Research Methods Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Research Methods - Assignment Example This paper is an evaluation of an article by Belon et al.,(2007) discussing research methodology and implications for research in homeopathy. Groundwater arsenic contamination poses a great risk to millions of people worldwide. Since supply of arsenic free water is inadequate, a pilot study was conducted to determine if homeopathic remedies Arsenicum Album 30 and Arsenicum Album 200 have beneficial effects on a random population of Ghetugachi and Dakshin Panchpota, which are arsenic contaminated villages (Khuda-Buksh et al.,2005). Improvement in their general health as well as blood toxicity levels was observed on administration of homeopathic therapies (Milazzo, et al., 2006). However, during the investigation, the volunteers were strictly advised to refrain from taking arsenic contaminated water. This created doubt as to whether the changes observed were due to the homeopathic remedies or intake of the arsenic free water (Moffett et al., 2006). Therefore the present study by Belon et al,.(2007), was organised in an arsenic-contaminated village where arsenic free drinking water was unavailable. The parameters used in the study are either directly or indirectly implicated to the development of hapato-toxicity, and are important toxicity biomarkers. A hepato-toxic change is a primary feature associated with chronic arsenic poisoning and can lead to modulation of lipid peroxidation (LPO), which is associated with tissue damage and necrosis. 39 subjects comprising of 20 males and 19 females, showing no initial signs or symptoms of arsenic poisoning from the village of Dasdiya which has been recently marked as an arsenic-contaminated village, in Haringhata block under Nadia District, West Bengal volunteered by signing a consent form. Nevertheless, initially some participants were initially reluctant. The volunteers represented a subset of the population making Belon’s procedure convenient. It may be costly for an entire population to participate in a

The Woman in Black Essay Example for Free

The Woman in Black Essay No reader of The Woman in Black Can be left in doubt about its conscious evocation of the Gothic. It is full of motifs and effects associated with that genre, How far would you agree with this statement of the novel? I agree undeniably, with the above statement, as the novel is a pastiche of the Victorian/Edwardian ghost story which is a sub-genre of the Gothic. Thus consciously evoking the Gothic. However, it could be argued that Susan Hill at times cleverly manipulates the motifs and effects associated with the Gothic genre. It is theses motifs and effects that are present in the gothic genre, which I will discuss in The Women in Black (1983). I will begin by briefly discussing this essay on the genre itself The Gothic genre is a genre that has been burning artistically for centuries, ever since it was more or less invented by Horace Walpole in the classical gothic novel The Castle of Otranto1765 possessed the indispensable and core elements of this genre, it was set to be a benchmark for following work in this field such as The Woman in White (1860) by Wilkie Collins, The Italian (1797) by Ann Radcliff, The Monk'(1796) by Mathew Lewis and Bram Stokers Dracula (1897). The Women in Black is full of Gothic elements and conventions throughout. The reader at first realises the effectiveness of the first person narrative of the novel; this is delivered by Arthur Kipps the main character of the story. Effectively, the reader gains a first hand insight of thoughts, feelings and emotions of Arthur instantly as they happen. Therefore, slowly but gradually the reader becomes attached to Arthur due to the sense of immediacy that they experience with the unfolding of emotions, thoughts and events when Arthur does. This is initially used in the opening chapter Christmas Eve when Arthur states; I was seized by something I cannot possibly describe, an emotion, a desire- no, it was rather more, a knowledge, a simple certainty, which gripped me, Indisputably, the Christmas Eve opening of The Woman in Black echoes the opening of Henry Jamess Turn of the Screw. It is a convention of the ghost Story were in the festive season people gather by the fire and make up lurid inventions about vampires to even rats and bats. In addition the intertextuality of the novel is emphasised with the striking resemblance between Arthur Kipps and Jonathon Harker in Bram Stokers Dracula (1897). Here both are lawyers and both are very rational which is exemplified when Arthur describes himself as a commonsensical man. Another example of the novels intertextuality is one of the chapters actual name; Oh whistle and Ill come to you which is taken from an M.R. James ghost story. These thoroughly present intertextuality continuously imprints on the reader the elements of the novel, the ghost story. This is also agreed by most Enlish critic like (1)Alan Jones who says; Hills novel also shows an eclectic indebtedness to other text. The referential quality of text like Walpoles The Castle of Otranto or Lewiss The Monk, with their nods in the direction of medieval manuscript, Shakespeare, graveyard poetry and so on, finds full measure in the pages of her text. The first attribute acknowledged by the reader as a common Gothic element is the setting of The Women in Black. overall, there are two main settings of the story, one being Monks Piece where Arthur begins the story of The Women in Black. Initially, Monks Piece is presented as place from out of reach from civilisation, an area of remoteness and isolation, a place really distant. Arthur describes its air of remoteness and isolation which makes us feel ourselves to be much further from civilization. The supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events are a key theme in the Gothic genre and The Woman in Black is no exception. In The Woman in Black is the constant emphasis of man versus nature that is repeated throughout. Susan Hill provides an undetectable malevolent and treacherous force, using nature, whether its a fog, sea-freats or a mist. The ultimate felling of supernatural is without a shadow of doubt, created by the fog, one of Londons deadliest peasoupers. The fog slowly, but gradually constructs the sense of the supernatural by creating an illusion of uncertainty for both Arthur and the reader. This is conveyed when Arthur describes the fog. Fog was out door, hanging over the river, creeping in the and out of alleys and passagessly entrance at every opening of a door. This idea of the fog suggests the fog has become an entity by technique of personification used by Hill. This projects the idea that the fog is more than a fog. In that way it is given a beastly presentation especially by the use of the simile like a furred beast. The distinct description of the fog provokes the inevitable thought of the supernatural with its ever-present malevolent force. This idea of the isolation and remoteness is often used in the Gothic. It gives a clear sense of eeriness and vulnerability about Monks Piece. This is the setting were Arthur begins his ghostly narrative in an attempt to Exorcise the haunting of his past. This brings to mind the idea that when Arthur dies, his accounts of events would be found by someone else like the traditional manuscript found by Jonathon Harker in Bram Stokers Dracula. The other main setting of the novel is Eel Marsh House. In comparison with Monks piece, Eel Marsh House has an air of strange sensation, an excitement mingled with alarm. Eel Marsh House is projected as a place that will have you startled with excitement but also vividly perceptive at the same time. This is illustrated in the description when Arthur initially sets eyes on Eel Marsh House by saying; it was a tall, gaunt house that is isolated and uncompromising but also on the other hand Handsome. Nevertheless, Eel Marsh house is so indistinguishable of Monks Piece in the sense of the sheer solitude and loneliness about the place. However, unlike Monks Piece there is evil with a touch of wickedness about Eel Marsh House, this illustrates that Eel Marsh House is an updating of the Gothic castle. It is this Gothic aura that seems to be seducing Arthur. This idea can be unmistakably recognised when Arthur mentions that; I was aware of a heightened of every one of my senses, and Conscious that this extraordinary place was imprinting itself on my mind and deep on my imagination too This cleverly hints the supernatural force that seems to be enveloping itself around Arthur, inevitably, he appears to be addicted to the place and not discouraged by eeriness incorporated by the satanic sea vultures and by the bleakness that is being hurled by the small burial ground near Eel Marsh house which is typical Gothic iconography. This is further emphasised by the condition of the decayed gravestone with patches of greenish-yellow lichen and moss. Moreover, its the indecipherable dates and names on the Drablows graveyard that create mystery, just like how the novels time period and place of setting is left ambiguous. An atmosphere of mystery and suspense is another key Gothic element in the gothic genre and The Woman in Black is no different. The presentation of London in A London Particular establishes the mystery and mood of the novel. The city is presented as dark, evil-smelling, with a foul gloom atmosphere, when these carefully constructed metaphors and adjectives bind, they do paint a vivid image for the reader. In addition, the true sense of mystery and suspense is cemented by the introduction of Jennet Humfrye the Woman in Black herself. At the funeral of Mrs. Drablow, she is described as a woman with some terrible wasting disease a woman with skin that is tautly stretched and strikingly, a woman only a short time away from her own death. This description deployed by Hill illustrates that this is no ordinary woman and inhuman in some sort even to the extent that she is a walking corpse, a curse on Crythin Gifford. Therefore, Hill sustains the key Gothic theme of death and curse in the novel. The novel itself is built around the mystery of the woman and the tragic death of her child. This unravels that Jennets separated from her son because of the social stigma associated with children being born out of wedlock. This is heightened by the inexplicable behaviour of the Woman in Black and more effectively the reaction of those who see and hear of her presence. This is conveyed to the reader when Arthur says I had never in my life been so possessed by it, never known my knees to tremble And my flesh to creep, and then to turn cold as stone. The absolute fear here is over-ridden by the total danger which she has caused him. This utter tantrum is fuelled by the unexplainable event of disappearance by the wasted woman. This high, even overwrought emotion is common in most Gothic novels; it clearly portrays the feeling of impending doom being experience by the character, in this case, Arthur when he is in intense fear and sense of shock as he witnessed the vanishing of The Woman in Black. It is clear that Susan Hill effectively deploys the basics of gothic elements of gothic fiction. However, these elements are altered to appeal to a more modern audience in the case the castle. Therefore it can be said that Eel Marsh House is an updating of the Gothic Castle. Hill effectively sustains her Gothic genre of Gothic horror of contracting the soul, freezing the faculties and nearly annihilating them. This is apparent in The Woman in The Black several times with excessive examples of Arthur and even other characters including Mr. Jerome, when he is in shock, paralysed by fear of the Woman in Black; Mr. Jerome grabbed my wrist and held it in an agonizingly tight grip or collapse with some kind of seizure. Or even more effectively when the sense of danger and horror is built up using Arthurs companion dog Spider, who becomes accustomed to the threat present; Every her of her body was on end, her ears were pricked, her tail erect, the whole of her tense, as if ready to spring This form of reaction defines gothic horror capturing the idea developed by Ann Radcliffe. Another Victorian/Edwardian convention of ghost stories that cements the pastiches of the novel is how the setting is kept ambiguous. This is shown when Mr Bentley sends Arthur to Eel Marsh in-shire? to represent the firm at Mrs Drablows funeral. Moreover, the context of the novel is kept unclear, because the story could be taking place after the First World War or more likely in the Edwardian period due to the lack of cars present and more significantly to the continuous appearances of a pony and trap in the novel as a leitmotif. Overall, Susan hill captures the mood of the Gothic genre and specially the sub-genre the ghost story. Hill shows a great variety of traditional gothic elements with a blend of originality and innovation by overturning the readers expectation of the genre inconsistently within the novel. In the woman in black the oppressor is a woman and the victim is a man, Arthur, threatened by a powerful, impulsive and a tyramical female, where on the other hand most gothic genre have a woman as a victim. Nevertheless, this ingenious thesis by Hill is a pleasant one because undoubtedly the novel is unpredictable while still consciously evoking the gothic.

Philosophies of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Essay -- Philosophy Mar

Marcus Aurelius Even today, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is read by every class from kings to common people. The book is a universal classic, meaning it can be related to at any time, by anyone. The philosophies included in his book have spanned the centuries, and Meditations remains to be one of the most influential books ever written. Marcus Aurelius was born on April 20, 121 AD into a family of royalty. His uncle and adoptive father, Antoninus Pius, was the emperor of Rome. Aurelius, too, was trained from birth to be a great ruler like his father. At age eleven, he dedicated himself to religion, although he considered philosophy to be the "true, inward" religion, one which did not require ceremonies necessary in others. Throughout his childhood and early adulthood, Aurelius was taught by several talented teachers. When he was young, the great Epictetus tutored him, followed by a man named Q. Junius Rusticus, who would accompany Aurelius throughout much of his life. In 161 AD, Pius died, leaving Aurelius and Pius’s other adopted son, known as Verus, to rule together. The two brothers were quite different, although no disagreements are mentioned between the two. Verus was a headstrong man, who was more apt to want a war than the contemplative Aurelius. Verus was an "Epicurean" and definitely would never be called a philosopher. However, Verus died suddenly in 169, leaving Aurelius to rule Rome on his own. It is important to mention that during basically all of Aurelius’ rule, Rome was engaged in a long series of defensive wars. In fact, the book Meditations was written during these wars, possibly during the darkest of conditions. And even though these wars were successful, they were taxing both on Rome as a state, and on Aurelius himself. However, he somehow managed to stay somewhat unaffected throughout, an amazing feat unto itself. Although Aurelius was considered a great man and emperor, he ruthlessly persecuted the Christians. He considered them a threat to his "imperial system." However, he did not know very much of the Christian doctrines that he was so against. In direct contradiction to this ruthlessness to the Christians was the way he treated his own people. He is considered to be the "Last of the Great Emperors." He ruled Rome during a time of declining prosperity. However, he did try to improve his home while he ruled it. He ... ...the greatest empire. He did his best to keep the government an honest as possible, and tried to use it for the advantage of the people, which was it’s original purpose. Aurelius obviously was concerned with many different areas of both his empire and his religion. Marcus Aurelius, through his book Meditations, has attained something he scorned in principle - posthumous fame. Throughout his life, he was known as a generous emperor, and not considered to be a student in philosophy. After his death, however, his diary was discovered, and the true inner thoughts of Marcus Aurelius were published for the entire world to read. Although the vast majority of the philosophies included in Aurelius’ book still hold true and make sense, we know that at least one was wrong. Aurelius believed that even posthumous fame was short-lived, for a person’s named is never carried from generation to generation. However, this melancholy collection of philosophies written by a lonely man centuries ago is still considered to be one of the most influential books ever written. Although he never received the opportunity to be a philosopher during his life, Marcus Aurelius certainly deserved the title.

Realities Behind Deceiving Appearances Essay

According to Alfred Kazin, â€Å"In every great novel of society†¦ what counts is the reality behind the appearance† (Kazin, 1981, 297). In other words, he’s saying that the best books are those that include one or more realities behind appearances. The novel first I chose is called Perfect by Ellen Hopkins. This book has four main characters; Cara, Sean, Kendra, and Andre, who are all teens struggling to fit the ideal of perfection, even if it means hurting and lying to themselves and others. The other novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain tells a story of a runaway slave named Jim and a young boy Huck, running from the dangers of his father. Together they are trying to get to the North but run into many roadblocks. This adventure includes deceit, danger, excitement and most of all, friendship. Both of these novels show reality behind experiences through its actions, dialogs, and the characters themselves! In the following paragraphs, I will comp are and explain the reality behind appearances such as friends or family, disguises and secrets in both novels, Perfect and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Jim, a runaway slave from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn shows many realities behind deceiving appearances. An example of a deceiving appearance is when Huck and the duke paint Jim all blue and dressed him up in King Lear’s outfit before leaving to town. Huck doesn’t want to risk Jim being taken away and sold back into slavery so they disguise him as a â€Å"sick arab-but harmless when not out of his head† (Twain 157) so that he won’t have to uncomfortably lay tied up in the wigwam all day. The reality behind this disguise is that Jim is a kind and harmless runaway slave. After a tiring adventure, Jim talks to Huck about his family. When telling stories to Huck, he reveals a reality behind a deceiving appearance about his daughter Elizabeth. When Jim’s daughter was young, she got very sick. When she was better, Jim had told her to shut the door but she just stood there smiling at him. He repeated himself and again, she just smiled at him. Thinking that she was being naughty and a rebel, he smacked her across the head as a punishment. When he slams the door shut and she doesn’t budge, wince, or make any notice of it, Jim realizes â€Å"Oh, she was plumb deef en dumb, Huck, plumb deef en dumb† (Twain 156). The biggest and most important reality behind a deceiving appearance is that along this adventure, Jim was  freed from slavery. After all the trouble Tom put him through, Tom finally fesses that Jim was free because â€Å"Old Miss Watson died two months ago, and she was so ashamed she ever was going to sell him down the river, and said so; and she set him free in her will† (Twain 289). The duke and the king from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are very mischievous people. They are full with illusions, lies, and intelligence. The first reality behind appearance Huck saw is their names. On the day they first meet, both men claim they were a king and a duke in order to receive pity and to be spoiled by Jim and Huck. While Huck sees through this appearance, Jim does not. Later on in the story, the king cons the people of a religious camp in order to get some money. He pretends to be a pirate who changed his ways after he was robbed and now is working his way back to the ocean in order to change all pirates. He gives credit to the people of the town to earn their pity and succeeds. â€Å"‘Don’t you thank me, don’t you give me no credit; it all belongs to them dear people in Pokeville camp-meeting, natural brothers and benefactors of the race, and that dear preacher there, the truest friend a pirate ever had’† (Twain 132). The reality behind the king’s appearance is that it was all an act and that he is just a cheater. Even after this silly event, the king and the duke are still greedy for more. When they find out that a man who has a lot of money for a relative has died, they head towards the town. There, they pretended to be the uncle of three girls who are very sweet and innocent. Eventually, the actual heirs to the money show up and start to expose the duke and the king. They have a more authentic english accent and state that the handwritings when compared to an old letter aren’t the same. In my novel, Perfect by Ellen Hopkins, there are four main characters struggling to fit an ideal of perfection. One of the main characters is named Kendra. Kendra is a senior in high school and everything you would want to be. She’s popular, on the cheer team, rich, and most of all, skinny. Kendra’s obsession with perfection comes with dangerous consequences as she is willing to do anything to achieve it. The most deceiving illusion when it comes to Kendra is her appearance itself. Kendra has gone through many plastic surgeries to look as she is now. With a rhinoplasty already  scheduled, she is also hoping to get a boob job which her stepfather refuses to allow. Along with the plastic surgery, in order to lose weight, Kendra eats as little as possible. Kendra believes she is fat, being 5’ 10† and 122 pounds. Though everyone tells her she’s not, she states that the â€Å"stinking mirror doesn’t lie. Everytime I walk by, it shouts out, †˜Hey. Chub. When are you going to lose those fifteen pounds of ugly-ass flab? Do you want to stay size four forever?’† (Hopkins, 23). The reality behind Kendra’s illusion is that she’s already beautiful and dangerously skinny. With every calorie she doesn’t eat, she inches closer and closer to death. One of the reasons why she believes that she’s not beautiful is because her boyfriend Conner left her. She believed he left her because she wasn’t good and pretty enough. The thought of this tortures her because Conner was her first love, the first person whom she gave her heart and soul to. She later finds out that Conner is in the hospital because of an accident. The reality is that Conner didn’t get into an accident, he tried killing himself and he didn’t leave her because he thought she was ugly. He left her because he had fallen in love with someone else. When Kendra leaves her beauty agent for Xavier, she begins to work with a man named Gilles. Xavier tells Kendra that Gilles is one of the â€Å"biggies† and that she needs keep him happy. â€Å"I have to keep Gilles happy. He likes the way I look. Especially naked† (Hopkins 496). Gilles and Xavier claim that they love her but in all honesty, they are taking advantage of her. If they rea lly did love her as she is, they wouldn’t abuse her body with pills, sex and surgeries. The appearance of Gilles loving her for her style and determination masks the reality that in order to do business, she must trade it with her service to him. Another character who has a deceiving appearance in the novel Perfect is a girl named Cara. Cara, like Kendra is also on the cheer team, beautiful, rich, has good grades and a wonderful sexy boyfriend but is she really all the things people make her out to be? Cara has a secret, one that could ruin her reputation; She’s a lesbian. Her boyfriend Sean is just an appearance. An appearance to make her seem straight when in reality, she’s a lesbian. When Sean finds out about her secret after they break up, he exposes her by taking a photo of Cara and her lover making love and sharing it to all of her â€Å"friends†. After this incident, all of Cara’s friends leave her and  began calling her cruel names such as slut and dyke. â€Å"I can’t believe Cara broke up with Sean. Neither can half the senior class†¦ They’re chopping her into little pieces: †¦is a slut anyway, †¦always was full of it, †¦serious commitment issues† (Hopkins 306). The comfort and companionship of her friends was all an appearance in which the reality was just to use Cara for their own benefit. Because of this incident, Cara finally decides to tell her parents. â€Å"‘Dani said I should press charges†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Mom’s eyes grew steadily more severe. ‘I think it’s best to let it drop. If this becomes public knowledge, the media will smear it all over the headlines. Our reputation will be ruined. Bad enough we had to deal with all the flak about Conner.’ She straightened her blouse, as if it had been wrinkled by the very idea of her children disgracing her name† (Hopkins 535). The definition of parents is a mother and a father and that’s exactly what Cara’s parents are. A mother and father, nothing more. Though they do provide Cara with materialistic needs, it is all for her mother’s reputation. Her heartless parents with their high expectations are so extreme that it causes her twin brother Conner to kill himself. The idea of loving and supportive parents is just an appearance that the Sykes family create when the cold truth is that they don’t hold any familial bonds with each other. In the preceding paragraphs, I have compared and explained the realities behind appearances in both novels, Perfect and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. As Alfred Kazin was saying, realities behind deceiving appearances make a book more interesting to read. It also makes the readers realize that there are many illusions in our daily lives. Through the characters, we can perhaps learn a lesson on how to act, spot, and deal with these realities behind appearances.

Leadership Principle of Jesus

Principles of Leadership What is leadership? Leadership is the ability to obtain followers. Leadership is influence. You are a leader to the extent that people are following you. Why is leadership important? Leadership is important because it influences the destiny of people. Leadership also determines, to a large extent, what a group of people will be able to achieve. Leadership moves people towards common goals, principles and values. Good leadership enables people to work together well, and realize their potential. Poor leadership frustrates both people and projects. Poor leadership results in people being hurt.Good leadership results in strong people and excellent results. These comments apply to every area of life and human endeavour. Who Can be a Leader? Anyone who can act can be a leader – however, some have greater leadership potential than others essay writer pay. Not everyone can be a great leader, but everyone can be a better leader. The multiplication of leadership is the key to the multiplication of a movement. The communists knew this, and had as a motto, â€Å"Every communist a leader†. People have different personality types and styles of relating. Being a leader does not depend on having a particular personality type or style of relating.Neither does leadership exclusively depend on having a particular technical ability or giftedness. A good leader without certain skills or gifts can lead people possessing those abilities. A great leader can gather around them others who are very gifted and capable in particular areas. Both men and women can lead, although it is a fact that there are more male leaders in the world than female, and this will probably continue into the next century also. On the other hand, for every man that ever was, there was a mother, and the leadership influence of mothers over their own children can hardly be over-estimated.How Does Leadership Happen? Leadership happens in two ways. The most common way is that a faithful follower is promoted to a greater position of influence within an organisation, and thereby takes responsibility to lead people in their group or division. The other way leadership happens is when an individual gets passionately interested in doing something, starts doing it alone, and finds others who want to join in. A leader must lead. There is no leadership without action. There must be both action and communication. What Qualities make a Better Leader?A good leader leads by example. The greatest authority in leadership is reserved for those who have have done themselves the things they seek to motivate others to do. A positive attitude is very important. Leadership is not possible without advocating something. Criticism of others behind their backs is not leadership. A leader must show a better way, mostly by example. People what to be part of a winning team. A good leader must be positive even in the face of setbacks, so that people will not be discouraged and give up. This requires the quality of steadfastness and endurance.A good leader is self-disciplined. A good leader can sacrifice his or her present comfort for future benefits, and in this way inspires others to do the same. A good leader manages his or her time well. A good leader knows and studies people. A good leader is a good listener, and also observes the body language and non-verbal communication of others. A good leader waits before speaking, and does not promise quickly. A good leader is in touch with the needs, hopes, aspirations and desires of others. A good leader considers others, and seeks to do things that benefit everyone involved.A good leader is prepared to change and skilled in preparing others to embrace change. A good leader encourages dissatisfied people in the organisation to work together to find a solution. A good leader is willing to learn from others. A good leader also invests considerable time in self-education – by reading books, listening to tapes o r attending seminars. A good leader has personal integrity and works hard to develop this quality. Integrity means keeping one's word, and dealing truly with others. People do not like being let down by the broken promises of those in authority over them.A good leader will avoid resorting to tactics of manipulation. A good leader is highly motivated to achieve results, and therefore diligent. A good leader nevertheless is patient and slow to anger. A good leader is faithful to others and inspires loyalty and team spirit in his or her followers. A good leader enjoys other people and doesn't overly dwell on their weaknesses. A good leader invests in others and empowers others to achieve and to become leaders themselves, without being threatened. A good leader seeks models the attitude and practice of service towards others.Biblical Examples of Leadership Jesus Christ modelled all of the above characteristics. In seeking to lead people to God the Father, Jesus himself demonstrated the power of a relationship with God through prayer. He modelled faith for his disciples to observe, showing to them and later declaring to them the power of faith (see Mark 11:22-24). Jesus modelled love, self-discipline, integrity and righteousness. Not even his enemies could convict him of sin. They could only point out where he violated their own traditions and interpretations – such as his healing of people on the Sabbath.Jesus ultimately gave His life for his followers. The great miracle was that He got in back through his resurrection from the dead. Jesus was positive and cheerful. He said to his disciples, â€Å"that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete†. Even though he had many things to correct, he did so in a wise way. Jesus believed that his work would be accomplished, and entrusted part of it to his disciples, whom he trained. Later he left his disciples the task of reaching the world. Jesus was self-disciplined. He often prayed through the night . Once He fasted forty days.All these things were preparation for His ministry. Jesus could perceive the inner thoughts of others, even his enemies. He knew things about his disciples, even beyond what a man could know through the power of observation alone. Jesus did not waste His words. Jesus gave himself to serve the needs of the people by healing their sick, feeding them when they were hungry, giving them a true hope concerning the kingdom of God, and setting them free from evil, sin and demons by the power of His Word and the Holy Spirit. Jesus made disciples and developed others who could continue His ministry after He left the earth.Jesus demonstrated both nobility and compassion in his dealings with people. Multitudes followed him, yet he invested in relatively few so that the quality of his mission could continue for longer. Jesus demonstrated a humility and servant attitude that is unparalleled, considering his divine origin. Many other things could be pointed out from the life of Jesus that illustrate leadership. It is true that Jesus' style of leadership was and is very different to much of the leadership of today. Yet His life has produced enduring moral results which have lifted so many to a better life and some to life eternal.

Free Essays on Truth About Hate

Hate is a word commonly talked about and is all around us in today’s society. Crimes are constantly being committed and people are getting judged left and right for their religion or for just the color or their skin. In the movie The Truth About Hate, it gets a message across to its viewers that hate today is being spread daily throughout schools and local neighborhoods. Everyday people are shot and killed due to some form of hate. The movie covered many different types of hate such as: religion, race and gay/ lesbian. For each of these categories of hate they took a little story and tried to make the situation better. In the religion portion of the video, it focused on the holocaust and its affect on Jews. Some of the kids being interviewed on their thoughts sounded hard core about their beliefs that what Hitler lead was right. After they talked to a survivor or the vicious acts of the Holocaust, their whole perception and way of thinking changed drastically. I think that by hearing something or putting a real life situation in the story can sometimes help for better understanding. The film ventured into many other issues but I thought that the religion part was the most important due to what happened. It really affected me and made me think of how awful and sick these people where to have done something so horrific. It really made a impact on the way I look at other people and I think I will think before I call one of my friends a â€Å"fag,† because you never know who you could be offending.... Free Essays on Truth About Hate Free Essays on Truth About Hate Hate is a word commonly talked about and is all around us in today’s society. Crimes are constantly being committed and people are getting judged left and right for their religion or for just the color or their skin. In the movie The Truth About Hate, it gets a message across to its viewers that hate today is being spread daily throughout schools and local neighborhoods. Everyday people are shot and killed due to some form of hate. The movie covered many different types of hate such as: religion, race and gay/ lesbian. For each of these categories of hate they took a little story and tried to make the situation better. In the religion portion of the video, it focused on the holocaust and its affect on Jews. Some of the kids being interviewed on their thoughts sounded hard core about their beliefs that what Hitler lead was right. After they talked to a survivor or the vicious acts of the Holocaust, their whole perception and way of thinking changed drastically. I think that by hearing something or putting a real life situation in the story can sometimes help for better understanding. The film ventured into many other issues but I thought that the religion part was the most important due to what happened. It really affected me and made me think of how awful and sick these people where to have done something so horrific. It really made a impact on the way I look at other people and I think I will think before I call one of my friends a â€Å"fag,† because you never know who you could be offending....

How to Write a Video Script That Will Make $100,000,000

How to Write a Video Script That Will Make $100,000,000 What do bathrooms, bad breath, and stinky political candidates have in common? Apparently an ability to drive $100,000,000 in sales. Don’t believe me? It’s true. Those numbers come from video ads an agency called the Harmon Brothers  created for some brands that have great products- but deal with topics which can prove a bit tough for marketers. After all, marketing things like bathroom hygiene products and a candidate during an incendiary political season is no easy feat. However, the goal of marketing remains the same: content that converts an audience into advocates. Advocates into customers. And customers into raving evangelists who write us haikus. ^ You think I’m kidding about the poetry? Nope. Whether this content is a blog post, an ad, or an email campaign  makes no difference. What matters is the goal is always the same. The good news is the path to video marketing success can look more like the festival of colors  than suit-and-tie professionalism. And in this post we’re going to explore that path by diving deep into one of the aforementioned ads by the Harmon Brothers- whom I call the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ogilvys of irreverent video marketing.† Not only have their videos driven the aforementioned $100,000,000 in sales. But they also evoke uncommon responses from viewers. For example, when was the last time you saw people reacting like this to YouTube pre-roll ads? Or like this†¦ Or this†¦ Or my personal favorite Not bad, eh? Grab Your Free Video Script Writing Template Bundle Today, I’m going to show you how to write a video script patterned after the exact videos that inspired the above comments- and millions of purchases. You’re going to: See how you can get off to a painless start in your scriptwriting project with a free Microsoft Word video script template. Learn how to score the strength of your video script before you even shoot the first scene with our script scorecard tool. Get four annotated, line-by-line script samples of four hyper-successful ads with a script swipe file. Before you read on, grab your free kit with each of those free resources inside. You’ll definitely want to follow along, as we’ll be using them throughout the post. Got ‘em? Great. Now, let’s get in on this 💠©Ã‚  and crank out strings of killer marketing videos. How To Write A Video Script That Will Make $100,000,000 (Free Kit)The 5 Conversion Levers of Video Marketing I’ve been a fan of the Harmon Brothers’ work for awhile now. So when I set out to write better video scripts, their work was top of mind. I studied their ads and transcribed their scripts line-by-line. I analyzed their structure, flow, and affect. Nerdy- but helpful. As I did this, five patterns emerged- which I call the Five Conversion Levers. (If you’ve ever studied sales or direct response copywriting,  some of the persuasion tactics, like social proof, will be familiar.) So let’s overview them, then analyze a video ad. Recommended Reading: 16 Video Marketing Tips That Will Skyrocket Your Traffic These 5 Conversion Levers For Writing Video Scripts Are ... Pain and Promise Pain and promise clearly articulates your audience’s problem and then offers a compelling solution. (Hint: This will be a benefit your product or service.) This isn’t a revolutionary idea, but it is a great one-two punch. To use this lever well, focus on a â€Å"before/after† effect.Relate with your audience’s current experience, and then forecast what life will be like after your solution. This is also an excellent way to capitalize on searcher intent. This is a concept in keyword research where you’re inferring the problem a searcher is trying to solve via their search. Even if your video content is an ad, the hope is it will be shown with related content. Comparison Comparison just may be my favorite lever. This tactic uses the unsung heroes of marketing, metaphor and relatability, to do two things: Quickly connect with your audience Communicate your premise with them Another way to express this device is by using this formula: â€Å"It’s like [commonly understood topic] for [audience/problem]!† As an example, if I was writing a video script to advertise , I may say: â€Å"It’s like pressing the easy button for getting tons more traffic to your content!† Right away, the idea of Staples’ famous â€Å"Easy Button† is conjured and then applied to the problem my audience is trying to solve. Then, I can use the rest of the devices to substantiate this claim As another example, if I was promoting our Marketing Strategy Certification  for one of our courses, I could say: â€Å"It’s like Shark Tank for marketers!† Okay, I’d better stop. I really like these. Authority Authority is tried-and-true. And it makes the list because it works. The idea is appealing to an authority of some kind to further legitimize or prove your claims. Sort of a, â€Å"Don’t believe me? Well, Albert Einstein said it first!† The legitimate authorities to appeal to are: experts, contextualized data to tell a story, social proof, testimonials, and demonstration. (Note: If you’re a persuasion nerd, understand this is unlike the logical fallacy of appealing to authority.)‘Nuff said 👊 Entertainment Here’s the thing†¦ Yes your company’s bottom line is serious business. However, people like to have fun- even in so-called boring verticals. So if you can find and harness your product’s or service’s â€Å"fun† factor, you’re leagues ahead of the competition.This is a risk. But if you nail it, it can pay dividends. However, what if humor or high-energy vibes are wrong for your product or brand?For instance, what if you run marketing for a home security company?I don’t know about you, but I’m interested in a home security system that seriously works! I don’t need it to entertain me. So, if this is your product, service, or brand the portable concept is engaging. What’s the angle that will engross your audience? A great way to think about this is in a movie-genre paradigm. Not every movie is a comedy. We have dramas, thrillers, action movies, and the list goes on.No genre is outright better than the other. Instead, it’s about the story.So whether humor is the right move or not, discern the engrossing elements of your product or service, then bring it to the surface. Call-to-action (CTA) Yep- it’s the same â€Å"CTA† you always hear about. But, it’s too important to exclude and take for granted.No matter how elementary it may seem, a clear CTA is a fundamental component to a successful script.Though, we’ll tackle this common marketing trope from a different angle than business-as-usual. The five conversion levers you need to know for #video #marketing success are ...How To Write A Video Script Using The 5 Conversion Levers In the section below, we’re going to analyze and score one of the Harmon Brothers’ most popular ads. This way, we can see each conversion lever at work. Then we’ll discuss how we can use them in our video marketing, too. Now saddle up and make sure you’re in a place where you can LOL†¦ Because these ads are as hilarious as they are brilliant. The Unicorn Of Marketing Videos As I said above, the Harmon Brothers’ video ads generated over $100,000,000 in sales- and that’s just in 2016! Numbers like that should make you quick to attune your marketing antennae and see what they’re doing that works so well. You’re going to find the video (watch it first!), some relevant stats, a script score with explanation, and a structural analysis. Then, we’ll uncover how we can follow suit and put the same methods to our madness†¦ Or maybe madness to our methods? Either way, let’s get rockin’. Squatty Potty: Everyone Loves A Bathroom Joke- Few Can Sell With Them We’re going to study the infamously funny ad for the Squatty Potty. Sure, I could describe the tricky product the agency was tasked with advertising. But I’ll let the unicorn do it instead 🠦„🠍 ¦Ã°Å¸Å'ˆ Let me start by saying this ad spawned a toy  people actually buy. I mean, c’mon. When faced with such a sensitive topic, it’d be easy default to the sterile, science-y route. It’d be safe to have a doctor in a labcoat talk through the benefits of gastrointestinal health whilst tossing up some facts and figures. But not these guys. They tackled this unmentionable issue head on- and to incredible results. In total, this video has garnered over 150,000,000 cross-channel views and a whopping 1,500,000 social shares. On YouTube alone it’s been watched the equivalent of 97 years and shared over 700,000 times. That’s incredible traction. Pro Tip:  You can see the stats of nearly any YouTube video by simply clicking on the â€Å"More† tab below the video, then selecting â€Å"Statistics.† This will generate a chart like the one above. Check it out: Now, let’s demystify some of the magic that makes this video work. We’ll start with their script score. Conversion-Levers Script Scorecard Pain + Promise Score: 5 They continually highlighted the viewer’s current problem, then clearly articulated their product as the easy, breezy, and inexpensive solution. One of the clearest examples is the use of â€Å"before/after.† Or as the good prince says: â€Å"Kink, unkink. Kink, unkink.† At the 1:20 mark, they show a side-by-side with the viewer’s current pain displayed on the left (before) and the solution displayed on the right (after). Comparison Score: 5 Their use of metaphor is superb. From the moment the video begins, the ice-cream-ejecting unicorn is assumes the position of the product’s user. This allows the viewer to see him- or herself using the product in a somewhat charming- rather than nasty- way. It’s a funny, memorable way to explain the product. This is one â€Å"sticky† ad. (Okay, no more puns.) In their book, Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath explain that for an idea (or ad) to stick: It must be easily understood when people hear it. The idea must persist over time and stay with them. And it must change something about how people think or act. This use of the comparison lever certainly accomplishes each. Authority Score: 5 They leveraged authority on four levels in this video: Demonstration Experts Social proof Testimonial Throughout the video, the unicorn is acting as an animated Vanna White  by showing how the product works. It’s a visual demonstration showing the â€Å"science† of why you can trust this product to work. Then, at the 1:53 mark, we see an appeal to experts who apparently endorse the product: Then, about 10 seconds later, we see an example of social proof: The product’s authority is consistently reinforced by credible sources. This is a powerful setup for the CTAs. Entertainment Score: 5 This is the most subjective criterion on this scorecard. However, if you can combine entertainment and  substance, you can crush humdrum competitors with ease. To me, this is the most entertaining ad I’ve ever seen. It tells a story, has a jaw-dropping shock value, and it’s just plain funny. This video harnesses the â€Å"fun† factor of their product. Yes, it solves a universally human problem. But to talk about- and illustrate- it with such cheekiness and charm is where this ad shines. And honestly, I will never forget this image. Ever. Yep. Ice cream will never be the same. Call-to-Action Score: 4 Finally, we have the marketing linchpin: the call-to-action. Without a solid CTA ads are pretty much worthless. In this video, they do a nice job of building up to the CTAs. Without a solid CTA, ads are pretty much worthless.As you’ll see in the structural analysis below, they have two explicit opportunities for the viewer to act. Each is clear, succinct, and compelling. Technically there is a lingering CTA with the â€Å"SquattyPotty.com† button hanging out in the upper-right of the video frame. To strengthen this score, I think they could have included a third, softer CTA that was a quip about price. Something like: â€Å"And $25 isn’t bad for something you use more than your toaster.† (Not great. But you get the point.) In all, though, I thought the two CTAs were solid and compelling. Recommended Reading: How to Write a Call to Action in a Template With 6 Examples Total Overall Score: 24/25 There we have it- a killer score for what will become a legendary marketing video. Structural Analysis Now, let’s take a look at the bones of this video and see where each lever is pulled and how they work together. We’ve broken down the video’s components into a timeline for quick analysis: The big moments are the â€Å"product introduction† and of course the CTAs. The product introduction is the moment when the product (or service) is first introduced. (^I know†¦ A bit obvious.) A couple of points here. First, notice the Squatty Potty itself was introduced roughly 30 percent into the video. It wasn’t explicitly talked about first thing. This is important. Instead, the first third of the video was dedicated to establishing the â€Å"sticky† metaphor and highlighting the viewer’s pain. This makes the video relevant and  relatable. Then, once the pain is clearly outlined, we’re set up with a classic marketing promise that boils down to: â€Å"But what if I told you there’s a better way!† Second, observe that the next 30 percent of the video is dedicated to digging even further into the viewer’s problems. When you read this video’s script (included in your kit inside the swipe file) it’s helpful to see the structure they employ. They walk through the product’s benefits  line-by-line, explicitly relating them to the viewer’s life as a solution to their problem. This is a powerful copywriting device  described  by Brian Clark, founder of Copyblogger, as: â€Å"One of the most repeated rules of compelling copy is to stress benefits, not features.† They adopt a â€Å"[Viewer’s pain] [Product’s benefit that solves this pain†¦]† schema. This way every benefit is given context within the viewer’s daily experience. (When you read the script, count how many couplets you find. Then ask yourself if you can tie your product/service’s benefits directly to your audience’s pain.) Recommended Reading: How to Make a Video Content Marketing Strategy to Boost Your New Series How To Write A Winning Video Script Here’s the kicker. It’s always easier said- or shown- than done, right? Trying to implement new tactics can feel like falling prey to a Pinterest fail. (Source: BoredPanda) So we’re going to walk through each resource in your kit and put these principles into practice. This way we hit everything from project management to implementing the conversion levers to getting ultra-inspired. How To Manage A Scriptwriting Project What do you call it when a blueprint and a military general have a baby? A script. Marketing videos can have quite a few steps and stages. But the lifeblood of any great advertisement is the script. It details exactly what’s going to be said, what it’s going to look and sound like, and how everything will keen in sync. This is where the free Word script template comes in. It’s the file named â€Å"Marketing_Video_Script_Template† in your kit. It looks like this: It’s divided vertically into two columns. The left-hand column is for visual direction such as graphics, cuts, and actions. The right-hand column is for the lines (narration, dialogue, etc.), music direction, and sound effects. Those are a lot of details to manage and keep lined up on paper. But by using a column-based approach, you can keep everything organized and in line. However, the most important part is nailing the content and execution of the project itself. So, I’m going to walk you through how to use to manage a scriptwriting project. The tools we will use are and Google Docs  (or Microsoft Word!). (Btw: snag a free trial  to to follow along if you don’t already have an account!) The lifeblood of any ad is the script.Getting Started The Easy Way When you’re writing a video marketing script, you’re creating much more than a blog post. You’re drafting a battle plan for an entire team to execute on. I’ve managed this process on everything from napkins to whiteboards to apps, but I’ll share my favorite way to do this and keep it within our entire content marketing environment. To begin, make sure you create a brand new project by clicking on the â€Å"+† icon after you’ve logged in to your calendar. Once you start a new project, you’ll be prompted to choose the content type. I like to think long-term on projects with multiple phases. So I’m going to create a new â€Å"Video† project. Even though we’ll be focusing on the script right now, this sets us up for fantastic social video promotion  and analytics  for campaign optimization later. Now we hop into the details. Give your project a title (our headline analyzer  hates me, in this example) and then we’ll start assigning tasks. Let’s say the first sprint of our scriptwriting project has five major steps we want to get moving on immediately: Ideation Storyboarding Drafting Scoring Revision To start, I’ll simply add each of those as a â€Å"Task† and then assign it a person and a due date. Automatically, the assignee will receive a notification they have work to do (and they’ll see the deadline, too). Now our script document (or your template) enters the picture. You will choose how to edit your script content. In this instance, I’m going to use Google Docs. Though you can use a Word Doc and share the file back-and-forth if you’d like. (Here are the directions  on how to convert the Word Doc template into a Google Doc.) I’ll choose â€Å"Google Docs† as the content editor. Then, I will see a dialog that asks me to choose the document. I selected the â€Å"Marketing_Video_Script_Template† document. This means that all of the writing, commenting, and editing can be done in that single document. The nifty part is that will keep all of the aspects of project, task, and document management in a single dashboard. So each time you need to access the working script file, simply click on the link in the content project. Then you can simply assign tasks to each additional team member who will be working on (or reviewing) the video script. Recommended Reading: How to Do Facebook Video Marketing the Right Way How To Score Your Script Now that you have the tracks laid, it’s time to get the train chugging along. Before you or a team member draft a word of your video script, open up the file from your free kit called the â€Å"Conversion_Levers_Script_Scoring_Tool.† This is the scorecard you’ll use to grade the strength of your script. It looks like this: However, instead of writing the script first and then scoring it, I recommend finding the angles for each of them first. In essence, treat each point as a question about your product or service and then answer it. Those answers will then provide the beginnings of an outline for you. By moving this phase to the beginning of your process, you’re mining the raw materials you need to write a masterful marketing script. Here’s how to do this. Structure each lever as a question about your audience, like this: Chances are, you can take this exercise much further for your specific audience than I just did. So use those questions as a jumping point. But when you have each lever accounted for, you can start pulling them! If you start here, it will catapult both the effectiveness and  efficiency of your scriptwriting process. And as a bonus, the best way to do this is to answer these questions as a team. Heck, why not use it as an excuse to get sales and marketing together and let the fireworks fly? Then, after you’ve written the first draft of your script, swoop in with your red pen and score your work. You’ll give yourself a grade of 1–5 for each lever. Then the genius-brain inside of Excel will automatically calculate your script’s overall score. To start, aim for a score of 4+ on each- and settle for nothing less than a score of 18+. The final benefit to this process is you’ll know exactly where your script is weak. This way you don’t face the problem of knowing your script stinks, but not knowing how to fix it! I’ve been there†¦ And it’s no fun :)