The Indigo Spell Chapter One

THIS WASN'T THE FIRST TIME I'd been pulled out of bed for a crucial mission. It was, however, the first time I'd been subjected to such a personal line of questioning. â€Å"Are you a virgin?† â€Å"Huh?† I rubbed my sleepy eyes, just in case this was all some sort of bizarre dream that would disappear. An urgent phone call had dragged me out of bed five minutes ago, and I was having a little trouble adjusting. My history teacher, Ms. Terwilliger, leaned closer and repeated the question in a stage whisper: â€Å"I said, are you a virgin?† â€Å"Um, yes. . .† I was fully awake now and glanced uneasily around my dorm's lobby, making sure no one was around to witness this crazy exchange. I didn't have to worry. Aside from a bored-looking desk attendant on the far side of the room, the lobby was empty, probably because no sane person would be up at this time of night. When Ms. Terwilliger's call had woken me, she'd demanded I meet her here for a â€Å"life-or-death† matter. Getting interrogated about my personal life wasn't quite what I'd expected. She stepped back and sighed in relief. â€Å"Yes, of course. Of course you're a virgin.† I narrowed my eyes, unsure if I should be offended or not. â€Å"Of course? What's that supposed to mean? What's going on?† She immediately snapped back to attention and pushed her wire-rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose. They were always slipping down. â€Å"No time to explain. We have to go.† She grabbed hold of my arm, but I resisted and stayed where I was. â€Å"Ma'am, it's three in the morning!† And then, just so she'd understand the severity of the situation: â€Å"On a school night.† â€Å"Never mind that.† She turned in the direction of the desk attendant and called across the room, â€Å"I'm taking Sydney Melrose with me. Mrs. Weathers can argue with me about the curfew tomorrow.† The attendant looked startled, but she was just some college student who'd been hired to sit there overnight. She was no match for the formidable Ms. Terwilliger, with her tall, gangly stature and birdlike face. The real authority keeping girls in my dorm was the security guard outside, but he simply nodded in a friendly way when Ms. Terwilliger dragged me past. It made me wonder just how many girls she'd abducted in the middle of the night. â€Å"I'm in my pajamas,† I told her. It was the last protest I could offer as we reached her car, which was parked in a fire lane. She drove a red Volkswagen Beetle with flowers painted on the sides. Somehow, this didn't surprise me in the least. â€Å"You'll be fine,† she said, fishing car keys out of her massive velvet purse. Around us, the desert night was cool and silent. Tall palm trees created dark, spiderlike shapes against the sky. Beyond them, a full moon and smattering of stars glittered. I wrapped my arms around myself, touching the soft fabric of my microfleece robe. Underneath it, I had on full-length striped pajamas paired with fluffy beige slippers. The ensemble worked well in my cozy dorm room but wasn't exactly practical for a Palm Springs night. But then, going out in pajamas wasn't really practical in any place. She unlocked the car, and I stepped gingerly inside, having to dodge empty paper coffee cups and old issues of Utne Reader. My neat sensibilities cringed at that kind of mess, but it was the least of my worries right now. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger,† I said, once we were driving through the suburban streets. â€Å"What's going on?† Now that we were out of the dorm, I hoped she'd start talking sense. I hadn't forgotten her â€Å"life-or-death† comment and was beginning to grow nervous. Her eyes were on the road ahead of us, and lines of worry marked her angular face. â€Å"I need you to cast a spell.† I froze as I tried to process her words. Not long ago, this proclamation would've sent me into protests and fits of revulsion. Not that I was comfortable with it now. Magic still freaked me out. Ms. Terwilliger taught at my private high school, Amberwood Prep, by day and was a witch at night. She said I, too, possessed a natural affinity for magic and had managed to teach me some spells, despite my best efforts to resist. I actually had a few good reasons for wanting to avoid anything arcane. Aside from inborn beliefs about magic being wrong, I simply didn't want to get caught up in any more supernatural affairs than I had to. I already spent my days as part of a secret society that kept vampires secret from the human world. That and my schoolwork were enough to keep anyone busy. Nonetheless, her magical training had gotten me out of some dangerous situations recently, and I was no longer so quick to dismiss it. So, her suggesting I perform magic wasn't the weirdest thing going on here. â€Å"Why would you need me for that?† I asked. There were few cars out, but occasionally, passing headlights would cast a ghostly light over us. â€Å"You're a million times more powerful. I can't cast a fraction of the things you can.† â€Å"Power is one thing,† she admitted. â€Å"But there are other limitations and factors at work here. I can't cast this particular spell.† I crossed my arms and slouched back in the seat. If I kept focusing on the practical aspects, I could ignore how worried I was growing. â€Å"And it couldn't have waited until morning?† â€Å"No,† she said gravely. â€Å"It could not.† Something about the tone of her voice sent chills down my spine, and I fell silent as we continued our drive. We were headed outside of the city and suburbs, into the wilds of the true desert. The farther we drove from civilization, the darker it became. Once we were off the freeway, there were no streetlights or houses in sight. Spiky desert shrubs created dark shapes along the side of the road that put me in mind of crouching animals, ready to pounce. There's no one out here, I thought. And no one back at Amberwood knows you're here either. I shifted uneasily as I recalled her virgin question. Was I going to be a sacrifice in some unholy ritual? I wished that I'd thought to bring my cell phone – not that I could have told my organization, the Alchemists, that I was spending so much time with a magic user. And not just any magic user – one who was teaching me to become one too. Better to risk being sacrificed than face the Alchemists' wrath. Twenty minutes later, Ms. Terwilliger finally pulled to a stop along the side of a dusty one-lane road that seemed to be a direct route to nowhere. She got out of the car and motioned for me to do the same. It was colder here than it had been back at Amberwood. Looking up into the night sky, I caught my breath. Free of the city lights, the stars were now out in full force. I could see the Milky Way and a dozen constellations usually hidden to the naked eye. â€Å"Stargaze later,† she said curtly. â€Å"We need to hurry, before the moon progresses much further.† A moonlight ritual, a barren desert, virgin sacrifice . . . what had I just foolishly walked into? The way Ms. Terwilliger pushed me into magic always annoyed me, but I never thought she posed a threat. Now I berated myself for being so naive. She tossed a duffel bag over one shoulder and headed off into a desolate stretch of land, dotted with rocks and scraggly vegetation. Even with the brilliant celestial display there wasn't much light out here, yet she walked purposefully, as though she knew exactly where she was going. I dutifully followed, wincing as I crossed the rocky ground. My fuzzy slippers had never been intended for this sort of terrain. â€Å"Here,† she said when we reached a small clearing. She carefully set down the duffel bag and knelt to rifle through it. â€Å"This'll do.† The desert that was so mercilessly hot in the day became cold at night, but I was still sweating. Probably my own anxiety had more to do with that than the temperature or heavy pajamas. I retied my robe more tightly making a perfect knot. I found that kind of detail and routine soothing. Ms. Terwilliger produced a large oval mirror with a scalloped silver frame. She set it down in the middle of the clearing, glanced up at the sky, and then shifted the mirror over a little. â€Å"Come here, Miss Melbourne.† She pointed to a spot opposite her, on the other side of the mirror. â€Å"Sit there and make yourself comfortable.† At Amberwood, I went by the name of Sydney Melrose, rather than my true one, Sydney Sage. Ms. Terwilliger had gotten my made-up name wrong on the first day of class, and it, unfortunately, stuck. I followed her directions, not that I could really get all that comfortable out here. I was pretty sure I could hear some large animal scuffling out in the brush and added â€Å"coyotes† to my mental list of dangers I faced out here, right below â€Å"magic use† and â€Å"lack of coffee.† â€Å"Now then. Let's get started.† Ms. Terwilliger peered at me with eyes that were dark and frightening in the desert night. â€Å"Are you wearing anything metal? You need to take it off.† â€Å"No, I – oh. Wait.† I reached around my neck and unfastened a delicate gold chain that held a small cross. I'd had the necklace for years but had recently given it to someone else, for comfort. He'd given it back to me recently, by way of our mutual friend Jill Mastrano Dragomir. Even now, I could picture the angry look on her face as she'd stormed up to me at school and thrust the cross into my hand without a word. I stared at the cross now as it gleamed in the moonlight. A queasy feeling welled up in the pit of my stomach as I thought about Adrian, the guy I'd given it to. I'd done so before he professed his love for me, something that had caught me totally off guard a few weeks ago. But maybe I shouldn't have been so surprised. The more I looked back – and I did so all the time – the more I began to recall telltale signs that should have tipped me off to his feelings. I'd just been too blind to notice at the time. Of course, it wouldn't have mattered if I'd seen it coming or not. Adrian was totally unsuitable for me, and it had nothing to do with his many vices or potential descent into insanity. Adrian was a vampire. True, he was a Moroi – one of the good, living vampires – but it made no difference. Humans and vampires couldn't be together. This was one point the Moroi and Alchemists stood firmly together on. It was still amazing to me that Adrian had voiced those feelings to me. It was amazing that he could even have them or that he'd had the nerve to kiss me, even if it was a kiss that had left me dizzy and breathless. I'd had to reject him, of course. My training would allow nothing less. Our situation here in Palm Springs forced the two of us to constantly be together in social situations, and it had been rough since his declaration. For me, it wasn't just the awkwardness of our new relationship. I . . . well, I missed him. Before this debacle, he and I had been friends and spent a lot of time together. I'd gotten used to his smirky smile and the quick banter that always flowed between us. Until those things were gone, I hadn't realized how much I relied on them. How much I needed them. I felt empty inside . . . which was ridiculous, of course. Why should I care so much about one vampire? Sometimes it made me angry. Why had he ruined such a good thing between us? Why had he made me miss him so much? And what had he expected me to do? He had to have known it was impossible for us to be together. I couldn't have feelings for him. I couldn't. If we'd lived among the Keepers – a group of uncivilized vampires, humans, and dhampirs – maybe he and I could have . . . no. Even if I had feelings for him – and I firmly told myself I didn't – it was wrong for us to even consider such a relationship. Now Adrian spoke to me as little as possible. And always, always, he watched me with a haunted look in his green eyes, one that made my heart ache and – â€Å"Ah! What is that?† I squirmed as Ms. Terwilliger dumped a bowl full of dried leaves and flowers over my head. I'd been so fixated on the cross and my memories that I hadn't seen her coming. â€Å"Rosemary,† she said matter-of-factly â€Å"Hyssop. Anise. Don't do that.† I'd reached up to pull some of the leaves out of my hair. â€Å"You need that for the spell.† â€Å"Right,† I said, getting back to business. I set the cross carefully on the ground, trying to clear my mind of green, green eyes. â€Å"The spell that only I can do. Why is that again?† â€Å"Because it has to be done by a virgin,† she explained. I tried not to grimace. Her words implied that she was not a virgin, and even if that made sense for a forty-year-old woman, it still wasn't a thought I wanted to spend a lot of time on. â€Å"That, and the person we're looking for has shielded herself from me. But you? You she won't expect.† I looked down at the shining mirror and understood. â€Å"This is a scrying spell. Why aren't we doing the one I did before?† Not that I was eager to repeat that spell. I'd used it to find someone, and it had involved me staring into a bowl of water for hours. Still, now that I knew how to do it, I knew I could perform it again. Besides, I didn't like the idea of walking into a spell I knew nothing about. Words and herbs were one thing, but what else might she ask of me? Endanger my soul? Give up my blood? â€Å"That spell only works for someone you know,† she explained. â€Å"This one will help you find someone you've never met before.† I frowned. As much as I didn't like magic, I did like problem solving – and the puzzles magic often presented intrigued me. â€Å"How will I know who to look for, then?† Ms. Terwilliger handed me a photograph. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and I looked into the face of a pretty young woman. There was a striking resemblance between her and my teacher, though it wasn't initially obvious. Rather than Ms. Terwilliger's dull brown hair, this woman's was dark, nearly black. She was also much more glamorous, dressed in a black satin evening gown that was a far cry from Ms. Terwilliger's usual hippie attire. Despite those ostensible differences, the two women shared the same high cheekbones and aquiline eyes. I glanced back up. â€Å"She's related to you.† â€Å"She's my older sister,† Ms. Terwilliger confirmed, her voice remarkably flat. Older? I would've guessed this woman was at least ten years younger. â€Å"Is she missing?† I asked. When I'd scried before, it had been to find a kidnapped friend. Ms. Terwilliger's lips twitched. â€Å"Not in the way you're thinking.† From the never-ending duffel bag, she produced a small leather book and opened it to a marked page. Squinting at where she indicated, I could make out handwritten Latin words describing the mirror and herbal concoction she'd dumped on me. Following that were directions on how to use the spell. No bloodletting, thankfully. â€Å"It sounds too simple,† I said suspiciously. I'd learned that spells that only had a few steps and components usually required a lot of mental energy. I'd passed out from the other scrying spell. She nodded, guessing my thoughts. â€Å"It takes a lot of focus – more than the last one. But, as much as you don't want to hear this, your strength has grown enough that you'll probably have an easier time than before.† I scowled. She was right. I didn't want to hear that. Or did I? Part of me knew I should refuse to go along with this madness. Another part of me worried she'd abandon me in the desert if I didn't help. And still another part was insanely curious to see how this would all work. Taking a deep breath, I recited the book's incantation and then set the picture in the middle of the mirror. I repeated the incantation and removed the picture. Leaning forward, I stared into the shining surface, trying to clear my mind and let myself become one with the darkness and moonlight. A hum of energy coursed through me, much more quickly than I expected. Nothing changed in the mirror right away, though. Only my reflection peered back at me, the poor lighting dulling my blond hair, which looked terrible both from sleeping on it and having a bunch of dried plants hanging in its strands. The energy continued to build in me, growing surprisingly warm and exhilarating. I closed my eyes and sank into it. I felt like I was floating in the moonlight, like I was the moonlight. I could've stayed that way forever. â€Å"Do you see anything?† Ms. Terwilliger's voice was an unwelcome interruption to my blissful state, but I obediently opened my eyes and looked into the mirror. My reflection was gone. A silvery gray mist hung in front of a building, but I knew the mist wasn't physical. It was magically produced, a mental barrier to keep me from seeing the image that lay beyond it. Strengthening my will, I pushed my mind passed that barrier, and after a few moments, the mist shattered. â€Å"I see a building.† My voice echoed oddly in the night. â€Å"An old Victorian house. Dark red, with a traditional covered porch. There are hydrangea bushes in front of it. There's a sign too, but I can't read it.† â€Å"Can you tell where the house is?† My teacher's voice seemed very far away. â€Å"Look around it.† I tried to pull back, to extend my vision beyond the house. It took a few moments, but slowly, the image panned out as though I were watching a movie, revealing a neighborhood of similar houses, all Victorian with wide porches and creeping vines. They were a beautiful, perfect piece of history set in the modern world. â€Å"Nothing exact,† I told her. â€Å"Just some quaint residential street.† â€Å"Go back further. See the larger picture.† I did, and it was like I drifted up into the sky, looking down upon the neighborhood the way some soaring bird would. The houses extended into more neighborhoods, which eventually gave way to industrial and commercial areas. I continued moving back. The businesses became more and more densely packed. More streets crisscrossed between them. The buildings grew taller and taller, eventually materializing into a familiar skyline. â€Å"Los Angeles,† I said. â€Å"The house is on the outskirts of Los Angeles.† I heard a sharp intake of breath, followed by: â€Å"Thank you, Miss Melbourne. That will be all.† A hand suddenly waved across my field of vision, shattering the city image. Also shattered was that state of euphoria. I was no longer floating, no longer made of light. I came crashing down to reality, down to the rocky desert landscape and my stuffy pajamas. I felt exhausted and shaky, like I might faint. Ms. Terwilliger handed me a thermos full of orange juice, which I drank greedily. As the nutrients hit my system and strengthened me, I began to feel a little better. Intense magic use depleted blood sugar. â€Å"Does that help?† I asked, once I'd downed the thermos. A nagging voice inside me started to chastise about how many calories were in orange juice, but I ignored it. â€Å"Was that what you wanted to know?† Ms. Terwilliger gave me a smile that didn't extend to her eyes. â€Å"It helps, yes. Was it what I wanted?† She stared off into the distance. â€Å"No, not exactly. I was hoping you'd name some other city. Some city far, far away.† I picked up my cross and refastened it around my neck. The familiar object brought on a sense of normality after what I'd just done. It also made me feel guilty, looking back on the euphoric high the magic had given me. Humans weren't supposed to wield magic – and they certainly weren't supposed to enjoy it. Running my fingers over the cross's surface, I found myself thinking of Adrian again. Had he ever worn it? Or had he just kept it around for luck? Had his fingers traced the cross's shape like mine often did? Ms. Terwilliger began gathering her things. When she stood up, I followed suit. â€Å"What does it mean exactly, ma'am?† I asked. â€Å"That I saw Los Angeles?† I followed her back toward the car, and she didn't answer right away. When she did, her voice was uncharacteristically grim. â€Å"It means that she's much closer than I would like. It also means, whether you want to or not, you're going to have to work on improving your magical skills very, very quickly.† I came to a halt. Suddenly, I felt angry. Enough was enough. I was exhausted and ached all over. She'd dragged me out here in the middle of the night and now had the presumption to make a statement like that when she knew how I felt about magic? Worse, her words frightened me. What did I have to do with this? This was her spell, her cause. Yet, she'd given the directive with such force, such certainty, that it almost seemed as though I was the reason we'd come out here to this wasteland. â€Å"Ma'am – † I began. Ms. Terwilliger spun around and leaned toward me so that there were only a few inches between us. I gulped, swallowing whatever outraged words I'd been about to utter. I'd never seen her look like this. She wasn't scary, not exactly, but there was an intensity I'd never seen before, far different from the usual scattered teacher I knew. She also looked . . . frightened. Life or death. â€Å"Sydney,† she said, in a rare use of my first name. â€Å"Let me assure you that this is not some trick on my part. You will improve upon your skills, whether you like it or not. And it's not because I'm cruel, not because I'm trying to fulfill some selfish desire. It's not even because I hate seeing you waste your ability.† â€Å"Then why?† I asked in a small voice. â€Å"Why do I need to learn more?† The wind whispered around us, blowing some of the dried leaves and flowers from my hair. The shadows we cast took on an ominous feel, and the moonlight and starlight that had seemed so divine earlier now felt cold and harsh. â€Å"Because,† Ms. Terwilliger said. â€Å"It's for your own protection.†

Tropical fish Essay

Tropical fish by Doreen Baingana is a collection of linked short stories which was published in 2005. In this writing, we will be discussing on the novel and a critical review of the novel paying more attention to the novels context, theme, style and ideology. Doreen Baingana grow up in Entebbe, Uganda, and now divided her time between Uganda and the United States her bood, Tropical fish won the 2006 common wealth writers prize, best first bood, Africa, and an AWP short fiction award. She graduated from Makerere university with a JD, and from the university of Maryland with an MFA while at Makerere university Baingana was an active member of FEMRITE-Uganda Women Writer Association, which she has referred to as â€Å"a literary home of sorts†. Tropical fish by Doreen Baingana is a collection if eight linked short stories about three sister- Patti, Rosa, and Christine- as they journey through life in the town of Entebbe, Uganda. The story is a bildungsroman. With the exception of lost in in Los Angeles, all eight stories are set in Uganda and they all deal with the choice they made and where it led them even though the story was set in the period after Idi Amin’s misrule abd the deterioration that was impossible itself on the country, politics was never the object, except in some places where references are made to it such as when an ex all-european school was left to deteriorate and the seventy-two hours ultimatum given to the idians in Uganda to leave. The story begins with Green stones as the youngest of the three daughters admires her mother’s jewellery purchased by her husband anytime he arrives from the numerous fraves. The title story Tropical Fish is the story of Christine, before she left for the US, and her newly found boyfriend, peter, an expatriate who exports tropical fish. The story is about the high-risk teenage life of sex, drinking and abortion. Peter and Christine met the dated almost instantly. They started having sex in peter’s huge white house located in a plush hill top residential area –christine got pregnant but would not tell peter because he might think she wants his money. Doreen Baingana’s Tropical fish works to undercut monolithic nations of Africa female experience of womanhood. The writer consciously writes against the stereotype of Africa woman as victim. Baingana’s shot stories linked three sisters, forming a family that is stronger than its individuals parts, providing a variety of perspectives on growing up African, Ugandan and relatively privileged. This form and narrative technique is a departure from traditional, postcolonial women’s coming of age, in that it provides the perspectives of three very different young women at different developmental stages. In this way, Tropical fish works to undercut monolithic notions of Africa female experience of womanhood. Baingana provides a textured and complex picture of middle-class African womanhood within a specific urban location. As the children of government buveaucrats, the three sisters attend the best schools in Entebbe, are sent to prestigious private boarding schools, and are part of the elite at Makerere University. In the words of rosa, one of the sisters, the girls are. The cream of the crop. â€Å"hunger† is also written from oldest sister The writer Doreen Baingana also focused on the minutiae of the girl’s lives, rather than larger political themes in the volatile period after Idi Amin’s dictatorship, is a strategic choice the story demonstrates the ways in which ordinary people go about living their lives, sun living political repressions and economic decline. With Tropical fish Baingana has also startedto create a new language for exploring week female subjectivity. Though some stories will grip the reader more than others, the collection gives singular insights into women’s lives on the African continent and in the diapora, and will be useful for exploring race class and identity in a women’s studies classroom Baingana’s Tropical fish explores some thematic preoccupation in which some of them will be discussed †¢ Sex and relationship: The story Tropical fish is a refusal to feel ashamed of sexual pleasure in the face of nightmarish circumstances, a riposte to the politics of respectability and that often get in the way of dealing with the epidemic, and it draws together the rest of the stories ever bringing some previous characters back which are all about female hungers and desires in one way or another. †¢ Family saga: The novel is about series of short stories connected into one modern day Uganda family’s history. It really gives a flavor of modern east African life. The author so subtly sands the reader into the upheaval of an upper-class family upended by an angry alcoholic father, the post Amin era, the protagonist’s eransition from African to American and back again. †¢ Indecency on campus: This can be seen in the way peter lives his life by drinking on campus. Also, the way Christine lives her life as a young girls shows indecency. †¢ Exploitation: This can be seen when a white man exports exotic fish. Peter exports tropical fishes in so many parts of the world. Explaining Doreen’s style of writing, firstly on how she came up with the title for the book, Doreen explains that she intends. The fish as a metaphor for the lives of the three sisters. Swimming through life with this rough and calm water. Doreen also tells the audience that adults try to suppress the child in them, but she has found writing as a way to unsuppress the child in her, this is especially evident in the first story â€Å"Green Stores† Also, Doreen Baingana uses sex to lead us into a scientific question to put out our hypothesis in form of research. Tropical fish looks like a vividly narrated story. Doreen description of tropical fish is a unique form of everyday life practice in our planet that humans and animals do to succeed in getting there, where they want to be in life. Doreen Baingana exemplifies the deep rooted African problem of abusive relationships that our women find themselves in but can not end due to cultural sanctions. The story Tropical fish also dissects a domestic crisis that men have long ignored selfishly, with consequence weighing heavily on women. Doreen also uses the idea of addressing culture and identity with so much history. It is crystal clear from Doreen’s outline and her idea that we virtually labor for everything that we do be it for pleasure or game. Nothing good comes easily. After having a critical study on the novel Tropical fish by Doreen Baingana, we have discussed so far about the author, the summary of the novel, the context of the novel which is African female experience of womanhood, the thematic preoccupation, the style at which the writer writes the play in which she makes use of narration and also, the writers ideology on the novel.

The 5 P’s of International Business

If you're wondering why nations trade with each other. It's because of the 5 P's: Product, Price, Proximity Promotion, and Preference. Product No country can produce all its own goods and services, a trade is obvious solution. A country's resources determine what goods and services it can produce. PriceDue to wages, taxes, fuel and other transportation costs, the costs of producing various goods from country to country may vary. Businesses in foreign countries may be able to produce products cheaper, which they can sell their products at a lower price at Canada. ProximityBorder cities such as Windsor and Ontario are tremendously influenced by their American counterparts. Businesses from both sides of the border share and exchange goods and services. Promotion With global technology such as the internet, business can let people far away know about the goods and services they are selling.Factoring Affecting The Flow Of Goods ; ServicesConsumer Needs and IncomesThe amount of money that consumers have to spend has a direct impact on the flow of goods and services in a country. In some parts in the world some people have a lot of money to spend while in other places people's income barely cover basic needs. Currency Values Most nations have their own kind of currency. The exchange rate refers to the value of one's country' currency against the currencies of other countries. It helps determine how much we pay for imported goods and services and how much we receive for what we export. When the Canadian dollars falls, imported goods become more expensive, and we tend to reduce the volume of our imports. How To Convert To Other CurrenciesConverting Canadian To Another Currency:Canadian dollar is trading at 80 US Cents How many US dollars will purchase $40 worth of Canadian products?Amount = Fund x Rate1 Can = 0.8 US1 x 40 Can = 0.8 x 40 US40 Can = 32 US$32 American to buy $40 worth of Canadian products.Converting Another Currency To Canadian:Given that the Canadian dollar is trading at 90 US cents. How many Canadian dollars will purchase $70 worth of American products?Amount = 1 divide Rate x Fund1 Can = 0.9 US1 divide 0.9 CAN = 0.9 divide 0.9 US1.11 x 70 Can = 1 x 70 US77.78 CAN = 70 US$77.78 Canadian to buy $70 worth of American products.Advantages And Disadvantages Of International BusinessAdvantages: increased markets for businessesa broader choice of products, services, and prices for consumerscreate jobsexchange knowledge which results in new approaches to production, marketing, and selling.political benefits: partners in trade seldom go to war with each otherimprove understandingincrease the level of respect people have for one another. Disadvantages: less money to spend on domestic goodsnew industries will not be able to compete with well-established industries in other countriesunfair competition due to cheap foreign labourcompetition from foreign enterprises may lead to losing of jobsBarriers To International BusinessTariffCountries place a tax called a tariff on-in-coming goods to protect domestic manufacturing. A tariff barrier slows the entry of foreign goods by making them more expensive.QuotaThis is a limit on the number of products in a category that can come into a country. The quota on clothing and textile import.EmbargoEmbargo is a complete stop to the transfer goods and it is often used as a form of political or social protest. Health and Safety Standards Countries can set such high health and safety standards for imported goods that it becomes more difficult for foreign competitors to enter the market. Trade Agreement & PactsOne of the earliest trade agreements the GATT ( General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) brought over 100 major trading nations in 1947.It was based on 3 major principles:equal non-discriminatory treatment for all member nationsgeneral reduction of tariffsthe eliminations of non-tariff barriers

Rock and Roll Music History in Asia Research Paper

Rock and Roll Music History in Asia - Research Paper Example It is not easy to believe, however there was once a time when there was not any trace of rock music. Many of the music historians guess the origins of the rock music back in the year 1954. According to them, it was the phase when the new form of music called â€Å"rock and roll† surfaced and revolted musical trends. The younger generation was happened to be most affected by this new form of music. Rock and Roll music changed the entire world of music and gave new waves of rhythms (Allen 54). This new form of music, of course did not originate in isolation, but was an outcome from the union of two musical forms. These two forms were rhythm-n-blues and country, along with a vista of technological enhancements that developed an innovative beginning of a music market. Similar to jazz, rhythm-n-blues created from the music form called blues. The blues songs were actually getting their concept and origin from African spirituality and work records sung by the African-Americans living the South. One of the greatest creators in the 1950s of the rock music, Little Richard has mostly expressed that rhythm-n-blues had an offspring and it was known as rock and roll. He was definitely right, and numerous eminent artists of Rock and Roll were also the part of the origination of the music form. Among many of them, there were Muddy Waters, Joe Turner, Ray Charles, and Willie Mae Thornton. Initially, the rock and roll became admired in small clubs and on the radio. Afterwards, with the introduction of some famous radio programs, teenagers were able to enjoy their favorite bands on television. Although, not everyone was enthusiastic about this form of music. The majority of the parents didn’t appreciate the evocative dancing, wayward lyrics, and piercing, fast beats (Gill 102). A little time earlier, specifically during the 40s and 50s, rhythm and blues were also growing. Initiated primarily in the rural areas blues created its way into the urban cities. Rhythm and blues were made up of quite peculiar and different styles, including doo-wop and black gospel tunes. Probably, its most crucial aspect was a particular type of twelve bar blues. However, conventional rhythm and blues artists were African American and the topic of the songs mostly had arousal references, it never completely obtained the approval of a national audience like several other famous sounds of the time. Also, most of the music rock and roll artists were the rebellious teenagers who started their musical career while disobeying their parents (Nash 115). In the history of Asian rock and roll, India has been a unique example among developing markets and had a record industry especially in the Gramophone Company of India. The records were largely available, including the rock and roll acts from Britain and the United States. Among these mid 1960s music groups, one of the most famous were the Mystiks originated from Bombay, the Flinstone from Calcutta and Madrasi Beat X. All these groups were influenced by the British invasion and hard rock. These music styles were mostly played regularly in Indian universities and colleges. The origin of Chinese rock music was supposed to be in Beijing. Being the nation’s capital, the genre of the music was tremendous criticized and generated a series of foreign impacts. It was unimportant for the majority of the 1980s, comprising of live shows in minor bars and hotels. The music style was nearly exclusively f or the purpose of high

Culture Event Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Culture Event - Essay Example It helped in eliciting the right mood for the artwork. Besides, there is the use of size seen in the manner in which each of the objects in the foreground, middle ground and background occupy proportionately larger, large and small areas respectively. This is used along side the element of space as it helps in creating stability amongst different objects. Moreover, the artist carefully used lines throughout the artwork to help in defining shapes and make them to stand out strongly in the painting. Lastly, there is the use of form as can be evidenced in the use of 3-dimensional strategy in all the objects. On the other hand, the artist incorporated the use of the principle of balance in which a visual stability was established using 3-dimensional shapes. It helped in a proper distribution of weight throughout the artwork. This is blended with the principle of rhythm and repetition in which important objects are rhythmically repeated throughout the image so as to help in creating focus and emphasis. All these helped in producing a proportionate and real image that shows an actual situation being

Estimating Purchasing and Cost Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Estimating Purchasing and Cost Control - Essay Example Cost management is an integral part of financial control and management in any for profit and non-profit organisation, notwithstanding the industry or sector. The same applies particularly to the engineering and construction sector in which the huge amounts of financial and other resources pumped must be accounted for to stakeholders such as the government, project funders and the public/customers.Unfortunately, for various reasons, many countries’ construction sectors lag behind in the use of cost control techniques such as the Cost Value Reconciliation (CVR) and Earned Value (EV), two rather common methods of cost control. Many a stakeholder cites the technical skills and the huge resources required as the reasons many constructions firms and financial managers do not apply CVR in their cost control practices. Most affected by the cost and skill requirements of CVR and other cost control techniques such as CVR and Earned Value (EV) are the small and medium-sized construction and engineering firms that lack the wherewithal to design and implement these techniques of cost control. The other reason for the little use of cost control techniques such as CVR and EV is the apparent lack of literary coverage and information on these methods, implying that stakeholders are not quite conversant with the metho.Nonetheless, these methods are generally used in the construction and engineering industry to measure and monitor project progress, profitability and performance for their strengths. One advantage of EV is that it is capable of combining the assessment of work cost, schedule and scope in a single integrated process or system. What is more, Earned Value gives accurate information and forecasts on project problems, which are important contributory factors in project management. EV has been shown to affect project planning and control aspects more even as it improves project scope and the analysis of project performance. EV is thus a positive predictor of proj ect success. The popularity of EV is evident in the many government contracts that are assessed using this method, more so in its application to assist substantiate contract disputes. This paper explores the use of cost control methods such as the Coat Value Reconciliation (CVR) and the Earned Value (EV) with regards to their effectiveness in providing information on costs, in the monitoring work progress, their benefits, ease of use, advantages and disadvantages. Practicing CVR and EV The importance of using these cost control methods in the construction and engineering sector is the uniqueness and the uncertainties that characterise each project. In fact, every project in the industry has its own set of challenges and hardships that affect not only their successful completion but also their effective use of the available resources. The uncertainties inherent in construction projects result in losses and ultimate project collapse even for big, long-established, sophisticated and fi nancially endowed constructors (Potts, 2008). With more sophisticated structures being ordered by clients every other day with the budgets getting tighter by the day, construction firms must embrace cost control and sound finance management to achieve their objectives. Just like any other cost control measures, CVR has several core elements or principles by which it is successfully applied to give the required data. Important in CVR are the totals for cost and value, which are crucial in establishing a firm’s profitability (Sidwell, 2005). In this regard, CVR’s major objective is to achieve accuracy while displaying a firm’s accounts. CVR’s display of financial accounts and position is thus among the most accurate compared to other methods. It is thus quite apparent that CVR seeks to portray a firm’s statutory accounts as a legal obligation (Sidwell, 2005). Additionally vital is CVR’

The challenger space shuttle 1986 Research Paper

The challenger space shuttle 1986 - Research Paper Example ing a joint on the right firm rocket booster, which permitted pressurized hot gases plus finally blaze to â€Å"blow by† the O-ring making contact with the neighboring tank, and eventually leading to structural failure. Thus the failure of the 2 rubber O-rings was found to be from a faulty design, whose functioning could be very easily have been compromised by factors comprising of the very low temperatures on the sunrise of the fateful day of the launch. There were specific individuals at NASA as well as amongst contractors who were worried about the reliability of the fasteners on the firm rocket boosters in such cold weather (Henry, 2004). The report broadly pointed out the contributing causes such as the failure of both Morton Thiokol as well as NASA to adequately respond to the risk posed by the poor joint design. Instead of redesigning the joint, both parties defined the issue as a tolerable flight

Internet browser market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internet browser market - Essay Example Google is another type of search engine which currently garners most of the global market share for search engines across the world. Google sites include Google Chrome. Mozilla Firefox, also a popular option for Internet users in the United Kingdom, is an open source web browser. The market shares of the Internet economy in the United Kingdom has undergone significant changes in the past five years. Prior to 2010, the dominant market leader was the Microsoft-owned, internet explorer. However, Google’s Chrome has come to surpass the internet explorer with most recent statistics depicting it as the leader (Haucap and Heimeshoff, 2014, p. 60). As of March 2015, according to statistics by StatCounter, the leading search engines in the internet economy of the United Kingdom is Google sitting comfortably at 50.03 percent followed by the former internet giant internet explorer that has 17.93% of the market. The third market leader is Mozilla Firefox that controls 16.83%of the market followed by safari that controls 9.93%.Opera browsing engine controls 1.68% of the market and is in the fifth position. The five comprise the five market giants with the other least known search engines garnering the remaining 4.6 percent. The type of market structure existing for the search engines in the internet economy of the United Kingdom is the imperfect type of market structure. This type of market economy can also be said to be a monopolistic type of structure. The reason is that the primary market controllers are few (i.e. the five companies mentioned above) with Google Company as the market leader. Furthermore, the number of internet users in the United Kingdom continues growing in number owing to the easy and cheap access to internet providing gadgets such as the mobile phone (Hidalgo and Oviedo, 2014, p. 39). The number is, therefore, Large in comparison to the few companies available that can provide the service. It, therefore, follows that the companies, mainly

What is a Router Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What is a Router - Essay Example The operating system of traditional routers was created to offer networking services like basic routing and switching functions, secure and reliable access to resource and computers in a network and offer network scalability. Packet forwarding is achieved by routers through a process called routing. There are two types of routing processes, static routing and dynamic routing. Static routing is done through manual configuration where network addresses, subnet masks, and IP addresses of the next hop router or exit interface are specified manually. It is used when a network only has few routers, and there is only one ISP connected to the Internet. Dynamic routing is where IP addresses are added to the routing table by use of dynamic routing protocols. Dynamic routing allows router to share information of their reachability and status of other remote networks. Dynamic routers allow for network discovery, maintaining and updating routing tables. The advantage of dynamic routing is that there is less administrative tasking when adding and deleting a network address and allows more scalability. Traditional routers only performed one function, and that is packets forwarding, but advancements in technology have allowed the routers to do more than that. Advanced routers today are built to include applications that perform functions that deal with firewalls, voice monitoring, voice gateways, encryption services and virtual private network concentration. Other service-integrated router by other technologies includes the juniper integrated service router like the MX Series 3D Universal edge router and T series IP/MPLS core. Cisco 2800 series, Cisco 400 series and the Cisco 800 series. Routers being used today are becoming more of complete computer than just routers for forwarding data packets. Routers are still routers despite the many functions they perform. This is because a routers default function is to create the

Town Quay development at Southampton Waterfront Assignment

Town Quay development at Southampton Waterfront - Assignment Example The area is considered as a prime location because of its panoramic view of the sea and the volume of business activity surrounding the area. Although it is currently being used as a car park, the business potential of the area is quite considerable. There is a need to comprehensively and meticulously plan how the development project will operate to avoid any problems that may make the venture a failure. One must always take into consideration that a comprehensive evaluation of local and government planning policies and guidelines should be undertaken to ensure that the project is harmonious with them. The main goal is that the development actually complements and benefits the surrounding area and addresses the needs of the community. In short, the project is to be undertaken with full regards to the community as a whole. It has long been recognized that this strategy is one determining factor in the financial viability and sustainability of the venture. In the development appraisal portion, an analysis is provided on the following: planning constraints, observable constraints, uncertain matters to be investigated, access and egress, neighbours and any other matters that are likely to influence the success of the development. A development plan is then provided that shows the layout for building massing, use and phasing, suggested storey heights, parking, landscaping, access and egress. We make use of an ordinance survey map to illustrate the scheme. Following this is an evaluation of how the development plans and the site appraisal fares with the aspirations of the local planning authority. It is also in this section where an analysis of how the scheme will fit in with the established property market, ABP's dock estate and the surrounding buildings. After all this, a residual valuation that analyzes the commercial viability is presented along with the provision of 3 options showing how ABP may obtain a return from the site. Section 1 - Appraisal of the Site Planning Constraints Local and government planning policies should be evaluated when planning for any development. Any project that fails to do this has a greater chance of failure as local laws are sufficient grounds for non-continuance of the project. In any case, we are developing the area for the local population and we don't want them to be alienated. In evaluating, there is a need to determine what construction practices and parameters are allowed on the area. For example, vertical structures may only have a

Tube feeding Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tube feeding - Annotated Bibliography Example The results of the article show that patients may die or sustain serious injuries when the nurse administering to them loses the nasogastric feeding tube during insertion process or when the patients are using the tubes. The implication of the article is to provide nurses will the knowledge and skill to manage the nasogastric feeding tubes wisely. The purpose of the article was to enlighten the a nurse practitioner as far as feeding tube complication, contemporary feeding tubes, and the use of feeding tubes are concerned, particularly when it comes to the pediatric population. The study primarily depended on literature review with academic databases such as PubMed, Ovid Medline, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL being in use. The study revealed that all children who could not take nutrition through normal or oral means qualified for tube feeding. In addition, the study found out that a nurse practitioner (NP) could use gastrojejunostomy (GJ) tubes, pediatric gastrostomy (G) tubes, and nasogastric (NG) tubes on children. The implication of the research is to inform about how to care for children with enteral feeding tube access and how NPs can handle such patients in their daily routines. The reporter outlines some of the major skepticisms against the feeding tube, particularly as it relates to Parkinsons Patients and aspiration pneumonia. In essence, the reporter cites the views of various experts concerning the contentious topic where some experts allude to the fact that the use of feeding tube can significantly reduce the risk of catching aspiration pneumonia. On the other hand, some experts are opposed to the placement of the device on Parkinsons Patients, arguing that it is highly unlikely to extend the lives of such patients. The implication of this newspaper article is to provide the nurses and public with general and specific information concerning the potent of the feeding tube on Parkinsons and aspiration pneumonia Patients. Tube feeding is important

Strong type of sympathy Essay Example for Free

Strong type of sympathy Essay The novel, Frankenstein, was written in 1815, when the author, Mary Shelley, was 19 years old. Marys family took her on a holiday throughout Europe. One night, in Geneva, the travelling group were quite bored, so they decided to tell ghost stories. Mary couldnt think of a story, so she went to sleep and dreamt the story of Frankenstein. There were also other influences for Frankenstein. Shelley liked the new technologies, and she always went to see the best shows. She was also interested in Luigi Galvanis work. He tried to prove dead and alive muscle used electric impulses. Shelley also liked Romantic writing, which is the concept of worshiping things natural. In the novel she shows her respect for natural beauty by showing the Artic as a place that Walton admires. She also created the gothic style of writing, which expresses a concern for identity, with the monster that has no name that wanders pointlessly. To give him a name is to give him power. Frankenstein is a story about a man from Geneva, Victor Frankenstein. He is a wealthy man that has a love for the woman he grew up with, Elisabeth. He moves to Ingolstadt to study Science and Medicine. He gets so obsessed with his ambition of finding the secret of life that he creates a monster from dead body parts. He runs from it and it plots is revenge by making Victor suffer as he did. As he follows him and tortures him, Victor meets Walton, our narrator. He sends many letters to his sister. He is similar to Victor and slightly the monster, in the way that they wish to achieve, but Victor prevents the loss of lives on Waltons ship. The monster, meanwhile, wants, but probably never will have a companion. Victor does, however, achieve his dream of finding the secret of life, although it goes horribly wrong. Neither of the protagonists dreams are what they thought they might be. Walton is an explorer that wants fame and fortune, but he also wants someone similar to him, a friend. Even though, as a Captain, he has his crew, they are expendable. He is willing to achieve by breaking any boundaries. On his deathbed, Waltons father begged him not to become an explorer, but as Walton has a rebellious behaviour, he disobeys his fathers last wish. At meeting with Victor, he changes for the better. He finds an admirable figure, someone that thinks the same way as him. Victor has already been through the pain of ambition seeking. He convinces Walton to save his crews lives and heads home. One of the lines that convince Walton is Do you share my madness? What he means is that his ambitions are madness, as they only end in disappointment. Also, as the narrator, he writes the letters to his sister, and therefore the novel, in corrupt narrative, which, in this novel, means that the story was first said by the monster, then edited by Victor to make him look like the victim, then, finally, the reader gets Waltons version on the story, who prefers Victor as he knows him and because he is similar to him. He also speaks in a romantic style, as he speaks in a way that shows the Artic as a place of beauty, whereas the other characters see it as a desolate place, with no life. Victor Frankenstein, the main character, or protagonist, is an ambitious man from Geneva. He dreams of finding the secret of life. Once he arrives in Ingolstadt, his university, he finds his work uncontrollably consuming his life. He begins with research, how he can make the perfect man from dead flesh. He decides he can sew the perfect limbs together. Then he uses the natural power of lightning (with pathetic fallacy as storms are intimidating and come on only dreary nights [It was a dreary night in November]) to put an electric shock into the dead body. This is what he believes is the secret of life. He believes his task is filled with delight and rapture, this means that before he sees the monster alive, he believes that he has already had great success over so much labour. Shelley also puts his actions into a god-like figure, which can create and destroy life as he wishes. Shelley also uses religious words, such as rapture, creator, species and even later on, demonical. Victor soon realises that his experiment is a massive failure. He expected a perfect, clever human to be produced, but he got a scarred monster that he describes as wretch. He inflicts pain, mainly emotionally, on it, by running away. As it cannot speak, the monster is left alone for dead. Victor learns that being a god isnt so easy, as when he creates the monster, he finds that he is more of a father than a god. He has responsibilities although he does not help the monster and prays cholera kills him. This shows Victor in his true form, selfish. Victor also uses romantic language to describe life. He shows that by creating life, he is doing the world good, creating an almighty species that nature will accept: A new species would accept me as its creator exclaims Victor. Shelley also portrays, as previously mentioned, the three protagonists all having similar dreams. They all just want companions. Victor wishes for Elisabeth, the monster, someone similar to him and Walton, his sister. The monsters dream is to be accepted by one person. He doesnt want money or fame, just someone that looks like him. Even at the creation of his life, all he wanted was to be accepted by everyone, but later, he saw this as being impossible. He believes that as Victor has caused him so much pain, all he wants is for Victor to experience it by having no one to love him. The monster also believes that Victor has acted with cowardice and selfishness, by running away and leaving the monster to a horrible fate. Even when the monster begs for a companion, Victor eventually rejects his offer and selfishly abandons him on his own, crushing his dream. The reader eventually gets to like the monster, as they start to feel sympathy for him, as he has nothing to hope for and no one to share his life with. Even after the monster attempts to learn English, which he thinks is a gift from gods, (from the quote Godlike Science)only two people experience his education fully, the blind De Lacy man and Victor. The monster is also quite secretly persuasive; he wishes for Victor to make another monster, he also attempts to make the reader feel sympathetic towards him with lines like Was I then a monster, from which all men fled? which make the reader wish they were in the story to help, which proves it is quite a strong type of sympathy. Shelley also uses the monster as a way of pointing out human flaws. She shows that no matter how different someone is, another person will always find faults or be intimidated by someone else. Frankenstein also has a subtitle; it is also named The Modern Prometheus. The classical story is about a human named Prometheus, who steals fire from the god Zeus to have an advantage over animals. This causes only pain and suffering for animals. In the modern Prometheus, Frankenstein is Prometheus as he defies the gods and takes their role as creator. As comeuppance, he is chained to a rock and his liver was eaten by an eagle every night, just to be healed at daybreak. This is a symbol for the ongoing pain of both Frankenstein and the monster. Even though, as the novel says, ambitions results in nothing other than pain, the advancement in modern medicine is an amazing feat. It has, meanwhile, sparked controversy, with subjects like stem cell research that could potentially be harming living organisms. The character that I favour most is the monster as he has been through nothing but pain throughout his entire life, whereas the other protagonists have been fed with a silver spoon. I think that the novel of the story is that if you are willing to put everything at risk to succeed, be prepared to fail.

The Renaissance Period Of English Literature

The Renaissance Period Of English Literature The Renaissance Period injected English literature with a new and innovative life; it was a time for rediscovering classical texts, coining new words, and both translating and imitating classical forms. This inspiration arose from Ancient Greek, Roman and Italian writers, such as Homer, Virgil and Petrarch. These writers inspired new poets of 17th century England to look towards old literature, with the intention to improve new literature; the Renaissance Period was thus a time for rebirth. Thomas Wyatt was greatly influenced by the Italian poet, Petrarch, and consequently, he derived the sonnet from him, introducing it into English poetry. He was thus inspired by Petrarch, and translated many of his sonnets into English, yet adapted them to create some originality and also to reflect his own personal experiences. Wyatts poetry was chiefly designed to entertain, for example, Whoso List to Hunt? I know where is an hind is a courtly poem, written for a distinct audience and predominantly intended to entertain the court. However, whilst King Henry VIII ruled the throne, many writers found it difficult to talk about courtly matters through their poetry, since they could easily be imprisoned for offending the King. Sir Thomas More comments on this dilemma, stating that, By the indirect approach you must seek and strive to the best of your power to handle matters tactfully (710). His use of the word tactfully is intended to mean that writers had to be subtle yet skilful if they were to convey their intended message without becoming imprisoned. This was often achieved through the power of translation. Wyatts Whoso List to Hunt is a reinterpretation of Petrarchs Rime 190 and thus not a direct translation, since the poem is thought to indirectly refer to Wyatts love for Anne Boleyn, with Caesar representing King Henry VIII. The narrator in the poem is contending with his king for the doe, ensuing in a more direct and potentially precarious series of consequences for the narrator. The 1534 Treason Act, stated that anybody could be executed for what they said or wrote, yet Wyatt avoided being accountable for his words through the beauty of translation, proverbs, and ambiguity. For example, in 1541, one of the chief accusations against Wyatt was that he said in conversation with his friends in Spain that he feryd that the king shulde be caste owte of a Cartes arse (life and letters p189), which was a way of hanging common criminals. Susan Bridgen states, that Wyatt was judged at last upon the fine distinction between whether he had said whether the king would be cast out of a carts arse, like a thief as he was hanged, or simply left out, his interests ignored. His fate hung upon judgements between tenses and syllables. (p29 of article) Although he was put in prison for this, he defended and ultimately saved himself by claiming that the carts arse was proverbial, and thus not literal. This is a further reason why Wyatt uses ambiguity in the majority of his poetry ; he cannot be punished if there is no set meaning behind his poems. states that in order to express at the same time the code of courtly love and his own problems, he had to eliminate from his poetry everything which was too narrow and specific in one way or the other. Translation and imitation thus shaped the poetry of the Renaissance, since both these forms acted as a mask to hide the poet conveying the instability of both courtly life, and courtly love, whilst at the same time improving the quality of English Literature during this period. Through Wyatts translated version of Whoso List to Hunt, it is apparent that he has used his own opinions and emotions to transform the interpretation, yet his reinterpretation of Petrarchs original is still referred to as a translation. Despite Wyatt having to write discreetly, writes that probably the necessity of discipline to use a technique of camouflage imposed a useful artistic discipline on him. Wyatt carefully adapts Petrarchs form and manipulates the original content to cunningly convey his message. The reader can then interpret the poem as they wish; Wyatt thus aims to entertain, teach, and convey a sense of morality. When considering Harold Blooms statement in this essay question, he argues that influenced poets are Original, though not therefore necessarily better. I would disagree with this statement simply because although Wyatt uses Petrarchs idea of the doe as an allegory, he was the first poet to adopt the notion to introduce the sonnet into English Literature. Moreover, in order to convey his message in the correct manner for his time, he had no choice but to translate Petrarchs poem, because he would have been hanged otherwise for his offensive message to the King. Thus, perhaps Wyatts version is superior, because of his cunning and initiative to make his intended statement about his feelings and court-life in such a discreet manner. Moreover, the translation of any classical literature into English in the Renaissance period was highly respected. Thus, unlike a contemporary poet of today, Wyatt did not need to distinguish himself as an original poet. Daalder (Joost Daalder (Sir Thomas Wya tt: Collected Poems, edited by Joost Daalder (1975)) correctly states that we should not admire something because it is new or old, but because it is intrinsically important and appealing and Wyatt certainly makes his poem engaging, since it was so controversial for its time. Wyatts sonnet is composed of an octave stating an idea or dilemma, followed by a sestet, suggesting a resolution to this problem. The octave in Wyatts translation of Whoso List to Hunt, depicts the unsuccessful pursuit of the hind, whereas the sestet clarifies that the reason the hunter is unable to catch his prey is because she is promised to somebody else; capturing her would jeopardise both the hind and the hunter. Whilst Wyatt uses the same rhyme scheme as Petrarch for the octave in his sonnets, abbaabba, he adapts Petrarchs sestet so it consists of a quatrain and a couplet, which infuses his sonnet with originality. However, by changing Petrarchs structure, some of the rhymes become irregular, particularly because in the Renaissance period, specific words would have been pronounced differently. In Wyatts sonnet, wind (signifying windy), with a short i sound, is designed to rhyme with the long drawn-out assonance of the i in the words hind, behind, and mind. Similarly, in the fin al couplet of the sonnet, the extended sounding of the letter a of tame is expected to rhyme with the a in the word am which is a much more abrupt sound. Thus, if we read this couplet aloud, in order to generate a rhyme, we have to alter how we would usually pronounce the word, which potentially causes a problem for a modern reader of this Renaissance poem. Petrarchs Rime 190 represents an unattainable mistress through the image of a pure-white doe (1), whilst Wyatts hind (1) represents his own love; thus both women referred to are unapproachable objects of desire. Petrarchs use of the word white to describe the deer literally translates to candida in Italian, a word which has strong connotations with purity and innocence. Thus, the depiction of both the courtly hunt and of courtly love clearly represents the dangers involved. Wyatt also modifies the honest and innocent deer in Petrarchs version into a more morally ambiguous animal. By using the original content of the sonnet to his advantage, Wyatt cunningly ensures that his poem operates on the surface as a translation whilst still expressing his own message. Wyatt invests his translation with multiple layers of meaning through the description of the words of Caesar, written about the deers neck, which is graven with diamonds in letters plain. The sign thus suggests eternal beauty, but also loyalty because she is promised to Caesar. The diamond conveys a sense of coldness too, highlighting a lack of virtue, which increases the tension between the speaker and the object of desire, because Caesar is controlling her. In both Petrarchs original sonnet and Wyatts translation, the domination of ownership has protected the deer from being captured, and this image works to Wyatts advantage; he is acknowledging that Anne Boleyn is betrothed to Henry V111. Wyatt thus uses the line Noli me tangere, for Caesars I am (13) to signify that the deer belongs to somebody who is greater and more controlling than the narrator. Again, Wyatt has used the original content of Petrarchs sonnet and adapts the symbolism to his personal situation, conveying his feel ings subtly and indirectly. Furthermore, Wyatts oblique translation imparts a different tone than Petrarchs original. For example, through his language, the attitude of the hunter conveys a sense of lethargy and futility to the reader, Yet I may by no means my wearied mind/Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth afore/Fainting I follow (5-7). A further poignant image which depicts the speaker as completely helpless and unable to catch the object of his desire is conveyed just before the sestet, Sithens in a net I seek to hold the wind (8). He attempts to catch her, but the words, I seek suggest a continued effort of vain pursuit; the speaker is persistently chasing only the wind, because experience has taught him that both wind and deer are equally impossible to catch. This response, however, is not apparent in Petrarchs original, I left work to follow her at leisure (6) and written with topaz (10) which represents chastity. These phrases convey a tone of satisfaction and pleasure, since the words leisure and topaz bear more positive connotations than wearied and fainting. Despite Wyatts speaker conveying complete exhaustion, he is unable to forget the deer, whereas at the end of Petrarchs sonnet, his speaker fell in the stream and she was gone, indicating a sense of closure. Through the imagery of hunting this deer, Wyatt is perhaps signifying the fact that because he is part of the court and under the charge of Henry V111, he is unable to leave the court. Thus, his persistent pursuit of the deer reflects the fact that he cannot leave the court; he is forced to persevere with court-life, which he is now starting to see as both meaningless and unsatisfying, but also dangerous. This could be an indirect criticism of the court, serving as a message of council to his fellow courtiers. Moreover, he is stating that although he is unable to escape from this treacherous environment, through his poetry, he can counsel and advise others against it, whilst subtly expressing the threats he perceives in court-life. By imitating Petrarchs Rime 190, he is able to convey this message ambiguously, and if accused, he can state that his poem has been misinterpreted. The tone of Wyatts version of the poem is also depicted through the manipulation of the sounding of words. Wyatt deliberately emphasises the sound of the repetitive letter h on the words hunt and hind in order to draw attention to these words, whilst creating a harsh tone to signify the narrators frustration at being unable to catch the deer. Moreover, Wyatt chooses to use words with open vowel sounds also in his poem, for example, where, as, and alas. These words, when the poem is read out loud, cause the reader make a sighing noise, which conveys the poems tone of submission and despair. These sighing noises, and the sibilance on the letter s create a despondent mood, and portrays Wyatts feelings of apathy and dejection to the reader, whilst still remaining inside the precincts of a translation. Moreover, Wyatt uses enjambment, leading the reader to be almost out of breath if reading the poem out loud, Yet may I by no means my wearied mind/Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth afore/Fainting I follow (5-7), which mimics the speaker fainting. Petrarch used enjambment in his version too, Like the miser who looking for his treasure/Sweetens with that delight his bitterness. The juxtaposition between bitter and sweet also highlights the speakers dilemma. The enjambment in Wyatts poem could purely be taken from Petrarchs translation, but it figures as highly appropriate in Wyatts version, because it reflects his own fatigued and drained outlook on his hopeless situation. The enjambment mimics Wyatts pursuit of his desire, whilst revealing his own sentiments in his poem. Through imitating Petrarchs poem, Wyatt successfully creates ambiguity within his poem, in which it is possible to read a more personal meaning without making any sort of direct statement that would implicate the poet. Wyatt uses words that can be interpreted in many ways; each word, sound, and image functions on both the literal sense of its translation, yet also on a symbolic level to depict Wyatts personal sorrow.

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp They are two giants of films of our times or the Modern Cinema. Together, the magic they have created for big screen is certainly worthy of discussion as it is the longest lasting partnership between an actor and a director till date and that too only to produce unique cinematic masterpieces of their own kind. Indeed the legendary Director Tim Burton and the pliable acting machine Jonny Depp are under discussion here. How and why have they managed to play together the most successful innings of all times? Who are they? What are the films they have collaborated in? How do they think about each others art? But the most important of all the thoughts would be that Why Tim Burton almost always depends on Johnny Depp and how predictably Mr Depp proves to be a Burton-magnet equally? Why are they inseparable? My essay is going to explore and throw a light on this unique partnership that is continuing to entertain us for the years to come, how it is affecting the viewers and critics alike and if it is worth practicing this bond almost every time? Tim Burton has used his vision to embark on Hollywood genre filmmaking, gathering an international audience and fans. His work also influences a young generation of artists working in film, video and graphic industries. Tim Burton: the name alone enlivens up the images of Gothic landscapes, demonic clowns, and the sombre pleasantness of a loner struggling to find his way into un-accepting world. Like Alfred Hitchcock before him, Tim Burton has become mythical persona, known as much for his physical appearances, alternately described as endearingly passà ©, dork chic, or dishevelled for its highly stylized films. His films have been able to rise above both genre and explanation. The ideas and the material that appear in his work are both universal and timeless. His films, in first place, affect people emotionally rather than being intellectual. This resulted in Tim Burton becoming one of the filmmakers who based their films on their personal visions, the other being Woody Allen, Mart in Scorsese, Stanley Kubirck, David Lynch and Spike Lee. Timothy Walter â€Å"Tim† Burton was born (1958) and grew up in suburban California. He was into drawing and painting since early childhood together with a thing for movies and that too, monster movies. Trying his weird ideas of â€Å"home-made† animation through stop motion in his back yard resulted in his first proper short came into being which was produced by Burtons friend, Rick Heinrichs. Tim Burton managed to get screened and noticed at Chicago Film Festival. Following this, his first live action film Hansel and Gratelfor Disney Channel was released. It kind of went nearly un-noticed and only recently has been un-earthed. Next was the live-action short Frankenweenie which got the attention of the American actor Paul Ruebens who provided Burton the opportunity to materialise his first feature based on Ruebens popular character ‘Pee-Wee Herman into the Pee-Wees BigAdventure (1985)which proved a box office success. When the time came to make Edward Scissorhands, there were many considerations for main role of the film. One prominent of all was to cast Tom Cruise, who was the top shining star of the period who was nearly finalised for the film, due to his star power, the film studios needed. But Tim Burton and the producer Denise di Novi fell for the auditioned, the bored television star, Johnny Depp, who had never done a feature before. John Christopher â€Å"Johnny† Depp was born (1963) in Kentucky, USA. He was mostly known for strange and unusual characters, playing as a garage band musician in his early teens. He covered many a mile stones while staying within the music circles. His make-up artist wife introduced him to Nicolas Cage, and it was him who advised Depp to pursue an acting career. According to Squidoo (2010), Depps talent was first recognised in television series 21 Jump Streetby audience and he was regarded as a teen idol. Depp diverted his focus to suitable film roles because of uncomfortable characterization in television roles. It was then, when ‘Edward Scissorhands stepped into his life to change his fate forever. Depp recalls the memorable encounter with Burton in his exclusive present of forewords for a book, â€Å"Burton on Burton† based on interviews of the director, when he wasnt doing much, rather stuck up with a television series and after even finishing it, its post traumas. He received a script which referred to a story of boy with scissors for hands. It was certainly a change, a breath of fresh air that he got quite excited and obsessed with the script and read a couple times. Under-estimating his selection as a possible candidate for the ‘Edward, he went on to meet Burton and the producer in LA. Post three hour long meeting, Depp remembers the thought of certainty of him not being the Edward of Burtons film. Weeks later he couldnt believe his fate when he got a call saying â€Å"you are Edward Scissorhands†. There was a path that seemed to be appearing in front of Depp. Salisbury (2008) stated that after their first work together, i.e. Burtons Edward Scissorhands (1990), both of them have taken their relation to produce some of the best work of their respective careers. Johnny Depp is not only lead by Burton but by his own interpretation of a character, whether it is razor-fingered Edward Scissorhands, cross-dressing film director Ed Wood or creepy confectionery king Willy Wonka. Theyve since made five films together including Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; the animated Corpse Bride, Depp doing the voice over for lead character) and, most recently, Sweeney Todd. According to Cortez (2004), Depp again worked with Tim Burton in Ed Wood (1994) proving his flair and winning a. This movie is one of the Burtons highly praised films. In the movie, other than Johnny Depp, there were some vibrant performers including Bill Murray, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi. Both of them, Depp and Burton, once again collaborated in 1999 in Sleepy Hollow. The film was a hit at box office; it was recognised as Burtons extra-ordinary work rather than being seen as Depps star power, as stated by Cortez (2004). For the movie, Depp incorporated some of his own attributes into the character of an officer, named Ichabod Crane having a prudish nature, who is on to solve some mysterious murders taken place recently in and around the town. Depp was able to gain reputation with other directors and the critics also showed some confidence in his abilities. Depps career was at peak with an Oscar to his name for the film Finding Neverland, a Pirates sequel was on line and Tim Burtons eagerly awaited Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was about to be released. As stated by Terry Gilliam after completing Fear and Loathing, â€Å"As far as Im concerned, Johnny Depp is the best actor of his generation. I think hes capable of anything theres no limit to his abilities He doesnt cheat by giving you all these cheap emotions. He wont make you comfortable for him that would be a foot in the grave. â€Å"In reply to this Depp said that he decided to have patience in selecting the roles. He also said that he preferred roles of his interest and not the roles with chance of his career advancement. He also added that he never wanted to be remembered because he was a star. Depp turned down every offer, with full confidence, which did not attract him or was not interesting. Mostly, he rejected the offers because they were in his way of acting in Burtons film. He rejected the offer of acting in Speed and Interview with the Vampire and instead he acted in Tim Burtons best film Ed Wood (1994). Since their first movie together Edward Scissorhands, Burton and Depp shared a strong bond between each other and both individuals are so perfectly similar that Depp became Burtons first and convenient choice for his every movie. According to Winter (2005), Burton once stated, â€Å"Johnny is like a character actor in a leading mans body. He could do it all.† No one had any idea of the consequences of their imaginative collaboration. They both had already made seven blockbusters and their partnership has not ended yet. The classy understanding they both have developed with each other at work, over the years, is one of the important trait of their teamwork at work. They do not face difficulties in explaining anything to each other. They would be speaking normal language, though shorter sentences, on the sets with everyone present but no one would be able to understand it but the person who it is intended for. A Little saying, a gesture and certain look of the director will get look out of the actor that will be termed as â€Å"just what the doctor ordered†. In order to make a grasp of Burtons and Depps style of collaborating, we need to have an insight of their methodology or simply their way of working while developing â€Å"things†. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp worked together in Sweeney Todd (2007) paying a respect, both visually and verbally, to the horror movies they watched in their childhood. Salisbury (2008) stated that both of them have a common favourite movie named Mad Love (1935), with actor Peter Lorre and sharing an expensive acting style like Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney. Depp said, â€Å"Its almost a lost art! [John] Barrymore was a master, but the king for me was Lon Chaney. You go back and watch films like The Penalty and see this rage and sadness, this huge range of emotions, without the luxury of dialogue.† According to Salisbury (2008), Sweeneys lines were cut down every day on set to bare minimum. Burton told, â€Å"Johnny can, just by looking and not saying anything, project pain and sadness and anger and longing. Thats what all those actors could do without a word and that was the exciting thing about this. The storys told through the eyes and the singing. â€Å"As in Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood, Depp played a similar role in Sweeney Todd helping Burton to connect emotionally and psychologically. Depp recalled, â€Å"There were moments when Burton used to say that this is his favourite character.† Johnny also expresses about their bond and the expectations, â€Å"By now people know that when Tim and I get together, they should expect the unexpected. Audiences are again getting to set for yet another beautiful artistic version of Burtons Alice in the wonderland,(rel,Mar,2010) in which by the look of it, we get to see his stars, including Depp again, dazzle in a startlin g look. Film journalist, Geoff Boucher, mentions in Los Angeles Times about his recent telephonic-conversation with Tim Burton on the sets of Alice in Wonderland, â€Å"I told Burton that it seems as if Depp (who has other upcoming roles as an Old West hero, a pirate and a vampire) approaches his acting choices the same way a gleeful kid rummages through a trunk of dress-up clothes; the filmmaker let out a loud laugh†. According to Boucher (2008), Burton replied, â€Å"Its true. Yeah we have a big dress-up clothes trunk here. We take it with us wherever we go.† After all these years and a good load of successful experiences, it is no surprise that Johnny has become a ‘yes man to his Burton. He is never short of words each time when he has to talk about his mentor and which he has memorably expresses on several occasions. As stated by Salisbury (1995, xii) that in Johnny Depps own words, â€Å"You cant label what he does. It is not magic, because that would imply some sort of trickery. It is not just skill, because that seems like it is learned. What he has is very special gift that we dont see every day. It is not enough to call him film-maker. The rare title of ‘genius is better fit, in not just films, but drawings, photographs, thought, insight and ideas.† At another place, stated by Salisbury (1995), the most humble and defining remark comes from the actor himself, â€Å"My life is my life because of Tim,† he once declared. Same is the case in their private lives. In order to analyse the inseparable nature of both the individual professionally, we cannot ignore the importance of their bonding on personal fronts. The once an essential relationship of an actor and director turned-friendship has now turned to something that is much more than mere friendship that holds a unique bond of trust and has personal life touch to it. Depp is now the Godfather to Burtons four year old child. Flipping through the pages of memories, he remembers that â€Å"who would have ever thought it possible that their progeny would be swinging on swing-sets together, or sharing toy cars, toy monsters, and even potentially exchanging chicken pox? This is the ride he never imagined.† Salisbury (1995) stated that Depp showed his emotional side for the director, â€Å"seeing Tim as proud papa is enough to send me into an irrepressible weeping jag, because, as with almost everything, it is in the eyes. Tims eyes have always shone: no question about it, there was always something luminous in those troubled/sad/weary peepers. But today, the eyes of old pal Tim are laser beam! Piercing, smiling contented eyes, with all of the gravity of yester years, but bright with the hope of spectacular future. This was not the case before. There was a man with presumably everything- or so it seemed from the outside. But there was also something incomplete!† There have been numerous arguments on both Burtons and Depps creative partnership on many levels; from newspapers to interviews or from books to online blogs. Some of the members of the public, especially the younger generation consider the â€Å"magical† film relation of both the artists a bit overrated or in some cases, annoying. But this opinion obviously takes its birth from freedom of expression of modern day and need not to be taken very seriously as there is a substantial amount of followers who can never have enough of the results both Burton and Depp churn out. In this context, obviously the critics and the writers have more weighting and almost all of them are the applauding lot of their work. There are some exceptions as well like, although he is all praise for the talented duo, but in one article for Radio Times the known film writer Andrew Collins expresses that he was relieved when Alice inWonderland (to be released, march 2010) was announced that he realised tha t Depp couldnt take the title role. â€Å"But guess what? Hes playing the Mad Hatter. And after that, Burton plans to make Dark Shadows, a vampire story†¦starring Johnny Depp.† Commenting on his article were many, but one particular member of the public responded to it like this: â€Å"This article is like saying that people should stop putting maple syrup on pancakes because people do it too often. Just because they work together often does not mean the work that they accomplish together gets any worse. The pancakes still taste good. The movies are still entertaining. They make amazing movies together so why should they stop?† By exploring the â€Å"strategic† partnership of both the talented ones on most of the projects I would frankly say Why Not? I do not feel hesitant to express that it is no doubt a God-send bonding which has never failed to amuse and amaze us and I am of the opinion that there is nothing wrong with it if they carry on to make more cinematic pieces together in future. While doing that the least they can do, like they always do, is to strive for their repute and continue to bemuse the audiences by weaving more dreams. But still, being somewhat well researched in my own manner and by equally respecting the different argument I cannot turn my back to an interesting and important comment at a film blog by an unknown blogger and I will sum up my essay with that, â€Å"Just the fact that he used Ewan McGregor instead of Depp for Big Fish was refreshing and a big plus for the movie to me. Its like a painter deciding hes only going to use red and yellow for the rest of his career, whe n Id really like to see what he can do with some other colours.† Bibliography  · Answers (2010). â€Å"Tim Burton.† Available at http://www.answers.com/topic/tim-burton [Accessed: 2nd April 2010];  · Boucher, G. (2008). ‘Hero Complex; Tim Burton on Johnny Depp. Los Angeles Times;  · Collins, Andrew. â€Å"Tim Burton Johnny Depp: Joined at the hip?†Radio Times, 30th January 2009. http://www.radiotimes.com/blogs/558-andrew-collins-on-tim-burton-johnny-depp/ [Accessed: 2nd April 2010];  · Los Angeles Times (2010). â€Å"Hero Complex.† Available at http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2008/10/tim-burton-talk.html [Accessed: 2nd April 2010];  · Fraga, Kristian. â€Å"Tim Burton Interview. Mississippi, USA: University Press. 2005;  · Salisbury, Mark. â€Å"Burton Depp: Partners in crime.† The Envelope (Los Angeles Times), January 2nd 2008. http://www.deppimpact.com/mags/transcripts/envelope_02jan08.html [Accessed: 1st April 2010];  · Salisbury, Mark. â€Å"Burton on Burton†. United Kingdom: Mackays of Charham. 1995;  · SquiWho (2010). â€Å"Who is Johnny Depp?† Available at http://www.squidoo.com/Johnny_Depp13 [Accessed: 2nd April 2010];  · Tim Burton Collective News (2010). â€Å"Alice #1 at Box Office: $116 Mil. Opening Weekend.† Available at http://www.timburtoncollective.com/labels/charlie%20and%20the%20chocolate%20factory.html [Accessed: 3rd April 2010];  · Winter, Jessica. â€Å"Depp and Meaningful.† Time Out (UK), April 6-13 2005. http://www.deppimpact.com/mags/transcripts/timeout_06apr05.html [Accessed: 1st April 2010]; http://www.timburtoncollective.com/labels/charlie%20and%20the%20chocolate%20factory.html

Essay --

La adiccià ³n al tabaco es un problema muy comà ºn, es un producto que se vende a libre comercio, una droga social, que no està ¡ mal vista, pero sin embrago es causa de muchas enfermedades que pueden acabar en la muerte. La adiccià ³n implica a su vez la existencia de tolerancia; sà ­ndrome de abstinencia y el consumo compulsivo de la droga. El principal componente por lo cual esta droga es tan adictiva es la nicotina, cada vez que inhala, el fumador promedio consume entre 1 y 2 mg de nicotina por tabaco (Jacome, 2012). Se involucra el factor social y psicolà ³gico del fumador que incrementa y justifica su consumo asociado a otras drogas como el alcohol, hacià ©ndolo una tendencia o costumbre, lo que provoca mayor consumo de tabaco y a su vez mayor dependencia; entre las costumbres mà ¡s comunes està ¡n el â€Å"fumar despuà ©s de comer†, â€Å"fumar mientras se bebe†, â€Å"fumar antes de dormir†, entre otras. 2.1.2 Historia del tabaco y situacià ³n actual El consumo del tabaco es un acto que viene producià ©ndose desde hace mà ¡s de 2000 aà ±os. En la actualidad se vive en un mundo mà ¡s comunicado y tecnolà ³gico que demuestra la magnitud de este problema, es una costumbre global. Se ha demostrado que la mayorà ­a de los fumadores comienzan el consumo del tabaco en la adolescencia. El mundo cuenta en la actualidad con aproximadamente 1300 millones de fumadores, lo que viene a suponer que casi uno de cada tres adultos del planeta fuman (Sanchez, 2010). Se estima la muerte de mas de 5 millones de personas al aà ±o por el consumo del tabaco, lo que indica una cifra de 14.000 cada dà ­a. Esto se da en mayor parte en paises en vias de desarrollo ya que tienen un menor grado de conciencia en comparacià ³n con los desarrollados que son mà ¡s realistas y saben mà ¡s de à ©sta epidemia. L... ...prioridad de salud pà ºblica?, s.f). Las tà ©cnicas aversivas tambià ©n son de mucha ayuda, estas se llevan a cabo a travà ©s de la asociacià ³n del tabaco con està ­mulos desagradables para asà ­ provocar una sensacià ³n de rechazo frente al tabaco. Otra tà ©cnica existente es la tà ©cnica de autocontrol, ideada para que el propio fumador pueda aplicarse estrategias que limiten su conducta con relacià ³n al tabaco, de esta forma el fumador puede analizar y tomar conciencia de los detalles de su forma de consumo para luego realizar modificaciones voluntarias del hà ¡bito. Existen tambià ©n terapias alternativas que pueden ayudar a dejar de fumar, como la hipnosis, la meditacià ³n, la acupuntura y el Tai Chi. Estas terapias pueden ayudar a las personas que necesitan superar crisis de ansiedad, irritabilidad, depresià ³n, y otros sà ­ntomas de abstinencia relacionados con el consumo del tabaco.

Comparing Gilgamesh and King Arthur :: comparison compare contrast essays

Gilgamesh and King Arthur The Epic of Gilgamesh has many similarities to The Legend of King Arthur. Although Gilgamesh and King Arthur have comparison they also have differences. The main difference is that one is an Epic and the other is a Legend. To compare and contrast The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Legend of King Arthor, one must first know what the words, "Epic" and "Legend" mean. Primarily, "epic" is a long narrative poem about the deeds of a semi-god, also known as a superhuman hero who's actions are depended on as the fate of a nation, tribe or a human race. This usually consists of an adventure filled plot and is concerned with timeless human problems such as honour, jealousy, war and hatred. These contain gods and goddesses and the setting is fixed in a far distant place at a time long past. Epics are based on legends and myths. Secondly, "legend" consists of a protagonist (superman) who manages to solve some problems that a group of people have encountered. This too consists of an adventure filled plot. In knowing the words, epic and legend there is now a better comprehension of these wondrous stories. The Legend of King Arthur is in comparison to The Epic of Gilgamesh because Arthur's closest companion was Merlin, and Gilgamesh's closest companion was Enkidu and neither Gilgamesh nor Arthur forgot their friends. Enkidu only came in contact with Gilgamesh after becoming a man. Enkidu released the animals from the hunter's traps when they ere caught, so to make him a man the prostitute slept with him so that the animals would be ashamed of him and reject him. King Arthur became aware of Merlin when he was a young man. When Arthur was born Merlin placed him in the care of Sir Ector, throughout his boyhood Arthur learned the ways of chivalry, knighthood and how to become a gentleman. At the tournament one day Arthur pulled Excalibur from the stone and this is what brought upon Arthur meeting Merlin once again. In The Legend of King Arthur, Merlin exclaimed, "it is the doom of men if they forget." Gilgamesh along with Enkidu together fought and killed Humbaba, protector of t he Cedar forest, and the Bull of Heaven, sent as punishment to Gilgamesh for killing Humbaba. King Arthur nor Gilgamesh forgot their faithful friends.

Kurt Cobain Essay -- essays research papers

Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain was born on February 20,1967 in the town of Aberdeen, Washington. Aberdeen is on the west coast and is about 108 miles southwest of Seattle. Aberdeen is a dreary place with about seven feet of rain a year. Kurt was born to Mrs. Wendy Cobain and to Mr. Donald Cobain. Wendy was a homemaker. She had a very tight bond with Kurt. He was her first born. She had another child three years after she had Kurt. Her name was Kim. Donald was a mechanic. He was very into sports. He often tried to push Kurt into sports but Kurt just didn't like them. Even though the Cobain's didn't have much they seemed to do all right. Wendy dressed her children in the best clothes she could afford. They always looked like the best dressed kids in Aberdeen. Kurt was an extremely happy child. He would wake up everyday so happy. He was always filled with joy and always had a smile on his face. Kurt once said his upbringing could be decribed as "white trash posing as middle class". His mother told him to stay away from the poor kids. She said they were dirty. So Kurt did and he also would beat the up. Then in 4th grade he realized he liked them better. Around that time people started to notice that Kurt was very good in art. Most of Kurt's friends didn't really like things like art and music. He loved these things so much he stopped making friends because he was different. Kurt was not such a health kid. His whole life he suffered chronic bronchitis. At age of seven he was diagnosed hyperactive. He was put on Ritalin. This seemed to make him stay up until four in the morning. They soon put him on sedatives. This did not work either. They made him fall asleep in school. Doctors told Wendy to try subtracting sugar and Red Dye #2 from his food. This was the right prescription for Kurt. Sometime during the 8th grade Kurt was diagnosed with scloiosis. In his later years the weight of his guitar made it worse. Suicide also ran in his family. In 1979 a great uncle committed suicide and in 1984 an uncle also committed suicide. Kurt was in love with music since the age of two. He was brought up in a musical family. One of Wendy's uncle had some records out in the 40's and 50's. Her brother was in a Rock and Roll Band. Her sister was in a country band and played the guitar. Almost everyone had some sort of musical talent. Kurt had always wanted to be a ... ... Kurt wakes twenty hours later and denies it was an attempt. At this time Nirvana decides to cancel the rest of the tour and take a rest. Through all of the tours their are rumors that tensions are high between the group members. The press says there is constant fighting. There is even a rumor that the group is going to break up. To add to the cancellation of their tour they also cancel all their involvement in Lollapalooza. Then on March 18,1994 a startling thing happens. Kurt locks himself in a room of his house. He will not come out and he has a 38 caliber revolver with him. He threaten to kill himself. Courtney Love once again calls the police. The police come and take control of the situation. They take the gun away. Some time around March 30,1994 Courtney calls for an intervention to get Kurt off of drugs. She realizes he really does need help. On March 31,1994 Kurt checks in to the Exodus Recovery Center. It seems as though Kurt wants help. This doesn't last long. The day after he checks in he jumps a wall and it is the last anyone sees of him. He is missing On April 8th an electrician finds Kurt dead in home, from an apparent self- -inflicted gun shot wound to the head.

Dualism: Mind, Body, and Cognitive Science Essay

This essay examines the interaction between dualism and modern cognitive sciences. Additionally, it examines a modern defendant of dualism, and extrapolates his reasoning further into the 21st-century in interacting with cognitive science developments in the future. Finally, it examines how dualism is already a problem in modern factors such as healthcare, and how it will need to further adapt for the betterment of society. Dualism: Mind, Body, and Cognitive Science Dualism has been a powerful cornerstone in both Western and Eastern cultures for many years, chiefly because it is so centrally located within spiritual texts. The New Testament, for instance, makes a clear division between the soul of Jesus and his body, and how those separated entities were reunited for the resurrection of Jesus. Perhaps more practically, the Bhagavad-Gita emphasizes the separation of mind and body as a tool with which one can combat everything from doubt to boredom: one’s body may be doing troubling tasks (such as killing family members, as Krishna asks Arjuna to do) or simply menial tasks, but one’s mind—a separate entity—is encouraged to stay focused on Krishna, regardless of the body’s actions. With these spiritual texts playing such a central part in Western and Eastern cultures, it is no surprise to discover that dualism has endured with such strength over the years. However, dualism (as with many aspects of the religious texts that help promote it) becomes more problematic when modern science and medicine are applied to it. The most humble behaviorist models of psychology pose their own problems, as the study of correlations between external environmental experiences and the mind’s reaction work to close the gap between mind and body, as opposed to expanding it. The flawed practice of logical behaviorism does the same thing: reducing human interactions to a predictable math equation that does not account for the inherent illogic of the separation of mind and body. Reductive materialism attempts to reconcile so-called â€Å"folk psychology† with neuroscience, claiming that mental states and brain states are one and the same, eliminating the need for dualism. Failures of reductive materialism led to the theory of functionalism, which considers minds to be equal (as in, similar mental states) that simply react to outward stimuli. This â€Å"cause and effect† belief seemingly eliminates the freedom of thought necessary to dualism, as the mind’s actions simply become reactions to the body’s experiences and needs. However, modern dualism is not without its arguments, nor its defenders. According to Dr. Embree, there are three primary arguments for the existence and necessity of dualism: the first, as alluded to above, is that â€Å"epiphenomenalism inherently undermines the validity of thought† (2009). What this means is that any scientific explanation that attempts to debunk dualism (or does so as a byproduct) must bring with it the sobering effect of making free will a simple illusion that individuals believe as a kind of personal myth. This works on the level of national myths as well: according to functionalist theory, the Founding Fathers of America were not free thinkers (a thought that would have troubled Thomas Paine, to say the least), but were simply reacting to the external stimuli they experienced. Perhaps more troubling to this national myth is the â€Å"equalizing† effect of functionalism: not only did George Washington do what he did in accordance with external stimuli, he did what anyone in his place, with his means, would have done. Instead of being an agent of his destiny and of America’s, he was simply one vessel (of potentially many) for the predictable course of destiny. The second argument Dr. Embree puts forth for dualism is that â€Å"epiphenomenalism provides no explanation for the subjective elements†¦of conscious experience† (2009). According to this, attempts to explain the universe in terms of cause and effect creates one large problem: â€Å"that consciousness can be explained mechanistically† (2009). Embree concedes that one might believe no such mechanism has been discovered yet, and one may simply be waiting for the day that such a thing is discovered†¦however, that pushes what is supposed to be a scientific, rational inquiry perilously close to something more akin to religious faith, in two ways: one is the contentment to wait for the arrival of something which will validate one’s world view, and two (much more troubling) is establishing so many other things on the shaky ground that is this faith. For a religion, this is understandable. As a scientific inquiry into the workings of the human mind, it is quite disconcerting. Embree’s final argument for dualism is that â€Å"epiphenomenalism requires acceptance of deterministic assumptions about human nature and behavior† (2009). Embree himself admits that this is the weakest of his three arguments, because it does not deal with â€Å"logical† or â€Å"evidentiary† flaws in epiphenomenalism, but rather with the troubling aftermath. According to him, accepting that â€Å"our behaviors are strictly and solely determined by forces outside our control† renders us â€Å"puppets (2009)† who are unable to ethically try and imprison fellow citizens, simply because the rejection of dualism leads to an inevitable triumph of nature over nurture: just as George Washington did the only thing he could in reaction to his environment, so too did this murderer, or that rapist. If their thoughts truly aren’t free, their thoughts are not their own, and punishing them no longer has any hope of them turning over a new leaf, but instead becomes an arbitrary exercise in authority. On an emotional level, Embree’s arguments are very persuasive. On a philosophical level, very few individuals would be pleased to think of themselves as lacking free will. And, as he points out, even fewer individuals would be willing to overturn the entirety of how modern society is constructed simply to make it more philosophically consistent. However, by Embree’s own admission, the belief in dualism essentially gives itself a â€Å"get out of jail free card. † When it comes to hard questions, such as whether consciousness can be determined mechanistically or not, a dualist is free to take or leave explanations as they see fit. This is precisely because dualism, brought back to its Cartesian foundations, is founded on observation and assumption. Even as Descartes acknowledges the limits of observation (the hand in front of him could always be a dream image), his famous conclusion—â€Å"I think, therefore I am†Ã¢â‚¬â€is, itself, an assumption. Any attempts at rationally explaining why the brain acts or reacts in specific ways to specific stimuli represents a threat to this simple principle, and dualists protest against the futility of it. Ironically, perhaps, for a philosophy that self-associates so vividly with free thinking, that attempts to curtail discussion into the mind/body problem are the philosophic equivalent of the dualists locking the behaviorists away, a la Galileo. The freedom to think seems incompatible with the freedom to explore why we think. The final assertion of Embree’s is persuasive as well, though not necessarily in the way that he’s intended. He is correct that society is effectively set in its ways, so any major advancements or discoveries regarding the way that individuals think is not likely to turn society on its ear. However, such a view that this process is â€Å"all or nothing†Ã¢â‚¬â€that is to say that all of society changes, right down to our notions of justice, or nothing changes—is oversimplifying the matter to an obscene degree, To use an analogy, Darwin’s discoveries did not mean that society had an obligation, more or otherwise, to burn down every church they saw. However, it amounted to an incremental change in the way the world works on the part of everyone who believed in the scientific findings—a series of micro changes that eventually worked on a macro level. This is particularly true of discoveries related to how the mind works—the entire justice system was not turned inside out in response to the discoveries of Freud, but the incremental changes his psychological revelations brought about in individuals did eventually affect the justice system in terms of sentencing prisoners, organizing prisons, and simply understanding criminal behavior. What rings most true about Embree’s work, perhaps, is his correct assertion that on some level, people need to believe in dualism, if only to preserve the freedom of thought. Individuals being told that they are only doing or saying something because of the environment around them will feel no more illuminated than someone told they are doing or saying something because God or the Devil are making them do it. It risks robbing life of its spark, or zest. However, what Embree seems to overlook are the astounding advancements in sheer human empathy that are offered by discovering how the mind works. â€Å"Freedom of thought† certainly sounds attractive, like a bumper sticker one might wear in Orwell’s 1984 (shortly before Big Brother had this person taken away, of course). However, to continue the Orewellian strand, freedom of thought does not prevent â€Å"group think† simply because societies attempt to organize around their cultural similarities and when that proves insufficient, they rally around their dissimilarity to other groups. White, rural communities continue subtle (and some not so subtle) forms of segregation against black and Hispanic individuals. On a national level, in the so-called â€Å"Post 9/11 world,† citizens are measured by just how American they are, and extra scrutiny is given to those from another country. This is, of course, the double-sided coin of dualism; as Stefan Eck points out, â€Å"Descartes did not only help establish the natural sciences, but also the freedom of thought in philosophy, the humanities†¦his philosophical ideas were important for the emergence of modern politics of freedom and equality† (2009, p. 158). Doing anything to dismantle this may be seen by opponents as political maneuvering—quelling their ability to express personal philosophy in the name of an ambiguous future unity. Right now, this tendency to fear and rally against the unknown is a major form of societal unity—uniting in solidarity against the perceived threat of an unknown and unknowable Other. Discoveries in the way the mind works can continue down the road towards true equality because individuals will be able to empathize better with, for instance, an illegal immigrant, because they will no longer see them as outsider threats to the external notion of America, but simply one of their own possible fates had they not been born in a time and place of great privilege and prosperity. Despite this, there are many exciting possibilities for dualism in the 21st century. As mentioned above, the basic tenets of dualism remain necessary to focus most individuals on achievement. If they are made to feel like their special achievements are effectively a lottery that someone else could have one, it would threaten to derail the entire notion of human achievement. In this sense, dualism remains necessary for the realm of politics, as well. For obvious reasons, a system of representative democracy would fall apart if individuals thought that the person they were voting for would do no worse or no better than another individual from the same circumstances and location. As Dr. Embree so eloquently describes, a belief in dualism remains necessary for a belief in justice to seem well-founded. The justice system is already under severe scrutiny for possible flaws—best not to give critics more philosophical ammunition by implying that guilt is a subjective force that no human can logically dispense to another human. Stefan Eck describes this quite well: †¦Cartesian dualism is precisely one of the foundations of the politics of freedom and equality that Lock and Farquhar propose. Descartes says that the mind is independent of the physical body that contains it. Modern politics hold that people’s opinions are to be kept separate from bodily attributes such as gender, skin color, or beauty, that the minds of those who take part in the political sphere have to be split from their bodies to ensure that bodily difference is not turned into political difference. (2009, p. 156-157) Ideally, though, modern dualism and modern dualists will not be against inquiries into the way the mind works. Modern medicine, as a whole, will continue its struggle with how far down the dualism rabbit hole it is prepared to go. Grant Duncan points out that Western medicine often regards pain as â€Å"a simply bodily sensation,† and that modern medicine â€Å"often [neglects] psychological factors in health and illness† (2000, p. 493). The reason for this is simple: the extreme end of believing that pain is often entirely in the mind is the end that is sharing shelf space with books on healing crystals and other holistic claptrap. Grant goes on to point out that in the overmedicated modern world, those who experience chronic pain do their best â€Å"to justify the pain and to avoid the label of ‘psychogenic’†¦ if the pain does not fall into that ‘physical’ category, then it is likely to be treated with skepticism and moral disapproval† (2000, p. 507-508). This is the brutal bottom line: those whose pain is â€Å"only† in their mind will often be regarded as someone trying to scam the doctor for unnecessary medication. Meanwhile, psychologists—in a field that, theoretically, is most threatened by inquiries that would eliminate dualism once and for all—continue to experience unfavorable representations in modern media as â€Å"head shrinkers† who are content to blame all modern problems on the patient’s mother and then bill them an exorbitant amount. Where, then, does this leave modern psychology and its inevitable ties to dualism? Ideally, psychologists will realize that fields such as neuroscience are approaching the same problems as psychology approaches, merely from a different angle. Reductive materialism is another great example of this, as it takes the things that psychology focuses on (beliefs and desires) and claims that these can be restated and explained through neuroscience—that neuroscience is not attempting to invalidate a person’s beliefs and desires as necessary aspects of their psychological make-up, but to explain why they experience those desires. As Scott Arnold puts it, â€Å"[reductive materialism] allows that behavior has mental causes and that the causal processes may be complex, involving a series of mental causes and effects ultimately resulting in behavior† (2010). In the future, psychology and neuroscience may very well work as one entity that may come to be preventative, as opposed to simply reactive. What does this mean? Instead of saying â€Å"patient X has unhealthy desire Y, we are prescribing medicine Z,† the combined future of psychology and neuroscience may be more like â€Å"patient X is predisposed towards behaviors Y, we are prescribing Z course of treatment to avoid these behaviors. † This is what Arnold means when he says that â€Å" we have a kind of Double Language Theory, in which there are two languages (the language of folk psychology and the language of the neurosciences) to talk about one and the same phenomenon, the neurosciences† (2010). Ultimately, reductive materialism is more inclusive than exclusive, allowing a mixture of the two worlds. The result will be a future that is likely a shared dream between doctor and patient: a world that minimizes medication, circumvents and prevents negative behavior, and ultimately allows for the patient to spend less time on the therapeutic couch, and more time in the world itself, enjoying life. In all likelihood, the cognitive sciences and the proponents of dualism will have a long, rocky road to travel together. Dualism is necessary for individuals to believe in abstracts (freedom, desire), whereas the cognitive sciences are necessary for individuals to understand, in concrete terms, what is happening with their brains. In the future, it is likely the dualism will be taught (even more than it is now) in philosophy and ethics classes as just one possible branch of human thought, as opposed to the sole branch which must bear the weight of the entire human experience without ever snapping. Reductive materialism points out the irony of the likeliest fate of the cognitive sciences and dualism: just as reductive materialism is necessary to transform the language of the people—â€Å"folk psychology†Ã¢â‚¬â€into neuroscience terms, it will be necessary for someone to â€Å"re-translate† any new breakthroughs back into the language of common people. Perhaps this is the function that dualism will always serve, even among its proponents: that cognitive science research actually works within the boundaries of dualism in the sense that it focuses on the body, while dualists are free to concentrate on their mental sphere however they wish. Perception, after all, does determine reality, and no amount of cognitive science research can undermine a dualist’s own reality unless they will it to be so. At the end of the day, dualism is actually much closer at home to the spiritual writings that have helped carry its torch than it ever will be to the sciences. Dualism is the language of hope and faith—a belief in the perfectibility of the soul when the perfectibility of the body seems impossible. Cognitive science, however, remains what it always has: not the language of what may be, but the language of what is. References Arnold, Scott (2010). The mind body problem. University of Alabama, Birmingham. Retrieved May 15th, 2010, from http://www. uab. edu/ philosophy/faculty/arnold/4-Mind- body. htm Duncan, G. (2000) Mind-Body Dualism and the Biopsychosocial Model of Pain: What did Descartes Really Say? , Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, 25:4, 485-513 Ecks, Stefan (2009). Welcome home, Descartes! Rethinking the anthropology of the body. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 52 (1), 153-158. Embree, Marlowe (2009). Why I am a dualist. University of Wisconsin. Retrieved May 15th, 2010, from http://www. marathon. uwc. edu/psychology/dualist. htm