Microbial Physiology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Microbial Physiology - Essay Example This lag phase needed for organism to switch over to new carbon source (lactose). Utilization of glucose and lactose is tightly regulated at gene level. All the genes which are necessary for lactose utilization are arranged in sequence called Lac operon which is regulated by catabolic repression. The following events happen during overall process. -High level of glucose leads to higher energy production and hence higher ATP and lower AMP. In this scenario there is no free cAMP which binds with CAP( activator protein which facilitates RNA polymerase binding to promoter of Lac operon)and hence there is no expression of the downstream genes. -In case of lactose, there is high level of cAMP which binds with CAP and induces the expression of Lac operon. Similarly allolactose binds to repressor protein and inhibits its binding to operator site leads to expression of lac operon. b) Here if we closely look at the data and compare the viable count of aerobic culture it indicates reduction of 1.3X105 cfu/ml when bottle heated at 80C for 10 min. Similarly, for untreated bottle anaerobic viable count is 1.22X105 cfu/ml and if heating have similar effect than there will be complete killing of anaerobic bacteria and we will not get any viable count.

Review of Continental Airlines organizational structure Essay Example for Free

Review of Continental Airlines organizational structure Essay 1.Does the organizational design of this corporation help or hinder it in achieving its organizational goals? Continental Airlines utilizes a divisional structure relative to the management of its various entities. This structural design is due to the complex nature of the aviation industry as well as the autonomy required in operating a twenty-four hour a day, seven day per week worldwide business. In my opinion, the structural design of this organization with the exception of Continental Express and Continental Micronesia can really not be structured in any other way, and therefore should be considered helpful. The airline business is an incredibly tough business as it is. The costs of operations in relation to profit per passenger mile are very low. This airline and its management team have emerged from bankruptcy and now fly the newest fleet of aircraft in the sky today. Chairman and CEO Gordon Bethune with his years of experience in the aviation industry have afforded the opportunity for Continental to receive more awards for customer satisfaction than any other airline. Obviously, this is a far cry from the pre-bankruptcy days of this airline which now proudly stands as an industry leader. (No, I do not work, nor have I ever worked in the airline industry). The organizational structures leadership includes various notables that have grown up within the industry filling various leadership positions for other airlines. It seems as though Mr. Bethune has installed an incredibly capable team to steer this company into the future. I carved out Continental Express and Micronesia since they are basically licensed businesses that fly under the Continental flag. Their existence within the Continental family does provide routes to smaller and far-eastern destinations but are independently managed and therefore not considered (by me) as anything more than a profit center on the organizational chart. 2.If you were to change this organization, what issues would you need to consider and why? What would be the advantages and disadvantages of organizational change? If I had the ability and experience to effect change for this organization, the first issue I would consider would be consolidation of the airlines in  general. I address this issue because I do not necessarily feel that consolidation is all that its cracked up to be. Bigger airlines mean bigger bureaucracy and smaller profit potential. Both of these translate to decreased customer satisfaction as well as the potential for employee dissatisfaction. Mr. Bethune prides himself in being one of the people, he is often seen walking in the terminal, shaking hands and recognizing employees for doing an outstanding job. As a rated company pilot, he is also seen on the flight deck of the occasional 757 or 777. It is hard to imagine how the current structure could be improved beyond what it already is. He is leading by example as a leader should. Should airline consolidation continue, the main advantage would be for the traveling public. The customer could potentially book a trip around the world simply by calling the Continental reservation line. Until that customer shows up for the trip to commence, he may not even realize that hes not even on a Continental flight. Thats the beauty of being big. The trip might be made up of legs flown by Northwest connecting to Varig connecting to Delta connecting to Qantas, etc. This seamless travel experience for the customer should be considered as an upside to consolidation. The main disadvantage might possibly be that the customer has no idea who to call when things go wrong. He might be stranded in a foreign land after his connection with China Airlines cancelled and hes not sure of whom to contact to get back on track. The second issue I might consider would be mandatory retirement of pilots once they reach their sixtieth birthday. Organizationally, this federally mandated policy weakens the organization. My best and most experienced pilots are being forced out of my company. If this policy is unchangeable, I must find a way to keep this incredible resource happy and employed in some form or fashion that augments my existing infrastructure. This disadvantage to my organization structure is a hurdle that is out of my control but directly affects the bottom line relative to people and organizational power. Reference: www.continental.com/company/investor.governance.asp

Caring for the Mentally Ill Essay examples -- Health Care, Diseases

Policy Problem: Caring for the Mentally Ill The healthcare system, as a whole, faces many challenges when caring for vulnerable populations. Included in this population are individuals suffering from mental illness. More than 450 million people suffer from a mental health condition (WHO, 2010). Mental health and suicide prevention should be made national priorities. With the lack of resources and public knowledge of this population, healthcare providers are struck with the difficult task of educating the public of the importance of â€Å"mental health for overall health.† Public attitudes, and the stigma attached with mental illness, is a major barrier to treatment. Those suffering from mental illness are deprived of the treatment and support they need due to low self-esteem and feelings of hopelessness, derived from the stigma attached by the public. Poor mental health is associated with exclusion from social groups, difficult work environments, unhealthy lifestyles, risk of violence and poor physical health, and viol ations of human rights (WHO, 2010). Access to quality care is lacking, as well as, early mental health screenings and referrals, which should be made a common practice. More research in this area is critical, along with, improved quality of care for mental health. Background SOCIAL FACTORS Individuals living with severe mental illness accounted for 9.8 million adults in the year 2008. Among these, 58.7 percent used mental health services, 40.5 percent received outpatient services, and a little over seven percent received inpatient services for a mental health problem (Addiction and Mental Health Treatment Center, 2009). Globally, there is a chance that one out of four people will experience some kind of mental heal... ...eloping mental illness being high, the need for care is growing. Access to adequate care is an issue for individuals needing mental health services. Lack of, or late treatment, has resulted in a large number of suicides. High cost of coverage for mental illness has been an issue until the pass of the mental health parity act. Other bills and policies have been proposed to benefit those with a mental disorder in order get the care they deserve. The goal is to reduce the stigma with seeking treatment for mental health disorders, to promote health to the younger population with expanded school programs, to treat mental health with the same respect as physical health, and to do early screenings for mental health disorders and substance abuse. Individuals with mental disorders deserve access to quality care. After all, there is no overall health without mental health. Caring for the Mentally Ill Essay examples -- Health Care, Diseases Policy Problem: Caring for the Mentally Ill The healthcare system, as a whole, faces many challenges when caring for vulnerable populations. Included in this population are individuals suffering from mental illness. More than 450 million people suffer from a mental health condition (WHO, 2010). Mental health and suicide prevention should be made national priorities. With the lack of resources and public knowledge of this population, healthcare providers are struck with the difficult task of educating the public of the importance of â€Å"mental health for overall health.† Public attitudes, and the stigma attached with mental illness, is a major barrier to treatment. Those suffering from mental illness are deprived of the treatment and support they need due to low self-esteem and feelings of hopelessness, derived from the stigma attached by the public. Poor mental health is associated with exclusion from social groups, difficult work environments, unhealthy lifestyles, risk of violence and poor physical health, and viol ations of human rights (WHO, 2010). Access to quality care is lacking, as well as, early mental health screenings and referrals, which should be made a common practice. More research in this area is critical, along with, improved quality of care for mental health. Background SOCIAL FACTORS Individuals living with severe mental illness accounted for 9.8 million adults in the year 2008. Among these, 58.7 percent used mental health services, 40.5 percent received outpatient services, and a little over seven percent received inpatient services for a mental health problem (Addiction and Mental Health Treatment Center, 2009). Globally, there is a chance that one out of four people will experience some kind of mental heal... ...eloping mental illness being high, the need for care is growing. Access to adequate care is an issue for individuals needing mental health services. Lack of, or late treatment, has resulted in a large number of suicides. High cost of coverage for mental illness has been an issue until the pass of the mental health parity act. Other bills and policies have been proposed to benefit those with a mental disorder in order get the care they deserve. The goal is to reduce the stigma with seeking treatment for mental health disorders, to promote health to the younger population with expanded school programs, to treat mental health with the same respect as physical health, and to do early screenings for mental health disorders and substance abuse. Individuals with mental disorders deserve access to quality care. After all, there is no overall health without mental health.

Educational psychology Essay

1. Understand the principles and requirements of assessment. 1. 1. Explain the function of assessment in learning and development. Lambert and Lines (2000) define assessment as â€Å"the process of gathering, interpreting, recording, and using information about pupils’ responses to educational tasks. † While this is an acceptable definition of assessment (as regards an educational definition), Graham Butt (Into Teaching: Part 2) expands on this definition by proposing that assessment has four main roles within teaching and learning. Firstly, it provides feedback to teachers and students about each child’s progress in order to shape their future learning (a formative role). This is very similar to the diagnostic role of assessment in pin-pointing the precise cause of a child’s difficulty. The second role of assessment is that it provides information about the level of students’ achievements at a particular point, for example at the end of a school year or at the end of a Key Stage (a summative role). The third role of assessment is as a tool by which selection by qualification can be achieved (a certification role). Finally, assessment helps people to judge the effectiveness of the education system as a while (an evaluation role). Prior to the work of Black and Wiliam (1998) very little was known about the formative role of assessment within teaching and learning, and it was clear that by 1997 the assessment emphasis within England and Wales was clearly focused on the function of assessment in learning and development is primarily to provide a measurable barometer for the students’ progress. see more:explain the importance of gaining consent when providing care or support The key to effective practice is to be able to work out what a child’s specific needs are at one time, and to find ways of creating opportunities for them to succeed (Moyles and Robinson, 2002:281). Assessment is carried out through formative (checks throughout the course), impassive (to test against previous marks), and/ or summative (at end of course) activities to help the learner see their development whilst allowing the Assessor to give valuable feedback when appropriate. Its purpose is to measure the learners understanding of the subject against the anticipated outcomes set by the criteria. For example, assessment provides clear measurement and recording of achievement during a course that provides identification of individual achievement or learners’ needs. I have found that by creating quizzes on socrative. com and/ or google forms that I can capture formative evidence of learners understanding of a task prior to the assessment deadline so I can intervene to give extra help. It is widely recognized that the form and content of student assessment strongly influence students’ attitudes to study and quality of learning (Ramsden, 1997; Shepard, 2000). The learner’s development is typically measured using formative or summative assessment that meets criteria in a fit-for-purpose Assignment and consequently reflects the required standards and performance/ assessment criteria in any given course. The purpose is to monitor development via evidence that can be quantified and used as performance review/ targets/ benchmarking throughout a course. From an Assessors point of view it is essential to ensure that assessment decisions are consistently reviewed and internally/externally verified where possible so as to contribute to the awarding institutions quality assurance and on-going development of best practice. 1. 2. Define the key concepts and principles of assessment. Principles are rules and functions of assessment which are based upon the concepts. (Gravells A. 2011, Principles and practice of assessment in Life Long Learning Sector). The key concepts and principles of assessments include: Continuing professional development – At all times maintaining currency of knowledge and competency to ensure assessment practice is up to date. Equality and Diversity- all assessment activities embrace equality, inclusivity, and diversity and respect all aspects of society. Ethics: ensuring the assessment process is honest and moral, and takes into account confidentiality and integrity. Fairness –activities should be fit for purpose, and planning, decisions and feedback justifiable. Health & Safety- ensuring these are taken into account throughout the full assessment process, carrying out risk assessments as necessary. Assessment methods must be suitable for the candidate’s needs. For example, a learner must have an option for an alternative whereby a mental or physical threat to their well-being could be presented by the assessment. Motivation- encouraging and supporting my learners to reach their full potential at an appropriate level. Quality assurance- this is an integrated process ensuring assessment decisions meet the qualification standards, and assessors are carrying out their role correctly. Record Keeping- ensures accurate records are maintained throughout the learning and assessment process, communicating with others for example and awarding organisation. SMART- ensuring all assessment activities are specific, measurable, achievable, time bound and realistic Standardisation- ensuring the assessment requirements are interpreted accurately and that all assessors are making comparable and consistent decisions. Reliability – The assessment decisions must be by an assessor with competence in the discipline the work relates to so as to ensure a judgment that is informed by a professional perspective. Risk assessments of locations my media student’s film in serve both to extend the learners understanding of health and safety whilst helping them help me make our learning space everyone’s responsibility. VACSR- is another important principle ensuring all assessed work is Valid: all the work is relevant to the assessment criteria. Decisions must be justified with clear referencing of assessment criteria stated by the examining body. Another Lecturer should be able to award the same grade for the piece of work as the same standardisation method is the barometer NOT the opinion of the assessor. Authentic: the work has been produced solely by the learner. Current: the work is still relevant at the time of assessment. Sufficient: the work covers all the assessment criteria. Reliable: the work is consistent across all learners, over time and at the required level. (Gravells A. 2011, Principles and practice of assessment in Life Long Learning Sector). All the subjects (theory or practical) the assessment is carried on the basis of assessment cycle. http://www. gillpayne. com/2014/01/guide-understanding-the-training-cycle/ Purpose. The aim, reason, and purpose of assessment is to help the learner track their progress, provide feedback, and inspire them to achieve. The trainer gains evidence of learning from assessment which can in turn be measured clearly against a criteria. This continuous assessment learning/ training cycle is designed to recognise prior learning and improve it with each assessment. The assessor grades the work so the trainer (if someone different from the assessor) can see the distance travelled on the course when compared to grades throughout the programme. The organisation can use this quantitative data to track a class, department, and/ or, entire organisations performance in relation to peer organisations so employers can often assess their own staff’s performance. COGNITIVE The cognitive domain relates to the more traditionalist assumptions of academic/ intellectual learning. In this domain Bandler and Grinder counted ‘knowledge, comprehension/ understanding’ as well as ‘application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation’. Cognitive assessment should focus on the application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation rather than towards only the acquisition of knowledge and understanding. To this end any theory in lectures must be made applicable in a video/ practical task that puts in to practice the idea/ terminology/ argument we have discussed – which in turn serves to consolidate and validate the learning. This domain relates to objectives concerned with knowledge and intellectual skills and there are six categories which can be used in lecturers: Knowledge: Asking learners to recall specific and general items of information (e. g. media terminology) and also information about methods (‘how do you add this effect? ’), processes and patterns (using software such as Photoshop). Comprehension: Encouraging recognition of items of information settings similar to but different from those in which they were first encountered e. g. relating theories and debates to contemporary issues such as Laura Mulvey’s Feminist theory of female objectification in mainstream cinema. Application: I actively build my learners understanding of our culture so they can explain previously unseen data or events by applying knowledge from other situations e. g. using simile, analogy, and metaphor in my verbal explanation/ articulation of concepts during lectures so they will do the same in their work. Analysis: Learners are presented with problems to break down the blocks of information into elements for the purpose of clarification. This can be in the form of a provocative discussion, essay question that asks them to show comprehension of ideas in a structured essay with a clear conclusion. Synthesis: Learners are constantly asked to combine elements to form coherent units of information in their responses whether it be a Vlog, Podcast, or Written piece for Assessment. Evaluation: Throughout Assessments the learners are asked to make judgements about the value of information, materials, or methods for given purposes. This is a common feature of each Edexcel Units as it demands reflection and growth on the part of the learner. AFFECTIVE The affective domain for Bandler and Grinder includes objectives which describe changes in interest, attitudes and values, and the development of appreciations. There are different levels of understanding: According to the theory the lowest level is where the learner is merely aware of the fact that other people have particular attitudes and values. As a learner progresses on our courses it is essential to develop this through their personal experience so they slowly develop affective ideas which are uniquely their own. While some values are indoctrinated – respect for others’ rights, honesty, media law, understanding of morals/ ethics, the key is to enable the learner to come to this plane of understanding through a process of development and clarification in lectures. The Affective domain for Bandler and Grinder relates to objectives concerned with interest, attitudes, and values. The five levels of the affective domain from the simplest to the most complex are as follows: Receiving: Sensitivity to certain stimuli and a willingness to receive or attend to them e. g.students receiving information from Lecturers about Media issues. Responding: Involvement in a subject or activity or event to the extent of seeking it out, working with it or engaging in it eg Twitter debates about contemporary issues such as engaging in discussion about the Woolwich attacks in 2013 using the hashtag #bcotterror Valuing: Commitment to or conviction in certain goals, ideas, or beliefs e. g. constructing and arguing a point in an Assignment such as an essay in which the learner shows the pros and cons of existing theorists’ approaches to their Assignment subject. Organisation: Organisation of values into a system, awareness of relevance of and relations between appropriate values and the establishment of dominant personal values e. g. constructing an essay that demonstrates structure and engaging with complex levels of conjecture, statement, and fact with objective, rigorous, scholarly approaches to balance in their argument beyond opinion. Characterisation by a Value Complex: Integration of beliefs, ideas, and attitudes into a total philosophy of world view e. g.  a learner composing a project based on their own interests/ perspective informed by values acquired on course. PSYCHOMOTOR This is largely defined as Physical and Motor skills. We work to develop key social and employability skills through what Bandler and Grinder categorise in to define as 6 categories: ‘Reflex Movements’ are developed with the use of equipment such as cameras and complex editing software to develop the involuntary motor responses to stimuli which in turn form the basis for all behaviour involving any movement. ‘Basic Fundamental Movements’ are developed by doing this as movements of using lighting, microphones, cameras etc. involve movement patterns which help the learner become more ambulatory. ‘Perceptual Abilities’ are tied in to this as they help learners to interpret stimuli so that they can develop their perception of visual and auditory risks, hazards, logistics to adjust to their environment and demonstrate coordinated abilities of eye and hand, eye and foot. Similarly the ‘Physical abilities’ of the learner are utilised and developed in our practical tasks as they are essential to efficient motor activity. Due to the nature of a Creative Media professional the vigour of the person is tested by activities designed to measure the individual and how they meet the demands placed upon him or her in and by the environment. ‘Skilled Movements’ are a necessity in terms of storyboarding, engaging with complex editing software, and other tasks which ask the learner to efficiently perform complex movements. The learning targets are negotiated after gathering diagnostic information from the learner to gauge the potential/ possibility e. g.  all skilled movement activities are based upon some adaptation of the inherent patterns of movement described in the ‘Physical Abilities’ demonstrated by the learner. ‘Non-Discursive Communication’ manifests itself relatively organically in our subject through interviews, debates, video-logs, discussions, podcasts, and any other form of media that captures a range of evidence of the developing communication skills from facial expressions to highly sophisticated choreography/ directing/ blocking of entire sets. [Source: Planning for Pre-Service Primary Teachers Prof Experience Unit, face of Education, QUT, Qld, 1998 (pp11-13)].

International relations/political science Essay

Global Terrorism In the September 11, 2001 attack, commonly known as 9/11, is made up of series of suicide attacks wherein hijackers or terrorists hijacked four commercial airlines. An airline was used to damage, if not totally destroy Pentagon, another was crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The remaining two airplanes were crashed directly at the World Trade Center. Great infrastructures were damaged and a lot of losses were incurred, not only material things but the lives of thousand individuals. As such, this event had raised the spirits of so many people in combating terrorist attacks. Indeed, there is a wide spread determination to end the terror everywhere, but this does not mean that success would be fully attained. It had inspired people to do something against the terrorists, and it’s a good thing. The government, the military and even civilians wanted to eliminate terrorists. But as a consequence, the chances of committing errors or fallacies also increase. Some people resort to drastic or rushed measures of combating the terror without sufficient data or evidences leading to wrong moves or mistaken identities. Suspicion also increases within communities, and in the end, instead of reducing terror today, it just only increases it by spreading fear amongst people. Financial support coming from a lot of sources definitely helps in funding attacks, manpower and weaponries. As they say, money can talk. If an terrorists organization has a lot of financial sources that they could use, then it would be really easy for them to collect data, weapons and other tools for battle, therefore increasing their chance of spreading bigger attacks. As such, cutting off their financial sources would greatly disrupt their activities. Their mobility and rate or number of attacks would be decreased, if not totally lost. But this is not the only thing that should be considered. Aside from the financial sources, terrorists groups have their own principles and beliefs. This powers them, aside from money. Take for example a suicide attack. Even if a lot of money is given to these terrorists conducting such attacks, if they don’t have the will or spirit to do it, they won’t do it for money; money which they can’t really use afterwards. Also, if a terrorist is greatly motivated to attack, suicide attempts would have higher chances to be conducted even if funded poorly. The concentric circles of the global Jihadist Movement are really noteworthy. It gives a solid proof or blueprint of the perspective organizations within and outside their Movement. This may not be able to tell which specific people to catch or hunt but it gives an idea of how their organization works. Learning these things or information would greatly help in formulating or creating tactics or methods on how to defeat them. In parallel to fishing, it is best to catch the small fish first before the big one. In addition to this, catching a fish requires not only skills and equipment but also the knowledge on the behavior of what you are going to catch. The Concentric Circles of the Global Jihadist Movement gives a description of that blueprint which is very crucial in dealing with these organizations. Generally, the descriptions and the â€Å"blueprint† itself is basic or simple, but still a noteworthy information to obtain or understand. The files which were collected regarding the Al-Qaeda show or give an information or proof that their organization is indeed well-organized and well planned. Upon reading the contents, a terrorist member, feeling the same sympathies and situation like the people who made such documents, would be greatly moved and motivated to act against the government and participate in terrorists attacks or movements. Furthermore, it empowers their minds that violence is not a wrong deed or action. It gives them the support that they need to battle their conscience in doing what is morally good or right. For them, terrorists attacks or the actions which they plan to do is the right one and the one that would benefit most people, even if they had to risk their lives. It rests on the power, hope and faith that they have for their god therefore giving them the idea that they are divine warriors who cannot be stopped. They strongly believe that what they are doing is right and in the name of their god. Information Revolution vis a vis Sovereignty, International System and Global Governance Information revolution greatly increases the feeling of one, group of people especially a state’s sovereignty. If one state understands and knows what it is dealing with, then it gives him a higher chance to perform or implement preemptive measures or actions. If overdone, it could give too much feeling of sovereignty which when shattered, could lead to fear, panic or disastrous consequences. Though somehow, it would strengthen the state. As such, the international system of states and global governance would be stricter. It would enforce more power and rule over the laws. As such, new laws and set of regulations would be formulated. Policies would also be enhanced to deal even with the simplest to the most complex situations as based on the information retrieved. Counter intelligence could be considered as a powerful weapon in the information revolution. Civilian education for military officers and leaders is very crucial and is necessary for it enhances their capabilities and education when it comes to leading their subordinates. Civilian education also gives them more educational opportunities all the way through their careers and service for their countries. Competent and confident leaders can be attained through civilian education and these leaders have more capabilities in decision-making and in handling problems or emergencies. Agile leaders with improved instincts and improved knowledge on tactics and technicalities could also be achieved through civilian education. Civilian leaders with military education or experience have the best field in a battle or advantage against the enemy, but his ability to lead should also be considered. Military books and courses may indeed teach a lot of principles, basics and techniques on how to be great leaders, but experience hones better leaders who can react immediately on different situations and would have better chances of making good decisions. References International Terrorism: The Concentric Circles of the Global Jihadist Movement (Publication. Retrieved December 21, 2007: Progress in the War on Terrorist Financing (Publication. (September 11, 2003). Retrieved December 21, 2007: (Publication. (The Al-Qaeda Manual). Retrieved December 21, 2007.

Free Essays on A Whole, New, Quantum World

From the origin of the universe to laser eye surgery, quantum physics has appeared in almost every facet of life since its birth. It has given new explanations and perspectives on many already accepted fields. These fields include biology, chemistry, ecology, and religion. Quantum physics has also created new fields which use its principle to seek explanations. An example of such a field is quantum cosmology, which seeks an answer for the origin of the universe and the nature of celestial bodies. Different applications of quantum physics have also appeared in a multitude of fields. Some of these fields include medicine and power sources. Also, some fields have been created for the application of the principles of quantum physics. These new fields include nanotechnology, quantum computing, and quantum game theory. The unique (and sometimes bizarre) principles of quantum physics have also changed people’s method of thinking. This new way of thinking has even affected the arts. T he principles of quantum physics have changed almost every field of thought as well the people who study it. Some principles of quantum physics which have had a substantial effect on the world include Bell’s theorem, the Copenhagen interpretation, and superposition. Bell’s theorem says reality must be non-local. Non-locality means that the observed activities of a particle are affected by a multitude of outside factors. This idea allows one to view each thing as being connected with everything else in the world. The Copenhagen interpretation is another principle which has had far reaching effects. Nick Herbert describes this interpretation when he says, â€Å"The Copenhagen interpretation holds that in a certain sense the unmeasured atom is not real: its attributes are created or realized in the act of measurement† (xiii). This interpretation means that an object does not have its attributes until they are observed by something else. One other influential prin.. . Free Essays on A Whole, New, Quantum World Free Essays on A Whole, New, Quantum World From the origin of the universe to laser eye surgery, quantum physics has appeared in almost every facet of life since its birth. It has given new explanations and perspectives on many already accepted fields. These fields include biology, chemistry, ecology, and religion. Quantum physics has also created new fields which use its principle to seek explanations. An example of such a field is quantum cosmology, which seeks an answer for the origin of the universe and the nature of celestial bodies. Different applications of quantum physics have also appeared in a multitude of fields. Some of these fields include medicine and power sources. Also, some fields have been created for the application of the principles of quantum physics. These new fields include nanotechnology, quantum computing, and quantum game theory. The unique (and sometimes bizarre) principles of quantum physics have also changed people’s method of thinking. This new way of thinking has even affected the arts. T he principles of quantum physics have changed almost every field of thought as well the people who study it. Some principles of quantum physics which have had a substantial effect on the world include Bell’s theorem, the Copenhagen interpretation, and superposition. Bell’s theorem says reality must be non-local. Non-locality means that the observed activities of a particle are affected by a multitude of outside factors. This idea allows one to view each thing as being connected with everything else in the world. The Copenhagen interpretation is another principle which has had far reaching effects. Nick Herbert describes this interpretation when he says, â€Å"The Copenhagen interpretation holds that in a certain sense the unmeasured atom is not real: its attributes are created or realized in the act of measurement† (xiii). This interpretation means that an object does not have its attributes until they are observed by something else. One other influential prin.. .

Flim Review, on Meet Joe Black essays

Flim Review, on Meet Joe Black essays A couple of days before his sixty fifth birthday, Bill Parish, a business tycoon (Hopkins), starts to have premonitions about death. The recent heart attacks he has been having, which are accompanied by voices lead him to this premonitions. Although Bill Parish has always had a privileged life being the patriarch of a loving family, a successful leader and chief in a communication corporation, and a squire of a country estate; this disturbance (the voices) makes his life very uncomfortable and almost impossible. In spite of the way he feels, Parish continues his daily routine and lives the same life as before. Parish has a very strong relationship with his daughter, Susan (Fortani); he wishes that she would think twice before she makes her decision to marry Drew, her boyfriend, (Weber). Parish describes love; "I want you to levitate," he tells her "I want you to dance like a dervish." Susan understands what her father is telling her but simply hasn't encountered a man that makes her feel that way. That morning Susan notices a young handsome man at a coffee shop (Pitt). She is intrigued by his looks and his chatty personality. This encounter makes Susan realize what being levitated means. She had met this guy only that morning and yet feels her heart lift from within. When both strangers walk their separate ways, in their minds they had both been swept away. While crossing the street the young man unexpectedly gets hit by a car and physically dies but within his spirit still lives. You would think that the movie would be pointless by now; although the film is now at it's staring point, it was a beginning of an incarnation. Parish realizes that the premonitions he's been having are real and is encountered with Death itself. Death had taken the physical form of the young deceased man in order to take a break from the dying world. Death wants to experience the living world for a change. Parish asks Joe Black (man at the coffee) shop, "...

Why the Department of Homeland Security Was Created

Why the Department of Homeland Security Was Created The Department of Homeland Security is the primary agency in the U.S. government whose mission is to prevent terrorist attacks on American soil. Homeland Security is a cabinet-level department  that has its  origins in the nations response to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when members of terrorist network al-Qaeda hijacked four American commercial airliners and intentionally crashed them into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., and a field in Pennsylvania. Unified, Effective Response to Terror President George W. Bush  initially created Homeland Security as an office inside the White House  10 days after the terrorist attacks. Bush announced the creation of the office and his choice to lead it, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, on Sept. 21, 2001. He will lead, oversee and coordinate a comprehensive national strategy to safeguard our country against terrorism and respond to any attacks that may come, Bush said. Ridge reported directly to the president and was assigned the task of coordinating the 180,000 employees working in the nations  intelligence, defense and law  enforcement agencies to protect the homeland. Ridge described the daunting role of his agency in a 2004 interview with reporters. We have to be right a billion-plus times a year, meaning we have to make literally hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of decisions every year, or every day, and the terrorists only have to be right once, Ridge said.   One lawmaker, citing the biblical story of Noah, described Ridges  monumental task as trying to build an ark after the rain has already started falling. Creation of Cabinet Department Bushs creation of the White House office also marked the beginning of a debate in Congress to establish a Department of Homeland Security in the broader federal government. Bush initially resisted the idea of moving such an important responsibility into the Byzantine bureaucracy, but signed onto the idea in 2002. Congress approved the creation of The Department of Homeland Security in November 2002, and Bush signed the legislation into law that same month. He also nominated Ridge to be the first-ever secretary of the department. The Senate confirmed Ridge in January 2003. 22 Agencies Absorbed  By Homeland Security Bushs intention in creating the Department of Homeland Security was to bring under one roof most  of the federal governments law-enforcement, immigration and anti-terror-related agencies. The president moved 22 federal department and agencies under Homeland Security, as one official told The Washington Post, so we are not doing things in stovepipes but doing it as a department. The move was portrayed at the time as the largest reorganization of the federal governments responsibilities since World War II. The 22 federal departments and agencies absorbed by  Homeland Security are: Transportation Security AdministrationCoast Guard  Federal  Emergency Management Agency  Secret Service  Customs and Border ProtectionImmigration and Customs EnforcementCitizenship and Immigration ServicesCritical Infrastructure Assurance Office of the Department of CommerceNational Communications System of the Federal Bureau of InvestigationNational Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis CenterEnergy Assurance Office of the Department of Energy  Federal Computer Incident Response Center of the General Services AdministrationFederal Protective Service  Office of Domestic PreparednessFederal Law Enforcement Training Center  Integrated Hazard Information System of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationNational Domestic Preparedness Office of the FBIDomestic Emergency Support Team of the Department of JusticeMetropolitan Medical Response System of the Department of Health and Human ServicesNational Disaster Medical System of the Department of Health and Human ServicesOffice of Emergency Preparedness and the Strategic National Stockpile of the Department of Health and Human Services Plum Island Animal Disease Center of Department of Agriculture Evolving Role Since 2001 The Department of Homeland Security has been called on numerous times to handle catastrophes other than those caused by terrorism. They include cyber crimes, border security and immigration, and human trafficking and natural disasters such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The department also plans security for major public events including the Super Bowl and the presidents State of the Union Address. Controversies  and Criticism The Department of Homeland Security came under scrutiny almost from the moment it was created. It has endured stinging criticism from lawmakers, terrorism experts and the public for issuing vague and confusing alerts over the years.   Terror alerts: Its color-coded alert system, developed under Ridge, was widely ridiculed and criticized for not being more specific about how the public should respond to elevated threats. The system used five colors - green, blue, yellow, orange and red - to inform the public in real-time about the threat of terrorism.Appearing on the  Tonight Show  with Jay Leno in November 2002, Ridge was pressed by the comedian:  Im sitting at home in my underpants watching the game and, boop, were in yellow. What do I do now?  Ridges response: Change shorts. Nonetheless, the color-coded alerts were a source of frustration among Americans who were being told  to be on alert, but werent sure about what to look for.Duct tape: So, too, was the departments 2003 directive that Americans stock up on  duct tape and plastic sheeting to seal the windows and doors of their home in the event of a terrorist attack.Harold Schaitberger, general president of the  International Association of Fire Fighters, told the  Chicago Tribune: Most of the suggestions, I dont believe, are effective at all in really helping to protect anyone from many of these biological and chemical threats.  I mean, duct tape and plastic? Wheres the good air coming from? Hows it going to be recirculated? Beyond the fact that we already know, for nerve gas and other elements, the plastic is totally ineffective.Quipped Leno: This means the only people who are going to survive an attack are serial killers. Who else has duct tape and plastic sheeting in their car? Going global: Homeland Security has also caused friction between the United States and some European countries for deploying about 2,000 special agents and immigration workers to more than 70 countries, as The New York Times reported in late 2017. The United States under President Donald Trump was accused of trying to export its immigration laws, the newspaper reported.Katrina: Homeland Security came under the most intense fire, however, for its response to and handling of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the costliest natural disaster in American history. The agency was hammered for not developing a national response plan until two days after the storm hit.If our government failed so utterly in preparing for, and responding to, a disaster that had been long predicted and was imminent for days, we must wonder how much more profound the failure would be if a disaster were to take us by complete surprise, said Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who called Home land Securitys response  alarming and unacceptable.   Department of Homeland Security History Here is a timeline of key moments in the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. Sept. 11, 2001: Members of the terrorist network al-Qaeda, acting under the direction of Osama bin Laden, orchestrate a series of attacks on the United States after hijacking four airplanes. The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people.Sept. 22, 2001: President George W. Bush creates the Office of Homeland Security in the White House, and chooses then-Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge to lead it.  Nov. 25, 2002: Bush signs the Congress-passed bill creating the Department of Homeland Security in the federal government. We are taking historic action to defend the United States and protect our citizens against the dangers of a new era, Bush said at the ceremony. He nominated Ridge to be secretary.Jan. 22, 2003:  The U.S. Senate, in a  unanimous, 94-0 vote, confirms Ridge as the first secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Bush issued a prepared statement afterward that read: With todays historic vote, the Senate has demonstrated our shared commitment to doing everything we can to s ecure our homeland. The department initially has about 170,000 employees. Nov. 30, 2004: Ridge announces he plans to step down as secretary of Homeland Security, citing personal reasons. I just want to step back and pay a little more attention to personal matters,  he told reporters. Ridge served in the position through Feb. 1, 2005.Feb. 15, 2005: Michael Chertoff, a federal appeals court judge and former assistant U.S. attorney general credited with helping investigators link the terrorist attacks to al-Qaeda, takes over as the second Homeland Security secretary under Bush. He departed at the end of Bushs second term.Jan. 20, 2009: Janet Napolitano, the governor of Arizona, was tapped by incoming President Barack Obama to serve as Homeland Security secretary in his administration. She resigned in July 2013 to become the head of the University of California system after becoming embroiled in the debate over immigration; she was accused both of being too harsh in deporting those living in the United States illegally and not acting forcefully enough to sec ure the nations borders. Dec. 23, 2013: Jeh Johnson, a former general counsel to the Pentagon and the Air Force, takes over as the fourth Homeland Security secretary. He served through the remainder of Obamas tenure in the White House.Jan. 20, 2017: John F. Kelly, a retired Marine general,  and incoming President Donald Trumps pick, becomes the fifth Homeland Security secretary. He served in the position through July 2017 and became chief of staff to Trump.Dec. 5, 2017: Kirstjen Nielsen, a  cybersecurity expert  who worked in the Bush administration and as a deputy to Kelly, is confirmed as Homeland Security secretary to replace her former boss. The department has grown to 240,000 employees, according to published reports.

European law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

European law - Essay Example ibutor Lyon in France is 40% of the market and therefore there could be an issue of collective dominance1 of BMC and Lyon that may well arise in this case and invoke the provisions of Article 81(1) restricting competition in the internal market. Article 14(2) of the EC Treaty defines the internal market as â€Å"an area without frontiers in which the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital is ensured in accordance with the provisions of this treaty.† On this basis, it may therefore be stated that any measure that has the cumulative effective of restricting the free movement of goods (in this case cars) within the internal market which is comprised of the European states including UK, France and Germany could be deemed to be violative of EU law. However EC competition law is based upon the Treaty of Rome which requires that certain objectives be taken into consideration in so far as implementing Community law is concerned, such as for example Article 6 for environmental protection, article 127 for employment or article 153.2 for consumer protection. Such factors therefore allow for a fairly flexible interpretation of competition law, as in the case of Metro SB-Großmà ¤rkte GmbH & Co. KG v Commission. 2 Monti has also pointed out several other examples of goals that have been considered in implementing competition law, either directly or indirectly and identifies some of these goals as regional development, industrial policy, protection of employment, protection of the environment and market integration.3 Such exemptions may however, not always apply. For example, in the case of A BrunsteinergmbH and Autohaus Hilgert gmbH v BMW,4 the Court held that where the exemptions listed under Article 81(3) of the EC Treaty were not satisfied, then contractual terms between two undertakings that were restrictive of competition could be deemed to be liable under the provisions of Article 81(1). A major issue in this case was the application of Regulation EC No:

IIS Networking Infrastructure Design Project Research Paper

IIS Networking Infrastructure Design Project - Research Paper Example The rising globalization and the increasing competition in the business world have led the different companies in different industries to focus their business strategies into newer and innovative measures to attract greater number of customers and gain more profits. The study is based on such incorporation of new telecommunication and network infrastructure in the Intelligent Imaging Solutions Company. The company thus focuses on determination of a new solution that can be best suited to the organization’s requirements. Integrated security and advanced information technology (IT) system and the incorporation of optical fibers have been selected as a probable solution for the company’s new infrastructure. The report presents the business needs, the needs of the customers, the operations of the company, the applications of the new facilities, and the organizational benefits that are expected to be obtained from the use of the new technology. The details of the scope of the new solution have been reflected thus discussing about the protocols, the cable connections, security and other relevant details of the process. The details of the software and hardware facilities have been covered in the proposal as well. The probable process of pre- and post- installation processes and the network communication details have been obtained. Along with that the training schedules of the employees have been tried to be determined. A financial outline forecasting the required amounts of investments in the different areas of the project have been provided keeping in view the budget that the company has planned for investment in the concerned project.

Program capstone IP2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Program capstone IP2 - Essay Example y and Unmistakability, meaning that a clear and accurate relationship exists between the criteria and the real consequences, comprehensive but concise, meaning that they cover the range of relevant consequences but the evaluation framework remains systematic and manageable and there are no redundancies, direct and ends-oriented, meaning they report directly on the consequences of interest and provide enough information that informed value judgments can reasonably be made on the basis of them, measurable and Consistently Applied to allow consistent comparisons across other options. It clearly elaborate the criteria should be able to distinguish the relative degree of impact across other options. The exclusion of the qualitative descriptions of impact may not be there, or impacts that can’t be physically measured in the field. For good decision making, you should include the following metrics into your framework to minimize the chances of making a bad decision. First perform a condition Analysis, what is motivating the need for a choice, what might occur if no decision is made, who will decision impact either indirectly or indirectly, what data, exploration, or supporting information you have to validate  the inclinations driving your  decision. Secondly, Focus your Decision to Public Scrutiny and remember there are no decisions which are private. Rather the details surrounding any decision will likely come out. In addition, conduct a Cost/Benefit Analysis, by doing the potential benefits derived from the decision justify the expected costs. Assess the Reward or risk Ratio; what are all the likely rewards, and when compared with all the potential risks are the odds in your favor, or are they stacked against you. Furthermore, Evaluate whether  it is the Right thing to do. I.e. standing behind decisio ns that everyone supports doesn’t particularly require a lot of boldness. On the other hand, standing behind what one believes is the right decision in the face of

International Finance Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10500 words

International Finance Management - Term Paper Example Three weeks data ranging from seventh October to 29th of the same month, showed mixed performance by all currencies. US dollar depreciated against most currencies showing a negative performance overall. The only positive gain was against Yen which was expected as Japanese government is trying to support exports in an ailing export industry. Pound showed the best performance in comparison to dollar, despite some negative statements made by the British president. Peso for the initial period showed some positive signs due to improved performances in the stock market. Shits in market sentiments in later half of the month couldn’t completely eat up the gains but did reduce them considerably for Mexican Peso. Euro the closest competitor of the dollar showed mixed performance amidst, spikes in dollar value and positive performances in European markets. Each nation around the world has its own currency. The strength of its respective currency is a reflection of economic strength. In many respects each country operates similar to an MNC when it comes to demand for currency. It needs foreign currency to make international payments, maintain foreign reserves and finance imports. Thus it is necessary for each country to not only manage its own currency value but also keep an eye on international currency movements. Over the years the internal monetary system has seen many drastic changes. The system has evolved from the gold standard, fixed rate system and now to a floating rate system. In the gold standard system each currency was convertible to a fixed amount of gold. Therefore countries accumulated gold to increase currency value. After the failure of the gold standard system for obvious reasons a new system was established known as fixed rate system. Under the fixed exchange rate system, national currencies were monitored and it was ensured that there were no sudden movements in currency rates. However

Human resource Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Human resource - Essay Example I am idealistic and responsible and would rather spend my days doing volunteer work because I am dependable, a team player and an organizer. These characteristics will be effective once I achieve a leadership or managerial position because I can organize my employees and at the same time engage in corporate social responsibility that is good for the community and the image of the organization. I have high management skills which in line with my career success will come in handy My future career goal is to be a strategic Human Resource Manager and therefore the Strategic human resource management is the best human resource category to help me achieve my future goal and enable me to gain enough knowledge to facilitate my smooth initiation into this career. Strategic human resource management is a career that is aimed at enabling organizations prevents foreseeable internal problems that arise in the organization and deteriorate the status of the organization and even reduce productivity immensely. This is an area most organizations are yet to invest in because they usually assume there is a similarity between human resource management and strategic human resource management and hence neglect the strategic aspect of it (Kandula 6). In order therefore to ensure that I achieve my goal and be of help in future to an organization, I need to endeavor in my studies and concentrate on the human resource activity about strategic human resource management as it will not only provide mw with the knowledge but also act as a guide that I will use when working in future. Career success means different things to different people and hence has no definite definition. According to me, career success is much deeper than achieving highly in my education (like having a doctorate) or personal success for that matter. Career success is having a positive impact on the people you have been serving (whether they

International Finance Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10500 words

International Finance Management - Term Paper Example Three weeks data ranging from seventh October to 29th of the same month, showed mixed performance by all currencies. US dollar depreciated against most currencies showing a negative performance overall. The only positive gain was against Yen which was expected as Japanese government is trying to support exports in an ailing export industry. Pound showed the best performance in comparison to dollar, despite some negative statements made by the British president. Peso for the initial period showed some positive signs due to improved performances in the stock market. Shits in market sentiments in later half of the month couldn’t completely eat up the gains but did reduce them considerably for Mexican Peso. Euro the closest competitor of the dollar showed mixed performance amidst, spikes in dollar value and positive performances in European markets. Each nation around the world has its own currency. The strength of its respective currency is a reflection of economic strength. In many respects each country operates similar to an MNC when it comes to demand for currency. It needs foreign currency to make international payments, maintain foreign reserves and finance imports. Thus it is necessary for each country to not only manage its own currency value but also keep an eye on international currency movements. Over the years the internal monetary system has seen many drastic changes. The system has evolved from the gold standard, fixed rate system and now to a floating rate system. In the gold standard system each currency was convertible to a fixed amount of gold. Therefore countries accumulated gold to increase currency value. After the failure of the gold standard system for obvious reasons a new system was established known as fixed rate system. Under the fixed exchange rate system, national currencies were monitored and it was ensured that there were no sudden movements in currency rates. However

CVS Caremark Company`s Finantial results Research Paper

CVS Caremark Company`s Finantial results - Research Paper Example Similar increases and trends were seen in the net income of the company where a decrees was seen in year 2010 as compared to year 2009 followed by an increase in year 2011 where the reported net income was $3,461 million. The company’s debt to equity ratio in 2011 can be calculated as 24% which is reasonable when compared to industry average of 25% which means company have balanced structure of finance and is doing well. The current ratio of the company for year 2011 is 1.5 as compared to industry ratio of 1.6. The company is doing well when it comes to its liquidity position and seems to have enough cash resources cash dividends were also increased from 35 cents/share in 2010 to 50 cents/share in 2011. Further all the positivity in the financial results were reflected in an increase in the stock price of the company too which increased from $34.77 to $40.78 in year 2011 with an increase of 17.3%. The EPS of the company has also improved from $ 2.49 in 2010 to $ 2.59 in 2011 w ith an increase of 4%. Overall the company has a strong financial position with growth and stability in the company. (CVS Caremark. Annual Report 2011) Coinstar Inc. Financial Results: Coinstar Inc. ... ’s recorded revenue in year 2009 was $1,032 million, in year 2010 it increased to $1,436 million where an increase of 39% was seen and in year 2011 these results were increased to $1,845 million, with an increase of 28%. Similar increases and trends were seen in the net income of the company where an increase was seen in year 2010 as compared to year 2009 followed by an increase in year 2011 where the reported net income was $103 million. The company’s debt to equity ratio in 2011 can be calculated as 68% which is almost double when compared to industry average of 38% which means company relies too much on debt as a source of finance and doesn’t have a balanced structure of finance. The current ratio of the company for year 2011 is 1 as compared to industry ratio of 2. The company seems to have major cash flow issues which are evident from the non-payment of dividends and the increased debt to equity ratio which means the company is paying heavy finance costs. Ov erall the company is profitable but seems to have some concerning areas like cash flow issues due to using debt as source finance. (Coinstar Inc. Annual Report 2011) The CVS Company is a huge company as compared to Coinstar. The CVS has a strong financial status with billions of dollars of sales and large scale of operation while the Coinstar though has a lot of presence in many countries is also a profitable business. The revenues and reporting profits of both the companies are growing and it is always a wise idea to acquire a company with increasing revenues as is seen in Coinstar. The revenues of Coinstar are in much higher increasing trends as compared to CVS Company which shows the company has a lot of potential to grow sales. (Coinstar Inc. Annual Report 2011) Both the companies CVS and Coinstar are

The Life of Harriet Tubman Essay Example for Free

The Life of Harriet Tubman Essay Originally named Araminta, or Minty, Harriet Tubman was born in early 1819 or 1820 on the plantation of Anthony Thompson, south of Madison in Dorchester County, Maryland. Tubman was the fifth of nine children of Harriet Rit Green and Benjamin Ross, both slaves. Edward Brodas, the stepson of Anthony Thompson, claimed ownership of Rit and her children through his mother Mary Pattison Brodas Thompson. Ben Ross, the slave of Anthony Thompson, was a timber inspector who supervised and managed a vast timbering operation on Thompsons land. The Rosss relatively stable family life on Thompsons plantation came to abrupt end sometime in late 1823 or early 1824 when Edward Brodas took Rit and her then five children, including Tubman, to his own farm in Bucktown, a small agricultural village ten miles to the east. Brodas often hired Tubman out to temporary masters, some who were cruel and negligent, while selling other members of her family illegally to out of state buyers, permanently fracturing her family (http://www.math.buffalo.edu/~sww/0history/hwny-tubman.html). At age six, Araminta was old enough to be considered able to work. She did not work in the fields though. Edward Brodas, her master, lent her to a couple who first put her to work weaving she was beaten frequently. When she slacked off at this job the couple gave her the duty of checking muskrat traps. Araminta caught the measles while doing this work. The couple thought she was incompetent and took her back to Brodas. When she got well, she was taken in by a woman as a housekeeper and baby-sitter. Araminta was whipped during the work here and was sent back to Brodas after eating one of the womans sugar cubes. As was the custom on all plantations, when she turned eleven, she started wearing a bright cotton bandana around her head indicating she was no longer a child. She was also no longer known by her basket name, Araminta. Now she would be called Harriet, after her mother. At the age of 12 Harriet Ross was seriously injured by a blow to the head, inflicted by a white overseer for refusing to assist in tying up a man who had attempted escape. Adulthood In 1844 at the age of 25, she married John Tubman, a free African American who did not share her dream of escaping. Since she was a slave, she knew there could be a chance that she could be sold and her marriage would be split apart. Harriet dreamed of traveling north. There, she would be free and would not have to worry about having her marriage split up by the slave trade. But, John did not want her to go north. He said he was fine where he was and that there was no reason for moving north. She said she would go by herself. He replied that if she ran off, he would tell her master. She did not believe him until she saw his face and then she knew he meant it. Her goal to achieve freedom was too large for her to give up though. So in 1849 she left her husband and escaped to Philadelphia in 1849. When she crossed the border she said,† I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person now that I was free, there was such glory over everything, the sun came up like gold through the threes, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in heaven† (The Secret History of Dreaming 185). Accomplishments After escaping from enslavement in 1849, Tubman dedicated herself to fighting for freedom, equality, and justice for the remainder of her long life, earning her the biblical name Moses and a place among the nations most famous historical figures. She became an Underground Railroad conductor after she had escaped to the north. She went back and helped free more than 300 slaves during 1850-1858 (The Story of Harriet Tubman: Conductor of the Underground Railroad). During the Civil War, Tubman worked for the Union army as a nurse, a cook, and a spy. Her experience leading slaves along the Underground Railroad was especially helpful because she knew the land well. She recruited a group of former slaves to hunt for rebel camps and report on the movement of the Confederate troops. In 1863, she went with Colonel James Montgomery and about 150 black soldiers on a gunboat raid in South Carolina. Because she had inside information from her scouts, the Union gunboats were able to surprise the Confederate rebels. At first, when the Union Army came through and burned plantations, slaves hid in the woods. But when they realized that the gunboats could take them behind Union lines to freedom, they came running from all directions, bringing as many of their belongings as they could carry. Tubman later said, I never saw such a sight. Tubman played other roles in the war effort, including working as a nurse. Folk remedies she learned during her years living in Maryland would come in very handy. Tubman worked as a nurse during the war, trying to heal the sick. Many people in the hospital died from dysentery, a disease associated with terrible diarrhea. Tubman was sure she could help cure the sickness if she could find some of the same roots and herbs that grew in Maryland. One night she searched the woods until she found water lilies and cranes bill (geranium). She boiled the water lily roots and the herbs and made a bitter-tasting brew that she gave to a man who was dying-and it worked! Slowly he recovered. Tubman saved many people in her lifetime. Harriet Tubman, after a life of helping people, died at age 93 on March 10, 1913, at Auburn, New York.

Popular Music in Film | Research

Popular Music in Film | Research Introduction This study aims to look into pre-existing popular music in film, its use and place within modern film making, with express interest in determining whether or not it can fairly be compared and judged along side more traditional original scoring techniques as an artistically viable means by which to add depth and further weight to the image, or if it is simply a cheap and easy means by which to score a film. In Ronald Rodmans essay The use of popular music as leitmotif in 1990s film, he states that â€Å"within the hands of a skilled director and music editor, the use of pre-existing popular music can be used to convey narrative events and characters in a way similar to classical Hollywood scoring. However, the two exist at opposite ends of a modernist/post modernist continuum. With the Hollywood score being valued for its original and film specific uniqueness and the found score being valued for its ability to redefine and recycle its self when used well, it offers a â€Å"live again† feeling, that allows the music to transcend its original form, and find new merit within the context of the imageâ€Å". (Rodman, from the compiled essay collection Changing Tunes: The Use of Pre-existing Music in Film (2005: 135) This study does not refer to a specific question requiring a final answer, instead aims to explore whether or not the idea of recycled music truly can transcend its self in skilled hands, and if the use of popular music in film has become used more widely and in a more sophisticated fashion following its emergence in many films of the 1990s. I also intend on looking into the work produced when artists more established within the realms of popular music, try their hand writing original music for film, and if this combination of film specific, more traditional scored music and the different approaches that popular music and those more schooled in its construction can bring to the table with regards to an original score, is truly the definitive way to create an interesting, exciting and truly brilliant piece of work that does what all good scores should achieve, too not only enhance the image, but to stand strong on its own as piece of work in its own right. By exploring the research of others with original research and thoughts of my own, I intend to come to a personal conclusion regarding the matter. This investigation is going to be based around the initial idea that popular music has a valuable and useful place within modern film making, however, due to it often being used in a lazy and not fully thought through manner, it has become some what looked down upon with in the medium, being seen simply as a means for cheap laughs, a pleasant way to pad out the background music of a scene and as a way to add more marketability to a film . In light of this generally accepted opinion of popular musics place in film, and its viewing in such a negative light, I wish to look into how and why this view exists, despite countless examples of it being used to great effect within a film and how in recent years, the trend for recruiting the skills of popular musicians to construct original material specifically for film is not only the next step in popular musics place in cinema, but its creative apex. This investigation, through the course of its three main chapters, intends to look closely at popular musics place within modern cinema, how it has arrived there, where it can go from here, and if it can be seen as important and useful as classical means of film scoring. I intend on looking into the following points through out the course of this investigation: Chapter 1 Popular music and Modern Cinema How the genesis of both popular music and cinema are inherently linked to one another and a cross-pollination between the mediums has always been inevitable How popular music as score differs from traditional scores in what it does within a film. The potential (both positive and negative) that pre-existing material brings to a film, from its ability to comment add extra levels to a film through its lyrical content and its already established place in the public subconscious through to the historical and social abilities it has in helping define eras and public attitudes when necessary. I shall look at the use of The Doors song ‘The End in Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola, 1984) in order to explore this The powerful imprinting effect that the correct piece of popular music and the correct visuals can have on one another, combining in such a way that they elevate both song and scene to a completely new level of meaning, operating on many more levels than they would have done separately. I Shall look at Roy Orbisons ‘In Dreams within the movies Blue Velvet (David Lynch 1982) Chapter 2 Popular music as Leitmotif Look into how popular music has adopted the traditional film scoring technique, leitmotif. Explore the manner in which popular musics use denotatively and connotatively through leitmotif differs from the classic score, how it is not relied upon the actual repetition of specific themes that connect characters and narrative, but rather the repetition of styles of music or their social context. Investigate two films that use popular music as leitmotif, Shaun of The Dead (Edgar Wright,2004) and Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1992) and how their employment of the technique differs to one another. Chapter 3 The Popular Musician as Composer Investigate, through existing examples within movies, of popular musicians being either being used to write film specific music for cinema or actually constructing an original score tailor made for a film, and if these approaches herald different results and opportunities to scores constructed by more traditional composition methods. Conclusion Discuss an over view of my investigation, come to a personal evaluation of whether popular musics place within cinemas audio landscape is viable as artistically expressive and appropriate as a method of scoring. Chapter 1 Popular Music and Modern Cinema Popular music, since the late 1970s has come to hold a particularly interesting and powerful position amongst the many visual media forms that exist, and though a large majority of these forms that have mutated and cross pollinated as a result of the rise of various technologies and the prominence of popular music as a form of cultural expression, are mainly used as tools of marketing (music videos, television spots and advertisements), it possess a unique functioning purpose within the medium of film, â€Å"only in dramatic film and television are popular songs used in order to help tell a sustained narrative story a role that has traditionally been played by commissioned musical score† (Wright, Popular music and Film, 2003:8) Its hardly surprising that popular music has come to be used as such within film, though at their most fundamental levels they operate as two quit different forms of expression, the trajectories both have moved along through the early twentieth century show striking similarities to one another, to quote Ian Inglis in his introduction to Popular Film and Music (2003) â€Å"The genesis of both came about as a direct result of late nineteenth century technological developments, both predominantly rely on a new type of mass audience sharing a common interest, both started with humble beginnings as novelties to expand and become some of the largest industries in the world with colossal annual turnovers, both have been approached and consumed from perspectives that have allowed them to evolve from simple tools of popular and mass culture into examples of more high and elite cultureâ€Å". (Inglis, 2003:1) It is no longer required in modern film making to contain a score written specifically with the images and narrative in mind, a movies musical landscape is now just as likely to be entirely filled with pre-existing songs (be they popular or more esoteric) as it is to feature a more traditional score, often a combination of the two will be employed by a director. In order to greater appreciate the role that using pre-existing popular music in a film can have on, not only the narrative implications, but the way an audience will respond to the movie going experience, one must lay out the inherent differences and opportunities that popular music can bring when compared to a traditional classical score. Music written and scored with a film in mind is specifically catered to the needs of the images on screen, often a film will be scored late in a films production schedule, there for it is necessary to bend and fit to the constraints of the image, the composer is almost a slave to the film at hand, taking full responsibility for fleshing out every nuance and emotion that a scene requires. They must adapt and fit around what is (normally by the time a composer is brought on board) a fairly concrete structure of how the narrative events take place. On the other hand, when a director chooses to use pre-existing material in a film, the scenes have usually been designed in such a way as to bend around the song. Pre-existing material can not be manipulated in the same manner of a piece tailored to fit a narrative, however, through the use of shooting and editing a sequence with music in mind, it allows a certain unity and rhythm to emerge from the combination of the two. Looking at whether or not one of these approaches to film scoring is more artistically viable is a more complex question that at first it would appear. â€Å"The most fundamental observation that can be made about music in any audio? Visual medium is that it enjoys a rather direct route to our subconscious. Humans are by nature more visually orientated, we digest visual information more consciously and more critically than we do aural information† (Wright 2003:10) Since its musics uncanny ability to override the logical front of our brains and plug directly into our emotional back allies, it tends to offer the driving force in telling us how to feel about events within a film. It can be used with great effect to inform us how we should feel about characters or places, it can instantly set time periods or moods, â€Å"precisely because in most cases it is completely removed from the specific logic of a films story line† (Wright 2003:10). However, it is this powerful, yet extremely subtle ability to steer an audiences emotions within a film that makes the score so depended on a plethora of various factors, be they cultural, historical or otherwise. What a person is going to feel when exposed to different sounds is extremely subjective, how one person responds may not correlate with how another would when exposed to the same thing. â€Å"All popular music contains visual elements; all film relies, in varying degrees, on musical elements† (Inglies 2003:3) A director can take great advantage of that fact that pre-existing popular music will often have already existed within the consciousness of the public for long enough that a response will have been built up in their mind, especially with regards to songs containing specific, concrete lyrics. An example of the successful combination of a songs lyrics and a sequence edited perfectly to its rhythm would be the opening montage of the Zack Snyder directed Watchmen (2009), the sequence, which shows the unfolding of an alternate historical timeline of the 1960s, moves along at a constant, smooth and meditative crawl, all the while Bob Dylans â€Å"The times they are a-changing† echoes out, the lyrics seeming to directly reference the events taking place and the mid tempo, simple yet mournful and effective guitar/harmonica parts perfectly compliment the mood and set the tone; there is a heavy sense of sadness, a great part of the story centres around the fact that a new generation of costumed heroes are now faced with a society that no longer has time for them, that fears them even and in this sequence we look back into the halcyon golden days of the older generation of costumed heroes, when it was more innocent, but we view the often depressing events that lead to the current state of affairs within the narrative. In other instances, the right song placed with the right images can elevate both beyond their limits as separate mediums, fleshing out one another in new and exciting directions. For example in David Lynchs masterpiece Blue Velvet(1986), a few keys scenes, use pre-existing material to truly haunting and terrifying effect. Most famously perhaps is the scene where Jeffery Beaumont (Kyle Maclachlan) is serenaded by the suave, menacing, porcelain white, rake thin figure of Ben (Dean Stockwell). Ben lip-synchs along to Roy Orbisons classic â€Å"In Dreams†. The song, a ballad that tells a story of lost love, had already become a well known hit by the time Lynch made Blue Velvet. Recorded in 1963 (twenty three years prior to Blue Velvets release) it peaked at number seven on the billboard charts. Within the dark, unsettling noir universe that Lynch had created for the film, the song took on something of a far more disturbing meaning. The ironic juxtaposition of Orbisons ethereal voice, haunting melody and the dream like music accompanying it, along side the creeping dread and ominous shadow of impending violence smothering the sequence help elevate the mood and capture it brilliantly. Blue Velvet itself felt a lot like a dream, or a nightmare, and the songs lyrics resonated with a compelling and strange clarity within the films mood. The whole film was about looking below the surface of something seemingly perfect and finding that it was rotten to the core, here, in this context, a remarkable beautiful piece of music is suddenly something more, theres something darker at its heart. A truly inspiring choice of popular music for a scene, and a prime example of the amplification of a scenes mood the correct piece of pre-existing music can have. The innocent, whimsical connotations and feelings evoked by â€Å"In Dreams† sits in a perfect, jarringly uncomfortable unity along side the hellish, violent world at â€Å"Blue Velvets† heart. The impact of the sequence is unmistakable, one can not imagine the scene playing out with any other song and similarly after viewing the sequence, one can not hear the song without imaging Ben swaying and singing or Frank Booth (Dennis Hooper) becoming lost in sadness, then insane with rage upon hearing the song hes obsessed with. From a commercial aspect the song was incredibly useful in revitalising Roy Orbisons then lagging career, though he was at first shocked upon viewing the way his music had been used, the song and film bolstered interest back into the singers work. Although, on the other side of the coin, â€Å"it is precisely because the message in music is so implicit, because it influences us somewhat subliminally, that we find its failings so noteworthy[†¦] The stakes are high: when it works, it moves us, but when it fails, we cringe at the attempt† (Wright 2003:12). Because popular music tends to exist within the moment, it changes and mutates at the same rate as fashion or hairstyles, the risk of using a popular song from a certain time can immediately give a film a shelf life. Obviously, over time, all films begin to look dated compared to their modern equivalents, however, popular music evolves at such a lightning pace that the wrong piece (or some times, the right piece for that moment in time) can often make a film seem laughable or extremely out dated within a short space of time (See many, many, many films from the 80s) It therefore, appears that producers and directors run significant risk when making a conscious decision to use popular music as score. Which does seem to beg the question, that if music written for the film can be tailored to fit a films needs precisely and pre-existing material tends to loose its relevance within years, why do people still use popular music? From a cynical point of view it could be suggested that its more often than not with financial reasons in mind, its common knowledge that only one in ten productions will return a substantial profit, however its the huge profit of that one that makes up for all the others, so the added bonus of having an easily marketable sound track is always going to be a draw in terms of money. However, pre-existing music has its own artistic merits within film as a choice of soundtrack. Since most popular songs chosen for film (such as â€Å"In Dreams† mentioned earlier) have already existed within the public consciousness for considerable time enough for people to build and attach their own set of feelings and emotions to a song, the use of popular music brings with it a ready prepared set of emotional triggers that a film or scene can build on top of, this always for a scene to carry more emotional clout than if an unheard and unknown score made for the film was used in its place. â€Å"The right song in the right place can be an extremely powerful device† (Wright 2003:13) Though it is indeed true that the use of popular music can run the risk of making a film seem out dated fairly quickly, the act that pre-existing popular music does capture and retain the mood of the time period it was created in can be an extremely useful tool when the subject matter of a film is specific to a certain era, it can instantly and effortlessly conjure up the mood of a certain point in history in a way that a composed score would struggle to achieve. Familiar examples of music from the desired era summon up not only the musical memory of the time, but come complete with the attitudes and ideas that were linked to that period (Wright 2003:13). For example, the 1960s for many cultural and historical reasons stills resonates powerfully within the public consciousness. Francis Ford Coppolas Apocalypse Now (1979) partly achieved a faithfully accurate depiction of the ear through the careful use of songs strongly linked to that decade, but more than that, the songs chosen often reflect the bizarre situations Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) finds himself in and the deepening sense of dread that consumes him as he heads further down the river and into the stories nightmarish underbelly. This effect is starkly illustrated in the films famous beginnings, as Willard stares blankly at a ceiling fan in his room, the Doors song ‘The End plays non-diegetically along with the sound of helicopter blades. Not only does the song help to evoke feeling and images of the 60s, but it also comments upon an uncomfortable and unsettling notion that haunts the film, as Matthew Caley describes it in his essay Heavy Rotation â€Å"The opening sequence invokes the notion of a terrible re-occurrence the end becoming the beginning, signifying the heaviest of burdens† (Pop Fiction, Caley 2005:38) Some events, in this case the Vietnam war, can never be overcome on a personal level. Another important difference between the use of popular music as score and traditionally composed pieces is that, for the most part, traditional scores are used non-diegetically, as seemingly separate entitles, floating above the action, where as very often, popular music is used diegetically within the frame. This could be in part that we are almost conditioned to think of songs as more than simply visual accompaniment, we hear a song and nine times out of ten well imagine a performance going along with it, we see the band, the singer and the stage, lyrics also cry out for attention and want to be hear and analysed. Simply underscoring a scene with a popular song, can in some cases distract the audience from the main narrative drive, and as soon as an audience is lost from the film, it becomes increasingly difficult to get them back involved. So, to counter this, more often than not the source of a piece of popular music will normally be within the frame, be it a car radio or a CD p layer or (as was the case in Blue Velvet) some one singing. In this way, we no longer find the presence of a separate medium looking for attention problematic, the characters can hear what we are hearing, a logical justification for the songs presence has been given. This can also happen on a wider scale through out a film, when the set up provides a musical or semi-musical means by which to accept the constant presence of diegetic music, for example in High Fidelity (Stephen Frears, 2000), the narrative revolves around Rob Gordon (John Cussack) who runs a small, alternative-music store, and his employees. The overt musical setting always for many chances for popular songs to appear diegetically within the movie, however, once the action is removed from the apparent source of these songs, they act as score instead, but because the viewer has been given enough logical justification for their presence, their use in these situations does not direct attention from the action, or seem co ntrived and indulgent in their use. With out the earlier conditioning provided by the films location allows use, this may not be the case. â€Å"Given all these difficulties, music, with its ‘back door access to our consciousness, is a powerful tool [†¦] it stealthily pilot The audiences mood ad emotional response to a films content† (Wright 2003: 20) What it is that succeeds when popular music is used as accompaniment in film is subject to many different factors, most extremely subtle. Precisely how it effects a person is of course on an individual level and cant realistically be hammered down to a science in any way, but the successful use of music often engages in a way that is simultaneously original, but resonate with a timeless quality. Popular music is an ever changing form of expression in and of itself, and as too, the landscape and language of cinema grows and changes over time it is fair to say that what in principle can be regard as the rules to determine what does and does not work as musical accompaniment to film, will remain the same. An interesting angle that has also been undertaken by many modern film makers (perhaps not consciously) is the mimicking of techniques used in more traditional film scores when using pre-existing material, the most prevalent of these could possibly be the use of popular song as Leitmotif, which I will now explore in chapter two. Chapter 2 Popular Music as Leitmotif Firstly, the term leitmotif is, according to Groves Dictionary of Music defined as such: â€Å"A theme, or other coherent idea, clearly defined so as to retain its identity if modified on subsequent appearances, and whose purpose is to represent or symbolise a person, object, place, idea, state of mind, supernatural force or any other ingredient in a dramatic work, usually operatic but also vocal, choral or instrumental† A term used original to denote a process occurring in the operas of Richard Wagner, it has been adopted by film scholars as a means by which to describe a similar role in the classical film score, â€Å"a way of producing subtle sensations and associations in the listener (or viewer)† (Costantini: http://filmsound.org/gustavo/leitmotif-revisted.htm). In essence, the leitmotif is any melody, progression or harmony that occurs more than once during the film, and is normally attached to characters or actions as a means to evoke a memory in the viewer via a subconscious attachment of the repeating music to the images on screen. Leitmotifs also have the power to be both denotative and connotative in they way they present emotions and link to the image. The music denotes characters or/and situations through a link with music, then a repetition of the music, it can also create more subtle connotations when â€Å"foreshadowing or contradicting the images on screen† (Rodman, changing tunes 2006:124) For example, many of the scores composed by Ennio Morricone for director Sergio Leones spaghetti westerns, prominently feature the use of leitmotif to establish characters. In The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966), the use of a recurring two note melody is a frequent motif, played on three separate instruments to represent the three main characters of the film: flute for Blondie, ocarina for Angel eyes and human voices for Tuco. Through the denotative use of the notes A and its fourth interval upwards D, a Spanish flavour is achieved within the music, along side the three separate instruments help create a potent connection with the characters and ambience of the images on screen. The link between this leitmotif and the images it scores are so prevalent, that it is practically impossible to separate the two from one another, they are forever inescapably tethered together through this denotation, however, as leitmotif works connotatively as well, the describing traits that the music presents can exist outside the images context. Though we will always link that two note motif visually with the characters of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, we too will always link the emotions, mood and feeling of the film (A romanticised, stylised version the west, heroism, treachery, adventure) with the music , and these connotations can carry on beyond the context of the films images, having been emotional hardwired in to our minds via the ‘back door access connotations within music can supply. It is interesting to note that upon its release as a soundtrack album, Morricones score performed very well, reaching number four on the billboard charts and becoming frequently sampled , re used and referenced by many popular musicians since (including, Gorrilaz, R.E.M and The Pogues) and thus, could be argued that it has moved from its initial use as a film score, more into the public consensus as popular music, possibly even a cultural touchstone, even if its original interests where not defined that way. As popular music has evolved beyond a simple form of entertainment and entered into the musical landscape of cinema as a method of scoring, its denotative/connotative properties have made it possible to assume the role of leitmotif when used correctly in films, it is this utilising of an established method of scoring†¦and utilising correctly, that gives yet more weight to popular music as artistically viable. When used as leitmotif, popular music tends to be given more denotative power than a traditional score, though also still able to connotate subtle meanings. The difference being that the denotation is more subtle, nuanced and relies more heavily on the viewers familiarity and competence with the music prior to experiencing it in the film. To explore this, I shall examine two popular modern films that heavily rely on popular music as score, both using it as leitmotif, in different ways however. Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004) and Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994). Shaun of the Dead is presented as being a romantic comedy†¦with zombies, the film garnered hugely favourable reviews upon its release for its blend of witty Douglas Adams-esque British humour and the classic elements of the zombie genre found in the work of George A Romero. Like director and writer (along with Simon Pegg) Edgar Wrights earlier work on the television series Spaced, Shaun of the Dead uses a compilation score (along with a few tracks written specifically for the film) consisting of popular tunes. The same song does not reappear frequently through the film to reinforce character or situation as leitmotif may be used in a traditional score, instead the films leitmotif is to be drawn from a perceived prior knowledge that the viewer must have with the songs, which allows an emphatic, direct meaning (via lyrics, song titles and often a reference to horror genre) to achieve denotative references, often used to comic effect to act as leitmotif through the film. The stipulations of leitmotif are also achieved via the songs connotative effect on the viewer via their subtle (sometimes not so subtle) descriptions of a scenes mood, or a character trait or often the films overall theme. For example, the film opens with an excerpt from ‘Ghost Town by the Specials over a black screen, before cutting to a medium close up of Shaun (Simon Pegg) sat, mouth agape, a brain dead expression stapled to his face, in a pub (we there for automatically make the assumption that the music is being heard diegetically by the characters as well, emanating from a jukebox or something similar). The song immediately makes clear the mood of the film, the very title of the track is ‘Ghost Town, straight away subtly suggesting the coming events of the films narrative, The lyrics (though originally written about the large scale unemployment feared to be brought by the policies of Margret Thatcher) twist and lend perfectly with one of the films core themes, the idea that modern British society is dulling down, decaying, zombifing itself and wasting away in to nothing more than the aforementioned ‘Ghost Town of the songs title. The style of music itself also captures the spirit of the film, connotating on an almost subconscious level to the viewer what to expect in terms of the films mood, the up beat Ska style is certainly light hearted almost comical in its bouncy rhythms, but a sinister vein runs through the song, similarly, the film, though a comedy at heart, has moments of real horror as the zombie crisis escalates towards the end of the film. It is also extremely British in sound, as the film is too, extremely British in its writing and acting. Other examples of songs being used for their inherent referencing/or placement within the horror genre are ‘Zombie Nation by Kernkraft 4000 and ‘The Blue Wrath by I Monster. Both these songs differ wildly in their stylistic traits, but by their nature of both taking reference points from supernatural angles (zombies, monsters) they are linked to the leitmotif structure the film uses. ‘Zombie Nation in particular, though used for only a very short space of time, prescribes to a similar denotative/connotative use as Ghost Town does. Denotatively in its title it directly name checks not only the main antagonistic force of the movie but also the movies entire scene set up and connotativley it also refers to the perceived notion of a zombifed Britain, using the title in a less literal sense, the style of music (a repetitive dance song) also, through heavy irony, helps subtly convey the idea of a brain dead society, (though, thats not to suggest that dance music is inhere ntly brain dead, more that, the repetitive nature of its genre along with the social image of hordes of silent, blank eyed individuals, twitching along in unison trapped in some nightclub runs a neat parallel with the zombie hordes occupying the move) A sequence which has since gained a great deal of attention and become something of a ‘classic comedy moment, takes place towards the end of the film, trapped by the marauding, relentless zombie hordes into the Winchester pub, Shaun and his friends are forced to deal with the now un dead pub landlord, during the course of the melee the jukebox starts to play the Queen hit ‘Dont Stop me Now. The juxtaposition of the songs upbeat, positive, energetic refrain against not only harrowing and almost certainly doomed situation the characters find themselves in, but also the beaten down, bloody, bruised and emotionally frayed survivors creates a sublime moment as song and image seamlessly combine, creating comedy from unexpected irony. The songs place here however, does not conform to the regular leitmotif that has been used through the film (song as denotative via lyrics or song title), and initially the lyrics seem ironic in their positive mantra, however, the song can also be seen as a comment on Shauns now fully developed character traits. Up until now hes been something of a loser, unable to pull his life together and it takes the apocalypse to rally his leadership qualities, from this angle, the songs positive message seems more sincere in its use, we