Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Summary of "The Syrian Bride" Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary of "The Syrian Bride" - Essay Example This film is plotted at an Arab- Israeli conflict with a family whose life is divided by the harsh political situation. The film’s budget was $18.3M. However the critical reception of the film was a bit of favoritism of one of the sides, that is Syria. The films was nominated for Awards of the Israeli Film Academy alongside other 7 awards and 15 nominations (imdb.com). The Electronic Intifada (1) explains: The film is a well thought story that brings out the plight of families in war region of Syrian border with Israeli. It gives the dilemmas that people are confronted with in situations of war. Mona is challenged between the option to join the unknown man who is to marry her in Syria and never see her family again, or stay with her family. The husband Tallel is a Television comedian in Syria but the situation of the Golan Heights makes it difficult for her to leave. She needs to get married and hence must meet Tallel but this has the challenge of her losing the unidentified nationality status which implies she will never reunite with her family at this place. Further the fact that they have never met one another makes us realize the dire situation that those in Golan Heights are in. the insane bureaucracy that they experience during her movement out of Israel to go out to Syria presents to as the challenges and problems that Golan Heights dweller s were exposed to. This makes it even harder for their family to gather for Mona’s wedding putting her marriage in crisis. The political position of Syria and Israel makes the lives of Golan Heights occupants unbearable. The passport standoff at the border paints the situation that is unimaginable with the intended Family of Mona waiting on the other end as her family too is stranded with her. With the film narrating the ordeal that the political stalemate presents to the people of these two countries, it serves to create a gradual relaxation of tension. It opens up the

Monday, October 28, 2019

High School and Graduation Essay Example for Free

High School and Graduation Essay Time gets closer to the day we move our tassels from senior to graduate. Graduation steps on the back of our heels like the annoying freshman running late for class. It acts as if it is going to creep up on us, but we all know it will be here soon. It tip-toes in the back of our minds. Graduation: a day of freedom, maturity, and proof that nobody is any better than another. â€Å"There are many different ways of following through†¦ Sometimes it’s about going there, not getting there. Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination. â€Å" –Drake. This quote says a lot. He actually spoke at a graduation, and told that graduation class this same thing. This quote reaches out to me because I know my journey will be a rough journey. Becoming the person I want to be after high school is a journey all its own. I hope I get to where I want to be. Even if I do not, I have learned. Although graduation is only a few months away, I am getting nervous. I am nervous. But graduation day will be the day I go from high school student to adult. Age is just a number. Intelligence proves adulthood. I am proud to say I am looking forward to graduation day. I am looking forward to becoming an adult. I am looking forward to taking that next step in my life. I want the rest of my class to be as ready and nervous as I am because I will not feel alone. I know I am not the only one who feels this way. Every senior all around the United States is put in this position. We all do the same thing. We all walk onto that stage, shake hands, smile, wait for a picture and walk off with our high school diplomas in hand. Adults and older siblings did not lie when they told me that my four years of high school will be the best four years of my life. I have had an amazing four years. I have lost friends, gained friends, met some amazing people, and even met some people that I did not want to meet. I got put in positions I was not sure I was mature enough to handle. I handled them though. I got forced to make choices I did not know I needed to make on my own, but I made them and I know I made the right ones because of the person I am today. I am already ready to walk on that stage and smile. Smile big for those who made choices that caused them to not be able to walk with me. I smile for the  people who have tried to bring me down in life so far. And most of all I smile for myself, I smile because I made it. I made it to this graduation day; a day full of freedom, maturity, and proof that nobody is any better than me.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Regaining Control in Anna Karenina Essay -- Tolstoy Anna Karenina Essa

Regaining Control in Anna Karenina Anna Karenina features significant clusters of scenes, all of which describe notable moments in the development of the novel's major figures. One of the most important clusters is when Anna travels to see Vronsky. On her way her perceptions change; she throws her "searchlight" upon herself. Arriving at the next station she sees the rails and knows what must be done. Anna has had control over her own life taken away from her, due to the societal limitations on her choices as a woman. She becomes resentful of the society she lives in, and turns that frustration on the unsympathetic Vronsky, who retains his own freedom as well as control over her own happiness. She is too proud and passionate to live in subordination, as Dolly Oblonsky does. Anna cannot conceive of going on indefinitely as she has been, and at the same time can take no pleasure from contemplation of her past, or her future, which holds no prospect of change. Feeling trapped and untrue to her own unwanted desires, she begins to see the entire world as a wretched place populated by miserable, entrapped individuals just like herself. Through death alone, she feels she can secure a place in Vronsky's heart. Death is also the only decision that she is free to carry out on her own. The place that Anna occupies is like that of a child, making up tasks for herself to fill the time, while others make the decisions that affect her life. Anna tries to interest herself with educating the English girl, writing a children's book, but these are all distractions from the fact that she has nowhere to go. Oblonsky and Karenin meet to try to settle the question of Anna's future, without inviting Anna to plead for herself or otherwise a... ...bout whether or not the maidservant will remember to put clean sheets on the guests' beds. But neither of these women's roles are true to her own desires. To stay on this earth is to place control of her life in the hands of a man whom she is not certain loves her. Anna's decision is incomprehensible to Madame Vronsky: "Can you understand these desperate passions?" (812). But from our view of Anna's mental landscape, we can understand them all too well. Works Cited Jahn, Gary R. â€Å"The Images of the Railroad in Anna Karenina,† Slavic and East European Journal 2 (1981): 1-10. Mandelker, Amy. â€Å"Feminist Criticism and Anna Karenina.† Tolstoy Studies Journal III (1990): 82-103 Nitze, Paul H. & Foreword. The Complete Idiots Guide to Leo Tolstoy. London: Henry Z. Walck, 1994. Tolstoy, Leo. Anna Karenina. Trans. Joel Carmichael. Toronto: Bantam Books, 1960.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Collaborative Working †Case Study Essay

The aim of this essay is to examine the significance of collaborative working to achieve positive outcomes for service users. â€Å"Collaboration is a dynamic inter-professional process which two or more professionals make a commitment to solve problems and to learn from each other in order to accomplish identified goals, purposes or outcomes† (Hamric, Spross and Hanson, 2000, p.318). Since the publication of Every Child Matters (2004), social care, health, voluntary sectors and other children’s services have been joining forces to work more collaboratively around an early intervention and preventative agenda (Department for Education and Skills, 2004). This essay will focus on the National Childhood Measurement Programme (NCMP) and by drawing on the author’s experiences as a Nursery Nurse in the School Nursing team it will demonstrate the skills and knowledge required for successful implementation of this service and how to promote seamless working. The NCMP was established in 2005 and involves weighing and measuring all eligible children aged 4-5 years and 10-11 years. Research shows that it is difficult to visually tell if a child is overweight, which is why an objective measure if essential (Department of Health, 2012). The data gathered provides a picture about how children are growing nationally, therefore this information is used by the NHS to plan and provide better health services for children (NHS Choices, 2012). According to the NHS Information Centre (2010) one in four, 4-5 year olds, are overweight or obese; furthermore, these rates are higher among some black and minority ethnic communities and lower socio-econo mic groups. Although the Primary Care Trust (PCT) oversee the delivery of the programme effective partnership working is essential, therefore this essay will explore what partnerships are required and the factors that facilitate or hinder collaborative working in this area of work. Finally, this report will provide evidence from literature and published papers to support the identified barriers and benefits of collaborative working throughout this process. Setting The School Nursing team comprises of a range of skill mix which consists of a Head of Service, one team leader, seven School Nurses, five of which have obtained the Specialist Community Public Health Nurse qualification (Degree or Masters Degree) and three Nursery Nurses evenly spread in three different localities around the City. The team covers fifty two Primary Schools and ten Secondary Schools, mainly in the inner City but also in the rural surrounding areas, therefore an extremely diverse region with varying socio-economic backgrounds. This City has a very large Asian population, however recently there has been an increase in Eastern European, Afro-Caribbean, Chinese and travellers all presenting a multitude of cultures, values and beliefs. Measuring the children takes place in the school setting. Each individual school will be contacted to arrange a suitable date and time as well as organising a private area with adequate space for the ease of measuring and comfort for the children. Every school in this district has its individuality, not only do they vary in size but numerous schools have a large proportion of pupils with English as an additional language (EAL). There three special needs schools, furthermore schools with varying socio-economic backgrounds such as families experiencing poverty within the inner city and in contrast more affluent areas where the school attainment is generally higher. Knowledge and Skills of the Health Professional in the Setting The Knowledge and skills discussed in this section relate to the author’s role as a Nursery Nurse within the School Nursing Team and the planning, implementation and follow-up work required for the growth measurements of all eligible Reception and Yr 6 children as required by the Governments National Childhood Measurement Programme (NCMP). The skills required for successful delivery of this program not only depend on accurate weighing and measuring children but several other elements such as engaging with various professionals, inputting data, maximising the effective delivery of the program which is dependent on excellent communication skills, administration management, IT skills and clinical knowledge. These skills are required from the very beginning at the planning stage; high-quality organisational skills are essential when planning and booking in the measurement sessions with the schools. The Nursery Nurse requires good organisational skills as it is her responsibility to organise the logistics of these sessions; by liaising with the School Nurses a timetable is generated to complete the programme over the year, ensuring there is sufficient staff available for each school. Following this, the Nursery Nurse will contact all the Primary Schools to book in the sessions, good communication skills are necessary to request a suitable room to maintain the privacy and dignity of the children and ensure the session creates as little disruption as possible to the educatio n of the children. Generally, the booking is made with either the School Secretary or the Head Teacher who then cascades this information to the relevant teachers and staff. It is crucial to acquire the knowledge and understanding of the NCMP protocol regarding consent and confidentiality. Parents and children are issued with information prior to the session, subsequently the NCMP operate an opt-out basis, and therefore the parents are given the opportunity to withdraw (Department of Health, 2011). The refusal notification is sent to the Child Health Department who then records this on the specific child’s medical record; therefore communication and information sharing skills are essential for this to be implemented successfully. It is paramount to respect the parent’s choice to refuse and ensure that no pressure is placed on the family to participate (Schwab and Gelfman, 2001), by possessing the knowledge of the ethical considerations of children will assist situations where a child decides they would not like to be measured. According to Lord Scarman, children have the right to make their own decisions when they reach sufficient understan ding and intelligence to be capable of making up their own mind (Children’s Legal Centre, 1985). Annual training is mandatory which ensures competency in the accurate measurement of children to obtain reliable results. It is the Nursery Nurses responsibility to supply the relevant equipment to the sessions ensuring that the height measure is complete, clean and in good working order, furthermore the scales are required to be calibrated as required by the trusts policy therefore good time management and organisational skills are beneficial. Upon arrival, the school will direct the team to a suitable area to perform the growth checks and notify the relevant staff members of our arrival. The team normally consists of a School Nurse and two Nursery Nurses, however if the School Nurse has been requested to attend a Safeguarding issue then the Nursery Nurses will complete the task, so having the ability to adapt to different situations is fundamental. Being able to work as part of a team as well as work independently is a major requirement not only to this particular task but working within the School Nursing team in general. Normally the School Nurse will discuss the process with the class teacher and then talk to the children, explaining what will happen and that the measurements will be confidential and not shared with teachers or other children, furthermore any concerns they have will be addressed. However, if the School Nurse is not in attendance the Nursery Nurse will complete this task, therefore excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills (Philippot, Feldman and Coats, 2003), empathy and an understanding on how to reduce anxiety is imperative to ease any worries or concerns. Knowledge of the health implications from being overweight or obese would be beneficial, furthermore a general knowledge of how to achieve a healthy lifestyle by eating a balanced diet and regular exercise would be necessary to provide advice if requested. Accurate recording of the measurements is paramount and knowledge of the correct procedure for information sharing is imperative. The trust adheres to the Data Protection Act (1998) furthermore to keep up to date with this information and gain the relevant knowledge, Information Governance training is completed annually. Normally the School Nurse will input the information onto each child’s medical record and send the records off to the Child Health Department via secure internal mail, however according to the trusts policy it is compulsory for the information to be inputted within 24 hours after the measurements have been taken. As School Nurses have more medical responsibilities they might ask the Nursery Nurse to complete this task therefore good IT skills to input accurate and concise information is essential as well as the ability to prioritise workload according to the needs of the project are essential. The final component of this process is responding to calls from parents after they have received the results letters from the NCMP department. Excellent communication skills and being able to calm a conversation if the parent gets upset, angry or has taken offense to the information in the letter is vital (Whitaker and Fiore, 2001). Additionally, it is important to understand the implications of different cultures and the impact they may have on diet and size of children. Knowledge of the programs of support available will enable the Nursery Nurse to advise the parents so they can seek the relevant help and support not only for their child but for the whole family. Obtaining this extensive knowledge is fundamental to ensuring that parent’s receives the correct information, help and support to contribute to understanding the necessity of healthy lifestyles for the long-term well-being of their child. Finally, it is important for the Nursery Nurse to refer any concerns or compla ints to the named School Nurse who will then either contact the parent or report the situation to the specific organisation (Lynn, 2010). There is a plethora of professional’s whom the Nursery Nurse may collaborate with throughout the NCMP process, several of which will be liaised with on a regular basis, such as the one’s named above. HHHnnjjjnjnjnslfjfljjjfieiedddeeergggggeeee333e3e3owever, further interagency working may be required to meet the needs of the children and families, these may include Dietician, Paediatrician, Social Workers, Leisure Centre Staff and MoreLife Weight Management staff. Legislation Legislation has the impetus for collaborative working, transformation in the structure and delivery of services for children and young people initiated new alliances between statutory, public and voluntary agencies (Children Act, 2004). There are numerous Government and Local policies stating the importance of implementing interagency, partnership or collaborative working and that practitioners are required to work more closely together and form integrated teams around children and families (Department for Children, School and Families, 2007). The Governments green paper, Every Child Matters (2004) emphasised that for each child to fulfil their potential there must be a greater deal of co-operation, not only between government agencies but schools, GP’s, sports organisations and voluntary sectors. To help meet the Government strategy of multi-agency collaboration, the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge (HM Government, 2006) was introduced to work alongside the Every Child Mat ters agenda. This emphasised six areas of expertise that are expected to be put into practice by all practitioners who work with children and families. Factors that facilitate or hinder collaborative working Collaborative working is a complex and multi-faceted concept, the Latin translation â€Å"together in Labour† signifies that to meet the individual needs of children and families, successful joint working between services in a more streamlined way is required. However, although collaborative working is regarded as desirable, nevertheless, it is difficult to attain. When the NCMP was established in 2005 the PCT set up a NCMP agency to oversee the programme with joint working with the School Nursing service, therefore clarity of the aims and objectives were to be recognised and understood by all parties for this programme to be successful (Denman, 2002). Lack of formal structure and agreed outcomes may cause confusion and can result in blaming others for inaction and lack of progress (Cameron et al, 2009), therefore clarity of roles and expectation were defined by producing a clear and comprehensive policy based upon the shared vision of all organisations (Rushmer and Pallis, 2002). The Children Act (2004) gives all statutory partners wide powers to pool their budgets in pursuit of improved outcomes for children, furthermore sharing resources reduces cost and prevents unnecessary duplication of work (Atwal and Caldwell, 2005). However, time constraints due to other work commitments by the School Nursing team make it difficult to achieve the 85% participation rate (NMCP, 2012) particularly when children are absent and parents or children refuse. This may cause conflict due to NCMP’s ignorance of the School Nursing complex role and other significant priorities such a safeguarding (Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2010). Working in partnership with Schools is essential for the successful delivery of the programme, maintaining high participation rates by pupils and robustness of data (NCMP, 2012). A good system of communication and information sharing is required to book a convenient date and time to complete the measurements which will enable smooth running of the program with little interruption to the teachers or pupils (Integrated Care Network, 2003). Howeve r, when office staff fails to relay this information to the relevant teachers disruption to class activities, failure to provide suitable facilities and time constraints may occur which impact on the quality of service provided to the children. Factors that aid multi-agency working between schools and health services are willingness to work together, acknowledgement of professional differences, mutual respect and sharing a common purpose. Overall, the collaboration between the schools and School Nursing team is extremely good. However, occasionally conflict of interest may occur when teachers see the measurement programme as an interruption to education rather than acknowledging that children’s health status is related to their ability to learn and that children with unmet health needs have difficulties in engaging in the education process (Board et al, 2011). Therefore, creating a common purpose and employing a whole system approach (Miles and Trott, 2011) will facilitate ea rly intervention for childhood obesity will reduce health implications such as diabetes and heart disease, improve self-esteem and enhance well-being which contributes to better educational achievement. Therefore, mutual respect for each profession is paramount for successful collaboration and better outcomes for children. The Child Health Department works closely with the NCMP, School Nursing team, schools, parents and other professional bodies. Their main responsibility during the NCMP process is distribution of information to parents to explain the purpose of the programme and give parents the opportunity to withdraw. This information is recorded onto each child’s medical record and then highlighted on the lists issued to the School Nurses prior to the sessions. If the withdrawal of consent is not forwarded to the School Nurse in time for the session, then errors may occur, leading to legal and ethical issues, therefore to facilitate collaborative working improved communication and improved information sharing is vital for co-ordinating safe provision of care (Samuel, 2011). It is also the responsibility of Child Health to input the data onto each of the children’s medical record, however due to the NCMP agency possessing a different IT systems this task is duplicated therefore integrated services are hindered (Atwal and Caldwell, 2005). Within the School Nursing team roles and responsibilities are established, the School Nurse takes the lead role in the programme, however the Nursery Nurse will ensure that all the necessary equipment and paper work is present, both will perform the accurate weighing and measuring and recording of the data. According to Rushmer and Pallis (2002) positive joint working relies upon the merging of skills, knowledge and expertise from different professional hierarchies and reliance on team members can contribute to positive attitudes to other professionals. Dilemmas arise when there is a shortage of staff due to staff turnover, lack of trained staff to perform the task or competing priorities which may result in poor staff morale and impact on the accuracy of the task (Maguire and Trustcott, 2006). Furthermore, challenges may occur when there are status issues and blurring of professional boundaries, according to Wall (1998) when staff operates outside their area of expertise there will be loss of efficiency. The author recognises her role in the NCMP process; therefore any queries will be referred to the named School Nurse to respond to. Health and Clinical Excellence, NICE (2006) and Cochrane Collaboration (Summerbell et al, 2005) state there is an urgent need for evidence of effective strategies for reducing childhood obesity, therefore annual weighing and measuring data collected can be shared at National and Local levels to analyse the efficacy of the regional weight management programmes to receive continued funding to sustain the initiative to provide better health services for children (NHS Choices, 2012). Parents will be provided with feedback of their child’s weight status from the NCMP, effective information sharing raise awareness of potential associated health risks and provides parents with the opportunity to seek advice and support if they choose to (NCMP, 2012). However, complications arise when policies and guidelines differ; the School Nursing team employ a different guideline to the NCMP resulting in complex telephone conversations regarding the letter sent by the NCMP stating their child is overweight. Subsequently, for competent collaboration to exist, clarity of referral criteria’s is needed to be standardised across boundaries (NICE, 2013). The Laming Report (2009) stated a need for significant shifts in working relationships between schools, health services and parents and engaging with parents to enabling them to feel valued and encourage decision making will engage parent participation which is essential for positive outcomes to be achieved (Every Child Matters, 2004). Parents are important influences on children’s eating and physical activity behaviour (Golan, 2006) therefore collaboration with parents is vital (Whitaker et al, 1997). School based interventions such as MoreLife are effective when the whole family participate, furthermore NICE Clinical guideline 43 (2006) states that school based interventions engage families regardless of socio-economic status, cultural background and ethnicity, this is evident with the number of participants for this weight management programme in this diverse region. In contrast, barriers may occur with the lack of partnership working, power struggles, lack of commitment an d lack of equal representation, these will decrease opportunities for working together, therefore creating a shared responsibility to reduce obesity will increase the health outcomes for children. Multi disciplinary team work will identify children at risk from obesity and promote quicker and easy access to services (ECM, 2004). Additionally, the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) can be shared between practitioners to refer children to appropriate services, promote information sharing and reduce duplication of and streamline assessments (CAF, 2012). However, collaboration with other professionals can be hampered when there are variations in working conditions, such as the School Nursing team and Schools working on term time only contracts. Furthermore many GP’s and Paediatricians have a professional hierarchy and delegate work to other agencies which in turn may have an effect on job satisfaction. Conversely, working with other professionals can be rewarding, stimulating, improve working relationships and increase knowledge and understanding of specialist practitioners.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Difference Between Civil Law and Criminal Law

Student Handout 3. 1 – The Difference Between Civil Law and Criminal Law When is a legal problem criminal and when is it civil? What difference does it make whether it is criminal or civil? One way of looking at criminal law is that it is dealing with something of public interest. For example, the public has an interest in seeing that people are protected from being robbed or assaulted. These are legal problems that fall into the criminal law.Criminal law involves punishing and rehabilitating offenders, and protecting society. Since the public has an interest in having criminal law, we give the government the power to put it in place and enforce it. The police and Crown Prosecutors are hired by the government to put the criminal law into effect. Public funds are used to pay for these services. If you are the victim of a crime, you report it to the police and they have the responsibility to investigate. They arrest and charge the suspect.In most cases, if a charge has been prop erly laid and if there is evidence supporting it, the Crown Prosecutor, not the person who complains of the incident, prosecutes it in the courts. This is called a system of public prosecutions. Long ago the person who had been wronged prosecuted the case. The power to prosecute privately remains, but is used rarely now. Even if a person starts a prosecution privately, the Attorney General has the power to take over the prosecution of the case. As a victim, you do not have to be responsible for enforcing the law.The police and Crown Prosecutor do their jobs for the public at large, not for you personally. In a criminal case, the Crown prosecutor must prove the defendant’s guilt â€Å"beyond a reasonable doubt. † This means that at the end of a trial the judge or jury can only find the defendant guilty if they are left without a reasonable doubt about the defendant’s guilt. In other words, there is no logical or rational reason to doubt the defendant’s gui lt. This is not the case in civil law. Civil law is about private disputes etween individuals or between individuals and organizations. Civil matters include areas such as contract law, family law, tort law, property law and labour law. The person suing for a wrong has the burden of proving their case on a â€Å"balance of probabilities. † This means that a judge or jury must believe their story and evidence more than the defendant’s version. They do not need to be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt. Civil disputes usually involve some harm, loss or injury to one party or their property.Unlike criminal law; however, civil law is primarily involved with compensating victims. If a civil action is successful, the defendant will be responsible for the wrongful action. While a defendant in a criminal case may be found â€Å"guilty† or â€Å"not guilty,† a defendant in a civil case is said to be â€Å"liable† or â€Å"not liable† for damages. If you have a civil law problem, you have to take action yourself if you want to get a legal remedy. You can hire a private lawyer, and you will have to pay the expenses of pursuing the matter.For example, if you hire someone to paint your house and they do a poor job, it is a dispute between you and the painter. The police do not get involved. If you want to sue the painter for breach of contract, it is your responsibility to do so. Sometimes criminal law is referred to as part of our public law because it applies to all Canadians and regulates relationships within our society. Similarly, civil law is sometimes referred to as private law because it regulates private relationships between individuals in our society.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Reading Comprehension Worksheet 2

Reading Comprehension Worksheet 2 Reading comprehension is like anything; to get good at it, you need to practice. Luckily, you can do that, here, with this Reading Comprehension Worksheet 2 – The End of Overeating. Directions: The passage below is followed by questions based on its content; answer the questions on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage. Printable PDFs: The End of Overeating Reading Comprehension Worksheet | The End of Overeating Reading Comprehension Worksheet Answer Key From The End of Overeating by David Kessler. Copyright  © 2009 by David Kessler. Years of research had educated me about how sugar, fat, and salt change the brain. I understood some of the parallels between hyperpalatable foods and drugs of abuse, and about the links among sensory stimulation, cues, and memory. Id met enough people like Claudia and Maria to understand how even the thought of food could cause them to lose control. But I wasnt fully prepared for the discoveries I made about irresistibility and whoosh, the Monster Thickburger and Baked! Cheetos Flamin Hot, about indulgence and purple cows. Without necessarily understanding the underlying science, the food industry has discovered what sells. I was sitting at Chilis Grill Bar in Chicagos OHare Airport waiting for a late-night flight. At a nearby table a couple in their early forties was deep into a meal. The woman was overweight, with about 180 pounds on her five-foot-four-inch frame. The Southwestern Eggrolls she had ordered were listed as a starter course, but the enormous platter in front of her had been heaped with food. The dish was described on the menu as smoked chicken, black beans, corn, jalapeà ±o Jack cheese, red peppers, and spinach wrapped inside a crispy flour tortilla, and it was served with a creamy avocado-ranch dipping sauce. Despite its name, the dish looked more like a burrito than an egg roll, an only-in-America fusion approach. I watched as the woman attacked her food with vigor and speed. She held the egg roll in one hand, dunked it into the sauce, and brought it to her mouth while using the fork in her other hand to scoop up more sauce. Occasionally she reached over and speared some of her companions french fries. The woman ate steadily, working her way around the plate with scant pause for conversation or rest. When she finally paused, only a little lettuce was left. Had she known someone was watching her, Im sure she would have eaten differently. Had she been asked to describe what she had just eaten, she probably would have substantially underestimated her consumption. And she would probably have been surprised to learn what the ingredients in her meal really were. The woman might have been interested in how my industry source, who had called sugar, fat, and salt the three points of the compass, described her entree. Deep-frying the tortilla drives down its water content from 40 percent to about 5 percent and replaces the rest with fat. The tortilla is really going to absorb a lot of fat, he said. It looks like an egg roll is supposed to look, which is crispy and brown on the outside. The food consultant read through other ingredients on the label, keeping up a running commentary as he did. Cooked white meat chicken, binder added, smoke flavor. People like smoky flavor - its the caveman in them. Theres green stuff in there, he said, noting the spinach. That makes me feel like Im eating something healthy. Shredded Monterey Jack cheese.... The increase in per-capita consumption of cheese is off the chart. The hot peppers, he said, add a little spice, but not too much to kill everything else off. He believed the chicken had been chopped and formed much like a meat loaf, with binders added, which makes those calories easy to swallow. Ingredients that hold moisture, including autolyzed yeast extract, sodium phosphate, and soy protein concentrate, further soften the food. I noticed that salt appeared eight times on the label and that sweeteners were there five times, in the form of corn-syrup solids, molasses, honey, brown sugar, and sugar. This is highly processed? I asked. Absolutely, yes. All of this has been processed such that you can wolf it down fast...chopped up and made ultrapalatable.... Very appealing looking, very high pleasure in the food, very high caloric density. Rules out all that stuff you have to chew. By eliminating the need to chew, modern food processing techniques allow us to eat faster. When youre eating these things, youve had 500, 600, 800, 900 calories before you know it, said the consultant. Literally before you know it. Refined food simply melts in the mouth. Reading Comprehension Worksheet Questions 1. It can be inferred from the authors description of the woman eating in paragraph four that(A) The woman prefers to eat at Chilis vs. other restaurants.(B) The woman truly enjoys the foods that she chooses to eat.(C) The womans efficiency at cleaning her plate adds to her dining experience.(D) The author is disgusted by the womans consumption.(E) The author believes the woman should take a course in healthy eating. 2. According to the passage, the main reason people overeat is(A) because salt and sweeteners, like corn-syrup solids and brown sugar, are added to the food.(B) because we dont have to chew our food very much.(C) because people like smoky flavor.(D) because sugar, fat and salt change the brain.(E) because we are used to eating quickly in this modern society. 3. The following are all ingredients in the egg rolls, EXCEPT(A) salt(B) binders(C) honey(D) spinach(E) dark meat chicken 4. Which of the following statements best describes the main idea of the passage? (A) If you eat too much food too quickly, youll gain weight and become unhealthy.(B) Because refined food is irresistible and easy to eat, it masks how unhealthy it is, leaving people unaware of the poor food choices theyre making.(C) Chilis is one of the restaurants in the U.S. serving unhealthy food to consumers today.(D) Food consultants and authors are making Americans aware of their unhealthy eating habits, thus, creating healthier generations for years to come.(E) Refined foods, with salt, sugar, and fat hidden inside, are less nutritious and more damaging than whole foods. 5. In the first sentence of paragraph four, the word vigor most nearly means(A) pleasure(B) flamboyance(C) lethargy(D) energy(E) craftiness Answer and Explanation More Reading Comprehension Practice

Monday, October 21, 2019

CENSORSHIP ON THE INTERNET Essays - Content-control Software

CENSORSHIP ON THE INTERNET Essays - Content-control Software CENSORSHIP ON THE INTERNET A 43-year-old man from Boston was having a steamy cyber affair with who he thought to be a 23-year-old woman. He later found out the "she," to his dismay, was an 80-year-old man living in a Miami nursing home. Things like this happen everyday, people mask their sex and age to avoid or attract attention on the Internet. This is only one of the reasons why the government wants to censor the Internet. They claim they want to ?protect? the children by limiting the amount of ?reality? they are allowed to view. But in order to do this they would need to censor the entire Internet, from everyone. This is why censorship on the Internet would be a violation of the first amendment. Censorship itself is not what most people are concerned about. Instead, how far will it go? How far is too far? When will it stop? Can the Internet ever be censored? These questions need to be answered before we can even think about censoring. In order to fully understand censorship you have to know what the Internet is. The Internet is an open interconnection of networks that enables computers to connect directly through phone lines. It allows people from around the world to communicate with the touch of a button. Its size is unimaginable, its content is uncountable. "In early 1995 more than 50,000 networks and 5 million computers were connected via the Internet, with a computer growth rate of about 9 percent per month" (Rutkowski, Encarta). Is the Internet to large to be censored? Remember in the 1940s people said radio was uncensorable. What is censorship anyway? Censorship is the official restriction of expression thought to be harmful. "Censorship restricts the flow of ideas, depriving people of information they need to maintain an open society" (Steffens, 11). Censorship itself is by no means a new idea. It has existed since the beginning of mankind, Playboy magazine in the 1950?s, radio in the 1930?s, book burning in the 1940?s, steamy celluloid reels in the 1920?s, and erotic pages coming off the Gutenberg press in the 1350?s. People fear new technology, I believe this is the reason that people want to censor the Internet. Change is a frightening thing, but without it the human race would cease to exist. Taking over our world, computers can be good or bad depending on how you look at it. At this time there is more information on the Internet than there is in any library and it is only a matter of years before books themselves will become obsolete. By censoring the Internet the government will only be holding us back. Germany, China, Singapore, and several other countries have taken action and began to censor the Internet. The United States is not far behind. On February 8th, 1996, President Clinton signed the Communications Decency Act, which limits freedom of expression on the Internet. With this act, the very same materials which are legally available today in book stores and libraries could be illegal if posted on World Wide Web sites or Usenet newsgroups. Not only would it have made it a crime to write provocative e-mail to your lover, it would also be a crime for your Internet provider. "Censorship is never for those who have experienced it. It is a brand on the imagination that affects the individual who has suffered it, forever" (Nadine Gordimer, Microsoft Office). What business does the government have telling people what they can and can?t see anyway? If the child?s parents are so concerned about what they are going to see on the Internet, there is software available that screens the Internet for just that computer. It isn?t very expensive, in fact, you can even download some software from the Internet. Yet, this software is no substitute for good judgment. "If you have time on your hands, if your comfortable with computing, and you have an unflagging curiosity about sex - in other words, if you?re a teenager - you may think you?ve suddenly landed in pornography heaven" (Gleick, 26). Pornography is the only thing that you ever seem to hear about the Internet, but there is so much more out there. Information on anything and everything you could possibly ever imagine. Most of the material that I gathered for this project was done by hours of Internet ?surfing?. Another large misconception about the Internet is that while surfing you can just stumble on to pornography. Though it

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Understanding Different Learning Styles in the Workplace

Understanding Different Learning Styles in the Workplace Thanks to Ron Gross for sharing this piece from his book Peak Learning: How to Create Your Own Lifelong Education Program for Personal Enlightenment and Professional Success. In the world of work, there is widening recognition of the need to capitalize on different learning styles within organizations. According to Dudley Lynch, in Your High Performance Business Brain, we can use this powerful new way of understanding people to design better organizations, ... do a more effective and productive job of hiring and placing people, and to frame our management messages so that they can penetrate the natural filters of the mind. That means you should be able to measure how well your learning style fits the tasks that compose your present job. You should also be able to recognize the styles of others, which will make for better communications. Understanding Your Style In a workshop, we illustrate this by forming a hemispheric circle. All the participants seat themselves in a semicircle so that each persons position reflects his or her degree of preference for either the stringer or the grouper style of learning. Those on the left side of the semicircle prefer to learn in a step-by-step, analytical, systematic way. Those on the right prefer a holistic, top-down, big-picture approach. Then, we talk about how these two kinds of people can best explain things to each other or convey new information. Hold on, now, one of the left-side folks will say. Id really prefer it if you could start out by giving me some basic examples of what youre talking about. You seem to be all over the map instead of starting with first things first. But the next minute someone from the right side will complain, Hey, I cant see the forest for all those trees youre throwing at me. Could we wrench ourselves up out of the details and get an overview of the subject? Whats the point? Where are we headed? Often partnerships are profitably forged out of two individuals who complement each others styles. In my workshops, we often see two people who work closely together take seats on opposite ends of the hemispheric circle. In one case, a couple in the fashion business found themselves in those places. It turned out that one of them was the idea person and the other, the financial wizard. Together they made a dynamic duo indeed. Teamwork Creating teams to work together or to solve problems is an important area in which an awareness of styles can assure greater success. Some highly technical problems call for team members who all share the same way of processing information, seeking new facts, interpreting evidence, and coming to conclusions. A narrow fact-finding or problem-solving assignment, such as determining how to expedite the passage of orders through the billing department, might be such a situation. In other situations, however, your success may depend on having the right mix of styles. You may need one or two people who take the top-down, broad view together with others who like to work systematically and logically. Creating a plan for the next years activities would be a task that could benefit from this mix of approaches. Recognizing Relationships With Superiors Another area in which styles of learning and thinking can crucially affect the success of individuals or organizations is boss-employee relations. This typical situation occurs every day in business and industry: a supervisor will complain that a new worker cant seem to learn a routine task. When the suggestion is made that the newcomer might learn it if shown it move by move, the supervisor - clearly a grouper rather than a stringer - expresses dismay, exclaiming, I never give instructions that way. It would be insulting and patronizing - anyone can pick it up if they really want to. Such conflict based on differences in style can extend right up to the executive suite. In their book, Type Talk, management consultants Otto Kroeger and Janet Thuesen tell how they helped straighten out troubled organizations by analyzing the disparities among the styles of the managers and executives involved. They even suggest developing a version of the organization chart in which each of the key individuals is identified not by his or her title, but by his or her learning style! Source Gross, Ronald. Peak Learning: How to Create Your Own Lifelong Education Program for Personal Enlightenment and Professional Success. Revised, Subsequent edition, TarcherPerigee, April 5, 1999.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Desition making Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Desition making - Case Study Example Operating several subsidiaries expanded production in the market. Steve Rendl, the assistant accountant manager for the Commercial Equipment Financing Division of GE Capital Canada, reviewed a loan request for $270,000. Rendl had to decide on the loan request then pass it for approval by the senior account manager (Silk and Grasby 135). The loan issued to the tune of $30,000 to $1 million to purchase transport trucks, trailers, paving equipment and heavy machinery. The company was under duress to make much profit applying the selling strategy of find, Win, and Keep new and existing clients. The company’s client Clark Carriers Ltd intended to purchase two new Freightliner transport trucks, and four new 53-foot trailers and mobile satellite by submitting the loan request. The company had a large customer base in North and Latin America, Europe as well as Asia-Pacific region. With the net earnings of over US$15 billion, Capital was the major competitor in every market field achieving record net earnings of US$3.6 Billion. The Company expects 20 percent after –Tax profit from its subsidiaries, and if the profit falls below 20 percent, there must be justification for that. The transportation industry in southern Ontario had been profitable from 1985 to 1988 until a massive recession in 1989.The Company faced numerous tribulations during the recession going bankrupt and lowering the prices to remain

Friday, October 18, 2019

Torture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Torture - Essay Example It is as follows: †¦Ã¢â‚¬Ëœtorture’ means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. (UNCAT cited in IRCT). Such forms of torture as threats of murder, rape, kidnapping or even humiliating do no less harm to the psychological peace and stability of an individual as physical pain does. At times, there may be no physical harm at all to the victim in torture. â€Å"Psychological pain is suffering caused by psychological stress and by psychological traum a rather than stimuli that activate physical pain† (Mefor). A lot of debate has occurred in the past regarding the ban of torture because of its physiological vs psychological impacts.

Org Behaviour 3 Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Org Behaviour 3 Leadership - Essay Example This has been done using the assessment and insight into self assessment, introspection and reflection through the personal mission statement for the development of leadership and finally integration and extension through the personal model of leadership. The self assessment emphasises on the self confidence, and the instrumental and end values of an individual. Moreover it also includes analysing his emotional intelligence, his ways of receiving feedback and incorporating changes as per those feedbacks, and the extent of his innovativeness. This is followed by the development of his personal mission statement, personal values, personal goals and also the personal action steps. The personal model of leadership is developed which emphasizes in his abilities, personality, values. Finally, the gaps are determined and presented with regards to espoused and the desired theories of leadership. Main Body Part 1-Awareness and Insight through Self-Assessment- 1.1 Your self-confidence The ques tions assigned in exercise number 2 are aimed at assessing the self confidence level of the respondents. The questions are structured to assess the ability of the responden

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Federal emergency grant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Federal emergency grant - Essay Example The center works in liaison with the US fire administration, police, Emergency Response Institute and the Federal Emergency Management Agency among others for better preparedness (Kimmel 2006).Apparently San Marcos is prepared to respond to emergency through the many training sessions facilitated by Emergency Response Institute (ERI), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Texas State University. There is also awareness creation on the potential hazards in the area through participatory assessment of those hazards (Ashby, 2010). The school has and the community has access to hotlines in case of emergencies for immediate response. The school needs the grant to improve their preparedness by increasing the equipment required, expanding the transport system to prevent possible accidents. They also needs funds to conduct a comprehensive, strength based vulnerability assessment of the school buildings and grounds given that the district lies on the fault line. This will help us improve our mitigation plan (Burnet, 2008). Currently the fault lines have led to creation of springs which provide water to the residents and act as tourism attraction. San Marcos River as never run dry thus providing water for agricultural purpose. The Aquarena and wornderworldare spring are major tourist attraction for rearing some of the endangered aquatic species on earth. The school is collaborating with the community to develop appropriate policies and procedures in building a better team that is well prepared to respond to crisis. This way the process is integrated so as some of the resources can be shared. The school has looked at Federal Emergency Response and Crisis Management Plans Discretionary Grants legislation, regulation and administrative requirement and is certain to comply with them. The school is ready to sign the required agreements, documents and permits together with preparing a quarterly

Why do firms exist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Why do firms exist - Essay Example A simple, yet, complete definition of firms may help in starting the debate about why they actually exist. Fisher, Prentice & Waschik (2010), define firm as â€Å"a group of workers and managers, collectively called labor, and a group of physical assets, like machinery in a manufacturing operation or computers in a service sector firm, collectively called capital, which produce goods and/or services (p. 14). This definition provides three major areas where people are involved with the firms. People, firstly, work for or manage the firms as labor, secondly they invest in businesses and firms to earn profits and giving firms the strength of progress in the form of capital, and lastly people use the products or services offered by the firms. Hence, our life is, in one way or the other, dependent on firms. It is a way of earning for one group and a way of gathering necessities of life for the other like food stuff, clothing, and professional services like legal, educational or healthcar e services and so on. Owing to the importance of firms in our regular activities and modern life, this paper aims to answer the question: why do firms exist? In doing so, this paper will provide perspectives of different researchers and their theories to justify the claims made. Theory of Firm Theory of firm necessitates by trying to predict how the business would carry out their prescribed strategies to achieve their ultimate goal and that is profit maximization. The theory of firm helps predict and explain other alternatives and decision made by the company. Traditionally it was based on having sole goal of profit maximization. But most recent analysis, theories and researches suggest that sales maximization or market share that is satisfying the needs of the customers along with satisfying its legitimate stake holders, combined with satisfactory profits may be the main purpose of businesses in short term as well as in long term to survive. Traditionally companies’ were fol lowing stock holder theory that is managers had one objective of maximizing share holder value. For example a company would not mind shutting down a branch in a region or country and resulting in thousands of people being unemployed and affecting the whole economy of that region or country. Despite these factors, the managers would have let the factory moved to another region or country because labor is cheap and plentiful there. Traditional theory suggested companies to disregard safety practices or other practices to preserve social responsibilities, according to theory, as they would have to spend money over it which reduces profit. However, if such avoidance of such actions charges the companies with substantial penalty or case file or dereputation resulting in more expenses (fines) than the companies were encouraged to provide equipment and running the safety policy. The risks of fewer sales by customer boycotting the company’s products are also avoided by adopting such practices in the modern business arena and companies would fall into instrumental form of skate holder theory (Schroeder, Clark, and Cathey 2010, pp. 124-128). Stake holder theory is referred as 21st century theory where the organizations are so large that they can affect the whole society significantly. This broader impact of organizational procedures and processes suggest that they cannot just be responsible to share holders i.e. obeying stock holder t

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Federal emergency grant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Federal emergency grant - Essay Example The center works in liaison with the US fire administration, police, Emergency Response Institute and the Federal Emergency Management Agency among others for better preparedness (Kimmel 2006).Apparently San Marcos is prepared to respond to emergency through the many training sessions facilitated by Emergency Response Institute (ERI), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Texas State University. There is also awareness creation on the potential hazards in the area through participatory assessment of those hazards (Ashby, 2010). The school has and the community has access to hotlines in case of emergencies for immediate response. The school needs the grant to improve their preparedness by increasing the equipment required, expanding the transport system to prevent possible accidents. They also needs funds to conduct a comprehensive, strength based vulnerability assessment of the school buildings and grounds given that the district lies on the fault line. This will help us improve our mitigation plan (Burnet, 2008). Currently the fault lines have led to creation of springs which provide water to the residents and act as tourism attraction. San Marcos River as never run dry thus providing water for agricultural purpose. The Aquarena and wornderworldare spring are major tourist attraction for rearing some of the endangered aquatic species on earth. The school is collaborating with the community to develop appropriate policies and procedures in building a better team that is well prepared to respond to crisis. This way the process is integrated so as some of the resources can be shared. The school has looked at Federal Emergency Response and Crisis Management Plans Discretionary Grants legislation, regulation and administrative requirement and is certain to comply with them. The school is ready to sign the required agreements, documents and permits together with preparing a quarterly

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Random House Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Random House - Essay Example Therefore, the story is written, simply to paint a positive side on the illegal immigration saga, often painted in bad light and insensitivity, through documenting the resilience, courage and determination that it takes to brace the journey. This way, it opens an avenue for further scrutiny into the issue of illegal immigration, paving way for further societal engagement and alternative policy formulation. Analysis Reading this story, one thing remains clear; the immigration of children and mothers from the nearby countries into the United States, though illegal, no doubt remains acceptable, logical and justifiable, when perceived from the eye of humanity, compassion and reason. Poverty, abuse and domestic violence remain the common denominator for most of the illegal immigrants that flocks the USA every year ((Nazario, 112). This is especially true for children who must always device means of reuniting with their parents, after a long period of separation, which eventually tears dow n all the walls of patience. No wonder therefore, that 75% of the unaccompanied children in a detention center in Texas holding children caught by the INS illegally migrating into the USA, are seeking for their mothers (Nazario, 1). Different individuals may have different reasons for illegally immigrating into another country. However, it is only the ones with logical, justified and courageous hearts, who will withstand all the challenges posed by the immigration journey. Trekking the 1600 miles from Honduras to the USA, especially for an illegal immigrant is a journey that many would find not worth taking. There is virtually no comfort in such a journey, which greatly involves clinging on sides and tops of freight trains, unless one is the greeted with the kindness of strangers, who are on route to the country for different reasons, other than running away from the unbearable circumstances in their motherland. The journey is pretty hard for those immigrating from Mexico, but even harder for those emigrating from other regions like Enrique (Nazario, 2). It is therefore apparent that those seeking the fun of trekking will not withstand the harsh and hostile conditions characterized by the journey, and thus would opt not to make such attempts. Most of the illegal immigrants, and especially those who are children, brace the journey, since it is the only option they have left. Therefore, the author of the story seeks to document all the challenges involved in the immigration journey, through the exemplification of Enrique, who represents a thousand other children, apparently to tell the world that there is more than just the illegality of the migration. Thus, the story raises various critical questions. Is the emigration of children from Central America and Mexico into the USA justifiable? Can the society do something to avert the suffering endured by children left by their parents in sear’s border be reconciled with the need to avert the horrendous experi ences borne by immigrant children in search of their parents? The eminent risks of death, cruelty and

Monday, October 14, 2019

Tragedy in Comedy Essay Example for Free

Tragedy in Comedy Essay Tragedy in Comedy is only a bad dream. This statement ironically captures the fable created by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While in the play, the night spent by the three couples and the performers in the woods outside Athens is felt by them to be a wild dream, for the audience viewing this comedy, the tragic elements at the beginning of the play seem less like the reality in Shakespeare’s make-believe world. This world has gods and lovers, half-man half-donkey, and goblins spreading love potions. The play captures many elements from the English mythological tradition, and uses them with poise and reserve. As one of the most popular adaptations for film and theatre in modern times, the play survives its intricate plot, typical characterization and reserved prose. The play begins in the house of Egeus with Hermia fighting against the wish of her father to marry the man chosen by him. In response, he invokes the ancient Athenian law that states that a daughter must marry according to the wishes of her father, or else face death. But Egeus gives Hermia another choice, to observe a lifelong chastity in the worship of the goddess Diana as a nun. Hermia decides to elope with her lover, Lysander and they both flight to marry in the house of Hermia’s aunt. They then escape to the forest outside Athens. Hermia has told of this to no one but her friend Helena, who, out of jealousy at being rejected by Demetrious, decides to tell him this in order to gain his favor. The humor here lies in the bitchy love affairs that make Helena betray her friend’s secret. In paintings and other art depicting the scene of confiding, the two are shown in close consultation, secretive and bonding. Thus, the scene is essential in the way that it builds up to the confusion, with Helena trailing Demetrius in his quest to trace Hermia and her lover. It also breaks away from the image, where sacrifice is easily rejected for personal happiness. Such a hedonistic impulse can only mean that the scene is set for the fight or pleasure, in which each person will vie for the lover’s hand. This fight takes a ridiculous proportion, when Oberon, king of the fairies brings forth the hobgoblin, Puck, to lace the sleeping Titania with love potion. Helena is shown from the start to be in pursuit of personal gain. This takes comic proportions when the spellbound Dymetrius and Lysander, a result of an incompetent Puck’s mistaking of Lysander for Demetrius, fall madly in love with her. She feels that this sudden reversal must mean that the two are mocking her. So she can no longer indulge in self centered pursuit, for the objects that she sought now seek her in maddening courtship. Herein lays Helena’s comedy. But it is finally Puck who saves the day, by removing the spell from Lysander, who consequently goes back to his affectionate relationship with Hermia. The band of six â€Å"rude mechanicals†, or stage actors who are to perform at the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta, find their way into the forest where the â€Å"love in idleness† has caused chaos. It is Puck’s mischief again, in transforming Nick Bottom, an actor, into a man with the head of a donkey. His singing then awakens Titania, who has also been cast with the love potion. This is done on Oberon’s command, for he wishes to procure her changeling as a henchman. This is perhaps the part, when Titania falling madly in love with Bottom, showers Bottom with all that is deserving of a nobleman, a part that is most loved by the audiences of this play. It reaches a tragicomic poise that is eloquent and base all at once (Khoury, 2006). Oberon later orders Puck to remove the curse from Titania, who in turn frees Bottom from the donkey’s head. Oberon commands that Lysander should be freed of the magical hold, but it should remain on Demetrius. The serialization is complete. Theseus and Hippolyta arrive on their morning hunt and find the lovers asleep. Upon waking them, a grand ceremony is held by Oberon. Egeus agrees to Hermia’s union with Lysander, and a group wedding takes place. The lovers believe that the night’s event must have been a dream, and watching a performance by the six workmen, though not particularly pleasing; the lovers find a sense of pleasure and contentment. Oberon and the fairies enter after some time to bless them with good fortune. References Shakespeares Sources for A Midsummer Nights Dream. Shakespeare-online. com. Retrieved on 2009-11-01. The Tempest available at http://shakespeare. mit. edu/tempest/full. html Retrieved on 2009-11-01. The Tempest http://www. enotes. com/a-tempest/ Retrieved on 2009-11-01. The tempest revisited in Martinique: Aime Cesaires Shakespeare. (Critical essay) Khoury, J. (2006) The tempest revisited in Martinique: Aime Cesaires Shakespeare. (Critical essay) Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies | September 22, 2006 | http://www. accessmylibrary. com/article-1G1-154756422/tempest-revisited-martinique-aime. html Retrieved on 2009-11-01. http://cscanada. net/index. php/css/article/viewFile/559/pdf_398 Retrieved on 2009-11-01.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The symbolism of fire in literature

The symbolism of fire in literature Looking Past the Smokescreen â€Å"Fire represents many things to many people and cultures. It is recognized as a purifier, a destroyer and as the generative power of life, energy and change. It represents illumination and enlightenment, destruction and renewal, spirituality and damnation† (Varner). Throughout history, fire became a very significant element in the principle of human development because of its versatility, such as lighting, communicating, and protection from predators. In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury takes the representation of fire to a whole new level. Imagine living in a world where people are not in control of their own thoughts. Imagine living in a society populated by non-readers, people with no sense of their own history, a government that has banned books. Imagine being Guy Montag, a fireman in Fahrenheit 451 who burns books for a living. In Montag’s world, firemen produce fires instead of eliminating them to destroy any works of literature, for they promote creativity and free thinking, which is a threat to the government. Set in the 24th century, in the midst of a nuclear war, this dystopian novel tells the story of a futuristic period of time when books are illegal, and the punishment for whoever holds one in possession is to have his books and house burned to ashes. While walking home from work, Montag meets a young, bright girl named Clarisse. She tells him that firemen once used to put fires out instead of starting them, which he thinks to be nonsense. Later on, Montag realizes that fire can mean much more than what he uses it for. Throughout the novel, fire is present to imply several meanings that can be made explicit by referring to destruction, warmth and beauty, and resurrection. Fire seems to have many symbols throughout the novel, but the most recognisable is destruction. At the beginning of the book, Montag is shown as a fireman that is filled with pleasure as books are burned. The very first passage in the novel states, â€Å"It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed† (Bradbury, 1). This narration by Montag expresses his love for fire and the ruin that follows. Fire is destruction, fire is power. One flame can burn a whole house down to the ground. After meeting Clarisse, she asks about his job, his marriage, why he burns books, and if he is truly happy. Being faced with these questions, Montag realizes that he is not happy with his life, and he thinks that books might contain answers for the reason of his unhappiness. Although he is an enforcer of the law of books being banned, Montag is found a lawbreaker himself. Later in the novel, Montag starts stealing a couple of books from collections he is sent to burn. He brings these books home and hides them in the furnace, secretly reading them day by day. However, his wife Mildred has a different point of view when it comes to books; she did not quiet agree with her husband’s actions. One day, Montag leaves for work, not knowing that his wife has other arrangements. While on the job, the alarm goes off, meaning another house to burn. Montag realizes that the address shown on the screen of the alarm, is his own. Once he arrives with his co-workers at their destination, he sees his wife driven away in a taxi with a suitcase. He realizes that his wife must have called in the alarm on him. Beatty, the captain of the fire department, orders Montag to burn his own house with his flamethrower. In the process of burning the house, Montag narrates, â€Å"The house fell in red coals and black ash. It bedded itself down in sleepy pink gray cinders and a smoke plume blew over it† (Bradbury, 54). At that moment , it is evident that Montag sees fire as a negative force, a destructive nature of firemen. Although Montag sees pleasure in burning in the beginning of the novel, his view of fire changes to destruction when he loses his books and home. In contrast to destruction, in the course of the novel, Montag’s opinion on fire changes once more, making him interpret fire to be beautiful and a source of warmth. It is beauty. â€Å"He hadnt known fire could look this way. He had never thought in his life that it could give as well as take. Even its smell was different† (Bradbury, 68). In his eyes, everything about fire cried beauty, from its intense colours to its dancing flames. Another way fire is expressed to be beautiful is when Beatty says, â€Å"Its real beauty is that it destroys responsibility and consequences. A problem gets too burdensome, then into the furnace with it† (Bradbury, 53). The reason to why books are burned is because the government wants its people to not worry about problems, for it is believed that with too much knowledge comes responsibilities and complications. After breaking the law, Montag runs away and finds a camp fire where he meets a man named Granger and many other intellec tuals. He realizes that the camp fire was welcoming, much different than he has always known it to be, destructive. He is surprised by his thought when he sits around the fire with the others by narrating, â€Å"It was not burning; it was warming! He saw many hands held to its warmth, hands without arms, hidden in darkness [†¦] How long he stood he did not know [†¦] He stood a long time, listening to the warm crackle of the flames† (Bradbury, 68). Through the symbol of ‘the hearth’, which is usually found in the centre of homes as a source of heat, it is revealed that fire can be warming as well. Although at the beginning of the book, Montag has a love for the destructive side of fire, by the end of his journey, he is able to see a beautiful, warming side to it. Equally important, fire gives a symbolic meaning of resurrection when referring to the Phoenix. There was a silly damn bird called a Phoenix back before Christ: every few hundred years he built a pyre and burned himself up. He must have been first cousin to Man. But every time he burnt himself up he sprang out of the ashes, he got himself born all over again†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Bradbury, 76). After the nuclear war and the bombing of the city, Granger associates mankind with the Phoenix bird that burns itself up in flames and is reborn out of its ashes. â€Å"It looks like were doing the same thing, over and over, but weve got one damn thing the Phoenix never had. We know the damn silly thing we just did. We know all the damn silly things weve done for a thousand years, and as long as we know that and always have it around where we can see it, someday well stop making the goddam funeral pyres and jumping into the middle of them. We pick up a few more people that remember, every generation (Bradbury, 76). The difference between humans and the phoenix is that humans have the ability to identify their mistakes, and are aware of not committing them over and over again. The fire brings the death of old, and the birth of new. This similarity is effective because it provides the reader with a sense of self-renewed hope for humankind. In the last section of the novel, fire is represented as the rebirth of mankind by building another society where man would embrace knowledge instead of be afraid of it. Destruction, warmth and beauty, and resurrection are three of the most noticeable representation of fire in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. At first, Montag only knows the damaging power of fire, yet gradually comes to appreciate that fire can be engaging and renewing. The author uses the symbol of fire as a destructive force by burning books and homes of characters in the novel. When Montag realizes that fire can be used for more than just destroying houses, he associates it with warmth and beauty. Last but not least, the Phoenix signifies fire because it destroys itself in flames and is then reborn, just as Montag’s world is destroyed by the nuclear weapons in order to start a new beginning. Ray Bradbury was telling us that fire impersonates the actions of the characters, and how they view fire to be a negative or a positive force. The author successfully shows the various interpretations of fire through the development of Montag’s mind, and the same fire that h ad control over Montag before, will now assist him in creating a new intellectual world. Works Cited Primary Sources: Bradbury, Ray.Fahrenheit 451. Ed. Book Club. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. http://lhsblogs.typepad.com/files/complete-text.pdf>. Secondary Sources: Varner, Gary. Fire Symbolism in Myth and Religion. AuthorsDen, 2009. Web. 12 July 2014. http://www.authorsden.com/categories/article_top.asp?catid=62id=43114>.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Child Pornography Essay -- Sex Crime Children Essays

Child Pornography So how important is sex, in general, to this country and the whole world for that matter? Here is a very easy, simple test. Do a search on google.com with the keyword sex. The results will give back over sixty-two million sites. This is a staggering number, especially when you do a search with the keywords family, love and education and see that you come convincingly short of the results you get in the former. Pornography has been the leading player in exhibiting sexual behavior to those who care for such things. In fact, Pornography has become an $8 billion a year industry. However, like every industry, ethical and moral questions and situations come up. Although there are many in dealing with pornography, we will explore the area of Child Pornography. Child Pornography, as stated in section 18 of the United States Constitution, defines child pornography as generally â€Å"any visual depiction involving the use of a minor in sexually explicit conduct.† Sexually explicit conduct is defined as â€Å"actual or simulated† sexual intercourse, which includes genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital, or anal-anal, â€Å"whether between persons of the same or opposite sex.† Sexually explicit conduct also entails the crucial â€Å"lascivious exhibition of genitals or pubic area,† which will be explored in more detail in the case study. Finally, section 18 depicts the transportation of such conduct through the use of computers. Basically, digital cameras, scanners, video capture cards etc. are all used to convert any image or such to the desired and needed format to easily store or transport child pornography. So why should child pornography be a matter of discussion at all. First of ... ...ave to be willing to protect all people. Everybody counts. Really, the future of a society is greatly at stake when the generations that are to keep the society prosperous are not being protected fairly by their justice system. Therefore, option one, which is ultimately the decision taken by the Supreme Court in US vs. Knox, is the most ethical and stands as the right decision. Child Pornography is a very serious manner that can have detrimental effects upon the children of today and upon the integrity of our societal values and morals. This is why the US Constitution extends the law as much as possible to protect all children from this terror that unfortunately exists in our world. The Decision in United States v. Knox was just another measure to ensure full protection for all children from those who have the intention of being inductors of Child Pornography.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Shakespeare’s Audience: Research Synthesis

The uneducated lower class audience was interested in the violence Shakespeare's plays consisted of. The Elizabethan era's culture was violent and cruel. For example, if an individual did not enjoy plays, they could witness a â€Å". public execution by hanging, beheading, or any number of gruesome ways. † (Wave ; Davis, 109). To keep his violent audience entertained and engaged in his plays, Shakespeare had to include an ample amount of violence throughout them. Sometimes, audience members would become fatigued.To really excite and give them a rush to awaken his audience members, he would spontaneously throw in ction scenes right after, or in the middle of a tragic, or comedic event. One example can be found in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Not too long after Romeo and Juliet are married, a fight occurs, and after Romeo heard Tybalt has killed his beloved friend, Mercutio, he tells Benvolio â€Å"†¦ La] fire-eyed fury be my conduct now!†¦. for Mercutio's soul! â €Å"(Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare). Romeo, who had remained calm throughout Tybalt and Mercutio's dispute, later kills Tybalt to avenge Mercutio.Directly after their marriage, a calm and Joyous scene, Shakespeare has an abrupt ction scene imputed to thrill his audience. Although the lower class enjoyed a good comedy, they also went to the theater to watch the newest foray into suicide, debauchery, and murder. Once again in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, he has a thought out plan that seems well, transform into a violent and disastrous one. After Juliet sees her lover has killed himself, she is left alone by Friar, while she is awaiting Friar, she becomes frightened by the watchman entering the tomb and says â€Å"O happy dagger!This is thy sheath; there rust and let me die. â€Å"(Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare). She was fearful of the watchman seeing she was still alive, and in turn committed suicide. Shakespeare mislead his audience through a bloody, twist ending, which was exac tly what they would have enjoyed watching. The lower class members of Shakespeare's audience enjoyed his anatomical humor. He wanted his audience members to have sterling Junctures while watching his plays, so he included an abundance of sexual innuendos.Shakespeare was at times too â€Å"bawdy, sometimes vulgar, many times pushing the bounds of good taste. † (Cork Milner). Shakespeare at some points was abrupt and too direct with ome of his Jokes, but audience members still enjoyed them. Shakespeare is known for his masterful way with words. Some say he was clever at playing around with them. One area where he used this talent is when he inserted sexual innuendos into and find that the clever wit of his sexual innuendo not only has comic significance, but is used to develop character, themes, and plot as well. â€Å"( transmedialshakespeare. ordpress. com). While using sexual innuendos to appeal to the lower class, Shakespeare was also using them to mold parts of his plays, which is why people often refer to him as one of the greatest play writes of all ime. He used every bit of his plays to his advantage, and through the use of sexual innuendos, he was able to mold parts his plays, while still entertaining his audience. Shakespeare knew how to give his audience members individually what they came for because â€Å"Shakespeare realized sexual Jokes, especially double entendres, put the twinkle in the performance,† Oohn Basil).He used his specialty of wordplay to conjure clever sexual innuendos and naughty puns throughout his plays. William Shakespeare's educated spectators were allured by his use of mythological allusions. Only the upper class was able to afford an education and were able to understand all of the â€Å"references from Greek & Roman mythology in his plays†¦ they are an identifier with ancient tales, and also tie in stories most of the populace was familiar with†(wcuenglish. net).Shakespeare's use of Theseus as the Du ke of Athens and Hippolyta as his queen immediately allows the educated audience to make a mythological connection in A Midsummer Night's Dream. As the audience identified one character from Greek mythology, they then naturally associated the other characters with this mythology if they were a member of the pper class and had an education. For example, two other characters, Oberon and Titania, could be compared with their mythological traits to be viewed similar to Zeus and Hera.His audience could make connections and know when that when Theseus says â€Å"Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour Draws on apace† (A Midsummer Night's Dream Shakespeare) that the story was a mythological allusion of Theseus and could recognize his Amazonian queen Hippolyta, and understand the specific myth being drawn. Another example that the upper class would be able to point out would be Puck relating to Eros, the Greek god of sexual love and beauty. The love Juice that Puck places over characte rs' eyes to make them fall in love with the first thing they see after waking is equivalent to Eros' golden arrows, having the same effect.The audience could correlate these distinct characters due to their connection to Theseus. Shakespeare more directly compares the two characters when Oberon says â€Å"Flower of this purple dye†¦ Hit with Cupid's archery†¦ Sin in apple of his eye† (A Midsummer Night's Dream Shakespeare). Lastly, Shakespeare appealed to the upper class through clever wordplay. Shakespeare was an ingenious man, an ample amount of these puns are in all of his plays and â€Å"Like most Elizabethans, Shakespeare loved puns†¦ the average per play was around eighty.Many of Shakespeare's original puns depended on words that were spelled different, but sounded alike† (Wave & Davis, 54). Shakespeare's brilliant word play could only be enjoyed by the upper class, because of their education; they were able to understand the multiple meanings of s ome of the words. Enjoying the genius and humor in Shakespeare's work of clever word play, was something the ower class was sadly not privileged with. One example of the clever word play Romeo that â€Å"tomorrow you shall find me a grave man. â€Å"(Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare).In this Shakespeare meant grave as Mercutio being serious, but here it also alludes to his imminent death, aimed towards his educated audience members who would be able to infer this. Shakespeare's clever word play required a trained ear to be able to fully understand all of what Shakespeare intended to get across. For instance when Mercutio says â€Å"Sure wit, follow me this Jest now till thou ast worn out thy pump, that, when the single sole of it is worn, the Jest may remain, after the wearing, solely singular. † (Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare).This one is a double pun. One meaning is that the sole of the shoe, the pump they are talking about, is single, which is to say, it has only one layer of leather. Shakespeare puns the sole of a shoe with â€Å"solely† trying to say only, exclusively and puns the word single with â€Å"singular† meaning one of a kind, unique and says that his Joke is exclusively unique, or solely singular. Shakespeare knew only the educated would be able to atch his double meaning wordplay and perhaps, he would also test them on how much they would receive from his word play.William Shakespeare tried captivating his audience while they watched his plays, but certain aspects included in they were specifically aimed for different classes. He used mythological allusions and clever word play for the upper and the violence and sexual innuendos were meant for lower uneducated class audience. Shakespeare was an ingenious play write and knew what his audience members were entertained by and he knew exactly how to appeal to their tastes of theatre.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Medicine River

â€Å"Where We Belong† Thomas King’s book â€Å"Medicine River†, is about a man named Will, who no matter what he does, he feels his connections are not he wants when he lived in Toronto, that is, until he goes back home to Medicine River for his mother’s funeral. This is where he meets Harlen Bigbear, a blunt and straight-forward kind of guy who becomes one of Will’s best friends. I feel Harlen is a big reason why Will comes back to Medicine River.As much as Will and James, who is Will’s brother, had a mother growing up, I feel Will finally has a sense of family when he goes back to Medicine River. A day out with everyone in town seems to make Will a part of their own. Will is in an intimate friendship with Louise Heavyman and plays the father figure to her infant daughter, South Wing. Harlen, I feel is a big part of Will coming back to Medicine River, Harlen was kind of aggressive on his approach to getting to know Will.Harlen tried to get to know Will. Harlen tried to spice up Medicine River, comparing it to Toronto. He even said that there were no Indian photographers, stating there was no competition for an Indian photographer. Harlen also said that it would be a good idea to â€Å"start [Will’s] own business† (King 90). I feel that if Harlen did not suggest he try, Will probably would have stayed in Toronto. Harlen did everything he could to bring everything Indian back home.

Pasyon: a Factor That Shaped the Filipinos’ Identity Essay

The review of the literature for this study focuses on the significance of the Pasyon as one of the popular forms of literature that seems to have fascinated people throughout the centuries. This focuses on a number of different studies and published articles that supports the former statement. Many writers have proclaimed that Pasyon was used by the Spanish as one of the factors to slowly conquer the Philippines, in which it created a big impact in the minds of every Filipinos. One of these is Reynaldo Ileto who alluded to this significance: â€Å"One of the principal ideas developed in this study is that the masses experience of Holy Week fundamentally shaped the style of peasant brother- hoods and uprisings during (the Spanish and early American colonial periods. Instead of glorifying the ancient rituals of the babaylane’s (native priests) as evocative of the true native spirit, the fact has to be accepted that the majority of the lowland Filipinos were converted to Spanish Catholicism. [†¦] The various rituals of Holy week, particularly the reading of the story of Jesus Christ â€Å"(Pasyon and Revolution, 1840-1910). Paul Spickard in his work, Race and Nation, quoted that â€Å"Colonialism seem to always result in â€Å"racialized† hierarchies between conquering people and the conquered. Colonialism brought many common items to the places that were colonized and resulted into rapid decline of the native’s culture, language, and traditions. Terms and Concepts Words matter. In this research, one finds several terms and concepts that are used in different chapters. Here are their definitions that will guide and give us a little background about the study. Pabasa ng Pasyon. The Pasyon is normally heard during Holy Week in the Philippines, where its recitation, known as the Pabasa (â€Å"Reading†) can span several days over the course of the period, extending no later thanBlack Saturday. Readers will chant the verses of the Pasyon without pause from beginning to end in front of a specially-constructed shrine or altar. This non-stop reading of the Pasyon is facilitated by the chanters working in shifts. The reading of Pasyon must be finished before 3 pm of Good Friday (the time when Jesus died on the cross). Musical accompaniment to its recitation is practised by some though is by no means universal. (Pasyon, Wikipedia. org) Before evolving into the contemporary version of the reading and chanting ritual in the Philippines during the Lenten season, the early form of the pabasa was introduced to the indigenous people of the Philippine islands by Spanish friars. The Spaniards brought Catholicism to the Philippines. Gradually, over the period of Spanish colonialism in the Philippines (1521–1898), the ancient Filipinos adapted the religious chanting introduced by the Spanish priests and incorporated it to their own custom of singing epics during native celebrations. (Pabasa (ritual), Wikipedia. org) Race One finds the word â€Å"race† used to refer to particular group of people competing each other for power or control. Race is one of the factors that shape the relationship between peoples. According to the pseudoscientists, there are big races (perhaps four or five of them). In this view, race is about biology, genes, phenotype, and the body. It is physical, inherited, and immutable. The races are discrete from each other. Each race has not only specific distinguishing body features- skin color, hair texture, nose shape, and so forth- but specific character qualities that cannot be erased; they may be suppressed, but eventually they will come out. These qualities are cultural aspects, such as language, citizen, religion, child rearing practices, food habits clothing, and so forth. (Paul Spickard, Race and Nation, 2005) Language One finds the word, â€Å"language† used to refer to a complex and dynamic system of conventional symbols that is used in various modes for thought and communication (qtd in COMA 104 notes). Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication. The scientific study of language in any of its senses is called linguistics (language, Wikipedia. org). Culture One finds the word, â€Å"culture† used to refer to the totality of group’s thought, experience, and patterns of behaviour and its concepts values and assumptions about life that guide behaviour. (qtd. in COMA 104 notes) C. Statement of the Problem Looking now at the present context, many had claimed that the Filipino Language, culture, as well as history and identity were all distorted out of its original shape, its original civilization. Using the pasyon as one of the tools introduced by Spaniards to slowly conquer the Philippines, we focus on this main question, what are the impacts of the Pasyon and its influences that shaped the Filipinos identity? Here are some additional questions that help us determine the first question: What are the factors that affect the perception of both races in understanding the pasyon. Do both races have different understanding on the reading? How did the translation affect or create an impact to the people’s perception? Moreover, what were the other Christianization Strategies employed by Spaniards to successfully convert the Filipinos to Roman Catholicism given the fact that the both sides were having communication problems? To answer these queries, we are going to examine the content and the history of the pasyon particularly the Pasyon Mahal. And also, we will study both races (Spanish and Filipino) to determine how the pasyon influenced their culture, language, and values to what it is today. D. Objectives of the Study The general objective of the study is to identify the changes and transformation of the Filipino society in terms of the influences brought by the Pasyon. We are also interested in the different custom, tradition, and ideas brought by the colonizers during their invasion. For the most part, Pasyon will be examined as one of the main reasons of how our culture, race and language in the Philippines evolve. We will also analyse and appreciate the content of the pasyon as a factor that shaped the Filipinos identity; and to be able to learn how the Filipino culture and language evolved and adjusted for many years so to understand also the current situation of Filipinos identity. Pasyon was used by the Spanish colonizers as one of their Christianization Strategies; therefore we will also look for the impacts employed by the said reading in Filipinos original customs and tradition. Lastly we will explain why both races have their own perception in understanding the Pasyon. E. Theoretical and Conceptual framework Theoretical framework The following are the theories and concepts related to this study: Medium Theory -medium affects perception, also known as channel theory, or media formalism. McLuhan (1964) challenged conventional definitions when he claimed that the medium is the message. With this claim, he stressed how channels differ, not only in terms of their content, but also in regard to how they awaken and alter thoughts and senses. He distinguished media by the cognitive processes each required. McLuhan popularized the idea that channels are a dominant force that must be understood to know how the media influence society and culture. (Medium theory, utwente. nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/) Standpoint Theory A standpoint influences how the people adopting it socially construct the world. Social group membership affects people’s standpoints. The inequalities of different social groups create differences in their standpoints (Standpoint Theory, Wikipedia. org). Conceptual framework Sapir- Whorf hypothesis would help us understand the different perceptions of the different races with different language of an event with the same situation. Since it assumes that different language produce different way of behaviour, this could help solve our question: â€Å"Do both races have different understanding on the reading? †. This would help us understand that the impacts of the pasyon could have produced more than one In media theory, it is supposed that medium affects perception. This idea would help us lead to a conclusion on how the Pasyon was presented to the audience as the factor that affects their understanding. While the standpoint theory, could help us solve the problem by making social status as the main factor of the problem since it indicates that people with different social levels have different perceptions since they are affected by the hierarchies they are in. F. Significance of the study As Communication Arts students, we believe that this study will help us deepen our understanding about language and culture, particularly in race and language where we can see the relation of how race, language and culture gradually changes. By this we will fully understand how these three elements are continuously shaping each other. We will also learn to see how people in early times communicate and how they relate messages in to reality. In this case, we will have the idea on how people have varieties of notions and interpretations depending on the situation they are in. We are looking forward that our study will also contribute to the body of literature, specifically, to the history of Philippine literature. In terms of appreciation of our Philippine culture, this study aims to seek and value the early literatures written by our early writers here in the Philippines and how this writings awakened the minds of our early heroes. It would also make us understand that the religion of most Filipino today is not solely influenced by the colonizers but a religion gradually modified by our very own native Filipinos. Chapter II Research methodology A. Research design Content analysis or textual analysis is a methodology in the social sciences for studying the content of communication. Earl Babbie defines it as â€Å"the study of recorded human communications, such as books, websites, paintings and laws. † According to Dr. Farooq Joubish, content analysis is considered a scholarly methodology in the humanities by which texts are studied as to authorship, authenticity, or meaning. Harold Lasswell formulated the core questions of content analysis: â€Å"Who says what, to whom, why, to what extent and with what effect?. â€Å"Ole Holsti (1969) offers a broad definition of content analysis as â€Å"any technique for making inferences by objectively and systematically identifying specified characteristics of messages. † Procedure This introduction to case study research draws upon six processes: B. Method of Analysing the Data Since we are determined to seek for the history and analyse the content of the Pasyon, a certain descriptive data, must undergo the process of case study method to fully understand its contents. We will access the existing information gathered from the past as well as to dissect the contents into different parts (preferably stanza by stanza) for us to comprehend its ideas and the meanings it imparted. By using the method of case study, we will see why the pasyon has two contradictory functions in the past society. To expand, we will determine and define the research questions, which are already stated in the former part of this paper; Select the cases and determine data gathering and analysis techniques; Prepare to collect the data, since we already have the existing datum, which is a copy of Reynaldo Ileto’s pasyon and revolution book; Collect data in the field, collect records that are related to the making of the Pasyon and how it was used by the early people, considering also its impacts imparted to the society; Evaluate and analyze the data, scrutinized the contents of the said records, and relay it to explain the ideas imparted, say the stanzas of the pasyon and how the Filipino culture relate it to their way of life, next, we also need to compare these collected data and look for the similarities as well as the differences of the subjects, say the culture of the Spanish against the culture of the native Filipinos. Chapter IIIResults and discussion. In this study, we used the Pasyon Pilapil, since it is commonly used, actually the second, and the least-polished of three Church-approved pasyons. This popular name for the Casaysayan of 1814 originates from a traditional belief that it was written by a native priest named Mariano Pilapil, but recent scholarship has established that Pilapil merely edited the 1814 text, the author of which remains unknown (Ileto, 12). For the Content itself: In Reynaldo Ileto’s textual analysis of Pasyon, he claimed that the existence of Jesus Christ was concurrent to the mass’ experiences where His sufferings are much closely understood by the peasant Filipinos, as if their agonies are much like His. Say for example, despite the fact that from the Spanish perspective, the more effective tool, to discourage Indios from enriching and educating themselves to the point where they might constitute a threat to colonial rule, is the pasyon, the perspective of the mass audience, the identification of the wealthy, educated Pharisees, maginoo and pinunong bayan (local Ieaders) with Christ’s tormentors could not fail to have radical implications in actual life. Take the following pasyon Stanzas in which the priests and gentry demand that Pilate sentence Jesus to death (Ileto, 15-16): At caming nagcacapisan dito sa iyong harapan (And we gathered here before your Excellency) Guinoo’t, pinunorig bayan, (Are aristocrats and town chiefs) di mu pa paniualaan (So you have no reason to doubt) sa mga sumbong ng tanan. (all our accusations. ) Caming naghahabla rito (We plaintiffs here) di sinungaling na tauo mayayama,t, maguinoo (Are truthful people gentlemen of rank and wealth) houag nang paniindimin mo (so away with your misgivings) hatulan mo nang totoo. (hand down the verdict. ) (114:6-7) The words were used as obviously boastful and vain that to the extent it imparted an idea of aggression against the weak and poor, making more the character of Christ as the opposite personality. As for the Filipinos, the pasyon carries a language that attracted them to become like the characters of Christ. It gave them a feeling of subversion, a feeling to oppose the â€Å"maguinoong† friars. Even if we, for the moment, limit our attention to the Pasyon Pilapil as a text, it’s bearing on popular movements and social unrest can already be seen. For one thing, the inclusion of episodes relating to the Creation of the World, the Fall of Man, and the Last Judgment makes the Pasyon Pilapil image of universal history, the beginning and end of time, rather than a simple gospel story. In its narration of Christ suffering, death, and resurrection, and of the Day of judgement it provides powerful images of transition from one state or era to another. † (Ileto, 14) The material contains encouragement of revolt against the abusive controls of those who are in power more than the Spanish’s plan of taming and encouraging acceptance of the church since the characters encrypted have symbolism that is not far from the masses (Christ) and Spanish colonizers (Roman Friars) roles in reality. In terms of observing the context structure and word translations, it can be purely seen that errors in composition are highly persistent. â€Å"The Pasyon Pilapil was, in fact, soundly criticized in the late nineteenth century by Aniceto de la Merced, a native priest, in a pamphlet titled Manga Puna (critique). The account, writes De Ia Merced, will open your eyes to the errors, unnoticed hut rampant in that book called Pasong Mahal, which is really the work of an ignoramus. ’ The major criticisms of the Pasyon Pilapil are its incoherence, faulty scholarship, repetitiveness, and clumsy, inaccurate use of language. † (Ileto, 13) However, in terms of the translation, we found out that the original Pasyon, which we discovered that it was really a Filipino who wrote the book. Gaspar Aquino de Belen, a bilingual poet and a translator made the first Pasyon under the order of the Spanish missionaries, the Encomienda System that orders the people to convert the people into Catholic religion. In this case, we found out that neither the Pasyon was modified from the Book of the Bible and was from Spanish nor from Roman origin thus it was a customization of the story of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. However, in terms of the alteration of the meaning, though the text was converted and modified, we have observed that the sense that the reading wants to impart are still the same since both the Bible and The Pasyon contains the story and the life of Jesus Christ, though the latter is in poetic form. For Social Hierarchy It was said that the power dynamic that makes racial difference historically has been tied to colonialism. Some, incorporated fairly fully, forcing their national language (or atleast its writing system) (Paul Spickard, Race and Nation, 2005). In, Leslie E. Bauzon’s work, â€Å"Influence of the Spanish Culture†, she pointed out that Spaniards transplanted their social, economic, and political institutions for about 333 years of colonial sovereign (1565-1898). Moreover, in order to administer the Philippines, the Spaniards extended their royal government to the Filipinos. This highly centralized governmental system was theocratic. There was a union of Church and State. The Roman Catholic Church was equal to and coterminous with the State. In addition, when we look into the perspective of the colonizers, the use of the pasyon simply affirms prevailing social structure in which the virtue of meekness and resignation to suffering, rather than the confrontation of the oppression, seems to have been encouraged. Filipinos then, were isolated in the idea that a Christian must follow its duties because reward is forthcoming in heaven. Because of that it was obvious that the Spaniards take advantage of the situation that the natives will not rebel against them since they respect the Friars as a leader who teaches the gospel of the Lord. Meaning, having the thought of opposing the Catholic Church, suggests that you also oppose God. (Filipino Heritage. com) Therefore, it could be the influenced of the colonizer’s social status in which they stand as the powerful and dominant in which the natives did not seem to see the idea of revolution. Since, the area where they view the framework is less viewable than the view of the others who sees it. However, on the side of those who were classified as low class, the native Filipino, the interpretations of the pasyon are more viewed as a social awakeners and generator of revolution than just a pure passionate reading for the religion. Just like what the Standpoint theory tells, â€Å". The inequalities of different social groups create differences in their standpoints. † It was clear that there were functions in which the pasyon may alter popular consciousness. However, because of the social levels they are in, the interpretations of the meanings of the book were altered. For the Culture (in terms of religion) To understand this factor, it is good to look back the practices and behaviour they both (Spaniards and Filipino) had before the colonization take place. There, we must observe, and study their similarities and differences. For the Spanish: Spain, as it has been observed, is a nation-state born out of religious struggle mainly between Catholicism and Islam, but also against Judaism (site) The culture of Spain is a European culture based on a variety of influences. These include the pre-Roman cultures, mainly the celts and the Iberians cultures; but mainly in the period of Roman influences. In the areas of language and religion, the Ancient Romans left a lasting legacy. The subsequent course of Spanish history also added elements to the country’s cultural development. [†¦] Spain became an almost entirely Roman Catholic country and Catholicism became their state religion in 1851. (Culture of Spain, Wikipedia. org) For the Filipinos, their God, Bathala was the supreme god of the pre-Spanish Filipinos. They attributed to Bathala, the creator of the heavens, Earth, and man. There were lesser gods and goddesses, like a god of death, a god of agriculture, a goddess of harvest, sea gods, river gods, and the like. It was also believed that things found in nature were full of spirits more powerful than man was. Spirits of dead relatives were also revered. Sacrifices were offered to all of them. The ancient Filipinos believed in the immortality of the soul and in life after death. Disease or illness was attributed to the whims of the environmental spirits and the soul-spirits of the dead relatives. The pre-Spanish Filipinos also revered idols, called anitos in Tagalog and diwata in Visayan. These seem to be the counterparts of the present saints, to whom Filipinos offer prayers and food, much like their ancestors did. (Philippine History, asiarecipe. com) Their likenesses of their religion are much likely far from each other. As we observe, Spanish religion is purely an influence from Roman civilization and Filipino religion is a culture that blooms naturally as their civilization grows. The Spanish believes in one God hence, Filipinos were animists. That is why, when the colonization took over, majority of the Filipinos rejected their own religion. Moreover, considering some factors that give difficulties to penetrate the areas, colonizer almost failed their mission. However, in 1599, negotiation began between a number of chieftains, their freemen, and the Spaniards. The natives agreed to submit to the rule of a Castilian king and in return, the natives were indoctrinated into Christianity and were protected from their enemies, mostly Japanese, Chinese, and Muslim pirates. However, the conquest and conversion efforts were neither as easy nor as negotiable as this contract. The missionaries faced many obstacles and successes along the path to Christianization. [†¦] When, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi set up the colonial system beginning 1565, he implemented an encomienda system where a native could acquire land if he underwent baptism and registered as a Catholic. Massive conversion occurred at this time. Many of which have, since then, adopted the same values of Catholics. It was clear to understand that they accepted the conversion only for protection and not as a pure religion. (Roman Catholic, Wikipedia. org) The pasyon is a Tagalog prayer book introduced by the missionaries and one of the tactics used for evangelism. Because of that, there is be a possibility that if natives refuse to follow the Spaniards, it could be an act of revolt of their new religion since they still have the faith of the former beliefs and since the conversion was only forced. However, these evidences are not strong enough to support the culture as the main factor that triggers different understanding on the reading. Moreover, as the colonization took place, and the catholic religion was introduced, the religious culture was slowly evolving and modified by several aspects, one of these is the Pasyon. â€Å"But like other regions of Southeast Asia which â€Å"domesticated† Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, and Islamic influences, the Philippines, despite the fact that Catholicism was more often than not imposed on it by Spanish missionaries, creatively evolved its own brand of folk Christianity from which was drawn much of the language of anticolonialism in the late nineteenth century† (Ileto, 11-12) Chapter IV: Summary, Conclusion and recommendation The Pabasa or Pasyon have become a part of the Filipinos religious life ever since the colonization begun. As what history tells, it was used to tame and convert the native Filipino from being pagans to Christian. But, unfortunately the function did not worked accordingly to the Spanish since it had caused the Filipino people to revolt against them. It had become a tool that helped the Filipinos awaken their minds and thought about their present standing. We will try to determine the major factor that contribute to this event by gathering data, analyze and evaluate the data collected. Our findings lead us to this conclusion, according to the numbers of reliable data and by deep analyzing of the three supposed factors, the content of the pasyon and the social hierarchies are the main roots why the revolts of the mass have ascended. Though we consider the culture in terms of religious aspects as an undersized contributor, it is likely stands more on the fact that the culture is the one modified by the Pasyon since the beliefs of the Philippine culture eventually changed in time colonization. Bibliography Ileto, Reynaldo. Pasyon and Revolution; Popular Movements in the Philippines. 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(4 April 2007): 20 Sept. 2011 Language and Culture notes. (COMA 104 Class) Spanish Influence on Language, Culture, and Philippine History. Spanish Made easy for Filipinos. 26 September 2011.