Death, Dying, and Bereavement Essay

In our busy lives, filled with work and family, we learn to take many things for granted. One of these is that nothing will change, not our friends, families and jobs. However, every now and then, something happens to shake us out of our denial and into stark awareness that things can happen very suddenly. Then, we are reminded of how fragile life is and how nothing stays the same. Death is an inseparable part of life. If we are to live life honestly and without fear, we have to also accept that death is ultimately inevitable. Death should not cause us to live in fear, but rather to live our lives in the very best way that we can. It is important to not â€Å"bury our head in the sand† and instead, to make responsible preparations including financial and legal arrangements, as well as talking about our wishes with our family and friends. By understanding the rites and rituals that accompany a death in our culture, religion or spiritual group, we can better prepare for the dying and grieving process. Witnessing the death of my mother five years ago was a devastating blow but in retrospect it taught me to appreciate the small things in life, to value my relationships, and to trust in God. Finding Closure The death of a parent can be a very shocking and life-changing experience. Suddenly the person that you turned to for their wisdom and their advice is no longer available. The loss of a loved one will leave you feeling empty inside, as if the world will never be the same again and nothing will ever be able to heal your pain. The truth is that time heals all wounds and the world keeps on going as if nothing happened.

American Literature. Mark Twain Essay

Twain – a romantic or a realist?, literary significance of Mark Twain, Twain’s life experiences as reflected in his works, Twain as a travel writer, Twain as a publisher – the American literary market in the late nineteenth C., Twain’s personal tragedies, literary fads exploited by Twain, Twain’s major woks 1. NATURALISM AND REALISM Realism vs. romanticism, naturalism as a more drastic version of realism, naturalism in literature: philosophy and technique; the importance of Darwin and Marx for naturalistic literature, William Dean Howells as a pioneer of realism and naturalism in American literature, main representatives (you should be able to provide at least one title with a brief description): Hamlin Garland, Jack London, Frank Norris, Theodore Dreiser, Stephen Crane 2. HENRY JAMES (part I & II) Twain vs. James, critical opinions about James, James’s background, James’s international novels, James as a critic, James as a dramatist, James as a pre-modernist author, The Turn of the Screw – James as a Gothic writer, three periods of James’ literary career (with representative examples). 3. REGIONAL WIRTING The influence of realism and romanticism on the development of the local color literature, examples of regional writing: Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, Bret Harte’s The Luck of the Roaring Camp, Edward Eggleston’s The Hoosier Schoolmaster, Joel Chandler Harris’s Uncle Remus, George Washington Cable’s Old Creole Days, Sidney Lanier 4. FRANCIS SCOTT FITZGERALD Fitzgerald as an icon of the Jazz Age, Fitzgerald’s relationship with Zelda Sayre, This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, The Great Gatsby – Fitzgerald as a critic of the American Dream, Fitzgerald’s stay in Paris, Tender is the Night , Fitzgerald and Hollywood 5. ERNEST HEMINGWAY Hemingway as a war correspondent, Hemingway’s â€Å"macho† philosophy of life – the importance of fishing, hunting and bullfighting, the â€Å"Hemingway hero†, the â€Å"Hemingway code,† Hemingway and the Lost Generation, Hemingway’s style, Hemingway and sentimentalism, Hemingway’s major works 6. GERTRUDE STEIN Stein’s background, Stein and feminism , the importance of Stein for American letters, political controversies surrounding Stein, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas – Stein as a chronicle of Paris life, Tender Buttons as an example of Stein’s experimental writing, Stein as an art collector 7. AMERICAN MODERNIST POETRY: EZRA POUND Pound and Whitman, Pound and imagism: â€Å"A Few Don’ts by an Imagiste,† Pound’s definition of an image, Pound’s â€Å"translations† from the Chinese – Pound and Fenollosa, Pound and the haiku tradition, Pound as a critic of the Western civilization, political controversies surrounding Pound 8. AMERICAN MODERNIST POETRY: WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS AND THE OBJECTIVISTS William Carlos Williams’s idea of modern American poetry – Williams’s attitude towards Eliot’s Waste Land – actually, we did not do much back then – it was the day when the world was supposed to end and the computer broke down The topics of the remaining two lectures: 9. AMERICAN MODERNIST POETRY CONTINUED 10. WILLIAM FAULKNER

Child Welfare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Child Welfare - Essay Example This is one major social problem the child encounter as a result of abuse or neglect from drug addicted parents. Due to the nature of this intervention, statistical collection of data and facts associated with child abuse and neglect becomes difficult. To determine how much it could cost to resolve it through the various stages of model that could be required. The well-being of the child is important. Although when parents usually the women take in alcohol and seems not to be abusive and not dependent or addicted to drinking. It is still possible the conditions under which she drink may still put the child welfare at risk. A child welfare worker should be concerned about the nature of parent exposure to alcohol and drug use. As noted by The American Psychological Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV/DSM-IV-TR) that a woman should not take in more than seven drinks within a week or three drinks at a time. Child safety is an important issue in our society and factors that may bring about polluting or exposing the child welfare at risk are not lightly taken. Children are meant to be around adult so as to caution and comfort them in their growing years. Children are good observers and adult should be more caution what they do in their presence. This is part of protecting the child welfare. ... Significantly, the child welfare worker should be more concerned with the case of child neglect and abuse by identifying the factors of drug abuse and alcohol exposure. Child welfare worker should be able to support parent influenced by these factors to obtain adequate treatment in understanding of the recovery concept in the view of child safety. With the child welfare worker understanding the connection between the impact of alcohol and the effect of drug services can be a very good advantage for the child welfare worker and the Adoption and Safe families Act in fulfilling the safety of the child as well as the child wellness. When a child who have been in a foster care in fifteen months out of twenty-two recent months enters foster care and actions to terminate parental rights over the child is initiated, it is then the Adoption and Safe Families Act will require a permanency plan of twelve months. Considering the fact that twelve to fifteen months can seem to be a long period of time to a child, it's not enough time to consider in the process of recovery with parents who have been exposed to alcohol and drug. In a critical case involving substance abuse demands that adequate alcohol and drug services should be established with immediate effect in processing the parent's treatment. Effectiveness in doing this can be achieved by child welfare worker in asking questions on a routine basis regarding the nature of substance use relative to its abuse, treatment required and recovery time expected. His understanding of dependence and abuse of alcohol and drugs is also an advantage. It is alarming to know that out of the many people treated for only alcohol issues amounts to the same level of population of people that were

College Attrition Causes and Some Resolutions Essay

College Attrition Causes and Some Resolutions - Essay Example in Roberts and Styron 2). Leonhardt notes that the U.S. education system is a good student recruiter, but poor in college retention strategies. This paper analyzes the primary causes of college attrition and seeks to present solutions to them. This paper argues that there are seven main causes of student attrition and they are: academic under-preparedness, working more than 20 hours a week while taking 3 to 4 classes, excessive extra-curricular activities, financial problems, loneliness, poor family support, and lack of student-university fit. One of the main reasons that college students do not graduate is that they are simply unprepared for the academic challenges of their chosen degrees. Academic under-preparedness means that students are not sufficiently equipped to handle the academic needs of attending college and meeting their institution’s minimum academic standards. More than 50% of first-year students are not adequately prepared for college-level work, according to J eff King, director of the Koehler Center for Teaching Excellence at Texas Christian University (Lewis). Clearly, if students do not even have the basic skills or knowledge to complete their course requirements, the more likely they are to not finish college. An example is a student who does not have good English language skills. She might be able to express herself in verbal English, but she does not know how to write a college-level academic paper. Since many courses require writing, she will have problems in completing them. Several solutions to academic under-preparedness are diagnostic assessments at college entry and academic support centers. The Koehler center is creating a tool that can help recognize students who are most at risk of dropping out (Lewis). King stresses: â€Å"There’s increasing pressure †¦ to prove that after these thousands of dollars that parents are paying for a credential, the students are learning† (Lewis). Tools like these can help id entify students who are at risk of not graduating and they can help schools introduce intervention measures that can increase their students’ chances of college success. Academic support centers are also crucial to helping students finish their degrees. Tutorial support, writing workshops, and other services and resources can help students handle a wide range of academic challenges. The second cause of college attrition is working more than 20 hours a week while taking 3 to 4 classes. College students do not have a homogenous profile, where they are all â€Å"only† students who do not need to work, or they work for additional allowance purposes alone. Many of them are working students who struggle to balance work and school needs. They depend on their work to provide for their basic needs, such as food, rent, and transportation. Other students are also married and with children, or are primary or secondary breadwinners in their families. If the physical, emotional, and time demands of the workplace are high enough to intrude on academic life, students will feel overwhelmed and unable to reach the minimum requirements of their educational institutions. When work demands are high, colleges can help students through their rigorous counseling and support centers. Teachers or educational professionals can counsel students to take only classes that they have the time and energy to finish. Academic support centers are also important, since they will refer working students to centers or groups that can help them handle the challenges of

Keeping Momentum Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Keeping Momentum - Assignment Example That is, people who feel their inputs, contributions and ideas are not needed as part of the implementation process are very likely to sit back and watch others do things. In effect, centering the change or implementation process round only few people is a major cause for the momentum to fizzle out. After all such a situation means that there will be only few people bringing their momentum together and so it will not be long when the apathy of others catches up with them. Sustained momentum for the implementation of any change process can be likened to sustained motivation among the people involved with the change process. This is to mean that even when enough people are included as stakeholders of change these people need additional motivation that can be sustained if the sustainability of momentum for the change process can be guaranteed (Shapiro, 2010). In any organization, the types of motivation needed by employees or stakeholders of change could be either intrinsic or extrinsic (Denton, 1996). When these types of motivation are absent, the expected levels of momentum cannot be guaranteed. It is important for the change or its implementation to be coiled around the collective culture of the organization. As the organizational culture defines the ideology, philosophies and ways of doing things, any change implemented with the culture can be assured to be permanent since the organizational culture is relatively permanent. It is therefore important that the implementation of change will not be done in a manner that is contrary or sidelines the organizational culture. The effect of including few people in the change implementation has already been outlined above. For a typical organization, it is important for managers to know that people are the pivot that make the change run. When the implementation is done in a manner that is included in

A Supra-National Constitution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

A Supra-National Constitution - Assignment Example The concept of supremacy of EC law is directly related to the principle of direct effect, direct applicability, and self-execution. The first is pertinent to implementation while the others are to enforcement. It would certainly be impossible to achieve the objective of the Community if its laws cannot be implemented consistently among its members. In traditional international law, the determination of whether a certain provision is directly effective is decided by domestic law. It is also a domestic law that will determine what are the conditions under which such effectiveness applies. This traditional mechanism was short-circuited by the European Community due to its supra-national status and evolved the Community into a legal order sui generis. The principle of supremacy is implied in the very creation of the Community, this is the gist of several decisions of the European court justifying compliance with Community law. Its articulation was necessary for the enforcement of Community law through national authorities and courts. The determination of supremacy, direct effectiveness, direct applicability and self-execution of the provisions of Community law is done under the procedures and precepts of Community law. These doctrines are actually described as constitutionalizing; implementing supra-national effect of the treaty in its member states. As stated in Les Verts, â€Å"The EEC is a Community based on the rule of law, inasmuch as neither its Member States nor its institutions can avoid a review of the question whether the measures adopted by them are in conformity with the basic constitutional charter, the Treaty.†

Market Model Patterns of Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Market Model Patterns of Change - Essay Example Wal-Mart is a perfect example of a business operating in an oligopolistic market structure. This is because they have low prices in the market enabling them compete healthily with other businesses dealing in similar products/services. Secondly, Wal-Mart operates with fewer sellers in the market giving them mutual interdependence over the other firms in the business. The long term effect of Wal-Mart operating an oligopoly will result to rise of economies of scale. This is because they will take advantage of having been in the markets to put barriers to other business wishing to join the business. Secondly, Operating under oligopoly market structure, Wal-Mart may collude to form a monopoly form of market structure, therefore, dictating their terms in the market. As a short term effect, Wal-Mart will be forced to renew their strategies of working because they will be facing different competitors in the market (Roberts & Berg, 2012). Factors affecting Wal-Mart competitiveness is their capability in retailing. The business has various stores situated in various strategic places. These stores seek their profits by retailing their products through high volumes and using low mark-ups to give them a competitive advantage over other business dealing in the same line of products. Secondly, Wal-Mart achieves their competitiveness owing to their standardized pallets, tight delivery schedules and computerized tracking. This has given them an edge over many businesses dealing in the same line since they are not in a position to raise enough capitol to ensure efficiency in the systems. They are also able to use their technology as a source of marketing, therefore, minimize on their revenue spending. Thirdly, Wal-Mart prices play a significant role in influencing their activities and encouraging their competitiveness to other businesses. This is because it is an economy of scale, therefore, they purchase raw materials at a m uch cheaper price

Movie Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Movie Review - Essay Example The plot revolves around different people, the local fishing community, homeless kids, prostitutes, Russian cargo pilots, a night watchman, a priest and many others but linked by a common thread – the fishing of the Nile Perch in Lake Victoria for export to Europe and the subsequent import of arms to perpetrate war in Africa. And when the Russian pilot says; â€Å"The children of Angola receive guns for Christmas, the children of Europe receive grapes†, we somehow get an idea of the dystopian manner in which globalization and social and ecological disintegration have impacted the lesser privileged societies of the world and we cannot help but accept the truth with a pinch of salt. The past decade has been one of large scale production, mass consumption, commercialization, globalization and much more. With the advent of the capitalist and consumerist culture, the world has seen many of the developing economies involving themselves actively in global trade and exports. An d many of these nations have prided in higher economic stability and rates of growth as well as an improvement in the standard of living of their people. But what Hubert Sauper tries to explain through â€Å"Darwin’s Nightmare† is the fact that much of this holds true only in statistics and numbers and the reality is no way near agreement with figures and findings. Centered in and around Lake Victoria in Tanzania, Sauper tells the story of how the incessant fishing at the lake has left a devastating aftermath on the ecology and economy of the country. In the 1960s the Nile perch was introduced in to the lake perhaps as a means of food for the local population. However, as time progressed, the predatory perch attacked and destroyed most of the native fish and living organisms thereby causing massive damage to the natural ecosystem and biodiversity of the lake. This was followed by continual fishing of the perch which was being processed as fillets and exported to Europe for consumption. It is appalling to see how the perch in its best form is eaten by the people of Europe while the fishing community in Lake Victoria is left hungry with nothing but the carcasses to feed on. But Sauper’s story telling doesn’t stop there. And that is the most remarkable feature of the film and why I feel the film surpassed my expectations. He shows us not only the ecological effect of the Nile perch and its subsequent fishing but also its adverse impact on the social, cultural and economic aspects of the Mwanzan community. So the ‘nightmare’ is not confined to the Darwinian element alone but is in reference to a lot of other issues such as poverty, social and economic inequalities, lack of political focus, ignorance, misanthropy and the disturbing truth that the weakest sections of society are in many cases unable to receive the benefits of so called foreign aid and support. In other words, Sauper is able to incorporate varied and equally d ifficult themes of such magnitude using a single canvas and in its most basic form. And the message he conveys comes across loud and clear. There are many visual images and conversations that refuse to leave your mind even hours after the movie ends. One character who needs to be mentioned here is Raphael, the night watchman who ‘protects’ the National Fisheries Institute for a dollar a night. Whether he speaks of crocodiles in the river, how the

Blacks Leisure Group plc (BLG) Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Blacks Leisure Group plc (BLG) - Case Study Example It was Peter Farquhar who articulated that "a brand is a name, symbol, design, or mark that enhances the value of a product beyond its functional purpose" (Farquhar 1989). This gave rise to the brand equity's subsequent definition as the "added value with which a brand endows the product." (Farquhar 1989). In 1991 David Aaker put forth the model of Brand Equity in his seminal work "Managing Brand Equity" (1991). The model stipulates that brand equity is founded on five dimensions that of brand loyalty, name awareness, perceived quality, brand associations and other proprietary brand assets. Of the five brand equity elements, the basic four elements will be the subject of this discourse that will attempt to apply the principles of brand equity to Blacks Leisure Group's current market situation. This report will attempt to discuss the subjects of Brand Loyalty and how Blacks can begin to fully appraise the status of its core market's willingness to support the brand vis--vis the many market and economic fluctuations; the subject of Brand Name Awareness and how Blacks can continue to perpetuate its top-of-mind status in the outdoor sporting goods and lifestyle business; the subject of Perceived Quality and how Blacks can improve on its product attributes which can make or break its "specialist" status in the outdoor sporting goods category; and finally, the subject of Brand Associations which is ever more important these days in the face of stiff competition, environmental pressures and increasing consumer awareness that exacts nothing less than the best of what a company can offer and give back to the various communities and stakeholders it impacts on. CASE BACKGROUND With its stock publicly traded at the London Stock exchange and enjoying, there is no arguing that Blacks has been enjoying enthusiastic public support over the last 10 years. In fact, there is no denying that Blacks is one of United Kingdom's leading retail sportswear and sporting goods groups and the largest specialty outdoor retailer. Innovation, style and technology and a demonstrated passion for providing a range of outdoor clothing and equipment at great value for money remain Blacks Outdoor's hallmark in the industry. The company operates 427 stores under seven company-owned and managed retail chains across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Its Sports & Fashion division includes the First Sport chain, the AV (Active Lifestyle) chain, and the company's newest store concept, Pure Women, the company's first attempt to target specifically the women's sportswear and sports fashions category. Its Outdoor division features the company's original store format, Blacks Outdoor, buttressed by the company's acquisition of U.K. outdoor sporting goods leader The Outdoor Group--which included the Millets chain of family-oriented sporting goods stores and the higher-end Air and youth-oriented Free Spirit retail chains. Though it had to cut back on its Wholesaling division, after the sale of the company's Fifa UK license back to Italian parent Fifa International in 2000, Blacks still enjoys

Nixon’s presidency Essay Example for Free

Nixon’s presidency Essay There are three major issues emphasized during the 1969-1974 term of President Richard Nixon: Vietnam, domestic policies, and the infamous Watergate affair. Nixon inherited the Vietnam War from Lyndon Johnson. The war had caused years of turmoil among Americans who believed that America should not even participate in the war in the first place. In an aim to bring peace, he initiated the Vietnamization of the war, centering of the withdrawal of the US troops. For a while, the plan seemed to be working, but the damage had already been done. Back home, America found herself with a dissenting generation. The war had already drained the country’s economy, inflation was high, crimes and civil rights movement were rapidly swelling. Nixon tried to solve this by injecting domestic policies that involved increasing interest rates to curb borrowing and introducing what the president called â€Å"affirmative action programs,† initiatives that hired minorities and women. Some African Americans who were able to finish college benefited from this but majority were still poor and stayed in slums. Furthermore, people blamed the Supreme Court for the rising incidents of crime so Nixon filled the court with conservative justices. However, while this alleviated the bevy of civil rights movement, it did not entirely solve the crimes. What it did was that it ushered an â€Å"us vs. them† sentiment, a battle between Nixon and those who opposed him, people who Nixon thought were countering the American values. During Nixon’s term, the activism was popular-environmental, consumer, and feminist movements were formed. People had become liberalized, more aware of their rights and surroundings. It seemed that Nixon’s gameplan was not working. Nixon’s economic strategy also failed to work. It was not until 1971 when the president started a 90-day freeze on wages, prices and rents that his efforts finally started to pay off; inflation and unemployment had lessened. This improvement, along with having positive foreign relations helped him earned a reelection. But it only ushered the road to Nixon’s downfall. The illegal activities of the Committee to Reelect the President erupted into what became known as the Watergate Scandal which led to the president’s resignation. From a popular man, Nixon placed himself in a world of lies, crimes and deception. His presidency was in shambles. The lesson of the scandal became clear: that there would always be the dangers of uninhibited executive power and opportunities for political abuse. It was and still is something American will forever be cautious of. Maybe just for that, however painful and shameful it sounds, Americans are grateful for Nixon.

Comparison Of The Cold War And Post Cold War

Comparison Of The Cold War And Post Cold War After the end of the Cold War, the United States of America was standing victoriously. Its ideological enemy the Soviet Union had dissolved and thus, the bipolar world order had ended. The post-Cold War world was, for Americans, a unipolar belle à ©poque, in which American hyper-power dominated the global scene economically and strategically.  [1]  Still, this era of American hegemony was complex due to absence of any grand design as pointed out by Bacevich  [2]   one can argue that the end of the Cold War created panic among the United States political institutions that were oriented in dealing specifically with issues rising from the Cold War. When did the post post-Cold period begin and what started it? Is the United States of America still a superstar or is its power declining? Some experts, Nye and Craig among them, predict the rise of multipolar world while some point out that we are already living in multipolar world.  [3]  As the topic points out, the purpose of this paper is to analyze how current post post-Cold War world order in view of the United States differs from post-Cold War period. However, the United States has had very unique experiences and a complex, if not to say controversial, history having regard to this, it is understandable that many aspects dealt with in this essay are intertwined. First and foremost, one has to deal with apparent formation of multilateral world. The main thrusters behind multilateral world that shape international politics in the coming decades are, for example according to Khanna, globalization and the geopolitical competition among three empires for global leadership and allegiance of the second world.  [4]  I agree that globalization triggered by Americans themselves is a very important element. It essentially makes world a smaller place and binds everything. Also, I concur that rise of other nations is another important factor. Khanna however, in my opinion, fails take into account possible balance between forces and continuing United States supremacy. The United States of America is clearly an empire who struggles for leadership, although not in classical sense as correctly pointed by Craig.  [5]  It would be impossible to pursuit global dominance without having imperial characteristics. Indeed, the United States has projected its power over the entire world and advances its own interests. Still, why do we talk about rise of multilateral world? Craig, among other experts, first identifies military and economic aspect of the United States power. Military power of the United States is unparalleled. In the 2009 the U.S. military budget is almost as much as the rest of the worlds defense spending combined. Total defense budged exceeds one trillion dollars.  [6]  This is over nine times larger than its geopolitical competitor Chinas budget. Furthermore, the United States not only spends enormous amounts of money to upkeep and improve its armies, but has also the highest technology level advanced weaponry further increases military power. Expenditures to military, needless to say, help to improve domestic economy and project such power abroad. Besides apparent possession of highly advanced military power, United States, as demonstrated in Iraq, has also will and ability to use it. However, overemphasizing military power and especially the will to wield it  [7]  has been subject to heavy criticism both domestically and internationally. Although, the U.S. has the largest economy in the world, its economy might soon fail to support such level of military expenditure. And as pointed out by Mitchell the United States foreign policy is not sustainable anymore, it has to cut expenses and military tools as a part of foreign policy might be limited as well. In addition, critics like Noam Chomsky point out hazards of military power arms race, possible nuclear war, abuse of power.  [8]  Even realists sharply and publicly criticized the U.S. foreign policy under Bushs administration it has been taken over by expansionists dangerously dismissive to the caution and prudence that were the hallmarks of traditional realism as asserted by late George Kennan.  [9]  I think that military power is seductive as huge military might compel its possessor to use it viewp oint shared by many I believe. As Chomsky put it, probability of use of force is high. Also, there might be other signs of decline lack of ability or will to the U.S. military power as an example can be given of Russia-Georgia War where the U.S. did not help newly born democracy. Nevertheless, military is and most likely will remain vital and useful tool of foreign policy that contributes to the U.S. supremacy. Whether in future there will be decline of hard policy of using force is subject of speculation Obama administration, at least at the moment, is against use of aggressive force in view of Iraq. On the other hand, contrary to military power, economically it is already doubtful that the United States still is hegemony.  [10]  One of major differences between post-Cold War and post post-Cold War era is economical. Many industries have left for overseas as production of goods is much cheaper there. Also, other problems besetting the U.S. economy are mainly overconsumption, low savings, unemployment, current account and budget deficits and reliance on foreign creditors. Moreover, the economic downturn in 2008 swung dollars long-term prospects as the reserve currency of international system  [11]  as well as created several domestic economical problems that required immediate attention and further undermined U.S. economical dominance. Although, the U.S. domestic issues can be solved, debt of the United States and inflation caused by printing money to revive economy and to resolve domestic problems is reaching new heights. In principle, debt can be devalued  [12]  and inflation can be limited when raising interest rates, both of these can be extremely harmful to economy and only implemented with uttermost care as such practices can unbalance delicate economical situation and turn economy to steep fall. Moreover, much of the United States foreign debt is owned by private investors from Asia, but the relationship between China and the United States is unique. Although, China is the biggest owner of U.S.s foreign debt,  [13]  latter is also biggest market (besides Chinas internal market) to Chinas goods meaning that both powers are somewhat dependant on each other. Still, China is a major creditor for the U.S. and as the rising star of Asia has had the fastest-growing major economy for the past 30 years with an average annual GDP growth rate above 10% and is replacing the United States as lead consumer. As even Obama has acknowledged hope that Asia will be future engine of economic growth, it is safe to say that economically the world is already multipolar. Perhaps the most important aspect concerning rise of economical multipolar world order is that economic crisis the world is currently battling furthermore raised questions about success of Americas economic model. Today, rise of alternate models, like Chinas post-communism state capitalism, and support for them creates competition between those models and liberal open-door  [14]  free market capitalism of the United State. Bluntly put, economy of the United States is prone to crises as history as shown and might not be suitable for stable economy. To further arguments in favor for multipolar world order, rise of other powerful States, cultures and multilateral actors must be noted. First of all, integrated Europe in form of European Union is advancing its power already having technology level comparable to the U.S.s. Brazil and India, once considered third world countries, have significantly increased economic production and military power. Former superpower Russia still has stake in the game as DeHart points out.  [15]  Lastly, China already is a regional and economic superpower and unlike Russia, which only speaks about near abroad sphere of influence, China actually has sphere of influence.  [16]   Also, besides emergence of powerful States, different cultures have arisen and provide alternate models to post-Cold War world order. For example, one of these alternate models is fundamental Islam that gains supporters rapidly. Rise of other models and cultures is important as it provides alternatives to order set by the U.S. Respected scholar Samuel Huntington has even argued that in the future, conflicts will be between cultures, not between nations.  [17]  These developments (rise of other powers) are main reasons why American cooperation with traditional allies has become much more important than it was a decade ago. Significant difference between post-Cold War and post post-Cold War period will be changes in international law and reforms in international institutions as well as rise of numerous multilateral actors. As a lawyer, I know that international law is generally well observed as States do not want to be pictured as villains. Still, Iraq war set precedence of waging anticipatory self-defense.  [18]  Iraq war that was supposed to be quick victory for democracy and good against evil oil emperor is winding down. Furthermore, international community and majority of experts of international law consider actions of the United States in Iraq as illegal and not permissible under the United Nations system. This precedent is dangerous as many experts believe and was used by Russians in recent Russia-Georgia War. In view of terrorism as a global threat, it has to be noted that terrorist attack on September 11 helped Bush administration a lot. They found a new enemy (instead of former Soviet Union).  [19]  Due to these attacks, Bush Jr. was able to acquire domestic support to continue Clintons hard policy. However, although this declared war on terrorism helped the post-Cold War U.S. to find new course and is largely funded by the U.S. itself, this war might backfire and in return create terrorism and diminish the U.S. credibility in international arena (as it is being viewed as an aggressor). For example, Chomsky points out that terrorist attacks in Iraq have tripled and many experts have issued alarming reports of rising terrorist threat that is only fueled by war on terror. Although, Noam Chomsky provides harsh and linguistically somewhat forcefully bound criticism on the United States and its foreign policies, he does have many valid points. In essence he claims that the United States is an outlaw, rogue state that creates binding international law norms for other states but excludes itself from these rules.  [20]  In essence, the United States defies the principle of universality. This doctrine is well expressed by Madeline Albright that the United States is the indispensable nation. Chomsky gives a good example of the practices of this doctrine judgment of International Court of Justice was deemed inappropriate as it condemned the U.S. policies and thus was simply ignored. Chomskys ironies are almost inexpressible indeed as he describes that the same western powers who gave Saddam Hussein equipment to develop weapons of mass destruction, invaded Iraq under pretext of stopping development of WMD-s, but while guarding oil fields they allowed pilla ged equipment for developing WMD-s to cross Iraqi border to some unknown destination. In his viewpoint (most likely shared by many Arabs) the real terrorist is the United States of America. Thus, being pictured as a rogue state and an aggressor undermines the U.S. credibility in international arena (among friends and foes alike). As mentioned, new post post-Cold War period most likely changes structure of international organizations, primarily the system of the United Nations.  [21]  Notwithstanding the numerous vetoes the U.S. (and others) has made in Security Council that it deemed inappropriate as well as still the United Nations being locked in 1945, truth is that the system of United Nations is in need for reforms. The rise of soft policy and more diplomatic measures of Obama administration give hope that such reforms might be possible and thus the framework of international law reorganized. Maybe, in post post-Cold War, rules of international law that have formed throughout centuries and were almost shredded within a short period of time (during Bush administration), can be re-strengthened. In my opinion it is necessary as collective security system could prevent new wars. Other possible alternatives to reforms of the United Nations system are briefly described by Nye (and of course other prominent experts) namely benefits and downfalls of world federalism, functionalism, regionalism, ecologism and cyber feudalism.  [22]  Nye concludes that whichever model will be used, in the near future, world will be multilateral. Although, as discussed, international community is changing, the United States consists of vast geographical area and has maintained global vision presence.  [23]  Its embassies are everywhere. That is why it must be noted that whatever the world order might be in the near future, the U.S. has significant impact on it. One might confidently argue that the United States is still a superpower that can, at least to some extent, write the rules of post post-Cold War period. This global presence, mentioned in previous paragraph, of the United States is closely intertwined with global perception of the United States Chomskys second superpower that is global public opinion. The United States of America has been portrayed as benevolent Hegemony. Tools of its foreign policy include soft power financial assistance, loans, international aid and so on. Many foundations, church groups, non-governmental organizations promote democracy, human rights, education and so on. This is the reason why Americans are proud of selves and cannot comprehend why are Americans often hated. On the other hand, global perception and presence has a dark undercurrent that might explain controversial feelings towards Americans. One stream of this undercurrent manifests as a legacy from the war of hearts and minds the Cold War. During that era, the United States supported many brutal regimes and dictators that performed unspeakable atrocities it is understandable that those who experience horrific suffering are not positively inclined towards the U.S. Had U.S. not intervened, maybe democracy would not have survived as pointed out.  [24]  The other stream is reaction towards arrogance and ambitions of the United States. Statement that we are the indispensable nation raises question whether other nations are dispensable? Also, securing key resources of economy, particularly oil, has been main ambition of the United States for a long time. Unfortunately, many of these resources are located within other countries using hard power to acquire these resources has created many conflicts for the United States. For example, in the eyes of Arabs, Americans are not liberators and bringers of light, but aggressors whose arrival is interlocked with arrival of suffering in a manner of speaking, Americans are viewed as harbingers of misfortune. These strong undercurrents play an important role at the moment as global public views, according to Chomsky, Americans negatively and this undermines its ambitions to remain a superpower. Nevertheless, the United States of America is in unique position to alter the course of world. When analyzing different world order in post post-Cold War that started with Obama administration, one has to pay attention to domestic situation of the United States. For a long period of time, instabilities within the United States remained untouched. So to say, Clintons and Bushs administrations utilized an ancient principle governing when you want to divert publics attention from domestic problems, you should go to war heeding that both presidents of the U.S. utilized well. Still, domestic issues remained. Currently, it seems that Obama administration is working hard to resolve some domestic issues, for example by reforming health care system,  [25]  and by redefining others like national security. Nevertheless, most pressing instabilities within domestic system derive from economy subject already discussed above. In addition to these problems, current administration must also ba ttle with legacy of Iraq war and public opinion thereof. Although, Obama was and is against presence of American troops in Iraq, it is quite difficult to remove forces from that area while leaving still infant Iraqi democracy without direct support. To summarize, the United States has some problems domestically, but it is still quite capable and strong to solve them question is how much these issues affects the United States foreign policy. Lastly, after the Cold War, environmental issues have become important. Largely ignored by previous government, President Barack Obama has expressed serious concern about global warming and will be attending climate conference in Copenhagen in beginning of December. This is radical change in the United States foreign policy as Obama administration is the first government of the United States that acknowledges environmental problems.  [26]  As indeed, warning of scientist are alarming, we need to act together to prevent Kaplans coming anarchy  [27]   wars due to scarcity of resources. This change of direction is received well by international community and helps the U.S. to repair its somewhat damaged reputation. Still, does the post post-Cold War era mean the end of United States power its rule of unilateral world has ended? Perhaps, as pointed out by, the most important change will be the limits on American Power as it was not able to help allies like Georgia.  [28]  The world has enjoyed Pax Americana, at least western world, but in multipolar world, is the U.S. able to deal with the challenges posed by economic and financial turmoil, energy scarcity and global climate change? Even though, the U.S. dominance is not what it was after the post-Cold War period and is only great superpower among other lesser superpowers, it has enough power to change the course of the world. Current Obama administration is a new hope for Americans and to citizens of other States alike this was maybe the first global election. The challenge will now be to identify new emerging changes and deal with already known issues. Failure to solve these problems could lead to demise of humankind and fulfillment of predictions of Kaplan and Chomsky. Quoting a famous scientist I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones we cannot afford to fail in this task.

The New Frontier Essay -- null

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was one of the most famous and influential presidents in the history of the United States. During his presidency, he attempted to make several reforms, supported by his â€Å"New Frontier† legislature. The goals of the New Frontier were to improve school funding, civil rights, and foreign policy. The New Frontier was to make the American population feel as if no frontier was impossible to achieve, including the controversial final frontier of space. Despite the fact that many of his acts and bills were not passed or supported by Congress, the New Frontier was what led to many of the greatest advancements which helped shape America today. The date was January 20, 1961 when Kennedy first mentioned the New Frontier (Nelson 622). He used it as part of his presidential acceptance speech, along with his natural charisma, to pull in support for his highly progressive approach. The term â€Å"New Frontier† itself was something Kennedy created on his own, a term he believed represented the generation of those willing to make change in their country (O’Donnell 224). The New Frontier, an expansion of the New Deal, urged Americans not to ask how can their country contribute more, but rather how they can contribute to the country. The New Frontier did not promise Americans happier lives instantly, it promised gradual change which could only happen if the people of the United States were willing to accept it. (O’Donnell 224). Though there were many who would not accept it, this included a majority of congress, which was very often split on decisions, but this was mostly due to partisanship, a tendency to agre e with one’s political party at all times (Sorenson 342). A major change that came with the New Frontier was the P... ...8). Kennedy would find it difficult to appeal to both the American public and Congress, a problem that would persist throughout his entire presidency. Despite the numerous flaws in Kennedy’s presidency, it can very easily be looked at as a major success. Kennedy remained confident throughout his entire term believing that change can still occur. Though sadly, it would not be until his assassination in 1963, that people would finally begin to understand what his goals were. People no longer felt ashamed of his failures but felt gratitude for his successes, through the advancements in space technology to the civil rights acts, as well as the Peace Corps. He left behind a legacy that could not be forgotten, and an influence that continues to affect people today. Kennedy and his New Frontier changed more than just a nation, he changed the way people today think.

Hip Hop and Rap Music Essay -- Music Research Paper Rap Hip Hop Essays

Hip Hop and Rap Music Introduction Every so often a new style of music emerges that takes America by storm and comes to represent the generation that grows up with it. In the 50's it was rock'n'roll, followed by the Motown sound of the 60's. The 1970's brought folk music and disco, and in the 80's it was rap. Perhaps no other form of music has crossed as many boundaries and become a bridge between America's many cultures as rap has. Let's face it, if you listen to any current or some old rap/hip hop CDs in America there is always an intro which paves the way for the rest of the songs and gives you a taste of what the CD is going to be like. I am going to try to do that here, just like any rap CD. Although some might not know it, there is a difference between rap and hip-hop. Rap got started first and eventually hip-hop branched off of it. Rap music is more rhyming with more vulgar words with more raw beats, some examples of rap could be Dr. Dre, Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep, Ice Cube, DMX, Wu-Tang Clan, Eminem, and Nas. Hip-Hop is more popular with not as much vulgarity and more up beat dance beats, some examples of hip-hop could be Nelly, Ja Rule, Outkast, P Diddy, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, and Ludacris. Hip-hop is a term that is defined as the backing music for rapping, which is composed of a collage of excerpts or "samples from other songs" (Glaser). The culture of rap is commonly made up of graffiti spraying, break dancing, and turntables. Hip-hop and Rap represent the culture of African Americans and Caribbean history, identity, and community. Rap evolved from African people in general and blacks born in the U.S. in particular. The origins of rap can be traced to West Africa where tribesmen held "men of words" in high... ...ir clothing lines http://www.etonline.com/celebrity/a2256.htm From the Ghetto †¦.. To the Runway http://rap.about.com/library/weekly/aa052501a.htm Hip Hop Meets Fashion http://www.citypaper.net/articles/111199/ae.pik.hiphop.shtml TMD 402G The Future of Fashion http://www.uri.edu/hss/tmd/tmd402G/sem.sum/subculturey.htm Urban Clothing Changes from East to West http://urbanclothing.netfirms.com/snoop_dogg_clothing.htm Teachout, Terry, National Review, Bad Rap February 22, 1999, Vol. 51, issue 3 Speerse Chris, Hip-Hop: Its Roots and Its Future March 30 2003, www.geop.itu.edu.tr/~onur/hiphop/rap_hh.html Hooks, Bell. 1993.Seduced By Violence no More In Transforming a rape culture Minnedapolis: Milkweed Editions American Academy of pediatrics, Impact of Music Lyrics and Music Videos on Children and Youth. April 1, 2003. www.aap.org/policy/01219.html

Abraham & Isaac Essay

In this classical piece of art, there is a connection with the biblical story of Abraham abiding to God’s command. Abraham is commanded to sacrifice his one and only son. â€Å"Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt-offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.† (Genesis 22:1-2) And so the picture depicts the last moments of Abraham and his son, where Abraham is about to make the greatest sacrifice; therefore, God sends down an Angel to stop him and bless him afterwards for showing great faith. â€Å"Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore†¦ said the Lord† (Genesis 22:15) See more: Recruitment and selection process essay By analyzing the painting, we can distinguish the characters and determine the setting, harmonizing with the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac. First, there are three important characters in the painting that are drawn in great detail. The first character we can identify is Abraham who is in the center of the picture, where all the action is happening. We can tell that Abraham is the one who is holding the knife in his dominant hand ready to make sacrifice, with Isaac on the table. The main character Abraham, is wearing bright colors of red and purple, known to be royal colors and revered. Abraham is also clothed fully from top to bottom showing little skin. The Angel in the background is wearing a bright white garment clothed from top to bottom. We can tell that the Angel is advising Abraham because Abraham’s attention is towards this Angel. We know this is an angel who came down from heaven because of the white wings on its back and how it is levitating from the ground. And know that Isaac is on the table because of how young he looks and little he is clothed. I also identified how innocent they are by observing the skin tone in each character. Abraham is the darkest because of his life experience and coming of old age, the Angel has a mild tone after Abraham, and then there is Isaac who is palest of them all. I also interpreted their level of maturity by the color of their hair. Abraham being the oldest having white hair, the Angel having mild brown hair, and Isaac being the youngest with healthy dark, black hair. Looking at the position of the characters we can also depict the hierarchy levels in each character. Angel remains on the highest ground, then Abraham, and then Isaac. I find it particularly interesting to find the lamb being on higher grounds than Isaac, this could be to show the importance of this animal that is chosen to be sacrificed for God. Before Abraham is to make his sacrifice, he kneels before the wooden altar staying close to his son. We can pick up senses that the father has a loving relationship for his son. There are also emotions in these characters. Abraham exhibits sadness and worry in his facial expression. Isaac has a helpless, sad expression, where he knows his end will come by his own father’s hands. What I find amusing the most is that in this painting, Isaac may have knew he was going to be the sacrificial lamb. I believe Isaac knew from the point when he asked his father where the lamb for burnt-offering was. I conclude that he knew of this because the way he is tied up. Isaac is not tied up by the feet, nor is his hands tied to the table. If Isaac really wanted to run away he could’ve easily done so. Instead Isaac accepted the fact that he was going to be sacrificed and so he did not struggle. Next, the scenery helps us identify the setting of the biblical account on Abraham sacrificing Isaac. The picture background clearly identifies that the sacrificing takes place in a mountain. In the background there is large land below their elevation noting how high this is taking place. With the details in the picture we can tell that the setting took place in a dark shady area. This picture also exhibits the time of season, around the time of fall because there are missing leaves on the branches. On the right bottom corner there is moss growing on rocks, and moss only grows in moist and shady areas. With the details of the moss and dark colors we can get a sense of dark atmosphere of something is not right in the picture. The location of the sun and the angle of the shadow on the land below do not correspond with each other. The area where it’s brightest above the Angel’s finger can actually represent God or the Heavens above. The sun should be more towards our left in front of the characters where the light shines on the tree and the characters. Also the branches and the angle of this painting show that it is pointing to the West. I can only conclude that the reason to pointing to the West has to do something with the sun rising in the West and setting in the East. Even the Angel and the lamb are looking to the West while Abraham and Isaac is the only one in the picture looking to the East. In conclusion, I can speculate from the details in the painting that it interprets the biblical text of the Lord testing Abraham to sacrifice his own son. This painting exhibits a theme of fear. Abraham fears the Lord and so he chooses to pursue God’s command by free will. Isaac displays fear in his facial expression but does not struggle for his life.

Infectious Disease

* What is the infectious agent (pathogen) that causes this infectious disease? For example, the name of the bacteria, virus, or parasite. Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that comes from the Hepatitis A virus (HAV). There isn’t a treatment for the disease once you get it. How is this infectious agent transmitted through food or water? Hepatitis A is contracted from eating food and drinking water contaminated with human feces. Eating raw and undercooked fish that was in contaminated waters contribute to the disease. Sometimes eating raw produce that have been contaminated can also cause the illness. Foods that have been sitting out in the air and have had bacteria growth on it and eaten also contribute to the disease. * What is an example of a real life outbreak of this foodborne illness in the United States? * What are the clinical symptoms, duration of the disease, and treatment if any? During Hepatitis A some symptoms of the disease are fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, clay colored bowel movements and joint pain. In 70% of the cases Jaudice is the most common symptom. Symptoms can last up to 2 months. The average time of incubation is 28 days. Once contracted, there is no treatment. The individual has the illness to run its course. * What steps can be taken to prevent further outbreaks? Include individual as well as environmental precautions and methods. To prevent further outbreaks, people should have good hygiene including wash their hands often especially when they deal with food preparation. There has also been a vaccination created for Hepatitis A that is given to children between their first and second birthday. Others that should get vaccinated are men having sex with men, people traveling to Central and Southern America, Mexico, Asia (except Japan), Africa and eastern Europe and people that use street drugs. Once you are immune to Hepatitis A you can’t get it again. To prevent the spread of Hepatitis A in water, chlorine is added to the water in US.

Pinnacle case study part ii Essay

The company is privately held, but there is a large amount of debt, so the financial statement -may be used extensively. Also, management is considering selling the Machine-Tech division, which has the potential to result in extensive use of the statement by buyers. 2. Item 6 in the planning phase indicates plans for additional debt financing. Likelihood of financing difficulties: 1. The solar power engine business revolves around changing technology, therefore making it inherently more risky than other business, with a better chance of bankruptcy. The first item in the planning issues raises a concern about the viability of the division, but not the entire company. 2. Part 1 of the case was that the likelihood of financial failure is low, even with the issues of the company. 3. Item 9 in the planning phase requires a current ratio of 2.0 and if fall below that, this could result in the loan being called. Management integrity: No major issues exist that would cause the auditor to question the integrity of the management. However, auditor should have done client acceptance procedure before accepting the client. There are a few factors in which fraudulent financing reporting may occur. b. Acceptable audit risk is medium to low because of the factors listed in part (a) and the planned increase in financing and the potential violation of the debt covenant agreement. This might be low because this is the first year audit. c. 1. Inherent Risk: No effect on inherent risk 2. Inherent Risk: The primary concern is the possibility of obsolete inventory, which affects the valuation of inventory at the lower of cost or market. Account Affected: Inventory, cost of goods sold Audit Objectives: Transaction-related 3. Inherent Risk: There is potential related party transaction, which could  affect the valuation of the transaction, which could affect the valuation of the transaction and may require disclosure as a related party transaction. Account affected: Manufacturing equipment, footnote Audit objectives: Transaction-related, presentation and disclosure-related 4. Inherent Risk: This involves a nonroutine transaction where there is a risk that materials, labor, and overhead are incorrectly applied to the property accounts. Account affected: Property accounts, inventory, cost of good sold Audit objectives: balance-related 5. Inherent Risk: There may be a major collection problem with outstanding receivables of 15% from a customer for several months. This could result in an understatement of the allowance for uncollectible accounts. Account affected: Account receivable, bad debt expense, and allowance for uncollectible accounts. Audit objectives: balance-related 6. Inherent Risk: No effect on inherent risk 7. Inherent Risk: There may be a related party transaction, which could affect valuation of the transaction and may require disclosure. Account affected: Account payable, Repairs expense Audit objectives: Transaction-related 8. Inherent Risk: This does not affect inherent risk directly, but it is possible that the turnover of internal audit personnel could increase the risk of fraudulent financial reporting. The turnover may also affect the auditor’s assessment of control risk. Account affected: All accounts Audit objectives: transaction, balance, presentation and disclosure-related 9. Inherent Risk: In addition to affecting AAR, the auditor should be concerned about the risk of fraudulent financial reporting due to incentive to make certain that all debt covenants have been met. Account affected: All accounts Audit objectives: transaction, balance, presentation and disclosure-related 10. Inherent Risk: An ongoing dispute with the IRS might require adjustment to income tax liability or a disclosure in footnotes for a contingency, depending on the status of the dispute. Account affected: Income tax expense and income tax payable Audit objectives: balance-related 11. Inherent risk: This situation involves related party transaction because this transaction was not conducted with an outside party. It is possible that the related receivable and payable might not have been properly eliminated on Pinnacle’s consolidated financial statements. Account affected: Notes payable, notes receivable, interest expense, and interest income. Audit objectives: Transaction and balance-related

Papoer

The Impact of Music on Language & Early Literacy: A Research Summary In Support of Kindermusik’s ABC Music & Me The Impact of Music on Language & Early Literacy: A Research Summary In Support of Kindermusik’s ABC Music & Me Introduction Early childhood classroom teachers believe in the power of music to engage children. What scientifically based research supports the use of music and musical instruction to build early literacy skills?This research summary answers that question, providing support to educators who wish to integrate music and musical instruction into their early language and literacy programs in schools. This research summary reviews high-quality experimental studies conducted in classrooms with young children receiving music education, plus relevant brain research that focuses on the impact of musical instruction on the brain.The impact of music and musical instruction on early language and literacy development for young children is examined in the follow ing areas: †¢ ReadingComprehensionandVerbalMemory †¢ ListeningSkills †¢ Vocabulary,includingforEnglishLanguageLearners †¢ PhonologicalandPhonemicAwareness †¢ WritingandPrintAwareness †¢ ImpactonChildrenwithDisabilities †¢ FamilyInvolvement The research summarized below provides strong support for including music and musical instruction in the earlychildhoodclassroom.Importantly,thisrecommendationismadenotjustforthevalueofthemusical experience itself, but also because of the impact music and musical instruction can have on young children’s development of language and early literacy. Music Instruction & Reading Scores Linked Readingcomprehensionisseenasâ€Å"theessenceofreading†(Durkin,1993)andthedesiredoutcomeof reading instruction, including the focus of assessment on standardized reading tests starting in third grade.Comprehensionisdefinedasâ€Å"intentionalthinkingduringwhichmeaningisconstructedthroughinteractions betweentextandrea der†(Harris&Hodges,1995). Anumberofresearchstudieshavefoundthatchildrenwhoparticipateinmusicinstructiontendtoscorehigher on tests of reading comprehension than children who do not participate in musical instruction. †¢ Ameta-analysisof25correlationalstudies,someinvolvingsamplesizesofover500,000students, foundaâ€Å"strongandreliableassociation†betweenmusicinstructionandscoresontestsofreading comprehension(Butzlaff,2000). Astudyof4,739elementaryandmiddleschoolstudentsinfourregionsoftheUnitedStatesrevealed astrongrelationshipbetweenelementary(third-orfourth-grade)students’academicachievementas measuredbytestscoresandtheirparticipationinhigh-qualitymusicprograms(Johnson&Memmott, 2006). While these studies are appealing, one cannot conclude from correlational studies alone that the music instruction was the cause of the gains in reading scores. To answer that question, we turn to the experimental studies that involved pre- and post-testing of young children rece iving classroom music education.Theauthorsofaclassicstudy(Hurwitzetal,1975)askedwhethermusictrainingimprovedreading performance in first grade children. The experimental group received musical instruction including listening to folk songs with an emphasis the listening for melodic and rhythmic elements. The control group consisted ofchildrenwhowerematchedinage,IQ,andsocioeconomicstatusandwhoreceivednospecialtreatment. Aftertraining,themusicgroupexhibitedsignificantlyhigherreadingscoresthandidthecontrolgroup,scoring inthe88thpercentileversusthe72ndpercentile.Moreover,continuedmusicaltrainingwasbeneficial;afteran additional year of musical training, the experimental group’s reading comprehension scores were still superior to the control group’s scores. These findings provide initial support for the view that musicinstructionfacilitatestheabilitytoread. More recent research focuses on the specific impact of music instruction on the subprocesses involved in successful read ing. Researchersbelievethatmusicinstruction impacts a student’s brain functioning in processing language, which in turn impacts reading subprocesses like phonemic awareness and vocabulary.These subprocesses ultimately impact a student’s ability to read with comprehension. Music Instruction Improves Verbal Memory Research Into Practice: ABC Music & Me Kindermusik’sABCMusic&Mehelpsteachers engage young children in language- and literacy-rich musical activities that include playful instruction in foundational music skills andinstrumentexploration. Researchsuggests that engaging young children in these types of musical activities are correlated with later success in reading comprehension.Anotherwayinwhichmusicinstructionmaypositivelyimpactreadingabilityisthroughincreasedverbal memory. The findings linking music training to verbal memory are important because verbal memory is essentialforreadingprintedwordswithcomprehension. Asreadingprogressestosentencesandtextsof g reater lengths, verbal memory allows a child to retain material in memory as it is being read so that syntactic andsemanticanalysesnecessarytocomprehensioncanbeperformed.Verbalmemoryisessentialforall childrenlearningtoread(Brady,1991;StoneandBrady,1995),andpoorperformanceinverbalmemoryhas beenassociatedwithreadingdisabilitiesforyoungchildren(AckermanandDykman,1993;Cornwall,1992; Scarborough,1998). Recentbrainandpsychologicalresearchshowsthatmusicinstructioncanhaveapositiveimpactonverbal memory. †¢ Astudyofninety6-to15-year-oldboysfoundthatthosewithmusictraininghadsignificantlybetter verbal learning and retention abilities. The longer the duration of the music training, the better the verbalmemory(Ho,Cheung,&Chan,2003).Afollow-upstudyconcludedthattheeffectwascausal. The authors suggest that the cause of the increase in verbal memory was neuroanatomical changes in the brains of children who were playing music. †¢ Anotherstudyfoundthatlearningtoplaya musical instrument enhanc es the brain’s ability Research Into Practice: ABC Music & Me torememberwords. â€Å"Adultswithmusictraining ABCMusic&Meengageschildreninactive in their childhood demonstrate better verbal music-making with a variety of musical memory,†accordingtostudyauthorChan. instruments both in the classroom and at Thisbrainresearchwith60adultsshowedthat home.Researchsuggeststhatthisearly musicians have enlarged left cranial temporal experience may improve children’s verbal regions of the brain, which is the area involved in memory, an important factor in successful processingheardinformation. Asaresult,people text comprehension for later stages of reading withmusictrainingcouldremember17%more development. verbal information than those without music training(Chanetal,1998). Music Helps Build Listening Skills â€Å"Learningtolistenisaprerequisitetolisteningtolearn,†stressesresearcherMayesky(1986).Listeningisthe first language mode that children acquire, and it provide s a foundation for all aspects of language and reading development. Listeningisaverylargepartofschoollearning,withstudentsspendinganestimated50to75 percentofclassroomtimelisteningtotheteacher,tootherstudents,ortomedia(Smith,1992). Despitethefrequencyoflisteningactivityinclassrooms,listeningskillsarenotfrequentlytaughtexplicitly (Hyslop&Tone,1988;Newton,1990). â€Å"Mostteachersteach,assumingthatbecausetheyaretalking,their studentsarelistening†(Swanson,1996).Asaresult,manychildrendonotacquirethelisteningskillsnecessary to acquire new knowledge and information. Too often listening is thought to be a natural skill that develops automatically, but in fact developing good listeningskillsrequiresexplicitinstruction. â€Å"Ifweexpectchildrentobecomegoodlisteners,†¦weneed to teach them to become activelisteners†(Jalongo, 1995). Directinstructioninlisteningskillsshouldinclude â€Å"lessonsdesignedtospecificallyteachandmodelthe skillsnecessaryforactivelistening†(Math eson,Moon &Winiecki,2000). Anexperimentalstudywithyoung English language earners showed that focused listening instruction can benefit listening comprehension for childrenlearningasecondlanguage(Goh&Taib,2006). Musicalactivitiesarecitedbyresearchersaseffective experiences for building listening skills in the classroom (Hirt-Mannheimer,1995;Wolf,1992),forbothmainstream classrooms and classrooms with children who have disabilities. (Humpal&Wolf,2003). Research Into Practice: ABC Music & Me EachunitofABCMusic&Megiveschildren not only the opportunity to listen actively to music, but also includes focused listening activities using music, non-musical sounds, andlanguage.Classroomroutineshelp teachers focus children’s attention on listening todirections. Read-aloudstoriesandsongs give children opportunities to practice listening to extended discourse. Recentbrainresearch(Flohretal,1996)showsthatmusictrainingchangesandimprovesbrainfunctioning relatedtolistening. Anexperimentalstudyw ithchildrenages4to6providedmusictrainingfor25minutesfor 7weeks,andthenmeasuredbrainactivity. ThosechildrenwhohadreceivedmusicaltrainingproducedEEG frequencies associated with increased cognitive processing and greater relaxation.Music Can Build Vocabulary, including for English Language Learners Manyeducationalresearcherspromotemusicasawayto enhance vocabulary acquisition and comprehension, and emphasize music’s ability to engage children in instruction (Fountas&Pinnell,1999;Miller&Coen,1994;Page,1995; Smith,2000;Wiggins,2007). Accordingtoeducationalresearchers,thereissubstantial evidence that children acquire vocabulary incidentally byreadingandlisteningtooralstories(Krashen,1989). Duringthepreschoolyearsbeforechildrencanread, children rely exclusively on the oral language they listen to in order to acquire

Life as a Master Cosmetologist Essay

What is a master cosmetologist? A master cosmetologist is an individual that has knowledge and skills in the field of cosmetology through advanced education. Cosmetology is defined as the art and science of beautifying and improving skin, hair, and nails. (Houghton Mifflin, 2009) In order to obtain the title master cosmetologist certain requirements must be met. A master cosmetologist may provide beauty services, massages and scalp treatments, apply make- up, style wigs, perform some hair removal and provide nail and skin care services. Life as a Master Cosmetologist A master cosmetologist has several advantages. One advantage from working as a master cosmetologist is the option to work on skin, hair, or nails. Many choose to work in a specific field after they are licensed. Job titles reported for a master cosmetologist are; hair stylist, hairstylist, hair dresser, hairdresser, barber stylist, manager stylist, platform artist, celebrity stylist, make-up artist and nail technician. A state issued license is required to practice cosmetology, although educational requirements to receive such license vary depending on state. Georgia State Board of Cosmetology first requires an individual to receive 1500 credit hours from an accredited cosmetology school. Coursework is taught by licensed professional instructors and consist of lectures and labs covering bacteriology, sterilization, customer service and business. † (Master cosmetologist, 2011) Additional coursework includes anatomy, physiology and chemistry. Secondly, the individual must submit an application to state board for an examination date. You must past a written and practical exam with a score of 70 or above. Following, an application for initial licensure along with a money order must be submitted. The fees vary by state between $30 and $50. A Master Cosmetologist License should be renewed every two years before March 31. Some states may allow a license holder to apply for reciprocity in another state. Reciprocity may be extended to licensees from other states or countries that have similar training and licensing requirements. The state of Georgia does not reciprocate with Florida, Hawaii, New York or California. There is an endless list of job descriptions associated with a master cosmetologist. A job description is defined as a document that outlines all duties and responsibilities of a particular position in a salon. The following entries are examples of such job descriptions. *Develop new styles and techniques. *Demonstrate and sell hair care products and cosmetics. *Operate cash registers to receive payments from patrons. *Shampoo, rinse, and condition scalp, hair or hairpieces. *Update and maintain customer information records, such as beauty services provided. *Bleach, color or tint hair using temporary, demi-permanent, semi-permanent, or permanent hair color. * Schedule client appointments. *Analyze patrons’ hair and other physical features to determine and recommend beauty treatments or suggest hairstyles. Cut, trim, and shape hair or hairpieces based on customers’ instructions, hair type and facial features. *Keep work stations clean and sanitize all tools, implements, and equipment. The skills of a master cosmetologist are limitless. Providing personal assistance, emotional support, and other personal care has proven to be the most valuable. Others include but are not limite d to; performing for or working directly with the public, thinking creatively, updating and using relevant knowledge, active listening, time management, judgment and decision making, critical thinking and management of financial resources. Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react the way they do is an important skill known as social perceptiveness. (E-Best resumes, 2011) Employment Most employers require a person to have a high school diploma or GED and cosmetology license. â€Å"Candidates must have a professional presentation and strong customer service skills. † (Cosmetologist career profile, 2011) Employers may ask that a salon stylist also provide an employment portfolio and resume. A portfolio is a collection of photos and documents that reflect your skills, accomplishments, and abilities in your field. A resume can be described as a written summary of a person’s education and work experience. By law, a master cosmetologist must display his or her credentials at his or her station, and clients may ask to see a license in areas where the license need not be displayed by law. A lengthy career in cosmetology may cause physical damages to the body. These damages would be considered disadvantages of working as a master cosmetologist. One disadvantage would be carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the median nerve- the nerve in the wrist that supplies feeling and movement to parts of the hand. It can lead to numbness, tingling, weakness or muscle damage in the hands or fingers. Varicose veins are swollen twisted and sometimes painful veins that have filled with an abnormal collection of blood and would be considered another disadvantage of this profession. Moreover, lower back pain is triggered by a combination of overuse, muscle strain, and injury to the muscles, ligaments, bones and discs, making the back more prone to injury and re-injury. Low back pain can lead to overall imbalance in the spinal structure. Occupational Outlook The market seems favorable in years to come for cosmetologists. Cosmetology could be one of the few recession proof careers; things would have to get pretty bad for most people to prompt taking haircuts and hairstyling out of their budgets. â€Å"In fact, as stress and anxiety about the economy rise, so does business at salons, where clients can find relaxation and relief in the midst of the turmoil. †(Cosmetology career trends, 2011) According to SimplyHired. com, as of 2010, the average salary for a master cosmetologist is $31,000 per year. Income may vary due to customers’ tipping habits, services provided, experience of the cosmetologist, and whether he or she works on commission. The demand for cosmetologist is expected to grow by 20% between 2008 and 2018. Opportunities should remain plentiful, especially for new graduates seeking entry-level positions. Finally, to be successful you must take ownership of your education. Not surprisingly, employment will be greater for those with professional experience and those licensed to provide a broad range of services. A demand for specialized hair services has increased in recent years. This trend will continue, leading to a favorable occupational outlook for cosmetologists.

Critique of a Postmodern Philosophy on Thomas Kuhn Essay

Critique of a Postmodern Philosophy on Thomas Kuhn - Essay Example He later taught at the University of California and it was during his tenure in the same capacity that he published his book "The Structure of Science Revolution", which soon became the jewel in his crown. More than a million copies of Thomas Kuhns book have been published in a wide variety of languages. His books are regarderded as nothing less than sacred by students of scientific history and knowledge(The Tech - Online Edition, 1996). Before we begin on the very philosophy that his books contained and later became the purpose of his life as well as his identity, it is important to note here that Kuhn was a staunch believer that the science of current day holds more potential within it than it chooses to realize. The controversy raised by Kuhn was his opinion that if the currently available knowledge is the judge of what we desire, we can hardly expect to achieve anything except for what we had in mind when we set out to achieve it. In other words, inferences can be made and new techniques can be derived from old ones, but the expectation to come across new discoveries will come to no consequence in such situations. Rather Thomas Kuhn argued that if the frame of reference is based on the currently available knowledge, the unless the thinking process is set outside of the current frame, no new advancements can be made except for the ones we already have in front of us when we set out to achieve them. In other words, man sets out to prove only what he already knows and does not add anything to his knowledge but rather continues to dwell in the frame of mind he has built for himself using the knowledge he already possesses. The Paradigm Shift Concept in Kuhn's terms The Paradigm, in the terms of Thomas Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions", refers to the frame of thought that the scientists of today choose to adopt and the slowly evolving process that comprises of inventions and discoveries as the need for these developments arises. This process continues until a need arises that is not satisfied by any of the present knowledge that science has accumulated, and a new school of thought has to be established altogether to replace the old one if the need has to be met. It is important to note here that before Kuhn, science was considered to be a very generally evolving process and any discoveries and inventions were considered nothing else than an addition in the reservoir of knowledge that science had accumulated to that point. Kuhn however was of the opinion that science does not simply move on but from time to time, undergoes episodic transformations. These episodic transformations do not merely add to the accumulated knowledge but serve to change the very lens through which the science of that time frame is viewed. A real life example of Kuhn's philosophy in play An example of this fact can be seen in how mans knowledge of the world within which he lives evolved over time. For a period of time, man considered the world to be flat and that the earth was the center of our solar system. After having lived for centuries with this belief, man finally realized that

Technology and Management Functions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Technology and Management Functions - Essay Example It has boosted productivity by enabling employees to access the tools they need to carry out their functions from nearly any location; and to learn about developments with the company's products and services tight from their desktops. Technology has transformed administrative tasks for which employees used to rely on others into routine self service operations that take only a fraction of the time. It has also facilitated a convergence and coordination of business data systems from disparate areas that has given rise to new possibilities for customer facing services. Finally, it has freed employees from the tether of an office and enabled them to access virtually all of their productivity tools from anywhere they happen to be. On the other hand, the company's conversion of its business systems from PeopleSoft to SAP has not gone smoothly. SAP implementation has been plagued with difficulties that have resulted in tremendous frustration both internally and externally. This adoption of new technology, which was designed to improve business over the long run, has - in the short run -made it difficult to facilitate many types of customer transactions. This situation illustrates that technology has the potential to put up obstacles as well as knock them down. Product Development The first area in which technology has improved business at Lexis Publishing is product development. Technology has transformed the essence of the company's product offering from print to online media. Online delivery has enabled users of the information to more quickly and precisely access what they need. It also opens up countless possibilities for product development, through searching and user interface enhancements. In fact, the company has a new release of its online search engine every month that features numerous usability and content improvements and enhancements. Productivity Employee productivity is one of the most important concerns when it comes to business improvement. Technology has enabled companies to grow productivity tremendously by equipping employees with portable office capabilities and self service administrative functioning. This has improved employee relations by striking a balance between squeezing more productivity out of employees and allowing them greater mobility and freedom than they previously had. As David Parlby, workforce solutions lead partner at KPMG asserts, there are two key ways technology has been leveraged by management to facilitate improved relations via employers and employees. "First, connectivity - allowing employees to gain access to corporate data and to connect with their colleagues, customers, suppliers and partners wherever they are. And secondly through well- designed applications, allowing employees to carry out administrative tasks and business processes themselves, without the intervention of administrative st aff" (Wylie, 2002, para. 6). At Lexis Publishing, this has been accomplished by equipping all employees with wireless-ready laptop computers and Blackberries, setting up intranet tools that make reporting easier and quicker, and electronically disseminating career and professional development information and job postings. Webex meetings and eLearning tools have become commonplace. Today, employees increasingly have the freedom to work from

Key themes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Key themes - Assignment Example Descriptive moral relativism provides that there are deep and widespread moral differences across different societies and these differences are weightier than the agreements that exist. Meta-ethical relativism on the other hand, provides that the falsity or the truth of moral judgments or their justifications are not universal but relative to the convictions, practices and traditions of a group. Normative moral relativism maintains that meta-ethical, moral realism suggests that we ought to tolerate the behavior of others, even where such behavior contradicts our cultural or personal standards.2 Arguments for moral relativism include the diversity argument which provides that there is a great diversity in the notions of what is moral and what is immoral and each view on morality is correct. The humility argument provides that an individual is in no position to tell others that their moral beliefs are false and everyone’s moral beliefs are true. People also accept moral relativism in order to tolerate and respect differing opinions on right and wrong. Problems of moral relativism include inconsistencies on what is right and wrong and the unacceptable consequences of the different views on what is moral and what is

Contemporary Investigation Case Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Contemporary Investigation Case Review - Essay Example The purpose of administrator is to advise the creditors on viable solutions like ending the administration and returning the companies control to board of directors, converting the administration into a creditors voluntary liquidation or have the company enter into Deed of Company Arrangement (â€Å"DOCA†) under Sec. 439C whereas the purpose of appointing the liquidator is wind up the affairs of the company by gathering its assets and distributing it to creditors and others whom the companies owe in any form resulting in deregistration of the company. (Marshall, 2006)1 Administrator is conferred with powers to exercise which were earlier exercised by the previous officers of the corporation whereas the liquidator is appointed through court with legal powers to officially or voluntarily winding up the company. (Tomasic,2 et.al. 2002,pp 743 & Marshal,3 2006) In regard to relation with forensic accountant, the administrator will be the in charge of the company and will required the forensic accountant to provide his expert opinion by determining the economic damages incurred till now whereas the liquidator will be performing the obligation of liquidation on the report of forensic accountant. Forensic accounting investigators is determined by the scope of work while find answers to the involvement, coconspirators, impact on financial statement, cause for deed, and ways to overcome the situation. The investigators should bear in mind that they are only to detect the fraud and put the facts on paper and submit the same to the in-charge officer. (Golden et.al. 2006, pp. 524)4 In order the investigate the company details regarding whether any fraudulent activity is performed and resulted in bankruptcy, a detailed and scientific plan is prepared for the purpose of investigation. Wolf Transport has history of around 26 years and therefore it is necessary to record each and

Enterprise Resource Planning (EPR) application assignment

Enterprise Resource Planning (EPR) application - Assignment Example The fascinating feature of an ERP system is that it will support a variety of hardware and network configurations by employing a database for effectively accessing information. This paper will analyze what an ERP system does and how such a system can help an organization to become more profitable. Since an ERP system can have a great influence on automating every business process, it can be effectively applied to accomplish a variety of business tasks. According to Adolphs and Schubert (2008), ERP system works on the basis of ‘input-process-output’ rules and, hence, it can also be used as management information system. Since information has become an ingredient part of management operations, ERP systems specifically focus on the information needs of different organizational sectors. The ERP software system provides timely, accurate, and most relevant information to different departments of the organization, using a single software system. This system keeps information updated so as to assist managements to effectively deal with decision making. Rothlin (2010) says that the filtering facility of an ERP system timely provides the organization with answers for various queries (p.204). Modern ERP systems are capable of providing improved facilities for the company to manage its export, import, and tax activities and to fulfill other legal requirements. ERP software supports computer aided designs; therefore, it is assistable for the company to demonstrate products designs on real time according to customer requirements. This system also facilitates all financial services and it complies with international accounting standards. Moreover, an ERP system has the ability to effectively meet the needs of government, healthcare, retail, and other service sectors. Sales forecasting is another attractive feature of ERP software applications since this process assists firms to optimize their inventory levels. According

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

Forecasting - Essay Example Forecasting is therefore a complex business in the company, which effectively has more than one personality. Seasonal forecasting is less significant and used at Daimler Chrysler than for example in the energy industry, in which the seasons make for dramatic and cyclical shifts in demand. It is not as though automobile sales do not peak at certain times of the year, but our regression models are able to take care of these models. We can also use moving annual totals for monthly future projections, rather than a calendar method, to ensure that we account for relatively minor seasonal fluctuations in demand. Seasonal forecasting has some applications for our finance business. Customers of the Daimler Chrysler Bank may have seasonal fluctuations in demand for their products and services. The financial services wing of the company has to evaluate the validity of revenue forecasts in applications for loans in such cases. There are also some key materials that we use in production, which experience seasonal fluctuations in pricing and availability. Energy is an example for plants in the northern hemisphere. Leather, though relatively small in total cost, is another example, the purchase and production support services functions of the company have to keep seasonal forecasting methods in mind, when planning for supplies at optimal prices and in time. Delphi Delphi is a key component of forecasting methodology in the automobile business. Product demand is significantly affected by cultural and geo-political matters, which lie outside the domain of expertise of a car and truck maker. The company has long gestation periods for developing new products. Hence, there is an important and frequent need to use third-party consultant from diverse fields to understand future automobile needs in various parts of the world. Daimler Chrysler has also to use Delphi as it spreads its wings to new territories. Russia, China and India are amongst the new markets with high growth potential for automobile sales, but which have driving, traffic and customer needs very different from the traditional strong holds of Western Europe and the United States. Relevant trend data are lacking for these key opportunities, and Delphi provides important learning inputs for entry and consolidation strategies for such markets. The Delphi technique has a number of drawbacks (Evans, 2002, p 366). The kind of experts selected for the study affect the outcome, and there is inevitable subjectivity in their forecasts. Most of them are highly biased and may take extreme positions to suit their private agendas. The questionnaires we deploy during the interviews are a bit vague, and the responses are therefore not universally comparable. There is no valid measure of error as with regression models. Nevertheless, this method is the best when we need ideas about the distant future and how customer choices and competitive technologies are likely to change. Daimler Chrysler cannot do without Delphi, its weaknesses notwithstanding, because innovation lies at the heart of our competitive position (Daimler-Chrysler Creates New Management Model, 2006). We need expert inputs on matters such as future consumer needs and energy security. The jatropha project in India and the driver assist system are examples of

Argument Essay Does Religion cause wars Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Argument Does Religion cause wars - Essay Example Religion makes significant contributions to the causes of some wars in the modern era. Witness the disputes around Jerusalem, Israels illegal occupation of Palestine and its status as a religious state, a rogue state and an aggressor state. Also, Huntingtons clash of civilizations theory places religion at the core of his warring civilizations. Jerusalem was the objective of the First Crusade, almost one millennium later it remains a focal point of religious warfare. For Jews, Jerusalem is where the Messiah will appear and the site of the original Temple of Solomon. It is also a significant site to Muslims: â€Å"Jerusalem has had a very important spiritual meaning for Muslims, not only being the first Qibla but also the mystical experience of the prophets ascendance to heaven.† (â€Å"Jerusalem in Islam†) For Christians it is where the Messiah was crucified, buried and rose again from the dead. The importance to Christianity is so great that there have been disputes within Christianity (intra-religious fighting) as to who has the privilege and responsibility of maintaining the Christian holy sites in the city. In 2008 the BBC reported, â€Å"Fighting erupted between Greek Orthodox and Armenian monks at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of Christs crucifixion.† (â€Å"Monks brawl at religious shrine†, 2008) Violence in and around Jerusalem, and attempts by various religions to claim Jerusalem as theirs, can be attributed to religion. In a broader sense the state of Israel and the warfare that has characterized its sixty years of existence are also attributable to religious roots. Israelis often insist that their differences with their neighboring states is not religious. They insist the friction is between a democratic state (Israel) and non-democratic states (Syria, Jordan and Egypt). However, it is clearly a religious issue that transcends Jerusalem. In December 2010 CNN reported â€Å"In August, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the spiritual

Frank Lloyd Wright Essay Example for Free

Frank Lloyd Wright Essay Frank Lloyd Wright was an architect, interior designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 projects and over 500 of them were completed. He promoted organic architecture in his time which is quite popular now. (Baruffii, 2008) He also designed officer, churches, schools, sky scrapers, and museums. He authored more than twenty books and many articles. He was a popular lecturer in both Europe and the United States (Toronto Star, 1987). This paper will discuss Frank Lloyd Wright’s history and compare it to the reasons why he is still popular today and will remain popular in the future. Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland Center Wisconsin into a farming family who struggled to make a living. His parents separated when he was 14. Frank then became responsible for his mother and sister as he never saw his father again. There is no record of him graduating from high school but he was accepted as a special student at University of Wisconsin in 1886. He married in 1889 and built his own home at that time. Frank Wright then went to work for another architect but lost his job when that architect found that he was designing for some on his own. He then established a business of his own out of his home. He renovated and added on to the house several times. He moved his office downtown and then moved it several other times (Huxtadey, 2009). Frank Lloyd Wright left his wife with six children to spend time in Europe while writing his first book, with the wife of a friend. He then came home and built Taliesin on 200 acres inherited by his mother. His then wife and her two children were murdered in this home. The home became his winter home and is now the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. This home is located in Scottsdale Arizona and could not be more â€Å"green† than if it had been built as part of that movement today. Wright then met and moved into to Taliesin again with a divorcee though he was still married to his first wife. He, at the same time began to the design of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. He lived in Tokyo during the construction of the building. Keeping his innovative style, he designed the Imperial Hotel using both Japanese and Western architecture. He wanted to show that Japan was becoming a modern nation and that they had ties to the West. The Imperial Hotel was demolished in 1968 but some of the entrance was retained in a museum. It is studied to this day for design tones for today and tomorrows buildings. During the depression, like everyone else work was difficult to find. Wright began lecturing and writing at this time and had finally received a divorce from his first wife and married a second. He finished several books by now and was contributing to architecture magazine. Shortly thereafter, he opened his school at Talesman. The tuition was $1,100 and he shortly had a waiting list. In 1934 Wright designed and built Fallingwater which has become one of the most famous pieces of architecture in the world. The house was built for Edgar Kaufmann in Bear Run Pennsylvania. It was built on a waterfall. During this time Wright was also beginning to design his modest housing. The first was his Usonian house in Madison Wisconsin. He believed that everyone should have an architect and not a cookie cutter house. (wright. htm) Wrights Fallingwater house is one of those designs that speak to our thesis. It is a design of his day, a design of today and is believed to be a design for tomorrow. There are things about mans human nature that we tend to forget. We are a part of nature. When Wright designed this home he liked the powerful sound of the waterfall and the strength and beauty of the forest around it. There were dramatic rock ledges and beautiful colors in the granite all around. He wanted the design to flow as part of nature and it did and does and will. It takes ones imagination to a place many of want to go but find difficulty in getting to. Many thousands of people view this home every year and are in awe of its beauty and design (Steffenson, 2009). Wright then returned to Arizona where he got involved in many projects in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area. He designed the Opera House at the University of Arizona which was originally designed to be built in the Mid-East but was built here instead. He had a short period in his history when he suddenly likes what can only be called retro-sci-fi modernism. At that time, he designed what was to be the Southwest Christian Seminary. Many say the design was straight out of Flash Gordon. The design was never built. Benjamin Adelmans House was designed and built in Scottsdale in 1951. The Norman Lykes house was the final house in the area as it was designed just before Wright died in 1959. It was a 2,800 sq. ft. home that was circular in design and was actually built in 1967. He had much influence in architecture in the area as he was this areas most famous snow bird. He came here every winter and consistently had another idea for the desert. That was one of the beautiful things about Wright is that he could see beauty everywhere and was able to use the landscape as part of the design. Is that not what we are looking for today and probably tomorrow? Last but not least there is the Guggenheim Museum. It turns 50 this year (Lubow, 2009). Wright had yearning to elevate human society through its architecture. He felt that how we lived was how we learned. The beauty of where we lived should be mainted and nature should be a part of all design. The Guggenheim Museum is a part of the dream and the vision that Wright had throughout his life. This would be the last building he designed. It opened in New York City October 21, 1959 (Lubow, 2009). Frank Lloyd Wright died 6 months before it opened. He had many problems in making it happen. There were budget issues, building code issues, and even issues with the artists that would eventually display in the building. He spent essentially 16 years of his life designing and overseeing this building. There are some of those issues that the artists were concerned about. It is difficult to hang paintings in the museum because of the slanting of walls among other things. However, it is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and it is said that it is prophetic in its way of meeting the needs of today and the world of art (Lubow, 2009). Wright seemed to see today’s world and how we would envision art when he designed the building. This writer would wonder if the next 100 years they will feel the same. One of the many things that Wright believed shows in his design of the spaces at the Guggenheim. He felt that though we all crave being alone sometimes, we are only truly well developed humans when we are all socially developed. The Guggenheim is built to accommodate that. It is huge and seems bigger than life but as one ambles through, it feels as if one is alone with the art and at the same time a part of those around them. Only the design can make one feel this way. Again, is this not a design for the future? There are so many beautiful spaces built by Frank Lloyd Wright. We can only begin to know what he was truly thinking. In his biography he talks about his beliefs about human nature and the spaces they live in. His Prairie houses were built for the average homeowner and yet they are like no house that any of us can own though many of us would like to. The Prairie houses were low horizontal designs with open interior spaces. You see their influence in homes all over the United States. In conclusion, it is obvious that the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright has not gone away. His original designs are some of the most beautiful designs in the world and he is appreciated as the most famous architect of his time. He continues to be popular today as we try to move toward designs that are more natural and more part of the nature around us. In all of the designs that have been developed to take in the affects of the landscape around them we find Wright elements. These are the things that support the fact that Frank Lloyd Wright was a visionary of his time, our time and the future. Resources Baruffi, K. , (2008). 10 great places to behold Frank Lloyd Wright’s vision. USA Today. Available at http://www. ebscohost. com http://architect. architecture. sk/frank-lloyd-wright-architect/frank-lloyd-wright-architect. php Huxtadey, A. , (2009). The hand and eye of genius. Wall Street Journal. 25(24) pg. 7. Lubow, A. , (2009). The triumph of Frank Lloyd Wright. Smithsonian; 40 (3) pg 52-61. Prairie Styles, Frank Lloyd Wright (1997). http://www. prairiestyles. com/wright. htm Steffensen, I. , (2009). Frank Lloyd Wright and the gift of genius. The Journal of American Culture, 32:3. pg. 257-268. Toronto Star. (1987). Frank Lloyd Wright: his influence lives on in home furnishings; AP news features. Pg 6.