Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Madness of Lear & Edgar

Madness is considered to be the root of all endings. In addition, the overall mental and physical state of madness is seen as shameful to many people, as well as disrespectful to oneself and others. With that being said, the motif of madness one thing that no man wants to experience. But in Shakespeare’s King Lear, madness appears in various forms and functions as the central theme, and leads many of the characters, including Lear himself, to their demise. In the beginning of the play, Lear is characterized as a very prideful individual, who is obsessed with power and self-love.But as the plot of the play progresses, numerous situations arise and Lear endures a rollercoaster of emotions, which ultimately shape him into a different person. Lear’s overall changes throughout the play all have something in common: a decrease in power and an increase in grief and sympathy. Each obstacle that Lear goes through pushes his pride more and more towards self-pity and sadness, whic h are emotions that a King of his stature is not used to having to deal with.Through his perspective at this point, he fears that he is going mad, and Lear is so obsessed with control that the thought of losing it all makes him believe that he is losing his sanity as well. However, after he constantly gets pushed to experience self-evaluation with each situation. Lear undergoes a rebirth, even though it is too late for the King at this stage of the play. Another character in King Lear, Edgar, also endures the play’s central theme of madness, but in a different way.Edgar feigns his insanity to stay alive, by disguising himself as the beggar â€Å"Poor Tom†, in order for his father, Gloucester, to accept him after Edmund, Gloucester’s illegitimate son, tricks their father into thinking that Edgar is a madman and wants to murder his father. Edgar fames madness throughout the play and disguises himself as the madman that Edmund has betrayed him to be, since at the t ime the insane were virtually invisible to society. Ironically, Edgar’s time as a supposedly insane beggar prepares him to defeat Edmund at the close of the play.Shakespeare uses both of these characters to mirror and contrast one another’s states to madness and to illustrate the play’s deeper meanings. While Edgar pretends to be mad, Lear is actually mad. Edgar stimulates insanity and foreshadows Lear’s madness, as it grows stronger throughout the play. The two end up joining, and it ultimately provides Lear with important wisdom by reducing him to his bare humanity, stripped of all royal pretentions. However, the real madness ofLear and the assumed madness of Edgar both play against one another to make out of the chaos a harmony in the kingdom through self-revelation, wisdom, and humility. Eventually, the madness comes to an end. Edgar unveils his disguise of madness and overthrows Edmund, while Lear’s madness leads to his demise. Overall, Shakes peare delves into the issues of age, power, lust, betrayal, and most of all, pure madness. The play shines a light on various faults in humanity, including self-indulgence and the desires to only think about oneself. In the end, greed and egotism can really only result in madness.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Partisan Control of Redistricting Essay

Redistricting is forming new boundaries of the state due to population change which might have increased or reduced due to certain factors such as immigration and migration. A country or state decides to modify its current districts to try and balance the population. This helps in distribution of countries resources in a fair manner thus improving the countries welfare. Though redistricting helps the country to check on the welfare of its citizen it can be disadvantageous if used in the wrong manner. It is evident that most districts of a country are formed by the legislators of the government and they may tend to use this opportunity to their advantage. A countries democracy can be affected by the Partisan redistricting process, it may be negatively or positively influenced since this process of redistricting can increase or decrease election competition. From the states where Partisan redistricting is evident most of the party members stay in power for a long period of time because they are always re-elected due to lack of competition, thus the Partisan control of redistricting is responsible for the uncompetitive nature of election. As I explain my theory I will constantly refer to the state of America to base my argument because Partisan control of redistribution is highly evident and well displayed there. Partisan control of redistricting is highly influenced politically and the majority boundaries formed are created so as to benefit the legislators during the election time. The districts created are inhabited mostly by the supporters of the legislatures . Therefore during the elections the legislators will have an advantage over any opposing force that may come up since he has the majority’s votes. For instance in America the majority of people who reside in one district is either republicans or Democrats. In such a case less opposing forces will rise thus contributing to uncompetitive elections. This is because even if more parties rise up they will all end up supporting the current incumbent therefore all campaigns will be geared into one direction and thus no competition in the elections will rise up. This can be seen in the 2004 US elections where approximately 98% of the incumbents won back their seats and only 5% lost their seats to the opposition. In California many parties had come up but all ended up supporting the incumbent . There was not enough force to oppose him thus the elections were not competitive. In Indiana between 1992 and 2002 all the incumbents won back their 32 US seats . This is opposed to Abramowitz, Alexander and Gunning’s theory that the Parisian control of redistricting in America has not contributed to the uncompetitive nature of the elections. They say that the Parisian redistricting has not affected the decreased the election competition but other factors such as geographical influences which include migration and immigration and lack of a good financial ground to carry out campaign effectively is what has caused the uncompetitive nature of the elections . Most of the district formed are inhabited by a majority of citizens who have the same preference on the party they support, thus are satisfied with their congress and legislative constitution. Therefore none of them will have the need of electing another incumbent or forming opposing powers against the incumbent. This shows that there will be no competition during the campaign and thus the nature of uncompetitive elections is depicted. This can be proved by the gerrymandering theory, of legislatures using the redistricting process in their own favour to win elections . McDonald also supports my theory that redistricting has greatly contributed to uncompetitive nature of the elections. He says that redistricting has born many people who support the incumbent and thus decrease the number of votes of the others who oppose the incumbent . Lack of competition at the lower levels of elections like the local election for councils is another factor that supports my argument that the Partisan control of redistricting has contributed to uncompetitive elections. There are limited electoral seats to be campaigned for and those present support the incumbent. Thus no competition will be forthcoming and that is why most of the councils are re-elected back into their positions. In America the election of the councils is in fact the least competitive and no considerable attention is given to them since their outcome is always known to the extent that some of the council elections are not carried out. The Partisan control of redistricting influenced the inhabitants in a district to either be supporters of the Republican or Democrats. This has drawn a sharp line between districts. Citizens in a certain district prefer to vote for the current incumbent because he is their preference rather than compete with to run him down and take his seat. They do this so as to maintain their reputation of being either Republican or Democrat supporters and do not vote according to their preference. In the long run there is minimal campaign competition in the district thus the overall reduction in the election competition . Schleicher wrote an article giving the dangers brought about by lack of competitive elections caused by the Parisian redistricting system. I also tend to support him because the system harmed the democracy of the America state by ignoring the rights and wants of the minority voters such as creation of more job opportunities in the district are not recognized, this is because majority of the inhibitors of the districts have the same party preference and will not vote to get their wants fulfilled but will vote to retain the incumbent whom they support. Also reforming the district is a real nuisance since this initiative will not be supported by the voters as by reforming one will be changing the districts mechanism to retain the incumbent they want . In Ohio many reform actions have come up but all have been shut down because it is either the republican or democrat leader who has the minority voter turnout who comes with the effort but is shun down by the other counterpart who has the most votes. For example in the year 2005 many organization came together and formed the Reform Ohio Now (RON) movement to reform Ohio. This movement constituted mainly Democrats and very few Republicans. The move was not welcomed by the voters since the present incumbent was a Republican and therefore the majority votes came from the Republican supporters . To be able to increase election competition redistricting should be done putting into account the population of the district and the citizens needs so as to distribute the wealth of the country evenly and in a fair manner that considers everyone without considering which party or who they support. Also a new organization that will form the new districts should be elected and they should not be politically influenced or should not be linked with politics at all. This will enable fair districts which will exhibit high competition during the election to be formed, thus enabling democracy of a country or state to prevail. The period in which redistricting is done should be extended to be a long period probably after ten years to prevent the boundaries of the districts being changed to suit the desires or preference of the person forming them. This will also in the long run create competition during elections as the inhibitors of the district will have known their preference and when voting will vote wisely to be represented by an incumbent who will listen to their woes and carry out his activities in a way that he will enable him to full fill his voter’s needs. Word Count: 1272 Bibliography Abramowitz, Alan, Brad Alexander and Matthew Gunning. 2006. Don’t Blame Redistricting for Uncompetitive Elections. PS: Political Science and Politics 39 (January): 87-90 Butler, David, and Bruce . E. Cain. 1992. Congressional Redistricting: Comparative and Theoretical Perspectives. Macmillan: New York. Jacobson, Gary . C. 2001. The Politics of Congressional Elections. Longman: New York. McDonald, Michael . P. 2004. A Comparative Analysis of U. S. State Redistricting Institutions. State Politics and Policy Quarterly. Monmonier, Mark. 2001. Bushmanders and Bullwinkles: How Politicians Manupilate Electronic Maps and Census Data to Win Elections. University of Chicago Press: Chicago. New York Times. 2004. Elections With no Meaning. February 14, A-14. Owen, Guillermo, and Bernard N. Grofman, 1998. optimal partisan Gerrymandering. Political Geography Quarterly 7 (1): 5-22. Stonecash, Jeffrey . M. , Mark . D. Brewer and Mack . D. Mariani. 2003. Diverging Parties: Social Change, Realignment and Party Polarization. Westview Press: Boulder, CO.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Sony Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8250 words

Sony - Coursework Example The diverse product and brand line of Sony Corporation makes it one of the most versatile entertainment businesses in the world, aiming to satisfy a vast portion of the target market (Sony, 2014). Despite the fact that Sony Corporation’s research and development initiatives differ from that of other businesses in the industry. Unlike its competitors, Sony utilizes its research and development initiatives to diversify the product offering and at the same time, keep the business portfolio flexible in order to cover up the loss of one business from the profits of other businesses. Due to the environment established within the organization that promotes long-term commitment with the organizational goals and objectives, employees consider it an honor to serve the conglomerate for a longer period. The management at Sony Corporation is also responsible for supporting and motivating newly hired employees and interns to put their best efforts towards making the business the most successful business in the world (Global Data, 2014). The business structure of Sony Corporation stands on the different pillars termed as Strategic Business Unites (SBU), which is a multidivisional format of carrying out business practices in the modern world. By operating these SBUs, Sony Corporation aim at adopting a diversification strategy at corporate level and further divide the SBUs in 3 levels of business communication flow which are as following: These entire 6 SBUs of Sony Corporation have further sub-divisions that are responsible for taking care of different aspects of production and marketing of different products. It should be noticed here that each sub-division of Sony Corporation is interlinked from the viewpoint of shared products and services but the sub-divisions nothing in common with each other. The headquarter of the business in Tokyo is primarily responsible for looking after the financial and business level aspects of each SBU, but the SBUs

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Proposal finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Proposal finance - Essay Example With further analysis indicating that the pecking order theory additional explanatory power as compared to trade off- or marketing theory, interest in the impact of financing and capital structure decisions on project and firm value needs discernment now than before. The recent financial crisis is an opportunity to study the impact of financial shock on capital structures. The relationship between capital structure and the value of firms remains an issue attracting considerable debate (Harrison & Widjaja, 2013). Historically, debate has focused on the relevance of optimum capitals structures to an individual firm’s value. However, recent findings show that firms should center on maximizing value through capital structures or financial leverage decisions considering their impact on the value of firms. This assertion forms the background of this study, which the researcher hopes will help companies forge a way forward in their capital structure decisions. The study will employ a descriptive and qualitative research method to investigate behavior occurring in this non-contrived situation. In contrast, a comprehensive literature review will aid in gathering information and summarizing literature on eventual yields. The research will also employ a structured questionnaire to collect data from company managers. The literature is meant to unearth information gaps on the research topic while the questionnaire will investigate current expectations of the industry. The sample defines the target population chosen for this study, picked through random sampling. The study will select ten capitalistic firms using a simple random sampling technique. The study will include managers as well as employees from the firms in the sample. The proposed sample size is 10 managers and 30 employees. Data analysis begins from the literature review and extends to the onset of the interviews. It then continues to its end. After data collection, the researcher will deduce

Discussion on How Much (if any) Americanism is Still the Operational Essay

Discussion on How Much (if any) Americanism is Still the Operational Theology of the Catholic Church in the United States - Essay Example f these new opinions is that, in order to more easily attract those who differ from her, the Church should shape her teachings more in accord with the spirit of the age and relax some of her ancient severity and make some concessions to new opinions†. But he adds, â€Å"From the foregoing it is manifest, beloved son, that we are not able to give approval to those views which, in their collective sense, are called by some "Americanism." But if by this name are to be understood certain endowments of mind which belong to the American people, just as other characteristics belong to various other nations, and if, moreover, by it is designated your political condition and the laws and customs by which you are governed, there is no reason to take exception to the name† (Concerning New Opinions). The pope has impressed the importance of keeping close to the faith irrespective of the Americanism in the Catholic Church in the United States. It is typical of someone in the United States to have the church appreciate modernism and seek to modify beliefs and order of service according to modern styles and practices. This is bound to happen because as the pontiff points out, â€Å"The underlying principle of these new opinions is that, in order to more easily attract those who differ from her, the Church should shape her teachings more in accord with the spirit of the age and relax some of her ancient severity and make some concessions to new opinions† (Concerning New Opinions). The average American has a high sense of purpose. He will work hard enough to even lose his life in the pursuit of goals and achievements. However, he wants privileges and perks. He does all these because the American culture is such. The American is geared to achieving goals and getting things done. He has a questioning mind and will not shy away from questioning the clergy on the interpretation of God’s word. Hence, the spirit and system with which the Catholic Church works in other parts of the

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Accounts Manipulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Accounts Manipulation - Essay Example It is a rosier picture that what it actually is. Window-dressing is accomplished in general ways - by not making adequate provisions though prudence would require them for expenses and potential losses, by taking into account income even before its actual accrual, by playing around with inter-corporate adjustments etc."Security analysts earn their money basically in part, by advising investors of both private and institutional organizations on how to invest their funds. They may judge some companies to have good future prospects which are not fully reflected in the company's share price; therefore, their recommendation will be to buy the company's shares. Alternatively, they may judge other companies to have poor future prospects which are not reflected in their share prices; therefore, their recommendation will be to sell the company's shares. While security analysts carry out their own independent research into companies they can come to different conclusions about a company's futu re prospects. However, in most cases there tends to be a reasonable degree of consensus in these forecasts (simon, 1998)"."The primary purpose of financial statements is to show the underlying economic performance of a company. The balance sheet provides a snapshot of the assets, liabilities and capital of the business; and the income statement, or profit-and-loss account, shows the difference between total revenues and total expenses. The auditors analyze and assure that these present a fair view, acknowledging the subjective nature of some of the measures behind the accounts (Economist.com, 2002)". Financial statements are prepared for the purpose of presenting a periodical review or report on progress by management and deal with the status of investment in the new business and the results achieved during the period under review. They reflect a combination of recorded facts, accounting conventions and personal judgements, and the judgements and conventions applied affect them materially. The soundness of the judgement necessarily depends on the competence and integrity of those who make them and on their adherence to the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and Conventions. Since each use of accounts may have a different focus in viewing the financial statement, it is necessary that the accounting statements are not biased in favour of anyone interested group. It is therefore, necessary for an accountant to ensure that the accounts represent a "true and fair" picture of the affairs of business. It may be often difficult to draw a clear line between true and untrue, and fair and unfair accounts; yet if the accountant prepares the financial statements free from any bias in favour of any user group and remains faithful to his self - conscience, chances are that the accounts thus prepared will be true and fair. As accou7ntants are human and prone to errors there would be the probability that the accounts presented are indeed less than true and fair. A reader of accounts must therefore, develop sufficient capability to see through such accounts or read between the lines to offset the biased presentation of accounts. The case of WorldCom The concept of evolution of WorldCom as a company happened in the year 1983 in Mississippi. The person behind this evolution is Bill Fields. He named the company as Long Distance Discount Services (LDDS). After some years the company was renamed as WorldCom. Since then the company grew step by step and transformed itself as a giant in the telecommunication world. The company is famous for its acquisitions of a number of small companies. The company landed in stage where no further large scale acquisitions were allowed by the

Friday, July 26, 2019

Process Improvement Application Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Process Improvement Application - Assignment Example a) What is a QI story? A quality improvement story is a seven-step procedure whose main purpose is to improve business processes.  b) Discuss several reasons for using a QI story.  i) It enables the company to clearly define the problems that may be wrong with their products and to open ways for other areas to be exploitedii) The QI story also enables the company to analyze, with a considerable level of confidence, the extent to which their goods and/or services satisfies their customers and the cost effectiveness of their operations.   c) List the basic steps of a QI story. A QI story comprises of the following basic steps:i) Developing theme – the definition of the problem that is to be solvedii) Scheduling – a time plan on how these ten steps will be completediii) Accessing of current conditions -   involves the determination of the current process effectiveness and efficiency based on available factsiv) Performing cost-effective analysis – involves se eking the factors that must be changed to improve the situation.v) Verifying cause – this is designed to prove that the factors identified are indeed the causes of the present conditions.vi) Formulating countermeasures – this step involves formulation of changes that will act on the factors to improve the processvii) Assessing countermeasure effectiveness – this is a test of the countermeasures to with the aim of ensuring that the expected improvements does happen as planned

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Performance and reward management systems at Nestl Australia Ltd Research Paper

Performance and reward management systems at Nestl Australia Ltd. (NAL) - Research Paper Example (NAL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Nestlà © Company of Vevey, Switzerland. NAL operates 14 factories throughout Australia, employs 5,000 people and generates sales of A$2 Billion/annum. It manufactures and markets a diverse range of products from Maggi sauces and powders to Milo powdered beverage modifiers. â€Å"Nestlà © Australias objective is to implement policies which promote the best utilisation of its human resources in order to ensure optimum productivity and efficiency while also satisfying and meeting employees needs and expectations†. The words of NAL’s CEO Graham Campbell resonate throughout the organisation on a daily basis. This is particularly true of the department that is at the centre of employee engagement and utilisation: Team HR. The HR department within NAL consists of approximately 65 professionals spread out across all factories, distribution centres and the Head Office located in the Sydney suburb of Rhodes. Team HR is lead within Australia by the HR Director, who reports directly into the CEO of NAL. In the words of Jennifer Jones (HR Business Partner or HR BP, NAL) â€Å"The purpose of the Human Resources (HR) team is to increase Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s competitive advantage through People - by having engaged and talented individuals at the right place at the right time, driving business success†. Team HR consists of 3 distinct groups: 3. Centres of Excellence (CoE) in recruitment, talent and capability, reward & remuneration and employee relations. These are specialised sections of Team HR that focus on one area of knowledge and expertise. As one of the six core business units within NAL, the Human Resources department is involved in all stages of the development of the organisations’ business strategies. According to Jennifer Jones (HR BP, NAL), â€Å"The level of involvement of HR personnel in determining the goals and objectives for each of the business units is very impressive and certainly greater than any organisation I

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

The life and affect of St.Thomas Aquinas Research Paper

The life and affect of St.Thomas Aquinas - Research Paper Example Some claim that the family acquired the name Aquinas from the small Italian town they lived in. Saint Thomas was an exceptional and extraordinary man, who rose above all human challenges to become what he became. The writings and teachings of Saint Thomas were and will be of great impact to humankind. Though he lacked much appreciation, Thomas came to recognition roughly three hundred years ago, when they realized that he was the greatest and most influential catholic teachers of all time (Anonymous). Saint Thomas was so influential that despite his existence many centuries ago, some of his hand written work exist to date and are available in libraries. As such, this paper will provide a description of the life and affect of St. Thomas Aquinas otherwise referred to as a biography. Early life His father was Landulph Aquinas the count of Aquino and his mother Theodore the countess of teano. The Italian family of Aquino was linked to several royals of Europe like Fredrick II and Henry V I. Despite being related to the royals, the Aquino family was poor and lacked all the glory that royalty brings along. Saint Thomas had eight siblings and the family youngest child, and the sixth son of the Aquino. Saint Thomas was of light complexion, big bodied and impressive physique. Like any other human being, Thomas had a thunderstorm phobia or in other words great fear of thunderstorms. This transpired after Thomas witnessed lightning killing his little sister one night and this experience lived with him forever (Schmitz 12). Thomas had a normal life as a child though it halted when he was taken to Monte Casino when he was only nine years old. Education Saint Thomas Aquino left of the abbey of Monte Casino to enroll in religious education when he was only nine years of age. This was the norm or tradition of those early days. Saint Thomas stayed at the abbey until he was 13 years old, the time he left for Naples University to further his religious education. He excelled tremen dously and it is in the university where he explored both the natural and metaphysical work of Aristotle. At the age of nineteen years, Saint Thomas secretly joined the Dominican monks, who were enlisting young scholars at the time. In 1244, young Saint Thomas was ordained and a huge crowd of people attended the big ceremonial event. The good news spread everywhere like bush fire and eventually the family of Saint Thomas leant about the event (McInerny and O'Callaghan). They were very annoyed and thus when they strategized to bring him home despite the family’s state of poverty. They tried all possible means of retrieving their son from the clutches of the Dominicans and even went further to consulting the pope to no avail. As the family was inventing other strategies to kidnap him, Saint Thomas left for Rome at a very short notice and the family was shocked. However, despite his relocation to Rome, his brothers who were in the imperial army captured him. His brothers took hi m to a family castle and imprisoned him for almost two years. The family of Saint Thomas then grasped the chance to discourage and dissuade him from resuming to the Dominican institution. His brother even went ahead and brought him a prostitute into the prison so as to tempt him, but Saint Thomas drove her away holding on in his faith. While still in prison Saint Thomas did not stop studying and learning in his own. His

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Data Analysis, Conclusion, and Plan of Action (recommendation) Essay

Data Analysis, Conclusion, and Plan of Action (recommendation) - Essay Example One of the most popular studies has been undertaken by Skinner, which focuses on the issue of punishment and motivation. According to his argument, when a person is made to undergo a punishment, then they reflect upon their actions and try to mend their behavior in a manner that is more acceptable to the society. However, skinner further clarifies that one should teach good behavior through positive reinforcement. Consider the clip system as part of the ‘Intervention strategy’, which constituted thinking and formulation of a set of rules. Under an experiment, students in a class were made to develop a strategy to wait for their turn to recite a poem. While there were initial problems ranging from interruptions to a noisy classrooms to students disrespecting each other, inducing a sense of motivation into students to present a high five clip to the student at the start of a turn helped in bringing an order into the system where every student soon waited for their turn. As such, through the use of motivation, it can be seen that rules can be formulated gradually. Skinner’s study on operant conditioning in 1938 was to establish of positive reinforcement, which he believed helped maintain the desired behavior in a very effective manner. Parents and teachers make use of the concept of rewarding young children to help manage their behavior. Examples in this regard would be to give sweets or mark stars for a pupil who scored the highest grades in a particular subject or exam. Harry Wong has deduced that students tend to learn the best in a controlled environment when the number of rules is kept between 3 to 5, which helps students to remember them with ease. By devising a small set of tangible rules, students were able to practice their decision making abilities on the basis of these rules and make the necessary changes in an effort to accommodate themselves into the new rule based system. Another technique under behavioral psychology is self

Monday, July 22, 2019

Meaning Behind the Mark Essay Example for Free

Meaning Behind the Mark Essay Humans have ordained their bodies with tattoos for thousands of years. These permanent and artistic marks have always had a personal meaning. The beautiful marks that were so carefully and meticulously etched onto the skin have served many purposes. The tattoo showed signs of love and inspiration while others were used to ward off danger or to protect the human from certain dangers. Some people view tattoos as unnecessary marks on the human body, while others believe the tattoo represents life, death, and inspiration. The very first documented tattoo was found on a frozen mummy in today’s Maori. The mummy was 5,200 years old. Tattoos were also discovered on ancient female mummies in Northern Egypt. At first archeologists thought the mummies were slaves or servants to royalty but, the mummies were located in a queen’s tomb. The mummies had tattooed symbols throughout the body. Speculation among the archeologists was said to be that the tattoos are a healing power and were put on the body were it hurt. The mummies in the tomb are also documented to have small dots all over the abdomen and a tattoo of a small figurine on the tops of the thighs. The small figurine is believed to be that of the Bes God. Bes is the protector of women during labor. The women would tattoo a web like design all across their abdomens and down the pubic area when they became pregnant. It is written that by doing this it would keep them and their unborn child safe during pregnancy. (Lineberry, 2008). Along with the Egyptians several other cultures took up the art of tattooing. Woman in Borneo tattooed symbols on their forearms to indicate the skill that they were good at. If a woman wore the symbol to show she was a basket weaver, her status of marriageable material increased. Markings that were placed along the wrist and around the fingers were thought to ward off any illnesses. Greeks used tattoos to identify spies and normally the marks would indicate rank. Tattoos were also used to identify slaves who were owned by certain Roman families and the Romans also used tattoos to mark criminals. Unfortunately, this practice of marking criminals is still practiced today. Century after century tattoos continued to be an integral part of society. It was not until the late 1800’s that tattoos were seen in the U. S. and even then tattoos were mainly used by the American Indians. Native American Indians used tattoos as a way of recognizing tribe members. Tattoos were also used for spiritual reasons. â€Å"In America, the earliest records of tattoos come from ship logs, letters, and diaries written by sailors in the early 19th century. The most popular designs in traditional American tattooing evolved from various artists who traded, copied, swiped, and improved on each other’s works. † ( Vanishing tattoo, 2008). Soldiers and sailors who fought in both world wars used the various symbols. â€Å"Most of the designs represented courage, patriotism; defiance of death, and a longing for loved ones left behind. (Vanishing tattoo, 2008). During the Civil war several tattoo artists found employment in Washington, D. C The best-known tattooist of the time was a man from Germany named Martin Hildebrandt; he began his career in 1846. Martin Hildebrandt traveled a great deal and was welcomed in both Union and Confederate camps. Martin Hildebrandt establish ed what is to be considered the first American tattoo studio in 1870, in New York City. Another famous tattooist is Samuel O’reilly, he invented the first electric tattoo machine. Overnight tattooing in the USA was revolutionized. Vanishing tattoo, 2008). In America tattoos continued to gain popularity. Body ornamentation was spreading among western societies. Working class men wore tattoos primarily as a symbol of tough masculine pride. In the 1950s and 1960s the hippie movement turned to Asian tattooing techniques as personal expression of spiritual and mystical aestheticism. In 1970 the young generation of the punk movement used tattoos as symbols of rebellion in a political protest against society’s strict structure and values. In the eighties there was a decline in the percentage of men and women getting tattoos. This was primarily because tattoos were frowned upon. This trend of tattoos being unpopular continued until the 21st century where, tattoos today are considered body art. The continued popularity of tattoos has placed tattooists in the category of â€Å"fine artists. † (Tattoo you, 2008). As with any fad there comes’ a downside, for certain individuals who chose to get tattoos for personal reasons or self expression there are those who chose to use tattoos as a form of rebellion. Teenagers view tattoos as a way to rebel against their parents. With teenagers their impressionable minds can take one look at all the young and upcoming celebrities and if a teenager was to see a tattoo on their role model it might just be one excuse to rebel. A different point of view on tattoos would be gangs. Gangs will tattoo members with numbers or words to show status or rank. Gang members who are in prison will get a tattoo to show other prisoners exactly what gang they belong to. Former gang members who have found religion often will sport a tattoo of a cross or the word â€Å"Jesus† and the day, month, and year they were saved. Walker, R, 2007). Individuals whose religion is important to them have also branched out and have gotten tattoos. There is a new Christian movement where young adults are getting the letters WWJD tattooed on them. In addition, the Celtic cross is making a comeback among people with an Irish decent. Among those who get a tattoo for inspiration or self expression, there are those few individuals who will go to no end to transform themselves into something completely different. Dennis Avner a. k. a. Stalking Cat, has transformed his body into a tiger literally. On his website Avner tells his story of why he has dedicated his life to follow his heritage. His parents were of Horon and Lakota tribes and after talking to a Native chief, who reportedly had told him to â€Å"follow the way of the tiger,† Avner did just that. In 1985 he left his job as a sonar submarine technician for the Navy and began his journey. Avner has spent up towards $200,000. 00 dollars to have his whole body tattooed with black and orange strips. His teeth and nails have been filed down to emulate that of the tiger. Avner also had metal rods implanted into his cheeks so during the day he can attach whiskers. Avner said his â€Å"life long dream of reaching his goal of becoming a tiger will be complete after he gets skin grafts of real fur applied to his own skin. † (Avner, 2007). Dennis Avner is not the only individual to have had extensive body tattooing. A tattooed hermit known as the Leopard man is really named Tom Leppard. Tom Leppard who lives in Isle of Skye lives in complete solitude only going to town once a month for supplies. Tom Leppard told BBC television in a rare interview that â€Å"I spent too long in the forces, 20 years. I can not mix with ordinary people any more†. (Leppard, 2007). Tom Leppard is completely covered from head to toe in leopard spots. He is according to Guinness World records is the world’s most tattooed man. There are those individuals who use tattoos as a way to make a living for instance, the â€Å"Enigma† is a man who is tattooed from head to toe in a blue puzzle pattern and he works in side shows in a traveling circus. Another performer â€Å"The Lizard man† is covered head to toe in green scales, has had plastic surgery on his face so it resembles that of a lizard, and he had his tongue surgically cut to be forked like a snake. The Lizard man works in Las Vegas as a performer. Today tattoos can be seen in every culture whether it is a little butterfly or a whole body tattoo. Tattoos continue to grow in popularity and in the future tattoos may hold a purpose other than just art. Scientists in Germany are exploring the option of delivering a new generation of experimental DNA vaccines more effectively by using tattoos rather than standard injections into the muscle. â€Å"Delivery of DNA via tattooing could be a way for a far more widespread commercial application of DNA vaccines†, said Martin Mueller of the German Cancer research center of Heidelberg. In the experiment no ink is actually used. The scientists use the tattoo machine its self o inject the vaccines. The vibrating needle penetrates the muscle deeper than a regular hypodermic needle making for a more effective method although more painful. Tattoo vaccines will not be for everyone but, will be valuable for delivering certain therapeutic vaccines to fight cancer or other serious conditions, where some pain is acceptable. ( Mueller, 2008). Also in the future Philips electronics are working on advance technology that reacts to the human touch. Sensors are applied to various parts of the body and when certain emotions are triggered the sensors react and a tattoo is made across the body. This interactive method is being designed with couples in mind. There will always be some individuals who view tattoos as unnecessary, while others will use tattoos as a way to show self expression, rebel against a parent, or to completely transform themselves. Tattoos in the future may hold the key as a way to better deliver life saving treatment. In the future tattoos can help in hance a couple’s sexuality. No matter what tattoos are used for there will always be a meaning behind the mark.

How to end a relationship Essay Example for Free

How to end a relationship Essay Ending a relationship is one of the hardest processes in the development of any bond between two friends. Ending a relationship especially when it is intimate is the most difficult thing to do. Starting a relationship is far much easier than bringing it to a close. Most relationships have ended in violence ( verbal and otherwise) and sometimes even in suicide or murder because most people are unable to cope with the pain associated with it. Most people would prefer suffering than parting ways with their friends or potential life partners. Before ending a relationship it is very important first to do a critical analysis of the reasons of ending the relationship and be certain that the only solution to the problems is calling it quits all together. Therefore one should think twice before making emotional decisions that will back fire much later. (Pushpa Pal Singh) After being certain of ending the relationship, it is equally important to prepare adequately of what you are going to say and the reasons of terminating it, this will help in facing the other partner who is bound to enquire of the reasons. (Pushpa Pal Singh) Ending a relationship can sometimes be dangerous and may result to physical assault, therefore you should strive as much as possible to remain calm and not let emotions drive you. (Pushpa Pal Singh) Ending a relationship also calls for the use of the right approach; this means that you should not use the phone, note or email to end it, being available physically would suffice because you would meet the other partner face to face and avoid the danger of being stalked or confronted that may result to physical attack. (Pushpa Pal Singh) Finally, as much as possible the relationship should not end on a harsh note; rather strive as much as possible to remain friends. Therefore the process should be some sort of relief for you and your partner when the relationship ends on a happy note. It is imperative to assure your partner that ending the relationship will not interfere with you remaining friends and you are going to keep in touch. (Pushpa Pal Singh) Works Cited Pushpa Pal Singh: How to end a relationship in 4 ways: Retrieved on 20th May 2008 from http://EzineArticles. com/? expert=Pushpa_Pal_Singh

Sunday, July 21, 2019

John Kenneth Galbraith Biography

John Kenneth Galbraith Biography Archibald Galbraith, a Canadian schoolteacher, once climbed onto a platform atop a  steaming pile of manure to address a group of Liberal party voters before the coming Ontario  elections. â€Å"Before I begin,† he said, â€Å"I must apologize for speaking from the Tory platform.†Ã‚  Later on, his teenage son, John Kenneth, would congratulate him on the dig, to which he  [Archibald] would respond, â€Å"It was good. But it didn’t change any votes.† (Arthur Scheslinger,  1984, p. 7) So, from an early age, John Kenneth Galbraith was between the world of politics and  pragmatism.   John Kenneth Galbraith was born in 1908. His father’s involvement in politics had a  profound impact on the young John Kenneth, politicizing him at an early age. He originally  studied Agricultural Economics at the Ontario Agricultural College, but would eventually say  that he took his first â€Å"real† economics course at UC Berkeley, and that the economics instruction  in Canada was â€Å"very poor† (Dunn, 2002, p. 350). As a graduate student at UC Berkeley, he  continued his study of agricultural economics and worked as a research assistant for a â€Å"very zany  old man by the name of Edwin Voorhies† (Kreisler, 1986). He stated that it was his study of  agricultural economics that left him with a strong feeling that â€Å"social science should be tested by  its usefulness,† an idea inspired by Veblen’s dichotomy between exoteric knowledge (knowledge  that is valuable and applicable) and esoteric knowledge (knowledge tha t has no practical  application, but because of that, is considered more â€Å"prestigious†). Galbraith believed that social  sciences should be exoteric, not esoteric. In his book Economics and The Public Purpose,  Galbraith develops this idea further, saying, â€Å"The ultimate test of a set of economic ideas is  whether it illuminates the anxietes of the time† (Galbraith, 1973, p.198). In the 1930’s, while Galbraith was studying to receive his Ph. D, it was clear that  economic theory was not addressing the anxietes of the time. Economists were struggling to  explain how free markets had led the United States to economic ruin. One in four Americans  were jobless. Production had all but ground to a halt. Obviously, there were egregious errors in  the accepted dogma, which stated that free markets left to their own devices would bring about  efficiency and employment. Galbraith said that his method of coming to an understanding was to  Ã¢â‚¬Å"for years†¦start with [Alfred] Marshall, see the world as it is, and make the requisite  modifications† (Dunn, 2002, p. 351). Upon graduating, Galbraith traveled to Washington D.C.  and took a position assisting with the implementation of the Agricultural Adjustment Act, before  taking a position as a tutor at Harvard. At Harvard, he made speeches supporting the reelection of Roosevelt, cement ing his initial ties with the Democratic party. Not long after, he was offered  a fellowship at Cambridge, where the discussions centered around Keynes, who had just published his General Theory of Employment, Money, and Interest (Dunn, 2002, pp. 350-355).   Galbraith returned from England to his tutor position at Harvard a confirmed Keynesian. He spent a few more years tutoring at Harvard (where he met John F. Kennedy) and then took a  job as resident economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation in Washington. Galbraith’s  observation of the farm industry solidified his belief in the power of government to move  industries forward. In 1930, farm households accounted for a quarter of the population, whereas  today they account for only 1% of the population and yet on the whole, they now produce more  than they did in 1930. This is due to strong government support of the farming industry. That  national planning could â€Å"transform a weak, disorganized, and poverty prone sector of the  economy into America’s most spectacular productive success†¦preserved his political concerns†Ã‚  (Arthur Schlesinger, 1984, p. 8). Galbraith became head of the Office of Price Administration in  1941 during World War II, and at the same time began his long career as a ghostwriter, penning  spe eches for Samuel Rosenman and Robert Sherwood (Arthur Schlesinger, 1984, p. 8). Galbraith then became editor of Fortune magazine, where he worked directly for Harry  Luce, founder of Time Inc., whom he called â€Å"one of the most ruthless editors I have ever known,  or anyone has ever known† (Kreisler, 1986). Galbraith has credited Luce with dramatically  improving his writing via ruthless editing. Galbraith credited Fortune with giving him a  Ã¢â‚¬Å"marvelous introduction to the corporate mind,† because the focus of the magazine at the time  was â€Å"the anatomy of the big corporations† (Dunn, 2002, p. 353). The decision making processes  of major corporations would be a recurring phenomenon that he would write about in many of  his publications. Galbraith returned to Academia in 1948, having spent five years as editor of Fortune. He  was nominated to a position teaching economics at Harvard. However, members of Harvard’s  board of overseers regarded him as a â€Å"dangerous Keynesian,† and as a result, â€Å"took the step,  almost unprecedented in modern times, of blocking the appointment† (Dunn, 2002, p. 353). However, Galbraith had many political allies, and among them was Harvard’s president, James  B. Conant. Conant was such a fan of Galbraith that he threatened to resign unless the board of  overseers backed down. Eventually they did, and Galbraith became a tenured professor at  Harvard. It was then that he began work on his first major bestseller, American Capitalism: The  Concept of Countervailing Power. Galbraith begins his discussion of capitalism in America by pointing out the following  conundrum: Mainstream economic theory asserts that in the case of monopoly, prices will rise,  business will screw consumers, fail to innovate, and as a result, the economy will be in bad  shape. He then notes the work of Joan Robinson in developing the idea of monopolistic and  oligopolistic competition, noting that oligopolistic industries behave in the same way as  monopolies would, and through informal agreements can have the exact same effect. Then, using  the actual data collected by the American government, he shows that the majority of industries  are in fact oligopolistic. But he goes even further than that, saying that almost all industries will  eventually become oligopolistic for the following reasons: At the birth of an industry,  competetion is necessary and possible, as no firms have clear and significant advantages yet. But  over time, it will become increasingl y difficult to enter the industry because of the barriers to  entry created by high capital requirements and increasing returns to scale. At the same time that  increasing returns to scale start to set in (as they inevitably do), existing firms will also gain the  advantage of experience and prior organization. The convergence of these factors leads, in most  cases, to an industry with a few power players and a larger but still relatively small number of  hangers-on, who exist by filling niches that aren’t worth the time of the large firms. Galbraith poses a question in American Capitalism, and before getting to that question, it  is important to get a sense of the context in which he asks it. After World War II, America was  experiencing incredible prosperity. But underlying this prosperity was the fear of depression. The  Great Depression was still fresh in the collective consciousness, and the average man’s faith that  capitalism would bring about efficiency and full employment was shaken. And yet, as the years  after the war progressed, things were stable and employment was plentiful. It is also important to  note that the era of non-depression Keynesianism was beginning, and much to the chagrin of the  business community, government was becoming a much more participatory force in markets. The business community was reacting violently against this expansion of government, claiming  that it was a complete disaster, wasteful to the very extreme and bound to cripple growth. The  state of the American economy in the 1950’s then was that of big government, near-ubiquitous  monopoly or oligopoly, and an underlying fear of depression. Yet, by almost any measure, the  economy was a success. The problem, according to Galbraith, was that, â€Å"in principle, the economy pleased no  one; in practice it satisfied most. Social inefficiency [government spending], unrationalized  power [monopoly and oligopoly], intrusive government [regulation], and depression were all  matters for deep concern. But neither liberal nor conservatives, neither the rich nor all but the  very poor, found the consequences intolerable† (Galbraith, 1954, p. 85). What fascinated  Galbraith was how an economy which was so flawed in theory could work so well in practice. The question he asked was: Why are things so†¦well†¦good? Thus, he states that his aim in  American Capitalism is to â€Å"examine in turn the circumstances that have kept social inefficiency,  private power, government intervention, and unemployment from ruining us in the recent  present† (Galbraith, 1954, p. 85). The first answer that he gives is that oligopoly is much more conducive to techonological  innovation than classical competetion. â€Å"There is no more pleasant fiction than that technical  change is the product of the matchless ingenuity of the small man forced by competition to  employ his wits to better his neighbor. Unhappily, it is a fiction,† he says. â€Å"Technical  development has long since become the preserve of the scientist and engineer† (Galbraith, 1954,  p.86). His argument is that due to the costliness of development, it can only be undertaken by a  firm with considerable resources. In highly competitive industries, no one firm has considerable  resources. Moreover, because innovations can easily be imitated, it is not economical for a small  competitive firm to bear the research and development costs for an entire industry. Galbraith then turns his keen eye to the idea of inefficiency. He deals with this issue by  asserting that America’s relative opulence shields us and is moreover a cause of such  inefficiency. At the time that the classical economists were writing, an opulent economy had yet  to be observed. For Malthus and Ricardo, â€Å"inefficiency was, indeed, an evil thing. It denied  bread to the hungry and clothing to the naked† (Galbraith, 1954, p.102). The true power of  Galbraith’s insight is his ability to point out the obvious. He criticizes his fellow economists for  bringing the mentality of the nineteenth century, with all its poverty and degradation, to the  opulent twentieth century. Galbraith finds this error both amusing and absurd, saying, â€Å"He [the  mainstream economist] worries far too much about partially monopolized prices†¦for tobacco, liquor, automobiles, and soap, in a land which is already suffering from nicotine poisoning and   alcoholism, which is nutritionally gorged with sugar, which is filling its hospitals and cemeteries  with those who have been maimed or murdered on its highways, and which is dangerously  neurotic about body odors† (Galbraith, 1954, p.102). His point is that these inefficiencies are in  fact a sign of the wealth of America. They are the symptom of a wealthy economy, and thus we  ought not to worry so much about them. He also discredits the idea of intrusive government,  noting that, â€Å"alarm over pending action by government on economic matters, which frequently  reaches almost pathological proportions when the decision is pending, almost invariably  evaporates completely once the action is taken. One of the profound sources of American  strength has been the margin of error provided by our well-being† (Galbraith, 1954, p.106). But the most significant reason that monopoly has failed to capsize the American  economy, according to Galbraith is the exercise of what he calls countervailing power. The  assumption always made by economists, when they would consider the case of markets, was that  the check on an individual firm’s power wold come from the supply side of the industry. Galbraith disagrees. He admits that the existence of monopoly power in a competitive market  does in fact encourage the entry of more producers to appropriate some of that power for  themselves. â€Å"In other words,† he says. â€Å"Competition was regarded [and is] a self-generating  regulatory force† (Galbraith, 1954, p. 112). But in a market that is not competitive, the incentive for some economic agent to  approptiate that power still exists. But it need not come from the supply side. That power is, in  practice, usually appropriated by strong buyers or coalitions of buyers, who can sometimes take  even more than their share. Because of the tendency of power to be organized in response to  existing power, â€Å"countervailing power is also a self-generating force† (Galbraith, 1954, p. 113). According to Galbraith, it is the large retailers who, by way of their absolute power over  manufacturers, bargain for the consumer and protect the consumer from the high monopoly  prices that would otherwise result. Likewise, the considerable market power of large firms is  checked by trade unions for a simple reason, there is something to be bargained for Galbraith  notes that trade unions are most powerful in the least competitive industries. This is because the  surplus that a company derives from monopoly power acts as an incentive to unions. In the very  competitive industries, producers and workers are operating at bare minimum profit and the  incentives to organization insignificant. These are the basic ideas laid out in American Capitalism. The book in many ways lays  the framework and tone for the books he would publish in the sixties and seventies. But while  American Capitalism was Galbraith’s first major bestseller, it was The Affluent Society that  skyrocketed him to fame. The Affluent Society builds on many of the concepts introduced in his  first book, but with several key differences. Though Galbraith could not suppress his urge to  social commentary, The Affluent Society is a much more prescriptive book, growing out of his  chapter on technical development in American Capitalism. To his original analysis he adds a  significantly moral component. The Affluent Society concerns itself with the policies that ought  to be undertaken once the basic needs of the people have been met. Galbraith’s main argument is  that our ratio of private good (cars, televisions, automobiles) to public goods (schools, roads) is  inequitable an d ridiculous. The premise of his argument is that once our basic desires such as  food, clothing, and shelter have been satisfied, large corporations employ advertising to concoct  new demand for products. The traditional economic and utilitarian argument for goods qua  goods falls on its face if consumer demand is not sovereign. What is really necessary is the use  of society’s productive resources in the public realm in juxtaposition with growth in the private  realm. He calls this idea â€Å"social balance,† saying, â€Å"the problem of social balance is ubiquitous,  and frequently it is obtrusive. As noted, an increase in the consumption of automobiles requires a  facilitating supply of streets, highways, traffic control, and parking spaces† (Galbraith, 1958, p.  193). He also confronts the existence of poverty in an affluent society as being the result of  outdated nineteenth century attitudes. â€Å"A poor society,† he says,  "had to enforce the rule that  someone who did not work could not eat. An affluent society has no similar excuse for such  rigor† (Galbraith, 1958, p. 251). But he admits that, â€Å"nothing requires such a society to be  compassionate. But it no longer has a high philosophical justification for its callousness†Ã‚  (Galbraith, 1958, p. 251). In the 50’s, America was in the midst of the cold war and attempts at engineering a better  society were very suspect. Galbraith throughout The Affluent Society understands the inherent  and ideological opposition to big government and social policy, but he is adamant in stating,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"that cities’ residents should have a nontoxic supply of air suggests no revolutionary dalliance with socialism† (Galbraith, 1958, p. 191). In fact, Galbraith eventually finds socialism and central planning to be in many ways  similar to the kind of capitalism that developed in America in the latter half of the 20th century. 9 In The New Industral State, Galbraith focuses his effort on understanding what he calls the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"technostructure.† In an era when the division of intellectual labor is so overwhelming, the  management or even management team of a powerful corporation doesn’t actually make most of  the decisions. The decisions are instead made collectively by teams of experts. Galbraith coins  the term technostructure as, â€Å"embracing all who bring specialized knowledge, talent or  experience to group decision-making. This,† he says, â€Å"not the management, is the guiding  intelligence, the brain, of the enterprise† (Galbraith, 1967, p.71). Many of Galbraith’s ideas resonate to this day. Unfortunately, most do not. It would be  tempting to end this essay optimistically, expounding poetically on the way Galbraith’s ideas  continue to influence national policy. In reality, although he was a well-respected and powerful  man, many of his ideas continue to be ignored by mainstream economists and politicians. Rarely  does one hear a contemporary economist talk about countervailing power, or reference the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"technostructure.† While as a society we owe much to Galbraith and his ideas, the discipline of  economics has for all intents and purposes laid his practical ideas by the wayside. But whether or  not his continued influence on economics is felt by the mainstream, his contribution to the  discipline remains poignant and accessible for those who choose to seek it out on their own. Galbraith’s main contribution to economic thought was his tackling of the problem of  power. He was convinced that the most glaring, most significant, and most ignored problem in  the field of economics was the effect of power on economic activity. Understanding why  Galbraith was so affixed by this idea of power is actually quite simple; he was surrounded by it. Through his political work, Galbraith knew not only Kennedy, but several other presidents and  all the most powerful officials in the democratic party. Through his work at Fortune he became  acquainted with the heads of the largest and most powerful corporations in the world. He saw,  10 clearly, the extent to which the decisions of these men (and the technostructures supporting  them) affected the direction and performance of the economy of the whole. Given that he was an  astute man, for him to ignore the influence of power on economies, in order to advance a series  of aesthetically pleasing models and equations, would have been not only unthinkable but  dishonest. Galbraith wanted badly to be useful, to â€Å"change votes,† as his father would have said. To him, sitting in a room concocting theories did not qualify as usefulness. He longed to be in  the thick of policy-making. Later in life, he wanted badly to avoid what he called â€Å"Belmont Syndrome†1 Thus, his struggle to be relevant was not only ideological but moral. John Kenneth Galbraith died peacefully at home in 2006. He left behind not only an  extensive body of economic work, but two novels. His first novel, The Triumph, written in 1969,  was about U.S. foreign policy disasters in Latin America. His second novel, A Tenured  Professor, written in 1990, was about an eccentric Harvard professor, and lampooned the elite  institution. He lived ninety-seven years, almost all of them (excepting the first few) were  preoccupied with upending the â€Å"conventional wisdom.† He remains one of the most famous and  controversial economists of the twentieth century, and a fine novelist.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Why Study Ancient World Cultures :: Ancient World Culture

Why Study Ancient World Cultures? Why study ancient cultures? You might feel that the question is moot: students do study and will study ancient cultures; such study is an expected part of a tradition of intellectual development. The response to the why of the initial question is a matter of tradition, if not fact. A study of the ROMAN EMPIRE, a reading of Greek philosophy and literature, a look at the PYRAMIDS OF EGYPT -- these are all accepted parts of a Western education, aren't they? Probably so: even today, in the plurality of approaches to the study of history and to the study of cultures, people talk about PLATO or DANTE or Krishna or Mohammed. But there is an important proviso: How you approach ancient cultures (or any other culture, for that matter) and how you conceive of the people of such distant worlds are of paramount importance. At this point, you might ask yourself these two additional questions: Do we study these cultures because, to some extent, all cultures share certain characteristics? Does our own culture reflect aspects of these other cultures? The answer to the first of the two questions has historically been found in a discussion of universality. Consider, for a moment, the case of Arjuna in The Bhagavad Gita. You might well ask how the battle that Arjuna holds off while frozen on his chariot relates, for example, to contemporary battles in World War II. Convinced that his relatives will die in this life only to be reborn in another, Arjuna can reluctantly permit the carnage to begin. No such choice is left to Schindler (featured in Spielberg's film Schindler's List), on the other hand, whose intervention on behalf of Jews saved many people in this life. The danger in looking for universals thus consists in reformulating other, possibly alien, views to fit our own. We must always guard against the assumption that other people think as we do -- or that they should. Arjuna speaks within the context of one culture; Schindler acts within the confines of another. The differences among cultures are of greatest interest here, and reading about ancient cultures is thus reading about other people whose lives were surely different from our own. The social organization of Socrates' ATHENS -- where a gimpy-legged man could hobble around interrogating citizens at will -- differs profoundly from today's world beset with modern media whereby people rarely get to see or literally hear their critics.

Los Vendidos Essays -- Theatre

Luis Valdez wrote â€Å"Los Vendidos† in order to address his view of the Mexican culture and in reference to the prejudices that surrounded him. The play defines four versions of Mexican men, shop owner Honest Sancho is trying to sell to a Secretary in Governor Reagan’s political office. The buildup of characters: The Farmworker, Johnny Pachuco, The Revolucionario, and the Mexican-American, symbolizes an evolution of what society deems the â€Å"ideal† Mexican-American should be. â€Å"Los Vendidos† translates to "The Sold Ones" or "The Sellouts† which is a solid interpretation of Valdez’s opinion on Mexican’s conformity to the American culture. Valdez creates a distinct characterization of all four models, Miss Jimenez, and Honest Sancho with snarky humor and stereotypes in order portray the front of exactly who is running the show in the Used Mexican Lot and Mexican Curio Shop. The scene opens with Miss Jimenez entering the shop in needs of a Mexican to fill a diversity slot in Governor Reagan’s office. She tells Sancho that her name is Miss JIM-menez, which is considered an Anglo pronunciation. Her insistence that she be called this leads the reader to believe she makes it a point to disassociate herself with her Hispanic heritage. She carries herself in a superior manner that signifies her entitlement to treat Sancho and the Mexican models in a negative way. She continues to list the trait requirements for the person she needs to look â€Å"good† in Reagan’s office. Sancho displays each model trying to receive Miss Jimenez’s approval. One important aspect of the play is the adjectives that Ms. Jimenez uses to describe the Mexican that she would like to use as her prototype. Such adjectives are: "suave, debonair, dark, but of course not too da... ...position. What makes their role even more difficult is that they are continually faced with adversity from racial prejudice, which affects all aspects of their life, from gaining equal access to education to gaining employment. â€Å"Los Vendidos† displays a forced choice on whether they want to keep their heritage and remain proud or if they want to become a â€Å"carbon copy† American. Works Cited *Vargas, Zaragosa . "Major Problems in Mexican American History.." Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.. (2011): n. page. Print. . * Cuello, Dr. Jose. "Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies." Faculty Research Portfolios - Dr. Josà © Cuello. n. page. Print. .

Friday, July 19, 2019

Review Of An Inspector Calls :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"An Inspector calls† takes place in 1912, where there are great social divisions and distinctions. Written by JB Priestley in 1945 this allows for hindsight which eventually leads to dramatic irony. There are many examples of this, all of which are said by Mr Birling, â€Å"Just because the Kaiser makes a speech or two, you’ll hear some people saying that war is inevitable. Well I say to that - fiddlesticks† This play was first published after the second world war and so the audience will know just how wrong Mr Birling really is. Mr Birling also makes a statement about the ill-fated Titanic. â€Å"Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.† The audience should know the tale of the Titanic very well and this just demonstrates again how wrong Mr Birling can be. I think that the hindsight and the dramatic irony was used because it helps to better establish the time period of the play and it also shows that Mr Birling isn’t nearly as clever as he thinks he is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mr Birling as he put it is a â€Å".....hard headed,practical business man.† and it seems he is not much more than that. He is not much of a father to Eric or Sheila ,although he does love them he is not very good at showing it. What he does now how to do however is run a business. Also he is very ignorant as I illustrated earlier, with his â€Å"predictions† which couldn’t have been more wrong. Mr Birling acted very authoritive with Inspector Goole and was completely taken aback when the Inspector didn’t treat him with the respect he thought he deserved. He is also ruthless, as it is proven when at least twice he offered the Inspector a bribe just to keep his mouth shut. When everything comes out about Eva Smith he is more worried about his reputation than the fact that he helped in leading a young girl to suicide. And when it turns out that there is no Inspector Goole he feels much better because he knows now nothing will come of it. I don’t think it would have mattered whether Eva had been a lie or not, Mr Birling would never learn anything.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sheila Birling is much more considerate and distressed when she hears of Eva Smiths death. She believes she is partly responsible with the rest of her family and Fiance. I think Sheila was jealous of Eva Smith as when she was in Millwards ,a shop at where the Birlings were very good customers, she got Eva Smith sacked because she thought Eva was laughing at her expense.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

The Return: Nightfall Chapter 35

Aprison, with filthy rushes on the floor and bars between her and the sleeping Stefan. Between her andStefan! It was really him. Elena didn't know how she could know. Undoubtedly they could twist and change your perceptions here. But just now, perhaps because nobody had been expecting her to drop into a dungeon, no one was prepared with anything to make her doubt her senses. Itwas Stefan. He was thinner than before, and his cheekbones stuck out. He was beautiful. And his mind felt just right, just the right mixture of honor and love and darkness and light and hope and grim understanding of the world he lived in. â€Å"Stefan! Oh,hold me! â€Å" He woke and half sat up. â€Å"At least leave me my sleep. And meanwhile go away and put on another face, bitch!† â€Å"Stefan! Language!† She saw muscles in Stefan's shoulders freeze. â€Å"What†¦did you†¦say?† â€Å"Stefan†¦it's really me.I don't blame you for cursing. I curse this whole place and the two who put you here†¦.† â€Å"Three,† he said wearily, and bent his head. â€Å"You'd know that if you were real. Go and let them teach you about my traitor brother and his friends who sneak up on people with kekkai crowns†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena couldn't wait to debate about Damon now. â€Å"Won't youlook at me, at least?† She saw him turn slowly, look slowly, then saw him leap up from a pallet made of sickly-looking hay, and saw him stare at her as if she were an angel dropped down from the sky. Then he turned his back on her and put his hands over his ears. â€Å"No bargains,† he said flatly. â€Å"Don't even mention them to me. Go away. You've gotten better but you're still a dream.† â€Å"Stefan!† â€Å"I said, go away!† Time was wasting. And this was too cruel, after what she had been through just to speak to him. â€Å"You first saw me just outside the principal's office the day you brought your papers into school and influenced the secretary. You didn't need to look at me to know what I looked like. Once I told you that I felt like a murderer because I said, ;;Daddy, look' and pointed to – something outside – just before the car accident that killed my parents. I've never been able to remember what the something was. The first word I learned when I came back from the afterlife wasStefan . Once, you looked at me in the rearview mirror of the car and said that I was your soul†¦.† â€Å"Can't you stop torturing me for one hour? Elena – the real Elena – would be too smart to risk her life by coming here.† â€Å"Where's ;;here'?† Elena said sharply, frightened. â€Å"I need to know if I'm supposed to get you out.† Slowly Stefan uncovered his ears. Even more slowly he turned around again. â€Å"Elena?† he said, like a dying boy who has seen a gentle ghost in his bed. â€Å"You're not real. You can't be here.† â€Å"I don't think I am. Shinichi made a magic house and it takes you wherever you want if you name it and open the door with this key. I said,  ¡Ã‚ ®Somewhere I can hear and see and touch Stefan.' But† – she looked down – â€Å"you say Ican't be here. Maybe it's all an illusion anyway.† â€Å"Hush.† Now Stefan was clenching the bars on his side of the cell. â€Å"Is this where you've been? Is this theShi no Shi ?† He gave a little laugh – not a real one. â€Å"Not exactly what either of us expected, is it? And yet, they didn't lie in anything they said, Elena. Elena! I said ;;Elena.' Elena, you're really here!† Elena couldn't bear to waste any time. She took the few steps through damp, crackly straw and scampering creatures to the bars that separated her from Stefan. Then she tilted up her face, clutching bars in either hand, and shut her eyes. I will touch him. I will, I will. I'm real, he's real – I'll touch him! Stefan leaned down – to humor her, she thought – and then warm lips touched hers. She put her arms through the bars because they were both weak at the knees: Stefan in astonishment that she could touch him, and Elena in relief and sobbing joy. But – there was no time. â€Å"Stefan, take my bloodnow – take it!† She looked desperately for something to cut herself with. Stefan might need her strength, and no matter what Damon had taken from her, she would always have enough for Stefan. If it killed her, she would have enough. She was glad, now, that in the tomb, Damon had persuaded her to take his. â€Å"Easy. Easy, little love. If you mean it, I can bite your wrist, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Do itnow !† Elena Gilbert, the princess of Fell's Church, ordered. She had even gotten the strength to pull herself off her knees. Stefan gave her half a guilty glance. â€Å"NOW!†Elena insisted. Stefan bit her wrist. It was an odd sensation. It hurt a little more than when he pierced the side of her neck as usual. But there were good veins down there, she knew; she trusted Stefan to find the largest so that this would take the least amount of time. Her urgency had become his. But when he tried to pull back, she clutched a handful of his wavy dark hair and said, â€Å"More, Stefan. You need it – oh, I can tell, and we don't have time to argue.† The voice of command. Meredith had told her once that she had it, that she could lead armies. Well, she might need to lead armies to get into this place to save him. I'll get an army somewhere, she thought fuzzily. The starving bloodfever that Stefan had been in – they obviously hadn't fed him since she had last seen him – was dying into the more normal blood-taking that she knew. His mind melted into hers.When you say you'll get an army, I believe you. But it's impossible. No one's ever come back. Well, you will. I'm bringing you back. Elena, Elena†¦ Drink,she said, feeling like an Italian mother.As much as you can without being sick. But how did – no, you told me how you got here. That was the truth? The truth. I always tell you the truth. But Stefan, how do I getyouout? Shinichi and Misao – you know them? Enough. They each have half a ring. Together it makes a key. Each half is shaped like a running fox. But who knows where they may have hidden the pieces? And as I said, just to get into this place, it takes an army†¦. I'll find the pieces of the fox ring. I'll put them together. I'll get an army. I'll get you out. Elena, I can't keep drinking. You'll collapse. I'm good at not collapsing. Please go on. I can hardly believe it's you – â€Å"No kissing! Take my blood!† Ma'am! But Elena, truly, I'm full now. Overfull. And tomorrow? â€Å"I'll still be overfull.† Stefan pulled away, a thumb on the places where he had pierced veins. â€Å"Truly, I can't , love.† â€Å"And the next day?† â€Å"I'll manage.† â€Å"You will – because I broughtthis . Hold me, Stefan,† she said, several decibels softer. â€Å"Hold me through the bars.† He did, looking bewildered, and she hissed in his ear, â€Å"Act like you love me. Stroke my hair. Say nice things.† â€Å"Elena, lovely little love†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He was still close enough mentally to say telepathically: Actlike I love you? But while his hands were stroking and squeezing and tangling in her hair, Elena's own hands were busy. She was transferring from under her clothes to under his a flask full of Black Magic wine. â€Å"But where did you get it?† Stefan whispered, seeming thunderstruck. â€Å"The magic house has everything. I've been waiting for my chance to give it to you if you needed it.† â€Å"Elena – â€Å" â€Å"What?† Stefan seemed to be struggling with something. At last, eyes on the ground, he whispered, â€Å"It's no good. I can't risk you getting killed for the sake of an impossibility. Forget me.† â€Å"Put your face to the bars.† He looked at her but didn't ask any questions, obeying. She slapped him across the face. It wasn't a very hard slap†¦although Elena's hand hurt from colliding with the iron on either side. â€Å"Now,be ashamed !† she said. And before he could say anything else,†Listen!† It was the baying of hounds – far away, but getting closer. â€Å"It'syou they're after,† Stefan said, suddenly frantic. â€Å"You have to go!† She just looked at him steadily. â€Å"I love you, Stefan.† â€Å"I love you, Elena. Forever.† â€Å"I – oh, I'msorry .† Shecouldn't go; that was the thing. Like Caroline talking and talking and never leaving Stefan's apartment, she could stand here and speak about it, but she couldn't do it. â€Å"Elena! Youhave to. I don't want you to see what they do – â€Å" â€Å"I'll kill them!† â€Å"You're no killer. You're not a fighter, Elena – and you shouldn't see this. Please? Remember once you asked me if I'd like to see how many times you could make me say  ¡Ã‚ ®please?' Well, each counts for a thousand now. Please? For me? Will you go?† â€Å"One more kiss†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her heart was beating like a frantic bird inside her. â€Å"Please!† Blind with tears, Elena turned around and grasped hold of the cell door. â€Å"Anywhere outside the ceremony where no one will see me!† she gasped and wrenched the door to the corridor open and stepped through. At least she'd seen Stefan, but for how long that would last to keep her heart from shattering again – – oh, my God, I'mfalling – – she didn't know. Elena realized that shewas outside the boardinghouse somewhere – at least some eighty feet high – and plummeting rapidly. Her first, panicked conclusion was that she was going to die, and then instinct kicked in and she reached out with arms and hands and kicked in with legs and feet and managed to arrest her fall after twenty agonizing feet. I've lost my flying wings forever, haven't I? she thought, concentrating on a single spot between her shoulder blades. She knew just where they should be – and nothing happened. Then, carefully, she inched her way closer to the trunk, pausing only to move to a higher twig a caterpillar that was sharing the branch with her. And she managed to find a sort of place where she could sit by sidling and then pushing backward. It was far too high a branch for her personal taste. As it was, she found that she could look down and see the widow's walk quite clearly, and that the longer she looked at any particular thing the clearer her vision got. Vampire vision plus, she thought. It showed her that she was Changing. Or else – yes, somehow here the sky was getting lighter. What it showed her was a dark and empty boardinghouse, which was disturbing because of what Caroline's father had said about â€Å"the meeting† and what she had learned telepathically from Damon about Shinichi's plans for this Moonspire night. Could this be not the real boardinghouse at all, but another trap? â€Å"We made it!† Bonnie cried as they approached the house. She knew her voice was shrill, was over-shrill, but somehow the sight of that brightly lit boardinghouse, like a Christmas tree with a star on top, comforted her, even if she knew that it was all wrong. She felt she could cry in relief. â€Å"Yes, we did,† Dr. Alpert's deep voice said. â€Å"All of us. Isobel's the one who needs the most treatment, the fastest. Theophilia, get your nostrums ready, and somebody else take Isobel and run her a bath.† â€Å"I'll do it,† Bonnie quavered, after a brief hesitation. â€Å"She's going to stay tranquilized like she is now, right? Right?† â€Å"I'llgo with Isobel,† Matt said. â€Å"Bonnie, you go with Mrs. Flowers and help her. And before we go inside, I want to make one thing clear: nobody goes anywhere alone. We all travel in twos or threes.† There was the ring of authority in his voice. â€Å"Makes sense,† Meredith said crisply and took up a place by the doctor. â€Å"You'd better be careful, Matt; Isobel is the most dangerous.† That was when the high, thin voices began outside the house. It sounded like two or three little girls singing. â€Å"Isa-chan, Isa-chan, Drank her tea and ate her gran.† â€Å"Tami? Tami Bryce?† Meredith demanded, opening the door as the tune began again. She darted forward, then she grabbed the doctor by the hand, and dragged her along beside her as she darted forward again. And, yes, Bonnie saw, there were three little figures, one in pajamas and two in nightgowns, and they were Tami Bryce and Kristin Dunstan and Ava Zarinski. Ava was only about eleven, Bonnie thought, and she didn't live near either Tami or Kristin. The three of them all giggled shrilly. Then they started singing again and Matt went after Kristin. â€Å"Help me!† Bonnie cried. She was suddenly hanging on to a bucking, kicking bronco that lashed out in every direction. Isobel seemed to have gone crazy, and she went crazier every time that tune was repeated. â€Å"I've got her,† Matt said, closing in on her with a bear hug, but even the two of them couldn't hold Isobel still. â€Å"I'm getting her another sedative,† Dr. Alpert said, and Bonnie saw the glances between Matt and Meredith – glances of suspicion. â€Å"No – no, let Mrs. Flowers make her something,† Bonnie said desperately, but the hypodermic needle was already almost at Isobel's arm. â€Å"You're not giving her anything,† Meredith said flatly, dropping the charade, and with one chorus-girl kick, she sent the hypodermic flying. â€Å"Meredith! What's wrong with you?† the doctor cried, wringing her wrist. â€Å"It's what's wrong withyou that's the matter. Who are you? Where are we? This can't be the real boardinghouse.† â€Å"Obaasan! Mrs. Flowers! Can't you help us?† Bonnie gasped, still trying to hold on to Isobel. â€Å"I'll try,† Mrs. Flowers said determinedly, heading toward her. â€Å"No, I meant with Dr. Alpert – and maybe Jim. Don't you – know any spells – to make people take on their true forms?† â€Å"Oh!† Obaasan said. â€Å"I can help with that. Just let me down, Jim dear. We'll have everyone in their true forms in no time.† Jayneela was a sophomore with large, dreamy, dark eyes that were generally lost in a book. But now, as it neared midnight and Gramma still hadn't called, she shut her book and looked at Ty. Tyrone seemed big and fierce and mean on the playing field, but off it he was the nicest, kindest, gentlest big brother a girl could want. â€Å"You think Gramma's okay?† â€Å"Hm?† Tyrone had his nose in a book, too, but it was one of those help-you-get-into-the-college-of-your-dreams books. As a senior-to-be, he was having to make some serious decisions. â€Å"Of course she is.† â€Å"Well, I'm going to check on the little girl, at least.† â€Å"You know what, Jay?† He poked her teasingly with one toe. â€Å"You worry too much.† In moments he was lost again in Chapter Six, â€Å"How to Make the Most of Your Community Service.† But then the screams started coming from above him. Long, loud, high screams – his sister's voice. He dropped the book and ran. â€Å"Obaasan?† Bonnie said. â€Å"Just a moment, dear,† Grandma Saitou said. Jim had put her down and now she was facing him squarely: she looking up, and he looking down. And there was something†¦very wrong about it. Bonnie felt a wave of pure terror. Could Jim have done something evil to Obaasan as he carried her? Of course he could. Why hadn't she thought of that? And there was the doctor with her syringe, ready to tranquilize anyone who got too â€Å"hysterical.† Bonnie looked at Meredith, but Meredith was trying to deal with two squirming little girls, and could only glance helplessly back. All right, then, Bonnie thought. I'll kick him where it hurts most and get the old lady away from him. She turned back to Obaasan and felt herself freeze. â€Å"Just one thing I have to do†¦,† Obaasan had said. And she was doing it. Jim was bent at the waist, folded in half toward Obaasan, who was on her tiptoes. They were locked in a deep, intimate kiss. Oh, God! They had met four people in a wood – and assumed that two were sane and two insane. How could they tell which were the insane ones? Well, if two of them see things that aren't there†¦ But the housewas there; Bonnie could see it, too. Wasshe insane? â€Å"Meredith, come on!† she screamed. Her nerve breaking completely, she began to run away from the house toward the forest. Something from the skies plucked her up as easily as an owl picks up a mouse and held her in an unrelenting iron grip. â€Å"Going somewhere?† Damon's voice asked from above her as he glided in the last few yards to a stop, with her neatly tucked under one steely arm. â€Å"Damon!† Damon's eyes were slightly narrowed, as though at a joke only he could see. â€Å"Yes, the evil one himself. Tell me something, my fiery little fury.† Bonnie had already exhausted herself trying to make him let go. She hadn't even succeeded in tearing his clothes. â€Å"What?† she snapped. Possessed or not, Damon had last seen her when she had Called him to save her from Caroline's insanity. But according to Matt's reports, he had done something awful to Elena. â€Å"Why do girls love to convert a sinner? Why can you feed them almost any line if they feel that they've reformed you?† Bonnie didn't know what he was talking about, but she could guess. â€Å"What did you do with Elena?† she said ferociously. â€Å"Gave her what she wanted, that's all,† Damon said, his black eyes twinkling. â€Å"Is there anything so awful about that?† Bonnie, frightened by that twinkle, didn't even try to run again. She knew it was no use. He was faster and stronger, and he could fly. Anyway, she had seen it in his face: a sort of distant remorselessness. They were not just Damon and Bonnie here together. They were natural predator and natural prey. And now here she was back with Jim and Obaasan – no, with a boy and girl she'd never seen before. Bonnie was in time to watch the transformation. She saw Jim's body shrink and his hair turn black, but that wasn't the striking thing about it. The striking thing was that all around the edges, his hair was not black but crimson. It was as if flames were licking up from the tips into darkness. His eyes were golden and smiling. She saw Obaasan's doll-like old body grow younger and stronger and taller. This girl was a beauty; Bonnie had to admit it. She had gorgeous sloe-black eyes and silky hair that fell almost to her waist. And her hair was just like her brother's – only the red was even brighter, scarlet instead of crimson. She was wearing a barely-there laced black halter that showed how delicately built she was on top. And, of course, low-rise black leather pants to show the same thing on the bottom. She was wearing expensive-looking black high-heeled sandals, and her toenails were enameled the same brilliant red as the tips of her hair. At her belt, in a sinuous circle, was a curled-up whip with a scaly black handle. Dr. Alpert said slowly, â€Å"My grandchildren†¦?† â€Å"They don't have anything to do with this,† the boy with the strange hair said charmingly, smiling. â€Å"As long as they mind their own business, you don't have to worry about them a bit.† â€Å"It's suicide or an attempted suicide – or something,† Tyrone told the police dispatcher, almost weeping. â€Å"I think it was a guy named Jim who went to my high school last year. No, this is nothing to do with any drugs – I came here to watch my little sister Jayneela. She was baby-sitting – look, just come over, will you? This guy's chewed off most of his fingers, and as I came in, he said,  ¡Ã‚ ®I'll always love you, Elena,' and he took a pencil and – no, I can't tell if he's alive or dead. But there's an old lady upstairs and I'm sureshe's dead. Because she's not breathing.† â€Å"Who the hell are you?† Matt was saying, eyeing the strange boy belligerently. â€Å"I'm the – â€Å" † – and what the hell are you doing here?† â€Å"I'm the hell Shinichi,† the boy said in a much louder voice, looking annoyed to be interrupted. When Matt just stared at him, he added in an annoyed voice, â€Å"I'm the kitsune – the were-fox, you could say – who's been messing with your town, idiot. I came halfway around the world to do it, and I'd think you'd at least have heard of me by now. And this is my lovely sister, Misao. We're twins.† â€Å"I don't care if you're triplets. Elena said somebody besides Damon was behind this. And so did Stefan before he – hey, what did you do to Stefan?What did you do to Elena? â€Å" While the two strange males were bristling at each other – quite literally in Shinichi's case, since his hair was almost standing on end – Meredith was picking out Bonnie, Dr. Alpert, and Mrs. Flowers by eye. Then she glanced at Matt and touched herself lightly on the chest. She was the only one strong enough to womanhandle him, although Dr. Alpert gave a quick nod that said she would be helping. And then, while the boys were working up to shouting volume, Misao was giggling at the ground, and Damon was leaning against a door with his eyes shut, they moved. With no signal at all to unite them, they were running, instinctively, as one group. Meredith and Dr. Alpert grabbed Matt from either side and simply lifted him off his feet, just as Isobel quite unexpectedly jumped on Shinichi with a guttural scream. They hadn't expected anything from her, but it was certainly convenient, Bonnie thought as she hurtled over obstacles without even seeing them. Matt was still shouting and trying to run the other way and take out some primitive frustration on Shinichi, but he couldn't quite manage to get free to do it. Bonnie could scarcely believe it when they made it into the Wood again. Even Mrs. Flowers had kept up and most of them still had their flashlights. It was a miracle. They had even escaped Damon. The thing now was to be very quiet and to try to get through the Old Wood without disturbing anything. Maybe they could find their way back to the real boardinghouse, they decided. Then they could figure out how to save Elena from Damon and his two friends. Even Matt finally had to admit that it was unlikely that they would be able to overcome the three supernatural creatures by force. Bonnie just wished they'd been able to take Isobel with them. â€Å"Well, we have to go to the real boardinghouse anyway,† Damon said, as Misao finally got Isobel subdued and semi-conscious. â€Å"That's where Caroline will be.† Misao stopped glaring at Isobel and seemed to start slightly. â€Å"Caroline? Why do we want Caroline?† â€Å"It's all part of the fun, isn't it?† Damon said in his most charming, flirtatious voice. Shinichi immediately stopped looking martyred and smiled. â€Å"That girl – she's the one you've been using as a carrier, right?† He looked mischievously at his sister, whose smile seemed slightly strained. â€Å"Yes, but – â€Å" â€Å"The more the merrier,† Damon said, more cheerful with every minute. He didn't seem to notice Shinichi smirking at Misao behind his back. â€Å"Don't sulk, darling,† he said to her, tickling her under the chin while his golden eyes gleamed. â€Å"I've never set eyes on the girl. But of course, if Damon says it'll be fun, itwill be.† The smirk became a full-fledged gloating smile. â€Å"And there's no chance of any of them actually getting away at all?† Damon said, almost absently, staring into the darkness of the Old Wood. â€Å"Give me a little credit, please,† the kitsune snapped. â€Å"You're a damned – a vampire, aren't you?You're not supposed to hang out in the woods at all.† â€Å"It's my territory, along with the cemetery – † Damon was beginning mildly, but Shinichi was determined to finish first this time. â€Å"Ilive in the woods,† he said. â€Å"I control the bushes, the trees – and I've brought a few of my own little experiments along with me. You'll all see them soon enough. So, to answer your question, no, not one of them is going to escape.† â€Å"That was all I asked,† Damon said, still mildly, but locking gazes with the golden eyes for another long moment. Then he shrugged and turned away, eyeing the moon that could be seen between swirling clouds on the horizon. â€Å"We've got hours before the ceremony yet,† Shinichi said, behind him. â€Å"We're hardly going to be late.† â€Å"We'd better not,† Damon murmured. â€Å"Caroline can do an awfully good impression of that pierced girl in hysterics when people are late.† As a matter of fact, the moon was riding high in the sky as Caroline drove her mother's car to the porch of the boardinghouse. She was wearing an evening dress that looked as if it had been painted on her, in her favorite colors of bronze and green. Shinichi looked at Misao, who giggled with one hand covering her mouth and looked down. Damon walked Caroline up the porch steps to the front door and said, â€Å"This way to the good seats.† There was some bewilderment as people got themselves sorted out. Damon spoke cheerfully to Kristin and Tami and Ava: â€Å"The peanut gallery for you three, I'm afraid. That means you sit on the ground. But if you're good, I'll let you come sit up with us the next time.† The others followed him with more or less exclamation, but it was Caroline who looked annoyed, saying, â€Å"Why do we want to goinside ? I thought they were supposed to beoutside .† â€Å"Closest seats not in danger,† Damon said briefly. â€Å"We can get the best view from up there. Royal box seats, come on, now.† The fox twins and the human girl followed him, switching on lights in the darkened house all the way up to the widow's walk on the roof. â€Å"And now where are they?† Caroline said, peering down. â€Å"They'll be here any minute,† Shinichi said, with a glance that was both puzzled and reproving. It said: Who does this girl think she is? He didn't spout any poetry. â€Å"And Elena? She'll be here, too?† Shinichi didn't answer that at all, and Misao just giggled. But Damon put his lips close to Caroline's ear and whispered. After that, Caroline's eyes shone green as a cat's. And the smile on her lips was the one of a cat who has just put its paw on the canary.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Why Do We Need Management?

Why do we penury focus? Melisa Honeycutt Vista College Why do we contain Management? A wrinkle is an ongoing activity that will not run itself. As the manager, you will save to set goals, determine how to reach those goals and determine all the necessary decisions. You will necessitate to purchase or make your product, hurt it, advertise it and sell it. You will cod to keep records, and determine costs. You will take hold to control inventory, make the right buy decisions and keep costs down.You will require to hire, train and motivate employees now or as you grow. ( Soni 2010) When a company has estim qualified management, the whole company does well. A dear(p) manager will be a enormous buffer for the owner and his employees. He/she will also coordinate intimately of the day-to-day credit line enterprise. Now we will olfactory sensation at what is the purpose of management, I consider that there are five essential functions. * Staffing You must be good at seei ng raw talent and lettered when the company will need to a greater extent employees. Planning You need to be able to see the big as well as the small picture. * OrganizingYou need great focus, most of the time you will need to be in many a(prenominal) places and doing many jobs at once. It is a balancing act. * jumper cable You will need to be a leader that can motivate battalion and get people to work together. * controlling You will need to monitor the business to make sure it stays on track. To me the world would look much want my home, if my husband and I left and congeal no one in charge.It would be complete and utter chaos no one would know where things are and who did what. I see a manager as a babysitter of sorts and managing a business will be a hooking like running my home and family. Does hoodwink ever come to mind when you have in mind of running your own business? It does mine References Soni, J. (2010). Why do we need Management? yahoo answers. Retrieved from answers. yahoo. com What are the Primary Functions of Management? (2012, November). In Blurtit. Retrieved from QuickBase. Intuit,com website blurtit. com