Food technology portfolio sac paper Essay

To demonstrate satisfactory completion of Unit 3, Outcome 3, you must present evidence of the development of a design brief, evaluation criteria and a design plan. This document is a framework for the development of the SAT. It provides a step-by-step approach to completing all of the components of the task so that you are able to complete all of the assessment criteria to the highest level. The task is more manageable if you type all your documents as you go. This will save a lot of time and make it easier to incorporate corrections from your draft. When setting up a new folder for your SAT on your computer, separate folders for individual components of the task. However, it is recommended that the research and the production notes for each individual food item are prepared in the one document. This will enable you to ensure that the footnoting in this document is sequential. REMEMBER TO SAVE YOUR WORK IN MORE THAN ONE PLACE AND TO BACK-UP YOUR WORK EACH TIME YOU WORK ON THE TASK. As you undertake research, remember to record all sources of information you have used and footnote any material that is directly cited or copied. Start you bibliography as soon as you begin your work on the SAT. More information about citing reference and writing your bibliography will appear later in the booklet. It is always helpful to proof read your draft to pick up mistakes 4 Unit 3 / 4 Food and Technology SAT 2012 Criteria for Assessment Unit 3: Food preparation, processing and food controls Area of study 3: Developing a design plan Outcome 3: Develop a design brief, evaluation criteria and a design plan for the development of a food product. Unit 4: Food product development and emerging tends Area of study 1: Implementing a design plan Outcome 1: Safely and hygienically implement the production plans for a set of four to six food items that comprise the product, evaluate the sensory properties of the food items, evaluate the product using the evaluation criteria, and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of production activities. Criteria 1: Design Brief and Evaluation Criteria Criteria 3. Skill in developing a design brief and evaluation criteria ? Skill in developing a design brief including context and specifications (considerations and constraints) ? Skill in developing relevant evaluation criteria that relate to the design brief context and specifications. Very High Comprehensive, coherent and relevant information is provided in a very well structured design brief with a clear and thorough description of the context. The specifications in the design brief (considerations and constrains) are very clearly identified. A range of very clearly expressed, relevant evaluation criteria reflect all the information contained in the design brief context and specifications. 5 Design Brief: ? clearly defines the context, aims and intentions of a new product? includes specifications – considerations and constraints – that need to be taken into account when making decisions in relation to the design of the new product ? Must be a problem that the student will attempt to solve ? must be developed and written by the student (not by the teacher) ? must allow students to demonstrate key knowledge and skills. There is no word limit on the length of the design brief. The VCAA has a PowerPoint presentation ‘In the beginning – Developing an effective School-assessed Task design brief’ available at www.vcaa. vic. edu. au/vce/studies/foodtech/foodtechindex. html Example: www. vcaa. vic. edu. au/vce/studies/foodtech/foodtechindex. html Of all the sports I have ever played, surfing is without doubt my favourite. I really can’t remember a time when I haven’t been able to surf. My Nan and Pa have had a house at Torquay since I was just a toddler and so we have spent most weekends there every summer. My Pa was one of the original ‘surfies’ at Jan Juc and other beaches along the surf coast and he taught me to surf when I was really young. Two of my friends from school, Ben and Sam, are also keen surfers and so we have decided to head to the surf for a couple of days after our final exams in early December for our own ‘Shortboard Classic’. My Nan and Pa have offered to let us stay at their house on Friday and Saturday but we will need to take some of our own ‘supplies’ as I don’t want Nan to have to do all of the meal preparation. As I quite enjoy cooking, I have decided to make some of the main food items we will eat over the two days. We will need some food items for a casual dinner on Friday and breakfast and lunch on Saturday. I will also need to prepare some savoury and sweet snack items we can take to the beach, as we will no doubt be hungry after spending so long in the water. On Saturday night we will have a celebratory dinner with my Nan and Pa before we leave and so I will need to make a dessert to share for dinner. The dessert needs to be quite special and look spectacular so that it is the ‘grand finale’ to a great weekend. Just as importantly, I can show my Nan that all the hours she spent teaching me how to cook while we were staying at Torquay weren’t wasted! The food will also need to be appealing to us and satisfy our ‘healthy’ appetites. As we will be leaving for Torquay straight after our last exam, all of the food needs to be prepared several weeks in advance and have good keeping qualities. I also want to use a variety of complex processes so that the products I produce are of a very high quality. My Nan is a great fan of television cooking shows and I want to show her that I am now quite a skilled cook too – even if not yet in the league of the experts on her favourite show! 6. IDENTIFY a theme, event or context. WHO: Who has asked you to prepare the product? This might be an individual or a representative of an organisation. Remember to outline or describe some background information about who the product is being prepared for to inform the reader. WHY: Why is the product needed? Discuss the reason or purpose the product needs to be prepared. 7 WHAT: What needs to be prepared? This should be a simple outline or general statement about the product. WHEN: When the product is to be prepared by or served or available. WHERE: Where the product is to be served, displayed or used. 8 Developing your brief Once you have established your ideas, use the 5 W’s chart to write your detailed design brief. Remember to use complete sentences and paragraph format. These five components will form one or two paragraphs of the design brief. Scope of the task – this information must also be included as a part of your design brief: – A range of 4-6 food items – Use at least 4 different complex processes in the production work to produces high quality food 9 Specifications & Criteria for Evaluation You now need to use the information in your design brief to develop the criteria for evaluation. The first step is to identify the specifications (constraints and considerations) in your design brief. 1. On your design brief underline or highlight the specifications. Alternately you could make a list of the specifications. It is important that these are clearly identified. Specifications are the issues or barriers that have been identified in the brief. They will need to be addressed when working through the design process. ‘Considerations’ are flexible restrictions – issues or aspects that need to be taken into account when planning a product. ‘Constraints’ are restrictions, over which the designer has little control, that affect the development of the product. 2. Using the specifications identified, develop approximately 5 to 6 relevant evaluation criteria questions. If you have a lot of specification you might want to combine more that one specification into a question. a. Must be relevant/related to your design brief. b. Must be written before the product or the food items are made c. Should be a set of open-ended questions that need more than yes or no as an answer d. Need to be well-written and clearly expressed 3. These questions will be used to evaluate the set of food items as a single product rather than individual items once you have completed your production work. Students should write clear and in depth responses to evaluation questions. These responses form part of the evaluation component of the task after all the food items have been made. 10 Example: www. vcaa. vic. edu. au/vce/studies/foodtech/foodtechindex. html Of all the sports I have ever played, surfing is without doubt my favourite. I really can’t remember a time when I haven’t been able to surf. My Nan and Pa have had a house at Torquay since I was just a toddler and so we have spent most weekends there every summer. My Pa was one of the original ‘surfies’ at Jan Juc and other beaches along the surf coast and he taught me to surf when I was really young. Two of my friends from school, Ben and Sam, are also keen surfers and so we have decided to head to the surf for a couple of days after our final exams in early December for our own ‘Shortboard Classic’. My Nan and Pa have offered to let us stay at their house on Friday and Saturday but we will need to take some of our own ‘supplies’ as I don’t want Nan to have to do all of the meal preparation. As I quite enjoy cooking, I have decided to make some of the main food items we will eat over the two days. We will need some food items for a casual dinner on Friday and breakfast and lunch on Saturday. I will also need to prepare some savoury and sweet snack items we can take to the beach, as we will no doubt be hungry after spending so long in the water. On Saturday night we will have a celebratory dinner with my Nan and Pa before we leave and so I will need to make a dessert to share for dinner. The dessert needs to be quite special and look spectacular so that it is the ‘grand finale’ to a great weekend. Just as importantly, I can show my Nan that all the hours she spent teaching me how to cook while we were staying at Torquay weren’t wasted! The food will also need to be appealing to us and satisfy our ‘healthy’ appetites. As we will be leaving for Torquay straight after our last exam, all of the food needs to be prepared several weeks in advance and have good keeping qualities. I also want to use a variety of complex processes so that the products I produce are of a very high quality. My Nan is a great fan of television cooking shows and I want to show her that I am now quite a skilled cook too – even if not yet in the league of the experts on her favourite show! Research. Criteria for Evaluation – 1. Have I been able to prepare a range of food items suitable for a casual dinner on Friday and breakfast and lunch on Saturday? 2. Was I able to produce some savoury and sweet snack items suitable to take to the beach? 3. Did the range of food items include a special dessert to share for dinner on Saturday night? 4. Will the food be appealing to young males and will it be filling enough to satisfy ‘healthy’ appetites? 5. Was all of the food able to be prepared several weeks in advance and did it have good keeping qualities? 6. Did I use a variety of complex processes in the preparation of the products to produce high quality products? Constraint: food items for dinner on Friday, and breakfast and lunch on Saturday Consideration: types of food for brecky, lunch and dinner Constraint: sweet snacks to take on the beach Consideration: the type of sweet snacks Constraint: dessert to share at dinner that looks spectacular Consideration: the type of dessert Constraint: food needs to look appealing and satisfy ‘healthy’ appetites Constraint: food will need to be prepared several weeks in advance and have good keeping qualities Constraint: products of high quality Consideration: use a variety of complex processes 11 Criteria 2: Design Plan Criteria 3. Skill in completing research relevant to the design brief, developing ideas, and documenting decisions. ? Skill in completing a range of research relevant to the specifications in the design brief. ? Skill in exploring ideas for possible food items in response to the design brief. ? Skill in selection and justification of the decision made for the set of four to six food items (the product) Very High Comprehensive range of relevant research related to the specification in the design brief. Very detailed exploration and creative formulation of a wide range of ideas in the selection of the set of food items (The product). Highly detailed documentation of thought processes and thorough justification of decision making related to the suitability of selected food items, and detailed reasons why some have be en rejected. 12 Research and exploration – After writing your design brief you will need to ask yourself the following question: What information do you need to know about your theme or idea to help guide your food ideas and final selection? You will need to explore a range of ideas or alternatives in order to make informed decisions about what food items you would like to produce to solve the problem outlined in your design brief. There needs to be creativity in the selection of food items and decisions made in order to solve the problem set out in the brief. This information must be directly related to the specifications in the design brief and should be no more than approximately one to two A3 pages. You will need to use a range of primary and secondary sources. When exploring ideas in order to make decisions students should make use of: – Existing solutions e. g. recipe books Guiding information from people, internet recipes, books, magazines, television etc Primary and secondary sources of information o Primary sources include: ? Visiting a supermarket or fresh food market to observe particular varieties of produce ? Interviewing a grower at a farmer’s market ? Interviewing a person with expert food knowledge ? A visit to a restaurant to sample new foods o Secondary sources include: ? Books ? Magazines? Websites ? Journal articles It is very important that students acknowledge all sources of information using a recognized reference system with footnotes and a bibliography. 13 Example brainstorming ideas You must footnote all of the resources you have used to gather this information. Remember to write the information from your secondary research in your own words and do not include downloads or screen dumps from websites. Prepare a diagram to outline useful information about components or characteristics of the food items that will guide your recipe search and meet the needs of the design brief. You should include 4-5 ideas for each food item. This is not a recipe search but a way of documenting some of your thought processes after you have started your research. This may be a simple, hand-drawn map mind map to capture your initial thought or it can be produced using a software package such as Inspiration or Mindmanager. 14 Selection of recipe ideas Now you must research possible recipe ideas based on the information in your mind map. You will need to have at least three (3) possible ideas for each food item that must also meet the specifications in the design brief. Your selection of the food items MUST be creative and of a Year 12 standard. You will need to make decisions about which products will be most appropriate. It will be helpful to consider the following points before you make your final decision: – You need to prepare a minimum of four and a maximum of six items – Make sure you have the food preparation skills required to prepare each food item to a high quality. – Be creative with the selection of food items – consider interesting combinations of ingredients, as well as the presentation of each item. – Try to be objective in selecting products and don’t just choose food items because they are ones you are familiar with or are special favourites – Make sure that some food preservation techniques are included in the selection of products. – You must also use a range of complex processes in the production processes as well as a variety of cooking techniques. Food solutions 3 & 4 – Third Edition 2010, pg172. Reference Complex Process Cooking Technique / Preservation Comments about how the product will creatively meet the needs of the design brief. Food Item 1: Recipe Name: Recipe Name: 15 – Design Ideas – Recipe Ideas Reference Complex Process Cooking Technique / Preservation Comments about how the product will creatively meet the needs of the design brief. Food Item 1: Recipe Name: Recipe Name: Recipe Name: 16 Reference Complex Process Cooking Technique / Preservation Comments about how the product will creatively meet the needs of the design brief. Food Item 2: Recipe Name: Recipe Name: Recipe Name: 17 Reference Complex Process Cooking Technique / Preservation Comments about how the product will creatively meet the needs of the design brief. Food Item 3: Recipe Name: Recipe Name: Recipe Name: 18 Reference Complex Process Cooking Technique / Preservation Comments about how the product will creatively meet the needs of the design brief. Food Item 4: Recipe Name: Recipe Name: Recipe Name: 19 Reference Complex Process Cooking Technique / Preservation Comments about how the product will creatively meet the needs of the design brief. Food Item 5: Recipe Name: Recipe Name: Recipe Name: 20 The following will record your final selection of food items that will make up your product for production. Hint: use your criteria for evaluation as a way of making decisions about which food items to select as part of your final product. Food Item Specification Complex Process Cooking Method Preservation Technique Item 1: Item 2: Item 3: Item 4: Item 5: Item 6: 21 Justification of selected food items – You must justify each of the food items you have selected individually. – The justification for each food item should be approximately 100 to 150 words in length. – Your discussion should outline how the item meets the specifications in the design brief and may include some or all of the following: o identification of the product o how the product relates to the theme o how the product will meet the other specifications/needs of the brief o identification of any complex process that will be used to prepare the food item o identification and description of cooking methods o if applicable, discussion of the preservation techniques to be used for this item o a discussion of the creativity of the food item o an explanation of why each of the other two recipe ideas were not selected. 22 Criteria 6: Overall production timeline, individual food item production plans and production work Criteria 6. Skill in development, organization and implementation of planning for production. ? Skill in developing an overall production timeline. ? Skill in developing individual production plans for each food items to be made. ? Skill in organisation and implementation of the overall production timeline and individual food item production plans to complete the food items. Very High Completing of a cohesive, carefully considered sequence and clearly presented overall production timeline. Development of a very detailed individual production plans for each food items to be made. A very high level of organisation demonstrated throughout the completion of the food items. * Food orders, production plans all submitted by due dated. * Need to include presentation in any planning documentation. 23 Overall Production Plan The next step in the development of your design plan is to prepare an overall production timeline showing how you will prepare all of the 4 to 6 items you selected in the time you have available. This will help you to organize the sequence in which you will produce each of the chosen food items. It should take into account the length of time each food item takes to prepare along with other commitments Individual work plans will be prepared later. The type of information you will need to include on your overall production timeline is: – The date each food item will be produced – Any preparation which needs to be done prior to preparing the food item such as soaking dried fruit for jam, marinating of meat, selecting jars for preserved products, collecting props for photography. -Note any other important school or personal commitments you will have during this period which will have an impact on you over this time. – 24 March 2013 SUN MON TUES WED THUR FRI 31 SAT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Notes: 25 April 2013 SUN MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 15 Notes:Â  May 2013 SUN MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 15 Notes: 27 June 2013 SUN MON.

Dark flat wilderness Essay

In order to find out how Dickens created tension in chapter 1 of Great Expectation, it is necessary to know why he had to keep the tension present through out the chapter in the first place. Like most of his other stories, Great Expectations was published in serials. It was important for Dickens to leave some anticipation in the end of each chapter so that the reader would buy the next edition of the magazine. Born in 1812; Dickens family was constantly in financial trouble. In fact, Dickens’s father spent time in a Debtor’s prison when Charles was twelve years old. During that time, he had to work in a Blacking warehouse. It was a traumatic experience he had truly hated. It was clear that his unhappy childhood affected his writing, many of Dickens’s work dealt with the injustice children experienced. In Victorian Britain, children of the poor were treated badly. Orphans were very common and the streets of London were filled with them. A few got jobs like chimney sweeping, the work was dirty and dangerous. their employers were also constatly abusing and exploiting them. This was if they were lucky. And what happened to the unlucky ones? Well, they lived on the streets and resorted to crime just to keep themselves alive. These children were exposed to all forms of danger. Along with criminals, orphans were in the bottem of society. With no one to care for them, these children very very vulnerable. The fact that Pip had no parents is revealed early on. This captured the especially Victorian reader’s sympathy immediately because they knew what happened to orphans. The readers were particularly worried that a little boy like Pip was all alone in a graveyard. â€Å"a bleak place overgrown with nettles†. Obviously nobody cared for the sad, lonely graveyard, just like the fact that no one cared for Pip. Death surrounds him; Pip’s dead brothers were buried beside their parents. The readers are now starting to guess what’s going to happen. Because Many children died early in Victorian times, it was entirely possible that Pip would be joining his brothers very soon. Surrounded by the â€Å"dark flat wilderness† there was no one to help Pip in this isolated place. Pip was suddenly â€Å"growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry† as â€Å"the distant savage lair from which the wind was rushing† The wind may have served as a personification of a creepy voice. Something was definitely wrong. This setting creates tension for the reader because they expect something bad to happen, tension is created through suspense. Although very young, Pip had plenty of experiences with death but he had a limited ability to cope with what had happened. The evidence for this was when he had cried for no apparent reason. The odds were piled against him. Even the weather is bad, with the wind rushing. When Magwitch was first introduced, we were not given a warning. He just â€Å"started up from among the graves† and threatened to cut Pip’s throat. The fact that Magwitch was a convict was made clear by the â€Å"great iron† on his leg. The reader now has a very good reason to be afraid. The tension is growing because we are now scared for Pip. Dickens described events in a broad ways to begin with. The first three paragraphs were descriptions, nothing really happened in these first few paragraphs. Gradually as we learn more about a character and his capabilities, we begin to expect an event, or guess what might happen. In Magwitch’s case, when he said â€Å"keep still, you little devil, or I’ll cut your throat† we now know that Magwitch will scare Pip into obedience. They were in a graveyard, which was a symbol of death. Magwitch’s fearfulness is inflated because he is seen through Pip’s eyes. Because the reader sees all of this through the eyes of a child, the descriptions of Magwitch is exaggerated since Pip had a limited of the world in general. Because a child sees things differently as they have known fewer people, each person they meet is scrutinized according to their short pasts. A child’s world is much smaller. Because Pip was used to doing what he was told, He had agreed to help Magwitch because he was unaware of the dangers. This may mean that Pip could get himself tangled up in a criminal activity and be punished for it even if his intentions were good. The readers will feel that is very unfair, and naturally be worried and then wonder what’s going to happen next. Dickens secured the reader’s interest by playing on their sympathy. The readers can’t feel completely at ease knowing it was entirely possible for Pip to get into at awkward position in any time since children are less cautious. Innocence and trust is a hazard of childhood. Pip was both innocent and trusting. The story was set 20 miles away from the sea in the marsh county, this indicates that Magwitch had escaped from the hulks. The hulks were old ships that were literally falling apart. They were used to relieve the overcrowded prisons. But even that was not enough. Between 1787 and 1868 around 160,000 were transported to Australia, the conditions were so appalling that victims of the crimes appealed for the robbers. It was a time when the rich were very rich while the poor led a life near slavery. In fact many people had to steal just to keep themselves alive. The punishments were harsh poor petty crimes. People were hung for crimes that would only get them a fine today. The fact that Magwitch was cunning enough to escape show us that he was no ordinary criminal. Magwitch had everything to gain and nothing to lose and he would do anything necessary not to be recaptured. Pip was already scared for no reason, Magwitch had the upper hand. Magwitch intimidates Pip over and over again with threats. Now he had not only physically overwhelmed Pip, he had also controlled Pip emotionally. He invented a horrible young man and makes Pip think that he’s helping him. â€Å"I find it wery hard to hold that young man off of your inside† Now Pip also has the young man to be scared of.  Structurally, writers often use simple short sentences when building up to a climax, often with one or two word sentences, although this is not the case here. In the first physical description of Magwitch Dickens divided a sentence into little bits. â€Å"A man who had been soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles, and torn by briars; who limped, and shivered, and glared and growled; and whose teeth chattered in his head †¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  This has a similar effect as to using very short sentences to create tension. The word â€Å"and† was used nine times in this sentence. The reason Dickens didn’t use any other conjunction as it would make the sentence more flowing and therefore losing the intended effect. Tension is also felt in the detail. It’s the small things that would not normally be noticed or commented on that the reader is forced to notice. In the quote above, we are flooded with descriptions of Magwitch. The tension created in the first chapter of Dickens’s Great expectations relies on the reader’s sympathy for Pip and the frightfulness of Magwitch. The chapter’s gloomy setting also obviously creates apprehension. Although there are times when the readers are almost comfortable, Dickens always leaves seeds of anxiety lingering. Overall, Dickens maintains the tension by never letting the readers feel completely sure on what’s happening next.

History of DNA

This paper explains that Francis Crick and James Watson are the only names associated with the discovery of the DNA molecule; however, many scientists were involved. DNA sciences have led to a wide variety of advances in livestock development, forensic sciences. DNA is also being used in Law enforcement, paternity testing and limitless therapeutic medical uses. How did the new knowledge of DNA challenge traditional beliefs? DNA is a term that’s used in science as well as parts of daily life. People know that DNA is part of our body.The new knowledge of DNA challenges traditional beliefs in many ways. DNA has come along way in the past 50 years. Not only has it brought justice to cases left unsolved but has made a large impact in convicting criminals especially in rape and murder cases. Not only did they establish new knowledge about the universe, scientist also use DNA for cloning, establish paternity beyond reasonable doubt, to confirm the pedigrees of pets, dogs and cats, ra cehorses and livestock, also predicting and curing inherited diseases.Although are making breakthrough everyday, scientist are having difficult time locating the specific genes that causes diseases. How might it have led to the realization of multiple truths through controversy? The latest and most controversial DNA based research is stem cell science. The controversy surrounding stem cell research has both positive and negative consequences, making it an intense debate. The serious concern about the stem cell research is the human abortion that is needed to get proper material to study. The opposition to stem cell research is from religious beliefs.Another controversial research is cloning. Should cloning be allowed is the question. Most religions groups can argue that God did not intend cloning to be done. From creation to natural death Cloning is â€Å"playing God† man creating a duplicate of life from a life that already exist. Native Americans are opposed to such testing because they feel it violates their beliefs. Due to scientist digging up ancestry artifacts and profiling for scientific reasons. The plus side to scientist profiling would be tracking our ancestry knowing the truth of Native American history. History of DNA This paper explains that Francis Crick and James Watson are the only names associated with the discovery of the DNA molecule; however, many scientists were involved. DNA sciences have led to a wide variety of advances in livestock development, forensic sciences. DNA is also being used in Law enforcement, paternity testing and limitless therapeutic medical uses. How did the new knowledge of DNA challenge traditional beliefs? DNA is a term that’s used in science as well as parts of daily life. People know that DNA is part of our body.The new knowledge of DNA challenges traditional beliefs in many ways. DNA has come along way in the past 50 years. Not only has it brought justice to cases left unsolved but has made a large impact in convicting criminals especially in rape and murder cases. Not only did they establish new knowledge about the universe, scientist also use DNA for cloning, establish paternity beyond reasonable doubt, to confirm the pedigrees of pets, dogs and cats, ra cehorses and livestock, also predicting and curing inherited diseases.Although are making breakthrough everyday, scientist are having difficult time locating the specific genes that causes diseases. How might it have led to the realization of multiple truths through controversy? The latest and most controversial DNA based research is stem cell science. The controversy surrounding stem cell research has both positive and negative consequences, making it an intense debate. The serious concern about the stem cell research is the human abortion that is needed to get proper material to study. The opposition to stem cell research is from religious beliefs.Another controversial research is cloning. Should cloning be allowed is the question. Most religions groups can argue that God did not intend cloning to be done. From creation to natural death Cloning is â€Å"playing God† man creating a duplicate of life from a life that already exist. Native Americans are opposed to such testing because they feel it violates their beliefs. Due to scientist digging up ancestry artifacts and profiling for scientific reasons. The plus side to scientist profiling would be tracking our ancestry knowing the truth of Native American history.

Analysis of Saudi Mutual Funds Regression Results Speech or Presentation

Analysis of Saudi Mutual Funds Regression Results - Speech or Presentation Example The significant predictors are MSCI Asia Equity Index, b = 0.1971, p It is also worth mentioning that the other four benchmarks namely, MSCI North America Equity Index, MSCI Europe Equity Index, Saudi Large-cap Growth Equity Portfolio Returns, Citigroup/Salomon Brothers World Money Market (one-month) Index, are not statistically significant predictors of total weekly returns. It can be interpreted to mean that whatever effect these benchmarks seemed to have on total weekly returns are not supported by any statistical evidence. Rather, these effects may simply be due to chance. In addition, the constant coefficient is also not significant. Upon closer inspection of the values of the coefficients of the twelve benchmarks, it can be observed that there are six positive predictors and two negative predictors of total weekly returns. The positive predictors are MSCI Asia Equity Index, MSCI GCC ex-Saudi Arabia Equity Index, Barclays Capital / Lehman Brothers Global Corporate Bond Index, Saudi Large-cap Value Equity Portfolio Returns, Saudi Small-cap Equity Portfolio Returns, and S & P / Goldman Sachs Commodity Index. This means that as these benchmarks become higher, total weekly returns generated by Saudi mutual funds also becomes higher. Furthermore, among these positive predictors, it can be seen that Barclays Capital / Lehman Brothers Global Corporate Bond Index has the highest effect of all, contributing

Origin Stories and Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Origin Stories and Religion - Essay Example According to the essay findings origin stories are a great spark to we are and stand as humans. Despite one’s religion, they all center around people believing in the existence of a superior being and the variation in truth as being either subjective or objective. These things held by people over time end up shaping how they look at things and their perceptions. Despite the varied existence of truth in religions, they also have conflicts.From this discussion it is clear that the components of sacred texts, as well as its canonist, sets the mood that the text occupies within the religious tradition. The process involves an author who composes the text which is an oral traditional-precipitation surrounding writing, facilitating reduction and canonization through editing. The text has foundation on authority, and its genre will fall under historical, legal, apocalyptic, epistle and poetic. In Judaism, the primary writing is the Tanak, with the others being Talmud. On the other ha nd, Christianity's main work is the bible which consists of both the new and the Old Testament. The other additional books include the Apocrypha and Creeds. In Islam, the primary text is the Quran with Hadith as an additional text. Further, The Smruti or otherwise known as the Vedas is the main text in Hinduism, with the support of Suriti. The previous also goes by the name the Great Epics or Upanishad. Buddhism is the only one that has one primary text being Tripitaka. The interpretation can either come in as organic, Existential or mechanical.

Computer Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Computer Security - Essay Example To understand the corporate motivations of the creative industry players to invest fully into DRM we must look at the implications of these technical protective measures. With the growing and wide spread advent of new digital video recording, distribution technologies, and the widespread availability of internet piracy measures of technology having a direct impact on the distribution channels and sales of these industries the critical concern faced by these corporations is the fact that they cannot compete with freely available copies of their content. The movie studios are particularly effected as competing with free is concerning for them mainly because their content is more prone to single use consumption than the other industries such as music. A range of industry wide efforts have been undertaken that have build up to the adoption of DRM. Such as Serial Management System for digital audio tape that was authorized by the Congress which aimed to make difficult the task of making f aithful copies of copies; a measure that was made obsolete after the proliferation of other digital mediums.

CAT5e cable to a connector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CAT5e cable to a connector - Essay Example The four wire pairs in the cable are color coded with 4 colors; namely, green, blue, orange and brown. Four wires in the cable have solid coloration, while the other four are a combination of these colors, painted in stripes onto a white background. These four pairs are twisted together and housed in a single jacket. The specific ordering of the colors differs, in accordance with the scheme employed. There are two color code standards; namely, the EIA/TIA 568A and EIA/TIA 568B, which are used to terminate the cable at the RJ45 ends (Nikkel). Between similar devices, such as a PC to PC connection, a crossover cable would be required. Hence in this case, one end would employ the 568B standard, whereas the other end must utilize the 568A standard. When unlike devices are required to be connected, like a PC card to a hub, a straight through cable is used. In this case, both the RJ45 connectors comply with the same color code standard, either 568A or 568B (Nikkel). First, the covering sheath of the cat 5 cable at the end is to be removed. Then, the pairs are to be untwisted and the colored wires are to be arranged, as per the required 568A or 568B standard. This is shown in the image appended below: After this the individual wires are to be trimmed and inserted into the RJ45 connector, ensuring that all the wires are properly placed inside the connector. Thereafter, a crimping tool has to be employed, in order to fasten the cable to the connector. The length of the wire is to be minimized to the extent possible, as longer wires tend to decrease the transfer speeds. A similar procedure is to be followed at the other end of the cable, in order to obtain an Ethernet cable. The CAT 5e Ethernet cable offers a fast and reliable way of transferring information between network cables. However without the use of an amplification device they can only be used up to a length of

( pain Management) letter to my subject examiner Essay

( pain Management) letter to my subject examiner - Essay Example Pharmacologic Pain Interventions often alleviate pain symptoms by reviewing the prescription. However, this part of treatment is temporary and is concerned with reducing the pain rather than curing it to the core in the long run. Moreover, there are some major constraints in Pharmacologic Pain Intervention that include inadequate knowledge of nurses, little support from doctors and patient’s approval. In our last meeting, we had a thorough discussion on the topic that really helped me in gaining clear insights of the subject. Your insights offered a clear understanding along with making me think at a different and broad level. I personally believe that Pharmacologic Pain Interventions is a serious issue in the pain management, both acute and chronic. It requires specific knowledge and understanding along with a sense of ethics. There is no doubt that your guidance helped me in gaining multiple perspectives of the subject matter and with your due permission, I would like to explore the knowledge and understanding of nurses on Pharmacologic Pain Interventions especially in Saudi Arabia. Few research papers have already been written pertaining to this issue and with this analysis, it would further help in understanding the core intricacies of pain management in an analytical and critical manner. Therefore, I need your permission to go ahead with the above mentioned thought. Lack of adequate knowledge is the biggest worry in Pharmacologic Pain Interventions as nurses often try to alleviate pain but with limited knowledge fail to do so in the long run (Kaki, Daghistani (2007). I personally believe that this assignment has a lot more to offer and underpin and with inadequate knowledge and training actins as serious threats, the concept of Pharmacologic Pain Interventions can be explored in a critical manner. All these points are based on the

The Road Into the Open Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Road Into the Open - Essay Example She is a young Jewish woman from a Jewish middle class background. In this era of First World War every religion and community is on the threshold of liberalizing themselves. This novel can be analyzed psychologically by highlighting three characters Georg,Brennan and Anna Rosner. Georg being a wealthy baron has association with Jewish elites of the town .He shares his leisure time with Jewish men who are in line with his passion and talent wise inclination. In the same span of time, Georg ends up having an affair with a Jewish girl who is a singer and an attendee in his musical gatherings. Georg loved Anna and impregnates her with a child .At the same time, he is torn apart due to his identity of a wealthy baron and his lover who is a middle class women. Georg is in a dilemma so as to determine which class he would favor, whether it is his rich Jewish intellects, himself who is a rich Christian or Anna, this middle class lover who is a singer. The political background of the novel is war looming Austria, its conflicts and disintegrated feeling that existing between Christians and Jews. These Jews had migrated from Israel and Pale stein to Central European regions. Along the novel, one of the characters Bermann explains to young Georg that if one is willful then he/she can achieve the freedom they want no matter what the situation may be. Here the Jewish are attempting to maintain a distinctive culture of their own in the midst of Central European Country which is Austria. Brennan is pointing out to Georg that every individual can have his own solutions for the problem but the real victory is achieved when one conquers their anger, despair and disgust. Brennen hear speaks for the part of Jewish community who is on to a disintegrative stage due to the supremacy of Christians in the central Europe. He is of the opinion that Jews must unite and live harmoniously among Christians to bring forth peace and serenity. During those times, Christians had a rivalry

Achievements and Complaints of India Today Group Essay Example for Free

Achievements and Complaints of India Today Group Essay Operating for 36 years now, the company has consistently maintained incomparable goodwill and rapport in the market. The India Today Group continues to be the best and has steadily bagged major awards and notched up achievements over the years, some of which are: * Its news channel Aaj Tak won the Indian Telly Award for Best Hindi News Channel for the 10th consecutive year in 2010. * The Editor-in-Chief of Aaj Tak, Prabhu Chawla, won the Best News and Current Affairs Anchor Award at the Indian Telly Awards 2009. * The India Today Group publishes the Cosmopolitan magazine in India and has been featuring awards for Fun and Fearless Male and Female of the Year since 2002. * Cosmopolitan also showcases awards for the Best Bachelor of the Year. * Cosmopolitan further promoted the Practice Safe Sun campaign that fights against skin cancer * The India Today Group organizes several events like the India Today Conclave and ACUMEN, which deals with some of the major issues and businesses in the country. * The Vasant Valley School was started by the India Today Group to encourage education for all in the country. CONTROVERSIES AND COMPLAINTS In the recorded conversations between Nira Radia and prominent figures, referred to as the Radia Tapes, several prominent figures are heard in conversation with Radia amongst them were Prabhu Chawla, editor of India Today magazine and Shankar Aiyar, then with India Today Group . ONLINE CHEATING AND SCAM BY BAGITTODAY an INDIA TODAY Group: The company, bagittoday,an india today group company,known in ecommrce as living media india ltd cheated many people by not giving them promised service, gifts and evn asking the people for account nos with passwords . They realise payments through credit card/Online banking and do not send the material. October 14 was a sad day for Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid and the India Today group, which owns a number of print journals and TV channels, says B Raman A non-governmental humanitarian trust for assisting physically disadvantaged people with which Khurshids wife Louise is reportedly associated has been the target of allegations of wrongful use of funds amounting to approximately Rs 80 lakh sanctioned by the government for humanitarian relief. A Hindi TV channel of the India Today group and the India Against Corruption group headed by Arvind Kejriwal, a non-governmental activist, have been spearheading the campaign against Khurshid on these allegations against the humanitarian trust. The two campaigns have been trying to project themselves as separate from each other without any orchestrated co-ordination, but an undeclared, but evident convergence of objective between the two is discernible to any objective observer. That objective is to exploit the suspected misuse of the funds to cause public discomfiture to Khurshid.

Managing A Work Life Balance Social Work Essay

Managing A Work Life Balance Social Work Essay Work-life balance is a broad concept which is closely related and derived from the research of job satisfaction. There are both intrinsic and extrinsic factors which affected perceptions of job satisfaction within individuals. Intrinsic factors referred to job characteristics specifically. However, the extrinsic factors referred to the social and cultural norms the individual holding the job operated by. Hence, Work-life balance was considered one of the inputs of this extrinsic factor. Hackman and Oldhams Job Characteristics Model Work/life balance is the ability to do great work and get all of your other priorities accomplished, too. That means giving people the freedom to choose when and where to do their work so they can best balance every aspect of their life. The point is, people are working. Work/life balance isnt about doing less work. Its about having the freedom to choose when and whereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Introduction:- Why is it important to develop a work-life balance? The answer lies in how we deal with that old adversary stress. Maintaining a work-life balance is essential in handling stress. Balance is the key to dealing with stress and a chaotic life. Balance provides us with necessary time to ourselves, enhances our relationships with our families, friends and gives us opportunities to relax. Balance brings our lives into focus, sharpens our perceptions and gives us time to discover ourselves. Balancing time spent at work and time spent at home doing other activities should be equally balanced. We all need a breather from work and from time to time we require a break from home life. Balance gives us the means to bring our lives into harmony. Relationships with family, friends and partners suffer when there is an imbalance between work and life. Not only do relationships suffer when there is an imbalance but our work performance suffers as well. If we give our all to one we neglect the other. This creates chaos and stress in our lives. Stress is the byproduct of imbalance and steps should be taken to reduce or avoid stress by balancing work and life. How can we develop a work-life balance? In order to develop balance between work and life we must start with giving equal time and attention to both. Never take your work home with you and leave your home life and all of its problems at home. When you are at work be wholly and completely at work and when at home be completely committed to caring about family matters only. This will reduce unnecessary stress on yourself, family and coworkers. Work Life Balance Work Life Balance Day was initiated by the National Framework Committee for Work Life Balance Policies in 2001. The Committee seeks to encourage and support employers to put in place a range of flexible working arrangements which help employees to combine employment with the other commitments in their lives. The Committee established a Panel of Consultants who will advise employers on putting in place a Work Life Balance Policy and associated arrangements. Work Life Balance initiatives can be advantageous to both employers and employees: For employers, Work Life Balance options can make an organization more attractive to recruitment candidates, as well as supporting the retention of current employees. When recruiting, employers can attract individuals from a wider pool of candidates, providing the organization with the best prospect for selecting high quality employees; For employees, Work Life Balance options can allow them to remain in, or re-enter, employment while meeting commitments in other parts of their lives (family, education etc). 16 Ways to Encourage Work/Life Balance in Employees By David Hakala on April 16, 2008 As a recession looms and companies slash their payrolls, it is more important than ever to keep remaining employees productive and happy. One issue that employers constantly wrestle with is work/life balance, the allocation of employees time and energy between work and family, health activities, hobbies and all of lifes nonwork requirements. Studies have shown that too much work can lead to a variety of stress-related illnesses that sap workers vitality, making them more prone to errors on the job, absenteeism, burnout and turnover. The tendency for work to dominate employees lives is increased when layoffs and hiring freezes leave fewer workers with more to do. The remaining workers are often the hardest to replace because they are the best. It behooves companies to encourage employees to sustain healthy work/life balances. Here are some tips that companies can use to keep their work forces healthy and productive. On-the-Job Training:- Management ManagementHYPERLINK http://www.hrworld.com/management/ support for work/life balance is critical, and it must come from the top. Too often, the perception that hard work is the only way to rise in a company keeps employees at the grindstone, working themselves into illness. Survey of employee Surveys of employees work/life issues can help a company understand workers needs and design appropriate policies to meet them. Studies have shown that respect for work/life balance needs is high on employees lists. Set priorities for all work When priorities are unclear, employees tend to overwork because they think that everything must get done at once. Setting priorities allows workers to schedule tasks over a reasonable period of time. Train line managers to recognize signs of overwork. Supervisors can spot increasing error rates, absenteeism and signs of stress-related burnout more easily than anyone else in the organization. Workers who show these signs of a poor work/life balance can be referred to employee-assistance programs. Seminars on work/life balance It can help employees understand its importance and find ways to achieve it. Such seminars teach employees how to better manage their workloads, eliminate unproductive work habits, get sufficient exercise and negotiate more flexible work conditions that meet their needs. Make Work More Flexible Flextime It is one of the most useful tools in helping workers achieve a good work/life balance. Companies should identify which jobs lend themselves to flexible work scheduling and implement formal policies for coordinating flexible schedules with an employees supervisors and coworkers. Telecommuting It is a way for employees to work from home while taking care of a sick or dependent family member. It also cuts down on stress and unproductive time due to a commute. Studies have shown that telecommuters can be 30 percent more productive than their office-bound counterparts. Many companies are implementing formal telecommuting programs on an as-needed or permanent basis. Telecommuting can be a terrific recruitment tools as well. Job sharing It can keep two valuable employees busy while reducing work-related stress. In a job-sharing arrangement, two workers work part-time and share the workload of one job. Careful coordination between the two workers, their supervisor and their co-workers is necessary to make job sharing work. Allow for Time off from Work Encourage the use of vacation and sick-leave time. Supervisors should advise employees to use their vacation and sick-leave benefits when signs of burnout or illness arise. Companies can implement use-it-or-lose- it policies to encourage employees to take time off when it is necessary. Leave policy: A formal leave policy for employees with dependents recognizes and encourages the need to care for sick children or elderly parents. Paid childbirth or adoption leave gives women and men the flexibility to keep their jobs while attending to a new addition to the family. This option is almost always cheaper than the alternatives of burnt-out employees or those who leave the company. Limit how often employees take work home. The line between work and home lives tends to blur when employees regularly take work home. This practice should be monitored by management personnel, who should also develop plans for making sure that work gets done at the office instead of at home.Some companies allow employees to take leave for community service. These firms recognize that employees obtain life satisfaction from projects or work outside of their regular jobs. Bringing Life to Work Bring-your-kids-to-work day It is a way to get employees families involved in their work lives. The opportunity to share a day of work with children is a benefit that many employees appreciate. Sponsoring employees It family-oriented activities is another way to combine work and life. Sporting events, excursions to amusement parks, fishing trips and other family-oriented jaunts are good opportunities to help employees strike a work/life balance. Companies need to promote their work/life-balance policies year-round not just in employee orientations and handbooks. Frequent, positive communication of these benefits reinforces managements commitment to help workers achieve work/life balances and gives employees the feeling that it is OK to live a little. Balancing Life and Personal Commitments Work-Life Balance does not mean an equal balance. Trying to schedule an equal number of hours for each of your various work and personal activities is usually unrewarding and unrealistic. Life is and should be more fluid than that. We want to make sure you have the resources, services and tools you need to get the balance that is right for you and to help you in your personal and professional endeavors. WORK LIFE BALANCE: Benefits to the organization Measured increases in individual productivity, accountability and commitment Better teamwork and communication Improved morale Less negative organizational stress WORK LIFE BALANCE: Benefits to the individual More value and balance in your daily life Better understanding of what your best individual work life balance. Increased productivity Improved relationships both on and off the job Reduced stress Balancing Work and Life Your department and colleagues can contribute to your work-life balance Managers play an important role in helping faculty and staff achieves the right work-life balance. When you create and promote a work atmosphere that makes it easier for your team to achieve a better work-life balance, you have happier, healthier employees who are more productive and satisfied in their work and a less stressful work environment overall for your team. Being flexible and understanding the needs of each of your employees will help you to build a more positive and successful work environment. Tips for helping your team achieve a better work-life balance Consider flexible schedules, alternate work arrangements or job sharing where appropriate and be supportive of these arrangements (they shouldnt have a negative impact on career growth and success) Be flexible, considerate, and respectful of personal or family responsibilities Allow for time to pursue professional development and community service opportunities Promote a positive work environment through your leadership and support of employees Promote a disconnect from work atmosphere when employees have scheduled time off (no cell phones or lap tops) where possible You can contribute to your own work-life balance It is important that you, as an individual, find ways to create the right work-life balance for yourself. The best work-life balance for you may be different than that of your coworkers or your manager. For some, working long hours creates value and balance in their lives. For others, it is not a routine they can productively or enjoyable maintain. The best work-life balance also changes for each individual over time and is usually different for someone just starting in their career than someone who is retiring. A good work-life balance for someone who has no children may be different than that of someone with children, and many people are caregivers to older family members as well. Your best work-life balance will change, and while we strive to help create an environment that allows you to integrate your personal and professional lives, you must find ways to create the right balance for your self. Suggestions for getting a better work-life balance that is right for you: Define and create your own work-life balance Be accountable for balancing your personal and professional commitments Help your manager understand the right balance for your life and help to work out an arrangement that supports your needs Strive for meaningful achievements and enjoyments in work, family, friends, and self each day Work life balance what are the benefits and barriers associated with the achievement of a work life balance for employees and employers? The importance of the achievement of a work-life balance and the issues which can be faced when initiatives to achieve such a balance are implemented One issue surrounding the concept is that work life balance is often loosely defined as simply referring to the balance between an individuals time spent at work and on home life. In fact employees are usually monitored on various factors including their attention whilst at work. Central to definitions of work-life balance then is the notion that the modern employment relationship is a negotiation to establish the boundaries around the attention and presence required, creating the need for employees to consciously incorporate practices into their lives to integrate the work and non-work aspects. Work-life balance can be defined as a reconciliation of paid employment and life. It has suggested by McKee and colleagues that a series of historical shifts has shaped, to some degree, the debate about work-life balance. Broadly speaking they suggested these were the absence of fathers from home through war, imprisonment or long working shifts, the entry of large numbers of women into the workforce; the changing composition and structure of the family; expanding male unemployment; the increase in singe working parents; the intensification of working hours; an ageing population and the growing number of cared for groups; and the growth of equal opportunities. (McKee and colleagues) It is accepted that the feminization of the work force increases the need for family friendly policies, however studies are said largely to have narrowly focused on the experiences of women with the double burden of employment and domestic and child care tasks, at the expense of a broader concept (Ransom, 2007). It also must be noted that the Work-Life Balance b/w personal and professional life When an individual maintains a balance between his personal and professional life, the phenomenon is called Work-Life Balance. This expression holds worth a lot because it is very important to have a balance between personal and professional life. Work life balance is at the forefront of the world of work. Kaizen, the Japanese philosophy for continuous improvement, along with the role of information technology (IT) helps and guides the management people, to get the maximum output with the help of available resources. The balance between personal and professional life vary from person to person and the organization where he or she is working. When an individual does not maintain a balance and works too much in the organizational setting, this may cause him some medical, psychological and behavioral consequences, as a result his or her productivity will also be low. Studies have shown that work life stress is harmful to the employees. Late sitting and working too much can cause imbalance in an individuals personal and professional life; however there are some techniques to manage the work life stress e.g. time management, task management, relaxation, flexible working hours, working from home and exercise etc. Work life balance improves individuals health, job satisfaction, commitment, involvement and reduces absenteeism and presenteeism (state of physical presence but not productive). Despite of the progress in the betterment of maintaining work life balance, there is still more to be done. One important factor is the degree to which work life balance are generally applicable across the whole hierarchy of the organization. Those lower down the organizational hierarchy are sometimes not entitled for some benefits or uninformed about relevant company policies. Work life balance can assist employers and employee to be healthy and productive in their personal and professional life. Balance is not better time management, but better boundary management. Balance means making choices and enjoying those choices. Betsy Jacobson. For some people spending more time in the organization is more important than the time they spend at home. However, there are people who give priority to the personal and family life. In this technological era, some organizations also offer flexible working hours. One can carry laptop, PDA, black berry and is connected with suppliers, venders through internet 24 hours a day. The moment he gets any query, he responds to it. There are some work-alcoholics who take their laptops and PDAs to the vacation and face the annoyance of their wives while checking the emails. People are more interested in looking for a job that gives them flexibility at work. Necessary arrangements for work life balance are required by all workers at different times in their lives because balance is instrumental in quality initiatives by preparing an individual to deal with the change. An individual can give his best only in a conducive environment e.g. students want to study and work at the same time; parents want to have time with their children and the older worker approaching retirement to have the opportunity to stay in the workforce on reduced hours. Mostly the employers and the employees agree that organizational objectives are more important, so it is the obligation of the employer to help people in work life balance. CONCLUSION Work life balance does not just happen; it is your own personal strategy of the manner in which you make a conscious choice to put balance in your life. Work life balance means different things to different people. It is a personal decision on how you want to balance your time between work and your personal life. It is a decision on balancing and maintaining a focus on what is most important to you. No two people share the exact work life balance preferences. Examine what is important in your life and what is your highest priority. Examine what your personal life goals are related to your job and your personal life. Personal life goals should reflect the value and principles that you focus your life on. None of the priorities are set in cement and there should always be room to make changes because your priorities and goals can change.  Whenever you are experiencing competing priorities, stop and take a close look at your situation. Look at what is being expected for you to accompl ish and make an accurate estimate of what you can accomplish and what you cannot accomplish.   This should be a honest accounting of yourself and your priorities. Avoid setting yourself up to fail because you are trying to accomplish more than you can effectively balance in your life. If you over extend yourself your work life balance will be out of control. Work/life balance is not a nice to have when were in a boom time. It can have a fundamental impact on the corporate performance at all times. Companies who focus on and measure staff wellbeing are in fact being very prudent. Theyre making as big a contribution to their bottom line as those who are looking at ways to increase sales or cut costs

Impact of the Discovery of Homo Floresiensis

Impact of the Discovery of Homo Floresiensis The discovery of Homo Floresiensis has profound implications for what it means to be human; it raises questions about the uniqueness of human lineage which is the foundation of our society and our religions. The three great problems for nineteenth century ethnology and prehistory were identified by Latham in Man and his Migrations (1851) as: the unity or non-unity of the human species; its antiquity; and its geographical origin. This shortlist has formed the basis for research into human origins ever since. The ambiguity surrounding each question has been reduced to every generation’s satisfaction, then thrown open again as changes in opinion about the world and its people have led to revisions. This cyclical process has provided the spur to fieldwork and the development of new techniques of classification, analysis and dating. Latham was writing at an interesting time in scientific progress of thought, eight years before the Origin of Species was published. This was the foundation text for the biogeography of Darwin and Wallace which accounted for the distribution of life on the plant. The importance of these studies was their contribution to the scientific investigation of variation via the principle of natural selection. Individuals were the units under selection with the evolutionary results measured by their differential reproductive contribution to the next generation. The notion of a cradle for mankind, a discrete geographical centre for human origins, is an ancient idea. The Garden of Eden is the best known example. Adam and Eve might be replaced, as they were in the last century, but the idea of an ancestral homeland continued. The study of human origins now starts from a very different set of assumptions than it did when Latham penned his three questions. It is also extremely well-informed about process and patterns in the data compared to 150 years ago. The celebration of progress has fallen from the agenda. Living peoples are no longer regarded as living representatives of a past which the Western world once possessed.   But for all these apparently fundamental changes the questions on the agenda remain the same. Why should the study of human evolution be restricted, because of the search for cradles, to some continents. What it means to be human The fascination with humanity’s African origins, singular or otherwise, remains unabated. Great strides in understanding the development of modern human beings are currently being taken at the very southern tip of Africa. While much of the press attention over the past few decades has been on the scholarly debate on whether humans evolved once in Africa, universally known as the Out of Africa theory, or several times all over the world, the multiregional hypothesis, a quiet revolution has occurred centred on what it means to be human (Stringer and Gamble, 1993). Within twentieth century archaeology and palaeontology, probably since the discovery of the Lascaux Caves in France, archaeologists have continually believed that, while anatomically modern Homo sapiens evolved somewhere between 100,000-150,000 years ago, humans didnt actually develop modern behaviours and thought processes until around 50,000-40,000 years ago (Wood, 1992). This event, known in some scientific circles as the creative explosion, was announced by what researchers saw as an abrupt blossoming of symbolic thought; the ability to identify and create representations of entities. Thus, according to the creative explosion theory, H. sapiens displayed a recognisable intelligence equivalent to other hominids of the time, identifiable by the cave artwork at Lascaux. Further evidence of the initiation of modern human behaviour is alleged to include fishing, the manufacture of bone tools, and the use of decoration. Following the initial interest in Africa during the early decades of the twentieth century, the majority of archaeological research moved to Europe. The overwhelming concentration on the visible prehistory of Europe, including both cave and portative artwork, resulted in a deficit of research into human origins in Africa. The research of the past forty years has indeed been remarkable in yielding up a great many fossil and cultural remains from a broad range of African environments. After a period of relative neglect, however, increasing attention was being given to the biological and behavioural changes that led to the evolution of H. sapiens, the last major even in human evolution.   The triumph of archaeological research into the earliest prehistory of Africa was trumpeted by the archaeologist Desmond Clark in the Huxley Memorial Lecture of 1974. Titles â€Å"Africa in prehistory: peripheral or paramount?† it pointed to the overwhelming evidence from Africa for the origi n of hominids, which overthrew the previous view â€Å"that the history of Europe is emphatically the prehistory of humanity.† (Clark,1975). Eventually, evidence of an earlier flourishing of the creative mind began to appear, south of the Zambezi River, and dated to the Mesolithic, the earliest date approximating 70,000 years ago. Similar artefact assemblages known as Howiesons Poort and Still Bay had been found at sites such as the Klasies River Caves, Boomplaas, and Die Kelders Cave I in South Africa (Grine et al., 2000). These sites included sophisticated bone tools, backed blades, a careful selection of raw material for stone tools and the use of a punch technique; however, most of these were controversial in one respect or another, until the discovery of Blombos Cave. Research into the Blombos Cave assemblages have been undertaken since 1991, and artefacts identified have include sophisticated bone and stone tools, fish bones, and an abundance of used ochre (Leakey and Lewin, 1993). Ochre has no known economic function, and it is virtually universally accepted as a source of colour for ceremonial, decorative purposes. The Blombos Cave layers containing used ochre are dated 70,000 to 80,000 years BP, and, in 2004, a cluster of deliberately perforated and red-stained shell beads dating to the Mesolithic was found (Aiello and Dean, 1990). Without any obvious practical purpose these artefacts are currently interpreted as personal ornaments or jewellery, possibly belonging to the occupants of Blombos. The most persuasive interpretation of these finds, and numerous others throughout Africa, within the parameters imposed by previous and current discoveries and research, is that the growth of the human symbolic thought was a slow process that continued t hroughout the Mesolithic in Africa. Symbolism, and its deliberate representation, is a phenomenon previously unidentifiable in any extant species other than H. sapiens, despite the genetic and predominantly behavioural similarity between humans and other primates, and can therefore be interpreted as a distinctly human trait (Spencer, 1876-96). Symbolism, in all its forms, however has not always been strictly the prerogative of H. sapiens.   Many investigators of Neanderthal culture believe that H. neanderthalensis was the earliest species of hominid to ritually bury their dead, and important evidence to support this statement originates from Shanidar Cave, located in the Zagros Mountains of northern Iraq (Solecki, 1971). Between 1951 and 1960, excavations in and around the mouth of the cave were undertaken, allowing the recovery of a range of Mousterian tools, and the analysis of eight burials, relating to the remains of seven adults and one child. While four of these individuals appear to have been killed by rockfalls, four others may have been deliberately buried (Gargett, 1989). Soil samples taken around one particular burial, known as Shanidar IV, revealed the presence of pollen grains and small amounts of vegetable matter. While there was very little pollen in most of the soil samples taken around the skeleton, two samples from the burial itself contained a large number of pollen grains representing a total of 28 plant species (Leakey and Lewin, 1993). This evidence was used to support the hypothesis that more than 50,000 years ago the body was deliberately and ritualistically buried on a bed of woody branches and flowers sometime during the months of May through July, during the blooming season for the plant species. Excavations of the cave over the next decade yielded cultural data as well as skeletal remains of Middle Palaeolithic Neanderthals and Proto-Neolithic modern humans, representing two periods renowned for the scarcity of such material (Solecki, 1975). According to subsequent research, the Neanderthal and Proto-Neolithic people of Shanidar Cave potentially followed culturally-defined methods for burying their dead in a base camp, possibly increasing the groups ties to a traditional home site. They practiced both primary burial (interment of a mostly intact body shortly after death) and secondary burial (final interment of disarrayed or isolated bones or of a body that had undergone some other burial process as a first stage) (Aiello and Dean, 1990). Offerings placed in the grave included bead ornaments and assumed favoured personal objects, but no obvious symbols of rank. The variety of materials included reveals an extensive long-distance exchange trade, and the mortuary practices are comparable to those of other contemporary Near Eastern cultures (Leakey and Lewin, 1993; Solecki et al., 2004). The material culture of the cave and the surrounding Zagros area is characterized by chipped stone industry and such innovations as a variety of ground stone tools, worked bone tools and abundant personal ornaments. These suggest growing cultural richness and elaboration, a semi-sedentary lifestyle and a mixed subsistence strategy based both on wild species of plants and animals and early domesticates (Gargett, 1989). Though the interpretation of deliberate and ritualistic H. neanderthalensis burials remains contentious, with opponents suggesting the presence of flower pollen within the grave is a result not of deliberate adornment of the corpse but of the accidental deposition of flower and plant matter from burrowing rodents, until the theory of ritualistic burial is conclusively disproved it remains a highly persuasive hypothesis for cross-species traits of ‘humanity’. Although much has been made of the Neanderthals burial of their dead, their burials were less elaborate than those of anatomically modern humans. The interpretation of the Shanidar IV burials as including flowers, and therefore being a form of ritual burial, potentially evidence for the acknowledgement of a theoretical afterlife, has been questioned (Sommer, 1999). In some cases Neanderthal burials include grave goods such as bison and aurochs bones, tools, and the pigment ochre. Neanderthals performed a sophisticat ed set of tasks normally associated with humans alone. For example, they constructed complex shelters, controlled fire, and skinned animals. Particularly intriguing is a hollowed-out bear femur with four holes in the diatonic scale deliberately bored into it. Estimated to date at approximately 43,ooo up to 82,ooo years old, this ‘flute’ was found in western Slovenia in 1995 near a Mousterian Era hearth used by Neanderthals. Its significance is still a matter of dispute, however, its perfect fit to bother modern and antique diatonic scales implies the deliberate manufacturing of a musical note making device (Aiello and Dean, 1990). Music beyond the percussive, in addition to ritual and symbolism, is another previously assumed trait of H. sapiens alone, and the Slovenian flute suggests a rethink of what it means to be human may be required. Similarly, the concept of prolonged care of community individuals is a trait usually attributed to the H. sapiens species. While other species present evidence of a rudimentary form of care, the deliberate attention paid to the prolonging of life of an individual with no primitive value to a community, such as providing nutrition to an elderly community member for an extended period of time, is peculiarity associated primarily with H. sapiens. It has been previously believed that this trait, in addition to being singular to the human race, can be interpreted as a definition of what it means to be human. However, similar to the evidence presented above, there has been strongly influential evidence of ‘care in the community’ from Neanderthal societies. Following a 6 year excavation season beginning in 1899, the site of the Krapina caves, Republic of Croatia, yielded a number of osteological Neanderthal specimens. Radiographs undertaken in 1997 indicated a number of surpris ing conclusions. While the overall picture of Neanderthal health, based on the radiographs, was impressive, not all the specimens showed perfect health. Archaeologists were able to document one of the earliest benign bone tumours ever discovered and identified, and one individual may have had a surgical amputation of his hand (Leakey and Lewin, 1993). In addition, several individuals had examples of osteoarthritis ranging in severity, and it is suggested that the extended survival of these individuals following surgery or the onset of debilitating arthropathies indicates a sophisticated level of care from the healthy population. Humans are a striking anomaly in the natural world. While we are similar to other mammals in many ways, our behaviour sets us apart. Our unparalleled ability to adapt has allowed us to occupy virtually every habitat on earth using an incredible variety of tools and subsistence techniques. Our societies are larger, more complex, and more cooperative than any other mammals. Evolutionists, and scientists from other fields of study, argue that only a Darwinian theory of cultural evolution can explain these unique characteristics. The twentieth century is offering a radical interpretation of human evolution, arguing that Homo sapiens ecological dominance and singular social systems stem from a psychology uniquely adapted to create complex culture. Richerson and Boyd (2004) illustrate that culture is neither superorganic nor the handmaiden of the genes. Rather, it is essential to human adaptation, as much a part of human biology as bipedal locomotion. Drawing on work in the fields of anthropology, political science, sociology, and economics, Richerson and Boyd (2004) convincingly attest that culture and biology are inextricably linked, and their interaction yields a richer understanding of human nature. Discovery of Homo floresiensis Currently, it is widely accepted that only one hominid genus, Homo, was present in Pleistocene Asia, represented by two species, Homo erectus and Homo sapiens. Both species are characterized by greater brain size, increased body height and smaller teeth relative to the Pliocene Australopithecus genus present in Africa (Brown et al., 2004). But it was the most spectacular fossil find of a generation that has marked twentieth century studies into human evolution. The discovery that a mysterious and apparently ingenious human species may have shared the planet with our own less than 15,000 years ago captured the imagination of palaeontologists and public alike. Excavations at Liang Bua, a large limestone cave on the island of Flores in eastern Indonesia, have yielded evidence for a population of tiny hominids, sufficiently distinct anatomically to be assigned to a new species, Homo floresiensis (Morwood et al., 2004). An excavation team under the leadership of Australian and Indonesian scientists have unearthed the remains of eight human beings of relatively restricted stature and reduced brain volume, comparative to previously understood parameters for anatomically modern humans. In recognition of the combination of primitive and derived features, and their subsequently assumed status as a species distinct from Homo sapiens, the fossils were ascribed the name Homo floresiensis (Flores Man) after the island on which they were discovered. One skeleton, estimated to be that of a woman in her 30s and calculated to be approximately 18,000 years old, was only 1 metre tall, and the endocranial volume of the skeleton in question was a mere 380 cc, significant as it may be regarded as small even for a chimpanzee (Beals et al., 1984) and equal to the smallest-known australopithecines (Brown, et al., 2004). Investigations into the specimens, estimated to belong to at least eight individuals, show that H. floresiensis inhabited the cave at Liang Bua for an extended period of time ranging between 95,000 and 12,000 years ago. The common opinion of the archaeologists responsible for examining the tools and animal bones unearthed in the cave is that H. floresiensis individuals exhibited complex behaviour requiring the capacity for speech, and can therefore be regarded as social and intelligent human beings with creative ability. Stones carved and sharpened for particular purposes, and animal bones discovered in the cave, indicate t hat these people were successful hunters, capable of catching animals larger than themselves, and associated deposits contain stone artefacts and animal remains, including Komodo dragon and an endemic, dwarfed species of Stegodon. There has been some speculation that the stone tools found with it were actually made by Homo sapiens, mainly because it is hard to believe a creature with such a small brain could make such sophisticated stone tools. There is no other evidence in support of this, however, and if it were not for the small brain size, there would be no hesitation about assuming floresiensis made the tools because of the close association between the tools and the fossils. The same tools are found through the entire deposit (from 90,000 to 13,000 years ago) and, interestingly, they are not like any stone tools made by Homo erectus (Kaifu et al., 2005). The finds comprise the cranial and some post-cranial remains of one individual, as well as a premolar from another individual in older deposits. Dating by radiocarbon (C14), luminescence, uranium-series and electron spin resonance (ESR) methods indicates that H. floresiensis existed from before 38,000 years ago (kyr) until at least 18  kyr (reference). It is alleged, with much research still yet to be undertaken, that H. floresiensis originated from an early dispersal of Homo erectus, including specimens referred to as Homo ergaster and Homo georgicus, that reached Flores, and then survived on this island refuge until relatively recently. The most likely explanation for its existence on Flores is long-term isolation, with subsequent endemic dwarfing. H. floresiensis overlapped significantly in time with Homo sapiens in the region, however, interactions between the two species currently remain unknown. Importantly, H. floresiensis shows that the genus Homo is morphologically more va ried and flexible in its adaptive responses than previously thought (reference). The finds further demonstrate that H. floresiensis was not simply an aberrant or pathological individual, thereby interpretable as anomalous and inconsequential within the field of human evolution, but is representative of a long-term population that was present on the island for approximately 80,000 years. According to the dwarfism scenario, it is assumed that the H. floresiensis line descended from Homo erectus. The justification for that belief, however, is currently experiencing much debate within the archaeological academic arena, and relies on the comparison between tool assemblages uncovered from the Liang Bua cave, and thus associated with H. floresiensis, and a series of assemblages reported by Morwood in 1998, and dating to approximately 800,000 BP (Morwood et al., 1998). The similarities between these assemblages resulted in the assumption that H. floresiensis was a descendent of the manufacturer of the older collection of tools, H. erectus. H. floresiensis facial anatomy also generally resembles that of H. erectus, and, in addition, the East Asia region in which the island lies is one of the regions where H. erectus was extant for a long period. One article published in Science journal in 1996 listed evidence that H. erectus had survived on Java, an Indonesian island like Fl ores, until as recently as 27,000 years ago. (Swisher et al., 1996) Implications: Society, religion and politics Despite an academic and generic fascination with the process of human evolution, the creationist arguments in disagreement with evolutionary research remain influential. According to many creationist proponents, the reason why scientists have elected to give the fossils in question the name H. floresiensis is that researchers, who have accepted the idea that humans initially developed through evolution, cannot afford to imply a hypothesis that does not accord with the evolutionary ‘myth’ they have presented. Evolutionists are accused of naming ‘old human races’ by a methodology that relies on exaggerated interpretation of the variations presented between hominids, and in comparison with anatomically modern man, and thus results the declaration of the fossils as a new species. According to current creationist advocates, the H. floresiensis fossils are also a product of this methodology, and their description as a new species rests solely on evolutionist †˜preconceptions’. Predominant creationists have gone further to attest that the description of H. floresiensis as a new human species provides no support at all for the theory of evolution, but, on the contrary, reveals how forced the claims regarding it actually are (reference). The concept of the biological species is used in the present day for organisms included in the same category that are able to mate and successfully produce healthy offspring. This definition is based on mutual reproducibility as setting out the boundary criterion between species. According to creationist proponents, however, there is no means of knowing, simply by analysing and categorising the fossilised bones of organisms that lived in the past, which were able to reproduce with which. Classification based on degrees of similarities between bones, and the variations exhibited among these, may not reveal scientifically definite conclusions as some species, such as the dog, exhibit wide variation, others, such as the cheetah, are known to exhibit only narrow variation. Accordingly, when fossils belonging to extinct species are discovered, creationists attest, the variation observed may stem from one of two reasons. This variation either belongs to a species exhibiting wide variation or to a few separate species exhibiting narrow variation, yet there is no way of knowing which of the two actually applies. Indeed, Alan Walker, palaeoanthropologist and evolutionist, admits this fact by claiming that one cannot know whether or not a fossil is representative of the community to which it belongs. He further states that one cannot know whether it comes from one of the ends of the species range, or from somewhere in the middle (Locke, 1999). Evolutionists define the H. floresiensis fossils as a separate species, and regard its small endocranial volume and short skeleton as characteristics of that species. However, creationists contest this by asserting that individuals may not carry all the features in the population gene pool, and, therefore, the features exhibited by individuals may not be those generally exhibited in a given population. Therefore, the smaller the quantity of fossils analysed the greater the risk of error in assuming that their features are those of the general population. Locke (1999) has elucidated this with a simple analogy: if a palaeoanthropologist of the future discovers bones belonging to a professional basketball player, then twenty-first century man may well seem to have been a giant species. He further stated that if the skeleton belongs to a jockey, on the other hand, then humans will seem to have been short and lightweight bipeds (Locke, 1999). According to creationists, therefore, the defi nition of H. floresiensis as a separate species based on its small brain volume and short skeleton, and the assumption that all individuals possessed those same features, is a mistake, and that these fossils may well be regarded as variations seen in old human races living at that time. In relative support for the creationist viewpoint, the real surprise for evolutionists came from learning that a hominid with such a small brain volume lived not millions of years ago but only 18,000 years BP. Chris Stringer, from Londons Natural History Museum, admits this surprise to the archaeological community; that the very existence of a creature with a brain the size of a chimpanzees, but apparently a tool-maker and hunter, and perhaps descended from the worlds first mariners, illustrates how little is currently known about human evolution (Wood, 1992). Peter Brown, one of the leaders of the research team at Liang Bua, describes the bewilderment within academic circles as a result of the cranial measurements, and admits that H. floresiensis is totally incompatible with evolutionary accounts; that small stature is easy to accommodate within the evolutionary theories, but small brain size is a bigger problem to account for. According to the creationist theory advocates, the evol utionists own statements reflect the ‘heavy blow’ the fossil in question has dealt to the ‘illusory’ scenario of human evolution (Wood, 1992). The confusion with regards to the interpretations of H. floresiensis is not restricted to the disparities in hypotheses between evolutionists and creationists. Scientists have been unravelling the mysteries of when early hominids first left Africa, where they went, how many hominid species there were, and how they relate to modern humans, for more than a century. The H. erectus skull recently found in Indonesia adds a valuable piece to the fossil record, but scientists differ about where it fits in the human family tree. One particular specimen of cranium, known as Sambungmacan 4 (Sm 4), was found in the Sambungmacan district of central Java, Indonesia. It is that of a middle-aged or slightly younger male Homo erectus who had probably suffered and recovered from head wounds. Two partial skulls and the fragment of a tibia had previously been discovered in the area. It is assumed that H. erectus, and perhaps other early hominid species, began leaving Africa approximately 2 million year s ago, and fossil remains have been found in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, indicating a widespread global distribution of individuals and communities. In addition to the media-friendly discovery of H. floresiensis, given the moniker of â€Å"The Hobbit† by the press, Indonesia, an island nation in southeast Asia, is the site of some of the earliest Homo erectus remains yet found. The relatively abundant fossil material provides scientists with an opportunity to study the evolution of the species and how it relates to modern humans. Anthropologists from the National Science Museum in Tokyo, analyzed the Sm 4 skull using digital visualization techniques, and compared it with other skulls found in Java. It is argued that morphological characteristics of early H. erectus in Java, represented by fossil finds from Trinil/Sangiran, more closely resemble those of modern humans (Baba et al., 2003). Fossil material from Ngandong, which has been dated to anywhere between 25,000 to 50,000 years old, suggests that Java H. erectus had gone off on an evolutionary tangent of its own, developing distinct features that are not shared by modern humans. It is concluded by this research that Javanese populations became progressively more isolated from other Asian H. erectus populations, and made minimal contributions to the ancestry of modern humans (Kaifu et al., 2005). At one time scientists considered it possible that modern humans were the direct descendants of Asian Homo erectus. That idea has been discarded by many scientists who now think that while African H. erectus may be ancestral to H. sapiens, Asian H. erectus was an evolutionary dead end, similar to earlier theories regarding H. neanderthalensis, rather than the immediate precursor to modern humans (Kaifu et al., 2005). However, debate continues and other specialists believe that the African version of H. erectus is dissimilar enough to belong in a separate species category called Homo ergaster. The geological complexity of the Indonesian islands makes precise dating of the fossil material difficult and controversial. Fossils found at Trinil and Sangiran range in age from approximately 1.8 million years old to maybe as young as 780,000 years old (Swisher et al., 1996). Comparatively, fossils found at Ngandong have been dated at approximately 50,000 years old. The Sm 4 specimen is believ ed to fit somewhere between these two groups in age, and therefore may be contemporary with H. sapiens.   The uncertainty of Sm 4s age lies in part with current disagreement as to whether or not all fossils from Sambungmacan represent a single fauna or are composites being derived from various age strata. Whether there is enough difference between the early fossils and the later fossils that they should be considered two separate species or a sub-species is also controversial. Based on variations in skull shape, and a lack of diversity among Javanese populations living 25,000 to 50,000 years ago, it has been concluded that Sm 4 is a transitional form, an evolutionary step taking the later Javanese populations farther away from classical Homo erectus remains found at Trinil and Sangiran (Baba et al., 2003). However, this conclusions is debated on the basis that the larger brain sizes of later materials, fossils dated at 25,000 to 50,000 years ago, are different enough that they sho uld be considered a different species or at least sub-species. Sm 4 phenotypically appears to be a lot of the other material found in Indonesia. The material is morphologically very consistent, and shows continuity within Indonesian Homo erectus. There are some features, particularly around the jaw joint that may be unique to the Ngandong fossils, however it is not clear whether the features are taxonomically significant or useful as species indicators (Baba et al., 2003).The disparities in the skulls seen in Indonesia may be a function of normal variability in any species, illustrated particularly well when considering the variations in height between ‘normal’ humans and those suffering from achondroplasia; both remain within the species of H. sapiens, however difference in stature can be remarkable. The claim by Desmond Morris, that the existence of â€Å"The Hobbit†, or H. floresiensis should destroy religion (Tattersall, 1986), is one which has been made before. Indeed, Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist, still cannot understand why religion survived Darwin (Tattersall, 1986). Yet as science progresses, despite the decline of allegiance to traditional Christian churches in Western Europe, religion continues to grow world-wide in many different forms. Contemporary science, far from solving every question, often highlights the big questions which are central to human existence. This is the case with the discovery of LB1, the 18,000-year-old specimen of the new species Homo floresiensis. The find of this so-called Hobbit on Flores Island excites many academics within many fields, not least archaeology and theology, as it poses the unresolved question of what it means to be human. LB1 becomes part of this contemporary question alongside developments in science, su

John Stienbeck - Of Mice And Men :: essays research papers fc

In my essay I will discuss the theme of loneliness in the novel â€Å"Of Mice And Men.† The essay will consist of information based on the novel towards minor characters such as Curley’s Wife, Candy and Crooks. This essay will state information about Curley’s Wife, Candy and Crooks’ loneliness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Curley’s Wife was probably one of the loneliest characters of all. She never talked to anyone and she never really liked Curley all too much. â€Å"Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.† (p.86) Curley’s Wife seems to get a lot of the other guys in trouble. Curley always suspects that she’s fooling around with the other men, â€Å"Any you guys seen my wife?† (p.53) Curley’s Wife always gives an excuse to confront the guys saying, â€Å"Any you guys seen Curley?† Then she tries to hang around and make conversation. The guy’s see her as a tramp and a troublemaker but all she wants is someone to talk too.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crooks who is another lonely man was very sad as well. Because he was black he wasn’t allowed into the other guys bunkhouse with them because they thought he stunk. â€Å"Why ain’t you wanted?† Lennie asked. â€Å"’Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They think I stink. Well I tell you, you all stink to me.† (p.68) Crooks is always by himself and working hard even with a broken back. Crooks sits in his room all the time by himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Candy is the other character that is lonely. Not because of the the men not talking to him of anything like that. Because, when Carlson shot his old dog, Candy felt alone. Candy had that pup since he was a kid.