Beauty in Architecture

Art has been around for so long that it has become an integral part of a human being's life. A thorough observation of all forms of art speaks of one common significance – art as the so-called â€Å"universal expression of the soul. † The ancient carvings in an Egyptian cave, the soothing melody of a harp, the beautiful words of a poet, and the abstract objects in a painting all define art as timeless, pure, and perfect. But how far can a universal language serve mankind? Can an old fine-tuned guitar or a gold-textured jug stand as a man's ally in his lifetime?It is somewhat ironic to admit to ourselves that we have gotten so used to the notion that the most beautiful will never be the most useful. One form of art though that has stood apart from this irony is architecture. In its most basic explanation, architecture is both a combination of a work of art and science to build and erect buildings. For a builder and designer called the architect, architecture is a monumen tal task. First, because it is an art that speaks of a meaning; and second, because its completion will serve more than man's desire for beautiful things.Architecture stands so unique from the rest of all artistic forms. A building will stand tall and proud for the entire world to see long after the beauty of the most expensive painting loses its appeal for the eyes. Architecture has a dynamic role to play and to sustain. One vivid example of its difference from all arts is a home. Inside a house are walls with paintings in every corner, an elegant piano in the living room being played by well-trained hands, and a long hallway lined with slender China vases about a foot tall.Overtime as the family living inside the house grew up and changed physically and mentally, so are their treatment for all these pieces of art. The hands that once played the piano may later find other interests to pursue, one or two of the vases gets broken into pieces because of carelessness or accidents, and the paintings may one day be moved to another room where no one can eventually look at it. A helpless and unhappy ways for these arts to retire. But not for the house.Children go to school, attend college, and get married but they always come back to the house that have been there since their birth. A few repairs here and there over the years, fresh interior and exterior paints, and an installation of new household technologies may be a part of the family’s growth but the house remains a house. A shelter and a fortress for mankind. It has protected the family from vicious storms and heavy rains, from the terrible heat of summer, from the freezing temperatures of winter. Above all, it has become a symbol of the family’s traditions and cultures.It no longer portrays a spacious neat place where children, parents, relatives, and friends can gather around comfortably. It has grown into something the inhabitants can be proud of because its structures and textures have been t ransformed into a representation of status, wealth, achievements, educational degrees, and even religion. This is only a brief and simple example of the importance of architecture in an ordinary life. Moving on to a broader and global view of the existence of architecture, we find buildings and establishments housing larger groups of people.From the family who lived in the house with occasional visits from friends and relatives, we shifted our eyes towards the cathedral or mosque in the city that symbolizes its flock of followers that goes in and out to worship and pray. There is also the hospital that is structured to accommodate as many sick patients as possible and the palace or mansion that epitomizes the actions and behaviors of a certain type of government and ruler. Bridges made of wood or steel provide a passage for fast and accessible transportation.The St. Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican became the seat of Catholicism in the world. Buckingham Palace symbolizes the royalty as the reigning ruler of Great Britain and the White House the powerful effects of a nation’s unity. The Chrysler Building exemplifies a wealthy businessman’s passion for automotives. Not only does architecture speaks of religion, government, and education, it also evokes feelings. The Great Walls of China was both a protection and defense from enemies in ancient Chinese times.Taj Mahal was a man’s undying profession of love for his wife and The Statue of Liberty was a gift of one nation to another. Architecture is more than an expression of our joys, anguish, rage, victories, and problems. Architecture must follow a strict set of guidelines before expressing man’s varying emotions. Tradition and culture lead the guidelines and principles in erecting and building. A man must design and create in accordance to the period or backdrop a piece belongs. Through architecture, the community and its inhabitants can speak to another generation their beliefs, righ ts, and traditions.When a building, a bridge, or a church has served its function, when we have declared architecture as more lasting than the rest of the arts, and when we have given the establishments too much credit for serving us loyally, we seek and desire for something more from them. As we evolved mentally and emotionally, we develop dissatisfaction for simplicity, plainness, and mediocrity. We use our common senses to start discerning that which is not plain, simple, and mediocre and the greatest tool for this task is our philosophy.And what better way to apply philosophy in architecture than to criticize a structure for its beauty or ugliness. Once we have applied this philosophy, we discover how sad our evolution has become. As our societies change forth into what we call a modernized world, our â€Å"modern† minds would dispose or discard slowly and gradually the old ways and traditions. There is no longer that appreciation for the artistic sides of things. They ha ve been dismissed as impractical, costly, and useless, turning everything we create into mere thresholds of function (McElwee, 1996).With this realization we go back to our dissatisfactions. Plainness and ugliness cannot stay visible forever, we consciously decide. It is no longer enough for a church to be just a place of worship. It has to speak through its design, color, and texture the religion of the people. To build a bridge is not only to nail pieces of woods and steel together and cover them up with solid cement. It has to be shaped in elegance and style. Monuments are not only a plain sculpture of a legend’s bust or body. It could be a palace or a beautiful arched tower. A business establishment is not merely a tall building.Its concept of design could be stemmed from a businessman’s view of a successful life. Even a house or an apartment is not at all roofs on our heads and walls on our sides. It could be an outstanding structure among its surroundings. This i s a tremendous challenge for architecture. It has to serve its basic purpose and function, and at the same time pass the critical judgment of philosophy, in this case, the philosophy of art and beauty called aesthetics. Of course there are always exceptions from the judgments and scrutiny. Poverty and economic instability are one.In modern America, the poorest has to live in dilapidated housings where shelter is the only option to survive the cold and the heat. The lower-class struggle everyday to earn a penny for food and clothing. An idea to build a beautiful and spacious home is too bleak to consider. Some might just dwell under the bridges or lie down on the side of the streets. However, modernization has almost found itself among the groups of the poor. It has created, too, a concept that a structure that serves a role other than functionality is simply preposterous. Style, color, and beauty are not among the plans of the design.They are costly and time-consuming for the owner. Architects are distressingly left with no choice but to build a cheap establishment that takes fewer amounts of time and effort. The concept of architecture has solely described the kind of life a man has with technologies around him. There is no longer a place for art and beauty in a vehicle and mobile revolution. A house or an apartment in this period is no longer designed with curves, arches, and elegance, but with dull straight lines that accommodate enough appliances and technologies the dwellers have in their life.Aesthetics can help our modern minds get back to the original fundamentals of architecture: that beauty is included together with function and structure (Gatto, 2002). There is so much more in architecture than anything found in a painting on a wall, a sculpture of a goddess, a song of an opera, and a rhyme in a poem. But one should never forget that architecture, too, could stand beside these forms of art and be functional and beautiful at the same time. What then are the criteria for beauty? Do we build houses, towers, and bridges the way we paint a picture or write a song?In a way, we do but, along with the history it represents, there are aesthetic values to consider. There has to be art and science in architecture. It is the aesthetic value of a piece of architecture that separates distinctly its function and purpose from the beauty and art in its form. It involves a calculative thinking of a mathematician and an expressive feeling of an artist. Beauty in architecture competes with beauty in nature. While nature has been the most beautiful and timeless piece of art ever created, architecture, too, has a responsibility to play as nature to man.A construction of an object has to make the nature in the background looked more beautiful and appealing. It does not destroy or diminish the surrounding to where it stood. Considering the background was a barren piece of land, the object doesn’t make the whole picture look uglier, boring, and dry. It has to stand out as a distinction from the place, like a garden in a dessert or a lighthouse in a terrible storm. And of course, its beauty has to sustain its purpose. To design and to build is also to preserve its function and appeal.It takes a specialty and an education to criticize a piece of architecture according to its beauty. According to Scruton, as cited in A Weekly Dose of Architecture website (2006), calling a painting or music beautiful is different from calling architecture beautiful. Only the keenest of eyes equipped with aesthetic knowledge can understand architecture’s details of structure, function and beauty. Beautiful for man is what he perceives as pleasurable to his senses. The colors of a painting, the sound of music, and the grace of a ballerina catches the eyes, the ears, and the sensations.It is man’s most basic instinct of his judgment of beauty. That which delights and pleases him is beautiful. That which irritates and disgusts him i s ugly. What makes certain things labeled as the opposite of beauty? A look at the surface of beautiful objects evokes timeless joy and appreciation. But to understand why it has delighted us takes a thorough observation and scrutiny of our eyes and minds. Beauty is an association and combination of the aspects of art – color, structure, shapes, texture, etc.A right combination of colors, a perfect variation of lines and angles, and a precise proportion of each shape constitute a very attractive model of beauty. As mentioned earlier, man’s mentality evolves and changes. Our judgment for beauty deepens together with our intellect. Our feelings towards pieces of architecture vary overtime depending on the type of piece. We may have an understanding tolerance for a house or a store lacking in repairs but we don’t give considerations to a government hall, a church, or a huge commercial building to become less than what they were originally created for.There are cert ain levels of judgment applied to different degrees of art. An architecture that houses, sustains, and encompasses a great number of dwellers requires greater attention and care for beauty and its preservations. Judgment is not only based in evolving intellects and mentality. So, too, can our emotions and beliefs towards certain things affect our taste for beauty. Religious biases, political dissents, racial and intellectual discriminations among other things provide a pre-conceived notion of how we view and react to things and objects.The grandeur of the Vatican may look commanding and dominant for others who see Catholicism as not entirely the perfect religion around. The White House may disgust other countries because of the government’s overbearing tactics in war. Even the handsomely restored Germany may forever be treated with dread and despise by the Jews affected by the nightmares of the holocaust. This is what the great German philosopher Immanuel Kant pointed out (In ternet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2006). Man simply has this idea inside his head about a certain object. Through these ideas he forms his judgment and reactions to it.So when the object has been made visible in front of his eyes, he already discerns it as beautiful or ugly. There is none of the hard work done in a careful assessment and scrutiny of every tiny detail. According to Kant, there are at least four factors to consider in making a judgment of beauty. A man has to experience joy and delight in something he sees as beautiful. The perfect blend of colors in a rainbow makes him smile that is why he calls it beautiful. Our judgment has to agree with almost everyone else, in fact with the whole universe, making the object universal.The object has to have a role to play other than for display and viewing and creation simply has to serve its purpose that it has been designed for. In Kant’s Critique of Judgment, he emphasized the importance of an experience of observing be auty before judgments as to how and why it is called beautiful are being set up. In Christopher Alexander’s Nature of Order, Book 1: The Phenomenon of Life, he pictures the present generation of architecture as lacking in life (Mehaffy, n. d. ). He blamed architects for the sluggish attitude in designing and constructing buildings.Architects have developed a similar attitude with the people, that in a technology-ruled and fast-paced world we lived in, we neglect to put details in architecture that breathes life. According to him, life is the most fundamental foundation of a structure. Life is breathing and moving. Architecture should be based on this and not on the robotic and mechanistic way our technologies convey. In our modern scientific way, the use of art has slowly been diminishing. Before it happens completely, let us bear in mind that without beauty in it is like a lonely statue of a hero standing out in a cold hard rain.The statue has no life and it no longer feels cold or heat. But architecture is an essential part of our life. So its essence and foundation must breathe life. We must take comfort not only for the roof it provides above our heads but also for the pride it makes us feel because of its beauty. Architecture is both a responsibility and a privilege to provide and attract. It has to welcome and not to frighten anyone away. It has to project a remembrance of its existence and not to kill all the memories forever. Even an old uninhabited castle’s haunted feeling depicts the lives of the powerful family who once lived there.But in our time today, the ugly unoccupied building gives us the shivers not because of the memories left there but of the hideous structure of the place. Architecture should never lose its beauty. After all, its ability to be the symbol of both science and art is what sets it apart. A house, a church, a store, a town hall, and a community that is devoid in beauty lack the true essence and purpose of life â €“ creation. If we are indeed too practical, busy, and perhaps too frugal to incorporate art with our dwellings, then we are better off to live in cold hard unshapely caves. Works Cited

History of Terrell State Mental Hospital Essay

There are many governmental agencies within the healthcare system. One of most interesting and heart-wrenching agencies is a local governmental agency called Terrell State Mental Hospital. This agency is well known in the state of Texas for its carefree healthcare. They have a longstanding relationship with the families of its patients and are a major contributor to the city of Terrell’s financial windfall. They produce over ten million a year for the city of Terrell, which allows this city to take care of its mental inpatients and make sure they have the best treatment possible. History of Terrell State Mental Hospital According to Mike Hansen (2008), Terrell State Mental Hospital is a 582 room facility that is joint commission accredited and a Medicare certified psychiatric inpatient hospital that is operated under the direction of the Texas Department of State Health Services. This hospital is responsible for many types of illnesses and is an independent, not for profit organization, which has many programs to offer its patients. These programs include an adult acute program, a children’s and adolescence program, a forensics program, geriatric service, an intensive behavioral program and an intermediate care program, all of which has their patients best interest at heart. This hospital was opened in July 1885 and has grown to double its original size and is still running strong to this day. This is a local governmental agency which can compare with national agencies such as The Centers of Disease Control or a state governmental agency such as Health and Human Services in many ways, but the most common factor between these agencies is their ability to help the ill to get over disease or keep from getting a physical or mental illness. This agency houses over 775 patients and employees over 175 people. It is a functioning psychiatric hospital, which cares for its mentally ill patients over four county lines. They onitor their facilities and patients for any new mental illnesses which may develop. This agency also serves the rich, the poor, all races and all minorities in the state of Texas. The Community Relations Department at Terrell State Hospital has three areas of responsibility, which includes volunteer services, public information and fundraising. They provide services and items that the state cannot supply by law or by limitation of funds. This agency has done a tremendous job with curing its patients or at least advancing them to live in society. Admission Process When a person first arrives at the hospital they will be greeted at the admissions office by the staff, which are well trained to address language and cultural needs as well as special needs such as those of the visually impaired or hearing impaired. Then a meeting with the chief psychiatrist will take place to cover the needs and reasoning for the patient being admitted then paperwork will be completed covering reason for hospitalization. Then the patient will be shown around the facility and introduced to the staff that will be caring for the patient. Afterwards, an evaluation will be done by the doctor to determine what needs are to be met. The only motto of this staff is the patient always comes first. Structure and Funding Terrell State Mental Hospital is designed in a matrix structure where the professionals focus on project teams and report to a general manager or a vice president. Because these professionals can work on several projects it is very important to have strong central oversight from the senior managers to ensure people do not stray from the projects they work on. According to Ninomiya (2009), with this style of management system workers report to more than one supervisor at a time. The idea is to share knowledge and personnel to maximize effectiveness. This hospital receives their funding from both voluntary contributions and from the Department of Human Services or the state of Texas. They arrange a budget describing the funds needed and the state of Texas takes care of the rest. Contributions also come from families of the inpatients. The voluntary contributions in this city are amazing. They really know how to make this city shine. It’s like a true Texan to show their winning attitudes by giving back to the economy and being generous with their money. Programs Available This hospital is operated under the direction of the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. They offer their services to people within a twenty-two county, 14,622 square mile area including Bowie, Dallas, and Kaufman Counties. According to the Chamber of Commerce (2009), their services are offered to children 6 to 12 years of age, adolescence ages 12 to 18 and adults. Programs include acute care, an intensive behavioral program, medical services, forensic care for inmates of state correctional institutions intermediate care, a cottage program for adult life skills and a research center. Local Agencies vs. National and State Agencies The three of these agencies have different aspects of treatment for disease. The national and state agencies usually focus on locating and making the public aware of possible outbreaks such as a rising number of cases of encephalitis. They announce to the public where and when to stay tuned for information on what is the next step for information on what is the next step or what they need to do to obtain an immunization or where they need to go to get their injection if one is available. The local agency such as with Terrell State Mental Hospital usually focuses on treatment of illness such as with mental illness. It is usually a prolonged and drawn out type of treatment. Doctors usually have to try a patient on several medications before they arrive at the treatment that works for a patients illness. Local agencies usually work with the family members of these patients to help determine what might work with their family member’s illness. According to Colonel Jim Harris (2009), this hospital continues to be governed by a local board of managers. When the State Board of Control assumed the duties for governing state institutions, the operation of Terrell State Mental Hospital came under the control and management of the Board of Texas State Hospital and special schools. The 59th Legislature in 1965, under House Bill No. , created the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Act for control and management of Terrell State Hospital. The Board of Texas State Hospital and special schools was abolished at that time. Over the years there have been major ameliorations some planned and some not. These changes have cost the state of Texas millions of dollars. The improvements have changed this pioneer establishment into a modern psychiatric facility that serves twenty-one counties in the northern part of the state. These ameliorations have made this hospital one that the patients and their family members can be proud of. Conclusion Local, National and State governmental agencies in the healthcare field all overlap in many different ways. For one, they all share disease prevention. Each agency shares disease prevention in a different way. A state organization such as Health and Human Services helps to prevent disease by helping to provide the poor with immunizations so they are protected in case of an outbreak of a dangerous disease. A national governmental agency such as Centers for Disease Control helps to keep the public aware when they are suspicious that a disease has reached epic proportions and is beginning to make them think an outbreak has occurred or is a threat to the public. They give the pubic directions on where they should go or how they should handle a dangerous situation in case one was to occur. The last agency which is the local governmental agency such as Terrell State Mental Hospital helps the public with a completely different completely different angle to the disease and its prevention. They help the public with mental disorders and their treatments. This hospital is very generous and works hard to help patients with their disorders. Psychiatric issues can be a very hard time for families, but this hospital works hard and uses voluntary contributions sparingly, so that the state of Texas can take the remainder of their contributions and work hard to make the patients well or to get them on the right treatment, so that they can once again function in society. Terrell State functions as a matrix structure which basically means they are a project oriented type of company. They also function by reporting to more than one manager. They highly believe projects are the best way to make the greatest progress. This style of structure is also well known for keeping several types of projects going at all times. In this case they may have several patients that they work with at a time and these individuals may have many types of problems such as a case of bipolar, and another may be schizophrenic, etc. These patients may have several doctors that they report to. Every doctor truly cares for their patients and they like to make sure that they take each patients interest to heart.

Is Facebook boosting or hindering communication

Is Facebook boosting or hindering communication? Facebook is the most famous commonly used social media. It has become the preferred method for keeping in touch with people. Almost every young person has at least one Facebook account. However useful it might be in social life and education, Facebook brought about a set of new barriers and threats in these areas. There is an irony in the sense that social media, like Facebook, has the ability to make us less social.Doubtless it may be stimulating to feel so connected with others, and et there is no way to deny that underneath this feeling, there is a sense of emptiness. Robin Sharma agrees with that fact in his book The Greatness Guide by saying that the more we are electronically connected, the more we are emotionally disconnected. In other words, while people spend many hours of their days on Facebook chatting, posting status and wishing happy birthdays and engagements to one another, they forget about the importance of conversation in the traditional way.They completely forget about the effectiveness of sitting to dinner with the family or hanging out with friends. In a word, Facebook is gradually robbing people of what distinguishes them as human beings. Not only does Facebook make us less social, but also sometimes conveys a completely different reality about its users. Anyone can hide behind Facebook posts, giving any image they want about themselves and creating an illusion about their personality. They can be whoever they want, depending on the fact that their audiences have no hoice but to be confused, having no verbal communication.So, our only real method of communication is through voice-to-voice or face-to-face communication. It is only through this way that when one hears a tone of voice or looks into someone's eyes, they are able to know when â€Å"l am okay† does not mean they are okay at all. Thus, without any means of communication but phrases, abbreviations, snippets and emoticons on Fa cebook, one can never be sure whether these things are accurate representations of the truth.As for education, students, no doubt, owe Facebook a lot for facilitating their education process, but still it is a main contributor to the failure of many of them. Although Facebook plays a role in breaking the ice between colleagues in schools or universities, it wastes much of their time in chatting about trivial matters. It is true Facebook helps students keep updated with the latest news about their studies, even if they are absent from schools or universities.But student rumourmongers ruin verything by spreading so much false news that any news by any student is subject to suspicion, which turns the advantage into a disadvantage. This way Facebook is more of a waste of time for students. Facebook. Now compare this time to the time you spend in real life with your family, friends and your colleagues at school, university or work. Try to make the decision of making the best use of Faceb ook and try to avoid as many of its disadvantages as possible. Out of my own experience, the time and relations you are going to revive are worth giving a try.

Evidence-Based Nursing Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Evidence-Based Nursing Practice - Essay Example of nurses entails identification of needs in patients and the development of intervention plans to address, effective nursing diagnosis is of critical importance. Through nursing diagnosis, nurses are able to identify the different needs exhibited by a patient and hence design intervention programs (Aydin & Akansel, 2013). Notably, nursing diagnosis is the mandate of the nurses and is categorized under nursing control. Nurses are expected to indulge in an active process of diagnosis that seeks to identify a patient’s problem and the pertinent needs. This process requires nurses to apply critical thinking as well as experience, intuition, and expertise. Nursing diagnosis has been described as a process of diagnostic reasoning. The nurse has the responsibility of reviewing the existing data concerning a patients case and identifying the require intervention measures. After reviewing the available data, nurses should be able to sense the problem that the client is facing. This is only a predetermination of the possible needs and the nurse must rule out the possible causes of the problem through a rigorous process of data synthesis. In the end, the nurse must evaluate the identified hypothesis relating to the problem. After this rigorous process, the nurse is in a position to describe the needs of the patient (MÃ ¼ller-Staub, 2009). Both BSN-Prepared Nurses and registered nurses (RNs) face a challenge in effective nursing diagnosis. Sometimes, they lack the expertise to identify a patient’s need and have to rely on limited experience in the intervention program. Nursing diagnosis is a critical aspect of the nursing practice as it defines the initial step of identifying the needs of patients prior to any intervention measures. Failure of effective nursing diagnosis may compromise the quality of care that a patient receives (Westra, Martin, & Swan, 1996). Therefore, both categories of nurses consider nursing diagnosis as a critical aspect of their practice and

Analysis of the trends in the consumption patterns of oil Essay

Analysis of the trends in the consumption patterns of oil - Essay Example The definition of Economics can be classified into three broad categories, namely: (a) Wealth Economics Definition, (b) Material Welfare Economics Definition, and, (c) Scarcity Economics Definition. Of these three, the Scarcity Economics Definition is the pertinent for the present. According to this, economics is a â€Å"science which studies human behavior as a relationship between ends and means which have alternative uses† (Robbins, 1935). The study of Economics is divided by the modern economists into two parts, namely; microeconomics and macroeconomics. In macroeconomics, the economy as a whole is analyzed, while microeconomics analyses the economy in terms of its innumerable decision-making units. Microeconomics: The study of supply and demand inside a market is known as microeconomics. Microeconomics is â€Å"the study of particular firms, particular households, individual prices, wage incomes, individual industries, and particular commodities† (Boulding, 1969). Microeconomics offers solution for the problems: what should be produced, how those goods and services should be produced, and, who is allowed to consume those goods and services. It explains the composition of total production- why more of some things is produced than of others. In other words, it analyzes demand and supply for a product or service. The law of demand states that â€Å"a rise in the price of a commodity or service is followed by a reduction in demand, and a fall in price is followed by an increase in demand, if conditions of demand remain constant† (Samuelson, 1962). ... The major factors that influence the demand for a product or service are: price and availability of a substitute good, price and availability of a complimentary good, income, tastes and preferences, price expectations, stock of goods in consumer hands, and, population. Law of supply: Supply is the amount offered for sale at a given price. The law of supply states that "other things remaining the same, as the price of a commodity rises its supply is extended, and as the price falls its supply is contracted" (Boulding, 1969). The supply changes due to: i) costs of production, ii) unavailability of resources (like raw materials for the production), iii) improvement in the means of transportation, communication and technology, iv) political disturbances or war, and, v) the climate, irrigation methods and soil (in the case of agriculture products). Trends in the consumption patterns of oil The availability of oil and its price are linked by the laws of supply and demand. Each day approximately 84 million barrels of oil are extracted from the earth, and approximately the same amount is consumed. The world's rate of oil extraction will begin soon or has already begun to decline, while the demand for oil continues to grow which in turn will produce sharply rising prices for oil. In this study, the Oil Market Report by IEA dated 10th July, 2008 (IEA, 2008) is analyzed. The highlights of the analysis are given below: Microeconomics of oil - Supply and Demand: The oil market is one where small changes to the supply or demand cause large changes to the clearing price. In economics jargon, both oil supply and demand are "inelastic" - they show only a minimal short-term response to changes in

Macbeth Act 3 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Macbeth Act 3 - Coursework Example Explain Macbeth does see Fleance as a threat to his throne as, according to witches’ prophecies, Banquo’s sons will rule the country. However, he does not see the bay as a threat yet – the boy is too small. Macbeth is more afraid of the boy’s father – Banquo. 3. Do you feel any sympathy at all for Lady Macbeth as she talks about her "doubtful joy" in scene 2? Explain. It is a pathetic sight – a queen, having no joy in life, because the way she got what she wanted was so wrong. She lives in fear that their guilt will be discovered.   Nought's had, all's spent, /  Where our desire is got without content; /'Tis safer to be that which we destroy / Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy. (3.2.6-9) Her life is empty and she even envies the king Duncan - she says it is â€Å"safer† to be in his place. On the other hand we do understand that she suffers greatly because of her own evil choice. Her ill conscience and a lack of joy is the sad consequence of the conspiracy and murder she took a part in. She finds no peace either during the day, nor can she sleep peacefully at night. 4. Quote and explain a line in this scene which helps develop the theme of sleeplessness. The theme of sleeplessness started back in the act 2 when Macbeth murdered the king. He heard the voice then: â€Å"Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor /Shall sleep no more.

Social security and Medicare reform Policy recommendations Essay

Social security and Medicare reform Policy recommendations - Essay Example In 2002, there were around 40.5 million citizens of United States who were enrolled in the program. In 2006, the government paid more than $80,000 for the program. The following is the data on the progress of the program. The data above shows how the US Government spends money on various specials groups in the population. The old age Insurance covers the retired workers, Spouses and children. The Survivors Insurance covers the widows, widowers and parents. It also covers the widowed mothers and fathers. The children are also included in the insurance cover. Lastly, the Disability Insurance covers the Disabled workers, Spouses and Children. This report refers to the month of February 2012. As compared to the earlier years, the government has improved both in Medicare and Social Security provision. In 2005, the USA residents had lost hope in the social Security Reform. In the same year, the residents were not concerned at all by the Medicare Reform. What mattered to them most was on the progress of the war against Iraq. The economic goals will be achieved through improving the care given to the elderly, developing and promoting a holistic approach which is person centered to the person who is given the care, through recognition and focusing on the empowerment of the beneficiary, and enhancing equality control throughout the systems of social security and Medicare. The policy recommendations stated that there was going to be no changes to social security since it does not contribute to deficit reduction. The president also believed that social security is not a driver of medium term deficits. The president reported that the Social Security program does not contribute at all to the deficit. There was a recommendation that the Social Security cuts to be put off. The other policy recommendation was to increase the eligibility age of those who were receiving the Medicare from age 65 to 67. The

Business - The Nature of Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business - The Nature of Leadership - Essay Example The workplace should be meaningful that provides opportunities for all stakesholders. This meant power is distributed equitably in the business organization where the costs and benefits of doing business are shared by all. Ultimately, the vision of Christian based business should provide growth and development not only among those who are in the organization but also on the society at large. Chapter two deals with the formulation of an employment strategy that reflects Christian values that will overcome any form of injustice and discrimination. This differs from the traditional perspective of work in a way that a business run through faith views â€Å"work is a healing process† that seeks to reconcile and overcome past injustices. It affirms the diversity in the workplace and thrives on it as it looks at differences as assets rather than a liability. Part three talks about Christian leadership which is unique among different leadership styles because it focuses on servant lea dership. The overall plan or strategic plan of a business is being implemented through the use of servant leadership which inspires employees to focus on the bigger purpose of the organization. Ethics and moral leadership comes naturally which is lacking in today’s business leadership and desists from using manipulation to motivate employees and emphasizes true stewardship of a business. A management that is Christian centered is one that listens and truthful and values cultivation of communication as an essential element towards business success. While being truthful, Christian centered management is neither brash or harsh nor judgmental in conveying truths. Finally, â€Å"Business through the Eyes of Faith† translates the broader meaning of its principles into ethical practice on how it deals with its external stakeholders. It exegetes "business, as an institution, provides the opportunity to participate with God in the creation and distribution of God’s wealt h in God’s world " (pg. 195). It enforces it social contract theory to reconcile the business dilemma of making profits and calls on to exercise â€Å"its stewardship responsibility to God by managing businesses in ways that serve the needs of their communities† (pg. 208). It distinguishes what it produce by having the right criteria between wants and needs and treats the marketplace with honesty and competition where competition is viewed as a healthy competition rather than a guerilla warfare that abandons ethical propriety. Ultimately, business that is run through the eyes intends to make the world better by having a business that is less rapacious and more concerned and conscientious not only within its organization but also towards the society at large. Mere Christian Summary Clive Staples Lewis Book I. We as humans are created by some being who also dictates, through our conscience, how we  ought  to behave.   All of us are subjected of a Law of Nature whic h is present within us in a form of a conscience that provides us a common sense of what is right and what is wrong. Many of us fails to follow it because of our inordinate instinct but this Law can provide us a better instinct that will defeat our baser instincts which are often justified with our excuse of circuitous reasoning. The world is created with two opposing theories. The church posits that this Law is given to us by God through our consc

Resarch critical appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Resarch critical appraisal - Essay Example urvey, using a 17-item questionnaire, of 112 respondents between the ages of 37 to 87 years old of both male and female genders, all of whom speak Swedish. The actual research did not entail significant ethical concerns considering that much of it was presumably done personally and voluntarily by the respondents by filling up the 17-item questionnaire after informed consent was obtained. Aside from the individual informed consent, the researchers also acquired prior approval from Research Ethical Committee at the University of Gothenburg. The researchers, however, failed to state how they were able to gain access to hospital data regarding patients who are scheduled for THA. Privacy and confidentiality of medical records relative to medical research studies have always been problematic areas from the perspectives of patients (Lo 2009 82). It is notable, however, that the research has specifically excluded patients who are critically ill and mentally impaired. Employment of mentally impaired persons in research studies is ethically questionable considering that historically they have often been subjected to research abuses (Lo 2009 145) . Pain management, which is the focus of the research paper, is an important area in nursing (Holzemer 2009 39) making the paper significantly relevant to the profession. Although the subject itself is well delimited, the research may not have successfully delimited the parameters of participating respondents considering that their ages ranged from 37 to 87 years old. The variance of pain experience between age groups is noted by the researchers themselves who made a vague reference to it on page 454 of the research paper. In addition, the paper fails to explicitly state its working theory at the beginning as such although the entire paper is obviously underpinned by it and refers to it under a different heading. It is evident that the research is trying to prove that a realistic expectation of the pain entailed by a THA surgical

High Altitude Living Low Altitude Training Essay Example for Free

High Altitude Living Low Altitude Training Essay Altitude training describes training practice by athletes training in oxygen deprived conditions for several weeks to increase their performance endurance. Often, there are altitudes training camps strategically designed for this objective (Geiser, Vogt, Billeter, Zuleger, Belforti Hoppeler, 2001). Altitude training further entails simulated or natural altitude conditions in the training course often as a precursor to a major competition event. The conditions are maintained while the training athlete is in the training process, during exercises and while at rest. Despite this, altitude training strategy exposes the athlete to hypoxia, low oxygen pressure, thereby resulting to hypoxemia, tissue oxygenation and lower blood. The history of living high altitude and training low altitude traces to 2400m altitude Mexico’s 1968 Olympic Games. During the event, enduring athletes such as in the 10,000 and 3,000 m marathons could not set new records and their performance declined whiles the sprinter athletes succeeded (Rusko, LeppÃÆ' ¤vuori, MÃÆ' ¤kelÃÆ' ¤, LeppÃÆ' ¤luoto, 2010). Altitude hypoxia condition explained this. It was known to decimate human being’s aerobic performance. Consequently, coaches, athletes and sports consultants adopted altitude training camps to acclimatize competition. Implementing altitude training was observed also to altitudes. Experts argued that, in endurance performance, the volume of total red blood cells was paramount. This was confirmed by experimental tests involving manipulation of human blood (Stray-Gundersen, Chapman, Levine, 2012). Therefore, the higher the volume of an athlete’s red blood cells, the faster the performance of an athlete probably is during the triathlon. However, it is commonly observed that altitude training has improved the performance and endurance of multiple athletes but still others do not. So, how comes altitude training does not induce the consistency in positive results? Scientific empirical evidences suggest astronomical variant individual adaptive responses to this training concept. In addition, altitude tolerance exposure determinants are also poorly understood (Tiollier, Schmitt, Burnat, Fouillot, Robach, Filaire, et al., 2005). Moreover, hypoxia condition training at a practical level as the training intensity management is a principal problem. Under such conditions, maximal exercise capacity of an athlete reduces drastically. High living and low training concept arose to improve on the defects of altitude training. It involves sleeping or living at high altitude thereby stimulating increase in volume of red blood cells while training at sea level to conserve an athlete’s training intensity. This helps to overcome multiple training related problems while posting consistent adaptations. Besides, living high and training low at low altitude triggered renal hormone erythropoietin (EPO) secretion (Wilber, 2013). In turn, the hormone stimulates the synthesis of red blood cells provided there is sufficient ‘altitude dose. Therefore, the high altitude living low altitude training rationale in sporting events was founded on a combination of altitude and rigorous practice to boost the volume of red blood cells. In so doing, there was a boost in an athlete’s endurance performance. Based on this finding, several hypoxic facilities across the worldwide have been established by various sports federations over the years. In addition, numerous amateur, elite and professional athletes across the world training in low altitudes prior to major events have been observed to set new fetes (Wilber, 2013). This confirms the high altitude living and low altitude training hypothesis. Despite this, numerous accurately controlled scientific researches do not exhibit systematic assertive results of the hypothesis on athlete’s endurance performance. Despite the anecdotes, altitude training results over the years produced majority positive performance results among athletes. Assertive endurance results by elite athletes who posted world-class records over the years present a strong case to adapt classical altitude training. References Geiser, J., Vogt, M., Billeter, R., Zuleger, C., Belforti, F., Hoppeler, H. (2001). Training High Living Low: Changes of Aerobic Performance and Muscle Structure with Training at Simulated Altitude. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 22(8), 579-585. Rusko, H. K., LeppÃÆ' ¤vuori, A., MÃÆ' ¤kelÃÆ' ¤, P., LeppÃÆ' ¤luoto, J. (2010). Living High, Training Low; A New Approach To Altitude Training At Sea Level In Athletes. Medicine Science in Sports Exercise, 27(Supplement), S6. Stray-Gundersen, J., Chapman, R. F., Levine, B. D. (2012). Living High Training Low Altitude Training Improves Sea Level Performance In Male And Female Elite Runners. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 12(1), 60-61. Tiollier, E., Schmitt, L., Burnat, P., Fouillot, J., Robach, P., Filaire, E., et al. (2005). Living highà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"training low altitude training: effects on mucosal immunity. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 94(3), 298-304. Wilber, R. L. (2013). Pro: Live High+Train Low Does Improve Sea Level Performance Beyond that Achieved with the Equivalent Living and Training at Sea Level. High Altitude Medicine Biology, 14(4), 325-327. Source document

Trends And Issues In Curriculum And Instructions Education Essay

Trends And Issues In Curriculum And Instructions Education Essay The Jamaican Early Childhood Curriculum was recently crafted. The curriculum is built on the principle that children learn best when content from various disciplines along with skills from the developmental domains are in line with the childrens holistic view and experience of the world. The curriculum therefore considers learning through play, sequenced learning, individual learning, the practitioners multiple roles, and inclusion of all learners and the domains of development, the learning environment, proper assessment, the role of parents and the role of community (Davies, 2008). While the curriculum addresses various objectives that need to be met in fostering Early Childhood learning and outlines the requisite instructions, there are challenges to the implementation of the curriculum. Broadly speaking, these factors are usually internal and external. These factors reduce the effectiveness of the curriculum and weaken the chance of effective learning at the Early Childhood Level. The factors drive a mismatch between the situation that the curriculum was designed to target and the reality. This difference causes the actual learning outcome to deviate from the intended learning outcome. The curriculum is based on an assumption that the student is operating at a particular level, the students parent and environmental background offer a certain level of support, and the teacher operates at a certain level. It is fair to believe that this is normally the case. However, curriculum implementation breaks down whenever these assumptions do not hold. In my view, the internal factors may be best represented by teachers, students, school infrastructure and resources. Teachers are given the primary responsibility to implement the curriculum. A teachers creativity, capabilities and qualification enables him/her to transfer the content of the curriculum in a meaningful way that will connect with the diverse groups of learners. According to Jalongo and Isenberg (2012) a teachers knowledge of the children and the content of the curriculum will enable him/her to possess the ability to provide for the childrens strengths and weakness. The capable teacher will be able to facilitate the childs interest and to develop the knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions they will need to become productive members of the society. Jalongo and Isenberg (2012) posit that the teacher strategies and plan for learning is the thread that weaves the curriculum. They refer to this as the what of teaching, and the how of teaching. Its therefore, imperative that teachers plan for the students learning in order to cater for the diverse learning styles in their classroom. The methodologies that the teacher employs should fit the students ability to gain knowledge and develop the necessary skills. Also, the teacher should be competent and acquire keen insights on the capabilities that children possess in order to cater for holistic development. If this is not achieved, then the implementation of the curriculum would have failed. A key ingredient for the successful implementation of any curriculum is a keen understanding of the learner. Jalongo and Isenberg (2012) posit that a curriculum should focus on what a child knows and can do and what a child should know and can do. Hence the content of the curriculum should take into account the needs, interest, age and stage of development and the social and cultural context of the child. The child as the learner possesses the ultimate success of the curriculum. This takes into account the abilities, skills, background knowledge and exposure /experience that the child acquires before entering the learning environment. According to Puckett and Diffily (2004) being aware of the differences in childrens development, strengths and challenges will allow curriculum planners and teachers to plan effectively in order to meet each childs developmental needs. Jalongo and Isenberg (2012) stated that a curriculum should consider the following; Child development and learning, Chi ld needs, abilities and interest as well as their socio cultural context in which they live. I strongly believe that these factors will enable the teachers to perform effectively within the teaching and learning environment. The school infrastructure and resources play a vital role in the delivery of the schools curriculum. It is my observation that the size of the student population relative to the size and quality of the physical accommodation of a school impacts the quality of curriculum implementation. According to Krogh and Morehouse (2008) the environment outside the classroom should be rich with potential and becomes a valuable multiuse arena. They also indicate that the physical environment plays an integral and vital part in supporting practices that encourage high levels of child initiated engagement and exploration. It is my view that the environment plays a key role in stimulating the cognitive processes required for effective curriculum implementation. I believe that the infrastructure of a school attracts a particular socio economic class from within the community. As a result, this will determine the quality of students and teachers who are enrolled in and employed to the school. It also establishes the quality of curriculum implementation that will occur. This will drive the resources that these schools are provided with. Greater resources mean that the school is able to properly finance the required staffing and infrastructure improvements that facilitate the learning process. My school is located in the rural area of St. Andrew and its serves children from low socio economic backgrounds. Therefore, the implementation of the curriculum faces barriers as the students are unable to relate to the information, the teachers have limited educational training and the resources are limited to meet the needs of the students. This poses a challenge for the curriculum to be fully implemented and for the required learning outcomes to be obtained. In my view, external factors usually include parents, home and community. I believe that these factors are crucial to the implementation of the curriculum. Parental involvement is a key determinant to successful academic achievement. This sets the foundation of the learning attitude that children carry to the learning environment. Support from parents increases the academic achievement in later years. Burke (2010) postulates that a child whose parents are passionately active and involved in their education at an early has a distinct advantage when compared to his/her peers. I believe that the involvement of parents facilitates the childs willingness to appreciate the importance of a solid education. This involvement can break or build the implementation of any curriculum. In my opinion, parents are generally unaware of the powerful effect that they have on what and how the content of a curriculum is designed and implemented. I believe that parents are an essential part of resource bu ilding. Strong parent teacher associations (PTAs) and effective parental involvement in school administration goes a far way in strengthening fund raising activities and in acquiring external support in building the school infrastructure. I strongly believe that parents are the first line of support for all children. They are the primary source of socialization and set the foundation for formal learning to take place. The home is the initial environment for optimal nurturing and it ideally creates a sense of belonging. In integrating parental role in curriculum implementation, a one-size fits all approach cannot be taken. We have to take into consideration the socio economic status of these parents as well as their educational background. The background of these parents, especially in rural environs, allows for limitation on the input they can offer to the implementation of the curriculum. Hence, little or no involvement occurs and the inability to hold teachers accountable for poor curriculum implementation becomes a major issue. Burke (2010) states that when parents are involved in the educational process of their children, they will be able to include or add additional information and insight from their own persona l experiences to teachers in order to support their childs learning and development. Community is seen as the secondary source of socialization. When we examine a community, we need to take into account the structure, culture and socio economic factors that shape the community. Couchenour and Chrisman (2011) stated that when the cultural background of the community does not match the cultural and educational context of a school then the academic achievement will be affected. This, I believe, is crucial in the implementation of the curriculum. In my opinion, the cultural background of the students and the parents may prevent a school from attaining a targeted culture. The interrelatedness of the school and the community greatly impacts the achievement of the objectives of the curriculum. Rural communities are largely comprised of farmers and unemployed individuals who sparingly acquire secondary education. Urie Brofenbrenners bioecological theory explains that understanding a childs development requires us to view the child in his socio culture context that includes f amily setting, community and the wider society (as cited in Couchenour and Chrisman, 2011). It is my view that the community plays a vital role in shaping the culture of the school. Depending on the socio economic, culture, structure and educational factors the implementation of the curriculum will be extensively affected. In conclusion, many factors affect  curriculum  implementation. It is my view that internal factors such as teachers, students, school infrastructure and resources and external factors such as parents, home and community are vital factors that may pose positive and negative effects on the implementation of the curriculum. At the early childhood level, the content and objectives of the curriculum should be centred on the childs needs and interest. How we address their needs and interest is dependent on the instructional objectives carried out by the teacher, the availability of resources and the learning environment of the school. It is my view, therefore, that a curriculum customization is needed at the Early Childhood level in order to cater for the different internal and external factors indicated above. A customized blueprint will produce effective, critical and holistic thinkers within our community and wider society.

The Role Of Gawad Kalinga As A Promotional Tourism Essay

The Role Of Gawad Kalinga As A Promotional Tourism Essay Besides the 7,107 beautiful islands, Philippines has so much to offer, from its pristine white sand beaches, splendid views, abundant greens,diverse populations of flora and fauna, unique natural resources and vibrant culture. To add to it is the warm Filipino hospitality, affordable vacation rates that they provide to tourists, enabling them to travel cheap and enjoy the tourism experience even more. Ironic as it may seem, this natural beauty is masked by the ugly face of poverty and despair. A majority of the Filipinos have been living in sub-human conditions in constant struggle to battle deprivation and loss of dignity. Non-Government Organizations such as Gawad Kalinga provide alternative solutions to the barefaced problem of poverty and despair in the Philippines. Gawad Kalinga (GK) has a vision of a slum-free, squatter-free nation a country where Filipinos are at peace and are given the dignity that they deserve. Together with its partners, the process of nation building and Filipino empowerment has transformed over 900 communities all over the Philippines. The Filipino people have the innate culture of giving and sharing, exemplified by the age-old concept of bayanihan. This unique Filipino spirit of being a hero to one another can be the desired push for voluntourism in the Philippines. Gawad Kalinga has, in its history of service, contributed to the domestic tourism scene. With community building and community development programs manifested mainly through its infrastructure and community empowerment activities across the nation, and an extensive number of communities which continue to increase, the organization encourages more volunteers to be involved in their efforts. This potentially relates to an increased movement of people across the country which may be associated with an increase in awareness of the destinations to which they are deployed, a potential increase in travel spending, and a prospective ensuring increase in tourism spending. II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE DOMESTIC TOURISM Many countries have a rich tradition of domestic travel and holiday which not only predates but exceeds mass international travel. This is particularly the case in Asia where recent economic prosperity and trends in globalization have not merely spurred, but continue to shape traditions in domestic tourism (Singh, 2009).  Tourism in the world is dominantly domestic not international (Cooper, Gilbert, Fletcher Wanhill, 1993). Travel is usually done within ones own country before one ventures out into travelling to destinations other than the country of residence. Domestic tourism involves residents of a country travelling only within that country but outside their usual environment. The main purpose of visit or travel is predominantly for leisure, business or other purposes (Cruz, 2000). TOURISM PROMOTION IN THE PHILIPPINES In the Philippines, the major agencies involved with tourism marketing and promotions are the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board (former Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation). Through the years, tourism agencies have used various slogans to sell the Philippines as a destination. To name a few, in the 1970s Where Asia wears a smile and An island to remember; in the 1980s Fiesta Islands, Theres a Fiesta for Everyone and Fiesta never ends in the Philippines; in the 1990s Islands Philippines, Our Islands Have It, Jeepney Islands (in Europe), and Musical Islands Philippines; in 1999 Rediscovery Philippines; and more recently, in the 2000s WOW Philippines (Cruz, 2000). The countrys new tourism campaign slogan is Pilipinas Kay Ganda under the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III. The slogan aims to reinvigorate our countrys tourism campaign and double tourist arrivals within the next three years, said a Malacanang press statement reads. Promoting tourist destinations to potential vacationers is a difficult proposition. Most products and services use advertising to entice buyers and compete for the limited time and attention of the media-harried consumers. Likewise, current tourism advertising lacks the resources needed to prolong destination exposure in order to capture awareness and sustain the interest of potential consumers. In the domestic tourism scene, the local government units are tasked to promote their own destinations. These LGUs are given the liberty to formulate their own promotional strategies, according to the market niche that they are targeting realizing that different markets have different needs or motivations for travel. At present, the new administration is allocating budget for new media promotions, which includes launching a new website. This is due to the increasing trend of gathering information thru the World Wide Web. MOTIVATION FOR TRAVEL Throughout history, there have been different reasons why travellers set out on journeys or trips. The chief motivations noted in history were travel for escape, cultural curiosity, spirituality, education, and social status. People go on tours or trips to satisfy a range of needs from excitement and arousal to self-development and personal growth. The work of Stanley Plog, which is often critically accepted as the major approach to tourist motivation, stressed that travellers could be categorized on psychocentric (nonadventurous, inward-looking) to allocentric (adventurous, outward-looking) scale. In a more recent version of the approach, a second dimension, energy versus lethargy, was added to the psychocentric -allocentric dimension, thus developing a four-part categorization scheme. Nevertheless, the approach is still limited because of its North American bias, and it does not consider the issues of multimotive behaviour, nor does it provide measurement details or consider the dynamic nature of motives in the travellers life span (Goeldner Ritchie, 2006). Iso-Ahola (1988), in his work Toward a Social Psychological Theory of Tourism Motivation: A Rejoinder, argues that tourist and leisure behaviour takes place within a framework of optimal arousal and incongruity. That is, while individuals seek different levels of stimulation, they share the need to avoid either overstimulation (mental and physical exhaustion) or boredom (too little stimulation) (quoted by Goeldner Ritchie, 2006, p.262). The travel-needs model articulated by Pearce (1988) and co-workers is more explicitly concerned with tourists and their motives and argues that people have a career in their travel behaviour that reflects a hierarchy of their travel motives. People may start at different levels and are likely to change their levels during their life cycle. They may also be inhibited in their travel by money, health, and other people (quoted by Goeldner Ritchie, 2006, p. 263). The grades or levels on the Pearces Travel-needs or Career model were likened to a ladder and was built on Maslows hierarchy of needs. The earliest version of the travel-needs ladder retained Maslows ideas that lower levels on the ladder have to be satisfied before the individual moves to a higher level. Recent and ongoing revisions of this model place less emphasis on the strict hierarchy of needs and more on the changing patterns of motives. More importantly, the travel-needs ladder approach emphasizes that people have a range of motives for seeking out holiday experiences (Goeldner Ritchie, 2006). In the travel-needs model, destinations are seen as settings where vastly different holiday experiences are possible. Thus, travellers motives influence what they seek from a destination, and destinations will vary in their capacity to provide a range of holiday experiences (Goeldner Ritchie, 2006). Richards and Wilson proposes that the search for new travel experiences is primarily argued to reflect peoples increasing recognition and reaction to the homogenous nature of traditional tourism products as well as their increasing desire for altruism, self-change and an ability to confirm their identities and provide coherence within an uncertain and fragmented post-modern life (quoted by McIntosh Zahra, 2007, p. 542). VOLUNTOURISM (VOLUNTEER TOURISM) Volunteer tourism, or voluntourism, is an alternative type of tourism which applies to tourists who, for various reasons, volunteer in an organized way to undertake holidays that might involve aiding or alleviating the material poverty of some groups in society, the restoration of certain environments or research into aspects of society or environment (Wearing, 2001). Voluntourism is seen as utilizing ones discretionary time and income to go out of the regular sphere of activity to assist others in need (McGehee Santos, 2005). Voluntourism, is an alternative type of tourism which applies to tourists who volunteer in an organized way to undertake holidays that might involve aiding or alleviating the material poverty of some groups in society, the restoration of certain environments or research into aspects of society or environment. Munt suggests that volunteer tourism should be seen as an expression of what is recognized as the other dimension of postmodern tourism (quoted by Uriely, Reichel Ron, 2003, p. 58). It is, by default, mass tourism in its early pre-tourism development stage and can be viewed as a development strategy leading to sustainable development and centering to the convergence of natural resource qualities, locals and the visitor that all benefit from the tourism activity (Wearing, 2001). Voluntourism activities [volunteer vacations] involve participants paying to join organized projects (Broad, 2003). It is also described as donating ones time and manpower while on vacation, even if it is just part of their trips (Brown Morrison, 2003). Mead and Metraux describe volunteer vacations as giving time and energy for a good cause and paying for the privilege. It can be taken around the corner in ones home country, or around the world in a far off land. It may involve travel expenses only, or they may cost more than traditional trips (quoted by Brown Morrison, 2003, p. 73). Callanan and Thomas states that volunteer tourism fosters a reciprocal and mutually beneficial relationship between the host and the guest and is seen as offering an opportunity for sustainable alternative travel that is more rewarding and meaningful than other holidays. It focuses on the altruistic and self-development experiences that participants can gain and the assistance that can be delivered to communities in terms of community development, scientific research or ecological/heritage restoration (quoted by McIntosh Zahra, 2007, p. 543). With voluntourism, there is an intense rather than a superficial social interaction that occurs. The accounts between hosts and guests that is created are more engaging, genuine, creative and mutually beneficial. The nature of the experiences gained by tourists is more authentic, genuine, and reflexive, of contemporary cultural content and a meaningful impersonal experience (McIntosh Zahra, 2007). Cohen, Mittelberg, Uriely and Reichel all agree that with respect to tourism studies, the term working holidays was attached to individuals who combine volunteer activity with leisure/tourism pursuits while traveling (quoted by Limjoco Magtoto, 2006, p. 12). In certain aspects, the concept of a working holiday may be considered as a dubious form of relaxation because initially, tourists expect a vacation to be as effortless as possible. Nonetheless, comprising practically of altruistic aims, its palatable appeal gives it an edge in the tourist market. VOLUNTOURISM ACTIVITIES Voluntourism can take place in varied locations such as rainforests and cloudforests, biological reserves and conservation areas. Activities can vary across many areas, such as scientific research (wildlife, land and water), conservation projects, medical assistance, economic and social development (including agriculture, construction and education) and cultural restoration (Wearing, 2001). It may also include opportunities for teaching [conversational English], nurturing at-risk infants and children, renovating and painting community buildings, assisting with health care, and natural resource projects (Brown Morrison, 2003). In his book Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others, Bill McMillon categorizes potential volunteer activities into the following groups: accompaniment and amnesty work; agricultural and farm work; archaeology; community development; environmental protection; environmental research; executive and technical assistance; historical restoration; marine research; medical and dental; museums; outdoor and recreation; public health; railroads; religious organizations; scientific research; social action; state and national parks and forests; trail building and management; and work camps (quoted by Brown Morrison, 2003, p. 77). VOLUNTOURISTS Gazley deems that volunteer vacationers appear to have the same motivations as long-term volunteers but the relative value of various factors is different with self-actualization being very important for short-term volunteers. He further suggests that it may lead volunteers to look for opportunities not only for service but for learning and growth in volunteering which may be increasingly focused on education (quoted by Ellis, 2003, p. 46). The only essential skill required by volunteer organizations is the desire to help others (Brown Morrison, 2003). There is usually, however, the opportunity for volunteers to take part in local activities and interact further with the community. Hence, the volunteer tourist contribution is bilateral, in that the most important development that may occur in the volunteer tourist experience is that of a personal nature, that of a greater awareness of self. Volunteer tourists will almost always pay in some way to participate in these activities. Furthermore, the amount is usually more than an average tourist would expect to pay on a normal holiday to a similar location (Wearing, 2001). Bud Philbrook, president and CEO of Global Volunteers, sums up the excitement of doing volunteer work on a vacation, when someone adds a volunteer dimension to their vacation, they gain a unique perspective of the community theyre re-visiting. They have the opportunity to learn from and about the local people and make genuine friendships in the process. It is an exceptional experience and very often the highlight of any tripà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (quoted by Brown Morrison, 2003, p. 75). VOLUNTOURISM MOTIVATION Wearing states that in a global society that increasingly finds dogma and marketing used to instill values and exploit social relations, volunteer tourism represents both an opportunity and a means of value-adding in an industry that seems to represent consumer capitalism at its worse (quoted by Brown Morrison, 2003, p. 75). Resource mobilization theory argues that the networks an activist establishes, both within and outside of a particular movement, are vital to its success. Social psychological theories purport that, among other things, a consciousness-raising experience is a necessary precursor to social movement participation (McGehee Santos, 2005). The motives afforded by voluntourism would provide an outlet for those seeking unconventional travel experiences to pursue their own benevolent agendas. Furthermore, it can prove to be a far more satisfying experience than those offered by conventional tourism. Volunteer tourism would be a perfect venue wherein the travelers could satisfy their desires for a more in-depth understanding of the people within the tourist destination. It not only would have an impact on the tourists, but also on the locals themselves. Many travelers seek a chance to become immersed in a community or assist with projects when they travel rather than just passing through (Proceedings of Travel with a Purpose Symposium, 2000). MOTIVATIONS TO CONTINUE VOLUNTEERING Sherr (2003) classified the reasons that volunteers maintain their service through time into five factors. First, good communication within the organization is a very important factor to maintain the volunteers work in the long run. Good communication is a flow of quality information from the organization to its volunteers. Information flow consists of, for example, general news within the organization, the organizations 32 expectations of its volunteers, rules and regulations, recognition, and feedback given to the volunteers. There are a variety of forms of communication, such as face-to-face interactions, newsletters, bulletin boards, and more complicated forms such as public displays of recognition. It is reported that face-to-face conversation is the most effective factor to serve the satisfaction of the volunteers and increase their level of commitment. Providing informal recognition and appreciation early in the volunteer experience can affect the volunteers tenure of service at an organization (Stevens, 1991). If the volunteers are satisfied with the quality of the communication, they are likely to stay longer. Second, scheduling, work assignment, and work allocation are crucial factors to maintain the volunteers efforts. Volunteers tend to be satisfied with work if they can schedule their own volunteer hours and days, especially if the schedule is flexible. In addition, they are apt to continue volunteering if they are assigned to work on tasks that allow them to utilize their personal talent or specific skills. Next, if the volunteers can see that the outcome of their volunteering efforts really benefit somebody, they have a propensity to remain in the service. This factor will be reinforced if there is a connection, particularly direct contact, between the volunteers and the people benefiting from their services. In other words, if the volunteers feel that their efforts are worthwhile and important, they will be motivated to continue volunteering. On the contrary, if they feel useless or incapable, they tend to terminate their volunteer work sooner (Wharton, 1991). Fourth, volunteers expect good support from the organization they work for, such as training support and emotional support. Volunteers who participate in training report 33 higher levels of satisfaction than those who do not (Galindo-Kuhn Guzely, 2001). Organizations offering longer training sessions and a variety of training topics are also likely to have a larger number of volunteers who are satisfied and committed (Cyr Dowrick, 1991; Paradis Usui, 1989). Volunteers need emotional support not only from the organizations paid staff, but also among the volunteers themselves. Volunteers have a propensity to continue their service when they perceive that they are a part of the team and each member is willing to collaborate in problem solving, cooperate on projects, and encourage the volunteer initiative and activity (Cyr Dowrick, 1991). On the contrary, if they feel like they are being treated without respect, such as being told what to do and what not to do, they will lose their i nterest and motive for participating in that volunteer effort. Lastly, a strong sense of group integration is another important factor that keeps the volunteer in service. Group integration refers to the bonds that tie volunteers affectively to one another and the organization. Such relationships are independent of the work; instead, they provide a social aspect of the volunteer experience that is associated with satisfaction and commitment. The study by Field and Johnson (1993) indicated that volunteers are more satisfied when they have contact with other volunteers, not only in the work, but also at social events or casual socializing outside of the workplace, such as having an informal dinner with the paid staff and other volunteers, or being invited to join holiday parties (Sherr, 2008). VOLUNTOURISM AND SOCIAL AWARENESS Volunteer tourism presents a unique opportunity for exposure to social inequalities, as well as environmental and political issues, subsequently increasing social awareness, sympathy and/or support (McGehee Santos, 2005). McGehee and Santos explored how an increased social awareness through voluntourism can influence subsequent social activism. A voluntourism experience may provide an indirect or informal channel for an exchange of ideas regarding the issues and inequalities that exist. Though the observation of these social issues and inequalities and the exchange of ideas occur in the local community, it can be deemed apparent that the same occurs elsewhere. It has been proposed that volunteer tourism experiences have the potential to change voluntourists perceptions about society (at a global as well as local level). In the study conducted by McGehee and Santos, consciousness-raising occurred prior to, during, and after the volunteer tourism experiences. It has been found out that many volunteer tourism expeditions improve what is called as global citizenship. One of the many interesting topics in the field of tourism research is that of tourisms potential contribution to global peace and understanding. There are examples from around the globe, of tours that are seeking conflict resolution, greater understanding and even movements for global social justice. However, it remains a matter of some dispute among tourism analysts as to whether tourism can help foster peace and secure a more harmonious world (Higgins-Desbiolles, F., 2003). VOLUNTOURISM AND CULTURAL TOURISM It is unlikely that [other] cultural tourists will gain the same depth of interaction and experience as a volunteer tourist (McIntosh Zahra, 2007). Admittedly though, this conclusion still requires further empirical validation. In their paper, McIntosh and Zahra examined the nature of the volunteer experience in the search for alternative and sustainable experiences through cultural tourism, in the case of Australian visitors to a Maori community. The findings of the study showed that the main motivation for undertaking the volunteer project was not primarily related to sightseeing but to volunteering, to work; not just to be tourists, to give and to experience a service project. It was examined how open and responsive the host community were initially, and throughout the volunteering project, and what impact the volunteers left on the community. It was found out that the nature of the volunteer tourism experience was mutually beneficial to both the host and the voluntourist. The nature of the experiences gained by the voluntourists were seemingly different from those gained by cultural tourists experiencing the traditional cultural products, as the latters experience border on commodified cultural products. VOLUNTOURISM AND ECOTOURISM Wearing impresses that volunteering on nature conservation projects has become increasingly popular in the last two decades (quoted by Halpenny Caissie, 2003, p. 25). Non-government organizations and government agencies charged with managing biologically significant and recreation-oriented areas are expanding the use of volunteers in their programs designed to conserve biodiversity, foster healthy environments, and operate recreation and conservation programs. In a paper by Halpenny and Caissie, they explored the attitudes and values regarding nature, and the perceptions of nature by the volunteers who participated in the Volunteer for Nature program, a Canadian-based conservation volunteer project. A majority of the volunteers stressed the importance of nature and the environment as a context for self-centered activities such as recreation and therapeutic interaction. The importance of natures existence value, the satisfaction of knowing that nature exists and is being protected was also apparent. Many of the participants expressed concern and empathy for the wildlife and threatened environments. Wearing describes volunteer ecotourism as a bright alternative that promotes host self-determination, local control, sustainability, environmental stewardship and the privileging of local culture and values (quoted by Gray Campbell, 2007, p. 466). III. GAWAD KALINGA THE POWER OF AUDACIOUS GOALS 1. GK777 Meloto knows the importance of coming up with a compelling vision to inspire people. Thus, he came up with GK777. Launched in 2003, GK777 goal to construct 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities in seven years. The objective of the project is to help the poorest of the poor, regain their trust, build their confidence, make them think and act as a community and to share the joy of a country rising from poverty. 2. GK2024 A logical extension of GK777 is GK2024, which seeks to uplift five million Filipinos.The first phase of the journey (from the year 2003 to 2010) aims to achieve Social Justice, and is captured in GK777. The goal has been restated as: raising 700,000 home lots and starting up 7,000 communities by the end of 2010. The second phase (from 2011 to 2017) is the stewardship phase called Social Artistry, and aims to empower GK communities for self-governance, self-reliance, and self sufficiency through community-based programs for health, education, environment, and productivity. It also aims to build a village culture that honours Filipino values and heritage. The final phase (from 2018 to 2024) is envisioned as a time of Social Progress, and seeks to achieve scale and sustainability by developing the grassroots economy and expanding the reach and influence of GK to five million families with support from key sectors of society in the Philippines and partners abroad (Gawad Kalinga, 2009). During this phase, the Filipino will lift himself from poverty by unleashing his potential for productivity and hard work in the right environment. According to the Gawad Kalinga web site, the 21-year journey of Gawad Kalinga represents one generation of Filipinos who will journey from poverty to prosperity, fromneglect to same to honour, from third- world to first world, from second-class to first-class citizen of the world. 1. Companies (private sector) Gawad Kalinga has successfully propagated the idea that the participation of big business in GK is more than just exercising their corporate social responsibility (CSR). They are also involved in a bigger project that is nation-building. Because of GKs novel approach of actively engaging their corporate donors in implementing GK programs and activities on the ground (rather than simply raising funds), the partnership takes on some special meaning for the. 2. Government (public sector) In 2002, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo challenged GK to build 1,000 homes with P30 million from her presidential fund. In spite of its lack of experience in building at such a scale back then, GK succeeded in building the houses in 70 sites throughout the country within a year. President Arroyos highly-publicized initiative served as a major boost for GK, which began to attract leaders from both sides of the political fence, including opposition leader Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., who provided P40 million from his Countryside Development Fund for schools, livelihood centers, sewage and path walks. Support also came from other senators. Hundreds of governors and mayors have since joined the bandwagon. SERVICE EXPANSION MODEL For several government agencies, partnership with Gawad Kalinga allows them to fulfill their public-service mandates more effectively. Worth noting are the partnerships of GK with the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Department of Tourism (DOT). The partnership between GK and DA took the form of Bayan-Anihan, the food-sufficiency program of Gawad Kalinga. Bayan-Anihan aims to eradicate hunger by empowering families in GK communities to produce their own food. Under this program, GK families would each be given a 10-square meter lot where they could start a vegetable garden with okra, tomatoes, eggplants, and kangkong for their daily consumption. Launched in 2009, the program seeks to launch 2,500 farms in the next three years to feed at least 500,000 people for life. Another innovative program is GK Mabuhay, which promotes GK sites as tourist destinations. This is a result of the collaboration between GK and DOT. GK villages have become a cultural attraction in themselves, owing to the fact that they were built with the people working together as members of the community. Under this program, GK villagers welcome visitors with warmth and hospitality brought about by their renewed sense of hope. Both GK and the DOT call this campaign the new face of community tourism. Taking center stage are the Mabuhay Ladies, a group of women residents who were chosen to be tour guides in the GK communities that were opened as travel destinations. The DOT conducted workshops for the Mabuhay Ladies, giving them practical guiding tips and techniques on how to be effective tourist hosts and good communicators. The concept of community tourism, according to DOT Secretary Ace Durano, is fairly new. This has been a sought-after activity among the more adventurous travelers, who choose not just to travel but to take part in community concerns. This travel-for-a-cause stance has been supported by the DOT through its other partnerships with socio-civic groups, Durano said BUiLDING THE GK BRAND Contributing to the rapid growth of Gawad Kalinga is the reputation it has built over the years. Gawad Kalinga has succeeded in creating an image that appeals to donors, volunteers, and other stakeholders. For example, GK is fashioned as a nation-building movement. It seeks to build a nation empowered by people with faith and patriotism and one that is made up of caring and sharing communities, dedicated to eradicate poverty and restore human dignity (GKBI, 2009). Since it was founded in 1995, Gawad Kalinga has managed to put a unique spin to its programs and activities. Because of this, GK has always looked fresh and dynamic to interested observers. For example, GK was originally known for building faith communities because of its values formation programs, and because of its association with the Couples for Christ. When it made inroads in building homes in war-torn Mindanao, GK communities were dubbed as peace zones where Muslims and Christians work together to address poverty. Recently, GK communities have become eco-friendly villages as well because they have begun to integrate environmentally-sound practices in their way of living. GK villages have likewise been transformed into tourist spots that showcase the inherent charm and uniqueness of each place. Aside from the colorful houses and beautifully landscaped surroundings, each GK community offers the warmth, hospitality, and inspiring stories of its residents, who represent the triumph of the Filipino people against poverty and oppression. IV. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK The conceptual framework is presented by Figures 1 and 2, which are the Concept Map and Concept Table respectively. Figure 1. Concept Map of the Study GK cm3 Premise: Tourism promotions play a large role in encouraging people to engage in tourism ventures. The natural beauty or landscape of the destinations, the facilities and services of the tourism supplier, and the organizations government mandated and non-government mandated, stimulate tourism response. Domestic tourism is an amalgam of internal and inbound tourism. At present, traditional or conventional tourists dominate the domestic tourism markets

Distance Learning vs. Traditional Education Essay examples -- E-Learni

Teachers expect students to abide by certain rules set forth at the beginning of the classes they attend. Preparation of materials and participation in class discussions are some of the requirements for classes. The rules of each class differ by subject and teacher. In the past decade another variable has been thrown into the pot, the environment in which classes are taught. Classroom rules may have to change to accommodate virtual classrooms. Ellen Laird has been teaching via the internet for many years. Ellen teaches the same courses in the classroom and online and she has written about her experiences with distance learning, also known as e-Learning, or online learning. In reference to the difference between the two types of classes she writes, â€Å"The two experiences are as different as a wedding reception and a rave† (Laird). With the growing popularity of distance education the question in many people’s minds is, â€Å"Do online classes and traditional classes have the same standards?† Since both types of courses are held in different environments, there are many difficulties that arise in holding each to the same standard. Given the same classes, students seem to be guided by different standards based on the environment that they are in, Internet or classroom. The standards implemented in distance education are very different from those that are expected of students taking courses in class. The difference in standards all stem from the medium used in the classroom. The standards set for students in distance education go above and beyond what their peers in class are expected to do. Higher standards imposed by distance education require more work from students and teachers, more interaction among classmates, and less contact and... ...mobility? Dec 2012. LookSmart. Web. 3 February 2014. . Laird, Ellen. I’m Your Teacher, Not Your Internet Service. January 2011. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Web. 9 April 2014. . Merisotis, James P., and Ronald A. Phipps. What's the difference? (college-level distance and classroom-based education). June 2012. Institute for Higher Education Policy. Web. 3 February 2014. . Young, Shannon J., Jerome Johnston, and Susanna E. Hapgood. Assessment and Accountability Issues in Distance Education for Adult Learners. September 2013. Improving Distance Education for Adult Learners (IDEAL). Web. 28 April 2014. .

Food Irradiation Essay -- essays research papers

Food Irradiation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Food irradiation has the longest history, more than 40 years, of scientific research and testing of any food technology before approval. Research has been comprehensive, and has included wholesomeness, toxicological, and microbiological evaluation. Worldwide, 38 countries permit irradiation of food, and more than 28 billion lb of food is irradiated annually in Europe. It is important to note that food irradiation has a pretty remarkable list of national and international endorsements: ADA, American Council on Science and Health, American Medical Association, Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, International Atomic Energy Agency, Institute of Food Technologists, Scientific Committee of the European Union, United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), and the World Health Organization (WHO).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although the US food supply has achieved a high level of safety, microbiological hazards exist. Because foods may contain pathogens, mishandling, including improper cooking, can result in food-born illness. Irradiation has been identified as one solution that enhances food safety through the reduction of potential pathogens and has been recommended as part of a comprehensive program to enhance food safety. However, food irradiation does not replace proper food handling. So the handling of foods processed by irradiation should be governed by the same food safety precautions as all...

Happy: Gender and Old Fashion Remedies Essay

The Woman Box is full of old fashion remedies that took placed a very long time ago. Its basically saying that woman are less than men and that men are in charge and women aren’t, women should just follow and do what they say do because they are superiors and women are inferior, women are weak and are less value, and view them as property of men, and sexual objects. I totally disagree with this and to me this is totally insulting. Even though I know that’s how things went back in the day and I’m glad that things changed and everyone are consider equally. As a woman, I know that I can do almost everything that a man can do and just like they can work for 12 hours or more, I do that every day with no problem. How hard is it to act outside the rules society has set for each gender? Well for men, for them to act outside of the rules society has set for them is like being a punk or they would be looked at differently and less of or they just are not consider cool anymore. Women on the other hand act outside of the rules society has set for them because we are no longer living in the past where we are inferior to anyone. We work and do as we please and over 90% of women today are leaders and we are stronger than ever. Do you think The Man Box or The Women Box is the same in all families? In all cultures? I don’t think that The Man Box or The Women Box is the same in all families and cultures, however in some families and cultures it still exist. Like in Afghanistan, I know their women still live up to these rules and more cultures do also. In the United States there are many families that still live up to these rules and they think its okay to be looked down at. Tony Porter says that the contents of The Man Box lead men to believe that violence against women is OK. Do you agree or disagree with this assertion? I definitely agree with Tony saying that the contents of The Man Box lead men to believe that violence against women is ok because it give men to many excuses to treat women unequal and treated like they are inferior and it also tell men that it is ok to be violent, controlling and basically flat out abusive. Tony Porter says â€Å"My liberation as a man is tied to your liberation as a woman.† What do you think he means by this? Tony meant that all human is equal and should be treated as one. That it is ok to teach and raise out son that violence against women is unacceptable and that as a boy, young man and adult man that it is ok to cry have feelings. What else did you find provocative in this talk? I found that when his father waited until the women left the car to cry and share his emotions with his son provocative. Its strange because I know a lot of men who will not cry or show emotions in front of women because they don’t want to be looked at different. Some men think that it is not okay for men to cry. I was really happy that he got it out no matter who he was in front of because holding anything in can also tear you to pieces.

Forensic Science Essay

Review Questions 1.​  What are the four types of evidence in a criminal investigation? The four types of evidence is physical evidence, documentary evidence, demonstrative evidence and testimony. 2.​  What are individual characteristics? Give an example of an individual characteristic? Individual characteristics are properties associated with a common source to a high degree of certainty. An example of individual characteristics that forensic scientists may look for are the ridge characteristics of two fingerprint samples. 3.​  What is the difference between individual characteristics and class characteristics? Class characteristics are those that can only be associated with groups not just a single source 4.​  What are physical and chemical properties? Give an example of each. Physical properties are those that describe a substance or object without referring to any other substance. For example the physical properties of glass might be its weight, size, color, and volume. The physical properties are those that an object or trace evidence has with just its physical existence, without altering it in any way with chemicals.Chemical properties are those that describe what happens when a substance reacts with another substance. For example, when the drug heroin comes into contact with the Marquis reagent chemical it turns purple. This behavior describes the chemical property of heroin and helps forensic scientists identify its presence. 5.​  What do forensic scientists do to collect and preserve soil samples? Soil samples are typically collected from the crime scene within a 100-yard radius at various spots. Forensic scientists take great care in collecting and preserving soil samples, if soil is found on the bottom of a shoe for example the soil is left on the shoe and the entire shoe is taken to the crime lab. The  object must also be stored in such a way that any pieces of dirt that may fall off the object are retained. Critical Thinking Questions 1.​  Why do you think forensic scientists are so careful that the tests they do are sensitive, reproducible, and specific? What might happen if they were less careful about this?  If the actions are not taken correctly then if you might mess up or accidental loose some evidence you have some more, they label to help with the specifics. If they are less careful about this then it might not be any use to them and just be a waste of their time. 2.​Which type of evidence do you think is most useful in an investigation? Why? I believe that the most useful evidence is physical evidence because it helps give more detail than any other type of evidence. 3.​  Why do you think that forensic scientists continue to look for class characteristics given their limitations? Forensic scientist might continue to look for class characteristics because they would like more evidence to convict or help with other law binding reasons. 4.​What do you think would be some of the challenges in collecting and preserving impressions? Why? I believe that some challenges might be having to be very gentle and cautious about what you do and how you treat the evidence. 5.​If you were on a jury, do you think you would expect individual characteristics in the evidence? Why or why not? What effects might it have if individuals expect to have individuals characteristics presented? I  believe I would expect individual characteristics because that would help me make some serious and maybe even final decisions.