Flying Essay -- The Event That Changed My Life

A few summers ago, a gentleman I had only just met offered me an afternoon plane ride. He was a retired lawyer and enjoyed any excuse to pilot his small plane. My friend Paul and I had nothing scheduled that day, so figured why not. After some debate about where to fly, north, south, or east, we settled on Mendocino, about halfway up the coast to Oregon. Within minutes we were bundled into a Beechcraft Bonanza and rattling off an absurdly short runway into the open sky. It was a spectacular day even by California standards as we swooped along the pine-clad rocky coastline and buzzed hermits at a hidden Buddhist monastery. After what seemed like only a few minutes we were mingling with the tourists in Mendocino, a colorful seaside village which plays the role of "Cabot Cove, Maine" in "Murder She Wrote." Then we were back in the air, once again hugging the coastline at about 3500 feet. This time (on the basis of a coin toss) I got to sit up front with the pilot. Up to this point the adventure had been pleasant enough, touched even with a bit of magic. After all, it is nothing less than magic to pick a direction at a whim and quickly land hundreds of mil... ...n again to rave amidst my unseeing neighbors. I handed back the controls and we swooped between the towers of the Golden Gate just as the fog was rolling in, skipped across Alcatraz and Angel Island, and landed with a little hop back where we started. And now, months later, I am a changed man. I don't think I'll be signing up for flying lessons anytime soon; I have enough expensive habits as it is. But now, when I look up into the sky, I see it not as a rather extravagant ceiling, but as a conduit to other places. I see that it's easy to get from here to there. All you have to do is fly.

Physical Education Essay

1. History and meaning of Physical Education. History of Physical Education The Spartans and Athenians were the first to have a type of physical education. Though very different, both systems served the people and supplied their needs. The Spartan system was similar to dictatorship, a form of government. At the age of seven, boys were taken to learn basic military skills while living in barracks. When they reached the age of fourteen, they began learning group fighting tactics which would allow them to succeed while in the military from the ages of twenty to thirty. Once thirty, the men could then marry a women who had been doing some training of her own in order to make strong babies. The philosophy of the Spartans was basically to allow them to invade other countries if desired, and to prevent other countries from invading them. see more:legal basis of education The philosophy of the Athenians was quite different compared to the Spartans. The Athenian culture was very democratic, and focused on training of the mind and body. Reading and writing was a large part of society as well as physical activity which took place in the center of the city where the gymnasium was located. The physical education philosophy of the Athenians was the high point of physical education for many years. Some other cycles in physical education that we have evolved from are that of the Romans, the dark ages, and the crusades. The Roman era is a bit disturbing, but is nonetheless a cycle of physical education. Physical education for the Romans was about athletics, which was primarily about entertainment. People were forced to fight to the death, and oftentimes fed to lions. During the dark ages, religion viewed physical education as a waste of time and a work of the devil. The dark ages were a very sedentary time for human civilization. Following the dark ages in approximately 1096, were the crusades. The crusades were a time of muscular Christianity, because of the Muslims conquering Jerusalem. Muscular Christianity is basically Christians believing that the more one trained to become good soldiers, the more Christian a person was. In 1270, the crusades ended and so did the thought of physical education being worthwhile until approximately 1400 when the renaissance period began. Physical education during the renaissance period is quite similar to physical education today. It is done to better oneself, not to be doing something for someone else. The development of physical education had another setback in the 1600’s when it was very functional and not a priority. People believed that if it did not have a specific purpose, than it was a waste of time. During the 1700’s, there was a big change in physical education that can be largely attributed to three people: Rousseau, Johan Simon, and Guts Muths. Rousseau was the first person to promote education for the masses and he also thought of play as being educational. In 1712, Rousseau invented an activity that is still used by millions of children everyday, recess. Johan Simon was the first physical education teacher and believed physical education should be taught along with reading and writing. Simon believed physical education should include a lot of physical labor. Guts Muths developed a series of gymnastic apparatuses and believed physical education developed very important social skills. These people of the 1700’s and the things they did began paving the road to where we are today. During the 1800’s, physical education programs were finding their way into universities which contributed to many things we have today. New sports were being invented, intramurals were being brought into schools, women began exercising, gymnasiums could be found in most colleges, and many recreational areas and parks were being built in order to decrease the crime rate. This continued on into the 1900’s which brought on the creation of the National Collegiate Athletic Association to regulate college athletics, and the golden age of sports during the 20†² and 30’s. During this golden age of sport, the number of people in sport increased dramatically, the number of teachers increased, and physical education began moving toward the involvement of sport. In 1941, World War II began which brought a big shock along with it. Of the first 2 million males drafted, 45% failed their physical. With this, physical education began to be very strongly pushed in schools in order to improve the health of the American people. Since W.W. II, the United States has continued to press the importance of physical education, which brings it to where it is today, a highly complex field with many different sub-disciplines. The sub-disciplines are: â€Å"Exercise physiology, which is the study of bodily systems and their reactions to the stress of exercise. Kinesiology, which is the study of how the muscular system moves the bony structure of the body. Biomechanics, which is the study of the human body as a mechanical system, utilizing principles and applications from physics. Motor learning, which is the changes in motor performance related to experience and practice. Sport sociology, which is the social structure, social patterns, and social organization of groups engaged in sport. Sport Psychology, which is the stud of behavioral and psychological issues and problems in sport. Sport pedagogy, which is the study of the processes of teaching and coaching, the outcomes of such endeavors, and the content of fitness, physical-education, and sport-education programs.† (Siedentop) These sub-disciplines have created many new jobs for people in the field of education, and will surely branch off to form others in the future. Physical education has definitely come a long way since the Spartans and Athenians. From an authoritarian type system to promoting lifespan physical education with many sciences studying the different intangibles of physical education in order to better the mind and body. These new sciences have obviously broadened the â€Å"umbrella of physical education†, but when looking to the future, there really is no end in sight. The growing â€Å"umbrella† will continue getting larger as new thoughts and ideas come, and with them, new sciences also. Definition of Physical Education Physical Education is an educational course taken during primary and secondary level, and even tertiary level that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting to promote health. It is also defined as a process of learning through physical activities designed to improve physical fitness, develop motor skills, knowledge and behavior of healthy and active living, sportsmanship, and emotional intelligence. Thus, Physical Education is not only aimed at physical development but also includes the development of the individual as a whole. 2. Concepts of physical education Physical Development Objective — deals with the program of activities that builds physical power in an individual through the development of the various organic systems of the body. Motor Development Objective — concerned with making physical movement useful and with as little expenditure of energy as possible and being proficient, graceful, and aesthetic in this movement. Mental Development Objective — deals with the accumulation a body knowledge and the ability to think and to interpret this knowledge. Social Development Objective — concerned with helping an individual in making personal adjustments, group adjustment, and adjustments as a member of society. 3. What are the legal basis and related activities in physical education? The legal basis of physical education is stated in the 1987 Constitution, Article XIV Section 19. (1) The State shall promote physical education and encourage sports programs, league competitions, and amateur sports, including training for international competitions, to foster self-discipline, teamwork, and excellence for the development of a healthy and alert citizenry. (2) All educational institution shall undertake regular sports activities throughout the country in cooperation with athletic clubs and other sectors.

Mixed martial arts vs Traditional Martial Arts Essay

Fighting and violence is one of the biggest problems in society today. MMA, to many people, is only promoting this as a value, instead of an issue. Another battle that this bloody sport is fighting is for its own legitimacy. There are plenty of other sports that have some fighting, but no one questions the legitimacy of sports such as ice-hockey, in which there is a fight at least once a game, or football (Frisht n. pag. ). MMA is also a relatively new and has also taken a large step from where it started, having been illegal in all 50 states shortly after its institutionalization (Ramirez n. ag. ). And even at that, UFC is the only nationally legal organization for MMA. Not only is it fighting for its authenticity as a sport, but it is fighting for recognition as a martial art and fighting style, as well. Some specialists and fighters argue that it is a martial art all its own. Others argue that it’s nothing more than a rip-off of the greatest martial arts that have come before it. Finally, other, more secular people rationally conclude that it cannot be considered a traditional martial art at all and is barely acceptable as a sport. But this also puts these people in the perfect position to be attacked by a very simply answered question: Why can’t MMA be considered a traditional martial art? To begin, one of the biggest differences between MMA and traditional martial arts is the purpose for which they were developed. MMA, for example, was developed as nothing more than a style for cage-match entertainment. Traditional martial arts, however, were developed for a variety of different reasons, mainly self-defense. For instance, Jiu-Jitsu and Ninjitsu both derive from ancient Japan as a means for the people to defend themselves against the Samurai (Browning n. pag. ). Similarly, Tang Soo Do was developed in Okinawa and Southern Korea under ancient Japanese influence (Yi n. pag. ). Not only is the purpose of MMA something that sets it apart, it is a difference that sets the stage for several other staggering differences. To continue, purpose is intertwined with origins. Many traditional martial arts come out of the ancient oriental regions as means of self-defense due to the areas unsafe and sometimes unstable societal environment. Thugs, brutal imperial fighter, and common bandits all posed a threat to civilians and those who didn’t particularly fancy their emperors, such as the Okinawan farmers under the oppression of the imperial Japanese samurai (Frisht n. pag. ). A handful of traditional martial arts even boast origins in Brazil, such as the Brazilian variants of Jiu-Jitsu. MMA, however, comes out of America and Europe as a means of entertainment (Greene n. pag. ). Next, Style is the biggest difference between traditional martial arts and MMA. Traditional martial arts are very focused on detaining or incapacitating an attacker. Many traditional martial arts accomplish this by utilizing non-lethal locks and strikes. Traditional martial arts are also guided by morality and law. When faced with non-lethal force, only non-lethal force is permitted in return. When faced with a serious, but non-life-threatening situation, only an equal amount of lethality is permitted. MMA, on the other hand, is much more brutal and borderline senseless (Greene n. pag. ). Also, where traditional Martial Arts would seek to just incapacitate using locks, MMA seeks to go above and beyond the required force, relying on strength where traditionalists would’ve chosen technique. When, relying on strength as a sole asset in combat, as described by Master Bob Cameron, a fighter’s combat variables become very dependent on their opponent. If their opponent is stronger and strength is the only strategy they hold as an asset, loss is pre-determined. Technique, however, allows one’s variables to be much more independent of their opponent’s. Using technique over strength allows a martial artist to apply their whole body to ascertain one goal; it allows a fighter to turn their opponent’s own strength against them, using it in their favor (Cameron n. pag. ). At last, the final reason MMA cannot be considered a traditional martial art is its training style. MMA takes a very solo approach to training, as it is a solo sport. A lot of its training is based on punching, kicking, and striking an inanimate target. Martial arts, traditionally, however is trained in a group. This allows a martial artist to test, study, apply, and perfect a technique on another martial artist, which drastically affects and differs the applicability and effectiveness of the two styles. In a real-world scenario, MMA is not very realistic, due to its brutality and aggressiveness. Traditional martial arts, however, allow an artist to realistically and safely incapacitate an attacker (Greene n. pag. ). The realistic training styles of traditional martial arts allow it to be much more effective in combat. To conclude, MMA and traditional martial arts have more distinguishing differences than are calculable, the most distinguishing being purpose, origin, fighting and training styles, and applicability. Although, many take their side, those who argue that MMA is a traditional martial art are fighting an uphill battle in a mudslide due to their scarce and obvious lack of support. The differences between the two create a gorge miles wide with no bridge that may never have been meant to have been crossed. Furthermore, these staggering differences clearly prove that MMA cannot be considered a traditional martial art.

Othello, Macbeth, Hamlet Essay

Among Shakespeare’s tragedies Othello, Hamlet, and Macbeth, the decision about which is best written ultimately needs to be decided according to the virtues of the plot, characterization, and the language. The three plays have very strong points. While Macbeth is extraordinary in Shakespeare’s use of language, its plot is also intricate and interesting. Othello stands out in the area of characterization, while Hamlet stands out in its language. However, when all areas of assessment are considered, Macbeth does appear to dominate as the best written of the three plays. Othello does possess a very strong and deeply intricate character in the villain Iago. Shakespeare displays his highly refined skill in the manner in which he infuses Iago with evil. Iago is the definitive two-faced traitor, as he feigns the most iron-clad friendship with his lord Othello, while harboring the most potent resentment against him. Shakespeare creates a masterpiece in this character because he achieves an effect in which Iago almost becomes evil incarnate. The poignant hatred represented in all his speeches and actions highlights the play as one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies. However, the play does have a weakness that is fatal to its position. Its plot, though given strong impetus by the avenging cruelty and hatred of Iago, gains its momentum from what seems to be an impotent plan. Othello implicates his wife Desdemona of adultery merely because her handkerchief is â€Å"found† in Cassio’s room—evidence that amounts almost to nothing. The weakness of this link from Iago’s hatred to his ruin of Othello is too great for the play to be considered the best of Shakespeare’s tragedies. The tragedy of Hamlet excels in the language that Shakespeare uses to express the inner thoughts and confusions of the characters. Hamlet’s speeches represent a masterpiece of insight into the human soul as it processes pain and loss. The famous â€Å"to be or not to be† speech is so highly regarded because it probes the mind of a man who is so deeply affected by his father’s murder and mother’s betrayal that he mentally wrestles with death: â€Å"To die to sleep, to sleep perchance to dream; ay, there’s the rub. For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil must give us pause† (III. i. 73-77). The metaphorical mingling of sleep and death is a figurative achievement, and the expression of indecision as Hamlet lingers at the horizon of death gives the play a literary and lyrical edge. Still, this play has plot problems as well. It seems to drag on with Hamlet’s constant indecision and his antic disposition. His relationship with Ophelia is nebulous, yet its complications are not well expressed, but muddled and almost incoherent. The end in which Ophelia and all the family die leaving Fortinbras to assume the throne is unsatisfying at the very least. These problems cause Hamlet also to be prevented in the final analysis from being considered Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy. Macbeth, like Hamlet, boasts very well written and poetic lines. The expression of the guilt that Macbeth feels after committing his murderous act is expressed in all its detail and rondure. In addition, it also possesses depth and expression of character that is unexcelled in any of Shakespeare’s other works. Lady Macbeth rivals Iago in her capacity for evil—yet hers stems from nothing as petty as revenge. She seeks to exalt her husband’s position in an almost self-sacrificial effort to promote him. She shows clarity and decisiveness in a way that Hamlet does not, as she carries out her intention with no alloy of fear or hesitancy. In addition to the beauty of the language and the depth of characterization, Macbeth’s plot (though in some ways fantastical) carries itself naturally toward the end that it is given. Nothing appears contrived. The hubris that Macbeth assumes at the behest of the witches and Lady Macbeth propels him gradually and naturally toward his murder of King Duncan and eventually toward his death at the hand of Macduff. The combination of excellences in the three areas of plot, characterization, and language tips the scale in favour of Macbeth as the greatest tragedy written by William Shakespeare.

Women in camps Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Women in camps - Essay Example Jewish women had to suffer from brutal torture for being female. They were kept naked, and were beaten. Their heads were shaven off. Pregnant women and those who had little children were not selected to work, and were left to die. The Nazis conducted medical experiments on them forcefully. They were given involuntary sterilizations and forced abortions. â€Å"At least 40,000 people were forcefully sterilized, with 5,500 women dying after being sterilized,† states Avraham (2014, par.2). Although Nazis had passed legislation against any sort of sexual relations with Jewish women, yet they would rape them on regular basis after abducting them from streets. They were subjected to forced labor and sexual abuse. Some of them were also sent to Nazi brothels forcefully where they were subjected to rape and sexual assault. Men and women were forced into Philippine concentration camps during the Philippine-American war in early 1900s. They were promised that they would be provided food and security, but they suffered from the worst genocide and torture. Women suffered from starvation and disease. â€Å"By the end of the war, it was reported that 27,927 Boers (of whom 26,251 were women and children, of which 22,074 were children under 16) had died of starvation, disease and exposure† (AngloBoerWar.com, 2014, par.4). Malaria, cholera and dysentery were the main killers. Where males were buried alive and suffocated to death using water cure torture, women were left to die of disease and malnutrition. The Cuban Holocaust saw genocide in Cuban concentration camps in 1896-97 during the Spanish-American war. â€Å"The concentration camps contained more women, children, and the aged†¦they also died of malnutrition and disease,† states Perez (2006, p.197). Women sent the male members of their families to the war willingly despite knowing that they would be left without protection. The Spanish had claimed that they would look after them

ISM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

ISM - Essay Example â€Å"There are many ways to define Globalisation. Ruud Lubbets in his article â€Å"Globalisation and Sustainable Development† describes globalisation as â€Å"the phenomenon that the degree of global human interaction increases to such an extent that both its primary effects and the reactions it provokes, give rise to numerous new developments† ( Ali, Winter & May, 2007, p.1). Globalisation is the interaction between economies, technologies and politic A number of companies, increasingly, are looking forward towards breaking the cultural barriers to extend the businesses further in a global environment. This has increased the requirement of the employees to get accustomed to the foreign cultural settings. Apart from that International Marketing training demands a detailed program to make the employees aware of the various theories and practices in the arena of international marketing. The globalisation dreams have presented a new challenge for the firms including the challenge to develop competent managers, able to work in the new environments with more efficiency. With increasing numbers of mergers and acquisitions, the firms are also expected to bring in new employees with different origins, languages and national culture adding more complexities to the different organizational cultures. â€Å"The firms thus need to develop systems and processes not only to train managers for expatriate assignments but also to handle cultural diversity. This task can be achieved by well designed cross-cultural training programs which will help employees in coping up with the stress and cultural shock while dealing with a new culture† (Pande & Krishnan, n.d., p.2). In China, Telmarket would require a culture specific training to make its employees competent enough to deal with the customers with enough respect to Chinese culture and their business environments. After having a review on the respective reviews the following issues have been identified for the cross cultural training. The time factor in the training would require considering two factors including punctuality and relationship dimensions. Some cultures may take more comparatively more time for relationship building while this may not be at all acceptable in others. So, it is of utmost importance to consider Chinese business culture barriers related to time required to be taken care of. In China, there exists a linguistic barrier as Chinese people prefer their language in business contexts (METP, 2008). Adding to it, even the pronunciation is quite different in China, which is required to be taken care of. There are a number of evidences that failing to align the brand name in accordance to the Chinese language made the brands to fail in the Chinese market. So, Telmarket must consider this point with high significance and must train its employees on the linguistic factor. The training program would also include a detailed training regarding the business practices. The b usiness practices may differ in China as they encourage open discussion; although that is required to be done with enough respect to the seniority and old traditions. The training would also require introducing methods and programs to counter stress and to interpret the situations in a positive way. The employees would have to understand the situations on both from their own and from other perspectives. The way to express the

Organizational Performance Measurement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Organizational Performance Measurement - Essay Example As a whole and general principle, a critical viewpoint differs or can be said as it is outside of the managerialist course in order to learn strategy as a definite organizational process. Through research and several other reviews it was seen that there are many approaches that are critical to strategic management and one of them is the processual school that asserts to illustrate how strategy is actually made from bargaining, constructivist, and embryonic perspectives. But the case is that processual approaches keep some promise however quickly move en route for prescriptive managerialism. Next I would add about a more profound critique from critical theory and postmodern insights. Strategy can be witnessed as a set of practices and discussions which promotes influential rationality it also reiterates hierarchical relations of power and most of all analytically privileges the interests and perspectives of particular groups. This approach has been important in probing the principles of strategy what it lacks is the point that its focus on discussion and lack of concern with the reality of strategy is to a very valid extent its potential weakness. The third and final approach that I like to discuss is drawn from Gramsci which gives an offer from a historical materialist perspective, this approach pays more attention to the actual content of strategy. Here the debatable point is that the strategic exploitation of discursive, managerial, and monetary resources in supporting or challenging supremacy suggests a strategic notion of power and a political standpoint on corporate strategies to exercise market power, influence government policies, , discipline labor and refuse to accept pressures from social groups. This approach also points to a more encompassing image of liberation strategies. Next we can asses the corporate culture in order to get the perspective about the organization involved. Corporate culture is often determined by the beliefs of the people at the controls -- and this culture can affect the way individuals in the organization respond to adversity. For example, a corporate culture based on top management's belief that "No matter what, employees will always work as little as possible, so it's our job to monitor them closely" can foster mistrust and an "us/them" thinking style. In Adaptive terms, this would create a less resilient organization. Senior management can use the Adaptive skill set to build a corporate culture that endorses a flexible, optimistic approach to handling adversity. They can learn to identify their own and their company's cultural "thinking style". They can then check it for common errors in logic and identify the consequences of the style to themselves and to the organization. Corporate Governance and organizational performance To understand the better functioning of a corporation one must know about the corporate governance which is identified as a field in economics that examines how to secure efficient running of organization by the utilization of incentive mechanisms, such as agreements, organizational designs and legislation. This is often limited to the question of improving financial performance, for example, how the corporate owners can secure/motivate that the corporate managers will deliver a competitive rate of return. It is the system