M Study Guide Best Books and Schedule

SAT II Biology E/M Study Guide Best Books and Schedule SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The SAT II Biology E/M Subject Test is a good choice for students looking at medicine or who want to show off their hard science skills. But what's the best way to study for the Biology E/M Subject Tests? What are good books and study schedules? Read this guide to find out! Note: I am not affiliated with any of the book publishers below. Neither I nor PrepScholar get paid for any sales of the books below, allowing us to provide the most neutral reviews. Who Should Take the SAT Subject Tests in Biology E/M? Taking a few SAT Subject Tests is mandatory for a number of selective colleges. Colleges use these tests to see which subjects you're especially strong in. For example, if the overall message of your application is that you want to be a future doctor, being strong in biology is a very important signal to send. The Biology E/M Subject Tests are also good for someone who is usually stronger in the humanities but wants to signal their strength in a science that's not too mathy. There are two Biology Subject Tests: Biology Ecological (Biology-E) or Biology Molecular (Biology-M). According to the College Board, Biology-E "leans more toward biological communities, populations, and energy flow" while Biology-M is "geared toward biochemistry, cellular structure and processes, such as respiration and photosynthesis." Both versions are 60 minutes long, include 80 multiple-choice questions, and are scored on a scale from 200 to 800. Sixty of the test questions are identical for both versions of the exam, and the last 20 are specialized to either E or M. No calculator is allowed. As for all SAT Subject Tests, you should only take a Biology Subject Test if you know you'll do well. If you're not sure how well you'll score, take and score a practice Biology Subject Test. If you get at least a 500, you're probably in a good place to score well with some additional practice. A low Subject Test score does reflect badly on you. It shows that the biology course you're taking in school may be too easy, and you can't compete in a standardized setting. In fact, I would go as far as to say don't take a Biology Subject Test test if you can't get at least 550: even a 550 is around the worst 20th percentile. Therefore, I will only focus on two groups of scorers in this guide: those scoring from 500-650, and those scoring from 650-750 (with a bonus section for those 750 or higher!) Biology E/M Tips for Everyone To maximize your score on Biology E/M Subject Tests, know that the best time to schedule your test is right around the end of your most difficult biology course in high school. For example, if you take biology in 11th grade, and your biology finals in May or June, seriously consider the June test date. You'll have maximized your bio knowledge at that time. If you take the test too early you won't have covered some items in your course, and if you take the test too late and you'll start to forget important biology info. Also it's great to time your test near your bio finals because you can double your efficiency in studying. If you're taking biology senior year, and you've already taken a year of biology, then you won't be able to take the Subject Test at the end of the class, since the end of your senior year will be too late for colleges to see your results. The latest you should take Subject Tests is the fall of your senior year, so you'll likely have to do some independent studying to make sure you know all the necessary information for the Biology Subject Test. The best study resources for the Biology Subject Tests are official practice tests. You can purchase the Official SAT Subject Test Study Guide in Biology for about $13, which includes two complete practice tests with answer keys. We recommend everyone taking the Subject Test take at least two or three practice tests. Advice for People Scoring 500-650 As I mentioned above, 550 is around 20th percentile, and 500 is 12th. Thus, if you find yourself still not being able to score higher than 550 on your last practice test, consider taking another subject very, very seriously. You'll want to put around 20 hours into studying. Some of this can be concurrent with your bio final in school (see above). One of the best books for scorers in this range is the Princeton Review SAT II Biology E / M guide. I have many issues with the Princeton Review general SAT books, but their SAT Biology E/M book is a very quick read and can be finished in 20 hours for sure. You'll want to take a few practice tests: three would be ideal. The first one is for calibration (to see what range you're in), so you don't need to waste an official practice Subject Test on that. The second one you can take the real SAT II Biology test released for free online by the College Board. The final one, save for a couple of days before the test to perfect your timing. But again, if your score on this final practice exam isn't above 550, don't take the real test. Advice For People Scoring 650-750 Okay, You're doing better on the SAT II biology - you're clearly in the range where the Biology E/M is a good choice to send to your college (although make sure it is at least 100 points above your average general SAT score). If you're scoring on the lower end of this range, or don't want to spend much time (maybe 15 hours or less) on the study, follow the same schedule and book as above. The people remaining should be those who really want to gun towards a perfect. For you folks, I strongly recommend Barron's SAT II Biology E / M guide in addition to going through the Princeton Review guide above. Barron's was my personal favorite book in high school. It's more difficult than needed, which means if you can ace Barron's, you can ace the actual test. If you're aiming for a large gain at the high end of this range, use the Princeton Review guide as a refresher. Much of it will cover items that you know already, but there will be surprising holes it will fill. Their tests can be inaccurate for some of the more difficult problems, but you can "burn" these tests for your initial test and for some extra practice. At the 8-10 hour mark, move on to Barron's. Are You Putting in a Lot of Study Time But Not Improving? Many of the above books focus on quick summaries of biology in just a few hours. Unlike the general SAT or ACT, SAT Subject Tests are less about strategy, and actually quite a bit about knowing the content. For advancing your content understanding, there is a silver bullet, but it may be a tough bullet to swallow: Campbell Biology. This beast takes hundreds of hours to read completely, but it is known as the bible in AP Biology. Fully understanding this book qualifies you to be among the top 20 bio students in the US. It's not for the faint of heart, but if you have just a few holes to fill, this book will definitely do it. Last Notes: Scoring Above 750? Taking AP Bio? If you're scoring above a 750, know that the final few points are usually due to careless mistakes. I would use Campbell Biology to brush up on the few last topics you don't understand, and then work on avoiding careless mistakes. Don't stress over the difference between a 780 and a 800 - I know colleges don't. If you're taking AP Bio, know that the AP test is much harder than the SAT Subject Test - in the sense a 5 on the AP test means more than a near-800 on the SAT II. You may choose to take the SAT Subject Test if your AP score won't be out in time to include with your applications. In this case, study a bit ahead of the rest of the class - you get to use it on the Subject Test and it'll be useful later on! If your AP score is out in time, then the Subject Test is likely redundant - only take if you need to "burn" an SAT Subject Test requirement for college. Good luck! What's Next? Thinking about taking other SAT Subject Tests? Check out our guide to the easiest SAT Subject Tests out there! Still not sure whether you should take the Biology Subject Test? Check out this expert advice on which Subject Tests you should take based on your goals and interests. If you're taking the SAT 2 Biology- Molecular test, you'll need to be on top of your cell biology facts. Brush up on enzymes, cell theory, how the cell membrane and endoplasmic reticulum function, and the photosynthesis equation. For either test, you'll also want to know the difference between homologous and analogous structures. Choosing your subject tests also depends on your prospective colleges' requirement. Check out this guide to see the full list of schools that require SAT Subject Tests. Considering going to medical school after college? Read our guide to preparing for pre-med in high school and our list of the books you'll want to read as a pre-med student. Need a little extra help prepping for your Subject Tests? We have the industry's leading SAT Subject Test prep programs (for all non-language Subject Tests). Built by Harvard grads and SAT Subject Test full or 99th %ile scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Learn more about our Subject Test products below:

Iggys Bread of the World Essay Example

Iggys Bread of the World Essay Example Iggys Bread of the World Paper Iggys Bread of the World Paper April 12, 2010 Iggy’s Bread of the World c/o Igor and Ludmilla Ivanovic 130 Fawcett Street Cambridge, MA 02138-1112 Dear Mr. and Mrs. Ivanovic: I am glad to have the opportunity to work with you both on concerns regarding your company. I have read the background information about that you sent me and in regards to your COO Mr. Matthew McRae, I would like to make a few observations and recommendations. First, I would like to start with a quote from Mrs. Ivanovic from the material you sent me, â€Å"It’s not just about a business where we need to make money. I want our employees to get pleasure out of what they do. I want them involved with the company. I want them to like what they do, to be excited to come in and have initiative and be proud of what they do. † I see this as the foundation of your company and I will reference this quote occasionally. Another reference would be when a venture capitalist wanted to invest in your company, expanded the company, and said, â€Å"If you grow it to a point and go public, sell it, then you will make a lot. † Both of you did not like that idea at all. Mrs. Ivanovic stated, â€Å"I would never accept selling out because it’s everything I don’t believe in and I wouldn’t want any part of it. I would never sell Iggy’s just for money. I make point of these two areas because I want to refresh your memory a little of where you have come from. When you approached Mr. McRae to come work at Iggy’s he had previously run a leasing company, which had gone public several months earlier. Therefore, McRae just did to the leasing company what you didn’t want done with Iggy’s by the venture capitalist. A leasing company is nothing like a bakery; Mr. McRae was used to dealing with companies that were in the business to make money. For Iggy’s it wasn’t all about the money as I stated above it was as Mrs. Ivanovic put it threefold: â€Å"one part is the bread and the quality of the product; two is our work†¦the employees†¦it’s a good bakery, but it is also has to be a healthy business; and three is the community, how we deal with outside customers, how we can make a difference by not treating them like a number. † From what I read Mr. McRae did not follow any of these three parts. For him it was about hiring relatives and friends, to give everyone a fancy title and about making money. I am not sure that anyone that Mr. McRae hired had the experience for the job they had been hired for and none had a background in a bakery or a food type of business. As stated in the material I received your employees are unhappy as well because â€Å"they perceive the management team as too isolated from the operations and culture that were at the heart of the company. † All indicators show that the management team and Mr. McRae did not buy into the unique culture that is Iggy’s and the vision of Mrs. Ivanovic. Finally, I will state that both parties are responsible for the disagreements that they are having. Mr. Ivanovic hired Mr. McRae on a feeling that he would be a good fit and did not set any ground rules when it came to his input into hiring people in certain leadership positions. That being said he did give Mr. McRae warning that he wanted to have input after hiring Diane Coleman for Vice President of Sales and Marketing. So it is understandable that Mr. Ivanovic would be upset when Mr. McRae hired another manager without consulting him. These are a few of my observations, but I feel they make my point when it comes to my recommendation. My recommendation would be to accept Mr. McRae’s letter of resignation and let him go. His proposal states the real reason for the way he has been acting. It is all about making money to him and not about the people or the culture of Iggy’s. His previous actions would only get worse if he was retained. Working through a mediator or consultant is no way to run a business. Let him have his opportunity to be one of the people making millions with a start-up, it just won’t be yours. Once that is accomplished you can move ahead with getting his replacement without the stress of having him around. Mr. Ivanovic’s brother Nikola can help run the business for a short time while you work on getting Mr. McRae’s replacement. Expect some if not all of Mr. McRae’s hires to leave when he leaves. Once the new person is hired he/she can decide whether to keep or let go of the people originally hired by Mr. McRae. Next, I would then sit down with your board of directors and work out exactly what type of manager is required to run the business. It should be someone from the same type of business you are running with management and operating skills. A lot has been learned by your interactions with Mr. McRae, so list the things that he did that you liked and the things you didn’t like. Come up with a vision and mission that everyone can agree to. List the important areas that you do not want to change and what areas that can be changed. Determine how much control of the business you are willing to share or give up entirely. Have specific goals in mind; think about long-term goals and strategies. Identify strengths and weakness, so you can hire someone that complements you. Evaluate personalities to get a sense of their managerial style, interview direct reports at three previous positions to get a feel for the person you are thinking of hiring will fit-in. When it is time to hire include the board of directors in the interviews and let them have a vote in the final hiring. This will help take the emotion out of the decision making process and allow everyone buy-in. Hopefully, I have addressed your concerns and that my recommendations are helpful. I will be happy to answer any questions or elaborate on any of my observations and recommendations. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter. Sincerely, Joe Smith

Is the information society a coherent concept Essay

Is the information society a coherent concept - Essay Example Virtually, there are no segments of human life which are unaffected by information. In political, social, and economic circles, information is vital. The growth of computer and internet related technologies increased the importance of information on human life. These technologies help human life in many ways at present. The term information society has gained popularity only in recent times, after the developments of computer and internet related technologies. An information society is one that makes the best possible use of ICTs. It is a society in which the quality of life, as well as prospects for social change and economic development, depend increasingly upon information and its exploitation. In such a society, living standards, patterns of work and leisure, the education system, and marketplace are all influenced by advances in information and knowledge (Ogbomo & Ogbomo, 2008, p.1). Life without computers or internet is unimaginable at present. Any problems occur to computers or internet may cause huge damages to human life. It should not be forgotten that humankind was under tremendous pressure when Y2K problem aroused early in the beginning of the twenty-first century. â€Å"Everyone has his or her more or less well formed opinion about the information society, the Internet and its influence on our everyday lives even if they have never used a computer or surfed the Internet†(Pinter, 2008, p.12). Even a layman understands the importance of computers, internet and information at present. Under such circumstances, the concept of information society should be considered as a coherent one. An information society can be built if the people and the government have the will to do so. A development oriented information society is a society in which everyone ‘can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge, enabling individuals, communities and peoples to achieve their full potential in promoting their sustainable

Image Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Image Analysis - Essay Example Picture 2 is a (stauer) watch. The image is also an advertisement picture showing a stylish watch modeled from a 1922 watch. The watch features are clearly displayed as well as the watch price and reduction in price. The intended audience for the picture is all types of consumers. The advertiser promotes his products to consumers who may be shopping for a new watch as well as other non purpose consumers. This is because the language and the pictures are simple and not technical. The watch appearance has also been greatly enhanced. Almost all the features of the watch are visible without straining. Even the beads and the time pointers are clearly visible and enhanced. These enhancements makes the pictures make the pictures more appealing It is necessary to appeal the customer so as to make the product more appealing to targeted consumer. By making all the details of the watch visible as well as enhancing the picture so that it appears more shinny, the consumer is motivated to purchase the picture. The white font color against the blue background captivates the customer eye so that he/she can read the specific details. The flower leaves color have been changed from green and red to black. The flower has been altered not to give both the aesthetic features and also act as a dull background and make the shinny watches be more captivating. The top right part of the picture has been darkened to create an attractive image background. This helps in enhancing the picture as a single color background is not very appealing. The change in texture and color of the blue background makes the image more appealing to the customer. How the advertiser capture Need driven consumers These are customers driven to buy a product because they have an impeding need. Survivors The advertiser clearly indicates that the price of the product has gone down by a 25% this captures the attention survivors; a further reduction of 10 percent is added to capture the survivors. Sustainers The advertiser quotes the price of all the watches so that the need driven customer can check the most economical watch. The appealing colors also captivate and motivate the buyer. The two year warranty also

Alcohol the legal killer Essay Example for Free

Alcohol the legal killer Essay Alcohol is an ordinary name for a substance which is chemically known as ethyl alcohol, pure spirits or grain alcohol. Ethyl alcohol is a kind of wine which is produced for medical and other purposes. Alcohol drink is every beverage that has ethyl alcohol intoxicating quantities. The amount of pure alcohol must not exceed more than two percent in beers and not more than sixty eight percent in absinthe. Alcohol is legally allowed to produce and sale in the most of the countries of the world particularly in the western countries. Alcohol is not much dangerous for the drunken person if it is taken in low quantities but it will be more dangerous to life it will be used in bulk and on a regular basis. Alcohol is the part of culture in many countries like India and Australia but it is a silent killer and legal killer because of its negative effects. People like to drink for relaxation, socialization, celebration and taste but most of people lose balance in drinking then travel on the path which goes to death. Alcohol is legally allowed in many countries for drinking but there are some conditions on its usage like a person cannot drink more than a specific amount of alcohol and no one can drive a vehicle if he or she has drunk. But these conditions are not discouraging the use of alcohol as it is also a form of drugs like heroin, opium, hash and cocaine. All these drugs are dangerous for life so all are banned on all countries of the world but the only drug which is legally permissible for producing, selling and using all over the world. In other words it is a license to kill the humanity for its manufactures and sellers. Alcohol has many drawbacks and it is very harmful and fatal for human beings so it should also be banned like other drugs. Every year alcohol related problems are being recorded by US Department of Justice which includes physical violence, domestic abuse. Alcohol- related crimes in the U. S. account for 54% of murder and attempted murder, 68% of manslaughters, 52% of rape and sexual assaults, 48% of robberies, and 40,000 babies are born with birth defects. (cdc) In 2000 19,358 alcohol induced deaths occurred not including motor vehicle deaths, 26, 552 deaths from chronic liver disease, and cirrhosis, which are the 12th leading cause of death in the U. S. (cdc). In spite of all this alcohol is still legal and much abused, with 103 million people in the U. S. currently drinking and 11 million of those heavy drinkers. Everyone have different response for drinking alcohol so it is not sure for saying that what a specific number of drinks a man can on daily basis. Alcohol has many side effects on psychologically and physically. Psychologically it can have these effects like confusion, unsteady manner due to mental illness, and disorientation. First let’s find out that how does alcohol is being digested by our body and how does it affect us, there are three stages of ingestion that happen once a drink is downed. First, it is quickly absorbed into the blood stream through the cell membranes of the digestive tract. As it passes through the digestive tract, some of is absorbed by the mouth and stomach, and most of it is absorbed by the small intestine. The amount of food in the stomach affects the rate of absorption. If a drinker has a pint of beer without having dinner first, the absorption rate of the beer will be much faster. The drinker will get drunk much faster, and maybe even vomit. Most of the alcohol is absorbed by the bloodstream within an hour of ingestion. The second stage is distribution. Once the circulatory system absorbs the alcohol, it is sent out to all parts of the body. Some parts, like the brain, liver and kidney receive larger amounts of alcohol than other parts of the body because they receive more blood. And the third stage is metabolism. As the alcohol travels throughout the body, enzymes released by the liver metabolize the alcohol. This breaks down the alcohol and turns it into a food source for the body. Most of the alcohol ingested is released through the liver. The effects of alcohol on the liver can be deadly. In large amounts, alcohol can damage major organs, particularly the liver. There are three different alcohol-related liver diseases: fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis. Fatty liver disease is one of the first signs that alcohol is being abused. Fat builds up due to alcohol metabolism. This hurts the liver’s ability to work at full strength. Fatty liver disease can lead to cirrhosis of the liver. When the liver is too damaged from alcohol abuse, scar tissue forms causing cirrhosis, and eventually causing the liver to shut down. Symptoms include loss of energy, loss of appetite, upset stomach, weight loss and weakness. Cirrhosis is one of the ten leading causes of death by disease in the United States. The third liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, is the inflammation of the liver, the stage right before cirrhosis. Jaundice, mental confusion and swelling of the abdomen are common symptoms (NIH). Alcohol is known as a depressant, and its effects on the brain and central nervous system are serious. When intoxicated, drinkers experience a mild euphoria, or temporary â€Å"happiness†, and loss of inhibition. Alcohol impairs regions of the brain controlling behavior, judgment, memory, concentration and coordination. On the central nervous system, alcohol acts as a sedative. Large amounts of alcohol can cause respiratory failure, coma and death. Impaired vision, hearing, and motor skills also occur. The drinker may also experience numbness and tingling in the arms and legs caused by nerve damage. This will result in the staggering walk often seen coming out of bars. Long-term drinking can cause brain damage and drinking while pregnant is known to produce sick babies. Heavy drinking also has damaging effects on the stomach and intestinal system. Irritation of the stomach lining can cause peptic ulcers, bleeding lesions and cancer. Blood loss causes loss of iron, which can cause irritability, lack of energy, headaches and dizziness. Risk of pancreatitis is also increased. Other effects of alcohol abuse include irritation of the intestinal tract lining and the colon; nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, sweating and loss of appetite; and increase in blood pressure, risk of heart attack and stroke, and these symptoms develop over time. Alcoholism, however, can begin to develop after the first drink. When we think about effects of alcohol, you may think about physical effects alcohol has on our body as I explained above, but beside all these physical effects there are many psychological effects of alcohol on the body as well that you may not have thought of. In many cases, the psychological effects of alcohol are much more damaging and painful to you than the effects that you already know about. Heres a look at some of the psychological effects of alcohol on our body: Depression – As I also mentioned above that alcohol is depressant. This means that once it begins circulating in the system, it will decrease the activity within the nervous system of your brain. For this reason as you drink alcohol, you may notice that you start to have more feelings of depression or become entrenched in a depression as a result of the drinking. Many make the mistake of thinking they can drown their sorrows by drinking more, and make the feelings of sadness and uselessness go away. If this describes you, what you dont realize is you are just making the situation worse and causing your depression to become deeper and last longer. Anxiety If you are like a lot of people, as you consume large amounts of alcohol you will become stressed from the impact of the drug. While you may find the buzz from the alcohol enjoyable for a while, it will give way to a series of stresses on your system that will manifest psychologically. From a general feeling of discontent to restlessness, nightmares and even overwhelming fear, there are a number of feelings of anxiety that can come of your alcohol usage. Personality Changes Have you noticed your family members are treating you differently? It may be because you have changed in how you interact with them. Alcohol can make massive personality that you may not even see. Once you become intoxicated, what were your usual personality traits may change dramatically. You may become selfish, egotistical or even angry about your life and everything in it. Aggression and mood swings are some of the most common traits. These changes are brought on by the alcohols effect on serotonin in your body. Serotonin is a chemical in your body that transmits signals relating to mood to your brain. When its job is weakened by alcohol, moods and emotions can get out of control. Another common personality change brought on by alcohol is a deterioration of morals. As alcohol affects the body, it acts to slow the responses of the synapses in the brain. This slowing down of the brains circuitry decreases thinking and reasoning. For this reason, when you are intoxicated, you may be willing to do and say things you would not usually do or say if you were thinking clearly. Obsession Once you become dependent on alcohol (whether you realize it or not), you will start to become obsessed with drinking. While many think a few drinks are not dangerous, to someone who is alcohol dependent or becoming alcohol dependent, there is no difference between getting those next few drinks, and a drug addict who is looking for their next hit. Your obsession can lead to a loss of other interests in your life and a focus only on how you are going to get another drink, while all along denying there is a problem with your desire for alcohol. Generally, you will not realize you are being pulled in to an obsession until it is too late. Denial Just as you would expect in any other type of addict, those who drink a lot of alcohol go through a number of denial issues. If you have heard from those who you love that you may be drinking too much, you really should listen to them. Often, you will not even notice you are becoming more and more intoxicated on a regular basis, because you are too close to the problem. Alcohol dependency is a progressive illness and you may not be able to see what it is doing to you. Just like any other disease, alcohol dependency is a progressive disease. The longer and more you drink, the more pronounced the effects will be on your system. Additionally, these psychological effects of alcohol are not just felt while you are drinking, or the morning after. They can continue for a number of days or weeks after you have consumed the alcohol. The third effect of alcoholism is can be said as economic, beside the physical and psychological effects of alcohol, excessive drinking of alcohol affects the economy of the a society in different ways . According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention the cost of excessive alcohol consumption in the United States in 2006 reached $223. 5 billion or about $1. 90 per drink. Researchers also found that the cost largely resulted from losses in workplace productivity (72 percent of the total cost), health care expenses for problems caused by excessive drinking (11 percent of the total cost), law enforcement and other criminal justice expenses related to excessive alcohol consumption (9 percent of the total cost), and motor vehicle crash costs from impaired driving (6 percent of the total cost). The study did not consider a number of other costs such as those due to pain and suffering by the excessive drinker or others who were affected by the drinking, and thus may be an underestimate. Researchers estimated that excessive drinking cost $746 per person in the United States in 2006 (CDC). Lastly it can be said that alcohol has many physical, economical and psychological effects which in simple words cause of many problems that have impacts on different aspect of life. But the real problem is that it is a legal killer which is allowed by law of countries. If we think it is also a drug among other drugs which are legally prohibited and discouraged by the law as law has some punishment for using and selling those drugs but alcohol has no legal restriction on its consumptions and business as it is one of the top profiteering business in the world. Works Cited Adams, Gabriel J. What Are The Effects Of Alcohol Addiction? 2013. 4 May 2013 . Ricky Gates. WordPress. com Get a Free Blog Here. The RickyRay Show. WordPress. com, 26 Nov 2009. Web. 12 May 2013. . Buddy, T. The Effects of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. 4 May 2013 .. , NIAH. Alcohol and Health. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). NIAH, 8 Apr 2008. Web. 15 May 2013. .CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Economic costs of alcohol abuse. CDC, 7 2012. Web. 15 May 2013. .

The Bible version controversy :: essays research papers

A controversy of immense silliness has recently broken out among Evangelicals regarding the validity of modern, conservative translations of the Bible like the New American Standard, the New International, and the New King James. The controversy was ignited by a book written by Gail Riplinger entitled New Age Bible Versions. The only thing sillier than the controversy is the book that sparked it. Remember the old joke? -- "If the King James Version was good enough for the Apostle Paul, then it's good enough for me!" Well, Riplinger tries to convert the joke into gospel. A Ridiculous Thesis Her thesis is that the King James Version is the one and only pure translation (in any language!) and that all the new translations that have flooded the market in recent years (including the most conservative) are part of a Satanic, New Age conspiracy to undermine the deity of Jesus and the credibility of God's Word. The book is mean-spirited and vicious in its attacks upon the godly evangelical scholars who labored so hard to produce the modern versions, not to undermine the Word, but to make it more understandable to the average reader. Unfortunately the book has spawned an army of Riplinger disciples who feel it is their god-ordained duty to go forth and purify the Church by demanding the exclusive use of the King James Version. Picking up on their mentor's divisive spirit, they are labeling as heretics all fellow Christians and Christian leaders who prefer to use some version other than the King James. To illustrate how insane this silliness has become, consider a recent article that appeared in the newsletter of one of Riplinger's most enthusiastic supporters, a prophecy teacher by the name of Texe Marrs. Calling the new conservative translations "unholy" and "grotesque," he proceeded to condemn four leading prophecy teachers because they refused to endorse Riplinger's book and join with him in certifying the King James Version as the only reliable translation. The four he condemned as "misguided leaders" and "false witnesses" were Dave Hunt, Peter LaLonde, Arno Froese, and John Ankerberg. Two of these, Hunt and Ankerberg, happen to be among the leading defenders of the Christian faith today! Even more incredible is the fact that all four men use the King James Version in their preaching and teaching -- and Marrs knows that they do! Still, they must be condemned as heretics because they refuse to denounce the "Satanic, New Age" versions.

For What Reasons Did the Coalition Government Abolish Police?

For what reasons did the Coalition Government abolish police authorities in 2012? What problems do you think are raised by the introduction of elected Police and Crime Commissioners? This essays objective is to take into consideration the rationale of the Coalition governments’ decision to replace police authorities with elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC). A critique and a background of the police authorities operations will be discussed and evaluated. A brief history of policing before police authorities were established will also be explored.Furthermore, the reasons why there was a radical reform to PCC’s will be debated and the problems that may arise. Policing has always been a challenging issue and it most likely will always be challenging. Sir Robert Peel’s first principle of policing stated: â€Å"The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder† (Cited in Theresa, M 2010). There has been an attempt to always c ling onto this. The only difference is how certain authorities or political groups approach it. In the nineteenth century, autonomy and power were located within boroughs, locally.After a few attempts to try to centralise the police force and a few police corruption scandals which occurred in the 1950s, it was finally the time for the government to produce a centralised, professionalised group of senior police officers. In 1964, under the Police Act, these smaller, more manageable forces were to be known as â€Å"police authorities†. Their role was to ‘‘secure the maintenance and of an adequate and efficient police force for their area’’. (Citied in Williams, C 2003). However, the police authorities are now being replaced by elected PCCs.The main purpose of this reform is to restore the drive for local policing priorities and the public by leading engagement with local policing partners. This will boost the empowerment of local communities in crimina l justice affairs. Beginning with a little history of how and why police authorities were introduced. Throughout the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth, police power was largely seen as a responsibility of local government, and police were controlled by the appropriate local institution.The policing were in the hands of the local government and the boroughs of England and Wales, by whom fiercely protected the police powers exercised by their elected watch committees. These powers were symbolic of the city's independence, and police forces were crucial exercisers of executive power locally, concerning poor relief, licensing laws, the regulation of the streets, and the imposition of morality on the community. The 1835 Municipal Corporations Act introduced democracy to the self-governing towns of England and Wales.The only compulsory statutory duty was to select a watch committee to run the police force. The self-governing towns can be described as self-confident, prosperou s and autonomous. . The committees had complete power over the activities and composition of their forces. (Citied in Brogden, M 1982). The government aimed at increasing centralisation within the police force but after a few attempts to intervene, they failed. The first attempt by the state to reduce the autonomy of the towns and cities came after the 1853 Select Committee on Police, which recommended extending compulsory police provision to all areas.The Home Office were under no doubt that, the most efficient way to run each force would be to put it ‘under the orders of Government. However, these recommendations from the Home Office had to be consulted with the opposition of the local government. In 1854 and 1856, the Home Office's attempts to pass police bills that limited the rights of boroughs to control their own police forces were defeated by the borough. The boroughs also had total autonomy and democratic control over operational decisions.The watch committees, meetin g weekly, had the power to hire and fire members of their forces and were prepared to exercise it. (Citied in Emsley, C 1996). Further action was done by the Labour representatives in the 1920s to gain centralisation. By 1939, Labour controlled 18 out of 83 county boroughs. The Home Office took increasing responsibility for producing a class of leaders for police forces, and thus intervened increasingly in matters of training, promotion and appointment. The Home Office also began to intervene more in the appointment of Chief Constables.The 1950s Whitehall introduced a policy of refusing to appoint any Chief Constable who had no experience in a different force: this was clearly designed to create a more nationally homogenous and professionalised group of senior police officers. Since the increased effort for involvement with the boroughs and watch committees, there was a growing demand of professionalism within the police. The boroughs had co-operated fully in modernising and homogen ising the police forces, through co-operative training and communication. Citied in Loveday, B 1994) Between 1919 and 1964, the state tried using ‘efficiency', ‘economy', and ‘national security' as reasons to centralise control, before successfully employing ‘corruption' to achieve this. The 1960 Royal Commission was actively steered by the Home Office along its own centralist agenda, resulting in the 1964 Police Act, subsuming city forces into counties. These were influenced by the nature of two policing scandals of the late 1950s, which gave the Home Office a convenient point of entry with which to attack the status quo. (Citied in (Ludtgarten, L 1986).Both scandals were cases of corruption within the boroughs, the Brighton Borough police force in 1957, where the chief constable and two officers were arrested and charged with a variety of corrupt practises, and in Labour- controlled Nottingham in 1958, where there was an investigation launched on Labour cou ncillors and succeeded to prove that two labour councillors and the Secretary of the District Labour Party had been bribed on a visit to East Germany. Events such as mentioned above involving corruption led to the boroughs finally losing their police powers completely.A royal commission on the police had been appointed in 1960 to review the constitutional position of the police throughout Great Britain, and in 1964, the Police Act was introduced. (Citied in Willams, C 2003). Returning to answering the question more directly now, the Police Act of 1946 mirrored the interests of greater efficiency and greater central control over policing. It allowed for the amalgamation of existing forces into more efficient units, merging them into a more manageable number of 43 forces in England and Wales.The watch committees were replaced with police authorities. This new system was characterized as â€Å"the tripartite structure† of police accountability. The tripartite system distributes responsibilities between the Home Office, the local police authority, and the chief constable of the force. (Citied in Williams, C 2003). This tripartite system provides accountability to Parliament through the Home Secretary (who has responsibility for policing policy including centrally setting key priorities that are formalised within a National Policing Plan).Police Authorities were composed of councillors (two-thirds) and magistrates (one-third) and their role was to ‘‘secure the maintenance and of an adequate and efficient police force for their area’’. (Citied in Williams, C 2003). To liberate this duty they were provided with a number of specific and statutory responsibilities which included appointing and dismissing its senior officers, making sure arrangements are in place to consult the local community about the policing of their area and heir priorities, publish an annual local policing plan and a best value performance plan, setting out the pol icing priorities, performance targets, and the allocation of resources, to publish a three-year strategy plan, which must be approved by the Home Secretary and monitor the performance of the force in delivering the policing plan. (Joyce, P 2011: 118, 127). Although there have been issues raised about police authorities and these concerns will be brought to the surface, it can also be argued that police authorities have constituently tried to provide â€Å"an efficient and effective† police force.This can be shown by all the legislation that has been introduced. The 1994 Police and Magistrates Act, Courts Act (PMCA) 1995, the Police Act 1996, and the Police Reform Act 2002, have all endorsed the tripartite arrangements and aimed to fundamentally ensure and provide an adequate, efficient and effective police force. ( Citied in Williams, C 2003). The introduction of the policing pledge in 2008 by the Labour party, although it has been scrapped by the Coalition government, aimed at restoring public faith and to ensure the services being provided locally were adequate.Promises such as providing monthly local crime rates, answering all non-emergency calls promptly, providing information to the community on their Neighbourhood Policing Team i. e. where they are based, how to contact them and how to work with them were stated on this document, to increase community engagement and involvement. (Citied in The Policing Pledge, 2008). There has been placed a great deal of importance on empowerment, localisation, decentralisation of power and community involvement. There has been many green and white papers published to support this.David Blunkett’s â€Å"Civil Renewal† Agenda (2003) and David Cameron’s â€Å"Big Society† Agenda (2010) has influenced trends towards â€Å"community engagement, confident and cooperation† within their respective policing reform programmes continues. The agendas extensively focus on the responsibility of the government and every citizen’s efforts to strengthen communities, to revitalise our democracy and to provide more power and opportunity into people’s hands and security for all. It is believed that the engagement of everyone is necessary to make that happen; the government alone cannot fix every problem.Furthermore, Sir Ronnie Flanagan conducted the report of â€Å"The Review of Policing† in 2008. Flanagan stated that involving local communities in political decision-making processes is crucial and delivering in partnerships, developing the workforce and improving performance at force levels. (Flanagan, 2008). As mentioned above, there were concerns regarding the police authorities. One of the main issues was that central control undermined local police affairs power and authority. In the early 1980’s, there were clashes between police authorities and chief constables relating to who would have the final say in particular activity.The reliance of t he Home Office by chief constables tended to increase the power of the central government over local police arrangements. In addition, the introduction of the 1994 Police and Magistrates Courts Act enabled the Home Secretary to determine and set national objectives or priorties. This task was previously done by chief constables. Furthermore, the police areas would be assessed on their attainment by comparing to a set of performance targets. Empowerment, localisation, and decentralisation are clearly not desired. ( Citied in Williams, C 2003).Additionally, the situation continued to be aggravating as further developments such as the targets imposed by central government were extended and became the key tool of performance management. Police forces had to deliver on activities, which were determined centrally. Public Service Agreements (PSAs) were introduced in 1998 to promote clarity in service delivery, again centrally. This target regime led to the bulk of police work focusing on a chieving the targets imposed on them, this made it impossible to concentrate on local concerns. This again suggests the central power undermining powers and authority locally.Also, it was suggested that centrally determined targets â€Å"tend to distort priorties, tempting officers into using their tine in unproductive ways into directly fiddling performance figures† (Loveday and Reid, 2003: 19). Similarly, they created a â€Å"counting culture† within the police service whereby â€Å"only what got measured got done† (Loveday and Reid, 2003: 22). Additional research was undertaken in 2003 investigating the role of police authorities in public engagement. Participants that were interviewed saw police authorities’ independence from the police force as very important.This was because of the risk of corruption or abuse of power. â€Å"If it was 100 per cent fully independent, then I think that would make a lot of difference to people, and I think they would feel a lot happier knowing that it was being†¦kept an eye on. † (Home Office 2003: 19). However, many participants thought that police authorities did not appear to be independent enough, and this could undermine the community’s confidence and trust in them. There was a feeling in many groups that the number of independent members should increase or even that authorities should be composed completely of independent members.There were worries that the independent members might not have a fair say, as councillors and magistrates have an overall majority on the authority. (Citied in Home Office, 2003). â€Å"â€Å"You’re paying†¦.. it’s your community, you live there, so you should have a say in how it’s policed. † (Home Office 2003: 17). The community does seem to desire to get involved in the decision making, however when asked who made decisions about spending and who was responsible for the monitoring of police performance, there was very little spontaneous mention of police authorities. (Citied in Home Office, 2003).These findings suggest that police authorities are not adequate or efficient enough, people living in the communities have very little knowledge of police authorities and the question is why? More should be done to advertise and involve the community in the decision making process of what happens in their communities. Their involvement would increase the confidence in the police and create a more coherent community. Conversely, as the Coalition government scrapped the policing pledge, they also disposed police authorities in 2o12 and replaced them with elected police and crime commissioners (PCC).The Coalition government strongly believed that it was vital to replace bureaucratic accountability from central government to democratic accountability to the public. PCCs will make forces truly accountable to the communities they serve, ensuring that resources are properly targeted to where they are n eeded and giving the public a greater say in measures to reduce crime and improve community safety. The main aim of PCC was to â€Å"put power directly in the hands of the public†. (Home Affairs Committee, 2o1o:10). The key powers of PCCs are to set the police force budget and to hire and fire chief constables. Citied in Home Affairs Committee, 2010). The Elected PCC’s have overcome issues that the police authorities did not: the community involvement, empowerment and local governance is greater. The community elects their own PCC’s locally and it represents the drive for local policing priorities and the public by leading engagement with local policing partners. This new approach to policing is boosting the empowerment of local communities in criminal justice affairs. They will hold the elected chief constable to account; making sure that policing is responsive to the communities’ needs.There is an increased democratic accountability. (Citied in Home Aff airs Committee, 2010). However, this new reform also faces a few critiques. Lord Blair referred to this proposal as â€Å"the most lamentable provision about policing I have ever encountered† (Blair, 2011). Firstly, the PCC will replace the 17 or 19 members who currently represent a police authority. It is impossible to imagine how one person can adequately represent the diverse demands of the vast range of communities found in the areas covered by police forces, whether they are heavily populated urban ones or cover geographically large rural areas. Joyce, P 2011). As the policing needs and concerns of neighbourhoods are usually vastly different and are often in direct competition for finite police resources, it is a concern that a PCC will seek to direct policing to address the localised, sectionalised or political interests of those who elected him or her into office thus serving to politicise policing and opening the door to the possibility of corruption. (Joyce, P 2011). Before the 1964 Police Act, there were claims and investigations into policing corruption scandals: the Borough police force in 1957 and in Nottingham in 1958. Citied in Willams, C 2003). Its due to these concerns about policing corruption, the police force became centralised. This is a major concern and strict safeguards and monitoring will have to be established to avoid it from happening again. Secondly, there is the question as to whether this reform was needed. It is fair to suggest that it is intensely politicized and a populist measure. Valid criticisms can be made concerning the operations of police authorities, however this did not mean they were performing a poor job and providing a poor police service.Party politics were not injected onto the agenda. In fact, there was a good working relationship between the police authorities and the chief constables in many areas and the communities and local policing benefited from this. (Joyce, P 2011). Ian Loader (2008) stated that the â€Å"government is urged to take another ride on the law and order merry-go-round, to issue a fresh batch of crowd-pleasing-measures that can appease its apparently angry and anxious consumers†. Many will harmonize with this.The government is in need of public support, confidence and trust and the best way to get the local communities or â€Å"customers† support is to respond to our demands. As was mentioned above, the community would like more opportunities to get involved in the way their communities are being policed and the new reform of elected PCC’s can be perceived as a crowd-pleasing-measure. (Citied in Loader, I 2008). Garland again has famously said that the policy-making has become profoundly politicized and populist.Policy measures are constructed in ways that value public opinion over the views of experts and the evidence of research. â€Å"The dominant voice of crime policy is no longer the expert or even the practitioner but that of the long -suffering, ill served people- especially the victim and the fearful, anxious members of the public†. (Stated in The Culture of Control, 2001). Furthermore, a range of views were put forward on the role of PCCs from the consultation feedback and it was not all positive.Concerns have been expressed that a PCC, as a single individual, may not be effective across a whole force area and find it difficult to engage with communities sufficiently. Moreover, there was concerns received about the checks and balances proposed in the consultation. Some members believed that the arrangements might prove overly bureaucratic or create confusing lines of accountability for chief constables and the public. Others felt that they were too weak, or sought more detail on how the Police and Crime Panels (PCPs) would provide a real challenge and scrutiny. Citied in Theresa, M 2010). Many also expressed concerns about the political nature of the role of the PCC and in particular the involvement of c andidates supported by the main political parties. They believe this would risk cutting across the operational decisions made by chief constables and other police officers, and this would most definitely inject party politics, whereby police authorities did not. Additionally, there needs to be appropriate and respectable safeguards to be put in place regarding to circumstances under which a PCC could dismiss or suspend a chief constable.These issues, if they were to ever occur, could create tension between PCCs and chief constables. The community will have a knock-on effect from this, as they would be the ones feeling the consequences. There would not be an adequate and efficient service provided to the community. That was the aim of PCCs and if it does not meet its own aims, it would fail dramatically. (Citied in Theresa, M 2010). It is fair to say police authorities and PCCs have issues to be concerned about but also have positive points.Police authorities and the 1964 Police Act did structure the police force and it did aim at providing â€Å"an efficient and effective† police force. This is consistently shown by the constant need to improve and advance the services being provided to the public . The 1994 Police and Magistrates Act, Courts Act (PMCA) 1995, the Police Act 1996, and the Police Reform Act 2002, the Policing Pledge 2008, have all endorsed the tripartite arrangements and aimed to fundamentally ensure and provide an adequate, efficient and effective police force.However, the demand for empowerment, localisation, decentralisation of power and community involvement perpetually grew stronger too and the police authorities did set priorities and standards nationally, and not locally. Research was undertaken in 2003 investigating the role of police authorities in public engagement. participants that were interviewed saw police authorities’ independence from the police force as very important. This was because of the risk of corruption or abuse of power. You’re paying†¦.. it’s your community, you live there, so you should have a say in how it’s policed. (Home Office 2003: 17). The community does desire to get involved in the decision making, however the lack of knowledge of police authorities and how you can get involved or the lack of liberation of empowerment and localisation should be questioned. (Citied in Home Office, 2003). The Coalition government 2012 decided to introduce PCCs. The ain of this reform was to to democratic accountability to the public and to â€Å"put power directly in the hands of the public†. (Home Affairs Committee, 2o1o:10). In this case, the input from the public is greater and have greater local empowerment.However, PCC faces its problems too. It does face greater likelihood of policing corruption, a PCC, as a single individual, may not be effective across a whole force area and find it difficult to engage with communities sufficiently. 17 to 19 members a re being replaced by one PCC. It is impossible imagine how one person can adequately represent the diverse demands of the vast range of communities and activities. In conclusion, the question still remains as to whether this reform was needed, the police authorities were not proving a poor service or doing a poor job.Garland (2001) would suggest that the policy-making has become profoundly politicized and populist. The introduction of PCC was just a populist measure. However, the local communities may benefit from the empowerment and local prioritisation and if they do, PCCs have succeeded their aims. References †¢Blair, L. (2011), ‘‘Speech in the House of Lords 27 April’’, HL Debs Session 2010-11, Vol 727, Col 137 †¢Blunkett, David (2003) ‘Civil Renewal: A New Agenda’ , London: Home Office †¢Brogden, M (1982), â€Å"The Police: Autonomy and Consent†, London: Academic Press. Emsley, C (1996), â€Å"The English Police: a P olitical and Social History†, Harlow: Longman. †¢Flanagan, Sir Ronnie (Feb 2008) The Review of Policing: Final Report. London: Home Office †¢Garland, D (2001), â€Å"The Culture of Control. † Oxford: Oxford University Press. †¢Home Affairs Committee, (2008). ‘‘Policing in the twenty-first century’’, Seventh Report, Session 2007/08, House of Commons Paper 364, TSO, London. †¢Joyce, P. (2011). Police reform: from police authorities to police and crime commissioners. Sage, London. †¢Loveday, B. (1994), â€Å"The Police and Magistrates Courts Act†.Policing 10(4), pp 221-233 †¢Lustgarten, L. (1986), â€Å"The Governance of the Police†, London: Sweet & Maxwell. †¢The Coalition Manifesto: â€Å"Our Programme for Government† (May 2010) †¢Theresa, M (2010). â€Å"Policing in the 21st Century: Reconnecting police and the people†. Home Office †¢Home Affairs Committee (2010), ‘à ¢â‚¬ËœPolicing: police and crime commissioners’’, Second Report, Sessions 2010/11, House of Commons Paper 511, TSO, London. Bibliography †¢David Cameron speech (19 July 2010) â€Å"Our Big Society Agenda†. London: Home Office Date accessed: 25 November 2012 http://www. conservatives. om/News/Speeches/2010/07/David_Cameron_Our_Big_Society_Agenda. aspx †¢Home Office (2003), â€Å"The role of police authorities in public engagement† Date Accessed: 3 December 2012 http://library. npia. police. uk/docs/hordsolr/rdsolr3703. pdf †¢Loader, I (2008). â€Å"The great victim of this get-tough hyperactivity is Labour†. The Guardian Date accessed: 28 November 2012 http://www. guardian. co. uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/19/justice. ukcrime †¢The Policing Pledge (2008). London: Home Office Date Accessed: 1 December 2012 http://www. met. police. uk/pledge/our_pledge_leaflet. pdf

Black Arts & Black Aesthetic Essay

Larry Neal’s â€Å"Black Arts Movements† and Addison Gayle’s â€Å"The Black Aesthetic† are two identical mission statements for the black audience: set yourself apart from the white culture and give your culture the recognition it deserves. The two pieces are similar in ideas and purposes. The black communities were tired of always adapting to the ways of the white culture because it was the â€Å"right† way to act. The black community wanted to define their own culture and these pieces were words of encouragement for blacks to step outside the white ways of thinking and acting and step into an acceptance of their own urbanity. Once the differences were accepted that’s when you start seeing the different relationships between whites and blacks. These written pieces were significant changes in thoughts and actions at this time, and they weren’t useless. The blacks were really hoping to set themselves apart from the rest, to have people recognize they were different from the white oppressive mind set, and it worked. Larry Neal’s â€Å"The Black Arts Movement†, written in 1968, speaks directly to the needs and ambitions of Black America at the time. The main goal in â€Å"The Black Arts Movement† is to emphasize the necessity for black culture to define their world in their own terms. Larry Neal asks the question in his piece, â€Å"†¦whose vision of the world is more meaningful, ours or the white oppressors? † (Neal page 2040). He is asking his audience to move away from a white oppressor vision of the world and create their own vision of the world: a vision that has their own beliefs, thoughts, and ideas; a vision that stands out from the white patterns that have consisted years prior. The Black artists’ primary duty is to express the needs of the Black people. Neal explains this idea by saying, â€Å"†¦main thrust of his new breed of contemporary writers to confront the contradictions arising out of the Black man’s experience in the raciest West† (Neal page 2039). In other words, the goals of these new artists is to use a concept of â€Å"protest literature† (page 2040) and direct this new literature directly towards black people to summon hope and â€Å"[awaken] Black people to the meaning of their lives† (Neal page 2042). The Black community had been living in an oppressive society for years prior to this new movement. Neal believed The Black Aesthetic was the destruction of white ideas, and the destruction of white ways of looking at their world. Addison Gayle Jr. was another of these contemporary artists who encouraged a new way of life to the black community in his piece, â€Å"The Black Aesthetic†. The Black Aesthetic movement was the practice that helped those seeking to navigate and understand the experiences of black peoples. Gayle explains the Black Aesthetic movement: â€Å"The question for the black critic today is not how beautiful is a melody, a play, a poem, a novel, but how much more beautiful has the poem†¦made the life of a single black man?†¦ The Black Aesthetic, then, as conceived by this writer†¦is a means of helping black people out of the polluted mainstream of Americanism†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Gayle 1916). This is a significant quote because Gayle, and many of the Black Aesthetic artists at the time, really believe that these works of art are not for the critics’ entertainment. Instead they are gritty stories of these Black Peoples’ experiences and they are intended to free the Black Man of an oppressive white America. They are to encourage these black men and women to stop conforming to the white culture and instead embrace their own. The black aesthetic period is so significant because it was a time where the artists made a significant shift in the opinions of the white culture towards the black culture, and even more, it gave a chance to the Black community to find their voice in the madness and be able to stand out amongst the white, oppressive view points of the society they were living in at the time. These two pieces of work connect really well with each other. Essentially I could connect Gayle’s piece to almost any Black Aesthetic piece just because they all have similar viewpoints in regards to the freedom of the oppressive white American culture. However, Larry Neal directly comments on the Black Aesthetics. He describes the Black Arts Movement and the Black Aesthetic as one. Neal says, â€Å"Black Art is the aesthetic and spiritual sister of the Black Power concept. As such, it envisions an art that speaks directly to the needs and aspirations of Black America† (Neal page 2039). This goes with Gayle’s beliefs that the Black Aesthetic is directly made for the needs of the black peoples. Gayle says, â€Å"A critical methodology has no relevance to the black community unless it aids men in becoming better than they are† (page 1917). Gayle and Neal both have this vision for Black Americans that they be freed from this movement, not pushed further into oppression, and they believe the arts can advocate them into being better. The encouragement the artists have for the rest of their brothers and sisters is what makes these two pieces so important, especially when they’re being compared. The black people, whether they are the creators or just regular middle-class folks, share visions of positivity during hardships. They want their brothers to come out and top, so they fight together. The Black Aesthetic movement was a time period where the black Americans, whom had the privilege to create and share poems, stories, and plays, were able to share their creations with the rest of the population to motivate them. Gayle and Neal’s goals are the same: they want the blacks to find their own identity, present themselves differently, and stop following in the footsteps of the whites. They believe that these works of art really can do wonders of change for their brothers and sisters. These stories and creations, poem and plays, aren’t just useless, fictional words that these artist create out of air. They are real life accounts of the battles the black culture have fought in hopes that the oppressive layer of the white America finally comes off their backs. In the following quote, Neal demonstrates how the arts can really be significant. Neal says, â€Å"Poetry is a concrete function, actions†¦Poems are physical entities: fists, daggers, airplane poems, and poems that shoot guns. Poems are transformed†¦ into personal forces†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Page 2041). In relationship to Neal, Gayle compares the oppression to war. These two works are compatible to each other. Gayle believes the two cultures are at war, while Neal has the perfect weapon: works of art. Gayle explains the society’s conditions by saying, â€Å"The serious black artist of today is at war with the American society as few have been throughout American history† (Gayle page 1914). Gayle and Neal agree upon this. The Black American culture was at a war with the white American culture and the black artists were doing everything in their power to free themselves of this war using the one weapon they were best at using: words. Using these words of hope and encouragement, and visions of freedom and opportunities, the artists created possibilities. Neal and Gayle had similar visions for the future, as well. They both believed this movement was growing and they believed that growth had been evident in white peoples’ eyes already. Gayle states this growth by saying, â€Å"The white academician†¦calls upon a black man to write the introduction. The editor then declares that his anthology ‘represents the best black literature’ or that he has chosen these works which rank the best in American artistic production. †Ã¢â‚¬  (Gayle page 1918). In saying that a black man can write an introduction and rank the best in production is a significant amount of change for the Black community. The white editors are accepting of the different writing styles and topics, and still finding that it’s quality literature even when it’s unlike theirs; a goal the black aesthetic writers have worked to achieve. Neal has a similar idea on hope, but he also adds his beliefs on the growth of this movement by saying, â€Å"Afro-American life and history is full of creative possibilities, and the movement is just beginning to perceive them. Just beginning to understand that the most meaningful statements†¦must come from the Third World of which Black America is a part† (Neal page 2050). This statement is quite similar to Gayle’s in that the white society in America is starting to recognize the importance in black arts which is a significant change because it’s one that they worked towards for many years. At the time, progress was still being made, but some progress had been made and it was enough to make them feel happy and even more hopeful for the future of the movement. The significance in the pieces is that they set their black community apart from the rest of America. Years prior the whites oppressed the blacks and so at this point in time, the black people were trying desperately to free themselves. In comparing these two pieces you really start to see the similar ideas the black people had about their community. These ideas weren’t just small things a few people decided to write about. They were words of hope for the future. A mission statement to set themselves apart from the rest, testimonies of what the artists have been through, and explanations of why they’re different and why they should be recognized as that. The incredible thing about it: it worked. Gayle, Addison, Jr. , and Larry Neal. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. New York [u. a. : Norton, 2004. Print. ]

How to Stay Motivated in the Final Weeks of School

How to Stay Motivated in the Final Weeks of School If college were easy, more people would be attending- and graduating. And while college can be challenging, there are definitely times when things are more difficult than usual. The end of the semester, for example- and especially the end of the spring semester- can sometimes feel harder to get through than the rest of the year combined. Youre low on energy, time, and resources, and its more challenging than usual to recharge yourself. So just how can you stay motivated at the end of the semester? Try Changing Your Routine How long has it been since you mixed up your schedule? As in...really mixed it up? You might be in a bit of a funk because youre just going through the motions: go to bed late, wake up tired, go to class, procrastinate. If you need to snap yourself out of it, try reworking your routine, if even just for a day or two. Go to bed early. Get enough sleep. Eat a healthy breakfast. Eat a healthy lunch. Do your homework in the morning so you can hang out, without guilt, all afternoon and evening. Go off campus to study. Mix things up so that your brain can engage and recharge in a new context. Add Some Exercise When youre low on energy, adding exercise to your routine sounds positively dreadful. Making the time for physical activity, however, can help relieve your stress, increase your energy, and clear things up mentally. Go for a nice long run outside, if you can, or join an exercise class that youve never been to. Play a pick-up game with friends or just zone out on the rowing machine. No matter what you do, promise yourself youll do it for at least 30 minutes. Chance are youll be amazed at how much better you feel. Schedule in Some Downtime Even if you know youll be hanging out with people throughout the week, it can be hard to really let yourself relax if youre worried about everything else you have to do. Consequently, make an official night out, dinner out, coffee date, or something similar with friends. Put it on your calendar. And then let yourself really relax and rejuvenate while youre out. Get off Campus and Forget Youre a Student for a Little While Everything you do probably revolve around your college life- which, while understandable, can also be wearisome. Leave your backpack behind and head to a museum, a musical performance, or even a community event. Forget that youre a student and just let yourself enjoy the moment. Your college responsibilities will wait for you. Remind Yourself of Your Long-term Goals Studying can be exhausting when you think of all you have to read and learn and memorize and write within the last few weeks of the term. However, thinking about your long-term goals- both professionally and personally- can be incredibly motivating. Visualize or even write down what you want your life to be like in 5, 10, and even 20 years. And then use those goals to help you plow through your to-do list. Make Attainable Short-term Goals While looking at your long-term goals can be motivating, focusing on your short-term goals can also be incredibly helpful. Make simple, very-short-term (if not downright immediate) goals that you can reach with a little extra effort. What is the one big thing youd like to get done by the end of the day today? By the end of the day tomorrow? By the end of the week? You dont have to list everything; just list one or two tangible things that you can aim for and reasonably expect to accomplish. Spend an afternoon imagining the details of your life after college. Focus on as many details as possible. Where will you live? What will your house or apartment look like? How will it be decorated? What kinds of things will you have hanging on the walls? What kind of dishes will you have? What kinds of people will you have over? What will your work life be like? What will you wear? What will you eat for lunch? How will you commute? What kinds of situations will make you laugh and feel joyful? Who will be part of your social circle? What will you do to have fun and relax? Spend a good hour or two imagining the details of what your life will be like. And then refocus and recharge yourself so you can finish your semester and make progress toward creating that life. Do something creative. Sometimes, the demands of college mean you end up spending your entire day doing things you have to do. When was the last time you did something you want to do? Allocate an hour or two to do something creative not for a grade, not for an assignment, but because you simply need to let your brain do something else. Do something new and silly. Are you tired of having all of the items on your to-do list be serious and productive? Add something that adds some brevity and good, old-fashioned silliness. Take a cooking class, go fly a kite, read a trashy magazine, finger paint, get in a water gun fight with friends, or run through some sprinklers. It doesnt matter what you do as long as you let yourself be goofy and enjoy it for what it is: ridiculous. Find a new place to study. Even if youre lacking motivation, you still have certain things to do like studying. If you cant change your to-do list, change where you get things done. Find a new place to study on campus so that you at least feel like youre mixing things up instead of repeating the same routine over and over and over again. Set up a reward system for yourself. It doesnt have to be fancy or expensive to be motivating. Pick two things on your to-do list and set an easy reward, like that candy bar in the vending machine youre always daydreaming about. When you finish those two tasks, treat yourself! Similarly, add in other short-term rewards, like a snack, nice cup of coffee, power nap, or other small treasure. Drop something from your to-do list and dont feel bad about it. Do you have a ton to do? Are you tired? Do you just not have the energy to get everything completed? Then instead of focusing on how to motivate yourself to do the impossible, take a hard look at your to-do list. Pick one or two things that are stressing you out and drop them without feeling guilty. If things are stressful and your resources are low, then its time to prioritize. What seemed important a month ago may no longer make the cut, so cross off what you can and focus on what you really need to focus on. You just might surprise yourself with how your energy levels replenish and your stress levels decrease.

Foster Care in the Criminal Justice System

Foster Care in the Criminal Justice System How Foster Care affects the criminal justice in the United States A detailed history of the creation of the social agency Historically, the destiny of dependent children has been put on adult’s contributions and goodwill where adults were expected to look after the dependent children. Throughout the history of the United States, the children welfare system has evolved according to shifting values and attitudes about what responsibilities governmental agencies should take in the defence and care of abandoned and abused children. In the US, it was English Poor Law, which led to the growth and eventual legislation of family foster care.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Foster Care in the Criminal Justice System specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the year 1562, these regulations permitted the placements of needy children into practice service until they were old enough to be self-sufficient. When the children beca me old enough, they were permitted to move on with life and live on their own. This system was brought to the US and marked the foundation of placing children into willing families. Although this practice allowed cruelty and mistreatment, it was a step ahead from almshouses where children didn’t gain any skills and were exposed to unbearable environs and unsavoury people. At this time, the early government interventions on behalf of children needing care were characterized more by realistic concerns about meeting the physical needs of children rather than by concern about the negative consequences of abuse and abandonment of children’s development. John (1993) notes â€Å"in 1636, at the time the Jamestown Colony was found, aged seven years old, Benjamin Eaton became US’s first foster child.† As public awareness about child abuse and the damage it caused grew, the importance of child protection received greater attention by government officials. (Tarren Hazell 2006) notes â€Å"in 1853, Charles Loring Brace, then a minister and director of the New York Childrens Aid Society, formed the free foster home movement group with the main concern of the increasing number of homeless and hungry children in the streets of New York.† Brace saw the need and came up with a system to offer these children homes. Acknowledging, it was Braces caring and imaginative actions which marked the beginning of the foster care agency. (John 1993).Advertising Looking for essay on family law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Gradually, the foster care system started to take course. Starting in the early 1900s, the federal Government and other social bodies became more concerned and engaged themselves in looking and offering homes to these needy children. Now, foster parents were required to have licences and have reports and records to ensure that the children received proper care of in a decent and dependable manner. In 1997, the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) was enacted and was meant to reduce the duration children were permitted to remain in foster care before they could be adopted. The Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 was passed to help promote youths who were becoming of age to attain self-sufficiency. The most recent legislation is the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, which extends other benefits and financing for foster children at the age bracket, 18-21 and for Indian children in racial regions. A presentation of the mission statement of the social agency Foster care is inspired to provide a place where children can heal, fostering families build up, and where peacefulness and private development are achieved. The intention of foster care agency is to evade unnecessary institutionalization of children and adults by offering caring, community-based, in-home placings to the many needy children. The mission of foster care under the child welfare system in the United States is to provide care to children. The system recognizes that foster care should be an inclusive teamwork effort among the care-givers, social workers, the placing agencies, the birth parents, the children and those contributing to the children’s welfare. Foster care is not only put in place to cater for the provision of safe alternative homes for neglected children but to provide permanent and well being for the children. The role of foster care is a surrogate parent to the children and infants. The social agency’s role of provision of permanent and long-term foster care to children and young people in need of a permanent family placement is a very vital issue that the social agency strives to fulfill. It is not only relevant for the social agencies but also for the judicial system. Foster care promotes family-based assistance to out-of-home children by: enabling the exchange of information among persons and organizations of different regions; enhancing foster care as a vital plan of family based care; organizing conferences and seminars; consultations; socializing; and assistance. It aims at providing safe, permanent and fostering families within the children’s own environment by sustaining bonds; thus reducing the negative impacts.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Foster Care in the Criminal Justice System specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Financial reports/summaries of the operations of the social agency In 1995, each state got more than $2.7 billion in federal aid for about half of the approximated The Federal government offers significant financial assistance to fund foster care programs. The government’s contribution is seen to have grown from about $300 million in 1981 to nearly $10 billion in 2005. According to the General Accounting Office, in 1993 almost $1.2 billion Federal dollars were allocated to foster care maintenance, while a supplementary $1.2 billion in refunds were allocated to states for foster care-related administrative programs in 495,000 children in foster care. By 2001, federal assistance rose to $4.7 billion with the number of foster care children assisted by the federal increasing by about 26%. According to a study conducted by the Child Welfare League of America, â€Å"the annual welfare cost of one child living with his or her mother is $2,644, while the average cost for the childs care in residential group care is $36,500.† (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services 2004). Currently, the annual expenditures on foster care services are estimated at 15 billion dollar. A critical analysis of the effectiveness of the social agency The Fosters care agency has a lot of challenges that affect its effectiveness when caring out its mandate. The social agency plays a very crucial role as it has a character of the social rehabilitation agency. The social agenc y faces limited recourses despite the fact that there has been a growing demand for the services nationally. Therefore the agency cannot carry it some of it vital roles hence lack the positive results that the agency is supposed to deliver. The lack of resources has resulted in missing the targets set by the agency as its daily expenditure increases especially in the training programs for the foster parents and adolescent children and in maintaining its interaction with the criminal justice system. (Harden 2004) The agency has a very intensive program which is involved in the training of children who have different social problems. The involvement of children in juvenile delinquencies stems from exposure to abuse and an extremely distressing experience that causes severe emotional shock and may have long-lasting psychological effects often co-occurs with mood and anxiety problems among children and young people. Other causes may be depressing relationships between the children and t heir surroundings and social hostility. For girls it is much more complex due to the fact that they are present in male oriented institutions and programs that are not well crafted to their specific needs. Therefore there is need for services to be based and set up in consideration of gender. This highlighted by figures showing a steady increase in delinquencies among females as compared to males (Lawrence, et al 2006) ways in which the social agency could improve its effectiveness towards its social goals.Advertising Looking for essay on family law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The social agency in its endeavor to improve its effectiveness and realize its mission and goal of providing permanence in foster care to underprivileged children, should prepare reports on a monthly basis so as to assess progress and analyze what needs to be done. This reports should be discussed by all stakeholders so that solutions and policies being developed should be inclusive and be able to cater for all children under foster care whether males or females. The criminal justice board should carry out periodical monitoring workshops to ensure that the agencies are effective. Cooperation between the social agency and the criminal justice system is very vital for effective services to be realized. The social agency should adhere to performance analyst monitors put in place by the criminal justice system and analyses performance in relation to warrants, community penalty breaches and awarding of licenses. On the other hand, in case of breach of the rules and regulations by social agencies, the criminal justice system should effect penalties such as revocation of licenses. Prediction concerning the future of the social agency and its impact on the criminal justice system The Future of the social agency lies in it taking measures to correct the current challenges that it is facing in order to remain efficient and effective and more importantly, have a healthy and sustainable relationship with the criminal justice system. In order to do this, the agency should be well funded to run its programs effectively thus not experience budgetary constraints as it is have before. In addition the agency should recruit more Para-legal and legal staff to assist in the judicial and legal operations that hence making it easy to work with the criminal justice system by bringing corrective programs into its system at an early stage. Another issue affecting the agency is lack of enough placements hence more children are still being left out in hostile environments whereby they de velop into juveniles at a very young age and carry with them this trait into adulthood or into the foster care program should they get a placement. Past research has shown that former children in foster homes, at least 42 per cent of them ended in prisons once they got into adulthood while 15 percent of them got to prison during their teen hood. Therefore in order for the agency to be successful, apart from its economical and human resource factors, the agency should take into account the role that placement of children in homes has on them. Thus children who are placed in environmentally friendly homes grow to develop positive attributes while those who are in hostile environments develop negative attributes, a factor that plays a big role in them ending up in prison later on. Thus both the agency and the criminal justice system should device positive and educative training programs to train the children into being more positive and self conscience while getting rid of attributes t hey might have acquired during the foster program. Also there should be continuous supervision of children in the program to ensure that they are in placements that contribute to their welfare in the end. (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services 2004). Hence if all the above factors are taken into consideration, the agency is bound to produce positive results while decreasing the number of children who end up in the criminal justice system. References Harden, B (2004). Safety and stability for foster children: a developmental perspective. The Future of children / Center for the Future of Children, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Vol. 11, pp 34-89. John K. ( 1993). Adoption of Children with Special Needs, Brookings Institution: The Future of Children, Vol. 3, Adoption, pp. 62-76 Lawrence, C. Carlson, E Egeland, B (2006). The impact of foster care on development. Development and psychopathology, Vol 1, pp. 57–76. Tarren, M; Hazell, P (2006). Mental health of children in foster and kinship care in New South Wales, Australia. Journal of paediatrics and child health, Vol 3, pp. 89–97. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, (2004). Child Maltreatment, Vol 6, pp.25-96.

Dra Rod Music The paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dra Rod Music The paper - Assignment Example This especially concerns the most daring and capturing, to my thinking, musicals – those based on rock music, for this form of presentation elevates rock music to a rather sophisticated theatrical level and popularizes it. 2. Probably, the most interesting points in the history of musical are the way relevant social issues were reflected in productions and the gradual shift from mainly dancing and singing (as in early musicals with dominance of music numbers) to the greater role of dramatic component and plot. Here, the period of 1920-1940’s can be mentioned as the time of significant changes, for artistic activity of Cole Porter, George Gershwin and others endowed musical with peculiar American flavor – jazz and ragtime influence, more elaborate librettos etc. However, the most impressive turning point for me was observed in the postwar years with Rodgers and Hammerstein II creating South Pacific (1949), as this production clearly marked transition to a more elaborate dramatic form in musicals with dramatic component placed in the limelight, and singing/dancing used extensively to support development of the plot and communication of relevant issues. Moreover, this musical seems rather d aring and expressive to me in terms of presentation of big social issues such as race and gender relations. 3. Creating a musical, I would concentrate on a topic related to sexism and feminism and express the idea that women in the contemporary society often talk about gender roles when it concerns equal rights. Yet, they don’t mention equal duties. Therefore, the musical be about a feminist who gets to another planet and faces reversed reality with bearded men wearing dresses and going to beauty salons. However, women there have to win bread, to carry heavy bags etc. Our woman will be forced to marry a man of Conchita Wurst type and – after experiencing all the difficulties - she will escape and change her mind. To attract

Cognitive Development and Cognitive Views of Learning Essay

Cognitive Development and Cognitive Views of Learning - Essay Example Children in the concrete operational stage of development accept the rules and seldom deliberately move outside them. According to Piaget's theory, children from age 7 to 11 move from preconventional to concrete operational where these children have experienced interaction with others in a school setting and have begun to care what others think about them. Children in the 7-11 age group have the most potential for establishing a positive moral behavioral base. Morality becomes an issue for this age group because this is a time when children move from how a situation will affect them personally to how their behavioral choices will affect someone else. However, throughout this stage, conflicts occur that create moral dilemmas and children in this age group are influenced by so many ideas about what is or is not moral that it is easy for them to make some wrong choices. It is important for a teacher to stress the fact that it is all right to make mistakes because that is how we learn. It is the positive or negative result of the choice made that will help them determine right or wrong in future dilemmas. In other words, they first learn the rules, then how the rules affect behavior, and finally, whether trying to follow the rules might create a moral dilemma while breaking the rule would seem to be the proper choice. Appropriate strategies to use to teach the selected topic One problem with trying to teach morality in the classroom is that different children have different concepts of the rules of behavior when it comes to moral issues. However, by creating different moral dilemmas and setting up discussion groups within a classroom, individual students can present a dilemma and its possible resolution, and other students can debate or accept the resolution. The result of this is that the class can establish a moral code of behavior that they can accept. Once that has been accomplished, a further situation could be presented through a children's book that discusses morality, such as The Complete Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault (1993) newly translated by Neil Philip and Nicoletta Simborowski from Perrault's original collection, or in a book such as The Children's Book of Virtues (1995) by William Bennett. Bennett offers what he considers conventional role models for young people while the fairy tales present characters with debatable morals that can gen erate discussion within a group. Over the years, well-known fairy tales have evolved into versions that are influenced by changing moral concerns within society. In keeping with today's moral breakdown, Sleeping Beauty's story in its original format doesn't end when the prince awakens her. In a passage from Marjorie Allen's discussion of the translation (1999) her life continues: She marries him in secret and has two children-a boy and a girl. But she and the prince do not live happily ever after as king and queen, at least not for quite some time, because the queen mother happens to be part ogre