Effect of Stress on Decision Making Essay -- miscellaneous

Effect of Stress on Decision Making Stress must be present to ensure our very being. One may wonder about the validity of this statement, but it is quite true. Stress plays a vital role in the way we make decisions (Massa et al, 2002, pg 1). â€Å"Problem solving and decision making in demanding real-world situations can be susceptible to acute stress effects which manifest in a variety of ways depending on the type of decision. The negative effects of an overload of acute stress include attentional tunneling, working memory loss, and restrictions in long term memory retrieval, with simple strategies being favoured over more complicated ones. The underlying assumption is that stress can lead to errors, poor performance and bad decisions. However, acute stress does not necessarily always have a detrimental effect on decision making, rather stress may affect the way information is processed. Some of those changes in strategy in response to stress are in fact adaptive. They reduce and select the information being attended to and processed, in response to high time pressure and reduced cognitive capacity† (Flin, 2004, pg 42). Flin has said so much about stress and decision making in this little space. To have a better understanding, we are going to elaborate in this essay and analyze the evidence that there is an effect of stress upon thinking and decision making ability. Stress can be defined in many different ways, but in relation to decision making, stress may be best defined from a scientific view describing the thought process of the brain. When the sensory organs perceive information, they send it to the thalamus of the brain, which deals with sensory perceptions. The information is then transmitted to the cerebral cortex where the process of conscious thinking and decision making takes place. In starting the process of conscious thinking, the cerebral cortex processes large amounts of information and judges what information can be dealt with automatically without our conscious awareness and what information must be consciously assessed. At this point emotions, feelings, character traits, and behavior are not part of the decision making process. Thus, the limbic system, which is directly responsible for these emotions and feelings, is activated by the cerebral cortex. Following the technicality of the stimulus, the stress response begins. The stres... ...uth. Flin, R. (1997). Sitting in the Hot Seat. Leaders and teams for Critical Incident Management. Klein, G. (1998).Sources of Power How People Make Decisions. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Massa, P., Watkins, C., Partridge, B (2002). Decision Making Under Stress. Available from: http://web.umr.edu/~bpart/eman313/DMUS.htm [accessed 16/05/05] Walker, K., Nayda, I.T., Turner, J. (2003b) Make-Up Your Mind -- Improving Your Decision-Making Skills. Available from: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ [accessed 16/05/04] â€Å"Thinking and Decision Making Under Stress†. Avalaible from: http://library.thinkquest.org/C0123421/thinking.htm [accessed 18/05/04] Shambach, A. (1996) Strategic Leadership Workshop: "Strategic Decision-making in the Information Age," U.S Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania Thompson, Leigh, L. (2001). The Mind and Heart of the Negotiator, Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. Walker, K., Torres, N.I and Turner, J. (2003a): Make-Up Your Mind: Improving Your Decision-Making Skills: Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville. Available from: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HE691 [accessed 18/05/04]

Education without Truth in Postmodern Perspectivism :: Argumentative Linguistic Papers

Education without Truth in Postmodern Perspectivism Poststructuralist relativism, following the Nietzschean critique of Western rationalism, denounces the quest for truth as a quest to legitimize various claims on the level of universal human value, by covering up the indirect coercion of their discourse or imagery. Using perspectivism as an argument against philosophical grounding of various patterns and schemes, post-modern thinkers, under the influence of Poststructuralist relativism, try to depart from the cognitivist tradition by transforming philosophical thought to an edifying discipline (Rorty) or learning (Lyotard) liberated from a theory of knowledge, and giving into a discourse of literary or prosy character. I argue that post-modern perspectivism and the individualistic or collectivistic logic which nurtures its scope can be transcended through construction of hyperperspectivistic prisms based on alogic of interrelation animated by the interdisciplinarian spirit prevailing in the field of modern science. This latter serves as the leading thread for the foundation of a new canonicity which, without losing its historical and cultural character, can make claims to truth and validity of general acceptance. The hyperspectivistic canonicity deriving from such an interrelational logic is in a position to animate a new educational model capable of overcoming both idealistic and romantic versions of Bildung. During the last third of 20th century, the so-called postmodern world has been technically modernized in an unprecedented way. An unconstrained capitalist economy imposing constantly changing technologies determine, among other systems of social control, various forms of the educational system, each one of them promoting knowledge as a commodity. The ferment that swept, some years ago, not only the Third World but also the industrial societies for revolutionnary change of social and political institutions has given its place to a forceful modernization of established authority, political power and modes of accummulation. The belief that we live in a rapidly changing world is well spread. In fact, we live in a frenetically modernized but not changing world, given that the deification of the modern against the traditional forms of education, organization and communication levels the need to create a vision of a future society. The creation of such a vision presupposes the critical approach of the legitimacy of the established authority, of political power or wealth; issues which are no longer broadly discussed. The early and forceful advocates of libertarian or socialist values seem to be forgotten or definitely marginalised. (1) The philosophical tradition developed by philosophers like

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics †F-16 Modular Mission Computer Application Software

About the Company: Although they are a global security and information technology company, the majority of Lockheed Martin’s business comes from U. S Department of Defense and Federal Agencies. In fact, they are the largest provider of IT services, systems integration, and training to the U. S Government. The remaining portion of Lockheed Martin’s business is comprised of international government and some commercial sales of products, services and platforms. Lockheed Martin’s operating units are organized into broad business areas – Aeronautics: $11. billion in 2008 sales includes tactical aircraft, airlift, and aeronautical research and development lines of business. Electronic Systems: $11. 6 billion in 2008 sales includes missiles and fire control, naval systems, platform integration, simulation and training and energy programs lines of business. Information Systems & Global Services: $11. 6 billion in 2008 sales includes C4I (stands for â€Å"Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence†), federal services, government and commercial IT solutions. Space Systems: $8 billion in 2008 sales includes space launch, commercial satellites, government satellites, and strategic missiles lines of business. Something about the F-16 – The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, daytime fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft. Over 4400 aircraft have been built since production was approved in 1976 and it currently serves in the air forces of 25 nations. About the Software: The Aeronautics division of LM’s, based in Fort Worth, Texas has used the OMG’s MDA to develop Application Software for the F-16 Modular Mission Computer. This software is cross-platform compatible and has highly increased productivity and quality. Just as the highly demanding environment of avionics software development and the MMC (Modular Mission Computer) itself. What is the MMC? The Modular Mission Computer is a cost-effective MLU (Mid – Life Update) for the F-16, which combines advanced computing capabilities for both weapons and avionics in a single high performance system. Developed by Raytheon (Lockheed Martin’s F-16 team), it replaces three computers with one superior system, reducing weight by 55%, volume by 42% and power by 32%. What is OMG’s MDA? OMG (Object Management Group) – since 1989 – is a non – profit computer industry consortium. Their board of directors represents most of the organizations that shape, enterprise and internet computing today. Their membership includes hundreds of organizations, most of them representing virtually every large organization in the computer industry and many smaller ones. MDA (Model Driven Architecture) is a modeling standard, which along with UML (Unified Modeling Language), enable powerful visual design, execution and maintenance of software and other processes, including IT Systems Modeling and Business Process Management. When and why was this software developed? The MMC upgrade was a part of the MLU process of the F-16. When plans of replacing the F-16 (in operation since 1979) with its successor in 1999 stalled, they decided to modernize the aircraft, which became the MLU (Mid –Life Update). Part of this modernization process was developing software with cross – platform compatibility. The goal should be to provide cross-platform compatibility of Application Software despite any Implementation, or platform specific, changes: that is, changes to the Hardware Platform, the Software Execution Platform, or the Application Software Interface {draw:frame} The development Process – The F-16 MMC team originally used traditional CASE tools with an OO modeling notation to specify the software before manually coding it in Ada (Language extended from Pascal). When they migrated their development to Kennedy Carter’s iUML tool, they gained the ability to use a UML action language which made their UML models executable. They could then test their UML models to verify their intended behavior before hand-coding the implementation. More recently they have used Kennedy Carter’s iCCG product to specify, in eXecutable UML, an Ada code generator which can automatically generate 100% of the Ada implementation. By this means they guarantee that their UML models are entirely platform independent and portable across any future platform. {draw:frame} eXecutable UML Modeling: Overview xUML models are a complete representation of the problem space (not a top-level or preliminary design) Modeling is performed using a Unified Modeling Language (UML) representation Modeling makes use of a precise Action Specification Language (ASL) and is therefore executable (providing early validation of the models) Each xUML model is a Platform Independent Model (PIM), that is, completely implementation-independent (i. e. independent of the hardware platform, the software execution platform, and the application software interface) _Design Tagging: _Overview Whereas xUML modeling is platform- independent, Design Tagging is platform-specific (i. e. pecific to a particular Application Software Interface) Platform-specific design decisions (only those needed to support code generation) are made during Design Tagging, and are represented with design tag values that are applied to the xUML models The most standard implementation is always assumed by the code generator, such that only exceptions must be tagged Design Tagging is overlaid on (not embedded in) the xUML models, such that it may be included or excluded Desi gn Tagging: Specifying the PIM to PSM Mapping {draw:frame} Automatic Code Generation: Overview Automatic code generation is simply an extension of the code generation technique used for simulation of the eXecutable UML models on the development platform, this extension being for the target (embedded) platform The code generator is developed within the same environment as the application software using the same eXecutable MDA strategy {text:list-item} Nearly all implementation-specific design tasks (all but the design decisions represented by design tag values) are performed by the code generator, not the software developers Advantages of the eXecutable MDA Approach Increased Quality The majority of software developers are isolated from implementation details, allowing them to focus on a thorough analysis of the application space Maintenance of the application source code is eliminated, while maintenance of the xUML models is ensured Defect injection (and the resulting rework) is reduced by automating the software phase in which most defects are injected {text:list-item} Increased Productivity Rework is reduced Early validation through simulation reduces rework {text:list-item} Higher quality implementation (due to automation) reduces rework Software development span time is reduced by automating the implementation phase Application Software development schedule is reduced by at least 20% The code generator, not each software developer, performs the majority of implementation-specific design tasks 40-60% of physical source code Cross-Platform Compatibility One Application Software xUML Model database may be reused (as is) on any platform for which a mapping is defined (i. e. a code generator is developed) xUML models are compatible with any hardware platform, any Software Execution Platform, and any Application Software Interface xUML models are compatible with any implementation language References: Dr P. J. Wright, Lockheed Martin Success Story: 2002, http://www. omg. org/mda Lauren E. Clark, Power point presentation, F-16 Modular Mission Computer Application Software: 2001, Lockheed Martin Corporation. Lisa Hsu, Paper – F-16 Modular Mission Comput er (MMC), 2006, Raytheon Company

King Henry VIII and the Reformation Essay

For many years leading up to the reign of King Henry VIII, zealous souls were searching more than ever for a meaningful faith-based life for themselves and all of society. The people of England were becoming more and more confused about what the Church actually taught and were developing skeptical feelings towards the spiritual and physical power used and displayed by the clergy. [1] These feelings of the English people were reaching an all time high around the time that Henry VIII had succeeded his father’s throne in 1509. King Henry VIII had mostly selfish and prideful incentives to separate from the Roman Catholic Church. He had no religious intent in mind, but little did he know that he would contribute to the rise of the Protestant Reformation and a long-term religious change in England that would eventually spread to the rest of the world. [3] The dissatisfaction with the corruption of the Church and hunger for change led to the ideas of Christian humanism and the influence of Greek learning. This idea portrayed an order of peace, justice, and humanity that could be taught and advanced through education. ] The humanist with the greatest influence of the time was Erasmus of Rotterdam who favored simple biblical piety founded on textual scholarship and study of the Greek New Testament over scholasticism and elaborate ritualism. [5] Erasmus believed in studying and understanding the scriptures for oneself and wanted to reveal the extreme hypocrisies of the Church. Erasmus’ radical writings and teachings began to spread, and soon after the writings and teachings of Thomas More and Martin Luther arose. More wrote the book Utopia which described an idealized society that lived in an uncorrupted world in perfect accordance with the principles of natural virtue. [6] This was a completely unrealistic idea, but it still gave hope to the people for a reform and a better society. Around 1517, Martin Luther created a real reaction and uproar from the people as his ideas rapidly spread against the practices and underlying rationale of the Church. [7] This created an uprising and following of Luther’s teachings as his ideas and books quickly spread throughout England. Luther’s ground breaking concepts encouraged â€Å"new learning† and it soon took hold on the University of Cambridge. [8] When word of the vastness of Luther’s teachings and all of the new ideas of change and reform against the church reached King Henry the VIII, he was livid. In 1521, he excommunicated Luther and ordered all Christian princes to â€Å"suppress his errors† that Luther and others had spread. [9] Sermons were preached all across Europe denouncing Luther and many of his books were burned. King Henry went as far as to write an essay opposing Luther and his views on the Eucharist and the pope awarded him with the great title â€Å"Defender of the Faith. †[10] Even though King Henry tried his best to stop Luther and his ideas, Luther soon earned his voice in Germany and hundreds of his books and pamphlets poured back into England with even more criticisms of the Church’s practices and leaders. [11] Soon many revolts broke out between 1524 and 1526 dubbed the Peasants’ War, and the Protestant Reformation was flooding in. This was the start to a violent political, spiritual, and social struggle between the advocates and the enemies of change in England that lasted for many years. English men and women began to think of themselves as â€Å"Catholic† or â€Å"Protestant† and separated themselves accordingly. [13] Catholics and evangelicals protested and condemned each other from the pulpit and through printed writings. [14] Change was definitely in the air. In the midst of all of the uprisings against the Church and songs of reformation, King Henry VIII developed his own personal problems and turmoil. King Henry had been happily married to  Catherine of Aragon until he realized that she was not producing him a male heir that he longed for. The King had met and fallen in love with a woman named Ann Boleyn who was a strong, intelligent, and determined woman. Henry was determined to marry her and try to produce a son for a male heir to the throne. [15] In order to divorce Catherine, Henry needed a special papal dispensation. The pope refused to grant it, and Henry suspected that because the pope was related to the King of Spain that they were undermining England in the favor of Spain and therefore denying him the right to an heir. After many attempts to get the popes permission for the divorce and approval to marry Ann with no success, King Henry VIII made a decision that would change history forever. Henry fired his closest advisor Cardinal Wolsey who was Lord Chancellor of England and replaced him with Thomas Cranmer and Thomas Cromwell. [17] These two men advised the King to split the English church off from the Roman church in order to become head of the church and gain the marriage that he desired. This idea began the years of the Reformation Parliament in which the English parliament granted powers over the church clergy to the King in stages. The Act of Appeals in 1533 made Henry VIII the source for all English jurisdictions both secular and religious, and then the Act of Supremacy in 1534 declared the King of England as supreme head of the Church of England, not the pope. [18] Another act was passed in 1534 called the Act of Succession, which declared the children of Ann Boleyn as rightful heirs to the throne. [19] It was now official; England was completely isolated and broken away from the Roman church and began their independent journey of the Church of England. Even though England had split off from the Roman church and was on the brink of reformation, King Henry VIII made virtually no changes in the Church of England. [20] The only major difference from the Catholic Church was that now the king was the head instead of the pope and English Bibles were being used. [21] King Henry VIII reaffirmed his commitment to Catholic practices by passing the Six Articles. The Six Articles validated the transformation of the Eucharist, confession, private masses, celibate vows, and the sanctity of the Eucharist cup. Despite the fact that King Henry had made no real changes to the church, his break from the Roman Church stirred up a revolution in the making. Ann did not produce a son for King Henry, but she provided him with another daughter named Elizabeth. [23] Ann was sympathetic with Protestant ideas and her daughter would eventually play a key role in Protestant England. [24] King Henry became displeased with Ann, accused her of adultery, and had her beheaded in 1536. [25] Still in search of a son, King Henry VIII married Jane Seymour. She finally gave him the son and heir to the throne that he had been hoping for, Edward IV. When Henry VIII died in 1547, Edward IV succeeded the throne and the Protestant movement grew stronger than ever. Edward was highly intelligent and a devout Protestant, and he wanted to make numerous changes to the Church of England. [27] He repealed the Six Articles, allowed clergy to marry, and imposed Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer on all church services. [28] England was on its way to becoming a Protestant country, but King Edward died tragically of tuberculosis at age sixteen. Catherine of Aragon’s daughter Mary I then came to the throne in 1553. She was an extreme Catholic with no tolerance for Protestant beliefs. She declared England to be a Catholic country and converted all churches back to traditional Catholic practices. [30] The people of England were becoming thoroughly confused in their beliefs because they were getting tossed back and forth between two opposite ideals. Mary I soon earned the nickname â€Å"Bloody Mary† because she was single-handedly responsible for the executions of many Protestant leaders. [31] She burned more than three hundred men and women at the stake for their unwillingness to give up the ways of the Church of England and turn to the Catholic Church. These executions did nothing but intensify an anti-Catholic feeling in England, and it would soon become a permanent concept. After Mary I’s death in 1558, England’s future was in the hands of Henry VIII’s last surviving child, Elizabeth I. She was exactly was England needed at the time and was extremely intelligent and cautious. [33] She is considered to be one of the greatest monarchs in the history of England. Elizabeth repealed Mary I’s Catholic legislation for she understood that her country was being torn apart by the wavering doctrines, and she wanted to bring an end to the disunity. She worked out a compromise known today as the â€Å"Elizabethan Settlement† which resulted in a church that retained some Catholic ideas while inserting most of the foundational ideas of Protestantism as well. [34] This settlement would not have been possible if it were not for Henry VIII’s original split from the Catholic Church. The people were ready for the religious strife to end and peaceful worship to be possible. Even though Elizabeth had sought a peaceful compromise, the Catholics rose up in rebellion against her. [35] As they threatened her throne and plotted against her, she intelligently dodged their plan to destroy her. From this point on, her religious tolerance came to an end, and Catholics were arrested, imprisoned, and heavily fined. [36] Elizabeth ruled on to lead England in the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. [37] This was a great turning point in history that not only made England a respected military power, but also solidified the movement of the Protestant Reformation. If Spain had not been defeated, there is a good chance that the Protestant religion would have been crushed altogether. [38] The Protestant breakthrough was a result of feelings of disdain and discontent with the Church that had been building over time. The Englishmen were feeling resentment against the corruption, and a confidence that a change was possible grew. The vulnerability of the many people who desired this change was key in the wide spread of many revolutionary ideas such as Erasmus, More, and Luther. All of these factors intertwined with the times and rule of King Henry VIII; and as you can see, his decision to break away from the Roman Catholic Church created a spiral of events that became the very segue the reformers needed to have a spiritual breakthrough. His pride, stubborn attitude, and desire for an heir to his throne led him into a decision that resulted in an extraordinary spiritual affect. Even though King Henry was a devout Catholic who in no way supported Protestant ideas, his very decision helped to bring about the Protestant Reformation. King Henry VIII in all of his selfish, prideful, and stubborn ways was exactly what England needed to push it over the edge and into a flood of a reformation. When King Henry VIII made the official split from the Roman Catholic Church, he made a decision that would affect the rest of history. Bibliography http://www.kencollins.com/poll-02.htm

Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” Essay

When Marlow talks of London being a dark place, the theme of civilization versus savagery comes into play. Marlow’s aunt believes he is an emissary of light, being sent into the darkness. Marlow sees this darkness through the placing of heads on poles, for a man named Kurtz. All of this makes Marlow change his inner feelings of himself, which relates to the theme of the journey of the inner self. Marlow talks of when the Romans first came to Britain, and how they had actually brought some light into the somberness of London, and how one day that light may disappear. This relates to the theme of dark and light. As Marlow tells of his voyage deeper into the unknown, his capacity for self-control is tested. Kurtz seems to inhabit his every thought. While this is happening, the theme of a journey into the inner self is seen again. There are certain patterns in â€Å"Heart of Darkness†; one of these is the theme of â€Å"threes†. There are three chapters, three women, three times Marlow breaks the story, three stations, three central characters and three views of Africa. Marlow indirectly suggests by referring to the Roman conquest, that the theme of colonialism has existed since the earliest times of human history. Colonialism is seen as one of the major themes in the book. When Marlow talks of London once being a dark place, the theme of civilization versus savagery comes into play. The book implies that civilizations are created by the setting of laws and codes that encourage men to achieve higher standards. London itself is seen as a symbol of enlightenment. We see this through Marlow and how he tells his crew that the Romans had brought a light into the darkness of Britain. Marlow and Kurtz are two antithetical examples of humanity. Kurtz represents what every man will become if left to his own desires, without a  protective, civilized society. Marlow represents the civilized soul that has not been drawn back into savagery by his â€Å"heart of darkness†. The book implies that every man has a â€Å"heart of darkness† that is usually drowned out by the light of civilization. However, when a man is removed from a civilized environment, the basic instinct of savagery must be unleashed. Savagery is linked to darkness, and in most parts of the book, we see Marlow  as the light in this darkness. Marlow’s aunt believes he is an emissary of light, being sent into the darkness. Marlow sees the darkness through the placing of heads on poles, for a man named Kurtz. All of this makes Marlow change his inner feelings about himself, which relates to the theme of the journey of the inner self. Through Marlow, the book creates a voyage of self-discovery. All of Marlow’s experiences point to a change him. The thoughts about the people he meets, and their behavior, slowly begins to change. Marlow’s trip from Europe to the outer, then central station tests his capacity to discriminate between good and evil, since he witnesses actions which directly ask him for a moral judgment, such as brutal beating of the native worker. Marlow’s detailed account of what he sees, shows his compassion. Conrad suggests that those who are unable of controlling their unconscious side, run the risk of losing control the their heart of darkness. Marlow talks of when the Romans first came to Britain, and how they brought light into the somberness of London. He also tells them that one day that light may disappear. This relates to the theme of dark and light. In â€Å"Heart of Darkness†, there is an obvious contrast between what is light and what is dark. Light seems to represent civilization, or the civilized side of humanity whilst dark represents the uncivilized or savage side of humanity. In this book, dark and light or black and white, have the same usual connotations of good and evil. According to Christianity, in  the beginning, everything was dark. The same thing applies to London before the Romans came. At the same time, Africa was considered â€Å"dark†, as most of it had not yet been discovered. However, as Marlow’s journey progresses, it appears that dark and light are used counter intuitively. Darkness refers to truth and light refers to falsehood. In Marlow’s interview with the Intended, the windows of the room, which are normally a source of light, are covered and let in little to no light at all, as in a mortuary. The â€Å"cold and monumental whiteness† of the fireplace adds to the deathlike atmosphere. This shows that Conrad had used dark and light inversely. We could assume that the dark could represent the unknown. As Marlow talks of his voyage deeper into this unknown, his capacity for self-control is tested. Kurtz seems to inhabit his every thought. While this is happening, the theme of a journey into the self and the unconsciousness is seen again. Marlow’s story clearly implies that the kind of world men make for themselves, and for others, results from the character of individual behavior. Kurtz appears to be stuck inside Marlow’s head. Every thought is focused in this man he has never met. Kurtz wins control of men through fear. His power over the natives almost destroys Marlow. Kurtz is actually a victim of the manager’s murderous cruelty. It is possible that Kurtz might never have revealed his evil nature, had he not been tortured by the manager. Marlow struggles with himself, the person he thought he was turns out to be a nobody. Marlow sees the â€Å"real† person he is, and fears himself. After seeing the Kurtz, Marlow realizes how much like Kurtz he has become and regains control from his heart of darkness. There are patterns noticeable in this book. One of these is the theme of â€Å"threes†. There are three chapters, three times Marlow breaks the story, three stations, three women, three central characters and three views of Africa. The three stations are the inner station, the central station  and the outer station. These are symbolic of the stages in Marlow’s journey of self-discovery. The inner station is the first station he goes to. Here, he sees how the natives are treated, and gets a glimpse of the things he may have to face in his future travels. He reaches the central station, and discovers that Kurtz may not be the man he first heard of. He was told that Kurtz was this wonderful man, who had plenty of power. Now, Marlow is beginning to see in his mind, someone that has followed his own ideas, and doesn’t care about anyone else. He struggles within himself to see if he is like this man. At first, he dismisses the idea that he could ever be that  kind of person, but soon after, he changes his opinion. The outer station is where Kurtz is finally reached. Conrad also uses imperialism as a major theme in the book. Marlow indirectly suggests by referring to the Roman conquest over Britain, that the theme of imperialism has existed since early human history. As Marlow tells his story, a different narrator, who is also a member on the ship they are traveling on, sees the Roman invaders to be like the English conquerors. He expresses that they were both â€Å"hunters for gold and pursuers of fame†. He does not understand that without the Roman invasion, Britain may have remained a dark country. Through Marlow’s tale of truth, pain, anxiety and the quest for complete knowledge, the major themes are revealed. Colonialism, the journey of the inner-self, the theme of â€Å"threes†, dark and light and civilization versus savagery. All of these themes lead to the understanding that Marlow’s voyage into the deepness of the Congo, is symbolic of the journey he had to take into the deepest side of himself. He successfully battled with his savage side, and came out a changed man. It just shows that no matter hoe perfect something seems to be, there is always a heart of darkness deep within somewhere.

Word Narrative

Collaborative practice I've been in hospital a few days now. I've settled in. Well as much as you can be expected to when you're in a strange environment. The first day was awful for me though, I had no idea what was going on. I'd just started my 3 weeks annual leave (l work abroad so I was looking forward to spending time with my family etc. ) and I started having severe chest pains at home. They were crushing pains I can't explain the pain in any other way than it felt like a vice. My wife called 999 and the ambulance asked a lot of questions, before I knew t I was on my way to hospital.I remember everyone just running around, it felt like no one was actually talking to me. Like I was invisible! The doctors were saying something about a possible stroke, but not to me, they were talking amongst themselves. They attached a load of wires to me and the monitor they attached me to constantly beeping. Still drives me crazy that noise all around the ward. Some of the nurses are nice, not all of them seem to like me though. Maybe I'm an inconvenience? Hope they don't think that. I know they are all really busy, that's obvious.I finally found out that have suffered a stroke and I need to stay in the hospital until I'm well enough to go home. Although most of what they said to me was not in a language I could understand! I can remember asking where my wife was a lot and no one answering me, which was really frustrating as I knew she would be equally as worried. Didn't get told when would be able to see her for at least an hour after arriving at the hospital. The ward I'm on has really strict visiting hours so my wife can only visit me for two hours a day and she isn't allowed to bring he children which is a shame.But have been told I will probably only spend 5 days on this ward and that if I'm not ready to go home I will be moved on to a ward with more flexible visiting hours. I'm looking forward to that. The thing that hate the most about being on a ward is having to use a commode behind a curtain. I am a 41 year old man and to be honest I find it very embarrassing and undignified. I'm not saying my experience her has been completely unpleasant but the sooner I get out of here the better and I will be in no hurry to come back.

Comparison between First and Last Covenants of the Old Testament Term Paper

Comparison between First and Last Covenants of the Old Testament - Term Paper Example The Old Testament views God’s commands decreed upon Adam, the father of humanity, during his stay in the Garden of Eden, as the first covenant issued by the Lord to the humankind. The covenant assured bestowing of God’s countless bounties and blessings upon man, against which it imposed only one single restriction on him i.e. not to taste the fruit of the forbidden tree (of knowledge). (Genesis, 2: 16-17) Additionally, God blessed Adam with the mandate of remaining fruitful and multiply subsequently, as the Old Testament reveals that God said to Adam to â€Å"be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth† (Gen. 1:28). Similarly, the Lord made His covenant with King David, which is stated to be the last covenant described in the Old Testament; according to which God would not only send Messiah from the line of David, but also the rulers and kings would also belong to the same line. Additionally, messiah would also rule over the entire world, and all the races would be as his subjugated ones. Hence, God would bless Davidic seed with the spiritual and materialistic domination for the future generations to come. â€Å"The Davidic king would be the one to defeat all the Satanic enemies of God and establish the kingdom of blessing all over the world (Ps. 2, 89:21-29; 110). He would be the seed of the woman who would defeat the seed of the serpent and save the world. Not only a king, he is also a priest after the order of Melchizedek (Ps. 110). It is even hinted that He would offer Himself as the sacrifice for sin (Isaiah. 52:13-53:12).† (Quoted in Smith, 2009: 8) This prophecy pointed to the futu re work of the Lord Jesus Christ. By closely examining both the covenants, it becomes crystal clear that Adam’s covenant maintains several similarities in with the Davidic one. God had blessed Adam and his children with the supremacy over every creature. On the other hand, King David was also favored with the same bounty, as he and his son king Solomon were not only granted the crown, wealth, power and prestige, but also they had domination over the djinns, ogres, humans and beast alike. King David intended to build a house for God, though the Lord refused the offer. Instead He blessed David with glorious house, power and throne, and a wise and powerful son in the person of King Solomon. â€Å"God promised to give him a son who would ultimately reign on the throne of David for ever and build a house of worship for all nations of the world.† (Quoted in the kingdom divided) Hence, God blessed a comfortable dwelling to David, according to the Covenant, as He had blessed A dam an outstanding abode in heavens. God had allowed Adam to reside in heavens and get involved into every type of activity of his own choice from dawn to dusk and dusk to dawn. Consequently, Adam and Eve led a very exuberant life in heaven. Somehow, since man has been created frail and weak, the first parents of humanity could not constrain themselves from the covenant they had made with their Creator, and thus broke their allegiance with the Lord by eating