Impact of Mass Media on Children Essay Example for Free

Impact of Mass Media on Children Essay Too much media attention focuses on the impact of sex and violence on children. The assumption seems to be that if the media stopped showing sex and violence on television and in filmsand now video games are the culpritthe world would be a better place. Sometimes the argument goes further. If the media instead presented quality family and religious programming, children would grow up to be moral people. Both of these ifs are based on the premise that the media makes us do things that we dont want to do. The scenario in the 1950s played out like this: We have two good teenagers; They listen to Rock N Roll music; The music stimulates their animal instincts; They have sex. They didnt want to; the music made them. Today the scenario goes like this: The boy is good; The boy plays video games; The boy becomes a crack shot; The boy goes to school and shoots his classmates; He didnt want to; violent video games made him. I agree that the video games and the music have an impact on children. From the video gamesand televisionand films, the child learns the signifiers of violence. Similarly, the media teaches us the signifiers of sexuality. Once those signifiers become signifieds stored in our memories, that learning cant be unlearned this side of suffering a brain injury. However, no single signifier stands alone. Individuals interpret each signifier as part of a mental schema. The final influence for a given individual to choose antisocial behavior may be the video game or the music. Or it might be the chocolate doughnut. With billions of people in the world, somebody somewhere is likely to be motivated to action by just about anything. To blame the media for individual behavior is missing the point and simplifies the issues. Just getting the bad messages out of the media is not going to create a good society. The media is an influence The media does have an influence on children; the same impact it has on all of us: 1. The media teaches us the signifiers of the culture and what they mean. 2. The media sets an agenda which directs our attention to the issues that the media managers think are important. 3. The media teaches us ideology by offering us solutions to binary oppositions. Let us look at each of these points separately and see what the impact could be on children. Here are two typical sets of signifiers found in our culture. The images of Jennifer Anniston from Seventeen (August 2000) teach the signifiers of sexuality, feministic and gender. Whether those signifiers have a positive or negative impact on a given individual depends on individual past experience. One person may read her images as cultural definitions of cute. A victim of sexual abuse may interpret the signifiers as an invitation to arouse notice. A person who knows the signifiers of pornography may read the images as indicating availability. The CD cover to the right teaches the signifiers of gender and masculinity. The images create an association of masculinity with violence and weapons. Both images put signifiers into the culture, set an agenda and offer solutions to binary oppositions to the children to whom they are targeted. Teaches signifiers. From watching violent films, television, and playing violent video games, we all learn how to be violent. Similarly, we learn the signifiers of sexuality and what those signifiers mean. How we interpret those signifiers is going to depend on our own past experiences. Children who are sexually abused are going to read sexual signifiers differently than children whose parents demonstrate a loving, caring relationship and explain sexual behaviors to their children. Similarly, children who were physically abused or who live in violent neighborhoods also will bring their past experiences to any media experience. In short, the past experiences of children help determine what impact the medias images have on children. What this means is that the media cant make mass murderers or schoolyard shooters, but if a child decides to go in that direction, the media helps teach them how to do it. Sets the Agenda. An analysis of mass media becomes a bit scary at this point. What are the three dominant topics presented in the media? Sex, Violence and The Consumer Culture. This is what we are telling children is important. Offers Solutions to Problems. Now things become really scaryat least to me. Lets look at this media effect in three ways: 1. The media constantly presents the binary opposition of good vs. evil. This is particularly true in many cartoons, such as Batman or G.I. Joe, or some other superhero scenario. In each case, society is held hostage by evil. The average person can do nothing. Only the superhero can defeat evil through the use of violence. But, theres a limit to what even the superhero can do. If the good guys destroy evil, then the premise of the cartoon is over. The heroes win but evil continues. Here are the lessons being taught: Evil exists to destroy good and so the world is a conflict between good and evil. Most of us cannot do anything against evil; therefore, we are easy victims. We must give control over to superheroes who can wage war on evil. Violence is the solution to problems. 2. True love is the solution to all personal problems. Remember the Jerry MaGuire line: You complete me? True love means only one person in the world exists for each person. The current cliche soul mate sums up this way of thinking. Here are the lessons being taught: If there is only one person for each person, how do you explain an attraction to another person? Todays economy constantly puts men and women together in high pressure, stimulating circumstances. We are psychologically and physiologically wired to respond to members of the opposite sex. Sooner or later, most people in our culture will be placed in an interpersonal context that can easily assume the feelings of love because body chemistry is responding to the closeness of the other person. If a person needs someone to complete that individual, what happens when the part that needs completing feels incomplete again? The fault lies with the relationship. No doubt all of us need someone some of the time, but a person with serious, unresolved personal issues is probably incapable of forming a healthy relationship in the first place. When the first partner fails to fill the personal hole, then the incomplete person will go in search for another completer. Is it any wonder that so many failed relationships exist? Is it any wonder that so many teens engage in premarital sex since love is the solution so often offered by the media? Why is the media hooked on love? Love motivates us to purchase so many productsfrom toothpaste to diamondsso that we can offer our ideal selves to another person instead of the actual people we are. Plus, it is easy for the media to connect sex and love. What was the name of the last new movie you saw where sex didnt follow once the lead male and female fell in love? As Maslow argues, sex is a strong motivatorstrong enough to convince people to spend money to acquire sexual attractiveness, and, by extension, love. 3. Finally, the media offers violence as the method chosen by men. The movie industry presents us with Tom Cruise, Wesley Snipes, Al Pacino, James Bond, and the list goes on and on. In sports, we have Sunday football and Wednesday wrestling. The History Channel presents the heroes of World War II. A E and Discovery channels prove the power of cops through their programming. According to the media, such men are heroes. They protect their families. They are honored by those around them. They are rewarded with the most attractive women available. Any boy unwilling to engage in violence can not be a man. Girls also have something to learn. They need a man to protect them from becoming victims of rape and violence. As cheerleaders stand on the sidelines cheering on the team, they are taught to reward the guys who prove they are men. Conclusions The media teaches children the signifiers of sex, violence and consumerism. The media tells children it is important to think about these three things because these are the topics the media most often places into the agenda. Finally, either sex, violence or a product offers a solution to every problem.

A Homophobic Environment And Schools Education Essay

A Homophobic Environment And Schools Education Essay Homophobia refers to the negative feelings that some people have towards people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered LGBT and can often lead to harassment, bullying and victimisation. Despite this definition, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (2013) state that it is not just limited to being targeted at those who identify themselves as being LGBT. They believe that people who are merely perceived to be gay can be targeted, as well as those who do not conform to stereotypical gender roles. Boys who display characteristics that are stereotypically feminine and girls who display characteristics that are stereotypically masculine can be faced with abuse in schools. For example, AVERT (n.d.) write that boys are usually stereotyped as sporty and strong decision-makers, and girls are expected to be emotional and expressive. Therefore, boys can be labelled as being gay if they dont like sports, if they happen to show their feelings or if others think they are being too in timate with other boys. A study by Rivers (2000, p14) found that there are a number of places this bullying can take place, including in the classroom, playground, corridors, toilets, changing rooms and on their way home. The Department for Children, Schools and Families (2007, p.16) list a number of ways that children can experience homophobic bullying. They argue that it can consist of verbal abuse (such as mean jokes, suggestive remarks, teasing and name calling) or non-verbal abuse (such as mimicking them and using offensive gestures towards them). They also argue that pupils could be ignored or excluded from joining in with others, be threatened or experience physical abuse (such as hitting or kicking). It also states that pupils may experience cyber-bullying via email, chat rooms, social network sites and mobile phones. Furthermore, they state that offensive graffiti or distribution of other offensive material could be used to harass the child. Stonewall (n.d.) state that teachers have a legal duty to ensure homophobia is dealt with in schools. The Education and Inspections Act 2006 states that there is a need to safeguard and promote the rights and welfare of pupils (Firth, 2012, p6). Under this law, teachers must identify and implement measures to promote good behaviour, respect for others, and self discipline amongst pupils, and to prevent all forms of bullying, including homophobic bullying (Stonewall, n.d.). Firth (p.6) states that the Equality Act 2010 imposes a duty on schools to be proactive in promoting equality of opportunity for all. She says that, under this law, is it illegal to put people at a disadvantage based upon their sexual orientation and, therefore it offers protection against direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Firth (p.6) also talks about the Human Rights Act 1998 which requires schools to respect and value all of their pupils and states that they have a right to private life and to be free from discrimination. Department For Education and Skills (2004, p9) states that OFSTED insists that inspectors report how schools promote the five outcomes of the Every Child Matters policy. These outcomes are being physically and mentally healthy, staying safe and being protected from harm and neglect, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution by being positively involved in community and society, and economic wellbeing. It adds that it will be impossible to deliver all five of these outcomes in a culture of homophobia. Despite these laws being in place, Moore Rosenthal (2006, p.132) argue that there is now considerable evidence that schools are a powerful site for homophobia to flourish and this is also reflected in research published by Stonewall, a charity organisation which fights for LGBT rights. They have conducted a number of surveys in recent years, asking for both the pupils and teachers points of view and experiences of homophobia in schools. The School Report (2012) was a survey of more than 1,600 gay young people in Britain. It found that more than half of LGBT people experience homophobic bullying at school (Stonewall, 2012, p.2) Even if they are not bullied, ninety six per cent of gay pupils heard homophobic remarks such as poof or lezza whilst ninety nine per cent hear derogatory phrases such as thats so gay (Stonewall, 2012, p.5). Thurlow (2001, p.36) writes that sticks and stones may be more likely to break their bones but the relentless, careless use of homophobic pejoratives will most certainly continue to compromise the psychological health of young homosexual and bisexual people by insidiously constructing their sexuality as something wrong, dangerous or shameworthy. Dye (n.d.) quotes Sue Allen, chair of Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (FFLAG) as saying that Every generation has a word which they use as a term of offence [] today it is gay'. She claims that pupils in primary schools begin using it to mean anything thats naff or abnormal and, as a result, by the time they reach secondary school, a feeling of negativity surrounds being gay. Plummer (2001, p17) agrees that initially when pupils are using these terms they are not referring to homosexuality. He says that pupils will use the term gay to refer to something that looks a bit different, a bit tacky, pathetic or anything like that. He states those who were called poofters were the ones that werent in the in crowd such as those who didnt play sport or those who were interested in collecting things or reading. Moore Rosenthanal (2006, p.172) argue that sexual connotations are not attached to these offensive terms until the children get into their teens but despite this, they recognise that these terms have deeply negative and offensive meanings. Therefore, even if they start off in a non-sexual sense, the powerful effect of these precisely targeted homophobic terms [] provides a hostile context for the development of a homosexual indentity. Barnes (2011) believes that the reason children use and laugh at this type of derogatory terminology is because they dont have all the facts about homosexuality. After they kno w the facts, she argues, they begin to use the correct words in the correct way.   Stonewalls School Report (2012, p21) details a number of statistics that show that many pupils report a decline in their attendance to lessons. For example, it states that seventy per cent of LGBT pupils admit to skipping school at least once. Furthermore, nearly half of the LGBT pupils who experience homophobic bullying admit to skipping school because they are being bullied. This can lead to them getting behind in their work and ultimately their attainment may be affected. 43 per cent of bullied of LGBT pupils state that they feel they are underachieving in their school work. (p.20) Over 30 per cent change their plans for future education because they are being bullied, meaning that they are more likely to leave school at 16, rather than carrying to study for their A-Levels and go to university, for example (p.21). Stonewall state that Ofsted requires schools to stamp out homophobic bullying in their inspection framework and, therefore they believe that schools should see tackling homophobic bullying as part of their wider drive to improve behaviour and boost aspiration, standards and attainment. (p27) There are concerns that schools are not doing enough to make all pupils feel welcome in their school. Stonewall (2012, p.20) found that more than fifty per cent of LGBT pupils feel as if they dont belong at their school and 46% dont feel as if they can act like themselves when they are at school. A similar percentage claim that it is hard for gay people to feel accepted in school and nearly fifty per cent of bullied LGBT pupils say that they have low self-esteem (pp.21-22). Furthermore, forty one per cent dont feel part of their school community and 30 per cent disagree with the notion that their school an accepting, tolerant place where I feel welcome. Barnes (2011) believes that it is essential that the curriculum reflects the community we live in and therefore, as LGBT people are a legitimate part of our community, they should also be included in the curriculum. She states that it is preferable to seep LGBT people into [the pupils] consciousness rather than to explicitly confront the students with LGBT issues. She believes that this can be done through a combination of inclusive lesson plans and giving them the facts through discussions that arise. Stonewall (2009a, p12) lists examples such as discussing LGBT characters in novels, civil partnerships and different families. They state that these are all ideal ways to discuss gay issues in a sensitive and appropriate manner. In order to ensure that the pupils feel accepted in school, they also recommend displaying posters which communicate positive messages of equality such as the Some people are gay, get over it campaign. The best schools do more than tackle homophobic bullying and therefore schools should work towards embracing an environment where diversity is promoted and celebrated across whole school community. (Stonewall, 2012, p27) However not all teachers are happy to include LGBT issues into their lessons. In January 2009, a London primary school teacher faced disciplinary action after she refused to read the book And Tango Makes Three, written by Parnell Richardson in 2005 (UK Parliament, 2013a). The story book tells the story of a gay penguin couple and once she realised that she that the book was advocating gay marriage she refused to continue reading it because of her Christian beliefs. She is not alone. The UK Pariliament (2013b) states that a 2013 poll conducted by ComRes found that over forty thousand teachers say they will probably refuse to teach about the importance of same-sex marriage if the Marriage (Same Sex couples) bill is eventually passed. Dashwood (2011) expresses that in her experience of homophobia in schools, she believes it is actually the pupils who show the most amount of tolerance, rather than the teachers. She argues that it is often young people who are the most accepting members of a school community, and a consequence they put many of their teachers to shame. She concludes that the government should ensure that educators are not responsible for any homophobia in the classroom, before attempting to tackle homophobic bullying among pupils. Stonewall (2012) states that whilst children in faith schools are no more likely to report homophobic bullying than those in non-faith schools (p.4), teachers in religious schools are more likely to make homophobic remarks and less likely to challenge pupils when they hear them make homophobic remarks, than those who teach in non-faith schools (p.12). Garner (2011) believes that a number of faith schools view themselves above the law and think they can do anything that they believe is line with their religious beliefs. Stonewall (2012, p.21) states that gay pupils who are bullied are at higher risk of suicide, self-harm and depression. LGBT organisation, Revel and Riot (n.d) suggests that the reasoning behind these thoughts are due to internalised homophobia; subconsciously-developed negative feelings LGBT people feel towards themselves because of their sexuality. Revel and Riot state that LGBT people may start to have these negative attitudes because they are affected and hurt by the discrimination gay people receive in society. They believe that internalised homophobia can take a number of forms. Firstly, a gay person can live in denial, where they live their lives pretending to be heterosexual which can lead to the person feeling unfulfilled and lonely. Secondly, a person can remain closeted. This means that they take part in homosexual activity but keeps it a secret from the people close to them. Revel and Riot argue that being closeted is linked with high-anxiety, low self-esteem, increased ri sk for suicide and general lack of fulfillment. The Stonewall survey (2012, p22) found that more than fifty per cent admit to taking actions to deliberately harm themselves, such as cutting or burning themselves. Nearly fifty per cent of LGBT people who are bullied show symptoms linked with depression whilst thirty five per cent of those who werent bullied showed depression symptoms (p.22) Almost a quarter of LGBT pupils admitted to attempting suicide at some point, whilst over seventy per cent claim to have at least considered it. Stonewall (2012, p.4) compares these figures to those published by the Samaritans which states that only seven per cent of all young people (either straight or LGBT) have ever attempted suicide and less than fifty per cent have considered it. Rebel and Riot (n.d.) argue that the worst form of internalised homophobia is aggressive denial, where a person feels so strongly that they should not be gay that they repress their sexual desires and act out in a ho mophobic manner towards other LGBT people. Over a quarter of bullied LGBT pupils say they feel guilty about getting bullied whilst over sixty per cent say they feel embarrassed and over forty per cent say they feel ashamed.(Stonewall, 2012, p.21) It is not always easy for teachers to be aware of when a pupil is the victim of homophobic bullying and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (2007, p16-17) believe that this is because many pupils are embarrassed to admit it, perhaps because they do not want to disclose their sexuality to their teacher or because they are embarrassed that they are being perceived in this way and being bullied for it when they actually are not LGBT. Alternatively, they argue that some pupils may choose not to tell their teachers that they are being bullied because they worry about how the staff may deal with the problem given the sensitivities involved (p.19) A Stonewall report from 2009 focused on responses from teachers of both primary and secondary schools on their experience of homoph obia in the classroom. It found that nearly thirty per cent of teachers state that they would not feel confident in supporting a pupil who decided to come out as LGBT to them (Stonewall, 2009b, p16). Furthermore, forty per cent say that they would not feel confident in providing information, advice and guidance on gay issues to their pupils. Concerns about how teachers will respond correlate with figures from Stonewalls School Report (2012, p.12) that shows that many LGBT pupils feel that their schools often fail to intervene when homophobic bullying and language occurs. The report found that the rate of homophobic bullying is much higher in schools where teachers never step in when they hear homophobic remarks, compared to schools where the teachers challenge homophobic remarks every time. (Stonewall, 2012, p.13) Up until 2003, it was illegal for teachers to intentionally promote homosexuality or to promote the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship (National Archives, n.d.) This was stated as part of Section 28 of the 1988 Local Government Act. Even though this has now been repealed, there may still be confusion of what is acceptable. This fairly recent change of the law may leave those that have been teaching for a while confused as to what they are allowed to do. If they have always been told that they are not allowed to teach about gay issues throughout their career, many may continue to ignore these issues even now the ban has been lifted. Bridges (2013) agrees with this notion as she states that gay relationships seem to be outside the comfort zones of many teachers, and is therefore not tackled with as much rigour as other types of bullying. Pupils who have gay family members can also feel the effect of homophobia in the classroom. Stonewalls Different Families (p.20) states that whilst lots of pupils who have gay parents are open about their families, most are careful about who they tell. Those who feel that they have to keep their families secret from everyone find it stressful. The report states that many pupils with gay parents are worried that they will get bullied and this prevents them from being honest about their families. The report concluded that pupils with gay parents dont feel as though their families were reflected in the classroom. It states that too often, schools assume that pupils have a mum and a dad both in classroom activities and in letters that are sent home. Therefore, the report recommends that teachers cease to make this assumption to avoid this insensitivity towards the pupils who have alternative families (p.22). Firth (2002, p7) acknowledges the importance for pupils who come from LGBT famil ies to feel that their families are recognised, accepted and respected. For this reason she believes that it is entirely appropriate to have discussions amongst young pupils about the diversity of families that exist within society. It is not just the pupils who experience homophobic abuse. Williams (2012) states that a 2006 survey by the Teacher Support Network discovered that two-thirds of LGBT teachers had experienced harassment or discrimination at work because of their sexual orientation. She writes that 81% of those received discrimination from the pupils and but 46% said their colleagues were responsible. Dellenty (2012) hopes that gay teachers will have the strength to come out and hopes that schools support them when they do as there will be pupils who have gay family or friends and those who will grow up to be LGBT themselves. He argues that these people deserve and need a representative diverse range of authentic role models in schools. The Department for Children, Families and Schools (, p.13) writes that the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 aims to protect all members of staff against discrimination or harassment on the grounds of their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orienation. Aside from bullying, there are also concerns that gay people are not well enough informed when it comes to sexual health. The Sex Education Forum () states that young LGBT pupils often report feeling left out of sex and relationships programmes. The Department for Education and Employment (2000) wrote that schools have a responsibility to ensure that the needs of all of their pupils are met in the sex education programmes. They argue that that all pupils need to feel that sex and relationship education is relevant to them and sensitive to their needs, regardless of their sexual orientation. They add that teachers should be able to deal honestly and sensitively with sexual orientation, answer appropriate questions and offer support. Stonewall (2012, p) found that two thirds of gay pupils dislike taking part in team sports. Futhermore, a survey by the National Union of Students () found that 42% per cent of LGBT pupils had a negative experience of playing sport at school which lead to them feeling as though they dont want to play any sports at college or university. The report concludes that schools should encourage LGBT-inclusiveness by using sport as a way of expressing to pupils that homophobia is not acceptable behaviour and that all members of a sports team should contribute to creating an inclusive environment. They should also make an effort to support students to participate in a broad range of sports, including those that are not typical for their gender. The celebration of LGBT History month in some schools is a step in the right direction. The National Union of Teachers (NUT, 2013) argues that LGBT History Month helps teachers to promote equality, value diversity and implement effective strategies to eradicate homophobia. The idea is to make pupils aware of the achievements of LGBT people in Britain, as well as the struggles they faced in society. Taking place every February, It is an opportunity to show that discrimination against people is wrong and must be challenged.  The NUT adds that students in school [] need to discuss human rights and have the life skills for a world where LGBT and straight people are equal. The LGBT History website outlines a number of reasons why this celebration is beneficial to the whole school community. It states that it is essential for everybody to be aware of the role of LGBT people in society and claims to aim to help gay people be viewed by students as motivators, inventors, artists, scientists and stars, rather than as victims. It also hopes to help boost the self-esteem of young LGBT pupils so they feel safe enough to continue with their education and grow to be happy and healthy adults who are less likely to suffer from violence, depression, and suicide. It is also an opportunity to provide postive role models for the pupils. An extreme example, but one that has been launched in other countries, is that of a gay school; a school for gay pupils, such as the Harvey Milk High School in New York. Launched in 2003, it was set up for those pupils who had been victimised and abused in their previous schools so much so that they were falling behind in their work or felt too afraid to attend their classes (Henley, 2004). Many of its pupils express that without the school they would make no academic progress and Henley (2004) writes that the school boasts that 95% of its students graduate, compared to just over 50% across New York generally. However, the idea is not popular amongst as people can get bullied for a number of reasons. Henely (2004) quoted Mike Long (who at the time was the chairman of the New York Conservative Party) as saying if we need a special school for homosexuals, maybe we need a special school for little short fat kids because they get picked on too. Indeed, Stonewalls research found that homo phobia was only the second most frequent form of bullying, behind bullying for being overweight. It is important to consider, therefore, that whilst these pupils may not get bullied for their sexual orientation anymore, they could still be targeted for other reasons. Furthermore, there are concerns that separating homosexual people from heterosexual people at an early age is only going to cause a wider segregation later on in life. Henley (2004) writes that some gay activitists believe that creating a new form of gay ghetto is no way to encourage integration and understanding, adding that in the real world, [] gay and straight people have to learn to co-exist. The Department for Education and Skills (2004) believe that schools are the ideal place to challenge homophobia because they make a significant contribution to the development of values and attitudes in young children that are likely to be highly resistant to change in later life.

Freddie Prinze Jr. :: essays research papers fc

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Freddie Prinze Jr. was born on March 8, 1976 in Las Angeles, California. He would have lived a dream life in Hollywood fame. But when he was only ten months old, his father, Freddie Sr. had his sitcom â€Å"Chico and the Man† canceled and got high on prescription drugs and shot himself. Freddie Jr.’s mother, Kathy Cochran, moved her family back to Albuquerque, New Mexico, knowing that if they stayed in Hollywood her son would be haunted by his father’s death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In New Mexico he met his best friend Chris Sandoval at Sandia Prep where he went for sixth to eighth grade. At his high-school, La Cueva he constantly cut classes and hardly ever studied, however he never got into drugs, for as he said, â€Å"My dad taught me one of the most valuable lessons in the world through his death, because he accidentally killed himself while using drugs. That’s why I will never use them.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After he graduated from high school, he started to think about acting. He started thinking about his father’s life and how he would want to live a similar life. His mother would tell him things about his father like this line from Freddie Prinze Jr., â€Å"She told me about how much he loved me, the way his face light up when he held me, about how he called me ‘Pie’, she told me I brought him a lot of joy as a baby.† He took an acting class and in 1994 (the year that he graduated) he got his first acting job. Acting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Freddie’s first acting job was on the hit sitcom â€Å"Family Matters† where he had a four line part in an episode called The Gun. He knew just what to do, â€Å"I went to my father’s grave in Forest Lawn, I put my hand on his plaque and I said, ‘Thank you. I hope you’re watching now. I hope to make you proud.’† Soon he was starring on after school specials like Too Soon For Jeff, Detention: Siege At Johnson High, and The Watcher.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Freddie got his first big break in To Gillian On Her 37th birthday alongside Claire Danes, Peter Gallagher, and Michelle Pfeiffer. He played Joey Bost, Claire Danes’ rugged boy friend. Freddie then played a part in Mar Waters black comedy The House of Yes, about a twisted family preparing for a Thanksgiving Feast, or so we are to believe.

Short Wedding Toasts to the Bride and Groom :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Short Wedding Toasts to the Bride and Groom Nature of Love All beings by nature are lovers, as ice by nature is water. The love shared by one couple is powerful enough to unite heaven and earth. May God grant you two many years to live, for earth has few angels. Peace and Plenty May peace and plenty be the first To lift the latch to your door, May happiness be guided to your home. Walk in Love Walk in love, sit in love, live in love. To be in love is to truly live. Your Eye The eye with which you see your wife is the same eye with which your wife sees You. Love Each Fragment If you seek love in each separate fragment of your relationship, you will be overwhelmed by the totality. Who Are You ? Find out who you are as a couple. Then all else will be known. The Desire of God In the desire of God to know his own beauty, you exist. Worldly Power Worldly possessions and power means little. The unsayable, jeweled private life you develop as a couple, means much. Perfect Love When a relationship is perfectly balanced, perfect love can be realized. Psalm 1 (8th century BC) Blessed are they who delight in the way things are, and keep their hearts open day and night. Love Gives Life Love gives life to all the world. Love gives strength and wisdom. May you two walk in beauty, and may your eyes behold many a red and purple sunset. May your ears hear the true voice of your partner. My you be wise so that you may understand what is truly important in life. My you remain calm and strong in the face of all that comes towards you. My you learn the lessons hidden in every leaf and rock. My you seek pure thoughts and act with the intention of helping others. My you find compassion without allowing empathy to overwhelm you. My you seek strength, not to be greater than others, but to fight for the week. My you two always greet each other with clean hands and straight eyes. So when life fades, as the fading sunset, your spirits may continue without shame. May You Be Poor! May you be poor in misfortune, Rich in blessings, Slow to make enemies, And quick to make friends. But rich or poor, quick or slow, May you two know nothing but happiness From this day forward. Let’s all toast this beautiful couple! A Long Life Together A toast to your coffin. May it be made of 100 year old oak.

Misunderstanding The Day We Were Dogs :: Day We Were Dogs Essays

Misunderstanding The Day We Were Dogs      Ã‚  Ã‚   Writers as well as many people make or mislabel stories. Magical, unreal, real, fantastic, and the sublime are just a few types of different labels that a person can use. The different types of stories are amusing and fun. The world is made up of all types of different labels of material for stories that people like to read and enjoy. Elana Garro is one of the Spanish authors who has written stories that have been mislabeled and put with other stories that were listed under the magical and the unreal. The short story "The Day We Were Dogs" is one of the stories that has been misplaced. Elana Garro wrote this story in 1993. The magical and the unreal of this story could easily be identified; during the first part of the story, the girls woke to find a day with two days inside the day. Now either this situation is unreal or it is crazy. A person can think of a day and then think of the present, or a person can think of the future and be in the present. The thought of two days being together in the same day is ludicrous; the thought of this statement being real is also ludicrous. The real aspect of this story is that the children are pretending to be dogs. The children have wild and creative imaginations. The short story has two children out in the yard with their dog, Toni. While in the yard, the children are talking to the dog and talking among themselves. "Look for your dog name, I'm looking for mine. I'm a dog? Yes were dogs"(208). Children can actually be playing and really think that they are living in their pretend world. They can actually believe that they are really living their imaginations. People who actually read stories question the plot and the story as the story progresses. The characters in the story accept everything; however, they are pretending. Questioning and receiving ideas about time and space with the identity of the characters worked well with the characters of the story. By the experience of being a reader, this person can verify that looking for a plot and the story line is very important. The attitude of the characters of the short story of "The Day We Were Dogs" did well. The way the characters acted through out the story was like real children playing out side with the pet dog.

Why is exercise Important?

Have you ever heard the impression â€Å"use it or lose it â€Å"? Well it is true if you don’t use your body, you will surely lose it. Your muscles will become flabby and weak. You heart and lungs wont function efficiently, an your joints will be stiff and easily injured. Inactivity is as much of a health risk as smoking. It also helps prevent diseases, our bodies were meant to move they actually crave exercise; regular exercise is necessary for physical fitness and good health. It reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and many other diseases. It also can improve your appearance and delay the aging process. It helps improves stamina, because when you exercise, your body uses energy to keep going. Aerobic exercise involves continues and rhythmic physical motion, such as walking and bicycling. It improves your stamina by training your body to become more efficient and use less energy for the same amount of work, as your conditioning level improves your heart rate and breathing rate return to resting levels much sooner from strenuous activity. Exercise is also a key to weight control because it burns calories. If you burn off more calories than you take in, you lose weight. It is as simple as that. Once you begging to exercise regularly, you will discover many more reasons why exercise is so important to improving the quality of your life. Exercise reduce stress, lift moods, and helps you sleep better. It can keep you looking and felling younger throughout your entire life. How often should you exercise? The benefits of any exercise program will diminish if it is disrupted too frequently. A â€Å"stop-start routine is not only ineffective, but can cause injuries. Being consistent with exercise, therefore, is probably the most important factor in achieving desired results.

Case Study for Midsouth Chamber

In continuance of the case of Midsouth Chamber of Commerce, the organization has appointed Sage Niele as a new Vice President of Operations and Chief Financial Official of the company. During her initial period, she looked back and contemplated about the decision she had made to accept the positions and her reasons behind it. Alongside with her internal investigation, the backstory of the significant players in the preceding case was told. The organization’s difficulties with finding a system to replace UNITRAK was described in the case.Throughout their search, the company has found DMA’s software as an alternative to UNITRAK. When the new system was implemented, plenty of flaws and glitches were found that caused several difficulties for Midsouth Chamber of Commerce. With MSCC’s signed contract with DMA, they have allowed DMA to take over and handle the installation and support of the new system. The decision made it difficult for MSCC to recover the system by t he end of the case. This left Sage Niele, the new Vice President, tried to find new ways to repair the damage done to an already defective system.Unnoticed Mistakes in Midsouth Chamber of Commerce This review of Midsouth Chamber of Commerce’s history, exposed a number of problems and errors found with the organization’s information systems and as well as its management. First was with the implementation of UNITRAK system. When the UNITRAK’s president, Greg Ginder, was invited to give a short demonstration of the system’s capabilities, Ed Wilson Vice President of Public Affairs of MSCC have agreed with Leon Lassister Vice President of Marketing/Membership to purchase and implement the UNITRAK software without completing the demonstration and testing the UNITRAK system.That quick decision later lead to discovering several problems with the UNITRAK system. The system could not fulfill requests for lists and labels for mailings. The word processing, payment a nd invoicing, data changes, and list management were very difficult during that time. With Kovecki’s frustration with UNITRAK software, he was not cooperative with Lassiter. He does not give him information regarding the conversion of the new system and he was not very helpful with the staff members because he always try to avoid them.Issues with the system remained and later on the UNITRAK experienced financial problems and filed for bankruptcy. With no technical support for the system, MSCC decided to hire an outside consultant, Zen Consulting, to help assist in the maintenance and support of the software. After UNITRAK, came the implementation of Data Management Associate’s (DMA) software. Another decision was made quickly in implementing a new system. Dick Gramen, the new Systems Analyst, failed to read and fully understand the contract provided by DMA, which outlined what DMA were willing to provide and what MSCC must guaranteed.The contract was signed by the pres ident of the company, Jack Wallingford, without being reviewed by any other staff member or the corporate counsel. Troubles have raised with the implementation of DMA software. DMA encountered substantial problems converting the membership database from UNITRAK into the DMA custom software package. MSCC and DMA’s working relationship deteriorated due to many problems not being fixed and the lack of cooperation with DMA.From this research, MSCC’s history was reviewed and specified questions were answered to analyze and gather facts that seems to cause problems to Midsouth Chamber of Commerce. Firstly, the organization’s poor operational decisions for their information systems. There was no opinion or guidance from an experienced information system professional. Secondly, the lack of proper evaluation of the research. Even if a research was performed for the new system, a research that was not reviewed, was not enough to quantify the decision to implement a system .Lastly, the mistake of not checking the content of the business contract. In any organization, it is essential that a contract needs to be reviewed by all the staff members, corporate counsel, and officers before it could be signed and implemented. Based on all the facts gathered from the research, MSCC must work on having a good and effective communication with all the stakeholders. This would avoid poor decision, unevaluated research and contract that later lead to future pitfalls and mistakes. MethodThe case was examined thoroughly to determine the cause of difficulties and errors with the organization’s information system. The history of Midsouth Chamber of Commerce was investigated and reviewed by the author to understand how well the organization manages their information systems. Several questions were gathered and carefully answered to strategically associate the findings and analyze the issues. Results The review of Midsouth Chamber of Commerce’s history and the answers for the specified questions helped gathered facts to analyze what were the real problems and what causes it.The outcome of the study have identified the following problems: organization’s poor operational decisions for their information systems; lack of proper evaluation of the research; and the mistake of not checking the content of the business contract. Discussion As mentioned, having a good and effective communication is very essential in every organization. The purpose of this study was to show what the organization was lacking, that made them experience numbers of difficulties with their information systems. Also, to demonstrate what can be done to resolve it.With the problems identified in this case, the main cause was found and it was the lack of good communication between the stakeholders. The decision to purchase an unreliable systems like UNITRAK and DMA, the research and contract not being reviewed prior to signing and implementation of the systems, al l boils down to MSCC’s poor communication. Why â€Å"lack of good communication† was the important finding of this case? According to ManagementStudyGuide. com: Thus, we can say that â€Å"effective communication is a building block of successful organizations†.In other words, communication acts as organizational blood. The importance of communication in an organization can be summarized as follows: 1. Communication promotes motivation by informing and clarifying the employees about the task to be done, the manner they are performing the task, and how to improve their performance if it is not up to the mark. 2. Communication is a source of information to the organizational members for decision-making process as it helps identifying and assessing alternative course of actions.3. Communication also plays a crucial role in altering individual’s attitudes, i.e. , a well-informed individual will have better attitude than a less-informed individual. Organizatio nal magazines, journals, meetings and various other forms of oral and written communication help in molding employee’s attitudes. 4. Communication also helps in socializing. In today’s life the only presence of another individual fosters communication. It is also said that one cannot survive without communication. If Midsouth Chamber of Commerce would apply this finding to their organization, there would be a possibility to salvage their current and future information systems.