Civil War And Reconstruction Essay

The Civil War is the most widely written about event in American history and Reconstruction is the most mis-understood and least appreciated subject within this wider issue. Most people would prefer to escape into the heroic exploits of the battles that were fought than deal with the difficult social problems that the former enslaved population had to deal with. I am offering this essay since I believe that the African-Americans have been done a great disservice by the Nation. As a people they were forcibly brought to this land, they were enslaved in an illegal and immoral system, and then they were abandoned by that same Nation ostensibly after having their freedom returned. What happened to them was not fair and there is a debt due to them. I hope to show in this paper some of the offenses that I find glaring. What was Reconstruction supposed to accomplish? Was it supposed to provide a new economic start for the freed peoples? Was it supposed to rebuild and reorder the state governments that had seceded? Was it supposed to prosecute and imprison former Confederate officials? These questions were never fully answered, and for the most part they were never even adequately addressed. Liberals and African-Americans are more sensitive to the burden of the unfulfilled promise of Emancipation and Reconstruction, while so-called â€Å"realists† and conservatives proclaim that too much help has already been given (think: â€Å"Affirmative Action†). The truth though, does not lie neatly in the middle between these extremes. Horrific treatment was an unpleasant fact for the enslaved peoples, and they were denied an equal opportunity to enter fully the American body politic. To make matters worse this bitter cup of â€Å"denied citizenship† is still too often a fact today. Recently, the folk singer Bob Dylan (Rolling Stone, Sept. 2012) has said â€Å"†¦the country will never be able to rid itself of the shame of being founded on the backs of slaves. † I would like to rehearse some of the story of Slavery, some critical events in the war and afterwards, and to offer a reasonable suggestion for Restitution. The introduction of African Slavery to these shores was an unplanned event although the Spanish and the Portuguese had been involved with this trade for almost 100 years in this hemisphere before it appeared here. These are some of the highlights of that practice here: The first African slaves were 19 people, who in 1619 were captured by Dutch sailors from Spanish slave traders. Subsequently they were sold to the colonists at Jamestown for food. Initially, these people worked as indentured servants but they ultimately gained their freedom after completing a â€Å"work contract† for the colonists. The phrase â€Å"indentured servant† is misleading in this case since its modern usage means someone who works for a fixed period and is then manumitted. This was not the arrangement that was applied to the African captives who arrived later than these initial individuals did, since the practice gradually evolved to treat the adults as well as the children of the female slaves as also enslaved people (partus sequitur ventrum) 2.  Another misleading statement is that the term â€Å"servant† was widely used in the South, even past 1865, to refer to African people who were actually enslaved. Therefore, not much credence should be put into the seemingly benign phrase of â€Å"servant†3 when applied to these unfortunate human beings. The cost of this labor was attractive to the colonists since by 1638 an enslaved African laborer could be purchased for $27 while a European indentured servant cost a planter $255 for one year’s work. 4 The economic appeal of enslaved African laborers became the norm and quickly spread throughout the colonies.  After twenty years, ordinances legitimizing enslavement were commonplace in almost every colony and the practice had morphed into bondage for life, or more properly, chattel slavery. 5 These practices were immoral; they had no place in a respectable society. The pernicious tendency to view the Africans through the white supremacist lens quickly became dominant and was a concomitant of this chattel slavery. This was punctuated by the knowledge that Europeans were never enslaved while most enslaved people were Africans. The skin color of the enslaved became a facile marker that fit in well with the culturally supremacist view of the European colonists. In this section I try to show how the African Slave System, after gaining a foothold went on to become the most important part of the economy of the new Nation: As the profitability of the colonists’ agricultural enterprises quickly rose, it was essential to procure a sufficient number of workers since labor shortages were a constant headache. 7 Enslavement of the Indigenous Peoples had become steadily more problematic and by the 1750’s this practice had ceased altogether. European workers were both expensive and tended to leave their employers to start plantations of their own, or to return home. Therefore, a more reliable source of economically viable labor became a necessity, and that baleful need coincided with the rise of the Trans- Atlantic Slave Trade from Africa. This phenomenon was heaviest during the 16th through the 19th centuries,9 when an estimated 11 million captives from Africa were ultimately landed at Western Hemispheric destinations out of 15 million who had been loaded onto these horror-filled ships. 0 The differences in these numbers were human beings who had died en route through miserable treatment meted out by the slave traders. The attrition rate during these voyages was a startling 0. 36 persons for every person who disembarked in the New World. We should not forget these stark truths. About 650,000 ~ 720,000 apprehended persons of the numbers shown above,11 it is thought, were brought into what was to become the United States. Employing the attrition rate noted before we can estimate that about 245,000 people were lost from the aggregate number of cap tives bound for these shores. Given the losses in the war that was to come it’s almost as though the Divine Being had decided to punish this country for these sins at a rate of three-to-one. By 1860, the survivors had increased through natural growth to more than 4. 000,000 enslaved and freed peoples12 and were primarily located in the states that were to become part of the Confederacy (76% there and another 18% in the Border States13). What fueled this enormous increase in the numbers of the enslaved was that starting in the 1790’s the revolution of the cotton gin and the corresponding leap in cotton exports demanded an exponential rise in subservient labor. So what had started as a straightforward small-scale agricultural experiment, primarily growing foodstuffs, had metastasized into an industrial system practically keeping the Nation afloat with its lucrative revenues. Before the war began the cotton trade – or more realistically â€Å"King Cotton† – constituted 2/3 rds of the wealth of the Nation. 14 What motivated these slaveholders to import and retain so many African Laborers besides the economics? Evidently the lure of being a member of an aristocratic leisured-class was appealing. Most of the apologists for these slaveholders had classical education, and they employed arguments from Greek and Roman Antiquity, which portrayed slavery as a prominent component of the civilizing mission they were engaged in. Their lower income regional compatriots, although not slave owners themselves, were eager to emulate this conduct, which they viewed as valuable and status-filled. The Southern way of life was born: it was profitable for the elite; it was an identity vehicle for the lower classes; but it was hellish for the enslaved. Further, it was built upon the most cruel and involuntary system imaginable which had as a mainstay the dissolution of the Africans’ families both here and in their original homelands. The American governmental establishment – at all levels -bears the greatest guilt for this outrageous affront. It is important to recall that these slave traders and slaveholders were in many cases prominent members of the various governments that acceded to or promoted this horrific conduct. The enslaved people, it should be remembered, did not voluntarily agree to be forcibly dragged to these shores. Despite the claims made by the â€Å"Slavocracy† that they were performing a civilizing mission by maintaining this obscene practice, the only positive good was that the lives of the slaveholders was being enhanced! EXASPERATION After Slavery had become such an integral component of the Nation, regional differences in the attitudes towards that infernal system began to be felt all around. Exasperation was the order of the day but the African enslaved people were suffering the most: There were three sets of players in this tragedy: the Northern Whites; the Southern Whites (slaveholders and on-slave holders); and the enslaved Africans. It is unequivocally true that the enslaved peoples did not create nor did they benefit from this monstrous catastrophe. The other groups however, either benefited in a direct way or thought their social status was improved through the bacillus of racism. Exasperation however, was shared by all to some degree. The Northerners became progressively m ore dissatisfied with their impotence following the Revolution while the Southerners were increasingly anxious that the North was lining up new Free Soil states that would nullify their voting majorities in Congress. The enslaved though, were in anguish since everything that people could cherish was systematically being denied to them after they had been wrenched away from their homes. The enslaved increasingly attempted to build an alternate life, sub-rosa as it were, by fleeing their masters or by engaging in sabotage or willful incoherence. 15 They also constructed a parallel universe of their own by founding separate places of worship (the Whites did not allow the enslaved to be an equal part of their devotional services) and their own systems of less-than-formal education. t was during this period that it could be said that a new genus was born – the â€Å"African –American†. What they did not have was any significant power over their futures except as ad hoc combinations that could be assembled, when conditions permitted. They expressed this through manifestations such as the Underground Railroad16 (which saw 6,000~ 30,000 African-American flee; figures are imprecise), various slave rebellions (some bloody), and a general unwillingness to be smothered by enslavement (conduct just short of insurrection). Another group, though small in numbers, was the Free Blacks. These people became the vanguard of the African-American middle and professional classes that successfully operated between the seams of the larger society. The actions of this sub-group were able to relieve some of the pressures that had built up in the larger body of enslaved African-Americans and help to point the way for a more prosperous life for all.

Lets reform our schools Essay

Alcohol is dangerous for health because it causes intoxication. Every person is possess an inhibitory centre in their brains which prevents the person from doing things that he considers wrong. When a person drinks alcohol it inhibits the inhibitory centre which causes intoxication. For instance a person does not normally use abusive language while addressing his parents or elders. I he has to answer the call of nature, his inhibitory centre will prevent him from doing so in public; therefore he uses toilet. When a person consumes alcohol, the inhibitory centre itself is inhibited. The intoxicated person is found to use abusive and foul language and does not realize his mistake even if he is addressing his parents. Many even urinate in their clothes. Neither do they talk nor walk properly. They even misbehave. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey Bureau of Justice (U.S. Department of Justice) in the year 1996 alone everyday on an average 2,713 rapes took place. The statistics tell us that the majority of the rapists, were intoxicated while committing the crime. The same is true in cases of molestation. According to the statistics, 8% of the Americans commit incest in other words one in every twelve to thirteen persons in America is involved in incest. One of the major factors associated with the spread of AIDS, the most dreaded disease, is alcoholism. There are so many cases of adultery, rape, incent and AIDS found more among alcoholics. The statistics tell us that the majority of the rapists, were intoxicated while committing the crime. The same is true in cases of molestation. Due to that fact we come to know when someone consumes alcohol once and commits something shameful, it will remains with him for a lifetime. In a state of intoxication he commits rape or incest. Even if the act is later regretted, a normal human being is likely to carry the guilt throughout his life. Most of the people don’t know what could happen after the consumption of alcohol. The maximum number of deaths in the world related to any one particular cause is due to the consumption of alcohol. Millions of people die every year only because of intake of alcohol. There are so many ill-effects of alcohol such as Cirrhosis of Liver, Cancer of Oesophagus, Cancer of Head and Neck, Cancer of Liver, Cancer of Bowel, Oesophagitis, Gastritis, Pancreatitis, Hepatitis, Cardiomyophagitis, Hypertension, Coronary Artherosclerosis, Angina, Heart Attacks, Strokes, Apoplexy, Fits, Paralysis, Peripheral Neuropathy, Cortical Atrophy, Cerebellar Atrophy, Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome, Beriberi, even Pellagra occurs in alcoholic, and many other diseases are cause by alcoholism. Due to that fact alcoholism is a very serious risk and we all should be prevented by this evil desire. Consumption of alcohol is very dangerous for our health.

Liberty Coun 501 Ethics Comparison

Ethics Codes Comparison Paper H Michele Wallach Liberty University Online Abstract These publications regarding ethics, American Counseling Association: Code of Ethics (2005) and the American Association of Christian Counseling: Code of Ethics (2004), are available as a reference for use. The purpose of this paper is to compare general and specific elements of the two publications. There are two areas of general exploration: 1) relation to their format for retrieval of specific data, 2) their value or standards basis, if any, from which the publications are written.More specifically three specific areas will be compared. First, the area of informed consent as it relates to the client and the counselor. Second, codes relating to conduct for relationships with former clients. Third and lastly, is how each of the publications relates to the issue of abortion. Limitations were evident in that many codes do not offer rationale. Future review of revisions would be an effective part of know ledge to use of both publications.The field of professional counseling provides for occasions for the counselor to make decisions based on professional ethics. Ethics can be commonly derived from one’s own values. In order to create a more consistent standard codes of ethics have been published. Two of these publications will be used in this paper: 1) American Counseling Association (ACA): Code of Ethics (2005), 2) American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC): Code of Ethics (2004). Whereas these organizations are based on different ideals, a general comparison will be made.Inasmuch as revisions are ongoing, this paper will review several that were revised in the latest publication, as highlighted in the article New Mandates and Imperatives in the Revised ACA Code of Ethics. (2009) Section I: General comparison of the two codes The ACA: Code of Ethics (2005) and the AACC: Code of Ethics (2004), each offer a logical breakdown of codes referring to situations of an ethic al nature and is presented in a format that is easily referenced by both the seasoned professional and the novice.The design and layout of the ACA: Code of Ethics is laid out with color and graphics and written very formally, giving a tone of legal-ease. The ACA: Code of Ethics codes section is formatted in columns, suggesting the style of a quick access guide. The ACA: Code of Ethics codes are set up in sections with the first level header served by an upper case alphabet letter in chronological order, broken down further by a numerical value in chronological order, and then finally sub-divided once more by a lower case alphabet letter in chronological order.The AACC: Code of Ethics is laid out in a streamlined fashion and executed with a professional vernacular tone. The AACC: Code of Ethics has no color or specialty graphics adorning its pages and the codes section pages are laid out in a full page format without the use of columns. The AACC: Code of Ethics codes are set up in se ctions with the first level header served by and upper case Roman numeral, the next level is led by the upper case letters of the first two words of the section followed by a numerical value, with no spaces, the section is further sub-divided into numerical values carrying three place values (i. . 100,101, etc. ) in chronological order. At this level, within each section, when a new sub-topic started the numeric value will move to the ten’s place chronologically. Is this important? Absolutely, it is the virtual road map to referencing where information can be found. Although the description here is in generalities, it is to the advantage of the counseling professional to gain a working understanding of the layout. Understanding the way reference material is filed will assist the user immensely.Another structured piece of these publications explains why the reference has been constructed and written the way that is has. Each of the references being compared contains similar in formation and some of the perspectives overlap in many places AACC: Code of Ethics (2004) ACA: Code of Ethics (2005). The preliminary information in each publication, prior to the code of ethics, offers similarities. They both offer a preamble, mission, and a purpose for use. The ACA: Code of Ethics (2005) publication moves directly into the codes at this point. p 3) Whereas, the AACC: Code of Ethics (2004) offers a prayer and seven Biblical-ethical foundations, on which their codes of ethics were founded. (p 4, 5) Section II: Specific comparison of three particular areas Specific codes of each publication offer different interpretations of the same practices. The practice of informed consent according to the ACA: Code of Ethics (2005) is that it is the counselor’s responsibility to give a written and verbal account for the rights and responsibilities of the counselor and the client.This responsibility even extends to cover the inclusion of an interpreter where it is deemed n ecessary. The practice of informed consent according to the AACC: Code of Ethics (2004) is that it is the counselor’s responsibility to â€Å"take care† that the client has the â€Å"capacity†, â€Å"reasonably understands† and â€Å"freely gives consent† to the nature, process, costs, time, work, limits of the counseling and appropriate alternatives. All of this must be done without â€Å"coercion or undue influence†. (p 10, 11)The next set of codes differs greatly due in part by the influence of Biblical standards. The code in ACA: Code of Ethics (2005) is defined as â€Å"Former Clients† (p 5) the code references only sexual and romantic interests of the former client and counselor. There is no mention of marriage. The code also extends to include â€Å"former clients, their romantic partners, or their family members†. The code simply states that the counselor cannot have professional contact with the client within 5 years b efore or after a relationship.The counselor must also â€Å"demonstrate forethought and document†, in writing, the possibilities of exploitation, or potential harm to the former client. If either of these elements is present, then the counselor avoids the interaction or relationship. The code is AACC: Code of Ethics (2004) is defined as â€Å"Marriage with Former Clients/Patients† and the stipulations are explained that this type of relationship is allowed with three provisions. p 8) First, the counseling sessions had to have been terminated without the influence of a relationship or potential relationship, also within the proper guidelines of termination as defined in the AACC: code of ethics guidelines. Secondly, the client must understand unequivocally that any further counseling must be by someone other than the counselor-spouse. Thirdly, there must be no harm to the client or the client’s family as a result in the change of the relationship between the clie nt and the counselor.Lastly, the counseling or helping relationship must be terminated at least two calendar years prior to marriage. There are occasions where an ethical standard is addressed by the AACC: Code of Ethics (2004) and not addressed at all by the ACA: Code of Ethics (2005). The AACC: Code of Ethics speaks specifically to the responsibility of the counselor to offer all possible alternatives and not to give any narrative of consent to an abortion. It also advises the counselor to continue to serve the client regardless of their decision regarding the pregnancy.The ACA: Code of Ethics does not address abortion specifically. There are areas of the code that speak to the issue in a general manner. The areas to be considered are: a) does the decision to have an abortion have any relation to the client’s personal culture: b) the counselor’s own â€Å"values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors† will need to be carefully guarded as to not be imposed on the c lient (p 4): and c) are the decisions the client is facing within the competency of the counselor to help guide the client.As in any client’s case being reviewed by a counselor or counseling group all of these elements must be weighed out, as well as some that may not have been discussed in this paper. The ACA: Code of Ethics (2005) is written and adapted based on an ever-changing world. The AACC: Code of Ethics is based on unchanging Biblical standards. It stands to reason that if an individual adheres to the AACC: Code of Ethics that a standard of consistency is more likely to be seen, due to the unchanging nature of the Bible. A Christian counselor may find both publications to be very useful.In the same way a non-Christian will probably have absolutely no use for the AACC: Code of Ethics (2004). No matter what an individual’s faith-related position is, as a professional counselor, it is the highest priority to first â€Å"do no harm† ACA: Code of Ethics (200 5), and AACC: Code of Ethics (2004). The very cornerstone of helping people through counseling requires that the counselor make a deliberate treatment plan to do no harm. With that understanding, it is the responsibility of the professional counselor to employ and explore whatever empirical resources are available to execute such a plan.References American Association of Christian Counselors: Code of Ethics. (2004). American Association of Christian Counselors A ». Retrieved August 23, 2012, from http://www. aacc. net/about-us/code-of-ethics/ American Counseling Association: Code of Ethics. (2005). Ethics |http://www. counseling. org/CP/CT2. aspx|. Retrieved August 23, 2012, from http://www. counseling. org/Resources/CodeOfEthics/TP/Home/CT2. aspx New Mandates and Imperatives in the Revised ACA Code of Ethics. (2009). Journal of Counseling & Development, 87(2), 241-256.

The Sermon of the Mount Magna Carta of Christian Ethics Essay

The Sermon of the Mount Magna Carta of Christian Ethics - Essay Example There are two major interpretative approaches towards analyzing the 'Sermon of the Mount'. There is the structuralist approach that dissociates the work from the immediate socio-economic realities that produced it or to the problems of its application to the socio-economic realities of a different milieu.A problem with an interpretation of the Sermon of the Mount is that the ethical and the structural cannot be always clearly and simplistically isolated. Particularly because the Sermon of the Mount, as delivered in Matthew, is not an isolated and stand-alone set of ethical tenets with no parallel elsewhere, either within the Prophetic Laws or the Gospels, or the dominant Pagan philosophical trains of thought that were popular at that time. It does not, in essence, lie in isolation. Jesus, while delivering the Sermon, speaks very much from within an ethical and juridical tradition, and addresses these traditions with an acute consciousness of his own political and social reality. Even if we leave the immediate social and political implications that are expressed within the Sermon of the Mount, and close read it in a more strictly Formalist way, we still find that it operates from within a clear Prophetic and legal tradition, which is very clear from the beginning of the narrative itself. Meier states that ‘Matthew recast and combined two major liturgical and catechetical documents of his church: the gospel of Mark and a collection of Jesus’ sayings which scholars call â€Å"Q†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢.... This study will, therefore, start with a structuralist approach and then try and present an overview of the practical applicability of the Sermon as appropriated and adapted by the various interpretative schools of Jesusianity over the ages. Sermon of the Mount: Inter-text A problem with an interpretation of the Sermon of the Mount is that the ethical and the structural cannot be always clearly and simplistically isolated. Particularly because the Sermon of the Mount, as delivered in Matthew, is not an isolated and stand alone set of ethical tenets with no parallel elsewhere, either within the Prophetic Laws or the Gospels, or the dominant Pagan philosophical trains of thought that were popular at that time. It does not, in essence, lie in isolation. Jesus, while delivering the Sermon, speaks very much from within an ethical and juridical tradition, and addresses these traditions with an acute consciousness of his own political and social reality. Even if we leave the immediate social and political implications that are expressed within the Sermon of the Mount, and close read it in a more strictly Formalist way, we still find that it operates from within a clear Prophetic and legal tradition, which is very clear from the beginning of the narrative itse lf. Meier states that 'Matthew recast and combined two major liturgical and catechetical documents of his church: the gospel of Mark and a collection of Jesus' sayings which scholars call "Q"'. 1 B.W. Bacon undertakes a detailed discussion of Matthew's position within the structure of the Synoptic Bible, and talks about the commonalities between Mark and Matthew, as well as the Q Source, on which Matthew probably relied a lot. However, even

Pearl Harbor and the Coming of the Pacific War Research Paper

Pearl Harbor and the Coming of the Pacific War - Research Paper Example The book has been divided into two parts. In the first part, Akira has included some important documents associated with the Pacific war, whereas, the second part of the book contains different essays written by prominent scholars and political experts. These essays present the perspective of different countries regarding the situation prevailed during that era. The book opens with an introductory essay. In this essay, the author have presented an analytical summary of the events took place before and during the Pacific war and attempted to uncover the leading factors that functioned to wreck the relations between Asian and European countries and ultimately became the base for the attack on Pearl Harbour. The introductory essay explains the convoluted issues behind the incident of Pearl Harbour in international context. The author elucidates the importance of the incident and its impacts upon the world history. He also identify the countries that played major role during that time an d explains that the war engaged US, Europe, Japan and China fighting with each others for many years. The essay provides sufficient information as well as analysis regarding the issue that is well summarized and well presented by Akira in the beginning essay. It become clear that how two different conflicts enduring in Europe and Pacific were merged together and took the shape of a solitary global conflict. The introductory essay is followed by the first major part of the book that contains some relevant and important documents.

Biochemistry of Nutrition Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biochemistry of Nutrition - Assignment Example The mechanisms included in DNA tolerance are a replicative bypass of template damage with gap formation and translesion DNA synthesis. This paper attempts to throw light on DNA repair by direct repair mechanisms. The major source of base damage upon exposure to UV radiation at wavelengths near absorption maximum of DNA is the production of photo products such as cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and 6-4 pyrimidine-pyrimidones. The photoproducts mediate DNA damage by posing serious threats to viability and functional integrity of cells by interfering with vital processes including DNA replication and transcription. The reversal of DNA damage through photoreactivation is a mechanism that involves the repair of photoproducts. The light-dependent process reverses DNA damage through monomerization of cis-syn-cyclobutyl pyrimidine dimers. Furthermore, the trans-syn-cyclobutyl pyrimidine is also repaired through the light-dependent repair process. The process involves the formation of a DNA complex with photoreactivating enzyme. The complex absorbs light (>300nm) which causes the repair of the damaging photoproducts after which the native DNA is restored after the release of photoreactivating enzyme. The depletion of one or more nutrients results in sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. A spore product called thyminyl-thymine adduct is formed when Bacillus subtilis is exposed to UV radiation at ~240nm. The repair of spore photoproduct occurs during early germination and is mediated through the SP-specific repair process. Furthermore, spore photoproducts are also repaired through nucleotide excision repair system. The formation of O6-Methylguanine occurs as a result of damage caused by the presence of alkylating agents such as N-methyl-N-nitrosoguanidine.

Analysis on the Story Two Kinds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis on the Story Two Kinds - Essay Example Her mother believed that they can start a new life in America. They went to America after her mother lost everything in China. This indicates that her mother believed that America was an escape from disillusion, frustration, misery and death. America was freedom, hope and dreams fulfilled. But this didn’t happen with Jing Mei. Her life in America was full of sadness, frustrations and tension. Two Kinds was a story that dealt mother and daughter relationship. But more than that, it shows us how our social environment affects our belief in things. The mother and daughter relationship that was presented in the story was filled with tension. The mother and the daughter were very different from each other. Not because they were really different, but because the daughter wanted to be different from her mother. We become who we are not because other people want us to be that person, but because we choose to be or not to be that person. We choose our own identity, we choose the path w e want to take in life. And this was exactly what Jing Mei did in the story. She chose the path opposite of what her mother wants her to be. At first, she was excited about being good in something. As her mother tried to find out where she’s good at, she continuously felt the pressure to be good. And, unfortunately, she also continuously felt the disappointment of her mother everytime she cannot be good in whatever her mother pushed her to do. She tried ballet. She tried being Shirley Temple. She tried being a remarkable child that her mother saw in the magazines, like that child who knew â€Å"all the capitals of all the states and even the most of the European countries† or that child who can multiply numbers in her head, or the other one who can stand on his head without using his hands. And because she failed to be those remarkable children, she became frustrated. She felt she will always be the ordinary girl that her mother does not want her to become. And so she became defiant. She became angry and she vowed to herself that her mother will not change who she is, that she won’t become someone she is not. And she stopped trying to become good at something her mother wants her to be. When her mother pushed her to learn the piano, she became defiant once more. Her defiance led to her laziness. She purposely did not try to learn the piano which led to her humiliating experience at a talent show. This strained her relationship with her mother even more. And it never changed as she grew up. She always managed to fail. And this increased the gap between her and her mother. We have always wanted to become someone. Jing Mei was not different. But because of her mother’s desire to make her as someone who she can’t be, Jing Mei resented success. This resulted to her failure everytime she attempts to become better. She believed that she is not a genius, she believed she can never be good at something. She believed she can never be t he daughter that her mother wanted her to be. To which her mother kept repeating that she didn’t want to change her, that she just wants her to become the best at something she could do. But because of the constant struggle who is in control of Jing Mei’s life, she and her mother fought endlessly. This shows that there are instances that forcing a person to do something she doesn’t really love would make her more miserable. It’s like setting her up for failure. Instead of helping her, Jing Mei’

Management Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Management Case Study - Essay Example by â€Å"jobs low in specialization (with a broad variety of tasks and responsibilities), no clear chain of command (team based approach), and a wide span of control, and are highly decentralized with a low level of formalization.† These two organizational configurations as stated previously lie on polar extremes and there is a huge possibility that other organizational structures exist which are in between these two extremes. Mason Electric Service Company will be evaluated to determine its organizational configuration depending on the six elements of organizational namely work specialization, chain of command, centralization, span of control, formalization, and departmentation. To simplify the discussion of these elements and their application to the company, a table which summarizes the evaluation is presented below. This will be supported by a more detailed discussion to elaborate the evaluation. In terms of division of labor, Mason Electric follows a mechanistic structure as tasks are simple, specific and repetitive. As discussed in the case, the top management became so overwhelmed with the employee turnover which often result to hiring persons who are not familiar with the previous’ employees job description. To answer this dilemma, the management sought to establish â€Å"Standard Practice Instructions† which are specific job functions for the employees. The case also highlighted that the employees’ role in the organization is rigid as specific task directives flow downward to the organization. The utilization of this standard procedure also signifies a high level of formalization within the company. Adherence to the chain of command is strict as each employee reports and is evaluated by his immediate superior. The strict adherence to the chain of command is also shown by the specific guidelines received by the employees from their supervisors. It is apparent that employees are not empowered but are being directed and subjected to the company’s

Navigation Incident NO.2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Navigation Incident NO.2 - Essay Example This factor can be noticed after knowing about the collision of Argyle Express and ro-ro passenger Cargo ferry Plymouth Venturer on 31st April 2004 at 10:22. The collision was there because of reduced visibility; however, there was less damage as both the vessels were turning away from each other at the impact moment. The vessel type of Argyle Express was Passenger/ ro-ro cargo ferry, twin hull while Plymouth Venturer was Passenger/ ro-ro cargo ferry and both the vessels had experiences of daily travelling. LOA of Plymouth Venturer was 150m, gross tonnage was 16010, service speed was 23 knots while the engine power was 1992 KW, 2 x diesels. LOA of Argyle Express was 80m, gross tonnage was 4246, service speed was 40 knots while the engine power was 22000 KW, 4 x diesels. Discussion Argyle Express and ro-ro passenger Cargo ferry Plymouth Venturer had adopted proper watchful strategies as both had master, mate and rating lookout on the bridge. Two radars were also there to report about any incoming vessel but their distance was only six miles. According to the rule 7b, â€Å"Proper use shall be made of radar equipment if fitted and operational, including long-range scanning to obtain early warning of risk of collision and radar plotting or equivalent systematic observation of detected objects† (COLREG 1972). ... According to the rule 19b given in COLREG (1972), â€Å"Every vessel shall proceed at a safe speed adapted to the prevailing circumstances and conditions of restricted visibility. A power-driven vessel shall have her engines ready for immediate manoeuvre.† and according to rule 6 and 6i in COLREG (1972), â€Å"Every vessel shall at all times proceed at a safe speed so that she can take proper and effective action to avoid collision and be stopped within a distance appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions. In determining a safe speed the following factors shall be among those taken into account: (a) By all vessels: (i) the state of visibility†. Therefore, both the vessels surpassed the speed limit without paying any heed to the poor visibility conditions and without considering the rules designed for such conditions. Both the vessels were aware of each other’s entering and departure from supervising VTS communications; however, there was no commu nication between the two vessels due to which, there was a collision. Both were knowledgeable about the movement of other vessel but no one felt the need to communicate with other. After gaining knowledge about Argyle Express movement from bridge team and approaching collision conditions, Plymouth Venturer changed its course only 7 degrees to starboard. This much alteration of path was not sufficient as stated in rule 8b, â€Å"Any alteration of course and/or speed to avoid collision shall, if the circumstances of the case admit, be large enough to be readily apparent to another vessel observing visually or by radar; a succession of small alterations of course and/or speed should

Economics of Rice and Gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Economics of Rice and Gender - Essay Example She gives them similar books to their life experiences, which make them, reflects on their past tormenting experiences, which leads each of them to keep a diary. The students became motivated and changed their pathetic lifestyle for unity and being more forecast in life. They altered their forename to â€Å"freedom writers†. The movie has a series of life-changing themes such as self-reflection, patience, facing harsh conditions, striving for victory and certainty (Sara, 1). The students have undoubtedly undergone a momentous experience, and they can give back to the society as they not only leave whatever learned in the classroom, but they also extend it to the outside world. They also take the lead in helping others realize and nurture their potentials and maximize them. Additionally, they act as a vehicle for change in the society after realizing how powerful they can be. They try to transform a society rooted in marginalization along ethnic lines and try to instill confidence in them. However, despite being a role model to her student’s, Erin faces no acceptance from people around her and she has her father to cling onto. For instance, she has to do away with her intimidating husband. She also has to battle her jealous colleagues, who question her tremendous rise and popularity and educational board regulations, which she has to clash with. The toast of change scene in the movie just sincerely talks about Erin’s contribution towards the making up of her students. It depicts Erin as a selfless teacher, professor, mentor and a role model to her student’s lives. She makes them be aware of themselves and use their maximum potentials to reach wherever they want to and be what they want to be. She gives them an empowerment tool despite their parallel background she has nothing in common with them. Erin humbles herself down to the student level so that the students could understand her better yet they share nothing in common.  She attempts to develop the unsatisfactory experiences the society and life have passed on to her marginalized students.  

Comparative Analysis of Islamic and Conventional Bank Risk Essay Example for Free

Comparative Analysis of Islamic and Conventional Bank Risk Essay The decline of the religion has been attributed into modern times with a materialistic culture by the popular wisdom of today, the understanding of religion has embedded this view, as nature having only spiritual limits, and the worldly well being of an individual is very detached in this relation. However, this understanding of Islam religion has been misguided by many of among us in the past, as well as in the present. A critical role has been played by every religion regarding the guidance to survive in a society communally, and in the characterization of different markets of that time. In the religious regards, equal distribution of wealth and debt annulment was preached and emphasized by every religion in the past. The enforcement of the debt bond has been strongly rejected by all the beliefs and the concept of canceling the debt have been upheld by them. In the past, in order to satisfy and fulfill the financial needs of devout and pious Muslims, a concept of money depository was introduced in the Islamic civilization, which has now become a growing phenomenon of the world, that is, around 1. 6 billion Muslims in the world. The macro-economic properties of banking institution have been studies by many economists with relation to an ideal and isolated Islamic economy framework. In modern days, the working of this pioneering financial system is going on very effectively in various parts of the world. In many developed and under-developed countries, the other conventional banking systems are having this unique financing system besides them in every sector of the economy. In this regard, the comparative analysis has been done in this study, which will try to differentiate the Islamic banking system with the Conventional ones. In this study, we will try to understand and clarify the demarcation between the Islamic and Conventional Banking and the risks that are borne by these methods of banking. A financial intermediary having the aims and objectives related to the principles of Islamic law or ‘Shariah’ may be defined as an Islamic Banking System. Consequently, the zero-interest activities and operations are the key features of this distinctive banking system. However, eliminating the transactions based on interest is not the only objective of Islamic banking. The abolishment of all kinds of exploitation is also another aspect of Islamic banking system. In result, a balanced and unbiased social order is established by the system in this regard. Only the role of financier is not played by an Islamic bank. It also works as a partner in the business of an individual. Due to this, the risk between the capital owner and the entrepreneurs is involved by this system. However, the positive result of the collective efforts is also shared by the Islamic banking. Thus, the other conventional banking and interest-based system differs from the Islamic banking, as only the entrepreneur or the owner of the capital bears the risk in the conventional banking, and vice versa. However, the individual and bank shares the abovementioned with each other, which provides the entrepreneur to develop as a whole. In other way, participatory banking name can be given to the Islamic banking in this regard. In the Islamic economics, zero return on capital is not meant by the eliminating process of the interest in this unique banking system, as the pre-determination of a fixed return is forbidden for a certain amount of production in the Islamic laws. The equity based investment principle is followed by the Islamic banks. The contraction of the resources based on deals relating to the sharing of risks, and the ventures of capital is also proposed by the Islamic banking. It has been noted by the economists that economic growth and development of an individual becomes applicable and easy with the vital role that is played by the Islamic banks around the world. We can say that a relationship between finance, commerce, and industry is tried and developed by this exclusive banking system, which differs from the other conventional banking due to these characteristics of its system. The Islamic banking plays its role as an equity-based system, where the pre-determined interest rate is excluded, and the nominal value of deposits is not guaranteed. In result, changing values of the share deposits absorbs the shock to asset position immediately. Therefore, in such system, the assets and liabilities of bank will carry the same real value at all the points. However, in the more traditional and conventional banking system, a diversion can be caused between the real assets and liabilities by such shocks in the process of fixed nominal value of deposits. Therefore, the abovementioned features of this Islamic banking differs it from the traditional and conventional banking system, and so, various levels of risks are borne by these systems. Nowadays, many countries are trying to examine the possibilities of the introduction of an interest-free banking system based on the Islamic laws and principles. It has also been argued and discussed that if the Islamic financial system will be established in the various countries, it will be feasible, but also profitable for the individuals, as well as, the companies as a whole. These days, the truth of interest as an unbearable burden is being realized by the Western countries, as well as, the developing countries around the world. In this regard, all the interests have been waived by the Canada. A similar move has been made by the Australia. The suggestion of waiving off the 30 to 35% of the present interests of the debt has been officially given by the President of France. Therefore, it may be generalized that Islamic Banking and Financing System is a unique and distinctive system, which differs from the conventional banking systems around the world. In order to make a more detailed comparative view of the working and risks borne by the Islamic and Conventional Banking Systems, we will try to analyze with the help of data that represents the comparison between these two financial systems that are applied and practiced around the world. There are some different and diverse characteristics of the abovementioned two banking systems, which should be discussed in order to clarify the comparison between them. In the Islamic Financing system, the number of customers is less than the Marketing-based financing system. The ownership of the Islamic Banking is usually taken by the local or foreign individuals. However, only the local shareholders enjoy the ownership in the conventional banking system. In the Islamic banking, the integration of different activities is very high as compared to the traditional banking system. Lastly, the Islamic financing system has the high intensity of managing and bearing the risk internally, as well as externally. However, the risk is managed and borne by the Marketing-based financing system less internally and externally. Risk sharing is closely related to the risk management; no matter it may be external or internal in its nature. Development of close ties between the customers, and other interest groups may bring the risk externalization by an organization. It has also been indicated by various economists that one contributing factor that is related to the risk management is the long-term relations, which are made on the mutual dependence in an organization. From the different studies related to the Islamic Financing System, the responsibilities are shared by the junior and the senior staff jointly in organizations. In this case, the higher and lower level of management shares the risk. However, in the Marketing-based and Conventional Banking system, the internal risk is shared on a lower basis due to the centralization of power and authority, as compared to the Islamic Banking System. Conclusively, a high degree of the sharing of internal risk is characterized during managing the risk management in the Islamic Banking system as compared to the other conventional financing systems. Therefore, there are many differentiation between the Islamic and Traditional Banking systems around the world. Regarding the risk externalization, in the Islamic Banking system, the close lender-borrower relationships are characterized during the lending activities of organizations. The borrowers are also guided by the Islamic bankers apart from lending funds to them. In result, efficient network relationships create the increment of the externalization of risks relating to the partners who exchange in this regard. Therefore, in the Islamic Financing System, the degree of external risk is observed to be high. However, the formal lenders-borrowers relationships are characterized within the Conventional and Marketing-based financing system. In the result, it is a low degree of externalization of risks in this traditional banking system. In this regard, the extent of success of a banking organization is determined by the lender-borrower relationships, where the customers are given credit in this regard. Direct contacts with the various customers are maintained within the Islamic, as well as, the Conventional Financing Systems. The differentiation is observed in the Islamic Banking System while dealing with the financial activities, as the borrowed funds are monitored closely by these bankers, which results in the higher intensity of the lender-borrower relationships. In this regard, the risks are borne on a higher extent by the Islamic Banking system as compared to the conventional ones. However, the bank gets the higher profit as we have tried to discuss it in the abovementioned matter. Conclusively, the issues of fairness and justice are concerned in the Islamic principles that are related to the interest, rather than defining the efficiency narrowly. The focus is placed on the necessity of sharing the risk in a stable condition with the help of these principles, as well as, at the time of exploitation of the markets. We have also clarified that the Islamic Financing System works on the equity-based projects. However, the conventional ones prefer the debit-based schemes for the lenders and individuals. In an Islamic financing situation, the ownership is shared by the both bank and the client, and in the Conventional banking, all the equity is owned by the client, and the property value plays as a security to the bank loan. We hope that this study will help the scholars and the economists in understanding the role and differentiation of the Islamic Conventional Banking around the world. Works Cited Ahmad, S. (1992). Towards Interest-Free Banking. New Delhi: International Islamic Publishers. Chapra, M. (2000). The Future of Economics: An Islamic Perspective. Leicester, UK: The Islamic Foundation. Dar, A. H. , and Presley, J. R. (1999). Islamic Finance: A Western Perspective. International Journal of Islamic Financial Services. Dar, A. (2002). Islamic House Financing in the United Kingdom: Problems, Challenges, and Prospects. Ahmad, K. (1994). Elimination of Riba: Concepts and Problems, Response to the Supreme Court Questionnaire. Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad, Pakistan.

Bath Salts Essay Example for Free

Bath Salts Essay When you think of the word drug what comes to mind? Probably marijuana, cocaine, lsd, prescriptions but what about bath salts? When I first heard stories about people on bath salts my reaction was you have to be kidding right, but no first popping onto the radar of the DEA and poison control in 2010, this product is causing quite a stir in the United States. Mark Ryan from the LA poison control says in an interview on the Dr. Oz television show that he has never seen a drug that has caused the problem as quickly and severely as this. Making local and national headlines as the new designer drug that is completely legal, for now at least, and very dangerous. It doesnt stop people from purchasing it and snorting, ingesting, injecting and smoking bath salts. The product was never marketed with the intent of people using it in their bathtubs and the effects were really unknown until it hit markets, it is produced in a small bag with names like ivory snow, blue magic, tranquility, and bolivian bath. In order to be in accordance with U. S. Food and Drug administration the bags were printed with not for human consumption. If this stimulant had been printed with for human consumption, it would have been regulated. Makers are using this as a tactic to skirt below the laws and regulations. Users are said to experience the effects of crystal meth and cocaine but with deep paranoia, hallucinations, and psychosis that have caused some to commit suicide. Phone calls to the poison control center have been on the rise since this product has made its appearance. From 303 calls in 2010 to 3,740 calls as of June 30, 2011. (www. aapcc. org, July 7, 2011) Bath salts is becoming a very rapid spreading problem. Although it seems it doesn’t matter what age or ethnicity you are, this can be very harmful. Because of the easy access it is often tried among teens and young adults. The extreme cases where users have been suicidal and delusional are becoming increasingly alarming. In Mississippi, Neil Brown, a 31 year old man who decided to see what all the hype was about tried bath salts. He became so paranoid that he cut open his face and stomach with a skinning knife. Luckily surviving the attack, but the scars with stay with him forever as a reminder, he says he has tried every drug from heroin to crack and this one is by far the most terrifying. In another case a 29 year old woman started hallucinating on bath salts while driving and decided to pull over on the highway and exit her vehicle with her two children ages 2 and 5. As she began walking she couldnt carry both children so she dropped the 2 year old on his head along the side of the road, leaving a large cut. Police responded to calls about a child lying along the road and found their mother, Cynthia Palmer walking in the opposite direction holding the 5 year old. It seems that this is just as harmful to non-users, such as health care officials unfortunately enough, when a person comes in for help while high off bath salts, their paranoia and hallucinations make them believe that the person trying to help them are out to get them. They become combative and dangerous. Whether looking for a way to gain a high and pass a typical drug test or because of the ease of getting what is called legal cocaine, the warning not for human consumption has not stopped the product from being used in this way. The long term effects on a person are unknown because it is so new to the market. Is it possible that people are just unaware about how harmful this can be to not only themselves but the people around them? With all the health risks being broadcasted on news stations everywhere, it seems it just made bath salts more popular because of all the attention it is getting. Florida put an emergency ban on the sale and possession of bath salts, causing store owners to take the thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise of off the shelves. It might not last long, because of the overnight ban store owners are furious that they had to cover the cost of all the product that they ordered. The poison control in Florida is still getting calls even with the ban in place. Although a nationwide ban should be put into effect states including Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi have already passed a law prohibiting the sale or use of synthetic drugs, and at least 20 others have something in the process. States and even counties had to take matters into their own hands because the process to restrict these special chemicals with the United States government and DEA included monitoring the abuse habits, and could potentionally take years. Pennsylvania, my current state has already signed a bill making the use and sale a criminal offense. August 23, 2011, just over a month away from not being able to be sold in stores, a small corner store near my home is still selling many bags. When I asked about what he will do with all the product he has he said â€Å"this stuff is flying off the shelves, I am still ordering it for now†. It has defiantly hit hard here with a lot of Lebanon county resistant’s going to the hospital because they are afraid of dying. Looking at things from the other perspective is difficult for me because of all the horror stories I have read, but of course there are different ways of looking at it. Is this just a media frenzy? No doubt that the use of bath salts can be harmful but could it be because of misuse? Thousands more people have died by abusing alcohol but that is still legal everywhere, even sold in some grocery stores in various states. The news reports don’t say that more users enjoy their experience than users that completely lose it and harm themselves or their families. I searched around in blogs and quite a few people actually say they get a feeling of euphoria and feel great, people that are pro bath salts feel why should they be held responsible for others abuse of bath salts. Do they understand that these are chemicals they are putting into their bodies with unknown long term effects? Some could others may not care, still available to anyone with just a couple clicks of a mouse the possibility of this problem just going away is slim. What is in these small packets that pack such a punch? Mainly two different chemicals mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone better know as MDVP. Mephedrone is a synethitic chemical said to be made in china, that comes in a pill form or powder for users to injest, snort, or inject. First synthesized in 1929 but forgotten until recent years when it was put in a package and sold as a wonderful novelty. The mephedrone produces the same effects as amphetamine and cocaine. Positive side effects of mephedrone are closeness to others, mood lift, mental and physical stimulation, and an overall pleasant experience. The negative effects though is what people need to watch out for increased sweating, increased heart rate, agitation, insomnia, dizziness, and a strong desire to keep doing it. MDVP just like mephedrone carries similar side effects sexual arousal, heightened intelligence, euphoria but can cause depression, loss of appetite, anxiety, delusions, and paranoia. Should it be that people should decide if this is worth the risks involved? I don’t think so, why don’t they make crack and heroin legal too? This is an addictive drug it will cause more people needed to be rehabilitated and put in jail. As a mother of 4 I know that I cant just make everything dangerous disappear off the radar when they get older, but making people aware of the consequences that could occur I feel would help people realize they don’t want this. It will not work with everyone of course but I know me even informing others how dangerous this can be has affected their thoughts on it. I am outraged that kids could possibly be buying this stimulant right around the corner. Drugs has become a serious problem in our society and we cant make them fall off the face of the earth, even the legal ones. There will be another drug out once this one becomes banned and it will just be a vicous circle, besides trying to keep up with what is happening with legal substances hurting people and passing new laws we need to focus on preventing our young children from trying these things.

Decadal Variability of Precipitation in China

Decadal Variability of Precipitation in China Introduction China is located in the East Asian monsoon region, the variations of the amount and distribution of precipitation over China are strongly modulated by the East Asian monsoon. As the most important features of the East Asian monsoon is a significant multi-scale variation and thus the precipitation in China also showed great variations, persistent heavy rainfall over eastern China often results in hazardous climate events such as floods and droughts. According to statistics, since the 1980s, large-scale droughts and other weather disasters have brought severe damage to our industrial and agricultural production and the economic losses due to droughts and floods reach 200 billion RMB every year, accounting for about 3% to 6% of the national economic output. Thus, it is important to understand the variations of rainfall over eastern China and their associated physical processes (Zhai et al., 2005). A lot of studies have revealed the climate characteristics, weather and circulation features, as well as the formation mechanisms of precipitation over China on different time scales, and carried out monthly, quarterly and annual precipitation forecasts. However, there are still significant inaccuracies on the current forecasts of precipitation. Precipitation is a complex meteorological phenomenon which exhibits oscillations at different time scales, including long-term trends, decadal oscillation, interannual oscillation, seasonal variation and high frequency oscillation. An important reason to these inaccuracies in forecasts is that the depth and completeness of the understanding to the changes and mechanisms of precipitation patterns on different time scales is still not enough. Previous studies indicate that the decadal scale is a very important time scale, on one hand, it could be treated as a turbulence superimposed on the long-term trend, for example, the decline in global temperatures during the 1940s to the mid-1970s slowed the global warming since 20 century (Wang, 1999). One the other hand, the decadal variability could be treated as an important background for the interannual variability, which has some influence on the interannual variability. Therefore, understanding the characteristics and possible mechanisms of the decadal-scale climate changes, and determining their degree of predictability have become major global scientific issues (Jiang, 2000). Improving the understanding and knowledge of the decadal climate variability, and estimating the climate changes in the coming decades scientifically will provide important implications for water resources, agriculture, energy and the development of national long-term development plan. 1. Features of decadal precipitation variation in China Since the beginning of 1980s, many researchers have noticed the decadal variations of precipitation in China (Wu et al., 1986; Zhang, 1989). Some studies have shown that there is a clear decadal variability of summer rainfall over eastern China during the second half of the 20th century (Zhao, 1999; Wang, 2001). Power spectrum analyses for summer rainfall showed a significant peak at 26.7 years. A drying trend was found in northern China and a wetting trend was found in central China in the last decades (Hu et al., 2003; Lei et al., 2010). In eastern China, the precipitation showed a wetting trend over the middle-lower Yangtze River valley and a drying trend over the Yellow River valley during the past 40 years, which indicates a southward shift of the rain belt over eastern China. Interestingly, the summer rainfall over eastern China also showed a positive-negative-positive pattern on the decadal time scale, which means that when there is more rainfall over Yangtze River, there would be less rainfall over both northern China and southeastern China, this pattern could be related to the dipole pattern and the positive-negative-positive pattern of the meridional winds (Ren et al., 2000; Wang and Zhai, 2003; Liu et al., 2005; Zhao and Zhou, 2006; Ding et al., 2007). The studies on summer rainfall over North China showed that the decadal variation is also evident (Chen, 1999; Huang et al., 1999; Li et al., 2002). From 1883 to 1898 and from 1949 to 1964 there is relatively abundant precipitation over North China, while from 1899 to 1920 and from 1965 to 1997 there is relatively less precipitation than normal over North China. This decadal variation caused severe climatic disasters, especially there was a persistent drought in northern China, resulting in the area of water resource scarcity (Huang et al., 1999; Zhang et al., 1999). Precipitation variation over western China is quite different form eastern China. In eastern China, There was no linear trend of precipitation was dominant during last decades. On the contrary, the increasing trend of precipitation in west China was very noticeable especially during the last 30 years. 1.2 Possible forcing factors for the decadal precipitation variation in China Since the 1980s, the atmospheric circulation, the weather and climate systems and the thermal forcing factor which affect the droughts and floods in China all exhibit an obvious 10-year interannual variation trend (Chen et al. 2002). To the decadal time scale forecast, the coupled air-sea interaction decadal mode is essential for the decadal precipitation forecast in East Asia. In contrast, the response of decadal climate change to human activities is not that important (Hawkins et al., 2009). 1.2.1 The decadal variation of East Asian monsoon The variability of precipitation over eastern China is strongly modulated by the East Asian monsoon (e.g., Zhao and Xu 2002; Hu et al. 2003; Zhang et al. 2004). According to the studies, monsoon has significant variation on decadal time scale (Webster et al., 1998; Huang et al., 2003). The Indian summer monsoon circulation underwent two weakening processes in the last 50 years, one in the mid-1960s and the other in the late 1970s, the rain belt shift in East China was in great agreement with the later weakness of the monsoon. When the East Asian summer monsoon became weaker during 1970s, the location of rainy belt in eastern China also moved from North China to the Yellow River and the Huaihe River (Wang, 2001; Zhu et al., 2001; Guo, et al., 2004; Ding et al., 2007; Zeng et al., 2007). In associate with the variation of monsoon, the locations of subtropical High and Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) also have related changes, they move to the north if the summer monsoon is strong and active, and displace to the south when the summer monsoon is weaker. In connection with these changes, before 1976, the East Asian summer monsoon was in an active phase, the summer precipitation was stronger in North China, while after 1976, the North China suffered a drier period (Li et al, 2001). 1.2.2 The decadal variation of sea surface temperature The decadal variations of the sea surface temperature (SST) in the Pacific and Indian Oceans play important roles in the variations of rainfall over eastern China (Ju and Slingo, 1995; Hu, 1997; Weng et al., 1999; Chang et al., 2000). Gong and Ho (2002) also proposed that, since 1980, the variations of SST over the tropical eastern Pacific and the tropical Indian Ocean were primarily responsible for the shift in summer rainfall over eastern China through their effects on the subtropical northwestern Pacific high. Further more, Yang and Lau (2004) have statistically obtained that a high negative relationship between the tropical central and eastern Pacific SSTs and the northern China precipitation had been confirmed, while over central eastern China, the inter-annual variation of precipitation is positively correlated with a north-south dipole mode of SST anomalies over the western North Pacific, the tropical Indian ocean and warm pool. In the 1990s, the research on decadal variation originally focused on the oceanic state, because the oceanic variability was thought to be a slower process and its decadal features more evident. In the Pacific Ocean, decadal variation of the ENSO has been studied (Wang, 1995; Qian et al., 1998) and the EOF analysis of SST in the North Pacific still shows an decadal variation feature. The remaining part of the main EOF components, which is similar to the ENSO mode, was regarded as the decadal variation and named the â€Å"ENSO-like mode† (Zhang et al., 1997) or the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) (Mantua et al., 1997). PDO is one of the strongest and most important signals of global decadal variability, the relationship between PDO and the decadal climate variation in China is get great interest. Zhu et al. (2003) and Zhang et al. (2007) pointed out that when the PDO is in the positive phase, the East Asian summer monsoon is weaker, and results in the drought in North China a nd flood in Huai River Basin. 1.2.3 The decadal variation of snow depth In contrast to the decreasing trend of the Eurasian winter and spring snow cover, the winter and spring snow cover, snow depth and number of snow days over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) have had an increasing trend during the last 45 years (1956–2000) (Li, 2002), with an abrupt increase occurring in the late 1970s (Liu et al., 2003; Zhang et al., 2004; Peng et al., 2005). Correlative relationship between the TP winter and spring snow and the Asian summer monsoon circulation and rainfall have been studied by a number of investigators with observed analyses (NCC, 1998; Qian et al., 2003; Wu and Qian, 2003; Liu et al., 2003; Zhang et al., 2004) and modelling simulations (Zwiers, 1993; Qian et al., 2003; Liu et al., 2004). Modelling results have shown the similar inverse relationship between excessive (deficient) TP winter and spring snow and a decreasing (increasing) intensity of the Asian summer monsoon (the South Asian and East Asian summer monsoon) through the snow monsoon mechanis m. At the same time, they have further obtained a positive (negative) correlative relationship between the preceding winter and spring snow over TP and summer rainfalls in the Yangtze River basin (North China). This correlative relationship has been used in the seasonal prediction of the National Climate Center of China as a useful climate signal, and considerable success has been achieved, particularly for the seasonal prediction of the prolonged, excessively heavy rainfall and unprecedented flooding event in 1998 over the Yangtze River basin which was preceded by extremely excessive winter and spring snow over the TP. 1.2.4 Other forcing factors Besides SSTs and snow depth, Yu et al. (2004) attributed the pattern of rainfall changes over eastern China to the summer cooling at the upper troposphere over extra-tropical East Asia, which was assumedly associated with stratosphere-troposphere interactions. Changes in both land temperature and SST modify land-ocean temperature gradients. When the temperature gradients became smaller, the southwesterly monsoon flow weakened and the moisture transported to southern China decreased, causing the local drying trend (Cheng et al. 2005). More recently, Ding et al. (2007) showed that the significant weakening of the tropical upper-level easterly jet, which could also be a result of the reduced temperature gradients, provided a dominant mechanism for the weakening of the Asian summer monsoon over the past 40 years. In addition, climate consequences of black and sulphate carbon aerosols are used to explain climate change in the Asian monsoon region in recent decades, including the tendency toward increased summer floods in South China and increased drought in North China (Ramanathan et al., 2001; Xu, 2001; Menon et al., 2002; Lau and Kim, 2006). Summary Conclusions as a result, It has been found that the decadal variability of precipitation in China for the past 50 years is very significant, with two major characteristic features identified: (1) occurrence of prolonged droughts in North China and, at the same time, marked flooding conditions in the Yangtze River basin and South China in the period from the end of the 1970s to the beginning of the 21st century, and (2) the rainfall regime has undergone an obvious abrupt shift or jump in the mid- and late 1970s. This precipitation regime shift is in good coincidence with a significant abrupt climate change or jump which has been extensively observed in other regions over the world as well as for other variables. Several studies have indicated that the Asian summer monsoon has become weaker after the end of the 1970s. In connection with this change, the summer rainfall decreased over the lower reaches of the Yellow River and the Huaihe River. However, it is not clear yet how the weakening of the Asian (especially the East Asian) summer monsoon affects the significant southward shift of precipitation patterns in East China. Furthermore, the reason why the inter-decadal weakening of the Asian summer monsoon occurred remains an open question. Studies also show that the inter-annual and decadal variations of the sea surface temperature in the Pacific and Indian Oceans have an impact on the variation of precipitation in China. When the SST in the North Pacific Ocean becomes cooler, the East Asian summer monsoon would be weaker, and results in the drought in North China and flood in Huai River Basin. Although the influence of SSTs on the Asian summer monsoon and the precipitation in China has been recognized, not all the variances of precipitation can be explained by SSTs. Some researchers focused on the impact of Eurasian spring snow cover as well as the TP winter and spring snow. They found that the Asian summer monsoon circulation has a negative correlative relationship with the preceding winter and spring snow over TP, which means, when there is an increasing trend of the snow cover over the Tibetan Plateau, the summer rainfalls in the Yangtze River basin would increase too. Although the features and possible forcing factors of the decadal variation of precipitation in China have been studied, there are still some key issues remained to be solved. For example, is there a coherent change in large-scale circulation features in the Asian region to correspond to the above inter-decadal variability of the summer precipitation in East China, especially the weakening of the Asian summer monsoon and its subsequent effect on significant shift of summer precipitation patterns in East Asia? Is the regime shift of summer precipitation in East China mainly a response to weakening in large-scale monsoon circulation systems in the Asian region? Further studies will be needed to solve these issues.

The Gothic Tradition in Stokers Dracula and Wildes Picture of Dorian

The Gothic Tradition in Stoker's Dracula and Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray Gothic Literature was a natural progression from romanticism, which had existed in the 18th Century. Initially, such a ‘unique’ style of literature was met with a somewhat mixed response; although it was greeted with enthusiasm from members of the public, literary critics were much more dubious and sceptical. Gothic writing is a style of literature that relies upon the evocation of moods, feelings and imagery for impact. This style of writing was developed during an age of great scientific discovery – such literature marked a reaction against the prevailing ‘Age of Enlightenment’. Many Gothic authors opposed the new-found faith and enthusiasm placed in these discoveries, believing that they restricted freedom of imagination. Consequently, Gothic writers inhabited areas where no answers are provided – exploiting people’s fears and offering answers that are in stark contrast to the otherwise scientific explanations. Gothic writing is a style that depends upon the evocation of moods, which is reflected mainly in the writing style of a novel. ‘Dracula’ is written in the first person – ‘I must have been asleep’ - with a constant change of narrator within chapters. Wilde, however, wrote in the third person, omniscient, giving us the observer’s point of view whilst still showing us the intelligence and class of his characters through the language that they use – ‘come, Mr Gray, my hansom is outside’. The diary entries or notes used in ‘Dracula’ are fragmented and have an epistolary structure ‘Jonathon Harker’s Journal’. This emphasises each of the character’s feelings of isolation and loneliness, adding to the appeal of the reader. During the entries, Stok... ... die, innocence and good is corrupted and there is a connection to sexuality. Both novels create an aspect of mystery for the reader of the 19th century. Stoker’s portrayal of a creature little known by the English public of the 1890’s would have been of fear inspiring fascination to read about. Though few would have read John Palidori’s vampire novel, more perhaps would have heard the tale of Vlad the Impaler. He was a man who supposedly drank human blood or the blood of his war victims, and was in fact a ‘Dracule’. This basis in reality would add a sadistic interest to the novel. Wilde’s novel, though equally inexplicable, doesn’t create the same feeling of terror, but does raise a number of reservations in its reader. Both novels are seemingly successful texts in upholding the interest of the reader through many of the typical conventions of the Gothic tradition.

Playstation Vs. Nintendo 64 :: essays research papers

Video games are taking the entertainment business by storm. Systems are constantly improving and new systems are always in the process. The two latest systems are the Nintendo 64 and the Sony Playstation. Both have similar qualities, but they are very different.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Software selection is a key point when in comes to deciding on a system. A few of the latest games, Madden 99, WWF Warzone, and NHL 99, have been made for both systems. However, the Playstation has a greater variety of role playing games. Playstation would be a better choice for someone who enjoys role playing games. It also has many more games than the Nintendo 64 does. Playstation has been out on the market for a longer period of time than Nintendo 64, this is why it has more games than Nintendo 64.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When it comes to graphics, the Playstation wins again. All of the Nintendo 64 games have polygonal graphics, where the Playstation can also support film graphics for games that star real life actions. If the gamer enjoys watching a story line in a real life situation, Playstation would be the better choice to go with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When it comes to wait time, the Nintendo 64 blows away the Playstation. Some games for the Playstation take up to a minute to load. This is due to the fact that the system uses compact discs for software. On the other hand, Nintendo 64 uses cartridges. These load instantly. If you have no patients for waiting on a game to load, then Nintendo 64 is the better choice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Accessorizing the systems is a minor point, but it is still there. The Nintendo 64 comes with four controller ports, so no additional purchase is necessary (besides the actual controllers). The Playstation, however, comes with only two controller ports.

The Revolt Of Mother Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In â€Å"The Revolt of Mother,† written by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, along with the narrator, we can experience how human beings communicate. Time and setting are the most important definitions of a person’s life. A person cannot change the time he lives in. He lives in the present, the past, or the future. However, his place in location, he is able to choose himself. If a person lives in a city, on a farm, in the mountains, or by the ocean—this can define the nature of his daily activities and even his character. The heroes of this story lived nearly a century ago. They resided on a farm. This was a time when there weren’t a lot of modern accommodations. That’s why Mother and Father had to do everything themselves. Mother raised the children, milked the cow, and cooked the food, which she produced on her own farm. Father also had many responsibilities, such as tending to the animals and farming. They both worked a lot—comp leted their own given tasks. This separates them from each other, and at the same time, adds to their character.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To all his wife’s questions—what he’s doing, what he’s building—Father has one answer, â€Å"Ain’t got nothin’ to say about it.† The reader wonders why Father does not share his thoughts with his wife. Maybe he thinks that she is not able to understand the necessity of building another barn. His reticence and stubbornness pushes his wife away form him. She does not show her pain. She remembers h...

Digital Fortress Chapter 59-62

Chapter 59 Susan reached for Commander Strathmore's hand as he helped her up the ladder onto the Crypto floor. The image of Phil Chartrukian lying broken on the generators was burned into her mind. The thought of Hale hiding in the bowels of Crypto had left her dizzy. The truth was inescapable-Hale had pushed Chartrukian. Susan stumbled past the shadow of TRANSLTR back toward Crypto's main exit-the door she'd come through hours earlier. Her frantic punching on the unlit keypad did nothing to move the huge portal. She was trapped; Crypto was a prison. The dome sat like a satellite, 109 yards away from the main NSA structure, accessible only through the main portal. Since Crypto made its own power, the switchboard probably didn't even know they were in trouble. â€Å"The main power's out,† Strathmore said, arriving behind her. â€Å"We're on aux.† The backup power supply in Crypto was designed so that TRANSLTR and its cooling systems took precedence over all other systems, including lights and doorways. That way an untimely power outage would not interrupt TRANSLTR during an important run. It also meant TRANSLTR would never run without its freon cooling system; in an uncooled enclosure, the heat generated by three million processors would rise to treacherous levels-perhaps even igniting the silicon chips and resulting in a fiery meltdown. It was an image no one dared consider. Susan fought to get her bearings. Her thoughts were consumed by the single image of the Sys-Sec on the generators. She stabbed at the keypad again. Still no response. â€Å"Abort the run!† she demanded. Telling TRANSLTR to stop searching for the Digital Fortress pass-key would shut down its circuits and free up enough backup power to get the doors working again. â€Å"Easy, Susan,† Strathmore said, putting a steadying hand on her shoulder. The commander's reassuring touch lifted Susan from her daze. She suddenly remembered why she had been going to get him. She wheeled, â€Å"Commander! Greg Hale is North Dakota!† There was a seemingly endless beat of silence in the dark. Finally Strathmore replied. His voice sounded more confused than shocked. â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"Hale†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Susan whispered. â€Å"He's North Dakota.† There was more silence as Strathmore pondered Susan's words. â€Å"The tracer?† He seemed confused. â€Å"It fingered Hale?† â€Å"The tracer isn't back yet. Hale aborted it!† Susan went on to explain how Hale had stopped her tracer and how she'd found E-mail from Tankado in Hale's account. Another long moment of silence followed. Strathmore shook his head in disbelief. â€Å"There's no way Greg Hale is Tankado's insurance! It's absurd! Tankado would never trust Hale.† â€Å"Commander,† she said, â€Å"Hale sank us once before-Skipjack. Tankado trusted him.† Strathmore could not seem to find words. â€Å"Abort TRANSLTR,† Susan begged him. â€Å"We've got North Dakota. Call building security. Let's get out of here.† Strathmore held up his hand requesting a moment to think. Susan looked nervously in the direction of the trapdoor. The opening was just out of sight behind TRANSLTR, but the reddish glow spilled out over the black tile like fire on ice. Come on, call Security, Commander! Abort TRANSLTR! Get us out of here! Suddenly Strathmore sprang to action. â€Å"Follow me,† he said. He strode toward the trapdoor. â€Å"Commander! Hale is dangerous! He-â€Å" But Strathmore disappeared into the dark. Susan hurried to follow his silhouette. The commander circled around TRANSLTR and arrived over the opening in the floor. He peered into the swirling, steaming pit. Silently he looked around the darkened Crypto floor. Then he bent down and heaved the heavy trapdoor. It swung in a low arc. When he let go, it slammed shut with a deadening thud. Crypto was once again a silent, blackened cave. It appeared North Dakota was trapped. Strathmore knelt down. He turned the heavy butterfly lock. It spun into place. The sublevels were sealed. Neither he nor Susan heard the faint steps in the direction of Node 3. Chapter 60 Two-tone headed through the mirrored corridor that led from the outside patio to the dance floor. As he turned to check his safety pin in the reflection, he sensed a figure looming up behind him. He spun, but it was too late. A pair of rocklike arms pinned his body face-first against the glass. The punk tried to twist around. â€Å"Eduardo? Hey, man, is that you?† Two-Tone felt a hand brush over his wallet before the figure leaned firmly into his back. â€Å"Eddie!† the punk cried. â€Å"Quit fooling around! Some guy was lookin' for Megan.† The figure held him firmly. â€Å"Hey, Eddie, man, cut it out!† But when Two-Tone looked up into the mirror, he saw the figure pinning him was not his friend at all. The face was pockmarked and scarred. Two lifeless eyes stared out like coal from behind wire-rim glasses. The man leaned forward, placing his mouth against Two-Tone's ear. A strange, voice choked, â€Å"Adonde fue? Where'd he go?† The words sounded somehow misshapen. The punk froze, paralyzed with fear. â€Å"Adonde fue?† the voice repeated. â€Å"El Americano.† â€Å"The†¦ the airport. Aeropuerto,† Two-Tone stammered. â€Å"Aeropuerto?† the man repeated, his dark eyes watching Two-Tone's lips in the mirror. The punk nodded. â€Å"Tenia el anillo? Did he have the ring?† Terrified, Two-Tone shook his head. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Viste el anillo? Did you see the ring?† Two-Tone paused. What was the right answer? â€Å"Viste el anillo?† the muffled voice demanded. Two-Tone nodded affirmatively, hoping honesty would pay. It did not. Seconds later he slid to the floor, his neck broken. Chapter 61 Jabba lay on his back lodged halfway inside a dismantled mainframe computer. There was a penlight in his mouth, a soldering iron in his hand, and a large schematic blueprint propped on his belly. He had just finished attaching a new set of attenuators to a faulty motherboard when his cellular phone sprang to life. â€Å"Shit,† he swore, groping for the receiver through a pile of cables. â€Å"Jabba here.† â€Å"Jabba, it's Midge.† He brightened. â€Å"Twice in one night? People are gonna start talking.† â€Å"Crypto's got problems.† Her voice was tense. Jabba frowned. â€Å"We been through this already. Remember?† â€Å"It's a power problem.† â€Å"I'm not an electrician. Call Engineering.† â€Å"The dome's dark.† â€Å"You're seeing things. Go home.† He turned back to his schematic. â€Å"Pitch black!† she yelled. Jabba sighed and set down his penlight. â€Å"Midge, first of all, we've got aux power in there. It would never be pitch black. Second, Strathmore's got a slightly better view of Crypto than I do right now. Why don't you call him?† â€Å"Because this has to do with him. He's hiding something.† Jabba rolled his eyes. â€Å"Midge sweetie, I'm up to my armpits in serial cable here. If you need a date, I'll cut loose. Otherwise, call Engineering.† â€Å"Jabba, this is serious. I can feel it.† She can feel it? It was official, Jabba thought, Midge was in one of her moods. â€Å"If Strathmore's not worried, I'm not worried.† â€Å"Crypto's pitch black, dammit!† â€Å"So maybe Strathmore's stargazing.† â€Å"Jabba! I'm not kidding around here!† â€Å"Okay, okay,† he grumbled, propping himself up on an elbow. â€Å"Maybe a generator shorted out. As soon as I'm done here, I'll stop by Crypto and-â€Å" â€Å"What about aux power!† Midge demanded. â€Å"If a generator blew, why is there no aux power?† â€Å"I don't know. Maybe Strathmore's got TRANSLTR running and aux power is tapped out.† â€Å"So why doesn't he abort? Maybe it's a virus. You said something earlier about a virus.† â€Å"Damn it, Midge!† Jabba exploded. â€Å"I told you, there's no virus in Crypto! Stop being so damned paranoid!† There was a long silence on the line. â€Å"Aw, shit, Midge,† Jabba apologized. â€Å"Let me explain.† His voice was tight. â€Å"First of all, we've got Gauntlet-no virus could possibly get through. Second, if there's a power failure, it's hardware-related-viruses don't kill power, they attack software and data. Whatever's going on in Crypto, it's not a virus.† Silence. â€Å"Midge? You there?† Midge's response was icy. â€Å"Jabba, I have a job to do. I don't expect to be yelled at for doing it. When I call to ask why a multi billion-dollar facility is in the dark, I expect a professional response.† â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† â€Å"A simple yes or no will suffice. Is it possible the problem in Crypto is virus-related?† â€Å"Midge†¦ I told you-â€Å" â€Å"Yes or no. Could TRANSLTR have a virus?† Jabba sighed. â€Å"No, Midge. It's totally impossible.† â€Å"Thank you.† He forced a chuckle and tried to lighten the mood. â€Å"Unless you think Strathmore wrote one himself and bypassed my filters.† There was a stunned silence. When Midge spoke, her voice had an eerie edge. â€Å"Strathmore can bypass Gauntlet?† Jabba sighed. â€Å"It was a joke, Midge.† But he knew it was too late. Chapter 62 The Commander and Susan stood beside the closed trapdoor and debated what to do next. â€Å"We've got Phil Chartrukian dead down there,† Strathmore argued. â€Å"If we call for help, Crypto will turn into a circus.† â€Å"So what do you propose we do?† Susan demanded, wanting only to leave. Strathmore thought a moment. â€Å"Don't ask me how it happened,† he said, glancing down at the locked trapdoor, â€Å"but it looks like we've inadvertently located and neutralized North Dakota.† He shook his head in disbelief. â€Å"Damn lucky break if you ask me.† He still seemed stunned by the idea that Hale was involved in Tankado's plan. â€Å"My guess is that Hale's got the pass-key hidden in his terminal somewhere-maybe he's got a copy at home. Either way, he's trapped.† â€Å"So why not call building security and let them cart him away?† â€Å"Not yet,† Strathmore said, â€Å"if the Sys-Secs uncover stats of this endless TRANSLTR run, we've got a whole new set of problems. I want all traces of Digital Fortress deleted before we open the doors.† Susan nodded reluctantly. It was a good plan. When Security finally pulled Hale from the sublevels and charged him with Chartrukian's death, he probably would threaten to tell the world about Digital Fortress. But the proof would be erased-Strathmore could play dumb. An endless run? An unbreakable algorithm? But that's absurd! Hasn't Hale heard of the Bergofsky Principle? â€Å"Here's what we need to do.† Strathmore coolly outlined his plan. â€Å"We erase all of Hale's correspondence with Tankado. We erase all records of my bypassing Gauntlet, all of Chartrukian's Sys-Sec analysis, the Run-Monitor records, everything. Digital Fortress disappears. It was never here. We bury Hale's key and pray to God David finds Tankado's copy.† David, Susan thought. She forced him from her mind. She needed to stay focused on the matter at hand. â€Å"I'll handle the Sys-Sec lab,† Strathmore said. â€Å"Run-Monitor stats, mutation activity stats, the works. You handle Node 3. Delete all of Hale's E-mail. Any records of correspondence with Tankado, anything that mentions Digital Fortress.† â€Å"Okay,† Susan replied, focusing. â€Å"I'll erase Hale's whole drive. Reformat everything.† â€Å"No!† Strathmore's response was stern. â€Å"Don't do that. Hale most likely has a copy of the pass-key in there. I want it.† Susan gaped in shock. â€Å"You want the pass-key? I thought the whole point was to destroy the pass-keys!† â€Å"It is. But I want a copy. I want to crack open this damn file and have a look at Tankado's program.† Susan shared Strathmore's curiosity, but instinct told her unlocking the Digital Fortress algorithm was not wise, regardless of how interesting it would be. Right now, the deadly program was locked safely in its encrypted vault-totally harmless. As soon as he decrypted it†¦. â€Å"Commander, wouldn't we be better off just to-â€Å" â€Å"I want the key,† he replied. Susan had to admit, ever since hearing about Digital Fortress, she'd felt a certain academic curiosity to know how Tankado had managed to write it. Its mere existence contradicted the most fundamental rules of cryptography. Susan eyed the commander. â€Å"You'll delete the algorithm immediately after we see it?† â€Å"Without a trace.† Susan frowned. She knew that finding Hale's key would not happen instantly. Locating a random pass-key on one of the Node 3 hard drives was somewhat like trying to find a single sock in a bedroom the size of Texas. Computer searches only worked when you knew what you were looking for; this pass-key was random. Fortunately, however, because Crypto dealt with so much random material, Susan and some others had developed a complex process known as a nonconformity search. The search essentially asked the computer to study every string of characters on its hard drive, compare each string against an enormous dictionary, and flag any strings that seemed nonsensical or random. It was tricky work to refine the parameters continually, but it was possible. Susan knew she was the logical choice to find the pass-key. She sighed, hoping she wouldn't regret it. â€Å"If all goes well, it will take me about half an hour.† â€Å"Then let's get to work,† Strathmore said, putting a hand on her shoulder and leading her through the darkness toward Node 3. Above them, a star-filled sky had stretched itself across the dome. Susan wondered if David could see the same stars from Seville. As they approached the heavy glass doors of Node 3, Strathmore swore under his breath. The Node 3 keypad was unlit, and the doors were dead. â€Å"Damn it,† he said. â€Å"No power. I forgot.† Strathmore studied the sliding doors. He placed his palms flat against the glass. Then he leaned sideways trying to slide them open. His hands were sweaty and slipped. He wiped them on his pants and tried again. This time the doors slid open a tiny crack. Susan, sensing progress, got in behind Strathmore and they both pushed together. The doors slid open about an inch. They held it a moment, but the pressure was too great. The doors sprang shut again. â€Å"Hold on,† Susan said, repositioning herself in front of Strathmore. â€Å"Okay, now try.† They heaved. Again the door opened only about an inch. A faint ray of blue light appeared from inside Node 3; the terminals were still on; they were considered critical to TRANSLTR and were receiving aux power. Susan dug the toe of her Ferragamo's into the floor and pushed harder. The door started to move. Strathmore moved to get a better angle. Centering his palms on the left slider, he pushed straight back. Susan pushed the right slider in the opposite direction. Slowly, arduously, the doors began to separate. They were now almost a foot apart. â€Å"Don't let go,† Strathmore said, panting as they pushed harder. â€Å"Just a little farther.† Susan repositioned herself with her shoulder in the crack. She pushed again, this time with a better angle. The doors fought back against her. Before Strathmore could stop her, Susan squeezed her slender body into the opening. Strathmore protested, but she was intent. She wanted out of Crypto, and she knew Strathmore well enough to know she wasn't going anywhere until Hale's pass-key was found. She centered herself in the opening and pushed with all her strength. The doors seemed to push back. Suddenly Susan lost her grip. The doors sprang toward her. Strathmore fought to hold them off, but it was too much. Just as the doors slammed shut, Susan squeezed through and collapsed on the other side. The commander fought to reopen the door a tiny sliver. He put his face to the narrow crack. â€Å"Jesus, Susan-are you okay?† Susan stood up and brushed herself off. â€Å"Fine.† She looked around. Node 3 was deserted, lit only by the computer monitors. The bluish shadows gave the place a ghostly ambiance. She turned to Strathmore in the crack of the door. His face looked pallid and sickly in the blue light. â€Å"Susan,† he said. â€Å"Give me twenty minutes to delete the files in Sys-Sec. When all traces are gone, I'll go up to my terminal and abort TRANSLTR.† â€Å"You better,† Susan said, eyeing the heavy glass doors. She knew that until TRANSLTR stopped hoarding aux power, she was a prisoner in Node 3. Strathmore let go of the doors, and they snapped shut. Susan watched through the glass as the commander disappeared into the Crypto darkness.

Of Mice and Men Essay

John Steinbeck provides a variety of different attitudes towards women in the novel ‘Of Mice and Men. ’ I will explore these attitudes in order to represent the portrayal of women in the book; in which there are many different women with different attitudes respectively. Steinbeck uses the portrayal of Curley’s wife, who is the main female protagonist to show how women were treated during the 1930’s ‘Depression era. ’ The women I will analyse are Curley’s wife, Aunt Clara, Susy, Clara, The woman in Weed and Curley’s wife’s mother. In the novel, women play a significant role as they are featured in every scene of the story. However their roles can be defined negatively for they are portrayed as weak and as possessions of men. Steinbeck displays many different women who are displayed from a man’s perspective in a sexist era. The reader’s first encounter with a female character is ‘The woman in Weed. ’ She is presented as a liar and exaggerator due to her reaction when Lennie tugged her dress. George and Lennie are forced to flee from Weed, in order to escape the newly formed mob chasing them. This forces the reader to perceive women in a diminishing way at the start, which influences the reader’s perception on women overall, throughout the novel. After the initial encounter with a woman the reader is encouraged to believe that ‘The woman in Weed’ seemed to be the root cause of George and Lennie’s dilemma. This idea of women being pest-like, poison and objects of sexual desire is played on throughout the novel. This ideology is presented in the likes of Susy and Clara. Susy and Clara were both brothel owners, this job taken by both women suggests the type of jobs available for women at the time. Steinbeck presents life when the ranch workers go to the whore house. This suggests that women were seen as just a pass time during the 1930s and no-one had any respect for them. This shows how women were seen as being an object used to have fun not to socialise with. The job they possess, in comparison with Curley’s wife’s role, shows how Steinbeck displays the role of women in the novel. The language and context causes the reader to perceive women as objects that have to cater for a man’s every whim. Steinbeck provides the reader with one relatively positive role of a woman throughout the novel, in the form of Lennie’s ‘Aunt Clara. Aunt Clara is not his mother, but she has taken on the maternal role and it is implied that she is a blood relative. She is a flat character but when she is talked about, it is in a respectful tone. We can guess that from the way Lennie talks to her in his mind in the last pages that she has high standards; Lennie says à ¢â‚¬Ëœma’am’. This shows that Lennie respects her. The use of ‘Aunt Clara’ provides the reader with mixed attitudes towards women in the story. Yet this positive image of women is overlooked as the reader meets the likes of Curley’s wife and her mother. Curley’s wife’s mother is represented as conniving and jealous, due to her involvement in Curley’s wife’s life. Curley’s wife is changed from becoming a movie star and following the ‘American dream,’ to living with Curley, a dominant and sexist man who doesn’t allow her to be free. Throughout the novel the reader is expectant to distinguish women as possessions, this expectation is significantly shown with Curley’s wife. Curley’s wife is the main woman presented in the book. Her tone of language and the type of language connected to her is the same as the stereotypical depiction of women in the 1930’s. She is subjected to sexist beliefs which essentially pave the way to her death, for if she hadn’t sought attention from Lennie who seemed to be one of the only men to speak to her, she wouldn’t be dead. Steinbeck presents the women in the novel as being an object, not like normal people just because they are women and they believe men are superior. Men believe they own women and can treat them how they want to. In the novel, the women are socially inferior to the men and men just see them as possessions or objects. Curley’s wife is nameless which suggests that she is insignificant and unimportant, and that she is not treated like the men on the ranch who all have names. The importance of her character is crucial for the story’s development. The apostrophe in ‘Curley’s’ suggests that she belongs to Curley as if she is just an object. Also, when we find out that Curley’s glove is full of Vaseline, it implies that he likes petting his wife, just like Lennie like petting dogs, mice and rabbits. This suggests that Curley thinks of his wife like an animal. It also gives the implication that he needs to please her but there is no love in their relationship. Curley is proud of his wife, especially when she makes others envious of him. However, he has no respect for his wife and shows her off like a trophy wife. Later on in the novel, we find out that Curley’s wife doesn’t actually love Curley, and only married him in the hope of escaping a lonely, dull life. ‘I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella. ’ She seems preoccupied with strategies to avoid detection from her husband and manages this by continuously asking of his whereabouts. ‘Have any of you boys seen Curley? ’ Like George, Lenny and later on Candy, Curley’s wife has a dream despite it being one of great contrast to theirs. The futility of dreams is ever present within the novel. Curley’s wife has an ambition to work in films ‘coulda been in the movies and worn nice clothes’ and this is no doubt stemmed from her desire for attention and is linked to her loneliness and insecurities on the ranch as she bitterly resents not being treated as an individual. Men make promises to her ‘he says he was gonna out me in the movies’ but she appears to lack the intelligence to realise the emptiness of their promises. This means that women were presented to have a lack of intelligence and were only there to look good. Steinbeck presents women as objects of forbidden lust. The word â€Å"jail bait† is used to describe Curley’s wife repeatedly throughout the novel, this word describes his wife in a way that presents her as a very attractive young girl, but the term jail bait can also be used to show that she is a danger to toy with. Despite the fact that she is constantly flaunting herself, if she is approached in any way it will cause conflict with Curley which could result in an altercation that could cause a prison sentence. Hence her being bait, to end up in jail. ‘†¦ Yeah? married two weeks and got the eye’ Using these words Steinbeck is implying that all women start looking at other men only two weeks after being wed. The words ‘the eye’ suggests it’s like a disease you can get which will make you look at other men instead of your own. The reader is able to recognise the negative atmosphere when Curley’s wife is mentioned, through the language and attitudes of the ranch workers associated with Curley’s wife. â€Å"Curley’s married †¦ a tart. † This shows how George values women very little as he calls Curley’s wife â€Å"a tart†. This could be judged as prejudice as he does not fully know her and jumps to conclusion. However in the book john Steinbeck presents women in a negative fashion, for example Curley’s wife is very provocative and dwells on men’s feelings and takes advantage of them. John Steinbeck’s view represents that of many people during the 1930’s. John Steinbeck’s use of colour symbolism can be interpreted through Curley’s wife. Curley’s wife is connected with the colour red. The colour red is also linked with ‘The woman in Weed,’ this suggests that George’s negative attitude towards women like Curley’s wife, is associated with his stereotype of women, due to his previously bad encounters with them. The colour red can be associated with danger, romance, lust and blood. This suggests that the use of the colour red with women provides the reader with belief that they may be associated with danger, romance, lust and blood. The story surrounded by the actions of Curley’s wife can be interpreted through the likes of Genesis and Greek Mythology. In Genesis, Adam and Eve are met with a serpent who beguiles them to eat fruit from the tree which god had instructed them not to eat from. In consequence they are expelled from heaven. This can be interpreted as Curley’s wife being the serpent and George and Lennie being Adam and Eve, as Curley’s wife creates the obstruction of fulfilling the dream George and Lennie had of owning their own house. In Greek Mythology, Sirens lure sailors to their death. Sirens are seductive female creatures in Greek Mythology. The role of Sirens can be interpreted through Curley’s wife. The Sirens seduce sailors to their deaths. Due to the use of language used by Steinbeck, the reader is forced to accept the role of Curley’s wife as a version of a Siren. Curley’s wife is, socially speaking, a marginal figure. She is a minority and has very little power in the world. She is introduced as a â€Å"tart† and a trouble-maker, Curley’s wife is presented in increasingly sympathetic ways as the novel progresses. In the end, instead of being a trouble-maker, Curley’s wife is a victim. Not only is she is victim of a murder, but she is also a victim of circumstance, having married to get away from home only to find herself trapped on the ranch where she has no friends, nothing to do, and is allowed only one relationship. The reader is forced to see her death as sympathising, as the death of someone young is more painful than of an elder. To conclude I will provide my own opinion regarding the different attitudes towards women in the novel ‘Of Mice and Men. ’ As a reader, my intake on this situation is that Steinbeck uses a variety of techniques that portray women in different senses. However, these different attitudes are put aside as they are overpowered by the ideology that women are inferior to men and that they are their possessions.