Art and Aesthetics Art in Public Space

Art refers to a means of purposefully putting things in a particular manner so as to influence the mind, senses as well as the emotions. It constitutes of various creations, human activities and several methods of expression of human ideas through paintings, music, sculpture, literature, filming and photography (Creative Intelligence 4).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Art and Aesthetics: Art in Public Space specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Beauty on the other hand refers to the characteristics bestowed in an individual that leads to a perceived understanding of satisfaction and pleasure. It emanates from aesthetic. Ideal beauty thus refers to that which attracts admiration in a given culture leading to perfection. Thus art has been broadly explored in aesthetic so as to bring out its correlation to generations and mankind. This essay therefore, uses the concepts from semiotics to discuss art and aesthetics in re lation to California Disney Hall as a piece of art in public. Semiotic concepts include signs and making meaning out of the signs identified in a particular piece of art whether performing art, sculptural or modeling art. They mainly encampass creation of meaning out of a given sign accorded to artwork. The interpretation of a given piece of art work is based on the denoted meaning identified such as the identification of visible signs as well as the actual cultural relationship that comes along with such identifications. Therefore, the main aim of semiotic artist is to derive methods of navigation coupled with interpretation of connoted meaning (Bann 128). This seeks to unfold the coded meaning and meaning unfolded in a given object of aesthetic value by determining its relationship to collective consciousness. Concepts of semiotics have been identified in the history of art for instance, in the works of Panofsky and Riegl (Creative Intelligence 5) including the very important text s by Meyer bringing out visual semiotics. When these concepts are put together and modeled in to what is appealing to the senses of the public, it results in to what is called aesthetics. This is the creation of beauty. Art work that has been well organized in a given media so as to be staged out or performed in a public arena is referred to as public art. Public art is important to public art specialists, bodies that commission art performances, curators as well as the entire art world with much emphasis being given to collaborations, the specificity of the site of performance and the involvement of the community. At times art is used to refer to any given piece of art that is displayed in a public arena or any public buildings that are easily accessible to the community (Maasik 50). The California Disney hall is the best example of art in public. The hall is among the four concert halls of the LAMC (Los Angeles Music Centre). It has a seating capacity of two thousand two hundred a nd sixty five persons which is one of the characteristics of public art which puts focus on community involvement hence accommodating more people during performances (George). It serves various functions alongside being the centre for LAMC (Los Angeles Master Chorale and LAP (Los Angeles Philharmonic) performances.Advertising Looking for essay on art? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The hall was built in honor of Los Angeles citizens and to Lilian Disney’s husband dedication to art. The acoustics and the architecture of this concert hall supersede that of Dorothy Chandler Pavilion making the most important piece of art. As opposed to many of the halls used for concert performances (Ronald and Melissa 55), California Disney hall’s entrance is ever open during daytime hence giving room for access by the public to its 7-level subterranean parking space, cafà ©, hotel box office as well as the gift shop. The entranc e of the hall constitutes of columns of enormous tree trunks made from Douglas fir with straight grains. Apart from providing support to the Hall structurally and visually the columns assist in lighting as well delivering air conditioning. Douglas fir is well appreciated for its aesthetic value, thus most of the surfaces in the hall have inco-operated it, in addition to the musical instruments made from timber. This has enhanced the beauty and the aesthetic value of the hall that attract the public. Initially Frank Gehry had purposed to have the whole building finished with stone. However, he changed this to have the hall dressed with stainless steel. Frank settled on a stainless steel finish since he believed that this kind of finish worked well with the reflecting and changing the bright sunlight from southern part of California. As a result of the halls numerous contours and exacting specifications in its design, structural beams made of steel had to be fixed using computer aided three-dimensional interactive application (CATIA).The steel beams were fixed into place only after having intersected the xyz coordinates as they appeared in the plan. The public park of the hall sits on a one acre piece of land, thirty four feet over the hope street. It is strategically positioned thus making it accessible to all people without any restrictions through the hours of operation. The park provides a good view point to most of the landmarks in Los Angeles for example the LACL (Los Angeles Central Library) which is on the southern part of Los Angeles, SGM (San Gabriel Mountains) and DS (Dodger Stadium) to the North as well as Hollywood sign which lies to the West. All these are visible particularly on a cloudless day. The magnificent sight gives a sense of beauty to the public and every person looking at such a hall would appreciate the kind of time devoted to making the building beautiful and appealing to the viewers. The park also consists of full-grown flowering plan ts with a distinct ability to flourish in designed plant vases.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Art and Aesthetics: Art in Public Space specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Many of the plants in the hall were taken from residential homes and lifted up by the help of three hundred and fifty ton crane. The flowers were cautiously positioned facing the initial direction before being uprooted to their new location (David Hume 58). During the entire period of Philharmonics the flowers keeps flowering consecutively offering the beauty of alternating shades of colors. The hall also constitutes of LDMF (Lilian Disney Memorial Fountain). This was Franks design as he designed this in honor of Lilian Disney. This was in recognition of Lilian Disney’s affection for Roses and Delft porcelain. In creating this fountain, reinforced bars of iron were curved to create structures that resemble petals of flowers. The mesh made of stainless steel was fixed and then packed with water proof concrete. Furthermore, several tiles and royal vases made of Delft porcelain were broken into pieces which were skillfully mounted by a team of eight people skilled in the art of ceramics. This led to the beautiful fountain present at the California Disney Hall. The children’s Amphitheatre which is home to educational programs as well as programs owned by the community which are produced by MCED (Music Centre Education Division) as well as the LAP (Creative Intelligence 2). The seating area consists of concentric arcs made in small parts bearing in mind the children seating in this section. This space provides relaxing place for visitors who would love to relax as well as have lunch or read anything as long as the children are not using it. Within the hall is the REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater) which is the meeting point for audiences and performing artists, home to performing art, experimental theatre and music. Furthermore, there is a three thousand square foot display space including a cafà © for multiple functions. Art in public arena is in most cases developed to interact with the public by allowing the individuals to participate by their sight, feelings as well as their entire senses. For instance, in the Disney hall, the public can participate in such kind of art by sitting on the seats that are curved in a concentric manner thus allowing them to have a feeling of that particular art. The hall has a resonating interval of two minutes hence during the performance the public can listen to the piece of art being presented and appreciate it (George). By looking at the tree columns and the floral plants one can feel the beauty of the hall as all these features are magnificent. The entire art work portrayed on the walls as well as the surfaces attracts the public thus making the people to feel the surfaces hence participating in the work through hands-on experience.Advertising Looking for essay on art? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Disney hall displays its art in public place by virtue of its sculptural work having to do with the culture of the people of Los Angeles. For example the broken Delft Vases used to decorate the hall are as a result of the affection that Lilian had in Porcelain. Therefore the culture of using porcelain had to be brought out on this particular hall so as to in co-operate a particular artist culture in this piece of art. This gives a feeling of community involvement and ownership which one of the semiotics in art in public places which brings a sense beauty to a whole piece of artwork. The Disney hall stand on a very large piece of land giving room for more people to be accommodated hence upholding the norms of art in public places. The kind of architecture employed on the building allows the public to enjoy the beauty of the exterior of the building without necessarily entering the building. It is important to note that anything that does not amuse the public is not art. Never the less with Disney Concert hall, most of the people enjoy looking at the large columns supporting the building with lots of amusement. Memorials as well as monuments are some of the ancient forms of art in public despite the fact that architectural sculpture is a bit pronounced in bringing out a true picture of art in public. A case in point is the huge columns and the rose flowers in the hall. The large space occupied by the park is suitable for public viewing and this is what attracts the public viewing of the Hall. Semiotic aesthetics demand that artwork is an indication of a sign whose aesthetic value is founded on a given mode of reference. This is true with the California Disney wall as much of its artwork is based on particular meanings. The porcelain used in decorating the fountain in the whole results from Lilian’s affection to artwork made from porcelain. In addition, to this, her affection for roses led to reinforced iron bars being made to resemble rose petals. The fact that Walt Disney loved art led to his wife, Lilian designing the California Disney Hall in honor of her beloved husband. Last but not least the love for the culture of the public led to this hall being made such that it attracted and held more than two thousand people hence giving room for most people to have a glimpse of any piece of art being performed. Most of the performing artists take deliberate pleasure in staging their various works due to the acoustics of the hall. Using the concepts of semiotics in designing the Disney hall is what makes it a piece of art in public. Several features put together to bring out the aesthetic value of the building remains as they are, they carry the meaning of what they are and not any other hidden meaning. For instance, the flowering trees that keep giving different shades of flower alternatively are actually flowers and they do not carry any other meaning. Furthermore, the hotels, cafà © and the shop at the hall just what they are and have no hidden meaning. With such kind of art being displayed with symbols and signs carrying their own meaning and not any other hidden meaning brings into the lime light the beauty of art in public on this hall. It is also important to note that one of the important things about semiotic concepts is that meaning and signs are never limited. Therefore, to enhance the aesthetic value of any piece of artwork, this concept emphasis that a single sign can take various available meanings. It is therefore up to the audience to extract the exact meaning of a given piece of art without necessarily deviating from the exact meaning. In conclusion, concepts of semiotics are based on the fact that objects are best appreciated from the perspective of the audience. This implies that the audience can view an object at any given perspective as long as he finds beauty any that given piece. With various meanings contained in various signs which are employed by the artist, the audience can draw that which is pleasurable to him and accord that given sign. In addition, the meaning given to any piece of art in public can only be expounded once the social or original context of that work has been removed. Never the less, semiotic concepts insists that irrespective of the meaning intended by original author of art work the meaning taken by the audience supersede the authors. Just like the California Disney hall, different groups of audience have expressed their different views concerning its aesthetic value. In view of all this whether the hall is appealing to the public or not is upon the audience to assert this with respect to how it views this building. However, till to date it remains to be the best art in public space. Works Cited Bann, Sawl. â€Å"Meaning/Interpretation.† Shift, Ronald Nelson and Richard. Critical Terms for Art History. Chicago, 2003. 128. Creative Intelligence. â€Å"Architectural and Garden Highlights: Walt Disney Concert Hall.† Music Centre , Performing Arts Centre of Los Angeles County. California: Music Centre, 2009. David Hume . The letters of David Hume. Ed. John Young Thomson Greig. Vol. 2. Garland Publisher, 1983. George, Lynell. The Los Angeles Times. 11 May 2008. Web. Maasik, Sonia. Signs of Life in the U.S.A. Popular Spaces:Interpreting the Built Environment. Chicago: Oxford, 2006. Ronald Lee Flemming and Melissa Tapper Goldman. Public Art for the Public (Art in Public Places Program) (Art in Architecture Program). The National Affairs, Inc, 2005. This essay on Art and Aesthetics: Art in Public Space was written and submitted by user Leo Erickson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Statistics for the Behavioral Social Sciences

Statistics for the Behavioral Social Sciences Parental involvement in their children education Introduction Researchers have carried out various researches regarding parental involvement in education of their children, with many reports implying that increased levels of parental participation in the child’s education can improve the student’s academic achievements.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Statistics for the Behavioral Social Sciences specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Generally, children are mainly educated by their parents and teachers throughout their lives. Parents play a very important role in education, by partnering with teachers and students to enhance running of the education systems effectively. In order to assist the parents to become aware of the effectiveness of their partnering in education, teachers should involve dialogue with the parents early enough to discuss about the parents’ hopes and aspirations for thei r child. Their understanding of the child needs and their suggestions about the ways that the teachers can help allow the teachers to be able to highlight their limitations and invite parents to participate in their child’s education in definite ways (Nieto, 1996). For the child to perform well academically, it requires substantial support from parents. Parents involvement in education of a child takes several ways including â€Å"good parenting, provision of a secure and stable environment, intellectual stimulation, parent-child discussion, good models of constructive social and educational values and high aspiration relating to personal fulfillment and participation in the school events, work and governance† (Desforges Abouchaar, 2003. P.5). Therefore, the parents involvement normally touches on the school life and the individual assistance offered to the child at home and at school. Parents and the school are very vital in the roles they play in the childrenâ€℠¢s education and their impact can be greater through partnering in their duties, since there is no clear line to show where the parents’ input stops and the teachers’ input begins in children education (UK Department for Education and Skills, 2003). Statement of the Problem What are the impacts of parental involvement on the educational progress of the children? For many researchers and educational experts, increased parental involvement in children education is always associated with positive students’ achievements; however, others disagree about what really makes the involvements to influence the students’ performance positively. For the antagonists, they believe that studies to justify increased parental involvement lack scientific rigor, are mainly based on assumptions, the positions they support are not tenable, and many programs and policies supporting parental involvement are explicitly based on the evidence that does not exist. In addition, they m ay lead to ambiguity in regards to what parental involvement programs and policies actually are able to accomplish (Educationalliance, 2010). Based on the above situation, this paper will review researches to check the impact of parent involvement at home and at school in their children schooling.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Literature review Parental involvement programs are mostly crafted to be composed of several means of training and participations for parents to work with schools and teachers. Parent involvement normally begins with contacts (phone calls, visits) in which the teachers update parents on the student progress and seek parents assistance. The second stage of parent participation involves home learning activities. Parents largely use the following methods to aid students’ learning. First, â€Å"reading activities in which parents listen, correct, and praise their children’s reading; secondly, teacher advised discussions about television programs that parents and children watch together; and instructional techniques designed for parents to help with homework† (Moles, 1982, P.45). Many of the surveys conducted in this area have indicated that both parents and teachers support increased parent involvement in their children education. Although parent involvement is widely favored, it is faced by some challenges including: first, teachers’ and parents’ conflicting family commitments and time constraints. Others include parents’ and schools’ conflicting perception of learning priorities, teacher’ low expectations of parents’ efforts, parents’ inability to handle their students’ family problems, and finally, a history of negative communications between the home and school (Moles, 1982, P.45). Parent’s involvement in their children’s educati on has always received much support with schools, teachers, and institutional systems coming up with programs and patterns for encouraging parents’ involvement in the education of their children. After reviewing research findings, it was concluded that â€Å"a joint and well organized effort by parents and teachers is very important to handling more successfully the problems of discipline, motivation, and the development of good work habits at home and in school by working with parents† (Gallup, 1978). Parent participation on students achievement is much encouraged at preschool. According to Bronfenbrenner (1974), having reviewed several of early intervention programs, it was concluded that the active involvement of family is very vital to the success of the programs, and it strengthens and helps to maintain the effects of school parent involvement programs. Sometimes, there are mixed reactions to parent involvement in education, with schools and teachers tending to su pport some parental participation well, and at the same time not being contented with other parental participation. According to Williams (1981), after analyzing â€Å"the evaluation of a variety of parent involvement by elementary teachers in a six state regional survey, it was concluded that the teachers were not very supportive about parent participation in curriculum development, instruction, or school governance.†Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Statistics for the Behavioral Social Sciences specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ideally, parent support was justified and at the same time enhanced through teachers’ assistance despite limitation of opportunities by schools for both to co-work effectively. In a similar study conducted on the same setup of the principals, Williams (1981) observed that principals valued parent involvement in children’s home learning for several reasons: it ai ds schools by strengthening school learning, and is within parents’ capabilities; but they also felt that parents lack adequate training to prepare them for an active role in children’s home learning. Studies have been conducted to assess how poorly educated and low- income parents are affected in their parental involvement. Due to challenges faced by these parents, some schools have developed programs to aid them in assisting their children schooling. For example, â€Å"the Parent Plus program in Chicago brings such parents into the school one day a week to learn how they can help at home with current school work and expand their homemaking and community-related skills† (Moles, 1982, P.46). Further, to understand the impact of parents’ involvement at school and in the home learning for their children, this paper will look at research conducted by Sui-Chu and Willms in 1996 to check how parents supported their children school progress. Chu and Willms got their data from â€Å"the US National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS) based on a sample of around 24600 8th grade students in a stratified sample drawn from 1500 schools, with the evidence being collected from student and parent questionnaires and was gauged using standardized attainment tests in mathematics and reading† (Sui-Chu and Willms, 1996). The table below shows the items contained in the questionnaire. Talk with mother How often have you talked [to your mother or female guardian] about planning your high school program? (0 = not at all, 1 = once or twice, 2 = three or more times) Talk with father How often have you talked to [your father or male guardian] about planning your high school program? (0 = not at all, 1 = once or twice, 2 = three or more times) Discuss school Programme Since the beginning of the school year, how often have you discussed the †¦. selecting courses or programs at school. (0 = not at all, 1 = once or twice, 2 = three or more times) Discuss Activities †¦ school activities or events of particular interest to you (0 = not at all, 1 = once or twice, 2 = three or more times) Monitor Homework How often do your parents or guardians check on whether you have done your homework? (0 = never, 1 = rarely, 2 = sometimes, 3 = often) Limit TV Time †¦ limit the amount of time you can spend watching TV? (0 = never, 1 = rarely, 2 = sometimes, 3 = often) Limit Going Out †¦ limit the amount of time for going out with friends on school nights? (0 = never, 1 = rarely, 2 = sometimes, 3 = often) Home after School (is your mother or father) †¦ at home when you return home from school? (0 = never, 1 = rarely, 2 = sometimes, 3 = usually) School Contacts Parents Since your eighth grader’s school opened last fall, how many times have you been contacted by the school about †¦. your eighth grader’s (a) academic performance, (b) academic program for this year, (c) course selection for high school, (d) placement decisions †¦., and (e) behaviour in school? (0 = none, 1 = once or twice, 2 = three or four times, 3 = more than four times) Volunteer at School Do you or your spouse or partner †¦ act as a volunteer at the school (0 = no, 1 = yes) PTO †¦ (a) belong to PTO, (b) attend meetings of a PTO, and (c) take part in the activities of a PTO? (0 = no, 1 = yes) Source: Sui-Chu and Willms psd202.org/kennedy/teams/pie/8th_grade.pdf Reponses to the questionnaire items were scored and the scores analyzed to look for major patterns. A principal component analysis with varimax rotation identified four factors with Eigen values greater than 1. Four main factors were assessed to describe most parental involvement activity: two types of home involvement (home discussion of school activities and home supervision) and two types of school involvement (school communication and school participation).Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Finally, the data was analyzed to check the relationship between forms of parental involvement and social class of the families. For analysis, multilevel regression analysis fit for hierarchical linear model (HLM) was used, as shown in the following section. Findings According to Sui-Chu and Willms (1996), the following results emerged from the study. First, there was a variance of â€Å"55 percent in the set of 12 variables†; intra-school involvement, rather than inter-school involvement was found to account for 90 % of the total variation, however, â€Å"the distribution was relatively uniform across the schools†; and lastly, the level of parental involvement was directly proportional to the level of social class exhibited. Source: psd202.org/kennedy/teams/pie/8th_grade.pdf Discussion The results indicated that, levels of communication and levels of parental involvement in the home were relatively uniform across all schools, thus it was not possible to identify r eliably, schools that were particularly effective or ineffective in culturing higher levels of parental involvement. Most researchers argue that successful schools use practices that foster greater communication with parents, encourage parents to assist children at home with their schoolwork and planning, and take parents to act as volunteers or participants in school governance; all aimed at high level schooling outcomes (Sui-Chu and Willms, 1996, P.137). These results therefore imply that these schools are more of ideal examples but they are very limited. The home-school communication collaboration may be hindered by parent cooperation, â€Å"with many parents facing competing demands of work and family life, come from different cultural backgrounds, and feel mistrust and anxiety when dealing with school staff; while many teachers face competing demands at school and at home, are not trained on how to handle parents, and may experience hard times when relating with culturally dif ferent families† (Moles, 1982, P.45). Due to different priorities and perspectives of families and schools, concerns for one’s own child compared with responsibility for group progress, mostly generate conflict over means of attaining common goals (Lightfoot, 1978). Though social class seems to affect parental involvement, the overall measure of family background explained only about 10 percent of the variations in parental involvement across the four types of involvement; thus, these results do not support the notion that poor or uneducated families are not well involved in schooling of their children. According to study carried out by Vellymalay (2010) to investigate â€Å"the relationship between parent’s level of education and parental involvement in their children’s among the National Medium Tamil Schools in Malaysia,† there were no significant differences found between parent’s education and level of parental involvement; the study foun d very small evidence linking parents’ with more education to high involvement. However, these results may not agree with some studies such as the ones carried to determine whether environment can increase IQ scores. The study examined the IQs of African American children from impoverished environments who were adopted into middle class families (some white and some African American), with all of the families providing many social-educational opportunities for the adopted children. Researchers found that the IQs of the adopted children were as much as 10 points higher than IQs of African Americans raised in disadvantaged homes (Plotnik, Kouyoumdjian, 2010, P.293). Conclusion In addressing the question of what are the impacts of parental involvement on the educational progress of the children, these results have clearly indicated that children’s academic achievement and the level to which the parents are involved in schools also depend on the intake characteristics of schools. These results show that children scored much higher in mathematics and reading, when they attended schools with more social educational system (SES) and parental involvements. The research has also pointed out clearly that volunteering in participation has a double effect of improving the quality education and minimizing inequalities between social-class groups. Therefore, it is up to school parents to create and forges ahead with meaningful parental involvement programs for the benefits of the students. Reference List Bronfenbrenner, U., 1974. Is Early Intervention Effective? A Report on Longitudinal Evaluation of Preschool Programs. Washington, DC: Department Of Health Education and Welfare. Desforges, C., Abouchaar, A., 2003. The Impact of Parental Involvement, Parental Support and Family Education on Pupil Achievement and Adjustment: A Literature Review. UK Department for Education and Skills. Research Report RR433. Web. Available from: bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/files_uploa ded/uploaded_resources/18617/Desforges.pdf . Educationalliance. 2010. Challenges regarding parental involvement research. Charleston: The Education Alliance. Web. Available from: educationalliance.org/Research/ResearchParentalInvolvement.asp . Gallup, G.H., 1978. The 10th Annual Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes toward the Public Schools. Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 60, Pp 33-45. Moles, O.C., 1982. Synthesis of Recent Research on Parent Participation in Children’s Education. Resource Information Service. Nieto, S., 1996. Positive Perspectives on Parents and Families. Web. Available from: alliance.brown.edu/tdl/tl-strategies/crt-principles.shtml . Plotnik, R., Kouyoumdjian, H., 2010. Introduction to Psychology. OH: Cengage Learning. Sui-Chu, E.H., and Willms, J.D., 1996. Effects of Parental Involvement on Eighth-Grade Achievement. Sociology of Education, Vol 69, No.2, Pp 126-141. Web. Available from: psd202.org/kennedy/teams/pie/8th_grade.pdf . UK Department for Educati on and Skills. 2003. The Impact of Parental Involvement on Children’s Education. Web. Available from: northlincs.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/5C39FCD7-8075-40FD-9A08-06614F4FEB1D/14909/TheImpactofParentalInvolvementon365kb2.pdf . Vellymalay, S.K.N., 2010. Parental Involvement in Children’s Education: Does Parents’ Education Level Really Matters? School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia. European Journal of Social Sciences, Volume 16, Issue 3. Williams, D.L., 1981. Final Interim Report Southwest Parent Educational Resource Center. Austin, Texas: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

Group and team behavior - Organizational behavior Assignment

Group and team behavior - Organizational behavior - Assignment Example Teams also perform management or supervisory role along with doing work. The revolutionary concept was adopted purely due to market needs and as a departure from traditional corporate functioning. The adoption has increased 3M productivity up to 300 % at some places. Advantages of using this system include improved customer relationship and loyalty, increased productivity and efficiency, greater freedom of action and adaptability, low organizational costs, less job categorization, worker welfare, improved services and survival of fittest. Limitations of using this system are initial risks, requisite training, time required in adopting culture, learning of basic management skills by all and bigger responsibility at lower level. Major challenges in this system are focus and involvement of employees, and customer satisfaction. Motivated employees are the best assets any firm can have. Rewarding for good performance is the best source of motivation. Rewards may be given in the form empow erment, recognition amongst peers, financial benefits, promotions, acknowledgement for creativity and innovation, training, quality of living and facilities. At 3M, work teams are rewarded with variable pay, which includes sales commissions and annual incentives.

Film Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Film Assignment - Essay Example The digesis of the film narrative â€Å"Run Lola Run† does not follow the general continuous time space continuum. While the objective of the protagonist, Lola in the film is to secure 100,000 DM within the short space of twenty minutes; the film presents three scenarios to achieve this, as opposed to a single, continuous storyline that starts at the beginning of the film and proceeds through to its end. The same sequence plays three times but each time with slight differences that produce different outcomes; the first two are disastrous while the final scenario is the one that achieves a happy ending. The film thus presents three, distinct, alternative realities within the unified structure of the film (Leong, 1999), demonstrating how events can unfold in a completely different fashion based on slightly different choices. The unifying feature is a woman with a flame colored head running through the streets, creating a sense of fast paced, pulse pounding, relentless motion tha t keeps the viewer’s attention engaged. The same dilemma is presented at the beginning of each of the three segments, i.e, Lola needing to get together the sum of 100,000 DM, which her boyfriend owes to the crime boss, because his failure to do so could lead to him being killed. If Lola does not have the money to her boyfriend in a time span of twenty minutes, he plans to engage in a criminal activity and hold up a store. The same characters are presented in each of the three sequences, which are repeated again and again with slight variations. The film thus utilizes a cyclical time format, moving through the same events again and again rather than following the linear narrative format employed in most films, where the story proceeds through a series of sequences in a continuous time frame of action. Early film theorists such as Eisenstein (1947) have pointed out that visual information as presented in a film in the form of sequences, can be juxtaposed to give an

Analyzing the series of events that occurred, involving Karemore Best Essay

Analyzing the series of events that occurred, involving Karemore Best Health NHS Trust and St. Patchup Hospital NHS Trust - Essay Example It follows with a series of recommendations for change to avoid such mishap from recurring at the two hospitals. This would also serve as a reminder towards other health care institutions towards strict compliance of standard procedures, and a guide to prevent such accident to occur in their organization. As requested by the Chief Executives of both Karemore and St. Patchup Hospitals, the author of the present report is a Radiology Services Manager of a hospital outside Prosperham City. Summary The persons directly involved in the unfortunate circumstance are: (1) Mrs. Wanda Doff, the patient, (2) Di Gital, a radiographer employed at St. Patchup from an agency, (3) Karl Amity, a radiographer at Karemore who took the patient’s radiology exams, and (4) Dr. Penny Drops, anesthetist at Karemore involved in Mrs. Doff’s operation. Mrs. Doff died of respiratory and cardiac arrests in the middle of a hip replacement operation at Karemore Hospital. Due to complaints of right hip pain approximately 6 months before the operation, Mrs. Doff underwent a chest radiograph antero-posterior (AP) position at St. Patchup Hospital, which was conducted by Di Gital.... That same evening, Karl Amity once again conducted the examination but mixed up results of the said patient with another. Seeing that the results were normal, Dr. Drops agreed that Mrs. Doff could go into the theatre and proceeded with the operation. Complications aroused, however, leading the patient into respiratory and cardiac arrests where practitioners were not able to resuscitate her. Range of Incidences and Mistakes Upon investigating the incident, it can be traced that lapses started with the imaging departments of both Karemore and St. Patchup Hospitals. Initially looking at St. Patchup Hospital, the lack of supplies - in this case batteries for the hoist - triggered the sole personnel left in the room, Di Gital, to aid Mrs. Doff. This, however, is not an excuse since patient safety is always a priority, and Di Gital should have realized the risk placed upon the patient in the process of lifting her alone. Furthermore, several other lapses are perceived from Karemore Hospita l. Taking into consideration that Karl Amity has been a qualified radiographer for several years, it is expected that he knows how to conduct the procedures adequately and follow given protocols. However, the patient was exposed to excessive radiation dose because of Mr. Amity’s mistakes with centring and lateral hip projection. Dr. Drops also committed a mistake in the act of ordering another chest x-ray without reviewing the patient’s records which could have revealed all the previous examinations she has undergone. Additionally, Karl did not question the doctor’s order for another x-ray even in the knowledge that he has met the patient earlier that morning. To make matters worse, he interchanged the results of the patient with another woman’s, thereby giving wrong results

House Of Lords Is The Second Chamber

House Of Lords Is The Second Chamber House of Lords is the Second Chamber in the United Kingdoms parliament. Its main functions are to scrutinize legislation, both domestic and European, and to debate on issues of public policy and public concern. This house is fully appointed. Attempts to change this have been made in the past and obviously we can see now that the government is developing plans for fully or mainly elected House of Lords and present them in very near future. There is much debating in public whereas the fully elected upper chamber would be a good or a bad thing. This essay will show you that fully elected House of Lords would not strengthen British democracy. In fact, it would become much weaker. As the Archbishop of York (2010) states, the elected Upper House may seemingly be in the interests of democracy but may ultimately fail this nation. That is for many reasons. Firstly, Second Chamber would replicate the First Chamber in its composition and even might challenge the authority of Commons. This leads to a definite change in relationship between two Houses. Secondly, there would be a great loss of expertise if we are to have House of Lords elected, as lifelong experience would be replaced by career ambition. Furthermore, there would be very little or no independent members because election mostly favours party politicians. Lastly, there would be no religious representation in a fully elected Second Chamber. All these arguments are discussed more deeply in this essay. The main problem of elected House of Lords is that it would become very similar to a House of Commons and therefore this could result in a possible change in relationship between two Houses. Current system works because composition of two Houses is different, but this could be completely changed if we introduce election to Upper House. Second Chamber could become wholly dominated by the political parties and could end up with the same party winning majority of seats in both Houses. As the result there would be little chance of efficient scrutiny or revision of government work. (A W Bradley and K D Ewing, 2007:186). By contrast, election could lead to both Houses being dominated by different parties. Upper House could claim they too have a mandate of people and would likely begin to seek more powers and exercise them. There would be no reason for members of elected Second Chamber to see their chamber role as a complementary one (Lord Norton, 2010). In this case, they would challenge t he authority of Commons and there would be a potential for conflict between the two. That could result in agreements being struck. Those agreements would probably represent party interests and would not benefit electors. Bogdanor (2010:12) also supports this view and says that elected upper House would see itself as being more democratic and legitimate, therefore end up conflicting with Commons. He accurately concludes that this would make Britain more difficult to govern. The second big problem considering elected Second Chamber is that there will be a huge loss of expertise. Today House of Lords is a chamber of expertise and the reality is that it is where legislation is analyzed in more detail, certainly deeper than in House of Commons. In fact, as Edward Pearce (2009:497-499) states that debates there continue beyond party influence. Having appointed peers also helps to sustain and even increase the level of expertise in the House. Once in the Lords, the way in which the House functions gives opportunities for peers to maintain their professional lives outside the Lords. By contrast, elected peers would have to devote that spare time to fulfill their constituencies demands. In addition, all agree that most expertise is provided by life peers. They obtain priceless experience and wisdom in certain fields throughout their life and do not pursue a career to be top politicians. As Paul Vallely (2010) says their life peerage offers considerable real lif e experience to counter the myopia of professional politicians. But all of that would be taken away if we are to have Second Chamber elected. In any type of election, persons who compete for a political office will be chosen by parties and voted for mainly by admirers of parties. Upper House would just be a House of whipped party politicians, not experienced peers. Expertise would be replaced by ambition. There would no longer be detailed revision of government bills. Another big disadvantage of elected House of Lords is that there would be a huge reduction in, or even removal of, independent peers. Independence is very important aspect of Second Chamber and it arises from the fact there are many Crossbench members who do not belong to a party. As Philip Norton (2003:19) says peers are able to operate free of the constraints on and incentives available to the party leadership, activists and voters in other countries.This makes the government think very carefully when dealing with the Lords, because government has no majority and is vulnerable to defeat. But as we discussed before, elections are organized by political parties and therefore it is very unlikely for independent members to win a seat in Upper House. Moreover, as party whipping in House of Lords is very weak and Lords are not afraid to lose their seat due to life peerage, often even party peers tend to think and vote in a different manner than their party wants them to. This, combined w ith Crossbenchers voting, adds a huge amount of independence and scrutiny of the government actions. This all would be removed if we introduce elections, because peers would vote as their parties would want them to, because otherwise, they would lose their seat. Lastly, it would be very difficult to ensure religious representation in parliament as in fully elected House of Lords we would no longer have a voice of Church. Religious belief is an important aspect of many peoples lives and it is desirable that there should be some form of religious voice in the Second Chamber. A presence of the Church of England bishops in House of Lords has contributed to legislation in many aspects. It increased quality of debates by providing philosophical, moral and spiritual considerations, not just religious ones. Bishops are better informed and better experienced when it comes to everyday problems of our society than any elected official (The Bishop of Croydon, 2010). Some argue that there should be no representation of the Church of England, as other faiths are excluded from political representation. But they forget that there is growing co-operation between the faiths, and Archbishop of Canterbury is ever more likely to raise issues of pressing concern to a number of British spiritual leaders (Sunday Telegraph, 2008). In addition, removal of bishops not only would eliminate the knowledge mentioned above, but would also raise the whole question of the relationship between State and Church, with unpredictable outcomes. It would end a 900 year tradition. This essay showed that House of Lords should not be fully elected and that is for four main reasons. First of all, there is a huge chance that fully elected Second Chamber would mirror House of Commons. The same party could win majorities in both Houses, leading to a pointless existence of Upper House. By contrast, we might have a deadlock government as different parties would be in control of both Houses. Secondly, there would be a huge loss of valuable expertise. Life peer system generated priceless amounts of experience and all of that would be replaced by purely professional politicians without sufficient wisdom. Furthermore, independent peers would not do well in elections and House of Lords would become House of whipped politicians. The two Houses would not act independently, as required. And lastly, Church would not be represented politically, which would lead to a symbolic relationship change between State and Church.

A Child Labour Problem In India

After independence Child labour is a major problem in India. The major determinate child labour is Poverty. Even though children are paid less then adults, what ever income they earn is of benefit to poor families. India has the largest number of children employed than any other country in the world. According to the statistics provided by the Govt. f India around 90 million out of 179 million children in the six to 14 age groups do not go to school and are engaged in some occupation or other works. This means 50% of children are deprived of their right to a free and happy childhood. Unofficially, this figure exceeds 100 million but the fact that a large number of children are works without wages in field or in cottage alongside their parents, unreported by census, makes it very difficult to estimate accurately. However, it is estimated that if there working children constituted a country it would be the 11th largest country in the world. A large number of children work in a cottage industries, matches, firecrackers, bidis, brassware, diamond, aluminum industries, glass, hosiery, hand loomed cloth, embroidery, leather goods, plastic bangles, mica mines, coal mines, hotels, rickshaw puller, local liquor industry, auto shop, vegetable shop Brick in and sporting goods. The highest numbers of children are found in agricultural sector. Poverty has often been cited as the reason for child labour problem in India while it is true that the poorest, most disadvantaged sector of Indian Society supply the vast majority of child labourers, child labour actually creates an perpetuates poverty as it displaces adults from their jobs and also condemns the child to a life of unskilled badly paid work.

The Host Chapter 42: Forced

Ian's jaw fell slack. â€Å"You†¦ what?† â€Å"I'll explain in a minute. This isn't fair to you, but†¦ please. Just kiss me.† â€Å"It won't upset you? Melanie won't bother you?† â€Å"Ian!† I complained. â€Å"Please!† Still confused, he put his hands on my waist and pulled my body against his. His face was so worried, I wondered if this would even work. I hardly needed the romance, but maybe he did. He closed his eyes as he leaned toward me, an automatic thing. His lips pressed lightly against mine once, and then he pulled back to look at me with the same worried expression. Nothing. â€Å"No, Ian. Really kiss me. Like†¦ like you're trying to get slapped. Do you understand?† â€Å"No. What's wrong? Tell me first.† I put my arms around his neck. It felt strange; I wasn't at all sure how to do this right. I pushed up on my toes and pulled his head down at the same time until I could reach his lips with mine. This wouldn't have worked with another species. Another mind wouldn't have been so easily overwhelmed by its body. Other species had their priorities in better order. But Ian was human, and his body responded. I shoved my mouth against his, gripping his neck tighter with my arms when his first reaction was to hold me away. Remembering how his mouth had moved with mine before, I tried to mimic that movement now. His lips opened with mine, and I felt an odd thrill of triumph at my success. I caught his lower lip between my teeth and heard a low, wild sound break from his throat in surprise. And then I didn't have to try anymore. One of Ian's hands trapped my face, while the other clamped around the small of my back, holding me so close that it was hard to pull a breath into my constricted chest. I was gasping, but so was he. His breath mingled with mine. I felt the stone wall touch my back, press against it. He used it to bind me even closer. There was no part of me that wasn't fused to part of him. It was just the two of us, so close that we hardly counted as two. Just us. No one else. Alone. Ian felt it when I gave up. He must have been waiting for this-not as entirely ruled by his body as I'd imagined. He eased back as soon as my arms went limp, but kept his face next to mine, the tip of his nose touching the tip of mine. I dropped my arms, and he took a deep breath. Slowly, he loosened both his hands and then placed them lightly on my shoulders. â€Å"Explain,† he said. â€Å"She's not here,† I whispered, still breathing in gasps. â€Å"I can't find her. Not even now.† â€Å"Melanie?† â€Å"I can't hear her! Ian, how can I go back in to Jamie? He'll know that I'm lying! How can I tell him that I've lost his sister now? Ian, he's sick! I can't tell him that! I'll upset him, make it harder for him to get well. I -â€Å" Ian's fingers pressed against my lips. â€Å"Shh, shh. Okay. Let's think about this. When was the last time you heard her?† â€Å"Oh, Ian! It was right after I saw†¦ in the hospital. And she tried to defend them†¦ and I screamed at her†¦ and I-I made her go away! And I haven't heard her since. I can't find her!† â€Å"Shh,† he said again. â€Å"Calmly. Okay. Now, what do you really want? I know you don't want to upset Jamie, but he's going to be fine regardless. So, consider-would it be better, just for you, if -â€Å" â€Å"No! I can't erase Melanie! I can't. That would be wrong! That would make me a monster, too!† â€Å"Okay, okay! Okay. Shh. So we have to find her?† I nodded urgently. He took another deep breath. â€Å"Then you need to†¦ really be overwhelmed, don't you?† â€Å"I don't know what you mean.† I was afraid I did, though. Kissing Ian was one thing-even a pleasant thing, maybe, if I wasn't so racked with worry-but anything more†¦ elaborate†¦ Could I? Mel would be furious if I used her body that way. Was that what I had to do to find her? But what about Ian? It was so grossly unfair to him. â€Å"I'll be right back,† Ian promised. â€Å"Stay here.† He pressed me against the wall for emphasis and then ducked back out into the hallway. It was hard to obey. I wanted to follow him, to see what he was doing and where he was going. We had to talk about this; I had to think it through. But I had no time. Jamie was waiting for me, with questions that I couldn't answer with lies. No, he wasn't waiting for me; he was waiting for Melanie. How could I have done this? What if she was really gone? Mel, Mel, Mel, come back! Melanie, Jamie needs you. Not me-he needs you. He's sick, Mel. Mel, can you hear that? Jamie is sick! I was talking to myself. No one heard. My hands were trembling with fear and stress. I wouldn't be able to wait here much longer. I felt like the anxiety was going to make me swell until I popped. Finally, I heard footsteps. And voices. Ian wasn't alone. Confusion swept through me. â€Å"Just think of it as†¦ an experiment,† Ian was saying. â€Å"Are you crazy?† Jared answered. â€Å"Is this some sick joke?† My stomach dropped through the floor. Overwhelmed. That's what he'd meant. Blood burned in my face, hot as Jamie's fever. What was Ian doing to me? I wanted to run, to hide somewhere better than my last hiding place, somewhere I could never, ever be found, no matter how many flashlights they used. But my legs were shaking, and I couldn't move. Ian and Jared came into view in the room where the tunnels met. Ian's face was expressionless; he had one hand on Jared's shoulder and was guiding him, almost pushing him forward. Jared was staring at Ian with anger and doubt. â€Å"Through here,† Ian encouraged, forcing Jared toward me. I flattened my back against the rock. Jared saw me, saw my mortified expression, and stopped. â€Å"Wanda, what's this about?† I threw Ian one blazing glance of reproach and then tried to meet Jared's eyes. I couldn't do it. I looked at his feet instead. â€Å"I lost Melanie,† I whispered. â€Å"You lost her!† I nodded miserably. His voice was hard and angry. â€Å"How?† â€Å"I'm not sure. I made her be quiet†¦ but she always comes back†¦ always before†¦ I can't hear her now†¦ and Jamie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"She's gone?† Muted agony in his voice. â€Å"I don't know. I can't find her.† Deep breath. â€Å"Why does Ian think I have to kiss you?† â€Å"Not kiss me,† I said, my voice so faint I could barely hear it myself. â€Å"Kiss her. Nothing upset her more than when you kissed us†¦ before. Nothing pulled her to the surface like that. Maybe†¦ No. You don't have to. I'll try to find her myself.† I still had my eyes on his feet, so I saw him step toward me. â€Å"You think, if I kiss her†¦?† I couldn't even nod. I tried to swallow. Familiar hands brushed my neck, tracing down either side to my shoulders. My heart thudded loud enough that I wondered if he could hear it. I was so embarrassed, forcing him to touch me this way. What if he thought it was a trick-my idea, not Ian's? I wondered if Ian was still there, watching. How much would this hurt him? One hand continued, as I knew it would, down my arm to my wrist, leaving a trail of fire behind it. The other cupped beneath my jaw, as I knew it must, and pulled my face up. His cheek pressed against mine, the skin burning where we were connected, and he whispered in my ear. â€Å"Melanie. I know you're there. Come back to me.† His cheek slowly slid back, and his chin tilted to the side so that his mouth covered mine. He tried to kiss me softly. I could tell that he tried. But his intentions went up in smoke, just like before. There was fire everywhere, because he was everywhere. His hands traced my skin, burning it. His lips tasted every inch of my face. The rock wall slammed into my back, but there was no pain. I couldn't feel anything besides the burning. My hands knotted in his hair, pulling him to me as if there were any possible way for us to be closer. My legs wrapped around his waist, the wall giving me the leverage I needed. His tongue twisted with mine, and there was no part of my mind that was not invaded by the insane desire that possessed me. He pulled his mouth free and pressed his lips to my ear again. â€Å"Melanie Stryder!† It was so loud in my ear, a growl that was almost a shout. â€Å"You will not leave me. Don't you love me? Prove it! Prove it! Damn it, Mel! Get back here!† His lips attacked mine again. Ahhh, she groaned weakly in my head. I couldn't think to greet her. I was on fire. The fire burned its way to her, back to the tiny corner where she drooped, nearly lifeless. My hands fisted around the fabric of Jared's T-shirt, yanking it up. This was their idea; I didn't tell them what to do. His hands burned on the skin of my back. Jared? she whispered. She tried to orient herself, but the mind we shared was so disoriented. I felt the muscles of his stomach under my palms, my hands crushed between us. What? Where†¦ Melanie struggled. I broke away from his mouth to breathe, and his lips scorched their way down my throat. I buried my face in his hair, inhaling the scent. Jared! Jared! NO! I let her flow through my arms, knowing this was what I wanted, though I could barely pay attention now. The hands on his stomach turned hard, angry. The fingers clawed at his skin and then shoved him as hard as they could. â€Å"NO!† she shouted through my lips. Jared caught her hands, then caught me against the wall before I could fall. I sagged, my body confused by the conflicting directions it was receiving. â€Å"Mel? Mel!† â€Å"What are you doing?† He groaned in relief. â€Å"I knew you could do it! Ah, Mel!† He kissed her again, kissed the lips that she now controlled, and we could both taste the tears that ran down his face. She bit him. Jared jumped back from us, and I slid to the floor, landing in a wilted heap. He started laughing. â€Å"That's my girl. You still got her, Wanda?† â€Å"Yes,† I gasped. What the hell, Wanda? she screeched at me. Where have you been? Do you have any idea what I've been going through trying to find you? Yeah, I can see that you were really suffering. Oh, I'll suffer, I promised her. I could already feel it coming on. Just like before†¦ She was flipping through my thoughts as fast as she could. Jamie? That's what I've been trying to tell you. He needs you. Then why aren't we with him? Because he's probably a bit young to watch this kind of thing. She searched through some more. Wow, Ian, too. I'm glad I missed that part. I was so worried. I didn't know what to do†¦ Well, c'mon. Let's go. â€Å"Mel?† Jared asked. â€Å"She's here. She's furious. She wants to see Jamie.† Jared put his arm around me and helped me up. â€Å"You can be as mad as you want, Mel. Just stick around.† How long was I gone? Three days is all. Her voice was suddenly smaller. Where was I? You don't know? I can't remember†¦ anything. We shuddered. â€Å"You okay?† Jared asked. â€Å"Sort of.† â€Å"Was that her before, talking to me-talking out loud?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Can she†¦ can you let her do that now?† I sighed. I was already exhausted. â€Å"I can try.† I closed my eyes. Can you get past me? I asked her. Can you talk to him? I†¦ How? Where? I tried to flatten myself against the inside of my head. â€Å"C'mon,† I murmured. â€Å"Here.† Melanie struggled, but there was no way out. Jared's lips came down on mine, hard. My eyes flew open in shock. His gold-flecked eyes were open, too, half an inch away. She jerked our head back. â€Å"Cut that out! Don't touch her!† He smiled, the little creases feathering out around his eyes. â€Å"Hey, baby.† That's not funny. I tried to breathe again. â€Å"She's not laughing.† He left his arm around me. Around us. We walked out into the tunnel junction, and there was no one there. No Ian. â€Å"I'm warning you, Mel,† Jared said, still smiling widely. Teasing. â€Å"You better stay right here. I'm not making any guarantees about what I will or won't do to get you back.† My stomach fluttered. Tell him I'll throttle him if he touches you like that again. But her threat was a joke, too. â€Å"She's threatening your life right now,† I told him. â€Å"But I think she's being facetious.† He laughed, giddy with relief. â€Å"You're so serious all the time, Wanda.† â€Å"Your jokes aren't funny,† I muttered. Not to me. Jared laughed again. Ah, Melanie said. You are suffering. I'll try not to let Jamie see. Thank you for bringing me back. I won't erase you, Melanie. I'm sorry I can't give you more than that. Thank you. â€Å"What's she saying?† â€Å"We're just†¦ making up.† â€Å"Why couldn't she talk before, when you were trying to let her?† â€Å"I don't know, Jared. There really isn't enough room for both of us. I can't seem to get myself out of the way completely. It's like†¦ not like holding your breath. Like trying to pause your heartbeats. I can't make myself not exist. I don't know how.† He didn't answer, and my chest throbbed with pain. How joyful he would be if I could figure out how to erase myself! Melanie wanted to†¦ not to contradict me, but to make me feel better; she struggled to find words to soften my agony. She couldn't come up with the right ones. But Ian would be devastated. And Jamie. Jeb would miss you. You have so many friends here. Thanks. I was glad that we were back to our room now. I needed to think about something else before I started crying. Now wasn't the time for self-pity. There were more important issues at hand than my heart, breaking yet again.

Jada Garrison Essays (180 words) - Discrimination, Behavior, Abuse

Jada Garrison Essays (180 words) - Discrimination, Behavior, Abuse Jada Garrison The Daily Progress Charlottesville, VA 22901 To the Editor, As crime is on the rise in America, hate crimes have made quit an uproar, as you were closely effected by one. In 2016, it was recorded that hate crimes rates were up 20 percent compared to past years. These hate crimes are driving our country right down past paths with separation and hatred. As a student in an American Politics course, I feel hate crimes, also known as "biased crimes", and politics have a very apparent connection. There can be many other explanations for one to carry out a hate crime, but most are based on a personal point of view or opinion on a subject. Many believe that the up-rise in hate crimes can correlate with this past election. When Trump took office, some say that it gave some groups courage to be more publicly active. I feel to resolve some of these outbreaks contact with Governor Terry McAuliffe is needed. It would be most helpful for them to work with peers and find fair grounds. Best, Jada Garrison

Identifying the Most Common North American Conifers

Identifying the Most Common North American Conifers Conifers are commonly thought to be synonymous with evergreen trees, which stay green through the year. However, not all conifers- also known as softwoods- remain green and with needles year-round. They are actually scientifically classed by how they fruit. They are gymnosperms or plants with naked seeds not enclosed in an ovary; these seed fruits called cones are considered more primitive than hardwood fruiting parts. General Guidelines for Broad Identification Though conifers may or may not lose their needles annually, most are indeed evergreen. Trees of this classification have needle-like or scale-like foliage and usually renew many leaves annually but  dont renew all of their leaves every year. The foliage is usually narrow and manifests in either sharp-pointed needles or small and scale-like leaves. Although  studying the needle is the best way to identify a conifer, conifers as a class are defined not by their leaves but by their seeds, so its only important to note the shape and size of leaves after determining whether it is a conifer by the shape, size, and type of seed the tree produces. Softwood trees  include pine, spruces, firs, and cedars, but dont let that alternative name for conifers fool you. Wood hardness varies among the conifer species, and some softwoods are actually harder than some hardwoods. The Many Types of Coniferous Leaves While all trees that bear cones are coniferous, and many of these cones are remarkably different from other species cones, often times the best way to identify the specific genus of a tree is by observing its leaves. Coniferous trees can produce two types of leaves with a variety of slight alterations that further define the tree type. If a tree has needle-like (as opposed to scale-like) leaves, it can then be further defined by how those needles are grouped (singularly or alone), how they are shaped (flattened or four-sided and sharp), the types of stems these leaves are attached to (brown or green), and if the leaves invert or not. Other Ways to Identify Conifers From there, the way the cone or seed is shaped and the way it hangs on the tree (sticking up or handing down), the smell and largeness of individual needles, and the erectness of branches in the tree can also help determine what specific type of conifer a tree is. Chances are ​if a tree has any of these features at all it is a conifer, especially if the tree also bears cone-like seeds. The Most Common Conifer Trees in North America Three of the most common conifers that grow in North America are pine, fir, and spruce trees. The Latin word conifer means to bear cones, and most but not all conifers have cones; junipers and yews, though, produce berry-like fruit. Conifers are among the smallest, largest, and oldest living woody plants known in the world. The more than 500 conifer species are distributed worldwide and are invaluable for their timber but also adapt well to the landscape; there are 200 conifer species in North America, but the most common are listed here: Bald cypress- Genus  TaxodiumCedar- Genus CedrusDouglas fir- Genus  PseudotsugaTrue fir- Genus AbiesHemlock- Genus TsugaLarch- Genus LarixPine- Genus  PinusRedwood- Genus SequoiaSpruce- Genus Picea

Proposal Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Proposal Paper - Essay Example What is the expected outcome of the Patient Protection and Affordable Act? It is hypothesized that, the state government is set to implement all recommendations provided in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Jacobs & Theda 44). Currently, the basic strategies recommended for implementation of the Act has been put in place. In addition, citizens and corporates also are set to embrace the changes recommended in health care system. Patient Protection and Affordable Act (Obama Care): The Patient Protection and Affordable is a Federal Statute assented by President Obama on 23rd March, 2010 (McDonough 12). The statute recommended changes in the health care systems that are aimed at improving the condition at which citizens can fund for their medical services. In general, the act the act aimed at increasing the quality of medical services, increasing affordability of medical insurance, lowering the numbers of the uninsured by increasing corporate and employer responsibility and reducing the cost of medical care for both the government and individuals (Donald 34). An appropriate research plan would effectively understand the history of health reforms until the reforms created in 2010. This would enable the determination of the appropriateness of the reforms in regards to the continuity of the trend. In addition, learning on the history of the healthcare reforms would enable research to identify the significance of the reforms in changing the health care system. Apart from learning the history, the research plan would include survey from all the involved stakeholders. The government would be consulted on the objectives it has set to achieve by the creation of the affordable act. In addition, it would be consulted on plans created to make the reforms effective in the current healthcare system. Patients would also be consulted on how effective the reforms have been since their creation in 2010. The consumer’s opinion will be

Mary Barnett case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Mary Barnett case - Essay Example While analyzing the testimony of Caroline Hospers, it may consider that Mary Barnett was a frequent drinker and she was not a fit mother. It is also identified that Barnett lives without a husband and she had wild parties in her apartment. However, Hospers’ testimony that Barnett had gone to California ‘just to party and have a good time’ is her speculation only (Chaffee, â€Å"thinking critically†). This statement clearly indicates that Hospers’ is not in good touch with Barnett, and therefore her testimony might be biased. Therefore, Hospers’ claim that ‘the baby was not taken care of properly’ might also be a speculation. From the policeman’s testimony, it is pretty clear that Barnett was absolutely conscious of what she was going to do. She admitted to the policeman that she was aware of the fact that she was leaving her baby unattended in the apartment and she would not be coming back soon She also said that she had to get to California at all costs. Hence, it can be assumed that getting to California immediately was the first priority of Barnett and she decided to leave her baby in the apartment for a while. Although Barnett had visited her mother before she left the city, she did not try to ensure that her mother would look after little Alison. In the professional view of Dr. Parker, Barnett is competent to stand trial because her current depression and anxiety problems were induced by the guilt she feels for what she did. Dr. Parker undoubtedly states that Barnett ‘was mentally competent on January 23, when she left her child unattended’. There is no need to suspect the testimony of Dr. Parker because he is an experienced professional psychiatrist who has been involved in many judicial hearings to comment on the mental competency of the defendant. Alice Jones’ testimony reflects that Barnett had been suffering from many life difficulties since the birth of Alison. She adds that Barnett had increasingly depended on