Saturday, November 30, 2019

Othello - Character Analysis Of Iago Essays - Othello, Iago

Othello - Character Analysis of Iago In William Shakespeare's "Othello", the character Iago is, at least in my point of view, the main and most interesting character. Iago is in virtually every scene in the play, and has his hands in almost all doings within the play. Iago is truly one of the greatest villans in literature. Iago is viewed by all in the play, with the possible exception of his wife, as an honest and trust worthy man, which could not be farther from the truth. Iago plays all the characters in the play like puppets. He plays Cassio into a confession of his dealings with Bianca to make it look like he is speaking about Desdamona, and into planting the handkerchief onto Cassio without making himself look suspicious. Iago also plays Roderigo into giving him money and leaving the picture so Iago can do his work. Possibly the best work Iago does is on his boss, Othello. Iago plays Othello perfectly. He plays on every man's weakness, jealousy. Othello takes every word Iago says like it is truth, and whenever he does question Iago, Iago's quick wits keep him uncovered by weaving all his lies together. Iago was capable of bringing Othello into killing his own wife without ever have Othello question his wife or anyone else. In Othello's mind, Iago was so trust worthy that anyone elses word would not be truth, and all of Othello's faith was placed in Iago. Iago calls himself trust worthy in Act II Scene I Line 196, Iago is quoted saying "As honest as I am", which everyone knows is far from true, but Iago is still capable of bringing Othello. Othello believes in the honesty of Iago untill the bitter end of the play. Othello and Iago's wife, Emilia, argue in Act III Scene II Lines 142-161. Othello says: "?Ask thy husband else. O, I were damned beneath all depths in hell but that I did proceed upon just grounds to this extremity." It is ironic that Othello damns himself here, because a few lines later, Emilia blames Iago for Desdamonas death by saying: "If he say so[Desdamona cheating on Othello] may his pernicious soul rot half a grain a day! He lies to th' heart." Emilia blames Iago for all that has been done to Othello and Desdamona. Emilia is the only one who knows that Iago is to blame. When she reveals Iago to Othello, Othello sends for Iago along with Cassio, Gratiano, Montano, and Lodovico. When Iago learns he has been discovered, he turns to real cowardness and stabs his own wife, commiting the same sin as Othello. Othello does not kill Iago, he says that Iago is the devil, and the devil cannot be killed. One must wonder why Othello does not kill Iago in a fit of rage, but he must be commended for his action. Othello then kills himself and proceeds to die next to Desdamona and Emilia. Iago is left as a prisoner of Cassio, to live with what he did. This story is the story not of Othello, but rather the story of Iago and how he plays the other characters, which is the reason Iago is one of literatures greatest villans.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Hospitals Aim to Keep Older Nurses on the Job by Increasing Safety

Hospitals Aim to Keep Older Nurses on the Job by Increasing Safety Safety Measures for the Ageing Labor Force The present paper discusses the article that appeared in the February 2016 issue of Business Insurance under the name â€Å"Hospitals Aim to Keep Older Nurses on the Job by Increasing Safety.† The article describes a new safety measure that was introduced at the Californian hospital system Scripps Health.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Hospitals Aim to Keep Older Nurses on the Job by Increasing Safety specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since 30% of the Scripps’ employees are 50 years or older, the company would like to provide a comfortable working environment for these employees to continue working and share their expertise with the new generations. Scripps introduced two new teams: the lift teams, who take the burden of physical labor off the nurses, and the workplace empowerment teams, who evaluate current practices to improve safety. At my organiz ation, since it is also a hospital, this safety measure would both introduce a new practice and revise an established procedure. In the case of physical labor, there is a shift of duties from the nurses to the team that is specifically designed to carry out such tasks as lifting and moving the patients. On the other hand, the introduction of the workplace empowerment teams is an entirely new practice. Typically, employee safety standards and regulations are dictated by external bodies such as the government and its agencies. In the present case, however, my company will actively seek employee feedback on process design and safety-related issues. Introducing such measures will benefit my organization for the same reasons as mentioned in the article. Older employees naturally tend to have more experience in their field, and their presence in the workplace is essential for the knowledge exchange between different generations. It is thus important to recognize and address their needs, a nd generally, it is necessary for companies, including mine, to continuously improve their practices and processes so as to ensure safety. However, there are certain challenges associated with the implementation of this initiative at my organization. First of all, the introduction of the workplace empowerment teams will require additional financial resources as the company will need to hire more people to replace those employees who are no longer engaged in their primary duties because they are busy evaluating workplace procedures. To create the lift teams, my organization needs to either create a new position or review its current job requirements to include physical fitness. Such measures may not be favored by the company’s management and stakeholders if they do not perceive the expected benefits from these new expenditures. Moreover, such changes may be met with resistance by the employees themselves, especially the older ones who may disagree with being viewed as weak or physically unfit.Advertising Looking for critical writing on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More With any changes, it is always important to evaluate their impact and benefits. In the present case, several indicators can be used for assessment. It is, first of all, the number of injuries that occur in the workplace as a result of physical labor, as well as the description of the workers that received the injury, especially their age. My company needs to make sure to collect such data before and after the implementation of the new practice. Similarly, to evaluate the efficiency of the workplace empowerment teams, the company needs to track the changes suggested by the teams – whether they were accepted and implemented, what the impact of such changes is, and so on. Since it may take a while for the employees to get used to these changes, the evaluation should probably take place within a year afte r their implementation. Addressing Fatigue in the Workplace The present paper reviews the policy proposal described in the article entitled â€Å"Keeping Workers Alert and Patients Safe† that appeared in the Hospitals and Health Networks Magazine in February 2012. The article reviews the report issued by the Joint Commission, a non-profit health care accreditation organization in the United States. The Joint Commission calls for health care providers to evaluate employee fatigue-related risks, such as consecutive and night shifts, so as to ensure that these factors do not undermine the patients’ safety. Hospitals are encouraged to proactively seek employees’ input regarding the issue of workplace fatigue and design evidence-based fatigue management plans. To target the employee fatigue-related issues, my company can introduce a new policy that specifies the number of consecutive night shifts that an employee can work, as well as introduce an extended break durin g the employee’s night shift so that they can take a nap. Certainly, employee fatigue presents not only a problem but also a danger in the workplace, because the quality of work and decision-making significantly declines when people are tired. While this issue is important for all industries, it is especially dangerous in the health care sector since its employees have a direct impact on other people’s health and even lives. Thus, introducing such a policy would help my organization improve efficiency and productivity, as well as eliminate any mistakes and errors that result from employee fatigue. At the same time, I expect to encounter several implementation challenges if I am to propose such a policy at my organization. It will, first of all, reflect on the structure of the employee’s shift, meaning that they will be unavailable for a certain period. Even though different employees can take turns during their shift, somebody will need to cover for the employee that is taking a break at all times. Perhaps, the organization may need to hire an extra person to do this job.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Hospitals Aim to Keep Older Nurses on the Job by Increasing Safety specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Consequently, this policy introduces a new expense to the company’s budget. While one may think that employees will be happy to receive a break, I anticipate that they will meet this policy with resistance. Most likely, such a policy would cause employees to spend more time in their workplace because of the break, and many of them would prefer to go home sooner and take a break there. The management is likely to resist this change because the employees would still need to be remunerated for their break, even though they are not working. To evaluate the effectiveness of this policy, I would consider the following indicators. First of all, I think it is import ant to survey the employees before and after the implementation of the policy to see whether it improved their well-being. Secondly, the organization should collect data on other relevant indicators, for instance, the number of incidents that occur in the workplace that can be attributed to such causes as employee fatigue, lack of concentration, and other similar problems. Apart from that, the hospital can review the complaints that come from the patients. The HR department is best positioned to collect and analyze such data. Since fatigue can accumulate over time, the organization should not conduct the assessment right away. Rather, it should wait for about half a year since the policy is likely to have been fully adopted by then.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Business Strategic Information System Azure Group †Free Samples

The report research deals with the analysis of the organizational structure, operational issues associated with it. The report also reflects on the system acquisition method of the organization. The development and adoption of the accounting software packages are discussed in the assignment (Sanusi, 2015). The market for the Azure Group is been discussed in the report. Azure Group is a chartered accounting firm that has been successful in adapting to the demands of the market along with the introduction of new statistics of business in order to meet the lifecycle of business requirements of its clients. Azure Group has been having the experience of rapid growth in a very short duration of time. The company has been dealing with the innovative and entrepreneurial business reflecting the company's passion for the success of the company (Akhtar & Mittail, 2014). Azure Group is a company that has been offering both commercial and technical accounting services. The company identified the growing requirement for the commercial advice from the highly experienced CFOs. This company was one among the original organizations that initiated the Virtual CFO service that offer to the SME market. The company went forward for the establishment of a professional network for the CFOs through CFO Australia. The Azure Group QLD further went forward to expand the operations into QLD's Gold Coast to support the increasing needs of the clients on the East Coast. The company also has operations in Shanghai, china which has made business in the cross border for its clients. The Azure Group Wealth was also introduced to offer Wealth solutions for the high net worth of the company and the clients in the business (Amrollahi, Ghapanchi & Najaftorkaman, 2014). Organizational structure followed by Azure Group is flat organizational structure. A flat organizational structure is a structure in which the most middle management levels and the functions of the middle management levels have been eliminated. This brings the top management in direct contact with the sales people, who are in the frontline, employees on the shop floor, and customers. In spite of the breadth, the benefit of using the flat organizational structure by Azure Group are many including the faster response time to the preference of the customer and changing conditions (Bernaoui, Issolah & Hassoun, 2015). The managed domains that are provided by Azure Group support only a flat Organizational structure. All the domains in the accounting software package reside in a single flat organizational structure of Azure. The hierarchical organizational structure is not supported by the domain of Azure Group. The domains service of accounting software package by Azure Group support the G roup Policy in the form of GPO which is built in for the computer containers and the users (Boonstra, 2013). The GP cannot be targeted by the organizational structure; the users cannot create custom GPOs or perform WMI filtering. The organizational structure of Azure Group helps in creating logical structure. One can use it for assigning policies of the group and the management of the resources. The flat organizational structure of Azure Group provides many advantages. However, the flat structure of the organization also leads to certain problems and issues in the operations of the company. There always is a probability for the management to lose control over the operations easily. This structure is very much suitable for the business operations in start-ups. When a company of massive scale has flat organizational structure, like Azure group, the whole system of operation can be threatened when the ratio of the employees to managers become out of proportion (Chatterjee, Kar & Kar, 2013). The management will not be able to have easy control when there are fewer people to control the unrequited behaviour and fewer individuals for the backup or support on the decisions made by the management of Azure Group. The working relationship of the individuals working in Azure Group could struggle. The managers may have to deal with managing too many people every day. The manager may als o find it difficult to connect on a personal level with the employees, which is important in maintaining trust and as the foundation of employees’ accountability and responsibility for the work and the company as a whole. This could pose a major threat on the morale and respect issue of the organization on all authority levels. Having a flat organizational structure can give rise to a power struggle in the Azure Group. Under this flat organizational structure, most of the time the employees lack a specific higher authority to report (Chatterjee, Kar & Kar, 2013). This is mostly prominent n the case when the CEO is not around. This leads to power struggles and confusion among the employees in the management. The flat organizational structure of Azure Group can make employee retention very challenging. Well performing employees who are in constant search for an improvement in the profile of the company, other than the raise in their salary, would find it difficult to find satis faction in the job under a flat organizational structure. These employees may end up searching job somewhere else where they believe that their efforts would be appreciated with a raise and promotion (Hernà ¡ndez, Santos & Gallardo, 2015). The flat organizational structure may also hinder the growth of the company. Change is crucial and has a lot of apprehensions. The management of Azure Group might think and decide against innovative opportunities with a renewed effort in the direction to maintain the organizational structure that may result in limiting the growth of the company in long term. In the flat organizational structure, unhealthy competition among the employees can lead to less motivation and add up to the confusion (Jin, et al., 2014). The most likely system acquisition method for Azure Group would be custom developed software. This system acquisition method is suitable for the company as the processing requirements of Azure Group are specific to the organization and the company has its own application software developed specifically.   As the Azure Group has programmers that it has employed along with the analysts and have set up an internal information technology group of its own, the custom developed software is suitable for the company. Azure Group could use the services of a software house or computer bureau for its assistance, which is insignificant for the company as it is a large scale. Azure Group already is having a full time developed team (Jin, et al., 2014). The company has to acquire the resultant software which is the custom developed software as it exactly suits to the requirement of the company, just as a tailor made suit is appropriate for the purchaser. Azure Group can derive the benefits of th e using a custom developed system acquisition software. This can include the resultant program that would exactly meet the processing requirements of the company. Azure Group is a large scale company having a flat organizational structure. Costs are not a matter for the company and thus, custom software for the system acquisition method is most appropriate for Azure Group (Jin, et al., 2014). The flowchart of sales procedure ( as shown in Appendix I) is an integral part of selling the product of Azure Group. The sale is the initiation of an engagement between the vendor and the customer or the extension of the engagement in the completion of the prospective stage. The provider of the goods or services through the salesperson completes sales in the response to an appropriation or to a request or an acquisition (Osman, El Beltagi & Hardaker, 2015). Then the passing of title of the product, the application along with the due settlement of the price, the obligation arising due to the requirement of the seller to pass the ownership is followed. The issues or problems in this system of the company would include threats regarding the security of the data of the company. The threat of hacking and other vulnerability regarding the theft of eth company’s confidential data and other information regarding the employees can be an issue to the system utilised by the company (Piepenburg, Archambault & Joergensen, 2015). The development and adoption of accounting system package are necessary as a complete realization of the advantages of the computerized accounting systems by Azure Group along with the technical support is critical. The Internet is the backbone across all the telecommunications installations due to which adoption of accounting software packages is necessary. The human resource also has to undertake numerous functions in every department of computer centres and accounting, training, and technical skills are considered very important that should be available for the staff. The lack of accounting software package would affect the field of designing, usage, development of information technology and accounting systems (Ren, et al., 2015). Human resource is the primary element that illustrates effectiveness and efficiency of operating the computerized accounting software package. It is important that the accounting software package has implications on the workforce at the human resource level. Azure Group has diverse benefits in using technology-based innovation like computerized accounting system adoption. Adopting and developing computerized accounting software package enhances the efficiency of the company through faster and cheaper product and service as well as operations development (Salleh, et al., 2015). The current market size for the accounting software includes Europe, China, USA, and Japan including other regions. With reference to the companies that have adopted and developed accounting software package, it is observed that the distribution has changed over the last 10 years. The market size also keeps changing from country to country. The current market size for the accounting software packages is about 65% of the market share. However, market share is a subjective measure. Every company can depict the specific market as varying from the other companies (Sanusi, 2015). The tax and audit service have been a dependable revenue source for the accounting software package over past years, as the demand for these services does not depend on the economic conditions. Accounting software package has also expanded the advisory services by incorporation of new technology such as cloud and data analytics services. The leaders in the accounting software package industry in the Australian market are Intuit, Xero, and MYOB. The competition for the supremacy in the accounting software market is prominent in the huge market. Every business requires keeping a hold on its track regarding its accounts which these companies make very easily in a simple way. These companies know the ways to remove the requirement for the book keepers and allow the business to facilitate a decision regarding cash flow and invoicing management on the operations. These companies are jostling for the share in the market. Adoption of accounting software in the Australian market is occurring at a very fast pace (Wali, Sadq & Rasheed, 2016). Many businesses in Australia are adopting accounting software so as to minimize the tedious paperwork that is often accompanied by errors of commission and omission, costly and time wasting. These companies face challenges due to their department not being autonomous units. In order to have a competitive edge in the market, these companies have their accounting departments entrusted with the collection, processing, and maintenance of online accounting. These companies also put in efforts regarding reconciling the accounting reports from other departments and deal with the incompatible formats and duplications. The approach of Information-centric security is been inculcated in order to control the security and data in the cloud in order to gain competitive advantage (Sanusi, 2015). The current gaps or challenges that are faced by the users or customers using accounting software packages are the lack of security, weak reporting service, lack of efficiency, outdated and lack of accuracy, lack of features, high cost, Difficult to customize and not user-friendly. The software users get worried regarding the security of the data as the foreign parties access them. Some solutions regarding accounting software are powerless in assisting the users who desire of getting the business data out (Sanusi, 2015). Users get disappointed with the fact that it is easy to put in data and impossible to get the data out. Some of the accounting software is not user-friendly (Ren, et al., 2015). They also restrict the users from using their keyboard completely. The companies should focus on the updating of the accounting software. The details regarding the software should be accurate, the system needs to be fast and errors must be checked. New features must be added for making the software more user-friendly (Salleh, et al., 2015). The report reflects the prominence of accounting software packages in business organizations in the competitive environment. Accounting software has gone through a prominent history of development since the invention of information technology. The large accounting software companies of Australia compete in the market characterized by continuously developing small and medium sized business. Strategies including information-centric security, authentication measures, and predicate cryptography should be acquired to deal with the threats security that is associated with the accounting software. Akhtar, M. and Mittail, R.K., 2014. Strategic flexibility information system flexibility and enterprise performance management.  Organizational Flexibility and Competitiveness, Flexible Systems Management, pp.41-51. Amrollahi, A., Ghapanchi, A.H. and Najaftorkaman, M., 2014, December. A Generic Framework for Developing Strategic Information System Plans: Insights from Past Three Decades. In  PACIS  (p. 332). Bernaoui, R., Issolah, R. and Hassoun, M., 2015. Strategic issues of a value-added information system for higher education in Algeria.  Perspectives of Innovations, Economics and Business, PIEB,  15(1), pp.57-66. Boonstra, A., 2013. How do top managers support strategic information system projects and why do they sometimes withhold this support?.  International Journal of Project Management,  31(4), pp.498-512. Chatterjee, K., Kar, M.B. and Kar, S., 2013, August. Strategic Decisions Using Intuitionistic Fuzzy Vikor Method for Information System (IS) Outsourcing. In  Computational and Business Intelligence (ISCBI), 2013 International Symposium on  (pp. 123-126). IEEE. Farantos, G.I. and Koutsoukis, N.S., 2016. Strategic Information Systems Planning Of Public Sector In Economic Crisis: An Integrated Framework.  European Scientific Journal, ESJ,  12(19). Hernà ¡ndez, O., Santos, M. and Gallardo, S., 2015. SGE: Information System for Strategic Planning Management Applied to an Electric Utility. In  Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering and Computer Science  (Vol. 1). Jin, P.J., Walker, A., Cebelak, M., Walton, C.M. and Nassar, E., 2014. Strategic environmental sensor station (ESS) location determination method based on weather-related crash data for road weather information system (RWIS). In  93rd TRB Annual Meeting. Kandjani, H., Mohtarami, A., Taghva, M.R. and Andargoli, A.E., 2014. Classification and comparison of strategic information systems planning methodologies: a conceptual framework.  International Journal of Enterprise Information Systems (IJEIS),  10(1), pp.1-10. Melitski, J. and Manoharan, A., 2014. Strategic Information System Plans in Nations Around the World.  International Journal of Public Administration,  37(12), pp.846-855. Osman, E., El Beltagi, I.M. and Hardaker, G., 2015. The Impact of Leadership Orientation on Strategic Information System Planning Processes, with an Application to Libyan Organizations.  Information Technology for Development,  21(4), pp.601-627. Piepenburg, D., Archambault, P. and Joergensen, L.L., 2015. PANABIO-a strategic approach to large-scale data integration analysis and modelling by means of a geo-referenced information system for predicting the response of benthic biota to environmental change in Arctic seas. Ren, G., Huang, Z., Lu, L., Hua, J. and Wang, J., 2015. Method of generating strategic guidance information for driving evacuation flows to approach safety-based system optimal dynamic flows: Case study of a large stadium.  Journal of Systems Science and Complexity,  28(3), pp.606-622. Salleh, S.M., Kassim, E.S., Sari, N.A.M. and Yunus, N.A.M., 2015. Conceptualizing User Bonding on Strategic Information System Development Success.  Advanced Science Letters,  21(6), pp.2024-2027. Sanusi, A., 2015. Strategic Alignment Model between Information System and Technology Strategy, Empowerment and Good Governance on Managerial Performance (Study of Private Universities KOPERTIS Region II in South Sumatera). Wali, A.I., Sadq, Z.M. and Rasheed, J.S., 2016. The Role of Strategic Information System Characteristics on Customer Service Quality (An Empirical Study at Soran and Sardam Private Hospitals in Iraqi Kurdistan Region Erbil City).  International Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies (IJHCS)? ISSN 2356-5926,  3(2), pp.1778-1790.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Richard Nixon's Foreign Policy During the Cold War Essay

Richard Nixon's Foreign Policy During the Cold War - Essay Example Elsewhere, communist political influence was spreading further in Latin America. The rise of Marxist leader Salvador Allende in Chile during 1970 was troubling the United States. By this time, President Nixon developed his own foreign policy called the â€Å"Nixon Doctrine.† In his speech, President Nixon (1969) stated these points as his main focus in foreign policy: Before any American troops were committed to Vietnam, a leader of another Asian country expressed this opinion to me when I was traveling in Asia as a private citizen. He said: "When you are trying to assist another nation defend its freedom, U.S. policy should be to help them fight the war but not to fight the war for them." Well, in accordance with this wise counsel, I laid down in Guam three principles as guidelines for future American policy toward Asia: - First, the United States will keep all of its treaty commitments. - Second, we shall provide a shield if a nuclear power threatens the freedom of a nation allied with us or of a nation whose survival we consider vital to our security. - Third, in cases involving other types of aggression, we shall furnish military and economic assistance when requested in accordance with our treaty commitments. ... The goal of Nixon’s foreign policy is to provide military and technical support to nations who are against Communist influence without sending US military personal to participate. Any direct intervention by the US military towards such conflicts would increase tensions to the already heated international political environment. Despite Nixon’s seemingly hawkish approach toward Communist nations, he found that realistic diplomatic approaches were also necessary. Nixon knew that resorting to military action against Soviet Russia and China would be catastrophic, even though it was clear that the Russians and Chinese were helping North Vietnam fight the US forces in South Vietnam. Regardless, there were heated tensions between Soviet Russia and China during that period. Research by Gilliland (2006) pointed that â€Å"as a realist, Nixon saw the potential benefits of a new relationship with China as a way to pressure the Soviets on many issues, and to expand trade between bo th nations† (p.14). Nixon’s foreign policy doctrine had various effects. First, it brought the era of Detente during the Cold War. The detente was the foreign policy of Nixon. Its purpose is to work on and improve a diplomatic atmosphere of  cooperation and normalization between the United States and the communist nations of Soviet Russia and China. A report made by the University of Virginia’s Miller Center (2012) conveyed: The announcement that the President would make an unprecedented trip to Beijing caused a sensation among the American people, who had seen little of the world's most populous nation since the Communists had taken power. Nixon's visit to China in February 1972 was widely televised and heavily viewed. It was only a first step, but a decisive one, in the budding

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Smart Goals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Smart Goals - Essay Example I will begin at the end of my final semester in school. Goal 2 Smart: I would like to acquire the require expertise in running my own business Measurable: I want to have the best effective skills in business management Attainable: I will seek attachment in a business oriented establishment in order to acquire required management skills. Realistic: I will work in the company for a full time basis, but within a period of three months in order to venture in my own business Timely: I will begin at the beginning of my final semester in school Goal 3 Smart: I want to acquire the required market research market skills to develop exceptional operational strategies Measurable: I want to implement the most effective market research strategies in my business venture Attainable: I will take part in market research project used in existing business ventures Realistic: I will occasionally take part in research projects regardless of my occupational ventures Timely: I will begin taking part in rese arch projects immediately

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Clothes Make the Man Essay Example for Free

The Clothes Make the Man Essay The Grangerford family serves as an allegory meant to show Southern readers both the horror and the futility of hatred and violence. TSIn the Grangerford home, the feud with the Shepherdsons is kept alive by the authority of Colonel Grangerford. As the father of a typically male-dominated Southern family, he sets the moral compass for them. CDHuck tells the reader that â€Å"every day of [the colonel’s] life he put on a clean shirt and a full suit from head to foot made out of linen so white it hurt your eyes to look at it. CMColonel Grangerford’s â€Å"clean† shirt projects the idea that he is a person of the highest moral quality, even though he advocates racism, vengeance, violence and ignorance under his own roof. Huck voices the collective opinion of Southern society when he decides that the Colonel â€Å"was a gentleman all over† (p. 140) based almost entirely on the man’s possessions. CSTwain uses the Colonel to show that white Southerners judge the moral quality of a man by his superficial appearance rather than focusing on his character. TSThe oldest two sons, Bob and Tom Grangerford, symbolize the pattern by which the family ideology is passed from generation to generation. CDBoth are described as â€Å"dressed in white linen from head to foot, like the old gentleman. † (p. 141) CMThe Colonel imprints them with his belief system from the outside in. It is his rules and his understanding of the world that â€Å"dresses† the ideas of his children. CSJust as the boys try to emulate their father’s external appearance, they also adopt his worldview and moral guidelines. TSBuck’s limited moral and academic education is highlighted frequently during Huck’s time with him. CM Buck desperately wants to murder Shephersons, even though he doesn’t know the reasons behind his family’s feud. What makes the situation sadder is that he seems to respect his enemies’ courage and unity, two of his family’s core virtues, and defends them to Huck. CDâ€Å"There aint a coward amongst them Shepherdsons,† Buck says, â€Å"not a one. † (p. 145) His father’s corrupt teaching has left Buck unable to recognize when he is acting immorally. When Buck fails to correctly spell the name â€Å"George Jackson†, he also demonstrates his academic shortcomings. CSTwain does this to show that even though Colonel Grangerford has enough money to educate Buck, he shields his son from the classroom to maintain control over what he learns. As a result of his limited education, Buck grows up as an incomplete man. When Huck first sees Buck, he notices that â€Å"he hadnt on anything but a shirt, and he was very frowzy-headed. Buck’s unfinished outfit symbolizes his deficient schooling, and the frowziness of his hair represents his father’s negligence in his moral instruction. Huck tells us that when he goes to Buck’s room, â€Å"[Buck] got me a coarse shirt and a roundabout and pants of his. † (p. 131) The rough texture of the shirt is another metaphor for Buck’s stunted mental growth, and its rigid construction reminds us of the stern control that the Colonel, who bought the shirt, exerts over his son. Twain suggests that the Grangerfords’ demise is directly related to their lack of education, when their inability to foresee the Shepherdsons’ ambush results in Buck’s death. He shows the reader how the family stunted their intellectual and spiritual growth by focusing their time and energy on hatred, racism and cruelty. Any southerners of the time who shared similar values as the Grangerfords were likely given much to think about when they read this family’s story and the price they paid for their crooked moral values.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Invasion Of Panama :: essays research papers fc

The Invasion of Panama The U.S. invasion of Panama on December 20, 1989 was a mark of excellence on the behalf of the U.S. armed forces ability to effectively use the principles of war. The years leading up to the invasion set the climate for conflict; drug trafficking became a major problem between Panama and the U.S. in the 1980's, as well as Manuel Noriega's interference with the Panama canal employees rights under the Panama Canal Treaty; the final action that sparked the invasion was Noriega's attempt to fix the national election and the military enforcement of the fix after the election. Once this took place the U.S. began to make a plan for the invasion. The overwhelming success of this mission stemmed from the U.S. military's competent use of the principals of war. The primary success of a mission is the ability to define an overall attainable objective for the mission. In the formulation of the mission to invade Panama, the U.S. military set out four main objectives of the mission. First, they wanted to "protect American lives" (Watson 69). This meant they wanted to protect the lives of the 35,000 U.S. citizens in Panama from attacks by Noriega's Panama Defense Force or PDF; they also wanted to protect the lives of Americans at home by attempting to eliminate drug trafficking. Second, they wanted to "protect American interests and rights under the Panama Canal Treaty" (Watson 69). This could be done by abolishing Noriega's control of the workers who operate the canal, and his control of the canal itself. Third, they wanted to "restore a democratic and freely elected government to Panama" (Watson 107). Here, the U.S. would gain control over the country and ensure a fair election. And, finally, they wanted to "apprehend Noriega" (Watson 69) for prosecution in the U.S.. This would ease the difficulty of restoring democracy and eliminating drug trafficking, as well as giving Americans a feeling that justice was being served. These objectives gave the mission clear goals to achieve, allowing for the planing of each task that needed to be completed in order to accomplish the mission. Once objective has been established, the next step was to derive a simple plan, following the principle of simplicity, which is the formation of "Direct, simple plans and clear, concise orders to minimize misunderstanding and confusion" (Stofft 7). That is just what the U.S. did. They used direct and simple plans to carry out their mission; that is not to say the invasion was a simple operation, on the contrary, the command and control measures were very difficult. Thus, the plan was as simple as it could be with concern to the

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Host Chapter 34: Buried

Jared lunged forward, away from me. With a loud smacking sound, his fist hit Kyle's face. Kyle's eyes rolled back in his head, and his mouth fell slack. The room was very quiet for a few seconds. â€Å"Um,† Doc said in a mild voice, â€Å"medically speaking, I'm not sure that was the most helpful thing for his condition.† â€Å"But I feel better,† Jared answered, sullen. Doc smiled the tiniest smile. â€Å"Well, maybe a few more minutes of unconsciousness won't kill him.† Doc began looking under Kyle's lids again, taking his pulse†¦ â€Å"What happened?† Wes was by my head, speaking in a murmur. â€Å"Kyle tried to kill it,† Jared answered before I could. â€Å"Are we really surprised?† â€Å"Did not,† I muttered. Wes looked at Jared. â€Å"Altruism seems to come more naturally to it than lies,† Jared noted. â€Å"Are you trying to be annoying?† I demanded. My patience was not waning, but entirely gone. How long had it been since I'd slept? The only thing that ached worse than my leg was my head. Every breath hurt my side. I realized, with some surprise, that I was in a truly bad mood. â€Å"Because if you are, then be assured, you have succeeded.† Jared and Wes looked at me with shocked eyes. I was sure that if I could see the others, their expressions would match. Maybe not Jeb's. He was the master of the poker face. â€Å"I am female,† I complained. â€Å"That it' business is really getting on my nerves.† Jared blinked in surprise. Then his face settled back into harder lines. â€Å"Because of the body you wear?† Wes glared at him. â€Å"Because of me,† I hissed. â€Å"By whose definition?† â€Å"How about by yours? In my species, I am the one that bears young. Is that not female enough for you?† That stopped him short. I felt almost smug. As you should, Melanie approved. He's wrong, and he's being a pig about it. Thank you. We girls have to stick together. â€Å"That's a story you've never told us,† Wes murmured, while Jared struggled for a rebuttal. â€Å"How does that work?† Wes's olive-toned face darkened, as if he'd just realized he had spoken the words out loud. â€Å"I mean, I guess you don't have to answer that, if I'm being rude.† I laughed. My mood was swinging around wildly, out of control. Slaphappy, like Mel had said. â€Å"No, you're not asking anything†¦ inappropriate. We don't have such a complicated†¦ elaborate setup as your species.† I laughed again, and then felt warmth in my face. I remembered only too clearly how elaborate it could be. Get your mind out of the gutter. It's your mind, I reminded her. â€Å"Then†¦?† Wes asked. I sighed. â€Å"There are only a few of us who are†¦ Mothers. Not Mothers. That's what they call us, but it's just the potential to be one†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I was sober again, thinking of it. There were no Mothers, no surviving Mothers, only the memories of them. â€Å"You have that potential?† Jared asked stiffly. I knew the others were listening. Even Doc had paused in the act of putting his ear to Kyle's chest. I didn't answer his question. â€Å"We're†¦ a little like your hives of bees, or your ants. Many, many sexless members of the family, and then the queen†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Queen?† Wes repeated, looking at me with a strange expression. â€Å"Not like that. But there is only one Mother for every five, ten thousand of my kind. Sometimes less. There's no hard-and-fast rule.† â€Å"How many drones?† Wes wondered. â€Å"Oh, no-there aren't drones. No, I told you, it's simpler than that.† They waited for me to explain. I swallowed. I shouldn't have brought this up. I didn't want to talk about it anymore. Was it really such a big thing to have Jared call me â€Å"it†? They still waited. I frowned, but then I spoke. I'd started this. â€Å"The Mothers†¦ divide. Every†¦ cell, I guess you could call it, though our structure isn't the same as yours, becomes a new soul. Each new soul has a little of the Mother's memory, a piece of her that remains.† â€Å"How many cells?† Doc asked, curious. â€Å"How many young?† I shrugged. â€Å"A million or so.† The eyes that I could see widened, looked a little wilder. I tried not to feel hurt when Wes cringed away from me. Doc whistled under his breath. He was the only one who was still interested in continuing. Aaron and Andy had wary, disturbed expressions on their faces. They'd never heard me teach before. Never heard me speak so much. â€Å"When does that happen? Is there a catalyst?† Doc asked. â€Å"It's a choice. A voluntary choice,† I told him. â€Å"It's the only way we ever willingly choose to die. A trade, for a new generation.† â€Å"You could choose now, to divide all your cells, just like that?† â€Å"Not quite just like that, but yes.† â€Å"Is it complicated?† â€Å"The decision is. The process is†¦ painful.† â€Å"Painful?† Why should that have surprised him so? Wasn't it the same for his kind? Men. Mel snorted. â€Å"Excruciating,† I told him. â€Å"We all remember how it was for our Mothers.† Doc was stroking his chin, entranced. â€Å"I wonder what the evolutionary track would be†¦ to produce a hive society with suiciding queens†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He was lost on another plane of thought. â€Å"Altruism,† Wes murmured. â€Å"Hmm,† Doc said. â€Å"Yes, that.† I closed my eyes, wishing my mouth had stayed closed. I felt dizzy. Was I just tired or was it my head wound? â€Å"Oh,† Doc muttered. â€Å"You've slept even less than I have, haven't you, Wanda? We should let you get some rest.† â€Å"‘M fine,† I mumbled, but I didn't open my eyes. â€Å"That's just great,† someone said under his breath. â€Å"We've got a bloody queen mother alien living with us. She could blow into a million new buggers at any moment.† â€Å"Shh.† â€Å"They couldn't hurt you,† I told whoever it was, not opening my eyes. â€Å"Without host bodies, they would die quickly.† I winced, imagining the unimaginable grief. A million tiny, helpless souls, tiny silver babies, withering†¦ No one answered me, but I could feel their relief in the air. I was so tired. I didn't care that Kyle was three feet from me. I didn't care that two of the men in the room would side with Kyle if he came around. I didn't care about anything but sleep. Of course, that was when Walter woke up. â€Å"Uuuh,† he groaned, just a whisper. â€Å"Gladdie?† With a groan of my own, I rolled toward him. The pain in my leg made me wince, but I couldn't twist my torso. I reached out to him, found his hand. â€Å"Here,† I whispered. â€Å"Ahh,† Walter sighed in relief. Doc hushed the men who began to protest. â€Å"Wanda's given up sleep and peace to help him through the pain. Her hands are bruised from holding his. What have you done for him?† Walter groaned again. The sound began low and guttural but turned quickly to a high-pitched whimper. Doc winced. â€Å"Aaron, Andy, Wes†¦ would you, ah, go get Sharon for me, please?† â€Å"All of us?† â€Å"Get out,† Jeb translated. The only answer was a shuffling of feet as they left. â€Å"Wanda,† Doc whispered, close beside my ear. â€Å"He's in pain. I can't let him come all the way around.† I tried to breathe evenly. â€Å"It's better if he doesn't know me. It's better if he thinks Gladdie is here.† I pulled my eyes open. Jeb was beside Walter, whose face still looked as if he slept. â€Å"Bye, Walt,† Jeb said. â€Å"See you on the other side.† He stepped back. â€Å"You're a good man. You'll be missed,† Jared murmured. Doc was fumbling in the package of morphine again. The paper crackled. â€Å"Gladdie?† Walt sobbed. â€Å"It hurts.† â€Å"Shhh. It won't hurt much longer. Doc will make it stop.† â€Å"Gladdie?† â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"I love you, Gladdie. I've loved you my whole life long.† â€Å"I know, Walter. I-I love you, too. You know how I love you.† Walter sighed. I closed my eyes when Doc leaned over Walter with the syringe. â€Å"Sleep well, friend,† Doc murmured. Walter's fingers relaxed, loosened. I held on to them-I was the one clinging now. The minutes passed, and all was quiet except my breathing. It was hitching and breaking, tending toward quiet sobs. Someone patted my shoulder. â€Å"He's gone, Wanda,† Doc said, his voice thick. â€Å"He's out of pain.† He pulled my hand free and rolled me carefully out of my awkward position into one that was less agonizing. But only slightly so. Now that I knew Walter wouldn't be disturbed, the sobs were not so quiet. I clutched at my side, where it throbbed. â€Å"Oh, go ahead. You won't be happy otherwise,† Jared muttered in a grudging tone. I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn't do it. Something stung my arm. I didn't remember having hurt my arm. And in such a strange place, just inside my elbow†¦ Morphine, Melanie whispered. We were already drifting now. I tried to be alarmed, but I couldn't be. I was too far gone. No one said goodbye, I thought dully. I couldn't expect Jared†¦ but Jeb†¦ Doc†¦ Ian wasn't here†¦ No one's dying, she promised me. Just sleeping this time†¦ When I woke, the ceiling above me was dim, starlit. Nighttime. There were so many stars. I wondered where I was. There were no black obstructions, no pieces of ceiling in my view. Just stars and stars and stars†¦ Wind fanned my face. It smelled like†¦ dust and†¦ something I couldn't put my finger on. An absence. The musty smell was gone. No sulfur, and it was so dry. â€Å"Wanda?† someone whispered, touching my good cheek. My eyes found Ian's face, white in the starlight, leaning over me. His hand on my skin was cooler than the breeze, but the air was so dry it wasn't uncomfortable. Where was I? â€Å"Wanda? Are you awake? They won't wait any longer.† I whispered because he did. â€Å"What?† â€Å"They're starting already. I knew you would want to be here.† â€Å"She comin' around?† Jeb's voice asked. â€Å"What's starting?† I asked. â€Å"Walter's funeral.† I tried to sit up, but my body was all rubbery. Ian's hand moved to my forehead, holding me down. I twisted my head under his hand, trying to see†¦ I was outside. Outside. On my left, a rough, tumbled pile of boulders formed a miniature mountain, complete with scrubby brush. On my right, the desert plain stretched away from me, disappearing in the darkness. I looked down past my feet, and I could see the huddle of humans, ill at ease in the open air. I knew just how they felt. Exposed. I tried to get up again. I wanted to be closer, to see. Ian's hand restrained me. â€Å"Easy there,† he said. â€Å"Don't try to stand.† â€Å"Help me,† I pleaded. â€Å"Wanda?† I heard Jamie's voice, and then I saw him, his hair bobbing as he ran to where I was lying. My fingertips traced the edges of the mat beneath me. How did I get here, sleeping under the stars? â€Å"They didn't wait,† Jamie said to Ian. â€Å"It will be over soon.† â€Å"Help me up,† I said. Jamie reached for my hand, but Ian shook his head. â€Å"I got her.† Ian slid his arms under me, very careful to avoid the worst of the sore spots. He pulled me up off the ground, and my head spun like a ship about to capsize. I groaned. â€Å"What did Doc do to me?† â€Å"He gave you a little of the leftover morphine, so that he could check you out without hurting you. You needed sleep anyway.† I frowned, disapproving. â€Å"Won't someone else need the medicine more?† â€Å"Shh,† he said, and I could hear a low voice in the distance. I turned my head. I could see the group of humans again. They stood at the mouth of a low, dark, open space carved out by the wind under the unstable-looking pile of boulders. They stood in a ragged line, facing the shadowed grotto. I recognized Trudy's voice. â€Å"Walter always saw the bright side of things. He could see the bright side of a black hole. I'll miss that.† I saw a figure step forward, saw the gray-and-black braid swing as she moved, and watched Trudy toss a handful of something into the darkness. Sand scattered from her fingers, falling to the ground with a faint hiss. She went back to stand beside her husband. Geoffrey moved away from her, stepped forward toward the black space. â€Å"He'll find his Gladys now. He's happier where he is.† Geoffrey threw his handful of dirt. Ian carried me to the right side of the line of people, close enough to see into the murky grotto. There was a darker space on the ground in front of us, a big oblong around which the entire human population stood in a loose half circle. Everyone was there-everyone. Kyle stepped forward. I trembled, and Ian squeezed me gently. Kyle did not look in our direction. I saw his face in profile; his right eye was nearly swollen shut. â€Å"Walter died human,† Kyle said. â€Å"None of us can ask for more than that.† He threw a fistful of dirt into the dark shape on the ground. Kyle rejoined the group. Jared stood beside him. He took the short walk and stopped at the edge of Walter's grave. â€Å"Walter was good through and through. Not one of us is his equal.† He threw his sand. Jamie walked forward, and Jared patted his shoulder once as they passed each other. â€Å"Walter was brave,† Jamie said. â€Å"He wasn't afraid to die, he wasn't afraid to live, and†¦ he wasn't afraid to believe. He made his own decisions, and he made good ones.† Jamie threw his handful. He turned and walked back, his eyes locked on mine the whole way. â€Å"Your turn,† he whispered when he was at my side. Andy was already moving forward, a shovel in his hands. â€Å"Wait,† Jamie said in a low voice that carried in the silence. â€Å"Wanda and Ian haven't said anything.† There was an unhappy mutter around me. My brain felt like it was pitching and heaving inside my skull. â€Å"Let's have some respect,† Jeb said, louder than Jamie. It felt too loud to me. My first instinct was to wave Andy ahead and make Ian carry me away. This was human mourning, not mine. But I did mourn. And I did have something to say. â€Å"Ian, help me get some sand.† Ian crouched down so I could scoop up a handful of the loose rocks at our feet. He rested my weight on his knee to get his own share of dirt. Then he straightened and carried me to the edge of the grave. I couldn't see into the hole. It was dark under the overhang of rock, and the grave seemed to be very deep. Ian began speaking before I could. â€Å"Walter was the best and brightest of what is human,† he said, and scattered his sand into the hole. It fell for a long time before I heard it hiss against the bottom. Ian looked down at me. It was absolutely silent in the starlit night. Even the wind was calm. I whispered, but I knew my voice carried to everyone. â€Å"There was no hatred in your heart,† I whispered. â€Å"That you existed is proof that we were wrong. We had no right to take your world from you, Walter. I hope your fairytales are true. I hope you find your Gladdie.† I let the rocks trickle through my fingers and waited until I heard them fall with a soft patter onto Walter's body, obscured in the deep, dark grave. Andy started to work as soon as Ian took the first step back, shoveling from a mound of pale, dusty earth that was piled a few feet farther into the grotto. The shovel load hit with a thump rather than a whisper. The sound made me cringe. Aaron stepped past us with another shovel. Ian turned slowly and carried me away to make room for them. The heavy thuds of falling dirt echoed behind us. Low voices began to murmur. I heard footsteps as people milled and huddled to discuss the funeral. I really looked at Ian for the first time as he walked back to the dark mat where it lay on the open dirt-out of place, not belonging. Ian's face was streaked with pale dust, his expression weary. I'd seen his face like that before. I couldn't pinpoint the memory before Ian had laid me on the mat again, and I was distracted. What was I supposed to do out here in the open? Sleep? Doc was right behind us; he and Ian both knelt down in the dust beside me. â€Å"How are you feeling?† Doc asked, already prodding at my side. I wanted to sit up, but Ian pressed my shoulder down when I tried. â€Å"I'm fine. I think maybe I could walk†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No need to push it. Let's give that leg a few days, okay?† Doc pulled my left eyelid up, absentminded, and shone a tiny beam of light into it. My right eye saw the bright reflection that danced across his face. He squinted away from the light, recoiling a few inches. Ian's hand on my shoulder didn't flinch. That surprised me. â€Å"Hmm. That doesn't help a diagnosis, does it? How does your head feel?† Doc asked. â€Å"A little dizzy. I think it's the drugs you gave me, though, not the wound. I don't like them-I'd rather feel the pain, I think.† Doc grimaced. So did Ian. â€Å"What?† I demanded. â€Å"I'm going to have to put you under again, Wanda. I'm sorry.† â€Å"But†¦ why?† I whispered. â€Å"I'm really not that hurt. I don't want -â€Å" â€Å"We have to take you back inside,† Ian said, cutting me off, his voice low, as if he didn't want it to carry back to the others. I could hear the voices behind us, echoing quietly off the rocks. â€Å"We promised†¦ that you wouldn't be conscious.† â€Å"Blindfold me again.† Doc pulled the little syringe from his pocket. It was already depressed, only a quarter left. I shied away from it, toward Ian. His hand on my shoulder became a restraint. â€Å"You know the caves too well,† Doc murmured. â€Å"They don't want you having the chance to guess†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But where would I go?† I whispered, my voice frantic. â€Å"If I knew the way out? Why would I leave now?† â€Å"If it eases their minds†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ian said. Doc took my wrist, and I didn't fight him. I looked away as the needle bit into my skin, looked at Ian. His eyes were midnight in the dark. They tightened at the look of betrayal in mine. â€Å"Sorry,† he muttered. It was the last thing I heard.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Social and Historical Effects Responsible for the Conception of the Fantastic and Supernatural in Gothic Horror (Dracula)

Bram Stoker’s Dracula debuted in Victorian England at the end of the nineteenth century. Not the first vampire story of its time, it certainly made one of the most lasting impressions on modern culture, where tales of the supernatural, horror, witchcraft, possession, demoniacs, vampires, werewolves, zombies, aliens, and monsters of all kinds have become something of a theme in modern art, if not an obsession. Many scholars debate the origin or cause of this phenomenon, yet most agree that culture plays an enormous role in the development of such themes, whether in nineteenth century gothic novels such as Dracula or Frankenstein, or in modern films with gothic leanings, such as The Exorcist or Children of Men. This paper will examine how fantasy and the idea of the supernatural, including the â€Å"undead,† is an important underlying fear prevalent in the psyche of humanity, which manifests itself differently, depending on the social or historical circumstances which spawns the creation of that work of literature or film. By placing Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein within the context of its Romantic/Enlightenment era, E. Michael Jones shows how the effects of the revolutionary doctrine of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Marquis de Sade, and Percy Bysshe Shelley found their ultimate expression in the gothic horror genre (90). Dracula, no less than Frankenstein, is indicative of the cultural underbelly that the Victorian Age sought to cover up. Far from speaking directly of the human passions unleashed by the Romantic era, the Victorian Age found it more appropriate to hide them, keep them out of the public sphere, render them lifeless, and thereby make life respectable. The problem was, the less those passions were talked about, but acted upon, the more those same passions bubbled up to the surface through the means of gothic horror novels and films. While, Oscar Wilde’s â€Å"art for art’s sake† carried the artistic world out of the Victorian Age and into the twentieth century of unhindered expressionism, Wilde himself fell victim to the very underbelly of Victorian England—which, in fact, prosecuted him to the fullest extent of the law when his vices became open knowledge to the public. Stoker’s Dracula was just as representative of his own sexual desires masked by Victorian prudery. But because Stoker for the most part kept his affairs from becoming public scandal, he was left well enough alone to express what everyone was interested in anyway, and which has always been an easy seller: sex. Controlling the passions had always been the interest of the Catholic Church, which was the European bulwark against revolution, with assistance from the reason of Augustine to the scholasticism of Aquinas to the architecture of the gothic cathedrals. With the growing corruption of many Church officials, the rise of the Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation, that control was finally threatened and replaced. New philosophies were spread (Rousseau’s concept of nature as the only law; Sade’s concept of that same nature as brutal, animalistic, and violent), which unleashed a tidal wave of radical revolutionaries in Paris at the end of the eighteenth century, which in turn needed new types of control. Napoleon was the immediate result. Victorian prudery was the nineteenth century’s later response. It enabled Mary Shelley to turn her husband into a â€Å"Victorian angel,† as she â€Å"dedicated the rest of her life to effacing their sexual experiment† (Jones 91) with Byron in Geneva, memorialized, however, by Ken Russell’s 1987 film Gothic, in which de Sade’s Justine informs Mary Shelley of what could soon be expected. What Sade foresaw, and helped promote, was a sexual revolution that would elevate sexual desire from the restraints of medieval Church doctrine. While that elevation led to the enforcement of a new social code of conduct (Victorianism), an alternate development got underway in which that same elevation of sexual license was to be used itself as a form of control. In fact, Augustine had spoken of such centuries before when he wrote that a man has as many masters as he has vices. Sade’s assessment was similar in the eighteenth century: â€Å"The state of the moral man is one of tranquility and peace; the state of an immoral man is one of perpetual unrest† (Jones 6). Yet, while Augustine promoted peace, Sade, who exercised some political sway in the Reign of Terror, promoted unrest: â€Å"By promoting vice, the regime promotes slavery, which can be fashioned into a form of political control† (Jones 6). Such was in line with Robespierre’s doctrine of terror as persuasion. Stoker’s Dracula was an expression of just such an idea—for Stoker himself knew the validity of both those claims: a seducer of young women, Stoker doubtlessly identified with Jonathan Harker and Dracula, the captive and master all at once. The vampire became a persona of iconic horror status in film in the following century. The concept of the walking â€Å"undead† who fed on the blood of innocents conjured up something so profound and stimulating in the minds of audiences all over the world that vampirism was everywhere, from Nosferatu to Bela Lugosi to Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Vampyr. Dreyer, who had shot what is considered one of the greatest silent films of all time, The Passion of Joan of Arc, found his inspiration for his vampire film in the likes of Magnus Hirschfeld. Hirschfeld was an honorary member of the British Society for Sexual Psychology and something of a movie star himself in Weimar Germany, playing an â€Å"enlightened, sexually condoning doctor in Richard Oswald’s pro-homosexual film Anders als die Andern† (Jones 194). The themes of sexual license and control had a significant impact on Germany. Sigmund Freud would take up the themes in his psychoanalytic studies, promoting the fulfillment of sexual desires as a means of appeasing the subconscious. In Dr. Seward’s diary, one finds no less: a blood transfusion is given to Lucy by Van Helsing, who states, â€Å"She wants blood, and blood she must have or die† (Stoker 123). Lucy has been bitten by the vampire and become, in a sense, contaminated. The only scientific cure is to give her want she wants: blood. The allusion to another blood exchange is obvious—but the sense is inverted: While T. S. Eliot states in Murder in the Cathedral the relationship between Christian sacrifice and control of the passions (â€Å"His Blood for ours, Blood for blood†), Enlightenment science suggests no spiritual remedy—merely a physical or psychological one: a psychological/physical giving into desire rather than a spiritual dominance of it. Jones speaks of the sexual revolution that ran concomitantly with the French Revolution as the real forbearer of gothic horror. Whereas othic cathedrals reinforced through visual representation the horror of Satan and sin, modern gothic horror does the same—though the solution is different (if there is one, and there often is not: the immortal evil of Michael Myers, Jason, Krueger, etc. suggests that while Christ was the answer for Augustine and Aquinas, the Enlightenment has yet to formulate any acceptable solution). Meanwhile, the manipulation of desire, Jones notes, has found its way out of Victorian prudery and into the mainstream through advertising, radio, television, music, and cinema. The fantasy of the â€Å"undead† in the George A. Romero franchise, which is still being updated, suggests a kind of public response to the world around it: a society full of living, walking dead—killed by the bombardment of uncontrolled passions, yet still living, shopping, attending to social rituals. The sexual revolution and Enlightenment doctrine of the 1790s and early twentieth century resurfaced in full throttle in the 1960s and 70s, to create a new wave of liberal social doctrine and a new wave of gothic horror in film. In Dracula, Mina Harker records the assessment of the evil of vampirism according to Van Helsing: The nosferatu do not die like the bee when he sting once. He is only stronger; and being stronger, have yet more power to work evil. This vampire†¦is of himself so strong in person as twenty men; he is of cunning more than mortal†¦he have still the aids of necromancy, and all the dead that he can come nigh to are for him to command; he is brute, and more than brute; he is devil in callous, and the heart of him is not. (Stoker 237) The portrayal is Satanic, and a similar portrayal would be given in 1973’s The Exorcist, in which Satan possesses a girl through the medium of a children’s game (the Ouija board). Yet, with The Exorcist, the spiritual evil is made much more real than the fantastic evil of Dracula. And while Dracula is destroyed by a stake, the devil is dispelled only through the power of Christ in The Exorcist. Ironically, however, the devil is driven out only after the death of not one but two priests—the old man initially, and then the younger priest, whose own crisis of faith becomes a kind of despair at the end of the film, when, ceasing to compel Satan through Christ, he cries, â€Å"Take me! instead, and then throws himself out the window when his own possession is complete. The girl is freed from her captor, but only at the cost of the life and soul of the young priest: the power of Christ merely served to anger the devil—it did not subjugate him; such would have been too meaningful in the relativistic climate of the 70s. The 70’s sexual and political revolutions were intertwined to such an extent that hardcore pornography and Feminist politics app eared on the scene simultaneously. While Betty Friedan opposed traditional gender codes in such works as The Feminine Mystique, pornography was raking in the profits. The cinematic response to this was the slaughter of sexually-active teenagers by homicidal maniacs (evil incarnate), while virtuous and chaste maidens like Jamie Lee Curtis’ character in Halloween remained alive just long enough for the evil to be driven away by a male authority figure. Horror films often reinforced traditional gender norms, yet the awesome evil of those films seemed to have no end. With the proliferation of contraceptives as a form of eugenics similar to the kind practiced under Hitler, sex became an act of passion without physical consequences; yet horror maintained that it still had psychological and even spiritual ones. Nonetheless, as Jones shows, the promotion of contraception in twentieth century America by representatives of the Rockefeller Foundation was supposed to be nothing more than the controlling of ethnic populations that were found to be subhuman by WASP elitists (406). The black and Catholic communities, whose uninhibited breeding threatened to undermine WASP political control, promptly received the attention of people like Margaret Sanger and â€Å"Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C. S. C. , who used Rockefeller money to fund secret conferences on contraception at the University of Notre Dame from 1962 to 1965† (Jones 147). The idea of Thomas Malthus, that over-population would ultimately destroy the earth, was marketed as the principle behind contraception. The underbelly of the movement, however, was, according to Jones, nothing more than a power play for control. The extremity of the situation would be explored by Alfonso Cuaron’s 2006 film Children of Men based on the novel by P. D. James. Friend of Spanish filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, whose Mimic has been noted in â€Å"Good Entomologist/Bad Entomologist† by Jones as a swipe at Enlightenment doctrine being a vain attempt at setting and controlling social mores (â€Å"The only solution left is the†¦prime totem of folk Catholicism, the rosary†Ã¢â‚¬â€referring, of course, to the end scene in which Mira Sorvino’s character draws blood rom her hand with a rosary crucifix to divert the attention of the giant blood-sucking roach, which is about to eat the little boy). In Children of Men, there are no little boys, nor little girls—in fact, children are gone altogether (a threatening theme that opens Del Toro’s Mimic too). The rampant sterilization of modern years is turned into a life-threatening ideology, affecting everyone and all ethnicities. When a woman is found, who has seemingly miraculously conceived, she is caught in the middle of yet another struggle for control—one group wants to use her as a political poster child, the other wants to legitimately help. Meanwhile, a war is waged in the urban cities, which evokes a kind of apocalyptic message of utter desolation. As Clive Owen’s character makes the ultimate sacrifice (his life) for that of the woman and her child’s, a sense of hope in the future of mankind is restored—but the outlook is still bleak and grim—for no one knows whether the woman and her child will really make it as they disappear into the fog rolling across the open sea. Hope is in the approach of the ship, but beyond that lies—what? In Children of Men, the fantasy of the â€Å"undead† is replaced by the fantasy of the â€Å"unborn. † The reality of Malthusian sterilization taken to extremes in modern times by social groups across the globe (birth rates are at lows nearly everywhere), sexual liberation has once again become a pathway to political control and to gothic horror genre representations. In conclusion, the underlying fears of societies since the beginning of the Romantic/Enlightenment age have manifested themselves in a variety of forms depending upon the cultural climate of the time. Beginning with Shelley’s Frankenstein as a repudiation of Enlightenment doctrine and going through Stoker’s Dracula as a representation of sexual desire and control bubbling under the surface of Victorian prudery, gothic horror has found its way into the mainstream culture with tales of supernatural occurrences that are in some sense connected to the issues of the day. The sexual revolution of the early twentieth century in New York materialized in greater force all over America in the 60s and 70s, launching another series of gothic horror novels and films onto audiences, from Stephen King to John Carpenter, Clive Barker, and Stanley Kubrick. While films like The Exorcist and Children of Men get closer to the reality of spiritual possession and widespread sterility, the human psyche of modern times continues to want to see itself as a kind of â€Å"undead† creature, whose reason for being has yet to be determined. Therefore, popular gothic horror icons like Frankenstein and Dracula remain staples of modern horror fiction, representing to the populace a mirror of its own struggles with the doctrine of Enlightenment liberation and control.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Microeconomic Analysis

Microeconomic Analysis Binding price ceiling The forces of demand and supply in the market determine the prevailing market price. This is the equilibrium price. However, there are instances where market conditions do not regulate prices. These are instance when government comes in to set either minimum or maximum prices.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Microeconomic Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is especially when government feels that the market prices will exploit either consumers or suppliers. Price ceiling is a scenario where the government sets maximum price at which sellers must sell goods and services. The essence of setting binding price ceiling is to a minimize consumer exploitation (Baumol Blinder 2011). Market for rental accommodation Before price ceiling, the forces of demand and supply set the equilibrium prices for rental accommodation. In the short run, the supply for rentals is inelastic. However in the lo ng run, it is elastic (Bernanke Frank 2003). The diagram below shows market for rentals in the long run. In the diagram above, the equilibrium price is $100,000. The equilibrium quantity demanded is 50 units of rentals. Area b shows consumer surplus and area c shows producer surplus. Imposition of binding price ceiling changes the equilibrium condition as shown below (Federal Housing Finance Agency 2012). After imposition of a price ceiling, the equilibrium price changes to $80,000. The quantity demanded is 60 units while the quantity supplied is 45 units. Therefore, there is a state of disequilibrium in the market. After price restriction, area bb show consumers’ surplus. Area c shows producer surplus. It is clear that that the producer surplus has declined. Consumers’ surplus has increased.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Black market Black marke t sells goods at prices different from those approved by relevant authorities. Few manufacturers and many retailers characterize the market. In most cases, it is not possible to trace the manufacturers. Also, it is impossible to control black market. Price ceiling with or without rationing gives rise to the black market (Tregarthen Rittenberg 2008). The diagram below illustrates a black market. In the diagram above, a trader operating in a black market will buy quantity of goods amounting to QE at price P1. Therefore, area cc shows the total he will pay. He then sells the goods at P2 making a profit of area bb. In such a market set up, the seller gains since he is making exorbitant profits from the excess demand while the buyer looses because he pays more than the equilibrium price. Effects of price ceiling Price ceiling causes acute shortage in supply of the good or service. This is because, at prices below the equilibrium price, the product looks unattractive to the producers. O n the other hand, demand will rise. This is because the low prices attract buyers. This results to long queues at shops and discrimination by sellers. Therefore, there is distortion of equilibrium condition. This is because it makes quantities bought and sold to fall below the equilibrium. This creates inefficiency in the economy (Wessels 2006). A price ceiling leads to loss in welfare of both producers and consumers. This is often known as dead weight loss. The diagram below illustrates dead weight loss Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Microeconomic Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Before setting the price ceiling, area a1 and b1 shows consumer surplus and area a2, b2 and c shows producer surplus. After setting the price restriction, area b1 and b2 shows consumer surplus and area c shows producer surplus. This indicates reduction in welfare of the producers. Besides, area a1 and a2 is not attributed to any player in the market. Therefore, it represents a lost welfare. This area is known as dead weight loss. Therefore, price ceiling results to loss in welfare (Wessels 2006). Allocation technique available to the government Given the high demand against reduced supply, government must find a way of allocating the available supply. For instance, government can ration the supply. Administratively, this can be achieved by giving coupons sufficient to buy the available supply. Distribution of these coupons can either be equally or based on a various attributes such as sex, number of dependants and marital status (Mankiw 2011). Options available to owners In the absence of government monitored allocation techniques, owners of rental properties use various techniques to allocate the rental accommodation facility. A common technique is the policy of first come first serve. In this method, allocation is on the basis of luck. Those who know how to use the principle of first come first served ga in most. However, this system makes customer to rush and create long queues. The landlords can also allocate the scarce rental accommodation on the basis of who they know. This can be based on religion, regular customers and race among others. This approach is known as seller’s preferences. This approach leads discrimination. This also leads to inequitable distribution of rental accommodation (Melvin Boyes 2010). Reference List Baumol, W Blinder, A 2011, Economics: Principles Policy, Joe Sabatino, USA. Bernanke, B Frank, R 2003, Principles of microeconomics, McGraw Hill Companies, USA. Federal Housing Finance Agency 2012, Supervision and regulation. Web.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Mankiw, G 2011, Principles of microeconomics, South Western Cengage Learning, USA. Melvin, M Boyes, W 2010, Microeconomics, Joe Sabatino, USA. Tregarthen, T Rittenberg, L 2008, Principles of microeconomics, Flat World Knowledge, Inc., New York. Wessels, W 2006, Economics, Baron Educational Series, USA.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Radiation Exposure and Radiation Diasters Affecting Marshall Island Research Paper

Radiation Exposure and Radiation Diasters Affecting Marshall Island - Research Paper Example The effects of radiation while dealing with radioactive material were demonstrated. The guidelines and limits were not established since the experience with radiation exposure was not enough to come up with a standard. To test the weapons, Nevada desert was used and underground tests were conducted to prevent massive radiation from affecting the ecosystem. However, as the magnitude of the projects increased, the US required a testing ground to effectively analyze the capabilities of the much higher yield weapons. Marshall Islands were taken from Japan during the Second World War and were administrated by the US under United Nations Trust Territory. These islands in the Pacific consisted of small islets and atolls. They were chosen as a proving ground for the nuclear tests. A total of 67 tests were conducted between 1946 and 1958 (Ferraro & Andreatta, 2012, p. 62). These explosions were mostly atmospheric and changed the ecosystem of the area. The paper will take into account the effe cts of radiation exposure and the magnitude of disaster on the Marshall Islands. Early Tests Two main atolls were used as testing grounds, Bikini and Enewetak. They are separated by 300 kilometers. The population was evacuated to safe distance on other atolls in the region, almost 200 kilometers away from the test sites (Angelo, 2004, p. 388). Bikini atoll alone experienced a total yield of 42.2 megatons during twelve years of testing. From 1946 to 1951, nine tests took place; eight of these tests were atmospheric and the yields were in kilotons, the highest being 225 kilotons (Nuclear Claims Tribunal, 2013). During the period, the fallout was controlled and the population was kept at a safe distance. The effects of these explosions were local and limited to some extent, however, in 1952, the yield drastically increased and 10.4 megaton test was carried out as opposed to kilotons before. The test left a crater of about 1 kilometer in diameter and the area was highly contaminated wit h radiation (CTBTO Preparatory Commission, 2012). The tests contaminated the soil by turning into radioactive materials. Thermonuclear Test The magnitude of tests increased and in 1954, hydrogen or thermonuclear bomb was tested for the first time. The yield was miscalculated and the outcome was almost three times the expected yield (Robbins & Adams, 1985, p. 12). The explosion was rated at 15 megatons and considered to be the most powerful explosion by the US. Furthermore, the wind condition at the test day was towards the population settlement on other islands. These two factors caused extreme radiation exposure to the inhabitants. Even with this exposure the affected community was evacuated two days after the test. Immediate Effects The immediate effect of the test included skin burns and hair loss in many inhabitants on the islands. The nearest island was 150, whereas, the farthest, 570 kilometers from the test site; however, a Japanese fishing boat about 150 kilometers was the n earest to experience the fallout (Lessard, 1986, p. 5). Debris including radioactive soil from the blast was received by the boat and from a crew of 23, one member died. The islands, however, received shower of radioactive particles in the form of ash carried by the wind. About 250 people were directly exposed to the radiation by the radioactive debris. The exact radioactive dose received by the inhabitants could not be determined as the

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Refrigeration cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Refrigeration cycle - Essay Example The cycle is very important since it affects many areas of our lives. As said earlier, it is used in refrigerators and freezers that allow food preservation. Refrigerated boats and fishing boats allow the preservation of the catch (Brain & Elliott, 2015). In addition, trucks that transport perishable vegetables, as well as other types of perishable products such as meat, are fitted with refrigerators for preservation. The cycle is also used in air conditioners that are fitted in houses and automobiles such as cars and planes. Air conditioners help in altering air properties such as temperature and humidity to more comfortable conditions (Brain & Elliott, 2015). Basically the main aim of the conditioned air is to enhance thermal comfort, as well as indoor air quality In addition, the cycle is very important in the medical procedures that require lowering of body temperatures. Vapor compression refrigeration is used in industries to chill as well as condense chemicals that fail to possess the ability to be condensed at ambient temperatures. Moreover, Refrigeration cycles are also used in cryogenics, which is the study of the behavior of materials at low temperatures. Cryogenics subject various materials to very low temperatures by the use of ammonia refrigerators in their study Homes are also fitted with heat pumps that use vapor-compression pump cycles. These heat pumps allow household heating since they allow heat transfer from the cooler outside environment into the warmer inside. These pumps are often used in moderate climate areas since they remain efficient compared to electrical resistors given that the outside temperatures do not drop to very low levels (N.A, 2010). Since the equipment, as well as the working fluid, is very light, they are used as air conditioners in passenger aircrafts. Moreover, they are also used in cargo planes that transport perishable products such as fruits and vegetables. However, thermoelectric