Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Alzheimer s Effects On The Brain - 1133 Words

Alzheimer’s is a disease where neurotransmitters, acetylcholine, or the brain’s chemicals break connections with other nerve cells causing the cells to die off, the effects of this are irreversible. The loss of these cells result in loss of thinking and language skills, unpredictable behavioral changes and eventually the inability to carry out the simplest tasks. Although there is no known cause for Alzheimer’s, researchers have found a genetic link. Alzheimer’s first symptoms usually appear when a person is between forty and fifty years of age. Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease that initiates in the brain, drastically decreasing the quality of life as well as life expectancy in millions of people around the world. As Alzheimer’s†¦show more content†¦Once the disease hits the hypothalamus life expectancy is greatly reduced because a person becomes unable to tell when they need sustenance. This is all caused by abnormal deposits of proteins from amyloid plaques and tau tangles throughout the brain, and once-healthy neurons stop functioning, lose connections with other neurons, and die (Site this). Finally the brain has shrunk and damage is widespread throughout the brain. Diagnosing the disease is the first step to finding out what do to next. To be diagnosed one must be examined by a doctor who will run many tests. Doctors use several methods and tools to help determine whether a person who is having memory problems has â€Å"possible Alzheimer’s dementia† (dementia may be due to another cause) or â€Å"probable Alzheimer’s dementia† (no other cause for dementia can be found) (Alzheimer s Foundation of America, 2015). A test they use to rule out possible Alzheimer’s dementia is by conducting a memory test with problem solving, attention span, and language. Once they have ruled out possible Alzheimer’s they ask the family about overall medical history, if one is able to carry out actives of daily living and if there has been any behavioral changes, as well as testing the blood and urine to rule out any deficiency a person may have. The last tests performed are the

Monday, December 23, 2019

Literary Analysis The Crucible - 1195 Words

Book Club Paper Throughout American history, no matter what time period, humans have been categorized, discriminated against, and treated according to their class, financial status, and race. Many concrete and obvious examples of this have appeared throughout the years, ranging from the Salem witch trials in the late 1600’s, all the way to the recent civil rights movements in the 1950’s and 60’s. Social history uses personal stories to show how class/status and race played a part in the way people were treated in America. In â€Å"The Crucible†, a play about people being accused of witchcraft in 1692, both class and race played a part in who was accused and executed. The play began when the minister, Parris, catching local girls including his daughter, Betty, dancing at night with the black slave, Tituba. As soon as Betty became ill, Tituba was the first to be accused of witchcraft, and eventually executed. Soon, Tituba and Parris’s niece, Abigail started pointing fingers at many others in the community. Meanwhile, men with wealth or power such as Reverend Parris and Thomas Putnam, were trying to gain wealth and property by accusing others of witchcraft. An example of this was when Thomas Putnam wanted his daughter to accuse George Jacobs of witchcraft so Putnam could get his land. Judge Danforth, the person with the ultimate power, did not seem to seek justice for the powerless who were falsely accused. (Miller) In the early 1900’s, class and socioeconomic status were the mainShow MoreRelatedThe Crucible: a Literary Analysis1275 Words   |  6 PagesThe Crucible: A Literary Analysis In 1692, Salem was populated by Puritans who believed in black-and-white lines between good and evil. The powers of darkness were real forces to them, which could wreak havoc and destruction on society if unleashed. The system of government was that God was the true leader of society, and he expressed his will through the actions of men and women. In the Old Testament, we hear stories of how God led directly through Moses; Salem, likewise, was led through men whoRead MoreThe Crucibles Literary Analysis963 Words   |  4 PagesMichelle Burlaza Mr. Coons American Literature 23 April, 2013 â€Å"The Crucibles† Literary Analysis In the Drama â€Å"The Crucibles† by Arthur Miller, creates an intensifying and motivating situation that keeps readers on their toes eager to find out what happens next. Miller gives a dramatical attitude and emotion in the situation that is scattering in Salem. Miller emphasizes the plot/situation in the text through a few specific characters, their conflicts, and transition of the plot in every actRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller998 Words   |  4 Pagesand spite. The Crucible is a four-act dramatic play production that was first performed on January 22, 1953. Arthur Miller used dialogue within the characters to cover the multiple themes; conflicts and resolutions, plus the few directions for the different actions of the play. The Salem Witch Trials were intended to be performed as the play however, when read, it can be more carefully examined and broken down to analyze the techniques. Miller, the playwright, uses literary technics suchsRead MoreThe Crucible with Related Text865 Words   |  4 PagesThrough analysis of The Crucible by Arthur Miller and the feature article, A Dangerous mind offers an insight into the concept of belonging as it is presented and substantiated through the use of literary devices. In The Crucible, belonging is explored through a theme of persecution, whereby one must conform to the rules of society in order to belong. The alternative is ali/enation and displacement. The central aspects of reputation and empowerment are explored through a variety of literary techniquesRead MoreAccusation And Defense Of The Salem Witchcraft Trials1658 Words   |  7 PagesWitchcraft Hysteria in Arthur Miller s The Crucible and Caryl Churchill s Vinegar Tom. The Article published in the journal of Journal of History, Culture Art Research / Tarih Kà ¼ltà ¼r ve Sanat Arastirmalari Dergisi published by Neslihan Demirkaya on Jun 2015 follows an analysis of the event in relation to the history of scapegoating. The narrative follows the works of Arthur Miller and Caryl Churchill on Salem Witch Trial. Miller s play The Crucible and Churchill s play Vinegar Tom are basedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Crucible And A Scene by Arthur Miller Essay1254 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis Of The Cruc ible And A Scene by Arthur Miller The Crucible was first produced in 1953 during the McCarthy political witch-hunt. The Crucible is governed around, the corrupted degeneration of society during this sombre period. Arthur Miller saw many parallels in this period with the witch hunt in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Most significantly the naà ¯ve yet extremely unjust accusations, the forced confessions and ultimately the growth of such a diminutiveRead MoreThe Scarlett Letter, And The Crucible986 Words   |  4 Pagesfictitious there was a similar scandal that Hawthorne was referring to. The life of the Puritans has been a subject of interest for years, with works of literature such as The Scarlett Letter, and the Crucible that depict this time period of extreme conservatism and harsh punishment. After further analysis and research it has come to my attention that the Scarlett Letter is actually categorized as a Gothic Romance novel. It shouldn’t be that difficult to believe since Pearl was the result of passionateRead MoreA Cultural Critical Reading Of The Scarlet Letter Essay1711 Words   |  7 PagesThrough a Cultural Critical reading of the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, it is evident that it is not only great piece of American literature, but also an analysis of Hawthorne’s 18th century knowledge about the culture and society of Puritans. The Scarlet Letter is not really an accurate representation of Puritan culture; however, it does represent how Puritan culture was seen in the 18th century, and to the people in Hawthorne’s period, they were harsh towards women, children, and cruellyRead More Catherine Carbone, a Study of Her Personality and an Analysis of Her1581 Words   |  7 PagesCatherine Carbone, a Study of Her Personality and an Analysis of Her Interaction with Other Characters Throughout the Play Arthur Miller was born in New York City, America, on October 17th 1915. His father, Isidore Miller, was a ladies-wear manufacturer and shopkeeper who was ruined in the depression. The sudden change in fortune had a strong influence on Miller. The family moved to a small frame house in Brooklyn. He spent his boyhood playing football, baseball and reading adventure storiesRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Mind1900 Words   |  8 Pagesthe reader s attention. Nathaniel Hawthorne and Sigmund Freud both share an amazing writing technique, they like to rely on dreams and their imagination to create their famous stories. Psychoanalysis is said to have several different meanings. For literary purposes the best definition as described by Robert Mollinger would be â€Å"a theory of the mind that can serve as an explanatory model for literature†. Nathaniel Hawthorne and Sigmund Freud had the same style of writing, they enjoyed exploring their

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Evaluation of the Food Control Systems in Saudi Arabia Free Essays

Introduction According to the World Trade Organisation, Saudi Arabia is a developing country and is part of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Due to increased tourism, religious trips, foreign workers, recent food scares, and a high reliance on imported food, the need has arisen for the establishment of a common market and common approach to food control throughout the region. Food Control Management The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (2006) defines food control management as â€Å"the continuous process of planning, organising, monitoring, coordinating, and communicating, in an integrated way, a broad range of risk-based decisions and actions to ensure the safety and quality of domestically produced, imported and exported food for national consumers and export markets as appropriate. We will write a custom essay sample on Evaluation of the Food Control Systems in Saudi Arabia or any similar topic only for you Order Now Food control management covers the various policy and operational responsibilities of competent government authorities responsible for food control.† The main food control management board within Saudi Arabia is the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). According to the SFDA, their purpose is to regulate, administer, and control all imported and local foods. The SFDA is managed by a Board of Directors that includes ministers from Health, Interior, Rural Affairs, and Agriculture, just to name a few. The Authority is also responsible for all food safety licensing procedures and grants. The SFDA has proposed a two-phased approach to food control management within Saudi Arabia, of which the first phase is set to take place over a five-year period (SFDA, 2011). Whilst the SFDA seems to have a clear plan on how to address food control management within Saudi Arabia, is seems the actual establishment and fulfilment of food control management policies and procedures lies with the Saudi Arabia Standards Organisation (SASO) and can span across many committees, agencies, and administrators, at both federal and local levels (FAO, 2005). This often results in duplication and overlapping of duties, lack of coordination, and information stagnation across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Food Legislation As Saudi Arabia is a member of both the World Trade Organisation and Codex Alimentarius, it has the responsibility of abiding by Codex standards. Whilst some implementation of these standards has taken place within Saudi Arabia, there still exists a disparity of food control procedures within the region. This can largely be attributed to the reasons mentioned above: lack of coordination and information, etc. In recent years Saudi Arabia has worked hard to ratify new food safety laws that cover all foods. There has also been much effort to integrate and coordinate between different agencies both nationally and internationally. For instance, because Saudi Arabia imports a large amount of food products from the United States, in recent years the two countries have worked closely together to establish strict import guidelines and procedures. These guidelines and procedures cover anything from dairy products, eggs, fruits and vegetables, processed foods, to forest products and plants (GAIN, 2009). Recently, SASO has also helped to establish food-labelling requirements for all food and food products sold in Saudi Arabia. Typically food and food products require the following before they can be sold in the Kingdom: certificate of origin, bill of lading, or steamship certificate, insurance certificate and packing list, food manufacturer’s ingredients certificate, consumer protection certificate, and a price list, just to name a few. There are also certain additional requirements for items such as meat, seeds, grains, fruits and vegetables, and livestock (Saudi Network, 2011). Food Inspection and Audit Food inspection and audit is defined as â€Å"the examination of domestically produced or imported food to ensure that it is handled, stored, manufactured, processed, transported, prepared, served and sold in accordance with the requirements of national laws and regulations, thus protecting the health and well-being of consumers† (FAO, 2006). Within Saudi Arabia, food inspection consists mainly of laboratory examination and actual physical investigation of the end product, which is carried out by various authorities. Although the Department of Environmental Foods and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) standards of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) have been introduced within Saudi Arabia, the implementation of such standards is slow. Hygiene requisites are conducted on a random basis through visual inspection of domestic products. More often than not, food inspection officials can be pacified with the presentation of health certificates and facility licenses (Al-Kandari and Jukes, 2009). As mentioned above, Saudi Arabia and the entire GCC region is highly reliant on imported foods. This reliance has brought about the need for increased control and inspection of such foods; however, there has been little increase in the workforce available for such inspections. This results in a large amount of imports going uninspected. Within Saudi Arabia there is also a lack of concise standards around food sampling procedures. This means that food inspection officials are unclear on when to take samples, how many samples to take, and exactly what types of foods need to be sampled. Each of these issues has led to inadequate food inspection and audit systems within Saudi Arabia. Official Food Control Laboratories Official food control laboratories have the responsibility of identifying food contaminants and their sources, whether human or food. These laboratories also provide support for law enforcement, food safety and quality policies and standards (FAO, 2006). Whilst food control laboratories in Saudi Arabia are well equipped and supplied, there exist three main issues concerning such laboratories: inadequately trained analysts, inadequate quality assurance systems, and an overall lack of international laboratory accreditation bodies (Schillhorn van Veen, 2005). The country has done much to address the issue of laboratory analyst training. It has embarked upon a rigorous training program for analysts focusing on imported foods. This will help to improve the knowledge and skills of analysts working in laboratories within Saudi Arabia. Whilst inadequate quality assurance systems and lack of accreditation continues to be a problem in Saudi Arabia, the county is trying to learn from its UAE neighbours. The UAE has already received ISO accreditation for three of its food control laboratories and continues to implement quality assurance systems across the whole of the country. Saudi Arabia is looking to follow the UAE’s lead in this area and is seeking ISO accreditation of its own. In an effort to improve its laboratory food control systems and standards, Saudi Arabia, along with five other countries located in the Middle East and Northern Africa, formed an alliance with the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) with the intention of improving food and drug laboratory standards and testing systems (Ammari, 2010). Through this alliance the SFDA has agreed to work closely with the USP in improving its food control laboratories. This agreement means that laboratories located in Saudi Arabia will send test results and details to the USP in order to receive feedback and recommendations for improvement. Food Safety and Quality Information As the general economic landscape of Saudi Arabia is changing, so is its food culture. An increase in gross income per capita means that more Saudis are eating out. This has led to an increase in the consumption of processed foods, which in turn leads to an increase in illness due to contaminated foods. As mentioned above, over 30% of food workers in the GCC region are of foreign decent (Al-Kandari and Jukes, 2009). Many of these workers neither read nor speak Arabic or English. This has caused a major problem regarding food handling and preparation. Therefore, there exists a great need for information, education, and communication regarding food safety and quality. To this end, the SFDA has created a website to help educate and provide information to Saudis concerning food safety and quality. The website provides up-to-date, reliable information that is easily accessible to all of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia Food Control Diagram Conclusion Saudi Arabia is a quickly developing nation, however, with this development has also come problems. The food control systems within the Kingdom can be described as substandard and inadequate. Whilst many improvements have been made, Saudi Arabia still has a long way to go in this particular area. The Kingdom’s recent efforts to implement and improve food safety and quality standards, unify all involved parties, and form alliances with other more successful countries is commendable. These efforts need to continue and increase within the Kingdom in order for it to receive accreditation for its food control systems and to ensure the safety of its citizens. References: (2005) National Food Safety Systems in the Near East – A Situational Analysis [online] Available at: ftp://ftp.fao.org/es/esn/food/meetings/NE_wp3_en.pdf [Accessed 04 February 2011] (2009) Department of Environmental Foods and Rural Affairs [online] Available at: www.defra.gov.uk [Accessed 03 February 2011] (2009) GAIN Report [online] Available at: www.chilealimentos.com/medios/Servicios/Normas_internacionales/Norma_otros_paises/Normativa_Arabia_SAudita/Food_and_Agricultural_Import_Regulations_and_Standards_Certification_Arabia_saudita_USDA.pdf [Accessed 04 February 2011] (2011) Food and Agricultural Organisation [online] Available at: www.fao.org [Accessed 03 February 2011] (2011) Saudi Arabia Standards Organization [online] Available at: www.saso.org.sa [Accessed 04 February 2011] (2011) Saudi Food and Drug Authority [online] Available at: www.sfda.gov.sa/En/Home/ [Accessed 03 February 2011] (2011) The Saudi Network [online] Available at: www.The-Saudi.Net [Accessed 04 February 2011] Al-Kandari, D., and Jukes, D.J. (2009) â€Å"A situation analysis of the food control systems in Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.† Food Control 20,12 1112-1118. Ammari, S. (2010) â€Å"Government drug control laboratories in Middle East and North Africa join USP to launch quality improvement network.’ AME Info, October 2010. Schillhorn van Veen, T. (2005) â€Å"International trade and food safety in developing countries.† Food Control 16,6 491-496. How to cite Evaluation of the Food Control Systems in Saudi Arabia, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Superhero True free essay sample

When I was a little boy, I never found Interest In my toys, Cuss there you were across the street, Looking so pretty and soundly so sweet, And I knew that all I wanted to do, Was to be a superhero just for you. I would come to the rescue, Save the day, Id always be there to push you out harms way, And when I felt weak all youd ever have to say, Is I love you, my Superhero True. We will write a custom essay sample on Superhero True or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Oh, we stuck together through the years, I held your hand through the struggles and the fears,But Inside I was feeling caged, Feeling stressed out, and feeling my age, It seemed like we always had a dollar too few, And your superhero blamed it on you. I regretted your rescue, Rued the day, Wished we had gone our separate ways, Feeling sorry for myself so I didnt here you say, l love you, my Superhero True. Oh, I started to drink, I started those fights, Kept the kids up all goddamned night, But I cant believe. I went too bar and got kind drunk, Ended up sleeping with some tall blonde punk,And now I knew that I was screwed, Cuss your Superhero True had cheated on you. I failed at your rescue, Ruined your day, Went and I shoved you Into harms way, And it shattered my heart when I heard you say, So I went and I prayed to god above, I prayed for forgiveness, And I prayed for your love. Cuss I felt like I would tear in two, If I didnt find a way to make it back to you. I wanted to be rescued, Needed to be saved, Wished you would pull my out my ways, I knew I could live on, if you would Just say, l forgive you, you Superhero Fool. And I wish before I would have known, How terrible it feels to be alone, Cuss know Im an old man at the end of my life, Wishing I had you as my wife, But when I wake I dont feel so blue, Cuss, Oh my god, there yea are, Im sleeping next to you! You came to my resc ue, You saved my day, Came and you ripped my out my ways, And when you feel lonely, Ill be here to say, Im your Superhero and I love you. Im youre Superhero, and I love you True.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Since The Second New Deal And The Social Security Act Of 1935 The Elde

Since the Second New Deal and the Social Security Act of 1935 the elderly and disabled of the United States have relied upon their monthly checks from the government to survive. However, from its inception the Social Security system has been plagued with numerous problems. Out of all the problems that have enveloped the system. There are only two that have seriously threaten the existence of the entire Social Security system. The first problem that jeopardized the existence of the system was in 1937 when there was a movement in the courts to declare the actions and creation of the system as being unconstitutional. This movement to prevent the establishment of the Social Security system never reached the Supreme Court. The second and most recent problem to face the system is by far the greatest threat ever to the existence of the system. This new threat is one that has been perpetuated by the inability of the system to solve the problem. The problem that is at hand today is that the Social Security system will not be able to pay its recipients their deserved funds. This problem was created by the fact that longevity has increased and that in the next 5 to 10 years the baby boomers will become eligible for Social Security. What is unique about the problem is that the system?s funds will not be completely depleted until the year 2029 . The problem of depleted funds in the system is created because the system is unable to adjust to the change in life style and cost of living. Thus the system over time will not take in enough money or give out enough to support the recipient with the proper funds to survive. However as a result of a period of healthy economic growth, reduced unemployment and low inflation, the long-range solvency predictions about the Social Security system have improved over the past year, according to the Social Security Board of Trustees . The robust economy we are currently enjoying and the enactment of the Balanced Budget Act support this statement. With the past year of economic success the board predicts that the system will remain solvent until 2032 . Kenneth S. Apfel, commissioner of the Social Security Administration, calls the system's long-term financial problems manageable, but warns against relying on the often unpredictable economy to aid in the future of the ailing system. It is clear that action must be taken to stave off a serious Social Security crisis. As a Senator from Pennsylvania I am in a difficult and unique position. Pennsylvania is a state with two vastly different spectrums of the Social Security system. The first is the urban spectrum where most of the recipients are barley living above the poverty line. There are two causes for this problem. First, the cost of living in the city is exorbitantly expensive. Second, many of the urban recipients had jobs that were low paying; thus the amount of return on their Social Security checks was low. The second is the rural spectrum where most of the people are having few problems with the system. This is because the cost of living in the countryside is low. The returns that the recipients get from the system enable them to live a comfortable life. Because of the vastly different spectrums within my state I must be careful when supporting reforms for the Social Security system. I can not support a reform that will hurt one spectrum and benefit the other. Also being a Senator I must keep in mind how the reforms will effect the rest of the nation. I must keep the mentality of a statesman at all times. Being aware of the crisis and the circumstances in my state and the nation there are several reforms that I feel should never be implemented into the system. One such reform is the proposal to privatize the system. Supporters of privatizing the Social Security system argue that privatization provides the individual with control of the Social Security portion of their retirement plan. Thus allowing investors to achieve higher rates of return and higher benefits than Social Security provides. I feel this reform is not acceptable. In order to change the system to a

Monday, November 25, 2019

galleries headed in the right direc Essays

1. Are museums/galleries headed in the right direc Essays 1. Are museums/galleries headed in the right direction by including the WEB into their "worlds" in different accessible ways? Is this a great way (the virtual museum ) to create accessibility to museums and art for the masses and classes? Why /why not? In my opinion, I believe that there are pros and cons to include the WEB into their "worlds". With having an entire museum/gallery at the tip of your fingers and in the comfort of your own home, this is a great and innovative idea for those who are unable to visit a museum/gallery due to medical conditions. Of course, by having this virtual museum/gallery accessible to everyone, it may also encourage the masses, who are completely capable of going to the museum, to simply stay home and view the artwork through a computer screen or cellular device rather than drive to the museum itself; "why go there when we can simply view in the palm of our hands". The masses are then simply satisfied with viewing the work on a screen rather than appreciating it in the museum itself. Many years ago, many viewers used to be astounded to stand in the presence of an artwork created by such magnificent artists. One would go to a museum with excitement, and leave with a sense of fulfillment, having the o pportunity to walk among such talented artists and spectacular artwork. The viewer seemed to be content and may have afterwards told friends or family, talking about the amazing experience. Being able to view these museums without having to get out of bed, we will soon come to depreciate the artwork and artists, and the enjoyment the museums once gave us. As mentioned before, this idea is indeed innovative and great for those who are unable to visit the museum, but only further encourages the rest of the masses, who are capable of going to a museum, to view the artwork in their own home. 2. You, the newest generation, has grown up on the internet and having accessibility to everything from your couch at home. Will the virtual museum decrease visitors to galleries and the sale of art? Will you stop going? Will it make museums and gallery visits obsolete? Growing up in this new generation, and having accessibility to the world wide web from my couch due to the technological advances that have rapidly occurred over the past decade, I believe that the idea of the virtual museum will definitely decrease visitors to galleries and the sale of art. As we have adapted to spending countless hours on the internet, and sitting in the same position for a great amount of time, the virtual museums will only encourage this behavior. As mentioned before, if they are able to access the museum and artwork from home, why bother to go there anyways. The sale of art will also decline due to the lack of people willing to pay for the artwork. Many people buy artwork after seeing it in front of them, and appreciating its beauty. They may find it quite appealing in a room in their house or possibly in a studio. With the lack of viewers at museums, and most people only seeing the art on a flat screen, there is a great chance that the sale of art will indeed d ecline significantly. I will continue to visit the museums because I would much rather be able to tell people that I have seen a famous artwork in person rather than telling them how I sat at home for hours on a virtual tour. It also gives the viewer a sense of satisfaction that they were able to witness the magnificent pieces live, and be able to see the texture in a 3D space, rather than a flat screen. Unfortunately, although some may want to continue to visit the museums, most will much rather stay in the comfort of their home. In turn, the museums and galleries may become obsolete due to the lack of visitors, which may also cause bankruptcy for the museums themselves. With no money, and little to no visitors to view the pieces, how can one expect to be able to continue to run a museum,

Friday, November 22, 2019

A story About Ghost and Vampires Essay Example for Free

A story About Ghost and Vampires Essay ? Life of Pi’ is a story that is mainly focused on the aspect of survival. Being trapped together with Richard Parker, a Royal Bengal tiger, Pi’s odds seem to have been pulverized to nothing. Yet as the story progresses, Richard Parker begins to give Pl hope and a reason to survive. Pi’s will to survive returns; If he can survive while living together with a Bengal Tiger, he can survive anything. Although seeming a huge threat to Pl at first, Richard Parker unintentionally takes on the role of ghost and rotects Pl against the vampires that he faces, glvlng him moral support, and thus the will to survive. At the beginning of the story In part two, Pl Immediately faces his first vampire: the hyena. Being trapped on a lifeboat together with an Injured zebra, an orangutan and a hyena, It quickly becomes evident to Pl who stands at the top of the food chain. It does not take long before this vampire starts to rejuvenate Itself by feasting on Pl’s companions. Right when the hyena has set its gaze on Pi, Richard Parker (the ghost) omes into play and kills Pi’s first vampire, unintentionally protecting Pi in the process. Though scared at first, Pi learns to deal with Richard Parker over time and eventually even becomes blessed with his presence. ‘It was Richard Parker who calmed me down. It is the irony of this story that the one who scared me witless to start with was the very same who brought me peace, purpose, I dare say even wholeness. ‘ – Chapter 57, page 204. Richard Parker proves to be Pi’s motivator again and again throughout the story, especially when Pi encounters his next vampire: the Pacific Ocean. The saying; the ocean gives and takes’, can be taken quite literarily in this book. The ocean has given Pi basic offerings, food and water mainly, but seeps the life force out of him simultaneously with its strong razor sharp winds, bone crushing waves, and scorching sun. The ocean tries to break Pi’s spirit several times. For example when Pi spots a cargo ship, resulting in the slightest of hopes only to have it all taken away again as the ship passes and does not notice him. Richard Parker is yet again the one thing that keeps Pi going by merely being there and giving Pi moral support In the arkest of times. â€Å"l love you! † The words burst out pure and unfettered, infinite. The feeling fluttered my chest. â€Å"Truly I do. I love you Richard Parker. If I didnt have you now, I dont know what I would do. I don’t think I would make It. No, I wouldnt. I would die of hopelessness. Don’t give up, Richard Parker, dont give up. I’ll get you to land, I promise, I promise! † – Chapter 86, Page 294. Even though Richard Parker does not know It, he yet again serves as a tremendous motivator to Pl. Last but not least Pl meets his last vampire in Its purest form: the algae Island. Pl becomes enchanted with the Island and It almost seems Ilke he falls under some sort of spell or glamour, luring him Inside with Its delicious edible algae and fresh drinking water. Pl decides to spend his nights on the Island Instead of the boat, yet Is scared that Richard Parker might attack him in his sleep. He therefore decides to sleep In the trees and makes the gruesome discovery that the island feeds on its inhabitants at night. A story About Ghost and Vampires. (2018, Oct 28).

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Nature of British Colonialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nature of British Colonialism - Essay Example So the course of the different British colonies is diverse.1 Generally, the overall quality of colonial administration improved at the beginning of the nineteenth century, when the Colonial Office prospered under effective leadership who created distinct departments, recruited and hired experts in colonial management, and worked with true humanitarian intentions to create policy that recognized the human worth of the colonists. According to historian Harold J. Schultz, the leaders of the Office, "under the influence of the humanitarian and Evangelical movement, produced a colonial policy favoring missionary expansion and racial equality."2 At the end of the nineteenth century, a wave of imperialist expansion swept over European nations. Fostered by nationalism, militarism, and the Industrial Revolution, Britain and its neighbors determined the best chance for real expansion was overseas. They began what is often termed a "scramble" for colonies, which may have been just as messy a process as the word implies. Britain began to feel threatened by the other nations' expansion. It worried about its sources of raw materials, its markets, and its ability to conduct free trade.3 This fear affected its attitudes about colonies and its policies. In Canada, colonial policy was influenced by friction between groups such as French and English, and Catholic and Protestant. In the north, early colonists were angered by the influx of new settlers and worried that local government might come under their control. In the south, the elected Assembly feuded with the upper house, which was seen as the governor's cronies. There was actually a rebellion in 1837, which showed the British government how serious the Canada situation was. Britain sent Lord Durham to Canada to assess the situation and make recommendations.4 Lord Durham's assessment concluded there were "two basic problems in Canada: 'two races warring in the bosom of a single nation,' and representative government without political responsibility for its actions."5 He created a plan to unite Upper and Lower Canada to reduce racial differences, and offered ideas to reform the government to make it more honest and effective. His recommendation was to allow governors to select their ministers from members with a majority in the Assembly.6 In this way, the legislature would have a power check on the executive branch. Durham's plan was quite fair and reasonable. It showed that creating responsible government for at least some colonies was Britain's goal. It suggested that the "colony-mother country" relationship would be one of voluntary association, and not coercion. Britain had been paying attention in the years after the American Revolution, and now had a different view of that relationship.7 India All colonial policy is influenced by economics, but that seems to be especially the case with India. After the Seven Years' War, the East India Company grew in power "from a trading post to a private imperial empire."8 The company abused its power in India, governing without accountability. Corrupt officials made huge fortunes collecting taxes and pocketing them. Corruption became widespread enough to draw the interest of the House of Commons. Lord North reduced the company's power but still left it with control. Over

Monday, November 18, 2019

Environmental Analysis of Gold Coast Theme Park Research Paper

Environmental Analysis of Gold Coast Theme Park - Research Paper Example Theme park facilities are services provided to customers. Traditionally, distribution channels are not a requirement of this business as revenue is generated through visitors who come in to catch some entertainment. In the recent era though, different distribution channels are coming up including conjoint branding activities or branding partnerships as is seen in the case of Volvo teaming up with Legoland, a theme park in California for their marketing activities. Likewise, current research journals on tourism industry suggest the following new mediums for distribution: Tourism is the driving factor of the economy of Gold Coast, contributing AUS $ 2.3 billion to the Gold Coast City's Gross Regional Product and providing employment to more than 40,000 people. The industry size can be determined by the fact that Gold Coast hosts as many as 78,000 visitors every day of which 80% are Australian nationals whereas a growing number is coming from New Zealand, UK, Japan, China, UAE & India. According to the official figures "The Gold Coast attracts 4.4 million tourists per year (9.9 million including day trippers) with a daily spend of $10.6 million". The entry barriers are low even if it requires a high level of investment (up to $ 110 million) to develop a theme park but the rates of returns are high. However, the high capital intensive nature of this business also means that the exit barriers are low since the investors do not want to leave their investment in search of more profitable options Phil Bartsch states in his article "Theme Parks enter the Digital Age' published in The Courier Mail, that the average annual revenue growth of 5 percent is forecast over the next several years in Australia's attractions industry. High level of competition and a monopoly like situation whereby Dream world has a leading position and retains it by offering competitive products in a wide income group span( from $ 5-$5000) High number of innovative products being offered by competitors Competitor Analysis Gold Coast boasts of as many as five big theme parks including the following:- Sea World Sea World Animal Adventures Sea World Helicopters Sea World Whale Watch Sea World Resort Wet 'n' Wild Water World Warner Bros Movie World Australian Outback Spectacular Paradise Country The Visitors, (Consumers) As mentioned earlier 80% of the visitors to Gold Coast are Australian nationals. Since the nature of business is strictly B2C (business to consumer), the customer does not have much power. The presence of other options in form of other amusement and theme parks provides more choice and gives the customers the power to choose. At present, there are no customer representative bodies. The Suppliers Apart from the supplier in their day to day operations including on the venue food suppliers, a Gold Coast theme park usually requires specialized vendors to suit the individual needs of their

Saturday, November 16, 2019

A Discussion on the Renaissance Art and Its Influences Essay Example for Free

A Discussion on the Renaissance Art and Its Influences Essay 1. The Renaissance style is considered as a collective movement related to the reawakening of art – particularly drawing, painting, sculpture, and architecture – that centered in Italy from 1300-1600 (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 265-266).   This movement evolved over the years as people – tired of the medieval life of poverty and sickness – started to develop new world views.   These world views centered on essential and profound questions related to human beings, their lives, and their purposes in lives.   They formed striking similarities to the Greco-Roman intellectual discourses, which were overshadowed during the dark times of the medieval age but rediscovered during the reawakening period of the Renaissance. Experts agreed that the Renaissance movement started in Florence, Italy, then a trading center between Europe and the rest of the world and a platform for exchange of ideas, purchase of arts, and commissioning of literary works (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 267).   In Italy, people began to question tradition and authority, focus on life on earth, shape their own destinies, educate their selves and revisit the classical teachings from Greece and Rome.   Teachings from Italy were then dispersed elsewhere in Europe and the world through the printing press, a revolutionary invention during the Renaissance (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 265). See more: Homelessness as a social problem Essay One example of a Renaissance art that is a symbol of the inner health of the people during that era was Raphael’s School of Athens (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 315).   This painting pictured the great minds who existed in the city of Athens in Greece – Socrates, Plato and Aristotle – who were gathered in what appeared to be a school.   In the painting, the great minds seemed to be enthralled in a lively exchange of ideas.   Experts said that School of Athens attempted to show that the ancient greats of Greece were as good as the Renaissance men of Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo.   In fact in the painting, the three Renaissance artists were supposed to be Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Another example of a Renaissance art that embodied the dynamism and transformation peculiar to the period was the sculpture of Michelangelo of David when the artist was at a relatively young age of 26 (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 286). David was depicted as a civilized and a thinking individual who contemplates on challenges without immediately resorting to unnecessary brute.   David was said to represent the brightness of the Renaissance man.   It was also said to epitomize the confidence that the people then were feeling in influencing their destinies in terms of trouncing evil and gaining victories. Renaissance humanism is a notion that sprang during this period.   This notion placed emphasis on the capacity of human beings to manipulate their future without overreliance on the church (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 287).   Although much of the art works had religious themes, the works portrayed religious icons as humans.   Such portrayal made light of the religious canons imposed by the church.   Instead, the portrayal highlighted the human spirit and its capacity to elevate to great heights.   One example of an art work that displayed humanism was Sandro Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, which depicted the goddess as an innocent woman with the use of pastel colors.   Another example is Simone Martini’s Annunciation, where an angel painted in realistic human dimensions and appearance appeared to tell Mary that she will bear God’s son. The rebirth of the artistic movement in Italy was largely attributed to the successful businessmen in the city of Florence who fed, trained, educated and provided for the basic needs of the artists (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 268).  Ã‚   These patrons commissioned works based on clear-cut agreements. The powers of these businessmen from the Medici family stretched all the way to Rome, allowing many artists to secure contracts to accomplish religious works of arts for the Catholic Church.  Ã‚   The patronage of the Medici family for the artists was crucial to the Renaissance as artists were elevated to a stature important to the beautification and strengthening of the culture of Florence.   When the Medici family declined, artists went to Rome where they received the patronage of the pope (Weekly Lectures, n.d.). 3. Prior to the Protestant Reformation, there had been a fierce and widespread sentiment about the perceived abuses of the Catholic Church (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 240).   People felt that the leaders of the church were leading extravagant lives that contrasted with the generally modest, if not poor, living of the majority of the people.   There were classes within the population that wanted to lead  Ã‚  Ã‚   towards positive change.   People were also weary of being caught in the cross-fire of conflicts between the Catholic Church and Kings, both desired power and wealth. To top these off, people were staring to change their beliefs about the capabilities of human beings during the Renaissance. These situations were the precursors to the ushering of the Protestant Reformation, which was set off by German monk Martin Luther.   Luther questioned the corruption and moral degradation in Rome and in the whole of the Catholic Church through his writings in The 95 Theses.   The Church however was not willing to change its ways.   It then financed the Counter-Reformation (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 297). Immediately, art became the medium of propagating the beliefs of the Protestants, who had their bailiwicks in northern Europe, and Catholics, whose strongholds were in the south.   For the Catholics, art must focus on religious contents with certain symbolisms that magnify the holiness of the contents.   The Catholic art was similar to the art that had prevailed in the Middle Ages.   For the Protestants, Catholic religious contents in arts were idolatrous that must be destroyed through iconoclastic movements during the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant art was similar to the art of the humanist Renaissance artists who depicted contents in realistic settings. As a response to the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Church introduced a Counter-Reformation.   It instituted a few changes within the church but became more austere in regulating heresy.   Regulations covered the arts, sending Catholic painters to produce religious contents similar to those done during the Middle Ages. Content in arts was the distinguishing factor between the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation.   For the Protestants during the Reformation, paintings centered on mundane activities of everyday existence.   Occasionally, paintings drawn out of scenes from the Bible were made.   However, these paintings depicted the religious contents in a humanistic manner.  Ã‚   Simple scenes found in regular occasions were also contained in paintings.   Generally, the contents did not attempt to glorify contents through symbols. For the Catholics during the Counter-Reformation, paintings focused on idealized religious contents that contained symbolisms of holiness, omnipotence, and great glory.   These religious contents were idealized in terms of appearance and the environment in which they were depicted to move.   Painters did not paint flaws.  Ã‚   They likewise veered from common scenes experienced by common people.   Some of the religious contents depicted in the Counter-Reformation included Catholic saints, sacraments, traditions, and codes of belief taught by the Catholic Church. The arts during Protestant Reformation and Counter-Reformation were divergent largely because of the opposing world views espoused by the Protestants and the Catholics.   On one hand, the Protestants believed that man could shape his destiny and approach God because the sacrifices of Christ were enough to save human souls.   On the other hand, the Catholics believed that intermediaries like saints and the Virgin Mary were needed to help Catholics approach God and enter the gates of heaven. Because intermediaries were needed, Catholics created relics where divine powers were supposed to reside.   A form of these relics is a typical painting created during Reformation.   Catholics worshipped the relics and sought from these relics intervention in order to get the graces of God. Because Protestants believed in the value of man and Christ’s sacrifices, they loathed these relics and called these relics channels of idolatry.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Platos Symposium analysis Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"Plato’s Symposium† Kaboom, that was the sound of Zeus’s thunder crashing towards the Earth. During this time period the people in Greece believed in these gods. Also happening at the same time period was when the worlds most famous philosophers began to come out and teach. Most importantly the philosophers did what they were suppose to, and that was to question the world around them. One of the most famous philosophers in the Greek period around 416 B.C. was a man named Socrates. Socrates was student of the Diotima which taught him things about love, ignorance, wisdom and right opinion, which he rehearses to the people attending the dinner of Agathon’s. We will first start by analyzing what Diotima has said about the four cognitive functions, which are: wisdom, understanding, right opinion and ignorance. She asks Socrates â€Å"do you think what is not wise, then it is ignorant?† and she continues with â€Å"Do you not perceive that there is something between wisdom and ignorance?† In these first quotes Socrates only believes that if something is not wise then it has to be ignorant and that there is no in between. Diotima then points out that doesn’t think see that there is an middle point between wisdom and ignorance. Diotima then replies â€Å"To have right opinion without being able to give a reason, is neither to understand (for how could an unreasoned thing be understanding?) nor is it ignorance (for how can ignorance hit the truth?). Right opinion is no doubt something between knowledge and ignorance.† In the second quote what Diotima tells Socrates is that right opinion is in between wisdom and ign orance. She explains this by telling Socrates that being incapable of giving a reason something cannot be considered knowledge, because how can knowledge be entirely lacking reason. She also points out that it can’t be considered ignorance because you can’t obtain the truth from ignorance, but then it is clearly something in between wisdom and ignorance which is called right opinion. Diotima explains the four cognitive functions more in depth a couple of paragraphs later on starting with â€Å"The truth is this: no god seeks after wisdom or desires to become wise—for wise he is already; nor does anyone else seek after wisdom, if he is wise already. And again, the ignorant do not seek after wisdom nor desire to become wise; for this is the worst of ignorance, that one who i... ... all equal forms, and from equal forms to equal practices, from equal practices to equal notions, until from equal notions he realizes the notion of absolute beauty, and finally knows what the essence of beauty is. Diotima explains that this is the life for which a man should live in the view of absolute beauty; a beauty that if you once touched you would not care of gold, clothing, and attractive boys, who’s presence entrances you; and you many a one would be satisfied to live seeing them and talking about them with out food or water, if that were possible, you only want to look to be closer to them and to stare at them. But what if man had eyes to see the true divine beauty, pure and undisrupted, not clogged with the pollutions of human life. To that place looking, and having ability to communicate with true beauty divine and simple? Remember how in that communion only, beholding beauty with the eye of the mind, he will be able to bring forward, not images of beauty, but realities for he has hold not of an image but of a reality, and bringing forth and nourishing true virtue to become the friend of God and be immortal, if mortal man may. Would that be a non-honorable life?"

Monday, November 11, 2019

What Do You Think About the View That There Are No Women in The Great Gatsby With Whom the Reader Can Sympathize?

Sympathy is defined as having feelings of sorrow for someone else’s misfortune. In a novel, sympathizing in a character allows the reader to relate to them. In Fitzgerald’s â€Å"The Great Gatsby†, there is no female character with whom we can sympathize. However, at various points within the novel we do offer our brief condolences to each character. Throughout the novel Daisy Buchanan appears enigmatic to the reader: why is she in a loveless relationship? Why did she leave Gatsby hanging on a thread? Many conclude that the ultimate chapters prove to us in many ways that she is incapable of loving. Shown by her choice to stay with Tom for his wealth and security; rather than choosing Gatsby, for she was â€Å"appalled by its raw vigour that chaffed†. She looks down on the vulgar nature of people that try and buy their way into the upper class as he has done. However, it is feasible to suggest that she chose Tom; after all he didn’t build his empire selling illegal alcohol like Gatsby. In addition, it is possible to argue that being in an unhappy marriage – shown by her reaction to Tom speaking to his mistress over dinner – is a liable reason to which we can feel empathy for her. Despite all of this, however, it is apparent throughout the novel that she is materialistic, promiscuous and immoral. As soon as Tom leaves she â€Å"kiss[es] him on the mouth† she is not only betraying Tom, but she acts â€Å"careless[ly]† with Gatsby’s emotions. He is a character in which the reader can sympathize – meaning she is hated. Ultimately, she chooses to run away with Tom, this is her last act that convinces we, as the reader, to deplore her. Jordan is an equally difficult character to whom we can sympathize; however, for different reasons. There is only really one instance in the novel that contrasts this view, and that’s when Jordan had â€Å"met another bad driver† in Nick. This does make her emotionally accessible to us; we can feel pity for her. However, this is overshadowed by her compulsive ability to lie. Apparently, she does not â€Å"give a damn† about the end of her and Nick’s relationship; an obvious lie, yet it implies that she will move on soon enough. We will never know if she actually met someone else during her and Nick’s meeting, yet it is unlikely, as she is a neurotic fabricator. Adding to this, we notice that Jordan is a highly destructive and careless character, rather like Daisy. She casually mentions to Nick that she â€Å"left a borrowed car out in the rain, and then lied about it† She is being careless with other peoples property, lying about it to ensure she is not affected by any repercussions†. It is apparent he that Jordan does not, as a whole, evoke sympathy with us. Myrtle does not draw any sympathy from the reader at a first glance. She is the lower-class mistress to Tom. She is a poor representation of the 1920’s woman as she carries â€Å"her surplus flesh sensuously†, meaning she is rather provocative, it is also the only compliment she receives in the book, inferring Tom’s only use for her is sex; not a particularly good role model for women. She is somewhat comparable to Daisy in that her only care is money and materialism, she wants to escape the upper class, and Tom is her refuge. Her â€Å"tremendous vitality† should aid her in this. However, we can sympathize with â€Å"Myrtle Wilson† when she fulfils her â€Å"tragic achievement†. This refers to her death, all she ever wanted to do was to escape her class and accomplish her American dream, but Nick morbidly realizes that the only way she ever would is through death. Much like Gatsby, her dream is forever doomed. Myrtle, in my opinion is a character with we can sympathize the most; her tragic story is rather like Gatsby’s. In that she had an unachievable, completely unattainable dream in her sight, but it was never to be – a doomed dream. I believe all the female characters in â€Å"The Great Gatsby† have characteristics that make us, as the reader to both love and despise them at the same time. Fitzgerald has portrayed them as merely humans with certain traits and bad decisions that moulds them into who they are. All three of these women are accessible to the reader, whilst at the same time completely detached and despised. I believe that the view in question is different for every reader, as they can make their informed opinion on each of these women. As for me, I do feel sympathy for them, but only to a certain extent.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Linear B Archives and the Mycenaean World

What part do the Linear B archives make to understanding the Mycenaean universe in regard of one of the followers: societal administration, cult patterns, stock genteelness and agribusiness, warfare, bronze working? The Linear B archives provide us with the earliest primary grounds about Mycenaean palatial civilizations [ 1 ] and an alone penetration into the nature of Mycenaean warfare. The archives consist of about five 1000s clay records [ 2 ] and contain information on armor, arms, chariots, naval warfare and subordinate inside informations about possible military personnels. The importance of these paperss is greatly enhanced by the complete deficiency of historical histories [ 3 ] from this epoch, and besides the fact that about all of the ideographs used in the archives are devoted to armor, arms, Equus caballuss and chariots [ 4 ] agencies that they are of intrinsic value to the apprehension of warfare in the Mycenaean universe. However, there are restrictions with the Linear B archives, peculiarly in footings of their chronological scope, stock list manner and possibly bias representation of the importance of warfare under normal fortunes. It is besides of import to see what other finds have made critical parts to our apprehension of Mycenaean warfare, such as the castles themselves, lasting arms and representations of war or armor in art. Since all of the tablets come from the palatial Centres, one of their most of import parts is that they tell us straight about the economic systems of the castles and that their chief focus’ were ‘military preparedness’ [ 5 ] , defensive schemes and the wealth to back up these things. The Linear B archives record information about the production, renovation and besides the distribution [ 6 ] of many different types of military equipment. It is possible to construe from the archives, that the Mycenaean’s used a really centralized system to garner and organize military equipment and that this was based around the chief palatial composite. Evidence for this can be seen in a tablet from Pylos which lists 16 different topographic points that were responsible for providing an sum of bronze in the signifier of caputs for pointers and lances [ 7 ] . The tablets besides straight show the extent that these castles were concerned with holding a to the full equipped fo rce [ 8 ] , this is chiefly due to the sheer figure of mentions to armor and arms throughout the archives. The many tablets picturing armor are particularly utile when seeking to understand Mycenaean warfare. Tablets at Tiryns [ 9 ] , Pylos and Knossos all record suits of armor and supply us with grounds for the usage of armor across a wider scope of palatial Centres than archeological discoveries would propose. At Pylos the tablets mention at least 20 suits of armor with the ideographs for a cuirass and a helmet, and at Dendra there are at least one hundred and 40 suits recorded in the chariot tablet [ 10 ] . The ideograms themselves are of great value because organize them you can see the manner and type of armor which is really similar to the suit which was discovered at Dendra and those described by Homer [ 11 ] . Not merely do the archives provide grounds for the usage of armor they besides give us some indicant of the value of the armor itself. In some tablets the ideograph for armor is replaced with one for a bronze metal bar [ 12 ] , this could be interpreted as a representative of the value of the armor or possibly as an approximative measure of stuff used to do the armor itself. A farther part made by the archives is the being of an illustration on the contrary of a tablet. The drawing shows a adult male have oning cracklings and pulling his blade, and was likely the work of a Scribe while he was waiting to do his recordings [ 13 ] . This is peculiarly interesting as it allows us to see the influence that warfare may hold had on a member of Mycenaean society who chose to chalk out this scene and its shows the arm and armor which was associated with a soldier. Weapons are an indispensable portion of warfare and were a major resource recorded in the tablets. The importance of arms to the Mycenaean’s can be clearly seen in a tablet from Pylos which records a measure of recycled bronze by the figure of pointer or spearheads it would be able to do [ 14 ] . The tablets besides contribute to our cognition of which stuffs were being used to fabricate arms, for illustration we can state that most arms were being made from bronze because articles of Fe were ne'er mentioned in the tablets [ 15 ] . The usage of ideographs to picture arms allows us to partially see how the arms would be used ; thrusting lances, throwing javelins, slings and bows are all shown in the tablets [ 16 ] . The ideographs are besides utile because it is possible to compare types of blades or stickers by looking at what is different between each separate ideograph. In the Linear B archives there have been big Numberss of tablets devoted to chariots or their furnishings. Many of these parts have unsmooth terrain so this is frequently seen as peculiarly surprising. One illustration is the part around Knossos, which was, and still is, particularly cragged and the lone manner to utilize a chariot would be to convey it to the beach or to the fields some distance off [ 17 ] . Records associating to chariots include ; a tablet from Pylos naming one hundred and fifty one chariot wheels [ 18 ] , and the Knossos tablets having several hundred chariots and trim parts [ 19 ] along with single stock lists which record a name, chariot, Equus caballuss and a suit of armour [ 20 ] . However, of peculiar involvement in footings of chariots are a few texts from Knossos and Pylos. The first, from Knossos, records the distribution of defensive armor to each of the chariot crew [ 21 ] . The texts from Pylos, which were found in the Northeast Workshop, list leather points that relate to chariots, some illustrations are reigns, hackamores, espousals and saddlebags [ 22 ] . These groups of tablets provide us with information that non merely supports the other Linear B grounds, but besides archeological discoveries every bit good. The archives have far more limited information in footings of naval warfare. At Pylos there are some ill-defined mentions to over six 100 ‘rowers’ [ 23 ] , and lists of coastal colonies [ 24 ] , when considered together, these could be interpreted as naval administration or defensive readyings. A farther of import add-on to our cognition of naval warfare is the pulling found on the contrary of a tablet in Pylos, its shows an image of a ship. The image is non merely comparable to an ideograph used on a tablet from Knossos, but it besides resembles the ships used non by the Mycenaeans but the Minoans [ 25 ] . One could reason that there were possible convergences in the manner of ships used from the Minoan period into the Mycenaean epoch. The parts made by Linear B are undeniable, but on the other manus it is besides critical to see the disadvantages that these archives have. The records themselves were non intended to be long permanent [ 26 ] as they were merely preserved by opportunity. They are in a manner comparable to the modern post-it note: a disposable, inexpensive and movable manner of entering informations. The endurance of the tablets is besides wholly random [ 27 ] , which means that we are frequently left with disconnected subjects and it impossible to state how complete the archives we have are. The archives are besides merely based on a certain group of palatial Centres and so there is a possibility that there were some differences bing between these and others [ 28 ] . Therefore intending that utilizing the archives to acquire a image of the full Mycenaean universe is non dependable. A farther job with the tablets is the possibility that there are inaccurate. For illustration, those found in the ‘Room of the Chariot tablets’ , have been interpreted, by some, to be scribal exercisings and non echt records, the ground for this reading is that they were all written by different custodies in the same characteristic manner [ 29 ] . If this was the instance so much of our grounds for chariots would no longer be valid and the statement for their usage in cragged countries would be far weaker. The archives besides have immense chronological restrictions in footings of their scope as they are either limited to the last twelvemonth or so before the devastation of the castles, or they are random dateless old ages [ 30 ] . The maximal scope of the archives has been dated to between 14 hundred and twelve hundred BC, and each of the paperss merely refers to the current twelvemonth [ 31 ] . This makes it highly hard to determine information sing tendencies or forms across the whole of the Mycenaean epoch. It is besides of import to take into consideration that these records represent what can merely be seen as a period of agitation for the Mycenaean civilizations. The twelvemonth before the devastation of the castles would hold likely been far more militaristic than ordinary twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours life. In the tablets we see illustrations of particular commissariats made for this clip of warfare, one such illustration was Bronze Smiths being excused from holding to pay revenue enhancement because they were so busy doing arms [ 32 ] . The tablets from Pylos include records of parts of gold [ 33 ] and specific weights of bronze [ 34 ] from local functionaries ; it could be possible that this was to finance the war attempt. These records may so be giving us imbalanced position of the precedences of the Mycenaeans, and that possibly under less pressing times there is a much smaller focal point on warfare. Since the Linear archives are about wholly made up of stock lists [ 35 ] , it is exceptionally hard to understand either how objects were used or the nature of warfare itself in the Mycenaean universe. This is peculiarly important when you consider that none of the paperss record the being of an existent ground forces [ 36 ] . It seems apparent that although the archives provide us with a great sum of information, they do hold their restrictions. In order to to the full understand Mycenaean warfare it is besides necessary to see the archeological grounds that we have available. For illustration, the castles themselves show grounds of a demand for strong defense mechanisms. The edifice works which took topographic point before their devastation are a clear indicant of readying for besiegings and onslaughts ; in peculiar the debut of H2O supplies [ 37 ] that would let those inside the walls to last, even under a long term besieging. Furthermore the parts in footings weaponry from the archives are much more valuable to us when we use it aboard existent lasting arms and armor. One of the most of import finds was the Dendra armor, a full bronze corselet and neckpiece [ 38 ] which is made from a figure of single sheets of bronze [ 39 ] . Armours of this type were recorded in tablets at both Knossos and Pylos [ 40 ] and the armour type can be clearly recognised by the ideograms themselves. We can besides utilize comparings between archeological grounds and the tablets to follow different types of blade, and by making so it is possible to see some possible alterations in military patterns [ 41 ] . Since the archives consist largely of stock lists it is utile to see these points as represented by the Mycenaeans, in peculiar through art, which gives us the chance to see word pictures of chariots, arms and armor in usage. One such illustration of this is the ‘Silver Siege Ryhton’ from Shaft Grave four, which depicts an onslaught on a walled colony [ 42 ] . What is peculiarly interesting is that this is a seaborne onslaught and so could associate to the tablets naming coastal colonies from Pylos ; it besides shows an bowman [ 43 ] which supports information on arms. Another vas which provides utile information is the ‘Warrior Vase’ from Mycenae, this shows six work forces processing on each side of the vase. The work forces all wear white spotted, horned helmets, and carry lances and shields. They wear cracklings, abruptly fringed skirts and corselets [ 44 ] . The subject of processing soldiers is besides seen on the ‘Painted Grave Stelae’ from Mycenae [ 45 ] . It is possible so to acquire some thought of how the equipment of a soldier would be put together and to see that warfare had a large influence on Mycenaean art. The usage of Sus scrofas tusk helmets is far more emphatic through art than in the archives, for illustration ; in the fresco from Akrotiri which is dated to about 16 hundred BC [ 46 ] , and on a carven tusk alleviation from the house North of the ‘Oil Merchants’ which shows a Mycenaean warrior have oning a Sus scrofas tusk helmet. These illustrations are important because they represent the demand to see the Linear B tablets every bit merely one portion of the image, and non as a exclusive subscriber to our apprehension of Mycenaean warfare. In decision,

Thursday, November 7, 2019

10 Tips for the SAT Essay

10 Tips for the SAT Essay 1. Follow the rules.Don’t score a zero for failing to follow instructions. Use the essay paper that is provided. Do not write in your booklet. Do not change the question. Do not use a pen. 2. Divide your time. You will have twenty-five minutes to write your essay. As soon as you begin, make a note of the time and give yourself benchmarks and limits. For example, give yourself five minutes to brainstorm for main points (which will become topic sentences), one minute to come up with a great introduction, two minutes to organize your examples into paragraphs, etc. 3. Take a stance. You will be writing about an issue. Readers judge essays on the depth and complexity of the argument you make (and you will be taking a side), so be sure to show that you understand both sides of the issue you’re writing about. However, you can’t be wishy washy! You will pick one side and explain why it is right. Demonstrate that you understand both sides, but pick one and explain why it is correct. 4. Don’t get hung up if you don’t actually have strong feelings one way or the other on a subject. You don’t have to feel guilty about saying things you don’t really believe. Your task is to show that you can craft a complex argument essay. That means you will have to make specific statements about your position and expound upon your individual points. Just take a side and argue it! 5. Don’t try to change the subject. It may be tempting to change the question to something that is more to your liking. Don’t do that! Readers are instructed to assign a zero score to an essay that doesn’t answer the question provided. If you try to change your question, even slightly, you are taking a risk that the reader will not like your answer. 6. Work with an outline! Use the first few minutes to brainstorm as many thoughts as possible; organize those thoughts into a logical pattern or outline; then write as quickly and neatly as you can. 7. Talk to your reader. Remember that the person scoring your essay is a person and not a machine. As a matter of fact, the reader is a trained educator- and most likely a high school teacher. As you write your essay, imagine that you are talking to your favorite high school teacher. We all have one special teacher who always talks with us and treats us like adults and actually listens to what we have to say. Imagine that you are talking to this teacher as you write your essay. 8. Start with a fabulous or surprising introductory sentence to make a great first impression. Examples:Issue: Should cell phones be banned from school property?First sentence: Ring, ring!Note: You would follow up on this with well-crafted, fact-filled statements. Don’t try too much cute stuff!Issue: Should the school day be extended?First sentence: No matter where you live, the longest period of any school day is the last one. 9. Vary your sentences to show that you have a command of sentence structure. Use complex sentences sometimes, mid-sized sentences sometimes, and two-word sentences a few times to make your writing more interesting. Alsodon’t keep repeating the same point by rewording it several ways. Readers will see right through that. 10. Write neatly. Neatness counts to some degree, in that the reader must be able to read what you’ve written. If your writing is notoriously difficult to read, you should print your essay. Don’t get too hung up on neatness, though. You can still cross out mistakes that you catch as you proofread your work. The essay represents a first draft. Readers will like to see that you did, in fact, proof your work and that you recognized your mistakes. Further reading: How to Write a Descriptive Essay

Monday, November 4, 2019

Things a Service Business Must Get Right Assignment

Things a Service Business Must Get Right - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that the business strategies that are applicable in a commodity market are totally different from those applicable from the service markets, owing to the tangibility of the commodity as opposed to a service. While promoting a product, it is much easier for the customer to inspect and try out the product before making a purchase decision, since the product is tangibly available for inspection. This is different with a service market since the prospective buyer cannot try out a service before he/she purchases it. Thus for a service business to earn good profits, more efforts in strategizing must be applied as opposed to a business dealing in goods. This forms the subject of this Journal Article review, covering a brief summary, critique of the article and offering concluding thoughts. The fundamental reason for choosing this article is the realization that the service industry operates completely different from a commodity market. While some business strategies a re applicable to any form of business whether product or service business, there is some uniqueness in the service industry that calls for applying different strategies. This article is relevant to advance this realization, since it covers four things a service business must get right, in order to survive and succeed. Most of the management tools that have been established over time have specialized in addressing the challenges of the product companies. Although such management tools are of considerable value to managers operating in the service businesses, they fall short of the requirement for effective and efficient management of such businesses to enhance successful growth and profitability. Frei has introduced four main elements that would help see the service business grow towards profitability. These elements, which constitute the new management tool for the service industry, are the design of the offering, employee management, customer management, and the funding mechanism, which collectively forms the service model. To start with, the service offering by any service business should be well designed, tailor-made to meet the desires and the needs of the most attractive customer groups.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Examine a published research report which has been conducted about Essay

Examine a published research report which has been conducted about police management or management in a related field profession - Essay Example Best Value policing is also bringing in a major change in the daily routines of the forces and would need major organizational change management techniques. It is an acknowledged management concept that implementing new ways of working brings instability and uncertainty among workers if not managed well. The legislation required authorities to review all their services over five years and critically examine whether the service is needed in the first place comparing it with other competitive alternatives. Review findings must be published together with improvement actions and targets in an annual performance plan. The legislation deliberately did not provide what mechanisms and techniques are needed to provide best value but left it to local police and fire authorities along with other public service providers to decide ''how best to establish their strengths and weaknesses, how to benchmark; what consultation methods to use; how to produce and carry forward action plans; and so on.'' Early 1999, the home office working group on police performance and best value decided to develop briefing information on best value policing. There was a recognized need to draw on practical experiences in three formal best policing pilots authorities and on preparatory work in some departments the service. Most forces were at differing stages of their preparations, but it was clear that developments were moving at a very fast pace. Though authorities were adopting different methods of implementing best value, at a point, the approaches and preparedness was broadly converging. Authorities were mainly aiming to build on existing structures, systems and cycles rather than creating radical changes in their set ups. All forces were using the business excellence model in varying degrees though, as a self-assessment tool. Most forces were forming teams to oversee daily best value management details. There were signs that police authorities were developing closer working relationships. Despite these developments, there were some emerging concerns and challenges. Some of these were Forces were feeling challenged about

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Counter Terrorism in Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 42

Counter Terrorism in Iraq - Essay Example Later in March 22nd, other three people were killed by suicide car bomber, who detonated the bomb at a checkpoint in Sayed Sadiq. That year only, there were 25 suicide bombings executed by 32 attackers. Approximately 151,000 to 600,000 or more Iraqis were killed in the first 3–4 years of conflict (Reese, 2009). Since then, terrorism has evolved and propagated over a decade up to date. This has compromised the national security of the country, with the instability paving the way for more terrorist recruitment and invasion. Most of these terrorist groups were formed to oppose the US forces that invaded their country on 20 March 2003. They were joined by the United Kingdom, several coalition associates, and the post-invasion Iraqi government. The US also had an objective of destroying Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. The dictatorship government was led by Saddam Hussein (Griffin 2004). There are several major terrorist groups, operating in Iraq, that pose a major national security to that nation, with the main one being Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (or Sham or Levant) or ISIS, led by Ibrahim Al-Badri, also known as Al-Baghdadi. They are centered in Syria and Iraq. It is a Wahhabi jihadist extremist militant group, mainly composed of Sunni Arabs from Iraq and Syria. As of March 2015, it has control over a region occupied by 10 million people in Iraq and Syria, and through trustworthy native groups, it has control over small areas of Libya, Nigeria and Afghanistan (Griffin 2004). On 29 June 2014, the group declared itself to be an international caliphate, where it entitles itself religious, political and military authority over all Muslims worldwide (Reese, 2009). The Asaib Ahl-Haq militia is yet another major terrorism group, operating on Iraq grounds.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Road Safety Essay Example for Free

Road Safety Essay Road incidents are a major problem in every society. Many lives are taken due to careless driving or misuse of public roads. Road incidents, also known as traffic collision, traffic accidents, motor vehicle collision, road traffic collision, wreck (USA) and car crash (Australia), can be defined as an unexpected and undesirable event , that occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian and other stationary obstruction. Road incidents are not only a rising concern in Fiji but also in every country in the whole world. Increase in the number of road incidents is a matter of concern in Fiji and also other countries in the world. Usually road incidents have very high impact on the people, that is, on the life, mind and family. People who are the victim of accidents normally regret for the rest of their lives because of the suffering they endure due to their carelessness in not following the simple road safety rules. Approximately hundred to two hundred people die each year due to road incidents. An escalation in the number of road incidents is not only a problem in Fiji but in every country in the whole world. Developed and leading countries like Australia and the United States of America also face the problem of road incidents and its impact on the people. In the recent years, the number has increased rapidly and many people are affected due to road incidents in one way or another. Many people lost their lives, family members or loved ones, suffer physical damage and damage to their properties due to not following the simple and easy road safety rules. Due to carelessness of people and failing to follow the road safety rules, this is turning out to be a great concern for Fiji Government and its time that action is taken. Many people are dying everyday. The Government and concerned authorities such as the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and police, are showing their concern by organizing operations to monitor the drivers activities and holding awareness programs to educate people.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Study Key Drivers Of Organizational Talent Management Management Essay

Study Key Drivers Of Organizational Talent Management Management Essay Organizations recognize that they ought to have the best talent in order to thrive in the hypercompetitive and all the time more intricate global economy. Along with accepting the need to recruit, train and keep hold of talented people, organizations are conscious that they have to manage talent as a decisive resource to realize the best promising outcomes. Hardly any, organizations nowadays have an ample supply of talent. Gaps subsist at the top level, middle level and even at the lower rung. Talent is progressively more scant resource, so it must be managed to the fullest effect. The idea of managing talent is not novel. Five or six decades before, it was observed as a marginal accountability best transferred to the personnel department. At the moment talent management is considered as a critical organizational function that is taken so seriously. In The Conference Boards 2007 CEO Challenge study, CEOs rankings of the significance of finding Qualified managerial talent improved by 10 percentage points or more when compared to the identical research carried out just one year earlier . Research conducted in 2008 by DDI and the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) established that 55 percent of executive level respondents said their firms performance was likely or very likely to suffer in the near future due to deficient leadership talent. This point of view was restated in one-on-one interviews with top executives, conducted as part of the same research study. This importance on talent management is unavoidable known that, on average, companies at present expend over one-third of their profits on employee wages and benefits. Your Organization can produce a new product and it is effortlessly imitated. Decrease your prices and competitors will chase. Go after a money-spinning market and someone is there right behind you, vigilant to stay away from making your preliminary mistakes. But imitating a high-quality, highly engaged human resources is practically impractica ble. The capability to successfully hire, retain, deploy, and engage talent-at all levels-is really the only true competitive lead an organization enjoys. TALENT MANAGEMENT DEFINED There is no lack of definitions for this phrase used by company leadership the world over. Talent management is a mission significant practice that guarantee organizations have the quantity and quality of human resources in position to congregate their present and future business priorities. The procedure covers all key facets of an employees life cycle: selection, training and development, succession planning and performance management. Significant components of a exceedingly efficient talent management process include: A lucid understanding of the organizations existing and future company tactics Recognition of the key gaps linking the talent in place and the talent requisite to make business success. A sound talent management plan intended to close the talent gaps. It is supposed to also be incorporated with strategic and business plans. Precise hiring and promotion choices. Association of individual and team objectives to corporate goals, and given that clear expectations and pointer to administer performance. Expansion of talent to boost performance in existing positions as well as willingness for evolution to the next level. A focal point not just on the talent strategy itself, but the rudiments obligatory for winning Implementation. Business impact and human resource success dimension during and after execution. Organizational Key drivers of Talent Management Workforce trends Workforce trends drive talent management strategies. Issue such as an ever more global and virtual workforce, diverse generations functioning together, longer life expectancies and an empowered workforce have eternally altered the workplace. Owing to demographic adjustments, the pool of employees is also progressively more variedfrom age, gender and ethnicity to lifestyles, relocation patterns and civilizing norms. Organizations are by now captivating benefit of these workplace trends. Talent management strategies also offer the skeleton for diversity and insertion. Proctor and Gamble, for instance, sense that recruiting the precise blend of employee is a chief part of talent management and it recruits several of its leaders as university recruits. Anticipated Skills Shortage Although not all organizations, industries and professions will face deficient in ability, companies are by now contending for talented employee. For instance, there will be sharp talent shortage in the areas like customer service, health care, computer hardware field etc. In addition, as eminent in the report of Future of the U.S. Labor Pool Survey conducted by SHRM in 2005, the expected loss of talented employees in the subsequent decade will differ by organization size, segment and industry. For example, big organizationsas compared with small and medium companiesare further alarmed about loss of talent from the retirement of the baby boom age band, and government organizations are further concerned on the subject of the loss of gifted talent than private companies. Measuring Business Impact Talent management metrics bond human capital investment to financial performance. Numerous companies have started to comprise talent management in their dashboards or scorecards. For instance, HSBC, a banking institution, exercises the Balanced Scorecard[TM], along with talent management in learning and growth. Scorecards present a clear line of prospect to organizational tactical goals by relating talent management to aims and assessment of employee performance. Measures may comprise issues like results of employee survey, attrition(e.g., talent pools) and the number of temporary employees. Superior Source of Value Creation The monetary value of our companies consistently depends upon the eminence of talent. In fact, the Brookings Institution established that in 1982, 62 percent of an average companys value was attributed to its physical assets (including equipment and facilities) and only 38 percent to intangible assets (patents, intellectual property, brand, and, most of all, people). By 2003, these percentages nearly tumbled with 80 percent of value attributable to intangible assets and 20 percent to tangible assets. Changing Employee expectations In Todays context, employee expectations are rapidly changing .This forces organizations to place a superior prominence on talent management strategies and practices. Todays Employees are: More and more fascinated in having challenging and meaningful work. More loyal to their profession than to the organization. Less cooperative to traditional structures and authority. More concerned about work-life balance. Geared up to take ownership of their careers and development. Reacting to these numerous challenges makes it tricky to capture both the hearts and minds of todays workforce. Relationship between better talent and better business performance More and more, firms seek to measure the return on their investment in talent. The outcome is a body of proof that paints a undeniable picture of the bang talent has on business performance. To Highlight Just a Few: A 2007 study from the Hackett Group established that firms that do extremely well at managing talent post earnings that are 15 percent superior to peers. For an average Fortune 500 company, such an enhancement in performance means hundreds of millions of dollars. A study from IBM found public companies that are more efficient at talent management had higher percentages of financial outperformers than groups of similar sized companies with less effective talent management. Conclusion To maintain stupendous business results in a global economy, companies will alter and reinvent their approaches to talent management. Successful talent management calls for strong participatory leadership, organizational buy-in, employee engagement and workplace scorecards with talent management metrics. Firms that master talent management will be well equipped for consistent long term growth in employee performance for years to come.

Friday, October 25, 2019

On Wartime and Postwar Commemoration :: essays research papers fc

Commemorating the actions of those who served in World War I took many forms in its attempt to ease the suffering and losses inflicted by the war. The creation of memorials served several purposes and with time, the meanings associated with them changed, as did the purposes with which they served. Support groups were formed to aid those in need whose lives became radically changed by the war, and in an effort to commemorate their service. Without aleving the pain completely, commemoration served to ease the tremendous burden of guilt, sorrow, and responsibility to those whose lives were now changed forever. World War I memorials generally fell into three separate categories based upon the time of their creation. The first type of memorials were those which were created in the years preceding 1918. These memorials scattered the landscape and were created and developed at the community level. The erection of commemorative memorials to the war served as a unifying symbol of the community spirit and as a centerpiece with which to rally around. They also served as a physical statement against those who may offer dissenting opinions as to the communities involvement in the war effort. The moral high ground was thus established in the symbolism of a united effort. They also served to support the community's brave young men who were off fighting gallantly for the security and preservation of it's ideals and in essence the community itself. Local memorials also served to inspire and motivate those who labored in industry dedicated to the war effort. It created a sense of purpose and a realization that what they were working for had a larger meaning and purpose. Local war memorials also served as rallying points for the enlistment of soldiers. The statuesque soldier brazenly dashing to war was accompanied with listings of locals who had enlisted. This inspired even greater enlistment while creating a public record of scorn to those who chose to ignore their "duty." As the war continued past a glorious moment and quick victory, the memorials took on more of a role of a museum. The collection of combat memorabilia increased. Photographs, books, and art describing the war continued. Descriptions of the weapons of war and the style of warfare that was taking place on the front lines was requested, however in order to preserve the dignity of the war, a good deal of censorship was practiced. Accounts of the brutality were circulating back to the homefront through letters and personal accounts of those who had returned. Government regulation of the memorials however, determined that in order to maintain support for the war and to quell opposition to the countries war efforts, the

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Biology Lab Essay

Introduction This week in Biology Lab we learned the effects of caffeine and nicotine on heart rate. Based on previous knowledge of caffeine and nicotine, I came up with the following hypothesis; The presence of nicotine will slow the heart rate of the worm and the presence of caffeine will speed the rate up. My hypothesis was based on what I seen in everyday life. A person who smokes a lot of cigarettes usually have a slower heart rate, whereas a person whom drinks a lot of caffeine sodas are hyper and have a faster heart beat. I think the effect of caffeine and nicotine will have the same effect on the species we are using in class, a freshwater blackworm. Materials & Methods To begin this lab we first had to build a viewing chamber to view our worms under the microscope. To make the viewing chamber we had to use about 12 wax like parafilm sheets on a slide. We made sure each of the sheets fit on the slide, and stacked them up to make sure that the worm could not get out. We used a heating plate to melt the parafilm sheets but we had to be careful not to let the slide get to hot because it would burn. Using a razor we had to cut out a trough. This is where the worm would sit in so we could view it under the microscope. Our teacher has prepared us with 3 different molarities of caffeine and 3 different molarities of nicotine. Using a dropper we had to put about 3 drops of caffeine or nicotine on the worm. A new worm is used for each different trial/molarity. At the end of each trial we had to record what happened to the worm and what we saw under the microscope. The old worm was to be disposed in a bowl with everyone else’s used worm. Results & Data The first picture above shows how the worm looked under the microscope with just water. Notice that the vessels are spaced apart allowing the blood to flow with ease. With the presence of caffeine the blood vessels of the worm relaxed or separated more allowing blood to flow causing the heart to beat faster. The final picture shows what was saw under the microscope when the worm had nicotine in it. The vessels are more closer together making it harder for the blood to flow. Decreased blood flow equals decreased heart rate. On a few attempts the worms died because at first I did not know that the worms lived on water, or because I would put to much of a solution into the viewing chamber than the worm could take. The higher the concentration the more drastic the results. The pictures shown are only for the lowest molarity of caffeine and nicotine used in this lab. Conclusion My hypothesis for this lab was correct. The effect of nicotine made the worm heart rate lower and the effect of caffeine made the heart rate speed up. Caffeine and nicotine effect worms and humans in the same way.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 10

September 4, 1864 Midnight. Too late to fall asleep, too early to be awake. A candle burns on my nightstand, the flickering shadows foreboding. I am haunted already. Will I ever forgive myself for not finding Rosalyn until it was too late? And why is she –the one I vowed to forget–still on my mind? My head is pounding. Cordelia is always at the door, offering drinks, lozenges, powdered herbs. I take them, like a recuperating child. Father and Damon glance at me when they think I'm asleep. Do they know of the nightmares? I thought marriage was a fate worse than death. I was wrong. I was wrong about so many things, too many things, and all I can do is pray for forgiveness and hope that somehow, somewhere, I can summon strength from the depths of my existence to step firmly onto the path of the right again. I will do it. I must. For Rosalyn. And for her. Now I will blow out the candle and hope for sleep–like that of the dead –to engulf me quickly†¦. â€Å"Stefan! Time to get up!† my father called, slamming my bedroom door. â€Å"What?† I struggled to sit, not sure what hour it was, or what day it was, or how much time had passed since Rosalyn's death. Day faded into night, and I could never really sleep, only doze into terrifying dreams. I wouldn't have eaten anything, except that Cordelia continued to come into my room with her concoctions, spoon-feeding them to me to ensure that they were eaten. She'd make fried chicken and okra and a thick mash of what she called sufferer stew which she said would , make me feel better. She'd left another one, a drink this time, on my nightstand. I drank it quickly. â€Å"Get ready. Alfred will help you prepare,† my father said. â€Å"Get ready for what?† I asked, swinging my legs onto the floor. I hobbled to the mirror. I had stubble over my chin, and my tawny hair stood up on all ends. My eyes were red, and my nightshirt was hanging off my shoulders. I looked awful. Father stood behind me, appraising my reflection. â€Å"Y ou'll pull yourself together. Today is Rosalyn's funeral, and it's important to me and the Cartwrights that we are there. We want to show everyone that we must band together against the evil that's scourging our town.† While Father prattled on about demons, I thought about facing the Cartwrights for the first time. I still felt horribly guilty. I couldn't help thinking that the attack wouldn't have happened if I'd been waiting for Rosalyn on the porch, instead of lingering in the study with Katherine. If I'd been outside, waiting for Rosalyn, I would have seen her walking from the fields in her pink dress. Maybe I could have faced death with her, too, and she wouldn't have had to confront that nightmarish animal alone. I may not have loved Rosalyn, but I couldn't forgive myself for not being there to save her. â€Å"Well, come on,† Father said impatiently as Alfred walked in, holding a white linen shirt and a double-breasted black suit. I blanched. It was the suit I'd have worn at my wedding–and the church where we were mourning Rosalyn was to have been the site of the ceremony establishing our union. Still, I managed to change into the suit, allowed Alfred to help me shave, since my hands allowed Alfred to help me shave, since my hands were so shaky, and emerged an hour later ready to do what I had to do. I kept my eyes down as I followed Father and Damon to the carriage. Father sat up front, next to Alfred, while Damon sat in the back with me. â€Å"How are you, brother?† Damon asked above the familiar clip-clop of Duke's and Jake's hooves down Willow Creek Road. â€Å"Not very well,† I said formally, a stiff lump in my throat. Damon put a hand on my shoulder. The magpies chattered, the bees buzzed, and the sun cast a golden glow on the trees. The entire coach smelled like ginger, and I felt my stomach heave. It was the smell of guilt over lusting after a woman who was never to be–could never be–my wife. â€Å"Your first death, the first one you witness, changes you,† Damon said finally, as the coach pulled up to the white clapboard church. The church bells were ringing, and every business in town was closed for the day. â€Å"But perhaps it can change you for the better.† â€Å"Maybe,† I said as I descended from the coach. But I didn't see how. We reached the door as Dr. Janes hobbled into the church, his cane in one hand and a flask of whiskey in another. Pearl and Anna were sitting together, and Jonathan Gilbert sat behind them, his elbows perched on the edge of Pearl's pew, just inches from her shoulder. Sheriff Forbes was in his usual place in the second pew, glaring at the cluster of rouged women from the tavern who had come to pay their respects. At the edge of their circle was Alice, the barmaid, cooling herself with a silk fan. Calvin Bailey, the organist, was playing an adaptation of Mozart's Requiem, but he seemed to hit a sour note every few chords. In the front pew, Mr. Cartwright stared straight ahead, while Mrs. Cartwright sobbed and occasionally blew her nose into a lace handkerchief. At the front of the church, a closed oak casket was covered with flowers. Wordlessly, I walked to the casket and knelt down in front of it. â€Å"I'm so sorry,† I whispered, touching the casket, which felt cold and hard. Unbidden, images of my betrothed popped up in my mind: Rosalyn giggling over her new puppy, giddily discussing flower combinations for our wedding, risking the wrath of her maid by planting a covert kiss on my cheek at the end of one visit. I moved my hands off the casket and put them together, as if in prayer. â€Å"I hope that you and Penny have found each other in Heaven.† I leaned down, letting my lips graze the casket. I wanted her to know, wherever she was, that I would have learned to love her. â€Å"Good-bye.† I turned to take my seat and stopped short. Right behind me was Katherine. She was wearing a dark-blue cotton dress that stood out in the sea a dark-blue cotton dress that stood out in the sea of black crepe that filled the pews. â€Å"I'm so sorry for your loss,† Katherine said, touching my arm. I flinched and drew my arm back. How dare she touch me so familiarly in public? Didn't she realize that if we hadn't been carrying on at the barbecue in the first place, the tragedy might never have happened? Concern registered in her dark eyes. â€Å"I know how hard this must be for you,† she said. â€Å"Please let me know if you need anything.† I immediately felt a wave of guilt for assuming she was doing anything other than showing sympathy. After all, her parents had died. She was just a young girl, reaching out to offer her support. She looked so sad that for one wild second, I was tempted to cross the aisle and comfort her. â€Å"Thank you,† I said instead, sucking in my stale breath and walking back to the pew. I slid next to Damon, who had his hands crossed piously over a Bible. I noticed his eyes flick up as Katherine briefly knelt down by the coffin. I followed his gaze, noticing the way several curls had escaped from beneath her hat and were curling around the ornate clasp on her blue necklace. A few minutes later, the Requiem ended, and Pastor Collins strode up to the pulpit. â€Å"We're here to celebrate a life cut far too short. There is evil among us, and we will mourn this death, but we will also draw strength from this death †¦,† he intoned. I covertly glanced across the aisle at Katherine. Her servant, Emily, was sitting next to her on one side and Pearl on the other. Katherine's hands were folded as if in prayer. She turned slightly, as if to look at me. I forced myself to look away before our eyes could meet. I would not dishonor Rosalyn by thinking of Katherine. I gazed up at the unfinished, steepled beams of the church. I'm sorry, I thought, sending the message upward and hoping that Rosalyn, wherever she was, heard it.