is also in the novel, as Rafe discovers Jeanne Galletta, but it doesn’t impact on the story as much as growing up does. The main characters in the book are: Rafael (Rafe) Khatchadorian – Rafe is the trouble maker in the story who is in his first year at Hills Village Middle School. Rafe is important because without him, there is no story. I like this character because he makes the book fun. Even though he isn’t an actual person, this character has a funny personality and a childish sense of humour. I believe that James Patterson has described this character well. Georgia Khatchadorian – Georgia is Rafe’s annoying little sister who likes to be in everyone’s business and know what’s going on in Rafe’s life, especially when he is in trouble. She is also the family tattletale and always dobs Rafe in when she catches him doing something wrong. Even though Georgia annoys Rafe a lot, he also protects her, which is like all siblings love-hate relationships. I like her because I think I can relate to her because I am the younger sister in my family, and I like to annoy my older brother, but I also know that he will always be there for me. I think that Georgia is a main character in this story because she is a part of Rafe’s home issues because she never leaves him alone and always wants to know what’s going on in his life. Carl AKA Bear – Bear is Georgia and Rafe’s, abusive, rude, obese stepdad who can be found on the couch. Bear is often yelling at Rafe after school. He also argues with Mrs. Khatchadorian, Rafe and Georgia’s mum, and one argument let Bear to accidently push her down the front steps, and when the police show up, it doesn’t look good for Carl. I don’t like him at all! He’s so rude and obnoxious, and I would hate to have a step parent as bad as him. Leonardo (Leo) the Silent – Leo is Rafe’s best friend, who we later discover is in his imagination. We also later find out that Leo was Rafe’s twin brother who died when he was still a baby. I think that Leo is the glue that holds everything together. He helps Rafe with school, with home, and he gives him the motivation to keep going when things get tough. I really like Leo the Silent because even though he isn’t real, he is the perfect best friend. Jeanne (Jay-Gee) Galletta – Jeanne is Rafe’s crush. He is madly in love with her, but she is also the goody-two-shoes of the school, and she hates Operation R. A. F. E. I like her but I don’t. I feel like she tries too hard to be a good student, and doesn’t give herself enough freedom, which is why I don’t like her. I think that being a teenager, or getting to that stage  means that you can manage school and social life, and to me, it’s like she has no social life. She’s important in the story because as we get older, we start to see people in different ways, and we start to like them, and I believe that Jeanne is important because without her, it’s not a real adolescent’s life. Ms. Donatello AKA the Dragon Lady – Ms. Donatello is Rafe’s English teacher, as well as his detention buddy. Even though she is strict and can get aggravated easily, she also has Rafe’s best interest at heart and wouldn’t help him if she didn’t believe he was better than what he shows. I like her because I have had plenty of teachers that are hard on me, but they do it because they want what’s best, and without that push, we wouldn’t grow and evolve as people. I understand why Rafe doesn’t particular like her, but teachers always want what’s best, and he will eventually see that. Miller AKA Miller the Killer – Miller is the school bully, hence the name ‘Miller the Killer. ’ He is constantly giving Rafe a hard time throughout his first year at middle school, and without the school bully, school wouldn’t be school. There is always that one person that puts people down to make themselves feel good, although not a lot of bullies take kids lunch money, but hurt them mentally, or even physically. I don’t like Miller because I believe that he hurts people because he can and he needs to get disciplined. Without Miller, or a bully in the book, it wouldn’t be like school life, so I can understand why James Patterson included him in it. I’m not much of a reader, but I really enjoyed this book, and I found it easy to understand and comprehend because of the little sketches throughout the book. This book is much like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and I believe it is aimed at the same kind of age group. I think that I was too old to read this novel, but I didn’t find it so easy that I could just read it in a day, but not hard enough that it took me forever to read. It was a good balance, so I would suggest it for kids 13 years old and younger, somewhere between 9 and 13. To be honest, it was a good book, but it could have been made longer so not everything happened at once towards the end. In general, it was a good read, and I would recommend it to younger kids who enjoy having a good laugh and getting into trouble.