Essay about critical thought

Essay about critical thought Essay about critical thought EXPLORING ISLAMIC INTELLECTUAL TRADTIONS IN AFRICA. -define Islamic intellectual tradtions -classical literature vs modern litertature - Islamic ideology in Africa - Is there room for critical thought within classical Islamic thinking and does modern Islamic thinking have a future within the study of Islam. A critical spirit has been central to Islam from its inception. The Qur'an is generously sprinkled with references to thought and learning, reflection and reason. The Sacred Text denounces those who do not use their critical faculties in strongest terms: "the worse creatures in God's eyes are those who are [willfully] deaf and dumb, who do not reason" (8:22). A cursory look at the life of Muhammad reveals that his strategic decisions were an outcome of critical discussions. The way he decided, for example, to fight the Battle of Badr outside Medina, or, later on, defend the city by digging a trench. The Prophet's basic advice to his followers, in one version of his " Farewell Pilgrimage", was to " reason well"1. The scholarship that evolved around collecting the traditions and sayings of the Prophet was itself based on an innovative and detailed method of criticism. It is widely acknowledged that debate and discussion, argument and counter-argument, literary textual criticism as well as scientific criticism were hallmarks of the classical Muslim civilisation2. Roger Allen traces the Islamic tradition of criticism right back to Abu Tammam (d.846) and ibn Abd Rabbihi (d.940), two poets who also excelled in literary criticism3. Islamic philosophical theology is littered with critical works, such as those of Ibn Hazm (994-–1064) , ibn Sina (990-–1037) and ibn Rushd (1126-1198). Critical discernment is clearly evident in the work of Muslim scientists of classical period such as al-Haytham (965-–1040), who excelled in optics, the natural and social scientist al-Biruni (973-–1048), and the astronomer al-Battani (858-–929). Debate and discussion, as for example the one between al-Ghazzali (1058-–1111) and ibn Rushd, were the norm in classical Islam. Yet, with the exception of a relatively small number of reform oriented scholars, thinkers and activists of all ages, this critical spirit is lacking in the modern Muslim world. The reasons for the evaporation of this critical thought are many and diverse. Perhaps it was all the fault of al-Ghazali, as "a widely held view" has it: he "strongly attacked philosophy in The Incoherence of the Philosophers" and, as a result, "their role was significantly reduced in the Sunni world"4, along with the importance of criticism. Perhaps it was "the well-known decree of al-Qadir in 1017-18 and 1029", that banned the rationalist thought of the Mutazalites, the school of speculative theology that flourished in Baghdad and Andalusia between eighth and twelfth centuries, as the late Mohammad Arkoun suggests. As a consequence, "to this day, the ulama officially devoted to the defence of the orthodoxy, refuse to reactivate the thinkable introduced and developed by original, innovative thinkers in classical period"5. Perhaps it was the closure of "the gates of Ijtihad", the "sustained reasoning" that a jurist had to undertake to critically interrogate Islamic law and reach an independent decision, that sealed the door to criticism. :While no one actually closed the gate, it came to be treated, as Sadakat Kadri notes, "as a historical fact rather than a poetically pleasing way of saying that jurists were no longer as good as they used to be"6. Perhaps it was because Muslim societies could not develop "legally autonomous corporate governance", Arabic thought is "essentially metaphysical" and incapable of developing universalism, and Muslim culture and ethos is just too reverential to religious authorities, as Toby Huff has argued7. Perhaps criticism died out because of a lack of any kind of state support or protection for dissent; or maybe it was the colonization of the Muslim world.

Difference Between a Book Report and A Book Review

Difference Between a Book Report and A Book Review The difference between book report and book review is critical, so you have to pay close attention to what you are expected to come up with: if you need to sum up and enumerate, youre in for a book summary (book report), but if you need to analyze, you want to write a book review. There is a great deal of confusion when it comes to discussing book reports and book reviews. As a matter of fact, these two terms keep used quite interchangeably, while a deeper dig-in shows some principal differences between the two. If you submit a book report and you were asked to write a book review, your grade is most likely to go down. The opposite situation, i.e. when you submit a book review instead of a book report, may also entail adverse consequences. Book review writing is believed to require greater intellectual effort than book reports, thats why your marker will most likely forgive you this mistake. HOW TO WRITE A BOOK REVIEW Speaking of differences, first of all, you will have to understand that a book report is simpler (a more primitive if you will) kind of writing, where you have to narrate re-tell the story. A book report is practically identical to a book summary  and they can be used interchangeably. In contrast,  a book review requires you to analyze the book and see beyond the obvious. In it, you will need to examine its contents, understand the plot, the main message of the book, see if the author has managed to convey the message to the reader; you will also have to state strong and weak sides of the book and say whether or not you like it. More differences between the two terms are as follows: LENGTH.  Book report will usually take 200-250 words. Book reviews will range from 200 words if its a simple book to 1000+ words if its a piece of scholarly literature that needs thorough analysis and evaluation. ACADEMIC LEVEL.  Book report is considered to be a K-12 level assignment. Book review is more of a college-level type of assignment. STRUCTURE.  The structure of two papers resemble one another: first off, you would need to introduce the author, the book, state when and who the book was published by. You would need to mention characters, mention the plot, genre, and major themes. MESSAGE.  If you write a book report, you would need to simply sum up the book plot, characters, state major themes and say a few words about the major characters. If you are writing a book summary, the main idea is to say whether or not you like the book, whether or not you would recommend this book to other readers and why. HOW TO WRITE A BOOK REPORT Either of these assignments is generally easy to write, however, each has its own nuances that you need to know. If you have either a book report or a book review to write, feel free to contact us for assistance and we will be happy to help. Our team of professional writers will be glad to help you through book report or book review writing. In the end of our cooperation, you will have learned how to tackle these assignments effectively and ace your assignments.

Journey from LPN to RN Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Journey from LPN to RN - Essay Example ctations, educational/professional outlooks, and personal encounters which have helped to transform the experience of this author from an LPN to an RN. Ultimately, for me there were two paths which could have been taken with regards to transitioning from an LPN to an RN. These paths are as follows: upon completion and residency as an LPN for a period of approximately one year, I could have applied for a bachelor’s of science in nursing (BSN) degree double ultimately translate into an RN. An alternate means to achieve the same goal is after completing university to apply for and complete a Master’s of Science in Nursing degree which serves as something of an accelerated LPN to RN program without any requirements for prior work experience. Although the secondary option is perhaps the more strenuous, it cannot be said to be more difficult due to the fact that it does not have any type of residency or prior work experience requirement attached to it as does the first alternative. With regards to the personal experience of this individual, the path from LPN to RN has taken the first path which has been mentioned. Even thou gh hindsight is perfect, if it was possible to make the choice over again, it would necessarily be the same as it was the first time. This is due to the fact that this particular path has been able to provide me with a high degree of hands on experience and the application of knowledge directly into the field that pursuing the Masters program directly from the LPN would not have been able to provide. Likewise, upon entering the program, I had a strong personal desire to further my education due to the fact that my husband was suffering from a very serious condition; further encouraging me to do all that I could and pour myself completely into studying the requirements that were placed in front of me. Another primary reason that I chose this path was with regards to the fact that the RN’s scope and job responsibilities allowed for a far greater

Historiographical Survey of Nazi Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Historiographical Survey of Nazi Germany - Essay Example Moreover, the country lead by Hitler was called as Nazi Germany which was one of the most powerful countries in that era. There are many aspects of Nazi Germany which can be discussed and there are many factors and questions which can be raised in this topic. As the twentieth century is filled with revolutions, the movement of Nazi Germany is also considered as or can be perceived as a â€Å"Revolution† and Hitler being the â€Å"Revolutionist† for some people because it was the time when Germany was â€Å"Progressing† economically and militarily. Even though Nazi Germany and policies made by Hitler could be perceived as â€Å"Revolution† for some people, however, the movement of Nazi Germany was not a revolution because it was not well supported and appreciated by the people of the country. The debate of â€Å"Nazi Germany as a Revolution† is really important because it was the Nazi Germany which was one of the most prominent causes of world war tw o. Moreover, it was actually lead by an ideology called as â€Å"Fascism† on the basis of which the movement of Nazi Germany got its support from the people. In this way, this debate is also very important because it involves an ideology which was affecting not only the political but economic aspects of Japan, Italy, Austria and Germany. Furthermore, one of the most important features of Fascism and Fascist Nazi Germany headed by Adolf Hitler is that the economy tends to be independent from other countries and the economic needs of the country must be fulfilled y its own money and resources. In this way, the country also tends to be economically independent for its progress. In this way, the debate over Nazi Germany is very important because it was fascism and fascist Nazi policies due to which the economy of Germany was growing so fast. On the other hand, this debate over Nazi Germany also deals with the matter of the fact that their ideology known as â€Å"Fascism† w as totally opposite to that of communism and, later on, Germany fought with the Soviet Union which was a Communist regime. Besides this, the importance of this debate can also be estimated by the by the fact that it was Nazi Germany which started Second World War in which Nuclear Bomb was used for the first time in the history of human kind in which a large number of people were killed out of whom 22,565 are still alive. So this was the Germany itself which challenged the world and destroyed itself, and eventually leaving the rest of the world for the Cold War between Communism and Capitalism. Besides this, the debate over Nazi Germany is also very important because it involves and discusses the brutality over the Jews and, hence, teaches the younger generation about tolerance for the diversity of beliefs and equality for the people of all religions. Another important question can also be that even if it was a revolution then whether it was supported by bourgeoisie according to the Marxist view point (Henry, 185) or it was supported by the common masses of all classes? 1 The debate over the very controversial issue â€Å"Nazi as a Revolution† involves many questions and aspects which can be argued and discussed. For example, an 2important question surrounding this debate is that was Nazi policies and movement supported by the people of Germany? Similarly there are also many other questions surrounding this debate such as the question about the formation and building block of

Christo and Jeane Claude Essay Example for Free

Christo and Jeane Claude Essay Christo and Jeane Claude are a husband and wife team. These two artists are famous for transforming the ordinary into fabulous artwork, such as wrapping buildings. They accept no government grants or funding, no donations, their only income is from the sales of their artwork. Nearly all of their artshows take place outdoors, often in public parks requiring no admission fees. Their identity or famous slogan as the wrapping artists came from their controversial work named Wrapped Reichstage, Berlin, 1971-1995, an entire German Parliament Building in silver fabric looking like a wedding cake. (Sternbergh,no date). Many significant national symbols have been transformed and giving new identities by many artists. Buildings, nature’s creations, world events have become best selling books, movies, musicals, songs and plays. Anytime an artist develops anything, adding their identity to it, the item takes on that new image. The Christos saw buildings in a way no one else saw it. The Reichstage building in Berlin became a piece of sculpture or artwork when Christo and Jeane Claude wrapped the building. Artwork expands on natural traditions, allowing others to use their imaginations to interpret the meanings. â€Å"The Christos have created some of the most breathtaking works of the 20th century using fabric in, over through and around natural and constructed forms† Powell, director of national art gallery. The Christos use fabric to give an original style to traditional paintings, sculptures and buildings† (no author, 2002).Wrapping the Reichstage building, giving the illusion of a wedding cake transformed the building into an artistic sculpture. Notes; Sternbergh, Adam (no date) The passion of the Christos; New York Entertainment; nymag. com date retrieved July 24, 2007 http://nymag. com/nymetro/arts/features/10897/ No author (2/4/2002) First American Survey of Christo and Jeanne Claude; artdaily. org; Date retrieved; July 24, 2007 http://www. artdaily. com/section/news/index. asp? int_sec=2int_new=48b=Christo%20and%20Jeanne-Claude

Analysis and Treatment of Hunter S. Thompson for Substance Use Disorder

Hunter S. Thompson once said, â€Å"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they’ve always worked for me.† There are no other words that would describe Dr. Thompson in a more accurate fashion. He lived his life like no other human being could ever imagine. He is arguably the most famous and creative writer to have lived, especially considering that he was the one who created the new style of writing that is referred to as â€Å"Gonzo† writing. He was the eye of a culture movement that left a significant impact on society’s perspective overall. Hunter was raised in a household that was below of average wealth; all while his friends were from the other side of town with considerable more wealth. His father passed away when he was at the age of 14, forcing his mother who was a heavy alcoholic to raise him and his brothers. His mother never had a grip on him allowing him to do as he pleased with no remorse. He was a child from hell that was continuously getting into mischief, whether it be vandalism, violence, pranks, theft, underage drinking, and just stirring up about anything he could. During his final days of being a senior in high school, he and two friends were arrested for theft. He was left in the jail system, while his two friends were released on the sole basis that they came from a family of wealth. He had the choice of staying in jail or joining the United States Air force, which he chose to serve his country. The one thing that Hunter really had a passion for was writing, in which he started at a young age and would continue to further develop his very own unique style of writing. His style of writing was non-traditional that went against every rule of journalism. It was a subjective form that ... ..., NSW: Centre for Parenting and Research Carter, G. & Gibney, A. (2008). Gonzo: The life and works of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. United States: Mognolia Home Entertainment Studio. Higgins, C. (2013). Hunter S. Thompson’s daily routine. Mental_Floss, l. Hunter Stockton Thompson. (2013). The Biography Channel Website. Retreieved 6:39, Nov. 13, 2013. From Kring, M.A., Johnson, L.S., Davison, G., & Neale, J. (2012). Abnormal psychology. Danvers, MA: Wiley, John & Sons, Inc. Michael, S. (2010). The stress diathesis model of addiction. Psychneuro. Paulsen, O. & Moser, El. (1998). A model of hippocampal memory encoding and retrieval: GABAergic control of synaptic plasticity. Trends Neuroscience, 21, 273-278. Perkins, D. Lecture presented at Ball State University, Muncie, IN. (October 2013). Tucher, A. (2000). Thompson, Hunter S. American National Biography Online.

Team Building and Group

2. 1 Tuckman's forming storming norming performing model One of the most common and useful models of team management in today’s organization is Dr Bruce Tuckman’s stages of team development. This model was published in the 1987 in five stages of forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. As seen in figure 1, this model demonstrate how, as team develop skills, knowledge, and attitude over time, their productivity also increase (Barker, 2011). This part of the group report reviews the performance of our group work according to the stages of Tuckman’s model.Figure 1 Tuckman's team development method 2. 1. 1 Forming Stage This stage is the initial orientation period. The members are not fully clear about the aims and the way of achieving the goals, members do not know each other and other’s abilities yet and are not familiar with the way the team leader and other members functions. This phase is complete if the members start to see themselves as a part of a group. (Barker, 2011) Judging against other groups in this stage, there were meetings held before the activity date, For instance, one of the groups wore blue t-shirts with name badges.Our group had the first meeting at Mount Cotton before the initial activity started and some of our group members were meeting for the first time. Nevertheless, we introduced ourselves, get to know each other and discuss our work experience, study background, and interest. In this time we decided to create and form the work packages and designate responsibilities amongst each other. 2. 1. 2 Storming stage In this phase, members are sorting out their place as team members.After the first stage, members are now more comfortable to work and communicate with each other, sharing their opinion and challenging the team leader’s authority and advices. In addition, some members may become dissatisfied with working with others which may lead to some challenges. This stage of group development i s the start of intergroup conflicts. (Barker, 2011) Each member of our group is from different backgrounds which made it difficult to decide and split the tasks amongst us in order to initiate this stage.For example, we had member with work experience and study backgrounds in industrial, civil engineering and architecture. The resolution that was found was divided by work packages in relation to our interest and study background. In addition to this we separate each task into two parts and formed two smaller groups who could work with eachother efficiently. 2. 1. 3 Norming stage; When conflict is established and resolved members will feel comfortable with themselves and each member will accept each other’s wants and needs.Here norms have been developed, trust is high, individual skill can be efficiently developed, and procedures for operation are clear. (Barker, 2011) Our group consists of different culture backgrounds and ways of thinking which contributed to the difficulty of understanding each member views and using our differences in a useful way so that trust can be built. After working with the group it was found that our differences were useful and helpful to develop ideas. 2. 1. 4 Performing stage;This stage is where you can turn a work group into a team. Conflict happens when the group starts to deal with the main issues. Disagreement in a group can be desirable and inevitable. These disagreements need to be dealt with by the group to move them towards a climate where this can be useful, helpful and purposeful. When dealt with correctly the conflict allows the group to look at all the views and evaluate different points of views. The team won’t be able to progress if the conflict is avoided.Conflict is essential as it leads the group to shared solutions to problems (Barker, 2011). This stage was achieved by high performance and working well together as a group. By achieving this we had to have some ideas to know how to work together. We had to look at other groups to learn more and in some cases shared our experiences to other groups. For example, there was a group who was trying to achieve a solution in the wrong and our group helped them to change their primary ideas and suggested another idea for them.Finally, by gaining some idea and mixing with the other groups, we went back to work and could solve problems quickly without deliberations. 2. 2 How well we performed as a team and what improvements do we need to make (Recommendation) Katzenback and smith (1993) observed necessity of following approaches in successful teams. 1. Establish urgency, demanding performance standards and direction 2. Selecting members for skills and skill and skill potential, not personality 3. Paying particular attention to first meeting and actions 4.Setting some clear rules and expectations for behaviour 5. Setting and seizing on several immediate performance-oriented goals and tasks 6. Challenging the group regularly, with fresh inf ormation 7. Spending time together on work and nonworking activities 8. Exploiting the power of positive feedback, recognition, and rewards. By following the eight item stated by katesenback in figure 2 which displays the strengths and what needs improvement within the teamwork with red representing what needs to be improved and blue representing strengths of group activity.As you can see the majority of items 3 and 7 show what needs to be improved within the group. These items came at the first stages of group building and teamwork. To solve this problem we had to talk to get other inputs from other groups to ensure we were on the right track. This became a consistent problem throughout the group work where every aspect of the decisions was decided last minute. The strengths can be seen when issues were resolved as discussed earlier in the conflict stage where solutions were achieved.These strengths can be seen in setting the tasks, challenging the team with fresh information and i ssuing positive recognition and feedback. Firstly the improvements on communication between the group members are essential in establishing directions and performance standards. Secondly improving participation in group meetings is crucial to achieve the goal of the tea. Lastly, assessing, indentifying and establishing behaviours earlier are essential in order to avoid problems further into the activity. 3. 0 team thinking

Defining Prejudice Essay

Prejudice-a preconceived negative judgement of a group and its individual members. -prejudice is an attitude. The negative evaluations that mark prejudice often are supported by negative beliefs called stereotypes. Forms of prejudice Stereotype – a belief about the personal attributes of a group of people. Stereotypes are sometimes overgeneralized, inaccurate, and resistant to new information. Discrimination- unjustified negative behaviour toward a group or its members. Racism- an individual’s prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behaviour toward people of a given race or institutional practices that subordinate people of a given race. Sexism- an individual’s prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behaviour toward people of a given sex. Racial prejudice In the context of the world, Every race is a minority. Most folks see prejudice in other people. -is racial prejudice disappearing? -in 1942 most Americans agreed that there should be separate sections for negroes on streetcars and buses. -parents both black and white suggested that their children should know the history of blacks and whites. -most black and white would likely to vote a black American for president. In the United States, whites tend to compare the present with the oppressive past and to perceive swift and radical progress. Blacks tend to compare their present with their ideal world, which has not yet been realized, and to perceive somewhat less progress. Gender Prejudice – people’s prejudgment on others based on gender. Gender Stereotype – are simplistic generalizations about the gender attributes, differences, and roles of individuals and/or groups. Stereotypes can be positive or negative, but they rarely communicate accurate information about others. When people automatically apply gender assumptions to others regardless of evidence to the contrary, they are perpetuating gender stereotyping. Many people recognize the dangers of gender stereotyping, yet continue to make these types of generalizations. the female stereotypic  role is to marry and have children. She is also to put her family’s welfare before her own; be loving, compassionate, caring, nurturing, and sympathetic; and find time to be sexy and feel beautiful. The male stereotypic role is to be the financial provider. He is also to be assertive, competitive, independent, courageous, and career†focused; hold his emotions in check; and always initiate sex. These sorts of stereotypes can prove harmful; they can stifle individual expression and creativity, as well as hinder personal and professional growth. Ambivalent Sexism – Ambivalent sexism is an ideology composed of both a â€Å"hostile† and â€Å"benevolent† prejudice toward women. Hostile sexism is an antagonistic attitude toward women, who are often viewed as trying to control men through feminist ideology or sexual seduction. Benevolent sexism is a chivalrous attitude toward women that feels favorable but is actually sexist because it casts women as weak creatures in need of men’s protection. What causes ambivalent sexism? According to Professors Glick and Fiske, sexist ambivalence is the result of two basic facts about relations between women and men: male dominance (patriarchy) and interdependence between the sexes. Male dominance is prevalent across cultures, with men dominating high status roles in business, government, religious institutions, and so forth. Hostile sexism arises in large part because dominant groups tend to create hostile ideologies concerning the inferiority of other groups. Despite male dominance, however, men are often highly dependent upon women as wives, mothers, and romantic partners. This dependence fosters benevolent sexism, which recognizes women as valuable and attractive (an attitude not generally present in prejudices such as racism, anti-Semitism, and homophobia, in which the targets of prejudice are typically shunned or loathed). Gender Discrimination – Discrimination based on gender or sex Where and When Can Gender Discrimination Occur? Employment – Including claims that a potential employer asked discriminatory questions based on gender during the interview process; claims that an employer failed to hire, failed to promote, or wrongfully terminated an  employee based on his or her gender; unequal pay claims; and claims for sexual harassment of employees. Education – Including claims for exclusion from educational programs or opportunities based on gender; and claims for sexual harassment of students. Housing – Including claims for refusal to negotiate with a person seeking housing, claims for imposition of different lease/contract terms, and claims for refusal to extend a loan based on the gender of the applicant/tenant/buyer. Borrowing / Credit – Including claims for refusal to extend credit, claims for imposition of unequal loan terms, and claims arising from improper inquiries during the credit/loan approval process, based on the gender of the applicant. 3 SOURCES OF PREJUDICE Social Source Emotional Source Cognitive Source Social Sources of Prejudice The self-fulfilling prophecy: where a belief is accepted as truth, & in stating it, becomes true. Stereotype Threat Stereotype threat is â€Å"the threat of being viewed through the lens of a negative stereotype, or the fear of doing something that would inadvertently confirm that stereotype,† such as the stereotype that women perform poorly in math. Some students try to escape stereotype threat by misidentifying with the part of life in which the stereotype originates, such as race or ethnic identities. Emotional Sources of Prejudice Frustration & aggression: The Scapegoat Theory: When problems occur, people do not like to blame themselves. They will thus actively seek scapegoats onto whom they can displace their aggression. Scapegoats may be out-group individuals or even entire groups. Powerless people who cannot easily resist will often become victims of scapegoating. Scapegoating increases when people are frustrated &  seeking an outlet for their anger. The Realistic Group Conflict Theory When there are limited resources, then this leads to conflict, prejudice & discrimination between groups who seek that common resource. Cross-race/ Other-race Effect Refers to the tendency to more easily recognize members of one’s own race. A study was made which examined 271 real court cases. The results from this study showed that witnesses correctly identified 65 % of the defendants which were of the same race as them. On the other hand, 45% of the defendants were identified which belonged to a different race than the witnesses. Just-world Phenomenon The just-world phenomenon, refers to the tendency for people to believe that the world is â€Å"just† & so therefore people get what they deserve.† It wrongly colors our impression of â€Å"victims† of any sort. Controversies and Prominent Topics Sexism Nationalism Classism Sexual Discrimination Racism Religious Discrimination Linguistic Discrimination Reducing Prejudice The contact hypothesis The contact hypothesis predicts that prejudice can only be reduced when in-group and out-group members are brought together. In particular, there are six conditions that must be met to reduce prejudice, as were cultivated in Elliot Aronson’s Jigsaw Classroom. First, the in- and out- groups must have a degree of mutual interdependence. Second, both groups need to share a common goal. Third, the two groups must have equal status. Fourth, there  must be frequent opportunities for informal and interpersonal contact between groups. Fifth, there should be multiple contacts between the in- and the out- groups. Finally, social norms of equality must exist and be present to foster prejudice reduction.

Humans Screwed Up Essays - Anthrozoology, Free Essays, Term Papers

Humans Screwed Up Essays - Anthrozoology, Free Essays, Term Papers Humans Screwed Up PEOPLE ARE THE MOST DISGUSTING CREATURES ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. YET WE ARE CLASSIFIED AS ANIMALS. ANIMALS, IN THE SENSE THAT WE TEND TO THINK OF THEM IN, AS NON-HUMAN ANIMALS, ARE BEAUTIFUL WHERE WE COULD NEVER BE. HUMANS ARE THE ONLY ANIMALS THAT TRULY ALTER THEIR ENVIRONMENT AND MAKE THEMSELVES A COMPLETELY ARTIFICIAL LIVING SPACE. WE PAVE OVER OUR FIELDS AND PLOW DOWN OUT FORESTS. WE PILLAGE THE WORLD THAT WE MUST LIVE IN AND ESSENTIALLY TURN IT INTO A CEMENT AND TAR WASTELAND. PEOPLE KILL FOR NO REASON AND COMMIT MURDER, EVEN UNTO THEIR OWN KIND. ANIMALS ON THE OTHER HAND SIMPLY LIVE. THEY CONSUME ONLY WHAT THEY MUST TO SURVIVE AND THEY LEAVE THE REST ALONE. A LION THAT ISNT HUNGRY, FOR EXAMPLE, WONT KILL. ANIMALS MAY BUILD HOMES, BUT THEY ARE BIODEGRADABLE HOMES THAT DONT CLUTTER AND DESTROY THE LANDSCAPE. ANIMALS LIVE IN PEACE AND HARMONY AND THEY NATURALLY BALANCE EACH OTHER OUT. THERE IS A CIRCLE OF LIFE THAT WOULD BE MUCH MORE CIRCULAR IF HUMANS WERENT THERE TO STRETCH IT AND MOLD IT TO SUIT OUR FANCY. THE HUMAN IS BLOODTHIRSTY, IT DESTROYS ITS SURROUNDINGS AND EVENTUALLY ITSELF, AND YET WE CLAIM TO BE THE INTELLIGENT LIFE FORMS OF THE PLANET. THE GIFT OF A LARGER BRAIN CAPACITY HAS TURNED OUT TO BE A PANDORAS BOX, WE USE IT BECAUSE WE CANT HELP IT, AND IT CAUSES NO GOOD. MAYBE IT IS THAT THE CAPACITY TO THINK HASNT BEEN USED ENOUGH. OR PERHAPS IT IS THAT PEOPLE CANT THINK ANYMORE WHEN THEY LIVE IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT THINKS FOR THEM. IT SEEMS THAT THE GIFTS GIVEN TO US HAVE CAUSED US TO BE CORRUPT DESTROYERS OF ALL LIFE. HUMANS COULD TURN AROUND AND BE THE FORCE THAT SAVES LIFE IF WE COULD CARE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE AND THINK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE CREATE AND WHAT EFFECT IT WILL HAVE. IF WE COULD CONSIDER THE LYNX THAT PATROLS THE WOODS AND RELIES ON THE SMALLER LIFE THEN MAYBE WE WOULD NOT BUILD A ROAD THERE WHERE POLLUTANTS AND TRAFFIC CAN KILL ALL OF THE WILDLIFE. PERHAPS FOR EVERY THING THAT WE TAKE FROM NATURE WE CAN GIVE SOMETHING BACK. FOR EVERY ACRE OF LAND WE PAVE OVER WE SHOULD REPLANT A FOREST ON ANOTHER ACRE OF LAND THAT WE PREVIOUSLY TOOK. IT IS FAIRLY IMPROBABLE THAT ANY OF THAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE THOUGH, NEAR OR FAR. HUMANS ARE STUBBORN AND STUCK IN THEIR WAYS. ANIMALS EVOLVE WHERE WE DONT. IF THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IN ORDER TO SURVIVE THEN THEY DO OR ELSE THEY DIE. DARWINS NATURAL SELECTION REMOVES THE SPECIES THAT ARENT FIT FOR THIS WORLD AND MAYBE THAT MEANS HUMANS WILL BE REMOVED SOON. ONE CAN ONLY HOPE SO, FOR THE SAKE OF THE REST OF THE PLANET. WOULDNT IT BE FUNNY TO SEE THE ANIMALS TAKE OVER ALL THE PLACES THAT HUMANS ONCE CALLED HOME? WE COULD LOOK DOWN FROM ABOVE AND SEE PIGS SLEEPING IN OUR BEDS, AND IT WOULD SET US IN OUR PLACE- NOT HERE, AS WE EXIST NOW.

Needle Blight Tree Disease - Prevention and Control

Needle Blight Tree Disease - Prevention and Control This group of blight diseases - including Diplodia, Dothistroma and brown spot - attacks conifers (mostly pines) by girdling needles and killing branch tips. These needle blights are caused by the fungus, Dothistroma pini mostly on western pines and Scirrhia acicola on longleaf and Scots pine needles. Needle damage can cause major commercial and ornamental damage to conifers in North America significantly affecting the nursery and Christmas tree industries. Infected needles often fall from the tree creating a symptomatic scorched, denuded look. The blight usually results in dramatic browning and dropping of the foliage beginning on the lower branches. It rarely attacks upper branches on conifers so the tree might not immediately die. Diseased Needle Identification Early symptoms of a blighted needle would be deep-green bands and yellow and tan spots on needles. This deep green color banding is short-lived. The spots and bands quickly turn brown to reddish brown during the summer months. These bands tend to be brighter red and more numerous on pines in California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, where this disease is often referred to as the red band disease. Needles may develop extensive leaf browning within several weeks of the first appearance of symptoms. Infection is typically most severe in the lower crown. Infected second-year needles usually drop before infected current-year needles. Needles that become infected the year they emerge often are not shed until late summer the following year. Successive years of severe needle infection can result in tree death. In most cases, the disease makes pines in landscapes unsightly and pines in Christmas tree plantings unmarketable. Prevention Repeated annual cycles of disease infection can result in dead limbs and eventual loss of any meaningful ornamental or commercial value of the conifer. Breaking this infection cycle has to happen to effectively stop the fungus. Brown spot needle blight in longleaf pine is controlled using fire. The use of genetic resistant pine strains or clones has been identified in Austrian, ponderosa, and Monterey pines. Seeds from Eastern Europe have shown high resistance and are currently used to produce Austrian pines for Great Plains plantings. Sources of ponderosa pine seed have been identified as having high resistance and collected for planting in endemic areas. Control High-value nursery and Christmas tree plantings can benefit from chemical fungal control. Early detection is important and high dollar trees may be sprayed as a preventative measure in locations where the fungus is active. A copper fungicide spray program, repeated over several years, will eventually allow new, undamaged needles and branch tips to replace the diseased ones. Chemical applications should begin in spring where the first spray protects the previous years needles and the second spray protects the current years needles. When symptoms of the diseases have disappeared, you can discontinue spraying. Ask your local extension agent for recommended chemicals.

Live Performance Audio Production Analysis Coursework - 1

Live Performance Audio Production Analysis - Coursework Example In production of music industries they are referred to as studios. The Konshen’s audio performance is produced by million records studio. Therefore, it means that one audio performance from a single artist may be produced by different audio companies (Zager, 2012). Additionally, the audio Technologies also include in the audio components. These technologies include wireless microphone, in ear monitor system, speaker types, and consoles among others. Wireless microphone is a type of microphone that lacks physical cable to connect it directly to audio recording. This system consist of In ear monitors that constitute part of the audio instrument that is used by music producers to listen to music to hear costume crafted mix of vocals together with instrumentation for life performance (Zager, 2012). Monitor technicians are the specialists who deal with regulation of audio in a certain life performance. Notably, a single life performance and music production usually employs the use of numerous personalities with various and different fields or professions. Moreover, the same usually uses different music