United States vs. Antoine Jones Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

United States vs. Antoine Jones - Article Example As the discussion highlights United States vs. Antoine Jones is a case that looks at the government’s ability to conduct warrantless GPS tracking, in the case of a suspected criminal vehicle. The case looks into partial elements of the fourth amendment, and the case would have an impact on cases that related to the use of technological advances in investigations and the techniques used by the police in assessing potential criminals.This paper discussses that the Supreme Court has reviewed the D.C. circuit’s perception on privacy, which was interesting. D.C. Circuit stated that the case did not challenge the nature of warrantless GPS tracking, stating that it did not intrude on any case of privacy. They considered it a broader measure of law enforcement techniques. D.C. circuit stated that it was a discrete method of collecting discrete public information for a given period. Â  The case may be evidential as to how the law enforcement agencies over-step their boundary, c oncerning ethical and law adhering elements of operation. There was a clear violation of the laws, and they were done in a way that suggests that the agents were acting in accordance to personal judgment, rather than following the parameters that have been established by the law. It serves to prove that the law enforcement agencies operate above the rather than follow the established components that rules and regulations of the United States.

Nervous System and Drug Use Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nervous System and Drug Use - Essay Example Many drugs are at the exposure of many students, with universities and colleges registering the highest number of users around the globe. Drugs are prohibited for a reason, mainly because of their negative effect to the health and performances of people. Majoring on the three commonly abused drugs in the world; methamphetamine, cocaine and alcohol. It remains a fact that the abuse of the three is far much below anywhere near an end to abuse. From my point of view, the question at stake remains on the remedy to these drugs in terms. Years of research and campaigns have done little in stopping the rampant use of these drugs. As a student, I am at the exposure of the same drugs with the highest risk possible since most drug addicts do refer to their college times as the commencement of their addiction. Parties are always the order of events with almost any function being characterized with the latter. Though alcohol is at the forefront in terms of use, methamphetamine and cocaine are in creasingly catching up at an alarming rate. Obviously, with a mention of increased use, college or campus life is the most affected. This calls for an inner depth study of the three drugs. Alcohol destroys the liver and affects the brain in irreversible conditions. Cocaine causes problems to hefty smokers especially in the respiratory system while methamphetamine is a popular party drug with over seventy thousand users. . Meth, crystal, ice, crank†¦ is the one drug that stops at nothing. It is capable of keeping one high for a constant twelve hours or more; methamphetamine is a super speed drug, three or even four times stronger than cocaine. It is very popular, especially among young college adults in the United States. Costing as cheap as twenty-five dollars for a quarter gram, the drug is swallowed, snorted, smoked and shot straight in the veins by use of needles. The drug originated from the western parts of the United States of America knowing no borders or social class; s preading through Nebraska to the eastern cities. As by 2008, there existed a whole bunch of 25 million users of the drug. For instance, in London, Meth is a popular party drug with over seventy thousand users. That demonstrates how much this drug is nothing near a passing phenomenon. It has and shows no signs of stopping its teeth from sinking into our society. According to police in various states, crime committers are the very victims of the drug. They steal property, assault, murder and always possess needles and fake ids. A quick glance at Portland jail reveals that for every four inmates, one is a meth addict. The victims appear ashamed and always hallucinating. Crosschecking at the digital records office, the pictures immediately reveal that the victims appear older; more like the living dead. Even individuals with strong and tough looks are not to spare, the scenario is a devastating one. They suffer many problems. Meth teeth for instance, set in when the acids and bacteria r esulting from meth corrode the gum and the teeth. Imagine ripe fruits falling on a tree; that is the fate of a crack addict’s teeth. This is because the victims rarely brush their teeth nor seek dental attention. The reason is obvious; they only have money to purchase the crystal. The brain on the other hand reacts immediately to meth. It results to euphoria, confidence and an energetic feeling; this is key attraction to the drug. The drug was originally engineered to trick the brain.

Motivated You To Study Social Work Education Essay

Motivated You To Study Social Work Education Essay My motivation to study social work comes from my passion about helping people who are less advantaged. Having spent the last five years working in a social care environment helped me to realise that my passion lies in helping the most vulnerable members of our society. I found working as a Care Assistant extremely challenging but also rewarding.   Attending a multi-disciplinary care reviews gave me a great insight  Ã‚   into a social worker role. I found out that social work can help service users maintain their dignity and independence, give wider choices of support, protect from abuse as well as reduce admissions to hospital. I hope that studying social work will give me a valuable skills and knowledge needed for effective professional practice as a social worker. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚   What type of learner are you? Last year on the Access course through the exercise on the class I have identified my learning style [Appendix 1].   Knowing and understanding my learning style helped me to learn more effectively and identify opportunities to improve my learning. According to Honey and Mumford (1982) Learning Style Model I perform strongly as a Reflector.   As a Reflector I learn by observing and thinking about what happened. I like to stand back and observe experiences from many different perspectives. I like to collect information (the more that better), and prefer to think about it thoroughly before coming to any conclusions. I prefer to take a back seat in meetings and discussions. I always listen to others before making my own point. I learn less well when being thrown in at the deep end with no time to prepare and when acting as leader or role-playing in front of others. Having identified my learning style, I now understand that as a reflector I am a slow learner and require more time to study, that is why it is important to plan my study effectively. I also need to try to get involved more in meeting and discussions instead of sitting back and listen. My preferred style of learning was also determined by completing the Learning Styles Questionnaire on C_Space [Appendix 2]. According to the questionnaire I learn best by visual way. Information presented in pictures, diagrams or charts is easily remembered.   I like to watch the lecturer closely and be able to see the teacher body language to fully understand the content of a lesson. I also like to use colours in my studies such as coloured markers to highlight information.   As a visual learner it is important to make sure that I sit always in a position in the classroom where I can see things clearly. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚   How do others perceive your values and abilities? Recently I asked my best friend how they perceive my values and abilities. The feedback I have been given was as follow: You are sensible, cautious, careful practical. I see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone whos extremely loyal to friends you do make and who expects the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally that it takes you a long time to get over if that trust is ever broken. My fellow students see me as confident, open minded and positive person. So far, the feedback form my tutors was always positive, however I am prepared to can take negative feedback. Receiving feedback is great opportunity to gain useful information and insight into what we need to develop or improve in order to grow professionally. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚   How do you approach learning? How have you improved your skills for study (including IT)? Having developed a number of strategies and techniques on last year course enabled me to make the most efficient use of my time, resources, and potential. I approach my studies strategically and systematically by working out where to invest my time and energies. Choosing the right place to study is important as I work most effectively in a well organised study area. I like to work in a comfortable and free from distractions place with a good lighting and a room to spread my book and papers. Time management is a vehicle that can carry you from wherever you are to wherever you want to be (Tracy 2007:2) Time management in the key skill to handle my coursework and to get it done on time. Good time management skills enable me to utilise my time in a more effective way and allow me to accomplish more tasks in a shortest possible way. A study time table is an essential ingredient in effective time management. I have created a weekly time table [Appendix 3 ]   to help me organise my day-today tasks, which keeps me positive and focused on my studying, and helps me achieve my targets. I have also learned to prioritise my work by doing the small and easy tasks first and taking them out of the way, before trying to tackle larger pieces of work. I have created things to do list [Appendix 4]. I use it to set daily priorities and to reduce decision making and worry. The ability to make clear and concise notes is another important skill that I have developed through my study. Taking notes helps me to gain a deeper understanding of the subject and capture the essential points of the topic. It also helps to make sense of what is to be learned and to remember it later. Having identified my preferred learning style I know now that I work well with patterned notes, such as nuclear, spider grams, diagrammatic and mind maps. This method was described by Buzan (1992) in his book Use your head. He calls the technique Mind Mapping. Mind maps allow for greater activity when recording ideas and information, as well as allowing the note-taker to associate words with visual representations (Buzan, 1992). Patterned notes involve writing the main topic in the centre of the page, and then write related ideas around it and link them up to show their relationship to the main idea. Pattern notes are more visual, and are very active form of learning. For example of m y note taking please see [Appendix 5]. I have also learned how to read effectively by being selective, scanning, skimming and questioning as I read. Computer helps me to study in many different ways. It helps me to research online for information, make structured notes, creating charts, graphs and tables and to organise and keep track of my studies. Although I have used computer in the past there was areas that I still had to improve. Last year on the access course I have learned how to work with spread sheets, databases, and create a power point presentation, which helped me to improve my IT skills. [Appendix 6] 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚   What factors affect your learning? Having many responsibilities as an adult learner I must balance against the demands of learning. Personally, the factor affecting my learning is English as a second language I do find it hard at the times to express myself in the way that I wish to. It also lower my confidence and self esteem. Being subject to jokes about my funny accent in the past made me feel nervous when speaking in front of others. However, my confidence in that area improved dramatically since starting the course. Distractions while studying could be another area that affects my learning. I need a quiet and organised place to study without any interruption. I have learned to minimise distractions while I work by encouraging others to respect my rights to work without interruption. I keep my phone off when I am studying to avoid phone calls that could disturb my learning. Self esteem and lack of confidence.   Before I took an Access Course my self esteem as well as confidence were very low. I did not believe in my abilities and felt very anxious about going back to education after a long break. Having a positive feedback from the tutors as well as fellow students helped me to build up my self- esteem and become a confident student. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚   How do you become an effective problem solver in your life? Problem solving is one of the key skills in social work practice. Social workers use a problem solving approach in working with individuals, families, groups and communities. As a social work student, it is very important to me to become an effective problem solver. In my personal life I have learned confronting rather than avoiding problems. I tend to solve my problems using a simple technique. The first stage is to define the problem. To understand why the problem exist and looking at the root cause of the problem. Secondly I explore the problem by looking at how does the problem affect me or others? The next step is looking for possible solutions and selecting a realistic solution that is most relevant to me. Finally I put my solution into action. It is however important to evaluate the effectiveness of my solution. 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚   How do you become more effective, independent and confident self- directed learner? Self-directed learning is a process in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes(Knowles, 1975:14). According to Malcolm Knowles (1984) adults learn differently than young people. In his theory of adult learning Knowles pointed that adults are self- directed in their learning.   As a person matures his self-concept moves from one of being a dependent personality toward one of being a self-directed human being   (Knowles, 1984:12). As an adult student I take responsibility for my learning processes, such as goal-setting, instructional design and evaluation of my learning process. Being organised helps me to manage my studies effectively. In order to become more independent learner I need to be motivated to learn, able to manage my time effectively, and reflect upon my learning. Effectiveness of learning depend on having your state of mind, space, time, and materials organised in the ways that best suit your learning (Cottrell, 2008:67). 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚   How did you work cooperatively with others I am a part of a Care team working in a care home for people with dementia. Being a part of the team I have learned how to work co- operatively with my work colleagues. As a team member I have learn contribute to achieving the goal of meeting the needs of clients. Apart from work I also work co operatively with others in group work tasks on classes. We were put to groups to complete specific task. I worked cooperatively by sharing my ideas, being and active listener, respect other people views, work together with the members of group to complete the task successfully. Working in groups gave me a great opportunity to gain confidence and develop interpersonal skills, such as active listening and questioning and communication skills. 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚   How do you relate your learning to the contemporary context of social work practice? Working in a Social Care as a Carer my role involves providing practical support, and enabling service users to maintain their independence to lead fuller and secure life. I also build partnerships with people I work with, trying to win them trust and encouraging them to cope and get most out of life. I relate my learning to the contemporary context of social work by implementing my current skills and knowledge to my work settings. Skills such as interpersonal skills help me to understand the importance of actively listening and empathising with service users in order to enter the world from their point of view.   I am also more aware about the group dynamics in my work place and importance of effective team working in order to achieve the desire outcomes.   Since doing the degree I also developed an anti discriminatory practice. I started to relate the theories to practice to understand the causes of discrimination and ways to challenge it effectively.

Essay --

Introduction An anonymous narrator request the narrator of this poem to write of a lover that he had in the past to remember her youth and how he loved here. In the poem â€Å"When You Are Old† by William Butler Yeats, the author reveals that the central idea is the love for a woman a man had but the woman never loved him back. The author expresses the theme of this poem through tone, diction and poetic devices. The tone helps the reader understand the poem’s theme and emotions. He helps communicate the tone of the poem through his choice of words. In the first stanza, the tone seems to be calm and cozy because when the author quotes; â€Å"And nodding by the fire, take down this book†. Following, the second stanza states a more romantic tone. The author is trying to say that he out of all of the men loved her truly for how she was. He expresses this by the use of words. Finally, the third stanza communicates a more sad tone. The author is trying to express how â€Å"love fled† and how he is at his last moments and because she didn’t love him back in his youth she will feel remorse. The au... Essay -- Introduction An anonymous narrator request the narrator of this poem to write of a lover that he had in the past to remember her youth and how he loved here. In the poem â€Å"When You Are Old† by William Butler Yeats, the author reveals that the central idea is the love for a woman a man had but the woman never loved him back. The author expresses the theme of this poem through tone, diction and poetic devices. The tone helps the reader understand the poem’s theme and emotions. He helps communicate the tone of the poem through his choice of words. In the first stanza, the tone seems to be calm and cozy because when the author quotes; â€Å"And nodding by the fire, take down this book†. Following, the second stanza states a more romantic tone. The author is trying to say that he out of all of the men loved her truly for how she was. He expresses this by the use of words. Finally, the third stanza communicates a more sad tone. The author is trying to express how â€Å"love fled† and how he is at his last moments and because she didn’t love him back in his youth she will feel remorse. The au...

Investigating Number of Stomata on a Leaf

Lab Design â€Å"Investigate the effect of a factor on the number of stomata of a leaf. † Research Question: How do differing leaf heights affect the number/density of stomata of a leaf? Hypothesis Stomata are pores, typically found under the leaf (lower epidermis), that control the gas exchange of transpiration, where water vapor leaves the plants, and carbon dioxide enters. I predict that the stomatal density on high leafs is higher than on low leafs. During photosynthesis the chloroplasts in the leaf cells synthesize ATP from ADP as a result of exposure to light, while oxygen is produced as a by-product of the photosynthetic reaction.Carbon dioxide, which enters the plant through diffusion via the stomata, is needed for this process (photosynthesis) to occur. When the chloroplasts in the leafs cell is exposed to higher light intensities, more ATP is synthesized from ADP, while production of the by-product oxygen also increases. This increase in the rate of photosynthesis ca lls for more â€Å"fuel†, i. e. Carbon dioxide. So for a higher concentration of carbon dioxide to diffuse into the plant, the plant must grow a greater stomatal density (higher number of stomata).This will create a larger surface area for carbon dioxide diffusion, the excretion of water vapor (transpiration) and the large amounts of oxygen being produced. As the higher leafs are exposed to higher light intensities I predict the stomatal density to be high. Lower leafs are exposed to lower light intensities due to, for example, shading by top leafs, and will so have a lower stomatal density than high leafs. Variables Controlled: Type of plant- The type of plant that is going to be used will stay the same, i. e. controlled.The type of plant that is used for this experiment is called Quercus Ilex. Amount of leafs (10 ‘high' leafs, 10 ‘low' leafs)- the ensure fair testing the number of leaves tested from each variable will be the same. Apparatus used- Same set up eac h time. Microscope magnification (400x)- Magnification at which the number of stomata will be counted at is at a magnification of 400x. Independent Variable: Leaf Source- The leaf source regarding to the ‘high' and ‘low' leafs is the variable which will be changed to test the difference in number of stomata of the two variables.Distance between high/low leafs- The distance between the height at which ‘low' and at which ‘high' leaves were picked each time had to be of a minimum of 20cm to ensure plausible results. Lower epidermis of leaf used to count stomatal density- Because Quercus Ilex is a dicotyledonous plant, the number of stomata on the lower epidermis will be higher than on the upper epidermis. This is because dicotyledonous plants hold up their leaves horizontally, which directly illuminates the lower epidermis. So, to prevent water loss, fewer stomata will then be located on the upper epidermis. Dependent Variable:Stomatal Density of high leafs Stom atal Density of low leafs Apparatus/Material 10 high leafs 10 low leafs Clear nail polish Slides Pincette Microscope Clear Tape Calculator Method Find a leaf source that has a significant height from which you will be collecting your leafs from throughout the entire experiment. Determine a low area, of little height from the ground, on the source from which you will pick 10 ‘low' leafs. Repeat step 2, except that the area must be at an increased height distance of at least 20cm, to ensure a fair test and collection of ‘high' leafs from a higher area than that of the ‘low' leafs.Choose a leaf of which the stomatal density is to be examined but don't pick it off the plant. This is so that the plants photosynthetic process will not be disturbed which could lead to change in the leafs natural state and affect your results. Paint a layer of clear nail polish on the lower epidermis of the leaf and wait until it has dried. Use your tweezers to gently peel off the dried la yer of nail polish. Gently peel the area of dried nail polish from the leaf completely. You should see a cloudy impression of leaf surface on the piece of tape. This is the leaf impression. Place the leaf impression to a clean slide.Label the slide for identification if necessary. Focus the leaf impression under a microscope magnification of 40x until it is focused and observe the leaf impression. Find an area that is clean of thumbprints, away from the edge of impression, has no damaged areas or big leaf vein impressions in view. When focused, observe the impression under an increased microscope magnification of 100x and make sure it is focused. When focused, observe the impression under an increased microscope magnification of 400x, the magnification at which you will count the number of stomata, and focus.Count the number of stomata you see in the field of view and record the number in a table under the relevant variable (‘high' or ‘low' leaf). To ensure a fair test, repeat steps 9-13 two times by choosing a new spot on the same leaf to focus on. Use the higher number of the 2 repeats to find the average later on. Repeat steps 1-14 ten times for the 10 high leafs and 10 low leafs. Raw Data: How differing leaf heights affect the number/density of stomata of a leaf One manipulation that was done to the raw data to help make it more useful for interpretation was the rounding off of ? Average # of stomata of ?Final?.. etc? , because firstly a stomata cannot be present in the quantity of a decimal and secondly, so that when drawing the graph all numbers have the same number of significant figures which will produce a neater and more accurate graph. Processed Data: How differing leaf heights affect the number/density of stomata of a leaf Magnification: 400x Field of View (FOV) diameter: 0. 45 mm Radius (r ): 0. 225 mm Surface Area (SA)/mm? N (? r? ) : 3. 14 x (0. 225)? = 0. 159 mm? |Leaf |# of stomata of ‘High' Leafs per 0. 159 mm? 2 Stomata) | | |1 |2 |Final | |1 |39 |35 |39 | |2 |52 |56 |56 | |3 |32 |38 |38 | |4 |50 |40 |50 | |5 |37 |34 |37 | |6 |53 |47 |53 | |7 |45 |42 |45 | |8 |43 |50 |50 | |9 |53 |49 |53 | |10 |42 |39 |42 | |Average # of stomata of ‘Final' per 0. 159 mm?  ± 2 Stomata) | | | |46 | Graphs Graph including processed data trial 1 & 2 for High and Low leafs: Blue: # of stomata on High leafs per 0. 159 mm? , trial 1 Red: # of stomata on High leafs per 0. 159 mm? , trial 2 Yellow: # of stomata on Low leafs per 0. 159 mm? , trial 1 Green: # of stomata on Low leafs per 0. 159 mm? , trial 2 Graph including processed data ‘Final's results for High and Low leafs: High Leafs: Mean value line with value 46. 3, standard deviation: 6. 993 Low Leafs: Mean value line with value 26. 2, standard deviation: 2. 3 Calculations Difference in mean > 46. – 26. 2 = 20. 1 Difference in S. D. > 6. 993 – 2. 3 = 4. 693 Because the standard deviations are much less than the difference in the mean numbe r of stomata, it is very likely that the difference in the mean number of stomata between High Leafs and Low Leafs is significant. T-TEST Null hypothesis: The number of stomata on high leafs and low leafs are not different. The differences in the data sets are the result of chance variation only and they are not really different. Mean of # of stomata on High Leafs: 46. 3 Mean of # of stomata on Low Leafs: 26. 2 t=8. 63 Degrees of freedom= (10+10)–2= 18 Critical value for t=2. 101 (P= 0. 05) Conclusion

Music and Magic in the World of Arda

MUSIC AND MAGIC IN THE WORLD OF ARDA In Tolkien’s legendarium, magic as it appears in contemporary sword-and-sorcery stories does not exist. Tolkien makes it clear in essays and debates that his magic is far more complex than the waving of a wand, and does not follow strict, clear-cut rules. Instead, power over the laws of nature and reality lies to a great extent in song and music.The first act of creation in the â€Å"Ainulindale†, by which the foundations for Arda’s creation were laid, was the singing of the Music of the Ainur by Iluvatar and the divine beings beneath him. When the beings of Arda create song, the result is often ‘magical’, whether in an emotional sense or if it has a tangible effect upon the world around it. In both the â€Å"Ainulindale† and â€Å"Of Beren and Luthien† this is quite evident.Singing in Tolkien’s legendarium is in some ways a magical act, in that any of the Children of Iluvatar engaged in it ar e reflecting the original creative acts of the Ainur, sub-creating and greatly affecting the world around them, and that the only limits on a being’s ability to create music are its purpose – whether to dominate or to create – and the sheer force of will it places behind its magical, musical intent. Singing has a variety of effects within Tolkien’s works, but the most dramatic ones by far are those visible in the â€Å"Ainulindale†.Here, singing is synonymous with creation itself. The notes of the many Ainur, including Melkor, as well as those of Iluvatar, all coalesce in order to form the basis for Arda and its history. The act of song-making as creation is not metaphorical: the Ainur originally conceive of the world through music, and the voices of the Ainur are even described as â€Å"like unto harps and lutes, and pipes and trumpets, and viols and organs, and like unto countless choirs with words† (Tolkien 4).Even the conflict between Il uvatar, who seeks to create a world of beauty and freedom for its future inhabitants, and Melkor, who seeks to dominate all that is, is done through their respective melodies. No music existed before that of the Ainur in their acts of creation, and although a great deal of music existed afterward, none was ever as powerful or influential in shaping the world, as the passage reads â€Å"Never since have the Ainur made any music like to this music† (Tolkien 4) This original music created the first true polarization between good and vil – through the conflict between Iluvatar and Melkor – and initiated the creation of the world. The fact that the Music of the Ainur created the world itself is no less visible than when Iluvatar declared â€Å"behold your music! † and the Ainur first saw the world (Tolkien 6). In fact, all later music stemmed from this music, in that the Music of the Ainur set the stage for the genesis of all Children of Iluvatar and the music they would go on to produce. The effects of song are equally as visible, if not quite so dramatic, in the tale of Beren & Luthien, particularly through Luthien herself.Throughout the story, many of Luthien’s actions revolve around music and song. When Beren first sees her, he is spellbound by her appearance, and it is not until she sings out loud and â€Å"flowers [spring] from the cold earth where her feet had passed† that he is released from his shock enough to call out to her (Tolkien 194). Her music is also powerful enough to put the great wolf Carcharoth, as well as Morgoth himself in Angband, to sleep. In addition, it aids her and Huan in combating Sauron at Tol-in-Gaurhoth.Finally, her heartfelt song of sorrow at Beren’s death at the end of the tale proves moving enough to warrant restoring Beren to life, and allowing Beren and Luthien to spend their final, mortal years together in peace. Indeed, it is stated that â€Å"The song of Luthien before Mandos was the song most fair that ever in words was woven, and the song most sorrowful that the world shall hear† (Tolkien 221). She is not the only character who uses song to great effect, however. When King Felagund and Sauron battle in the dark lands of Morgoth, they duel with words and songs of power rather than physical weapons.Felagund fights with inspirational songs, harkening up images of â€Å"trust unbroken† and â€Å"resisting†, while Sauron utilizes songs of â€Å"treachery† and â€Å"betrayal† (Tolkien 201). Sauron proved more powerful however, and once he defeats Felagund, the others are entirely helpless against him. In these particular stories, the greatest singers are either connected to the Ainur, or are Ainur themselves. This point is fairly obvious in the case of the â€Å"Ainulindale†, in which all participants of the Music were Iluvatar’s â€Å"Holy Ones† , but is also quite evident in â€Å"Of Beren and Luthie n† (Tolkien ). There, Luthien is half-Maia as the daughter of Melian, and her power is extraordinary for a Child of Iluvatar. She proves capable of contending with a fallen Valar, a powerful Maia, and a vicious beast-servant of Morgoth through her skills with song. Sauron himself is also quite skilled in the art of song as a Maia, and in a duel with a mortal he â€Å"had the mastery† (Tolkien 201). The reason for the magical superiority of the Ainur is quite simple: they were involved in the original music of the world.They were originally formed by Iluvatar for the express purpose of creating â€Å"in harmony together a Great Music† and through it the world, and so it is far more natural to them (Tolkien 3). Although Luthien herself has no experience with true creation, as Sauron and her mother do, she nonetheless has the blood of a being that was essentially created for song, as Melian also sprang from the mind of Iluvatar for the purpose of creating the world. By no means are all great singers in Tolkien’s world Maiar however, or even those related to them, as the example of Felagund illustrates.While Felagund may not be able to best a Maia such as Sauron, he is still able to compete with a Maia for what appears to be the majority of their conflict, and it is outright stated that â€Å"the power of the King was very great† in the conflict (Tolkien 201). He lacks the experience and inborn purpose for song that any Maia would possess as a being originally born to create Arda, but he remains a force to be reckoned with, and he is unquestionably more powerful through his skill with song than most other characters in the tale.It is clear, then, that force of will and drive can – to an extent – mitigate the difference in natural ability between a Child of Iluvatar and an Ainu. Luthien’s exemplary skill with song in the latter half of the tale may have thus been influenced by her drive to help Beren and the â €Å"weight of horror† that her love caused her to feel at the possibility of his death (Tolkien 202). The act of song-making in the â€Å"Ainulindale† is, at its core, an act of creation.What is present throughout â€Å"Of Beren and Luthien† however – and, for that matter, all other stories set in Middle-Earth during the First through Fourth Ages – is sub-creation. Just as Iluvatar created the Ainur originally for the purpose of creation, the Children of Arda and those that Iluvatar would – humans, elves, hobbits, and dwarves – were made to sub-create. In other words, they were meant to create even further, through art, literature, and above all, song. By attempting to emulate the song of creation, the Children would make the world even more vibrant, rich, and pleasant than the Valar had originally managed.Tolkien states in his letter to Milton Waldman prefacing â€Å"The Silmarillion† that for the Elves, magic is â€Å"Art, d elivered from many of its human limitations†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"Art not power, sub-creation not domination and tyrannous re-forming of creation† (Tolkien xvi-xvii). The effect of song in â€Å"Of Beren and Luthien† was somewhat different. If songs made by the Valar were what originally brought about and shaped the world, then songs made by the Children could do the same, beyond merely in terms of producing music for pleasure’s sake.As exemplified by Felagund, a sufficiently strong, refined will could sub-create in a way that mirrored creation itself, and shape the world despite lacking the natural affinity for song that an Ainu possesses. What this evidence points to is a notion that at first may seem ridiculous: that the magical song-making of the Ainur and the Children are fundamentally exactly the same. The ability of several of the Children in â€Å"Of Beren and Luthien† to contend with Ainur in contests of power through song already lends credenc e to this idea, suggesting that the music created by the Ainur is the same, only greater.It would appear that the difference between the use of songs by the Ainur and the Children merely results from the inherently greater willpower of the Ainur. As beings that are not only older but are also â€Å"the offspring of [Iluvatar’s] thought†, their wills are considerably more refined and honed than those of the Children (Tolkien 3). Theoretically however, any elf, man, hobbit, or dwarf with sufficient mental discipline and/or training could make music as great as that of an Ainu.Thus, the closeness to the natural world and ‘magic’ of the elves is simply a consequence of their having spent more time amongst the Valar and within the world than the other Children, gaining more competence with song and closeness to the musical skill of the Ainur as a result. In addition, the ability of Melkor to overpower the songs of the other Ainur in the â€Å"Ainulindale† resulted from him having â€Å"been given the greatest gifts of power and knowledge† and resulting musical affinity, and that greater force of will alone was that set him apart (Tolkien 4).The two sections being discussed point to one other significant notion: that there is an inherent difference between the music produced by the Children and good Ainur, and the music produced by the Dark Powers of Morgoth. The â€Å"Ainulindale† indicates that the Music of the Ainur was initially harmonious, with â€Å"endless interchanging melodies woven in harmony† (Tolkien 4). It was only once Melkor, desiring to overpower and control the course of the Music, decided to interfere, that the Music became disjointed and violent.Eventually, Iluvatar himself steps in, at which point it is clear that the melodies of Iluvatar and Melkor are diametrically opposed, and that only Melkor’s music â€Å"hath not its uttermost source in [Iluvatar]† (Tolkien 6). The music o f the other Ainur, which was harmonious with that of Iluvatar, was gentle, melodious, and pleasant. Melkor’s music was violent and aggressive. To an extent, the musical conflict between Felagund and Sauron in â€Å"Of Beren and Luthien† mirrors this, though in that case Sauron’s aggressive, spiteful song proves victorious due to his superior will.While the songs produced by the forces of good and evil are somewhat similar, their basic nature and purpose – to create, and to dominate, respectively – are polar opposites, and the dominative nature of evil is the source of the violence and cacophonous nature of the songs. Indeed, Tolkien’s statement of the Elves’s magic as â€Å"Art not Power, sub-creation not domination†¦Ã¢â‚¬  in contrast with that of Melkor and Sauron, supports the notion that the nature of their magic – and this applies to all other forces of good as well – is irreconcilable with that of Melkor and his minions (Tolkien xvi-xvii).In the â€Å"Ainulindale†, as well as â€Å"Of Beren and Luthien†, Tolkien reveals the true nature of magic and song: in his world, they are synonymous. While there may be major differences in the fundamental nature of the songs used by good and evil, only force of will and purpose make the song of an Ainu such as Morgoth any greater than that of a half-Maia such as Luthien, or a mere elf-king such as Felagund. Keeping these conclusions in mind, one may reach a single, overarching definition of magic in Tolkien’s works: an act of musical creation or sub-creation with enough force of will behind it to tangibly affect the world.There is no need to understand the mechanics of music in the legendarium, only that any being is capable of it and that it is the source of all magical acts. Truly, the significance of song in Tolkien’s work, especially for the purpose of understanding the magic of the world and the nature of the confl ict that spans the entire legendarium, cannot be overstated. WORKS CITED Tolkien, J. R. R. , and Christopher Tolkien. The Silmarillion. 2nd Ed. Del Rey Books, 2001. Print.

The Body Farm

The Body Farm The University of Tennessee Forensic Anthropology Facility, otherwise known as the Body Farm, was created to analyze the decomposition process and see what takes place after death. The facility aids in teaching and exploring areas of death that were once unknown to forensic science. Without the body farm, many questions would still remain unanswered in the world of forensics.Dr. William Bass founded the establishment in 1971 after realizing that there were not any other institutions investigating the science of body decomposition. This began almost eleven years before he founded the institute. Bass worked in Kansas primarily dealing with skeletal remains. Skeletal remains were found more often in Kansas because of the low population level; or in other words, it took longer for people to find deceased bodies. It wasn't until he relocated to Tennessee, a more densely populated area, that he began dealing with bodies that were less exposed to the elements.English: Roma Khan doing prelim inary work on decom...Once given the chance to deal with more evidential remains, he saw the need for investigating the process of decomposition. He propositioned the dean of the University of Tennessee to the idea, and was initially granted an acre of land, that was formerly used as a pig farm, about 45 minutes outside the university. The institute has since grown to three acres of land and is now surrounded by razor-wire.The body farm is home to about forty dead bodies all subjected to different theoretical physical environments that decomposition can take place. The cadavers arrive from two sources; unclaimed bodies left at the medical examiner's office and people who have chosen to donate themselves. Surprisingly, over 300 people have willed their bodies to the farm- in personal efforts to help further scientific advancements. The number of bodies donated increases every year, with surges of popularity created...