Baroque Oratorio

Oratorio, which literally means â€Å"hall for prayer†, strictly refers to the musical setting usually pertaining to religion having a storyline. Usually, the text or story is based on religious books such as bibles. It is like an opera minus the scenery, costumes and actions, but has a lot of recitative. In addition to this, at some time, the forms and styles that is present in the oratorio is almost fairly accurate than that of the opera and focuses greatly on chorus (Boynick, 1996, February 1).Handel’s â€Å"Hallelujah Chorus† from his oratorio â€Å"The Messiah† features elements such as basso continuo, homophony, combined instrumental-vocal forms, and a pleasant harmony. Basso continuo refers to the sustaining of either the bass or and the keyboard instrument. This would result to the development of a continuous accompaniment. Furthermore, this is notated with a new music notation system. Homophony refers to the use of one melodic voice while being ac companied by instruments. Handel used a musical technique called the text-painting.It is a technique wherein the melody mimics its lyrics. Melodic rhythm can be observed in â€Å"Hallelujah Chorus†. The rhythm kept changing wherein the word â€Å"hallelujah† was sung in so many different ways. The rhythm of the piece in macro- and microbeats is â€Å"Bah-Bum Bum Bah; Bah-Bah Bum Bah† (Runfola and Taggart, 2005). Handel’s â€Å"Hallelujah Chorus† is still popular nowadays because it is often heard in churches. In addition to this, Handel’s â€Å"Hallelujah Chorus† continues to change or adapt with the generation.There are variations of this piece that becomes familiar to everybody, especially those who are really religious. The piece is also intriguing that it states a story from the bible in a way that excites the audience. References Boynick, M. (February 1, 1996, October 10, 2000). Musical Forms: Oratorio. The Grove Concise Dictiona ry of Music Retrieved February 3, 2008, from http://w3. rz-berlin. mpg. de/cmp/g_oratorio. html Runfola, M. , & Taggart, C. C. (2005). The Development and Practical Application of Music Learning Theory. USA: GIA Publications.

House on Mango Street Questions Essay

1. The apparent randomness shows the diversity of Mango Street. The random topics emulate the random cast of characters that live on the street and the different lives they lead. 2. The fact that Esperanza has problems with eating in public shows that she is very insecure and self-conscious of her body. She doesn’t want others to see her eat. This may be because she believes she is too skinny or too fat. 3. In many ways, it is a feminist text. Since the main character is female and much of the story is seen through her point of view, she addressed many female issues. These include the constant abuse many females faced from the men in charge of their lives. However, many of these issues are universal. Both sons and daughters have been victims to parental abuse and everyone dreams of escaping to paradise. 4. When Esperanza mentions her own war, she is referring to her inner struggle between becoming a grown woman who will patiently wait for a man or becoming a woman who is in ch arge of herself. 5. Boys are held to a higher standard than women are. They are bred to become proud, authoritative figures in society while the females are nurtured into becoming submissive partners. Since boys are considered superior, it is considered a weakness when they befriend and play with girls. These beliefs will cause the boys to grow up as dominative, controlling husbands that rule over their own lives and their wives’ lives. The women will end up being common submissive partners. The future relationship is one similar to one between masters and slaves. 6. Esperanza looks up to many women in the book. She looks up to Marin because she exudes knowledge of the world and shows off the sexuality that Esperanza is just discovering. She also looks up to Alicia because she isn’t only wishing to escape, but is actually working towards it by going to university. Esperanza looks up to Lois because she represents the freedom that Esperanza desperately craves. Esperanza wants to stay out until late and feel the love that she sees Lois experiencing. Finally, Esperanza looks up to Sally because Sally is there to comfort her and because she envies Sally’s beauty. She feels connected to Sally because they both dream of escaping. 7. The House on Mango Street is a book about culture because the problem that Esperanza faced is caused by the clash in culture. She longs for freedom because she is trapped in a slum due to her race. Cathy referred to this racism when she said that she was moving because people like Esperanza were moving in. Cisnero also uses various Spanish words throughout the book. 8. Esperanza has contrasting feelings towards her Hispanic heritage. On one hand, she feels that it confined by it because Spanish culture trains their women to be submissive. On the other hand, she feels that her name can only sound beautiful through a Spanish tongue. Esperanza feels that the Spanish heritage can show off her inner beauty. She also feels disconnected from the English culture that she has been thrust into. She is looked down upon and is tossed aside by the outside society. She longs to change that when she gets older. She wants to get out of Mango street but plans to come back to help those who could n ot get out. 9. Esperanza’s love of speech is shown when she describes her name. She says that her name is like a muddy colored number nine. All the characters live on Mango street and have their own troubles, but many of them share similar issues. Sally is beaten by her dad while Minerva is beaten by her husband. Earl keeps his wife behind locked doors just like Rafaela’s husband keeps her in the house at all times. 10. In â€Å"Beautiful and Cruel,† Esperanza thinks she’s seen as the ugly daughter. However, she sees herself as a strong woman who won’t allow any man to control her. Esperanza believes she has inner power that nobody else can see other than her. 11. Rafaela dreams of escaping the house she is confined to, and is able to escape for a moment on Tuesday when she gets various fruits from the nearby market. Minerva tried to escape her abusive husband by kicking him out, but she always lets him back in. Sally wishes to escape the abusive home she lives in but is unable to do so. Cathy’s family wanted to escape the many Chicanos moving into the neighborhood, and they achieved that to an extent when they moved farther down the street. Esperanza wants to leave too. She will have to work just as hard as everyone else, or even harder, to escape but she will. It’s hard to escape when one is poor. The less money they have the lesser opportunities become available. Poverty lessens the chances of escaping, but increases the drive to want to do so. 12. Esperanza dreams of a white house with trees, a big backyard, real stairs, three bathrooms, and a basement. Her actual house is small and red with a small backyard, tiny windows, a swollen door, one bathroom, and only one bedroom. Esperanza dreams big and craves success. She has a lot of ambition to leave but has just as much ambition to come back. She wants to give back to the community as well as escape it.

See attachment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

See attachment - Coursework Example The alternative, renewable energy sources serve as a great source of energy; however, they also bear challenges in their usage. One serious challenge facing the wind as a form of energy source is its lack of adequate power to turn the turbines. Consequently, this leads to little or no production of usable energy. Solar energy also has its share of challenges. Integrating solar panels within homes has become a challenge; people do not find the urgent need. Another challenge facing the alternative, renewable energy sources is that the cost of fossil fuels is cheap, in America. This makes it difficult for renewable energies to penetrate the energy market. Geothermal energy forms another renewable energy source, which originates within the earth’s crust. The geothermal energy undergoes conversion into usable energy within plants constructed for this purpose. It is also noteworthy that coal, oil and natural gases form nonrenewable energy resources. As time passes, these resources are on a constant depletion. The common challenge experienced by the nonrenewable energy resources is the difficulty in controlling their depletion. It is a challenge, as man has no way of replacing the used resources. In the management of nonrenewable energy sources, man is finding it difficult to find and use an alternative energy source that matches the amount of energy they provide. Additionally, most of the nonrenewable energy sources cause environmental pollution, making their management a difficult

Animation Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Animation Question - Essay Example The squash will make a bouncing ball appear deformed although the nature and shape will remain the same after the squashing action. The principles of stretch and squash would make the scene appear more appealing to the audience. The principles make transitions between different parts of the play appear attractive and smoother (Loose 1). When a human character is thrown he/she would strive hard to stop falling. Perhaps he or she would spread hands, widen his mouth and probably make some bitter sounds but eventually land on the ground. On the other hand, a briefcase is a concrete object and possibly would neither stretch nor squash very much. It may open while falling or break upon reaching the ground. An umbrella is lighter and probably when thrown it may pop open while descending and stretch thus reducing the pace at which they fall. The umbrella may then flip inside out and I acceleration would increase hence triggering squashing and stretching as it lands. A flowerpot may separate from the organic flower as it stretches and probably squashes upon making an impact with the ground. Bowling balls are weighty and made of compact solid material hence will have both low stretch and squash. Therefore, the effects of falling would not be clearly evident on the bowling balls since they are had. The most squash and stretch is seen when a football is thrown from the window. The air in an inflated football makes the stretch even greater as the ball comes down and severe squash during impact with the

A guideline on the privacy of personal data stored on company-owned Essay

A guideline on the privacy of personal data stored on company-owned mobile devices - Essay Example In terms of maintaining company privacy, the company can use IT experts to track their employees. This is useful for knowing the location of employees at a particular time compared to where they are supposed to be. Employers sometimes allow employees to carry company-issued mobile devices such as iPhones and iPods. It has been in the news that iPhones and iPods are able to track the physical location of the person possessing them secretly. These types of devices can be used for business purpose and track personal information of the user blurs privacy between corporate information and personal information. This is because the devices can track personal location of the user and store it in unencrypted files found in the devices and on the owner’s computer. As a result, the organization IT experts can obtain this data from the employee’s computer according to Bidgol. This type of device is usually equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) that tracks the individualâ €™s location. This proves to a threat to personal privacy of employees and thus the need for organizations to come up with a policy and a legal guideline on the type of information to be gathered using such devices. For instance, there should be a guideline on maintaining an employee’s privacy when using a personal Smartphone while conducting company business. Employees need to know how much to share with organization clients when using either personal device or company device. Organizations further, need to consider the issue of transparency if they are determined to track physical location of their employees or get customers. This will involve informing employees about the policies on how to shield their privacy while using company devices or while conducting company business with personal devices. There is also need for organizations to equip their mobile devices with mobile payment system that will discourage employees from misusing the devices. IT managers have estim ated that employees often spend more than an hour every day on non-work related web services. These include online games, internet surfing, gambling and shopping among others. The downloading and storage of such personal data results in various internet based threats on critical company data stored in the devices misused. The threats include susceptibility to virus and worm attacks, malware infection, and hacking of private and restricted company sites and passwords. In most cases, this leads to the organizations taking tough measures of protecting their devices by installing GPS functionality that later hinders the privacy of the user. The advantages gained by organizations in having their employees work at different locations at different time brings out the need for protecting personal information used by employees while at work. For the same purpose, both the organization and employees should understand the limit and the technical control needed when using such mobile devices. T his includes the organizations coming up with policies based on technical control of their mobile devices to provide about the extent that the device as suggested by Garfinkel and Spafford (2002) can control the personal data of the employee. This may include providing a set download of a specific capacity before a using a personal device for connecting the network of the organization. An organization is required to draw a line regarding personal privacy infringement. Infringement of personal data occurs when the organization exposes personal information that may be a threat to their safety. In order to avoid this,

Microbiology Laboratory Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Microbiology Laboratory Questions - Essay Example It ferments inulin and produces virulence in mice. While viridans streptococci are optochin resistant, bile insoluble and non-capsulated. They do not ferment inulin and do not produce virulence in mice. (Ross, 1999. p 276) Answer 4. The Quellung reaction was first described by Neufeld (1902). The word â€Å"Quellung† means swelling in German. The polysaccharide antigen in the bacterial capsules reacts with the specific antibody produced in sensitized laboratory animals. This reaction causes the capsule to enlarge and become opaque. This can then be observed microscopically. Several bacterial species namely, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, Salmonella and Group B Streptococci show a positive test for this reaction. (Fischer et al.) Answer 5. The bacterial capsule plays a vital role in virulence and pathogenesis. It protects the bacterium against the host immune processes like phagocytosis. Also, the capsule provides sites for cellular attachment to the host (Hammerschmidt, 2005). Answer 6. Streptococci grow best on nutrient agar enriched with 5-10% blood, heated blood or serum. The optimum temperature for growth is 37oC though growth can occur between the temperature range of 22-42oC. S. pneumoniae grows optimally in air or hydrogen with 5-10% CO2. Incubation period is 24 hours (Ross, 1999. p 264) Answer7. Blood agar may be defined both as an enriched and differential medium used for culture of fastidious organisms. A differential medium enables to distinguish one microorganism from another based on the growth properties on the same medium. Blood agar differentiates microorganisms based on their hemolytic properties. Hemolysis is of three types alpha or partial, beta or complete and gamma or no hemolysis. A good example of use of blood agar as a differential medium is seen in grouping Streptococci. S. pneumoniae and viridans streptococci are alpha hemolytic, Group A S.

Women, Religion and Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Women, Religion and Politics - Essay Example But the religious doctrines often hinder the women from actively participating in politics. A notable example is the women in Arab countries who particularly remain under-represented in parliaments. When the percentage of women constitutes 16.3% across all the parliaments, it is very low in Arab countries. In Iraq women population constitutes 50% while their representation in parliament is only 31%.It may be because of the strict influence of religion on women folk. But there is a remarkable change in Africa and in Latin America where there has been an increase of more than 5 points during the past 10 years. In these countries religious rules are more liberal that enable women to participate actively in politics. The reservations allotted to women in all the parliaments are controversial even now. This is made clear by Gila Stopler when the author states: â€Å"Though modern liberal theory is commonly understood as guaranteeing similar rights to both men and women, I will argue that there exists a tremendous gap between this understanding of liberal theory and the reality of both liberal theory and liberal practice in relation to discrimination against women. A similar gap exists between the liberal attitude toward sex discrimination and the liberal attitude toward racial, ethnic, and religious discrimination.† ... In USA, the Republicans could keep clear view about women, religion and politics. Their female candidate Hillary Clinton launches a contemptuous attack against the current insurance industry in USA .She accuses that the covetous reforms deliberately lying in all reform plans are based on defending their profits. She may be the first lady who publicly attacked any Americans or American industries. In USA we can't find a clear cut margin between US women's religion and politics even though the female candidates of Republican party including Hillary were the followers of Roman Catholic Religion. Structured religion in the world always has been and remains the enemy of women's rights .Roman catholic churches fought with tooth and nail against the developments of woman .Today the most dreadful enemy of women - socially, politically, and economically - is the religious constraints. Even the sexuality of women is under religious scrutiny. Religion overpowered the equal right debate. The Bible establishes women's inferior status, her unseemliness, and the god practiced a master/servant relationship. Even the Bible itself produces the evidence for gender discrimination. Ferrara and Wilson make it clear when they state: "Jesus Christ took the flesh of human nature and made it wholly his own. In the unity of the Church, a Gentile is as much an image of the Jewish Christ as a Jew; a slave is as much the image of the freeborn Christ as a citizen; a woman is as much the image of the male Christ as a man. It is arbitrary to slice up the unities in one way and not in the other. It is a b izarre fixation on gender that requires male body parts to represent Christ. In fact, it is a denial of Jesus' incarnation and resurrection alike to say that women cannot stand in persona

International Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

International Terrorism - Essay Example This report stresses that the internal unrest is the best recipe for the global menace of terrorism in the modern day. It can be overcome through the steps that are aforementioned. Also the global community has got its role cut out that will enable them overcoming the turbulence that shows up in one form or the other all in the farce representation of protecting the locals and local land from outside forces. There are still number of countries that are considerably distant from the true democracy. The global community must learn from the past precedence that have prevailed over last few years. This can be done so through number of steps. The first is the fact that the global community must ensure for negotiating the methods through gradual change and through political means. The use of force in bid to oust a given tyrant must be used as the last option. This paper makes a conclusion that the cases of Middle East and few other countries including those in African continent need to be pulled along the lines which will reduce the agent of radicalization. In this course of struggle, the United Nations, along with the various other super powers have got their role cut out and they need to revamp the structural deficiencies. This can be done so through more active and collaborative partnership and participation between the different countries which will enable fostering the mindset that is directed towards self awareness, demanding the basic rights and ingraining the basic concept of human rights along with the democratic norms, principles and ideologies.

Supporting Immigration Essay Example for Free

Supporting Immigration Essay Our Nation is surrounded by immigrants, people of different nationalities, backgrounds, cultures and languages who add diversity and richness to our lives. I support immigration because it reminds us that we are a country of immigrants and we were once strangers in this land as well. In reality everyone is an immigrant to this country except the Native Indians, so we should all give a chance to the majority of people who want to travel here for just one simple reason, a better life. I actually think that our country would benefit from a sizeable amount of good hard working immigrants. Like Rupert Murdoch says â€Å"As an immigrant, I chose to live in America because it is one of the freest and most vibrant nations in the world and as an immigrant, I feel an obligation to speak up for immigration policies that will keep America the most economically robust, creative and freedom-loving nation in the world†. People argue how the foreign-born population in the United States tripled in the past four decades and currently totals about 37 million or 12 percent of the population today. However the immigrant’s percentage of the total U.S population is below the nation’s historic highest recorded data. Correspondingly, the United States is less a nation of immigrants now than a century ago, when nearly 15 percent of the population was foreign born. Other countries have proportionately larger immigrant populations. For instance, places like Canada have a 17 percent population of foreign born, Australia running in first place with 24 percent. Studies found that Immigrants and U.S. workers do not generally compete for the same jobs. Their skills and educational levels at the lower job levels are different than those workers who are born in America. Immigrants usually choose different occupations than the average American worker because that is the work that is available to them. These are jobs that U.S born workers wont take because they find those types of work unappealing. Like jobs that include dishwashing in restaurants, farm work, landscaping work, care giving, and low- level construction work. Showing that immigrants do not displace American workers, but instead supply labor that is very much needed and help the American way of life. To sum up, immigrants are not only needed for the low level jobs that Americans refuse to work in, but also the high level jobs. Those immigrants such as the computer experts and scientists have been recruited by companies that need their help because they cannot find U.S workers to do the job. When in reality these high level immigrant workers actually provide investment since they are valuable in fields that rely on high technology. Having a positive effect on the U.S economy and benefitting our country because of their creativity and willingness to work hard. Bibliography * http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/immigration_2.html * http://www.gcir.org/immigration/facts/statistics * http://www.workpermity.com/news/2006_10_16/us/immigrants_make_wages_better.ht

The Future for Londons Museums: Development Strategies

The Future for Londons Museums: Development Strategies THE FUTURE OF LONDON’S MUSEUMS Q. What does the future hold for London’s museums? ABSTRACT The following research paper investigates the present condition of London’s museums, focusing upon three aspects: their historical development, their present issues and debates, and their strategies for ensuring future survival and prosperity. To ascertain these facts five senior management figures from five leading London museums were interviewed and asked to complete questionnaires discussing the themes mentioned above. The research focuses at much length upon the decision of the present Labour government to introduce free admission to London’s museums and to finance this policy with funds from the National Lottery. Another key aspect of the research was to determine the level of competition posed to London’s museums by European, American and other international museums; further, to discover how London’s museums might raise their performance to match this competition. A third central aspect of the research, viewed both from the sides of museum management and from the government, is the question of the strategies that London’s museums will pursue in the twenty-first century. The survival and success of London’s museums will very much depend upon the decisions made regarding such strategy and its efficacy once put into place. The present research assesses the likely efficacy of such strategies, and the consequences that their implementation will have upon the public’s ‘museum experience’. The results of the research paint double-sided picture: on the side, of optimism regarding the increased admissions figures witnessed since free admissions began, and, on the other side, a gloomy scene dominated by the London museums’ lack of financial support and by the negative consequences of the government insistence of putting attendance figures before a qualitative artistic and cultural experience. CONTENTS PAGE (Jump to) Abstract Section 1: Introduction Section 2: Literature Review Section 3: Methodology Section 4: Results Analysis Section 5: Conclusion Section 6: Bibliography Section 7: Appendixes Section 1: Introduction Since the foundation of the British Museum almost two hundred and fifty years ago, London has had an international reputation as the museum capital of the world, as the city with the finest collections, the best specialists and the most to offer the fascination of the public. In addition to the British Museum, London can boast the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, the London Transport Museum, the Victoria Albert Museum and the Theatre Museum amongst numerous other world-class museum-experiences. In their early decades London’s museums flourished through the generosity of private donations and gifts, and through royal and government funding; these ample resources gave museums such as the British Museum unrivalled funds for the construction of magnificent architecture and the gathering of the most splendid specimens and pieces from across the globe. But by the early 1990’s, and reflecting Britain’s changed economic circumstances, London’s museums found themselves in need of considerable new funds to pay for refurbishments and developments so as to keep pace with other museums in the capital cities of Europe and in America. The advent of the National Lottery in 1994, and the terms of its constitution whereby a majority of its funds would go to museums and galleries, apparently offered the very chance to bring about a revival in the fortunes and prosperity of London’s museums. Thus between 1994-2003 more than  £13 billion was given to good causes by the National Lottery and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) (Selwood Davies, 2005: p.3);  £1 billion was given to six hundred museums across the country (Selwood Davies, 2005: p.3). These funds were intended for the construction of new buildings and exhibition halls, and to compensate museums and galleries for the loss of revenue that they would incur onc e free admission was introduced. A few smaller museums were also enabled to open in London because of grants from the HLF. The next radical step in the recent history of London’s museums came when the Labour Party in their 1997 manifesto, promised that when elected they would introduce free admission into London’s museums — a move that it was anticipated would greatly increase attendance from members of the general public. In the event, this prediction turned out to be just right, particularly in the two years immediately succeeding the introduction of free admission. The government minister then in charge of museums in 2001, Estelle Morris, spoke of 2000 as ‘an unprecedented season of openings and flourishing’ (DOC, 2000) for London museums. The year 2000 witnessed nine major construction or refurbishment projects in London’s great museums and a total of  £379 million spent on this ( £193 million of which came from lottery sources) (Selwood Davies, 2005: p.4). The most spectacular of these projects was the construction by Norman Foster of the Great Court at the British Museum costing  £110 million (of which  £47 million was derived from lottery sources) (Selwood Davies, 2005: p.5). All in all, it seemed that the lottery was proving a vital fertilizing force in the rejuvenation and restoration of London’s great museums. This optimism was very clearly reflected in the visitor figures following free admission. In 2001/2002 London museums that had previously received capital funding from lottery sources noticed a staggering rise in visitor numbers of 5.3 million when compared with the 1999/2000 season; in 2002/2003 this figure jumped again to 6.3 million extra visits compared with 1999/2000 (this representing an increase of 89%). In stark contrast London museums that did not receive lottery funding say they annual attendance figure drop by 7% in 2001/02 and 13% in 2002/03 when compared to the 1999/00 season. To take an individual instance, the Victoria Albert Museum witnessed an increase in attendance from 75,773 in November 2 000 to 132,882 in November 2001 (this figure even jumped 270% by March 2002). Likewise, attendance figures at the Science Museum rose by 120% and the National History Museum by 74% in the same period (All figures: Selwood Davies, 2005: pp. 6-10). Nonetheless, this stream of incessantly impressive and rising admissions figures masked a major concern unsettling many of the managers and director’s of London’s leading museums. These figures of course welcomed lottery funding as a vital means of rejuvenating London’s museums and making them competitive with museums found in New York, Paris, Berlin and elsewhere. Nonetheless, the advent of free admission introduced at the same time a far greater degree of vulnerability and uncertainty in the financial arrangements and security of London’s museums. It was obvious to museum strategists and directors that a great deal of lottery money would be needed to compensate for the loss of revenue endured once free admission was introduced. Crucially, it would be paramount that lottery contributions of the levels of 2001 would be sustained for the long-term; nothing would be worse that one spectacular year for two of prosperity and massive investment followed by ten or twenty years of under investment and decline. It is recent charge imputed by many museum directors against the government and the HLF directors that they were naà ¯ve in profoundly underestimating the levels of investment that would e required to sustain not only the rejuvenation of London’s museums but merely also their survival. The British Museum alone, for instance, according to its director Neil MacGregor stands to lose  £80 million over ten years from lost revenues and reclaimed VAT. Increased attendance figures are welcomed naturally by all museum directors on the absolute condition that sufficient funds are made available to pay the costs of this increased attendance. Selwood and Davies calculated that since the advent of free admission and 7.3 million extra visitors each of these visitors cost London’s museums on average  £3.56 per visitor —  £3.56 extra that has to be found by the museums from non-lottery funding (Selwood Davies, 2003: p.8). Thus free admission has had a bitter sting in its tale, and it may be said that presently a great many of London’s famous museums find themselves in financial difficulties, unable to pay for restorations and improvements; unable to compete with American and European museums for the finest pieces and exhibitions, unable to attract the brightest researchers and curators — and ultimately in danger of losing the great reputations that some have nurtured for as long as two centuries. It is clear to all, museum directors and government officials alike, that the present funding arrangements of London’s museums are precarious and that a serious strategy needs to be devised to offer such museums long-term financial security and thus a platform to compete with the other leading museums of the world. This present dissertation conducted interviews, by way of questionnaires with five senior figures from five of London’s leading museums — the British Museum, the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum, the London Transport Museum and the V A museum — to ascertain their thoughts and attitudes regarding the present state and the likely future state of London’s museums. These senior figures were questioned on their beliefs regarding the lottery funding of museums, on the advent of free admission, on the extent of government funding, on international competition, and on future strategy. The picture that emerges from these interviews is one of profound uncertainty over the future survival and prosperity of London’s museums; buffeted on the one side by the loss of revenue from free admission, and on other sides by the short-fall in promised lottery investment and the present government’s obsession with the quantitative aspect of museum attenda nce at the expense of the quality of the visitor’s experience. Section 2: Literature Review It perhaps appropriate to preface this literature review with a few remarks about its undertaking. Often when undertaking research that refers to relatively recent events, the researcher finds that the academic world has not yet had time to catch-up in print and publish scholarly books and articles covering these events. With the present research however the proposition was entirely opposite; even though the subjects of lottery funding, free admission and so on are relatively recent, there is nonetheless an abundance of literature dealing with the specific question of the future of London’s museums. The task of the researcher was thus to sift this material so as to isolate its most pertinent and relevant parts. Another unusual aspect of this present literature review is its wide use of government documents and announcements. An overriding theme throughout the present paper is the intimacy of the relationship between the government and museum managers and directors. Naturally, the government perspective upon events is not published through academic books and journals, but by speeches, white-papers, press releases and so on. This research of course made much use of the outstanding museum journals, pre-eminently Curator: The Museum Journal. Of the several articles from this journal used in this dissertation, one was of seminal importance in providing statistical and analytical evidence of the impact of lottery funding and free admission upon London’s museums, this being: S. Selwood and M. Davies (2005) ‘Capital Costs: Lottery Funding in Britain and Consequences for Museums. The article excellently articulates the dilemma that has crept upon London’s museums now that the inadequacy of lottery funding to meet extra visitors numbers has become apparent. There are hints in the above article to possible solutions to the funding crisis facing London’s museums, and these solutions are discussed in greater depth in R. Baron’s ‘Reinventing a State Program for Museum Funding’ (2003). Question marks as to the thoroughness and efficacy in practice of the governmentâ€⠄¢s free admissions policy is raised in several places: Freudenheim’s ‘That Politics Problem’ (2005), Babbidge’s ‘UK Museums; Safe and Sound? (2000) and Sharp’s ‘Controversy and Challenge: British Funding Increases Nationally, But Not to National Museums’ all echo the apprehensiveness and fear felt by many museum directors and staff towards the financial liabilities that would arise in the wake of free admissions (2006). Freudenheim, in particular, highlights a certain naivety in government’s attitude towards the workings of national museums; citing in particular the government’s inveterate insistence upon the increasing of admissions figures no matter what the effects of this upon either museum costs or the aesthetic museum-experience of visitors. The government’s position, and its obvious delight and sense of fulfilment at increased attendance figures since free admission, is given in a number of documents. Principally, the paper London Cultural Capital – Realising the Potential of a World Class City published by the London’s Museums Agency (2004) establishes the governments intentions and strategy towards the future of London’s museums. The paper gives fifteen government policies, under the headers value, access, creativity, and excellence by which the government’s museum strategies will be delivered in future. The government, in association with the National Lottery, has written in several places of its satisfaction at the results of the introduction of the policy of free admissions. In particular, the paper One Year On Visitor Numbers Soaring At National Museums Following Abolition Of Entry Charges published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 1 January 2003 gives a sense of the euphoria and achievement perceived by the government. Also, the paper Two Years On Free Admission to National Museums Draws Even Bigger Crowds again published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 9 March 2003 gives much the same impression. In each of these documents the government stresses its loyalty and commitment to the principle of free admission and to the extension of this principle as far as possible. At the same time, there is little reference in these documents to the nervousness and trepidation felt by museum directors and managers about the future prosperity of the institutions they preside over. It is in this absence of self-criticism, that the reader perceives the origins of the discrepancy between that government’s perception of the financial condition of London’s museums and the reality of their condition. The possible consequences of such as disparity increasing, and of a competition gap widening between London’s museums and th ose in America and Europe, are well delineated in Cain’s article ‘Museums and the Future of Collecting’ (2005). In short, the extant literature paints the present picture of London’s museums as a time of grave uncertainty with respect to their financial predicament and thus their world-class legacies and reputations. These sources also acknowledge the considerable benefits already brought by lottery funding and free admission, and point also to the great future potential of these schemes; they instil in the reader at the same time a warning that idealism must be checked by pragmatic considerations before London’s museums can attain the future they deserve. Section 3: Methodology The principal method of primary data collection for this research was the interviewing, by way of questionnaires, of several senior figures at five of London’s leading museums. The decision to interview senior management and directing figures, rather than members of the public, had the obvious advantage that the answers obtained would be the specialist opinions of people with an intimate knowledge of the subject matter of the research. Members of the general public, especially those living in London, often show much interest and curiosity towards the subject of the prosperity and fate of London’s museums, but at the same time are not professionals with direct experience of the key debates and consultations. To arrange these five meetings, the researcher wrote fifteen letters to major London museums. Of these fifteen requests for an interview, seven positive responses were returned to the interviewer, of which five eventually furnished the opportunity of an interview. In requesting these interviews letters were sent to the director of each museum, irregardless of the sex, race, or religion of the person. Of the five eventual interviewees, three were men and two women; their ages ranged between forty-one and sixty-three. At the behest of interviewees, all of whom preferred to speak off the record due to the sensitivity of many of the issues of discussion, neither their names nor their titles are given in the final publication of this research. Thus, in the transcripts presented in the appendix of this research, each of the five interviewees are referred to as ‘a senior figure’ and ascribed a coded number following the simple scheme 001-002-003-004-005. This sensitivity, arising from the various present tensions over funding between London museums, the HLF and the government, clearly raises certain ethical questions about the present research. Above all, is it permissible to expose senior figures to possible embarrassment or worse, for the sake of the findings of this research. In answer to this question, the present researcher would say two things: firstly, that explicit consent for every interview was obtained by the researcher before the commencement of each interview, thus all interviewees participated at their own volition; secondly, following Utilitarian principles of seeking ‘the greatest good for the greatest number’, the researcher decided that the possible positive benefits and improved public understanding of the topic that might arise from this research could justify the slight ethical risks associated with the carrying-out of this research. It is a belief of the researcher that by informing the academic com munity and the public of the chief issues and controversies now affecting London’s museums, that the debate generated from this knowledge will lead to greater consideration on all sides being shown towards the preservation and improvement of London’s world-famous reputation as a museum centre. A number of criticisms may be levelled at the methodology discussed in this section. Firstly, it might be asked, with some justification, whether or not the interviewing of only five museum figures can produce results characteristic of attitudes and opinions of London’s museums as a whole. Naturally, critics might ask how the researcher can infer from the collection of five opinions general trends governing the many hundreds and thousands of senior figures working for the management of London’s museums. Likewise, why does the report interview exclusively figures from museum management and not from the government or from the National Lottery? In response to the first question the reply must be that with limited resources and limited time, it seemed most prudent to the researcher to restrict the field of investigation to a narrow focus, where the results obtained could be subjected to a significant scrutiny and analysis — something which resource constraints would have rendered impossible had the field been extended much wider. Moreover, whilst only five persons were interviewed, these figures preside over London’s five largest museums which between them see greater attendance figures and government investment than all of London’s other museums combined. Thus the opinions of the figures interviewed actually are far more representative of London as a whole than would first appear likely. In response to the second question, a similar answer might be given: only museum directors were interviewed because they are the persons with the most intimate knowledge of the matters under discussion. If the present researcher were in future to extend the present research, then the opinions of others outside of museum management would certainly have to be included. As it was, the present report incorporates sufficient expert opinion, to make its findings relevant to the better academic and public understanding of the issues affecting the future of London’s museums. Section 4: Results Analysis The aim of the present research was to investigate the likely future of London’s museums; this research was undertaken by way of interviews with five senior figures from five leading London museums. From the information gained from the literature review undertaken by the researcher it seemed most appropriate to question these museum directors on five main subjects: lottery funding, the advent of free admission, international competition, future strategy and the employment of new researchers and curators. The expectation of the researcher was that the general opinion of these senior figures would have initially been one of welcome to the proposed lottery funding, but that this initial welcome would have turned to mild scepticism in the wake of free admission and the provocation of severe uncertainty following the extra costs incurred by increased visitor numbers and lesser-than-expected lottery investment. What opinions then did these results produce in actuality? (1) Lottery Funding. The five interviewed senior figures unanimously (5 of 5) welcomed the original government proposals to aid London’s and Britain’s museums through funds made available by the national lottery. Museums such as the British Museum, with its newly built Great Court, was given considerable lottery funding amounting to  £47 million (Selwood Davies, 2003: p.3). Museum directors were quick to concede that such developments would have been impossible without these lottery funds — or an extremely large, but unlikely, private donation. In short, museum directors were united in their praise for proposed lottery investment. (2) Free Admission. The chief feature of the respondents’ answers to questions posed about free admission were twofold: on the one hand, respondents welcomed the opportunity to open their doors to ever greater numbers of people, thus disseminating cultural and scientific experience as far as possible; on the other hand, words such as ‘apprehension’ and ‘scepticism’ were used liberally by nearly all of those interviewed. What most strongly prompted this apprehension was the ‘twining’ of free admission introduction with the compensation for lost revenue by lottery funding. Directors confided that when allowed to charge admission fees their museums did at least have a degree of self-sufficiency and so could determine their own future strategies and successes. But lottery funding conditioned by the introduction of free admission policies has subjected London’s museums to a profound financial vulnerability and loss of independence. These museums, now depend upon the HLF for often as much a half of their income; if controversies or difficulties arise with the lottery directors or with the ministers directing them, then the museums are forced to abide by outside instruction and policy. Moreover, the great fear that lottery investment would not be sustained appears to have come true for all of the five museums whose for whom senior figures were interviewed for this research. So too, insufficient lottery funding has been made available to compensate for the extra costs incurred by the vastly increased visitor numbers experienced after the introduction of free admission. Interviewees hinted at a certain naivety and lack of preparation on the part of ministers and lottery managers with respect to the projected visitor increases following free admission and the costs that would be incurred by this. (3) International Competition. On the question of international competition there was further unanimity of opinion amongst the senior figures interviewed. Each respondent vigorously asserted that the collections of the museums he or she presided over as a manager were the equal of any equivalent museum anywhere in the world. Managers from the British Museum and the Natural History Museum, not to mention others, could rightly boast that their reputations were pre-eminent amongst international museums. At the same time, three of the figures interviewed (the exceptions presided over specialist museums with little international competition) confided that many American and European museums simply had far better funding and so purchasing-power than their own London museums. For the immediate future, this gap will mean that these international museums will continue to purchase new pieces of exceptional public interest whilst London’s museums will have to remain content with their exi sting impressive but static collections. In the medium- and long-term future, if this purchasing disparity continues then a qualitative difference will emerge ever more clearly between the museums of London and those of America and Europe. (4) Recruitment. When embarking upon the present research the researcher did not anticipate that ‘the difficulty of recruiting new researchers and curators’ would be a major concern to London’s museums regarding their futures. Nonetheless, as the searching through the literature review proceeded and as the topic came into better perspective this problem seemed to be a central concern for several of the major London museums. Specialist museums like the V A and the Theatre Museum do not, according to results, face such problems; but senior figures from the Natural History Museum, the British Museum and the Science museum may all face crises over recruitment in the near future. According to these figures the recruitment of new staff has been a subject neglected by the government in their ceaseless quest for higher admission figures and in ‘measuring the value’ of a museum-goers’ experience. The science museum can no longer attract top scientists and researchers because they are paid so little:  £20,000 as a starting salary, peaking at  £50,000 ( ). Commercial companies and American museums offer far better salaries and improved facilities. If this ‘brain-drain’ continues for much longer, then it may prove to be the greatest of all dangers to the future prosperity of London’s museums. These institutions are sustained not only by their pieces and specimens, but by the care and expertise of their curators and other staff; it is this expertise and the respect that arises from it that gives these institutions their world-class reputations. If this expertise evaporates, then no amount of increased admission or funding or improved strategy will protect the legacies and future prosperity of London’s museums. But towards the re-capture and enticement of these experts the government and the lottery fund seem somewhat blinded; given the extent to which London’s museums now rely upon government fun ding, it is precisely with the government that the responsibility lies for providing sufficient funding for home-grown and international experts to crave as they used to the opportunity to work in the prestigious museums of London. (5) Future Strategy. The senior figures interviewed for this research are nearly as one when they declare that future strategy has to be built around the attainment of financial stability; this is to be sought through an improved, more efficient and more effective relationship with the government and the HLF. A better balance has to be struck between the government’s ardent desire for ever increased admissions and the practical and pragmatic methods by which these extra admissions, dragging with them their extra costs, will be paid for. If a resolution and balancing is not achieved here then the obvious and inevitable path down which London’s museums must slide is that of ever greater debt and so lesser purchasing-power for new pieces and so a general decline in the standing and reputation of London’s museums. The reality of this predicament is brought home, even as this dissertation is written-up, by the announcement today of the London Theatre Museum (BBC, 2006 ) that they face imminent closure unless a major cash injection from the lottery fund is received. The alternative strategies are these: firstly, an abrupt about-face by the museums whereby they begin to charge for admission. This path is unattractive as there are numerous legislative, ethical and civil obstacles to this policy’s reinstatement. Another alternative is increased public funding from a source other than the lottery; this however looks most unlikely in the short-term. Thus, setting aside the remote chance that a massive private donation will save them, museums must, in their strategising come to agreement with the government about how extra funding from the lottery may be obtained. In short, the results obtained from this present research point to two things: firstly, that senior figures from the five museums interviewed welcomed in general lottery funding as a means to achieve rejuvenation and restoration; secondly, that this optimism changed to apprehension and tentativeness once it became clear the extent to which lottery funding would be dependant upon free admissions policies. Thirdly, it is obvious from all the interviews, that London’s museums are at a cross-roads and a defining moment in their illustrious history. To the left, is the danger of an ever greater financial disparity caused by increasing visitor figures and inadequate lottery funding; to the right is offered a sound financial structure that will ensure the continuation and prosperity of London’s museums’ world-class reputation. Section 5: Conclusion In the final analysis, it seems mo

Evidence Based Practice Impact Of Nurses Nursing Essay

Evidence Based Practice Impact Of Nurses Nursing Essay Evidence-based practice (EBP) is widely recognised within the role of nursing. Its implementation and purpose in the delivery of care is seen as an important driver for nursing practice and clinical outcomes (Cullen Adams 2010). It has been defined as the: conscientious integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patients values and needs in the delivery of high-quality, cost effective health care (Burns Grove. 2007, p.4). EBP provides opportunity for nurses to ensure that clinical interventions and decisions making processes are safe and suitable for every patient group and enabling effectiveness in patient advocacy (Parahoo, 2006). An important part of practice and nursing culture, EBP should not be seen as an extra aspect to daily workload. Knowledge-base gained from pre-registration educational programmes and clinical experience should be the basis for the development of EBP (Cleary-Holdforth Leufer 2008). Nurses critically reflect daily in clinical practice with the implementation and evaluation of care and it is important to understand that this forms the foundation in research for evidence. Quick reference for guidance does not necessarily need to be a lengthy process with accessibility to intranet and local policies, protocols and best practice statements. However, the self-recognition of base knowledge and skill should be continually developed (Parahoo, 2006). Nurses require time to strive fo r answers to clinical questions, expanding clinical expertise in locating research evidence. Using critique frameworks as suggested in Burns Grove (2007), articles should be critically appraised with time spent deciding how they might apply to clinical practice. By taking a rigorous approach to appraisal, making an informed decision about the reliability and validity of sources of evidence, nurses can really look the effects in clinical practice and how the evidence can be delivered (Cleary-Holdforth Leufer 2008). Nurses working in clinical settings should really think about dilemmas or problems that come up frequently in their clinical practice that they would like to know further research and evidence for. It is expected that registered nurses should be comfortable and competent with the components of EBP such as forming clinical questions, literature searching skills, including accessing appropriate literature and showing enthusiasm in its development. Nurses need to have good resources and support from employers through providing access to library facilities containing major on-line databases such as EBSCO; Cochrane library database; Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and the British Nursing Index (BNI). Through the use of databases, a comprehensive literature review should be conducted to generate understanding of what is known and not known about the particular clinical problem (Cleary-Holdforth Leufer 2008). The review can allow the nurse to decide whether adequate knowledge exists allowing for change in clinical practice or whether further research is required. From this initial thought may follow development of clinical question creating ethical consideration and understanding of beliefs and values of patients and colleagues. Nurses should being with searching highest level of evidence such as systematic reviews involving the compilation and ranking of evidence according to its methodological origin (Whiting. 2009). Systematic reviews summarise the results of high quality studies, often reviews of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Described and the gold standard to research, they identify which interventions work, those which are not as effective and where further research should be carried out. In this way, bias is reduced and the effects of treatments studied are not overestimated. By using such evidence, time will be reduced in the need for critical appraisal (Whiting. 2009). It is important to note that as nurses move forward having more autonomy in decision making and its emphasis of patient centred care there still remains lack of appreciation in best evidence for patient response in emotional, psychological and holistic understanding and focus lies within scientific interventionism. Cleary-Holdforth Leufer (2008) criticise that the described highest level of evidence fails to acknowledge research based on patient experience and perception and aspect fundamental to nursing practice. This can be viewed in clinical guidelines developed by Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), derived from systematic reviews of scientific literature all guidelines have levels of evidence statements with the highest level of evidence being meta-analyses, systematic reviews or RCTs (SIGN 2010). 640 words To apply evidence into practice it is vital for nurses to have role models that respect EBP, rather than relying on clinical expertise alone (Cleary-Holdforth Leufer 2008). They must value ideas and effectively support the process if clinical questions arise. Role models need to be enthusiastic about EBP and having positive vision about the opportunities EBP can provide when integrated into day-to-day practice. Nurses need be able to view the benefits of applying best current evidence to their practice and therefore creating a positive motivation for EBP. At all levels, nurses need to be interested in using the EBP and adopt certain practices and attitudes. These include devotion, professional pride, positiveness, courage and willingness to carry out change and commitment to continuous learning (Cleary-Holdforth Leufer 2008). The nurse will not only see maturity in professional self but also development of personal achievement and identity. Decision makers and new found knowledge needs to not only be distributed but fully utilised and the nurse must ensure that colleagues receive, read, understand and appreciate the value of and actually utilise it in their own decision-making processes and, where appropriate, alter their behaviour. As with any clinical intervention, evaluation of its effectiveness is essential and nurses must discuss with colleagues and participants Further to this assignment will be appraisal and evaluation of two papers providing critique and discussion. Each will be assessed for the appropriateness for evidence-based practice. Gethin, G. Cowman, S. (2008) Manuka honey vs. hydrogel a prospective, open label, multicentre, randomised controlled trial to compare desloughing efficacy and healing outcomes in venous ulcers. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 18 (3) p.466-474. Gethin and Cowman (2008) clearly seek to measure the effective comparison of two healing agents on venous ulcers and use a quantitative paradigm with two views to methods of debridement, and indicate that an RCT was undertaken. In a quantitative research study there is focus measurement of the relationship between variables (Burns Grove, 2007). Being the area of interest in the study, the variables that change over time are subject to statistical analysis. A prospective design has been decided on and to the reader indicates a collection of variable data with one or more points in the future. Macnee (2008) adds that time is a defining factor in the design of a quantitative study. In this case the time points were at week 4 and week 12 from initial baseline. A reasonable amount of information has been provided in the design title and allows the reader to be aware of the approach used. It seems that the research hypothesis is best addressed by quantifiable approach being the appropriat e design methodology for investigation. Gethin and Cowman (2008), aimed to select adults presenting with venous leg ulcers having over 50 percent of the wound area covered in slough. Further to this, they followed substantial inclusion and exclusion criteria which was clearly stated and indicated in the research including tables that could be easily understood by the reader. There could however be potential problem with this as a more tightly controlled or restricted sample could lead to limitations to clinical meaningfulness (Parahoo, 2006). The researchers goal is to avoid bias which could potentially distort findings and making it difficult or impossible to interpret results (). There is inconsistency in the description of the members in the study that could indicate bias. The researchers use both the term subject, participant and patient and to the reader, this could be questioned as to how removed the researchers were from those in the sample (Macnee, 2008). Had sample been used consistently then the reader could inte rpret this as being a distance and impersonal approach. Reassuringly the researchers state that they removed themselves from selection process and used blinded randomisation by two persons independent of the study to eliminate personal bias. Blinding refers to the group allocation and the concealment from one or more individuals involved in the research process (Karanicolas, Farrokhyar Bhandari 2010). The larger the sample size in a quantitative study, the more likely the study will apply to clinical situations and aiming to make generalisations about the larger population based on findings (Parahoo, 2006). The study uses a sample size of 108 which seems small and perhaps is unlikely to produce results of statistical significance failing to disclose the actual effectiveness of the agent used. It may have been that Gethin and Cowman (2008) failed to get enough funding to support their study or an increase in sample size would have been too time consuming. Non-probability sampling was used with recruitment of subjects attending a clinic. This type of sampling limits the extent of generalisation of the results to the population outside the research (Burns Grove, 2007). Failure to enrol the predetermined number of subjects creates limitation and restricting what a reader may learn about the study. Further to this, Gethin and Cowman (2008) did not discuss During the data collection stage of the process, there are two important considerations: the potential impact on the reliability and validity of the study. Reliability refers to how reliable the data collection methods are, this is the extent to which the selected methods will collect the same data on repeated occasions. The more consistent this is, the more reliable the methods are (Macnee, 2008). Gethin and Cowman (2008) used local clinical investigators who took part in a pretrial inter-rater reliability (IRR) study determining the level of agreement between the three raters when assessing slough as a percentage within wound bed. As the assessment was split between three data collectors, the reader could query potential differences in subjective opinion in deciding the percentage of slough within the wound bed. Thus influencing the accuracy and consistency in measurement making the measure less reliable. Validity refers to the extent to which the methods used to collect and analyse the data accurately measures what the researchers intended it would measure (Macnee, 2008). They selected to use Visitrak Digital Planimetry a tool for wound measurement. Sugama et al. (2007) explores and concludes that this type for wound measurement device was a efficient reliable system applicable for use in clinical practice improving validity of the research. It must be noted however, that this is only valid if the users are fully competent in its use. An important methodology feature of RCTs is to minimise bias and maximise the validity of the results (Whiting 2009). Gethin and Cowman (2008) failed to blind participants and data collectors due to the obvious orange staining from the Manuka honey. For a reader this is a immense flaw in the research introducing bias. The data collected in quantitative research must either be numerical or converted to numerical data and entered into a database (Macnee, 2008). Gethin and Cowman (2008) selected to use a Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and further a statistician who was completely disconnected from the research in terms of collection and interaction with the subjects. This is a very positive aspect of the research and Gethin and Cowman (2008) failed to elaborate why participants pulled out from the study and a reader should be highly concerned as to what exactly happened to these subjects and question averse reactions to the chosen product. A nurse having found this during a literature review would suggest there are too many weaknesses in the research to apply this to clinical practice and decision making. A main concern is the safety of patients and I would decline to use this product until further research was carried out considering all the available evidence potentially utilising a systematic review approach. Until then, it would not influence decision making in relation to methods of debridement. This intervention applied in everyday clinical practice could potentially have adverse consequences that outweigh the potential benefits. The cost was not reported and it may be that the Manuka honey treatment is very expensive providing only small health benefits and failing to make good use of reso urces. It may have been beneficial for the researchers to provide a rough idea of the cost of producing one unit of benefit. An aspect fundamental to nursing practice is to incorporate understanding of the participants perspective about their experiences (Leufer Cleary-Holdforth 2009). This is not something that was not explored, had funding been available qualitative research, which will be explored in the next paper could have been incorporating using two design methods. 1305 words Hancock, H. C. Easen, P. R. (2006) The decision-making processes of nurses when extubating patients following cardiac surgery: An ethnographic study. International Journal of Nursing Studies. [Online] 43 (6) p.693-705.

Jim Henson Essay -- Essays Papers

Jim Henson Jim Henson once said, â€Å"Follow your enthusiasm. It’s something I’ve always believed in. Find those parts of your life you enjoy the most. Do what you enjoy doing† (qtd. in Fionaurora). Jim did just that. He loved puppetry and made many others love it too. The creator and a performer of the Muppets, Henson is known worldwide for his creations, which include shows like Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, and characters such as Grover, Elmo, Big Bird, the Swedish Chef, Bert and Ernie, and Miss Piggy to name a few. Jim’s most famous character was Kermit the Frog. Kermit remains the Muppet with which Henson is most closely associated. Through television and feature films, Henson developed the art of puppetry to new heights of popularity and storytelling capabilities, especially the ability to create sympathetic and emotional characters that are humorous at the same time. Jim Henson’s countless movies and television shows were loved by audien ces young and old, and they continue to have an impact on people nearly ten years after his sudden death. James Maury Henson was born September 24, 1936, at King’s Daughters Hospital in Greenville, Mississippi. Jim was the second son of Paul Ransom and Elizabeth Marcella Henson. He grew up in nearby Leland, where his father, an agricultural research biologist, worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. His father was busy working and his mother was more concerned with Jim’s brother Paul. As a result of this he was somewhat neglected. Jim turned to his grandmother, who he called Dear. She helped him develop his love of art and performing (â€Å"Biography†). He also enjoyed exploring the countryside near his house. He spent much of his time with friends by a little stream called Deer Creek. â€Å"Kermit always said he came from a small swamp in Mississi(WRITTEN BY ERIC G.*)ppi. Actually it wasn’t a swamp, it was a creek—Deer Creek† (St. Pierre 15). One of his childhood friends, nicknamed â€Å"Kermit,† would later become the n ame of Henson's most celebrated creation. When he was in fifth grade, his family moved to Maryland. At the age of fourteen, Jim’s life was changed forever after the Henson’s got their first television. He was fascinated. He once said, â€Å"I loved the idea that what you saw was taking place somewhere else at the same time" (qtd. in Collins). Jim loved puppet shows like Kukula... ...for his work that taught and entertained at the same tim(ERIC G.)e. His shows Sesame Street and The Muppet Show are two of the most watched shows ever. Jim Henson has touched three generations with his artistry and will continue to for many years to come. Bibliography: Andres, Natalie. â€Å"A Man of Great Imagination.† Jim Henson. 1997. Online. Internet. 3 Jan. 2000. Available http://www.avana.net/~bandres/Nat/jim_henson.html â€Å"Biography of Jim Henson.† Henson.com. 2000. Online. Internet. 3 Jan. 2000. Available http://www.henson.com/creators/biography/index.html Collins, James. â€Å"Time 100: Artists & Entertainers: Jim Henson.† Time.com. 1999. Online. Internet. 2 Jan. 2000. Available http://pathfinder.com/time/time100/artists/profile/henson.html Fionaurora. â€Å"Jim Henson Biography.† Fionaurora’s Jim Henson Page. 1998. Online. Internet. 29 Dec. 1999. Available http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/3108/henson.html Mc Farlin, Jim. â€Å"Jim Henson.† Detroit News. 17 May 1990, 1A. Roush, Matt. â€Å"Like Deaths in the Family.† USA Today. 17 May 1990: 1A. St. Pierre, Stephanie. Jim Henson, Creator of the Muppets. NY: Dell Publishing, 1991.

The Art of Coffee :: essays research papers

The Art of Coffee When I began my job as a Barista at Mainline Coffee I knew next to nothing about this art. I enjoyed hanging out at coffee shops with friends, and appreciated the energy boost drinking a cup could give me; however, the sum of my knowledge appeared to be only that I knew how to brew coffee at home. I didn’t know the differences between espresso and drip brew coffee, or the differences between a cappuccino and a latte. I was ignorant of how much more went into the process of creating good quality coffee. During my first few months there I strove to learn as much about this trade as possible. Similar to any other job that I have worked at, I felt that it was my duty as a paid employee to become as fully qualified for the position as possible. An emphatic enthusiast about coffee, my manager Josh took me under his wing and began to impart his vast sum of knowledge to me. Every day I worked with him he would teach me more and more about roasting techniques, different origins of coff ee and their complex tastes, the best way to foam milk, and the correct names for specialty drinks. He worked on developing my palate for coffee by requiring me to taste each new origin we ordered and then, using coffee vernacular, describing it to the best of my ability. We would also have competitions between ourselves as to who could create the best micro-foam when frothing milk. As my knowledge of this art increased, I was excited by the potential that I was finding in coffee. I was able to experience excellent coffee and espresso, and it opened my eyes up to the fact that there was much more to coffee than the â€Å"traditional† Maxwell House, Folgers, or instant coffee could ever offer. Once roasted, coffee beans begin to oxidize, and they rapidly turn stale and bitter. Packing and refrigeration is able to slow down this process, however, it can never be prevented. Maxwell House, Folgers, and similar brands come already ground, and who knows how long they have been sitting on the shelf in the grocery store. The flavors brought out of these coffees can’t compare to the rich, smooth, and full-bodied flavors of coffee that is recently roasted and ground immediately before brewing. I had discovered something that was good, and I wanted to share my new wealth of information with other coffee drinkers like myself.

Leadership Memo Essay

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to lead the new team in the department. I feel that it will be a great journey and have developed a plan to successfully lead the team. Included in this memo, are details about the individuals that will be a part of the team as well as insight provided on the leadership approach that I will be taking. Because the members of this team have been with the company for quite some time and are proficient in their individual roles, there should not be much time focused on training or teaching the culture of the company. Sandy Paul has great organization skills and is very trustworthy. I will give her the tasks of managing the finances, budgets for the department, including keeping inventory and ordering supplies as needed. Brian Brown is highly conceptual. I feel that he will do well with any research that may be necessary and also have him be heavily involved in quality control, should any problems or customer complaints come about. Liam Walker has been noted to be very creative and people oriented. He will be best suited for assisting Brian with any necessary research that will be needed on the team. He also provides a high sense of optimism and motivation. I have no doubt that he will be able to help keep the team morale high, even during stressful tasks. Lastly, Courtney Gatier has a drive and natural desire to lead. She will stand as my assistant and run the office in my absence. She is a visionary, and looks for ways to improve her department. She has a low tolerance for incompetency and I feel that she is confident enough to take on this role. Robbins and Coulter (2012) states that there are seven traits associated with  leadership – drive, desire to lead, honesty and integrity, self-confidence, intelligence, job-relevant knowledge and extraversion. In order to effectively lead, I agree and feel that having these traits will make for a well balanced team. With that being said, I will be taking on the democratic style. Robbins and Coulter notes a study performed in 1951 at the University of Iowa. This study showed that the â€Å"democratic style of leadership was most effective and encouraged participation (2012).† It is important to involve the team in decision making so that everyone not only feels that they are valued, but also understand the goals that the team will be working towards. This style of leadership also allows me the ability to utilize feedback with the employees as a means for coaching as necessary. This leadership approach works well with the Fiedler contingency model. According to Robbins and Coulter, this theory suggests effective group performance depends upon the proper match between a leader’s style and the degree to which the situation allow the leader to control and influence (2012). This theory also points out three dimensions that attribute to the leader’s success and effectiveness – leader member relations, task structure and position power. Sir, I would like to thank you again for the opportunity to head this team. I feel that with the plan I have developed and wit the staff I have on board, this team will be able to successfully execute the company’s strategic plan to enter the market segment. Reference Robbins, S. P., & Coulter, M. (2012). Management (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Education and Industrialism Essay

† Hard times† is a novel about people who lived in English factory towns at the height of the industrial revolution. In the opening chapters, Dickens shows the brutally- practical philosophy of utilitarianism could influence life in schools and factories. He shows how pupils are â€Å"educated† in a school run by Thomas Gradgrind, and then goes on to describe the fictional town of Coketown, and the appalling conditions its factory workers had to endue. The novel â€Å"Hard Times† is divided into three books, the first of, which is called â€Å"sowing. † Dickens calls the first book this to refer on the one hand to plants: how they are treated when going affects their development; for example, if you leave a plant in a cellar with no water its not going to be as healthy as a well looked after plant. This is the same for children: if they are brought up by just facts then when they are adults they’re not going to be healthy mentally emotionally for the creative side hasn’t been fostered. â€Å"Now, what I want is, facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else and root out everything else. † In this quotation from the first line of the book, the word â€Å"facts† is repeated to emphasise the heart of the speaker’s attitude to teaching children. We later learn the speaker is named Mr. Gradgrind. Dickens gives his characters names, which indicate their personality, for Mr. Gradgrind grinds children down with facts. From the first paragraph, the reader learns about the opinion of Gradgrind not the character or place. The tone is crisp, and no-nonsense, which helps suggest the attitude of the speaker to give the children as many facts as possible. In the second paragraph the words â€Å"plain, bare, monotonous† convey the depressing environment of a school room. Dickens describes Mr. Gradgrind with features to also show his attitude and personality. For example, he describes parts of Gradgrind’s appearance as being square (square also being associated with mathematical precision). â€Å"The speaker’s obstinate carriage, square coat, square legs, square shoulders,† which indicates maths and facts. He also uses metaphorical language to create irony because you can’t just use words literally in real life â€Å"hair, which bristled on the skirts of his bald head, a plantation of firs to keep the wind from its shining surface. â€Å"

Differences in Religion During the Era of Slavery

In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass writes about his experiences being a slave. Intermixed in these experiences are two distinct factions: the religion of the master, and the religion of the slave. The slave masters and their families were often seen at church on Sunday, and then seen beating and mistreating their slaves on Monday. The slaves often professed to be Christians, but that did not stop them from stealing, lying, and scheming against their owners. Religion played a mighty part in the struggles between the slave and his owner, and this paper hopes to show the extent of those struggles through Douglass’ eyes.Most of the slaves brought from Africa had pagan beliefs that they kept alive despite the fact they were no longer in their own country. While some slaves were taught of Christianity by their owners and owners wives, many still held to the beliefs that they had learned as children. Douglass was one of the group that was taught Christianity, bu t that did not always stop him from leaning on some of the old pagan practices that the other slaves followed. For example, a fellow slave, Sandy Jenkins, had a root that he swore would keep a slave from being whipped by their master (Douglass, 53).The root had to be carried only on the right side of the body, and it would give protection to the person who carried it for as long as it was carried (Douglass, 53). Douglass had a need for a trinket like this when he ran away from his master, Mr. Covey. Covey had severely beaten Douglass, and Douglass had managed to get to an old master’s house in hopes of help (Douglass, 52). When he did not receive any, he hid in the woods for a while (Douglass, 53). He was facing either a beating from Covey or starvation in the woods when Jenkins came upon him (Douglass, 53).Jenkins’ free wife had a home of her own, so he took Douglass there and gave him the root (Douglass, 53) . Sure enough, when Douglass went home, Mr. Covey did not o ffer to beat him (Douglass, 53). In fact, the next day Douglass had an altercation with Covey and Hughes, his helper (Douglass, 54). Douglass beat both of them so badly that they â€Å"never wanted to lay hold of him again† (Douglass, 54). They never did, either. Douglass relates that he spent four more years as a slave, and he was never beaten again (Douglass, 54).Now, the question might be, did the root really have any effect on Douglass’s safety? If it did, how could Douglass profess to be a Christian, and still believe that a root of some kind was going to keep him safe? There are two answers to those questions, both provided by Douglass. Douglass expressed his doubts to Jenkins about the root from the very mention of it (Douglass, 53). The only reason that he took it was because Jenkins convinced him that while it might not help matters, it certainly could not hurt them (Douglass, 53).It appears as though Jenkins was right, but one has to think about the day that Douglass came home, Sunday (Douglass, 53). Mr. Covey also professed to be a Christian, and while beating a slave for everyone to see might be acceptable on other days, it was simply not done on Sunday (Douglass, 53). Proof of this fact can be derived by Covey’s actions on Monday. He came to Douglass and attempted to tie him up for a beating, but Douglass bested him (Douglass, 53). Although the root seemed to help on Sunday, it was not going to help on Monday, except for one thing.The root evidently gave Douglass the courage that he needed to be able to fight Covey and Hughes. One could argue that the root did have some saving power, but it seems much more likely that having that talisman made Douglass believe that he could fight. There really was no reason why he could not. He was more than capable of fighting a middle aged man. If nothing else, the root made him brave. What Douglass truly thought about the root came out a few years later when Douglass found himself working f or the same slave owner as Sandy Jenkins (Douglass, 59).While not in the dialogue itself, Douglass made a footnote that expressed his real feelings. He noted that while Jenkins was totally convinced that Douglass overcame Covey with the help of the root, Douglass held that idea up as a simple superstition common to â€Å"ignorant† slaves (Douglass, 59). So, perhaps there never really was an issue between Douglass choosing to be a Christian while carrying a pagan object. We know, though, the root must have helped at least a little bit. Did Douglass believe in it the moment he stood up to Covey? We will never know.However, this whole episode is representative of what a lot of slaves encountered. They became Christian by choice or by force, but there were always the old pagan beliefs in the back of their mind, the beliefs that they had carried from their home. No wonder, then, that black Christianity was so markedly different than white Christianity. In Douglass’s life st ory, he made it clearly known that he advocated slaves doing what they had to do to survive on the plantations and farms of their owners (Douglass, 81). However, some of these things went against the most basic teachings of Christianity.Slaves were often forced to steal, lie, and carry out all types of schemes to stay alive, fed, and unbeaten. Certainly, no one would claim that all slaves were Christians. The story of the root, as explained above, should be clear proof of that. Not all slave owners were Christians, so there would be no need to expect that they would teach, or force, their slaves to believe what they did not. However, this question is more about Douglass himself than any other slave. How could he condone the unscrupulous actions of any slave, and still be a Christian himself?The answer is fairly simple. Douglass made a distinction in types of Christianity. He saw the Christianity practiced in the â€Å"slaveholding† portion of the United States as a corruption of the â€Å"Christianity of Christ† (Douglass, 81). He went so far as to say that â€Å"to be a friend of the one, is of necessity to be the enemy of the other† (Douglass, 81). From this comment, we can see that Douglass did not have problems with what slaves had to do to stay alive or escape because he could not in good faith recognize the Christianity of his captors as true Christianity.In truth, why would he have any reason to do so? Douglass related many experiences in his life that had been touched by the slave holders brand of Christianity. He endeavored to start a Sunday School for his fellow slaves, and it was broken up by the â€Å"Christian† slave owners because the slaves were learning to read and write (Douglass, 59). His grandmother was sent off to live and die by herself when she was old and of no use to her owner, and all because her former owner, a â€Å"Christian,† had not bothered to release her upon his death (Douglass, 39-41).He saw women beaten unmercifully, and felt the scars and sores left by the repeated abuse (Douglass, 33). He was separated from his own mother as a small child, and allowed to see her only four or five times in his life, and then only at night because her owner would not give her a pass to be late to the fields (Douglass, 13-14). After everything he went through, how could he not consider the Christianity of most of the white men he encountered to be a false, ugly thing?Simply put, Douglass could advocate the non-Christian behavior of the slaves because they were working against a great evil, in his opinion. The battle was not between two groups that believed the same way. It was between two groups that were at desperate odds with each other. Neither one had any respect or kind thoughts for each other, so it might as well have been two completely different religions instead of one. Douglass could see that difference, so he could not be bothered to chide his fellow man for disobeying their masters.In his mind, it was the right thing to do. Douglass mentions in his narrative that he considered being a slave to a religious owner one of the worst things that could ever happen to him (Douglass, 57). It has been fully discussed why Douglass did not see slave owners as having the same type of Christianity he did, but in some instances, such as when he left Mr. Covey and went to work for Mr. Freeland, he claimed that slave owners who were not religious were far and above the best kind to work for (Douglass, 57).We may ask the question, why were religious slave owners so much worse than non-religious ones? To help us understand this situation, Douglass gives several examples of the atrocities committed by â€Å"religious† owners, and the reasons given for their abhorrent behavior. A Reverend Daniel Weeden and Reverend Rigby Hopkins, both Methodist preachers, lived near Douglass while he worked for Mr. Freeland (Douglass, 57). Rev. Weeden beat his slaves unmercifully. D ouglass recalled seeing a woman who was beaten so badly and so often that her back was raw for weeks on end (Douglass, 57).Weeden’s motto was â€Å"behave well or behave ill, it is the duty of a master to occasionally whip a slave, to remind him of his master’s authority† (Douglass, 57). Douglass deemed people of this type to be â€Å"cruel and cowardly† (Douglass, 57). Perhaps they were cruel by nature, and cowardly because they hid behind their religion and used it to excuse what they did to innocent people. The Rev. Hopkins would â€Å"whip slaves in advance of deserving it† (Douglass, 58). The smallest things, such as â€Å"a look of dissatisfaction,† would mean that a slave â€Å"had the Devil in him, and it must be whipped out† (Douglass, 58).Beatings were given for equipment malfunctions, such as a plow breaking, not taking off a hat in the presence of a white person, and even suggesting an easier way of doing a task (Douglass, 58). All this was supposed to mean that the slave was getting â€Å"high minded† and deserved punishment (Douglass, 58). Despite the cruel actions of this man, Douglass noted that there was no one â€Å"who made higher professions of religion, or was more active in revivals†¦ or prayed earlier, faster, and longer than this reverend slave driver, Rigby Hopkins† (Douglass, 58). On the other hand, Mr.Freeland did not consider himself to be religious (Douglass, 57). He gave his slaves and hired men plenty to eat, plenty of time in which to eat it, good tools to work with, and made sure that there were enough people to work his land (Douglass, 58). It is not mentioned one time that he beat his slaves. What could all this mean? One would naturally think that Christian people would be kinder to their slaves than non-Christians, but this was evidently not the case. One reason this could be is that the Christian slave owners were trying, as said before, to â€Å"beat the Devil† out of their slaves (Douglass, 58).As per the discussion of the â€Å"root† earlier, it is no surprise that most slaves were members of some pagan, tribal religion. Some denominations felt that it was better to expose their slaves to God instead of removing their suffering in this world (Thevarajah,1). Some owners thought that Christian slaves might be better than pagan slaves, presumably because they would be more obedient and better behaved (Thevarajah, 1). As we know from Douglass, this was not often the case. We can know for certain that the cruelty exuded by Christians on their slaves was not unique to Douglass’s situation.In fact, it was quite common. Looking at another recollection of servitude, this time from a female perspective, Our Nig; Or Sketches From the Life of a Free Black, by Harriet Wilson, expresses the same ideas of suffering under the hand of a Christian family. In Chapter Eight of this touching book, the main character, known mostly as â€Å"Nig,† gets a chance to go out to church meetings and embraces Christianity. However, all the woman she works for can worry about is that â€Å"Nig† will wish to go to church and to meetings on Sunday, making her unavailable for work (Wilson, Chapter 8).When the woman is questioned about her attitude, since she is a Christian herself and goes to church, she states, â€Å"Who ever thought of having a nigger go, except to drive others there? † (Wilson, Chapter 8). Here, perhaps, we find the truth of the matter. Some Christians believed that it was acceptable to make their slaves into Christians, but these Christians would always be inferior, and perhaps more prone to punishment because of the high standards their owners held them up to. Perhaps it is not so much a question of cruelty, but one of ignorance.In a sickeningly perverted way, perhaps some of the brutal slave owners felt that they were doing the right thing by beating their slaves â€Å"straight . † Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is a book that really opens ones eyes to the warping of religious ideas in the light of the era of slavery. There were pagan rituals going on side by side with church services, and Christians who thought it best to be cruel in order to transfer their belief system to the people that they owned.As Douglass noted, there were two kinds of Christianity in the world at that time, they Christianity of slavery and the â€Å"Christianity of Christ. † Hopefully some of those who suffered under cruel masters in the name of salvation were later able to find the true way for themselves. Unfortunately, there are many who never survived to make their own decisions. This is the shame of the slavery era, especially for those who died in the process of their â€Å"salvation. †

“A Conversation with my Father” by Grace Paley Essay

A Conversation with My Father is a fictional story about a daughter and her dying father. At his bedside, he asks her to tell a story. She tells a tragic story of a woman who gets involved in drugs because of her son but then the son leaves her and she is stuck in the drug lifestyle. She soon after decides to get her life back on track and she succeeds in doing so. The father rejects the daughters ending because he believes that she is avoiding tragedy. Through ambiguity and connotation in the conversation between daughter and father, Grace Paley shows that people are often afraid of confronting tragedy or even accepting it. Paley repeats the word end throughout the story. The father in A Conversation with My Father is the one that uses both words the most. In lines 6-7, the father says, Poor woman. Poor girl, to be born in a time of fools to live among fools. The end. The end. The father at first shows some sort of sympathy by recognizing that this woman was not in the best condition but he goes on to say that it is the end. By the end he means the end of her life and that her life cannot get back on track no matter what. Anytime that the narrator uses the word end it is meant to describe the end of the drug addict woman in the daughters story (Lines 6-8, 14). Grace Paley also has repetition of the word tragedy. The word tragedy is also ambiguous throughout the story. In line 9, the father says, what a tragedy. The end of a person. In this line the fathers usage of the word tragedy is not ambigious because it is clear that he is describing the end of the mother in the story. In line 14 the father says, Tragedy! Plain tragedy! Historical tragedy! In these lines it is unsure in what context that father is talking about tragedy. It is hard to tell whether he is talking about the character from the story or his own daughter. It seems like he is most likely talking about his daughter because in the line before that he says, You dont want to recognize it. The you refers to the daughter and the it refers to tragedy. The father believes that a weakness of his daughter is that she does not recognize or accept tragedy. The usage of the word tragedy and end together is what helps get Grace Paleys point across to the readers in this story. In several lines the father  mentions both words together in order to show that people are afraid of confronting tragedy or even accepting it (Lines 9, 14). In line 9 the father states that the end of a person is tragic but the daughter goes on to show her naà ¯vetà © ness by saying that it does not have to be the mothers end because in reality, the mother could go on to be successful at her current job or become even more successful at something else. It is this point in the story when the father tells the daughter that her writing is no good because she does not recognize tragedy and therefore there is no hope for her. After he tells her that there is no hope for her, he goes on to say The end. In that point in the story the phrase is used to describe how the father feels about his daughters future (Line 14). In the last line the father says, Tragedy! You too. When will you look it in the face? Here he is pointing out his daughters refusal to recognize or accept tragedy. He is calling her a tragedy because she will not recognize tragedy. At every point in the story before this, the author either used the word tragedy when talking about the mother from the story or about society as a whole but this is the point in the story when he lets his true feelings out. The father believes that society as a whole chooses not to recognize tragedy just like his daughter. He wants to show his daughter that she is turning into a tragedy because she will not accept tragedy like the rest of society. The father seems to believe that if you do not make tragedy a reality then you will become a tragedy yourself. Although there are specific examples throughout the story to show how the father believes that the daughter denies tragedy, there are several parts where the father also comments on the naà ¯vetà © of society when it comes to tragedy. In line 6 the father says, †¦born in a time of fools to live among fools. The word fools refers to society as a whole. The father is trying to say that we are all naà ¯vetà © because noone recognizes tragedy. He continues in this line to use the phrase the end (Line 6). The connotation of the phrase the end changes in this line. In this line it more refers to the entire general population instead of the specifically the mother from the story or his own daughter even though it seems like that is what he is referring to. In lines 22-23 the daughter says, Im sorry for her. Im not going to leave her there in that house crying (Actually neither would Life,  which unlike me has no pity.) By stating that the daughter shows that she does not believe in tragedy and that she refuses to let a story have a bad ending because it is immoral. This line not only shows that the daughter will not recognize tragedy but the second part, where she states that life would not leave the mother in the same condition either, proves that society feels the same way about tragedy. The phrase in the parentheses is interesting because it points out that life itself would not accept tragedy even though in general life pities no one. The whole point shows that although we as a people generally do not pity anyone or anything, we do make an acceptation for tragedy. The word tragedy and end are two very strong words in this short story. No other words would get the authors point across. The author used them ambiguously in order to get her point across to the audience. The father uses the story that he had his daughter tell to show her tragedy. He hoped to show her that people are afraid of it and that they often do not recognize it. He wanted her to realize her own tragedy before it led to her end because he believed that denying tragedy is what leads to failure or the end.