The Hagfish Essays - Myxinidae, Scavengers, Ichthyology, Hagfish

The Hagfish The most disgusting creature on Earth.? The Hagfish is known to those who know of it as the most disgusting creature on Earth, a reputation well earned. The Hagfish or known also as the slime eel to fisherman who are unlucky enough to get one in their fish, live between depths of 60m and 1300m. The live in soft bottoms, in boroughs, with only their head sticking out. the Hagfish depending on type (their are 2 types: Eptatretidae and Myxindae) range anywhere from 12-40 inches. hagfish off the Californian coast are common, being centrally populated around the Monterey bay area the Eptatidae live in all oceans, and the Myxondae live in all oceans as well, excluding the North Atlantic. In the Phylum Chordata, class Agnatha, order Myxinoidea. Physical Description: They sort of look like an eel, they have a tail fin, but no paired fins, and no jaws or bones. Like sharks they are Cartalageous. They have slit like mouths, with a tongue that has horny teeth on it. They have degenerate eyes buried under their skin, and a single nostril on the end of their snout. On the snout they have five barbels, that act like feelers, sensing motion. They are scaleless and soft skinned as well, and are related to the Lamprey. The reason Hagfish are so disgusting is because of their dietary habits. A hagfish favors dead or dying invertebrates, and marine animals as prey. They then latch on to the animal, and using their tongue with horny teeth, burrow a hole to the insides of the prey. From their eating the animal, which may still be alive, from the inside out. Hagfish have been known to latch on to fish caught in nets, or on the end of a fisherman's hook. Although their are no known reports of Hagfish eating a live human, it is possible, however unlikely; being that the person would probably notice the fish latching into their skin, and beginning to eat them alive, and pull it off. Hagfish however, and this is my speculation, would eat a dead corpse from a shipwreck and such. When these fish are handled by humans, they excrete unbelievable amounts of slime. Giving way to the name slime eel. As for the Hagfishes future who knows? it seems as long as things die, the Hagfish will flourish. And will continue to earn its place as one of the most disgusting creatures on this Earth. So next time you go scuba diving, remember: Beware the Hagfish.

Critical Essay on The Great Gatsby

Critical Essay on The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby is F. Scott Fitzgeralds most famous work and it is considered to be his best. He provides a powerful, disturbing insight into the American society in the 1920s in particular those who became rich, achieving the American dream. It probes how greed leaves people unhappy and unfulfilled. The Story Line The book is narrated by Nick Carraway, a Yale graduate who is Gatsbys neighbor in New York. Gatsby, a millionaire, holds a party in his mansion every weekend. Invited are people that are the cream of the young society world. They come only to enjoy themselves, and gossip. Gatsby who seems to live the American dream is unhappy and dissatisfied. He is in love with Daisy, who married Tom Buchanan. Nick eventually invites Daisy to his house for tea where Gatsby re unites with her. Soon they become lovers, and Tom eventually gets suspicious and confronts them. He also brings up that Gatsby made his money from illegal alcohol sales and gambling. Daisy then drives to New York with Gatsby, and kills a woman accidentally. Gatsby takes the blame. The dead woman’s husband, George Wilson finds out the car that killed his wife is Gatsbys. He comes to Gatsbys house and kills Gatsby with a gun. Nick ends up arranging Gatsby’s funeral and then leaves New York both saddened and disgusted by the whole lifestyle he witnessed. False Values Fitzgerald primarily shows the false values of the American dream. Gatsby is a wealthy man, and this is the primary identity Fitzgerald gives him as he explores this theme. A man with a past becomes a millionaire, a playboy, who enjoys parties and the company of socialites. He is shown as shallow and frivolous, his life is empty, and he is unhappy with it all. The only sense of meaning he has is derived from his love for Daisy. He wants Daisy, not this life, but we see he was motivated to this pursuit to win Daisy back. This effort of Gatsby is the central point Fitzgerald wants to make. Gatsby seeks to find his happiness in the values of the American dream. Money and popularity are the reason for life. If you have it, you have the American dream. He shows through Gatsby that these values are false empty and meaningless. Gatsby in comes to realize this, and in the end is prepared to give everything for love. Shallowness of Pleasure Once Gatsby is dead Fitzgerald uses the character of Nick to explore the whole lifestyle in its wider context of the class of people Gatsby was involved with. Fitzgerald uses Nick to highlight and attack the shallowness of this class that lived by social climbing, and their own enjoyment. They are shown in Gatsby to be decadent, cynical, and emotionally manipulative, not caring about the pain they cause. Their only interest is their own pleasure. Gatsby is in love, and therefore at variance with these values, frustrated by his social set, and in the end murdered, showing that such a lifestyle is flirting with disaster. Fitzgerald with this book captured a lifestyle within a decade that while outwardly fascinating, it was corrupt and horrible. He himself was part of that very lifestyle and a victim of it. The book he wrote reveals how the American dream was corrupted by decadence. Tips on writing a critical essay on The Great Gatsby: Research information from a wide variety of sources about The Great Gatsby. Collect more than you can use. Then take out relevant material and re-read it. When you are satisfied, you have what you need then you are ready to write. Highlight critical details from your material and write your thesis statement. Ensure you make it clear and concise. Write your essay introduction, and develop your outline. Limit your paper to three major sections where you use your important points. To these points add your details and arguments, and ensure you keep a logical flow. When finished write your conclusion. Use the body points of your essay to bring your critical paper to a clear conclusion.

Italian Verbs Conjugated With Two Pronominal Particles

Italian Verbs Conjugated With Two Pronominal Particles Italian pronominal verbs (verbi pronominali) are verbs conjugated with two different pronominal particles (particelle pronominali). In the infinitive, these verbs frequently end in -sene (such as tornarsene or vergognarsene) or else have other pronominal  particles attached (such as mettercela or squagliarsela). Oftentimes these verbs are used idiomatically. Intransitivi Pronominali There are several pronominal verbs which are intransitive. Examples include curarsene and partirsene, in which the reflexive pronoun si is used to emphasize the concept or describe a reciprocal action and the pronoun can mean about it, any, some, or from there. Note that the pronoun si becomes se when followed by another particle (partirsene and not partirsine). Below is a list of some common intransitivi pronominali: approfittarsene: to take advantage of something or somebodycurarsene (or prendersene cura): to be cured ofdirsene di tutti i colori: to call one another namesfregarsene: not to care (colloquial; to be avoided in formal situations)- Me ne frego.guardarsene: to beware, to avoidinfischiarsene: not to care (colloquial; to be avoided in formal situations)- Me ne infischio.intendersene: to be an expertinvaghirsene: to become infatuated; dated, but can be still encountered in written speech- Narciso vide il suo viso riflesso nellacqua e se ne invaghà ¬.lavarsene (le mani): to wash ones hands of somethingoccuparsene: to take care of somethingpentirsene: to regret somethingsbattersene : not to care (colloquial; to be avoided in formal situations)- Me ne sbatto.tornarsene: emphatic for - Basta! Me ne torno da mia madre! Andarsene The verb andarsene (to go away- used emphatically) is a frequently encountered Italian pronominal verb and can serve as a model for conjugating similar verbs. Here are some examples of the verb andarsene used in a sentence: Vattene, non ti voglio pià ¹ vedere! (go away, I dont want to see you again)Me ne vado (Im going away)Perchà © ve ne andate?(Why are you going away?)Se ne stava tutta sola in un angolo† (she was sitting in a corner all by herself); Note, when conjugating the imperative and gerund of andarsene and similar verbs that have two pronominal  particles that both are appended to the conjugated verb (Andatevene!; Vattene!; Andiamocene!), while in other moods and tenses the pronoun ne, as well as the particles mi, ti, si, ci, and vi precede the verb. In addition, the particles make a phonetic change to me, te, se, ce, and ve. Two Pronominal  Particles In addition to the ending -sene, some Italian pronominal verbs are formed with the reflexive particle sà © plus a pronome oggetto (object pronoun), or else a combination with the particles ci and ne. These verbs frequently have idiomatic meanings also. More Italian Pronominal Verbs / Verbi Pronominali avercela: to be angry withcavarsela: to get out of a difficulty- Siamo riusciti a cavarcela.darsele: to come to blows- Carlo e Giacomo se le sono date per lei.darsela a gambe: to run awaydormirsela: to sleep soundly- Io lavoro e lui se la dorme! farcela: to manage- Scommetto che ce la farai a superare l’esame.filarsela: to beat it- Potrebbero sorprenderci, à ¨ meglio filarsela.godersela: to have a good time- Lui sà ¬ che se la gode!intendersela: to have an affair- Sai con chi se la intende? Se la sono intesa per un anno e poi si sono lasciati.mettercela tutta: do ones bestprendersela: to take offenseprendersela (comoda): to take ones time- Prenditela pure comoda, non cà ¨ fretta.squagliarsela: to sneak away- Ce la siamo squagliata per non incontrarli.svignarsela: to sneak away- Appena possibile ce la svignamo.trovarcisi: to find oneselfvedercisi: to see oneself doing somethingvedersela brutta: to fear the worst

The surprising fact about the 17th century Spain is not so much its Essay

The surprising fact about the 17th century Spain is not so much its decline as a great power but its survival for so long.' Do y - Essay Example Spain was able to survive. The Spanish government’s decline as a great power is not as important as the how long Spain continues to survive until the end of the 17th century. Henry Arthur (1980) emphasized the English general Oliver Cromwell’s death in 1658 had inflicted a huge loss on the English Army as well as the strength of the French army. Cromwell had joined forces with the French to prevent the Stuarts from regaining the throne in England. The French were interested in the alliance because they did not want the Stuarts to return the English throne. History shows that the Stuarts did return to the English Throne in 1658 after the political turmoil that erupted in England in the same year. When King Charles II ascended the English throne, England stopped its attacks on Spain. Initially, the English commander, Cromwell, sought Catholic France’s alliance in order to defeat Catholic Spain because Cromwell believes God prefers that the Protestant religion shoul d flourish in Europe. Cromwell initially attacked the Spanish trade and treasure routes. Cromwell tried to attack the Spanish forced on Hispaniola. However, the Cromwell attacked failed because the Spanish defensive forces in Hispaniola were too strong compared to the incoming English army. Defeated, Cromwell’s forces fled and reached the shores of Jamaica in May 1655. Overall, the English Admiral Robert Blake attacks did not completely win the war against Spain. The English – French alliance was entitled the Treaty of Paris was signed in March 1657. The treaty emphasised France will join England in attacking Spain in the battle of Flanders. The treaty specified that English will send an estimated 4,900 soldiers and France will send 19,900 soldiers to fight the Spanish soldiers. The war reached the Gravelines, Mardyck and Dunkirk localities where Spain had more gains compared to the English side. Further, during Spain’s war against England, England suffered huge losses. The Spanish counter attack had eradicated the English shipping trade. In the same light, Spain also suffered huge losses when Admiral Blake blockaded Cadiz. The blockade caused a stoppage of the Spanish economy which generated most of its cash inflows from imported silver and gold coming from the Americas. Spain’s King Philip IV was extremely worried with the English Attacks in Italy, Flanders, and Portugal. Furthermore, William Guthrie (2003) reiterated the 30 years French – Spanish war precipitated from the Habsburg rivalry. France attacked Spain at Les Avins in 1635. In response, the Spanish forces used its Southern Netherlands forces to implement speedy counter attacks on French defensive positions. The counterattacks had literally maimed the French economy. In 1643, the French army crushed the previously invincible Spanish army in Rocroi, Northern France. During this time, the Catalonia revolts and the Portuguese revolts had undermined the strength of the Spanish army. During this war, the Spanish forces were trapped between the French forces on one side and the Dutch forces on the other side. As expected, the Spanish forces were trounced by the advancing French forces at the battle of Lens. However, could not overrun the losing Spanish forces strategically entrenched in Flanders. The In the Peace of Westphalia, France was given the Alsace territory. Likewise, Spain

Single Women in Victorian England Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Single Women in Victorian England - Essay Example The lives and fortunes of single women in Victorian England. The society of Victorian England was, as we know, very class-riven. Thus the lives and fortunes of single women in that society depended largely on the class they were born into and on the resources available to them. Some, like Mary Carpenter, were fortunate in those resources.1 As H Schupf points out, 'Traditionally, the options available to the middle-class spinster without resources were commonly limited to governessing or authorship; but for those who were both financially independent and unencumbered by relatives, there existed the additional possibility of charitable work.'2 Clearly, for the working classes, the situation was quite different. Yet unlike their middle-class and upper class counterparts, working-class women had job opportunities as domestic servants and in factories and, though both these occupations were lowly paid and demanding. As Jeffreys writes, 'unmarried women from the working class did have access to work and the vast majority of them were absorbed in the domestic servant industry which relied almost entirely on unmarried women.'3 Becoming a domestic servant had its appeal for many young women of the time, as they were thus enabled to break free from the immediate constraints of their background: 'The discomfort of poor, overcrowded homes and the problems of family life, beset by high birth rates, high mortality rates, and the emigration of men overseas, may have rendered domestic service in more prosperous houses [initially at least] an attractive alternative'.4 Attractive, perhaps, but not always reliable, for such work was casual and often seasonal, depending as it did on the shifts and movements of the upper classes. Not... Clearly, for the working classes, the situation was quite different. Yet unlike their middle-class and upper class counterparts, working-class women had job opportunities as domestic servants and in factories and, though both these occupations were lowly paid and demanding. As Jeffreys writes, 'unmarried women from the working class did have access to work and the vast majority of them were absorbed in the domestic servant industry which relied almost entirely on unmarried women.'3 Becoming a domestic servant had its appeal for many young women of the time, as they were thus enabled to break free from the immediate constraints of their background: 'The discomfort of poor, overcrowded homes and the problems of family life, beset by high birth rates, high mortality rates, and the emigration of men overseas, may have rendered domestic service in more prosperous houses [initially at least] an attractive alternative'.4 Attractive, perhaps, but not always reliable, for such work was casua l and often seasonal, depending as it did on the shifts and movements of the upper classes. Not surprisingly, working-class single women were more sexually vulnerab

Hematologic Discussion Essay Example for Free

Hematologic Discussion Essay Question 1 Anemia is a condition of the blood in which the number of healthy red blood cells is very low to meet the oxygen requirements of body tissues. It is mainly classified on the basis of erythrocyte morphology, physiology and probable etiology. The classification based on morphology of red blood cells takes into account the size of erythrocytes. Under this category microcytic anemia occurs if the red blood cells are smaller than normal. Normocytic anemia is present if the red blood cells have the normal size but lower in number whereas macrocytic anemia occurs when the red blood cells are larger than normal. Based on etiology, various conditions are considered which result in either blood loss, excessive destruction of red blood cells and decreased or impaired production of red blood cells. On the same note, the physiological classification is based on hemoglobin level and occurs in three stages. These include the mild stage in which the Hb level is 110-90g/l, moderate stage in which Hb level is 90-70g/l, and severe stage in which Hb level is Laboratory criteria (Makama, 2010). The three types of anemia are iron-deficiency anemia caused by blood loss such as in cases of heavy or prolonged menstrual periods, insufficient iron supply or underutilization of iron in the body.   Aplastic anemia is caused by inability of the bone marrow to produce enough erythrocytes, platelets and white blood cells. Sickle-cell anemia is caused by a hereditary defect which affects Hb production in which the red blood cells assume an abnormal crescent shape. It is worth noting that the most common type of anemia in the United States is iron-deficiency anemia since most women are of child bearing age and experience excessive blood loss during menses. Similarly, the signs and symptoms of this type of anemia are pale skin, fatigue, headache, dizziness, gastrointestinal disturbances, and dry mouth. Its treatment involves intake of iron rich diet including iron supplements (bodyandhealth.canada.com, 2009). Question 2 DIC is an acronym that stands for disseminated intravascular coagulation. It is a serious disorder in which proteins which control blood clotting become abnormally active resulting in formation of blood clots within blood vessels. The clogging of blood vessels cuts off blood supply to various organs such as the brain, liver and kidneys. DIC can be caused by certain types of blood cancer, blood infection by fungus or bacteria and blood transfusion reactions. Clinical manifestations include excessive hemorrhage, hypertension, and blood clots. DIC can be treated by using plasma transfusions to replace blood clotting factors. Also heparin may be used to prevent blood clotting (nlm.nih.gov, 2010).

Diabetes, Minority Status, and the African American and Hispanic American Communities :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Diabetes, Minority Status, and the African American and Hispanic American Communities In March of 2003, a bill known as the "Minority Population Diabetes Prevention and Control Act of 2003" was introduced to Congress, and then referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. According to this bill's findings, "minority populations, including African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asians, have the highest incidence of diabetes and the highest complications of the disease" (1). The alarming rate at which the incidence of diabetes is affecting African American and Hispanic American communities has led the government, health care professionals, clinics, and other organizations to begin to question the process by which information and treatment is being accessed by members of these communities. Diabetes mellitus is defined as "a group of diseases characterized by high levels of blood glucose, which result from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action or both" (2). There are two types of diabetes, one that "occurs when the body produces little or no insulin, and that typically affects children and young adults," and the other, which "typically develops in adults, and occurs when the body does not use insulin effectively", types II diabetes being the most common (3). According to the CDC and the National Center for Health Statistics, "the number of Americans with diabetes in the year 2000 was 17 million or 6.2 percent of the population, as compared to 15.7 million (5.9 percent) in 1998" (4). However, and on average, Hispanic Americans and African Americans are almost twice as likely to have diabetes in comparison to white Americans. In addition, African Americans and Hispanic Americans show a higher incidence of suffering from diabetes related complications including but not limited to eye and kidney disease, amputations, heart disease, heart stroke etc (5). Various factors are said to increase the chances of developing type II diabetes. These factors fall under two categories-genetics and medical/lifestyle risk factors, which include impaired glucose tolerance, gestational diabetes, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, obesity and physical activity (6). Although studies have shied away from making direct correlations between obesity/physical activity and the susceptibility of developing type II diabetes, researchers suspect, however, that a lack of exercise and obesity, as well as other unidentifiable factors, may be contributing to the high diabetes rates in African American and Hispanic American communities. The NHANES III survey indicated that "50 percent of African American men/65 percent of Mexican American men, and 67 percent of African American women/74 percent of Mexican American women participated in little or no exercise" (7).

Galileo on religion and science Essay

Explain Galileo’s attempt to make science and religion compatible, with particular reference to methods of justification. How successful is he? Use Kuhn’s notion of incommensurability to investigate Galileo’s attempt to reconcile the propositions of science and religion. There will always be a battle between religion and science, it is a truth universally acknowledged. Galileo attempted to make the two compatible by suggesting that the truth can only be sought out if the notion under consideration can be accurately tested and if the opposing view can be founded as false. Galileo’s goes into depth about the truth of scripture and the sciences, intertwined with the reason of man, in his letter to Christina of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany. Early on in the letter Galileo, infers from St Augustine that the Holy Ghost did not intend to teach â€Å"how heaven goes† rather â€Å"how one goes to heaven†. Galileo interprets this as the underlying basis for the â€Å"common† people to believe that man should not concern themselves with science and that it is against the Bible, and therefore blasphemous. Furthermore this misconception is continued, as Galileo believes that the â€Å"common† people understand the truth in the Bible is largely to do with one’s salvation and other physical things such as whether the Sun or Earth are mobile, are irrelevant. From this Galileo leads on to discuss that â€Å"physical problems† are able to be solved through â€Å"sense-experiences† and reason, as well as the â€Å"authority of scriptural passages† highlighting that either are valid to contain the truth. Galileo argues that God gifted man with the power of reason and logic, so that they would be able to discover and learn about his creation. God did not â€Å"set bounds to human ingenuity† so why should the church impose them, by discrediting and prohibiting some of the greatest work of philosophers and scientists? Galileo had two types of physical propositions: those that are able to be subjected to tests and experiments and those that can only be conjectured about; and these are best left to faith and Holy Scriptures. Galileo did not believe that everything in the universe was known to man, he believed that there were more truths to be discovered. He did not agree that â€Å"free-philosophizing† should be shunned, because the Holy Ghost states that â€Å"man cannot find out the work that God hath done from beginning even to  end†. Galileo is not satisfied by this and urges others to not side with the common opinion of the scriptures, to the point where it blocks logic and reason, and ultimately truth. He highlights this by using the Sun and the Earth: the debate about the still Sun and the mobile Earth, as many come to believe – â€Å"it was most absurd to believe otherwise†. This is because Nicholas Copernicus provided evidence for his claims which were reasonable and logical; that it was â€Å"plain as daylight†. Galileo stresses the importance of not bending the word of God to fulfil ones â€Å"foolish fancies† i.e. one should guard themselves against deliberately misinterpreting the Holy Scripture to suit their own end. The repetition of this (citing scripture to back up their skewed claims) will lead to the inevitable adoption of this understanding and consequently missing the true mean behind the scriptural passages. This is what Galileo means when he refers to as the â€Å"v ulgar† and â€Å"common† people, sometimes misinterpret the holy writings of the Bible â€Å"to fulfil their foolish fancies†. Because of this Galileo advocates the importance for mankind to step away from information that just concerns salvation and to broaden their horizons; most importantly, to not be afraid of the truth. By this he suggests that Holy Scripture and explanations of physical things have their own place in the world and that man should keep an open mind to explore both, because both are valid sources of the truth. He goes on to say that God did not intend for his Word to be misinterpreted like this and the true meaning to be obscured, and this â€Å"sort of abuse† should not â€Å"gain countenance and authority†. However as Galileo stated it is â€Å"more pleasant to gain a reputation for wisdom† without experiments and research than it is to pursue science and produce evidence for these physical observations. Galileo is thankful to God because he does not allow the majority of these â€Å"common folk† as stated above to have all the authority, some learned people too have authority. Galileo is not speaking blasphemy, he is suggesting there is a place for both Holy doctrine as well as scientific doctrine and he attempts to prove this. Galileo is concerned with obtaining the truth about the world we live in, whether religion provides an answer or science. This is evident in the letter when he is discussing the â€Å"celestial bodies† concerning the work of Copernicus. Galileo believes that it would be wholly unjustified to ban  Copernicus’ work after it has been confirmed over the years, he puts it: â€Å"in my judgement to be a contravention of the truth† if this were to occur. Basically Galileo believes if something is true, the basis of the truth either, religious or scientific is equally creditable. He further states that if scientific fact is unattainable, it must be a thing of faith and religion; â€Å"where human reasoning cannot reach† and there â€Å"is no science but only opinion of faith† the truth must be in the Scripture. This is demonstrated in the letter â€Å"whether the stars are animate† or â€Å"whether or not the heavens are spherical†. Galileo believes that ultimately that the science behind a phenomena will equate to the Scripture that describes it; â€Å"the true senses of the Bible† â€Å"will most certainly be found to agree with the proven fact†. He further goes on to admit, that at first the two may seem completely different and closer scrutiny is required. Galileo proves his point further by stating that â€Å"two truths can never contradict each other† ultimately, the religious and scientific, must both be compatible for something to be proven true. The matter of Galileo’s success is dependent largely on his era and the audience. Being a follower of God as well as a man of science and a philosopher, Galileo had to come to terms with both his beliefs and what his physical senses and reasoning told him about the world. He achieved this by describing that the facts produced by reasoning will equal the truth held in the Scripture; both religion and science were correct. However, this was conditional: the Holy Scripture should not be misinterpreted and the notion under consideration should be tested through logic. Following this Galileo, believed that the understanding held by an individual of the Holy Scripture, chiefly relied upon how leaned such a person was and their capacity to understand the true meaning of the Scriptural passages. Primarily Galileo could not disregard the Bible wholly: firstly, as mentioned above he himself believed greatly in God and secondly the people of the time were immersed in the religion from infancy it was to them, â€Å"common† knowledge and the truth about the world. Given this Galileo had to find a solution to please both religious beliefs whilst allowing scientific inquiry and philosophising to occur. As he describe the â€Å"vulgar† and â€Å"common† people may shun his ideas, because they do not accept anything that is not Holy Scripture, and believe Galileo and other scientists and philosophers to be blasphemous. However Galileo attempts to  make sense of this by discussing that perhaps they misinterpreted the Bible and consequently the true meaning (which is compatible with science) is lost to them, that it is beyond their capacity to comprehend. It is remarked by Galileo: â€Å"people who are unable to understand both the Bible and the sciences far out number those who do understand† – perhaps this is Galileo commenting on his own success; that he is only able to reach people if they understand the true meaning of Scripture and are capable of understanding the sciences. Galileo in his attempt to reconcile the propositions of both religion and science, it is evident that he employed Kuhn’s measures of perpetual incommensurability. The evidence acquired via observation is an insufficient basis for theory comparison, due to the inherent idea that perceptual experience is theory dependant. Basically, one’s ability to develop a theory is based on their previous life experiences; whether it be from actual physical events, emotional or spiritual events. All play a role in the development of a theory, which is formed based on how an individual sees the world and what they conclude about it. This in mind, it can be observed that Galileo’s religious upbringing and his adulthood, greatly influenced his views on religion and science. Galileo believed that Holy Scripture and the sciences were compatible; it can be inferred from his letter (as previously discussed) that when human reasoning is unable to provide an answer than it must be left to faith. Extrapolating on this one may conclude that Galileo could be suggesting that the true meaning of science was written in the Bible and God gifted humans with the power to reason, to ultimately find out the truth of the world, of creation. It is this notion that people may find it hard to come to terms with because, it was believed that God did not want humans to discover the truth. However, Galileo questioned (as did many others) why then did God bestow reason and logic on humans? This ultimately drives Galileo in his quest to make religion and science compatible. This reflects the perpetual incommensurability of Kuhn; that one’s background will inevitably colour their perception, as demonstrated by Galileo’s attempt to reconcile religious faith and the s ciences. Reference list All in text citations and all information about this essay were sourced from the following: ATS2867, Thinking about Science Study guide and Readings, Monash University, 1998: 15-30;51-66.

Peking Opera

Modern observers in the West may not understand why, but they can certainly recognize when males are used to portray female roles in the Chinese theater. A quote from Act 2 Scene 7 of David Henry Hwang's opera, â€Å"Madam Butterfly,† provides a useful example of how and why males are used to play female roles. There, a male singer who plays female roles in Beijing Opera deceives a French diplomat into thinking he actually is a woman. He explains that males take the female roles â€Å"because only a man knows how a woman is supposed to act† This explanation resonates on multiple levels with varying degrees of irony, suggesting that gender is as performative in life as it is in theater. To this end, this paper examines how men playing the tan role in the Beijing Opera define and enforce the idea of femininity by performing the female role to determine how men perform femininity on stage in the Beijing Opera. A summary of the research is provided in the conclusion. Review and Discussion Background and Overview. The importance of actors and acting has long been celebrated in China; in fact, the first document concerning â€Å"actors† can be found in the Records of the Great Historian, written by Sima Qian (145-90 BCE), who was appointed to the court of Emperor Wu (reigned 141-87 BCE) of the Western Han dynasty (cited in Thorpe 269). Likewise, the use of male actors to portray female characters also has a long history in China, although many contemporary researchers consider its origins to be primarily in the last century and a half. According to Tian (2000), â€Å"The art of male dan –specialists in female roles — is one of the most important issues in traditional Chinese theatre, especially in jingju (Beijing or Peking opera)† (78). Beijing opera, or literally â€Å"opera of the capital,† emerged in the mid-19th century in China by incorporating components of huidiao from Anhui, dandiao from Hubei, and kunqu, the traditional opera that had predominated the country since the 14th century; performed in Mandarin, the dialect of Beijing and of the traditional elite, the jingxi musical verse plays came to be performed throughout China, although most provinces and many major cities developed their own operatic variants using local dialects (Brandon 2). As Beijing opera spread out from its original roots in Beijing to become an actual national theatre in China, there were some issues that arose concerning tradition and innovation. For instance, in his book, Diasporas and Interculturalism in Asian Performing Arts: Translating Traditions, Um (2004) reports that, â€Å"The art as performed in Beijing was considered the ‘pure' form, referred to as ‘jingpai' ([Bei]jing style). But somewhat paradoxically, innovation was only regarded as truly successful if it was recognized in Beijing. For instance, liupai, the schools or styles of acting representative of the creative work of individual actors, could only be established through the validation of Beijing audiences and critics† (161). Before the mid-20th century, Beijing opera was considered to be actor-centered, both in terms of performance as well as the creative process; this mindset meant that all major creative work was either accomplished by or supervised by the actors but even this creative work had be approved by Beijing (Um 161). In fact, â€Å"An actor's original composition, scripting, staging and performance achieved the power of long-term influence and continuity only when Beijing conferred liupai status† (Um 161). According to Brandon (2006), Beijing operas are highly conventionalized in terms of movements, costumes and makeup; the respective attitudes of the individual characters in Beijing opera products are communicated through traditional postures, steps, and arm movements. In addition, both actors and actresses wear carefully applied face paint to indicate which characters they portray and various acrobatic movements are often employed to suggest violence (Brandon 2-3). Other devices are also used in Beijing opera to communicate what may not be readily discernible to uninitiated Western observers, but which are immediately recognized by Chinese audiences. For example, musical accompaniment for Beijing opera is provided by a small orchestra of stringed and wind instruments, wooden clappers, and a small drum; brief interludes of spoken narration allow singers to rest periodically during the characteristically lengthy performances; these devices also carry with them understood conventions that convey important points to be made (Brandon 3). As noted above, the Beijing opera has traditionally employed an all-male cast, including males portraying the female parts; however, during the late 20th century, Beijing opera expanded its scope to admit female actors as well (Brandon, 2006). The most popular male performer in the Beijing Opera was Mei Lanfang, who played mostly female roles; he introduced the art form to an international audience by touring in Japan, the United States, and the Soviet Union (Brandon 3). In her chapter, â€Å"Traditional theater in contemporary China,† Elizabeth Wichmann (1988) reports that, â€Å"Beijing opera has been the nationally dominant form of theater in China for at least one hundred years. However, it is only one among more than 360 indigenous, or traditional, forms of Chinese theater currently being staged† (184). The salient features of Beijing opera today can be traced to the Yuan dynasty, when the particular styles of costume and makeup were indicative of the nature of the character wearing them (Wichmann 184). According to this author, â€Å"At least in terms of refinement and elaboration, the Beijing opera (jingju) and other allied styles of Qing dynasty regional theater probably represent the high point of Chinese stage costume, and their styles of ‘painted face’ makeup are more numerous and complex than the stage makeups of any other culture or period† (Wichmann 2). Likewise, the distinctive Beijing opera walking styles of the dan (female roles) and sheng are clearly recognizable in other traditional forms, just as are the stylized hand and eye movements of the huadan (Wichmann 2). Although some localized forms of theater have not include certain role types (the jing being the role type most frequently excluded), the walk, posture, and gestures techniques used for every other role type traditionally included in each form and can be recognized by modern Chinese audiences without fail as belonging to that role type throughout the various forms of traditional Chinese theater (Brandon 3). Vocal stylizations, though, in many cases are significantly different from one theater form to the next, being reflective of a specific role type and of the specific form of theater (Brandon 3). In Beijing opera, actors portraying female roles typically use distinctly different vocal ranges and tonal qualities, including extremely high natural register production, midrange chest-supported nasal production, and a type of vocal production that is similar to the yodel, in which the performer must have a very wide vocal range (Wichmann 187). According to Wichmann (1988), â€Å"Through their combined imagery, the vocal and physical stylizations of each role type convey the primarily Confucian values and resulting behavior patterns traditionally deemed appropriate by society for each type of role thus portrayed† (187). Historic Influences on the Use of Male Actors for Female Roles in Beijing Opera. Fortunately for contemporary historians, there is a good account of how male actors came to portray female roles in the Beijing opera in the historical records. According to Guy (2001), Beijing opera is just one of more than 360 different regional forms of Chinese opera that differ primarily according to the regional dialect used in song and speech as well as in their musical materials. â€Å"In comparison with many of the world's other great musical theater traditions such as Japanese Noh, Italian opera, or Javanese wayang, Peking opera is a relatively new form. Its birth is popularly traced to 1790† (Guy 377). In reality, though, the origins of the male dan role can be traced back much further in Chinese history. For example, in her essay, â€Å"Male Dan: The Paradox of Sex, Acting, and Perception of Female Impersonation in Traditional Chinese Theatre,† Tian (2000) reports that, â€Å"The tradition of the male dan can be traced back to ancient music and dance. It probably dates back as early as the Han dynasty (206 B. C. -A. D. 219)† (78). A highly regarded scholar of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Jiao Xun (1763-1820), cites a source suggesting that in the Han dynasty, there were also male actors that impersonated jinu (female singers and dancers), a tradition that served as the basis for the convention of female impersonation later called zhuang dan (Tian 78). By the end of the Wei dynasty (220-264), Emperor Cao Fang, who reigned from 240-254 CE, was reported to have enjoyed watching his young male jesters portray nubile young women whose excessive wantonness was an embarrassment to onlookers (Tian 78). Likewise, Emperor Xuan Di, who ruled from 578-579 CE of the North Zhou dynasty (557-581), issued a decree that required handsome young men of the city to dress as women and to sing and dance inside the imperial court for the emperor and his entourage (Historical records of the Beijing theatre cited in Tian at 78). During the reign of Emperor Yang Dig (605-616) of the Sui dynasty (589-617), from January 1 to January 15, a period in Chinese history when foreign princes and visitors were taxed by the Emperor in the form of tribute, thousands of singers and dancers gathered and performed in the country’s capital; the majority of these performers were dressed as females, and wore flowers and jewelry (Wang 190 cited in Tian at 78). By the mid-7th century, during the Tang dynasty (618-906), the Chinese empress requested that women be prohibited from taking part in any theatrical performance, a proclamation that resulted in the conventional segregation of male players and female singers and dancers employed at the court (Tian 78). Emperor Xuan Zong, who ruled from 712-756, was responsible for the development of the Liyuan (â€Å"Pear Garden†) and Yichunyuan (â€Å"Pleasure House†); the Liyuan used male performers exclusively while the Yichunyan used female singers and dancers (Tian 78). According to Tian (2000), â€Å"It is highly possible that the performances by the Liyuan actors might have involved female impersonation. It is clear that outside the court, jiafu xi (a performance featuring female impersonation) was part of various performances and entertainments in the Tang dynasty† (78). Historical accounts confirm that many male actors were proficient at playing female roles; furthermore, there is also historical evidence that confirms boys dressed as women performed for aristocratic families (Tian 78). During the Tang dynasty, a highly popular performance that involved female impersonation was the folk singing and dance performance known as â€Å"tayaoniang† (stamping and swaying wife). These performances were characterized by the wife being impersonated by a man, who complains about being beaten by her inebriated husband and sings to the rhythm of â€Å"her† dance while the audience responds in chorus (Cui 1959:18 cited in Tian at 78). Peking Opera Peking Opera Peking Opera is China’s national opera. Opera is so popular in China that they declared a â€Å"Peking Opera Month†. Peking Opera has been around for 200 years. â€Å"Its main melodies originated from Xipi and Erhuang in Anhui and Hubei respectively and, overtime, techniques from many other local operas were incorporated†. Peking Opera is said to have come to the front after 1790 when the famous four Anhui opera troupes came to Beijing. Peking Opera was developed quickly over the reign of Emperor Qianlong and the Empress Dowager Cixi under the imperial patron and became accessible to the common people.Peking Opera was originally performed on outside stages such as a teahouse or temple courtyards. The singers developed a piercing style of singing that could be heard over the loud orchestra. â€Å"The costumes were a garish collection of sharply contrasting colors to stand out on the dim stage illuminated by oil lamps†. Peking Opera incorporates parts from â€Å"The Grand Opera, ballet and acrobatics, consisting of dance, dialogue, monologues, martial arts and mime†. The â€Å"Nueva Cancion† Song Tradition Nueva Cancion† is Spanish for new song. Nueva Cancion â€Å"is a movement and genre within Latin American and Iberian music of folk music, folk-inspired music and socially committed music†. Nueva Cancion is seen as playing a powerful role in the social upheavals in Portugal, Spain, and Latin America during the 1970s and 1980s. Nueva Cancion started in Chile in the 1960s and was known as â€Å"The Chilean New Song†. Soon Nueva Cancion started to emerge in Spain and other areas of Latin America. Nueva Cancion renewed tradtitional Latin American folk music, and was soon associated with revolutionary movements, the Latin American New Left, Liberation Theology, hippie and human rights movements due to political lyrics†. Many Neuva Cancion musicians were often censored, exiled, forced to disappear and even tortured by â€Å"right-winged military dictatorships, as in Francoist Spain, Pinochet’s Chile and in Videla and Galtireri’s Argentina†. Neuva Cancion songs were so politically strong and because of this have been used in more recent â€Å"political campaigns, the Orange Revolution, which used Violeta Parra’s Gracias a la vida†.

International trade

International trade Introduction In an environment that is increasingly becoming global, international business is gradually changing into a norm rather than an exception. More businesses and investors are gaining interest in cross-border businesses and investments. Husted and Melvin in their book look at this issue in detail, discussing three important issues, namely, foreign exchange risk, forecasting and international investments.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International trade specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Foreign exchange risk When engaging in any kind of cross border business, investors expose themselves to foreign exchange risks. A foreign exchange risk is the risk which results from unpredictable changes in the foreign exchange rate, making it uncertain to gauge the real value of foreign transactions (Husted Melvin, 2010, pp. 383). Every foreign transaction is influenced by the foreign exchange rates. This necessitates t he need for forecasting to individuals and firms involved in the international business. There are three kinds of risks in regards to international investors and businesses. These are accounting exposure, transaction exposure and economic exposure. Accounting exposure otherwise also known as translation exposure, emanates from differences between foreign currencies dominated assets and foreign currencies dominated liabilities. There is always a danger on equity falling if the concerned foreign currency depreciates to the level of the home currency. Transaction exposure, on the other hand, occurs when there is uncertainty in regards to the domestic currency future value of a transaction dominated by a foreign currency (Wang, 2009, pp. 345). This kind of exposure requires the firms involved to either hedge through forward contracts or face the risks. The third type of exposure and the most important one to the firm is economic exposure. Economic exposure arises from changes in exchang e rates. The level, direction and extent of exchange rate changes are always unstable. This poses uncertainty on the future profitability of business. There are various ways investors can hedge against foreign exchange risksAdvertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More and through which investors can protect themselves from over-exposure to foreign exchange risk. They include: domesticating foreign transactions, either speeding and slowing of making payments when currencies are expected to appreciate and depreciate respectively; Options, forwards, and futures markets. There are some other implications, hedging being one of them. Hedging presents the possibilities of earning what is generally known as a risk premium. A foreign exchange risk premium refers to the difference in rates between the forward and expected future spot rate (Husted Melvin, 2010, pp. 386). A risk premiu m is measured in terms of its effective return differential. Effective return differential of a risk premium refers to the percentage difference between a forward future rate and expected future spot rate. Whenever this differential yields a positive outcome, there appears a positive risk premium on the domestic currency. If the market is efficient and all the parties involved in making hedging decisions are availed and aware of all the information required to make those decisions, then a forward rate will differ with an expected future rate by only the risk premium. Foreign exchange forecasting Hedging decisions as have been described above require some prediction of the future currency outlook. Foreign currency forecasting refers to looking at the future currencies (Goddard Ajami, 2006, pp.122). Forecasting errors are always bound to occur but they should be completely minimized or even eliminated. Investors, who are able to make a forecast that is to be closest to the correct ac tual rate, are able to make more money. The ability to make a forecast rate that is better than the actual rate does not always imply an inefficient market. International investments Portfolio investments Sometimes the interest differentials that exist across countries and the desire to hold diversified portfolios may attract investors into investing in foreign markets. Generally, it is advisable that whenever one decides to invest internationally, they should go for diversified portfolios rather than a single portfolio to reduce vulnerability of variation.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International trade specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Diversification of a portfolio does not in any way indicate that investors are able to fully eliminate the risk of investments. Diversification only eliminates nonsystematic risks but also systematic risks which are common across all investment opportunities. It is commonly found out that due to factors, such as taxes, transaction costs, and limited gains from international investments, there exists a home bias where investors prefer domestic securities instead of foreign securities. Foreign direct investments With globalization, attractive opportunities, investments, environments coming from emerging economies, a sizeable number of firms are considering setting up foreign operating units in foreign markets. The spending of firms to establish such units is referred to as foreign direct investment. Some of the reasons behind such kind of investments include economies of scale, technology transfer and the appropriation of foreign markets. Some of the benefits of direct investments as opposed to these different kinds of investments, for example, portfolio investments include the insulation to foreign losses and short-term economic changes; gains from new technologies and expertise unavailable at home; the benefits of investing in actual productive resources. When a high number of firms opt out a country owing to unfavorable investment conditions, a capital flight may occur. It is, therefore, advisable for the countries to maintain good investments environment to avoid problems with capital flows. References Goddard, G. J. and Ajami, R. A., 2006, International Business: Theory and Practice. 8th ed. M.E. Sharpe, New York. Husted, S. and Melvin, M., 2010, International Economics. 9th ed., Prentice Hall, London. Wang, P., 2009, The economics of foreign exchange and global finance. 2nd ed., Springer, New York.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

Bluebells of Scotland

Compelled by society’s negative opinion of the trombone, Pryor composed â€Å"Bluebells of Scotland† in order to display the capabilities of the trombone and to emphasize that it could play very difficult pieces. This piece is a little more upbeat and physical than other pieces of the same time period, but what makes this piece particularly unique is that it is the only piece with a high level of difficulty for trombone that was composed in the time of its conception. The piece is intended to be accompanied by an orchestra but can be played with piano accompaniment as well. The characteristics of this piece are very dynamic and free. The expressivity of the piece is left up to the interpretation of the performer which allows for a large amount of freedom and creativity. There are quite a few cadences that allow the performer to take control of tempo and dynamics. â€Å"Bluebells of Scotland† includes both very slow and lyrical passages as well as many very quick and difficult runs, double-tonguing, octave jumps, lips slurs, and a vast amount of high register notes. The introduction of the piece begins with a triumphant cadence peaking at a high register C, which slowly decays into a very lyrical melodic sequence that takes the shape of the original lyrics, which read: â€Å"Oh where, tell me where, is your highland laddie gone? Oh where, tell me where, is your highland laddie gone? He’s gone with streaming banners where noble deeds are done. And it’s oh! in my heart I wish him safe at home. † The piece then moves into a much more difficult technical variation of the original melody and progressively builds in speed until the also very triumphant ending. Around the time the then eighteen or nineteen year old Arthur Pryor composed â€Å"Blue Bells of Scotland†, he had only been playing the slide trombone for three to four years. Pryor was given the slide trombone as a payment to a debt and taught himself to play it fairly quickly. Amazingly, Pryor wrote the piece with the knowledge of only a few slide positions and would use false tones and alternate positions for notes in the fifth, sixth, and seventh positions. Despite this, â€Å"Blue Bells of Scotland† is still one of Pryor’s most memorable pieces and is still widely known today. A few years after composing â€Å"Bluebells of Scotland† he arrived in New York by invitation of John Philip Sousa. After arriving to be in Sousa’s new concert band, Pryor was offered by Frank Holton the position of principle chair trombonist. When Holton left the position, Pryor became the featured soloist of over 10,000 solos as principle trombonist for Sousa’s band. â€Å"Blue Bells of Scotland† serves as a constant reminder of the trombone’s capabilities as a very lyrical instrument and its ability for technical prowess as well. Arthur Pryor inspired interest in the trombone with his virtuoso playing, and â€Å"Bluebells of Scotland† in particular has been a standard of trombone literature for decades and a favorite challenge for advanced players†(Kleiner). The piece will always have a special place in the hearts of all trombonists, both past and future. Works Cited http://www. celticscores. com/sheet-music/628_Blue_Bells_of_Scotland http://bluebellstrilogy. com/blog/2010/05/arthur-pryor-blue-bells-and-trombone/

Consumer behavior Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Consumer behavior - Research Paper Example The activities may include where and how people purchase commodities. The purchaser plays both the role of a user, financier and buyer of a product. This unit examines the comparison and distinction between consumer behavior models in Canada and Saudi Arabia and tries to answer if universal consumer behaviors are present in all cultures. Consumer behavior models are vastly used in the prediction of product advertisement by marketers in Saudi Arabia and Canada. Consumer behavior techniques help marketers in manipulating the attitudes of a consumer in purchasing a product in both countries. The objective for this paper is to analyze evaluate and contrast the consumer behavior and Canada. Cooperate credibility plays a crucial role in the influencing of consumer behavior models in Saudi Arabia. Secondly, Advertisement has a force in the consumer behavior models in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is recognized to be the chief advertising market in the Middle East, and this is exceedingly depicted in its consumer behavior. Lastly, Literature assessment also influences the consumer behavior in Saudi Arabia, since it influences how consumer behavior like attitude towards a product. Internet economy plays a crucial function in pressuring the consumer behavior models in Canada. The internet economy is responsible for the lag or de velopment in the consumer behavior models in the country like in the online retail transaction. The lag in Canada may be closed by a better internet economy like the Google, since Canadians will be able to market their products online. The negative slope noticed in the consumer behavior model, in Canada, may be as a result of the reluctant nature of the small and medium scale businesses. The consumer behavior model in Canada can be changed if their government creates incentives like the internet economy to impersonation. Saudi’s population is a highly sociable and interact able population. The majority of the