Friday, November 29, 2019

How does Baz Luhrmann make his film of Romeo and Juliet exciting and relevant for a contemporary audience Essay Example

How does Baz Luhrmann make his film of Romeo and Juliet exciting and relevant for a contemporary audience Paper Baz Luhrmann had to encapsulate a timeless Shakespeare classic into a contemporary, snappy, interesting and engaging Hollywood blockbuster. Well, no one said it was going to be easy. But the question still remains how did he do it? Todays generation has been brought up with incredibly strong visual input through media such as television, posters, magazines and the internet. So doing justice to Shakespeare himself, while still trying to appeal to a modern audience was the first problem he would encounter. To tackle this he would have to incorporate an element that would not only relate to his target audience: teens and young adults, but would maintain the genius of Shakespeares masterpiece as well. However, Shakespeare has been thought of by many as being dreaded and boring, so Luhrmann had to overcome this first and push forward into a new realm of understanding and interest. He tried to find the things in Shakespeares work that still go on today; for example the idea of gang wars and illicit relationships. After this he substituted all the things in the original text for more updated things, guns instead of swords, cars for horses and crazy partys with drugs and transvestites instead of glittering balls. We will write a custom essay sample on How does Baz Luhrmann make his film of Romeo and Juliet exciting and relevant for a contemporary audience specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on How does Baz Luhrmann make his film of Romeo and Juliet exciting and relevant for a contemporary audience specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on How does Baz Luhrmann make his film of Romeo and Juliet exciting and relevant for a contemporary audience specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In general Luhrmann has tried modernising the whole film and using familiar images of today to give a sense of security so the people watching arent completely lost. One of the ways this was used was to have the setting in a place similar to somewhere like Miami Beach, but then changing the name to Verona Beach, the original name of the town. They have chosen this location to give an element of fun into it and lift the weight off the heavy content of the play, and since the original play was set in Italy, they mixed it in with a little Rio De Genero, giving it a Catholic slant. To make the 2 families bear a visible difference, Luhrmann dressed them in a very different style of clothes. The Montagues were dressed in easy-going Hawaiian shirts and beach like clothes, whilst the Capulets are dressed in black with cowboy boots and spurs on the end. This idea is used when the two houses fight and some western style music plays and its like a showdown. They also have pictures of Mary and Jesus on their guns which has a link to the catholic theme of the city. Luhrmanns used music to weave its way through the film so that even if you dont understand the complex language just by listening to the music and watching the screen you can get a hold on what is going on surprisingly well. He also uses special effects in the same way, so that anyone can work out the gist of whats going on. He used different camera angles to create some of the effects, for example long shots to generally set the scene for action, or to show the aftermath of something, for example at the scene of Mercutios death. At the very beginning of the film, they show the prologue as a news reporter reading it out on the news. This immediately sets the scene by showing the audience that it set in the relatively modern day. A man then repeats it while its showing some quick flashes of fights and the statues in the city and their buildings. This adds drama and properly sets the scene, as it really shows what level the fighting is at and how much each house hates each other. Looking more closely at a particular scene you can see how the special effects and music and all the elements of the film come together and make it work. The scene I chose to look at is like a turning point in the film, where the good turns bad and the true tragedy begins to unfold. At the start of the scene there is a long shot of some of the billboards near the beach. There is some dancy background music coming from a radio and the camera is darting around and pans from side to side giving the impression of someone looking around, and to establish the surroundings. Then it has a series of close-ups on peoples faces, for example people in a car driving past in bikinis and beach clothes. A beat starts then it goes to Benvolio and Mercutio walking down and play fighting with the guns and doing tricks on them. A western style of music comes on and they carry on walking down the beach. The use of guns is relevant to the society and the camera angle is rolling which gives it a strong feeling of unease, like there is something wrong. A while later the nurse arrives wearing a red outfit, which is the colour of love, so it means that love is in the air.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Reasons Why U.S. Maintains Dependence on Foreign Oil Import (2005)

Reasons Why U.S. Maintains Dependence on Foreign Oil Import (2005) In 2005, the United State imports about 60 percent of its oil from foreign countries, and this rate is still continuing to grow. Some experts predict that by the time 2020, the U.S. oil import rate will excess 70 percent or even more. Look back to the history, the U.S. imported only 42 percent oil of its consumption in 1980, and in 2000, this number has risen to 52 percent (Feldstein). That means the oil imported rate is not only just growing, but also might grow faster and faster when the oil demands is increasing. The rate is increased by almost 20 percent in 20 years even tough the government wants to reduce the U.S. dependence on foreign oil import even since 1970s. Today, most of the world's oil reserves are located in the Mid-east countries; most of these resources are controlled by the OPEC members. And the U.S imports big amount of oil form OPEC, such as Saudi Arabia.English: Kingdom Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Tak...In addition, not only U.S., but also other big countries in the world, such as Japan and Spain, these countries are also increasing their oil import from OPEC. In a public opinion survey, many people point out that they are afraid the future price of oil might become a "serious threat to the nation's economy and jobs, as well as to its standard of living, the environment, and their national security"(SUN DAY Campaign). Lots of people argue that the dependence of the foreign oil import is bad for American economy. The government in the United Stated always wants to be more independently on its domestic oil production. However, although President George Bush says that hydrogen power will lead the U.S. to energy independence, in fact, from the information upon, we knew that the oil import rate will not...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Gilgamesh Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gilgamesh - Essay Example The Epic Hero stands as more than just the conquerer, but also as a role model and an ideal man, an allegory for the struggle to meet one’s truest potential. Every culture has their own version of the Epic Hero, who occupies a distinct place in the scheme of the society. Separate from his contemporaries, the Epic Hero straddles the line between man and god, unable to fully commit to one realm or another. He must separate himself from the common people, either by choice or by necessity, in order to undertake the tasks that must be completed. Gilgamesh epitomizes the Epic Hero. We see him as the beloved king, the indomitable ruler, occupying a station above all others that is simultaneously ruled over by fickle deities. He concerns himself with tasks beyond the scope of mortal possibilities, ridding the world of evil beings and challenging the permanence of death. The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic in more than name — King Gilgamesh’s undertaking is ambitious almost to a fault and in his journey, he undergoes intense personal transformation from an irreverent, self-important child to a motivated, intuitive ruler. Motivated by his quest, the Epic Hero moves through the physical world as a sort of outsider whose actions and reactions come from a more direct relationship with the material and preternatural elements of his environment. The Epic Hero reflects the nature of his origin culture by demonstrating the ideal man, an icon that reflects the values and mores of the people. People relate to the Epic Hero because he represents the beliefs that they have been taught to accept and revere. This archetype has influenced more than fictional literature. Alexander the Great, for instance, was indeed a real historical figure, but he has taken on many of the elements of the Epic Hero demonstrated in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Much of the traditional narrative of Alexander reflects the power and prestige associated with the Epic Hero, but the metaphysical as pect of the legend carries other similarities. Alexander’s search for the water of life in later Islamic mythos mirrors that of Gilgamesh, and, like Gilgamesh, Alexander fails in his quest to become immortal (Jastrow). Similarly, themes of divine anger and details reminiscent of Gilgamesh appear extensively in Genesis — so much so that historians believe the Biblical flood story to be heavily influenced its Mesopotamian counterpart (Millard 13). Enraged by the sins of the world, the Semitic god decides to flood the world (Gen. 6.17). Noah, the pious man who assumes the role of the Epic Hero, delivers his family from danger by building a great ark at the insistence of the divine, demonstrating to the reader the importance of following god’s commandments. Although the Mesopotamian version does not incorporate the same level of moral implication, both flood stories demonstrate the continued involvement of the gods in the day-to-day survival of the world. Regardless of the era, deities play a distinct role in the epic narrative. They shape and define the path of the hero, alternately offering aid and raising barriers. Respect is demanded from all participating parties and, as demonstrated by the rampage of the Bull of Heaven, a lack of due respect results in disaster. Irreverence is punished harshly. The hero, who does not quite fit into the mortal realm, often

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Journalism, mass media and communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Journalism, mass media and communication - Essay Example Journalism, mass media and communication In my case my goals coincided with the group’s goal. But there were many who joined us for leisure, for publicity etc, undermining the combined thought of the group. Answer 2: Groups sometimes carry formal rules well stated and expressed. In my case, we decided to wear black shirts to exhibit our protest from our attire and each and every participant was bound to wear it. Although they were provided free of cost. Our demonstration needed emotionally charged expression, although not stated, but every individual portrayed this norm. However our group was leaded by some of the extraordinary individuals to be the best representative of our cause. The rules were clearly stated since the day group formation began and most rules were stated by group leaders like the gathering of all members, timings, location etc. But as the demonstrations began, all the group members of our campus were reflective of our identity. Answer 3: Although norms are suitable group standards, defining roles leads the development of expected behavior pattern of members. In my case, the selection of leaders, and then there assistants was made to define their specific roles within our group. Although the leaders were not mentioned to be the head but they reached that level as we started following them. So they acquired this position due to their innate leadership qualities and played an informal role in our group. The informal roles are categorized into two categories, social and task. Task roles lead the group to its goals while social roles help in bringing cohesiveness among group members. Answer4 One of the ways for classifying groups is their decision making criteria. In our groups mostly used decision making criteria is for running into consensus that involves bringing all members to one point. However, this is not the only method adopted, in cases where consensus is unachievable; majority control is adopted that i s a reflective of democracy. In cases where one of our members has a core competency, group does rely on that member in decision making on that subject. But, the minority control approach has not been applied in any of several groups formed during the course of study. As most of groups I belonged were due to dependency regarding intellectual sharing, therefore, at times the development of group leader diverts decision making towards authority control. Answer5 As group members perform differing roles within the group, the power inherited in these roles may lead to development of political situation within the group. It is well known that those who have any sort of power may influence the behavior of others. Some power is inherited with the position of a group member. For example those given the position of leader automatically develop the feel of being authoritarian over others. Such power is usually considered as legitimate. At times the behavior of other group members can be contro lled due to coercive power. For example, imposing fines on any noncompliance with the group’s norms and rules is a result of exercising coercive power. And if the behavior of others is influenced by providing rewards as a reinforcing technique for desirable consequences, such power results from the positive way of influencing others and usually termed as reward power. The expert power stems from being a

Monday, November 18, 2019

Drama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Drama - Essay Example In this case, Jack lies about his brother’s death and makes his relatives to believe the lie. Jack does all this drama by feigning seriousness. He pretends to be mourned by use of costumes and some props Wilde claims that Algernon joins Cecily in making up fairy tales, although they have no intention of deceiving anybody; the lies will definitely hurt some other character (78). The author portrays Cecily and Agernon as the architects of their lives. This is because they are creative and thoughtful on issues, which concern them. The false impressions of the characters like Jack, Cecily and Algernon serve to reveal their true personalities. In this case, Jack and Algernon use hypocrisy and deception to be free of domestic duties. The freedom affords them an opportunity to engage in pleasurable activities and leisure. The characters could not readily embrace the fact that their engagements were to end soon. In this regard, Jack tells Algernon, ‘†¦ You wont be able to run down to the country quite so often as you used to do, dear Algy†¦ You wont be able to disappear to London quite so frequently as your wicked custom was†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Wilde 34). This implies that Algernon and Jack always enjoyed the freedom and the end of the freedom caused them pain and sorrow. Hypocrisy is also manifest in the infatuation between Gwendolyn and Cecily. These characters pretend to be in love, but they confirm the contrary, when they disagree on Earnest. The language used by most of the characters in this play has epigrams, which depicts deception. In this regard, the speeches made by the characters do not conform to logical sense. Hypocrisy is prevalent in the Victorian society given that the participants harbor ill attitudes. This is manifest when Gwendolyn and Cecily misbehave before the servants. Additionally, this element is portrayed by Lady Blackwell when she warms to Cecily on account of her richness. Both of them want to marry Earnest but it turns

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Theories of Food Choice Influences

Theories of Food Choice Influences Food is essential for growth and bodily functions (Wahlqvist and Briggs, 2010). Therefore, in this paper, theories that influences food choices will be discussed and applied to my food choices. Lastly, this paper will conclude on my understanding on others food practices and what changes can improve their food choices. Based on the food choice model, the first medium that influences ones food choice is developmental. Food choices are often developed and influenced through exposure over the individuals developmental lifespan. From the child is born, his family would be the primary medium for his exposure and socialization to the food that he consumes. Usually, the food consumed would belong to the culture which the child family stemmed from. Rarely would the child be allowed autonomy over the choice of food. (Fieldhouse, 1998). Applying this to an Asian context which I was born in; since young, I was exposed to Chinese cultural foods where lard, soy sauce, sugar and salt was often used to enhance the flavour and fragrance of meals. I was used to eating these daily and never would have thought I would be exposed to other food choices. This exposure came when I progressed into adolescence where a secondary type of socialisation took place school, media, friends or an older sibling. When a child enters school, and gets exposed to friends and the media, they will observe what their peers consume and get exposed to food advertisements on the media, all which grabs their attention and leads them to change in their food habits (Fieldhouse, 1998; Ogden, 2010). Remembering vividly back to high school, if my peers or elder sister ordered a meal, I would order the same meal as them due to my perception that they know what food tasted better. In addition, when shown food advertisements, it often makes me crave a bite. The second medium is our cognition. Based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (Ogden, 2010, p44), it posits that an individuals attitude and his subjective norms drives his intention to perform the behaviour which then leads to the individual performing the behaviour. Again, applying it to Chinese cuisine, it is the subjective norm that one should use all parts of the animal (e.g. chicken)-including the organs- during cooking as they have nutritional values. Therefore, I feel it is normal to cook every part of the chicken (attitude towards behaviour). Given that a whole chicken can be conveniently bought at any supermarket, I would turn the various parts into different dishes for my family (performing of specific behaviour). Despite, knowing that animal organs for example are high in saturated fat and can cause heart diseases (Jesus, 2015). The third medium is psychophysiological. Food choices can be based on the 5 senses: sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch. (Ogden, 2010) Hearing food sizzling, coupled with the smell and sight increases our likelihood of consuming the food. When food touches the tongue, pleasure is obtained from the texture, perceived sweetness or saltiness of food. Food choices can also be influenced by ones mood and stress. (Ogden, 2010) Personally, intense stressors from school would cause me to engage in mindless eating as a mood booster. Convenience is defined as the accessibility to food products. After living in different countries, it got me appreciating how different countries have different accesses to food products. For countries with supermarkets conveniently located near train stations, it is easy for the residents to get a wide array of food choices. This is unlike countries where supermarkets are scarce with limited food choices. Cost can also influence food choices. It is of relevance to the individual socio-economic status; with more access to money, one can made more food choices. But, being a student with no source of income, I must be thrifty and limit my choices. Food choices can also affect how one manages their relationship with others. Given that most of my peers and family love fried food, I would cook them frequently to satisfy their taste buds. By doing so, I am bonding with them even though I know that it is unhealthy. After understanding the influences in my food choices, the basics of the theory of planned behaviour (Ogden, 2010, p45) could be used to explain how my choices changed. During a lecture, I learnt that consuming healthy food would improve ones health (i.e. healthier weight, positive mind set, decrease in blood pressure and cholesterol level) and reduces the likelihood of developing chronic diseases. With so many health benefits, this has motivated and drive me to make the change. Based on the theory, I am showing a change in my attitude towards the behaviour (i.e. a healthy lifestyle). This change towards a healthier food choice was further made easy through the context that I am in. Having peers that were studying the same course who hold similar goals to have a healthy diet -, it thus seems like a subjective norm to have healthier food choices. I am also blessed to have housemates that are supportive to my changes. Making the move here to Adelaide alone had also given me full control over food choices. To start the change of food choices, one needs to have adequate knowledge. Through my research on the healthy eating guidelines, I have learned to consume a wide range of reduced fat dairy products, vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, lean meats, have ample of plain water and reduce consumption of foods high in saturated fat, salt and sugar. (Commonwealth of Australia, 2015) A second change that I made was through how I did my grocery shopping. Prior to purchasing any food, I would read the ratings and food labels. As healthier products are costlier, I would purchase fresh vegetables and healthy products that are on offer to reduce my expenditure whilst eating healthier. A third change that I made was in modifying my food practices arising from the Chinese culture. It dawned on me that Chinese cuisines are usually high in salt due to the salt and soya sauce combination added into the dish. To ensure that I eat healthier while still satisfying my sensory needs, I created variations like omitting salt if soya sauce is used, using olive oil and different spices. I have also substituted white rice for brown rice for its health benefits and replaced junk food (e.g. chips) with baked nuts (e.g. walnuts). By making such changes in my food choices decisions, it has changed how I view food. I have learnt to appreciate food for their natural taste, am more conscious on what I eat. It has also made it harder for my peers or the media to influence my current palate. Having been to the outskirts in Thailand; Chiang Rai, I will be analysing their food practices. In Chiang Rai, there are limited food options for the locals. As supermarkets are usually located in town and there are no public transports available; one would have to drive about an hour to get fresh groceries. Due to these inconveniences, the food options for locals are preserved foods as it is affordable and can be stored longer. In addition to limited food options, the locals are also presented with a reduction in their food choices. As most locals hold manual labour jobs, their food choices were mainly limited to an increased consumption of carbohydrates (e.g. white rice); as it is presumed that higher consumption of carbohydrates will keep one full for prolong hours. It was also hard to incorporate fresh food into their diet as they do not have the appropriate storage place (e.g. fridge) to prevent the food from turning bad. Lastly, the locals at Chiang Rai differs in their cooking practices. The meals prepared are often seasoned either with sugar or salt as they believe that this is the only way to ensure that the meal tasted delicious. After analysing their food practices, it can be deduced that their diet resulted from poor accessibility to food choices, awareness on healthy diet, money and the proper amenities to store their products. The individuals accessibility to the supermarket is of first importance. The government should target such population and make public transport available. This will allow greater accessibility to other food choices. If creating a public transport route is not feasible, another alternative would be for the supermarkets to offer free delivery services. Not only would this be beneficial to busy working adults, but this will also be of great help to elderlies who has decreased strength and mobility and are unable to lug heavy groceries home. Of second importance is educating them. When I started making the change, I enriched myself with healthy eating guidelines. Therefore, I believe that with adequate education on how to prepare healthy meals with affordable ingredients and introducing them other natural alternatives that enhances their meals (e.g. herbs and spices); making healthy food choices (e.g. reading food labels) and changing their perceptions (e.g. educate them to choosing high fibre food which can help them to be full easily too) towards food. Making groceries more affordable would be of third importance, supermarkets can consider selling seasonal vegetables and products that are expiring within two months at a cheaper price. Lastly, there could be community funding projects conducted to raise funds for such population to afford a fridge to keep their fresh groceries.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Surrogate Motherhood Essay -- essays research papers

Surrogate motherhood refers to that condition of a fertile (footnote) woman who has been contracted to become impregnated via reproductive technologies such as donor or artificial insemination. It is that condition wherein that fertile woman also has agreed to transfer her rights on the child to the biological parents after giving birth. This is bounded by a contract that was signed by the contracting parents and the surrogate. The reasons for this generally fall into two categories. Either the contracting couple is unable to produce a child or they would prefer to eliminate or enhance certain genetic traits. My argument would apply to either case. For the purpose of this paper, the motivations are irrelevant and the logic following applies to both. The possibility of surrogacy has gotten people into quite a tizzy with furious debates concerning issues such as the commedification of a woman’s reproductive organs, the physiological & psychological harm, and its social impa cts on a religious definition of marriage. I will defend the claim that surrogacy is an immoral action which places a socially constructed and therefore arbitrary value on the natural phenomenon of human reproduction, the implications of viewing the natural in terms of the artificial can be seen through the increase psychological and health risks of the women that contract. Prior to discussing the ethical issues, I must discuss the scientific process involved. There are actually various types of reproductive technologies women can undergo. These would include, as mentioned earlier, donor or artificial insemination, assisted hatching, in vitro fertilization, gametra fallopian transfer, zygote intrafallopian transfer, intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo micromanipulation. These are actually the technologies employed in the process of surrogacy (Hinman, 2001). Surrogacy or surrogate motherhood, like reproductive technologies, can be further classified as gestational surrogacy, traditional surrogacy, and egg donation. Gestational surrogacy, as defined by various references, would refer to the surrogacy condition wherein there in absolutely no genetic link between the child and the carrier. This may be in the form of the following (Canadian Surrogacy Options, Inc.) Traditional surrogacy, on the other hand, would refer to the surrogacy condition wherein ... ...definition of Motherhood†. The Journal of Philosophy, Science and Law. February 2002, vol. 2. Lecture Notes in Business Ethics. 2004 McDowell, Janet Dickey. â€Å"The Procreations Ethics Series: Surrogate Motherhood.† The Journal of Lutheran Ethics. http://www.elca.org./jle/alc_lca.procreation_ethics_surrogate_motherhood.html O'Neill, Terry (ed.). Biomedical Ethics: Opposing Viewpoints. Greenhaven Press, Inc., San Diego CA,  © 1994. pp. 185-196. Ragone, Helen. 1994. Chasing the blood tie: Surrogate mothers, adoptive mothers and fathers. American Ethnologist. Richardson, Herbert. On the Problem of Surrogate Parenthood: Analyzing the Baby M Case. 1987. Squire, Susan. "Whatever Happened to Baby M?" Redbook, January 1994. Whitehead, Mary Beth, with Loretta Schwartz-Nobel. A Mother's Story: The Truth About the Baby M Case. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989. Surrogate Motherhood. < http://www.debatabase.org/details.asp?topicID=93 > Surrogate Mothers. Types of Surrogacy. The Canadian Surrogacy Options, Inc. http://www.canadiansurrogacyoptions.com/SurrogacyTypes.asp The Case of Baby M: 1988. Women's Rights on Trial, 1st Ed., Gale, 1997, p.312.

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club This paper is an analysis of five dissimilar teenagers representing a cross-section of middle class high school students in the suburbs. The students meet each other for the first time during a Saturday morning detention session. Each student arrived to the school by different means, which is a precursor to determining the type of individual each one is. The group is comprised of a â€Å"princess†, an â€Å"athlete†, a â€Å"brain†, a â€Å"criminal†, and a â€Å"basket case†. These are the roles the students play during the week. Because of typical stereotypes and status levels, at the onset, the students don’t want anything to do each other at the beginning of the detention session. However, once confronted by the controlling principal and realizing they have a whole day to spend together, the students begin to interact. Once the students start communicating with each other, they realize that they are more alike than unlike. Each one of them has their own issues they are dealing with, they each long for self-acceptance; they all fight against peer pressure; they all desire parental approval. Eventually through the course of the day, they break through the barriers and begin to understand each other and accept each other as well as themselves. The students eventually develop a group identity and call themselves, â€Å"The Breakfast Club. † Claire is the â€Å"princess†; an upper-class, popular prom queen who was punished with detention after she ditched classes to go shopping. She enjoys her wealth, but this causes others to envy her. She is a bit shy and doesn’t easily reveal information about herself. She is very insecure with herself because she is not very smart and isn’t athletically inclined which is why she wants to be a part of the â€Å"in† crowd at school. She feels neglected by her parents and is yearning for attention from them. She was driven to school for the detention session in a BMW by her father. As he dropped her off he explained to her that this is a strict punishment and perhaps she shouldn’t skip school to go shopping. Bender the â€Å"bad boy† on the other hand, is a lower-class young man who is perceived to be a ociopathic criminal; he is desperate for attention at school. This may be due to a lack of attention at home or perhaps abuse. Because of his rebellious nature, Bender finds himself in detention more often than not. Bender wanders up to the school by his own free will. His parents are not shown at all during the film. Andrew the â€Å"jock† is a regimented and determined wrestler who wants break free from the athlete role in order to think for himself. His father demands that he succeeds athletically as he doesn’t tolerate losing, he requires Andrew to be No. in his athletic endeavors. His father doesn’t care what Andrew wants in life, he just wants him to win all of his wrestling matches. Andrew was dropped off to the school by his father who was chastising him before dropping him off and explaining that he could potentially lose his athletic scholarship due to his behavior. Brian the â€Å"nerd† is a straight – A student who struggles with expectations of high grades. His parents seem to push him to do very well in school. However, he doesn’t have any confidence in himself and relies upon his success in school to motivate him. His self confidence was crushed when he received a failing grade in shop class. He was sent to detention because a teacher found a gun in his locker which he was going to use to kill himself; however, it wouldn’t have worked because it was a flare gun. Brian was dropped off to the school by one of his parents and his younger sister. He was told to get his homework done while in detention. Lastly, Allison the â€Å"kook† is an introvert who is ignored by her peers. She is a very quiet girl hardly ever speaking, which makes it difficult for people to understand her. When she does speak, she usually does so in self defense. She longs for attention, in order to receive it; she acts like a mentally unstable individual. She suffers from boredom and is very reserved. She shocked the group when she emptied her purse which held nothing but useless items in an attempt to gain attention from the others at the beginning of the detention session. Allison was dropped off to the school, but you can’t tell by who as the person drives off before any words are exchanged. She states that she did nothing wrong to get sent to detention. She displays very peculiar behavior during the detention session. At the onset of the detention session, each student’s status is conveyed by their existing peer social status in school. They form bonds, with whom they feel most comfortable with, for example, Claire and Andrew immediately sit down next to each other and begin exchanging conversation about the friends they have in common within the â€Å"popular† crowd that they are a part of. Brian is next in line in the school social status scene because of his intelligence but he is still considered to be a geek by his peers. In contrast, Allison and Bender are at the bottom of the school social scene. As the morning detention session progresses, each member of the group surrenders their previous roles as they assume new positions within the group. Bender, who usually has a low-status position, assumes a leadership role because of his expertise with detention. He is on a first name basis with the janitor and Mr. Vernon, the principal. Mr. Vernon displays a tough outer shell but seems to fear Bender. Bender is clearly the dominating force in the group. His rebellious personality is displayed when he breaks the established rules and moves from his seat after being told not to. He also tore up a library book and removed a screw from one of the library doors so it couldn’t stay open in order for Mr. Vernon to keep an eye on them. When Mr. Vernon questioned the group as to why the door is closed and wouldn’t stay open the group covered up for him. This behavior clearly displays Bender’s disregard for authority. Instead of being condemned by his peers, Bender’s questions and actions are valued within the group. He leaves the session with a new found respect for his new friends as well as an attraction to Claire whom he had constantly made fun of for being a snob throughout the detention session. He also dropped the tough guy persona and accepted himself as someone who was good in his own way. Claire and Andrew also go against their normal high school behaviors during the session. Andrew no longer appears to play the macho athlete role and actually cries in front of the others as he describes how his father has pressured him to be someone he doesn’t want to be. He expressed how at times he wished for his knee to give out so he wouldn’t be able to wrestle anymore. He finally comes to realize that he doesn’t need to be the man his father expects him to be and that his life is his own to determine and not what his father desires. It is clear that he that he has broken from the grips of his father when he leaves the detention session partnered with Allison. Allison seems to be the epitome of defiance towards his father's law to stay on course and choosing his own path from now on. Claire appears to be very conceited and often asks the group â€Å"Do you know how popular I am? Everyone at this school loves me. † Looking at her from the others perspective, she appears to be very self-centered and more important than the others. Although Claire leads the group to believe she had been sexually active due to peer pressure, she ultimately admitted to the group that she is still a virgin. Allison actually tricked her by lying and being deviant, having Claire to admit she was a virgin. Allison then expressed to the group that being sexually active is actually a double edged sword in their social setting because if a girl admits to being sexually active, she is considered to be a slut while if she denies being sexually active she is considered a prude. Her observation demonstrates she isn’t exactly who the group perceives her to be. Eventually the group allows Claire to see that there is much more to life than being popular in school. On the surface, Brian appears to be submissive; however, the traditional geek ends up asking bold questions and seems to become more secure than his new-found friends. Throughout the session, Brian seems to follow along with whatever his peers are doing while at the same time reminding them that there isn’t supposed to be any â€Å"monkey business. † He actually goes against his normal behavior and along with Andrew and Claire partakes in smoking marijuana with Bender. The group views Brian as their most intelligent member and therefore, they encourage him to write their required 1000 word detention essays. This opportunity allows him to have a bit of power within the group. Through the peer discussions, it becomes apparent that Brian and his parents have required him take on more than he can handle which drove him to his breaking point. Through the relationship with his newfound friends, Brian is able to release the load and the perception of himself being an academic over achiever. He leaves much more confident than when he came and is determined to let go of his past failure. Allison is very quiet during the detention session; her mode of communication was squealing for the first half of the session. The others see her as an outcast and her strange behavior while at detention confirms their perception. During lunch, she takes a sandwich out of her bag, removes the meat, and puts cereal and sugar in its place. She appears to be satisfied with the lunch that the others find disturbing. Until this point, the other students had barely noticed her presence in the room. She continues performing random acts throughout the movie. It is clear that she craves attention both positive and negative and this is her way of obtaining it. While speaking to Andrew, she confides that the attention that she receives at school is much more than she will ever receive at home. She finds her life at home unsatisfying and expresses that her parents don’t give her any attention. Allison’s parents consider her an outcast. She leaves the school well respected by Andrew who seems to have developed a liking to her. She realizes that she should be respected by all as long as she acts as though she wanted the respect she deserved. The janitor â€Å"Carl† is the eyes and ears of the school. He seems to know the students at the school very well and tells Mr. Vernon â€Å"Someday, these kids are gonna take care of me,† Mr. Vernon told him â€Å"don’t count on it. It appears as though Carl previously attended the school. He shows much respect to the students and seems to be able to relate to them and their issues. Mr. Vernon is the school principal who dislikes Bender because he doesn’t have any respect for authority. He is very uptight and tries to get the students in trouble. It appears from his behavior that he thrives in h is position of power; one may safely assume that when he was the age of the students, he probably wasn’t popular or well liked by his peers. Carl caught Vernon reading the private school files; he then blackmails him to keep quiet. He eventually bonded with Carl and declares that he has various fears about the current generation. The group went through the predictable developmental stages including forming, storming, norming and performing phases. The group was formed because each of the students broke a school rule. While in this stage, the students are becoming oriented with each other and learning more about the group. The rules and procedures are being established. During the storming stage, conflicts begin to arise and social tension is apparent. For example, Claire expressed that she doesn’t â€Å"belong here. Bender continuously antagonizes Claire. Bender and Andrew have shouting matches almost bringing them to blows. Also, Allison had a strange outburst during Claire’s disclosure about her parents. The principle tries to set clear expectations and norms by telling the students that there is to be no moving, no talking, and no monkey business while in detention. However, in his attempt to establish the norms; the results prove to be unsuccessful because the group does not agree to Mr. Vernon’s rules. Instead, the students become quite rebellious and show disrespect for authority. Most of this behavior is exhibited by Bender who uses his status, power, and leadership within the group. In regards to performing, the group eventually accomplishes its task which was to write the 1000 word essay with Brian as the leader of this undertaking. The group also achieves other goals such as killing eight hours of detention while remaining free of boredom. They learned about each other and experienced and new found respect for through self-disclosures. They also rebelled against the established norms with each other. By the end of the day, they had established their own cohesive group and learned to look past their stereotypes of each other. However, they question whether or not they will remain as friends come Monday morning. I believe that this movie is a true depiction of high school life in the suburbs, as each group of students has stereotypes about the other groups amongst their peers. It is up to us the individuals to break down the barriers that prevent us from appreciating each others qualities and learn not to criticize and/or condemn our peers.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Chimpanzees In The Wild essays

Chimpanzees In The Wild essays Ever since she was a little girl in England, animals in Africa fascinated Jane Goodall. When she was eight years old, Jane read Tarzan and Doctor Doolittle. This furthered her love of animals even more and brought on the dream of one day studying in Africa. When her dream finally came true, Jane expected the expedition to last only three years thirty years later she is still in Gambi, Africa with no intention of leaving. July 14th, 1960 marks the first day Jane Goodall embarked on her journey. It had been a long, hard process to just get permission to go, as local authorities shunned upon the idea that a white woman would be living amongst wild animals all alone. Jane began the first day she got there; this was going to be her life, her passion. Once everything was set up in camp, Jane went into the jungle for the first time. Over the next couple of weeks she tried to gain the chimpanzees trust, but they fled at the mere sight of her. This made Jane impatient, but she knew from the start that it would be a long, hard process; this set back just made her determination even stronger; she never considered quitting an option. To gain their trust, Jane sat atop a peak and watched the chimpanzees everyday where they could see her. This allowed for Jane to view the chimpanzees in their natural environment and also allowed for the chimpanzees to become comfortable with Janes presence. Jane observed that chimpanzees resembled humans in ways never seen before. Chimpanzees talk to each other, create and use tools, and also eat meat they have a savage side to them, just like us. They are romantic with one another and walk in groups while in search of food. Chimpanzees are noisy and excitable, but become calm and gentle within minutes. They eat fruit, flowers, blossoms, and seeds for approximately seven hours a day. The mother is the primary caretaker of the baby the fa ...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Birth, Death Marriage Records in Alberta Canada

Birth, Death Marriage Records in Alberta Canada The Province of Alberta was formed in 1905, but civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths in Alberta dates back to 1870 when Alberta was part of the Northwest Territories. A few, scattered birth records date back as far as 1850. How to Request an Alberta Vital Record: Government Services, Alberta RegistriesVital StatisticsBox 2023Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4W7Phone: (780) 427-7013 Alberta residents applying for an event which occurred in Alberta must apply through a Registry Agent, either in person or in writing. Applications by non-Alberta residents for a vital event which occurred in Alberta may apply through Registry Connect.Certificate Request for Alberta Residents The minimum fee for a birth, marriage or death certificate requested through a registry agent by an Alberta resident is $20 Canadian. Postage and handling, plus an agency fee is added on top, however, meaning that the actual fee charged will vary by registry agent. The cost for each certificate requested by people living outside of Alberta through Registry Connect is $40 Canadian, which includes GST and postage (except for rush delivery). Website: Alberta Vital Statistics Alberta Birth Records: Dates: From about 1850* Cost of copy: varies by registry agent (see above) Comments: When requesting the record for genealogical purposes, be sure to request a certified photocopy of a registration of birth (long form). This record will contain the name, date, and place of birth, sex, names of parents, and registration number and date, and may contain the age and/or birth date and birth place of parents. Birth records in Alberta are not public until after 100 years have passed from the date of birth. To apply for a genealogical search of birth records less than 100 years old, you must be able to show that the individual is deceased  and that you are an eligible next-of-kin (parent, sibling, children or spouse). Alberta Death Records: Dates: From about 1890* Cost of copy: varies by registry agent (see above) Comments: When requesting the record for genealogical purposes, be sure to request a certified photocopy of a registration of birth (long form). This record will generally contain the name, date, and place of death, sex, age, marital status and registration number and date, and may contain the name of spouse, names and birth places of parents, usual residence, occupation and date and place of birth. Death records in Alberta are not public until after 50 years have passed from the date of death. To apply for a genealogical search of death records less than 50 years old, you must be able to show that you are an eligible next-of-kin (parent, sibling, children or spouse). Alberta Marriage Records: Dates: From about 1890 Cost of copy: varies by registry agent (see above) Comments: When requesting the record for genealogical purposes, be sure to request a certified photocopy of a registration of birth (long form). This record will contain the names of bride and groom, date and place of marriage, birthplaces of bride and groom and registration number and date, and may contain the age and/or birthdate of bride and groom and the names and birth places of parents. Marriage records in Alberta are not public until after 76 years have passed from the date of marriage. To apply for a genealogical search of marriage records less than 75 years old, you must be able to show that the bride and groom are deceased  and that you are an eligible next-of-kin (parent, sibling, children or spouse). Divorce Records: Dates: From 1867 Cost of copy: varies Comments: For information on divorce proceedings in Alberta from 1867-1919 contact the Senate of Canada at the following address: Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary CounselRoom 3043rd Floor222 Queen StreetOTTAWA, ON K1A 0A4Phone: (613) 992-2416 After 1919 divorce proceedings were handled by the provincial courts. Write to the provincial courthouse for location and availability or enquire at the county courthouse concerning indexes and searches.Website: Alberta Courts * Original birth records from approximately 1850 through the 1980s for some communities are in the custody of the Provincial Archives of Alberta. Transcripts of these birth certificates can be obtained for $5.00, plus GST and postage fees. This is a cheaper option than obtaining the records through Alberta Vital Statistics, but photocopies of the original records are not available - only the transcripts.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Diabetes Mellitus Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Diabetes Mellitus - Research Paper Example Social support is getting support from friends and family who give assistance and comfort. Having the social support can improve the psychological well being of the patient. The relationship that exists among social support life stress, patient’s locus of control and the blood glucose control become evaluated in individuals with diabetes mellitus, using the objectives measures of the psychosocial variables. Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) and Glycosylated Hemoglobin (Hgb A-1C) control measures become taken at two regions for them to check the problems of the psychosocial variables on the change in diabetes control. A decrease in the social support leads to the worsening of the long-term glycosylated hemoglobin control over time. According to Casey, diabetes is a progressive disease that surfaces as impaired glucose intolerance with a high-level post-meal glucose. These high glucose levels increasingly demand the pancreas to secrete additional insulin leading to a state of hyperinsulinemia. Nevertheless, the body gets resistant to insulin, and it later develops a lack of insulin and high fasting glucose levels. This pattern represents Type 2 diabetes. Th e eventual exhaustion of the islet cells leads to the absolute lack of insulin presenting type 1 diabetes. To patients suffering from diabetes is quite a frightening experience, and the patients require all the physical and emotional support they can receive from their loved ones. The patients suffering from diabetes often complain of anxiety and fear about the future, experience fluctuations in their moods and find it difficult to cope with their daily lives. They also get tired at times. Depression is another common and dangerous complication witnessed by the people suffering from diabetes.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Analysis a play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Analysis a play - Essay Example The provisions of the law may be great and their intentions may be noble. But if those who implement them are not noble, the society will suffer and a law argued, defended and implemented in a worst manner is calamitous for the society. â€Å"No Crime† by Billy Goda is one of those postmodern plays which chuckles the guilty conscious of its readers, and touches their hearts at the profound depth. The author makes it very clear and his objective is evident and he articulates his viewpoint employing his characters and their mutual relationship. The ending of the play is also on the expected lines, though the author introduces a dramatic element of neutrality in the end of the play. The theme of the play is about the role of the law and its relationship with the society. The implicit purpose of law is to keep members of the society safe collectively and individually. It is the frame on which the society builds itself and it is supposed to keep the members of the society behind the lines of law. The law is supposed to be blind and both arms of the scale of law are equally important. Its main responsibility is to prevent the wrong and see that it does not get stronger and for the weak and support-less to provide the support within the provisions of law. The prime responsibility of the law and the judicial process is to identify the guilty from the innocent. This is the ideal position desired by any society. But the ground realties in almost all the countries leave much to be desired. Societies have never been able to give the true and honest benefit of the provisions of law to the people. The not guilty have been punished and the guilty ones have escaped the noose of law. Those who should have been punished have been acquitted. Though the theme of the play does not offer direct comments on the lacunas in the system of implementation of the legal provisions its hidden agenda and the style of presentation deals with those who are the custodians