Audie Murphy Essay example - 1173 Words

Audie Murphy Audie Murphy was the most decorated American Army soldier of World War II. The orphaned son of Texas sharecroppers, he enlisted at age 18 and went on to win two dozen military medals for valor, including the Congressional Medal of Honor. After the war Murphy parlayed his war time fame into a career as a movie actor, song writer, and business man. He wrote his war memoirs, To Hell and Back, and played himself in the 1955 movie of the same name. The 20th of June is officially Audie Murphy Day in Texas. Audie Murphy was born in Kingston, Hunt County, Texas. He died at Roanoke, Virginia and he was buried in the Arlington National Cemetery. Audie Murphy was born to Emmett Berry and Josie Bell Murphy who was of Irish†¦show more content†¦He tried, but was rejected for being underage. In June 1942, shortly after his 16th birthday, his sister Corrine adjusted his birth date to make him appear 18 years old. That was the youngest legal age to be in the military, so he was allowed to join. Audie wanted to be enlisted in the Marines, but he was turned down for being too short. After that, he tried the paratroopers, but they said he didn’t have the right kind of build for the job. So finally, he was forced to settle with the United States Army. After he was enlisted, he was sent to Camp Wolters, Texas, for basic training. During a session of close order drill, he passed out! His grumpy company commander tried to have Audie transferred to a cook and bakers’ school because he thought Audie was too young and weak, but Murphy persisted on becoming a combat soldier. Finally, after 13 weeks of basic train ing, he was sent to Fort Meade, Maryland for advanced infantry training. Audie Murphy still had a lot of trouble and had to â€Å"fight the system† to get overseas and into actual combat. But he was very persistent and his persistence finally paid off, and in early 1943, he was shipped to Casablanca, Morocco in Africa as a replacement in Company B, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment (United States), 3rd Infantry Division. Disappointed, Murphy didn’t see any action in Africa, but he participated in extensive training maneuvers along with the rest of the 3rd Division. On July 10th, 1943, AudieShow MoreRelated This Is Audie Murphy Essay610 Words   |  3 Pages This is Audie Murphys life story. At the tender age of 12, he becomes the head of the family after his father deserts them. He joins the army at the age of 18 and through the course of the war is decorated for valor nine times thus becoming the most decorated combat soldier in World War II. Audie does one of th e bravest acts any soldier ever did during the war. He climbs aboard a burning tank destroyer and single handedly keeps the enemy from advancing on his position. He spends almost an hourRead MoreAudie Murphy: to Hell and Back Book Report Essay1591 Words   |  7 PagesOC Person, Darius J. 3 June 2012 Audie Murphy: To Hell and Back Book Report Lt. Audie L. Murphy’s name stands as one of the most prominent in American military history. He was a figurehead of leadership and the epitome of the seven Army Values (Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage). He was a model for every soldier to follow, one that overcame every odd that was ever against him and rose to conquer every challenge. In his personal memoir â€Å"ToRead MoreLife of Audie Leon Murphy805 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿Audie L. Murphy Audie Leon Murphy was born on June 20, 1924 near Kingston, Texas, one of twelve children born to Emmett Berry Murphy and Josie Bell (Killian) Murphy (Simpson, n.d.). The Murphy family was a group of poor sharecroppers of Irish descent and Audie had to begin working at an early age to help support his family. Audie attended grade school in Celeste, Texas until the age of twelve, when his father abandoned the family in 1936. With less than a fifth grade education, Murphy left schoolRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem I Hell And Back 1411 Words   |  6 PagesAudie Murphy, one of the most well-recognized and most decorated soldiers of the United States Army of World War II, participated in two battles which earned him respect and awards. The first, his efforts in taking Yellow Beach of southern France, earned him the Distinguished Service Cross. The second, in a battle outside of Holtzwihr, France, earned him the Medal of Honor. Not only are these events well documented for official record s, they appear in his â€Å"autobiography† To Hell and Back, ghostwrittenRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )1652 Words   |  7 Pagesthe United States Army get together with their subordinate soldiers and discuss potential and the importance of always being prepared for your mission, traditionally there is one soldier that is always brought up in the conversation. His name is Audie Murphy. He was a man so small that when he first attempted to enlist, the Marine Corps turned him away because he was too small. By the time he would finish his military career, he would be one of the most decorated war heroes in the history of the UnitedRead MoreThe Greatest Heroes Of The War1511 Words   |  7 Pagessmall town Texas, Audie Leon Murphy had no idea he would soon be leaving for the deadliest war to ever plague the Earth. Fresh out of the horrors of the First World War, few would have thought that yet another, deadlier war was on the horizon. Even fewer would’v e thought that a farm boy from Texas would become one of the greatest heroes of the war. Audie Murphy was by all accounts a nobody. He and his family lived a quiet life, sticking to themselves and their farms. A young Murphy would simply helpRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem I Hell And Back 1404 Words   |  6 PagesAudie Murphy, one of the most well recognized and most decorated soldiers of the United States’ army of World War II, participated in two battles which earned him respect and awards. The first, his efforts in taking Yellow Beach of southern France, earned him the Distinguished Service Cross. The second, in a battle outside of Holtzwihr, France, earned him the Medal of Honor. Not only are these events well documented for official records, they appear in his â€Å"autobiography† To Hell and Back, ghostwrittenRead MoreSynthesis Essay : Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy2020 Words   |  9 Pages Synthesis Essay – Audie L. Murphy MSgt John C. Latham Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy September 9, 2015 Instructor: StFw Rainer Lichtsinn Audie Murphy â€Å"August, 1944. Beach landing south of France. Suddenly the day is ripped apart by the sound of machine gun fire; you and your men are pinned down with no help en route. As you rush forward, sliding in amongst your men, you see the fear in their eyes. If ever there was a now or never momentRead MoreLieutenant General Saint And His Command Sergeants1114 Words   |  5 Pagesleadership abilities that resemble those of other influential NCO’s. A special group that needed a figure head that all members could emulate and strive to act in accordance with. This figure head could be none other than Sergeant Audie Murphy. The Sergeant Audie Murphy Club originated at Fort Hood, Texas by a group of dedicated officers, enlisted, and civilians; the most notable of which were the two aforementioned leaders, their awards clerk Jean Crisp, and a Killeen artist by the name of Don MooreRead MoreTransactional Leader Vs. Transformational Leader1232 Words   |  5 Pagesmore routine but essential leadership and managerial tasks. Transformational leader: A leader, who influences, inspires, mobilizes, and transforms followers to achieve organizational goals beyond their self-interests throughout military history Audie Murphy was recognized for his achievements as a leader in the military services. In today standards for the American soldiers he was the one soldier that was most decorated, but for What? He was a leader at home by taking care of his family at a very

Euthanasia Is The Painless Killing Of Someone - 1408 Words

Would someone want to die miserably or to die without pain? Euthanasia is the painless killing of someone that is suffering from a disease or something that is incurable. â€Å"The concept of dying with one’s personhood intact is often referred to as a â€Å"Socratic death.† In today’s parlance, it is often called â€Å"dying with dignity† (â€Å"Dying with Dignity† 1996; Solovy 1999)† (Patel 38). In Greek, euthanasia literally means a good death. There are also many different versions of euthanasia. The one that is legal in the United States is physician aid in dying (PAD) or assisted suicide. Active euthanasia is when one person is brought to death by an act, and passive euthanasia is when someone leaves the person to die. There are also voluntary†¦show more content†¦Euthanasia should be legal in all parts of the United States because adult citizens have the right to die, the majority of Americans support euthanasia, and d ue to prohibitive medical costs, it makes sense financially. To begin with, in the United States, Americans are meant to believe they have the freedom to do what they want, so why can the adult citizens not be able to choose the right to die? For many of the citizens it is hard to see a family member or friend die in a slow, painful way. There are many stories about patients that slowly die and possibly one of the most famous story is about Karen Ann Quinlan. Karen was only twenty-two when she was in a coma. On April 15, 1975 she was out at a party, and after drinking alcohol and possibly taking tranquilizers, she was found without a pulse. She was taken to a hospital in New Jersey where she was hooked up to a respirator. Her conditions quickly declined and within a few days, she curled up and was considered to be in a PVS (Persistent Vegetative State). After a month had passed, there were no signs of recovery and her family asked to have Karen disconnected from the respirator. The hospital refused this because Karen was not conscious t o make a decision for herself and her parents could not do it on her behalf. Karen’s parents took their case to court. The New Jersey Supreme Court told the hospital that Karen was to be

Drivers of Globalisation

Question: Discuss about theDrivers of Globalisation. Answer: Introduction The global presence of the AMC was the driving factor in the acquisition of the process. It was observed that the acquisition process would be beneficial for Wandas global cinema presence to reach in 20% of the world movie theatres by the year 2020 (Cesarani 2014). It was further stated by the CEO of AMC Mr. Lopez stated that both the industries were dedicated in providing a continuous support to the customers and a premier experience to its customers. It was further observed that both the companies were involved in providing an augmented support for the amenities and the state of art facilities to the share corporate are seen as the major motivating factors for the overall innovation process (Vagadia 2012). It was further stated by the CEO of AMC Mr. Lopez that the joint collaboration for both the company would be able to significantly contribution to the expansion process of both the companies and keeping the cost factor to a lower level of Yip model of the globalization factor (No rdensvrd 2013). The main factor in terms of Yips competitive driver was seen in form of Wanda benefitting in the expertise of the home market of the AMC operating on a market five times of the Chinese annual box office sales. The reputable brand of AMC would further provide the necessary amenities to Wanda Cinema Line Corp. in maintain a reputable brand among the entertainment industries (Robertson 2012). As per the expansion program formulated by the YIP, the deals main driving factors was also seen in form of the expansion of the industry in form of the major expansion programs. Hence as per the policies framed in the program it was evident that the deal will be able to bring about major amount of the changes in terms of the taking over of 100% stake in AMC and bearing of the debts and making of the further investment opportunities with $ 500 at AMC. Hence, the acquisition of the major amount of the stake in the AMC is seen as the main factor behind the overall acquisition process (Nordensvrd 2013 ). As per the given case study, it has been further observed that AMC is considered as the second biggest cinema chain in the Northern America and has the highest ticket sales with, with sales of the ticket amounting to more than $ 10 billion. As AMC owns more than 5000, screen and has presence in more than 346 movie theatres, is another contributing factor to the acquisition process. It was further observed that AMC also owned several 3D screens such as IMAX (Vagadia 2012). It was further observed that although the deal was smaller in terms of the rest of the availability of the property at Dalian Wanda Group Corp. Ltd, which includes assets of over $35 billion. Mr Wang Jianlin, the Founder, Chairman and President of Dalian Wanda has significant amount of knowledge in tackling political situation and acquisition of local property. This is directly related to the industry globalisation factor of Government. This will be in turn helpful in US entry in contributing to the licensing an d distributing of the properties in the US market. Reference Cesarani, M., 2014. Competitive Dimension of Outsourcing Relations in Global Networks.Journal of Management,2(4), pp.97-112. Vagadia, B., 2012. Globalisation and Convergence: Drivers and Strategic Outsourcing. InStrategic Outsourcing(pp. 7-19). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Nordensvrd, J., 2013. The weak human and the saving grace of the welfare state: German pupils perception of future social change and drivers of change.Futures,49, pp.22-34. Robertson, R., 2012. Globalisation or glocalisation?.Journal of International Communication,18(2), pp.191-208.

The Roman Forum Essays - Ancient Roman Temples, Roman Forum

The Roman Forum The Roman Forum The Forum Romanum, the Roman name for what we usually call the Roman Forum, was the center of the Roman Empire's power. The Forum came into existence at a crossing of two important roads. One ran parallel to the Tiber River, the other perpendicular. From the beginning, the Forum was required to satisfy two fundamental needs: the need for people to meet, and the need of them to exchange goods. The many separate communities of the Italian peninsula where first united by the Etruscans in the seventh century B.C. Traditionally, these Etruscans always used a central square for business matters. Tarquinius Priscus, the first Etruscan king, reclaimed the swampy valleys in the area that were being used as cemeteries, and started to pave them. They would later grow into a center for social life. In the early stages of its life, the Forum was mainly for business. Multitudinous shops called tabernae could be found there. The Forum also had religious and political functions. Already at an early stage the Comitium (paved area in front of the senate building) and the temple of Vesta arose. New temples were built by the Roman Republic, like the temple of Saturn and the temple of Castor and Pollux. In the third century B.C., the time of the Punic wars, Roman power in the Mediterranean increased. This striving for power led to new building projects and styles at the Forum in which Rome tried to display its power. In this time Rome started to turn the Forum into a monument. During the period of 100 B.C. to 100 A.D., the Forum underwent some sweeping transformations, primarily caused by the downfall of the republic. Its importance as a commercial center declined, and it was used more as political and administrative hub. However, government issues were no longer public affairs, but rather controlled solely by the emperor. The Senate lost most of the power it used to possess, and The Comitium became unnecessary. Furthermore, the Forum was not a meeting place for commoners anymore. It was seen as an area reserved for the inner circle, and was controlled by the upper elite. This was largely started by the belief that the emperor possessed some sort of divine status. In the two following centuries the Forum was still enriched with the temple of Antoninus and Faustina and the temple of Romulus, the arch of Septimius Severus and the basilica of Maxentius. With the splitting up of the Roman Empire into an eastern- and a western part in 395 A.D., the power of Rome declined considerably and with it the significance of the Roman Forum. Constantinople become the new ?center of the world.' The Forum started to disintegrate because of its lower status. The Forum was turned into a quarry to supply marble to support the new building projects. Criminals stole many of the bronze statues. Some buildings were given an overhaul and converted into Christian churches. The stealing of statues and exploitation of marble went on in the Renaissance. Officially, the Vatican supervised the ruins of the Roman Forum, but permission for occasional demolitions was easy to get. Gradually, the neglect and disrespect allowed the Forum to be covered by a field of grass. In the Middle Ages it was called 'il Campo Vaccino', which is Italian for 'cow field'. Even though it is now merely a tourist attraction, the Roman Forum used to be the center of the world, where great senators, merchants, and peasants all met in one area. History Essays

habeus corpus essays

habeus corpus essays A Confederate Soldier, on leave from war, was captured, imprisoned and denied any right to a trial. Though summoned by the Chief of Justice of the United States of America, John Merryman, by right of Habeas Corpus was denied a trial (Britannia Sec.1). In 1679 the incorporation of Habeas Corpus was granted to all citizens, authorizing judges to review a court case for all imprisoned perpetrators. At the outbreak of the Civil War President Abraham Lincoln repealed the original writ of Habeas Corpus and suspended the right stating that it could be revoked in a case of rebellion or invasion if the public safety may require it(Britannia sec.1). Through years of examining the United States government in school, I never fully understood the proceedings and the rights to a fair trial. After reading Habeas Corpus, an article reviewing the changes of the writ, I realized what might seem fair and honest never truly is. This article stunned and intrigued me. I was able to connect Lincolns alter ation of this writ to that by President Roosevelt and in 1996 by President Bill Clinton (A.PA9). William Rehnquist, author of, All Lies But One, believes that Abraham Lincoln had an obligation to suspend the right of Habeas Corpus in 1861 at the offset of the Civil War, as did Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II. I would have agreed with his [Lincoln] view as to suspending the writ of habeas corpus, I think, because that seemed to be a real threat to the union(Gergen 3). I both agree and disagree with Rehnquists statements and beliefs. Abraham Lincoln and Roosevelt had justifiable motives for suspending the law, but should have submitted the proposition to congress for final authorization. I believe President Bill Clinton enacted to same proposition, but altered the formality of it. The Death Penalty and Public Safety Act of 1996 was proposed by the congress and finalized by the president after...

12 Types of Travel Writing Every Writer Should Know

12 Types of Travel Writing Every Writer Should Know 12 Types of Travel Writing Every Writer Should Know So, you want to be a travel writer?There are plenty of reality doses out there already, so we’re going to focus on the positives, and what you can do to maximize your chances of travel writing professionally. One of the first steps: you should absolutely know your markets, and what types of travel writing are popular in them. In today’s competitive market, this knowledge can both help you structure your article  and target the right audience. If you’re freelance writing, always check submission guidelines. Publications may accept only pitches or they may welcome articles â€Å"on spec† (pre-written articles). Some sources only take travel articles that were written within 6 months of the trip.If you’re blogging, brand your website (same advice if you’re an author who’s building an author website).If you’re writing a book, get a professional editor! An unedited book is an unwieldy thing, and professional eyes provide direction, continuity, and assonance. (Layout designers can be important if you’re publishing a travel photography book, in the meanwhile.)Travel writing isn't a cinch. In fact, it's a long and often hard grind. But by figuring out what type of travel writing you want to try your hand at, you're taking the crucial first step.Have you tried travel writing before? Want to show us the cool travel blog that you're keeping? We're always in the mood for great travel w riting + pretty pictures. Leave us a note in the comments and we'll be sure to check it out!

Modernity and Post-Modernity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Modernity and Post-Modernity - Essay Example Humans continued their intellectual development in the past and due to this cognitive process, they enabled themselves to create and apply various social systems during the past centuries (Colins 2004). However, the most significant development in this regard was industrialization, which led humanity towards the concept of modernization. In this era, nevertheless humans focused on automated production in order to fulfill the growing demand of consumer products such as flour, clothing. But, this divergence of values proved to be a source of devastation for the agricultural industry worldwide because, this time’s intellectual base emphasized on fulfilling the needs of majority on the expense of those of minority. However, with the passage of time, humans came across another important concept of post-modernity, which instead of collectivism focused on individualism (David 1989). Therefore, under the impression of individualism blessed everyone with the right to live their lives, as they see fit, within legal requirements of course. At the same time, it is imperative to consider the active contributors of this transition from the idea of collectivism towards that of individualism because, the consequences of modernism became visible in form of few ruling over the majority of humans (Frank & Waters 1999). Therefore, humanity considered the concept of individualism as savior for the humanity’s unequal distribution of rights. Therefore, in this way, international legal environment bestowed individuals with their rights of speech and vote. During this era of moderate enlightenment, African Americans and females are blessed with the right to vote.

Women's Studies. Black women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Women's Studies. Black women - Essay Example Finding a website that focused solely on the lives and accomplishments of African women and/or on African-American women wasn't a piece of cake. There were websites that contained information about famous African-American people, who after a lot of struggle made it big as artists, musicians, sportsmen; or information posted about the blacks in the Black history month, but a website based entirely on African-American women's lives was not that easy to find. However, after skimming around numerous websites for about an hour and seeing if they had the required material, I came across docsouth.unc.edu, a website featuring the "First-Person Narratives of the American South", that provided voice to the minority groups (i.e, Southerners) who remained unheard or were not given the value they deserved. (The University Library, n.d.) One of the memoirs the site contains is of Joice Heth, a black woman who was born on the Island of Madagascar, on the Coast of Africa, in the year 1764, and lived up to around 161 years. She was a slave too, but her life was not nearly as bitter as most of the others of her kind, for she was blessed with the fortune of having kind masters. She is said to have been the nurse of George Washington since he was born, and this is one of the things, apart from her astounding age, that grabs the attention of people towards her. This memoir was published in 1835 and it also contains several testimonies of people who knew Joice, affirming her goodness and the belief that her piety could never be doubted. The Narrative of Bethany Veney, A Slave Woman: Electronic Edition is yet another story of a black slave, which shows that the right to education was a far off thing; she had to ask her master's permission to even go to Church (Malburne, n.d.). When she got married to a slave named Jerry, and later when he was sent tp jail and she went to visit him, she was not even allowed to meet him in private. "We had committed no offence against God or man. Jerry had not; and yet, like base criminals, we were denied even the consolation of privacy. This was a necessary part of the system of American slavery. Neither wife nor mother could intervene to soften its rigors one jot."(Collected Black Women's Narratives, 20) Highlights from Fanny Jackson Coppin's autobiography Reminiscences of School Life, and Hints on Teaching were also found in the website, which proved to be quite helpful in learning about the achievements of capable black women. Coppin, too, was born a slave in Washington DC in 1837, but luckily for her, she was bought by her aunt for $125. Her autpbiography shows how keen she was not inly to pursue education for herself, but also to do as much as possible to help and educate others. After taking a lot of diverse courses, she became so good at teaching that when she was chosen to teach a preparatory course at Oberlin, they feared the children would rebel against her due to her coloured skin, but instead, the children loved havi ng her as their teacher so much that the course had to be divided until no more students could be added to it. In 1865 she joined Institute for Colored Youth(IYC) and in 1869 became the principal of it, where she worked on the dire need of providing vocational education to African Americans with very clear demands: "We do not ask that any one of our people shall be put into a position because he is a colored person, but we do most emphatically ask that he shall not be kept out of a position because he is a colored person" (Collected Black W

Life on the Color Line Essay Example for Free

Life on the Color Line Essay A- Gregory Howard Williams wrote the book. Before you read the book you have no idea who he is. Once you read the book you find out that he is mulatto and was raised in a community that was extremely prejudice against blacks. The authors’ point of view is his own story. P-The book takes place in Virginia at the beginning of the book from 1943-1952, and then in Muncie, Indiana from 1952-1969. The source was produced in 1995. The meaning of the source doesn’t really change at all, but now that it is after the problems of racial segregation and discrimination, we are able to read it and look back on the problems of our society and make sure it doesn’t happen again. P- Other than what I learned from the book, I actually knew a lot. I knew that in the 1940’s-50’s there was a major problem with racial discrimination. I knew that the way whites treated blacks was terrible and unjust. I also knew that blacks looked toward whites as horrible people and that it was taboo to interracially date/marry. This helped me better understand why the whites were treating Greg the way that they were and why the blacks had a hard time accepting him into their community. A- The audience is for teenagers and adults. Its pretty graphic so it is intended to be taken seriously and with an open mind. It is it is more so towards teenagers and people with hard lives to show that they aren’t the only ones going through something difficult, because he went through some really complicated times and is now leading a successful, happy life. R-This book was produced in order to show what life was like for the mulatto race and how difficult it was for them. It is an inspirational book to tell people that they can go through anything if they keep their eyes on a goal and work towards it, no matter how hard it gets. T-The theme of the book was trials and success. It tells of his early child hood having to be both white and black in a community that was extremely prejudiced. It shows how he finds his way by keeping with the black influence and embracing it as his own lifestyle. It shows the difficulties he had with bullies and ignorant people and how he used academics as a way to stay out of trouble. It shows how he has to live with an alcoholic father and how he takes care of him even though he would probably be better off not worrying about him. It shows how he went through an extremely difficult childhood and was able to graduate college with a doctorate in law. S-This book is significant because it gives us a deeper look into how messed up our society was during the late 1900’s. It gives us a better understanding into the life that we aren’t familiar with because we usually just look at the black or white side of the story. Life on the Color Line makes us realize that it was just as hard for mulattos in that time as it was for blacks.

College or University Graduation Speech :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

I have chosen as my topic the complex subject of your ancestors. Not, of course, your biological ancestors, about whom I know nothing, but your spiritual ancestors, about whom I know a little. To be specific, I want to tell you about two groups of people who lived many years ago but whose influence is still with us. They were very different from each other, representing opposite values and traditions. I think it is appropriate for you to be reminded of them on this day because, sooner than you know, you must align yourself with the spirit of one or the spirit of the other. The first group lived about 2,500 years ago in the place which we now call Greece, in a city they called Athens. We do not know as much about their origins as we would like. But we do know a great deal about their accomplishments. They were, for example, the first people to develop a complete alphabet, and therefore they became the first truly literate population on earth. They invented the idea of political democracy, which they practiced with a vigor that puts us to shame. They invented what we call philosophy. And they also invented what we call logic and rhetoric. They came very close to inventing what we call science, and one of them-Democritus by name-conceived of the atomic theory of matter 2,300 years before it occurred to any modern scientist. They composed and sang epic poems of unsurpassed beauty and insight. And they wrote and performed plays that, almost three millennia later, still have the power to make audiences laugh and weep. They even invented what, today, we call the Olympics, and among their values none stood higher than that in all things one should strive for excellence. They believed in reason. They believed in beauty. They believed in moderation. And they invented the word and the idea which we know today as ecology. About 2,000 years ago, the vitality of their culture declined and these people began to disappear. But not what they had created. Their imagination, art, politics, literature, and language spread all over the world so that, today, it is hardly possible to speak on any subject without repeating what some Athenian said on the matter 2,500 years ago. The second group of people lived in the place we now call Germany, and flourished about 1,700 years ago. We call them the Visigoths, and you may remember that your sixth or seventh-grade teacher mentioned them.

Cartesian Compromise

Cartesian Compromise: Bridging Psyche and Soma Fionna Larcom History and Systems of Psychology Cartesian Compromise: Bridging Psyche and Soma Introduction In 1995, Blaine M. Yorgason published the true story of his adopted daughter, Charity. One Tattered Angel captures the Mind/Body Problem, proclaiming the existence of the spirit (mind) and challenging the connection to the body. On August 31, 1988 the Yorgason family was asked whether they would foster a newborn who â€Å"has some health problems. †(Yorgason, 1995, p. 8) Yorgason’s first impression description of Charity is that of a tiny, adorable infant, who was perfect – at least on the outside. The family agreed to take her into their home – following some medical tests ordered by social services. The nature of Charity’s health issue was revealed accidentally by a family friend. When Kathy told her we had a new foster baby, she began waxing eloquent over a tiny baby that had been born at her h ospital a couple of days before. â€Å"She was so cute! † she exclaimed. Even though she didn’t have a brain, she was the most alert baby in the nursery, holding her head up and looking around just like she knew what she was doing. † (Yorgason, 1995, p. 34) Charity had been born without a brain but with an intact brain stem. The autonomic nervous system, used exclusively by newborn babies, is controlled by the brain stem. This was what gave Charity the illusion of normality; an illusion which would shatter in a few short weeks when function control would shift to the two hemispheres of the brain.Philosophical Mind- Body Dualism From the Materialist perspective, a perspective that denies the existence of a psyche, Charity’s physical limitations would suggest no mind, thus no spirit, no personality; Yorgason would disagree. In her seven years of life, Charity defied the medical assertion that she â€Å"has very little potential for development beyond the in fant stage. † (Yorgason, 1995, p. 43).In her own small ways; her music preferences, her joy at taking a bath, and the radiant smile that attracted strangers, Charity echoed Descartes claim that â€Å"I exist† (Descartes, n. d. ). Descartes concluded that his existence â€Å"did not require any place, or depend on any material thing† therefore, his existence (mind and consciousness) existed on a plane outside of his physical body. The Principle of Nonidentity of Discernibles subscribes to the basic principle that â€Å"if two things do not have exactly the same properties, then they are not identical. (Lanhead, 2006, p. 209) While this may seem a reasonable premise, closer analysis finds that adherence to â€Å"this strict definition of identity, [allows that] so-called identical twins are different persons who have some very basic similarities, if nothing else, they differ (or are discernible) because they occupy different portions of space. † (Lanhead, 2 006, p. 209) Psychological Mind-Body Dualism The mind/body problem has evolved and diversified since the time of Descartes.One source of confusion – and ultimately contention between the differing concepts of dualism – is the inability to test nonphysical properties using the scientific principles of the physical world. While Philosophy has the luxury to entertain beliefs not yet supported by science, Psychology is not as flexible. In its quest for scientific validity, the ‘field’ of Psychology is in constant danger of neglecting the unique and unpredictable nature of human behavior.This danger has escalated in recent years as a result of advances in neuroscience and brain functionality but also from the blending of psychiatry and analytical psychology, i. e. psychoanalysis. W. W. Meissner addresses this blending in his 2007 article, Mind, Brain, and Self in Psychoanalysis, adding the psychological perspective to J. B Martin’s The Integration of Neu rology, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience in the 21st Century. Martin comments: â€Å"A conjoined effort of neurologists and psychiatrists s necessary to understand how a disease of the brain results in an illness of the mind. Clinical attempts to categorize diseases as ‘organic’ or ‘functional’ become somewhat arbitrary† (p. 698) analysts can take this to imply that psychoanalytic efforts to envision pathogenic processes as exclusively mental and not simultaneously neurobiological are not only arbitrary but also increasingly obsolete, and this is not merely in areas of research and theory, but in the clinical work with patients as well. Meissner, 2007) Meissner and Martin may believe it arbitrary to source a diagnosis from the scientific perspective, however a clear understanding of whether an issue is based in the body or the mind is invaluable when it comes to treatment, thus the enduring question of dualism. Isomorphism The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psy chology and Behavioral Science asserts that â€Å"there is [a] general agreement that having a body is at least a part of the nature of being human. It is the mind (psyche, soul) – the question of whether such an entity exists, and how to define it – that is the crux of the mind/body problem. (Reuder, 2001, p. 961) The Berlin School of Gestalt Psychology chose not to define the mind, but rather ascertain the physical properties associated with actual somatic experiences compared with the cognitive (thought) experience, for example, the perception of being in motion while not actually in motion. What they found was that the form and structure of the biophysical and electrochemical processes of the brain were identical; the ‘brain’ in the physical sense could not tell the difference. Nonphysical LawThe Mind/Body Problem is puzzling, granted, however from the psychological point view – the non-therapeutic point of view, there is no difference between the mind and the body. The body will react whether the stimulus originates in the physical or nonphysical realm. The challenge comes in the form of true objectivity. It is easy to dismiss that which cannot be explained, it is also easy to believe that physical law is somehow superior or has more validity to its mysterious nonphysical counterpart. For Blaine M. Yorgason, a tattered angel opened his ‘mind’.References Reuder, M. E. (2001). The Mind-Body Problem. In Craighead, W. E. & Nemeroff, C. B. (Eds. ). The Cosini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Science (3rd Ed). New York: John Wiley & Sons. Lanhead, W. F. (2006). The Philosophical Journey: An Interactive Approach (3rd Ed). New York: McGraw-Hill Meissner, W. W. (2007). Mind, Brain, and Self in Psychoanalysis: Therapeutic Implications of the Mind-Body Relation. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 2007, Vol. 24, No. 2, 333-354. Yorgason, B. M. (1995) One Tattered Angel. Utah: Gentle Breeze Publications.

Radical Leadership Essay

1.Describe Ricardo Semler’s leadership style. What do you think the advantages and drawbacks of his style might be? Ask your students to select two leadership models that would help to portray Ricardo Semler’s leadership style. In his own words, Semler is the â€Å"leading proponent and most tireless evangelist† of participative management. He places little emphasis on traditional features of corporate management as he avoids written rules, policy manuals, dress codes, and organization charts. Semler empowers employees to make managerial decisions, including strategic plans and leadership positions for the company. Challenges incurred in implementing Semler’s leadership style might occur in the recruitment of qualified individuals who are a good fit for this organizational culture and providing the training and development needed for employees in this type of work environment. 2.What challenges might a radically â€Å"hands-off† leader face? How could those challenges be addressed? A manager who adopts a radically hands-off leadership style faces challenges as well as opportunities for managerial success. In using this style, a leader places a great amount of trust in the ability of employees and in their dedication to the achievement of organizational goals. The efforts required to reach these goals may require a willingness by employees to â€Å"go the extra mile† and to show a high degree of devotion to the fulfillment of the leader’s vision for the company. A leader who uses the participative management approach should support training and development programs for employees in order to equip them for empowerment and leadership roles. This leader must be an individual who gives credit to the employees who are responsible for the successes of the organization. Moreover, a leader who adopts the participative management approach should recruit and train for diversity. The implications for training involve emphasis on situational and contingency models. Managers must be willing to seek employees who have strengths that are lacking in management. By hiring employees who supply needed qualities and skills, managers are gaining employees whose strengths complement the skills and talents already present in the organization. 3.How could future leaders be identified in this organization? Would leadership training be important to this organization? Discuss. By exercising the responsibility and authority already given to them by management, employees of Semler are preparing to be future leaders of the organization in their work every day. These employees are truly learning by doing—one of the most effective methods of training. By empowering his employees, Ricardo Semler enjoys the opportunity to observe their skills, dedication, and leadership qualities firsthand. Thus, his ability to identify potential leaders is greatly enhanced by his leadership style. 4.What could other businesses learn from Ricardo Semler’s approach to leadership? Managers in other businesses could learn about the benefits of empowering and equipping employees to make major managerial contributions to an organization. By carefully observing and studying Semler’s leadership style, other leaders could gain insight into the value of establishing trust between employees and management and demonstrating confidence in employees’ ability to assume leadership roles.

Free Essays on Mary Jane

Marijuana can cause many harmful effects. There has never been a major test though. The ones they’ve used have shown very different things. I have been very surprised by what I have been reading. I cannot believe the difference in what different scientists think. One says, â€Å"It's hard to know for sure whether regular marijuana use causes cancer. But it is known that marijuana contains some of the same and sometimes even more, of the cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke. Studies show that someone who smokes five joints per week may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day.† While in certain places it is legally perscribed to people with many different types of cancer. The New scientist says, â€Å"A FRENCH government study has heaped fuel on the debate over the safety of cannabis by listing it as the least dangerous of all potentially addictive drugs. It also concludes that alcohol is among the most dangerous. The study, commissioned by French health minister Bernard Kouchner, was carried out by a panel of 10 French and foreign scientists headed by Bernard-Pierre Roques of the Renà © Descartes University of Paris. The panel searched the scientific literature for information about psychological and physical dependence, neural and general toxicity and social hazards such as aggressive behavior caused by various legal and illegal drugs. The team then grouped the substances into three categories of dangerousness. Cannabis was the only drug put in the least dangerous category. While cautioning that no drug they assessed was "completely free of danger", the researchers gave cannabis a rating of "weak" for social hazard and addictiveness, "very weak" for general toxicity and zero for neurotoxicity. In the most dangerous category, they included heroin and other opiates, and cocaine. Alcohol was also placed in this category because of its strong toxicity, its potential as... Free Essays on Mary Jane Free Essays on Mary Jane Marijuana Throughout history marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in many different cultures. The purposes have changed over time to fit in with the current lifestyles. This pattern is also true in American history. The use of marijuana has adapted to the social climate of the time. Marijuana, whose scientific name is cannibis sativa, was mentioned in historical manuscripts as early as 2700 B. C. in China. (Grolier Electronic Encyclopedia, 1995). The cultivation of the marijuana plant began as far back as the Jamestown settlers, around 1611, who used hemp produced from the marijuana plant's fibers to make rope and canvas. It was also used in making clothing because of it's durability. These uses fit in with the social climate of the time, because the main focus was on survival rather than for psychoactive purposes. During the prohibition, marijuana was widely used because of the scarcity of alcohol. Prohibition was repealed after just thirteen years while the prohibition against marijuana lasted for more than seventy five years. This double standard may have resulted from the wishes of those in power. Alcohol prohibition struck directly at tens of millions of Americans of all ages, including many of societies most powerful members. Marijuana prohibition threatened far fewer Americans, and they had relatively little influence in the districts of power. Only the prohibition of marijuana, which some sixty million Americans have violated since 196... Free Essays on Mary Jane Marijuana can cause many harmful effects. There has never been a major test though. The ones they’ve used have shown very different things. I have been very surprised by what I have been reading. I cannot believe the difference in what different scientists think. One says, â€Å"It's hard to know for sure whether regular marijuana use causes cancer. But it is known that marijuana contains some of the same and sometimes even more, of the cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke. Studies show that someone who smokes five joints per week may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day.† While in certain places it is legally perscribed to people with many different types of cancer. The New scientist says, â€Å"A FRENCH government study has heaped fuel on the debate over the safety of cannabis by listing it as the least dangerous of all potentially addictive drugs. It also concludes that alcohol is among the most dangerous. The study, commissioned by French health minister Bernard Kouchner, was carried out by a panel of 10 French and foreign scientists headed by Bernard-Pierre Roques of the Renà © Descartes University of Paris. The panel searched the scientific literature for information about psychological and physical dependence, neural and general toxicity and social hazards such as aggressive behavior caused by various legal and illegal drugs. The team then grouped the substances into three categories of dangerousness. Cannabis was the only drug put in the least dangerous category. While cautioning that no drug they assessed was "completely free of danger", the researchers gave cannabis a rating of "weak" for social hazard and addictiveness, "very weak" for general toxicity and zero for neurotoxicity. In the most dangerous category, they included heroin and other opiates, and cocaine. Alcohol was also placed in this category because of its strong toxicity, its potential as...

Blue Sky Software Consulting firm - Smart Custom Writing Samples

Blue Sky Software Consulting firm - Smart Custom Writing Importance of waterImportance of water in human body Water can be defined as a clear, odorless, tasteless, and colorless liquid that is very crucial for most animal and plant life and the most commonly used as compared to other solvents. It is well known that, water is the most abundant substance and very crucial in the human body. Human mass consists of about three quarters of water and this is the major constituent in all cells within the body. Water plays critical roles in the human body, for instance provision of a medium in which blood cells bath, regulation of body temperature, improving digestion, carrying the absorbed nutrients throughout the body, and it is used in the elimination of waste and toxic substances from the body (Claybourne, 2006). Blood in the human body consist of 95 percent water. Water provides a medium in which blood cells bath such that it allows for exchange of materials like nutrients in and out of the cells normally. The average normal body temperature for human body is 37 degrees Celsius. Water ensures that, during the normal conditions of the body, the temperature does not exceed this limit by more that 1 degree Celsius. Through sweating, human body can lose excess heat and this account for 22 percent of the ways the body loses excess heat. Water has a characteristic latent heat of vaporization such that when it gets at the surface of the skin as sweat, it will absorb the excess heat and evaporate as it attains about 100 degrees Celsius (Claybourne, 2006). Water is very vital during the process of digestion in human beings. The ingested food needs to be softened so that it can be acted on by enzymes. For example in the mouth, that saliva contains water, mucus and the ptyalin enzyme. This enzyme can work on the cooked starch arriving at the mouth after it has been moistened. Water provides for a medium in which nutrients are dissolved after digestion has taken place. Nutrients in solution form get absorbed into the blood circulatory system from where they are assimilated into various body cells and tissues for metabolism. After metabolism, waste products which result need to be eliminated. Waste products dissolved in water get their ways out of the body cells and tissues into blood. These waste products are carried to active excretion cites for example skin, lungs, and kidneys (Rosdahl Kowalski, 2008).   Dehydration can be defined as the process by which human body, body part or even an organ loses water due to fluid deprivation or illness. Dehydration is very common in children, infants, and seniors. Young children and infants lose more body water during vomiting or diarrhea. Seniors can also lose water due to vomiting and diarrhea but not as much as in the case of infants and young children. One can realize that he or she is undergoing dehydration when the mouth becomes dry and sticky; having sunken eyes which may not produce tears; feel lethargic, sleepy and tired; the urine out becomes low and its usually dark yellow in color; and experience muscle weakness, headache or dizziness. It is very important to drink a lot of water daily, for instance 8 glasses so that to ensure normal percentage of water in the body. Infants should also be given oral rehydration salts appropriately (Organization, 1976).   References Claybourne, A., (2006). The Human Body. London: Evans. Organization, W., (1976). Treatment and Prevention of Dehydration in Diarrhoeal Diseases.  Ã‚   Geneva: World Health Organization. Rosdahl, C., Kowalski, M. (2008). Textbook of Basic Nursing. Hagerstwon: Lippincott Williams Wilkins.

The Body In American Popular Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Body In American Popular Culture - Essay Example Even as early as the beginning of the twentieth century, American culture has been concerned with the concept of the ‘body’, and in the need for physical exercise and fitness for both men and women (Winter, 1999, p.33). focusing on the body and the concept of masculinity. One of the important reasons for this development is the increased attention given to the male body by popular culture and the media. With the stress on desirable body images, there is increased premium placed on physical attractiveness for men, with the consequent need for men to invest in their appearance. Visual media in the form of advertising, film, magazines, folk tales, and other fields promote men’s increasing awareness of their bodily condition, encouraging them to pursue ideal conceptualizations of physical beauty. Wienke (1998) adds that vulnerability to the allure of the consumer market is also increased. To â€Å"enhance both the physical and symbolic value of men’s bodiesâ⠂¬  states Wienke (1998, p. 256), there is growing the availability of a range of exercise equipment, dietary supplements, and other products.

Discussion forum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Discussion forum - Essay Example On the other hand, the car saves an individual from using public transport and effectively protecting them in the cold weather. Other than convenience, the car owner learns to become more responsible while maintaining the car, which subsequently extends to their personal life. I admire the attachment you have to your dog. Indeed, explaining the process under which you acquired her, saving all your earnings as a child, which is a mean feat, explains the bond that started when you saved the first coin or note. The responsibility you have for the dog further explains the strong bond. As a result, you have grown fond of her and she is fond of you too. This emphasizes a feeling of security in each other. You are secure she has got you, and she on the other hand is secure to have you. On the other hand, your family’s love and adoration of her makes her become and feel as part of the family. Such an attachment started in your childhood lives with us forever. It is also significant that, you have been with Candy in some important phases of your life. Hence, the powerful attachment you both have on each

Is Genre a useful category for the understanding of films made in Essay

Is Genre a useful category for the understanding of films made in China and Japan - Essay Example A scholar that suggests that there is an American genre would be immediately attacked by his colleagues for oversimplifying an obviously complex, multifaceted gamut of movies. So the question of whether there is a Chinese or Japanese genre of film may be answered in the affirmative if one sees "genre" in merely the audience short-hand manner. If, that is, the audience is American or British. The definition of "genre" in this sense will be "having a preponderance of Chinese or Japanese actors, and in either Mandarin or the Japanese language". This is rather simplistic, and might be regarded as offensive or even racist, but it does reflect one of the most simple definitions of genre. China can be divided between Hong Kong, the mainland controlled by the nominally Communist government and then Taiwan, which represents a whole other development both politically and artistically. So it can be said that a "Chinese genre" is redundant beyond the audience-expectation type of definition. Turning to Japanese cinema, while more culturally homogenous, Japan also presents difficulties for the simple definition. Donald Richie, the leading Western scholar of Japanese cinema, states that many Japanese films indeed have a sense of what he calls "Japaneseness". He describes this as "the celebration of evanescence".4 This evanescence is shown by Japanese film-makers within a paradoxical desire to have their films be temporary rather than permanent. Thus Richie quotes the director Ozu, who stated, "the attractive thing about film is this transience, this mist-like vanishing quality."5 The director Naruse goes even further, suggesting that films should "always vanish a few weeks after release, perhaps this is what films should be, things that live on only in the audience's memory, or vanish into thin air."6 The wish to have their films vanish into thin air is rather ironic for two reasons. First, it counters the traditional advantage that film is said to have over theatre: its permanence as opposed to mutability. Second, in darkly humorous irony, this rather intellectual wish has been granted to the vast majority of Japanese film-makers, whether or not they desired the honor. Thus the majority of Japanese films (more than 90% of pre-WWII movies) have vanished because they did not survive the film chemistry or the war of the time. Even with film production since 1945, a majority of Japanese films now no longer exist and can only be referenced within the memories of actors, writers etc.

Sequencing Technology for Epilepsy Diagnosis

Sequencing Technology for Epilepsy Diagnosis Epilepsy: It is estimated that at many as 10% of the general populace will experience a seizure in their lifetime. (Persad et al., 2003) Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease defined by its characteristic symptom, recurrent and spontaneous seizures. (Berg et al., 2011) (Asher Y et al., 2012) Epilepsy is a common condition with an occurrence of up to 3% in the population (Deng H et al., 2013). According to Pal D.k et al., (2010) over half of epilepsies have a genetic cause. A large body of research has gone into identifying the genetic causes and corresponding molecular mechanisms of epileptic disorders. Epilepsies have a wide variety of causes including dysfunctional ion channels (channelopathies), abnormal brain development and errors of metabolism etc. (Garofalo S et al., 2012) Research in the genetic mutations behind epilepsies is vital in further understanding the pathology of the many different conditions and developing superior treatments for the afflicted patients. Early Onset Epileptic Encephalopathy: Epileptic Encephalopathies are a large number of rare (prevalence of 1et al., 2010). The symptoms of an EE generally include severe and recurring seizures along with cognitive and developmental delay and/or deterioration. This cognitive and behavioural decline may be influenced by the seizure activity as well as the underlying mechanisms of disease (Kaiman B.A. et al., 2012). The term Epileptic Encephalopathy encompasses a wide variety of syndromes with a diverse range of genetic causes and considerable overlap with other syndromic disorders such as Autism and Mental Retardation. (Berg et al., 2011). The overlap in these syndromes and continuing progression in our understanding of EE’s has resulted in A.T. et al (2010) emphasising that the term epileptic encephalopathy should be viewed as a â€Å"concept and a description† of the wide spectrum of epileptic conditions with an encephalopathic course that are being observed in the clinic. A key diagnostic feature is that Epileptic Encephalopathies tend to occur in infancy to early childhood. While adults can suffer from epilepsy with encephalopathic features this does not tend to be as severe as the Early Onest Epileptic Encephalopathies (EOEE). Children suffering from EOEE’s rarely make it to adulthood due to their poor prognosis. Berg A.T. et al (2010). While more research is coming to light on the potential lasting damaging effects of seizures (Berg et al., 2011) what is certain is that the early onset and repetition of the severe seizures present in EOEE’s is devastating to the early development of patients and their continued growth. As the patients progress from a neonate towards childhood their symptoms will also progress. For example seizures in neonates may not be observable to a clinician as the axonal pathways are not fully myelinated yet and prevent the â€Å"surge† from reaching the motor cortex. Once the brain is fully myelinated the seizures would become observable clinically even though the onset was much earlier in the neonatal stage. This progression of the clinical presentation of epileptic seizures is mirrored in the likelihood of infants suffering from Early Infantile Epileptic Encephalopathy (Otohara syndrome) to develop into Infantile Spasms (IS) at 3-6 months in life. Patients’ suffering from IS tend to develop into Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in childhood. (Asher Y et al., 2012) Diagnosis and treatment: As seen in table 1 and table 2 there are a number of epileptic encephalopathies with a clear enough presentation to make an accurate diagnosis based on the clinical symptoms alone. However due to the rarity of these conditions and the occurrence of EOEE’s with unclear presentations (I need a %?) confirmation of a candidate mutation (gene?) is considered the gold standard when it comes to EOEE diagnosis. (Lemke J.R. et al., 2012) In Lemke J.R. (2012) it was shown that when comparing the diagnostic results of a target gene panel against a clinician’s suggested diagnosis that the gene panel results matched the suggest diagnosis in the EOEE’s with clear presentations. This accounted for 50% of the cohort. However for the remainder of the cohort with unclear EE symptoms there very few suggested diagnoses and not all of these were accurate. It has been suggested by Kay C, (2012) that the significant failure to confirm a genetic diagnosis for unclear EE’s is due to the role of de novo variants as candidates. While we may have the above lists of confirmed disease and causative gene mutations in tables 1 and 2 there are still many other EOEE’s without validated genetic causes that could be the result of de novo mutations in the patients. Considering the ever increasing list of epilepsy linked (but not validated) genes, 265 of which identified in (Lemke J.R. et al., 2012)) it is clear that the current gold standard of diagnosing EOEE’s isn’t high enough. A case study shown by Zupanc M.L., (2009) recorded the diagnostic process of a patient â€Å"Kay† that originally presented with slight head drops at 7 months old. Correlating the head drops to an epileptiform EEG (in this case a â€Å"generalised high-amplitude burst of polyspike, spike and slow wave discharges†) allowed certain conditions to be ruled out however it was highlighted that while a confident diagnosis was reached there were alternatives that cou ldn’t be ruled out. Difficulty in EOEE diagnosis can stem from the multitude of potential genetic causes available for some presentations which can lead to a clinician wandering blindly picking candidates for Sanger sequencing to identify a candidate mutation. (Lemke J.R. et al., 2012) Next generation sequencing technology: If the issue in diagnosing EOEE’s is the lack of validated genetic causes for the different presentations then the most comprehensive way to investigate the matter is to examine the EOEE genomes in comparison to controls and identify the candidate genes. Next generation sequencing technology has provided the means to do this and recent years have seen a surge of NGS based studies in EOEEs and their genetic causes. (Lemke et al., 2012) (Veeramah K.R. et al., 2012) (Veeramah K.R. et al,. 2013) The original human genome project was officially announced as completed in April 2003 (Wheeler D.A., et al. 2013). This project made use of the hierarchal shotgun sequencing method (Chial H et al., 2008). This entailed the use of bacterial artificial chromosome clones (BAC) which each housed a 100Kb fragment of DNA. Over 20,000 over these BAC clones were mapped to the human genome and the order in which these BAC clones would be aligned was the tiling path that would be followed to sequence each human chromosome. The BAC clones are further sub divided into 2 Kb fragments (appropriately sized for sequencing) and these are sub-cloned into plasmid vectors and the fragments that will undergo sequencing. The sequencing was undergone by capillary electrophoresis methods. As long as there is sufficient overlap between these sequences they can be aligned to recreate the BAC clone structure. Then using the BAC clone mapped tiling path the sequences of the BAC clones can be aligned to create a contiguous stretch of sequence that represents the human chromosome. (Mardis E.R., 2008) The advances made in this area to create the next generation sequencing technologies involve a movement away from capillary electrophoresis methods and changes in the methods of how the DNA fragments are assembled to produces the genome sequence. Whole Genome Sequencing removes the use of BAC clones and instead the genome is fragmented into different distinct size classes and placed into plasmid and fosmid subclones. By generating paired end reads and using the number of bases between these reads based on the size classes the genomes can be sequenced quicker than using BAC clones. Next generation sequencing platforms allow for massively parallel DNA sequencing and come in a variety of different set ups. As the need for BAC clones has been removed the sample preparation process is much quicker and cheaper than the method used in the original human genome project. Also while the actual run time of the next generation sequencers is longer than that of the capillary based platform the fi nal yield of reads is much higher (from 96 reads on the capillary platform to up to tens of millions on a massively parallel system). This explosion in genomic sequencing technology less than two years after the completion of the first human genome project has provided an astonishing change in the pace of genomic research. (Mardis E.R., 2008) NGS read diagrams? Next generation sequencing and epilepsy: The study of genetic diseases including the EOEE has benefitted greatly from the genome sequencing revolution. Whole genome sequencing techniques have been used to identify a de novo variant in the SCN8A gene which encodes voltage gated sodium channel pore-forming alpha-subunits. Following discovery of the variant the effects of the variant on channel function was observed and shown to implicate the gene’s involvement in EOEE and Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). (Veeramah K.R., et al., 2012). Targeted gene panels (next generation sequencing of a list of target genes coding regions only) has proven effective in diagnosing clear presenting EOEE and even providing a potential causative variant when no clinical diagnosis is possible. Most impressive of all was the use of whole exome sequencing (WES) to identify de novo candidate variants of relevance in 7 out of 10 children and potentially identifying 3 new genes that could be linked to EOEE (Veeramah K.R. et al., 2013 ) WES is the process of sequencing only the human exome rather than the whole genome. The exome consists of all the coding regions (exons) of the genome. Even though the exome only accounts for 1% of the whole genome it is estimated to contain 85% of disease causing mutations (Choi M et al., 2009). As of April 2013 U.S. National Human Genome Research Institute claims to sequence a whole genome at the price of $5826. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute claims to sequence the whole exome at the all-inclusive cost of $500. The Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology estimates that whole exomes can be sequenced at four times the rate of the genome in their facility (Perkel J.M 2013). This rapid and ongoing reduction in cost is mirrored at the rate WES projects are being undertaken. With a date filter for the end of 2010 on Pubmed I performed the search â€Å"exome sequencing† and found a total of 44 articles. By the end of 2012 this 805 and by the end of 2013 the nu mber had more than doubled to 1,751. Whole exome sequencing projects have the advantage of not only being cheaper and faster than whole genome projects but also are a more comprehensive option than targeted gene panels for identifying EOEE candidate variants. While not as complete in whole genome sequencing in scope 85% covers a significant amount of data to be analysed and only leaves a 15% chance of not finding a candidate variant. It should also be noted that the exome is much easier to process and analyse while the whole genome includes non-coding areas which we are currently not really able to analyse in such a way to validate the relevant link between disease and non-coding variants (Perkel J.M 2013). Hypothesis: The question we are trying to answer with these projects is â€Å"Can whole exome sequencing detect candidate disease causing variations in early onset epileptic encephalopathy patients†? As this project involves isolated probands and one family trio it also raises the question of whether the inclusion of parent WES data allows for more rapid and accurate variant analysis. As such the end research goals are to identify likely and relevant disease candidate variations in the proband WES data and confirm their presence with Sanger sequencing The benefits of WES studies in EOEE candidate variants are numerous and important. Identifying a confirmed candidate mutation can allow an affect family to receive genetic counselling. If a clear mechanism of disease can be ascertained from the disease candidate then potentially alternative anti-epileptic therapy can be implemented based on the specific condition to improve patient prognosis even slightly. Along with this as EOEE have such a wide variety in causes and mechanisms some can respond poorly to some standard anti-epileptic drugs and lead to rapid deterioration of the patient. Identifying a genetic cause can prevent this from happening. (FIND REFERENCE) On a larger scale understanding the complex mechanisms of these devastating disorders is the only way to improve and develop treatments for these conditions and improve patient prognosis. Understanding how these rare forms of epilepsy manifest may in turn provide clues into the mechanisms of the more common forms of epilepsy . (FIND REFERENCE) As more research is beginning to highlight the role of earlier onset of seizures on the developing brain and the encephalopathic effects WES could become an effective screening tool in the future that would allow early intervention to control or prevent these devastating seizures and greatly improve patient standard of life and change EOEE to a more manageable condition. (Berg et al., 2011) References: (Persad V, Epilepsy and developmental disability) Berg AT ET al, epilepsy cognition and behaviour Asher Y Molecular bases and clinical spectrum of EIEE Scheffer I., Genetic testing in epilepsy what you should be doing Deng H Molecular biology of genetic based epilepsies D.K. Pal, A.W. Pong, W.K. Chung, Genetic evaluation and counseling for  epilepsy. Nature reviews, Neurology 6 (8) (2010) 445e453. Garofal S from genetics to genomics of epilepsy Hennekam, care for patients with ultra rare disorders Kaiman B.A. et al., A genetic diagnostic approach to infantile epileptic encephalopathies Berg AT et al Epilepsy, cognition and behaviour. Lemke J.R. Targeted next generation sequencing in epileptic disorders. Kay C whole genomes in the clinic (Veeramah K.R. et al de novo pathogenic SCN8A mutation identified (Veeramah K.R. et al, Exome sequencing reveals new causal mutations in children epilepsia (Chial H et al., 2008) DNA Sequencing Technologies Key to the Human Genome Project .(Mardis E.R., 2008) Next generation DNA sequencing methods. (Veeramah K.R., et al., 2012) de novo pathogenic SCN8A (Veeramah K.R., et al., 2013) WES 9/10 de novos (Choi M et al., 2009) Genetic diagnosis by whole exome capture and massively parallel DNA sequencing. (Perkel J.M 2013) ScienceMag exome sequencings towards

Living and Dying by the Sword (or) The Autonomy and Responsibility of P

Living and Dying by the Sword (or) The Autonomy and Responsibility of Paranoia Introduction The question is a common one. "Does an individual have the right to yell, ‘Fire!’ in a crowded theater?" The implications are not as simple. If one answers, "no," then one is, in effect saying that the constitutional right to free speech is not entirely correct. If one answers, "yes," then one is saying that is perfectly O.K. to an individual to be delegated the power to create mass hysteria. However, there is another side to this question. If an individual is permitted to yell fire, as perhaps one would be in a Lockian state of nature, one is as likely to be trampled in the ensuing hysteria as everyone else is. This situation, while quaint and hypothetical, does have its counterparts in history. The question of how much power ought an individual be allowed has been one that has been addressed by governments throughout the ages. The result of this power being abused has also been addressed throughout history, but not by governments, by the fates of those individuals who have abused that power. One result of power being abused is the creation of a kind of hysteria in a society that revolves around that individual who has created it. That hysteria also has the potential to turn on its progenitor and crush him in the ensuing stampede. Historically, this is the case of Maximilien Robespierre and Joseph McCarthy. Both men, in their own rights, created a sort of social hysteria, a hysteria that for each resulted in a social stampede. These stampedes ended up crushing these men who created them in the chaos and confusion that ensued. The question of these two men faced ... ...s, The Life and Times of Joe McCarthy 6. Buckley, et al., McCarthy and His Enemies 7. Eagan, Maximilien Robespierre: Nationalist Dictator 8. Buckley, et al., McCarthy and His Enemies 9. Feuerlicht, Joe McCarthy and McCarthyism, The Hate That Haunts America Bibliography - Belloc, Hilaire. Robespierre, A Study. G.P. Putnam and Sons. New York. 1927. - Buckley, William F. and Bozell, L. Brent. McCarthy and His Enemies: The Record and its Meaning. Henry Regnery Company. Chicago. 1954. - Eagan, James Michael. Maximilien Robespierre, Nationalist Dictator. AMS Press. New York. 1983. - Feuerlicht, Roberta Strauss. McCarthy and McCarthism, The Hate that Haunts America. McGraw-Hill Book Company. New York. 1972. - Reeves, Thomas C. The Life and Times of Joe McCarthy. Stein and Day Publishers. New York. 1982.

Learning Theorists

Learning Theories People have been trying to understand the learning process for over 2000 years. It was discussed and debated at great length by the Greek philosophers such as Socrates (469 – 399 SC), Plato (427 – 347 BC) and Unsettle (384 – 322 BC) (Hammond et al, 2001 This debate has carried on through the ages and still goes on today with a multitude of viewpoints on the purpose of education and how best to encourage learning to eventuate.Plato and his disciple Aristotle were Inaugural In this debate and asked if truth and knowledge were to be found inside of us, or whether they could be learned from outside by using our senses. Plato believed the truth would be found from within through reasoning, deduction and self-reflection and so brought about rationalism. On the other hand Aristotle believed the truth would be found through experience and founded the idea of empiricism and so these antithetical views were born.Aristotle approach was far more scientific compared to Socrates' dialectic method of discovery through conversations with fellow citizens. An approach that calls for discussion and reflection, as tools for developing thinking, owe such to Socrates and Plato (Hammond et al, 2001 Learning theory Is about learning as a process and how it may take place. It is about how information can be absorbed, processed and retained and the influence that emotions, environment and mental processes can have on acquiring, augmenting and modifying knowledge and skills.Having knowledge of learning theory equips teachers to better understand the multitudinous categories of learners they will encounter and the numerous strategies they can employ to create an effective learning environment. Although the Greek philosophers are considered to be some of the earliest thinkers on learning, it as not until the mid 1 ass's when psychology emerged as a separate discipline that any new learning theories emerged.The first of these was behaviorism, which was brought to prominence by Ivan Pavlov (1849 – 1936) who won the Nobel Prize in 1904 for his experiments on digestive glands for which he experimented with dogs. Behaviorism are of the opinion that learners are passive and respond to stimuli and do not take in to account internal mental states or consciousness. Gestalts came to prominence In Germany in 1910 when there was social turmoil in Europe but had moved to the US by the sass's to avoid persecution.The lead figures In this movement were Worthwhile, Kafka and Koehler who utilities a holistic approach that sought to reject the mechanistic perspectives of the behaviorist's. Considered to be the first educational psychologist, Edward Thornier continued with the behaviorism theory believing learning was incremental and achieved through a trial and error approach with B. F. Skinner, considered by many to be the father of modern behaviorism, developing this theory further with programmed learning (Seaworthy et al, 2004).Behavio rism learning theory had a substantial influence in education but here was a growing body of evidence that more complex tasks requiring a higher level of thinking were not well learned this way with Jean Pigged (1 896 ? 1 980) being the first to state that learning was a developmental cognitive process. Russian teacher Level Boycotts expanded Piglet's developmental theory of cognitive abilities to were both leaders in the cognitive approach that sees the mind as a â€Å"black box† and this box should be opened and understood.This paradigm did not really come to prominence until the early sass's when it replaced behaviorism as the dominant force (Anon ND). In the sass's we also saw the emergence of Humanist learning theory. Some of the preeminent advocates of this field were Abraham Moscow (1908 – 1970) and Carl Rogers (1902 – 1987) who believed that learning was viewed as a personal act to fulfill one's potential and that it is also necessary to study the person as a whole. Humanists were the first to promote learning as being student-centered and personalized and that you should not teach, but facilitate, the learner (Anon ND).The sass's saw the emergence of social learning theory with its key progenitor being Albert Bandeau (1925 – Present). It posits that we learn through observation, imitation and modeling and this theory is often seen as the bridge between behaviorism and cosmogonist. Although the work that edifies it spans the twentieth century, Constructivism was only mainstreamed through practice in the latter part of the century. Many of the theorists that are drawn upon are linked with other learning ideologies; these theorists include Weights, Lave and Winger, Burner and Pigged.This theory posits that learning is an active constructive process where the learner creates his or her own subjective representations of objective reality. They do not come along as a blank slate (Seaworthy, 2004) but rather bring along their past experiences and cultural perspective. The first theorist I am going to look at is Abraham Moscow who was a prominent Humanist. Early in his career he worked with rhesus monkeys and one of the interesting things he noticed was the way that some needs took precedence over others.For example, if you were hungry and thirsty you would tend to deal with the thirst first, as you can go without food for weeks but thirst will kill you after Just days. Moscow felt that the conditioning theories did not, to is satisfaction, capture the complexities of human behavior and was of the opinion that human actions were driven toward goal attainment. He stated that human motivation is based on people seeking fulfillment and change through personal growth (Anon ND). In 1943 Moscow wrote a paper entitled â€Å"A Theory of Human Motivation† which talked about self-actualization.Moscow described a person who was fulfilled and doing all they were capable of as being self-actualities. Before a perso n can achieve this state however, there are other needs that first need to be met. These needs can be seen in Mascots hierarchy, this is often depicted as a pyramid as shown (Moscow,1943). This hierarchy shows that the basic physiological needs have to be met before the higher needs can be addressed. If the physiological needs are relatively well gratified then there emerges a new set of needs, in this case safety.When a persons physiological and safety needs are satisfied the need for love and belongingness emerges. This process continues until all the needs are fulfilled and the person can achieve self-actualization. It is important to note that Mascots original five stage del has been adapted by other researchers to create both seven and eight stage hierarchies but I am dealing with Moscow so will not go any further in to them. His needs – air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep etc. Safety needs – protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, stabil ity, etc. : belongingness and love needs – work group, family, affection, relationships, etc. : esteem needs – self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, managerial responsibility, etc. : self-actualization needs – realizing personal potential, self- fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences. Through knowledge of Mascots hierarchy I can better understand the needs of the individual and the impact this has on their motivation and learning.To be truly effective in its implementation I would have to appreciate the needs of every learner, which could be at different stages for each individual in the class. These individuals could also be in a state of flux from one week to another. It is unrealistic to expect to comprehend all their requirements, even with a deep understanding of this theory. I believe the best use of this theory is to inform me of their possible state so that I might be more homeopathic towards the m and understand the issues they may have. The best way to help them work towards self-actualization is for them to be self-aware and understand their own needs.When they arrive at class they will already have had a long day at work, often without enough time to eat. They will also be tired; although my class is at least theory, so is less physically demanding than their practical lessons in the workshop. I do try to take some of these things in to account and will allow them to bring food and drink in to the class if they so desire. I am able to meet heir safety needs such as protection from the elements, security, order, limits and stability. These needs are part of the College safeguarding policy so should always be in place.If I can manage to help them feel belongingness, which I feel they do achieve, then I am also creating a more inclusive environment for them. I feel it is important to be aware of these needs to create a better learning situation for my students. A criticism I have is that Moscow made an assumption that the needs must be satisfied in order, so that the basic physiological need must be satisfied before hey can achieve safety and only once safety is achieved can they go to concern themselves with belongingness and so on through the hierarchy.This is shown to be false, for example, if you were to study large cultures where large numbers of the population live in poverty, like India or Brazil then you see that these people can still achieve higher order needs such as love and belongingness (McLeod, 2007). According to Moscow this should not occur. If we were also to look at many creative people, such as artists like Rembrandt or Van Gogh, it could be argued that they achieved self-actualization yet lived their lives in poverty (McLeod, 2007). I will still apply this theory even with its flaws because it is not abjectly wrong and still believe it holds a lot of truth.Another humanist that I feel bears great relevance to my current teaching p ost is Malcolm Knowles (1913 – 1997). He was a champion for androgyny, self-direction in learning and informal adult education (Smith, 2002). I will not talk about informal adult education, as it does not apply to my situation. The concept of androgyny had been in sporadic use since the sass's but it was popularized for usage in English language by Malcolm Knowles. He believed that adults learned differently from children, which caused him to enquire further. His work on informal adult education and his charting of adult education in the United education.He used androgyny to bring these elements together, which was premised on at least four critical presuppositions about the characteristics of adult learners that differed from child learners, on which traditional pedagogy is based. Later a fifth assumption was added. These were as follows: self concept: As a person matures his self concept moves from one of being a dependent personality toward one of being a self directed hum an being. Experience: As a person matures they accumulate a growing reservoir of experience that becomes an increasing resource for learning. Readiness to learn: As a person matures their readiness to learn becomes increasingly orientated to the developmental tasks of their social roles. : orientation to learning: As a person matures their time perspective changes from one of postponed application of knowledge to immediacy of application, and accordingly their orientation toward learning shifts from of subject centeredness to one of problem centeredness. : motivation to learn: As a person matures the motivation to learn is internal (Knowles 1984:12).Knowles has caused considerable debate with his assertions and claims of difference between androgyny and pedagogy with useful critiques of the notion being found in Davenport (1993), Jarvis (1987) and Tenant (1996). He has taken ideas from psychologists working in two quite different and opposing traditions, that of the humanist and the behaviorism. From the one side he has extensively used a model of relationship derived from humanistic clinical psychology, in particular drawing on the work of Carl Rogers who argued the qualities of good facilitation.He has also drawn on other elements that owe a great deal to scientific curriculum making and behavior modification. It has been suggested that because he has used ideas from two opposing traditions that there is a lack of evidence around this model. Knowles is not clear whether he has provided us with a theory or a set of guidelines for practice (Heartier, 1984). The assumptions could be read as descriptions or as prescriptive statements about what the adult learner should be. Tenant (1988) made a point that there was a lack of interrogation within a coherent and consistent conceptual framework.It seems that Knowles did not temper his insights with enough analysis and interrogation of the literature of the arena. Malcolm Knowles also introduced us to self-directed l earning, which is where the individual takes the initiative to realize their needs, resources and goals for learning and to evaluate the outcomes. There are three immediate reasons identified for self-directed learning. First those who take the initiative in learning are pro-active learners and will learn better than those who wait to be taught, reactive learners.Second is that it is far more natural that as we mature we take more responsibility for our own lives and become far more self-directed. Finally the third reason is that developments in education are putting a greater emphasis on students to take the initiative for their own learning. This can also be seen as a long-term reason as the purpose of education is evolving, it is moving away from merely transmitting what is known to now developing the skills of enquiry. Knowles then put the idea of self- direction in to packaged forms of activity and created his five step model. This involved: diagnosing learning needs. Formulati ng learning needs. : identifying human material resources for learning. Choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies. : evaluating learning outcomes. There is research that indicates that adults circumstance (Smith, 2002) and I feel that this is certainly true of many of my learners. The opportunity arose within their current life circumstances to participate in the course and if there were places available they took them. If all the places had gone they may not bother to take up a learning opportunity again, unless of course the circumstances were again in their favor.I feel that the ideas' of Malcolm Knowles are useful to guide what I ought to term my ontological approach to my earners. They are no longer children and should not be treated as such. His approach can inform me of what characteristics my learners may exhibit so that I may better facilitate their learning and create a more inclusive environment. It could certainly be said that my students need to be self- directed as the qualification they are taking is equivalent to a full time course but only has part time contact hours.It requires them to do a lot a reading around the subject, being self-directed in their approach. Overall I must be critical of Knowles for his own lack of a sharp critical edge with much of his writings being more descriptive and his lack of analysis of the literature within his field. Finally, I shall examine Jean Lave and Tontine Winger (1991) who developed the theory of situated learning, sometimes referred to as situated activity. This has a central defining characteristic known as legitimate peripheral participation which is not itself an educational form, much less a pedagogical strategy or a teaching technique.It is an analytical viewpoint on learning that makes a fundamental distinction between learning and intentional instruction. Rather the process of legitimate peripheral participation is usually unintentional. Situated learning contrasts with traditiona l classroom learning activities where abstract knowledge is learnt out of context with intentional instruction. This approach lends itself very well to vocational courses and especially apprenticeships where much of the learning takes place in the situation where the learning will be applied. It is not dissimilar to cognitive apprenticeship.Lave and Winger (1991) with their model of situated learning proposed that learning involved a process known as â€Å"communities of practice†. These communities are everywhere and we are often involved in a number of them. People with a shared domain of human endeavourer can engage in a process of learning by forming communities of practice. To put it more simplistically, learning takes place through social interaction. To this end, learning in these situations does not have a beginning and an end to the process, rather we are constantly learning through experience of everyday life.Their theory can be illustrated by observation of differe nt apprenticeships. When people initially Join the community they learn at the periphery, then as they become more competent they an become more involved in the processes in that particular community. Understanding this theory is very useful in my sector as when we get the students it is their initial training and they are not always involved in the industry they are training to enter. The situated learning will probably not play a big part in this initial training, but once they have gained the qualification and go out to work then they will be Joining their community of practice.Over time, through interaction with more experienced others within the industry, they will learn and become more proficient ND play a bigger role in their community. In this respect it could be argued that this is an important theory for all educators as ultimately we are educating our learners strong links between this and embedded learning that also takes place on vocational qualifications. I would strug gle to see how this theory could be applied to more formal qualifications where much of the knowledge will often remain abstract because that is its nature.Mathematics would be an example of this; it can be conceptualizes, as engineering math's for example, but is not really a subject matter o be situated. In conclusion learning theories can inform us on our learners and guide us through our teaching practice. They can be used to develop activities to bring otherwise dull subject matter to life and to create a more inclusive learning environment by applying different teaching methods based on these theories. The trouble is that the modern teacher is struggling for time, most of the time and these theories and their practice will involve some dedication for them to be implemented effectively.

An Acting Critique of Legally Blonde the Musical Essay

An Acting Critique of Legally Blonde the Musical On Friday night, May 3rd at & p.m., my mother and I attended the opening night of Legally Blonde in the Buena P.A.C. I must begin by saying that I am slightly biased towards one of the actors who just so happens to be my sister, so the roles of Chutney, the girl who accidentally murdered her father, and a Delta Nu sister have never been played more perfectly in my eyes. While I found the play both amusing and enjoyable, there were some big issues as far as opening night goes. Things like lack of projection (on top of some serious microphone issues, which I cannot blame the actors for), actors forgetting lines, and sloppy blocking, especially in many of the dances during the musical numbers, all took away from the overall experience of the show. However, there were definitely some things I absolutely loved, which were mostly specific characters. Also, the quality of the singing in all the musical numbers was very high, which is something you don’t see often in a high school mus ical production. That being said, I thought it was worth my five dollars, and a great way for Buena to end its 2012-13 season. Like I said before, technical aspects such as microphone malfunctions cannot be blamed on the actors. It is the job of the technicians to ensure all of the equipment functions properly. However, I believe that actors should not rely on such technical aspects alone to ensure that they are effectively heard by every member of the audience. Call me old fashioned, but I am a firm believer in projection; making your voice bounce off the walls of the theater. After all, theaters are geometrically designed to do just that. But I guess not everyone feels that way, and it was apparent Friday night when every time an actor’s microphone went out, it was as if they were whispering. This is often detrimental to the plot because if actors cannot be heard, vital pieces of information are lost upon the audience. This issue could have been non-existent if the actors had practiced their projection. Luckily, I saw the movie first, so I knew the plot before I even watched the play. Along with not always being able to hear the actors, line memorization seemed to cause a few problems on stage Friday night as well. I will admit, it was not as apparent of a problem as was the lack of audibility at times, but I did notice it quite a few times. The example that stood out to me most was the character of Paulette, the owner of Elle’s favorite salon and close friend to Elle. She was in the middle of a solo on stage and completely dropped almost an entire verse of her song. I will not judge her too harshly because I fully understand the pressures of opening night, and I am sure the pressure of a solo is equally as heavy. I am simply using it as an example. Any other line slips I noticed were fairly minor, and when they happened, the actors did a pretty good job of covering it up and going with the flow. The last big problem I had with Legally Blonde the Musical was the blocking. Call me crazy, but it seemed to me towards the end of the play that either the actors got extremely lazy with their blocking during the dances, or they simply did not rehearse the scenes enough. Either way, it was very obvious. Actors were off tempo, bumping into one another, and were also completely out of sync when they should not have been. The actors most guilty of that were the Delta Nu sorority sisters (except my sister, of course). I also noticed that it was not only the dance scenes that lacked blocking, but so did many of the conversational scenes. I love watching actors’ faces more than anything because I believe that’s where most acting is done. I wanted so badly to do that Friday night, but I spent the whole time craning my neck to try and get glimpses. Quite irritating, considering the fact that my mother and I showed up almost a half hour early to get seats in the center of the ho use. Acting is all about action, and action cannot be understood if it cannot be seen. Now that I have ranted and raved about what I really did not enjoy about the Friday night showing of Legally Blonde the Musical, I should probably talk about the things that I really enjoyed, which definitely outweighed the bad. My absolute favorite character (besides the ones played by my sister) was Enid Hoopes, played by senior Aubrie Bouchard. She was a women’s rights activist, as well as a full-blooded lesbian, your average tough girl with a lot to prove to the world. She was absolutely hilarious; her timing was great, her character development was awesome, and her projection was wonderful. She had me rolling with all of her perfectly timed quips, especially when her inner lesbian showed. My other favorite group of  characters was Elle’s three best friends from Malibu: Pilar, Margot, and Serena, who also came to be known as the Greek chorus. This was an extremely appropriate nickname because they served the same purpose as the original Greek choruses in the first plays. They always showed up in Elle’s times of need to provide her with support, and to provide the audience with information. They also happened to be hilarious and bubbly, as Delta Nu sisters should be. They also had wonderful projection, especially Serena, played by Jansen Morgen. I also enjoyed Professor Callahan’s character, played by Braxton Olgetree. He was not a very likable character as far as the plot of the play went, but I could tell the actor put a lot of work into his character, especially on the voice. He was drab and monotone, just like a law professor at Harvard should be, and his character work really shone through. I also must mention the most adorable and well-behav ed character of the entire show, the part of Rufus, Paulette’s dog, played by an American bulldog named Sarge. He was both cute and flawless. The other thing I loved about this play was the overall quality of the singing. I was very pleased with all the musical numbers; all the songs were cute and catchy, no one made my ears bleed, and I could hear everyone fairly well even with all of the microphone issues. Usually, from my personal experience, most high school musicals consist of two groups of people: choir kids and theater kids. Not all choir kids can act, and not all theater kids can sing, but I am pleased to say that this musical was not that way. Everyone was able to sing and act quite effectively. My favorite musical number was the song â€Å"Gay or European†, which was performed in the courtroom scene when they were trying to figure out whether or not the pool boy, who claimed to be Brooke Windam’s lover, was gay. It was very light-humored and entertaining. I also enjoyed the opening number, â€Å"Ohmigod†, which was performed by Elle and her Delta Nu sisters in the very beginning. Like I said from the start, I was a little biased towards this play from the beginning simply because my little sister was in it. However, even when I put my bias aside, I can honestly say I was thoroughly pleased with my experience as an audience member as a whole. While I must admit there were various issues with things like actor projection, lack of proper blocking,  and lack of line memorization, the overall quality of acting was quite enjoyable. The character work done by most of the actors was very apparent and applaudable. I loved all of the main characters, as well as the minor ones. The singing was also fantastic; I did not find myself cringing at any of the musical numbers. Instead, I actually found myself tapping my feet and sometimes even singing along with the catchy songs. I know the showings of Legally Blonde the Musical are all over now, but I would recommend it to anyone to go and see that show. It was definitely an â€Å"A† performance.