Critical Evaluation of Andragogy against Other Learning Theories in Essay

Critical Evaluation of Andragogy against Other Learning Theories in Relation to Adult - Essay Example Most of its assumptions are derived from animal research whereby, Behaviourism, influenced by Thorndike, Pavlov, and Skinner mostly, postulates that learning is a change in observable behaviour caused by external stimuli in the environment.Researchers like John B. Watson and Edward L. Thorndike based most of their focus on laboratory experimentation from where they generated the famous stimulus-response model as they believed that the inner experiences that were the focus of psychology could not be properly studied as they were not observable. In behaviourist orientation to learning, the principles of contiguity (how close in time two events must be for a bond to be formed) and reinforcement (any means of increasing the likelihood that an event will be repeated) are central to explaining the learning process. Using consequences to control the occurrence of behaviour, known as operant conditioning - reinforcing what you want people to do again; ignoring or punish what you want people to stop doing, behaviourists generalize their findings from animal research to human learning patterns in classrooms. ... This orientation to learning has been criticized for its overly deterministic nature of the conditioning theory derived from only empirical evidence of stimulus-response behaviour of animals which, sensibly, cannot be so indiscriminately applied to humans. Their overdependence on single events, stimuli and overt behaviours to judge and evaluate human mind and measuring human learning quantitatively, totally ignoring the cognitive processes in the learner's mind are in great opposition to the views of the cognitivists.Humanistic theorists, on the other hand, advocate the type of education that is both intellectual and emotional, taking into account the personal experience of the learners involved. Humanistic theories basically emerged in 1960's, following the publication of A S. Neill's book called Summerhill, as a reaction to behaviourist methods and was particularly attractive to post-16 education with students who had not succeeded within the traditional school system. Neill's syst em was a radical approach to child rearing which represented the true principle of "education without fear". In his book Summerhill, Neill maintains a firm faith "in the goodness of the child" believing that the average child is not born a soulless automaton, but has full potentialities. The aim of education, according to him, should include both cognitive and emotional development of the trainees helping them to respond to life not just with their brain but also their whole personality, a feature that has been lacking in modern society.Perhaps the most persuasive exploration of a humanistic orientation to learning camefrom Carl Rogers, a gifted teacher, who was able to demystify therapy; focus on the person of the

Islam Essay Example for Free

Islam Essay 1. The word â€Å"Islam† is derived form the Arabic root â€Å"asalama† which literally means peace, purity and submission. Thus Islam means â€Å"surrender to the Almighty† and Muslim means â€Å"one who is in a state of submission†. It is understood that this submission is to the Will of God, as is laid down in the Quran. This tenet is unequivocally accepted by all sects of Islam be they Shia, Sunni or Sufis. 2. Islam is an unerringly monotheistic religion. It enjoins the existence of one God, his prophet Muhammad who is the Last Prophet (khatam-in-nabiyin) in a long line of prophets sent throughout time and to every civilization, and the Quran as the Word of God revealed to Muhammad through the angel Jibrael. Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable and the purpose of life is to worship him and to adhere to his word, as laid down in the Quran, and in Sunnah (the normative practices of the Prophet), as closely as possible. They believe that Islam is the final, completed and universal version of a faith (Deen-e-Ibrahimi) revealed too many prophets before; most notably Abraham, Moses and Jesus, but whose message has now been distorted. 3. The practices of Islam are based on the ubiquitous â€Å"Five Pillars†. These are, in order of importance, Shahadah or acceptance of One-ness (Taw hid) of God, Salat or five daily Prayers, Saum or Fasting in the month of Ramadan, Zakat or obligatory Alms-giving, Hajj or Pilgrimage to the Kaabah (House of God) at least once in a lifetime, for those able to afford it. These five â€Å"Pillars of Faith† are incumbent upon every Muslim and form the basis for his belief. Some scholars say that the pillars in Shia Islam involve an additional four points in addition to the principal ones. Namely, Nabuwah or Prophet Hood of Muhammad, Jesus, Moses etc., Imamah or Leadership of the Tweleve Imams, Qiyamah or Day of Judgment and Adel or Justice. 4. The fundamental goals of Islam are a complete submission to God and adherence to the teachings of the Quran and the example of Sunnah. When a child is born he is â€Å"ordained† into Islam by reciting the Kalima (the verses outlining Tawhid) into his ear, and thereby giving Shahadah i.e. acknowledgement of the One-ness of God. Muslims must perform the ritual of prayer five times a day, fast and give alms in the month of Ramadan, and perform the pilgrimage to the Kaabah if he is of sound mind and body and is able to afford it. The principles of the Promotion of Virtue (amr bil-maaroof) and Prevention of Vice (nahi an-al-munkar) are long-standing and Muslims are expected to inculcate them in their dealings with others. As Islam enjoins peace and harmony with mankind and with nature there is a great emphasis placed on community. Indeed, the Muslim brethren at large are considered one community (Ummah), irrespective of political, cultural or physical barriers. A Muslim is encouraged to perform good deeds for the community (masawaat) and to call people to worship the One God (Dawah). 5. Authority in Islam remains with God. His injunctions, as laid down in the Quran, and the practices and teachings of the Prophet, Sunnah are to be followed in establishing a political structure. Traditionally the concept of political leadership was embodied by the â€Å"Great Caliphs† (Khulfa-e-Rashiduun), who succeeded Muhammad in leadership of the nascent Islamic Empire. This political set-up personified adherence to the Shariah, duty of the rulers to seek consultation or Shura and of censuring unjust rulers. It is widely believed that the â€Å"Great Four†, the four to succeed Muhammad in succession, were the only ones in practice true to the cause of Islam and subsequent rulers fell victim to dynastic politics and greed. With the fall of the Ottoman Empire there was an abolition of the Caliphate, no matter how symbolic, and closure of the traditional Islamic political setup. Shia Islam has a theological concept of the Imamate. This term is often used interchangeably with the Caliphate but has very different connotations. The Shia believes that it is a divine institution succeeding the Last prophet and the Imams divinely chosen. The chosen Imams take up the mantle of religious, political, social etc. leader of all the Ummah. Traditionally Shia followers and scholars have shown political aloofness or activism against what was viewed as an increasingly corrupt caliphate. 6. The legal ideal in Islam resides with God. His injunctions form the basis for Islamic Law or Shariah. Shariah derives from two sources: divine revelations set forth in the Quran, and the normative practices of the Holy Prophet, Sunnah, as pertained to everyday matters. Fiqh or Jurisprudence extends on matters not directly touched upon in these primary sources. The foundations for Fiqh come from Ijma or consensus of learned scholars and qiyas, analogy from quran and Sunnah. Shia jurisprudence replaces this with aql or â€Å"reason†. Shariah law is not widespread, and even in Muslim countries there are often parallel justice systems. In countries where it enjoys official status Shariah is upheld by the qadis. Shariah has widespread implications; from matters of politics and economics to diet and personal hygiene. Shia scholars employ a different tack. According to them sources of law (usul-e-fiqh) are: Quran, Sunnah, the practices of the Twelve Imams and aql (reason). 7. Islamic philosophy and theology have more or less a harmonious perspective. Theology in Islam centers on six main articles of belief; Belief in One God (Tawhid), Belief in the Last Prophet (Nabi) and all the Messengers of God (Rasul), belief in Angels (Malaika), books sent by god (kutub), judgment (qiyamah) and predestination (qadar). Islamic philosophy as produced in an Islamic society is not exclusively concerned with religious matters nor is it wholly Islamic in origin; rather it has grounds in Hellenistic and Pre-Islamic Indian traditions. The golden age of Islamic philosophy is centered on the 8th to 12th centuries and exemplified Averroes and Avicenna. The first aspect of theology is Kalam which deals with theological questions and the other is Falsafa based on Aristotelianism. Kalam centers on ijtihad or using thought to investigate the doctrines of the Quran, while Falsafa was mainly concerned with the translation of Greek and Hindu texts and expounding them to the community at large. It is quite possible for a Muslim to hold separate philosophical and theological beliefs; believing on the one hand in the Aristotelian principle that the existence of the world is not only a possibility but also a necessity, and also valuing the fact that existence of the world in due only to God. The Shia school of thought differs only in what it considers purely theological matters i.e. Roots of religion (Usul e-Din) and Branches of Faith (Furu-e-Din) 8. By the end of the 12th century, the Islamic Empire was a vast entity. Stretching from beyond the shores of the Mediterranean to much of India. Thus Islamic art and architecture shows wide and varied themes, each influenced by the culture and climate of the particular land. The principal Islamic architectural styles are the mosque, tomb, fort and palace and from these an idea of the recurring themes may be gleaned. Soon after Muhammad, a recognizable style of architecture emerged comprising interior vaulted spaces, a circular dome and decorative arabesques. The great mosque of Samarrah in Iraq, the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, and the Hagia Sofia in Turkey are prime examples. The conquest of the Persian Empire in the 7th century introduced large arcades and arches. Moorish architecture is perhaps the most familiar example in the western world. The Great Mosque (Mezquita) in Cordova, the Alhambra and the fort of Granada introduced wide breezy interiors and decorative foliage and Arabic inscription motifs. Mughal architecture has built a class of its own. Perhaps the most famous is the Taj Mahal, built in white marble entirely in symmetry with large minarets and cupola domes. The Mughals also introduced gardens as a relevant theme in their architecture, most famously the Shalimar Gardens. While theology does not have a very significant impact on Islamic architecture a recurring theme is the absence of human or animal imagery, widely considered to be forbidden by the Prophet. Instead calligraphic inscriptions of the Quran and geometric patterns replace as decorative influences.

Creativity in Alice Walkers Color Purple Essay -- Color Purple Essays

Expressing Creativity in The Color Purple  Ã‚     Ã‚   In Alice Walker's The Color Purple, many characters at some point find a way of expressing their artistic creativity. For instance, Celie makes pants, and Shug Avery and Mary Agnes sing. But what is the significance of expressing creativity? If there is a relationship between artistic expression and one's personal development, what exactly is this relationship? I wish to answer these questions by examining Celie's case in particular. The key to the first question lies in the comment Albert makes on life while sewing with Celie on the porch, "If you ast yourself why you black or a man or a woman or a bush it don't mean nothing if you don't ast why you here, period" (289-290). It is about existence, about why we are here. However, this existence is not confirmed by others' acknowledgement. Rather, it depends only on one's awareness of one's own existence. Coming to such recognition, however, is a gradual process divided into several different stages. It starts with a power of creativity within a character (in the context of this novel, primarily a female character) that is unnoticed but screams to be released. When the character, usually with the inspiration of a role model, finds a vent for her creativity, it gushes out like a fountain. The character is often surprised at the art she is capable of creating, and soon comes to admire her own creation and creativity. From here she gains confidence, and comes to realize that she is here for a divine purpose: to express a beauty that God has created. In Walker’s essay "In Search of Our mothers" Gardens, she talks about the black mothers or grandmothers who are torn by their own creativity: These grandmothers and mothe... .... In making pants, she understands and affirms her own existence, and comes close to God. Walker, through the story of Celie, describes for us a process of development. It is a search into oneself for the purpose of one's existence. The answer is that we all possess a creative power that is divine, and when we find it, recognize it, and express it, we show that we are, each of us, God, who creates beauty and loves all.    Works Cited Walker, Alice. In Search of Our Mothers Gardens. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1983. - - -. The Color Purple. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1982.    Other Works Consulted Bloom, Harold ed. Alice Walker (Modern Critical Views). New York: Chelsea, 1989. Dixon, Melvin. Ride Out the Wilderness: Geography and Identity in Afro-American Literature. Chicago: Univ. of Illinois Press, 1987.    Creativity in Alice Walker's Color Purple Essay -- Color Purple Essays Expressing Creativity in The Color Purple  Ã‚     Ã‚   In Alice Walker's The Color Purple, many characters at some point find a way of expressing their artistic creativity. For instance, Celie makes pants, and Shug Avery and Mary Agnes sing. But what is the significance of expressing creativity? If there is a relationship between artistic expression and one's personal development, what exactly is this relationship? I wish to answer these questions by examining Celie's case in particular. The key to the first question lies in the comment Albert makes on life while sewing with Celie on the porch, "If you ast yourself why you black or a man or a woman or a bush it don't mean nothing if you don't ast why you here, period" (289-290). It is about existence, about why we are here. However, this existence is not confirmed by others' acknowledgement. Rather, it depends only on one's awareness of one's own existence. Coming to such recognition, however, is a gradual process divided into several different stages. It starts with a power of creativity within a character (in the context of this novel, primarily a female character) that is unnoticed but screams to be released. When the character, usually with the inspiration of a role model, finds a vent for her creativity, it gushes out like a fountain. The character is often surprised at the art she is capable of creating, and soon comes to admire her own creation and creativity. From here she gains confidence, and comes to realize that she is here for a divine purpose: to express a beauty that God has created. In Walker’s essay "In Search of Our mothers" Gardens, she talks about the black mothers or grandmothers who are torn by their own creativity: These grandmothers and mothe... .... In making pants, she understands and affirms her own existence, and comes close to God. Walker, through the story of Celie, describes for us a process of development. It is a search into oneself for the purpose of one's existence. The answer is that we all possess a creative power that is divine, and when we find it, recognize it, and express it, we show that we are, each of us, God, who creates beauty and loves all.    Works Cited Walker, Alice. In Search of Our Mothers Gardens. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1983. - - -. The Color Purple. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1982.    Other Works Consulted Bloom, Harold ed. Alice Walker (Modern Critical Views). New York: Chelsea, 1989. Dixon, Melvin. Ride Out the Wilderness: Geography and Identity in Afro-American Literature. Chicago: Univ. of Illinois Press, 1987.   

Target Case

Target Corporation Capital Expenditure Target’s Capital Expenditure Committee, consisting of five top level executives responsible for reviewing all large capital project requests, is currently considering 5 projects to add value to the corporation. Their overall goal is to add 100 stores a year, while maintaining a positive brand image and watching budget constraints. If the CEC rejects a proposal there are large financial and emotional sunk costs, due to the long development process.Each project is evaluated in terms of its quantitative, qualitative, and strategic parameters. In calculating the NPV of these projects, Target uses two hurdle rates, 9% and 4% for the store operations and credit-card cash flows respectively, due to the different costs of capital. Funding credit card receivables requires less risk than funding store operations because credit cards do not require many fixed assets and are only issued to individuals with suitable credit history. We have analyzed ea ch project, ranked them according to value(best to worst i. . 1 to 5), and made a recommendation to accept/reject each one. Project: â€Å"The Barn† Rating: #1 Recommendation-Accept Construction of this P04 store allows Target to enter a new market. This investment offers the greatest return, with an NPV which is 128% of the $13 million investment, and an IRR of 16. 4%. By building this store, Target would be vastly increasing its brand awareness in an area that was formerly occupied by its competition.Although the low median income and low percentage of adults with college degrees suggest that the population may not fit the ideal Target guests, the prototype NPV is still attainable with a decrease in predicted sales by 18. 1%. Project: â€Å"Stadium Remodel†-Rating-#2 Recommendation-Accept The renovation of this successful SuperTarget requires an investment of $17 million, and provides an NPV of $15. 7 million(92% of investment) and an IRR of 10. 8%. In recent years the facility has begun to deteriorate; which, coupled with a decrease in sales has begun to tarnish Target’s brand image.If the status quo is maintained, sales will decrease until Target is forced to close this facility; never allowing them to obtain this large NPV, nor the $0. 4 million in tax benefits of depreciable property write-off. The high level of median income($65,931) and percentage of adults with college degrees(42%), indicates that this demographic matches Target’s ideal customer base, moderating the risk of sales falling short of the predicted amount. By renovating this location Target is revamping the shopping experience as well as their brand image. This store could be returned to its former glory with a small investment and low level of risk.Project: â€Å"Gopher Place†-Rating-#3 Recommendation-Accept This construction of a new P04 store in a critical market has an NPV of $16. 8 million, 73% of the initial investment of $23 million, and a favorab le IRR of 12. 3%. The recent population growth in this area has also attracted the attention of Wal-Mart, who plans to open 2 new supercenters in this area, giving them control of 76% of the market. If Target does not invest here, Wal-Mart may gain a stranglehold in this area, making it impossible for Target to invest here at a later date.If Target does invest in this project, Wal-Mart may reconsider opening a second superstore in this area. Furthermore, building this store would help increase the Target brand awareness in the area. Although the percentage of college graduates(12%) amongst this population is lower than desired, the high median income(56,400) and large population growth(27%) should drive up sales at â€Å"Gopher Place†. While high cannibalization of sales(19%) from other Target stores and sensitivity to decreases in sales give this project a lower ranking, the benefits of the NPV, IRR, and strategic importance make this project acceptable.Project: â€Å"Whale n Court†-Rating-#4 Recommendation-Accept Construction of this unique store in the center of a major metropolitan area offers an IRR of 9. 8% and an NPV of $25. 9 million. However, these figures do not consider the scale of a project in which the NPV only accounts for 22% of the $119. 3 million investment. Furthermore, the land for this project must be leased, forcing Target to forego its archetype of purchasing land and forcing the CEC into a quick decision to avoid than missing this rare opportunity. Heavy foot traffic round this store will provide Target with a vast increase in brand visibility and awareness, allowing them to offset the large initial cost with a decrease in advertising budget. Whalen Court will be the flagship store in this established market area, where there are currently 45 Target stores. The large population, coupled with a median income of $48,500 and exceptionally high percentage of college graduates(45%) indicates a perfect community for Target to en ter. Although we recommend the acceptance of this project, the vast initial investment makes this project less attractive than its peers.Project: â€Å"Goldie’s Square†-Rating-#5 Recommendation-Reject While this SuperTarget was to be built in an area of strategic importance its return is not high enough to justify the investment cost. The NPV of $0. 3 million is a meager 1. 26% of the investment cost, and its IRR of 8. 1% is less than the required hurdle rate of 9%. The only reason it maintains a positive NPV is due to predicted credit card sales. 12 Target stores exist in the area, implying a large amount of their sales will be cannibalized from other Target stores.In fact, predicted sales at â€Å"Goldie’s Square† would have to increase by 62. 5% to cover the loss in sales at the other stores and achieve the prototype NPV. In the short run this investment will add to Target’s top line, but in the long run it will become a burden to the corporatio n. Although Target has the necessary funds to invest in each of these projects, we recommend they accept all projects other than â€Å"Goldie’s Square†. The primary goal of the CEC is to choose projects which bring value and growth to the company; while increasing brand awareness and strategic considerations are of secondary importance.This is why the CEC must look past the NPV and IRR and really scrutinize the projects, ensuring resources are allocated to the projects which provide the greatest value to all facets of the corporation. By accepting these four projects and rejecting â€Å"Goldie’s Square† Target will achieve sustainable growth and an increase in corporate value. After the recent lackluster returns, stockholders and analysts will be pleased with Target’s commitment to positive growth and value creation.

Being laid off

What do you think about the effects, both mental and physical, of being laid off even though you have â€Å"done everything right†? Being laid off from the job has strong effects, both physical and mental, on a person’s condition. Even if it is unsolicited dismissal, it does not always pass without a hitch. Breach of an employment contract is a stress for both sides. When a person is being laid off during the period of probation, the stress, affecting on a person, is less.A person gets a motivation to work harder at another job, to understand properly what he is lacking as a specialist in this particular field, to take criticism adequately. Being laid off after a long-term working is usually considered as the stamp of infamy. Affections of being laid of, uncertainty of financial field, feelings of needlessness and absence of demand can bring a person to understating of self-esteem, stress, and even depression.The worst after-effects of being laid off are: remorse, rage, indignation, apprehensiveness, alcoholism, drug addiction, divorce, physical complaints, and even thoughts of suicide. After being laid off, a person affects nothingness and shock. This condition is especially dangerous if the dismissal takes place eventually. It can bring in a risk of illness and accidents. A person being laid off changes all his life style, expectations, ambitions, values, relations. When a person is laid off, he usually does not want to see his former colleagues, even if they have been friends.He does not want to see people who are luckier than he and has not been dismissed, to share the experience with them. Hence, a person can lose not only a job, but friends either. Next point here is a family. If a person â€Å"brings bacon†, dismissal affects not only a person, but all his relatives. Material side of the problem is very important in general, but in such cases a person should find a new job quickly and it brings in another stress. It leads to a violen t behavior with children and mates; and finally to a divorce.Some persons begin to find a causer of their disasters, to accuse their bosses who haven’t sized the possibilities. It begins to seem that the world is unjust and it has turned his back on a person. Other persons consider self-guiltiness, suppose that they have shown themselves not initiative, that they have not been worth of such job. If the person can’t find a new job, he becomes more pessimistic, begins to lose hope, stops being interested in new vacancies, and finally loses heart. Some people affect a great depression and even stop leaving their homes.

Explication of Dulce Et Decorum Est Essay Example

Explication of Dulce Et Decorum Est Essay Example Explication of Dulce Et Decorum Est Paper Explication of Dulce Et Decorum Est Paper Explication of Dulce Et Decorum Est SITUATION The poem doesn’t really tell a story, but walks through all the dreadful situations through the eyes of an innocent and shell-shocked soldier. It is told through a WWI veteran’s point of view in second person. By examining this â€Å"war† poem and Wilfred Owen’s background, it is reasonable to believe that Own is talking about his experience during war. Therefore making the speaker, he himself. Owen is talking to everyone that does not know the realistic feeling of war up in the frontlines. He painfully expresses all the horrific scenes he had to go through. Through remembering it, his description of the mood is very dreary and cold. It kills all sense of joy and secures one in pity and sorrow. With Owen explaining his experience [the poem] of war, one can definitely trust the speaker. Tone: The speaker’s attitude toward the subject is bitter and full of grief, because he’s talking about his horrific experience up on the frontlines. The appropriate tone of voice to read this out loud is to read it in a humble, soft and respectful voice. This is not a poem that is to be seen as a positive. Phrases including, â€Å"coughing like hags,† â€Å"ecstasy of fumbling,† and words like â€Å"coughing,† â€Å"drowning,† and â€Å"choking† give a clue to the tone of this work. STRUCTURE Form: This poem is separated into four stanzas. Instead of explaining everything at once, it equally divides a significant part of the speaker’s experience into each stanza. This poem holds an ABABCDCD rhyme scheme and does not follow the â€Å"free form. The poet chose this form for this poem because it makes it easy for him [the poet] to write such a vividly gruesome poem and allow it to be easily understood by the reader. Movement: The poem begins with the explaining the how tired all the soldiers are throughout the war, then goes into the combat they face; it later finishes off with the reason why the soldiers fought. The images and ideas developed are all chronologically structured because it expla ins what happened after the marching soldiers were hit by gas, then bleeding to death. The poem’s attitude circles back to the same attitude held at the beginning. It continues to be dreary, sorrowful and dead. Syntax: This poem is separated into nine sentences. However; these sentences are get complicated towards the middle and the end. They begin with a moderate length, but carry on to be longer, especially in the last stanza. Most of the time, the verbs are in front of the nouns because it allows Owen to descriptively explain what is happening, rather than illustrating what is the target [noun]. Punctuation: Punctuations including semicolons, commas, hyphens, exclamations points, apostrophes and colons all rest in this work. No, the punctuation does not always coincides with the end of a poetic line (enjambment); most of the lines end with a comma to add more to the thought in the following line. This is one reason to Owen’s complicated sentences. Yes, punctuation is in the middle of some lines, because it provides more information to what the poet is trying to say. There were multiple things that went on; therefore there is a lot to say. Title: The title means, it is sweet and right to die for one’s country. This poem is about soldiers fighting and dying in war for their country. Given that the title means this, it portrays the reason why soldiers fight in war; to protect and die for the country. Language Diction: The language in this poem is simple yet formal. The simple language is very much visible in the easily understandable and descriptive language, and the formal is seen through the use of the more complex words and language of the time during the war. These types of languages also reflect on the overall mood of the poem. Through such descriptive and interesting words, readers can better understand the feel of how dark and depressing the war front was. Words like â€Å"blood-shod†, â€Å"coughing† and â€Å"sick of sin† people can better feel the sickening horror that occurred during World War I. Allusions: There isn’t a lot of allusion as many of the references are of the actual events to the time of war. However, the poem does include a reference of a dead man’s face to the devils. He says that the man’s face looks like a â€Å"devil’s sick of sin†. Owen also makes a reference to the guns of that time. He talks about the danger and terror brought by the â€Å"Five-Nines†. With such powerful images and connections, one can better understand the horror and pain that must have existed in that soldier’s life. Imagery: The majority of the poem is making connections. This poem lacks certain factors such as a lot of personification, but it makes up for these defects through the use of many metaphors and similes. Using these, Owen greatly portrays the pain felt by the soldiers and their â€Å"coughing† and sickness throughout the â€Å"green sea† of gas. These powerful images create a better picture of the harsh conditions of fighting in World War I. Musical Devices Rhyme Scheme: The rhyme scheme throughout the poem is ABABCDCDEFEFGHGHIJIJKLKLMNMN. This rhyming pattern is very formal as each rhyming couplet is a true rhyme. They all fit perfectly and Wilfred Owen even intertwines some internal rhyme such as â€Å"you too† in this poem. The rhyming patterns throughout create a better flow for readers as they better understand this poem’s meaning. Rhythm or Meter: There are a lot of patterns of rhythm in this poem. In the rhyme scheme, there are ten masculine rhymes with four feminine rhymes tied in. This mixture of rhythms shows the dramatic difference of the rhymes and adds to the effect of the depressing tone of the poem. Wilfred Owen also uses other sound devices seen through his alliteration such as, â€Å"Knock-kneed† and â€Å"someone still†. These alliterations create a better flow and add emphasis to certain words. Owen also executes sound through assonance, consonance, and repetition. Using internal rhymes like â€Å"green sea†, repetitive sounds like â€Å"from the froth† and his repeating words like â€Å"Gas! Gas! † Owen can create a nicer flow in his poem that keeps readers more interested and focused on the overall emphasis that these devices create. Using sound and rhythm, Wilfred Owen creates a more easily and powerful understanding of his overall effect of this poem. This poem has changed our attitude through Owen’s portrayal of the harshness that occurred in World War I. This attitude change has also allowed us to see that it is not always sweet and fitting to dies for one’s country. It is not as noble of an act as originally told. Wilfred Owen’s devices help create this heavy atmosphere that has allowed to better understand the true feel of life on the warfront. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori stands for Sweet and fitting it is to die for ones country. Written by Wilfred Owen, Dulce et Decorum est is about the realities of war. War isnt always as sweet and fitting as some would lead us to believe. Instead, in war, everyone involved is affected: every soldier, every family member, and every person caught in the crossfire. Soldiers face pain and suffering that a regular person can not fathom through rose-colored glasses.

Jude the Obscure essays

Jude the Obscure essays In life the role of a man has changed little in comparison to how much the role of a women has changed. In Jude the Obscure the you explorer a wide variaty of applied feminen identities. With exagerated properties of the applicaitons, it shows the true rang of diversity in the role of women. Arabella was a radical character in the noval, and many of her actions were considered extreme for her time. She left Jude while in wedlock and was illegally married to another man before she was properly divorced from Jude. She took on the role of the rebel, or one against social laws. Arabella was a symbol of sin, and shown to be as the unfit woman. The woman type of woman to be looked down on. The writer shows he negativity toward her by the way she is always shown unhappy. She was unhappy with jude so she left him. She found another man but there marriage was never legal or real, and as the book progressed she found that she really wanted to be with Jude, who no longer wanted her for what she did to him. Thomas Hardy, the author, was trying to show that her rebel ideals were wrong and for her sins she was punished with enduring unhappiness. Sue on the other hand was on the other end of the spectrum. Sue was very odd, and she even consider herself abnormal and evil, yet represented a woman of virtue and honor. She was a very inteligent woman, and very noble. She represented a woman of class and stature. She was very much desired by other men more for her complexity then anything else. She was a mistery to men and it generated a fierce interest in them. The most interesting fact being she would not let her virginty go. Men were left puzzled and confused. She did however have her negative aspects to her character. She married a man, and then asked to him to live with another. Something like that isn't respected. She used the man she married for selfish reasons, which further explains t ...

UNUSUAL WRITING JOBS

UNUSUAL WRITING JOBS Youre here because you want to make money from your writing. Youve tried everything from writing filler articles for magazines to writing full-length features on every topic under the sun. Youve created a blog and put AdSense on it. Youre even trying to reach potential clients through social media. Well, Im here to tell you that you havent tried everything. Thousands of jobs, all created and available on the world wide web, require people who can write. They arent always called writing jobs because the end goal isnt a beautiful piece of writing, but they require writers because the process involves writing. Today Id like to mention three kinds of jobs which will use your skills as a writer, allow you to continue working flexibly from home, and which youve probably overlooked. 1. Social Media Jobs- businesses all over the world are using Twitter and Facebook to connect with their clients. Frankly, most would rather have someone else do it. Theyll even give you tips- what other sites in their niche to share content from, what their strategy has been so far, what hashtags youll want to use. All you have to do is stay up to date with what the companys doing and keep Twitter and Facebook up to date with them. Right now I get paid weekly for logging into someone elses Twitter and Facebook right after I log into mine, posting a couple updates and occasionally asking questions to their following. It takes twenty minutes out of my day and I get paid well to do it. So how do you find a social media job? Well, I found mine on Craigslist, and Ive seen several on Kijiji. Social media jobs are usually posted in the part-time section rather than the writing section, but its really about writing: how can you use your words to connect businesses to their clients? 2. Website

YMCA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

YMCA - Essay Example YMCA Canada strong position profile is that YMCAs must demonstrate impact on individuals’ spirits, minds, and bodies while ensuring strong kids, families and communities. YMCAs must be valued contributor to communities and influence community relative to its strategic priorities. The YMCAs must has programs that enable members attain their personal goals and assist people to participate in the YMCA and demonstrate growth in participation over time. The YMCA has a culture of member involvement and has identified the audiences and has communication plans to address each audience. It was founded in 1856 with the mission of providing personal growth opportunities in spirit, mind and bodies to people of all backgrounds, beliefs and abilities. The principles of the YMCA are caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. The association served about 28,000 children annually through childcare and camping at 16 childcare locations, 2 residential camps, summer day camps and after school programs (MacDonald, 2013, p 72). It provided 13,025 heath, fitness and recreation (HFR) memberships for adults and children in 5 branches. It made 2,994 assisted HFR memberships and 1,100 assisted camperships and also assisted 310 children in child care. In 2004, childcare contributed 38 percent of revenues, HFR contributed 27 percent and camping services contributed 16 percent. 90 percent of revenues was contributed by participation fees and programs. Programs contracts contributed 7 percent, ancillary 4 percent, United Way 1 percent, and annual donations 2 percent. There are plans f or all senior managers to sign performance contracts on program quality and financial performance. Partnerships have been a critical strategy for long-term success in the attainment of participation of 102,000 individuals by 2010 (MacDonald, 2013, p 79). The service is offered in five

Comparison and Contrast Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comparison and Contrast Assignment - Essay Example With the references to real events, the aforementioned story and â€Å"Everyday Use† by Alice Walker will be compared and contrasted in this paper. â€Å"The Lottery† revolves around the theme of being in a difficult state. Sometimes, it is not only the consequences of a person’s actions that bring them in difficult situations but also includes other factors like one’s environment. Sometimes, one may feel he has been hand-picked to be in a difficult situation like Tessie Hutchinson in the story who unfortunately got the marked paper that led to her being stoned to death. â€Å"Everyday Use† on the other hand, takes on the theme of the importance of legacy against necessity. To the protagonist, the old hand-sewn quilts are considered sentimental while to the antagonist, they are potential valuables that could make her a fortune. The stories both revolve around observable real-life events. The second story though could be taken quite ambiguously because it is so realistic it could be understood literally but it could also be understood symbolically. Jackson’s characters include the whole village while Walker limits her characters to only four people. Both authors reveal their characteristics of their role players by describing them and quoting their words. Other attributes of the characters are shown through how they acted and their facial expressions and emotions. Jackson’s protagonist is a developing character who first appeared in the story as an excited character who just came from her dishes with her apron, talking and explaining her day to Mrs. Delacroix. Then, she turned to be a fearful character who became hysterical when her family was chosen from the crowd and became more so when she took the marked paper indicating she was to be the one stoned to death. Walker’s protagonist is also a developing character who is shown in most of the story as a

The future of Food Supply Chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The future of Food Supply Chain - Essay Example With the concern moving to the scarcity of resources, the world is facing a new challenge of producing more with lesser resources. The food supply chain industry is dominated by features like increasing demands, increasing volatility risks and limitation of resources. Discussion There are various factors that are likely to shape the future of the global food supply chain industry. The factors arising from the suppliers’ side are: increased competition for expenditures by the consumers, major changes in the operating environment, improvement of the quality of the commodities, high differentiation level of food products, cost-effective and flexible modes of logistics. The factors arising from the viewpoint of the customers are nutritional qualities of the food products, health benefits, sensitivity of the customers towards safety and quality of food, ways of production, place of production, environmental and social concerns and welfare of the community. The most important elemen ts for consideration in the designing of the food supply chains are on-shelf availability and cost efficiency for the businesses. But in the light of the emerging environmental concerns other factors like greenhouse gas emissions, energy conservation, increasing traffic congestions and transportation costs are also gaining importance. Challenges The future of global food supply chain focuses on the following critical dimensions: The global food supply chain industry is feeling the necessity of a paradigm shift in the processes as the future of the industry is considered to be highly different from the past trends in the industry. The need for adopting the latest technologies and innovations by the supply chain like the adaptation of the green supply chain is critical to comply with the raising environmental concerns all across the globe. The challenges arising in the global market which will influence operational changes in the major companies involved in the food supply chain indus try. The food supply chain industry has identified the need to implement a new business model to deal with critical issues like taking up new business opportunities and achieving sustainability in the industry. The increasing demand and the scarcity of resources is a major issue faced by the global food supply chain industry (McKinsey & Company 7). The population of the world is increasing in manifolds and so is the necessity to provide food and nutrition to the global population. According to the latest statistics, more than 850 billion people throughout the globe do not have proper access to food commodities and are more sensitive to price increases and nutritional concerns. The global food supplies need a boost by a considerable increase in the production of environmentally sustainable food commodities. But reaching stabilization is difficult due to the complexity of the food supply chains and the various factors diversely affecting its operations. Internal forces driving change The major changes in the food supply chain industry that will influence the changes in the supply chains are the flow of information, consumer behavior and the movement of goods (McKinsey & Company 12). Since these are internal changes occurring within the industry, the industry would have some control over reshaping these factors. Information flow: The proper flow of informatio

Diversification Strategies of Southwest Airlines Essay - 1

Diversification Strategies of Southwest Airlines - Essay Example A component of the great strength the Southwest Airlines encompasses is the immense understanding of the Herb which has consistently adhered to a pattern of maintaining low costs in all the places it has gone. The Southwest Airline centers on culture, leadership, communication, hiring practices and interviewing, as well as, the games that are used to motivate the employees of the airline. These areas best portray the company that has created success through inspiration after widespread research by the group. The understanding of Southwest’s leadership has allowed for the structuring, management, as well as, the motivation of employees. Leadership at the Southwest Airlines has played a paramount responsibility in the company’s success. The definitions of leadership, whereas true in the majority of cases, are implemented extremely liberally at the Southwest Airlines. Leadership is a manner of life, desire, culture, as well as, dedication at the Southwest Airlines. Southwe st focuses on individuals as people and recognizes them as valuable assets to the company. Numerous businesses in the USA make use of performance measurements to scrutinize the actual performance. Other companies maintain such metrics through functional area to make certain of the functional answerability. Southwest considers functional answerability as a lead to the finger pointing involving departments (Lauer, 2010). Southwest Airlines’ team of management emphasizes a straightforward going hassle-free corporate style which grants employees extensive independence of operation. The culture of Southwest that lays emphasis on the employees to be the â€Å"first customers" of the airline, as well as, passengers to be the subsequent, has been fundamental to the accomplishment of Southwest. Southwest desires to put forward a unique, as well as, a fun experience to all the customers (Grubbs-West, 2005).  The philosophy of Southwest, in addition to the shared goals and knowledge, also encompasses mutual respect. The expectation of Southwest is that every person's job includes assisting colleagues with their job whenever necessary. Through provision of greater work flexibility, Southwest Company has the belief that it advances labor productivity, as well as, providing them with a competitive benefit.  

Conflict within Mcdonalds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Conflict within Mcdonalds - Essay Example Conflict can turn out to be either positive or negative depending on how it is managed. Conflict is part of our everyday life but conflict can turn out to be functional or negative depending on how the people involved in the conflict handle the conflict Van (Gramberg, 2005). This type of conflict is beneficial to McDonalds due to the fact that it supports the corporation’s goals. It helps to improve performance within the corporation by finding solutions to problems and listening to one another (Collins, & ORourke, 2009). A good example of a positive conflict within McDonalds is competition. This conflict can occur when sales agents within McDonalds compete to become the top sales person. The winner will feel motivated to work harder and the losers will feel even more motivated to become the best. This type of competition is beneficial to the organization as it helps the organization make more sales. These types of conflicts bring disagreements and disputes that affect the corporation’s performance. Such type of conflict causes rifts within various sections of the company (Van Gramberg, 2005). A good example of negative conflict within McDonalds is when an employee verbally, sexually or physical harasses another employee. This will bring bad blood between the employees and they will be unwilling to work together. This will affect their performance as well as the general performance of the organization. Organizational conflict can be caused by managerial expectations. This occurs when an employee is unable to meet the expectations of his or her manager. Communication breakdown is another cause of workplace conflict (Collins, & ORourke, 2009). This occurs when one department within McDonalds fails or is late in responding to information from another department. Misunderstanding information also causes workplace conflict.

Diversification Strategies of Southwest Airlines Essay - 1

Diversification Strategies of Southwest Airlines - Essay Example A component of the great strength the Southwest Airlines encompasses is the immense understanding of the Herb which has consistently adhered to a pattern of maintaining low costs in all the places it has gone. The Southwest Airline centers on culture, leadership, communication, hiring practices and interviewing, as well as, the games that are used to motivate the employees of the airline. These areas best portray the company that has created success through inspiration after widespread research by the group. The understanding of Southwest’s leadership has allowed for the structuring, management, as well as, the motivation of employees. Leadership at the Southwest Airlines has played a paramount responsibility in the company’s success. The definitions of leadership, whereas true in the majority of cases, are implemented extremely liberally at the Southwest Airlines. Leadership is a manner of life, desire, culture, as well as, dedication at the Southwest Airlines. Southwe st focuses on individuals as people and recognizes them as valuable assets to the company. Numerous businesses in the USA make use of performance measurements to scrutinize the actual performance. Other companies maintain such metrics through functional area to make certain of the functional answerability. Southwest considers functional answerability as a lead to the finger pointing involving departments (Lauer, 2010). Southwest Airlines’ team of management emphasizes a straightforward going hassle-free corporate style which grants employees extensive independence of operation. The culture of Southwest that lays emphasis on the employees to be the â€Å"first customers" of the airline, as well as, passengers to be the subsequent, has been fundamental to the accomplishment of Southwest. Southwest desires to put forward a unique, as well as, a fun experience to all the customers (Grubbs-West, 2005).  The philosophy of Southwest, in addition to the shared goals and knowledge, also encompasses mutual respect. The expectation of Southwest is that every person's job includes assisting colleagues with their job whenever necessary. Through provision of greater work flexibility, Southwest Company has the belief that it advances labor productivity, as well as, providing them with a competitive benefit.  

Write a discution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Write a discution - Essay Example tough environment to retain or get the right skilled employees, and it is for this reason, that organizations are continuously seeking for the best skills in their HR teams. My experience in HR has been great; the feeling of identifying and managing talent has been the best and on top of my professional goals. I always feel proud to create a connection between the employees and management. I agree with you on the point that the most important resource an organization has are its employees. Therefore, having a good management system to attract and retain skilled employees really improves the performance of the organization. Finally, helping the employees get benefits and rewards for their efforts, while at the same time proving to the management that the organization is performing at its optimum point is an important task for the HR. I agree with you on the role of HR towards the employees. They should be able to address employee issues, and create a conducive environment that will allow the employees improve their performance. A happy employee is a positive sign towards a company’s performance and the HR should always be responsible in ensuring the employees are happy and

Chutiya Ram Essay Example for Free

Chutiya Ram Essay Tour Dutt was born on March 4, 1856 in Bengal and she died on August 30, 1877, in the prime of her youth, at 21. She is often called the Keats of the Indo-English literature for more than one reason her meteoric rise on and disappearance from the literary firmament, as also for the quality of her poetry. James Darmesteter pays a befitting tribute to her, The daughter of Bengal, so admirable and so strangely gifted, Hindu by race and tradition, and an English woman by education, a French woman at heart, a poet in English, prose writer in French, who at the age of 18 made India acquainted with the poets of French herself, who blended in herself three souls and three traditions, died at the age of 21 in the full bloom of her talent and on the eve of the awakening of her genius, presents in the history of literature a phenomenon without parallel. Literary Achievements Toru Dutt’s literary achievements lay more in her poetic works than in her prose writings. Her poetry is meagre, consisting of A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields and Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan. But she compels attention as KRS Iyengar puts it. Her poetry has sensitive descriptions, lyricism and vigour. Her only work to be published during her lifetime was A Sheaf, an unassuming volume in its overall get-up. The Examiner in its August 1876 issue published the review of her book. Edmund Gosse, the then reviewer expressed his surprise To find Miss Toru Dutt translating, in every case into the measure of the original, no less than 166 poems, some of them no less intricate in form than perplexing in matter. He calls it an amazing feat and a truly brilliant success. A review in the Friend of India says. †¦ the versification is generally good, and the translations, we believe, intelligent and faithful. In selecting poems for translation Toru focused attention on the Romantics of French literature, although she also included Chenier, Courier, Lamartine and a few others of the transition period as well as Brizeux, Moreau, Dupont and Valmore who were not Romantics. In France, the Romantic school was born towards the close of the 18th century and in the beginning of the19th, as in England. They asserted the free-play of imagination, simple and direct diction and freedom from any restrictions. The poems that she translated were probably those which could touch the cord of her imaginations and sentiments patriotism, loneliness, dejection, frustrations, illusions, exile and captivity. One remarkable thing about her translation is that she has been able to capture the spirit of the original. No wonder, then, that Edmund Gosse, in his review says, If modern French literature were entirely lost, it might not be found impossible to reconstruct a great number of poems from its Indian version. Not that she has blindly translated. In fact, she has changed words and phrases of the original and substituted them by more appropriate ones without any hesitation which make her work exact and yet free. The verses maintain the rhythm of the original. Though European by education and training, Toru was essentially an Indian at heart. From her childhood her mother had imbued in her love for the old legends from the Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Her readings of the old Sanskrit classics gave her first-hand knowledge of the charming stories. Her woman’s imagination wove myriad coloured picture and she embarked upon her work, Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan, which appeared in 1882, with Introductory notes by Sir Edmund Gosse. Critics have hailed Ancient Ballads as the best work in English. It shows her keen interest in the Indian translations. According to Lotika Basu, a literary critic, Ancient Ballads, for the first time reveals to the West the soul of India through the medium of English poetry. In fact, scholars are profuse in their praise of this work for its finely-knit verses full of vigour and variety. The stories included are of Savitri, Lakshman, Prahlad, Sindhu and others. Toru wrote two novels Bianca and Le Journal de Mademoiselle d’Arvers. The former, an incomplete romance, is in English and the latter in diary form, is the story of Marguerite and is in French. The manuscripts of these works were discovered after her death amid her papers. Both these works have simple plots which sustain the story element, the language is poetic and the characters are clearly drawn. Toru was proud of India’s cultural heritage, her flok-lores, myths and legends, and its rich classical literature. Though English by education, she was an Indian through and through. E. J. Thompson wrote about her, Toru Dutt remains one of the most astonishing woman that ever lived †¦. Fiery and unconquerable of soul. These poems are sufficient to place Toru Dutt in the small class of women who have written English verse that can stand.

Impacts of Technology on Art

Impacts of Technology on Art Many modern artists use high technology equipment in their works. Whereas traditionally artists used a pencil or brush to make beautiful works of art, artists in the early twenty-first century are now using sound, video or computer generated images. Digital art developed from simple patterns and shapes made using computer programs to finished works of art which can look as realistic as a watercolour or oil painting. Modern art exhibitions often include more videos and installations than traditional painting or drawings. Even artists which use traditional techniques increasingly use modern technology such as the internet to display their works and communicate with other artists. Modern technology provides a means for artists to create works faster with more tools than ever before. I will be discussing the impact of some of these technologies in relation to the art of some modern artists. I will argue that modern technology such as the computer and video is another tool for an artist t o use in their work. I will especially focus on the video artwork of Tracey Moffat and the computer artwork of Lillian Schwartz as but two examples of artists today who use modern techniques. Moffat is an Australian contemporary artist who uses film extensively as an art-form, and many of her works are based on and reflect the modern technology of Hollywood movies and television. Schwartz is an artist who has a long history of using computer technology to experiment ways of creating and manipulating works of art. She has also written extensively about the topic of computer influence in art, and about art produced by computers. Modern technology is having a huge impact on recent art. Modern artists are using new materials and techniques to produce their artworks. Whereas in the past painting and drawing were the main mediums used by artists in their work, now in the 21st century installations, sound, video and computers are becoming more widely used and popular. Artists today are continually experimenting with new technology in different ways, finding new ways to use old mediums and finding new mediums as well. In modern art displays such as the various Biennales held around the world, video plays a dominant role, as well as installation art and increasingly, digital art. There are even exhibitions that solely focus on digital art, such as Ars Electronica held annually in Linz, Austria. The internet is becoming used more with many contemporary artists using it to display their works with online galleries, talk to other artists and sell their works. Internet sites such as deviantart.com or yessy.com offer ar tists an opportunity to sell and display their works and communicate with people throughout the world. Computer programs such as Photoshop and Painter allow artists to easily manipulate photographs and paint pictures using custom artists tools which can create the effects in a few minutes of what previously would have taken months to paint. Many artists today are involved in using digital art technology to produce websites, computer games or online art exhibitions. The conceptart.org website is one example of a site which mostly displays digital art, that has over 100,000 posts by many different people. Digital art is increasingly being displayed in contemporary art exhibitions as well as being online, becoming more popular towards the end of the 20th century. Digital art made its official entry into the art world only in the late 1990s, when museums and galleries began increasingly to incorporate the art form into their shows and dedicate entire exhibitions to it. (Paul 2003: 23) T he impact that these technologies is having on contemporary art is sometimes hard to pin down at one time since they are moving so fast that they are constantly changing and being updated. However, while modern technology provides artists with many opportunities and ways to produce art, it still functions similar to any other artists tool of the past. Films are being produced for art galleries just as paintings were made for exhibiting by the impressionists, such as the films made by Tracey Moffat. Tracey Moffat is inspired by images which come from television and movies to make her own films. These films show that she is not only using new technology to display art, but her ideas for the films are based on the technology itself. In one of her recent films, Artist, Moffat shows a collection of clips from movies and television programs which show how Hollywood and contemporary society depicts artists. By showing popular television shows slant on what the idea of an artist means to modern society, this reflects the view of the ordinary person, who can sometimes misunderstand contemporary art. This film reflects the sometimes uninformed, sometimes humorous view of society towards artists today. She shows a clip from the Agony and the Ecstasy with Michelangelo destroying his first painting in the Sistine Chapel, a comic scene from the movie Batman with Rembrandts and Degas paintings being vandalised by the Joker and a scene from the television show Absolutely Fabulous, as well as o ther scenes from art movies such as Surviving Picasso. This clever 10 minute documentary gives an excellent insight in the way artists are perceived in modern society, how five decades of mainstream media have perceived the creative process and creators themselves (http://www.wmm.com/Catalog/_makers/fm253.htm), especially given that the word artist now more often than not in popular usage such as on television and on the radio, refers to a musician rather than a visual artist, with many people today sometimes confused by a postmodernist style of visual art where anything is allowed and considered art. In another of her short films, Lip, Moffat shows clips put together of black servants in Hollywood movies talking back to their bosses, in what she is trying to show is the discrimination which is often evident in films towards minorities, and reveals the narrow margin Hollywood has allowed black actresses to shine in (http://www.wmm.com/Catalog/_makers/fm253.htm) While watching the fi lms the racism in the movie may be subtle, but when she appropriates many images from different films and puts them together it is much more apparent. In many of her films and images Tracey Moffat has used a style which is close to an appropriation similar to that done by other postmodern artists. In the series of photographs called GUAPA (Good Looking) (Fig.4) she shows photographs of people from different races roller-skating in a rink as though it were a contest with a referee, the image borrowed from similar television images. She uses a soft magenta colour effect in the images, which contrasts with the action which is taking place. The people in the film are dressed in unusual outfits, which gives an impression possibly of a futuristic sport. In one of Moffats films, Heaven (Fig.2), she shows footage of men getting changed in a car park near a beach, and she takes the position with the camera of someone watching who possibly is not supposed to, or whom the people in the film are uncomfortable with having there. She is someone watching the surfers who is not supposed to, shamelessly plays voyeur to a succession of surfers chang ing into their wetsuits in parking lots (http://www.renaissancesociety.org/ show/moffat/index.html) Once again, Moffat is responding to the programs shown on television and in the movies, and by making art on this theme it shows that television and movies are influencing the art which is being displayed in contemporary art galleries. This film makes art out of a seemingly ordinary activity, includes shots of a car as seen from the inside and outside, as well as surfers wearing ordinary clothes and jewellery. She appropriates these symbols of modern life such as the cars and modern clothing and uses them in an artistic way to express the voyeur theme which she is trying to get across. In her film, Bedevil (Fig.3) which is composed of three separate films, Moffat appropriates images from modern life such as the American soldier in the first story Mister Chuck, the railway tracks in the second Choo Choo Choo Choo and the landlord and eviction in the third Lovin the Spin Im in. The imag es from these films have been partly inspired by memories from her early life. Tracey Moffat uses for inspiration in many of her films the movies and television programs she remembers from her childhood. Modern technology in this way is having an impact on the art produced by artists such as Moffat, who bases her ideas directly upon ideas coming from these things. In her films, she uses imagery which comes from popular culture, from television programs and movies that she has seen including from sources which are not often seen as part of the art world, such as B-grade television programs and television advertisements. She makes use of the stylistic resources of advertising and even so-called trash-TV' (Reinhardt 1999: 7) She grew up in Brisbane in the 1960s, and during this time experienced much of popular culture through different types of modern culture on the new technological tools of television and cinema, from melodramas to deeply surreal film noir (Sever 2001: 12) She also uses modern music in her films such as with cuts showing Jimmie Little singing in the film Night Cries (Fig.1). This film shows a woman caring for her dying mother, as well as showing many years before the woman as a young child at the beach with her mother who is much younger then. Moffat has used the film to create an effect similar to that of Frederick McCubbins The Pioneer which shows a dying person on one side and the same person much younger on the other. This gives the audience a feeling of sadness as they think about all the events which the person went through in their lifetime. The audience would see the way the woman would feel bound to care for her mother in the same way that her mother cared for her when she was a child. Moffat also has considered using computers in manipulating photographic images, because the number of things she can do is greatly increased with many computing tools available for the artist. Photography is always a wonderful challenge Of course now with computer manipulations the possibilities make you exhausted even thinking about it. (Tracey Moffat, quoted in Hentschel 1998: 23) American artist Lillian Schwartz made many experiments with computer art during her long career. Computers are being used by recent artists as tools with which to analyse and create works of art. Schwartz was one of the first artists to experiment with computer images and computer effects on art. She worked closely with scientists in the 1970s in the early stages of computer development, and developed one of the first rock music videos. She also made one of the first digitised films to be shown as a work of art, her video Pixillation showing diagonal red squares and other shapes such as cones, pyramids on black on white backgrounds. This video is regarded as one of the most important early works of computer film art which with her other work is now considered seminal works of computer artcomposed of programmed abstract images. (Rush 1999: 172) She worked in the early stages of her career with scientists as Bell Laboratories developing mixtures of sound, video and art. Later on, durin g the 1980s, Schwartz made many experiments with artworks manipulating images using computer technology and creating some artworks of her own. Schwartz extensively used the works of Leonardo Da Vinci in experiments with computers. These experiments showed some of the ways in which computers can be used to change and develop images. These images expand the audiences perception of artworks which they already know. She used a 3D computer generated model to show that the lines on the Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan match the perspective lines of Leonardos fresco painting of the Last Supper, showing that his painting may have been designed to appear as an extension to the room from where the monks would have been sitting to observe it. Thus technology has given a new dimension to the painting by allowing viewers to better understand why it possibly had been made. Similarly, in Schwartzs most famous work, the Mona Leo (Fig.5), she spliced the left side of the Mona Lisa (Fig.6) with a flipped left side of the red chalk portrait of Leonardo (Fig.7), arguing that the Mona Lisa is a self-portrait by Leonardo. She shows that the Leo nardo self portrait and the Mona Lisa line up perfectly, as when the two images noses were aligned the rest of the face lined up exactly. Using lines drawn on the image, she shows the bottom of the eye, eyebrow, nose and chin all line up together. She also removes the grey tones in the Leonardo self portrait and superimposes the Mona Lisa eye over it in further experiments to show how the images are closely related. Without the aid of a computer, these experiments would take a much longer amount of time, for instance if she was to paint the Mona Leo by hand. Her new works each function as separate works of art in themselves with all the characteristics of a work of art, so the computer is a tool which creates art just as a paintbrush does. This can be considered an art of appropriation, as where an artist has borrowed the images of another artist to create a new work. Schwartz uses computers to manipulate many other images which relate to art and art history, creating new works of art. Schwartzs experiments with computers to manipulate images were done decades before digital art became popular in the late 1990s. She used shapes generated by a computer to make images on the computer screen, such as using trapezium shapes to create an object recognisable as a cat (Fig. 8), as well as triangle shapes to represent a human head. (Fig. 9) She also experimented with ways to superimpose multiple images onto another recognisable image in an effect of a collage, as with Statue of Liberty (Fig.10) and Homage to Van Gogh (Fig.11) Computers applied in such ways can create collages and images faster than possible by hand. These images function not only as experiments with computer work, but also as works of art in themselves. Statue of Liberty is composed of different elements which have been put together using a computer, similar to Cubist collages and Dadaist photomontages of the early 20th century. She warped images of faces of Rembrandt into a photo of Einstein, showing similarities in the facial features (Fig. 12), a task which would be almost impossible to do by hand, but only take a few seconds with the aid of a computer. She similarly combined images of works of art in a poster for the Museum of Modern Art in New York in her poster Big MoMA (Fig. 13), an also near impossible task by hand, but relatively easy with computers, and still creating a legitimate award winning work of art. The role of computers to be used by the artist has been addressed by Schwartz. Computers can today perform many functions for the artist, from creating artworks through altering photography or by flipping shapes, changing colours, adding tones and a seemingly infinite amount of other uses. Computer artists can create interactive images, robot installations, digitalised and/or 3 dimensional images. Many of the ways which this latest technology is used to create art makes art into a genre becoming close to being a video game or a movie. In her research on computers, Schwartz discusses whether art produced wholly by computers can be considered as art, the question is asked as to what a work of art means, Is it the final piece of art (or output) by which creativity is judged, or is creativity independent of the art. (Schwartz 1992: 256) She asks whether it means that something must be produced creatively, or are people impressed with the craftsmanship and effort that has gone into a work such as a Michelangelo or Titian when they think of it as art. For if it is only the craftsmanship which makes a work of art then computers can surely produce artworks since they have the ability to work faster than humans in many ways. Paint and brushes can be regarded as technology of sorts because they are implements which are made for the artist to use in his painting, just as a painting computer program is there for an artist to create his works on. The Renaissance artists had assistants to mix paints, prepare canvases, or in the case of Rubens even finish off the painting. The computer can be regarded as assistant which allows the artist greater time to put into creative ideas, and less into repetitive tasks which can easily handled by a computer. The computer is very much like an apprentice Since the master (the programmer or artist) does not have to be present for many of these operations, it seems as if the computer is acting in place of the artist. We have again found our scientist-artist, and it is the computer itself. (Schwartz 1992: 233) Video and computers are having a huge influence on modern art. Modern art exhibitions are increasingly incorporating the use of both video and computers, as well as other technologies. In addition, artists such as Moffat are using ideas obtained from new media such as television and Hollywood movies which are being displayed in art galleries. Schwartz uses computers to manipulate images and create new works of art. Art is continuing to change with the introduction of new technologies. Artists are effectively using these technologies in their works, and will almost certainly continue to do so in the future. Moffats use of film and Schwartzs use of computers shows that these new media can and are often used in art, and are every bit as valid a medium as a paintbrush or pencil. Reference List Books Cooke, Lynne and Kelly, Karen 1998, Tracey Moffat: Free-Falling. Dia Center for the Arts, New York, USA Duckrey, Timothy 1999, Ars Electronica: Facing the Future. A Survey of Two Decades, Massachusetts institute of Technology, USA Goodman, Cynthia 1987, Digital Visions. Computers and Art. Harry N. Abrams inc. publishers, New York, USA Hentschel, Martin 1998, Tracey Moffat, Wurttembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart, Germany Hertz, Richard and Klein, Norman 1990, Twentieth Century Art Theory. Urbanism, Politics and Mass Culture, Prentice-Hall Inc., New Jersey, USA. Lucie-Smith, Edward 1995, Movements in art since 1945. Issues and concepts, Thames and Hudson, London, UK Paul, Christiane 2003, Digital Art, Thames Hudson, London, UK Popper, Frank 1997, Art of the Electronic Age, Thames Hudson, London, UK Reinhardt, Brigitte 1999, Tracey Moffatt. Laudanum, Hatje Cantz Publishers, Ostfildern, Germany Rush, Michael 1999, New Media in Late 20th Century Art. Thames Hudson, London, UK Schwartz, Lillian F. 1992, The Computer Artists Handbook. Concepts, Techniques and Applications. WW Norton Co. Inc, New York, USA Sever, Nancy 2001, Tracey Moffat. Invocations, ANU Drill Hall Gallery, Australia

Homeless Children In America Essay -- essays research papers fc

Homeless Children in America   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To be homeless is to not have a home or a permanent place of residence. Nationwide, there is estimated to be 3.5 million people that are homeless, and roughly 1.35 million of them are children. It is shown that homeless rates, which are the number of sheltered beds in a city divided by the cities population, have tripled since the 1980’s (National Coalition for Homeless, 2014). Worldwide, it is estimated that 100 million children live and work on the streets. Homeless children are more at risk than anyone else, and are among the fastest growing age groups of homelessness. Single women with children represent the fastest growing group of homeless, accounting for about 40% of the people that are becoming homeless today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Children that are homeless can become this way for a variety of reasons. Youth can be on their own, with no permanent residence or even usual place to sleep. They could have also been separated from their own homeless parents and placed in foster care or living with some of their relatives. A child could be part of a family that becomes homeless, or even belong to a single parent. The decline in low cost housing, which has been declining over the last 20 years, could be to blame for the amount of people on the streets. With the explosion of growth in the suburbs, these cities have created local governments that make it easy to keep low income housing out of their communities. Ideas such as redlining and predatory lending can lead to low income families not receiving the needed loans to move into housing, which can force them into the streets.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The programs to help the poor and homeless are few and far between. There are five general programs that assist those who are not able to provide for certain things, such as food, shelter and care for the children. These programs are Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), the Food Stamps programs, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Unemployment Compensation, and General Assistance. These programs are generally harder to get into than what most people think. People must meet strict requirements to be able to receive money from the federal government. For example, a household qualifies for the expedited service of the Food Stamp program, a family must have less than $150 in gross monthly income, be a migrant or seasonal farm worker with resources o... .... People refuse to get jobs once they are on welfare, which hurts their chances even more of saving up money to be able to buy or rent housing, which could force them eventually out onto the streets. Affordable housing is another issue that needs to be addressed quickly to alleviate the problem of homelessness. Low income housing is generally associated with crime and other undesirable characteristics, which force other communities to shun these types of housing proposals. I agree with the concept that the CWS is now implementing into their system, by not removing a child from their own household unless absolutely deemed necessary. By giving the child a chance to live in their own house and not be placed into foster care so quickly gives the child a future that would otherwise not be so great. Bibliography Baumohl, J. Homelessness in America. (1996). Phoenix, AZ: The Oryx Press. Kryder-Coe, J., Salamon, L.M. & Molnar, J.M. (1991). Homeless Children and Youth. New Brunswick, NJ: The Transaction Publishers. National Coalition for Homeless. (2014). How Many People Experience Homelessness? Web 10 April 10, 2015 http://www.nationalhomeless.org/numbers.html.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Scandal at Abu Ghraib

The abuse scandal of prisoners at Abu Ghraib occurred during the Iraq war. From 2003 to 2006 AbuGhraib prison was a US Army detention center for captured Iraqis. An investigation into the treatment of detainees at the prison was prompted by the discovery of graphic photos depicting guards abusing detainees in 2003. The facility was located nearBaghdad on 280 acres. At the height of the scandal, the prison held up to 3,800 detainees.Most of the detainees lived in tents in the prison yards(CNN Library).Spec. Joe Darbywas a U.S. Army Reservist serving as a Military Police (M.P.) at the Abu Ghraib prison, when, in January of 2004 he blew the whistle on several of his colleagues that were involved in the abuse scandal. He said he received the now-notorious abuse photos on computer disks(CDs)from Cpl. Charles Graner at the beginning of December(Associated Press). He turned them over to the Army investigators Jan. 12, testifying that he knew Graner was a ringleader in the abuse and would be returning to the prison soon from another assignment.Darby was right in disclosing the abuse and blowing the whistle because the duty of preventionof further illegal abuse of prisoners by U.S. Army personnel outweighed any other duty or loyalty that he may have felt bound to. In addition, withholding evidence and knowledge of something as fundamentally wrong as torture could have led to more problems for Spec. Darby overall because the abuse could have escalated and eventually have been found outanyway. In James 2this case, justified legal action against him as a co-conspirator, for withholding evidence, and failure to disclose illegal activity could have been usedagainst him. Furthermore, feeling as distressed as he did about finding the photos of the abuse, living with the knowledge of having ignored inhumane acts performed by Army personnel could have led to tremendous psychological stress due to feelings of guilt. Why did Joe Darby wait several weeks to turn the CDs in? In a situation where whistleblowing becomes a very real possibility for someone, two, possibly more,loyalties start conflictingwithin the person having to decide on whether to blow the whistle or not,Most oftenthisis a conflict between a public or common moralinterestthat the actor feels he has to protectand hisfeeling of duty, commitment , and loyalty to an organization and/or one or several individuals. This conflict of loyalties can be agonizing for the potentialwhistleblowerbecause hewill havetodisregardone loyaltyin favor of another(both of which are of equal moral importance to him)if he blows the whistle.In Spec. Darby's case there were several conflicts. First, the loyalty to the institution of the Army;secondthe loyalty to his colleagues;third, public interest intheprevention of harm and illegal activities,and finally thefear of retaliation, the threat to his own person as well as his family. In one interview, about disclosing the abuse at Abu Ghraib, Darby is quoted assaying it was†the right decision and it had to be made†(Norris). While he was hailed as a hero by some, he was also facing a lot of opposition for his actions as a whistleblower. After returning to the U.S. he was placed in protective custodyfor an extended amount of time, and later had to move from his hometown to escape harassment and threats against him and his family. According to Kantian deontology, which is the best moral theory to apply here,Darby had a duty to blowthe whistlebecause the concept of duty is the essential or central point of James 3deontology, and rather than being worried about the consequences of an action, the important thing is the way actors think when they make choices.The act should come from respect for the moral law. The only inherently good thing, according to Kant, is the good will, and the will is good when one acts out of duty and not out of inclination (to gain something material or gain a feeling of self-satisfaction). Darby made the decision to blow the whistle for the sole reason of preventing further wrongdoing by fellow soldiers, and further harm to prisoners at Abu Ghraib. He acted out of good will; he had neither material gain nor did the act of whistleblowing make him feel good. He perceived it as his moral duty to disclose the information. While an opponent of whistleblowing may argue that deontology cannot justifyintroducing as universal law theexternal or public disclosure in all cases of alleged wrongdoing, it can be countered here that it is equally not justifiable to establish as a universal law for a person to keep quiet about knowledge of intentional wrongdoing forever or indefinitely. Additionally, the duty to blow the whistle,as suggested bydeontology,is already being upheld in several professions, and in many of the States.For example,teachers,and physicians are required to report suspicions of abuse, nurses are required to report mistakes in the medical treatment of patients, and thereare laws that punish the failure to report a felonyin numerous states. Even in the Military there are clauses that obligate a soldier to refuse an order that is not legal. These are all examples of deontological theory supporting whistleblowing as the duty of a good citizen. While blowing the whistle externally is still often a controversial concept, internal whistleblowing has long been encouraged or been made obligatory by management in corporatecodes of ethics (Paddget). Considering that many U.S. soldiers were in the explicit pictures that were taken of the abuse, one stands to reasonably pose the question if Darby was the only person who was James 4disturbed by the actions of the soldiers involved in the torture of detainees. Spec. JeremySivits, who is also mentioned in case 6.2, was the first soldier to be tried. In his defense, his attorney insisted that Sivits was merely following orders, as he had been trained, to photograph the abuse. He claimed that followingorders was the right thing to do for Sivits(Clancy, Vaught and Solomon). This defense did not hold up in court, and Jeremy Sivits was tried and convicted, possibly because his invoking the defense of obedience was flawed. â€Å"Strict† obedience, which is what Sivits obedience to superiors essentially was, cannot excuse participation in a case involving unlawful actions as using torture and abuse on detainees of the U.S. Army. The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) 809[890]. ART.90(20), makes it clear that military personnel need to obey the â€Å"lawful command of his superior officer,† 891.ART.91 (2), the â€Å"lawful order of a warrant officer†, 892.ART.92 (1) the â€Å"lawful general order†, 892.ART.92 (2) â€Å"lawful order†. In each case, military personnel have an obligation and a duty to only obey lawful orders and indeed have an obligation to disobey Unlawful orders, including orders by the president that do not comply with the UCMJ. The moral and legal obligation is to the U.S. Constitution and not to those who would issue unlawful orders, especially if those orders are in direct violation of the Constitution and the UCMJ (Mosqueda).

Part Time Job Influenced Student’s Study Essay

The prevalence of secondary school students working part-time is linked to economic cycles: when there is an economic upturn, more students work; when economies are depressed, fewer work. Most students who work do so in low-paying service, clerical, or sales jobs, with some evidence that proportionately more students from middle-class families work than students from either poor or wealthy families. There appears to be a general view that there is a connection between working more than 15 to 20 hours per week and reduced school success in terms of academic achievement, as well as an increased risk of dropping out of school. However, it is not clear whether increased work causes the problems, or whether academic failure leads more students who are failing to increase their work hours. Literature Review A range of literature has been reviewed and some details from this literature are shared below. The prevalence of work It is not clear what proportion of students work, but in a (U. S. ) study of 21,000 senior high school students, 75% were working part-time for an average of 16. 4 hours a week (Gordon, 1985). The study found that working was related to a need for immediate income and to a lack of interest in school. In Canada, 40% of teenagers aged 15 to 19 had jobs in 1993, but these data include full-time summer jobs (Canadian Social Trends, Winter, 1994). B. C. teenagers are more likely to be employed than teenagers in Ontario, Quebec, or the Atlantic provinces, with 44% employed in B. C. Slightly higher teenage-employment rates than B. C. ’s were reported in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. When only part-time work is considered, 72% of those employed worked part-time. 3% of full-time Canadian students aged 15 to 19 worked during the school year. The Statistics Canada (StatsCan) data reported in Canadian Social Trends appear low in comparison to other data, but one possible explanation may be the differentiation between full- and part-time students, a difference not always clarified in some reports. Bernier (1995), using Canadian Labour Force data, found that 40% of Canadian full-time students participated in the labour force, compared to 77% of part-time students. There may be considerable differences across socio-economic groups, though there is little firm data to support this: Lawton (1992) states that middle-class students are more likely to work than either lower- or upper-class students. Lawton also indicates that about two-thirds of students in senior grades hold part-time jobs, findings closer to Gordon’s study than to the data supplied by StatsCan. The effect of working part-time on students’ academic achievement Most research shows that there is a detrimental effect on achievement if secondary students work for over 15 hours a week (Stern, 1997). Such students have lower grades, do less homework, are more likely to drop out, and are less likely to enter post-secondary education. Those students who work fewer hours suffer fewer negative consequences. These finding are supported by a Toronto study (Cheng, 1995), and are similar to StatsCan data (Canadian Social Trends, 1994), which show that students who worked fewer than 20 hours a week had much lower dropout rates than those who worked for more than 20 hours a week. There were startling differences between males who worked fewer than 20 hours (16% dropout rate), and those who worked longer than 20 hours (33% dropout rate), although the highest female dropout rates (22%) occurred among females who did not work at all while at school. There is one important caveat to the link between part-time work and marks: there is mixed evidence as to whether marks decline because students work more, or whether students whose marks are declining choose to work more. However, Singh (1998) in a study which factored in socio-economic status and revious achievement, stated that the more hours worked, the greater the negative effects on student achievement. The consequences for younger students working longer hours could be more severe than for older students (Barone, 1993). Many students who work find some problems balancing school and work demands (Worley, 1995). Many who work part-time have limited participation in extra-curricular activities (Hope, 1990). The effect of working part-time on students’ overall well-being Stern (1997) and Cheng (1995) both state that students derive benefits from working, as long as the hours are below 15 per week. Stern identifies a benefit to future earning potential and a more positive attitude to work formed while working or during work experience at school. These findings are also supported by Canadian data. However, Lawton (1992) argues that those who support this argument also tend to support a vocational rather than a liberal view of education. Greenberger and Steinberg (1986), in an analysis of psycho-social aspects of working high-school students, concluded that â€Å"it may make them academically rich but psychologically poor. They also argued that instead of instilling good work habits, many students who worked part-time learned how to cheat, steal, and deal with boring work. Mortimer (1993) found no evidence to support the claim that working long hours fostered smoking or increased school behaviour problems, but there was evidence of increased alcohol consumption. Other studies, however, have found increased drug and alcohol use, and higher rates of delinquency associated with hig her number of hours worked by students. A 1991 Oregon Task Force found the numbers of 16- and 17-year-olds who were working to have increased in recent years. Jobs were often low-paying, unfulfilling, and offered little in the way of educational value or preparation for adult work. Canadian data suggest that trends in teenage employment are linked to economic cycles, with numbers rising and falling with buoyant or depressed economies. Most Canadian students (69%) work in service, clerical, or sales industries, with more females (84%) than males (57%) in these industries. Four times the number of males (16%) compared to females (4%) were employed in construction. Research also indicates that too many hours of work for teenagers increases fatigue and may cause lower academic performance. Carskadon (1999) describes changing sleep patterns during adolescence and discusses the influence of employment on sleep patterns. She found that students working 20 or more hours reported later bedtimes, shorter sleep times, more frequent episodes of falling asleep in school, and more late arrivals in school. An article in the American Federation of Teachers’ publication, American Teacher (February 1999), cited a report produced by the (U.  S. ) National Research Council (NRC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) which provided evidence of what it claims is an underestimate of 70 documented deaths of children and adolescents as a result of injuries at work, and 100,000 young people seeking treatment in hospital emergency wards as a result of work-related injuries. Based on these data, a committee established by the NRC/IOM is calling for Congress to a uthorize limits to the number of hours worked per day by teenagers, and to regulate teenagers’ work start-and finish-times on school nights.

Choose a Topic from Your Personal Knowledge and Experience Essay

My whole wedding planning experience and the day I got married July 4, 2008 are the most memorable days of my life. The reason for choosing July 4 was because that was the day we became girlfriend and boyfriend. I realized it was time to get married after observing my boyfriend and getting to know him better, I decided he was the one with whom I wanted to share the rest of my life with. It was during the month of March when we picked out our wedding date. I noticed the time was nearing so quickly. Finally time to start planning. First I made an appointment with David’s Bridal to try on wedding dresses. One day while my husband was out working my best friend offered to take me. I then looked through a catalog and marked my favorite dresses. I am a very picky person. So I wanted my wedding dress to be the perfect one. I like to take my time in order to make a good decision. The Lady who brought out the dresses wasn’t helping much. It seems like she really didn’t care and I could walk out with any dress as long as she made a sale. I really liked one dress a lot. But it was time to go my appointment was over. I still wanted to try on more dresses just in case there was another dress way over the top beautiful. The lady said if I wanted to try on more dresses I should make another appointment. I finally left with a dress in mind. My next plan was to decide on where I wanted to get married. I began to do some local research on the Internet. I wrote down numbers and called. They were either all booked out or closed on July 4. I finally got too frustrated that I was thinking about canceling all my plans for a wedding and take a trip to the courthouse instead. No hassles and stress free is the way to be. I still wanted a wedding dress even to get married at the courthouse. I still wanted something special for us even though it was going to be the two of us. A few months went by getting closer to the date. One day my husband and I were taking care of errands when we pass a place that turns out to be a place to have a wedding. So we go check it out and really loved the place. It made us change our mind to have a wedding. A few days later I went into a store to look around at wedding stuff. There was a lady there that introduced me to her. Her name was Patty. She was really nice and really cared it turns out she does photography, catering makes cakes and more. Everything I needed. So one day my husband and I were driving around and I see this big yellow sign from the road. I tell him to turn around to see what it said. It was a big beautiful mansion. That read weddings, parties and graduations. We go in  there the lady shows the package plans available and gives us details. We were sitting with her at a round table. She just starred at us with those eyes that say sign the contract already. It didn’t seem like she realized that it was a big step to take. A lot of money and a lot of things to think about. We talked about it and decided to take the offer only 4 days left until July 4. We told my family about it and my mom was thrilled. On the other hand my grandma was saying we couldn’t plan a wedding in four days. Even though I was telling her I already paid for it and signed the contract. She thought it was too impossible for me. The lady patty told me from the store she could be my photographer. She also made my bouquet for me. My husband took me back to David’s bridal. I invited my two sisters to come along. I tried on a few more dresses while my husband stayed out in the car. He can’t see me until our wedding day of course. I picked out my necklace, earrings, and tiara. My sister bought me a veil as a wedding gift. I was ready to check out. I ended up buying the dress I liked from the first appointment. My husband and I went to look for rings that same day we went to zales. A lot of rings to choose from and I was stuck between two favorites. I finally picked out the one I liked so did my husband. Except I did something different he bought me an engagement ring to be my wedding ring. I like them better. We bought the rings and I decided 4 years ago Report Abuse Additional Details So we had to come pick it up another day. We were worried it wouldn’t be ready on the day of our wedding, But unfortunately it was. We went to the wedding rehearsal it was just me and him. My husband doesn’t speak english. So we practiced him saying the vowels. We decided he would just repeat after the minister on the actual wedding day. He sounded just like an american speaking. We then went over the walk one time and she said we were done. I expected more practice than that. I thought you practiced until you got it all down. This was our first experience and she didn’t even let us practice enough to get the feel. Well we finally left very worried with no good rehersal. I got some copies of the directions from map quest. I told my family about the wedding event. And where it would take place. I don’t know why but everyone was making up lame excuses. My Grandma said she couldn’t  drive in the dark. My aunt said there would be too much traffic. 4 years ago  to leave my ring with Zales to get it sized. My appointments turned out to be a disaster. So many things went wrong that it’s not even funny. The lady that waxed my eyebrows messed them up so badly. She left unwanted hairs everywhere. Then I made a spray tan appointment. I was supposed to start noticing change in the color of my body in two hours. I was so dissapointed there wasn’t even a difference. It was finally time to go pick up our rings. My ring was yellow it looked fake. I got upset started crying because the ring was so expensive and I wasn’t happy with it. I complained to them about the yellow ring. Thank God I had two favorites. I asked them if they could switch it out for the other one I liked. I felt so relieved when they said yes I could switch. Then they gave us a little bad news. They said when they were in the process of sizing the ring it shredded. They said it was a bad ring. They had to get him another ring but the same one and resize it again. 4 years ago A few other members in my family were coming up with excuses. That was really odd. My family was not supportive at all except all my sisters. My husband had to pay for the whole wedding. I didn’t even get any gifts. Now July 4, 2008 is finally here. I got my hair and makeup done by this old lady. She didn’t seem like she really cared either she just did an up do the way she liked it. She was also in a huge rush. She used makeup from the 1960’s literally. I could have done the work she did and better with the money she charged me. I started to get so emotional because I expected to look stunning. So here I am crying makeup and all. I got to my sister’s house looked in the mirror and said to myself not so bad after all. Did a few touch ups. Once I get my dress on everything will be all right. As random strangers tell me congratulations I’m starting to feel good. So here I am in shorts a t-shirt and wedding veil driving myself to my on wedding. 4 years ago It was about a forty minute drive. I only had about twenty minutes to get my dress on and have time to actually think. Well what do you know my sister forgot one of my under garments. So I had to wait for my husband to bring it  to me. He wasn’t even on his way yet. I should have already been in my dress. I put a few curls in my hair. It was time for it to start. My photographer got there with my beautiful twenty four red roses bouquet. She snapped a few pictures of me. Going down the staircase before anyone had seen me. So I’m walking down the aisle and I see my husband standing waiting for me. We said our vowels. We finally kissed I will always remember when he said to me â€Å"You look beautiful†. Everything turned out miraculously. Even though we had no idea what we were doing it all fell into place. It looked like we knew what we were doing and have already been married four times. 4 years ago You see through my wedding experience the planning and appointments can get stressful. Even though my family was not supportive they came to my wedding. I didn’t really care even if it was just going to be the two of us. I really showed my family I could do it. Nobody really cared but my photographer. She was the one telling us what to do even though it was not her job. To this day my Grandma’s always talking about how beautiful my wedding was. She always asks if she could borrow my pictures to show them off to people. Like at church work and family that didn’t get to come. So have faith in your wedding. As long as you and your other half stick together and believe everything will turn out great.