Monday, September 30, 2019

Night World : The Chosen Chapter 11

The U-Haul whirred across smooth resonant pavement and Rashel tried to guess where they were. She had been drawing a map in her mind, trying to imagine each turn they made, each change of the road underneath them. Ivan sat slouched, blocking the back doors of the truck. His eyes were small and mean, and they flickered over the girls constantly. In his right hand he held a taser, a hand-held electrical stun gun, and Rashel knew he was dying to use it. But the cargo was being very docile. Daphne was beside Rashel, leaning against her very slightly for comfort, her dark blue eyes fixed vacantly on the far wall. They were shackled together: although both Lily and Ivan had been checking Daphne constantly for signs of waking up, they were dearly taking no chances. On the opposite side of the truck were the two other girls. One was Juanita, her wavy bronze hair tangled from two days of lying on it, her bee-stung lips parted, her gaze empty. The second girl was a towhead, with flyaway hair and Bambi eyes staring blankly. Ivan called her Missy. She was about twelve. Rashel allowed herself to daydream about things to do to Ivan. Then she focused. The van was stopping. Ivan jumped up, and a minute later he was opening the back doors. Then he and Lily were unshackling the girls and herding them out, telling them to hurry. Rashel breathed deeply, grateful for the fresh open air. Salty air. Keeping her gaze aimless and glassy, she looked around. It was twilight and they were on a Charlestown dock. â€Å"Keep moving,† Ivan said, a hand on her shoulder. Ahead, Rashel saw a sleek thirty-foot power cruiser bobbing gently in a slip. A figure with dark hair was on the deck, doing something with lines. Quinn. He barely glanced up as Ivan and Lily hustled the girls onto the boat, and he didn't help steady Missy when she almost lost her balance jumping from the dock. His mood had changed again, Rashel realized. He seemed withdrawn, turned inward, brooding. â€Å"Move!† Ivan shoved her, and for an instant, Quinn's attention shifted. He stared at Ivan with eyes like black death, endless and fathomless. He didn't say a word. Ivan's hand dropped from Rashers back. Lily led them down a short flight of steps to a cramped but neat little cabin and gestured them to an L-shaped couch behind a dinette table. â€Å"Here. Sit down. You two here. You two there.† Rashel slipped into her seat and stared vacantly across at the sink in the tiny galley. â€Å"You all stay here,† Lily said. â€Å"Don't move. Stay.† She would have made a great slave overseer, Rashel thought. Or dog trainer. When Lily had disappeared up the stairs and the door above had banged shut, Rashel and Daphne simultaneously let out their breath. â€Å"You doing okay?† Rashel whispered. â€Å"Yeah. A little shaky. Where d'you think we're going?† Rashel just shook her head. Nobody knew where the vampire enclaves were. An idea was beginning to form in her mind, though. There must be a reason they were traveling by boat-it would have been safer and easier to keep the prisoners in the U-Haul. Unless they were going to a place you couldn't get to by U-Haul. An island. Why shouldn't some of the enclaves be on islands? There were hundreds of them off the eastern coast. It was a very unsettling thought. On an island they would be completely isolated. Nowhere to escape to if things got bad. No possible hope of help from outside. Rashel was beginning to regret that she'd brought Daphne into this. And she had the ominous feeling that when they got to their destination, she was going to regret it even more. The boat sliced cleanly through the water, heading into darkness. Behind Quinn was the skyline of Boston, the city lights showing where the ocean ended and the land began. But ahead there was no horizon, no difference between sky and sea. There was only formless, endless void. The inky blackness was dotted with an occasional solitary winking light-herring boats. They only seemed to make the vastness of empty water more lonely. Quinn ignored Lily and Ivan. He was not in a good mood. He let the cold air soak into him, permeating his body, mixing with the cold he felt inside. He imagined himself freezing solid-a rather pleasant thought. Just get to the enclave, he thought emptily. Get it over with. This last batch of girls had upset him. He didn't know why, and he didn't want to think about it. They were vermin. All of them. Even the dark-haired one who was so lovely that it was almost too bad she was certifiably insane. The little blond one was crazy, too. The one who, having had the luck to fall out of the frying pan once, had come right back, coated herself with butter and breadcrumbs, and jumped in again. Idiot. Someone like that deserved†¦ Quinn's thought broke off. Somewhere deep inside him was a little voice saying that no one, however idiotic, deserved what was going to happen to those girls. You're the idiot. Just get them to the enclave and then you can forget all this. The enclave†¦ it was Hunter Redfern who had first thought of enclaves on islands. Because of Dove, he'd said. â€Å"We need a place where the Redferns can live safely, without looking over their shoulders for humans with stakes. An island would do.† Quinn hadn't objected to the classification of himself as a Redfern-although he had no intention of marrying Garnet or Lily. Instead he said, practically, â€Å"Fishermen visit those islands all the time. Humans are settling them. We'd have company soon.† â€Å"There are spells to guard places humans shouldn't go. I know a witch who'll do it, to protect lily and Garnet.† â€Å"Why?† Hunter had grinned. â€Å"Because she's their mother.† And Quinn had said nothing. Later he'd met Maeve Harman, the witch who had mingled her blood with the lamia. She didn't seem to like Hunter much, and she kept their youngest daughter, Roseclear, who was being raised as a witch, away from him. But she did the spell. And they'd all moved to the island, where Garnet finally gave up on Quinn and married a boy from a nice lamia family. Her children were allowed to carry on the Redfern name. And as time went on, other enclaves had sprung up†¦. But none quite like the one Quinn was heading for now. He shifted on his seat in the cockpit. Ahead, there was a horizon again. A luminous silver moon was rising above the pond-still dark water. It shone like an enchantment, as if to guide Quinn's way. Scrrrunch. Rashel winced as the boat docked. Somebody wasn't being careful. But they'd arrived, and it could only be an island. They'd been heading east for over two hours. Daphne lifted her head weakly. â€Å"I don't care if they eat us the minute we get off, as long as I get to feel solid ground again.† â€Å"This practically is solid ground,† Rashel whispered. â€Å"It's been dead calm the whole way.† â€Å"Tell that to my stomach.† Daphne moaned, and Rashel poked her. Someone was coming down the stairs. It was Lily. Ivan waited above with the taser. They herded the girls off the boat and up onto a little dock. Rashel did her vacant-eyed staring around again, blessing the moonlight that allowed her to see. It wasn't much of a dock. One wharf with a gas pump and a shack. There were three other powerboats in slips. And that was all. Rashel couldn't see any sign of life. The boats rode like ghost ships on the water. There was silence except for the slap of the waves. Private island, Rashel thought. Something about the place made the hair on the back of her neck rise. With Lily in front and Ivan in back, the group was herded to a hiking trail that wound up a cliff. It's just an island, Rashel told herself. You should be dancing with joy. This is the enclave you wanted to get to. There's nothing†¦ uncanny†¦ about this place. And then, as they reached the top of the cliff, she saw the rocks. Big rocks. Monoliths that reminded her eerily of Stonehenge. It looked as if a giant had scattered them around. And there were houses built among them, perched on the lonely cliff, looking down on the vast dark sea. They all seemed deserted, and somehow they reminded Rashel of gargoyles, hunched and waiting. Lily was headed for the very last house on the sandy unpaved road. It was one of those huge â€Å"summer cottages† that was really a mansion. A massive white frame house, two and a half stories high, with elaborate ornamentation. Shock coursed through Rashel. A frame house. Wood. This place wasn't built by vampires. The lamia built out of brick or fieldstone, not out of the wood that was lethal to them. They must have bought this island from humans. Rashel was tingling from head to toe. This is definitely not a normal enclave. Where are all the people? Where's the town? What are we doing here? â€Å"Move, move.† Lily marched them around the back of the house and inside. And at last, Rashel heard the sounds of other life. Voices from somewhere inside the house. But she didn't get to see who the voices belonged to. Lily was taking them into a big old-fashioned kitchen, past a pantry with empty shelves. At the end of the pantry was a heavy wooden door, and on a stool by the door was a boy about Rashel's age. He had bushy brown hair and was wearing cowboy boots. He was reading a comic book. â€Å"Hey, Rudi,† Lily said crisply. â€Å"How're our guests?† â€Å"Quiet as little lambs.† Rudi's voice was laconic, but he stood up respectfully as Lily went by. His eyes flickered over Rashel and the other girls. Werewolf. Rashel's instincts were screaming it. And the name†¦ werewolves often had names like Lovell or Felan that meant wolf in their native language. Rudi meant â€Å"famous wolf† in Hungarian. Best guards in the world, Rashel thought grimly. Going to be hard to get past him. Rudi was opening the door. With Lily prodding her from behind, Rashel walked down a narrow, extremely steep staircase. At the base of the stairway was another heavy door. Rudi unlocked it and led the way. Rashel stepped into the cellar. What she saw was something she'd never seen before. A large low-ceilinged room. Dimly lit. With two rows of twelve iron beds along opposite walls. There was a girl in each bed. Teenage girls. All ages, all sizes, but every one beautiful in her own unique way. It looked like a hospital ward or a prison. As Rashel walked between the rows, she had to fight to keep her face blank. These girls were chained to the beds, and awake†¦ and scared. Frightened eyes looked at Rashel from every cot, then darted toward the werewolf. Rudi grinned at them, waving and nodding to either side. The girls shrank away. Only a few seemed brave enough to say anything. â€Å"Please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"How long do we have to stay here?† â€Å"I want to go home!† The last two beds in each row were empty. Rashel was put into one. Daphne looked both sick and frightened as the shackles dosed over her ankles, but she went on gamely staring straight ahead. â€Å"Sleep tight, girlies,† Rudi said. â€Å"Tomorrow's a big day.† And then he and Lily and Ivan walked out. The heavy wooden door slammed behind them, echoing in the stone-walled cellar. Rashel sat up in one motion. Daphne twisted her head. â€Å"Is it safe to talk?† she whispered. â€Å"I think so,† Rashel said in a normal voice. She was staring with narrowed eyes down the rows of beds. Some of the girls were looking at them, some were crying. Some had their eyes shut. Daphne burst out with the force of a breaking dam, â€Å"What are they going to do to us?† â€Å"I don't know,† Rashel said. Her voice was hard and flat, her movements disciplined and precise, as she slid the knife out of her boot. â€Å"But I'm going to find out.† â€Å"What, you're gonna saw through the chains?† â€Å"No.† From a guard on the side of the sheath, Rashel pulled a thin strip of metal. She bared her teeth slightly in a smile. â€Å"I'm going to pick the lock.† â€Å"Oh. Okay. Great. But then what? I mean, what's happening here? What kind of place is this? I was expecting some kind of-of Roman slave auction or something, with, like, everybody dressed in togas and vampires waving and bidding-â€Å" â€Å"You may still see something like that,† Rashel said. â€Å"I agree, it's weird. This is not a normal enclave. I don't know, maybe it's some kind of holding center, and they're going to take us someplace else to sell us†¦.† â€Å"Actually, I'm afraid not,† a quiet voice to her left said. Rashel turned. The girl in the bed beside her was sitting up. She had flaming red hair, wistful eyes, and a diffident manner. â€Å"I'm Fayth,† she said. â€Å"Shelly,† Rashel said briefly. She didn't trust anyone here yet. â€Å"That's Daphne. What do you mean, you're afraid not?† â€Å"They're not taking us somewhere else to sell us.† Fayth looked almost apologetic. â€Å"Well, I'd like to know what they're going to do with us here,† Rashel said. She sprung one lock on the shackles and jabbed the lockpick into the other. â€Å"Twenty-four girls on an island with one inhabited house? It's insane.† â€Å"It's a bloodfeast.† Rashel's hand on the lockpick went still. She looked over at Fayth and said very softly, â€Å"What?† â€Å"They're having a bloodfeast. On the spring equinox, I think. Starting tomorrow night at midnight.† Daphne was reaching across the gap for Rashel. â€Å"What, what? What's a bloodfeast? Tell me.† â€Å"It's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Rashel dragged her attention from Fayth. â€Å"It's a feast for vampires. A big celebration, a banquet. Three courses, you know.† She looked around the room. â€Å"Three girls. And there are twenty-four of us†¦.† â€Å"Enough for eight vampires,† Fayth said quietly, looking apologetic. â€Å"So you're saying that they take a little blood from each of three girls.† Daphne was leaning anxiously toward Rashel. â€Å"That's what you're saying, right? Right? A little sip here, a little sip there-† She broke off as Rashel and Fayth both looked at her. â€Å"You're not saying that.† â€Å"Daphne, I'm sorry I got you into this.† Rashel took a breath and opened the second lock on her shackles, avoiding Daphne's eyes. â€Å"The idea of a bloodfeast is that you drink the blood of three people in one day. All their blood. You drain them.† Daphne opened her mouth, shut it, then at last said pathetically, â€Å"And you don't burst?† Rashel smiled bleakly in spite of herself. â€Å"It's supposed to be the ultimate high or something. You get the power of their blood, the power of their lifeforce, all at once.† She looked at Fayth. â€Å"But it's been illegal for a long time.† Fayth nodded. â€Å"So's slavery. I think somebody wants it to make a comeback.† â€Å"Any idea who?† â€Å"All I know is that somebody very rich has invited seven of the most powerful made vampires here for the feast. Whoever he is, he really wants to show them a good time.† â€Å"To make an alliance,† Rashel said slowly. â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"The made vampires ganging up against the lamia.† â€Å"Possibly.† â€Å"And the spring equinox†¦ they're celebrating the anniversary of the first made vampire. The day Maya bit Thierry.† â€Å"Definitely.† â€Å"Just wait a minute,† Daphne said. â€Å"Just everybody press pause, okay? How come you know about all this stuff?† She was staring at Fayth. â€Å"Made vampires, this vampires, that vampires, Maya†¦ I never heard of any of these people.† â€Å"Maya was the first of the lamia,† Rashel said rapidly, glancing back at her. â€Å"She's the ancestress of all the vampires who can grow up and have children-the family vampires. The made vampires are different. They're humans who get made into vampires by being bitten. They can't grow any older or have kids.† â€Å"And Thierry was the first human to get made into a vampire,† Fayth said. â€Å"Maya bit him on the spring equinox†¦ thousands of years ago.† Rashel was watching Fayth closely. â€Å"So now maybe you'll answer her question,† she said. â€Å"How do you know all this? No humans know about Night World history-except vampire hunters and damned Daybreakers.† Fayth winced, and then Rashel understood why she seemed so apologetic. â€Å"I'm a damned Daybreaker.† â€Å"Oh, God.† â€Å"What's a Daybreaker?† Daphne prompted, poking Rashel. â€Å"Circle Daybreak is a group of witches who're trying to get humans and Night People to†¦ I don't know, all dance around and drink Coke together,† Rashel said, nonplussed. She was confused and revolted-this girl had seemed so normal, so sensible. â€Å"To live in harmony, actually,† Fayth said to Daphne. â€Å"To stop hating and killing each other.† Daphne wrinkled her nose. â€Å"You're a witch?† â€Å"No. I'm human. But I have friends who're witches. I have friends who're vampires. I know lamia and humans who're soulmates-â€Å" â€Å"Don't be disgusting!† Rashel almost shouted it. It took her a moment to get hold of herself. Then, breathing carefully, she said, â€Å"Look, just watch it, Daybreaker. I need your information, so I'm willing to work with you-temporarily. But watch the language or I'll leave you here when I get the rest of us out. Then you can live in harmony with eight vampires on your own.† Despite her effort at control, her voice was shaking. Somehow Fayth's words seemed to keep echoing in her mind, as if they had some strange arid terrible importance. The word soulmates itself seemed to ricochet around inside her. And Fayth was acting oddly, too. Instead of getting mad, she just looked at Rashel long and steadily. Then she said softly, â€Å"I see†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Rashel didn't like the way she said it. She turned toward Daphne, who was saying eagerly, â€Å"So we're going to get out of here? Like a prison break?† â€Å"Of course. And we'll have to do it fast.† Rashel narrowed her eyes, trying to think. â€Å"I assumed we'd have more time†¦ and there's that werewolf to get past. And then once we do get out, we're on an island. That's bad. We can't live long out in the wild-it's too cold and they'd track us. But there has to be a way†¦.† She glanced at Fayth. â€Å"I don't suppose there's any chance of other Daybreakers showing up to help.† Fayth shook her head. â€Å"They don't know I'm here. We'd heard that something was going on in a Boston club, that somebody was gathering girls for a bloodfeast. I came to check it out-and got nabbed before I made my first report.† â€Å"So we're on our own. That's all right.† Rashel's mind was in gear now, humming with ideas. â€Å"Okay, first, we'll have to see what these girls can do-which of them can help us-â€Å" Fayth and Daphne were listening intently, when Rashel was interrupted by the last thing she expected to hear in a place like this. The sound of somebody shouting her name. â€Å"Rashel! Rashel the vampire hunter! Rashel the Cat!†

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Satirical Elements in “Slaughterhouse-Five”

Kurt Vonnegut uses a variety of elements including satire which he was credited with being a master of, in â€Å"Slaughterhouse-Five† where he tells the story of Billy Pilgrim. The book is loosely based on Vonnegut’s experiences during the firebombing of Dresden in World War II. The literary element in â€Å"Slaughterhouse-Five† that I will focus on is this paper is his element of satire. Even the plot of this novel can be found to have satire in it. This main character Billy Pilgrim becomes unstuck in time after being abducted by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore where he is mated with a porn star. I even found satire in that Billy Pilgrim, was a bumbling and unlikely hero character. The fictional alter ego Billy Pilgrim was born in 1922, which if you happen to know about Vonnegut’s life, he too was born in 1922. I find satire in his Vonnegut’s fictional author, Kilgore Trout. It is rumored that this â€Å"Kilgore† could have been anyone from author Theodore Sturgeon, science fiction author Philip K. Dick or even Vonnegut’s own alter ego. Readers could find satire in the circumstances of the death of character Edgar Derby. Edgar was among the survivors of the war of Dresden and was engaged in the clean-up activities. The imprisoned soldiers were instructed to use flame-throwers to burn the bodies and the ruins of the war left in Dresden. Derby then gets shot by a guard for simply taking a teapot from the ruins after Derby had survived the fire-bombing of Dresden during World War II. In one part of â€Å"Slaughterhouse-Five,† we find an inebriated Billy Pilgrim entering his car while desperately trying to locate the missing steering wheel to the car and the readers are then clued in that he has entered the back seat area of the car. In another part of â€Å"Slaughterhouse-Five† Billy Pilgrim becomes unstuck in time while watching television. We read as Billy then watches a war film backwards and then he watches it forwards. During the wedding night to his wife Valencia, he first travels from the zoo on Tralfamadore. Billy wakes up only to find himself in a German prison camp. Upon returning from the bathroom, he finds himself back with his wife. Billy goes to sleep again only to wake up on a train to his father’s funeral. The story used satire and dark humor somewhat interchangeably at points. A kind of ironic satire perhaps could be found when Billy’s American compatriot Roland continues to hit Billy because he feels Billy is moving too slowly. The German soldiers or â€Å"the enemies† then arrive and rescue Billy from further mistreatment from his American compatriot. Billy’s fear of being displayed naked in the zoo could be satire or associated with Billy (or Vonnegut) not yet feeling comfortable in revealing his personal thought processes at this time. He could have been aware enough that he realized he didn’t want to be exposed for who he really was at that point in his life or that point in his mind. One could count it political satire when Vonnegut includes bits denegrading U. S. foreign policy and the U. S. Army in general. Vonnegut also satires egocentricity. I suppose some of the satire can be seen in how Billy Pilgrim criticizes those who are not assertive, those who are not in control of their lives. However, throughout the novel, even when Billy knew the plane was going to crash he said nothing and did nothing. He just let the flow of events happen. At this point he still felt as if the moment is structured and one cannot alter the moment. It wasn’t until the end when Billy has brain surgery he changes from being indifferent towards life to being proactive. It wasn’t until the brain surgery that Billy showed initiative and actively helped others. One could see satire in that in his normal state without surgery Billy was a passive member of society. It wasn’t until brain surgery, the positive changes or proactive changes begin to occur in Billy’s life.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

International Financial Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

International Financial Management - Assignment Example Fluctuation of the exchange rates between the different currencies the firm transacts through has the potential of exposing the firm to financial losses. The major exposure risk the firm is likely to experience is the transaction risk that distorts the cash flows realized. This is due to the recent behavior of the US dollar against major international currencies. The US dollar has of recent been depreciating against Euro and pound currency. Thus, the cost of the purchases the firm makes using dollar has the potential of increasing when it is converted to Euros or pounds in determining the profit earned. Consequently, it is critical for the firm to undertake measures to manage the exchange rate risks to mitigate probable financial losses in future. Managing the exchange risk facing a firm engaged in cross-border trade requires the management to determine the exposure risks been faced, hedging strategies capable of mitigating the risk and the existing instruments that can be used to cushion the exchange risks. This is done by adopting hedging strategies that help in reducing or eliminating currency risks. A number of hedging options are available in managing the exposure risks the firm faces under it cross-border trade. One of the hedging methods that can be used in managing the exchange risk facing the firm is forward contract. Forward contract allows a firm to exchange foreign currencies at an agreed exchange rate in future (Levi, 2009). Consequently, SN can undertake a forward contract that will guarantee the exchange rate that will be used in exchanging the foreign currencies in future date. The pre-fixed exchange rate that will be used in converting the foreign or domestic currency will counter the exchange rate fluctuation since the firm will be shielded by the agreement from such exposure. This arrangement will allow the firm to convert the Euros or Pounds it is possessing to dollar

Friday, September 27, 2019

Qualitative Vs Quantitative Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Qualitative Vs Quantitative Research - Essay Example As Meyer (2003) describes it ‘realities exist in any given situation, that is, the researcher’s, those of the individuals being investigated, and the reader or audience interpreting the results; these multiple perspectives, or voices, of informants (i.e., subjects) are included in the study. The research puts in perspective these people who would greatly influence the kind of data to be collected and submitted (Monroe, 2004). In addition, reality is socially constructed with the data being gathered from a multitude of people, primacy of subject matter; the research is geared towards knowing what factors underlie in a certain context, variables are complex, interwoven, and difficult to measure (Given & Lisa, 2008). This brings in the presentation of data in words to explain the terms which cannot be exploited by statistical methods.  Further, it has been noted that the researcher interacts with those he studies and actively works to minimize the distance between the res earcher and those being researched (Miles & Huberman, 1994). As further stated by Lee (1998) cannot be exploited by statistical methods ‘researchers typically become members of a culture, group, or setting, and adopt roles to conform to that setting. In doing so, the aim is for the researcher to gain a closer insight into the culture's practices, motivations and emotions’. This enables the researcher to get the first hand information and in order to enable the researcher to gain and present the actual non distorted information.... Moreover, Edward & Richard (1979) explain further that, ‘qualitative research emphasizes the importance of looking at variables in the natural setting in which they are found. Interaction between variables is important’. This explains that qualitative research is based on words representing the data collected. As Meyer (2003) describes it ‘realities exist in any given situation, that is, the researcher’s, those of the individuals being investigated, and the reader or audience interpreting the results; these multiple perspectives, or voices, of informants (i.e., subjects) are included in the study. The research puts in perspective these people who would greatly influence the kind of data to be collected and submitted (Monroe, 2004). In addition, reality is socially constructed with the data being gathered from a multitude of people, primacy of subject matter; the research is geared towards knowing what factors underlie in a certain context, variables are comp lex, interwoven, and difficult to measure (Given & Lisa, 2008). This brings in the presentation of data in words to explain the terms which cannot be exploited by statistical methods. Further, it has been noted that the researcher interacts with those he studies and actively works to minimize the distance between the researcher and those being researched (Miles & Huberman, 1994). As further stated by Lee (1998) ‘researchers typically become members of a culture, group, or setting, and adopt roles to conform to that setting. In doing so, the aim is for the researcher to gain a closer insight into the culture's practices, motivations and emotions’. This enables the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Enforceability of international and local mediation outcome Assignment

Enforceability of international and local mediation outcome - Assignment Example A normal mediation session takes three hours to complete and is attended by both the parties. Mediation is fair, efficient and does not require lengthy litigation and investigation. II. ROLE OF THE MEDIATOR The role of the mediator differs in four different phases of mediation.1 He generally is a contract facilitator. The different roles of the mediator are mentioned below; A. The pre-mediation phase This is considered as the most important part of the mediation process. In this phase, the mediator can create a strong base for mediation process. He has to see if the case is suitable for mediation or not. Some cases cannot be resolved through mediation like criminal matters2 thus he has to see whether the mediation should proceed or not. The mediator also has to check the flexibility of both the parties as the end result of the mediation will be ‘a contract’3 and thus it has to be assessed whether both the sides have the capacity to enter into a contract or not. The last thing that has to be checked is the representation of both the parties, the mediator has to check that the representatives are representing according to the law and their authority over the party has to be checked, so that it should be in the mediator’s knowledge that what kind of agreement the representatives can sign. B. ... e mediator engages both the parties in a detailed discussion in which both of them try to understand each other’s point of view and perspective; the third duty, which is being performed by the mediator in this session, is to influence the parties to settle the dispute, to make them reach an agreement and to resolve the dispute; and the last task, that a mediator performs during this session, is to engage both the parties in a thorough discussion regarding the issues which they have agreed upon. During this session the parties discuss past and present agendas, whereas, discussing future issues is optional, even though, the discussion of the future issues is essential for this session as it enables the parties to understand each other’s interests and goals. After this session the mediator and both the parties will be aware of each other’s point of views, goals and interests. Each party will now be able to frame a proposal that will satisfy its interests. In additio n to that, it will also be able to put forward an offer that will be acceptable by the other party. The mediator will now help the parties to check the accessibility and practicability of their offers. C. The separate session ( the private session) In this stage the mediator tries to detect and put forth the issues that the parties did not discuss in the last session, to enable the parties to reach realistic options that satisfy the needs and interests of both the parties and to guide the parties to negotiate on these options in the upcoming session. The role played by mediator in this phase includes the following; firstly, the mediator has to ensure both the parties that the private session is strictly confidential and therefore they can discuss the issues and agendas which they did not discuss in the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assignment 3 - Essay Example The event I am proposing to be given a chance to organize will be intended at raising funds to be used in covering the costs of the medical examination of 250 high school athletes from Megan High School. In order to organize a successful event, our agency will need to get word out about an upcoming event. The best way to publicize an event is to advertise. I will, therefore, start by preparing a press release we intend to send to newsrooms hopefully to be published or to be used in writing an article. Then I will prepare a video commercial to be used in advertising on television or on the internet. Finally, I will prepare a full page print ad that will be put out in newspapers and magazines (Tucker, 1997, p. 56). There is a growing need for funds to be raised in support for athletes in high school due to the fact that the cost of running the athletic department at the school has increased. This is even more necessary considering the number of programs in the athletics department. Our agency proposes the following press release to be used for advertising the event. I have also included a one-page print ad that we propose to use in publicizing the event. Section  II. ... During the event, invited guests will be shown a video of the last Sports Day held at the school in order to exhibit the various talents that students at Megan High School have. Some of the sporting events that will be showcased include tennis, basketball, volleyball, hockey, and badminton. The main event of the evening will be a car raffle which will be sold at one hundred dollars each. These raffle tickets will be sold to willing business associations, sports clubs and persons taking part in the fundraising event. Our target for this fundraising will be to raise a minimum of 100 dollars per student. In the event that we raise more than the required amount, we intend to put the rest of the funds into good use such as the maintenance of sports programs at the school, improvement of sports facilities, and sponsoring of medical examinations for more students next academic year. Robert Kelly, Chairman of Tennis Federation said, â€Å"The fundraising event at Megan High School is very i mportant as it highlights the importance of sports in the lives of students. It also gives an opportunity for those students who wish to pursue sports in college but are short of funds an opportunity to start the application process.† The newly appointed Chairlady of the club Maggi’s also said "We are excited that Save the Children has agreed to conduct this sports fundraiser. Megan High School Booster Club has been a strong supporter of nurturing sports talent in the young ones. This event will go a long way in impacting the lives of our young athletes." To register for this event, contact Mercy at (44) 875-9272. Section III. Print Ad We, as Megan High School Booster Club, a local civic organization, plan a fundraising event aimed at

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Course project - Group G Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Course project - Group G - Essay Example In this case, in making sure requirements are quite understood, there is need to find out the actual driving changes in the levels of staffing for the company. In order to achieve this, one has to make sure he/she fully understands the business alongside its plans and strategies. Secondly, the company needs to find out the needs of the driving staffing. This encompasses establishing what actually creates or changes the company’s staffing requirements, whether defined by the staffing levels or skill levels (Thomas 118). It is worth noting that, more often than not, the requirements of staffing are driven by business activity changes, either services mix or product mix, the geographical expansion, service improvement, alongside similar factor as highlighted in chapter 5 of the staffing drivers. It also essential for the company to find out the constraints that regards staffing. Other than defining the staffing drivers, the company needs to identify the limiting factors in regard to the staffing levels required. For instance, supposing the marketing forecasts products to increase sales by on average 20 percent for the following year, and the levels of sales drives the sales reps required. Looking at it at the first glance, one would conclude that the increase it would be appropriate to increase the number of sales reps. However, maxing out the manufacturing capacity, and making sure that the manufacturing capacity remains unchanged in the next year, there is low likelihood that there would be additional products produced. This happening would imply that there is no likelihood of sales increasing since there would be no additional reps needed. Fourthly, in defining the staffing levels, the company needs to begin defining changes in both positions and roles. Before attempting to define the staffing levels of staffing required, the managers should first establish the roles alongside changes required in implementing business strategies and plans. In

Monday, September 23, 2019

ANALYSIS OF THE MOVIE TABLOD Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ANALYSIS OF THE TABLOD - Movie Review Example the old style of interviewing or reporting, where the audience has the same feeling of listening the story as the filmmaker experiences while listening it. The fact that I like about the documentary is that Morris trains the Camera on McKinney. In this way, McKinney tells her story on her own. She highlights different aspects of the case, yet she can be observed not telling the truth or hiding things at some places as she forces so intently to believe her story (Tabloid). Morris has used different strategies to gain audience’s attention such as he has added a bit of tabloidism himself to make it more appealing. He has also used different clips of the movie named ‘The Godmakers’ that gives the better insight about the role of Mormons and their work. He has made use of attractive headlines one after another in order to keep audience interest  in  the movie such as different journalists  and reporters resembled  the chained up position of Kirk Anderson as ‘Spread-Eagle’. In that way, the phrase flashes on the screen each time he does

Sunday, September 22, 2019

The Things They Carried Essay Example for Free

The Things They Carried Essay During the Vietnam War Jimmy Cross was tasked as the lieutenant in the Vietnam War in Tim Obrien’s The Things They Carried. He took responsibility full of challenges past warfare. The war was a very psychological war for the positioned soldiers in the army. The strange environment that included shady places, waiting corners, diseases and death other than the problems they carried from home. Every soldier there held on to something that kept them bound to their previous life. Jimmy Cross carried his love for Martha. Jimmy’s love for Martha was in hesitantly controlling over his entire life. Jimmy imagined himself loving her and her loving him the same way back: More than anything, he wanted Martha to love him as he loved her, but the letters were mostly chatty(495), blinded by the truth held in the letters that Martha didnt feel the same way he continued to feel passion. Jimmy Cross feelings for Martha is said to be the cause of Ted lavender death. Surviving the war wasn’t as an accomplishment as everyone thought. Jimmy Cross figured it out the hard way. Norman Bowker was a man who represents the damage that a war leaves in a soldier after the war . Norman Bowker’s sorrow and confusion are so powerful that they prompt him to drive without direction around his hometown in â€Å"Speaking of Courage†.Bowker also wrote a seventeen-page letter to Tim O’Brien explaining how he never felt right after the war in and to hang himself at the end of the chapter. â€Å"War is often†¦ a mass release of accumulated internal rage where the inner fears of mankind of fulfill in mass destruction† was the best summary that was given about war by psychoanalyst Joost Meerloo. War is a mental land mine. The psychological damage of war is so severe that it leaves the threat of hurting someone or yourself. This is known as PTSD (Posttr aumatic Stress Disorder). Soldiers’ re-experience their time at war through nightmares or/and flashbacks. People with PTSD have difficulty sleeping and are hyper vigilance. Every war brings its certain amount deaths and sorrow. Surprisingly most death is caused by the victim themselves. It is said that more American soldier take their own life compared to the soldiers killed in fighting. Suicide rates increase on and off the combat zone. Veterans like Matthis Chiroux regret his choice to go to war. He dedicated to showing young students the side of being a soldier of the army that they don’t talk about. He runs â€Å"We are not your soldiers† lectures which send the message â€Å"Don’t become one of us†. Matthis hopes to stop more people from repeating his mistakes and becoming part of the â€Å"grim statistic†. They say that going to war is scary because of the things you can loose, one limb or maybe two. But second to death, PTSD is the worst scar to bear. To always be haunted of the memories of the thing you had to do or were done in order for you to survive. The horrifying and animalistic behavior you witness. From town massacres to killing innocent children, it will haunt them. Tim O’Brien book â€Å"The Things They Carried† basically explains the horrifying experience he went through and how he found the ability to cope with it and stay sane. But not everyone is that lucky to find a balance in their head to keep them from insanity or suicidal actions. The way I see it Tim O’Brien himself was giving us a lesson.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Fossil Fuels and Global Warming Essay Example for Free

Fossil Fuels and Global Warming Essay The use of fossil fuels as the primary source of energy has unwittingly landed humanity into its greatest challenge yet. As oil and coal are burnt up, the greenhouse gases are causing the melting of polar ice, leading to a chain reaction that threatens every other aspect of the ecosystem. This paper looks at the crisis that fossil fuels have brought about, as well exploring existent and proposed solutions, both at the collective and the individual level. Introduction Global warming technically refers to the overall rise in global temperatures. Its widespread use however also encompasses the courses of this rise in temperatures and the effects thereof. More importantly, it is synonymous with the role of human beings’ activity in contributing to these rises. Carbon emissions from planes, cars and industrial plants rise up into the atmosphere and create a blanket of heavy air that traps heat that radiates onto the earth’s surface. By not letting heat escape, over time the globe becomes warmer. This has a direct effect on the flow of ocean currents, directly responsible for weather patterns. It also causes the melting of polar ice, which besides also affecting climate, also causes the sea levels to rise. (Guggenheim D Gore Albert, 2006). Effects of Global Warming Some critics are skeptical of the whole notion of global warming. Despite this criticism, it has grabbed the attention of masses, and they are increasingly examining its effects. The following is a brief insight; Agriculture is fundamental to life, as it is the source of food. Without food, human beings are at risk of extinction, and conflicts are bound to arise. Yet global warming is threatening agriculture. Due to climate change, the environments where bees and other creatures vital to pollination are used to dwelling in are no longer suitable, and the bees are disappearing in droves. More than that, rainfall and sunshine patterns are changing, rendering farmlands unsuitable for the crops that are used to growing there normally. The combined effect is that agricultural yields are negatively affected, and there arises a shortage in overall supply of food worldwide. In early 2008, with the human race hungrier, food prices rose to their highest levels ever, and inflation in many countries became unprecedented. This trend came to a head at the beginning of 2008, with riots and revolts in numerous countries. In the Philippines, soldiers were deployed to guard food crop farms from being raided. Haitians on their part overthrew their government in protest over untenable food costs. It is also here that people were reduced to eating mud, if only to fill up their stomachs. Similar scenarios were reported in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and a good number of Asian emerging economies. Global warming is not the only factor in bringing about food shortage, but it does play a major role, and has come to the attention of masses around the globe that are willing to act to mitigate the negative effects (Auken, 2008). Another set of negative effect that has been tied to global warming are the now prevalent natural disasters pounding various parts of the world. Hurricanes that have brought devastation to New Orleans, Mexico and more recently Jamaica over the past few seasons have been the worst in recorded history. They have been attributed to rises in sea level resulting from glacial melts owing to global warming. They have brought unprecedented destruction, forcing many coastal cities to adopt new strategies to combat such events. Billions of dollars are now being invested in disaster prevention, and are resulting in an increase in taxation. Similar amounts are being invested in reconstruction efforts to restore damaged infrastructure. Housing models are being radically changed, with cheaper housing being favored to cut losses in case of any eventualities. Prevalent Solutions Such tools as carbon footprints and green qualifications are now being employed to influence the conduct of the common person to contribute toward reducing their personal negative impact on the globe; consumers in Europe and America are increasingly becoming conscious to purchase food with minimal carbon footprints for example. Carbon footprints refer to the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during the process of developing a product from scratch to the point where it gets to the consumer. In effect, products which use plenty of machinery to produce and have to be transported by heavily fuel reliant means such as planes and trucks have much higher carbon footprints than those that are produced using minimal fossil energy and are close to the market. Labels indicating the carbon footprint are put on products by organizations who take the initiative, in a bid to persuade consumers to buy the least destructive products. And the method seems to be working. In Europe especially, consumers are increasingly cutting on their contributions environmental degradation and products with high carbon footprints and finding increasingly limited market. Closely related is the issue of organic foods. These are gaining preference for the reason that they are produced using only natural material, rather than chemicals that are hazardous to human beings and detrimental to the environment. The level to which a product is free of chemical toxicity is referred to as its organic rating, just like carbon footprints are used to depict the level of carbon emissions of a product. Publications and other forms of media are used by proactive organizations to sensitize the public on which products are environmentally friendly, and these do have a major influence on consumer choices. The result is that farmers serving the European markets are using increasingly less machinery and chemicals, thereby reducing the emissions and chemical pollution of the agricultural industry to the environment. Manufacturers also have to adapt to a new way of production- with their carbon footprints being closely monitored, they are increasingly adjusting their production processes to get favorable ratings (Organic Trade Association, 2008). My Solution Proposal In the fight against global warming, I believe efforts should now be geared toward experiments on entirely new lifestyles and forms of organization, with successful experiments being replicated across the globe. In my case, I propose an experiment with a new eco city, preferably in an arid area, at a waterfront (e. g. a lake) for sustainability of life. This will kill quite a few birds with one stone, as the problems of food insecurity, unsustainable energy and wasted land would all be addressed. Implementation In designing such an urban development, cutting edge technology and radical thinking are required at every step of the way. Ecological urban planning concepts are necessary to take advantage of the lake breeze, which can be harnessed for wind energy to cater for a significant part of the new city’s energy requirements. The city plan should also allow for the breeze to penetrate the streets and residential areas rather than block it. When this is done, ecological architecture can be employed in designing self-cooling buildings, which have the advantage of not only saving on air conditioning. This is desirable because it both saves on energy and preserves the environment, seeing as most air conditioners are environmentally harmful. The urban plan also needs to take care of existing ecosystems – if there are any streams, trees or wildlife habitations, the city and building designs should be made around them. Buildings will need to be fitted with solar panels to take advantage of the abundant sun in arid lands, thus further adding to the energy supply provided by wind. Wherever possible, buildings should have green roofing. This is where gardens are made on top of roofs for purposes of food, beautification and more. This will have a number of advantages; food will be more abundant, a cool microclimate will be created (further reducing the need for air conditioning), and the carbon footprint will be drastically reduced or eliminated. The buildings can also be constructed with double walls using recycled material (for sustainability). Double walls have the effect of keeping temperatures low when it’s hot outside and warm when it’s cold outside. Stretches of idle land just outside the city can be used to plant ecologically friendly biofuel crops such as Jatropha Carcus, which is drought-resistant, to complete whatever energy requirements that may remain. Being at the lakefront, clean water for most chores might prove a challenge to get, thus the need to preserve and recycle whatever water can be harnessed. One of the ways to do this is by use of a Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP), which filters sewerage to produce water for irrigation and gas for cooking. This way, other clean sources of water can be less burdened. Energy needs will also be met. Gardens and parks should be organic to reduce the amount of fertilizer and chemical pesticides necessary to maintain them. Sustaining the Gains All the outlined gains of an eco-city would be to naught if the residents do not sustain them. Residents should be encouraged to carpool when going to work, or better still to cycle to work to minimize the carbon footprint. As much as possible, recycled material should be used and other material should be recycled. The use of plastic bags should be banned, instead encouraging the use of bio-degradable baskets. For lighting, energy-saving fluorescent bulbs and tubes should be used. Each home should have a garden in its compound, with at least a tree or two. The gardens, for domestic food consumption, should be grown organically. The beach area should be kept clean, with no littering or dumping of chemicals or effluent into the lake. This will help preserve marine life and overall aesthetic beauty. If such a city can be constructed, myriad gains will have been made; Positive Environmental Impact The immediate impact of all the new vegetation – the green roofs, home gardens, biofuel crops, etc – would be the creation of a cool microclimate in the developed area. Being in front of a lake, the arid land as it currently is cannot benefit because all the moisture being brought in by the breeze either evaporates or travels long distances inland, benefiting other areas with vegetation. With the new vegetation however, the moisture would be trapped, and as the plants perspire, vapor would rise into the local sky, thereby creating rain at that local level. The overall reduced heat levels would also slow down evaporation rates, ensuring that the soil remains moist, helped also by the increased rain. Naturally, more rain is bound to increase vegetation cover, further enhancing the value of the land and creating a positive cycle. Positive Impact on Soil As the vegetation grows and dies, the soil would be enriched organically as the foliage decomposes, increasing its productivity. This happens when the decomposed foliage turns into humus, and mixes with the local sand. This has the effect of bonding the soil together while creating an acceptable level of drainage and porosity within it. If the soil is further enriched with the waste products of the STP process, the overall composition of the soil will become highly favorable to agriculture. It would also be conducive for worms and other soil organisms to grow, which in turn further enrich the soil with vital nutrients. Positive Economic Impact Another area of profound impact will be economic; from the time of construction right through to the establishment of offices and residences, employment opportunities will abound for both locals and immigrants. The eco-friendliness of the area will also attract investment a lot of which these days is conscientious – thus spurring growth. Being at the lakefront, the city is also highly likely to attract considerable international tourism as tourists seek clean and new areas to escape from winter or simply to unwind. At the same time, the marine fishing industry is bound to experience a boost from the clean fishing areas, with ready market locally provided by residents within the new city. They may even be able to export, depending on other factors. At the domestic level, people will be able to grow food and reduce their household budget. They may even be able to sell some of it and generate income – the city can be a net exporter of food. Conclusion Global warming has blessed the world with a lot to ponder upon. With effects ranging from food shortage to natural catastrophes, mitigation should not be a question of whether, but how and when. Coupled with this is the need for newer energy sources, to reduce the globe’s dependency on fossil fuels. With concerted efforts and due diligence, the problems that these two factors portend can be contained to an extent. I propose an experiment with an eco city built on a waterfront as a means of studying how human beings can adopt a top down approach to addressing these pressing issues. I believe the gains to be made will not just be environmental but economic as well. Works Cited Associated press, June 20th 2007, Fossil fuels Tycoon plans largest wind farm- green machines- MSNBC. com, Retrieved 12th Feb 2009. , http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/19231397 Auken, B. V, 15th April 2008, Amid mounting food crisis, governments fear revolution of the hungry, Retrieved 11th Sep, 2008, http://www. wsws. org/articles/2008/apr2008/food-a15. shtml The British Council (no date). Effects of Global Warming: Social Impact-Climate Change. Retrieved 12th Feb 2009. http://www. britishcouncil. org/climatechange-fact-sheets-global-warming-social-impact. htm Green Africa Foundation, 2008, Retrieved 12th Feb 2009, http://greenafricafoundation. org Guggenheim D, Gore Albert, 2006. An Inconvenient Truth (Film) Organic Trade Association (2008). NOSB Definition of Organic. Retrieved 12th Feb 2009. http://www. ota. com/standards/nosb/definition. html United States Environmental Protection Agency, Heat Island Effect. Retrieved 12th Feb 2009. http://www. epa. gov/heatisland/

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Marxist Theories Of International Relations Politics Essay

The Marxist Theories Of International Relations Politics Essay Nothing to do with Marxism/Leninism as a State Ideology, although associated with it, and embarrassed by it. Marxism is a set of analytical theories, that experience a renaissance today, because it appears clearly again, after the triumphalism of the 1990s, that Capitalism is in a constant crisis. In Latin America, in Asia, and even here in the USA, financial crises happen quite frequently. Also, even when capitalism is working, it might not produce favourable outcomes for everybody. Globalisation is good for American companies, but not necessarily for the American blue collar worker. Strength of Marxism: to understand the role of the economy in politics and analyse why crises are part of it. In International Politics: it investigates the role of global capitalism in world politics. It is a theory that is very disconcerting, for it demonstrates things that we usually dont want to hear or know: that our wealth in the West is dependent upon the poverty and misery of the people in the other parts of the world. In Marxs words; accumulation of wealth at one pole is, therefore, at the same time accumulation of misery, agony of toil, slavery, ignorance, brutality at the opposite pole. Hence, that 1/5 of the worlds population is living in extreme poverty, 30,000 children die every day from preventable diseases 1 bn people dont have access to clean water In 34 countries the life expectancy is now lower than it was in 1990 is not a god-given feature of our world, but to a significant extent caused by the way the global economy works. Here we will talk about four different theories that take inspiration from Marxism. What do they have in common? Society and Politics are a Totality. The division into History, Sociology, IR, Political Science, Economics and so on is misleading and problematic. Every issue, problem is part of this totality. Current example: USA vs. Iraq: what is relevant? Military power, nuclear weapons, balance of power, regime type, culture, religion, economic interests in oil and so on. So to isolate one of these point always misses that the picture is always a large one and a complicated one. A materialist conception of history. History is driven by the tension between the means of production (labour, tools, technology, capital) and the relations of production (the socio-economic conditions that prevail in a society: Feudalism, Slaveholder society, Capitalism) Former transform and improve, straining against the latter: during Feudalism, manufacturing needed more free worker, undermining the bondage of peasants and the power of guilds. Slavery in 1865 was not only a moral depravity but also economically outdated. It is too inefficient to compete with modern manufacturing in large scale. This tension will over time lead to the transformation of social relations: the freeing of peasants in Europe, of slaves here in the USA, and so on. Also, the economic sector (means and relations of production) dominates the political, legal, and cultural system. This superstructure reflects and reinforces the way the economic sector, the base is run. We have a political system that support s and reinforces capitalist property, our laws protect property, our welfare states keep the people alive so they wont revolt or starve. Our culture facilitates the reaping of profits for large companies and corporations: fashion, music, arts, entertainment, also education is guided towards profit maximisation of capital. Class is a central concept: in every society there is class conflict. In capitalist society, there is the conflict between bourgeoisie and proletariat. A bit too simple perhaps today, but if you know what Enron did to its employees, you get an idea that the interest of the capitalist are not always the interests of the workers or employees. Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways, the point, however, is to change it. Emancipation and change were the goal for him: to end capitalism and its exploitation of the workers, and to create a more just society. This is still on the agenda, not least in global politics. World Systems Theory (Wallerstein) Based on insights that globalised capitalism is creating a core-periphery in the world, and that all economic interactions take place within a global context. The location of states in this system determines their behaviour and their interactions. Page 207: Core: industrialised and modern parts of world economy. Periphery: the exploited part from which we receive cheap resources and raw material. Terms of trade are deteriorating in the long run for Periphery: raw material gets cheaper, manufactured goods more expansive. Semi-Periphery: plays an interesting part: stabilizes capitalism in Core by providing cheap labour and by taking up labour intensive industries that move out of core. Temporal factor: cyclical rhythms: expansion and contraction: stock market, trade, etc secular trends: over time moving up or down through cyclical rhythms contradictions: central part of capitalism: crisis of underconsumption laying off workers makes profits rise, but then no-one buys stuff, so even more lay-offs Crisis: of a whole world system, possibility for change Gramscianism Problem that Antonio Gramsci dealt with: how come there is no revolution occurring in Western Europe? How can capitalism stabilize itself and make workers believe that Capitalism is also in their interest? Why is nobody really challenging it? Hegemony: dominant ideology distributed through society via media, culture, education, churches, etc (civil society). Its a soft form of power, complementing coercion. People are raised and socialized to accept no alternative to Capitalism, schools teach about its virtues, and everybody takes it for granted that we are a capitalist society. So the Superstructure (politics, culture, etc) feeds back and stabilizes the basis. In international politics, Robert Cox above all has used and developed these fascinating ideas about the relationship between material reality (economics) and ideological superstructure (politics and culture) in investigating the way this works in the international economy. Success of free trade and neoliberalism all over the world needs to be explained: How come everybody assumes that free trade is the solution to the economic problems of every country, when it so blatantly is not? As Cox points out, theory is always a theory for some one, and for some purpose. Its never neutral and objective, it always benefits some and does not benefit or oppresses others. Values about right and wrong are inherent and implicit in any theory. And the hegemonic ideology of neoliberalism does just that: it benefits the interest of the rich and powerful in world economics. It opens up markets to their powerful and efficient companies. It makes resources and raw materials available for a cheap price, as it forces these countries to focus on those resources for income, and forces them into a competition with each other. It allows Western companies to snap up privatised companies in Third World countries at bargain prices. . Thus, by forcing the countries of the underdeveloped world into the free market economy, we do this above all to support our own interests. By claiming and spreading the news that there is no alternative to neoliberalism and free trade, we abolish alternatives for these countries. And if they still resist, ideology is enforced by international institutions. Case discussed in Box 10.3 is very good here. It should be noted in this context that those countries that successfully developed their economies since the 1950s in the Third World (South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, India) did so with a significant role for the state and protectionist policies. Education systems were crucial. If countries resist, the IMF refused to give them financial aid that they need to get out of debt. Also, further problem: West itself does not take free trade all that seriously. OXFAM REPORT HERE. Marxism and Globalisation: The growing integration of national economies, the increasing interdependence of societies, and the proliferation of global organisations and networks are in a sense nothing new to Marxism. They have been looking at these developments for the longest time: Capitalism itself is the driving force behind it. Capitalism is expansive, and transformative. It constantly seeks new markets for its products, and it transforms the societies it reaches in this pursuit. Traditional societies that have survived through centuries are melted down and turned into modern capitalist societies with all the repercussions this has. And as economic developments and economic power will only increase in the future, these kind of theories will become more relevant than Realism and Liberalism. And as the globalising economy now produces more and more undesirable outcomes, not only in the Third World, but also here at home, we might also pay attention to the emancipatory aspect of Marxism and the question of transforming the global economy to make it fairer, and more just.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Different Forms of Satire in Jonathan Swift’s Gullivers Travels Essay

Gulliver’s Travels, had an exceedingly great impression on myself as it had been read, though there had been components of the story where extreme moments of satire had been used to cover up some real life events during the time that Jonathan Swift lived. Jonathan swift a great writer, used many forms of satire in his fictional novel Gulliver’s Travels, the way he portrayed his characters were to be people around him in real life, however mostly about nations, what I mean by that is metaphors. Also an abundance of examples on situational irony that Swift used in this short story. Jonathan Swift had used many forms of satire during his writing of Gulliver’s Travels, he used this form of writing to express a unique way of sending a message to the real world, and Jonathan Swift’s wagering of using of satire was to send a message, that their present ruler did not have some characteristics that rulers needed to have during their eras of being a king and such, s o he expressed whatever was needed to be expressed in the form of satire in his novel Gulliver’s Travels. As it has already b...

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The study of Massage/ Kinesiology Essay -- essays research papers

There are many aspects on the study and meaning of kinesiology. Some of these ways are; applied kinesiology, kinesiology medicine research, and specialized and energy kinesiology. The study kinesiology and massage therapy is believed to go hand and hand. Many will say that without the proper knowledge of kinesiology and muscle movements, you can not provide a patent with all that is needed for a proper massage. As we approach new years, many individuals are increasing their concern in health. With the healing arts increasing in popularity, individuals don’t understand the need for well-rounded therapist. Who are trained in the science of kinesiology, which includes the technique of massage to enable them to be proficient in their field. During the early 1900s, the practice of medical science became accepted in our society. Many of the Swedish massage was mingled in with those of medical doctors and medical practices. (A type of â€Å"mechano-therapy† emerged of a combination with other therapist preformed by a physician or a nurse’s assistant.) Over time, these practices were absorbed into what would be general medicine. In the 1920s Masseurs and Masseuses had lost most of their market to doctors. They mainly found work with wealthy individuals who wanted a general, relaxing form of massage. After World War ll, a group of massage operators formed the American Association of Masseurs and Masseuses. This later became the forerunner of today’s American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). The goal of these associations is to raise the status of massage as a unique and effective treatment for healing. In the 1980s the AMTA was formed. The first thing they did was establish a code of ethics and change their titles from masseurs and masseuses to massage therapist. Now the profession of massage is enjoying renewed vigor and influence in alternative medicine. Recent trends have pointed the continuing promise and growth of massage therapy as a health care career. Applied kinesiology is the scientific study of muscular movement, physical activities and the anatomy, physiology, and mechanics of the movement of body parts. Kinesiology was first created by the American/Italian chiropractor Anthony Gil in Milano, Italy. This relatively new study has many different branches of specialized studies. Many similar goals of kinesiology are to: restore normal nerve functions, have... ...ning again. I believe that the medical aspects of life and quality in general are much more looked at today then they have been in past years. The work of massage along with the knowledge of kinesiology has improved our modern medicines and is one of the best impacts we have today for healthier lifestyles. The way physical touch in massage keeps your body and mind more together is on of the best ways to impact not only the person receiving the massage, but therapist also. If a person has never had a massage, and was to get on for the first time, I believe they will go more often, just because of the feeling you have after opposed to the feeling you had before. There is such a large amount of individuals who are looking for massage therapist. Having a natural talent will really benefit our society with a healthier and relaxing state of body and mind. I truly know that with massage/kinesiology you are able to open your bodily needs better ,and become more capable of enjoying the time you have with people you work with to make your own personality complete. These alternative medicines are the best ways to get the flow of energy moving to able yourself to feel like your own utopia.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Operation System Security Essay

1. What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of at least three different measures used to protect operating systems? 2. The ease of implementation of the measures. 3. The associated security management issues related to measures discussed above. 4. The ranking of the measures from best to worst with supporting rationale Answer Antivirus: Antivirus is the easiest protective measure that can be implemented on an operating system, and is also usually very easy to maintain. An update schedule is scheduled, or the antivirus software is configured to be managed by a central antivirus server which disseminates updates and virus signatures. Having an up-to-date anti-virus is always a good idea; it doesn’t take much work, and offers a decent amount of protection. Image-Locking software: This type of solution which exists in software such as Deep Freeze takes an image of the computer on startup to which it reverts after each restart. While this does little to prevent the computer from being compromised, it provides the ability to undo all changes, including any changes an attacker may have made, by restarting the computer. This is more difficult to implement, and is not an acceptable solution on hosts that need to maintain dynamic information, such as a database, as it would lose all new information entered since the image was created on reboot. Host Intrusion Detection System: A Host Intrusion Detection system is similar to Antivirus in that it looks for suspicious activity and compares against a definition file, but it also inspects network traffic that comes through the local interface. This allows the HIDS to detect an attack before it has actually put anything on your computer. HIDS also creates a host baseline, to which changes are reported to an administrator. This can result in a lot of logs if changes are made on a regular basis. This solution is both difficult to configure and maintain. In a real environment, you aren’t restricted to using a single solution. If you have the resources to support it, running multiple Antivirus programs is suggested as different vendors may publish definitions earlier than others. Antivirus can also be used in tandem with the other solutions, creating a more secure host

Monday, September 16, 2019

Ethnic Research Paper

However, disregarding the loss of culture through the western culture, Native Americans put the effort to preserve their culture as much as possible through storytelling. Native Americans have nothing but stories to tell. In order for them to know they have existed in the past. Native Americans keep themselves and their culture alive through the power of storytelling, regardless of how the stories are expressed by the storytellers, they all have the implication point at the end. To prevent Native American heritage from fading, Native Americans tell stories as time changes.Being born and rough up in the United States, realized that the western culture has more of an impact on me than my home-based culture, Indian. The day I went to a temple in India was when I realized I was not influenced by my culture at all; instead I was influenced more by western culture. When I went to the temple, was familiar with manners that were performed in a temple, however was not as familiar with the lan guage that was being spoken as the priest said the prayers. My mother had taken me up to the prayer room where the priest was standing in front of the stage, where all the statues of the gods were set p.I was standing as I clasped my hands in prayer. The priest walked up to me asking me, â€Å"What is your name child? † in Hindi. As I struggled to understand him, I looked back at my mother for assistance, and she translated for me telling me what the priest was asking before I made a fool out of myself. I replied back saying, â€Å"Shiva. † Then the priest asked me another question in Hindi again, â€Å"What is this god's name† as he point at the statue of a god with an elephant head. When he asked me this, I could not comprehend as to what he was asking was so baffled.Again, looked to my other for help, and she gives me a look as if she expected me to know what the priest was asking me. By this, I realized there was a language barrier between my culture and me. I recognized that if cannot converse with another Indian, how am I suppose to be close to them in general if western culture is so influential. Culture defines one's identity, because it is the only way one can connect with another by sharing the same language, stories, traditions, songs, beliefs and most importantly morals.In the PBS article, â€Å"Revitalization Native American Cultures† it States, â€Å"Language is really a key to he soul of the culture. † I was never taught Hindi properly because I have always lived in the United States; I have always spoken broken Hindi blended with English UN like my parents who were taught the knowledge to speak Hindi fluently because they were taught by parents as they grew up in India. In We Are Still Here by Leigh Podgiest, Katherine states, â€Å"When you know your language, you know who you are. But now, today many of my people are in great danger of forgetting who they are. Because I do not know my language properly, I f eel like I am out of place when I go to places where my Indian culture IS highly present. Feel as if I do not know who I am. For instance in India I felt out of place because I could not relate with my native members. I did not feel at home, yet was in my home country. In many cultures such as the Native American and Indian cultures, language holds an important responsibility in one's life. Language is a symbol of ones identity and not knowing my language shows how much priority I give to my culture.I felt foreign due to my lack of awareness of my culture. As the western culture is so resilient, it is going to cause cultures including Indian and Native American culture to decay along with native languages of the cultures as the future generations are born after another. Native American culture is vanishing through various Ways, one being language, because of the influence of western culture. In the article, â€Å"Katherine Siva Sable, preserver of Cahill culture, dies at 91†, written by Elaine Woo, mentions something Katherine used to say often, â€Å"When you lose your language you lose everything.You can't interpret your song, your stories – it's gone. † By the time my grandchildren children are born, western culture is going to dominate, gashing away the importance of many home-based cultures such as, Indian culture, and Native American culture. I have noticed parents who live in the United States do not offer great attention to teach their children their traditions and heritage of their roots of origin like how they were taught when they were raised.By this, it triggers the youths of today's generation to think it is not important to know what their native culture is and be downright influenced by the western culture. In the Issuance Film Festival Classic Film called, â€Å"Conversion† by Nabob Becker. It uncovers a story about the Navajo Reservation in the Southern West of United States. Christian missionaries cause disastrous consequences for a Native American family, intruding their worlds with their own ways causing the families to be torn apart.The film starts off with a young Native American girl walking through the dry fields, as she pulls out a card with a image of Jesus on it, and on the back there is a written verse that says, â€Å"That they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent. John 17:3†. As she is left with hopeless while she and her family faces struggles of her grandfather death, she gazes at the card with hope, as her east resort. With no guidance being offered, or any kind of help as she is alone in her world, this little Native American girl turns to the missionaries.She starts believing in Christianity, more importantly in Jesus Christ trusting he can support her through the misery she and her relatives are bearing. By this scene in the film, it shows the influence of the western culture of the missionaries, having extreme power on the young Nat ive American girl and her beliefs. In the beginning of the film, it proves that the struggle to preserve the Native American culture and land failed, as the fields are dry with no epees in sight. In the PBS article, â€Å"Revitalization Native American cultures† it says, â€Å"Indians were to be assimilated into the dominant European â€Å"civilization. † The film continues on by showing a young Native American girl's conversion. Leaving her faith, she starts believing in Jesus Christ. By this it displays that as the missionaries attempt to take over native land with their western culture, their appearance on to native land has gradually start affecting and influencing the Native Americans' upcoming generation. When one stops believing in their culture, and starts believing in another, shows heir change in identity; being ignorant and insensible to where they come from or their culture is.Nowadays, many people consider cultures to be fashion trends. Living in the unit ed States as an Indian, have noticed how the western culture uses other cultures such as mine, the Indian culture for fashion desires. The Western culture has been devaluing the significance Of the Indian customs by taking commodities from the Indian culture for fashion purposes. In the Indian culture, emends, or henna holds a great cultural purpose. At weddings ceremonies, mended plays an important role.Emends is meant to signify the strength of the bride's marriage and the amount of love she is about to receive from the groom's family. Emends also symbolizes luck for the bride and her marriage, the darker the color the more luck she has. However, Americans taking the idea of emends from our religious wedding ceremonies, and hiding the significance of it, using it for fashion purposes undervalues the importance of the religious aspect of emends at Indian weddings. For instance, in the western culture emends is popular at summer festivities or music festivals such as concerts and ra ves.Taking this custom ND relating it back to what Katherine states in the play We Are Still Here by Leigh Podgiest, â€Å"our social structure and society had broken so far down there was no one left who knew the proper way to perform the ritual. † Just like Katherine states America's society snatched the ritual aspect of emends because many Americans are desensitizing from Indian's significance of wearing emends on their hands. Americans have also belittled Native American's heritage in many ways such as, using barred feather Indian headdresses for events that require costumes such as, Halloween, raves, and assign shows.Emends IS not the only religious Indian ornament that is used by Americans for fashion statements. They also use, other religious ornaments such as binds, palls, tikes that are typically used to Binds, palls, and tikes, are also typically used for honoring the start of a new life for the bride. Americans using Native American's heritage for their fashion pur poses degrades the Native American culture, that comes with a history of events, such as cultural genocides, domestic schools, prejudice, lost generations, and the annihilation of tribes of people and their tribal cultures. In an article written by Angela R.Riley called, â€Å"Sucking the Quilted Dry' discusses about the disrespect and insensitivity the Native American tribe called Quilted had to endure as they encountered MS. Com and Nordstrom use their tribe name and land for commercial benefits. MS. Com disrespected the culture of the Quilted tribe by making and publishing a virtual tour video of â€Å"Twilight†, and Nordstrom designed and sold items such as hoodoos, and accessories that were related and named after the Quilted tribe. MS. Com trespassed onto the reservation cemetery of the Quilter's hat is considered sacred for a virtual tour video of â€Å"Twilight†.Instead of asking the Quilted tribe for permission to enter the sacred grounds, MS. Com asked the C hamber of Commerce for permission to able to go on the grounds of the Quilter's. By doing so, it displays the respect MS. Com held for the Native American tribe, none. As MS. Com videotaped graves of past chiefs that were displayed on the sacred grounds, presenting the images in the video with chilling music in the background not only shows the ignorance of the American culture in today's society, but also the disrespect awards the Native American culture.As soon as the Quilted tribe discovered this video, they persuaded MS. Com to remove the video off of the Internet. Later on, MS. Com realized that trespassing the great sacred parts of the reservations was wrong because it holds such great significance to the tribe; causing them they apologized to the Quilted tribe. The significance and authenticity of the Quilted tribe is diminishing slowly as the American society began marketing their culture in high-end store such as Nordstrom.The Quilted tribe does not mind sharing their triba l culture, as Eng as it was shared in a respectful way, and if they received credibility for it. However, when Nordstrom promoted products related to the tribe such as hoodoos, accessories, and charm bearing Quilted werewolf tattoos they gave no recognition or payment to the Quilted tribe. Similarly to Gwen Stefan, in a recent No Doubt music video, dressed in Native clothing, complete with a fringed tribal dress and feathered headdress. She is chained to a wall by cowboys, captured and held hostage at gunpoint and asks in her lyrics, â€Å"Do you see me looking hot? The response from the Native American community as a decided no. Backlash included accusations of making a mockery of Native culture, and unfairly profiting from racist stereotypes in the article, â€Å"Native American Culture is not a trend† by Altair Combat. By these selfish acts of the American commerce, tribes such as the Quilted tribe, and other Native American tribes still fall under the poverty mark, while their culture is used for money-making purposes that degrades and lessens the importance their heritage and traditions.As the people of today's culture think it is acceptable to use sacred land, authentic wardrobe Of the Native Americans ND vending tribal cultural related items for entertainment and fashion purposes not only undervalues the significance of the traditions of the Native American tribes but also insults the culture. As Native American culture is declining, through all the past and present predicaments they have faced taking bits and parts of the culture, altering it. The only method to save the culture is through storytelling. As storytelling is the door to another time, people and culture.In Native American society, storytelling plays a great role in holding the stories from the past, to present day stories, which contains the importance of modifications of values, beliefs, customs and daily lives in Native American culture. In the article, â€Å"How to live ethnica lly† written by Arthur Durbin states, â€Å"Stories provide a way of understanding our place in the scheme of things by structuring our understanding of events. They root us in an on-going stream of history and thereby provide us with a sense of belonging and helping establish our identities. Many different Native American storytellers share their stories about the heritage and culture, however regardless in which form the story is expressed they altogether hare the same purpose at the end, preservation of their culture. Storytelling is a way to keep different tribe's culture alive. In the article, â€Å"Native storytellers connect past and the future† by Shannon Smith it States, â€Å"Each tribe has a different creation story, ranging from tribes emerging directly out of the earth to the divine breathing life into medicine bundles. Storytelling is a universal resource of collaborating cultural traditions, morals, and beliefs, as well as a mechanism for passing on inf ormation about history, science, government, and politics. Some stories are new; others have been handed own from the ancients (Storytelling and Culture). Storytelling and stories are important in the creation of the basket in the poem, â€Å"Reweaving the World Alone† by Stephen Meadows, because the basket itself represents the universe of the Native Americans.The basket symbolizes hope for the future of the Native Americans, because their heritage has faced so many tremendous hardships to their land and culture. The basket is composed Of loops that are woven one at a time, as each loop is constructed of a story. These native stories are stories that collect their past, present and future of their culture. These stories are incorporated with different traditions, wisdom, knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs. The basket in the poem not only represents a collage of stories but can also be interpreted as a symbol of hope for storytelling.Majority of Native history was contained in the words of elders to children. Storytelling is a powerful medium of imagery and description to provide a foundation of understanding Native culture through the diffusion of ideas and history through themes, as well as give guidance to the role of a woman as protectors of culture and values (Smith). Storytelling provides audience for future descendants as it collects the knowledge of past and present experiences, one is able to live through the lives of many, learn from the mistakes Of many, and gain the wisdom of many.It is the cycle Of life. Despite repeated attempts at annihilation, Native people remain. Native culture focuses on the preservation of culture for future generations, which includes the long past and current reality. As storytelling undergoes radical changes due to the scattering of native people from the tribal community, the future generation holds the power to progress storytelling, however new and milliamp challenges simultaneously the rotten to extinguish the traditional form (Smith).Storytelling not only hands down knowledge and enlightenment but also keeps the culture prospering, and modifying with the growing time as it emphasizes lives and values of native peoples. As morals and values are passed down through culture and traditions they are altered through passing of each generation. Cultures such as Indian and Native American are gradually being influenced by western culture, causing them to diminish slowly as they are devalued through many ways. Western ultra have disrespected and undervalued Native American culture along with Indian culture by using customs, and their heritage for commercial benefits.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Political Participation Essay

There are three most important components of politics namely- political party, interest groups, and social movements. . An organization or group of people working together to gain political power is called political party. People which have common motive or interest , get together for influencing political process is called interest group. â€Å"An informal network of activists who seek to transform the values of the society is called social movement . †(An introduction to political science edited by RAND DYCK page 337). Considering the importance of political participation in the political arena although these components are imperfect but they still have a lot of role to be played in the political arena . â€Å"Political parties are one of the fundamental elements in contemporary liberal democracies. The place that they occupy is itself a consequence of the very concept of democracy, founded upon the pluralism of interests, the unanimous rejection of single party system, and political competition in choosing of the leaders and policies. But over and above that fundamental and crucial choice, western political parties appear to be playing an increasingly important role as consequence of functions that they assume in the life of liberal political societies. It is fair to say, without exaggeration, that the political parties control the political process from the raising of political consciousness to the elaboration of policies and their implementation. Admittedly, the political parties are by no means the only agents involved ( not only is the party system pluralistic ,but the parties themselves hold no monopoly over the exercise of some of their functions), and their role, furthermore, varies from one country to another. But they are usually the essential agents in political life. † (government and politics in western Europe by YVES MENY page 79) â€Å"Like political parties , interest groups play a vital role in making public opinion heard in government. In the united states it is comparatively simple to organize a group whose purpose is to influence government . moreover , there are so many groups that already exist that finding one sympathetic to one’s goal is not difficult. The political process is also open to communication from organized groups as well as from individuals. Even groups advocating controversial positions will usually find someone in government willing to hear them out. Interest groups operate in many different ways. Some organizations seek to mobilize public pressure on government through techniques such as letter writing campaigns or public demonstrations. Others work more directly with government officials ,lobbying for appointment of judges and administrators and supporting certain court cases are common interest group tactics . † (politics a handbook for students by ROBERT WEISSBERG PAGE 79) Like political parties and interest groups, social movements also play an important role in political arena . social movements help in putting pressure on the government for changing some values and norms for the society. Social movement is form of rebel against the government for changing some laws or norms of the society. There are various ways of doing social movement even except doing violence for example non-cooperating with the government , doing fasts and gathering on roads and protesting against the government . social movement is one of the way for citizens to express their views to government , to participate in political system and to influence the policies of the government. â€Å"Interest groups and social movements are sometimes also called nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). This term is particularly common in the fields of international relations and development, but NGOs are also active in domestic politics. Such organizations are part of neither the state nor international organizations such as united nation . in addition to targeting states and trying to change domestic policies, they aim to influence international organizations such as UN and world trade organization . (WTO) â€Å" ( STUDYING POLITICS EDITED BY RAND DYCK WRITER- MIRIAM SMITH PAGE 338 ). Examples showing role of political parties In India , political parties has a significant role to be played in political arena for political stability and political efficiency. India is a multiparty system containing six national political parties namely- nationalist congress party , Indian national congress, bharatiya janta party, communist party of India, bahujan samaj party, communist party of india(Marxist). There are also different state parties in India. One of them that I know about is SHIROMANI AKALIDAL . SHIROMANI AKALIDAL is currently ruling party of punjab . This party has played an important role in development of punjab as a state. They have made many budgets get passed from the central government for the development of the state. In Anandpur sahib shiromani akalidal party passed a budget to make VIRASAT –E-KHALSA. This is one of the great sikh museum showing all the sikh history. This sikh history museum is also known as khalsa heritage. shiromani akalidal is also passing bills for giving subsidies to set up industries . shiromani akalidal is also helping farmers by providing subsidies and pesticides and fertilizers at cheaper rates. It is also passing bills for developing roads and building big multi complexes. This party has consecutively won the election twice as they are doing the good job in developing the state. This party is playing an important role in developing the state. This is what the role of the political party is and it has great importance in developing the state through participation in political arena . political parties are helpful in almost all types of governments to develop the state except in the cases of dictatorship, authoritarian regime and totalitarian regime. Examples showing role of interest group In india, business group can also be the example of interest group. All the businesses have same interest or motive so they get together to influence political process of the government. Interest group is type of pressure group which puts pressure on the government for achieving their motive. Business groups have the same motive one is to increase the profit and other is to lessen the government requirements to proceed in the business. They always put pressure on the government to reduce the taxes so as to increase their profit. They also put pressure on government to pass the annual budget more in favour of development of business organizations . They also force the government to pass the laws for not allowing the foreign companies to settle in their country so as to decrease competition and hence earn higher profits. There are many other pressure groups which are influencing the government through their participation in political arena like student organization , linguistic groups, professional groups , peasants organization and media. All these are influencing political processes of government through participation in political arena and achieving their motives. This political participation by pressure groups is forcing government to make the rules or laws in which all the groups are satisfied and hence proper laws by the government for its citizens. Examples showing role of social movements It is a movement that strives to change political or social values of the society. There are many social movements which have influenced the political working of the government and hence changed the social value of the society. one of the movement made by Gandhi before the independence of india by gathering people of CHAMPARAN was DALIT movement . DALITS are those people who were traditionally considered untouchables. In this movement Gandhi want the upliftment of rights of peasants who were considered untouchables by the society so for bringing equality in the people he lived in dalits houses for almost more than one and half month. He also wrote the letter to the legislature for making some laws which uplift socio-economic status of the dalits. These social movements thus help in changing the social values of the society which are detrimental for the society and hence transforming the society and making it a best society to live in where there is equality and all norms and laws which are good for the society and its individuals. conclusion Considering the importance of political participation in political arena, it can be concluded that role of political parties , interest groups and social movements has not been overstated and they play an important role in the politics of the government and in improving the society. Political parties help in development of the state through making bills pass from the central government for all the purposes like construction of national highways and for subsidies to different groups and thus play an important role in development of the state through political participation. Interest group also play an important role in political life of government through political influence in the political processes of the government . Interest groups influence political processes for achieving their motives and this does not allow the government to overuse its powers . Hence it plays an Important role through political participation in political arena. social movements also play an important role in the political arena as they help in transforming the social values of the society which are not good for the society. In the nutshell , it can be concluded that political parties , interest groups and social movements all these have significant role to be played in political arena.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Discuss the social context that influences Othello’s labelling of Desdemona as that “cunning whore of Venice”

In Othello many issues are undertaken. According to the time that the play was written, men hold all the power and women are considered to be of low intellect. Throughout the play Desdemona is a symbol of innocence and helplessness. At first she appears to be mature and quite perceptive of events around her. Iago often tells Othello that she is unfaithful. It seems that she refuses to accept what is happening and her views are impartial. She has a tendency to be sympathetic towards other people's situations, like Cassio. This is what triggers Othello's jealousy when Iago pointed out they were speaking in privacy. She often pays attention to other peoples thoughts yet remains cynical if they differ to her own. She has a loyalty to her husband in all aspects of life, whether it is mental or physical. Othello shows us how a woman's character, reputation and power can be manipulated and distorted by men. The relationship between Desdemona and Othello is very peculiar, and would have been considered even more so at the time at which Shakespeare was writing, it therefore stands out in the play, not least because it is a mixed-race marriage but also because at the start of the play they appear to be on an equal standing, they have a mutual â€Å"respect† for one another. We are presented with a very powerful image of women at the start of the play; Desdemona has disobeyed her father and taken her chosen husband, although Desdemona does acknowledge that Othello is her â€Å"Lord† and that it is her â€Å"duty† to obey him. However, in that state, Desdemona does act as a dramatic device, bringing Othello into a domestic situation where he is inexperienced. This causes his obsession with Desdemona to grow because she has become his whole world; Iago finds it easy to manipulate this situation because Othello is unfamiliar to life only in the domestic side. Although Desdemona was rational in trusting, her trust was often misplaced, for example Iago. As well as this regardless of her intellect of what goes on around her in some cases, this was not enough to rise up in society, as women had no opinion in the time of the play. Although Shakespeare undertook many modern day ideas, he did not do this for a modern day society, as it would not have allowed so many events to occur, and it would not have been considered realistic by the public. When Othello talks of wooing Desdemona he is portrayed as an eloquent storyteller and lover: â€Å"She gave me for my pain a world of sighs. † It is through her relationship with Othello that his failure is shown not only by her spoilt opinion of him, he was previously an ideal to her, but by the end of the play she has realised that â€Å"men are not gods†, but also by Othello's swift dismissal of her as a â€Å"fair devil† and a â€Å"lewd minx† after his view of her where he would â€Å"deny her nothing† has been destroyed by Iago. The downfall of Othello is marked by the destruction of their once close and trusting relationship, which Iago has convinced Othello that it is a â€Å"foul disproportion. † Desdemona's physical and vocal absence from the opening scenes speaks about women's place in the Venetian society. It is through Desdemona's absence that we are able to conjure up our own mental image of her based on what we have heard.