Persuasive Speech Outline

Persuasive Speech Outline – Ghost I. Introduction: A. Attention-Getter: Do you believe in ghost or the existence of the afterlife? B. Link-to Audience: You may not even believe that actually ghosts are everywhere around us, but, they are. C. Speaker Credibility: I am here today to share with all of you my research on ghost. D. Thesis Sentence: I will convince you that the existence of ghost is real. E. Preview of Speech: Firstly, I would like to define ghost. Then I’ll begin with explaining some old folks’ â€Å"rumours† or â€Å"saying†.Then I would like to share with you an article of a Doctor’s experience of the afterlife. Transition: Let's begin with a question. II. Definition A. Ghost is defined as the spirit of a person that has died. Transition: Most of you heard of other people’s supernatural experiences such as a ghost possessed and near-dead experience but only few of you experienced on your own. So why and how it can happen? III. Explanation A. The existence of the human magnetic field B. The proximity of the magnetic oscillation frequencyC. Energy conversion Transition: You may think that what I’ve told you are just crapping. Believe it or not, now I’m going to tell you some true stories that happened from my friends. III. True story at: A. Amber Court, Genting Highland B. Ria, Genting Highland C. An abandoned hospital, in Selangor. Transition: Although currently we still cannot provide a scientific proof of the existence of ghost, sometimes things may happen magically without any reason. IV. Conclusion A.Restate thesis: Remember, ghost exists around us. Most of us can’t see them because we are in different magnetic field. B. Restate main points: I have briefly explained what is ghost and how does ghost possession can happen and I have told you few true stories of my friend. C. Call-to-Action: Believe in the existence of ghost is not scary but more like a prevention. They exist be cause of us, dies. They make no harm to us if we don’t provoke them. D. Clincher: So, be careful guys. Those empty seats are occupied by â€Å"them†. Persuasive Speech Outline Samples of Persuasive speech Outline SAMPLE 1 From the time we wake up in the morning to the moment we lay are head down at night, we are constantly making choices. Some take a conscious effort, some should, and some do not. Have you ever taken the time to really stop and think if you’re giving the correct amount of attention to the right choice? I’m here today to ask you to be more conscious of what you eat. I’m going to discuss health reasons, effect of food advertisements, reading food labels, and fad diets. Let’s start off by talking about America’s health crisis. I.Number one reason to be conscious of your eating habits is to watch out for your health. A. Obesity is the number two cause of preventable death according to the behavioral risk factor surveillance system (CDC, 2010) 1. In 2005-2006 67% Americans 20 years or older were overweight or obese(CDC, 2010). 2. Being overweight or obese leads to increased risk of breast cancer, cardiovascula r diseases, type II diabetes and many others(Insel, 2006) 3. Can be prevented by monitoring how many calories you eat and how much daily activity you perform. B. In 2007 23. 6 million people had been diagnosed with diabetes (CDC, 2010). . 90-95% of them had type II (mayo clinic, 2009) 2. Diabetes can be prevented by consuming a variety of foods, controlling portions, getting adequate fiber, and 30 minutes of moderate exercise (mayo clinic, 2009) II. Advertisements are affecting our food choices. A. I believe that if we are more aware of what we are seeing and hearing in ads, we can control how food advertisements effect us 1. Media sometimes sensationalizes and over-simplifies nutrition related topics to increase viewers and products sales (Insel, 2006) B. Most ads promote food that is high in calories, fats and sugars (CSPI, 2009). . 90% of commercials on Saturday morning programs are promoting junk food or fast food(CSPI, 2009) 2. Only 2% of all commercials are fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (CSPI, 2009) III. Reading labels is the number one step to being more conscious of your food choices. A. Pay attention to the ingredient 1. The ingredients listed are always in descending order according to the amount by weight used in the product. 2. It is best to choose the food product with the least ingredients and you should know what those ingredients are because these foods are the least processed (Wright). . Best to avoid food that contain dyes because it is the same dyes used in materials (Wright). a. Some common food dyes such as yellow 5 and red 40 have been linked to hyperactivity, impulsivity, learning difficulties, and ADHD in children (CSPI, 2009). b. There are plenty of natural dyes such as beta carotene, beet root red, and paprika that can be used (CSPI, 2009). B. Health claims are not the same as function claims. 1. Health claims are FDA regulated where as function claims are not (Wright). 2.A health claim simply states that a food is high in a nu trient such as calcium or fiber; function claim states that the food will do something such as burn fat or boost immunity. 3. This means that function claims are not always true because they have not been thoroughly tested. IV. Be aware that fad diets are not the answer to healthy nutrition; only lifestyle changes are. 1. According to the American heart association (2010), fad diets are not nutritionally balanced. a. They mostly focus on one food or nutrient which defeats the number one principle of nutrition: eat a wide variety of food. b.It is not possible to get all your nutrients from one food (AHA, 2010). i. Carbohydrates are needed for energy. ii. Protein to needed create hormones such as insulin. iii. Fat needed to keep us warm and protect organs. 2. Diana Wright, registered dietitian, says that fad diets lack exercise, claim unrealistic weight loss, and aren’t based on facts. It’s no mystery that what we eat has an effect on our lives, but yet we still fail to be conscious of what we take in. I think it’s important for all of you to start making better food choices today by being aware of the health risks, ads, fad diet gimmicks, and reading labels.If we can start new healthy habits now, they may be harder to break down the road. Works Cited American heart association. (2010). Quick weight loss or fad diets. Retrieved from http://www. americanheart. org/presenter. jhtml? identifier=4584 Center for disease control. (2010, March 2). Retrieved from www. cdc. gov Center for science in the public interest. (2009) Retrieved from www. cspinet. org Insel, P. , & Turner, E. , Ross, D. (2006). Discovery Nutrition: second edition. Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Mayo Clinic. (2009, June). Type 2 diabetes. Retrieved from http://www. mayoclinic. om/health/type-2-diabetes/DS00585 SAMPLE 2 Would you like to have less stress and more energy? Would you like to change your body shape or boost your sex life? How about lowering your risk for cancer and heart disease? I’m telling you that you can achieve all of these things plus much more just by moving your body. I’m not going to tell you how to move your body, and even though you’ve heard about it many times before, I am going to reiterate some of the benefits you will receive from exercising regularly because many of you still aren’t active enough. Unfortunately your health may be at risk.THESIS: No matter what your shape, size or age, having a lifestyle that includes fitness will help you feel better physically, mentally and help prevent disease. OUTLINE: I. Exercise has many psychological and emotional benefits. A. Stress, depression and anxiety levels can be reduced with regular physical activity. B. Persons that exercise regularly tend to be happier, have positive attitudes, and are more productive. (Indian Express) C. Many people have a more positive self-image and increased confidence. D. Boosts your mood. II. Consistent physical activity can help the way your body looks and feels.A. You can change your body shape by using weights with strength training exercises. B. Muscle tension that can build up is relieved when toning your muscles. C. Your sleep quality is greatly improved. D. Combined with proper nutrition, helps to control weight and prevent obesity which is a risk factor for many diseases. III. Overall health is improved and aids in preventing illness. A. Helps decrease your risk heart disease and stroke by improving cholesterol levels, blood flow and heart function. B. Blood pressure is better managed. C. Prevents bone loss and osteoporosis by promoting bone formation. D.Exercise is linked to a decrease in the risk of colon cancer, breast tumors, and other malignancies. IV. Top five reasons people don’t exercise. A. They hate exercise. (5) Something enjoyable can always be found. B. They don’t know how to exercise. (4) Many resources available to teach you about exercise. C. They†™re too tired to exercise. (3) Exercising regularly will actually increase your energy level. D. They don’t have money. (2) There are many physical activities a person can do and they don’t cost any money. E. They don’t have time to exercise. (1) People have to choose to take the time to exercise.They only need 30 minutes a day, 3-5 times a week. WORKS CITED: Age and Exercise: Good Habits Form Early, Lyons, Linda, Gallup Poll Tuesday Briefing; 11/26/2002, p1, 3p, 3 Graphs Newport, Frank , Source: Book, Gallup Poll Briefing; 11/22/2006, p1-4, 4phttp://ezproxy. fhda. edu:2051/login. aspx? direct=true&db=pwh&AN=23777 509&site=pov-live American Cancer Society, www. cancer. org, â€Å"More Evidence That Excercise Reduces Cancer Risk† (2003) (accessed March 15, 2010) â€Å"The SurgeonGeneral’s Vision For a Healthy and Fit Nation 2010, www. surgeongeneral. gov U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (accessed March 15, 2010SAMPLE 3 Show video: ht tp://www. youtube. com/watch? v=qpYq9CBZoKQ Thesis: When you choose to drink and drive you not only affect your life but you affect the lives of others around you. Introduction: I will inform you of some statistics involving drunk driving. I will also discuss two indicators of driving under the influence. The punishments that follow after making this decision and what you can do to avoid drinking and driving. When people make the decision to drink and drive they not only affect their life but they affect the lives of others around them. I. Statistics of drunk driving A.Statistic information collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (posted on the Mothers Against Drunk Driving website) 1. â€Å"In 2008, an estimated 11,773 people died in drunk driving crashes involving a driver with an illegal BAC (. 08 or greater). † (M. A. D. D. ) B. According to californiaavoid. org, the clearing house for DUI statistics for the thirteen cities in Santa Clara county, Santa Clara County had 289 DUI arrests from December 18th through December 24th in 2009. C. These high numbers make me think that drivers today are unaware of how alcohol affects their driving abilities.II. The two primary indications of driving under the influence are your BAC and an inability to successfully pass field sobriety exercises. A. What is BAC? And how is it calculated? 1. BAC stands for Blood Alcohol Content/concentration. This is the percentage of alcohol in the bloodstream. (dictionary. com) 2. Calculation, use power point. B. How does alcohol affect your ability to pass field sobriety exercises? 1. Officers of the law will conduct many exercises a. Nystagmus (bouncing of pupils) b. Coordination exercises c. Balance exercises 2. â€Å"Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive safely.The effects can include slower reactions, increased stopping distance, poorer judgment of speed and distance, and reduced field of vision. † (Blitz) C. Once you have cross ed the line with drinking and driving there is no coming back and what lies ahead of you are consequences and punishment. III. What types of consequences and punishments are out there? A. Law enforcement consequences 1. DUI/DWI a. Driving under the influences and driving while intoxicated is the same thing and suffer the same consequences. 2. Suspension of license/ jail time a. Your driving privileges can and most likely will be revoked.B. Personal punishments 1. Loss of vehicle a. Car could end up totaled b. Car could be impounded c. This type of punishment can and will hurt your pocket. It will cost you a lot of money to replace or fix what is broken. 2. Insurance will increase a. â€Å"Anyone that is found to be involved in an auto accident where alcohol was a contributing factor can expect more dire consequences. The person that was drinking and driving will either not be able to get their policy renewed or will pay much greater premiums than before the accident. † (Odimb a) 3. The inability to get hired due to DUI a.It is safe to assume that job opportunities which require the use of corporation vehicles are no longer open to those individuals convicted of driving under the influence. 4. Injury or Death a. Driving while intoxicated can lead you to injury yourself b. You can also kill someone c. â€Å"Alcohol related crashes are the leading cause of death for young Americans, between the ages of 16 and 24 years old. † (Alcohol Impaired) C. Drinking and driving is not the only option you have, there are services out there that can get you and others home safely. IV. How to avoid drunk driving A. Local Services 1.Your Designated Driver 877-NO-DUI-SJ a. This service will pick you and your automobile up and take you home. This is not a free service b. Service areas: Campbell, Los Gatos, Santana Row B. Taxi’s C. Designated Drive 1. Before you go out with friends make sure there is a designated driver. 2. Have a plan before you start to drink . 3. Driving home intoxicated is not the answer, be a smart, save your life or another’s life. Conclusion: Raise your hand if your life is important enough to you, not to drink and drive. Keep your hand up if your friend’s life is also important enough to you, not to drink and drive.I hope the information I have given you has made your knowledge of driving under the influence more clear. Thousands of people our age die every day due to alcohol related accidents. I hope you will use the knowledge of calculating your blood alcohol content that it might keep you from getting behind the wheel. As I discussed there are many consequences and punishments for making the decision to drink and drive. I am telling you drinking and driving is not your only option, there are safer choices you can make that will keep you, another person, family member or friend alive. Don’t drink and drive.Work Cited: â€Å"Alcohol Impaired Driving Statistics†. DUI Statistics: Cause of Death. 14 March 2010 . â€Å"Blitz on drink-driving†. Bath Chronicle 30 May 2008: 1-1. Magazine â€Å"DUI Statistics: Winter Holiday 2009†. California Avoid. 14 March 2010 . Mothers Against Drunk Driving, M. A. D. D. . â€Å"Statistics†. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 14 March 2010 . Odimba, Chimezirim. â€Å"How much will my insurance increase after one accident? â€Å". Ezine Articles. 14 March 2010 . SAMPLE 4 Topic: Lottery tickets. Thesis: There are certain beliefs about lottery tickets, which will be proven wrong.Introduction 1. â€Å"Today’s Super Lotto numbers are 7, 12, 21, 43, 46†¦ and Mega number 16,† that based on calottery. com on April 29, 2006. 2. According to the gambling statistics at lotteryinsider. com, nearly 50% of all Americans claim they have bought a state lottery ticket in the past year. 3. People have four common beliefs about the lottery: winning money, changing lives, less to more, one time only. 4. Persuasively, those four beliefs about the lottery are proven wrong. Body I. With the lottery you can win money. A. Yes, you can win money†¦key word can. B. But do you know the chances of winning?C. Statistics show that in the California Lotto, your odds are 1 in 25,827,165. D. The chances of getting struck by lightning are higher than winning the lottery. II. The lottery can change your life. A. True, the lottery changes your life†¦in more negative ways. B. Based on CNN news, a man who won $57,000 in an Indiana lottery game taped for television died hours later after being hit by a pickup truck. C. Based on Fox news, a wife divorces her husband who won the lottery winner because of financial issues. D. Other problem arises when lottery winners come into contact with a high sum of money.III. Spending less money to win more money. A. Of course, the lottery cost one dollar for one line, which is less money. B. My mother have brought lottery tickets for 20 years; spending approximately $5 a week. C. Multiply that by 52 weeks equals to $260, which times 20 years equal $5200. D. In the course of the 20 years, the total amount she won is estimated to around $100, which ends up spending more money than winning money. IV. First time players will play one time, which doesn’t matter if they win or lose. A. First time players claim that they will not buy lottery tickets again.B. Although winning or losing money doesn’t matter, the scenario is false. C. The winners will play again since they have the greed to win more money while the losers will continue to play until they win back the money they lost. D. Addiction arouse for those lottery buyers, which sparks a new form of gambling. Conclusion 1. Again, nearly 50% of all Americans claim they have bought a state lottery ticket in the past year. 2. The four main beliefs about the lottery: winning money, changing lives, less to more, one time only are proven wrong. . Imposingly, the odds are 1 in 25,827,165, lives of the winners are changing negatively, buyers spend more money than winning money, and first time players continue to play. 4. In other words, if you do not want to waste money and time, do not buy a lottery ticket†¦your high hopes will just be a waste. Works Cited California Lottery. 21 April 2006. 2 May 2006. â€Å"Gambling Statistics. † Gall Up Poll News. 2 February 2004. 2 May 2006. â€Å"Lottery winner dies in accident hours after show. † CNN News. 24 January 2004. 2 May 2006.

The Beginning of the Israeli Palestinian Conflict

The beginning of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Sebastien Steigmeier ESL071 Professor Waldrop April 23, 2011 Everybody saw it on television, in the newspaper or maybe heard it on the radio, the last century held many different conflicts in Gaza Strip. Basically, people know that Israel and Palestine are fighting for that land, each one pretending that they deserve it. A survey, done on CBU students, shows that most of them don’t know anything about the conflict. The only ones who knew a little bit about it were sure that Israel wanted the land to build a Jewish state after the tragedy of the World War II.I asked a few students some questions before doing my survey to get a basic idea of their knowledge. Then I realized that I would probably have to ask different questions considering their lack of knowledge on the topic. Out of the nine students taking time to answer my questions, six had no idea what to answer and two said that Israel wanted the land as â€Å"compensationà ¢â‚¬  after the Holocaust. Let’s take a look at the history, and consider facts that will help us understanding what are the reasons why Zionists (it’s important not to confuse Zionists and Jews) and Palestinian Arabs are fighting.Emerging a long time ago, this idea of having a land to bring Jewish people together came out in 1897. From August 29 to August 31 of that year, occurred in Basel, Switzerland (I swear I didn’t know that) the first Zionist Congress, held by the World Zionist Organization. Theodor Herzl who was named as the first President and who also was the author of â€Å"Der Judenstaat† (â€Å"the Jewish State†) was the initiator of that congress. The Zionist Congress travelled through many different European cities, and was held every two years from 1897 to 1946, except during the two World Wars.As an answer to the question â€Å"why do Zionists want to take that land? † most people answer that they want a land because they w ant to build a Jewish State to stay together in peace after the Holocaust. History proves them wrong by showing that Zionists are trying to steal that land for more than a century, and the Holocaust happened only seventy years ago. Even though Arabs were killed by Zionists attacks during the 1940’s, in 1947, the United Nations decided to split the land and to give half of it to the Jews.We can say that the seven millions of Jews who were killed during the World War II didn’t die for nothing, as compassion made the United Nations allow them to steal half of a country. Sure, what happened during the Holocaust was terrible, but I don’t think that Zionists should use it to claim â€Å"their† land. There is no land on earth that belongs to a religious group. A lot of religious groups are gathered together in the same area which is fine, but no religious group tries to make an independent country for a religion.What would you think if all the atheist Mexicans c ome together and say: â€Å"We are going to take the Southern California and make it a Atheist State† It makes no sense. But the United Nations decided to agree with the Zionists and gave them a part of the Arab Palestinian territory. This was called the â€Å"partition plan† and was voted by the United Nations General Assembly on November 29, 1947. Palestinian Arabs felt violated of course, and the day after, on November 30th they reacted violently. It led to what experts call â€Å"The Civil War in Mandatory Palestine†.The Civil War lasted until May 14, 1948 with the Jewish victory. On that day, Israel declared its independence. The British army, who was supposed to maintain order in Palestine, was preparing its withdrawal and didn’t really have a finger in the pie. Great-Britain’s mandate over the Palestinian territory was expiring on May 15; Israel declared its independence on May 14 because May 15 was Shabbat, as the story says. The day after, another important war started, the â€Å"1948 Arab-Israeli War† also known as the â€Å"War of independence† or the â€Å"War of Liberation†.With Israel declaring its independence, the Arab neighbors of â€Å"the State of Israel† started to invade on May 15, showing their disagreement with the decisions that were made by the United Nations. The 1948 Arab-Israeli War happened in three phases, each phase being separated by some truce agreement. As the Soviet Union, Iran and the United States recognized Israel as a free State, the League of Arab States sent a letter to the United Nations Secretary General, to proclaim its idea of building what they called the â€Å"United State of Palestine† instead of splitting the country in a Jewish and Arab two states â€Å"country†.That letter, also known as the Cablegram from the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Folke Bernadotte, contained wha t was at that time a great idea, and maybe a good opportunity to try to solve the problem. Basically, they wanted to establish a single and democratically ruled state. This cablegram contained ten points that were asked to be presented in front of the General Assembly and the Security Council.Each point was reminding facts and history, to explain how that territory belonged to Arabs, but also points that showed how Arabs were ready to share it in a democratic way with the Jews living in the same area. The Israelis said that the plan was not even considerable because Jews were a majority in the areas that were given to the Jewish State. At that time, China supported the Arabs, while the United States, Iran and the Soviet Union considered that the Arabs were entering the Israeli territory illegally.Egypt, who was on the Arabs’ side of course enter the conflict by bombing Tel-Aviv in response to previous provocation. The whole all around Arab world followed, and Israel was attac ked almost simultaneously by Lebanese, Iraqi, Egyptian and Syrian troops. But as Israel was a freshly new established state, Jews from all around the world were joining, making the average number of immigrant reaching 10,300 by month! That was really helpful to Israel who could increase its military forces amazingly.By the day of the declaration of Independence, the Israeli strength was just above 29,000. At the end of the year, on December 30, the military forces counted more than 108,000 soldiers. Israel increased in number, but also found ways to get some more military equipment such as planes, weapons and armed vehicles. The war was on; both sides were bombing and fighting each other. The conflict lasted for a little bit more than three weeks. The United Nations called for a truce on May 29, but both sides kept on fighting till June 11.That truce lasted for 28 days and was ending the first phase of the 1948 war. The ceasefire was overviewed by military officers from different co untries, such as France, Belgium, United States or Sweden, all picked by the United Nations. This ceasefire had no other goal than just getting ready to fight again for both sides. The Arabs used it to reinforce their positions with new and fresh soldiers while the Israeli were buying new weapons from Czechoslovakia, and sending new soldiers on the field too.There were around 30,000 Israeli soldiers when the truce was announced and a little bit more than 65,000 when the truce ended. Still during the truce, Folke Bernadotte was trying to find a way to settle the land politically. He was facing what he described as his obstacles: â€Å"the Arab world's continued rejection of the existence of a Jewish state, whatever its borders; Israel's new ‘philosophy', based on its increasing military strength, of ignoring the partition boundaries and conquering what additional territory it could; and the emerging Palestinian Arab refugee problem† (Morris, Benny. 948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War) Bernadotte also presented his idea of a new plan of partition as following, that a union â€Å"be established between the two sovereign states of Israel and Jordan (which now included the West Bank); that the Negev, or part of it, be included in the Arab state and that Western Galilee, or part of it, be included in Israel; that the whole of Jerusalem be part of the Arab state, with the Jewish areas enjoying municipal autonomy and that Lydda Airport and Haifa be ‘free ports'—presumably free of Israeli or Arab sovereignty† (same source).Israel didn’t agree with that plan because they wanted Jerusalem, but they agreed to lengthen the truce for one more month. The Arabs rejected both the plan and the truce and on July 8 Egypt bombed Negba, which was an Israeli position. (Alfred A. Knopf. A History of Israel from the Rise of Zionism to Our Time. New York. 1976. p. 330. ) This attack on the â€Å"Israeli territory† launched the sec ond phase of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The second phase lasted only ten days but it was sufficient for the Israeli soldiers to perform a lot of operations, with the most famous one, Operation Danny.It had for goal to secure two of the most important cities (Jerusalem and Tel Aviv) and also the roads linking both those cities. The Jewish military forces launched a few other operations during those ten days conquering more territory and more dominance. The United Nations succeeded in calling another truce on July 18, which led to an almost two months break. Bernadotte again proposed a new partition plan on September 16 with a fair â€Å"distribution† of the territories and the internationalization of Jerusalem.A militant Zionist group, Lehi, was scared that the Jewish Government would accept the plan so they assassinated Bernadotte in Jerusalem the day after. What Lehi didn’t know is that meanwhile they were planning their operation both the Arab and Israeli Government already rejected the plan and were preparing to fight again the next month. This was the end of the second truce. On October 15, the war started again, and both sides were conquering and losing some territories, and clue cities.The British army, who said that they were agreeing with the United Nations when it was time to make decisions finally realized that Israeli positions were going maybe a little bit too far in Egypt as they were approaching the Suez Canal, which was controlled by Great Britain and pretty useful. On November 20, the Israeli shot down a photo-taking-plane sent by the British. The day after, four British routine reconnaissance planes were also shot down by the Israeli, killing one of the four pilots and taking the three other ones as hostages.The rest of the squadron realizing that the four planes were not coming back went to look for them and also was attacked by the Israeli. Maybe that if Great Britain had decided earlier to seriously care about what was happeni ng in Gaza Strip before it messed with their personal profits, they wouldn’t have lost those pilots. People don’t care about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict until they might lose something. The British army was supposed to maintain order over the Palestinian territory before the war started. As said earlier, they were preparing their withdrawal and they let the Jews attack the Arabs while they still were there.It didn’t matter to them because they were leaving. But years later, when they realized that Israeli Forces were about to take control on the Suez Canal, they understood that if they wanted to keep it they would have to do something (or maybe should have done something by the past). The Jews were not only firing the planes but also finding the planes on the ground after shooting them, removing the usable pieces and then burning the rest to make sure that it would be useless. Tired of being shot down by the Israeli, who were saying that they could not diff erence them from the Arabs (really? , the British painted their planes’ wings to be more recognizable. The Jews started to understand that they were in a dangerous position and that fighting in Egypt was maybe a stupid idea, so they retired from Egypt and stopped fighting. At the end of the year 1948, the United Nations General Assembly voted for the â€Å"Resolution 194† which said that â€Å"refugees wishing to return to their homes and live in peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so† and that â€Å"compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return. (Efraim Karsh, The Palestinians and The ‘Right of Return' Commentary Magazine, May 2001. ) In the beginning of 1949, Israel started signing armistices with Egypt first, and with Lebanon, Jordan and Syria later. But this wasn’t fair. According to Leon Carl Brown â€Å"†¦ when the war ended in 1949, Israel was in control of about one-third more territory (some 2,500 square miles) than it had been allocated by the United Nations partition plan† (Leon Carl Brown (2004).Diplomacy in the Middle East: the international relations of regional and outside powers. I. B. Tauris. pp. 126) letting the Arabs with only Gaza Strip and the West Bank under control. After having its territory secured, Israel evicted the Arabs that were remaining on the new Jewish State. More than 700,000 Arabs were forced to leave their home and were told that they would never be allowed to come back in Israel or in any neighboring Arab country but Transjordan. Those Arabs were known as the Palestinian Refugees. â€Å"Arab-Israel Conflict. † The Continuum Political Encyclopedia of the Middle East. Ed. Avraham Sela. New York: Continuum, 2002. pp. 58-121. ) The conflict never really stopped, and by the Jordanian border there were always some kind of operations launched by both sides. In 1955, Israel killed 37 Egyptian soldiers in Gaza on a raid. After this attack, Egypt started to build a more serious army, by training the volunteers remaining in Gaza and making them â€Å"Fedayeen† (â€Å"those who sacrifice†) forces.Years later, in 1967, Israel attacked the Egyptian forces in Gaza Strip and the Jordanian forces in the West Bank, annexing both the lands and taking control over Jerusalem. This conflict is known as the Six-Day War. To summarize quickly: as if receiving half of a land was not enough, Israel started a conflict with the real owners, after having more than what they should have got, they fight again because they want it entirely. What else could they do to mock the Arabs a little bit more? They named the freshly acquired Jerusalem as the Capital city of the Jewish state.When you become aware of what happened since 1897, it is hard not to feel compassion for the Palestinian Arabs who were stolen and killed because Zionists decided that they deserved a land. Of course the Arabs were not white as snow after the conflict began and they also killed some of the Israeli forces soldiers. But with the Great Britain just watching instead of acting as they should have done, I feel like the Arabs did the right thing fighting back. Who could say with integrity that they should not have fought back and let the Jews steel their land?In my opinion, no one. References A history of Conflict. BBC News http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/shared/spl/hi/middle_east/03/v3_ip_timeline/html/default. stm Benny, Morris. 1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War Karsh, Efraim. (2001). The Palestinians and The ‘Right of Return Commentary Magazine. Knopf, Alfred A. (1976). A History of Israel from the Rise of Zionism to Our Time. New York. Kurtzer, Daniel. Lasensky, Scott. Negotiating Arab-Israeli peace: American leadership in the Middle East, United States Institute of Peace (readable on Google books) Palestine Refugees.The UN agency for Palestine Refugees. http://www. unrwa. org/etemplate. php? id=86 Pappe, Ilan . The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine. The Middle East Quarterly (2006) http://www. meforum. org/1886/the-ethnic-cleansing-of-palestine Frequently Asked Questions About Israel. Israel Ministry Of Foreign Affairs. (2001) http://www. mfa. gov. il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2001/11/Frequently%20Asked%20Questions%20About%20Israel#refugee Green, Peter. ISRAEL and the Palestine right of return. (2003) http://wais. stanford. du/Israel/israel_andthepalestinerightofreturn51603. html Arnett, Peter. Palesinian-Israeli Conflict. http://www. azdema. gov/museum/famousbattles/pdf/Palestinian-Israeli%20Conflict-072809. pdf Survey from April 22, 2011 (see next page) Oral communication, April 22nd, 2011, California Baptist University Have you ever heard of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Do you know why Israeli and Palestinian are fighting? Do you know since when they are fighting? If you answered the previous questions, who do you think is right?

Charles Martin in Uganda Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Charles Martin in Uganda - Case Study Example Or is it more appropriate to appoint another person in his place? We analyze the case and recommend that Green should retain Martin because of his knowledge of the local business conditions. He has developed a good network with key people in the Government. Besides he would be able to induct any new entrants who may be deputed by HG into the Ugandan project. However, we need to issue a cautionary note to Martin. He should be immediately asked to refrain from all unethical practices and he needs to report any unfair demands directly to Green so that the issues can be tackled with due regard to the cultural sensitivity. Additionally, Martin needs to develop the role of a functional manager who can cross fertilize ideas and transplant best practices from the host nation to the local country. Introduction The case discusses the cultural issues that Hydro Generation (HG) has faced in Uganda and the decision point faced by the vice-president Green. Martin as the liaison officer for HG has proved to be extremely capable and has completed all the tasks on time. At this juncture, Green ponders over some of the methods adopted by Martin. While some of them seem to go against the stronger views held by American companies, some of the approaches seem to be completely unethical and unfair. Under these circumstances, Green needs to decide on the next crucial phase of the project: should he continue to retain Martin as the chief liaison officer overseeing the entire project? Case Analysis Question 1 has to do with an understanding of cultural aspects of doing business in Uganda. We have insights from the case here. Uganda has largely been a developing nation thus far with the progress not percolating down to the lower strata of society. It has not had a stable government though Multinational companies and their operations are well encouraged. Some of the cultural aspects points to a backward, superstitious nature wherein tribal sacrifices and soothsayers seem to hold sway ove r cold logic and reasoning. Culture could be defined as a system of knowledge and standards adopted for perceiving, believing, evaluating and acting (Allaire & Firsirotu, 1984). Culture is a system of socially transmitted patterns of behavior that helps people relate to their environment. It develops gradually over time and is often influenced by social and economic progress also. A simpler definition has been put forward by Hofstede (1984) who described it as a collective programming of the mind that helps distinguish one category of people from another. From the case, we also observe certain patterns of Ugandan society. They tend to favor nepotism and are largely driven by a commitment to their family and kin. A stronger bonding and accountability towards the social circle seems to take precedence over business commitments. Both attributes could affect the operations of a multinational company interested in doing business in Uganda. Firstly, superstitious beliefs could hamper usua l logical decisions that rely on business judgment and analytical outcomes. Obviously, multinational companies would be driven by logic and rationale. They would be offended if superstitious beliefs posed hurdles to business commitments and operations. Martin has however tried to blend in with the locals by adopting their cultural practices and participating in their rituals. This makes a strong point in his favor for he has understood the cultural diversity and sensitivity (Trompenaars,

Final paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Final - Research Paper Example In order to grasp a clear understanding regarding the subject matter, a thorough yet simultaneous discussion will be conducted in the paper. It will show views of different historians about the reconstruction being a very imperative subject in the lives of African Americans. The significance of discussing this topic is because this was an era when major changes in the lives of African Americans took place. As a matter of fact, some of the white Americans were not able to agree with the fact that African Americans were going to gain equality by taking up jobs in the government, etc. It is imperative to understand reconstruction era before assessing the possible impact that it had on the lives of African Americans. A number of Acts were passed while this era as a number of cases was files regarding rights of African Americans and the liabilities of the white Americans to bring equality and stability within the society. Famous African American leaders were able to put forward their mandate or agenda in front of the American government to prove their mindsets and approaches towards bringing stability in the American societies. Herein, it should also be noted that the research conducted so far on the subject of reconstruction remains debated. There seems to be a lot of consensuses when it comes to the success of reconstruction (Gao). It should be noted that despite the fact reconstruction era was commissioned in order to provide a new way of living for America, it continued to spread tensions between the whites and blacks. It was noticed that during the reconstruction era, difference of social class remained high where the entitlement to natives and immigrants was also marked as a root of discord. The improvements that were more likely to take place for African Americans were in the governmental sector. For instance, African Americans were given a head start to work in the politics within the Southern region. However, many writers and historians claim

The Social Contract Theory and Animals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Social Contract Theory and Animals - Essay Example This essay stresses that human beings have no known form of direct duty to the animals. Only an individual who has a moral duty cannot be able to have a moral obligation. From the above understanding, animals have no moral duty and hence, no moral obligation. Both human beings and animals would have interest but the interests of human beings in the social contract theory override those of the animals. As such, if the human beings have an interest to kill and eat animals, that interest would be morally justified and it would override the interests that animals have to stay alive. No morals would have been broken in this case. This paper makes a conclusion that only rational beings can be in a position to enter into a social contract. Those beings that are not rational, that is the animals, lack this standing. The rational beings have moral duties and responsibilities that they are required to adhere to. On the contract, animals lack these moral duties and responsibilities. It would, therefore, be proper to argued that animals have no moral standing whatsoever and they cannot take part in a social contract. The form of protection given to human beings under the social contract by the government cannot possibly be given to the animals as well. The animals are still in a state of nature and they have no moral values guiding their day to day activities.

ACADEMIC WRITING TASK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ACADEMIC WRITING TASK - Essay Example I personally agree that in a diversified nursing environment, respecting individuality and welcoming new comers from various origins are paramount in achieving stability and standardized effective nursing care to a diversified patient population. Increased tolerance of diversity in ethnicity, gender, and backgrounds of the new generation nurses had been a significant factor that answered the dilemma of nursing shortage for the past years. According to Suhr (2009, pp.21-22), the shortage of nurses has led to increase the number of foreign skilled nurses in the workforce, whilst the nursing education rendered a significant number of male and advance in age new graduate nurses. Thus, we are encouraged to be more tolerant in matters of cultural differences and few flaws in English language in the working arena, whilst nurse educators need to adjust in their teaching and motivation skills to the new set of students. Suhr added that the new genre of graduate nurses should be welcomed for they are multi-talented and diverse, especially those who are second-degree holders whose professional maturity holds a promising performance in the working environment. Foreign-educated nurses have been considered important in lifting the nursing shortage in many western nations. The National Foundation for American Policy (2007, p.2) presented the rate of foreign-educated registered nurses in the workforce of the following countries: New Zealand-23%, United Kingdom-8%, Ireland-8%, Canada-6%, and United States-3.7%. In the U.S., the call for embracing diversity in nursing and nursing education was heightened after realizing the pattern of change in this environment. These changes include an increase to 10.7% (as of 2009) registered nurses in the workforce from minority backgrounds, a significant surge in the number of men in the workforce from 5.8% in 1980 to 273.2% in 2004, and pursuit for baccalaureate and higher degrees in nursing education among minority groups were

Stand up meeting in agile software development Dissertation

Stand up meeting in agile software development - Dissertation Example However, from the development of software methodologies, some classical or pioneering methods evolved. These are now known as the traditional approaches to the development of software. The traditional approach to software development involves the â€Å"definition of requirements which leads to the architecture or design of the development process and implementation† (Dean and Gravel, 2009 p12). This is a basic model that was steeped in convenience and the ability to complete things according to a standard pace. The Committee on Certifiable Dependable Software Systems criticized the traditional approaches to software development for lacking the basis for strong and rigorous analysis (2011). This is because these methods were very basic and depended on the software developer’s testing and validation without the inclusion of other external parties. Another criticism put forward against the traditional approach to software development is that it assumes that this approach i s based on a set of rigidly defined assumptions that will be used as the guideline throughout the process (Kathleen, 2007). This method usually lacks the flexibility that can help in the adjustment of the processes in the course of the software development (Kathleen, 2007). Thus, if the assumption of a given process is not appropriate, the project is prone to failures as it proceeds. A textbook example of the traditional software development approach is the waterfall model which contains rigid steps and levels that the software developer goes through in the completion of a software development process (Segal, 2010). The inherent issues in these systems have led to the creation of more dynamic and flexible approaches to software development like the Agile Software Development methodology. The literature review will critique these approaches and methods and evaluate them in relation to relevant issues and matters that are define each of them. This will set the parameters for the discu ssions on stand meetings and scrum meetings in dynamic approaches to software development. 2.1 Waterfall Approach The Waterfall Approach to the development of software follows a sequential process where activities follow each other downwards, like a waterfall; hence the name. The sequence applied in this methodology involves the analysis of requirements, design, coding, validation (testing), installation, and maintenance (Royce, 1970). Projects that follow the Waterfall Approach are normally segmented according to the different phases, although some of these phases might overlap during the process. The Waterfall Approach maintains tight resource control, and operations remain limited to the provisions as identified in the requirement analysis. The major setback to this method remains the assumption of having all essential problems and requirements identified at the beginning. This is a challenge because at the onset, there are many opportunities and threats that might not be clear t o the software developers. Unpredictable problems encountered during the project lifetime result in project failure. The method contains numerous activities which must be undertaken through a series of activities identified at the beginning of project. Figure 1: The Waterfall Approach (Source: Snyder, 2002) Figure 1 shows the fundamental stages and phases of the Waterfall Approach to software development. It depicts the sequential phases that a software develope

Reducing Energy Consumption in Residence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reducing Energy Consumption in Residence - Essay Example However, there is evidence (Herring, H., Roy, R., 2002) to show that using energy (and in particular electricity) more efficiently does not necessarily lead to a reduction in energy use. Indeed there is evidence that using energy more effectively actually tends to increase its use - given the opportunity; people prefer to be warmer, rather than to reduce the cost of heating for example. (This, and other examples of the â€Å"Rebound Effect† are discussed in a wide range of studies, some of which are listed below) Given this, it would seem that enabling students to use energy more effectively and economically may serve not to decrease its consumption, but rather to increase it. There is a growing trend now towards a principal of â€Å"the polluter pays† (O’Conner, M.,1997, chap.1) by which is meant that there is a fiscal cost of pollution (including greenhouse gasses) and that those responsible for its creation should be required to bear its economic cost. There is also a tendency for suppliers of services (particularly in the energy market) to unbundle their services, allowing consumers to see clearly what they are buying and at what cost. It would be possible for the University to combine these two trends, and to separately charge students for their energy use, instead of as at present including this in their overall accommodation charges. In doing so students would then become aware of exactly how much they are paying for energy, and be incentivised to manage their consumption.

Sensex and Nifty Essay Example for Free

Sensex and Nifty Essay In that case, the base value is set to 100 and let’s assumes that the stock is currently trading at 200. Tomorrow the price hits 260 (30% increase in price) so, the index will move from 100 to 130 to indicate that 30% growth. Now let’s assume that on day 3, the stock finishes at 208. That’s a 20% fall from 260. So, to indicate that fall, the Sensex will be corrected from 130 to 104(20%fall). As our second step to understand the index calculation, let us try to extend the same logic to two stocks – A and B. A is trading at 200 and let’s assume that the second stock ‘B’ is trading at 150. Since the Sensex follows the market capitalization weighted method, we have to find the market capitalization (or size of the company- in terms of price) of the two companies and proportionate weightage will have to be given in the calculation. That’s simple. Just multiply the total number of shares of the company by the market price. This figure is technically called ‘market capitalization’. Back to our example- We assume that company A has 100,000 shares outstanding and B has 200,000 shares outstanding. Hence, the total market capitalization is (200 x 100000 + 150 x 200000) Rs 500 lakhs. This will be equivalent to 100 points. Lets assume that tomorrow, the price of A hits 260 (30% increase in price) and the price of B hits 135. (10% drop in price). The market capitalization will have to be reworked. It would be – 260 x 100,000 + 135 x 200,000 = 530 lakhs. That means, due to the changes in price, the market capitalization has moved from 500 lakhs to 530 indicating a 6% increase. Hence, the index would move from 100 to 106 to indicate the net effect. This logic extends to many selected stocks and this calculation process is done every minute and that’s how the index moves! What we said was the general method to construct indices. Since, the Sensex consists of 30 large companies and since its shares may be held by the government or promoters etc, for the purpose of calculating market capitalization only the free float market value is considered, instead of the total number of shares. What is free float? That’s the total number of shares available for the public to trade in the market. It excludes shares held by promoters, governments or trusts, FDIs etc.. To find the free float market value, the total value of the company (total shares x market price) is further multiplied by a free float market value factor, which is nothing but the percentage of free float shares of a particular company. So logically, the company which has more public holding will have the highest free float factor in the Sensex. This equalizes everything. Example- let’s assume that the market value of a company is Rs 100,000 Crore and it has 100 Crore shares having a value of Rs 1,000 each but only 20% of it are available to the public for trade. The free float factor would be 20/100 or 0. 0 and the free float market value would be . 20 x 100,000 = 20,000 Crores. You need not calculate the free float market capitalization since its available straight on the BSE website At this point, the Sensex is at 12500. What would be the value of Sensex if the free-float market capitalization is Rs 11,50,000 Crore? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. The answer is 14,375. NIFTY 50 NIFTY was coined from the two words ‘National’ and ‘FIFTY’. The word fifty is used because; the index consists of 50 actively traded stocks from various sectors. Similarly Nifty is calculated using the same methodology adopted by the BSE in calculating the Sensex – but with three differences. They are: The base year is taken as 1995 The base value is set to 1000 Nifty is calculated on 50 stocks actively traded in the NSE 50 top stocks are selected from 24 sectors.

Studying abroad Essay Example for Free

Studying abroad Essay Being a constituent of the academe, it is really a must for me to pursue more for the sake of advancing and developing my knowledge and abilities. For a very long time, I have always held this philosophy: knowledge must not be confined in the corners of a room. This statement always pushes me to go and explore everything that could help me understand everything in this world. I would not just sit down, listen to what my teacher says, take down notes, read books, take exams and do projects. For me, those would not suffice my craving for knowledge. And that is noteworthy because as a student, as an advocate of education, it is necessary not to become so in tuned with theoretical means of inputting knowledge. As how the wise Confucius said, directly experiencing things would give more knowledge that is far more reliable than those that are gained by simply hearing or seeing them. In this regard, I want to pursue a study abroad. I want to know things other than those things that I already have knowledge of. I want to understand why people in Spain are different from people in my country. I want to be able to distinguish the uniqueness that separates them from other races across the world. And such exploration would really help me improve my knowledge about Spain and other things that are not that comprehensible if I would just be in my country. I would be able to appreciate more the diversity of cultures, religions, and traditions by being situated in a place that I am not yet oriented with. This endeavor would really teach me many things that in return I could share with my future students (as I plan to become a teacher someday). I always believe that a credible teacher teaches his students things that he had already proven to be true or things that he is really certain of. This scholarship is truly necessary for my studies and future undertakings. I am hoping that you would be able to understand my purpose regarding this matter.

Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Economics Essay

Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Economics Essay Economic integration can be defined as the commercial policy of discriminatively reducing or eliminating barriers only among the nations joining together. The aim of economic integration is to reduce costs for both consumers and producers as well as to increase trade between the countries taking part in the agreement. There are various levels of economic integration which is free trade area (FTA), preferential trade agreements (PTA), customs unions, common market, economic union and also duty free zone. Economic integration was starting by the European Union. European Union was founded by the Treaty of Rome where it signed in March 1957 by six countries which is Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg and came into being on January 1, 1958. The establishment of common external tariff of the six countries in 1958. Free trade in industrial goods, within EU and common price for agricultural good was achieved in 1968 and then restriction on the free movement of labor and capital was reduced in 1970. In 1993, all remaining restrictions on flow of goods, services and resources, becoming largest trade block in the world will be removed. European Free Trade Associations (EFTA) was formed by seven nations which are United Kingdom, Austria, Denmark, Portugal, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. In 1967, EFTA achieved free trade in industrial goods but only a few special provisions were made to reduce barriers on trade in agricultural products. However in 1991, membership evolved in EFTA includes Austria, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Sweden and Switzerland. On January 1994, European Free Trade Associations joined European Union to form European Economic Area (EEA). North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was formed by United States, Canada and Mexico and this agreement will eventually lead to free trade in goods and services over entire North American Area. It also phased out many other barriers to trade and reduced barrier to cross- border investments among the three member nations. NAFTA also have benefits the United States by increasing competition in product and resource markets and also lowering prices of many commodities to US consumers. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN was established in 8 August 1967 through Declaration of Bangkok and now known as the ASEAN Declaration.  [1]  . Originally, ASEAN consists of five countries in Southeast Asia region, namely Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Singapore. However, now, it known as ASEAN 10 which is the membership expanded to ten countries includes Brunei, Vietnam, Kampuchea, Laos and Myanmar. The goal of the ASEAN is covering cooperation in economic, social, cultural, technical, educational, and so on. In addition, these organizations also promote regional peace and stability with respect and abide by the laws of justice and otherwise comply with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations (UN). The objective of establishing ASEAN is the first is to accelerate economic growth, social and cultural, second is inculcate and reap the benefits of regional development, the third provides training and research facility, the fourth increase t he standard of living (agriculture, industry, trade) and the final objective is to form a close relationships and profitable . Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a semi-official organization which was formed through the first conference in November 1989, in Canberra, Australia. Now, APEC has 21 members which contributes Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, China, Peopleà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s Republic of China Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Peru, The Russian Federation, Singapore, Philippines, Chinese Taipei, United States of America, Thailand and Viet Nam. APEC has grown to be an important intermediate in promoting open trade and economic cooperation in the region. The main objective of APEC is to accelerate the growth of economies in the Asian-Pacific region and foster a spirit of cooperation among member countries. One of its objectives is to maintain the organization and Development Division Asian-Pacific region for the benefit of the people and thus, contribute to world economic Development Division. And the n ext objective is to reduce trade barriers in goods and services between member countries in line with the principles of GATT without disturbing the economic interests of others. ADVANTAGES OF ECONOMIC INTEGRATION Advantages of the establishment ASEAN and APEC are to increase the flow of employment and expertise between developed countries with developing country. Through cooperation between Asian, expertise or skilled labor can be absorbed into the State to help them improve productivity. Besides that, this relationship can also help Malaysia in producing highly knowledgeable labor force. This is because, people in Malaysia will have the opportunity to study abroad, and especially in developed countries like the United States, Australia, Germany, Japan and Russia. So this opportunity will lead Malaysians to continue their studies at a higher level and the state can produce a high productivity by using their skills and expertise. Thus, the output produced in the State will be higher quality and more consumers can use it. In addition, skilled labor can also be absorbed into the State to assist the State in increase crop productivity. Skilled labor in Malaysia is still not enough to improve the nations economy, especially in the construction sector.  [2]  Table 1.1 below shows that skilled labor in Malaysia is still not enough to improve the construction sector in the country. Therefore, the government encourages the entry of skilled workers, and through the Asean cooperation skilled labor migration can be done. So, this skilled manpower will help the government improve the productivity of State, besides being able to produce high quality output and can be exported to other countries. In other words the amount of aggregate merchandise exports to ASEAN grew faster than the average regional output. ASEANs total merchandise exports between 1988 and 1994 increased ranging between U.S $ 100 to U.S $ 200 billion.  [3]  While exports in Malaysia in 1980 were 52 percent and in 1994 the export volume ha s increased to 64 percent. Table 1.1 below shows the ratio of Asean trade and commerce in Malaysia ratio increased from 1980 to 1994. DISADVANTAGES OF ECONOMIC INTEGRATION The disadvantages of ASEAN establishment are causing the loss of sovereignty of a State. Generally sovereignty is the supreme power held by an institution in the political community to make a decision on matters relating to the administration and politics. The first philosopher to give its opinion on sovereignty is John Bodin (1530-1596) in his book Six Books Concerning the State asserts sovereignty is the supreme power that is in a state of the union supreme power over citizens and the people of the region. According to him the supreme power is owned by the king or ruler of a sovereign power (absolute). Sovereignty is related to national security.  [4]  The world now has the wave of change in the dimensions of economic and socio-political environment, especially in the process of globalization. Generally the expression of globalization no difference between the terms of a neo-colonialism à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¹Ã…“colonizes in the new concept. People who are weak in the mental and spiritual will easily fall in the midst of destruction. Humans will not have longer the values of modesty and personal lives. Eventually it will lead to the demise of civilization of a nation.

fight club :: essays research papers

I think that everyone, to some sense, is uncomfortable or insecure in surroundings they are unfamiliar with. For me it is hard to be confident in surroundings I am not used to. Having confidence in myself is a huge part of life. Insecure feelings in a foreign place are a very lonely part of life, learning how to overcome these feelings is always beneficial.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Last August I chose to try out for a hockey team in Port Alberny, British Columbia. The challenge I faced before I stepped on the ice was to rise above the nerves I had developed during my long car and ferry ride. The ten hours I spent in the car was horrible. I had all that time to think how the camp could turn out, which made me nervous. There were all the questions in my head. How would I match up against my competition? What if I played badly? What would the coaches think of me? And would I get cut or make the team? My whole hockey career I always worked hard to be the best that I could be. Making this team meant I would have a shot at achieving a college scholarship. Upon my arrival to the rink I had to do a physical fitness test with the other guys in the camp. As soon as I joined the group of guys, I immediately felt distanced from all of them, since I was a day late to the camp and from the U.S. It was like I was walking around with Bobs bitch tits on my chest from the book Fight Club. Bob was a body builder taking hormones which caused him to grow breasts. He was used to having a fit body. So going from a muscular guy to having â€Å"bitch tits† is a huge change in his appearance. This would be hard for any man to accept. I imagine he must have felt as I did, like the spotlight was on him. I am not the kind of person who wants to be the center of attention. The coaches made us take a timed two kilometer run, which was tiring for just about everyone. After the run, we had a little rest, my legs felt like they were going to fall off; they were so stiff from the ten hour car ride and then running two km.

The Grifters :: English Literature Essays

The Grifters Symbolism in The Grifters The Novel and Film of The Grifters had many uses of symbolism, supporting the theme of sexual corruption, and the fall of the three main characters’ craft of the grift. In the novel, symbolism was tougher to pick out. However, the descriptions of the characters created symbolic visualizations of their personalities and human nature. The film had more obvious uses of symbolism through the choice of women’s clothes, the character’s actions, and their language. In the film, symbolism was everywhere. In the beginning of the film, the pictures of the city were in black and white and dull shades, giving the city a gloomy look. The camera angles made the cars in the city appear tiny, and the buildings appear very large to symbolize how small everything was amongst the city. The interiors of the office buildings and the panic symbolized that there was no way out. The soundtrack of the film was symbolic to the tension of the film. The darkness of visual composition of the lighting in the film, symbolized the darkness of the human nature in the story. Roy’s character as a conman is revealed early in the story when he was puking after the blow to his stomach due to an unsuccessful con job. In the novel, he told the cop that he was just sick; symbolizing that he was a manipulator, and was used to lying. In the beginning of the film, Roy answered to the cop with, â€Å"some bad shrimp†¦,† which was extremely ironic to me because it symbolized that something was a bit fishy about Roy’s character. In the film, Roy hid his money behind clown paintings, which symbolized the joke of his grift. The irony was that he took his grift so seriously. In establishing Lilly’s character, the author of the novel used the line, â€Å"Roy danced around her in helpless rage,† which to me symbolizes her dominance. Moira was compared to a â€Å"kitty† early on in the novel, which symbolized her feistiness. The film showed the hotel elevator descending to symbolize Moira going to Hell. At the close of the story in both the novel and the film, Lily wore Moira’s red dress after killing her; symbolizing the blood of both their deaths. The women themselves were symbols of excitement empowered by their sexuality. A minor character in the film and a more prominent character in the novel was Nurse Carol.

The Use of Metaphors, Repetition of Words and Biblical References in Obama’s Speech of Inauguration Based on “Analyzing Political Discourses” Theory and Practice by Paul Chilton

The use of metaphors, repetition of words and biblical references in Obama’s speech of inauguration based on â€Å"Analyzing Political Discourses† Theory and Practice by Paul Chilton Number of Words: 2589 Introduction: Political discourses are made to impress, persuade and to underline ideas to change a country. Politicians use specialized writers to write for them their discourses or use a lot of time to write one, as political discourses are important for the future outcome. For example: To be voted by the people or explain bad situation on an adequate way so that the people don’t offended.To achieve this goal, several methods are used. But in this essay I will focus on metaphors, the repetition of specified words and the use of Biblical references, using methods given by Paul Chilton in his book â€Å"Analyzing Political Discourse, Theory and Practice†. As experimental territory I used the inaugural speech of Barrack Obama, which he used for his first c andidature to become the president of the United States of America. The Speech by Barrack Obama can be found in the Appendix. My goal is not only to see what and how he used the methods but also what goal he tried to achieve.It is important to have some background information and what the people thought of him. As for America and other parts in the world, Obama stands for a new ideology, he promises America better healthcare, the end of the War and solutions to many problems, always emphasizing that this goal can only achieved as a team/nation but does he succeed to give us this image? What tricks did he use? What is a metaphor? Metaphors are used in political discourses to replace words that the audience doesn’t want to hear or could react badly. But what is a metaphor?In literary use, a metaphor (from the Greek: metapherin rhetorical trope)[1] is defined as an indirect comparison between two or more subjects that are typically linked by a â€Å"is a† to join the two subjects. As an example we can take following sentence: † This Man is a beast â€Å". This is an elliptical form to emphasize the sentence that the Man is like a beast. Paul Chilton is the opinion that, Metaphors, qua models of political realities, as he calls them, are part of political discourses of today and used as vehicles to bring an opinion to a target. [2] We realize now that all of us speak in metaphors whether we realize it or not.For example Mark Johnson, a philosopher, suggests that metaphors not only make our thoughts more vivid and interesting but that they actually structure and individualize our perceptions and understanding such that each person has a different understanding and thoughts about a common subject. [3] Metaphor is for many people a device of poetic and rhetorical imagination and development rather than the ordinary language, which is wrong as proven above. Metaphor analysis in Barrack Obama’s Speech: In the following points I will reveal s everal metaphors Obama used and will try to reveal why he used them.But also the Biblical references used as a metaphor, or as a bridge to transfer his Ideas. 1. CHANGE IS A MOVEMENT Citation out of the Speech: 1) â€Å"Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. â€Å" 2) â€Å"The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works – whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. †In the first citation â€Å"rising tides† and â€Å"still waters† are used as source domains, whereas the target domain is the word â€Å"prosperity† and â€Å"peace†. As it can be seen in the phrases: â€Å"rising tides of prosperity† and â€Å"the still waters of peace† here, the movement is a change of location (rising) or a stationary moment (still). If it involves a movement as change of location, it can be associated with the words: forward, backward, upward, downward, etc†¦ so different directions and movements. The â€Å"rising tide of prosperity† can be seen as a state of prosperity that has moved and is changing, while peace has still not changed.This movement of which Obama is talking about can also be seen as a: flow of natural force (â€Å"the rising tides†) and substance (â€Å"still waters†). In the metaphorical expression in citation 2) the part which acts as source is the phrase â€Å"We intend to move forward† and â€Å"programs will end† where Obama is talking about the ideas of the US-government to provide jobs and a better social warranty. [4] In both metaphorical expressions, I think Obama wants to tell us that all presidents of America had taken the presidenti al oath to develop America.All of their effort had the aim of raising economic development and prosperity and that all of these can only be achieved as a nation with a strong political support from the people. So, the â€Å"WE† as a nation, which he uses a lot in his speeches. 2. POLITIC IS A JOURNEY 1) This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. 2) Our journey has never been one of short cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted – for those who prefer leisure to work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things – some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, which have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom. In the metaphorical expression of the first citation the part which acts as a source domain is the phrase: â€Å"This is the journey we continue todayâ €  whereas the focus of the citation is the American Political life. By saying the sentence â€Å"This is the journey we continue today† gave me the impression that the American people are compared to travelers having a journey to a certain destination.Even though we know that politics is no journey as such but can be seen as such in a metaphorical way. In the metaphorical expression of the second citation the part that interacts as source is the phrase â€Å"Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted† whereas the target is also the American political life, like in the first citation with another connotation but keeping the idea of a journey in mind. We can see that in both citations have the same idea of a journey which is given to the audience.The idea behind is that the audiences who are involved in political life are like travelers on a journey, with their common need in life seen as the goal of this journey. The political activities and relation is their vehicle used to reach the goal of common interest. [5] 3. BIBLICAL REFERANCES AS A LIFESTYLE The citations I used here are taken again in a separate chapter using the theoretical rapprochement given by Paul Chilton in part III chapter 10. 1)â€Å"We remain a young nation, but, in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. † 2) â€Å"Love is patient, love is kind.It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails. † In the 1st citation the source domain given is the phrase â€Å"time has come to set aside childish things† where he targets the lifestyle of the Americans. It gives the impression that the fights they had about poli tical problems are childish and that they should focus to strive a common goal.In the second citation he uses the same idea, again using a citation out of a religious text using as source domain â€Å"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking† like before the target is the lifestyle of the Americans which Obama criticizes. It is clear that through these citations Obama tries to reason the population quoting biblical references. Comparing America with childhood and telling them that through love only, again the idea of working together, all goals can be achieved.I wont go deeper into this comparison as I will come back to it later on in the text. Frequency of words: To see what words Obama used in his speech frequently and how many times we had to know how many words are in his whole speech, which lies around 2403 words. As such I was able to give the percentage of the most used words. The word O bama laid the most emphasizes is â€Å"WE† which he used 62 times, which can be understood as his speech is about working together as a nation and is also a word used in his slogan: â€Å"Yes WE can†. Other words he used frequently are:[6] KeywordRepeatsDensity Nation 12 0,50 New 11 0,46America 9 0,37 Today 7 0,29 People 7 0,29 The repetition of these words sticks with the listeners as such the listener will always remember this words and will combine them with the discourse of Obama. As for mind manipulation it is the repetition that stays in our mind. [7]When we are learning or looking at advertisements or when we are learning a song, we always repeat them until we know them by heart. In the case of marketing the advertisements are kept easy and shown more than one so that they stick in our minds and when we have to choose between two product we will chose the one we â€Å"know† or that we can remember of.The same is in political discourses. The more often it is repeated the more we will remember them and believe them. In Obama’s case using the words Nation, New etc†¦ he tries to underline the idea of freshness in the United States and that it can only work as a NATION. As all presidents the repetition of AMERICA, motivates the American listeners and they feel directly talked to, strengthening also the bond between the people and the nation. Paul Chilton underlines in his book that discourses often use a container concept, which is created by the words used.This container ideology is divided in three structures: in interior and a exterior which are defined by a boundary which are formed in political discourses to a container- nation with political borders given by the speech. As such it is able for politicians to give the fault to others, outside of the container while securing the interior of the container. Analysis of Biblical references Apparently it is customary in American political discourse to employ biblical language[ 8], which is an inherent part of the old American public way of speaking.However, given that Obama is a non-traditional and liberal candidate for president,[9] it is even more interesting to analyze the biblical references he used and give possible explanations why used following citations for his speech. â€Å"We remain a young nation, but, in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. † Obama quoted here, the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 13:11, dealing with St. Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth.The goal he tried to achieve of this particular example is to also aims at the Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and non-believing Americans, to include them too into the speech, for it is a text that is usually read at wedding ceremonies and is not specified to one religion specifically, as it speaks about true love in the following manner: â€Å"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is n ot self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes an always perseveres.Love never fails. † (1 Corinthians, 13:4) â€Å"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. † (1 Corinthians, 13:11) These Letters were written by St. Paul to the church in Corinth in the times of internal struggles and divisions in the church, and when the church was hreatened by immoral influences surrounding the community. St. Paul’s letter was a letter of criticism and implorement to the Corinthians to stop the arguing and fighting around different problems and embrace, what he called, the most important virtue: love. [10] The choice of this particular biblical reference could be perceived as Obama’s attempt to spread the ideology of love â€Å"loving thy neighbor† so that the American people can embrace a notion of racial inclusiveness and ideological diversity, necessary in the time of economic and international crises.Again we can find the idea of a â€Å"WE†. Conclusion: It is now obvious that Paul Chilton theory can be applied. We can see that it is the play together of the different methods and many more make a discourse unique and manipulative. But it is important to know in which context the discourse has been written as the context can change the words, emotions and message in a political discourse. In Obama’s speech we can find the concept of pragmatism, liberalism, inclusiveness, acceptance of religious and ethnic diversity and unity. As such the result of keywords of hi s run for presidency.This is shown by the prominent words employed by Obama: nation, new and America, and a overall dominance of the personal pronoun We understood as necessary in the time of national peril†¦ The results of the biblical references, which Paul Chilton explains as â€Å"only† way to motivate and capture America’s population, have shown that Obama’s choice of citations (quoting the Corinthians) was to strengthen the notion of unity and brotherly love among the various members of the American diverse society. As such we can see that his methods were well used and can be found by the methods of Paul Chilton.Obama stands for his candidature through his speech and ideology, world wide as a new wind for America that will rebuild and strengthen the country. And we have to remember that Obama is the first president that has been accepted as young and black person as president. Sources Primary source: Analyzing Political Discourse, Theory and Practice , Paul Chilton, Routledge, 2004 Bibliography: – Article Discourse Society January 1993 vol. 4 no. 1 7-31 : Metaphor in Political Discourse: The Case of the `Common European House' by Paul Chilton and Mikhail Ilyin Moral Imagination: Implications of Cognitive Science for Ethics, University of Chicago, 1993. Secondary Sources: – University of Louisville, Article by Judith D. Fischer: http://www. law. louisville. edu/node/2720 – Online Document, Critical Discourse Analysis by Juraj Harvath: https://docs. google. com/viewer? a=v=cache:j-4vhWbO6a8J:www. pulib. sk/elpub2/FF/Ferencik2/pdf_doc/6. pdf+=de=lu=bl=ADGEESgDn7GSv6cJcZ6acGq5vk-rpp0mNE_qyGy5vUUCMEdg4d1M9efiWLiSgl3CRzYChNf3gQkZQ-saUZib0C5oBU-XVpDkee3pDul94RL3VlIR6nWc4j-OIJTNBkD9oZuSmxh4ybhM=AHIEtbRfcX_PIha4KZfnvwVFTzxPnRNSDA – Obama, the Lion in Winter: ttp://www. exec-comms. com/blog/2009/01/20/obama-the-lion-in-winter/ -5 Speechwriting Lessons from Obama’s Inaugural Speech by Andrew Dlugan: http: //sixminutes. dlugan. com/inauguration-speech-analysis-barack-obama-inaugural/ – Online Document: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Barack Obama’s Speeches By Junling Wang: https://docs. google. com/viewer? a=v=cache:HzMPBXpzbW8J:ojs. academypublisher. com/index. php/jltr/article/download/0103254261/1807+=de=lu=bl=ADGEEShaYaCyse11UxuFQk1KY0Zb0oOh15Ng1vgnuIdLSpdkL4Ia5nqoDh1DV-aO46J-bKQV9Fyfc3mz1MrZ5VTIrAnm85bmHXzt4cJZgNLYXFeuExE4wl1-SjUvUuEWd78WR0jiI5aV=AHIEtbT3Yd_sOMwtzg1_LtcSsaQh2FbYGw – Wikipedia article about metaphors: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Metaphor visited on 21 November 2012 – St Paul’s Letters: http://biblescripture. net/1Corinthians. html Apendix: The whole speech of Obama can be found on BBC: http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/americas/obama_inauguration/7840646. stm ———————– [1] http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Metaphor, visited on 21 November 2012 [2] Paul Chilton, Analyzing politi cal discourses, Page 49 [3] Moral Imagination: Implications of Cognitive Science for Ethics, University of Chicago, 1993. 4] Obama, the Lion in Winter: http://www. exec-comms. com/blog/2009/01/20/obama-the-lion-in-winter/ [5] Paul Chilton, Analyzing political discourses, Page 51 [6] Statistics taken out of: Critical discourse analysis by Juraj Harvath (controlled by myself again) [7] A Critical Discourse Analysis of Barack Obama’s Speeches By Junling Wang [8] Paul Chilton, Analyzing political discourses, Page 174 [9] Obama, the Lion in Winter: http://www. exec-comms. com/blog/2009/01/20/obama-the-lion-in-winter/ [10] St Paul’s Letters: http://biblescripture. net/1Corinthians. html

EX open ended lab fluid

The flow Of water should be changed by regulating the outlet flow control valve. ) Once again, measure the flow of water and the manometer reading. 10) At least 6 readings should be obtained per experiment. 1 1 ) Turn off the pump, shut the isolating valve and the tapping valve for test pipe 1 12) The manometer is then inserted into the tapping points for test pipe 2 and open both the tapping and isolating valve. 13) Run the pump and all the relevant readings should be taken 14) The procedures were repeated for test pipe 3.Problem statement This water distributing system is to be a design for a water supply system from reservoir in Pang to Muar. The design will take into consideration all related parameters that will affect the design in terms of head loss. The monthly report will be submitted to Lumbago Air Juror. My team will be conducting an experiment to determine the most effective pipe size, by considering friction factor and pipe fitting. We will prepare the stimulated experim ental design for submission.Ways and means Suitable test methods to carry out the experiment were Identified based on the relevant standards. The experimental methods will be presented and we will defend our procedure. Rest It sheet PVC pipe no 1: diameter = 1 inch Cue /ran) Hal (m) h2o (m) Expo. Head loss, hex (IMHO) Pipe diameter Velocity, V (m/s) Theoretical head loss, (IMHO) percentage error (%) PVC pipe no 2: diameter = % inch Q (L/r-n) Theoretical head loss, Percentage error (%) PVC pipe no 3: diameter = h inch Q (L/ran)

Learning Contracts Essay

Table of Contents Section Page Abstract1 Introduction 2 Definition of Learning Contract2 Purpose of the Learning Contract3 Uses of Learning Contracts3 Advantages and Disadvantages of Learning Contracts4 Advantages4 Disadvantages5 Designing Learning Contracts5 Conclusions and Recommendations 6 Conclusion 6 Recommendations†¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 References8 Abstract Learning contracts are being used in post-secondary education. Adults approach learning as problem solving and in theory by implementing learning contracts, the student becomes more involved in their own learning process. This paper discusses the use of a learning contract, the advantages and disadvantages for using contracts and the general design of a learning contract. The use of learning contracts provides opportunity for the student to be more involved in their own learning and apply relevance to their own educational experience. Learning Contracts â€Å"Contract learning is, in essence, an alternative way of structuring a learning experience: It replaces a content plan with a process plan.† Malcolm S. Knowles (1991, pg.39). In the early 1970’s, the concept that adults learn differently than children was introduced by Malcolm Knowles. This theory of andragogy has inspired research and controversy. The complexity of adult learning and motivation provides opportunities to explore new methods of teaching. Implementing learning contracts is an alternative way to structure the learning  experience. Definition. Learning contract by definition is an agreement between students and teachers that grant the student certain freedoms and choices about completing tasks yet requires the student to meet certain specifications (â€Å"Definition,† n.d., p. 1). According to Knowles (1980), contract learning solves, or at least reduces, the problem of dealing with wide differences within any group of adult learners. Knowles (1986) defines a learning contract as containing specifically: 1.the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to be acquired by the learner (learning objectives); 2.how the objectives are to be accomplished; 3.the target date for their accomplishment; 4.what evidence will be presented to demonstrate that the objectives have been accomplished; and 5.how this evidence will be judged or validated. In academic settings the contract also specifies how much credit is to be awarded and what grade is to be given (p.38). Understanding the purpose and advantages of learning contracts and being able to apply them in our future careers as adult instructors will help prepare us for the variety of learning styles our students will have. Purposes of Learning Contracts Learning contracts have multiple purposes. One purpose is that it can enrich and extend the curriculum. They can connect educational needs to individual needs. The responsibility of learning is shared by the student and the educator. Learning contracts can also challenge the abilities of highly able students and provide alternate options that can be altered specifically for the differences in abilities, learning styles and interests of individual students. The contract is a tool for structuring the learning process. Uses of Learning Contracts Findings from research about adult learning have shown that when adults go about learning something naturally, they are highly self-directed (Tough, 1971, 1979). Coincidentally, when adults learn on their own initiative, they have a deeper understanding and more permanent memory of when they  learn by being taught. Core adult learning principles view the adult learner as the primary source of data for making sound decisions regarding the learning process (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 1998, p. 183). Contract learning is compatible with the notion that adult learners are self-directed learners. Online instruction is an example where contract learning can be highly effective. In an online environment, instructors are not physically meeting with the students to discuss learning goals, objectives and expectations. Learning contracts can help negotiate and define the learning goals and outcomes. Sample learning contracts can be placed on a web page and the student can determine which contract best suits their learning goals. Students can also engage in online discussions about the different options with their peers and gain a broader perspective through shared knowledge. Learning contracts can also be highly effective in the corporate world. Training employees is costly and can require large investments from organizations. Learning contracts allow the employee to take responsibility and increases motivation in the learning process when they are able to relate the training directly to their job responsibilities. Contracts can also clearly define the company’s expectations of the outcomes. When the expectations are defined, both instructor and trainee can track progress and stay focused on the company’s business goals and strategies. Learning contracts are useful in research. Research learning contracts provide form and structure to an unstructured environment such as the research laboratory, while ensuring maximal flexibility (â€Å"Contracts,† n.d., para. 2). It allows the student to control their own learning. Contracts allow students to define learning objectives, activities, rate of progress and methods of assessment that will evaluate the student’s success or failure. Advantages and Disadvantages of Learning Contracts Advantages. There are many advantages for learning contracts in adult education. Learning contracts enhance the adult learner’s self-directed learning experience. They promote creative and critical thinking for the student and develop their time management, planning and decision making skills. They can target specific individuals and their specific learning  activities. Each students experience can be unique to them and incorporate their own prior knowledge and experience. The contracts also allow students to work at their appropriate pace and can increase the student’s motivation which in return can increase their class participation. Contracts can help keep students on course if the contracts are specific and concrete. This can also help minimize miscommunication or misunderstanding of expectations and outcomes. The contract also provides a means for the learner to receive continuous feedback regarding progress toward accomplishing learning objectives. Disadvantages. There are disadvantages to using learning contracts. Contracts can be time consuming to develop. They typically are more detailed and require you to put in more work in the developing stage. Also, students can have confusion especially if their prior learning experience has only been the traditional method of instruction in a classroom. If students are only familiar with â€Å"instructor taught† learning and have not learned to be self-directed learners, the student could have difficulty adapting to this method. The learning contract method in pedagogic learning may require more instructor involvement verses student driven in andragogic learning. The attitude of the educator can have an influence on the learning contract as well. Some educators feel the learning contract gives the student too much control. Designing Learning Contracts There are many different ways to design a learning contract. Learning contracts can address the diverse learning needs of different students and may be designed to suit a variety of purposes. Despite the flexibility, there is a general format starting with identification of the content that will be learned. Specific methods and strategies that will be used to learn the content should be identified. Specifying resources to be used in order to learn the content and determining the type of evidence that will be used to demonstrate the learning should be identified. Last, the evidence that will be validated and by whom needs to be defined. Having clarity will lead to improved performance and allow for revision of learning objectives if needed throughout the learning experience (â€Å"Learning Contracts,† n.d.). Conclusion and Recommendations Conclusion. Malcolm Knowles’ introduction of andragogy has influenced adult education. A distinguishing characteristic of adult learning programs is the shared control of program planning and facilitation (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 1998, p.133). Engaging adults as partners in their learning experience satisfies their â€Å"need to know† and appeals to their self-concept as independent learners. Learning contracts are a tool that encourages students to participate more actively in their own learning experience. It is an alternative method of structuring a learning experience unique to individuals. It enables educators to work with differences among a group of learners. Learning contracts, more so than any other type of instructional method, create the conditions for individualized instruction. The contract method will not be effective if the adult learner is passive in their own learning experience. Disadvantages include extensive planning and commitment as well as excessive focus on individual success (Duggan, n.d.). In general, adult learners are going to be self-directed learners as opposed to child learners. Based on the five assumptions learned in WED 486 regarding adult learners: adults need to know why they need to know; adults need to learn experientially; adults approach learning as problem solving; adults learn best when the topic is of immediate value; and adults need to integrate new ideas with what they already know, learning contracts are an effective tool to enhance a self-directed experience. Recommendations. Additional research related to contract learning involves the fairness of learning contracts. In the traditional method of instructor taught learning, all students are given the same syllabus and information on what it takes to earn a particular grade. In the case of learning contracts, they are individualized to the learner. The contract may be specific as to how each learner will obtain earned grades but will the content be equal? Additional research is recommended to determine if contracts are efficient if not all students are covering the same material. References Duggan, T. (n.d.). The disadvantages of training agreements. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_6075915_disadvantages-training-agreements.html  Guidelines for writing. (n.d.). In Learning contract guidelines [PDF]. Retrieved from https://dsacms.tamu.edu/sites/sllo.tamu.edu/files/LearningContractGuidelines.pdf Knowles, M. S. (1980). The modern practice of adult education from pedagogy to andragogy. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Cambridge Adult Education. Knowles, M. S. (1986). Using learning contracts (p. 38). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers. Knowles, M. S., Holton, III, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (1998). Beyond andragogy. In (Ed.), The adult learner (5th ed., pp. 153-183). Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing. Learning contracts. (n.d.). In How to create and use learning contracts [PDF]. Retrieved from http://fcpsteach.org/docs/directions-learning%20contracts.pdf Research learning contracts. (n.d.). In webGuru. Retrieved October 1, 2011, from http://www.webguru.neu.edu/undergradu ate-research/structuring-ur-experience/research-learning-contracts Tough, A. (1971, 1979). The adult’s learning projects. Toronto: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

Pygmalion and Pretty Woman Essay

â€Å"I feel just like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman except for that whole hooker thing.† It’s no surprise that Laney, the speaker of these words and heroine of 1999’s She’s All That should feel that way. She could have just as easily said that she felt like Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady because She’s All That is the latest example of a series of movies based on the Pygmalion myth, an occurrence that illustrates Hollywood’s long fascination with this myth. The original Pygmalion story is found in Ovid. Pygmalion is the story of a gifted young sculpter who is a woman hater. Ironically, the sculpture that most fascinates him and that he puts all of his genius into is a statue of a woman. The statue is exquisite, but Pygmalion wasn’t content. He kept tweaking the statue, working on it until it was so well-made that it looked real, and no other woman–real or sculpted–could compare. Pygmalion reached a point, however, where he could improve nothing else on the statue, and he fell in love with his creation. The poor sculpter tried to pretend that the statue was real; he caressed it, tried to dress it up, brought it the gifts he thought a real woman would enjoy. Ultimately, his pitiful situation of his passion came to Venus’ attention. On the goddess of love’s feast day, Pygmalion asked the goddess to let him find a maiden like his statue. Venus knew what Pygmalion really wanted, however, and the flames on her altar leaped up three times, signalling that Pygmalion would get his wish. When Pygmalion arrived home, he discovered that his statue was alive. He named her Galatea, and the two of them were married. What the Pygmalion myth boils down to is a man who creates a woman exactly as he would like her to be. Hollywood remains faithful to the basic events of the myth in each film version it creates. In each film, a man takes a flesh and blood woman and recreates her–usually through a physical makeover but sometimes the makeover goes deeper into thoughts and manners; each man also has the man falling in love with his creation now that she is the way he wants her to look, dress, and act. While Hollywood’s films try to have the male creator realize somewhat during the course of the makeover that the woman is a person in her own right, the actual perception of the man’s noble awakening is weak. Each film adaptation ultimately conveys the idea that the woman is not a worthy individual in her own right until she is molded by the man. His  love, now that she is worthy of it, brings her to life. My Fair Lady, the film musical starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison, is actually based on the earlier play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. The Galatea in this film is Eliza Doolittle (Hepburn), a poor, dirty flower seller in turn of the century England. The Pygmalion in this film is Henry Higgins (Harrison), a cocky, sexist linguist and phoneticist who believes that diction is what really sets the classes apart. He wagers with Colonel Pickering that through a change in dress and diction, he can turn the lower class Eliza into a lady that will fool high society. The only thing in the wager for Eliza is that she might be able to open her own flower shop and somewhat escape her lower class roots. He bullies Eliza and treats her as an object. To him, she is only an experiment, and it comes as a shock to him that she has feelings and opinions of her own. Higgins succeeds in turning her into a proper lady, but the irony is that as a proper lady, Eliza has almost become a statue, an object. She was a real woman in her natural state. Higgins’ experiment has robbed her of her identity and her natural feelings and has left her with too much class to ever be able to achieve her dream of being able to open a flower shop. She is no longer functional; with her higher class diction and appearance, Eliza is now decorative. While the movie ends with a sense of a love match between Higgins and Eliza, it is unconvincing. In Shaw’s play, Higgins and Eliza never get together, and the film never quite convinces the audience that Higgins’ Pygmalion falls in love with his Galatea. Pretty Woman is the early 90’s take on the Pygmalion myth. The time is modern and the setting has changed to California. The Galatea role has been similarly updated. Instead of being a lower class flower girl, the Galatea is Vivian (Roberts), a prostitute with little education. Vivian’s Pygmalion is Edward (Gere), a wealthy businessman who first appears to have little heart or little need for another person. The two meet over a car and continue their acquaintance because Edward needs a date for his social functions while in California. What is interesting about this film is its reversal of roles. Vivian and Edward fulfill both the Galatea and Pygmalion roles. Vivian undergoes a physical transformation through the designer  clothes necessary to her role as Edward’s date, and her new appearance seems to transform her life as she decides to leave prostitution and endows her with a new sensibility and nobility. Edward’s physical alteration of Vivian through clothes and the exposure to a more cultured society seemingly transforms her from a pretty doll into a real person, making her now worthy of him, and allowing a real relationship to develop between them. Interestingly, though, Vivian isn’t the only one who changes in the film. While Edward’s physical appearance and outer reality need no work, his spirit does. He is the real statue, wooden and without feeling. As Vivian’s noble nature begins to emerge because of her outer transformation, she begins to work transforming magic on him. He becomes a real person capable of feeling and capable of being the prince that Vivian desires. As a result, Pretty Woman might retell the Pygmalion myth the most faithfully. Just as Pygmalion became able to love a woman because of how his creation affected him, Edward is changed and improved through Vivian, his own creation. She’s All That, 1999’s version of the Pygmalion myth and starring Rachel Leigh Cook and Freddie Prinze, Jr., is probably the weakest adaptaton of the myth. Unlike the characters in the previous films, the characters is this film are high school students, and the setting has been moved to a high school. Like the other two films, She’s All That tries to make a social commentary by pitting the higher class, wealthier man against the lower class, poorer woman. The movie begins with rich, handsome Zack (Prinze Jr.) returning from Spring Break to find that his rich, beautiful, and vain girlfriend Taylor has dumped him for a former cast member of MTV’s The Real World. This rejection doesn’t sit well with Zack, who is practically king of the school. Attempting to raise Zack’s spirits, his best friend Dean makes a wager for Zack to prove his superior charms by turning any girl into a prom queen in six weeks. The guttersnip they select is Laney (Cook), a lower class Bohemian artist and outcast who unconvincingly hides her beauty under heavy glasses, paint-spattered clothes, and low self-esteem. Unlike the other films, the makeover in She’s All That isn’t a key element. In this film the makeover takes about five minutes and requires only a skimpy red dress, contact lenses, makeup, plucked eyebrows, and a hair cut to turn ugly duckling Laney into the swan. There also appears to be no other  transformation in Laney and Zack other than the five minute makeover. Unlike the other two films and the original myth itself, their characters do not grow. Zack is already a pretty good guy who never struggles with Laney’s eccentricities or has any emotional problems he must overcome. As for Laney, she may look better, but her character is exactly the same. Hollywood loves the Pygmalion myth as illustrated by the number of films that retell the myth. The problem with Hollywood’s film adaptations, though, is that they are often shallow and anachronistic. Is it really necessary on the cusp of the 21st century to still be making films that have the male trying to transform the heroine into something beautifl and better than what she was before he came along? Why does Hollywood always require the Pygmalion to be wealthy and handsome while the Galatea is poor and ugly–at least surfacely? If filmmakers are going to continue to retell this myth, why don’t they breathe some ingenuity and fresh life into it? Perhaps they cannot because to some extent, all of the films miss the point of the myth. The myth isn’t simply about a man who created his ideal woman; it is also about how two people transform each other into something better than they were before. Perhaps the best and most interesting example of the Pygmalion myth is Overboard, starring Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. In this film, Hawn is the rich, vain, and selfish one, while Russell is the decent, hard working, yet flawed Pygmalion. When the two are thrown together, their lives change. Hawn becomes caring and unselfish, acting as cheerleader to Russell’s reinvigorated Pygmalion. The two have fallen in love and changed each other for the better. Pretty Woman  By Jim Emerson Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) is a whore. So is Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts). Only she works on Hollywood Boulevard and he stays at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. â€Å"You and I are both such similar people,† says the Wall Street corporate raider to the streetwalker. â€Å"We both screw people for money.† Pretty Woman sells itself as a contemporary Hollywood fairy tale — Pygmalion Meets Cinderella in Beverly Hills — about two floozies, a corporation man and an â€Å"indieprod† hooker (she keeps her rates low in the  free marketplace by choosing to work without a pimp), who (supposedly) find redemption, or at least financial security, in each other’s lovin’ arms. The fairy tale aspect of the picture almost works like a charm, thanks to some adroit and appealing comic performances (including Laura San Giacomo as Vivian’s hussy roommate and Hector Elizondo as the prim hotel manager) a few snappy one-liners, and Garry Marshallâ €™s sitcom-bright direction, which tries — but finally fails — to bleach out the movie’s darker, scuzzier implications about what money can and cannot buy in America’s culture of greed. Edward has bought and paid for virtually every relationship in his adult life; he treats everyone around him like an employee. While in LA for a week, he hires Vivian (originally in blonde wig, looking like a skinny, slatternly Angie Dickinson) to be his â€Å"date† for a series of business functions, including a fancy dinner and a polo match. Out of the bargain, she gets $3000 cash, a makeover, new clothes and a crash course in what fork to use. Unavoidably, they both get more than they bargained for because — surprise! — they fall in love. And that changes everything. Of course, Cyndi Lauper sang that â€Å"Money Changes Everything.† And in its original, darkly cynical incarnation, the script for Pretty Woman (which could’ve been called Working Girl ) was called 3000, because it was about the money that makes men and women unequal. But even in this heavily processed and polished Disney product, it’s not clear what has actually made the (unc onvincing) difference in these characters’ lives: the love or the money? Finally, all the movie says is that you can be a harlot — in executive offices or on the streets — but if you look like you live in Beverly Hills, then people will suck up to you and it won’t matter who you are or what you do to acquire your money, just as long as you spend lots of it. Of course, it is beyond the scope (or intention) Pretty Woman to sharpen this into an ironic or satirical point. The bleak notion is just there on the screen, acknowledged and reinforced, but never questioned. Vivian (the designated moral superior) compares what Edward does — buying companies, dismantling them, and then selling the pieces for profit — to stealing cars and selling the parts. Edward (the designated economic superior) argues that what he does is perfectly legal. It just doesn’t occur to him (yet) that it’s also parasitical and ethically deplorable. This same lesson appears to have been lost on the makers of Pretty Woman. The movie itself is like a stolen car  that’s been given a spotty paint job in an attempt to conceal the true nature of the vehicle underneath. Scratch this movie’s polished coat ever so slightly and you’ll see that Pretty Woman is a conflicted tale about prostitution and dreams: how we prostitute ourse lves to achieve our dreams, and how those dreams are defiled and compromised by our prostitution. For commercial reasons, the picture desperately tries to skirt or downplay its own underlying themes. Significantly, the crucial, ambivalent lines from Roy Orbison’s title song are buried somewhere in the middle of the movie’s upbeat music mix: â€Å"I don’t believe you/You’re not the truth/No one can look as good as you.† Orbison, at least, knew that enticing appearances could be deceiving. Pretty Woman (the motion picture) does not. In this movie, the clothes make the man (or woman) and if you cry at the opera, it proves you’ve got a cultured soul. Pretty Woman brackets its urban fable with appearances by a black street hustler/panhandler/chorus, who strides through the picture hollering stuff like: â€Å"This is Hollywood where people come to fulfill their dreams! Some dreams come true and some don’t! Believe in your dreams!† The first time this chipper fellow shows up, his comments are juxtaposed with sleazy slices of life on Hollywood Boulevard (crack dealers, pimps, a murdered whore stuffed in a dumpster). His exclamations serve as an ironic (and chilling) comment on what tourists find when they actually travel to the heart of Hollywood: The mythologized home of America’s movie dream factory has fallen into decay and corruption. And yet, when the chorus figure reappears at the film’s Happy Ending, his spiel is suddenly meant to be taken at face value — which, I guess, demonstrates just how corrupted the dream factory has become. So, what are this guy’s dreams? To prowl the streets of Hollywood day and night shouting at people? Pretty Woman doesn’t wanna know†¦ It would have taken the mordant wit and satirical sharpness of a Billy Wilder or a Preston Sturges to get you to appreciate both the emotional surface lie and the deeper moral truth inherent in a story like this — and to fully explore the ironic contrasts between the two. But Pretty Woman isn’t black comedy or satire. It’s tepid, force-fed pabulum, with a few cold and b itter lumps that have slipped through the studio strainer which make it very hard for all but the most inattentive viewers to swallow. Pretty Woman can’t handle the contradictions it raises. It’s simply schizoid — probably because the  aforementioned screenplay has been subjected to major Disnification in the development process, tarted up with an imperative feel-good ending that negates every valid observation that has preceded it. At one point, Vivian speaks for Disney (and audiences) when tells Edward, flat-out: â€Å"I want the fairy tale.† Inevitably, she gets it — thus violating all narrative and character logic. She knows it’s not true, and so do we, but we’ll take the Disney version so we don’t have to think about it. Apparently, test audiences wanted to buy into the fantasy, too — integrity and verisimilitude be damned. And so, a form of moral nausea creeps up on you as you watch â€Å"Pretty Woman,† growing from the realization that the unequal economic/power basis of this relationship isn’t going to change, Happy Ending or not. Vivian herself recognizes as much. Nevertheless, all your (and, it seems, Vivian’s) movie-conditioned reflexes make you hope-against-hope that these two will stay together. You want the Hooker with the Heart of Gold to make Edward see how degenerate his social and business practices are. You want him to play White K night and rescue Vivian from the streets, carrying her off to his penthouse castle. You want those Pavlovian wedding bells to ring so that you can salivate. Then you recall the real world, and people like Ivan Boesky or Michael Milken, and you want to puke in disgust. Edward becomes the movie’s hero when he prevents an associate from raping Vivian and decides not to commit a comparably despicable business transaction at work. During the Reagan ’80s, moral decisions we used to regard as minimum requirements for anyone with a conscience have somehow become grounds for sainthood in the movies. Maybe Pretty Woman isn’t really a tainted romantic comedy after all, but a sort of latent horror film about the ethical/economic decay of America. Sounds like a hit!