Persuasive Speech Essay - 1278 Words

Joseph Froehle Public Speaking Class Persuasive Speech Outline Topic: Organ Donation Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to donate their organs and tissues when they die and to act upon their decision to donate. Thesis Statement: The need is constantly growing for organ donors and it is very simple to be an organ donor when you die. I. INTRODUCTION A. Attention material/Credibility Material: How do you feel when you have to wait for something you really, really want? What if it was something you couldn’t live without? Well, my cousin was five years old when he found out he needed a new kidney. He went on the organ waiting list right away. He was called twice during a six month span that they had a kidney available only to†¦show more content†¦2) The reason is that there are only on the average 6,000 donors nationally per year (Life Source: Statistics). c. You can choose to donate any needed organs or you can specify which organs or tissues you wish to donate. 2. Organ donation is very important. a. The following poem by Robert Test entitled, To Remember Me, shows the importance of organ donation. Give my sight to the man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby’s face or love in the eyes of a woman. Give my heart to a person whose heart has caused nothing but endless days of pain†¦ Take my bones, every muscle, every fiber and nerve in my body and find a way to make a crippled child walk†¦Take my cells, if necessary, and let them grow so that, someday, a speechless boy will shout at the crack of a bat and a deaf girl will hear the sound of rain against her window b. Not only is this a problem nationally but also it is a big problem right here at home in Colorado. 1) Nationally, there are over 120,000 people waiting as of November 1, 2011. As of November 7, 2011, there are 1,142 people from Colorado that are on the organ waiting list (Life Source: Statistics). 2) The sad part is that there have only been 137 donors in Colorado so far from January 2011 through November 2011 (Life Source: Newsnotes). [Transition: I’m sure that you can see the need for people like you to donate your organs. But you might be asking, well, how can I make sure my organs are donated after I die? Let me tell you.] B. ThisShow MoreRelatedEssay on Persuasive Speech822 Words   |  4 PagesAshley Buckner Persuasive Speech COMM210D 4/20/12 Why should you smile? I. Imagine: you wake up in the morning. You get ready and grab a cup of coffee. Then, you walk out the door, seeing many faces as you make your way to work, and walk up to your building. When you walk inside expecting to be greeted by many more positive faces, you see none, and so you walk over and sit down at your desk. While thinking back on your morning to work you were realizing that there was not a moment ofRead MorePersuasive Speech Essay1263 Words   |  6 PagesLike most Americans and members of the global community, I ve had the luxury to process the recent events of Charlottesville from a distance. Saturday s peaceful march by demonstrators against white racist and supremacist groups, who gathered to march against the removal of Confederate monuments, turned deadly. I ve been asked to share my thoughts of the tragic outcome we ve seen, as well as to offer steps that people of influence, especially those in leadership, can take to advance our nationRead MorePersuasive Sp eech Essay1059 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"I don’t belong here.† Lucy cried. â€Å"What is my purpose?† A few months earlier, Lucy is a very gifted girl. She has red rough hair, light blue eyes, and a big beautiful smile. Lucy is always sent from home to home because her parents died in a car crash when she was 5. She’s always getting bullied for how she dresses. Lucy has one thing to keep her calm, and that is art. Lucy loves art. She feels that it helps her express her emotions. The only person she can go to is Mrs.Ronald (the art teacher)Read MorePersuasive Speech Essays1052 Words   |  5 PagesPersuasive Speech Introduction a. Attention Getter : When people ask me why I joined the military I think of all the reason that I did it for, but I think Toby Keith sums it up the best : â€Å" cause freedom don’t come free.† b. Topic : Freedoms come with a great cost but yet we still do not care for our veterans well enough c. Preview: Today I will tell you how veterans suffer from Post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD and cant get help, how veterans are homeless and why they areRead MorePersuasive Speech Essay875 Words   |  4 PagesPERSUASIVE SPEECH GENERAL PURPOSE: To persuade the audience that pit bulls are nice loving dogs. 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Relevance: It is importanceRead MorePersuasive Speech Essay870 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"beautiful,† â€Å"pretty,† â€Å"beat.† To be honest with you, these words still make me feel weird every now and then, but they help me heal. They work because they come from the kindness of others. Transition: By this time, you probably figure the topic of my speech. It is kindness. I believe kindness is such a simple quality which sharps a leader and what the world needs know. C. Thesis: Kindness is important because it makes the world become healthier and guides a leader how to take action in this world.Read MorePersuasive Speech Essay1187 Words   |  5 Pagesmudslinging between the two opponents. Williams impassioned speech breathed new life into his campaign team. Loud cheers and claps erupt from his apartment prompting his neighbors to look outside their doors to see what was causing the commotion. Five minutes later the meeting is adjourned, and everyone leaves to go home. 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Genie the Wild Child Essay - 941 Words

Genie, the second case of wild child was found in a room tied to a potty chair. Genie was kept in a room locked away because her father thought she was retarded at birth until the age of 13, when she was rescued by a social worker. She was locked away from normal civilization and any type of socialization, and she was beaten for making noises. Genie was an infant trapped in a 13 year old body, because she could only make infant like sounds and no words or sentences. Genies brain waves were adnormal, but doctors believed that she could learn. They began teaching and trying to develop her brain through forming relationships. Genie begin to speak and say words; but they were difficult to understand. Genie progress gave doctors hope that she†¦show more content†¦The hospital was against her becoming Genies foster parent and the language doctor was denied. They found another doctor to Genies foster parent. The doctors family believed she needed alot of help and that she could lea rn. They taught her how to express her anger in fits and then verbally, instead of tearing at herself and hurting herself. Genie could put together small sentences like a child around the age of 1 or 2. She could now read simple sentences and express things about her past in sentences. Genie was learning her first language and began attending a nursery school. Victor progress slowed down and he never really learned to talk. Victor died in his 40s in 1828, Victor died without a happy ending. The doctors wanted Genie to have a better ending then Victor. They begin to teach Genie sign language, because they thought this was where doctors had fell with Victor. They could never determine if Genie was retarded at birth, but it was found that Genie was growing mentally after she was found. When the government stoped the funding for Genie the foster family gave her up and Genie reunited with her mother in 1975. Genie still could not put together sentences like a normal person of her age. Af ter a while Genies mother could not handle taking care of Genie, so back in foster care she went. While in foster care Genie endured mental and pyhsical abuse.Show MoreRelatedGenie : A Special Individual1636 Words   |  7 Pagesnamed Genie in Los Angeles in 1970. Genie, as Susan Curtiss explains it, is an individual put into the world with no prior engagement beforehand. This means that Genie has had little to no contact with other people. This also means that Genie has never learned a specific language. Genie is a special individual put under a predicament that has altered her ability to learn and be social. As the video progresses, it says that she was tied to a potty chair for the first ten years of her life. Genie s parentsRead MoreThe Secret of the Wild Child Essay687 Words   |  3 PagesTaylor Tai Sociology 101 Tabetha Mowrey 22/Feb/2012 Film analyses: â€Å"Genie: The secret of the Wild Children† Genie is a wild child who found in LA on 1970, she is a very extreme case of neglected the caretaking from adult. Her father believed she is retarder She spent her first thirteen years on tiding at the potty chair and still wearing diaper, she had never see, listen, being taught of anything in her life. For the past many years she had been isolation and lack of adult care makeRead MoreGenie Wiley1498 Words   |  6 PagesSusan Wiley (‘Genie’) * Genie was discovered on 4th November 1970 in Los Angeles. * The thirteen year old girl had been confined to a small room and spent most of her life often tied to a potty chair. * The girl was given the name Genie to protect her identity and privacy. The case name is Genie. This is not the persons real name, but when we think about what a genie is, a genie is a creature that comes out of a bottle or whatever, but emerges into human society past childhood. We assumeRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1062 Words   |  5 Pagesdestruction is the 1970 case of Genie also known as Susan Wiley. â€Å"Officials in the Los Angeles suburb of Arcadia have taken custody of a thirteen-year-old girl they say was kept in such isolation by her parents that she never even learned to out talk. Her elderly parents have been charged with child abuse.† (walter cronkite secret of the wild child). This is an exact example of what happens if society does not accept someone and therefor they are forced into isolation. Genie s father believed her toRead MoreA Feral Child With A History Of Near Total Social Isolation1556 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract This paper explores the introduction of a feral child with a history of near total social isolation into a society that was as unprepared to receive her as she was to understand it. The discussions and thoughts regarding this child s treatment and care on both the medical and personal front did answer some questions while bringing to light even more. Additionally, there were a great number of scientific opportunities that were overlooked and missed due to the research staff s decisionRead MoreIsolation And Isolation Of Frankenstein By Mary Shelley1656 Words   |  7 Pagesname of Genie. She was known as a â€Å"wild† child for being locked up in her room and being isolated by her parents until she was thirteen years old. Genie was tied to a potty chair for much of her life, only able to move her hand and her feet. When she would make any type of noise, her father would beat her until she would become silent, and he would refuse to speak to her; He would only bark or grow l. Other than the beatings and times when her parents would come in to check on her, Genie was deprivedRead MoreThe Child Of The Wild Child1256 Words   |  6 PagesSusan Wiley, or most commonly known as Genie the Wild Child was born on the 18th of April 1957. She was the fourth child of Clark and Irene Wiley and was one of two children that survived childhood. Her parents were married in 1944 Clark was 20 years his wife’s senior and their marriage was riddled with domestic violence. Their first two children were both suspiciously killed before their first birthday. It was reported that Clark Wiley extremely disliked children and was very mentally unstable.Read MoreLanguage Acquisition Essay1724 Words   |  7 Pagesparticular field. Language acquisition is an interesting subject to study and discuss on. Every normal child acquires his or first language – usually the mother tongue successfully in their first few years. The matter that most psychologists concern on i s the critical age in first language acquisition. Is there a limit in the aspect of age for first language acquisition? Is it true that once a child passes the critical age, he will not be able to learn a language properly? Noam Chomsky proposed thatRead MoreThe consensus belief is that the capacity for language is innate, while others believe its800 Words   |  4 Pagesgenetics’ play a larger role? Savage Girls and Wild Boys by Michael Newton studies children that grew up in the wilderness with animals or who were cut-off from the civilized world as we know it. Multiple ‘wild child’s’ were examined from the early 1700’s to the late 1900’s (Ivan Mishukov). The children Newton went into depth with were Peter the Wild Boy (1725), Memmie Le Blanc (1731), Victor of Aveyron (1797), Kaspar Hauser (early 1800s), and Genie (1970). Newton engulfs the reader into the psychologicalRead MoreStudy Of Humanity : Feral And Neglected Children1636 Words   |  7 Pageschildren, defined as â€Å"†¦a human child who has lived isolated from human contact from a very young age†, have always struck the world as intriguing (â€Å"Feral Children†). Writers have crafted various stories about feral children, including Edgar Rice Burroughs’ book Tarzan and the story of Mowgli in Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Both of these beloved characters know language, have strong morals, and act in a civilized manner – even though they live and were raised in the wild by animals. Authors portray

Superhero and Comic Book Free Essays

string(65) " have to possess skills and abilities that normal humans do not\." Superhero By Numbers – Lisa Watson and Phil Stocks January 29, 2009 by angelan Abstract: This paper reports on results of a statistical analysis correlating superhero characteristics such as powers, motivations, weaknesses, and costumes with commercial viability as represented by comic book sales and number of appearances in new media such as cinema and television. Results indicate that features of a character have little impact in the comic book market, and that new media trends support a move away from god-like, untouchable heroes to heroes displaying more human frailties and highly visual super abilities. Introduction The superhero is an ingrained part of popular culture that has seen resurgence in the last decade through the introduction of prominent characters to new audiences through expanded media. We will write a custom essay sample on Superhero and Comic Book or any similar topic only for you Order Now There was a time when superheroes were entrenched firmly in the comic book medium. However, advances in technology and changes in distribution channels have changed the superhero industry considerably. With comic books barely achieving a fraction of early sales volumes, publishers are trying to revive their comic book heroes by taking them from the â€Å"Silver Age† to the silver screen and other fora. However, with greatly advanced media come great financial risks. In order to secure their investments, the sponsors of these types of ventures must have a solid understanding of the modern superhero audience and what it is looking for in an iconic protagonist. Heroes and villains express cultural values regarding what society reveres as admirable and fears as deviant (Klapp 1962). Bradford Wright’s (2001) book â€Å"Comic Book Nation† outlines the evolution of comic book stories and characters mimicking cultural change; however, this discussion was done retrospectively (as were others). These types of observations tell us that what was popular during the golden age of comic book heroes will surely not be desirable in today’s society. It would be useful if publishers were able to determine what readers are drawn to now so that they might better meet the demands of this generation of reader. Empirically studying the popular appeal of superhero traits can give us insight into our society and trends within its development. What makes a character popular or prominent as we enter the Aquarian age? How important is boundless virtue or courage in the face of insurmountable odds? How relevant is the softer, vulnerable side of a character? Do readers have preferred super powers? Is an Achilles’ heel necessary? Moreover, what characteristics are enduring? Answers to these sorts of questions should provide the insights that will tell companies which avenues should prove the most lucrative and least risky to pursue in bringing superheroes back to the masses. The aim of this study is to analyse trends in superhero characteristics empirically in order to establish current popular superhero traits. Following standard practice for writing academic articles in the applied social science of marketing, study findings are then used to develop a series of managerial implications for businesses. In this instance, findings may be used to reduce risk in choosing existing heroes to introduce to modern audiences, or to create a new breed of hero that is better able to reach the target readers, viewers and players of the future. Literature Review Superheroes made inroads into popular culture in the 1930s at newsstands around America. The â€Å"Golden Age† of comics set a precedent of seemingly indestructible superheroes who held secret identities and were dedicated to upholding truth and justice (Bongco, 2000). After struggling to maintain reader interest through the early 1950? s, the â€Å"Silver Age† of comics saw revamping and reintroduction of characters thought to be buried deep in the archives at the Hall of Justice, this time bringing some more human qualities to the fore. Now, â€Å"when you think of Superman, you most likely think of the Superman that was in vogue when you were a child. There’s been a Superman for every decade since the character was created† (Fingeroth, 2004, p. 20). Even today, one man’s Dark Knight is not necessarily another boy’s Batman. The eighties and nineties saw a bold break from tradition as comic publishers started directly targeting more mature readership by introducing not just human struggles within the characters, but hints of amoral and anti-heroic tendencies as well (Bongco, 2000). Do superhero fans of today prefer the altruistic heroes of yesteryear like Spiderman, the bad-boy good guys like Wolverine, or looking into the darkest depths of the Dark Knight? The comic book companies that own our superheroes have used in-your-face tactics to increase sales figures before. The Justice League of America and The Avengers were, after all, â€Å"the fictional result of the real world commercial desire to gather the company’s most popular heroes into one magazine or animated series† (Fingeroth, 2004, p. 104). However, when companies are betting multi-billion dollar budgets on public interest in particular superheroes, they should be sure they are choosing wisely. Only the most popular of the comic book superheroes can make it to the silver screen or video game monitor. Which character is the right one? Which iteration is the right one? Or should we abandon our superheroes of yesteryear and create new ones, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, exclusively through new media to show us the way? It is impossible to have a discussion of superheroes without the issue of gender being raised. Superwomen generally are parts of super teams rather than stand alone characters, and often they are in relationships with male counterparts. However, both partners need not be super, and significant others can be used as plot devices in stories. Therefore, it is worth exploring whether being in these sorts of relationships increases a character’s popularity. What do we look for in our superheroes? Kevin Smith (2003) has a simple view: â€Å"altruism and clothes† (p. unknown). On a more serious note, Fingeroth (2004) asserts that strength of character, positive values, and a determination to protect them start the list. So what separates superheroes from our other heroes? Bongco (2000) offers a costumed, secret identity (p. 102). Fingeroth (2004) argues that they have to possess skills and abilities that normal humans do not. You read "Superhero and Comic Book" in category "Papers" Physical, mental and sensory attributes may be heightened. They may have superhuman powers that can range from magical gifts, to scientifically engineered mutations, to high-tech equipment or weaponry combined with an inexplicable ability to walk away from every battle unscathed. But most importantly, they always have to win in the end. By considering a wide range of these characteristics, we hope to be able to determine which combinations of these characteristics are related to commercial success in a modern market. Method A database of superheroes was constructed incorporating a wide range of superhero characteristics. The purpose of this article is to determine what characteristics are most popular and commercially viable in today’s market. Marvel and DC Comics make up two thirds of the comic book market; thus it was decided that limiting characters to those in these comics would not be detrimental to sampling frame representativeness. An initial breakdown of character attributes and super abilities, including numerical rankings, was derived from information from fantasy role-playing games written for the Marvel and DC universes, specifically Marvel Super Heroes by TSR, Inc. , and DC Heroes by Mayfair Games. Independent variables included attributes and powers listed in the role playing games, as well as variables for their secret identities, weaknesses, motivations, costumes, significant others, and whether they are human, not human or mutant. The Marvel Super Heroes template and numeric scale was used and DC characters were translated from the DC Heroes system into the Marvel one. Both systems relate their numeric rankings to feats accomplishable in real-world terms (e. g. , able to lift 100 tons) and the attributes and powers are similar enough that this translation is formulaic and involves negligible speculation. Costume variables consisted of whether the heroes wear a cape and whether their costumes are primarily spandex. Significant other variables included whether the significant other is aware of their secret identity and whether he or she is used as a plot device; however, because not enough information was readily available about this variable it could not be used in the final analysis. Cape and secret identity were dichotomous (yes/no) variables. Weaknesses, motivation, humanness and spandex were short scales. Weakness scaled from none to debilitating (0-2). An example debilitating weakness is Superman’s vulnerability to Kryptonite. An example intermediate weakness is Iron Man’s alcoholism. Motivation ranged from none-given (0) to vigilante/revenge (1) to sense of duty (2) to desire to serve (3). Humanness extended from not human (0) to mutant (1) to human (2). Spandex ranged from no spandex (0) to sometimes appears in spandex (1) to all spandex all the time (2). Because the majority of superpowers are unique, they were grouped according to common attributes: powers derived from weaponry or equipment, the power to manipulate matter or energy (external to oneself), powers that are inherent to one’s physical body, powers of the mind, and magical powers. The very common powers of being impervious to harm and being able to fly were given separate entries. These variables were regressed on dependent variables representing commercial popularity to see which combinations of characteristics should prove most successful in the current marketplace. Two dependent variables were used to determine characters’ commercial success. The first was the collective number of movies, television programs and video games in which they have featured as main characters. The sampling frame for this data was the Internet Movie Database (http://www. mdb. com, 2005). The second variable was an estimated comic book sales figure for 2004. It used the monthly Top 300 comic sales lists published by ICV2. com (2004) to calculate the total number of Top 100 comic issues sold in 2004 that featured each of the heroes as central characters (based on title characters for individual titles and feature characters in the case of group titles). While these data can n ot be entirely accurate, they should provide reasonable estimates of heroes’ market popularity in popular media. Results There are 75 heroes in our database; some individual data points are missing for some characters. This sample is small for the number of independent variables in our analysis. Therefore, the first step was to conduct a factor analysis to group individual measures together to create a smaller, but still representative, variable list. A principal components analysis with a varimax rotation was used. It yielded 9 factor components. Factor loadings above 0. 400 may be seen in Table 1. The first factor was labelled â€Å"Physical Attributes,† incorporating health, strength, fighting ability, endurance and agility. Wearing a cape also loaded onto this factor, suggesting that particular fashion item is reserved for only the most powerful of superheroes. Apparently the new cape-less trend started by top superhero designer Edna â€Å"E† Mode has not yet caught on with the big boys. The second factor, â€Å"Sensory Attributes,† included karma, intuition and psyche, which may represent such characteristics as â€Å"spidey senses. † The third factor included resources, reasoning ability, popularity and motivation. This combination suggests someone who is smart, rich, resourceful, charming and philanthropic, and was thus labelled â€Å"Appeal. † The fourth factor seemed to consist of the most stereotypical traits of a superhero: being bullet proof or indestructible, the ability to fly, and a desire to help protect mankind. As such, it was decided to call this factor â€Å"Golden Age† attributes. Factor five consisted of powers derived from weapons and/or equipment and the power to manipulate matter and/or energy, and was thus labelled â€Å"External Powers. † The sixth factor was labelled â€Å"Secret Identity. Powers associated with the body loaded negatively with secret identity, suggesting that characters without superhuman defences are more likely to require secret identities to protect themselves. The next factor, labelled â€Å"Mysticism,† included magical powers and powers of the mind. These powers were also associated with capes, which are still used by such modern media magical superheroes as Harry Potter. At first glance, factor eight appeared to be a bit of a mosaic of collected variance; however upon further inspection it is quite enlightening. This factor encompasses a weakness combined with powers related to the character’s body and high endurance. This factor captures the Achilles heel of the character, along with the struggle to overcome it; thus it was assigned the label of â€Å"Tenacity. † The ninth factor demonstrates the humanness of the character. Amusingly, wearing spandex is positively related to being human. It must just fit better under a wider variety of everyday street clothes. [pic] These factors were used as independent variables in two regression models relating the factors first to appearances in movies, TV shows and video games (new media), and then to comic book sales volumes (as outlined in the method section). Neither of the dependent variables was normally distributed, so natural log transformations were conducted on each of them before analyses were conducted. When the superhero factors were regressed on the new media variable, residual analysis uncovered a non-random error distribution that suggested weighted least squares was required. Thus, a weighted least squares regression analysis was conducted using unstandardized residuals as the weighting factor. The model returned an adjusted R? value of 0. 77, meaning that 77% of the variance in new media appearances for superheroes could be explained by the nine superhero factors (Table 2). Four factors had significant effects on how often a character appeared in new media. Sensory abilities, external powers and humanness had positive relationships with new media appearances. It is easy to see why external powers would be desired in today’s visually focused media. Interestingly, the Golden Age factor had a negative relationship with new media appearances, with Golden Age characteristics making a character 35% less likely to appear on screen. Some of our favourite superheroes have been recreated and revamped over the years. An example of a Golden Age character shedding these stereotypical powers in new media would be the television program Smallville, in which Superman can’t fly and has not yet devoted his life to saving mankind. This example is also an apt one for demonstrating the appeal of the other two factors, humanness and sensory attributes. Directional results indicate that audiences want characters to be less untouchable and more human and to have an innate ability to understand their fellow man. They want to empathize in some way with the protagonist in the story. These results could describe the hardened street smart Batman or the gentler Tobey Maguire version of Spiderman, both of whom are due to make reappearances at the box office, and both of whom will be sporting spandex. Alternatively, these results could be used as a skeleton around which to build new characters to debut in video format. [pic] A second regression analysis was conducted using comic book sales figures estimates as the dependent variable. The mass audience for movies is a much broader one than the comic book niche market, and as such is looking for more sophisticated superhero stories. Thus, what these two audiences are looking for in superhero characteristics may also be very different. As in the first analysis, the 9 superhero factors were regressed on the transformed dependent variable, in this case Top 100 comic book sales. Linear regression results did not require weighting. Results can be seen in Table 3. Only one of the measured superhero factors, tenacity, played a significant role in determining comic book sales. The ability to overcome weakness in the face of insurmountable odds is something that comic book fans have come to expect from their superheroes over the decades. When writers gave their characters flaws in the Silver Age it was meant to make them look even better when they beat the bad guy (Lang and Trimble, 1988). Apparently the formula still works. These results indicate that changing superhero characters, or developing new ones, will have little effect on sales. pic] This stagnancy with respect to characters may be caused by a general shift among comic book fans away from emphasizing characters and more towards purchasing issues based on their artists (Brown, 1997). Alternatively, this is a small market that is steeped in tradition. Fans involve themselves heavily in these products and are quick to point out inconsistencies. They may simply not be open to change, meani ng that the superheroes themselves are hardly considered at this point, so long as they are consistent. In short, this small market is not where growth will happen and is not representative of a broader audience so pursuing alternative characters in this medium could prove to be a waste of resources. Managerial Implications Apart from shedding light on current cultural values, these findings can be applied commercially. While results suggested that the comic book market is not strongly character driven, results indicated that characters have a major impact on on-screen popularity. Television and movie audiences seem to want to see heroes that are intuitive human beings that have powers that are external to themselves, whether they stem from equipment or the ability to manipulate matter or energy outside of themselves. They are no longer interested in god-like characters that can fly and can’t be killed. This combination includes mutant characters. Results can be applied to choosing existing characters to introduce into these media, developing new characters specifically for those media, or altering existing characters to better suit the wants of the audiences viewing those media. For example, Iron Man fits these criteria, making him a perfect choice for an upcoming silver screen venture. Findings also suggest that Professor X would be a more popular character if he were to develop the ability to move things with his mind. Alternatively, an entirely new breed of superhero could be introduced to the world. A league of new and improved, culturally customized superheroes to rise from the wake of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Harry Potter, never having been restricted by the walls of a comic book panel. Limitations There are several issues that require the reader to interpret these results with caution. First, for reasons of practicality, we use quite a small sample of the most well established characters created by the two biggest comic book publishers for our analysis. Therefore, innumerable other superheroes developed by them, smaller companies and independents, as well as those that did not originate in comics, but in some other medium such as television or movies, are not accounted for. Next, much of our analysis was based on comic book sales figures, the overwhelming majority of which were published by Marvel and DC; however, these sales figures were used as a surrogate measure of character popularity. It must be recognized that collectors now often consider the comic book artists rather than the characters that they create when purchasing issues, as well as purchasing multiple copies of those they believe will be valuable (Brown, 1997). Thus, character popularity may not be as highly correlated with comic book sales figures as we assume in our analysis. Similarly, Marvel, DC and the majority of the new media depicting those superheroes come from North America. As such, our results may not be generalizable across cultures. Finally, audience demographics for Marvel Comics, DC Comics and the various other superhero media discussed here are proprietary, so we are unable to consider how the audiences for these media are similar or how they differ in our analysis. Instead we are making an assumption that there are differences and inferring that comic book producers have been successful in their bids to increase the superhero audience through the use of new media channels. Future Research This study could be expanded to include a more representative sample of heroes from a wider range of publishers and media if a consistent system for quantifying many of the superhero traits could be agreed upon. Findings would be much more robust and reliable if this were achieved. Demographic or cross-cultural comparisons of preferred superhero traits and media could also be introduced. Villains should also be included in any future analyses. These additions would make the findings more inherently interesting because â€Å"comic book evildoers†¦help define the comic book hero† (Fingeroth, 2004, p. 15). Should further sociological analysis be of interest, a longitudinal study of these characters’ traits, their associated artists and their evolutions could be compared empirically to the observations provided to date and used to attempt to predict current popular trends and their changing sociological implications for now and into the future. Little empirical work exists in the realm of superheroes as they relate to popular culture, leaving endless opportunity to test the many sociological theories being advanced about them. References Bongco, M. 2000. Reading Comics: Language, Culture, and the Concept of the Superhero in Comic Books. New York, NY: Garland Publishing. Brown, J. A. 1997. Comic Book Fandom and Cultural Capital. Journal of Popular Culture 30 (4): 13-34. Fingeroth, D. 2004. Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us about Ourselves and Our Society. New York, NY: Continuum. Grinfeld, M. J. 1997. Superheroes Impart Life’s Lessons. Psychiatric Times 14. Klapp, O. E. 1962. Heroes, Villains, and Fools: The Changing American Character. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Lang, J. S. , and Trimble, P. 1988. Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? An Examination of the American Monomyth and the Comic Book Superhero. Journal of Popular Culture 22 (3): 157-173. Smith, K. 2003. The Superhero. Rolling Stone, May 15. Wright, B. W. 2001. Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. How to cite Superhero and Comic Book, Papers

Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex

Question: Discuss about the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex. Answer: Introduction Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) performs an important role in the brain and serves as the central site of the cognitive control in both humans and non-human primates. It is a region found in the prefrontal cortex of the human and monkey brain. The DLPFC does not majorly present as an anatomical structure but rather as one that has functional properties. (Baddeley, 2013) It majorly occupies the frontal, middle gyrus in humans while in macaque monkeys, it lies around the principal sulcus. The DLPFC has connections with the basal ganglia, parts of the orbitofrontal cortex, hippocampus, as well as the thalamus. It also serves as the endpoint for the stream of the dorsal pathway. As the DLPFC consist of spatial selective nerve neurons, it encompasses the sub-functions needed to carry out integrated responses through its neural circuitry. These functions include sensory input, signaling of motor nerves and short term memory. (Baddeley, 2013) An essential aspect of the DLPFC is the functional executive roles it provides such as the working memory, planning, abstract reasoning and cognitive flexibility. The value of DLPFC to the working memory was reinforced by studies that used adult macaques. It was shown that lesions that diminished DLPFC disturbed the macaques performance regarding the A-not-B response that was delayed while other brain part lesions did not impair their task performance. (Fuster, 2015) The DLPFC is also implicated in moral and risky decision-making process. An example is when DLPFC is activated when individuals have to make moral decisions for instance when they have to distribute resources that are limited. DLPFC possess clinical significance in conditions that are mental and psychological. An example is in schizophrenia where the condition is attributed to the insufficient or lack of activity in the frontal lobe. It has been seen that the DLPFC is less active if a person has chronic schizophrenia. (Zuffante, 2013) Concerning depression, DLPFC has ties to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex which is involved at the emotional level during the suppression stage. Damage to the DLPFC has been linked to exposure to severe stress. When stress impact on a person, their neural activity is seen to reduce the working memory that is correlated to activity in the DLPFC. These findings suggest that DLPFC not only plays a role to stress but also in psychiatry disorders. Studies and researches supporting and against the statement Studies and researchers have postulated an architectural segregation between components, through the dominant cognitive theory, that is responsible for the maintenance of short-term information and is responsible for coordination and control of the specified information. Strong evidence has been produced by the cognitive neuroscience revealing that prefrontal cortex (PFC) works like a neural substrate of working memory (WM). A theory implemented as connectionist computational model attempts to resolve the conflict as to whether PFC should be regarded as a storage component or a control one. Simulation studies have also been used to demonstrate that the models may show a wide range of behavioral information that can be associated with task paradigms that differentiate the storage and control working memory functions. Neurological studies have been presented that help to examine the predictions of the models concerning the role PFC play in the context processing. This theories and mode ls provide new perspectives on the control and storage relationship in WM and also the function of PFC in the service of these roles. (Uylings, 2012) Much excitement in the study of WM can be followed by the contributions of researchers such as Alan Baddeley, who outlined experimental and theoretical studies concerning this area that had a long last and widespread reputation on the field. A dominant model has come across by the theoretical account concerning the architecture of WM put forth by Baddeley and colleagues. In this model, there exists two domain specific buffer systems which are the visuospatial scratchpad and the phonological loop whose coordinated action is influenced by a primary control structure that is titled as the central executive. The main aspect of the model is that the control and storage processes are architecturally segregated and distinct but are also included under the heading of the WM. These distinctions between working memory within the theoretical aspect of Baddeley model have attracted psychologists who studied the properties of and functional divisions between the cognitive buffer systems. This stu dy was done without the feeling to need to understand the vaguely described characteristics of the central executive. In parallel, the cognitive neurology scientists have had the attraction to discover the neural substrates that are stipulated in each element within the model. (Baddeley, 2013) In cognitive neuroscience, the research and studies of WM concerning the prefrontal cortex (PFC) have been more of a subject of focus. In the studies conducted on neuropsychological clients, the PFC has been pointed out as the brain region that is implicated in behavioral and cognitive regulation. It is therefore not unusual that many researchers have identified the PFC as the principal component in the executive Baddeley's model. (Baddeley, 2013) It is in conjunction to this that a prominent neuropsychological theory has been put forward by Shallice and colleagues describing PFC as a system of supervisory attention that controls roles and functions specifically attached to the central executive. (Shallice, 2015) However, this perspective on the neuropsychological presentation holds in contrast with various studies emerging out of the literature on animals on the function of the PFC. In some report, PFC has been found to be critically connected to the active maintenance of short-term information. Researchers such as Goldman-Rakic have claimed that PFC activity in the neural system may serve as the cellular component of the WM. Thus, considerable controversy has been brought about by the search for the neural substrate of the WM which is within the cognitive neuroscience. (Goodkind, 2012) In recent studies, there has been an attempt to resolve controversies concerning the control or storage functions of PFC in the WM. This attempt has been through newly developed functional neuroimaging techniques. Various investigators arguing from the vast analysis of the WM neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that there exists an anatomical segregation occurring in the lateral PFC. It has therefore been insinuated that ventral regions of PFC are connected directly in functions of active maintenance, ventral and dorsal PFC regions, on the other hand, are involved with the aspects of control and not storage of WM. (Krawczyk, Michelle McClelland, Donovan, 2012) Some researchers have supported the role of PFC in WM from the perspective that it is developed through a mechanistically explicit computational approach that relies on principles of a neural network framework. These principles are those of the neural processing of information and are associated with the connectionist model. The model subserves a computational function in which PFC is involved in the representing and maintaining context data and information. Other studies describe computer simulations that focus on the model to outline a description of the role PFC has in the particular behavioral task which investigates both the control and storage functions of the WM. The task is known as the AX-CPT. (Krawczyk, Michelle McClelland, Donovan, 2012) Functional neuroimaging studies may also be used to test the aspects of the design model. The conclusions of these studies have supported the assertion that dorsolateral PFC is mainly included in the active maintaining of the context data and information in WM, and that the knowledge is critical in the regulation of behavior. Some studies have brought evidence against the view on the function of PFC in the working memory. Some of the first evidence has been seen to originate from the neuroimaging studies in humans. Researchers posit that the lag in period activity in PFC did not decode and encode data that is precise to the stimuli being portrayed in the WM. In addition to the imaging examinations evidence, it has been seen that PFC lesions do not always undermine the storage in WM. This has been evidenced by the case that clients with considerable lesions that were confined in the lateral PFC had revealed fewer deficits in the verbal and memory span or either in the delayed recognition. A result similar to that was observed in monkeys which had lesions and tumors of the ventral PFC. (Coubard, 2015) Until recently, there had no sufficient electrophysiological evidence to support the views until Lebedev trained monkeys on how to maintain a specific spatial location in WM while at the same time served to a different location that would make a saccade to the identified location concerning the go cue. (Monsell, Driver, 2014) They found two neurons population which demonstrated that PFC neurons could play diverse roles in the WM tasks that are not strictly maintained per se. Another evidence comes from current work in which the studies used multivariate patterns in the review of recorded data during a prolonged paired associate performance of a task. This information has therefore shown that PFC does not keep the information stimulus in the WM per se, though it accesses the information and can encode it whether the stimulus in the subsequent data is a target or a distractor. Although the neuron system that is responsible for the WM is shown to include various regions of the brain, there exists ample evidence from the lesion and neurophysiological studies done on primates to prove that the PFC is a critical component. The new studies in brain imaging using positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), have shown to support the implication of the PFC in WM. However, there remains some doubts and questions on the practical organization of the human PFC and its use in the WM. Transient versus sustained activity in the human PFC has shown evidence by the brain imaging studies that differentiate temporary, perception related activities to those that are sustained and memory related. It is also important to take account of the temporal active resolution from the fMRI to establish the functional purposes of prefrontal areas and posterior process activity in the WM. (Monsell, Driver, 2014) The domain specificity in an individual's human frontal cortex through object segregation versus spatial processing has increased the evidence proving that DLPFC stores memory. Goldman and colleagues showed that that the dorsal prefrontal areas show sustained activity delay that is essentially associated with the spatial information. The distributed neural systems have also revealed the relationship between the posterior visual processing areas to that of the frontal WM. This has been influenced by the advantage of the functional brain imaging which can obtain simultaneous measures of the brain activities hence allowing observations across the whole neural systems. (Diamond, Goldman-Rakic, 2012) What future research should focus on? Although the results from the various studies conducted seem to line up well with the previous imaging studies, the precise mechanisms that are responsible for the increase in effective connectivity remain unknown. The evolution of neural activity in the posterior targets is also not well postulated. Therefore, the future research should the study on the neurophysiological level where evidence on the changes in neural activity when problem-solving tasks are initiated in addition to nonspatial cues. The relationship on how prefrontal and posterior areas in the brain synchronize as behavior changes will be exhibited. (Milham, 2012) Since Goldman-Rakic focused on a spatial task, future research should include a logical continuation to study these processes in non-human primates with the use of different stimuli and different stimulus modalities. These experiments, therefore, provide a building block for such future studies. (Diamond, Goldman-Rakic, 2012) More work is required in future research to shed light on the character of the interaction between PFC and the WM to the sensory areas. Therefore, future use of recent large scale recording and analyzing techniques will prove to be of importance. This method will provide the potential to allow tracing of data and information from the WM to the PFC and goes back again during the manifestations of WM tasks. (Luk, 2012) Conclusion The role of DLPFC has been seen at first to be involved in a wide collection of processes. Varied behaviors are affected by damage, and different tasks seem to initiate it. In the real sense, the solution to a unified role in the cognitive ability of the DLPFC may be due to its connectivity with other regions. The fMRI has importantly revealed its unique capability to image many areas of the brain simultaneously. Therefore, it has demonstrated to have a touted potential which characterizes interactions between networks in neutral nodes and those that support WM. Although different nodes have roles that are different, they together sustain relevant representations that can be used in the selection of behaviors. A good understanding of the neural mechanism involved in WM is vital in gaining insight into the various goal-directed behaviors that are supported by the WM. The perspective on WM that emphasizes the encoding of WM information on the notion of distributed population activity is widely supported. Methodological advances in the past years have highlighted the high dimensional nature of Lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) activity and the lighted sensory nature of the manifested WM information. It is suggested that LPFC activity presents as a top-down influence on sensory areas contrary to its imputed storage buffer role. The conceptualization of LPFC supports models explaining the functions of the hippocampus which proposes that it stores pointers that can reactivate than store the cortical memory themselves. Future work should, therefore, prioritize efforts to specify the role lateral prefrontal cortex plays in working memory as well as the functional activities involved in the interactions between the LPFC, regions of the sensory area and other parts involved in WM. In areas for future research, a complete understanding of the implementation of WM in the brain will require new insights on how incoming sensory input affects the sustained representations in the sensory cortex. Therefore, an emphasis on the outlined representations which occurs through the increased mechanisms of neural activities will encourage the inclusion of these officiated mechanisms into the general theory of WM. This emphasis will encourage revisiting and further review of the studies involving the persistent role of the prefrontal cortex during working memory. References Baddeley, A. (2013). Working memory and language: an overview. Journal Of Communication Disorders, 36(3), 189-208.doi.org/10.1016/s0021-9924(03)00019-4 Coubard, O. (2015). Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Prevents Short-latency Saccade and Vergence: a TMS Study. Cerebral Cortex, 16(3), 425-436.doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhi122 Diamond, A., Goldman-Rakic, P. (2012). Comparison of human infants and rhesus monkeys on Piaget's AB task: evidence for dependence on dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Experimental Brain Research, 74(1).doi.org/10.1007/bf00248277 Fuster, J. (2015). The prefrontal cortex. Amsterdam [u.a.]: Academic Press. Goodkind, M. (2012). Cognitive Empathy Following Orbitofrontal Cortex and Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Damage (1st ed.). Berkeley, CA. Krawczyk, D., Michelle McClelland, M., Donovan, C. (2012). A hierarchy for relational reasoning in the prefrontal cortex. Cortex, 47(5), 588-597.doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2010.04.008 LoGrasso, L., Morretti, G. (2013). Prefrontal cortex. Hauppauge, N.Y.: Nova Science Publishers. Luk, C. (2012). Encoding externally and internally accredited value in prefrontal cortex (1st ed.). Berkeley, CA. Milham, M. (2012). An FMRI analysis of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex's involvement in attentional control (1st ed.). Monsell, S., Driver, J. (2014). Control of cognitive processes. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. Otani, S. (2015). Prefrontal cortex. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Passingham, R., Wise, S. (2014). The Neurobiology of the Prefrontal Cortex. Oxford: OUP Oxford. Pochon, J. (2012). The Role of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in the Preparation of Forthcoming Actions: an fMRI Study. Cerebral Cortex, 11(3), 260-266.doi.org/10.1093/cercor/11.3.260 Raos, V., Savaki, H. (2016). The Role of the Prefrontal Cortex in Action Perception. Cerebral Cortex.doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhw261 Shallice, T. (2015). Cognitive neuropsychology and its vicissitudes: The fate of Caramazza's axioms. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 32(7-8), 385-411.doi.org/10.1080/02643294.2015.1131677 Thierry, A. (2014). Motor and cognitive functions of the prefrontal cortex. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. Uylings, H. (2012). Cognition, emotion, and autonomic responses. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science. Zuffante, P. (2013). Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and negative symptoms of schizophrenia (1st ed.).

The play Skellig Essay Example For Students

The play Skellig Essay I got the chance to watch the play Skellig at the Old Rep Theatre in Birmingham. The play is about Michael, a boy who has to cope with a house move, a newborn baby sister fighting for life and old Skellig, the ungrateful, arthritic tramp discovered in the garage of the new house who is also thought to be an angel. In this essay I will talk about how the actors used the stage, voice and movement to show the characters feelings and emotions throughout the play. The play begins with the familys first day at the house. The towering spiral of junk that depicts the house from basement to attic is used for every scene in the play. If looked at in detail, the spiral of junk wouldve included: an old freezer; piles of old newspapers and books; cardboard boxes; old furniture and ripped up clothes. The whole set was just dark browns, darks blues and dark greens which portrayed the gloom of the play. We will write a custom essay on The play Skellig specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The first one to enter the scene is Michael. Whilst he does a monologue that tells his story so far the rest of the cast pick up instruments to play the music and effects during the monologue. This perhaps portrays the closeness of the family on which the play is based because everyone is on stage at that part of the play. It added a contrast of cheerful music to the dark set and it also included the audience in the play. Michaels voice changes as he begins to talk about his sister. He speaks with a nervous tone of voice as he begins to move very carefully, suggesting perhaps that his sister needs very gentle care at the moment. His father tries to repair and clean the danger-filled garage as best he can which includes a horrible toilet. However, the garage is so wrecked that Michaels father warns him not to go inside. His tone of voice, at that moment, is louder but only shows an attempt to threaten his son and not to suggest that he has power over Michael because later on in the play Michael goes into the garage regardless of his fathers warning. When Skellig is introduced into the play, he is seen by Michael as a strange human-like creature that seems to have almost wasted away. Neal Foster (Skellig) spends most of the play sitting still to emphasise the severity of Skelligs arthritis. When Michael asks him what he is, he simply answers, Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He uses this answer to almost any question asked by Michael and he always expresses this line with stiffness and anger in his voice. This could also represent his arthritis condition. Michael decides to take care of Skellig and asks if there is anything he could do for him. Skellig demands aspirin and states two numbers, 27 and 53. Michael doesnt understand the meaning of he numbers but decides to help in any way he can. There is a big change in levels of the characters in the play. At the beginning of the play, when Skellig is vulnerable and in pain, he is always lower than any other character. Skellig gradually gets higher and at the end of the play, Skellig is the highest and therefore with more power over other characters. Later on in the play Michael meets a girl named Mina who lives next door. She is home schooled, and is very interested in nature and poems by William Blake. They become very close friends and Mina takes Michael to an abandoned house where a lot of owls live. The top of the towering spiral is used as the abandoned house. As Skellig becomes accustomed to and more tolerant of Michael, Michael decides to introduce him to Mina. They decide its best to move him into the abandoned house, due to the fact that Michaels father is going to tear down the garage in a matter of days. This is a very emotional scene, because for the first time Skellig is moved in the play and the audience understand his fear and pain. .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73 , .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73 .postImageUrl , .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73 , .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73:hover , .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73:visited , .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73:active { border:0!important; } .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73:active , .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73 .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u789fe207ba98f5eeec40fcd09bc67e73:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Act 4 Scene 1 is the dramatic climax to the play EssayMina is a very important character in the play and has a lot of impact on how the play progresses. At the first meeting with Michael, she is standing higher then him. However, during the play they change levels so that Michael is sometimes higher but at the end of the play they are on the same level.  Skellig begins to heal and become what would appear to be an angel. He gives Michael and Mina a mystical experience in which they can see ghostly wings sprouting from each others shoulder blades. The three walk in a circle holding hands and looking directly into each others eyes. This scene is based purely on mystery and religious imagery. Although we do not see any wings appear, both Michael and Mina say they can see each others wings which could suggest that they are imagining the wings or maybe angel wings would not be seen to the human eye. The final scene is the most emotional one. Michaels baby sister comes dangerously close to death. Her mother comes to stay at the hospital and prays. That night something mysterious happens and her mother dreamt of seeing a man come in and pick up the baby. She tells Michael and his father about what happened. Cross-cutting is the technique used in this scene to show the audience what happened in her dream. As the mother speaks of the dream, everyone else is silent and very still. Skellig makes all the movement and gestures Michaels mother describes. His facial expressions change from deep thinking to being happy for the baby girls survival. Skellig walks up on the top of the towering spiral in the middle of the stage and disappears from the scene. The flashback is over and Michael realizes Skellig was an angel.  In conclusion, the play Skellig is a very emotional play and the actors use voice to show the feelings of the characters. They use the stage to a full extent to show how Michael grows up throughout the events of meeting Skellig to having to choose between friends to receiving a pair of angel wings. Raw emotion contrasts with moments of great tenderness, and an audience of schoolchildren gave it noisy applause.

Learn German Sentence Structure

Learn German Sentence Structure Knowing when to use the dative and accusative in a German sentence is a major hurdle for many students. Equally as important is the sentence structure when using the accusative and dative cases. Compared to English, there are more options, depending on your word choice. For instance, Im giving the mouse to the cat translates to Ich gebe die Maus zur Katze. (Maus is in the accusative, Katze is in the dative.) If you struggle with remembering which prepositions are dative or accusative, heres some good news. In some cases, like this one, you can omit the preposition altogether and still clearly express the intention of the sentence by using proper noun cases and word order.   German Sentence Structure Without the preposition zur (zu der), you would write the sentence as follows:Ich gebe der Katze die Maus. (Katze is dative, Maus is accusative.)Or with a pronoun:Ich gebe ihr die Maus. ( Ihr  is dative, Maus is accusative.)Ich gebe sie der Katze. (sie is  accusative, Katze is  dative.)Keep the following rules in mind when positioning your dative and accusative objects in a sentence: The dative object will always come before the accusative object.If the accusative object is a pronoun, it will always be before the dative object. Applying these rules with the correct grammatical case endings is essential. It will help avoid misconstrued sentences, such as Ich gebe der Maus die Katze. Unless, of course, you really did mean to say that you wanted to give the cat to the mouse. A few more examples:   Gib dem Hasen die Karotte.  (Give the bunny the carrot.)   Gib ihr die Karotte.  (Give her the carrot.)   Gib es ihr. (Give it to her.) Refresher on German Noun Cases Before even worrying about the order of a sentence, make sure you know your noun cases. Heres a rundown on the four German noun cases.

Our Perception of Beauty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Our Perception of Beauty - Essay Example Nehamas (2005) in his article â€Å"Beauty: Skin-Deep, in the Eye of the Beholder and Valuable?† discusses beauty where he said: â€Å"There is such a thing as the beauty that is only skin-deep.   It is the beauty of appearance, what we call "looking good."   It has little to do with personality, character, wit or morality, and that is because anything that applies to how things look is not a reliable guide to many of their other qualities.† This the kind o beauty that people attributes to contest like the Miss Universe pageant. Psychologically in our minds, we do process the information. Nehamas (2005) said: â€Å"The beauty of appearance -- what we can judge, say, by looking at a photograph of a face -- is something that psychologists have been investigating a lot recently.   In general, they show people photographs of faces and ask them to rank them in terms of their beauty.   Since these are digital photographs, it is possible to combine them into composite photographs.   What seems to be the case is (1) the larger the composite photograph (the more features of individual faces it combines) the more people are likely to consider it beautiful and (2) there is remarkable agreement, both within and between different cultures, about which faces are more beautiful than which.† Nehamas (2005) stated that several hypotheses have been offered to account for these phenomena, and it seems agreed that they have something to do with the likelihood of reproductive success.   Thus, he said that the more features a face combines, the more average it is.   In explaining further, he argued that now it is very counterintuitive to say that the average is what strikes us as beautiful (since the people or works of art we find beautiful usually stand out against their background), but it turns out that average members of groups are less likely to be subject to external evolutionary pressures and more likely to be healthy and survive in the long run (Paraphrasing made). Agreement among different groups produces beauty, that could be passed on to others and media could actually do something about it.  Ã‚  

Consumer Purchasing Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consumer Purchasing Process - Essay Example The activities involved in the process include identifying and evaluating vendors, selecting specific products, placing orders, and resolving arising issues (Schneider, 2010). All these activities facilitate the acquisition process from either the supplier or producer. The purchasing process takes six steps which are need recognition; supplier identification and selection; contract negotiation; purchase order placement; purchase order follow-up; and order receipt and fulfillment (Li, 2007). Each of these steps involves several purchasing activities. In the first step of the purchasing process, a company identifies a need for a certain material. The step involves purchasing activities like identification of materials and their delivery time. It also involves quality, quantity, and attributes identification. The second step goes on to identify specific sellers or distributers for the materials identified in the first step. This step involves purchasing activities like price trend analy sis, supplier availability analysis, and market conditions analysis (Li, 2007). The third step involves negotiation of the terms and conditions of the purchase process thus opening sale. Upon agreement on the terms and conditions, a purchase order is placed. ... In the six steps, the purchaser receives the order and verifies both quality and quantity supplied. It is in this step where the sale is closed and the company gets ownership of the purchased materials. In most situations, purchasing process involves interaction between the purchasing personnel of a company and key account managers of the supplying company. The account managers should have skills like planning and marketing, relationship building, problem solving, negotiating, opportunity creating, organization, communication, and presenting skills (Cheverton, 1999). In some situations, the suppliers use global accounts management instead of key accounts management. These situations require the vendor company to be global and coordinated. Competences required for personnel in global accounts management is identical to the ones required in key account management. The reason for this is the similarity in the activities undertaken in each of the cases. Analysis Purchasing process involv es the purchasing company and the selling company. These companies have conflicting interests. Each of them tries to maximize benefits derived from a purchase while minimizing both risks and costs. Negotiations are always required in order to achieve these objectives. This indicates that the persons selected to represent a company in a purchasing process should have good negotiation skills. Negotiation skills are in line with communication skills and therefore, these persons need to have good communication skills as well. If persons representing a company lack negotiation skills, the other company may take advantage of the weakness in the purchasing process. Due to this, the weaker company may make loses while the other company

Manfold Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Manfold Case Study - Essay Example The plastic airbeds were a huge success and formed about 12.3 % of the company’s sales (Van den 1). However, in 2007, Joseph, who was the founder wanted to retire from business and in connection to this, he wanted to sell his shares that were about 68 % to Mitchell & Meyer, which is an American equipment manufacturer. It is at this point that the conflict of interest arose between the key players in the Manfold Toy Company. Conflict of interest occurs in work environment when a person is in a place where they can be influenced. The influence can be because of personal interest that an individual has on something. A conflict of interest can be because someone is avoiding personal disadvantage, or it can be because someone wants to take advantage of a particular situation. There are three different types of conflict of interest. The first one is the actual conflict of interest; this is where an employee is in a position to be influenced by their own personal interest when carrying out their responsibilities. The second one is perceived conflict of interest, in this case the employee appears to be influenced by their private interest when doing their job. Finally, is the potential conflict of interest, in this case the employee is in a place where they may influenced in the future by their private desires when carrying out their work. In the case of study there are various conflict of interests, for example, Fred who was an independent non-executive director (INED). He was also the chairman of the audit committee is in a position where his job seems to put him in a conflicting of interest with his boss; Joseph, who is also the founder of the company. Given that Joseph have told him about his intention of selling the business to Mitchell and Meyer Company. However, he knows that Yee Exports that are the sole distributor of Manfold Toy Company in New Zealand and Australia is almost becoming bankrupt. However, he is not sure about

The Effects of Poverty on Teaching and Learning Essay Example for Free

The Effects of Poverty on Teaching and Learning Essay Teachers need to understand how poverty can affect a student in the classroom. Some students who suffer from poverty may come from homes with very young, single or low educational level parents. Their parents may be unemployed, have substance abuse problems or generally may not be good role models. Students might live in dangerous neighbourhoods or suffer from homelessness. They might move areas often; their parents may have had bad experiences with schools themselves and see schools as threatening institutions and do not value education. Perhaps they come from households where the parents are family orientated and loving, their only problem being lack of money. Teachers need to understand the family background to understand how to best assist the student. Teachers must be aware of the problems and difficulties poorer students face and make allowances and adjustments to the curriculum to provide them with relevant learning without detracting from other students needs. Pellino (2007) writes of the lack of confidence many children of poor families have and how many see the curriculum as irrelevant to their lives. She suggests modifying the curriculum in interesting, simple ways that will have value to all students in the class. This may include doing work on the effect of poverty, getting involved in community projects such as soup kitchens or simply studying the question What is poverty? It is important that these activities be followed with both group discussion and individual reflection to help children think critically about their experiences (Chafel, 1997). A good education is often the only means of breaking the cycle of poverty for poor children therefore a teacher must provide a curriculum that is relevant and challenging to motivate students and increase their opportunity for higher education and greater opportunity in life. Many students from low socio-economic households feel they have no choice or control over their destiny. They may be depressed, have a fear of failure or low expectations of their academic ability. An important task for teachers is to help students develop conative attitudes (Pellino, 2007). These are a desire to improve their life and an understanding that it is indeed possible through the creation of goals, plans and perseverance. It may be beneficial  to develop conative attitude exercises designed to help students identify what is important to them personally. Incorporating personal reflection in the curriculum may be beneficial (Pellino, 2007). This could include encouragement to write journal entries imagining what they would do if time and money was no object (Waitley, 1996, cited by Huitt, 1999) and then reflecting back on a mission statement. Students from low income families often need help to develop self-efficacy and a desire to be proactive in their life (Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Muraven Tice, 1998; Emmons, 1986). These are traits that are often lacking in low achieving students, particularly those from poorer backgrounds (Huitt, 1999). It is important for teachers to develop lessons that result in success to show students that they are capable of altering outcomes and do not just accept what life throws at them (Pellino, 2007). I found Karen Pellinos paper to be extremely helpful. It is comprehensive and includes an extensive reference list that directs the reader to a vast array of articles for further study. Reference list Baumeister, R., Bratslavsky, E., Muraven, M., Tice, D. (1998). Ego depletion: Is the active self a limited resource? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(5), 1252-1265. Retrieved from CSA Illumina 14 June 2008. Chafel, J. (1997) Childrens Views of Poverty: A Review of Research and Implications for Teaching, The Educational Forum, 61:4, 360 371. Accessed from Informaworld 15 June 2008 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00131729709335282Emmons, R. (1986). Personal strivings: An approach to personality and subjective well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1058-1068. Retrieved from CSA Illumina 14 June 2008. Huitt, W. 1999. Conation as an important factor of mind. Website for Valdosta State University, GA. http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/regsys/conation.html. Accessed 14 June, 2008. Pellino, K. (2007). The Effects of Poverty on Teaching and Learning. Teachnology. Retrieved 14 June, 2008, from http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/teaching/poverty/print.htm.

The Many Benefits of the Parole System Essay -- provisional release fr

Parole can be defined as the provisional release of an inmate from prison after serving a portion of a prison sentence. Within the United States, parole was originally used near the end of the American Civil War when the United States would talk discuss releasing the people that they currently had in captivity if they had verbally promised along with a written contract not to return to the enemy base to continue to fight in the war efforts. During the 19th century in England, parole was known to have been called â€Å"transportation, which entailed sending the offender away to live in exile† (Whitehead, 101). Nowadays in the United States, parole is utilized in many states and nearly 853,900 had a current status of being on parole in the end of 2011(United States). There are many terms and conditions that must be followed while on parole and if these rules are disobeyed, then the parolee will be sent back to prison to finish their prison sentence that they were give n at the beginning when first serving their time. Another way parole can be beneficial to the Criminal Justice System is because it allows prisons to budget out there money by keeping a fewer number of non-dangerous offenders in prison and allowing the more violent and dangerous offenders’ space in the prison. Parole should not be abolished because it allows for non-violent offenders a second chance living in the community while providing society with many financial benefits. There are specific rules and restrictions that a parolee must agree to and abide by in order to be eligible for parole. The decision whether an inmate is eligible for parole is a decision made by a parole board which is part of the Department of Corrections, making the parole system all... ...help of their parole officer and also the community. Parolees are allowed to live in their community with strict restrictions so they are less likely to commit a crime. Overall, parole has many positive benefits and if it were to be abolished I think that it will cause more harm both financially and physically due to the stresses that it would cause in the jails. Works Cited Martinez. Abolishing Parole For Offenders Sentenced To Prison For Violent Offenses: Impact Analysis. n.p.: 1995. Criminal Justice Abstracts. Web. 8 Oct. 2014. United States. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Office of Justice Programs. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). By Erika. N.p., 29 Nov. 2012. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. United States. Department of Corrections. Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. Frequently Asked Questions about the DOC. N.p., Aug. 2012. Web. 08 Oct. 2014. The Many Benefits of the Parole System Essay -- provisional release fr Parole can be defined as the provisional release of an inmate from prison after serving a portion of a prison sentence. Within the United States, parole was originally used near the end of the American Civil War when the United States would talk discuss releasing the people that they currently had in captivity if they had verbally promised along with a written contract not to return to the enemy base to continue to fight in the war efforts. During the 19th century in England, parole was known to have been called â€Å"transportation, which entailed sending the offender away to live in exile† (Whitehead, 101). Nowadays in the United States, parole is utilized in many states and nearly 853,900 had a current status of being on parole in the end of 2011(United States). There are many terms and conditions that must be followed while on parole and if these rules are disobeyed, then the parolee will be sent back to prison to finish their prison sentence that they were give n at the beginning when first serving their time. Another way parole can be beneficial to the Criminal Justice System is because it allows prisons to budget out there money by keeping a fewer number of non-dangerous offenders in prison and allowing the more violent and dangerous offenders’ space in the prison. Parole should not be abolished because it allows for non-violent offenders a second chance living in the community while providing society with many financial benefits. There are specific rules and restrictions that a parolee must agree to and abide by in order to be eligible for parole. The decision whether an inmate is eligible for parole is a decision made by a parole board which is part of the Department of Corrections, making the parole system all... ...help of their parole officer and also the community. Parolees are allowed to live in their community with strict restrictions so they are less likely to commit a crime. Overall, parole has many positive benefits and if it were to be abolished I think that it will cause more harm both financially and physically due to the stresses that it would cause in the jails. Works Cited Martinez. Abolishing Parole For Offenders Sentenced To Prison For Violent Offenses: Impact Analysis. n.p.: 1995. Criminal Justice Abstracts. Web. 8 Oct. 2014. United States. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Office of Justice Programs. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). By Erika. N.p., 29 Nov. 2012. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. United States. Department of Corrections. Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. Frequently Asked Questions about the DOC. N.p., Aug. 2012. Web. 08 Oct. 2014.

RV CV

I have good communication and ‘people' skills. I am flexible and enjoy learning new skills and have enjoyed working in different environments. This has given me so much experience. I would welcome the opportunity to further my education/ training to ensure can do any job to the best of my ability. The Heathens Animal Rescue Group, Cat Sanctuary -July 2014 to date Volunteer helping in the sanctuary. BOW (Business Working with Watershed) – May 2014 Volunteer Organizes. Organizing networking events for a charitable organization that brings together businesses to do work in the community.Setting up event, meeting delegates, compiling information on attendees, making sure delegates are looked after at the event. Babysitter – January 2012 to date babysat for neighbors and friends, giving them the opportunity to socialism and attend events. This has taught me how to organize a diary, network and learn a little about running a business. Prep Dam School India – Febr uary 2014 Volunteer was given an amazing opportunity from college to fly to India to take part in volunteer project helping in Catholic schools and orphanages in Iambi.This was a life changing opportunity. We attended different schools. The first was a girls orphanage with ages ranging from 6 – 16 years. We played a few simple games with them, sang songs and then worked with them to produce a presentation on Nelson Mandela and freedom. They made posters inspired by the presentation. This gave me a chance to hear some of the girls life stories, and how coming to the boarding school was a way out of the slums for them for a while, like a long holiday.The second school was similar, but girls and boys aged 5 years old. On our final day with the charity, we reached our hardest challenge, looking after 200, 5 year olds. We decided to do lots of arts and crafts, bracelet making painting and mask making along with sports such as cricket and football. We hope we made a difference to t hem, they certainly made a difference to me. Zoom Play Centre Stockpot – June 2012 to June 2014 Party Host/Waitress Whilst working at Zoom, have had many roles. My main role is a Party Host for young children.This involves serving hem food and drink, as well as organizing different games for them. My other roles include working on the till, serving drinks and confectionery. Taking food orders, waiting on tables, and cleaning the equipment, cafe and party area. SST Michaels Primary School – Work Experience – July 2012 Teaching Assistant While I was in year 1 1, I was offered the opportunity do my work experience in a primary school. I learned to control different situations, planned lessons, interact with teachers and pupils, and was involved in organizing trips out.Miss Selfridges – The Tradeoff Centre – October 2014 – Present Whilst working at Miss Selfridges, I was responsible for working as part of a team to reach the stores sales and cus tomer service targets. Some of the roles I contributed to included making sure that each and every customer was satisfied and has found everything they needed, offering expert knowledge and fashion advice, handling all customer responses and being able to deal with them in a calm and professional manner and ensuring that all standards are up to scratch ND maintained throughout the day.

For Reasons Unknown

They are framed within the situation. However, the problem of Vladimir and Estrange in Waiting for God begins with their world and themselves. In fact, it is the beginning Of the play as well. They cannot realize the world nor can they realize themselves-?a characteristic of the typical absurdity as defined by Albert Campus in The Myth of Sisyphus. Like Campus in The Myth of Sisyphus, Go and Did do not know whether God exists or not. Their world without certainty promises only despair. They find a universe without moral restraint, so the universe is meaningless.The characters in the mentioned plays of Becket, Waiting for God and Act Without Words l, are condemned to move within the fixed framework of futility and hopeless labor. In The Myth of Sisyphus Campus observes: I see many people die because they judge that life is not worth living. See others paradoxically getting killed for the ideas or illusions that give them a reason for living (what is called a reason for living is also an excellent reason for dying). 1 Actually, Vladimir and Go have no reason to live nor have they any reason to commit suicide.They have a world which cannot be related with their idea of the past. They are driven by a nostalgic longing for the past that is unexplainable through the present. As Did says: the good of losing heart now, that's what say. We should have thought of it a million years ago, in the nineties. 2 Moreover, they have a present that is inexplicable through their idealism. Sago's boot, Dido's hat, the tree, the place, the day, Lucky and Bozo, the boy (or boys) and at last, God-?everything is incomprehensible to them. As a matter of fact, they are captured in the frame of their situation.Hence, for hanging themselves, the iris problem to Go and Did is the lack of rope and strong tree, that is, the devices and tools of committing suicide are absent here. Secondly, they cannot leave each other. If one hangs oneself successfully, whereas the other cannot, the other wil l remain lonely. So, they mar their plan of committing suicide. Thinking and talking of suicide, even trying it, may be a vision to them. It may be a way to pass the time. In fact, never do Vladimir and Estrange in Waiting for God think of suicide in a realistic context-?though suicide might have been an escape from the ennui Of life.Throughout the lay Vladimir and Estrange invent many devices to prove their existence and to pass the time. Taking off boots, Vladimir problem with his hat, their effort to commit suicide, their waiting for God-?all gives way to passing their time. It is an interesting fact that Vladimir and Estrange never search for other devices and processes for committing suicide. Maybe, a knife, a pistol, and starvation could suffice their purpose. Even, when they observe Lucky driven by rope, they forget all about it. They might have taken the rope forcibly for hanging themselves.In the second act it is easier for them to snatch it cause Bozo is blind and both of the two are helpless here. Moreover, they forget about when the devices are before them. In reality, they are not serious about killing themselves. They are only thinking of it, as many poets thought about and loved to die in imagination, but never committed suicide. Suicide for them, therefore, is just another diversion of fantasy. It is a strong consolation; it helps them to forget the boredom of everyday life where nothing can be done at all.They find it impossible for the two to kill themselves. They first realize that the only tree in their world, a weeping Lillo, will not support Vladimir weight on the noose and therefore will not break his neck. The second day, Vladimir and Estrange cannot hang themselves because they do not have the requisite piece of rope. By the second day, however, they have forgotten that they cannot hang themselves from the only available tree, and therefore their complaints about the lack of a suitable piece of rope are unnecessary.They observe a world that is devoid of the tools required for committing suicide. Accordingly they come, again and again, to the realization of nothing-to-be-done. Suicide might have been n end to this meaningless absurd life. They contemplate about hanging themselves on the tree. Suicide can be thought of the ultimate conclusion to a meaningless life. Campus claims that suicide is an attempt to escape from the consciousness of absurdity. But ultimately Campus proposes man to live. They do not commit suicide physically, yet they surrender to the captured situation.Whatever they do is to give the impression that they exist. But this sort of existence only calls for pity. Hanging from the tree would have proved that they have the guts at least to do something. This ontological problem is, no doubt, the main issue of the play. They are indecisive whether to go on this nothing-to-be-done life or to commit suicide. They are tired of living (Estrange says: I'm tired breathing. 3), yet they come to the realiz ation that ‘To be dead is not enough'. 4 They have no doubt that they are living beings. But they need a meaning to exist.So their realization will never let them commit suicide, rather they will be waiting for God until he comes. Again, their view of life is not to resign from life but to resume it. Vladimir, at the very outset of he play, clarifies it: â€Å"All my life I've tried to put it [Nothing to be done] from me, saying, Vladimir, be reasonable, you haven't yet tried everything. And I resumed the struggle. â€Å"5 After some time Go comments that Did always waits till the last moment. The big nothingness in their world has nothing to do with their life. They are hopeful in the depth of their minds of a bright future.So, Did says in the end of the first act, â€Å"Tomorrow everything will be better That is why they notice that the tree has sprouted leaves in the second act. Whether one says that in the two acts in the play nothing appends Nice or everything happens twice, Vladimir and Estrange are sentenced on the stage (symbolic of the life itself). They cannot escape it. They are habituated to such absurd life-?to talk, to eat, to wait and to live an meaningless life. Campus rightly puts it: â€Å"We get into the habit of living before acquiring the habit of thinking. ‘7 In this way all the character hopes to carry on living.Moreover, suicide itself may be considered as a vigorous aspect of life. When Go reminds Did of their plan of hanging, Did tells him that it them an erection. Suicide is considered in sexual term here. Though suicide as a sexual term may seem to be funny, it is, in fact, their view of life. They never consider suicide as the annihilation of life; rather their thought of suicide strengthens their bond and increases their yearning to live, as sexuality begets new life. In the mime play, Act without Words l, the only character is captured in the dust, symbolic of the uncomfortable life.In the beginning the man is see n trying to escape from this captured life, but he never can-?he is repeatedly thrown in the dust whenever he tries to escape. Gradually he becomes hopeless to flee, and surrenders himself to the taxation. In this play we find several steps. The entire action of the play takes place in a desert under the scorching sun, suggested by ‘dazzling light'. The unnamed man is directed by a whistle to move right or left. He can never escape the unbearable sun, though he is given a tree for shade. When he becomes intolerably thirsty he is shown water.But whenever he wants to catch it, it is lifted up somehow. He is forced to go without food and drink. The play seems a behaviorism experiment within the framework of the Greek classical myth of Tantalus, who stood in a pool of water which receded every mime he bent to drink it, and stood under a fruit tree which raised its branches every time he reached for food. The mythical Tantalus was punished for his own act. Whereas Godson's existenc e remains uncertain, in Act Without Words there is a God-like force, represented by a sharp whistle which will not permit the man to leave.The play is a parable of resignation from life; a condition one reaches only after a series of disappointments. The man has learned hardship that there is nothing he can depend on in life other than himself, even to commit suicide. Interestingly he cannot commit suicide also. Unlike Vladimir and Estrange, he has all the tools to kill himself-?tree, rope and noose, and box to stand on it. Yet he cannot commit suicide because whenever he needs the tools they somehow become unreachable.As a result, he has to submit to the situation without any effort to live or die. In this dumb show the man is not allowed to commit suicide, yet he is not allowed to be living. He is only granted inertia. AY last he is seen to lose hope to quench his thirst with water in the carafe. He remains defeated, having opted out Of the struggle. We observe here a man in frust rated efforts. The man in Act Without Words I possesses only two natural tools, mind and hands, which distinguish him from other animals, he tries to survive, to secure some water in the desert.The mind works, at least in part: he learns – small cube on large; he invents, or is given inventions – scissors, cubes, rope; he reacts and tries to end his life. But when he learns to use his tools effectively, they are confiscated: the scissors, when he reasons that in addition to cutting his fingernails, he might cut his throat; the blocks and rope, when he discovers that they might make a gallows. However, the man's effort to commit suicide s not a vision, rather he tries to escape a life that seems to be a nightmare. Yet he is seized in ‘no-exit' situation.

Are you stuck in a rut Choose your adventure!

Are you stuck in a rut Choose your adventure! Do you ever feel like life is an incredible adventure and absolutely anything is possible? I had a week like that. I noticed it particularly on Friday when I went for my normal swim and had so much energy I swam an extra quarter mile past my regular routine, then chased the swim with 30 push-ups. The entire time I felt energized and capable of accomplishing anything I set my mind to. Mental attitude is the biggest factor in producing results. I was reminded of this truth last Thursday night, when, at the Wild Scenic Film Festival, I watched a video about three climbers who scaled Yosemite’s iconic El Capitan. What made this climb particularly impressive is that all of the climbers were disabled. One had been born with just one arm (a â€Å"minor inconvenience† according to him); the two others had lost a leg each, one due to a climbing fall and the third from bone cancer. Said one of the men: â€Å"The right attitude and one arm will beat the wrong attitude and two arms, every time.† If you have any doubts, watch this inspiring film: Mind you, I am not planning on scaling any peaks even with all my limbs- not in this lifetime. But the sense of excitement that spurs these climbers is accessible to all of us at every moment. For me, it started with an assignment I was given during a workshop with the Wright Institute in Chicago. Prior to the workshop, I was in a rut. Daily tasks were feeling like a grind and I thought that maybe I needed to travel out of the country for a while to break my routine. Then came the homework for the first night of the workshop: to create an adventure! The adventure begins†¦ It was already midnight and class was starting up again at 8am the next morning. What adventure exactly was possible in that short a time frame? I found out the next morning. I woke up before my alarm sounded with cramps, in an empty house that belongs to my cousin Zack. I thought to myself, â€Å"I could lie here trying to sleep or I could get up and have an adventure!† I decided to get out of bed. As soon as I entered the shower I remembered that Zack had mentioned a big bathtub with whirlpool jets somewhere in his house. I don’t normally take baths, but this time I decided to interrupt my regular pattern. I got out of the shower and began searching for the whirlpool, towel wrapped around me, leaving a trail of wet footprints. In the basement, I found a bathtub †¦ full of cleaning supplies. The search continued, and I finally found the whirlpool, which I filled up †¦ but I couldnt figure out how to turn on these fabled jets. I got into the tub anyway, but thought, â€Å"Hey Im on an adventure! This won’t do!† So I got out of the tub, looked at all the switches on the walls, and finally figured it out. Back in the tub, I noticed a line of tea light candles along the side of the bath. But no matches. My refrain: â€Å"Im on an adventure!† So I got out of the tub, looking everywhere until I found matches. I was going to do this thing the right way! After a few minutes the jets turned off and suddenly I was relaxed and floating in a self-made paradise, being held gently by warm water, surrounded by glowing candlelight. I was so glad I had chosen this adventure, rather than sleeping another hour or going to my default of â€Å"I don’t take baths.† Unexpected treasures, unprecedented energy†¦ When I went to hang up my towel, for some reason I decided to look behind the door rather than hang the towel where I had put it before. I found two beautiful dragonfly hooks which I hadn’t noticed before. Who knows what can show up out of a sense of adventure? Who knows what else I had been missing? My adventures continued in the days following the workshop. Out of a conversation with a friend that felt a bit scary at first, I unexpectedly drove to Minneapolis and stayed two days, all because I decided to take some risks and not let anything stop me. Today, a week after the conclusion of that workshop, my energy is still high and I can’t wait to discover what’s next. So how about you? Are you living an adventure at every moment or are you stuck in a rut? Are you letting anything stop you from creating an exciting and energized life? Whether your challenge is staying upbeat while facing unemployment, creating joy within your current circumstances, or scaling a rock face- it’s all in your frame of mind. The right attitude, moment by moment, means you can have the adventure of a lifetime right in your own backyard.