Reaction Paper “El Presidente” Essay

Making a historical film is always a tough endeavor. What makes it even more challenging is its subject happens to be a controversial figure in history. And one of these is the El Presidente which was became one of the entries in Metro Manila Film Festival 2012 directed by Mark Meily. He crafts a tale centering about Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the First Philippine Republic. This general, politician, and revolutionary leader lived a long, grim, and gainful life from the time of the Philippines’ revolution against the Spanish colonial rule to the American and Japanese. Jeorge â€Å"ER† Estregan plays the lead role with Cesar Montano as Andres Bonifacio. In this film, the story touches on the revolutionary encounters, as well as the many issues, that took place during Aguinaldo’s time. It also explores his inner struggles as a husband, a member of the working class, a war leader, and a politician. It boasts a grand production highlighted by sophisticated cinematography and set pieces. Compared to many other Filipino epic and historical pictures that fall short on their technical ventures, this film gets high marks in its period and action sequences. Even with some inconsistencies and softness lingering in a couple of scenes, many shots still offer that â€Å"WOW† factor for the viewers. And most importantly, the production is still able to live up to the emotional investment such a historical offering needs to promote a sense of nationalism. Clearly, â€Å"El Presidente† is not a perfect film. But in the end, it still shines as a passionate attempt to contribute something valuable for Philippine cinema. This is somehow helps put a man where he belongs in the annals of history, while also inciting a form of curiosity and a sense of patriotism to its intended viewers. It also provokes the audience to have a more open mind on heroism. Even though this person finds h imself makes mistake, for others, or even for the entire country, it still allows certain realizations on how a human being becomes capable of great things. The movie EL PRESIDENTE is based on the life of General Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Philippine Republic. It aims to present a comprehensive narration of his life, achievements and even some controversial issues about him such as his relationship or conflict with other Filipino hero, Andres Bonifacio. At first I’m not interested in watching because I thought it would be boring for us teenagers to watch that kind of movie. But I realized that it would be nice for me as a student or should I say it would be a helpful reference for me to know about the life of Gen.Emilio Aguinaldo and how the first Philippine President fights for our freedom.

My Argument Paper

Stefanie Markel 1/2/2012 English Composition II Maria Mahon Adoption vs. Artificial Insemination Argument Essay When starting a family, parents are given several options. Unassisted pregnancy, where a couple gets pregnant with no outside interference, artificial insemination, or adoption are several options that a couple would consider when deciding to start a family. The two that I will focus on are the latter two, adoption and artificial insemination. Adoption is a special, somewhat heartbreaking subject for me, however, for the sake of this argument, it needs to be addressed. I will touch on the pros and cons of each technique of starting a family. My position is that the decision to adopt or be artificially inseminated is an informed decision that each person should make after reviewing all of the information that one can gather. IF it were me, I would prefer artificial insemination, for of course, my own personal reasons. The adoption process brings to light several pros and several cons that a couple or single parent would need to consider before proceeding. Before considering adoption, one would need to consider these things, 1. cost of adoption, 2. ) domestic or international adoption, 3. ) and cost of caring for child, 4. ) opened or closed adoption. One pro of adoption is if you are not able to have a child of your own, there are many children out there that need a home and family to care for them. Depending on the situation a child is in, you may be saving that child from abuse, neglect, poverty, or malnutrition from environmental challenges (if a dopted internationally you may see this more so than domestically). On the other hand, it may be a situation of an underage mother that has no help or ability to care for the child. Another pro of adoption is that you would be able to have a child even if you as couple or as a single mother cannot conceive on your own. A con of adoption is that it is expensive; there is a lot that goes into approving someone to be able to adopt a child. And the time that it takes for an adoption to be finalized can take months up to years. The end result of holding a child in your arms is the biggest pro of all. Now a con in the child’s point of view would be not knowing who your biological parents are or your heritage. As a child who was adopted grows older, he/she may have questions that can be difficult at best to explain depending on the circumstances of the adoption. This is where my experience comes in; however, my experience is an exceptional situation. I was adopted by my maternal grandmother at the age of 10 years old. This was an open adoption. This made things very difficult. My mother did not just have my grandmother adopt and then leave me be. No, she was in and out of my life constantly, usually when it was convenient for her. This made things difficult for my adoptive mother to deal with. This is not usually a normal situation. My children, not by my choice, however, were also adopted last year. The adoptive parents do not allow me contact, this is a closed adoption. I hope to one day change this. (personal experience) While my mother gave up her rights willingly, I did not willingly sign the papers giving up my rights, I was forced to. These are two extreme situations of adoption. When my children get older, they will ask the questions of who they are and where they come from of their adoptive parents, then my hope is that they will come find me so that we may eventually have a mother/children relationship. The second option that is available for prospective parents is artificial insemination. This is a slightly less expensive option to become parents, depending on what route you take. A pro to this, is that you can become a natural parent, by this I mean the child is yours biologically. Now depending on the situation, you may be seeking to have a child, but do not have a partner. Or your partner (male) may not be able to help conceive a child. These are just two reasons that you would choose this option, there are many reasons, and all are different for different people. In this process, at least one process that is, you can go to cryogenic clinic, select the donor you wish, and have a doctor inseminate you. To choose a donor, select age, race, medical history (personal and family), profession, hobbies. This will bring up donors to choose from. Another con is that even though you can select pretty much everything about a donor, your child will not look like your partner, and could eventually raise questions later. Another con, as a single parent choosing this option, as your child grows older, they may ask questions that you cannot answer, as well as the question to find their biological father. In conclusion, of the two options given, each have their pros and cons but they both have a wonderful ending result, a child to love. No matter what choice you choose, remember a child is a precious responsibility and nothing to take lightly. When it comes time for me to choose, it may be possible for me to choose both, having been adopted I do know the benefits to the child in a normal situation. And I would love to experience pregnancy again, although I may not have a partner, I do know that I will have lots of support if I decide to do the second option. I would very much like to give a child a home someday and get them out of whatever situation they are in. References Adoption. com, retrieved 1/4/2012 from http://forums. doption. com/thanks-life/62158-seeking-adoptees-pro-life-pro-adoption-testimonies. html Adoption. org, retrieved 1/3/2012 from http://www. adoption. org/adopt/pro-adoption. php Personal Experience of being adopted and having my children taken from me and being adopted by foster parents LifeScript: Healthy Living for Women, retrieved 1/3/201, http://www. lifescript. com/Health/Conditions/Womens- health/Pregnancy/The_Pros_And_Cons_Of_Artificial_Insemination. aspx WebMD, retrieved 1/3/2012 from http://www. webmd. com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/artificial-insemination

Jacobean Reading of King Lear Essay

King Lear was written around 1603-06. A contextualised political reading interprets King Lear as a drama that gives expression to crucial political and social issues of its time: the hierarchy of the Jacobean state, King James’ belief in his divine right to rule, and the political anxieties that characterised the end of Queen Elizabeth’s reign: fears of civil war and division of the kingdom triggered by growth of conflicting fractions and a threatening underclass. Like all writers, Shakespeare reflected the world he knew. The ancient Britain the pseudo-historical Lear lived in contained anachronistic references to aspects of Jacobean life, such as eel pies and toasted cheese. Kent calls Oswald a ‘base football player’, evoking the class assumptions of the times. More significantly, King Lear reveals the conditions and preoccupations of Jacobean England in terms of politics, social change, justice, religion, madness, and the natural order. Politics Watching the play, Jacobean audiences would detect many resonances with their own socio-political climate: troubled and uncertain times as Elizabeth’s reign draws to a close and James ascends the throne – as the Tudor dynasty gave way to the Stuarts. Poverty, food shortages and unemployment were commonplace; Bedlam beggars were troublesome, roaming the countryside pleading for charity. These social features are explored by Shakespeare via Lear’s madness and the character of Edgar-turned-poor-Tom. The Cordelia-led French invasion may have sparked memory of the Spanish Armada of 1588. Lear’s character contains parallels to King James’s. James, like Lear, believed in his own divine right to rule, and deemed it blasphemous to question the King’s action. The divine right of the King was the prevailing sentiment reinforced by law, and Lear’s unwitting decision to abdicate  ruptures the divine and natural order Shakespeare makes subtle allusions to James’ profligate behaviour – which held significance for Jacobean audiences. James had proved susceptible to the flattery of ambitious courtiers. Lear’s belated recognition of the conventions, flatteries, and corruptions by which he has long been deceived provides sharp reminder to James that a king is only man like other, subject to the same human frailties: â€Å"they told me I was everything; ’tis a lie, I am not ague-proof.† James, with his intention to unite England and Scotland, would have welcomed the play as a validation of his unionist views. The doomed Lear shown to have â€Å"divided in three our kingdom†; this brusque cutting-up of a kingdom would have appalled the audience (who would share Kent’s horror), warning against partitioning of a state. Monarchs have a sacred duty to keep their kingdom intact, it was a sin to abdicate or divide their country. The divided coronet is a striking visual image, symbolising the political dysfunction, chaos, civil war and personal tragedy that follows the division of the kingdom. Social Change Both Lear and James rules societies characterised by its distinct hierarchical order – but also in the process of social change. A stable feudal society wit its strong allegiances and rigid hierarchy had crumbled in the wake of new scientific discoveries and global exploration. Increasing wealth from commerce fostered new ideas about value and status, as James made social mobility a reality with the selling of knighthoods for cash. A prosperous commercial gentry challenged the King’s power and divided the aristocracy, giving rise to difference political fractions – reflect in the rivalry between Albany and Cornwall. Newly acquired power and property gave rise to a new kind of individual – those who felt no obligation to the old feudal loyalties, filled with the spirit of radical individualism, driven by self-interest. Edmund,  Gloucester’s unscrupulous illegitimate son, refuses to â€Å"stand in the plague of custom† and seeks to thrive by his own cunning – mocking the superstitious beliefs of his father (an upholder of the old feudal loyalty to the king). Another is the corrupt, self-serving Oswald, who is ridiculed by the nobleman Kent. But he represents the emerging class of thrusting individualists in Jacobean England, motivated by self-interest, not loyalty to the traditional order. In their acquisitiveness, Goneril, Regan and Edmund flaunt the â€Å"offices of nature, bonds of childhood, effects of courtesy, dues of gratitude† within the old order of human relationships. Social Preoccupations/Values: How Jacobeans would have responded to these themes/motifs Justice – King Lear reflects the passionate interest of the Jacobeans in justice – both process of law (human justice) and justice meted out by gods (divine justice). The play’s many trials would strike a familiar chord in its contemporaries. There are five trials: 1. Love trial 2. Trial of Kent, whose bluntness earns him instant punishment 3. Improper trial of Gloucester by Cornwall and Regan 4. Lear’s hallucinated ‘mock trial’ of Goneril and Regan 5. Trial by combat where Edmund is destroyed. In each case, the play raises questions as to whether justice has been done. In his madness, Lear becomes obsessed with bringing his daughters to justice, while losing faith in human justice, asking â€Å"which is the justice,  which is the thief?† He reveals the inherent hypocrisy in judgement itself as he imagines a beadle (Jacobean figure of legal authority) punishing a whore despite how he â€Å"hotly lusts to use her in that kind for which thou whippst her†. The concluding lines â€Å"through tattered clothes great vices do appear: Robes and furred gowns hide all† – is a damning indictment of human justice, where possession of power is more important than fairness, where the fallibility of judgement present itself as a searing criticism of Jacobean society. Divine justice, although unmotivated by tangible influences, is equivocal – and their effects equally devastating. Although Albany claims Cornwall’s deserved disgrace of being killed by a servant as proof of divine justice, the death of Cordelia is a bolt from a sky cleared by the vanished storm, demonstrating that there’s no simple scheme of rewards or punishments, earthly or divine. Both are equally wanton, confirming the bleak views of human predicament expressed in â€Å"like flies to wanton boys are we to th’gods; They kill us for their sport†. Religion – Adapted from old play: King Leir, which is pre-Christian. Shakespeare gave his play a pagan setting, which allowed greater freedom for him to present ticklish theological issues, in particular the question of providence, without falling foul of the strict Jacobean censorship. Jacobeans would be shocked by the image of a son assisting his father to attempt suicide, which is a sin. Audience may detect the Christian theme of a journey through pain, suffering and humiliation to love, forgiveness and wisdom. There are obvious biblical echoes, like as Cordelia’s â€Å"O dear father, / It is thy business that I go about†, and the apocalyptic nature of the storm. Thus, its bleak, almost sadistic ending diverges from Jacobean expectation. It doesn’t fit the tragedy trajectory that moves from order to disorder and eventual restoration and fulfilment – Hence, a modified version by Tate containing a happy ending had replaced Shakespeare’s original on the stage for few centuries. Madness – Jacobeans’ attitudes to madness were harsh and unsympathetic (bedlam beggars were believed to be possessed by devils). They may have been startled by the proliferation of madness within the empowered individuals of society: Lear’s madness is that of a selfish, autocratic old man whose will is thwarted, whose moral blindness, misjudgements and lack of understanding of himself and others inevitably lead to breakdown: â€Å"O Fool, I shall go mad† Cornwall and Regan seem to become mad in their obsession with Gloucester’s punishment. Gloucester thinks it better to be ‘distract’ and lose his sorrow in ‘wrong imaginations’. He views madness as a privilege, bestowing innocence upon the insane person. Ironically, the madness of Poor Tom, and archetypal image of insanity, is put on. The Fool’s ‘madness’ is professional, witty, exposing the weakness and folly of his ‘reasonable’ superiors. Human madness is reflected as disturbance in nature and society. Lear’s inner torment is externalised by the violent storm. Lear’s tearing up of the kingdom is political madness, kindling a storm of social frenzy that precipitates cruelty, blindness, madness and death. These incidences of madness demonstrate the vulnerability of those in whom we entrust power, and thus how fragile the fabric of Jacobean society was. The Natural Order – Jacobeans would have viewed the play, especially its characters, through notions of what’s ‘natural’ and ‘unnatural’ instilled into them by their paradigm. This paradigm advocates hierarchical order enforced by God – with King fixed at the pinnacle of the social hierarchy, and the father at the family’s – both charged with the duty to maintain their state in harmony. The perversions that occur to this order are unnatural: Lear’s division of the kingdom according to daughters’ protestation of love violates a monarch’s duty to keep his kingdom unified. This act allows evil to breed, resulting in personal and social madness in the form of suffering, civil war, self-destruction. Children revoking their filial duty also violate natural order. Being female, Goneril and Regan’s usurping of the patriarchal status quo induce particular shock and horror in Jacobeans. Their self-destruction is expected repercussion of their double felony against the natural order. A Jacobean reading interprets King Lear as a vivid social portrait, featuring aspects of social conditions, depicting social change, and voicing the beliefs of its contemporary audience. Its story teaches a moral lesson against the shirking of responsibility and division of one’s state. Its characters represent social groups- their actions and interactions parallel the ebb and flow of social forces.

Third world countries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Third world countries - Essay Example Several atrocities on a large scale were committed before the recognition of human rights and there was no justice for the oppressed ones. Like during times of slavery, human rights were almost non-existent. All rights had been owned by the stronger and more powerful people. But certain movements like struggle of Martin Luther King to attain equal rights for the blacks. The idea of human rights was initiated after Second World War as during war several violations of human rights had been committed by Allies and Axis. That war resulted in creating a new era of political and social structure and the outcome was creation of UNO that developed human rights principles for the world. Libya is a big example of such violations from 1969 till 2011 and the ruler (Qaddafi) was responsible for such violations. Similarly, Syria also went through prolonged civil war that began between pro govt. and anti govt. forces and resulted in displacing 140,000 people and 2.5 million became homeless. South Sudan also saw such circumstances and Sudanese violated the rights of people of South Sudan before formation of separate

Leadership Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership - Term Paper Example He has enough self-esteem in that he believes in his ideas and capabilities. For example, he is able to stick to his decisions, without letting others overpower him. He is extremely intelligent in understanding situations and acting accordingly. For example, he quickly understands conflicts and reaches the best solution. However, he is not extraverted. This enables him to maintain a distance between him and employees. For example, he does not attend parties that employees throw at their homes. He has enough conscientiousness. He is very considerate toward ethical and legal issues of a situation. For example, he always pays salaries in time. Bob is not open to experience. He is shy of trying new things. For example, he sticks to his technique of communicating face-to-face with employees rather than trying video conferencing. Trait Theory- Manager 2 (Ronald) Ronald is deficient in integrity in that he does not bother about sticking to principles. For example, he is in a relationship wi th a female coworker, when workplace relationships are prohibited in the company. He lacks self-esteem because he does not care about how others judge him. For example, he was caught dating on site, but showed no regrets, and continued dating. However, he is extremely intelligent in understanding the nature of problems. ... For example, he has been charged due to having involved in gender discrimination. He is open to experience. He is imaginative, and is not concerned about what people think of him. For example, he tries new ways of conflict resolution rather than sticking to older ones. Acquired Needs Theory- Manager 1 Bob shows his need to become authoritative, powerful, and influential. For example, he wants to make his voice heard in front of opposition, and wants to be given value. He is very much achievement oriented. He seeks to achieve his goals through hard work and endurance. He looks forward to upward progress in his job. For example, he becomes happy when he accomplishes a milestone within deadline. Bob also needs affiliation in that he tries to develop friendly work relations, despite being an introvert. He urges to keep workplace environment happy. For example, he regularly calls all employees individually to himself, listens to their work and family problems, and tries to solve them. Acq uired Needs Theory- Manager 2 Ronald is power-oriented. He shows his need to be powerful by taking charge of teams. He shows authority while resolving conflicts. For example, once resolving a conflict between two parties, he presented his solution, and forced the parties to accept it. However, he does not seem to be focused on achievement. He does not seem to wish for upward progress. For example, he does not care about deadlines, and is often asking for new ones from the customers. He, also, does not need affiliation. He does not try to foster healthy relationships with labor. Although he is an extravert, yet he is not very liked among lower class workers, like canteen boys and sweepers. For example, he is often found yelling at the peon. Summary:

Business Plan - Keep My Heart Adult Medical Day Care, Part 4 Essay

Business Plan - Keep My Heart Adult Medical Day Care, Part 4 - Essay Example It will also infiltrate its operations throughout Fort Washington to sum up the strategy of grasping wider market coverage. While economists argue that new businesses should always start small (Mentzer & Moon, 2005), Keep My Heart believes in doing the right thing at the most opportune time. With that in mind, the fact that Prince Georges County has not been exhausted by similar entities would make it ideal for our centre to put a strong footing in the area before the coming of new competitors. Keep My Hear Centre will work with a team of self-motivated staff to offer two specific services after commencing operations. Primarily, the facility endeavors focus on Adult Day Care for persons suffering from mild or advanced dementia. The second focus will address medical and home care needs of elderly Alzheimer patients from the area. In that way, Keep My heart will have a varied line of offering vital services as well as creating a suitable platform towards achieving its profit making agenda. According to observations and practical experiences recorded by nursing homes, elderly patients are often faced by the challenge of poor attention from caregivers (Stahl, 2004). In addition, they usually find it hard to cope with life when the immediate family is always preoccupied by daily activities which they deem to be of more pressing priority. As a result, a good proportion of the aged persons end up with neglect and no sense of belonging. Keep My Heart has taken the mantle to work with referral health facilities and home-based caregivers through education and integrated community-driven support. In the implementation stage, the facility will offer an open chance for day care services with a sustainable model of patient stimulation, interaction and participation that would reach out to their psychosocial, physical and mental needs. The model will also foster appropriate socio-ethical development among the dementia and Alzheimer clients. The bottom line of starting

Soft Systems Methodology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Soft Systems Methodology - Essay Example This action research-based, interpretive approach is strongly influenced by Vickers' (1968, pp.59,176) description of the importance of appreciative systems in dealing with human complexity. Checkland (1981), and Checkland and Scholes (1990) have attempted to transform these ideas from systems theory into a practical methodology that is called Soft Systems Methodology (SSM). Soft Systems Methodology developed by Professor Peter Checkland is a way of dealing with problem situations in which there is a high social, political and human activity component. (Checkland, 1981) This distinguishes SSM from other methodologies that deal with hard problems which are more technologically oriented. Thus, SSM can be a useful research tool for understanding problematic ELT situations. (Holliday, 1990) Hard problems are problems characterized by the fact that they can be well defined. The assumption is that there is a definite solution and we can define a number of specific goals that must be accomplished. Soft problems, on the other hand, are difficult to define.When we think of soft problems, we don't think of problems but of problem situations. It is the classic situation of it not being a "problem" but an "opportunity". Soft Systems methodology was developed for the express purpose of dealing with problems of this type.His "Soft Systems Methodology" was created through a number of research projects in industry and its application and refinement over a number of years. A leading SSM specialist in Japan, suggests that SSM can be a useful research tool in the educational context, and argues that it can be applied to any messy, problematic human situation that requires decision-making aimed at improvement (Kijima, 1999) The most important feature of this analysis of data, informat ion and knowledge is that the act of creating information is a human act, not one which a machine can accomplish. It is the human being who can attribute meaning to the selected data. (Checkland, Holwell, 1998)SSM is divided into seven distinct stages. These are; 1. Finding out about the problem situation. This is basic research into the problem area. Who are the key players How does the process work now etc. 2. Expressing the problem situation through Rich Pictures. As with any type of diagram, more knowledge can be communicated visually. A picture is worth a 1000 words. 3. Selecting how to view the situation and producing root definitions. From what different perspectives can we look at this problem situation. 4. Building conceptual models of what the system must do for each root definitions. You have basic "Whats" from the root definitions. Now begin to define "Hows". 5. Comparison of the conceptual models with the real world. Compare the results from steps 4 and 2 and see where they differ and are similar. 6. Identify feasible and desirable changes. Are there ways of improving the situation. 7. Recommendations for taking action to improve the problem situation. How would you implement the changes from step 6. Step 1: Problem situation unstructured The initial stage consists simply of managers and/or employees (problem owner) deciding that a review or change of tasks and the way they are performed is required, and an analyst (problem solver) is called in to review and provide recommendations. Step 2: Problem situation expressed Step 1 is basically that people of the organization think there