Literature Has Much More Value Than Television Essay -- Argumentative

Literature Has Much More Value Than Television It may go without saying that there are those who will never study, appreciate, or even perhaps consider literature as it is known in academic circles. There are those for whom the written word may have, at best, utilitarian purposes, and for whom any piece of writing beyond a technical manual should, at least, be a work of â€Å"non-fiction,† designed to impart a clearly stated morsel of information or worthy opinion. Part of the explanation for this may coincide with the same general reason that some people never consider religion: the proponents of literature – as is sometimes the case with the proponents of religion – sometimes themselves make their cause a used-up, weary, and trying thing, and may remove from it all the beauty and potential which it might, in the proper hands, convey. Arguably, much like religion, literature has a transcendent value, and fulfills an essentially universal need, in every human being. After all, even the most ardent opponent of the usage of literature in his or her own life embraces forms which complete virtually the same need within him; that is, myths, folklore, stories, movies, television, and even song, occupy essentially the same place and function as literature in the human person, albeit in a form often immeasurably more crude. And, as hotly debated as the following may be in the milieu of post-modern and relativist academic circles, the need to convey truths and explore the human person through story and myth may reach its most sophisticated form in literature. That, of course, raises the implied debate as to just exactly what constitutes literature. If poems and theater can be properly called â€Å"literature,† can not film, or popular s... ...evision, and now, following in their footsteps, much written â€Å"literature,† seek mostly to entertain, to lull viewers into a comfortable despondency and create a sense of need for consumption, all of which perpetuates the success of these mediums. The vacuous lack of effort required of the viewer by television points to the factor that may simultaneously be literature’s greatest value and its most daunting hurdle to many potential readers. That is, literature invites readers, at its best, to learn a new set of codes and means of digesting language and tales; it may require, as in (for example) opera, learning an entirely foreign collection of meanings, linguistic cues, symbols, and, in effect, a new kind of listening. But those who seem to most appreciate opera, much like those who seem to most appreciate literature, swear that the payoff is well worth the toil. Literature Has Much More Value Than Television Essay -- Argumentative Literature Has Much More Value Than Television It may go without saying that there are those who will never study, appreciate, or even perhaps consider literature as it is known in academic circles. There are those for whom the written word may have, at best, utilitarian purposes, and for whom any piece of writing beyond a technical manual should, at least, be a work of â€Å"non-fiction,† designed to impart a clearly stated morsel of information or worthy opinion. Part of the explanation for this may coincide with the same general reason that some people never consider religion: the proponents of literature – as is sometimes the case with the proponents of religion – sometimes themselves make their cause a used-up, weary, and trying thing, and may remove from it all the beauty and potential which it might, in the proper hands, convey. Arguably, much like religion, literature has a transcendent value, and fulfills an essentially universal need, in every human being. After all, even the most ardent opponent of the usage of literature in his or her own life embraces forms which complete virtually the same need within him; that is, myths, folklore, stories, movies, television, and even song, occupy essentially the same place and function as literature in the human person, albeit in a form often immeasurably more crude. And, as hotly debated as the following may be in the milieu of post-modern and relativist academic circles, the need to convey truths and explore the human person through story and myth may reach its most sophisticated form in literature. That, of course, raises the implied debate as to just exactly what constitutes literature. If poems and theater can be properly called â€Å"literature,† can not film, or popular s... ...evision, and now, following in their footsteps, much written â€Å"literature,† seek mostly to entertain, to lull viewers into a comfortable despondency and create a sense of need for consumption, all of which perpetuates the success of these mediums. The vacuous lack of effort required of the viewer by television points to the factor that may simultaneously be literature’s greatest value and its most daunting hurdle to many potential readers. That is, literature invites readers, at its best, to learn a new set of codes and means of digesting language and tales; it may require, as in (for example) opera, learning an entirely foreign collection of meanings, linguistic cues, symbols, and, in effect, a new kind of listening. But those who seem to most appreciate opera, much like those who seem to most appreciate literature, swear that the payoff is well worth the toil.

Deception Point Page 98

Jesus Christ. The controller looked back at the deck. Delta-Two still hung in the Triton's claws, but now the sub was suspended over a gaping hole in the deck. His feet dangled over the void. All Tolland had to do was release the claws, and Delta-Two would be next. â€Å"Okay,† the controller barked into the CrypTalk. â€Å"Hold on. Just hold on!† Rachel stood below on the deck and stared up at the Kiowa. Even from this height the controller sensed the resolve in her eyes. Rachel raised the CrypTalk to her mouth. â€Å"You still think we're bluffing?† she said. â€Å"Call the main switchboard at the NRO. Ask for Jim Samiljan. He's in P A on the nightshift. I told him everything about the meteorite. He will confirm.† She's giving me a specific name? This did not bode well. Rachel Sexton was no fool, and this was a bluff the controller could check in a matter of seconds. Although the controller knew of no one at the NRO named Jim Samiljan, the organization was enormous. Rachel could quite possibly be telling the truth. Before ordering the final kill, the controller had to confirm if this was a bluff-or not. Delta-One looked over his shoulder. â€Å"You want me to deactivate the jammer so you can call and check it out?† The controller peered down at Rachel and Tolland, both in plain view. If either of them made a move for a cellphone or radio, the controller knew Delta-One could always reactivate and cut them off. The risk was minimal. â€Å"Kill the jammer,† the controller said, pulling out a cellphone. â€Å"I'll confirm Rachel's lying. Then we'll find a way to get Delta-Two and end this.† In Fairfax, the operator at the NRO's central switchboard was getting impatient. â€Å"As I just told you, I see no Jim Samiljan in the Plans and Analysis Division.† The caller was insistent. â€Å"Have you tried multiple spellings? Have you tried other departments?† The operator had already checked, but she checked again. After several seconds, she said, â€Å"Nowhere on staff do we have a Jim Samiljan. Under any spelling.† The caller sounded oddly pleased by this. â€Å"So you are certain the NRO employs no Jim Samil-â€Å" A sudden flurry of activity erupted on the line. Someone yelled. The caller cursed aloud and promptly hung up. Onboard the Kiowa, Delta-One was screaming with rage as he scrambled to reactivate the jamming system. He had made the realization too late. In the huge array of lighted controls in the cockpit, a tiny LED meter indicated that a SATCOM data signal was being transmitted from the Goya. But how? Nobody left the deck! Before Delta-One could engage the jammer, the connection from the Goya terminated on its own accord. Inside the hydrolab, the fax machine beeped contentedly. CARRIER FOUND†¦ FAX SENT 121 Kill or be killed. Rachel had discovered a part of herself she never knew existed. Survival mode-a savage fortitude fueled by fear. â€Å"What was in that outbound fax?† the voice on the CrypTalk demanded. Rachel was relieved to hear confirmation that the fax had gone out as planned. â€Å"Leave the area,† she demanded, speaking into the CrypTalk and glaring up at the hovering chopper. â€Å"It's over. Your secret is out.† Rachel informed their attackers of all the information she had just sent. A half dozen pages of images and text. Incontrovertible evidence that the meteorite was a fake. â€Å"Harming us will only make your situation worse.† There was a heavy pause. â€Å"Who did you send the fax to?† Rachel had no intention of answering that question. She and Tolland needed to buy as much time as possible. They had positioned themselves near the opening in the deck, on a direct line with the Triton, making it impossible for the chopper to shoot without hitting the soldier dangling in the sub's claws. â€Å"William Pickering,† the voice guessed, sounding oddly hopeful. â€Å"You faxed Pickering.† Wrong, Rachel thought. Pickering would have been her first choice, but she had been forced to choose someone else for fear her attackers had already eliminated Pickering-a move whose boldness would be a chilling testimony to her enemy's resolve. In a moment of desperate decision, Rachel had faxed the data to the only other fax number she knew by heart. Her father's office. Senator Sexton's office fax number had been painfully engraved into Rachel's memory after her mother's death when her father chose to work out many of the particulars of the estate without having to deal with Rachel in person. Rachel never imagined she would turn to her father in a time of need, but tonight the man possessed two critical qualities-all the correct political motivations to release the meteorite data without hesitation, and enough clout to call the White House and blackmail them into calling off this kill squad. Although her father was most certainly not in the office at this hour, Rachel knew he kept his office locked like a vault. Rachel had, in effect, faxed the data into a time-lock safe. Even if the attackers knew where she had sent it, chances were slim they could get through the tight federal security at the Philip A. Hart Senate Office Building and break into a senator's office without anyone noticing. â€Å"Wherever you sent the fax,† the voice from above said. â€Å"You've put that person in danger.† Rachel knew she had to speak from a position of power regardless of the fear she was feeling. She motioned to the soldier trapped in the Triton's claws. His legs dangled over the abyss, dripping blood thirty feet to the ocean. â€Å"The only person in danger here is your agent,† she said into the CrypTalk. â€Å"It's over. Back off. The data is gone. You've lost. Leave the area, or this man dies.† The voice on the CrypTalk fired back, â€Å"Ms. Sexton, you do not understand the importance-â€Å" â€Å"Understand?† Rachel exploded. â€Å"I understand that you killed innocent people! I understand that you lied about the meteorite! And I understand that you won't get away with this! Even if you kill us all, it's over!† There was a long pause. Finally the voice said, â€Å"I'm coming down.† Rachel felt her muscles tighten. Coming down? â€Å"I am unarmed,† the voice said. â€Å"Do not do anything rash. You and I need to talk face-to-face.† Before Rachel could react, the chopper dropped onto the Goya's deck. The passenger door on the fuselage opened and a figure stepped out. He was a plain-looking man in a black coat and tie. For an instant, Rachel's thoughts went totally blank. She was staring at William Pickering. William Pickering stood on the deck of the Goya and gazed with regret at Rachel Sexton. He had never imagined today would come to this. As he moved toward her, he could see the dangerous combination of emotions in his employee's eyes. Shock, betrayal, confusion, rage. All understandable, he thought. There is so much she does not understand. For a moment, Pickering flashed on his daughter, Diana, wondering what emotions she had felt before she died. Both Diana and Rachel were casualties of the same war, a war Pickering had vowed to fight forever. Sometimes the casualties could be so cruel. â€Å"Rachel,† Pickering said. â€Å"We can still work this out. There's a lot I need to explain.† Rachel Sexton looked aghast, nauseated almost. Tolland had the machine gun now and was aiming at Pickering's chest. He too looked bewildered. â€Å"Stay back!† Tolland yelled. Pickering stopped five yards away, focusing on Rachel. â€Å"Your father is taking bribes, Rachel. Payoffs from private space companies. He plans to dismantle NASA and open space to the private sector. He had to be stopped, as a matter of national security.† Rachel's expression was blank.

Who Am I as a Learner

SECTION  ± A1. Who am I as a Learner? I am passionate to learn new things in an interesting way. I am a quick learner of theories andconcepts if it is delivered through visuals and demonstrations. I would prefer to learn in a practical way rather than reading books, articles and journals. However, I am a good survivor in nature. S o, if in case I would have to learn through books and articles I could do thateffectively. I believe in learning through a mix of theory and practice. S ometimes I may get bored if I am only into theories and not in practice. I am interested in learning complexthings, simple things may make me bored.I believe in learning through group discussion, as Icould share the knowledge easily and in a communal way. I am very analytical and creativein nature. I feel writing is a good learning practice. W riting refines the learned materials. My strengths in learning are, I am always eager to solve difficult problems and learnsomething new from those problems. I feel making assignments is a better practice rather than exams. However, I am good in tackling exams as well. W hen I do assignments, Iexperience a lot of questions rising and it makes me interesting to find answers for thosequestions.I would prefer to find the answers through a podcast or a video file rather than books. I like to read learn through visuals. I am good in relating things, when I learn anyfundamentals I could use it properly in a difficult situation. I am always eager to knowsomething new and interested in keeping me updated in the area where I ¶m interested in. Icould quickly understand when someone explains about hard theories. I always try to learnsomething from people I meet. My weak points are, sometime I may get bored in reading books, articles and journals. However, some articles are interested in reading but not all.S ometimes I cannot concentrateon things which I am not interested in. But, if I am forced to do that I will probably makemyself concentrating in to that. S ometimes, I don ¶t understand difficult concepts by reading books; I may need lectures or visual explanations. V ARK learning style test: Multimodal study strategy A ccording to VA RK results I am into multimodal study strategy, VA RK result says that,? Multimodal study strategy people have 3 to 4 mode of preferences, in which they use theone according to the people around them. They could easily match or align their mode to the thers around them.But if they want to annoy other people then they could stand in adifferent mode and make others do in an alternate way?. W hen I am looking into the VA RK report, it exactly resembles my mode of learning. I have 4modes of learning one is V isual, Oral, Reading and W riting. However, I would prefer to usevisual mode most of the time. But if the circumstance made me to use another mode I wouldreadily adopt other mode without wasting the time. VA RK says that people who havemultimodal preferences have told that it is often essential for them to use more than onestrategy to learn better and communicate better.People with multi modal strategy feelinsecure if they have only one mode of learning. Mental muscle test Briggs type Indicator states about my personality type as ENFJ that is I am a kind of personwho always seek to build up and encourage growth in my friends and family. I may have aintellect potential about them that may broaden away from how they see themselves. I alsotry to find out the potential within relationships or the team. But, I never push the people sohard that ends up creating conflicts, because maintaining the harmony is very important for me.I agree with the Briggs type indicators report. I always believe in relationships andfriendships that make everything easy. I never try to get into any conflict that spoils therelationship as relationship is more important for me. It also states that my dominant functionis feelings and very extraverted, I don ¶t agree with the above statement completel y. S ometimes I may be feelings oriented person but sometimes I am just material minded. Itdepends upon the situation where I am in. If I am working in a company I won ¶t be feelingoriented, rather I will be a professional. Leadership style MM DI report says that I am primarily a participative leader. S uch leaders accomplish through people, through collective involvement, through teamwork in the tasks. This kind of leadership involves constructing communal ownership and promise within the group. Theseleaders create people feel valuable as an essential part of the team so, everyone accomplishesthe goals through relationships and teamwork. I agree with the above statement as I always been a part of the team and I am good in motivating people towards the goal of the companyas a colleague. I believe I can be a good leader in future.It also shows that the chance for meto grow in ministry is higher than the senior position. The personality radar shows that my preferences match more lik ely towards the area of Organization, action, information, innovation, change and values kind of jobs. Even Theanalysis position is a more like to be my best area of preference and it matches my profile. Roles that suite my personal nature Belbin ¶s Report states that in a role of a plant I am creative, unorthodox, and imaginative andsolves difficult problem. A s discuses in the previous areas I am creative and imaginative innature.I could solve difficult problems. However, I have some weakness which I allowable but I need to improve it that is ignoring incidentals. It states that I am very much pre-occupied with my own beliefs to communicate easily. That ¶s correct, whenever I want todiscuss something important I won ¶t act pre-occupied. However, in normal cases, I amalways pre-occupied. This is a barrier for me to learn something from people whom I am notmuch interested in. In the role of resource investigator I am extrovert, communicative, enthusiastic and developgood conta ct.But I am a bit more positive, and I lose interest on a particular thing once theinitial enthusiasm has passed. A fter that I need something new. S o, I would prefer to go for avery dynamic job that keeps me enthusiastic always. A s a coordinator I behave morematured, confident, I do clarify goals, and take other people jointly to encourage teamdiscussions. I am a thoughtful and analytical person. It offers me a extraordinary advantage inthe position of an adviser. It helps me advice to others or as evaluator of outside assets.Iwould anticipate being well aware about things that happening and I would like to work in aclear picture. But not so greatly to the particular technological capability as to my wideinterest in all that is happening. W hen it comes to operating at a less senior level or in dealing with everyday issues I mayfind it more difficult to achieve job satisfaction. The work may not be mentally stimulatingenough. A nother danger is that I may find myself operating in too confined a space thatdenies me the chance to prove myself. I could find myself criticised for not doing enough ona practical front.That will depend partly on the expectations of the person to whom I report. Much depends on whether I am in a job that is cast with suitably broad terms of reference. If not, I will need to take action to change the frontiers of my job or even to seek a moresuitable position My ultimate functioning role is an examiner. In professional terms, it gets close to a role of detective. My questioning mind can be strength for improvement. S o, any job I may prefer, Iwant to be a energy for getting better what exist there. 2. Implication of career choice I have chosen my career in travel and tourism industry. A it is an interesting field and myfamily background is in the same industry itself. I have a vision to grow up in the ladder toreach an executive position. I am planning to enhance my leadership skills, managing skillsand personal abilities to become a chief executive of a multinational company in travel andtourism industry. S o, based on that plan I have chosen my graduation in travel and tourism. Ialready have work experience in the same industry. W hile I was working in my previouscompany I felt that I am lacking of some managerial personality. S o I decided to learn thosemanagerial tactics through this course.I have chosen travel and tourism as my key subject asthis degree is going to help me in the future career development. Life-long learning plan In have a mixed set of learning plan in the future. First of all I am planning to learn some of the major international languages such as S panish, Italian, Chinese and German. A s traveland tourism has world wide scope and learning international languages may enrich my C V and increase my job opportunities in this field. I would like to learn about various culturesand behaviour of different people from different backgrounds.That may enable me tounderstand various people in the wo rk place as well as in personal life. A fter completing my graduation I am planning to work for 2 years to gain more experience in package tours. Then I am planning to do masters in travel and tourism that may enhance mycareer opportunity in a senior level. The mix of practical experience and academics willenrich my knowledge in the travel and tourism sector. I am also planning to do some researchin people behaviour and tourism to gain more in-depth knowledge about the field. Transferable skillsI am going to take the academic theories and concepts that I have studies in this course into practice. A ccording to Honey and Mumford (1992) report I am a pragmatist ¶s person who isalways keen on trying out ideas, techniques and theories to see if they work in practice. I can positively search ideas and I could take the initiative to experiment with applications. People like me are enthusiastic management students brimming with new ideas to implement and seethe effects in practice. I lik e to take practical decisions and solving problems. I really think that there is always a better way and if it works then its good.S o, I could promise that I will take the theories and concepts to the real world and experimentit to identify the effectiveness of the concepts. S pecifically in the strategic planning subject Igained the confidence that I could evaluate a company ¶s strategy and I could develop newstrategic choices that the company could pursue in future. I learnt to use appropriate toolswherever required. S o, I can say that I will use these managerial tactics in real business. Career choice Travel and Tourism is my passion and I would like to choose my career path in the sameindustry.I have previous experience in this industry and I feel I really enjoy the job. I justneed to polish my skills and abilities in making strategic decisions and day to daymanagement activities. I feel this course helped me a lot in gaining knowledge about themanagerial aspects and decisio n making. I would like to raise my qualification to a senior level executive in future. I will build my personal and academic skills to suit that position. A sI am a multimodal learner and a participating leader, I could easily mingle with people andmotivate others towards teamwork. I hope my career will flourish through the path I havechosen