Humor Can Help Create Memorable Anniversaries

Humor Can Help Create Memorable Anniversaries Remember the first time you met your husband? Remember your first date with him? Or the time you spent together, frolicking on the beach? You may have had many such pleasurable moments together, but do you celebrate these occasions? You may remember your wedding day as if it had happened yesterday, but have you spared some time recollecting this beautiful day with your spouse? Thats what anniversaries are for. An anniversary is a grand celebration of lifes important milestones. It is a thoughtful way to acknowledge your love for your sweetheart or your dear ones. Marriage anniversaries are also the perfect excuse to throw a big bash and have your friends and family fuss over you. Consider birthdays. Right from the two-year-old toddler to the 80-year-old grandmother, everyone enjoys birthday celebrations. It is a special day to celebrate your entry into this world. You are happy to be alive and surrounded by loved ones, so why not share the happiness? Now, consider death anniversaries. Though it will not be a joyous celebration, you do honor the life of a loved one who enriched your life with happiness, companionship, and love. You reminisce their small gestures of affection and the nostalgic moments spent together, and you pray for their soul. This is also a form of celebration. Death makes one realize how important life is. In short, anniversaries are important celebrations. You cant afford to forget them. When you celebrate anniversaries, you express your love to your dear ones. Every Anniversary Has a Special Meaning Each anniversary year has a special significance, and it is symbolized by special materials. For instance, the first anniversary is denoted by paper. The  25th anniversary celebration is symbolized with silver, and hence friends and family members give silver articles as anniversary gifts. The 50th anniversary is a golden jubilee celebration, and as part of the tradition, gold items are gifted to the celebrating family. Anniversaries Represent the Journey One Has Traveled Anniversaries mark the passage of years, but they also reveal the emotional journey people undergo. In the first few years of marriage, many couples go through a challenging period of adjustment and turbulence. Some marriages survive the choppy ride, while a few marriages collapse even before the first anniversary. Couples often have doubts and apprehensions about their relationship. However, love keeps the couple bonded. Over years, couples understand each other and learn to adjust. As time goes by, couples even tend to take each other for granted. The ardent courtship is replaced by friendliness, and passion takes a back seat. Love becomes secondary; family and career take precedence. Anniversaries are gentle reminders for couples to review the milestones they reached together. Anniversaries are also occasions for couples to renew their commitment to each other. Death Anniversaries Remind Us of Our Dear Ones The first few years after the death of a dear one are especially traumatic. Readjustment after the demise of a loved one is difficult and painful. However, time is a great healer. When you seek to move on, seek solace from soothing words and memories. Life teaches us to enjoy every moment and make the most of it. Anniversaries Help Build Relationships Anniversaries remind you that relationships are special. They bring us closer to our near and dear ones and enrich our lives. When you celebrate your wedding anniversary, you express love and respect for your spouse. You strengthen your commitment to honor and cherish your vows. You also acknowledge each others contribution to making your marriage successful. Funny Anniversary Quotes Add Zing to Your Relationships Humor is like a breath of fresh air. With humor, you can rejuvenate your relationship. Humor helps you to win hearts. Your funny quotes will help thaw indifference and warm up those who are close to you. With funny anniversary quotes, you can shake off the lethargy and spice up your love life. William M. ThackerayI never know whether to pity or congratulate a man on coming to his senses.Grace HansenA wedding is just like a funeral except that you get to smell your own flowers.H. L. MenckenBachelors know more about women than married men; if they didnt, theyd be married too.Ronald ReaganA hippie is someone who looks like Tarzan, walks like Jane and smells like Cheetah.Mae WestA hard man is good to find.Jimmy CarterIve often wanted to drown my troubles, but I cant get my wife to go swimming.Mae WestLook your best who said love is blind?Compton MackenzieLove makes the world go round? Not at all. Whiskey makes it go round twice as fast.Oscar WildeBy persistently remaining single a man converts himself into a permanent public temptation.H. L. MenckenHappiness is the china shop; love is the bull.Mae WestLove thy neighbor - and if he happens to be tall, debonair and devastating, it will be that much easier.H. L. MenckenA man may be a fool and not know it, but not if he is marrie d. Kimberly BroylesAdam and Eve had an ideal marriage. He didn’t have to hear about all the men she could have married, and she didn’t have to hear about the way his mother cooked.Groucho MarxMarriage is the chief cause of divorce.

Surfactant Definition and Examples

Surfactant Definition and Examples Surfactant is the word that combines the terms surface active agent. Surfactants or tensides are chemical species that act as wetting agents to lower the surface tension of a liquid and allow for increased spreadability. This can be at a liquid-liquid interface or a liquid-gas interface. Surfactant Structure Surfactant molecules are usually organic compounds that contain hydrophobic groups or tails and hydrophilic groups or heads. This allows the molecule to interact with both water (a polar molecule) and oils (which are nonpolar). A group of surfactant molecules forms a micelle. A micelle is a spherical structure. In a micelle, the hydrophobic or lipophilic tails face inward, while the hydrophilic heads face outward. Oils and fats can be contained within the micelle sphere. Surfactant Examples Sodium stearate is a good example of a surfactant. It is the most common surfactant in soap. Another common surfactant is 4-(5-dodecyl)benzenesulfonate. Other examples include docusate (dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate), alkyl ether phosphates, benzalkaonium chloride (BAC), and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS). Pulmonary surfactant provides a coating on the surface of the alveoli in the lungs. It acts to prevent fluid accumulation, keep airways dry, and maintain surface tension within the lungs to prevent collapse.

Forecasting and Business Analysis Research Paper

Forecasting and Business Analysis - Research Paper Example In order to plan for the feasibility of the expansion, they needed to forecast their sales for the period. As a reference to their sales forecast, the Recreational Good Retail Turnover estimate for 2010 is required. The Recreational Good Retail Turnover (RGRT) dataset is gathered starting April 1982 until the end of March 2010. Figure 1 is the graphical summary of the data per quarter of each year. It can be observed that the trend of RGRT is increasing every year with seasonal peaks by the fourth quarter of each year. Furthermore, it can be observed that a linear trend is visible starting from the year 2000 up to the present, thus, these dataset shall be significant. Accompanying the RGRT is the Consumer Price Index (CPI) dataset is gathered from the start of September 1948 until the end of March 2010. The CPI is collected every quarter of the year. It can be observed that the CPI is also increasing through time. The method used for forecasting RGRT in this paper is autoregression (AR) model of univariate analysis. Using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), the AR(pmax) of RGRT is estimated. Lower order AR models are then determined until such time that Yp-1 is statistically significant or the P-value for testing Yp-1 = 0 is less than the chosen significance level of 0.05. In order to corrIn order to correct for the seasonality of the RGRT dataset, a method of calculating seasonal index is applied, wherein, the average seasonal index for each period is used as a multiplier for the regression equation (Rowbotham, Galloway, & Azhashemi, 2007). Other factors that can affect the RGRT are also checked for their statistical significance. These factors are unemployment rate, consumer price index and average weekly earnings of the population. Evaluations of results The unemployment rate, consumer price index and average weekly earnings are significant to the calculation for determination of RGRT forecast values. Appendix A shows the summary of fitted values for each factor. All factors show an increasing trend through time. This means that the increasing trend of RGRT is justified and it is safe to assume that there are no significant downward slope for the year to come. The AR model for RGRT is determined to be in the first-order as estimated by OLS. The RGRT model reduces to Yt = + Yt-1 + et where the fitted values are = 760.6366 and = 16.8146. The P-value for the equation is less than the signifiance level of 0.05 such that the model is considered as statistically significant. Appendix A provides the summary of other values of the regression equation for RGRT. The plot for the estimated values of the trend component is reflected in Figure 3. In order to allocate for the seasonality of RGRT, the average index per quarter is calculated. The index is computed as the predicted y-values using the regression equation divided by the actual y-values from the dataset (Rowbotham, Gall

Divorce's affects on children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Divorce's affects on children - Essay Example Ending a marriage is not a one-time event that occurs in a courthouse, it is a process. As well, the effects that divorce has on the families involved are of the utmost importance, especially in regards to the children. Both the short-term and long-term effects that divorce has on children are incredibly significant, and few would stand to argue that children are not incredibly affected by divorce. Although the greatest focus of divorce's effect on children is most certainly put towards regards to the first weeks and months following the divorce, the reality is that the long-term effects are often times the most critical. In order to come to a clearer and more knowledgeable understanding on this subject matter, the issue of divorce itself must be thoroughly addressed, as well as the key elements in relation to it. The aim of this paper is to discuss the events and phases of divorce, and the effect that divorce has on children. This is what will be dissertated in the following. Divorce is an intensely stressful experience for all children, regardless of their age or developmental level; however, statistics show that is especially hard the younger the children are during the time of the divorce. There are many reasons for this, one of the most primary being that during the younger years of their lives, family is all the children really have to rely on; they do not have friends to help relieve their stress and they have no one to talk to or to express themselves to. "A study in 1980 found that less than 10% of children had support from adults other than relatives during the acute phase of the divorce." (Eleoff, 2003). This leaves them with a feeling of helplessness and loneliness, and issues like this are supremely relevant and must not be neglected or ignored. The pain which is experienced by children at the beginning of a divorce is composed of many things, such as: a sense of vulnerability as the family disintegrates; a grief reaction to the loss of the i ntact family (many children do not realize that their parents' marriage is troubled at all to begin with); loss of the non-custodial parent; a feeling of intense anger at the disruption of the family; and strong feelings of powerlessness - to name a few. It is especially difficult for younger children during the situation of divorce, in that it is harder for them to deal with the sudden onset of life change, and the neglect they often times begin to feel. The developmental considerations in response of the children are significantly more severe in regards to the younger children: preschool children (ages 3 - 5) are likely to exhibit a regression of the most recent developmental milestone achieved. Additionally, sleep disturbances and an exacerbated fear of separation from the custodial parent are common. There is usually a great deal of yearning for the non-custodial parent. During early latency (ages 6 - 8) children often openly grieve for the departed parent. There is a noted preoccupation with fantasies that distinguishes the reactions of this age group. Children have replacement fantasies, or fantasies that their parents will happily reunite in the not-so-distant future. Also, children in this developmental stage have an especial ly difficult time with the concept of the permanence of the divorce. During late latency (ages 8 - 11) children experience severe feelings of anger and

Understand the role of the Social Care Worker Essay Example for Free

Understand the role of the Social Care Worker Essay Ai: Three differences between a working relationship and a personal relationship are: A working relationship is a relationship that remains professional within the workplace where as a personal relationship you may spend time with someone out of work hours. A personal relationship is a relationship in which information sharing is unlimited yet a working relationship information sharing is on a need to know basis with colleagues, residents and other professionals. A personal relationship is one of choice with someone you like and share common interests where as a working relationship may be with someone you may not usually be friends with but have to form a team with that person and work under certain rules. Aii: One example of a working relationship in an adult social care setting is the relationship between carer and resident. This relationship is important as you need to maintain a professional duty of care. Another example would be between the senior in charge and the G.P. When a G.P comes to see a resident that is poorly they are relying on the carers and the senior in charge to inform them of any changes in that resident so they need to be professional at all times. Aiii: It is important that social care workers work in partnership with individuals using the service and their families because we all have a common interest in doing whats best for the individual and keeping them from harm. The service user is there because they may not have someone that can look after them the way they need therefore involving families and help to improve the way you care for them. For example, you might think that â€Å"Doris† may like going to bed at 10pm every night but is always very tired during the day after getting up at 7am. The family can tell you that in fact â€Å"Doris† used to go to bed at 9pm and likes getting up at 8am when she was at home. It is  essential to establish and maintain a good working relationship with family as they can also help to overcome any communication issues you may have with that service user and also find out their preferences for food choices. It’s all about person centered care. The resident is less open to abuse as there are clear boundaries and expectations of the social care workers relationship. Aiv: Three ways of working that can help improve partnership working are: Involve the resident in all decision making regarding their care plans for example what time they like to go bed, whether they prefer a bath or shower and if they like to go out on planned outings Give them a choice at meal times and what they would like to wear that day Try to promote their independence by giving them as much do to by themselves as possible for them without allowing them to struggle and that someone is there if they need a hand. Av: When people with different views, skills and expertise work together there may be disagreements about the best way forward. Here is five different skills or approaches that may help resolve conflict. 1.By listening to each side may help you and others see that your way may or not be the best way 2.By compromising you can figure out the best outcome by thinking about all possible solutions 3.Stay calm. If you start to lose your temper than the problem isnt going to get resolved 4.Communication is key. By talking it through you all may come up with a suitable solution as a team 5.By using a person centered approach everyone has the residents best interests at heart. Avi: Two ways in which you could obtain support and advice about working in partnership and resolving conflicts are by talking to colleagues and senior members of staff. They may have more experience and knowledge when dealing with conflicts or partnership working. The manager can help you by offering a professional solution to conflicts and follow the complaints procedure. If necessary the manager will enable you to access conflict management training or any other training that may be relevant. Task B Bi: Agreed ways of working means: That you should keep up to date with legislation Follow policies and procedures Work within your job description Work within your code of conduct Work in line with care standards Bii: Its important to have up to date details regarding the agreed ways of working because if a piece of legislation changes, as they do quite regularly, you need to know what is expected of you. When I was pregnant in order to keep myself, my colleagues and the residents safe my job description changed slightly and my new agreed ways of working were updated regularly. These changed back when I returned to work after having the baby. Biii: Where I am not trained in giving medication if I was to carry out this task I would be liable if something was to go wrong. I do not carry out tasks that are not within my job description and that i have not been trained in as these are not within my agreed ways of working. Its important to follow these guidelines so that I do not cause harm to myself, my colleagues or the residents.

Frankenstein Essay -- essays research papers

The story Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus made different feelings to me. I read it first time about five years ago, and when I read it now, I understood the concept differently. The story has a from of letters from Mr. R. Walton, the traveler, to his sister Margaret. Walton wanted to reach the North Pole and wanted to discover new parts of the World. In the land of ice his ship found a man, Victor Frankenstein. He told his story, why he was there and what happened to him, to Mr. Walton in order to warn him from doing something ‘bad’. Mr. Victor Frankenstein was a scientist who wanted to discover something new. His desire for it was so strong that he put all his efforts and life to it. He studied chemistry, anthropology and other nature science. He made researches with death body and he wanted to alive it. One day he was successful and he created a man. It was ugly Creature with a man body shape, but very big and strong. Frankenstein was shocked by his work and he run away from his laboratory. When he went back, the Creature was not there. From that time the Frankenstein’s life changed dramatically. After that accident his best friend Henry Clerval arrived to visit him and took him back to the home. His young brother William was killed and his sister Justine Moritz was suited to be guilty from that crime. Frankenstein knew that she was not murderer; he know who was it, but he did not have enough power and courage to said it. He was afraid that people would find out what he created. He felt he should protect his family from the Creature. Frankenstein was depressed and ill. He wanted to find the Creature and revenge William’s and Justin’s death. He wanted to correct his mistake and kill the Creature. Once Frankenstein went to the trip and in the mountains a he met the Creature after long time. The Creature told him about his life. About how he was happy when he knew only feelings such hunger, thirst, cold and warm. Then he was confronted with people’s fear. He helped to safe child from the river and his reward was shot by child’s father. The Creature started to think about pleasure from saving the life, about pleasure from love and about pain of loneliness. Then Creature observed one family for a long time and learned to speak and started to think about it existence. Creature did not... ...in and the Creature when the creature said, “ I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind? You, my creator, would tear me to pieces, and triumph; remember that, and tell me why I should pity man more than he pities me? Shall I respect man when he contemns me?'; The Creatures desire to be affiliated with a men was very strong, but was refused mostly because of body-shape. We can see the same principle in the society. One example could be racism. Other idea is how strong individual’s desire can be. Frankenstein did not thing about others, about consequences, while he was fulfilling his own desire. Should the person put at risk a group of people in order to fulfil the desire? Is personal pleasure more than group’s pain? While reading this book these questions came to my mind. Even though the story is about irresponsible behavior of individual, I still think that and individual should do what wants. But he/she should be responsible for the act and not to harm others. The story also strengthens my opinion that we do not have right to judge person before we analyze him/her. Prejudges could cause big evil in the society.

Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Chapter 32-33

Chapter 32 Stefan,† a disembodied voice whispered. I was in the labyrinth back at Veritas, the lush green hedges rising higher than my head, the sun beating down upon my shoulders. My collar was itchy and constrictive–for some reason I was in my Sunday best. From around the bend Damon approached, his blue eyes wide and innocent. â€Å"Want to race, brother?† he challenged. Of course I accepted. Suddenly, we were sitting on the porch swing, with Katherine wedged between us, mischief in her dark eyes, as she plucked petals from a daisy. Her leg was so close I felt it grazing mine. As her gaze shifted back and forth, I realized the game she was playing: The flower would determine which one of us she would choose. When she reached the final petal, her eyes locked onto mine, and I knew that I was the victor. She leaned in to kiss me, and I closed my eyes, anticipating the soft touch of her lips. But instead I felt a stake plunge into my heart. My eyes fluttered open, and there stood my brother, laughing as he dug the wood yet deeper into me, the flower petals crushed beneath my prone form. My head lolled to the side, and my eyes snagged on the girl who was bleeding to death next to me on the grass. Her hair was fire-red, and her skin was moon-pale beneath her freckles. Callie!I tried to shout. But Damon snatched up my words in his fist before sinking a knife over and over into Callies back. â€Å"Stefan!† a voice called again, louder this time. I recognized the lilting alto.Lexi. â€Å"Nooo † I moaned. I couldnt allow Damon to kill her, too. â€Å"Go away!† â€Å"Stefan .† She came closer still, kneeling down beside me, holding a goblet to my lips. â€Å"No,† I said again. She shook my shoulders violently. My eyes popped open. The walls around me were painted with cracked red paint, and I saw a gilt-edged portrait on the opposite wall. I sat up, touching my face with my hands, then glancing down. I was still wearing my ring. I touched the stone. It felt very real. â€Å"Lexi?† I asked thickly. â€Å"Yes!† She smiled, clearly relieved. â€Å"Youre awake.† I glanced down at my body. My arm still throbbed, and there was dried blood underneath my fingernails. â€Å"Am I alive?† She nodded. â€Å"Just barely.† â€Å"Damon?† â€Å"We didnt get him,† Lexi said darkly. â€Å"He ran off.† â€Å"Callie?† I asked. I didnt want to hear, but I needed to know. Lexi looked down at her fingernails for a long moment, then lifted her amber eyes to mine. â€Å"Im sorry, Stefan. We tried Even Buxton tried to save her â€Å" â€Å"But she was too far gone,† I finished for her. My head throbbed. â€Å"Where is she now?† Lexi pushed my matted hair off my temple. Her fingers were cool against my burning skin. â€Å"In the river. The whole citys looking for her † Lexis voice trailed off, but I understood everything that she wasnt saying. â€Å"Before you rest, you need to drink,† Lexi murmured, helping me sit up again. â€Å"Its your favorite, goats blood,† she said with a sad smile. I put my lips to the goblet. The brackish liquid tasted nothing like sweet, full-bodied human blood, but it was warm. And it contained something human blood never would: a dull spark of redemption. The more of this I drank, the less human blood would run through me. I wasnt naï ¿ ½ve, though. Guilt would always flow through my veins. Id killed too many in my short time as a vampire, destroyed too many lives. Whether or not I drank from her, Callies death was on my hands as well. I should have turned my back on her, told her I never wanted to see her. But Id been weak. â€Å"Good boy,† Lexi murmured as I finished drinking from the cup. I didnt feel good. I felt sick and scared and unsure of what to do. Damon was still out in the world, somewhere, and Callies blood was running through his veins. My stomach tightened. â€Å"I dont know what to do,† I admitted, searching Lexis eyes for answers. But Lexi was silent. â€Å"I dont know what to tell you,† she said finally. â€Å"But I do know youre a good man.† I sighed, ready to point out that I wasnt a man at all, I was a monster. But Lexi stood up and gathered the mugs from the night table. Chapter 33 When I woke up, I could tell from the light streaming through the crack in the curtains that it was daylight. I swung my feet onto the hardwood floor and grabbed the neat pile of clothes from the shopping trip with Lexi. It seemed like a lifetime ago. I put on a new shirt, slicked my hair back, and put the rest of the clothes in a makeshift carrying case formed from my tattered shirt from Mystic Falls–the only item I still had from my old life. I glanced around the room, my eyes taking in the familiar layers of dust in the corners. I wondered how many vampires had passed through this house and whether Lexi would find another young vampire to take under her wing. I hoped, for his sake as well as hers, that hed have a better time in this city of sin than I had had. Lexi was sitting in the living room. In her hands was the portrait of her brother. As soon as I stepped in, she glanced up. â€Å"Stefan,† she said. â€Å"Im sorry,† I cut in. And I was, for all of it. For coming to New Orleans. For disrupting her life. For bringing danger to the tiny spot of security the vampires had managed to carve out. â€Å"Im not. It was a privilege to have you.† Her gaze turned serious. â€Å"Im sorry about Callie–and about your brother.† â€Å"Hes not my brother anymore,† I said quickly. Lexi set down the portrait on the coffee table. â€Å"Perhaps not anymore. But as you said yourself, he was for your whole human life. Can you remember that and forget the rest?† I shrugged. I didnt want to remember Damon. Not now, not ever. Lexi crossed the room and put her hand on my arm. â€Å"Stefan, missing humans and your human life hurts. But it does get easier.† â€Å"When?† I asked, my voice cracking slightly. She glanced back at the portrait on the table. â€Å"Im not sure. It happens gradually.† She paused, then laughed, the sound so innocent and lighthearted that I wanted to sit down and stay at the house forever. â€Å"Let me guess. You want it to happen now.† I smiled. â€Å"You know me well.† Lexi frowned. â€Å"You need to learn to slow down, Stefan. You have an eternity ahead of you.† A silence fell between us, the wordeternityclanging in my ears. With a jerk, I pulled Lexi into a hug, inhaled the comforting aroma of our friendship, then sped out of the house without a glance back. Once outside, I chastised myself for my sentimentality. I had much to atone for, and feeling sorry for myself was self-indulgent. I paused at the spot on the street where Callie had died. There was no bloodstain, nothing to mark the fact that shed even existed. I knelt down, glancing over my shoulder before I kissed the pavement. Then I stood up and began to run, faster and faster. It was dawn, and the city was just waking up. Messenger boys zipped by on delivery bikes, and Union soldiers marched through the streets, their rifles nestled in their arms like infants. Vendors were already setting up on the sidewalk, and the air smelled like sugar and smoke. And, of course, like the tangy scent of blood and iron. I quickly reached the train station, where the platform was already bustling. Men in morning coats sat on worn wooden benches in the waiting area, reading newspapers, while women nervously clutched their purses. The entire station had an air of festive transience. It was the perfect hunting ground. And before I could help it, my fangs protruded from my gums. Bowing my face into my hands, I counted to ten, fighting the hunger that raced through me and waiting for my teeth to click back into their human form. The whistle blew, and the train roared into the station, kicking up a cloud of dust and breaking me out of my reverie. I followed the soldier on board, wondering if he and his lover would experience a happy ending. I took solace in knowing, at least, that should they not, it would not be because of me. I entered the coach compartment. â€Å"Ticket, sir?† a conductor asked, holding out his hand. I locked eyes with him, my stomach turning with disgust at having to rely on my Power. Let me pass.†I showed it to you,† I said aloud. â€Å"You must have forgotten.†

Looking for Alaska Essay

John Green’s 2006 novel Looking for Alaska personally affected me as I could relate to one of the main characters Miles (Pudge). The theme of belonging was also very relevant as this novel touches on the concern of Miles fitting into his new school and finding out how everything works at Culver Creek Preparatory. I directly can relate to Miles in this sense as I am still new and am trying to figure out how my new school works and also finding a friendship group that I am comfortable in. This novel is great because it raises questions about individuals understanding of true friendship, love, loyalty and having a sense of belonging. It shows the importance of truly living life to the fullest rather that just watching it fly by. The conflicts within the characters themselves lead readers inward to examine how much everyone needs a sense knowing where we belong. Pudge buys the cigarettes to show that he can be a part of his new friendship group’s crowd. A certain amount of peer pressure was probably involved, with Pudge worried about ‘fitting in’ and making friends. â€Å"The Colonel talked me into paying five dollars for a pack of Marlboro Lights I had no intention of ever smoking. † I think that by Miles giving into this peer pressure he would hope that it would make him feel more normal and apart of that what his friends were partaking in. The use of first person narrative point of view allowed me to experience things as Miles does. It gave me a deeper understanding of how he is affected by people, events and his own reactions and feelings as the novel progresses. This is no more clearly seen than in the event of Alaska dying, I was limited to Miles’ own feelings and emotions surrounding her death. The idea of guilt and loss becomes apparent as we see him struggle to deal with her death and the role he played in it, with him trying to figure out where he belongs. He experiences a loss of innocence as he is forced to re-evaluate his philosophy on life and find his own place in the world. Alaska’s death aids in Miles’ coming-of-age journey. â€Å"I felt the total loss of her, still reeling from the idea that she was not only gone from this world, but from them all† This can be very relatable for other audiences who might have suffered a great loss like Miles’. Looking for Alaska depicts many messages about one’s vital need to belong, some of which I can personally relate to. As well as other aspects of the novel that other audiences can personally relate to.

Varying Approaches for Principled Eclecticism for ESL

Varying Approaches for Principled Eclecticism for ESL A few years ago I was introduced to principled eclecticism as a means of establishing ESL/EFL class objectives. Basically, principled eclecticism refers to the use of various teaching styles in a discriminating manner as required by learner needs and styles. Applying Principled Eclectisim While this loose approach may sound either ideal or simplistic depending on your point of view, it requires a basic grasp of some of the principle schools of thought as a means of getting an overview of issues directly related to satisfying learners needs. In a nutshell, the application of principled eclecticism proceeds by first addressing the issue of learners needs and styles. Once these two basic elements have been evaluated, the teacher can develop a needs analysis which can then be used to develop the course syllabus. Definitions Interlanguage Skill: A scala of languages that fit the level of the students language skill at any moment. In other words, there are many levels of speaking a language each of which can be sufficient for a given student.Comprehensible Input: Originated by Krashen, the core of this idea is that if we do not understand the input we cannot learn.Negotiation of Meaning: Interactional hypothesis that states that learning comes about in the moment of exchange between a native speaker and a non-native speaker.Product Oriented Approach: The accumulation of bits and pieces of a language (for example, learning tenses and doing exercises based on correct tense usage). Example Cases The following two cases give examples of the process involved in applying this approach to different types of classes. Class 1 Needs and Styles Age: young adults from 21-30Nationality: class of German students located in GermanyLearning Styles: college educated, familiarity with a  product-oriented approach to learning a language, widely traveled and familiarity with other European cultures.Goals: First Certificate Examination at end of courseInterlanguage Skills: all students can communicate in English and accomplish most common language tasks (i.e., completing day-to-day tasks in a native speaker society, telephone, expressing viewpoints, etc.), higher level complexity such as writing essays, expressing complex arguments in fine detail is next desired step.Course Duration: 100 hours Approach As the First Certificate Examination is the goal of the course and there is a limited number of hours, the course will have to often employ a deductive (i.e., teacher-centered, book learning) approach in order to complete all the grammatical tasks required by the examination.Students are very familiar with traditional learning approaches such as grammar charts, drill exercises, etc. In this case, awareness raising concerning basic language patterns will not be necessary. However, as the students are quite young and most fresh out of college, they may have to be helped to understand and accept more innovative (i.e., inductive) approaches to learning (i.e., role-playing for improving speaking skills, general class discussions with little or no correction) as they are probably used to more goal-oriented study situations.As the First Certificate Exam includes many authentic materials, students will benefit greatly from exercises that focus on the negotiation of meaning. This negotiation of meaning is a type of interactional learning that comes about in the moment of exchange with a native speaker context that requires the learner to negotiate meaning thereby expanding his language skills. Objectives of the First Certificate Examination will be the overriding factor in the determination of class activities. In other words, activities based on Neuro Linguistic Programming may not be desirable as this approach to teaching focuses on a holistic learning method, which, unfortunately, may not provide all the bits and pieces required to complete the examination exercises such as sentence transformation.As the course duration is limited and the objectives are many, there will be little time for experiments and fun activities. Work needs to be focused and principally goal oriented. Class 2 Needs and Styles Age: immigrant adults from 30-65Nationalities: a variety of countriesLearning Styles: most of the class has had little secondary education and has not studied languages formallyGoals: Basic ESL skills for everyday usage and job acquisitionInterlanguage Skills: basic tasks such as ordering a meal and making a telephone call are still difficultCourse Duration: 2-month intensive course meeting four times weekly for two hours Approach The approach to teaching this class is dictated by two principal factors: need for real world skills, lack of background in traditional learning stylesPragmatic functional English is of prime importance. Luckily, the course is intensive and provides the perfect opportunity for intensive role-playing and real world game activities.As students are immigrants and a native speaker environment is at hand, teaching can also take place by bringing the real world into the classroom and/or - even more preferably - taking the classroom out into the real world.Low-level English skills mean that comprehensible input will play a great role in the success or failure of the class. Considering the low level of interlanguage skill, students desperately need the teacher to help them by filtering experiences into a comprehensible form so that they may make sense of situations that are too difficult if faced on a strictly authentic level.Learning by process will be of great importance. The positive side of low-level education is that students are not attached to traditional learning methods such as grammar charts, exercises, etc. The use of holistic learning approaches can be very effective as students will not have any pre-conceived notions about what learning should be like.

Using Antes and Related Spanish Phrases

Using Antes and Related Spanish Phrases Antes is a common way of saying  before, but it is often necessary to use it in the phrases antes de and antes de que.   How To Use Antes The easiest way to think about the differences between antes by itself and the two phrases is to consider which part of the sentence antes connects with. If it affects the meaning of the entire sentence or of a verb, then its functioning as an adverb and stands alone. Another way of thinking about this, although it doesnt cover all instances, is that  if it makes sense to translate antes as beforehand or earlier (theyre both adverbs) then you should use antes by itself: Antes fuimos a la ciudad. (Earlier, we went to the city.)No lo habà ­a visto antes. (I had not seen it beforehand.)Yo corrà ­a ms antes.  (Earlier, I used to run more.)Antes habà ­a muchos casos de tuberculosis en las zona. (Before, there were many tuberculosis cases in the area.) Antes de (not antes de que), on the other hand, functions like a two-word preposition and connects with a noun that follows (or an infinitive functioning as  a noun): Fue difà ­cil viajar antes de la era industrial.  (It was difficult to travel before the industrial era.)Yo tenà ­a miedo antes del comunicado oficial.  (I was afraid before the official announcement.)Llene este formulario antes de salir.  (Fill out this form before leaving.)No creers cà ³mo Disney hacà ­a sus pelà ­culas antes de las computadoras. (You will not believe how Disney made its films before there were computers.) Finally, antes de que (or antes que, a regional variation used the same way), functions as a subordinating conjunction, which indicates the connection between one event and another and is followed by a noun and a verb (or a verb where the noun is implied): Necesito perder peso antes de que empiece el verano. (I need to lose weight before summer begins.)Mi padre se fue antes que yo naciera.  (My father left before I was born.)Antes de que estudiemos el sol, aprenderemos un algo sobre los tomos de hidrà ³geno.  (Before studying the sun, we will learn something about hydrogen atoms.)Controle su ira antes de que ella le controle a usted. (Control your anger before it controls you.) Note that as in the above examples, the verb following antes de que or antes que is in the subjunctive mood. This is true even when the subjunctive verb refers to something that definitely will or already has happened. One way of understanding the differences is to look at the three variations used in sentences that begin the same: Lo sabà ­a todo antes. I knew it all before. (Antes affects the meaning of the entire sentence and functions as an adverb. This is the only example of these three where beforehand or earlier would work as a translation.)Lo sabà ­a todo antes de hoy. I knew it all before today. (Antes de functions as a preposition with hoy, a noun, as its object.)Lo sabà ­a todo antes (de) que comenzara el trabajo. I knew it all before the job began. (Antes (de) que indicates the time connection between what could otherwise be two sentences.) Ante vs. Antes Although ante is sometimes translated as before, it should not be confused with antes. Although the two words are clearly related, they have separate uses. In modern Spanish, ante is a preposition that means before only in the sense of being in the presence of or in the face of. Common translations include in front of or facing. It can also be translated at considering or compared to. Ha subido las escaleras y se ha colocado ante la estatua de la diosa. (He had climbed the stairs and had planted himself in front of the statue of the goddess.)En una ocasià ³n me invitaron a hablar ante las estudiantes de la Escuela de Negocios de Harvard. (One time they invited me to speak before Harvard Business School students.)Tenemos que aprender a ser tolerantes ante nuestras diferencias raciales. (We need to learn to be tolerant in light of our racial differences.) ¿Te gustarà ­a vivir ante la playa y con maravillosas vistas a mar y montaà ±a? (Would you like living facing the beach with marvelous views of sea and mountain?) Key Takeaways Antes functions as an adverb that, when used by itself, typically means before or earlier.The phrases antes de and antes de que function as a two-word preposition and three-word conjunction, respectively.Ante is a preposition that often means in front of or considering.

Constitution Timeline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Constitution Timeline - Essay Example The document played a significant role in the creation of the United States constitution. This is clearly seen in the United States bill of rights. This spells out various rights of the people and curtails the government powers (Historic Documents, n.d.). For example, the bill says each person must enjoy all rights with the right practice of law being followed (Historic Documents, n.d.). This is clearly seen in the fifth and ninth amendments. This document is also a source of many fundamental concepts of the law (Historic Documents, n.d.). In fact, the concept of the constitution stems from this document. Colonist wrote the mayflower compact before occupying Plymouth colony. This was a consensus of the new settlers arriving at the Plymouth in November 1620 (Foster, 1992). The voyage was on the ship Mayflower. The settlement was drafted on fairness and justice ideals and the choice of the majority (Foster, 1992). This was necessitated by recognition of passengers that the new world settlers failed due to lack of government. This deal was meant for their own survival. They believed the settlement would be honored between god and man, and between each other (Foster, 1992). It calls for treatment of one another as equal in the sight of god (Foster, 1992). This compact had a profound contribution to the United States constitution. Firstly, it was an influential document for the founding fathers as they created the United States constitution. Secondly, it led to the making of a fresh self-governing nation. Moreover, the United States constitution was also formed on similar bases of equalit y. The declaration of independence was ratified by the Second Continental congress on July 4, 1776 (Department of State, n.d.). Thomas Jefferson drafted this declaration with minor changes made by the committee (Department of State, n.d.). The declaration was because of sore relationship that existed between the

Is Justice Scalia Wise Enough in His Supreme Court Rulings Research Paper

Is Justice Scalia Wise Enough in His Supreme Court Rulings - Research Paper Example The jurist is a fervent champion of the authority of the executive arm of government; he believes that the original ideology of the authors of the American constitution was to establish and protect a powerful presidency to ensure stability of the nation. In his rulings the judge rejects double standards in the application of the law such as policies aimed to empower minority groups. Talbot (43) avers that Scalia often files separate minority verdicts in which he criticizes the majority decision. This paper explores the philosophies of Justice Scalia as evident in some of the Supreme Court rulings he has made on discrimination and criminal procedure. Justice Scalia is widely described as a conservative figure on the bench, implying that he offers the Constitutional interpretation in letter and spirit of its key architects of the eighteenth century (Bramwell 370-375). In his rulings, the justice captures the philosophies that inspired the Amendment to the Constitution. Scalia believes various constitutional changes to the US laws should be interpreted with respect to their essence at the period of amendment. Nevertheless, the justice is at pains to explain his judicial approach relative to the verdict of Brown v. Board of Education of 1954, which declared segregated learning facilities illegal. The ruling also cited the Fourteenth Amendment, which the justice interprets otherwise, as a deciding factor in the case. The enactment of the Amendment contradicts Scalia’s observations as it allowed corporations some rights under the constitution (Niose 16-21). It is arguable that the architects of the Fourteenth Amendment wanted to enhance school segregation. Scalia however, says he would have rejected school segregation in America, an opinion which is driven by the need for a real united America. According to Scalia and Ring, the justice enthusiastically rejects the notion of an evolving society guided by an â€Å"adjusting† set of laws (9-11). Scaliaâ₠¬â„¢s ideology implies that it is beyond the mandate of the court to adapt the constitutional interpretation. The justice sounds an alarm that if Americans accepted the fact that constitutionalism should be modified to suit an evolving society, the dangers of evaluating changing standards may be tantamount to believing that the evolution has boiled down into one's personal opinion. Nevertheless, by comparing the Constitution with original statutes, which should be bequeathed future generations in its letter and spirit, the philosophies advanced by the justice may fail to enable the modern American society to manage new cultural trends, some of which may be good and promote peace and stability in the world (Lakin 47). Additionally, due to the fact that laws are crafted to serve justice, the evolution of the values of the American society may turn the people into â€Å"slaves† of their forefathers’ ideologies if Scalia’s philosophies are anything to go by. Plainti ff has an upper hand Scalia’s philosophy on criminal procedures is largely in favor of the plaintiff. For instance, he rejected the Court's landmark ruling in Miranda v. Arizona, which offered guidelines on the treatment of criminal suspects. The ruling held that a testimony by a suspect in police custody who is ignorant of his rights was unconstitutional. Scalia’s verdict to judicially review Miranda in the Dickerson v. United States case of 2000 hit a snag, when he found himself in the minority,