Monday, September 30, 2019

English Creative Writing

Creative writing first draft In today's modern society, media is everywhere. Even at an early stage in life, people are heavily exposed to media. According to a study concluded by Kaiser Family Foundation (2010), teenagers spend about 53 hours per week on different sort of media; such as television, internet, and film. As it has become a huge part of people's everyday lives, one may question what role this plays in terms of shaping the opinions and positions of the younger generation. In my opinion, the mass media has got a huge impact on teenagers.Some influences may be positive, such as access to information and overall awareness. On the other hand, a society has been created where teenagers blindly follow trends, advices and norms that have been influenced by the mass media. Let's take my typical morning as an example. The alarm clock goes off after 8 hours of sleep, which Vie read is the recommended amount. When taking a shower afterwards, I use a certain shampoo, which I bought because it was presented by my favorite actor in a commercial.Having done that, I will put on my makeup which is carefully selected from one of the brands recommended by my favorite magazine. I will also style my hair in a certain ay, inspired by a trend. After that I will carefully select my outfit according to fashion which is presented by the different sorts of media. For breakfast I will have some bread and Juice, which is healthy and full of nutrition's according to a newspaper. As clearly shown in the example above, media has affected my life in many ways.Things, such as my way of clothing, selection of makeup, and even my diet, are inspired by media. Even though there may be different or even better options for me in terms of preferences and lifestyle choices, there is a big chance that I will base my sections primarily on what is presented to me through media instead of basing my decisions on facts and personal interest. This is because I'm constantly being exposed to a cert ain ideal in terms of lifestyle, opinions, etc. Which I could be heavily inspired by. According to Teen futures media network, a teenager will have seen around 350 000 commercials by the age of 18. Also, a major amount of hours will be spent by the TV or the computer. This constant exposition to trends and ideals will shape people's opinions and view on things in various ways. A survey in People Magazine showed that 80 % of all female respondents felt that women in movies and television programs made them feel insecure about their bodies.Basically, the mass media has got both positive and negative impacts on the younger generation. It influences decision, preferences, and decisions all through people's lives through advertisements, televisions and magazines among others. No matter what consequences the mass media brings to teenager's lives, it is undeniable that media does shape the opinions and positions of the younger generation in various ways. English Creative Writing By Hindqua rters

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Partnership with parents Essay

In recent years, an array of legislation and guidance has emerged under the present new Labour government to bring together a co-ordinated framework of services to address the care and educational needs of children. The government has expressed its intention, DfES (1997) and DfES (2003) to place schools at the heart of a new multidisciplinary approach to children’s services with improved communication and consultation between schools, together with other service providers, and parents, as one of its principle aims. Many commentators such as Nind et al (2003); Williams (2004) and Berk (2004) have noted the importance of parents as the prime educators of their children and the issue of establishing successful partnerships between schools and parents has been addressed through a number of different perspectives. It seems that the strategies employed to overcome barriers and build constructive relationships must be situated within a school ethos of genuine inclusion which values parents’ views and contribution which, in turn, can only enhance children’s attitudes to learning. Effective Home-School collaborative education stimulates and imbues children with a positive culture of learning. Brooker (2002) and Mayall (2002) have noted the ways in which children, and parents, are effectively socialised into the pedagogical ethos of their child’s school and suggest that parents’ conformity to this ethos has commonly underpinned many models of parental involvement. As Brooker (2002) argues, an â€Å"open door† policy which ostensibly invites parents in to see classroom practice and consult with staff does not necessarily constitute a climate conducive to genuine collaboration in the educative process. The research presented by Brooker (2002), whilst focusing primarily upon early years learning cultures, has provided some useful insights into the ways schools conceptualise their relationships with families and, conversely, how parents experience schools. She found that, from early on children’s schooling, school staff attitudes towards parents were highly influenced by their own perceptions of the extent to which parents expressed their interest in, and became involved with their children’s education. Brooker (2002) identifies a wide gulf between the beliefs and values of formal educators and what she calls the â€Å"mountain of invisible investment  made by parents†. She cites the work of Vincent (1996), for example, highlighting the negative perceptions of parents by teachers and suggests that, essentially, teachers tend only to welcome the involvement of those parents who do not contest school policies and practices or undermine their authority. In similar vein, Beveridge (2004) asserts that teachers’ attitudes can often be negative and stereotypical regarding parental motivation, competence and skills in the educative domain and furthermore, parents are often aware of this and are adversely affected. She suggests that parents experiences of schools and school staff will inevitably be enhanced when they â€Å"feel respected in their own right as parents, and equally importantly, when they perceive that their child is a positively valued member of the school† (Beveridge, 2004). Congruently the more involved parents are in what goes on in the classroom; the more likely they are to understand the teacher’s goals and practices. Warren and Young (2002) identify five broad areas presenting barriers to forming home-school partnerships. Firstly the ever-changing fluid nature of family demographics impinges on the development of dynamic partnerships. Secondly an entrenched â€Å"school ethos† often creates barriers to effective â€Å"culture-change† and schools are too set in their ways to embrace parental involvement in affairs of curriculum, decision-making and administration. Thirdly, the financial burden of developing partnerships with parents is a strain some schools feel cannot be justified and resources need to be channelled into more pressing areas and some teachers are unable to relinquish any degree of control to parents in the classroom. Fourthly, parents may lack the necessary skills to assist their children’s educational development. Finally, communication is a pivotal building block of home-school partnerships and critics often point to the unequal relationship between schools and families in this area; communication is one-way traffic from the school to the parent and there is not enough thought or dialogue given to the way parents can provide input to the school or children’s learning. The development of partnerships between home and schools with the mutual acknowledgement of the diverse but essential roles of the other is not an easily accomplished task but neither is it an impossible task. School staff attitudes, and indeed school ethos, seem central to the quality of relationships that can be developed with parents (Beveridge, 2004). Research conducted by Bastiani (1992) and Coleman (1998) found that whilst parents commonly expressed their need for information about the progress, attainments and possible difficulties regarding their children’s schooling, they also wanted reassurance that school staff understood their child’s personal and social needs, as well as their academic needs. Beveridge (2004) extends this view and draws from her own research into parents’ views, suggesting that teachers need to acquire the skills to â€Å"elicit and respond to parents’ own in-depth knowledge, perspectives and insights† about their children’s needs. This implies that teachers should be equipped with a high level of sensitivity and interpersonal skill vis-à  -vis the parental perspective so that they may provide honest, clear and accura te information about the learning and behaviour of individual children at school. Hornby et al (1995) and Hornby (2000) reiterate this point and argue for an extension of teachers’ skills to incorporate the principles, drawn from the counselling arena, of active, non-judgemental listening and joint problem-solving techniques. Hornby (2000), for example, calls for â€Å"skilled assertiveness that allows teachers to be both direct and diplomatic in their interactions with parents, and to respond constructively to disagreements and criticisms when these occur†Hornby (2000) argues for a reciprocal, inclusive framework of home-school links within which every family has a place, not just those few whose own culture and practices are in line with those of the school. Parents’ knowledge of their children, together with the contribution they can make to teaching, is seen as strengths universal to all families. Hornby (2000) and Nind et al (2003) argue it should also be recognised, however, that parents have different levels of need in terms of information and support. Beveridge (2004) agrees that parents’ accumulated, in-depth knowledge about their children can greatly enhance teachers’ understandings. In her discussion of parental involvement in the monitoring and assessment of children’s academic progress, Beveridge stresses that teachers need to include areas of comparative strength and ways in which these can be built upon, rather than a sole focus on difficulties and deficits. Whilst Beveridge is primarily discussing those children deemed as having ‘special educational needs’ here, this observation equally well  applies to the assessment of all children’s progress. Although it seems clear that discrepancies inevitably will exist between the views of parents and teachers, a striving for mutual understanding and a greater accentuation on the â €˜positives’ can do much to engender positive attitudes for both parents and children. The current Head Teacher of Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Mr Mullan stressed the purpose of the home-school partnership in terms of making an agreement between the school, the family and the student which will help parents staff and students to work successfully together and help improve standards of education for pupils. This is done through a variety of ways ranging from regular homework for parents to complete with their children and for pupils with learning difficulties a variety of visual and auditory activities are sent home. Each term targets are set for the pupils and parents are sent copies to help them support learning, an example cited was the suggestion parents allow their children to handle money and pay for the weekly shop to help increase their understanding of money in relation to maths. Pupils also have a home school communication book. The school runs workshops throughout the academic year to help parents participate in their child’s education and have included in the past Sing-along training or Literacy and ICT workshops. The school also places great emphasis on parental help in the education process in the form of parental â€Å"class assistants†. The school takes great pride in the fact several parents have gone on to forge a career as a teacher after starting out as â€Å"class assistants†. The Head Teacher stressed the partnership revolved around good lines of communication between both parties. In the arena of parent/teacher consultations, Bastiani (1992) identified particular pre-requisites for success in ensuring that both parties are heard. Firstly, she suggests that parents must have sufficient information about the nature, purpose and length of the convened meeting and an opportunity to clarify and add items to the agenda. Secondly, a constructive focus needs to be established and decisions on subsequent actions to be taken understood and agreed by all participants. It must be recognised that some parents will require more support in these matters than others.  Finally, as highlighted by DfES (1997), schools need to consider carefully the range of opportunities they can provide for parents to become involved and also the forms of assistance that might be needed to enable parents to participate fully. Tizard et al (1981); Hannon (1985); Mills (1996) and Beveridge (2004) are keen to stress there is much evidence for the effectiveness of well-planned schemes of parental involvement in the teaching of reading. Moreover Mills (1996) highlights the crucial role that parents can play in developing literacy skills with their children, pointing out that the â€Å"one-to-one† relationship is clearly more valuable to the child than the â€Å"30 to one† ratio typical in the average classroom. Mills (1996) suggests that simply sending books home is insufficient but also notes that â€Å"parents may sometimes need support and advice about effective models of hearing their children read†. As Warren and Young (2002) succinctly advocate â€Å"appropriate instructional materials and teaching methodologies should be utilized. Gregory (2000) echoes this view and expresses concerns that traditional schemes may not be suitable for all families. She recommends that schools consider different approaches which might better fit the needs of families. For example, a sole focus on story books might be extended, or replaced, by making use of other kinds of literacy experiences at home and also to include other members of the family and community. The aim here is not simply to follow the school’s approach to literacy, and indeed other curriculum goals and activities, but to build bridges between home and school. Such home-school partnership arrangements may foster literacy acquisition but it has to be noted this makes inherent presuppositions about the abilities of parents from a diversity of backgrounds and cultures to support the literacy development of their children. Not all parents possess the motivation let alone the cognitive ability to enhance the literacy acquisition of their children. Warren and Young (2002) draw attention to the importance parental involvement plays in boosting positive learning attitudes amongst children in Mathematics, Science and Technology because â€Å"academic learning activities  that are completed at home promote the child’s achievement at school† and this further impacts on a positive learning culture as â€Å"parent and child attitudes about school become more positive through academic interactions†. Parents who embrace an unrestrained joy for a particular area of the national curriculum and who transmit such infectious enthusiasm to their children need to be harnessed by schools. This is what Freud (1991) terms â€Å"projection† or the transference of an emotion or character trait onto another person. Parents who project positive learning attitudes onto their children need to be nurtured by schools because they help foster an intrinsic motivation within children to learn for the sheer pleasure of it. Recent government initiatives such as â€Å"Every Child Matters† and â€Å"Higher Standards, Better Schools for All – More Choice for Parents and Pupils† has urged schools to be a more socially cohesive and responsible participant in community relations as well as fostering closer home-school partnerships. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is at the forefront of facilitating this challenge and connecting home and school through an array of initiatives. Firstly it offers wholesale opportunities for children by providing continuity of learning outside regular school hours and parents provide appropriate mentoring, challenge and support. This presupposes the ICT infrastructure within schools can cope with the rapid growth of collaborative learning and schools need to formulate cohesive and appropriate e-learning strategies. Secondly it empowers parents to support their children’s learning vis-à  -vis responsibility, informed choice and appropriate support. Impact on the engagement of parents can be profound through skilful use of a school’s website or virtual learning environment to suggest how parents can supplement and support the national curriculum. There is the scope for wider engagement as long as ICT is used in a meaningful way. It has benefits for both parents and schools; parental participation will increase if they are given a real voice which in turn provides schools with raw data on how best to serve the interests of its pupils and their parents. Thirdly, the home environment is a hub of learning powered by the dynamics of  the internet and schools can provide valuable advice and guidance to parents on the use of ICT to support pupil learning outside the classroom. Some schools have set up homework clinics and utilize parents as â€Å"on-line experts† to bring together the rich tapestry of ICT and parental resources in educating children. Again this presupposes parents have a tacit and intimate relationship with ICT skills and such skills have to be framed around legitimate data protection issues. Finally, it acts as a focus for a culture of learning within the community as a whole but this almost presents more challenges than rewards. For instance, should the level and location of remote access be fixed or mobile or perhaps a combination of both, what are the logistics of this and what are the financial costs of such access, how can secure and safe access to personal work files be guaranteed, how can genuine collaborative engagement with other learners be rendered, how do parents interpret and respond to the assessment of their children’s e-learning and how and who will provide appropriate parental training to enable them to fully support ICT home-school practice. Nevertheless a modern ICT home-school partnership offers up an abundance of resources outside the remit of traditional teaching methodology and offers substantial potential for fostering positive learning attitudes amongst children. Mills (1996) has recorded that whilst many schools have developed strong home/school links with parents, especially through reading schemes, there has been less success in minority language communities and suggests that â€Å"schools have found that cultural and linguistic differences have created barriers to collaboration† and this has impacted negatively upon children’s academic progress and motivation at school. Similarly, Berk (2004) observes that many ethnic minority parents are uncomfortable about going to school and often â€Å"lack the skills, knowledge and confidence to support their children’s progress in majority culture language work†. Ofsted (2000) claims black and ethnic minority pupils are disadvantaged by an education system that perpetuates inequalities. This then creates a barrier to fostering sufficient levels of parental involvement amongst ethnic minorities. Mills (1996) describes the experiences of Asian parents in Birmingham, most particularly those from Pakistani, Northern India and Bangladeshi cultures. Evidence from initiatives in two Birmingham primary schools to foster home-school links yielded a number of recommendations for schools in minority language communities. These include the development of books and information in a variety of local languages as well as the use of multicultural materials and activities within the school for all pupils to generate an atmosphere of greater understanding and inclusion for all children, regardless of cultural background. Most importantly, as Mills (1996) asserts, parents need to feel positively welcomed by the school through the creation of a genuinely open environment. Berk (2004) underlines this view and suggests that teachers must make extra efforts to integrate â€Å"ethnic minority values and practices into classroom life and regularly contact parents who don’t come to conferences and school events†. Many commentators have situated the notion of partnership between schools, parents and the community within the wider context of school ethos and inclusive practice. Dyson (1997), for example, has observed that many of the educational difficulties experienced by children, such as disaffection, disruption and underachievement are associated with social disadvantage. Croll (2002) underlines this and highlights the clear links, also, between parental socio-economic status and social, emotional and behavioural problems, as well as the learning difficulties which come under the banner of â€Å"special educational needs†. Parents’ experience of high levels of stress, perhaps in poorer, â€Å"run-down† neighbourhoods, can adversely affect not only their interactions with their children but also their dealings with education and related services (Beveridge, 2004). Teachers may hold stereotypical, negative views of such families which impede the quality of home-school relationships. Bastiani (1997) points out the increasing recognition that there is a diversity of successful parenting styles and that teachers can acknowledge this and adopt a more positive approach which builds on parents’ own strategies for raising their children. Ball (1998) and White (1997) have reported on successful Portage schemes for parents of children with learning difficulties involving short-term learning  targets agreed with parents. Beveridge (2004), however, highlights the potential stigmatising effects of these schemes when they are limited to families with children deemed as having ‘special educational needs’ and argues that these specific strategies should be available for all families. The current push for schools to be placed at the centre of the community (DfES, 2003) has been championed by Berk (2004) as a prime opportunity to nurture the collaborative work of teachers, parents and children. She cites Connors and Epstein (1996) who argued that â€Å"when parents are involved in school activities, talk regularly with teachers, monitor their child’s progress and help with homework, children show better academic achievement† (Berk, 2004, p.206). It seems that the strategies adopted by schools to establish strong home/school links must be situated within the wider educational ethos and practice of the school in order to be truly effective. Factors such as co-operative dialogues, joint problem-solving, staff training and support are flagged up as key objectives for the whole school in order to provide â€Å"experiences for children that are as encouraging, enriching and educative as possible†. (Berk, 2004). Within the true spirit of partnership, however, the ethos of the â€Å"learning community† demands that all those involved in this inclusive enterprise of educative enrichment need to play an active role. Thus, as Berk (2004) suggests, parents also have a responsibility to become knowledgeable about what constitutes high quality education and they can then press for better classroom experiences for their children. Teachers and parents, together with children, need to build bridges and it seems crucial that each plays an active role if their strategies are to be truly reciprocal and successful. Further to this the child’s perspective is an integral part of this reciprocity. Children are active social agents and not merely passive recipients of learning processes and they have a â€Å"personal perspective on their own experiences, aspirations and needs which cannot be inferred from having adults speak on their behalf† (Beveridge, 2004). In conclusion, then, primary schools can do much to engender strong home/school links, particularly through the cultivation of more positive and  non-judgemental attitudes towards families, in recognition of the contribution that all families can make towards their children’s education whatever their social and cultural background. As commentators such as Beveridge (2004) and Berk (2004) have highlighted, however, true partnership implies that all those involved, adults and children alike, have a role to play in the development of successful collaborative strategies. In terms of the particular role played by primary schools, it would seem that strategies rooted in a â€Å"whole school† philosophy of genuine inclusion which values and respects the views of parents and children are those which are most likely to make a positive difference in terms of children’s attitudes to learning. Bibliography Ball M. (1998) School Inclusion: the School, the Family and the Community. Joseph Rowntree Foundation, YorkBastiani J. (1992) Working with Parents: a whole school approach. NFER-Nelson, Windsor. Bastiani J.(Ed (1997) Home-School Work in Multicultural Settings. David Fulton, London. Berk L. (2004) Awakening Children’s Minds: How Parents and Teachers can make a difference. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Beveridge S. (2004) Children, Families and Schools: Developing Partnerships for Inclusive Education. RoutledgeFalmer, London. Brooker L. (2002)Starting School – Young Children Learning Cultures. Open University Press, Buckingham. Coleman P. (1998) Parent, Student and Teacher Collaboration: the power of three. Paul Chapman, London. DfES. (2003) Every Child Matters, Green Paper. HMSO, London. Freud S. (1991)The Essentials of Psychoanalysis.Penguin, London. Gregory E (2000) â€Å"Recognising differences: reinterpreting family involvement in early literacy† in Combating Educational Disadvantage: meeting the needs of vulnerable children. Ed Cox T. Falmer Press, London. pp. 45-50. Hannon P. (1995) Literacy, Home and School: research and practice in teaching literacy with parents. Falmer Press, London. Hornby G. (2000) Improving Parental Involvement. Cassell, London. Hornby G, Davis G, Taylor G. (1995) The Special Needs Co-ordinator’s Handbook. Routledge, London. Mayall B. (2002) Towards a Sociology for Childhood. Open University Press, Buckingham. Mills J. (Ed) (1996) Partnership in the Primary School. Routledge, London. Nind M, Rix J, Sheehy K, Simmons K. (Eds) (2003) Inclusive Education: diverse perspectives. David Fulton, London. Ofsted.(2000)Educational Inequality: Mapping Race, Class and Gender. A Synthesis ofResearch Evidence. Ofsted, London. Tizard B, Mortimore J, Burchell B. (1981) Involving Parents in Nursery and Infant Schools: A Source Book for Teachers. Grant McIntyre, London. White M. (1997) â€Å"A Review of the influence and effects of Portage† in Working with Parents of SEN Children after the Code of Practice. Ed Wolfendale S. David Fulton, London. pp. 32-36. JournalsCroll P. (2002)†Social deprivation, school-level achievement and special educational needs†. Educational Research. Vol. 44. pp. 43-53. Dyson A. (1997) â€Å"Social and educational disadvantage: reconnecting special needs education†. British Journal of Special Education. Vol. 24, No. 4. pp. 152-157. Warren E, Young J. (2002)†Parent and School Partnerships in Supporting Literacy and Numeracy†. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education. Vol. 30, No 3. pp. 217-228. Williams F. (2004)†Commentary on Every Child Matters, DfES Green Paper† Critical Social Policy.Vol.24, No 3. pp 55-66. WebliographyWeb reference 1DfES (1997)www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/parentalinvolvement

Saturday, September 28, 2019

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

Assigments - Essay Example When the platelets come in close vicinity to the site of damage in the vessels, they start to change their shape and become swollen. At the same time, they contract to release essential substances which make them adhere to the damaged wall and in particular to the collagen in the walls of the damaged vessels. They also tend to release ADP. This substance further assists the platelets in their function and tend to stimulate the platelets which lie close to the damaged vessel by making them active. These platelets tend to cluster together and come and join the initial platelets that adhered to the vessel wall that was damaged. This results in the formation of a platelet plug which closes the damaged vessel. At the same time, there is further release of clotting factors. This mechanism indicates the positive feedback system of the human body where the activation of one platelet further stimulates the cascade and results in more stimulation and the formation of a platelet plug (Lauralee 2006 p322). Works Cited Top of Form Clark, Robert K.  Anatomy and Physiology: Understanding the Human Body. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2005. Print. Bottom of Form Top of Form Sherwood, Lauralee.  Fundamentals of Physiology: A Human Perspective. Belmont, Calif: Thomson Learning distributor, 2006. Print.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Cubism and Fauvism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cubism and Fauvism - Essay Example By means of comparison, fauvism was a form of artistic representation in which strong and unnatural colors for a particular object or individual utilized; with the specific goal of evoking strong emotions. Naturally, the utilization of 3-D imagery was all but nonexistent within this particular approach to artistic representation. A prime example of fauvism in artwork can be seen with regard to Henri Matisse’ â€Å"Woman with a Hat†. Whereas the analysis has thus far focused upon the level of dissimilarity that exists between these two particular approaches to artistic representation, it must be noted that a peculiar similarity has to do with the fact that both of these are forms seek to represent meaning and understanding based upon different norms Michael and at least as compared to what had been represented as art for many generations and years prior to the advent of these two approaches. In essence, both of these approaches are similar due to the fact that they seek to represent meaning in a new and contrasted manner as compared to the way in which previous artists have described the world. Regardless of the definitions that have thus far been given, perhaps the greatest similarity that exists between these two art forms has to do with the fact that they were both new and expansively modern means of representing the world; means that prior artists had not considered and that were, at that time, considered as â€Å"avant guarde†. No matter what metric is analyzed, the Great Depression was an extremely difficult time.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Healing Literature and Society Views Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Healing Literature and Society Views - Essay Example Here too prejudices and hatred held sway. The literature that tried to answer and guide people during the century, had to be either Utopian or dystopian, showing them the ideal ways of living and ideal solutions. or, hold a mirror to their mistakes by showing a world where everything is wrong. (The dystopia Novel). The solution should be somewhere in between and include all perspectives and points of view.NATURE WRITING movement started by Henry David Thoreau pointed to ways of living fundamentally divergent from the ones laid down by dominant dictates and attitudes of society. (David L.Barnhill).Other authors have followed in the footsteps giving their poetic solutions in their Fictions and Essays. Iron John , is a Work of the Vietnam war trying earnestly to heal the wounds and bring together the alienated members of the society. The book talks about the industrial civilization which cut asunder the father and son who once worked shoulder to shoulder , teaching and learning , bonded by that common experience. The father figure is no longer a reality in the war- ravaged America. He is at best a frustrated, battered man who returns from the pressures and stress of the workplace, too irritable to empathize, and at worst, a drunk, and more often, a deserter of the family. The youth are angry with the older men for pushing them into a war, butchering them without mercy while they themselves are safe .Old men fend for themselves and have not time to spend in understanding the grievance of the younger generation. Men just grow up angry at the loss of their childhood, disappointed with the barrenness of their manhood and tired of having to play roles imposed on them by society;they become...But that is wrong; for, he must have the instinctive answer to the challenge of violence. Men must not be playing roles according to societal demands. The boys, in order to achieve this instinctive wisdom, must be early on removed from their mothers and even fathers, to learn in a commune as in all ancient cultures and civilizations.( BLY) Bly's conviction is that Man must mature and discover his maleness , by not losing touch with the earth ,and the historic and anthropologic roots of Masculinity. This world demands that Man must be successful. He obeys and achieves it, but at a cost. His vitality is lost. Instead, Bly asks them to turn to the inner consciousness "from where all poetry and mythology springs."(BLY) It is his prescription to cure the crippled inner life. Bly touched a cord in all the American minds that had also been smarting under the pain. But he also invited the criticism that he was propagating a male chauvinist society. For, he seemed to address only the White and did not seem to take the Homosexuals into his reckoning. Starhawk who wrote during the same period, and against the same Vietnam war backdrop, had an utopian solution to offer. She creates an oasis of verdant ,fruitful , and happy people of multi generation and multi culture living in harmony with nature and in amity among themselves.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Taxation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Taxation - Research Paper Example Many industrialized countries have been developed the system of health insurances while United States lacks this system. Based on this issue it is evident that the size of public sectors varies considerably from different countries. Comparison of the economies in Russia and United States The economic relationship between Russia and the United States ended a long time, and there are no aspects of mutual destruction (CHERNIAVSKII, and VARTAPETOV 18). However, Russians have remains as the major economic powerhouses, and they have played a major role in the world stage. Russia has an improved culture history, and at times, it has been described as the military agency. However, according to Americans, it has remained an undiscovered country with numerous resources. The economic status of Russia has been in a fluctuation state compared to the United States, based on the Bolshevik revolution although it is interesting to note that differences in geographic population and the military role h ave a major contribution on the entire economic population (McConnell et al. 29). Economic ties between Russia and the United States are important since they provide stability to the broad bilateral relationships among the two countries. Stable political relationships have been developed by economic integration. ... It is evident that several measures have been developed, and they are not less important that the US economic relationships with other developing markets. Government spending as a percentage of GDP Over the past couple of years, it has been noted that trade between Russia and US has developed fast, although it is rated to be on a low level. Since the year 200, the export of US to Russia have increased by an estimated of 22% annually while US imports from Russia have increased to 19% annually. On a basic analysis, it is evident that Russia has contributed to 0.7% of the US exports and 1.3% of imports in the year 2008 (Serguey and Batkibekov 47). The trade between Russia and US has been analyzed through inter-industry trade that accounts for the difference between imported and exported goods, and the intra-industry trade that accounts for similar imports and exports. Considering the different industrial structure and resource bequest of Russia and the US, it is evident that the US-Russ ia trade entails of inter-industry trade (CHERNIAVSKII, and VARTAPETOV 28). It has been noted that the large trade items in inter-industry trade has been accredited to 90% of the improvement of US-Russia trade (Papadimitriou 49). Considering the dominant export and import goods from US, it is evident that the most popular goods from US to Russia include nuclear equipment, vehicles and meat products. However, the largest imports to the US from Russia include mineral fuels, aluminum and inorganic chemicals. The US-Russia economic relations on international perspective gauge whether it has declined through comparison to bilateral relations. This is done, because the US has investments with other countries, such as

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Global project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global project management - Essay Example The research has been conducted in order to identify and analyse the culture influenced problem in international project management. From the literature section, it was found that, there are large numbers of international projects that fails due to miscommunication and social fragmentation. The main argument is that, language used in social interaction create boundary for social fragmentation and obstacles of managing projects globally. According to Goffee and Jones (1996), cultural diversity brings verities of skills and expertise within project teams and can have a strong impact on the effectiveness of international project management. The diversity of culture and institutional difference between organizational members add extra cost in the large construction and engineering projects (Salomon and Schork, 2003). In the era of globalization, most of the companies are trying to manifests itself in international projects and offshore service delivery. Loosemore and Lee (2002) opined that globalization is the central theme of the today’s business society. However, it has been noticed that, project managers faces additional challenges to manage their project globally due to presence of cultural diversity. Religious beliefs and cultural factors impose external issues in the workplace. Cultural difference hampers the sense of belongingness and reduces cultural identity of the workers. Thus, one of the primary issu es to manage projects globally is the potential inability to communicate with the team members belonging from different cultural background. The literature section of the proposal deals with addressing the previous areas of research, theories, models and concepts in relation to the current topic. Through the study of existing literature, the researcher intended to identify the existing gaps in literature and based on that has tried to carry out a critical evaluation. Globalization has affected the approaches to project management and changed the needs

Monday, September 23, 2019

Peer Victimization in Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Peer Victimization in Schools - Essay Example According to a well-researched study done by Professor William Ross for the National Forum of Teacher Education Journal, there are two levels of consequences for the victims. One is the immediate trauma and hurt experienced by the victim. More seriously, victims can experience long-term problems like insecurity and loss of self-confidence. Ross adds that even the perpetrator can be negatively affected. The power and sadistic emotions they feel could result in criminal tendencies and behavior as adults. Victimization can happen through physical abuse and verbal or psychological means. Professor Ross states that boys tend to more physical in their abuse and can include acts like pushing and beating the victim. Girl bullies tend to use more subtle methods and can include acts like spreading rumors and isolating the victim from being a part of peer groups. So both the victims and perpetrators of peer victimization are at risk in different ways. The Bahamas society would eventually experi ence one set of adults who do not have self-confidence and are insecure if the situation gets out of hand. On the other extreme, another set of adults with criminal and anti-social tendencies would be present in the society. Due to the seriousness of the problem, educational institutions, governments, and other organizations have developed many accepted means of preventing or reducing victimization in schools. An article by the National Criminal Reference Service in the United States speaks highly of a program titled ‘Olweus Bullying Prevention Program’ developed in Norway.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Creation of Men & The Flood Myths Essay Example for Free

Creation of Men The Flood Myths Essay The three well-known stories about the Creation of Men The Flood are the Epic of Gilgamesh, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and the story of creation in the bible’s book of Genesis. Among the three, I believe the story that best describes the story of creation and the flood is the Epic of Gilgamesh. Although all three stories were well-constructed, the Epic of Gilgamesh stands out because it has a more human side to it and it is more dynamic than the other two. The problem with Ovid’s Metamorphoses is that it jumps from one tale to another. Moreover, the Metamorphoses mainly focused on Greek myths and not on other parts of the world. The story of creation in the bible’s genesis, on the other hand, is too dogmatic and its plot is too linear. I believe that the Epic of Gilgamesh is better than the two because it tells a story from a human perspective. In the story, it was depicted that Gilgamesh was one-third man and two-thirds God. Being part human, Gilgamesh is also vulnerable to a lot of things that most humans are prone to such as sin. He also possesses certain weaknesses like humans such as having the capability to grieve and mourn death as shown in his immense sadness when his friend, Enkidu died. It also illustrated a brief and interesting account of the flood when Utnapishtim, the immortal, shared with Gilgamesh how he survived the floods brought about by the gods through building massive boat and brining with him the offspring and seed of all the living creatures. The story also gave an interesting lesson in immortality when Gilgamesh failed to obtain the secret of eternal life from Utnapishtim and lost the magical plant that would restore his youth. However, he believed he achieved the closest thing to immortality when he said in the end: Go up, Urshanabi, onto the wall of Uruk and walk around. Examine its foundation, inspect its brickwork thoroughly is not (even the core of) the brick structure of kiln-fired brick, and did not the Seven Sages themselves lay out its plan! † (Ancienttexts. org) His words at the end of the story meant that even though he could not attain immortality, his legacy would live on forever through his kingdom of Uruk, which for him was his best achievement that would endure the test of time. Works Cited Ancienttexts. org. The Epic of Gilgamesh. † 2008. 3 October 2008 http://www. ancienttexts. org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Power Of Words Essay Example for Free

Power Of Words Essay â€Å"Words are more treacherous and powerful than we think.† Evaluate the extent to which the characteristics Sartre claims for words affect negatively and positively different areas of knowledge. To what extent does the existence of different languages and the need for their translation create problems for the acquisition of knowledge? According to Sartre, words carry more power than we think and have the ability to betray their proper meanings. Words, or in a broader sense, language, is far more powerful than we give it credit for and is ambiguous in its nature to either be powerful in a good way or treacherous. When language is translated properly and knowledge is acquired successfully, language is powerful. However, when there are problems with translation and the original meaning of the words becomes garbled, language becomes treacherous. Now that we are aware of this fact about language, we need to make a calculated decision on the degree of negative effect translation has on the acquisition of knowledge. There are contextual losses, untranslatable words, and idioms. When we examine the losses as a result of translation, the extent to which the existence of different languages and the need for their translation creates problems for the acquisition of knowledge is great. As the Italians say, Traduttore traditore, ‘the translation is a traitor’† (Van de Lagemaat 63). First of all, each of us has a special relationship to our own native language and this relationship makes us â€Å"assume that it fits reality like a glove†. However, when we learn a second language, â€Å"one of the things [we] discover is that different languages divide the world up in different ways† (Van de Lagemaat 61). When translating words from one language to another, you â€Å"will not get a workable translation but gobbledygook† (Van de Lagemaat 61). This is when translation creates problems for the acquisition of knowledge. When something is being translated, there are three basic rules that must be followed: the translation must remain faithful to the original text, be comprehensible, and when retranslated back into its original language, the translation should be approximate to the original. Many times, the translations of texts from one language to another defy these three commonly agreed criteria, particularly the faithfulness of a translation. For example, when translating the idiom â€Å"the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak† it comes back in German as â€Å"the vodka is agreeable, but the meat is inferior† (Van de Lagemaat 62). Through translation, this idiom lost its true meaning. An example of a mistranslation is when Pepsi Cola ran an advertising campaign in Taiwan, the slogan â€Å"Come Alive with Pepsi† was translated into Chinese and when translated back into English, it read â€Å"Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead!† (Van de Lagemaat 63). Unsurprisingly, because of the ill communicated meaning, the campaign was a failure. There is also inaccurate translation in literature such as the mistranslation of Albert Camus widely renowned novel’s title The Stranger, or L’etranger. In French, L’etranger does not simply mean â€Å"stranger† but has a much deeper and intricate meaning that caters to the novel’s explicit message. Further evidence that not everything is translated adequately is found in the translations of the Quran, â€Å"the central religious text of Islam†. â€Å"Because the Quran stresses its Arabic nature, Muslim scholars believe that any translation cannot be more than an approximate interpretation, intended only as a tool for the study and understanding of the original Arabic text† (Mohammed 58). Since not only the text must be translated, but the meaning and symbolism, it is believed that many things are lost in the Arabic to English interpretation. Whether or not the renderings of the Quran into English or other languages are accurate enough of not is a heavily debated subject for scholars. I can understand how this happens being a speaker of Arabic myself. There are certain Arabic words I say in my day-today life that cannot be appropriately translated in English without their actual meanings being lost. The Arabic expressions like â€Å"yislamleh teezik† that make little to no sense when directly translated into English. In Arabic, this commonly used expression is supposed to be an affectionate way of saying â€Å"thank you† or â€Å"may you always stay in my life†. The English translation would be â€Å"may God bless your butt†, and the charming meaning it has in Arabic is completely lost to translation. Although translation causes problems for the acquisition of knowledge to a great extent, it does not always do this. When something can be translated and the meaning is transferred from one language to another without any harm coming to it, knowledge is powerful. In the realms of mathematics and sciences, mathematical and scientific concepts can be translated accurately from one language to another unlike in literature. An example of this can be found in my math studies classroom with Ms. Halabi. She told us a humorous anecdote about how she learnt math in Arabic and how that would have been so unusual for us to experience. Math is a universal language and is not harmed when translated from one language to another. In conclusion, the translation of knowledge between different languages can be both powerful and treacherous in nature. It is powerful when there is no loss of meaning between translations but can be treacherous when it disrupts the acquisition of knowledge. This is a bad thing because as knowers, we don’t get to access certain knowledge because it can’t be translated properly.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Sibling rivalry and birth order

Sibling rivalry and birth order SIBLING RIVALRY AND BIRTH ORDER INTRODUCTION Sibling rivalry and the power of birth order are as alive today as it was in the Old Testament, even though there have been many centuries between the time of the Old Testament and today. While birth order doesnt cause sibling rivalry by itself, the fact of the matter is that it can definitely affect sibling rivalry (Parenting Magazine). What follows is a comparison between siblings in the age of the Old Testament with siblings of the world today. This study will demonstrate that the centuries have done little to produce substantial change or progress. Todays siblings continue to struggle in their efforts to get past jealousy, resolve conflict and fulfill their desire for power. Sibling Rivalry and the power of birth order are as alive today as it was in the Old Testament. Although there have been years between the Old Testament and todays families episodes of rivalry, there are similar reasons for its prevalence today. While birth order doesnt cause sibling rivalry by itself, the fa ct of the matter is that it can definitely affect sibling rivalry (Parenting Magazine). I want to compare Old Testament siblings with siblings of the world today. I will unfortunately compare there has not been much change or progress through the decades. We still encounter not only sibling rivalry, but also adult, friend, and co-worker rivalry. There seems to have been no improvement in our abilities to get past jealousy, conflict or the need for power in our society. The biggest cause of sibling rivalry in children and in adults is jealousy. It may be that one sibling is moresuccessful in an area, such as their career, than another sibling. Or, it could be that one sibling has more positive experiences in relationships than the other. While competition is not always a bad thing, if one sibling constantly feels as though they are behind their sibling in one way or another it will lead to sibling rivalry. (Parenting magazine) I. BIRTH ORDER A. Firstborn society also places favoritism towards oldest siblings, natural born leaders, rule-conscious, exacting, conservative, organized, responsible, jealous, fearful, high achieving, competitive, high in self-esteem and anxious often pressured to succeed on the other hand, youngest siblings often idolize the first born, putting the first born in a position of leader of the children of the family B. Middle born tends to be forgotten never truly in the spotlight so can be natural mediators they avoid conflict, often have many friends and highly loyal to peer groups they may become a fighter of injustice or they may have trouble finding their place C. Youngest baby of the family, outgoing, entertainer out of all the siblings the youngest has the least aversion to risk often an endearing and delightful friend The study confirmed older siblings had distinct advantages, and that birth order was more important than gender in shaping sibling relations. (Horin) Although the advantages of the older siblings seem to have a proportional advantage to other siblings in todays society, we find that God had favor over the younger siblings. Gods choice of the second born is a recurring theme in the Hebrew Scriptures. The eldest is passed over for the fathers blessing and inheritance, leaving his or her descendants filled with resentment and hatred. We have to wonder though if the birth order of the Old Testament brothers was a factor in their relationships as well. Not much has changed in regards to peoples personalities of greed, vanity, sin and power. Then I would tend to believe that birth order did play a factor in relationships in the Old Testament. II. Cain and Abel In the story of Cain and Abel, Cain was the first son of Adam and Eve. He was a farmer while his brother, Abel, was a shepherd. The two brothers had each brought a sacrifice to God (Genesis 4:3-4). God rejects Cains field offering but has regard for Abels offering of an animal sacrifice (Genesis 4:5). Although both offerings were considered appropriate sacrifices, God was more pleased with Abels. Perhaps he believed Abel had a better heart in his giving than Cain (Genesis 4:7). Cain became angry with Gods favoritism and he killed Abel (Genesis 4:8). God confronted Cain about his brother, judged him, and pronounced a curse upon him, driving him out to the land of Nod, which was east of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 4:9-16). It doesnt state how the two brothers relationships were to each other before this event or the family dynamics with their parents. Genesis does not mention if they were always at odds from earlier days or if it came later after they became adults. But it does show th at even from the onset of time we have had the desire to succeed and be better than the others. It shows how we often displace our anger towards the wrong people too. Because of Cains anger toward God he killed Abel. III. Ishmael and Isaac In the story of Ishmael and Isaac, Ishmael was Abrahams first son. His mother was Hagar, Sarahs Egyptian handmaid. Isaac was the son of Abraham and Sarah his wife. Abraham and Sarah did not have a son to make a great nation of the childless Abraham (Genesis 17:4). Even though God had promised them an heir, Sarah felt that God had restrained her from bearing a child (Genesis 16:1-2) and took matters into her own hands. In unbelief, Sarah offered to Abraham her maid Hagar (Geisler). Hagar was promised a son named Ishmael, meaning God hears, because of her affliction (Genesis 16:9-11). Abraham and Sarah received him as the son of Gods promise. They both laughed in disbelief when the birth of Isaac was announced (Genesis 17:17). God promised to make Ishmael the father of twelve princes, from which would become a great nation. But the covenant would be established with Isaac (Genesis 17:20-21). Believing Ishmael was mocking Isaac she wanted Hagar and Ishmael to be cast out. At the insiste nce of his wife, Abraham expels his Ishmael and his mother Hagar, from his camp after Ishmael behaves inappropriately with his half-brother, Isaac (Genesis 21:9-21). Ishmael married an Egyptian and fathered 12 sons and a daughter. He was the half brother of Isaac and wasEsaus father-in-law.He is also considered the prophet of the Muslims, inheritors of Ishmaels legacy. Once again God favors the second born, Isaac, not Ishmael, inheriting the blessings of the covenant. I do speculate on how things would have possibly been different if Sarah had just trusted God instead of taking matters into her own hands. Even now we try to do the same thing; we forget or fail to keep our trust and faith in God. In regards to Ishmael and Isaac they were born to two different mothers. This undoubtedly made a hedge between them from the onset. Having two different mothers, from two different backgrounds surely made the difference. Even though Abraham loved both of his sons, the mothers of the boys were of two different statuses and backgrounds. The conflict between the mothers had to appear to the sons somewhere during their upbringings. From the very beginning, it would have been hard for harmony to be achieved due to Sarahs jealousy and Hagars different background and the rivalry between the two. I think it is important here to see that the sibling rivalry between the two focused more on the mothers rivalry between each other, than the actual relationship between the sons. It appears that not just personalities between siblings can cause rivalry. But, perhaps rivalry within the family causes rivalry to be imminent between children. We must realize the impact of our actions to our children an d those around us. IV. Esau and Jacob Just as the blessings and promises of God pass from Abraham to Isaac, they must also pass from Isaac to his son. But Isaac had twin sons, Esau and Jacob (Geisler 46). When Abrahams son Isaac was grown he married Rebekah. He pleaded with God that his wife might bear children (Genesis 25:21). The children struggled together within her, when she inquired of God he said that there were two nations in her womb. They shall be separated from your bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger (Genesis 25:22, 23). As a result, she bore twin sons, Esau the hairy one and Jacob supplanter. Jacob was described as grabbing Esaus heels upon birth, as if trying to come out first and become firstborn. Esau became a hunter, and Isaac favored him. Jacob was more of a settler and farmer and was favored by his mother (Genesis 25:24-28). Jacob was also crafty and took advantage of Esaus extreme hunger one day. He bargained with his older brother to exchange his birthright for some lentil stew. Possession of the birthright secured for Jacob a double portion of the inheritance (Genesis 25:28-33). Although Esau was Isaacs favorite son, he displeased his father by marrying two Hittite women who were not descendants of Abraham. This made life extremely difficult for his parents (Genesis 26:34-35). Near the end of his life, when it came time for Isaac to give his blessing on Esau, he is deceived into blessing Jacob instead (Geisler). Rebekah overheard his instructions to Esau. She encouraged Jacob to deceive the blind old man by disguising himself as Esau and taking his brothers blessing. The deception succeeded, and Isaac gave Jacob the blessing of the firstborn. When Esau appeared to receive his blessing he was too late. He was very bitter against Jacob because of what had happened. After this, Esau was so angry that Jacob left for Haran. Twenty years later Esau generously forgave his brother and the brothers were reunited (33:4-16). Two decades later a rich and prosperous Jacob returned with his family. Esau and Jacob finally made peace before Isaac died. Even before they were born Jacob and Esau were in a battle for supremacy. But unlike Ishmael and Isaac they were twins from the same mother. Twins we tend to believe are closer because of similar genes. They are known to act alike and know what each other are feeling or thinking at times it is said. In Jacob and Esaus case this was not true. They seemed to try to battle it out even before birth. During their upbringing we see that their relationships with their parents may have played a role also. Jacob was more favored by this mother and Esau was favored more by his father. I find it interesting to see how the family dynamics of children may be influenced by the favoritism of their parents. Along with their personalities and how children are molded by which parent they are favored by in regards to male or female. V. Joseph and his Brothers Joseph was one of twelve sons of Jacob. He was the first born son of Rachel (Genesis 30:22-24). Jacob also had four sons by Rachaels sister, Leah (Genesis 29:31-35) Leah then bore sons five and six, Issachar and Zebulun, followed by a daughter, Dinah (Genesis 30:14-21). She gave her maid Bilhah to Jacob and Bilhah bore him Dan and Naphtali (Genesis 30:1-8). At this point Leah gave her maid Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. Zilpah brought forth Gad and Asher (Genesis 30:9-13). Joseph was the favorite of his father, since he was the son of Jacobs old age (Genesis 37:3) and the firstborn son of his favorite wife. Because he showed his favoritism so openly that the other sons became jealous of Joseph. Josephs brothers hated him. Plus, Joseph was a bit of a show off and a tattletale, acting as his fathers spy in their eyes. Their jealousy and envy towards Joseph only got worse when Jacob gave Joseph a ground-length, long-sleeved, multicolored robe (Genesis 37:3-4). The animosity of his brothers increased even more when Joseph revealed to them he was having dreams where his brothers would one day bow down before him (Genesis 37:5-11). Because of this, when Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers and the flocks near Shechem, his brothers tricked him and sold him to a caravan of traders going down to Egypt (Genesis 37:25-28). Josephs brothers then took his robe, dipped it in goats blood, and brought it back to Jacob, who was overwhelmed with grief (Genesis 37:31-35). Joseph went on to live out his visions from God and attained a high position in Egypt. He eventually faced his brothers again during the famine, and reveals his identity to them (Genesis 42-44). Joseph forgives his brothers after realizing that they will no longer sacrifice a brother for their own means or gains (Genesis 44:18-34). This sho wed Joseph that his brothers were changed men from their past dealings with Joseph. Josephs relationship with his brothers was one of resentment by his brothers a story of tragedy and deception. It shows a group of brothers having sibling rivalry over one brother. The dynamics of the family shows the partiality of Jacob over Joseph in comparison to the other brothers. This favoritism was not hidden by their father and shows the dangers of favoritism and the extent of how dangerous rivalry can become. VI. Amnon and Absalom Amnon was the son of King David and Ahinoam (2 Samuel 3:2). Absalom was the son of King David and his wife Maacah (2 Samuel 3:3). Thus Amnon and Absalom were half-brothers, likeAbrahams sonsIshmaelandIsaac. Absalom was a handsome young prince known for his long, thick hair (2 Samuel 14:25-26). He had a beautiful sister Tamar; Amnon brought shame upon Tamar by forcing himself on her and then refusing to marry her (13:1-20). Absalom allowed his dejected sister to live with him in his house, believing that his father King David would punish Amnon for what he had done. After two years of waiting, Absalom plotted his own revenge after his father did nothing to Amnon for his behavior towards Tamar. Absalom gave a feast for King David and his princes at his estate in the country. King David did not attend, but Amnon did; Absalom got him drunk and then had his servants kill Amnon (2 Samuel 13:26-28). Afraid of King Davids anger, Absalom fled across the Jordan River to King Talmai of Geshur, the father of Absaloms mother (2 Samuel 13:29-39). After three years hiding far away from home, Absalom was called back to Jerusalem by Davids general, Joab. After two years he was back in full favor with the king (2 Samuel 14) and began plotting ways to gain the throne for himself. He worked to make the people think well of him, while also lowering peoples opinion of his father, the king (2 Samuel 15:1-6). Eventually, Absalom planned a rebellion against King David, gathering the people who wanted him to be king together in Hebron. After Ahithophel, one of King Davids wisest counselors, joined Absalom, the prince announced that he was now king. By the time news of Absaloms conspiracy reached him, King David was unable to do anything but flee from Jerusalem (2 Samuel 15). When it finally came down to the battle between King Davids men and Absaloms men, Joab slew Absalom. He found Absalom hanging from an oak tree by his hair and slain him, even though King David had asked that Absalom not be harmed (2 Samuel 18). The story of Amnon and Absalom shows that rivalries often drive people to destroy one another. Amnon and Absalom were like Ishmael and Isaac being of two different mothers also. From early on they were against each other due to Amnons crime against Tamar. In addition, King David showed a pattern of defending his sons even though he knew they had done wrong. He seemed to turn his head at all the wrong times. This may be due to King Davids sins of his past. King David had unwittingly pronounced a fourfold judgment on himself in his responses to Prophet Nathans parable (Geisler 119). I wonder if he had been more of a role model in the sense of not sinning with Bathsheba that it would have changed any outcomes of his sons. The consequences of King Davids sins brought greater sorrow on him than had he died himself (Geisler 119). No matter what his sons had done, as all parents do, he continued to love them in spite of their troubles. How many times have we as parents never realized at the time the influences we have over our children. It is the perfect lesson of the do as I say and not as I do. King David did not act out in hypocrisy, but he did live in a sinful lifestyle at times. Allowing our sinful nature to be so prominent sends a message to our children that its okay. We must be a role model and teacher for all. Summary In summary I believe birth order played a part in each of the sons personalities. Although, Gods plans are more significant than the birth order process, sibling rivalry, family dynamics, or personalities and his plans follow through. . Throughout the Old Testament we see the same characteristics of rivalry, power; desire and resentment come to a head in each of these families. We see anger being taken out on the wrong people, as in Cain and Abel, where the anger was directed toward Abel, instead of God. We read of many forms of deception in several of the Old Testament families. Whether you could say that the oldest had more power than the other siblings, in terms of the personalities and birth order, it did not seem to matter in the end. God had a plan that would be implemented no matter what the circumstances were. Some people trace the hostility between Israeli and Arab to the rivalry between Isaac and Ishmael. Todays bloody disputes over territory spring from Gods promise of a land for his people (Knowles). The tragedy of strained relations between Islamic and Judeo-Christian countries is a part of everyday life. One need only pick up a newspaper or check the news story of the day via television, radio, or internet to learn of the latest violent attack. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, three of the worlds great religions, have their roots in the Middle East. All three religions revere Abraham as a common ancestor. Yet all three have had bloody interchanges throughout history. How and why did Abrahams children become such a dysfunctional family? Where is God in these family feuds? Even if there was a way to get past human characteristics of jealousy, power, conflict and self-centeredness, we would not be able to get past the differences in religious beliefs. When there is no ability for us as a society to come together as a whole then there is no way to rise above the problems.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Zorlu Holding And Vestel Electronics :: essays research papers

Zorlu Holding & The Vision Of The Company Mehmet Zorlu, established their Group's first company in the early 1950s, he laid the ground rules for the Zorlu Group's subsequent growth: integrity, perseverance’ and unconditional commitment to quality. Integrity is the Group's cornerstone value and they expect it to govern every aspect of their business. Hard work and perseverance are essential for the day-to-day success of their enterprises as they are for the undertaking) of a new venture. Quality is the key to customer loyalty, on which the long-term prosperity a f all ventures depends. With these ground rules, the Zorlu Group has sought to develop solid and profitable businesses that contribute to the welfare of the Group; its customers, business partners and employees; as well as the larger community. Until the early 1990s, they focused their investments in home textiles, an activity the Zorlu family has been involved with for several generations and in which they have a particular expertise. In 1994, they saw the opp ortunity to employ their strong capital and human resources in the consumer electronics sector, through the acquisition of the Vestel electronics Group. This was followed, in 1996 and 1997, by investments in the fast- growing energy and financial services sectors. Between 1990 and 1997, they tripled the number of their operations, increasing their total assets to just under US$ 1 billion, excluding the assets of five of their six subsidiaries incorporated abroad. They invested in state-of the-art spinning, weaving and textile technology that has made them the world’s largest; vertically-integrated polyester curtain producer and will propel them to the forefront of the international home textile industry in the years to come. They acquired the Vestel Group of consumer electronics companies, pushed its balance sheet from an undeserved red into the black, and set it on course to become a leading contender in the international consumer electronics markets. They established a bank, a leasing company and o factoring firm and they penetrated the power generation and electricity distribution sectors with the construction of two plants and a; competitive bid for o state- owned, plant slated for privatization. The Zorlu Group's rapid growth since 1990 reflects the vast range of opportunities that have emerged from the unique juncture of Turkey's Customs Union with the European Today, their operations include 32 companies in Turkey, France, Germany, Holland and South Africa in the textile, consumer electronics, finance, energy and tourism sectors. In 1997, their key operations achieved net sales of almost US$ 750 million and after tax profits of just under US$ 80 million.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Cheaper by the Dozen :: essays papers

Cheaper by the Dozen The book Cheaper by the Dozen written by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey was the life story of the Gilbreth family before Mr. Gilbreth died. Frank Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth were two of the twelve children. Mr. and Mrs. Gilbreth, both industrial engineers, ran a firm, Gilbreth, Inc. which was employed as "efficiency experts" by major industrial plants in the United States, Britain, and Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Gilbreth had twelve children, six girls and six boys. The names of the children are Anne, Ernestine, Frank, Bill, Lillian, Martha, Jack, Jane, Fred, Mart, Bob, and Dan. The older children's job is to take care of the youngest and the mother took care of the intermediate children and babies. Nothing was consider more a sin than wasting time, that is why the father, Frank, times himself trying to go as fast as he can with almost everything. He timed himself buttoning his shirt to see which way is faster, top-bottom or bottom-top. He timed himself shaving to see which way took longer, using two brushes to apply the shaving cream of one. He found that two were faster. Frank, the father also experiment on which ways was faster, using two razors of one. He found that one was faster, because with two he cut himself so many times it took him twice as much time to cover the cuts up. The book talked about how smart Frank, the Father was. He painted mores code on the walls of their summerhouse to teach it to his children. When the children decoded the message written on the wall, it revealed a clue that tells the child who decoded it where a prize was hidden. He painted also all of the planets and stars you can see in the sky on the walls of their summerhouse to teach his kids astrology. A neat power that the father, Frank, had was that as soon as he look at a person he would know their nationality. When ever the family would go somewhere were you would have to pay by the person, such as a toll bridge, Frank, the father, would take one look at the person and know that their nationality was Irish. The father, Frank, would say, "do my Irishmen come cheaper by the dozen?" The owner would probably say, "Irishmen? If you are Irish, you should not pay a toll on my road. Your trip is on the house." At the end of the book the father, Frank is called for work in

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Different Type of Toys

Toy A teddy bear A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old. Many items are designed to serve as toys, but goods produced for other purposes can also be used. For instance, a small child may pick up a household item and â€Å"fly† it through the air as to pretend that it is an airplane. Another consideration is interactive digital entertainment, such as a video game. Some toys are produced primarily as collector's items and are intended for display only. The origin of toys is prehistoric; dolls representing infants, animals, and soldiers, as well as representations of tools used by adults are readily found at archaeological sites. The origin of the word â€Å"toy† is unknown, but it is believed that it was first used in the 14th century. [1] Toys, and play in general, are important when it comes to growing up and learning about the world around us. The young use toys and play to discover their identity, help their bodies grow strong, learn cause and effect, explore relationships, and practice skills they will need as adults. Adults use toys and play to form and strengthen social bonds, teach, remember and reinforce lessons from their youth, discover their identity, exercise their minds and bodies, explore relationships, practice skills, and decorate their living spaces. Child development A rubber duck is a popular bathtime toy for small children. Toys, like play itself, serve multiple purposes in both humans and animals. They provide entertainment while fulfilling an educational role. Toys enhance cognitive behavior and stimulate creativity. They aid in the development of physical and mental skills which are necessary in later life. One of the simplest toys, a set of simple wooden blocks is also one of the best toys for developing minds. Andrew Witkin, director of marketing for Mega Brands told Investor's Business Daily that, â€Å"They help develop hand-eye coordination, math and science skills and also let kids be creative. â€Å"[8] Other toys like Marbles, jackstones, and balls serve imilar functions in child development, allowing children to use their minds and bodies to learn about spatial relationships, cause and effect, and a wide range of other skills as well as those mentioned by Mr. Witkin. One example of the dramatic ways that toys can influence child development involves clay sculpting toys such as Play-Doh and Silly Putty and their home-made counterparts. Mary Ucci, Educational Direct or of the Child Study Center of Wellesley College, demonstrates how such toys positively impact the physical development, cognitive development, emotional development, and social development of children. 9] Toys for infants often make use of distinctive sounds, bright colors, and unique textures. Through play with toys infants begin to recognize shapes and colors. Repetition reinforces memory. Play-Doh, Silly Putty and other hands-on materials allow the child to make toys of their own. Educational toys for school age children of often contain a puzzle, problem-solving technique, or mathematical proposition. Often toys designed for older audiences, such as teenagers or adults demonstrate advanced concepts. Newton's cradle, a desk toy designed by Simon Prebble, demonstrates the conservation of momentum and energy. Not all toys are appropriate for all ages of children. Some toys which are marketed for a specific age range can even harm the development of children in that range. Gender A toy tank with a remote control. Such toys are generally thought of as boys' toys. Certain toys, such as Barbie dolls and toy soldiers, are often perceived as being more acceptable for one gender than the other. It has been noted by researchers that, â€Å"Children as young as 18 months display sex-stereotyped toy choices†. 10] Playing with toys stereotyped for the opposite gender sometimes results in negative consequences from parents or fellow children. In recent years[citation needed], mainly in western countries[citation needed], it has been looked down upon for males to play with toys that were originally stereotyped as being girls' games and toys. However, it is generally not as looked down up on for females to play with toys designed â€Å"for boys†, an activity which has also become more common in recent years. [11] Economics Toys â€Å"R† Us operates over 1,500 stores in 30 countries and has an nnual revenue of US$13. 6 billion With toys comprising such a large and important part of human existence, it makes sense that the toy industry would have a substantial economic impact. Sales of toys often increase around holidays where gift-giving is a tradition. Some of these holidays include Christmas, Easter, Saint Nicholas Day and Three Kings Day. In 2005, toy sales in the United States totaled about $22. 9 billion. [8] Money spent on children between the ages of 8 and twelve alone totals approximately $221 million annually in the U. S. 12] Toy makers change and adapt their toys to meet the changing demands of children thereby gaining a larger share of the substantial market. In recent years many toys have become more complicated with flashing lights and sound s in an effort to appeal to children raised around television and the internet. According to Mattel's president, Neil Friedman, â€Å"Innovation is key in the toy industry and to succeed one must create a ‘wow' moment for kids by designing toys that have fun, innovative features and include new technologies and engaging content. In an effort to reduce costs, many mass-producers of toys locate their factories in areas where wages are lower. 75% of all toys sold in the U. S. , for example, are manufactured in China. [8] Issues and events such as power outages, supply of raw materials, supply of labor, and raising wages that impact areas where factories are located often have an enormous impact on the toy industry in importing countries. Many traditional toy makers have been losing sales to video game makers for years. Because of this, some traditional toy makers have entered the field of electronic games and are enhancing the brands that they have by introducing interactive extensions or internet connectivity to their current toys. [13] Physical activity A boy from Jakarta with his ball. Ball games tend to be good exercise, involving lots of physical activity and are popular worldwide. A great many toys are part of active play. These include traditional toys such as hoops, tops, jump ropes and balls, as well as more modern toys like Frisbees, foot bags, astrojax, Myachi, and the yo-yo. Playing with these sorts of toys allows children to exercise, building strong bones and muscles and aiding in physical fitness. Throwing and catching balls and frisbees can improve hand-eye coordination. Jumping rope, (also known as skipping) and playing with foot bags can improve balance. Safety regulations Toys with small pieces, such as these Lego elements are required by law to have warnings about choking hazards in some countries. Many countries have passed safety standards limiting the types of toys that can be sold. Most of these seek to limit potential hazards, such as choking or fire hazards that could cause injury. Children, especially very small ones, often put toys into their mouths, so the materials used to make a toy are regulated to prevent poisoning. Materials are also regulated to prevent fire hazards. Children have not yet learned to judge what is safe and what is dangerous, and parents do not always think of all possible situations, so such warnings and regulations are important on toys. There have also been issues of toy safety regarding lead paint. Some toy factories, when projects become too large for them to handle, outsource production to other less known factories, often in other countries. Recently, there were some in China that America had to send back. The subcontractors may not be watched as closely and sometimes use improper manufacturing methods. The U. S. government, along with mass market stores, is now moving towards requiring companies to submit their products to testing before they end up on shelves. [17]

Monday, September 16, 2019

Where the Wild Things Are Reading Log

VISUAL Title: Where the Wild Things Are Director: Spike Jonze Cultural Perspective: American Gender Perspective: Male Critical Reputation: Yes (Nominated for the Saturn Award) Date of Response: 21 September 2011 ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ directed by Spike Jonze links to the theme crisis and change through the character Max and his struggle to control his emotions. Max runs away and falls asleep and dreams of the island where the wild things live each wild thing representing parts of himself and his relationships with his family members.On the island he is placed to govern his own feelings after fighting with his mother. The wild things are symbols of the relationships he has with his sister and mum and his own emotions. Many of what happens in his world where the wild things live parallel Max’s reality  such as the dirt clod war which contrasts the snowball fight he had where he splits his emotions into good and ‘bad’ teams. Carroll, Douglas and K W are on his side while Judith, Ira, Alexander and Bull are classed as bad.Carroll is a symbol of Max’s uncontrollable anger and his destructive side which Max understands the best because he is constantly battling anger. Douglas is the symbol of reason and KW a girl who is full of love and represents his mother especially when she hides him from Carroll and also the close relationship between Carroll and KW because he does have a close relationship with his mother and she is the one who experiences the most of his anger bursts, however she is not really there when he needs her because she has to work.But there is a lovely moment between Max and his mother early on in the film which symbolises the love between them, when his mother writes the story Max tells her while he plays with her feet. ‘†There were some buildings†¦ There were these really tall buildings, and they could walk. Then there were some vampires. And one of the vampires bit the tallest building , and his fangs broke off. Then all his other teeth fell out. Then he started crying. And then, all the other vampires said, â€Å"Why are you crying? Weren't those just your baby teeth? † And he said, â€Å"No.Those were my grown-up teeth. † And the vampires knew he couldn't be a vampire anymore, so they left him. The end. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This is a moment when Max opens up to his mother through his creative side, and one of the nicest moments between Max and his mother in the whole film. Judith is a symbol of his relationship with his sister. They don’t really get on and she isn’t there for him when he needs her as represented by the quote that Judith says ‘†You know what? You can't do that back to me. If we're upset, your job is not to get upset back at us. Our job is to be upset.If I get mad and wanna eat you, then you have to say: â€Å"Oh, okay. You can eat me. I love you. Whatever makes you happy, Judith? † That's what you're supp osed to do! †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ this is exactly what Max expects from his sister and he is constantly upset by her. Ira symbolises the part of Max that is pushed around by the people in his life and Alexander symbolises the side of Max that no one listens to and is mistreated by the other wild things. Bull is a symbol of the journey and how that there are always going to be parts of yourself you won’t understand and that Max’s emotional journey has only just begun.Max changes throughout his time on that he spends on the island and comes to understand what his mother has to put up with as he finds it extremely hard to be in charge of Carroll as he is unruly. As he leaves the island KW says ‘†Don’t go, I’ll eat you up. I love you so†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ which reflects how she swallowed Max to protect him from Carroll because she loves him. He goes back to have a greater understanding of himself and what his mother has to put up with. Throughout the movie you feel sorry for Max as he is misunderstood and ignored.His sister doesn’t stand up for him when he is squashed in the snow fort he built with him inside. I also felt that some of his behaviour was unnecessary but throughout his stay on the island you find out that he had just not matured enough to understand what others had to put up with until he had to put up with it himself. ‘I don't talk to owls. Owls are stupid. ’ This quote symbolises how Max has no understanding and feels left out because he cannot understand what the owls are saying just like Carroll.The film also connects to the theme crisis and change with the idea that children are burdened with adults problems. Max is told by the teacher at school that the sun is going to die and this shocks him. Later on while he and Carroll are touring the island they come across the empty part of the world. Carroll says ‘†this part of your kingdom is not so good†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †Well, look this u sed to be all rock, now it’s all sand, and then one day it’s going to all be dust and then the whole island will be dust, and then†¦ I don’t even know what comes after dust. ’ This symbolises how max is burdened with the fact that not only is his childish imagination dying but so is he, just like the sun. Later max responds by saying ‘†Carroll, did you know the sun was going to die? †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Carroll responds with ‘†What? I’ve never heard that†¦ oh come on. That can’t happen. I mean you’re the king, and look at me, I’m big! How can guys like us worry about a tiny thing like the sun? †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ this shows how Max’s problems seem so much bigger than the sun at the moment but there is still the worry nibbling at him.When Max found out that the sun was going to die, I felt angry at his teacher for not explaining that it will take millions of years and for scaring Max. I didnâ€⠄¢t like the look of worry on Max’s face, when we see that this boy has so much more to come to terms with in himself, and is now burdened by something he needn’t worry about as it is still millions of years away. He learns that he can continue living even though Judith tells him ‘Happiness isn't always the best way to be happy. ’ He discovers there is more to being happy than he had thought before

Sunday, September 15, 2019

The End of Something Analysis of Nick

Prompt: Nick is a typical, male chauvinistic jerk in â€Å"T. E. O. S. † Ernest Hemingway established a tough guy figure with great male chauvinist in the short story The End of Something using parallels and masculine egoism. Nick as the main character in the story casually broke up with his girlfriend over some seemingly unimportant matters during their fishing trip. Nick’s attitude towards Marjorie’s responses regarding fishing skills showed that he is highly uncomfortable with her knowledge on the same level as his.Nick’s masculinity was disappointed by this changing of dominance, and caused him to break up with Marjorie eventually. As a typical Hemingway short story, T. E. O. S. also uses the Iceberg theory, which indicates that the first paragraph was more than a background; it was paralleling the village’s changes with Nick’s dominance degradation. The short story T. O. E . S. starts with an introduction of how the Hortons Bay went from a lumber town to mill ruins.Hemingway cleverly parallels the relationship between Nick and Marjorie with the original Hortons Bay with the place that the woods were shipped to (and the wood being all the fishing skills that Nick taught Marjorie). The decay of Hortons Bay was a symbol of Nick’s decline of dominance in this relationship with his girlfriend. The declination of superiority in the relationship made Nick uncomfortable and less masculine. â€Å"Its open hold covered with canvas and lashed tight, the sails of the schooner filled and it moved out into the open lake, carrying with it everything that had made the mill a mill and Hortons Bay a town. (Hemingway, page 29) The last sentence in the first paragraph of the story indicates that Nick didn’t feel the same in the relationship with Marjorie as how he did before, with all the â€Å"wood† being shipped away and the contrast between how it is know and how it was before. While at the last part of the st ory, Nick repeated the same content â€Å"you know everything† for several times. The use of repetition implies that Nick is upset with the fact that Marjorie now grasps the all the knowledge of fishing that Nick once taught her and is now on the same level as him.Hemingway portrayed this tough guy figure, Nick, with high self-egoism, so when Nick found out that he was gradually losing superiority to his girlfriend and eventually they became equals, he got frustrated and annoyed. It can be told from the scenes where Nick and Marjorie were fishing, they argued on little aspects regarding whether the fish would strike, how to bait should be dealt with and where to drop and Nick would argue to prove that he is the more experienced and fights to reassure his dominance. ‘You know everything’ said Nick †,â€Å"‘I can’t help it. ’ said Nick, ‘You do. You know everything. That’s the trouble. You know you do. ’ †, "I’ve taught you everything. You know you do. What don’t you know, anyway? †(Hemingway, page 34) The failure of establishing himself as a dominating male in this relationship caused Nick’s final breakdown as he started to accuse Marjorie for knowing everything. Hemingway depicted the scene of Nick and his girlfriend Marjorie breaking up over a fishing trip to demonstrate a masculine dominated concept in Nick.The writer portrayed Nick’s frustration over losing the superiority to his girlfriend, as she became just as good a fisher as himself, so as to demonstrate that Nick is a typical male chauvinist who does not accept being equal to a woman. Hemingway paralleled Hortons Bay with Nick and Marjorie’s relationship and used repetition in the end to demonstrate Nick’s frustration, while both strategies helped to establish Nick as the tough guy figure.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

First Day in College

First Day in College According to a scientific research we record moments which leave significant marks in our emotional state or in our lifes. There has been circumsatances I’ve lived through that has impacted in my life. One of those remarkable moments was my first day in college. There’s many people that maybe can not understand how difficult is to emigrate. My transition to this country accumulated stess and excitement in the same time. Many people have never tried the feeling of being alone and with nobody. There is no one I can related to have or socialize with that.That’s America gave me. It put in my way a lot of challenges to pass through. The first one was my first day in college. I remembered that day like was today. The particular one also showed me the differences between America and Eastern part of Europe. It was September 4th 2013. It was a beautiful autumn day. I didn’t sleep the night before despite I took pills to help sleep. I guess it w as emotional because I was excited. Anyway I slept two hours. I got up at 7 o’clock. I took a shower,aet the breakfast and I got dressed.All of those movuments were involuntary because I was in a different sate of mind . Physically I was in Torrington while my while part of mine was in 271 Scott Swamp Rd Farmington where the college is located. It was warm and sunny that morning so I was wearing a squared blu shirt and a pair of blue jeans. I took my black backpack and I went outside where my old brown Chrysler was waiting for me ready for a new adventure. While I got out from my praking lot I started to get cold despite the warmth outside. It was 7:45 when I passed Torrington .I had driven to Tunxis only once before that day. I had an iphone but without data so in those circumstances I was afraid of getting lost and missing that important day. So basically I took route 4 and I kept going while I was listening to music. In the same time I was asking myself if I was in right w ay. I was in that status until the Tunxis campus appeared ahead. Then another question came in my mind â€Å"What about now? † I passed last lights and I turend the wheels all the way to the left where the college parking lot is. It was full with cars.I’ve never seen something like that in any college or high school in my country. Luckly I found I parking lot. I took my backpack from the back seat and I walked straight to the main entarance. It was 8:20 while the class started in 8:30. There’s so many young students like me that were walking to the campus but I bet none of them were like me,I mean like my emotional state. So, I entered in the main entranece of the college which basically is 100 building. When I entered it was so much difference between albanian schools which has only headmaster room and teachers room.I directly noticed the Faculty Office on the left and the Record Office on the right. I didn’t know where to go and where my class was. For that reason I took to the right I went up to the end at Information Desk where I asked and the told me to look through the sheets attached in the desk which were behind me. That’s what I did. I saw that my first class was Integrated Reading and Writing I and it would be in room 210. Again I asked a guy who passed by and he told me to go through the door in front of me and to take right in the second door. Finally I found it.There were other students whose were waiting like me. I was watching them and in the same time I was wondering if the would be my first classmates. In that moment an old short blond woman came up toward greeting us. She took a piece of paper form her bag and she saw the code to open the class door. I didnt see before a class door like this. In Albania it dosent exist. We all took a chair. It was a different classroom that I was expected. The student desk was small and couldn’t have space for two or more students like the desks in Albania were.Anothe r thing that took my curiosity was a guy who took in his hand a Dunkin’Donuts coffee in class which in my country I couldn’t even take a bottle of water in class beace any driks or foods are prohibited. My attention went to my new teacher when she started speaking not Albanian but in English in which I wasn’t used to. She introduced herself. Her name was Christina. She read our names. When she came into my name she pronounced it wrong so I had a little conversation in order to prounounce my name well despite my broken English. After that the student who were in class started talking with the teacher.I was the only one who didn’t participate in class. beacuse I was shy. Therefore three hours went by quickly so that class was over at 11:20. When I got out of the class I felt like I accomplished hard duty. The halls of the 100 Building were overcrowded by students but it was quite not like in my country where is too noisy even with fewer students. That day I had only one class but my day was still not done yet. I had to meet an Italian girl whose name is Alessia. Her father is my uncle’s best friend and she is her to help me with anything because she knew all the things there because she was there since two years.She got my number from my uncle so she texed me and she saidto meet in Library. I went there and I saw here. She was the most beautiful girl that I’ve ever met. We started taling for about an hour about ourselves. She asked me about how I felt in America and stuff like that. We talk an hours but it seemed to me like 5 minutes. Now I can understand Einstain’s quote about relativity †Put your hand in a hot stove for a minute and it seems like an houer. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That’s relativity. †That girl was like the cherry on top of the cake. She made my day.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Active contours

Active contours Active contours are one category of variational methods that have been used widely within image segmentation applications. An energy functional is defined with arguments as the image parameters and a closed curve that partitions the objects in the image. There are two main methods of representing the curves such as (a) extrinsic and (b) intrinsic. Extrinsic representation keeps function values at boundary points. Intrinsic lets use of functions that are defined on all the point of the image and are more desirable. Intrinsic representation of a planar curve C using an auxiliary function is denoted as C = f(x; y) j (x; y) = 0g (22) where (x; y) is called level set function of curve C and the zero level of (x; y) is taken as the contour. Curvature  of the closed curve C with level set function  is given by  = div( 5 k5k ) (23) The deformation of the contour is reprsented in a numerical form as a partial differential equation @(x;y) @t =j 5(x; y) j ( + ((x; y))) (24) where  is a constant speed term to push or pull the contour. Mean curvature of the level set function is defined as: ((x; y)) = xx2 yà ´Ã‚€Â€Â€2xyxy+yy2 x (2 x+2 y)3=2 (25) where x is the first derivative with respect to x and xx is the second derivative with respect to x. The role of the curvature term is to control the regularity of the contour and  controls the balance between the regularity and robustness of the contour. Chan Vese formulated the energy function F in terms of an internal force Eint and an external force Eext F(C) = R 1 0 [Eint(C(S)) + Eext(C(S))]ds (26) Eint = length(C) + Area(Cin) (27) Eext = R Cin j I(x; y) à ´Ã‚€Â€Â€ I1 j2 + R Cout j I(x; y) à ´Ã‚€Â€Â€ I2 j2 (28) where  and  are positive fixed parameters which help to smoothen the growing contour. I(x; y) is intensity value of image region and I1 and I2 are average intensity value inside and outside the object region, respectively. IV. IMPLEMENTATION AND ANALYSIS All qualitative and quantitative outcome of the algorithm were recorded by running the Matlab programs with Intel(R) Core (TM) i7 CPU, 3.4 GHz, 4 GB RAM with Matlab 14 (a) on Windows 8. A. Description of Test Data The dataset used in the proposed algorithm consists of scanned images of stained breast biopsy slides from MITOS dataset [35]. Each set is composed of 96 high power field (HPF) images of breast tissue scanned at 40X magnification using two different scanners, Aperio (AP) and Hamamatsu (HM), with a resolution of 0.23-0.24 m:. All the images are 1376  1539  3 size. B. Experimental Strategies This paper qualitatively and quantitatively compares the KHO based optimal nuclei detection performance with the watershed based detection done by S. Ali et al. [8] and blue ratio image based detection done by Irshad et al. [21]. The segmentation performance is compared with local threshold method done by Cheng Lu et al. [22]. 1) Experiment 1: Evaluating the optimal threshold value: Goal of this experiment was to prove the power of KHO based optimal thresholding to detect the exact nuclei regions in histology images. It also compares the optimum value of the threshold obtained by KHO in breast histopathology images with GA, HSA and BFA. 2) Experiment 2: Comparison of Detection Accuracy: Aim of this work is to validate the detection performance of the proposed technique against the watershed and blue ratio techniques in terms of detection sensitivity and precision. 3) Experiment 3: Comparison of Segmentation Accuracy: This evaluates the performance of the detection algorithm in ACM segmentation and compare the results against two state-of-the-art techniques in terms of boundary based distance measures. This experiment also measure the strength of the algorithm to resolve the touching nuclei in terms of touching nuclei resolution.1) Evaluation of Detection Performance: This paper qualitatively and quantitatively evaluates the application of optimal thresholding in nuclei detection performance. The mean objective value and standard deviation express the consistency and stability of the algorithms. The results obtained by KHO are compared with GA, HSA and BFA. The parameters used in these algorithms are given in Table II.The quantitative evaluation of detection performance is carried out by locating the centroid of detected nuclear regions. The measures used to assess the nuclei detection comprise of: 1) Sensitivity (SD); 2) Positive Predictive value or Precision (PD); and 3) F-measure (FD) as given in eq. (26), (27), and (28), respectively. The results obtained are compared with manual detection results by an expert pathologist. The SD and PD values are computed from the number of truepositives (number of correctly detected nuclei, Ntp) , falsepositives (number of wrongly identified nuclei, Nfp) and false negatives(number of nuclei not detected by the algorithm, Nfn). The detected object is considered as true positive if its centroid is within 10 pixels range of manually determined centroid location. If no centroid was manually located within