Cooperative Learning (Education) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cooperative Learning (Education) - Essay Example Every person perceives and processes the acquisition of knowledge in different ways and these preferences can be described as unique learning styles. Thus learning is transformed into awareness to the learner who recognizes their own preferred mode of learning and assistance being given to develop a learning catalog through several experiences combined with alternative modes. The 4MAT system of learning developed by Bernice McCarthy can be identified as Innovative learners wherein this type of learners is primarily interested in personal meaning. They require reasons for learning, reasons that enable connection between acquired information and personal experiences combined with this application to every day life. Instructional modes that are effective with such kind of learners are through Cooperative learning, brain storming sessions and integration of content areas. The next kind is Analytic learners who are primarily interested in acquiring details thereby intensifying their understanding of concepts. The analytic learners gain knowledge through Lectures, research analysis of data and listening to ‘the experts’. The common sense learners prefer to investigate in the working of things. Experimental learning activities utilizing hands on missions are best suited for them. Dynamic learners are more interested in self directed discovery. They follow their own intuition and seek to teach others as well. Independent study combined with simulations and role play proves to be effective style of learning. There are various techniques of imparting knowledge to the entity who acquires knowledge. Cooperative learning is a teaching technique wherein small teams involving the students of different levels based on their ability utilize numerous learning activities in order to improve their comprehension of a subject. â€Å"Cooperative learning exists when students work together to accomplish shared learning goals.† (Johnson, 1999). Every participant of the team is

USA Foreign Policy and Intervention Essay Example for Free

USA Foreign Policy and Intervention Essay During the first half of the 1990s, many intervention operations were launched, including in Somalia. In general, their main aim of intervention in Somalia was to alleviate the conflict. Notwithstanding, the instruments that were used to achieve this goal were mainly military. The reaction of the Western military establishment, asked to intervene in armed conflicts in the developing world, has been to look at familiar concepts used in military training and operations (Deutsch 12). It has been argued that their outlook on armed conflict, dominated by Cold War inter-state war thinking, was at the heart of the many difficulties the intervening states faced in these interventions. What has gone wrong in Somalia, what could have been done differently and how to change approach? Answers to these problems range from instituting a different emphasis in the training of soldiers, to reform of the United Nations to deal with armed conflicts. Background and Overview At the beginning of 1992, Mohammed Siad Barre, who had ruled Somalia for two decades, was overthrown. At this time civil war and starvation grasped Somalia. In January of 1992, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution. This resolution called to cease fire a political settlement of the conflict (Duyvesteyn 78). In March this cease-fire went into effect. However, already by August â€Å"as many as 1. 5 million of an estimated Somali population of 6 million were threatened with starvation, with approximately 300,000 Somalis already having died, including roughly 25 percent of all children under the age of five† (Duyvesteyn 80). In April, the Security Council created a modest military operation. However, negotiations with Somali factions detained the implementation of the operation. On July 27, the Security Council voted to airlift food to Somalia, and on August 12 the U. N. announced plans to send 500 troops to protect the international relief effort. On August 14, the White House announced that the United States would take charge of the airlift (Duyvesteyn 90). The 500 troops arrived in September—â€Å"with the support of four U. S. warships carrying 2,100 Marines†Ã¢â‚¬â€but proved unable to do much to protect the relief effort (Duyvesteyn 78). In November, U. N. secretary general Boutros Boutros-Ghali declared the Security Council that the relief measures were not working. On November 26, the Bush administration decided that the United States to send troops to Somalia. For this the Security Council had to pass an authorizing resolution. On December 3 the Security Council passed the resolution. On October 3-4, 1993, eighteen U. S. soldiers were killed and dozens were wounded in a fierce firefight in Mogadishu, Somalia. Their deaths were the direct result of U. S. leadership in a series of United Nations -sanctioned military interventions in Somalia that. With the Cable News Network (CNN) providing almost instantaneous transmission to audiences in the U. S. and abroad, the victorious Somali forces not only paraded a captured U. S. helicopter pilot, Corporal William Durant, through the streets of Mogadishu, but also dragged the naked corpse of a U. S. soldier past mobs of Somali citizens who vented their anger by spitting on, stoning, and kicking the body (Freidman 2). These media images triggered a firestorm of public debate that asked, in the words of one journalist: â€Å"How did an operation that began with American soldiers feeding starving Somalis wind up with an American soldiers corpse being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu by Somalis starving only for revenge? † The visceral response of the American public was to demand an immediate withdrawal of U. S. military forces. â€Å"Its really very simple,† explained Tony Bright, an emergency health care administrator who captured the public wave of protest against any further U. S. involvement in Somalia. â€Å"If I have to choose between pictures of starving Somalian babies or dead American soldiers being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu, well, I dont want to see any more dead Americans. Sorry. Its time to bring the boys home† (Ayres 3). The Somalia case presents a splendid opportunity to examine U. S. decision making in the post-cold war period. The implementation of Operation Restore Hope constituted the first time that the U. S. had supported a peacemaking (as opposed to a peacekeeping) operation under the auspices of the U. N. and without the approval of the sovereign government of the target country. The case is also unique in that the U. S. experience had a negative impact on the way U. S. policy makers perceived the viability of future U. S. involvement in peacemaking operations in Africa and the other regions of the Third World, most notably the U. S. ability to resolve ethnic strife and the practicality of launching joint U. S. -U. N. military operations. High-Level Neglect in the Bush Administration The first phase of U. S. policy lasted from January 1991 to December 1992. In this phase presidential and congressional attention focused mainly on the Gulf War. This phase involved leadership from the traditional foreign policy bureaucracy, especially the State Departments Africa Bureau. The decline of cold war tensions ensured that neither the Somali civil war nor the impending overthrow of the Siad regime attracted the ongoing attention of the White House, despite the fact that President Bush had to authorize the emergency evacuation of U. S. embassy personnel in Mogadishu. Humanitarian Crisis and Military Intervention under Bush In the late fall of 1992, the second phase of U. S. policy began. It involved high-level attention to what was perceived to be an accelerating crisis in Somalia. Images of a humanitarian disaster displayed daily in practically every media outlet. Congressional and public criticism was increasing. White House attention focused on Somalia shortly after the 1992 election. As a consequence of high-level White House reviews in November 1992, President Bush and his top advisers devised a plan to deal with the events in Somalia. In sharp contrast to the limited objectives associated with Operation Provide Relief, Bush announced on December 4, 1992, that his administration was prepared to lead a massive multilateral military operation to â€Å"create a secure environment† for the distribution of famine relief aid. Five days later the first contingent of U. S. troops led by three teams of navy SEALS (sea-air-land commandos) landed on the beaches of Mogadishu and secured the airport and the port. The U. S. military operation popularly was referred to as Operation Restore Hope and known in U. N. circles as the United Task Force (UNITAF). The operation was sanctioned by U. N. Security Council Resolution 794. In the weeks that followed, over 38,000 foreign troops from twenty countries (including approximately 25,000 U. S. military personnel) occupied various cities and towns throughout central and southern Somalia. The troops began the task of opening food supply routes, as well as creating distribution networks. The UNITAF ground forces were under the direct command of Lieutenant General Robert Johnston, chief of staff to General Norman Schwarzkopf during Operation Desert Storm, who reported to General Joseph P. Hoar, commander of the U. S. Central Command (CENTCOM) (Scott 65).

The Importance of Physical Fitness Essay -- Exploratory Essays Researc

The Importance of Physical Fitness Are you sick of gasping for air just after a quick trip up the stairs or feeling overly fatigued after a ten minute game of catch with your son? Maybe it is time you get busy and get in shape. What does it really mean to be physically fit? This is a question many of us ask ourselves when we set out to look better and feel better about ourselves. I personally don't know one person in this world that longs to be fat and out of shape. When you finally get off the couch, put the snacks back in the cupboard and decide it is time for you to get in shape, you usually head toward the gym first. Eating right and exercising are the two things that usually come to mind first in order to "get fit." There are however more than just a couple of things one must do to get in shape. Physical fitness is to the human body what fine-tuning is to an engine. It enables us to perform at our highest levels. Fitness can be described as a condition that helps us look, feel and do our best. More specifically, it is: "The ability to perform daily tasks vigorously and alertly, with energy left over for enjoying leisure-time activities and meeting emergency demands, and is a major basis for good health and well-being." ("Fitness...") Physical fitness involves the performance of the heart and lungs, and muscles of the body. And, since what we do with our bodies also affects what we can do with our minds, fitness somewhat influences qualities, such as mental alertness and emotional stability. ("Fitness...") As you undertake your fitness program, it's important to remember that fitness is an individual quality that varies from person to person. It is influenced by age, sex, heredity, personal habits, exercise and ... ...sition has never been a great measurement of sports performance. Lean muscle mass seems to be related to the performance in sports where the ability to generate maximal force is required. Good body compostion is essential for health. In order to achieve good body composition one must eat right and exercise to the best of their ability. (Quinn) Hopefully after learning a little bit more about physical fitness and what it takes to accomplish it, you can go play with you son or daughter and maybe have a little fun while doing it. Without all that wheezing to make it up the stairs you can get more done during your day and still have energy left over for yourself. I hope this information can help you get a jump start on your new exercise program. Don't forget to use all five of the components. These will help you with every aspect of your program to become more fit. The Importance of Physical Fitness Essay -- Exploratory Essays Researc The Importance of Physical Fitness Are you sick of gasping for air just after a quick trip up the stairs or feeling overly fatigued after a ten minute game of catch with your son? Maybe it is time you get busy and get in shape. What does it really mean to be physically fit? This is a question many of us ask ourselves when we set out to look better and feel better about ourselves. I personally don't know one person in this world that longs to be fat and out of shape. When you finally get off the couch, put the snacks back in the cupboard and decide it is time for you to get in shape, you usually head toward the gym first. Eating right and exercising are the two things that usually come to mind first in order to "get fit." There are however more than just a couple of things one must do to get in shape. Physical fitness is to the human body what fine-tuning is to an engine. It enables us to perform at our highest levels. Fitness can be described as a condition that helps us look, feel and do our best. More specifically, it is: "The ability to perform daily tasks vigorously and alertly, with energy left over for enjoying leisure-time activities and meeting emergency demands, and is a major basis for good health and well-being." ("Fitness...") Physical fitness involves the performance of the heart and lungs, and muscles of the body. And, since what we do with our bodies also affects what we can do with our minds, fitness somewhat influences qualities, such as mental alertness and emotional stability. ("Fitness...") As you undertake your fitness program, it's important to remember that fitness is an individual quality that varies from person to person. It is influenced by age, sex, heredity, personal habits, exercise and ... ...sition has never been a great measurement of sports performance. Lean muscle mass seems to be related to the performance in sports where the ability to generate maximal force is required. Good body compostion is essential for health. In order to achieve good body composition one must eat right and exercise to the best of their ability. (Quinn) Hopefully after learning a little bit more about physical fitness and what it takes to accomplish it, you can go play with you son or daughter and maybe have a little fun while doing it. Without all that wheezing to make it up the stairs you can get more done during your day and still have energy left over for yourself. I hope this information can help you get a jump start on your new exercise program. Don't forget to use all five of the components. These will help you with every aspect of your program to become more fit.

Immanent and Economic Trinity

Immanent and Economic Trinity When you think of God do you think of one divine entity or do you take into account the age old idea of the trinity? For all of time we have understood the three individual person’s in God, the Trinity, to be one in the same. The teaching of the Christian church tells us that God is three unique and separate people’s, but they are at the same time all one person in God. Now people have many different ways to picture or represent the idea of three people as one. The trial of history has come up with many different ideas and images to try and represent the trinity.Like many things that have to do with the unknown nature of religion we put our mental limitations on our ideas. This is only natural because it is the only way we can comprehend things, and we only have earthly definitions and limits for things in the realm of this existence. The Economic  Trinity is the doctrine concerning how the  Father, son, and Holy Spirit relate to each o ther and the world. The word economic is used from the Greek  oikonomikos,  which means relating to arrangement of activities.Each person has different roles within the  Godhead  and each has different roles in relationship to the world. One way of thinking about the economic Trinity is to think of the Father as creator, Son as redeemer, and Holy Spirit as sustainer. Subordinationism is the position consistently rejected by the ancient church that the Son and/or Spirit are  ontologically  subordinate to the Father. The Council of Nicaea rejected this position with respect to the Son by employing terms like homoousias of one being and begotten not made.The former refers to the shared substance of divinity between Father and Son, the fact that both are equally eternal and thus equal in glory and power. The latter refers to the fact that, while the Father is indeed the source of the Son’s generation, the Father does  not create the Son. Only finite beings are creat ed; the Son is generated, and the Spirit proceeds or is spirated. These terms are utterly unique with respect to the being of God If we only articulate the appropriations or functions within the trinitarian life of God, we can quickly land ourselves in heretical hot water, so to speak.A doctrine of appropriations on its own quite easily leads to tritheism, in which there are three gods at work rather than one. Against this, we must take heed of the Augustinian axiom against tritheism:  opera trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa, the external acts of the trinity are indivisible. This rule of trinitarian theology means that what each trinitarian person or mode of being does is inseparable from the other two persons. In other words, the actions of the Son in the world are also the actions of the Father and the Spirit; the same applies to the other trinitarian persons.This Augustinian rule is related to the ancient doctrine of divine  perichoresis  or inter-penetration within Godâ₠¬â„¢s being. According to this doctrine, each person or mode of being participates in the other two persons or modes. The axiom of Augustine derives from this ontological point the functional or economic claim that every action of God is an act of all three together. To appropriate one action to one person never means that the other two are not equally involved in its execution.If there were indeed an act belonging to  only  one person, the result would be tritheism, or at least ditheism. The Trinity is something that explains to us God and Strengthens our religious beliefs as well as our minds. It makes us think and can lead to many different ideas. We have to understand that the ideas we have are all explanations of unknown things. We have to use the knowledge we have and push onward and honor god with thought of Him. One day we will understand things in a way that is more clear to us, but until then we must keep trying to understand these things the best we can.

Marco Polo Worships the Great Khan

Traveling from Cathay to Tinju, there is not a single page in The Travels of Marco Polo where he does not mention the Great Khan.   Whether this is a positive or a negative, the power of the Great Khan is routinely emphasized and the leader is repeatedly discussed in terms of his ability as a ruler.   . A great deal of the reason for this is that when one looks at a different culture and its history, there is a tacit avoidance of providing judgment on the way the militarism of a culture may conduct itself. Through his travels in China, Marco Polo depicts the Great Khan as a powerful, benevolent, and ambitious leader of East Asia. It is easy to see that the Great Khan had great power throughout most of China.   In chapter 4 of The Travels, Polo describes various visits to different locations in northern and southwestern China.   He states clearly that â€Å"Tibet belongs to the Great Khan, as do all the other kingdoms and provinces and regions described in this book, except only the provinces mentioned at the beginning of our book which belong to the son of Arghun† (174). In chapter 5, all places that Polo visits use the Great Khan’s paper currency and the people remain subjects of the Great Khan.   In his description of the journey from Ho-Kein-fu through Kein-ning-fu, the idea that stands out   is that â€Å"people are idolaters, subjects to the Great Khan and using paper money† because such a brief and generalized statement provides significant insight into the overriding themes of the Great Khan’s motivations. (211). However, in different areas under Khan’s rule, a unique monetary system was used.   For example, Kaindu had very unique hard currency: â€Å"They have gold in bars and weight it out by saggi; and it is valued according to its weight.   But they have no coined money bearing a stamp† (176). Ironically, in some instances, salt was used as short change currency. Traders in Tibet made an immense profit, because they could use the salt in food as well as for buying the necessities of life.   In the cities they used fragments of salt blocks in cooking and spent the unbroken blocks. However, regardless of the fact that Kaindu did not use the Great Khan’s money, the Great Khan’s influence remained strongly evident within these providences.   Kaindu was subject to the Great Khan and it was in an area known to have an abundance of pearls.   Regardless the Great Khan would not let anyone harvest pearls because he believed harvesting too many pearls would eliminate their scarcity and lead to a significant devaluation. Thus, â€Å"The Great Khan, when he has a mind, has pearls taken from it for his own use only; but no one else may take them on pain of death† (175) There was also a mountain there with a plentiful supply of turquoise which produced very fine gems but the Great Khan would not allow them to be taken except at his bidding. This would seem to indicate that the Great Khan’s brash exterior hid a very insecure interior. That is, he seemed to desire wealth and treasure as a way of propping up his own image. Allowing greater access to wealth and precious metals was, perhaps, something the Great Khan feared because it would chip away at his ‘loftiness’. (175). Marco Polo also conveys the notion that the Great Khan maintained a sense of benevolence that tempered his displays of power.   In particular, Polo’s story about Litan emphasizes this benevolence.   Tandinfu was a very large city and once a great kingdom, but the Great Khan had conquered it through force of arms.   In 1272, the Great Khan had appointed one of his barons, Litan Sangon, to hold this city and province.   However, Litan planned a monstrous act of disloyalty when he and his followers rebelled against the Great Khan in a stunning display of disobedience.   When the Great Khan discovered this, he sent his militia to confront them. When Litan was defeated, the Great Khan pardoned those who served under Litan forgave them for their trespasses and indiscretions.   Those who were pardoned never afterward displaced any disloyalty towards their great leader.   This story reflects the Great Khan’s benevolence because, unlike other leaders who would respond ruthlessly to opposition, The Great Khan instead made them into the most loyal subjects by bestowing a pardon to them. It is clear the Kubilai Khan was exceptionally ambitious and this is what made him so powerful and played a great part in allowing him to conquer most of Asia.   Polo’s description of the conquest of Manzi evokes the ambitiousness of the Great Khan.   After conquering many cities and countries, Kubilai was still not satisfied and continued the expansion of his territory. He attempted to conquer the great province of Manzi, a wealthy territory.   The king of Manzi had discovered through astrology that he could not lose his kingdom except at the hands of a man with a hundred eyes.   In response,   Bayan Chincsan, known as â€Å"Bayan Hundred-eyes,† was sent into Manzi by order of the Great Khan.   Bayan succeeded and Kubilai finally conquered Manzi. This clearly demonstrates the Great Khan’s desire to expand his power base from all fronts. Perhaps, in a way, it depicts over ambition as opposed to logistical, military expansion. Ultimately, this type of imperialism would later lead to Khan’s eventually overextension and downfall. From Marco Polo’s descriptions of the influence of the Great Khan throughout most of China, it appears that he was a powerful sovereign whose impression on history still resonates to this very day.   However, Marco Polo’s presentation of the Great Khan drafts an image of the Great Khan as the only leader who could rule and dominate the world Although Marco Polo’s explanation that many cities he visited were ruled by the Great Khan is true, to the reader it seems like he venerated Kubilai Khan above all others. Perhaps Marco Polo was in such awe of Khan, he sought to see him as a great leader as opposed to a destructive, predatory imperialist and from this, an idealized version of history was cr

Online Options for German Lessons for Beginners

Online Options for German Lessons for Beginners The German language is much easier to learn than you might have heard. With the right course structure, a little discipline, and some online tools or apps, you can master your first steps into the German language quickly. Heres how to get started. Set Realistic Goals Make sure to set a solid goal like e.g. I want to reach German level B1 by the end of September with 90  minutes of daily work and also consider booking an exam about six to eight weeks before your deadline (if you stay on track, of course). For more about what to expect from German exams,  take a look at our exam  series: How to pass an A1-ExamHow to pass an A2-ExamHow to pass a B1-Exam If You Want to Focus on Writing If you need help with your writing,  Lang-8  offers a service where you can  copy and paste a text for the communityusually native speakersto edit. In return, you just need to correct another members text, which will not take you long. And its all free. For a small monthly fee your text will be featured more prominently and get corrected faster but if time doesnt matter to you, the free option is sufficient.   If You Want to Focus on Pronunciation and Speaking Looking for a conversational partner is the very best way to hone your speaking skills.  While you can try to find a tandem partner, with whom you could arrange a free language exchange, its often simpler to just pay someone for this job. Sites like  Italki  and  Verbling are places where you might find someone suitable and affordable. Those dont necessarily have to instruct you, although that might be helpful. Thirty minutes of practice a day is ideal, but any amount will improve your skills rapidly. Basic German Concepts and Vocabulary Below youll find a number of resources on this site that are suitable for beginners. Grà ¼ÃƒÅ¸e: Common greetingsDas ABC: The German AlphabetAll About the German  Personal PronounsHow to Tell if a German Word is Masculine, Feminine, or NeuterLearning the German Verbs Haben  (to have) and  Sein  (to be)German verbs in the present tenseCommon adjectives and colors How to Stay on Track and Get Motivated Programs like  Memrise  and  Duolingo  can help you stay on track and make your vocabulary learning as efficient as possible. With Memrise, while you could use one of the ready-made courses, I strongly recommend that you create your own course. Keep the levels manageable  with approximately 25 words each.  Tip: If you are better at setting goals than you are at following through (and who isnt?), try the motivational platform  stickk.com.

10 Reasons Dinosaurs Make Good Pets

10 Reasons Dinosaurs Make Good Pets Tired of the same old, same old dogs, cats and parakeets being offered for adoption by your local animal shelter? Well, dinosaurs also make wonderful pets, provided you treat them right and know what youre getting into. Here are the top 10 reasons in favor of keeping a pet dinosaur. (Not convinced? See 10 Reasons Dinosaurs Make Bad Pets.) A Pet Dinosaur Will Keep Your Home Safe... Theres nothing like a Beware the T. Rex sign out in your front yard to deter potential thieves, especially if they can glimpse your ravenous pet frosting up your bay window with its breath. Even better, you can simply underfeed your Deinonychus and tie him to a stake by your mailbox. Not only will this scare away miscreants, but youll never receive another bill again. ...and Youll Never Have to Deal with Pesky Salesmen If you live out in the burbs, youve probably seen your share of Electrolux huckstersyou know, those snappy-suited guys who barge into your home, spill a pile of dirt on your Persian carpet, and plug in their favorite appliance. You know how dogs go nuts when they see a vacuum cleaner? Well, imagine how your short-tempered Spinosaurus is likely to react. Purebred Dinosaurs Are Worth a Lot of Money True, youll have to shell out a pretty penny to buy a registered, credentialed Stegosaurus from your local dinosaur breeder. But if you manage to breed Butch with an equally impeccable female, every egg in the resulting clutch will potentially be worth thousands of dollars (assuming, of course, that your windfall isnt gobbled up by the hungry Oviraptor next door). A Pet Dinosaur Will Keep You Warm at Night Whats better than a pillow stuffed with feathers? Why, a dinosaur covered with feathers, the thicker and fluffier, the better. The trouble is, most feathered dinosaurs tend to be petite in size, so youll have to accumulate anywhere from eight to 10 Khaans to keep extra-cozy. Just pretend that youre a crazy cat lady, and keep plenty of litter nearby. Youll Earn Back Your Investment with Movie and TV Spots Hollywood casting agents are always on the lookout for the next Barney or Dino. If your pet dinosaur is cute, even-tempered and only slightly smarter than a lamppost, dont be surprised if you land a multi-episode sitcom deal. Just be sure to stay away from vehicles involving Tom Green, Pauly Shore or any ex-cast-members from Seinfeld. You Can Train Your Pet Dinosaur to Perform Various Tasks Okay, lets be realistic: theres no way youre going to teach your pet Apatosaurus to answer the phone or do your laundry. However, with intensive effort, you may be able to train your dinosaur to impersonate a piece of furniture, a la The Flintstones. (Were not talking complicated furniture, like a reclining chair; think more along the lines of a giant beanbag.) Youll Have Tons and Tons of Fertilizer Some time around late middle age, most people are inclined to take up gardeningeither in their backyards, on their windowsills or in high-tech hydroponic nurseries. Well, just imagine the beets, cucumbers, and tomatoes you can grow once you fertilize your garden with fresh Triceratops droppings. Youll have so much poop, you can even sell it to (or throw it at) the neighbors! A Pet Dinosaur Will Make You Look More Manly... Are you a gentle, tweed-wearing ectomorph who frequents smoke-free coffee houses and only drinks fair-trade coffee? Well, when youre out on the town with your pet Allosaurus, women will look at you like youre the reincarnation of Patrick Swayze. (In order to maintain this illusion, though, you should try not to let your pet dinosaur eat you or drag you along on its leash.) ...While a Smaller Breed Will Accent Your Feminine Wiles Even the frumpiest Kardashian turns positively glamorous when shes toting a poodle in her backpackso just imagine the pose youll strike with a Compsognathus stuffed in your Dooney Bourke handbag, or an Archaeopteryx perched on your shoulder. Just try to avoid wee ectomorphic PhDs being dragged by their leashed Allosauruses, lest the feathers fly. You Can Keep Your Pet Dinosaur Safely Outside One hundred million years of evolution have made dinosaurs remarkably self-sufficient, to the extent that you can keep your pet Iguanodon in the backyard almost indefinitely, provided you feed it every now and then. Dont have a backyard? Just knock on your neighbors door and introduce him to your pet Utahraptor; nature will take care of the rest.

The History of Apple Computers

The History of Apple Computers Before it became one of the wealthiest companies in the world, Apple Inc. was a tiny start-up in Los Altos, California. Co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, both college dropouts, wanted to develop the worlds first user-friendly personal computer. Their work ended up revolutionizing the computer industry and changing the face of consumer technology. Along with tech giants like Microsoft and IBM, Apple helped make computers part of everyday life, ushering in the Digital Revolution and the Information Age. The Early Years Apple Inc.- originally known as Apple Computers- began in 1976. Founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak worked out of Jobs garage at his home in Los Altos, California. On April 1, 1976, they debuted the Apple 1, a desktop computer that came as a single motherboard, pre-assembled, unlike other personal computers of that era. The Apple II was introduced about a year later. The upgraded machine included an integrated keyboard and case, along with expansion slots for attaching floppy disk drives and other components. The Apple III was released in 1980, one year before IBM released the IBM Personal Computer. Technical failures and other problems with the machine resulted in recalls and damage to Apples reputation. The first home computer with a GUI, or graphical user interface- an interface that allows users to interact with visual icons- was the Apple Lisa. The very first graphical interface was developed by the Xerox Corporation at its Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) in the 1970s. Steve Jobs visited PARC in 1979 (after buying Xerox stock) and was impressed and highly influenced by the Xerox Alto, the first computer to feature a GUI. This machine, though, was quite large. Jobs adapted the technology for the Apple Lisa, a computer small enough to fit on a desktop. Spiderstock / Getty Images The Macintosh Computer In 1984, Apple introduced its most successful product yet- the Macintosh, a personal computer that came with a built-in screen and mouse. The machine featured a GUI, an operating system known as System 1 (the earliest version of Mac OS), and a number of software programs, including the word processor MacWrite and the graphics editor MacPaint. The New York Times said that the Macintosh was the beginning of a revolution in personal computing. In 1985, Jobs was forced out of the company over disagreements with Apples CEO, John Scully. He went on to found NeXT Inc., a computer and software company that was later purchased by Apple in 1997. Over the course of the 1980s, the Macintosh underwent many changes. In 1990, the company introduced three new models- the  Macintosh Classic,  Macintosh LC, and  Macintosh IIsi- all of which were smaller and cheaper than the original computer. A year later Apple released the PowerBook, the earliest version of the companys laptop computer. Getty Images / Getty Images The iMac and the iPod In 1997, Jobs returned to Apple as the interim CEO, and a year later the company introduced a new personal computer, the iMac. The machine became iconic for its semi-transparent plastic case, which was eventually produced in a variety of colors. The iMac was a strong seller, and Apple quickly went to work developing a suite of digital tools for its users, including the music player iTunes, the video editor iMovie, and the photo editor iPhoto. These were made available as a software bundle known as iLife. In 2001, Apple released its first version of the iPod, a portable music player that allowed users to store 1000 songs in your pocket. Later versions included models such as the iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano, and iPod Touch. By 2015, Apple had sold 390 million units. serts / Getty Images The iPhone In 2007, Apple extended its reach into the consumer electronics market with the release of the iPhone, a smartphone that sold over 6 million units. Later models of the iPhone have added a multitude of features, including GPS navigation, Touch ID, and facial recognition, along with the ability to shoot photos and video. In 2017, Apple sold 223 million iPhones, making the device the top-selling tech product of the year. Under CEO Tim Cook, who took over Apple after Jobs death in 2011, the company has expanded, releasing a new generation of iPhones, iPads, iMacs, and MacBooks, along with new products such as the Apple Watch and the HomePod. In 2018, the tech giant became the first U.S. company to be worth $1 trillion.

Ebay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Ebay - Essay Example Marketing is a process that entails finding out what exactly the customers wants and needs, then providing customer with goods and services that meet or exceed their expectations, it is not merely â€Å"selling† and â€Å"advertising†. Some of the internal strength that facilitated success were, product being customer oriented this means finding out what the customer really wants and not what he/she can find an alternative and manage then provide it to them. Service orientation-that is, having an objective of customer satisfaction. A profit orientation is marketing the products in a way that will earn the business good profit to enhance its survival and facilitate its expansion to serve more customers (Blattberg and Scott, 385). Weaknesses that may have hindered complete meeting my objective; knowing what the customer needs its quite difficult because it is not easy to get to interact with all of them in person, finding means of quick delivery of products, constant change in technology constantly affecting customer’s preferences, therefore, need to monitor closer relationships with customers. Since it is marketing at global level one must adhere by all rules of all the countries he/she markets the product and the legality of the product, which is not easy. What came first, your product or your target market? Did you have a product you wanted to sell, find a target market for it on E-Bay, then analyze your environment and adjust your marketing mix-----or, did you analyze your environment, find a target market, and then find a product to market on E-Bay with a specific marketing mix? Explain your strategy. My strategy is by first scanning the environment to which I intend to market my products. By scanning the environment, I identify the factors that are likely to affect marketing my success (global, technological, social, economic influences) such as the availability of the product, demand of the product, competition, technology advancement in

Biology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biology - Research Paper Example The genetic component occurs because of the combined effect of mutated genes. The environmental factor is the lack of vitamins particularly folate during early pregnancy. Checkpoints in a cell cycle are meant for the regulation for the proliferation of the cells. These checkpoints are basically present in the G1 and S phase of the cell cycle. The role of these checkpoints is to check for any DNA damage or other problem in the cell before proceeding in to the cell cycle. The reason behind this is to either correct the DNA damage or if it cannot be repaired to move the cell towards apoptosis. The tumor suppressor genes code for proteins which are involved in the repair of the damaged DNA in the cell cycle and initiation of apoptosis if the damaged DNA cannot be repaired to prevent the formation of abnormal cells. The proto-oncogenes act by stimulating the cell cycle by the formation of transcriptions factors which are responsible for the function of genes and by forming signal transducers which are responsible for the stimulus responsible for the initiation of the cell cycle. Signal transduction is involved in the passing of signals to the nucleus of the cell for essential processes which include replication and transcription. Signal transduction occurs by the binding of a molecule to a receptor which may be located on the cell membrane or within the cell. This molecule carries signals and activates the receptor and brings about changes in the cell by sending signals which may lead to transcription. Increased signal transduction can result from mutations in genes that code for systems involved in carrying out signal transduction. This can lead to cancer because if signal transduction increases, the cells replicate and transcribe at a higher rate and are not under the normal regulatory control. Children suffering from Down syndrome have very high chances of developing leukemia. Also patients who have leukemia along with Down syndrome have a

The Telephone Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Telephone Technology - Essay Example Subscribers who wanted to communicate with more than one point had to obtain and set up as many pairs of telephones as the number of communicating points. Telephone technology was restricted to domestic lines. It was Western Union which first used telephone exchanges to interconnect individual subscribers in 1878. Alexander Graham Bell’s Bell Telephone Company was quick to incorporate the concept of telephone exchanges. Though the Bell Telephone Company was supposed to have monopolized the telephone business for more than 15 years since its invention, there were nevertheless as many as 1,730 telephone companies operating during the period. In the initial days, the most serious contender tot Bell’s monopoly was Western Union which had bought patents from others who had designed variations of Bell’s original principle of telephone, and had created the American Telephone Company as early as in December 1877. Had Bell not own the patent infringement case against Western Union in the Supreme Court of America in 1879, Western Union, with its large telegraph network already in place, was poised to overtake the Bell Telephone Company within a very short period of time. The American Telephone and Telegraph Company was set up in 1885 to provide long-distance service to American Bell Company subscribers. The Bell Telephone Company had been expanded and rechristened the American Bell Company in the meantime. The first automatic commercial exchange began operating in 1892. By the turn of the century, independent telephone companies were fast overtaking the American Bell Company. In 1889 the first public coin telephone had been set up in Hartford, Connecticut. These were attended payphones with the payment collected by someone standing at hand. The invention of the electron tube in 1906 by Lee De Forest made amplification possible and led the way to national phone service. The subsequent development

Declaration of Independence- Thomas Jefferson Final Term Paper

Declaration of Independence- Thomas Jefferson Final - Term Paper Example Distinctively enumerated into exceptional divisions, the writer demonstrated some rare writing skills that make it one of the best literal state papers. The Declaration of Independence can be divided into an introduction, a clearly developed preamble, a section describing the indictment of the Crown, denunciation of the American oppressors (the British) and a good conclusion. Any paper passing the test of good writing must at least show such organization. Throughout the document, artistic or literary devices (rhetoric devices) can be pointed out to prove the fact that the writer must have had tremendous proficiency with the topic of artistic discourse. With the topic of the Declaration of Independence at hand, this paper will tackle Thomas Jefferson’s rhetoric and the play of words he had used in the formation of this historical document. With the basis of textual analyses of the Declaration of Independence, historical interpretations will be conducted in order to explain the American context under the British colonial government. This paper will also explain the educational background of Thomas Jefferson – one that honed him as an eloquent writer of the mentioned document. Before going into the analyses of the Declaration’s text, it is important to give light to its author Thomas Jefferson. Although history has had laughable doubts of according Jefferson the credit of the text authorship, controversies of such nature are interesting to tackle. One good example of a weak school of thought that the authorship of the Declaration of Independence could be not of Thomas Jefferson is the belated publication of Mecklenburg Declaration. Mecklenburg Declaration which was allegedly duplicated by Jefferson. But as the proponents of this thought steadfastly argued, the controversy was later found out to be a â€Å"hoax†. It was disproven by Jefferson himself. Scholars

Perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly and monopoly Assignment

Perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly and monopoly - Assignment Example Such market structure reduces output in order to drive up prices and hence increase profits (Tragakes, 2012). Such a firm, therefore, produces less than the socially responsible level of output and manufactures at greater costs than competitive firms. Oligopoly is an industry that has only a few firms that can collude to decrease costs and drive up profits just like monopoly. However, such firms may end up cheating against each other due to strong incentives to cheat on such collusive agreements. Finally, monop0listic competition is an industry that contains many competing firms. The firms sell a similar or identical but at least somewhat different product. The products are highly differentiated in terms of features and prices (OConnor, 2004). The paper discusses the features or characteristics of the dour basic market structures. It then explains the key differences and similarities between the markets in terms of output and price determination. Further, the paper explains whether the allocative and productivity efficiencies can be achieved in the monopoly and perfect competition. The market has numerous sellers and buyers who buy, this reduces the bargaining power that buyers and sellers have, for instance if a seller of Milk tries to increase its profits by increasing the price of milk, the buyers in the market shifts to other milk sellers. The sellers are simply price takers and not price makers. The products sold in such a market are almost the same or identical as other. The products are indistinguishable from each other because they are perfect substitutes for each other. The products are perfectly similar in quantity, quality, size and shape. Commodities like corn, oil and wheat are examples of homogenous products (Kurtz & Boone, 2011). Buyers and sellers are totally free to enter and leave the market. There is no restriction imposed on the entry and exit of buyers and sellers. The firms get normal

Declaration of Independence- Thomas Jefferson Final Term Paper

Declaration of Independence- Thomas Jefferson Final - Term Paper Example Distinctively enumerated into exceptional divisions, the writer demonstrated some rare writing skills that make it one of the best literal state papers. The Declaration of Independence can be divided into an introduction, a clearly developed preamble, a section describing the indictment of the Crown, denunciation of the American oppressors (the British) and a good conclusion. Any paper passing the test of good writing must at least show such organization. Throughout the document, artistic or literary devices (rhetoric devices) can be pointed out to prove the fact that the writer must have had tremendous proficiency with the topic of artistic discourse. With the topic of the Declaration of Independence at hand, this paper will tackle Thomas Jefferson’s rhetoric and the play of words he had used in the formation of this historical document. With the basis of textual analyses of the Declaration of Independence, historical interpretations will be conducted in order to explain the American context under the British colonial government. This paper will also explain the educational background of Thomas Jefferson – one that honed him as an eloquent writer of the mentioned document. Before going into the analyses of the Declaration’s text, it is important to give light to its author Thomas Jefferson. Although history has had laughable doubts of according Jefferson the credit of the text authorship, controversies of such nature are interesting to tackle. One good example of a weak school of thought that the authorship of the Declaration of Independence could be not of Thomas Jefferson is the belated publication of Mecklenburg Declaration. Mecklenburg Declaration which was allegedly duplicated by Jefferson. But as the proponents of this thought steadfastly argued, the controversy was later found out to be a â€Å"hoax†. It was disproven by Jefferson himself. Scholars

Supply chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Supply chain - Essay Example As one of the global leaders in automobile manufacturing, Tata Motors has been active in exporting both private passenger cars and commercial vehicles such as buses, coaches, trucks, and vans throughout Argentina, Europe, Thailand, Russia, South Africa, South America, South Asia, South Korea, and the United Kingdom (Tata Motors, 2014a, 2014b). Likewise, it is also surpising to know that Tata Motors is also manufacturing vehicles for military purposes (Tata Motors, 2014c). Today, the leading competitors of Tata Motors include the following automobile brands: (1) Ashok Leyland; (2) Chevrolet; (3) Honda; (4) Hyundai; and (5) Maruti Suzuki among others. As one of its business strategy, Tata Motors was able to successfully establish several assembly plants in six (6) different geographical areas throughout India (i.e. Dharward, Jamshedpur, Lucknow, Pantnagar, Pune, and Sanand) (Tata Motors, 2014d). Across the world, Tata Motors operate and maintains several assembly plants in Argentina, Thailand, South Africa, South Korea, and the United Kingdom (Tata Motors, 2014a). (See Appendix I – Tata Motors’ Assembly Plants in India on page 12; Appendix II – Global Locations of Tata International on page 13) As a strategic alliance, joint venture is all about allowing two (2) different companies to share profits, business losses and liabilities, and management control (ABA Publishing, 2010, p. 1). In the process of entering into joint venture agreement, a manufacturing firm can easily expand the size of its global network (Carnovale and Yeniyurt, 2013; Idris and Tey, 2011), increase its sales and profit (Idris and Tey, 2011), and further improve the quality of its existing products and services through technology sharing (Idris and Tey, 2011; Nam, For instance, back in 1954, Tata Motors purposely entered a joint venture agreement with Daimler-Benz in Germany so as to penetrate the markets of commercial vehicles (The Conomic Times,

Tax and Share Holders Essay Example for Free

Tax and Share Holders Essay †¢LIABILITY-You are liable for payment of any debts incurred that cannot be paid for by the profits from the company. Also if you have personal debts that have gone to collections a creditor can be awarded business profits and or business assets to offset these debts. You are also liable for any injuries that may occur due to your company. †¢INCOME TAXES-The business is not taxed separately. All business income must be reported on the owners personal income tax return. †¢LONGEVITY/CONTINUITY-Sole proprietorships are dissolved when the owner dies. †¢CONTROL-The owner of a sole proprietorship is in complete control over every aspect of the business †¢PROFIT RETENTION-All income is the owners who may do with it as he pleases. †¢LOCATION-Sole proprietors are able to conduct business from home, office, or internet. There isnt really any regulations that limit the location. †¢CONVENIENCE/BURDEN-Sole proprietorships are extremely simple and cheap to start. Depending on your city or county you may need to register for a business license or tax registration certificate. If have employees you may also need an employer identification number from the IRS, a zoning permit, or a sellers license from your state. General Partnership-A company that is jointly formed by two or more individuals †¢LIABILITY-Each partner is liable for all debts of the company to include any contracts entered into by other partners. †¢INCOME TAXES-General partnerships do not pay income taxes directly to the IRS. Partners include any revenue and expenses on their personal income tax returns. †¢LONGEVITY/CONTINUITY-Since all funding comes from the owners assets they have a limited longevity and a harder time expanding. †¢CONTROL-Normally each partner has an equal amount of control. †¢PROFIT RETENTION-Profits are split between partners. †¢LOCATION-General Partnerships are able to conduct business from home, office, or internet. There isnt really any regulations that limit the location. Some counties or states may require a Doing Business As certificate †¢CONVENIENCE/BURDEN-All partners are held liable for any actions  of other partners and can be held accountable. Funding is easier to come by do to the fact that one person isnt solely responsible. Limited Partnership-A company that is formed by two or more individuals where certain individuals play a more managerial role †¢LIABILITY-There is no personal liability protection for the general partners but limited partners are protected. †¢INCOME TAXES-Profits are reported on the personal income taxes of the partners †¢LONGEVITY/CONTINUITY-Normlly funding comes from the limited partner and longevity depends on the terms of the limited partnership agreement. †¢CONTROL-Majority of the control is given to the general partners with the limited partners having little or no control. †¢PROFIT RETENTION-Nornally based on the amount of the money the limited partner invests and the level of control the general partners have, this would be detailed in the limited partnership agreement †¢LOCATION-Limited Partnerships are able to conduct business from home, office, or internet. There isnt really any regulations that limit the location. Depending on the county or state ordinances certain documents may be required to be filed with the relevant registration offices. †¢CONVENIENCE/BURDEN-This is a good model for the individual that is just wanting to invest but have the day to day activities handled by others. The major burden falls on the general partners, they are liable for anything that occurs. C-Corporation-Is an independent entity that is owned by share holders who elect a board of directors to oversee policies and make business decisions. †¢LIABILITY-Share holders have a limited liability towards business debts. †¢INCOME TAXES-Profits are taxed separately under subchapter C of the IRS Code from the share holders. Then the share holders are also taxed on their profits. †¢LONGEVITY/CONTINUITY-They have a longer life span than other models do to the fact that funding is easily acquire through the sale of its shares and or outside investments. The corporation does not dissolve upon the loss of an owner. †¢CONTROL-Control is left to the board of directors who are elected by the share holders. †¢PROFIT RETENTION-All profits are retained by the company. †¢LOCATION-A C-corporation must be registered with the secretary of state in the state it is operating out of.  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢CONVENIENCE/BURDEN-It is easy for a C-corporation to raise money with the issuance of stocks. Double taxation is a major burden and takes a significant amount of profit from the shareholders. The business and the owners are two separate entities. The shareholders have no personal obligations for any debt incurred by the company. Business losses are not deductible by the corporation. S-Corporation-Profits and losses are shared with the share holders and has the benefits of limited liability †¢LIABILITY-They offer limited liability where income and expenses are given to the share holders tax returns. Only the actual investment by the shareholders is at risk. †¢INCOME TAXES-Shareholders report profits and losses on their personal tax returns and pay at their individual income tax rates. †¢LONGEVITY/CONTINUITY-Same as a C-corporation, the sale of shares gives the S-corporation a longer life span. †¢CONTROL-Control is left to a board of directors that is elected by the share holders. †¢PROFIT RETENTION-All profits and losses are passed through to the shareholders who are then taxed at their individual tax rates. †¢LOCATION-An S-corporation must be registered with the secretary of state in the state it is operating out of. †¢CONVENIENCE/BURDEN-There are many regulations that an S-corporation needs to meet which is a disadvantage. Limited Liability(LLC)-This is similar to an S-corporation in that it offers limited liability but has the tax advantages of a partnership †¢LIABILITY-The only thing at risk is the money the member invests, personal assets are protected. †¢INCOME TAXES-Income is passed on to the share holders who then have to pay taxes at their individual tax rate. †¢LONGEVITY/CONTINUITY-Shares can be transferred by members without any restrictions giving a LLC an indefinite life span. †¢CONTROL-Also managed by a board of directors that is elected by the share holders. †¢PROFIT RETENTION- All profits and losses are passed through to its share holders who then must pay taxes at their individual tax rate. †¢LOCATION-A LLC must be registered with the secretary of state in the state it is operating out of. †¢CONVENIENCE/BURDEN-An LLC also has many regulations that it must meet, perhaps its greatest burden is meeting the varying requirements and restrictions from state to state. To: Owner of the Wood Manufacturing Company From: Ben Woltering Re: Business Organization Recommendation Date: January 4, 2013 There are many different options to look at when considering a change in organizational structure. Currently you are setup as a Sole Proprietorship which leaves you exposed to any and all debts or injuries, plus leaves you open for lawsuits. If you brought in a partner and formed either a General or Limited partnership you would still be liable as stated above to any debts, injuries or lawsuits, but you would have the added capital of your partners for expansion and all profits belong to the owners. A C-Corporation would give you personal limited liability and is generally easy to obtain business capital through the sale of stocks you do run into the issue of double taxation where the company pays taxes on profits as do the owners on their dividends. There is also an accumulated earnings tax on profits in excess of $250,000. An S- Corporation offers the same limited liability as the C-Corporation but does not pay Federal taxes. All earnings and losses are passed through to the share holders. The company will not dissolve if you were to leave or die. An LLC has both the tax advantages of a partnership and the limited liability of a corporation. There is no continuity of life as in a regular corporation, the LLC will dissolve if the owner leaves, but some formal agreement can overcome this. Legal assistance is recomended to make sure all of the correct paper work is completed for your state and any you are  planning to expand to. Due to its ease off setup, limited liability protection, no federal taxed and all earnings and losses are passed through to the share holders I recommend that you structure your company as an S-Corporation. Before moving forward I recommend that you contact your attorney and accountant to find out what the local requirements are for starting an S-Corporation. Thank you for your time and please let me know if you have any more questions.

High Scope Approach | Overview and Implementation

High Scope Approach | Overview and Implementation This paper will be talking about the High/Scope Curriculum Approach. The philosophy under the High/Scope Curriculum Approach is children should actively be part of their learning with the help and support of teachers/educators. The High/Scope philosophy believes that children are better learners when they can touch, manipulate, and explore. I will also explain the ways this model promotes the teaching and development of young children, the theoretical influences of High/Scope, and other important elements, such as planning, observation, and implementation. In this paper, I will review the types of assessments and documentations strategies used to evaluate on-going learning, and finally use the ELECT document to evaluate how the High/Scope Curriculum supports the six core principles. Theoretical Influences David Weikart is the educator that thought and organized the High/scope Curriculum. The main theorists behind the High/Scope Curriculum are Jean Paget and Vygotsky. Early in the development of the High/Scope Curriculum, the work of Piaget became influential and the curriculum was renamed the cognitively oriented curriculum. Also, Vygotsky socio-cultural theory had influenced the High/Scope Curriculum. The High/Scope Curriculum is based on the child development ideas that children learn better when they are actively engaged. From there the High/Scope create key experiences for teachers to help children in their learning process. The environment in the High/Scope is organized with developmentally materials/activities based on the needs and interest of children in the program. The main component of the High/Scope in the preschool area is related to key experiences that are divided into three sectors and each sector include learning experiences 1. Social and emotional development, including recognition and solution of problems, understanding routines, expectations, and communicating with others. 2. Movement and physical development, including block building, climbing, ball throwing and catching, and play with manipulative. 3. Cognitive development, including representation, language, classification, seriation, number, space, and time. The key experiences that shape the curriculum give opportunities to new experiences and can also be used for planning, assessments as wells as observations tools. Observations Observations in a High/Scope are beneficial for children, educators as well as for parents. Through observations, teachers find out about childrens needs and interests while interacting, asking open ended questions and participating in activities with children. Observations are done through the COR which is the Child Observation Record to assess children growth and development. Anecdotal notes are taken in a daily basis and are used to complete the COR. The Child Observation Record (COR) is based on the 58 key developmental indicators. Usually, this is done by educators that know really well the child and work with on a daily basis. Teachers evaluate children as well as their own performance. It is very important for educators to have written observations of their work, not only as written evidence to show parents how their child is progressing but also as a way to help parents identify how they can help in the process. Observations are done better if all educators in the program are observing the children in the room at the same time. This way educator can gather and draw comparisons from their observations and evaluate or reevaluate activities and key experiences that needed to be worked on in the future. Planning A main component of the High/Scope Curriculum Approach is the plan-do-review sequence. Teachers set up the environment with developmentally appropriate materials and the children first decide what materials they want to work with and what they wanted to do. Children plan with the educator in a group of 3 or 4. Educators speak to each child by taking turns while sharing ideas about their choices of activity and material. Planning time last about 10 minutes. After planning, children carry out their own initiatives by choosing materials or friends to work with and have freedom to execute their own thought. Educators supervise, interact, and support children in their learning skill. Educators also assist children in the problem solving. In the High/Scope setting, learning experiences are determined by both children alongside with teachers which means children decide and pick their own activities and teachers ask questions, add challenge to it, and support children in the learning. The curriculums plans are recorded through daily observations by teachers using the COR. Daily observations help teachers keep track of their work with children as well as their won performance. The role of the team in planning is very important in a High/Scope Curriculum. By working together as a team, educators will share their observations to see if they came across with the same information. I also think team work is important in the choice of materials provided children and finally important to the success of the program. Implementation High/Scope Curriculum Approach always follows specific structure to implement curriculum. The daily routine is fragmented into segments and each segment is planned depending on the needs of the program. The daily routine is made of: Arrival and greeting Plan-Do-Review time Large group time Small group time Outside time Transition time Eating and resting time The space is High/Scope is organized into different areas that will be relevant and motivating for children learning such as block areas, dress up areas, kitchen areas, book areas, rest areas, art areas, etc. All areas are all labeled in a way so the children can understand for example pictures of different items. I think this a good way to support early literacy. The materials are selected by the teachers so they are well organized and also labeled with pictures, photographs, or real objects. Materials are available all the time to children. The use of time is very effective in the High/Scope Curriculum. There is a time for planning which lat 10-15 minutes and the work time is approximately 45-60 minutes. 10 minutes to recall, 15 to 20 minutes small group time, 10 to 15 minutes large group time and finally 30 minutes of outside time. The time frame allows teachers to cover all sequences of the daily routine. It will also allow children to have consistency in their routine. In the High/Scope Curriculum, educators play an important role. They are responsible of setting up the environment, providing appropriate materials that are age and developmentally appropriate. They are also there to work alongside with children, encourage, guide, and support them in the learning. Educators use quality tools to observe children on a daily basis and also maintain a relationship between childrens family and the program. Finally, I will say that the way teachers conduct themselves in the High/Scope environment give children opportunities to build relationship with adult and school friends, in order to build confidence and self esteem. Assessment Assessment is very essential in the High/Scope Curriculum. Educators use the Child Observation Record to measure children development and growth. Educators take anecdotal notes at a daily basis to record the children activities and behavior while playing. The assessments help teachers and directors to measure the quality of the program. Quality of a program includes the learning environment, adult child interaction, daily routine, curriculum planning, assessment, parents involvement, teachers qualifications, and development and program management. Learning environment, is it inviting for children to learn? Is the space well arranged and are the materials appropriate for age level? Are there different segments in the daily routine that show what is coming next, planning has to be well balanced to meet learning goals and objectives. Are the children assessed with the right tools? Is the learning environment inviting and open for families to be involved in their childrens learning? Do teachers have some training to improve and update their skills? Is the program management supportive of the staff for professional development, dealing with stress related to work and offers some type of appreciation and recognition to teachers. Assessment is vital, it help improve the work environment for children and teachers. Documentation Documentation is very important in the High/Scope environment because it provides educators with a lot of hands on that they can utilize to improve their work, to keep families informed of their children work or progress. Documentation can also be used to provide community/social workers some information that can help in needed situations. Documentation goes from Child Observation Record, photographs, portfolio childrens work to a recording material. Documentation is a valuable tool and can be used as proven facts all the time if well kept. However every documentation should be personal to every child, confidential and can be used cautiously. ELECT Principles/Curriculum Model: High Scope 1.) Early Childhood Development sets the foundation for lifelong learning, behavior and health In the High/Scope Curriculum, children are given the opportunity to make choices, be responsible for their choices and think about it in the plan-do-review process. By allowing children to do so, they are learning important skills like communication with others, sharing ideas and critical thinking, and confidence. Those skills will be used throughout their life. 2.) Partnership with families and communities strengthen the ability of early childhood setting to meet the needs of going children Parents/families are welcome in the program to ask theyre children are doing. They can access their childrens art work, portfolios, progress, or any other issues. Parents provide support to children and by the way to teachers. Parents involvement helps their children and facilitates learning process. 3.) Demonstration of respect for diversity, equity, and inclusion are prerequisites for optimal development and learning. High/Scope Curriculum is open to all children including special needs children. Children are respected as a whole individual for the choices and ideas Parents and families involvement in the program can be used as a learning opportunity. Example: Art, dance, cooking project, song, form other cultures. In a learning program, respect for diversity equity, and inclusion are important to integrate while planning and implementing because it gives a child a sense of recognition, confidence and self-esteem. 4.) A planned curriculum supports early learning. In the High/Scope setting, teachers set up the environment depending on childrens interests Observations are done to assess childrens learning and growth. The plan-do-review process allows educators/children to have a feedback of their work, and this can be used to see what works or did not work. 5.) Play is a means to early learning that capitalizes on childrens natural curiosity and exuberance. In the High/Scope Curriculum, play takes very important place. Children experience new skills through play and play requires manipulation, exploration, and achievement. Educators support children in their play, ask questions to help or increase childrens learning, add more challenges to it, and also help children in problem solving approach. Educators also play alongside with children. Play is the main activity of childhood and we cannot separate play from children because I considerate play as 1st learning tool for children. 6.) Knowledgeable, responsible early childhood professional are essential Educators observe children at a regular basis to identify their needs, level of learning, and growth. Educators organize the environment and materials that are age appropriate for children. Educators work in small/big group with children depending of the activity. By working in a small, teachers get to know better and identify their needs. Educators support childrens learning and behavior with positive guidance. Teachers assess children learning as well their own performance. Educators maintain a relationship with families and community/social services Knowledge and experiences in the fields are needed to perform effectively in the program. Recommendations 1.) Its important to give opportunity to children to explore their environment and build knowledge around it. 2.) Maintain a relationship with parent by sending whether weekly newspaper, asses their childrens wok and parents/teachers meetings. 3.) Integrate diverse cultures and values in the classroom. Take time to assist children with special needs so they can effectively integrate into the learning environment. 4.) High/scope curriculum requires a large input that takes time. 5.) It will be hard to put in place a long project with children. Conclusion The High/Scope Curriculum is a very effective curriculum that provides a clear, concise, and constructive learning environment and learning tools for children. Its also interesting to see how children take care of their own learning with teachers support and build relationship that gives them confidence and helps them develop their self-esteem. From my research, I think the High/Scope Curriculum is beneficial for children today and will allow them to succeed in the future.

Nursing Instructor Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

Nursing Instructor PHYSICAL HISTORY: My clinical rotation was at St. Francis Hospital on the orthopedic/medical-surgical floor, 5-1. I was assigned JB for a patient 10/7 and 10/8. He was one day post-op from an elective bilateral knee arthroplasty. JB is a 69 year old Caucasian male who stands 6 feet tall and weighs 251 pounds. He has a history of hypertension, benign prostatic hyperplasia, degenerative joint disease, and renal calculi. Medications taken at home: Nifedipine 60 mg. QD to manage his hypertension and nonsteriodal anti-inflammatories for the DJD. JB's major problem is the degenerative joint disease (DJD) also referred to as osteoarthritis. According to Colodny, more than 50 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis and nearly everyone 50 years of age or older is afflicted with one or more of its classic symptoms. "Symptoms include joint pain, stiffness, and limited range of motion." (Lewis et al. 1896) "DJD is a slowly progressive disorder of mobile joints, particularly weight-bearing articulations, and is characterized by degeneration of articular cartilage."(lewis et al. 1896) "In the afflicted joint, the connective tissue (cartilage) that cushions the ends of the bone degenerates and allows the bones to rub together. This bone-to-bone contact can be extremely painful." (Colodny, 24) JB recalled his knee difficulties beginning in early adolescence. He had no specific injury, but the discomfort began a few months after he became involved in athletics. His surgical history consists of two knee operations. The first surgery was at age 16 and the second was several years later. He has been treated frequently over the years for this problem. Recently the number of physician's visits has increased ... ...zed manner. My interventions were appropriate and corresponded with the overall medical team's approach in caring for this patient. A considerable amount of time went into establishing a trusting nurse/patient relationship. That enabled me along with the patient to develop a workable nursing care plan and have a valuable learning experience. Works Cited Lewis, S. M., I. C. Collier. and M.M. Heitkemper. Medical-Surgical Nursing. St. Louis:Mosby, 1996. Potter, P. A., and A.G. Ferry. Fundamentals of Nursing. Missouri: Mosby. 1997. Yandrich. terry J. "Preventing Infection in Total Joint Replacement Surgery" OrthoPaedic Nursing. March/April, 1995:15-19. Kasmot, Keith. "Catching Deep Vein Thrombosis in Time" Nursing. October, 1994:34-42. Colodny, L., and W. Minale. "Osteoarthritis -is there relief in sight?" Better Nutrition. June, 1997:24.

Fool Chapter 12

TWELVE A KING'S ROAD Having set the course of events in motion, I wonder now if my training to be a nun, and my polished skills at telling jokes, juggling, and singing songs fully qualify me to start a war. I have so often been the instrument of the whims of others, not even a pawn at court, merely an accoutrement to the king or his daughters. An amusing ornament. A tiny reminder of conscience and humanity, tempered with enough humor so it can be dismissed, laughed off, ignored. Perhaps there is a reason that there is no fool piece on the chessboard. What action, a fool? What strategy, a fool? What use, a fool? Ah, but a fool resides in a deck of cards, a joker, sometimes two. Of no worth, of course. No real purpose. The appearance of a trump, but none of the power. Simply an instrument of chance. Only a dealer may give value to the joker. Make him wild, make him trump. Is the dealer Fate? God? The king? A ghost? Witches? The anchoress spoke of the cards in the tarot, forbidden and pagan as they were. We had no cards, but she would describe them for me, and I drew their images on the stones of the antechamber in charcoal. â€Å"The fool's number is zero,† she said, â€Å"but that's because he represents the infinite possibility of all things. He may become anything. See, he carries all of his possessions in a bundle on his back. He is ready for anything, to go anywhere, to become whatever he needs to be. Don't count out the fool, Pocket, simply because his number is zero.† Did she know where I was heading, or do her words only have meaning to me now, as I, the zero, the nothing, seek to move nations? War? I couldn't see the appeal. Drunk, and dire of mood one night, Lear mused of war when I suggested that what he needed to cast off his dark aspect was a good wenching. â€Å"Oh, Pocket, I am too old, and the joy of a fuck withers with my limbs. Only a good killing can still boil lust in my blood. And one will not do, either. Kill me a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand on my command – rivers of blood running through the fields – that's what pumps fire into a man's lance.† â€Å"Oh,† said I. â€Å"I was going to fetch Shanker Mary for you from the laundry, but ten thousand dead and rivers of blood might be a bit beyond her talents, majesty.† â€Å"No, thank you, good Pocket, I shall sit and slide slowly and sadly into oblivion.† â€Å"Or,† said I, â€Å"I could put a bucket on Drool's head and beat him with a sack of beets until the floor is splattered crimson while Shanker Mary gives you a proper tug to accentuate the gore.† â€Å"No, fool, there is no pretending to war.† â€Å"What's Wales doing, majesty? We could invade the Welsh, perpetrate enough slaughter to raise your spirits, and have you back for tea and toast.† â€Å"Wales is ours now, lad.† â€Å"Oh bugger. What's your feeling on attacking North Kensington, then?† â€Å"Kensington's not a mile away. Practically in our own bailey.† â€Å"Aye, nuncle, that's the beauty of it, they'd never see it coming. Like a hot blade through butter, we'd be. We could hear the widows and orphans wailing from the castle walls – like a horny lullaby for you.† â€Å"I should think not. I'm not attacking neighborhoods of London to amuse myself, Pocket. What kind of tyrant do you think me?† â€Å"Oh, above average, sire. Well above bloody average.† â€Å"I'll have you speak no more of war, fool. You've too sweet a nature for such dastardly pursuits.† Too sweet? Moi? Methinks the art of war was made for fools, and fools for war. Kensington trembled that night. On the road to Gloucester I let my anger wane and tried to comfort the old king as best I could by lending him a sympathetic ear and a gentle word when he needed it. â€Å"You simple, sniveling old toss-beast! What did you expect to happen when you put the care of your half-rotted carcass in the talons of that carrion bird of a daughter?† (I may have had some residual anger.) â€Å"But I gave her half my kingdom.† â€Å"And she gave you half the truth in return, when she told you she loved you all.† The old man hung his head and his white hair fell in his face. We sat on stones by the fire. A tent was set in the wood nearby for the king's comfort, as there was no manor house in this northern county for him to take refuge. The rest of us would sleep outside in the cold. â€Å"Wait, fool, until we are under the roof of my second daughter,† said Lear. â€Å"Regan was always the sweet one, she will not be so shabby in her gratitude.† I had no heart to chide the old man any more. Expecting kindness from Regan was hope sung in the key of madness. Always the sweet one? Regan? I think not. My second week in the castle I found young Regan and Goneril in one of the king's solars, teasing little Cordelia, passing a kitten the little one had taken a fancy to over her head, taunting her. â€Å"Oh, come get the kitty,† said Regan. â€Å"Be careful, lest it fly out the window.† Regan pretended she might throw the terrified little cat out the window, and as Cordelia ran, arms stretched out to grab the kitten, Regan reeled and tossed the kitten to Goneril, who swung the kitten toward another window. â€Å"Oh, look, Cordy, she'll be drowned in the moat, just like your traitor mother,† said Goneril. â€Å"Nooooooo!† wailed Cordelia. She was nearly breathless from running sister to sister after the kitten. I stood in the doorway, stunned at their cruelty. The chamberlain had told me that Cordelia's mother, Lear's third queen, had been accused of treason and banished three years before. No one knew exactly the circumstances of the crime, but there were rumors that she had been practicing the old religion, others that she had committed adultery. All the chamberlain knew for sure was that the queen had been taken from the tower in the dead of night, and from that time until my arrival at the castle, Cordelia had not uttered a coherent syllable. â€Å"Drowned as a witch, she was,† said Regan, snatching the kitten out of the air. But this time the little kitten's claws found royal flesh. â€Å"Ow! You little shit!† Regan tossed the kitten out the window. Cordelia loosed an ear-shattering scream. Without thinking I dived through the window after the cat and caught the braided cord with my feet as I flew through. I caught the kitten about five feet below the window as the cord burned between my ankles. Not having thought the move completely through, I hadn't counted on how to catch myself, kitten in hand, when the cord slammed me into the tower wall. The cord tightened around my right ankle. I took the impact on that shoulder and bounced while I watched my coxcomb flutter like a wounded bird to the moat below. I tucked the kitten into my doublet, then climbed back up the cord and in through the window. â€Å"Lovely day for a constitutional, don't you think, ladies?† The three of them all stood with their mouths hanging open, the older sisters had backed against the walls of the solar. â€Å"You lot look like you could use some air,† said I. I took the kitten from my doublet and held it out to Cordelia. â€Å"Kitty's had quite an adventure. Perhaps you should take her to her mum for a nap.† Cordelia took the kitten from me and ran out of the room. â€Å"We can have you beheaded, fool,† said Regan, shaking off her shock. â€Å"Anytime we want,† said Goneril, with less conviction than her sister. â€Å"Shall I send in a maid to tie back the tapestry, mum?† I asked, with a grand wave to the tapestry I'd loosed from the wall when I leapt. â€Å"Uh, yes, do that,† commanded Regan. â€Å"This instant!† â€Å"This instant,† barked Goneril. â€Å"Right away, mum.† And with a grin and a bow, I was gone from the room. I made my way down the spiral stairs clinging to the wall, lest my heart give out and send me tumbling. Cordelia stood at the bottom of the stairs, cradling the kitten, looking up at me as if I were Jesus, Zeus, and St. George all back from a smashing day of dragon slaying. Her eyes were unnaturally wide and she appeared to have stopped breathing. Bloody awe, I suppose. â€Å"Stop staring like that, lamb, it's disturbing. People will think you've a chicken bone caught in your throat.† â€Å"Thank you,† she said, with a great, shoulder-shaking sob. I patted her head. â€Å"You're welcome, love. Now run along, Pocket has to fish his hat from the moat and then go to the kitchen and drink until his hands stop shaking or he drowns in his own sick, whichever comes first.† She backed away to let me pass, never taking her eyes from mine. It had been thus since the night I arrived at the tower – when her mind first crept out from whatever dark place it had been living before my arrival – those wide, crystal-blue eyes looking at me with unblinking wonder. The child could be right creepy. â€Å"Do not make yourself a maid to surprise, nuncle,† said I. I held the reins of my and the king's horse as they drank from an ice-laced stream some hundred miles north of Gloucester. â€Å"Regan is a treasure to be sure, but she may have the same mind as her sister. Although they will deny it, it's often been the case.† â€Å"I cannot think it so,† said the king. â€Å"Regan will receive us with open arms.† There was a racket behind us and the king turned. â€Å"Ah, what is this?† A gaily painted wagon was coming out of the wood toward us. Several of the knights reached for swords or lances. Captain Curan waved for them to stand at ease. â€Å"Mummers, sire,† said the Captain. â€Å"Aye,† said Lear, â€Å"I forgot, the Yule is nearly on us. They'll be going to Gloucester as well, I'll wager, to play for the Yule feast. Pocket, go tell them that we grant them safe passage and they may follow our train under our protection.† The wagon creaked to a stop. Happening upon a train of fifty knights and attendants in the countryside would put any performer on guard. The man driving the wagon stood at the reins and waved. He wore a grand purple hat with a white plume in it. I leapt the narrow stream, and made my way up the road. When the driver saw my motley he smiled. I, too, smiled, in relief – this was not the cruel master from my own days as a mummer. â€Å"Hail, fool, what finds you so far from court and castle?† â€Å"I carry my court with me and my castle lies ahead, sirrah.† â€Å"Carry your court? Then that white-haired old man is – â€Å" â€Å"Aye, King Lear himself.† â€Å"Then you are the famous Black Fool.† â€Å"At your bloody service,† said I, with a bow. â€Å"You're smaller than in the stories,† said the big-hatted weasel. â€Å"Aye, and your hat is an ocean in which your wit wanders like a lost plague ship.† The mummer laughed. â€Å"You give me more than my due, sirrah. We trade not in wit like you, wily fool. We are thespians!† With that, three young men and a girl stepped out from behind the wagon and bowed gracefully and with far too much flourish than was called for. â€Å"Thesbians,† said they, in chorus. I tipped my coxcomb. â€Å"Well, I enjoy a lick of the lily from time to time myself,† said I, â€Å"but it's hardly something you want to paint on the side of a wagon.† â€Å"Not lesbians,† said the girl, â€Å"thesbians. We are actors.† â€Å"Oh,† said I. â€Å"That's different.† â€Å"Aye,† said big hat. â€Å"We've no need of wit – the play's the thing, you see. Not a word passes our lips that hasn't been chewed thrice and spat out by a scribe.† â€Å"Unburdened by originality are we,† said an actor in a red waistcoat. The girl said, â€Å"Although we do bear the cross of fabulously shiny hair – â€Å" â€Å"Blank slates, we are,† said another of the actors. â€Å"We are mere appendages of the pen, so to speak,† said big hat. â€Å"Yeah, you're a bloody appendage, all right,† I said under my breath. â€Å"Well, actors then. Smashing. The king has bade me tell you that he grants you safe passage to Gloucester and offers his protection.† â€Å"Oh my,† said big hat. â€Å"We are only going as far as Birmingham, but I suppose we could double back from Gloucester if his majesty wishes us to perform.† â€Å"No,† said I. â€Å"Please, do pass through and on to Birmingham. The king would never impede the progress of artists.† â€Å"You're certain?† said big hat. â€Å"We've been rehearsing a classic from antiquity, Green Eggs and Hamlet, the story of a young prince of Denmark who goes mad, drowns his girlfriend, and in his remorse, forces spoiled breakfast on all whom he meets. It was pieced together from fragments of an ancient Merican manuscript.† â€Å"No,† said I. â€Å"I think it will be too esoteric for the king. He is old and nods off during long performances.† â€Å"Shame,† said big hat. â€Å"A moving piece. Let me do a selection for you. ‘Green eggs, or not green eggs? That is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to eat them in a box, with a fox – ‘† â€Å"Stop!† said I. â€Å"Go now, and quickly. War has come to the land and rumor has it that as soon as they've finished with the lawyers, they're going to kill all the actors.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Aye,† I nodded most sincerely. â€Å"Quick, on to Birmingham, before you are slaughtered.† â€Å"Everyone jump on,† said big hat, and the actors did as directed. â€Å"Fare thee well, fool!† Then he snapped the reins and drove off, the wagon's wheels bouncing in the ruts of the road. Lear's train parted and watched as the team pulled the wagon by at a gallop. â€Å"What was that?† asked Lear when I returned. â€Å"Wagonload of knobs,† said I. â€Å"Why do they hurry, so?† â€Å"We commanded it so, nuncle. Half their troupe is ill with fever. We want them nowhere near your men.† â€Å"Oh, good show, then, lad. I thought you might be missing the life and were going to join their troupe.† I shuddered at the thought. It had been a cold December day like this when I'd first come to the White Tower with my mummer troupe. We were decidedly not thespians, but singers, jugglers, and acrobats, and I a special asset because I could do all three. Our master was a crooked Belgian named Belette, who bought me from Mother Basil for ten shillings and the promise to feed me. He spoke Dutch, French, and a very broken English, so I don't know how he managed to secure the White Tower for a performance that Christmas, but I was told later that the troupe that was supposed to have performed had suddenly taken ill with stomach cramps and I suspect that Belette poisoned them. I had been with Belette for months, and except for the beatings and cold nights sleeping under a wagon, I had received little but my daily bread, the occasional cup of wine, and the skills of knife-throwing and sleight of hand as it could be applied to purse cutting. We were led into the great hall at the tower, which was filled with nobles reveling and feasting on platters of food such as I had never seen. King Lear sat at the center of the main table, flanked by two beautiful girls about my age, who I would later find out were Regan and Goneril. Beside Regan sat Gloucester, his wife, and their son Edgar. The intrepid Kent sat on the other side next to Goneril. Under that table, at Lear's feet, a little girl was curled up, watching the celebration – wide-eyed, like a frightened animal, clinging to a rag doll. I must confess, I thought the child might be deaf or even simpleminded. We performed for perhaps two hours, singing songs of the saints during dinner, then moving on to bawdier fare as the wine flowed and the guests loosened their hold on propriety. By late in the evening everyone was laughing, the guests were dancing with the performers, and even the commoners who lived in the castle had joined the party, but the little girl remained under the table, making not a sound. Not a smile, not an eyebrow raised in delight. There was light there behind those crystal-blue eyes – this was not a simpleton – but she seemed to be staring out of them from afar. I crawled under the table and sat next to her. She barely acknowledged my presence. I leaned in close and nodded toward Belette, who stood by a column near the center of the hall, leering lecherously at the young girls who frolicked about him. I could see the little girl spied the scoundrel, too. Ever so softly, I sang a little song the anchoress had taught me, with the lyrics changed a bit to adapt to the situation. â€Å"Belette was a rat, was a rat, was a rat, was a rat, Belette was a rat, was a rat, was a rat, was a rat, Belette was a rat who ate his tail.† And the little girl pulled back and looked at me, as if to see if I had really sung such a thing. And I sang on: â€Å"Belette was a rat, was a rat, was a rat, Belette was a rat, was a rat, was a rat, Belette was a rat, who drowned in a pail.† And the little girl cackled – a broken, little-girl yodel of a laugh that rang of innocence and joy and delight. I sang on, and ever so softly, she sang with me, â€Å"Belette was a rat, was a rat, was a rat, Belette was a rat – â€Å" And we were no longer alone under the table. There was another pair of crystal-blue eyes, and behind them a white-haired king. The old king smiled and squeezed my biceps. And before the other guests noticed that the king was under the table, he sat back up on his throne, but he reached down and lay a hand across the little girl's shoulder and the other upon mine. It was a hand reached across a vast chasm of reality – from the highest position of ruler of the realm, to a lowborn orphan boy who slept in the mud under a wagon. I thought it must have been how a knight felt when the king's sword touched his shoulder, elevating him to nobility. â€Å"Was a rat, was a rat, was a rat,† we sang. When the party died down and noble guests hung drunk over the tables, the servants piled onto the floor before the fire, Belette began to move among the revelers and tap each of his performers, calling them to gather by the door. I had fallen asleep under the table, and the little girl against my arm. He pulled me up by my hair. â€Å"You did nothing all night. I watched.† I knew there was a beating in store for when we got back to the wagon, and I was prepared for it. At least I had eaten some supper at the feast. But as Belette turned to drag me away he stopped, abruptly. I looked up to see the master frozen in space, a sword-point pressed into his cheek just below his eye. He let go of my hair. â€Å"Good thought,† said Kent, the old bull, pulling his sword back, but holding it steadily aimed, a hand's breadth from Belette's eye. There was a sound of coin on the table and Belette couldn't help but look down, even at the peril of his life. A doeskin purse as big as a man's fist lay before him. The chamberlain, a tall, severe chap who looked perpetually down his nose, stood beside Kent. He said, â€Å"Your payment, plus ten pounds, which you shall accept as payment for this boy.† â€Å"But – † said Belette. â€Å"You are a word from your mortality, sirrah,† said Lear. â€Å"Do go on.† He sat straight and regal on his throne, one hand pressed to the cheek of the little girl, who had awakened and was clinging to his leg. Belette took the purse, bowed deeply, and backed across the hall. The other mummers of my troupe bowed and followed him out. â€Å"What is your name, boy?† asked Lear. â€Å"Pocket, your majesty.† â€Å"Well, then, Pocket, do you see this child?† â€Å"Yes, majesty.† â€Å"Her name is Cordelia. She is our youngest daughter, and henceforth shall be your mistress. You have one duty above all, Pocket. That is to make her happy.† â€Å"Yes, majesty.† â€Å"Take him to Bubble,† said the king. â€Å"Have her feed and bathe him, then find him new clothes.† Back on the road to Gloucester, Lear said, â€Å"So, what is your will, Pocket? Would you be a traveling mummer again – trade the comfort of the castle for the adventure of the road?† â€Å"Apparently, I have, nuncle,† said I. We camped at the stream, which froze over during the night. The old man sat shivering by the fire with his rich fur cloak wrapped around him; the garment so full and the man so slight that it appeared he was being consumed by a slow but well-groomed beast. Only his white beard and the hawk nose were visible outside the cloak – two stars of fire shone back in the cape creature, his eyes. Snow fell around us in great wet orgies of flakes, and my own woolen cloak, which I'd pulled over my head, was sodden. â€Å"Have I been so unfit as a father that my daughters would turn on me so?† asked Lear. Why, now, did he choose to stare into the dark barrel of his soul, when he'd been content all these years to simply scoop out his desires and let the consequences wash over whomever they may? Bloody inopportune time for introspection, after you've given away the roof over your head. But I did not say so. â€Å"What would I know of proper fathering, sire? I had no father nor mother. I was reared by the Church, and I'd not give a hot squirt of piss for the lot of them.† â€Å"Poor boy,† said the king. â€Å"As long as I live, you shall have father and family.† I would have pointed out that he had himself declared his crawl to the grave commenced, and that given his performance with his daughters, I might do better to go forth an orphan, but the old man had rescued me from the life of a slave and wanderer, and given me a home in the palace, with friends and, I suppose, family of a sort. So I said, â€Å"Thank you, majesty.† The old man sighed heavily and said, â€Å"None of my three queens ever loved me.† â€Å"Oh, for fuck's sake, Lear, I'm a jester, not a bloody wizard. If you're going to keep diving into the muck of your regrets then I'll just hold your sword for you and you can see if you can get your ancient ass moving enough to fall on the pointy part so we can both get some bloody peace.† Lear laughed then – twisted old oak that he was – and patted my shoulder. â€Å"I could ask nothing more of a son than he give me laughter in my despair. I'm off to bed. Sleep in my tent, tonight, Pocket, out of the cold.† â€Å"Aye, sire.† I was touched by the old man's kindness, I cannot deny it. The old man tottered over to his tent. One of the pages had been carrying hot stones into the tent for an hour and I felt the heat rush out as the king ducked inside. â€Å"I'll be in after I've had a wee,† said I. I walked to the edge of the fire's light and beside a great bare elm was relieving myself when a blue light shimmered in the forest before me. â€Å"Well, that's a woolly tuft of lamb wank,† said a woman's voice, just as the girl ghost stepped out from behind the tree upon which I was weeing. â€Å"God's balls, wisp, I've almost peed on you!† â€Å"Careful, fool,† said the ghost, looking frighteningly solid now – just a tad translucent – snowflakes were passing through her. But I was not frightened. â€Å"Warm thy grateful heart, In the king's family, But for his royal crimes, You'd not an orphan be.† â€Å"That's it?† I asked. â€Å"Rhymes and riddles? Still?† â€Å"All you need for now,† said the ghost. â€Å"I saw the witches,† said I. â€Å"They seemed to know you.† â€Å"Aye,† said the ghost. â€Å"There's dark deeds afoot at Gloucester, fool. Don't lose sight.† â€Å"Sight of what?† But she was gone, and I was standing in the woods, my willie in my hand, talking to a tree. On to Gloucester in the morning, and I'd see what I was not to lose sight of. Or some such nonsense. Cornwall's and Regan's flags flew over the battlements alongside Gloucester's, showing they had already arrived. Castle Gloucester was a bundle of towers surrounded by a lake on three sides and by a wide moat at the front – no outer curtain wall like the White Tower or Albany, no bailey, just a small front courtyard and a gatehouse that protected the entrance. The city wall, on the land side of the castle, provided the outer defenses for stables and barracks. As we approached, a trumpet sounded from the wall announcing us. Drool came running across the drawbridge, his arms held high. â€Å"Pocket, Pocket, where have you been? My friend! My friend!† I was greatly relieved to see him alive, but the great, simple bear pulled me from my horse and hugged me until I could barely breathe, dancing me in a circle, my feet flying in the air as if I was a doll. â€Å"Stop licking, Drool, you lout, you'll wear my hair off.† I clouted the oaf on the back with Jones and he yowled. â€Å"Ouch. Don't hit, Pocket.† He dropped me and crouched, hugging himself as if he were his own comforting mother, which he may have been, for all I know. I saw red-brown stains on his shirt back, and so lifted it to see the cause. â€Å"Oh, lad, what has happened to you?† My voice broke, tears tried to push out of my eyes, and I gasped. The muscular slab of Drool's back was nearly devoid of skin – his hide had been torn and scabbed over and torn again by a vicious lash. â€Å"I've missed you most awful,† said Drool. â€Å"Aye, me too, but how happened these stripes?† â€Å"Lord Edmund says I am an insult to nature and must be punished.† Edmund. Bastard.