Saturday, August 31, 2019

High School Student And Adulthood Essay

â€Å"The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried.† Understanding Defines Change Psychologists Scott Scheer, Stephen Gavazzi, and David Blumenkrantz undertook a comprehensive review and analysis of the psychoanalytic literature that discussed the rites of passage in adolescence; from the reading, they derived two truths concerning an adolescent’s rite of passages. Primarily, as Scheer, Gavazzi, and Blumenkrantz state, â€Å"Not all transitional events necessarily indicate the occurrence of life transitions† (1); however, â€Å"It is believed that both cognitive interpretation and integration are required before the event genuinely becomes a significant transition or rite of passage† (1). Essentially, to label a singular event as one that ignited a life transition, one must understand the resulting effects of the event. Additionally, according to Scheer, Gavazzi, and Blumenkrantz, the event that marks the end of the transitional period between adolescence and adulthood defines the rite. Principally, a singular event cannot accelerate one’s progression into adulthood without one realizing the effects or changes that the event caused. In â€Å"Self-Reliance† by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emerson described the idealistic depiction of the Romantic hero’s rite of passage. Emerson states that â€Å"The power which resides in him is new in nature† (1), and he believes that a person should seek the meaning of that power for himself. Emerson’s statement that one doesn’t know the power that they have until one finds it (1) falls directly in line with Scheer, Gavazzi, and Blumenkrantz’s interpretation of one’s rite of passage. Scheer, Gavazzi, and Blumenkrantz postulate that one cannot arrive at adulthood without first understanding a transitional event. Similarly, Emerson reveals, in the quote at the top of the page, that one does not know his unique power until he has tried to find it himself. Likewise, if one didn’t find their unique power, based on the definition given by Emerson, one hasn’t successfully arrived at that â€Å"Time in a man’s education† (1), and, thus, has not successfully completed a rite of passage. Therefore, Emerson views rites of passage as events that are intrinsically bound to understanding, and without cognitive interpretation, an event cannot allow one to find one’s unique power, disqualifying it as a rite of passage. The idea that rites of passages are dependent upon cognitive understanding holds true throughout a number of literary texts. For instance, in Walden by Henry David Thoreau, Thoreau details the rite of passage of a king’s son. As Thoreau states, â€Å"One of his father’s ministers having discovered him, revealed to him that he was, and the misconception of his character was removed, and he knew himself to be a prince† (72). Like Scheer, Gavazzi, and Blumenkrantz’s postulated, the son’s discovery alone did not result in the personality transition from that of a forester’s child to a prince. Instead, the son had to realize that he was, in fact, a prince before the transition could completely take effect. Thus, for one to totally embark and complete a rite of passage or a life transition, one must understand the effects of a singular event. (487) Works Cited Emerson, Ralph Waldo. â€Å"Self Reliance.† Adventures in American Literature: Pegasus Edition. Ed. Bernard Brodsky. Orlando: Harcourt, 2004. 221. Print. Scheer, Scott, et al. â€Å"Rites of passage during adolescence.† Forum. n. page. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. . Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. New York: Penguin Classics Publishing, 2005

Friday, August 30, 2019

Ehrs in Health Care

EHRs in Health Care x x x Abstract In 2009, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) was passed into law mandating interoperable Electronic Health Record (EHR) adoption throughout the United States health care system for all providers who serve Medicare or Medicaid patients. The HITECH Act sets â€Å"meaningful use† requirements, goals, and objectives, and gives specific timelines for which to achieve them.As an incentive to expedite the process, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has offered monetary rewards for those facilities and physicians who are taking steps to implement an EHR system by 2015. Beginning in 2015, CMS will penalize facilities and physicians who have not implemented an EHR system. One of the stipulations of receiving the incentive money is demonstrating â€Å"meaningful use†, or utilizing EHR technology in a meaningful way that improves patient care.Meaningful use has three stages, each focusi ng on different areas of patient care. There are several advantages and disadvantages of implementing an EHR system, but the benefits greatly outweigh the risks. The HITECH Act is one of the most important pieces of health care legislation to date and has been called the â€Å"foundation for health care reform† (Blavin & Ormond, 2011). In 2004, the Bush administration introduced a plan to ensure that the medical profession completely converts to electronic health records (EHR).This plan was passed into law by the Obama administration in 2009 under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), which is a provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) (Kwami, n. d. ). This Act is essentially a $27 billion stimulus package meant to accelerate health care information technology in the United States. It allows the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to offer financial incentives (up to $44,000 from Medicare and $63,75 0 from Medicaid per physician or up to $2 million per hospital) for implementing anElectronic Health Record (EHR) system in their facility by 2015 (Murphy, 2012). Not only do they have to implement it, they must also meet the â€Å"meaningful use† requirements set forth by CMS for successful utilization of the EHR system. To receive the maximum incentive payment, physicians/facilities must begin participation by April 1, 2013. Starting in 2015, physicians and facilities who have not met those requirements will be penalized. What is Meaningful Use? Meaningful use is an umbrella term for the rules and regulations that hospitals and physicians must meet to qualify for the federal incentive funding under ARRA.There are three stages of meaningful use; each has different goals and objectives. For example, stage one focuses on data capture and sharing, and is grouped into five patient-driven areas related to patient health outcomes: 1. ) Improve quality, safety, and efficiency, 2. ) Engage patients and families, 3. ) Improve care coordination, 4. ) Improve public and population health, and 5. ) Ensure privacy and security for personal health information (â€Å"Meaningful Use 101,† n. d. ). Step two focuses on the advanced clinical processes involved in patient care and stage three will focus on improving actual patient outcomes.Requirements for meaningful use include the ability to e-prescribe, electronically exchange patient health information, and report on clinical data. The eventual goal is a national health information network. Facilities and physicians must achieve stage three of meaningful use by 2015. Traditionally, physicians have been reimbursed based on how many services they provide (fee for service). Meaningful use shifts this paradigm to a more patient centered process and concentrates on performance-based initiatives like pay for performance (P4P) reimbursement.CMS recently introduced three P4P programs mandated by ARRA designed to reward higher-performing hospitals and penalize poorer-performing hospitals through these reimbursement practices. Hospitals performing at or below the 50th percentile nationally on hospital quality and patient experience measures can expect to see a significant reduction in payment from CMS as early as 2012 (â€Å"Pay for Performance Payment,† n. d. ). The shift from volume-based to value-based reimbursement methodology puts more emphasis on patient care and achieving positive outcomes.Another part of meaningful use requires that EHRs are interoperable with other facilities and physicians even if they are not the within the same organization. This means that every organization’s EHR system must to be able to â€Å"talk† to other organizations’ systems. If a patient travels to another state or another country and needs to go to the doctor for any reason, the physician there will be able to bring up the patient’s EHR and treat them based on the up-to-date medical information contained in their EHR. This is especially important in emergency situations where the patient may not be in the position to supply needed information.Locally, interoperability is important because it helps physicians communicate with other facilities such as a referral. A patient’s family physician may refer them to a specialty doctor and with an EHR, both doctors can view and document findings in one record rather than having separate papers that need to be brought in by the patient and filed in their paper record. EHRs are also an asset within the same facility. When a patient gets a lab or x-rays done, the physician can immediately bring up the results rather than having to wait for the lab/x-ray technician to physically bring the results to them.Interoperability makes coordination of care easier and more efficient. Advantages of Implementing an EHR In addition to the benefits of interoperability, there are several other advantages of implementing an EHR. The main goal of an EHR is to improve the quality and safety of patient care. EHRs can help provide better health care by improving all aspects of patient care like safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, communication, education, timeliness, and efficiency (â€Å"What Are the Advantages,† n. . ). Having a single record that includes all of a patient's health information and is up to date, complete, and accurate allow for better coordination of care, accessibility of information, convenience, simpler disease management, enhanced collaboration between providers by improved information sharing, a significant reduction in medical errors, up-to-date medication and allergy lists, and cost savings in the long run (â€Å"Benefits of EHRs,† n. d. ). EHRs also reduce waste and liminate duplicate screenings and tests, as well as help physicians make better, more comprehensive clinical decisions by integrating patient information from multiple sources into one EHR (â₠¬Å"What Are the Advantages,† n. d. ). Another advantage of having your health record in electronic format is increased security and privacy. With a paper record, anyone can pull it off the shelf and browse through it, but with an electronic record there are differing levels of authorization allowing only certain people access to your chart. Also, your chart cannot get â€Å"lost†.Instead of someone having to sign it out every time they need to use it and having to manually track it, an EHR allows multiple users to access it at different times, on different computers, and leaves an audit trail automatically. Disadvantages of Implementing an EHR There are also disadvantages of EHRs including overall cost, ongoing maintenance costs, changes in workflow, and temporary loss of productivity just to name a few (Menachemi ; Collum, 2011). One of the biggest concerns of implementing an EHR system is the initial cost.Acquiring and implementing an EHR system can be quite expensive depending on the size of the facility. The projected total cost for a medium sized inpatient facility with a seven year EHR installation is approximately $19 million. In the outpatient setting, cost is approximately $14,000 per physician in the initial year of implementation for a six-physician practice, and $19,000 per physician with three or fewer physicians (Menachemi ; Collum, 2011). Smaller practices may find it hard to cope with the added expense of an EHR system; the viability of those practices may suffer as a result.Another disadvantage of implementing an EHR system is the cost of transitioning from paper to electronic records. Additional staff will be required to scan in all of the paper documents into electronic format. This process can take months depending on how big the facility is so it could really have an impact on a facilities bottom line. There will also be a period of time where the staff is less productive than they would normally be as they learn how to use th e electronic system. This period is called the â€Å"learning curve†.To help remedy this, temporary staff will need to be hired to fill in the gap and keep the workflow up to date which also has a significant financial effect on an organization. The maintenance of an EHR system can be costly and technology is not always reliable. Hardware must be replaced and software must be upgraded on a regular basis. In addition, providers must have ongoing training for staff as well as IT support available, such as a 24/7 help line. Also, as with all things electronic, there is always the possibility of the system going down.Hospitals and physicians must have a plan in place outlining what the proper procedure is for the â€Å"down time† until the system is up and running again. This generally means they will have to revert back to paper documentation while the system is down, so they also need to have a recovery plan in place detailing how they will go about getting the paper doc umentation from the â€Å"down time† transferred into the EHRs. Conclusion Although some might argue that an EHR system is too costly and too much work, it is a federal mandate that all physicians/facilities (who service Medicare or Medicaid patients) implement an EHR system.And while the transition from paper to electronic is a costly and tedious process, the benefits of an EHR are numerous and greatly outweigh the cost of implementation. As President Obama said, â€Å"You shouldn’t have to tell every new doctor you see about your medical history or what prescriptions you’re taking. You shouldn’t have to repeat costly tests. All that information should be stored securely in a private medical record so that your information can be tracked from one doctor to another — even if you change jobs, even if you move, even if you have to see a number of different specialists.That’s just common sense. † (Making the Switch: Replacing, 2010). Ref erences Benefits of EHRs. (n. d. ). Retrieved February 13, 2013, from http://www. healthit. gov/providers-professionals/improved-care-coordination Blavin, F. , ; Ormond, B. (2011, May). HITECH, meaningful use, and public health: Funding opportunities for state immunization registries [White paper]. Retrieved from http://www. medicaidhitechta. org/Portals/0/Users/011/11/11/ImmunRegWhitePaper. pdf Kwami, K. K. (n. d. ). The EMR federal requirements of physicians. Retrieved February 13, 2013, from http://www. how. com/list_6961848_emr-federal-requirements-physicians. html Making the switch: Replacing your EHR for more money and more control [White paper]. (2010, September). Retrieved from http://www. healthcareitnews. com/sites/default/files/ resource-media/pdf/making_the_switch_replacing_your_ehr. pdf Meaningful use 101. (n. d. ). Retrieved February 13, 2013, from http://www. medicity. com/meaningful-use-101. html Menachemi, N. , ; Collum, T. H. (2011, May 11). Benefits and drawbacks of electronic health record systems. Retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. ov/pmc/articles/PMC3270933/ Murphy, K. (2012, May 9). American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Retrieved from http://ehrintelligence. com/glossary/american-recovery-and-reinvestment-act-arra/ Pay for performance payment systems that reward or penalize hospitals based on performance. (n. d. ). Retrieved February 13, 2013, from http://www. getwellnetwork. com/services/health-reform/pay-performance What are the advantages of electronic health records? (n. d. ). Retrieved February 13, 2013, from http://www. healthit. gov/providers-professionals/faqs/what-are-advantages-electronic-health-records

Pear trees and the bees

Tree and the Bees â€Å"We are never so defenseless against suffering as when we love. † This quote by Sigmund Freud sums up the book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, written by Zorn Neal Hurst. In this book the protagonist, Jeanie, explains her life journey of love and loss. Specifically, Jeanie develops an idealized view of love from the effortless union of the pear tree and the bees. As a result, she believes love should be a perfect harmony between two people, and she strives to find that perfect harmony through marriage.The story begins when Jeanie Is a young girl living with her grandmother, sitting pear tree Just trying to escape her chores and the hot sun. The tree Is starting to blooming this year Jeanie sees it in a completely different way. â€Å"Stretched on her back beneath the parterre soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun and the panting breath when the inaudible voice of it all came to her. † (Hurst 29) Jeanie is tuned In to h er surroundings and is observing and assessing every single detail around her.While Jeanie is entranced, she hears the inaudible voice; she Is no longer that Innocent little child. She realizes that the relationship between the bees and the pear tree is more intimate than it appears. Genie's roller coaster ride with nature has only just begun. She looks even closer at the bees and the blossoms. â€Å"She saw a disbarring bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand aesthetically arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight.So this was marriage! † (Hurst 29) Jeanie sees this Interaction between the bee and the blossom as an Image symbolizing the perfect harmony between two beings. The bee represents a male image by carrying the pollen and the blossom represents a female image by receiving the pollen from the bee. Jeanie captures the union as perfect romance and imagines a n image of what a marriage between people should look like. With this perfect image In her mind, Jeanie longs to create harmony In her own teenage life.Jeanie feels trapped by her arranged marriage to Logan. When Joe Starks offers an escape, Jeanie runs off with him too town called Detonative. â€Å"From now on until death she was going to have flower dust and springtime sprinkled over everything. A bee for her bloom. (Hurst 73) Jeanie thinks that Joe will be perfect for her. In Genie's mind Joe can fulfill her idealized image of marriage because he promises her great things, including a way out. Unfortunately, Jeanie is still so young and Immature that she cannot see past her nose.Joe will never be her bee; Joey's powerless are elsewhere. He Is self centered and has his own dreams. Joe has wooed her with his big plans and his big dreams, and Jeanie is blindsided by it all. Jeanie has no idea that her next twenty years with Joe are going to be nothing like she wanted. She wants to be wild and have a romantic life. But Joe is only going o give her money, a status and a proper image she must uphold. â€Å"She had no more blossomy openings dusting pollen over her man, neither any glistening young fruit where the petals used to be. (Hurst 152) Hurst uses simple processes of nature Money and other physical objects cannot quench Genie's thirst for true romance and relationship. Coupled with this, Jeanie still holds the idea of how a perfect marriage should be. Her relationship with Joe was not. Hence, her relationship was not successful, it did not bear fruit. Jeanie is no longer that sixteen year old little girl, she is now past forty with two unsuccessful marriages. Yet she still has her beauty and her ideals of perfect harmony like the pear tree blossom and the bee.She is still searching for her bee, and many men have tried to woo her like Joe did. Jeanie is not interested, she is looking for someone different. Along comes Tea Cake. â€Å"He looked like the lo ve thoughts of women. He could be a bee too blossom a pear tree blossom in the spring† (Hurst 220) Tea Cake brings out feelings in Jeanie she has never felt. He treats her like an equal. He does simple things as playing checkers with her. Tea Cake was her bee. He creates the feelings in her that she once had all those years go under that pear tree.Jeanie believes Tea Cake can fulfill her ideal image off man. Tea Cake and Jeanie share an effortless union, and they have created a perfect harmony. Tragically, terrible circumstances came about that resulted in the death of Tea eke. In conclusion, the pear tree and the bees in the book, Their Eyes Where Watching God by Zorn Neal Hurst, symbolize the relationship that Jeanie searched for her whole life. She envisioned an idealized image of a perfect harmony between two people. Unfortunately for Jeanie she was defenseless against repetitive suffering during her pursuit of true love.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Standards-Based Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Standards-Based Decision Making - Essay Example ditors are required to state whether an audit client has complied with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (G.A.A.P) when preparing financial statements (Williams, 2006). Green and Associates is an external audit firm to ABC Corporation. The audit firm may provide any of the four types of the audit opinions after completing a corporate financial audit on ABC Corporation’s financial statements. Green and Associates may provide an unqualified or ‘clean’ opinion of the company’s financial statements. An unqualified opinion is only provided when an audit firm ascertains that a company’s financial statements reflect a truthful opinion of its financial operations. The opinion also indicates that the company’s financial statements are in compliance with the G.A.A.P. An unqualified opinion is the best audit report that a company can receive from its auditors. In our opinion, ABC Corporation’s financial records provide an honest and fair view of its financial operations during the fiscal year ended 31th August and are in compliance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. An unqualified opinion may warrant an explanatory paragraph if the auditors feel that certain disclosures in the financial statements require a detailed explanation or when there is a change of auditors. It arises when the financial records indicate some minor deviations from G.A.A.P. The explanatory paragraph includes a detailed explanation of the auditor’s opinion. In our opinion, ABC Corporation’s financial statements require modification to expel the minor inconsistencies with the G.A.A.P, despite reflecting a true and fair view of the company’s financial operations. An audit report may provide a qualified or an ‘except for’ opinion after completing a corporate financial audit. Green and Associates may provide a qualified opinion if it believes that ABC corporation’s financial records are not in compliance with the G.A.A.P, despite representing a true

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Aqualisa Quartz Case Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Aqualisa Quartz Case Analysis - Assignment Example The new Quartz product has a significant technological improvement over other models yet is arguably more easy to install than other models (Although many plumbers are reluctant to adopt new technologies). Initial sales results were mixed so a new marketing approach was devised. The first solution was to target consumers, target do-it-yourselfers, or target developers. The data indicates that in the U.K the reasoning installing a new shower is based on In order to connect with customers, the company must produce products that are reliable, not perceived as being over-priced, be easy to install, have a positive brand recognition, and perform well compared to alternatives. From this perspective, the company must strike a balance between brand management (Through having positive name association), value chain management (Through continually incorporating improvements that helps company profitability), innovation management (Through introducing new products such as the Quartz system), and relationship management (Through establishing long term ties with plumbers, do-it-yourselfers etc). The overall PI would have a positive effect although an unintended consequence would be that people may associate the product as being cheap. This would cut into the â‚ ¬275 margin and reduce it to â‚ ¬205. The effect on PI could go in two directions. This could improve the PI through reducing overalls costs, however over long periods of time this could cost the firm sales from associated poor brand

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Project management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project management - Assignment Example Project Management Office (PMO) A Project Management Office (PMO) can be termed as a centralised organisational unit or body which is likely involve in different phases of a project. The body is the core entity that ensures to provide basic administrative along with advisory and consulting support to the overall operations of the project. Moreover, a PMO also involves in strategic and grievance services that are required to successfully achieve the desired goals and objectives of the project (Canfield University, 2004). With regard to the case scenario, Volkswagen (VW) Mexico had founded an effective PMO which was principally established in order to monitor and control operations performed in the Jetta component assembly line. The PMO of the company played a major role for the project in terms of coordinating an effective financial plan along with appropriate schedule for each project function. Moreover, the unit also contributed by playing a crucial role in terms of procuring and ma naging adequate resources to ensure effective performance within the Mexico project assembly line (Project Management Institute, 2012). Project Control System Project control system generally incorporates various steps performed by different operational and management groups which facilitate to successfully accomplish the ultimate objectives of a project (Public procurement Guide, 2008). With regard to the project control system of Jetta assembly line, VW Mexico had highly focused on six major steps including programming or estimation, identification, budgeting, cost control, scheduling of project activities and performance measurement. In relation to scheduling of project activities, VW Mexico component’s design strategy for installing Jetta assembly line would be completed within 21 months in a budget of around USD3.3 million. The work breakdown structure of the project is segregated into separate elements such as defining project which entails stage gate review and stakeho lder development. Subsequently, the planning stage would entail design and new suppliers along with preparing the blueprint of the entire work activities. In addition, the phase of training, implementation and risk assessment would be comprehensively followed to ensure complete success of the project. Moreover, risk assessment phase would facilitate to ensure optimisation of the undertaken project along with ascertaining proper commencement of the production of Axel, Motor and Corner module (Project Management Institute, 2012). In this regard, it can be said that one of the critical components of project control system is to mitigate situations when delay occurs in the project schedule. In relation to Jetta assembly line project as well, the project manager needs to remain cautious to avoid any kind of delays. The project manager in such scenarios can take control by preparing a work breakdown structure for each and every activity of the project. Moreover, the project manager needs to carefully and continuously monitor any delay creating activity and if by

Monday, August 26, 2019

Benchmarking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Benchmarking - Essay Example There years later, the Company went public, with a valuation of $300 million and commenced sales of the GeneChip system. At the time of the public offering, Affymatrix’s R&D expenses were $12.4 million but by the year 2000, its expenses had risen to $57.4 million and its product sales were $173 million (www.atp.nist.gov). Sources of funding for Affymetrix R&D work have been primarily through licenses and patents and collaborative partnerships with several firms to test out its products. Companies with whom Affymetrix worked in the initial stages include Hewlett Packard, Genetics Institute, Incyte, Glaxo and Perlegen. By 2000, Affymetrix had 105 patents with 10% of the company income contributed by license and patent fees (www.atop.nist.gov). Additional sources of funds are Government and research grants, which are a part of the Company strategy to maintain an academic environment without sacrificing entrepreneurship. This strategy also helped to attract a pool of talented researchers who were thus able to develop marketable products of economic value for the Company. Net income reported by the Company for the third quarter of 2005 was $8.7million as compared to $15.4 million the same time last quarter.(www.corporate-ir.net). But in contrast, other biotech companies all reported earnings higher than expected for the third quarter of 2005, with the Burill Biotech Select index rising on a steady basis and most of the recent IPO graduates are doing quite well.(www.altassets.com). It is only Affumetrix that has reported a drop of 16% in share prices from $0.24 per diluted share in the third quarter of 2004 to $0.13 per diluted share for the third quarter of 2005. As compared to the third quarter of 2004 when operating costs were $65.1 million and revenues were $2.7 million, the third quarter of 2005 showed an increase in

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Ideological Development of the Conservative Party Coursework

Ideological Development of the Conservative Party - Coursework Example It is through these policies that the party has managed to achieve many of it successes. However, the policies are amended on several occasions. These have come because of defeats and successes in the political journey. With each new leadership of the party, new ideologies, strategies and policies arise. The modern conservative party under the leadership of David Cameron describes what the party has become in recent times. Before 1975, the conservative party held on to traditional pragmatism and strongly believed in the one state conservatism. Conservatism originated from Edmund Burke. He expressed his beliefs and ideas, which were philosophical but applied them politically. He formed the new principle of conservatism based on his understanding of nature, and definition of society. According to him, civil institutions had a religious origin. He believed societal progress was purely divine and that the state was an institution meant to help man govern himself better. Therefore, indivi duals holding public office had the obligation to govern from a divine origin. He urged them to hold office with honesty. The one state conservatism had two aspects: social and political. The social aspect of the one state conservatism sought to ensure that there existed an inclusion system. Inclusion involved ensuring that economically and socially, all had access to advances. The party sought to end the alienation suffered by some groups in society. The alienations affected the groups that immediate actions had to be taken. Politically, the one state conservatism sought to introduce a coalition in terms of support. The one state conservatism believed in the existence of a state and elaborated the responsibilities of the state. This conservatism concentrated on social aspects of the people. In 1975, Margaret Thatcher became the party leader and sought to redefine the ideologies established by her predecessors. In efforts to redefine her ideologies, Thatcher started by first establi shing a new definition for conservatism. According to her, conservatism was supposed to start from an individualistic point of view. She narrowed down society to individuals who had their unique needs. It was logical then to address the individual needs of each person before going to families and later to the community. Being an enthusiastic woman, she challenged the traditional pragmatism that change needed to be m taken slowly. In her idealism, change could be as well as be radical. Due to her enthusiasm for change, the ideologies of her time received the name ‘thatcherian agenda’. She did not support the gradual approach to change. She had the determination to put her ideologies into practice. During her period, Thatcher believed in practical politics. Her agenda was touched on classical liberalism, neo-liberalism, and free market (Ingle, 2008:34). Just like any other leader, Hatcher faced criticism on her agenda because some analysts thought that her ideas countered each other at some point. In fact, some people seem fully opposed to her ideas. However, her long reign gave her enough time to establish some of her ideologies and thus she gained popularity. Due to her liberal ideas, she was a vessel for the establishment of free markets. Further, she advocated for privatization of industries. Throughout her period, she achieved much. Her greatest achievement was the reduction of strikes by enforcing strong policies on unions.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Women of TV Broadcast Journalism in the UK versus the US Dissertation

Women of TV Broadcast Journalism in the UK versus the US - Dissertation Example From the study it is clear that since the two countries under scrutiny in this study are UK and the US, we might as well keep these figures in mind right from the start. For the purpose of conducting this study on the portrayal of women broadcasters in US and UK, the help of various sources and surveys on a worldwide basis as well as secondary data collection have been taken. For starters, there is a brief look at the broadcasting industry, its history and emerging trends, as a whole, before moving onto the aspects that define the world of women broadcasters, specifically. These aspects include statistics as well as case studies for comparing trends and probabilities in both countries. This paper highlights that for every ABC, CBS and NBC affiliate that does local news – which is quite a sizable figure, there is a great majority of independent stations that do not follow suit. Only 2% of the Big- Three affiliates but 64% of other stations said they had no news staff. All these findings fuelled the transition to a period of postmodernism for mass media – an era ushered in equal parts by the beginning of globalisation as well as sensationalism. Part of the transition to postmodernism was the emerging trend of using women broadcasters, as we will study below. Apart from bringing glamour and a certain amount of light heartedness to the whole routine of broadcasting, women have a powerful role to play when it comes to dominating an audience’s attention in terms of mass media.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Motivational strategy to an existing lesson plan Research Paper

Motivational strategy to an existing lesson plan - Research Paper Example Therefore, for learning to be effective, teachers do requires strategies and should frequently modify them while also adding new ones to the existing strategies. Hence, the purpose of this document is to examine the effect of new instructional and motivational strategy to an existing lesson plan on human brain.Lesson Plan: Effect of new instructional and motivational strategy to an existing lesson plan on human brain.Lesson 1: The BrainTeaching time: 1 hourTopic outline Teaching and Homework activities Teaching Strategies Points to not Learning objectives: To state the function of the cerebral cortex.To discuss ways scientists can map different brain’s regions to particular functions. Opportunity for practical work: carry brain models to class and let students explore the brain.  Ã‚  Notably, the brain models have a lot of information thus the teacher should help students to find areas of the brain that control specific functions.  Summarise at the end of lesson that stude nts only need to note that the cerebral cortex is a brain part that is mostly concerned with memory, intelligence, language and consciousness.Assignment: students to discuss different techniques that can be used to map functions of a brain’s different areas. Instructional strategyAfter Learning: Summarizing and note takingMotivational StrategyAfter Learning: Intrinsic motivation strategy Specification points: Students should recall that cerebral cortex is a part of our brain that is mainly concerned with memory and consciousness.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Greek God Zeus - an Interpretation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Greek God Zeus - an Interpretation - Essay Example Most of the gods in the Greek mythology held dominion over the natural phenomena or over the abstract concepts such as love and wisdom. In that context, Zeus happened to be an important god in the Greek mythology as he held an almost absolute sway over all the other deities. Zeus had cult sites scattered all over ancient Greece. The sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia happened to be the most important of these cult sites, which is associated with the ancient Olympic Games (Bremmer & Erskine, 2010, p. 209). According to the Greek mythology, Zeus was the powerful deity who determined the fate of both the men and the gods. In that context, the Oracle of Zeus located at Dodona was a religious place, highly revered by the Greek people (Bremmer & Erskine, 2010, p. 156). Zeus was also considered by the Greeks to be the deity that presided over marital happiness and the household bliss. One essential attribute of the Greek theology was that it feared the sin of committing hubris (Thornton, 2000, p.116). Hubris happened to be a really wide term that included within its scope most of the sins, indulgences and excesses considered to be sinful by the Greek people (Thornton, 2000, p. 116). It was Zeus who was considered to be the god who punished the people guilty of indulging in hubris. Thereby, Zeus really happened to be a mythological deity that comes closest to the more contemporary Judi-Christian notions of a supreme and just God. In the ancient Greek art and sculptures, Zeus is depicted as a middle-aged and bearded character having a dignified disposition and demeanour. Thereby, the myth of Zeus signifies a theological evolution in the Greek theology in the sense that he happened to be a patriarchal divine figure that stood supreme over all the natural forces and abstract qualities represented by varied gods and goddesses of the Greek pantheon. The myth of Zeus was eventually carried on to the succeeding civilizations. The Romans, who incorporated in their religion, varied aspects of the Greek theology and mythology, fashioned their supreme deity Jupiter in tandem with the Greek god Zeus (Bremmer & Erskine, 2010, p. 150).  

History of Football Essay Example for Free

History of Football Essay Football, American, distinct type of football that developed in the United States in the 19th century from soccer (association football) and rugby football. Played by professionals and amateurs (generally male college or high school teams), football is one of the most popular American sports, attracting thousands of participants and millions of spectators annually. The forerunner of American football may have been a game played by the ancient Greeks, called harpaston. In this game there was no limit to the number of players. The object was to move a ball across a goal line by kicking, throwing, or running with it. Classical literature contains detailed accounts of the game, including its rougher elements, such as ferocious tackling. Most modern versions of football, however, originated in England, where a form of the game was known in the 12th century. In subsequent centuries football became so popular that various English monarchs, including Edward II and Henry VI, forbade the game because it took interest away from the military sport of archery. By the middle of the 19th century football had split into two distinct entities. Still popular today, these two sports included the football association game, or soccer (the word being a slang adaptation of the three letters, s-o-c, in Association), and rugby, in which players ran with the ball and tackled. Modern football evolved out of these two sports. The Playing Field and the Ball The football playing field is rectangular in shape, measuring 100 yd (91. 4 m) long and 53. 5 yd (48. 9 m) wide. At both ends of the 100-yard dimension, white lines called goal lines mark off the entrances to the end zones. Each team defends one end zone. A team must carry, pass, or kick the ball into the 10-yd (9-m) end zone on the opponents half of the field to score. Lines parallel to the end zones cross the field at 5-yd (4. 5-m) intervals. These lines give the field a resemblance to a large gridiron. Another set of lines, known as the sidelines, runs along both sides of the field. In addition, two rows of lines, called hash marks, run parallel to the sidelines. The hash marks are 53 ft 4 in (16. 3 m) from each sideline in college and high school football, and 70 ft 9 in (21. 6 m) from each sideline in the National Football League (NFL). Each play must begin on or between the hash marks. Before each play, the officials place the ball either between the hash marks or on the hash mark closest to the end of the previous play. Situated in the middle of the rear line of each end zone are goalposts, consisting of a 10-ft (3-m) vertical pole topped by a horizontal crossbar from which two vertical upright posts extend. In college and professional football, the posts are 18 ft 6 in (about 5. 6 m) apart. The football consists of an inflated rubber bladder encased in a leather or rubber cover. The ball is an extended spheroid, having a circumference of 28. 5 in (72. 4 cm) around the long axis and 21. 25 in (54 cm) around the short axis. It weighs between 14 and 15 oz (397 and 425 g). Playing Time A game of football is divided into four periods, known as quarters, each consisting of 15 minutes of playing time. The first two periods constitute the first half; the second two comprise the second half. Between the halves, a rest period, usually lasting about 15 minutes, is permitted the players, who may leave the field. The teams change halves of the field at the end of each quarter. The clocks stop at the end of each quarter and at certain other times, when particular events occur or when designated by the officials. The Players Football is played by two opposing teams, each fielding 11 players. Each team tries to move the ball down the field to score in the end zone defended by its opponents. During a football game the teams are designated as the offensive team (the team in possession of the ball) and the defensive team (the team defending a goal line against the offensive team). Players involved in kicking situations are known as the special teams. The 11 players of the offensive team are divided into two groups: 7 linemen, who play on the line of scrimmage (an imaginary line designating the position of the ball) and a backfield of 4 players, called backs, who stand in various positions behind the linemen. The lineman whose position is in the middle of the line is called the center. On his left is the left guard and on his right is the right guard. On the left of the left guard is the left tackle, and on the right of the right guard is the right tackle; similarly, on the ends of the line are the tight end and the split end. The back who usually  stands directly behind the center and directs the play of the offensive team is known as the quarterback. In a balanced backfield formation, or â€Å"T-formation,† the fullback stands behind the quarterback, and the left and right halfbacks stand to either side of the fullback. Teams often use wide receivers in the place of tight ends, split ends, halfbacks, or fullbacks. Wide receivers line up on the line of scrimmage but wide of the rest of the formation. The defensive team consists of a row of linemen, who comprise the defensive line, a row of linebackers, and a collection of defensive backs, known as the secondary. The defensive line can use any number of players, though most teams use three or four linemen. Defensive linemen principally are responsible for stopping the oppositions rushing attack and, in passing situations, putting pressure on the quarterback. The linebackers line up behind the defensive line and, depending on the situation, are used to stop runners, pressure the quarterback, or cover the oppositions receivers. Teams usually employ three or four linebackers. The secondary is comprised of cornerbacks, who cover wide receivers, and safeties, who cover receivers, offer support in stopping the rushing attack, and pressure the quarterback. The secondary commonly consists of two cornerbacks and two safeties. Protective Equipment To protect themselves from the often violent bodily contact that characterizes football, players wear elaborate equipment, including lightweight plasticized padding covering the thighs, hips, shoulders, knees, and often the forearms and hands. Players also wear plastic helmets with guards that cover most of the face. The Officials Play is supervised by impartial officials. Professional and major college football programs use seven officials: a referee, an umpire, a linesman, a field judge, a back judge, a line judge, and a side judge. The officials carry whistles and yellow penalty flags. They blow the whistles or throw the flags to indicate that an infraction of the rules has been committed. The referee is in charge of the game at all levels of play. The referee supervises the other officials, decides on all matters not under other officials specific jurisdiction, and enforces penalties. The referee indicates when the ball is dead (out of play) and when it may again be put into play, and uses hand signals to indicate specific decisions and penalties. The umpire makes decisions on questions concerning the players equipment, their conduct, and their positioning. The principal duty of the linesman is to mark the position of the ball at the end of each play. The linesman has assistants who measure distances gained or lost, using a device consisting of two vertical markers connected by a chain or cord 10 yd (9 m) long. The linesman must particularly watch for violations of the rule requiring players to remain in certain positions before the ball is put into play. The field judge times the game, using a stopwatch for this purpose. In some cases, the stadium scoreboard has a clock that is considered official. Game Procedure At the beginning of each game, the referee tosses a coin in the presence of the two team captains to determine which team kicks off or receives the kickoff. At the start of the second half, these conditions are reversed—that is, the team that kicks off in the first half receives the kickoff to start the second half. During the kickoff, the ball is put in play by a place-kick from the kicking teams 35-yd (32-m) line, or the 30-yd (27. 4-m) line in the National Football League (NFL). The NFL kickoff was moved from the 35-yd line in 1994 to increase the importance of the kickoff return. The kicking team lines up at or behind the ball, while the opponents spread out over their territory in a formation calculated to help them to catch the ball and run it back effectively. If the kick stays within the boundaries of the field, any player on the receiving team may catch the ball, or pick it up on a bounce, and run with it. As the player runs, the player may be tackled by any opponent and stopped, known as being downed. The player carrying the ball is considered downed when one knee touches the ground. Tacklers use their hands and arms to stop opponents and throw them to the ground. After the ball carrier is stopped, the referee blows a whistle to stop play and places the ball on the spot where the runner was downed. Play also stops when the ball carrier runs out of bounds. A scrimmage (action while the ball is in play) then takes place. Before scrimmage begins, the team on offense usually gathers in a circle, called a huddle, and discusses the next play it will use to try to advance the ball. A coach either signals the play choice  to the team from the sidelines, or the teams quarterback chooses from among the dozens of rehearsed plays in the teams repertoire. The defensive team also forms a huddle and discusses its next attempt to slow the offense. Each play is designated by code numbers or words, called signals. After the teams come out of their respective huddles, they line up opposite each other on the line of scrimmage. If the quarterback analyzes the defensive alignment and decides that the chosen play should be changed, the quarterback can call an audible and shout the coded directions for a new play. Play begins when the center crouches over the ball and, on a spoken signal, snaps it—generally to the quarterback—by handing it between his legs. Based upon the chosen play, the quarterback can pass the ball, hand it off to a teammate, or run with it. During the scrimmage, the players on the offensive team may check the defenders using their bodies, but they are constrained by specific rules regarding the use of their hands or arms. The player running with the ball, however, is allowed to use an arm to ward off potential tacklers. The offensive players check defenders, or try to force them out of the way, by performing a maneuver known as blocking. Good blocking is considered a fundamental technique in football. Perhaps the most spectacular offensive play is the forward pass, in which the ball is thrown in a forward direction to an eligible player. The ball is nearly always thrown by the quarterback, and those who may catch it include the other three backs and the two ends. A forward pass may be made only during scrimmage, and then only from behind the line of scrimmage. A lateral pass may be made anywhere on the field anytime the ball is in play. The defending team tries to prevent the attacking team from advancing the ball. The defending players may use their arms and hands in their attempt to break through the opponents line to reach the player with the ball. The defending team tries to keep the offense from gaining any distance, or to stop the offense for a loss by tackling the ball carrier before the ball carrier reaches the line of scrimmage. The offense must advance the ball at least 10 yards (9 m) in four tries, called downs. After each play, the teams line up again and a new scrimmage takes place. If the team on offense fails to travel 10 yards (9 m) in four downs, it must surrender the ball to its opponent after the fourth down. A team will often punt on fourth down if it hasnt gained at least 10 yards (9 m) in its previous three tries. In punting, the kicker drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. By punting, a team can send the ball farther away from its own end zone before surrendering it, thus weakening the opponents field position. Methods of Scoring. The object of the game is to score more points than the opposing team within the regulation playing time. In college football, a game can end in a tie if both teams have scored the same number of points at the end of regulation time. In case of a tie in an exhibition or regular-season professional game, the teams play an overtime period, known as sudden death, in which the first team to score is declared the winner. If neither team has scored at the end of this 15-minute overtime period, then the tie is allowed to stand. In professional playoff games no ties are allowed, and the teams play until one scores. A team scores a touchdown when one of its players carries the ball into the opposing teams end zone or catches a pass in the end zone. A touchdown is worth 6 points. After a team has scored a touchdown, it tries for an extra-point conversion. This is an opportunity to score an additional one or two points with no time elapsing off the game clock. In college football, the offensive team lines up 3 yd (2. 7 m) from the goal line of the opponents and passes, kicks, or runs with the ball. A running or passing conversion in which the ball crosses the goal line counts for 2 points. A conversion by place-kick that propels the ball between the goalposts and over the crossbar counts for 1 point. In professional football, the offensive team lines up 2 yd (1. 8 m) from the goal line. A conversion attempted by place-kicking the ball is worth 1 point. In 1994 the NFL introduced the running or passing 2-point conversion. On offense, teams may also attempt to score by kicking a field goal, which counts for 3 points. A field goal is scored by means of a place-kick, in which one player holds the ball upright on the ground for a teammate to kick. For a successful field goal, the ball must be kicked between the goalposts and over the crossbar. After each field goal and extra-point conversion, the scoring team must kick off to its opponents. Finally, a defensive team earns two points for a safety when it causes the team on offense to end a play in possession of the ball behind its own goal line. If the offensive team downs the ball behind its line intentionally, in certain situations, such as after receiving a kickoff, the play is known as a touchback and does not count in the scoring. When the offensive team suffers a safety, it must punt the ball to the opponents to restart play. Modern Football American football was made popular by teams representing colleges and universities. These teams dominated the game for most of the first 100 years of football in the United States. Even today, despite greatly increased interest in professional football, intercollegiate contests—played by some 640 team—are attended by more than 35 million spectators each year. Many college stadiums hold more than 50,000 spectators; one stadium, at the University of Michigan, holds more than 100,000. Many of the major universities are now grouped in conferences, such as the Big Ten (northern midwest), the Big Eight (midwest), the Pacific Ten (western states), the Southeastern Conference, and the Ivy League (northeast). The birth date of football in the United States is generally regarded by football historians as November 6, 1869, when teams from Rutgers and Princeton universities met in New Brunswick, New Jersey, for the first intercollegiate football game. In the early games, each team used 25 players at a time. By 1873 the number was reduced to 20 players, in 1876 to 15 players, and in 1880 to 11 players, where it has remained. In the 1900s, college football became one of the countrys most popular sports spectacles. Ranked among the greatest United States sports heroes of the 20th century are such student athletes as Jim Thorpe of Carlisle Institute; George Gipp of the University of Notre Dame; Red Grange of the University of Illinois; Tom Harmon of the University of Michigan; Doak Walker of Southern Methodist University; Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard, the â€Å"Touchdown Twins† of Army (the U. S. Military Academy); Joe Namath of the University of Alabama; and O. J. Simpson of the University of Southern California. In 1935 the Downtown Athletic Club of New York City established an award honoring one of the outstanding college football coaches in the country, John William Heisman. Heisman is credited with legalizing the forward pass in 1906. The John W. Heisman Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the outstanding college player of the year, as decided by a national poll of sportswriters. After World War II ended in 1945, college athletes began to receive football scholarships, often paying the players room, board, tuition, and incidental expenses while enrolled in college. College Bowl Games and National Champions. College teams generally play about 11 games during the fall. The best college teams are awarded trips to so-called bowl games, matching outstanding teams in games that conclude the seasons competition. The tradition was begun in 1902 at Pasadena, California, when Stanford University invited the University of Michigan to come to California for a New Years Day contest. This event soon became the celebrated Rose Bowl game. Bowl games now represent the climax of the college season. Other notable bowl games include the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas; the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida; and the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana. In recognition of the great public interest in these games, major corporations now sponsor many of the bowls. Today, the champion college team is selected by national polls of coaches and sportswriters. In the accompanying table, the teams from 1889 to 1923 were Helms Athletic Foundation selections; from 1924 to 1930, Rissman Trophy winners; from 1931 to 1935, Rockne Memorial Trophy winners; from 1936 to today, Associated Press (AP) poll selections; and from 1950 to today, United Press International (UPI) poll selections. In cases where two teams won the honor in separate AP and UPI polls, a note has been made. Many members of the football community debate whether a poll of writers and coaches should determine a champion or whether the colleges should institute a more formal playoff system. Detractors of a playoff system argue that with such a system, the popular bowl games would lose their identity. In addition, players seasons would extend by one or two months, cutting into academic time. However, advocates for a playoff point to the controversial 1993 season in which the Florida State Seminoles won the number-one ranking over Notre Dame, a team that beat the Seminoles convincingly earlier in the season. Beginnings of Professional Football The first professional football game in the United States took place in 1895 in the town of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, between a team representing Latrobe and a team from Jeannette, Pennsylvania. In the following ten years many professional teams were formed, including the Duquesnes of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the Olympics of McKeesport, Pennsylvania; the Bulldogs of Canton, Ohio; and the team of Massillon, Ohio. Among noted college players who took up the professional game during its early years were Willie Heston (formerly at the University of Michigan), Jim Thorpe (Carlisle Institute), Knute Rockne (University of Notre Dame), and Fritz Pollard (Brown University). The professional game attracted only limited public support during its first 30 years. The first league of professional football teams was the American Professional Football Association, formed in 1920. The admission fee was $100 per team. The teams pledged not to use any student player who still had collegiate eligibility left, as the good will of the colleges was believed to be essential to survival. The teams also agreed not to tamper with each others players. Jim Thorpe, a player-coach for one of the teams, became president of the league during its first year. The American Professional Football Association gave way in 1922 to the National Football League (NFL). Red Grange, the famous halfback from the University of Illinois, provided a tremendous stimulus for the league when he joined the Chicago Bears in 1925 and toured the United States that year and the next. His exciting play drew large crowds. Thereafter, professional football attracted larger numbers of first-rate college players, and the increased patronage made the league economically viable. Strategically, the early NFL game was hardly distinguishable from college football at that time. There was no attempt to break away from collegiate playbooks or rule books. For 13 years the NFL followed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Rules Committee recommendations. In the leagues early years, players considered the low-paying NFL a part-time job and held other jobs during the day. Thus, while college coaches could drill their players daily for hours, professional football coaches arranged practices in the evenings, sometimes only three or four times a week. Development of Offensive Strategies The offensive techniques and formations prevalent in the contemporary game developed from the ideas of early and mid-20th century coaches such as Walter Camp, Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding â€Å"Hurry Up† Yost, Bob Zuppke, Knute Rockne, and Paul Brown. Following very few historical precedents, these men innovated unique strategies that changed the nature of football forever. Stagg, operating out of the early T-formation, originated the between-the-legs snap from center to quarterback and put a player in motion in the backfield before the snap of the ball. In 1906 Warner unbalanced his line, placing four players on one side of the center and two on the other side, while shifting the backfield into a wing formation. The quarterback functioned as a blocker, set close behind the line and a yard wide of the center. At the same depth, but outside the line, was the wingback. Deep in the backfield was the tailback, who received most of the snaps, and in front and to the side was the fullback. This formation became known as the â€Å"Single-Wing,† and it remained footballs basic formation until the 1940s. From the Single-Wing emerged Warners â€Å"Double-Wing,† with wingbacks set wide on either side of the line. This formation forced the defense to spread itself across the field in order to protect against the pass, thus creating favorable conditions for the offense to execute unexpected running plays. The strategy is the same as todays â€Å"draw† and â€Å"end-around† concepts, but Warners teams could also pass from the formation. Warner would also open up the lines completely, splitting the ends into modern â€Å"slot† positions, inside the wingbacks. This was a four-receiver formation that evolved into the â€Å"Shotgun† offense, popularized by the San Francisco 49ers of 1960. Like the double-wing, the â€Å"Shotgun† utilized two wideouts and two slot players, with the passer set deep in the backfield next to a running back. The NFLs newest formation of the 1990s, the â€Å"Run and Shoot† offense, also resembles Warners formation. With Warners innovations, wing formations came to dominate the NFL. Coach Zuppke at Illinois ran single- and double-wing formations, often sending four or five receivers downfield in pass patterns. Some teams would use a short-punt formation, with the quarterback and wings set on different sides, providing a more balanced look. At Notre Dame in 1923 and 1924, Rockne instituted his famous Four Horsemen offense. At the beginning of a play, Rockne set up the backs in a four-square, box alignment on one side. Then, in the famous â€Å"Notre Dame Shift,† the backs would shift out of the box and into a single or double wing. In later years, other coaches imitated Rocknes innovation and achieved similar success. For example, former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs implemented an offensive strategy called the â€Å"Explode Package. † Modeled after Rocknes Notre Dame Shift, the Explode Package helped the Redskins defeat the Miami Dolphins in the 1983 Super Bowl. In Gibbss system, the backs and receivers would jump into new positions before the snap, thus unsettling the defense. Although talented, the quarterbacks of the 1930s and parts of the 1940s seldom completed 50 percent of their passes, while many were even less successful. A major cause of these low percentages was the primitive nature of pass-blocking schemes. With little protection, passers always had to throw while avoiding incoming rushers. In the 1940s Paul Brown, the coach of the Cleveland Browns, installed a blocking system which transformed the passing game forever. Brown changed the system by arranging the linemen in the form of a cup. They pushed most incoming pass-rushers to the outside. Anyone who penetrated the line was met by a firmly planted fullback named Marion Motley. From that point on, the passing game achieved a new significance. Other teams implemented strong blocking lines, providing the quarterback with more time to release the ball. The contemporary game of the 1980s and 1990s is noted for its exciting and effective passing plays in both the professional and college ranks. Artificial turf, the surface in many of the nations stadiums, provides excellent footing for quarterbacks and receivers. With strong protection, talented quarterbacks make a perceivable difference to a game. For example, quarterback Joe Montana keyed the San Francisco 49ers three Super Bowl victories in the 1980s. Montana, who benefited from good protection, could instinctively read defenses and had the ability to deliver the ball accurately to his receivers while on the move. In college football, the University of Miami Hurricanes dominated the game in the late 1980s with a flashy passing game and a quick defense that could react effectively to the pass. Development of Defensive Strategies One striking aspect of modern football is its emphasis on defense as well as offense. This trend began after World War II (1939-1945), when college teams were allowed free substitution of players—that is, a player could enter and leave the game an unlimited number of times, as long as the ball was not in play during the substitution. This feature of the game led to the modern two-platoon system, in which one group of 11 players enters the game to play offense and a second group enters to play defense. Such a system has fostered the development of individual skills and specialization among players. Defensive football has acquired an extensive terminology of its own. In some ways defense is more complicated than offense, because defensive teams have fewer restrictions on their manner of lining up. Generally, however, the defensive formation is determined by the way the offense lines up. For example, when defending against opponents who are expected to throw many forward passes, a team might use a formation with a four-player line of two ends and two tackles. Three linebackers would stand directly behind the front four. In addition, two cornerbacks placed wider and farther back could defend against mid-range assaults. Two safeties would position themselves deeper to protect against longer aerial attacks. Most of the innovative thinking by coaches in the NFL during the 1970s came on defense. Offensive statistics plummeted as defenses dominated. The newer game demanded speed at every position, in addition to strength and bulk. Great linebacker units with catchy names such as Doomsday in Dallas, Pittsburghs Steel Curtain, Minnesotas Purple People Eaters, and the Rams Fearsome Foursome dominated offenses. Teams turned the free safety position over to ferocious hitters such as the Raiders Jack Tatum and Dallas Cliff Harris. Rough, physical cornerbacks such as Pittsburghs Mel Blount and Oaklands Willie Brown employed tight bump-and-run techniques on receivers downfield. Professional Football Today. The present-day NFL game is immensely popular. It is played during the late summer, through autumn, and into January. Professional teams play 4 exhibition games before the start of the regular season, followed by 16 games in the regular season and then playoff games, when they qualify for the playoffs. Teams play one game each week, using the time between games to recover, practice, and prepare for the next game. Each team receives one week without a game, known as a bye, during the season. The NFL is a big business for players, owners, advertisers, and other industries tied to the sport. NFL franchises generate huge revenues for host cities, in addition to promoting civic pride and national exposure. Thus, cities often compete for teams, offering prospective teams bigger and better stadiums, guaranteed fan support, and various economic incentives. In the 1980s three NFL teams relocated: the Raiders moved from Oakland, California, to Los Angeles in 1982; the Colts moved from Baltimore, Maryland, to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1984; and the Cardinals moved from Saint Louis, Missouri, to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1988. Other teams have agreed to stay only with the promise of new facilities by their host cities. Throughout the years, other consortiums have sought to capitalize on the economic potential of the sport. For three years in the 1980s a new professional spring league, the United States Football League (USFL), competed with the NFL. The NFL lost players to the USFL, and NFL teams had to pay higher salaries to keep other players from leaving. However, the USFL soon folded, with much of its more talented personnel entering the NFL. Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the final contest of the professional season and determines the leagues annual champion. Currently the Super Bowl routinely finishes among the all-time top 50 programs in television ratings, and the 1994 game reached an estimated 750 million viewers around the world. Now probably the most important single-day sporting event in the United States, the Super Bowl had more modest beginnings. In 1967 the champions of the American Football League (which merged with the NFL in 1970) and the NFL met in what was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The name was later shortened to Super Bowl, named after a childs toy, the Super Ball. In this first game, the Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10. The Los Angeles Coliseum, site of the game, fell far short of a sellout, although tickets were only $10 each. In comparison, the highest ticket price at the 1994 Super Bowl reached $250, with scalpers illegally charging more than twice that much. Rule Changes and Modern Developments The game of football has a history of constant rule changes. Rule changes have been implemented to bolster the excitement of the game of football and to increase the games safety. By 1906 the game was extremely rough, and many injuries and some deaths had occurred. Educators considered dropping the sport despite its popularity on campuses. United States President Theodore Roosevelt, an ardent advocate of strenuous sports, declared that the game must be made safer. As a result, football leaders revamped the game, and many of the rougher tactics were outlawed. In a constant attempt to maintain public interest in the game, NFL rulemakers review trends in their sport. For example, in the early 1970s, the rulemakers brought the hash marks in closer to the center of the field to give offenses more room to throw wide. The move, which increased scoring and made the game more exciting, also helped bolster the running game. Ten NFL runners gained more than 1000 yards in one season (1972) for the first time in history. During the next season, Buffalo Bills running back O. J. Simpson rushed for more than 2000 yards, the first time a player had gained that many yards in a single season. However, the passing game eventually suffered as defenses quickly adjusted. The Pittsburgh Steelers had a stranglehold on the NFL during the 1970s, with four Super Bowl victories. The dominant defensive athletes the Steelers put on the field shut down the wide-open passing attacks that had developed in the previous era. By 1977 scoring was the lowest it had been since 1942, while offensive touchdowns had fallen to their lowest levels since 1938. The rulemakers enacted serious measures after this low-scoring 1977 season, fearing a loss of public interest in the defense-dominated game. They established a zone of only five yards from the line of scrimmage in which a bump by a pass defender was permitted.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The Topic Of Spanking Children

The Topic Of Spanking Children One day last summer, I hung out with my friends Elizabeth and Kisha. Elizabeth is a young mother with a 3-year-old son named Raine. Elizabeth did not know how to control her son; on that day, the three of us went to a strip mall to shop for clothes, and Raine was with us. While we were shopping, Raine wandered off many times from his mother, and she rarely told him anything. Then, he threw huge tantrums whenever he saw something he could not have. I bit my tongue so much that day because despite how I felt about his behavior, it was not my place to tell anyone else how to raise his or her children. He was very bratty; he made a scene in a convenience store we all walked into, becoming disobedient and defiant with Elizabeth and screaming at her. Still, I said nothing out of good taste. Finally, the topic of whether or not I would make a good father came up because I saw a couple with children who were behaving well; I enjoy children when they are well-behaved. I was making no attempt to attack Elizabeths parenting even though her son was horrible. I was merely conjecturing my own capabilities at parenthood. I could no longer bite my tongue. The girl with the out-of-control child, of all people, had the audacity to imply that I may not be a good parent. Before I realized it, I told her, Well at least my children will know how to conduct themselves in public and will not talk to me any kind of way. He is clearing acting up and disrespecting you, but you refuse to spank him. Because of this, Elizabeth and I do not talk much anymore. I suggested that she spank Raine. She obviously did not believe in spanking bad children. I thought it was very foolish of her to have this mindset because she never employed any other disciplinary technique that was successful in altering his behavior. She, along with others, believes that spanking is wrong. I do not think that it is absolutely right, but I do believe that the positive outweighs the negative; parents should be allowed to spank their children when it is necessary. There is an appropriate way for parents to do this without abusing their children. Though, it is not absolute, spanking can still be very effective. Children are not perfect beings who do not make mistakes. Children need to be taught respect and appropriate behavior. They need to know that there are consequences for not following the rules. What exactly is spanking? Kazdin and Benjet define spanking as the act of hitting a child with an open palm on the buttocks or the extremities (hands and legs) with the intent to discipline without leaving any bruises or injuries (Kazdin Benjet, 100). Larry Winget, a father and also the author of Your Kids are Your Own Fault: A Guide for Raising Responsible, Productive, Young Adults, agrees with this definition and believes that spanking should be used to alter undesirable behavior in children, not to hurt them (Winget, 88). What is discipline? Any attempt to change or control a childs behavior is discipline (Brown, 69). Discipline can be divided into two sub-categories: autonomy-granting techniques and restrictive techniques. Autonomy -granting techniques allow a child to correct his or her behavior on his or her own accord. These techniques are generally non-punitive and include lecturing and oral disapproval. U. Bronfenbrenner affirms that middle class parents tend to use these t echniques which include reasoning, isolation, and guilt (Brown, 68). Research shows that families with higher socioeconomic statuses (SESs) tend to have punishments that are very lenient in correcting misbehavior. Restrictive techniques force a child to alter his or her behavior by incentive: punishment (Brown, 68-9). And obviously, spanking is a form of punishment, and therefore is included with time-outs, grounding, privilege revocation, and all other restrictive techniques. Whether or not parents should be able to spank their children, and to what extent, is a very controversial debate. Like any debate, there are contenders of the idea. These contenders make some valid, however flawed, statements against spanking. One is that spanking instills fear into children, and children who will comply with the rules via spanking will not do so out of respect; they will succumb out of fear (Davis, 141). Another argument is that spanking is abusive and condones violence as an acceptable way to solve a problem (Davis, 143). These claims are true only when the spanking turns into abuse. Davis included a question from a parent answered by M. Senn, an opponent of spanking. He asked: Q: Should I hit my child back when he hits me? A: No, you should not. If you strike him back, you are teaching him that the only way to respond in anger is by physical blows, and it may turn into a fist fight (Davis, 141). There is so much wrong with this all together. For one, if a child is audacious enough to hit his own parents in a non-life-threatening scenario, the ones who conceived him, then he deserves to be punished. He or she should also realize that if he or she has enough moxie to hit anyone, parent or not, then he or she should be brave enough to get beat down if it escalates to something more serious. In others words, do not throw a punch if you cannot take one. A child is headed in the wrong direction if he or she thinks that he or she can be violent without suffering any consequences. And, one can certainly not hit a random person out on the streets and expect not to be retaliated against. We live in a society where skirmishes turn into bloodbaths because people think that they can handle them with their fists. Ideally, fighting is not the answer, but parents should certainly not condone abuse by their own children. That is crazy. And if parents have to spank their children to convey th at message to them, then I support it one hundred percent. Tibbetts affirms that spanking is but a single act among many that supports civilized behavior against the natural barbarism of the American brat (Davis, 144). Leaving children undisciplined is like leaving people to anarchy; it just will not work. There are many adults who lack the judgment and reasoning capabilities needed to function in society. And, children are still developing mentally and physically in order to be able to cope as adults. Why would one assume that children, non-adults, will be fine if left to their own devices? Opponents of spanking believe that it encourages the development of bad character in kids; children who do not want spankings become very deviant by lying to avoid them (Davis, 140). However, one parent with an 8-year-old named George chose not to spank him and found that it permitted George to be dishonest and defiant. The father saw an improvement in Georges behavior after he decided to span k him and noted that he only had to spank his son a few times by the time George turned thirteen (Davis, 137). Opponents argue that the people who support spanking are religious fundamentalists who base their reasons to justify it on the Bible, a book that some, depending on their own particular beliefs, view as unsubstantial (Davis, 139). Proverbs 13:24 reads that he who spares the rod does not love his child, and that he who loves his child will discipline him or her promptly. Despite how one may feel about Christianity and the Bible, the practicality and cogency of this statement cannot be disputed. Only a negligent parent and fool will let his or her children run amok and not discipline them. And, one final belief that opponents share is that spanking is addictive because of its easiness to execute and gives parents the satisfaction of getting out anger (Davis, 142). Spanking should not be about seeking a thrill, getting revenge, or relieving stress on behalf of the parent. It s hould be simply to discipline the child and nothing more. Anything else and spanking is at risk of becoming abuse. Kazdin and Benjet agree that spanking isnt necessarily positive nor negative, but can be depending on other conditions. Spanking is negative only when it becomes abuse. Physical abuse is punishment that is severe, excessive, and physically harmful and dangerous to the child. Physical abuse can involve the use of objects. It is also noted to be directed at parts of the body that are not included in the proper definition of spanking: the buttocks or extremities (Kazdin Benjet, 100). Slapping a child in the face is considered physical abuse. Punching a child is definitely a form of abuse. Allow us to examine the movie Mommie Dearest. The film told the story of Christina Crawford, the adopted daughter of the late actress Joan Crawford. In the film, Christina and her brother were subjected to the harsh abuse and strictness of their mother. There was a scene in the movie when Joan was upset with Christina for hanging her own clothes with a wire hanger. Because of this, Joan beat Christina with the same wire hanger to teach her a lesson: do not hang your clothes with wire hangers. How preposterous does that sound? If that is not a clear image of physical abuse, then I do not know what is. There was no reasoning behind it. To say that the punishment was excessive would be an understatement; it was uncalled for, period. Joan Crawford must have had mental issues because responsible, mentally fit parents do not act this way. Another film depicting child abuse is Precious. The film depicted the life of a 16-year-old, African-American girl named Claireece Precious Jones who was obese, illiterate, and suffered severe forms of mental, physical, and sexual abuse from her parents. In one scene, Preciouss mother Mary attempted to hit her in the head with a cooking pot. This was because she thought Precious told an adult from her school to come to the house to discuss the benefits of education and alternative schooling with Mary in regards to Precious. Discussing education is a justifiable reason to try to give ones own child a concussion. The reality was that the adult came to Precious and Marys home of her own accord; Precious even warned the adult to not come because she knew Mary would react this way. In another scene, Mary forced Precious to eat a huge plate of pigs feet Precious made for Mary because it was not of her liking. She glared at Precious coldly, making sure that Precious ate every bit of it befo re she would make Precious cook dinner again, right this time. This was why Precious was morbidly obese. In yet another scene, Mary attacked Precious and her newborn when they finally came home after leaving the hospital. Mary did this because she was angry with Precious for coming clean to a social worker about the abuse she suffered. Mary was also jealous of Precious because Marys boyfriend (who was also Preciouss father) preferred to sleep with Precious and not her; both of Preciouss children, the newborn included, were products of rape from her father. In this scene, Mary waited for Precious to come home with the baby and asked Precious if she could hold him. Then, she told Precious to get her something to drink. While Preciouss back was turned, Mary tossed the baby to the ground and then threw a flower pot at the back of Preciouss head, causing it to shatter. She hurled more objects at Precious and cursed at her. She then charged at Precious, and a violent scuffle ensued. Lucki ly, Precious and her baby able to leave the apartment with minor injuries. Precious ran down the staircase with the baby and fell down; they both were miraculously fine. Fortunately, she moved herself and her child out of the way before a television came falling down the stair well from the floor of her mothers apartment; Mary, out of hate, tried to kill her own daughter and grandson. Although the Precious movie depicted an overly extreme case of physical abuse among other abuses, it defined it nonetheless. With that being said, proper spanking done from a responsible parent should never be mistaken for abuse. Spanking, when done properly, is actually a great tool for discipline. Studies show that 74% of American parents of children age seventeen and younger use spanking as a disciplinary technique while 94% of parents with children age three to four spank (Kazdin Benjet, 100). Spanking cannot be as bad as some people make it seem if virtually all parents do it. E.T. Gershoff concluded with an analysis of 88 studies that spanking had negative effects only when it was abusive (Kazdin Benjet, 100-01). Sweden passed a law in 1979 banning spanking to prevent child abuse. However, child abuse cases increased six-fold from 1981 to 1994 (Larzelere, 5). Spanking is not that issue that people should worry about; abuse is the issue. One father concurs that spanking prepares children for the real world; in the real world, people are punished for breaking the rules. He states, To have rules for behavior without the threat of physical punishment is like having laws without jails (Davis, 138). To the people who argue that spanking promotes fear in children, is fear really a bad thing? Is it not that same fear that prevents many children from getting in trouble in the first place? Is it not fear that scares adults from committing crimes that will otherwise put them in jail or prison? Is it not fear that promotes safety and good judgment in people anyway? People argue about deviant behavior to avoid punishment. If people, children included, are doing the right thing to begin with, then they should not have to worry about being punished. It is as simple as that. Let us consider the story of the little boy who burned himself after playing with the stove after his mother told him not to. She understood that the fire looked cool but advised him not to touch it because it will burn him. Out of his own defiance and curiosity, he touched the fire anyway and so forth. Analogously, spanking is the fire. He did not listen to his mother and had to suffer the consequences: being burnt. And ho pefully, he learned first-hand that fire burns and that he should not touch it if he does not want to get burnt again. Analogously, children should behave accordingly if they do not want any spankings. And, that is the practicality that makes spanking effective; it presents the child with an unfavorable outcome if he or she decides to be disobedient. Larry Winget agrees that children who are effectively and appropriately punished have more love and respect for their parents because their parents are showing that they care enough to correct potentially self-destructive behaviors in their children (Winget, 86); Janis Cambell believes that people tend to raise their children the way that their parents raised them (Cambell, 199). If this is true, then it is safe to say that Larry Winget respects and loves his parents, and they spanked him whenever it was necessary; he does the same to his children, and they love and respect him. Properly spanking a child when it is necessary can aid in ensuring that the child in question is not going down the wrong path and getting into trouble. Dianne is contemplating spanking her child. How does she go about it properly? Dr. Diana Braumrind states that Parents should first use verbal disciplinary reasoning to correct misbehavior. If that fails, then use non-physical punishments such as time-outs. If the problem persists, then use non-abusive spanking to correct the behavior (Larzelere, 4). Larry Wingets approach to discipline involves mak[ing] the punishment about the behavior and not about the person. With his experience as a father, he believes that parents should stress that they are spanking their children to alter their behavior, not because the children are bad people. He urges parents not to attack their childrens personalities (93). Doing so could potentially harm their mental developments. Winget continues by stating that parents need to make the punishment fit the crime (92). Do not spank a child if he or she forgets not to smack at the dinner table. Do not spank him when the both of you are at the grocery store and he asks for Skittles despite you telling him that you were not buying any candy prior to walking in. If you say no and he throws a massive tantrum and knocks items off the shelves, then spank him. Only spank a child when it is absolutely necessary. Winget affirms that anger is an appropriate response to [an] offense, and that a parent should wait to administer punishment because he or she may lose his or her temper and do something he or she may regret: seriously injuring the child (91, 92). Most of all, Winget stresses that a good parent will talk with his or her child so the child can have a better understanding of why he or she is being punished. Talking allows the parent to exercise judgment when listening to the child and figure out why the child did what he or she did so that the parent can determine how to punish the child. This can also help the parent to decide whether or not a spanking is even necessary (92-93). Good parents who spank their children are not the vicious , evil monsters that people believe them to be. The procedures mentioned by Braumrind and Winget show sympathy to the child. Although spanking can be a great means of discipline, it is not the most perfect method. No discipline is. However, it can be very effective. The first flaw with spanking is that it may not work on every child. Winget agrees that different kids require different punishments, and that spanking is an effective tool with some kids. Wingets son Tyler responded better to discussions and lectures while his other son Patrick responded better to being spanked (87; 88). The second imperfection with spanking is that its efficacy is subjected to severity and frequency (Kazdin Benjet, 100). Spanking loses its effectiveness when it is overused and is the only method of discipline, and it is very easy for parents to exhaust this method (Winget, 88). I can recall children from my childhood who were spanked almost everyday by their mothers and were still problematic. I remember these mothers spanking their kids and nothing else; they never asked them why did you do it? Rather, they found the neares t belt, or switch (long twig from a tree), or loafer and began whipping with the deepest frustration. In a study, Kazdin and Benjet found that occasional, mild spanking accompanied with other disciplinary techniques showed to be the most positive, effective form of punishment (101). One study states that parents from lower SESs tend to spank their children more while middle-class parents favored reasoning, isolation, guilt, and the threat of loss of love over spanking (Brown, 68). Researchers concluded that the parents of the lower SESs had higher levels of stress; stress is linked to physical abuse (Giles-Sims, Straus Sugarman, 171). However, M.L. Kahn did a study stating that working-class (lower SES) parents tended to spank when their childrens behavior was most extreme, but held back whenever they sensed that spanking was not the appropriate course of action (Brown, 68); These parents displayed good judgment while chastising their children. Though spanking is not the utmost, ab solute way of effective discipline, it can still be an effective tool when coupled with other methods and used with proper judgment. Despite all the benefits of spanking and the preponderance of parents who support it, society still frowns upon it. There are many people, doctors and others with merits, who consider proper, mild, non-abusive spanking still abuse. It has become a secretive thing for parents because of the taboo surrounding it despite it being legal; critics have been known to rebuff its legality by comparing it to cigarettes, saying that both are legal, harmful, and habitual (Davis, 142). This argument does not serve good parents who only seek to eliminate bad behavior any justice. Non-abusive spanking is not harmful, and the parents who are successful at correcting misbehavior do not have to spank frequently in order for it to become a habitual thing (Davis 137). With spanking becoming more, and more secretive, parents have been very conscious of how they discipline their children in public places. Parents who suffer the unfortunate circumstance of their children misbehaving in places like the groc ery store face a catch-22: being considered as unfit if they ignore it, or being viewed as abusive if they attempt to correct the misbehavior (Brown, 70). These parents worry about the nosy, meddlesome, old women who believe in all children being cherubs incapable of mischief. They worry about being scrutinized and ultimately reported to authorities for simply trying to raise children to the best of their abilities. Whenever a child is knowingly misbehaving the way children do from time to time, these old women tend to pardon it by saying, Oh, he is just being a kid. Dont punish him. But, whenever a child is extremely offensive, they have the temerity to question and challenge the parenting skills of the adult. Parents are embarrassed when their children act up in public and view it as an emergency situation because of three beliefs concerning parenthood in American society: that children turn out well with good parents, that contemporary parents are not as good as their predecessor s, and that there is no such thing as bad kids only bad parents (Brown, 70). Parents feel judged by these beliefs. With parents judgments conflicting with the mores, it is no wondering why there is so much controversy surrounding the right of parents to spank. While researching, I stumbled across some interesting facts. Studies show that fathers tend to spank their children more than mothers despite mothers being the main disciplinarians who also spend the most time with the children; mothers tend to yell at their children more (Cambell; 199, 202). I remember being spanked by my father more so than by my mom in my childhood. And I also remember her lecturing me more so than my father. Another fact is that younger parents are more likely to spank their children more than older parents (Giles-Sims, Straus Sugarman, 171). That caught my attention because I thought it would be the older group that favored spanking; the old people I grew up around where staunch advocates of spanking problematic children. Boys tend to be spanked more than girls (Giles-Sims, Straus Sugarman, 171). I can see this as being true because the boys I grew up with tended to misbehave more so than the girls. Parents who spank their children more than once often forget how many times they have had to so (Giles-Sims, Straus Sugarman, 171). Losing count is only expected for things that have been done with a sufficient amount of frequency. The final fact that I learned was that Caucasian parents are more likely to spank their children, despite other ethnic groups general acceptance it, particularly African-Americans (Giles-Sims, Straus Sugarman, 171). That, too, was interesting because I always thought Caucasians generally disagreed with spanking. There has been quite a handful of research done on spanking. The issue of spanking is one containing opposing view points. One side of the argument is in dissent about the issue, claiming that it is abuse while the other side supports it as an effective tool. Fact of the matter is, spanking definitely works and is very popular among American parents despite societal tendencies to discourage it. Ideally, if all children did not misbehave, then parents would not need to spank them. A mother in her right mind does not even want to think about spanking her child, let alone having to do it. It becomes a conflict for her because she will see her child misbehaving and know that she will have to spank him. I remember my own mother telling me that spanking will hurt her more than it will hurt me because I would eventually understand my wrong along with the consequences that entail. I would get over it; she, on the other hand, would bear the burden of her conscience because she would be placed in a position to where she would have to spank the child she loves so that he would learn to do better, not because she is angry. Non-abusive spanking should never become synonymous with abuse because abuse is detrimental; proper spanking is the opposite. Non-abusive spanking is not always the best solution, nor is it the only option to every crime committed by the child, but is very effective when done correctly; there is a proper way parents must go about executing it. And finally, there has been extensive research done on the topic. Parents should be allowed to spank their children so that they will become responsible adults with a great understanding of appropriate behavior to have in American society, or any society for that matter.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Aztecs Essay -- essays research papers

Aztec The Aztec Indians, who are known for their domination of southern and central Mexico, ruled between the 14th and 16th centuries. Their name is derived from Azatlan, the homeland of the north. The Aztecs also call themselves Mexica and there language came from the Nahuatlan branch of the Uto-Aztecan family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Aztecs were formed after the Toltec civilization occurred when hundreds of civilians came towards Lake texcoco. Late families were unfortunate and were forced to go to the swamp lands. In the swamp lands there was only one piece of land to farm on and it was totally surrounded by more marshes . The Aztec families some how converted these disadvantages to a might empire known as they Aztec Empire. People say the empire was partially formed by a deeply believed legend. As the the legend went it said that Aztec people would create a empire on in a swampy place where they would see an eagle eating a snake while perched on a cactus which is growing out of a rock in the swamplands. This is what priests claimed they saw while entering the new land.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By the year 1325 Their capital city was finished. They called it Tenochtitlan. In the the capital city aqueducts (piping) were constructed, bridges were built, and chinapas were made. Chinapas were little islands formed by pilled up mud. On these chinapas Aztecs grew corn, beans, chili peppers, squash, tomatoes, and tobacco. Tenochtitlan (the capital city) was covered in giant religious statues in order to pay their respects to the gods. In the Aztec religion numerous gods controlled an Aztec’s daily life. Some of these gods include: Uitzilpochtli (the sun god), Coyolxauhqui (the moon goddess), Tlaloc (the rain god), and Quetzalcoatl (the inventor of the calendar and writing). Another part of the Aztec religion was human sacrifices. For their sacrifices the priest would lay the man or woman over a convex (rounded) stone, then he would take a sharp knife and cut the victims heart out. They did this because they believed that good gods could prevent bad gods from doing evil things and they also believed that good gods got their strength from human blood and hearts so they had sacrifices in order to keep their gods strong. For major rituals warriors were sacrificed, for the warrior this was one of the greatest hon... ...eternity. The earth was thus created through fire and death; the earth mother had fallen, the moon goddess was dead, and her brothers slaughtered.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And so is the story of the Aztec creation. They based their lifestyle on the examples set by the gods and goddesses in the story, thus they led violent lives. The Aztecs saw no wrong in torturing, maiming, and decapitating their neighbors for the gods. They were a savage people, and this savagery would be their downfall.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1519 Hernando Cortes` led over 500 men into Aztec territory in search of gold, what he found were the magnificent golden statues of the Aztec deities. The Aztecs believed him to be the representative for some white skinned god, and hence feared and respected him. It was not until they saw him melting their statues and shipping the blocks of gold to Spain that they acted. They attacked Hernanado and his men, and succeeded in driving them off. However, Cortes returned later with the support of local Indian tribes that hated the Aztecs for centuries of cruel treatment to defeat the mighty Aztecs and take the empire. This ended the Aztec civilization forever.