Pfizer's unsuccessful takeover of AstraZeneca Case Study

Pfizer's unsuccessful takeover of AstraZeneca - Case Study Example In this regard, it is necessary to have a brief knowledge about AstraZeneca. The company is a United Kingdom (UK) based pharmaceutical company headquartered in London. AstraZeneca is also recognised among top companies in the global pharmaceutical industry. Like Pfizer, this company also have significant experience in acquisition and mergers as it has acquired and collaborated with a number of companies in recent years. The case in this paper focuses on the failed merger between Pfizer and AstraZeneca which took place in May, 2014. It was gathered from the Guardian (2014a) that the chairman of Pfizer initially approached chairman of AstraZeneca regarding merger in November 2013 while the detailed discussion took place in January, 2014. The exploratory meeting between both the companies took place in New York on January 5, 2014. It was gathered that Pfizer offered a settlement payment of  £58 billion or  £46.61 per share in its preliminary proposal to AstraZeneca. The offer also included establishment of a new holding company listed and headquartered in the US. However, AstraZeneca’s board turned down the offer concluding that Pfizer has heavily undervalued the company and its prospects. The company also questioned transaction structure and offered inversion structure of Pfizer and ultimately the proposal ended by the mid of January 2014 (International Business Times, 2014; The Telegraph, 2014; The Guardian, 2014a; 2014b). On 26 April 2014, Pfizer contacted chairman of AstraZeneca for a new discussion regarding collaboration of both the companies but AstraZeneca declined this offer. Consequently, Pfizer publicised its interest in merger with AstraZeneca on 28 April 2014. The US pharmaceutical giant revealed that they are planning to offer AstraZeneca cash and share at an attractive premium. They further added that they would move company domicile

Ideas Live Forever Essay Example for Free

Ideas Live Forever Essay The film â€Å"V for Vendetta† directed by James McTeigue and the story â€Å"V for Vendetta† written by Alan Moore, is about a shadowy freedom fighter known only as V who, along with his companion Evey Hammond, completes V’s vendetta of blowing up parliament and removing a repressive governments control on the people. In â€Å"V for Vendetta† V fights for an idea. The idea that V fights for compels him to take action and fight against a corrupt government without concern for his own safety. He does this because â€Å"ideas are bulletproof†. He may die and be stopped but the idea which he fought for cannot be silenced. What â€Å"V for Vendetta† has to teach us is that ideas are very powerful and live beyond the death of the one who envisions it. This is shown throughout the film by the use of costume, dialogue, and symbolism. The use of costume in â€Å"V for Vendetta† is clearly illustrated by the mask that V wears. V wears a mask that represents a man named Guy Fawkes. Guy Fawkes is one of several people that attempted to blow up the parliament building in England on November 5th. They were stopped but not before their message was heard. This event later became known as Black Powder Treason. The Guy Fawkes mask allows the people to see him not as an individual but as a metaphorical creature portraying the idea of hope. This is explained at the very start of the movie with this voiceover in the background. â€Å"We are told to remember the idea not the man, because a man can fail, he can be caught, he can be killed and forgotten, but 400 years later an idea can still change the world.† The idea in this quote represents the hope that the people of London seek for freedom, to be free from the government and to live a normal life. This teaches us that no single man would be able to take down the government as represented by â€Å"because a man can fail.† However in the case of V, he did not want to be known as a man, but to be associated to the hope and courage he gave to the people of London. He essentially lives as a messenger, a symbol of hope for the people of London. Apart from Evey, nobody knew him personally but everyone knew what he symbolized and what his motives were and why he was trying to take down the government. Even though V died just before the end of the movie, his idea will live on through the  generations. Even though V wore a mask throughout the entire novel and movie he was able to convey his emotions clearly with the use of his impressive dialogue. Dialogue is important in the film as it is the only way V is able to communicate as we cannot see any of his facial expressions. His wide range of vocabulary and convincing speeches that were broadcasted nationwide win the hearts of the people of London, making them re-think their current situation and how different life would be without the government dictating ev erything they can and cannot do. His quote â€Å"Words will always retain their power†Ã‚  illustrates to us how the media is an influential tool of social and political control. The biased media uses this to their advantage labeling V as a â€Å"psychotic terrorist† when he breaks into BTN (the television network). We can learn from this that some events that are put in the media are not the full truth of what is going on. We believe what the news presenters are saying on the television because they work for the government and the government should only report the real events from true stories. Instead BTN uses this to their advantage and edits news stories to reflect their point of view. The government uses the media to convey the message and to trick the community into thinking that life is so much better with the government in control. However during his speeches V gives the people of London hope and shows them just how much better life would be outside of the government’s control. Through these speeches V shows us how an idea of hope and a better future for everyone rises up against the brute force of the government and is the ultimate turning point in convincing the citizens to support him over the government. Symbolism is illustrated at the end of the film when the people of London remove their Guy Fawkes masks revealing the faces of some of the characters that died throughout the film. This example shows us that even though the characters were killed throughout the course of the film because they believed in V, they had someone to look up to and the characters spirit and their belief lived on. This belief and hope of a better future is all the people of London have to hold on to during the rough times they are being put through by their government. After V is shot multiple times by Creedy’s men he ironically says, â€Å"Beneath this mask there is more than flesh, there is an idea, and ideas are bulletproof.†   As no normal man could survive being shot, this further illustrates how V is more than an idea, he is that little voice in your head telling you what to do,  your conscience per say. This quote means that the flesh of a man can be killed; however an idea can never be killed and removed from society the same way. A famous document can be burned, or a famous structure such as the Old Baily can be destroyed but by no means of destruction can an idea ever burned or destroyed. V lives as a spokesperson, symbolizing and preaching his vision of a better London for everyone to live. Therefore, â€Å"V for Vendetta† teaches us that ideas are very powerful and live beyond the death of the one who envisions it. This is proven by the costume that V wears. The mask he wears makes him more than a man; the mask makes him the embodiment of an idea and hope for the people of London. V’s use of dialogue is also important as it was the only way V was able to communicate as we cannot see any of his facial expressions. Because of this his dialogue and speeches had to convey all of his emotions. Doing so made his speeches more compelling and allowed him to tell the people of London the idea which he embodies. The use of symbolism showed us that V lives not as a character but as an idea of change and hope for the people of London.

Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Drugs

Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Drugs Characteristics and risk factors of Cardiovascular Drugs induced Adverse Drug Reactions: Hospital based Active Surveillance Study. Abstract: Background: Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) is one of the major drug-related problems in hospitalized patients. Several studies report the incidence various from 10 50% of all hospital admissions due to ADRs and no recent data available on the safety of cardiovascular drug from India. Aim: This study aims 1). To estimate incidence and characteristics of ADRs due to cardiovascular drugs in patients admitted in cardiology unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital. 2) To identify the risk factors for ADRs in hospitalized patients treated with cardiovascular drugs. Methods: A prospective active surveillance study was carried out in the cardiology department of a south Indian tertiary care teaching hospital for eight months. Population averaged Poisson regression [Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE)] models was used to estimate the adjusted relative risk associated with ADR. Results: The overall incidence of cardiovascular drug induced ADRs was 31.8%. A total of 757 patients treated cardiovascular medications. Of which 241 patients (31.8%) including 122 (16.1%) females and 119 (15.7%) males reported at least one ADR. Aspirin produced the highest number of ADRs (150; 38.7%) followed by Heparin (45; 11.6%), Atorvastatin (24; 6.2%) and Ramipril (24; 6.2%). The causality assessment reveals that 85.3% of ADRs were probable in nature. GEE was used to estimate the adjusted relative risk of each covariate associated with ADRs. The predictors of ADRs identified were: female gender, age > 60 years, multiple drug therapy (p= 0.0231) and concurrent diseases like diabetes, drugs like Heparin (RR-2.90, 95% CI 2.22-3.8) and Enalapril (RR-1.95, 95% CI 1.34-2.83). Conclusion: The incidence of cardiovascular ADRs was 31.8%. The most common drugs causing ADRs were the anti- platelet and anticoagulant class of drugs. Female gender, age > 60 years, multiple drug therapy, concurrent illness and certain drugs like heparin were identified as potential predictors for adverse reactions. Keywords: adverse drug reactions, hospitalized patients, cardiovascular drugs, pharmacovigilance, Risk factors Key Messages: This study reports the risk factors for adverse reactions to cardiovascular drugs from an Indian clinical setting. The incidence of cardiovascular drugs induced ADRs was 31.8%, which is higher than many reported studies. Anti-platelet and anticoagulant drugs were commonly associated with ADRs in the study population. Introduction: Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) is one of the major drug-related problems in hospitalized patients. ADRs are one of the major drug-related problems, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality and healthcare costs.[1-3]The WHO defines an ADR as a response to a drug that is noxious and unintended and occurs at doses normally used in man for the prophylaxis, diagnosis or therapy of disease, or for modification of physiological function.[4] The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) has increased in recent years and it has been estimated that CVDs are the most common cause of death.[5] Reports on drug related problems including adverse drug reactions associated with cardiovascular pharmacotherapy are available.[6-10]Studies report that cardiovascular drugs may account for 10 to 50% of all hospital admissions due to ADRs.[11-13] There are reports of serious adverse drug events with cardiovascular drugs.[14]Continuous monitoring of ADRs are important in patients treated with cardiovascular drugs since, these patients who need multiple drug therapies to treat their comorbid conditions and other related risks[15] Various methods are used to detect ADRs in hospitalized patients.[16] Analyzing the adverse reaction data in relation to the presence of risk factors provide the link between the ADRs and the associated factors. Such analysis might help to identify patients who are at increased risk for the adverse reaction and therefore employing suitable monitoring and the preventive procedure is possible.[17] Reports are available on the risk factors for adverse reactions.[18-20] Studies have shown that the cardiovascular drugs are most common cause of ADRs.[6,21]A university hospital-based studies report 49 % ADRs are due to commonly used cardiovascular drugs (nitrates, digoxin, propranolol, heparin, warfarin, anti-hypertensive and anti-arrhythmic drugs)[22] A number of studies are available on the adverse effects of cardiovascular drugs. In the Indian context data on adverse effects of the cardiovascular drugs is not available. Therefore, the current study was planned to evaluate ADRs due to cardiovascular drugs in hospitalized patients. This study aims 1). To estimate incidence and characteristics of ADRs due to cardiovascular drugs in patients admitted in cardiology unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital. 2) To identify the risk factors for ADRs in hospitalized patients treated with cardiovascular drugs. Subjects and Methods: A prospective active surveillance study was carried out in the department of cardiology of a tertiary care teaching hospital for eight months (Feb to Sep 2009). The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the institutional ethical committee. All patients admitted to the cardiovascular units were monitored and evaluated for cardiovascular drugs induced adverse reactions. Patients who were previously treated or newly prescribed with cardiovascular drugs were monitored and followed for detecting and recording of ADRs. Adverse drug reactions were identified by conducting a daily patient charts review, patient interview, and consultations with treating physicians. In the suspected cases, past medical/medication history of patients were collected. In addition to patients medication history, information on co-morbidities was also collected. We used the WHO criteria for defining ADRs.[4] For every identified patient with ADR, two patients without ADRs were enrolled as matched controls. The information pertaining to the suspected ADRs was collected and documented in a specially designed ADR computerized documentation database for further assessment.[23] An ADR alert card was distributed to those patients who experienced severe adverse reactions to prevent further re-exposure of the suspected drug. All ADRs were reviewed and assessed by the research team. The documented ADRs were evaluated and characterized respect to patient demographics, nature of the reactions, drugs and organ system involved and outcome of the reactions. Using standard approach, the Causality, severity, preventability and the presences of predisposing factors of the reactions were assessed and reported. Patients age and sex were considered for the analysis. ADRs were classified as either Type A or Type B according to the system introduced by Rawlins and Thompson.[24] The suspected drugs were classified according to Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification based on WHO-ATC Index 2009.[25]Using WHO Adverse Reaction Terminology documented ADRs were further classified into various organ system classes.[26] Management strategies employed for the ADRs were categorized as drug withdrawal, dose reduction, additional treatment for ADR and no change in a regimen without any additional treatment. Patient outcomes were reported as fatal, fully recovered, recovering and unknown. The causality of suspected ADRs was assessed using Naranjos ADR probability scale and classified into certain, probable, possible and unlikely to be drug induced depending upon the level of association.[27] The preventability of ADRs was analyzed and categorized into definitely preventable, probably preventable and not preventable using the modified criteria of Schumock and Thornton by Lau et al.[28]Using the criterion developed by Hartwig et al., for severity assessment, we assessed the suspected ADRs and classified into mild, moderate and severe reactions.[29] The onset of ADRs was assessed and classified into sub-acute, latent and acute groups.[4] Predisposing/risk factors Many patient-related factors predispose the occurrence of ADRs. The patient related factors like age, gender, multiple and inter-current disease states, and polypharmacy are considered as significant risk factor for developing ADR.[30] Patients age was categorized into 6 groups (less than 20 years, 21-30 years, 31-40 years, 41-50 years, 51-60 years, more than 60 years). Polypharmacy was categorized as minor (2-3 drugs), moderate (4-5 drugs) or major (5 drugs) based on the classification by Veehof et al.[31] Gender of the patient was also considered as a one of the predispose factor for the development of ADRs. Multiple disease state ( > 2 coded diseases) of the patient at the time of reaction also include in the analysis. The overall incidence of ADRs was calculated using the total number of in-patient episodes which resulted in ADRs in relation to the total number of in-patients followed during the study period. The length of hospital stay for each patient was collected from Hospital Patient Administrative System (HPAS) and used to compare the Length of Stay (LOS) between patients with and without ADRs. Additional hospital stay due to ADRs was assessed using the nature and clinical features of ADRs, discussion with treating medical staffs and assessment of patients medical records. Statistical analysis Descriptive statistics was used summarize the patient demographic and clinical characteristics like gender, diagnosis, a number of drug dispensed, the frequency of ADR, drugs involved, organ system involved and severity of ADRs. Mean with 95% confidence interval was used to summarize age and LOS. Chi-square test was used to find the association between age group, gender, the LOS with and without ADRs. Relative risk was used to measure the strength of association. The data were hierarchically arranged, to count the multiple ADR episodes which can occur with multiple admissions. Population averaged Poisson regression (GEE) was used to estimate the adjusted relative risk of each covariate associated with ADR.[32,33] Further compound symmetry was used to account for the within-subject correlation. All analysis was performed using SPSS for window 15 (SPSS Inc., South Asia, Bangalore). The significance level was set at P Results: A total of 757 patients (431 men and 326 women) using cardiovascular medications were intensively monitored. The mean age of the study population was 57.21  ± 14.22 years (18 -92 years). The average length of hospital stay was 10.6  ± 5.8 days. Overall, the incidence of ADRs was 31.84%. Two hundred and fourteen patients including 122 females and 119 males reported at least one ADR. Maximum of six ADRs were reported from one patient. Compared to males, females developed more of ADRs was observed more in females when (p 0.0001). The length of stay was increased due to ADR for a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 28 days. The frequency of different age groups in patients with and without ADRs is presented in table-1. The main diagnosis of the study population is listed in table-1. Age group of less than 20 years is excluded because of lower sample size. Age group of more than 60 years had more ADRs compared to other age groups. Cardiovascular risk factors of a patient with and without ADR are shown in table-2. The most frequent system-organ class affected by ADRs was Platelet, bleeding clotting disorders (188, 48.89%), followed by metabolic and nutritional disorders (53, 13.66%) and gastrointestinal system disorders (50, 12.89%) (Table-3). The most common strategy for management of ADRs was drug withdrawal (94.3%) and dose alteration (5.4%) (Table-4). The mean length of hospital stay was 13.3 and 6.5 days for patients with and without ADR respectively. The length of stay was found to be longer in patients with ADR. Aspirin produced the highest number of reactions (150; 38.7%) followed by heparin (45; 11.6%), Atorvastatin (24; 6.2%) and Ramipril (24; 6.2%) (Table -3) with Platelet, bleeding clotting disorders (188, 48.89%). The most frequently reported reaction was bleeding (186; 47.9%) followed by gastric ulcer (52, 13.4%) (Table-3). The causality assessment of ADRs revealed that 85.31% of ADRs were classified as probable, followed by 7.99% as definite and 6.7% as possible. 64.4 % patients recovered from the ADRs and 35.6 % were recovering at the time of discharge (Table-4). The GEE analysis shows that the female, alcoholics, smokers and patients those taking more than 7 drugs had a higher risk for developing an ADR. (Table-2). Statistical analyses also revealed that patient taking Heparin (RR 2.90, 95% CI 2.22-3.80, Enalapril (RR 1.95, 95% CI 1.34-2.83), warfarin (RR 1.69, 95% CI 1.33-2.54) had a significantly increased probability of developing of ADRs (Table-5). Discussion: ADRs can significantly increase patients mortality or morbidity and consequently higher healthcare expenditure.[34] The study findings reveal that developing an ADRs in hospitalized patients substantially contribute to patients morbidity, further increasing the disease burden and cost of managing ADRs. The incidence of ADRs (31.8%) found in this study was twice higher than a previously reported systematic review of international studies (15.1%).[2] The present study showed that females experienced a higher incidence of ADRs (9.87%) when compared to males (7.23%) which are similar to the findings of previously published studies.[1,35-37]Several reasons have been put forth for this observed difference. Men and women have a different pharmacodynamic response to various drugs; which may consider as one of the factors for women to develop more number of ADRs. But in a study reported by Jose., on comparable Indian population male patients were found to have more ADRs than female population .[38] The incidence of ADRs was higher in the elderly patients (31.19%; age > 60 Years) compare to other age groups. (à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡2= 23.03, df-5, p 0.0001); this finding is similar to the results of Mohebbi et al.[19] Studies have shown that the incidence of ADRs may increase with increasing age. Again, due to multiple comorbid conditions and receive multiple drug therapy the elderly patients tend to have a higher risk for developing an ADR. In addition, older individuals undergo changes in drug responsiveness and disposition.[39] It appears that elderly patients need more attention to prevent the occurrence of ADRs. In this study, the incidence of Aspirin-induced ADRs was 38.7% (n=150); which was the highest rate compared to other cardiovascular drugs in this study. However, High rates of ADRs with streptokinase have been reported previously.[40]Studies reported a rate of amiodarone-induced ADRs as 16%, whereas in the current study it was too low at 0.5%.[41] This might be due to the lower use of amiodarone in the current study subjects. In a study conducted by Wiffen et al., investigating ADRs induced by all groups of drugs, warfarin was among the top three drugs causing ADRs.[42] In our study, the rate of ADRs attributed to warfarin was just 3.6%, whereas heparin-induced bleeding was the second highest ADR in this study population (45, 11.6%). In this study, we found central nervous and gastrointestinal systems are the most frequently affected organ system classes by ADRs. These findings were similar to the findings of a study conducted in Iran.[13]The incidence of preventable ADRs in this study (6.9%) is comparably lower than those detected in other studies.[34]This might be probably due to intensive monitoring of CCU patients in our study. The rate of serious ADRs (22.2%) detected in this study tend to be higher than other studies.[14] Population averaged Poisson regression (GEE) model showed that factors like gender and age of more than 60 years, multiple drug therapy and the presence of co-morbidity were risk factors for experiencing ADRs. The average duration of drug usage was found to be longer in patients without ADR. It appears that most of the ADRs have been noted shortly after initiating cardiovascular drugs and the incidence of ADRs in this study population was not related to the duration of usage. Similar to findings of many other studies, increasing the number of drugs led to increased frequency of ADRs. Conclusion The finding of this study indicates that cardiovascular drugs cause serious and frequent adverse reactions. The incidence of cardiovascular ADRs was 31.84%. The most common drugs causing ADRs were the anti-platelet and anticoagulant class of drugs. Female gender, age more than 60 years and use of more than 7 drugs was found to be the risk factors for developing ADRs. The identified incidence was higher than many reported studies. The current study identified the common ADRs and their predictors. Patients with identified predictors for adverse drug reactions can be intensively monitored and necessary preventive measures can be initiated if signs of reactions are observed.

Individuation in J.D. Salinger’s Shoeless Joe and Shakespeare’s Hamlet

One could speculate that the human condition is that of fragmentation, a dichotomy of the many aspects of personality that make us who we are. C.G. Jung, the founder of analytical psychology formulated a school of thought called junginism to explain this state of disunity. One theory from the Jungianism school of thought is the process of "individuation.† The process of individuation refers to the course in which an individual unifies and integrates all aspects of his/her personality. Individuation is clear in both the character â€Å"Ray Kinsella† from J.D. Salinger’s â€Å"Shoeless Joe† and the character Hamlet, from Shakespeare’s â€Å"The Tragedy of Hamlet the Prince of Denmark. Unlike Ray Kinsella, Hamlet was not able to reach individuation because of his melancholic depression and the dichotomy of his archetypes. Firstly, Hamlets process of individuation is stunted because of his melancholic depression. Throughout the play there are several moments where the reader becomes aware of the harmful nature of Hamlets melancholic depression has on his process of individuation. One of the most famous soliloquies in history â€Å"too be or not too be† perfectly illustrates how Hamlet’s melancholic depression is to the detriment of his process of individuation. The first portion of the speech is Hamlet contemplating suicide, only to be dissuaded by the fact that it is a sin to end one’s own life â€Å"To be, or not to be? That is the question—Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them? To die†¦ay, there’s the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come† Hamlet is essentially contemplating the morality of suicide, but is worried that h... ...s hinder him for most of the play. Fortinbra like Hamlet is intent on avenging his father, but he is able to integrate all of his archetypes as part of his psyche, and does not lose his voice of reason in the pursuit of violence. Works Cited Maslow, A. H. A Theory of Human Motivation. 1943. http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Maslow/motivation.htm>. Steel, Piers Ph.D. The Science Of Procrastination. n.d. . 1916, English, Book Edition: Collected Papers on Analytical Psychology / by C. G. Jung ; Authorised Translation Ed. by Dr. Constance E. Long. Jung, C. G. (Carl Gustav), 1875-1961." Collected Papers on Analytical Psychology / by C. G. Jung ; Authorised Translation Ed. by Dr. Constance E. Long. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Dec. 2013.

Christmas Carol Essay

   But overall when it comes to the characters in the story, it would have been for the older audience, mainly because, many of the characters aren’t suitable for children, fortunatley the media and industry have transformed the original characters into the more child friendly characters which can be seen in the modern films of a Christmas carol. The gothic genre of stories was favored in the Victorian era so Dickens tried to add some of his gothic conventions to his novella. At the time, children and adults loved the gothic genre so the novella was then most likely to be suitable for all ages. Dickens places in a Christmas carol some of the basic conventions of a gothic story such as the several ghosts and the mystery and suspense in the atmosphere with the ghost of Christmas future. He also sets the first chapter of Marley’s ghost in his old, dark and gloomy home, the atmosphere becomes mysterious at the time with the constant sound heard and supernatural event, like When Marley appears in his room. There are also many more of these gothic conventions used like the mysterious weather, the rain makes creates a more gothic atmosphere, also with the ghost of Christmas future and a very important convention used in many gothic movies and books, justice-it is present in the novella, like how Scrooge’s actions means that if any positive change is not present in him he could suffer from a hellish afterlife and how tiny Tim would die without his help. And I think that the final convention of the gothic which is present in the story is the idea of Scrooge’ heroine in distress, this creates even more tension into the story. In the novella, many different themes are used , for example, coldness and darkness in the first chapter, then once the ghost of Christmas past arrives and takes scrooge to places like Fizziwigg’s home, a theme of happiness is placed to calm the audience and allow their minds to escape from total darkness and to lighten up the story, this method is also commonly used in many gothic stories, basically something scary happens and the audience experience a very intense atmosphere, this intensity is then relieved from the audience by the next scene being a bit brighter or happier. After the Fizziwigg party, the atmosphere becomes saddened and brings the audience back the gloom of the story. And after that the main themes involved in the upcoming chapters happiness with the kind hearted ghost of Christmas present, misery and happiness with Scrooge’s life before and after him changing into a business obsessed old man, life and death with Tiny Tim, darkness with the ghost of Christmas future and not to mention redemption with involving Scrooge and the Ghosts, and finishes the story off with a happy ending with the much kinder Ebenezer Scrooge. The happy theme at the end of the novella also makes the story more suitable for children as most children stories include happy endings. A Christmas Carol has changed its audience since the story was published, it was initially written for the rich, and to be specific adults, but over time it has been slowly transformed into something many children will be interested in watching, a family classic which is usually enjoyed many Christmas’. During this time, the characters have been changed to suit the audience and to allow them to appeal to a children as well as adults, for example, the ghosts have become less gothic, like the ghost of Christmas future and other characters in comparison to the first book or film. My opinion about the audience for a Christmas carol is that it was initially targeted at families; I think this mainly because children would love to have a gothic twist to their Christmas classic and not completely a children’s movie so the adults can enjoy it too. To conclude to my essay I personally think that the book was initially written to be suitable for all ages, it is more of a family story, especially considering at the time that all age groups loved gothic stories, both children and adults, making it enjoyable for them both. But at the same time some scenes of the novella may be unsuitable for younger children, especially the scene involving the ghost of Christmas past. Choose either one of the last two.

Free Essays on Evolution Versus Religion

â€Å"Did god create humanity in His own image and likeness, or was our species itself the product of physical change and adaption neither more nor less the rocks, plants, animals of this planet?† What do you think? And what are the hallmarks of humanity? Among philosophers, theologists, geologists, archeologists, paleontologists, and all of the other -ers and -ists that study and attempt to explain the many theories of evolution-people, or â€Å"homo sapiens,† have struggled in agreement on accepting and proving one certain truth. Instead, we fathom the possibilities. In comparison to the scale of the beginnings of the earth, about four and a half billion years ago, the existence of humans is thought to be merely momentary. And as long as humans have had the brainpower to think, they have contemplated their own existence. The scientific study of human ancestry began with the creation myth-stories attempting to explain the mystery of our beginning. In Europe the Judeo-Christian was tradition was the superior belief. â€Å"According to a myth recorded in Genesis, the earth and everything on it (including the first people, Adam and Eve) were created by God over the course of seven days. In contrast to the Judeo-Christian belief that God created humanity, beginning in the eighteenth century, many scientists began to question the validity of the biblical creation myth and argued and contested newer theories. Charles Darwin, one of the most renown theorist of evolution, published his work, On the Origins of Species, in 1985. His central theme, â€Å"biological evolution,† theorized that one species of plant or animal can and did change into another over vast periods of time. â€Å"Darwin argued that the great diversity of modern life all derived from a single, primitive, early species and that human beings evolved from ape-like ancestors.† He developed, also, his theory based on his concept, â€Å"survival of the fittest†-â€Å"the idea that i... Free Essays on Evolution Versus Religion Free Essays on Evolution Versus Religion â€Å"Did god create humanity in His own image and likeness, or was our species itself the product of physical change and adaption neither more nor less the rocks, plants, animals of this planet?† What do you think? And what are the hallmarks of humanity? Among philosophers, theologists, geologists, archeologists, paleontologists, and all of the other -ers and -ists that study and attempt to explain the many theories of evolution-people, or â€Å"homo sapiens,† have struggled in agreement on accepting and proving one certain truth. Instead, we fathom the possibilities. In comparison to the scale of the beginnings of the earth, about four and a half billion years ago, the existence of humans is thought to be merely momentary. And as long as humans have had the brainpower to think, they have contemplated their own existence. The scientific study of human ancestry began with the creation myth-stories attempting to explain the mystery of our beginning. In Europe the Judeo-Christian was tradition was the superior belief. â€Å"According to a myth recorded in Genesis, the earth and everything on it (including the first people, Adam and Eve) were created by God over the course of seven days. In contrast to the Judeo-Christian belief that God created humanity, beginning in the eighteenth century, many scientists began to question the validity of the biblical creation myth and argued and contested newer theories. Charles Darwin, one of the most renown theorist of evolution, published his work, On the Origins of Species, in 1985. His central theme, â€Å"biological evolution,† theorized that one species of plant or animal can and did change into another over vast periods of time. â€Å"Darwin argued that the great diversity of modern life all derived from a single, primitive, early species and that human beings evolved from ape-like ancestors.† He developed, also, his theory based on his concept, â€Å"survival of the fittest†-â€Å"the idea that i...

Using the Rare Apostrophe in Spanish

Using the Rare Apostrophe in Spanish The apostrophe is almost never used in modern Spanish. Its use is limited to words of foreign origin (usually names) and, very rarely, poetry or poetic literature. Spanish students should not imitate the common uses of the apostrophe in English. Foreign Words Me siento vieja. Pero, cest la vie. I feel old. But such is life.Un jack-o-lantern es una calabaza tallada a mano, asociada a la festividad de Halloween. A jack-o-lantern is a pumpkin carved by hand and associated with Halloween festivities.Sinà ©ad Marie Bernadette OConnor es una cantante nacida en Dublà ­n, Irlanda. Sinà ©ad Marie Bernadette OConnor is a singer born in Dublin, Ireland.McDonalds ofrece una gran variedad de alimentos de alta calidad. McDonalds offers a big variety of high-quality foods. Note that in all the above cases the words would be recognized as being of foreign origin. In the first two cases, the use of the words with apostrophes would be seen as a Gallicism and Anglicism, respectively. Literature and Poetry The apostrophe can occasionally be found in centuries-old poetry or literature as a way of showing that letters have been omitted. Such use is very rarely found in modern writing, and then only for literary effect. Nuestras vidas son los rà ­os / que van a dar en la mar, / ques el morir. Our lives are the rivers / that flow to give to the sea, / which is death. (From Coplas de Don Jorge Manrique por la muerte de su padre, 1477.) ¿ ... quà © me ha de aprovechar ver la pintura / daquel que con las alas derretidas ...? ... what could it help me to see the painting of that one with the melted wings ...? (From the 12th sonnet of Garcilazo de la Vega, c. 1500-1536.) One exception in modern usage is the slang spellings of mijo and mija for mi hijo and mi hija (my son and my daughter, respectively). Such a spelling should not be used in formal writing. According to the Royal Spanish Academy, the apostrophe should not be used in the following instances, which are considered Anglicisms: To shorten years, such as using 04 for 2004. Simply 04 can be used instead.To make plurals. The Spanish word for apostrophe is apà ³strofo. An apà ³strofe is a certain type of insult.

Simile and metaphor Essays

Simile and metaphor Essays Simile and metaphor Paper Simile and metaphor Paper The speakers anger is a central to the whole poem. In stanza two Afrika achieves a shocking intensity by his line arrangement and repetition. The repetition of and(12-15) gives the impression of deep familiarity with the bureaucratic sounding District Six (9) and we can understand the sentiment amiable weeds(8) more clearly. The listing effect establishes a rhythm and a pattern, which the reader anticipates. This means that when and(15) turns into anger(16) it comes as a shock. The stanza also concentrates on the sensitive parts of his body, skinlungseyes(13-16) all, which are subject and vulnerable to hurt. Anger is also associated closely with heat and fire. It is the hotanger of his eyes(15-16); the sign of the restaurant is flaring(18) and his hands burn(45). The image of glass(17, 30, 41, 47) is very important in the poem (the word appears four times) as well as a reference to clear panes(28). It is glass which shuts out the speaker in the poem. It is a symbol of the inequality between whites and blacks, rich and poor. The glass symbolises the exclusion of the blacks from the whites world. But in the glass as well as looking in on outside, one can also see a reflection of oneself. The glass acting as a mirror means that it brings about a double traumatic experience . The speaker sees the standard of living that he has, the stains of bunny chow on his jeans, but he also sees the higher standard of living being enjoyed by his (now) equal countrymen. It is this injustice, which causes the speaker to yearn, for a stone, a bomb, to shiver down the glass(46-47). It is not the actual glass that he wants to smash; it is the racist mentality of those in power that he wants to shatter. The poems title and last line suggests, Nothings changed(48). The speakers familiarity with this environment has not changed. Although there is no sign there, the poet can feel that he is in District Six, my feet know/and my hands.(11-12) The gap in the standard of living has not shortened between the black and white people. There is still that element of exclusivity, no sign says it(25) as the apartheid is over, but there is a guard at the gatepost(23). The poet still feels the anger and violent rage towards those that exclude him. The title in this sense is ironic, physically everything has changed, the Port Jackson trees(21) threaten to take over and there is new restaurant whose patrons are exclusively white. However deep down the important matters and worthwhile changes have not taken place. This leads to a sense of disappointment because an expected change has not happened. District Six has changed, but the speakers feelings have not because the new South Africa operates apartheid based on wealth. The poet reflects that despite the changing political situation, there are still huge inequalities between blacks and whites. The poem is a protest about the injustices of a system that allowed apartheid in the first place, but now does so little to improve the lives of the non-whites. Those in powerful and influential positions resist progress and deny justice to the common people. The title, Inglan is a Bitch is repeated as a refrain throughout the poem. The word bitch has many connotations, all of which are negative, so straight from the beginning the reader can intelligently guess that the poem criticises England. Black immigrants were brought to England to help alleviate the labour force after the Second World War; it was labelled as a country of many opportunities, a promise that turned out to be false. Literally a bitch is a female dog and they are noted for their hardworking nature. This could signify that in order to survive in England you have to be diligent also. In Linton Kwesi Johnsons, Inglan is a Bitch the narrator is black immigrant worker, who describes his work history in England. He has worked in the andahgroun(2); has had a lickle jab in a big otell(11) and in a crockery factory. All his jobs have been hard labour and menial work even at the age of fifty-five(42). He tells the reader that he was doing well while he was working as a dish-washa(11). This type of employment is quite unskilled and a job that most white Britons would consider beneath them. The poem dispels the myth that England has good economic prospects for everyone. Not only are the immigrants working very hard for a lickle wage packit(17), they are forced to pay high taxes also. (Employment) In the 1950s and 1960s people from the Caribbean migrated to Britain in relatively large numbers. Most of these settled in cities, especially in the large English cities, and in most of these communities people from Jamaica were more numerous than people from other parts of the Caribbean. Although the Caribbean is made up of many different islands and mainland territories, including many where an English Creole is not spoken, British Black English is most similar to Jamaican Creole, because of the larger number of Jamaicans who settled in this country. (Sebba, Creole English and Black English) The most striking element of this poem I felt was the sound of the poem. Written in a Street Creole variety of dialect it forces the reader to read the poem with a different tongue; London is written as Landan(1). However this may also cause a problem with communication. It is hard in some sections to decipher what the poet is actually trying to say. A language barrier is formed. The tone of the poem is conversational, but it also has a musical, song-like quality. The rhyme scheme, rhythm and the beat all contribute to this Caribbean musical quality. There is also a refrain or in the context of a song, a chorus. The aural nature of the poem functions as a mirror for cultural identity. The style and speech represents Jamaica, but the context is in England. The refrains in the poem are very interesting, deres no escapin it(5) is repeated in every other stanza along with Inglan is a Bitch. The speaker wants to escape, but cannot. The tone is resigned and there is not much hope. Because he has lived in England, he cannot even go back. This could be due to a fused identity and now he does not fit in either culture. noh baddah try fi hide fram it(16) The poet feels oppressed and has accepted defeat. The discrimination is ever-present. This next line is important, a noh lie mi a tell, a true(24) the speaker explains to the reader that he is not moaning or exaggerating, but is giving a accurate representation of his problems. yu haffi know how fi suvvive in it(32) The verb used is survive, a harsher substitute for live. The speaker explains that life is not easy and the basics are hard to come by. yu bettah face up to it(40) echoing line 16 the speaker tells us and tells himself to just accept the hardship. There is no point in denying or trying to change something more powerful. He has no options, as no one will even listen to his problems. This is why he is writing the poem, hoping this medium will reach out to those who can help him and understand his despair. is whey wi a goh dhu bout it?(56) The last line seems to invert the vibe given out in the lines above. There is a positive emphasis as the speaker asserts this question to his audience, who may be influential black people or sympathetic white people. The wi (we) is also only seen in the last line. It signifies collectiveness and unity for a particular purpose. On his own he is nothing, but through his poetry he may find people in similar predicaments and together they can bring about a change. Ending the poem with a question means that the poet is leaving the reader to make up his mind on the situation. The poem as well as reflecting the cultural identity of the black immigrants in England, also creates a mirror for national identity. It depicts to those in power what the condition of the Afro-Caribbean contingent is. It is sweet and glorious to die for your country. This is the full translation of the phrase Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori. Which comes from Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen. The title of the poem is ironic. The poem does not so much induce pity as it does shock, especially for the civilians at home who believed war was noble and glorious. Owens war poems are for civilians to make audible to them the authentic experiences of the arm. (Kerr, p.219) The soldiers are trudging back from the battle, a daunting depiction expressed through simile and metaphor. The mens wretched condition is compared to old beggars(1), hags(2). The young men have grown unnaturally old and decrepit (Kerr, p.276). They cannot walk straight as their blood-shod(6) try to negotiate the mud. The words that Owen uses have different meanings beyond the real meaning and exploit ambiguity, for example, distant rest(4), what kind of rest? In line 8 the rhythm slackens as a particularly dramatic moment approaches.

What are the difficulties presented by trying to balance hate speech Essay

What are the difficulties presented by trying to balance hate speech laws with the concept of free speech - Essay Example Hate speech cannot be looked at as an invitation to politely have a talk or a chat since it is mainly aimed at ambushing the victim, insulting them and silencing them at the same time. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that campuses where highly publicized incidence of hate speech have taken place report a decrease in the number of minority enrollment since the students that are considered to be of colour decide to attend the schools that have an environment that is safer from them. Hate speech has reached proportions that are very high lately in the schools and colleges with many of the victims being subjected to threats on the grounds of their race, gender, ethnicity, religion or their sexual orientation and many of the victims have experienced this attacks more than once. In response to this situation that is getting out of control, some of the universities have had to put some regulations in place that forbids speech that assaults the ethnic minorities and other groups that are vulnerable. Individuals have also been subjected to punishment when their behavior becomes an obstacle to the educational opportunity that another person has been able to acquire. These policies have been the source of debates that are heated and far-reaching discourse on how practical they are. In the Article 19 of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, there is an explicit recognition of the need to protect free expression and this shows that the principle of free speech is fundamentally important (Warburton, 2009, p. 1). When this this freedom is not protected, it can be very fragile to deal with and will lead to various situations that might get out of hand and the original idea of the First Amendment was to stop the central government from being able to make intrusions as far as this area is concerned. It aims at

Building the Franchise of IHoP Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Building the Franchise of IHoP - Assignment Example Following a step by step process can then be used to ensure that the culture is one which is conducive to the needs of the franchise. The first steps implemented with the project are to ensure that the requirements with IHOP are met with the different needs within the organization. Even though the franchise creates specific developments with the space, electricity, requirements for functioning and the overall organization, the need to implement this is the requirement of the main manager and owner. The strategy implemented at the beginning stages of the franchise is one which incorporates ensuring that all tools and machinery are placed correctly while making sure that the different structure works effectively for the franchise. The franchise system is one which has to be developed specifically to incorporate a set of communication and culture with the main layout which is used while incorporating different methods with the work in the franchise. From recent studies, (Chiou et al, 19: 2004), it is found that the use of a system is one which creates a higher level of satisfaction among employees and customers (Chiou et al, 19: 2004). The main concepts which are used for the safety, organization and different concepts for IHOP are only the beginning stages of the franchise. When all requirements are met, the owners of the franchise are required to build a system for a franchise culture. The first step to this is to work with new employees, including chefs, customer representatives, and waitresses about the rules and regulations which are a part of the main system. Training sessions and the implementation of different ways to communicate become a part of the building of the franchise.  

E-marketing plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

E-marketing plan - Assignment Example The artists have acquired more power as they have even started selling their music without the recording company. (Porter’s Five Forces- Strategic Management) Building a successful profession requires network, money and resources. Money is required to invest into finance marketing and music videos. Network is also very essential in order to sell products, markets and advertisements. Contacts and networking are required at venues and concerts everywhere the artists perform. It is very difficult to be successful and receive sufficient market share especially for a new player. With the help of the internet, people have more contacts, networks and it has become easier to sell music online. (Porter’s Five Forces- Strategic Management) Until some years back, there threat of substitutes was very low as the music was available in only one common channel. But in the recent past, there have been numerous cases of piracy which is becoming a major threat to the music industry and the recording company. (Porter’s Five Forces- Strategic Management) The format by which music is made available, the channel and the source of the music are predetermined. There are no alternate sources available for the buyers to buy the music other than purchasing them at stores. But in the recent past, there have been several cases of music privacy which provides buyers to acquire the music through other channels paying very minimal amounts o nothing at all. Information regarding the artists, purchasing of song directly from iTunes can be made directly. The song video can also be viewed from YouTube. Online downloading of music has also been a major set back for the recording companies. Consumers now can download music for free with good quality instead of paying for the CD. This means that the recording companies need to reduce their prices and have different channels for promotion, advertising and sales. (Porter’s Five Forces- Strategic Management) The

Econ 310 Sangkeun 1st assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Econ 310 Sangkeun 1st assignment - Essay Example The pleasure obtained from using a certain thing will differ from one person to another, depending on the perspective of the possessor or owner of that thing. This use value cannot be quantified in terms of how much pleasure one can obtain or not. Exchange - Value: As opposed to the use-value, exchange-value is a quantifiable worth of something. It determines what one can obtain in exchange for some other thing. In other words, it can be said it is the proportional quantity in which it can be bartered with all other commodities and things. Value: In Karl Marx's perspective, value is a social substance of an object, which renders use-value as entirely meaningless; and exchange value is traditionally the relative value of an object in relation with another. Although it does not mean to ignore the use-value and exchange-value, because it is the use value of a thing that forms the basis for determining the exchange-value; which determines its ultimate value. Karl Marx has defined commodity as 'an external object that satisfies wants or needs', these commodities differ from each other because of its use value and the exchange value. Whereas, Marx used the word fetish to describe some object or commodity that fascinates and blinds oneself from seeing the truth. Hence, coined the term 'commodity fetishism'.

Relationship between Michael Manley and Fidel Castro during the 80's Essay

Relationship between Michael Manley and Fidel Castro during the 80's - Essay Example Manley became suspicious of the United States utilizing political terrorism to undermine his government, and, as a result, began to openly oppose the United States in the 1980s, in addition to forming a close personal relationship with the notorious Cuban prime minister. Fidel Castro is an infamous figure in American minds, primarily due to vestigial hatred and dread directed toward Communist principles that threatened to undermine American life throughout the mid-20th century. Castro came to power as a popular figure in Cuban politics, starting with his critiques of then-president Batista and of foreign involvement in the Cuban state (Castro and Ramonet). From Mexico, Castro prepared for an invasion/overthrow of Batista. After the Cuban revolution that toppled the US-supported Batista administration, Castro became the Prime Minister of the Cuban state, instituting the Communist theory he believed in as the first Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba. After this point, Castro continued to be inimical to the United States, which he directed his rhetoric even before the revolution. His open opposition to the United States created a political rift between the two countries that has lasted even through today. For this reason, Castros name is still no t trusted by most Americans, who have a largely negative view of the figure (Castro and Ramonet). Michael Manley is known in contemporary political science for what he called his â€Å"democratic socialist experiment† (Payne and Sutton). The Manley administration came to power at the beginning of the 1970s in a chaotic political environment in Jamaica, primarily due to the collapse of sugar culture. Stagnant domestic agriculture created widespread poverty, yet these agricultural resources were still owned by British and American interests. In this context of extensive external

What are the 3 key factors to consider when buying merchandise for a Essay

What are the 3 key factors to consider when buying merchandise for a high street fashion brand such as Topshop - Essay Example As buying occurs in set periods it’s further necessary to have significant foresight. Another prominent factor that buyers must consider is quality control (Goworek 2005, p. 9). While there is generally a quality control department it’s recognized that they contribute to finalizing the aesthetic aspects of the fit, shape, length and proportion of the garment; additionally, it may be necessary to test the fabric to ensure that it matches the end retailer’s standards. The final factor that buyers must consider when purchasing merchandise for a high street fashion brand is progressive sales of past brands (Goworek 2005, p. 17). This is a slightly complex notion as it necessitates that buyers consider the specific sales of garments in the range and recognize then effectively manage these purchases in the context of future buying patterns. While it may not always be possible to purchase the same garments the buyer can match specific trends within these ranges accordin g to retail tendencies to achieve maximum

Econ 310 Sangkeun 1st assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Econ 310 Sangkeun 1st assignment - Essay Example The pleasure obtained from using a certain thing will differ from one person to another, depending on the perspective of the possessor or owner of that thing. This use value cannot be quantified in terms of how much pleasure one can obtain or not. Exchange - Value: As opposed to the use-value, exchange-value is a quantifiable worth of something. It determines what one can obtain in exchange for some other thing. In other words, it can be said it is the proportional quantity in which it can be bartered with all other commodities and things. Value: In Karl Marx's perspective, value is a social substance of an object, which renders use-value as entirely meaningless; and exchange value is traditionally the relative value of an object in relation with another. Although it does not mean to ignore the use-value and exchange-value, because it is the use value of a thing that forms the basis for determining the exchange-value; which determines its ultimate value. Karl Marx has defined commodity as 'an external object that satisfies wants or needs', these commodities differ from each other because of its use value and the exchange value. Whereas, Marx used the word fetish to describe some object or commodity that fascinates and blinds oneself from seeing the truth. Hence, coined the term 'commodity fetishism'.

What are the 3 key factors to consider when buying merchandise for a Essay

What are the 3 key factors to consider when buying merchandise for a high street fashion brand such as Topshop - Essay Example As buying occurs in set periods it’s further necessary to have significant foresight. Another prominent factor that buyers must consider is quality control (Goworek 2005, p. 9). While there is generally a quality control department it’s recognized that they contribute to finalizing the aesthetic aspects of the fit, shape, length and proportion of the garment; additionally, it may be necessary to test the fabric to ensure that it matches the end retailer’s standards. The final factor that buyers must consider when purchasing merchandise for a high street fashion brand is progressive sales of past brands (Goworek 2005, p. 17). This is a slightly complex notion as it necessitates that buyers consider the specific sales of garments in the range and recognize then effectively manage these purchases in the context of future buying patterns. While it may not always be possible to purchase the same garments the buyer can match specific trends within these ranges accordin g to retail tendencies to achieve maximum

Assess the view that what participant observation lacks in terms of reliability Essay Example for Free

Assess the view that what participant observation lacks in terms of reliability Essay Assess the view that what participant observation lacks in terms of reliability representativeness, it more than makes up for in terms of validity. Participant Observation is where the researcher infiltrates themselves into a certain group or gang to study them from within. The researcher usually puts themselves in a position where they are in the main part of the group, and they usually study the activities and attitudes of the different gang/group members. The observation is usually carefully thought through, it is usually recorded in field notes, and can often take months, even years to complete. Participant Observation usually doesnt start with a definite hypothesis, so new ideas and thoughts about the group or the way that an idea may turn out usually come through when the observer is part of the group. You can either do overt (people know you are doing it) or covert (undercover) observations, or even a combination of both. Although this may seem like a very kosher method to use, there are quite a few disadvantages of doing this; Bias is a concern because if the observer starts being drawn into the group, their own views will be abandoned because they may start seeing things through the groups eyes, and may blind the researcher to other views that may be available. The influence of the researcher may also be a problem, because if a group know that they are being studied, they may alter their behaviour, and so the research is pointless. For example, with James Patricks study of a Glaswegian Gang, he was suspected of holding back in fights and being reluctant to participate in some of the activities of the Gang, and this was pointed out by a member of the gang, but thankfully, the leader of the Gang stood up for Patrick, because he was the only one who actually knew that the gang was being studied. Ethical Issues are also a problem, because if the researcher goes in really deep with the group, then they may have to illegal or immoral activities, which may go against the researchers own values. The actual proof of the study is also a problem because you have no way of replicating the exact study, and so have no way of knowing if the research is true or not. This kind of study is also on too small a scale, and so you cannot repeat it again. Also, due to the micro-ness of it, you cannot make generalisations for the whole population based on one group, or if you were studying gangs and their motives for committing crimes or something like that, you cant assume that all other gangs will have the same motives. And finally, most researchers like to study the less powerful groups in society, and there has been a debate over whether this is right or not because we can possibly miss the important issues that are going on. However, there are some advantages to using this method, and so we cannot just assume that all sociologists see this as a bad method to use; By joining a certain group, the sociologist would be able to gain knowledge of certain subjects from that groups point of view, and they would be able to fully understand the sorts of things that were going on, and gaining different perspectives. Also, you can generate new ideas from being in a new group, and this can lead you to new perspectives and ideas. You also get more of the truth and honesty if you are doing overt participant observation, so you can quite easily prove or disprove any hypotheses you have come up with. You are also to dig deeper into the group so to speak, because if you are a part of the group, then you can uncover issues that may normally remain hidden or are secretive. Participant observation is also dynamic because if you are with a group over time, you understand how they work and how attitudes and behaviour change over time. Lastly, you can dig deeper into areas that you arent typically able to reach, for example, with young offenders or religious groups. It is, however, simplistic to assume that participant observation will automatically produce valid results, as there are many threats to this validity.

Analysis of the 8th Amendment

Analysis of the 8th Amendment 8th Amendment Introduction The 8th Amendment (Amendment VIII) to the United States Constitution can be legally defined as the section of the United Sates Bill of Rights that which forbids the federal government from imposing excessive fines, neither inflicting cruel and unusual punishments nor imposing excessive bail. The 8th amendment was approved to be part of the United States Constitution in the year 1791.This amendment was almost similar to a stipulation made in the English Bill of Rights of 1689 where the government made a declaration to the point that they had to operate as their ancestors had by not demanding for excessive bail neither imposing excessive fines nor inflicting cruel or unusual punishments. In the case of England the provision was mainly driven by the punishment involving Titus Oates. During the reign of King James II in the 1680s Titus Oates worked as a fixture in the London pillory circuit. Oates was involved many ordinary penalties that had been collectively imposed forced on him in a manner that was both excessive and unparalleled. Oates had lied under oath which led to many innocent people being placed under the death sentence. Parliament approved the declaration against â€Å"cruel and unusual punishments â€Å"for England in the year 1689. The declaration was explained by the parliament that it was supposed to prevent punishments such as the one inflicted on Titus Oates by the Kings Bench. In December 1689 the then parliament endorsed the provision to be passed into law. The first state to adopt a stand similar to that of England on the issues was the state of Virginia. In the year 1776 the Virginia declaration of rights incorporated the English bill of rights and then went on a step further to recommend in the year 1788 that the above provision be included in the united states constitution as at the Virginia convention that meant to approve the U.S constitution. It was some Virginia states men such as Patrick Henry and George Mason that first endorsed that congress be limited by use of the restriction as in the English bill of rights. This was based on the fears that if that did not happen the congress could inflict some punishments that were both unusual and severe on criminals. The two Virginians also stressed the need for the Congress to do away with the line in the English bill of rights that seemed to admit of tortures and barbarous punishment inflicted on its people in the past. And also recommended congress to start the enactment of civil law in favor of the more practiced common law. In the end Mason and Henry were successful in their quest and then the 8th amendment was adopted by the United States. In the year 1789 James Madison changed the words ought in the English bill of rights to† shall then proposed it to the congress for amendment. Cruel and unusual punishments The eighth amendment according to the Supreme Court prohibited entirely the infliction of some punishments and at the same time forbid some other punishments which when compared to the crime for which they were given for were seen to be excessive or those which were seen to be excessive when the competence of the perpetrator was put into light. This was seen as necessary because in the earlier years some of the judgments handed down to the people were in excess considering the fact that the perpetrators were either incompetent to commit such crimes or the crimes committed were minor. In the year 1962 the supreme courts ruled that the cruel and unusual punishments act applied to all the states of the United States through the fourteenth amendment. This followed the case involving Robinson vs. California, 370 U.S. 660 in the year 1960. Before the Robinson case the eighth amendment had only earlier been applied in cases against the federal government. In the case involving Furman vs. Ge orgia, 408 U.S. 238 of the year 1962 the four principles that would determine whether a punishment passed onto a perpetrator was â€Å"cruel and unusual† were written by Justice Brennan. These included statements that for the punishment handed down judging by how severe it is degrade human dignity under conditions as in the case of torture, it also that any unusual and cruel punishment was one which was totally and clearly rejected by the whole society, one which was seen to be inflicted in a manner that was seen to be wholly arbitrary or one that was patently unnecessary. Brennan went on to write that it was an expectation that no American state would pass a law that would seem to undermine any of the four principals, such that all decisions made in court involving the eighth amendment would consider all the these principles. The punishments for which according to the eighth amend were forbidden regardless of the crime committed would include any form of disemboweling, public dissecting, drawing and quartering or burning alive. This in relation to the four Brennan principles where punishments that were totally rejected throughout the society. In the cases of Atkins vs. Virginia 536 U.S. 304 of 2002 the supreme court declared executing mentally handicapped people fell in the forbidden punishments and also in the case of Roper vs. Simmons 543 U.S. 551 of 2005 where the court ruled that executing people under18 years was a violation of the eighth amendment regardless of the crime committed by the perpetrator. Punishments that were forbidden for certain crimes included cases in which the court had to overturn punishments such as the cadena temporal which mandated that â€Å"hard and painful labor† shackling are done away with while in the process of incarceration or when faced with civil disabilities that were permanent. The case mentioned above took place in 1910 and was often seen as a means of establishing some proportionality when applying the eighth amendment. In some other cases it was ruled that punishing a natural-born American citizen for any crime by taking away his citizenship was perceived to be unconstitutional and primitive as it involved completely damaging the persons status in the society. In a case involving Coker vs. Virginia 433 U.S. 584 of 1977 the court at the time clearly stated that the imposition of a death penalty or rape was totally unconstitutional and that applied to any other case where death did not occur. It went ahead to clarify that rape crimes by d efinition do not include either death or even any serious body harm to the other person. Excessive fines For many years the United States Supreme Court never had much to say when the subject of excessive fines was mentioned. In one early case the Supreme Court had no power to revise any judgments passed by a lower court as regards the subject of heavy fines being imposed on someone. In later years the need to need to review the amount of fines levied on a person because it always led to the imprisonment just because the person was unable to raise the amount imposed on him/her by the court. In a step meant to ensure equal citizen protection the court found a way to put to meaning the words â€Å"excessive fines† when compared to the person for whom the judgment is meant to affect. But the court also ruled out applying the above clause could not be applied to cases involving private cases where the government had not been involved in the prosecution nor was it to receive any share of any of the awarded damages. This decision was based on the intention for which the excessive fines clause was meant for. The court clearly stated that at the time when the eighth amendment was adopted into the united states constitution the word ‘fine was taken to refer to any payment that would have to be made to sovereign entity for an offence committed. THE court left open the decision as to whether the clause could be applied to qui tam actions or cases involving civil penalties but at the same time it concluded that the excessive fines clause was initially intended to affect the fines that were only imposed by one payable to the government. In cases involving any civil forfeiture the excessive fines clause could be applied. The meaning of the clause as it regards to the quantum punishment of any particular offences when it is independent of the ability of the offender to pay the fine imposed on him still awaits the result of legal proceedings. Excessive bail In England it was the duty of the sheriffs to decide whether or not a person deserved to be granted bail. Due to the continual abuse of power by the sheriffs the government back then released a statute that clearly categorized the bailable and the non-bailable offences. But these statutes could be subverted according to the decision of the Kings judges. According to the law then a person could be held without bail depending on the commands of the sovereign authority. It was often argued that the King did not have the authority to make such decisions and this led to the infringement of human rights when people were intentionally kept in prison despite having committed bailable offences. This and many more ambiguities were eventually put to an end by the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679. After the Habeas Act was passed judges were faced with the decision to set the bail amounts but they often posed some amounts that were impracticable. It was until the year 1689 that the English bill of right s forbids the demand of excessive rights but a further amendment to distinguish between bailable and non bailable offences was needed. Bail is said to be excessive and in violation of the Eighth amendment if the value to which it is set is higher when compared to the reasonably calculated value that is aimed at ensuring the governments asserted interest. The aim of setting bail is said to be as a guarantee that the person who is accused is going to present himself for trial and accept the sentence that is handed down to him and no more. In order for a person to be able to challenge the amount of bail imposed on him he must move for a reduction. If the reduction is denied then the court of appeals followed by the Supreme Court can overrule the decision. The eight amendment could not be applied to post convicted release cases that await appeal but it is normal practice to grant leases in such cases. Bail is seen to uphold the presumption of innocence before a person is tried acquired only after centuries of struggle. The excessive bail clause adopted by the United States constitution from the English bill of rights had slight changes made on it. In the England act there was no provision that stated that one had the right to bail at all times but only provided that the bail amount imposed on a person was not to be excessive in the cases that bail could be granted. The governments argued that the amount of bail imposed was not to be excess when compared to the weight of the crime committed by the person. Conclusion The eighth amendment to the United States Constitution was a good step in defining various issues that surrounded judgments passed onto persons since time in memorial. It is aimed at eliminating the infringement of the basic human rights as it regulated the amount of punishment that one could be given based on the offence. In the years before the amendment could be done peoples rights were sometimes stepped on as some of the judgments passed amounted to torture on the person. This is in a way seems to bring fairness in the judicial System of the United States. This amendment protected people from situations where the amount of bails, fines imposed on the person could not match the perception of the crime committed. The American constitution is supposed to ensure a stable and responsible government. It is generally supposed to protect the rights of the American citizens even against infringement by the government itself. this is exactly what the eighth amendment went on to do, making every citizen equal before the law and making sure every citizen gets a fair judgment based on the crime committed, whether it regards the bail set or the amount of fine one is asked to produce. References Bamonte, T. J. (1981) Journal of Law and Criminology: Eighth Amendment- A significant limit on federal court activism in ameliorating state. USA: Northwestern University School of Law. Eighth Amendment. (2009, June). Eighth Amendment. Retrieved October 6, 2009, from http://www.lectlaw.com/def/e082.htm Find Law. (2009, June). U.S Constitution Eighth Amendment. Retrieved October 6, 2009, from http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment08/ Haney, C. (1997). Psychology and the limits to prison pain: Confronting the coming crisis in Eighth Amendment. New York: American Psychological Association. Harr, J. S. (2008). Constitutional Law and the Criminal Justice System. USA: American Press Association Introduction the Eighth Amendment (2009, July). AN OVERVIEW OF CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCILES RELEVANT TO CAPITAL CASES. Retrieved October5, 2009, http://www.capdefnet.org/hat/contents/intro_to_8th/3_intro_to_8th.htm Welzmuller, M. (2000). The death penalty – legal cruelty. USA:

Consider the accuracy of Lear?s claim that he is ?a man / More sinned a

King Lear is throught the whole play a man who is a sinner and the victim of the evil deeds of those who surround him, those he keeps most close mostly are the worst sinners against him. He thinks he does the right good things but has to find out that almost everything he did out of meaning well by the people he considered as the good ones at the time he did it were the wrong moves. When Lear realizes that his moves seem to have been wrong he tells Kent and the Fool during a storm that he is â€Å"a man / More sinned against than sinning†, knowing that he also made mistakes, not only the others. But is King Lear really more of a victim than a guilty one? The most shocking and maybe also the most fatal sin of King Lear is the disinheriting and chasing out of Cordelia by her own father right at the beginning of the play. When Cordelia is asked by Lear to tell him how much she loves him she answers in a way Lear did not expect by not telling him sweet words he liked so much when they were told to him by Goneril and Regan before. She tells him that she loves him like a daughter loves her father and nothing more. Lear gets mad at her and calls for France and Burgundy, to give her to one of them as his wife. Lear disinherits Cordelia and she has to leave her home to become the wife of France. When King Lear sends away Cordelia he also sends away his most loyal man, Kent. Kent tries to warn Lear about making a big mistake by sending away Cordelia and only listening to what Goneril and Regan say, not thinking about the consequences the disinheriting of Cordelia might have. King Lear banishes Kent and says that he will have Kent executed if he dares to ever come back again. King Lear can’t realize that Kent is one of the true loyal men around him. Kent is even after that horrible treatment still loyal to his king so he comes back and serves him again in disguise. King Lear’s rage doesn’t allow him to see that Kent’s advise is only ment to protect and help his king, not to show and kind of disrespect to him. The King is obviously not able to see that Goneril and Regan both are lying to him and that they both are only trying to blind him even more to reach their goals. Both daughters use the knowlegde they have about their father to take advantage of him. His personality helps them a lot because the king seems to be a man that enjoys and loves to be blinded by sweet words... ...ze her death in the end and dies believing Cordelia, who he now knows was the only true loving daughter of the three, is still alive. After all I come to the conclusion that the statement of King Lear about himself is not really accurate. My opinion is that Lear’s sins weight stronger and the sins against him are the pure results of his own doings. His rage and temper and pride have made him send away Cordelia and so is he responsible fore her fate and death in the end. I also think that Lear’s bad personality had a very bad influence on both of his elder daughters and that his bad way of treating people have shown both Goneril and Regan in what ways you can behave when you are the one in power. Of course Goneril and Regan both already might have had their own weaknesses but King Kear’s behaviour in front of them might also have done a lot of damage. So I believe that if Lear had not commited so many sins himself he would never have fallen like this. And it is also because of his sin of pride that to him the sins of the others against him seem so bad while his own sins are not that strong in his eyes. This is why I think King Lear is not a man more sinnes against than sinning.

Role of Mutated Gene in the Evolution of Large Brained, Small-Jawed Hum

Role of Mutated Gene in the Evolution of Large Brained, Small-Jawed Humans The debate with-in the anthropology field has been heated over the evolution of the human and the events that have lead us to where we are now. One of the major questions that is debated is how did we, humans-large brained and small jawed, evolve from primates-large jawed and small brained. Interestingly enough, this debate is now being directed from outside the field; by biologists and plastic surgeons. On march 25, 2004, Doctors Stedman (and others) published their findings in Nature (VOL 428) under the title Myosin gene mutation correlates with anatomical changes in the human lineage. Their findings point to the gene myosin and its mutated form MYH16 and that the mutation that toke place some 2.4 million years ago as a major step in the development of a larger brain that we now as humans have. In this paper I aim to outline what they have discovered and point out some of the controversy surrounding the findings. It is not my goal to understand how the gene functions, but to rely on accepted judges conclusions that the gene is mutated but I will explain what this can say about the formation of bone structure. What the researchers found centers on the MYH16 mutation and the original myosin gene, a protein that builds strong muscular jaws. Myosin is a protein that works with other proteins to contract muscles, more importantly jaw muscles. The mutation of myosin, MYH16, causes a weaker bite. In their experiments they looked at macaque monkey and human genes to determine how this mutation worked. They found that the gene myosin only worked in the muscles of the head used for chewing and biting. The difference between the two subjects was... ...ary Source: Stedman, Hansell, et. al. Myosin Gene Mutation Correlates with Anatomical Changes in the Human Lineage. Nature, Vol 428, March 28, 2004. The Nature Publishing Group. www.nature.com/nature Secondary Sources: Associated Press. Gene Mutation Said Linked to Evolution. http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Living/ap20040324_1105.html Hopkin, Michael. Jaw-Dropping Theory of Human Evolution. http://www.nature.com/nsu/040322/040322-9.html Kreeger, Karen. Myosin Mutant Points to Human Origins. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-03/uopm-mmp032204.php Ananthaswamy, Anil. Early Humans Swapped Bite for Brain. http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994817 Reuters. Scientists: Humans traded jaw strength for big brains. http://edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/03/24/science.brains.reut/index.html

Huffman Trucking

Huffman Trucking Infrastructure Assessment Huffman Trucking is first major freight carrier that has managed to grow tremendously over the past few years (Huffman Trucking, 2008). The company has 925 drivers, 425 support personnel, 800 road tractors, and 2100 trailers. The organization offers various customers base and distribution capacity. The mission of Huffman Trucking is to increase the profit and become a growing, and adaptable company. Huffman Trucking plans to leverage the automated information system, and technology to provide better customer service and business performance. Information System InfrastructureHuffman Trucking is a major transportation company that has four facilities around the country. The organization anticipated that knowledge worker information systems infrastructure requires improvement and to solve this problem, organization implemented enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. The infrastructure of Huffman Trucking is as follows: Networks The corporate office of Huffman Trucking is in Cleveland, Ohio. The organization uses Avaya Digital Phone System at Ohio and Missouri locations, and private branch exchange (PBX) and plain old telephone system (POTS) at New Jersey and California locations.The organization uses different workstations with wireless bar code, scanner, shipper, and telephone at Ohio. The location at California uses Nortel Digital Phone System that supports voice overIP (VOIP) connected to an Ethernet connection. The use of Avaya phone is very beneficial for small and mid-sized organizations (Caroll Communications, 2008). Network Protocols and Topologies Huffman Trucking uses different network protocols, to send and receive data, like IPX/SPX, and TCP/IP. Huffman Trucking employs star-ring topology, and token ring topology.The existing infrastructure of Huffman Trucking includes mix of networks. The organization implements local area network (LAN), and wide area network (WAN). The four locations of Huffman Trucking e stablish LAN locally and WAN supports the connectivity of its four locations. The LAN implements Internet and Intranet facility to perform business operations. Network Security The network security at Huffman Trucking involves backing up the data that allows copying critical business data. The organization also uses physical security that includes video monitoring, and biometrics protection.The organization developed in-house system to track the employees for operational and financial data. Information System Huffman Trucking implemented human resources information system (HRIS) that manages employees at enterprise level. The organization analyzes the data regarding new hires, and existing employees’ performance reviews. HRIS provides four functionalities including capturing employee personal information, maintaining state and federal level compliance procedures, capturing employee/labor relations information, and tracking the applicants.HRIS system provides the organization a central place to capture, access, and keep employees’ and applicants’ records. Issues and Opportunities Huffman Trucking information system allows performing daily tasks. The information system provides the functionality for distributing, receiving, and tracking information. The information system also provides processes for sales, service, vehicle maintenance, ordering, scheduling, contracting, general ledger, and payroll. The problems of the information system include downtime, and incorrect information.The problems of information system result into severe issues such as wrong payroll, maintenance logs, and improper customer tracking. These problems affect organizational performance, and cause penalties. The management fears that the rapid growth, and the problems can result into loses, and thus resulting in not meeting the future needs of the organization. To meet the requirements, management has implemented ERP that integrates all the processes of the organizatio n.ERP also integrate all the four locations, and the business components like customer ordering, tracking the order, generating the bill, order delivery, distribution, and after sales service (Huffman Trucking, 2008). Huffman Trucking plans to track the vehicles with tracking devices. The tracking devices enables the organization to measure, analyze freight delivery, and performances. The tracking device ensures accurate delivery time, and tracking shipments on the way. The database at Huffman Trucking will allow capturing, and maintaining the information at its four locations.The database will also support the workers by providing the ability to track the trucks like when a truck requires maintenance work. The database can also capture the information generated from tracking devices and can help drivers to complete tasks on time. Huffman Trucking can make use of distance information and distribution schedule to guarantee the shipments. The trucks can have scheduled maintenance and can avoid problems due to non-maintenance. The database will help in maintaining records, inventory information, and vendor related ordering at appropriate time.Huffman Trucking plans to develop an information system, and database that suffice the requirements. Huffman Trucking plans to become a warehousing delivery supplier with providing the shipments just in time (Huffman Trucking, 2008). The implementation of just in time shipments, ERP, and vehicle tracking devices can enable Huffman Trucking to provide abilities to knowledge workers to improve its service. Huffman Trucking looks forward to improve productivity, better management and customer satisfaction with its connectivity between locations.To sustain company’s growth and focus on the customers, Huffman Trucking should build an understanding of decision-making process of customers. The company can avail the opportunity to initiate a customer audit that allows tracking of orders from ordering to shipment, and delivery . If Huffman Trucking has automated processes, and required information system then knowledge workers can manage the productive outcomes. Knowledge workers employ the automated systems effectively with the help of better decision-making, and appropriate infrastructure.Huffman Trucking future policies, designs, and practices can help in accomplishing the goals and objectives of the organization. Conclusion Huffman Trucking recognized that organization has facing severe problem with the increase in business. To meet the challenges, company has decided to implement an ERP that will ensure integration of business operations. The ERP will automate the business processes like customer ordering, tracking the order, generating the bill, order delivery, distribution, and after sales service.Vehicle tracking device can ensure accurate delivery time, and tracking shipments on the way. The tracking devices enable the organization to measure performances, and provide freight delivery analysis.Re ferences Huffman Trucking (2008). Huffman trucking. Virtual Organizations. Retrieved from https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/PortBus. htm Carroll Communications (2008). Avaya Business Telephone Systems. Retrieved from http://www. carrollcommunications. com/

Diversity in the Classroom Essay

INTRODUCTION Teachers are faced with the challenge of students bringing with them, vastly different experiences, cultures, interests and abilities. These characteristics can have a great impact on how students learn. Teaching to such a diverse group requires teachers to be more flexible and place a greater emphasis on the individual. Through the aid of variety and choice, teachers can differentiate presentation to motivate interest in the individual, and hence aid the student to become an independent learner. (Tomlinson, C. A., Brighton, C., Hertberg, H., Callahan, C. M., Moon, T. R., Brimijoin, K., Conover, L. A. and Reynolds, T. 2003) LEARNING STYLES While it is unfair to expect teachers to fully grasp the psychological & cognitive complexities that comprise learning, they should have a solid understanding that individual students have different preferences in the way they prefer to receive, perceive, interact and respond to information; known as their preferred â€Å"Learning style†. A widely used model of learning styles is based on Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory, which suggests learners fall into seven distinct categories of learning intelligence. â€Å"Visual/Spatial† learners prefer pictures and images; â€Å"Aural† learners prefer sound and music; â€Å"Verbal/Linguistic† learners prefer words in writing and speech; â€Å"Physical/Kinesthetic† learners prefer the use of touch, movement & action, and â€Å"Logical† learners prefer reasoning and sequence. Aligned with these learning styles is also a preference by students toward â€Å"Social/Interpersonal† learning, in groups or â€Å"Solitary/Intrapersonal† learning where the student prefers to learn alone. (Howard Gardner, multiple intelligences and education. 2007) Most students have a preferred learning style, but are not solely dependent on one style. They can adapt to other styles and use them in combination with their preferred style. APPROACHES IN THE CLASSROOM Diversity in the classroom inevitably creates complexities for teachers in formulating learning and teaching models that suit their specific context, situation, and the students varying needs. (Rayner, S. 2007) Some researchers, agreeing that learning styles are important, suggest that teachers should match instruction to the content being taught rather than the preferred learning style of the student (Glenn, D. 2009). This seems plausible in light of research into brain plasticity, which suggests that the brain has the ability to transform, adapt and â€Å"increase its capacity to learn† (Walker, S. 2010). Other’s place greatest emphasis on â€Å"matching† instruction with the learning styles of the individual student, which the overwhelming literature suggests is the ideal approach for the benefit of the student. However, in practice, theory and expectation can often fall short of reality. CHALLENGES With class sizes often ranging from 20 to 25 students, trying to cater to every student’s individual learning preference can be very resource intensive. Very few teachers will have the knowledge and understanding of every form of diversity within their classroom. Teaching students with special needs is a prime example, often requiring assistance from specialist aids. This is all good and well in principle, however, additional assistance usually comes at a financial cost, where often schools are restricted by budgetary constraints. High stakes testing such as NAPLAN can also create conflicts between what is best for the students and what is best for the school. This may exacerbate the unwillingness of school hierarchy to deviate from traditional core curriculum/structures, as overall results can often be linked with a school’s reputation as well as government funding. (Tomlinson et al. 2003) LESSONS FROM JESUS Jesus was the epitome of what a teacher with a diverse student body needs to do. He taught in parables imbued with illustrations familiar to the daily lives of all the people in his audience, who had a diversity of experiences. By teaching through stories, of shepherds, fishermen, seasons of growth and harvest, rich men, servants, kings and slaves, he was able to impart the same message, to a diverse audience, so that all could relate to, and understand according to their own experiences. Teaching methods of old sought to adapt the student to the material being presented. Jesus’ methods aptly illustrate that today’s teachers need to be able to adapt to the learning capacity of the students. Jesus also differed in many ways to those around him but transformed the lives of others by the way he lived. By his example, he helped mold many into his own image (The Role of the Christian Teacher 2013). As teachers who are Christian, our aim should not be to directly preach about Christianity. This can be left to the local church priest or pastor, and the willingness of the individual to accept such a direct approach. In a diverse classroom there will be students with vastly different beliefs and experiences that contrast our own, and that impact on their learning capabilities. The goal would then be, like Jesus, to subtly portray our Christian understanding by our own actions, therefore becoming a role model to students. Jesus taught: â€Å"†¦everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher† Luke 6:41 As role models, we should be aware that students may imitate and model their behaviour according to the way we as teachers act, speak and behave. Therefore, unless our behaviour is aligned with fundamental Christian principles, it can do more harm than good. It would be wise to follow the encouragement given by the apostle Paul: â€Å"Imitate me as I imitate Christ† 1 Corinthians 11:1 †¦by living out our faith, we show our students the essence of God through our own words and deeds. CONCLUSION In light of existing research and Christian philosophy, a meshing of theories is necessary which tends toward a balanced approach. Making sure all learning style preferences are addressed in some way; as students will need to garner at least some of the attributes of all learning styles, for future success. Also using experience and expertise in our own learning preferences, to bridge the divide between teacher and student and become that positive role model that developing student’s need. Employing a balanced approach is no easy task, but can be aided in a number of ways: Firstly, inclusive teaching, were students are not segregated or made to feel inferior due to differences in preferred learning styles or abilities. Aligned to this is the idea of flexible grouping where research shows that when students are put in small groups comprising varying learning preferences and abilities, weaker students attain better learning outcomes, without detriment to stronger students. (Tomlinson et al. 2003) Secondly, Scaffolding where teachers, peers or teaching aids; support, assist and guide the student, particularly those who have difficulty. This is a more personalized approach to the flexible grouping. Thirdly, Engagement with parents/carers and students enables the teacher to attain valuable information about the student, and engagement with colleagues can assist in gaining additional knowledge or formulating shared strategies. Finally, Methods of presentation is at the heart of catering to diverse array of learners. Using technology enables a teacher to present material in multiple styles at the same time. (Guidelines for responding to learner diversity in the classroom through curriculum and assessment policy statements 2011) Ultimately, we as teachers need to nurture students, and expose them to a variety of learning styles, despite our own preferences, enabling them to become independent learners. Children are less flexible and cannot easily adapt to unfamiliar learning styles, so it is incumbent upon the teacher, to adapt and modify teaching methods, activities and environments in order to create interest, thereby stimulate and motivate a student’s desire to learn. REFERENCES Cook, P. F. (1998). Teacher Reflection in learner-centred education. Journal for Education Reform in Namibia, v.8, 8p. Discover your Learning Styles – Graphically! (2013.) (n.p.) Available Internet http://learning-styles-online.com/ Glenn, D. (2009) (n.p.), Matching Teaching Style to Learning Style May Not Help Students, The Chronical of Higher education, Available Internet http://chronicle.com/article/Matching-Teaching-Style-to-/49497/ Guidelines for responding to learner diversity in the classroom through curriculum and assessment policy statements (2011), Directorate Inclusive Education, Department of Basic Education, preoria South Africa. 52p. Howard Gardner, multiple intelligences and education (2007) Regis University Available Internet http:// academic.regis.edu/ed205/gardner.pdf Humphrey, N., Bartolo, P., Ale, P., Calleja, C., Hofsaess, T., Janikova, Vera., Mol Lous, A., Vilkiene, V., and Westo, G. M. (2006). Enderstanding and responding to diversity in the primary classroom: an international sudy. European Journal of Teachr Education, 29(3), 305-318. Rayner, S (2007). A Teaching elixir, learning chimera or just fool’s gold? Do learning styles matter? Support for Learning, 22(1), 24-30. Teachers and their influence (2010) (n.p.) Covenant Christian School Sydney Available Internet http://www.whychristianschools.com.au/wcs/teachers-influence.html The Role of the Christian Teacher (2013) (n.p.) Transforming Lives. Available Internet http://m.transforminglives.org.uk/thinking-of-teaching/role-of-the-christian-teacher Tomlinson, C. A., Brighton, C., Hertberg, H., Callahan, C. M., Moon, T. R., Brimijoin, K., Conover, L. A. and Reynolds, T. (2003). Differentiating Instruction in Response to Student Readiness, Interest and Learning Profile in Academically Diverse Classroom: A review of Liteature. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 27(2/3), 119-145. Walker, S. (2010) (n.p.), Lifelong Learning and the Plastic Brain, Scientific Learning Internet http://www.scilearn.com/blog/lifelong-learning-brain-plasticity.php