Interview 335 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interview 335 - Essay Example few Indians among other members from the European continent together making a total of about forty two tribes with the Kikuyu community being of the largest group occupying the central parts of the country and the El- mole people living around the shores of one of the great rift valley lakes, lake Turkana, are the smallest tribe. Kenya is among the few in the world which houses the Great Rift Valley, a broad natural feature which laterally transect the country into two on the eastern and the western sides of the rift valley. This paper will present the findings of an interview I carried out with one of the Kenyan citizens in America on how far they have gained the awareness and skills in dealing with global diversity and cultural variances as well as my development in understanding of technologys impact on the development of world societies and cultures based on the interviews. Kenya is among the developing countries of the world just emerging from the fierce throngs of economic dismay since independence. Most people in the country therefore have poor economic backgrounds with only a few rich families dotted amidst the poor majority. Like any other poor countries in Africa and the world, wealth in Kenya is contained just in the hands of a few people who are considered rich while the rest are languishing in abject poverty with a majority of the populations living under the wages which are below one dollar per day. The main economic activity carried out in the region and from which most families earn their daily wages is agriculture, mostly sedentary, which forms the backbone of the country’s economy. Most people therefore depend entirely on their farm produce as the sole source of their everyday food and which supplement their meager income sources. Most of the needs in most families are therefore met from the sales of agricultural produce. A few peo ple practice business as an alternative source of income, mainly among the Indians who depend entirely on business

Comparison and Contrast of Main Characters Essay Example for Free

Comparison and Contrast of Main Characters Essay Nora and Tom are the main characters of two plays, the Doll House and the Glass Menagerie respectively. In comparing and contrasting these two characters, it is vital to analyze the plays and to gain and understanding of their personalities and relationships with other people. Nora is the wife of Torvald, and their marriage is characterized by the domination of Tovarld over Nora and her complacent passivity. As a wife during the late 1800s, it was typical of women to have been treated like children with little to no independence. However, it is the failure of Nora to remain stuck in her gender role as the immature ornament. Tom is the son of Amanda and the brother of Laura, and his position in the family is marked by the absence of his own father. Tom is expected to fully maintain the family, yet his youth and inexperience, coupled by his mother’s demanding exasperation, do not equip him to be a successful head of the household. In analyzing these two characters, it is interesting to note the ways in which Nora and Tom are similar and different in regard to gender roles and passivity. Gender Roles Passivity In regard to gender roles and passivity, it is clear that Nora and Tom are caught up in the expectations of other people and playing out stereotypical functions to an extreme degree. Nora herself describes her situation as a wife with no ambitions and blames her husband, saying, â€Å"I lived by performing tricks for you†¦ you and father have done me a great wrong†¦ it’s your fault that my life has been wasted† (Ibsen, 1890, 117). In this comment, one can see the full frustration of Nora in regard to her plight as a fully dependent wife. However, one could dispute her allegation that all of the culpability rests on the shoulders of her husband and not at all on herself. As far as Tom is concerned, he is stuck taking care of his mother and sister, when he would truly rather be making more of a life for himself, stating â€Å"I tried to leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be† (Williams, 1999, 97). Tom expresses his irritation with the situation of him being expected to perform all of the duties as the head of the household, a role which he increasingly rejects. Similar to Nora, he finds himself playing a part which he does not want to be playing. However, a vital difference is that Tom takes responsibility for remaining passively in a role which does not suit him and does not try to place the full blame on other people. Conclusion Nora and Tom are both characters who find themselves doing the bidding of other people in response to social expectations, rather than following their instincts in living their lives more for themselves. While Nora finds herself shaming her husband for her life mistakes, Tom is more apt to shame himself. However, in the end, both characters are able to break free of the gender roles and passivity which have bound them all too closely and dependently to other people. Nora ends up leaving her husband, just as Tom ends up leaving his wife and mother. While Nora ends the play on a note of anger and full finger pointing, Tome ends the play with a sense of regret that he must leave his family. Nora and Tom are able to escape the oppressive forces in their lives, yet they have markedly different approaches to assigning fault. Works Cited Ibsen, H. (1890). A Dolls House. W. H. Baker. Williams, T. (1999). The Glass Menagerie. New Directions Publishing.

Critical Reflection On Corporate Social Responsibility Projects Accounting Essay

Critical Reflection On Corporate Social Responsibility Projects Accounting Essay The aim of this paper is to provide a critical reflection considering the ethical point of view of the CSR projects which companies are increasingly launching with the global emerging trend of corporate social responsibility in the business world today. The purpose is to evaluate the objectives of these campaigns, comparing if they are rather actions targeting profits or/and better corporate image or if they are truly altruistic actions driven by the increase of the concern involving the global issues nowadays. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A CORPORATION? Indubitably, this question has been widely discussed for many years, as great theorists show different point of views, arguing that either the primary objective of an organization is to maximize value or to be devoted to its mission and essentially satisfy the stakeholders needs. Basically there are two main theories: shareholder value theory and stakeholder theory. The first one argues that the only objective of a company is to maximize profit and generate value to its shareholders. At the other extreme is the stakeholder theory, which suggests that the organization not only should make profits and create value to the shareholders but also please their stakeholders, such as customers, employees, suppliers, local communities, and society at large. (Morgan Stanley, 2008) One of the earliest precursors of the shareholder value theory is Milton Friedman that emphasized once: So the question is, do corporate executives, provided they stay within the law, have responsibilities in their business activities other than to make as much money for their stockholders as possible? And my answer to that is, no they do not. (Friedman, 1974) On the other hand, Dave Packard the co-founder of the Hewlett Packard proposed a distinctive cause for company existence: I think many people assume, wrongly, that a company exists simply to make money. While this is an important result of a companys existence, we have to go deeper and find the real reason for our being. As we investigate this, we inevitably come to the conclusion that a group of people get together and exist as an institution that we call a company so that they are able to accomplish something collectively that they could not accomplish separatelythey make a contribution to society, a phrase which sounds trite but is fundamental. (Packard, 2002) The ground of the stakeholder theory is not far from the corporate responsibility concept or trend, which undeniably attract much attention in the last years. As the theory, CSR objective is to determine all the stakeholders and pursue a balance between the main concerns and goals of each one of those (Morgan Stanley, 2008). While Friedmans and Packards points of views represent extremes opinions, others have promoted a mid-term approach. Peter Drucker, for example argued that a middle ground is essential for one business to be considered successful as illustrated on the statement bellow: A business that does not show a profit at least equal to its cost of capital is socially irresponsible; it wastes societys resources. Economic profit performance is the base without which business cannot discharge any other responsibilities, cannot be a good employer, a good citizen, a good neighbor. But economic performance is not the only responsibility of a business Every organization must assume responsibility for its impact on employees, the environment, customers, and whomever and whatever it touches. That is social responsibility. (Drucker, 1954) All in all, the fact is that there are many diverse opinions among specialists and executives. Therefore, in my opinion the CSR of one company is influenced mainly according to the beliefs and values of its leaders, especially the CEO, rather than the mission statements of the organization. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IS INCREASING AS A TREND BUT DECREASING WITHIN COMPANIES Before analyzing more extensively the corporate social responsibility as a trend within the companies, I truly believed that the CSR practices were substantially increasing. However after reading the 2008 Morgan Stanley publication about the topic, I was surprised with the results. Considering the methodology utilized by Morgan Stanley, It seems that the overall real concern of CSR is decreasing over the last 15 years. Although the organizations might be investing more in CSR projects, the damage/harmfulness caused by the companies is increasing on larger scale. So, this means that the negative actions are not being covered by CSR practices. Instead, the careless with CSR is increasing much more than the projects as could be analyzed in the table below. KLD defines a set of potential strengths (for example, charitable giving) and a set of potential concerns (e.g., hazardous waste). For each company, KLD assigns a value of 1 if the strength or concern exists and a 0 otherwise. (Morgan Stanley, 2008) In conclusion, besides the strengths are increasing, the concerns are rising more rapidly and the net value of the strengths minus concerns is decreasing each year. Evidently, that the result presented could be argued and probably other studies with different methodologies could show diverse outcomes. However, I personally like the methodology because not only shows what companies are doing well but also consider what they are doing wrong. Nevertheless, in my opinion does not matter if they are investing more if they are depreciating even more. Even though, companies are not emphasizing CSR as I would expected so, unquestionably the trend is increasing within the society, followed by the pressure for new management practices and concerns with the environment. A good evidence to illustrate that hypothesis is the rise of the relevance and coverage of this topic at the universities. One study conducted by Lisa Jones Christensen in 2007, aimed to further investigate the importance of CSR, Ethics and Sustainability at the top 50 global MBA programs. The results showed that 84% of the schools that responded oblige students to take courses of one or all of these subjects. Even more 25% represented a stand-alone course. Comparing with The Ethics Resource Center study conducted in 1988, when 75% of Ethics, CSR, and Sustainability Education were a required part of the program and only 5% of the MBA programs required a separate course on ethics. (Christensen, Peirce, Hartman, Hoffman, Carrier, 2007) Summarizing, in my point of view CSR is a relevant subject and it is an increasing trend among the society, however companies are not giving the importance they should to these practices. Moreover, as will be presented on the next section, companies could gain more profits with a different approach of CSR. COMPANIES INVEST IN CSR AS MEANS TO MAXIMIZING VALUE OR TO DO THE RIGHT THING AS AN END ITSELF? As Michael Jensen discuss in the article Value Maximization, Stakeholder Theory, and the Corporate Objective Function, published by the Journal of Applied Corporate Finance in 2001, there are two alternative reasons for organizations to finance CSR initiatives. The first one is known as the moral theory, which CSR considers organizations as good corporate citizens by losing profits when necessary to serve other stakeholders, including society at large (Jensen, 2001). Above all, corporations have responsibilities to their customers, employees, and communities that should be given at least equal priority with their economic goals for their shareholders. On the other hand, the economic theory for CSR suggests it as a positive-NPV investment. More simply, presume CSR as the same as any business investment decision: Invest in all essential stakeholders if there are expected returns, at least equivalent to the cost of capital. (Morgan Stanley, 2008) Nevertheless, the main question to address is why companies are investing in CSR? For economic reasons, expecting returns, or they are really concerned and are investing with moral arguments? To answer that question, once again I will reference the Morgan Stanley study. The article states the premise that corporations that are more disposed to reduce shareholder returns for stakeholders would probably invest not only to increase their CSR strengths but also to decrease their CSR concerns. In other words, those organizations would adopt the idea of First, do not harm. Therefore, such companies would make efforts both to increase their CSR strengths and reduce their CSR concerns. In contrast, companies concerned with the returns of the investment in CSR would give priority on building their strengths, as many of them do it to make a public demonstration of ones progress, instead of focusing their efforts to address the weaknesses. Especially because usually is very costly to eliminate many CSR concerns. As I predicted, the results shows that companies invest on CSR projects primarily to maximize value rather than endorse stakeholder commitments as an end in itself. This means that businesses are financing CSR to strengthen their attributes instead of eliminating the CSR concerns. However, the most interesting factor is that the same research found that companies with more CSR strengths or fewer CSR weaknesses presented higher returns. This suggests that financing CSR initiatives generates profit and long-term value maximization, as could be observed in the graph below. Even more, companies which focus on reducing the concerns and thinks primarily on the stakeholders rather than profits, in a long run makes better results that corporations which allocate resources on strengthen their CSR attributes and have the economic approach. In other words, being ethic and altruistic considering the investments is more profitable! (Morgan Stanley, 2008) (Morgan Stanley, 2008)

Making Decisions In The Road Not Taken by Frost :: essays research papers

Making Decisions in â€Å"The Road Not Taken†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In â€Å"The Road Not Taken† Frost emphasizes that every person is a traveler choosing the roads to follow on the map of their continuous journey-life. There is never a straight path that leads a person one sole direction in which to head. Regardless of the original message that Robert Frost had intended to convey, â€Å"The Road Not Taken† has left me with many different interpretations. Throughout this poem, it is obvious that decisions are not easy to make and each decision will lead you down a different path. In this poem, Frost illustrates that every person has his own opinion. He states â€Å"Then took the other, just as fair, and having perhaps the better claim† (line 6-7). What make it better was â€Å"it was grassy and wanted wear† (line 8). It was something that was obviously not for everyone because it seems that the other people take the more popular one. â€Å"And both that morning equally lay/ In leaves no step had trodden black† (line 11). No one had yet to pass by on this road since the leaves have fallen. â€Å"I kept the first for another day† (line 13). The desire to travel down both paths is expressed and is not unusual, but â€Å"knowing how way leads onto way† (line 14). The speaker of this poem realizes that the decision is not just a temporary one, and he â€Å"doubted if I should ever come back† (line 15). This is his common sense speaking and acknowledging that what he chooses now will affect every other choice he will make in the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the end of the poem, the regret hangs over the travelers’ head. He realizes that at the end of his life, â€Å"somewhere ages and ages hence† (line 17), He will have regrets about having never gone back and traveling down the road he did not take. Yet he remains proud of his decision, and he recognizes that it was this path that he chose that made him turn out the way he did. â€Å"I took the road less traveled by and that has made all the difference† (line 19-20). To this man, what really made the difference is that he did what he wanted, even if it meant taking the road less traveled.

Independent/Alternative vs. Mainstream Media

Many issues immediately rose up after the incident of the September 11 bombing, many of which include criticisms and comments on what really happened and who actually did it. Michael Moore was one of these people. Michael Francis Moore is a Michigan-born director cum author cum political activist that has been known widely because of his fearless views on globalizations, large corporate companies, Iraq Wars and the US intervention, and most especially, a major critic if the US President George W. Bush.He was the author of several best-selling books including political writings about the country’s leaders. This includes â€Å"Downsize This (1996), â€Å"Stupid White Men† (2001), and â€Å"Dude, Where’s My Country?† (2003). Moore started a lot of directing stints, starting from documentaries about his hometown, to fictional satirical movies, and back to award-winning documentaries where he became known by the masses, developing a lot of following, a lot of friends, and a lot of enemies as well.He became involved with primetime television when he was given the chance to host and the same time direct the television series â€Å"TV Nation,† a news magazine show that tackles delicate topics which other television shows avoid. It aired for 9 and 8 episodes on NBC and FOX respectively. He had another major series, â€Å"The Awful Truth,† which tackled the wrong doings of major corporations and politicians. This television stint lasted the whole 1999 and 2000. He was given another series, â€Å"Michael Moore Live† aired in UK. He was awarded for being â€Å"The Awful Truth,† as a good producer and host.Mike’s Videos, Films, and DocumentariesMichael Moore Became involved in creating various takes on political and corporate wrong-doings through audio-visual media like music videos, fictional films and comprehensive documentaries. Through these, he was able to communicate to the people to his perspective on de licate topics regarding the political and economic players of the country and was often hated by these people because of his â€Å"offensive† creations.Michael Moore’s works came into light with his take on the aftermath of September 11, ’01 bombings. This film documentary is entitled â€Å"Fahrenheit 9/11† which examines the possible â€Å"links† between George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden’s families. It is a documentary against the Bush administration which elicited various reactions from the President’s allies and friends. He aimed for the film documentary to be watched by a lot of people, not only the Americans but all over the world. This is to enlighten them, show them what could be a very upsetting truth about Bush and his call on terrorism.Fahrenheit was given recognition and was awarded the top honor at Cannes Film Festival, the Palme d’OR, setting a record to be the first ever film documentary to have won that prize. I t has been an award-winning work of Michael Moore, making it the highest-grossing documentary of all time, earning an almost 200 million dollars all over the world, 120 million of which, came from United States alone. It became a talk of the world, since it tackles on a different perspective of the September 11 terrorist attack, putting the President himself, George W. Bush, on the hot seat. This rather different look on terrorism greatly affected how people looked at the President, thus eliciting anger and negative reactions from his followers. They condemned the work of Moore, including his friends in the mainstream media.Moore and his â€Å"Farenheit 9/11†There had been a lot varied reactions with Moore’s award winning film documentary. A lot of these were the negative reactions from different news networks, all saying that Moore was telling the whole American viewers his preconceived lies about the President George W. Bush and the September 11 terrorists’ at tacks.   Moore allowed to be interviewed by ABC’s anchor George Stephanopoulos on the â€Å"This Week† show. He was able to address and recognize the major points of his critics.Taking the situation of the Saudi Nationals, including the alleged bin Laden family; they were allowed to leave the United States just after the September 11 attacks. During that time, all commercial flights were grounded. Moore is saying that it is the President’s doing to clear those flights, because of the fact that they have family business ties to the Saudis, thus leading to the clearing of the bin Laden family also. The former security adviser Richard Clarke, known to be a Bush critic said that he was the one responsible for clearing the flights, thus alleviating Bush of the doubts connected to him. Moore’s say on this was that Clarke made a wrong decision because he admitted making mistakes, but he already apologized to the families of the September 11 victims.Mainstream media’s take on Moore and his â€Å"Fahrenheit†Moore’s response to the interview could be considered as his evasion to the topic, but this wasn’t taken by News channels lightly. ABC, instead of putting it on the subsequent news stories, have made a direct action against it. The network launched direct actions, two-pronged attacks on the film and its accuracy, starting from their early morning News shows up to the station’s late night news.They hit on Moore and his work without allowing Moore the chance to respond to their grave claims that are greatly damaging. Segments started with the graphic question, â€Å"Fact or Fiction?† thus hinting that Moore is not a reliable source, feeding the viewers with his lies, damaging his reputation to the people. They just relied on Clarke’s statements, yet didn’t make the effort to ask the side of Moore for his answers.â€Å"Good Morning America† publicist Bridgette Maney said that A BC News gave Moore his fair share of a chance to respond, to defend him of these accusations. Cathie Levine, ABC News spokesperson said that they didn’t lack any attempts to give Moore a chance, that they had ran a clip from the Stephanopoulos interview after the airing of Clarke’s statement. Yet, the clip they have shown didn’t have any response from Moore. They have wrongly positioned the man, showing the people that he’s a liar, yet his justifications was not shown to the public, an example of the negative publicity they are giving Moore.Another station that reacted with Moore’s â€Å"Fahrenheit† was NBC, giving out highly negative assessments of the film documentary.   These were shown on both their â€Å"Nightly News† and their cable channel, MSNBC. They tagged their coverage of Moore’s works as a â€Å"truth squad report,† again clearly implying that Moore’s works were just but a work of fiction, a product of his imagination, a documentary conceived from lies and radical imaginations. Lisa Myers, a senior correspondent of NBC, clearly showcased the hilarious, comical moment in Fahrenheit 9/11, as an important part of the â€Å"truth squad’s† expose.In this part, it shows when Moore asked some of the legislators to sign their children up as volunteers to fight in Iraq on the President’s campaign against terrorism. Lisa Myer’s pinpointed one incident, when Moore failed to put in and include the comments of a confused Republican congress member, Mark Kennedy. He replied that his nephew was called into service and that he’s already going to Afghanistan. Lisa Myers pointed that Moore didn’t like the legislator’s response that’s why he didn’t include it on the documentary. Moore rebutted that in the Stephanopoulos interview that when they interviewed Kennedy, he didn’t have any family members in Afghanistan. But just lik e ABC, NBC made no effort to include this rebuttal in their reports.Considering the responses from these mainstream news giants, they are all one-sided. It is possible that Moore could have fabricated the contents of his film documentary, but they lacked a lot regarding the explanation of Moore’s side. They have loaded leading phrases, like â€Å"fact or fiction,† and â€Å"truth squad,† which could be wrongly interpreted by the viewers, implying Moore’s lack of credibility.They have also omitted Moore’s answers to certain important question, making him look like a liar who can’t defend his statements, thus making him look bad to the people. Why would these networks do these, clearly showing that they are giving a bias in this case? Looking closely, NBC is owned and managed by General Electric, a company that plays a key role in National Defense because they are their prime contractors. On the other hand, ABC is owned by Disney, even though they have no evident connections to the government, they solely depend on the benefits they get from federal regulators, benefiting from the influence they have on the people, thus maintaining a good image to the people.Disney even manipulated its subsidiary, Miramax, on handling of Fahrenheit’s distribution, pulling pressure in order for the latter to pull their support in the dissemination of the film documentary on a larger scale. When you look at it closely, both NBC and ABC have a lot to gain in joining the attack on Moore’s work rather than staying still, being neutral.Independent/Alternative media on Moore and his â€Å"Fahrenheit†On another perspective, Moore’s â€Å"Fahrenheit 9/11† documentary film got overwhelmingly favorable reviews from the majority of independent media. Fahrenheit ignited a â€Å"fire† which led to various discussions on some alternative media that people access everyday. This includes blogs, journals, and web- based system for information dissemination.There has been a fairly large contribution from websites talking about important points on Moore’s film documentary. There were negative comments, yet they were seemingly justified by sites and posts that tackle favorable reactions on Fahrenheit. Thus, Fahrenheit made a difference, wherein not only the Americans derived a sense of the level of deception they have had, but also to those who wrongly accused Moore, forcing them to bear the humiliation it entailed.Conclusion/ImplicationsThe implication of Michael Moore’s work to alternative media was very positive. It elicited personal opinions from people reading it or those who have come across it. This was the main difference between the information dispersal between alternative and mainstream media. The audiences, the people reading or hearing or watching the news feed could interact, reacts, comments and discuss essential points. There is transparency, because they could ques tion the reliability, the credibility of the source of information.Whereas the mainstream media could clearly manipulate the information they are feeding the people. Take for example the omissions in Moore’s statements, his rebuttal to the negative points raised by his critics. They were deliberately manipulated, removed by the News stations in order to prove one aspect. It is to further question Moore’s credibility as a source of information, as the one who conceived the idea of the â€Å"Fahrenheit 9/11.†References:â€Å"Michael Moore Exposed†.   2005. February 8 2007. .Hitchens, Christopher. â€Å"Unfairenheit 9/11:The Lies of Michael Moore.†Ã‚   2004. February 8 2007. .North, Gary. † Mainstream Media Vs Upstream Media â€Å".   2005. February 8 2007. .

Greek Art in Ancient Greece and Faraway Lands Essay

The classical period of Greece (490 – 323 B. C. ) saw the artists perfecting their style. Following Alexander’s conquests, ancient Greece entered the Hellenistic period (323 – 31 B. C. ) (â€Å"Timeline of Ancient Greece†). Of course, Alexander the Great was not the only god of the ancient Greek civilization. Ancient Greeks worshipped plenty of gods that were believed to have appeared to them in human form with extraordinary strength and beauty (â€Å"Culture†). Professor Harris describes Euhemerus as the philosopher responsible for presenting Greek myths as simple stories to his readers. Euhemerus’ interpretation of Greek mythology was considered radical in his times. It was he who wrote that Greek gods and goddesses were human beings to begin with. Because of their extraordinary feats or the cultural and/or social value that they added to life in ancient Greece, their ordinary humanity was turned into godhood in the minds of ancient Greeks (Harris). Thus, ancient Greek gods and goddesses were portrayed in painted scenes on stone, vases, and also with bronze and terracotta sculptures for the sake of remembrance. Although many of the ancient Greek temples honored multiple gods and goddesses, certain places showed greater reverence to a sole deity or a pair of gods, e. g. Olympia’s Zeus, and Eleusis’ Demeter and Persephone (â€Å"Culture†). For reasons described above, the ancient Greeks downplayed the divine aspects of their gods by giving them a typically human form, as the example of the Torso of Apollo reveals (See Appendix I). Made in 2nd century AD, the Torso of Apollo of marble shows young Apollo, â€Å"the Greek god of light, music, archery, healing, atonement, prophecy, and flocks and herds† (â€Å"Torso of Apollo†). The figure was popular with both Greeks and ancient Romans. It is an unclothed manifestation of perfection, splendor and courage with Apollo wearing a belt over one of his shoulders to which a case for holding arrows was fastened at his back (â€Å"Torso of Apollo†). By showing the god as distinctly human, the artist inspires into viewers the spirit to take Apollo for a courageous model and turn into heroes themselves. After all, Apollo was not only a gentle lover of the arts but also domineering to the extent that he was cruel to those who challenged his supremacy among ordinary mortals (Ingfei, 2002, p. 9; â€Å"Apollo†). What is more, he was intelligent and handsome enough to be taken as a model by the ancient Greeks. With the sun as his special symbol, Apollo did not only show physical courage but was also a supporter of intellectual pursuits (Leadbetter, 2004; Regula, 2009). He was known as the god of poetry, medicine, and intellectually enquiry to boot (Leadbetter). In other words, he was next to perfect. Athena Parthenos, too, was considered immaculate in ancient Greece. The Parthenon is a classical temple dedicated to the woman, considered the goddess of wisdom (See Appendix II). The temple was built between 447 – 432 B. C. on the Acropolis, which is in the capital city of ancient Greece, Athens. It has survived despite severe damage over the centuries (â€Å"Art,† 2008). Perikles, the famous politician of Athens, had championed the construction of the Parthenon (â€Å"The Parthenon†). Some of the architectural features of the temple have been described thus: †¦[R]ectangular floor plan with a series of low steps on every side, and a colonnade (8 x 17) of Doric columns extending around the periphery of the entire structure. Each entrance has an additional six columns in front of it. The larger of the two interior rooms, the naos, housed the cult statue. The smaller room (the opisthodomos) was used as a treasury. (â€Å"The Parthenon†) The temple was constructed with marble, and mainly represented the Doric order with features of the Ionic order incorporated in its sculptural program (Kerr, 1995). The Doric order gave Parthenon its series of ninety two metopes (with panels of sculptured reliefs depicting law and order and struggle); and triglyphs on its entablature. Additionally, the Doric order made the temple a peripteral, simple-looking structure with short and thick columns (â€Å"The Parthenon†). The â€Å"continuous sculpted frieze† of the Parthenon represents the Ionic order, however (â€Å"The Parthenon†). There are four tall and slim columns of the temple, too, that represent this architectural order which happens to support the opisthodomos’ roof at the Parthenon. The capitals or the columns’ tops that are built using the Ionic order have volutes, which are the names of the curlicues special to this order (â€Å"The Parthenon†). Above the metopes and triglyphs of the temple lie the pedimental sculptures, one of which shows the birth of Zeus – yet another god for the ancient Greeks (â€Å"The Parthenon†). The frieze of the temple, running â€Å"around the upper edge of the temple wall† and inside from the metopes and the triglyphs shows day to day life in ancient Greece, the rituals of the Greeks, processions, musicians, gods and goddesses, and much more (â€Å"The Parthenon†). Indeed, the place of the frieze in the sculptural program of the temple is unique, seeing as it does not only portray real life and beliefs of the ancient Greeks, but also gives the Parthenon a central place in the life of Athens. The temple was, after all, a place where religious festivals as well as sacrifices were held. Moreover, this temple gave Athena Parthenos a special place to stay for the protection and welfare of the Athenians (â€Å"The Parthenon: Religion, Art, and Politics†). Whether or not the ancient Greeks would consider it Athena Parthenos’ blessing that took ancient Greek art styles to faraway lands, the fact is that even the ancient art of the Nabataeans and the Arabs experienced the influence of Greek artists. Vries & Osinga (2005) state that â€Å"[t]he Nabataeans at their height spread as far north as Damascus, to the coast of the Mediterranean at Gaza in the east and to Madain Salih in the south. † But, the Nabataean kingdom came under Roman rule in the year 106 A. D. It became an Arabian province at the time (Vries & Osinga). The Nabataeans were caravan drivers on a large scale. Roman traders visited Petra even before the Nabataean kingdom was taken over by the Romans. These traders came to conclude transportation agreements with the Nabataeans. The latter traveled around the world with merchandise – â€Å"between the Red Sea and the Nile, and sometimes as far away as the Delta† (Sartre, Porter, & Rawlings, 2005, p. 268). Unsurprisingly, therefore, their temples expose a variety of influences on the hearts and minds of the Nabataeans (Vries & Osinga). Vries & Osinga write: The many structures are so diverse that it is difficult to categorize them, at least without oversimplifying or overlooking what may be important details. Philip Hammond, who excavated the Temple of the Winged Lions, concludes that it might be more faithful to the diversity of the temples to see them not as derivatives of Iranian temples, Roman temples or other, but to recognize the borrowing of constructional and decorative technique and to concentrate on why each was unique. (Vries & Oringa) Sartre, Porter & Rawlings write that Nabataeans were so influenced by Greek art – following the Roman invasion – that they spread that influence in many parts of Arabia. Nude heroes of the Greeks have been found in Arabia and believed to have been conveyed there by the Nabataeans (Sartre, Porter & Rawlings, p. 269). However, Vries & Oringa have uncovered Egyptian influence in the temples of Nabataeans to boot. Describing one of the most significant temples left by the Nabataeans, the authors state: [T]he Wadi Rum temple took its layout from Egyptian models, specifically the Egyptian Temple Dayr Chelouit. The only reference to the Roman world would be columns of the Wadi Rum Temple. Dharih might also be kin to the Egyptian Temple of Coptos, while the Qasr al-Bint and the Temple of the Winged Lions find construction parallels there also (Vries & Oringa). Then again, Greek and/or Roman influence seems to be most profound. Although temple plans of the Nabataeans do not appear typically Roman, decoration outside of the temples may be recognized as distinctly Roman and/or Hellenistic. As an example, the external decoration of Khasneh makes it appear as though it was built in Alexandria (Vries & Oringa). Even so, Vries & Oringa believe that the Nabataeans did not simply copy the designs that were handed down to them by Romans. Instead, they took influence in their stride, sometimes appropriating â€Å"the general structure,† but modifying and adapting it as time went on (Vries & Oringa). In other words, they were open to influence, but also believed in maintaining their local traditions. Taylor (2001) agrees with this view. In her book, Petra and the Lost Kingdom of the Nabataeans, she explains that the Nabataeans did not make copies as slaves would. Rather, Greek ideas were amazingly transformed by the Nabataeans into works of art keeping â€Å"a distinctively Nabataean flavor† (Taylor, p. 92). No wonder, Petra remains as an incomparable feast for the eyes for all lovers of art. Vries & Oringa write that the art of Nabataeans, in particular the sculptures they made, also changed from era to era; that is, even before the Romans came to rule the Nabataean kingdom, the Nabataeans went on altering their artistic style (Vries & Oringa). Perhaps their visits to foreign lands brought such changes to the art of the kingdom. But, once the Romans had arrived on the scene, the Nabataeans did not only borrow the artistic styles of the Greeks but also others’. The sculptures of deities in Tannur, for example, appear both Hellenistic and Oriental. The Nabataeans also seem to have been influenced by the Syrian artistic style, as revealed through sculptures at both Dharih and Tannur (Vries & Oringa). Although Hellenistic artistic style â€Å"of classical proportions† is most often cited as an influence on Nabataean art, there were plenty of sculptures made by the Nabataeans that did not appear Greek at all even though they were made while the Nabataeans were living under Roman rule (Vries & Oringa). Vries & Oringa cite â€Å"the simple standing block† as an example of such artwork. The fact that the Nabataeans maintained their local flavor in their artistic style shows that these people did not wholly lose their cultural identity at the time. Even the Romans may have delighted in the diversity revealed through Nabataean art, simply because the Nabataeans mingled with many peoples at the time. What is more, the adaptation of Greek art to new cultures must have been viewed as a triumph of ancient Greek artistic styles. After all, ancient Greek art continues to be celebrated around the world to this day. References Apollo. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://felc. gdufs. edu. cn/jth/myth/Greek%20Online/5Apollo. htm. Art. (2008). Ancient Greece. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://www. ancientgreece. com/s/Art/. Culture. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://www. crystalinks. com/greekculture. html. Harris, W. Euhemerus. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://community. middlebury. edu/~harris/SubIndex/greekmyth. html. Ingfei, C. (2002, Aug 2). The Sun also Heals; Some believe. International Herald Tribune. Kerr, M. (1995, Oct 23). â€Å"The Sole Witness†: The Periclean Parthenon. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://people. reed. edu/~mkerr/papers/Parth95. html. Leadbetter, R. (2004, Jan 31). Apollo. Encyclopedia Mythica. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://www. pantheon. org/articles/a/apollo. html. Sartre, M. , Porter, C. , & Rawlings, E. (2005). The Middle East under Rome. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Taylor, J. (2001). Petra and the Lost Kingdom of the Nabataeans. London: I. B. Tauris. Timeline of Ancient Greece. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://www. aspasiaproject. com/timeline. htm. The Parthenon. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://academic. reed. edu/humanities/110Tech/Parthenon. html. The Parthenon: Religion, Art, and Politics. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://employees. oneonta. edu/farberas/arth/ARTH200/politics/parthenon. html. Torso of Apollo. (2000). The Detroit Institute of Arts. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://www. cartage. org. lb/en/themes/arts/scultpureplastic/SculptureHistory/GloriousScul

How To Make Money Blogging

How To Make Money Blogging Make Money Blogging! or even better Make Tons Of Money Blogging! Whoo Whee! Isn’t that what we’re here for, to be honest? It sounds kind of crass, I suppose, to put a dollar amount on the â€Å"art of blogging†, but the truth is that bloggers invest an incredible amount of money in their blogs. Hosting, templates, social media, ad buys. Time. Oh, the time. Let’s agree that the second part of â€Å"content marketing† is marketing, implying that we are looking for a market, implying that we want to make some money. How can you make money blogging? Let’s consider a two-pronged approach, making money off of your blog directly, and how your blog can help lead you to make money off of other’s blogs. What Are The Best Ways To Make Money Blogging? via @JulieNeidlinger Writing For Your Blog Writing for your own blog, that thing you do every day, can be thought of as part of the process of making money. Just the act of creating content, if you choose to think about it correctly, has a financial reward. 1. Build your own credibility. Your blog is building your credibility (unless you write rants with nary a thought toward grammar and writing quality). Each post you write builds on the previous posts, and is telling your reader â€Å"this blogger is credible†. Why does that matter, when it comes to making money off of your blog? Brand and name recognition. Just as the propinquity effect- the state of being physically or psychologically close to another and therefore, forming a relationship- is important in determining your social media ROI, the same can be said of your blog. Your reader gets used to hearing your â€Å"voice† on the page. He gets used to your opinions, your style, your approach. He knows what you advocate. And, the more he likes your content, the more he returns. The more he returns, the more familiarity he has with your brand. Publish consistent content to keep readers coming back, getting the chance to convert.As you blog regularly, you are creating brand recognition. While your bank account isn’t directly growing each time a reader hops in to read, you are â€Å"softening† your readers into potential customers in the future. In this way, that brand recognition has a long-term financial payoff. And that is exactly how content marketing works despite it's greatest misconception (just take a look at what Rand Fishkin mentions in this fantastic video): Your expertise. What you are an expert at has value. You know something that others want to know also. They want your help. Part of being a great content marketer is being willing to help freely, giving away some of that expertise. We’re going to talk about how you can turn the rest of that expertise into money in the next section, but the expertise itself plays into how you make money in a few ways: If you’re selling other products, your expertise can reassure customers that buying from you means they won’t be left to fend for themselves if they need help. Your expertise makes your other products seem legitimate, because they were created by an expert. For example, I am a freelance writer. My writing on my own blog, the blog, and elsewhere has brought me new clients who like what they read. They have determined that I have a particular kind of expertise. Some services, like writing, need evidence of expertise. Clients need evidence that I can write, and my own blogging is that evidence. Blogging establishes expertise. Expertise establishes trust. Trust enables confidence to purchase.Blogging establishes expertise. Expertise establishes trust. Trust enables confidence to purchase. No one buys from someone who doesn’t seem to know what they are talking about. In this way, expertise is like brand recognition: It is a foundation that may not obviously impact your bank account every time you hit â€Å"publish† on a blog post, but must be there for any future attempt to make money off of your blog. 2. Sell  your own products. Every blogger has at least two products to sell: Their expertise, and the content created out of that expertise. However, there are additional products you can create using that same content as well as the brand you’ve established. Ideally, you’d focus on products that would create a passive income, meaning that money comes in regularly with little work on your part after the initial effort. Digital products that people can purchase and download or view are the best example of this. Physical products, on the other hand, require you to create, package, and ship. They are active income, requiring work on every sale. Let’s take a look at a few products you can sell on your blog, including both passive and active income. Services, teaching, and consulting. If you’ve established yourself as an expert in a particular niche or industry, you have valuable expertise. And, as we just mentioned, that’s something with actual monetary value. Whether through webinars, speaking at conferences, one-on-one consulting, or even a class on a site like Udemy, your expertise has monetary value. As a content marketer, you know the value of giving away your expertise for free, but it doesn’t hurt to consider that you ought to hold some back to make available to those who are willing to pay for it. Copyblogger, for example, gives away a lot of great content. But they also have a paid element in their Authority program for those in their audience who want to be serious and pony up some money to learn. Valuable expertise has monetary value. #bloggingIn an age where so much is free on the Internet, not everyone is pleased to be asked to pay for the cream of the crop. However, this adds value to your expertise, oddly, in that it sends the message that people are willing to pay you for what you know. Asking people to pay you for your expertise is part of teaching them how to treat you and value the knowledge you’re giving them. It is great to give away things for free. It is perfectly acceptable to also hold some behind a paywall. Books, e-books, and more. Are you a food blogger? Then you have a cookbook to sell. It’s all right there, on your blog. Package your posts up into a variety of cookbooks (â€Å"Most popular recipes† or â€Å"Breakfast dishes†). Just because it’s available for free online doesn’t mean your fans won’t jump at the chance to get a convenient hard copy of whatever it is you are an expert at. It’s easy to forget that you can actually sell e-books, because most content marketers use them as a giveaway incentive to get email addresses. But, depending upon how long the e-book is, and the quality, it is another avenue for making money from your blog. You can make money #blogging by repurposing your content.Not everyone will get a lucrative publishing contract, though, but that shouldn’t keep you from getting e-books made up from your repurposed content. There are many apps out there that will help you easily make an e-book from the content you already have. If you’d like to offer an actual physical book, there are no shortage of options. Blurb, for example, recently introduced a trade book publishing program that will help you create a book and e-book, getting it listed on Amazon and in the Ingram catalog. That opens the door to anyone who wants your book, even your local bookseller. Things you can sell: Books and e-books: Cull from your top posts or high-traffic categories and create real long-form content. Helpful guides, how-tos, or a collection of essays- all make great reading. Posters: Print high-quality versions of infographics or visual graphics your readers have enjoyed. Schwag: Stickers, notebooks, and other blog-branded items that tie into your core niche. Subscriptions: Whether exclusive content, downloads, products, or graphic designs, you can offer paid subscriptions to your readers. 3. Sell ads on your site. Selling ad space on your blog isn’t as lucrative for every blogger. If you aren’t getting seriously high traffic (around 10,000 a month), you won’t see the windfall that bigger bloggers lay claim to. In talking about his decision to sell ads on his blog, popular blogger Michael Hyatt lays out five very good steps to selling ads: Survey your readers and find out basic demographic information. This will be useful in knowing what kinds of ads will work best for your audience. Create a page dedicated to advertising. Let people know your terms for allowing their ads on your site. Create an advertising kit to provide to those interested in advertising. Sign up with an advertising service (preferably not Google AdSense) that is a good fit for your blog, both in how they run their service and in the ad output (e.g. graphic size). Pitch the advertising opportunity to those who might be interested. You have, at this point, demographics and traffic numbers. That’s the makings of a great sales pitch. Your approach may be different, but remember that in order to make money off of your blog with ads, you need a lot of traffic. Here's how to sell valuable ad space on your #blog.Writing For Other’s Blogs If the extent of your writing for other blogs is in the format of guest blogging, you probably aren’t getting paid. Guest posting, generally, is about finding a new audience and building your own reputation as an expert (which, as noted, does eventually help you make money). However, in a world hungry for content, good writers are in high demand. I know this from firsthand experience, receiving many requests from potential clients. You can make money, as a blogger, writing for other blogs. Before you can make money writing for others' blogs, you have to: Have been writing on your own blog. You need experience both in writing and what it takes to run a blog. You’ll gain an appreciation for deadlines and word counts if you’ve done it yourself first. Establish a tangible reputation, with writing samples, of what you can do. This is so crucial. Why do I have so many requests from clients? Because they’ve seen my writing elsewhere and liked it. Do the work. Write the guest posts. It will turn around eventually. Be willing (though it may not always be required) to write for free initially to establish a relationship with the blog owner. Be upfront that you are interested in paid blogging and not just guest posts. Make yourself available, but not passively. You have to pursue writing leads, unless you’ve built enough brand reputation where they come to you. Get in the practice of working hard and hitting deadlines. Nothing kills a paid blogging gig like missing deadlines and turning in shoddy work. Be prepared to write outside of your comfort zone, at least until you establish regular clients. Learn to research and write on things you don’t always know a lot about. If you intend to make a living writing for other blogs, here are some resources you ought to check out first: 12 Signs You’re Underselling Your Freelance Writing Services Is Ghost Blogging Unethical? How To Make A Living Blogging How To Avoid Writer Burnout When It’s Your Day Job 5 Steps To Make Your Freelance Clients Love Your Writing You Have To Flip The Switch All the expertise and brand recognition in the world doesn’t lead to bank deposits unless you flip the switch. What I mean is that you have to, at some point, make the move to asking for money. For startups or businesses where a sellable product came first, and the blog is the means to bring in people, it’s different. But for bloggers whose content came first, where the blog is the means to bring in money (eventually), you need to flip the switch. At some point, you have to make the move to ask for money from #blogging.You have to sell a product, or that expertise. You have to run the risk of upsetting some in your audience who truly want things for free (unless you’re making a go of it, for reals, off of ads). You have to be willing to do the work of writing for yourself â€Å"for free† and on other blogs for free until you get enough requests that you begin weeding them out by establishing a freelance blogging career. When is that moment? I don’t know. You will know. Creating endless free downloads that bring in droves of traffic and are downloaded in high numbers? Start creating something available only with a price tag. Can’t handle the deluge of writing requests? End all free writing and put a price on it and see where the chips fall. It can feel like a gamble, but if you’re overwhelmed and exhausted and aren’t seeing any income, it’s time. The danger to content marketing is to get so caught up in doing it so well and so free that you forget you’re marketing. If your blog is a hobby, fine. But if you want to make money off of it, you must eventually move away from everything being free. Don't forget to get your free infographic checklist to help you make money from blogging.

Example Sentences Using the Verb Find

Example Sentences Using the Verb Find This page provides example sentences of the verb find used in all tenses including active and passive forms, as well as conditional and modal forms. Base Form: FindPast Simple: FoundPast Participle: FoundGerund: Finding Present Simple He often finds unexpected treasures. Present Simple Passive The shop is often found easily by new customers. Present Continuous He is finding it difficult to pay attention. Present Continuous Passive New customers are being found at this very moment. Present Perfect He has recently found a new job. Present Perfect Passive A new director has been found for the position. Present Perfect Continuous He has been finding it difficult to adjust to his new job. Past Simple Jerry found it easy to adjust last week. Past Simple Passive A house was found after a long search. Past Continuous We were finding the house when he walked out the door. Past Continuous Passive The house was being found when he walked out the door. Past Perfect They had found a new apartment by the time their parents arrived. Past Perfect Passive A new apartment had been found by the time their parents arrived. Past Perfect Continuous We had been finding it difficult to adjust when he helped us out. Future (Will) They will find friends quickly. Future (Will) Passive New friends will be found quickly. Future (Going To) He is going to find a hotel when he arrives. Future (Going To) Passive A hotel is going to be found when you arrive. Future Continuous We will be finding life easy this time next week. Future Perfect They will have found a new house by the time I arrive next week. Future Possibility She might find a new job easily. Real Conditional If she finds a new job, she will move out of town. Unreal Conditional If she found a new job, she would move out of town. Past Unreal Conditional If she had found a new job, she would have moved out of town. Present Modal She can find a new job anytime. Past Modal She cant have found a new job! Conjugate with Find Quiz Use the verb to find to conjugate the following sentences. Quiz answers are below. In some cases, more than one answer may be correct. He _____ it difficult to adjust to his new job.He _____ it difficult to pay attention.He often _____ unexpected treasures.A new director _____ for the position.Jerry _____ it easy to adjust last week.A house _____ after a long search.A new apartment _____ by the time their parents arrived.He _____ a hotel when he arrives.She _____ a new job easily.If she _____ a new job, she would move out of town. Quiz Answers has been findingis findingfindshas been foundfound  was foundhad been foundis going to find / will findmight findfound

Consumer law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Consumer law - Essay Example The importer of a product into any member state of the European Union may also be considered as a producer under the said directive.2 However, where the producer cannot be known or identified, the supplier of such a product is treated under the directive as the producer unless the identity of the producer or the one supplying the product can be identified by him.3 In the case at bar, if the buyer would identify specifically the manufacturer of Aquawash-09 in Korea, such manufacturer may be made liable under the directive. If not, the importer of such washing machine, specifically, Heinz which is a German Company, can be made liable under the EC directive. The buyer can therefore claim against the manufacturer, the supplier or both under the EC directive. Furthermore, under the EC directive, a defect in a product exists if the so-called objective test is established which includes â€Å"either or both the cost-risk analysis and the consumer’s expectation of safety.†4 A product is considered as defective under the EC directive if such product does not make available the safety which any person could â€Å"reasonably entitled to expect,† taking into account the following: â€Å"the presentation of the product, the use to which the product could reasonably be expected to be put, and the time when the product was put into circulation.†5 Defect may also be present in the design or the manufacturing of the product, in the failure to warn, in the instructions, and in the â€Å"developmental defects.†6 If then the product does not provide the level of safety which is expected by the consumer, it would then be considered as defective under the directive even though it functions under the designed specificati on.7 In the case at bar, the washing machine then may certainly be considered as defective not only because it did not function properly but because it does not provide for the level of safety reasonably expected from the product, as

Cultural, Economic, and Institutional Inequality in the US Assignment

Cultural, Economic, and Institutional Inequality in the US - Assignment Example While using the public policy field, it will be possible to have a deeper understanding of how the political economy in the US is organized. Within these fields, the focus will mainly be on the wealth and poverty in the United States with regards to public policy, as well as social inequalities in the US with regards to sociology. This research will be important to a wider audience because there has been a significant increase in cultural, economic, and institutional inequality in the United States since the mid-70s. The United States for a long time has been one of the most unequal countries among the developed countries in the world. However, the cultural and economic upheaval that started in the seventies acted as a stark departure from the movement that had sought to push for more equality after the Great Depression and into the Second World War (Pontusson 41). The push for equality had been a core feature of public policy in the thirty years after WWII and its reversal consequences of this reversal should be of importance. In addition, this research paper is important because it will deal with a pertinent issue in American society today. Despite the magnitude with which inequality has risen in the United States, it seems that political discourse only refers obliquely to inequality in the United States. Th e debate in the public arena, neither acknowledges the scale and widespread nature of inequality in the United States, nor does it discuss why these sustained, and sudden changes have occurred in a serious and focused manner (Pontusson 42). This research paper will seek to expand, on policy recommendations, to reverse the trend of economic inequality in the United States, providing an alternate view of the period after World War 2, particularly the last thirty years.  

The Effect Of Light Intensity On Photosynthesis Of Pondweed Plant Coursework

The Effect Of Light Intensity On Photosynthesis Of Pondweed Plant - Coursework Example Limiting factors are the features, which affect the rate of reaction or control the process depending upon their presence or absence. The law of limiting factor states that,† Those reactions which depend on more than one factors to be favorable, then its rate is limited by least favorable value of its limiting factors. For the reaction to be at optimum speed, all... factors need to be at an optimum stage.† Concentration of CO2 is one of the main limiting factors of the process, after light intensity. Usual concentration of CO2 in the environment is 0.03%, and it does not change much. There are places where more CO2 is present and the rate of Photosynthesis is higher in those areas. The more concentration of CO2 in the surrounding faster will be the process. Temperature is another factor, which affects the rate of the process by influencing the efficiency of the enzymes working in the process. Optimum temperature for photosynthesis is between

How To Make Resume Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

How To Make Resume - Essay Example We will also look at the main reasons why it was practiced and how the contemporary society deems/ regards these aesthetically preserved and monumental bodies II. According to Hawass (2004), preserving a corpse in a way that left it looking as alive as could be managed was critical in the Egyptian religion. The steps I have highlighted in the beginning of my talk were only part of stage of the mummification process that entailed two very engaging stages 2. The entire process of mummification lasted approximately 70 days. The internal organs that had been removed were dried and then carefully stored in special containers (canopic jars) after which the presiding priest blessed them through spoken word 3. Using a hook, the brain was excised from the skull through the nose. The heart of the corpse was however left intact since Egyptians held that the memories, emotions and intelligence of the person lived on in their hearts 4. After this mass excision of internal organs, what was left of the corpse was filled with special material (linen) to regain its original shape. The corpse was consequently dried for several weeks to ensure that the preservation would last for a very long time 1. In this procedure, the corpse was thoroughly wrapped using bandages of linen. Prayers were then said and rituals performed. Expensive jewelry and stones, faience and gold amulets were laid on the corpse then also wrapped within fresh bandages. These ‘accompaniments’ were believed to be a source of protection for the dead person 2. More prayers and spells ensued after this procedure. The body was also wrapped while holding an ancient book called ‘The Book of the Dead’. This book was believed to guide and lead the spirit in the after-life 3. Following this book process, tow more rounds of linen were wound around the corpse. The mummified corpse would hence be enclosed in a series of caskets which would also be enclosed within a

Trend analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Trend analysis - Essay Example After that period, they secured a merger with Twentieth Century Pictures which was established by Joseph Schenck and Darryl F. Zanuck in the year of 1933. The merger took place in 1935 which resulted in the formation of Twentieth Century Fox. 20th Century Fox Film Corporation is an established name in motion picture industry. It has established itself as one of the major company in their industry not only in America but also throughout the world. The main products of the company are films and television production oriented work. In the early period i.e. in late 1930s as well as in 1940s of the establishment of the company, their business model concentrated mainly on producing westerns, religious epics, screen featured biographies, and also musical films. In the early period of their business endeavor, they attached themselves mainly with quite a few of the then famous directors like John Ford, e.g. well recognized films like ‘The Grapes of Wrath (1940)’. From then on, they went on producing quite a few important and landmark films in the subsequent years. They were the first to bring in innovation in their business model by bringing in cinemascope. Cinemascope is a mechanism which helped pictures to be proje cted on screen at a ratio of two and a half times wider than normal. Their business environment was always been quite competitive in nature. They have been a pioneer in quite a few new innovations in their business environment and business model like cinemascope. The Robe in 1953 was companies’ inaugural wide screen viewable feature film. Thus, they were the trendsetter in the utilization of wide screen as a method of displaying films in the theatres featuring motion pictures. Twentieth Century Fox can be credited with the fact that they were the studio which brought presently renowned Marilyn Monroe in to the limelight and stardom in the period of 1950s. The studio also brought into forefront two of the most famous and successful

Beauvoir's second sex Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Beauvoir's second sex - Essay Example She notes that because of treatment, where a girl grows understanding that she is destined to do house chores, a girl grows up without â€Å"innate maternal instinct†. Basing on the way the society handles the two genders, a girl is made to grow believing in and worshiping a male god and creating imagery adult lovers. Beauvoir views the discovery of sex by women as a painful phenomenon. When it comes to sex, the society has made men the masters of the world’s revelation. Beauvoir notes that one of the hardest experiences in a girl’s life is puberty stage. She describes the way a girl in her late teens come to accept her â€Å"femininity†. According to her a girl may do this by running away from home, by stealing or following nature. In chapter 2 of this book titled â€Å"Situation† Beauvoir demonstrates that women are equally looked down upon in marriage and that she is always playing a role of satisfying the sexual desires of a man. She emphasizes that in marriage setting the role of a woman as a house keeper/cleaner is evident of the servant hood role women are made to play. She says that the dignity of women is compromised in a marriage setting and as often the case, women can only find dignity by accepting her role in providing bed â€Å"services† and â€Å"housework services†. ... spective, Beauvoir says that women can be as active, silent and effective as men, and that women just like men can handle masculinity logic they have to. However, the situation created by the society and her family does not give her such an opportunity instead she has to keep being useful preparing food, clothes and lodges. According to Beauvoir, a woman is always full of worries but she has nothing to do to change her position, she cries, complaints, and even threaten suicide but she cannot escape her lot. Beauvoir says that is the target of religion and that it is pointless trying to prove whether a woman as treated in the society is inferior or superior because the man’s situations has been made â€Å"infinitely preferable†. She hold that for a woman she has no way out than to always work for her liberation. In Chapter 4 â€Å"The Lesbian† Beauvoir describes sexual relations with a woman. She holds that though the society is a â€Å"forbidden path† for women, they are finding their way out through such acts as lesbian, and homosexuals. Beauvoir’s life story is a true reflection of the misconceptions widely held by the society about women. It mirrors the troubles we as women are made to go through as we struggle through life experiences to get to our destined career goals. As a victim of women mistreatment, my struggles to get to where I am today and the challenges accompanying such struggles are immense. Growing up is a men dominated society, my position was well defined. In a family of two boys and two girls, and as the eldest girl in the family, I had to spend most of my years under the watchful eye of my mother. This meant that I spend most of my time learning how to cook and how to clean the house and wash my sister’s and brothers’ clothes. Just like

How To Make Resume Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

How To Make Resume - Essay Example We will also look at the main reasons why it was practiced and how the contemporary society deems/ regards these aesthetically preserved and monumental bodies II. According to Hawass (2004), preserving a corpse in a way that left it looking as alive as could be managed was critical in the Egyptian religion. The steps I have highlighted in the beginning of my talk were only part of stage of the mummification process that entailed two very engaging stages 2. The entire process of mummification lasted approximately 70 days. The internal organs that had been removed were dried and then carefully stored in special containers (canopic jars) after which the presiding priest blessed them through spoken word 3. Using a hook, the brain was excised from the skull through the nose. The heart of the corpse was however left intact since Egyptians held that the memories, emotions and intelligence of the person lived on in their hearts 4. After this mass excision of internal organs, what was left of the corpse was filled with special material (linen) to regain its original shape. The corpse was consequently dried for several weeks to ensure that the preservation would last for a very long time 1. In this procedure, the corpse was thoroughly wrapped using bandages of linen. Prayers were then said and rituals performed. Expensive jewelry and stones, faience and gold amulets were laid on the corpse then also wrapped within fresh bandages. These ‘accompaniments’ were believed to be a source of protection for the dead person 2. More prayers and spells ensued after this procedure. The body was also wrapped while holding an ancient book called ‘The Book of the Dead’. This book was believed to guide and lead the spirit in the after-life 3. Following this book process, tow more rounds of linen were wound around the corpse. The mummified corpse would hence be enclosed in a series of caskets which would also be enclosed within a

Beauvoir's second sex Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Beauvoir's second sex - Essay Example She notes that because of treatment, where a girl grows understanding that she is destined to do house chores, a girl grows up without â€Å"innate maternal instinct†. Basing on the way the society handles the two genders, a girl is made to grow believing in and worshiping a male god and creating imagery adult lovers. Beauvoir views the discovery of sex by women as a painful phenomenon. When it comes to sex, the society has made men the masters of the world’s revelation. Beauvoir notes that one of the hardest experiences in a girl’s life is puberty stage. She describes the way a girl in her late teens come to accept her â€Å"femininity†. According to her a girl may do this by running away from home, by stealing or following nature. In chapter 2 of this book titled â€Å"Situation† Beauvoir demonstrates that women are equally looked down upon in marriage and that she is always playing a role of satisfying the sexual desires of a man. She emphasizes that in marriage setting the role of a woman as a house keeper/cleaner is evident of the servant hood role women are made to play. She says that the dignity of women is compromised in a marriage setting and as often the case, women can only find dignity by accepting her role in providing bed â€Å"services† and â€Å"housework services†. ... spective, Beauvoir says that women can be as active, silent and effective as men, and that women just like men can handle masculinity logic they have to. However, the situation created by the society and her family does not give her such an opportunity instead she has to keep being useful preparing food, clothes and lodges. According to Beauvoir, a woman is always full of worries but she has nothing to do to change her position, she cries, complaints, and even threaten suicide but she cannot escape her lot. Beauvoir says that is the target of religion and that it is pointless trying to prove whether a woman as treated in the society is inferior or superior because the man’s situations has been made â€Å"infinitely preferable†. She hold that for a woman she has no way out than to always work for her liberation. In Chapter 4 â€Å"The Lesbian† Beauvoir describes sexual relations with a woman. She holds that though the society is a â€Å"forbidden path† for women, they are finding their way out through such acts as lesbian, and homosexuals. Beauvoir’s life story is a true reflection of the misconceptions widely held by the society about women. It mirrors the troubles we as women are made to go through as we struggle through life experiences to get to our destined career goals. As a victim of women mistreatment, my struggles to get to where I am today and the challenges accompanying such struggles are immense. Growing up is a men dominated society, my position was well defined. In a family of two boys and two girls, and as the eldest girl in the family, I had to spend most of my years under the watchful eye of my mother. This meant that I spend most of my time learning how to cook and how to clean the house and wash my sister’s and brothers’ clothes. Just like

Greenland Glaciers and Global Warming Essay Example for Free

Greenland Glaciers and Global Warming Essay Global warming, which is the increasing of the average temperature within the air near the Earths surface and the oceans, has caused the glaciers in Greenland to melt, causing the water levels to rise and the climate to change. Global warming is an unfortunate event that is taking place in numerous parts of the world, enabling bizarre and, in some instances, unnatural changes in the weather. Global warming has become most noticeable in the polar regions, amongst the polar icecaps, or in the more iced-over regions of the world, such as in Greenland and the Atlantic Ocean. In fact, Greenland has become the most common area for quickly-dissolving glaciers, making it the most notorious for climate and weather changes throughout the world. It is difficult to connect weather changes to global warming, though it has been proven that some more pronounced changes are likely to come about, and in fact, already are. One of the most obvious changes involves an increase in precipitation, as well as changes in the average patterns of precipitation, which can lead to flooding and, in turn, drought. The sea levels worldwide will rise, and are rising, as the glaciers melt, which will cause Arctic shrinkage the shrinking of the Arctic region due to climate change. In time, this shrinkage could possibly be seen in other areas, including the Atlantic Ocean. Some other irreversible affects include the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and tsunamis. With the continuously melting Greenland glaciers, these risks are more likely to happen and these changes will only become more obvious and the melting becomes more rapid. Jason Box, a professor at Ohio State and a global warming researcher, has noticed a rapid and unsettling change in the amount of glaciers in Greenland. In an interview in regards to the melting glaciers and global warming, Box stated that we fly over the worlds fastest-deteriorating glacier; and in 2003, we didnt even recognize the place. It had doubled its speed (of shearing off ice) and lost about 6 miles of width (Feran). Box goes on to state the worries that he feels about global warming, as well as pointing out a slight change to weather happenings around the world for instance, a snowstorm in an area that, despite being cold, has never seen such harsh weather. Box feels that this weather event can be linked simultaneously with global warming from the Greenland region. In further studies done by scientists and other global warming researchers, it has been discovered that a huge portion of the Atlantic region is warming just as much and just as fast as the rest of the world (Wilkinson). The scientists have researched and discovered that the temperature has risen 2. 5 degrees in the past half century and that there has been a 140 percent ice loss within a decade. This has caused ice shelves to break up or disappear, exposing the glaciers behind them and speeding up the discharge of ice and fresh water into the ocean (Wilkinson). In the article, Dr. Ian Allison of the Australian Antarctic Division says that the activities taking place in the Atlantic are related to the rising of the air and water temperatures. Allison also stated that the melting of the Greenland glaciers are of the biggest concern, saying that its changes are even more noticeable than those of other regions. In Greenland, the rate of ice loss is getting greater over the last 10 years and the surface ice melt is definitely related to the warming. Allison, whos main focus is that of the Arctic and Atlantic regions, has been keeping close note on the melting glaciers, as well as trying to compare them to changes that have been taking place with weather. The more ice that the Atlantic loses, as well as the rest of the regions under the pressure of global warming, the more heat that comes back to it. When there is no ice to reflect the heat of the sun, the heat permeates through the water, causing the water to warm up even more. The heat is then spread to the remaining glaciers, which causes an almost domino effect, repeating itself until all that can happen is for the sea levels to rise. According to Alan Boyle, a science editor, Greenlands glaciers have been dumping ice into the Atlantic Ocean at a rate thats doubled over the past five years, as researchers have reported. Yet there are many scientists and researchers that are not as worried about the melting of the glaciers as others are; they claim that Greenland has gone through warming before, but the heat had been followed by cooling temperatures. Many of the researchers feel that the same thing is happening again. These scientists are not disregarding the possibility of global warming, but are wary to rule in Greenland as a current problem. Other scientists are against this, saying that Greenland has been warming up 2. 2 times faster than it has in previous years. Greenland is home to one of the worlds largest, and one of the most quickly dissolving, glacier, the Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier. The aforementioned glacier has gone from being completely stationary as of 1996 to flowing at a rate of fourteen kilometers a year by 2005; it is because of this that it is considered one of the fastest moving glaciers on the planet. It is also because of this, as well as Greenlands other quickly-melting glaciers, that will play a huge, unwanted role in the rising of the worlds sea levels (Biello). Greenland has become one of the biggest concerns of scientists, due to the alarming rate that its glaciers are melting, as well as to the obvious increase in the temperature. Since Greenland is home to some of the most quickly melting glaciers, as well as to the worlds largest, it will be one of the main purveyors of climate and weather changes throughout the world. Bizarre changes in weather have already been noticed, with many scientists blaming global warming on these changes. Regardless of the fact that Greenland is in a region of its own, what is taking place with its glaciers can affect the entire world; the weather will be the most pronouncedly changed. Horrific weather events will last longer than what is considered average, and they can take place in areas that would not normally see such conditions. Works Cited Biello, David. (17 Feb 2006. ) Greenlands glaciers: Melting and on the move. Scientific American. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. sciam. com/article. cfm? id=greenlands-glaciers-melti. Boyle, Alan. (16 Feb 2006. ) Greenlands glaciers losing ice at faster rate. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/11385475/. Feran, Tim. (24 March 2009. ) Glacier warning us, OSU researcher says. The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. columbusdispatch. com/live/content/life/stories/2009/03/24/2_NOVA_ICE. ART_ART_03-24-09_D5_9ADB1F1. html? sid=101. Wilkinson, Marian. (23 March 2009. ) The ice caps are in trouble. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. smh. com. au/environment/earth-hour/theice-caps-areintrouble-200

Camera Angles And Movement

Camera Angles And Movement Films have evolved over time. Whether it is the shift in techniques or the change in directing style, the development is certainly apparent. Casablanca (1942) is written by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch, directed by Michael Curtiz, and starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. It is considered one of Hollywoods iconic movies as it creates a great balance between humor, suspense, and romance. Casablanca is a multi-layered film that belongs to the film noir of the 1940s. Curtizs use of camera angles such us close-ups, point of view, panning, Wide shots, dolly and tracking creates wonderful movement within the film. These camera shots help guide the viewers understanding of the storys development and direct their attention to what is happening. This paper will discuss and further explore the various camera angles and movement techniques that were implemented within the film and provide examples on each. At the beginning of the 20th century, according to Borwell D., Thompson K., Staiger J. (1985), Advanced capitalism characterized the economy after World War I. This characterization is applicable to film industry. (p. 320). Studio owners that owned sets also bought theaters, thereby monopolizing the business. Having their actors under several-year extended contracts enabled them to produce a large number of movies yearly. That was known as factory-oriented style of production of film. This movie was set in the Moroccan city of Casablanca but was actually filmed in the Warner Bros Studios. The controllable set allowed Curtiz to manipulate the environment for his own advantage, or in other words, to convey the environment he wanted. His use of a variety of camera angles and framing allowed the viewer to be part of the story. Camera angles and shots in the movie helped the viewer foreshadow which path the story is going to take and establish a connection between the characters and the plot. They also act as a catalyst that motivates a positive response from the viewer while noticing the development in the story. One of the initial camera techniques implemented in the movie was the close up shot. It occurred at the beginning of the movie, as the police rounded suspects while a man with a mess of papers attempted to flee the scene. The police ended up shooting him to death. Then we see a police officer going down next to the body and pulling out papers from his pocket. It turns out to be a free France flier which is propaganda for the freedom of France, which establishes the context of the movie. The close-up shot mentioned was used to emphasize the use of a specific vantage point, which in this case, is from the point of view of the audience and not the officer. A second and very different close-up shot was used at the opening scene of Ricks cafà ©, where groups of people were gambling and making shady deals. Afterwards, a waiter brings a check to an individual (at that point, unknown by the audience) who signs the check with the phrase ok rick, revealing the identity of this individual without the use of any dialogue or narration. A repetitive pattern arises in terms of the close up technique; the close ups are designed for the audience rather than merely focusing on the characters. Michael Curtiz made sure that the audience was part of the story. Another important camera technique used was the point of view technique, to allow the viewer to both observe the characters and be part of the scene. The placement of the camera plays a huge role in determining what the viewer is looking at. Here, the positioning of the camera at the exact height of the character allows the viewers to be implanted within the scene, making the scene more effective and personalized. Curtiz uses this technique in the movie when Rick and Louis are having a conversation about Lazlo coming to Casablanca and his rumored arrival. The placement of the camera here, above of Louis left shoulder, is crucial; we get to witness Ricks reaction to the news as well as Louis counter reaction to Ricks reply. The interesting variation Curtiz made on the point of view technique was used as a method of motivation to instigate a reaction from the audience. A panning shot, also one of the major techniques used in shooting the film, is a continuous shot that allows the audience to view the entire environment from one point to another. As Gianetti (2011) mentions that pan shots tend to unify the space and the connectedness of people and objects within that space. However, Curtiz added his own variation to a panning shot. In one scene, Strasser enters Ricks cafà © as a regular customer. However, to foreshadow an arising conflict between Rick and Strasser, Curtiz allows the camera to pan from Strasser but it stops at Rick. This tension filled shot does not pan around the cafà ©, as to highlight the existence of a conflict between both characters. Michael Curtiz utilizes an establishing wide shot when Rick first meets Lazlo. This type of shot focuses on all individuals sitting at a table. In that scene, when Rick begins speaking to Ilsa, the angle of the shot changes to more of a tighter wide angle shot, indicating that everyone else seated at the table is insignificant in that scene. As soon as the conversation began between Rick and Ilsa, the camera shifts into a close up tight shot on their faces. Here, a close-up shot is used to reinforce the existence of an emotional relationship between the characters. The viewers attention is directed to Rick and Ilsa as the ones driving the action. They seem to be at the center of most events As for the final scene of the movie, the camerawork used there is an example of great camera movement; the same action is shown from different angles before and after the plane takes off. There is a slower tracking (dolly) shot as the plane starts to move preparing to fly. Finally, there is dolly movement as the plane flies above Rick and Louis and we see it in the air. The last scene with the tracking and dolly shots of the plane emphasize its stature, as its the only way to escape as its taking Ilsa and Lazlo to freedom. The closing scene as Rick and Louis walkaway, as Kolker (2011) mentioned the closing scene as the camera dollys out and smoke appears behind the characters; that is one of the most memorable endings in movie history. Camera angles were not only used to reveal different relationships between people or to direct the viewers attention. They were also used to convey the importance of certain symbols and objects of a significant presence in the movie. When Lazlo met at the bar with a man who was trying to sell him a ring, a close-up on the ring showed a double cross symbol on it which stood for Joan of Arc, a symbol for France. On another note, an important object in the movie was Sams piano. In addition to the placement of the piano at the center of the cafà ©, guests seemed to always want to be near it. It created a fun mood that took away their worries. It is also a symbol for Ricks love for Ilsa. The piano seems to always be present in the frame when a wide shot was taken of Ricks cafà © or when Rick are having flashbacks of him and Ilsa in Paris. A wide shot of the spotlight reinforces its symbolism as people are being watched all the time. According to Keaney (2003), Casablanca is a genuine American masterpiece of romance, mystery, and intrigue, with Boghart and Bergman at its center as the star crossed lovers and Henried as the unselfish patriot (p. 77), Casablanca is a melodrama during World War II where everything in the world is changing, including technique and style. The film takes place before the US chose a side in the war and prior to Pearl Harbor. In fact, the studio did not expect the film to be a huge success. However, on the contrary, Casablanca is one of the most iconic films in American history. The wide range of camera angles and shooting techniques Curtiz used only added to its success, involving the viewers in the movie and constantly attracting their attention. He created context using close ups, in addition to taking into consideration the audiences vantage point as a key element. He used the point-of view technique that allows the audience to be part of the scene as well as observe the reactions of the characters involved in the scene. He used a panning shot in order to indicate a change in action. An establishing wide shot used in the movie was then changed it into a tighter frame to emphasize the idea that Ilsa and Rick are always at the center of events. The final scene of the film using the dolly movement to emphasize the stature of the plane and what it stands for. Focusing on the camera angles and shots creates a variety of movements as the story develops.

Alienation in As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner Essay -- As I Lay Dying

William Faulkner is an American novelist whose major work is As I Lay Dying. Faulkner gave each of his characters traits that are expressed throughout the story.   The reader is introduced to each character through their detailed and descriptive character traits.   We are able to delve into the character's mind and see their personal and distinct traits. He did not tell us anything about the characters, but he takes us into the mind of each character to analyze what we see there. Even though these characters lead parallel lives we can see the total alienation and breakdown of the relationships between each other.   Darl, Jewel, and Anse possess character traits that contribute to or cause the breakdown of their relationship.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Anse Bundren is a poor farmer, who was married to Addie for more than thirty years. He is lazy and selfish and relies greatly on his family and friends. Anse’s selfishness is what separates him from his two sons-Darl and Jewel. For example, the journey to Jefferson, to bury his dead wife was a promise he made to Addie, but his continued perseverance to better himself reveals his true selfishness. Despite the trials along the way and Addie’s body decomposing and attracting buzzards he is only concerned with getting to Jefferson to buy his new teeth. He uses Addie’s death to accomplish his own selfish motives. After Addie’s death Anse says, â€Å"But now I can get them teeth. That will be a comfort.† (Faulkner 28). The only reason Anse is carrying out with the journey is to get his new teeth. He further shows his selfishness when their mules are drowned in the flood. He makes an arrangement with a kinsman to trade Cash’s eight doll ars and Jewel’s beloved horse for a new team of mules. Thirdly, Anse is so concern... ...ls seperate from each other despite everything they share together. Faulkner shows us that with the death of Addie, the flood, fire, and the decomposing of flesh that should have brought them closer together, they are too self-absorbed in themselves to ever get close to each other. Works Cited Backman, Melvin. Faulkner: the major years;: A critical study. Indiana University Press 1966 Blotner, Joseph. Faulkner: A Biography (Southern Icons) University Press of Mississippi, 2005 Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying. New York: Vintage, 1987. Getty, Laura J. â€Å"Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying† The Explicator. 64.3 (2005): 230. Gale. Web. 3 Oct. 2011 Humphrey, Robert. Stream of consciousness in the modern novel University of California Press, 1968 Vickery, Olga W. The Novels of William Faulkner: A Critical Interpretation, LSU Press, April 1, 1995

The Future for Chicago Public Housing :: Sociology

The Future for Chicago Public Housing In big cities across America, the consensus is public housing doesn't work. And in Chicago, it's coming down. Chicago began using federal housing dollars to blow up or knock down high-rise public housing in 1993. The plan shifted into high gear when the city signed a $1.5 billion deal with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Under the plan for transformation, Chicago will destroy more public housing than any city in the country. There are families being pushed out of their homes, out of the city and the communities that they want to stay in. (Haney), Suzanne. "Street Wise" This is major impact on the city, from this comes segregation and the economy fails. Mayor Richard Daley and his administration promised people in Chicago affordable housing and now Daley has gone back on his word. Where has all that money gone that Mayor Daley has promised to millions of people who continue to struggle everyday? If you take a look around in Chicago there are more condos arising than housing for those really in need of the help. Mayor Daley and be Administration decided to take from people who are making over $75, 000 a year. They think by taking 30% of their money they will be able to help restore peoples housing to make it affordable. Why cant the government pay money to help people find an affordable house? Because affordability has become a national problem, causing housing prices to have gone up faster then people in Chicago can make money or can afford the cost of living. Hanney, Suzanne. ?Street Wise? November 17 2000 Secretary Martinez has put forth the effort. He awarded the largest amount of homeless assistants in the nations history more than $1.1 billion to fund thousands of local housing and service programs. in every state in the nation, This is part of the Bush administration focus on the resources on permanent housing and services. 95% of the residents are under Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) are on some kind of public assistance versus New York which only need 25% of public assistance. Chicago uses up this 95% of public assistance towards putting up expensive condos that range from $75,000-$100,000. They do this to try to compare up to New York's standards. Chicago?s Public Housing Projects, source The Economist, July 11, 1998. Mayor Daley goes on to say working together, all Chicagoans. We can make every window that looks out of the Chicago housing Authority (CHA) a window of opportunity. But that the key word here is opportunity, Mayor Daley has not giving any body under cha the opportunity for any thing. Mayor Daley takes these people homes from them and put up condo.

Mariam and Laila Essay

Les miserables by Victor Hugo and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hossieni both have tragic themes. Les miserables is a story set during 1815 in Digne, France (Hugo, 1994) about the struggles and quest for freedom of a convicted man by the name of Jean-Valijean. During the course of the story, his encounters and connection to two of the most important characters in his life – Fantine and Cosette was actually the main plot of the story. A Thousand Splendid Suns had its name through a poem entitled â€Å"KABUL. † This poem symbolizes Mariam, who is one of main characters in the story. It is a poem describing the beauty of the city of Kabul and how on the same city, a person is able to see a splendid sun each day (Hosseini, 2007). Aside from having the same themes, both stories (Les miserables and A Thousand Splendid Suns) also was able to show its readers the conflicts and the hardships that women during those times face. In Les miserables, Fantine was forced to become a â€Å"prostitute† in order to provide for her daughter (Hugo, 1994). This was because she was laid off from the factory she works for after her employers discovered that she has an illegitimate child. A thousand Splendid suns, on the other hand, shared to readers the story of young Mariam who was forced to marry, was discriminated by the society and finally was imprisoned for her honesty (Hosseini, 2007). The two stories, although written on different genres by authors of different cultures speaks of the experiences of every man and women. It talks of life in general (Jean’s search for freedom, Mariam questioning the meaning of her life, Javert’s obsession to make all offenders of the law pay and Cosette’s unconditional love for Marius). The two stories, amidst its dark tone give its readers a choice on whether to stay in the dark side of life or to eventually come out of the sun and continue living despite of all the struggles they need to overcome. The characters in both stories are unforgettable. In Les miserables, readers see a young Jean who seems to prefer being an outlaw. During the coursework of the story, readers are able to witness how the goodness in every man has won over Jeans’ weaknesses. He turns out to be the hero who saves the future of Fantine and Cosette. While on A Thousand Splendid Suns, readers are presented with two very powerful women – Mariam and Laila. Their strengths come not from physical attributes but from being able to walk through the storms of life and still stand unabashed. The difference between the two literary pieces can be seen with the way human values was depicted by the main characters. Mariam in A Thousand Splendid Suns showed readers a very important human value which is honesty. Amidst the knowledge that she can be imprisoned for her admission of accidentally killing her husband, she still surrendered herself to the authorities and accepted her fate. Jean-Valijean in Les miserables, run all his life from the responsibility of what he has done in the past. He lived a life outside the prison bars but was a prisoner of his own fears. Among the two, we can say that it was Mariam who was truly free for she has died while â€Å"paying† for her sins and thus, leaves the society without guilt in her heart. Les miserables is a literary piece with timeless life lessons. It is still popular today because it speaks of human nature in general. A Thousand Splendid Suns is also acclaimed not only because it depicts of the harshness of society’s pressures but it also reminds us that is always the truth which can set us free. There is nothing better than having to read books that not only touches the spirit and soul but also tickles every reader’s imagination. References: Hosseini, K. (2007). A Thousand Splendid Suns. Bandung: Mizan Media Utama. Hugo, V. (1994). Les Miserables. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Classics.