The Secret Of Getting By Mark Twain - 1134 Words

Mark Twain once said â€Å"the secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and starting on the first one†. Twain believed that the key to success is to get started and to take one step at a time. However, people often forget that as they focus too much on the end goal. Before one can walk, one must learn to crawl. Before an individual can successfully accomplish a task, the person is required to learn the basic components of the task. They are required to learn the fundamental and essential actions that are required to auspiciously finish the task. Every action contains a series of smaller actions that assist in carrying out the bigger action. People often forget about these smaller steps because they grow accustomed to only thinking about the outcome. However, people are often forced to pay attention to these smaller actions when there s a disruption in performing the end goal. Thus, occupational therapy helps individuals develop, recover, or maintain skills that are required to carry out the smatter steps so individuals can then achieve other things. I intended to become a pharmacist to please my parents who have high expectations for me as the first generation college student in the family. However, during my first semester in college, I realized that it s wasn t for me. I thought that I might end up despondent throughout my career if I became one as I go through the daily routine of working a job. Although, becomingShow MoreRelatedThe Secret Of Getting Ahead Is Getting Started1713 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The secret of getting ahead is getting started.† - Mark Twain Writing imposing stories on a boy by the name of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and the mighty Mississippi River, Mark Twain ventured the American soul with intelligence, optimism, and a keen eye for the truth. He became nothing less than a national treasure (AE Television). Early Life Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born on November 30, 1835, in a minute village of Florida, Missouri, he was the sixth child of Jane and John Clemens. AtRead MoreThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn800 Words   |  4 Pages The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an action-packed adventure about Huckleberry Finn, an extraordinary young boy growing up along the Mississippi River. The author, Mark Twain, established rigid conflict and left his readers in disbelief over some of the occurrences in the book. All adventure long, Huck and his comrades must adapt to keep their dreams alive. Huck becomes a better person from experiencing all the hardships that he endured, whether it is being thankful for his friends or becomingRead MoreHuckleberry Finn Analysis Essay1709 Words   |  7 Pagesis quite like this subject. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel written by Mark Twain, it’s about a boy named Huckleberry Finn, who sets out on a journey to discover his own truth about living free in nature, rather than becoming civilized in a racist and ignorant society. Mark Twain implies that Huck Finn resembles more of what he believes is right rather than what society surmises from him. Twain revea ls this through the themes of satire, racism, and hero’s journey, which he uses constantlyRead MoreViolence And Greed Are Two Themes That Run Rampant Through All Of Huckleberry Finn1471 Words   |  6 Pagesrecalls how his father hasn t been seen in a year and Huck was just fine with that as Pap â€Å"used to always whale [Huck] when he was sober and could get his hands on [Huck]† and Huck would have to hide out in the woods to get away from his father (Twain 113). This skill ends up serving Huck well later, when he has to hide from many other men who are representations of his father. Pap comes out of hiding, only because he heard that his son had come into a large sum of money and he wants it for hisRead MoreMorality In Huck Finn1339 Words   |  6 PagesMorality plays a key role in the decision a person will make in this situation. According to Mark Twain in the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, morals are accumulated through experiences. Huck Finn is a y oung boy who has to make the decision to turn in a runaway slave or protect him from the harsh community they live in. Through his conflict involving his relationships with Jim and society, Twain reveals that morality is formed through experience. Huck’s inner conflict reveals Twain’s attitudeRead MoreThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn600 Words   |  3 Pages The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain’s continuation of Tom Sawyer follows the misadventures of Tom’s friend Huckleberry Finn and a runaway slave, Jim. The story opens with Huck who is living with Widow Douglas and her sister Miss Watson. The sisters are trying to civilize and educate the unwilling Huck who is not happy with his new life of church, school, and manners. Right as Huck is coming to terms with this new lifestyle his drunken, abusive father returns and demandsRead MoreEssay on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: The Individual Supremacy1956 Words   |  8 PagesSpecifically, the author Mark Twain’s great American novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, supports this idea of the American Transcendentalism by revealing the maturation of protagonist Huckleberry Finn to incorporate individual thoughts. Twain employs changing stylistic devices in the three parts of the novel to compel the audience to realize that self-conviction is more favorable than interdependence on external influences. In the first part of the novel, Twain uses a variety of dictionRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain2486 Words   |  10 Pages Mark Twain, legendary American satirist, wrote many bestsellers highly acclaimed throughout the world. The literary establishment recognized him as one of the most influential writers in America since the publication of his masterpiece, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. At first glance, the novel appears quite innocently filled with wild escapades centered on two protagonists who embark on a journey together down the Mississippi River: Huckleberry Finn, an unruly young boy who breaks free fromRead MoreMy I Come From The Wizard Of Oz756 Words   |  4 Pagesyears later, a crossroads in life correlating with the changing world of healthcare, and I find myself more like the Scarecrow than ever before. There are individuals who have something that I haven’t got: a diploma, an MBA. And seeing that I’m not getting any younger, it appears the window of opportunity has opened to transition my professional career in a slightly different direction, to augment my private prac tice of caring for individuals by extending to a role that incorporates population basedRead MoreThemes Of Huckleberry Finn3483 Words   |  14 Pagesbriefly show arguments, and conclusions within the writings of Mark Twain’s story Huckleberry Finn. I will discuss the various themes that Mark Twain is bringing to light within his story. This paper will show how Mark Twain uses those themes within the story, and how they are specifically used. I will also briefly discuss the life of Samuel Clemons, the author known as Mark Twain, and give the reasoning behind choosing the name of Mark Twain when writing his novels. Themes of escapism will be discussed

Essay on The Pent-up Guilt in Macbeth - 1720 Words

The Pent-up Guilt in Macbeth There is hardly any emotion in William Shakespeares tragedy Macbeth that outweighs that of guilt. Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are seriously compromised by the impact of this emotion. Clark and Wright in their Introduction to The Complete Works of William Shakespeare explain how guilt impacts Lady Macbeth: Having sustained her weaker husband, her own strength gives way; and in sleep, when her will cannot control her thoughts, she is piteously afflicted by the memory of one stain of blood upon her little hand. (792) In Fools of Time: Studies in Shakespearean Tragedy, Northrop Frye sees a relationship between Macbeths guilt and his hallucinations: The future†¦show more content†¦The very use of such a tender allusion in the midst of her dreadful language, persuades one unequivocally that she has really felt the maternal yearnings of a mother towards her babe, and that she considered this action the most enormous that ever required the strength of human nerves for its perpetration. Her language to Macbeth is the most potently eloquent that guilt could use. (56) The Tragedy of Macbeth opens in a desert place with thunder and lightning and three witches who are anticipating their meeting with Macbeth. Macbeth is greeted by the witches with hail to thee, thane of Glamis, thane of Cawdor, and thou shalt be king hereafter! When Ross and Angus arrive with news of Duncans reward (He bade me, from him, call thee thane of Cawdor), it is logical for Macbeth to assume that all of the weird sisters prophecies will come true. At this point in the play there is no guilt felt. After the kings announcement that We will establish our estate upon / Our eldest, Malcolm, Macbeth says, The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step / On which I must fall down, or else oerleap, for his scheming is seriously underway. At Inverness in Macbeths castle, his lady anticipates Duncans visit: The raven himself is hoarse / That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan / Under myShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare Is A Well-Known And Recognized English1542 Words   |  7 Pages Shakespeare decided to move to London and took up the role of being an actor and a playwright. It wasn’t until 1594 that he began his career with the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the leading theater company at the time. Shakespeare spent his time pumping out 37 written plays and over 150 poems, which only provoked him into becoming a prominent playwright, figure in his successful work output. Shakespeare didn’t only revert to tragedies such as Macbeth, but combined fascinating plots, strong ch aractersRead More Fate vs. Freedom Essay1046 Words   |  5 Pages Fate may state what will be in ones life however, how that destiny comes about is a matter of mans own choice. In other words, incidents dont occur because our destinies are written. In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare expertly uses the theme of fate vs. free will and raises the pre-eminent question of which holds power over the characters. In Shakespeare’s tragedy, fate is not the cause of his downfall, his own desires and choices prove to be the deciding factor. There are several examples ofRead MoreEssay Discuss the Supernatural in Macbeth.2548 Words   |  11 Pagesin Macbeth, provides for much of the plays dramatic tension and the mounting suspense. In this paper we shall look at some of supernatural elements in the play. Well first talk about the witches. Thunder occurs every time when the witches show up. In Act I sence i, it indicates the theme of discorder. When the witches enter, there is stormy weather. The storm attends the three witches when they are gather to express their exploits. They cast a spell that they are going to meet Macbeth. ThereRead More Macbeth Senior Research Paper1797 Words   |  8 Pagestried to keep up with the people’s needs. In 1605, Shakespeare was being hounded for another work of genius. Hamlet and King Lear had just been completed and the people begged for more. He knew not of what to write and like many playwrights, he did research. He found two stories from Hollinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland. Shakespeare had already taken ideas from Hollinshed for his plays like Henry IV and Henry V. William decided to combine the reign of Macbeth and the murderRead MoreHamlet, Prince Of Denmark1869 Words   |  8 PagesThomas Kyd s Spanish Tragedy. He goes on to challenge the verbal parallelism of theses two texts by strongly supporting Robertson’s view that ‘Shakespeare s Hamlet, so far as it is Shakespeare s, is a play dealing with the effect of a mother s guilt upon her son, and that Shakespeare was unable to impose this motive successfully upon the intractable material of the old play.’ Eliot quite wickedly also asserts a statement: â€Å"far from being Shakespeare s masterpiece, the play is most certainlyRead MoreA Freudian View Of Charles Lamb’s Dream Children: A Reverie1973 Words   |  8 Pageswas old but distinguished from every corner. Lamb used to spend his holidays there as a child and was each time overwhelmed by its beauty and majesty. Mrs. Field often spoke of seeing the apparitions of two small children (a boy and a girl), running up and down the steps of the house at midnight; of which Lamb had no luck of witnessing (probably an innuendo to The Babies In The Wood). He remembers how he used to stroll in the big house with its worn-out curtains and flinging tapestry. He would constantlyRead MoreModern English Macbeth21221 Words   |  85 PagesModern English Macbeth www.nosweatshakespeare.com Modern English Shakespeare resources ebooks Contents About the Author Page 3 Act One Scene One Act One Scene Two Act One Scene Three Act One Scene Four Act One Scene Five Act One Scene Six Act One Scene Seven Page 5 Page 6 Page 8 Page 12 Page 14 Page 16 Page 17 Act Two Scene One Act Two Scene Two Act Two Scene Three Act Two Scene Four Page 19 Page 21 Page 23 Page 26 Act Three Scene One Act Three Scene

Traditional Education free essay sample

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Traditional education, also known as back-to-basics, conventional education or customary education, refers to long-established customs found in schools that society has traditionally deemed appropriate. Some forms of education reform promote the adoption of progressive education practices, a more holistic approach which focuses on individual students needs and self-expression. In the eyes of reformers, traditional teacher-centered methods focused on rote learning and memorization must be abandoned in favor of student-centered and task-based approaches to learning. However, many parents and conservative citizens are concerned with the maintenance of objective educational standards based on testing, which favors a more traditional approach. Depending on the context, the opposite of traditional education may be progressive education, modern education (the education approaches based on developmental psychology), or alternative education. [1] Contents * 1 Definition * 2 Instruction Centre * 3 Marking * 4 Subject Areas * 5 Criticism of the concept of teaching in traditional education| Definition The definition of traditional education varies greatly with geography and by historical period. The chief business of traditional education is to transmit to a next generation those skills, facts, and standards of moral and social conduct that adults deem to be necessary for the next generations material and social success. [2] As beneficiaries of this scheme, which educational progressivist John Dewey described as being imposed from above and from outside, the students are expected to docilely and obediently receive and believe these fixed answers. Teachers are the instruments by which this knowledge is communicated and these standards of behavior are enforced. [2] Historically, the primary educational technique of traditional education was simple oral recitation:[1] In a typical approach, students sat quietly at their places and listened to one student after another recite his or her lesson, until each had been called upon. The teachers primary activity was assigning and listening to these recitations; students studied and memorized the assignments at home. A test r oral examination might be given at the end of a unit, and the process, which was called assignment-study-recitation-test, was repeated. In addition to its overemphasis on verbal answers, reliance on rote memorization (memorization with no effort at understanding the meaning), and disconnected, unrelated assignments, it was also an extremely inefficient use of students and teachers time. This traditional approach also insisted that all students be taught the same ma terials at the same point; students that did not learn quickly enough failed, rather than being allowed to succeed at their natural speeds. This approach, which had been imported from Europe, dominated American education until the end of the 19th century, when the education reform movement imported progressive education techniques from Europe. [1] Traditional education is associated with much stronger elements of coercion than seems acceptable now in most cultures. [citation needed] It has sometimes included: the use of corporal punishment to maintain classroom discipline or punish errors; inculcating the dominant religion and language; separating students according to gender, race, and social class, as well as teaching different subjects to girls and boys. In terms of curriculum there was and still is a high level of attention paid to time-honoured academic knowledge. In the present it varies enormously from culture to culture, but still tends to be characterised by a much higher level of coercion than alternative education. Traditional schooling in Britain and its possessions and former colonies tends to follow the English Public School style of strictly enforced uniforms and a militaristic style of discipline. This can be contrasted with South African, USA and Australian schools, which can have a much higher tolerance for spontaneous student-to-teacher communication. citation needed] Instruction Centre | | Topic| Traditional approach| Alternate approaches| Person| Teacher-centred instruction: * Educational essentialism * Educational perennialism| Student-centred instruction: * Educational progressivism| Classroom| Students matched by age, and possibly also by ability. All students in a classroom are taught the same material. | Studen ts dynamically grouped by interest or ability for each project or subject, with the possibility of different groups each hour of the day. Multi-age classrooms or open classrooms. [3]| Teaching methods| Traditional education emphasizes: * Direct instruction and lectures * Seatwork * Students learn through listening and observation[4]| Progressive education emphasizes: * Hands-on activities * Student-led discovery * Group activities| Materials| Instruction based on textbooks, lectures, and individual written assignments| Project-based instruction using any available resource including Internet, library and outside experts| Subjects| Individual, independent subjects. Little connection between topics[3]| Integrated, interdisciplinary subjects or theme-based units, such as reading a story about cooking a meal and calculating the cost of the food. | Social aspects| Little or no attention to social development. [3] Focus on independent learning. Socializing largely discouraged except for extracurricular activities and teamwork-based projects. | Significant attention to social development, including teamwork, interpersonal relationships, and self-awareness. | Multiple tracks| * A single, unified curriculum for all students, regardless of ability or interest. Diverse class offerings without tracking, so that students receive a custom-tailored education. * With School to work, academically weak students must take some advanced classes, while the college bound may have to spend half-days job shadowing at local businesses. | Students choose (or are steered towards) different kinds of classes according to their perceived abilities or career plans. Decision s made early in education may preclude changes later, as a student on a vo-tech track may not have completed necessary prerequisite classes to switch to a university-preparation program. Student and teacher relationship| Students often address teachers formally by their last names. The teacher is considered a respected role model in the community. Students should obey the teacher. Proper behavior for the university or professional work community is emphasized. | In alternative schools, students may be allowed to call teachers by their first names. Students and teachers may work together as collaborators. | Marking Topic| Traditional approach| Alternate approaches| Communicating with parents| A few numbers, letters, or words are used to summarize overall achievement in each class. Marks may be assigned according to objective individual performance (usually the number of correct answers) or compared to other students (best students get the best grades, worst students get poor grades). A passing grade may or may not signify mastery: a failing student may know the material but not complete homework assignments, and a passing student may turn in all homework but still not understand the material. | Many possible forms of communicating achievements: * Teachers may be required to write personalized narrative evaluations about student achievement and abilities. Under standards-based education, a government agency may require all students to pass a test; students who fail to perform adequately on the test may not be promoted. | Expectations| Students will graduate with different grades. Some students will fail due to poor performance based on a lack of understanding or incomplete assignments. | All students need to achieve a basic level of education, even if this mean s spending extra years in school. | Grade inflation/deflation| Achievement based on performance compared to a reasonably stable, probably informal standard which is highly similar to what previous students experienced. The value of any given mark is often hard to standardize in alternative grading schemes. Comparison of students in different classes may be difficult or impossible. | Subject Areas Topic| Traditional approach| Alternate approaches| Mathematics| Traditional mathematics: * Emphasis is on memorization of basic facts such as the multiplication table and mastering step-by-step arithmetic algorithms by studying examples and much practice. * One correct answer is sought, using one standard method. * Mathematics after elementary grades is tracked with different students covering different levels of material. Mathematics is taught as its own discipline without emphasis on social, political or global issues. There may be some emphasis on practical applications in science and te chnology. | * Curriculum de-emphasizes procedural knowledge drills in favor of technology (calculators, computers) and an emphasis on conceptual understanding. * Lessons may include more exploratory material supportive of conceptual understanding, rather than direct presentation of facts and methods. * Emphasis may be on practical applications and greater issues such as the environment, gender and racial diversity, and social justice. Mathematics lessons may include writing, drawing, games, and instruction with manipulatives rather than filling out worksheets. [5] * Lessons may include exploration of concepts allowing students to invent their own procedures before teaching standard algorithms. * Grading may be based on demonstration of conceptual understanding rather than entirely on whether the final answer is correct. * In some countries (e. g. the United States), there may be expectations of high achievement and mastering algebra for all students rather than tracking some student s into business math and others into mathematics for math and science careers. Science| Fact-based science: Science class is an opportunity to transmit concrete knowledge and specific vocabulary from the teacher (or textbook) to the students. Students focus on memorizing what they are told. Experiments follow cookbook-style procedures to produce the expected results. | With Inquiry-based Science a student might be asked to devise an experiment to demonstrate that the earth orbits the sun. The emphasis changes from memorizing information that was learned through a scientific method to actually using the scientific method of discovery. Language learning| Phonics: The focus is on explicit training in sound to letter correspondence rules and the mechanics of decoding individual words. Students initially focus on phonics subskills and reading simplified decodable texts. When they have mastered a sufficient number of rules, they are allowed to read freely and extensively. (In many languag es, such as French, Spanish and Greek, phonics is taught in the context of reading simple open syllables. )| With whole language the child is exposed to rich, relevant language that can heighten motivation to read. Learning to read is assumed to be as natural as learning to speak, so students are not formally taught sound to letter correspondences, but assumed to infer them on their own. (Note that this issue is limited to languages such as English and French with complex phonetics and spelling rules. Instruction in countries with languages such as Spanish and Greek, which have relatively simple phonetic spelling, still depends mainly on phonics. )| Criticism of the concept of teaching in traditional education Traditional education focuses on teaching, not learning. It incorrectly assumes that for every ounce of teaching there is an ounce of learning by those who are taught. However, most of what we learn before, during, and after attending schools is learned without it being taught to us. A child learns such fundamental things as how to walk, talk, eat, dress, and so on without being taught these things. Adults learn most of what they use at work or at leisure while at work or leisure. Critics argue that most of what is taught in classroom settings is forgotten, and much of what is remembered is irrelevant.

Half Essay Example For Students

Half Essay BrainedYour brain has two sides. And each has a distinctly different way oflooking at the world. Do you realize that in order for you to read this article,the two sides of your brain must do completely different things? The more weintegrate those two sides, the more integrated we become as people. Integrationnot only increases our ability to solve problems more creatively, but to controlphysical maladies such as epilepsy and migranes, replace certain damaged brainfunctions and even learn to thin into the future. Even morestartling is evidence coming to light that we have become a left-brain culture. Your brains right and left side have distinctly different ways of looking atthe world. Your two hemispheres are as different from each other as, oh, MichealWilson and Shirley Maclean. The left brain controls the right side of the body(this is reversed in about half of the 15 percent of the population that isleft-handed) and, in essence, is logical analytical, judgemental and verbal. Its interested in the bottom line, in being efficent. The right brain controlsthe left side of the body and leans more to the creative, the intuitive. It isconcerned more with the visual and emotional side of life. Most people, if theythought about it, would identify more with their left brain. In fact, many of usthink we are our left brains. All of that non-stop verbalization that goes on inour heads is the dominant left brain talking to itself. Our culture-particularly our school system with its emphasis on the three Rs (decidedlyleft-brain territory) effectively represses the intuitive and artistic rightbrain. If you dont believe it, see how far you get at the office with the rightbrain activity of daydreaming. As you read, your left-side is sensibly makingconnections and analysing the meaning of the words, the syntax and other complexrelation- ships while putting it into a language you can understand. Meanwhile, the right side is providing emotional and even humerous cues,decoding visual information and maintaining an integrated story structure. Whileall of this is going on, the two sides are constantly communicating with eachother across a connecting fibre tract called the corpus callosum. There is acertain amount of overlap but essentially the two hemispheres of the brain arelike two different personalities that working alone would be somewhat lackingand overspecialized, but when functioning together bring different strengths andareas of expertise to make an integrated whole. The primitive cave personprobably lived solely in the right brain, says Eli Bay, president ofRelaxation Response Inc., a Toronto organization that teaches people how torelax. As we gained more control over our environment we became moreleft-brain oriented until it became dominant. To prove this, Bay suggests:Try going to your boss and saying Ive got a great hunch.Chances are your boss will say, Fine, get me the logic to back itup. The most creative decision making and problem solving come about whenboth sides bring their various skills to the table: the left brain analysingissues, problems and barriers; the right brain generating fresh approaches; andthe left brain translating the into plans of action. In a time of vastchange like the present, the intuitive side of the brain operates so fast it cansee whats coming, says Dr. Howard Eisenberg, a medical doctor with adegree in psychology who has studied hemispheric relationships. The leftbrain is too slow, but the right can see around corners. Dr. Eisenbergthinks that the preoccupation with the plodding left brain is one reason for theanalysis paralysis he sees affecting world leaders. Good leaders dontlead by reading polls, he says. They have vision and operate to acertain extent by feel. There are ways of correcting out culturaloverbalance. Playing video games, for example, automatically flips you over tothe right brain Bay says. Any a rtistic endavour, like music or sculpture,will also do it. In her best-selling book Drawing on the Right Sideof the Brain (J.P. Tarcher Inc., 1979), Dr. Betty Edwards developed a series ofexercises designed to help people tap into the right brain, to actually see orprocess visual information, differently. She cites techniques that are as old astime, and modern high-tech versions such as biofeedback. An increasing number ofmedical professionals beieve that being in touch with our brain, especially theright half, can help control medical problems. For examplem Dr. Eisenberg useswhat he calls imaginal thinking to control everything from migranesto asthma, to high blood pressure. We have found, he says,that by teaching someone to raise to raise their temperature by imagingthey are sunbathing or in a warm bath they can control their circulatorysystem and terefore the migrane. Knowledge of our two-sided brain began inthe mid-1800s when French neurologist Paul Broca discovered that injur ies tothe left side of the brain resulted in the loss of speech. Damage to the rightside, however did not. Doctors speculated over what this meant. Was the brainschizophrenically divided and non-communicative? In the early 1960s, Nobel Prizewinner Dr. Roger Sperry proved that patients who had their corpus callosumsevered to try and control epileptic seizures could no longer communicatebetween their hemispheres. The struggle can be seen quite clearly in thepostoperative period whe the patient is asked to do a simple block design. Thisis a visual, spacial task that the left-hand (controlled by the right brain inmost of us) can do very well but the right hand (controlled by thelanguage-oriented left brain) does poorly. The right hand may even intervene tomix up the design. Some people with epilepsy can control their seizures byconcentrating activity on the hemisphere that is not affected. In the case ofleft lobe epilepsy, this can be done by engaging in a right-brain activity suchas dr awing. One intriguing question is why we have two hemispheres at all?In biology you always have the same thing on one side as the other ears,lungs, eyes, kidneys, etc. explains Dr. Patricia De Feudis, director ofpsychology at Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga, Ont. But with thebrain there is more specialization. You can have something going on one side andnot not be aware of it in the other. Our knowledge of the brain is generalis only beginning. We know even less about how the hemispheres operate, Gettingin touch with how the two sides work can only do us good, if just to keep usfrom walking around half-brained.