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Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Global cultural exchange Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Global cultural exchange - Essay Example Even if the Early Middle Ages (approx. y. 500-800) were times of uncertainty, disorder, invasions and cosmic insecurityi, the period to come, years 800-1500, also known as the High and the Late Middle Ages, was a period of significant cultural development. Therefore, if in the Early Middle Ages we can talk about a sort of cultural indetermination, when people with different beliefs (barbarians, adepts of ancient religions, Christians, the newly emerged Muslims) were thrown in the same pot with no further instructions, then the High and Late Middle Ages bring out the cultural determination, the establishment of linguistic, religious and cultural boundaries and this is when we can observe explicit examples of cultural exchange. Still, I would like to clearly emphasize the fact that cultural interaction wasn’t a goal in itself during this time; it was more of an adjacent process to the phenomenon of medieval travel, which, at its turn, was a result of three major purposes: trade, diplomacy/conquest and missionary. Merchants that engaged in long-travel trade had two main routs available, which linked Europe, Asia and Africa: the silk-road, for luxurious goods and the sea-routes, for more common goods, such as stone, steel and building materials. Major trading cities and ports grew rapidly, becoming a meeting place for foreign merchants, traders, brokers, who ultimately exchanged knowledge, religious ideas, philosophical beliefs, stories, legends and other cultural elements. Missionaries wanted to spread their religious ideas on other territories, an ambition that also became a form of cultural exchange. Diplomatic missions and conquest ambitions appeared as a result of cultural and territorial delimitation, but also implied a cultural interaction between the conquerors and the natives. Thus, in this paper, I would like to analyze the cultural exchange between the Christian world and the Islamic world with an emphasis on the Levant area and the Iberian

Monday, October 28, 2019

Arthur Miller Essay Example for Free

Arthur Miller Essay The point being made is that John knows it is his fault and the consequence of it is he wont let go of her because he knows the truth about the arrest. He is reassuring her that nothing is going to happen to her. You will not go! (Act 2 pg 63) Proctor knows that this is all a mistake but knowing it is his. Proctor argues with Mr Cheever that she is innocent and the courts are wrong. Proctor is running out of options he will do anything, even confess about his relationship to get her back. John knows that he is the only one to save his wife and he told her so. For this reason, John is a man of his word. In the previous Act he said I will bring you home (Act 2 pg 63). We have known John to be a man of his word when he says to Abigail that he will cut off his hand and that he will bring Elizabeth back. He stopped what he said before, subsequently he is going to bring Elizabeth back knowing what he said to his wife, he knows Elizabeth has faith in him Oh, John, bring me soon! (Act 2 pg 63). So John has to prove to the judge that his wife is innocent and Abigail accused her just to get John back so Elizabeth cant have him. Previously the audience know that John is a man of his word and proof of this is what he is doing. John is so sure that he is going to persuade Danforth that he doesnt need a lawyer. I am no lawyer (Act 3 pg 74) Johns confidence is leading him to save his wife then again being a man of his word. He has no care, even if he his going to go prison, he has try and save his wife. Options are running out for John. He has told the court about his affair with Abigail and said to Danforth that his wife will never lie. That woman will never lie. (Act 3 pg 74) He completely has faith in his wife, but if his wife will deny of the affair then John will be arrested on charges of contempt of court. Firstly John said that he would go to court, exactly what he said he will do. Proctor said he will admit to adultery saying his wife will never lie; he has absolute faith in her. As a result Elizabeth told her first ever lie because John isnt worth sacrificing. The audience see that Elizabeth does still love him. Also the audience see that John is entirely a man of his word. John is an ordinary man because he has committed sin! His wife is in prison because of him; hence it is his duty to save her. Proctor is neither an ordinary man nor a saint. I cannot mount like a gibbet like a saint (Act 4 pg 113) A saint is someone who is near to pure and has done something very important in order to change the world. He is angry with the court for saying he is evil but knows that they are the evil ones and it doesnt make a difference if he lies. John has done something good but it isnt quite there- spiritually developed. John could confess to be a witch. In addition it does not matter to him because he has done the worst sin there is compared to lying but he has to sign the papers. sign your testimony. (Act 4 pg 113) John does not want to sign the papers because of his name and for his children. John is an ordinary man because he wants his life but knows the cost of what he wants and stops himself because he wants to see his children grow into men. I want to live. (Act 4 pg 110). So basically which man does not want his life? Evidently he is an ordinary man; he does not want to die. The audience know John is an ordinary man but a changing ordinary man. John is churning in the crucible and nearly ready to be purified; John knows saving himself will cost another life, but he can put a full stop to it. John is a good man. John believes if he lives and others die for his life that is wrong. I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another. I have no tongue for it. (Act 4 pg 113). This means that he can talk his own sin but not others or that he will not accuse others for his own life. Proctor thinks not for himself but his children. He needs to give them a good name. I have confessed myself! no good penitence but it be public (Act 4 pg 114) and leave my name! (Act 4 pg 115). Proctor says because his conscience says he doesnt want a bad name for his children. He thinks that having his life means his children will have bad names and others will suffer. Also he doesnt want sign his confession especially for the public. Proctor is a fully spiritually developed man. He has refused to sign the paper, meaning his spoken confession is not counted. This gave him time to think and when conscious, spoke up. What others say and what I sign to is not the same! (Act 4 pg 115). Proctor knew or I shall I say he realised that his written confession would kill more people and only save himself. However if he dies, theres a full stop to all this nonsense. Proctor died to save others. The audience finally see the changed man for what he really is. Miller influences the audience in the way he refuses to sign and knew exactly what the consequence was going to be. John sees the shred of goodness in him, saying that he is white and should be kept away from dogs. The white symbolises the goodness and the dogs are the court. The dogs are the evil people from mythology, if dogs guarding hell and should be away from goodness; white. The decision he made was to stop everything bad and he wont go to hell because of what he has done. It makes John a good man, meaning his spiritual development is complete because he is dead and cant change anymore. John Proctor should have his shred of goodness because he has been churning long enough in the crucible pot. John Proctor is ready and purified and is a good man. He is finally, as I have mentioned, put a full stop to further deaths, being hung for witchcraft. This fact as it was proved in the Milgram experiment- where people would take another persons life without giving a second thought and were told to go even further, until they would die, Proctor was that person and did not listen. Furthermore, John was a final seal and said no more names, deaths or accusations and they were stopped. The government in March 1712 after a solemn meeting declared a democracy in Salem. All were compensated with their land, money and a good name for beloved people who died tragically in the witch trials. The ways the audience see The Crucible, is concerned with spiritual development of John. He is linked to all key events in the play, and still Arthur Miller showed how a man changed and died to save a state, in order to save other people and the good name of Proctor.   1 Umer Hussain Essay- The Crucible. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Miller section.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Financial Statements Essay -- Economy, Financial Distress

Financial Statements basically show the historical performance or record of the company at some previous point of time. By the time when financial statements are made public, changes are many economical areas such as market conditions, currency exchange rate and inflations can change the values of assets and liabilities. In this case there often exist discrepancies between book value of assets and their market values. In above case there might be companies that are healthy and many go through period of financial distress. In particular is the threat of not being able to meet debt obligations. The first Indication of financial distress is when firm does not have enough liquid assets (short-term assets) to cover (pay for) current liabilities (short-term liabilities) when this happen than firm ability to covering long-term liabilities is reduced resulting in creditors taking on more risk than the investment of loaning money to the firm is worth. When company is facing financial distress, book value of company liabilities can become worth more than the market value of the same liabilities. If this happen, than firm is in danger of not meeting its obligations to creditors. In this case creditors may not be paid and in worst of financial distressed time, the creditors may receive nothing in interest or principal, if the firm files for bankruptcy. The importance of financial-decision making goals is to increase shareholders’ value and to keep them away from financial distress. The Predicting of financial distress is an early warning signal to keep investors from being loss. It has been more than 70 years, since Ramser & Foster, and Fitzpatrich in 1931-1932, and 44 years, since Beaver (1966) but still they have not found the theory... ...earches this paper extends the previous research work done on financial distress. We have used modified Altman Z Score as a proxy for the financial distress. After including the financially distressed and financially healthy firms in our sample, we have seen the effect of financial distress on corporate cash flows. Prior to this work hardly any paper can be seen which studies the impact of financial distress on corporate cash flows, especially in Asian context. Our work adds to the literature in a sense that it not only identifies the financially distressed firms but also measures the effect of financial distress on operating cash flows of the firms listed on Karachi Stock Exchange. Our work also contributes to the literature in establishing a fact that whether the model of financial distress developed by Altman is relevant in Pakistan’s Corporate Environment. Financial Statements Essay -- Economy, Financial Distress Financial Statements basically show the historical performance or record of the company at some previous point of time. By the time when financial statements are made public, changes are many economical areas such as market conditions, currency exchange rate and inflations can change the values of assets and liabilities. In this case there often exist discrepancies between book value of assets and their market values. In above case there might be companies that are healthy and many go through period of financial distress. In particular is the threat of not being able to meet debt obligations. The first Indication of financial distress is when firm does not have enough liquid assets (short-term assets) to cover (pay for) current liabilities (short-term liabilities) when this happen than firm ability to covering long-term liabilities is reduced resulting in creditors taking on more risk than the investment of loaning money to the firm is worth. When company is facing financial distress, book value of company liabilities can become worth more than the market value of the same liabilities. If this happen, than firm is in danger of not meeting its obligations to creditors. In this case creditors may not be paid and in worst of financial distressed time, the creditors may receive nothing in interest or principal, if the firm files for bankruptcy. The importance of financial-decision making goals is to increase shareholders’ value and to keep them away from financial distress. The Predicting of financial distress is an early warning signal to keep investors from being loss. It has been more than 70 years, since Ramser & Foster, and Fitzpatrich in 1931-1932, and 44 years, since Beaver (1966) but still they have not found the theory... ...earches this paper extends the previous research work done on financial distress. We have used modified Altman Z Score as a proxy for the financial distress. After including the financially distressed and financially healthy firms in our sample, we have seen the effect of financial distress on corporate cash flows. Prior to this work hardly any paper can be seen which studies the impact of financial distress on corporate cash flows, especially in Asian context. Our work adds to the literature in a sense that it not only identifies the financially distressed firms but also measures the effect of financial distress on operating cash flows of the firms listed on Karachi Stock Exchange. Our work also contributes to the literature in establishing a fact that whether the model of financial distress developed by Altman is relevant in Pakistan’s Corporate Environment.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Crucible Projects Essay

Select one of the following to complete independently or with a partner: People Magazine’s Love Triangle of  the Year Produce a magazine article in which you try to piece together the story of this love triangle from the various characters’ points of view. Your article should include comments by John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, and Abigail Williams. The main goal here is to understand the effect their actions had on each of the others. Be sure to bring out the major events of the story in some way. Your finished product should look like a magazine article and include various pictures or whatever your creative minds can come up with! Look at some People Magazine articles for ideas. The Crucible: An Alphabet Book For your final project, you will create an alphabet book using one letter of the alphabet per page. It may be rhyming or nonrhyming. Give your book a cover and illustrate it. As this will be your final grade, I am particularly interested in seeing that you have an understanding of the major events and themes of the novel as well as relationships between the characters. (EXAMPLE: A is for adultery. M is for McCarthyism.) The Crucible Greeting Cards Design five greeting cards that you think John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, Reverend Parris, and Abigail Williams would have sent to each other for a holiday. You choose the holiday/occasion and design the five cards, one from each of these characters. Include a picture and a quote or poem that they would have written in each card. They can be funny or serious. Be creative and make the cards look nice! I am particularly interested in seeing that you have an understanding of the major ideas and the relationships between the characters. Include an explanation with each card. The Crucible Soundtrack Create a soundtrack for the novel, choosing or composing five songs (ONE can be an instrumental). The songs must represent the main themes, moods, relationships, or events in the story in some way. Create a CD insert with appropriate artwork, artist information, dedications, and a booklet that includes lyrics and a paragraph for each song explaining how and why each relates to the book. You may burn the songs onto a CD if you’d like, but it is not required. The Crucible Diary Create a journal/diary for one of the three main characters. In that character’s voice (first person),you will create at least 10 one page, typed and dated entries based on what’s happening at the time. This will allow you to comment on the major events of the plot. You MUST comment on the following: The first appearance of the character in the story Any meeting that your character has with another of the characters Any important event that occurs in the story Any physical/psychological changes in the character Where the character leaves the story The story covers years in the character’s life so you will observe changes in the character’s acceptance in the community, the physical and/or mental condition of your character, and his/her relationship with the other characters. The main characters who will appear in your journal will be John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, Abigail Williams, Reverend Hale, and/or Reverend Parris. You may choose any of these as your â€Å"journal writer†, but all of them will appear in your journal. The Crucible Times Develop a front page from a Salem newspaper during the time/setting of this story. Your front page will be full of the story of Abigail and Company, the scandal, and/or the aftermath. The goal is to show me that you have an understanding of the plot and characters in the play. Your front page should include several of the following: 1. A banner headline 2. At least one picture with a caption 3. The lead story (at least 300 words) 4. Related side bar stories 5. Horoscope 6. Title of newspaper 7. At least one advertisement that is play related 8. Advice column 9. Gossip column 10. Classifieds

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Personal Strategic Plan Essay

I. Vision Statement: Ten years from now I plan to be in an upwardly mobile business career. II. Value Proposition: I am the hardest working applicant among all other candidates because of my professionalism and motivation. III. SWOT: Strengths: I have been communicating with the public for the last seven years through my job as a bartender. Through this job I have become very comfortable when talking to strangers and making them feel at ease when they talk to me. Weaknesses: Although I communicate well when addressing smaller groups of people I am not as well versed at formal speaking. Most times when giving speeches I tend to start speeding through my topic one because I am nervous and second because I just want to get through it. Opportunities: Technology is changing the process of applying for a job. This trend makes it easier for people to compete for jobs outside of their physical environment, which means more job opportunities. A person living here in the United States can actually work for a business located overseas. Threats: In the same way that technology helps bring more job opportunities it also has its negative affects. It used to be that you would be competing for one job with just a few applicants now with the advancements in technology you are in a way competing with other applicants globally. IV. Goals/ Strategies Goals: I plan to get into an internship program later this summer or next summer. There are many companies that offer internships to college students. There are many benefits when you participate in an internship program. It gives you a look into what exactly happens in the workplace. Along with experience it also gives you your first shot to show a potential employer what skills you can bring to a company. Sometimes if you impress the company you intern for they will offer you a job after you graduate. These things are why participating as an intern is so beneficial. Interning is a great way to get your career started before you even graduate. Strategies: There are many companies that offer internships to USI students. I plan to set up a meeting with Phillip Parker the Director of Career Services and Placement to discuss the different opportunities available. He is always sending business students e-mails about internships that come his way. As of now my busy school and work schedule has not allowed me the necessary free time to participate in an internship. Hopefully he will help me get in touch with the businesses that will be offering internships in the near future. Appendix: One of the major trends that will affect not just me but everyone in some way is technology. When you think about technology you have to think that it is always adapting, and continues to make everything that it ties into more efficient. In the business world it can make things easier from many stand points. Technology is used in communications, marketing, and management. In communication it can help people communicate globally instantaneously. A business person here in the United States can have a video conference call with their partners in China. This makes doing business globally less of a burden. Technology also affects the marketing side of business. There are so many ways to market products through the different venues that technology has created. Facebook is a good example of one of the main social networks that come in to play when you talk about businesses branching out into new marketing campaigns. Using people’s public profiles company can by ad space on Facebook and actually now waste money on advertising outside there demographic. Finally technology has also changed the way businesses can manage and supervise the things that are going on in their business. A business manager in charge of a fast food restaurant can see most of the things that are happening in their business just by logging onto a computer. They can look at the amount of money they are spending in labor and compare that to the amount of the restaurant’s sales. This helps the business world monitor more of the day to day aspects of their business. Although technology is very helpful in the business world it also poses many threats to the business person’s jobs. If you think about the aspects of communication a person could have a job here in the United States and be primarily does his job on a computer for example a web designer. Now let’s say there is a web designer in Japan who can do the same things the designer here in the United States can do but at a fraction of the cost. The employer of the web designer could just start giving work to the designer in Japan. This makes the job market here in the United States global. People are now competing for jobs not only nationally but globally. So this is a definite threat. Technology is also creates a threat when it makes things more efficient. When you think of the restaurant manager from earlier who could look at all of the restaurants he oversees, how long do you thinks his job will be safe. Technology will eventually make it so easy for one person to manage multiple aspects of the business that his job may just become part of another persons’. So technology maybe great for us now, but you also have to worry about technology becoming to efficient and making it hard for the average business person to find or keep their job. Technology can be very helpful to a point, but once it becomes too advanced it then becomes a threat.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

What Literature Can Teach Us

What Literature Can Teach Us Literature is a term used to describe written and sometimes spoken material. Derived from the Latin word  literature  meaning writing formed with letters, literature most commonly refers to works of the creative imagination, including poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction, and in some instances, journalism, and song.   What Is Literature? Simply put, literature represents the culture and tradition of a language or a people.  The concept is difficult to precisely define, though many have tried; its clear that the accepted  definition of literature is constantly changing and evolving. For many, the word literature suggests a higher art form; merely putting words on a page doesnt necessarily equate to creating literature. A canon is the accepted body of works for a given author. Some works of literature are considered canonical, that is, culturally representative of a particular genre (poetry, prose, or drama). Literary Fiction vs. Genre Fiction Some definitions also separate literary fiction from so-called genre fiction, which includes types such as mystery, science fiction, western, romance, thriller, and horror. Think mass-market paperback. Genre fiction typically does not have as much character development as literary fiction and is read for entertainment, escapism, and plot, whereas literary fiction explores themes common to the human condition and uses symbolism and other literary devices to convey the authors viewpoint on his or her chosen themes. Literary fiction involves getting into the minds of the characters (or at least the protagonist) and experiencing their relationships with others. The protagonist typically comes to a realization or changes in some way during the course of a literary novel. (The difference in type does not mean that literary writers are better than genre fiction writers, just that they operate differently.) Why Is Literature Important? Works of literature, at their best, provide a kind of blueprint of human society. From the writings of ancient civilizations such as Egypt and China to Greek philosophy and poetry, from the epics of Homer to the plays of William Shakespeare, from Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte to Maya Angelou, works of literature give insight and context to all the worlds societies. In this way, literature is more than just a historical or cultural artifact; it can serve as an introduction to a new world of experience. But what we consider to be literature can vary from one generation to the next.  For instance, Herman Melvilles 1851 novel Moby Dick  was considered a failure by contemporary reviewers. However, it has since been recognized as a masterpiece and is frequently cited as one of the best works of Western literature for its thematic complexity and use of symbolism. By reading Moby Dick in the present day, we can gain a fuller understanding of literary traditions in Melvilles time.   Debating Literature   Ultimately, we may discover  meaning in literature  by looking at what the author writes or says and how he or she says it. We may interpret and debate an authors message by examining the words he or she chooses in a given novel or work or observing which character or voice serves as the connection to the reader. In academia, this decoding of the  text is often carried out through the use of  literary theory using a mythological, sociological, psychological, historical, or other approaches to better understand the context and depth of a work. Whatever critical paradigm we use to discuss and analyze it, literature is important to us because it speaks to us, it is universal, and it affects us on a deeply personal level.   School Skills Students who study literature and read for pleasure have a higher vocabulary, better reading comprehension, and better communication skills, such as writing ability. Communication skills affect people in every area of their lives, from navigating interpersonal relationships to participating in meetings in the workplace to drafting intraoffice memos or reports. When students analyze literature, they learn to identify cause and effect and are applying critical thinking skills. Without realizing it, they examine the characters psychologically or sociologically. They identify the characters motivations for their actions and see through those actions to any ulterior motives. When planning an essay on a work of literature, students use problem-solving skills to come up with a thesis and follow through on compiling their paper. It takes research skills to dig up evidence for their thesis from the text and scholarly criticism, and it takes organizational skills to present their argument in a coherent, cohesive manner. Empathy and Other Emotions Some studies say that people who read literature have more empathy for others, as literature puts the reader into another persons shoes. Having empathy for others leads people to socialize more effectively, solve conflicts peacefully, collaborate better in the workplace, behave morally, and possibly even become involved in making their community a better place. Other studies note a correlation between readers and empathy but do not find causation. Either way, studies back the need for strong English programs in schools, especially as people spend more and more time looking at screens rather than books. Along with empathy for others, readers can feel a greater connection to humanity and less isolated. Students who read literature can find solace as they realize that others have gone through the same things that they are experiencing or have experienced. This can be a catharsis and relief to them if they feel burdened or alone in their troubles. Quotes About Literature Here are some quotes about literature from literature giants themselves. Robert Louis Stevenson: The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean; not to affect your reader, but to affect him precisely as you wish.Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey: The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel,  must be intolerably stupid.William Shakespeare, Henry VI: â€Å"I’ll call for pen and ink and write my mind.†

Monday, October 21, 2019

The Columbine Massacre essays

The Columbine Massacre essays The Columbine high school massacre took place in April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School in Jefferson County near Littleton, Colorado, United States, when two teenage students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, executed a planned attacked, killing 12 other students and a teacher before killing themselves (Wikipedia, 2004). It is believed to be the worst school After the shootings, the media painted a picture of the murderers as outcast "nerds" who were unpopular and teased by much of the school's population (Wikipedia, 2004). However, later reports revealed that both Harris and Klebold had both a close circle of friends and a wider informal social group. It was also revealed that anti-gay epithets were directed at them, although their actual sexual orientation was unknown; both had girlfriends at some point, though. Harris and Klebold were members of a clique called the "Trenchcoat Mafia" in which they wore heavy black trench coats. By the time of the shootings, most of the major members of the group had already either graduated or dropped out of Columbine. Since the murders, there have been a variety of theories attempting to explain why Harris and Klebold committed the crime (Cullen, 2004). A popular theory is that the boys, who were known as the "Trench Coat Mafia outcasts" took revenge against the bullies who had made school miserable for them. A second conclusion is that the massacre was inexplicable: It is impossible to understand what drove them to such horrific violence. However, recently, the FBI and its team of psychiatrists and psychologists came to an entirely different conclusion (Cullen, 2004). These experts say that they understand what motivated Harris and Klebold to execute such a crime, and their explanation is different and more troubling than the two conclusions that were previously most widely believed. Three months after the crime took place, the FBI held a meeting ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Turn Your Art Essay into a Masterpiece

Turn Your Art Essay into a Masterpiece Here are the guidelines on analyzing the artwork and writing your art essay. Read and get to know about some types of art essays and how they differ. An art essay is a type of essay focusing on the analysis of a given piece of art.   Art is generally referred to such genres as painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, and other types of human activity. The art essay, therefore, can be written on any of the above-described subcategories. In this article, we will review some basic principles of analyzing  the most common kinds of art. Before reading further, you may look through our art essay topics list containing 70 most popular topics about arts: 70 Art Essay Topics List Types of Art Essays An art analysis essay can be of two major types: comparative and formal. Comparative art essays are aimed at comparing two or more pieces of art with the aim of identifying the similarities and differences between them. In turn, formal art essays, serve the purpose of analyzing an art form, identifying its most salient features. Comparative analysis of an art form is based on the formal analysis. When you are doing a comparative analysis of a piece or pieces of art, you should first analyze it according to the canons of the formal approach, and then they are compared and contrasted against each other. There are two possible strategies to pursue in this case. The first strategy is called lumping, where you can analyze all details of exhibit A and then of exhibit B. The second strategy is often referred to as splitting when all details of exhibit A and exhibit B are analyzed in parallel. The formal analysis of an art piece simply means that the form is the main object of scrutiny. Such aspects as color, line, space, and mass are analyzed in the first place. In most cases, there is certain symbolism behind each fragment of the piece of art, so they need to be analyzed carefully too. When analyzing a piece of art from a formal standpoint, be sure to address such questions as: The name of the artist.    The period when this piece of art was created.    The historic context behind the analyzed piece of art.   Background of the artist.   What is the physical condition of the work?   Is it typical for the period? What movement does it belong to? Pay attention to the details (lights, colors, technique etc). Are they in harmony? Depending on the piece of art you are looking at, you may utilize different approaches in writing your art essay. For example, if you are going to write about a piece of architecture, then you should mention aspects like materials, size, shape, function. If you are looking at a painting, you are mostly interested in colors, forms, line, the depicted object, symbolism, hues, and light. If you still have questions about writing an art essay or need one to be written, feel free to contact us or place an order.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Marketing Communication (IMC) - create Marketing communication plan Essay

Marketing Communication (IMC) - create Marketing communication plan for the charity of your choice - Essay Example The UNICEF has several programs being implemented in the United Kingdom. These programs touch the areas: childcare and breastfeeding, education, communities, and interaction with the government on changing particular laws and policies that are deemed detrimental to a child’s rights. This Marketing Communications Plan will zoom in UNICEF’s program called ‘Communities’, an effort that aims to interact with various organizations that involve children and the youth to develop a new award scheme called Child Friendly Communities. UNICEF has defined the characteristics of a child-friendly community, which includes general knowledge, understanding and upholding f children’s rights and an equal regard for children with ethnic background, origin and orientation. These communities must have active programs that engage the youth and give high regard to their opinion and contribution. II. DISCUSSION 1. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS (PESTEL) There are four basic rights of a child, namely: The right to survival – life, health, nationality, nutrition and name The right to development – education, leisure, care and recreation The right for protection – from exploitation, abuse, neglect The right to participation – to expression, information, thought and religion (Child Rights 2011) However, most, if not all rights are not being observed in many parts of the world. In UK alone, studies show that there are 3.8M children considered to be living in poverty (Poor children in England as young as five hide their needs from parents to protect them from the impact of poverty, new report reveals 2011). In 2005, approximately 1.4 billion people across the globe are living in extreme poverty, and every day, around 16,000 children die from causes that are hunger related (Global Hunger 2011) The alarming figure has caused non government organizations to unite and build The Campaign to End Child Poverty, a nonprofit organization working to end child poverty in the UK. Their aim is to drive the government to improve benefits and tax credits for children, and improve housing programs as well. Though the targeted campaigns have ended in 2010, each and every organization that formed the campaign is still actively pursuing their own advocacies towards upholding of human rights for children (End Child Poverty 2011). The United Kingdom upholds several laws on children welfare and protection, particularly on their rights to education, medicine, employment and the justice system. The UK government is also an active participant in global efforts to standardize human rights laws for children, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child, United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child, among others (Children’s Rights: United Kingdom, England and Wales 2011). There are also specific programs for healthcare, not only for children but also for mothers, education and labor. In short, UK is one of th e nations that actively push for the observance of children’s rights. In terms of Economy, UK is considered to be the sixth largest in the world as on 2010, according to nominal GDP. It employs free trade among other members of the European Union (EU) and is known to be one of the countries at the forefront of technological advances (UK Economy: The British

Friday, October 18, 2019

Introduction to Child Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Introduction to Child Development - Essay Example This case study will focus on analysing the growth in different areas as exhibited by the child, and relating to the existing theory on child development (Beaver 2001, p.54). One of the aspects that make it evident that Child A has registered positive growth in both personal and social development is her development of self-control (Broadhead 2010, p. 56). From the observations, it emerges that child A has a level of self-control because she is able to express her feelings, opinions, and needs even when situations prove difficult while avoiding causing any harm to others (Brooks-Gunn, Fuligni, & Berlin 2003, p. 34). For example, on day one of the observation, child A was able to express her concerns because child B had taken her kitty (Bukatko & Daehler 2012, p. 123). Instead of grabbing it from child B, she opted to see the help from an adult so that she could get her kitty back (‘Child development’ 2007, p.23). However, despite the positive process exhibited by the child A in gaining self-control, there is evidence that she still needs to develop in other areas concerning self-control (Hoff & Shatz 2009, p. 88). For example, she needs to become more self-aware of her emotions and be able to control them effectively (Hyson 2003, p. 65). Instances when she demonstrates a need for further growth in this sector are several as indicated in the observations (Davies 2010, p. 54). A clear illustration is the fact that she was reluctant to eat after her teacher denied her the permission of having me seat close to her table (Mary & Armstrong 2003, p. 165). This shows that she is unable to handle disappointments effectively. However, her use of play materials purposely also exhibits a measure of self-control (Guhn & Goelman 2011, p. 195). In addition, on the fifth day of observation, the child exhibited self-control after intervention when she was arguing with child X. She was able to accept the proposition of sharing the doll with child X. This indicated that

What is Relativism History of Relativism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

What is Relativism History of Relativism - Essay Example Relativism therefore essentially argues that different point of views which are argued against and in favor of are equally valid and the difference only arises due to different perceptions and considerations of individuals. Relativism however, comprises of a body of knowledge and different point of views with common theme that some central aspects of our existence are actually relative to some other things. Issues such as moral principles, justifications are considered as relative to other variables such as the language, culture as well as biological make-up. It also suggests that our own cognitive biases towards certain issues actually restrict our ability to view things objectively therefore this bias can be contained towards wherever we use our senses. As such, relativitism suggests that our existence is actually situated into our cultural and linguistic contexts therefore our perceptions about truth can be relative.( Wisman, 1990) Universalism, however, deals with one universal truth and has religious and theological foundations also. Different religions including Christianity and Islam endorse the concept of one universal truth and reality. Universalism therefore can be used to identify the particular doctrines concerning the formation of all people. This paper will focus upon describing and exploring relativitism in details while also arguing whether it is defensible and can be reconciled with universalism or not. History of Relativism It is suggested that there are no significant philosophers who ever can be considered as relativists. However, the history of relativism dates back to Greek era when Protagoras of Abdera believes to have put forward a simple version of relativism in his treatise Truth. Protagoras outlined that all human beings are measure of all things and to things they belong and to things they don’t belong they don’t. Apparently, Protagoras was of the view that human beings are creatures which can be associated with certain things and a person is a measure of how he associates with those things. Protagoras went on to say that to me a wind may seem cold or hot but to you it may be different.( Rorty,1991) It is critical to understand that Greek were aware of the cultural differences since 50 Century BCE and onwards. Herodotus even went on to discuss the cultural differences and biases people of India and Persia held and suggested that if you were to ask them what are the best laws, they would probably mention their own laws as the best. Similar, references are also made in other literature wherein it was critically outlined that no behavior can be shameful if it is not to the person who is practicing it. Further, arguments were also presented regarding different conceptions of God.( Lutz,1991) Protagoras was considered as the first official voice in relativism though very little is known about him. Most of his teachings are presented as reference in the works of Plato. Plato interpreted his most of the work wherein he argued that each thing appear to me so it as to me and each thing appear to you so it is to you. Protagoras also discussed about the truth and how it appears to others. It has been argued that during recent times, four important schools of thoughts emerged in rel ativism which have actually challenged the traditional view about It is suggested that relativistic motives appear almost everywhere in philosophy and that the relativists have been able to keep many thinkers captive of their ideas despite the fact that relativistic arguments often lead to implausible conclusions. Much of 20th century thought on the relativism has been focused upon presenting the issue more coherently rather than further refining its fundamental principles. The initial focus was on the diversity of the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Week 1_development of US intelligence organizations and missions from Assignment

Week 1_development of US intelligence organizations and missions from the revolution to WWI - Assignment Example His intelligence was so superior that it assisted in the surrender of General Lee. His intelligence was obtained through a secret agent’s network. Following the assassination of President Lincoln, reward money was placed for the heads of those who conducted the act. The culprit was then caught by the Lafayette Baker’s National Detective Bureau; this led to the promotion of the Bureau (Andrew 1995, 22). The aim out of which BMI was created was to support and provide proper and adequate intelligence to armed forces. Following the need of the Civil War, the first intelligence agency was created and was named as Secret Service of the Treasury Department and during the Pacific War; the first intelligence agency to support the army as well as the navy came into being. During the session of 1882, the President Arthur promoted the thought of reforming US naval forces and this led to the establishment of ONI (Office of Naval Intelligence) (Andrew 1995, 26). The aim behind the creation of ONI was to lead the Western Hemisphere of the world and project a powerful image of US and it did so by gaining victory during the war in Spain . After the three years of the creation of ONI another intelligence organization which was similar to ONI was created for the army and was named as Military Intelligence Division with the objective of obtaining intelligence at the local and the international level to support the department of war and army. Later the President Roosevelt used intelligence in the most active manner, he first used intelligence with the aim of inciting a revolution with the region of Panama and then intelligence was used to figure out the development of military of Japan. The start of the 20th century witnessed the use of intelligence by US for domestic purposes as during the era of 1908, Bureau of Investigation of the Justice Department was established as it was believed that the agents of the Secret Service were

Abraham Lincoln's Dred Scott Decision & Peoria Speech Essay

Abraham Lincoln's Dred Scott Decision & Peoria Speech - Essay Example In addition, no blacks qualified to seize any position in any office through the introduction of the Illinois law. In a dialogue that Lincoln delivered in Peoria, he stated that if by chance, he had the power; his first inclination would be to free all slaves and dispatch them all to their native land. According to Abraham Lincoln, the position of superior and inferior in the American states meant to reduce the number of blacks entering the country. However, he later discovered that his plans were impossible since the whites needed blacks for labour. The main questions that run over his mind were whether the blacks might be both politically and socially equal to whites. Lincoln rejected this major aspect. He did not believe the black to be his equals, he never at any chance, favour the blacks. However, besides his hatred towards the blacks he tried stopping the slavery trade (Basler 121). Lincoln always denied the blacks the right to vote, he was never ready to bring on political and social equality between the black and the white. The main reason as to why he wanted to be away from the black is his hatred towards the black race. Lincoln believed there was a substantial diversity between the black and the white, which in his judgment he always prevented blacks and whites living together on the basing of ideal equality. Lincoln was always in favour of the white race, which he belonged.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Week 1_development of US intelligence organizations and missions from Assignment

Week 1_development of US intelligence organizations and missions from the revolution to WWI - Assignment Example His intelligence was so superior that it assisted in the surrender of General Lee. His intelligence was obtained through a secret agent’s network. Following the assassination of President Lincoln, reward money was placed for the heads of those who conducted the act. The culprit was then caught by the Lafayette Baker’s National Detective Bureau; this led to the promotion of the Bureau (Andrew 1995, 22). The aim out of which BMI was created was to support and provide proper and adequate intelligence to armed forces. Following the need of the Civil War, the first intelligence agency was created and was named as Secret Service of the Treasury Department and during the Pacific War; the first intelligence agency to support the army as well as the navy came into being. During the session of 1882, the President Arthur promoted the thought of reforming US naval forces and this led to the establishment of ONI (Office of Naval Intelligence) (Andrew 1995, 26). The aim behind the creation of ONI was to lead the Western Hemisphere of the world and project a powerful image of US and it did so by gaining victory during the war in Spain . After the three years of the creation of ONI another intelligence organization which was similar to ONI was created for the army and was named as Military Intelligence Division with the objective of obtaining intelligence at the local and the international level to support the department of war and army. Later the President Roosevelt used intelligence in the most active manner, he first used intelligence with the aim of inciting a revolution with the region of Panama and then intelligence was used to figure out the development of military of Japan. The start of the 20th century witnessed the use of intelligence by US for domestic purposes as during the era of 1908, Bureau of Investigation of the Justice Department was established as it was believed that the agents of the Secret Service were

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Tesla Vs. Edison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tesla Vs. Edison - Essay Example entions, they were two individuals with different personalities and mind frames leading to Tesla using imagination when it came to inventions while Edison was a sketcher and somehow disorganized. Edison however bagged over 1000 patents while Tesla had less than 300 patents. Edison is thought of as the father of moving pictures, light bulbs and phonography while Tesla is the father of radio, television, telephone and even cell phones based on his futuristic thinking (McNichol 70). A DC power is much simpler than AC and hence less effective. The DC power is used at a shorter distance powers as it lasts for short time and needs constant change or recharging. It is used in smaller electronic devices as a result. It is common in cell phones, computers and other automotive systems. It is also and used by equipment that does not require a lot of power like lamps. Since his type of power is less effective, it is stored in batteries and used as a form of back up for a short period of time before the AC power use can resume. The AC on the other hand can be transmitted over long distances and hence distributed from transformers and power plants that are far away like the way the Niagara Falls supplies electricity to neighboring states thousands of miles away. The AC is also cheaper than the DC as the wires used are less costly, can be operated easily and can be used by a wide range of electric equipment. This is what is used in most homes and industries. It is however costly in terms of stepping it up and stepping it down when necessary as a result of the equipment used (Howell 64). The AC power was the first one to be developed and invented and it was done by Tesla. The DC was a counter invention by Edison but he did it with the assistance of other people before him. It was a way of bringing down the AC invention and make people use it more but it turned out to be less effective than AC and only used as a form of backup or for the smaller electrical equipment. The war of

Monday, October 14, 2019

Three writers walk into a bar Essay Example for Free

Three writers walk into a bar Essay Edward Said was not able to forget the images he had just seen in an art exhibition of Twin Tower and London Bombing. On one hand he was really touched by the effort done by the photographers to provide the grief and pain experienced by people affected by it and on the other hand the ability of people to fight with such crime helping each other even in such ghastly period. He just stopped on the road when he saw Shweder and Nussbaum coming towards him with friendly smiles on their faces and greetings. â€Å"How do you do?† asked Nussbaum while Shweder hugged him with courtesy. Said for a moment forgot the internal discussion he was having with himself. Nussbaum said, â€Å"It has been long that we have sat together and had some hot discussions.† Said smiled and told â€Å"May be I will not be able to participate as I am just coming from an exhibition and saw some horrific pictures of terrorist attacks. I am lost thinking about those who would have done and those who would have paid prices for that. You people can carry on.† â€Å"Than, we must sit to have a simple conversation, there is a good bar nearby, shall we go there? asked Shweder. â€Å"Sure† After sitting in bar Nussbaum told, â€Å"Oh, even we people from academic fields who studies these issues can not keep ourselves out of the emotional aspects.† â€Å"Come on we are human being everything in our society and surroundings impacts our emotional, mental and intellectual states.†Ã‚   Said told. â€Å"Yes, very true,† Shweder nodded with agreement and explained further â€Å"You know what we feel in that way because we have been bought up in the families where humanitarian values and moral aspects were given importance. It is our families which rooted this feeling deep within our hearts, brain and emotions that we should empathize with others.† â€Å"No, I have a different view altogether in such scenario.† Nussbaum leaned forward to pick up almonds from the plate and explained further, â€Å"You know when I see around me, I find people running for endless destinations. They do not know or bother to know who lives next to them or who is sitting besides them. They are so busy with themselves that even husband and wives do not get time for each other as compared to the past. Compassion has lost its meaning. But such kinds of events†¦.please do not take me otherwise, I am not supporting terrorism, but I am giving my view on implications of such attacks in other way round. People have come closer to others. Said have sympathy for those whom probably he has not even seen or met. What it means? Terrorist on one hand are spreading terror but as a by product of such activities people irrespective of their ethnic, sexual, economic backgrounds are coming together to hold each other’s hand and share their pain and grief.† â€Å" Said, what do you think how people can go to such extent?† â€Å"Shweder you know fundamentalism very well, you have written so much for this particular topic. This is an ill effect of fundamentalism. These people w execute terrorist attacks are taught only what handful of people think is right. They do not get enough   freedom to choose what they want to study or learn. They only learn what these people want. The overall learning process is around such things which are not good for human society.† â€Å"Yes I know.† Anyway I feel now I am comfortable, thank you both of you.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Country Profile And History Of Malta Tourism Essay

Country Profile And History Of Malta Tourism Essay Situated in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea, only some 93 km away from the southernmost part of Sicily and 288 km east of Tunis, the Republic of Malta is one of the smallest, albeit most densely populated (1307 inhabitants/km ²), European countries. The population of 412 970  [1]  is spread over Malta and Gozo  [2]  , two main islands, which together with their corresponding archipelago comprise a surface area of 316 km2. The tale of the Maltese history is a very turbulent one and it has seen a succession of many different powers ruling its islands throughout the course of time. Maltese islands have been already colonised in prehistoric times when the first settlers came down from the nearby Sicily, establishing their Neolithic communities around 5000 BC (Trump 1972). The period around 4100 BC marked the beginning of the so-called Temple Period (Ã…Â »ebbuÄ ¡ phase) around the islands, characterized by the appearance of the rock-cut chamber tombs. The peak of the Temple period ensued in the Ä  gantija phase (3600 3200 BC), named after the eponymous site on the island of Gozo (Trump 2002). This was the first phase of the extensive building activity in the form of the megalithic structures, while the second phase took place around 3000 BC However, the prolific era of architectural prowess ceased towards 2500 BC, the buildings were abandoned and islands depopulated, until the advent of th e Bronze Age with new populations arriving and raising their settlements (2500 700 BC). In the period between 700 and 500 BC, Malta was colonised by the Phoenicians who saw the importance of islands strategic location and used their harbours for their trading business. After almost 300 years of Punic domination, which started around 500 BC, and their resulting defeat in the Punic wars, the power over the islands fell into the Roman hands in 218 BC, who incorporated them in the province of Sicily and thus the Empire. After the division of the Roman Empire, Malta was briefly occupied by Vandals and Ostrogoths in the 5th century, but in 535 AD, during the reign of Emperor Justinian I, it was assimilated by the Byzantine Empire where it remained until the Arabian conquest in 870 AD (Bonnano 2005). A chaotic medieval period followed where different rulers and ruling dynasties were replacing each other, for example, Normans, Swabians, Angevins, Aragonese, just to name a few. For a brief period of 50 years, Malta was a part of the Spanish Empire, until 1530 when it was consign ed to the Knights of the Order of Saint John who were expelled from the island of Rhodes by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Under the constant threat of the Turkish attack, Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Valette built the first fortifications on Malta (Birgu and Isla) and Fort St. Elmo to guard the entrance to the Grand Harbour. The inevitable Turkish invasion began in 1565 marking the event known in history as the Great Siege of Malta. The attack was successfully warded off and in 1566 the Knights started constructing their new city, which was to carry the name of their victorious Grand Master. For the next 232 years, Malta stayed under the command of the Knights until the French occupation in 1798 led by Napoleon. However, after only two years, the French will surrender the territory to the British and Malta will become a crown colony by the provisions of the Treaty of Paris (1814).  [3]   As an important strategic naval base to the Allied forces, Malta suffered great damage and loss of lives during WWII, while being bombed by the German and Italian forces. On 15th April 1942, King George VI awarded the country with George Cross for bravery, a symbol that is today embedded in the Maltese flag.  [4]   During the British rule, the government structure was constantly shifting. Malta was granted self-government in 1921 by the provisions of the Amery-Milner Constitution, which also allowed for the first Parliament to be established. The Constitution was suspended, restored and withdrawn in the period of three years (1930 1933) as the result of a political crisis (Zammit 2005). Nevertheless, self-government was restored to Malta between 1947 and 1964. Finally, on 21st September 1964, Malta gained independence from the colonial rule, gained sovereignty within the Commonwealth and joined the United Nations. In the following year, Malta also joined the Council of Europe. It was not until a decade later that Malta declared itself a republic, on 13th December 1974, with Sir Anthony Mamo as its first president. With the termination of the military base agreement, British troops and the Royal Navy withdrew from the islands in 1979.  [5]  In 1993, local government was reintroduced by an a ct of Parliament. Another milestone in Maltese history occurred in 2003 when the Treaty of Accession to the European Union was signed and on 1st May 2004, in the biggest enlargement of the EU history, Malta joined the Union with other nine states. Today, Malta is a parliamentary democracy whose government structure and public administration are modelled on the Westminster system. Its political scene is governed by two major political parties, which shifted in power since WWII, namely, the Nationalist Party (Partit Nazzjonalista; Christian Democratic Party) and the Labour Party (Partit Laburista; Social Democratic Party), with Nationalist party being currently in power. 2.2 Legislation on cultural heritage The earliest legislation on cultural heritage in Malta dates back to 1925 when the colonial government issued the Antiquities (Protection) Act which was the consolidated edition of a series of earlier ordinances issued from 1907. The Act was followed by the creation of the Antiquities list in 1932, which contained the records of sites and properties under protection. Heritage was next mentioned in 1991, in the context of Act Nr. V of the Environment Protection Act which proclaimed that ministers responsible for the environment have the power to declare any natural or cultural site as protected. In the succeeding Development Planning Act of 1992, cultural heritage is introduced through the scheduling of properties for conservation. The old Antiquities Act was superseded in 2002 by the Cultural Heritage Act which was to rectify the imbalances that had existed since the times of antiquated governance and institute structural changes which would reflect the current needs by making provisions for management, regulation and conservation of cultural heritage (Grima Theuma 2006). The Cultural Heritage Act (2002), the principal tool that protects the cultural heritage in Malta, defines cultural heritage as movable and immovable objects of artistic, architectural, historical, archaeological, ethnographic, paleontological and geological importance and includes information or data relative to cultural heritage pertaining to Malta or to any other country. The CHA established a number of different entities, such as Heritage Malta, Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, Committee of Guarantee, Malta Centre for Restoration (merged with Heritage Malta in 2005), National Forum and Cultural Heritage Fund (administered by the Committee of Guarantee). The functions and objectives of selected entities will be detailed later in this chapter (2.3). Guardianship Deed is an important tool introduced by the CHA (Article 48), with the SCH in charge of the administration process. It encourages involvement at grassroots level by allowing cultural heritage NGOs and local councils to enter into contract with the State which can transfer to them immovable cultural property in guardianship. This can only be done with properties such as archaeological sites, fortresses, towers and buildings which are public property. If the agreement in the notarial act is for some reason cancelled, the land returns to the government and the public ownership of the site is not lost. Government gives LCs or NGOs special rights on these properties, especially economic rights, because they can make money from the sites through fundraising and keep the money for restoration of buildings. This is an exception because usually, an NGO cannot perform fundraising activities on a public property. A GD is extremely helpful because it allows the state to transfer the neglected properties which would otherwise probably never be restored. Up until now, ten properties were entrusted to NGOs (nine to Din l-Art Helwa and one to Wirt Artna) and one to the Tarxien Local Council for a WWII shelter (SCH 2010). The number seems to indicate either a lack of interest or poor awareness of the opportunities offered by the GD (SCH 2010). The National strategy for cultural heritage was published in 2006 by the Ministry for Tourism and Culture as a further step in the implementation of the Cultural Heritage Act. The main objectives identified in this document are citizen participation, improved governance, development of cultural resources and sustainable use of heritage resources (MTC 2006a). The Local Councils Act was approved by the Maltese Parliament on 30 June 1993. It was based on the COEs European Charter of Local Self-Government which the Government ratified earlier that same year. The Act created a system of local government authorities and gave them considerable responsibilities and functions, all of which are described in Articles 33 through 48. In relation to cultural heritage, the LCA limited LCs involvement in cultural heritage projects, however, Article 48 of the CHA enabled them to assume the role of custodians by entering into the Guardianship deed with the government. This process has already been discussed earlier in this text. The Development Planning Act was created in 1992 and makes provisions for the planning and management of development and for the establishment of an authority with powers to that effect (DPA 1992, 1). The articles 46 through 47 are of interest here as they refer to cultural and natural heritage and authorize the agency in question (MEPA) to schedule property for conservation, to manage and review the list of scheduled property and to make emergency conservation orders. The Structure Plan for the Maltese Islands was published in 1990 by the Planning Services Division of the Ministry for Development of Infrastructure. It is different from the DPA, in that it designates various types of conservation areas and properties, Chapter 15 of the SPMI identifies complementary policies which apply to those areas and properties. It further ranks the properties according to their significance and degree of protection. Listed buildings in Urban Conservation Areas are graded as Grades 1 to 3; Areas and Sites of Archaeological Importance are classified from Class A to D, while Areas of Ecological Importance and Sites of Scientific Importance are rated from Level 1 to 4 (SPMI 1990). 2.3 Relevant authorities In the last twelve years, culture has shifted between several ministerial portfolios, presently constituting a part of Ministry for Education, Culture, Youth and Sports (Attard 2010). Before the CHA of 2002, there was only the Museums Department, the state administrative unit, which was both the operator and the regulator, functions which are today performed by Heritage Malta and the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. Since the Museums Department was not covered by law, there was not much information to be found on the subject. They had no autonomy, but they had a budget with which they ran the museums, while the revenue from the ticket sales went back to the government (Cutajar 2010). The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage (Sovrintendenza Tal-Patrimonju Kulturali) is a national agency responsible for the regulation of all matters pertaining to the cultural heritage of Malta. Their mission, as defined by Article 7, paragraph 1 of the CHA is to fulfil the duties of the State in ensuring the protection and accessibility of Maltas cultural heritage. Article 7, paragraph 5 details all the functions of the SCH, some of which are: development, managing and updating the National inventory of cultural property; promoting research in the field of cultural heritage; authorising and conducting excavations; keeping and managing documentation and archives in relation to cultural heritage; the monitoring of import and export of cultural goods; enforcement of the laws; advising the Minister and MEPA on heritage matters; administration of Guardianship deeds with NGOs and local councils. SCH is headed by the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage and currently consists of eleven st aff members (Attard 2010). Since 2007, they have administered the Cultural Heritage Inventory Management System (CHIMS) project, a national database for heritage data management, which attempts to improve access to information. The agency keeps a meticulous record of their publications namely, Annual Reports and State of heritage reports which can be accessed online on their official website. Heritage Malta is an operating agency, established to ensure that those elements of the cultural heritage entrusted to it are protected and made accessible to the public (CHA 2002, Art.8, para.1). HMs main task is management of State-owned museums and heritage sites, their related collections on the islands of Malta and Gozo, and UNESCO World Heritage Sites (HM 2008). The agency is governed by a Board of Directors. In 2005, the amendment to the CHA merged the former Malta Centre for Restoration with HM, and thus gave rise to the Institute of Conservation and Management of Cultural Heritage which offers academic and vocational courses in conservation in collaboration with MCAST and the University of Malta.  [6]   Further functions of the Agency are elaborated upon in Article 8, paragraph 4 of the CHA, some of which are acquisition of properties, collections, sites and buildings; performing or commissioning conservation or restoration of owned or administered cultural properties; promoting education and appreciation of heritage to the general public; ensuring that all of the heritage sites entrusted to them are managed, conserved, studied and presented in the best way possible. HM has successfully managed to capitalize upon different EU funding schemes for their cultural heritage and conservation programmes. Following is a selection of some of the ongoing projects: SMARTmuseum (FP7) development of a platform for innovative IT services; Rehabilitation of Roman Baths and Christian Catacombs in Mgarr and Mosta (EAFRD); MINERVA Digitisation Project; Ä ¦aÄ ¡ar Qim and Mnajdra Archaeological Park (ERDF) installation of protective shelters, conservation and presentation, Med.Archeo.Sites: Study and Valorisation of Archaeological Sites of the Mediterranean Area.  [7]  The latest and a rather significant project is a 9.2à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ million Archaeological Heritage Conservation Project (ERDF) launched in mid-2008. It will run until March 2013 and includes works on three sites, two of which are part of the Maltese Megalithic temples WHS (Ä  gantija and Tarxien temples), while the third is on UNESCOs Tentative List (St. Pauls Catacombs in Rab at). The project includes construction of elevated walkways for both WHSs, a museum and a visitors centre at Ä  gantija, and a temporary protective shelter, similar to the ones at Ä ¦aÄ ¡ar Qim and Mnajdra, over the Tarxien temples (HM 2008). Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) was established by the provisions of the Development Planning Act (1992) and its role further reinforced by the Environment Protection Act (2001). It is a national agency in charge of land use planning and environmental regulation in Malta.  [8]  MEPA is subdivided into the Development Planning Directorate, Environment Protection Directorate, Directorate for Corporate Service and the Chairmans Office, all of which are carrying out the agencys responsibilities. The Planning Directorate is further split into the Forward Planning Division and the Development Services Division. It is within FPD that the Heritage Planning Unit (HPU), which is responsible for all matters pertaining to cultural and natural heritage, is placed. A full list of HPUs obligations and duties can be found explained in detail in Structure Plan for the Maltese Islands (Chapter 15), EPA and DPA (Chapters 46 48). Some of the main tasks of HPU are providing general information on heritage, legal protection of immovable heritage and heritage related planning, scheduling properties and maintaining the Malta Scheduled Property Register, publishing guidelines for restoration,  [9]  internal  [10]  and public awareness projects.  [11]   Within the Public Awareness section of the HPUs website one can find links to X-Plain and One World. X-Plain is a four-page long newsletter on MEPAs monthly activities, whose first issue was published in May 2007. There were seven issues published in 2007 and only three in 2008 which clearly shows that the newsletter has been discontinued. One world, on the other hand, was a special column in Times of Malta newspaper where, in the period from May 2007 until June 2009, a series of articles on cultural heritage of Malta were published. There is also an informative section with answers to some frequently asked questions such as the definition of buffer zones, how to check if ones property has been scheduled or which works can be carried out within scheduled property without development consent. MEPA and HPU are encouraging citizen involvement so, for instance, every citizen can request a property to be scheduled and thus legally protected and enlisted in MSPR by filling the appropriate form available on the MEPA website. The Maltese National Commission for UNESCO was created when Malta gained independence in 1964. Although a national commission, it comprises of volunteer staff members whose energy, resources and time they can spend are infinitesimal compared to national commissions of other countries that employ full-time personnel. The Maltese National Commission for UNESCO organises local projects which are in line with the mission and objectives of the parent organisation located in Paris.  [12]  Some of the projects related to Maltas WHSs include a preparation of a reactive monitoring report for City of Valletta and publication of The Tarxien Temples: Teachers Resource Book Worksheets. The Commission runs the official website where one can gather information about their activities and members. The News section of the site brings updates on news related to global UNESCOs activities. Local councils, as already mentioned in the section on legislation, were created in 1993 as required by the LCA. There are altogether 68 local councils of which 54 are located in Malta and 14 in Gozo. LCs are, by legal definition, responsible for a number of things (Articles 33 48, LCA), and specifically excluded from a number of other things, most of which are dealing with cultural sites. They have the right to organise local festas or other folkloristic activities, and deduct funding for culture from their own resources. LCs spend a lot of money on restoration of local chapels and publications, but national monuments, such as the Megalithic temples WHS, are not their responsibility as those are funded from the government budgets and managed by the national agency (Heritage Malta). Tarxien, Qrendi, MÄ ¡arr and XagÄra are local councils of special interest here since the Megalithic temples WHS are situated in their administrative units. Following is a short analysis of inf ormation that these LCs provide on the temples to interested parties. The office of XagÄra Local Council does not contain any HM brochures on Ä  gantija. A member of the LC informed the author that they do not receive these brochures from Heritage Malta at all. However, they do have a catalogue which lists all the sites of historical interest in XagÄra, though it wasnt specified if this is something available for purchase or only for library use. The book was not available for viewing at the time of the authors visit. The official website of the LC was no more informative either. It contains a link  [13]  which shows an interactive map of XagÄra with clickable points of interest. Upon clicking the point for Ä  gantija, the visitor enters a new page with information on Ä  gantija temples and one photo of the site. The text does not mention that Ä  gantija is UNESCO WHS. Another link  [14]  provides some brief information on the history of Gozo, starting from prehistoric times, and includes one more photo of Ä  gantija. The website of MÄ ¡arr Local Council provides specific information on the Ta Ä ¦aÄ ¡rat and Skorba temples accompanied by one photo of each site.  [15]  Almost everything is in Maltese, with only some content translated into English. The English version of the site displays information on the history of the village featuring links to the HM website and their information on the temples.  [16]  The author did not have a chance to meet a representative of this LC despite several communication attempts. The office of the Qrendi Local Council, just like the XagÄra LC, does not contain any HM brochures. The secretary of the LC stated regrettably that there is no cooperation between them and Heritage Malta although they have expressed their interest on many occasions. On the other hand, the LC seems to cooperate and consult more freely with MEPA concerning cultural heritage issues. From time to time the council organises cultural and educational outings, however, none of these were done at Ä ¦aÄ ¡ar Qim or Mnajdra WHSs. They have also designed several heritage walks, itineraries through the village of Qrendi and its significant buildings, mainly local chapels and churches, a palace, a tower and a public garden.  [17]   In 2009, the council organized a cultural event From prehistory to the digital era during which one lecture on the temples of Ä ¦aÄ ¡ar Qim and Mnajdra was held. The official website of the LC is available in both Maltese and English. One of the links entitled ArkeoloÄ ¡ija contains three further sections on the archaeological sites around the village, two of which are Ä ¦aÄ ¡ar Qim and Mnajdra. The article on the temples is short but it does mention their WH designation.  [18]  Another link allows access to a number of press releases related to the landfill site controversy issued by the Council.  [19]   At the time of the authors visit, the Tarxien Local Council offices were closed and further efforts to establish contact with an LC representative have failed. The official website contains a couple of links which refer to the temples, although their contents are questionable. The link which describes the history of the village, including several (incorrect) references to the temples, quotes heavily from an outdated book, published in 1932.  [20]  Another link, although entitled Postijiet Interessanti (eng. interesting places), did not find the temples interesting enough to be included in the overview. Finally, the last link brings a short article on the Tarxien temples WHS with three images.  [21]  The website is available in Maltese with Italian translation. 2.4 Cultural Heritage NGOs The two major cultural heritage NGOs in Malta are Din L-art Helwa and Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna which are both interested in various aspects of cultural heritage. Several other NGOs, with varying degrees of involvement, are also included in this overview. Din L-art Helwa (National Trust of Malta) is a voluntary organisation established in 1965. Their mission is protection, conservation, management and maintenance of historic monuments and buildings, taking care of the environment and environmental issues, raising awareness and the promotion of heritage to the public. Din l-Art Helwa functions as a Trust, implying that it is restoring the sites on behalf of the State, the Church, and private owners (Vigilo 2010). Membership in the organisation is open to all. Since 2003, Din l-Art Helwa holds nine properties in trust which were transferred to it by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage via the first Guardianship deed.  [22]  Sites are manned by volunteers who keep them open for visitors. The Organizations website offers in-depth information about their sites, campaigns and projects. Moreover, it is often updated with information about current events and offers e-mail subscription to their newsletter. There are also many useful publications available for download, such as brochures with proposed walks through their sites and Vigilo, the organisations bulletin. Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna (The Malta Heritage Trust) is a voluntary organisation established in 1987. Their focus lies on restoration, presentation and management of mainly neglected rural and industrial sites, as well as British and medieval military heritage.  [23]   The foundation both owns properties and holds them in trust. Apart from one prehistoric temple in their ownership,  [24]  the rest of the properties are mostly late medieval and 20th century military structures such as ramparts, bastions, forts, towers, bridges and defence posts. There are several sites currently open to public  [25]  which are looked after by the volunteers and paid staff. Wirt Artna is running many different projects as diverse as conservation and restoration works on their properties, historical re-enactments as an interpretation tool (Living history), education and awareness raising about military heritage among schoolchildren (Hands-on Heritage). Membership in the organisation is open to all. The official website of the foundation does not offer a subscription to a newsletter, however, they do make good use of new internet media and opened a group Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna on Facebook, a social networking platform anyone with a Facebook account can join and automatically keep track of the groups updates. The foundations Facebook group also contains photo albums with images of various events they organised. The group currently has 813 members. Wirt GÄawdex is a non-governmental organisation created in 1981 whose activities and projects are primarily concerned with the historical, archaeological and natural heritage of the islands of Gozo and Comino. Wirt GÄawdex is involved in restoration projects on monuments such as late medieval watchtower, chapels, bastions and a gunpowder magazine.  [26]  They are also organizing tours to sites of cultural significance on the islands and holding public lectures. In relation to the Megalithic temples WHS, there has only been one lecture entitled Prehistoric Temples of Gozo, held in April 2010, since the organisation started with the lecture programme in 2006. Furthermore, in the period between 2006 and 2009, there were only a total of eight tours organized, and apart from the visit to Hypogeum and Tarxien Temples in April 2007, there were no other visits to WHS, surprisingly, not even to Ä  gantija which is situated on the island itself. The official website does not offer a newsletter subscription, but some of the issues can be downloaded in .pdf format directly from the site. Membership in this organisation is open to all. The Old Temples Study Foundation (OTSF) is a US non-profit organisation established in 1994 whose mission is to foster education and research related to prehistoric culture in Malta. The foundation has lately only been focused on organising educational travel trips for Americans who wish to visit Malta and holding lectures and exhibitions in the US on Maltese culture and heritage. In the past, the OTSF organised a number of different activities and projects, what follows is a selection of those that were addressed to the Maltese population. Student Prehistoric Heritage Awareness Project: in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and former Museums Department, OTSF published a teachers handbook on Maltese prehistoric heritage which was distributed in Maltese schools. The year the project was undertaken has not been published on their website and there is no possibility to see what the handbook looked like. Tell me about the Maltese temples is another book which evolved from the previous project. It is an illustrated bilingual (Maltese English) book for use in classrooms which was published in year 2000. In 2003, the Foundation organized an international conference entitled Exploring the Maltese Prehistoric Temple Culture (EMPTC) which gathered experts from around the world.  [27]   The OTSF hosts a FAQ section on their official website which provides information on the megalithic culture of Malta for children. The author attempted to arrange a meeting with a representative of the Foundation while in Valletta and left her contact details with the secretary, unfortunately, there was no feedback afterwards. Archaeological society Malta (ASM) is

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Graduation Speech: Give as You Have Never Received. :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

As we look back on our past we inevitably lose sight of our future, yet as we gaze into the future it seems so difficult to enjoy the present. Some say that we should live for the moment but they're so commonly the ones always whining about the unforeseen. Other say to live for a purpose, they seem inevitably to mean that you should neglect what's truly important in life in the name of money, power and fame. Uncle Sam says to live for your country, but that seems so commonly synonymous with dying for it, and if you do, you are a hero in my eyes. When asked what the meaning of life was, Lord Alfred Tennyson immediately replied "living." When someone asks you, what will you say? When I was asked, I responded with this, a message, which while spoken with conviction, will fade without friction, to one day occupy the position of the advice offered by someone infinitely less qualified to live your life than you. This is neither the end nor the beginning. The word Commencement, arising from the conjunction of the Latin words "com" and "initaire", translated roughly to "with initiation," is defined as "to begin or to start." But indeed you've already started. Upon enrolling in Jacobs Community, I joined the rowing team. Every day I woke up at 4:15 in the morning. Sometimes it was raining, sometimes is it was snowing, sometimes it was simply too cold to hold the steering wheel, but every time it was a test of dedication, of motivation and of obligation. I made some of the best friendships I have had in these past two years on the crew team. I shared some of the most rewarding moments of my life with my teammates. Did you take time the time to join a club while at Jacobs? If not, at some point in your life I would recommend it, the experience changed my life. Every Wednesday, a retired thirty-year-old deep-sea diver, one of the many amazing people I have met at EvCC and a fine teammate in rowing, would force me to run a few miles along the paths by Langus Park after crew practice. Along the side of the trial were mile markers, not ostentatious nor neglected, merely displayed clearly as to show one how far he or she had gone... they never told us how much further we had to go.

Friday, October 11, 2019

A Study in Sociology Essay

Suicide always fascinated academic researches for a long time however it is has been an area of study limited to the field of psychology. Sociology is a relatively new field of social sciences. It started looking into suicide, not just as a personal act, but as a social action which is not entirely divorced from social forces. This paper discusses pertinent studies on the phenomenon of suicide and seeks to present literatures concerning this act. Moreover, differing ideas and interpretations on suicide are presented to carefully elaborate different perspectives on the subject matter. A Study in Sociology Arguably the first person to connect suicide to the study of sociology is sociologist Emile Durkheim. He presented that although suicide is a personal choice of the individual, the act is not separated from the context of a society. He looked into pre-existing records and analyzed suicide trends in different societies. Based on these suicide trends, there are four classifications of suicide: 1) Egoistic; 2) Altruistic; 3) Anomic and; 4) Fatalistic. Social cohesion plays a vital role in Durkheim’s theories on suicide. Egoistic suicide occurs when a person has a relatively low degree of integration into a society. On the other hand, a high degree of integration into a society can also result in suicides that are meant for a higher cause within a society. He also argued that changes in social order and the individual’s perception towards social change would explain anomic suicides. The phenomenon of fatalism takes place in extreme social contexts, where a person would decide on killing himself rather than suffering dire social conditions (Durkheim, 1951). Self and Society From an object of study limited to psychology, suicide became a subject of sociology. Durkheim’s research proved that the traditional perspective that view the subject matter as a psychological behavior and entirely individualistic in nature is a constricted framework when looking into suicide. This implies that social structures, social forces as well as social conflicts and changes are intervening factors in a suicide phenomenon. C. Wright Mills (2000) supported that one cannot separate behaviors and actions of an individual from the larger social context. He wrote that â€Å"the personal troubles of the milieu are connected to the public issues of social structure. † The individual committing suicide must therefore be located in his social as well as historical contexts. Current Trends on Suicide Studies After Mills and Durkheim laid the foundations of suicide as a sociological subject, numerous studies concerning suicide have been conducted in both psychology and sociology. Currently, suicide studies are interconnected with other factors such as gender, poverty, small arms, mental disorders and even medicine. It is now linked to modernity (Baudelot and Establet, 2008), attitudes and experiences of oncology patients (Emanuel, Fairclough, Daniels & Clarridge, 1996), a demographic-specific trend such as adolescents (Brent, et. al. , 1988), cultural forces (West, 2005), economic conditions (Ruhm, 2000), as well as access to weapons (Brent, et. al. 1991). Suicide and Modernity Baudelot and Establet (2008) worked with Durkheim’s premises in their study of suicide. They stated that â€Å"The link between suicide, affluence and individualism is more complex—suicide rates do reflect broad social trends but they are also influenced by the structural position and lived experience of small social groups. The notion of social well-being is demonstrated to be a key factor in changes in suicide rates. † While sociology itself cannot accurately predict a suicide case, the collective gathering of these cases provides a fertile ground for sociological interpretations. Modernity is a historical as well as social era where social changes occur and these cases of suicide are descriptive of their milieu. Suicide, seen as such in the context of modernity, is a social fact. It describes the changes that occurred during the time of modernity. Societies that are rigid in its goals during the time of modernity are those that adamantly pursued modernization. It is in this context that suicide rates are known to be higher in the Communist Bloc, China and India (Baudelot and Establet, 2008). Economics and Suicide While both affluent and starving groups of individuals commit suicide, the role of economics cannot be downplayed in the study of suicide. On the macro-economic level, the period of modernity prominently features suicide trends in a time where economies were vibrant and booming. On the other hand, a stagnating economy, such as in a recession, also has an effect on suicide. Ruhm (2000) argues that â€Å"unemployment is negatively correlated to mortality and that unemployment is positively correlated to suicide. † In Japan, suicide is seen in a cultural context. Since individuals in the Japanese society are strongly connected to their social, political and cultural spheres, there is tendency for the push and pull of altruistic-egoistic suicide to occur. This is seen when the rule of law in Japanese society permeates the personal sphere such that debts and divorces are major factors affecting suicide (West, 2005). Suicide and Norms Sociology also attempted to explain suicide in a broader sense—by zooming out of the individual and focusing on social factors that affect the phenomenon. Psychology argues that those committing suicide are psychologically ill or that the individuals committing them are inept in their coping mechanisms. While suicide might seem irrational, there are rational premises that are least likely explored. Societies that are relatively more tolerant of suicide, as well as the individual’s cognitive ability to rationalize the act are also extraordinary factors contributing to suicide trends. Rendering rational suicide normative in a society creates the positive feedback mechanism necessary for a rational suicide to occur. This type of suicide is also surprisingly limited to a specific demographic, namely the educated and successful. Rationality of Suicide One of the fundamental question relating suicide and society lies in the rationality of the act. Is the act ‘rational’ based only on the perceptions and actions of the individual, thereby rendering the act an exclusive study within psychology? Or is this rationality of the act itself being defined not only in terms of the individual’s values but a rationality that is predetermined by the values and norms of a society? Although there are many reasons for suicide, there are factors that least likely determine suicidal trends, but are potent social forces (i. e. education, family, religion) that must be considered. Suicide occurs for a number of reasons such as depression, substance abuse, shame, avoiding pain, financial difficulties or other undesirable fates. † Defying the commonplace definition is the concept of rational suicide. Rational suicide is â€Å"ending one’s life out of a conviction that one has lived long enough, that the likely future holds more pain than joy† (Lerner, 2004). Surprisingly, rationality of a suicide act Keown (1995) showed that there is prime value placed on the moral intention behind the act of death itself. This applies not just in euthanasia but also in rational suicide. What are the intentions behind the suicide? Is the decision independent of life’s problems that can be solved? Is it free from outside pressure from a belief system, mores or culture itself? This is the litmus test of the rationality or irrationality of suicides. Sociological and psychological studies attempted to look into the duality of forces working on suicides—individual and social. It is arguably psycho-social factors that are deterministic of the suicide trends across societies. Social institutions, many sociological studies posit, are playing a huge role in the nature and type of suicides in a given society. Stack and Kposowa (2008) concludes that: â€Å"National suicide rates are predictive of individual-level suicide acceptability. However, the main predictors of suicide acceptability included a measure from social learning theory, religiosity, and a neglected measure of control theory, life satisfaction. † While the act of committing suicide is a very individualistic act, there are factors to be considered that are social forces with repercussions and influences on individual action. The act of suicide presents how the personal milieu is linked to the larger issues within the social institutions. References: Baudelot C. and Establet R. (2008) Suicide: The Hidden Side of Modernity. John Wiley Publications. Brent, D. A. , Perper, J. A. , Goldstein, C. E. , Kolko, D. J. , Allan, M. J. , Allman, C. J. , and Zelenak, J. P. (1988) Risk factors for adolescent suicide. A comparison of adolescent suicide victims with suicidal inpatients. Archives of General Psychiatry. Vol. 45, No. 6, June 1988.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

My Dog Skip

English 101 09/17/2012 Gonzalo Garcia My dog skip When my english professor said to me that we was going to see â€Å"My dog Skip†, sincerely, I thought the film would be very boring. â€Å"the typical family film† I said. The only fact that glad me was that we went going to miss class. The praises that the professor said about the movie was useless, I thought that the movie would be boring. So, I started to see the movie. Soon I realized that the movie is not the comedy film, it is different.Little by little it begins to engage you until you cannot stop seeing the film. This movie does not look for too funny with a simple story line, easily jokes, and characters without evolution. My dog skip go far away showing a very good story line, an excellent soundtrack, and a excellent characters The story is set in 1942, town of Yazoo City, Mississippi during World War II. The story explores a family of three, Jack, Ellen, and Willie Morris. Willie is a shy boy. Ellen decides to go against father's orders and purchase Willie a faithful companion of his own for his birthday: a puppy.Although Jack firmly opposes this gift, his wife convinces him Willie is old enough to take care of a dog. Willie names his new friend Skip. The dog will become very well-known and popular among locals, and assist children to have higher self-confidence causing Willie make their first friends. The story line although it may seem simple in its approach is very deep and emotive. The story is about things like the value of friendship. For example, can be seen as the beginning of a child movie Willie is sad, lonely and left mauling by his classmates.But this situation is changing when he gives his dog skip and start having friends becoming someone much happier and self-confident. Another subject on which the film is about is the difficulty of integration that can have a young child due to continuing taunts that he receives from their peers. Causing great uncertainty in himself tha t prevents that he tries to relate to other children. At the beginning of the movie can be seen as Willie always is alone and with his head down due to its insecurity. This not only causes sadness in himself, also in their parents who feel the sadness of your child as much as the.Also another issue that the movie is about is that of a young man who gets involved in the war. In the film can be seen as both man that going to war and their loved ones and friends suffer by the uncertainty of whether he will return. This can be seen especially in the scene in which the bus returning from the army but they do not see the guy that they are expecting what causes them great sorrow. The best part of the movie is the final. When Willie is already elder and tells us the story of skip, is as Skip was our dog. It is very emotive. Is very difficult do not get excited with it.It is one of the best finals that I have never seen. Overall â€Å"My Dog Skip† has an excellent soundtrack. Always p erfectly accompanies the action. Generally is very quiet and leisurely helping to get involved more and more in the story line. This soundtrack gives as result some moments very emotional. For example when some men hit skip with a shovel and let him unconscious. Is likely to cry with this part. Other moment that stands out is when his mother gives Skip to Willie for first time and his father takes it away. In this part you feel sadness after they had seen the face of joy Willie and his later disappointment.Also must be emphasized the end of the movie already discussed above. In all these moments the soundtrack accompany action perfectly making us feel part of the movie. Finally, also must be emphasized that he characters also are very good. In general all characters are good, but in my opinion there are three characters that highlight over the rest: Jack is the heartbroken father who lost his leg in war years ago. Ellen is the simple minded housewife doing more manual labors than wo men usually complete. Willie, the protagonist with skip, is their lonely son-maybe ten years of age.He has no local friends, is poor at sports and teased at school. His best acquaintance is in his mid-twenties, a mechanic named Dink (Luke Wilson), who is called for battle not too long into the picture, leaving Willie all alone. Willie is the best character. He achieves get excited with his starring. For example, when he sees how one man hit Skip with one shovel. This scene is so hard that is almost impossible do not cry. Willie transmits his feelings very good, when he issad we are sad and when he is happy we are happy. This is the magic of this film. Moreover, we cannot forget Skip. He is only a dog, but I do not how I love him.May be, because I also had a dog, when I was younger and I fell identified with Willie and Skip. In conclusion, My dog Skyp is a very good film. Although at the beginning it seem a typical comedy film soon it engages you thanks to beautiful story, the good c haracters, and the emotive soundtrack. Every thing in the movie works good, there are not something that lower the lever. May be the only negative thing is that history is predictable. You know that something bad will happen to skip and that the finale will be sad. But the movie will remain in your memory during a lot of time, specially his fantastic finale.