Thursday, October 31, 2019

Law of Trusts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Law of Trusts - Essay Example her well-disposed persons, some for the relief of aged and poor persons, some for the maintenance of sick and maimed soldiers and mariners, schools of learning, free schools and scholars in universities, some for repair of bridges, ports, causeways, churches, sea-banks and highways, some for education and preferment of orphans, some for or towards relief or maintenance of houses of correction, some for marriages of poor maids, some for aid and help of young tradesmen, which lands, goods (and) money have not been employed according to the charitable intent of the givers and founders thereof, by reason of frauds, breach of trust and negligence in those that should pay (and) deliver same.† "Charity in its legal sense comprises four principal divisions: trusts for the relief of poverty, trust for the advancement of education, trusts for the advancement of religion, and trusts for other purposes beneficial to the community, not falling under any of the preceding heads." In this essay, I would like to establish that the concepts of charities is still very much relevant to our present society as the four heads mentioned in the Pemsel case is still very much relevant to the present times. In some countries that adopted the preamble3, they expand the law to include such other groups and entities, which may need the assistance afforded by the Statutes. However, the Statutes of Charitable Uses is self-limiting and there is need to expand the coverage thereof in response to modern times. Thus, the concept of Charities evolved into the new Charities Bill. In order to understand better this evolution of the application of the law, let us look at the four areas covered by the Elizabethan law and see how this concepts have evolved over time4 and how our case law affected the evolution thereof. Relief of poverty is one of the noblest tasks of mankind to help each other. Under the Elizabethan law, there were two forms of relief, which was set up, one is the outdoor relief5 and

Monday, October 28, 2019

Statement of Purpose Essay Example for Free

Statement of Purpose Essay I am determined to become a top engineer and researcher in radiology, advancing the development and application of this important technology. This is an era when information technologies, such as electronics and computer science, are mushrooming throughout the world. But how about radiological science? Is it a diminishing subject without a future? Of course not! It is a research area that has a unique and indispensable position in many fields such as industry and medical science. In my point of view, radiological science can be classified as a branch of information technology. Why? Combined with computer science and electronics, radiology provides us with information that was originally thought to be invisible such as the interior structure of metal, the image of the inside of the human body and even the existence of a celestial body far away from us. With the capacity of acquiring many kinds of important information, radiology is undoubtedly a promising research field. My initial interest in radiological science was sparked by a visit to the laboratory of the Large Container Inspection System (LCIS) when I was a freshman of Tsinghua University. LCIS, specially designed for Customs, was one of the key national projects taken charge by the Department of Engineering Physics. As a fruit of radiological science, it can present the image of the interior of a large container without even opening it. The seemingly magical power was really attractive to me, a young man with a keen curiosity and the ambition to fulfill accomplishments in engineering and applied technology. In the spring of 1999, I entered the (name) Laboratory and began to assist the professor in research. The assistants job offered me a great opportunity to work with and learn from the professors and graduates in the lab, who had not only taught me a lot of knowledge in radiology, but also impressed me with their enthusiasm and devotion to this field. To be competent in the job, often went to the library to read books and science journals on radiology, such as the Nuclear Instruments and Methods and IEEE Nuclear Science ; Medical Imaging. This reading, though a little bit difficult, brought to me valuable information of the state-of-the-art technology. With my broadening mind and growing interest, I am determined to become a top engineer and researcher in radiology, advancing the development and application of this important technology. While reading the journals, I discovered that the US is the best place to pursue my further study and research because of its favorable atmosphere of research in radiology. And the University of (name), one leader in nuclear engineering, has the graduate program that I most want to be associated with. From web sites and publications introducing the (university name), I learned that you are conducting a wide range of research in radiology, much of which I am interested in, such as radiation instrument design and radiation imaging. With the world-class faculty, advanced facility, nurturing and challenging environment, your graduate school is the best place where I can extend myself with the most advanced technologies. I know that the admission to your school is very competitive and challenging. But I am confident that I am qualified and well prepared for it. The undergraduate study in Tsinghua has built for me a solid academic foundation in mathematics and physics as well as in my major. Intelligent and diligent, I received outstanding records in the courses Ive taken and my overall GPA is in the top 5% of our department, for which I have been granted scholarships for 4 consecutive years. My research ability is also outstanding. In my college years, I took advantage of every opportunity to enhance my research ability and enrich my research experience in my major. I carefully and creatively planned and conducted the experiments in all the lab courses, such as Lab of Physics and Lab of Modern Physics. In the course of Modern Physical Electronics, I, with one of my classmates, designed an experiment to test the transmission feature of electrical cable used in the oil well nuclear logging system, and proposed some advice to make improvements. I also took part in the SRT (student research training) program, doing lab work on the application of virtual instrument in radiation detection and nuclear instrumentation. In the lab, I am appreciated by my advisor, Professor (name) for I am not only able to conduct research independently, but also understand how to cooperate with others. As a college student, I am well developed in many aspects. As the monitor of the class, I showed responsibility and leadership in my work. For my excellence in English ability (please refer to the Resume), I was selected as the editor of the University English TV Station and the broadcaster of the University English Radio Station. I love sports and take part in many fields of it: I am the captain of the basketball team of the class, the fourth place winner in the University Badminton Tournament and a good I-go player. In the annual Comprehensive Quality Assessment taken by the university to scale the students all around ability, I am always the top student of my class. I can not forget the days when I was in primary school, short and weak, always failing in the sports matches. With my enthusiasm in sports and the determination to become strong, I started to exercise. Each time when I was exhausted from running, out of breath and my legs aching, it was my perseverance that had kept me on the track. With my efforts paying off, my conviction became firmer: determination and perseverance is crucial in peoples success. With my perseverance and strong interest, as well as the academic background and the research ability, I am confident that I am a suitable candidate for your graduate program. My intended field of study is radiation measurement and imaging, medical physics and other related areas in radiology science. If I could be admitted and financially aided, I would like to pursue my PhD degree there. And after that, I will come back to China, to enter industry or research institutes to promote the research and application of radiological science

Saturday, October 26, 2019

History Of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Psychology Essay

History Of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Psychology Essay Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a syndrome of emotional lability, Parkinsonism, ataxia, and cognitive impairment suffered by athletes who undergo repetitive concussive and subconcussive blows to the head (Cantu 2007). Owing to its initial discovery in boxers, CTE has been various known as punch drunk, dementia pugilistica, and psychopathic deterioration of pugilist. This paper will discuss the history of research into this fascinating topic, starting with the first descriptions in the medical literature and covering the progress made in understanding the clinical presentation, epidemiology, neuropathology, and genetics of the disease. CTE was first described by the American pathologist Martland in a 1928 article on the punch drunk syndrome in boxers. Martland noted that for years boxing fans and promoters had observed cuckoo or goofy behavior in fighters. The fighters most often affected were poor boxers who would take considerable head punishment, seeking only to land a knockout blow. Punch drunk was also common among second rate fighters used for training purposes, who may be knocked down several times a day. Martland described the symptoms of punch drunk based on his examination of five boxers. The early symptoms of punch drunk were unsteady gait and slight mental confusion. Some boxers did not progress beyond this stage, while others went on to develop slow movements, hesitancy in speech, and hand tremors. In severe cases, boxers would develop a propulsive gait, Parkinsonian facies, and marked mental deterioration. Martland speculated that the mechanism of brain injury was traumatic cerebral hemorrhages follow ed by gliosis. This conjecture was based on his observation of multiple cerebral hemorrhages in people who died from acute traumatic head injury (Martland 1927). Building on Martlands work, researchers investigated the clinical course and epidemiology of CTE. Critchley observed that CTE can progress in many boxers even after they had retired, a phenomenon that to this day eludes explanation (1957). Corsellis noted that emotional lability and violent behavior tended to precede the Parkinsonian symptoms, ataxia, and cognitive decline mentioned by Martland (1973). Roberts studied the prevalence of CTE in retired professional boxers and found that 17% of subjects exhibited brain damage as determined by neurological exam and EEG abnormalities. Just as Martland observed that boxers who took more hits to the head were more likely to be punch drunk, Roberts showed that career length and number of professional fights were risk factors for CTE. Indeed, 47% of boxers whose careers were longer than 10 years suffered brain damage, compared with 13% of boxers with careers shorter than five years. Likewise, about 50% of boxers who had fought over 150 bouts had brain damage, compared with 19% of those with 50 to 150 bouts and 7% of those with less than 50 bouts (Roberts 1969). This idea of a dose-response relationship between repeated trauma and CTE was supported by the observation that amateur boxers did not suffer neuropsychological deficits due to boxing (Butler 1993). CTE is not unique to boxing, but has occurred in other sports with high rates of head trauma such as wrestling, horseracing, and parachuting as well as a case of battered wife syndrome (Corsellis 1976). Research into the gross neuropathology of CTE was spearheaded by Corsellis, who studied the brains of 15 deceased boxers, eight of whom were world or national champions (1973). Corsellis identified four common areas of brain damage and their associated clinical symptoms and signs. First, cavum septum pellucidum with fenestrations in the leaflets was a common finding. In addition, the lateral and third ventricles were enlarged and the frontal and temporal lobes were atrophied. These changes were associated with emotional lability and memory impairment. Second, degeneration of the substantia nigra, as evidenced by the loss of pigmented neurons, was associated with Parkinsonian symptoms like tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia. Third, gliosis and neuronal loss in the cerebellar tonsils was associated with loss of balance and coordination. Fourth, diffuse neuronal loss was associated with an Alzheimers-like dementia. Eight of the fifteen cases Corsellis studied exhibited all four types of brain damage. The link between CTE and Alzheimers was strengthened when in 1967, Constantinidis showed the presence of neurofibrillary tangles in brains affected by traumatic injury (1967). Subsequent research showed that the microscopic pathology of CTE differed from that of Alzheimers in two important ways. First, CTE exhibited a unique distribution of neurofibrillary tangles in the neocortex. Neurofibrillary tangles in CTE were preferentially distributed in superficial layers of the neocortex layer II and the upper two thirds of layer III. In contrast, in Alzheimers they were located primarily in deeper layers the lower third of layer III and layer V (Hof 1992). Second, whereas beta amyloid plaques are an important feature of Alzheimers disease, they are not an essential part of CTE. One study showed that fourteen out of the fifteen brains studied by Corsellis stained positive for beta amyloid deposits (Roberts 1991). However, in a series of 51 CTE cases, McKee found that beta amyloid plaques were present in only 47% of cases (2009). The pattern of neurofibrillary tangles observed in CTE overlaps with the areas of neuronal loss identified by Corsellis. McKee observed neurofibrillary tangles and tau-immunoreactive astrocytes in parts of the neocortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum, brainstem and spinal cord. The density of neurofibrillary tangles was particularly high in the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and amygdala. This suggests involvement of the papez circuit and may explain the emotional lability observed in CTE. In addition, neurofibrillary tangles have been found in the substantia nigra and cerebellum. (McKee 2009). Recent research has suggested several mechanisms for brain injury in the setting of repeated trauma. Neurofibrillary tangles in CTE have a characteristic perivascular distribution, grouped around small intracortical vessels (Geddes 1999). This finding suggests that trauma may damage the blood-brain barrier, releasing neurotoxins that promote the formation of neurofibrillary tangles around blood vessels. In a similar vein, another study found that in many areas of CTE-affected brains the microvasculature was less dense and tortuous than normal. In addition, the distribution of this pathological microvasculature was highly correlated with the distribution of neurofibrillary tangles. The proposed explanation was that trauma damaged the microvasculature and led to the growth of neurofibrillary tangles. (Buee 1994). On a related note, neurofibrillary tangles in CTE were found to contain higher levels of iron and aluminum than those in Alzheimers disease, possibly due to damage to the bloo d-brain barrier (Bouras 1997). Diffuse axonal injury is a second possible mechanism of injury. After a concussion, disruptions in axolemma permeability and in axonal transport can lead to axotomy within 24 hours (Maxwell 1995). Indeed, in one study eighty percent of patients who died from acute head trauma showed immunocytochemical evidence of axonal injury (McKenzie 1996). A third mechanism of brain injury is the deposition of beta amyloid. Although beta amyloid plaques are present in only half of CTE cases, studies have shown that beta amyloid deposition increases after head trauma (Gentleman 1993). In addition, beta amyloid concentration in the brain is correlated with neurological recovery following head trauma (Brody 2008). Genetic studies suggest that the apolipoproteinE e4 allele predisposes to worse outcomes after traumatic brain injury. One study finds that patients with the APOE e4 allele have a two-fold higher risk of death, vegetative state, or severe disability compared to those without the allele (Teasdale 1997). The mechanism by which APOE e4 influences recovery from traumatic brain injury is unclear, though a role in neuronal repair has been suggested (Chen 1997). There are many unanswered questions regarding CTE. First, recent case reports indicate that CTE can occur in professional football players and soccer players (Omalu 2005, Matser 1998). The prevalence and risk factors for developing CTE in populations other than boxers are unknown and require further investigation. On this front, public awareness is increasing and more than 250 current and former NFL players have pledged to donate their brains to the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CSTE) at Boston University School of Medicine (CSTE 2010). Second, the observation that CTE can present years after retirement from sports cannot be explained by current theories of CTE pathophysiology. Third, there has been no research into potential treatment options, though Parkinsons and Alzhemiers drugs have been used speculatively. Fourth, current preventative measures consist of return to play guidelines that sideline players who suffer concussions until their symptoms resolve. This is based on the finding that the risk of a second concussion is increased in the period following a concussion (Cantu 2003). However, no protocols for measuring degree of neurological impairment and reinjury risk in athletes have been developed. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a progressive neurodegenerative disease marked by emotional lability, Parkinsonism, ataxia, and cognitive decline. Since its first description by Martland, much has been learned about this disease. CTE occurs in professional athletes who suffer repeated head injury in a variety of sports, but has not been found in amateurs. Pathologically, CTE presents with neurofibrillary tangles in a distribution unique from Alzheimers and with beta amyloid deposits in about half of cases. Various mechanisms of injury have been proposed, though none have been proven. Genetic studies suggest that APOE e4 may promote CTE. Areas ripe for future research include the prevalence of CTE in sports other than boxing and the pathophysiology, treatment, and prevention of this disease.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Religion in the Works of Flannery OConnor Essay -- Biography Biograph

Religion in the Works of Flannery O'Connor      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Religion is a pervasive theme in most of the literary works of the late Georgia writer Flannery O'Connor. Four of her short stories in particular deal with the relationship between Christianity and society in the Southern Bible Belt: "A Good Man Is Hard to Find," "The River," "Good Country People," and "Revelation." Louis D. Rubin, Jr. believes that the mixture of "the primitive fundamentalism of her region, [and] the Roman Catholicism of her faith . . ." makes her religious fiction both well-refined and entertaining (70-71). O'Connor's stories give a grotesque and often stark vision of the clash between traditional Southern Christian values and the ever-changing social scene of the twentieth century. Three of the main religious ingredients that lend to this effect are the presence of divine meanings, revelations of God, and the struggle between the powers of Satan and God. The divine symbols in O'Connor's works tend to be mostly apocalyptic in nature, exhibiting drastic cases of societal breakdown in a religious context, but occasionally, they show prophetic hope. John Byars states that: She presents two contradictory images of society in most of her fiction: one in which the power and prevalence of evil seem so deeply embedded that only destruction may root it out, and another in which the community or even an aggregate of individuals, though radically flawed, may discover within itself the potential for regeneration. (34) In all four of the mentioned stories, this presence of Christian signs-of-the-times can be seen. Set in the early fifties, "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" tells of the murder of a vacationing Georgia family by an escaped felon called the Misfit. ... ...Norman. "Dostoevskian Vision in Flannery O'Connor's `Revelation.'" The Flannery O'Connor Bulletin 16 (1987): 16-22. O'Connor, Flannery. The Complete Stories of Flannery O'Connor. New York: Farrar, 1990. Rubin, Louis D., Jr. "Flannery O'Connor and the Bible Belt." The Added Dimension: The Art and Mind of Flannery O'Connor. Ed. Melvin J. Friedman and Lewis A. Lawson. New York: Fordham UP, 1966. 49-71. Scott, Nathan A., Jr. "Flannery O'Connor's Testimony." The Added Dimension: The Art and Mind of Flannery O'Connor. Ed. Melvin J. Friedman and Lewis A. Lawson. New York: Fordham UP, 1966. 138-56. Spivey, Ted R. "Flannery O'Connor's View of God and Man." Flannery O'Connor. Ed. Robert E. Reiter. St. Louis: B. Herder, 1966. 111-18. Wood, Ralph C. "Flannery O'Connor, Martin Heidegger, and Modern Nihilism." The Flannery O'Connor Bulletin 21 (1992): 100-18.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Religious Views on War Essay

1. To complete this Graded Assignment, retrieve the Religious Views on War DBQ. Use this document with its essay instructions and the DBQ Checklist to complete this DBQ essay. Please consult the rubric throughout the process. Using the documents, compare the views of major world religions on war. What additional kind of document(s) would you need to compare the views of major world religions on war? Essay: Three major world religons have their roots in India: Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. Buddhism and Sikhism both grew from Hinduism. All three share the idea of non-violence (ahimsa). The term ‘non-violence’ was actually coined in English (about 1920) by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948) as a direct translation of ‘ahimsa’, ‘avoiding harm to others’. The idea of non-violence was very important to Mahatma Gandhi’s thinking and actions as a Hindu leader during India’s approach to independence in 1947. He wrote: ‘I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent Hinduism is perhaps the oldest world religion; in some of its writings ahimsa has been considered the highest duty from the beginning of time. Jainism also grew out of Hinduism; Jainists believe that people should strive to become detached from the distractions of worldly existence; and that the practice of ahimsa is an essential step on the way to personal salvation Buddhism developed from the teaching of Siddhartha Gautama, called the Buddha (c.563 – 483 BC), who believed that human suffering could be overcome by following a particular way of life. The first precept of Buddhism is ‘non-harming’ (ahimsa): Buddhists reject violence. Buddhism is clearly pacifist in its teaching, and many Buddhists say quite bluntly that it is ‘better to be killed than to kill’. Some Buddhists have been very active in promoting peace, particularly during the Vietnam War (1961- 1975), when they  offered a ‘Third Way’ of reconciliation between the American and Communist armies. Some Buddhist monks burned themselves to death in self-sacrificing protest against the war. In the Guru’s house, religion and worldly enjoyment should be combined – the cooking pot to feed the poor and needy and the sword to hit oppressors.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Profile of Demosthenes, the Greek Orator

Profile of Demosthenes, the Greek Orator Demosthenes, renowned as a great Greek orator and statesman, was born in 384 (or 383) B.C. He died in 322. Demosthenes father, also Demosthenes, was an Athenian citizen from the deme of Paeania who died when Demosthenes was seven. His mother was named Cleobule. Demosthenes Learns to Speak Publicly The first time Demosthenes made a speech in the public assembly was a disaster. Discouraged, he was fortunate to run into an actor who helped show him what he needed to do to make his speeches compelling. To perfect the technique, he set up a routine, which he followed for months until he had mastered oratory. Plutarch on the Self-Training of Demosthenes Hereupon he built himself a place to study in underground (which was still remaining in our time), and hither he would come constantly every day to form his action and to exercise his voice, and here he would continue, oftentimes without intermission, two or three months together, shaving one half of his head, that so for shame he might not go abroad, though he desired it ever so much. - Plutarchs Demosthenes Demosthenes as Speech Writer Demosthenes was a professional speech writer or logographer. Demosthenes wrote speeches against Athenians he believed guilty of corruption. His first Philippic was in 352 (it is named for the man Demosthenes opposed, Philip of Macedonia.) Aspects of Athenian Political Life Greek men of means were expected to contribute to the polis and so Demosthenes, who became active politically in c. 356 B.C., outfitted a trireme and, as choregus at Athens, he paid for a theatrical performance. Demosthenes also fought as a hoplite at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338. Demosthenes Gains Fame as an Orator Demosthenes became an official Athenian orator. As an  official orator, he warned against Philip  when the Macedonian king and father of Alexander the Great was beginning his conquest of Greece. Demosthenes three orations against Philip, known as the Philippics, were so bitter that today a severe speech denouncing someone is called a Philippic. Another writer of Philippics was Cicero, the Roman with whom Plutarch compares Demosthenes in Plutarchs Parallel Lives. There is also a fourth Philippic whose authenticity has been questioned. Death of Demosthenes Demosthenes troubles with the royal house of Macedon didnt end with Philips death. When Alexander insisted that the Athenian orators be delivered to him to be punished for treason, Demosthenes fled to a temple of Poseidon for sanctuary. A guard prevailed on him to come out. Realizing he was at the end of his rope, Demosthenes requested permission to write a letter. Permission was granted; the letter was written; then Demosthenes began to walk, quill pen in his mouth, to the door of the temple. He died before he reached it of a poison hed kept in his pen. Thats the story. Works Attributed to Demosthenes On the Accession of AlexanderAgainst AndrotionAgainst ApatouriusAgainst AphobusAgainst Aphobus 1Against Aphobus 2Against AristocratesAgainst Aristogiton 1Against Aristogiton 2Against Boeotus 1Against Boeotus 2Against CalliclesAgainst CallippusOn the ChersoneseAgainst CononOn the CrownAgainst DionysodorusErotic EssayAgainst EubulidesAgainst Evergus and MnesibulusExordiaOn the False EmbassyFuneral SpeechOn the HalonnesusAgainst LacritusAgainst LeocharesAgainst LeptinesLettersOn the Liberty of the RhodiansAgainst MacartatusAgainst MidiasAgainst Nausimachus and XenopeithesOn the Navy-BoardsAgainst NeaeraAgainst NicostratusAgainst OlympiodorusOlynthiac 1Olynthiac 2Olynthiac 3Against OntenorAgainst OntenorOn OrganizationAgainst PantaenetusOn the PeaceAgainst PhaenippusPhilips LetterReply to Philips LetterPhilippic 1Philippic 2Philippic 3Philippic 4Against PhormioFor PhormioAgainst PolyclesAgainst SpudiasAgainst Stephanus 1Against Stephanus 2Against TheocrinesAgainst TimocratesAgainst Timot heus On the Trierarchic CrownAgainst ZenothemisFor the Megalopolitans Available through The Internet Library.

Monday, October 21, 2019

English short story Charlie Mcsweeney Mrs Kurt Essays

English short story Charlie Mcsweeney Mrs Kurt Essays English short story Charlie Mcsweeney Mrs Kurt Essay English short story Charlie Mcsweeney Mrs Kurt Essay Fire, how was I supposed to know it would lead to this? Why was fire created? What is its purpose? Why did I not take these points into consideration before?When I was just a small boy (about ten) for the first time a lighter flame flickered in front of my eyes, an obsession of mine had just emerged. You see after the first sight of the luminous hypnotising flame I was hooked like an addiction always wanting to see a bigger and more ferocious fire.The first fire I spawned needed three fire engines to extinguish it. It was these old tin sheds, that were derelict or that was what I had thought until I had seen the local news that evening,Homeless man found scolded in derelict tin sheds in Longfield.I did feel guilty for the homeless man vacating the sheds, but at the same time a sharp exhilarating rush emerged throughout my body. The next time made the local news again, an old rundown house in the middle of the woods which went up a treat. The fire engines where unable to get to the sc ene, while I watched on fascinated by the flames flickering fiercely in the wind. The police where getting a bit suspicious now and where trying to stereotype people walking down the street as pyromaniacs whatever one of them would look like. You see I was a typical teenager with tracksuit bottoms a t-shirt covered by a hooded top and a baseball cap. This was the fashion for children my age so I didnt stand out at all, although the rush of being caught was another stimulation that I knew one day I would come to an end.For the next couple of months I had been going around causing carnage burning down old houses to dustbins. The rush was building up; my mind telling me to make a fire and to burn something, at this stage knew something was wrong with my mind but I was so involved in the fires my common sense had faded away. I knew the police were hot on my trail they had narrowed the suspects down to a teenager living locally in Longfield. This next fire was to be my last it would be t he biggest fire I have ever seen. For the last two months I had been planning it, thinking of all my pyromaniac skills that I could use.I set off from my house and walked the three miles to the shops to pick my shopping for the fire; it consisted of two jerry cans full of petrol, a lighter and I took a trip to Glovers farm to pick five bails of straw. I set off to the council estate which was packed with over two hundred houses. I positioned my tools around the back in one of the garages and proceeded towards the nearest fire alarm and let it off, and observed all of the people flee to the car park some hundred yards away. I then immediately began to position the hay bails in the middle of the estate. You see the estate had two large buildings joined by a smaller one in the middle. I then swiftly moved to the base of the middle building placed the straw and then went to the retrieve the lighter and petrol. All that was need now was for me to rig the lighter to explode when I heard s irens; it must be the police and fire brigade responding to the fire alarm as I placed the rigged lighter there was a banging on the door,Come on open the door, whos there.It must be a kid just playing with alarms again go and get the fire brigade to search the area!The lighter was set in place and I was trapped the only way to go was up, at this stage my heart was pounding and my veins ready to explode because of the adrenaline flowing through them. I then stood on the roof of the middle building and all of a sudden heard a deafening blast of the rigged lighter exploding. Looking down I could see fir roaring out of the windows and rising upwards.Time was fading away forcing me upon a decision to live and get caught due to the drop being so high, or stay and get burnt to death. At this point staring death right in the eyes I realised there was no rush or urge to do it again but a desire to live my life as a usual sane person again not a pyromaniac and not end my life at sixteen. The fire was now two floors below me I could feel the heat through the roof. My actions always have seemed to go before my mind so before I knew it I was in mid air on my way down to earth. I passed through the flames out the window I got slightly scolded; as I hit the floor with a horrifying thud and no sense of feeling in my legs feeling completely paralysed. Whilst I was trying to crawl away I was spotted by one of the policemen,Lads Ive found him. Hes the one who started it I saw him through the window.I wasnt really left with a choice to plead my innocence seeing as one of the residents saw me set the alarm off.So here I am now sitting in juvenile prison saying to myself,Fire, how was I supposed to know it would lead to this? Why was fire created? What was its purpose?

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Truman Show Film Research Paper Example

The Truman Show Film Research Paper Example The Truman Show Film Paper The Truman Show Film Paper Essay Topic: Film In class we have been studying The Truman Show. A film where one man lives under the hands of the media. His whole life has been one lie; everything he stood for was fraud. The Truman show is self-reflexive. This means the content of the film is reflecting the media itself. The Truman Show is about a film within a film, it shows the life of one man- Truman Burbank. Hidden cameras placed within the set monitor every second of his life. Truman inhabits a world similar to Big brother. Wherever he goes he is being watched. The viewer is inspired by Truman and feels sorry for him all the way through. In my essay I will analyse the film and try to explain what I think the whole film stands for. The narrative of The Truman Show is All knowing, this means that the viewer knows more than the characters inside the film. We all know Trumans world is false, but Truman has no idea. Truman Burbanks life is one huge lie; he lives on Seahaven the worlds biggest studio set. From the moment he was born, his life has been on air 24/7 and little does he know that he is the worlds most loved TV star. Apart from this dark secret, his life is practically perfect. He inhabits the most perfect town, with all happy people where everybody knows his name. His life is hunky dory. Of course, everything is so perfect because its all staged, along with all events in his life. The Truman Show also follows Todorovs Theory. The exposition is when Christoff and the characters are talking about the show. At the beginning we are introduced to the show with a sign, which helped us familiarize us with the TV show. The mis-en-scene of the frame was a black screen with white Sans Serif font as the body, the text told us how many days into the show it was. This helped set the scene a little more. When we are introduced to Seahaven and we instantly recognise it as a typical happy American town, such as you would see in a musical. The story develops when Truman meets Lauren (Sylvia) and he falls in love. She takes him to the beach and tells him that everyone can see him. She tells him her name isnt Lauren its Sylvia. Coincidently she gets whisked away to Fiji. From that moment on, Truman starts to get suspicious. This is the complication. A climax is reached when Truman escapes and is out on the boat. In the resolution Trumans boat hits the wall at the edge of the set and discovers the truth. The closure of the film occurs when Truman decides to leave. The story ends with his classic words. Incase I dont see ya, Good Morning, Good Evening and Goodnight. This is a happy ending and it puts a tear to our eye. The audience within the film and us all feel sympathy towards Truman. Jim Carrey plays Truman. Truman Burbank is carefree, happy and venerable, unlike most roles Jim Carrey is likely to play. The TV audience love him because he is so nice. Infact he is so nice it is almost unreal. Most of his personality is constructed and controlled by Christoff. His world is so nice, its like a dream, so cheesy its unreal. We feel sorry for Truman because he is so lovable but has no privacy and his whole life is monitored and on display to the world. Its as if everyone is betraying him. He dresses like the typical American family man. In a woolly v-neck jumper or a suit. We identify with Truman and psychologically become a part of his world. Us as the audience love him and see him as the hero in the show. We sympathise with Truman even more because he thinks he has a wife who loves him and a best friend he can trust. Little does he know he has been cheated on and when he leaves Seahaven he has to re-build his life all over again. Meryl, Trumans wife is the typical blonde American housewife. She often wore an apron or a nurses uniform, which is a general typical job of a woman. Meryl has a tang of arsenic in her syrupy voice Here Jane McDowell is suggesting that she sounds almost too sweet, that her voice is quite intimidating. I agree with him because at times Meryl sounded so nice that she seemed false. Marlon- Trumans best friend is totally controlled by Christoff. In the scene where Truman is reunited with his father, Christoff is dictating to Marlon what to say. Then when Truman goes missing Marlon is under Christoffs instructions and does exactly what Christoff is telling him to do.. He is very loyal to Christoff and seems very puppet like, without a mind of his own. Christoff is represented as a stereotypical director. The Truman show is his life, he is obsessed with the show and is willing to sacrifice anything for it- even Trumans life. As Truman is escaping on the boat Christoff creates a tidal wave in order for Truman not to find out he world is a fraud. Christoff is probably the most powerful character in the whole film. He wears all black, which could signify evil. He shows no emotions towards Truman. Which makes us, as the audience dislike him. He is the villain in the film. Christoff is like a god to Truman. Not in the way of a hero but the word God is more of a metaphor. He has made Trumans life what it is and has the power to do what he wants to him. Christoff designed Trumans world and picked all his family and friends. Toward the end when Christoff tells Truman the truth, all Truman can hear is Christoffs voice. This symbolises Christoff as a God to Truman. Sylvia is almost the only real Character in the movie. Truman adores her, and created a picture of her using cut out from magazines. He carried this around with him. Sylvia is very honest to Truman and tells him everything. When she got chucked off the set. Lauren is seen watching the show. When Truman laughed she laughed with him. When Truman was in trouble she cried. There are two different types of Enigma codes in The Truman Show. One being the clues given to Truman and the second type is given to us- the audience. The first code given to Truman is when a light falls out of the sky at the very beginning. Truman is surprised at first but fails to think anything of it, and he goes on with life as usual. As the film goes on, more enigma codes are given to Truman and eventually leads to his escape. Such codes include Meryl having her fingers crossed, the small amounts of rain that mysteriously follows him, the disappearance of Sylvia, Sylvia telling him the truth and when a part of the set is accidentally revealed. As Truman got more suspicious he took notice of these codes and became more aware of them. One day, he is in his car listening to the radio when the signal interferes and he hears people talking about him and his actions. He starts to notice small things like people hed never met before knowing his name. Another time he runs into the road and the bus stopped straight away, with a spookily quick reaction. Also, Truman starts to notice other things, he predicts a lady with flowers, then a beetle, and then a couple would come around the corner. Truman then goes mad and tries to escape with Meryl. Coincidently theres a leak at the power plant and Truman has to return home. All these clues leave Truman suspicious and he tries to escape. There are also enigma codes given to us as the audience. When Truman sees Sylvia in the library she is wearing a badge saying, How will it end? The camera performs and Extreme Close up on this bade so that we cant focus on anything else. This is so Peter Wier can ensure that weve defiantly seen it and to emphasise the importance of the badge. This makes the audience wonder what does happen at the end. Other camera techniques are used in The Truman Show to convey messages to the audience. During the film the camera take different angles and points of view to vary the scenes and to keep the viewers attention. Without different camera shots the film would seem very plain and unprofessional. Lots of different shots are used for a reason. The camera exerts a low angle and looks up at Christoff symbolically making him look more powerful. When Truman and Meryl are talking the camera switches shots, this is called shot reverse shot. This enables the audience to see both subjects within the scene and makes the conversation more interesting. Also then different camera techniques can be used within each frame. In example, the camera exerts a high angle filming Truman, this makes Truman seem more week and inferior to Meryl who is being filmed at a high angle making her look more superior. Truman is perhaps made to look weaker than Meryl because at this time in the film Meryl and Christoff had allot of power over Truman and perhaps in a way they were controlling him. Throughout the film POV shots are constantly used. The impression given to us, as the audience is that these cameras are stuck onto the actors within Seahaven. For example, when Truman was trying to escape there was coincidentally a nuclear leak. One of the supposed workers of the plant had a camera placed inside his Mask. While this worker was spraying Truman to knock him unconscious we saw all this from the view of the worker. These point of view shots make us feel even more the atmosphere of a TV set. I could tell when there was a POV shot because the corners of the frame were faded. This helped me familiarise myself with a POV camera so I could tell the difference between an ordinary camera and a hidden one. During the scene where Truman is reunited with his father a variation of shots are used. A close up of Trumans crying face is used, this brings out Trumans emotions and makes both audiences feel sorry for him. A long shot of Truman and his father hugging is used to show the audience their actions. Also a medium shot is used where we can see the fathers back and Trumans face, yet again this reminds the audience of the trauma Truman is going through. Also many Mini- Cams are used around the set of Seahaven. These are hidden cameras around the set such as security cameras or hidden cameras in cupboards or in paintings etc. An example of this would be when Truman is in the hospital and he is being spied on by a security camera. We hear the mechanics within the camera as it moves. This non-diagetic sound informs us that the camera is that of a hidden camera within the set. At the beginning Truman is looking directly at the audience, it appears that his is talking to us. This is a direct mode of address. This infact is a hidden camera hidden in the mirror in the bathroom. This sets the scene well because we realise Truman isnt talking to us but instead he is being spied upon. There were 6 key moments for me. First two were at the beginning in the jolly happy morning scene where everyone was saying greeting him and everything was really cheesy and jolly. Around that time a light fell out of the sky and gave Truman the first hint that something was wrong. Other Key moments we time such as when Meryl had her fingers crossed on the wedding photo, when Truman met up with his father and when Truman fell in love with Lauren. The Key moment for me in the whole film was when Truman escaped at the end. This was very significant to me because it shows Truman conquering all the people that had lied to him and beating them at their own game. Non-diagetic and diagetic sounds are used in almost every scene in the Truman show. In one scene you can hear the diagetic sound of tweeting birds, which is a stereotypical sound of a peaceful happy village. It is hard though to say whether this is diagetic or non diagetic. This is because Christoff might have placed these sounds into the set of Seahaven therefore making them non-diagetic sound FX. Though the dialogue by Truman and all the characters is defiantly diagetic sound. When Truman is out on the boat Christoff adds in Non- diagetic sound effects to build up tension for the audience within the film. He plays fast tragic music to go with the scene. When the moment in the film is more jolly, i. e. when Truman goes out in the morning the music played is more happy and cheesy. This makes the viewer feel more relaxed and tells us that everything is fine and dandy. When Truman was re-united with his father slow sad music is played to make the viewer feel sad. Without music added into the film the reader wont feel the emotions that they do. When Truman escapes the whole town is searching for him. Diagetic FX are used to show the marching of the town. This loud sound can symbolise a threat to Truman or signify the marching of the drums during a war. There are three audiences that watch the Truman show. The audience that Christoff has attracted, the TV crew that are creating the show, and then theres us. The audience that watches the film that Peter Weird created. The audience that watches the Truman show in the film is totally obsessed with Truman. They are there watching with amazement in all the key moments in the film. When Truman Meets up with his dad, they are there crying. When Truman escapes they are there mystified. When Truman nearly dies they are there crying, and when Truman leaves the show they are there cheering. This TV audience is active and are most likely linked to the uses and gratifications theory. They seem to evolve their life around Truman and watch him as much as they possible could. When they are out with friends their main topic of conversation is likely to be about the Truman show. They are probably addicted to the show and will forever watch it to find out what will happen next. It could be said that some of the audience are passive, and are affected by the hyperdermic needle effect; because they watch Truman so much they are likely to copy him. They might go out and say the things he says. Such as Incase I dont see ya, good morning good evening and goodnight. This audience is from Adults up. Those who havent got much to do during the day. Also I would guess the audience is mainly older because they would have been watching the show from Trumans birth so they would have followed it. Using the Registrars General scale I would say the class of this audience is from C E. This is because they are most likely to be unemployed so they watch the show during the day. People of a higher class or children are usually at school during the day so they wouldnt be able to catch on to the show so easily. In general I would say the audience is dominantly white because the actors in the show are mainly white (apart from the bus driver). Also Truman is a typical white American Man and other races are less likely able to link with him so well. Having said that I wouldnt say it was specifically aimed at any particular race. Both male and females watch the film in the show. The TV crew audience rely on Truman to give themselves a successful show. They watch him with wonder and hesitation in order to see if the scene they had tried to create had gone to plan. Then they congratulate themselves if a scene goes well. They are there watching Truman constantly, monitoring his every moment. It was the TV audience that first spotted Truman was missing. We relate to this audience the least because we dislike them for what they are doing to Truman. The audience that watches the film (us) is different to the audience within the film. We arent likely to be addicted to the show because it doesnt have any more episodes following it. I would say the target audience is to be of age 10+, anyone who will understand the story and grasp whats going on inside. The film is a certificate PG but it may be too complicated for a 6 yr old. I would say it is ideal for people of any lifestyle. I would say it could be for the middle class lifestyle for many reasons. The world Truman inhabits is quite complicated and middle class people are more likely to grasp the concepts of it all. Lower classes (D and E registrars general scale) are less likely to appreciate the film as much because they might not understand it, they might find it cheesy or could find it boring. Also in the film allot of classical music is played which in general would appeal to a higher-class audience. The audience of this film is again probably dominantly white. I get this idea because the film is based on more of a white culture. The Truman show makes its audience value the importance of privacy. After watching the film the audience thinks twice about whether there life is like Trumans. We also start to wonder who we can trust. Its not fair that Truman has his life controlled and by watching the film people might learn to treat other people better. Peter Weir gives off many messages during the Truman Show, He is laughing at the media all the way through and portrays them as a very powerful, untrustworthy organisation. The whole show symbolises real life. Many people have their lives followed and monitored by the media and have no privacy, for example Posh Spice and David Beckham. In the Truman show, Trumans life was perfect. Everything he wanted it to be. Everything he heard was exactly what he wanted to hear. When he started getting clues to his life being a lie he denied them at first but after a number of strange events he discovers that what he used to believe was one big lie. This show also conveys that people cant keep a huge secret from someone because eventually theyd find out and it will all end in tears. I enjoyed watching the Truman Show. Its a very interesting film and it made me think twice about life. My favourite part was when Truman found out the truth, I felt really pleased for Truman and it was a really emotional ending. It was great that Truman finally defeated the media, and re-united with the only honest person in his life. It would love it if a Truman show 2 was made and I could find out how Truman coped with living after a lie.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Effective Technology Support Team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effective Technology Support Team - Essay Example The success enjoyed by Davies' team is proof of the fact that he enjoyed a rather effective technology support team. However, as we can see, his team was composed not only of his colleagues, but professors and graduates as well. This fact seems to point out, that for team success, it is not necessary to have a group of geniuses with a plethora of experience. So, what is it that actually determines how successful a team is Apart from having a well-defined objective, it is important for a team to have a clear process through which they will achieve that objective, i.e. the group defines and achieves a continuous series of 'small wins' along the way to a larger goal. In the example above, there were numerous problems the Stanley group faced along the way of the actual execution of the plan (such as the problem of controlling the car in dust and fog). However, the team was prepared for all the challenges they faced. Sure, they didn't have all the possible technologies they might need to get them through, but they had meticulously planned a specific line of action for each problem they might face. (Geoff Koch, former Intel editor, www.intel.com) A team can only flourish when it exists in an easy yet involving environment, in the sense that there is a lot of healthy discussion in which virtually everyone participates, but it limited to the teams' objective. If discussion gets off track, someone (whose role is pre-assigned) brings it back to the task in hand. After listening to each other, members just voice any and all ideas that come to mind. They do net hesitate considering the fact that their creativity may be labeled stupidity. They disagree and criticize each other frequently, but they always scrutinize each others' reason for doing so, so that they might work constructively towards the objective of the team. The purpose is simply not to dominate the dissenter, but to resolve the issue. Conversely, the dissenters don't try to dominate the group; they simple voice a genuine difference of opinion. If there are basic disagreements that can't be immediately resolved, the group figures out a way to live with them without let ting them halt its efforts. A decision is only taken when there is either unanimous or at the very least a general agreement, but never when there was confusion regarding both sides of a choice. (MacGregor D., n.d., The Human Side of Enterprise), (Kaztenbach & Smith, n.d. The Wisdom of Teams) However, this is the scenario where a team has actually been assembled and it sets out to perform the task at hand. But how is that team chosen in the first place, i.e. how does team building actually occur The first question asked about any team member is the level of intelligence. Are their brains capable of computing the amount of data necessary for the task When designing a particular system, there are a million different problems he might face.Will that person be able to address those issues Very simple put, does he have what it takes (patience, experience, judgment, analytical/problem solving capabilities, etc)to handle his job Additionally, it helps if the team members are curious about the things they actually research into. For e.g.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Plagiarism in Universities in English Speaking Countries Essay

Plagiarism in Universities in English Speaking Countries - Essay Example The rise of plagiarism and its negative impact on the educational sector in these country has raised eye brows and is a major concern on how it can be eliminated or though its causes can be addressed. Because of these researches have been conducted in order to establish the main causes of plagiarism by different authors. According to (Guo Xin 2011) poor academic skills is one of the main causes of plagiarism in most universities. This is because students are not able to distinguish between what article has been paraphrased this way they end up plagiarizing. Due to lack of good academic skills most scholars do not understand why cheating is wrong and can become as a result of plagiarizing. They also lack enough knowledge on how to use in texts and how to phrase the sources .Another factor associated with poor academic skills is that the scholars are unable to plan their time and schedule enough time to do research and also to write their academic papers and articles. Finally in poor a cademic skills ,most students in the English speaking countries are not well trained on writing skills and they have problem of not considering in term academic continuous assessment tests such as writing thesis ,doing assignments and also presentations. They are more focused on the end of term exams. In order to solve this problem Daniel luzer 2011, suggested that teachers should explain to their students how to differentiate between plagiarized articles, the teachers should also promote good academic skills among the students that will ensure that the students understand the importance of doing their work and presenting assignments. The teachers should also teach the students of good time management skills so that they can have time to research and do their own individual works. According to Bam ford et.al.(2005),the other factor that causes plagiarism is external pressures. This pressures include the fact that students lack enough resources like money to help them study and facil itate their stay in the learning institutions and also help live better lives at home. Hence, they are forced to plagiarize since it takes less time and take the extra time to work and get money .Secondly most scholars fear the punishment and rejection they would get from their family members and especially parents if they fail t o score well in school. Thirdly, about 60 percent of students experience pressure from the parents and relatives on the fact that they should perform well in school as a means of making the both parties proud. Good performance is viewed as a great necessity among most families. Lastly, most students plagiarize in order to ensure they remain at par with the good performers in the school or learning institution. According to carolla, (2000),the solution to these problem is to make sure that all students are availed with all the resources that they need to facilitate their learning both at home and also in their schools. The other solution is to ensure that pa rents are made to accept the results of their children and motivate them to work harder and improve their grades next time. The family plays a very crucial role in embracing and promoting honesty and hard work among the students. Finally (chester 2001) suggests that students should be made to understand that all cannot lead in performance squares due to the differences in capabilities and their potentials too. According to devlin (2007),the other major

Internet addiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Internet addiction - Essay Example People often tend to ask as to what internet addiction is. The focus of internet addiction can cause people to believe that they are being informed by the IAD, also known as internet addiction problem. This paper will look into the way in which internet manipulates people’s minds and distracts them, thus causing them to think about entirely different things and experience radical change in their priorities (Young, â€Å"Internet Addiction: Symptoms†). The solution to internet addiction is realization of addiction, time management, and increased family unions. Firstly, Internet addiction is a very nasty disorder that might even be more technical than the obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) that most of the world is aware about. Just like OCD, the roots of internet addiction disorder are psychological and are triggered due to a nervous system that exists within the brain. What is shocking though, is the mere fact that internet addiction problem does not get as serious as OCD and is not fatal, physically, but it is fatal in the sense that a person loses his ability to grasp priorities and change from one situation to another in a smooth transition. A person having internet addiction will always have this time crunching feeling that he needs to work on something different, something more reproductive, on the internet. For example, a person who has an assignment to compete for his college will often try to complete the assignment because he feels responsible for it. However, if that student is addicted to internet, he will often get an urge t o check what is going on when it comes to his Facebook account, Twitter account, some other social media platform account and thus get distracted immediately (Young, â€Å"Internet addiction: the†). His conscience may have been about fulfilling his responsibility but his obsession with social media platforms drives him to ruin his own work himself. Moreover, it also becomes hard for the

Resume Portfolio Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Resume Portfolio - Coursework Example Demonstrated expertise in providing total nursing support for clinical trial patients that includes cardioversion procedures. I have proven ability to anchor all activities for clinical research that entails recruiting the required patients and coordinating visits in consultation with subjects, labs and physicians. Recognized expertise in assessing and monitoring patients and maintenance of patient data. Adept at interacting with internal medical teams and patients. Superior interpersonal and communication skills with a proven ability to impart training to medical teams. Detail-oriented and resourceful, innovative and self-directed. Autobiography Born of (Name of Father) and (name of mother) on the (birthdate) in Quezon City, Philippines. (age), (citizenship), articulate in English (include other dialects if using any), written or spoken, with good interpersonal skills, a team player and leader and a fast-learner with genuine fervor for learning. Various interests include music, perf orming arts, film and cooking (just an example). Skills: -Ability to provide nursing care to a group of clients within a variety of health care systems utilizing application and synthesis from nursing and related disciplines - Incorporating leadership theory and skill within the assumed nurse role during health care interactions with a client and collaboration with the health care providers - Demonstrating ability to integrate communication and professional relationship skills when

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Job Description Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Job Description Report - Essay Example They should also know how to record and account for reimbursements and use the billing software and use the indices in all the coding books effectively. Software: They should be competent in using Medical Coding ICD-9 Software. This is a  diagnosis  and  procedure  categorization search tool based on the latest  .NET  Framework Technology.  Adding, modifying or deleting ICD-9-CM codes with the click of a mouse. Chart Review: An inpatient coder must thoroughly review all patient medical charts in an effort to ensure that all information is accurate and reliable. He should do chart review by extracting pertinent data from the patient’s health record, and determine appropriate coding for reports and billing documents. Compliance: All information entered into the database by an inpatient coder must be done so in accordance with the policies and procedures of the medical facility. Should Maintain compliance with both external regulatory and accreditation requirements, and with State and Federal regulations. Staff Interaction: When discrepancies and other anomalies are discovered in files, an inpatient coder must communicate with medical staff members such as nurses and doctors to resolve the issue immediately without delay. Education: In order to gain employment as an inpatient coder, the candidate must possess a high school diploma or its equivalent and have taken coursework in medical terminology, physiology and anatomy. On admission, the coder must identify and code the diagnosis that qualifies the patient to meet the hospice certification of â€Å"life expectancy of 6 months or less†. During the hospice episode, the additional disorders/diseases may be added and should be updated upon recertification. End-stage diagnoses are not usually captured by the ICD-9-CM code( the medical coding software). Secondary diagnoses also are coded because patients other have multiple medical conditions at the end of life. Eligibility

How Social Media is Changing the Role of Journalists and Journalism Essay

How Social Media is Changing the Role of Journalists and Journalism - Essay Example The journalists were also required to interview expert sources in order to gather more information on the issues to report about. From the views of the expert sources, the public could be able to make informed decisions on the issues raised by the experts before they compile a report to the public. This is usually called the agenda setting. The journalists in the discharge of their duty to enlighten the public are guided by certain codes of conduct. They have to avoid issues that can wreck havoc or raise them in a rational manner. The journalists also have to censor provocative content to the public before their news story could be broadcasted in the mass media. They also have to ensure that their sources are credible and free from speculations and rumors. They moderate the news contents as they receive them before letting them out to the public domain. However, following the current trend of the social media, there has been an increasing tendency of the social media to act as the jo urnalists. One would expect to receive news through the mass media reported by journalists, but instead, most of the world news is now spreading through the social media that how the mass media would do its work. The news spread by mass media covers longer distances within very short time spans and reach more people than if it could have been dispersed by the mass media. This research therefore, is aimed at discussing and finding out the extent to which the social media is changing journalism and the work of the journalists at large. Journalism could be losing relevance and may become obsolete with time. This could be so as the social media are taking a faster step in assuming all the duties and responsibilities of journalism of receiving and dispersing news to the whole world. They are able to share the news globally making the social media the new mass media reaching billions of people all over the world. For many years, before the advent of the social media, there used to be a lo t of trust in the reputable sources of news and journalism as a career was highly regarded in all societies. It came to pass that human beings, born with lots of ability to invent and innovate, came up with easier ways to allow people to socialize and communicate with the whole world just through an interface. Thus, social media, has been rebranded to give it different purposes where people find it very easy to get there and disperse or receive news about the latest happenings all over the globe. Something, for instance, could take place this instance in America, but before the journalists could get access to the news in order to report it officially, someone in Africa who is connected to a friend in America through the social media shall have received the news through the media. Other instances include advertisements through the social media. Several companies have found a large audience base through the social media platform. This is where many young stars and some of the old peop le take much of their time to socialize with their friends all over the world. Therefore, this opportunity has been taken up by companies to at least promote their companies to their audiences through making advertisements on the social media page. Social media and public opinion The journalists through the mass media such as the radio and television have always had to control and moderate public discussions. The social media has enabled everyone with an account to act as their own moderators. Habermas notes that â€Å"

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Resume Portfolio Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Resume Portfolio - Coursework Example Demonstrated expertise in providing total nursing support for clinical trial patients that includes cardioversion procedures. I have proven ability to anchor all activities for clinical research that entails recruiting the required patients and coordinating visits in consultation with subjects, labs and physicians. Recognized expertise in assessing and monitoring patients and maintenance of patient data. Adept at interacting with internal medical teams and patients. Superior interpersonal and communication skills with a proven ability to impart training to medical teams. Detail-oriented and resourceful, innovative and self-directed. Autobiography Born of (Name of Father) and (name of mother) on the (birthdate) in Quezon City, Philippines. (age), (citizenship), articulate in English (include other dialects if using any), written or spoken, with good interpersonal skills, a team player and leader and a fast-learner with genuine fervor for learning. Various interests include music, perf orming arts, film and cooking (just an example). Skills: -Ability to provide nursing care to a group of clients within a variety of health care systems utilizing application and synthesis from nursing and related disciplines - Incorporating leadership theory and skill within the assumed nurse role during health care interactions with a client and collaboration with the health care providers - Demonstrating ability to integrate communication and professional relationship skills when

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

How Social Media is Changing the Role of Journalists and Journalism Essay

How Social Media is Changing the Role of Journalists and Journalism - Essay Example The journalists were also required to interview expert sources in order to gather more information on the issues to report about. From the views of the expert sources, the public could be able to make informed decisions on the issues raised by the experts before they compile a report to the public. This is usually called the agenda setting. The journalists in the discharge of their duty to enlighten the public are guided by certain codes of conduct. They have to avoid issues that can wreck havoc or raise them in a rational manner. The journalists also have to censor provocative content to the public before their news story could be broadcasted in the mass media. They also have to ensure that their sources are credible and free from speculations and rumors. They moderate the news contents as they receive them before letting them out to the public domain. However, following the current trend of the social media, there has been an increasing tendency of the social media to act as the jo urnalists. One would expect to receive news through the mass media reported by journalists, but instead, most of the world news is now spreading through the social media that how the mass media would do its work. The news spread by mass media covers longer distances within very short time spans and reach more people than if it could have been dispersed by the mass media. This research therefore, is aimed at discussing and finding out the extent to which the social media is changing journalism and the work of the journalists at large. Journalism could be losing relevance and may become obsolete with time. This could be so as the social media are taking a faster step in assuming all the duties and responsibilities of journalism of receiving and dispersing news to the whole world. They are able to share the news globally making the social media the new mass media reaching billions of people all over the world. For many years, before the advent of the social media, there used to be a lo t of trust in the reputable sources of news and journalism as a career was highly regarded in all societies. It came to pass that human beings, born with lots of ability to invent and innovate, came up with easier ways to allow people to socialize and communicate with the whole world just through an interface. Thus, social media, has been rebranded to give it different purposes where people find it very easy to get there and disperse or receive news about the latest happenings all over the globe. Something, for instance, could take place this instance in America, but before the journalists could get access to the news in order to report it officially, someone in Africa who is connected to a friend in America through the social media shall have received the news through the media. Other instances include advertisements through the social media. Several companies have found a large audience base through the social media platform. This is where many young stars and some of the old peop le take much of their time to socialize with their friends all over the world. Therefore, this opportunity has been taken up by companies to at least promote their companies to their audiences through making advertisements on the social media page. Social media and public opinion The journalists through the mass media such as the radio and television have always had to control and moderate public discussions. The social media has enabled everyone with an account to act as their own moderators. Habermas notes that â€Å"

Wire affects its resistance Essay Example for Free

Wire affects its resistance Essay Current: Current is the movement of electrical charge the flow of electrons through the electronic circuit. Current is measured in AMPERES (A). A current is a flow of electrons, the higher the current the more electrons flow round the circuit every second. Batteries can make electrons move. They can push electrons through wires made of copper and other metals. Materials like copper let electrons flow through are called conductors. The tiny electrons squeeze between the atoms in the wire. Some materials stop electrons passing through, these are called insulators. Plastics and rubber are insulators. The voltage will be measured so I will be able to calculate the resistance using Ohms Law. The current will be kept the same throughout the experiment and then will be used also to help me find the resistance using Ohms Law. (`Wires Wires warm up when a current flows through. Thin wires warm up much more than thick ones, and some types of wires warm up more than others. They warm up because of collisions inside the wire generating heat. If too much current were passed through a wire it would melt. (`ElectricityElectricity is lots of tiny particles called electrons moving along a wire. Electrons are much smaller then atoms. In fact, they are parts of atoms, so there are electrons in everything. (`Circuit A circuit is a path for electrons to flow through. The path is from a negative terminal power source, through the various components and onto the positive terminal. Think of it as a circle, the paths may split of here and there, but they always form a line from the negative to the positive. NOTE: Negatively charged electrons in a conductor are attracted to the positive side of the power source. This helped me to set up my circuit. ( `Conductor A conductor is a material (usually a metal) that allows electrical current to pass easily through. The current is made up of electrons. This is apposed to an insulator, which prevents the flow of electricity through it. Even good conductors have some resistance to flow through it. The conductor that I am going to use is copper wire, which has resistance. Electrons need energy from the power source (in this case a power pack) to travel. The further they have to travel, the more energy it takes so the resistance increases. In Metals The Current Is Carried By Electrons 1. Electric current will only flow if there are charges, which can freely move. 2. Metals contain a sea of Free Electrons (which are negatively charged). And flow throughout the metal if they are given energy. 3. This is what allows electric current to flow so well in materials. ( `Resistance Resistance is anything that causes an opposition to the flow of electricity in a circuit. It is used to control the amount of voltage and /or amperage in a circuit. Everything in a circuit causes a resistance (even wire). It is measured in OHMS (? ). Resistance occurs when the electrons travelling along the wire collide with the atoms of the wire. These collisions slow down the flow of electrons causing resistance. Resistance is a measure of how hard it is to move the electrons through the wire. The resistance of a wire depends on the number of collisions the electrons have with the atoms there will a larger number of collisions which will increase the resistance of the wire. If a length of a wire contains a certain number of atoms, when that length is increased the number of atoms will also increase. E. g. If there is a wire that is half the length of another wire it would also have half the number of atoms, this means that the electrons will collide with the atoms half the amount of times. Also if the length of the wire is trebled or quadrupled then the resistance would also treble or quadrupled. My prediction was derived from this information. All of this information I collected originated from the Website, www. studentcentral. co. uk from encyclopaedias such as The Oxford Childrens Encyclopaedia and computer encyclopaedias such as Encarta. (This scientific information relates to my experiment by stating that the longer the lengths of wire the higher the resistance. (Preliminary Results Length Of Wire (mm): Voltage (V): Current (A): Resistance (? ). (Therefore this information supports my prediction that the longer the length of wire the higher the resistance. Obtaining Evidence: (The variables I kept the same are: (The same material used for the wire, (The same cross-sectional area of wire, (And the same temperature of the wire. (The potential difference from the power pack: 2V. (The current, which measured the rheostat, was kept at: 0. 5A. (The lengths of the copper wire: (0 mm, (100 mm, (200 mm, (300 mm, (400 mm, (500 mm, (600 mm, (700 mm, (800 mm, (900 mm, (1000 mm. (The readings from the voltmeter and the ammeter were measured to two decimal places. Test One: Length Of Wire (mm): Voltage (V): Current (A): (These tests are reliable because you can see patterns, which is as the length increased the resistance increased. (It is a suitable range of lengths because I have done over six sets of results (0 1000 millimetres), so I will be able to identify a line of best fit to show my results. (My results are accurate, as they show as the length of the wire increased the resistance increased proportional to it. Averages: Length Of Wire (mm):Voltage (V): Current (A): Resistance (? ). (To find the resistance I divided the voltage by the current, e. g. Length of wire 100mm: Resistance = 0. 02 0. 5 Resistance = 0. 04 ? (My results show as the length of the wire increased the resistance increased proportional to it. I know this because my graph shows a fairly strong positive correlation, which tells me that as the length of the wire increases the resistance of the wire increases, proportional to it. (Also my results show when I started at zero (0 millimetres) it was a good control to show no change. (The results were not exactly proportional as I expected, but the graph still justices my prediction that as the length increases the resistance increases also. This was because the longer the wire the more electrons there were, subsequently it was more likely that the electrons were going to collide with other electrons, thus there was a higher resistance. (The resistance depends on the number of collisions there were between the atoms of the material, which was copper. The length of the wire affects the resistance because the number of atoms in the wire increases as the length of the wire increases in proportion. Hence there is a higher resistance. Evaluating Evidence: (I think that the procedure of the experiment was fairly accurate as I recorded my results to two decimal places and also because on my average table of results the increase in resistance could be easily identified. Overall I think that my procedure during the investigation was well planned out. (The main problem I had was when I was reading the ammeter and the voltmeter as the readings kept fluctuating and took time for the readings to settle down, which as a result affected my results. (The ranges between my results were small and fairly close on the tables, which indicated accuracy. Although when I converted my results into a line graph I found that six out of the eleven results were anomalous results, which was probably due to human error and probably due to defaults in the meters, as they were battery powered. Also the sensitivity of the meters as they were not very sensitive and therefore my results were affected by this. (Even though there were anomalous results they were fairly close to the line of best fit as they were either just above or just below the line of best fit. Therefore the results were quite accurate and so I felt that I did not need to repeat any of the results and that I did not need to record any more results, as the results still justified my prediction. (Furthermore I could have changed the line of best fit so that more of the results fitted in with the line. (The improvements I could have made to make the results more accurate would be to use a much more sensitive ammeter and voltmeter, so I could have recorded my results to three or four decimal places, which would have made my results more accurate. Moreover I could have had shorter length ranges to show better accurate results, to see how a small increase in length affected the resistance compared to a large increase in length. So I could have use the range of lengths from zero millimetres to twenty millimetres to 40 millimetres and so on rather than the range I chose, which was zero millimetres to 100 millimetres to 2000 millimetres and so on, which therefore would have affected the results (resistance). As a result this would have shown the pattern better, clearer and easier to point out and it would have improved the line of best fit. Wednesday 27th 2001 F. Nazmin Hussain 10. E.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Emotional Intelligence Academic Achievement Motivation Among Adolescents Education Essay

Emotional Intelligence Academic Achievement Motivation Among Adolescents Education Essay The present paper is an attempt to examine relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement motivation. It also studies the emotional intelligence of students with high, average and low academic achievement motivation. Sample for the study includes 105 students (48 boys and 57 girls) of class XII of Patna. The data were analyzed with the help of product moment coefficients of correlation. The findings of the study reveal positive relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement motivation. The study also reveals that students with high, average and low academic achievement motivation differ from one another on emotional intelligence. KEYWORDS: Emotional intelligence, Academic achievement motivation. ______________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION The rapid development of the era is challenging the adolescents to face the wave of globalization. Thus, the ability to control the emotions has become important for not carried away by the flow of negative and evil elements. A high emotional intelligence helps to maintain a state of harmony in oneself and finally be more self-confident in dealing with the challenges of living and learning in educational institutions. Emotional Intelligence is a cross-section of interrelated emotional and social competencies, skills and facilitators that determine how effectively we understand and express ourselves, understand others and relate with them, and cope with daily demands and pressures (Bar-On, 2006). It is that part of the human spirit which motivates us to perform, which gives us energy to demonstrate behaviours such as intentionality, persistence, creativity, impulse control, social deftness, compassion, intuition and integrity (Kapp, 2002). Lam and Kirby (2002) are of the opinion that emotional intelligence involves perceiving, understanding, and regulating emotions. High emotional intelligence can contribute to a student in the learning process (Goleman, 1996; Elias, Ubriaco, Reese et al., 1992, Svetlana, 2007). Students low on emotional intelligence may find failure more difficult to deal with, which undermines their academic motivation (Drago, 2004). Academic motivation is defined as enthusiasm for academic achievement which involves the degree to which students possess certain specific behavioural characteristics related to motivation (Hwang et al, 2002). It is the orientation to the actions which is important to compel with the perfect standards. Goc (2010) has stated the factors affecting studentsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ achievement motivation as; effectiveness of the teacher, friends, the individuals attitude towards school, students perceptions about their own abilities, past experiences (positive or negative), the importance given to the students success, parents approaches towards their children and school. For many years educators, professionals and the public alike have been focusing on the intellectual achievement of individuals. In the past, perceived cognitive potential, more than any other factor has been seen as a predictor of academic achievement. It has, however, been established that despite an individual having the intellectual potential to succeed at institutions of higher education, he/she may experience difficulty dealing with emotional issues, have poor relationships, and be ineffective in his/her decision making (Goleman,1995). These observations, among others, have led to the realization that individuals from changing populations may require more than intellectual abilities to exist and thrive academically. All students experience frustration and failure to achieve their goals. They depend on the strength of fortitude to control their negative thoughts and feelings. If they are able to control emotions, they will achieve the academic goals as well (Dweck, 1996). Finnegan (1998) argued that school should help students learn the abilities underlying the emotional intelligence. This he believes could lead to achievement from formal education years of the child. Likewise, Abisamra (2000) reported that there is a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement. He therefore canvassed for inclusion of emotional intelligence in the schoolsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ curricula. Parker et al (2004) in their study found that highly successful students scored higher than the unsuccessful group on emotional intelligence. In the same vein, Low and Nelson (2004) reported that emotional intelligence skills are key factors in the academic achievement and test perfor mance of high school and college students respectively. A study conducted by Rode et al (2007) predicted that emotional intelligence was related to academic performance for two reasons. First, academic performance involves a great deal of ambiguity. Second, majority of academic work is self-directed, requiring high levels of self-management. Therefore, individuals with high emotional intelligence would perform better academically. Similarly, a study conducted on children aged 4 years found that controlling the impulses of action have shown their ability in achieving good academic and good social skills when they are in their adolescence (Shoda, Mischel, and Peake, 1990). Contribution of emotional management to academic performance was also supported by research done by MacCann et al (2011). The results suggest that better educational outcomes might be achieved by targeting skills relating to emotion management and problem-focused coping. Svetlana (2007) suggests the need to incorpor ate emotional intelligence training into secondary education curricula, due to a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement. The intent of this study was to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and academic achievement motivation among adolescents. Scant research exists on the relationship of emotional intelligence and academic achievement motivation in India. There are two major reasons for this. First, the emotional intelligence [EI] construct is relatively new (Mayer Salovey, 1990). Second, a century of research on general intelligence and cognitive performance has overshadowed the role of non-cognitive EI factors that may effect academic achievement. This has led to a consensus among educators that cognitive factors, like high scores on intelligence tests, predict student performance in college (Jensen, 1998). Yet, many students still fail to live up to their true potential despite their IQ or previous academic performance. Conversely, some college students with mediocre grades have managed to complete a college or university education. Both of these examples suggest that other factors, specifically non-cognitive EI factors, may be at work. In essence, the importance of emotional intelligence on academic achievement motivation has been found to be very significant. Nevertheless, and in spite of the studies reviewed, there is still a need to further investigate the relationship of emotional intelligence to academic achievement motivation most especially in country like India, where most researchers are yet to show interest in the construct. Investigations that address the interrelatedness of emotional intelligence and elements of academic achievement at institutions of higher education will strengthen the relationships between these constructs. The research findings may also support the need to incorporate emotional intelligence curriculum into college academic programs. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study were- 1. To study the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement motivation.* 2. To study emotional intelligence of students with high, average and low academic achievement motivation.* METHODOLOGY: The sample for the present study consisted of 105 class XII students. Out of which 48 were boys and 57 were girls. Simple random sampling technique was adopted to select the sample. Academic Achievement Motivation Test of Dr. T. R. Sharma and Emotional Intelligence Inventory by Dr. S. K. Mangal and Mrs. Shubra Mangal were used as tools for the study. High, average and low groups of academic achievement motivation were formulated on the basis of the norms set by the Academic Achievement Motivation Test of Dr. T. R. Sharma. Product moment coefficients of correlation were computed for the analysis of the data. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION TABLE 1 VALUES OF COEFFICIENTS OF CORRELATION BETWEEN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION Groups Sample Size (N) Correlation Coefficient (r) Total 105 0.275 Boys 48 0.225 Girls 57 0.344 Perusal of Table 1 shows that the values of coefficient of correlation between emotional intelligence and academic achievement motivation for total sample, boys and girls are .275, .225 and .344 respectively. It means that there is low positive correlation between emotional intelligence and academic achievement motivation among total sample and both boys and girls. It may be due to the reason that as they are better motivated to handle, manage and control their emotions, their academic achievement motivation also increases. The above finding draws support from the findings of Mahyuddin, Elias and Noordin (2009). They also found significant correlation between EQ and academic achievement motivation. However, Bissessar (2008) and Drago (2004) found no relationship between emotional intelligence and intrinsic motivation and achievement motivation respectively. * This objective was achieved with reference to total sample, boys and girls separately. TABLE 2 LEVEL WISE VALUES OF COEFFICIENTS OF CORRELATION BETWEEN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION Groups Level of Academic Achievement Motivation Sample Size (N) Correlation Coefficient (r) Total High 25 0.320 Average 71 0.198 Low 9 -0.320 Boys High 17 0.422 Average 28 0.104 Low 3 0.127 Girls High 8 -0.012 Average 43 0.200 Low 6 -0.770 Values of coefficient correlation depicted in table 2 reveal that there is low positive correlation between emotional intelligence scores and high and average levels of academic achievement motivation i.e. (= .320 and .198 respectively). Value -0.320 depicts the negative correlation between the emotional intelligence and low level of academic achievement motivation for the total sample. In case of boys, there is positive correlation between emotional intelligence and high, average and low levels of academic achievement motivation i.e. (= .422, .104 and .127 respectively). In case of girls, there is negative correlation between emotional intelligence and high and low levels of academic achievement motivation i.e. (= -0.012 and -0.770 respectively). Average level of academic achievement motivation is positively correlated with emotional intelligence (= .200) for the selected sample of girls. CONCLUSIONS There is low positive correlation between emotional intelligence and academic achievement motivation among both boys and girls that indicates with increase in emotional intelligence, the students are academically motivated. There is low positive correlation between emotional intelligence scores and high and average levels of academic achievement motivation. Emotional intelligence is negatively correlated with low level of academic achievement motivation for the total sample. In case of boys, there is positive correlation between emotional intelligence and high, average and low levels of academic achievement motivation. High and low levels of academic achievement motivation are negatively correlated and average level of academic achievement motivation is positively correlated with emotional intelligence for the selected sample of girls. IMPLICATIONS Excellent performance in academic is the key target and goal for each student regardless of ethnic group. In order to obtain good results, apart from effective learning techniques, students should be able to recognize themselves in particular of self emotions, so that it does not become a stumbling to success. Hence the need to identify oneself, emotional intelligence should be noted not only for academic interest but also for success in life. The key to obtain success of learning is to give full attention and concentration during the process of teaching learning. High level of emotional intelligence can help calm the mind and thus to increase the absorption of information received. As a result it will contribute to their academic achievement. It is recommended that studentsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ academic achievement should be enhanced with the use of emotional intelligence training. The inclusion of emotional intelligence as part of the curriculum could lead to a variety of positive personal, social and societal outcomes. Increasing emotional intelligence may not only facilitate the learning process and improve career choice and likelihood of success, but could also enhance the probability of better personal and social adaptation in general. The educational experience would be more balanced or holistic as it would focus on educating the whole person. There could also be beneficial effects for the institutions, improving the environment in which the educational experience occurs. Students need the ability to appraise a situation correctly, react appropriately in difficult circumstances and exercise stress tolerance or display impulse control when making judgments about academic decisions. Students need activities and advising sessions that help establish proactive patterns that increase awareness about emotional intelligence. The goal is to foster skills that lead to academic success.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Langston Hughes :: essays research papers

â€Å"HOW SHOULD I MAKE MONEY?† Businesses nowadays do what they have to do to get the job done, as far as making profit and succeeding in their goals. They complete these goals by any means necessary and in my opinion they should be held responsible for their actions. Sure what they do can sometime bring in profit, but looking ahead, they’re doing things against public interest and in the long run it will ruin their companies. They should allow us as a people to know what’s going on so we can better informed. In their eyes what we don’t know won’t hurt us, but in actuality it does In Friedmans â€Å"The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits.† Friedman argues that the manager is an agent of the shareholders, responsible mainly for the profit they seek, and for following the rules of society, being both legal and ethical, meaning they there is no fraud or coercion and there is free competition. He considers the talk of â€Å"social responsibility of business† to be misguided, indicative of a trend toward socialism. He argues that to decide to sacrifice profit for some collective social good is to, in effort, collect taxes and decide how they are to be spent, which is reserved for the political process. Non-elected company managers should not be doing this. In business, Friedman believes, people do what they choose to do, while in politics the majority rules. But that political process should be kept to a minimum and kept out of business. Friedman believes this applies also to â€Å"the newer phenomenon of calling upon stockholders to require corporations to exercise social responsibility.† This is just one group trying to get some other people to do what that group considers important. He does allow, though, that a proprietor not a corporation is free to spend his money on good causes, even though it may affect customers, etc., because he has not monopoly. (If it is too costly he will cease to be competitive.) Finally, Friedman believes that some of the â€Å"social responsibility â€Å" that is talked about is just â€Å"window-dressing† and serves the interests of the company by enhancing profit. He finds this dishonest but on his own principles he cannot disagree with it, since it is done in the interests of profit. In Christopher D. Stone’s: â€Å"Why Shouldn’t Corporation Be Socially Responsible?† It’s Stone’s theory that it’s not that despite what many persons believe, corporations are by nature irresponsible.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Informative Speech For Gun Ownership :: essays research papers

Certainly one of the chief guarantees of freedom under any government, no matter how popular and respected, is the right of the citizen to keep and bear arms. This is not to say that firearms should not be very carefully used and that definite rules of precaution should not be taught and enforced. But the right of the citizen to bear arms is just one more safeguard against a tyranny which now appears remote in America, but which historically has proved to be always possible. -Hubert Humphrey, 1960 My background is probably atypical for a somewhat high-profile supporter of the right to keep and bear arms. I am black and grew up in Manhattan’s East Harlem, far removed from the great American gun culture of rural, white America. Although my voting patterns have become somewhat more conservative in recent years, I remain in my heart of hearts a 1960s Humphrey Democrat concerned with the plight of those most vulnerable in American society-minorities, the poor, the elderly, and single women-groups whose day-to-day realities are often overlooked in our public policy debates, people whose lives too often go unnoticed by our intellectually timid chattering classes. This is happening in the public debate over the right to bear arms. For the nation’s elites, the Second Amendment has become the Rodney Dangerfield of the Bill of Rights, constantly attacked by editorial writers, police chiefs seeking scapegoats, demagoging politicians, and most recently even by Rosie O’Donnell, no less. It is threatened by opportunistic legislative efforts, even when sponsors acknowledge their proposed legislation would have little impact on crime and violence. Professional champions of civil rights and civil liberties have been unwilling to defend the underlying principle of the right to arms. Even the conservative defense has been timid and often inept, tied less, one suspects, to abiding principle and more to the dynamics of contemporary Republican politics. Thus a right older than the Republic, one that the drafters of two constitutional amendments the Second and the Fourteenth intended to protect, and a right whose critical importance has been painfully revealed by twentieth-century history, is left undefended by the lawyers, writers, and scholars we routinely expect to defend other constitutional rights. Instead, the Second Amendment’s intellectual as well as political defense has been left in the unlikely hands of the National Rifle Association (NRA). And although the NRA deserves considerably better than the demonized reputation it has acquired, it should not be the sole or even principal voice in defense of a major constitut ional provision.