Microbes Petri Dish Experiment free essay sample

To investigate four areas of the school and to find out which of the four have the most microbes. Areas to Sample: 1 . Girls locker room (Senior school) 2. Girls locker room (Elementary school) 3. Boys locker room (Senior school) 4. Boys locker room (Elementary school) Hypothesis: We predict that the boys locker room in the senior school will have the most microbes. First of all, there are more people using our locker rooms in the Senior School than the elementary ones. The classes in the Elementary school are generally much smaller. Also, pupils from the senior school are going through puberty and tend to sweat a lot more than little kids, especially the boys. Sweat glands also work more rapidly with boys going through puberty, as their hormone levels are beginning to increase. During P. E classes, girls also are more reserved and are not as intense about sports during the day as the boys are. We will write a custom essay sample on Microbes Petri Dish Experiment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is more of a social aspect than a scientific one, but is relatively true. On top of that, girls and boys generally have different standards when it comes to hygiene. Judging from personal experience, I would assume that irls tend to care more about their hygiene and aesthetics than boys do. Lastly, the Senior School gym has been there for quite a long time. The elementary school is still relatively new, especially compared to the senior one. Therefore, I also would assume that the senior school gym would have more microbes than the elementary. Variables: Independent variables: The independent variable for this experiment will be the location/area in which we will take samples from (Senior School, Elementary School girls and boys locker rooms). Independent variables generally answer the question What do we change? In this case, we get to alter the areas in which we will be sampling from. Dependent variables: Our dependent variable will be the number of microbes observe or measure? In this case, we will indeed be observing the microbes growing on the Petri dish after put in an incubator for 72 hours. Controlled variables: Controlled variables are there for us to keep constant. The temperature, time, medium, the way the sample is collected and the incubation will be our controlled variables. It is important that they remain the same throughout our whole experiment. Also, we will be having an open controlled as well as a closed Petri dish. We will be testing the agar dishes, to see if they really are as sterile as we think. If the open controlled will have bacteria growing on it after being incubated, that is as expected. However, the closed control should be spotless in order for our other results to be completely accurate. Apparatus: 3 Petri dishes with lids Agar Jelly 4 cotton buds Incubator set at 25 degrees Celsius Tape Screw top vials Bunsen burner Soap Ethanol Four different locations Risk assessment: We must make sure to follow certain rules for this investigation. It is important to wash hands before eating and before class/at the beginning of class. Also, once the dish has been incubated, we should not open the lid. The incubator, for this experiment, must be kept below human pathogenic growing levels, which is 37 degrees Celsius. Sterile gloves should also be worn to collect samples for accurate results. Petri dishes should definitely be safely and properly disposed of when the experiment has ended. Method (sterile technique included): Before anything is done, it is important that hands are disinfected. Wash them with warm water and soap. It is important to wash them with warm water, as cold water does not clear away most of the bacteria. Afterwards, put on some sterile gloves to make sure sampling is done accurately. Following, make sure that there are two Petri dishes, one open controlled and closed controlled. One should be kept open the entire time, while the other should be kept closed. This is to test the sterility of the Petri dishes. Afterwards, take four cotton buds and screw top vials. For good results, ou should wet the cotton buds with distilled water and then swab the areas you wanted to sample. After that is done, head back to the science lab, making sure that you have Petri dishes with agar Jelly, tape, a Bunsen burner and ethanol. (All of this shouldVe been done with sterile gloves on). For the best effect, operate the Bunsen bacteria free. After, clean the table using ethanol (also to sterilize the area) and place the Petri dish (which you will swab with your samples) on top of the table. When that is done, swish the cotton buds lightly inside the Petri dish (one in each separate uarter) where the agar Jelly should already be. Make sure you do not dig the cotton bud in, as we do not want the microbes to be growing in the middle of the Jelly. We want to be able to observe the microbes from above. Finally, after all four quarters of the Petri dish are finished with swabbing, tape the open controlled, closed controlled and the experiment dish closed. To save place, tape those three altogether and place them in an incubator (25 degrees Celsius). This must stay constant, as we would not like the incubator to reach human pathogenic temperature (37 degrees Celsius). After 72 hours have passed, take the Petri dish out, but do not open it. Observe and record the results. Below is a diagram of how everything was set up. Processed Data Discussion/Evaluation Overall, the experiment went quite smoothly. Of course, there couldVe been improvements. The results shouldVe definitely been more accurate, especially for the counting of the colonies that we did, and the percentage cover. We had a lot of microbes growing in our Petri dish and it was very difficult to count the exact amount of colonies. These were Just estimated approximately. Perhaps we couldVe had more people verify our counting skills, for example, get someone else to count the colonies after we did for comparison and accuracy. Also, for these four locker rooms, we swabbed different places/areas each time. Since locker rooms are quite large, this is rather imprecise. We shouldVe stuck to swishing only the floors with the cotton buds or the walls instead of taking a variety. Our results showed that the place with the most microbes out of the four areas was the elementary boys locker room. In that quarter of the Petri dish, there were a total of 78 colonies. Actually, I think there definitely were more. However, it was Just too difficult to count, as most of them were clustered together, relatively small and the color was hard to see. Also, compared to the rest of the results, the elementary school boys locker room had a significantly higher percentage coverage and colony number. The next place with the most microbes was the elementary girls. They had a total of 47 colonies and a percentage cover of 43%. The difference between this quarter of the Petri dish and the elementary boys was that this one had larger colonies which were easier to count. They also werent so clustered and were scattered all over their quarter. Perhaps this is to do with how we swished the cotton buds on top of the agar Jelly. The last two with the least microbes were the girls and boys senior locker rooms. The boys had about 34 colonies covering 30% of their quarter. This area looked quite hard to count and clustered altogether. The only difference between them is that the senior boys generally had less in numbers. The senior girls had 19 colonies covering 20%. This was one of the most interesting quarters. The colonies itself were relatively mall, however, they were clustered very tightly together to form almost a large group and was most definitely scattered around the quarter. The larger groups were definitely not in each others vicinities. This again, perhaps, has something to do with the way my partner and I worked with the Petri dish. We took turns swabbing the dishes, so perhaps that affected our results in some way. For example, maybe I put more pressure on the agar Jelly than my partner did, or vice versa. Conclusion Unfortunately, for this experiment, most of my hypothesis was incorrect. However, now that IVe done the experiment, I can see why. The elementary boys locker room proved to be the one with the most microbes. I can deduce that this is because elementary school children tend to go outside a lot more and run around, getting themselves dirty in the process. One would hardly find any middle and high-school pupils running around and getting dirty. After all, small children even like to run around in the rain and cold, where certain microbes love to thrive in. My partner and I did guess right about the girls locker room having fewer microbes than the boys though. The elementary girls had less than the elementary boys and he senior girls had less than the senior boys. However, I am not yet ready to accept these results. There were many errors that my partner and I have accidentally done that couldVe harmed the results as shown above. If this experiment was to be done again, I am almost certain that the results would alter drastically.

Freedom Of Religion essays

Freedom Of Religion essays "You don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note" (Doug Floyd) Harmony is diversity. In music, people sing different notes combined creating a complete, layered sound. In life, its the same way. All different types of people, religions, views, and opinions are what make the world what it is today. The First Amendment guarantees us the freedom of speech, religion, press and free assembly. If it wasn't for this amendment we would not be able to have freedom of religion - meaning we would have to believe in a god or power that the government would tell us to believe in. This amendment allows us to worship freely and is one of the benefits of being an American. But what happens when someone steps in and says that someone praising their god is wrong? Should they be punished or is it their right to worship what or who they choose? What happens when one person praising their god is offensive to other people? "As long has they do not break my arm or pick my pocket, it is of little c onsequence what they believe and that was what freedom of religion is all about."(Thomas Jefferson) The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States give every american the same rights. One right is the constitutional protection for the free exercise of religion. The second right is prohibition of the establishment of religion by the state. The people who founded this Constitution recognized it as one of the most important factors in a democracy. The founders also found a space of freedom between the government and the people. Which means that the government is not allowed to tell a group of people what they can or cannot believe in or do. Sadly, The government is not honoring their side of the constitution. The government is stating that prayer being allowed in schools violates others beliefs and others right of their own religion. Prayer is in fact legal in public schools and other places such as church and prayer in stores, etc. What is no...

Abolition of Death Penalty

According to Republic Act No. 7659, death penalty is a penalty for crimes that are heinous for being grievous, odious and hateful offenses and which, by reason of their inherent or manifest wickedness, viciousness, atrocity and perversity are repugnant and outrageous to the common standards and norms of decency and morality in a just, civilized and ordered society. Death penalty is a cruel, futile and dangerous punishment for very serious reasons and with due judicial process. According to  Amnesty International, a worldwide movement of people working for internationally recognized human rights; death penalty is the ultimate, irreversible denial of human rights. Thus, they worked towards abolishing it in order to end the cycle of violence created by a system riddled with economic and racial bias and tainted with human error. BACKGROUND Next, I would like to present a brief background on death penalty in the Philippines. In 1987, the Philippines made history by becoming the first Asian country in modern times to abolish the death penalty for all crimes. However, six years later, in 1993, the death penalty was reintroduced in the Philippines for 46 different offences. Such of those are murder, rape, parricide, infanticide and qualified bribery, among others. Executions resumed in 1999 until year 2000 when former President Estrada announced a moratorium on executions. This has been continued by current President Arroyo, in practice, throughout her presidency. Now, under her rule, the death penalty is again abolished . STANCE I am in favor of abolishing the death penalty law in the Philippines. Allow me to present my arguments. First, it violates the right to live. Second, it is a very cruel practice. Third, it is anti-poor. Last, death penalty defeats its purpose. ARGUMENTS First, the imposition of death penalty violates a persons right to live. Article III Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution, otherwise known as  the Bill of Rights, states that No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property†¦ By imposing death penalty, the right of a criminal to live is being violated. Furthermore, it is a known fact that majority of Filipinos are Catholics. As said, we have one of the worlds largest Christian populations. According to  the Ten Commandments  of the Church, thou shall not kill. Therefore, nobody is given the right to commit the lives of others. Whether that person is a criminal or not, nobody has the right to play God and take the life that He has given. Filipinos should respect and value the sanctity of human life and uphold the virtue and religious doctrines that are expected of us as a dominant Christian nation. Second, it is a very cruel, inhuman and irreversible practice. It is very cruel and in human because persons are killed. This alone is proof. Once a person is killed, the act cannot be reversed. Third, death penalty is anti-poor. In a country like the Philippines with a very slow, sometimes inefficient, unfair and unjust judicial system, death penalty is simply not viable. Majority of the 1200 people on the death row are poor. Maybe, for some, being there is what they deserve. But for many, it is poverty that brought them there. Not everyone in that row should die. Many are simply there because they ran against some filthy rich and powerful person or they could not afford to get a good lawyer to defend them. A study showed that death penalty is anti-poor as the underprivileged who cannot afford the services of competent counsels are oftentimes the ones convicted of death penalty. Studies have shown that the death penalty is disproportionately imposed on the poorest, least educated and most vulnerable members of society. It takes the lives of offenders who might otherwise have been rehabilitated. Lastly, death penalty does not live up to its purpose. It is not able to serve its purpose which is to prevent crimes and to preserve peace and order. According to the President, in a letter she sent to Senate President Franklin M. Drilon, the imposition of death penalty was shown to have not served its principal purpose of effectively deterring the commission of heinous crimes. Clearly, even with death penalty imposed, the Philippines still continued to project high and rising crime rates in the country. If death penalty is effective, there should have been less crimes but it is quite the contrary. Also, there are no concrete evidence like studies or tests that could prove that the imposition of death penalty really prevents crime thus maintaining peace and order in the country. SUMMARY To cap off this essay, death penalty is the punishment served to those who have committed crimes that are heinous for being grievous, odious and hateful offenses and which, by reason of their inherent or manifest wickedness, viciousness, atrocity and perversity are repugnant and outrageous to the common standards and norms of decency and morality in a just, civilized and ordered society. I am in favor of the abolition of death penalty because first, its imposition violates the right to live. Second, it is a very cruel, inhuman and irreversible act. Third, death penalty is anti-poor. Lastly, death penalty does not serve its purpose of preventing crimes and preserving peace and order. I wish to end this speech by saying that I commend the Congress for passing a legislation calling for the abolitio n of death penalty. As CBCP puts it, this step has finally led the country to move from justice that kills to justice that heals. But the new Vice President of the Philippines Jejomar Binay thinks it so as he utter his desire to bring back death penalty in the Philippine in his outburst emotional response when he attended the wake of the brutally murdered son of attorney Oliver Lozano at media interview. â€Å"Dapat ibalik na ang death penalty†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ( â€Å"It is high time to bring back death penalty†) —-Jejomar Binay Death Penalty has been in the Philippines since the Marcos administration but was only removed at the time of former Philippine president Corazon Aquino and was revived during between the administration of former Philippine presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada and was removed again at the time of the recent former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo because of the mistake and failure of the execution of the First ever Filipino to receive death penalty by lethal injection –Leo Echagaray for the crime of rape which was found eventually that he is not guilty or was innocent of the crime he was accused of and the true rapist is at large and unknown. What a big slap on the Philippines justice system, thus it was removed. It was the roar and pro-death penalty campaigns in the media which influenced unlearned people that Leo Echagaray succumb into untimely death before he was proven innocent; so sad that people at that time were driven by brainless wrath to revenge for the rape victim. But now Vice president Binay, is wishing to bring it back? ; To repeat this â€Å"sad scenario† just to tell to the world that â€Å"we do justice†, WHAT JUSTICE Does he think well when he utters a wish for its revival or is he just emotional overwhelmed at the wake of the brutally murdered son of attorney Oliver Lozano? There are many bad consequences to the justice system of the Philippines when Death penalty will be rekindled its frightening presence in the Philippines. More injustices will be engendered in the end by mistakenly sentencing to death innocent poor Filipinos and foreigners once they could not proven themselves innocent at the allowed period of presenting evidences and proofs that one is not guilty of the crime being accused of and by the influence of ignorant brainless and heartless wrathful masses. Moreover, if one is financially poor and destitute how can one find a trustworthy attorney that cannot be bought by money, to depend one’s innocence? Truly more innocent lives will be shredded unjustly by this satanic capital punishment. Furthermore, we already know that the financially rich and wealthy prosecuted and accused ones could pervert justice and could buy money-face attorneys, lawyers and judges. Therefore, is this â€Å"death penalty† will stop heinous crimes or will just added more unjust crimes perpetrated by its revival and presence, wherein â€Å"death penalty† is also a heinous crime concealed by the law of legality of the state or country. For death penalty is an act of torturing a person until it dies, which has no difference with the sadistic and psychotic behavior of seemingly soulless criminals who torture first their victims before they eventually kill their victims. Bestial act (death penalty) against bestial act (heinous crimes) will not solve or eliminate crimes within the country or state. Fear is not the answer and will not uproot the main cause of crimes. it just controls but never solves; it just control the symptoms but never cures and heals. JC tortured and received Death Penalty A more humanitarian solution is the key to solve bestial problems like crimes; for every effect (activities) there is a cause (reason for the activity). The cause should be addressed to solve the problem and not controlling the effects without removing the cause; For the effects will not end if the cause is not removed. Remember Filipinos, your National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal was a victim of Death penalty or capital punishment which is Firing squad during the Spanish occupation but he is innocent. Remember also Filipinos, your beloved colonial religious deity Jesus Christ was also a victim of Death penalty or capital punishment which is crucifixion but Jesus Christ is innocent.

Romance in Childless Heterosexual Couples in America Dissertation

Romance in Childless Heterosexual Couples in America - Dissertation Example The quality of marriages among childless heterosexual couples has generally declined over the past few decades. Even in marriages that do last beyond a decade, it is important that the quality of the marriage is sufficiently high that the couple is content with their lives. This study examines the presence of opposing positive factors that contribute towards the consolidation of heterosexual marriages between couples. These may be coping strategies to deal with the pressures of childlessness, but more specifically, a set of behaviors that maintain viability in a marriage even after a heterosexual married couple has been together for many years. A qualitative investigation will be conducted primarily using interviews to examine how and why childless heterosexual couples in long-term marital relationships remain married. Specifically, what behaviors or other factors seem to be present in such couples with sustained marital relationships? What are the respective roles of such factors as religious duty, passionate love, fear, companionate factors, and romance in the endurance and viability of the marriage? This study will seek to identify these behaviors and factors and attempt to associate them with sustained marriages between such couples. The participants for the study will be randomly selected from the population of childless heterosexual couples from different ethnic origins living in America whose marriages have had lasted for at least 25 years.  25 years has been selected as the period of judgment.

Master Plan Evaluation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Master Plan Evaluation - Term Paper Example ty is that landsides in both of the two airports are build with the new improved facilities that giving the airports a high technological advancement. The other similarity is that the landsides in both airports meet the recommended curb capacity. Moreover, landsides in both of the two airports provide easy access to future mass transit system (Richard de Neufville & Odoni, 2003). Various differences emerge on the issue of landsides in both airports. One of the differences is that in the Kansas City, the landside accommodates southern landside access (Richard de Neufville & Odoni, 2003). However, Portland International accommodates both the southern and southern east landsides. The other established difference in matters related to landside is that the Kansas City landside provides effective to access roads. However, the landside in Portland International Airport required certain changes and improvements in order to provide effective to access roads (Richard de Neufville & Odoni, 2003). One of the similarities is that in both of the two airports, there are in-terminal circulations of vehicles within the airport. The other similarity is there are designated areas where vehicles are required to drop or pick passengers within the airport. The other similarity in matters related to vehicle circulation is that in both of the two airports, there are designated areas for parking vehicles for the all the staff members and customers. One of the established differences in both of the two airports is that there are a number of growths in relation to roadway capacity to facilitate effective vehicle circulation in Portland International Airport. Some of these growth issues include freeway interchange, airport access roads and terminal roadway. However, there are no such improvements identified in Kansa City Airport. The other main difference between the two airports is limited expansion capability in the main terminal of Kansas City Airport. However, Portland International

Trash in My Life Essay Example for Free

Trash in My Life Essay Every person is guilty of contributing to the local landfill and I am no exception to this. As all people are responsible for deadline with wastes and creating such, I often find myself a part of it as most of my trash has to do with paper in some form. Every time I go to the supermarket I return home with plastic and paper bags and boxes and I noticed that practically everything I purchase has with it some paper waste. As an example, while enjoying my milk, I tend to buy them in boxes and when these are empty, they somehow find their way to the trash bin and would become another waste added to the tons there is that can be found on the big trash container that will be collected. The community garbage collectors would soon come and take this to the local landfill to join the other trash disposed on different days. While thinking about it, I see myself with no choice but to throw the waste into the trash containers because there is no other way to dispose it especially if it is not recyclable. I have thought about trash and recycling several times. When I purchase toothpaste, for example, it comes in a little box and the paste is contained in a plastic tube. The same applies to many other things which are placed in plastic packages and would also be placed in plastic bags to contain everything else I shopped for. To remedy this, the best thing I can do is to take my own plastic or paper bag so I will not be given another. However, we cannot do this for everything. A good definition of waste is that which is an â€Å"unwanted or undesired material. † I think about the â€Å"unwanted† part when most of the trash that we produce can be used for other purposes. Some components of waste can be recycled such as plastic bottles, metals, glass or paper. If the materials cannot be used for other purposes, then it is this time where they can be considered as waste, which increases the amount of things that have to be taken to the local landfill until it is full and another has to be created. Trash is a major form of environmental pollutant with many types taking hundreds of years to properly decompose when thrown away. The quantity of which is constantly increasing and last year, it is estimated that America generated 390 million tons of trash. With this amount of trash sent in everyday to the landfill, it will be of no surprise that it would soon be filled and this has to be melted down with chemicals and monitoring of the same is a must. To date, there are about 2,216 land fills that are in operation in the US and around 100 landfills across the country closed last year because they were full. Within 50 years, landfills that exist today will be filled (Chang). The idea of recycling came into being when laws were passed that prevented people from burning trash to protect the environment. Attention was given to the fact that many things could be reused and will result to a reduction of the amount of trash produced. At the same time, the materials from the item can be reused to save resources at the same time. A major problem that can be encountered in such is whether the material reused would be cheaper or whether unused materials are cheaper. Goldofttas, in â€Å"Recycling,† stated that most people recycle only about 20 percent of their total waste. Due to the low rate of recycling, laws were passed that all towns with 4,000 or more people had to offer curbside collection of recyclables (Goldofttas). The author also found that in New Jersey, only an estimate of 15 percent was recycled even though the people were encouraged to find ways to recycle 50 percent of the trash (Goldoftas). Some things that can be recycled are being thrown away by people. These things prove to be more costly such as the plastic, glass and aluminum containers which can be recycled if the cost is not higher as compared to the plastic bottle. I believe people put a lot of things in the trash that could be recycled (Monk). I am just as guilty as a lot people, rarely thinking about how trash could be recycled. I enjoy the activity of reading through the news everyday as soon as I see my newspaper delivered to my door. Despite the fact that I could easily have access to the same news through the television, I still prefer to have the news paper inside my house. After reading it, I have to send it to the trash bin and I sometimes forget the act of recycling and I regret not doing so because I could have saved a lot of trees. Being more conscientious of this, I no longer throw paper in the trash along with the garbage, but will take the time to have a special trash can for paper so that it can be recycled. No recyclable materials are allowed in the trash for if it is placed in the trash it will not be picked out to be recycled. It seems that those who pick up the trash each week assume that people are aware of the importance of recycling. Added to this is the fact that most of the trash cans are picked up by trucks, without the collectors knowing what was in them. Toronto was given by Michigan the chance to dump their trash into the land fill located at Carleton Farms, which is a 40-minute drive in the south of Detroit. This is near Flat Rock and the two villages, Waltz and Willow. Supposedly, this is a short-time deal but after six years, the trash is continuously dumped to United States. It is nowhere near end as at the very least 85 18-wheelers filled with 30 tons of refuse, and another 15 trucks filled with dehydrated sewage continue to dump their trash. On days where it is hot, the trucks coming down the road can be smelled and people are affected by the smell (Preville). This is an example of the country’s needs for disposing trash with the space becoming smaller and smaller. There is a need to find ways for people to increasingly engage in recycling. Each city should provide increased literature regarding waste from time to time as much needs to be known about it. The information can be given to the public through the newspapers, television ads at certain times. This is most important around those times when people give gifts that are wrapped in paper, put in boxes, anything creating waste, but which is a waste that can be used again and again. More should be done by the local governments to ensure that those living in the city can help deal with trash as local landfills get filled within a very short time. It is believed that much of the trash being put in the local landfill today could have been put in a recycled bin to be used again. WORKS CITED Chang, Mona. â€Å"What a Dump. † Science World, 57. 13, April 9, 2001, p. 14. Goldoftas, Barbara. â€Å"Recycling. † Technology Review, Nov-Dec, 1987, p. 28. HotFact. â€Å"Facts about Trash and Garbage. † 8 March 2006. Hotfact. 8 March 2008 [www. hotfact. com/facts-about-trash-and-garbage. html]. Monk, Dan. â€Å"Recycling. †  ¬Cincinnati Business Courier. 11. n3, May 30, 1994, p 28. Noyes, Katherine. â€Å"Clean-up Your Trash. † Charity Guide. 8 March 2008 [http://www. charityguide. org/volunteer/fifteen/trash. htm] Parrish Linda. â€Å"Trash and Garbage Collection Regulations. † 8 March 2008 [http://www. fennimore. com//trash. htm]. Preville, Philip. â€Å"Dumps. † Toronto Life 40. 8, August 2006, p. 27. â€Å"Trash Can Depot, Your Source of Trash Cans. † TrashCanDepot. com, Janisan. 8 March 2008 [http://www. trashcandepot. com].

Madness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- GCSE Coursework

     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Shakespeare's Hamlet, there are two characters that display qualities of insanity.   They are Hamlet and Ophelia.   Although they both appear to be mad at times, their downfall (or supposed downfall) is quite different.   Ophelia's crazed characteristics show up and intensify quite rapidly, until she is ultimately led to suicide.   Her madness seems definite, and it is never questioned.   The insanity or sanity of the main character is an arguable question.   The issue can be discussed both ways, with significant support to either theory. Certainly, Hamlet has many reasons to lead him to becoming insane, because of the pressure and emotional strain that he is suffering from.   This might be enough to cause the character to become deranged, but there is much evidence that shows how Hamlet remains sharp and credible through it all.   Although in some instances Hamlet appears to be crazed, there are many indications that his madness is only an illusio n that he is purposely trying to portray.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Horatio gives Hamlet some good advice when he says, "What if it tempt you toward the flood my lord, or to the dreadful summit of the cliff that beetles o'er his base into the sea, and there assume some other horrible form which might deprive your sovereignty of reason, and draw you into madness?   Think of it" (I.iv.69-74).   This warning might be where Hamlet gets the idea to use a plea of insanity to work out his murderous plan.   In the following scene, Hamlet tells Horatio that he is going to feign insanity.   If Horatio notices that Hamlet begins to act strangely, it is only because he is putting on an act, in order to fulfill a future purpose.   Later in the play, Polonius questions the authenticity of Hamlet's madness.... ...s on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Excerpted from Stories from Shakespeare. N. p.: E. P. Dutton, 1956. Danson, Lawrence. "Tragic Alphabet." Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. Rpt. from Tragic Alphabet: Shakespeare's Drama of Language. N. p.: Yale University Press, 1974. Felperin, Howard. "O'erdoing Termagant." Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. Rpt. of "O'erdoing Termagant: An Approach to Shakespearean Mimesis." The Yale Review 63, no.3 (Spring 1974). Hart, Bernard. The Psychology of Insanity. London: Cambridge, 1914. Landis, Carney, and James D. Page. Modern Soceity and Mental Disease. New York: Farrar and Rinehart, 1938. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Norton Critical ed. Ed. Cyrus Hoy. New York: Norton, 1992.   Madness and Insanity in Shakespeare's Hamlet Essay -- GCSE Coursework      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Shakespeare's Hamlet, there are two characters that display qualities of insanity.   They are Hamlet and Ophelia.   Although they both appear to be mad at times, their downfall (or supposed downfall) is quite different.   Ophelia's crazed characteristics show up and intensify quite rapidly, until she is ultimately led to suicide.   Her madness seems definite, and it is never questioned.   The insanity or sanity of the main character is an arguable question.   The issue can be discussed both ways, with significant support to either theory. Certainly, Hamlet has many reasons to lead him to becoming insane, because of the pressure and emotional strain that he is suffering from.   This might be enough to cause the character to become deranged, but there is much evidence that shows how Hamlet remains sharp and credible through it all.   Although in some instances Hamlet appears to be crazed, there are many indications that his madness is only an illusio n that he is purposely trying to portray.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Horatio gives Hamlet some good advice when he says, "What if it tempt you toward the flood my lord, or to the dreadful summit of the cliff that beetles o'er his base into the sea, and there assume some other horrible form which might deprive your sovereignty of reason, and draw you into madness?   Think of it" (I.iv.69-74).   This warning might be where Hamlet gets the idea to use a plea of insanity to work out his murderous plan.   In the following scene, Hamlet tells Horatio that he is going to feign insanity.   If Horatio notices that Hamlet begins to act strangely, it is only because he is putting on an act, in order to fulfill a future purpose.   Later in the play, Polonius questions the authenticity of Hamlet's madness.... ...s on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Excerpted from Stories from Shakespeare. N. p.: E. P. Dutton, 1956. Danson, Lawrence. "Tragic Alphabet." Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. Rpt. from Tragic Alphabet: Shakespeare's Drama of Language. N. p.: Yale University Press, 1974. Felperin, Howard. "O'erdoing Termagant." Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. Rpt. of "O'erdoing Termagant: An Approach to Shakespearean Mimesis." The Yale Review 63, no.3 (Spring 1974). Hart, Bernard. The Psychology of Insanity. London: Cambridge, 1914. Landis, Carney, and James D. Page. Modern Soceity and Mental Disease. New York: Farrar and Rinehart, 1938. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Norton Critical ed. Ed. Cyrus Hoy. New York: Norton, 1992.  

Looking for Alaska – Miles’ Eulogy

Looking For Alaska Book Report – Eulogy Hello everyone. I would like to thank you all for coming to honor our friend, Alaska Young. I am Miles Halter, known to most as Pudge. I transferred to Culver Creek Boarding School from Florida to ‘seek a Great Perhaps’, to leave behind the insignificant things I was doing, to seek something that was perhaps greater. I collect people’s dying words and â€Å"I go to seek a Great Perhaps†, were the last words of Francois Rabelais, but unlike him, I did not want to wait to die to start seeking it. This school has given me very many of my firsts: first friend, first dose of mischief and the first and last girl. Alaska was the most enigmatic and mysterious person I have ever met. Every element of her being fascinated me, from her smell of cigarettes, vanilla and sweat, her creativity when planning pranks on our headmaster, her surprising ability to succeed in pre–calculus, and her obsession with strawberry wine, which we had to drink in secrecy. The first time I had a real conversation with her she told me the last words of Simon Bolivar, which I had never heard before â€Å"Damn it, how will I ever get out of this labyrinth! When I asked her what the labyrinth was, she told me that that was the mystery. Is the labyrinth living or dying? Are we all trying to escape the world, or the end of it? This quote completely juxtaposes my Great Perhaps, I looked to seek and she looked to escape. After she died I found a note in one of her books in her ‘life long library†™, a collection of books that she had bought from garage sales that she had been accumulating ever since she was young. She had written that the only way out of the labyrinth was straight and fast. Alaska taught me to live in the moment and not to plan ahead. She said â€Å"Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia, you spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth thinking about how you’ll escape it one day, and how awesome it will be, and imagining the future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present. † (John Green, Looking For Alaska) I know people have whispered among themselves wondering whether Alaska’s death was a suicide or a pure accident. I have been wondering the same. People who do not know Alaska may see her death as selfish, seeing the people close to her terribly heart broken. I have to clear her name. When Alaska was 8 years old, she watched her mother having a seizure and pass away. Alaska was frozen in fear and did not call 911 and she never forgave herself. The day Alaska died, was the anniversary of her mother’s birthday. Alaska had been drinking and I remember her waking up in the middle of the night cursing and crying, telling us that we had to distract our headmaster so she could drive to her mother’s grave. She crashed into a truck on her way without any attempt to turn the car. I realize now the labyrinth was not life or death, it was suffering, doing wrong and having wrong things happen to you. How do you get out of the labyrinth of suffering? Alaska chose straight and fast, whether it was on purpose or not. I knew Alaska for one hundred and thirty – six days, but I do not think anyone truly knew her. Her death threw me into the realization that I have always been trapped in a labyrinth of suffering. Before I got to this point, I thought for a long time that the way out of the labyrinth was to pretend it did not exist, but to build a small, self – sufficient world in the back corner of the endless maze to pretend that I was not lost, but home. I hated Alaska and I hated everything for a while after she was gone. I hated myself for being a coward and not stopping her from leaving that night. It all just felt so terribly unfair, all of it, the inarguable injustice of loving someone who might have loved you back, but can not due to deadness. I loved Alaska because she showed me both my labyrinth and my Great Perhaps – she had proved to me that it was worth it to leave my minor life for grander maybes, and now she is gone and with her my faith in perhaps. Alaska is still teaching me a lesson; the only way out of the labyrinth is to forgive. I wish Alaska had realized this too before it had to end this way. Her mother forgave her; just as I am sure Alaska forgives all of us now. You see â€Å"we are all going, nothing can last, not even the earth itself. (John Green, Looking For Alaska) The Buddha said that suffering was caused by desire, and that the cessation of desire meant the cessation of suffering. So when you stopped wishing things would not fall apart, you would stop suffering when they did. So Alaska, I have some last words for you, Thomas Edison’s, â€Å"It’s very beautiful over there. † I do not know where there is, but I believe it is somewhere and I hope it is beautiful. After all of this I will learn no more last words because I know so many, but I will never know hers.

What makes a true community

Catholicism and Community Presentation T: According to the secular definition of community; Is It a group of people living In the same area with particular characteristics In common. Within the community there Is a feeling of fellowship for others, common attributes, Interests and goals. Communities are everywhere and they have a big Impact when shaping who we are. That Is why It Is Important to surround oneself with communities that reflect and lead us to who we really are. In terms of Catholicism, as humans we are very social which is part of our vocation.Therefore a community in the Catholic view is defined by the following†¦ G: A community is a gathering of a group of people that come together in solidarity to shape the world through the common good. For example, around the world the Red Cross supplies areas suffering from various disasters with relief. This picture exemplifies the community of volunteers that have come together to do the common good of helping out the less fortunate. This group of people represent the visual aspect of community. Without everyone's contribution people stand In isolation and Individualism.Plus even through group members can come from different backgrounds they work and put their deliverables aside to become equal. That Is why everyone's role Is essential when working toward the common good. T: A community gives loyalty and respect to the commitment of the community and positive actions. The quote that we choose to represent this is â€Å"Loyalty has its roots in respects, and respect is the fruit of Love† by Paulo Cello. This quote means to us that loyalty comes from the respect of the community. So therefore when people are respectful they show this through love.When a community is respected and you omit your time to it; it is another way to show love towards it and when you do this ultimately with the right guidance the community will develop positively. G: A community helps, supports and loves one another to d evelop social aspects. Knowing that we are social beings it is important to strengthen our social qualities. A community will support and help each other through thick and thin. In result from all of these encounters with one another we are developing our social valuables. Just like In the picture with all of the people communicating and Interacting with one another.The more we help the more we will be able to love and comfort each other and feel belonging to our social surroundings. Which overall will help what our call to be social. T: A community develops values and receives true happiness from doing the right thing. Whether by exercising rights, opinions, or sharing knowledge to understand perspectives and concepts one must develop values to do the right thing. Our values and morals inspire us to do good and true happiness will follow our actions. Life can be considered like a ladder, at different rungs comes new experiences and new values are learned.When new values are learned and applied within the community or outside of it, a true sense of happiness follows from doing the right thing. And a key thing to remember Is that climbing a ladder can't be accomplished alone Instead with a community to hold and steady the ladder for you. G: A community grows together and develops ones Identity, Through displaying talents and surrounding yourself with positive people you will learn more about interests. A community will teach you more about yourself than you could ever. By being with similar people to you, over time you will be able to reveal you own identity.This is part of the spiritual aspect of community and how we develop our conscious. To represent self revelation we showed this through a mirrors and the community holding them up. From the help of others to self reveal the whole community benefits and grows. T: A community takes responsibility for each other's happiness. The people within a true community with the same values will take responsibility to ma ke sure that everyone is having a similar feeling and understanding to take away from the experience. Kids are always full of Joy and happiness, primarily when they re around a group of friends.They always look out for each other and pick each other up when they are done. Communities have the same responsibility as kids do for their group of friends. They have to look out for each other's happiness and take responsibility that everyone is happy. G: Community is very important too Catholic's life and they are everywhere and began right at the beginning with the creation story of the Earth and Adam and Eve. This includes their responsibility to have dominion of the Earth. Therefore our tree in the background of our collage represents the Garden of Eden.In fact, a tree acts as community too; every part of a tree from the bark, roots to leaves and fruit must function for the community-based structure to work properly. This sense of community is very similar to modern day communities and our need of relationships. T: In conclusion, a community is a group of people in solidarity to shape the world through the common good, it is given loyalty and respect to complete these positive actions, it develops us into social beings through support, we receive happiness and values from the good, by working together we reveal our true identity and responsibility is taken for others happiness.

What You Need to Know About the Black Death

What You Need to Know About the Black Death When historians refer to The Black Death, they mean the specific outbreak of plague that took place in Europe in the mid-14th century. It was not the first time plague had come to Europe, nor would it be the last. A deadly epidemic known as the Sixth-Century Plague  or Justinians plague  struck Constantinople and parts of southern Europe 800 years earlier, but it did not spread as far as the Black Death, nor did it take nearly as many lives. The Black Death came to Europe in October of 1347, spread swiftly through most of Europe by the end of 1349 and on to Scandinavia and Russia in the 1350s. It returned several times throughout the rest of the century. The Black Death was also known as  The Black Plague, the Great Mortality, and the Pestilence. The Disease Traditionally, the disease that most scholars believe struck Europe was Plague. Best known as the bubonic plague for the buboes (lumps) that formed on the victims bodies, Plague also took pneumonic and septicemic forms. Other diseases have been postulated by scientists, and some scholars believe that there was a pandemic of several diseases, but currently, the theory of Plague (in all its varieties) still holds among most historians.​ Where the Black Death Started Thus far, no one has been able to identify the point of origin of the Black Death with any precision.  It started somewhere in Asia, possibly in China, possibly at Lake Issyk-Kul in central Asia. How the Black Death Spread Through these methods of contagion, the Black Death spread via trade routes  from Asia to Italy, and thence throughout Europe: Bubonic Plague was spread by the fleas who lived on plague-infected rats, and such rats were ubiquitous on trading ships.Pneumonic Plague could spread with a sneeze and jump from person to person with terrifying speed.Septicemic Plague spread through contact with open sores. Death Tolls It is estimated that approximately 20 million people died in Europe from the Black Death. This is about one-third of the population. Many cities lost more than 40% of their residents, Paris lost half, and Venice, Hamburg, and Bremen are estimated to have lost at least 60% of their populations. Contemporary Beliefs About the Plague In the Middle Ages, the most common assumption was that God was punishing mankind for its sins. There were also those who believed in demonic dogs, and in Scandinavia, the superstition of the Pest Maiden was popular. Some people accused the Jews of poisoning wells; the result was horrific persecution of Jews that the papacy was hard-put to stop. Scholars attempted a more scientific view, but they were hampered by the fact that the microscope wouldnt be invented for several centuries. The University  of Paris conducted a study, the Paris Consilium, which, after serious investigation, ascribed the plague to a combination of earthquakes and astrological forces. How People Reacted to the Black Death Fear and hysteria were the most common reactions. People fled the cities in panic, abandoning their families. Noble acts by doctors and priests were overshadowed by those who refused to treat their patients or give last rites to plague victims. Convinced the end was near, some sank into wild debauchery; others prayed for salvation. Flagellants went from one town to another, parading through the streets and whipping themselves to demonstrate their penitence. Effects of the Black Death on Europe Social Effects The marriage rate rose sharply- in part due to predatory men marrying rich orphans and widows.The birth rate also rose, though recurrences of the plague kept population levels reduced.There were notable increases in violence and debauchery.Upward mobility took place on a small scale. Economic Effects A surplus of goods resulted in overspending; it was swiftly followed by a shortage of goods and inflation.A shortage of laborers meant they were able to charge higher prices; the government tried to limit these fees to pre-plague rates. Effects on the Church The Church lost many people, but the institution became richer through bequests. It also grew richer by charging more money for its services, such as saying mass for the dead.Less-educated priests were shuffled into jobs where more learned men had died.The failure of the clergy to help the suffering during the plague, combined with its obvious wealth and the incompetence of its priests, caused resentment among the people. Critics grew vocal, and the seeds of the Reformation were sown.

Reflection essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Reflection - Essay Example Those left have to learn to survive, and find the reason for their existence, or at least hope that fate will lead them to finding that reason. Fate just like love is an avalanche that hits when least expected, hurtling down at you, leaving you without an alternative, but to oblige to it. First, â€Å"Your Fate Hurtles Down at You† reflects more of the life that is comparable to the sting of cold in an icy setting. The setting of the story may not just have been a chance choice for the author to develop what he wanted to communicate to his readers, but must have been carefully considered to emphasize on his points. Davos is a place, perfect for research about ice and snow because of its geographical composition. Although some occurrences within the story took place in different localities, the settings are similar in that, they are prone to avalanches. This circumstance is what the author uses to emphasize the title of the story, used as a metaphor. Like an avalanche that falls anytime without warning, fate hurtles down inevitably on people, whether they like it or not. Moreover, the narration of the death of the storyteller’s twin brother, Willi, is a strong demonstration of how fate hurtles down on a person. He did not like to die, he was young, and in love with Ruth who was pregnant with their child. Nevertheless, he was destined to die young and as his death came suddenly and unexpectedly, this event and the cause of death portray the suddenness of how fate could hit an individual. On the other hand, the fate of Willi’s brother is to love the same woman Willi adored, Ruth. Despite the fact that Ruth showed interest on Willi more than his twin brother, the other did not stop loving her. This is Eckel’s fate, to love the woman who only loves his brother, and is not ready to love him even after his brother’s demise. This fate could be

Importance of Effective Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Importance of Effective Communication - Essay Example Effective communication is important for a successful relationship among peers. Effective communication leads to a better interpersonal role and through this approach a person can gain popularity and will be able to motivate or influence other people. How can the quality of communication be judged This is rather simple if we take the written modules in consideration. That is how well the author has related the matter to the subject. In the verbal context it is a bit different. Having a strong vocabulary is just not enough for becoming a good communicator as while delivering a message directly words are just about 7% effective, the tone is around 38% effective and the rest is judged by the nonverbal cues given by the speaker. This is why a gloomy dialogue expressed by a charismatic personality is of more importance as compared to a strong statement made in an in-effective tone. Strengths regarding communication in my context are that I am easy going and fain familiarity with other ind ividuals quite quickly as I am more affable. My strengths are that I can easily manage groups due to my understanding and simple use of language. My point is based on cogency as I prefer no hesitation in delivering my point of view and another important point about good communication is that let the speaker finish and then cite your view. This also improves upon communication prospect and the person utilizing this is considered a good communicator. Nonverbal communication The other fact that can be related to better communication is the ability to handle the kinesics and the non-verbal cues. Non-verbal cues include eye contact, body movement and postures, and most of all the tone of delivery. I believe that good eye-contact entails one as being a better communicator and it is vital if delivering strong messages and in-person contact. Keeping a measurable distance from the interacting person is a good approach and it is regarded as a good conduct in many cultures. But one is not to s tand too far as it shows the avoidance factor. People like to free up space in between themselves and the present environment so that they can produce their messages more effectively and easily. My case is that I am able to convey my message without the need of personal space. The personal space does not influence my mode of message delivery. Dynamic Non-verbal factors of Communication Next I would like to introduce the dynamic non-verbal factors. These include eye graze, body movement with regard to the statement, gestures, paralanguage and time frame. What I mean by body movement with regard to the statements is the point that your body should act in accordance with your message delivery. If you are delivering a message regarding something that has increased then the arm movement should (if required) should be 'raising the level'. Similarly eye contact is of prime importance and the ability to understand this feature is also of much substance. This can lead to the avoidance of man y undesirable consequences. Message Delivery I think that denying someone's message is a wrong act as we should try to convince him in such a way that he himself identifies the consequence. Saying 'NO' is something that is regarded as bad in the context of effective communication.