The Life and Death of a Pharao essays

The Life and Death of a Pharao articles The Life and passing of a Pharaoh TUTANKHEM Ruler Tutankhamen was one of numerous Pharaohs of Egypt who managed generally between 3100 B.C. furthermore, 341 B.C. To numerous he was one of the most popular, be that as it may, not the best all things considered. Who precisely was this lord, whom many alluded to as The Boy King. In this report I will quickly investigate who his folks were, the period wherein he ruled, and his passing. Taking a gander at the life of King Tut, we find and see that next to no or for all intents and purposes nothing was recorded concerning his life. The greater part of what has been taken in was gotten from huge numbers of the antiques found in his burial place. Actually, hardly anything was known about Tutankhamen, when Howard Carter, the paleologist, empower by his discoveries in the Valley of the Kings, embraced, with Lord Carnarvons good and material help, to locate his grave (Desroches-Noblecourt 16). Mr. Carter found this intriguing burial place in November 1922. It took him around seven years of hard committed and deligent burrowing and looking before this incredible revelation was made. Be that as it may, his tirelessness gave us somewhat more data about the potential guardians of the ruler. There is a lot of vulnerability advertisement theory regarding the genuine guardians of King Tut. His dad is essentially limited between King Amenophis III and Amenophis IV who went before him as Pharaoh. Among the lords internment treasury therere a few references to his potential guardians (especially highlighting his dad as Amenophis III). Anyway there isnt enough to proof to make sure about its supreme sureness. As per Desroches-Noblecourt, Only in one engraving upon a lion sanctified in the sanctuary of Soleb and later taken further south to Gebel Barkal in the Sudan does Tutankhamen call Amenophis III his dad. Numerous creators won't take this truly and view it just as a general reference to an illustrious precursor. Without a doubt, am... <!

Top 10 Ways To Improve Your Daily Commute That You Hate

Top 10 Ways To Improve Your Daily Commute That You Hate Driving can be horrible an irritating, awkward exercise in futility. Be that as it may, it is likewise a chance to perform various tasks in your bustling life. Regardless of whether you’re driving or taking open vehicle (or in any event, strolling or biking), here are 10 different ways you can transform a negative into a positive. 1. Tune in to PodcastsTake a little personal time and make up for lost time with all the perusing you aren’t doing. Attempt a web recording or even a book recording (on earphones or your vehicle sound system). Your drive time will fly by and you’ll learn stuff! Additionally you’ll get all the joy of perusing without needing your hands free.2. Find New MusicBored of your regular old Spotify playlists? Tired of your music and not certain where to turn for your new most loved tunes? Utilize your drive to attempt new specialists. In the event that you have wi-fi get to while driving, attempt a gushing station. If not, cause a rundown of groups you to find out about on the radio or at work and search for them on Spotify and download a playlist to your telephone. On the off chance that you like it, keep it! If not, delete!3. Practice Self CareYour drive may be the main time you have â€Å"to yourself† in the week. Focus on yourself and accomplish something for your psychological prosperity. Take a stab at doing appreciation journaling works out, or simply considering things that are going truly well in your life. Attempt a straightforward contemplation strategy. Or then again profound relaxing. Have a go at giving yourself an opportunity to peruse something for joy and tune the remainder of the world out-gave you don’t miss your stop. Or on the other hand utilize an opportunity to interface through telephone or email (gave you aren’t heading) to a companion or relative you don’t get the opportunity to see enough. As a last resort, simply attempt to decompress a piece and cut your stres s.4. Leave Earlier So You Can Slow DownGive yourself some additional time so you’re not continually dashing to be on schedule. On the off chance that you realize you can take as much time as is needed, you can wait a piece and take in the pleasant ambiance, in a manner of speaking or the espresso! Pause for a minute to sit and taste a latte. Or on the other hand appreciate not being terrified when you run into traffic. Hindering a little can truly be an establishing approach to begin your day.5. Check in With Your Work ProgressMaybe assessing your advancement week by week is too overwhelming an undertaking. In any case, if you’re stuck on a train or in rush hour gridlock, you can generally do a little self-survey and perceive how you did meeting your objectives that day. Also, plan how you can improve tomorrow. Ensure you’re really working through your top needs, and not simply going through your day on less significant stuff.6. Mix Up Your Route Once in a Whi leIf your drive is excessively long or irritating, attempt to locate a superior workaround! Thinking outside your trench can really give your cerebrum a lift, and you may very well figure out how to make your life significantly more lovely! Remember a more extended course that’s less irritating or has less stops could make all the difference.7. Conceptualize Solutions to Your ProblemsUse an opportunity to conceptualize or investigate issues at home or at work. Exploit being separated from everyone else with your own considerations and begin planning. You never know, the following large answer may come while you’re simply scattering and giving your cerebrum a break.8. Sit in SilenceMaybe your life moves excessively quick and you’re previously upgrading each waking second to capitalize on your time. Possibly you peruse and tune in and connect excessively. Perhaps you attempt to pack a lot in. Have a go at killing your telephone, your music, taking care of that boo k or magazine and simply stay there not doing anything by any stretch of the imagination. Focus just on getting where you have to go securely. You and your kindred workers will all benefit.9. MeditateBe present at the time. You don’t need exceptional props or procedures. Simply be the place you are, take a couple of breaths, and possibly shut your eyes. Give your cerebrum the revive it deserves.10. Ask If You Can Skip ItAll that stated, in the event that you have the chance to work remotely, or could persuade your chief, at that point you wouldn’t need to drive each day. Make the contention about the amount progressively gainful you could be in that time. It’s constantly worth a shot! On the off chance that that’s impossible, think about drawing nearer, or carpooling. Anything to gather or cut out this piece of your monotonous routine.

OIF Veterans and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

OEF/OIF Veterans and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD PTSD and the Military Print Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom and PTSD By Matthew Tull, PhD twitter Matthew Tull, PhD is a professor of psychology at the University of Toledo, specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder. Learn about our editorial policy Matthew Tull, PhD Updated on June 24, 2019 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes & Risk Factors Treatment Living With In Children John Moore / Getty Images In This Article Table of Contents Expand Occurrence Operation Iraqi Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom Mental Illness in Veterans What You Can Do Resources for Living With PTSD View All We know that those who are exposed to trauma are at an increased risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). What do we know about OEF/OIF and PTSD? Occurrence OEF/OIF is an acronym that refers to the U.S.-led conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Specifically, OEF means Operation Enduring Freedom (the war in Afghanistan), while OIF stands for Operation Iraqi Freedom, or the Iraq War. Veterans from the OEF/OIF conflicts have been found to have high rates of PTSD. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates that some 10 percent to 18 percent of OEF/OIF veterans have or had post-traumatic stress disorder  and may be at risk for other mental health problems. PTSD was more likely to be diagnosed in service members several months after they returned from the two conflicts, rather than right away. Heres some information on the conflicts and how PTSD has affected those who participated. PTSD in Military Veterans Operation Iraqi Freedom and PTSD Operation Iraqi Freedom, also known as the Iraq War, started with the invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003, and officially ended in 2011 when the U.S. and its allies withdrew its forces. Soldiers returning from Iraq (many of whom served multiple deployments) were at high risk of PTSD, in large part because they had faced many combat stressors as part of their service. Iraq War combat veterans experienced multiple stressors that can contribute to PTSD. According to studies from the VA, some 95 percent of OIF combat veterans reported seeing dead bodies. Meanwhile, 93 percent said they had been shot at, 89 percent said they had been attacked or ambushed, 86 percent received mortar or rocket fire, and 86 percent said they knew someone who had been seriously injured or killed. Operation Enduring Freedom and PTSD Operation Enduring Freedom was launched by the United States and its allies as a response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, that brought down the World Trade Center and damaged the Pentagon. The attacks were linked to al Qaeda, a terrorist group operating in Afghanistan under the protection of the Taliban. In October 2001, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in an effort to oust the Taliban and destroy al Qaeda. Operation Enduring Freedom lasted for 13 years, until December 2014, when the U.S. and its allies ended their combat mission in Afghanistan. Although OEF combat veterans generally dont suffer from PTSD at the same rates as OIF veterans, significant numbers of soldiers who participated in this conflict also experienced combat stressors, according to the VA. Specifically, 84 percent said they had received mortar or rocket fire, 66 percent said they had been shot at, 58 percent said they had been attacked or ambushed, 43 percent said they knew someone who had been seriously injured or killed, and 39 percent said they had seen dead bodies. Mental Illness in OEF/OIF Veterans While up to 18 percent of OEF/OIF veterans suffer from PTSD, these veterans also are at high risk for other mental health problems. Specifically, depression may have affected between 3 percent and 25 percent of those returning from these conflicts (due to widely differing methods used in the studies conducted, its difficult to get a firm read on how many suffered depression). Veterans may also have had difficulties with drinking and excessive tobacco use, the VA says. How Different Mental Illnesses Are Diagnosed and Treated What You Can Do Unfortunately, even though we know PTSD is very common among veterans and treatments are available, too many veterans arent seeking help. Thankfully, something is being done about this. The Department of Defense realizes there is a stigma problem and is taking measures to reduce the stigma. Veterans no longer need to report that they are seeking mental health treatment for combat-related reasons. The military is also trying to spread the word that symptoms such as PTSD are normal after experiencing the stressors of war. Many vets are also coming forward to share their experience as a way to decrease the stigma and allow others to speak up about their struggles. As a final note, its important to bring up families and support systems. Few people experience PTSD in isolation, and its important the concerns and needs of family members of those who serve are recognized as well. In addition, its been noted in a few studies that dependents of veterans who develop PTSD as a result of the stressors or war may have an increased risk of developing PTSD as well. Resources for Veterans Living With PTSD If you are living with PTSD but dont know where to start, there are resources available. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs National Center for PTSD is dedicated to research and education surrounding PTSD. Other ?military resources are available which can help with the spectrum of mental health concerns and more that concern veterans. In addition to mental health support, there are VA drug rehab services, which can go hand in hand, as many people with PTSD related to the stressors of war self-medicate. PTSD: Coping, Support, and Living Well

Effects of Divorce on Children - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 491 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/06/24 Category Psychology Essay Level High school Tags: Divorce Essay Did you like this example? Over the past several years the rate of marriages that end in divorce had been increasing drastically. After a marriage is over kids are impacted in many ways and its not always emotional. Its an impact on kids of all ages are can last short or long term. Many parents go through a bad divorce with the littlest of acknowledgment to their children and how they would feel after. Kids have shown the sign of blaming themselves over the divorce saying it was their fault and that they couldve done more to prevent it. Adjusting in areas of social relationships, there are more common behavioral problems which impacts the children. Children have to adjust from living in one house with two parents to splitting their way to two homes. Most commonly the mother has the rights to the child and the father will get visiting rights. This causes strain for such child. Shifting kids from one house to the next that has different customs and rules confuse the kid on what they can and cannot do. Parents who are split has less communication between the child and can cause behavioral problems with the lack of parenting. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Effects of Divorce on Children" essay for you Create order Couples seek divorce for many reasons, many being wanting happiness again and for their child. When going through a divorce the parents tend to not focus on the child and that they are potentially hurting them, from the fighting, yelling, and in the end the split. Kids who have split parents could go to doing harmful stuff like drugs and alcohol, which in the future could lead to death or substance abuse. These negative actions could have long-term effects on the child. Children from split homes suffer during school and with grades. They have high levels of not graduation at the right age. Their grades suffer as well. Kids from broken homes are more likely to commit crimes as a juvenile. Because the parents are split income only comes one way and the kids are five times more likely to live in poverty than those with both present parents. Teens will turn to drugs and alcohol and engage in sexual intercourse at a younger age. Children tend to get sicker and recovery time is much slower due to stress and anxiety. This is an example of a study done on kids who have divorced parents. Phycologist Judith Wallerstein studied a group of kids in broken homes from 1970 to 1990. Interviewing a group of kids that recently got divorced parents for 20 years after the splitting, the hope of the outcome was for the kids to no longer be affected. But even after 25 years of the divorce the now grown up kids still go through the fear of failure, loss, conflict, and change. In conclusion, kids could be affected in many ways after a tough divorce, and there are always different ways to ease the situation and work it out with them. This can decrease the long-term effects.

Working with Students who have Learning Disabilities Essay...

Working with Students who have Learning Disabilities Over the past 10 years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of students who have been diagnosed with learning disabilities. I need to be aware of how to help those students who have learning disabilities and teach to the best of my ability. I also need to be supportive and understand not every student learns in the same way which is why it is important for me to be flexible in my own style of instruction. I need to be knowledgeable and patient, caring and kind, as I work with all of my students, regardless of ability. Some students are aware of other students who have special accommodations or extra time on tests. One way I will make it easier for students to understand why†¦show more content†¦Physical disabilities, (i.e. traumatic brain injury) other health impairments and blindness or low vision are other disabilities. Of course this list does not encompass all of the disorders some students struggle with but thy Since students’ level of ability varies within all learning styles, evaluations, assessments, tests, and journals are all important ways to keep track of students’ progress. Documentation is another vital piece in creating and maintaining a concise and productive IEP, which is considered a legal document (Hallahan, Kauffman, Paige 218). Recently, one of the most common disabilities seen today in students is ADHD. Two aspects of effective ways of working with students with ADHD are: teacher direction, classroom structure, functional behavioral assessment and contingency-based-self management. Visual aids, reducing stimuli irrelevant to teaching and proximity to the teacher are all ways in which teachers can help those with ADHD be more productive in the classroom. Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is another tool teachers can use to deal with behavioral problems. Some issues with ADHD behavior is staying on task and seeking attention from others. The purpose of an FBA is to determine consequences, antecedents and setting events in which the behavior occurs. Sometimes behavior interventionists are asked to observe and conduct an FBA in order to assist in monitoring and changing the target behavior.(Hallahan, Kauffman, Paige 222). OneShow MoreRelatedThe Historical Foundation Of People With Disabilities Essay1386 Words   |  6 PagesFoundation: The historical foundation of people with disability has evolved from a place where people with disabilities were hidden away to present time being involved member of their community. disability. One of the first changes for people with disabilities was the Kennedy Era of 1960. President Kennedy used his platform to challenge the quality of life of people with disabilities. 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Students with learning disabilities may be fully integrated into the general education setting or may follow a pull out or push in model for one subject, such as reading. Although there is considerable debate about where students with disabilities should be educated, schools must abide by the concept of the least restrictive environment. As schools continue to raise academicRead More Exceptional Students Essay1534 Words   |  7 PagesExceptional Students Every year there are changes made about a child’s education, in the attempt to provide the best education possible for children. In recent years, the education of students with disabilities, who were previously not educated in the regular school system, has been publicly debated. The idea of inclusion, or mainstreaming has received a great deal of support. Although there is the need to adapt programs and sometimes classroom environments for the child with special needs

Memorable Experience Free Essays

My Memorable Experience â€Å"I have something to tell you†¦ † There was a pause, her tone was worrying. â€Å"It’s your grandfather, he’s passed away. † I was stunned: the grandfather who had always been there for me was no longer there. We will write a custom essay sample on Memorable Experience or any similar topic only for you Order Now I could feel someone grinding their fist through my stomach; the pain was unbearable. For the first time ever I was lost for words. Tears started to form in my eyes. I could not contain my emotion. All my memories of my grandfather seemed to rush through my head as I sat in my room isolated from the rest of the world. I had been asked to write a speech for the funeral; it seemed a daunting task at first but as my emotions took over, i found I was able to express exactly what I was feeling. The speech read: My grandfather was a man of few words who enjoyed the simple pleasures of life: a bet on the horses and the odd bit of chocolate. I can still taste the Polos that he would give me whenever I came to see him and as I stand here before you today, I know that every-time I open a pack of Polos, my grandfather will always be in the back of my mind. As a younger child, he would often take me to work with him, down to the school or Letham’s farm where he would teach me about birds’ eggs, crops and the types of plants and flowers. Pleasure was found in the simple things that I (and the rest of my brothers and sisters) did with him and his country life. I would often go into the back door at Mitchell Avenue where my granddad worked to a familiar scene and the smell of ‘Old Holborn’ lingering in the air. The smell of warm pastry hung in the air as my nana would always be baking and listening to Radio Two and preparing granddad’s lunch for when he came in from work. We thought they were infallible and would always be there; now their bungalow stands empty as a shell. The last time I saw my grandfather, he was sitting up in his hospital chair wearing his floral shirt, looking as eccentric as Spike Milligan and with a familiar twinkle in his eye. That’s how I’ll remember him. The funeral was held Becoming A Dancer? By  Jennifer M. , East Providence, RI Email me when Un. contributes work Standing in front of the mirror one day, I came to the harsh realization that I fell short of the requirements of my dream. The reflection that stared back was of a skinny brown-haired girl who stood a mere five feet tall. My entire life had been about dedication and striving to be the best dancer in my studio. I’d always had elaborate dreams and high aspirations. I never noticed how hard it might be to achieve something that you really want. Most people spend their whole lives searching for their calling or their nitch, but I’ve known that I was born to be a dancer since the first time I stepped into Thoroughly Modern Dance Studio at one and a half years of age. I’ve devoted sixteen years of my life to helping my dream come true, and also taken time out of my personal life to be a dance teacher at my studio. Last summer I attended what is called an audition class in Boston taught by a highly respected Broadway dancer. At this seminar he explained the procedures for getting into a dance company or production. While I was listening and taking notes, I was thinking that I certainly had the experience, but there was one area in which I didn’t quite measure up. He informed us that at most auditions all dancers under 5 feet 6 inches are automatically eliminated or simply overlooked. He said that most casting directors are looking for the stereotyped dancer with long legs, a long neck and a size one waist. Standing half a foot under this height, I felt my heart drop to the floor. It really is hard to listen to someone basically tell you: â€Å"Sorry, but you’ve been working really hard for sixteen years for nothing, so find a new dream. † Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work that way. Dancing isn’t just some hobby for me; it’s more like an addiction. My complete heart and soul are exhibited in every step. Through dance I find a sense of pride and satisfaction that I don’t think anyone could understand or appreciate. To have all that I’ve ever wanted instantly shot down created a sick feeling in my stomach. Furthermore, I knew that at that moment I could do one of two things. I could settle for a second choice, or I could commit myself to the tedious uphill battle to come. Well, I’ve never been known as a person who gives up easily, so I’ve been working even harder to make up for in skill what I lack in inches! Nevertheless, it really doesn’t matter how high the odds are against me, for I will rise above them. It’s time for me to â€Å"put my nose to the grindstone† because, despite what anyone sees, the only direction my life is going is up. Whether I end up becoming a professional Broadway dancer or open a local dance studio is irrelevant, because I will do one or the other by choice, not because I wasn’t qualified. I’m comforted in knowing I’m not alone in this battle. My mentor, Lorie Bernier, who stands at 5 feet 1 inch and has taught me everything I know, always inspiring me by saying: â€Å"You have to believe you can reach the stars before you can actually touch one of them. † – Failing Successfully By  Candace M. ,  Berea,  KY More by this author Email me when Candace M. contributes work Image Credit: Hailey J. , Lake Oswego, OR My day in the sun had arrived – my magnum opus would be revealed. I had just delivered a memorized speech that I had labored over for weeks, and I was about to learn how the panel judged my performance. The polite but sparse audience leaned forward in their folding chairs. A hush fell across the room. The drum rolled (in my mind, anyway). The contest organizer announced the third-place winner. Alas, the name was not mine. Then he read the second-place winner, and once again it was not me. At last, the moment of truth came. Either I was about to bask in the warmth of victory or rue the last several months spent preparing. While neither of these came to pass, my heart felt closer to the latter. Losing is a part of life, and I have dealt with the emotional baggage that travels shotgun with it on more than one occasion. However, it was an indescribably underwhelming feeling to drive 200 miles round trip, get up obscenely early on a freezing Saturday morning, and yet still finish fourth out of four contestants. After Lincoln lost the 1858 Illinois Senate race, he reportedly said, â€Å"I felt like the 12-year-old boy who stubbed his toe. I was too big to cry and it hurt too bad to laugh. Oh yeah, I could relate. I had spent many hours in front of a computer and in libraries doing research for the Lincoln Bicentennial Speech Contest. As I pored over several biographies, one notion stood out: Lincoln was handed many sound defeats, but he never allowed them to (permanently) hinder his spirit or ambition. While I believe many history lessons can be applied to modern life, I hadn’t considered â€Å"th e agony of defeat† as a historically valuable learning experience. I never dreamed I could relate to Lincoln! A president no less, and the greatest at that. I thought â€Å"failing successfully† was a very appropriate topic, given the many letdowns Lincoln experienced, and so this became the title of my speech. After not placing in the first year of the speech contest, I really wanted to compete again. Lincoln had been the epitome of persistence, so I was not going to give up on a contest about a historic individual who did not give up! I reworked my speech for the following year, and while I did not come in last, again I did not place. Some days you’re the dog, and some days you’re the hydrant, and this was definitely a hydrant day that brought me down for a while. I couldn’t accept the fact that I had failed twice in something that I had worked so hard on, until I contemplated the individual whom I’d spent so much time learning about. Never mind the lost prize money (ouch, major) and praise (ouch, minor) – I had learned, really learned, about a great man who had experienced failure and disappointment, and had many chances to give up. We remember Lincoln because he didn’t take this route; he didn’t throw lavish pity-parties, and he persevered to become, according to many, the greatest American president. While I did not earn monetary awards as a result of this contest, I did gain a new perspective. Through learning about Lincoln, I discovered that I can fail successfully, and that it is possible to glean applicable wisdom from the lives of those who have come before us. Now, whenever I’m faced with a setback, I remember what Lincoln said after his unsuccessful 1854 Senate race: â€Å"The path was worn and slippery. My foot slipped from under me, knocking the other out of the way, but I recovered and said to myself, ‘It’s a slip and not a fall. ’† Not Just Any Thunderstorm Unknown Email me when Un. ontributes work Image Credit: Heather H. , LaHarpe, IL Discuss the greatestchallenge that you have faced or expect to face †¦ As the sun melted intothe distant horizon, I saw the thickening of the ominous clouds overhead. Therain began to pelt the roof of my old house, but nestled in my canopy bed underall my covers, I felt safe. Flashes of lightning a nd rumbles of thunder shook thehouse and tears began to roll down my cheeks. This was not just any thunderstorm,it was a moment in my life when I struggled to keep my faith and hope. Ispotted my mother’s face, eyes ringed with smudged mascara. I peered up at herand knew something was very wrong. â€Å"It’s Dad and me,† she began. â€Å"We have decided to separate for a while until we can work thingsout. † â€Å"But you’re not getting a divorce, are you? † Iquickly asked. She shook her head, but I knew things would never be thesame. Soon after, my dad and I packed our bags and moved in with mygrandparents. He tried so hard to be strong, but I could see that he was feelinga lot of pain. He read me books to try to help me fall asleep at night. Iremember one was about a single dad and how things around the house weredifferent without a mom. He even tried, unsuccessfully, to put my hair up in anon-bumpy ponytail. My dad helped me to develop my faith, and without it, I donot think I could have made it through this difficult time in my life. He taughtme the Lord’s Prayer and we recited it together every night. But as much as hetried, he was not my mother. My life before the separation was socarefree, and I was content. The memories of the three of us vacationing inFlorida – smiling, laughing, and spending time as a family – are painful, andwill last a lifetime. How could my life change so fast? I felt like I was on aroller coaster, and as much as my parents tried to comfort me, I felt alone. Theonly hope I had was my faith in God. I do not remember how long it wasuntil my parents announced they were getting a divorce. This did not come as acomplete shock because I suspected when they separated it would be forever. Ittook many months of arguing in court for my parents to settle that they wouldshare parenting. I believe God blessed me because I have had an opportunity toknow both parents. I often wonder how my life would have been if myparents had worked things out, but I know I would not be the same strong person Iam today. Struggling through this rough time, I learned to put my faith in Godand never to lose hope. I thank my parents for allowing me to learn from theirmistakes, and hope that I will not make the same ones. Ultimately, I had to makea choice: to move on with my life, or dwell on my past. I thank God for all thewonderful gifts he has bestowed upon me. My parents have both remarriedand are happy. I have two new parents, whom I hold as dear as my own. I am trulyglad to see both my parents happy. Although I still wonder what my life mighthave been like, I never wish to change where I amtoday. *  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  *  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  * Asthe sun rose, sunlight peered into my bedroom and I could hear birds singing. Isat up in bed, relieved that the thunderstorm was finally over. I felt changed. Slowly, I opened my window, noticing the beautiful tulips blooming and the softspring breeze blowing against the trees. Suddenly I thought, I survived thestorm! I am ready to face the next one! After all, today is another day. One Typical Day Unknown Email me when Un. contributes work Image Credit: Amanda S. , Phoenix, AZ Dragging my tired self to my locker one Tuesdayafternoon, I picked up my books and shoved them into my bag. I pulled out mysports bag, dreading cross-country practice and thinking of all I had to do thatnight: write an English paper, do a practice math SAT and study for chemistry. That’s when a cheery voice broke in, â€Å"Hey, Katie, don’t forget about ourSPAC performance tonight at the hospital. See you at seven! † Thevoice belonged to Adam, the president of Students in the Performing Arts for theCommunity. He and a few of our school’s symphonic band members (including me)started the club because we wanted to put some of our time and talents back intothe community by performing at hospitals and nursing homes. At that moment,however, I saw the performance as just one more thing to add to my list. Iarrived at the hospital with my flute in one hand and my chemistry book in theother, hoping to sneak in a little studying. I walked through the sliding doorsinto a cream-colored hall and saw an audience of older people in wheelchairs. Some were sleeping, others sat with blank stares, but a few looked joyful. Thosewere the faces, rosy with excitement, that made me smile. In their midst Ispotted a thin, pale girl who was no more than 13. Thick black braces engulfedher tiny legs, and I wondered why someone so young was stuck in thisplace. Toward the end of the hour, after Bach and show tunes, my friendSarah asked if anyone had any requests. The girl raised her arm and asked if shecould sing â€Å"My Heart Will Go On. † Sarah happily invited her to sharethe microphone and the girl hobbled past the sea of wheelchairs. When she andSarah began to sing, I noticed the girl’s cheeks became pinker and her eyesshined. At that moment, I forgot my homework and remembered the true meaning ofSPAC: improving the quality of life for others. After the performance weall talked with the girl and discovered she wants to be a singer. She told usthat singing with Sarah had helped her remember her goal. As she spoke, shelooked down, self-consciously, at her thin legs. Then, she asked if we could allget together for a picture so she could remember this night and never give up onher dream. I stayed longer than I’d planned. I was amazed by what one hourof my time could do – help someone go from feeling like a prisoner in a hospitalto feeling like Celine Dion performing at a concert. That night, I lingered atthe dinner table with my family. I also called a friend I had not talked to in awhile. I did not do too well on the chemistry test the next day, but it was justone test, and I knew I could take it again. There could be no retake for myexperience that night at the hospital, except the one I’ll always replay in myheart. Success Unknown Email me when Un. contributes work Image Credit: Michael G. , Glocester, RI â€Å"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you none otherthan the one and only Nick A.! † screamed the announcer into themicrophone, in a vain attempt to be heard over the eruption of cheers from theoverflowing auditorium. As I stood, brimming with pride, the noise grew to adeafening level. I walked slowly toward the podium, my grin growing with eachstep. The announcer shook my hand, the principal slapped me on the back, and as Istepped up to the podium, I looked up at a gigantic banner blazing forth mysuccess. It read: â€Å"Nice Guy Builds Ramp! † Well, it probablywould never happen that way. â€Å"Nice Guy Builds Ramp! † is not exactly acommon honor at an awards ceremony. The fact is I am, for the most part, a niceguy, and I did, in fact, build a ramp. And here is another fact: the truereward did not come from any ceremony but rather because I built it for someone Idid not even know, and it made a world of difference to her. She was an olderwoman, perhaps in her 70s. I never found out what was wrong with her, but she hada gigantic oxygen tank in her simply furnished living room, and she waswheelchair-bound. The whole business began when I participated in a summerprogram where teens from all over come together to do projects for people who aretoo old or poor to get them done. With other kids, I was assigned to build a rampfor this lady who had not been out of her house in seven years. At first Icould not believe I had been talked into going to a work camp, but I soon found Ihad never felt so good or had so much fun. My crew and I really bonded, with thiscommon goal of helping a woman who was only seeing the world from her window. Instantly, our group seemed to know each other. Lindsey was tall andathletic with really stretchy skin she could use to launch pencils from her knee,a talent she often demonstrated at lunch. Matt was a year younger and muchshorter, his crew cut not helping him much in the height department. We came tocall him the Handy Man because he was never without super-cargo pants that heldmore tools than seemed humanly possible. Michelle had great,super-precisely braided hair that looked as if it had taken hours to do. I wasreally impressed until one of the braids fell out. â€Å"Oh, shoot,† shesaid, and tied it back in. My whole world came crashing down when I realized thebraids were synthetic and that lots of girls wear them. As our workprogressed, we were so involved that we became impervious to the attacks ofpassersby who stopped to ask what we were doing and could not believe we wereworking for free. The big payoff came when â€Å"our† lady rolleddown the ramp for the first time. I will never forget her tears. For the firsttime in seven years she collected her mail herself. We all gave her a gigantichug. Still in a state of amazement, she invited us to visit anytime, claiming shehad plenty of soda. And as she thanked us over and over again, I’ll admit it – Iteared up. Building a ramp is not the only thing I was ever praised for. Iwon a bronze medal in the Rockland Final Fencing Tournament junior year, so Iknow what it is like to have people clapping when my name is called. But I alsoknow that building a ramp was a much greater success than any medal I could everwin. All the Things I’m Not Unknown Email me when Un. contributes work Image Credit: Samantha P. , Rochdale, MA To look at me, I’m just a â€Å"pretty boy,† puton Earth for the amusement of bullies who are jealous of my appearance, andcoveted as a boyfriend. Now, if that’s true, I must also be conceited(that goes without saying) and pig-headed, too! I must think I’m God’s gift towomen. I’m really just a pretty face, I don’t have much else going for me. Godswitched brains for dimples, I guess. I bounce from woman to woman; I’m ashameless heartbreaker. Yet, I have been in a monogamous relationship for about ayear now. My GPA’s a solid B+, higher when I apply myself. I’m creative – Iwrite, I read, I play Dungeons Dragons. Maybe I’m a nerd. I read atleast 75 comics a month, usually more. I have a favorite writer, I’ve read morethan the required reading for English, and more than five books without pictures. I play role-playing games. I know what HP and THAC0 stand for, and while I’venever personally lost touch with reality, I’ve played with people who have. I’myour resident fanboy, and own six different Spider-Man T-shirts. I know whokilled Jason Todd (I own the actual issues and the trade paperback), and I’malways ready to argue over which was the best comic series ever,†Watchmen† or â€Å"The Dark Knight Returns. I play with actionfigures. In fact, I’ve built an entire city in my room, and when no one’s around,I pretend the figures talk (I do a great Christopher Reeve impression). I dohomework. My I. Q. is more than the change in my pocket. I didn’t need acalculator for the SATs and I never took a prep course. That said, Iâ⠂¬â„¢mprobably antisocial. I shy away from sports and physical confrontation. I’veprobably never had a date, and I probably spend all day online (maybe nights,too). I’m probably on the newspaper staff, maybe even class president. Well, Ihave a girlfriend, I’m really vocal and I only go online for research. Plus, Ican bench 200 pounds and squat twice that much and I do play sports. Maybe I’m ajock. I play a sport for every season, three for the sole purpose ofbecoming better at the main one. Yes, the world is shaped like a football, andorbit is made possible by the powerful arm of Testaverdi. AC/DC’s the best bandto get you pumped, and six straight losses is the best way to bring you down. Oneof my favorite movies is â€Å"Braveheart,† and although†Gladiator† was good, it doesn’t even come close. I want to be likeRudy, and I never want anything that happened in â€Å"The Program† tohappen to me. I’ve seen things men could never show their girlfriends; I can findthe locker room by smell alone and I know for a fact that mold can grow oncotton. I’ve heard â€Å"Welcome to the Jungle† 986 times this year (andit’s only April). I must run out of socks and underwear before I wash them, andeven then I go commando for a week. Knowing this, you might think I pickon smaller kids or hang out in large groups. You might think I have a very bigbody with a little head. You’d assume that I use the words â€Å"dude† and†cool† constantly out of context (which I do). But that can’t be right. I mean, I can spell football and I only fight if necessary. Heck, sometimes Ieven use metaphors. Maybe I’m one of those artistic guys. I have writtenat least one piece of any type of writing you can think of, and I enjoyed it all(except straight news articles, I really hate writing those). I’m going on myeleventh art credit. I took a fashion class and am not ashamed to admit it. Ihave a sensitive side – I cry during â€Å"Bambi. † I can appreciate theamount of time it takes to hand draw a couple hundred flowers. I know the fourkinds of self-portraits: one without looking in a mirror, one looking in amirror, one drawing from a picture and one of your hand. I know green’scomplement, and exactly what ROY G. BIV stands for. I understand Shakespeare, butnot a word of The Scarlet Letter. When essay assignments are announced, I’m theonly one who smiles, and whether you like it or not, I think this essay ishilarious. So, you would figure I’d be pretty quiet. You know, I can’t speakwell, so my writing will be my voice and such. Nope, I’m very loud. I talk andargue and sing. Maybe I’m one of those choir boys. I was the only freshmanin my school ever to get a solo, I was in the elite Florida Singing Sons, I’veperformed at nine Sea Worlds, I know all eight versions of the â€Å"HallelujahChorus† and I have two medals for excellence from NYSSMA. But that’s notall; I’m also the lead singer of my very own punk rock band. It’s been one yearand we’ve had 447 different names. I know why Kurt Cobain shot himself, and Ihope I die before I grow old. I own at least ten Misfits T-shirts, and pants thatsay â€Å"Hey, Ho! Let’s Go! † on the crotch. I own leather pants and astudded bracelet. I’m currently waiting for McFarlane to wise up and make aDexter Holland figure, and I don’t care what your definition of punk is, GreenDay is good enough for me. By now I’m sure you’re not assuming anything, and I’msure you suspect that I also do many things to contradict this cliche, like I ownan Eminem record and Rod Stewart’s greatest hits. And while I do have a few bodypiercings, none of them is life-threatening. Well, pigs can fly. Hell hasfrozen over. The world is coming to an end. Because the good-looking, faithful,singing, drawing and writing, jock fanboy is roaming the earth. They said itcould never happen, but I guess â€Å"they† were wrong. I make no excusesfor myself and pay no mind to your complaints or opinions. I’m everything thatI’m not, and I love it. A Memory Unknown Email me when Un. contributes work Image Credit: Elizabeth B. , Norwich, CT Builtof gray stone and situated on a small plateau in the middle of rolling hills ismy grandmother’s three-story farmhouse. Sunken into the land, it fits like aperfect piece in the puzzle of the checkered landscape. This housefostered comfort and happiness. I trusted that it would always be there, and feltsafe in knowing I could always go back and revel in its character and uniqueness. It was my mother’s home. It was my grandmother’s house. We drove up thegravel driveway and parked under the overhang. For weeks, my mom had been tryingto get me to go. The settlement was at the end of the week, and I finally gavein. Only five stepping stones away from the road was the door. Massivepine trees, only half as tall when I was born and even smaller when my mother wasyoung, shaded the front of the house and blocked the wrap-around porch on thesecond level. My mom unlocked the door with the key she’d had for years. Adraft of the scent inside hit me like a slap in the face. I let it resonate in mybrain as the smell triggered memories. Boxes belonging to strangershad invaded the living room. In the kitchen the refrigerator had been ripped out,the furniture removed. All I could see were the images of Christmas Day duringthe past 17 years. I stepped onto the porch. From the left, the streetslithered through the hills to the front door and continued on to the right. Withone breath I inhaled the sweet pine scent from the trees and looked at thesetting sun. Up the road was my cousin’s house. Between the two homes wehad dwelled in days of simple play. In the halcyon times of summer, our bathingsuits became second skins, our bikes second sets of legs. We spent comfortablehours in the pastoral landscape, knowing the day was ours. I took one last lookat the view. I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want it to be just amemory. My grandfather walked into the house carrying a camera. Muscles oflabor, skin of leather; years of hard work were in this once six-foot-tall oldman. His height had shrunk while his belly had swelled. My mom anxiouslysnapped a picture of her old bedroom. The house was retained in its splendor forthat frozen moment. My grandfather put his strong hand, a hand worthy of farming,on my shoulder. Flash. For one last time I was part of these walls. I putthe place to rest in my mind, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. As I saidgood-bye to an era of my life – the chapter of my childhood – my eyes welled withtears. Closing the white metal door for the last time, I carried with me a senseof security as strong as those old stone walls. Success at Last Unknown Email me when Un. contributes work Image Credit: Jason B. , Philadelphia, PA It always looked so easy when my dad did it. He cutsmoothly, his shoulder leaning so close to the water that his body lookedparallel to the cool glass. I had been itching to be free of my yellow trainingskis and ski on my own. I wanted to learn to fly over the water just like my dad,but water skiing isn’t as easy as it looks. I had been trying for almost a month. First I tried two skis, but my seven-year-old stick legs weren’t strong enough tocontrol them, so Dad suggested simplifying things by using one ski. Simplify? Slalom ski? My first attempts at slalom skiing were disasters, but Irefused to give up. When we took a family trip to a lake, I couldn’t wait to tryagain. After eating a big lunch on the deck overlooking the water, we went outfor a ski. I was the last to go. I reluctantly slipped into the foreboding water;this lake was a lot bigger and rougher than the one back home. The frothy waterswirled around me and I was terrified. How can I get up in this mess of whitecapswhen I can’t even get up in my calm little lake? I wondered. I crouched in thewater, pulled my legs to my chest and waited. After four attempts Iaccepted defeat – but only for that outing. I was determined not to giveup. The next morning my dad’s friend suggested another way of getting meup, and I said, â€Å"Sure! † I would try anything to get the chance to ski. He had me sit on the lower portion of the dock, skis in the water and rope inhand as he pulled the boat away. As I sat, I thought about falling like an anchorinto the dark water and getting splinters in my butt. Ready? † he asked. â€Å"Yeah! † I replied, shakily. Iheard the boat roar and my teeth clenched. I felt the rope gently tug my arms andsuddenly the cool air was tingling my legs and the water was splitting to let methrough. I was doing it! Success at last! I couldn’t wait to get home and showoff my new skill to my friends. It to ok seemingly endless gallons of waterup my nose and aching, heavy arms, but now I can fly across the water almost aswell as my dad. I gained this confidence through persistence and courage -qualities I plan to apply to my life once I reach the big lake of college andeven the ocean of real life. How to cite Memorable Experience, Essay examples

Usefulness of privacy impact assessment as a polic Essays - Law

Usefulness of privacy impact assessment as a policy tool Student Name: Institutional Affiliation: Course: Date: Introduction Privacy is a wider concept that focuses on the rights of individuals to be upheld. Privacy impact assessment is an examination of how individually identifiable information is gathered, used, shared and stored. It is also a process that assists organizations detect and reduce project privacy risks. A good privacy impact assessment will be applied across a project entire lifecycle with the aid of pre-existing project management processes. They also allow organizations thoroughly and systematically analyses how specific systems or modules shall affect involved persons privacy. Within the E-Government Act of 2002, all federal agencies are mandated to carry out privacy impact assessments for government systems and programs that gather online personal information. The aim of privacy impact assessment is to showcase that system owners and program managers have incorporated privacy concerns consciously throughout organizational operational processes. PIAs enable st akeholders to effectively and clearly communicate regarding how information is handled plus how privacy concerns are handled and information protected. Contents of a privacy impact assessment A privacy impact assessment outlines what individually identifiable information is gathered and elucidates how such information is maintained, protected, used or shared ( Wright, 2012) . A privacy impact assessment must identify: The vulnerabilities and impact of gathering, maintaining and distributing personally identifiable information. Whether the information gathered is in compliance with privacy based regulatory and legal compliance requirements. Avenues and approaches for persons to give consent for collection of their personally identifiable information. Safeguards and procedures for handling information to prevent any possible unforeseen privacy concerns. Integrate the results within the project plan Privacy impact assessments are applied in detecting possible privacy related risks of redesigned or new federal government systems or services. They also play a role in reducing or doing away with such risk to a level that s acceptable. Practically every government agency as outlined in section 3 of the privacy Act together with society members as well as any other affiliate of these corporations should carry out privacy impact assessment for redesigned or new services and programs that exhibit privacy concerns. Ideally, PIAs audit how government agencies safeguard personal information during collection, use, storage, disclosure and destruction. They serve to establish a privacy sensitive culture within agencies of the government. Whether or not privacy impact assessment provide useful information Now more than in the past, information and data are among critical tools in combating crime as well as administering justice. Every day, major decisions regarding detainment, arrest, sentencing and adjudication of justice are founded on information that is gathered, accessed, shared as well as collated with other types and pieces of information. Privacy impact assessment is simply an antidote to privacy breaches by business processes within the private and public sector as well as rapidly dynamic information technologies ravages t privacy advocates and oversight agencies. PIAs provide lawmakers with great information to guide them in the law making process. Laws can be formulated basing on the severity of the impact. Privacy advocates also benefit a lot from the information provided by privacy impact assessment reports such that basing on the possible privacy intrusion loopholes, they can put in place to ensure that such is averted. PIAs information aids such stakeholders answer and explain questions regarding possible governance structures, information flows, legislation, technical architecture within which organizations operate that allows or needs certain information to be gathered , disclosed or used ( Wright, 2011) . Furthermore, basing on the information provided by PIAs might be able to deliberate on possible solutions to mitigate perceived privacy concerns or give advice on what legislations are most appropriate. Essentially, information from PIAs unravels possible flaws that might be used by cyber-criminals to avert justice due to weak legislations. It thus provides lawmakers a chance to fix these flaws and rectify any inconsistencies with the constitution. Recommendations Everyone has a vital role in ensuring that information privacy is upheld. Therefore, there should be a senior employee tasked with general privacy accountability. Furthermore, there should be a task team responsible for handling privacy concerns plus a privacy officer who understands the responsibilities of the entity within the privacy Act. Senior management must

Nucleus Definition in Chemistry

Nucleus Definition in Chemistry In chemistry, a nucleus is the positively charged center of the atom consisting of  protons and neutrons. Its also known as the atomic nucleus. The word nucleus comes from the Latin word nucleus, which is a form of the word nux, which means nut or kernel. The term was coined in 1844 by Michael Faraday to describe the center of an atom. The sciences involved in the study of the nucleus, its composition, and characteristics are called nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry. Protons and neutrons are held together by the strong nuclear force. Electrons, although attracted to the nucleus, move so fast they fall around it or orbit it at a distance. The positive electrical charge of the nucleus comes from the protons, while the neutrons have no net electrical charge. Nearly all the mass of an atom is contained within the nucleus since protons and neutrons have much more mass than electrons. The number of protons in an atomic nucleus defines its identity as an atom of a specific element. The number of neutrons determines which isotope of an element the atom is. Size The nucleus of an atom is much smaller than the overall diameter of the atom because the electrons can be distant from the atoms center. A hydrogen atom is 145,000 times larger than its nucleus, while a uranium atom is around 23,000 times larger than its nucleus. The hydrogen nucleus is the smallest nucleus because it consists of a lone proton. It is 1.75 femtometers (1.75 x 10-15 m). The uranium atom, in contrast, contains many protons and neutrons. Its nucleus is about 15 femtometers. Arrangement of Protons and Neutrons The protons and neutrons are usually depicted as  compacted together and evenly spaced into spheres. However, this is an oversimplification of the actual structure. Each nucleon (proton or neutron) can occupy a certain energy level and a range of locations. While a nucleus can be spherical, it may also be pear-shaped, rugby ball-shaped, discus-shaped, or triaxial. The protons and neutrons of the nucleus are baryons composed of smaller subatomic particles, called quarks. The strong force has an extremely short range, so protons and neutrons must be very near to each other to be bound. The attractive strong force overcomes the natural repulsion of the like-charged protons. Hypernucleus In addition to protons and neutrons, there is a third type of baryon called a hyperon. A hyperon contains at least one strange quark, while protons and neutrons consist of up and down quarks. A nucleus that contains protons, neutrons, and hyperons​ is called a hypernucleus. This type of atomic nucleus has not been seen in nature but has been formed in physics experiments. Halo Nucleus Another type of atomic nucleus is a halo nucleus. This is a core nucleus that is surrounded by an orbiting halo of protons or neutrons. A halo nucleus has a much larger diameter than a typical nucleus. Its also much more unstable than a normal nucleus. An example of a halo nucleus has been observed in lithium-11, which has a core consisting of 6 neutrons and 3 protons, with a halo of 2 independent neutrons. The half-life of the nucleus is 8.6 milliseconds. Several nuclides have been seen to have a halo nucleus when they are in the excited state, but not when they are in the ground state. Sources:   M. May (1994). Recent results and directions in hypernuclear and kaon physics. In A. Pascolini. PAN XIII: Particles and Nuclei. World Scientific. ISBN 978-981-02-1799-0. OSTI 10107402W. Nà ¶rtershuser, Nuclear Charge Radii of  Be and the One-Neutron Halo Nucleus  Be,  Physical Review Letters, 102:6, 13 February 2009,

History and Facts About Alcatraz Prison

History and Facts About Alcatraz Prison Once considered the prison of American prisons, the island of Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay has been an asset to the U.S. Army, the federal prison system, jailhouse folklore, and the historical evolution of the West Coast. Despite its reputation as a cold and unforgiving penitentiary, Alcatraz is now one of the most prominent tourist magnets in San Francisco. In 1775, Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala chartered what is now San Francisco Bay. He called the 22-acre rocky island La Isla de los Alcatraces, meaning Island of the Pelicans. With no vegetation or habitation, Alcatraz was little more than a desolate islet occupied by the occasional swarm of birds. Under the English-speaking influence, the name Alcatraces became Alcatraz. Fort Alcatraz Alcatraz was reserved for military use under President Millard Fillmore in 1850. Meanwhile, the discovery of gold in the Sierra Nevada Mountains brought growth and prosperity to San Francisco. The lure of the Gold Rush demanded the protection of California as gold seekers flooded the San Francisco Bay. In response, the U.S. Army built a fortress on the rocky face of Alcatraz. They made plans to install more than 100 cannons, making Alcatraz the most heavily armed entity on the West Coast. The first functional lighthouse on the West Coast was built on Alcatraz Island as well. Once fully equipped with weaponry in 1859, the island was deemed Fort Alcatraz. Having never fired its own weapons in combat, Fort Alcatraz quickly evolved from an island of defense to an island of detention. In the early 1860s, civilians arrested for treason during the Civil War were housed on the island. With the influx of prisoners, additional living quarters were built to house 500 men. Alcatraz as a jail would continue for 100 years. Throughout history, the average population of the island hovered between 200 and 300 people, never at maximum capacity. The Rock After the devastating San Francisco earthquake of 1906, inmates from nearby prisons were transferred to the infallible Alcatraz. Over the next five years, prisoners built a new jail, designated Pacific Branch, U.S. Military Prison, Alcatraz Island. Popularly known as The Rock, Alcatraz served as an army disciplinary barracks until 1933. Prisoners were educated and received military and vocational training here. Alcatraz of the early 20th century was a minimum-security prison. Prisoners spent their days working and learning. Some were even employed as babysitters for the families of prison officers. They eventually built a baseball field and inmates fashioned their own baseball uniforms. Boxing matches among inmates known as â€Å"Alcatraz Fights† were hosted on Friday nights. Prison life played a role in the changing landscape of the island. The military transported soil to Alcatraz from nearby Angel Island, and many prisoners were trained as gardeners. They planted roses, bluegrass, poppies, and lilies. Under the order of the U.S. Army, Alcatraz was a fairly mild institution and its accommodations were favorable. The geographic location of Alcatraz was the undoing of U.S. Army occupation. Importing food and supplies to the island was much too expensive. The Great Depression of the 1930s forced the army off the island, and the prisoners were transferred to institutes in Kansas and New Jersey. Uncle Sam’s Devil’s Island Alcatraz was obtained by the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 1934. The former military detention center became America’s first maximum-security civilian penitentiary. This â€Å"prison system’s prison† was specifically designed to house the most horrendous prisoners, the troublemakers that other federal prisons could not successfully detain. Its isolated location made it ideal for the exile of hardened criminals, and a strict daily routine taught inmates to follow prison rule and regulation. The Great Depression witnessed some of the most heinous criminal activity in modern American history, and Alcatraz’s severity was well suited to its time. Alcatraz was home to notorious criminals including Al â€Å"Scarface† Capone, who was convicted of tax evasion and spent five years on the island. Alvin â€Å"Creepy† Karpis, the FBI’s first â€Å"Public Enemy,† was a 28-year resident of Alcatraz. The most famous prisoner was Alaskan murderer Robert â€Å"Birdman† Stroud, who spent 17 years on Alcatraz. Over its 29 years of operation, the federal prison housed more than 1,500 convicts. Daily life in the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary was harsh. Prisoners were given four rights. They included medical attention, shelter, food, and clothing. Recreational activities and family visits had to be earned through hard work. Punishments for bad behavior included hard labor, wearing a 12-pound ball and chain, and lock-downs where prisoners were kept in solitary confinement, restricted to bread and water. There was a total of 14 escape attempts by over 30 prisoners. Most were caught, several were shot, and a few were swallowed by the chilling swells of the San Francisco Bay. Why Did Alcatraz Close? The prison on Alcatraz Island was expensive to operate, as all supplies had to be brought in by boat. The island had no source of fresh water, and almost one million gallons were shipped in each week. Building a high-security prison elsewhere was more affordable for the Federal Government, and as of 1963 â€Å"Uncle Sam’s Devil’s Island† was no more. Today, the equivalent of the infamous federal prison on Alcatraz Island is a maximum-security institution in Florence, Colorado. It is nicknamed â€Å"Alcatraz of the Rockies†. Tourism Alcatraz Island became a national park in 1972 and is considered part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Open to the public in 1973, Alcatraz sees more than one million visitors from across the globe each year. Alcatraz is best known as a maximum-security prison. Media attention and fantastic stories have exaggerated this image. The San Francisco Bay islet has been much more than this. Alcatraz as a mass of rock named for its birds, an American fort during the Gold Rush, an army barracks, and tourist attraction may be less enticing but allude to a more dynamic existence. It is one to be embraced by San Francisco and California as a whole.

The root causes of the Turmoil in the Middle East Research Paper

The root causes of the Turmoil in the Middle East - Research Paper Example 4). It is generally conceded, however, that the countries that comprise the Middle East include Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Libya, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia (Middle East Information Network, 2010). From as far back as history records, the Middle East region has been beset by armed unrest and turmoil, of every possible kind – between the Arabs and Israelis on territory, between two or more Arab nations on borders, between Arab nations based on alliances in the Cold War, and even within Arab nations in the form of interracial or ethnic conflicts. More recently, civil social unrest against autocratic regimes, similar to those in eighteenth century Europe, ushered in a different type of turmoil that expressed the popular desire for democratic reforms. This study shall briefly discuss the principal causes of turmoil in the Middle East, namely: (1) the int erests vested by the Western superpowers in the region; (2) the contest for territorial control and misspecification of boundaries, and (3) the clamour for democratic governance and the end of kleptocracy and autocracy. Interest of superpowers in trade access and oil reserves The geographical location of the Middle East played an important role in the origin and progress of turmoil in the region. ... Even in contemporary times, its strategic location has sparked occasional military offensives, such as that mounted by Israel against Egypt when the latter denied access to Israeli shipping through the Suez Canal (Milton-Edwards & Hinchcliffe, 2008). Besides being the trade gateway to three continents, the region is also situated over the world’s largest oil reserves, representing roughly two-thirds of all the oil supply internationally. Over 60% of the proven oil reserves in the world is to be found in the Persian Gulf, for which stakes the world’s superpowers had played for. This has been the principal interest of the U.S. and the USSR in the region during the Cold War. Other factors such as the U.S.-Israeli alliance precipitated the USSR-Afghanistan tie-up in the post-World War II power alignment, which served to establish their bid for control of the region’s oil (Heini, 1970). One may argue that the world’s superpowers have interests around the globe at one time or another, but despite interventions from the major developed countries, this fact does not necessarily lead to the continuous state of turmoil or unrest that is evident in the Middle East. Thus while it is an important external cause, it is one that impacts most those countries that are weak or unstable. Contestation of territorial control and illogical boundaries Many point to the Israeli-Arab war as a religious war; in truth, it is more a territorial war. The seeds of conflict were sown in 1947, when Britain withdrew from Palestine and a U.N. resolution called for the partition of Palestine into two, a Jewish state and an Arab state. Resistance to this partition erupted into hostilities between

Improving Staff Morale Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Improving Staff Morale - Coursework Example On the other hand, low staff morale leads to increased costs, decreased efficiency, low motivation and interest (1, p.339).This is because of reduced motivation, wastage of time and low productivity. Consequently, keeping and improving employee morale is one of the most important things that the management of organizations must always do in order to achieve and maintain productive workplaces. The leading cause of low staff morale is poor leadership (2).It is associated with poor interpersonal relations between administrators and employees and inflexible working conditions (3). However, improving the staff morale remains of the greatest challenges to many contemporary organizational management and business leaders. Achieving it well requires a critical analysis of the analysis of the reasons behind low employee morale and addressing the root cause as opposed to the symptoms Currently, many organizations are facing stiff competition in the market and are increasingly being required to reduce their operation costs. Staff sizes are constantly being reduced and this creates more responsibilities for the remaining staff. Increased stress levels results leading to reduced organizational morale. The achievement of improved staff morale particularly lies in the management approach adopted by the company as well as the relationship between the management and the workers. This paper critically reviews literature on staff morale and attempts to give recommendations on how supermarket R’Us can increase and maintain staff morale and job satisfaction within its employees. Analysis of the ways of improving staff morale Numerous researchers concur that the level of confidence and satisfaction among employees is critically important to the productivity of any business organization. Morale indicates the happiness exhibited by the employees in the organizational surroundings. It is the key to job satisfaction by the employers towards their employees. In most cases, the succ ess of business organizations such as Supermarket R’Us closely depends on the cheerfulness, confidence, discipline, satisfaction and willingness of the staff workers to perform their assigned tasks. Although there is no single known factor that can satisfactorily be used to explain the occurrence of high or low morale, it is widely believed that morale of the staff workers in any organizations is often a top down issue than a bottom up issue (4, p.46). The existence of low morale among the staff workers in a business organization has a number of negative implications for the productivity of its workplace environment. This is particularly because morale is one of the key drivers of performance and lack of it often comes with a high price tag. For example, disengaged and unmotivated staff workers may contribute to reduced productivity through increased cases of employee dissident, illnesses, unscheduled absenteeism and general poor performance. On the other hand, Organizations that maintain high staff morale have, employees that arrive to work on time, have low employee turnover, communicate better and are more committed to the organizational goals. As a result, failure to address low morale issues in the workplaces may not only lead to lower productivity but also to increased loss of revenues, workplace conflicts, dissatisfied consumers or customer

Food Is A Source Of Cultural Identity

Food Is A Source Of Cultural Identity As we go through life, we travel to countries or meet people from dissimilar cultures, and we naturally question our new environments. By questioning these new societies, we are able to understand more of ones personality and identity. Cultural identity is when certain traditions, customs, beliefs and values are shared through traditional cultural practises and become meaningful and important to oneself1. It contributes to how we see ourselves and the groups with which we identify1. Ethnic foods offer a rich set of metaphors through which individuals can express their cultures. Food is one custom that strongly connects people to their traditions, and has been not only important in Jewish culture and history, it has been central to the Ashkenazi Jews ideas about themselves and about others, as well as their social and communal practices2. Ashkenazis or Eastern European Jews are defined as those who, from long before 1500, lived in Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, and European Russ ia3. This essay explores how food is source of cultural identity for Ashkenazi Jews living in Australia, concentrating on the connection between food and festivals, ceremonies and the Bible. As well as the contrast of how food is not the most identifiable aspect in some Ashkenazi Jews lives. Festivals and Ceremonies: Formerly, Jews came together around a core of religious and ethnic traditions, such as synagogue affiliation, lighting of Shabbat candles and giving charity to Jewish foundations9. However today, Australias Jewish population has encountered an internal breakdown of both the concept of community and the family unit, which have united the Jewish people for so long. Ashkenazi Jews use food as a way to unify family and friends, and reconnect with traditions and culture4. Ashkenazi cuisine tends to use oil, potatoes, inexpensive cuts of meat and simple seasonings4. The importance of food to Ashkenazi Jews can be learnt from the celebrated festivals and rituals. Foods related to festivals are more based on traditions and symbolism passed down generation-to-generation, rather than the Bible. A very special celebration that occurs on the seventh day of the week is Shabbat. Good and homely food is a crucial part of the mitzvah, or good deed, of oneg Shabbat, meaning enjoying Shabbat. Traditio nally, Ashkenazi Jews start the event with a small serving of a fish dish; gefilte fish, poached jelly fish or pickled fish, served as an appetizer before hot soup. A chicken main dish is then served accompanied by cooked vegetables and a kugel4. Finally, dessert is usually fresh or stewed fruits followed by tea and small cakes4. This strongly contrasts the Sephardic Jews take on Shabbat food. Sephardic Jews reflect the foods more typical of many Mediterranean countries since Sephardic Jews are descendents of settlers from the Near East. Meals include fish with avgolemono sauce, chopped eggplant, roasted lamb, stuffed vegetables, rice and, to finish the meal, a honey-soaked cake or pastry nibbled with strong and sweet Turkish coffee4. The ceremonial bread, Challah, is surrounded by folklore and tradition and laden with symbolism. On festive occasions a blessing or Motzi is said over two loaves of challah, symbolising the manna given to the people of Israel during the Exodus from Isr ael on Fridays5. Two portions of the manna were distributed, so the Israelites did not need to work and prepare food on the Shabbat5. Similarly to Shabbat, foods consumed on Rosh HaShanah are symbolic to certain aspects to the event, and are created by the Ashkenazi cultural traditions. Rosh HaShanah means head of the year; it is the New Years festival of the Jewish calendar and features foods to celebrate the hope of a sweet year. A hearty main meal of fish, appetizers, meats and honeyed vegetable (Tzimmes) is conventional4. The iconic foods that signify and rejoice the Jewish New Years are apples dipped in honey and honey cake for a good and sweet year, and the round challah and the head of a fish which represents the circle of life and marks the cyclical nature of the course of a year4. The representations of Rosh Hashanah and Shabbat foods are significant to a majority of Ashkenazi Jews in Australia, because it enables them to link to their ancient religion physically and spiritually3. However, during the most important and solemn holiday in the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur, the Torah (Jewish scriptures) commanded You shall afflict your souls (Leviticus 16:29)6 and For a soul which is not afflicted on that day will be cut off (Leviticus 23:29)6. This has been interpreted, as Jewish people need to fast from sunset to sunset to atone for the sins of the past year4. It is one of the few holidays that is not dependent on food. Thus it is one aspect which food is not a source of cultural identity. It is also an event when many Ashkenazi Jews who do not observe any other Jewish custom will refrain from work, fast and/or attend synagogue services on this day. Instead of using food as a source of cultural identity, it is the sacred religious day. Although, it is customary for Ashkenazi Jews to make a feast for breaking of the fast. Normally consisting of cakes and hot drink to break the fast, then light salads and dairy foods to aid with digestion3. Proving that Ashkenazi J ews return to food in order commemorate important events that are momentous in the Jewish culture. Impact of Ashkenazi foods on the non-Jewish communities: Jewish foods dont only give Ashkenazi Jews themselves cultural identity, but allows non-Jewish people to recognise the Jewish culture. Australia prides itself as being a multi-cultural country. In 2011, the Census revealed that 26% of Australias population was born overseas and an additional one fifth had at least one parent born abroad7. Throughout the 100 years since the first National Census in 1911, a large component of the Australian population have been made up of migrants7. Even though only 0.5% of Australians identify themselves as Jewish7, this hasnt swayed the impact the Jewish culture has on the Australian diet. After World War II, Jews all over the world, especially in Australia identify the bagel with the Old World and with immigrant Jewish culture10. The bagel was brought to Western societies by the Eastern European Jews from the 1890s and have become one of the most iconic foods that gentiles identify with the Jewish culture8. Most of the other foods mentioned so far, are mostly restricted to those of Jewish faith and hardly are consumed by the wider community8. Other Ashkenazi foods readily available in the main cities of Australia, are baked goods like babka and rugelach, fried potato pancakes known as a Latke and the blintz4,10. Jewish Dietary Laws Kashrut: Jewish people are supposed to follow an intricate system of procedures and taboos in relation to food, derived from a set of commandments said to have been given to Moses by G-d6. These commandments prohibit the eating of particular animals, the most recognised pig; they are prescribed definite methods for the slaughter and preparation of animals that are not banned10. The directives have been augmented by a code of practise, known as Kashrut, intended to ensure that they are never defied9. However, the observance of Jewish Dietary rules have declined sharply, with many Jews observing them only partly and many others rejecting them completely9. This situation has not, however, made these dietary rules irrelevant; on the contrary, it has made them one of the most important ways through which ideas about contemporary Jewish identity and membership can be expressed. Ashkenazi Jews needed to adapt some of the Dietary Laws due to the food accessibility in some areas3. Several changes that have been made are the mixing of fish and milk products, more leniency with the Kashrut for meat than Sephardic Jews and refraining from eating legumes, grain, millet and rice during the Passover festival10. In Australia, Ashkenazi Jews still continue to observe these altered rules because of the strong traditional aspects connected to them, which individualises them as a certain type of Jew. Today, Jews from all different areas and streams, can deem the Kosher Laws to be an ancient form of food regulations that doesnt need to be performed in todays society, because of the new modern methods of cleaning and preparation of foods. Other reasons are some are not informed well of the laws, and/or consider it an added expenditure and inconvenience. More recently, animal rights groups and the Australian media have exclaimed their outrage of the ill-treatment of animals during the process of Koshering meat by companies who do not provide prior stunning11,12. This has strongly influenced Jews to disassociate themselves from obeying Kashrut, and in a few circumstances reject their Jewish identity12. This is because they think the Jewish culture doesnt respect animals12. However, this contradicts what the Jews and the Torah believe. Ritual slaughter, known as shechita, is a fast, deep cut across the throat with a perfectly sharp blade with no hesitations or unevenness12,13. This me thod is regarded as painless by Rabbis because Jews believe that God, would only provide for a merciful and compassionate method of send off for his creatures6,12. The Torah is the first methodical legislation, which prohibits cruelty to animals and authorises that they be treated with consideration and value. Judaism exigencies the humane treatment of animals6,12. As well shechita has been scientifically shown to be painless. Dr. Stuart Rosen MA, MD, FRCP discussed the behavioural responses of animals to shechita and the neurophysiologic studies relevant to the assessment of pain, and concluded, shechita is a painless and humane method of animal slaughter13. Jews should be proud to observe Kashrut and to identify themselves as Jewish because of the humane and clean ways of preparing food. Conclusion: Cultural identity should be meaningful and personal to oneself, as well as an open exploration that should be shared. In multi-cultural societies, like Australia, recognising certain cultures can be done by looking at their foods. Ashkenazi Jews are now identifiable by non-Jewish societies, because they relate the Ashkenazi community with iconic foods, such as bagels. For Ashkenazi Jews, the saying You eat what you are4 applies perfectly. They have special foods and diets for their sacred occasions, and ritual eating at festivals and ceremonies allow Ashkenazi Jews to reflect on and identify with their culture and religion through the symbolic representations of the traditional foods. However, you are what you dont eat as well. The solemn festival of Yom Kippur , is one of the most important Jewish festivals and requires Jews to fast from sunset to sunset4. Also the laws of Kashrut have strict guidelines of forbidden foods, and precise manners of food preparation that need to be obey ed9. Kosher eating is a essential part of food being a source of cultural identity, even though not every Jew observes all the laws.

Explore and evaluate Shakespeare’s use of the supernatural in Macbeth Essay

Explore and evaluate Shakespeare’s use of the supernatural in Macbeth, supporting your answer with a detailed discussion of two scenes of your choice. In the play Macbeth, the supernatural is a major theme, and is important on a number of levels: firstly, it held many attractions for its original audience, both general and specific; secondly, the supernatural is an intriguing dramatic device, used to drive the play along and to keep it exciting; finally, the supernatural also has a great thematic significance to the play. This essay will look at each of these points in turn, and supplement them with a detailed analysis of exactly how Shakespeare uses the supernatural in relation to two scenes; Act One Scene One, and Act Five Scene One. It is important, however, to begin with a definition of the supernatural and what it encompasses. The supernatural is defined as forces, occurrences, and beings that cannot be explained by science. When people think of the supernatural they automatically think of dark and mysterious beings such as ghosts and witches, but phenomena such as hallucinations, prophecies, vision and apparitions can also be grouped under the supernatural. The supernatural comes from the two words â€Å"super† and â€Å"nature†. In this case the word â€Å"super† means â€Å"beyond†, so the supernatural can encompass all things beyond nature, or perversions of nature, such as unusual weather and weather and sleep disorders. Finally, the supernatural can also mean disrupting the natural order, such as regicide. When Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, he wrote it for a specific as well as a general audience: The specific audience was James I, and the general audience were the theatregoers of Elizabethan and Jacobean England. It was very important that when Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, he wrote in a way that would appeal to James I. James I had been the Patron of Shakespeare’s band of actors, The King’s Men, since 1603, and it is thought that Macbeth was first performed in August 1606 to celebrate the visit of James’ brother-in-law, King Christian of Denmark, so James I would have been the Patron of The King’s Men for three years. It was important that the Patron enjoyed the plays because he or she was one of the main sources of money for the actors. In Macbeth, witches were the main supernatural phenomenon in the play, and for the audience of the time, witches were believed to be very real, and a subject of great conversation, not only with the regular working-class, but also with the great thinkers of that time. This notion was also memorably and hilariously in the famous debate scene from â€Å"Monty Python and the Holy Grail.† Most importantly, though, the use of witchcraft in Macbeth would have appealed greatly to King James I. James I always had a fascination with witches. In 1950, while he was still King of Scotland, he had over 300 â€Å"witches† tortured in order to extract confessions that they were conspiring against him. King James took an active part in these trials, believing that, since the Kings was believed to be God’s representative on Earth, he would obviously be the main target of these â€Å"agents of the devil†. Also, James himself wrote and published a book about witchcraft around 1597, the Demonology, in which he detailed their supposed powers of predicting the future, affecting the weather, defying all laws of physics and taking demonic possession of innocent people. In 1592, King James had a meeting with a lady called Agnes Simpson, someone who for a long time had been suspected of being a practising witch. James met with her to interrogate her about her witchcraft, but was highly disturbed when Simpson began quoting the exact same words James’s wife said to him on their wedding night. This made James far more engrossed with witchcraft, and made him even more determined to rid the world of these â€Å"agents of the devil†. Finally, in 1604, new laws were enacted by James I stating that practising witches would be punished by execution. Shakespeare not only used the witches to grab the attention of James I; he also used them as a way to flatter James, his friends and his relatives. The witches are used to prophesise the succession of Banquo’s progeny as King, and help to show Banquo favourably: In the original story of Macbeth, found in Holinshed’s Chronicles of Scotland, Banquo is complicit to Duncan’s murder, but Shakespeare changes this to show that Banquo is a honest, pure-of-heart person, which will please James I as Banquo is a old ancestor of his. He also shows Banquo to be a wise person in Act One Scene Three, where Banquo and Macbeth meet the witches for the first time. Macbeth’s reaction is one of ambition, and is captivated by what the witches say, whereas Banquo has a far more cautious response, and is aware that the witches could well be up to no good. I, iii 123 – 126 And oftentimes to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s In deepest consequence.- This will please James I, to know that his relatives were also aware of witches’ evil. James I is also mentioned in Macbeth, when Macbeth has a vision of eight King’s, on with â€Å"two-fold balls and treble sceptres†. These were James’ regalia, and symbolised James’s power over Macbeth. James I is also seen to have power of Macbeth when Banquo’s ghost is seen sitting in Macbeth’s chair. This use of the supernatural suggests that Banquo’s ancestors will one day take over the throne from Macbeth. Macbeth’s fear of Banquo’s ghost also suggests again that Banquo is superior to Macbeth. Finally, Shakespeare uses the supernatural to interest James I when Macbeth seems powerless in the face of Lady Macbeth’s illness. Malcolm and Macduff talk about how the true king has the power to cure the King’s Evil, as disease called scrofula. James I was believed to have this power and it would have pleased James to know that Shakespeare has shown him to be more powerful than Macbeth. Shakespeare also realised how important it is for plays to appeal to their general audience, and uses a number of different methods to carry this out. The regular people of Elizabethan and Jacobean England also had a fascination with witches, and every town in England would have suspected witches, so it was a common subject of conversation. From these conversations sprouted rumours about the ways and lifestyles of witches, and Shakespeare put hints of these stories into Macbeth. In Act 1 Scene 3, Witch 2 says she has been â€Å"Killing swine†, whilst witch 1 says that â€Å"in a sieve I’ll hither sail†. The people of that time did actually believe that witches killed pigs and sailed over the ocean in a sieve, and hearing these things in a play would have lit up their enthusiastic fascination and would have grabbed their attention. In Macbeth the witches are not only used to fascinate the audience but also to amuse them. The audience would have enjoyed the reference to the witches â€Å"beards† in Act 1 Scene 3, as the witches would have been played by men, and the self-aware joking from the actors would have gone down well with the whole audience. Shakespeare also uses recent events to attract the audience. Macbeth becomes very concerned about the fact that he has no heir to his throne, and the audience will be able to relate this to their recent experience of Queen Elizabeth, who died with no natural heir. The supernatural also adds to Macbeth on a dramatic level, and is used to create suspense, embellish themes of the play and to accentuate the characters personalities, amongst other things. As previously mentioned, the supernatural encompasses hallucinations, and Macbeth’s hallucination of a dagger is a great dramatic device to give the audience the full, haunting extent of Macbeth’s inner turmoil. In some performances of Macbeth, the dagger actually appears hovering onstage, and whilst that maybe an interesting use of special effects, I think it is far more effective when the dagger is invisible, as we can see that he is in fact seeing things, and that what is going on is just in his mind. Similarly, when Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost sitting in his chair, having no one sitting in the chair shows how disturbed Macbeth is. Also, this would the audience in the same position as his friends at the table, perplexed and worried about what is happening. On the other hand, if someone was to play Banquo’s ghost, it would allow for the actor to make use of the stage trapdoor, which would have gone down very well with the audience. Another use of Banquo’s ghost is to mark a turning point in the play; before the ghost’s arrival, Macbeth is authoritative and respected, but his reaction to the ghost shows him in a completely different light, nervous and vulnerable, and this would change his friends’ opinions. This signifies a big change in the play, and from this point onward things become progressively words for Macbeth. Another example of how the supernatural is used as a dramatic device is when Macbeth and Banquo first meet with the witches. The audience know that Macbeth is to be soon hailed Thane of Cawdor, but Macbeth is unaware. This use of dramatic irony gives the audience a sense of superiority, and draws them into the play. Finally, in Act 2 and Scene 4 Ross and the Old Man are commenting on how the events of Macbeth’s regicide have affected the wider world. Here they act almost like a Greek chorus, providing a running commentary on events. The events they describe, such as Duncan’s horses eating each other and a Falcon being eaten by a Mousing Owl effectively tell the audience that Macbeth’s actions have far-reaching consequences. Macbeth is a tragedy, and Shakespeare uses the supernatural to reinforce this. Macbeth is tragic because at the beginning of the play Macbeth is a brave, honourable man, but by the end he is a weak, self centred man, who is eventually killed through fault of his own. This fits Aristotle’s notion of what a tragedy is. In his Poetics he says that a good tragedy has to be about the downfall of a man from a position of greatness to one of lowliness and death. However, Aristotle then goes on to say that it is only a true tragedy if the downfall was brought about by an aspect of the man’s personality, what Aristotle called his â€Å"fatal flaw†. Macbeth’s fatal flaw is his ambition, and the supernatural is used to back this up in a number of ways: The witches in Macbeth are used to show how Macbeth’s ambition takes over everything in his life, and is responsible for Macbeth’s killing of Duncan. In Act 1 Scene 3, the witches don’t say anything about killing Duncan, but Macbeth is so captivated by the fact that he has been told he could be King, his ambition takes over and he would do anything to get to the crown. Shakespeare also uses Banquo’s reaction to the witches’ prophecies to bring out Macbeth’s burning ambition further still. Banquo hears the same things from the witches, but responds in a far more level-headed way, which shows how great an effect Macbeth’s ambition has on his thoughts. Ambition is one of the main themes in Macbeth, but perhaps the most important theme is that of Kingship, and the lengths Macbeth will go to to become King, which includes Regicide. In Shakespearean times people were far more aware of The Divine Right of Kings, and therefore killing a King was the next crime down from killing God. An assault on the King is an assault on God, and it was shown by Ross and the Old Man in Act 2 Scene 4 that the killing of Duncan had supernatural consequences. These consequences are an example of how nature is disordered and unnatural, and the supernatural also conveys this in a number of ways: In the opening scene, the witches talk about paradoxes such as â€Å"fair is foul and foul is fair†, and they say Banquo is â€Å"lesser that Macbeth, and greater.† This is Shakespeare’s way of showing that things in the play are the opposite of what they seem, and that there are many double meanings to what the witches say. Even the appearance of the witches show that things are reversed and upside down, as displayed by the witches beards. Also, Shakespeare uses the interruption of natural rhythms such as sleep to show how the natural order has been interrupted. Lady Macbeth’s somnambulance is a clear example of how disturbed she is over the death of Duncan, and because Lady Macbeth is always putting a front on in public laced with smiles, sleepwalking is a highly effective way of bringing out her inner turmoil. Finally, Shakespeare uses pathetic fallacy to show what effect Macbeth’s actions have on the rest of the world. The stormy weather and earthquakes described once again by Ross and Old Man demonstrate that there not just a few people suffering from Macbeth’s actions, it encompasses a whole nation. This essay has shown how Shakespeare uses the supernatural in a dramatic, thematic and audience-specific ways, but in order to see just how effectively he integrates into the text, it is important to look at two scenes where it is most memorably used. This essay will be looking at Act 1 Scene 1 and Act 5 Scene 1. ACT 1 SCENE 1 The opening scene is an excellent platform to see the supernatural in its most common manifestation in Macbeth: the three witches. The first scene introduces the audience to the witches, and Shakespeare uses the witches to set the scene for the rest of the play. Before the witches even speak, we know this is going to be a dark, intense play from the stage directions. Firstly, thunder and lightning is Shakespeare’s way of using pathetic fallacy to tell us what sort of mood the play has. Thunder and lightning creates a very tense mood, as you never know when the lightning will strike. It will also create a dark sky, making it every scarier. Thunder and lightning also symbolises that everything is not in order, and things aren’t running smoothly. The second part of the stage directions simply says â€Å"Enter THREE WITCHES.† I have already said how fascinated people were with witches in Shakespearean times, and seeing on stage as soon as the play begins would have lit their enthusiasm and grabbed their attention instantaneously. Witches are of course encompassed by the supernatural. These agents of the devil are there to show that the natural order of things and the natural order of God has been disrupted, and all is not well. When the Witches begin talking, it becomes apparent that they want to meet with Macbeth, and that things in the play aren’t all well. When they say â€Å"when the battle’s lost and won†, these oxymoronic statements show that everything is upside down, and that one thing can quite easily mean the other. It emerges that they will meet again with Macbeth upon the heath before the set of the sun, meaning today. They also talk about their â€Å"demons†, Paddock and Greymalkin, a toad and a cat. People at the time believed witches kept pets to spy on people so they could posses them. James I wrote about it in his book. The language that witches use and the way they talk is quite unusual, and shows why the three have been branded â€Å"The Wyrd Sisters†. When the witches are talking, they never talk in iambic pentameter, the usual pattern of Shakespeare’s writing. The iambic pentameter symbolises a natural rhythm, and the disruption of this rhythm demonstrates the natural order of things has been disrupted. This is very similar to Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking in Act 5 Scene 1. Also, the witches’ phrases seem to carry on from one another. An example of this is when Witch 2 says â€Å"When the battle’s lost and won†, and Witch 3 immediately replies â€Å"That will be the ere the set of sun.† This sort of language could mean that they are all part of one body, and controlled by one greater power, namely the Devil. It also could be seen to show that the witches are using telepathic powers to communicate with one another. The people of Shakespearean times were firm believers that witches could communicate with each other through the power of their minds, and James I also wrote about it in his book The Demonology. The penultimate line in this scene, â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair† once again shows how one thing can mean the other, and that the witches are turning over God’s natural order. The first scene in this play isn’t very long at all, but in it Shakespeare manages to tell us an awful lot about the nature of the play, and sets the scene well for the rest of the play. This haunting scene shows the final degeneration of Lady Macbeth, in which the supernatural plays an important part in conveying the full extent of Lady Macbeth’s troubles. Prior to this scene, Lady Macbeth has never let her cover slip. She has remained â€Å"th’innocent flower† in public, and only alone or with Macbeth has she been â€Å"the serpent under’t†. This is the first point where she subconsciously lets her facade slip. Only when she says she would have murdered Duncan â€Å"had he not resembles / [her] father as he slept† does the audience see she has the tiny piece of humanity, and the audience also sees a glimpse of her guilt when she says that â€Å"Naught’s had, all’s spent, / Where our desire is got without consent.† Apart from these two comments, Lady Macbeth has appeared strong and not let her front slip, so it is a great shock to see her so vulnerable and weak in such a verbal and visual way. The stage directions of this scene are â€Å"Enter a DOCTOR OF PHYSIC and a WAITING-GENTLEWOMAN.† The fact that there is a Doctor is a concern to the audience, because a doctor is only ever present when someone is ill (nature being disordered), or there is a need to stave off death. Also, a waiting-gentlewoman suggests that Lady Macbeth that has to depend on someone else, which is a huge contrast to her ever-independent personality, especially since the waiting-gentlewoman is of a lower status to herself. So just by the stage directions, we know that Lady Macbeth is in need of help. We are also aware of that Lady Macbeth is troubled from the conversation between the Doctor and waiting-gentlewoman. For a start, it turns out that that the pair have been watching Lady Macbeth for two nights now. The fact that Lady Macbeth has let people watch her without her realising shows how vulnerable she is because she doesn’t know what information she is giving to the audience. The gentlewoman then goes on to tell the Doctor (and the audience) a list of what Lady Macbeth has done â€Å"Since his majesty went into the field†. The fact that she automatically throws â€Å"her night-gown upon her† suggests that she is subconsciously ashamed of herself and has a desire to conceal her true self. This is a very effective insight to Lady Macbeth’s inner thoughts, although this is lost in the Polanski version of Macbeth, where she appears naked. This essay has already discussed how Macbeth is full of oxymorons and contradictions, and this scene is no exception. When the waiting-gentlewoman talks about how Lady Macbeth has managed to complete all these actions that usually occur when people are awake (she manages to â€Å"unlock he closet, take forth paper† etc.), it is highly strange for anyone to do them â€Å"in a most fast sleep†. This is another way of Shakespeare showing that nature has been disrupted. The Doctor explains it well that there has to be â€Å"A great perturbation in nature, to receive at once the benefit of sleep, and do the effects of watching!† He then follows this with the oxymoronic â€Å"slumbery agitation†, another sign of a natural rhythm being overturned. Lady Macbeth’s actions are also full of contradictions, as noted by the comments: â€Å"her eyes are open† †¦ â€Å"but their senses are still shut†; and also â€Å"she has spoke what she should not†, displaying once again the fact that she has no control over what people hear her say. Finally, the fact that the servant won’t tell the Doctor what she has seen her do previously heightens the suspense. When Lady Macbeth finally arrives onstage, the stage directions say â€Å"with a taper.† The taper could resemble her isolation, a small candle in a dark room, or it could emphasise her desire for light, in contrast too her â€Å"dark desires†. It would also give extra meaning to Macbeth’s famous â€Å"out, out brief candle† speech, which he gave just after the news of his wife’s death. Sleepwalking is unnatural, as a natural bodily cycle is being interrupted. The audience may have seen this as supernatural possession, possibly by the witches, which would have made the scene even more intense. When Lady Macbeth is in her â€Å"slumbery agitation† it seems as if she is in another world. The fact that she is being commented on by the Doctor and waiting-woman emphasises her isolation from the rest of the world. Also, the fact that the audience can see hear Lady Macbeth without her knowing will give them a feeling of superiority over her, and make her feel less powerful. When Lady Macbeth comes onstage the audience is drawn to â€Å"how she rubs her hands.† The audience are told that she has been known to do this for a quarter of an hour makes clear the extent of her deterioration. When Lady Macbeth first speaks, she talks of the imaginary, supernatural â€Å"spot† of blood on her hand. This mirrors Macbeth’s hallucination of the â€Å"air-drawn dagger†. Lady Macbeth is experiencing what Macbeth has already encountered, but she has suppressed all humanity and compassion in her to such an extent that it has to find a way out, and the only way is when she is unconscious. When Macbeth sees the dagger he appears to have gone mad to the audience, but his cathartic projection of his fears is far healthier. In this scene, Lady Macbeth’s language has changed dramatically. Her first speech is only four syllables long, but it is in prose, as opposed to the formal iambic pentameter verse. Her speech is disjointed, which represents her isolation from the world. Also, there is so little rhythm to it, although it could be argued that the phrase takes a spondaic form, which would suggest a very disordered state and lack of control. Also, her speech is purposefully bland, reserved for those of a lower status, and most certainly not royalty like herself. This is very similar to Macbeth’s linguistic degeneration, when he addresses the Murderers in prose. Lady Macbeth’s language is a highly telling manifestation of her degeneration. The contrast between her poetic, calculated persuasion of Act One to the child-like drivel of â€Å"The Thane of Fife had a wife†. Lady Macbeth’s final speech is of a woman who is no longer exists in the present: she is in the past reliving her memories, almost in some horrifying reverie. The fact she is reliving the past is backed up with â€Å"there’s knocking at the gate†, reflects a reliving of the last few moments before their act of murder was discovered. The speech is also crammed with repetition, with â€Å"come† repeated four times and â€Å"to bed† five. Finally, the phrase â€Å"give me your hand† is a perfect expression of her feelings towards her husband – she still loves him but she still feels the desire to command and control. The doctor’s final speech widens the scope of Lady Macbeth’s experiences to take in the whole world: â€Å"Foul whisperings are abroad† can be used to apply to the death of Lady Macbeth herself, but can also relate to the supernatural side-effects of Macbeth’s regicide. After the degeneration of Lady Macbeth, one of the most powerful and vivid character in all of drama, it is the lowly doctor who talks in poetry, not his usual prose. â€Å"Unnatural deeds/ Do breed unnatural troubles† sums up the play brilliantly, but a terrifying reminder of the consequences the Macbeths have to live with. SECTION SEVEN: conclusion This essay has looked at Shakespeare’s use of the supernatural in great detail, commenting on it in a thematic, dramatic and audience-specific sense and focusing in extra detail on Act 1 Scene 1 and Act 5 Scene 1. Shakespeare makes excellent use of the supernatural through witches, hallucinations, prophecies, somnambulance and freak weather. Whether they dominate the scene or not, the many manifestations of the supernatural are used precisely and effectively to add an extra dimension to Macbeth.