Warwick Thornton Essay

The films Samson and Delilah and Nana are both produced and directed by an Australian film maker named Warwick Thornton. He is renowned for the techniques he uses that reflect the director's personal creative vision during the films. This approach in film making is known as the auteur theory. Warwick Thornton directed Nana which is a short film in 2007 that includes the same character named Nana viewers see In his latter movie.He then continues on in 2009 where he directed Samson and Delilah, a full length feature film that debuted In the Cannes Film Festival. In both his films he displays the hardships faced by native Aboriginal Australians, especially the children, who suffer in and out of their communities and are normalized in society. They are also shown to rarely receive help from the government or community members. There are many similarities between the films that show a connection and bring upon Thorn's techniques in film making, such as the camera work, music/soundtrack an d lighting.These similarities highlight Thorn's producing and directing style that bring his own creative â€Å"voice† wrought both of the films. In both films music is shown to be a fundamental part of the day to day routines of the protagonists. At the beginning of the opening scene of Samson and Delilah, the song, Sunshiny Day by Charlie Pride is a country love song that suggests love can make living in a bleak and gloomy environment better. The audience Is also shown this technique present In Nana when the film begins with a cheerful and lively soundtrack while Nana Is preparing a meal.Both films have an upbeat and cheerful tone to Its background music that shows how Aboriginals ho barely have anything in life due to their isolation and poor living conditions suggest that they are still happy with their lives, especially Nana who barely has anything in her kitchen is still managing to make a meal. However as both films begin to progress through their scenes with the use o f music and background noise the viewer Is shown the problems faced in Aboriginal communities.Viewers are shown this through the use of Thornton hand held camera which he shot both of the inure film with. This use of camera work makes the viewers feel that they are part of the cone and feeling connected to the characters. In Samson and Delilah, Samson wakes up and sniffs petrol which shows the problems and addictions young people face in these Aboriginal societies. The lack of education and absence of parents who do not direct them to the right path in life attracts youths into drug and alcohol use which in many cases leads to the abuse of such substances.Even though there Is limited dialogue throughout the film between characters Warwick Thornton uses music and ambient noises as a form of a language. A reoccurring theme/issue in both films is he exploitation of Aboriginal people and their skills, mainly with their artistic work. Delilah grandmother, Kitty, is a famous Aboriginal pa inter but is exploited by members of the White Australian community. The lack of awareness faced by Aboriginals regarding the real potential and value of their paintings shows the viewers that Aboriginal painters could be far wealthier but their lack of knowledge Is conditions.The viewer is shown this form of exploitation when Delilah enters an art gallery in Alice Springs and see's one of Nana's paintings selling for $22,000, when in act a man only paid $200 to Nana in return of her painting. Kitty's painting is their main source of income that helps them pay for the goods and luxuries bought from the local convenience store and medicine from the hospital for Nana's well being. Although Kitty paints for a source of income she also does it to pass on knowledge and tradition down to Delilah as it is a way that educates and teaches her the traditions, history and culture of the Aboriginals.This form of knowledge is usually passed down orally or with the use of storytelling in the Abor iginal communities and lays a crucial role in educating younger generations and maintaining the survival of Aboriginal culture. Viewers explicitly see this happen in both in Samson and Delilah and Nana, where the elder is shown to be teaching younger community members with the aids of storytelling and painting. In Nana, the little girl's grandmother is shown numerous times to be painting together with her.Another theme which is present in both films is love, how it is a strong and powerful force that helps individuals get past the oppression and miseries faced in life. The director uses this hem to show how the characters develop a special bond and care for one and other. In Nana, the little girl's grandmother looks after her and embraces her as one of her own children. â€Å"l love my Nana, she makes me feeds when I'm hungry' this quote Justifies and supports how Nana is a loving care taker.This theme also exists in Samson and Delilah when Samson is shown hunting for a Kangaroo an d bringing it back to Delilah as he wants to show his care towards Delilah and would like to present a kind gesture. Another example of this theme is shown in the scene where Delilah grandmother passes away. When Nana passes away, Delilah is held responsible and is punished, as this is a custom in Aboriginal culture and tradition.After a period of respecting Delilah grief, Samson is driven and compelled to step into her emotional breach and in his own way protects Delilah from the isolation and rejection of the community as the members believe she is to blame for Nana's death. Love is heavily present in this scene as Samson physically steps out of his comfort zone to save Delilah and turn their backs on the community. Not only love is shown y Samson but Delilah as well. She is portrayed as a savoir due to the film techniques that present her to be such.She is purposely dressed in white and having car headlights shine behind her when Samson is looking up at Delilah, viewers are shown this by point of view camera techniques Thornton uses to show Gammon's view. This style symbolizes her as being an angel who came to save and â€Å"cleanse† Samson when he was close to suicide due to his petrol sniffing addiction. Delilah comes back to save Samson because in the end they both ultimately love each other. Both Samson and Delilah and Nana show the harsh and hard ways in which isolated Aboriginals live.Thorn's directing style brings upon his own creative voice that helps the audience to understand the issues present that Australians tend to ignore and turn a â€Å"blind eye† towards. Even if some aspects in the film may feel unintentional, nothing in Warwick Thorn's films are there by accident. Every technique, camera work, lighting and soundtrack is there to make viewers feel connected and understand the films that bring upon the truth of what Aboriginals Thorn's directing style which makes him an auteur theorist.

Effects of Peer Pressure Essay

Everyone wants to belong , to be accepted . This is a major reason why teenagers feel pressurized to go along with what others are doing the so called peer pressure. Teenagers are going through tremendous physical and emotional changes as they change from childhood to young adults . There are new responsibilities to be faced , exams to be taken and of course new relationships to be faced . There is rebellion against the rules and ideas that parents impose and so they flock together almost in desperation in some cases. As young people spend more time with their peers outside the family home there are opportunities to do things that they haven ‘t done before such as trying out substances – drugs , alcohol and so on . Young people at this stage in their lives often feel very insecure – are the changes that are happening to them normal ? Why haven ‘t they got bigger breasts a longer penis , a boy /girl friend and all the rest ? They may even be unsure of their sexual orientation By giving in to peer pressure and uniting in a common `uniform ‘ whether of clothing or language they feel stronger and more normal , and meeting with others going through similar problems reinforces their egos , even though this may go against the norms of society in general. As they mature , obtain jobs , move away from the area in which they grew up perhaps , the effects of peer pressure will diminish . see more:essay on peer pressure They will hopefully realize that misusing drugs is not a good thing . Gradually , as they become surer of themselves , most people feel able to make their own decisions as to which music they prefer , clothes to be worn , even their opinions on world issues will be less affected by what their friends think or do . They will make their own decisions about taking drugs or getting drunk . They will feel accepted for who they are , what they are capable of , and though peer pressure continues to affect most people to some extent its effects tend to lessen as maturity occurs†¦ Peer pressure has a very strong influence on our decisions; so it is capable of bringing about great change, whether it’s for the good or the bad of the situation or person. Peer pressure exists for all ages. Pre-teens and teenagers face many issues related to conformity and peer pressure. They are pulled between the desire to be seen as individuals of unique value and the desire to belong to a group where they feel secure and accepted. The result is that often teens reject family or general society values, while feeling pressure to conform rigidly to the values of their peer Your peers are the people with whom you identify and spend time. In children and teens, they are usually, but not always, of the same age group. In adults, peers may be determined less by age and more by shared interests or professions. Peer pressure occurs when an individual experiences implied or expressed persuasion to adopt similar values, beliefs, and goals, or to participate in the same activities as those in the peer group. Peer groups have so much influence, especially with adolescents, because, nomatter how inappropriate it seems to adults, belonging to a group really doesgive something significant to the young person. Peer groups provide a placewhere children feels accepted, where they can feel good about themselves, andwhere their self-esteem is enhanced. Some psychologists also point out thatlife become simpler when we conform to expectations. Young people tend to gravitate toward other young people with the same problems and in the same situations as themselves and where they feel they will be understood and accepted.There is a very, very strong need to satisfy that thirst for unity and for acceptance. The feeling of belonging is a very powerful force that can outweigh ties to church, school, family, or community. In addition to the feeling of belonging and not being alone or socially isolated, some characteristics that peer groups offer which make them attractive and that families may lack are: (1) a strong belief structure; (2) a clear system of rules; and (3) communication and discussion about taboo subjects suchas drugs, sex, and religion. Read more: http://www.faqs.org/health/topics/76/Peer-pressure.html#ixzz2KMutEDRZ http://www.buzzle.com/articles/negative-and-positive-effects-of-peer-pressure.html

Erik Erikson’s 8 Stages of Man Essay

1. Trust vs. Mistrust- This mother displays affection, and adequate care giving to her child. By providing a child with this throughout their first year of life, you show that they can depend on you. This forms a bond of trust between mother and infant, rather than mistrust. 2. Autonomy vs. Doubt- This child is three years old; he has progressed from diapers to the adult sized toilet. After going to the bathroom, he knows he must wash his hands. His mother sees that he wants to do it himself, but is slightly frustrated that he is not tall enough. This mother could just pick him up and assist him, making him feel like he couldn’t do it. She buys him a small step stool, and supervises him washing his hands also providing positive reinforcement. 3. Initiative vs. Guilt- This set of parents notice that their five year old boy greatly enjoys wrestling with his older brothers. They sign him up for karate lessons so he can enjoy himself, but do it in a safe way. 4. Industry vs. Inferiority- A mother is sewing inside her living room. The mother tells her ten year old daughter she is making a scarf. The phone rings, and the mother answers and leaves the room. Her daughter, wanting to be just like mommy, cut up the curtains to make her mother a dress. Her mother re-enters the room, smiling and thanking her daughter for picking such a pretty fabric for her dress. The mother continued to help her make the dress. 5. Identity vs. Identity Confusion- This seventeen year old girl has had a very good life. Her parents have always been supportive in everything she has done. Now that she has reached her adolescence, she believes she might know who she is. Throughout her life, she has taken dance lesson, art class, done musical theatre, painting, singing lessons and many other things in the artistic field. She feels her true passion in life is for art and painting, and she may want to pursue a career in that field. 6. Intimacy vs. Isolation- Now that this woman has reached adulthood, she wants to begin searching for a lifetime partner. She meets a nice man in the mall, though he doesn’t call her for two weeks she doesn’t get discouraged. They go on many dates, become a couple and eventually after two years of dating decide to get married. 7. Generatively vs. Stagnation- After getting married, a man and a woman discuss what they plan to do with their lives. They decide he will continue working, and they want to have a child. She does not want to stay at home forever though, so they agreed that when the time is right she would get a part time job. 8. Integrity vs. Despair- A man is in his late sixties, and gets called an â€Å"old man† for the first time. He realizes that he wasted his whole life working and not enjoying himself, he wants to feel young again. He sells his house in New York and moves to Florida. He finds himself a young girlfriend, and parties like he’s in his twenties again.

The Connection between Management and Leadership Essay

The Connection between Management and Leadership - Essay Example The researcher states that being a leader is easy. Gaining followers is the easiest part of being a leader, but it is still tough for most people. Leading one’s followers is a different prospect though; it demands the maximum one can offer. A well-structured organization should have a pool of leaders and managers in order to be successful. In fact, what they actually need is a few first-class leaders and many brilliant managers. This shows the connection between management and leadership. It is far more difficult to be a leader than a manager. One can go to school and become an excellent manager, but there is no guarantee that reading motivational books and attending workshops can make one a leader. Managers are the persons tasked with the job of management (planning, budgeting, staffing, organizing, controlling and problem-solving). On the other hand, leaders create a path, guide people, inspire, and motivate. In this regard, it is easy to see that leaders interact with peopl e much more than managers do. A leader usually has to go out there and put his skills to the test because the followers always want to see them. On the other hand, a manager can perform his duties in absentia and still achieve a decent degree of success. A manager can sit in his office the whole day and employees will still recognize that he is around. This is possible but difficult in leadership. A leader has the heart, drive, and creativity while a manager has the determination, the logic and the mind. A leader is inspiring, innovative, courageous, flexible and independent, while a manager is analytical, authoritative, direct, consulting and stabilizing. Management and leadership play an important role in service delivery in organizations. Although they are similar in many aspects, they may involve different types of behaviors, skills, and perspectives.

Merit system raises vs. Performance raises Essay

Merit system raises vs. Performance raises - Essay Example Key steps are the main reason to have resulted in the expansion and estimated increase of the annual monetary value contrary to the reduction of annual monetary in the field (Bernanke, 2006). Firstly, the expansion of services of the Agency to South Carolina, secondly, the acquisition of Family Resources, Inc. of Beaufort, SC, which also resulted in staff increase. Finally, it is the strategies that are followed to sensor the environment for needs and adapt to provide solutions following even a restructure in organization hierarchy or proper use of information (Choo, 2001). Growing Home Southeast complied with the former by monitoring client needs to increase productivity and acquiring new skills. Growing Home Southeast is recommended to adopt the merit raise program to further increase productivity. The merit pay program is based on salary increase according to employee productivity and effectiveness (Silva, 1998). As one increases so does the other. Salary increments are not removed if productivity reduces employees therefore, are constantly motivated to achieve high performance. Bearing in mind such a payment program, it is implied that the selling product is appealing to the customer; not even the best marketing approaches can guarantee effective purchases of an indifferent product. Merit pay system is a performance-based system falling under this wider category.

Discussing the benefits and costs of such a metallic monetary system Essay

Discussing the benefits and costs of such a metallic monetary system for an aspiring new country - Essay Example In as much as metallic money has its advantages, it also has its dark sides. For metallic money to be effective in any country, it requires a large amount of gold and silver (Poor, 121). Since gold and silver are highly valued metals, there are used in place of monetary value. This can, however, be an expensive the metallic monetary system, for a young nation. The initial cost of producing metallic money is also expensive because of the machinery and equipment used, and the high labor cost required. This can be a burden to the country’s resources. Due to the expensive nature of gold and silver used in production of metallic money, their circulation in the economy can be limited. A new nation cannot afford to purchase a large number of these metals. It is hard to make metallic money distinctive enough so that large denomination of money can be produced (Poor, 127). There are few metals used to make money and so a limited color choice. Metallic money is, therefore, not desirable to make large denomination of money. . Metallic money is a durable type of money system. To a new country, this is advantageous because the nation will spend once on their manufacture. The metals are highly resistant to wear and tear as compared to paper money (Poor, 120). This is because most of the metals used to make money are combined with other metals to make alloys which make them last longer. In the long run, the metallic monetary system can be cheaper to produce and are cheaper to count as compared to paper money. Metal money is valuable. The main metals used for making metal money are gold and silver, which are expensive metals. The value of the currency of a nation will still be controlled by gold and silver, which hardly lose value in the world. Therefore, if a new nation decides to use metallic monetary system, its currency will be stable for a long time. Metallic money is made from gold and silver, which are very expensive. This will make the

Management, Work and Society People, Management and Business Essay

Management, Work and Society People, Management and Business - Essay Example As the trade transactions have immensely increased, traders are compelled to find new sources of human power. In the words of Phillips (2009), for every business, an experienced and skilled worker is an invaluable asset and hence employers are willing to retain such employees at any cost. As a result, modern marketers offer improved worksite environment as long as possible. Similarly, the demographics factor also plays a crucial role in determining the future of work force. The UK government has also realized the increased need of human power in future so that it gives great emphasis employees’ healthcare. In addition, day to day developments in technology also greatly contributes to employees’ interests. For instance, improved technological developments minimize the workload to a large extent. The increasing participation of female workers in UK workforce also indicates a prosperous future work. With intent to improve the work future, employers have made considerable c hanges in work schedules and they pay higher attention to ensure that the implemented changes best suit the interests of the employees. In the opinion of Williams, â€Å"Foramalisation and commodification of work is seen to be increasingly taking place with an open world economy† (Williams, 2009). ... International Labour Organisation, unemployment occurs when people have no jobs although they actively searched for opportunities within the past four weeks. Evidently, employment rate plays a vital role in determining a country’s level of economic growth. A lower unemployment rate clearly indicates the faster development of the economy (Sesric reports). When the unemployment rate is higher in a country, the government is forced to declare additional incentives and subsidies in the employment sector and this situation impedes the rapid economic growth of the country. Hence, it is necessary to create adequate job opportunities in a country so as to effectively employ the maximum potentials of available human resources. However, it is observed that 2.49 million people in the United Kingdom were unemployed in 2009 and it was the highest figure recorded since March 1995. According to Office for National Statistics, in the 12 months ending June 2010, the unemployment has varied bet ween 2.9% and 14.1%. The people over 60 are most likely to be unemployed in UK since the employers believe that employees of this group cannot adequately contribute to the sustainability of their firms. The termination of experienced and skilled employees on the ground of age limit intensifies unemployment rate in UK. The higher unemployment rate causes far reaching consequences in a country. When a country possesses large number of unemployed citizens, it adversely affects the nation’s stature in the global market; and thereby foreign investors hesitate to invest with the nation. Similarly, if the nation is unable to produce adequate employment opportunities, people tend to look for jobs abroad; this condition will seriously impinge on the increased need of human resources that would arise

Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Question - Essay Example Intelligence is a personal resource that helps a person to attain personal growth and adjustment into a learning environment. Intelligence is a shield against psychological stress and diseases. Personality on the other hand, is an icon of the intellectual capability of an individual. It affects the person's academic performance by influencing the intellectual functioning of the person. Personality factors determine the results of intelligence test. Personality is responsible for the development of cognitive-adoptive ability that enhances a person's capability to cope with a certain learning environment (American Psychological Association, 1999, p. 30). Personality develops context-bound practical intelligence. This is the kind of intelligence that enables an individual to handle a situational context, and in the case of a learning environment, the learner is able to handle the learning environmental situations, and adapt to the learning environment accordingly. Life span theories have great influence on the teaching strategies that teachers adopt. Life span theories shape the strategies of teaching in that, the instructor must put in mind that, there are general principles that guide development in human beings at different levels of human development (American Psychological Association, 1999, p. 31).

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Research Paper Example Usually, views on contraception varying from positive to radically negative depend directly on religious views and beliefs. However, â€Å"demographic policies and cultural efforts along with other factors can only be effective in birth control when contraception methods are used† (Dezhkam & Darvishi Tafvizi). In fact, this means that family planning and at least partial freedom in fertility help people to create firm family ties, preserve good health of women and children, and prevent undesirable pregnancies. In this area, various denominations have their own specific opinions regarding different aspects of the issue, and I would like to focus on Islam’s attitude towards birth control and religion in order to provide general overview and demonstrate that even this fundamental religion has rather reason in its attitude towards birth control. In Islam, the core belief about family is that marriage, family and relations between women and men are initially intended to serve for procreation. Thus, Muslims see the primary purpose of their sexual relationships in procreation and conceiving a child. Numerous researches even draw parallels between higher fertility of Muslims and lower freedom in birth control given to women (Morgan et al.). However, the key holy scripture of the religion, Quran, contains no direct and explicit statements about birth control and moral aspects of contraception, yet it forbids killing one’s own children â€Å"for fear of want† and strongly encourages procreation and marriage. As a result, this creates ambiguity in perception of family planning and contraception use in Muslim society: some scholars advocate for it, whereas others argue that all family planning methods should be banned. Opponents of birth control believe that it is God’s prerogative to decide on the number of ch ildren in the family. On the other hand, contraception advocates appeal to the precedents of coitus interruptus use (also called ‘azl), which is believed to

Musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Movie Review Example It's hard not to wince when Michael Ball, chubby and cheerful as inventor Caractacus Potts, puts his twins to bed with "a gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain softly blows over Lullaby Bay" or when those kids fete Emma Williams's demure Truly with "when you're near us it's so delicious, you're the answer to our wishes", or when everybody is yearning for "someone to care for, someone to be near to, someone to do for, muddle through for". It's a very exciting an adventure, and it's a combination of a lot of tunes, the title track which is "our fine four-fendered friend" is extremely catchy, the other tones and songs in the musical are quite gloomy. Some of them are very long and drags in a few of the romantic scenes. The instruments used for the music was the piano and vocal with guitar chord symbols. This bright and bouncy tune from the film, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang offers all instruments an opportunity to play the melody. Violins I and II and Viola begin this familiar tune in unison with the Celli an octave lower. With the pick up to 29 - 36, the Basses and Celli are featured with the melody. This arrangement also has ample eighth and quarter note bowing variations (https://www.primamusic.com/InstrSearchResults3). Two musical numbers which are quite different f... This arrangement also has ample eighth and quarter note bowing variations (https://www.primamusic.com/InstrSearchResults3).Two musical numbers which are quite different from the rest when it comes to the utilization of musical instruments one of them is "Toot Sweets" because there are a huge number of flutes used in the song; and the theme of "Me Ol' Bamboo" is given a special touch by the xylophone. The song also includes Potts doing a Morris dance amid a troupe. ConclusionAll in all the entire musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang gives a new meaning to musicals as there are a multitude of instruments being used . Each song is unique in its own way, and carries wizard of oz kind of touch. Thus it can be said that the music and instruments used in this musical is what made it a hit. Work Cited https://www.primamusic.com/InstrSearchResults3 retrieved on December 11

Issues in internet sales law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Issues in internet sales law - Essay Example When a bid is made, the bidder is said to have made an offer. When the auctioneer strikes a hammer thrice or says words like ‘Going, Going, Gone’, the offer is accepted and a contract of sale is made. These days, a wide variety of goods are presented for auction online. The seller does not need to meet face-to-face with the buyer or the bidder. The person who makes the highest bid wins the auction and the goods are sold to him. In the given case, Chris won an auction online and bought an artifact for ?50. He believed it to worth ?500 if it was free of chips. Otherwise, it was worth ?50 only. He saw an image of the artifact online and found no flaw in it. The seller had a feedback rating of 50 transactions. The seller had written in caption, â€Å"Old pot ornament, in good condition for its age. I know nothing about these items, but it looks old to me.† Also, in seller’s information, he had written, â€Å"all goods are sold as seen.† When the item was delivered, Chris found out that it was not free of chips. S.14(1) of Sale of Goods, 1979 provides that there are no implied terms as to the condition or warranty about the quality or fitness of goods. In this case, the parties had no direct interaction. The buyer had a look at a photograph of the item online and bought it. There are no implied terms as to the warranty or condition. But S.14(2) states that, â€Å"Where the seller sells goods in the course of a business, there is an implied condition that the goods supplied under the contract are of merchantable quality, except that there is no such condition- (a) as regards defects specifically drawn to the buyer's attention before the contract is made ; or (b) if the buyer examines the goods before the contract is made, as regards defects which that examination ought to reveal.† According to the given facts, the seller had a feedback of 50 transactions. The given facts also quote the seller, â€Å"Old pot ornament, in good condition for its age. I know nothing about these items, but it looks old to me.† The online trading system often produces a dilemma whether the seller acted in the course of business or not. The former of the two facts reveals that the seller had been trading online for quite some time. This means that the seller had acted in the course of business. However, during his run in online trading, he did not sell the same type of goods every time. The later of the two facts shows that the seller did not act in the course of business because he had vividly expressed that he had no knowledge of the ornament. This puts him somewhere in the middle of the two types of actions. Taylor and Willet (2005) call such a seller a Hybrid Seller. The law is silent about this type of seller. There was no concept of such a seller until the emergence of online trading system. The most important factor in determining the rights and remedies of the buyer is the ascertainment of the fact whether it was a sale by description and whether the consumer relied on such description. Chris saw the picture and decided to purchase the ornament thinking that it would be a good investment if the ornament was free of chips. The picture in question shows that the item was a clean piece. Chris depended on the depiction by the picture and decided to purchase the item. Consumer’s reliance is pivotal in the cases of sale by description. S.13(1) of Sale of Goods Act 1979, states that, â€Å"

Learning and Development Assignment Sheet Essay Example for Free

Learning and Development Assignment Sheet Essay 1. Be able to create an environment conducive to learning. 2. Be able to plan and deliver learning and development programme activity to individuals and groups. 3. Know how to review learning and development activities All activities should be completed Activity 1 Devise a plan, with clear aims and learning outcomes, for a work related learning and development activity/session, lasting approximately 30 minutes. Along with your plan, provide an explanation of how the planned activity: reflects principles of adult learning and takes account of factors (at least 2 individual and 2 environmental) that can impact on learning meets an identified need  is based on available resources  includes appropriate assessment methods  is structured and sequenced to assist learning. Activity 2 Deliver the planned activity, demonstrating your ability to: manage a learning and development activity support learners via questioning and feedback use 1 formative and 1 summative assessment method summarise and conclude the learning and development activity assist learners to reflect on their learning and identify further needs collect feedback from participants. This activity should be observed and assessed by your tutor using the attached Observation Record. Activity 3 Write a reflective statement relating to Activity 2 in which you consider: how you created a positive learning environment  the feedback on your activity from learner participants  your own perceptions of the effectiveness of the activity  at least 2 recommendations to improve your future performance. Activity 1 A Plan for a learning and development activity/session. (Note: The Plan can be the one developed for UNIT 3PDL, providing it also meets the requirements of this unit.) An accompanying explanation (of approximately 500 words). Activity 2 Observation Record Activity 3 A Reflective Statement of approximately 1000 words Observation Criteria Assessor feedback – to be completed by the assessor with notes to support the decision Creates an environment that is positive conducive to learning e.g. health safety room layout welcome accommodates needs puts participant at ease builds rapport Structures sequences effectively for learning e.g. introduction main body conclusion Provides clear aims / learning outcomes Manages learning activity effectively uses a range of appropriate training skills uses learning resources appropriately and effectively supports learners via questioning and feedback uses appropriate formative summative assessment methods summarises and concludes the learning and development activity assists learners to reflect on their learning and identify further needs collects feedback from participants

Relationship Between Health Status and Systemic Inflammation

Relationship Between Health Status and Systemic Inflammation Participants The Tianjin Chronic Low-grade Systemic Inflammation and Health (TCLSIH or TCLSIHealth) cohort study is a observational study was based on annual health examinations conducted in Tianjin Medical University General Hospital Health Management Center in Tianjin, China[13, 14], and focused on the relationship between chronic low-grade systemic inflammation and the health status. Participants, who had received health examinations, including medical examinations, such as blood tests, abdominal ultrasonography, anthropometric parameters (height and body weight) etc., and had completed questionnaires regarding their smoking and drinking habits and disease history over the course of January 2007 to December 2015, were recruited. Moreover, a detailed lifestyle questionnaire covering economic level, marital status, employment status, educational levels, physical activity, sleep habits, dietary habits, overall computer/mobile device usage times, television time, history of prior infections, and u se of medicines as well as physical performance tests were administered to randomly selected subjects from this population since May 2013. The protocol of the study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Tianjin Medical University, and written informed consent was obtained from each participant. A total of XXXX subjects participated in this study. However, participants who had a history of type 1 diabetes mellitus, or who missed information on hs-CRP, IMT or plaques were not included in the present study. After excluding those subjects, the final cross-sectional analysis population comprised 8000 participants including 6009 subjects with normal blood glucose metabolic status, 1428 subjects with pre-diabetes and 563 subjects with diabetes. Assessment of T2DM Fasting blood glucose (FBG) was measured by the glucose oxidase method. Blood samples for analysis of HbA1c were mixed with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (as an anticoagulant) before testing. HbA1c separation and quantification were performed using a high-performance liquid chromatography analyser (HLC-723 G8; Tosoh, Tokyo, Japan) with intra- and interassay coefficients of variation of

Theory, use and therapeutic value of symbolic play

Theory, use and therapeutic value of symbolic play This essay looks at the issue of symbolic play being therapeutic play for children. The essay looks at the theory of symbolic play, the use of symbolic play with children, the therapeutic value of symbolic play, using research to support the discussions. The essay discusses what is understood by symbolic play, then moves on to discuss the importance of symbolic play in childrens development, looking at the various theories that have been put forward to explain the importance of play in childrens development. The essay then moves on to look at various instances where therapeutic play has been used, and is considered useful, such as in children who are experiencing a chronic illness, who are hospitalized, who are awaiting surgery or who have experienced some form of trauma. What is symbolic play? Symbolic play is, according to Piaget (1962) one of the main ways in which children learn to think in a representational manner, where representation is understood as a process through which children store information according to the perceptual analysis of their ingoing experiences (Leslie, 1987; Lyytinen et al., 1997). Play essentially allows children to understand the things they experience and to put these things in to perspective. As such, play is fundamentally important for childrens development (Piaget, 1962). Play is one of the ways in which children understand the world, their interactions with others and the rules and regulations that govern their passage through the world. Play is, thus, a fundamental activity for children that allows them to form their personalities and to understand their place in the world, in relation to others. Relevant of symbolic play in child development Symbolic play, which arises around the age of 18 months, basically involves children substituting one item for another, and can constitute incorporating others in to their play, pretend play or sequencing. This can mean that children pretend to be mother (or father) or that they use household items to reproduce day-to-day activities they have seen their parents doing, amongst other common symbolic play activities. This symbolic allows children to experiment with different roles and different forms of being, which, as has been discussed, allows children to understand, and to contextualise, their experiences. As Piaget (1962) argues, such symbolic play allows children to understand the role of self and others, the use of objects and the sequences of actions and activities whilst playing. This allows children to understand objects, to learn about the properties of objects and to learn about consequences and causality (Piaget, 1962). Play thus allows children, amongst other things, to re alize where their boundaries are, to understand why things work in the ways they do and to understand how to interact with others. Symbolic play is thus, as has been discussed, a fundamental developmental tool for children. Watson and Zlotlow (1999) talk about symbolic play as, an important characteristic of childrens early play, through the enactment of activities that are very familiar to the child in contexts that are not typical for those activities. Enacting activities out of context allows the child to explore, and to understand, the role of agents in their lives, allowing them to understand how the world works and what their role is in this world. Symbolic play, therefore, has been argued to have three main features: the use of objects; the use of actions during the play; and individuals enacting the play (i.e., agents) (Watson and Zlotlow, 1999). The use of objects can be undertaken in many forms, either through substitution, in which the object is used to represent something else, through scenario-building, with the object being used to perform some task or in combination, with the object being used in various ways (Watson, 2008). The use of actions in play and the development of the agent in p lay follow certain patterns depending on the age of the child, as does the theme of childrens symbolic play (Watson, 2008). The one thing that all symbolic play has in common, at whatever age or developmental stage the child is at, is that the child uses some representation of self in their play. At age four, for example, children will have progressed to fantasy play, but these fantasies will usually involve themselves in becoming their fantasy a fireman or a prince, for example (Garvey, 1990). This allows them to explore different roles and responsibilities. Symbolic play is, therefore, a natural phenomena, that children follow naturally, as part of their development through childhood. As Reed (2007) argues, symbolic play links all four areas of a childs development, namely cognitive, language, social/emotional and physical, and, as such, is a fundamental part of the development of children. Symbolic play allows the child to acquire knowledge and to express and represent their ideas, thoughts and feelings: as Vygotsky argues, in his sociocultural cognitive theory, symbolic play allows children to develop and to self-regulate and to work out any problems they might face (Reed, 2007). It is in this aspect, then, that the therapeutic value of symbolic play becomes clear. As children constantly experiment with their environment, their peers and the other agents they meet, and as the results of these experiments are constantly being fed back to lead to reinforce certain behaviours or to elicit different patterns of behaviours, the value of pl ay as therapy is clear. Children who are passing through a difficult moment and who need help to understand this, to contextualise these difficulties in the framework of their existing knowledge, can, through engaging in therapeutic play, manage this. Therapeutic play allows them to experiment with the various outcomes and to contextualise the problems they face, allowing them an opportunity to work through these problems/problematic situations, through this working out their difficulties and coming to understand how to deal with them. The use of symbolic play as therapy In terms of the use of symbolic play as therapy with children, as Bettelheim states, Play permits the child to resolve in symbolic form unresolved problems of the past and to cope directly or symbolically with present concerns. It is also his most significant tool for preparing himself for the future and its tasks (Schaefer, 1995). Using play as a tool to help children through a difficult stage in their lives is, therefore, grounded in theory and makes sense in light of the fact that children learn through play. The research shows, for example, that therapeutic play can be helpful in aiding children through hospital stays (William, 2007) or through surgery, with this therapeutic play being shown to reduce anxiety and increase overall well-being (Bowmer, 2002). As Moore and Russ (2006) discuss, pretend play can act as a resource for children, relating, as it does, to many areas of adaptive functioning including creativity, coping and emotional regulation. As Moore and Russ (2006) show , pretend play in hospital settings can reduce anxiety and, through this, can reduce the likelihood of complications following surgery and can allow children to adapt better to the complications of chronic illness. The therapeutic value of symbolic play In terms of the therapeutic value of symbolic play, as Axline (1964) discusses, therapeutic play can be delivered through one of two major approaches, namely via non-directive play therapy and via directive play therapy (Oaklander, 1988). According to Axline (1964), play therapy should be governed by eight principles, namely that the therapist and child must be comfortable with each other; that the therapist accepts the child as he/she is; that the child can freely express their feelings; that the therapist is alert to the feelings the child expresses; that the therapist respects the child and their ability to resolve their own problems; that the therapist does not attempt to influence the child; that the therapy is carried out in its own time; and that the only limitations placed on the play therapy are those that anchor the therapy in the real world (Axline, 1964). If the therapeutic play is provided within this framework, the benefits of the therapeutic play can be many and varied , as discussed above, with the troubled child benefitting greatly from this intervention. As Li and Lopez (2008) argue, therapeutic play can be valuable not only in helping children through a difficult stage in their lives but can be useful in helping to in prepare children for a stressful, or difficult, period that they might face. For example, children who are facing surgery or a chronic illness can be helped to come to terms with this through the use of therapeutic play. As Li and Lopez (2008) report, by reinforcing to nursing and medical staff that play is a very important part of the lives of young children, and be employing therapeutic play techniques, this can markedly improve the anxiety that these children experience and can allow these children to have a more positive outlook regarding their situation and the difficult things they will face, meaning that they are better equipped to face these situations. As Li and Lopez (2008) argue, therapeutic play can help to improve the resilience of children who face difficulties and, as such, it is an important tool to use in those children who need help to become more resilient. Children who have faced some form of trauma, for example, can be aided through the fallout of this trauma through engaging in therapeutic play. By allowing the child the space to act out what they saw, or what they have experienced, for example, the child can come to terms with this traumatic experience. This therapeutic play could take the form of using puppets, or drawing, or role playing: anything that allows the child to re-enact the event(s) and, through this, come to terms with what happened. The use of therapeutic play in explaining the loss of someone close to them is known to be particularly valuable, for example, as this can allow them to imagine the person is still here and to resolve any outstanding issues they had with them, or to slowly come to terms with the fact that they are no longer alive and no longer able to be physically present with the child. The simple act of playing can, therefore, allow the child to come to terms with many difficult emotions, allowing the c hild to slowly become more able to cope with the negative emotions that a traumatic event (such as witnessing a violent act or the unexpected death of a close family member), allowing them to deal with these negative emotions (Schaefer and OConnor, 1994). As Schaefer and OConnor (1994) argue, role playing in particular can help children to face the negative post-trauma reactions that children might face, with role-play allowing children to relive the trauma and to find various solutions to their negative experiences and emotions. Conclusion In summary, then, this essay has looked at the issue of symbolic play being therapeutic play for children. The essay has looked, in particular, at the theory of symbolic play, the use of symbolic play with children and the therapeutic value of symbolic play. In regards to the theory of symbolic play, it has been seen that various theories have been proposed to explain the importance of symbolic play in childrens development, with all of these theories agreeing that play is a fundamental part of childrens development and that this play allows them to contextualise their experiences and to understand how these experiences dictate how they should act and should behave in different situations. It is this attribute of symbolic play that lends itself to being useful in helping children come to terms with difficult events in their lives: as has been discussed, play allows children to explore different scenarios (even difficult scenarios), with this play enabling them to overcome any negative emotions or feelings they might have had towards these scenarios. A child who is facing a difficult surgery, for example, might be scared, might be worried for themselves and for their families, but engaging in role play with this child (for example) allows them the opportunity to explore different possibilities and to release some of their anxieties and concerns. This has been shown, as discussed, to reduce the anxiety these children feel and to enable the childs health and well-being to be maintained, even under difficult circumstances. Similarly, a child who has experienced trauma can be helped through their post-traumatic period by engaging in some form of therapeutic play. This would normally consist of helping the child to act out their fears and their experiences, allowing the child to get rid of all of their negative emotions and feelings with regards to the even, allowing the child to expel these from their psyche and then to carry on without carrying this burden along with them. In conclusion, then, the essay has shown that play is fundamental for children and that, given its experimental nature and its ability to contextualise events and interactions for children, play is, at its very essence, therapeutic. Using play with children who need therapeutic interventions, then, makes perfect sense to allow children to understand the negative events/emotions and to overcome their fears and anxieties regarding these negative events and emotions. Therapeutic play has been shown to be a useful intervention in many cases, including in hospitalized children and in children living with chronic illnesses, who can be helped through this difficult period by engaging in therapeutic play, which has been shown to reduce their anxiety levels. In conclusion, then, therapeutic play is an extension of the symbolic play that children engage in as a normal developmental process and can be useful in helping children through difficult periods in their life.

benefits of technology :: essays research papers

Ever since it developed, there has been controversy over whether or not mechanical inventions benefit our lives. Doug Rennie’s article, â€Å"Faxed to the Max†, says â€Å"the timesaving devices we created give us more freedom to do what we want have instead imprisoned us in our own technology.† Although this may be true to some people, everyone has the power to resist technological devices. People can chose to use these tools to enhance their lifestyles, like they can chose to use a hammer or a saw for a project; they don’t necessarily need it, but it would save time and energy. It is the ability to mistreat these inventions that makes some people uneasy towards about using technology in their daily lives. Although it can be abused in many ways, technology used properly is a tool that aids in education, health and communication.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Our physical health has benefited greatly from technology. Through inventions like the pacemaker and artificial limbs, a tremendous amount or people have had better physical conditions. This biological technology is not favorable to all. Some say that it is better for nature to do its work and people should not interfere. The spread of new inventions can soon get out of hand. For example, if we have the ability to clone humans, our lifestyles will change. People will abuse this power by being careless about their health. They believe people think technology can save them in the end, so they can exercise less and eat more unhealthy foods. On the other hand, curative inventions have saved lives and allowed people to lead healthier ones. There can be ways to make technology accessible to only certain people, but there is no reason to stop the usage of these medical products if they can help save lives. An example of one of these products is the pacemaker, invented by Canadian electrical engineer, John Hopps. Because the heart stops beating when it cools, he found that mechanical or electric stimulation could make the heart start up again. Since then, many were given healthier lives. Prosthetic limbs have also played a great role in helping the lives of amputees. Artificial limbs with sensors and microchips have recently been designed so that these people can maintain an active lifestyle rather than being confined to wheelchairs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technology plays a very important role in the communication of people today. With the touch of a button, the Internet and the cellular telephone can allow us to transmit our message to someone on the other side of the planet.

Free Narrative Essays - Transcendentalism :: Example Personal Narratives

Transcendentalism A whole month of being nice. From the start, I didn't think it was even humanly possible. Although I always try my hardest to be pleasant, I'm sarcastically witty by nature. This project, no matter how inspirational and uplifting it could be, would decidedly be no walk in the park. Nevertheless, I decided to persevere. Even if I ended up being a complete Transcendental failure, maybe I'd still learn something along the way. On the first day, I went for about twenty minutes before cracking a joke at my best friend. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary for me, but I actually stopped and thought about the possible consequences of my actions. Breakthrough! I went for another twenty minutes, most likely, before making some sort of snide comment, though. Oops. In the month of Transcendentalism, I kept a journal. I made a "Transcendentalism fact sheet" and thumbtacked it to my wall. I may not have tried my hardest every day, but I made an honest attempt. Overall, in a whole month, I may not have been completely successful in becoming Transcendental. Depending on whom you ask, I may not have even made much progress in becoming even remotely Transcendental. In my opinion, though, I think it worked. "Why?" you ask. Because, in the course of this project, I learned a lot about myself, my friends, and the way actions affect everyone around me. Through this project, I realized the importance of accepting other people for who they are, of letting go of anger, of trusting your own decisions, and of taking the initiative to change your life. In fact, there was only one tenet of Transcendentalism - defying "predestination" by leading fate instead of being led by it - that I had a hard time believing, I think I gained a better understanding of why that thought is so important in life. I doubt that I was any more than fifty percent successful in becoming truly Transcendental, but a change for the positive is an improvement from before. I've recognized the importance in the little blessings in life. Having a loving family, a roof over my head, and living in an overall supportive environment are things that I would not necessarily have taken the time to appreciate and be thankful for before.

Book that has had the most influence

What Is the book that has had the most Influence on you and how has It Influenced you? Author Nowadays, in century of information technologies people don't pay much attention to books, especially to fiction. This is a big issue, since some literature stories can be more useful, than TV programs or social network conversations. People of any age and any nationality can find some new sense in well known, but undeservedly forgotten novels and who knows how it could change their future.Many years ago, hen I was a little curious child, I found in our family library Arthur Cowan Doyle novel collection, and began to read his famous detective stories about Sherlock Holmes. It's hard to imagine, but being 10 years old ordinary pupil, I stopped playing football with my neighborhood friends and watch animated cartoons for few weeks. All my free time was devoted to these knotty stories. Moreover, I tried to solve some problems by myself and forecast next Sherlock steps with great elation.With gr eat egret I finished last adventure and understood that current logical task was really final. Everyone can ask me, how detective stories, without some hidden philosophical sense and educational thoughts could make great influence on little child. And I should give an unexpected answer. From that time I became interested in mathematics and in other exact sciences. I was very successful in different logical tasks and considered to dedicate my life to IT and math.And who knows, maybe that old fall evening, when I first found Sherlock Holmes story – was crucial point in my life. Looking back through years, I understand that it is never too late to discover world, get new knowledge, and as result change yourself. Generally speaking – reading Is a perfect Instrument to rich all these alms. People shouldn't forget about books because with every new read sentence reader becomes more Intelligent and erudite. So don't waste your time for unimportant things, do your best to make this world more beautiful.

Introduction to Philosophy Essay

1. What are the main branches of philosophy? Do philosophers have the same answers to the same philosophical questions? Why? Philosophy is a way of thinking about the big questions in life, from the existence of men to its morality. It is an activity which sharpens our reason. The word was coined by Greeks , meaning â€Å"the love of wisdom†. Philosophy can be divided into six big issues it is interested with. * First, the question about the nature of the world and the existence of Men which is under the domain of Metaphysics or also called Ontology. From the word â€Å"meta† which means beyond and â€Å"physics† which means physical it deals about beyond physical world- the spiritual. It also attempt to answer the ultimate reality of life, our reason of very existence, Who and what God is and, how everything relates to it. * Second, what are the right ways to think and build arguments which is under the field of Logic. It tries to distinguish the valid reasons from the fallacies. It also examines the different general forms that argument may take. It is primarily studied in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and science. * Third, How do we know and how do we think we know which is under the area of Epistemology. From the Greek words †episteme† which means knowledge and â€Å"logia† which means study, it basically deals on how do we acquire knowledge and what is the basis for true knowledge. * Fourth, Ethics which generally centers on the morality of our actions. It differentiates wrong from right and studies character’s actions based in his intentions. This field of Philosophy is vital and applied to other disciplines such as business, medicine, science, robotics, and education. * Fifth, Issues about laws, liberty, rights, property and , politics fall under the Political Philosophy. It is also one of the sub-fields of Political Science. Its purpose is to lay bare the fundamental problems and concepts which frames the study of Politics. It also studies the great thinkers of the past which shapes politics such as Socrates, Plato, Adam Smith and Hobbes. * Lastly, Aesthetics which deals on what is beautiful. Mainly it tries to answer questions which deals in art- music, painting, poetry, and such. It attempts to distinguish what is beautiful, what has taste, and what has artistic value. Philosophy can also be subdivided into three specific categories which are, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Language, and Philosophy of Science. These are branches which deal to questions their respective field of subject matters such as what exactly is a mind? how does language work? and Does science has responsibility to humanity? An Educator can ask a question to his students and would receive different responses . We can even expect complex answers to a simple question. It is because people view things in different perspectives, have different degree of intelligence, exposed to different environment, influenced by different people and ideas, and have personal insights and experiences which differ from one person to another. People thoughts varies and no idea can be of an exact match of another. In my opinion, Humans’ mind are like his fingerprint, We all have our fingerprints but its design- the curves and lines is unique in each individual. There might be similarities in ideas between individuals but in some point they contradict. For example, the two famous philosophers, John Locke and Thomas Hobbes both support the â€Å"Social Contract Theory† in which men enter a mutual agreement to surrender some of their liberty to authority in return of protection, both also, believe that men can exist without government and speak of its dangers in this kind of state-State of Nature. For Hobbes, the entire time that man is in a state of nature, he is in a state of war. He states that â€Å"if any two men cannot enjoy the same thing, they become enemies and in the way to their end†¦. endeavor to destroy or subdue one another† (Wootton, 158). Locke too points out risks, saying that without the â€Å"law of nature† everyone may execute decisions, leading to a state of war (Wootton, 290). However, despite of the similarities, Locke believes that people enter to social contract to seek peace and avoid the fear of death and living in State of Nature is brutish and chaotic while Hobbes believes that State of Nature is important and do exist in some ways such as among governments and leaders. Locke’s view on State of Nature is pessimistic in contrast to Hobbes which he thinks has some potential benefits. Philosophers do not have the same answer to a certain question. Each philosopher present different examples and take different stand on a certain idea. 2. Why has philosophy lost importance in the priorities of contemporary man? Philosophy had the paramount role during the ancient education. It created great and wise thinkers such as Socrates, Plato, and, Seneca and influenced bright minds such as Descartes, Adam Smith, and Karl Marx. Although the subject Philosophy is only introduce in higher level of studies in modern years, it diffuses its idea and being applied to core subjects such as mathematics, science, and language. Philosophy is still vital in learning until today. The decreasing value given in philosophy arises in the way modern man receive and gather information. Core subjects like Science should teach us to Inquire, to Analyze, to Think, and to Search- which are roles of philosophy but, Educators and with the convenience at reach, Students are being spoon-fed with facts from books and other resource materials instead of encouraging them to explore. They are bound with rules and regulations without giving them a chance to ask why they should follow orders. Students fail to analyze things because most Educators present facts and inculcate it to them through rote memorization instead of validating it. Learners learn facts but never learn to reason. They become man of knowledge but never become man of substance. The decreasing importance of philosophy in modern days is ascribed partly, to us Educators for failing to emphasize and apply its essence to the students. We teach the students to be dependent on the facts provided in books and internet, for we believe that it offers a vast amount of information forgetting that one’s mind can offer limitless insights on a certain topic. 3. Why should philosophy be restored to its former prominence in the priorities of contemporary man? Philosophy is vital in man’s learning and improvement. Giving answers to man’s most perplexed questions or even to the simplest question that bother us gives us sense of satisfaction and purpose in life. In modern times, Philosophy is essential in choosing decisions that has impact on our future such as career path, religion, core beliefs, and even to work or business. Philosophy should never be undermine and be restricted to as a mere subject. It is a way of thinking and essential in making a wise decision hence, should be integrated in daily living. 4. How does western philosophy differ from the eastern? In General, Western Philosophy promotes individualism and more interested in finding and validating the truth while Eastern Philosophy is more interested in finding the balance within one’s self in order to live in harmony with others and thus promoting collectivism. Also, East philosophy which emerged in China is spiritual in nature as opposed to West which starts from Greece is naturalistic and subject to research. Individualism of the West gives meaning to the worth a person as an individual. It gives stress on liberty and self-reliance. â€Å"Man is directly a natural being. As a natural being and as a living natural being he is on the one hand endowed with natural powers, vital powers — he is an active natural being. These forces exist in him as tendencies and abilities — as instincts. On the other hand, as a natural, corporeal, sensuous objective being he is a suffering, conditioned and limited creature, like animals and plants. †¦ A being which does not have its nature outside itself is not a natural being, and plays no part in the system of nature. A being which has no object outside itself is not an objective being. â€Å" Marx, Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy in General (1844). â€Å"Self-expression is individuality, and our individuality is our self, which ought to be our chief concern† Ernest Dimnet (1928) The Art of Thinking p. 250 â€Å"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. † Henry David Thoreau, Walden: Or, Life in the Woods (1854), chapter 18, p. 210. Collectivism of the East emphasizes the interdependence of individual among others. â€Å"If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself. † â€Å"Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts? † Confucius â€Å"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. † â€Å"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. † Lao Tzu â€Å"The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence. † Rabindranath Tagore.

Anabaptists

Digging deeper will bring to light many groups coming together under the belief that the state church was no longer leading and teaching biblical theology. There were groups that popped up all across Europe in the wake of reformation lead by Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Lurch Zinging. Even before the time of the Anabaptist movement there was a high level of persecution for those who stood against the state church and the pope. There was a difference between what the reformers were doing and what the Anabaptists were doing. The Reformers aimed to reform the old Church by the Bible; the Radicals attempted to build a new Church from the Bible. † There are also many great leaders from this radical group of Christians that need to be studied to know where this group was coming from. There is much more to this radical group known as the Anabaptists than meets the eye. Looking at the roller of the Anabaptist faith It Is seen as diverse and persecuted across Europe, seeking to build a biblical church and freedom from religious persecution. Anabaptist Beginnings look unto their origin.Anabaptist with the most literal definition means re-baptizes â€Å"from Go. ;v; and Paint(w). † ;v; meaning each or in the midst and meaning to â€Å"make whelmed (I. E. Fully wet)† Ultimately they received their name because they were Baptizing their converts even if they were already baptized as Children in the state church. Cornelius Dock breaks down the way each country at the time defined Anabaptists as he states â€Å"Anabaptist, which means re-baptizes, was a sixteenth-century spiritual, moral, and social renewal movement in Western Europe.In German-speaking lands its adherents were referred to as Taffeta– meaning Baptists or baptizes because they practiced believers' baptism. In The Netherlands they were called Depositing– baptism-minded† Dock goes on to point out that while the Anabaptists were beginning to pop up at the tail end of the reformation hey are generally connected with the Radical Reformation because the Anabaptists didn't think there was a way to reform the state church from within. They wanted to start from the foundation that the apostles used when building the church from the New Testament.Second we will have to look at the theological beliefs of the Anabaptists. The Anabaptist movement really followed in the footsteps and work of the great Protestant Reformers, biblical studies conducted by humanism leaders of the day, social and political fighting, the exploitation of people conducted by the state church, ND a deep urge to be spiritually fulfilled by the church. Bag shows how much influence their church model was able to gain in a short amount of time during their beginning.He states â€Å"the course of the Anabaptists was so swift, that their doctrines soon overspread the whole land and they obtained much following, baptized thousands and drew many good hearts to them; for they taught as it see med naught but love, faith and endurance, showing themselves in much tribulation patient and humble. † Most of the people that fell into the Anabaptist group also believed that the end of the world was coming to an end in the near future. Denny Weaver claims that theology of the Anabaptists is not unique to the Anabaptists that surfaced in the sixteenth-century.He believes at the root of all the theological beliefs sits a set of beliefs that can be found throughout the ages. He points out, â€Å"The central themes from the description of the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition do not belong to Anabaptists and Mennonites alone. Rather, they depict an outlook running thought the entire history of Christianity sometimes as a motif within the dominant church, sometimes gaining expression though the structural alternative to the established church. So in the eyes of the Anabaptists at the time they were not coming up with new theologies, they were bringing the church back to its origin als roots.The state church has gone so far away from the Biblical teachings they saw no way to fix the church from the inside and sought reform through starting anew. Shining a light on the basic theological views of the Anabaptists we find any of the main staples you would find common in most protestant theologies from the time period. â€Å"When it comes to the tenets of Protestant theology, most Anabaptist groups adhered to sound teaching on the Scriptures, the Trinity, Justification by faith, and he atonement of Jesus Christ. They found Christ to be the center of their salvation Catholic Church had been presenting for such a long time. They also believed in the infallibility and inherently of scripture. This allowed them to build the rest of their theological beliefs from the Word of God placing a firm foundation for most of their core beliefs. The Anabaptist did not share all the same beliefs and basic tenets with the Protestants, which placed a target on their back for both C atholics and Protestants to aim at. They faced persecution from both religious groups because of some key preferences in core theology.The first major difference in beliefs comes in when talking about believer's baptism. They outright rejected infant baptism, as they saw no evidence in scripture of this practice. Both Catholics and Protestants practiced infant baptism and Catholics were under the belief that without being baptized you couldn't enter into heaven even as a child. â€Å"Their denial that infant baptism was true baptism led to the nickname. † Bag shows that the Anabaptist took their rejection of infant baptism a step further claiming the Anabaptist taught â€Å"that infant baptism is of the Pope and the Devil†The second major difference was their belief in the separation of Church and State. They wanted no part in any state church; instead they were made up of small individual churches much of what we see today in many churches. They wanted the community t o be involved in what they were doing and the government to stay out, keeping the politics separate as well. The first person to push for separation from the Church of England was Robert Browne and many feel that his Separatist group had many common beliefs with the Anabaptists that were forced to meet in secret or not formally meet at all in England.The key difference seems to be that the separation from the state was meant to be temporary in order to allow the church to get back on the right path and then have the state come back in. This was not the case in the Anabaptists view; they wanted permanent separation, as they didn't believe the church could be fixed with the state attached to it at all. Many of the Anabaptists fled the country moving across Europe to avoid religious persecution. The Third was a push for Christians to live in community with one another sharing material possessions with all others within the community.As most Anabaptists thought the end was coming soon t here was not real need to hoard material things for any length of time. Bag states that â€Å"Their repudiation of all personal property was emphatic; they preached barefooted and in coarse garments, wherever they went. † At times they would only travel with their clothing, a staff, and money to fulfill their calling to preach the Word of God to the elect. It should also be noted that in the early days of the Anabaptist in Switzerland they did not set out to be radically sectarian, but this was something they slowly moved to.They were pushed to this addict ideology because of the political hostility and a strong leadership from the sectarian movement. There is a general agreement among scholars today is that the communities of Anabaptists were small simple communities of re-baptized believers. The sign of brotherhood was a commitment to the community and being baptized into the body of Christ. Each community had a lead known as a shepherd and was typically chosen by the broth erhood of believers.His Job was teaching, exhortation and prayer for the it such as breaking of bread, community bible reading, and helping the community in alluding and upkeep. Anyone outside of these communities were considered to be heathen and an abomination. There were many small groups that had different beliefs on what the community should focus on and different rules the community was to follow. There were groups like the Silent Brothers that held to the belief that preaching was no longer needed and abolished it. They believed that the Apostle Paul taught there would be a time to be silent and they were in that time.They wouldn't answer any religious questions even if pulled aside and asked specific questions, â€Å"they would be silent and give him owe answer†. There was also a group called the Separate Spiritual Baptists that tried to take themselves out of the world and become monks. This group made all kinds of rules, from eat and drinking to standing and walking . They would scold anyone that was happy in the name of the Gospel. Many more groups existed under the title of Anabaptists that held to weird and quirky beliefs that never caught on in the larger groups.One group in particular has stretched the Word of God so far from its original meaning they appeared to be Just as far gone as the state run church. They were now as the Free Brothers and they held on to their Christian liberties and they took the freedom in Christ in the most literal sense. They thought it to be unchristian to tithe to the church and did away with the concept of debts. They also persuaded women to believe that it was impossible for them to enter into heaven without giving up their virtue.They taught that God would only let those who were willing to sacrifice everything they held dear into the gate of Heaven. Further they taught they shame and disgrace must be taken on for Chrism's sake, â€Å"for has not Christ said that he publicans and the harlots should enter f irst into the kingdom of heaven, before the righteous, by which was plainly meant that women should become harlots†. They taught that sin as impossible for those who were baptized as adults and having intercourse with the other members of the community was not sinful because of the spiritual bond they shared.This brings us to what Denny Weaver tells us about the group as a whole, â€Å"Because of the variety of backgrounds, sixteenth century Anabaptist could not, and did not, develop as an entirely homogeneous movement. † So because of all these different sects they were unable to fully connect all the groups united in faith and doctrine. Fourth many of the Anabaptists groups preached both pacifism and strict forms of Church discipline. Internal pressures to conform to the rules that the group had set up ruled many of these smaller sects or communities. Their pacifism also played a role in the conformity that was seen in the Anabaptist faith.This has stood the test of t ime and remained a key part in the Mennonite faith. Each of these key parts of the Anabaptist faith shows the major distinctions between Anabaptists and other Christian groups. The Founders of the Anabaptist Movement Because the Anabaptist movement was so diverse and wide spread across Europe there are a multitude of influential leaders that spanned across Europe. Weaver backs up with this point saying, â€Å"The Original cast of Anabaptist players included a noblemen- who reflected an equal variety of religious backgrounds and came from a variety of regions of Western and Middle Europe. With knowing there are so many influential leaders in the Anabaptist movement there needs to be a focus on what lead to the persecution of the Anabaptists Just a few to remain focused. Starting with the radical Swiss reformer Conrad Grebes who helped found the Anabaptist movement. Grebes was a well-educated man who was working in Zurich Switzerland looking forward to Zinging coming to town. He was able to Join up with Felix Mans and Zinging in studying the Greek New Testament, with the plan to bring the reformation to the city. He began to grow impatient as Zinging slowed on the issue of infant baptism.At this point he was already to give up on the state church and begin again, this made him wonder if anyone would really follow him. Jumping over to Mans, one will find another well-educated man who Joined Zinging n 1519. Mans quickly came to reject Zinging as the ultimate authority in the reformation of the church. â€Å"He believed that the church must be made up of only those who have true faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. † He threw his support in favor from Grebes and they began to work together towards re-baptism of true believers in Christ.Grebes and Mans gather his followers up in January 1525 and took the first step in separating from the state run church by baptizing their first convert. The state run church did not take kindly to this as one might expect and th ey tried to stop this event before it got out of Zurich. They did slow the spread in Zurich but they didn't stop it from spreading to other parts of the country. Three days after he gave his sermon on refusal of infant baptism many of the leaders received notice to leave their position in the church within the next week.By taking on believer's baptism and entering into this new community, Grebes, Mans and their followers were cutting themselves off from the rest of Christianity. Zinging was not ready to Jump off the deep end with them but he did understand their position much better than Luther or Calvin did. While in modern time this doesn't seem like a huge undertaking at the time it put this small group against the rest of the world. Bag show how big of a deal this really was when he says, â€Å"The change, slight as it seems to us, has an electrical effect. Their message was something original as no other party was suggesting getting rid of infant baptism and people really seem ed to connect with this new doctrine. The people of Zurich who jumped into the Anabaptist camp saw their city much like Nineveh, which was lost and broken city that would not listen to the Prophet Joana. Seeing their city Just as cost and broken aided in the spread of this doctrine in the city and beyond. This electric response to this new sect of Christianity is what lead to the persecution beginning.While it seemed to the state church that going after these new converts would silence the Anabaptist it had quite the opposite effect. The most persecution that was faces the more followers seemed to get behind their cause. Persecution of the Anabaptists Throughout history we see different level of persecution within the Christian faith. Many of the original disciples were killed for their faith so persecution is not something new to Christianity. What as new was how much internal persecution new group of radical reformers and at least up to this point reformers like Luther wanted to c hange the church from within.This allowed Luther to avoid such server persecution that the Anabaptists faced. Even before this time we know that re- baptizing someone or being re-baptized was punishable by death. According to Erwin Flashbulbs Beginning in â€Å"the 5th century, repainting could be punished by death, and the code of Justinian (527-65), which was still in effect in much of Europe as late as the 16th century, demanded for conviction only that the fact of repainting e proved. † The state run church did not quickly Jump to killing the Anabaptist but they did swiftly kick them out of Zurich, which lead to them forming the small communities covered previously.The state run church did not remain peaceful for long and Anabaptist began dying for their faith. While what the state run church was doing was wrong they were well within their legal rights to go after the Anabaptists with everything they had. In the sad reality of life they did give it all they had, â€Å"By 1 539, in German-speaking territories alone, the Anabaptists had recorded 780 arts. † It did not start out they harsh, it started most notably in the church of SST. Laurent. Both Grebes and Zinging went to debate their respective sides on infant baptism and ultimately they sided on Single's side.This was only after openly hearing from both sides and allowing each side to present their arguments and counter arguments. They agreed to forbid re-baptism, making it punishable by imprisonment and banishment for those who were baptizing and a large fine for those who were re- baptized. Banishing these pastors and leaders within the church only furthered their each as a church as they wouldn't stop preaching as they were sent to a different country. This helped lay the foundation for all of the small sects of Anabaptists that were popping up across Europe.It took a couple of years to really get things moving but as Bag points out, â€Å"By the end of 1527 the new propaganda has done its work. The process or absorption was complete, and the great Anabaptist movement had entered upon its changeable and exchequer career. † 1527 really kicked off a server level of persecution for the Anabaptists. Bag provides a vast amount of detailed accounts of death because people would not recant their actions. In Salisbury in 1527 there was a plan to kill all of the priests monks and ex-priests.Over 40 people were caught and of those that were caught three priests refused to recant and were burned alive. A group of five others were killed by the sword. Two women wouldn't recant and they were drowned in the local horse pound and burned afterwards. A nobleman wouldn't recant shortly after and he was burned. The strongest showing was when they burned a girdle-maker and a shoe-latched maker in the public square to make an example out of them. Yet time after time there would be those who wouldn't recant their decision to be re-baptized. They knew what was coming and were wil ling to die for their convictions.The number of Anabaptist Martyrs in the five years spanning 1 525 to 1 530 is estimated to be around a thousand in Tyro and the territories surrounding the area. Six hundred is the number slain in the southern area of Austria and the peak being sixty-six being killed in a six week time period. There were leaders such as Duke Wilhelm of Bavaria who â€Å"gave the order that all those who recanted should be beheaded, whilst those Pockets of reformed territories like Gangling and Lutheran began popping up and hill the persecution did not start out as sever there were the same number of Anabaptist facing persecution.There was a certain level of tolerance that could be found in the early stages of the Anabaptist movement in these areas but that quickly gave away to prison time and executions. Felix Mans was still in Zurich, which fell under Single's teachings when he was put to death by drowning. â€Å"He was bound, carried to a boat, and thrown into t he river Limit near the lake, Jan. 5, 1527. He praised God that he was about to die for the truth, and prayed with a loud voice, â€Å"Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit! Much like Mans, Grebes faced persecution on many level because of his faith.He was â€Å"rearrested, and charged with communistic and revolutionary teaching. † Grebes was sure to use his time in prison to his advantage as he sought to carve more detail into his personal beliefs and defenses for baptism. He was one of the few leaders of the Anabaptist movement that did not die a martyr's death. He was able to escape from prison and went to go live with his sister where he died shortly there after in 1526. With their deaths more and more converts were accepting believer's baptism and the Anabaptist faith was spreading.

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Twenty-Three

â€Å"I don't know how it got so late,† Elena said for the third time as they hurried down the path by the quad. â€Å"Bonnie and Meredith are probably worried about me.† â€Å"They know you're with me,† Damon said, pacing along unruffled beside her. â€Å"I don't think they'l find that comforting,† Elena said, and bit her tongue as Damon shot her an expressive look. â€Å"After al the time we've spent fighting side by side, they stil don't trust me?† he said silkily. â€Å"I'd be terribly hurt. If I cared what they thought.† â€Å"I don't mean that they think you'd hurt me,† Elena said. â€Å"Not anymore. Or that you wouldn't protect me. I guess they worry that you might †¦ might make a pass at me. Or something.† Damon stopped and looked at her. Then he picked up her hand and held it, running one finger down the inside of her arm, tracing the vein that led from Elena's wrist to her elbow. â€Å"And what do you think?† he asked, smiling gently. Elena snatched her hand back, glaring at him. â€Å"Clearly they have a point,† she said. â€Å"Knock it off. Just friends, remember?† Sighing deeply, Damon started walking again, and Elena hurried to catch up. â€Å"I'm glad you decided to come to the party with me,† she said eventual y. â€Å"It'l be fun.† Damon shot her a velvet-black glance through his lashes but said nothing. It was always fun to be with Damon, Elena thought, listening to the clicking of her own heels and watching her shadow grow and disappear as they walked beneath the streetlights. Or at least, it was always fun when Damon was in a good mood and nothing was trying to kil them, two circumstances she wished coincided more often. Stefan, sweet, darling Stefan, was the love of her life. She had no doubts about that. But Damon made her feel breathless and excited, swept up in something bigger than herself. Damon made her feel like she was special. And he was more easygoing than usual tonight. After Matt left, they'd searched the library some more, and then Damon treated her to chips and soda in the basement vending-machine room. They sat at one of the little tables and talked and laughed. It wasn't anything fancy or elegant, nothing like the parties he'd escorted her to in the Dark Dimension, but it was comfortable and fun, and when she looked at her phone, she was startled to see that more than an hour had passed. And now Damon even volunteered to come to a col ege keg party. Maybe he was trying to get along with her friends. Maybe they could real y be friends, once things somehow worked out between Stefan and him. Elena had reached this point in her musings when she suddenly got the unmistakable creepy-crawly feeling that she was being watched. The little hairs on the back of her neck stood up. â€Å"Damon,† she said softly. â€Å"There's someone watching us.† Damon's pupils dilated as he sniffed the air. Elena could tel that he was sending out questing tendrils of Power, searching for an answering surge, for someone focusing on them. â€Å"Nothing,† he said after a moment. He tucked his hand under her arm, pul ing her closer. â€Å"It could just be your imagination, princess, but we'l be careful.† The leather of Damon's jacket was smooth against Elena's side, and she held tightly to him as they stepped out into the road that divided the campus. Just across from them, a car that had been idling at the curb gunned its engine. Its headlights blazed on, blinding Elena. Damon's arms locked around her waist, squeezing the breath out of her. The car's tires squealed and it shot toward them. Elena panicked – oh God, oh God, she thought helplessly – and froze. Then she was sailing through the air, Damon holding her so tightly that it hurt. When they hit the grass on the other side of the road, Damon paused for a moment, adjusting his grip on Elena, and Elena peered back at the car, which had passed where they were standing a moment before and skidded back around in a U-turn. She couldn't make out anything, not what kind of car it was nor anything about the driver; behind the bright lights, it was just a hulking dark shape. A hulking dark shape that was veering onto the grass and coming back after them. Damon swore and yanked her onward, running rather than flying now, Elena's feet barely touching the ground. Her heart was pounding. She could tel Damon was hampered from using his ful speed by keeping Elena close. They dodged around the corner of a building and leaned against its wal , surrounded by bushes. The car hurtled by, then turned, its wheels leaving long skid marks, and lumbered back to the road. â€Å"We lost him,† Elena whispered, panting. â€Å"Annoy anyone lately, princess?† Damon asked, his eyes sharp. â€Å"I should be asking you that,† Elena retorted. Then she wrapped her arms around herself. She was so cold suddenly. â€Å"Do you think it could have been because of the Vitale Society?† she asked, her voice quavering. â€Å"Something about them and my parents?† â€Å"We don't know who or what could have been on the other side of that trapdoor,† Damon replied somberly. â€Å"Or maybe Matt†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Not Matt,† Elena said firmly. â€Å"Matt would never hurt me.† Damon nodded. â€Å"That's true. He's ridiculously honorable, your Matt.† He gave her a little wry sideways smile. â€Å"And he loves you. Everyone loves you, Elena.† He shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. â€Å"One thing's certain, though. If the driver of that car thought I was human before, he knows differently now.† Elena pul ed the jacket more tightly around herself. â€Å"You saved me,† she said in a tiny voice. â€Å"Thank you.† Damon's eyes were soft as he put his arms around her. â€Å"I wil always save you, Elena,† he promised. â€Å"Don't you know that by now?† His pupils dilated, and he pul ed her closer. â€Å"I can't lose you,† he murmured. Elena felt like she was fal ing. The world was being swal owed up in Damon's midnight eyes, and she was being drawn along with it, into the darkness. A tiny part of her said no, but despite it she leaned toward him and met his mouth with hers. Stefan tapped his fingers against the wal behind him, looked around at al the people jammed too close together: talking, laughing, arguing, drinking, dancing. His skin was crawling with anxiety. Where was she? Matt said he'd seen her at the library more than an hour ago, that she had been planning on coming to the party then. Making up his mind, Stefan began to push his way toward the exit. Maybe Elena didn't want him in contact with her right now, but people were dying and disappearing. It would be worth it to have her angry with him, as long as he knew that she was okay. He passed Meredith, deep in conversation with her friend, and said, â€Å"I'm going to find Elena.† He had the quick impression of her faltering, starting to reach out a hand to stop him, but he left her behind. He pushed open the door and stepped out into the cool night air. Campus security was stil by the door checking IDs, but they let him pass without comment, only interested in people trying to come into the party. Outside, the wind was rushing through the trees overhead and a crescent moon rode high and white above the buildings around him. Stefan sent his Power out around him, feeling for the distinct traces of Elena. He couldn't sense anything, not yet. There were too many people too close together here, and Stefan could only feel the tangled traces of thousands of humans, their emotions and life force mixing together in one great underlying buzz from which it was impossible for him, at this distance, to pick out any particular individual, even one as singular as Elena. If he had fed on human blood recently, it would have been easier. Stefan couldn't help thinking longingly of the way that Power had surged through him when he drank regularly from his friends. But that was when Fel ‘s Church needed his best defense against the kitsune. He wouldn't drink human blood just for pleasure or convenience. Stefan started walking quickly across the quad, stil sending out questing fingers of Power around and ahead of himself. If he couldn't locate Elena that way, he would head for where she was last seen. He hoped that, as he got closer to the library, his Power would pick up some hint of her. His whole body was thrumming anxiously. What if Elena had been attacked, what if she mysteriously vanished and never returned, leaving him with this strange distance as their last memory of each other? Stefan walked faster. He was halfway to the library when the distinctive sense of Elena hit him like a punch. Somewhere nearby. He scanned left and right and then he saw her. A terrible pain shot through his chest, as if he could actual y feel his heart breaking. She was kissing Damon. They were half hidden in the shadows, but their light skin and Elena's blond hair shone. They were focused only on each other, so much so that, despite his Power, Damon wasn't aware of Stefan's presence, not even when he walked right up to them. â€Å"Is this why you wanted to take some time apart, Elena?† Stefan asked, his voice sounding hol ow and distant. Final y noticing him, they broke away from each other, Elena's face pale with shock. â€Å"Stefan,† she said. â€Å"Please, Stefan, no, it's not what it looks like.† She reached out a hand toward him, then drew it back uncertainly. Everything seemed so far away to Stefan; he was aware that he was shaking, his mouth was dry, but it felt almost as if he was watching someone else in pain. â€Å"I can't do this,† he said. â€Å"Not again. If I fight for you, I'l just end up destroying us al . Just like with Katherine.† Elena was shaking her head back and forth, her hands stretched out toward him imploringly again. â€Å"Please, Stefan,† she said. â€Å"I can't,† Stefan said again, backing away, his voice thin and desperate. Then, for the first time, he looked at Damon, and a redhot rage slammed into him, overriding the numb distance instantly. â€Å"Al you do is take,† Stefan told him bitterly. â€Å"This is the last time. We're not brothers anymore.† Damon's face opened for a split second in dismay, his eyes widening, as if he was about to speak, and then he hardened again, his mouth twisting scornful y, and he jerked his head at Stefan. Very well, that gesture indicated, then get lost. Stefan stumbled backward, and then he turned and ran, moving with al the supernatural grace and speed at his command, leaving them far behind even as Elena screamed, â€Å"Stefan!†

Humans And Technology: Partners In The Future Essay

With the rate that technology is constantly improving many question the state of humans in the future when technology might possibly overtake human development. However, those who believe that the future is a place where humans will be enslaved by technology and man will no longer be enjoying the liberties now enjoyed might be in for a surprise because technology is currently designed to assist humans and improve the human quality of life. Humans and technology are set to become partners in the future because man created technology for his advancement and advantage, technology was designed to support human existence and technology was designed to improve life. The first programmable computer was invented in 1938 which was followed by the development of many other types of computers through the years. (ComputerHope) For many, this was the beginning of technology; but the fact remains that technology is the use of existing materials to improve or enhance the performance of a particular task. So based on this concept of technology, then such a concept existed as early as the time that man discovered the use of fire or when the Chinese first developed the wheel. Technology has been around for ages and for all of these instances its objective was to make the performance of a task easier. This means that the task performed is done by a human and the addition of technology simply makes the task performed by the said human much is easier to do. Technology was never intended to replace humans because it is there to exist side by side with its creator to assist in and to enhance the performance of a task. On this premise, it is easy to gather evidence that in fact, in the future, humans and technology are set to become partners to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of many things from services to products, and to the more mundane conveniences in life. One proof that humans and technology are most likely to become mutual partners in the future is the fact that technology is created for the advancement or advantage of man. Robotics is one of the aspects of technology that proves this particular point. There are suppositions that â€Å"the accelerating pace of technological change allows us to build machines like cyborgs (machine-enhanced humans like the Six Million Dollar Man), androids (human-robot hybrids like Data in Star Trek) and other combinations beyond what we can even imagine. † (Carnett) These innovations in robotics are set to blur the distinction between man and machine, making man perform in ways that are beyond what one can conceive. With robotics man will be able to raise a two hundred pound weight as easily as a forklift. Mike Harden once commented that, â€Å"in robotics, I want to do it. It’s because I’m a magically different person in robotics. † (2010) Such a comment simply shows how this kind of technology can improve even the way humans view themselves in the context of technology – that man is empowered by technology and technology exists merely as a means of improving what man is able to normally do. Robotics is the best evidence that technology simply exists to make tasks easier for humans. This fact is validated by current situations where â€Å"Robots already perform many [dangerous] functions, from making cars to defusing bombs or firing missiles. (Singer and Sagan) These tasks can be lethal to humans and with the purpose of keeping humans away from risky situations, robots are utilized. Which brings the discussion to the second proof that in the future humans and technology are bound to become mutual partners – the technological purpose of human life support. Technology is designed to support human existence which is why it cannot be perceived as something that will ultimately destroy and/or cause the extinction of the human race. Medicine is the field of science where technology ultimately plays a role in supporting the existence of human life. For instance, â€Å"Dr. Howard W. Jones Jr. , the surgeon, along with his wife, Dr. Georgeanna Seegar Jones, helped to create the first test tube baby born in the United States† (Epstein) These scientists insist that human reproduction is not as efficient as it would first seem to be so technology needs to assist humans in the matter of procreation. Epstein) This basically shows the purpose of such a controversial technological advancement as ‘in vitro fertilization’ is not to smite the laws of nature or to cause the extinction of the human race but on the contrary, to support such existence so that reproduction will be more efficient when compared to natural reproduction which can be affected by other, more risky influences and may result to abnormal conception or childbirth. Even scientists who are involved in such questionable technological advances like cloning accept and concede to the belief that even these kinds of scientific procedures are intended for the betterment of future generations, hence, Dr. Margaret McLean (2010) asserts that, â€Å"The question is not whether we ought to ban or applaud cloning but why would we choose to go forward and whether our choices bode well or ill for present and future children and our relationships with them. (Sterns) This basically shows how scientists themselves agree to the role of technology in terms of ensuring and supporting the existence of the human race. This particular belief is connected to how technology is able to improve and enhance the quality of life of human beings. From the ordinary toaster to the microwave oven to the more complex capabilities of the newest models of cellular phones intended for mobile communication, the future of technology is quite clear to be a future where humans will most likely live better lives because of how innovations can make life easier and more convenient. However, these are merely the superficial and tangible representations of such a future; other, more complex studies and more world-shattering innovations are on their way. One such innovation can be found in genetics. The most amazing developments in this field can be seen in the development of gene therapy and genetic engineering. â€Å"Gene therapy has very real potential for enhancing human health† (Adams) because it addresses the flaws in human genes and corrects these flaws thereby remedying whatever physical or physiological problems are caused by that particular damaged gene. Considering this capability of gene therapy, then it is not strange if one day a diabetic is able to eat as much sugar as he/she wants to or a hypertensive is able to smoke as much as he/she wants. These effects are the perceived effects of gene therapy where the gene that causes the illness or the ailment is corrected and reintroduced into the human body. Another implication of genetics is in agriculture where food can be genetically engineered resulting in bigger tomatoes, cholesterol-free swine, and eggs or nuts that do not have any allergens! Therefore, â€Å"Plant science and plant gene technology will be critical activities of the nation’s response to many challenges it faces in the coming decades† (AAS) These challenges include the resolution of hunger, the provision of healthier food alternatives, and the sustainability of food stores for all the people in the world. Obviously, as is illustrated in these examples, technology is set to make the lives of humans more convenient. The standard of living for humans will increase with technology taking headway into the future. This particular aspect of technology is hard evidence that in the future, technology will be a partner of human beings in making the world a better place to live in. The fallacy of machines dominating humans in the future and the development of super-intelligences that will overtake human intelligence is, at this point, science fiction, because as circumstances show, technology is doing nothing nowadays but assisting humans and making life easier. The image of humans being chained by robots and made to do their bidding or used as fodder for their cogs and screws is an image that will hopefully remain in literature as the future of technology is bright in the context of how it can assist humans and improve and enhance human life. Partnership means having mutual benefit not merely focusing on the benefits of one party and in the case of technology, the benefits are both ways. The future is when humans will get as much from technology as technology from humans because without humans, technology will remain static and will no longer move onward in development. Evidence shows that as technology moves further away from the discovery of fire and the modeling of the wheel humans are set to enjoy the future with technology as an indispensable partner. Recent advancements in various fields such as robotics, genetics, medicine, and other fields of science have showed that technology will most likely be a partner to humans in the future because technology serves to make human life more convenient, it exists to support human existence, and it is designed to improve the human quality of life. Technology, while seemingly threatening to some, is in fact moving toward a fruitful and productive partnership with the human race not far into the twentieth century.