Sociology of Childhood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sociology of Childhood - Essay Example Browne (2011) defines the term â€Å"life chances† as an individual’s chances of getting access to all those things which are considered as desirable by the society and not being affected by all those things which are considered undesirable by the society. Similarly, in the opinion of Ferrante (2012), social class can be identified as the phenomenon in which an individual’s belonging to a section of society can influence their life chances. Thus, one has to infer that the term â€Å"life chances† indicates having access to at least good education, healthcare facilities, food, clothing and housing. An important point of Marx’s theory of social class is that the bourgeoisies, or the people who own the means of production, enjoy better social standing as they are powerful enough to impose their ideas on the proletariat (the working class). As the bourgeoisie class does not share the wealth justifiably, the difference in wealth between the working class and the bourgeoisie increases. Hence, the working class is deprived of the goods and services enjoyed by the bourgeoisie (Browne 2011). Similarly, Weber categorises the society into two groups; the negatively privileged property class and the positively privileged property class. The positively privileged class is blessed with marketable abilities, and hence is able to enjoy expensive consumer goods and better services. On the other hand, the other class has no marketable abilities, and hence, is deprived of good goods and services (Ferrante 2012). It is pointed out by a UK Government report that measuring child poverty is a difficult task because their life chances are influenced by a number of factors other than just income of the family. Some such dimensions to be included are material deprivation, worklessness, unmanageable debt, poor housing, parental skill level, access to quality education, family stability, and parental health (Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 2012) The Child

Romantic Imagination Essay Example for Free

Romantic Imagination Essay â€Å"The Creation of Adam† painted by Michelangelo in 1510, is one of the most beautiful and famous painting representing the Creation. It was painted on the ceiling of the Papal Sistine Chapel and is a masterpiece of High Renaissance art. It is a part of a larger scheme of decoration within the chapel, including various elements like a large fresco of The Last Judgement. Michelangelo demonstrated his skill in creating a huge variety of poses for the human figure, providing an influential pattern for other artists ever since. So at the time, it was not conventional. The technique employed was fresco. The colours are beautiful. It represents a metaphor of Humankind’s need for a covenant (accordo, convenzione) with God. Elohim creating Adam by William Blake is a colour print finished in pen and watercolour. It represents God creating the first human being. God is a supernatural being with wings, white hair and beard. He is bigger and stronger than him and very powerful. Adam, instead, seems a very weak and suffering creature. He is stretched on the ground. In the picture there is also a great worm that entwines Adam and symbolizes the world of pain and sorrow, the devils temptations and also the fact that the human being is linked to sin and corruption. Blake uses cold colours, dull, dismal and gloomy. The atmosphere is very sad. The shapes of the protagonists are distinct and sharp. All these things suggest the tension of the creation and also the energy of God. For Blake the creation is a suffering moment for the creature, a moment of tension, because the author has a pessimistic view of life. Adam is innocent, weak and destined to sin.

Technology in the Classroom Essay -- Technology Education

Computers play a large role in today’s society, inside and outside of classrooms. Like many forms of technology, they have the power to hinder students learning in achieving goals in higher education classrooms. In her essay Lest We Think the Revolution is a Revolution: Images of Technology and the Nature of Change, Cynthia Selfe, a Humanities Distinguished Professor at The Ohio State University, discusses the continuous argument about the effects that computers have on education due to change in technology. As a college student, I am able to closely relate to various statements she makes because I deal with these â€Å"issues† on a daily basis. Thus, the subject of computers in higher education classrooms is a controversial to many people. However, I do not believe that computer technology is a necessity in classrooms. While growing up, it is apparent that students have always had the opportunity to engage in technology in classrooms. As a child, I remember computers in the school library at a very young age. Therefore, I was able to type, search the web, and do various other things on a computer. However, one would think that as students progressed and advanced to higher grades that the technology would also advance and become more challenging however, it did not. Students have primarily been utilizing the same types of technology in classrooms for years on end and no problems have arisen from that. However, other forms of technology could potentially be useful in classrooms such as projectors, smart boards, and tools that teachers are familiar with to use. If new forms of technology are not a major necessity, why spend the money to buy them and the time on them? Also, if a student is not planning to make a career out of utilizing ... ...y. "Lest We Think the Revolution Is a Revolution: Images of Technology and the Nature of Change Cynthia Selfe." From Inquiry to Academic Writing: a Text and Reader. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. Print. Wurst, Christian, Claudia Smarkola, and Mary Anne Gaffney. "Ubiquitous Laptop Usage in Higher Education: Effects on Student Achievement, Student Satisfaction, and Constructivist Measures in Honors and Traditional Classrooms." Jan. 2008. Web. 16 July 2008.

Free College Essays - Sir Gawain and the Green Knight :: Sir Gawain Green Knight Essays

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight The poet begins his work by reminding us that the history of Britain is both ancient and glorious; Aeneas, whose deeds in the Trojan War are legendary, whose exploits in war are recorded in Virgil's Aeneid, and who is legendary for having founded the city of Rome after the Trojan War, was the ancestor of a man named Felix Brutus who founded Britain ("Britain" comes from "Brutus"). The most noble of the kings that followed Brutus was Arthur; the poet says that he intends to tell one of the wondrous tales of Arthur. One Christmas at Camelot, the king, his queen Guinevere, and the court gather for fifteen days of celebration. The best and noblest of people and activities are there: brave and famous men who compete in military games, beautiful and gracious ladies who play kissing games with the men. There is the most wonderful entertainment-dancing, feasting, singing. On New Year's Day, there is a tremendous feast at which all gather together. Arthur, young and impulsive, has a feast-day tradition, though, which has to be observed before the meal. He would not eat on such an occasion until he observed something marvelous: the telling of an amazing story, the fighting of a glorious battle, or the like. Arthur presides over the feast at the high table with Guinevere and Gawain and other famous knights as music plays and the food is brought in-so many delicacies and elaborate dishes that the poet says it would be impossible to describe them all. In the midst of the preparations for the feast, and as Arthur waits for a marvel to take place so that he can eat, a huge and terrible man bursts into the hall-a giant of a man, his chest and limbs are massive even while his proportions show him to be fit and attractive. The most shocking thing about him is that he was completely green. The poet spends most of the next three stanzas describing the Green Knight in detail; first, we learn of his clothing, trimmed in fur and embroidery, all green and gold. Then we learn that the horse he rides, the saddle, and the stirrups are all green. The man's long hair matches that of the horse, and he has a great, thick beard, also green.

The Role of Government and the Relationship Between the Individual and the State

Lara O’Gorman The legacy of an empire is defined by its ability to conquer and make a mark on society. Many people throughout history sought to create empires as a way to establish their power. Often when one looks at the wide spectrum of history, some empires only last a few hundred of years and then dwindle out. After their fall, their legacy does not continue and their history is loss to the ages. Without a legacy, Rome would have ceased to exist, and would not have carried it’s ideals to post-classical civilizations.Rome had a successful and functioning government that help established its power, grandeur, and impressive knowledge of the arts. Within society it is vital to have a dependable and structured government as to prevent uproar and rebellion. The importance of a stable and powerful government is portrayed in the literary work Lord of the Flies and the idealization of political rulers and the subordination of subjects is conveyed through the art pieces the B ronze Statue of the Emperor Trebonianus Gallus and the Marble Portrait of Marcus Aurelius.Rome is remembered as a vast empire that stood above all surrounding civilizations with pride and honor. Rome, at it’s highest point, was thought of as immortal and impenetrable. It was only until the gradual decay of the empire that people thought of it as mortal. Before the detrimental rippling stages of the fall of Rome, powerful rulers and structured government was instilled within the empire. Several of these powerful emperors kept Rome under their rule by subordinating their subjects and by enforcing political unity. Other rulers used tolerance and active roles in society to appeal to their subjects.One ruler, Marcus Aurelius ascended to the throne in 161 AD and was deemed a philosopher king that was different from his predecessors. His philosopher status is recorded through the common depiction of him in a toga and adorning a Greek-inspired beard. He was interested in rational thi nking and tolerated all different sects of religion. Some say that his openness was his downfall and that his optimistic view of all things caused him to allow one of Rome’s worst emperors into his line of heir. Aurelius had an active role in government and did not discriminate against lower class people moving up in the world.He allowed people that were fit for government job, no matter what class, to have a say. This demonstrates his thought on his subordinates and how he not afraid to converse and involve himself with them. His openness is reflected in the calm and composed face of the portrait and how he is wise and is making a noble decision. Marcus was a fierce ruler and a good general, despite Rome’s loss against the Germanic tribes in war. The toga in which is realistically draped over his torso can be interpreted as a general’s attire. The militaristic style of his clothing suggest that he is the protector and is a strong ruler.Marcus lived a life of lu xury and suffered little. His wealth enabled him to surround himself with items of luxury. The emperor of Rome usually had portrait busts of their ancestors within his palace, which communicates the important and high position Marcus Aurelius had within society. The portrait busts were usually idealized, which can be see in the flawless bust that communicates that Marcus Aurelius was a strong, intelligent, and wealthy ruler. A second ruler, whom in contrast used his power and authority to rule his subordinates, ascended to power after the death of Decius in 251 AD at the battle of Abrittus.There, Trebonianus Gallus took on the position of ruling the vast and expansionist civilization of Rome. The troops that Decius led claimed Trebonianus Gallus a suitable ruler due to his familiarity with the government and his influence as a senate member. Gallus, to prevent the Goths from attacking again, signed a peace treaty that stated he would pay yearly tribute to them. To demonstrate Gallus ’ power over his subjects and ability to make executive decisions, the bronze statue portrays his arm are outstretched. This gesture is common with giving commands and looking down upon subjects from a higher point in society.Once Gallus was instated as emperor, he found that his empire had become plague stricken and the Roman population was dropping. To gain admiration from his subjects he buried the dead plague victims properly and spared no expense. This action suggests a confident personality, which is further expressed in the facial expression. Gallus, however, was seen inept in all other political categories. He was indecisive about detrimental political decisions, which greatly affected the state. Due to Gallus’ lack of political leadership, rebellions sparked within the empire, causing Trebonianus to flee to the north with his troops.The facial expression of the statue could also be interpreted as oblivious to his political duties and to the betrayal he would s oon face. With the threat of defeat and possible death lingering over his army, Gallus was killed, along with his co-emperors. Trebonianus Gallus was not seen as a beneficial addition to the empire and caused a plethora of problems, along with a growing feeling of discontent within the empire. The lack of skills Trebonianus possessed called for the end of his life. Although Gallus lacked military skill, his statue portrait is portrayed with the hair and beard style that soldiers favored.This conveys how leaders were idealized as to express authority and the greatness of the empire. When the leader of a united group becomes corrupt and unfit to complete his role in government, the subjects take action into their own hands. If discontent rises, rebellion and removal of power are probable. The mutiny that occurred with the homocide of Gallus, greatly demonstrates the importance of having a competent and understanding ruler as well as how the state is strong enough to react to problems that greatly affect the state as a whole.The fall of the great Roman Empire can be credited to many factors, but what caused the empire to completely corrode was the invasion by barbarians. In 410 AD, the Visigoths were led by Alaric to Ravenna where they soon ransacked the city and caused Rome to finally surrender its title of immortal. Due to the empire being strained prior to the attacks because of corruption in government, loss of tradition, and an unskilled military, it was easy for Alaric to fulfill the prophecy of penetrating â€Å"the city. It was clear that after the invasion by the Visigoths, Rome would not come out of it alive and victorious. The lack of a stable and prosperous government was one of the main factors that enabled Alaric to conquer Rome, which conveys the vitality of a strong government head. Compared to the fall of Rome, the plot of the Lord of the Flies by William Golding further explains why it is essential to have a central authority and how lacking th is political aspect can cause the downfall of a civilization.The 1954 novel discusses the social perils that ensue amongst English school boys once authority is not there to advise them. The literary work commences with the introduction of a tall blonde boy named Ralph that is soon accompanied by the voice of reason known as Piggy. During the time it takes Piggy and Ralph to become acquainted, they both realize that there are no adults on the island where their plane has crashed. They are astonished by this information but they still ask the question â€Å"Aren’t there any grownups at all? † The only reply that can be uttered is â€Å"I don’t think so. At first this information excited them and they become full of independence zeal, but later throughout the novel they begin to realize that a stable figure head is needed in order to have society function properly. Within society on the island, order is centered around a conch shell. This shell has symbolic value of order, normality, and power. Whomever holds the shell has the power to speak and to be heard. Piggy finds the shell within the first couple of stages of the plot and Ralph eventually uses it to signal the other children that were spread around the island by the crash.When all the children gather round the conch, a political issue arises; Who will be leader? Between the two most influential people in the group, Ralph and the chorus leader, Jack, an election is held. To Ralph’s advantage, the children say â€Å"Let him be chief with the trumpet thing. † The children recognize the conch as a centralizing factor and they search for stability in their new lives on the island. As with most empires and groups, irrational actions and discontent began to grow due to fear, anger, and power struggles. Power is wanted by the chorus leader, Jack, who sees himself as the most capable leader.He wishes to be in control, so he seeks the most controlling role within the new society; a hunter. By being the leader of the hunting party, he controls life and death and to whom or what he damages. The fact that Jack becomes this strong blood-thirsty leader enables the group to break away and form a corrupt and independent kingdom on the island. Strife begins to arise and violent actions begin to break out as the quest for power comes to a head. One of the most dramatic scenes in the book is when Ralph and Piggy go to Jack’s fortress in search of peace and unity.This peaceful venture turns into a bloodbath when the conch is destroyed and Piggy is killed by a boulder that is pushed from a mountainside by a chaos-consumed boy named Roger. Piggy was trying to remind the boys of the importance of rescue and how unity and peace should exist between the boys, but due to the lack of a strong and noble government, chaos and violence rules the kingdom of Castle Rock. The conch was the only remaining symbol of unity and stability, and it was crushed under the weight of a rock, which symbolically can be interpreted as the pressures of society and pure bedlam in society.The dark side of man is portrayed in the actions of the boys at Castle Rock. Because of these actions, â€Å"Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy. † At this point in the novel, society is out of control and unorganized. The perils of man and the way society becomes tumultuous and coercive communicates the need for a stable head of government. For without a functioning government, chaos is able to run rampant and disorganization can spread wildly. Government helps to instill organization and keeps the people at peace of mind.The government makes corporal decisions that are usually for keeping social rebellions at ease and to keep daily lives functioning. History demonstrates these points, whether it be through the art works or the literary works, but still manage to communicate the ideals and power of the ruler of the time. Whether it be for a demonstration of power or a depiction of what society is like when not controlled, the purpose of the portrayals is to call for the use of a stable government in order to make a legacy for the empire in which the ruler has sovereignty.

The Themes and Techniques of the Nunnery scene in Hamlet Essays

The Themes and Techniques of the Nunnery scene in Hamlet Essays The Themes and Techniques of the Nunnery scene in Hamlet Paper The Themes and Techniques of the Nunnery scene in Hamlet Paper Essay Topic: Literature The Sound and the Fury Hamlets true motives are questionable before he even enters into this fierce confrontation with Ophelia and by the time he storms out of it, we, the reader or audience, are left with very few answers. His manner, in particular his melancholy mood, has been affected by so many factors beforehand that it is almost impossible to source his outburst from any one of them in particular. His mother has remarried too quickly, his father has been recently murdered, he hates his uncle and perhaps most significantly he should be king. His depressing situation has led him to consider suicide and it would appear that Ophelia, although not completely free of blame herself, is the unfortunate scapegoat upon which Hamlet has decided to vent his fury. This conversation, closely watched by Claudius and Polonius, is, in fact, a test. Its supposed to establish whether Hamlets madness stems from his lovesickness over Ophelia or from the death of his father or indeed from one of the many other tragic elements of his predicament. The scene centres around one main dramatic element; does Hamlet know that he is being watched and, if so, at what stage of the scene does he become aware of this? Ophelias first line Good my lord, how does your honour for this many a day? reeks of incompetence and suspicion. The nature of the greeting and the formal manner with which the line is said would arouse the suspicion of Hamlet instantly. It can also be interpreted as Ophelias way of sending a subtle warning to Hamlet or simply an example or Ophelia following Daddys instructions. Hamlets reply on Line 92 is equally formal perhaps he is mocking her and has already detected the unnatural atmosphere filling the room? Line 93 moves away from the formal tone as Ophelia brings up the subject of returning Hamlets love gifts. I have remembrances of yours that I have longi d long to re-deliver, has been clearly rehearsed with the alliterated l and the assonance on the o sound giving Hamlet a massive indication as to the fact that he is being set-up. It is at this point that some productions would decide to make this realisation clear; as done in a Russian version film adaptation directed by Grigori Kozintsev which was released in 1962. In this particular interpretation, Hamlet knocks the said remembrances out of Ophelias hand and onto the floor in a fit of rage as he says No, not I, I never gave you aught. In other productions, as in Kenneth Branaghs 1996 release, the line is said with the simple blunt, dismissive tone with which it is written. Line 93 also raises the question of Hamlets antic disposition it is possible that he is aware of Claudius and Polonius presence in the room and is simply going along with their theory of his madness by denying the fact that he ever gave Ophelia gifts in the first place. If so, this is a canny move to disorientate them. Hamlet may also want to disorientate Ophelia because he is suspicious of her odd behaviour without specifically being aware of the eavesdroppers. It would appear that the value of these presents has deteriorated due to Hamlets lack of love and Shakespeare has emphasised this point particularly well with the use of a rhyming couplet on Lines 100 and 101. This too is ironic because the text suggests that the remembrances had been given to Ophelia while Hamlet was reciting poetry, so this is therefore a snide, below the belt comment that will have had the desired impact. However, this methodical approach is not something that Hamlet would expect from Ophelia and again it sounds rehearsed. Line 103 Ha, ha, are you honest is where the subject and the dramatic dynamics of the scene change. Hamlet goes on the attack his sarcastic tone has come out of the blue, but with Claudius and Polonius watching on, it is, however, impossible to know whether this is genuine or just another attempt to disorientate and go along with his supposed antic disposition. He accuses Ophelia of being corrupt like all women, and, suddenly, Hamlet begins to use certain elements of his depressing life to make his point effectively. He suggests that beauty and virtue are closely linked together and in many productions, as in the Laurence Olivier production of 1948, Hamlet goes on a physical as well as verbal attack of Ophelia often portrayed as helpless. Hamlets disillusion with women almost certainly stems from his mothers actions with his Uncle Claudius; however it is apparent that he once had genuine love for Ophelia as demonstrated by Line 114. This poignant moment in the scene reveals a sense of regret on Hamlets part and leaves Ophelia feeling very vulnerable at this stage. Hamlet continues to emphasise his distrust of women by claiming Ophelia has betrayed him and that she has given in to temptation. In fact, he goes on to say that he himself is a sinner and that all human beings are born into sin; which is a contradiction to what he has just said. It is fair to say, therefore, that Hamlets depressing stance on human beings has been influenced by the corruption in his own life. Ophelia is sometimes portrayed as slightly more aggressive than is described as in the text; as done in Franco Zefirellis 1990 version where Helena Bonham Carter stands up for herself when saying the Line I was the more deceived. On the other hand, this could be seen as another feeble comment that has very little significance in the scene. At this point, however, Hamlet is back on the attack again. This change of dynamics leads him to exploit Ophelias weaknesses. He tells her to go to a Nunnery, which could have been interpreted in two different ways at the time. Hamlet could either be ordering his supposedly deceitful girlfriend to a convent, so she will be protected from the horrible world surrounding them, or to a brothel, because she is corrupt like humanity. Either meaning makes complete sense and is therefore ambiguous; another technique used to tow the line of his antic disposition or indeed his genuine madness. If Hamlet intended to use the latter meaning, he is being extremely insulting to the woman he is supposed to be in love with. It also implies that female sins take the form of sex and that she is weak and open to temptation. This is particularly clever because nunnery is common Elizabethan slang. Hamlets antic disposition first mentioned in Act 1 Scene 5 is a dominant theme in not just this scene but throughout the whole play. He could actually be mad; he has seen the ghost of his father, he has had suicidal tendencies, his friends are spying on him and there is great pressure on him to carry out his revenge. Ophelias betrayal another key theme is also very important. Hamlet blames Ophelia for his madness, supporting Polonius theory that he is love sick, and this could have driven him to a bizarre mental state. Or, he could be both sane and mad at the same time. His antic disposition could be a cover for revenge but while putting on this guise Hamlet may have even convinced himself that he is insane. He could also be genuinely divided; there is great conflict in his life and this could lead him to flash in and out of madness. Corruption is something that is clearly playing on Hamlets mind throughout this scene and it is clear that the recent murder of his father and the swift replacement of him as King by his uncle is becoming too much to handle. However this sequence of events, or at least similar ones, was not uncommon in the Elizabethan world. At the time, incestuous marriages and relationships were widely debated but not as frowned upon as they are now although Hamlet clearly takes the latter view. Hamlets rant continues; he has talked himself into a fit of rage and is almost always portrayed as violent by this stage of the scene to the extent that he is coming across as genuinely mad. He says it would have been better if he himself had not been born; further adding to the aura of insanity surrounding him. He talks about how his revengeful thoughts may have made him stoop to the same level as Claudius and that his proud and ambitious personality has contributed to this. Line 125-126: We are arrant knaves all, believe none of us sums this up particularly well. Perhaps at this point in the scene comes the moment where Hamlet finally comes to a self-realization that the conversation if being overheard unless that happens much earlier on in the scene. Some productions, as in Kenneth Brannaghs, use loud rustling as a rather unsubtle way of drawing Polonius and Claudius to Hamlets attention, whereas in the Lawrence Olivier version, Hamlet is virtually left to pick up on Ophelias body language alone to detect their presence. At this point Ophelia lies. She has gone past a point of no return and Hamlet knows this she has chosen her father and the King over him. Her response to the question Wheres your father? is At home my Lord and although Hamlet knows this is a lie, he decides not to confront her about it. Instead, he uses this as an opportunity to make a bitter, aggressive and public threat to Polonius and Claudius. In fact, Hamlet goes a step further and begins to break off his relationship with Ophelia. He says that bringing more children into the world would be committing more sins and rules out the possibility of marriage his public threat then comes, with him that he will leave all others alone, except Claudius, who he intends to kill. A sane Hamlet would perhaps have left things there, and it is clear that one part of him wants to with the fact that he says Farewell for a third time. However, he continues his onslaught of abuse on Ophelia by saying that she will not escape malicious lies as it is part of her nature, even if she comes across as innocent and virtuous. He says Get thee to a nunnery for the fourth time to emphasise his point further before storming out. Hamlets antic disposition was questionable at the beginning of the scene and is even more so by the end of it. He is clearly love sick because of the frequent contradictions he makes during his break-up speech to Ophelia, yet he sees his once virtuous girlfriend being tarnished by the corruption he sees around him and his desperation for revenge. That, however, does not make him a madman and although it is impossible to know for certain, it would appear that the Nunnery Scene in Hamlet is where all the depressing elements and themes of his life come to a head and that Ophelia is the unfortunate and convenient scapegoat upon which he releases all of his anger.

Frankenworms Dancing Gummy Worms Science Experiment

Frankenworms Dancing Gummy Worms Science Experiment Turn ordinary motionless gummy worms into creepy, wriggling Frankenworms in this easy science experiment. Frankenworms Materials Gummy wormsBaking soda (sodium bicarbonate)WaterVinegar (dilute acetic acid)2 glassesScissors or kitchen shears Let's Make Frankenworms! Use the scissors or kitchen shears to cut the gummy worms in half or into quarters lengthwise. You want long, thin strips of worms.Drop the worm strips in one glass. Add a couple of spoonfuls of baking soda and enough water to dissolve some of the baking soda. If all of the baking soda dissolves, add more until some undissolved powder remains.Let the worms soak in the baking soda solution for 15 minutes to half an hour.Pour vinegar into the other glass. Drop a baking-soda-soaked worm into the vinegar. What happens? At first, nothing appears to happen. Then, bubbles start to form on the surface of the worm. The worm starts to move. After some time, the reaction stops and the worm stills. Why Do the Worms Move? The gummy worms wriggle because a chemical reaction between baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (weak acetic acid) produces carbon dioxide gas. This is the same reaction that causes a baking soda and vinegar volcano to erupt lava! The tiny gas bubbles released by the reaction stick to the body of the gummy worms, eventually merging into bubbles big enough to float part of the worm. If the gas bubble detaches, it floats to the surface while that part of the gummy worm sinks back down. Tips for Success If your worms appear dead in the water, you may be able to revive them: See if you can cut the worms thinner. You may wish to ask an adult for help. A thinner gummy worm is a lighter gummy worm and thus much easier to make move. Thin worms absorb baking soda better, too.Try adding more baking soda to the soaking solution or soaking the worms longer. The baking soda needs to get into the gelatin that makes up the worms so that it can react with the vinegar to make bubbles.

Guns in School Article Essay Example

Guns in School Article Essay Example Guns in School Article Essay Guns in School Article Essay l A bill currently in the Florida Congress would, if passed, give counties the ability to designate school employees to carry a firearm. In an obvious response to the Sandy Hook shooting, legislators are using this bill to try to increase safety in schools, and prevent more school shootings. National Rifle Associate spokesman Wayne Lapierre claims that â€Å"the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun,† but who gets to decide who is good and who is bad? Merely having a teaching license in the state of Florida does not necessarily make someone a â€Å"good guy†.The 40 hours of training that will be required for any arm-bearing teachers, is not nearly enough to ensure good gun conduct. Unfortunately, public schools are not exactly known for weeding out the dregs of society when hiring employees. All across the nation teachers are arrested every day for various crimes, oftentimes felonies, involving drugs and sex crimes. Just this year Polo Par k Principle Scott Blake was arrested for soliciting sex from a fifteen year-old boy. It is difficult enough for anyone to expect a fifteen year old to defend himself against a 46 year old teacher, even when the teacher is unarmed.Now giving teachers weapons, and further empowering them over their defenseless students, could increase the frequency and scale of these sick and disturbed acts. Even teachers that normally would not exploit students can sometimes lose their cool. Often students and teachers can get into physical fights. These conflicts could escalate quickly if guns are added to the mix. Not only could a frightened teacher draw and fire on an aggressive student when lethal force is not necessary, students could potentially overpower teachers to seize their weapons.Furthermore, a public school teacher is a low-pay, high-stress job, and certain teachers may be vulnerable to a breakdown. Some of these scenarios may seem rare, or even farfetched, but they are very possible in the multitude of schools across the nation. While this bill may limit the damage of mass school shootings by students or outsiders, is it worth the potential of teacher’s harming their students? That said, schools do need to be made safer. Students should feel secure when they go to school n order to succeed, but armed teachers do not necessarily increase that security. Perhaps instead the government could reallocate some of the money spend on senator’s pension plans to paying for school security guards. These out-of-classroom guards would provide the security against outsiders while still keeping students safe from any potentially unstable teachers. In addition, having multiple security guards would protect against any possible breakdowns by any one guard, as opposed to having one teacher, one gun, and thirty children in the same room.

Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 17

Terrorism - Essay Example Still, the international community tries to counter this sort of radicalization by implementing innovative measures related to counter-terrorism. The psychological (acceptance, socialization, and self-importance) and behavioral (belief, commitment, and obedience) factors have the greatest impact on the radicalization of an individual, but efforts such as awareness programs, hindering the misinterpretation of religious texts, and welfare programs for the lower classes might be effective in countering this sort of radicalization. The basic psychological factor with greatest impact on radicalizing an individual is the human urge to gain acceptance. To be specific, acceptance is utmost important for human beings within their private or public domains. â€Å"From Moghaddam’s point of view, terrorism constitutes a rational problem-solving strategy for individuals who go through the psychological processes on each step in the Staircase to Terrorism.†1 Within this scenario, the terrorist leaders and related recruiters know that it is easier to trap such individuals. Similarly, socialization during one’s youth determines one’s psychological development in future years. When an individual is deeply interested in religious education or is forced to undergo the same, there will be no scope for socialization. Besides, socialization with similar religious minded individuals can radicalize an individual. To be specific, daily exposure to the views related to religious fundamentalism can result in psychological change among youngsters. One can see that terrorist organizations help their members to consider that they are most important to their religion, and are chosen to complete certain missions. So, it is evident that the psychological factors like acceptance, socialization, and self-importance can radicalize an individual. Similarly, belief in an ideology or a religion transforms one’s behavior in general. â€Å"Additionally, the individual

Auditing HIH disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Auditing HIH disaster - Essay Example In spite of major events which took place in succession in the HIH, some thing was lurking behind. By January 1999, the HIH acquired FAI insurance for A$ 300 million which later turned out be worth onlyA$100 million though the external audit of Arthur Andersen for the year 2000 did not make any issue of it. On the other hand the company was lauded to be worth A$ 939 million. Soon after in September, it sold half of its profitable retail general insurance business for cash liquidity and as a result its share prices fell down from A$ 1.05 to A$ 0.45 when the company announced losses. Yet the regulatory authority did not think fit to inspect the accounts as it relied on the external audit report had painted a healthy picture. This was followed by the resignation of the CEO founder of the company for 30+ years, with a compensation of A$ 5 million in December 2000. As the company had not filled its December statements, when they became overdue by February 2001, the regulator APRA was conc erned for the first time. Meanwhile on 27 February Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) took the initiative by suspending HIH's share trading soon followed by the APRA's fire fighting act of transferring the company's risk portfolio to other insurance companies to the extent possible. On 15 March 2001 HIH declared provisional liquidation with Government agencies covering some of its obligations which might cost the tax payer about A$ 1 billion to bail out policy holders. On 16 March, finally APRA started inspection of the HIH affairs. Government of Australia lost no time to set up an independent Royal Commission by August 2001 as already announced in May 2001 to investigate into the failure of the company. It took 6 months for the liquidator to arrive at the losses as between A$ 3.6 billion and A$ 5.3 billion. It has been stated that not only the settlement of policies and the company's creditors could not be made in full but also it would take ten years for disburs ement which might be in the ratio of 1: 0.5. This was how the second largest Australian insurer's corporate bubble burst representing the biggest collapse in the corporate history of Australia to date. The whole imbroglio was attributed to poor management by under pricing of policies and overestimation of its assets mostly non tangible rather than frauds. Soon after the company's fall, the premium market shot up steeply. While the APRA conceded that it was because of not provisioning the company with sufficient capital to cover its risks for quite a number of years that this had happened, the Australian Prime Minister had to rebut the public accusations that political donations siphoned off the company's resources. (Sungard Banc ware Erisk). Actually the company had indulged in acquisition spree of more than 200 subsidiaries which only made the company's size unwieldy in an already overcrowded and competitive insurance market though the acquisitions accounted for 26% premium growth per annum for a decade. Most controversial of all was the acquisition of FAI insurance for A$ 300 million which was worth hardly A$ 100 million and that too the company had borrowed money for the settlement. Rodney Adler the major stock holder of FAI who also became a member of HIH Board however clarified "that the purchase price of his company was too high by stating that the price was set, by definition,

Quality management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Quality management - Assignment Example Industrial practice involves design and business measures, workplace wellness and safety, resource control, and social, moral, and environmental stability Six Sigma, Kaizen, Lean, and other alterations on endless improvement can be dangerous to your company’s health. Even Though it may be heresy to state this, current confirmation from Japan and outside implies that it is the moment to examine these techniques (Businessballs.com, 2014). Admittedly, endless development once powered Japan’s marketplace. Japanese producers in the year 1950s had repute for bad condition but through the practice of rational and precise change, Japan was capable of moving from worst to first. At the beginning of 1970s, Japans capability to produce low-cost, quality outputs helped them control chief industries, such as automobiles, telecommunications, and customer electronics. To fight with this awesome turnaround, Western societies, beginning with Motorola, started to embrace Japanese techniques. Now, nearly all big Western business, and various lesser ones, advocate for endless development. (Isixsigma.com, 2014) However, what’s occurred in Japan? In the preceding time Japan’s main electronics firms have wasted an aggregated $21 billion and have been routinely removed by opponents from China, South Korea, and outside. (Isixsigma.com, 2014)As Fujio Ando, senior operating administrator at Chibagin Asset Management recommends, â€Å"Japan’s purchaser electronics industry is encountering failure. â€Å"Similarly, Japan’s machine industry has been troubled by a list of disturbing quality obstacles, recalls, (Businessballs.com, 2014) and has missed market share to firms from South Korea. Viewing beyond Japan, iconic six sigma organizations in the United States, like Motorola and GE, have strived in recent times to be reform leaders. 3M, which funded heavily in endless

Argument of Value Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Argument of Value - Essay Example But, as the movie tries to portray, it never takes itself seriously. All the fun does not get lost owing to the apparent upheavals in the lives of the characters. There is a definitive degree of fresh air in the treatment of the main characters. From the very beginning, the viewer is drawn into the intricacies of the characters, their joys and life. Even in the deepest melancholy, there are streaks of hope and happiness. In that sense, this movie has veered away from the staple comedy movies which lack poignant humor, but cover it up with condescending laughter. The movie exposes the tumultuous underbelly of human emotions with a fine serving of humor. This movie is perched between a razor sharp psychological drama on one hand and comedy on another. The film has a very upbeat title, which suggests the likeliness of having a generic bent towards the creation of a happy atmosphere: that is not very serious. It has all the ingredients of a nice movie, with the creation of sequences that exude positive spirit. A hero who is full of faults, a heroine with very doubtful credentials, the Christmas streets, the snow flaked roads are a constant reminder of the impending festivities. Throw on top of that, a dance competition and a football game, the movie tries to cover all the bases for a happy Hollywood film. ... Robert De Niro has played a delicious role as the father, who is torn among different problems. He runs an illegal gambling racket out of his parlour. He has a very supportive mother, who keeps him company. However, he is supposed to stay away from his wife and has to visit a doctor. All of the characters are obsessed with something in their lives, with sports being a big obsession. There is a tradition of disruptive violence, as the crowd identifies the game with their identity. The father of the hero has been banned from appearing in the matches due to the bouts of rage, which were experienced while viewing the match. One of the central characters in the movie is a young widow called as Tiffany. She is a good looking woman who lives in the garage of her parent’s home. She is preparing for a dancing competition, with the help of the hero. They bond over a dinner and she agrees to help him reunite him with his wife. The strength of the film lies in the differential treatment b eing given to the generic comic situations. Although, there is a lot of pain in the lives of the characters, there is sense of joy that runs throughout the fabric of the film. There are a number of scenes that would be very difficult even in real lives, but the handling of the situations has rendered the scenes funny. Some of the examples of such scenes; as the fighting in the diner that spreads onto the street: and also among the crowd wearing the Halloween dress. The film goes over the edge at times, but never fails to maintain the humorous simplicity in the storyline. The narrative is contextual and also very relevant due to the essential foresight being provided into the human heart. The design of the story has been calibrated with a lot of alacrity, so as to incite the maximum level of

Circuits with Feedback and Sine Wave Oscillators Coursework - 1

Circuits with Feedback and Sine Wave Oscillators - Coursework Example These are positive or regenerative feedback and negative or degenerative feedback (Ellinger, 2008). The different between the two types of feedback entails whether the feedback signal is out of phase or in phase with an input signal. Positive or Regenerative feedback is said to occur whenever the feedback signal happens to be in phase with an input signal (Maas 53). The block diagram below shows an amplifier having a positive feedback. It can be deduced from the diagram that the input signal and the feedback signal are in phase implying that the feedback signal regenerates or adds the input signal. Following this, there occurs somewhat larger amplitude in the output signal that it could occur without there being the feedback. Considering a positive feedback in the transistor amplifier, it is noted that it is somewhat simple providing a positive feedback in the common-base transistor amplifier. Given that the output and the input signals are both in phase, what one requires to do is to couple a section of the input signal back to an input. The block diagram below shows these phenomena. Basing on this diagram, it is clear that the feedback network is constituted by C2 and R2, with the value of C2 being larger in order for the capacitive reactance labelled XC to become low and to enable the capacitor to be able to couple the signal quite easily. Moreover, the value of the resistive R2 must be larger in order for it to limit the amount of feedback signal, as well as in ensuring that the majority of an output signal is connects to the next stage via C3. As widely cited, the common-emitter configuration is one of the most common configurations for the transistor amplifiers (Maas 34). However, a positive feedback seems to be somehow more difficult with the common emitter configuration since in most cases, the output and input signals are often 180Â º out of phase (Maas 46). Negative feedback, on the other hand, is often achieved through adding part of

Argument of Value Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Argument of Value - Essay Example But, as the movie tries to portray, it never takes itself seriously. All the fun does not get lost owing to the apparent upheavals in the lives of the characters. There is a definitive degree of fresh air in the treatment of the main characters. From the very beginning, the viewer is drawn into the intricacies of the characters, their joys and life. Even in the deepest melancholy, there are streaks of hope and happiness. In that sense, this movie has veered away from the staple comedy movies which lack poignant humor, but cover it up with condescending laughter. The movie exposes the tumultuous underbelly of human emotions with a fine serving of humor. This movie is perched between a razor sharp psychological drama on one hand and comedy on another. The film has a very upbeat title, which suggests the likeliness of having a generic bent towards the creation of a happy atmosphere: that is not very serious. It has all the ingredients of a nice movie, with the creation of sequences that exude positive spirit. A hero who is full of faults, a heroine with very doubtful credentials, the Christmas streets, the snow flaked roads are a constant reminder of the impending festivities. Throw on top of that, a dance competition and a football game, the movie tries to cover all the bases for a happy Hollywood film. ... Robert De Niro has played a delicious role as the father, who is torn among different problems. He runs an illegal gambling racket out of his parlour. He has a very supportive mother, who keeps him company. However, he is supposed to stay away from his wife and has to visit a doctor. All of the characters are obsessed with something in their lives, with sports being a big obsession. There is a tradition of disruptive violence, as the crowd identifies the game with their identity. The father of the hero has been banned from appearing in the matches due to the bouts of rage, which were experienced while viewing the match. One of the central characters in the movie is a young widow called as Tiffany. She is a good looking woman who lives in the garage of her parent’s home. She is preparing for a dancing competition, with the help of the hero. They bond over a dinner and she agrees to help him reunite him with his wife. The strength of the film lies in the differential treatment b eing given to the generic comic situations. Although, there is a lot of pain in the lives of the characters, there is sense of joy that runs throughout the fabric of the film. There are a number of scenes that would be very difficult even in real lives, but the handling of the situations has rendered the scenes funny. Some of the examples of such scenes; as the fighting in the diner that spreads onto the street: and also among the crowd wearing the Halloween dress. The film goes over the edge at times, but never fails to maintain the humorous simplicity in the storyline. The narrative is contextual and also very relevant due to the essential foresight being provided into the human heart. The design of the story has been calibrated with a lot of alacrity, so as to incite the maximum level of

Question .. Marine scince Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9000 words

Question .. Marine scince - Essay Example 2 Figure 2: The eight bearings of successful yacht management 3 Figure 3: Captain’s Standing Orders, Ship’s Standing Orders, and the Daily Orders - the three important administrative tools for a large motor yacht. 5 Figure 4: The five-fold objectives for the master of the vessel 12 Figure 5: The four-fold objectives of a crisis management team 14 Figure 6: The five conditions for entitlement of GA 23 Figure 7: Three important objectives from the cargo owner's point of view 28 Figure 8: Methodology for computation of loss of income 36 Photo credit Cover page URL: http://www.imo.org/OurWork/Safety/FireProtection/PublishingImages/fire.jpg Section 1: Maintaining Yacht Operational Standards Case brief As the Ship/Yacht Manager of EITHER a 25,000 tonne merchant ship OR a 2,900 tonne motor yacht review the mechanisms by which you would ensure that your operational standards are maintained on board your vessel. Your answer should include but not be limited to:   ship/yacht ma nagement;   organisational structure;   consideration of routine and emergency operations.   1.1 Yacht management, organisation

Personal Finance Plan Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Personal Finance Plan Worksheet Essay The process of creating a detailed plan to meet your financial needs and prepare for the future is called b. personal financial planning. 2. Which of the following is not one of the five major steps of the financial planning process? c. collect and organize your financial information 3. Which phase in life is commonly associated with focus on marriage, family, purchasing a home, and career development? c. ate 20’s through your 40’s 4. Which of the following is a benefit of having a college degree that can affect your financial planning? d. all the above 5. Which of the following elements of a comprehensive financial plan involves analyzing future needs, such as saving for retirement or college funding for dependents? d. protecting wealth and dependents Directions Respond to the following short-answer questions in 50-to 100-words: 6. People have different styles when it comes to handling their money. List the two things that affect your personal beliefs and opinions about financial planning. How well do you feel you manage your money? Can you spot areas for improvement in your money management style, and if so, where/how? a. Two things that affect my personal beliefs about financial planning are: my family composition and values. I want my family to be comfortable and I also save but not as much and often as I should. Making sure I save for hard time and my family stability is a must. Setting up a budget is a main topic in my household. b. I can do better and stop tapping into my savings. I do have a savings account that is linked to my account. Everytime I spend something a dollar is sent to my savings, so that also help me balance my account as well. I also need to focus on our needs and not what we want. c. Yes I could stop spending more money and save more which is hard because we just moved and we are buying the house we are renting. Im putting money into the house but bills still have to be paid. We are starting to do a budget to eliminate the how, who, when, and where. 7. Which element of the comprehensive financial plan focuses on your housing needs, setting aside money for emergencies, and establishing a career path? Consider your own finances. Do currectly own a vehicle and/or home? If yes, how well do you manage monthly home and auto expenses? How well do you save for unforeseen expenses? a. Securing basic needs b. I own two vehicles and purchasing a home. We pay our mortgage at the beginning of the month in which we split, we pay the bills as soon as we get the bills and we split those as well, then the car notes are split up, and at the end of the month our car insurance is due. c. We have a savings account that pulls money from our checking whenever we spend money nd then we literally have what I call a piggy bank and we save change as well. There is nothing wrong about saving change because it does add up. 8. The economy is unpredictable and can affect your personal financial planning. List one factor in economic conditions that may affect your financial future. How could you reduce the impact of that factor on your finances? a. Inflation b. To reduce the affect of inflation is to save and go on a budget. You can also shop smarter by shopping cheaper, like generic brands. Also using coupons and your rewards card to reduce the cost of groceries and gas. You can shop around for the cheapest prices and most of the time if you buy in bulk its cheaper. 9. Which step in the five-step financial planning process requires you to organize your financial information, create personal financial statements, and evaluate your current financial position? Have you ever completed this step? If so, is it still applicable to your current financial situation? If not, do you plan to do this soon? Why or why not? a. Step1: Analyze your current financial position. b. Yes I have done it before, but now we just moved and we are now creating a new budget. Since the bills have changed we have to do a new budget and gather our bank statements, bills, and calculater our income to be more financially stable and save more money. We are currently going over a new budget as we speak. 10. Step Five in the five-step financial planning process discusses the importance of regularly reevaluating and revising your plan because personal circumstances often change. List two life changes that may require you to update your financial plan. Have you recently experienced a change that requires you to reevaluate your financial plan? If so, what was it and how have you accommodated it? (Please share only what you are comfortable sharing) a. Marriage and children b. I just recently got married and we’re just purchasing a home. My husband just received social security and 100% in military disability and I work. This make it a little easier for us to make it. I do have children and one is disabled so its tough but we make it. We split everything down the middle so no one person would be overwhelmed with paying all the bills on their own. We try to do a budget and stick to it. We do bargin shop and try to limit where we go due to high gas prices. We also put money to the side for different things we want to do whether its go out to eat, go to the movies, or date night. We also put money back for food and gas. We include everything we do and everything that can happen in our budget and daily life.

Causes of Occupational Stress

Causes of Occupational Stress Occupational stress can be referred to the physical pressure such as weary as well as body pain (Beehr et al., 2001) ( cited in Nazim Shahid Jan, n.d., p.292) and mentally pressure such as weary, anxiety, depression, insomnia, incurred by oneself occupation or job (Millward, 2005) ( cited in Nazim Shahid Jan, n.d., p.292). There are two types of stress, which are eustress and distress. Eustress, is a positive stress, can motive one to achieve oneself goals whereas distress negatively influences oneself behavior, physical and mental condition (Mcshane, Olekalns Travaglione 2010, p. 139). In fact, there are a number of factors which cause occupational stress. Firstly, employees usually feel pressured when there are overload work tasks to be completed by them (Swaminathan Rajkumar, 2013, p.86). For instance, when an employer distributes a number of difficult tasks to his or her employee to be completed within a short period of time, the employee will usually feel stressed due to the fact that completing the task within a short period of time is beyond the employee’s capability. This can be related to MARS Model where Motivation, Ability, Role perception and Situational factors are considered (Mcshane, Olekalns Travaglione 2010, p. 46-49). The employee may have the motivation and ability as well as a good role perception to perform his or her task, but due to situational factor such as limited time, he or she will feel stressed. For instance, in most of the secondary school, a teacher is responsible for teaching many subjects and the overload work task will definitely make the teacher feel stressed (It takes two: how schools are in vesting in staff teaching additional subjects 2013). Besides, the relationship among employees or between employees and employers also contributes to occupational stress (Causes of work-related stress 2009). This problem commonly happens when a new employee enters into a new job or position. He or she may not be able to get used to the new environment, especially the relationship with new colleagues. New employees will usually feel ignored by his or her colleagues and this problem makes them feel depressed (Common causes of stress at work n.d.). Very often, new employees will also have problem in communicating with new colleagues because of incomprehension of personality to each other (Mcshane, Olekalns Travaglione 2010, p. 345). In Model of Communication, communication barriers are the obstacles, which include perception, filtering, language and excessive information that disturb communication among people (Mcshane, Olekalns Travaglione 2010, p.356-358). For instance, sometimes when new colleagues make fun of a new employee such as kidding with the new employee, the new employee may convert the message received in a wrong way due to his or her perception, different language spoken, excessive information received and so on, in which the employee will think that the new colleagues are trying to insult him or her. Moreover, some employees, who do not have a good communication and relationship with their superiors or employees, are even bullied and suffer from harassment such as sexual harassment by their superior and end up feeling pressured (Tehrani 2002) (cited in Ongori Agolla 2008, p.124). The employees or victims are unable to communicate well or feel shy to communicate with people in a company will usually be the target of bullying by their superiors or colleagues. For example, in Nike company, there is a number of employees has suffered from insult and sexual harassment by their superiors (Nike workers suffer harassment, claims report 2001). Consequently, these victims will end up suffering from stress or feel very pressured whenever they work in their workplace. Job insecurity is also not an exception to be one of the main factors contributing to occupational stress and thus reducing the productivity of employees (Babatunde 2013, p.76). In the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the most important need of human is physiological, followed by security such as job security, socialization, esteem and self-actualization (Mcshane, Olekalns Travaglione 2010, p. 170-171). It is, therefore, clear that job security is necessary for a person. This problem worrying about job insecurity is most commonly faced by employees who are in debts, confront financial liability and difficulties. These employees are usually worried about the problem of unemployment that may occur on them in the future as their current job is very important for them for shouldering certain liabilities or responsibilities such as raising a family. In fact, the problem of employee’s dismissal commonly happens during economic recession, in which the economic is under a bad cond ition (Sandilands n.d.). Therefore, employees’ worries about dismissal usually arise during economic recession. Due to the fact that most of the companies have insufficient revenue to cover their expenses, the companies therefore dismiss some the employees who are not productive in order to reduce their expenses (Windermere n.d.). For example, Nike has planned to dismiss about 1750 workers in order to reduce its expenses by $225 million (Rogoway 2009). Not only that, some of the employees is also worried that their salaries will get deducted as well as being treated unfairly. For instance, the majority of the employees in United Kingdom are most worried about the problem of their salaries reduction, followed by the problem of being unemployed and treated unfairly (Osborne 2013). Therefore, job insecurity is truly undeniable to be one of the major factors which may lead to the occupational stress (Unemployment ‘can lead to depression’ 2011). In actual fact, occupational stress has indeed brought advantages to employees. One of the most common advantages is that a low level of occupational stress can help to improve the working performance of an employee. When an employee has suffered from stress such as a reasonable work submission deadline, he or she will be more initiated or committed to try the very best to complete a task or come out with a well-done output. For example, after Apple company has released its new smartphone, iPhone 5S, Samsung Company then declares that it will also come out with its new smartphone product, Samsung Galaxy S5 which also has the same level of processor (The Fierce Competition Between Samsung And Apple is Still Ongoing n.d.). It is clearly shown that stress has actually motivated Samsung company’s employees to create come out with a good way to compete with Apple Company. Occupational stress, on the other hand, does also incur a number of negative impacts. The typical disadvantage is that occupational stress may harm oneself health condition in term of physical and mental. It is commonly known the symptoms of being overstressed are headache, insomnia, high blood pressure and so on (Hamlett n.d.). In fact, these symptoms also implies that oneself suffer the risk of health problems. If the overstressed issue persists, the employee will get sick and end up reducing his or her productivity. Not only that, the employee will also be unable to fully concentrate on performing his or her tasks as he or she will be distracted by worries at most of the time (Hamlett n.d.). In addition, the issue of occupational stress harming employees’ mental health condition is now increasing at an alarming rate. The mental illness or stress suffered will get serious if it is not cured as soon as possible and will end up causing fatal to the patient such as committing s uicide (Omelas Kleiner 2003) (cited in Ablanedos-Rosas et al. 2011, p. 555). For example, a nurse in Britain committed suicide due to the vicious slander brought by his patient (Work Suicide n.d.). In order to reduce stress temporarily, many people choose to smoke and end up addicted to smoking (Smoking and Mental Health n.d.), consequently increasing the chances of getting lung cancer (Lung cancer risks and causes n.d.). In other words, occupational stress has indirectly led some of the employees to the risk of getting lung cancer. In addition, if the level of an employee’s stress is too high and beyond the capabilities of the employee to control it, adverse effects such as frustration or anxiety may occur and will subsequently lead to a low productivity (Cevizci et al. 2014, p.42). Path-goal theory comprises of four types of leadership style, which are directive, supportive, participative and achievement-oriented (Mcshane, Olekalns Travaglione 2010, p. 464). The leader of a company should be supportive and considerate to his or her employee. ASA theory consists of 3 ways, which are attraction, selection and attrition. Attraction is that a person is attracted by the culture of a company as the culture company is his or her preferred culture. Selection is that a company selects workers which are able to adapt the culture of the company. Attrition is that a company dismisses the workers who does not adapt to the culture of the company (Mcshane, Olekalns Travaglione 2010, p. 555-556). ASA theory can be us ed to reduce or avoid stress of employees through allowing workers to choose company which are suitable to them, selecting people who can work under stress and dismissing employees who are unable to meet company’s target.

Seizures and the Sight of God :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Seizures and the Sight of God Researchers interested in the connection of the brain and religion have examined the experiences of people suffering from Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Apparently the increased electrical activity in the brain resulting from seizure activity (abnormal electrical activity within localized portions of the brain), makes sufferers more susceptible to having religious experiences including visions of supernatural beings and near death experiences (NDEs) (9). Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) sufferers also may become increasingly obsessed with religion, the study and practice of it (1). Why is it that this form of epilepsy results in religious experiences among the other supernatural experiences possible? Can people who have never studied or practiced religion be susceptible to these same religious experiences? Why do some interested researchers claim that such notable figures as Paul on the road to Damascus, Joan of Arc, Ellen White of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and other persons suffered fro m TLE because of their range of reported experiences with God, angels, and demons (1,3)? In my first paper, I highlighted the connection scientists have made between religious experience and the brain. In this paper, I intend to focus on Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, as one of those connections, specifically the symptom of hyperreligiousity. In 1997 Vilayanur Ramachandran and his colleagues from the University of California at San Diego headed a research study. The team studied patients of temporal lobe epilepsy measuring galvanic skin response on the left hands of the patients (11). This measurement allowed the research team to monitor arousal (specific autonomic nervous system response) and indirectly surmise the communication between the inferior temporal lobe and the amygdala, both important in response related to fear and arousal (9). In addition to two control groups a religious control group and a non-religious control group, each group was shown forty words, including violent words, sexual words, and simple words (like "wheel"), and finally, religious-related words. The results of the study showed a greater arousal in the temporal lobe epilepsy sufferers to religious words in comparison to the non-religious, whom were aroused by sexual words, and religious control groups, whom were aroused by religious and sexual words (10). Ramachandran and his team concluded that although the patients were not experiencing seizures or experiencing supernatural occurrences at the time of testing, they were highly sensitive to religious words. Thus, the experiences of temporal lobe seizures strengthened the patients interest in religion (11).

Essay --

Being located in the Middle East next to the Mediterranean Sea and surrounded by Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, and Israel, Syria has continued to be a struggle area for different regions to take control of and rule over. Since 1500 B.C. the land of Syria has been ruled by many different empires and rulers including the Persians, Arabs, and Ottoman Turks. However, since gaining its independence in 1946 Syria has been a home to 21 million people including those from many different ethnic and religious groups including: Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Christians, Druze, Alawite Shia, and Arab Sunnis. With its capitol at Damascus, the government of Syria has gone through a lot of change since it reached its independence in 1946 from the French. It began as a parliamentary republic which is a republic where the executive branch of government is accountable to the legislative branch. However in the time since then their government has not held firm and strong. Military coups, or groups of people that are usually the military who attempt to get rid of the existing government and replace it, have made many attempts to try to overthrow the government of Syria and replace it with their own. These attempts ultimately began to weaken Syria’s government. They joined a union with Egypt that lasted only 3 years because it was torn down by a military coup. A short time after, Syria began to be less and less democratic and the citizens began to lose more of their rights. In 1970 Hafez al-Assad became president and led the Baath government which was mostly led by the Alawites. W hen he died in 2000 his son, Bashar al-Assad became president. Since then Syria has endured many revolts and ultimately led to a civil war breaking out in 2011... ... on by so much rain that these camps have become flooded and just more miserable and almost uninhabitable for these poor refugees attempting to stay away from the violence of the civil war (CBSnews). The rise in violence against women has also been an outcome of the civil war. With many women being raped, tortured, and used to act as forms of showing control and intimidation towards the enemies. Lauren Wolfe wrote an article saying that, â€Å"everyone from the direct victims of the attacks to their children, who may have witnessed or been otherwise affected by what has been perpetrated on their relatives†, she is saying that it is not only the women that are being the victims, but the families of these victims who usually see what is happening to them (Bernard). The basic human rights that everyone should be guaranteed are continually stepped on in Syria.

Analytical Essay About the Little Mermaid and the Wild Swans

The Affection of Vanity; behind the scenes of â€Å"The Little Mermaid† and â€Å"The Wild Swans† I believe that the stories †The Little Mermaid† and †The Wild Swans† are fundamentally about vanity and the craving for self-satisfaction by main characters in each story. Hans Christian Andersen was born on the 2nd of April, 1805, in the city of Odense outside of Copenhagen in Denmark. He was a Danish author who wrote lyrical poems, fairy tales and novels. He was known as H. C. Andersen throughout the world since he preferred using his first two initials instead of signing his whole name.He succeeded in writing over 200 fairy tales and 1000 poems during his lifetime and his stories and poetry have been translated into more than 150 languages inspiring different plays, ballets and movies. H. C Andersen passed away on the 4th of August 1875. People still, even after H. C Andersen’s death, reminisce about how he lit up the world with his amusing children’s stories and unbelievable fairy tales, such as for example â€Å"The Little Mermaid† and â€Å"The Wild Swans. The main character’s choices in each story is an action of vanity and these are the ideas from which my essay will emanate and give me the possibility of laying the fundamental proofs of my thesis statement by indicating the patterns of vanity throughout both stories. â€Å"The Little Mermaid â€Å" is generally about a young mermaid whose dearest wish is to become a human being so she could fall in love above the waters with a prince. She is even willing to precede her identity as a mermaid and leave her life and her family behind, at the darkest bottoms of the ocean for the sake of turning this dream into reality. The Wild Swans† is on the other hand a story about the sacrifice which one princess makes in the hope of rescuing her eleven brothers who have been cast under a spell. These two stories do not differ so much from each oth er since the main character in â€Å"The Little Mermaid† is willing to give up her life and make bodily sacrifices for the sake of love, while the princess in â€Å"The Little Swans† believes that she is able to save her brothers by making bodily sacrifices as well and all of this for the sake of her own love, believing they are able make it on their own by their abilities.Vanity is the excessive reliance on one’s ability to impress others, either by looks or abilities. According to many, vanity is a bad characteristic and can be related to egotism and arrogance. Vanity is often portrayed as a peacock in the artistic world, except for in the Bible, where it is represented by the Whore of Babylon according to The Free Encyclopedia. (Section: The symbolism of vanity. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Vanity). Vanity falls together with arrogance and presumption into the context of pride as one of the seven deadly sins.There are different references to this theory in the Bible where the classical example for this sin is shown in the story of the Tower of Babel which can be found in Genesis 11:5-8 in The Holy Bible. The characters in â€Å"The Little Mermaid† have in general been self-centered throughout the whole fairytale by questioning their abilities of beauty and possibilities. They have kept on battling the chase of beauty by trying to glamourize themselves. The biggest factor which leads me into making these kinds of assumptions about the Mer-people was the fact that their will to be different was far more important than showing compassion for each other.Evidence can be found in on page 136 of the booklet where H. C. Andersen is describing the Mer-King’s mother as an old and typical posh lady which has settled in the big palace and adapted her way of living to the needs provided by the services of the house. Andersen has also given her the characteristics of believing that she is far better than the rest of the inhabitants of the sea and to prove it she is described wearing twelve oysters on her tail, while the rest of the mermaids in the ocean are only allowed to wear six.I believe that this is what influences the little mermaid into committing these superficial decisions such as wanting to live on land because of love, later on throughout the story by being influenced by factors of her surroundings such as for an example, her home. The palace where the Mer-Kings family lives has walls out of coral, high pointed windows of amber, and roofs made out of mussel-shells which are described as glittering pearls. This is what causes the little mermaid to feel eccentric and full of herself by believing that no one is as good as her since no one has a house as beautiful as hers.This is a psychological remark of the mind of the mermaid, since she is affected by the environment around her she is bound into developing as a person thinking that she deserves nothing but the best. This behavior is obviously caused by the fact that she is described as the most beautiful child out the 6 children and as the loveliest one. When living in such an environment as the little mermaid is she is clearly affected by the fact of living in a place as gorgeous as the palace is. Their home is described as the most beautiful building at the bottom of the sea.I think that the house was a compensation for the loss of the Mer-kings wife since he made it this big and remarkable. This story has its resemblance to the story of the Taj Mahal, when the Sultan built the building in honor of his late wife. Since her father had been a widower for many years and the little mermaid had no mother-figure to look up to and to rely on, so her grandmother had to take that role upon herself and raise the little mermaid and her 5 sisters. It is noticeable throughout the whole story how the little mermaid’s affection for her grandmother is absurd since she constantly asks for the tales off the world above waters.The grandmot her is her only source of knowledge of the upper world and she is always asking her about the land above and how it is like. The little mermaid had a special love for dry land and could not wait to turn fifteen since that was the age when a mermaid was considered mature enough to rise to the surface of the world above. By having such a classy grandmother and by growing up at a home such as the palace, H. C Andersen had no choice but to create the character the little mermaid as rather a alone child and very â€Å"high-thinking† of herself.This high standard of life and the high expectations of life drove the little mermaid into believing that she was able to do impossible things, such as start a life on dry land and being able to win over the prince’s heart by getting him to love her more than he loved his mother and father. The little mermaid’s voice is mentioned multiple times as an unbelievably beautiful voice throughout the story. She thinks of her voice as the best attribute. Another evidence of the mermaid’s high expectations of herself and her demeaning look upon the mermaid people is shown on page 145 of the booklet, where it says: â€Å"†¦.She wished that she were one of them. Their world seemed to her much larger than that of the Mer-people. † I interpreted this as meaning that she once again doubted her place in life and felt as she deserved more than just being an imprisoned of the ocean. Her hopes for her abilities of becoming something better were once again showing her own lust of the affection for the bigger world. She believed, she wanted and she felt as she deserved something better than the life she had below the surface and was ashore that she could change it on her own.The little mermaid is once again showing signs of vanity by craving self-satisfaction which is in this case the love and life above waters. She was willing risking her own life for the sake of getting an immortal soul so she could live in happiness for the rest of her life by proving to the prince that she was more deserving of his love than his parents were. It is clearly stated in the story, on page 149, that she is determined to go to the enchantress whom she has feared so much before for the slightly chance of making her dream come true.Even though the path to the enchantress was dangerous and frightening, she was still confident enough to rely on her abilities of surviving the horrible way to the witch in the hope of finding a way to spend her life with prince. One of the obstacles on the path were the whirlpools which the little mermaid was bold enough to believe that she could survive, the description of this horrible obstacle can be found on page 149 as well, â€Å"†¦ she had to traverse an extent of bare grey send till she reached the whirlpool, whose waters were eddying and whizzing like millwheels, tearing everything they could seize along with them into the abyss below. This proves the trust whi ch the little mermaid had in herself by being able to get to the enchantress on her own. Even though few mermaids had made it through to the witch, the little mermaid forced herself into believing that she could make it. Not once did she stop to think if the prince would return her love with blessings of his own, she just assumed that he was going to love her as much as she loved him. That she was beautiful enough for to make him fall in love with her.The theme of vanity within the story â€Å"The Little Mermaid† is greatly focused on the abilities of the little mermaid, if she is bold enough to endure the pains for which she has to go through in the hope of being loved by the prince. Her plan was to find a way of spending the rest of her life on dry land with the prince and this is what caused her to go to the enchantress looking for answers. She hoped that the enchantress of the sea would have a way of letting her spend her life above waters, which proved to be right.The wi tch had a potion which would enable the little mermaid to grow legs and to be able to walk but she warned her that the transformation would be very painful. The witch described it as â€Å"letting a knife cut through your body†. On page 151 the enchantress is telling the little mermaid that it will even hurt when walking, the description of this so called â€Å"lucrative† solution was described as; â€Å"†¦it will seem to hurt you as though you were walking on the sharp edges of swords, and your blood will flow†. Even when being warned, the little mermaid did not get scared of the fact that she had o endure such pain. She would not abandon her dreams. The witch mentioned as well that if she does not succeed in making the prince fall in love with her, the little mermaid would be turned into foam and vanish. When the witch mentioned a repayment for the potion, the little mermaid became stunned. She then bared the thought of asking what the enchantress wanted from her. â€Å"Thou hast the sweetest voice of all the dwellers in the sea, and thou thinkest by its means to charm the prince, this voice, however, I demand recompense. The best thing thou possesses I require in exchange for my magic drink. The little mermaid agreed to these demands and proved that she still believed that she was beautiful enough to charm the prince even without her wonderful voice. This is the mental affection of vanity, the little mermaid was still bold enough to believe that her beauty and body would make the prince fall in love with her. This turned out to be true, since she amazed the prince with her wonderful eyes. The evidence of this is on page 155, â€Å"If I were obliged to choose, I should prefer thee, my silent foundling, with the speaking eyes. This was what the prince told the little mermaid after she glanced upon him with her beautiful eyes. While the prince was enchanted by the little mermaid’s eyes he was indirectly strengthening her bad characteristic by making her believe that she was pretty enough and able to make him fall in love with her, even though she was not able to speak. The little mermaid did unfortunately not succeed into being loved by the prince, since he married another princess from another kingdom. The little mermaid had to face the destiny from which the enchantress warned her about.The enchantress told the little mermaid that if she did not achieve to be loved by the prince, she would turn into foam and die. Since this unavoidable outcome was destine to occur, the little mermaid got a visit from a transparent figure, probably an angle. It appeared in front of her and told her that the blessing of an immortal soul was not necessary to obtain from the love of the prince but from the suffering of a soul and the acutance of their good deeds. The moment right before the little mermaid was about to die, her sisters swam up to the surface to tell her that there was a way to become a mermaid again and su rvive.They went to the enchantress and she told them that the only way of saving the little mermaid, was if she stabbed the prince right in the heart and waited for his red blood to touch her feet and as repayment of for the enchantress answer the sisters had to cut off all of their hair. The little mermaid refused to do so because she loved the prince far more than she loved herself and would not let him die instead of her. She waited for the sun to rise, for it was when the first rays of light would hit her that she would die. So, the little mermaid sacrificed allot with in the hope of achieving her biggest dream.She managed to fulfill half of it by being able to live a life on land, but she failed to make the prince fall in love with her. She was able to suffer through everything for the sake of love and with the help of vanity. Vanity is referred to as something negative but the choices she made due to this sin, resulted into benefiting her in the end since she changed her desti ny. â€Å"The Wild Swans† had a similar beginning as the story â€Å"The Little Mermaid†, since they both explained which types of characters we were being introduced to. The Wild Swans† expressed right at the beginning of the story that both Elise and her eleven brothers were far different from the other people and citizens of their kingdom. H. C Andersen had done a great job of getting this point across by describing that the eleven brothers went to school with stars on their breasts and swords on their sides. Feeling pride while they wrote on golden tables with diamond pens and could read fluently. By letting the elven brothers differ from the â€Å"regular folk† H. C Andersen created barriers between the different characteristics associated with this situation.By showing them acknowledgment you are proving to the princes that they are better than others. I think that this is the concept that H. C. Andersen wanted to convey. This incident is related to â€Å"The Little Mermaid† where the principals of the scenario are identical. The grandmother had put 12 oysters on her tail to show status and differ from the rest while the eleven brothers are distinguished by their star, sword, golden tables and diamond pens. Elise is separated from the people in a different way, H.C Andersen did this by letting her have a picture-book which was worth as much as half the kingdom. By letting a child have an expensive possession like this for her pleasure of playing with it, one is clearly marking the fact that she is something special and I think that by this cause that H. C. Andersen, as in the â€Å"The Little Mermaid† did not have another choice than to give Elise and her brothers the flaw of vanity. While letting them believe that they are far more different than the rest of the citizens with their possessions they are mad e into believing that they are of a bigger mportance. One thing which shows the affection of Elise’s beauty is seen page 14 of the booklet with â€Å"The Wild Swans† story, where she asks the roses; â€Å"Who is more beautiful than you? † and receiving the answer; â€Å"Elise†. This evidence is showing Elise’s obsession for her beauty by going around asking these questions. One similar scenario can be found as well on page 14 of the booklet where she asks the hymn-book; â€Å"Who is more pious than thou? † and receiving the same answer back as before; â€Å"Elise†. While the same problem is repeating itself throughout H.C Andersen’s stories we can draw the similarities between the little mermaid and Elise. The little mermaid was betrayed into a sort of vanity where she was blinded for all the possible outcomes except for when it came to the love of the prince. While the little mermaid was seeking around getting approval of her beauty by singing with her beautiful voice, or succeeding in making persons fall in love with her she could strengthen the fact that she was beautiful while Elise on the other side is striving for the acknowledgment for her beauty by being more direct and asking things and people about her appearance.Something that is noticeable throughout this story is that it is very religiously affected and implied to influence someone on spiritual level by repeatedly referring to the powers of God, and that the good inside of someone can overtake the evil. Since H. C Andersen was a very religious man who had a strong belief in Christianity it was not so surprising to find these kinds of references to the holy powers above us but the thing which did make me think was that the fairytale of the little mermaid had no religious or faithful statements throughout the story.The only explanation I can have for this is because the Mer-people were not humans and could not possess a soul, but after the little mermaid became a human and was about to die, the transparent figure appeared itself in front of her and e xplained that the soul of a human and a mermaid were not dependent on if they had legs or fish fins, it was dependent on the good deeds preformed during a lifetime and the suffering experience for a loved one. , but there was still no mentioning of God nor heaven as in this story.Elise decided as the story went on to search for her brothers which her evil step-mother had casted a spell on and turned them into eleven swans. The obstacles which Elise had to go through resemblance the obstacles which the little mermaid had to go through for the sake of reaching the enchantress house. The little mermaid had a more selfish cause for going through these big obstacles such as the whirlpool. She did it just to get an answer to how she would be able to fulfill her dream, while Elise went through the darkness of the woods and being sent out into the world all alone.The cause of her searching for her brothers and enabling herself to surviving these obstacles was the fact that she was searching for her eleven lost swan brothers. She was risking her own life for the benefit of her brothers while the little mermaid risked hers for her own good. They both believed that their own abilities were enough to survive and take them self’s through these horrible obstacles when being driven by love. To express Elise’s beauty H. C Andersen has let the animals in the woods show it symbolically by letting the sunbeams play upon her and make a golden veil.The birds preached as well on Elise’s shoulders. These moments just strengthen her both spiritually and in the belief of that she could make it by her own. Andersen has described her moments as that God would never forsake her. I think that H. C. Andersen focused on writing about God and because of this resulted into making this story a little more believable since a human being often turns to God in though times. It says on page number 17 of the booklet; â€Å"†¦that she saw the Angel of God looking down upon her with gentle aspect, and a thousand little cherubs all around him. I assume that by this sentence it is described that Elise is meant to get some faithful guidance and as a sign to show her that God is on her side. By this it is meant that she should be strengthen and believe more in herself since she has the help of God on her side. This scenario may refer to the similarities of the little mermaid where she got a visit from a translucent figure, probably an angle. Even though this scenario occurs at a different place in each story I am still assure that it has some resemblance to one and each other.When Elise finally meets her brothers they start to talk, she is informed that they need to allocate to another site in two days, because they are not allowed to be in this side of the world for more than eleven days a year. So, they start to discuss what to do since Elise does not want to leave them and her brothers want to bring her with them. We can see on page 21, the sign of van ity, when her eldest brother is in a discussion concerning the topic of carrying Elise on their wing by their own strength. â€Å"My arm I strong enough to bear thee though the forest; shall we not have sufficient strength in our wings to transport thee over he sea? † This is referred to in the belief of that the eldest brother is strong enough to carry her by his shear strength and ability. Elise risked as well her brothers’ lives for her own satisfaction by agreeing to let them fly her over the open ocean for two days, when she knew the that the consequences would be big. The little mermaid experienced the same things as Elise even though sometimes throughout the story the actions taken by Elise were the opposite behavior of the little mermaid. The different choices resulted into experiencing different kinds of pain.Elise had to go through a lot of mental problems in the story by being told in one of her dreams that to save her brothers she needed to pick sting-needl es by hand and trample on nettles with her bare feet to get the yearn from which she was going to weave eleven shirts for each brother. But from the moment of when Elise begun her work till the day she finished it, she was not allowed to speak, not even a word. If so much as a syllable came out of her moth daggers would fall right through the hearts of her brothers.So Elise had to give up her voice, the same sacrifice the little mermaid had to give up and they both did it for the sake of love. These actions which were taken resulted into each character reaching self-satisfaction by the help of vanity throughout the story and the pattern of vanity can be clearly shown throughout both stories. When the stories are analytically picked apart it is easier to notice these kinds of causes, which are common in H. C Andersons writing, since he involves Christianity and God into his work.He wrote much about the different sins which fall into the category of â€Å"religious writing† alo ng with his talk about the church and life beyond death. Analyzing the writing of H. C Andersen based on these two stories I can claim that his personal background had a huge impact on the outcome of these stories and that his affection of religion resulted into the affection of vanity in each main character. Sources: Andersen, H. C â€Å"The Little Mermaid† (Hempstead: Purnell 1977) Andersen, H. C â€Å"The Wild Swans† (Hempstead: Purnell 1977) http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Vanity The Bible

“One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop Essay

Can one ever practice losing enough to master it? Is it possible to become a master at losing such as an artist can become a master painter, writer, or sculptor? The speaker in the poem â€Å"One Art† presents this question and provides an answer. The poem is an illustration of a common human affliction–grief and regret caused by the loss of another human. Through the use of value progression and the interweaving of denotative and connotative meaning, the speaker shows that no matter how much a person tries to prepare for the loss of one he or she loves, grief and regret are inevitable. By comparing the phrase â€Å"the art of losing isn’t hard to master† with the frequently used word â€Å"disaster,† the meaning begins to take shape. This phrase is used four times in this nineteen-line poem (lines 1, 6, 12, 18). Considered closely with the word â€Å"disaster,† also used four times, one sees the speaker is making a point of rhyming the words master and disaster to emphasize the denotative point that many losses are not disasters–they can be accepted without grief or regret (3, 9, 15, 19). Yet the phrase â€Å"the art of losing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  throws a connotative meaning into the mix by indicating that losing, an uncontrollable event, can be a learned skill. Taken together, the phrase coupled with the word â€Å"disaster† provides foreshadowing to the paradox of trying to prepare to lose a person. The Oxford English Dictionary can shed light onto this interweaving of denotative and connotative meaning. Art 1. Skill in doing anything as the result of knowledge and practice. Human skill as an agent, human workmanship. Opposed to nature. 2. An industrial pursuit or employment of a skilled nature; a craft†¦ Losing 1. The action of LOSE. Perdition, destruction; the being lost or †¦ to be in process of being lost. 2. The fact of losing (something specified or contextually implied). The being deprived of, or the failure to †¦ Denotatively the phrase â€Å"the art of losing† means that a person has acquired skill in being deprived of something or someone. This is directly opposed to nature; in other words, it is not natural for humans to have the skills of losing. The poem illustrates this process of acquisition of skill through value progression in the second though fifth stanzas of the poem. The speaker describes instances of losing beginning with the insignificant and working toward the significant. He or she maintains that by â€Å"practic[ing] losing farther, losing faster† the art of losing will be mastered, therefore it will not bring disaster. Yet, in the last stanza the connotative meaning becomes clear. The final stanza is the only one to have four lines instead of three, which places particular significance upon its message. The final sentence is the key to the connotative meaning of the poem â€Å"It’s evident the art of losing’s not too hard to master though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster† (line 17b-19). Due to the speaker’s need to tell him or herself to â€Å"Write it!,† the connotative meaning of the poem shows that the speaker has been trying to convince him or herself without success that a master loser will avoid the disaster of grief and regret associated with the loss of a loved one. By combining the denotative and connotative meanings, the universal meaning of the poem becomes clear–it is impossible to acquire skills, no matter how much you practice, that will prevent the natural result of grief and regret when someone is lost. In the value progression of loss shown in stanzas one through five, the speaker is trying to convince him or herself that developing the necessary  skills can protect one against major grief and/or regret. It is in the last stanza that the desperateness of the speaker to convince him or herself that it is possible to accomplish this becomes clear. This is where the paradox begins. The speaker is still unconvinced that it is not a disaster to lose a person regardless of the preparation other previous losses may have provided. Stanza one sets the stage of the value progression of loss. It is here that the speaker states what he or she wants to prove. â€Å"The art of losing isn’t hard to master; so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster† (line 1-3). This is the thesis statement of the poem, but instead of proving it true the speaker ends up proving it false. The key idea is that if something intends to be lost then their loss will not cause regret once a person has become a master of losing. The last stanza, particularly the last sentence of the poem, shows the paradox between the thesis and the connotative meaning–humans cannot prepare for the loss of a person. â€Å"–Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident the art to losing’s not to hard to master though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster† (lines 16-19). The old idiom â€Å"if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, and looks like a duck; it must be a duck† aptly applies to the last sentence here. If it walks like a disaster, talks like a disaster, and looks like a disaster; it must be a disaster. The speaker even has to force him or herself to write the word disaster as evidenced by the parenthetical phrase â€Å"(Write it!)† which indicates that the speaker wants to believe that â€Å"even losing you† isn’t hard to master, yet he or she cannot quite convince him or herself that it is true. In actuality, the loss of a loved person is a disaster because the very act of love requires an attachment that when severed will inescapably cause pain. The OED has this denotative meaning for love: That disposition or state of feeling with regard to a person which (arising from recognition of attractive qualities, from instincts of natural relationship, or from sympathy) manifests itself in solicitude for the welfare of the object, and usually also in delight in his or her presence and desire for his or her approval; warm affection, attachment. Connotatively love carries the concept that its removal will not be positive, for anytime a person whom one is solicitous of is removed from one’s life; his or her absence will leave a negative affect, in other words, pain will result. The poem â€Å"One Art† effectively uses connotative meaning, denotative meaning and value progression to present a paradox of human nature–the desire to find a way to avoid the pain of losing a loved person. This is a universal truth that crosses cultural and temporal boundaries for all of human kind. This essay adheres to the formalism approach to critical analysis by focusing solely upon the text to derive meaning. It analysis the poem’s use of value progression, meaning of words and phrases both connotatively and denotatively. It shows how the thesis is made into a paradox by the last stanza, which in the end provides the ultimate meaning of the poem. The formalist approach has its strength in that it takes a text at face value forcing the analyzer to think for him or herself without commentary from others. But formalism disregards the author’s mindset at the time of writing as well as the effects it may have emotionally upon the readers. In my opinion, this is a major drawback particularly in regards to the poem â€Å"One Art† by Elizabeth Bishop. This poem seems to come from the heart–the soul–of the author. It would have been interesting and meaningful to know what she may have been dealing with at the time she wrote it. But regardless of Bishop’s mindset, the readers’ reaction has a major impact upon the meaning of the poem. Several friends of mine read this poem. The impact upon all of them was, to say the least, profound. Anyone who reads it has either experience a long-term loss of a person such as long-term illness resulting in death or can empathize with the concept. I think that formalism, by removing the emotional element of the reader, greatly diminishes the power of the poem.