Origin Of Species :: essays research papers

Considered one of the most significant, influential, and controversial publications in history, this book, I felt would be interesting to read and learn from. Although his content in this particular book is the subject of much controversy, Darwin's proffesional contributions and accomplishments will remain well known and respected. Therefore, I selected The Origin of Species believing that it would prove to be a stimulating and challenging reading experience. This famous book discusses in-depth many important aspects of the study of life. Darwin analyzes various issues including: creation, spontaneous generation, adaptaion, laws of organism variation, hybridism, and natural selection, all integral subjects in the science of biology. As I read this book, the magnitude of its importance became clear, and I learned a wealth of scientific information from the text that includes: geological succesion, morphology, and species variation. The convincing arguments and coherent evidence inhere nt in this great work induced subject retention and serious consideration of the topics that were comprehensively discussed. The theme of the nature of life (most importantly that of man) in The Origin of Species is still a subject of tremendous and continuing debate. Also, this important topic is related to a variety of current science events such as environentally concious efforts across the globe, the philosophy and science of "the survival of the fittest," and the popular studies of creation and evolution. I feel that this book is important to read because it is a publication which brilliantly discusses interesting and significant information, is often reffered to in scientific conversation and study, and defines perhaps the greatest debate of the Western World. Charles Darwin's engaging and pioneering analysis of flora and fauna calls into question the long-held and once widely accepted concepts of divine creation, spontaneous generation, and the unrelatedness of many species. Displaying original reasoning, he distinctly and defiantly challenges many ancient beliefs and makes an argument

Children in Horror

With the release of Orphan upon us, it seems as good a time as any to consider the role that kids have played in the horror genre. Other groups have fairly consistent, even ritualized roles in films. Men as antagonists are usually the threat of aggressive male sexuality, wielding phallic weaponry and chasing down hapless female victims. Women are either the sexualized teenaged victim, the virginal survivor, or in some classic horror, the threat of female social and sexual empowerment to male hegemony. But children in horror movies have not had such a stable role.There are, however, three major trends in the way children fit into horror plots. We’ll call them â€Å"the silent witness,† â€Å"the creepy little kid,† and â€Å"the un-victim. † The silent witness is used most commonly in ghost films like The Messengers and Mirrors. These characters often don’t speak at all (perhaps due to some earlier trauma or developmental shortfall) or they only spea k in short, cryptic messages. The driving notion behind these characters is that in their innocence they don’t know to be scared of the ghosts and ghoulies, or in other cases, they retain some knowledge of trust or secret about life that we as adults have forgotten.Either way, these characters represent an almost covetous reverence for the ideal of childhood innocence. The sound of the child’s laughter is usually central to at least one scene, reminding us again of the child’s innocence, but also implying that the child is not alone. One of the most elegant, though not central, uses of this character type is in Close Encounters of the Third Kind in the scene when the child, Barry, goes missing. Of course everyone’s favorite use of children in horror movies is the creepy little kid.This is the category that Orphan falls under and also incorporates a lot of ghost films like The Grudge and The Unborn, but it can also include demon-child movies like The Omen. The protagonists of these films are often the parents, or adopted parents, of the creepy kid in question, and these films play subliminally on oedipal anxieties. In films where the kid is a ghost, it will sometimes be â€Å"the good ghost† who is trying to warn and protect the other characters. But even if the child ghost is not benevolent, it’s still usually not the embodiment of pure rage that ghosts of adult men tend to be.Instead, the threat they pose is usually more akin to a trapped animal, and often these characters are associated with a specific animal or take on animalistic traits. Whether alive or dead though, creepy little girls have become iconic within the horror genre. With sunken eyes, perfect hair, and always the same style of going-to-church dress, the image of the creepy little girl has become standardized, but the fact that it still remains creepy while being so familiar is a testament to its ability to strike a deep psychological chord with the aud ience. In many ways the creepy little girl is the flip side of the silent witness character.Both imply that young children know more about their surroundings than they let on, but whereas the silent witness can’t communicate, the creepy little girl won’t, inevitably to nefarious ends. Where the silent witness represents the purity and innocence of childhood, the creepy little kid represents all the cruelty and selfishness that children are capable of. Finally, there is what I like to call the un-victim. These are the kids in movies who get chased by the bad guys, but everyone knows they’re going to live through the end of the film. Classic examples would be Tommy Jarvis in Friday the 13th Part IV, or Reggie in Part V.A more recent example would be the two kids in Signs. These kids are un-victims because they’re threatened through the entire movie, but never get killed off because killing a kid in a movie is going too far for most filmmakers (though appare ntly not for Lars Von Trier in Antichrist). As a result, these kids end up being a sort of safety blanket for the viewer. We know that they’re safe, and therefore we allow them to provide us some security and even the occasional moment of levity. For many horror fans though, these kids turn into an annoyance very quickly (Dakota Fanning in War of the Worlds). This is of course not at all comprehensive.Films that break these molds are often far better off for it, as just in general movies that buck or reverse trends and stereotypes are usually more creative and better made movies. Plus, this summary does not include demonic pregnancy movies like Rosemary’s Baby, or movies aimed at children like Gremlins. And then there are a few movies that merge and meld these tropes together. Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining has not only the prototypical creepy little girls, but Danny Torrance incorporates all three character tropes. He is himself a creepy little kid at times, but at other times he acts as the silent witness.But then in the third act when the emphasis of the film begins to shift towards Jack’s insanity, Danny becomes an un-victim. So this is by no means a bible of children in horror movies, but it is an interesting topic to contemplate how children factor into a genre that is specifically meant to not be seen by them. Adults have always had a very interesting and compelling relationship with notions of childhood, and it’s certainly not insignificant that children, in one role or another, find their way so consistently into the horror genre, where all the fears and anxieties of the human psyche find their voice.

What are the factors that have caused British political parties to change their policies on the EU since 1970?

Abstract There are a number of different factors that have caused British political parties to change their policies on the EU, yet it is often very difficult to determine what these are. Whilst some may suggest that it is down to a change in public attitudes (Ladrech, 2001, p. 4), others would argue that party position changes occur as a result of â€Å"environmental incentives with party organisation† (Schumacher et al; 2009, p. 1). Regardless, EU integration is one of the main issues that has divided British political parties since the 1970’s and Britain’s EU membership has had a significant impact upon political parties. Hence, the two main themes that have run through the main parties with regards to the EU are division and fragmentation, which has led many to believe that ‘Europe’ has essentially become a â€Å"cause of political cleavage† (Smith, 2012, p. 1277) that has widely impacted mainstream political parties. This study will therefore anal yse the changing approaches of British political parties since the 1970’s in order to determine what factors have led to a change in policies. Introduction Introduction to the Study Since the United Kingdom became a member of the European Union, there has been a significant amount of controversy that has surrounded the move. The UK had been trying to join the EU since 1961, yet its membership was rejected by the French President. It wasn’t until 1973 when the UK finally became a member and although a referendum was held two years later, which resulted in the public voting in favour of the UK’s membership, many have continued to question whether it was in fact a good move. Accordingly, some have argued against further EU integration, whilst others have argued for complete EU withdrawal. This so-called Euroscepticism has existed since the very beginning and has had a significant impact upon the policies of British political parties. In accordance with this, it will be considered what factors actually caused British political parties to change their policies on the EU since 1970.Research Objective The objective o f this research is to consider what causes British political parties to change their EU policies and to determine what parties are cautious of further EU integration. It will also allow an assessment to be made as to whether there are any parties who support the withdrawal from the EU. Thus, it will also be shown that debate surrounding the EU has not been sustained and that many challenges still exist, causing many to question Britain’s EU membership.Literature ReviewIntroduction When the UK became a member of the EU, every political party was in agreement, yet many debates have subsequently been made as to whether it was the right decision to make. Hence, the debates between Eurosceptics and EU supporters are still ongoing in British political parties today, though there the views of the Conservative and Labour parties are diverse and appear to change frequently. Accordingly, during the 1970’s and 1980’s the Labour party appeared to be more Europsceptic than the Conservative party and thereby pledged â€Å"to extricate ourselves from the Treaty of Rome and other Community treaties† (Politea, 2007, p. 1). During the 1990’s, however, the Conservative party appeared to be moving in the same direction by making a pledge not to co-operate with the EU. Nevertheless, public support for the EU began to grow since it was believed that the EU would be a good thing for Britain, especially after the Thatcherism era. As such, â€Å"Europe app eared to be fundamental to the government’s attempts to revise the Thatcher settlement and symbolized a modification of some of its less palatable elements† (Gifford, 2008, p. 114). Literature Review Regardless of the EU’s initial support, Eurosceptiscim is still rife in Britain today and many questions have been raised as to why British political parties have continued to change their policies on the EU since the UK’s integration in 1970. Whilst some argue that material factors, such as anti-market and anti-capitalist, are the reason why the policies have shifted, others believe that ideology, such as national sovereignty and anti-immigration is the reason for the shift. Nonetheless, as put by Kopecky (2002, p. 297); â€Å"ideology is the dominant explanation for both types of support, although strategy at times plays a role in explaining specific support.† Regardless, it has been argued that â€Å"the Chevenementists’ shift away from left-right positioning has not paid off electorally† (Milner, 2004, p. 59). This is widely due to the mistrust the public will have in political parties who frequently change their stance and although there may be a number of different factors as to why this happens the public will be fearful of neo-liberal policies. Still, others believe that the changes in policies are primarily the result of Britain’s desire to maintain independence and sovereignty (Harmsen and Spiering, 2005, p. 14). Whether Britain’s current policies will be maintained is doubtful, especially in light of the recent policy changes: â€Å"The last two and a half years have seen the biggest change of Britain’s European policy in its four-decade membership of the European Union† (Teasdale, 2013, p. 1). Theoretical Approaches A Culturalist theory of political change will be used in this study in order to explain why political change occurs. This appears to be the most appropriate way to determine what factors have caused British political parties to change their policies on the EU since 1970. This is because; Culturalist theory is based on the idea that people do not respond directly to situations they face and that instead situations are seen through orientations (Eckstein, 1988, p. 790). Hence, orientations are how information is processed and can be changed depending on what is being taught. Accordingly, as noted by Eckstein (1992, p. 281); â€Å"a cogent, potentially powerful theory of political change can be derived from Culturalist premises.† Research Question What factors have caused British political parties to change their policies on the EU? How have attitudes towards Europe shifted amongst the two main parties? Proposed Methodology In obtaining the relevant information for this study it will be necessary to use a secondary research approach. This is because, already existing data will be capable of being collected and then analysed in order to reach an appropriate conclusion. This is the most cost effective and efficient way of collecting data and is more feasible than using primary research. Hence, it would be difficult to gain access to political parties in order to obtain their views. Therefore, for the purposes of this study; it would be impracticable to use primary research. Opinions will thus be acquired from relevant scholars, theorists, politicians and academics in order to allow a general overview of the topic to be provided. These will be obtained from textbooks, journal articles, online legal databases and governmental reports. References Eckstein, H. (1992) Regarding Politics: Essays on Political Theory, Stability and Change, University of California Press. Gifford, C. (2008) The Making of Eurosceptic Britain: Identity and Economy in a Post-Imperial State, Ashgate Publishing Ltd. Harmsen, R. and Spiering, M. (2005) Eurosceptism, Rodopi. Jansen, J. J. and Jansen, S. J. M. (2011) Fiscal Sovereignty of the Member States in an Internal Market: Past Future, Kluwer Law International. Kopecky, P. (2002) The Two Sides of Euroscepticism, Party Positions on European Integration in East Central Europe, European Union Politics, SAGE Journals, Volume 3, No. 3. Ladrech, R. (2001) Europeanization and Political Parties: Towards a Framework for Analysis, Keele University, [Online] Available: bdi.mfa.government.bg/†¦/†¦ [05 April, 2013]. Milner, S. (2004) For an Alternative Europe: Euroscepticism and the French Left Since the Maastricth Treaty, [Online] Available: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/rodopi/es/2004/00000020/00000001/art00004 [02 April, 2013]. Schumacher, G., de Vris, C. E., and Vis, B., (2009) Why Political Parties Change Their Positions: Environmental Incentives & Party Organisation, [05 April, 2013]. Smith, J. (2012) The European Dividing Line in Party Politics, International Affairs, 6. Teasdale, A. (2013) Will Eurosis Condemn Britain to be an Outsider Looking InEUROPP, [Online] Available: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2013/03/05/uk-eu-outsider/ [03 April, 2013].

Doctor of Philosophy in Naturology Essay

Iridology is the scientific analysis of patterns and structures in the iris of the eye, which locates areas, and stages of inflammation throughout the body. The iris is the portion of the eye showing color. It reveals body constitution, inherent strengths and weaknesses, health levels, and transitions that take place in a person’s body according to their way of life. HOW DID IT ORIGINATE? In the 1800’s, a young boy, Ignatz Von Peczely, happened to catch an owl in his garden. The boy clearly saw a black line rising in the owl’s eye after accidentally breaking its leg during the struggle. He kept the bird until it had regained its health and then observed the appearance of crocked white lines across the black area in the owl’s eye. Von Peczely later became a physician and had the opportunity to study the irises of many patients. He grew certain that there existed a reflex relationship between tissue changes in the body and iris markings and developed the first iris chart, which has been continually researched and revised over the years. HOW DOES IT WORK? The complex iris is composed of hundreds of thousands of nerve endings, which are connected by impulses to every tissue of the body through the brain and nervous system. The nerve fibers, or trabecula, respond specifically to tissue and organ conditions with a corresponding physiological reflex manifested in the iris as lesions and color variations. The iris chart, which is the result of many years of clinical observation and intensive research by Dr. Bernard Jensen and others, represents the basic placement of body organs and tissues similar to a map. An accurate iris analysis is possible by superimposing the chart over an iris image projection, allowing detailed observation of the valuable and reliable data recorded there. WHAT WILL IT SHOW? A complete iris analysis will show whether a person exhibits a generally good constitution or a poor one, depending upon the density of the iris fibers, the patterns, structures, colors and degrees of lightness and darkness in the iris tell if an area of the body is inherently strong or weak. It also reveals the relative site of over-activity, irritation, injury or degeneration of the tissues and organs. Toxic accumulation levels can he observed as well as nutritional and chemical imbalances. WHAT WILL IT NOT SHOW? Iridology will not show or name a specific disease but provides information about the body tissues, which indicate tendencies toward conditions of â€Å"disease†, often before symptoms appear. Iridology will not reveal surgery performed under anesthesia as nerve impulses are discontinued. Iridology cannot locate parasites, gallstones, or germ life, but will indicate the presence of inflammation and toxic conditions, which are a refuge for their development. It will not show pregnancy, as that is a normal function of the female body HOW CAN IT HELP ME? Iridology is potentially an integral part of preventive health care. It has the ability to forewarn of approaching difficulties or signs of â€Å"disease†. Iridology can be a powerful tool, allowing one to determine what is transpiring inside the body from a simple, painless, and economical external vantage point. In effect, iridology will reveal how well your body functions. Improper nutrition and lack of exercise undermines the body’s integrity until eventually it becomes unable to reverse damaging toxic conditions through its own natural self-healing mechanisms, becoming susceptible to ailments of a chronic nature. Therefore, nutrition and iridology are inseparable in one’s pursuit of a healthy way of life and holistic health care program. Iridology helps us understand our weakness so we may strengthen and cleanse our bodies to obtain our maximum health potential. It brings to us an awareness of how to prevent illness, thus allowing us to earn our most precious earthly treasure–vibrant physical, mental and spiritual health! Methodology: Definition of Iridology: According to Medical Dictionary, Iridology is the practice of diagnosing disease by examining the iris of the eye. Although some diseases do affect the eye, iridology is not considered scientific medicine. What is Iridology or Iris Analysis? Iridology is the study of the iris of the eye. Iri and iris come from the Greek name of the goddess of the rainbow, Iris. The Greeks noted eyes come in many, many colors. And logy also comes from the Greek, meaning study of. Literally translated, iridology means the study of the coloration of the eye. The iris reveals changing conditions of every part and organ of the body. Every organ and part of the body is represented in the iris in a well-defined area. In addition, through various marks, signs, and discoloration in the iris, nature reveals inherited weaknesses and strengths. By means of this art / science, an iridologist (one who studies the coloration and fiber structure of the eye) can tell an individual his/her inherited and acquired tendencies towards health and disease, his current condition in general, and the state of every organ in particular. Iridology cannot detect a specific disease, but, can tell an individual if they have over or under activity in specific areas of the body. For example, an under-active pancreas might indicate a diabetic condition. What is Iridology all about? The eyeball is normally defined as a globe or sphere, but it is oval and not circular. It is approximately 2. 5cm in diameter, transparent in front. It has three layers: (1) Inner nervous layer (2) Middle, vascular, and, (3) Outer fibrous, the layer that supports The choroids or middle vascular coat contains the blood vessels. This vascular coat forms the iris with a central opening known as pupil. The color of the eye is given by the pigmented layer behind the iris. This pigmented layer is largely responsible for the color of eyes that we recognize mainly as blue, brown, gray or mixed . The word iris is derived from Greek root, which means, â€Å"halo† or â€Å"rainbow†. It is believed that iris is associated with rainbow because of its colors. According to â€Å"Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary†, Iridology can be defined as â€Å"†¦the study of the iris, particularly of its color, markings, changes etc, as associated with disease†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

Why Do People Bully

Types of and reasons for bullying behavior Questions/Main Ideas/Vocabulary Ask questions you think are important Write questions directly across from the answers In your notes Leave a space or draw a pencil line separating questions Highlight key vocabulary Notes/Answers/Definitions/Examples Write headings larger or in a different color Take sufficient notes with selective (not too much verbiage) & accurate paraphrasing Skip a line between Ideas and topics use billeted lists and abbreviationsCorrectly sequence information Types of Participants: Bully – Someone who hurts somebody emotionally and/or physically. Sometimes It Is Intentional, sometimes It Isn't. Victim – The person who receives the action of the bully. 1 OFF Active Bystander – Acting on behalf of the victim. Why People Bully: Becomes involved. Cultural Causes – Unrealistic for people not to be influenced by violence in our culture. Institutional Causes – If there is no rule enforcing no bullying then it makes the bullying more likely to occur.Social Issues – Some people think that bullying others is funny or even being the class clown. The negative behavior causes people to bully more because they think â€Å"hey why not? Everybody else is doing it! It must be the new thing† Family Issues – Families that encourage violent behavior and the adults in that family who don't teach their kids right from wrong tend to have children who get in trouble a lot or maybe they don't do so well in school. They are also most likely to be the bully.

Offshore drilling (debate- my stance is against the offshore drilling) Essay

Offshore drilling (debate- my stance is against the offshore drilling) - Essay Example This is a knee-jerk response to our continuing energy crisis which has significant environmental concerns. Controversy surrounding offshore drilling is nothing new. According to Kamalick (2008), the controversy started as early as 1937 with the states asserting their jurisdiction over sea beds. In 1945, President Truman asserted Federal jurisdiction, and over the next several years, the Supreme Court affirmed this by specifically saying the Federal government had paramount rights over the continental shelf and the resources under the soil (and under the water), including oil. A 1953 compromise, the OCS Land Act, allowed states limited involvement and issued a mandate for the Federal government to explore and develop oil and gas deposits under the outer continental shelf. The 1969 oil spill in the Santa Barbara Channel changed all that, and environmental lobbyists entered the argument in full force. In 1978, the OCS Lands Act was amended to allow states more control over resources, and environmentally-sensitive language was added. Lease sales began to pick up speed, and the Reagan administration made more than 1 billion acres of the OCS available for lease. Environmentalists made headway with George H.W. Bush, and â€Å"federal supremacy has been steadily eroded . . . by environmental interests† (Kamalick 2008). More recently, a 2008 Gallup Poll found that 57 percent of respondents favored offshore oil drilling, and 41 percent were opposed. A Zogby poll showed that 74 percent of voters favored U.S. coastal water drilling and 59 percent supported Alaska National Wildlife Refuge drilling (Baird 2008, 13). Politicians have been seriously considering a Department of the Interior recommendation to expand coastal exploration, while giving a nod to environmental concerns and assuring taxpayers there are no subsidies to big oil (Baird 2008). The American people, instead of

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 7

Management - Essay Example To be precise, the model measures the extent of competitive advantages that a firm possesses within a particular industry setting (Pascal, Widiantoro, Nguyen & Sharief, 2011). Emphasising on this understanding, the discussion henceforth will intend to discuss about the competitive positions of services industry in Canada. The extent of competitiveness of this industrial sector will be ascertained with the assistance of Porter’s Diamond Theory. Determination of Competitive Position of Services Industry in Canada by Porter’s Diamond Theory ‘Porter’s Diamond theory’ has been devised with the motive of determining the conditions of local environment where a firm is operational. This model identifies both internal as well as external capabilities of a firm in order to determine its competitiveness. The theory has been devised with the intention of ascertaining the competitive position of a firm with the advancement of technological factors. Barragan (2005 ) also noted that companies improve competitiveness with increased productivity and acquiring innovation through the use of advanced technologies. Indigenous firms are identified to be the major contributor towards the development of the economic conditions of a country which mostly represent the service organisations (Barragan, 2005). Notably, there are six variables which are included in the model. Among the six variables, four factors are identified as the determinants of the level of competitiveness a firm possesses which include ‘the related and supplier industries’, demand conditions and ‘firm strategy, structure and rivalry’. The other two factors are considered as indirect factors or outside sources such as government and chance which are determined to be influencing the competitiveness as well as performance of a firm (Karacsony, 2008). The six variables of the model can be precisely identified from the graphical representation below. Porter's Diam ond model framework Source: (Markus, 2008) Factor Conditions Factor conditions comprise of numerous factors which include skilful labour forces, availability of natural resources and adopting advanced technologies. These factors are recognised to be necessary to drive enhanced performances as well as to compete effectively in the global market segments. In this regard, companies performing business operations with greater accessibility of natural resources as well as with ample labour forces at economically profitable rate will assist a company to attain competitive advantages. Moreover, companies adopt advanced technologies and Research and Development (R&D) facilities with the intention of creating better innovative and differential products for better competitiveness. The availability of these factors at a low rate is quite likely to aid the companies towards performing their business activities successfully within a competitive market environment (Bakan & Dogan, 2012; Cini & Nat er, 2010). Canada is demonstrated to excel in relation to services industry which has been currently reported to be accountable for a growth of over 70% in relation to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Moreover, this industrial sector is also responsible for providing employment opportunities to around three quarter of the population of Canada. This business sector comprises of industries which offers intangible products as well as services. Furthermore, the companies which