One of the significant characteristics of Australian Indigenous Essay

One of the significant characteristics of Australian Indigenous worldviews is a specific relationship to land or 'country' - Essay Example (Social Health†¦ 2004) These factors working as cushion during stressful circumstances provide a kind of protection when adversity falls on them. It helps restore social and emotional wellbeing of an individual at all levels. Languages and Country Aborigines identify themselves through their lands, languages and their relationships with others. At the time when European arrived, there were almost 600 groups around the continent with distinct beliefs and cultures. They had their country boundaries spread from lush green areas to stark desert surroundings. Depending upon the environment and their requirement they developed different skills with specific experience. Hundreds of dialects and languages existed during arrival of Europeans, though many of them are now extinct. The Indigenous cultures of Australia are considered one of the oldest dating back to around 50,000 years. The reason for the survival of aboriginal cultures lies in its adaptability to change over time. The attac hment to their surroundings is the prime reason for their survival for thousands of years. They keep their cultural heritage alive by passing it from one generation to another. Their cultural heritage speaks about their rituals, dance, hunting practices, their languages, their significant sites, and their spiritualism, which evolved in their land that they love very much. (Kohen 1995) Country is special for the well being of Australian aborigines. Land is simply not rocks or soil for them but the whole milieu is important to them in sustaining their existence and growth. Their land is also a cause for their spirituality. Aborigine Tom Dystra tells, "We cultivated our land, but in a way different from the white man. We endeavored to live the land; they seemed to live off it. I was taught to preserve, never to destroy.† (Australian Indigenous†¦) To have a clear grasp about social and emotional wellbeing, it is important to fathom the varied cultural dimensions of Australian aborigines. Aborigines love their land, their cultures and their whole set of traditions and that in totality constitute their life. It will be most appropriate to understand why and how the indigenous people get impacted by modern day science and technology, environmental disturbances. The story of Shelburne Bay in north-east Cape York Peninsula is worth exploring, in order to understand the love of Wuthathi people, the aborigines, for their land. Shelburne Bay is fortunate enough that it has not been much disturbed by active parabolic silica sand dune systems. Clean and warm waters constituted eight species of sea grass and an enviable space for dugongs and green turtles. Wuthathi people believed in managing their own land and fulfilling their community development aspirations. The formation of Wuthathi Land Trust and community ranger programs should be seen in that perspective. Shelburne Bay had been a cynosure of many eyes for a space base at Temple Bay besides having plans for a silica sand mine near Cape Granville. These and many other threats made Wuthathi natives to unite. In their support, as mentioned by Nursey-Bray (2004), were the Wilderness Society and the Australian Conservation Foundation and their joint efforts along with a strong campaign resulted

Why video games are Good Essay Example for Free

Why video games are Good Essay A kid plops down in front of the television and powers up his video game console. As he reaches for his controller, his mother has one point of view in her mind, more time wasted, another day wasted, video games rot my children’s brain. Or do they? Video games have a horrible stigma of â€Å"rotting our brain’s† because many believe that they are pumping our children’s minds with senseless violence and explicit content. Although many video games do include a substantial amount of violence, it comes second to the fact they can actually make you smarter according to many scientists and academics. They are seen to be good learning devices because of the problem solving and strategic thinking that is utilized to play video games. While there is obviously no substitute for classroom learning, video games can exercise the brain in many different ways. Most kids would rather pick up a joystick than pick up a textbook. Much to they’re unknowing they are exercising their brains. While traveling and discovering this exciting virtual world, they begin to figure out the rules and understand their goals in order beat the game and win. What might seem like a mindless zombie sitting on the couch for hours is actually someone solving a profuse amount of puzzles that are instilled in their video game. Someone playing a video game must solve and complete direct conflicts while keeping their overall goal in perspective. Playing a video game is similar to solving a science problem. Video gamers must come up with a hypothesis while trying to accomplish a goal, much like a student conducting a lab would do. For example: if a gamer is searching for a hidden item and they hypothesize that the item is in a dragon’s belly, they will attack the dragon and discover whether their hypothesis was correct or false. If they don’t find the item they must modify their hypothesis the next time they play. Video games are driven by goals and objectives, which are essential for learning. Scientific studies have shown that the brain can change with practice. If you train yourself to complete a certain objective, the part of you’re brain that you are using can actually growth in size and operation. Another scientific study has shown that those who constantly challenge their brain have almost a 50% less chance of developing dementia. Video games are all about interactive and active exploration, unlike leisurely reading a novel. A video game requires your brain to make immediate decisions. While reading a novel will exercise your creativity and imagination, video games will make your brain weigh circumstances and evidence, examine situations, reflect on your overall goal and forge a decision. It is not about what you’re thinking about when playing a video game, it is the way your thinking that challenges your brain. Video games make learning easier, comfortable, achievable and enjoyable. Any kid would rather learn how to slay a dragon than learn there times tables. This is simply because games offer more immediate and visible rewards. Memorizing and studying terms and theories may get you a good mark on your test, while beating the final boss will end the game. Gamers can also create their own adventure and decide their own unique fate and decided where they want to go and how they want to get there, within the restrictions of the game. It becomes their adventure. This is all played from the safety of their home, which prevents fears of making a mistake in front of others. If they lose, they can simply restart and try again without the feeling of embarrassment. This encourages gamers to take risks and expand their exploration opportunities. Although video games are no substitute for classroom learning, they have beneficial outcomes that can improve our brains activity making it healthier and function more efficiently. So next time you contemplate purchasing a video game, think about it not as endless hours waiting to be wasted, but rather as a large time investment for better of your mind.

An Unnatural Family as the Punishment for Sin in Hawthornes Scarlet Le

In an introductory paragraph to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s works, Perkins and Perkins say that â€Å"Hawthorne elevated some of the darkest events of the colonial period and transformed them into universal themes and questions†(Perkins 433). One of these themes is that of the penalty of sin. In Romans 6:23, Paul says that â€Å"the wages of sin is death† and Hawthorne seems to share this view, or at least some version of it. This view is prevalent in his novel The Scarlet Letter. In it, the penalty for Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale’s sin is a family that is disfigured and unnatural. Dimmesdale, the â€Å"father† in this family shies away from his patriarchal duties and stands by while he lets Hester do all of the work regarding Pearl. First of all, Dimmesdale is absent for the majority of Pearl’s life. He is present in the town but hardly ever sees Pearl, even though she is his daughter. He says that Pearl has, only â€Å"twice in her little lifetime† shown kindness to him(Hawthorne Ch.19). Out of seven entire years, Dimmesdale and Pearl have shared only two meaningful moments together. Dimmesdale has obviously shied away from his duties as a father to Pearl. Even though she is illegitimate, it is his responsibility to help raise her. He also does not deal with Pearl directly when she is acting like a crazed animal. He implores Hester to calm her, telling Hester to â€Å"pacify her,† through any means to show him â€Å"if thou lovest me!†(Hawthorne Ch. 19). Hawthorne uses specific images through the words of his characters to show how much Dimmesdale is shying away from his responsibilities as a father. As a father, Dimmesdale should be raising his child to become a contributing member of the Puritan society in Massachusetts. Instead of doing this, Dimmesd... ..., but this is exactly what Pearl does over both Hester and Dimmesdale. Clearly, during the forest scene, Hawthorne is giving the reader a sense of how unnatural this family that came from a single adulterous act is. It sheds light on Hawthorne’s romantic views because it shows how an unnatural family is detestable. In a much more broad sense, it gives the reader a glimpse of Hawthorne’s own personal theology. He firmly believes in severe consequences for sin and it shows in his novel. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. 1850. New York: Bantam Dell, 2003. Print Perkins, George, and Barbara Perkins. â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne.† The American Tradition in Literature. Ed. Perkins and Perkins. 12th ed. Concise ed. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2007. 433-36. Print. The Holy Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1996. Print.

Leadership Development in South Riding Council

Leadership Development In South Riding Council Leadership skills development is often a neglected area in local councils across the I-J. South Riding Council has sought to address this issue through establishing its own local leadership institute. The council, like all other local authorities, is facing the challenge of developing the leaders of tomorrow within a turbulent operating environment.The recruitment and retention of key staff is not easy in an area hit by a long-term decline in the local economy, following the decline In traditional and manufacturing Industries Like coal mining, ship building and steel making. The quality and performance of leadership within the council was highlighted in the findings of several external audits covering education provision and overall council performance against key indicators. These audits, conducted within a three year period in the mid asses, concluded that the council was lacking in strategic direction.At the end of the decade a simila r message was being repeated by Audit Commission inspectors during the first statutory comprehensive performance assessment (CPA). The resultant Impact on the organization cannot be overstated – staff morale plummeted and turnover increased with the loss of organizational knowledge being a major outcome. Internal staff surveys indicated that the lack of strategic leadership was felt acutely by council staff as well as being identified by external bodies.Human Resource Development in general was considered weak with staff reporting a lack of direction In career management and poor professional development provision. Deputy Chief Executive Kevin Harper commented that: our changing environment aught us out – we were reacting to uncontrollable circumstances. This highlighted a weakness generally in strategic leadership across the council. We need to retain key staff and improve our talent management programmers. We can ‘ t Just rely on staff replacement to keep the c ouncil running so we need to think about staff development and growing our own. Central to this vision was improving leadership and management skills. A new HER strategy was launched in 2009 with leadership Improvement Its key component. The strategy committed South Ruling Council to establishing an organization wide framework to develop leadership skills at political and senior managerial levels' . More recently, the council has invested time and money in shorter-term projects to enhance desired leadership skills. The latest initiative has been the creation off leadership institute. The Leadership Institute (Al) was launched in 2010 in conjunction with a local higher education provider.It ‘s focus Is on Improving management and leadership skills throughout the organization to lad succession planning. Commenting on the Al Initiative Harper said: There Is always plenty of hidden talent in a local council. People may be doing amazing things outside work, but because they are not properly engaged at work their potential is not fully realized. The Al has established a one year learning programmer based on current issues in local government leadership. The programmer includes a range of teaching and learning methods from ‘master classes' on topics such as sessions on staff engagement and organizational commitment.The programmer also involves one-to-one mentoring, group coaching and individual action learning work. The L', although a recent development, has seen promising early returns on the investment of time and money. Sickness and absence levels are falling and levels of satisfaction in leadership are rising. The clearest indication of improvement can be seen in the most recent statutory performance assessment results. The council is now rated as four-star, excellent and improving strongly in the process, rather than a fair' rating in the 2006.Harper comments: ‘The Council still has some way to go and we are not complacent but initial signs are encouraging. Leaders now feel supported ND more confident in their capacity to make decisions and staff know they are being listened to. The leadership institute will continue to help with this development. ‘ Peter Rickrack, the council's innovation manager – a rank Just below head of service level – is part of the council's leadership institute. He has seen an immediate impact on his practice and adds: ‘It is a fantastic chance for people to learn about their own leadership style and how they can develop this.No-one on the programmer is expecting promotion Just because we are on this, but we know it will help us make he most of our talents and careers. ‘ Keith Harper has overseen the Al from its inception and works closely with the council's organizational development team. The Al has cost approximately in its first year but the savings alone in staff absence reduction mean that the Al will break even financially. Harper knows however that the major challenge will be overcoming the traditional organizational culture and bringing on staff who may not easily identify themselves with a leadership role.The Al is partly aimed at unlocking hidden potential, but most of the antedates have so far come from senior positions. He said: ‘We were hoping to get people from all levels and it is something we will be looking to do more in the future†¦ We know there are a lot of talented people out there who are still not being reached. Please consider the following: 1. Outline and discuss how the South Riding Council approach to leadership development maps on to the major trends in leadership development. 2. Critically analyses the potential benefits and drawbacks of this leadership development approach for the Council.

Child obesity Essay

Child obesity is a serious epidemic in America. One in every three kids in America is obese. Michelle Obama speaks at the launch of the â€Å"Lets Move† campaign. In front of cabinet member, senators, representatives and mayors, she discusses the campaign’s plans to fight obesity in America. Our best effort should be deployed to stop this epidemic that degrades the lives and future of our children by arming parents with the tools they need, equipping our school systems with healthier foods, making healthier foods available for our communities, and getting our kids to exercise more. Ms. Obama understands that not all parents have the necessary tools to make the right choices for their children. Even if the parents read a label on a food item, they may not understand what it means. The â€Å"Task Force on Child Obesity † movement will help to make food labels â€Å"consumer friendly† so parents can make better choices when buying food. The â€Å"Task Force on Child Obesity † will also help parents understand that they are responsible for building healthy habits in their kids, such as exercise . However, when the kids are at school the parents cannot control everything their children eat. Our schools do not serve healthy foods to our kids. Twice a day out kids eat unhealthy meals served at the schools. Ms. Obama said â€Å"If our kids are not getting adequate nutrition, even the best teachers will not be able to teach them effectively†(Obama 331). The kids need more fruits and vegetables in their diet. The â€Å"Child Nutrition Act† would give our school healthier standards. It would replace empty calorie meals with more fruits and vegetables, the fruits and vegetables they need for effective learning and brain functions. If the school are feeding our children unhealthy foods twice a day, it would undo the healthy eating habits learned at home. Once our schools begin to serve the healthy foods our kids need, the next step would be to ensure the parents have access to healthy food choices and not just fast food restaurants. Not all neighborhoods have grocery stores nearby to supply the community with healthy foods. If we invest 400 million dollars to build grocery stores around the country, we could eliminate â€Å"food deserts† in our communities. Not only will it give the parents a healthier choice over fast food restaurants, but it will also create jobs. Once the children are getting the nutrition they require, at home and at school, the last step is to get them to exercise more. Motivating our kids to exercise  can be done in various ways. Giving more â€Å"Presidential Active Lifestyle Awards† to kids who complete a specific exercise program is a great start. Hiring NFL, WMBA and other professional athletes is another way we will motivate our children to get more exercise. Child obesity is destroying the future of our children, but Ms. Obama outlines how we can stop it. By initiating the â€Å"Task Force on Child Obesity †, upgrading cafeteria food in schools, eliminating â€Å"food deserts†, and motivating out kids to exercise we can stop this growing epidemic . Ms. Obama effectively communicates her concerns and solutions in her speech. She also gives great examples as to why the parents are not always aware to the problem or may not have the options to help the situation. Although her intentions are well placed, I’m not convinced that her approach to solving child obesity is the most effective. Something should be done and if nothing else is being done about the obesity problem at least this will raise awareness.

Vampire History Essay Example

Vampire History Essay Example Vampire History Essay Vampire History Essay Essay Topic: Dracula I am Legend Novel Mythologies Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence (generally in the form of blood) of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person. 1][2][3][4][5][6] Although vampiric entities have been recorded in many cultures, and in spite of speculation by literary historian Brian Frost that the belief in vampires and bloodsucking demons is as old as man himself, and may go back to prehistoric times,[7] the term vampire was not popularized until the early 18th century, after an influx of vampire superstition into Western Europe from areas where vampire legends were frequent, such as the Balkans and Eastern Europe,[8] although local variants were also known by different names, such as vrykolakas in Greece and strigoi in Romania. This increased level of vampire superstition in Europe led to mass hysteria and in some cases resulted in corpses actually being staked and people being accused of vampirism. While even folkloric vampires of the Balkans and Eastern Europe had a wide range of appearance ranging from nearly human to bloated rotting corpses, it was the success of John Polidoris 1819 novella The Vampyre that established the archetype of charismatic and sophisticated vampire; it is arguably the most influential vampire work of the early 19th century,[9] inspiring such works as Varney the Vampire and eventually Dracula. 10] However, it is Bram Stokers 1897 novel Dracula that is remembered as the quintessential vampire novel and which provided the basis of modern vampire fiction. Dracula drew on earlier mythologies of werewolves and similar legendary demons and was to voice the anxieties of an age, and the fears of late Victorian patriarchy. 11] The success of this book spawned a distinctive vampire genre, still popular in the 21st century, with books, films, video games, and television shows. The vampire is such a dominant figure in the horror genre that literary historian Susan Sellers places the current vampire myth in the comparative safety of nightmare fantasy. [11]

What Is the W Visa Program

What Is the W Visa Program Question: What Is the W Visa Program? Answer: One of the most contentious issues during the U.S. Senate’s debate over comprehensive immigration reform was the dispute over a W visa program, a new classification that would allow lower skilled foreign laborers to work temporarily in the country. The W visa, in effect, creates a guest-worker program that would apply to lower-wage workers, including housekeepers, landscapers, retail workers, restaurant staff and some construction workers. The Senate’s Gang of Eight settled on a temporary worker plan that was a compromise between Democratic and Republican lawmakers, industry leaders and labor unions. Under the proposal for the W visa program, which likely would start in 2015, foreign workers with lesser skills would be able to apply for jobs in the United States. The program would be based on a system of registered employers who would apply to the government for participation. Upon acceptance, the employers would be permitted to hire a specific number of W visa workers each year. The employers would be required to advertise their open positions for a period of time to give U.S. workers a chance to apply for the openings. Businesses would be prohibited from advertising positions that require a bachelor’s degree or higher degrees. The spouse and minor children of the W visa-holder is allowed to accompany or follow to join the worker and can receive work authorization for the same period. The W visa program calls for the creation of a Bureau of Immigration and Labor Market Research that will operate under U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security. The bureau’s role is to help determine the numbers for the annual cap of new worker visas and identify shortages of labor. The bureau also will help develop labor recruiting methods for businesses and report to Congress on how the program is doing. Much of the dispute in Congress over the W visa grew out of the unions’ determination to protect wages and prevent abuses, and business leaders’ determination to keep regulations to a minimum. The Senate’s legislation wound up containing protections for whistleblowers and guidelines for wages that guarded against sub-minimum pay. According to the bill, S. 744, the wages to be paid â€Å"will be either the actual wage paid by the employer to other employees with similar experience and qualification or the prevailing wage level for the occupational classification in the geographic metropolitan statistical area whichever is higher.† The U.S. Chamber of Commerce gave its blessing to the plan, believing the system for bringing in temporary workers would be good for business and good for the U.S. economy. The chamber said in a statement: â€Å"The new W-Visa classification features a streamlined process for employers to register job openings that can be filled by temporary foreign workers, while still ensuring that American workers get first crack at every job and that wages paid are the greater of actual or prevailing wage levels.† The number of W visas offered would be capped at 20,000 the first year and increase to 75,000 for the fourth year, under the Senate’s plan. The bill establishes a guest worker program for lower-skilled workers that ensures our future flow of workers is manageable, traceable, fair to American workers, and in line with our economy’s needs, said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. The modernization of our visa programs will ensure people who want to come legally – and who our economy needs to come legally – can do so.