POEMS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

POEMS - Essay Example June Jordan herself a civil rights activist who fervently fight for the rights of African-Americans. Her radical beliefs and principles are vividly echoed in her poem. On the other hand, Ted Kooser’s poem sounds simple on the surface due to its terse and straightforward style. My initial interpretation of the poem is that the author is unhappily celebrating his birthday, celebrating an important day of his life alone. But when I read Kooser’s biography, my interpretation of the poem changed. When I learned that he is recognized as a poet with a remarkable grasp of metaphors I thought that perhaps the poem is not even talking about him or, specifically, his own gloomy disposition, but about the simple things that are usually taken for granted, like a book, darkness, a window. What the author, I think, is trying to convey is that these simple things can bring happiness, like the happiness that a birthday celebration can

Carpal tunnel syndrome Essay Example for Free

Carpal tunnel syndrome Essay Video games are very popular with children all over the world, they keep kids occupied and entertained. A lot of parents are concerned about how these video games are affecting their children. Are these video games good or bad for our children? Video gaming has both positive and negative effects on children. Video games are not only entertaining but also educational; they create challenges for children to take on in order to proceed to new levels. Video gaming is also very influential with a child. That is why it is very important to monitor children while playing. There are many positive effects to playing video games. Playing a video game is a way to exercise the brain, it helps children develop skills like following directions, problem solving and hand-eye coordination that develop fine motor and spatial skills. Video games contribute a lot to education, like developing reading skills; gamers must read to get instructions, follow storylines, and get information. Gamers also become more determined because, usually they don’t succeed the first time playing a level so they try and try again until they move on to the next level. Games can provide a positive outlet for children to release bottled up frustrations the same way many sports like basketball and football do. Video games allow parents to bond with their children and play together and can be something they share in common. Of course with every good there is a bad. Most of the bad things about video games are usually blamed on the violence that is in them. Children who play more violent video games are more likely to have more aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Playing too much video game keeps children indoors and become less social with family and friends. It also causes children to spend less time doing other activities like doing homework or playing sports. Some video games teach children improper morals and are easily confused between reality and fantasy. Excessive gameplay can contribute to poor performance in school and also cause a slew of health issues like obesity, video-induced seizures, postural, muscular and skeletal disorders and carpal tunnel syndrome. Children who are spending too much time playing video games may show signs of impulsive behavior and have attention problems. The effects of video games vary on children depending on the kind of parenting. Children usually imitate what they see in these video games so it’s important for parents to understand their children’s maturity level and what kind of games parents should allow their children to play. We are now living in a sophisticated and high-tech world so video games are essential to the development of children with today’s technology. The point is for parents to understand that playing video games have different effects on different children. The positives of video games definitely outweigh the negatives of video games especially with proper supervision of the children who play these video games.

Technology Swells Ocean Exploration :: Technology Evolution Essays

Technology Swells Ocean Exploration Railroads and computers. So, not only what to these have in common, but also what are they doing in paper about computers? Well to start, the Professor did say to have fun with the paper! Secondly, the guns show how long technology takes to evolve and than how quick evolution can happen. It took centuries to go from smooth bore to rifled bore in the guns. Flintlock gun were still being used at the start of the American Civil War, 1861. By the time the war ended, 4 years later, percussion guns were in style. The Gatling gun showed up around 1867, it was replaced in under 100 years with the .50 caliber machine gun. Thirdly, railroads and computers are a very interesting study on how quick technology can advance, the problems it encounters, and the impact it has on society. The first American train made its run in 1830. Less than 40 years later the transcontinental railroad was completed. The rail companies had to overcome problems never before encountered: switchbacks up hills, grading, etc. The impact on the America society was, and still is, huge. The computer technology has basically followed the same timeframe, overcame unknown problems, and is having a huge impact on society. Looking at these two comparisons is very interesting. As a Maritime Historian an understanding of past technology is important in determining a time frame of an incident. Plus, an understanding of how to use todays’ technology to assist in finding and recording of the past is an absolute necessity. Computers hold the key to major research projects by way of technology, Internet, and E-Mail. As a Maritime Explorer advances in technology will continue to be used to find, track and understand the water world around us. Clive Cussler wrote, "We have mapped and photographed almost every square inch of the moon, but we have viewed less than one percent of what is covered by water". The computer will be of the same great benefit when it comes to the exploration of the oceans as the computer has benefited the exploration of outer space. This benefit will be to two major forms; finding and understanding the past (cause and effect), finding the as yet unknown and determining its benefits. As any historian will say, we need to know where we came from in order to understand where we are going. What technological advances over the centuries have led to the exploration of the oceans?

A scope statement for a spring concert Essay

Your roommate is about to submit a scope statement for a spring concert sponsored by the entertainment council at Western Evergreen State University (WESU). WESU is a residential university with over 22,000 students. This will be the first time in six years since WESU sponsored a spring concert. The entertainment council has budgeted $40,000 for the project. The event is to occur on June 5th. Since your roommate knows you are taking a class on project management she has asked you to review her scope statement and make suggestions for improvement. She considers the concert a resume-building experience and wants to be as professional as possible. Below is a draft of her scope statement. What suggestions would you make and why? WESU Spring Music Concert Project Objective To organize and deliver a 6-hour music concert by June 5th at cost to not exceed $40,000. Deliverables †¢Concert security †¢Contact local newspapers and radio stations †¢Separate beer garden †¢Six hours of musical entertainment †¢Design a commemorative concert t-shirt †¢Local sponsors †¢Food venues †¢Event insurance †¢Safe environment Milestones 1.Secure all permissions and approvals 2.Sign big-name artist 3.Contact secondary artists 4.Secure vendor contracts 5.Advertising campaign 6.Plan set-up 7.Concert 8.Clean-up Technical Requirements 1.Professional sound stage and system 2.At least five performing acts 3.Restroom facilities 4.Parking 5.Compliance with WESU and city requirements/ordinances Limits and Exclusions †¢Seating capacity for 8,000 students. †¢Performers are responsible for travel arrangement to and from WESU. †¢Performers must provide own liability insurance. †¢Performers and security personnel will be provided lunch and dinner on the day of the concert. †¢Vendors contribute 25 percent of sales to concert fund †¢Concert must be over at 12:15 A.M.

Characteristics of Modern English Drama Essay

Godot’s 60th: The University of Reading archive shows the first night Pic: Roger Pic So why are we still waiting for Godot? How has Samuel Beckett’s play grown from a tiny avant garde performance in Paris to become part of the West End theatre coach party circuit? It’s 60 years since Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot received its premiere in the Theatre de Babylone in Paris. The first public performance, in its original French form of En attendant Godot, drew an audience of high-brow Parisians, taking in the latest experimental theatre. â€Å"All the thousands who claimed they were there could never have been at the premiere. There weren’t enough seats,† says James Knowlson, Beckett’s friend and official biographer. They also couldn’t have realised that this play, beginning its shoestring-budget run on 5 January 1953, was going to be seen as one of the pivotal moments in modern drama. International appeal So why has Waiting for Godot proved so durable? How has Beckett’s work outlasted the other iconoclasts and angry young writers of the 1950s and 1960s? â€Å"I would suggest the answer lies in its ambiguities. So much is suggested rather than explicitly stated,† says Prof Knowlson. A programme from Godot’s first setting at the Theatre de Babylone in Montparnasse, Paris â€Å"People can read into it what they want to read into it.† This openness to interpretation has helped the play to avoid becoming dated, he says. For a play that’s about the passing of time, it’s curiously timeless. It asks all the big philosophical questions – about life and death and the uncertain purpose of what goes on in between – but in a way that isn’t limited to a particular place or era. And the play has acquired a remarkable record for being performed in very different international settings. No disaster or civil strife is complete without its own Godot. It was performed in Sarajevo under siege in the 1990s, in South Africa it was seen as a critique of apartheid and in the wake of Hurricane Katrina a performance in New Orleans was seen as an emblem of the city’s wait for recovery. Inmates in San Quentin prison in California saw it as their own story in a famous production in the late 1950s. Prof Knowlson’s friendship with Beckett has also created a rich and unexpected legacy for his university, the University of Reading, which now holds the biggest archive of Beckett-related material in the world. From the early 1970s, the playwright began giving manuscripts and notes to Prof Knowlson, stuffed into bags, boxes and suitcases. And this Beckett International Foundation has grown to become the definitive European collection for researchers. â€Å"He adopted us,† says Prof Knowlson – although the attention-shunning writer was never persuaded to visit the archive in person. As Waiting for Godot reaches its 60th anniversary, the university has artefacts and pictures from the original performances. ‘Something extraordinary’ It’s also a reminder of how easily the play might not have happened at all. Samuel Beckett at the BBC recording a series of his plays in 1977There were no famous faces or big funders to back the play. Instead it depended on the actor and director Roger Blin to hustle for cash and a venue – and once it had begun it relied on word of mouth for survival. None of the original cast are still alive – and the theatre itself shut down a few years after staging Beckett’s play. In an interview with French television in the 1960s, Roger Blin suggested the initial power of the play. When Beckett showed him the script: â€Å"I said to myself: This is something extraordinary and it must be put on.† Another playwright who was enlisted in the search for funding fervently promised Blin: â€Å"I will defend this play to the death.† It was still proving controversial when the first English version of the play was performed two years later in London, directed by a 24-year-old Peter Hall. Harold Pinter, also then in his twenties, saw Beckett as the the â€Å"most courageous, remorseless writer going†, while reviewer Bernard Levin described Waiting for Godot as â€Å"a remarkable piece of twaddle†. Not a ‘miserabilist’ Prof Knowlson is himself now one of the most important living links with Beckett. Continue reading the main story â€Å" Start Quote He could be very convivial, very witty, very good company, with a great sense of humour† Professor James Knowlson Beckett’s friend and biographer. And he recognises that the continuing interest in Beckett’s writing is wrapped up in the fascination with the enigmatic character of the author. His photogenic alienation has become a kind of literary brand. But Prof Knowlson argues against the view of Beckett as a â€Å"miserabilist†. â€Å"He could be very convivial, very witty, very good company, with a great sense of humour. â€Å"But there was an element of depression and despair that was part of his life, particularly after the war when he was deeply involved in writing the novels.† He says that Beckett’s idea of a happy Christmas would have been a solitary occasion. â€Å"He would have been preferably on his own and writing. He hated that kind of thing.† The underlying humour is also part of the continuing appeal of Waiting for Godot, he argues. It’s often a peculiarly bleak comedy of resistance, but the thread of humour is always there to leaven the gloom. It’s now a commonplace to see Waiting for Godot described as one of the most important plays of the 20th Century – with its reputation gathering momentum rather than fading away. The kind of movie actors who would have reached the career point of wanting to be in King Lear now want to shuffle across the stage in Godot. Design conscious A key reason for this growing resonance with audiences, Prof Knowlson says, is the visual appeal. Beckett’s strong images appeal to a design-conscious, visually-literate culture. â€Å"They have this strong visual element. I’ve become much more conscious of the filmic quality.† A handbill advertising the first run of Waiting for Godot Prof Knowlson says that he increasingly believes there is a direct link between the plays and Beckett’s interest in painting. â€Å"He was passionately involved in painting, not just that he loved to be with painters, but he was a real expert on 17th Century Dutch painting.† â€Å"He knew these pictures so well, he was so engrossed in these scenes. It seems to me that these pictures are really echoed in Waiting for Godot.† Beckett’s life was changed by the success of Godot – the international impact of the play helped him to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. His publisher John Calder also recalled how the enigmatic Godot could haunt his creator. He recounted how he had once met an anxious Beckett getting off a flight at Heathrow airport. When the plane doors had closed on the runway in Paris, Beckett had heard the loudspeaker announcing: â€Å"Captain Godot welcomes you on board.† â€Å"I wondered if my destiny had caught up with me at last,† Beckett had told his publisher. The Beckett International Foundation at the University of Reading will hold a series of seminars on Samuel Beckett and Waiting for Godot in April 2013.

ESSAY COMPARING “A JEST OF GOD” TO “THE FIRE-DWELLERS” The

ESSAY COMPARING â€Å"A JEST OF GOD† TO â€Å"THE FIRE-DWELLERS† The ESSAY COMPARING "A JEST OF GOD" TO "THE FIRE-DWELLERS" The prominent life of Margaret Laurence, one of Canada's most renowned female authors, began on July 18, 1926, in the quaint prairie town of Neepawa, Manitoba. Unfortunately, at a very young age, Laurence suffered the tragic loss of both her parents. Laurence's love for literature gradually developed with the support and guidance of her stepmother, a teacher and a librarian. Early in life, Laurence decided she would fulfil her passion for literature by turning to a career in fictional writing. She used her brilliant writing skills to express her personal concern; the progress of women as they struggle for self-realization in a male-dominated world, thoroughly in many of her novels. Laurence's dedicated devotion to the female movement has been the powerful basis of several novels throughout her career, but most significantly in A Jest of God (1966) and The Fire-Dwellers (1969).Neepawa Manitoba Canada

A SUMMARY OF GENE THERAPY essays

A SUMMARY OF GENE THERAPY essays A SUMMARY OF GENE THERAPY Many diseases seen today are the result of a defective gene in the DNA of the patient and can not be cured using the traditional methods such as antibiotics and antiviral medication. The victims are now looking to gene therapy as a potential cure for their problems. Bob Williamson introduces us the concept, procedures, and problems associated with gene therapy in his article, Gene Therapy. Along with the appearance of the recombinant DNA technology, it becomes possible for human beings to isolate, study, and change gene in the laboratory. Gene Therapy is the process of replacing a defective gene inside a patients DNA with a working gene that will produce the correct gene products. The genetic diseases in which a single known gene does not function properly, such as sickle cell anaemia, thalassaemia and Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, are most suitable to be treated with the gene therapy. There are two types of gene therapy in curing these diseases, patient therapy and embryo therapy. In the process of the patient therapy, the first step is identifying the defective gene and isolating a normal counterpart. To obtain correct gene action, it may be necessary to put it into the correct site on the host cell chromosome, or even to delete the defective gene, and the DNA can then be replicated each time the host cell divided. But if the new cell is injected directly into the patients body, it will be subject to the bodys immune system that will recognize it as foreign and target it to be destroyed along with the healthy DNA that it is carrying. So the cells extracted from the patient are to be treated and adding the new gene in a test tube in the laboratory to make sure that the DNA is inserted in an appropriate place in the genome, and the cells can then be returned to the patients body. Now it is possible to offer the parents an antenat...

The Timeline for the End of the Roman Republic

The Timeline for the End of the Roman Republic This  timeline uses the Gracchi brothers attempt at reform as the starting point and ends when the Republic has given way to the Empire as evidenced by the rise of the first Roman emperor. The Gracchi brothers were  Tiberius Gracchus and Gaius Gracchus. The two  of them were politicians who represented the commoners in the Roman government. The brothers were progressive activists interested in land reforms to benefit the poor. In the 2nd century B.C,  the two  of them  tried to reform Romes social and political structure to help the lower classes.  Events surrounding the politics of the Gracchi led to the decline and eventual fall of the Roman Republic. Overlaps in Roman History Since beginnings and ends overlap, the final entries of this timeline could also be looked at as the beginning of the succeeding era of Roman history, the Imperial period. The beginning of the final period of Republican Rome likewise overlaps the middle of the Roman Republican period. The  End of the Roman Republic   133 B.C. Tiberius Gracchus tribune 123 - 122 B.C. Gaius Gracchus tribune 111 - 105 B.C. Jugurthine War 104 - 100 B.C. Marius consul. 90 - 88 B.C. Social War 88 B.C. Sulla and the First Mithridatic War 88 B.C. Sullas march on Rome with his army. 82 B.C. Sulla becomes dictator 71 B.C. Crassus crushes Spartacus 71 B.C. Pompey defeats Sertorius' rebellion in Spain 70 B.C. Consulship of Crassus and Pompey 63 B.C. Pompey defeats Mithridates 60 B.C. First Triumvirate: Pompey, Crassus, Julius Caesar 58 - 50 B.C. Caesar conquers Gaul 53 B.C. Crassus killed in (battle) of Carrhae 49 B.C. Caesar crosses the Rubicon 48 B.C. Pharsalus (battle); Pompey killed in Egypt 46 - 44 B.C. Caesars dictatorship 44 B.C. End of Civil War 43 B.C. Second Triumvirate: Marc Antony, Lepidus, Octavian 42 B.C. Philippi (battle) 36 B.C. Naulochus (battle) 31 B.C. Actium (battle) 27 B.C. Octavian emperor

Eco-Innovation in Construction Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Eco-Innovation in Construction Industry - Essay Example You will need to recognize and reflect on both the management and the various â€Å"people† and stakeholder issues involved. You may consider product, system, procedural, structural or relationship innovations with progressive or step change. Assessment Criteria: Research, investigation and description of the innovation 20% Understanding and application of theory, and models. 15% Critical analysis of the particular situation selected. 35% Personal statement about coping with change 10% Flow of academic argument responding to the question. 20% Word Count 4000 words + / - 10% CONTENTS INTRODUCTION TO THE PROBLEM†¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 03 NEED FOR CHANGE†¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦.. 03 INTRODUCTION TO CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY†¦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‚¬ ¦.. 03 THE CAUSE OF CONCERN†¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 04 DISCUSSION†¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 05 ECO-INNOVATION†¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦.. ... L APPLIED FOR CMMS†¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 07 THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CHANGE†¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PARTICULAR SITUATIONS†¦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‚¬ ¦.12 CONCLUSION†¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 14 REFERENCES†¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... 15 INTRODUCTION to the Problem Two of the central issues being faced by modern construction and engineering organisations are eco-innovation and change management as the industry is continuing to shift cultural and move towards wider operationally excellent business models. The recent economic conditions have compounded the pressure. Coupled with this regulatory pressure from government and the consolidation of sub contractors, the climate has inevitably led to much stiffer competition. Within this novel sphere, many organisations are struggling to manage the costs and differentiate themselves from the competition. NEED FOR CHANGE Change is defined by Macmillan (2007, p.237) as â€Å"a situation in which something becomes different or you make something different. † Change occurs in any business on a daily basis, but often a time comes when a planned change is needed to cope with shifts in the industry. Planned organisational change occurs when a company is making a transition from its current state to a desired future state. Managing the organisational change can be characterised as the process of planning and then implementing change in organisations in a way as to minimise the

Employee Engagement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Employee Engagement - Research Paper Example The employees should have other things in mind than salary only so that their performance can be the best. For this purpose the relationships between people within an organization should work in a good environment. Employee engagement is the bondage an employee had with the organization which makes him put in efforts to work for the benefit of the company. Employee engagement involves the efforts of both the organization and the employees themselves. True commitment towards work is necessary by the employees. This can be attained by the organizations by encouraging the individuals to put in efforts for the benefit of the organization. Every person working in a team should be encouraged and added in the conversation. Feedback should also be taken by all the employees in an organization. When an employee feels that he is valued, motivated and encouraged then he works more hard, hence benefiting the organization. Employee engagement is hence an important factor for the businesses to run efficiently nowadays. Employee engagement can be improved by frequent communication, meetings and friendly conversations. For example, Stamm (2009) discussed that in a hospital there was a meeting arranged for improving employee engagement. The nurses felt that the doctor was not friendly towards them and never even smiled at them. On the other hand, the doctor was a concerned to do his surgeries with perfection. He found it shocking that the staff was not at ease with his attitude. According to him he was busy taking wise decisions for doing the best surgery for his patients and never paid attention to this fact. With the help of this discussion the nursing staff also got to know that the doctor was never intentionally rude with them. This made them work better with one another, helping each other more efficiently and focusing on their duties more than on the personal attitudes hence employee engagement was improved. World is getting more and more connected nowadays. People have b etter job opportunities and everyone wants to improve his income because he wants to get luxuries and comforts in his life. Employee should not work only for getting salary, he should own the company. Efforts are being made by companies to improve employee engagement as well. The personal goals of the employees are also important for improving employee engagement. In this assignment, the differences between individualism and collectivism are explored in detail. 2. Employee Engagement 2.1 What does Employee engagement mean? Employee engagement is the hot cake issue for organizations for the past several years. It is the amount of attachment or emotional bondage a person has with his organization and work. This bond makes the employee work at his best for benefitting the organization. It is all about to â€Å"own† an organization and work for it and to share the good and bad moments. According to Investopedia (2011), employee engagement is a management concept which is of great importance. It is the level of interest and devotion an employee has towards his job. For example, a person who works in a company and puts in efforts for the organization’s growth and profits and does not only works for money or salary and has devotion towards his job and company is an engaged employee. Organizational culture and its management contribute a lot in the employee engagement. According to Cook (2008), employee engagement is the amount of commitment an employee has towards his organization. It is the passion and energy the employee has towards putting in efforts for the betterment of his organization. For example the employee working in an

HISTORY - choose 1 of the questions to answer Essay - 7

HISTORY - choose 1 of the questions to answer - Essay Example It also fired a round lead ball. The efficient range of the smoothbore musket was only 200 yards (Adams 1). The Mississippi Rifle, on the other hand, which fielded simply to an extremely limited extent, is considered as one of the first army rifles. The rifle incorporated rifling, and was noticeably more precise than the smoothbore musket, but its main difficulty was that it fired a round orb making it hard to reload and not as precise as the future Minie Ball (Adams 1). The American Civil War led to the death of numerous traditional styles of warfare, the performance of new weapons, and the start of new creations. It also confirmed how unarmed inventions like rail, steam, as well as the telegraph, could renew the way war was fought. As weapons become more successful, warfare became harsher than in the past. Military conditions were in frequent instability during the mechanized age as fresh weapons were developed and communication, as well as transportation, improved. Fresh technology made it feasible to produce a lot of weapons with improved power, precision and range. New inventions comprised of the percussion cap, breech-loading, cylindro-conodial bullet, metal cartridges, machine guns, magazine-fed small arms, smokeless powder and the TNT explosives with timers. Mass production of firearms, during the American Civil War, contributed to more dependence of technological weapons than normal weapons (Adams 1). Army Generals, in both sides, failed to adapt quickly to this change as they were acquainted to the old weapons making it hard for them to change immediately (Adams 1). When the soldiers used the musket, they only aimed in the path of the opponent and fired volleys. The soldiers were acquainted to the musket, which was extremely inaccurate that they were taught to aim just to the general direction of the opponent. The suggestion of the volley was to gather as much ground towards the opponent as possible. It was, therefore, hard for the soldiers to

Carolingian Empire During The Middle Ages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Carolingian Empire During The Middle Ages - Essay Example Accordingly, this brief essay will attempt to consider the overall effects that the Carolingian Empire had o formulating the basic understandings of culture and statehood that eventually developed into our modern interpretation of France as it has existed for the past 1200 years. One of the preeminent problems with pre-Middle Ages Europe was that it was a highly tribalized and lacked any type of cohesion or unity after the collapse of the Roman Empire. The power vacuum that was created caused a litany of tribes to stake out territorial claims throughout the continent and beyond and seek to raise a form of society and individualized culture from out of these constructs.1 It was not until Charlemagne came long that a sense of cohesion was begun to be implemented by right of conquest within the tribes that now constitute modern day France. The dawn of the Carolingian Empire was of paramount importance to the formulation of a modern day understanding of France due to the fact that Charle magne and his progenitors were able to incorporate the use of a common language and religion among the areas and tribes they conquered. As any student of history knows, these two factors alone are powerful forms of congealing a given area into the idea that nationhood/statehood. In this way, Charlemagne, as one of the first actions of the Carolingian Empire, sought to congeal his grip on the territories in and around modern day France. One of these ways was to ensure that the encroachment of the Muslim Moors was stopped at the Battle of Tours. This event in and of itself was a massive victory for the definition of Christianity and statehood of the Frankish peoples. With respect to the subsequent Carolingian Renaissance, as historians have called it, the name itself is a bit of misnomer due to the fact that the Carolingian Renaissance did not have the far reaching societal effects that later European renaissances would have. Rather, the Carolingian Renaissance was almost entirely pre dicated on a restoration of the glory of the Roman Empire.2 Although this in itself was not necessarily a bad end to strive towards, the effect of the renaissance on enlightening the populace, changing social mores/norms, and giving way to higher and greater interpretation of art was severely constricted.3 The artistic developments during the period include the literary development of the Vulgate Bible, the development of Romanesque art and the illuminated manuscripts that were indicative of Byzantine iconoclasts (such as â€Å"Christ in Majesty† from the Aberdeen Bestiary), and the further development of distinctly Pre-Romanesque architecture in Europe (such as The Palatine Chapel in Aachen).4 What these three things have in common is the fact that each of them is merely a development of something that had previously existed; rather than a new interpretation of an old theme. In this way, the actual nature of the â€Å"Carolingian Renaissance† has been called into ques tion as compared with the later fuller renaissances that took place within Europe. Rather than seeking to propagate new styles and new ideas, the Carolingian Renaissance seemed to point backwards to a time of European history that was long gone yet still remembered fondly. Although the Carolingian Empire was a key determinate in establishing the idea of modern statehood within Europe, one could argue that as compared to the artistic expression and sociological

President Barack Obama Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

President Barack Obama - Research Paper Example Obama achieved national attention during his time as a senator. Encouraged by his popularity and determination to excel, Obama ran for the Democratic Presidential Candidacy for the 2008 presidential election and won the party nomination beating Hilary Rodham Clinton. He went on to win the presidential election and sworn in as president on 20th January, 2009. Later in the year Obama also achieved the honor of being the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate of 2009 (Gormley). As a patriot and loyalist countryman, Obama had a very lucid vision about his country which he wanted his fellow countrymen to adopt; the vision of unity, accord and common good (Price). In his address to the Democratic National Convention in 2004 he said: There’s not a liberal America or a conservative America, there’s United States of America. There’s not a Black America and White America and Latino America and Asian America, there’s United States of America. We are one people, all of us pledgin g allegiance to the Stars and Stripes, all of us defending the United States of America. Obama had to face a lot of challenges soon after assuming the office of the President of the United States most significant of which were the dwindling economy and effectual exit from the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform, Consumer Protection Act and the Budget Control Act are some of the most important legislative measures taken by the Obama administration which are being deemed as very effective and successful for solving issues related to worsening economic conditions and social welfare. Obama achieved remarkable success in foreign policy in the form of the death of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden after a successful military operation in a mountain town in Pakistan, the ouster of undemocratic and tyrant government of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya and the success of strategic exit of forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, the process which is still underway. Gaining confidence from the success of his domestic and foreign policies, Obama declared his intensions for re-election in the 2012 Presidential Elections (Horn). Obama was born in Hawaii to parents of ethnically diverse descent; his father was an African from Kenya while his mother was of Irish descent. Obama had to struggle to understand his multiracial origin during his childhood. To further complicate things, after getting divorced his mother remarried an Indonesian student and had to move to Indonesia when Suharto, a military leader of Indonesia called back all Indonesian students from foreign universities, that is why Obama spent his early childhood in Indonesia and owing to this he is very popular in Indonesia. Obama came back to US and started living with his maternal grandparents in Hawaii where he attended high school. Being brought up in a multiracial culture was not very easy for Obama to understand as a child because multiracial background was not very common in the US at that time however it helped him having an expansive vision he practiced in his political life and enabled him to develop the quality of understanding the aspirations of people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds (Hill). Being an African American

Carolingian Empire During The Middle Ages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Carolingian Empire During The Middle Ages - Essay Example Accordingly, this brief essay will attempt to consider the overall effects that the Carolingian Empire had o formulating the basic understandings of culture and statehood that eventually developed into our modern interpretation of France as it has existed for the past 1200 years. One of the preeminent problems with pre-Middle Ages Europe was that it was a highly tribalized and lacked any type of cohesion or unity after the collapse of the Roman Empire. The power vacuum that was created caused a litany of tribes to stake out territorial claims throughout the continent and beyond and seek to raise a form of society and individualized culture from out of these constructs.1 It was not until Charlemagne came long that a sense of cohesion was begun to be implemented by right of conquest within the tribes that now constitute modern day France. The dawn of the Carolingian Empire was of paramount importance to the formulation of a modern day understanding of France due to the fact that Charle magne and his progenitors were able to incorporate the use of a common language and religion among the areas and tribes they conquered. As any student of history knows, these two factors alone are powerful forms of congealing a given area into the idea that nationhood/statehood. In this way, Charlemagne, as one of the first actions of the Carolingian Empire, sought to congeal his grip on the territories in and around modern day France. One of these ways was to ensure that the encroachment of the Muslim Moors was stopped at the Battle of Tours. This event in and of itself was a massive victory for the definition of Christianity and statehood of the Frankish peoples. With respect to the subsequent Carolingian Renaissance, as historians have called it, the name itself is a bit of misnomer due to the fact that the Carolingian Renaissance did not have the far reaching societal effects that later European renaissances would have. Rather, the Carolingian Renaissance was almost entirely pre dicated on a restoration of the glory of the Roman Empire.2 Although this in itself was not necessarily a bad end to strive towards, the effect of the renaissance on enlightening the populace, changing social mores/norms, and giving way to higher and greater interpretation of art was severely constricted.3 The artistic developments during the period include the literary development of the Vulgate Bible, the development of Romanesque art and the illuminated manuscripts that were indicative of Byzantine iconoclasts (such as â€Å"Christ in Majesty† from the Aberdeen Bestiary), and the further development of distinctly Pre-Romanesque architecture in Europe (such as The Palatine Chapel in Aachen).4 What these three things have in common is the fact that each of them is merely a development of something that had previously existed; rather than a new interpretation of an old theme. In this way, the actual nature of the â€Å"Carolingian Renaissance† has been called into ques tion as compared with the later fuller renaissances that took place within Europe. Rather than seeking to propagate new styles and new ideas, the Carolingian Renaissance seemed to point backwards to a time of European history that was long gone yet still remembered fondly. Although the Carolingian Empire was a key determinate in establishing the idea of modern statehood within Europe, one could argue that as compared to the artistic expression and sociological

Customer Service Operations & Excellence presentation. 2 case studies PowerPoint Presentation

Customer Service Operations & Excellence . 2 case studies. 12-16 slides - PowerPoint Presentation Example As opposed to a traditional bricks and mortar grocery store that allows customers access to the shop where they can select the product themselves, online operation requires customers to possess a credit card or other electronic means of payment along with access to a computer (Kornum & Bjerre, 2005). Online grocery retailers also suffer from higher operating costs than brick-and-mortar stores (Ring & Tigert, 2001). The online system can sometimes prove to be slow leading to slow response times (Morganosky & Cude, 2002). Whereas the value chain of online shops comprises of a retailer- customer value chain, traditional bricks and mortar operations usually require intermediaries such as warehousing companies (Spar & Bussgang, 1996). This results in a wholesaler-retailer-customer chain. 2. The supporting activities of the company’s service package pertain to its location on a main road near a college and the close proximity at which University Automotive is located. The facilitati ng products are the provision of a large coffee area as well as stereo music and good reading material offered for customers. As far as the explicit offerings of Xpresso Lube are concerned, the company allows customers to view the problem being inspected by technicians as well as provides reasonably charged services. Finally, the implicit services of music bands and coffee area add to its service package. The distinctive characteristics are conveyed through the customized services offered to customers with the customer taking part in the inspection process along with the technician, the simultaneous provision of oil changing services as well as coffee house experience and no perishability of services offered as is expressed through vacant seats in the coffee house (Fitzsimmons & Fitzsimmons, 2008). The company’s actions are aimed at the people along with their possessions. The company enjoys informal relationship with its customers (as they can participate in the inspection p rocess), offers highly customized services and a fair degree of judgments by customer contracts. There is little volatility in demand and is easily met by Xpresso Lube. There is a single point of delivery where the customer may visit himself/herself to get the job done. The company’s location on a main street near to the college and the traffic it receives from University Automotive greatly contributes to its success. Finally, value-added services that could be offered by Xpresso Lubes consist of the sale of automotive parts, home delivery and check-up facilities, free check-up for tire pressure as well as discounts to customers who come regularly. References Fitzsimmons, J. & Fitzsimmons, M., 2008. Service Management: operations, strategy, information technology. Boston: McGraw Hill. Kornum, N. & Bjerre, M., 2005. Grocery E-commerce: Consumer Behaviour and Business Strategies. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. Krajewski, L.J., Ritzman, L.P. & Malhotra, M.K., 2013. Operations Management: Processes and Supply Chains. 10th ed. England: Pearson. Morganosky, M.A. & Cude,

Aristotles Conception of Happiness Essay Example for Free

Aristotles Conception of Happiness Essay According to Aristotle, only a virtuous person can be truly happy. He doesn’t say we should aim at happiness, but rather that we do aim at happiness. Everyone wants to be happy and have happiness in his or her life, but people do not know how to go about this. If one lives in accordance with appropriate virtues then he or she will achieve this happiness. However, what is happiness? Most people think happiness as a physical pleasure or honor, so they do things they think is good. They think things like money, pleasure, and honor will bring them closer to happiness, but these things do not equal happiness. People think that theses things will bring them happiness, but that is because they do not know what happiness really is. These things are a mean towards obtaining happiness. Happiness is the fulfilling of human function, or the activity of the soul according to virtue. Happiness comes from the Greek word â€Å"eudaimonia,† which is fulfillment and success to the highest form of happiness. It is the central purpose of human life and a goal in itself. Aristotle says that every action seeks some good and every action seeks an end. Everyone is seeking the highest end, or the complete end, which is ultimately happiness. If someone wants to achieve happiness, they must first be a virtues person, or a â€Å"good† person. A virtue is achieved by maintaining the mean, or balance between two excesses. But it is not enough to think about doing the right thing or even intending to do it; one must actually have to do it. In order to understand what is good, we must know that there are three types of life: (1) Pleasure, according to the ignorant and vulgar; (2) Honor, according to the people who think happiness is doing well or living well; and (3) Study. The men who choose pleasure put pursuing a life of enjoyment above all else. And the men who choose honor wanted to be praised for the things they have done, so they are really only doing these acts for selfish reasons. And finally the men who choose study do it for their own sake of being to gain knowledge for themselves. Aristotle explains these three types of lives because we can now dismiss them as not being considered â€Å"good. † These views contradict the idea of good and thus support the idea of happiness being the â€Å"universal good. † Yet, happiness is not instantaneous. It must be achieved over time. Aristotle argues â€Å"Are we, then, to call no man happy as long as he lives, but to wait for end, as Solon said? And supposing we have to allow this, do we mean that he actually is happy after he is dead? † (Aristotle 23) In other words, can a man be called happy during his life? Or do we have to wait until he has passed to determine whether or not he had lived a happy life? Aristotle believes that happiness consists of achieving though the course of a lifetime in all goods, such as health, wealth, knowledge, friends, etc. These goods are also known as external goods and one needs these externals goods to be happy. Aristotle states, â€Å"For a man is not very likely to be happy if he is very ugly in person, or of low birth, or alone in the world, or childless, and perhaps still less if he has worthless children or friends, or has lost goods ones that he had. † (Aristotle 21) Aristotle’s conception of happiness supports the view of only the virtuous person can be said to be truly happy. â€Å"Happiness is believed to be the most desirable thing in the world† (Aristotle 14).

Rainbow Parrotfish Scarus Guacamaia

Rainbow Parrotfish Scarus Guacamaia Abstract The rainbow parrotfish Scarus guacamaia is a prominent herbivore in the coastal waters of southeastern Florida whose life history is strongly linked to a dependence on both mangrove and coral reef habitats. Rainbow parrotfish also serve in maintaining the health of coral reefs by keeping algal populations in check. Using NOAA fisheries data from the Mangrove Visual Census and the Reef Visual Census, this study focused on observations of this species in Biscayne Bay and the Upper Florida Bay in order to quantify occupancy and to examine the different factors that affect the presence and absence, and the ontogenetic shifts present in this species between juvenile and adult stages. Logistic regression was used to predict abundance and occurrence using the environmental variables of temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, average depth, and distance from channel openings. Presence and absence were also measured against mangrove cover, bottom substrate type, and shoreline development. It was found that salinity, average depth, and distance from channel openings were significant in predicting the occurrence of this species, while temperature and dissolved oxygen were not. Conservation efforts for this species, listed as vulnerable under the IUCN, need to be given greater consideration as the health of this and other parrotfish may be useful in determining the management breadth and priorities on coral reef ecosystems across the Caribbean Sea. Key words: rainbow parrotfish, mangroves, logistic regression, conservation, land-use planning. Acknowledgements In completing this thesis research, I would foremost like to thank my advisor, David W. Kerstetter, Ph.D., and committee members John F. Walter III, Ph.D. and Richard E. Spieler, Ph.D., whose input and guidance has been critical in moving forward through this project. I would like to thank David L. Jones, Ph.D. for his assistance on equations and statistics. For their assistance in various aspects of ArcGIS, I would like to thank Brian K. Walker, Ph.D. and Kristian Taylor. Notably, I would like to thank James A. Bohnsack, Ph.D. and Joseph E. Serafy, Ph.D. and their work, without whom, this research could not have taken place. I would like to thank my lab mates, especially Bryan Armstrong, Shannon Bayse, Amy Heemsoth, Cheryl Cross, and Kerri Bolow for all their feedback, inquiries, assistance and advice throughout the entire research process. Finally, I would like to thank my family and all my friends for their tireless support and unfailing encouragement in the completion of my thesi s work. Introduction Life History of the Rainbow Parrotfish Rainbow parrotfish Scarus guacamaia is the largest herbivorous fish in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea and is found in both mangrove and coral reef habitats (Mumby 2006). The rainbow parrotfish is a large, heavy-bodied, and laterally compressed fish, compared with other species of reef fish. It has a fusiform body shape with dull orange fins possessing streaks of green extending into the dorsal and anal fins; median fin margins are blue in color with the dental plates appearing a blue-green. In this species there appears to be no obvious color differentiation based on sex (Cervigà ³n 1994). Rainbow parrotfish are behaviorally cautious in nature, and are generally observed in isolation, though they can be found in schools of up to thirty individuals (Dunlop and Pawlik 1998). It has a daily home range of about 1000 m3 (Smith 1997), and occupies varying depths from the surface to 25 m. It depends on corals for shelter and space to inhabit (Cole et al. 2008) and seeks shelter under ledges at night or when threatened. The species has been shown to use the angle of the sun as an aid in returning to these shelters (Smith 1997). Rainbow parrotfish are herbivorous fish that, like most members of the Scaridae family, feed mainly by scraping macro-algae from coral structure (Bellwood et al. 2004). However, it has also been observed to feed directly on coral (Rotjan and Lewis 2006) and gut content analyses have revealed spicules from feeding on sponges (Dunlop and Pawlik 1998). Rainbow parrotfish life history characteristics are reasonably well known. It is a protogynous hermaphrodite, meaning individuals in this species undergo a sex change between their initial phase, where they are generally female and terminal phase, where they are male. Terminal phase male rainbow parrotfish defend a territory and a harem of females, and when the male dies, the most dominant female will become the dominant male, with her ovaries becoming functional male testes (Streelman et al. 2002). Like other species in this family, peak spawning occurs primarily in warmer summer seasons from May to August, but can occur year-round, and there is an active period of recruitment into the population occurring around February in this region (Haus et al. 2000). Spawning is found to take place generally around dusk, and may correlate to either the lunar cycle or the high tide, as this is an optimal time for egg dispersal. The initial phase is composed of females while the terminal phase i s composed of sexually mature males. Rainbow parrotfish aggregate into territories that contain a group of females and the dominant male, which pair-spawns almost exclusively within this group (Munoz and Motta 2000). The rainbow parrotfish is a relatively large reef fish, compared to most species of reef fishes in the Caribbean, and can achieve a maximum length of 120 cm (TL). The estimated K value of 0.293 equates to a minimum population doubling time of approximately four and a half to fourteen years (Robins and Ray 1986; Randall 1962). Observations of rainbow parrotfish have been made in waters with temperatures ranging from 12-36  °C, salinities ranging from 23.74 to 39.1 †° (parts per thousand), and dissolved oxygen concentrations ranging from 2.4 to 14.07 †° (Serafy et al. 2003). The species wide range of tolerances to these factors is most likely an adaptation to the wide range of its known habitats. These habitats range from estuaries to offshore areas, both of which are subject to large pulses of freshwater and storm events. The varied thermal and oxic conditions cannot be exploited by less tolerant species and may be beneficial in providing refuge from predators, foraging gr ounds, or potential nursery areas (Rummer et al. 2009). The diet of rainbow parrotfish has been shown to be variable across life stages and habitats. In the Dunlop and Pawlik (1998) study, sponge spicules were found in higher masses in the individuals collected from the mangrove sites as compared to those from coral reefs, suggesting there are shifts in diet preference based on the food sources available. A secondary food source is coral, as rainbow parrotfish has been classified as a facultative corallivore based on direct observations, meaning coral can be either a majority of their diet or only a minor component. These fish impose more permanent and chronic pressures on scleractinian corals (those that generate a hard skeleton such as Montastrea and Porites species) meaning there is repeat scraping activity on these corals, and the damage caused is longer lasting. However, chronic predation may play a factor in regulating distribution, abundance, and fitness of certain prey corals (Cole et al. 2008). Though not fully known, this corall ivory may be part of an ontogenetic diet shift, meaning coral is only an important food source for part of their lives, accounting for less than five percent of their bites (Cole et al. 2008). Along with this diet selectivity comes the ability to cause significant damage to corals by biting off growing tips or large portions of skeletal material, which means they are capable of having a disproportionately large impact on the physical structure of Caribbean reefs (Cole et al. 2008). It has also been observed that grazing reduced the density of zooxanthellae and increased the severity of a bleaching event in Belize (Cole et al. 2008). Rainbow parrotfish use a feeding method of scraping or grinding algae from the coral or other rocky substrate, and sometimes inadvertently ingests coral animals as well. The hard coral substrate is broken down through its digestive system, and the excretion of this limestone material is one of the main sources in the creation of the sand surrounding cora l reefs in the Caribbean. Parrotfishes are known to become progressively more important to coral reef ecosystems upon reaching a certain key size around 15-20 cm, at which point they become functionally mature (Lokrantz et al. 2008) and their actions provide a significant impact on the coral reef. This impact increases exponentially as there is a non-linear relationship between body size and scraping function. Calculations have suggested that up to 75 individuals with a size of 15 cm are required to functionally compensate for the loss of a single 35 cm individual, and a 50% decrease in body size can result in a 90% loss of function provided to the ecosystem (Lokrantz et al. 2008). In addition, the level of grazing impact in mangrove systems is also a power function of body length. A conservative estimate places the home range of S. guacamaia at 1600 m3 (Mumby and Hastings 2008), which is larger than that of many other scarids. Rainbow parrotfish also represents approximately 14% of the total grazing intensit y measured for mangrove depauperate systems (Mumby and Hastings 2008). The majority of the rainbow parrotfish diet consists mostly of short epilithic turf algae, cropped algae, red coralline algae, and filamentous algae (Mumby and Hastings 2008), and they feed heavily upon Halimeda opuntia, a green calcareous alga. Juvenile scarid abundance has also been shown to be positively related to the percent cover of Dictyota spp. algae at site level in the Florida Keys (Kuffner et al. 2009). Similar parrotfish species have been observed consuming whole pieces of the thallus rather than grazing on the attached epiphytes, and taking more bites from H. opuntia and fewer bites from coral than would be expected from the percent cover of different microhabitats (Munoz and Motta 2000). While not quantitatively known for rainbow parrotfish, a mean home range for similar parrotfish species, redband parrotfish and redtail parrotfish, in the Florida Keys was observed to be 4371.5 +/- 5869.5 m2 (Munoz and Motta 2000); the standard error was found to be high due to a low nu mber (n = 7) of study sites. Due to overlap in microhabitat and foraging areas in these home ranges, interspecific aggression between parrotfish species takes place when one species attempts to use defended resources to the detriment of the defending species. This aggression involves vigorous chasing over comparatively large distances, as well as biting. Engaging in resource defense behavior was found to be advantageous as the benefits gained outweighed the cost (Munoz and Motta 2000). Aggression has also been observed to be greater when encountering other parrotfish species as opposed to non-parrotfish species and rainbow parrotfish were instigated into these aggressive encounters most often by redband parrotfish Sparisoma aurofrenatum (Munoz and Motta 2000). Scarus guacamaia is most closely related phylogenetically to midnight parrotfish Scarus coelestinus and striped parrotfish Scarus iseri, with Scarus clades having root nodes at between 2 and 3 million years ago, thus implying that most Scarus species are products of recent speciation. This speciation likely occurred around the time of the complete closure of the Isthmus of Panama at approximately 3.1-3.5 million years ago (Smith et al. 2008). The pantropical distribution and the relatively recent ages of the divergence of the four main clades of Scarus imply that fluctuations in sea level and patterns of differential cooling of the oceans during the Pliocene and Pleistocene may be the driving forces behind the rapid radiation in this genus, which is today largely restricted to the complex reefs built by hard corals (Smith et al. 2008). Alternatively, processes of ecological speciation and divergence due to sexual selection remain a possible explanation for the rapid radiation of parr otfishes, which all have pelagic larval phases and highly similar morphology (Smith et al. 2008). The protogynous mating system of parrotfishes, where species aggregate and have male-dominated haremic systems organized by color recognition, has also been proposed as a possible driving force for speciation via sexual selection mechanisms (Smith et al. 2008). The phylogeny of parrotfish suggests a gradual shift from browsers living in seagrasses to excavators inhabiting rock and/or coral reefs to scrapers found exclusively in association with coral, with Sparisoma being considered the transitional genus (Streelman et al. 2002). It can be assumed that the Scarus genus has always had a habitat association with coral reefs as the Scarus genus is the third radiation off of the Sparisoma lineage (Streelman et al. 2002). Of the parrotfishes, S. guacamaia is the only species that possesses an obligate and functional dependence on the mangrove habitats (Nagelkerken 2007; Mumby 2006). This dependency has been shown quantitatively in the Mumby et al. (2004) study in which the species suffered local extinctions that corresponded with the removal of mangrove stands, and the extent of mangrove coverage in a region is one of the dominant factors in structuring reef communities. Mangrove connectivity enhances the biomass of rainbow parrotfish on neighboring coral reefs, because grazing influences the cover of macroalgae on reefs and high levels of parrotfish grazing has been shown to lead to a twofold increase in recruitment of Porites and Agaricia corals in the Bahamas (Mumby and Hastings 2008). Biomass of rainbow parrotfish has been shown to more than double when coral reefs were located adjacent to rich mangrove resources, defined as mangrove stands with 70 km or greater of fringing red mangrove Rhizophora mangle located in a region of 200 km2, equating to coverage of 35% (Mumby 2006). Juveniles of this species, those less than 30 cm total length (TL), are observed almost exclusively in mangrove habitats, while all individuals observed on the coral reef were greater than 25 cm TL (Dorenbosch 2006). Average sizes of 10.1 cm and 14.6 cm TL have been recorded in mangroves and seagrass beds, respectively (Nagelkerken et al. 2000). The species of juvenile reef fishes that utilize mangroves and seagrass beds do so because of the high food availability, the presence of shade and shelter that the mangroves provide, and a reduced risk of predation due to the plant and root configurations. There is also a lessened chance of interaction with predator species as well as low predator abundance and efficiency (Verweij et al. 2006). Shallow water habitats such as mangroves and seagrasses, are believed to contain less piscivores than the reef (Verweij et al. 2006) possibly because the energetic cost s of chasing the smaller fish in these habitats outweigh the gains of catching one of the prey fish. The turbidity of the water can also negatively affect predator efficiency due to scattering and reduction of light by suspended particles (Verweij et al. 2006). There is significant interannual variability in species composition that may be expected in mangrove fish communities, but spatial factors have been found to contribute more to differences in fish community structure than seasonality (Robertson and Duke 1990). Verweij et al. (2006) tested the effects of plant structure, shade, and food upon rainbow parrotfish foraging behavior using artificial seagrass leaves and artificial mangrove roots. Rainbow parrotfish showed the same trends as those of pooled herbivores, showing highly significant Poisson regression results for the tested variables of structure, food, structure*food, and location of the experimental unit. In this study, 72 individuals were observed ranging in size from 7.5-15.0 cm. The behavior observed was broken down into 2.8% of individuals resting (spaced evenly throughout the water column), 91.7% foraging, and 5.6% swimming. Eighty-four percent of the rainbow parrotfish observed foraging in the study were found in the artificial mangrove roots, with six percent foraging on artificial seagrass leaves. It was determined that the presence of higher surface area on the root structure provided more substrate for algae, which allowed for diurnal feeding (feeding that occurs in the da ytime) on the fouling algae and epiphytes in mangroves and seagrass beds. Rainbow parrotfish observed in this study were also found to be preferential to experimental units with the highest structural complexity. Caribbean region mangroves and seagrass beds function as foraging habitats, but are not used continuously as shelter during the daytime (Verweij et al. 2006). The value of these habitats is diminished with decreased water clarity from turbidity originating from terrestrial run-off, leading to population declines in this and other species (Freeman et al. 2008). Seagrass minimum light requirements differ between species and systems. Halodule and Syringodium seagrass species often require more than 24-37% surface light intensity (Freeman et al. 2008). These seagrass species consistently require minimum light levels that are an order of magnitude higher than the requirements of terrestrial plants or other photosynthetic marine organisms. Reduced subsurface light intensity has c aused seagrass declines and the subsequent re-suspension of unstabilized sediments has impeded recovery of these seagrass systems, increasing the pressure placed on species such as the rainbow parrotfish that depend on them (Freeman et al. 2008). However, presence of preferential habitat is not the only contributing factor determining abundance. It is possible that habitat configuration has an influence on the connectivity between mangroves, seagrasses, and coral reefs and this configuration in terms of providing pathways and connections to the reef affects fish assemblage composition, fish density and size, and species richness (Dorenbosch et al. 2007). Local recruitment patterns can also play a major role. In a study off Curaà §ao, juvenile densities on the reef were comparable to those in seagrass beds, suggesting that this species can also use the coral reef as a nursery (Dorenbosch et al. 2004). Dorenbosch et al. (2007) concluded that for rainbow parrotfish, migration among these habitats most likely takes place along the coastline. The presence of seagrass-mangrove bays along the coasts of these islands strongly influences the distribution pattern of this species on the coral reef (Dorenbosch et al. 2004). The absence of seagrass beds and mangroves was shown to lead to reduced density of those species that utilize seagrass-mangrove bays in juvenile stages (Dorenbosch et al. 2004). For island sites, this migration was observed to occur on the sheltered or leeward shores, where most adult individuals were observed on coral reefs between 0 and 10 km from mangroves. However, no significant linear relationship was present between mean total density of adult rainbow parrotfish on these reefs and the distance to the nearest stands of mangroves (Dorenbosch et al. 2006). There was also reduced density or complete absence of juvenile rainbow parrotfish on the coral reefs that were farther than nine kilometers from the mangrove and seagrass habitats used by fish of juvenile ages. The density of these species is additionally regulated on local scales by variable habitat structural complexity and the available vegetation. Herbivory, measured by rates of grazing, was found to be highest at the maximum habitat complexity site (Unsworth et al. 2007). This suggests that the increased shelter and food abundance provided by denser seagrass beds may have increased fish abundance resulting in these higher levels of herbivory (Unsworth et al. 2007). Herbivory was found to increase away from patchy seagrass areas whilst increasing distance from a reef reduced the rate of herbivory due to a reduction in fish migration. Observed high levels of herbivory, however, may only be a short-term effect of irregular grazing by shoals of juvenile and sub-adult scarids (Unsworth et al. 2007). Rainbow parrotfish migrate across habitats in accordance with its life history stage, and will grow as large as possible before moving on to the next habitat (Mumby et al. 2004). Utilization of intermediate nursery habitats has been hypothesized to increase survivorship of small fish (Mumby et al. 2004). The intermediate nursery stages between mangroves, seagrass beds, and patch reefs serve the function of alleviating predatory bottlenecks in early demersal ontogeny (Mumby et al. 2004). A predatory bottleneck occurs when pressure from predation prevents a large percentage of a population from reproducing. The presence of seagrass beds has also been linked to significantly higher densities of rainbow parrotfish on coral reefs (Dorenbosch et al. 2006) while other studies (e.g., Gonzalez-Salas et al. 2008) have found differing results with respect to these nursery habitats. Noting high abundance of juveniles and adult members of S. guacamaia in coral reef habitats and a total absence in mangrove stands, it appears that mangroves in certain regions do not function as obligate habitats and that seagrass and coral rubble become the primary alternative for nursery, growth, and reproduction (Gonzalez-Salas et al. 2008). It is possible that with removal of mangrove forests the rainbow parrotfish are adapting to utilize other habitats that offer similar survival benefits. The reduced benefits of these marginal habitats may not provide rainbow parrotfish with the resources necessary to survive across their entire life history, allowing only temporary survival through one life stage or another (Rummer et al. 2009). This selective use, which is defined as use of a particular habitat patch disproportionately relative to its availability, can be exhibited either seasonally or spatially, and proximity rather than suitability has been found as the dominant pattern of habitat use (Faunce and Serafy 2008). Mangrove shorelines across broad spatial scales are not equivalent in thei r value as fish habitats due to the inherent patchiness within the ecosystem. A measure of total habitat area may therefore overestimate the amount of functional habitat utilized by these fishes. In addition, species richness and total number of fishes collected adjacent to mangrove shorelines has been shown to decline with increasing inland distance from creek mouths and oceanic inlets, with water depth greatly related to fish use (Faunce and Serafy 2008). Rainbow parrotfish are valuable members of the communities with which they are associated. The grazing activities of these parrotfish are beneficial in preventing algal overgrowth and enhance coral reef resilience to algal blooms and other competitor species (Hughes et al. 2007). The species also facilitates settlement and survival of corals by scraping and bioeroding the hard dead coral substratum and are crucial for the regeneration and maintenance of coral reefs (Lokrantz et al. 2008). Rainbow parrotfish and other scarid species participate in not only the uptake of carbon into the food chain in their direct consumption of seagrass, but also indirectly contribute to the detrital food chain with the removal of decaying seagrass material, which potentially results in the widespread dispersal of seagrass material into surface waters. Detached seagrass may also be cast onto the shore where it decays and may re-enter the system as detritus (Unsworth et al. 2007). Rainbow parrotfish may be equally important in influencing seagrass export from the system by the high rates of material discarded during consumption. The unattached plant matter, estimated to be as high as 11% of seagrass growth, becomes subsequently removed from the system by weather and currents (Unsworth et al. 2007). This figure is in addition to the amount consumed in grazing which causes the loss of at least 16% of the seagrass growth each day (Unsworth et al. 2007). In spite of their ecological role and importance, S. guacamaia populations are thought to be in decline and to have been fished to ecological extinction in Brazil, as well as other areas of the Caribbean (Floeter 2006). Rainbow parrotfish has been listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. This designation means the species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild based on one or more of the following five criteria: reduction of population size, shrinking geographic range, a population with fewer than 10,000 mature individuals, restricted population extent, or quantitative analysis showing the probability of extinction in the wild is at least 10% within 100 years (the full explanation of which are detailed in the 2004 IUCN criteria; version 2.3, Roberts 1996). Given this information and the ecosystem role of the species developing a model that details occurrence provides a means to assess the health and function of this parrotfish in this region. In addition, one may apply the methods not only throughout the range of this species, but it may be possible to apply this model to other parrotfish species and similar families across the Florida Reef Tract and the Caribbean Sea. Characteristics of the Biscayne Bay and Florida Reef Tract Region The Biscayne Bay region receives high numbers of larvae from offshore spawning adults and functions as a source point for juveniles and adults to migrate to the reef tract (Wang et al. 2003). The region also contains some of the most pristine habitat within the Florida Keys (Ishman 1997). The coastal shelf of the Florida Keys is characterized by shallow and highly variable topography, where currents are influenced by tides, wind, and the very energetic offshore Florida current system (Haus et al. 2000). The eddies and meanders of the Florida Current make it possible for upwelling and larval transport to occur across the shelf, and the scale of these perturbations can vary from slow moving mesoscale gyres to faster moving, sub-mesoscale eddies (Haus et al. 2000). Velocities of these eddies can range from 0.53 m/s to 0.80 m/s along the inshore edge of the Florida Current (Haus et al. 2000) and the variability of those velocities can have an impact on dispersal and the resulting end loc ations of larvae (Haus et al. 2000). Patch reefs in this region occupy a significant portion of the water column, which leads to variability in the water depth. These protrusions have the potential to change the strength and direction of the tidal flow in the bay. The northern Florida Keys contain over 4,000 patch reefs, composed generally of cemented reef (47.3 +/- 2.2% cover) and pavement (20.1 +/- 2.1%), with varying amounts of rubble, boulders and sand (Kuffner et al. 2009). The benthic community observed on these patch reefs is largely dominated by macrophytes, encrusting invertebrates, and suitable settlement substratum found beneath a substantial canopy of gorgonian (soft) corals (Kuffner et al. 2009). Macroalgae occupies a large portion of space on the reefs, especially Dictyota spp. (15.4 +/- 0.8% cover) and Halimeda tuna (11.7 +/- 0.6% cover). Live scleractinian corals account for only 5.8+/- 0.6% of the benthos (Kuffner et al. 2009). The tides are generally weak, with a semidiurnal height range of approximately 0.5 m (Haus et al. 2000). As measured in Caesar Creek, tidal velocity can exceed 25 cm/s, while current measurements within the inlets have shown peak tidal velocities in excess of 50 cm/s (Haus et al. 2000). These channels commonly referred to as the ABC Channels because of their names: Angelfish Creek, Broad Creek, and Caesar Creek form the main outlet from the southern end of Biscayne Bay onto the Florida reef tract. The ABC Channels convey large oscillating tidal flows and wind driven flows between the bay and the ocean, and transport through these corridors predominantly shows a semi-diurnal cycle with amplitudes of 500 m3/s, 300 m3/s, and 250 m3/s respectively (Wang et al. 2003). Based on observations, there is a net outflow at Angelfish and Caesar Creek, but an inconsistent inflow in Broad Creek (Wang et al. 2003). With the tidal flows and the input of freshwater, the residence times of the water varies widely from several months in the more enclosed Barnes Sound and circulation-restricted Card Sound (Ishman 1997), to about a month in the western parts of South Biscayne Bay, and nearly zero in the vicinity of the ocean inlets (Wang et al. 2003). The area encompassing Biscayne Bay south to Card Sound and Barnes Sound forms a barrier island lagoon system that exhibits estuarine characteristics near points of freshwater inflow during the wet and early dry season (Wang et al. 2003). This lagoon system leads to broad salinity regimes that are highly variable throughout the year, and vary greatly across relatively small areas of only several kilometers due to high freshwater input through canals (as opposed to groundwater), and limited tidal flushing. Salinity variations in Biscayne Bay primarily result from canal discharges through gated control structures, as well as smaller freshwater exchanges in the Bay driven by overland runoff, rainfall, and evaporation (Wang et al. 2003) and upwelling from groundwater (Ishman 1997). The greatest salinity fluctuations occur near canal mouths in Barnes Sound and along the western margin of Biscayne Bay. The smallest fluctuation ranges were observed near ocean inlets (Wang et al. 2003), where the vertical variations of salinity in the water column ranged from less than 0.2 †° to a maximum salinity change of 0.8 †° from top to bottom in the vicinity of the inlet mouth (Haus et al. 2000). In the Pelican Bank region of Biscayne Bay (see Figure 10), good circulation results in regular flushing and average salinities range from 33 to 35 †° (Ishman 1997). Water flow characteristics in this region are also determined by a network of drainage canals used for agricultural and industrial purposes. These canals also function to control flooding, which has greatly altered the distribution of freshwater within the watershed, as well as the quantity, quality, and timing of freshwater discharges to Biscayne Bay (Wang et al. 2003). This has led to greater pulses with larger peak discharges in the wet season and less freshwater reaching Biscayne Bay in the dry season due to reduced terrestrial storage and lowered groundwater levels (Wang et al. 2003). Increased runoff not only affects salinity conditions in coastal waters, but also can be a mechanism for increased nutrient loading (Rudnick et al. 2006). There exists a coastal ridge, bisecting the Bay, which acts as a groundwater divide, with water west of the ridge flowing toward Florida Bay. The outputs of freshwater from the canals have punctured massive holes through the ridge, changing the d irection and characteristics of the flow, and the qualities of the watershed (Wang et al. 2003). This region also is characterized by large coverage of submerged aquatic vegetation such as seagrasses, and wide availability of phytoplankton, microalgal and macroalgal species. Florida Bay is approximately 2000 km2 in total surface area, with 95% bottom coverage of seagrasses, characterized by sparse, patchy beds of Thalassia testudinum interspersed with locally abundant Halodule wrightii (Fourqurean and Robblee 1999). However, in the spring of 1991, Florida Bay exhibited a shift from a system characterized by clear water to one of extensive and persistent turbidity and phytoplankton blooms, which limits the ability of the seagrass to grow and function properly by reducing penetration of light in the water column (Fourqurean and Robblee 1999). This seagrass die-off was not accompanied or preceded by noticeable decreases in water clarity or increases in colonization by epiphytes, however. There were many hypothesized causes for this die-off which include hypoxia and sulfide toxicity , the loss of the estuarine nature of the system, overdevelopment of the seagrass beds, chronic hypersal

Marijuana Legalization Essay -- Legal Illegal Marijuana Pot Law Weed

Marijuana Legalization As defined by The New American Webster Dictionary, marijuana is a hemp-like plant whose leaves are smoked in a cigarette as a narcotic. HOWEVER: Other than just an illict drug used for getting "high", Marijuana can also be viewed as: * A pain reliever * A stress reliever * A medicinal alternative to over-used processed drugs * An untapped source of income for the United States Government * A prohibited substance with many misconceptions Smoking marijuana has long been viewed as something that only produces negative outcomes. New studies are quickly changing these views. The following are some new results found on the true influence of marijuana ingestion. * "According to clinical trial data pulbished this past spring in the American Journal of Addictions, cannabis use- including heavy, long-term use of the drug- has, at most, only a negligible impact on cognition and memory" (Armentano, "Cannabis and"). * "Canadian researchers found that experiments on rats which were given a potent cannabinoid, showed the drug stimulates the growth of new brain cells. It appears that the drug caused neurons to regenerate in the hippocampus, an area that controls mood and emotions, after one month of treatment" ("Cannabis Boosts"). * "The Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, say that most drugs, including alcohol, heroin, cocaine and nicotine, have been shown to destroy nerve cells in the hippocampus. This study suggests that cannabinoids are the only illicit drug that can promote adult hippocampal neurogenesis following chronic administration" ("Cannabis Boosts"). * An analysis of previous experiments as pre... ...na>. McVay, D. (1991). Marijuana Legalization: The Time Is Now. SAGE Publications Inc. 22 Apr 2006. "Medical Marijuana." 2006. Drug Policy Alliance. 7 Mar 2006. "Medicinal Marijuana Posters." No Date. Online Image. Wo/Mens Alliance for Medical Marijuana. 1 Apr 2006. . "Medical Marijuana Reports." 6 Sep 2005. NORML Foundation. 7 Mar 2006. "Small Marijuana Leaf." No Date. Online Image. Alexabebe.com. 1 Apr 2006. . Stimeling, Gary. "Straight Dope: The Research on Marijuana Safety." 2005. Psychotropics Cornucopia Inc. 7 Mar 2006.

Evolution of Disney Princesses Essay

The Disney princess movies are American classics. Like them or hate them, fairytales are common knowledge in America. Why is it so important that Disney drills viewer’s heads with these fairytales, specifically young girls? While all of the Disney princesses offer viwers obvious good morals and life lessons, there are underlying messages in each innocent tale. America is attempting to shape the female youth with their friendly children’s tales. However, as women’s rights are evolving in America, the Disney princesses are evolving too. Disney keeps gender roles separate and concrete in their movies. The explanation for this behavior is the affect it has on the viewers of the films. In the older princess movies such as Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty women’s place in society was clear: you can get a husband if you are beautiful and women should find it enjoyable to cook and clean. Disney is painting a portrait of the perfect woman as being submissive and dependent on other people, mostly men. In the more recent movies such as The Princess and the Frog and Frozen independence and ambition are two focal characteristics of the newer princesses. The evolution of Disney Princesses is due to the change of women’s place in society over time. With each movie the princesses can be directly correlated to the time period and women’s social standing. â€Å"Skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony.† Snow White, the princess who began it all. She is described as being the most beautiful in all the land, and it seems that this is her most desirable quality. This movie is teaching little girls that as long as they are pretty, boys will want them. Young girls that see Snow White see that she’s beautiful, she’s kind, and she is treated unfairly. But underneath all of those truths, there are some other things she teaches the youth. When she begins living with the seven dwarfs she is the only woman in the house and she now has all of the cooking and cleaning responsibilities. If Prince Charming moved in with the dwarves would they expect him to cook and clean, of course not. This is what Disney is labeling as â€Å"woman’s work† and  subconsciously making young girls think that is there place because Snow White makes it look like fun. The next Disney Princess to take the stage was Cinderella. A girl who is mistreated by her stepmother. Cinderella is kept a slave in her own home, forced to wear rags, and serve her stepfamily. Her biggest dream is to go to the ball where she might just see the Prince. She has no dreams bigger than this? This is teaching young girls that as long as they pretty themselves up they might be able to find a wealthy man to escape their terrible living conditions. And â€Å"Bibbidy Bobbidy Boo† she is free from her misfortune. Climbing the social ladder with her good looks rather than her brain. She is showing that the only way out of her misery is to marry a Prince and be dependent on a man rather than seeking happiness and security outside of other people. Not too long after Cinderella, a new princess is introduced whose main purpose is not to clean or cook. Unfortunately, she is still submissive. This marks the first change in the evolution of the Disney Princesses. Beauty and the Beast, a classic tale of inner beauty. Belle is in search of a life greater than her provincial town she grows up in, but when her father is trapped in a Beast’s castle she trades her life for his. From here on out it is a classic case of Stockholm syndrome. She falls in love with her captor because she can see the good in him. She sees the inner beauty and he sees her outer beauty. Let’s turn the tables. If Belle had been overweight and unattractive, would Disney have made the Beast fall for her because of her inner beauty? Disney is teaching young girls that they should love men for who they are, even if they are â€Å"beastly† and give everyone an equal chance but women have to be a â€Å"beauty† to be loved. â€Å"One day I’ll be part of your world.† The only aspiration the next princess is to completely change herself to be what her man wants her to be. Princess Ariel, The Little Mermaid, is a classic fairytale character that has a very entertaining story. She is a mermaid and she wants to become a human. This is a lovely beginning for a story, until finding out her reasons for wanting to be a human. All she wants is to marry a prince, but he is on land. She  goes to the sea queen who trades her voice for legs for three days. She is to share true love’s kiss with her prince before the third day. She asks the sea queen, â€Å"Without my voice how will I get him to kiss me?† The sea queen replies, â€Å"You have your looks, your pretty face, and don’t underestimate the power of body language.† She is silenced to get a man, literally. Ariel falls into the same perpetuation of men because she falls for Eric based purely on looks. This is Disney dr illing girl’s heads that their worth to a man is amounted to how sexually desirable they are. All of the Disney princesses from the 20th century films encouraged girls to make their biggest goal in life be to find a man, think that all they have to do is be pretty, and rely on others to save them or make their dreams come true. But that is simply not the case with the 21st century Disney Princess movies. There have been four movies: The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Brave, and Frozen. All of these movies are very different from one another, but the one thing they all have in common in is that the Princesses main goal is not only to find a man. There has been an evolution in what women are expected to be, so Disney has shaped the role model princesses to be what women are supposed to be in society today. The change started with Tiana, The Frog Princess. She was the first Princess to have a real job, and the first one who had a present birth-mother without a father. Her original goal was to open her own restaurant and run it herself. She accomplishes this goal, and is now an entrepreneur. The prince conforms to her dream rather than her conforming to his, as we have seen previous Disney princesses do. She is the first princess to ever do anything for herself and not for a man, she did end up with a Prince, but he was not her ultimate goal. Women today still want to be married and have a family, but they also now have career goals and an independent life from their spouse. Tiana was the first step to teaching young girls to make an independent life for themselves. The second step of Disney Princess evolution was Rapunzel. She had a life goal to see the floating lights, which her parents let float every year on her birthday. A thief came through her window while running away from the  royal guards, but it was not love at first sight like the old princesses. She knocks him out with her frying pan. This shows young girls that they can protect themselves and no longer have to be submissive. She bargained with him so he would help her, and she saves him multiple times during their journey. They spend time during their adventure falling in love with each other’s minds instead of each other’s bodies. In the end, he does come to her rescue but it was an equal relationship. They both put in effort, and they both deserved each other. This is showing young girls that romantic relationships should be equal rather than submissive. It also is telling girls to marry for love rather than money. The third step of Disney Princess evolution was Merida. She is an entirely different kind of princess than all of the other Disney Princesses so far. Her goals are to be able to do whatever activities she wants regardless of if they are â€Å"female activities† or â€Å"male activities.† Most of all, what makes her different is that when she is offered a Prince, she turns it down. She even competes in the competition they have to win her heart, with bows and arrows. She out shoots them (which is a male activity) and wins her own heart. The movie is entirely based around her mending her relationship with her strict mother rather than a quest for love. It sends the message to young girls that they should marry only if they want to and they can do activities that aren’t considered to be for their gender (such as shooting arrows). This was the first Disney Princess movie that did not end with a romantic relationship blooming. In the new Disney Princess movie, Frozen, the Disney Princesses are in entire new light of representing women and their roles in society. This is the newest development in the evolution of Disney Princesses. The most recent steps in the evolution of Disney Princesses are Anna and Elsa from Frozen. Anna sets off on a quest to save her sister Elsa. This quest involves no knight in shining armor to save her. Anna meets a young prince at the beginning of the movie, and she thinks she is in love. But, like in real life, this man is not his first impression. He turns out to try to take her throne and kill her sister. When he tries to kill her sister, Anna saves her and gives her own life in return. They show â€Å"an act of true  love† and it is not romantic. This is a monumental movie for Disney. It has finally overcome it’s obsession with men saving women. This movie is particularly influential for young girls because it promotes familial love instead of romantic love. Young girls now will see that you can be a strong person without having a man by your side. The more recent Disney Princess films have been encouraging familial love instead of only romantic love. The evolution of Disney Princesses is a symbol of more than just women’s rising equality in the world, but also of the world’s newfound open-mindedness. The media teaches us good and bad things about being a woman through the Disney princesses. What could be next? Perhaps there will be a new princess that is overweight and is learning to be comfortable in her own skin, showing girls that beauty is diverse. Now that women’s place in the world is changing, the Disney princesses are too.

Explain How Children and Young People’s Development Is Influenced by a Range of Personal Factors Essay

There are many influences which can affect a child’s development, personal factors include influences before and at birth, health status and disabilities, sensory impairments and learning difficulties. Genetics affect a child’s development at conception where the sperm and egg determine sex, height and eye colour. If the genetics are faulty this can affect the child’s health and development. During pregnancy the mother needs to ensure that she does not smoke, drink or use drugs, all of these things are made up of toxins which can severely harm the baby which in turn can cause complications at birth and possible delayed development later on in life. Genetics can also cause addiction, depression and low self esteem if these problems run in the family. Difficulties throughout the labour such as anoxia (lack of oxygen) can cause difficulties for development. Read more: Explain how children and young people’s development is influenced by a range of external factors essay If a child is born with a condition or develops one later on in life this may affect their development. They may have an illness such as asthma which affects their breathing; this can be caused by living in highly polluted areas or living in a house with people who smoke. Due to this the child may be less likely to play and be active with their friends as their condition may restrict them from doing this, this may mean that the child has a lesser understanding of appropriate group interaction or team playing. Learning difficulties in a child can cause a developmental delay; this means that the child finds learning difficult. Disabilities, sensory impairments and learning difficulties can affect children’s and young people’s development, their disability may affect one area of development which in turn can affect another the development of another area, meaning that overall development cannot occur, this can lead to low self -esteem and self-worth.

Why Did William Win The Battle of Hastings? Essay

William won the Battle of Hastings in 1066. He won because of his planning and leadership as well luck and having a big and strong army. Planning helped William a lot because he knew that if he made Harold Godwinson and his Saxon army travelled from the north of England to the south of England, where the Normans had set their camp up, then the Saxons would be very tired whilst the Normans would be rested. He also knew that once the bad winds had stopped, his army could cross safely without the Saxons to stop them for they were in the north of England fighting Harold Hadrada. This was also to do with luck. Whilst the battle was going on, William thought up a plan. He ordered his men to pretend to retreat down the hill and used the rumor of him being dead to help him as well. William’s leadership and skill helped him a lot because he commanded his men very well and had an army eager to fight. William kept control all through the battle by speaking to his troops and fighting at the front. He had also gotten the pope, Alexander II to support him. William was given a banner from the pope saying that William’s attack on England was a holy crusade, which is another word for battle. Harold Godwinson had also shown great skill because he had positioned his men on Senlac hill, which made it harder for the Normans to get to them, and commanded his me to form a large shield wall that protected them from the Normans. Although he had made some mistakes. When Harold had heard that William had landed on the other side of England, he had decided to go straight to him and gather some troops instead of waiting for a bigger army and getting a short rest. He had also not thought about the Normans’ arrows, as they were long range, so they could pick off Saxons at a long distance Preparation played a part in Williams’s victory because he had set up a camp for his army and made sure his men trained for the battle. They also had time to rest and gather food in preparation. Harold Godwinson and his army had less time to prepare and were extremely tired as they had to walk to the south of England. They had less time to prepare food and spent the night without sleep or rest. Luck helped William a little bit because the bad weather stopped while Harold Godwilson was fighting Harold Hadrada. Harold Godwinson was lucky as well because if the bad winds had stopped earlier then he would have to have fought two battles. Luck also helped William because there was a rumor going around that he was killed in battle and his  men started retreating, but then William lifted his visor and the Norman army charged back up Senlac Hill. William kept using that on all sides of the hill. William won because of his planning and leadership. If William had not planned then he might not have won the battle and his men would have gone charging straight into the battle and the Saxons would have killed them all. If William did not have good leadership either, then his troops will not of been well disciplined and well trained and it is likely that he would not of fought in the front and his men would’ve lost concentration. A lot of people thought that luck was one of the main things that cause William to win the battle of Hastings but I don’t because if William had gone into battle with bad leadership and no planning then it would be possible that the rumor never happened because the Normans would have been defeated for they were not ready. Luck did help though because the bad wind stopped so that William could land whilst Harold Godwilson was fighting.

Block 2 Task 3 Deconstructing What We See (750 words maximum excluding Essay

Block 2 Task 3 Deconstructing What We See (750 words maximum excluding any references) - Essay Example Different people can interpret the underlying meaning of the given information in a different way. It has been observed that different things in this world speak different facts according to belief, religion, and culture and different other factors influencing the general thinking of a person. The facts can change according to our perceptions and understandings. As a result, it can be said that there is no such thing as a boot fact and all the evidences are required to be interpreted according to the values and beliefs of a person. It can also be said that it is the fundamental aspect of the research to be aware of relationship between facts and figures in order to devise meaningful interpretations. Part 2: Education and English Culture: English education has a rich culture which is focused on sheer knowledge and practice of the work. Education has remained an integral part of British life. They have established a huge number of schools, educational institutions, colleges and univers ities for making the part of their world a better place as well as a civilized society. In English culture, education has divided the people into classes but with the recent changes, education has lost its power in defining the social classes within the English society. The emergence of private primary and secondary schools have greatly emphasized in yielding a high number of school-going children within the country. This new trend came into being in early 1990s. Education also opened a new gateway for the people who were willing to educate themselves in postsecondary trainings (Machin, and Vignoles, 2005). A clear shift was evident in the schooling behaviour of parents and children. It was estimated that by mid 1990s more than 30 percent of the children between the ages of eighteen and twenty were enrolled in universities (Gearon, 2002). Higher universities such as Oxford and Cambridge started accepting students from a strong socio-economic background. But, with the passage of time , students received unlimited opportunities from different universities with the same high standard education at affordable fee structure (Samuel, 1994). Contribution of Wolverhampton University in the Field of Education in West Midlands: The University of Wolverhampton holds a sound reputation for providing its students and staff with excellence in education and state-of-the art learning atmosphere. The university has a total of ten schools offering different programs and majors to both the local and international students. There are a total of 340 undergraduate and postgraduate courses. The university aims to become one of the best in providing excellent education within England. It is among one of the best universities that has the highest number of undergraduates in West midlands as well as the pioneer in offering higher education to general public in UK. On an account, the university has strength of 23000 students while offering 1000 seats to international students every year ( Source: Guardian News). Analysis of the first Photo: The first photo of Wolverhampton University represents culture, values and tradition of ancient English society. The building represents the dominance of English rulers within the country along with the efforts they put in giving the best education of that era to their students. The building also represents the goals of English rulers on how to educate the general public so that they can appear as a part of productive civilized English society.