Anthem The Process of Liberation Anthems Essay Example For Students

Song of praise: The Process of Liberation Anthems Essay Song of praise: The Process of Liberation Many years back, I read my first book by Ayn Rand, Anthem. I finished the book in around four hours. At that point, I was not adult enough to completely acknowledge Anthems ground-breaking imagery. My disposition as I read the start of the book was one of lack of interest and disarray, developing just later into concern and lively intrigue. This experience started another stage in my scholarly improvement that before long drove me to peruse Atlas Shrugged. I at that point began on Ayn Rands non-anecdotal works. My comprehension of Rands philosophical framework, in any case, came piece by piece. There was nobody moment of acknowledgment, no single aha. As of not long ago, I was not completely mindful that I had been influenced so profoundly. My advancement was bit by bit and I had never looked right back. As I read Anthem for a subsequent time, I ended up in intense torment, even at the primary section. I kept on perusing it feeling much as an individual would while visiting an inhumane imprisonment, for, as a result, that was actually what I was doing. There was not one trace of levity in my state of mind; I don't remember relaxing. I was really looking right back. Toward the finish of section nine, when Equality 7-2521 is separated from everyone else, in the most significant feeling of the word, with his Golden One, she says gradually, We are only one . .. furthermore, just .. . furthermore, we love you who are one alone and just, I dreaded I could endure the book no more. I had at long last comprehended that significant feeling of dejection and depression an individual can feel when they need to state I love you, yet can't state I. I was unable to see how my past perusing could have appeared to be so natural. I continued, at a constrained walk, right to section eleven. I had never encountered the idea of worked perusing previously. At the point when I read the words, I am, I understood that I had become Equality 7-2521 and that his freedom was my freedom. Right then and there, I initially got mindful of air hurrying into my lungs, and I felt free. My horrid undertaking was finished. I read the remainder of the book in a condition of elevated mindfulness. I felt seriously every move of my eyes, each move of my hands, each idea and each word. Song of devotion oppressed me and afterward freed me shockingly, the vast majority dont even know the distinction.

Achilles essays

Achilles papers The Iliad might be viewed as a record of the conditions that permanently change the life of small time: Achilles, perhaps the best warrior. Over the span of the sonnet Achilles experiences numerous difficulties that change his character tremendously. Beginning with his squabble with Agamemnon and withdrawal from fight, to the passing of Patroklos, and with the killing of Hektor. Achilles feelings and activities choose the destiny of numerous warriors on the two sides. Achilles battles with outrage, respect, pride, unwaveringness and love make the sonnet more that only a grisly war story. A huge wellspring of Achilles outrage began with his battle with Agamemnon. Apollo put a plague on the Achaean officers that was murdering them off. The best way to prevent this from slaughtering them everything was to give back a ministers little girl who had been caught. This young lady had a place with Agamemnon and he didnt need to surrender her except if he received Achilles young lady consequently. This would disfavor Achilles respect however he was unable to leave further warriors alone murdered along these lines, he hesitantly let her go. Be that as it may, as an end-result of surrendering his young lady he pulled back from the fight. A lot of Achilles outrage is a consequence of this event however the demise of Patroklos later superseded his past indignation to Agamemnon. The passing of Patroklos contacted Achilles from numerous points of view that changed and formed his character. Numerous feelings were a consequence of his passing, for example, love, misfortune, outrage, and bitterness. Patroklos was a dear companion to Achilles and when a blend of heavenly intercession and Hektor chop Patroklos down despondency and the craving to retaliate for his dear companions demise devoured Achilles. This changed his annoyance from King Agamemnon to Hektor, the man who slew his dear companion. This resentment attracted Achilles to retaliate for the demise of his companion, to execute Hektor. The butcher of Hektor is frightful and horrendous. In addition to the fact that Achilles killed Hektor, he balanced him by his lower legs, appended him to his chariot and hauled Hector around the internment site o... <!

How the Color of Your Office Impacts Productivity

How the Color of Your Office Impacts Productivity A lot can be said about colors, yet there is so much difference between what people believe.For example, whereas some people believe that colors can affect your productivity at work, others believe that productivity is a matter of decision. Although some believe that colors can even heal diseases, others dismiss this as an exaggeration.But what is the truth?And which camp do you belong to?First things first, let’s understand what we mean when we talk of colors.Colors can be broadly divided into two: visible and invisible colors. This visibility is determined by the wavelength of the color being referred to. Going by the wavelength, there are seven visible colors.The image below shows these and differentiates them on the basis of their wavelengths. Source: Science Learning HubThe color with the shortest wavelength, measured in nanometers (1 x 10-9), is violet at 400nm. Red has the longest wavelength at 665nm.How do you see and differentiate colors?This is a question you need to have an answer to. First to avoid ignorance and second, just as a fun fact.Your eyes can detect a color because it has either been reflected or transmitted. When light is shone on a surface, some of the color in the light is absorbed and others reflected.For example, what you would refer to as a blue wall is actually a wall whose surface absorbs all other colors except blue. When light therefore shines on the wall, what you see is the reflected color.The same applies to clothing.A green dress appears green since all the other colors have been absorbed and green reflected.The light shining on the surface so as to reveal a specific color is white light.White light comprises of all the seven colors of the visible color spectrum. The best source of white lig ht is the sun.In case you’re wondering, the sun’s light is white, not yellow. It might be disappointing to know that all the drawings you did of the sun when a child and colored them yellow, were wrong.HOW COLORS AFFECT HUMAN EMOTIONSWith some background of how colors are formed and seen, let’s look at what effect, if any, they have on us as humans.It’s a fact that colors have an effect on human emotions. You can easily see this when you enter into a room painted in a certain color. Or even just seeing a picture of one.The color of the room i.e. the painting of the walls plus the color of any wall hangings communicates something to you.Consider the below images of two meeting rooms. One has brown and gray colors while the other has light gray and lime green.Does the difference register with your emotions? Which of these two would you prefer to hold a brainstorming meeting in? Source: Pixabay As you think about that, let’s look at some specific colors and the effect they will likely have on you.As you read this, take note of the culture you’ve been raised in. Some cultures interpret certain colors differently from others. For instance, in Japan, pink is associated with masculinity while in the West, pink is associated with femininity.RedWhat comes to your mind when you see the color red?Valentine’s day perhaps?Quite understandable. But red has more to show than love and passion.Love aside, the color red is known to increase the heart rate and increase blood flow. It creates a sense of urgency and causes an increase in energy. Getting into an office painted red can even jump start your   fight or flight system. This color gets you ready for action.For example, if you were driving down the road then saw a big red sign saying “DANGER! TURN AROUND,” what would you do?If you slowly and keenly go through your body’s response, would you recognize the process it took to get you to turning around?The same applies when you enter an office or work in one which is painted red.You will experience an increase in energy flowing to your muscles as your brain urges you to act. For this reason, it is advisable to paint red in the office where physical activity is the norm.This will keep employees up and moving. Strong shades of the color will even create an environment encouraging competition.If the red is in excess, as in all over the wall, furniture etc, things might get out of hand.Too much of the color red is associated with hostility and aggression.BlueBlue is the color which is associated with logic and deep thinking. This is why you’ll see it used to depict images of the brain. As such, this color primarily affects the mind.When you get into a room painted blue, one of the things you’re bound to experience is a sense of calmness.Think of the seas and the oceans. What color are they? What about the sky?And what happens to you when you go out to the ocean or look at the blue skies?That same tranquility that comes upon you is the same thing you’ll experience once you get into a blue-painted office. You will be able to think more clearly and easily concentrate your thoughts to whatever you’re working on.If you are prone to anxiety attacks, then a blue office would be a good environment for you. If you can paint your office the color you want, choose blue. If you can’t, then invest in blue-colored accessories.You can have a blue diary, bag, file, dustbin, card holder etc. There is also something else this color does apart from relaxing you. It helps promote good communication. This is probably as a result of the tranquility it creates.Businesses which are about communication can do well to use this color for their offices. This includes the media and PR agencies.Even if you’re not a media company, you still have a great opportunity to use blue. Paint it in your conference room or the small cubicles where two or three p eople can have a quick meeting and experience the benefits.GreenIf you look at the color spectrum at the beginning of this article, you will see green is at the center. This gives it a balancing nature.Green is very mild on the eye; you can never get eye fatigue from looking at this color. With other colors like white and red, you certainly can.Just like blue, green also creates an environment of tranquility and calmness, especially if you choose the softer shades.And just as you can experience the power of the color blue out in the sea, green presents its evidence in the natural world.Just take a walk in the park. If able to, even in the forest. The lush vegetation does wonders on your moods.A common advice given to those experiencing chronic stress is to walk, preferably where there is fresh air. And where is fresh air found if not among trees and vegetation?Have you noticed that offices are now incorporating vegetation in their interiors?For some, the main reason may be fresh air . But the sight of green plants around the office has other benefits too.Think of working in the park. Just the view of nature has a definite effect on your emotions.Green also signifies renewal, growth and life. This has found a place in modern offices.If you have employees working for long hours, choose green for the paintwork. The environment will create a feeling of calmness and help get the work done while avoiding or reducing fatigue.YellowFrom the arguably dull colors to the bright ones. And the first one we’ll look at is yellow.The sun is the sign of the day and the day signifies life and energy. On the contrary, the night signifies darkness, gloom and maybe even death.So the color yellow ushers in a time of fun, creativity and joy. The color stimulates your emotions and can get you up and moving. This color is one of the favorites for most creatives.Walk into an artist’s studio and you’re bound to see some yellow. A poet or music composer, a writer etc. If you need yo ur creative juices to flow, yellow should be one of the colors you choose.It has also been shown to encourage cheer, optimism, innovation and raise self-esteem.In all this however, take note of the shades you use and the intensity of light shining on the yellow surface. Too much yellow can cause feelings of agitation.As is the case with all colors, a combination is the best option.OrangeYellow and orange have similar effects on your emotions. And the actions you engage in while under the influence of orange is testament to this.Creatives love orange just as they love yellow. These two colors are bright and bring about feelings of freedom and joy. A feeling of freedom is important for any creative person.If you do creative work, you know this to be true.You can see this in the kind of lifestyle such people live or prefer to live.Creative people love flexibility and the color orange provides a sense of flexibility.The color orange has the overall effect of increasing creativity and wa rding off negativity. Even symptoms of depression and anxiety can be reduced when one walks into an orange-colored room or office.This color also has the ability to create an atmosphere of celebration. Company parties will often feature this color. That is why party balloons are mostly orange.PinkHere is a cousin to the color red. A relative both in appearance and function.Pink is a color most notable with femininity. From clothing to cosmetics and even accessories like wrist watches and pens, pink is very much a female color.But that doesn’t mean men cannot put on pink shirts. In fact for the man wearing a pink shirt, it’s a show of boldness. More than that, women initially wore more blue than pink. It was quite a process before they changed to pink. Watch the below video for more on that. But the color also has connotations of love. However, this is not the love feeling brought to the fore by the color red. Whereas red is more towards passion, pink is more towards tenderness.P ink is very soft on the eyes and also has a relaxing feel to it. It also communicates sensitivity and a soft emotional touch.This softness was studied in detail in 1978 by Alexander G. Schauss and the results were stunning. If there has ever been hard evidence about a color’s effect on the human body, then this study proved it.Can you believe that a violent inmate could be “tranquilized” just by the sight of the color pink?The study showed that when a temporary holding cell in a correction facility was painted pink, the aggression of a violent inmate reduced. And this happened after only 15 minutes of exposure to the pink-painted cell.From the results, pink can rightly be called a weakening color.The study also found out that the effects of the pink color could not be suppressed by deliberate mind action. The same test was conducted using yoga practitioners and martial arts experts. Despite these people having trained minds, they couldn’t avoid the effect.Considering that, i t’s obvious that you should avoid too much pink in the office. Unless you want to turn employees into zombies.WhiteWhite is a common color in many offices, though blue is more common. And as a bright color, white has some definite good things to offer.First, white signifies cleanliness and purity. A clean environment looks great and can encourage you to work and have freely-flowing thoughts.Along the lines of purity, white can point to integrity. With integrity indicating sincerity and the absence of evils like deception and corruption, white can go a long way in defining a workplace.White also creates a sense of space and this is one reason the color is common. In a small space, white paint can make the place look bigger. Even in houses, this trick works and you’ll find hallways and corridors painted white.The color also paints a picture of new beginnings. It’s like flipping a new and empty page, ready to be written on. Or in the case of a drawing canvas, ready for a new draw ing.But as bright as the color white is, it’s not all positive.Have you noticed that hospitals use the color white? Even morgues?This despite there being not much evidence of new beginnings, especially in the morgue.This is the reason white can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can brighten and create an impression of more space but on the other, it can prove to be too cold.The association with hospitals and clinic makes white a potential danger for the workplace. It can cause you to start feeling sick. The sheer purity of the color means that it can also reflect too much light onto your eyes. This will cause eye strain, especially if you work using a computer.For this reason, it is best to use white as an accent color and not the main color of your office.GrayGray for the office is not that weird but can get tricky. In itself, especially the lighter shades of it, can look pretty good. But this requires some skill.Gray is primarily a dull color. It also has some associa tions with uncertainty, conflict, war and even death. It is not a coincidence that warships are gray.And do not be fooled by good-looking gray attire. Just because gray works well in suits, having it on the wall can be too much.Remember what we said at the beginning about surfaces absorbing or reflecting colors?With a   gray wall, you’ll have no vibrancy to share. Light up a gray-colored room and see how much excitement you feel from what you see.This is a color associated with sadness, coldness and even depression. If you’re looking for productivity at work, this is one color to stay away from.If you must use gray, keep it at a minimum and use the lighter shades.BrownThe last color we’ll cover today is brown. Brown is quite popular in the office especially because it’s the color of furniture. Unless your desks and chairs are painted with other colors, they are most likely brown.Brown is the color of the earth. It’s also the color of the soil.Brown generally signifies stab ility and assurance. This might be the reason it’s so easy to work with.Do you remember that green is relaxing and also provides a balance? Looking at trees will show you how brown can supplement or even work as an alternative to green. Whereas tree trunks are brown, the leaves are green.You cannot appreciate the green in a forest without noticing the accompanying brown, or vice versa.The color works well for backgrounds. You can use it in this manner then splash some yellow around for a perfectly-balanced relaxing and fun-filled working environment.CONCLUSIONColors work best when combined. There are also different shades of these colors which you should consider.The good thing is that adding color to your office is not a big task. If you can’t paint it, at least you can use office accessories to bring in the color you want.You can play around with different colors until you get your preferred mix.If you work from home, you have more freedom and authority to make your working ar ea perfect for productivity.Whether you want creativity or relaxation while working, you have the information to get you started.Share with us your thoughts on different colors.

Criticisms Of Kant s Perpetual Peace - 1304 Words

Throughout the history of mankind there has come to be two factors that are seen as inevitable. The first is progress, humans are naturally competitive creatures who not only want to insure their own safety but also get one up on their neighbours. Progress has led to huge leaps forward, not only technologically but also socially. However, aside from progress there is another factor, war. Time and time again throughout history humans have fought and killed each other for their own selfish reasons and security. And according to political theorists such as Hobbes this is simply the state of nature, a perpetual state of ‘war of all against all’, further surmising that it is due to this that mankind is fundamentally selfish. However, just because so far, mankind’s history has consisted of an endless cycle of wars, does that mean that it must continue to be this way? Political Philosopher Immanuel Kant outlines a number of articles that he hypothesises could lead toward s a perpetual peace. There are many criticisms of Kant’s perpetual peace, many argue that it is to idealistic and utopian. However, Kant doesn’t deny these claims. Instead Kant argues that if this ‘perpetual peace’ is even a remote possibility then for the good of mankind, we have a duty to try make it a reality. For perpetual peace to be worth pursuing, it needs to be remotely possible. In order for it to be possible it cannot go against nature. Kant agrees with Hobbes definition of the state of nature, except heShow MoreRelatedKantian Ethics And The Categorical Imperative Essay1581 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of Kantian Ethics and critiques In Elements of Pure Practical Reason Book, I, Immanuel Kant, a prominent late Enlightenment Era German philosopher discusses his most famous ethical theory, the â€Å"Categorical Imperative.† The â€Å"Categorical Imperative† is a proposed universal law in stating all humans are forbidden from certain actions regardless of consequences. Although this is the general definition of this ethical theory, the Categorical Imperative† exists in two above formulations, A strictRead MoreHow Democratization Is A Factor Of Peace Essay1514 Words   |  7 Pagesthinkers. This thesis argues that democratization is a factor of peace. However the question remainshow to democratize? . That is why Western countries have focused their strategies accordingly (European security Strategy, National Security Strategy of the United States of America ). This topic was widely discussed until the second Iraq war. The idea is not especially new, since Kant had already advanced in its draft perpà ©tuelle peace. He believes that democracies could engage in wars. It is an articleRead MoreThe Impact of Liberalism on International Relations Essay2028 Words   |  9 Pagesharmony with others (Mingst, 2008). Two of the most prominent Liberal Internationalists of the Enlightenment period were Immanuel Kant and Jeremy Bentham who both thought that international relations were conducted in a brutal fashion. It was Kant who compared international relations as â€Å"the lawless state of savagery† (Baylis and Smith, 2001, pp 165). It was also Kant who believed nations could form themselves into a sort of united states and overcome international anarchy through this (Mingst, 2008)Read MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights3323 Words   |  14 Pagesview of the human bearing human rights would evolve more generally to a declaration of others (foreigners or refugees) who are not the same (Arendt 1966:300-5). Early Criticism of Human Rights It is important to note that criticisms towards human rights have existed since eighteenth century. A lot of criticisms have come from utilitarian philosophers such as Jeremy Bentham (Benthan 1943) and John Stuart Mill. The reason behind this is that utilitarianism believes that goodness or truthRead MoreJurisprudential Theories on IPR13115 Words   |  53 Pagesand designs stolen and/or altered. Intellectual property protects these moral claims that have to do with personality. Lysander Spooner (1855) argues that a man has a natural and absolute right—and if a natural and absolute, then necessarily a perpetual, right—of property, in the ideas, of which he is the discoverer or creator; that his right of property, in ideas, is intrinsically the same as, and stands on identically the same grounds with, his right of property in material things; that no distinctionRead MoreImpact of Science on Society38427 Words   |  154 Pageslinks the strangest, most disparate elements, bringing together the m o s t unlikely combinations in unexpected ways t o create a new world. Is there a pattern t o change in different times and separate places in our history? C a n change be forecast? How does society live with perpetual innovation that, in changing the shape of its environment, also transforms its attitudes, morals, values? If the prime effect of change i s more change, is there a limit beyond which we will not be able t o go withoutRead MoreImpact of Sci ence on Society38421 Words   |  154 Pageslinks the strangest, most disparate elements, bringing together the m o s t unlikely combinations in unexpected ways t o create a new world. Is there a pattern t o change in different times and separate places in our history? C a n change be forecast? How does society live with perpetual innovation that, in changing the shape of its environment, also transforms its attitudes, morals, values? If the prime effect of change i s more change, is there a limit beyond which we will not be able t o go withoutRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesmanaging, organizing and reflecting on both formal and informal structures, and in this respect you will find this book timely, interesting and valuable. Peter Holdt Christensen, Associate Professor, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark McAuley et al.’s book is thought-provoking, witty and highly relevant for understanding contemporary organizational dilemmas. The book engages in an imaginative way with a wealth of organizational concepts and theories as well as provides insightful examples from the

Should The Minimum Wage Be Raised Essay - 1218 Words

Should the minimum wage increased to $10.10 an hour? This has increased over the years and everyone has their opinions. Those who are in favor of increasing minimum wage to $10.10 believe that more money will decrease poverty and the unemployment rate. Those who oppose the increase in the minimum wage, believe that it should not be increased and should stay the same, because it will cause businesses to close up because they are not making enough money to survive in the economy An increase in minimum wage would have to make the employees work harder to make increase sales of the business. I believe that the minimum wage should not increase to $10.10. Raising the minimum wage would affect employees. Supporters believe that raising minimum†¦show more content†¦Since businesses would have to pay more in salaries, they would hire less, or not hire at all. Raising minimum wage would affect teenage workers. With younger adults and teenagers finishing up school, about half look for a job, while some don’t want to or have other plans such as going to college. If minimum wage were to be increased, it would make more people want to get a job. Increasing minimum wage would put more money in consumer’s pockets to spend in stores; therefore, stores would require more staff. Teenagers would have more money which would enable them to apply more funds towards their education to improve themselves. Supporters feel if people are going to get paid more, they would want to get a job. An increase in your pay would increase the consumer rate of purchasing things, and would require more staff due to more customers since they have more money to purchase things. According to Economic Policy Institute, â€Å"Over three-quarters 3.4 million of the affected workers were adults age 20 or older. The other 1.1 million workers were teenagers, age 16-19. Despite the relatively small number of affected teens, this nevertheless represents a large share, 19.9%, of all teen workers.† (Heidi Shierholz). Those who oppose believe that increasing minimum wage would cause prices of products and services to increase rapidly and cause people to limit their spending. As prices go up,Show MoreRelatedMinimum Wage Should Be Raised?958 Words   |  4 PagesMinimum Wage Louis Montgomery III English Composition 101 Mrs. Blackwell April 23, 2015 Minimum Wage Do minimum wage jobs help pay the bills? Do minimum wage jobs support the family? Should minimum wage be raised? Will raising the minimum wage reduce poverty? The idea of minimum wage jobs is to help people get work experience without having any skills. Most minimum wage jobs include fast food restaurants and grocery stores. Minimum wageRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised?1062 Words   |  5 Pagesever pressing question regarding Minimum wage. Not many subjects can ignite a controversy as quickly as that of whether or not minimum wage should be raised, or by how much should it be raised or if it should remain the same. What is minimum wage? By definition, minimum wage is the minimum hourly wage an employer can pay an employee for work. (â€Å"MinimumWage.com†) America’s minimum wage was first introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938. That minimum wage was introduced as part of the FairRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised? Essay1596 Words   |  7 Pagesgovernment has so generously termed the â€Å"minimum wage†. In Missouri, the minimum wage has been set at a rather appalling $7.65 per hour while in other states there are wages starting as high as $10. Though arguably the economy is not as sluggish and terrible as it once was, $7.65 per hour will not help those who have children, no college degree and debts to pay. It is not only Missouri that has minimum wage laws, but every other state in America has minimum wage laws in place. Both California and SeattleRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised1145 Words   |  5 PagesThe current minimum wage is $7.25, which equals two gallons of milk, one fast food meal or two gallons of gas. Can you imagine yourself working 12-hours a day and only having enough money to p ay for rent and put food on the table for your family? With working all those long hours, you can barely afford to pay your utility bills and after that you don’t have enough money or time for luxuries like clothing or vacation. You have no savings as matter of fact, you are in a huge debt and you are livingRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised?870 Words   |  4 PagesShould Minimum Wage Be Raised? Minimum wage has always been a controversial issue. Many politicians use the argument of minimum wage for their own political propaganda. Some may argue minimum wage should be raised, while others believe it will have detrimental effects on our economy if it is raised. Surprising to most people, minimum wage earners make up only a small percent of American workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, minimum wage workers make up about 2.8% of all workersRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised935 Words   |  4 PagesMinimum wage is an ongoing debate in the United States. There are some people who think that it should be raised to a higher rate and others who think that it should not. There are many different pros and cons with raising minimum wage. Minimum wage is at a balanced rate that should not be raised due to lack of skill, low education, and economic problems. Jobs that require minimum wage are created for young adults who are in college or high school. They are to help one get one on their feet so thatRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised910 Words   |  4 Pagesmaximize the American Dream on the minimum wage† (Benjamin Todd Jealous). In 1938, minimum wage was created by the federal government in order to protect workers by ensuring a minimum of twenty-five cents per hour worked. Though President Roosevelt had the right idea in protecting the workforce, something needs to be done to ensure that Americans are getting a reasonable amount of money for the amount of hours they have worked. As Benjamin Todd Jealous stated, minimum wage is not enough for the averageRead MoreThe Minimum Wage Should Be Raised998 Words   |  4 Pagesprestigious job at such a young age. However that is not the case, if the minimum wage is raised to $15 an hour, a 16 year old could make $18,000 yearly working only 25 hours a week at McDonalds. Now for tee nagers that have goals for college or a car, that would money to set aside for the future, however most 16 year olds do not have those goals in mind yet, so that extra money turns into wasted money. As of February 2016 the minimum wage ranges anywhere from $7.25-$10 across the United States. Florida’sRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Not Be Raised863 Words   |  4 Pagesthan triple the minimum wage. If the minimum wage is increased, it would eliminate people’s incentives to improve. On top of that, inflation would occur, and poverty would virtually stay the same. In addition, raising the minimum wage would bring on hardship for small businesses. Of course, one may argue that the minimum should cover the cost of living, but people should have to work for their money. The minimum wage should not be raised in the United States. If the minimum wage were to go up, peopleRead MoreThe Minimum Wage Should Not Be Raised858 Words   |  4 PagesRepublican presidential candidate, Ted Cruz, is of the opinion that the Minimum wage should not be raised. This is a large issue as the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 is not enough to support basic living costs in a fair number of states. Ted Cruz highlights the consequences of raising the minimum wage yet ignores the cons of it remaining static (Ted Cruz on the Minimum Wage). In an article in The Atlantic, the discussion of the cost of living is brought up. The article talks about how the

Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings Chapter 19~20 Free Essays

string(46) " and the whaley boys are made for each other\." CHAPTER NINETEEN Scooter Don’t Meep The whale tossed like a roller coaster moving through tomato soup – great gut-flopping waves of muscular motion. Quinn rolled to his hands and knees and urped his breakfast into a splatter pattern across the rubbery gray floor, then heaved in time with the rhythm of the whale’s swimming until he was empty and exhausted. â€Å"Hurl patrol,† came a voice out of the dark. We will write a custom essay sample on Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings Chapter 19~20 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Flush and gush, boys, the doc blew ballast back here,† came another voice. Quinn rolled onto his bottom and scooted away from the voices until he came against a bulkhead, which was warm and moist and gave at his touch. He felt huge muscles moving behind the skin and nearly jumped. He scooted away, then sat balled up near where he’d been sick. Cold seawater rolled down from the front of the whale and over his feet, taking his recently vacated breakfast with it. His ears popped with a pressure increase, and in a second the water was gone. The interior of the whale looked like a bad van conversion done by a latex freak: damp, rubbery skin over everything, lit by a light blue haze coming from the eyes up front, the rest dimly lit by bioluminescent strips of green that ran over the top of the teardrop-shaped chamber. At the front of the chamber, on either side by the eyes, two things sat in seats that wrapped around their bodies. Quinn didn’t know what they were, and his mind felt as if it were ripping open trying to grasp the whole of the situation. Details like nonhuman humanoids decked out in gray skin couldn’t register enough space in his consciousness to be examined or analyzed. In fact, he could keep his eyes open for only a few seconds before the nausea returned. Inside the whale smelled like fish. Standing, or sort of standing – riding was a more appropriate term, as everything inside the whale was moving – behind the seated creatures were two men, one about forty, the other twenty-five, both barefoot but wearing military khakis without insignias or any badges of rank, but the older man was obviously in command. Quinn had tried for five minutes to ask them the questions coming into his mind, but each time he opened his mouth, he had to stop himself from throwing up. He’d always considered himself pretty seaworthy until now. â€Å"What†¦?† he managed to get out before his gorge rose again. â€Å"It really helps with the incredulity if you accept that you’re dead,† said the older man. â€Å"I’m dead?† â€Å"I didn’t say that, but if you accept that you are, it sort of quells the anxiety.† â€Å"Yeah, if you’re already dead, what bad can really happen?† said the younger guy. â€Å"Then I am dead?† â€Å"Nope. Breathe and go with the motion,† said the older guy. â€Å"It’s not going to stop, so if you fight it, you’ll lose.† â€Å"Your lunch,† added the young guy, and then he let loose a giggle at his own joke. â€Å"There’s less motion toward the front. The head tracks close to level. But you knew that.† Quinn hadn’t been able to apply any of his analytical powers to the situation because he flat couldn’t accept it. Yes, in another world he realized that he knew that the whale’s head would have less motion than the tail, but he’d never even considered that he might be thinking about it from the perspective of an internal organ. â€Å"I’m inside a whale?† â€Å"Ding, ding, ding, he’s gotten the bonus answer.† The young guy leaned back against the back of the seat where one of the gray creatures was sitting, and a chairlike protrusion rose out of the floor to catch him. â€Å"Tell him what he’s won, Captain.† â€Å"Hospitality, Poe. Help the doctor up to the front so we can talk without him tossing his cookies.† The younger guy helped Quinn to his feet and across the undulating floor to the chair thing that had risen behind one of the gray creatures facing the back of the ship. Once close to the creatures, Quinn couldn’t take his eyes off them. They were humanoid, in that they had two arms, two legs, a torso, and a head, but their heads were like that of a pilot whale, with a large melon in the front – for transmitting and receiving sound underwater, Quinn guessed – and their eyes were set wide to the side, so the creatures would see with binocular vision. Their hands were inserted into consoles that rose out of the floor and appeared to have no instrumentation whatsoever except for some bioluminescent nodules that looked like cloudy eyeballs and emitted different colors of light. The creatures appeared as if they had become part of the whale. â€Å"We call them the whaley boys,† the older man said. â€Å"They pilot the whale.† â€Å"The one directly behind you is Scooter, the other one is Skippy. Say hi, guys.† The creatures turned as far as the chairs would allow them and made clicking and squeaking noises, then seemed to smile at Quinn. While smiling they showed mouthfuls of sharp, peglike teeth. With the teeth set against their dark gray skins and the melon above, the whaley boys put Quinn in mind of more cheerful versions of the creature from the Alien movies. Scooter saluted Nate with a hand consisting of four very long webbed fingers and only the suggestion of a thumb. â€Å"They say hi,† said Poe. â€Å"I’m Poe. This is Captain Poynter.† Poynter, the older man, tipped his hat and offered a hand to shake. Quinn took it and waggled it limply. â€Å"The whaley boys don’t speak English as we know it,† Poe said, â€Å"although they have a few squeaks that come out like words. They’re tapped directly in to the whale’s nervous system. They steer it, control all the processes at any given time. We can’t do much on the whales without them. Certainly could never drive one. The whales and the whaley boys are made for each other. You read "Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings Chapter 19~20" in category "Essay examples"† Poe pushed against the back of Skippy’s seat, and another seat formed out of the floor to cradle him as he leaned back into it. â€Å"I love that,† Poe said. Poynter backed up to a rubbery bulkhead, and a seat formed out of the wall to catch him as well. â€Å"If they’re paying attention, they’ll never let you fall.† Poe grinned. â€Å"Of course, almost everything in here is soft – child safe, don’t you know – except the spine, which runs over the top, so you wouldn’t be hurt if you did fall. But just the same, we’re secured when they’re doing maneuvers. You think you’re sick now – wait until we go for a breach. Don’t freak out.† Poe turned to the whaley boys. â€Å"Secure the doc, boys.† The arms of the seat shape wrapped over Quinn’s lap. Parts came over his shoulders and fused across his chest, then around his hips and over his lap. Quinn freaked out. â€Å"Get it off me! Get it off me! I can’t breathe!† â€Å"Prepare for breach,† said Poynter. Scooter chirped. Skippy grinned. Similar restraints extruded from all their seats, securing them. The attitude of the whale changed, going up at a nearly sixty-degree angle – and then the angle went sharper as they moved. Quinn was looking backward at the tail section of the teardrop interior. The lurching movement of the luminescent strips was starting to nauseate him. He could feel his internal organs shifting with the acceleration, and then the whale ship went vertical and airborne. At the apex of the motion, Quinn’s stomach tried to escape through his diaphragm, then shifted as they fell sideways. There was an enormous concussion as the ship hit the water. Slowly the whale came back around, and they were horizontal again. The whaley boys chirped and clicked gleefully, grinning back at Quinn, then at each other, then back at Quinn, nodding as if to say, Was that cool, or what? Their necks were nearly as wide as their shoulders, and Quinn could see heavy muscles moving under the skin. â€Å"They love that,† said Poynter. â€Å"I kind of like it, too,† said Poe. â€Å"Except when they go overboard and do twenty or thirty breaches in a row. Even I get sick when they do that. And the noise†¦ well, you heard it.† Quinn shook his head, closed his eyes, then opened them again. The only way to deal with this experience was to accept it at face value: He was in a whale, one that was somehow being used as a submarine by human and nonhuman sentient creatures. Everything he knew no longer applied, but then again, maybe it did. What put him on the less loopy side of sanity was noticing the whaley boys’ thick necks. â€Å"They’re amphibious, right?† Quinn asked Poynter. â€Å"Their necks are thick to take the stress of swimming at high speeds?† Quinn rose in his chair as far as the restraints would allow and saw that Scooter did indeed have a blowhole just behind his melon. He was a humanoid whale, or a dolphin creature. Scooter was impossible. All of this was impossible. The details, not the big picture, Quinn reminded himself. In the big picture there be madness. â€Å"They’re like a whale/human hybrid, aren’t they?† â€Å"Which would be why we call them the whaley boys,† said Poynter. â€Å"Wait, are you accusing us of something?† asked Poe. â€Å"Because these guys are not the love children of us and some whales. We don’t do that kind of thing.† â€Å"Well, there was that one time,† said Poynter. â€Å"Okay, yeah, just that one time,† said Poe. But Quinn was studying Scooter, and Scooter was eyeing him right back. â€Å"Although they appear to be able to turn their heads, like beluga whales. Their neck vertebrae probably aren’t fused like most whales’.† The scientist rising, Quinn was comfortable now, his fear taken away by curiosity. He was focused on finding out things, which was his home turf, even in this completely unreal situation. If he focused on the details, the big picture wouldn’t throw him over the edge into drooling lunacy. â€Å"Let’s ask them,† said Poe. â€Å"Scooter, are your vertebrae fused together, or are you just a big, no-necked gray thug?† Scooter turned his head to Poe and made a loud raspberry sound, spraying whaley spit all down the front of Poe’s khakis and increasing the odor of decaying fish in the cabin by a factor of ten. â€Å"We don’t know what they are, Dr. Quinn,† said Captain Poynter. â€Å"They were here when we got here, and we got here just like you did. We’ve all been on this ride.† â€Å"Meep,† said Skippy. â€Å"I taught him that,† said Poe. â€Å"That’s from a Warner Brothers’ cartoon,† Quinn said. â€Å"Road Runner.† â€Å"No, that would be two meeps. Skippy only does one. Therefore, it’s original. Isn’t that right, Skippy?† â€Å"Meep.† For some reason the meep did it. Some minds, particularly those with a scientific bent, a love of truth and certainty, have limits to how much absurdity they can handle. And here Quinn found himself well over the limit. â€Å"Skippy and Scooter and Poynter and Poe – I can’t handle it!† he screamed. He felt as if his mind were a rubber band being stretched to breaking, and the meep had tweaked it. He screamed until he could feel veins pulsing in his forehead. â€Å"You let it out now,† said Captain Poynter. â€Å"Just go with it.† Then, to Poe, â€Å"You know, I wouldn’t have thought the alliteration would have done it. You ever hear of that?† â€Å"Nope, I had an uncle who used to get nauseated at Reader’s Digest article titles – you know, ‘Terrible Truths of Toxic Toe Jam’ – but I thought it was more because he read them in the doctor’s office than the alliteration. You sure it wasn’t the meep that did it?† â€Å"This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening,† Quinn chanted. He was hyperventilating, and his vision had gone to a blur, his heart pounding like he’d been running a sprint across an electrified floor. â€Å"Anxiety attack,† said Poynter. He put his hand on Quinn’s forehead and spoke softly. â€Å"Okay, Doc, here’s the skinny. You are in a living ship that resembles a whale but is not a whale. There are two other guys aboard who have lived through this, so you can live through this. In addition, there are two guys who are not strictly human, but they won’t hurt you. You are going to live and deal with this. This is real. You are not insane. Now, calm the fuck down.† And it was then that Poynter stepped back and Poe threw the bucket of cold seawater in Quinn’s face. â€Å"Hey,† Quinn said. He sputtered and blinked seawater out of his eyes. â€Å"I told you to go with the dead thing, but you didn’t listen,† Poe said. Nothing had changed, but things, his heart, slowed down, and Quinn looked around. â€Å"Where did that bucket come from? There was no bucket in here. There was nothing but us. And where did you get the water?† Poe held the bucket at ready. â€Å"You’re sure you’re okay? I don’t want to freak you out again.† â€Å"Yeah. I’m okay,† said Quinn. And actually, he was. He’d decided to go with the idea that he was already dead, and that seemed to make everything fall into perspective. â€Å"I’m dead.† â€Å"That’s the spirit,† said Poe. He held the bucket against a wall, and a small portal opened and sucked the bucket in. Quinn would have sworn there hadn’t been any seams in the wall to indicate there’d been an opening there. â€Å"Hey,† said Poynter, taking on the tone of the deeply offended, â€Å"now that you’re dead, I’ve got a bone to pick with you about not bringing me my sandwich.† Quinn looked at the sharp features and narrowed eyes of the captain – who now seemed genuinely angry – and a shiver ran through his body that had nothing to do with the cold seawater running out of his hair. â€Å"Sorry,† he said, shrugging as much as he could in the restraints. â€Å"Damn it, how hard could that have been? You’ve got a Ph.D. for Christ’s sake – you can’t get a fucking pastrami on rye? I’ve got a good mind to chuck you out the anus.† â€Å"Shhhhhhhh, Cap,† Poe said. â€Å"That was gonna be a surprise.† â€Å"Meep,† said Skippy. CHAPTER TWENTY Missing Biscuit, Flopping Tuna â€Å"Bwana Clay, you seen the Snowy Biscuit?† Clay and Clair sat on the lanai of Clay’s bungalow drinking mai-tais and watching smoke roll out the vents of a Weber kettle barbecue. Kona had his long board tucked underneath his arm and was heading for his Maui cruiser, a lime Krylon-over-rust 1975 BMW 2002, with no windows and seats that were covered in ratty blankets. Clay was two mai-tais south of lucid, but he could still talk, â€Å"She took Nate’s truck into town this morning. Haven’t seen her since.† â€Å"Sistah wanted me to teach her some surfing. Got some easy sets rolling on West Shore, good for that.† â€Å"Sorry,† said Clay. â€Å"We’re smoking a big hunk of ahi tuna if you’d like to join us.† â€Å"No,† said Clair. â€Å"Tanks, but I’m going down to Lahaina town and see if I can find that Snowy Biscuit. We going to work tomorrow?† â€Å"Maybe,† said Clay, trying to think through a rum cloud. They’d pulled the Always Confused up out of the bottom of the harbor, and the boatyard had said it would be a week or so before it was ready to float again, although even then it would need some major cleaning. Still, they had Nate’s boat. He looked at Clair. â€Å"You’re not sitting home tomorrow whining to me about your hangover,† Clair said. â€Å"You get out there on the water and be sick like a proper man.† She’d revised her thoughts on Clay’s staying off the water. He was who he was. â€Å"Yeah, plan on going out if it’s not too windy,† Clay said. â€Å"Hey, we supposed to have wind?† It occurred to Clay that he hadn’t checked the weather since Nate had disappeared. â€Å"Calm morning, trades in the afternoon,† Kona said. â€Å"We can work.† â€Å"Tell Amy when you see her, okay. Take my cell phone with you. Call me when you find her. You sure you won’t have dinner with us?† â€Å"No,† said Clair. â€Å"No,† said Kona, grinning at Clair. â€Å"Auntie, you embarrassed that Kona seen you naked? You look fine, yeah.† Clair stood up. â€Å"You go ahead, call me ‘Auntie’ again, see if I don’t snatch out the rest of those dreads and use them to make cat toys.† â€Å"Ease up, I’m going to find the Biscuit.† And he loped to the Beemer, slid the long board in through the back window, hooked the skeg over the passenger seat to secure it, and then drove off to Lahaina to look for Amy. It was two in the morning when the phone in Clay’s bungalow rang. â€Å"Tell me you’re not in jail,† Clay said. â€Å"Not in jail, Bwana Clay, but maybe you need to sit down.† â€Å"I’m in bed sleeping, Kona. What?† â€Å"The truck, Bwana Nate’s truck. It’s here at the kayak rental in Lahaina. They say Amy rent a kayak this morning, about eleven.† â€Å"They’re still there?† â€Å"I waked the guy up.† â€Å"They don’t know where she went? They let her go alone? He didn’t call us when it got dark?† â€Å"She said she was just using it to tow behind the boat, for research. He know she a whale researcher, so he didn’t think nothing of it. Sometime they take kayaks two, three days.† â€Å"You checked? She’s not on the boat?† â€Å"You mean the not sunk one?† â€Å"Yes, that would be the one.† â€Å"Yeah, I check. The boat in the slip. No kayak.† â€Å"Stay there. I’ll be down in a few minutes. I have to get dressed and call the Coast Guard.† â€Å"This kayak guy says it not on him – she signed a wafer. That some kind of religious thing?† â€Å"Waiver, Kona, she signed a waiver. Are you high?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Of course. Sorry. Okay, I’ll be right there.† Nate was three days inside the whale before he asked, â€Å"Your names aren’t really Poynter and Poe, are they?† â€Å"What?† said Poynter. â€Å"You’re eaten by a giant whale ship and you’re worried that we might be traveling under assumed names? Go for it, Poe.† â€Å"Give us a flush, boys!† Poe said. Water came gushing down the floor of the whale from the front. Pantsless, Ensign Poe took three steps and went into a slide toward the tail like he was sliding into third base on a wet rain tarp. As he reached the end of the chamber, he spread his arms out to his sides at right angles. There was a sucking sound, and he sank up to his armpits into an orifice that only a second ago had appeared as just an impression in solid skin. â€Å"Wow, that’s cold,† said Poe. â€Å"How deep are we?† Scooter clicked and whistled a couple of times. â€Å"Ninety feet,† said Poynter. â€Å"Can’t be that bad.† â€Å"Feels colder. I think my ‘nads have crawled up inside my body.† Nate simply stared, gape-jawed, at the arms and head of the ensign, just above floor level. â€Å"You see, Doc,† said Poynter, â€Å"most of the time we call it the ‘back orifice’ instead of the anus, you know, because otherwise, with us moving in and out of it, there’s implications. His lower body is in the sea right now, at three atmospheres, yet the back orifice is sealed around him and it’s not crushing his chest. It’s not crushing your chest, is it, Poe?† â€Å"No, sir. It’s snug for sure, but I can breathe.† â€Å"How is that possible?† asked Nate. â€Å"You’re a diver. You’ve been down, what, a hundred and twenty, hundred and thirty feet?† â€Å"A hundred and fifty, by accident, but what does that have to do with this?† â€Å"You never had sphincter failure at that depth, did you? Blow up like a puffer fish?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Well, there you go, Nate. This here is just advanced poop-chute technology. We don’t even understand it ourselves, but it’s the key to sanitation on these small ships, and it’s how we get in and out. Normally the mouth on these humpback ships doesn’t even open, which gives us a lot more room, but this one was made specially to retrieve ‘Dirts. That’s you people.† â€Å"Made? By whom?† Of course they were made. Nothing like this could have evolved. â€Å"Later,† said Poynter. â€Å"Poe, you done?† â€Å"Aye, aye, Captain.† â€Å"Get back in here.† â€Å"Mighty cold out here, sir. I’m telling you, my tackle’s going to look like I’m posing for a baby picture.† â€Å"I’m sure the doc will take that into account, Poe.† Nate could feel a slight change in pressure in his ears, and Poe oozed back into the whale. The orifice sealed behind him, leaving almost no water on the floor. The ensign sidled, crablike, to the front of the ship, shielding his privates with his hands. He retrieved his pants from a storage nook that opened with a flap of skin like the blowhole on a killer whale. The whale’s interior was lined with the storage nooks, but you couldn’t even see the seams by the dim bioluminescence when they were closed. â€Å"You’re going to learn how to do that, Nate. It’s just the civilized thing to do until we transfer you to the blue. Can’t have you doing your business in the ship.† When he’d had to go to the bathroom, they’d sent Nate to the back of the whale, where he’d gone on the floor. Seconds later the whaley boys had let a bit of water in through a crack in the mouth, which washed across the floor and effectively flushed the mess out the back orifice. â€Å"The blue?† Nate asked. â€Å"Yeah, we can’t take you where they want you in this little thing. We’ll transfer you to a blue and send you on. You’ll have to go through the poop chutes.† â€Å"So there’s a blue-whale ship as well?† â€Å"Ships,† Poynter corrected. â€Å"Yeah, and other species, too.† â€Å"Right whales are my favorites,† Poe said. â€Å"Slower than hell, but really wide. Plenty of room. You’ll see.† â€Å"So they – the whaley boys – can regulate the pressure that precisely? They can let in water, expel it, keep the pressure in here from giving us the bends? Allow us to transfer from one of these ships to another?† â€Å"Yep, they’re tapped in to the whale directly. They’re like his cerebral cortex, I guess. The whale ships have a brain, but that only takes care of autonomic functions. Allows it to act like a whale for hours on end – diving, breathing, stuff like that. But without one of the whaley boys tapped in, they’re just dumb machines, limited function. The pilots control higher functions – navigation and such. They really show off their stuff in these humpbacks – the breaching, the singing, you know.† â€Å"This thing sings?† Nate couldn’t help himself. He wanted to hear a whale sing from the inside. â€Å"Of course it sings. You heard it sing.† Since Nate had been on, the only sound the whale ship had made was the beating of its enormous flukes and the explosive blow every ten minutes or so. â€Å"I hate it when they sing,† said Poe. â€Å"What’s the purpose of the song?† Nate asked. He didn’t care who these guys were or what they were doing. He now had the opportunity to get the answer to a question he’d pursued for most of his adult life. â€Å"Why do they sing?† â€Å"Because we tell them to,† said Poynter. â€Å"Why’d you think?† â€Å"No. It’s not right.† Nate buried his face in his hands. â€Å"Kidnapped by morons.† Scooter let loose with a series of frantic chirps. The whaley boy was staring out the eye into the blue Pacific. â€Å"School of tuna outside,† said Poe. â€Å"Go, Scooter,† said Poynter. â€Å"Go get some.† The restraints retracted from around Scooter’s waist, and the creature stood up for the first time since Nate had come on board. He was taller than Nate, maybe six-six, with lean gray legs that looked like those of a giant bullfrog crossbred with a fullback and terminated in long, webbed feet that resembled the rear flippers of a walrus. Scooter took three quick steps and dove at the floor in the back of the whale. There was a whooshing sound, and he disappeared, headfirst, through the back orifice, which sealed behind him with a distinct pop. Poe stepped into the seat that Scooter had vacated and looked out through the eye. â€Å"Nate, check this out. Watch how these guys hunt.† Nate looked out the whale’s eye and saw Scooter’s lithe form swim by at incredible speed, darting back and forth with astounding agility in pursuit of a twenty-pound tuna. In the water the whaley boy’s eyes no longer bugged out as they did inside the whale. Like whales and dolphins, Nate realized, whaley boys possessed muscles that could actually change the shape of the eye for focusing in either air or water. Scooter did a rapid turn and snatched the tuna in his jaws not ten feet from the eye of the whale. Nate could hear the snap and saw blood in the water around Scooter’s mouth. â€Å"Yes!† said Poe. â€Å"It’s sashimi tonight.† Nate had eaten nothing but raw fish since he’d been on board the whale ship, but this was the first time he’d seen it caught. Still, he couldn’t quite share Poe’s enthusiasm. â€Å"Is this all you eat? Raw fish?† â€Å"It beats the alternatives,† said Poe. â€Å"The whale carries a nutrient paste that’s like krill puree.† â€Å"Oh, my God,† said Nate. Poynter leaned in close to Nate, so he was only inches from the scientist’s ear. â€Å"Thus the somewhat substantial demand for culinary variety, as in – oh, I don’t know – a pastrami on rye!† â€Å"I said I was sorry,† Nate muttered. â€Å"Yeah, right.† â€Å"Drop me off anywhere. I’ll go get you one.† â€Å"We don’t land these things on shore.† â€Å"You don’t?† â€Å"Except to paint ‘bite me’ on the flukes,† said Poe. â€Å"Yeah, except for that,† said Poynter. Skippy meeped as Scooter scooted in through the poop chute with tuna in hand. Upon seeing the pilot’s entrance, Nate started thinking, for the first time since he’d been eaten, about how to escape. This is just stupid, Amy thought. She’d been paddling like a madwoman for four hours and was still barely halfway to Molokai. She’d been past the channel wind line for two of those four hours and so battled four-foot swells and a crosswind that threatened to take her out to sea. â€Å"Who gives GPS coordinates for a meeting? Who does business like that?† She’d been shouting into the wind on and off for an hour, then checking the little liquid-crystal map on the display of the GPS receiver. The â€Å"you are here† dot never seemed to move. Well, that wasn’t true. If she paused from paddling to take a drink of water or apply some sunscreen, the dot seemed to jump off course a mile at a time. â€Å"Are you guys on drugs?† she screamed into the wind. Her shoulders ached, and she’d drunk nearly all of the two-liter bottle of water she’d brought with her. She started to regret not having brought along some kind of snack. â€Å"An easy paddle. ‘Just rent a kayak. You won’t need a power boat. I’m adrift on a piece of Tupperware, you nitwits!† She leaned back on the kayak to catch her breath and watched the direction and speed indicators change on the GPS. She could rest maybe five minutes without drifting too far. She closed her eyes and let the swells rock her into a light doze. It was quiet, just the white noise of wind and water, not even a slap of waves on the kayak – she was so light that it rode high in the water and over the tops of the waves without a sound. She thought about Nate, about how frightened he must have been in those last moments, about how much she’d started to enjoy working with him. Action nerd. She smiled to herself, a melancholy smile as she dozed off, but then the sound of a fusillade of bubbles breaking the surface near the kayak jolted her to alertness. It was a huge expulsion of air, as if someone had set off an explosion deep under the water. She started paddling away from the eruptions of bubbles, but even as she moved, the sea began to darken around her, the crystal blue turning to shadow in a huge pool under the kayak. Then something hit the little boat, tossing Amy into the air twenty feet before she hit the water and the darkness surrounded her. How to cite Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings Chapter 19~20, Essay examples

Protection and Safety Measures For Support Technicians

Question: Describe protection and safety measures for support technicians. Identify safety measures for working with electronics. Explain the dangers that support technicians should consider. Describe troubleshooting steps for resolving common PC and network issues. Answer: Protection and Safety Measures for Support Technicians There are generally 10 safety and protection measure which need to be considered by support technicians. The support technician should lock up the server rooms, providing proper settings to surveillance, all vulnerable devices need to be locked within a specified room, proper usage of rack mount servers and also proper maintenance of workstations (Baybutt, 2012). The server machine and devices need to be properly login with password and permanently lock with cable fixture and others. Support technician should also provide precaution for internet supplement and hacked proofed technology to prevent data stolen activities. They should create install back up devices like hard disks, USB keys and floppy disks to back up precious official database of the company. Safety Measures for Working with Electronics There are basically several safety measures organization required to take while working with electronic devices. They should avoid the mismanagement of electrical circuits and all the electronic devices required to perfectly shock free and energized. The electronic devices need to be disconnected or power off while repairing and maintenance activities (Meghanathan Nagamalai, 2012). Users of electronic devices should be handle all the tools and equipment which is helpful for connectivity of electronic devices. Whenever technician are working with devices, they are required to wear non-conductive cloths, hand gloves and shoes. It is also better for technician to work with single hand as when current passes through both the hands are generally increase the possibility of chest cavity. If due to any activity electronic devices consumed water or any chemical so, they need to unplug the equipment immediately. The Dangers That Support Technicians Should Consider There are several dangerous scenario which required to consider by the support technicians while working. The most basic physical hazard faced by the technician are wire and cable connected with all the devices across the office floor without placing Danger signs and Wet floor sign accordingly (Puester Wesling, 2012). The electronic cables should be properly covered with gaffers tape to avoid physical hazard. There are some mechanical hazards like finger jammed into printer machine while feeding printing papers. The chemical hazards can be also possible, as many technicians used cleaning chemicals, dust removing gel and keyboard cleaning chemicals which is harmful for skin, eyes and other part of the human body. The usage of inkjet printer can provide some almost permanent stain on skin, cloths and other equipment and infrastructure of the company. Troubleshooting Steps for Resolving Common PC and Network Issues There are some basic troubleshooting steps which is helpful in resolving the common PC and Network Issues windows (microsoft.com, 2016). For basic troubleshooting steps for common PC are: First Step: close all the running programs and windows. Second Step: make sure all the cords are properly connected and repeat the sequence to identify the problems. Third Step: Press F1 to access the Help window. Fourth Step: if it is showing error message, record for entire message for reference. Fifth Step: Restart the system Sixth Step: If after restart, PC would not work properly computer need to be shut down to take back up of entire work again. There are also several steps of network troubleshoot while connection error are: First Step: open network diagnosis icon from Diagnose and repair Second Step: All the cable are required to be properly connected. Reference Baig,. (2012). Troubleshooting Techniques of Complex Multi-Layered PCBs.Journal Of Basic And Applied Sciences. https://dx.doi.org/10.6000/1927-5129.2012.08.02.33 Baybutt, P. (2012). What risk reduction measures should be credited in process hazard analysis?.Proc. Safety Prog.,31(4), 359-362. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/prs.11520 Meghanathan, N., Chaki, N., Nagamalai, D. (2012).Advances in computer science and information technology. Berlin: Springer. Puester, T., Walter, J., Hustedt, M., Wesling, V. (2012). Technical safety measures for the safe use of hand-held laser processing devices.Journal Of Laser Applications,24(5), 052004. https://dx.doi.org/10.2351/1.4742798 windows.microsoft.com,. (2016).Troubleshoot network connection problems.windows.microsoft.com. Retrieved 15 June 2016, from https://windows.microsoft.com/en-in/windows-vista/troubleshoot-network-connection-problems

Request Stop By Harold Pinter Essay Example

Request Stop By Harold Pinter Essay Imagine that you are the director of Request Stop ; think of two different interpretations, and give advice to the actress as to how to play the main role. Request Stop is a short sketch written by Harold Pinter, a political poet, author, and playwright. This particular piece was written in 1953. A typical bus queue of the period would have been much the same as today, quiet and fairly antisocial, with people hiding behind broadsheets and magazines. The modern bus queue is boring. Nobody talks, except maybe for friends who are waiting, and everybody seems to not want to be there. The woman at the bus stop is somewhat of a mystery. There are a great many things that she could be. She could be an entertainer, livening up a bus queue by talking to everyone and anyone (even though she talks to one man, the whole queue is hearing her). She seems fun, lively, and talkative with her confident outbursts and taking offence at the smallest thing, then making a scene about it. Taking the idea that she is an entertainer, how would be advise the actress as to how to play the role? Since our idea is that she is a street entertainer, her clothing could be colourful, even clown-like. Lots of bright colours could be used, and maybe make up, to create the effect of a clown. We will write a custom essay sample on Request Stop By Harold Pinter specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Request Stop By Harold Pinter specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Request Stop By Harold Pinter specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Her appearance would certainly be well kept, with ironed, clean clothes and clean hair, unless she wears a wig. The props she carries would depend on why she is there. There are a number of possibilities, including a television feature on why bus queues are so boring, or why people are so arrogant in general, using a bus queue as a living example. In this case, her props may include a microphone, or a cameraman. Another possibility for her presence is that this is an entertainment for charity, in which case she would be carrying a tub or collection box for donations. The actress would have to play with a lot of confidence even from the text it seems as if the character has a lot of energy about her, and the attitude given off is that she is in control of the situation. She knows how the people are going to respond, and it seems as if she has done this before, All Ive got to do, is report you, and youd be standing in the dock in no time. One of my best friends is a plain clothes detective. In her speech, the actress would have to use a comical method of speaking. Changing tones of voice would be good, and perhaps she could stretch out certain words, Who DO you think YOU are? Her speech would be fast paced, and the pauses would be brief, so as not to interrupt her momentum. Her tone of voice and the manner in which she speaks would be supercilious, that is to say, she would be superior, above everything. She would make the characters repetition more evident, Huh, I know your sort, and Theyre putting your sort inside every day of the week. Even h er props could be more comical, she could have a broadsheet like the others, and a few shopping bags, for emulation. The second possibility for the character of the woman, is that she is a sad character, and this is a tragic sketch. The title of the play fits in with this (Request stop, beggars request, or beg, for things. ), it may have a double meaning. The woman could be requesting a number of things. Money, gifts, possibly conversation or friendship. The entire plays structure is based upon a request, then a pause, I beg your pardon, what did you say? Pause, and Who do you think you are? Pause. She talks more after each pause, with the height of her tirade reaching eight lines. The people ignoring her aggravating and antagonistic behaviour seem to suggest that she is socially alienated. This point is lent credence by the fact that, whilst her character is called Woman, another female character is referred to as Lady (it is important to note that the woman also refers to her as lady. ). Since she is being ignored, she seems to create a two way conversation where perhaps one doesnt exist, Ask a man a civil question The people on the bus queue also seem desperate to escape her. The lady pays a lot more for a taxi to escape the attentions of the woman when she is asked to be a witness, much to the womans annoyance, We know what sort she is. and at the end of the sketch, everyone in the queue runs after a passing bus, leaving the woman at the bus stop. This could be a Biblical reference (Jesus teaching on the Good Samaritan), she is obviously in need of help, yet people want nothing to do with her and run off, or escape her in other ways, because they dont want to know. Maybe she is not the troublemaker she first appears to be. Her continued harassment of the queue could be, rather than just a chance to annoy, a silent plea for help. With regards to acting out the play, the only character that needs to speak is actually the woman. The man could be making insinuations by ignoring her, and the others do the same by running away at the end. True, she is irritating, but you have to look past the fai ade of her annoyance. As for giving advice to the actress with regards on how to play the character, there are, again, a number of possibilities. She could be homeless, in which case she would wear ragged clothes, with tears and dirt on them. Her face would seem haggard and worn, and her hair would be wiry, unkempt, and dirty the stereotypical homeless person, living on the streets. Her belongings could be in a shopping trolley, or some carrier bags nearby. Also, she could be mentally ill, or alcoholic. Props in this case could include a bottle, which she swigs from occasionally. The people at the bus stop would have to seem embarrassed by her presence, as real people are. The actress would have to create the diction for the lady. Possible suggestions would be a regional accent, maybe Geordie or Scouser. Her tone would be insulting or insulted, or both possibly. Her clothes would be a complete contrast to those of the clown character. She could be wearing all black, to show she is depressed. If she is a tramp then layers of torn clothing would be appropriate. Her energy would come in bouts she could be loud one minute, and quiet the next. Also her mood would change from one emotional extreme to the next, if she is an alcoholic or a mentally ill person. She could be placid at the beginning, then infuriated at the next sentence, then back to passive again later. She does not seem to be in control of herself, or the environment around her. This could be shown by the actress playing with her hair, or pulling sleeves on her shirt. Her running back to the front of the line near the end seems to be her attempt to insert assertiveness into her life, which suggests she leads a lacklustre life. The actress could bring this out. In conclusion, I would probably direct the actress and advise her to play the Sad/Tragic aspect of the character. It seems to fit the piece better, and leaves a lot more scope for acting than the street entertainer option. The play would seem a lot more believable, and would relate to modern day life a lot better, especially with todays audience. Because we have all been one of the queue at one point or another in our life, and this serves as a bitter reminder of that.

Prayer is the best way to deal with suffering Essays

Prayer is the best way to deal with suffering Essays Prayer is the best way to deal with suffering Essay Prayer is the best way to deal with suffering Essay In this essay I will examine why some people say, and if prayer is the best way to deal with suffering.The dictionary definition of prayer states that it is a personal communication or petition addressed to a deity in the form of supplication, adoration, praise, contribution, or thanksgiving. Suffering however, is defined as being undergoing or being subjected to pain or disadvantageous experience. Forms of suffering can be said as either being physical or mental.Some people, particularly Christians, say that this is the best way to deal with suffering as God is the supreme being and interacting with God would easily relieve all their suffering. They believe that every way of suffering can be cured by praying to God. Christians believe that anything can happen in peoples lives but if they pray and have faith, they will never discourage themselves.They believe that prayer means that you really believe in God and you know that God loves you and that you will never be alone. Therefore, if your sure that God loves you, then you can deal with any kind of suffering. In addition, they believe that prayer is also the best way as it has no bad consequences such as other ways of dealing with suffering, such as alcohol and drugs are far worse. Moreover a quote from the Bible itself states that one should use prayer to deal with ones suffering:(1 Peter 5:7) Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.This quote connotes that Christians should deal with all their suffering by praying to God and unloading all their anxieties onto God. This would be quite a personal interaction.However, some non-Christians would argue that prayer is not the best way to deal with suffering. They believe this as prayer cannot be used to cure terminal illnesses such as cancer. They feel that prayer is like a placebo and that Christians only feel better after praying even though their suffering hasnt been cured. Additionally, they believe prayer is a method of forcing ones problems upon an external deity so that he or she does not have to deal with it by themselves.Some also believe that prayer is a form of meditation and can relax and calm the mind but not cure suffering. It may cure mental suffering but not physical suffering. They believe that physical suffering such as sever injuries or terminal illnesses cannot be treated by the means of prayer. Many also believe that prayer is often used by people as an excuse for not taking any proper actions against their suffering. It is often thought that people use prayer as a barrier to cover up their suffering and maybe are too afraid to face it themselves.Finally, my personal view is that prayer isnt the best way to deal with suffering. This is not because Im not a Christian. Practically thinking, it is impossible to cure suffering such as a terminal illness like cancer from prayer. Action must be taken by scientists to find a cure for it, praying wont do anything. On the other hand, it may lessen the pain by making the person feel better despite being unable to cure the suffering. Furthermore, I do however, believe that prayer may be able to relieve mental suffering to an extent. Physical suffering, though, cannot be cured by prayer. The only way to attempt to alleviate any suffering is by facing the problem head on and to put effort into dealing with whatever is causing the suffering.

Advancements to allow fast HPLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Advancements to allow fast HPLC - Essay Example One of the major domains of chemistry that promises lots of advancements due to extensive research is Analytical Chemistry. Analytical Chemistry is a branch of chemistry that deals with the analysis of the chemical nature of matter. Analysis of chemical composition of matter is the supporting pillar to the development of any new product or structure. The collective term used for the various laboratory procedures available to separate matter into its constituent compositions to analyze their chemical nature is known as Chromatography. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is a type of Column Chromatography, which is used to separate a mixture into its constituent components with the use of chemical interactions. A series of chemical interactions are used in between the substance of subject and the chromatography column.Although the concept of Liquid Chromatography dates back to 1940s, the path breaking research, in the field of HPLC is being carried out on a large scale even t oday. More samples of matter are being analyzed for their chemical behavior than ever before in the recent times. Chemists, researchers and pharmaceutical companies need to perform chromatography on large quantities of samples. The call of the day is to speed up the process of HPLC while at the same time not forsake its accuracy. The solution is to speed up the process of HPLC by a magnitude. This process known as Fast HPLC is a boon to all people and organizations concerned. The most common principle behind Fast HPLC is rapid analysis using short columns. The particles filled in the columns are also short. Various developments are taking place in the HPLC technology to aid Fast HPLC and in all cases it is observed that Fast HPLC operate nearly five times faster while at the same time not sacrificing performance, reliability and simplicity. This report aims to enumerate the various developments that are being carried out in the field of HPLC that aid Fast HPLC. The HPLC process is described with relevant terms. Several research works being carried out are explained with the intended purpose of the research. Particular topics covered in this report include advancements in monolithic columns, small particle columns and high pressure and high temperature modes and relevant developments in other methods. The report aims at understanding the advantages brought about by these advancements in the field of HPLC. Specific concentration of the report is the developments in the field of columns used in HPLC. An analysis is made as to how, advances in the columns speeds up the process of chromatography. The applications of these developments are enumerated and an analysis is provided as to how the modern developments have changed the way the process is conducted. [1][2][3] Etc. The Process The performance of HPLC is affected by a number of factors. The most important among the factors are 'Column Efficiency', 'Performance of Mobile Phase', 'Performance of Stationary Phase', 'Injectors', 'Pumps', 'Detectors', 'Columns and Column Packing' and 'Automation'. Advancements in several of these factors have led to the development of Fast HPLC. Advancements: Fast HPLC Monolithic columns: A method popularly used as a separation media for liquid chromatography has been that of monolithic stationary phases and columns. These have not taken much time to become popular however some of their features have yet to be clearly studied. Researchers comment that chromatographic behavior of these columns should be studied along with their physico-chemical and structural properties to attain progress in their design and production. Recently a technique known as fast high performance LC is becoming popular for laboratory. Here shorter columns that have higher flow rates are used thereby analysis time is

The Former Soviet Satellite of Ukraine Research Paper

The Former Soviet Satellite of Ukraine - Research Paper Example Within such a construct of analysis, this paper will seek to identify key issues as well as provide a rational response to the ways in which these can work to be ameliorated. With regards to the geography of Ukraine, it occupies a territory larger than any other European nation asides from the Russian Federation. As such, due to the fact that the Russian Federation is divided between Europe and Asia, Ukraine can definitively be said to be the largest wholly European country. As with a large part of Eastern Europe, the landscape of Ukraine is mostly flat with fertile steppes stretching out over nearly 80% of nation. One of the defining aspects of the nation’s geography is that of the Danube and the Dnieper. The Danube accounts for the nation’s southwestern border whereas the Dnieper runs laterally bisecting the nation and flowing through a majority of the major cities and industrial centers of the nation. Geo-politically speaking, the nation is bordered by Russia and Belarus to the north, Poland and Slovakia to the west, Moldova to the southwest, and the Black Sea in the South. Of course it is difficult ot discuss the geography of the nation without discussing the way in which several failed Soviet experiments have inalterably changed the landscape and geography. Although there are a number of factors that contribute to this, a lion’s share of the death rate is directly linked to heavy smoking and alcoholism; both issues that continue to plague the nation.   Though it may seem to the reader than an extensive understanding of the demographic situation is not required before delving into the way in which the nation seeks to house and provide for its people, the fact of the matter is that such an issue has a direct correlation to the need, demand, and production of housing within the system (Tsenkova & Turner, 2004).

Role of The Early Years Practitioner in Learning

Role of The Early Years Practitioner in Learning Background: General Introduction to Topic: This study is two fold; firstly it relates to a personal interest as an early years practitioner and secondly a professional resolution to understand the role of the practitioner and the influence the individual can have on children’s learning. For effective learning within early years settings, identification of how the practitioner affects children’s learning needs to be recognised (Rodd, 2000:7). How the practitioner can influence the behaviour of others, particularly staff and children, to contribute to a creative early childhood programme. It is paramount the practitioners work collaboratively together within the same organisational goals to create a community enriching children’s personal growth and progress, which enhances the practitioners’ expectations and individual standards (Rodd, 2000:8). I feel passionate concerning the recognition of the practitioner’s role influencing on children’s learning and the factors that may contribute to this. Within the educational institution, the power of success of the student relies on the strength of the curriculum. The content of the curriculum has to entice and engage the learner, who will respond with motivation and focus. A poor, unsuccessful curriculum, is one that is unchanged over years, and will suffer unless new educationalist are pro-active in bringing current trends into play, which is normally the case. New fresh ideas and approaches to old problems bring new life into any task, for a synthesis of theory and practice is necessary because theory without practice is dead, whilst practice without theory has no direction (Bruce, 1987). The complexity involved in learning is discussed and covered by many, and the direction of improvement is always under investigation. In 2005, the Government announced plans to merge the Birth To Three Matters Framework and the Foundation Stage, to form a single Early Years Foundation Stage covering care, learning and development in all early years settings from birth to age five. (Literacy Trust, 2006) Can this produce the desired effect on learning. There are several different styles of learning which are examined here and aspects are highlighted, including the term Learning Power (Deakin Crick et al, 2002) which sets out to explain with extensive research, observation and experimentation that a series of unique dimensions exist. These dimensions are Changing and learning Creativity Critical curiosity Fragility of dependence Learning relationships Meaning and making Strategic awareness From these dimensions and their descriptions resulted a useful language, one for the ‘naming of something’ that fills a gap within education to provide an excellent dialog of the quality between teachers and their pupils. By successful inclusion this language could enhance the learning power of the pupil by the development of self-awareness; to encourage and produce responsibility for one’s own learning; and to ultimately improve and support all the relationships of learning and assessment. Research for this whole study involved investigating current policy and identifying up-to-date literature. Conducting this research I discovered a gap in literature concerning the specifics in my study. Examining books, journals, articles and Internet websites for archive information relating to the practitioner’s role I discovered limited data that discusses this issue. I decided to analyse the factors that can contribute to the practitioner’s role and how it has shaped the modern early years practitioner. I was interested in how the role has developed and what shaped the 21st century practitioner, this lead to the factors that attribute to this evolvement. Factors that may influence a Practitioners Role: How the practitioner’s role has developed Type of Setting; impact on practitioner’s role effecting children’s learning Age and Experience of Practitioner; whether this has any bearing Government Policy; the changes effecting a practitioner’s role As my study became broader I explored factors such as the shaping of early years practitioner’s and what contributed to this, became as important as the original research question. As I researched my aims became defined, breaking down the elements to reach clear objectives for each aim. Aims: The principle aims of this research are: To analyse the role of the early years practitioner in relation to children’s learning. Explore a range of early years practitioners. Investigate what they do and determine whether their role is the same or diverse in the context of various settings. Examine how the profession has developed. Analyse Government Policy to determine whether this affects the practitioners’ role. The aims are intended to provide a broad indication of the purpose of the research, (Fitzpatrick, 1998:153). To clarify the criteria I aim to determine precise statements of intent by sub-dividing the aims into objectives, as follows. Objectives: To conduct in depth, semi-structured interviews with a sample of 12 practitioners who have worked for at least 2 years (this is due to practitioner’s requiring the experience in order to respond to questions relating to their role). To conduct this research using practitioners of varying age and experience to determine whether these variables have any bearing on practitioners influence on children’s learning. To investigate a range of settings; High Scope, Montessori and The Foundation Stage to determine whether the settings curriculum model influences learning and changes the practitioner’s role. Investigate the changing role of the Early Years practitioner. Reflecting on historical and contemporary issues. Reflect on Early Years policy and practitioners role. Research Design: Method and Methodology: To indicate the practical ways in which my research project will be organised, including an impartial appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses that may arise. Within my study I aim to put strategies into place that will minimize the disadvantages for the methodology used and to enhance the advantages (Oliver, 2004:135). I plan to carry out a study involving 12 participants, who work within varied early years provisions; these participants must have at least two years post qualification experience. I have chosen this length of service to establish realistic expectations and feelings of individual’s. The provisions must be varied therefore I have chosen three separate settings; High/Scope, Montessori and The Foundation Stage (learning through play), within these provisions I aim to use in-depth, face-to-face interviewing of four practitioner’s conducted at their settings. This method is appropriate as it allows for flexibility (Robson, 2002:278) and freedom with responses. Using semi-structured questions including some structured questions, such as, standard factual material. An additional reason for using a qualitative method is that individual’s insight of a particular workplace can be analysed[1]. The disadvantages are numerous; one example is the reliability of the participant ’s responses and the lack of standardisation that will inevitability arise with a semi-structured interview technique. I plan to contact the selected settings asking for permission to conduct in-depth interviews explaining the reasons for the study. To explain the reasons for the research within the setting, acknowledging the interviewee’s sense of comfort in a familiar environment. It may relevant to send a sample of the questions to allow the participants to prepare. After the interviews and data collected and transcribed, the analysis begins. The use of content analysis may be a worthwhile method for its effectiveness when examining text materials[2]. However, there are advantages and disadvantages. Advantages include; the data is fixed and allows for re-analysis and reliability checks. Disadvantages include; limited data may be difficult to assess as the participants are casual acquaintances and therefore responses may only be reflections of an individual (Robson, 2004:358). Another method is using a quantitative strategy after gathering the data, placing gathered information into charts, graphs etc to determine the percentage of same responses. This makes research data manageable and easy to read, in essence using methodological triangulation; combining qualitative and quantitative approaches[3]. I am aware of various epistemological positions that I could adopt reflecting a different approach to the research question (Cuba et al, 1994:99), however, these methods appear appropriate and suitable to the research question. Literature Review: Although the study being conducted is fairly localised, this strengthens the research for the widening debate for exploration of the significance of the study (Oliver, 2004:98); for example, investigating Government policy and its impact on practitioner’s role. The literature is relevant to the project to make it easier to read I have sub-divided it into categories: The Role of The Practitioner Curriculum / Learning and Education Theorists The Role of the Practitioner I found limited literature that dealt with the issue of the practitioner’s role in children’s education as a result I expanded my research[4]. Examining the books available (Rodd, 2000:9) suggests there is limited literature on the practical application of a practitioner’s role. This lack of information is important in relation to understanding the early childhood context and the practitioner’s role within it. The limitations in current literature need to be explored rather than omitted[5]. By this statement Rodd (2000:9) implies the role is an important one in shaping children’s learning. In agreement, Riley (2004:24) suggests, practitioner’s interaction levels are of the prime importance in children’s learning[6]. This literature signifies the importance of the practitioner’s role when involved in children’s learning. Both books detail the positive aspects of practitioner’s involvement, such as developing curricu lum practice to allow spontaneous learning and free choice. Riley (2004:24) compares her findings to another study (Tizard and Hughes, 1984 as cited in Riley, 2004:24) where supporting open-ended questions provide a framework for conversation with the child. The importance of the practitioner’s role is also emphasised in (Manning-Morton et al, 2003:155) who suggest, the practitioner has a crucial role in children’s learning[7]. This application of the practitioner is quite varied including taking on the role of psychologist, for many of the assessments made with regard to entry into the present Foundation Stage is by observation. Curriculum / Learning and Education The second category focuses on the curriculum and the part the practitioner plays in successful implementation[8] without this a stimulating environment is not fostered and therefore hinders children’s learning. In summary the literature details the responsibility the practitioner has in shaping children’s learning in meaningful contexts that are appropriate and suitable. The authors discuss the importance of multi-professional collaboration[9]. This signifies the importance of practitioner’s working together to create an environment that enriches children’s lives. With practitioner’s that are motivational in delivering an effective learning environment supporting children to reach their full potential now that will carry on through the years, or in other words to start the pathway for Lifelong Learning. The responsibility of implementing a successful learning programme depends not just on the practitioner, nurturing minds, having a positive effect[ 10]. The literature supports the practitioner’s intervention for effective learning, where situations and surrounding play an important part. The differences in our situations and surroundings that we live in are factors that influence our quality and quantity of our learning process, and this process encompasses social, moral and academic learning. (Child, 1997) This effective learning process of Lifelong Learning, was brought into the open through employment and employers throughout the last decade of the 20th Century where changes of technology and cultural issues came about in the workplace (Crompton, Gallio, Purcell, 1996). To begin with, in 1996, the European Year of Lifelong Learning, the British government published a Policy Framework for Lifetime Learning (DfEE, 1996). Enhanced by the Fryer Report (National Advisory Group for Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning (NAGCELL) in 1997), and which surprisingly was omitted from the Dearing Report (NCIHE 1997) as sanctioned by the government with National Higher Education. Although well criticised, the report contained recommendations and targets for education and training that set out to motivate and enable learners to develop and benefit in society. Overall it outlined the aims to be sustainable, and to finally shape a democratic path. In parallel to all this was a negative that was highlighted by Elliott (1999) who stated that educationalists and the policy makers had on occasions ‘hijacked’ the phrase Lifelong Learning for other reasons. Reasons which came out from their own agendas, producing a system of their self-interest which resulted in being an obstacle and destructive to learning. The learning process of development has been under investigation for many years. The British Cohort Study (BCS70) as far back as 1970 confirmed that a pre-school program generally increased cognitive attainment for children of 5 years of age. Yet did not prove a great difference within disadvantaged children (Osborne Millbank, 1987). Research also found that the social adjustment and language was poor at the age of 5, and also showed that inferior reading skills were present at the age of 11. Feinstein et al (1998) showed that in education during the years of 1962-1973 the pre-school contribution made no improvement to children entering secondary school. Now some thirty years on pre-school is taken as an important part of amongst others learning the social skills to prepare for formal education. Comparing types of provision, such as Montessori and High/Scope was by way of literature and via Internet websites[11]. Analysing these became a framework for an alternative curriculum implementation, detailing the practitioner’s role and the methods used for a successful ethos. The High/Scope regime is an â€Å"active learning† educational approach[12], the child’s interests and choices are at the heart of the programme, where the central model of learning is the ‘plan, do and review’ cycle. The High/Scope educational approach for infant-toddler, preschool, elementary, and youth programs is a set of guiding principles and practices that adults follow as they work with and care for children and youth. These principles are intended as an open framework that teams of adults are free to adapt to the special needs and conditions of their group, their setting, and their community. Active learning — the belief that children learn best through active experiences with people, materials, events and ideas, rather than through direct teaching or sequenced exercises — is a central tenet of the High/Scope approach for all age levels. (High/Scope, 2005) They construct their own knowledge through interactions, planning their activities for the day in a small group with a teacher or ‘educator’. Each small group will have a ‘keyworker’ a member of staff assigned full time to them, so although they work with different adults, the children in the group have the security of a central relationship. Later in the day the whole group will review their progress, and as language is central to learning, so children describing both plans and activities to each other becomes very beneficial. So with the whole group being involved in undertaking the first steps in the learning process, out of high-quality early years environment come the development of feelings for high self-esteem, with high-aspirations and secure feelings of self-efficiency. Believing in their own capability to start solving problems, to understand new ideas, and develop new skills. The result being, that the children feel in control of their environment and grow in confidence with their abilities. This pattern continues in focused adult/child and child/child conversations, placing the responsibility very much on the individual child for their own learning, whilst the practitioner’s offer physical, emotional, and intellectual support. So taking on Vygotsky’s notion of ‘effective instruction within the zone of proximal development’ (1993, p.36). Summarising the Montessori method this includes education of the senses; the aim is two-fold, biological and social[13]. The Montessori environment is solely linked with natural objects for children to explore and investigate in their first seven years. The practitioner’s role is to support children within their access of objects and environment. The DfES Foundation Stage ethos focuses on learning through play and learning intentions to support children through stages of achievements. The practitioner’s role is to support children’s progress through each stage by implementing activities and opportunities to extend their learning through a play environment. Each curriculum requires the practitioner to be motivational, enthusiastic and knowledgeable in their field. In 1998 the introduction of a National Literacy Strategy (NLS) for school years 1-6 was undertaken, and with it came considerable pressure being placed on schools to implement this program, following which most primary schools have continued to adopt it. The National Literacy Strategy (NLS) has a central core, which is the framework for teaching that covers the statutory requirements in reading and writing within the National Curriculum. The school curriculum comprises of all learning and other experiences that each school will plan for its pupils, and the National Curriculum is an important element of that school curriculum. The NLS provides a framework of pre-specified objectives that revolve around: text, sentence and word level work which are delivered via a daily structured hour long session, which is termed ‘Literacy Hour’. Following this introduction Primary teachers are now urged to support and conform with this prescribed teaching pattern, in fact practitionerâ €™s are now being told not only what to teach, but also how to teach it. ‘Education influences and reflects the values of society, and the kind of society we want to be. It is important therefore, to recognize a broad set of common values and purposes that underpin the school curriculum and the work in schools. If schools are to respond effectively to those values and purposes, they need to work in collaboration with families and the local community, including church and voluntary groups, local agencies and business, in seeking to achieve two broad aims through the curriculum. These aims provide an essential context within which schools develop their own curriculum, and are outlined as follows: Firstly the school curriculum should aim to provide opportunities for all pupils to learn and achieve. Secondly the school curriculum should aim to promote pupil’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepare all pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life.’ The National Curriculum, Key Stages 1 2. 1999 DfEE Despite all this, a report undertaken by the Association of Head Teachers [2003] claims there is a mounting concern amongst teachers about the effects of this Literacy strategy. Arguing that formal teaching as prescribed through the Literacy Hour, is developmentally inappropriate for many 6 year olds, and therefore recommends that the principles of the Foundation Stage be extended to cover all children aged 3-7 years. In enhancing this thinking, going back to 1996 where the Department for Educational Studies (DfES) funded the undertaking of Effective Provision of Pre-School Education a longitudinal study that was for children of 3 to 7 years of age. Where it majored on pre-school through into primary assessing from a cross-section of social backgrounds. This complimented another undertaking in Findings from the Early Primary Years (EPPE Summary 2004) that collected data from children, their parents, their home environment and the pre-school they attended. All of which went on to prove that cognitive and social effects were positive for the children going into primary school. It was found that parent’s education and social class remained as predictors of intellectual and social development, and that very long periods of pre-school were connected with anti-social behavioural problems entering primary school and through to the end of Key Stage 1. This fact was attributed to the presence of non-parental childcare before three years of age. The education level of the child’s mother was seen to be a factor in the child’s performance. Overall, it reported that the attainment reached in reading and math’s from an effective, high quality pre-school attendance, proved a positive impact which was not depleted by the end of Key Stage 1, and that attendance before the age of 3 was very positive towards the child’s attainment. By continual research key findings within the EPPE Summary of 2004 over the pre-school period included that disadvantaged children may benefit appreciably from good quality pre-school experience, especially when they are with a mixture of children from different backgrounds. It also went on to show that overall, disadvantaged children have a tendency to only attend pre-school for short periods of time compared to those from more advantaged groups. From this result recommendations were made: i) To develop and encourage more episodes of ‘sustained shared thinking’ with the children. Use of freely chosen play activities provides the best opportunities to extend children’s thinking. ii) Continually work towards an equal balance of child and adult initiated activity. iii) Develop staff to have both the knowledge and understanding of child development and the curriculum. By way of a pilot scheme, in 1998 parts of England by the National Literacy Strategy (NLS), which was a direct result of nationwide poverty implications in 1966, all infant and primary schools were expected to teach English within what was termed the Literacy Hour. The hour was divided into segments to allow teaching as a whole class, as groups or individuals, with the focus for each segment also prescribed in detail: children being taught reading and writing at whole text, sentence or word level. Teaching objectives had to be included in this daily Literacy Hour with the class. The format is dictated to being the same for Year 1 through to Year 6. Reaction from teachers, many unprepared to teach this due to lack of time, were concerned and uneasy over several issues, and some reported that time spent in other curriculum areas were affected. A perceived lack of flexibility about the Literacy Hour was commented on unfavourably, with fears voiced of the possible negative effect resulting from six years of children being taught in the same way (Anderson Urquhart, 2000) The feedback on this, Hourwatch, was undertaken from the autumn of 1998 through to the summer of 1999, from a cross-section in Year 1 and Year 2 at Infant School, and reception class and year 6 in Primary School. The feedback from teachers was not favourable. Planning of group activities took a considerable extra time to prepare. Overall the framework objectives for the hour resulted in a lack of coherence, making implementation time consuming, out of all proportion to its share of the curriculum, and generally uninspiring. One such response from an experienced teacher, remarked that although Learning Hour had some good points, â€Å"it was too rigid a structure, takes too much time to plan, too analytical, not matched to children’s current level of experience and skill. It gets boring following the same format day in day out, it does not provide enough opportunities for creative and extended writing, and it results in too much unfinished work† (Anderson Urquhart, 2000 ) Overall the organizational and bureaucratic demands were overwhelming the educational value. In 2000 the Government in the UK introduced a revised National Curriculum (Curriculum 2000) and the Foundation Stage that was for the 3 to 5 year olds, giving this period in the child’s education a distinct identity and attention. Curriculum 2000 emphasized inclusion, aiming to secure learners participation and ensure appropriate opportunities for them to achieve, and offered flexibility within for schools to develop their own normal curriculum. It offered a less prescriptive approach, in which flexible allocating of time for required subjects allowed them not to taught each week, term or year, therefore allowing choice of method and the maximising of teaching and learning. A study of the transition from infant to Primary in England: from Foundation Stage to Key Stage 1 was carried out in 2005 (Sanders et al, 2005), where it was discovered the biggest challenge to children being the move from play-based approach in the Foundation Stage to a more structured curriculum in Key Stage 1. It also noted that the Literacy Hour had proved challenging as it was difficult for young children to sit still and listen to their teacher. The ensuring of stability, has been promised and undertaken by the Government for this transition period, in understanding and support for staff training, the child’s learning and guidance for parents (DfES, 2003). Researching journals on the subject was also limited with only one journal; Early Childhood Research Quarterly. This research[14] discusses the aspect of practitioner behaviours in the environment and the practitioners’ application, detailing the importance of collaboration and an understanding of curriculum and learning. Reading the journal article shows a support for my research in as much that the role of the practitioner is vital in providing an effective learning environment for children to progress and grow. In respect to how children progress and grow, a large portion learn, construct knowledge and develop skills, in today’s world of computers and computer games. The act of play for a young child is seen as being far more important, and in the past there have been successful arguments in the fore and against the time allocated for play in the early important years of a child’s education. Parents and school administrators always demand results, and yet question the value of a child playing. Educators and child development specialists endorse play as being the best way for young children to learn the ultimate curriculum for the social, physical and cognitive advancement needed to set a solid foundation for later school and life success in our increasingly complex and technological world. The importance of play in a child’s development is shown to have various kinds of concepts (Wardle, 2000), each having their own strengths: Motor/physical play – critical for the development of physical strength, and to establish a fitness regime against heath problems through being overweight in latter years. Social play – interacting with others builds skills and underlines important social rules, including give and take, co-operation and sharing. All go towards moral reasoning and developing a mature sense of values. Constructive play – the manipulation of the environment to experiment, build and create, resulting in accomplishment that empowers them with control of their environment. Fantasy play experimentation of language and emotions in an abstract world, where young children can stretch imaginations in a risk-free environment. This area of abstract time is believed to be so important in our growing technological society. Games with rules – vitally important in a child’s development, to learn and understand that situations cannot exist without everyone adhering to the same set of rules. This concept teaches children a critically important concept, in that the game of life has rules (laws) that we all must follow to function productively (Wardle, 1987). Government policy reflects the importance of the practitioner’s role with learning and education in early years settings. The proposed Childcare Bill introduced to Parliament on 8th November 2005 supported a link between Foundation Stage (3-5 years), Every Child Matters, Birth to Three Framework and OFSTED National Childcare Standards for nurseries; combining these four documents[15]. By placing early childhood provision on a statutory footing will assure practitioners’ of the Government’s commitment to improving early years provision. The Government recognise for the youngest children the distinction between childcare and education is indistinguishable. This supports my research by the Government recognising the important role the practitioner has in the welfare of children, in education and care. In the UK this problem is being addressed by the Government taking on a ten-year strategy for childcare, published in 2004, which is now subject to Parliamentary Approval in 2006 (Education Skills, 2006). It is the Government’s response to a fundamental challenge facing Britain in the need to ensure available, affordable, and high quality childcare in the 21st Century. More women are going to work than ever before, they choose to work for increased family income that can improve lifestyle (out of poverty) and improve their children’s life chances. With the emergence of this new Childcare Bill the practitioner has to ensure their role positively shapes children’s learning in meaningful contexts. Now in 2006 discussion and assessment is well underway for the Early Years Foundation Stage that will start in 2008. In 2005, the Government announced plans to merge the Birth To Three Matters Framework and the Foundation Stage, to form a single Early Years Foundation Stage covering care, learning and development in all early years settings from birth to age five. Are the lessons that have been learnt by the government ministers over the years now going to lay correct foundations for the practitioners to deal with? As childhood is not merely a pe