The eNotes Blog Well, Good Luck With That As I Lay Dying Film Coming, Someday, Briefly, to a Theater NearYou

Well, Good Luck With That As I Lay Dying Film Coming, Someday, Briefly, to a Theater NearYou So the other day I was looking up something on IMDB and saw a listing for  As I Lay Dying.   Now, that is shocking enough, if you have ever read the novel. To me, at least, its stream-of-consciousness format is going to make things  mighty  difficult to put on screen. Then add to that the fact that the very-beautiful-to-look at James Franco   is starring as Darl Bundren  and I really scratch my head (Franco is also directing).   I suppose Franco has been trying to branch out beyond his  Pineapple Express  and rom-com roles. In 2010, he took on the rather daunting challenge of portraying Allen Ginsberg in  Howl.   The reviews were mixed.   IMDB offers this description of theplot of  As I Lay Dying:   it is the story of the death of Addie Bundren and her familys quest to honor her wish to be buried in the nearby town of Jefferson.   That sounds simple enough! A quest, a burial, a familyBut for those unfamiliar,   heres a sample of some of Faulkners text, which is, if I recall properly, pretty representative of the entire novel: â€Å"In a strange room you must empty yourself for sleep. And before you are emptied for sleep, what are you. And when you are emptied for sleep, what are you. And when you are emptied for sleep you are not. And when you are filled with sleep, you never were. I dont know what I am. I dont know if I am or not. Jewel knows he is, because he does not know that he does not know where he is or not. He cannot empty himself for sleep because he is not what he is and he is what he is not. Beyond the unlamped wall I can hear the rain shaping the wagon that is ours, the load that is no longer theirs that felled and sawed it nor yet theirs that bought it and which is not ours either, lie on our wagon though it does, since only the wind and the rain shape it only to Jewel and me, that are not asleep. And Jewel is, so Addie Bundren must be. And then I must be, or I could not empty myself for sleep in a strange room. And so if I am not emptied yet, I am is.† I really enjoyed the novel but I did not find it an especially accessible or easy read.  Nor was it meant to be, and thats fine. But I truly wonder how it can make the jump to film. So what audience is Franco hoping for? Us? The English Majors of the World? Well, thats cool, I guess.   I hope its   target is not the general movie-going public. And I hope the work doesnt get mangled trying to make the  transition  to film. Just for grins, here are a couple of 1-Star Review comments on the novel from Amazon: First off I am baffled at how many people like this book. You know a book is written poorly when you have to go on [online]   just to figure out who the characters are and what the hell is going on. Clear is something this book is not. What is with the round about ways of saying things? The book was absolutely awful. Not one person had any sensible thoughts. If someone came close to making sense, their thoughts were hard to follow with a different speaker each chapter. All i got out of this book was: dont cross a river with a coffin, and bananas must be really tasty (the characters probably ate over 10 tons of them) How a group of self-absorbed, uncaring nimrods comes to feel such a sense of duty to a dead woman that they would risk crossing a river, that has swelled its banks and swept away the only bridge, in a donkey lead cart is simply beyond me. This book and all of Faulkners works are horrible and would not find a publisher if written in 2008. There is not an editor alive that would read past the first chapter of As I lay dying. It is a dud. There is no reason to read it. None. The story is not interesting. Faulkners stream of consciousness writing style is not interesting. Nothing about this book is worthwhile, except to say that youve read Faulkner. I can say that rereading this book again I did actually feel pain. I felt like crying, it was horrible. The film is still in production. No release date has yet been set.

The Prince and the Discourses on Livy Essays

The Prince and the Discourses on Livy Essays The Prince and the Discourses on Livy Paper The Prince and the Discourses on Livy Paper Essay Topic: The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli was at his time and continues to be now days one of the most influential and revolutionary authors known throughout the centuries. His writings, distinct from other renaissance authors of the epoch, make emphasis on his personal views and his opinions on the political matters taking place in Florence, Italy. Further discussed in the text are two of Machiavelli’s most renowned works, The Prince and the Discourses on Livy. Both books comprehend Machiavelli’s understandings of politics and explicit analysis on the various methods of governments with respect to principalities and republics. Machiavelli had many intentions in mind when he was first writing The Prince, among which where to understand, instruct and influence the minds of rulers at the time. More precisely, Machiavelli meant to influence the mind of one ruler in particular, the ruler of Florence Lorenzo de’ Medici to whom the book is dedicated. Machiavelli’s purpose throughout the book intended to help Lorenzo de’ Medici achieve eminence as a prince and guide him on how to properly rule Florence. The fist chapter of The Prince opens up by describing how many kinds of governments there are, in what manner they are given rise to and how they are later on acquired by states. Curiously, it is indeed, the first sentence of Chapter I which contains, what is perhaps, the most important discovery in Machiavelli’s entire writings from the Prince___ â€Å"ALL states and governments that have had, and have at present, dominion over men, have been and are either republics or principalities. Being introduced the topic on governments, Machiavelli proceeds to make an acquaintance on principalities and restrains himself to talk only about this one type of government___ â€Å"I Will not discuss here the subject of republics, having treated of them at length elsewhere, but will confine myself only to principalities. † Machiavelli argues that principalities can be either hereditary, new or mixed. Hereditary principalities are the kinds of principalities â€Å"where the governmen t has been for a long time in the family of the prince. The prince, in the line to succeed, is the natural heir to a perfect constitution on which to base his rule upon and for which people are accustomed. He explains that in order for the natural prince to continue with the good reign, is it merely enough that he accommodates himself to the order of things previously established by his predecessors and occasionally need to adapt institutions to the current events. Machiavelli argues that ereditary principalities are maintained with much less effort and difficulty than new or mixed principalities in reason that hereditary principalities, having made a fair beginning, have had the time to perfect its constitution and laws to assure security and bring content to all of those who live under its rule. Whereas in mixed and new principalities that rulers, having made a new start, may easily run out of time before having perfected its constitution and thus end up by destroying the state. In addition, Machiavelli argues that the natural prince was also liable of inheriting the affection of the people who had at other periods in time become familiar with he’s family. Thus, to the disadvantage of new coming ruler’s, the natural prince had on his behalf a natural disposition of the subjects in the hereditary state to love the ruling family. Finally, Machiavelli concludes his chapter on hereditary principalities by saying that â€Å"for each change and alteration always prepares the way and facilitates the next. In simple english, that in hereditary states the rule from prince to prince is facilitated by bringing on a change at different times giving people an opportunity to come familiarize at their own pace, while new or mixed principalities are obliged to enforce change in a flash. Machiavelli has overtime become a common adjective to immorality for he deeply believes that the main objective to politics is by all means to remain in power. Machiavelli thi nks of the virtue of the prince as the virtue of courage, strength and most importantly manhood. He argues that it if the natural prince possesses such extreme sagacity, he will always maintain himself in the state unless deprived by a superior force. Nonetheless, if the natural prince has reasons enough to irritate his subjects and causes himself to be hated, people will willingly trade him for another ruler in the hopes that the new ruler will be better than the present one. Machiavelli says that once the prince is replaced, the state is no longer to be considered a hereditary principality but be classified as a mixed principality. As Machiavelli had at first noted, new and mixed principalities are indeed much more difficult to maintain. For it is in new and mixed principalities that difficulties start to present themselves. Machiavelli states that mutations to form mixed principalities, in which men change their rulers gladly in the belief that they will better themselves by the change, arise from a natural difficulty. Unfortunately for the people, problems for Machiavelli do not stop here, for he argues that it is â€Å"an infinite number of other wrongs that follow in the train of new conquests. When the new prince takes over another prince’s domain, he finds himself in a delicate situation with regard to the people who put him in power and with those whom he injured by seizing that principality. He explains that the new prince has â€Å"for enemies all those whom he has injured by seizing that principality; and at the same time he cannot preserve as friends even those who have aided him in obtainin g possession, because he cannot satisfy their expectations, nor can he employ strong measures against them, being under obligations to them. Concluded then that, no matter how strong the new prince may be for he will always need the goodwill of the inhabitants if he wishes to enter into firm possession of the country. So far seen in the Prince, Machiavelli confined himself to talk only about one type of government, principalities. Yet, in the Discourses on Livy, he moves on to put forth what he had set aside in The Prince, republics. It is then, that he’s writings take a new direction leading the way to six forms of government not mentioned before. Whence, giving a whole new purpose to his second book which is to further explain and describe each type of government there are and particularly which will have the more benefits for any republic. It is important to note, beforehand, that the Discourses on Livy are considered to be Machiavelli’s concise commentaries on the history from the Foundation of Rome by Titus Livy. Hence, most of the discussions on governments in the Discourses on Livy will pertain to some extend the form of government in the Roman Republic. Reason for this is that Machiavelli thought of Rome as more than just the capital of the republic but rather pondered it as a source of inspiration and forth more his role model to a perfect government___ â€Å"Having proposed to myself to treat of the kind of government established at Rome, and of the events that led to its perfection. † At first, Machiavelli distinguishes three kinds of governments, the monarchical, the aristocratic, and the democratic. Nevertheless, after having read other authors, he makes account for six kinds of governments, three of which he classified as very bad, and the other three of which he classified as good. From Machiavelli’s conception that the three bad ones result from the degradation of the first three is the emergence of Machiavelli’s cycle of governments in which the monarchy becomes a tyranny, the aristocracy degenerates into oligarchy and finally the popular government or democracy lapses into licentiousness. Machiavelli argues that â€Å"chance has given birth to these different kinds of governments amongst men† for at the beginning of times there were no states nor governments but just free men and women wandering around. As the human race increased, the necessity for uniting themselves made itself felt. This necessity of which Machiavelli speaks is nothing more and nothing less than fear, fear for survival and desire for protection and self-defense. Thence, putting themselves into accordance, men agreed to choose the wisest and most just from amongst themselves and place him at their head with the promise to obey___monarchy. Sovereignty was to be hereditary and non-elective. Yet, short after, children began to naturally degenerate from their fathers giving up to extraordinary vices, libertinage, and violence. Consequently, the prince soon drew upon himself the general hatred of his people. It is then, that Machiavelli alleges that the prince as â€Å"An object of hatred, he naturally felt fear; fear in turn dictated to him precautions and wrongs, and thus tyranny quickly developed itself. † Growing discontent from the prince’s outrages and excesses caused armed masses of powerful leaders to oblige the prince to surrender the throne and further constituted by themselves the new government___aristocracy. The aristocratic rulers indisposed to remain content with the civil equality of fortune surrendered to cupidity and ambition. Once again, experienced the same fate as with the first tyrant, people resolved to place themselves at command___oligarchy. Short after, the generation of people that had at first established it passed on and the government ran again into that kind of license which inflicts injury upon the common public. Having overthrown the oligarchy a popular government was therefore resolved___democracy. Machiavelli concludes that these six types of governments are defective for the good are too short lived and no precautions can prevent either one from degenerating into its opposite kind. Because each individual in power consulted his own passions and thousands of acts of injustice were daily committed, the republic found itself in a position of constant disorders, conspiracies, and plots against its sovereigns. Fortunately, sagacious legislators, knowing the vices of each of these systems of government, decided to captivate something from them all and gave emergence to a type of government in which power was equally dispersed in three categories. The three categories where composed of the king, the nobles, and the people and each one had it’s correspondingly portion of authority and duties. Machiavelli argues that the republic depends solely on these three powers to maintain itself strong, stable and solid. For it is within this system that authority can be successively passed from the kings to the nobles and from nobles to the people. For a fact, he never got to provide a theory that justifies a form of government as the best form of government. However, we can induce from his writings that he thought of this type form as the most appropriate___ â€Å"organized the government of Sparta in such manner that, in giving to the king, the nobles, and the people each their portion of authority and duties, he created a government which maintained itself for over eight hundred years in the most perfect tranquility. Machiavelli reasoned that it is only when these three powers are combined under the same constitution that they are able to watch and keep each other in check. Consequently, with only one of the three elements of which we have spoken been omitted from it charges, the republic will most likely find itself vulnerable to disaster. Nonetheless, if the republic finds itself able to compe nsate for which ever element is missing, it will attain a perfect combination of powers and thus render the creation of the perfect constitution. Machiavelli was born during the times of Italy’s renaissance, during which Florence was at the scene of its most intense political conflicts. Conversely to other scholars at the time, Machiavelli did not obtain his knowledge through any particular education but through many years of experience. As testimony of the repeated rise and fall of various governments, Machiavelli was able to understand the dynamics of politics and power. He sought to describe political life as it really was, in order that politics should be regarded in the views on politics alone. Though Machiavelli wrote 500 years ago, his political world has much in common with the modern political world. Machiavelli was, indeed, far ahead of his time when he said that sharing power is absolutely necessary to the maintenance of the state and thus, governments should strive for the division of authority. In spite of its antiquity, Machiavelli’s first organization of the state is possibly today’s point of departure to many forms of government. In his analysis of the Roman republic, Machiavelli distinguishes three powers, the king, the nobles, and the people. Similarly, our government is also separated into the executive, the legislative, and the judicial power. Machiavelli’s insights on power, control and leadership are steeped in the realism of historical events thus, provide valuable guidance to the present leaders in the field of politics.

Nursing & Medicine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nursing & Medicine - Essay Example The liver is the largest gland in the vertebrate body, composed of a spongy mass of wedge-shaped lobes that has many metabolic and secretory functions. It is a reddish-brown in color and is located in the upper right part of the abdominal cavity extending 3-4 inches to the left of the midline. It weighs about three pounds and is approximately 3-5% fat. It performs over 500 functions. In humans the pancreas weighs approximately 80 grams, has roughly the configuration of an inverted smoker's pipe, and is situated in the upper abdomen. The head of the pancreas (equivalent to the bowl of the pipe) is immediately adjacent to the duodenum, while its body and tail extend across the midline nearly to the spleen. The bulk of pancreatic tissue is devoted to its exocrine function, the elaboration of digestive enzymes that are secreted via the pancreatic ducts into the duodenum. Most oral contraceptives are "combination pills" containing a combination of the hormones estrogen and progesterone to prevent ovulation (the release of an egg during the monthly cycle). A woman cannot concieve if she doesn't ovulate because there is no egg to be fertilized. The Pill also works by thickening the mucus around the cervix, which makes it difficult for sperm to enter the uterus and reach any eggs that may have been released.

How Do Groups React to Unexpected Threats Crisis Management in Research Paper

How Do Groups React to Unexpected Threats Crisis Management in Organizational Teams - Research Paper Example Contextually, when assessing the current scenario of the global business world, particularly due to the continuous globalization effects and the consequent alterations taking place in the socio-economic conditions, managing such obstacle have emerged as one of the most significant concerns of contemporary business organizations. A crisis management is thus essentially required to be devised with the intention of minimizing the impacts of unpredictable occurrences which may seriously hamper the performances of an organization either in its short-run or in its long-run performances2. In this regard, various literature studies have been conducted which emphasized on addressing the various dimensions of crisis management. However, in the article titled as ‘How do Groups React to Unexpected Threats? Crisis Management in Organizational Teams’, the authors Jin Nam Choi, Sun Young Sung, and Myung Un Kim proclaimed that comprehensive researches are available in limited numbers wh ich were focused on learning the behavior of organizational teams when responding to crisis situations and crisis management strategies. Correspondingly, in this article, qualitative as well as quantitative methods have been used with the intention to satisfy the literature gap existing in relation to the study of organizational team responses to crisis management3. The paper will intend to discuss the concepts which can be acquired from the article further describing the applicability of such findings in the organizational level crisis management practices. Moreover, references will also be considered from the book named ‘Organization Theory & Design’ written by Richard L. Daft when assessing the article. The Concepts Acquired from the Article The article depicts that organizational teams are commonly observed to behave as dependent on the persisting ‘interdependent relationships’ within the work culture being subjected to their external activities when im plementing crisis management strategies. The findings of this article also reveal that environment of an organization is complex as well as uncertain which results in many crises situations. It has been fundamentally due to these reasons that crises within organizational teams are observed to be rising immensely since the past few years. In this regard, management of an organization is required to effectively forecast the time as well as the procedure through which the crisis event is most likely to occur. In most instances, organizational teams focus on determining the reasons and likewise sort out the type of crises being witnessed or probable to be witnessed in order to initiate better effective crisis management strategies. The article also stated that irrespective of such practices apparent in the organizational teams of the corporate sector, only insignificant number of studies were conducted in order to sort the various types of crises witnessed by contemporary businesses and the strategies which are devised as well as implemented accordingly3. Furthermore, the article also aims at demonstrating the importance of organizational teams’ performances at times of uncertain situations. In this respect, organizational teams performing in groups are observed to

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been Essay Example for Free

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been Essay â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? † is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates. On the surface the narrative is fairly generic. The plot follows a 15 year old girl named Connie who is a typical teen shallow, and self consumed. She spends her days at the mall, listening to the radio, and boy watching. However, it soon becomes clear that this story has a very dark undertone. Joyce Carol Oates has commented that this short story is a â€Å"realistic allegory† and that she uses characters in the narrative to represent abstract ideas. A common theme in much of Oates’ work is her belief that the 20th century is spiritually empty. That people have no â€Å"spirit† of their own and therefore are easily influenced and harmed. In â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? † Oates’ creates the character of Arnold Friend to be the antagonist (Davis). He is intense and powerful, and as the story continues he is like a dark persistent cloud that weighs heavy on Connie and the reader. Arnold Friend is the physical embodiment of the devil and his omnipotence allows him to know and abuse Connie’s insecurities for his own uses. It is through Arnold that Connie goes from innocence to experienced. Connie is a young girl just beginning to experience adult things. Her interest in boys is limited until she â€Å"sees† Arnold. Arnold Friend does not exist. He appears only to Connie, and Connie is the only person who sees him. At no point in the story is he acknowledged by any character in the story. Even his â€Å"Friend† Ellie makes no response to Arnold comment’s which Arnold excuses away by saying â€Å"he’s shy. † Any conversation they have with each other seems disjointed and incoherent. Connie first sees Arnold one night when Connie and her friend cross the highway to go to the burger joint (Davis). The burger joint is a trendy hangout for a much older crowd. It is only Connie who sees Arnold Connie couldnt help but let her eyes wander over the windshields and faces all around her, her face gleaming with a joy that had nothing to do with Eddie or even this place; it might have been the music†¦, and just at that moment she happened to glance at a face a few feet from hers (2). Oates also describes Arnold’s car as â€Å"a convertible jalopy painted gold (2),† and later in the story Connie easily recognizes the car as it pulls into her driveway. The car is smashed up, and written on. Surely if the car (and Arnold) was real it would have fetched a comment from someone at the hangout. Arnold speaks only to Connie, and foreshadows his intentions in a single comment â€Å" Gonna get you, baby† (2). Many critics believe that Arnold Friend is a daydream, or a fantasy lover conjured up by Connie. However, it is interesting to note that when Arnold comes to Connie’s house he remains in and speaks with her only in the doorway. He promises and states that he has no intention of going in without an invitation. He is unable to cross over the threshold without being invited. This is a characteristic of an evil being. He tries hard for an invitation, romantically wooing at her Yes, Im your lover. You dont know what that is but you will. I know that too. I know all about you. But look: its real nice and you couldnt ask for nobody better than me, or more polite. Ill hold you so tight you wont think you have to try to get away or pretend anything because youll know you cant. And Ill come inside you where its all secret and youll give in to me and youll love me (8). Connie remains unconvinced and contemplates calling the police which she eventually decides not to do. Oates’ also when describing Arnold Friend actions, writes â€Å"he looked out to see Arnold Friend pause and then take a step toward the porch, lurching. He almost fell. But, like a clever drunken man, he managed to catch his balance. He wobbled in his high boots and grabbed hold of one of the porch postsâ€Å" (8). The word lurching is usually used to describe the movement of an animal, and he wobbles because he has hooves instead of feet. Arnold Friend uses Connie’s insecurities to make her come to him. First of all Arnold uses the word â€Å"Dontcha† when asking Connie questions (Hurley). If Connie answers no she seems stupid, so it forces her to constantly agree with what Arnold is saying or asking. Connie is a normal teenage girl and is concerned about her looks. When Arnold first pulls up Connie is described as â€Å"Her heart began to pound and her fingers snatched at her hair, checking it, and she whispered, Christ. Christ, wondering how bad she lookedâ€Å" (X). Soon after Arnold tells her Youre cute† (3), and even later â€Å"I dont like them fat. I like them the way you are, honey† (8). He is trying to boost her ego. He looks and dresses like boys she is attracted too. Connie â€Å"liked the way he was dressed, which was the way all of them dressed: tight faded jeans stuffed into black, scuffed boots, a belt that pulled his waist in and showed how lean he was, and a white pull-over shirt that was a little soiled and showed the hard small muscles of his arms and shoulders. He looked as if he probably did hard work, lifting and carrying things. Even his neck looked muscular† (5). Arnold has all the characteristics and qualities that her parents want for her to resist (Hurley). When Connie questions who Arnold is, he claims they know each other and have the same friends by listing their names â€Å"Listen: Betty Schultz and Tony Fitch and Jimmy Pettinger and Nancy Pettinger, he said in a chant. Raymond Stanley and Bob Hutter— (5). He speaks as if he is singing, â€Å"He spoke in a simple lilting voice, exactly as if he were reciting the words to a song† (5) much like dangerous sirens of Greek mythology. Arnold also makes sure to have music playing that Connie likes, â€Å"Bobby King† (x) and comments â€Å"I listen to him all the time. I think hes great (4). He uses slang that was popular with Connie’s school friends last year on his car â€Å"man the flying saucers. It was an expression kids had used the year before but didnt use this year. She looked at it for a while as if the words meant something to her that she did not yet know† (6). All these things are meant to make Connie feel comfortable and at ease with Arnold. If she is comfortable she will trust him, go for a ride with him, and he can do whatever he wants with her (Slimp). Arnold Friend tries hard to lure Connie away. He romances her like a young lover complimenting how she looks, sharing her taste in music and friends. But she still refuses and he play his last card. He states â€Å"Im the boy for you, and like I said, you come out here nice like a lady and give me your hand, and nobody else gets hurt, I mean, your nice old bald-headed daddy and your mummy and your sister in her high heels. Because listen: why bring them in this? (10). It is at this point that she realizes she has no choice but to go with him. For all the annoyance, resentment, and bitterness she displays toward her family, in the end, she is willing to give up herself for them. She must go with Arnold to save her family and maybe herself. She chooses to go with Arnold because she sees that as her only alternative. Oddly enough if she, at 15, had been as worldly as she would have liked she would have been strong enough and smart enough to realize she did not have to go with Arnold. That she was in control and could easily send him away. Arnold Friend is the embodiment of evil intent and he uses Connies inexperience to manipulate her. He shows himself to Connie in a way that she would feel comfortable with as a young smooth talking boy who wants to court her (Slimp). He represents the internal and external conflict that Connie has inside. She resists his various temptations but surrenders herself in hopes of saving her family from harm. At the end of the story the reader does not know what really happens to Connie. The open ended conclusion let’s the reader reflect on their own conflicts, their own insecurities and weakness. And we, the audience have to wonder, if the evil in the world is going to get us too.

Technology Needs in the Special Education Secondary Classroom Essay

In secondary school settings the use of technology within the special education classroom is lacking. Special education class rooms and resource settings utilize only the basic, out of date technology that has been in use for many years. Typically the only available technology made available to special education or resource settings are the overhead projector, television, and tape recorder. According to the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (2009), seventy-five percent of students with disabilities rarely or never use computers. General education classes are more frequently equipped with current technology items such as smart boards, iPads, computers, projectors, write pads, and smart pens. Special education students, like their non-disabled peers, are learning 21st Century skills in the general education setting using 21st Century technology. Special education students needing remediation or small group instruction are hindered by the lack of available technological devices. According to King-Sears, Mainzer, and Swanson (2011) technology can be universally beneficial for all students as a vehicle for learner engagement or conveyance of instructional content, and it can promote participation, learning, and performance by students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who used computer-based instruction made improvements using technology that matched their learning needs, (King-Sears, Mainzer, and Swanson, 2011). Many students with disabilities have problems with mobility and use of their arms and hands. In classrooms where technology is obsolete it is impossible for these students to obtain educational success. Other students with emotional or social disabilities find it hard to convey... ...cation Technology, 24(1), 1-13. Demski, J. (2008). And access for all. T.H.E. Journal, December 2008, 30-35. Frank, F.X., & Xin, J.F. (2011). Using the smart board in teaching social stories to students with autism. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43, 18-24. Haywood, K., Johnson, L.F., Levine, A., & Smith, R.S. (2010). Key emerging technologies for Elementary and secondary education. Education Digest, 76(1), 36-40. LaFee, S. (2010). Taking the i21 initiative. Education Digest, November 2010, 47-51. King-Sears, M. E., Mainzer, L., & Swanson C. (2011). Technology and literacy for adolescents with disabilities. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(8), 569-578. Okolo, C., & Smith, S. J. (2010). Response to intervention and evidence-based practices: where does technology fit? Learning Disability Quarterly, 33(4), 257-272.

Persasive Writing

What is persuasive writing? What role does persuasive writing play in the criminal justice system? How well does persuasive writing meet the criteria of effective communication within the criminal justice system? Persuasive writing is to tell a story and convenince the reader to agree or believe what you are saying. This plays a huge role in the criminal justice system. Persuasive writing does not necessarily play a big role for law enforcement when writing reports. Though it does absolutely play a big role when it comes to giving a testimony in a court of law. Law enforcement officers can and need to tell their side of the story in the court room in a persuasive way. Persuasive writing can help law enforcement officials prepare for his or her testimony in a court room by examples and the way they word things. The more that a law enforcement official prepares their testimony of events and any facts in a persuasive manor. This in return will make it harder for the defense attorney to come up with questions to defend their client. When you have a jury present in the court room persuasiveness is a big role, seems how the prosecuting attorney and the defense attorney need to pursue the jury to be on their side. If an officer has not been trained or a prosecutor does not know for sure how to write a persuasive statement for testimony could really hurt their case. It can make the jury think that there is not enough to find the defendant guilty of the crime committed. As for the defense attorney they need to use persuasive counter-arguments to show why the defendant should not be charged with a guilty verdict. Persuasive writing skills for law enforcement are very important not for just proving fault on a defendant in court, but also for investigations and interviews for the media. These skills are also used to get a warrant from a judge to show probably cause on why the warrant is needed. These few reasons alone show how important persuasive writing is in the criminal justice field.

Social Capital has been described as involving egocentric, weak ties and socio-centric types of relationships

Social Capital has been described as involving egocentric, weak ties and socio-centric types of relationships. How might these concepts help to improve the way organisations generate new knowledge. Might some these concepts also act as a barrier to generating and sharing knowledge? Explain your answer. Introduction In contemporary, highly developing business environment, the success factors of many organisations have been affected with the rapid advancement in communication and ways of sharing knowledge. The knowledge economy has changed the basis of trading and doing business. Success and wealth of businesses no longer depends on their wealth of organisations but on the abilities and knowledge of their employees and the degree to which an organisation harnesses and develops those skills. The more effective the relationship between supplier and customer, the more successful an organisation is. This success depends on their abilities to operate in today's fast moving global marketplace. Defining the notion of Social Capital The notion of social capital first appeared in discussions of rural school community centers by Lyda Judson Hanifan's. Hanifan addressed the cultivation of good will, fellowship, sympathy and social intercourse among those that ‘made up a social unit.' More recently however, the work of Robert D. Putnam (1993, 2000) launched social capital as a focus for research and policy discussion. Putman defined the concept of social capital as â€Å"Features of social organisation, such as trust, norms and networks that can improve the efficiency of society by facilitating coordinated action† (Putnam, 1993). This definition of social capital can be criticised for adopting a single view, and being too narrow, as it ignores the fact that social capital can generate negative externalities as well as positive. Putman assumes ‘trust, norms and networks' to have positive outcomes for an individual, or a group however fails to recognise that it can be harmful for an organisation as a whole. Michael Woolcock on the other hand defined social capital as â€Å"the norms and social relations embedded in the social structure that enable people to coordinate action to achieve desired goals† This definition not only recognises both positive and negative externalities of social capital but focuses solely on sources of social capital, rather than also including the outcomes derived from it. One of the most famous examples where social capital is commonly referred to is in Silicon Valley (San Francisco). Silicon Valley is in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. It contains many high tech businesses that are supplying the global market with many innovating technologies and silicon microchips. In Silicon Valley, there is a very high level of knowledge held within individual firms, but this would be true whether they were located in clusters or in isolation. There is also a very high level of knowledge about the firms as well. This information is differentially more available to those in the Valley and in the network. This knowledge is not just technical, it is knowledge about who is a good manager or well connected. It is embedded in the social setting, a knowledge that comes from learning and being in the place where the knowledge is being used, and having an opportunity to use it in that setting. It is about knowled ge use and production in action. Social Capital – promotes knowledge sharing and communication Many contemporary theorists who conducted studies on social capital identified two differing perspectives within the concept. These concepts are socio-centric, and ego-centric. The socio-centric approach argues that the social structure of interpersonal contacts is important for organizational success (Sandefur and Laumann, 1998). A business can benefit from a strong social structure, by allowing employee cooperation that will enable flexibility and innovation. Knowledge sharing helps employees perform their jobs more effectively, retain their jobs, and guides them in personal and career development. It also rewards them for successful achievements, and brings more personal recognition so that knowledge sharing will become more practiced. By sharing and collaborating with others an employee is more likely to succeed in providing solutions to his/hers own jobs and by helping others achieve their objectives. The philosophy of modern knowledge management exponents is that ‘intrinsic motivation' is the only real motivator of knowledge sharing. This is where an individual, group or community are sympathetic to each other's goals, those of the organisation work for collective goals-if these are best achieved through sharing then this is what happens. Intrinsic motivation is making sure that individuals feel part of the business and culture through reward and recognition. The second perspective of social capital is concerned with the relationships between individuals. Sandefur and Laumann (1998) refer to this as the egocentric approach of social networks, where â€Å"an individual's social capital is characterized by their direct relationships with others and by the other people and relationships that they can reach through those to whom they are directly tied†. From this perspective, social capital is able to explain the differences in the success of individuals and firms in a competitive environment (Adler and Kwon, 1999). A learning organisation views its future and subsequent competitive advantage based on continuous learning and adaptive behaviour. It develops a culture and processes to improve its ability to learn and share both at an individual and organisational level. The main aim is to create a flexible, agile organisation able to handle uncertainty and then hopefully organisations will use this uncertainty to generate new ways of working, to build on this success and learn by mistakes. For example: a large multinational company, British Airways (BA) identified its culture as the biggest barrier it had to learning and sharing so it set out to create an environment where this was made easy. BA developed facilities for staff to access knowledge, libraries, have meeting rooms, training rooms that enhanced its culture. Therefore the facilitation of personal contacts and network, and the enhance role of training and development being a core was British Airways success for its new culture. Social capital – barrier to knowledge sharing and communication As developed in Ronald Burt's theory (1998), the socio-centric notion can act as a barrier to generating and sharing knowledge in an organisation. The socio-centric perspective includes the concept of power benefits acquired by individuals that control structural holes. This idea shows how certain individuals within an organisation may have power over groups of employees and act as the link between them. Such individuals are said to be ‘filling a structural hole', therefore their relative contacts have no direct contact with one another. This allows such an individual to have a certain level of manipulation over knowledge sharing between the two groups and benefit from the social capital derived from them. This can be both an advantage and disadvantage to the firm. It can be an advantage to the individual in that their social capital is increased, and that it allows the two departments to communicate ideas effectively. However the filling of structural holes with one individual could also act as a barrier to generating and sharing new knowledge within the firm. Because when implemented in a firm it means that individuals in different departments do not need to communicate between each other eliminating knowledge sharing within the individuals in each department. Within an egocentric network, sharing of knowledge can be one of the most difficult problems faced by knowledge organisations. In most organisations knowledge sharing requires a change in corporate culture, from ‘information is power' to ‘knowledge sharing build power.' Many organisations decide that the most effective way to encourage individual sharing appears to be through appraisal systems where individuals are asked to assess their own knowledge-sharing behaviours and consider their colleagues view of their sharing performance. The most obvious disadvantages are: an employee may fear senior experts or a supervisor. This fear can have an impact on the way the employee conveys his/her opinions. Another disadvantage is that employees can get compromising solutions from a group of experts with conflicting opinions. This would not give the knowledge engineer an accurate view of the knowledge needed. Also, there can also be a Lack of confidentiality as employees may feel threatened by knowing that their contributions will be shared with and evaluated or validated by other domain experts. However, the results of the appraisals may affect promotion and salary but their use is part of the development culture that includes knowledge sharing as a core competence. Conclusion Social capital has been described as a non-tradable form of capital that will depreciate if not used. Social capital increases in value through use, as relationships get stronger and weak ties are increased (Klaus Nielsen, 2003). In this article we have established that social capital is a rapidly growing notion, more commonly referred to by theorists when discussing issues of economics and organisational knowledge sharing. The concept has been criticised for the diversity of its definition, measurement challenges, and over-versatility (Woolcock and Schuller, 2000). These theorists concluded that social capital can have both a positive and a negative impact on the overall success of an organisation. Positive, in the aspects that a well working network of sharing knowledge can lead to innovation, and greater efficiency of the employees working relationships. Negative in the sense that strong social capital for an individual, or a group of employees does not necessarily guarantee a benefit on a macro scale for the organisation.

4 Tips on Managing Your Student Loans

4 Tips on Managing Your Student Loans New grads, take heed. You’re freaking out about the escalating price tag of your education and that’s totally fair. But don’t panic yet. Take a step back to acknowledge and celebrate your accomplishment. Then plan your strategy for a sane repayment plan and fight back against the fear and doom. Here are 4 steps to getting yourself on the right track to a secure financial future. Starting now will set you up to avoid crashing and burning in a pile of tears and terror in a year or two.1. Don’t ignore your mailSo many grads can’t even bring themselves to open their first loan statement, let alone log in and look at the big fat number staring at them from their laptop screens. But avoiding the inevitable will not make that number smaller. In fact, you could make a bad situation even worse. Step one: open the envelope. Know exactly what you owe. The devil you know, right? If you have multiple loans, track down the names of your servicers and make a list of each, detailing the interest rates and balances. This will be crucial to smart planning.2. Be wary of the grace periodA sixth month grace period does not mean you don’t have to think about your loans for six months. Remember that your loans will continue to accrue interest- and lots of it- while you’re merrily trying to figure out what you want to be when you grow up. The grace period exists mostly to benefit those who may need the extra time to get set up in their post graduate careers. Treat it as such.The longer you wait to start repaying, the more interest will accrue. And that interest will be added to your principal balance as soon as your loans come up for repayment. The longer you wait, the worse it gets. Step two, in a nutshell: use your grace period if you need it, but consider making payments against the interest while you wait.3. Keep your term as short as you canIt may seem like a good idea to pay your loans back in 25 years instead of 10. After all, a lower monthly payment number is a seductive thing. But just remember that the interest clock is not going to slow down for you. You could end up paying back almost double what you owe if you take a significant amount of time to repay. The Student Loan Repayment Calculator online is your friend. You should never choose repayment terms that you can’t handle, but you should chose the fastest repayment timeframe that makes sense for you. It will save you money!4. Consider refinancingOne way to lower your interest rates, particularly across a wide range of loans from different servicers, is to go through a refinancing company. You can always make an inquiry with a company like SoFi without committing to a refinance. In most cases, refinancing means a lower interest rate and a lower amount paid in the end. If you can guarantee total savings like this, it’s almost always worth it to consolidate. Be careful, however, of your particular situation and how it qualifies (or doesnà ¢â‚¬â„¢t) you for different loan forgiveness plans. If you don’t qualify for loan forgiveness or income-based repayment (often requiring you to pay a lot more over a longer period), a private lender is always an option.Repaying your student loans can seem like a prison sentence. And in some ways it is. But it’s always a better idea to have more information, to be more involved, and thereby more empowered. Be proactive and put your best foot forward. Future you will thank you!

Admonitions and Premonitions

Admonitions and Premonitions Admonitions and Premonitions Admonitions and Premonitions By Mark Nichol Admonition and premonition are two members of a small word family based on a root pertaining to scolding or warning. The family is introduced below. The Latin verb monere, meaning â€Å"advise,† â€Å"express disapproval,† or â€Å"warn,† is the root of admonition and premonition. Admonition and its sister noun admonishment are distinguished by the senses â€Å"warning about behavior† and â€Å"criticism of behavior,† respectively; the verb form, admonish, applies to both senses. A premonition, meanwhile, is a feeling of forewarning not based on conscious thought; unlike admonition, the noun does not take other forms. Monition itself, meanwhile, is a rare noun meaning â€Å"caution† or â€Å"warning.† Summon is also descended from monere, originally in the form of the Latin verb summonere, which means â€Å"warn secretly† (the first syllable is a variant of sub-); the English verb means â€Å"send for,† with the connotation of an imperative; to summon up is to call forth or evoke, as in the notion of summoning up courage or another emotion. Something that can be summoned is summonable, and one who summons is a summoner. Summons is a noun meaning â€Å"an act of summoning,† usually in the form of an order to appear in court; the plural is summonses. Other words based on monere include monitor, which originally referred to one who admonishes, checks, or reminds and came to mean â€Å"guide,† â€Å"instructor,† and â€Å"overseer.† This word has several other distinct senses: First, the monitor lizards, a genus that includes the Komodo dragon, were supposedly named for a habit some species have of standing on two legs or acting otherwise to check on or warn about the presence of predators. Second, a Civil War–era warship armored with iron was dubbed the Monitor with the notion that it would admonish its foes; the name was applied to similar and not-so-similar vessels for the next hundred years. Finally, the use of the word to describe equipment for checking the quality of electronic transmissions led to its employment in reference to display screens for televisions, computers, and other devices. Then there’s monument, from the sense of monere pertaining to reminding: A monument is a written document, record, or tribute; a structure honoring a person or event or something pertaining to a notable person or thing; or a boundary marker. A national monument is one of a class of places set aside by a country for its historic, scenic, or scientific significance. Because of the associations of structural monuments with grandeur, something great or outstanding is said to be monumental; monumentally is the adverbial form. Finally, monster derives from a sense of â€Å"something that warns†: The word describes an abnormal, strange, or terrifying living thing; something cruel, threatening, or ugly; or something especially large or successful. Monster is employed as an adjective as well in the last sense, while monstrous applies for the other meanings and monstrously serves as an adverb. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Incorrect Pronunciations That You Should AvoidWhen to Form a Plural with an Apostrophe"Wracking" or "Racking" Your Brain?

Hematology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hematology - Research Paper Example s anemia- This is a pathological condition associated with a decrease in the number of erythrocytes due to the insufficiency of vitamin B12, which in turn results in the reduced production of erythrocytes. How do malabsorptive disorders contribute to the development of anemias- Malabsorption disorders are also involved in the pathogenesis of anemia due to decrease or faulty production of red blood cells. An example is Iron deficiency anemia, whereby disruption of absorption in the duodenum may lead to a decrease in hemoglobin production as this mineral is necessary for this procedure. This in turn will result in decreased Hb levels and anemia. Abosorbtive disorders may also disrupt the uptake of folate and vitamin B12 which are both necessary for erythropoiesis. What is â€Å"anemia of chronic disease†- Anemia of chronic disease refers to any long term disease leading to inflammatory, malignant or infectious processes that reduce both erythropoietin and Iron levels. In addition these diseases reduce the lifespan of erythrocytes. Examples of such pathologies include severe trauma, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus and heart disease. What are some of the lab tests used to evaluate anemia of chronic disease- Lab tests used to evaluate anemia of chronic disease include Iron panel, serum folic acid and vitamin B12, serum AST and ALT, levels of TSH, electrophoretic studies of urine and serum and serum levels of metals such as arsenic and lead. 1. Iron deficiency anemia-This is anemia due to faulty or decreased erythropiesis. The body has insufficient Iron, hence cannot synthesize hemoglobin. This anemia is often normocytic or microcytic and is also hypochromic. Symptoms include pallor, fatigue, loss appetite, irritability. 2. B-12 deficiency- This leads to megaloblastic anemia. And is often associated with loss of gastric cells unlike Iron deficiency which involves disorders of the duodenum. This type of anemia is macrocytic. The main distinguishing sign of

Crises, Defaults and Controls Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Crises, Defaults and Controls - Essay Example Discussions in previous chapters to this paper reveal the sorry state of affairs with regard to the reforms made and the results gained and also in relation to other markets. There had been insignificant growth in domestic capital markets of various economies from early 1990s in comparison to that in industrialized economies. Some economies actually experienced deterioration in their capital markets. There has been a decrease in liquidity and listing in capital markets of many developing countries as firms cross-list and raise capital in financial centres internationally such as in London and New York. Stock markets remain segmented and highly illiquid, with capitalization and trading focused on few stocks. This chapter focuses on the more normative and puzzling part of the observation, which is motivating. This happens to be the question; what should be done on the reform agenda on capital markets going forward? To get the answers to this question, the study looks into what went wrong with all the reforms made before trying to look at what needs to be done moving forward. Three typological views are presented that shed light into perspectives that lead to different diagnoses plus policy recommendations. These views have messages summarized as (a) Get the right sequence (b) Observe patience and redouble effort and (c) Revisit fundamental issues and look into expectations Observe patience and redouble effort. This view provides that important elements of the reform package for capital markets are well known. According to this view, (a) Reforms are required to improve an enabling environment for the capital markets. (b) The reforms should have measures in place for efficiency enhancement and discipline in the market through completion. (c) Reforms in some areas have the important complementary role. (d) There is need for more specialized and technical reforms for enhancing capital market integrity and transparency. It is further noted that many of the