Monday, September 30, 2019

Mca List of All Colleges and Fees Mumbai

Sr. No. | College Code | Name of the College / Institute | Date of the Meeting in which the Samiti Approved Fee Stucturr for Academic Year 2011-12 | Interim Fee Approved by the Samiti for Academic Year 2012-13 | 1| 3012| Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute(VJTI), Matunga,Mumbai| | 27000| 2| 3185| Vivekanand Education Society's Institute of Technology, Chembur, Mumbai| 11/10/2011| 59860| 3| 3161| K.J. Somaiya Institute in Management Studies ; Research, Vidyavihar, Mumbai. | 16/09/2011| 77140| 4| 3173| Deccan Education Society's Navinchandra Mehta Institute of Technology & Development, Dadar, Mumbai (Kirti College)| 16/09/2011| 74250| 5| 3169| Late Bhausaheb Hiray S. S. Trust's Institute of Computer Application, Bandra (E), Mumbai. 16/09/2011| 70000| 6| 3215| Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan's Sardar Patel Institute of Technology , Andheri, Mumbai (Bhavans Andheri)| 13/06/2011 | 85400| 7| 3162| Bharti Vidyapeeth's Institute of Management ; Information Technology, Navi Mumbai| 11/10/2011| 815 50| 8| 3170| NCRD's Sterling Institute of Management Studies, Navi Mumbai | 4/11/2011| 56650| 9| 3146| Jawahar Education Society's Annasaheb Chudaman Patil College of Engineering,Kharghar| 4/11/2011| 62000| 10| 3168| Thakur Institute of Management Studies Career Development Research, Kandivali (E), Mumbai. 16/09/2011| 103500| 11| 3171| Audyogik Shikshan Mandal’s Institute Of Management ; Computer Studies ( IMCOST), Thane| 11/10/2011| 80130| 12| 3147| Saraswati Education Society, Yadavrao Tasagaonkar Institute of Engineering ; Technology, Karjat| 4/11/2011| 75000| 13| 3165| SIES College of Management Studies, Nerul, Navi Mumbai| 11/01/2012| 99480| 14| 3167| Mumbai Education Trust's Institute of Computer Science, Bandra (W), Mumbai. | 11/10/2011| 107525| |

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Comparing Films of Macbeth Essay

Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth,’ was first performed before King James I at Hampton Court in 1606. Since then, Macbeth has gone on to be an ever-popular play, endlessly produced by a sea of directors. Having recently watched two of these productions, the first by the Polish director Roman Polanski and the other British director Gregory Doran’s production for the Royal Shakespeare Company. It is apparent that there are great differences in how the two directors chose to portray the characters in the play. One of the interperative differences is in the character of Lady Macbeth. In the Royal Shakespeare Company’s version we first meet Lady Macbeth in Act1 Scene5. She has black long hair, very pale skin, a slim figure and is dressed in black. Many critics have commented that her appearance is rather witch like and this is exactly what most people expect her to be. We witness her reading a letter when she suddenly looks up. This is of course the letter sent by her husband telling her of the witches’ prophecy of Kingship. She looks directly into the camera and although she maintains a blank expression we can sense from her piercing eyes that her mind is already over flown with ambition. As she folds the letter and looks up, evil intentions are in her eyes. The next shot we see is of her in the bath and although she does not show a lot of emotion her eyes reveal that she is still thinking deeply about the letter. She then begins to beg evil spirits to â€Å"Unsex me here† before ducking her head into the water. This is done through a narrative voice. We don’t actually see her lips move. In the Polanski version we meet Lady Macbeth in Act1 Scene5. The similarities end here. In Polanski’s version we see Lady Macbeth with long golden hair. This is often associated with innocence and femininity. But in Doran’s version she has black hair. This is generally associated with evil. It is also important to note that she is dressed in white. This is again associated with innocence and purity, which we know Lady Macbeth is not. Lady Macbeth is very calm and gentle in the way she talks. Once again this contrasts with Polanski’s version in which she speaks quite cunningly. In Polanski’s version you could almost say she looks lifeless in this scene. We see her stand upon the battlements without any compassion for what she is thinking. This is strikingly different from the way she is depicted in the RSC version. Lady Macbeth’s final scene is Act5 Scene1. This is of course inversion as the first scene we met her in was Act1 Scene5. Doran uses further inversion in this scene as the last time we met Lady Macbeth she was wearing black. She is now wearing white. Doran, deliberately wanted us to notice this as he uses a black background to emphasise what she was wearing. In this scene we see her as a completely different person. When we first met her she looked very powerful and in control of herself but here we see her as totally out of control and insane. We also see that she depends a lot on the candle she is holding. This is ironic as in the ‘Unsexing Scene’ she called on darkness to fall on her. We also see her rub her hands hysterically to get rid of the blood. This is also ironic as she earlier said, â€Å"A little water will clear us of this deed.† At the end of the scene she finally stops crying, looks up, and with a sense of realisation in her face, says her last words. â€Å"What is done, cannot be undone.† In Polanski’s Act5 Scene1 we see Lady Macbeth as she awakens. Looking down she screams as she sees blood on her hands. Terrified, she cries, â€Å"Gracious Duncan is dead.† We then witness her walk about her chamber naked. (Hugh Hefner’s promise of nudity has been realised.) We see her open a box and pull out a now well-worn letter and read it aloud. This provides a full-circle sense to the tragedy. It takes the viewer back to the beginning of the story and reiterates how the horrible chain of events was started. This was very clever of Polanski; through Lady Macbeth’s sobbing she reads it, in the raggedness of the letter implies many repeated readings, Polanski shows her as, not so much mad but consumed by remorse for what they have done. I believe the two versions are very different, mainly because of the media they have been designed for. When Hugh Hefner promised at the launch of the film, a movie full of sex and violence I don’t think it would have particularly appealed to Shakespeare lovers. Conversely the RSC production is unlikely to appeal to the stereotypical playboy reader. This is reflected in both films and as a result they were very different. The Polanski version, is very good in its own right but my personal favourite is Gregory Doran’s simply because it has a more typical approach and is a lot truer to the text.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Changes in Art History with Emphasis on the Mid-Twentieth Century Essay

Art during the mid-twentieth century contained some of the most important changes art history. These explosive times were counter-balanced with explosive popular culture. More historical events, abrupt changes, and turbulence occurred from the end of World War II until the height of the Vietnam War than in any time period. Before this time, styles of art had lasted generations. In the 1960’s numerous important art movements were happening at the same time. There were variations on variations, movements inside of other movements. Therefore, because of the amount of independent and integrated pieces of movements and styles, a lot can be missed in a short paper. The amount that happened in these twenty-five years is enough to fill volumes, and so, this is just a brief scraping off the top of what during these times—the most tumultuous times in American History. INTRODUCTION: The 1940’s through the 1960’s were not only some of the most socially and politically volatile times in American History, but were the catalyst for the numerous changes in which occurred in American Popular culture during these and following years. Instead of experiencing the trauma which resulted after World War I’s end, post-World War II United States returned fairly easily back to everyday life. Although there were some problems converting from a wartime to a peacetime economy in the late 1940’s, Americans took on the task and entered the 1950’s on a very auspicious high note. During the time period after World War II, the United States experienced many changes. Technology was abundant and the rate at which new inventions, industries and technologies came about was at a rate never seen before. From a television in every home to the first computers and ultimately space flight, these two decades after World War II were crowded with advancements. S ome of the most dramatic changes came in the field of art. What was once a single, slow road of popular culture advancement branched off into thousands of smaller, faster changing roads. Some of these â€Å"roads†, which can be seen as changing styles, or movements, in art, whipped Americans through a roller coaster of change in what they saw around them. The End of World War II: The major art movement taking place in the United States directly after World War II was ther in their concept. So as we start in a new millenium, we have to ask ourselves what will be the next great movement in art? Could there be anything again as influential as the times that existed here? Only time will tell. Bibliography: Cagle, Van M., Reconstructing Pop/Subculture: Art Rock and Andy Warhol, New York: Sage Publications, 1995 Yapp, Nick, Ed. The 1950s, Chicago: Konemann, 1998 Yapp, Nick, Ed. The 1960s, Chicago: Konemann, 1998 Reed, T.V., American Popular Culture. (online) Available: http://www.wsu.edu/~amerstu/pop/tvrguide.html, February 17, 2000 Seitz, William C., Art in the Age of Aquarius, 1955-1970, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992 Alloway, Lawrence. American Pop Art, New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1974 Dynamic Movements. (online) Available: Http://library.thinkquest.org/17142/dynamic-movements/ Jansen, H.W., The History of Art, New York: Harry N. Abrams Inc., 1997, p. 914-915 Warhol’s Reflection of the Social Times. (online) Available: Http://vc.lemoyne.edu/ant305/students/7_abarnett/page3.htm Marcel Duchamp. (online) Available: http://www.peak.org/~dadaist/English/Graphics/duchamp.html

Friday, September 27, 2019

Figurative Language versus Literal Language Essay - 10

Figurative Language versus Literal Language - Essay Example Problem solving becomes easier when the analogy of an event is understood. Metaphor is a figure of speech. Direct comparison is usually a metaphor, for instance he was a lion in the battlefield is a metaphor, it goes to show that the man fought like a lion in the battlefield but the word like would not be used in a metaphor. Hyperbole is another figure of speech which means over exaggeration, when someone or something normal is presented in a grand manner it is called hyperbole. The following is an example of a hyperbole "I was helpless. I did not know what in the world to do. I was quaking from head to foot, and could have hung my hat on my eyes, they stuck out so far." (Hyperbole) Simile refers to indirect comparison, it is different from metaphor, words like like and as are used in a simile, for instance her house is like a jail is a simile. You are not as good as he is, this is another example of a simile. Euphemism is another very important figure of speech, it means putting things more subtly. When an offensive word or phrase is substituted with a less offensive word or phrase it is called euphemism, for instance a prostitute is not called a prostitute by some people, they say lady of easy virtue or a painted lady, this is euphemism. They do not say they want to go to the toilet, rather they say we would like to go to the powder room or they would ask where the facilities are, this is euphemism. Colloquialism is â€Å"an informal expression that is more often used in casual  conversation  than in formal speech or writing.† (Colloquialism) He was dumped by her is an example of colloquialism, these were some very important figure of

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Choose a medieval work of art and analyse it in terms of its method of Essay

Choose a medieval work of art and analyse it in terms of its method of narrative - Essay Example Jesus narrates this story in Luke 15: 11-32. It is the tale of a man who had two sons. The younger of the two sons being wayward and implacable manages to secure his share in the family inheritance, while the father is still alive. Doing so, he proceeds on a journey to far off lands to lead a life of incontinence and indulgence. Eventually his profligate life makes him loose all his wealth and he has to finally succumb to the level of serving as a swineherd, a task considered to be improper and menial as per the Judaic tradition and beliefs. Finally this spoiled son manages to regain his sense of values and decides to revert back to the mercy and forgiveness of his long ditched and betrayed old father. Contrary to the expectations of the prodigal son, the father instead of denying or disowning his faithless progeny, welcomes him wholeheartedly, without even waiting for him to give words to his repentance and sense of loss. The father not only warmly embraces his sinful son by forgett ing his excesses, but asks his servants to sacrifice the choicest calf to celebrate the occasion. Such discernable exuberance on the part of the father makes the elder son think that the father is perhaps more favourable towards his errant sibling and does not appropriately appreciates his loyalty and noble sentiments. The father allays the misgivings of the elder son and placates him by saying that’ â€Å"My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found (Luke 15: 31-32, New International Version: Online).† This parable was the Messiah’s way of rebutting the aspersions of Pharisees as to Him being open towards and accepting of repentant and sinners and gives expression to the joy and bliss felt by an individual who has corrected his ways and has come back to the flock of the faithful. In

Philadelphia (1993) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philadelphia (1993) - Research Paper Example Far right views also view the AIDS pandemic as a God sent weapon to destroy the homosexual population. According Friedman-Kien AE (1981), the views of the religious right on matters of HIV can be termed as â€Å"Dissident science†. This term comes from the fact that the theories put forward by the religious right have no scientific backing. It is unfortunate that for a long time the views of the religious right heavily impacted on policy discourses of the disease. This paper explores the responses AIDS activist media reacted to the dissident science on HIV/AIDS as constructed by the religious right. In particular, the paper explores the homosexual dimension of the HIV/AIDS debate as espoused by the Movie Philadelphia (1993). The causation debate Scientifically, it is known that HIV/AIDs is caused by the transfer of body fluids containing the viruses from one person to another’s bloodstream. The primary method of transmission of the disease is sexual intercourse. Male to male intercourse is not a HIV risk by itself. Instead, two other conditions must be met for transmission to occur. These conditions are: one of the partners has to be infected with the virus, and intercourse must result in introduction of the HIV virus into the blood stream of the uninfected partner (Duesberg, 1989). In the United States most transmissions occur between gay men. While globally most transmission occur in between heterosexual sexual partners. Since, the 1980 and 1990 the trend of higher infections in homosexual population has continued in the United States (Duesberg, 1989). It is worth noting that when the disease was first diagnosed in the United States it was recorded among Homosexual populations. This gave rise to strongly held prejudice among religious right activists that HIV/AIDS is a disease for Gay people (Marcus, 2002). The religious activist made it appear like the disease was caused by Gay men and then spread to the rest of the heterosexual population. Ini tially, HIV/AIDS was referred by names that closely tied with the gay sexual orientation. According to Andriote (1999), early reports of the disease referred to it as the gay plague, gay cancer or the Gay disease. Early researchers referred to it as the Gay-related immune deficiency (GRID). The homosexual community responded to this branding of the disease as homosexual disease by mobilizing demonstration. In 1986, Gay AIDs activists were called to action to deflect an editorial that linked HIV/AIDS with the group. William F. Buckley had published an article in March 1986 asserting â€Å"It is both a fact and the popular perception that AIDS is the special curse of the Homosexual† (Andriote, 1999). The article went further to propose the branding of gay men with AIDS at the rear and drug addicts on the arm. The Article led to the formation of the Swift and Terrible Retribution Committee. In concentration camp uniforms the retribution council picketed the headquarters of Buckl ey’s National Review in Manhattan (Afshar, n.d). The Gay and Lesbian Alliance against defamation started the media activism by organizing demonstration against homophobic and AIDS phobic coverage of HIV issues all over America (Vaid, 1995). Most of the demonstrations targeted the New York Times which was accused of being deliberately biased against

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 12

Business Law - Essay Example Negligence has been defined as conduct that falls below the standard established by law which tends to protect other against any unreasonable risk of harm being caused. The main elements that require proving for a claim of negligence are firstly the establishment of a duty of care, second a breach of that duty, thirdly causation in respect of the breach, proximity and damages caused as a result of the breach. Each of these would be discussed and then an analysis of the elements in respect of the issue would be made. The most important authority which led to the establishment of the principle of negligence is the case of Donoghue v. Stevenson1 under which the final consumer, that is, Donoghue, while consuming a ginger beer found a decomposed snail in the bottle and went on to claim negligence against the manufacturer. In the case the most important discussion was whether the manufacturer owed a duty of care to the final consumer, this question was important as in the current situation the ginger bottle went through different people before reaching the final consumer. Thus the question was of the manufacturer’s duty and the subsequent negligence committed by him when the final consumer consumed the ginger beer, even though the beer had been purchased from a retailer. The main arguments by the manufacturer were that he should not be held liable because the final consumer did not purchase the beer from him. It was found that even though the beer was not brought from the manufacturer, he owed a duty of care to the final consumer and had been negligent.Lord Atkin’s speech in this respect, whereby he laid down the neighbor principle is considered to be vital. The neighbor principle was said to be the fact that a person must take all reasonable care so as to avoid acts or omissions which if seen with reasonable foreseeability are likely to cause an injury to that person’s neighbour. Lord Atkin defined a neighbour to be a

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Banking - Essay Example Mark Angelo, to repay the debt as well as his net asset value, in addition to the assets which Mr. Mark Angelo can offer to the bank as security against the debt . Financial Statement Analysis The financial statement analysis of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd for the present and the past year reveals the following ratios. The examination of the short-term liquidity of an organization can be accomplished through the current ratio, quick ratio and the cash ratio of the organization. The current ratio signifies the organization’s capability to meet its current liabilities and obligations comfortably. The quick ratio exhibits the capacity to meet the urgent liabilities. The cash ratio is beneficial for creditors to determine how quickly the organization can pay off its short-term debt . In this context, it can be observed that the company’s liquidity position had improved from that of the previous year, but it would be preferable if Mark Equipment Pty Ltd could increase the percentage of their current assets. The solvency of an organization can be evaluated through the debt to equity ratio. The debt to equity ratio signifies the amount of assets that were financed by debt relative to the amount financed by equity . Thus, Mark Equipment Pty Ltd had utilized comparatively lesser amount to debt to finance its assets and is less financially leveraged. The profitability of the company as indicated by the net profit margin and the return of equity as well as that on assets is very low. Therefore, it can be inferred that the company had not utilized its assets and equity proficiently4. In contrast the gross profit margin of the company is very high, implying that the company’s operating expenses are elevated. The fixed asset turnover ratio of the company indicates that it generates fairly decent value of revenue per unit currency of its fixed assets5. However, the total asset and the equity turnover ratios of the company are relatively low and have also decreased from the previous year. Consequently, the financial analysis reveals that though the company possesses decen t values of revenue as well as gross profit and

Sunday, September 22, 2019

A topic on software testing Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

A topic on software testing - Thesis Proposal Example Modern systems and products are largely based on ‘embedded systems’ to facilitate control, action and enhanced functionality. In fact, embedded systems used in these scenarios comprise both hardware and software components that work in a highly customized framework to achieve a specific workflow or operation. Although embedded systems are sophisticated computers, they seldom share or provide a similar interface like PCs and are capable of providing a highly dedicated and distinct functionality based on their structure and configuration.A typical application of embedded systems is in precision-driven measurement and control systems, wherein a particular process or parameter such as temperature is constantly monitored and measured through sensors, converted and delivered as a stream of digital signals and processed to modulate the regulation of the underlying process (heat controlled according to predefined constraints). Embedded systems are also in vehicles to measure car bon emissions through a sensory arrangement and processed through a feedback controller network to store and monitor the condition of the engine (Rajski and Tyszer). Over the past few decades, embedded systems have become integral parts of every notable electronic system including safety-critical components. For instance, embedded systems are used to control sensitive and critical functions such as aircraft navigation and ensure failsafe availability of financial networks.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Four Diamond Essay Example for Free

Four Diamond Essay Embassy Suites Cleveland in Beachwood, Ohio is a hotel with 216 rooms. The hotel is self proclaimed as beautiful, modern, and spacious. The hotel also claims to be rated as a â€Å"Four Diamond† hotel. The hotel offers some great amenities like, family rooms, room service, free breakfast, a fitness center, a swimming pool, a restaurant, meeting rooms, non-smoking rooms, etc. I stayed at this hotel about two years ago, and the appearance of the hotel is nice but if you look a little harder you will find some major flaws. Although claimed as a great hotel and with abundant amenities, my experience at this hotel was horrible because the hotel has a bug infestation, mechanical problems throughout the building, and the management and service they provided was poor. While visiting at the Embassy Suites in Beachwood, Ohio, with my family and a whole hockey team, I came across some problems. First I was in my hotel room when I discovered a small cockroach, and after bringing this to the manager’s attention, she plead I did not tell the rest of the team member and their families. The management agreed to wash all of our belongings and give us a new room because the surrounding hotels were all booked out. So we agreed, we returned from a hockey game only to find we were not move to a new room yet. The manager apologized and were only able to give us a room two doors down from the original one. When we arrived at our new room we opened the door, clicked the light on and there were two, large cockroaches on the ceiling. We contacted the manager once again, this time she was in tears apologizing and due to the other local hotels being so full we had to stay. The manager moved us again, this time five rooms in the other direction, this room had no cockroaches but the heat didn’t work. We just wanted extra blankets, so we called to the front desk for them and they sent us blankets and somebody to check out our heat, but come to find out he was just the security guard who openly admitted he had no idea how to fix the heater. There are many reasons why I would suggest never to visit the Embassy Suites in Beachwood, Ohio. the first reason is they are infested with cockroaches. Cockroaches were not just spotted once but on several times while I was there. Cockroaches are hard to get rid of and is a sign that this hotel is not clean and has not been clean for a long time. Another reason I would never suggest this establishment, is because the management does not know how to handle problems. The management should be trained to handle problems like the ones I can across while there. Management should not cry when embarrassed of their facility and they should be tentative to unsatisfied guest. The last reason why I would not suggest visiting this hotel would be because there was not only a cleanliness problem with the building but the building had not heat in the middle of February and the main elevator was broken the whole time I was there. The heat was more of a problem than it usually would be because the simple solution would be just get more blankets, but then the cleanliness of the blankets and the cockroach problem come into play again. Some of the other reviews people have left are quite similar to my experience. One of the reviews that struck me was listed on http://www. tripadvisor. com, the review reads as â€Å"from beginning to end, our experience with this hotel was poor. I have found Embassy Suites to be relatively clean, efficient and user-friendly. I will be brief: we found a bedbug in one of our rooms, our car got keyed in the parking lot, there were no towels in the gym or pool area, the functions at the hotel were too loud and went on too late, and the quality of the rooms was poor with many showing obvious water damage. The worst part was the reaction from management. † If you are ever heading to the Cleveland, Ohio area I suggest you never stay at this hotel. After reading many reviews that correlate with my experience, I know my experience was not just an isolated incident. The Embassy Suites has a number of problems and according to the recent reviews I have read, this hotel is not working very hard to correct their awful service.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Use Of Realism By Short Story Writers English Literature Essay

Use Of Realism By Short Story Writers English Literature Essay J.P Stern defined realism as being: no more, and no less, than an undertaking to look all the relevant facts in the face.  [1]  Literary realism is a trend that began in nineteenth century French literature. Realist authors such as Flaubert, Maupassant and Emile Zola depicted contemporary life and society, including everyday common duties in their stories. These writers sought to represent life without any type of exaggeration and attempted to write honestly about topics and themes. They preferred this style of writing to the romanticised literature that was more popular in the beginning of the nineteenth century. Romanticism was the opposite of realism and included more imaginative stories. However, their aim was to show the reality of their society and the life and sufferings of the working class.  [2]  Maupassant and Flaubert were key influential authors in this realist movement, and I will explore how both authors implemented the realist genre in their work and how their work differed from each other. One of Maupassants most popular realist stories was Boule de Suif, which was based on a real Rouen prostitute named Adrienne Legay during the Franco-Prussian war. The tale represents the sufferings of the working class and explores the morality and ethics of a divided society. Michael Lerner states how Maupassant manages to convert what is a simple episode from the realities of 1870 into something highly critical and symbolic. It is the more humble, low life realism desired by the Naturalists.  [3]  It is true to say that this tale gives a deep and powerful meaning to the reader in the subtlest ways through the use of symbolism and description, which I will be discussing in further detail later on. There are no major literary devices used by Maupassant. Instead he conveys the directness of the situation and gives a detailed description of the characters appearance and personality A good-natured fellow, though, inoffensive and obliging, he had devoted himself with incomparable enthusiasm to organising the defence of the town.  [4]  This information gives the reader a vision of the characters. Peter Brooks writes about the use of senses when reading a realist story: realist literature is attached to the visual, to looking at things, registering their presence in the world through sight.  [5]  Maupassant especially uses the sense of sight to involve the reader in the story and play on their relationship with the characters. The reader is able to picture the character more successfully and decide whether they like the character or not. Maupassant creates a hierarchy within the coach consisting of a democrat, a prostitute, two nuns, and the rest are of a socially high status. These respectable travellers look down upon the rest of the entourage. However, the differences between these classes are forgotten when they all accept to eat food from Boule de Suif. At this point they are all on an equal footing: mouths opened and shut without pause, swallowing, chewing and gulping ravenously.  [6]  The author shows the generosity of Boule de Suif as she selflessly gives up her food for the rest of the group. We begin to forget our preconceptions of the prostitute and realise that she does have certain moral guidelines. Her personality is further portrayed as a giving human when she makes the biggest decision in the story. All of the characters in the story plan to manipulate Boule de Suif into committing an immoral act of sleeping with the enemy: Boule de Suifà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ felt angry with all her neighbours, ashamed o f having given way to their pleas, and defiled by the kisses of the Prussian into whose arms they had hypocritically thrown her.  [7]  The respectable characters do not take the high moral ground and support her decision not to sleep with the Prussian, it is their selfishness and immorality that take over their reasoning and force her to go against her will. Not only do they want her to give up her food, they also want her to give up her body. Michael Lerner states that For Maupassant the simple Norman peasant who throws a stone or takes a shot at the enemy is far worthier of our admiration than any of these more sophisticated types, who would prefer to sacrifice their country just as they do Boule de Suif rather than abandon or harm their commercial interests and own well-being  [8]   This statement depicts Maupassants own personal view of his bourgeois characters and emphasises the horridness of the scandal they have committed. We are shown a realist view of bourgeois human nature as selfish, arrogant and corrupt. Although Boule de Suif is a prostitute of her own accord, she is faced with a difficult decision. At first she would give herself for the pleasure of other people, whereas now she is being forced to do so; and with the enemy. Maupassant conveys the consequences of her decision in a way that makes the reader sympathise with the prostitute rather than scold her. His choice of words when trying to portray Boule de Suifs feelings are an accurate depiction of a real, victimised emotion: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦she found herself choking with rage and indignationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.she opened her mouth to tell them what she thought of themà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but her exasperation was so violent that she could not utter a word.  [9]  Her utilitarian sacrifice has saved her companions from the Prussians yet her personal relationship with the hypocrites has diminished. Michael Lerner states that: Maupassant relates the fate of both France and the naive but patriotic prostitute to the selfish attitude of the bourgeois.  [10]  Lerner makes a clever statement and suggests that Maupassant was making a strong social point through his story. The realism depicted in this scene is that of manipulation and emotion. We are given an example of a high class act and a low class act and how they both differ morally and ethically. This is thought to depict the nature of both classes at the time. Maupassant s use of imagery in the carriage after the prostitutes sacrifice is alarming: she felt overwhelmed by the contempt of these respectable boors who had first sacrificed her, and then cast her aside like an unclean object for which they had no further use.  [11]  We are given an insight into her emotions and we also feel the tension within the confined space of the moving vehicle. As the prostitutes emotions mirror as our own, that of disgust and anger, Maupassant has successfully portrayed his representation of humanity with the use of realist language. Richard Fusco states that Maupassant: wanted to startle readers into recognising the pretensions of society and those within themselves.  [12]  As the rest of the characters pretend to Boule de Suif that her actions will also be in her own interest, Richard Fusco is correct in making this statement, however, the author also startles us into realising that our actions can be more consequential than heroic. Boule de Sui fs position is not created on her own accord but through the manipulation of her socially respectable superiors. Michael Lerner comments on Maupassants realism as: fairly shallow; he went through the notions of it without fully committing himself.  [13]  This comment is very disagreeable as we can see Maupassant has used very intricate realistic techniques to convey the message of the story: everybody stayed in the kitchen, engaging in endless discussions and putting forward the unlikeliest theories.  [14]  The language gives an indication of many different emotions and shows pathos, strong character representation and clarity in his writing, of life at the time. Maupassant manages to successfully portray a realistic character in his story. Maupassant had studied under Flaubert for a number of years and it was through him that he met other literary geniuses such as Emile Zola and Ivan Turgenev. All of these influences contributed to Maupassants literary ideas and it is for this reason that his style mirrors Flauberts in many ways. I will be analysing Flauberts realist story A Simple Heart, which is set in the time and country of the author of nineteenth century France. Like Maupassant, the central figure is based on a real person whom Flaubert knew. One of the similarities that both these authors hold, according to Agnes Rutherford Riddell, was symbolism. Maupassant used Boule de Suif as a symbol for the proletariat whilst Flaubert used the name Fà ©licità © in A Simple Heart as a suggestion for both the peasant womans fatalistic acquiescence in circumstances and, by contrast, the real misery of her lot.  [15]  Such symbolism helps to portray a deeper message of the reality of the story. Flaubert also used vivid, descriptive language within his stories: her dresses hung in a row under a shelf containing three dolls, some hoops, a set of dolls furniture, and the wash-basin she had used.  [16]  Like Maupassant, Flaubert creates a realistic sense of the reader being involved in the novel. However the difference between the two; is Flauberts use of more intricate detailing of surroundings and vision. Riddell argues that: Maupassant appears to avoid this kind of mistake, perhaps through noticing its effect in his masters work. On the whole, however, description through the eyes of a personage is consistent in both writersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.  [17]  Both writers use description as a necessity in their work in order to give a more realistic account of their surroundings. Timothy Unwin is accurate in his belief that: It is a well-accepted fact that, in the nineteenth century, realist novelists were less interested in telling stories than they were in describing them.   [18]   In A Simple Heart, Flaubert uses the technique of an omniscient narrator to his advantage. The reader is able to view the protagonist externally and internally. Externally through the attitudes of other characters towards Fà ©licità ©: Madam Aubain told her to stop kissing them all the time and internally through Fà ©licità ©s thoughts, told to us by the narrator: which hurt her deeply.  [19]  This allows the reader to view things as she does. H. Meili Steele states that: the narrator has the ostensible traits of omniscience, such as the ability to move freely through space and time and to represent characters thoughts.  [20]  We can see that this is not the only advantage of an omniscient narrator. In terms of realist literature, the omniscient narrator acts as a device to give the reader more information on the characters and the setting. Thus resulting in a more pragmatic approach to the text. In A Simple Heart, the main character, Fà ©licità ©, is used as an instrument of symbolism for the uneducated and the poor. She is repeatedly exploited by those around her, even by the people she loves and she is always hunted by sadness and sorrow. When she is stranded by her lover à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦she hastened to her lover. In his place she found his friends. From him she learned that was never to see Thà ©odore again, we can see how concise and straight to the point the sentences are.  [21]  This abrupt structure makes the reader sense the shock and upset of the protagonist. These are the real feelings of the protagonist shown to us through concise sentence structure and normal, everyday language: I havent had any for six months!.  [22]  This is the main focus of Flauberts realist writing. Timothy Unwin states that: Flaubert the novelist steered clear of depicting contemporary literary life in detail.  [23]  This is correct in terms of dialogue between characters howe ver, we have established that Flaubert was very intricate in the detailing of setting that the characters were placed in. Flaubert remarks on the role of religion in the story, especially that of the Roman Catholic church in nineteenth century France. Fà ©licità © is devoted to the church and visits regularly yet her devotion is not based on its beliefs: As for dogma, she did not understand, did not even attempt to understand a word of it.  [24]  Flaubert seems to be mocking the church in this sentence, implying that religion is a sanctity for the weak and poor who acquire some type of higher entity to depend on for support. Mary Orr states that: Flaubert challenges the spiritual redundancy and irrelevance of Catholic theologyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, this shows how we are given an indication of Flauberts own personal views towards the Catholic church through his writing.  [25]  He shows not only the common realist thought of the time, but his own thought. Raymond Giraud comments that we have more of an insight as to Flauberts character through his stories Flaubert reveals himself, positively or negati vely, directly or indirectly, in the characters he creates.  [26]  Flauberts presence in his literature is dominant and his thoughts represent the thoughts of many of the realist writers and thinkers. We have already recognised that Maupassants descriptions involve the readers senses, yet Flauberts descriptions also involve the senses, but of the characters rather than the readers. Timothy Unwin points out that: he watches and gathers information about the characters and the narrator less from what is said about them than from catching them looking.In Un Couer Simple the tall grass at the bottom of the stream which, we are told, is like the hair of dead bodies, explains what Fà ©licità © sees and thinks. Through her eyes we understand that she mistakenly assumes Victor died drowning (he died on a land of disease).  [27]   We can conclude from this quote that the author is using description from the characters point of view to give us more information about the characters state of mind. The fact that Fà ©licità © has made a mistake in her knowledge of Victors death shows us her naivety and overall, the simple-mindedness of the uneducated and poor class that Fà ©licità © represents. Maupassant and Flauberts use of realism tends to be quite similar. Yet, there are many points where one stands out more than the other. We can conclude that Maupassant was strong in his realist representation of bourgeois behaviour, his use of symbolism and giving an informative description of the setting in his story. Whilst Flaubert is more descriptive in not only the setting of the story, but of the characters views and thoughts. Peter Brooks emphasises that: Everything, as Flaubert understands it, depends on the detail, thus, giving the reader more information on the text and allowing them to relate to the story more.  [28]  Both however, do not fall into the trap of over dramatising their realist descriptions and keep it as authentic as possible. Peter Brooks also notes how: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦we might ask ourselves: Why do we take pleasure in imitations and reproductions of the things of our world?  [29]  It seems very commonsensical to write about what we see, yet we take the easy approach of literature and write about fictional beings and wonders. Writing is a type of escapism, which realism does not allow, but we can see from the works of these two geniuses that realist literature is just as good and more educational than any other type of imaginary literature. The verisimilitude is a device of entertainment and Timothy Unwin argues that: Everything and everyone, in Flauberts view, had unique qualities that it was the artists duty to seek out.  [30]  Realism puts more of an emphasis onto the small details of everyday living. Flaubert and Maupassant both understand this and equip this idea in their work. The use of le mot juste in realist literature is a handy tool to depict life and surroundings most accurately. Timothy Unwin points out that This formula was valid for Flaubert, but the principle of mot juste does not imply that there is just one way of telling all stories. Rather, it suggests that each story has a privileged way of being told, through which it appears at its most persuasive.  [31]   Unwins comment here raises an interesting point. As each story has a privileged way of being told, this means that it is difficult to assume that what we read is all a precise account of reality at the time. The writer implements their own views and judgements into their work, ultimately, making their stories biased. What we must bear in mind when reading realist literature, is that the story is all someones interpretation of reality and this is the main difference between the authors. The text is a depiction of the authors reality. Our interpretation of reality is likely to be more different.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Violence, Hatred, and Pain in Fyodor Dostoevskys The Idiot :: Fyodor Dostoevsky The Idiot

Violence, Hatred, and Pain in Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Idiot "There was a look of unbounded pride and contempt, almost hatred, in that face, and at the same time something confiding, something wonderfully simplehearted." There began Prince Myshkin's curiosity of and infatuation with the complex Nastasya Filippovna as he sat in awe of this woman's picture in Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Idiot . This story, set in Russia during the late 1860's, is one of continuous love rivalries which describe the life of the Russian aristocracy during that time period. Prince Myshkin is described as the "ideal" man due to his compassion for everyone and his firm belief that there is a good side to all people. The story begins as Myshkin returns to Petersburg after a stay in a Swiss mental hospital for his epilepsy. Upon arrival in Russia, he visits distant relatives who are quite receptive to him and he ends up staying for a while. While there, he believes he has fallen in love with Nastasya Filippovna and prematurely proposes to her. She first accepts, but then rejects him. Nastasya is the driving force behind the novel and carries the reader, as well as the characters, from scene to scene. The duration of the book consists of Myshkin's quest for happiness and love through which he encounters jealousy for his love and for the love of those who love him. Unfortunately, the tragic end to this book, including the predicted death of Nastasya, causes Myshkin to regress to his former epileptic state. The time directly following Myshkin's first proposal to Nastasya stands out as an extremely memorable moment in the book. At Nastasya's birthday party, several men bring money and begin bidding on her hand in marriage. Eventually, she announces to everyone that she wants to alter her lifestyle and start over as a poor woman. Any man who cannot accept her for who she is, she decides, is not the right man for her. She feels that all men are motivated by greed and that the men will not want her for love, only greed. Myshkin feels that he can love Nastasya for who she is and not for her money and so he proposes to her. She immediately accepts and shocks the rest of the party. One of the other suitors, Rogozhin, offers to give up everything he has for Nastasya and Myshkin encourages her to accept his offer because this sacrifice shows that he truly loves Nastasya.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Urban Parks Essay -- New Urban Landscape

Like most Americans, I expect to find in every city, every town, even in every village in the country, an outdoor recreation area or what is usually called a park; and I am seldom disappointed. No matter how new and unfinished a town may be, or however old and poor, I know that it will contain, wedged in among the crowded blocks of buildings, a rectangular space with grass and trees and meandering paths and perhaps a bandstand or a flagpole. --John B. Jackson, â€Å"The Past and Future Park† in Denatured Visions    Urban parks are defined in their comparative and contrastive relationships to the urban environments surrounding them. Although frequently conceptualized as natural landscapes, the physical and social uses of parks give proof to their inherently cultural â€Å"nature.† For the purpose of this paper, I will use the term â€Å"culture† to refer to human implemented social objects and actions; nature, then, as a written word and a concept circulated in culture, becomes a cultural construction. The idea of â€Å"nature† or â€Å"natural,† I will attempt to argue, refers to a certain set of cultural concepts as constructed through a discourse that is centered away from humans and characterized by irrationality, purity, and vitality. Differently stated, nature functions as a cultural construct of anti-culture, providing an escape from the confines of culture in the sense of civilization, but does not entirely evade the conceptual framework inherent to the social, discursive formation of human ideas. This intermingling relationship between nature and culture is well illustrated in the example of urban parks. Parks are constructed as natural environments but literally and figuratively constructed by human cultural proc... ...el, B. and Cecil D. Elliott. Designing America: Creating Urban Identity. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1994. Groth, Paul. â€Å"Vernacular Parks.† Wrede and Adams 135-137. Jackson, John B. â€Å"The Past and Future Park.† Wrede and Adams 129-134 Peck, Robert McCraken. â€Å"The Museum that Never Was.† Natural History July 1994: 62-7. Platt, Rutherford H. â€Å"Conclusion† in The Ecological City, Rutherford H. Platt, Rowan A. Rowntree and Pamela C. Muick, eds. Amherst: The University of Massachusetts Press, 1994. Schultz, Stanley K. Constructing Urban Culture. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1989. Schuyler, David. The New Urban Landscape. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986. Wrede, Stuart and William Howard Adams, eds. Denatured Visions: Landscape and Culture in the Twentieth Century. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1991.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

I Hate Shopping Essay -- Personal Narrative, essay about myself

Sometimes feel that I am not a normal woman. Most women enjoy going from one store to another, looking for a blouse, only to go back to the first store to get the blouse they looked at first. I hate shopping. Shopping wastes my time, wastes my energy, and, if I do the typical woman routine, wastes my money. So, do not ask me to go to the mall for the evening because I will respectfully decline. I hate shopping. Â   I hate to be in the shoe department of a store. It seems that I always have to wait for the salesperson who is waiting on Mrs. Shoe Queen. She is trying on twenty pairs while I impatiently pace the carpet to threads. This is what I mean by shopping is a waste of time. I, on the other hand, know what I want to purchase before I leave the house. My steps for shopping are: first, make a list; second, go directly to the item; and finally, go straight to the cash register. By following this simple plan, no extra time is wasted in my shopping adventures. Â   Not only my time is in demand, and I try to use it wisely, but my energy is limited. I ...

The Discovery Essay

‘The Discovery’, by J. C Squire describes a historical event: Christopher Columbus’s ‘discovery’ of the New World on his 1942 expedition across the Atlantic Ocean which initiated the process of Spanish colonisation. The poem has gone by several names including ‘The Caravels, ‘Sonnet’ and ‘There was an Indian’. John Collings Squire (J. C Squire) (1884-1958) was a British poet, writer, historian, influential literary critic and editor of the post WW1 period. He was also a leading poet of the Georgian period. The poem is a simple sonnet; made up of two quatrains and a sestet. The rhyme scheme is abab, cdcd, efegfg. The rhyme creates a steady, forward-moving motion similar to the movement of the waves and the inevitability of the oncoming Spanish vessels reaching the shore. The poet uses simple language and imagery which mirror the uncomplicated life of the Indian from whose perspective this historical event is retold. The discovery of the New World is often related from the perspective of the Spanish colonisers of the 15th and 16th centuries. Squire also reminds us that this was a two-fold discovery as the indigenous Americans discovered a new world of their own. The phrase, ‘an Indian’, in the first stanza lends a sense of anonymity to the identity of the Indian who witnesses the arrival of Columbus. The indefinite article (an) allows us to believe that this Indian represents all Native Americans. The opening line is reminiscent of a folktale. This style suggests a mythologizing of this historical event, infusing it with an element of magic. One might also believe it to be an example of the oral tradition of legends told among Native Americans. Like other Indians, the Indian in the poem ‘had known no change’. His life consisted of gathering shells; a simple way of life that belonged to an old civilisation for which this discovery was sure to be a shock. The alliteration of ‘s/sh’ in the line ‘†¦ along a sunlit beach. Gathering shells’ depicts the calm, serene and uninterrupted life of the natives. He ‘strayed content’ almost aimlessly, along a ‘sunlit beach’, in no rush to go about his simple life. The presence of dawn symbolises the dawn of a new era in the life of the Indian. We are reminded that historical records show that the event occurred at dawn. Light also symbolises knowledge and discovery for both the Spanish and the Indians. The caesura in the third line ‘He heard a sudden, strange commingled noise’ effectively draws our attention to the abrupt change in this tranquil picture. The caesura evokes a sense of confusion in the atmosphere which was once silent but is now filled with an unfamiliar noise. This is created through the use of alliteration and hard consonants. The Indian’s reaction in the last line of the first stanza ‘looked up: and gasped for speech’ indicates how amazed and speechless he was. The caesura in line four ‘Commingled noise: looked up; and gasped for speech’, also denotes the abrupt actions and reactions of the Indian man. The second stanza is linked to the first stanza by means of a further explanation for the sudden change in the first quatrain. The poet evokes the Indian’s tone of amazement and wonder at the appearance of the ‘huge canoes’ that appear ‘by magic’. The idea of magic evokes a contrast between the two civilisations; the superstitious, tribal beliefs of the natives versus the more advanced scientific beliefs of the Spanish. The poet also evokes the serene, tranquil and undefiled setting and one of confusion which is emphasised by the impressive image of these unnatural and unfamiliar sea vessels on the water. The Indian is unfamiliar with these large ships. In fact, he can only describe them in terms of what he already knows, for eg. ‘huge canoes’ and ‘not one oar’. The Indian’s tone of awe is audible even though the poet does not give him a voice. Perhaps, this is to further emphasise the domination and oppression of the Spanish colonisation of the Native Americans stamping out their voice, culture and traditions. The images used in the stanza are simple yet vivid as can be seen through the image of the ‘Bellying cloths’ and ‘Fluttering coloured signs. The second quatrain is stylistically interesting because the poet is conscious of the different perspectives: that of the Indian man who tries to describe these unfamiliar objects by adapting them to those he is familiar with, and that of the reader who has a knowledge of history and immediately recognises the Indian’s attempt to describe the billowing sails, fluttering flags and ‘clambering crews’. The alliteration of the letter ‘k’ sound in the last line of the second stanza ‘And fluttering coloured signs and clambering crews’, reminds us of the confusion and cacophony created by the sailors as they prepare to land. The third stanza, the ‘sestet’, begins with the conjunction ‘And’, linking it to the previous stanzas. There is now a Volta as the focus shifts to the Indian’s reaction to the caravels. There is an even greater use of caesura which creates an abrupt and staccato rhythm which might reflect the fear that has overcome the Indian, maybe his accelerated heartbeat too. The Volta between the second and third stanzas is also evident in the rhyme scheme which suggests the inevitable, impending conclusion to this sighting as the caravels ‘Slant to the shore, and all their seamen land’. The final stanza draws a clear contrast between the native, who is ‘naked’ and ‘alone’ and the numerous sailors disembarking ‘Columbus’ doom-burdened caravels’. The Indian’s nakedness suggests his primitive lifestyle and his defencelessness. The Indian reacts ‘in fear’ and drops his shells. This symbolises the fall of the native civilisation; his face turns white and he also kneels behind a stone. He stares at this monstrous sight and ‘did not understand’ the full impact of what was unfolding before his eyes. The poet’s intention is to make the contrast between the Spanish and the Indian evidently clear and simple to the reader, in order to draw our attention to the other side of the story which is rarely told in history books. This is emphasised by the choice of perspective for the poem. The image of ‘Columbus’ doom-burdened caravels’ is a powerful one, suggesting a grimly mocking or cynical tone because these caravels symbolise the beginning of the corruption of old civilisations. The final image of the sailors landing on shore is ominous, adding to the heaviness that weighs upon the reader’s knowledge of what will inevitably follow. The poem ends abruptly as the poet does not need to tell us anything else due to the readers’ knowledge of what happens next which has been documented in the history books.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Goal Setting Worksheet

University of Phoenix Material Goal Setting Worksheet Review this week’s resources (for example SMART criteria, and the Career Plan Building Activities). Respond to the following in 50 to 100 words each: 1. Describe one academic goal that you have created using the SMART criteria. How do SMART criteria contribute to your academic goals?. Well I would have to say a individual goal is what I set for my self and that would be to get my associates degree and to get a better job then what I have right now.Cause right now im making minimum wage and its hard to make bills. 2. Describe one professional/career goal you have created using the SMART criteria and Career Plan Building Activities results. How did the results of the Career Interest Profiler and Career Plan Building Activity on Competencies contribute to your professional goal development? Career Goal for me is for me to finish college and get my degree that is the main goal for me right now and that’s the only thing i m really thinking about as of this moment. . Describe the stress and time-management strategies you have learned this week that will help you achieve your goals. Well I must say I have been stressed out a lot trying to get caught up on school work cause I have been so tired after work but I try to make time after I get off and also after my little girl goes to bed. 4. Describe how you will balance academic expectations and your personal and professional responsibilities. Im not really sure how I will balance my academic expectations and my erson and professional responsibilities cause right now I have a lot going on so im trying to keep up with every thing. 5. How can understanding the importance of SMART criteria and your career interests and competencies help you move towards your career and academic goals? I really don’t understand the whole smart criteria right now to be honest but I will try and learn a little more about it cause im sure I will need to know more about it ,

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 16

Chapter 16 We were twelve days into our journey, following Balthasar's meticulously drawn map, when we came to the wall. â€Å"So,† I said, â€Å"what do you think of the wall?† â€Å"It's great,† said Joshua. â€Å"It's not that great,† I said. There was a long line waiting to get through the giant gate, where scores of bureaucrats collected taxes from caravan masters as they passed through. The gatehouses alone were each as big as one of Herod's palaces, and soldiers rode horses atop the wall, patrolling far into the distance. We were a good league back from the gate and the line didn't seem to be moving. â€Å"This is going to take all day,† I said. â€Å"Why would they build such a thing? If you can build a wall like this then you ought to be able to raise an army large enough to defeat any invaders.† â€Å"Lao-tzu built this wall,† Joshua said. â€Å"The old master who wrote the Tao? I don't think so.† â€Å"What does the Tao value above all else?† â€Å"Compassion? Those other two jewel things?† â€Å"No, inaction. Contemplation. Steadiness. Conservatism. A wall is the defense of a country that values inaction. But a wall imprisons the people of a country as much as it protects them. That's why Balthasar had us go this way. He wanted me to see the error in the Tao. One can't be free without action.† â€Å"So he spent all that time teaching us the Tao so we could see that it was wrong.† â€Å"No, not wrong. Not all of it. The compassion, humility, and moderation of the Tao, these are the qualities of a righteous man, but not inaction. These people are slaves to inaction.† â€Å"You worked as a stonecutter, Josh,† I said, nodding toward the massive wall. â€Å"You think this wall was built through inaction?† â€Å"The magus wasn't teaching us about action as in work, it was action as in change. That's why we learned Confucius first – everything having to do with the order of our fathers, the law, manners. Confucius is like the Torah, rules to follow. And Lao-tzu is even more conservative, saying that if you do nothing you won't break any rules. You have to let tradition fall sometime, you have to take action, you have to eat bacon. That's what Balthasar was trying to teach me.† â€Å"I've said it before, Josh – and you know how I love bacon – but I don't think bacon is enough for the Messiah to bring.† â€Å"Change,† Joshua said. â€Å"A Messiah has to bring change. Change comes through action. Balthasar once said to me, ‘There's no such thing as a conservative hero.' He was wise, that old man.† I thought about the old magus as I looked at the wall stretching over the hills, then at the line of travelers ahead of us. A small city had grown up at the entrance to the wall to accommodate the needs of the delayed travelers along the Silk Road and it boiled with merchants hawking food and drink along the line. â€Å"Screw it,† I said. â€Å"This is going to take forever. How long can it be? Let's go around.† A month later, when we had returned to the same gate and we were standing in line to get through, Joshua asked: â€Å"So what do you think of the wall now? I mean, now that we've seen so much more of it?† â€Å"I think it's ostentatious and unpleasant,† I said. â€Å"If they don't have a name for it, you should suggest that.† And so it came to pass that through the ages the wall was known as the Ostentatious and Unpleasant Wall of China. At least I hope that's what happened. It's not on my Friendly Flyer Miles map, so I can't be sure. We could see the mountain where Gaspar's monastery lay long before we reached it. Like the other peaks around it, it cut the sky like a huge tooth. Below the mountain was a village surrounded by high pasture. We stopped there to rest and water our camels. The people of the village all came out to greet us and they marveled at our strange eyes and Joshua's curly hair as if we were gods that had been lowered out of the heavens (which I guess was true in Josh's case, but you forget about that when you're around someone a lot). An old toothless woman who spoke a dialect of Chinese similar to the one we had learned from Joy convinced us to leave the camels in the village. She traced the path up the mountain with a craggy finger and it was obvious that the path was both too narrow and too steep to accommodate the animals. The villagers served us a spicy meat dish with frothy bowls of milk to wash it down. I hesitated and looked at Joshua. The Torah forbade us to eat meat and dairy at the same meal. â€Å"I'm thinking this is a lot like the bacon thing,† Joshua said. â€Å"I really don't feel that the Lord cares if we wash down our yak with a bowl of milk.† â€Å"Yak?† â€Å"That's what this is. The old woman told me.† â€Å"Well, sin or not, I'm not eating it. I'll just drink the milk.† â€Å"It's yak milk too.† â€Å"I'm not drinking it.† â€Å"Use your own judgment, it served you so well in the past, like, oh, when you decided we should go around the wall.† â€Å"You know,† I said, weary of having the whole wall thing brought up again, â€Å"I never said you could use sarcasm whenever you wanted to. I think you're using my invention in ways that it was never intended to be used.† â€Å"Like against you?† â€Å"See? See what I mean?† We left the village early the next morning, carrying only some rice balls, our waterskins, and what little money we had left. We left our three camels in the care of the toothless old woman, who promised to take care of them until we returned. I would miss them. They were the spiffy double-humpers we'd picked up in Kabul and they were comfortable to ride, but more important, none of them had ever tried to bite me. â€Å"They're going to eat our camels, you know? We won't be gone an hour before one of them is turning on a spit.† â€Å"They won't eat the camels.† Joshua, forever believing in the goodness of human beings. â€Å"They don't know what they are. They think that they're just tall food. They're going to eat them. The only meat they ever get is yak.† â€Å"You don't even know what a yak is.† â€Å"Do too,† I said, but the air was getting thin and I was too tired to prove myself at the time. The sun was going down behind the mountains when we finally reached the monastery. Except for a huge wooden gate with a small hatch in it, it was constructed entirely of the same black basalt as the mountain on which it stood. It looked more like a fortress than a place of worship. â€Å"Makes you wonder if all three of your magi live in fortresses, doesn't it?† â€Å"Hit the gong,† said Joshua. There was a bronze gong hanging outside the door with a padded drumstick standing next to it and a sign in a language that we couldn't read. I hit the gong. We waited. I hit the gong again. And we waited. The sun went down and it began to get very cold on the mountainside. I rang the gong three times loud. We ate our rice balls and drank most of our water and waited. I pounded the bejezus out of the gong and the hatch opened. A dim light from inside the gate illuminated the smooth cheeks of a Chinese man about our age. â€Å"What?† he said in Chinese. â€Å"We are here to see Gaspar,† I said. â€Å"Balthasar sent us.† â€Å"Gaspar sees no one. Your aspect is dim and your eyes are too round.† He slammed the little hatch. This time Joshua pounded on the gong until the monk returned. â€Å"Let me see that drumstick,† the monk said, holding his hand out through the little port. Joshua gave him the drumstick and stepped back. â€Å"Go away and come back in the morning,† the monk said. â€Å"But we've traveled all day,† Joshua said. â€Å"We're cold and hungry.† â€Å"Life is suffering,† the monk said. He slammed the little door, leaving us in almost total darkness. â€Å"Maybe that's what you're supposed to learn,† I said. â€Å"Let's go home.† â€Å"No, we wait,† said Joshua. In the morning, after Joshua and I had slept against the great gate, huddled together to conserve warmth, the monk opened the little hatch. â€Å"You still here?† He couldn't see us, as we were directly below the window. â€Å"Yes,† I said. â€Å"Can we see Gaspar now?† He craned his neck out the hatch, then pulled it back in and produced a small wooden bowl, from which he poured water on our heads. â€Å"Go away. Your feet are misshapen and your eyebrows grow together in a threatening way.† â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He slammed the hatch. And so we spent the day outside the gate, me wanting to go down the mountain, Joshua insisting that we wait. There was frost in our hair when we woke the next morning, and I felt my very bones aching. The monk opened the hatch just after first light. â€Å"You are so stupid that the village idiots' guild uses you as a standard for testing,† said the monk. â€Å"Actually, I'm a member of the village idiots' guild,† I retorted. â€Å"In that case,† said the monk, â€Å"go away.† I cursed eloquently in five languages and was beginning to tear at my hair in frustration when I spotted something large moving in the sky overhead. As it got closer, I saw that it was the angel, wearing his aspect of black robe and wings. He carried a flaming bundle of sticks and pitch, which trailed a trail of flames and thick black smoke behind him in the sky. When he had passed over us several times, he flew off over the horizon, leaving a smoky pattern of Chinese characters that spelled out a message across the sky: SURRENDER DOROTHY. I was just fuckin' with you (as Balthasar used to say). Raziel didn't really write SURRENDER DOROTHY in the sky. The angel and I watched The Wizard of Oz together on television last night and the scene at the gates of Oz reminded me of when Joshua and I were at the monastery gate. Raziel said he identified with Glinda, Good Witch of the North. (I would have thought flying monkey, but I believe his choice was a blond one.) I have to admit that I felt some sympathy for the scarecrow, although I don't believe I would have been singing about the lack of a brain. In fact, amid all the musical laments over not having a heart, a brain, or the nerve, did anyone notice that they didn't have a penis among them? I think it would have shown on the Lion and the Tin Man, and when the Scarecrow has his pants destuffed, you don't see a flying monkey waving an errant straw Johnson around anywhere, do you? I think I know what song I'd be singing: Oh, I would while away the hours, Wanking in the flowers, my heart all full of song, I'd be gilding all the lilies as I waved about my willie If I only had a schlong. And suddenly it occurred to me, as I composed the above opus, that although Raziel had always seemed to have the aspect of a male, I had no idea if there were even genders among the angels. After all, Raziel was the only one I'd ever seen. I leapt from my chair and confronted him in the midst of an afternoon Looney Tunes festival. â€Å"Raziel, do you have equipment?† â€Å"Equipment?† â€Å"A package, a taliwacker, a unit, a dick – do you have one?† â€Å"No,† said the angel, perplexed that I would be asking. â€Å"Why would I need one?† â€Å"For sex. Don't angels have sex?† â€Å"Well, yes, but we don't use those.† â€Å"So there are female angels and male angels?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And you have sex with female angels.† â€Å"Correct.† â€Å"With what do you have sex?† â€Å"Female angels. I just told you.† â€Å"No, do you have a sex organ?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Show me?† â€Å"I don't have it with me.† â€Å"Oh.† I realized that there are some things I'd really rather not know about. Anyway, he didn't write in the sky, and, in fact, we didn't see Raziel again, but the monks did let us into the monastery after three days. They said that they made everybody wait three days. It weeded out the insincere. The entire two-story structure that was the monastery was fashioned of rough stone, none larger than could have been lifted into place by a single man. The rear of the building was built right into the mountainside. The structure seemed to have been built under an existing overhang in the rock, so there was minimal roofing exposed to the elements. What did show was made of terra-cotta tiles that lay on a steep incline, obviously to shed any buildup of snow. A short and hairless monk wearing a saffron-colored robe led us across an outer courtyard paved with flagstone through an austere doorway into the monastery. The floor inside was stone, and though immaculately clean, it was no more finished than the flagstone of the courtyard. There were only a few windows, more like arrow slits, cut high in the wall, and little light penetrated the interior once the front door was closed. The air was thick with incense and filled with a buzzing chorus of male voices producing a rhythmic chant that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once and made it seem as if my ribs and kneecaps were vibrating from the inside. Whatever language they were chanting in I didn't understand, but the message was clear: these men were invoking something that transcended this world. The monk led us up a narrow stairway into a long, narrow corridor lined with open doorways no higher than my waist. As we passed I could see that these must be the monks' cells, and each was just large enough to accommodate a small man lying down. There was a woven mat on the floor and a woolen blanket rolled up at the top of each cell, but there was no evidence of personal possessions nor storage for any. There were no doors to close for privacy. In short, it was very much like what I had grown up with, which didn't make me feel any better about it. Nearly five years of the relative opulence at Balthasar's fortress had spoiled me. I yearned for a soft bed and a half-dozen Chinese concubines to hand-feed me and rub my body with fragrant oils. (Well, I said I was spoiled.) At last the monk led us into a large open chamber with a high stone ceiling and I realized that we were no longer in a man-made structure, but a large cave. At the far end of the cave was a stone statue of a man seated cross-legged, his eyes closed, his hands before him with the first fingers and thumbs forming closed circles. Lit by the orange light of candles, a haze of incense smoke hanging about his shaved head, he appeared to be praying. The monk, our guide, disappeared into the darkness at the sides of the cave and Joshua and I approached the statue cautiously, stepping carefully across the rough floor of the cave. (We had long since lost our surprise and outrage at graven images. The world at large and the art we had seen in our travels served to dampen even that grave commandment. â€Å"Bacon,† Joshua said when I asked him about it.) This great room was the source of the chanting we had been hearing since entering the monastery, and after seeing the monks' cells we determined that there must be at least twenty monks adding their voices to the droning, although the way the cave echoed it might have been one or a thousand. As we approached the statue, trying to ascertain what sort of stone it was made from, it opened its eyes. â€Å"Is that you, Joshua?† it said in perfect Aramaic. â€Å"Yes,† said Joshua. â€Å"And who is this?† â€Å"This is my friend, Biff.† â€Å"Now he will be called Twenty-one, when he needs to be called, and you shall be Twenty-two. While you are here you have no name.† The statue wasn't a statue, of course, it was Gaspar. The orange light of the candles and his complete lack of motion or expression had only made him appear to be made of stone. I suppose we were also thrown off because we were expecting a Chinese. This man looked as if he was from India. His skin was even darker than ours and he wore the red dot on his head that we had seen on Indian traders in Kabul and Antioch. It was difficult to tell his age, as he had no hair or beard and there wasn't a line in his face. â€Å"He's the Messiah,† I said. â€Å"The Son of God. You came to see him at his birth.† Still no expression from Gaspar. He said, â€Å"The Messiah must die if you are to learn. Kill him tomorrow.† â€Å"‘Scuse me?† I said. â€Å"Tomorrow you will learn. Feed them,† said Gaspar. Another monk, who looked almost identical to the first monk, came out of the dark and took Joshua by the shoulder. He led us out of the chapel chamber and back to the cells where he showed Joshua and me our accommodations. He took our satchels away from us and left. He returned in a few minutes with a bowl of rice and a cup of weak tea for each of us. Then he went away, having said nothing since letting us in. â€Å"Chatty little guy,† I said. Joshua scooped some rice into his mouth and grimaced. It was cold and unsalted. â€Å"Should I be worried about what he said about the Messiah dying tomorrow, do you think?† â€Å"You know how you've never been completely sure whether you were the Messiah or not?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Tomorrow, if they don't kill you first thing in the morning, tell them that.† The next morning Number Seven Monk awakened Joshua and me by whacking us in the feet with a bamboo staff. To his credit, Number Seven was smiling when I finally got the sleep cleared from my eyes, but that was really a small consolation. Number Seven was short and thin with high cheekbones and widely set eyes. He wore a long orange robe woven from rough cotton and no shoes. He was clean-shaven and his head was also shaved except for a small tail that grew out at the crown and was tied with a string. He looked as if he could be anywhere from seventeen to thirty-five years old, it was impossible to tell. (Should you wonder about the appearance of Monks Two through Six, and Eight through Twenty, just imagine Number Seven Monk nineteen times. Or at least that's how they appeared to me for the first few months. Later, I'm sure, except that we were taller and round-eyed, Joshua and I, or Monks Twenty-one and Twenty-two, would have fit the same description. When one is trying to shed the bo nds of ego, a unique appearance is a liability. That's why they call it a â€Å"uniform.† But alas, I'm getting ahead of myself.) Number Seven led us to a window that was obviously used as a latrine, waited while we used it, then took us to a small room where Gaspar sat, his legs crossed in a seemingly impossible position, with a small table before him. The monk bowed and left the room and Gaspar asked us to sit down, again in our native Aramaic. We sat across from him on the floor – no, that's not right, we didn't actually sit, we lay on the floor on our sides, propped up on one elbow the way we would have been at the low tables at home. We sat after Gaspar produced a bamboo staff from under the table and, with a motion as fast as a striking cobra's, whacked us both on the side of the head with it. â€Å"I said sit!† he said. Then we sat. â€Å"Jeez,† I said, rubbing the knot that was swelling over my ear. â€Å"Listen,† Gaspar said, holding the stick up to clarify exactly what he meant. We listened as if they were going to discontinue sound any second and we needed to stock up. I think I even stopped breathing for a while. â€Å"Good,† said Gaspar, laying the stick down and pouring tea into three simple bowls on the table. We looked at the tea sitting there, steaming – just looked at it. Gaspar laughed like a little boy, all the graveness and authority from a second ago gone from his face. He could have been a benevolent older uncle. In fact, except for the obviously Indian features, he reminded me a lot of Joseph, Joshua's stepfather. â€Å"No Messiah,† Gaspar said, switching to Chinese now. â€Å"Do you understand?† â€Å"Yes,† Joshua and I said in unison. In an instant the bamboo stick was in his hand and the other end was bouncing off of Joshua's head. I covered my own head with my arms but the blow never came. â€Å"Did I strike the Messiah?† Gaspar asked Joshua. Joshua seemed genuinely perplexed. He paused, rubbing the spot on his head, when another blow caught him over his other ear, the sound of the impact sharp and harsh in the small stone room. â€Å"Did I strike the Messiah?† Gaspar repeated. Joshua's dark brown eyes showed neither pain nor fear, just confusion as deep as the confusion of a calf who has just had its throat cut by the Temple priest. The stick whistled through the air again, but this time I caught it in mid-swing, wrenched it out of Gaspar's hand, and tossed it out the narrow window behind him. I quickly folded my hands and looked at the table in front of me. â€Å"Begging your pardon, master,† I said, â€Å"but if you hit him again, I'll kill you.† Gaspar stood, but I was afraid to look at him (or Joshua, for that matter). â€Å"Ego,† said the monk. He left the room without another word. Joshua and I sat in silence for a few minutes, thinking and rubbing our goose eggs. Well, it had been an interesting trip and all, but Joshua wasn't very well going to learn much about being the Messiah from someone who hit him with a stick whenever it was mentioned, and that, I supposed, was the reason we were there. So, onward. I drank the bowl of tea in front of me, then the one that Gaspar had left. â€Å"Two wise men down, one to go,† I said. â€Å"We'd better find some breakfast if we're going to travel.† Joshua looked at me as perplexed as he had at Gaspar a few minutes before. â€Å"Do you think he needs that stick?† Number Seven Monk handed us our satchels, bowed deeply, then went back into the monastery and closed the door, leaving Joshua and me standing there by the gong. It was a clear morning and we could see the smoke of cook fires rising from the village below. â€Å"We should have asked for some breakfast,† I said. â€Å"This is going to be a long climb down.† â€Å"I'm not leaving,† Josh said. â€Å"You're kidding.† â€Å"I have a lot more to learn here.† â€Å"Like how to take a beating?† â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"I'm not sure Gaspar will let me back in. He didn't seem too pleased with me.† â€Å"You threatened to kill him.† â€Å"I did not, I warned that I'd kill him. Big difference.† â€Å"So you're not going to stay?† And there it was, the question. Was I going to stay with my best friend, eat cold rice, sleep on a cold floor, take abuse from a mad monk, and very likely have my skull split open, or was I going to go? Go where? Home? Back to Kabul and Joy? Despite the long journey, it seemed easier to go back the way I had come. At least some level of familiarity would be waiting there. But if I was making easy choices, why was I there in the first place? â€Å"Are you sure you have to stay here, Josh? Can't we go find Melchior?† â€Å"I know I have things to learn here.† Joshua picked up the drumstick and rang the gong. In a few minutes the little port opened in the door and a monk we had never seen before stuck his face in the opening. â€Å"Go away. Your nature is dense and your breath smells like a yak's ass.† He slammed the hatch. Joshua rang the gong again. â€Å"I don't like that whole thing about killing the Messiah. I can't stay here, Joshua. Not if he's going to hit you.† â€Å"I have a feeling I'm going to get hit quite a few more times until I learn what he needs me to know.† â€Å"I have to go.† â€Å"Yes, you do.† â€Å"But I could stay.† â€Å"No. Trust me, you have to leave me now, so you won't later. I'll see you again.† He turned away from me and faced the door. â€Å"Oh, you don't know anything else, but you know that all of a sudden?† â€Å"Yes. Go, Biff. Good-bye.† I walked down the narrow path and nearly stumbled over a precipice when I heard the hatch in the door open. â€Å"Where are you going?† shouted the monk. â€Å"Home,† I said. â€Å"Good, go frighten some children with your glorious ignorance.† â€Å"I will.† I tried to keep my shoulders steady as I walked away, but it felt like someone was ripping my soul through the muscles of my back. I would not turn around, I vowed, and slowly, painfully, I made my way down the path, convinced that I would never see Joshua again.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Civil War Position Paper Essay

The American Civil War almost tore early America and its population apart. Still today people debate weather slavery was the primary cause for the war. In this paper I will explain why I believe slavery was not the primary cause of the American Civil War. Also I will point out many other factors that may have played a bigger role in the cause of the Civil War. Southern states believed STRONGLY in states’ rights. States’ rights are the belief that one should be loyal to their state instead of the country as a whole, also they believed that states should be able to make their own laws to their liking without having to answer to the country. This alone created tension between the southern states and the northern states for northern states felt that the constitution clearly stated that states can create laws as long as they do not conflict with the laws of the country. In addition to the tension between the north and south congress placed a tax on goods bought outside of the country otherwise known as tariffs. In 1828 and 1832, congress raised tariffs higher and higher. These taxes were hated by the southern states for they did not have many factories unlike they’re northern counterparts, and thus they paid tariffs more often. In one instance a southern state refused to pay the tariff nullifying the tax congress had placed this event known as the nullification crisis drove the wedge between the north and south further The bloody fighting between northern and southern voters in Kansas was another step in the path of the civil war. Due to the popular sovereignty act suggested by Senator Stephen Douglas the people where able to vote on whether that territory would’ve been a free state or a slave state, this caused voters from both the north and the south to pour into these states hoping to tip the scale in their favor in doing this conflict between the two erupted as homes were burned and people were murdered. In conclusion I do not believe that slavery was the primary cause of the civil war. My reason for thinking this is because of all the events that the country had to push though on top of slavery. For starters states rights, tariffs, nullification crisis, the Kansas Nebraska act, and the bleeding Kansas scare all played a bigger part in the cause of the civil war rather then slavery.

Friday, September 13, 2019

The Feminist Movement in Britain Research Paper

The Feminist Movement in Britain - Research Paper Example This paper tells that because feminism is a liberal movement that directly challenges existing institutional arrangements, those who feel threatened by it often respond by representing it in negative and often hostile ways. Such representations pervade the media and even the academy. Feminists have been cast as destroyers of families and other cherished institutions. They have been blamed for problems such as the delinquency of adolescents, the inability of qualified males to find jobs, and the erosion of standards in the professions, the schools, and the academy. If women would only embrace traditional roles, the argument seems to go, there would be far fewer societal problems.  Before the feminist movement appeared, women were suppressed and limited their social and political life. In the late Middle Age, at a particular social level, women shared models of thought and behavior which set them apart as a group from men of the same social class. Whereas elite women have left a rich variety of writings, little has remained of the mental or material culture of ordinary women (Anderson 1987). The difficulties are increased by the fact that social distinction played less part in female culture than in early modern culture generally. Central to the female world was the woman with knowledge, the midwife who was herself a mother (Anderson 1987). The majority of women, from the poorest to the most aristocratic, shared direct experience of maternity. Even a woman of high social status who had not borne a child could find herself on the periphery of a key aspect of female culture (Smith, 2000).  Given that women ideally belonged to the household, and men claimed public space as their own, both elite and popular cultures recognized that women as women had concerns of their own. If the household was the proper place for women, then the household could sometimes become a female space (Anderson 1987). Furthermore, critics show how society encouraged women to spend time w ith each other. Although, since women were perceived as sexually unstable, men regarded them as being at risk in the mixed company, men were also suspicious of women in all-female company, fearing their opportunities for gossip. Social distinction, age, and geographical location all played a part in shaping women's bonds. Nevertheless, across these divisions, there were aspects of a common culture which women shared. Their cultures and values connected them to fundamental concerns: giving birth, childrearing, and sustaining life. From women's own perspective, they preserved a culture with important life-enhancing values (Anderson 1987). In comparison, men appeared to be preoccupied with politics, authority, and their masculine vanity and virility. Within their own culture, women shaped and enhanced the lives of both sexes, across all ages. Women shared female consciousness (Smith, 2000).  During the Middle Ages, religion and spirituality played a dominant role in the life of women determining their morals and values. Religious and neighborly or charitable occasions also offered women opportunities to construct feminine spheres of social dominance. Visits to the sick and dying were women's special concern because of their nursing expertise. As records of testamentary disputes confirm, the deathbed was a 'feminized' locale. The church was another setting where women demarcated their own spatial and sociable terrain. Women's quarrels about 'place' were generally confined to their own sector of the church; only rarely did, they publicly question their segregation from men (Anderson 1987). Yet while worshipping in the established church, they did not passively accept the places appointed for them by the clergy and churchwardens.  

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Exploring Lascaux Caves Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Exploring Lascaux Caves - Assignment Example Other pigments were derived from animal bone and vegetable sources. With these components, developing a color palette from these materials seems to be a difficult undertaking. In addition, to be regarded as an artist during this time one had to either be self-trained or apprenticed from a painter in the tribe. The art depicted in the cave is primarily about the fauna that early man knew, for this reason, the sole purpose of painting was for ritualistic sake. In terms of societal status, others would adore a painter due to their expertise and their ability to decorate caves and other ritualistic locations (McCully 19). As stated earlier, the Lascaux was painted during the Palaeolithic time during the emergence of the modern man, Homo sapiens. The Lascaux cave is located near the French village of Montignac and was discovered in 1940 by a group of boys who were hiking the woods (McCully 3). The Palaeolithic period dates back to 40,000 to 14,000 B.C., existing in this timeline, early humans only worried about basic needs, food and shelter. Life seems to have been simple then and painters, in my opinion, were celebrated because they were able to add richness to the then simple life. The painters made rituals, around communal fires, more enticing with enhanced experience due to the paintings. The main materials used in these descriptive wall paintings are already listed above and include pigments from clay ochre, animal bone, vegetable among other natural sources. According to McCully, the technique utilized in developing the drawings and engravings was through the spraying of pulverized color pigment s from the listed materials (15). The pigments were fitted inside a tube, created from bone, wood or plant materials. This technique was successful due to the painting lasting a long time and it was effective across all surfaces throughout the Lascaux cave comprised of subterranean complex. The paintings in the cave are

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Artifact Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Artifact - Essay Example They are a source of comfort and give us the opportunity to connect with ourselves when alone. I don’t consider the rocking chair as a piece of furniture but something that I can resort to when I need to rejoice the moments spent with my grandfather or when I need sometime for myself away from the noise and pollution of this world. These rocking chairs add to the household making the entire environment very comfortable. The rocking chair is practically affiliated with Americans who have immense love for this wonderful creation. The origin of this ornament is quite controversial as we do not really find how or why this was designed. Although the first rocking chair was skates attached to a chair. With time this conventional design was modernized to the recent form. It is estimated that the rocking chair resulted from two distinct pieces of furniture that is a cradle and a rocking horse during the eighteenth century. Both these ornaments are generally associated to children who relax and rejoice on them. The cradle and the rocking horse were found to give immense pleasure to little ones hence with the passage of time a similar thing was designed for adults that would give them the same joy and comfort. It will not be wrong to say that the rocking chair gives a modern touch to sleep. The rocking chair at my home is an antique wooden chair made out of dark oak wood which has been carved to perfection. The basic design is similar to a conventional rocking chair that moves front and back which are joint to the legs of it. Further is has a curved shape to support my backbone. There is a faint shine on it. This rocking chair makes squeaky voices in particular; furthermore in order to give a modern touch to the rocking chair I have accessorized it with floral summery cushions giving a pleasant feel overall. The rocking chair has far more to offer than just comfort and relaxation. Like I mentioned earlier,

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Hong Kong Law of Tort Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Hong Kong Law of Tort - Essay Example The mother, after witnessing the series of events, called her husband Ben, the stepfather of Elizabeth who came one hour after. He collapsed after seeing the bandages on Elizabeth. John, brother of Elizabeth after being notified, came one day after incident. All three persons, Lucy, Ben and John, suffered from shock after the incident. The idea of negligence is a product of hundred of years of law making. Until the present, the idea of negligence is still very much open to interpretations by the court. Although there have several attempts in the past to come up with criteria for negligence, the‘ categories of negligence are never closed.’1 Although the courts wanted a rule by which to judge conduct, they wanted the rule to be flexible enough so that the rule could be applied in various circumstances. Lord Atkin in Donoghue v Stevenson, the courts were initially quite reluctant to apply it as a criterion of general application in every case of negligence. Instead, they ad opted a case by case approach, thus restricting the imposition of liability to only few situations of negligence. 2 Negligence is generally defined as the failure to use ordinary care. A person fails to use ordinary care if he/she does something that a person of ordinary prudence would not have done under the same or similar circumstances. Failure to use ordinary care can also occur by omission, or failing to do something which a person of ordinary prudence would have done under the same or similar circumstances. Negligence, then, is a judgment of both acts and omissions.

Monday, September 9, 2019

Philosophy of Special Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosophy of Special Education - Research Paper Example people who are enabled differently, to cope with the rest of the society, it becomes imperative and key that such students would be taught in schools. To begin with, school would be necessary to enhance the civic aspect and cognitive abilities of the special needs students. The things they would learn in school would sharpen their cognitive abilities and acuity towards the same goal and objective. Secondly, the school setting and environment would improve the emotional acuity and sharpness. The fact that a student gets to share the same environment with others means that different emotions such as extreme happiness and sadness get to occur in such a place. If for instance, in one day such a student gets extremely overjoyed and the minute he or she is annoyed, after some time, the student would find the right level of emotional balance. Subsequently, a school would enable such a student with special needs and special abilities to develop vocational skills and talents which would enable him or her to earn a livelihood (Spring, 2013, p. 19). Given the fact that the intelligence disposition and quotient of the special needs students or people may not allow them to pursue professional courses such as medicine, they would instead pursue vocational courses. At the long end, they would use their vocational skills and trainings to earn livelihoods and lead descent independent lives. Equally important is that schools help the special needs people or students to develop and grow their social lives. It is only through interacting with other people that one gets to develop and practice interpersonal skills such as talking, communicating, relating, apologizing, and showing gratitude amongst other social abilities. A school would also a special need student to develop moral responsibility and care so that he or she would be a co mplete person in the human society, able to relate and co-exist with others. These learner with special skills and abilities may in the ordinary sense

Sunday, September 8, 2019

SUNRISE SENIOR LIVING (SRZ)....FIRM THAT'S NOT WORTHY INVESTMENT Research Paper

SUNRISE SENIOR LIVING (SRZ)....FIRM THAT'S NOT WORTHY INVESTMENT - Research Paper Example The company operates in a high competitive market in US where Assisted Living Concepts Inc and Brookdale Senior Living Inc are two major competitors of it. Financial ratio analysis has shown that company is not at all profitable in terms of major profitability ratios. Though it has quite good asset turnover but capital structure of the company is very much unstable. Liability holds 90% of the totals assets and 10 times more than equity capital. Therefore, it operates with a huge amount of debt which indicates high possibility of bankruptcy in near future. By projecting key financial parameters for next financial year, it is identified that net profit would remain negative in next financial year. Profitability of the company would also remain very much weak compared to its competitors. The company is also much behind in terms of market share, profitability and operating efficiency than its competitors. From, detailed analysis of the company in financial and non financial perspective, it can be recommend that currently the company is not investment worthy. Introduction This paper deal with detailed analysis of Sunrise Senior Living Corporation, a US based multinational senior care service organization. ... The company operates in healthcare industry and provides senior living services to the aged people. It operates through 300 locations in home country United States and also in Canada and United Kingdom. Sunrise offers independent living, Alzheimer’s care, assisted living and personal carte, short term stays and nursing and rehabilitative care. This healthcare organization specializes in assisted living for the old people along with Alzheimer’s care through skilled nursing. The company is listed in fortune 1000 company. Recently, Sunrise Senior Living Corporation has been acquired by the Health Care REIT. SSL was established in 1981 in Virginia by Paul and Terry at an aims of long term healthcare to look after the senior citizen of the society. This objective of the business was termed as assisted living. Within next few decades the company penetrated throughout the United States and expanded in United Kingdom as first foreign market. In 2001 the company expanded its for eign market into Canada. The company changed its name as Sunrise Senior Living from Sunrise Assisted Living in 2008. It closed down all centers in Germany in 2010. Currently, the company employees near about 31,000 employees to provide senior living services through healthcare centers in more than 300 retirement communities across the world. Industry overview and trend Sunrise Senior Living operates in healthcare sector and long term care industry. This industry has been growing in western countries like United Kingdom, United States and Canada. Increasing life expectancy among the people, falling of birth rate are the key drivers for growth of this industry. According to the