Comparison and Contrast Paper Medieval Characteristics Essay Example

Comparison and Contrast Paper: Medieval Characteristics Essay Prior Expectations Regarding Literary Masterpieces Patsy Baker ENG/106 March 25, 2013 Sandra Rooks Prior Expectations Regarding Literary Masterpieces Literature reveals the soul of a civilization. The manner in which a civilization develops is in direct correlation with the quality and nature of its literature. Literary masterpieces are treasure troves to be read, analyzed, and enjoyed. At first, many ancient masterpieces may seem hard to comprehend for a novice reader; however, the effort exerted to grasp their merit is well worth the result. A Yiddish saying states that life without creativity is existence without joy. Obtaining an understanding and appreciation of successful literature opens the door to learning about the author, the author’s culture, and the necessary elements to emulate the techniques to produce such a masterpiece. Exposure to literary masterpieces began in my high school years. Ontario educational standards required every student to take classes in Greek, Roman, and Norse literature. Learning ancient Greek and Latin enriched my education and understanding of the value of their literature, and studies of the techniques and styles of each genre. Comprehending the nuances of their languages enhanced the comprehension of these masterpieces. Also I learned illiteracy of the general populous was the reason for early writings written in poetic format so it could be sung. Hesiod, Homer, and Virgil were the master-storytellers who used elements such as personification, metaphors, onomatopoeia, and similes to make their stories come alive to the listener; for example, â€Å"The fertile earth being burnt, roared out†¦Ã¢â‚¬  provides an auditory picture of the viciousness of the battle (2008, p. 59). The Theogony†, â€Å"Iliad,† and â€Å"Aeneid† describe the hierarchy and intrigue of the immortals, including their interaction among themselves and with mortals. The style and techniques applied in literary masterpieces should reflect the religion, culture, or historical influences of the author’s life experiences. These elements contribute to the substance of the author’s presentation. For examp le, it would be extremely difficult for the Book of Genesis to be as effective in teaching the creation of mankind if it were written by a person whose religion was polytheistic. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparison and Contrast Paper: Medieval Characteristics specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Comparison and Contrast Paper: Medieval Characteristics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Comparison and Contrast Paper: Medieval Characteristics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer One of the key theme’s of Genesis is monotheism and that the Supreme Being created all things. Plato’s â€Å"The Apology† could have been incoherent and less effective without his knowledge of the knack of rhetoric learned from such teachers as Socrates. Sophocles understood the suffering of violence from living through the Peloponnesian Wars. Also his setting for â€Å"Oedipus the King† was Colonus, the same town he grew up in. Of note, he is acknowledged as the creator of skenographiascene painting helping to define better the setting for his play. Finally, Sophocles used symbolism for the name of the heroâ€Å"Oidipous† means swollen foot. This name emphasizes the angst of Oedipus who was taunted in his youth. (2008, p. 501). The authenticity of the author’s writing must reflect the author’s life. The reader’s expectation of the author’s purpose for writing the literary masterpiece should not be a determinant for the reader’s expectations of its content. The purpose should become evident upon reading the entire piece. For example, the biblical story of Daniel in the lions’ den inspires courage and faith. The graphic violence in â€Å"Oedipus the King† is disturbing; however, it is thought-provoking. Some literary masterpieces can be painful. For example, reading the Apostle Luke’s description of Jesus’ crucifixion is emotionally painful and haunting; however, it spiritually enlightens the reader. Understanding literary masterpieces may be difficult to comprehend but not boring. Predetermined expectations of the purpose or proper reactions from literary pieces prejudice the reader and should, therefore, be avoided. Enthusiastic high school English teachers and talented Ancient Greek and Latin teachers encouraged my understanding and appreciation of literary masterpieces. Sometimes, it is hard for a teenager to believe the word â€Å"modern† is not always the best, and the word â€Å"ancient† is not always unpalatable. From these encounters, my understanding of cultures, religions, and writing skills expanded. I learned the effectiveness of literary devices such as irony, allegory, onomatopoeia, and satire. The historical time frame of the writing, the cultural aspects of the writer, and historical events within the piece are important aspects in evaluating the quality of literature. If possible, reading literature in its original language helps to increase the appreciation of the quality of its excellence. Finally, reading a piece of literature more than once may enlighten a reader concerning its qualities. Important characteristics of literary masterpieces must focus on artistic excellence, intellectual value, spiritual value, permanence, universal appeal, style, and be thought provoking. No literary piece can stand the test-of-time without these attribu tes. Consider the Torah and the Christian Bible. Their spiritual appeal affects millions of lives. Both have existed throughout the ages. They are thought provoking and have unique styles. The Psalms are well-known and possess all these attributes. For example, Psalms 23 is sung in both Jewish and Christian places of worship. The value of literary masterpieces to the world is immeasurable. There are some important influences of literary masterpieces on modern society. Freud based some of his concepts of psychoanalysis on Sophocles’ character of Oedipus. The Twelve Commandments from the Torah are the basis for civil laws prohibiting murder and theft. Concepts of human kindness and acts of charity are based on Jesus’ teaching in the Four Gospels. Charitable and religious groups practice acts of kindness based on these writings. The aforementioned examples demonstrate the importance of literary masterpieces on modern society. Literature is a window allowing readers to see the personality of a civilization. It is a window to the mores, ideals, creativity, and spiritual heart of a civilization. There is immeasurable cultural and spiritual wealth in literary masterpieces. Although some literary masterpieces are difficult to understand, they are a spring of enlightenment to those who strive to grasp their value. The comprehension and admiration of literary masterpieces is a key to obtaining awareness and comprehension of the value of the writings. This key provides a portal to the world of the author, the civilization, and the tools to create such a work of art. Reference Damrosch, D. , Alliston, A. , Brown, M. , duBois, P. , Hafez, S. , Heise, U. K. , et al (2008). The Longman Anthology of World Literature. New York, NY: Pearson Education Inc.

Attributes Of Leaders in Government essays

Attributes Of Leaders in Government essays To hold office in any branch of the federal government, you must be someone special. However, there are differences between the types of people that are right for each different branch of the government. For example, someone who is passionate about their political party and about bettering it, might be successful in Congress, but would not be a good fit for the U.S. Supreme Court. The Executive Branch is arguably the most prestigious branch of the Federal government. The main member of this branch of government is the president. A president must have the strongest leadership skills out of any member in the government. I believe that he must be the strongest member because he makes decisions on his own. Even though he has a cabinet to advise him, when it comes down to it making the decision is all his. He also has to be rational in the decisions he makes. If he is not rational in his decisions, it is easy to make many people angry quickly. I believe that the president also has to be very confident in his work. If he does not show confidence in everything that he does, I believe he will appear weak. The president does not have to be a great compromiser, but the Legislative members do. The Legislative branch consists of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. This branch of government is very different from the other two, in the fact that 435 members in the U.S. House of Representatives and the 100 members of the U.S. Senate all have to be able to compromise to get things done. Therefore, one significant attribute of a U.S. Congressman is the ability to compromise. If a Congressman is known as one willing to compromise, then other Congressmen will be willing to work with him. I believe that morality is also an important attribute of Congressmen. Because there are so many Congressmen, it is much easier to persuade them with things such as cash benefits. Therefore, I believe a Congressman that had morals...

I just need a one page summary on an argument Essay

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Analysis film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis film - Essay Example It is the male that is expected to go to school to provide for the family which is very common among patriarchal families. The female gaze in the film Real Women Have Curves may not have a sexual connotation of looking down at women as mere sex objects but it still bore traditional thinking and relegation of women to be subjects of their family, husband and community. It is imposed on women albeit in the film it was not imposed by a male figure but Ana’s mother played a surrogate male figure of subjecting Ana to gender roles of being domesticated and not to aspire too much. This kind of female gaze that is associated with gender oppression is Laura Mulvey in her work "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema† where the concept of gaze and its dynamics is said to be a manifestation of imbalance of power between the male and the female where the male dominates the female. There may be no dominant male figure in the film but gender oppression was imposed on Ana by making her work in a sweatshop instead of pursuing her dream of going to college. In the film, Ana’s mother played a substitute â€Å"male gaze† because she imposes on Ana the traditional male oriented patriarchal values of not getting an education. This is evident in Mulvey’s theory which Freudian in origin where she â€Å"breaks scopophilia down into an active part, which is always  male, and a passive part, which is always female. Women are the objects that are looked† (Finzsch). In Mulvey’s male gaze, the male’s patriarchal role is extended to the film where the male imposes a hegemonic gaze to Ana as a subject of family to do their wishes even against her will or own ambition. This produces an imbalance relationship as women are reduced to an object of two distinct modes of male gaze where they became Madonna’s in male perspective (voyeuristic) or whores (fetishistic) or in this case, a

Case Study of Marketing Christmas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case Study of Marketing Christmas - Essay Example The management styles and thought processes of the prevailing business organisations has led to major improvements in the business activities and hence, the scope of business opportunities has multiplied. Moreover, the free trade policies have further encouraged the business organisations to enter into new markets with greater opportunities as the regional trade alliances became an integral part of the economic growth oriented strategy (Parker, 2005, p.303). With these developments, many new business concepts, theories and model have evolved and business organisations are using these concepts for better business managements. Business organisations have realized that there is very close relationship between the business activities and various aspects of society and culture. The social and cultural aspects offer major business opportunities and the business organisations are using their strategic moves to identify and cater to these opportunities (Carroll and Buchholtz, 2008, p. 349). For example, Christmas celebration in the Western countries offers greater business opportunities to the Chinese economy as the manufacturers from China produce and export low cost Christmas gifts, cards to the European markets. In this process, the business organisations are also exposed to multiple risk factors that may bring fatal consequences to a business. However, the emergence of the contemporary business and marketing theories has facilitated better techniques to counter these risks. Christmas as the ‘grand celebration of consumption’ Christmas celebrations are today driven by the marketing strategies of the sellers of Christmas products. Business houses aim to create the ‘air of celebration’ and create a festive atmosphere which drives the customer to jump start the festive bandwagon. Marketers consider the festive seasons as an opportunity where they can employ marketing strategies to double and treble their sales as compared to that in a normal y ear. Very often, New Year and Christmas sales accounts for more than half of the sales in other years. Marketers exploit this opportunity by tempting the customers to buy festive products. As demonstrated by Belk and Bryce (1993), Christmas is nothing but a â€Å"grand celebration of consumption† (Belk & Bryce, 1993), where consumers flock to the markets for products which they actually do not need. Based on their observation, it can be said that the trend of shopping has undergone a drastic change over the years. They have also claimed that today ‘Christmas shopping increasingly reflects the search for the disintegrated self while it decreasingly reflects the celebration of home and family† (Belk & Bryce, 1993). Belk and Bryce have explained this in terms of materialism, which is a complex and multifaceted concept and has been popularised through the media. This happened in response to America’s preoccupation with the consumer goods and materialism. Severa l studies have been undertaken with regard to materialism. Inglehart has put forward that materialism demonstrates itself through the extent to which social groups or nations emphasise on the value involving material things or objects. Influenced by the needs hierarchy presented by Maslow, he proposed that the western world has been able to satisfy majority of human’s needs and requirements involving material

Case Study Of River Severn At Caersws Environmental Sciences Essay

Case Study Of River Severn At Caersws Environmental Sciences Essay River is freshwater providing natural resources for food, recreation, energy, transportation, irrigation and drinking. However, the quality and quantity of river water have been limited due to climate change and other pollutions from sewage and food waste or farm effluent in the whole world. Moreover, other river issues which results from hydraulic principles of river have occurred frequently since the ancient civilizations in many countries, such as erosion and floods. This can not only cause destruction of life including fauna, flora and human, but also damage property like roads and bridges especially in urban areas and destroy farmlands in rural areas. Therefore, various types of techniques and practical schemes have been discovered and utilized in managing and restoring river in order to create sustainable (complex) ecosystems and protect human health and other vegetations. Take the United Kingdom for example, the largest river-River Severn, which is approximately 354 kilometres length from source that locate in the Plynlimon Mountains in West Wales to the sea (Witts, 2011), flows through several countries such as Shropshire and also has a large number of tributary rivers, which can be illustrated in Figure 1. BBC News (2011) states that it has various types of pollution and needs major restoration to comply with new European Union Legislation. However, the attractiveness of river restoration in recent years is normally following the damage of the point source of water pollution. Thus, diffuse pollution of the proposal river will be focused in the upper stretch of River Severn at Caersws and the related restoration will be introduced in the following sections. The main objective of this project is to critical analyze the potential pollution or issues of a stretch of River Severn at Caersws and to discuss the effects of restoration on local ecosystems and economy. Moreover, the several types of restoration schemes and techniques will be analysed including stream bank stabilization, enhancing riparian buffers by adding trees and natural grasses and other additional techniques. In additional, the changed hydraulics will also be explained and analyzed before restoration and afterward in this paper. Figure 1. Map of River Severn image map of the river Severn (Source: Mandy Barrow, 2011a) 2. Description of River Severn at Caersws 2.1 Site Description of the River Caersws is a small village in the upper valley of the River Severn, which can be illustrated in Figure 2 and Figure 3 (National Grid Reference SO 033 917). At Caersws the River Severn has a catchment area of 375 km2 and bankfull discharge is approximately 70 m3/sec (Williams and Rhodes, 1982). The main rock type of the proposal area is resistant rock and the bed is formed in coarse alluvial deposits (gravel and cobbles) having a mean grain size of 40mm (Haslam 1978; Williams and Rhodes, 1982). According to measurement in Figure 3, the average width of the proposal stretch of river below Caersws is around 20 metres and the length is approximately 4.2 kilometres. The aimed stretch of the river is surrounded by a large scale of farmland and green land with some trees. Figure 2. Map of the Location of River Severn at Caersws image: map (Source: Mandy Barrow, 2011b) Figure 3. The Google Map of the River Meander near the Victorian Workhouse in Caersws make-Meanders-near victorian workhouse in Caersus-google map.jpg Note: Red star shows the location of Caersws; Blue lines are boundaries of restoration; Red arrow line is the direction of the flow (Source: Google Map, 2011) 2.2 Why Restore River? It also can be seen that many meanders have been formed around Caersws as the river is flowing across low land where the water flows slower than other areas and the main erosion tends to be horizontal (sideways) which is different from the vertical erosion in mountains. As a consequence, the river has cut through a loop and an ox-bow lake has been formed in a long time period, which shows in Figure 4. As can be seen in the figure, a large number of sands are formed and the old river bed has charged, which results in the loss of local ecosystems and vegetations. For example, the uprooted trees and branches and sediments have been eroded by the force of water especially when the river is fall. To some extent, it will affect biodiversity of species, blockage of river which also related to floods and water turbidity. Furthermore, fertilizer, feaces of sheep and other chemicals from farming can be washed out into river, which can affect water quality whether in local area or downstream. On the other hand, there are some instability problems of channelization in the stretch of river as showed in Diagram 1, which results in expensive maintenance for controlling sediment and erosion in a long term. As for the principles of river management, natural development of river is more sustainable rather than control; thus, a less expensive and sustainable scheme with monitoring programme can be accepted for river restoration to achieve effective transport sediment and avoid erosion if the net value of aggradations or degradation of the river will reach nearly zero (Soar and Thorne, 2001). To sum up, it is better to restore the river bank and manage surrounding areas in sustainable methods in order to avoid potential issues of river and enhance the biodiversity of local ecosystems. Figure 4. An Example of Ox-bow Lake image: casersws (Source: Mandy Barrow, 2011c) Diagram 1. The Current Description of the River Severn at Caersws tu-1.jpg (Source: Hand Drawing by Chai, 2011) 2.3 Analysis of formation of Ox-bow Lake and Hydraulics of the River As hydraulic theory states that energy may be constant along the streamline for an ideal fluid (i.e. viscous of frictional effects are insignificant), which means the large number of energy can be created when the water dash on the river bank as the velocity of flow is zero (Chadwick, Morfett and Borthwick, 2004). Thus, hydraulic action can break down the rocks, remove and drag rocks from the bed and banks of the river by the force of the running water, especially in the extreme rainfall period because of unstable flows of great water force. Moreover, in this large stream the plants become more wispy and are confined to the sides. Based on these theories, Ox-bow Lake has been formed as the speed of river flows is faster on the outside of meander causing erosion and is slower on the inside of the meander resulting in deposition (Diagram 2). The part of the meander has been cut off and changed to Ox-bow Lake, such as point A in Diagram 1. Although other areas of the river are not forme d Ox-bow Lake at moment, they have eroded and deposited of the sites, which means the change of river channel and potential pollutions may be found in the future. This is also a reason why we need to restore the river bank and improve local ecosystem as well. Diagram 2. The Formation of Ox-bow Lake and Erosion of Meander draw1.jpgdraw2.jpgdraw3.jpg http://www.geographyhigh.connectfree.co.uk/s3riversgeoghigh26g.gif (Source: Mandy Barrow, 2011d; Geograph High, 2011) 3. Critical Analysis of River Restoration Downs (2001) mentioned that river restoration is an important activity of river management in Europe to enhance aquatic and riparian habitat, improve water quality and quantity, and facilitate human use. The River Severn at Caersws, which is a good case in point, needs to be restored because of erosion and deposition of the site. The main objective of restoration engineer includes: i) Dredging sediment in the river bank and improving the aesthetic quality of stream; ii) Protecting the bank-lines from erosion; iii) Maintaining the current level of river bank and flow regime; iv) Enhancing diversity of vegetation and sustainable of local ecosystem. The variety of schemes and techniques can be used in different point of the river in Diagram 2 to minimize aggradation or degradation and mitigate tendency of the meandering river, including regular meander path of similar meander bends, rock vortex weirs at meander crossings, riprap (stone) around bendways, and various vegetation around river bank. In the following section, the detailed planning of restoration will be explained (Diagram 3 4) and the impacts of river restoration on economy, local ecosystem and visual aspect will also be analysed. 3.1 The Restoration Plan and Hydraulic Analysis It is not necessary to change the main shape and structure of the river; however, it is possible to restore the river bank at the similar conditions in different parts such as meander bends and width. According to Diagram 1, the area A, B, and C should be focused on in the restoration as the major erosion and deposition are occurring in these areas. During the first stage, the general mechanical dredging can be used to remove damaged trees and other blockages in the river and remove hard rock and rocky materials from deposition sites to erosion sites in A, B, and C to create similar river width as possible as we can. The flow picture shows the potential mechanics used during dredging process in the development. Diagram 3. The Plan of River Restoration in A, B, and C Diagram 3.jpg (Source: Hand Drawing by Chai, 2011) Diagram 4. The Plan of River Restoration in D and E Diagram 4.jpg (Source: Hand Drawing by Chai, 2011) Secondary, a large number of soil that is suitable for grass and othe vegetation growth should be filled in the derdged site achieving the same level of surrounding fields. Then, the derdged rock should be binded together with large size of rock using meshes, which are like Gabions and placed and filled on the sites of cut banks as rock-lined embankments showed in Figure 5. Before restoration a large number of warer force washed out soil and sand from the river bank and then form the steep slop with ÃŽÂ ± (Diagram 5). However, the slop with ÃŽÂ ² (Diagram 5) will become more gently after resotration, which result in that the force of running water can be mitigated and reject bank erosion and lateral shift of planform of the river. Additionallly, Chadwick, Morfett and Borthwick (2004) stated that spiral vortex around the outside of the bend causes an asymmetrical flow pattern which tends to erode material from the region near the outside of the bend and deposit it near the insid e (Figure 6). Thus, stone riffles (vortex weirs) will be placed at meander crossings in the river to maintain the grade and to decrease meander wavelength showed in Figure 6. Consequently, both Rip-rap and weirs may not only change the wavelength of flow and the bed slop, but also maintain the stability of channel cross sections. To some extent, the landform and flow regime of the river may not be changed in a long term peroid after restoration, such as 50 years later. Figure 5. The Rip Rap of the River Restoration imagesCANNFEL4.jpgimagesCAL178I3.jpg (Source:Google Picture, 2011) Diagram 5. The Bed Slop Before and After Restoration à ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¾7.jpgà ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¾5.jpg (Source: Hand Drawing by Chai, 2011) Figure 6. Current Pattern of the River Figure.jpg (Source: Chadwick, Morfett and Borthwick, 2004 Page 529) Moreover, willow spiling and faggots should be ultilised to control erosion in D and E and also to stabilise wide and shallow point bars as they are generally suitable for light erosion and may not withstand stronger forces (Environment Agency, 2010). However, the hyrdaulic will also be changed after restoration and the principle of the hydraulic change is similar to the change of that from strech A to C. According to Figure 7, the wood stick can break up the water force and wave prior to scouring of the river bank and damage the force of backwater. Faggots are normaally installed underwater to limite degradation and spiling can be applied on steep and vertical banks (Figure 7); in addition, the materials of both techniques can be sourced locally or imported to site. Take some practices in the UK for example, willow faggots and spiling have bee successfully applied sperately in the River Cam and River Skerne. Figure 7. Schematic Diagram of a Bank Protected Using Willow Faggots and Spiling http://evidence.environment-agency.gov.uk/FCERM/Libraries/SC060065_Images/4d3dc743-0a76-474b-880f-a372e4daebb4_8.sflb.ashxhttp://evidence.environment-agency.gov.uk/FCERM/Libraries/SC060065_Images/4d3dc743-0a76-474b-880f-a372e4daebb4_9.sflb.ashx (Source: Environment Agency, 2010). Furthermore, coir fibre products (Aquatic Planting), which support the growth and development of plants that physically secure the bank or shoreline (Ponds UK, 2011a), have been provided in some tree-lined areas to stabilise eroding banks. It means that the rolls can sperate and break the water force directly to the river bank in order to protect trees and further problems of the river such as blockage. Because the river is located in the low farm land and resistant rock area, verious rooted plants and other species can be established whether formed as rolls or not, including water-lilies, Canadian waterweed and water starwort, potamogeton natans, mosses, sparganium erectum, and Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum agg (Haslam and Wolseley, 1981; Haslam, 1978; Readers Digest, 1985). The coir fibre rolls are 3 metres long and normally six plants per metre (18 plants per roll) (Ponds UK, 2011a), which is illustrated in Figure 8. At the last, fences which was damaged by water force might be rep laced arround the river bank in order to keep animals (sources of pollution) far away from water body. Figure 8. The Photo of Coir Fibre Rolls http://www.pondsuk.com/wp-content/uploads/coir-rolls-and-nicospan.jpg (Source: Ponds UK, 2011a) In conclusion, verious types of techniques have been ultilised for river restoration to control erosion and deposition and improve biodiversity, such as derdging, rip-rap, vortex weirs, willow spiling and faggots, coir fibre rolls and fencing. Dredging which is the first stage of the restoration, can maintain the similar width of river bank in most parts in order to keep velocity of river flow. Rip-rap and vortex weirs can change the slop of the river bed, the length of the water waves and stability of channel cross sections to reject bank erosion and lateral shift of planform. Other options are sustaianble methods not only to cove large areas of erosion quickly but also to install aquatic vegetation where none currently exists. As a result, the hydraulics of the river after restoration will be changed and also become more stable and sutiable for renatural river. 3.2 Economy Analysis of Project IEPA (1998) stated that mechanical dredging is less expensive than hydraulic dredging in small project and usually cost from  £5 to  £20 per cubic yard including disposal. In the project, dredging is mainly utilized to move rock from the site to other site and it is hard to calculate the actual volume of dredging because of missing data; thus, the potential total cost of dredging cannot be assumed. Although there is no available cost of transporting rock from other regions, the cost effective and cheapest rock will be accepted. Ponds UK (2011b) mention that gabions (Rip-rap) are economic and well established tools for the construction of river walls revetments for river restoration project. As can be seen in Diagram 4, about 680 metres willow spiling will be placed in the river bank. It may cost  £115 per metre which is cheaper than other complex and mixed spiling (River Restoration Centre, 2011a). According to calculation, the total cost of spiling is around  £78,200. Moreover, 600 metres faggots, which are formed from local materials, will be installed in D (Diagram 4). Therfore, it is not easy to calculate the particular cost during restoration; on the other hand, the cost might be cheaper than spiling and also can be limited and saved in the operation phase. The cost of coir fibre rolls is approximately  £130 per metre (River Restoration Centre, 2011b), and 720 metres of rolls will be planted in the tree-lined bank. Thus, the total cost of the rolls is  £93,600 which is more expensive than other methods. In summary, coir fibre rolls, willow spiling and derdging are more expensive in all techniques, but the cost Rip-rap and willow faggots is sitting in the middle level and others such as fences and weirs are the cost effective options for restoration project. 3.3 The Impacts of Restoration on Local Ecosystem It is truely that every development or restraotion of river has negative and possitive impacts on environmental and social aspects whether in short or long terms. Restoration may take place in the sourrounding fields and can disturbance some normal activivties of animals and farmers, which may give occurison to pulic attention especially focused on the adverse impacts such as using private land during planning and construction processes. Therefore, the feedback of local farmers and related organizations should be collected before designing river restroation. During re-construction phase, mechancial derdging can cause adverse impacts on aquatic ecosystem as potential toxic chemicals and other contamination may be released from the bottom sediments into water body. Furthermore, it also increase water turbidity in short time period; to some extent, the change of water turbidity can affect aquatic species metabolism and interfere with spawning and water quality for ultilization especiall y in downstream regions (New World Encyclopedia, 2008). Although restroation has some adverse impacts on aquatic ecosystem and water turbidity, it is not means that restoration has no possitive impacts on local environment and water body. On one hand, restoration of the River Severn in Caersws aims to control erosion and deposition to recreate more sustainable, stable and natural river in a long term. On the other hand, it also has some benefits for local ecosystem; for example, willow spiling and faggots and coir fiber rolls can bring biological, ecological and engineering concepts together by using natural materials and growing vegetation to stabilise the river structure and flow regime and maintain natural ecosystem in the site. Moreover, a number of native wetland plants used in these techniques can make a varied physcial adaptated conditions for invertebrates, fish and wildlife in the river. It means the biodiversity of local vegetation and habitats will increase after restoration and water quality will also be improved as potential chemical pollution from frams and erosion ot the river bank can be controlled, which results in safety ultilisation of water for fauna, flora, and human. In a word, river restoration may control erosion and deposition and improve the hydraulics of river and water quality and also create a susatianble and natural river with great visual view in long terms (Diagram 3 4). 4. Conclusion The clean-up of the River Severn at Caersws illustrated why and how the river restored as natural source of water and how affect local ecosystem in the site. The more likely cause of restoration is the river erosion and deposition with continuous wavelength and water force, which will affect water turbidity and pollution in the local site and downstream. Moreover, the goals of restoration projects are often ecological in nature combined with analysis of hydrology and geomorphology of the channel. The variety types of techniques have been introduced during restoration processes, such as mechanical dredging, Rip-rap, vortex weirs, willow spiling and faggots, coir fibre rolls and fences. In a short term, restoration of the River Severn has some negative impacts on local aquatic ecosystem and water quality; for example, dredging can bring potential toxic condition and turbid water for aquatic species. However, the restoration is a sustainable activity of river management in Caersws to en hance aquatic and riparian habitat, improve water quality and hydraulics of flow regime, and control erosion and deposition of the river bank especially in long term periods. The width of river bank, wavelength, water force of damaging river bed and other flow regime will be changed after restoration programme. In conclusion, the restoration of River Severn in Caersws within suggested techniques is an effective method to redevelop the river become stable and natural in terms of social, economic and environmental aspects.

My Life is a Cluttered Drawer :: essays research papers

My life is a cluttered drawer if you looked inside you would see a variety of pictures. Pictures of places far and near. Pictures of friends, family and loved ones. In the back of the drawer tools for the tinkering that everything seems to need at one time or another. Different types of music would be scattered throughout the drawer on tapes and CD’s for the good times and the bad.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Often I sit in my room and look back at all the pictures of the interesting places I have been, the unusual sights I have seen and the people I meet doing it all. A picture I often look at is a picture of Time Square New York. This particular picture I took myself. I look at this for motivation, motivation that one day I will be in the city of opportunity. The picture I keep right beside my new York picture is an army photo. A photo of one of my buddies out in the field gun by his side. This picture gives me a completely different feeling. A feeling of appreciation for the solders that are fighting for our country at this point in time. Every parent or friend with a picture like mine I’m sure, knows the feeling of wondering will they be sent, or asks the question will they come back.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the drawer slides more than half way open now the stacks of CD’s and tapes begin to come into view. The tapes mostly of childhood music that got lost or out grown. The lessons or sharing, and good attitude all waiting to be passed down to a cousin or niece in dire need. The CD’s in the drawer I am sure have been pulled out, and again returned depending on the mood, or the company. As for the artists of these CD’s, mostly String Cheese, a semi blue grass band with a song for every mood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the far back of my cluttered drawer there are several tools. The tools you would find in my drawer are common tools. The tools needed just for the basic workshop. Both kinds of screw drivers, Phillips head and a flat head. A hammer, and last but not least needle nose pliers. With this set of tools I feel I can fix, or â€Å"rig† almost anything I own to a certain extent. This set of tool would also cure the boredom of everyday life. Scratch up some nails and grab my trusty hammer with a cuple of planks of

Describe and assess one theory of cognitive development Essay

Piaget argued that CD is based on the development of schemas. This refers to a psychological structure representing all of a person’s knowledge of actions or objects, e.g. gripping or driving. To perform a new skill which the person has no schema they have to work from previous skills that they have. This is called assimilation, where they have pulled previous schemas together then adapted and changed them to fit their task through accommodation. For example when a person is learning to juggle a person can already grasp, throw and catch so they use the schemas that they have for these skills to perform the skill of juggling. When a person feels confident and comfortable with the task that they are performing they are said to be in a state of equilibrium. Piaget believed that children go through 4 stages of CD; Sensori-motor (0-2yrs)- in this stage children have no object permanence. So if they were playing with a toy and it fell out of sight they would not realise it had even existed. Piaget said that the skill of object permanence came at about 9 months. The second stage of CD is the pre-operational stage (2-7yrs), at this stage language is developing but children are unable to conserve (understand that shapes can change without the mass or size having to change) or decentre (can’t understand things from another persons point of view). This is also known as the theory of mind. In the concrete operational stage (7-11yrs) children have developed the theory of mind and are also able to conserve if the problem is ‘concrete’/visual. The final stage is Formal operational stage (11yrs- onwards). In this stage children are able to work things out abstractly so this is the stage in which children start to be taught algebra.  The above ideas about CD were based on Piaget’s own research. Most of the studies were carried out solely on his own three children. The studies were carried out in the form of clinical interviews and tasks and all the results and observation were recorded in a diary. One strength of Piaget’s theory comes in the detailed supporting evidence, which he himself provided. One of his tasks investigated object permanence. He gave a baby a toy and they played happily with it. But then he covered the toy with some cloth. Even though the baby had seen the toy hidden it failed to look for it and it appeared he didn’t even remember it had been there. This suggests that ideas are underpinned by detailed empirical research, which provides a sound foundation for the theory. A further strength is that Piaget’s theory has been applied to education and has lead to improvements in the quality of teaching and learning. Discovery learning is where children learn through play and interaction. They handle and perform what they are learning so that it sticks in their mind. For example to learn how plants grow a class will be split in to thirds; one group taking home some cress placing it on the windowsill and watering it daily. Another group takes home some cress, which they place in a cupboard and water daily and then the final group who place their cress on the windowsill but don’t water. From this they will visually see the importance that water and light play in survival of plants. This is important, as they can’t think abstractly. This suggests that Piaget theory has had a great impact on primary school teaching methods and he showed children don’t just think like little adults. However later researchers have been critical of Piaget’s methodology. He carried out his research on his three children; for starters this number is too small and means that results can’t generalised. The children were born from a â€Å"genius† so it is likely that they aren’t ‘typical examples’ of children in society. As his research was high on ecological validity it meant that it was low on reliability. This suggests that if the tasks were repeated its unlikely that the researchers could repeat them exactly as Piaget did them. A further weakness is that more recent research has thrown doubt on the ages that Piaget suggested. For example Bower carried out a study in to object permanence where he put a mother and baby in a room with a toy. After the child had been playing happily he turned the light off. Due to infrared lights Bower could see how the child behaved and it reached out to find the toy even though it was out of sight. This suggests that we need to rethink the age of stage shifts due to up-to-date/ recent findings.  In conclusion, although Piaget’s theory has some weaknesses it remains one of the key theories of CD. However in contrast to Piaget’s view, Vigotsky took quite a different view. He laid much more emphasis on social interaction and cultural factors and on interaction with adults shaping CD. Perhaps a combination of their ideas is the way forward.

Linde and Nora essays

Linde and Nora essays Linde and Nora: Compare and Contrast After reading   A Dolls House by Hendrik Ibsen. I see that there is both a parallel and a contrast style in the characters of Mrs. Linde and Nora. A contrasting difference in the characters, are shown not in the characters themselves, but the role that they play in their marriages. These two women have different relationships with their husbands. Torvald and Nora have a relationship where there is no fairness. To Torvald Nora is an object. Therefore, she plays the submissive role in a society where the lady plays the passive role. Her most important duty is to please her husband, Torvald, making her role similar to a slave. Torvald also considers himself to be superior to her. Nora was raised in such a way that her role in their day and time required her to do whatever her husband said to do. It all started when she young, her father never gave her the opportunity to think for herself and to be independent. That lead to her being so submissive and the results was her not being able to have her own mind. As for Cristine and Krogstad their relationship is much more open to us. It is clear that if Cristine and Krogstad were to engage in an argument, it is more likely that that they would come to an agreement soon after. When Mrs. Linde and Nora are put in comparison, both are willing to sacrifice themselves for other things that are dear to them. Mrs. Linde shows her loyalty to her family when she knew that she had the right to refuse her husbands marriage proposal. But after taking into consideration her sick mother, her brothers, and Krogstad having money, she married for the wellbeing of her family. Which means that in this society family is top priority and loyalty to their loved ones is highly expected. Then, we have Nora, who cares very much for her husband, saves his life, which shows again, how women sacrificed for their families. Both Mrs. Linde and No...

Definition and Examples of Language-Style Matching

Definition and Examples of Language-Style Matching In conversation, texting, emailing, and other forms of interactive communication, the tendency of participants to use a common vocabulary and similar sentence structures. The term linguistic style matching (also called language style matching or simply style matching) was introduced by Kate G. Niederhoffer and James W. Pennebaker in their article Linguistic Style Matching in Social Interaction (Language and Social Psychology, 2002). In a later article, Sharing Ones Story, Niederhoffer and Pennebaker note that people are inclined to match conversation partners in linguistic style, regardless of their intentions and reactions (The Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology, 2011). Examples and Observations Robin: To an outsider listening to their conversation, very healthy families are less easy to understand than average ones. John: Less? Because? Robin: Their conversation is quicker, more complicated. They interrupt and finish each others sentences. There are big jumps from one idea to another idea as though bits of the argument are missed out. John: But its only outsiders that find it confusing? Robin: Exactly. The conversation isnt as tidy and logical and carefully structured as it can be with somewhat less healthy families, nearer the middle of the range. Ideas are coming so thick and fast that they keep interrupting and capping each others statements. They can do that because everyone grasps what other people are trying to say before theyve finished saying it. John: Because they understand each other so well. Robin: Right. So what looks like lack of control is actually a sign of their unusually good communication.(Robin Skynner and John Cleese, Life and How to Survive It. W.W. Norton, 1995) Linguistic Style Matching in Relationships Attraction is not all about good looks; a pleasant conversation is important too. To test the idea, [Eli] Finkel, [Paul] Eastwick, and their colleagues [at Northwestern University] looked at language-style matching, or how much individuals matched their conversation to that of their partner orally or in writing, and how it related to attraction. This verbal coordination is something we unconsciously do, at least a little bit, with anyone we speak to, but the researchers wondered if a high level of synchrony might offer clues about what types of people individuals would want to see again.In an initial study the researchers analyzed forty speed dates for language use. They found that the more similar the two daters language was, the more likely it was that they would want to meet up again. So far, so good. But might that language-style matching also help predict whether a date or two will progress to a committed relationship? To find out, the researchers analyzed instant messages from committed couples who chatted daily, and compared the level of language-style matching with relationship stability measures gathered using a standardized questionnaire. Three months later the researchers checked back to see if those couples were still together and had them fill out another questionnaire. The group found that language-style matching was also predictive of relationship stability. People in relationships with high levels of language-style matching were almost twice as likely to still be together when the researchers followed up with them three months later. Apparently conversation, or at least the ability to sync up and get on the same page, mattered. (Kayt Sukel, Dirty Minds: How Our Brains Influence Love, Sex, and Relationships. Free Press, 2012) Patterns of Linguistic Style Matching [P]eople also converge in the ways they talkthey tend to adopt the same levels of formality, emotionality, and cognitive complexity. In other words, people tend to use the same groups of function words at similar rates. Further, the more the two people are engaged with one another, the more closely their function words match.The matching of function words is called language style matching, or LSM. Analyses of conversations find that LSM occurs within the first fifteen to thirty seconds of any interaction and is generally beyond conscious awareness. . . .Style matching waxes and wanes over the course of a conversation. In most conversations, style matching usually starts out quite high and then gradually drops as the people continue to talk. The reason for this pattern is that at the beginning of the conversation its important to connect with the other person. . . . As the conversation rolls on, the speakers begin to get more comfortable and their attention starts to wander. There are times, however, that style matching will immediately increase. (James W. Pennnebaker, The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us. Bloomsbury Press, 2011) Linguistic Style Matching in Hostage Negotiations Taylor and Thomas (2008) reviewed 18 categories of linguistic style in four successful and five unsuccessful negotiations. They found that at the conversational level successful negotiations involved more coordination of linguistic styles between the hostage taker and negotiator, including problem-solving style, interpersonal thoughts, and expressions of emotion. When negotiators communicated in short, positive bursts and used low sentence complexity and concrete thinking, hostage takers would often match this style. . . . Overall, the driving factor that determined linguistic style-matching behavior depended on the dominant party in the negotiation: Successful cases were marked by the negotiator taking the dominant role, implementing a positive dialogue, and dictating the hostage takers response.(Russell E. Palarea, Michel G. Gelles, and Kirk L. Rowe, Crisis and Hostage Negotiation. Military Psychology: Clinical and Operational Applications, 2nd ed., ed. by Carrie Kennedy and Eric A . Zillmer. Guilford Press, 2012) Historical Style Matching Recently the style matching among historical figures has been examined using archival records. One case involves the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, a 19th century English couple who met and eventually married in the middle of their writing careers. By tracking their poetry, a sense of their oscillations in their relationship emerged.(James W. Pennnebaker, Frederica Facchin, and Davide Margola, What Our Words Say About Us: The Effects of Writing and Language. Close Relationships and Community Psychology: An International Perspective, ed. by Vittorio Cigoli and Marialuisa Gennari. FrancoAngeli, 2010) Linguistic Style Matching in Fiction People dont talk the same way unless they are joined together in some common purpose, have common lives, goals, desires. The great mistake of so many prose writers in their transcription of speech is to record its syntactical eccentricities and habits carelessly; e.g., theyll have an uneducated laborer speak the same way as an uneducated thug. Or, a cop will speak the same way as those he bullies and arrests. The mark of brilliance and honesty in speech transcription resides in the differentiation of language patterns.(Gilbert Sorrentino, Hubert Selby. Something Said: Essays by Gilbert Sorrentino. North Point, 1984)

Argo case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Argo - Case Study Example The frequency of their meeting after every three months is evidence that assessment was done appropriately. The change was thoroughly evaluated by the committee and found it right to restructure the client teams. They sought to embark on changing in order to achieve desirable results. In an effort to solve the issue, they deployed an external team of consultants for reviewing the policy. The team interviewed the managers and employees. The team of consultants was also tasked with the responsibility of recommending changes. This indicates that the capacity of the management to asses and review happenings in the organisation was at a good position. Assessment focuses on regular review of the activities and results of the organization to ensure adherence to the excellence model. Through the review, Argo ID was able to identify its strengths. Another area the organisation did well was in deployment. After the team of consultants administered the recommendations, the line manager and questionnaires administered on to the employees on their preferential positions in the new organisation did briefings. The success of deployment was evidenced by the ability of more than 80% of the total number of employees getting their preferred positions. In addition, the rest does not lose anything since they were interviewed for other positions. The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Bill Marshall made presentations that featured how the work was to be done and the scheduling thereof. 2. Argo Areas According to Subcategory (1e) of the Case Study Organizational and Management Review did a review on the way the operations were being conducted and went a step ahead to outsource for services of specialists in order to streamline the situation. The recommendations by the consultants helped reshape the organizational structure of the compa ny hence conserving it from the blink of failure. This time round the approach was rectified, hence changing the expected scenario. The results of the initial process were not right. They called for a reshuffle of the entire employment structure in order for it to deliver desirable results. The failure in achieving the results was expensive to the organisation since they had to re-embark on a new strategy that involved an overhaul of the entire system. Results are the ultimate goal of every organisation, it emanates from a wrong approach taken in implementing a good idea. Sometimes, the approach my be wrongly placed and may not be a making from the individuals involved leading to undesirable results. This was the case with Argo. 3. Site Visit Issues One of the main issues to check in the organisation is the staff interactions in the organisation. The questions are how the employees interact in the organisation at the different levels. The relationship between the juniors and seniors in the organisation is paramount; I would like to know why majority of the staff preferred a change in the place of work. Underlying issues in the organisation may cause a disparity and breakdown in communication. I would also like to know about the structure and the policies of Organizational and Management Review. It seems they play a very important role in the organisation, understanding their composition, the mandate and their way of operating is very important in the organisation. Part B 1. Comments on People Strategy Argo seems to be on a positive trend in achieving satisfaction for the employees. Considering

Nursing Practice Act Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nursing Practice Act - Assignment Example Nursing regulations will be up to date and cover emerging issues because the nursing board constantly reviews the various professional needs and makes, modifies, or repeals the rules and regulations where necessary. Nurses will need to adhere to the rules and regulations from the BON and constantly seek guidance from the board on unclear matters in nursing practice. The board of nursing has the power to approve the training programs for nurses. Upon initial and subsequent assessment of the nursing programs, the board can either approve, reject or withdraw an approval. The NPA guides decision-making processes on whether to approve or reject a nursing program. The curriculum of the program has to meet certain standards (Russell, 2012). This will enhance quality in the training of nurses and increase the number of competent nurses. The availability of well-trained nurses promotes professionalism in the workplace and the provision of quality nursing care. Nurses will check institutions b efore enrolling for nursing programs to ensure they have the rquisite approval by the board. The NPA ensures the protection of the public against unqualified persons by setting titles and licensing qualified nurses (Russell, 2012). The titles are Registered Nurses (RNs), and the Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPN/VNs). This will enhance quality in the training of nurses and increase the number of competent nurses. The availability of well-trained nurses promotes professionalism in the workplace and the provision of quality nursing.