Marius’s essay Essay Example for Free

Marius’s essay Essay The overall idea of Marius’s essay is that writing is hard work. The topic sentence in paragraph two is â€Å"writing takes time – lots of time†. It is difficult to devote time to any one thing, and writing is no exception, especially if a writer struggles with any facet of writing. Some writers don’t even know where to begin; others have to wait for inspiration. Others only do it because they are forced to for a school assignment! Anything without an immediate reward is difficult to do for most people, and if it requires time, it also requires sacrifice, which relates to the third paragraph’s topic sentence, â€Å"most writers require some sort of solitude†. Solitude is equivalent to starvation. It is giving up something that is essential to human existence – companionship. Friends and family sometimes do not understand the need for solitude and can become angry if someone dives into work and all of a sudden becomes unavailable to them. Most friends and family are supportive, but over time will grow tired of being overlooked for a piece of writing. The fourth paragraph focuses on the overall sacrifice that a writer must make in order to work – time and solitude. Both are very difficult and require discipline. Here Marius also touches on the finer aspects of writing – thinking, considering points, testing, examination, and details, details, details! Writing is work, even for those who are good at it or like it. It can be a chore or a beautiful exploration of life.

Incidence and Prevalence of Tuberculosis in the UK

Incidence and Prevalence of Tuberculosis in the UK ESSAY TITLE: Using two theoretical perspectives discuss with reference to the prevalence of ONE disease, E.g. Diabetes, Respiratory diseases; how Disease patterns in society vary and the role of public health agencies in reducing disease and promoting health? Chapter 1 Introduction Society is constantly changing, and these changes come with different social and environmental problems, which result to the emergence of new diseases and an increase in the incidence of existing ones, which affect human health and society as a whole. These include diseases such as cancer, respiratory diseases, diabetes, hepatitis, asthma and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) just to mention a few. In this essay, I will be analysing the incidence and prevalence of Tuberculosis and the pattern of this disease in relation to changes in society. I will also be comparing two theoretical perspectives regarding the nature and causes of Tuberculosis. To conclude, I will be analysing the role and impact of public health agencies in reducing the disease and actively promoting health. Chapter 2 1.1. Incidence and prevalence of Tuberculosis in UK. Definition; Tuberculosis popularly known as TB, is said to be an infectious disease usually caused by a bacterium known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB often affects the lungs but can also spread to any part of the body through the bloodstream. Classic symptoms of TB include; persistent cough, fever, weight loss, loss of appetite and tiredness. TB is contagious and is mostly transmitted from person to person. An infected person can infect about 10 to 15 people over a year if not treated. (NHS choices, 2014). Incidence and prevalence rates; Some decades ago the UK was said to have and increase number of reported TB cases. From 2005 the number of reported cases remained high but stable. In 2009, there was said to be about 9000 cases of TB reported. An incidence rate of 15 case per 100.000 population. This can be said to be the highest since 2005. Then in 2010, the number of cases was 8483, an incidence rate of 13.6/ 100.000 population. This show a decrease in the number of reported cases by about 4.9%. In 2011, there were 8963 cases reported, an incidence of 14.4/100.000 population which again was an increase compared to 2010. Then in 2012, there was 8751 cases, an incidence rate of 13.9 cases per 100.000 population. About 8000 cases of TB was recorded in 2013 in the UK that is a rate of 12.3 cases per 100.000 population. This shows a 10.4% reduction rates in the number of cases reported. (Public Health England, Tuberculosis in UK: Annual reports). The population of UK mostly infected with TB are those born outside the UK. That is those from countries with highest prevalence rate of the disease. For example, India sub-Saharan African, Pakistan, south Asia, Somalia. This group of people usually dwell in urban areas that seem to have the highest number of cases reported. For example London, Luton, Manchester, Coventry Leicester and Birmingham. Chapter 3 1.2. The pattern of Tuberculosis in relation to changes in society Throughout the last 20 years, the UK has been experiencing a steady rise in the number of TB cases. The most affected areas are the urban areas highly populated with immigrants. The rising number of cases in these areas has been related to the pattern of change in how the TB is spread and controlled. For instance, it does not spread through all the segments of the population as it has done previously, but rather affects the population of people in the high risk group. â€Å"†¦those most at risk remain individuals from ethnic minority groups, those with social risk factors such as a history of homelessness, imprisonment or problem with use of drugs or alcohol, and the elderly†. (Public Health England 2013). The small percentage fall in the rates of TB cases in 2012 and 2013 is said to be associated with the fall in the number of cases in the non-UK born population. This may be due to changes in immigration policies and policies to control the disease in the UK and abroad. For instance, around 2007, pre- entry TB test was a requirement for Ghanaians applying for more than six month visa to the UK. â€Å"While this decline is welcome, it is important to recognise that the vast majority of TB cases in the non-UK born population (85%) occur among settled migrants rather than new entrants. Tackling the reactivation of latent TB in such migrants will require systematic implementation of screening and treatment of latent TB infection†. (Public Health England 2014). Chapter 4 2.1. Theoretical perspectives of Tuberculosis. There are so many theoretical perspectives with their individual view about the nature and causes of diseases. There are sociological theories viewing health and diseases in the context of society, and there are psychological theories viewing health and diseases and the context of the mind and so many others. Theories are sometimes useful to public health agencies and the government for the planning of health policies and interventions. In this essay, I will be discussing two theoretical views of tuberculosis, namely the Germ Theory and Biomedical Theory. The Germ theory Around 1850 and 1920, the Germ theory was established, attested and promoted in North America and Europe. This theory stated that every disease is caused by specific invisible tiny organisms (germs). It was a theory that was well matched to the prevailing concepts of health and diseases particularly those connected with the 19th century hygiene and sanitation. Joseph Lister, Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur are some of the well-known persons in connection with the germ theory. This theorist believed that disease can be reduced by means of personal hygiene. They did not pay much attention to other factors such as climate, diet, environmental ventilation etc. Base on this, hygiene and sanitation promoters such as Florence Nightingale and Rudolf Virchow did not accept the theory. To them the germ theory could not be related to the progresses in public health. The theory was established in a social, cultural and economic settings that were highly focused on the principles of mass production, mass consumption, standardisation and efficiency which were harmonious with the discipline of the theory. The high achievement of the theory coupled with the fact that medicine was linked to laboratory resulted in a rise in the social prestige of physicians and medical research and practice. This happened at the time when the general public was uncertain about the significance of traditional medical practice. To rise a new public consciousness of the theory, the general public was made to understand that diseases are not only cause by germs, but also they are passed on from person to person. Germs were related to home hygiene, including cooking, plumbing, and heating. Therefore women were the main targets used to spread the information about germs. (Harvard University Library Open Collections Program, 2015). â€Å"In the case of tuberculosis, which formerly had been considered noncontagious, basic changes in everyday hygiene were required. Mass production, mass communication, and national advertising had developed alongside the germ theory during the same period, and the tools of public relations were put into play to inform the public about TB’s contagiousness, as well as to inform people about the germ theory in general†. (Harvard University Library Open Collections Program, 2015). The biomedical perspective The biomedical perspective on the other hand believe that a sick person is presumed to be an inert receiver of orders from medical professionals (doctors). This theory sees diseases as biomedical problems that are caused by bacteria or viruses, and treatment is targeted on the sick person’s body. A sick person is seen as a broken person who need to be fixed. This does not consider other factors that may be causing the health problems. For instance social, environmental and psychological factors. When a patients does not respond to treatment, it is assumed to be caused by the individual characteristics such as age and gender. Policies and practice of health care services can be said to be based on this theory. Doctors are the authority who give instructions and patients are the receivers of the instruction. Medication Event Monitoring Systems (WHO 2011), used to monitor adherence is embedded in this perspective. In spite of its inherent use by many health professionals, this perspective is uncommonly used openly in interventions. (BMC Public Health, 2007) Chapter 5 3.1. The role of public health agencies in reducing Tuberculosis Tuberculosis is a worldwide health problem which has put government and public health agencies on their toes. Every nation is working hard to control if not eradicate the disease. In the UK, the Local Government Association, Public Health England, the NHS and other public agencies are working together to come out with policies, procedures, practices and measures that will help control the spread of the disease. Some of these include: Pre-entry screening The government has introduced a pre-entry screening programme for TB in countries noted to have high incidence of the disease. Residents of those countries who are applying for more than six month visa to the UK has to undergo TB screening. This screening involve chest x-ray and checking for symptoms. Those found with active TB will have to undergo treatment before they are issue visas. (Local.gov.uk, 2014). Use of Anti-TB drugs A mixture of anti-TB drugs are given to patients to lessen the possibility of the TB bacteria becoming resistant to one or more of them. Patients are usually started on a six months course of anti-TB drugs which is made up of four different drugs. The six month course of anti-TB is said to be the most effective period that will guarantee that the inactive bacteria are killed and cannot reactivate to cause TB in future. (Local.gov.uk, 2014). BCG Vaccination BCG vaccination are being offered to babies, infants and young children who come from countries with high rates of TB. Those born in the UK to parents from the high risk zone are also given the vaccine to protect them from the diseases. Early discovery, diagnosing and treatment is said to be another way of controlling the diseases. Healthcare workers are also advice to take the vaccine because they stand the chance of getting infected at work. Chapter 6 3.2. The impact of public health agencies in reducing Tuberculosis Tuberculosis has been seen to have a huge health and social effect on those infected. The existing inequalities in deprived areas is seen to be rising because of this disease. The Chief Medical Officer has recognised the inequalities, and increasing levels of antimicrobial resistance, as primary concern for England. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 has made it the responsibility of local government, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England to reduce the inequalities. It is believe that the NHS, CCGs and Public Health will be making savings if TB is eradicated. Because it cost a lot to diagnose and treat drug-sensitive and resistant forms of TB. Some of the task set up to achieve this are; 1. Improve access to services and ensure early diagnosis 2. Provide universal access to high quality diagnostics 4. Ensure comprehensive contact tracing 5. Improve BCG vaccination uptake 6. Reduce drug-resistant TB 7. Tackle TB in under-served populations 8. Systematically implement new entrant latent TB screening 9. Strengthen surveillance and monitoring (gov.uk website, 2015) Chapter 7 3.3. The role and impact of public health agencies in actively promoting health It is the responsibility of every individual in a society to keep themselves healthy. The public health agencies of every society also have the responsibility of helping the members of that society to stay healthy. Some of the responsibilities of health agencies such as the NHS in promoting health as recommended in a report from the NHS Future Forum (gov.uk) are; Healthcare professionals making every contact count; to do so they will need to ensure that every contact they make with a patient should help to improve their mental and physical health and wellbeing. Improving the health and wellbeing of the NHS workforce by designing and implementing strategies to improve the mental and physical health and wellbeing of staff. Refocusing the NHS towards prevention and promotion; all providers of NHSà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ funded care should strive to prevent poor health and promote healthy living by in cooperating it into their daily business, and they should be recognised for achieving excellence. Building partnerships outside the NHS; NHS commissioners and providers of NHSà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ funded care should work together with other local services to promote health and wellbeing in areas where the NHS finds difficult to reach. Sharing learning and best practice; Healthcare professionals, NHS commissioners and providers of NHSà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ funded care should share learning about improving the public’s health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities, and seek to learn from others. Public Health England should ensure that evidence and best practice are spread across the NHS. 1

Man is a Social Animal Essay

Man is a Social Animal Essay Man is a social animal, said Aristotle years ago, human races proved and realized the importance of his statement by the passage of time. Individuals live in groups and can not separate themselves from being part of a group. Individuals have their own importance, their behaviours and performance can not be ignored as these influence the behaviours and production of groups they belong to. Groups exist every where, and we are a part of it whether we realize this or not. This does not mean that individuals do not give better results when performing alone, they do, but man is dependent on others to fulfil different kinds of need. Working in groups is beneficial for an individual as he gets more exposure and leaning takes place in many ways, and he also learns to survive in group which is the basic necessity for an individual. In order explain individuals behaviour in a group it is important to understand different types of groups, their norms and values and possible causes of the conflicts. There have been researches and experiments conducted by several scientists in order to explain unique behavioural pattern of each individual in working environment. Individual and Group: Groups are of vital importance in all fields of life whether its work situation, personal or social life, these are either formal or informal. Some people may prefer to work alone as they perform better and some might want to be a part of a group in various situations. I want to put myself as an example here, when this assignment was given I was worried to work individually on it and the reason behind this was that firstly I feel more comfortable to discuss ideas with people and second, as I write simple and straight I feel better working as a group where I can use other persons words to flourish and talk about my ideas more clearly. Critical Analysis with Examples: Formal groups are formed by organisations to achieve certain goals or tasks (Bowditch and Buono, 1994). In these groups goals, tasks, roles and norms are defined by the management (Brooks, 2009). Working in a formal group is of great benefit for an individual as this develops different skills and abilities in a person. One gets a chance to see how others behave and respond to different situations and learn to work in a group effectively. I worked as a teacher for 2 years in Pakistan and learnt many things working in a group of teachers. I feel working in a group influenced my attitude and behaviour as individual, I gained more confidence of doing tasks or projects I have never done before. It also helped in developing decision power and managing multi tasks in given array of time. Working in a competitive environment changed my attitude when I started getting positive feedback from management and parents. Children respond me very well as I worked hard on each child, tried to develop skills and work on their weaknesses. There I got chance to study behaviours of children and parents as well. I tried to bring positive changes in children showing them my own example, as I was a role model for them, so in this way got a chance to study and observe own behaviours and attitudes in detail.. People join informal groups to satisfy their social, psychological and personal needs. These groups fulfil the individuals needs of social interaction that lack working in formal groups. These groups not only exist out side work place but also at work places and people of same thinking and values become a part or make themselves a part of a particular group. When I joined University of Salford in January as an international postgraduate student, I was a part of a formal group that was defined by university comprising almost thirty five students. Later students split into informal groups in order to satisfy their social needs depending on culture, language, race, age and gender. According to Maslows Hierarchy of need theory, individual try to satisfy his basic needs which differ in importance. He identifies eight innate needs ranging from physiological and safety needs to self-actualization needs (Mullins, 2005). This theory answers one of the questions why informal groups are formed also why individuals are attracted towards each other to become part informal groups. According to Hunsaker and Cook (1986) informal groups have strong influence on an individual than formal. Individuals are open to join a group of homogeneous thoughts; this gives psychological satisfaction and helps them to perform better in formal groups. All groups have some norms as a proof of their existence or value. Norms are guidelines set by organisations or groups and are considered as code of conduct for its members. According to Kreitner, Kinicki Buelens (1999) norms are unwritten and are seldom discussed. It is an attitude, mind-set and feeling shared by people, which bounds them to follow these as to continue with their membership with the group. I would like to state an example here from the school where I was teaching, it was a norm for children to come to school in proper uniform and those who deviate from this norm were considered to be violating the rule. There were some discipline rules as well which all children had to follow as part of their training and personality development, like they were not allowed to talk loud or shout in the class, had to leave the room in queue if going some where together, ask for permission before they enter in class, raise hand before they speak in class. Such norms are advantageous for students in order to discipline and organise them. According to a research group norms have strong influences on new members and they adopt the same behaviour as a result of group pressure. It gives example of a boy who indulges in violent activities after joining a gang involved in such brutal activities (Yablonsky, cited in McKenna, 2000). Roles are behavioural aspects which are expected from a person or group in a particular position. According to a research, attitude change is driven by roles (Bowditch and Buono, 1994), and the performance of an individual is enhanced if the role he is into suits his personality (Belbin, cited in Davies and Kanaki, 2006). An individual performs many roles in a group, like a teacher plays many roles in order to satisfy management and own personal need or others social needs. For children she is a teacher and a mother, who cares for them gives them sense of protection and security, trims them to face realities of life; also achieves set targets utilizing her own potentials to satisfy management; fulfils colleagues social, psychological needs. She plays more roles in her personal life like, of a daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend with various expectations from her which are not communicated formally but understood. Boulden (1983) says this tradition of very high level of expectations in work situation was set in sixties, which has brought decline to the businesses as it is very difficult for a person to match that level of expectation. When individuals share same targets, thinking and work closely together with commitment to achieve certain tasks, shows a good level of cohesiveness in a group. Cohesiveness of small groups increases when they are less diverse and more interactive, where as larger groups are less cohesive when they are more diverse and have competition (Capon, 2004).Cohesive groups share same attitudes, likings, performance and better in dealing with deviants than less cohesive groups (Bowditch and Buono, 1994). Mullins (2005) states a cohesiveness in groups is beneficial for organisations, it also leaves the members with rewarding experiences. The best example of cohesiveness can be of military, where changes in level of coordination can change the situation in battle field. It is therefore necessary for them to co-ordinate well for achieving better results. I remember the time in school when we were preparing for annual function and a few programmes were included in schedule. Teachers had to prepare children for stage performances and there was an art exhibition on the same day. Annual sports day was following this event, due to which schedule was too tight for teachers as well as for children, who had to manage themselves for so many activities though at lower level and under teachers supervision. Such situations require high level of cohesiveness to achieve targets, which is not easy as outsiders are involved in observations who also critically evaluate the organisations performance. Such situations in work experience give its members to learn from observations like other individuals or groups behaviours, and dealing techniques with groups and individuals. Good cohesiveness in a group influences an individuals behaviour, also gives high level of job satisfaction. The member follows the norms of the group which have either positive or negative impact on his attitude and behaviour both. If the group norms are good and polish his creativities and skills, that helps developing his personality, but if the norms are negative like, to produce less than ability lefts negative impact on his behaviour. According to Hawthornes experiment of fourteen men working in a wiring room formed their own informal group and the norm which everyone strongly followed was to produce less then their ability. That is how norms can be disadvantageous, if they are negative in nature (Mullins, 2005). High level of cohesiveness is not necessarily always favourable as it stops creativity, thinking, decision power and problem solving skills in a group which results in Groupthink. According to a research previously it was thought that high cohesiveness is necessary for high performance, but it was Janis, who gave a concept that high group cohesiveness leads to group think an ultimate disaster fiasco for groups decision making ability (Eaton, 2001). I want to quote Vietnam War here which was a consequence of high cohesiveness that lead to group think and America attacked Vietnam without considering the after effects they had face. Bowditch and Buono (1994) quote Janiss work saying groupthink leads to overoptimism and high risk taking by group members; there is rationalisation of groups decisions so other members are not allowed to question the decisions made. Leadership is a necessity which cannot be avoided in order to manage activities, conflicts and decision making. According to Mullins (2005 p.282) Leadership is a relationship through which one person influences the behaviour or actions of other people. It is the leadership which moulds the behaviour of ordinary group members to competitive group, which enhances the competency level of members of that group. Great man theory explains well the qualities of good leaders, according to which the leaders influence the behaviour of people by force of their personality (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004). The best example of leadership I think is Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of my country, Pakistan. It was because of his strong leadership qualities that he united the Muslims of sub-continent on one plate form, as a nation. Different style of leadership have different affects on individuals personality, like, Autocratic leadership style suppresses the abilities of the group members. On the other hand if the leader tries to involve the member in making decisions, he wins their confidence, able to take better decisions, this also have very positive effects on the attitudes of members. I want to share my own experience of working with SLM Connexions, a call centre located in Manchester, UK. The company started business with a good deal of investment, and recruitment of talented staff. The autocratic style of leadership was adopted by the directors who use to tell the staff what they want them to do or sell. Sometimes suggestions were welcomed but no one was allowed to question their decisions, and as a result the company bear much loss in last few months for making many wrong decisions. Whenever individuals interact with each other, there is always a possibility of conflict between them depending on multidimensional thinking, perception and behaviour. Conflict my arise due to several reasons ranging from improperly defined roles to ambiguity in norms. Whatever reason of conflict is, it affects its member both positively and negatively. Role conflict mainly arises due to unethical behaviour of a member (Johns and Saks, 2005). Conflicts may also arise from cultural, demographic and value differences (Vodosek, 2007). I want to quote an example from my own experience in school where teachers were provided with pick and drop facility. These group of teachers were from different level, like some were from pre-school and some from primary and their finishing time was different from each other. Pre-school teachers finished an hour before the primary level teacher and had enough time to wind-up before going home, but primary teachers use to finish at 2oclock. Conflict arouse when pre-school teachers demanded van to leave school as they get free early without considering the teachers who finish at 2oclock. This conflict leads to many other conflicts in school regarding duty timings and some others. Then our academic co-ordinator decided to have consensus and time was fixed for the school van to leave after school. Conflict brings success to an organisation and groups in many ways. Conflicts are a sign of healthy mental approach; bring new ideas, innovations which individuals should learn to take positively as it is beneficial for them as well. On other hand conflict has adverse affects on personality behaviour of an individual that can result in stress and frustration. Conclusion: The subject discussed above reflects the positive and negative aspects of group behaviours on individual. Individuals and groups work parallel to each other in every sphere of life and study of an individuals behaviour in a group is as important as organizations. An individual interacts with other people in perspectives of behaviours and attitudes throughout life and learn to polish, enhance and develops his personality, through learning from different experiences. Management should take the responsibility to resolve the conflicts related to roles, status leadership, norms, and develops good cohesiveness so that individuals can get maximum benefit from it. Generally problems are taken as hurdles but these are there to teach us. We should take them as opportunity which gives a new horizon to perception of an individual.

Suicide :: essays research papers

Suicide is intentional self-inflicted acts that end in death("Suicide," Compton's). After a series of traumatic events, normal coping abilities can be pushed over the edge; the result may be suicide. In each year, an average of 30,000 suicide deaths occur in the United States. It is estimated that 5,000 of those suicides are committed by teenagers(SAVE, 2). One major reason that the suicide rate among teenagers is so high, is that the teenage years are a period of commotion. New social roles are being learned, new relationships are being developed, bodily changes are occurring, and decisions about the future are being made during the teenage years. Teenagers tend to commit suicide after large changes, significant losses, or abuse has occurred in their lives. An important change in a relationship, school or body image may contribute to a teenagers' tendency to commit suicide. The death of a loved one, the loss of a valued relationship, and the loss of self esteem are some significant losses which might be a factor in teen suicide("The Real World [Suicide: Facts]," 1). Perceived abuse such as physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, social abuse or neglect can lead to self-murder("Teen Suicide," 3). Significant changes, losses, and abuse can promote suicidal tendencies. Few suicidal people have some type of depression, yet those who have one can be provoked to commit suicide. There are two main types of depression suffered by (, 2) suicidal people("Suicide," {Grolier}). The first type is reactive depression. This type of depression is the reaction of a difficult and often traumatic experience. Endogenous depression is the second type of depression. It is the result of a mental illness which is diagnosable by a professional. Some suicidal people have a combination of both reactive depression and endogenous depression. Others could have a depression which is undiagnosed. A persistent sad mood, thoughts of suicide, persistent physical pains that do not respond to treatment, difficulty concentrating, irritability and fatigue are some symptoms of depression(American Psychiatric Association, 4). If a person has four or more of the symptoms lasting for more than two weeks, that person could have a type of depression. Those people with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and clinical depression have much higher suicide rates than average(Tom Arsenault, 2). Teenagers display warning signs of suicide. The indications come in two ways. First exhibited are the early warning signs. These signs include difficulties in school, depression, drug abuse, sleep and eating disturbances, and a loss of interest in activities. Restlessness, feelings of failure, overreaction to criticism, overly self-critical, anger, and a preoccupation with death or Satan are also some signals teenagers contemplating suicide will give("Teen Suicide," (, 3) 3). The other type of clues are late warning signs.

Biblical References in Pulp Fiction Essay -- Film Movie Quentin Tarant

Pulp Fiction Throughout the movie Pulp Fiction, directed by Quentin Tarantino, there are many hidden references to religion and the Bible. The movie starts off, introducing our two main characters, Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield, as two cheap hitmen in search of a package belonging to their boss, Marcellus Wallace. The package is retrieved, and they then began their job of returning it to their boss. Along the way, they ran into difficulties, such as Vega's so-called "date" with his boss' wife, Mia, during which she overdosed on heroin, and Vega was forced to take her to the drug dealer's house to save her life, as well as the robbers in the restaurant, who try to take the suitcase from Winnfield, but were unsuccessful. The whole movie serves as a warning to all mankind to avoid the temptations of the Devil, as well as a warning to not try to play God, because the two boys who stole the suitcase play the role of the Devil, as do the drugs, and they were almost the downfall of the whole attempt. The movie wasted no time in introducing the first biblical reference when the two men try to retrieve the suitcase containing Wallace's belongings. When Vega opened the suitcase, he used the combination "666" to open the suitcase, and when he opened it, the contents glowed a golden-orange color. This was obviously an introductory attempt to show the audience that the suitcase held Marcellus' soul. Perhaps Tarantino was trying to show that the people that stole the suitcase were the devils pawns, and these two hitmen were angels trying to retrieve stolen property. After Vega and Winnfield had obtained their "treasure," Winnfield quoted the Bible, specifically Ezekiel 25:17, the passage about destroying the evil members of the society that try to harm others for no reason. Part of that passage was "..and you will know my name is the Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon thee." This quote shows that Winnfield sees what he is doing as heroic, or maybe angelic, and by carrying out his duties, he is following the word of the Lord. As Winnfield shot the boy, Brett, an orange-golden glow enveloped the screen, representing Brett's soul leaving his body. This whole part of the movie is to warn the evil-doers of the world to cease their wrongdoings, because there are people out there who will stop them. The next main scene of... ...od, sometimes what he does is not right, and he is trying to be the one that always does the right thing: the shepherd. This is another reason why Jules is not killed off. He realized that he cannot play God, and therefore he is forgiven. Vincent, however, never fully realized this, and he is punished at the end of the story by being killed by Butch. Although cleverly hidden, the signs of biblical inference and the power of God are extremely prevalent in the film. Elements of the plot such as the realization of wrongdoing by Jules, the general feeling that the Wallaces are trying to be all knowing and all powerful, the drug dealer being the downfall as well as the savior for Mia, and the way that Jules and Vincent try to control others lives and are punished for it all show us something. These signs show us that we must do as we think we should, and not try to control anyone but yourself, because if you are busy trying to control others, you may not be tending to yourself, leaving yourself wide open to manipulation by others like yourself. If we mind our own business and take care of ourselves, the world would go a lot smoother, and have many fewer conflicts.

Demoiselles D’ Avignon Essay

During the 20th century the art form â€Å"Primitivism† was just taking shape. Any artist that wanted to paint in this style would look for inspiration from sculptures and masks of African and Polynesian origin (Yahoo.com, 2007). Spain’s distance to Africa played a huge role on this art styles coming about. Paul Cezanne took this style and adapted it to his work. You could say that primitive art was deeply influenced by the works of Paul Cezanne. Cezanne was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th century conception of artistic endeavor to a new and radically different world of art in the 20th century (PaulCezanne.org, 2012). Pablo Picasso was one of those artists who were influenced by the works of Cezanne. You can see Cezanne’s influence in Picassos Demoiselles D’ Avignon. Through Picassos Demoiselles d’ Avignon he is able to reshape the art of the 20th century. Pablo Picasso w as born in 1881; he was a Spanish painter, draughtsman, and sculptor (PabloPicasso.org, 2009). He is one of the most recognized figures in 20th-century art. Picasso is best known for co-founding the Cubist movement and also for the wide variety of styles embodied in his work. Among his most famous paintings are the proto-Cubist Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907) and Guernica (1937), his portrayal of the German bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War (PabloPicasso.org, 2009). No painter had been as famous as Picasso leading up to the 20th century. To say that he is one of the best that ever lived is an understatement. During the early parts of the 20th century Picasso’s style varied as he experimented with different theories, techniques, and ideas. Picasso also mastered all aspects of late century realist technique (PabloPicasso.org, 2009). Born to a father that was a painter Picasso was instilled with the tools and skills to succeed in art at a very early age. By the time he became the age of 14 Picasso had become an advanced student at the Barcelona Academy of fine Arts. Picasso’s art was like no other, you can see who he was influenced by but he always had his own twist. Picasso believed that the true meaning of art was to be derived from the works of other art, and not directly from nature (Renoirinc.com, 2008). Throughout his life his work was influenced by many different artists. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s and Paul Cezanne style of work can be seen in Picasso’s earlier work, during his â€Å"blue period† which lasted from (1901- 1904). After his â€Å"blue period was a period called the â€Å"rose period†. During which he painted harlequins and circus performers in a lighter and warmer color scheme, an underlying mood of spiritual loneliness and lyrical melancholy that marked his â€Å"blue† paintings was retained (Renoirinc.com, 2008). Picasso’s blue and rose periods vanished rather abruptly when he started the next phase of his career; both Picasso and Georges Braque began to lay the foundation of a new art form called cubism (Renoirinc.com, 2008). Cubism was the use of geometric shapes, interlocking planes. Astonished by the simplicity of pre-Christian Iberian bronzes and African sculpture, he and Braque began to work in a consciously primitive and monumental style that Picasso explored in sculpture as well as in painting (Renoirinc.com, 2008). He took these art forms combined them with the style that was first developed by Cezanne and produced Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (The Ladies of Avignon) was originally titled the Brothel of Avignon, was painted in 1907 Pablo Picasso. The painting is a portrait of five nude female prostitutes from a brothel in Barcelona. According to Wikipedia.com â€Å"Each figure is depicted in a disconcerting confrontational manner and none are conventionally feminine. The women appear as slightly menacing and rendered with angular and disjointed body shapes. Two are shown with African mask-like faces and three more with faces in the Iberian style of Picasso’s native Spain, giving them a savage aura† (Wikipedia.com, 2012). This portrait of Demoiselles was very controversial, because of that it led to wide anger and disagreement, even amongst his closest associates and friends (Wikipedia.com, 2012). When Picasso set out to paint this portrait I believe he wanted to make a statement. He could have painted anything; instead he chose to paint prostitutes. It wasn’t just the fact that painted these prostitutes it was also a big deal because of the manner and art form he chose to paint them in. Though this painting is controversial it opened the door for a new method of art style. When Picasso first began to sketch this painting he originally started the painting with men in it but by the end of the finished product he dropped the man and added the drapery in their place. The influence of â€Å"primitive art opened the door of to a radically new method of form and space (Kliener, 2006). When asked why he chose to portray the women the way he did Picasso said â€Å"I paint forms as I think them, not as I see them† (Kliener, 2006). Pablo Picasso had a tremendous influence on art. He is recognized as one of the most famous since Michelangelo. His work in pioneering Cubism established a set of pictorial problems, devices, and approaches, which remained important well into the 1950s (TheArtStory.org, 2012). Yes, cubism was there before Picasso decide to adapt the style but it wasn’t until he used the style in his own way did it really get the true recognition that it did. Picasso went through many stages in his career, from his works in the 1920s to his works in the 1940’s it took him to really put theses styles on the map. Pablo Picassos work lives on in many American artists. Taking a look at the artist Willem de Kooning and his work of monstrous women we will see him pay homage to the cubist women that were typically painted by Picasso. You will also see artist like Jackson Pollock reference Picasso by using bold black lines to outline figures in his work. Jasper Johns is a painter and sculptor, he is best known for his encaustic painting of flags and targets. Beside his works of flags and targets he also created dozens of works that incorporate elements directly from Picasso paintings – including nudes, mythical creatures, and portraits of women (artrevived.com). Pablo Picasso was a great artist, more like a jack of all trades. He was able to take art styles created by other people adapt it to his own style of work and make it amazing! He not only mad a claim on the people of his time but is still in some was very much alive in artist today. Picasso began his early work influenced by â€Å"primitivism† and â€Å"cubism† art and let the world influencing all the art of today. He not only mastered the works of artists before him and during his time he perfected it as well as opened the door for many different artists. Pablo Picasso had a huge influence on 20th century art. If we look at one of his most famous works of Les Demoiselles d’Avignon we will see how he was able to reshape the art of the 20th century. Referlles d’ Avignon. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Demoiselles_d’Avignon

Issues Facing Education Essay

This article points out the varying trends in higher education. In the current learning dynamic, one has many options. Some can pursue a more traditional education by way of a four year university or do what the students enrolled in this course are doing; seeking education by way of the Internet. Colleges, universities and educational opportunities in general have evolved throughout history. To save myself and my readers from a long history lesson, I will narrow it down to the last few decades. If you look back to our parents, or even grandparents generations, you can see there has been a transition not only in curriculum, but also in how we receive our education. We are able to further our educations despite not being able to physically be in a classroom. Bill Gates predicted that â€Å"place-based activity in college will be five times less important than it is today. † (Aoun, par. 1). The author points out that higher learning is available to many that would not have the opportunity due to location, careers, or another important aspect; sufficient funding. For example, students can attend larger colleges by way of satellite locations, online learning opportunities, overseas and international opportunities and still have the option to decide between many degrees. The main point of the article is not that one is better than the other or will eventually replace the other. Instead, these added variations are an enhancement to today’s educational opportunities. I completely agree with the author’s perspective that just because one chooses an alternate path to pursue higher education, it does not mean that the end state of one is better than the other. Bill Gates is right to have faith in the ability of online education to empower new generations of students to advance their educations. But if past is prologue, online education will remain a component of–not the answer to–the diverse system that has cemented the leadership of American higher education in the world (Aoun, par. 16). It is through technological advancement and the evolution of education that someone in my position is able to serve in the military ull time, maintain a family and still have the opportunity to attend college. If education would have remained a â€Å"brick and mortar† institution, I would have to wait until my service was complete which would limit my career opportunities in the future. The evolution of education can only be seen as beneficial to today’s society, economy and to the advancement of our culture as a whole. I feel this article would be very useful in a research essay due to the fact that the author does not take a biased approach to the issue. He does point out the very different aspects, good and bad, of different ways education is offered and the additional activities that may or may not be present during place based learning. I don’t necessarily agree that the lack of peer to peer contact, school spirit, or community activities involved with campus life will make a person more or less successful. Throughout our lives we are faced with diversity, new opportunities, new ways of thinking and the chance to learn from different experiences. Lifelong learning is about opening yourself up to all of these things no matter whether it’s for a degree or for personal enrichment.