Barbourofelis - Facts and Figures

Barbourofelis - Facts and Figures Name: Barbourofelis (Greek for Barbours cat); pronounced BAR-bore-oh-FEE-liss Habitat: Plains of North America Historical Epoch: Late Miocene (10-8 million years ago) Size and Weight: Up to six feet long and 250 pounds Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; long canine teeth; plantigrade posture About Barbourofelis The most notable of the barbourofelidsa family of prehistoric cats perched midway between the nimravids, or false saber-toothed cats, and the true saber-tooths of the felidae familyBarbourofelis was the only member of its breed to colonize late Miocene North America. This sleek, muscular predator possessed some of the largest canines of any saber-toothed cat, true or false, and it was correspondingly hefty, the largest species weighing in at about the size of a modern lion (though more heavily muscled). Intriguingly, Barbourofelis seems to have walked in a plantigrade fashion (that is, with its feet flat on the ground) rather than in a digitigrade fashion (on its toes), in this respect making it seem more like a bear than a cat! (Oddly enough, one of the contemporary animals that competed with Barbourofelis for prey was Amphicyon, the bear dog). Given its odd gait and enormous canines, how did Barbourofelis hunt? As far as we can tell, its strategy was similar to that of its later, heavier cousin Smilodon, aka the Saber-Toothed Tiger, which lived in Pleistocene North America. Like Smilodon, Barbourofelis whiled away its time in the low branches of trees, pouncing suddenly when a tasty bit of prey (like the prehistoric rhino Teleoceras and the prehistoric elephant Gomphotherium) approached. As it landed, it dug its sabers deep into the hide of its unfortunate victim, which (if it didnt die immediately) gradually bled to death as its assassin stalked close behind. (As with Smilodon, the sabers of Barbourfelis may occasionally have broken off in combat, which would have deadly consequences for both predator and prey.) Although there are four separate species of Barbourofelis, two are better known than the others. The slightly smaller B. loveorum (about 150 pounds) has been discovered as far afield as California, Oklahoma and especially Florida, while B. fricki, discovered in Nebraska and Nevada, was about 100 pounds heavier. One odd thing about B. loveorum, which is especially well represented in the fossil record, is that the juveniles apparently lacked fully functional saber teeth, which may (or may not) imply that newborns received a few years of tender parental care before venturing out alone into the wild. Telling against this parental-care hypothesis, though, is that Barbourofelis had a much smaller brain, relative to its body size, than modern big cats, and so may not have been capable of this kind of sophisticated social behavior.

Synthesis Writing Steps

Synthesis Writing Steps Synthesis Writing Steps Synthesis Writing Steps Useful tips writtenby custom essay writing company: Thoroughly read each of your sources and look up anything that you dont understand. Notate or write out the main ideas in each source: Review the main ideas for each source and start to determine how they relate to each other. The following questions can help you make this determination: Do the ideas in the sources support each other or contradict each other? Do the ideas in the sources form a cause-and-effect relationship? Do the ideas in one source explain or exemplify the ideas in another source? Do the ideas in one source pick up where the ideas in another source end? Do the sources examine the same topic from different perspectives? Choose how you want to use the information in the sources. Thinking about the following questions can help you decide: Can I use the information to explain something? Can I use the information to prove something? Can I show how the sources contradict each other or present different perspectives? Can I explain the significance of the information? Can I use the information to support my own experience or observation You may either paraphrase (state the ideas of your sources in your own words) or quote the material. In either case, make sure you use the correct documentation style to give credit to your sources. The writer of a synthesis, then, starts with a clear thesis in the introductory paragraph and identifies the essays main idea. Then, the writer makes sure to credit the sources he or she consulted by including the writers name and essays title. The writer then undergoes a similar process when a paraphrase of a sources ideas is used. Finally, the conclusion offers a complete summary of the argument. Popular posts: Term Papers and Report Outline for a Term Paper Long Term Paper 10 Pages Biology Term Paper Student Research Paper

Strategic planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Strategic planning - Essay Example Further, innovation is another key factor behind their success. They rapidly developed international stores, built good non-food sales, expanded into retailing services and exploited e-commerce successfully. Tesco executives adopted the street corner strategy (i.e. more Tesco Express convenience stores) as the key to continued growth in core UK sales. This takes advantage of a major shift in food consumption patterns .Tescos sparkling growth has come at the expense of rivals, especially Sainsbury and Safeway, both of whom are battling to keep customers. The other UK supermarkets simply cannot compete on both price and range of different store formats. Tescos UK stores are divided into five formats, differentiated by size and the range of products sold. That is super stores, metros, express, one stop and homes plus. Superstores are large super market, stocking groceries and a much smaller range of non-food goods than Extra stores. Most are located in suburbs of cities or on the edges of large and medium-sized towns. Tesco Metro stores sized between Tesco superstores and Tesco Express stores. They are mainly located in city centres, the inner city. Tesco Express stores are neighbourhood convenience shops, stocking mainly food with an emphasis on higher-margin products alongside everyday essentials. They are found in busy city centre districts, small shopping precincts in residential areas, small towns. One Stop is the only category, which does not include the word Tesco in its name. These are the very smallest stores. They were part of the T&S Stores business but unlike many, which have been converted to Tesco Express; these will keep their old name. Tesco home plus offer all of Tescos ranges except food in warehouse-style units in retail parks Tescos success in recent years has mainly come from expanding overseas, shifting to higher margin non-food merchandise and maintaining a strong UK core business. Its UK success has been built

John B. Watson and Behaviorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

John B. Watson and Behaviorism - Essay Example This essay explains how Watson's work and ideas are different from those of who came before and after him, his contributions to psychology and the relevance of his work. It also looks at the applications of his psychological theory and the treatment methods that have been created from behaviorism. Watson used animal subjects to study behavior before later turning to the study of human behaviors and emotions. Most notably was his "Little Albert" study where he modified the boy's behavior through conditioning (Hothersall, 1995). He used the little boy Albert to test his behaviorist theory. He determined that white, furry objects, such as cotton, did not produce any negative reaction in the baby. But by pairing together a neutral stimulus such as white, furry objects with an unconditioned stimulus such as a very loud noise that elicited an unconditioned response such as fear, he was able to create a new stimulus-response link after several repetitions. Thus when Albert saw white, furry objects, he responded by becoming terrified. This conditioned fear was then shown to generalize to other white furry objects, including feathers and white hair or beards (Hothersall, 1995). Those psychologists who came before Watson such as Thorndike and Sigmund Freud held a totally different view. Sigmund Freud for instance often received harsh criticism from Watson due to his Freudian psychoanalysis theory (Hothersall, 1995). His work on the other hand influenced the modern behaviorists who "believe that all learning is simply conditioning, and that the conditioned response is the true unit of learned behavior." In fact, Watson was an important contributor to classical behaviorism, who paved the way for B. F. Skinner's radical or operant behaviorism, which is pivotal on modern educational systems (Hothersall, 1995). Even Ian Pavlov borrowed very much from Watson in conditioning his dogs. His contributions to psychology Many of the concepts and principles are still widely used today borrows heavily from behaviorism which dominates psychology. In fact, conditioning and behavior modification are still widely used in therapy and behavioral training to help clients change problematic behaviors and develop new skills (Hothersall, 1995). Obviously anyone who wants to manipulate others and compel them to do their bidding particularly governments and intelligence organizations uses the behaviorist theory. In fact, these two groups have spent the most money and the most time experimenting with the subject of behavioral psychology (Hothersall, 1995). Whether or not his work is still used in the field Watson's work is very evident even today. Modern behaviorists believe that their behavioral psychology have greatly influenced the field of educational psychology throughout the twentieth century. Accordingly, the process of education has been perceived in terms of such behavioral concepts as conditioning, reward and punishment as well as behavioral outcomes (Hothersall, 1995). Also, teaching methods have been devised with a view to rewarding desirable learning behavior with most educational aims being formulated in terms of conditioning human beings for desired purposes and behavioral outcome

How it has reshaped the World Essay Example for Free

How it has reshaped the World Essay The history of science is marked by discoveries or inventions, great or small, which have, as a characteristic feature, refined humanity’s existing understanding of the world. Though many of these discoveries were accessible, and appealing, to those that had the knowledge and expertise to comprehend them, ever so rarely came a discovery (or invention) which redefined the world as we understood it with their remarkable scope, explanatory power, functionality or clarity. As the process of scientific discovery and technological development progressed, such moments of redefinition became genuinely rare, and it necessitated that only an invention of unparalleled accessibility could have as profound an impact on human society as, for example, the invention of the telescope or the discovery of Cartesian coordinates. The invention of the internet was one such event in the history of science. During an address in September 1999, Jeffrey Cole, (the then) Director of the Center for Communication Policy at UCLA, remarked that in 1996 â€Å"[he] discovered that television viewing among kids under the age of 14 was down for the first time in the history of television. For the first time in the 51 years of television, since 1948, kids had found something they liked as much or more than television – computers and the Internet. † (Cole, 1996, p. 1) That the interest in television had waned in itself was a startling fact. But, there are greater ramifications of this observation; the television was a source of information and entertainment, not a primary medium of communicating or doing business. It operated along regional, national and international networks, with varying accessibility. The internet, on the other hand, is expressly a global gateway (albeit with some restrictions, which we shall encounter below), characterized by the free flow of information with hitherto unknown swiftness. The ‘World Wide Web’, as the internet is sometimes called, has been an irreplaceable tool of the process of globalization, while the globalizing world has increasingly depended on the internet for faster communication, spread of information and economic transactions. The upshot here is that this mutually reinforcing dynamic has had a deep and lasting effect on human society; while we have witnessed an economic and communications transformation, the emergence of a global, homogeneous culture along with a global polity and risk culture cannot be denied (Aronson, 2004). Also, partly due to the internet revolution, time and space seem to be collapsing (Harvey, 1990; Agnew, 2001). We shall continue, now, to survey these various effects that the internet has had in â€Å"reshaping† the world. II. The Internet, Culture and Our Daily Lives To assess the impact the internet has had on culture in general, and the habits and practices of our daily live in particular, we must start by making am important qualification: the rise of the internet has meant that a â€Å"digital divide† is created between those who are comfortable with using the new technology and those who are not (Aronson, p. 635). The sharing of information and ideas through virtual communities also gives rise to â€Å"smart mobs† (Rheingold, 2003), meaning that individuals now interact with institutions in novel ways. The growth of technology subjects culture to pulls in several directions. A positive aspect of the internet is that it provides an inexpensive medium of communication, allowing individuals the possibility of maintaining their familial, cultural, religious or ethnic ties across geographical spaces. Equally, however, the exposure the internet grants also develops shared affections for things such as movies, music, cuisine, etc. So, identities become increasingly cross-cutting rather than remaining segmented; global citizens today share multiple identities (Aronson, p. 635). This leads to urban cultures resembling one another, with differences between people diminishing. In our daily lives, the advent of the internet has had many penetrating effects. For instance, communication through â€Å"social utility† websites such as Facebook, a concept inconceivable in the past, has now become an everyday activity, supplanting postal mail and (even) e-mail. Things such as buying groceries and movie tickets to paying bills and looking for a new place to stay can all be done instantly through a computer with internet access. Without expending a great deal of physical effort, many routine tasks can be performed from the comfort of one’s home. The perceived benefits, or lack thereof, of these changes vary from person to person, though there is no denying the convenience of completing everyday jobs online. The impacts of internet use are even more pronounced in areas where communication was previously a challenge; a recent study shows the positive changes in the Shippagan Area in Canada by easing daily operations and improving access to required information (Selouani and Hamam, 2007). However, the use of internet technology depends a lot on context; a study based on micro-level sampling in the Pittsburgh, PA, led scholars to suggest that â€Å"[using] the Internet generally predicted better outcomes for extraverts and those with more social support – but worse outcomes for introverts and those with less support. The studies suggest that many people, especially those with good social resources, have integrated the Internet into their ordinary lives to their advantage. † (Kiesler et al. , 2002. ) This takes us back to the qualification of the digital divide we made at the beginning of this section. A cultural connotation of the same could engender a concept of the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’, fueling the process of otherization between cultural perspectives. However, with the intermingling of cultures – meaning cross-cutting identities – as discussed above, such a turn of events looks unlikely in reality. III. The Internet and the Economy The biggest upshot of the internet is that it tends to promote economic growth, by way of increased trade, information on investment opportunities, expanding the range of options for consumers and providing an easy reach to products across the globe. Companies, as well as countries, that make use of the technological advantages of the internet may enjoy an â€Å"information edge as they compete and grow† (Aronson, p. 633). Locally, this means that any business can have instant global marketability, by setting up a website informing prospective customers of their products and employing an online transaction system. Globally, due in part to the proliferation of the above local phenomenon, and due also to the growing public awareness of the convenience of e-businesses, there is an increasing reliance on doing business through the internet. Over time, this inexpensive structure leads retailers and distributors to also take their businesses online. As this process intensified over the last (roughly) two decades, some sweeping expectations were fielded by analysts about the effects of the internet on specific industries in the economy. In a report published by Statistics Canada in November 2006, four key identified areas of change were analyzed: the paperless office, the end of postal mail, the demise of professional travel and the end of traditional retail. Upon surveying the facts, it was found that paper production and consumption in the world increased from 1983 to 2003, as did the volume of postal deliveries. So is the case with professional travelers and retailers in that time frame (Sciadas, 2006). This derives two important conclusions: firstly, the advent of the internet has had a great impact on the world, no doubt, but it is yet to supplant traditional means of conducting business totally; secondly, and more importantly, the changes in the economy effected by the internet shows the increase in the volume of transactions, business establishments and opportunities the world has experienced. Consumer adaptability to this new situation has also thrown up novel ideas. Online money transfer systems, such as PayPal, offer effective alternatives to traditional banking, especially for transactions online. The possibility of being cheated by fraudulent companies and retailers has spawned various kinds of consumer safety initiatives, like the Internet Crime Complaint Center and the Internet Fraud Watch. A study in 2001 showed that, among other things, internet users frequented retail stores more than non-users; they had access to a far greater range of products and services, and were more quality conscious (About. com, 2001). Importantly, the use of the internet does not guarantee an equitable distribution of growth within or among countries. In fact, global uneven development in a globalizing world is a recurrent theme in scholastic research; the gap between the rich and poorer countries has only widened after the internet revolution (Agnew, 2001), reflecting another facet of the â€Å"digital divide,† this time among countries. E-commerce may even go so far as to undermine national economic policies, while facilitating crime and corruption. Global networks, Aronson contends, are the glue which holds together transnational criminal activities, ranging from drug smuggling and weapons trafficking to the smuggling of nuclear weapons-grade material and human body parts, as well as human trafficking and money laundering (p. 635). IV. The Internet and Access to Information The internet revolution supplied a corresponding information revolution, which has meant that, on the whole, retrieving data and information on any subject is almost instantaneous. This virtual store of information, which is open to anyone interested enough to find things out, has been another great boon on the internet. Aside from the economic benefits of greater access to information, there are several socio-political benefits of such access. The distribution of public documents online has made it easier for people to use these resources and be more informed of public policies, legislations and the conduct of government. Due to this easy availability of information, the possibility of the emergence of a more aware civil society is greater than before. Individuals and groups, cutting across the political spectrum, can agitate administrations and influence decision-making precisely because they are armed with an increased access to vital information. However, some studies do suggest that this kind of political transformation still has a long way to go; though political mobilization has not grown as expected, while political balkanization has indeed risen (Cornfield and Rainie, 2006). In addition, the internet has had a huge impact on education and learning. The wealth of information online, along with the digitization of library resources, offers students the latest and most relevant information on any subject of study. Moreover, the utility of the internet in learning is valid vertically through K-12 education to graduate studies. The internet offers access to new methodologies in teaching and verbal communication in class, while for students there is a plethora of resources related to help them through their coursework, and aid preparations and strategies for tests. Students tend to use the internet to supplement their studies, using it for research, completing and submitting assignments and to find additional study materials (Machotka, Nedic and Nedic, 2002, p. 1). Of course, this increased access to information does not come without its disadvantages. Access does not equal internalization, and thus, having greater access does not mean a corresponding increase in knowledge. Gaining knowledge is a completely singular process, where the wealth of information can never be helpful without the ability to process and analyze the same. Further, the ready availability of much information, rare and treasured in earlier times, runs the danger of evaporating their value and depreciating their utility. For example, the excitement in encountering a classical text, of which libraries would carry few copies previously, is entirely lost when the same is available across the internet as a digital document. Though this enhances the possibility of a greater readership, it dramatically reduces the aura surrounding a great work. Apart from the more aesthetic perspective elaborated in the preceding paragraph the access to information also facilitates the dangers of which Aronson informs us above. Transnational crime feeds off the increasing web of information that is available, and uses the same to circumvent law enforcement agencies and employ new strategies of deception. V. The Internet and Social Interaction As briefly mentioned earlier, social communication websites (for example, Facebook, Orkut, Bebo, NetLog and many others) have redefined the way in which we keep in touch with our friends and family. These websites allow users to update personal information, upload pictures and moderate how much information they wish to make available about themselves online. These are not only popular among high-school and college-going students, but also among working professionals, providing an informal environment of communication. In fact, websites such as LinkedIn are now using similar architecture to create virtual networking portals where professionals can establish industry contacts. Craig’sList, on the other hand, is an effective tool which lists local classifieds. The global scale of such ventures is clearly evident in the increasing popularity of websites such as CouchSurfing, which allows registered users to offer or obtain free (or cheap) accommodation while traveling abroad. Another means of social interaction spawned by the internet has been the phenomenon of web-logging or â€Å"blogging† as it is more popularly known. There are literally millions of blogs on the internet, with many of them being sources of deep and insightful observation, commentary and analysis. Message boards are yet another means of communication, where individuals can anonymously socialize on the internet. With this expanding notion of social interaction, many believe that it is possible to involve and use technology strategically to bring about positive social changes. This argument is largely in view of the global civil society movement, in which the internet could be used as an effective tool for collaboration, mobilization, publishing reports and findings, and observation (Surman and Reilly, 2003). For researchers, the internet holds the key for the development of the social technology movement, and the differing views about the internet – the internet as an open network vis-a-vis the internet as a closed, commercial network – have stunted its growth. The variegated means of social interaction have also drawn detractors. Ru Guangrong, at the Chinese Information Center and Defense Science Technology, has a lengthy list of problems with the internet movement as a whole. (Though these issues pertain to all sections of discussion in this paper, we choose to highlight them here because they lead to the larger question of censorship on the internet. ) Guangrong claims that the internet: propagates Western beliefs and values; â€Å"degrades and repudiates† opposing viewpoints; can be used against national sovereignty; advocates Western lifestyles; assists â€Å"dominant cultures†; corrupts people’s minds and morals; is a waste of time and resources (1998, p. 5). As a remedy, Guangrong suggests, among others, a system of restrictive access and the moderation of available information. While this take on the World Wide Web may strike one as extreme, it does inform the reader on the climate of internet-related restrictions that prevail in the People’s Republic of China. It also poses the question of whether those in power should reserve the right of censoring information on the internet, however harmful or inappropriate they might consider the same. Indeed, there are compelling views on either side. On one hand, censorship on the internet encroaches upon the freedom of expression, a right which is universal in free societies. It makes no sense, for those sharing this view, for the internet to be censored, not least because it has no territorial underpinnings and is not governed across geographical spaces according to the laws of different countries. On the other hand, supporters of censorship argue that if there can be laws protecting consumers against internet fraud, the there could also be laws that restrict the flow of information online. The latter appears to be a paternal argument, claiming to secure internet users from unknown dangers; though it is difficult to support it, the jury is still out on the question of internet censorship. VI. Conclusion There are fears that because of the growing influence of the internet, an overwhelming commoditization of values, where one’s existence is measured in terms of possessions and acquisitions, shall tend to supplant societal values that have developed over centuries. A generalization of this, along with a rapid spread of the â€Å"demonstration effect† could mean the evaporation of cultures and cultural identities, which would only be preserved in nomenclature. However, such a view is unduly (and overly) pessimistic; it does not take the good of globalization, be it the advancement of scientific enquiry and discovery, empowerment of civil society, or greater accountability and transparency in governance. The internet, regardless of its detractors and many negative effects – as discussed above – remains a tool which carries the potential of bringing people together by making them more tolerant of different cultures and worldviews. Future generations will come to depend on the services of this great invention more heavily; indeed, there shall come a time when life without the internet would seem inconceivable. The use of internet technology has made life increasingly simpler; it is this aspect of the internet that one must focus on to contemplate the paths to the future, rather than magnifying its ill effects. References About. com. (March 12, 2001. ) Americas New Consumers: How Internet Use is Redefining the Marketplace. Retail Industry, About. com. Retrieved 28 May, 2008, from http://retailindustry. about. com/library/bl/bl_rsw0312. htm Agnew, J. (April 2001. ) The New Global Economy: Time-Space Compression, Geopolitics, and Global Uneven Development. Center for Globalization and Policy Research, School of Public Policy and Social Research, University of California at Los Angeles. Retrieved 28 May, 2008, from http://www. sppsr. ucla. edu/cgpr/docs/workingpaper3. doc Aronson, J. D. (2004. ) â€Å"Causes and Consequences of the Communications and Internet Revolution. † In Baylis, J. and Smith, S. (Eds. ). The Globalization of World Politics (3rd ed. ). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 621-644. Cole, J. (September 21st, 1999. ) Speech: How the Internet Is Changing Our Social, Political and Economic Lives. The Milken Institute Forum, 1-12. Cornfield, M. and Rainie, L. (November 5, 2006. ) â€Å"The Impact of the Internet on Politics. † Pew Internet American Life Project. Washington DC: The Pew Research Center. Guangron, R. (1998. ) â€Å"The Negative Impact of the Internet and Its Solutions. † The Chinese Defense Science and Technology Information Monthly, 121, 1-9. Harvey, D. (1990. ) â€Å"Pt. III: The Experience of Space and Time. † In The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 201-325. Kiesler, S. , Kraut, R. , Cummings, J. , Boneva, B. , Helgeson, V. , Cra

Goodfellas Essay example -- essays research papers

Goodfellas" is a dramatization of life in the New York Mafia. It is based on the accounts of real life ex-gangster turned state evidence. He tells his story from when he was hired by a wiseguy as a teenager in the fifties, to the time he is put in the witness protection program in the seventies.The movie portrays the spirit of the Mafia and demonstrates their distinctive values, customs,gangster like lifestyle. The Mafia is groups of criminals that developed for the purpose of protecting those who can not go to the police for protection. Its roots can be traced back to Sicily, where the Mafia was based on the premise that any member suffering an injustice was to take personal vengeance while avoiding all contact with legal authorities. Even in the modern day American Mafia, each family ruled it's own territory and when others from outside the territory interfered they were dealt with through violent methods.The wiseguys paid for their protection by paying the head of their local family. This payoff was also known as paying tribute to the boss. Many of the Mafia's morals and policies were identified throughout the movie. Some of the informal rules held by the Mafia were the codes of trust and silence. In other words, never rat on a friend and keep your mouth shut. These rules were highlighted when the narrator, Henry Hill, had his first arrest. He was brought to court, defended by a Mafia paid lawyer and after ...

British Literature Paper

Michael Sharp British Literature I 09/26/07 Angelina Jolie has a place in Hell According to Dante, Hell is broken down into nine circles. Each circle would represent a punishment according to their sin and would be more evil as you draw near towards the last circle. If Dante were to travel in Hell again, he would most likely encounter Angelina Jolie. Although she is looked upon as a celebrity with a humanitarian heart, the sins that she have committed would not be acceptable in God’s eyes. Despite her humanitarian heart, she is likely to go to hell. Despite Angelina Jolie’s humanitarian heart, she is a non-Christian.Non-Christians are automatically condemned to hell. It is stated in the bible, â€Å"†For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life† (John 3:16). The bible strictly states that if you do not believe in Jesus Christ, you will not go to heaven. It is through Godâ⠂¬â„¢s grace that we are entitled to enter heaven. When Dante traveled through the first circle of hell, he noted that it housed all the pagans. Great writers and poets were condemned in the first circle because they had died not knowing Christ. You don’t ask,† my good Teacher said to me, â€Å"who are these souls you look upon? Before you go on in your journey, you must know they did not sin. If they had bad merits, these were not enough- baptism they did not have, the one gate to the faith which you believe† (35). Although those people did not commit a serious sin, they did not believe in Christ. Therefore they were condemned to the first circle of hell. This is one of the few circles in Hell, where should would be condemned. Lust is one of the many sins people struggle with and it often leads to committing adultery.Angelina Jolie is one of the many who had committed adultery. She seduced Brad Pitt away from his wife Jennifer Aniston and later marries him. In t he bible it quotes, â€Å"Whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery. And whosoever marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery† (Matthew 5:32). The bible also states clearly that this sin is not looked upon lightly. In fact in Ephesians 5:5 reads, â€Å"For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person such a man is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Marriage is highly regarded in the Christian faith; it is a sacred covenant that is established between the man and his wife. Committing adultery would be a violation of that sacred covenant that was established between husband and wife. In Dante Inferno, Dante describes how he and Virgil pass into the second circle. It was illustrated as a dark area where the rain would continuously fall and the wind would blow constantly. The condemned would helplessly swirl in the wind and be swept through the storm. One of the ch aracters that Dante pointed out was Semiramis. She was allegedly an Assyrian queen who created incest a legal practice.Angelina Jolie did not only commit adultery but she also had an incestuous relationship with her brother. According to the bible it states, â€Å"Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere† (Leviticus 18:9). The bible strictly forbids any family members to have a sexual relationship with one another. According to the laws from the Old Testament they would execute those who were guilty from committing this sin. In the New Testament, the local church would be given the authority to outcast the guilty for the offence.In the Second Zone of the Seventh Circle’s Third Ring, Dante encounters Bruetto Latini. This is where the Sodomites must walk continuously under the rain of fire. Bruetto Latini was noted for providing Dante with kindness and counse l, yet he accuses him for being a homosexual. During this time period, homosexuality was evident but not acceptable to the society. However in today’s society homosexuality is acceptable. Angelina Jolie publicly admitted that she had feelings for woman and would consider dating some of either gender. Her guilty pleasure in the same sex would earn her a spot in the third ring.Although Angelina Jolie has committed more than one serious sin, she would be condemned into the second circle of Hell. Lust has overwhelmingly affected her life and to God’s eyes it looked down upon with disgrace. She has violated the sacred commitment between husband and wife by sleeping with another wife’s husband. She has been divorced and became pregnant before marriage. All of these factors are more than enough reasons as to why she should be condemned to Hell.Bibliography Alighieri, Dante. Dante Inferno. New York: Esolen, 2003. Angelina Jolie. Ed. Mai Dinh, Janet Murphy. 25 September 2007. http://www. people. om/people/angelina_jolie/biography/0,,20004347_0,00. html Adultery. www. biblegateway. com. Ed. Nick Hengeveld. 25 September 2007. http://www. biblegateway. com/quicksearch/? quicksearch=adultery&x=0&y=0 John 3:16. www. biblegateway. com. Ed. Nick Hengeveld. 25 September 2007. http://www. biblegateway. com/passage/? search=john%203:16&version=31 Incest. www. biblegateway. com. Ed. Nick Hengeveld. 25 September 2007. http://www. biblegateway. com/quicksearch/? quicksearch=incest&x=0&y=0 homosexual. www. biblegateway. com. Ed. Nick Hengeveld. 25 September 2007. http://www. biblegateway. com/quicksearch/? quicksearch=homosexual&x=0&y=0

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel Marquez

Gabriel Marquez is famed with producing a large collection of fine literature. A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings guides readers into the depths of deep moral and spiritual truths—all done through the vision of a children’s tale; yet, it’s far from a simple short story for elementary students to digest. It’s Gabriel Marquez’s method and style that reaches out to the cultured individual as we look at point of view, character construction, and symbolism. Marquez, in fact, is very deliberate in his tone and thematic language which creates the power behind his tale. I will assess this short fiction piece and offer critical evidence to aid in dissecting how and what is the author’s true message: He blended magical realism with satirical undercurrents against the Columbian government. Marquez complicated his meaning by incorporating religion with government upheaval into Columbia, a country based in Catholicism. This steadfast government preferred to control its people instead of creating unity. The characters, too, hide their motive as Gabriel Marquez provides vivid descriptions of why the human mind has become so tainted by its own grip on material vices and following a strict higher order. Materialism and the Columbian government have put up walls, according to Marquez, between the spiritual world and the individual. In fact, an entire village in A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings is so blinded of the true essence of human spirit that they cannot tap into it—even when a village cages an angel in town. Yet, could this1968 publication, an early creation by Marquez instead be a satirical stab at an artist who hopes to fool a small village of simple-minded folks? This idea generates great conflict as readers attempt unravel this complicated piece. Marquez’s story stirred up religion, the Latin American government, and social disharmony. Symbolism surrounding the ideal of his vision of the Latin American government was a tricky undertaking for Marquez. The main reason that this was a risk for Marquez is that if someone were to chastise or publicly mock the Columbian government, the repercussions most often led to the arrest of an individual. The government didn’t allow free-press or speaking out against the government. Since Columbia, by-and-large, is a catholic country Marquez’s angel can be viewed as a symbol of the constant praying done by their lower-class society. They prayed for their freedom, safety, and peaceful survival. It’s very ironic how a poor community is forced to save every peso they work so hard to earn. The limited funds netted by individuals and households winds up being just enough for survival. The government, in turn, looks the other way as it pilfers every peso they can from individuals and families. It’s almost a dictatorial monarchy that could be likened to the story of Robin Hood and the problems he faced when trying to share the wealth with the less fortunate. In Marquez’s story, he showed readers that the people of this simple Columbian village prayed often and deeply to God, praying for an angel to save them from this constant torment. Many times, their prayers were focused solely on having a just government to represent them. They, however, never new what a just, fair legal system was. This small Columbian village and its political practices remained hidden from many neighboring countries. In dissecting this short story, I must look further into symbolism. Marquez also painted a picture of the poor woman in the story. The poor woman is actually the symbol of the poor Columbian people. The poor people prayed; yet, nothing seemed to be going their way—whether they held rosary beads or not. Marquez, in his compassionate, writerly ways used his poetic license when he brought an angel to this community that was in dire need of reconciliation. The angel, however, does not fit the stereotypical white-winged halo of beauty, grace, and heavenly wisdom. Here, the angel arrives on the scene in its crumpled state of near-paralysis. Even the angel’s wings are covered in stench. This stench on these heavy, infected wings is symbolic of a suffering community. Marquez wrote the following to initiate this winged-angel into the story, which created a tone of what was to come from our angel: his huge buzzard wings, dirty and half-plucked, were forever entangled in the mud. This description helps to create the theme of a troubled Latin American society. Every time a new election brings about a different government official or president, there seemed to be a need for spiritual aid for the Columbian nation. They always feel back on spiritual healing, but the healing never came to them. So, to display this, Marquez created the new government official, or president, as an angel coming to save Columbia in hopes of solving their massive problems. It so fitting, and ironic, that Marquez depicts the president as an angel. The president and government were anything but angelic toward its people. So to bring the message home, Marquez described a withered up, decrepit angel that is caged by the community—partly because they didn’t know what to make of this bird-creature. Marquez added in the short story, a poor woman who since childhood had been counting her heartbeats and had run out of numbers; the Portuguese Man who couldn’t sleep because the noise of the stars disturbed him†¦and many others with less serious ailments. Marquez further conveys meaning by creating characters that seem to have something missing. The angel, although it is a fantastic sight with its huge wings, appears to be very human, even ordinary. At best, it’s a disappointed angel that was forced into a standstill by the seeing eye of the people who yearned for a better system of government. We sense upheaval and emotions from the characters, yet he does not create concrete characters that the reader can relate to. There is a purpose to his magic, though. Our angel is described as a helpless angel, one that is caged by the people. Even though he appears to be so weak and unable to even walk, they cage him. This, in effect, symbolizes how the government has instilled decades of fear into the people, blinding them and weakening them. They cannot speak for themselves for fear of being imprisoned by the government. More irony can be seen here because the people are fearful of being imprisoned by the government rule when they are already caged by this oppressive government. The character of our angel creates the style of the story. It is, both fascinating and distressing. Readers discover an underlying source of tension by how ill-mannered they treat this angel-like creation. In reality, we know that people don’t sprout wings. So this is either some kind of monster, a cruel trick, or completely imagined. When the doctor examines this caged winged-man, he feels that the wings are perfect for this creature. He is left to wonder—since he believes the wings are a perfect fit—why God did not grace us with wings as well. They are a natural addition to the old man’s frame. When we look at the logic of the situation, we either feel it has supernatural intentions or its wings were meant to fit him. The author even has Pelayo and Elisenda overcome their own shock and dismay when they, too, feel he is a familiar creature. As readers, we are steered in the same direction and simple acceptance of this winged angel. In fact, none of the people that come to view the winged-man ever question its existence. At the end, we are left to wonder whether he was or was not an actual angel. In any event, he is, at the very least, an old man with wings. The caged angel is placed on a families’ property. The family living on the property are representations of the cabinet of the government figure. Marquez created a poor family for the angel to land on. Once the angel arrives, the family accepts it and discovers a means of generating some income. They use the angel as if the angel were a sideshow freak at a carnival attraction. The people in the village, as displayed by Marquez’s talented ability to create plot, are tainted by conventional wisdom, superstition, and ignorance. This ignorance is something that has been instilled by a government that refused to allow its people to grow and expand their individual knowledge base. Even though the angel is treated distastefully—and the angel appears pensive and even in pain—it is in no way, a bad angel or a representation of the angel of death. He is just a vulnerable creation who is plagued by the heavy burden of his wings. Again, these dysfunctional, stench-ridden wings represent the cabinet of the government that has plagued the community into submission. The following phrase written by Marquez helps signify the fact that these villagers are a people easily swayed by the voice of confidence. First, out of all the people they might call on to help decipher who, what, and where this apparent winged creature came from, the villagers called upon a fortune teller of sorts. Marquez wrote, They called in a neighbor woman who knew everything about life and death to see him, and all she needed was one look to show them their mistake. Marquez, then, related how quickly this apparent all-knowing woman comes to a conclusion about this winged man without more than a bat of her eye at the winged individual. â€Å"He’s an angel,† she told them. â€Å"He must have been coming for the child, but the poor fellow is so old that the rain knocked him down. Here, Marquez uses clever wit to state this woman as either a gifted clairvoyant or another peasant who has found a crafty way to make some money by offering counsel to people in need of aid. In closing, it’s important to remember that several techniques aided in developing the old man’s existence. Marquez used detailed sensory imagery that were visual (his wings, fading hairline, and parasites) and ocular (we could smell this angel and feel his wings brush up against us as it pressed ag ainst the cage. Furthermore, Marquez does not depict the angel as some glorified dove or eagle with thick plumage. Instead, we are given the image of the withering, stench-filled feathers of a buzzard. This, in essence, is the picture we are to visualize when we think of the Columbian government and how it treated its people. Marquez purposely goes against the stereotypical angel and makes his point in poetic fashion. Marquez presents us with a new slant on angels: What if they were real and were nothing like we expected them to be? He develops stress and apprehension between this old man’s dying magical qualities with his equally unclean human characteristics. Thus, we cannot clearly place our character in one mental state. For one, he doesn’t appear omnipotent or heavenly. He does appear to be lost and in the wrong place, unable—or unwilling—to communicate with the people of Columbian. Once again, this symbolically drives home Marquez’s point: The Columbian people are living in a harsh reality of an unjust governing body. In the end, the old man is a stubborn, dying man of flightless wings who has lost his wings of life by sucking the life out of its people.

Rules for Sharing a College Bathroom

Rules for Sharing a College Bathroom Whether youre living in the residence halls or in an off-campus apartment, youll still have to deal with the inevitable: the college bathroom. If youre sharing a bathroom with one or more people, chances are theres going to be some funkiness before too long. So just what can you do to prevent a place no one wants to think about from turning into the issue everyone needs to talk about? Below is a list of topics that should be covered in a discussion with people you share a bathroom with. And while some suggested rules are included, its important to make sure everyones on board and adjust, add, or eliminate rules as necessary. Because with everything else you have going on in college, who wants to be dealing with the bathroom all the time? 4 Issues WhenSharing a College Bathroom Issue 1: Time. Just like all other areas of your college life, time management can be a problem when it comes to the bathroom. Sometimes, theres high demand for the bathroom; other times, no one uses it for hours. Figuring out how to allocate time in the bathroom can be one of the most important issues. After all, if everyone wants to take a shower at 9:00 in the morning, things are going to get ugly. Make sure to discuss what time people want to use the bathroom to shower at night or in the morning, how long each person wants or needs, if its okay to have other people in the bathroom while its being used by someone else, and how other people can know when someone else is officially done. Ideal Time Rules: Create a schedule during the busiest times for when each person can shower, etc.Realistic Time Rules: Have a general understanding - e.g., Marcos usually gets done by 8, Octavio usually gets done by 8:30 - of when people come in and out and plan accordingly. Issue 2: Cleaning. There is nothing grosser than a nasty bathroom. Well, maybe a ... no. Nothing grosser. And while its inevitable that a bathroom is going to get dirty, its not inevitable that it will get gross. Try to think about ​cleaning the bathroom in three different ways. First, the daily yuck: Do people need to rinse the sink out (from toothpaste, say, or from bits of hair from shaving) after they use it? Do people need to clean their hair out of the drain every time they shower? Second, think about the short-term yuck: If you live off campus and dont have cleaning services coming every week, how often does the bathroom need to get cleaned? Who is going to do it? What happens if they dont? Is cleaning it once per week not enough? Third, think about the longer-term yuck: Who washes things like bath mats and hand towels? What about cleaning the shower curtain? How often do all of these things need to be cleaned, and by whom? Ideal Cleaning Rules: Have a schedule of who cleans the bathroom, when, and what specifically needs to be done. Also, have general rules for things like cleaning up hair and rinsing out the sink. Have each person assigned to take a shift doing a quick 15-minute clean-up every other day.Realistic Cleaning Rules: Ask people to leave the bathroom like they found it and generally clean up after themselves. Have an agreement in place that when the bathroom reaches critical nastiness, someone puts on crazy music and everyone cleans it at once so that many hands make light work. Issue 3: Guests.  Most people dont mind guests all that much ... within reason, of course. But its no fun to go wandering into your own bathroom, half asleep, only to find a stranger - particularly one of a different gender - there unexpectedly. Having a conversation and agreement about guests is especially important to do in advance of any trouble. Talk with your roommate(s) about a guest policy of sorts. Clearly, if someone has a guest over, that guest is going to need to use the bathroom at some point, so get some rules in order. If a guest is in the bathroom, how should other people be notified? Is it okay for a guest not just to use the bathroom but to do other things, like use the shower? What if someone has a frequent guest; can they leave their things in the bathroom? What if the person who has the guest isnt in the apartment or room? Is the guest allowed to just stay and hang out (and, consequently, use the bathroom)? Ideal Guest Rules: Always notify roommates in advance when a guest is coming over. Talk about when theyre coming, how long theyll stay, and if/when they need to use the bathroom for things like the shower. Make sure everyones on the same page before the guest arrives.Realistic Guest Rules: Have a way to indicate that a guest is using the bathroom, whether its a casual hook-up guest or someones parent. Dont let guests just hang out (and have access to the bathroom) if their host isnt home. And no being alone with a romantic guest in the bathroom. Thats not just gross - its tacky in a shared environment. Issue 4: Sharing.  Darnit, you ran out of toothpaste again. Will your roommate even notice if you just take a little squirt this morning? What about a little shampoo? And conditioner? And moisturizer? And shaving cream? And maybe sharing a little mascara, too? Sharing here and there can be part of having a healthy relationship with the people you live with, but it can also lead to major problems. Be clear with your roommates about when and if its okay to share. Do you want to be asked in advance first? Are some things okay to share from time to time, only in an emergency, or never? Make sure to be clear, too; you may not even consider the idea that your roommate would share your deodorant one day, but they may not think twice before doing it. Make sure to talk, too, about general use items - like the hand soap, toilet paper, and bathroom cleaners - and how and when those should be replaced (as well as by whom). Ideal Sharing Rules: Its okay to borrow things like toothpaste and shampoo in an emergency. Always ask in advance and never assume its okay unless someone says so. Create a small bathroom budget for replacing things like toilet paper and hand soap so that when things run out, they can quickly and easily be replaced.Realistic Sharing Rules: Its okay to use my toothpaste or shampoo if you really need some, but replace your own as soon as possible. And its only okay if your sharing doesnt leave my own supply empty. Keep replacements of things like toilet paper and hand soap around so that they are always available; when the replacement is used, buy another one when everyone next goes shopping for household items.

Private School Scandals and Controversies

Private School Scandals and Controversies   Every school, public or private, has had its share of unpleasant news. With many private schools and boarding schools having histories that span hundreds of years, its highly likely that in some fashion, each school has some skeletons in its closets. Public schools have scandals, too, but private schools tend to be the focus of the media because of their independent status and tuition rates. What kind of scandals happen at schools? Everything from bullying and hazing to sexual misconduct and embezzlement scandals. Each school will handle the scandals in their own way, but the goal is to protect the victims, the other students, and faculty at the school, and the schools reputation.   The most recent headlines have involved sex abuse scandals at private schools, and with many of these institutions dating back hundreds of years, very few have squeaky clean pasts.  Many of these scandals that hit the media are the result of past actions being brought to light years later, in some cases decades later. The schools that handle these cases the best are those that provide support for their students and alumni and work to ensure that their campuses today are safe and supportive for students.  Background checks, particularly for staff and faculty, are common practice in most schools today. Even the best schools are sometimes met with controversy. Its the way a school deals with these crises that is the best measure of its competence. The best ones recognize how important it is to deal with bad news promptly. They know that the Internet, including social media, and cell phones will spread rumors as quickly as you can text your classmates. They also know that members of the media are lurking just waiting for some juicy morsel about an elite school to surface, so they can fan the flames of indignation and mock self-righteousness. Scandals are not limited to private schools, though, and can be found at schools of all kinds, including public schools and even top colleges and universities. The safety of students is the utmost concern of school officials, and most schools take swift and serious action when transgressions are discovered. Heres a brief look at some incidents which have occurred in private schools over the years. June 2017:  The Boston Globe  reported on Phillips Exeter Academy and its protests by students because of the lack of response to accusations of racially insensitive comments by faculty.  May 2017:  New York Post published an article about a student at Kent School in Connecticut, who alleged abuse by her French teacher, who she claimed seduced and abused her repeatedly.April 2017:  USA Today reported on the investigations into Choate Rosemary Hall and its four-decade long history of abuse involving more than a dozen teachers.  March 2017:  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Philips Exeter uncovered instances of sexual misconduct from five former faculty members.June 2016: Top Administrators Fired at William Kochs Elite Private School:  According to the  New York Times, Billionaire William Koch fired the head of school at Oxbridge Academy and declined to renew the contracts of the athletic director and the football coach. The moves came after a sexual harassment complaint and an internal inves tigation into accusations of kickbacks, grade-changing, excessive spending and violations of the rules governing high school sports. May 20​16:  Boston Globe Releases Article, Private Schools, Painful Secrets:  This article focuses on sexual abuse at private schools in New England. Including Fessenden, Deerfield, St. Georges, Taft, Exeter, Thayer, and Concord.May 2016:  New York Time Reports on Sex Abuse at Private Schools:  Focuses on private schools in New England, including St. Georges, Taft, Exeter, Thayer, and Concord.  January 2016/October 2016:  In January, Connecticut newspapers reported on an  evacuation  of a dormitory at Cheshire Academy, a boarding school in Connecticut, after gasoline was found on campus. No one was hurt and students were allowed to re-enter the dorm that same night. In October, however,  reports from local papers revealed  that two juvenile boys were arrested for attempting to manufacture bombs in the woods near the main campus.  Headmaster Scandals:  This article from  Town Country  outlines five private school scandals involving heads of schools. From murder and mysterious finances to drugs and abuse, these ordeals read like a script from Hollywood.   Parents Sue Conserve School Trustees:  Read Conserve School Changes From 4 Year High School to 1 Semester Model to understand how the economic downturn of 2009 has wreaked havoc on one private schools endowment to the point where the trustees are changing the schools business model. The parents of current four-year high school students were not happy with that decision and have sued the trustees.Five Hockey Team Members Expelled from Milton Academy:  Milton Academy rocked by expulsions  is a Boston.com story detailing how five members of the Milton Academy hockey team were expelled for receiving oral sex from a 15-year-old sophomore girl.Parents Sue Miss Porters School Over Expulsion:  At a Prep School, the Gloves Are Off  details what happened when a prestigious Connecticut girls school expelled a senior student.School for Scandal:  Groton was rocked by accusations of sexual abuse and hazing in a  2002 story reported on ABCNEWS.Rector of St. Pauls School Retires:  Th e Rector of St. Pauls School, Concord, New Hampshire,  retired  after an outcry regarding what many alumni considered to be  excessive expenditures  on renovations to the Rectors housing as well as a lavish compensation package for himself and his assistant.  In the fall of 2004 St. Pauls also had to deal with a  drowning  and a hazing incident in addition to all the controversy over excessive spending and the investigation by the New Hampshire attorney general. Sex Scandal Hits Selwyn House:  I wrote  about  this story  in May 2008. This incident hit home as this Montreal boys school occupies the building which was Westmount Senior High School when I attended it in 1960-61.Counterfeit Currency Scheme Uncovered at Lower Canada College:  It seems that internet gambling debts forced some LCC students to print money to cover their balance.Academy X:  Horace Mann teacher Andrew Trees was fired for his fictional account of life in a private school,  Academy X.Death of Student at The Hill School:   Suicide scatters grief and guilt in every direction. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the close-knit world which is a boarding school  community.  The headmaster and staff dealt with this very sad incident with compassion and sensitivity.Upper Canada College Teacher Found Guilty of Sex Charges:  It was a sad day for UCC when former master Doug Brown was found guilty of sexually abusing 18 former students. One of those students released a memoir article in 2013 that appeared on the  Toronto Life site. Incoming Students at The Landon School Caught in Embarrassing Activities: Incoming Landon boys apparently were creating  a list of girls  they knew in a bizarre sort of draft selection process. Naturally the girls parents were upset.    Article edited by  Stacy Jagodowski

Peer Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Peer Review - Assignment Example Studies have indicated that most surgical patients will experience PONV even if medicines were taken for prevention. PONV is a concern that occurs in 20-30% of patients receiving general anesthesia and can be up to 70-80% in high-risk patients (McCracken, Houston, & Lefebvre, 2008). The Society of Ambulatory Anesthesia (SAMBA), developed a set of guidelines to provide up-to-date information for healthcare providers, including strategies to prevent or treat PONV in patients undergoing surgery (Gan et al., 2007). The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) clinical change project is to introduce various practice guidelines for PONV to anesthesia providers that will enhance their knowledge and, improve customer satisfaction, which is essential for the patient’s health and well-being. Nausea can often be described as a subjective, unpleasant sensation associated with a conscious urge or need to vomit(Tinsley &Barone, 2012). Vomiting is coordinated by the vomiting center signaling input from various sources including, the higher cortical center in the brain, the vestibular portion, the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) and the gastrointestinal tract where afferent pathways are stimulated indirectly by specific neurotransmitters (Tinsley &Barone, 2012). Patients experience delays in the post anesthesia care unit (PACU) for various reasons. According to Chatterjee, Rudra, and Sengupta (2011) vomiting can prolong PACU recovery time up to 25 minutes. During postoperative visits at the project clinical site, patients who have had gynecological and breast procedures have often stated that being nauseated was the most undesirable consequence of surgery, out-ranking even pain. There are several risk factors involved when evaluating a patient for PONV. These risk factors include patients with a prior history of PONV, motion sickness, non-smokers, females and the length and type of surgery (Tinsley &Barone,