Compare and Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 13

Compare and Contrast - Essay Example Just like in the most art works by Annie lee, the blue Monday painting is faceless, thusi9s done with intention that the audience of the work feel the comfort, humor and the joy of a piece of work. The visual element of the art work shows a woman who seems to be moody and reluctant to get out of bed, this is the typical African American who has woken up felling lazy to catch a bus and head to work. This is makes her work realistic and full of humor. The character in the painting blue Monday has face, in fact most of her works other than this has no faces, she does this so as to bring these part work into life via the body language and the movement of the characters, she thinks that the face might interfere with the intended message, in this painting she knew that each and every person has a personal connection to the experience of a blue Monday upon viewing the painting. The above piece of art is done by Annibale Carracci (1560–1609), thus was during the feminism era in the western countries, the above panting tries to show what make the females different from

Is spanking your child effective discipline or bad parenting Research Paper

Is spanking your child effective discipline or bad parenting - Research Paper Example e people see spanking as an outdated method of punishment or even child abuse, while others view a swat on the bottom as a parents prerogative and if done correctly can be effective. Do you agree with this? Where do we draw the line when it comes to disciplining our children? There has been a huge amount of research on the effectiveness of corporal punishment of animals, but remarkably little on the effectiveness of spanking children. This may be because almost no one feels the need to study it because everyone assumes it is effective. Study after study shows that almost 100 percent of parents with toddlers and young children do hit their children. There seems to be many reasons for the strong supporters of spanking children, but they all seem to be myths. Wikopedia: In its original sense, discipline is systematic instruction intended to train a person, in a craft, trade or other activity, or to follow a particular code of conduct of order. Often, the phrase "to discipline" carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order–that is, ensuring instructions are carried out–is often regulated through some type of punishment. Spanking is the act of striking the buttocks of another person to cause temporary pain without producing physical injury. It generally involves one person striking the buttocks of another person with an open hand. When an open hand is used, spanking is referred to in some countries as slapping or smacking. More severe forms of spanking, such as switching, paddling, belting, caning, whipping, and birching, involve the use of an implement instead of a hand. It is most commonly used to discipline an infant, a child, or a teenager. It generally involves an adult – typically a parent, guardian, or teacher – striking the childs buttocks as punishment for unacceptable behavior. Some countries have outlawed the spanking of children in every setting, but many allow it at least when administered by a parent or guardian. Some

Methods Used in the Bio-Medical Industry

Methods Used in the Bio-Medical Industry In this essay we will be exploring three methods by which materials are either separated, analysed, or both and their relevance and application in the biomedical industry. We will be looking at Electrophoresis, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), and Gas Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GLC-MS). Electrophoresis is a technique used to separate DNA material based on their size which has applications in DNA forensics. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance is a technique used to visually determine what the composition of a live tissue is which has applications in medical science. Gas Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry is a technique used to determine the chemical composition of the substance that is being tested which has applications in blood doping in sports where the blood needs to be chemically analysed for its composition whether it contains banned substances. Chemistry is a very broad subject which has influence in almost every industry. This essay will attempt to cover these three methods knowing that it has only skimmed the surface. The first separation technique that we will discuss is electrophoresis. Electrophoresis is used extensively in biochemical analysis. In particular, it is used in DNA fingerprinting and profiling in the field of forensic science. It can be used to separate, identify and purify proteins and nucleic acids. It can be used with amino acids and peptides obtained when a protein is hydrolysed. This basis for how this method works is that it depends on the fact that all DNA molecules are polar. Thus it is known to be impossible for there to have a compound with the same polarities. Another issue that might be raised is would the mass of the sample affect this separation technique? The answer is yes and no. It will affect it by making the DNA fingerprinting band hard to form. Thus chemists have developed different agarose medium gels for different compounds that have different properties such as pH and mass. The agarose gel can differ in density and pH, for example, to accommodate the differen t types of sample that is being tested. In that way, the effect that mass or even pH might on the result is negated and an accurate result is produced. The DNA of each person is basically similar in its chemical structure. The two strands in the double helix of DNA are held in place via hydrogen bonds between base pairs. The DNA stores the information – call the genes – that provide the genetic blueprints for making proteins. However, there are segments along the DNA molecules which do not seem to carry the instructions needed to make proteins. These bits of DNA are repeated along the DNA molecule. They are called ‘minisatellites’. The number and sequence of these is unique to each person. DNA fingerprinting is based on matching these minisatellite regions of DNA. We inherit half from our mother and the other half from our father. How does it work? Firstly, DNA would be extracted from a sample such as a murder weapon. Next, Restriction enzymes are used to ‘cut’ the DNA molecule at specific places where the same sequences occurs, making smaller fragments for analysis. Because DNA fragments are all negatively charged because of the phosphate groups present them will all move towards the positive electrode in gel electrophoresis. When they move towards the positive electrode in gel electrophoresis, the fragments move at different rates because they have different sizes. And this creates bands. The bands are then made visible by radioactive labelling of the bands with the phosphorus-32 isotope, which causes photographic film to fog. Thus the result is a film that can reveal the positions of the bands and by inference, the identity of the person whose DNA is being tested upon. The analytical technique of electrophoresis is based on separating ions placed in an electric field. If a sample is placed between two electrodes, positively charged ions will move towards a negatively charged electrode. Negatively charged ions will move towards a positively charged electrode. The sample is placed on absorbent paper or on a gel supported on a solid base such as a glass plate. A buffer solution carries the ions along. A buffer solution or medium is used in this method. This is to not only provide a means for the electricity to separate the ions but also as a means to stabilize the pH level because it will affect the movement of ions during electrophoresis. The rate at which the ions move towards the oppositely charged electrode depends, amongst other things, on the size and charge on the ions: larger ions will move more slowly; highly charged ions will move more quickly. Therefore the ions are separated as the electric field is applied. A series of lines or bands on the paper or gel appears once a chemical is applied. Sometimes ultraviolet light is used to show the bands up. The series of bands is called an electropherogram. The bands form a sort of fingerprint as every DNA will show up a different series of bands. In the same way that a thumbprint is uniqu e to a person, these bands made by DNA is unique to every person. A particular limitation is that this experiment does require electricity, an agarose gel medium, a container to store the gel, and it requires a lab free from impurities as it has a high intolerance for contaminants. This may limit the reach of DNA fingerprinting in rural areas or places in third-world countries where access to a biologically clean lab may be difficult. The transport equation for electrophoresis is . C would represent the concentration of the substance undergoing electrophoresis and t wold represent the transport after progressing for a time. This equation explains how time actually affects the concentration of the substance. (Jordan and Mills, 1966) The next technique that we will look at is an analytical technique called the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). NMR is mainly used to diagnose medical problems. The technique of MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scanning has been adapted from NMR spectroscopy. The patient is placed inside a body scanner which generates a powerful magnetic field. A computer analyses the radiowaves absorbed by 1H nuclei in successive ‘slices’ of the body, combining these to make a 3-D image of organs inside the body. The reason that a 3D picture of an organ can be produced just by flipping protons in different magnetic environments can be explained as such. By flipping the protons, a magnetic wave is produced. This wave contains energy that can be measured. When scanning the body, the strength and pattern of this wave is hugely affected by the type, density, and weight of the body that is being measured. Different parts of the body will give off a different wave because not all parts of the body are the same. Some parts of the body contain more muscle or bone than other parts. Thus after scanning the body, data is collected from scanning the different parts of the body that yield different results. Computer imaging software then processes the data that has been collected by the MRI machine and produces a 3D image based on the type of data that it receives. In this way NMR can be explained as such. MRI is much safer than high-energy X-ray imaging. As an example of its use, MRI can monitor the success of cancer treatment in reducing the size of tumours. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a widely used analytical technique for organic compounds. NMR is based on the fact that the nucleus of each hydrogen atom in an organic molecule behaves like a tiny magnet. The nucleus of a hydrogen atom consists of a single proton. The proton can spin. This movement of the positively charged proton causes a very small magnetic field to be set up. In NMR the sample is goes to be analysed in a magnetic field. The hydrogen nuclei (protons) either line up with the field or, by spinning in the opposite direction, line up against it. There is a tiny difference in energy between the oppositely spinning 1H nuclei. This difference corresponds to the energy carried by waves in the radiowave range of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. In NMR spectroscopy the nuclei ‘flip’ between the two energy levels. Only atoms whose mass number is an odd number, e.g. 1H or 13C, absorb energy in the range of frequencies that are analysed. The size of the gap between the nuclear energy levels varies slightly, depending on the other atoms in the molecule (the molecular environment). Therefore, NMR can be used to identify 1H atoms in different parts of a molecule. In NMR spectroscopy, we vary the magnetic field as that is easier than varying the wavelength of radiowaves. As the magnetic field is varied, the 1H nuclei in different molecular environments flip at different field strengths. The different field strengths are measured relative to a reference compound which is given a value of zero. The standard compound chosen is tetramethylsilane (TMS). TMS was chosen because it is an inert, volatile liquid which mixes well with most organic compounds. Its formula is Si (CH3)4, so all its H atoms are equivalent (i.e. they are all in the same molecular environment). TMS only gives one, sharp absorption, called a peak, and this peak is at a higher frequency than most other protons. All other absorptions are measured by their sh ift away from the TMS line on the NMR spectrum. This is called the chemical shift (ÃŽ ´), and is measured in units of parts per million (ppm). The spins within the MRI possess a natural frequency that is proportional to the magnetic field. This is called the Larmor relationship equation. This equation explains the method behind the MRI. Larmor relationship equation ω = ÃŽ ³B Some limitations that can be inferred from data would be that portability, the need for a large amount of electricity, the exclusion of people with tattoos that has ink mixed with metal, people with pacemakers, morbidly obese people, or people who are claustrophobic. Lastly we will look at a separation and analytical technique called the gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometer technique. To identify the components in a mixture, it is possible to link a gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) apparatus directly to a mass spectrometer. This combined technique is very sensitive, and any two solutes that can be separated with a time gap of 1 second on a GLC column can be identified almost instantly by the mass spectrometer without the need to be collected. Identification is by comparing the mass spectrum of each solute with the mass spectra of known compounds, using a computer’s spectral database. The generated is complex. There can be many components in a mixture, each with a peak at its particular retention time on the chromatogram, and each peak will generate its own characteristic series of lines in the mass spectrometer. It is possible to combine the chromatogram and the mass spectra to display the data on a 3-D graph. GLC linked to a mass spectrometer is used for analysing complex mixtures. The combined technique is fast and gives reliable results that can identify trace quantities of pollutants, drugs, biochemical molecules and toxins. This means it is used in: forensics, environmental monitoring of pollutants, drug testing in sports, geological and archaeological dating, or even airport security. Gas-liquid chromatography, referred to as GLC, uses partitioning to separate and identify the components in a mixture. How does it work? First, an inert carrier gas such as nitrogen passes in the gas chromatograph to flush the mixture of vapours through the instrument. The mixture to be separated is injected into the instrument through a self-sealing rubber port. Next, an oven heats the injector to vaporise the contents of the mixture, to turn the mixture into a gas if it is not a gas yet. The sample passes through a snail like column oven. After which, the column oven keeps the mixture inside the column in the gaseous state and at a constant temperature. Within the long and thin column there will be a stationary phase, which is often a non-volatile liquid coated onto a solid support. Next, the components of the mixture interact with the stationary phase to different extents, so they move through the column at different rates. Then it passes the sample on to the mass spectrometer to be identified through a tube that is kept at a warm temperature. The stationary phase is an inert carrier gas. This is packed tightly into a column. This has to be forced under pressure through the densely packed column where separation occurs. The tiny solid particles in the column have a very large surface area over which partitioning can occur, resulting in excellent separation. The more polar components in the mixture have a greater relative solubility in the polar solvent. Therefore they are carried through the column faster than components whose molecules are more non-polar (which dissolves better in the non-polar stationary phase in the column). The detector records retention times, i.e. how long it takes each component to pass through the column. The area under each peak recorded is proportional to the amount of solute emerging from the column. For quantitative analysis, the component peaks are first identified and then the area of each is measured. The peaks are roughly triangular in shape so their area follows the area formula. Area is The sample would now go into the mass spectrometer where it will analyse the components of the mixture as they emerge from the column. In the mass spectrometer’s results you can determine the relative proportions of the components of the mixture (from the relative areas of the peaks obtained from the recorded current flow) and the identity of each substance (by matching their mass spectra against a computer database of know spectra (fingerprinting). How does the mass spectrometer separate and identify the gas? First, The vacuum pump first removes unwanted previous sample and air which could interact with the sample by either colliding or reacting with the sample which would contaminate the sample and interfere with the final result. The sample then enters through the sample inlet to proceed to the inside of the mass spectrometer. Next, the sample would enter the vaporisation chamber where a heating coil in the vaporisation chamber converts the sample to a gas if it had not been a gas already. Following that, the sample would proceed into the ionisation chamber where an electron gun bombards electrons at the gaseous sample converting them to positive ions. The equation for this is . The sample at this stage would be go to the accelerator which contains negatively charged electric plates where it accelerates the ions towards the magnetic field. The gaseous ions when approaching the magnetic field would be separated according to t heir mass to charge ratio (). The lighter ions are deflected more, and the heavier ions are deflected less. At the end of the sample’s route is an ion detector where the signal is converted to an electric one. The electric signal is sent to a recorder that interprets this data and plots a graph for analysis because the ions hit the recorder in different positions according to their mass to charge ratio. Lastly, the position where the ions hit the detector plate tells you their relative atomic mass. A practical application for a gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometer is in the analysis of urine samples from athletes for banned substances such as steroids or stimulants or even in medical research to separate peptides and proteins. Some advantages of using this method in separating and analysing the sample is that it is possible to determine the percentages of dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in blood samples as small as 1.0 cm3. Some of the disadvantages are that similar compounds will have similar retention times and if a newly discovered compound is detected it will not have a match in the computer’s database of retention points. As a conclusion, electrophoresis, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometer are techniques that affect everyday life. Electrophoresis has a useful function in helping to match the DNA from a crime scene to the criminal in cases where more evidence were need to convict the right person. The nuclear magnetic resonance machines have a the ability to form a 3D image of your inner body and that is useful in the case where detailed analysis of patients in a hospital is important. Other techniques for analysis are mostly either too invasive or too slow. Last but not least is the gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometer whose function is to separate compounds to analyse the composition. 1

Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Macbeth - Fates Triumph Es

Fate's Triumph in Macbeth       Shakespeare a fatalist in Macbeth? It would seem so, given the observation that the Macbeths capitulated totally to the evil suggestions of the witches. We shall clarify the concept of fate in this drama.    Blanche Coles states in Shakespeare's Four Giants the place of Fate in Macbeth's life:    Then, like a cog slipping naturally into its own notch, his thoughts turn to the Witches and their prophecy, and he concludes that he has defiled his mind for the descendants of Banquo he has murdered the gracious Duncan for them; he has poisoned his own peace of mind and given his immortal soul (eternal jewel) to the devil, the common enemy of man - all this to make the descendants of Banquo kings! Rather than face such an outcome, he challenges Fate to enter the lists with him against Banquo and champion him to the last extremity, even though that extremity be death itself. (57)    Macbeth: "If Chance would have me king, why, Chance may crown me without my stir." A.C. Bradley in Shakespearean Tragedy references Fate in the play to the Witches' prophecies:    The words of the witches are fatal to the hero only because there is in him something which leaps into light at the sound of them; but they are at the same time the witness of forces which never cease to work in the world around him, and, on the instant of his surrender to them, entangle him inextricably in the web of Fate. (320)    In Fools of Time: Studies in Shakespearean Tragedy, Northrop Frye stresses the connection between the witches and fate:    The successful ruler is a combination of nature and fortune, de jure and de facto power. He steers his course by the tiller of an immediate past and by... ...uin Books, 1991.    Coles, Blanche. Shakespeare's Four Giants. Rindge, NH: Richard R. Smith Publisher, Inc., 1957.    Coursen, H. R. Macbeth: a Guide to the Play. Westport, CN: Greenwood Press, 1997.    Frye, Northrop. Fools of Time: Studies in Shakespearean Tragedy. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1967.    Knights, L.C. "Macbeth." Shakespeare: The Tragedies. A Collectiion of Critical Essays. Alfred Harbage, ed. Englewwod Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964.    Mack, Maynard. Everybody's Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. http://chemicool.com/Shakespeare/macbeth/full.html, no lin.    Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.

International Business in Japan

Abstract Capitalist and mostly single family centered, Zaibatsu led to a static system with weak competitive forces resulting in what is known as ‘cordial oligopoly’. (Niciejewska, 2007, pg 17) Keiretsu networks on the other hand, with its cross stockholdings is more dynamic and provided a more competitive business economy that continued to drive the Japanese economy during the post war period. The high cohesion that existed between the participating firms in the vertical keiretsu resulted in production and operational efficiency that gave Japanese manufacturers significant advantages in international markets. The impact of information technology and the internet in particular enabled the western countries implement modular production strategies and improved value chain management with setting up of contracted production centers across the globe. The japans keiretsu firms struggled to fight the American companies that specialized in single core functions leading to what is known as the mega competition. Keiretsu networks are unsuitable under modern, globally competitive, and technologically advanced market conditions. There is definitely a shift towards a more western centric business organization. Introduction Japanese corporate governance has undergone a lot of change since the Meiji restoration in 1868. It was during this time that the industrial revolution flourished across the world. The Zaibatsu originated when the Meiji government sold out certain government undertakings to a select few private and influential families namely Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Yasuda and Sumitomo. These government controlled firms slowly developed into different industries that helped Japan grow economically strong. During this period Japan practiced a closed economic system and foreign technology was totally shunned except in areas concerning domestic development (Thorson & Whitney, 2003). The Zaibatsu which could be loosely translated as monopolies emerged as the corporate structure that underlined the Japanese economy from this time till the end of the Second World War. In particular, the Zaibatsu or the industrial and financial conglomeration of the Japanese empire controlled a large percentage of the national economy during the first few decades of the twentieth century. In the aftermath of the World war 11 and the occupation of Japan by American forces, the Zaibatsu system was broken down and this gave rise to what is what is known as the Keiretsu system which is nothing but a group of companies with cross shareholdings and preferential business practices. Though the American government was bent on totally destroying the protectionary policies that the Zaibatsu system represented and proceeded with the dissolution of many Zaibatsu such as Asano, Furukawa, Nakajima, etc they stopped short of complete dissolution owing to fear of the intrusion of China’s communist practices into Japan. The formation of Keiretsu was an attempt to democratize the Japanese economy and to eliminate the restrictive policies (Thorson & Whitney, 2003). A brief overview of the firm structures in the Keiretsu and flourishing of Japanese economy between 1950-90, and its implications to the current Japanese economy would be discussed in this paper. Zaibatsu (Upto 1945) As briefly mentioned above, the Zaibatsu promoted a strong monopoly with holding companies at the top of the pyramid controlling all the operations between the various enterprises within the pyramid. Holding companies typically enjoyed the majority of the stocks of these businesses and more than 50% of the overall stocks of all the small companies that constitute the Zaibatsu were owned by its members (Thorson & Whitney, 2003). Stock options were never sold out to any third parties not connected with the zaibatsu making it a totally closed economic structure. The Zaibatsu was in short, a government led economic drive with strategies as well as resources provided for by the government. Japan’s industrial growth witnessed a rapid upswing under the Zaibatsu system. Buoyed by it success at home, the Japanese government forced the Zaibatsu system in Korea when it colonized the country (Shim & Lee, 2008, pg 49). The Zaibatsu enjoyed complete domination with Mitsui, Sumitomo and Mitsubishi, enjoying as much as 28% of the assets in Japanese companies by 1929. Just when the World War II was about to finish the Zaibatsu had 22.9% of the Japanese company stocks. Thus a handful of Japanese families had control over a vast majority of the Japanese enterprises under the Zaibatsu system. The structure of the Zaibatsu changed very quickly and soon there was intense diversification. For instance the single Mitsubishi Corporation rapidly diversified its business in to mining, shipping, insurance, trading, etc in a very short period of time and soon transformed into a holding company that was at the top of the Pyramid controlling a range of individual yet affiliated businesses. The Iwasaki family owned and controlled the entire business network of Mitsubishi (Lincoln & Shimotani, 2009). Keiretsu Keiretsu represents a cluster of enterprises that are linked to each other by way of cross shareholdings and preferential trading practices creating mutual interests in the business progress. Keiretsu are basically divided into two main types’ namely Vertical keiretsu and horizontal keiretsu. However there are also other keiretsu such as the distribution keiretsu that relate to the distribution networks of big manufacturers. For instance the distribution networks of Matsushita, Fuji Photo Film, etc come under the distribution Keiretsu (Shimotani, 1995). Keiretsu emerged as a protective response to the dissolution and distribution of the largely family owned stocks of the Zaibatsu. When hostile companies were taking over the zaibatsu firms the three main Zaibatsu leaders convened and arranged a solution of cross shareholding and preferential trading policies that enabled them to retain the overall control of the enterprises among themselves. For instance the Mitsui, Sumitomo an d Mitsubishi zaibatsu formed this strategic pact of cross shareholdings to maintain their stronghold in the business. This is how the Keiretsu emerged from the Zaibatsu. Soon by the 1960’s a few big financial institutions in Japan such as Dai-Ichi Kangyo, Fuji and Sanwa joined with the Mitsubishi, Sumitomo and Mitsui to constitute what was popularly known as the six horizontal Keiretsu (Lincoln & Shimotani, 2009). Periodic meetings between the president’s council (shacho-kai) members and executive exchanges and cross share holdings formed the glue between these six Keiretsu. The horizontal Keiretsu is centered around a large bank. On the other hand, the vertical Keiretsu are the large manufacturing companies and supply chain companies, the distributors etc. Unlike the Horizontal Keiretsu there is no president’s council in the vertical Keiretsu but the groups of suppliers of a manufacturing firm represent that role (Miwa and Ramsayer, 2006). Similar to the horizontal Keiretsu, the firms in the vertical keiretsu are also linked together by share holdings across firms and preferential business policies. In vertical Keiretsu there is improved knowledge sharing by way of business transfers including exchange of experts and technical staff members across the vertical network. Overall, vertical Keiretsu promotes improved cohesion among the network firms. In fact, the increased dependence of main firms on the supplier firms in the vertical Keiretsu even lead to large scale investments by these ancillary Japanese firms in US following the footsteps of the Japanese automobile manufacturing firms setting up their FDI in that Country (Banerji & Sambharya ,1996). In technology intensive industries of Japan vertical Keiretsu has greatly improved their international competitiveness by facilitating rapid knowledge sharing across the partnership firms. Empirical studies that measured the effects of such knowledge sharing across the firms in the vertical Keiretsu clearly suggest positive productive gains (Branstetter, 2000). One of the important advantages of the vertical keiretsu is the improved coordination between the suppliers and the assemblers. In the keiretsu automotive industries the suppliers receive plenty of support in products manufacturing , processing and people management. This is distinctly different from the US approach where the suppliers and the assembly line operate entirely independently. This model of operation facilitates both the parties as it helps to reduce the overall risk for either party. (Lincoln & Shimotani, 2009) Thus the Keiretsu improved knowledge transfer among t he networked firms, improved productivity, reduced risk for the firms and gave the Japanese companies clear advantage in the international market. Furthermore, Gerlach (2004), also notes that the Keiretsus were particularly important due to their one-set principle and networking. For instance, synergies were achieved in input and output, especially in the case of manufacturing. Centralized systems and departments were used in conducting basic support operations, which helped all subsidiaries in cost savings (Lincoln & Shimotani, 2009). Also, profit-trapping mechanisms were used in place, by distributing them effectively through subsidiaries (Lincoln & Shimotani, 2009). Cross shareholdings were also particularly important as it helped avoid takeovers, encouraged risk taking amongst companies, and had a long term outlook on strategy (Sturgeon, 2006). One of the important examples of the vertical Keiretsu is the Toyota group. In fact, Toyota has a unique distinction of being both a horizontal keiretsu as well as a vertical keiretsu. They key difference is that the massive size of the Toyota organization makes it possible to exist without being controlled by a central bank as is the case with horizontal keiretsu. Toyota with more than $72 billion in annual revenue has the financial might to stand for itself without the dependence of any major funding source. However, it is associated with the Mitsui group horizontally. Toyota is also widely diversified like a horizontal keiretsu company with its firms representing industries as varied as real estate, computer development, aircraft development, nonlife insurance, etc. The disintegration of the Keiretsu (Why keiretsu failed?) The keiretsu system started to decline slowly by the early nineties and one study by Gerlach (2004) that analyzed the cluster networking pattern of 257 Japanese organizations between 1978 and 1998 found clear evidence indicating this shift away from the Keiretsu. Analysis of cross shareholdings further confirmed the decline of the keiretsu structure (Lincoln & Shimotani, 2009). By the late nineties many major banks that were previously the core of the Horizontal keiretsu had already sold off major portions of their shares to international financial institutions (Ahmadjian and Robinson, 2001). Several Bank mergers further shook the keiretsu structure. Starting with the Mitsui and Taiyo-Kobe Bank merger in 1990 to the 1998 merger of Industrial Bank of Japan, Fuji and Dai-ichi Kangyo bank the largescale mergers of Japanese financial institutions led to consolidation of the related keiretsu firms (Lincoln & Shimotani, 2009). Globalization and technological changes further led to the withering of the Keiretsu. The numbers of board of directors were reduced and many foreign personals took up the position. International investors further demanded the selling off of the stocks in supplier firms and other affiliate firms. Furthermore, the global shift towards modular production system and the production efficiency that it gave rise to, along with a degree of independence between the firms that are involved, kind of eroded the production line advantages that Japanese firms specialized in mass production under the keiretsu system had enjoyed for a long period. The growth of information technology and the adaptation of computer simulation technologies in production testing and experimentation and swift data exchange between the firms reduced the need for physical communication (which was key in Keiretsu) and drastically improved value chain management.(Sturgeon, 2006) Modular production is propelled by ease of systems integration facilitated by information technology. By the 1990’s modular production system was already in place in the US electronic industry with its contract manufacturers spread across the globe. While the American firms capitalized on the internet enabled modular production systems and dominated the electronics industry and related computer hardware industry, Japanese electronics industry was still sticking to the ‘components plus products’ strategy. Cisco systems for instance enjoyed total domination in the network routers market enjoying as much as 80% of the market share while simply outsourcing its device production to contracted producers such as Solectron and Flextronics. Often the production centers are located in low cost regions such as China giving a distinct advantage for the modular production strategy. This contrast between the modular production strategies of the American firms and the in house à ¢â‚¬Ëœintegrated production system’ of the Japanese keiretsu firms gave a clear advantage to the American firms. In other words, the Japanese keiretsu firms could not handle the ‘mega competition’ from the American firms which specialize in single core functions or narrow core competencies. The following figure 1 illustrates the loss suffered by the Japanese keiretsu electronic industries in the early years of the new millennium. (Sturgeon, 2006) Another factor that accompanied global trade is the fluctuation of the exchange rates and its influence on the profit margin. Furthermore, the expansion into international markets and the associated transportation costs motivated many of Japan’s manufacturing firms to move their production facilities abroad as a cost effective solution. Though some suppliers too moved and invested in these new countries, in most cases the central firms such as Toyota started building trust and relationships with the local suppliers. Furthermore, changes in Japanese economic reforms including the Tax policies did not tolerate risk sharing measures as they used to before which clearly undermined one of the key Keiretsu principles. Conclusion The Large capitalist and mostly single family based zaibatsu companies flourished during the early twentieth century creating industrial monopolies that were closely controlled by the government. Zaibatsu led to what is known as a static system as most of the stocks are retained by the family that controls the business. Furthermore Zaibatsu promoted weak competition leading to what is known as ‘cordial oligopoly’.) Keiretsu on the other hand with its cross stockholdings is more dynamic and provided a more competitive business economy that continued to drive the Japanese economy during the post war period. The high cohesion that existed between the participating firms in the vertical keiretsu resulted in production and operational efficiency that gave Japanese manufacturers significant advantages in international markets. However, the Keiretsu principles of ‘preferential business’ affected foreign companies from entering the Japanese markets. Globalization and increasing pressures from international organizations to sell off stocks in affiliated firms affected the cohesion that previously existed between the participating firms in the keiretsu network. Furthermore, the successful integration and mass production strategies of the keiretsu networks that helped Japanese manufacturing firms flourish were soon affected by the shift in global production strategies. Particularly, the concept of modular production where product design could be isolated from its manufacture and the shift towards outsourcing in the western world created a dent in the Japanese manufacturing sector which was still stuck with the ‘in house production’ policies. The impact of information technology and the internet in particular enabled the western countries implement modular production strategies and improved value chain management with setting up of contracted production centers across the globe. The japans keiretsu firms struggled to fi ght the American companies that specialized in single core functions leading to what is known as the mega competition. These fundamental shifts in organizational structure and strategies in the West have made the Keiretsu networks unsuitable under modern globally competitive and technologically advanced market conditions. There is definitely a shift towards a more western centric business organization. Bibliography Ahmadjian, Christina L and Patricia Robinson. (2001). Safety in Numbers: Downsizing and the New Political Economy of Structural Adjustment and Globalization, New York: M.E. Sharpe. Jae Seung Shim & Moosung lee, (2008), The Korean Economic System, Ashgate Publishing Ltd. England. James R Lincoln & Mashiro Shimotani, (2009), Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, Working Paper series, [online] University of California, viewed Mar 9th 2012, Katharina Niciejewska, (2007) The Influence of Social networks in Japanese business. Keiretsu as a Japanese Network. Auflage , Germany. Kunal Banerji PhD & Rakesh B Sambharya, (1996), Vertical Keiretsu and international market entry: The case of the Japanese automobile ancillary industry, Journal of international business studies. Vol 27, No 1. Lee Branstetter (2000), Vertical Keiretsu and Knowledge Spillovers in Japanese Manufacturing: An Empirical assessment, Journal of Japanese and International Economies , Vol 14, Issue 2, pg 73-104 Miwa, Yoshiro and J. Mark Ramsayer. 2006. The Fable of the Keiretsu: Urban Legends of the Japanese Economy. University of Chicago Press, 2006. Thayer Watkins, The Toyoto Group: The One and Only Horizontal and Vertical Keiretsu, [Online] San Jose State University, viewed Mar 9th 2012, Timothy J Sturgeon, (2006), Modular Productions Impact on Japan’s Electronic industry, MIT, IPC Working papers series. Viewed Mar 10th 2012,

A Game of Thrones Chapter Eleven

Daenerys Daenerys Targaryen wed Khal Drogo with fear and barbaric splendor in a field beyond the walls of Pentos, for the Dothraki believed that all things of importance in a man's life must be done beneath the open sky. Drogo had called his khalasar to attend him and they had come, forty thousand Dothraki warriors and uncounted numbers of women, children, and slaves. Outside the city walls they camped with their vast herds, raising palaces of woven grass, eating everything in sight, and making the good folk of Pentos more anxious with every passing day. â€Å"My fellow magisters have doubled the size of the city guard,† Illyrio told them over platters of honey duck and orange snap peppers one night at the manse that had been Drogo's. The khal had joined his khalasar, his estate given over to Daenerys and her brother until the wedding. â€Å"Best we get Princess Daenerys wedded quickly before they hand half the wealth of Pentos away to sellswords and bravos,† Ser Jorah Mormont jested. The exile had offered her brother his sword the night Dany had been sold to Kbal Drogo; Viserys had accepted eagerly. Mormont had been their constant companion ever since. Magister Illyrio laughed lightly through his forked beard, but Viserys did not so much as smile. â€Å"He can have her tomorrow, if he likes,† her brother said. He glanced over at Dany, and she lowered her eyes. â€Å"So long as he pays the price.† Illyrio waved a languid hand in the air, rings glittering on his fat fingers. â€Å"I have told you, all is settled. Trust me. The khal has promised you a crown, and you shall have it.† â€Å"Yes, but when?† â€Å"When the khal chooses,† Illyrio said. â€Å"He will have the girl first, and after they are wed he must make his procession across the plains and present her to the dosh khaleen at Vaes Dothrak. After that, perhaps. If the omens favor war.† Viserys seethed with impatience. â€Å"I piss on Dothraki omens. The Usurper sits on my father's throne. How long must I wait?† Illyrio gave a massive shrug. â€Å"You have waited most of your life, great king. What is another few months, another few years?† Ser Jorah, who had traveled as far east as Vaes Dothrak, nodded in agreement. â€Å"I counsel you to be patient, Your Grace. The Dothraki are true to their word, but they do things in their own time. A lesser man may beg a favor from the khal, but must never presume to berate him.† Viserys bristled. â€Å"Guard your tongue, Mormont, or I'll have it out. I am no lesser man, I am the rightful Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. The dragon does not beg.† Ser Jorah lowered his eyes respectfully. Illyrio smiled enigmatically and tore a wing from the duck. Honey and grease ran over his fingers and dripped down into his beard as he nibbled at the tender meat. There are no more dragons, Dany thought, staring at her brother, though she did not dare say it aloud. Yet that night she dreamt of one. Viserys was hitting her, hurting her. She was naked, clumsy with fear. She ran from him, but her body seemed thick and ungainly. He struck her again. She stumbled and fell. â€Å"You woke the dragon,† he screamed as he kicked her. â€Å"You woke the dragon, you woke the dragon.† Her thighs were slick with blood. She closed her eyes and whimpered. As if in answer, there was a hideous ripping sound and the crackling of some great fire. When she looked again, Viserys was gone, great columns of flame rose all around, and in the midst of them was the dragon. It turned its great head slowly. When its molten eyes found hers, she woke, shaking and covered with a fine sheen of sweat. She had never been so afraid . . .. . . until the day of her wedding came at last. The ceremony began at dawn and continued until dusk, an endless day of drinking and feasting and fighting. A mighty earthen ramp had been raised amid the grass palaces, and there Dany was seated beside Khal Drogo, above the seething sea of Dothraki. She had never seen so many people in one place, nor people so strange and frightening. The horselords might put on rich fabrics and sweet perfumes when they visited the Free Cities, but out under the open sky they kept the old ways. Men and women alike wore painted leather vests over bare chests and horsehair leggings cinched by bronze medallion belts, and the warriors greased their long braids with fat from the rendering pits. They gorged themselves on horseflesh roasted with honey and peppers, drank themselves blind on fermented mare's milk and Illyrio's fine wines, and spat jests at each other across the fires, their voices harsh and alien in Dany's ears. Viserys was seated just below her, splendid in a new black wool tunic with a scarlet dragon on the chest. Illyrio and Ser Jorah sat beside him. Theirs was a place of high honor, just below the khal's own bloodriders, but Dany could see the anger in her brother's lilac eyes. He did not like sitting beneath her, and he fumed when the slaves offered each dish first to the khal and his bride, and served him from the portions they refused. He could do nothing but nurse his resentment, so nurse it he did, his mood growing blacker by the hour at each insult to his person. Dany had never felt so alone as she did seated in the midst of that vast horde. Her brother had told her to smile, and so she smiled until her face ached and the tears came unbidden to her eyes. She did her best to hide them, knowing how angry Viserys would be if he saw her crying, terrified of how Khal Drogo might react. Food was brought to her, steaming joints of meat and thick black sausages and Dothraki blood pies, and later fruits and sweetgrass stews and delicate pastries from the kitchens of Pentos, but she waved it all away. Her stomach was a roil, and she knew she could keep none of it down. There was no one to talk to. Khal Drogo shouted commands and jests down to his bloodriders, and laughed at their replies, but he scarcely glanced at Dany beside him. They had no common language. Dothraki was incomprehensible to her, and the khal knew only a few words of the bastard Valyrian of the Free Cities, and none at all of the Common Tongue of the Seven Kingdoms. She would even have welcomed the conversation of Illyrio and her brother, but they were too far below to hear her. So she sat in her wedding silks, nursing a cup of honeyed wine, afraid to eat, talking silently to herself. I am blood of the dragon, she told herself. I am Daenerys Stormborn, Princess of Dragonstone, of the blood and seed of Aegon the Conqueror. The sun was only a quarter of the way up the sky when she saw her first man die. Drums were beating as some of the women danced for the khal. Drogo watched without expression, but his eyes followed their movements, and from time to time he would toss down a bronze medallion for the women to fight over. The warriors were watching too. One of them finally stepped into the circle, grabbed a dancer by the arm, pushed her down to the ground, and mounted her right there, as a stallion mounts a mare. Illyrio had told her that might happen. â€Å"The Dothraki mate like the animals in their herds. There is no privacy in a khalasar, and they do not understand sin or shame as we do.† Dany looked away from the coupling, frightened when she realized what was happening, but a second warrior stepped forward, and a third, and soon there was no way to avert her eyes. Then two men seized the same woman. She heard a shout, saw a shove, and in the blink of an eye the arakhs were out, long razor-sharp blades, half sword and half scythe. A dance of death began as the warriors circled and slashed, leaping toward each other, whirling the blades around their heads, shrieking insults at each clash. No one made a move to interfere. It ended as quickly as it began. The arakhs shivered together faster than Dany could follow, one man missed a step, the other swung his blade in a flat arc. Steel bit into flesh just above the Dothraki's waist, and opened him from backbone to belly button, spilling his entrails into the dust. As the loser died, the winner took hold of the nearest woman—not even the one they had been quarreling over—and had her there and then. Slaves carried off the body, and the dancing resumed. Magister Illyrio had warned Dany about this too. â€Å"A Dothraki wedding without at least three deaths is deemed a dull affair,† he had said. Her wedding must have been especially blessed; before the day was over, a dozen men had died. As the hours passed, the terror grew in Dany, until it was all she could do not to scream. She was afraid of the Dothraki, whose ways seemed alien and monstrous, as if they were beasts in human skins and not true men at all. She was afraid of her brother, of what he might do if she failed him. Most of all, she was afraid of what would happen tonight under the stars, when her brother gave her up to the hulking giant who sat drinking beside her with a face as still and cruel as a bronze mask. I am the blood of the dragon, she told herself again. When at last the sun was low in the sky, Khal Drogo clapped his hands together, and the drums and the shouting and feasting came to a sudden halt. Drogo stood and pulled Dany to her feet beside him. It was time for her bride gifts. And after the gifts, she knew, after the sun had gone down, it would be time for the first ride and the consummation of her marriage. Dany tried to put the thought aside, but it would not leave her. She hugged herself to try to keep from shaking. Her brother Viserys gifted her with three handmaids. Dany knew they had cost him nothing; Illyrio no doubt had provided the girls. Irri and Jhiqui were copper-skinned Dothraki with black hair and almond-shaped eyes, Doreah a fair-haired, blue-eyed Lysene girl. â€Å"These are no common servants, sweet sister,† her brother told her as they were brought forward one by one. â€Å"Illyrio and I selected them personally for you. Irri will teach you riding, Jhiqui the Dothraki tongue, and Doreah will instruct you in the womanly arts of love.† He smiled thinly. â€Å"She's very good, Illyrio and I can both swear to that.† Ser Jorah Mormont apologized for his gift. â€Å"It is a small thing, my princess, but all a poor exile could afford,† he said as he laid a small stack of old books before her. They were histories and songs of the Seven Kingdoms, she saw, written in the Common Tongue. She thanked him with all her heart. Magister Illyrio murmured a command, and four burly slaves hurried forward, bearing between them a great cedar chest bound in bronze. When she opened it, she found piles of the finest velvets and damasks the Free Cities could produce . . . and resting on top, nestled in the soft cloth, three huge eggs. Dany gasped. They were the most beautiful things she had ever seen, each different than the others, patterned in such rich colors that at first she thought they were crusted with jewels, and so large it took both of her hands to hold one. She lifted it delicately, expecting that it would be made of some fine porcelain or delicate enamel, or even blown glass, but it was much heavier than that, as if it were all of solid stone. The surface of the shell was covered with tiny scales, and as she turned the egg between her fingers, they shimmered like polished metal in the light of the setting sun. One egg was a deep green, with burnished bronze flecks that came and went depending on how Dan y turned it. Another was pale cream streaked with gold. The last was black, as black as a midnight sea, yet alive with scarlet ripples and swirls. â€Å"What are they?† she asked, her voice hushed and full of wonder. â€Å"Dragon's eggs, from the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai,† said Magister Illyrio. â€Å"The eons have turned them to stone, yet still they burn bright with beauty.† â€Å"I shall treasure them always.† Dany had heard tales of such eggs, but she had never seen one, nor thought to see one. It was a truly magnificent gift, though she knew that Illyrio could afford to be lavish. He had collected a fortune in horses and slaves for his part in selling her to Khal Drogo. The khal's bloodriders offered her the traditional three weapons, and splendid weapons they were. Haggo gave her a great leather whip with a silver handle, Cohollo a magnificent arakh chased in gold, and Qotho a double-curved dragonbone bow taller than she was. Magister Illyrio and Ser Jorah had taught her the traditional refusals for these offerings. â€Å"This is a gift worthy of a great warrior, O blood of my blood, and I am but a woman. Let my lord husband bear these in my stead.† And so Khal Drogo too received his â€Å"bride gifts.† Other gifts she was given in plenty by other Dothraki: slippers and jewels and silver rings for her hair, medallion belts and painted vests and soft furs, sandsilks and jars of scent, needles and feathers and tiny bottles of purple glass, and a gown made from the skin of a thousand mice. â€Å"A handsome gift, Khaleesi,† Magister Illyrio said of the last, after he had told her what it was. â€Å"Most lucky.† The gifts mounted up around her in great piles, more gifts than she could possibly imagine, more gifts than she could want or use. And last of all, Khal Drogo brought forth his own bride gift to her. An expectant hush rippled out from the center of the camp as he left her side, growing until it had swallowed the whole khalasar. When he returned, the dense press of Dothraki gift-givers parted before him, and he led the horse to her. She was a young filly, spirited and splendid. Dany knew just enough about horses to know that this was no ordinary animal. There was something about her that took the breath away. She was grey as the winter sea, with a mane like silver smoke. Hesitantly she reached out and stroked the horse's neck, ran her fingers through the silver of her mane. Khal Drogo said something in Dothraki and Magister Illyrio translated. â€Å"Silver for the silver of your hair, the khal says.† â€Å"She's beautiful,† Dany murmured. â€Å"She is the pride of the khalasar, † Illyrio said. â€Å"Custom decrees that the khaleesi must ride a mount worthy of her place by the side of the khal.† Drogo stepped forward and put his hands on her waist. He lifted her up as easily as if she were a child and set her on the thin Dothraki saddle, so much smaller than the ones she was used to. Dany sat there uncertain for a moment. No one had told her about this part. â€Å"What should I do?† she asked Illyrio. It was Ser Jorah Mormont who answered. â€Å"Take the reins and ride. You need not go far.† Nervously Dany gathered the reins in her hands and slid her feet into the short stirrups. She was only a fair rider; she had spent far more time traveling by ship and wagon and palanquin than by horseback. Praying that she would not fall off and disgrace herself, she gave the filly the lightest and most timid touch with her knees. And for the first time in hours, she forgot to be afraid. Or perhaps it was for the first time ever. The silver-grey filly moved with a smooth and silken gait, and the crowd parted for her, every eye upon them. Dany found herself moving faster than she had intended, yet somehow it was exciting rather than terrifying. The horse broke into a trot, and she smiled. Dothraki scrambled to clear a path. The slightest pressure with her legs, the lightest touch on the reins, and the filly responded. She sent it into a gallop, and now the Dothraki were hooting and laughing and shouting at her as they jumped out of her way. As she turned to ride back, a firepit loomed ahead, directly in her path. They were hemmed in on either side, with no room to stop. A daring she had never known filled Daenerys then, and she gave the filly her head. The silver horse leapt the flames as if she had wings. When she pulled up before Magister Illyrio, she said, â€Å"Tell Khal Drogo that he has given me the wind.† The fat Pentoshi stroked his yellow beard as he repeated her words in Dothraki, and Dany saw her new husband smile for the first time. The last sliver of sun vanished behind the high walls of Pentos to the west just then. Dany had lost all track of time. Khal Drogo commanded his bloodriders to bring forth his own horse, a lean red stallion. As the khal was saddling the horse, Viserys slid close to Dany on her silver, dug his fingers into her leg, and said, â€Å"Please him, sweet sister, or I swear, you will see the dragon wake as it has never woken before.† The fear came back to her then, with her brother's words. She felt like a child once more, only thirteen and all alone, not ready for what was about to happen to her. They rode out together as the stars came out, leaving the khalasar and the grass palaces behind. Khal Drogo spoke no word to her, but drove his stallion at a hard trot through the gathering dusk. The tiny silver bells in his long braid rang softly as he rode. â€Å"I am the blood of the dragon,† she whispered aloud as she followed, trying to keep her courage up. â€Å"I am the blood of the dragon. I am the blood of the dragon.† The dragon was never afraid. Afterward she could not say how far or how long they had ridden, but it was full dark when they stopped at a grassy place beside a small stream. Drogo swung off his horse and lifted her down from hers. She felt as fragile as glass in his hands, her limbs as weak as water. She stood there helpless and trembling in her wedding silks while he secured the horses, and when he turned to look at her, she began to cry. Khal Drogo stared at her tears, his face strangely empty of expression. â€Å"No,† he said. He lifted his hand and rubbed away the tears roughly with a callused thumb. â€Å"You speak the Common Tongue,† Dany said in wonder. â€Å"No,† he said again. Perhaps he had only that word, she thought, but it was one word more than she had known he had, and somehow it made her feel a little better. Drogo touched her hair lightly, sliding the silver-blond strands between his fingers and murmuring softly in Dothraki. Dany did not understand the words, yet there was warmth in the tone, a tenderness she had never expected from this man. He put his finger under her chin and lifted her head, so she was looking up into his eyes. Drogo towered over her as he towered over everyone. Taking her lightly under the arms, he lifted her and seated her on a rounded rock beside the stream. Then he sat on the ground facing her, legs crossed beneath him, their faces finally at a height. â€Å"No,† he said. â€Å"Is that the only word you know?† she asked him. Drogo did not reply. His long heavy braid was coiled in the dirt beside him. He pulled it over his right shoulder and began to remove the bells from his hair, one by one. After a moment Dany leaned forward to help. When they were done, Drogo gestured. She understood. Slowly, carefully, she began to undo his braid. It took a long time. All the while he sat there silently, watching her. When she was done, he shook his head, and his hair spread out behind him like a river of darkness, oiled and gleaming. She had never seen hair so long, so black, so thick. Then it was his turn. He began to undress her. His fingers were deft and strangely tender. He removed her silks one by one, carefully, while Dany sat unmoving, silent, looking at his eyes. When he bared her small breasts, she could not help herself. She averted her eyes and covered herself with her hands. â€Å"No,† Drogo said. He pulled her hands away from her breasts, gently but firmly, then lifted her face again to make her look at him. â€Å"No,† he repeated. â€Å"No,† she echoed back at him. He stood her up then and pulled her close to remove the last of her silks. The night air was chilly on her bare skin. She shivered, and gooseflesh covered her arms and legs. She was afraid of what would come next, but for a while nothing happened. Khal Drogo sat with his legs crossed, looking at her, drinking in her body with his eyes. After a while he began to touch her. Lightly at first, then harder. She could sense the fierce strength in his hands, but he never hurt her. He held her hand in his own and brushed her fingers, one by one. He ran a hand gently down her leg. He stroked her face, tracing the curve of her ears, running a finger gently around her mouth. He put both hands in her hair and combed it with his fingers. He turned her around, massaged her shoulders, slid a knuckle down the path of her spine. It seemed as if hours passed before his hands finally went to her breasts. He stroked the soft skin underneath until it tingled. He circled her nipples with his thumbs, pinched them between thumb and forefinger, then began to pull at her, very lightly at first, then more insistently, until her nipples stiffened and began to ache. He stopped then, and drew her down onto his lap. Dany was flushed and breathless, her heart fluttering in her chest. He cupped her face in his huge hands and looked into his eyes. â€Å"No?† he said, and she knew it was a question. She took his hand and moved it down to the wetness between her thighs. â€Å"Yes,† she whispered as she put his finger inside her.

Tracking an Odd Construction in the Media

Tracking an Odd Construction in the Media Tracking an Odd Construction in the Media Tracking an Odd Construction in the Media By Maeve Maddox The following usage struck me as odd when I read it in the roundup column that appears on the front page of my daily paper: Rumsfeld says that George W. Bush was wrong to try to create democracy onto Iraq. I assumed that â€Å"create democracy onto Iraq† was simply an unfortunate stylistic lapse on the part of a local harried reporter. It can’t be easy to fit an entire news item into one coherent sentence of fewer than 50 words, especially under a tight deadline. But then I did a Google search of â€Å"create democracy onto† and traced the phrase to the article in which it originated: Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, one of the staunchest defenders of the Iraq war, said in an interview with the  Times  of London that his boss, former President George W. Bush, was wrong to try to create  democracy onto Iraq.- David Knowles, Bloomberg One might attempt to create a democracy in Iraq or even for Iraq, but â€Å"to create a democracy onto Iraq† is not idiomatic English. To rule out the possibility that Rumsfeld was responsible for the odd wording, I tracked down his original comment in the Times: The idea that we could fashion a democracy in Iraq seemed to me unrealistic. Rumsfeld was not the culprit. The word that he did use, fashion (â€Å"to give shape to†) is an appropriate choice in the context of altering an existing system. Create is from Latin creare, â€Å"to procreate or to give birth.† One meaning of the verb create is â€Å"to bring into being, to cause to exist,† especially with the sense of â€Å"to produce something where nothing was before.† Some synonyms for create in the sense of produce or make: generate fabricate fashion build construct design devise originate frame develop shape form forge Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Use â€Å"That,† â€Å"Which,† and â€Å"Who†The Writing ProcessOne Scissor?

The Etymology (and Punctuation) of Fathers Day

The Etymology (and Punctuation) of Fathers Day The Etymology (and Punctuation) of Father’s Day Happy Fathers Day! And what better way to celebrate than with a little etymology? A slap-up meal followed by a nap in the sunshine, you say? There’ll be time for that later! For now, let’s look at where the word â€Å"father† comes from and why we use an apostrophe in â€Å"Fathers Day.† The Etymology of Father Our modern word â€Å"father† comes from the Old English fà ¦der, which meant â€Å"he who begets a child.† This is close to several words for fathers in other languages, including Old Norse (fathir), German (Vater), Sanskrit (pitar), and Latin and Greek (both use pater). In fact, the similarities between these words suggest a common source. As such, most experts trace â€Å"father† to a Proto-Indo-European term. And while we cannot know what this was exactly, it may have been something like pÉ™ter-. Fatherhood is tough when your kids look down on you. Pa, Papa, Dad, and More So if â€Å"father† comes from pÉ™ter-, where does this term come from? It may have evolved from the basic noise â€Å"pa,† which we still see in words like â€Å"papa.† The words â€Å"dad† and â€Å"dada† have similar origins in â€Å"da,† and we see these simple sounds in words for fathers all over the world. The main theory for why we see this pattern so much is that â€Å"da,† â€Å"pa,† and â€Å"ta† are some of the first noises babies can make. The same is true of the â€Å"ma† from â€Å"mama,† which becomes â€Å"mom.† As such, when babies start making noises like â€Å"da† and â€Å"pa,† we assume they’re addressing their parents. And over time, this has led to words like â€Å"dad† and â€Å"pa† entering our everyday speech. Fathers Day vs. Fathers Day As a rule, you should always include an apostrophe in Fathers Day. This is the traditional way of writing it, but it also makes sense. After all, you usually focus on your own father on this day. Thus, the â€Å"Father† in Fathers Day is typically one person, even if that person is different for each of us. Writing â€Å"Fathers Day† or â€Å"Fathers Day,† on the other hand, would imply you’re celebrating fathers in general. And while that would be admirable, you’d need a lot of stamps to send a card to every father in the world. All in all, then, you’re probably better off focusing on your own dad for today.

Athletics In MacGregors Sporting Landscape

However, using tactics which corroborate teamwork and competitive factors which in theory will motivate students to strive and increase their participation levels. 1. 0 Introduction This report will provide a detailed analysis of the participation of athletics in Macgregor’s microcosm as the societal norm believe that the status quo is â€Å"uncool†, it is known that the position of Australia’s porting landscape is very weak as there is a lack of participation within Australia as a whole This can be answered by a simple formula created to find the reason why some sports have a lack in participation in mainstream society today, Figueroa’s framework, this formula is divided into Levels listed in the following Cultural, Structural, Institutional, interpersonal and individual levels, nonetheless, it Is concluded that it is up to the individual of whether they decide to participate in Athletics or not. 2. 0 Figueroa’s Framework The social factors that influence an individual’s decision to participate in Athletics may indirectly or directly impact them by shaping their values, attitudes and beliefs. Knowing this the individual may find themselves being subjective to the people and also the certain factors they face in society ranging from cultural differences to peers to themselves. Sociologist, Peter Figueroa, develop a framework that analyses the equity of social resources that can also be implemented into the participation of athletics. . 1 Individual Level It can be argued that when it comes to equity and access issues, the individual level is the most important. This is because, while all levels of Figueroa’s Framework can identify how equity and sporting opportunities are presented to an individual, in the end it is the individual’s choice that will determine his or her access and level of participation in physical education. Kiss, 2012) This level is specific to Macgregor’s sporting landscape as it highlights the lack of participation in students; nonetheless, these decisions about sport and physical activity are ultimately made by the individuals Gen es, values, attitudes and personalities which are specific to each individual. 3. 0 Action plan In Macgregor’s deteriorating athletics program, the lack of participation in the carnivals can link to many reasons why they don’t compete in such events. Study shows that the majority of students would prefer to sit and chat with their friends instead of competing in athletics, however, to allow students to participate, an action plan was developed to; in theory create a more fun and enjoyable carnival thus increasing participation levels, using successful methods utilized in Australian sports such as Cricket, NRL, AFL, etc. The ideologies used within these sports can be integrated within the society of Macgregor’s microcosm shaping the status quo of Macgregor’s Athletics program in a more positive, enjoyable way. . 1 Justification of Action plan Throughout sporting history there are various techniques to strive for in order to have a successful carnival, the majority of successful sports share many similar techniques to better improve the participation of athletes in Australia such as making it more interactive for the audience thus improving their participation rates; for example, in tennis they implement a board that measures the speed of the serve for each game as well as the Olympics which show the world record for each event. nowing this; a supposed board that lists all the records of each event is shown publically pre-athletics carnival and during for students to observe and in theory become more motivated and strive to train and compete in the events believing they are able to break that record thus improving participation rates. Secondly, the appearance of famous sporting athletes have known to improve the participation of sports for example, NBA players frequently appear in many occasions of street basketball games as it obviously creates publicity, however, also improves the participation due to the fact that this allows the ‘average basketball fanatic’ who normally would watch their idol from the comfort of their own television, but in fact they are able to play side by side with their idol increasing their moral and motivation to play. This can also be implemented in the athletics carnival by having the famous athlete participate and motivate the students to join in and also create a slight sense of competition. Finally, it is a fact that Australians love to play team based sports as listed, AFL, Cricket, Football, NRL, Soccer, Basketball, Rugby League are in the top 10 Australian sports; this is 7 of the 10 sports that are shown. With this in mind, Students would be required to form groups of 3 and compete in the athletics carnival, with a twist; each event would hold a certain amount of points varying on the position the student places, 10points for 1st, 7points for 2nd, 5point for 3rd and participation will be worth 2 points. The team that scores the highest points will be rewarded with a prize, such as vouchers, etc. 4. 2 Links to survey results The action plan created was based on a census of the whole school to observe whether they would participate in athletics and their reasons to not. To justify the particular choices created in the action plan by showing the statistics which have guided the development as the spikes in the statistics assist in improving the participation by surveying the trend. The reason a record chart was implemented as it adds a competitive flair and students receive social rewards within the athletics carnival as 19% of students feel that there is no reward for students if they win the events, this will help students strive for the record instead of just trying to win. A massive 27% of students feel that they are not good enough for the athletics carnival and believe there is no point to participate and simply just socialize with their peers, with the appearance of a famous athlete; students would be motivated to part take in the events as the special guest can provide moral support and advice to improve their technique, etc. during the carnival as they can join in with the students. By creating team based events the 80% of students that prefer team sports are able to participate and at the same time fill the social void according to the 25% as they strive to motivate fellow teammates and allow each other perform better overall, also considering the 66% that would participate in the carnival if their peers were to join in. (Buckley, et al, 2013) 4. Links to research material including the individual level of the framework The research gathered of Figueroa’s framework on the individual level, it is realised that students values and beliefs are to strive for competition and rewards, as these factors have been fulfilled it will allow students to participate in a more enjoyable way, due to the fact that an individual’s values and beliefs reflect directly upon their parents, siblings and peers, however, it is proven that the individual learns to behave through the experience they have accumulated from mainly their peers, also the fact that students view the sports society in a ‘boring’ manner, they often assume they cannot socialise with their peers which majorly affect their participation rates. 5. 0 Conclusion

Discussion Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Discussion Questions - Assignment Example This is the reason why you find that almost every business has to utilize the services of marketing professionals in one way or another. It is a known fact that the success of any business is directly related with the impact made by its marketers, and this includes analyses of consumers and markets, to the real adverts and sale of products. Successful businesses which are industry leaders in their own right have been found to have all of them dynamic and successful marketing teams. Another reason for studying marketing is that it aids transactions to take place. Products as we know, do not sell themselves. This means that good marketing informs and educates consumers so as to enable them look for the products they require, make better decisions about the same and get the most value out of these products. In so doing, marketing assists in exchanges between sellers and buyers, creating mutual benefit for both parties. Thus apart from basically understanding the role of marketing, in business, there is more to it such as the tremendous impact it has on society. Delivering of value is another very important reason for studying marketing. Marketing does not only deliver value to the customers, but also translates this value into the value of the organization as it creates a customer base that is reliable and leads to an increase in a firm’s sales leading to more profitability. Thus marketing delivers value to both the firm and the customer. 2. Management in marketing involves formulation of an organizational marketing strategy. Thus together with the support of the marketing and sales team, a marketing professional can estimate product demand and identify markets for the firm’s services and products. Thus management in marketing as a discipline involves practical application of techniques of marketing together with the management of an organization’s activities and resources. Management in marketing therefore involves influencing the

Trial book-Advocacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Trial book-Advocacy - Essay Example It commenced on January 23, 2012 and lasted for nine days and closed on February 2, 2012. I witnessed the proceedings from the public gallery and therefore, would comment on the trial as a neutral observer. The hearing on sentencing took place on March 8, 2012 at which I was present.1 In order to protect the right to confidentiality of those involved in the proceedings, their names had been changed. I also had a brief chance to examine the court documents, which were provided to me by the prosecution counsel during the trial. During the trial I had taken some notes which were used for this Trial Book and had also integrated some of my ideas in it to provide it a proper structure and form. The art of storytelling is fundamental to evocative and effective communication to attain the objectives of understanding. An attorney has two chances to communicate to the fact-finder during a trial, through opening and closing arguments. The more persuasive the counsel is in telling the story, the more chances are that the fact-finder will rule in favour of the argument of the advocate.   When advocates use good story telling techniques they will be able to draw the Jury’s attention and make them understand their points clearly. This note highlights three basic storytelling techniques that a practitioner can employ to create his narration of the case, either in opening or closing, more believable. Tell the story or fact of the case in the present tense form, speak in obvious, active English and connect the listener to the course of events. This trial book will look at the daily proceedings in the court and how every process is handled by the concerned, particularly the prosecution and defence counsels. It will also look into detail how each of the counsel has used language and other advocacy techniques and methods in arguing their cases and the impact it had on the case from an overall point of view. Jurors in criminal trials can ask questions, which provide them th e chance to be interactive in a trial. It is also considered as a valuable instrument to get essential clarification of facts and to fill gaps in information, so as to bring out every relevant factors of the case. The jury continually asks questions to confirm information regarding various factors of the case. On the other hand, in some cases, it is seen that jurors do not understand certain aspects of a case, which may lead them to disregard certain information. Advocates must cooperate with other counsels for the timely preparation of a trial proceeding brief of documents in order to assist the management of documentary proof at trial by the court, witness and counsel. Advocate also must be conversant regarding the provisions of the law, their impact on the offence etc. In addition, they should thoroughly prepare for the case with every relevant background details and information. This trial book intends to delineate all these aspects and to illustrate how trial are conducted in c ourts, the procedures and also how effective use of language and rhetoric can make a difference in juror’s decisions and winning a case. Facts of the Case: On July 27, 2011 three defendants are charged with conspiracy to supply a large quantity of cocaine drugs Class A under the law Section 1(1) 1977 in North West London.2 Three people HH, AR, SW were the mainly

Traumatic Gun shot wounds from 7.62mm and effect on lower limbs Essay

Traumatic Gun shot wounds from 7.62mm and effect on lower limbs - Essay Example It is then imperative that modalities in medicine be upgraded to combat man’s health opponents. Researches and studies in science have been very useful and relevant in conquering the battle against illnesses which commends the utilization of a wide range of treatment modalities from simple techniques to intricate equipments. Accidents or illnesses involving blood loss may lead to hemorrhagic shock which is life threatening. Although our body has its own mechanics in counteracting instability, a profound and in many cases, chronic illnesses may lead to exhaustion of the body’s system thus failing its purpose in maintaining equilibrium. Wound repair is the attempt of the tissues that are damaged to return to their normal activity and architectural and mechanical integrity after the damage. More often than not perfect restoration of fluid loss, prevention of infection, reinstating previously normal flow of blood and the lymphatic system is not achieved due to the necessi ty and rush to go back to and perform its function especially if the injury is severe and diffuse. Regeneration on the other hand refers to flawless restoration of the previous tissue structure without formation of a scar. While regeneration is the aim of wound healing, it only happens during embryonic growth and development and in lower forms of organisms. A fundamental concept in wound healing in humans is that all injured tissues pass with in the similar sequence of processes which are assigned into definite phases. Yet, these activities in each stage may coincide within the same time in a single wound. Every wound assumes the fundamental phase of wound repair. Acute wounds undergo the organized and well-timed process of repairing in order to attain long lasting structural and functional restoration of the tissue. Meanwhile, chronic wounds do not undergo to re-establishment of its functional integrity rather restoration is delayed in the inflammatory phase due to several causes a nd do not advance to the last phase (Townsend, et al., 2007). Hemostasis is defined as blood loss from a damaged blood vessel. In the setting of a severely injured or ruptured vessel the process of hemostasis can be accomplished by various methods: constriction of the vessels affected, organization of platelets to form a plug, creation of a blood clot with the virtue of blood coagulation, and eventually, production of fibrous tissue within the to permanently seal the gap in the blood vessel (Guyton & Hall, 2006). Each of the mechanics of hemostasis act in sequence but are also interconnected so as to promote multiple reinforcement to the area of impairment. Instantly after a trauma to a vessel, the injury to the wall of the blood vessel results to contraction of the wall which is in turn caused by reflexes, local spasms, and local platelet factors especially the thromboxane A2 which is a potent vasoconstrictor. In effect, the blood flow from this vessel is decreased. The contraction can last from a few several minutes to few hours in which the next step of forming a platelet plug can be initiated. If the injury to the vessel is very minute, the cut is usually blocked by a platelet plug instead of a blood clot. These little cuts in the blood vessels happen daily. The next hemostatic mechanism is the formation of the blood clot which starts to form within the first 15 to 20 seconds after the trauma, if the injury to th

An Indefensible Punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

An Indefensible Punishment - Essay Example The above-mentioned article has been primarily based on for the study. Death Penalty: An Indefensible form of Punishment: According to the opinions of different theorists in the past, the death penalty could in earlier times be considered as a significant measure that could prevent crimes from taking place within a society. This is primarily because individuals committing dreadful crimes like murder, rape, homicides, or any other form of the act that is against the rule of law or justice if punished with the death penalty could act as an intimidation for other individuals who might have plans to take any such measure. However, over time people have realized that the punishment of death is a harsh and cruel form of penalty and that to live is the right of every individual (An Indefensible Punishment). It can be understood that a person who murders another person or attempts similar crimes need to be punished. The need for the punishment can be realized, since, if the criminal is allow ed to let go then he might repeat his activity again. However, all of these might not make it necessary for an individual to get a punishment of death. Several causes and reasons might be considered in this context that would reject the death penalty as a correct form of punishment. As a most important factor, it may be discussed here that often it is the case that a judgment is wrongly conducted against an innocent person (An Indefensible Punishment). This is possible owing to several wrong witnesses at times getting wrong support. In such situations, an innocent person may be suffered and given the penalty of death, which would then be a highly wrong measure to have been against the individual. Also, many times biases for or against certain individuals may impact the judgment and lead to the death penalty without having a proper assessment of the crime that has taken place in actual (An Indefensible Punishment). Capital punishment can be understood to be a very harsh method of tre ating an individual that also reflects the outrageous feeling of the world as a whole. When an individual kills another individual, his activity is considered as a crime. It can then be realized that when the society decides to punish the murderer by that same measure the society also is committing the same crime. In cases where crimes are committed by small children, there is a need to realize that these small children cannot intend to do the same; rather some kind of mental disorder or psychological issues could compel the small children or young people to attempt such harsh crimes (Textbook_death_penalty, 232). Thus it can be understood that the need to understand the real cause of a person attempting a crime is also necessary, ignoring which a wrong judgment might take the lives of the innocent or an ill person. Several different forms of death penalty like hanging, lethal injection and others are now prevalent that reflect the ruthless measures that society is prepared with to give the criminals penalty with.

Terrorism and Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Terrorism and Human Rights - Essay Example As contemporary issue for the purpose of this foreign policy brief, terrorism refers "to any violent act directed against noncombatants and carried out by an organized group rationalizing such behavior with political and religious arguments."(Davidson, 20 April 2009) Terrorism is the issue on every one's mind these days. It is global disorder that we have been fighting, and probably will be fighting for many years to come. What is terrorism The word refers different things to different people at different times and the same is very evident. "Violent activity at one point in time may be called terrorism, while the same action may be deemed war, liberation, or crime at another time in history." (Chossudovsky, 24 April 2009) The most accepted definition of terrorism is the illegitimate use of force on innocent people to achieve political objective. National groups or clandestine agents usually intended to influence an audience." These inflictions cannot be performed directly by any government, but they can be funded by government. If these actions were inflicted directly by government, this is known as terror, not terrorism. However, with these definitions you can see how difficult it is to define terrorism. Terrorism has been around long time and often appears in poor second and third world countries. Since terrorism has affected the world so hard recently, the United States and other countries are trying to find way to end or limit terrorism as much as possible. However, the best way to solve terrorism is to learn the causes of it and then to come up with reasonable method to solve it. Tony Blair's reaction after 7 July 2005 When the terrorist struck in London year ago, Prime Minister Tony Blair had been on an emotional roller-coaster. "From the elation of winning the 2012 Olympic bid for London he flew home from Singapore to chair the G8 summit at Glen eagles in Scotland, only to be woken from few hours sleep to the grim reality of the first suicide attack on Britain." (Tony Blair, 20 April 2009). 'This is very sad day for the British people, but we will hold true to our British way of life,' said Blair, breaking off from the G8 proceedings to chair the government's emergency meetings in London. Opinion polls have consistently shown that, even though his government has been buffeted by many a scandal and internal squabbling, many Britons feel secure with Blair's 'sure touch' on terrorism. "Unlike US President George W Bush, who initially hesitated to return to Washington after the attacks, and Spanish leader Jos Maria Aznar, who by blaming the separatist movement ETA turned the 2004 Madrid bombings into an instant political football, Blair showed leadership in crisis, analysts believe." (Tony Blair, 24 April 2009). 'His initial response showed that he was very much in touch with the British public,' said Frederick Fors, Swedish author of the study Bombings in London: Terrorism and institutionalized crisis management. Fors, from Crisis mart, the National Center for Crisis Management Research and Training of the Swedish National Defense College in Stockholm, believes that Britain's long experience with Irish Republican Army (IRA) terrorism, and Blair's conviction that Britain would become target after 9/11, helped prevent an 'overreaction' to July 7. 'Given the scale of events in London, it might have

Walmart joint venture with Big C Thailand Essay

Walmart joint venture with Big C Thailand - Essay Example These evidences are gathered with the help of strategic tools such as PESTLE analysis of Thailand which would be helpful in providing an inside into the fundamental human resources requirement and the potential candidates from within Thailand to fill the new job places. The human resource practices of Wal-Mart will also be evaluated with respect to the impact of the business environment on the global horizon. To support the evidences presented in the report, the author will provide theoretical background pertaining to international human resource management and see if Wal-Mart’s human resource function are in accordance with the international standards or are there any changes required in the strategic human resource management of the retail giant. The author would conclude this report by demonstrating the skill set and personality traits. These traits are required to achieve organizational goals and objectives successfully. It is possible with the help of strengthening the re lationship with the colleagues. International Human Resource Strategy Overview of Thai Retail Sector The net worth of Thai retail sector stands at Baht 1.4 trillion as of 2011 and is considered an important pillar of country’s economy. The sector reported a sector growth of 5% by the end of 2011 with the Retail Sale Index of 186.5 for the same period. Due to the economic reforms introduced by the government in post-political crisis scenario has helped the sector gain strength, the major contributor being the export sector within the retail industry (Thailand Retail, Food & Hospitality Services, 2011). PESTEL Analysis of Thailand Political Environment After the political crisis stretching from 2008 to 2011, Thailand is on the road to recovery and brings stability in its infrastructure to invite tourists to the country, which has always remained the focal industry of Thailand, and open new doors for business. The positive political outlook and the development of infrastructure along with the security provided to the individuals (Henry, 2008), Thailand is considered as shoppers’ heaven and both nationals and foreigners spend enormous amounts on the purchase of items available at retail stores. Economic Environment Majority of Thailand’s economy depends upon the gross domestic product of the manufacturing sector which accounts for about two third of Thailand’s exports. Whereas, exports are the area which generates most of revenue for Thailand’s government and the country is considered as one of the biggest exporters of manufactured goods in the world. The reforms introduced by the New Government in Thailand have helped the economy to stabilize. Since coming out of the recent political disturbance, Thailand has invested $ 57 billion on the development of infrastructure for local and international businesses (Naranlala School of Industrial Management and Computer Science, 2013; Trueba, Esteban, 2011). Society/Culture of Thailand Ye ars of political and economic crisis within the country had produced the urge to achieve national goals and objectives amongst the Thai society. For this reason, Thai businessmen and working class is considered as hard workers so that they can achieve what they want. Merit regarded as being essential for qualifying for fields in the life. Huge number of foreigners, some of them residing within the country and the majority of them coming into Thailand as tourists, has

Terrorism and Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Terrorism and Human Rights - Essay Example As contemporary issue for the purpose of this foreign policy brief, terrorism refers "to any violent act directed against noncombatants and carried out by an organized group rationalizing such behavior with political and religious arguments."(Davidson, 20 April 2009) Terrorism is the issue on every one's mind these days. It is global disorder that we have been fighting, and probably will be fighting for many years to come. What is terrorism The word refers different things to different people at different times and the same is very evident. "Violent activity at one point in time may be called terrorism, while the same action may be deemed war, liberation, or crime at another time in history." (Chossudovsky, 24 April 2009) The most accepted definition of terrorism is the illegitimate use of force on innocent people to achieve political objective. National groups or clandestine agents usually intended to influence an audience." These inflictions cannot be performed directly by any government, but they can be funded by government. If these actions were inflicted directly by government, this is known as terror, not terrorism. However, with these definitions you can see how difficult it is to define terrorism. Terrorism has been around long time and often appears in poor second and third world countries. Since terrorism has affected the world so hard recently, the United States and other countries are trying to find way to end or limit terrorism as much as possible. However, the best way to solve terrorism is to learn the causes of it and then to come up with reasonable method to solve it. Tony Blair's reaction after 7 July 2005 When the terrorist struck in London year ago, Prime Minister Tony Blair had been on an emotional roller-coaster. "From the elation of winning the 2012 Olympic bid for London he flew home from Singapore to chair the G8 summit at Glen eagles in Scotland, only to be woken from few hours sleep to the grim reality of the first suicide attack on Britain." (Tony Blair, 20 April 2009). 'This is very sad day for the British people, but we will hold true to our British way of life,' said Blair, breaking off from the G8 proceedings to chair the government's emergency meetings in London. Opinion polls have consistently shown that, even though his government has been buffeted by many a scandal and internal squabbling, many Britons feel secure with Blair's 'sure touch' on terrorism. "Unlike US President George W Bush, who initially hesitated to return to Washington after the attacks, and Spanish leader Jos Maria Aznar, who by blaming the separatist movement ETA turned the 2004 Madrid bombings into an instant political football, Blair showed leadership in crisis, analysts believe." (Tony Blair, 24 April 2009). 'His initial response showed that he was very much in touch with the British public,' said Frederick Fors, Swedish author of the study Bombings in London: Terrorism and institutionalized crisis management. Fors, from Crisis mart, the National Center for Crisis Management Research and Training of the Swedish National Defense College in Stockholm, believes that Britain's long experience with Irish Republican Army (IRA) terrorism, and Blair's conviction that Britain would become target after 9/11, helped prevent an 'overreaction' to July 7. 'Given the scale of events in London, it might have

The Power of Words Essay Example for Free

The Power of Words Essay The Power of Words. Patrie Rothfuss once said â€Å"Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As the names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the mind of men. Words can bring tears from the hardest hearts. † Life of Pi directed by Ang Lee, highly inspired and affectionate movie. Life of Pi is a three part story of Piscine Patel, a sixteen- year- old South Indian boy who survives out at sea with a Bengal tiger for 227 days and then tells this story of a young writer who came to Pisine for inspiration. The movie conveys many interesting themes, but one that is very influential is the power of words. The theme power of words as well is the main focus of the story â€Å"Two words† written by Isabel Allende in 1989. â€Å"Two Words† follows the story of a female character that grows up as an orphan with no one to support her. She eventually learns the impact that words and reading can have, particularly among a society that is largely illiterate. She ends up making money by writing letters for other people. Words have high and influential power that can affect people’s identity, fate, and meaning or purpose of their lives. Two media pieces the movie Life of Pi and story â€Å"Two words† conveys a lot about the power of words and how they are influencing people. Identity is the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity; it is a set of personal morals, beliefs, and characteristics which depict overall person identity. In Life of Pi words play a crucial role in shaping main characters identity. At the beginning of the movie, Pi initially named as Pisine Molitor Patel, but everyone at school makes fun of him and called him â€Å"pissing†. This causes Pi to take a stand and change his identity, change his name to Pi. During the course of Pis life the influence of words contours his individuality as well. His father states how can he find a way, if he cannot find a path (Life of Pi 2012). This conveys strict expectations that father have of his son. So Pi will try to change his identity and personal morals to meet the expectations that his father have of him. The power of words in shaping identity is a huge theme in the short story â€Å"Two Words† as well. Due to a fact that the main character Belisa Crepusculario has been born into a poor family â€Å"so poor that they did not even have names to call their children† (Allende 2). Without a name, a persons identity can remain unknown. Then, as her character develops she decides to give herself a name Belisa Crepusculario and when this event happened, she started shaping her identity from the state of poor and tentative to a strong and confident individual. Words act as helping hand in transforming Belisa’s character from weak little girl to a strong liberal woman, consistently shaping her identity. Identity is a huge theme that has been conveyed in the movie Life of Pi and the story Two Words. Joseph Campbell once stated â€Å"Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life†. Meaning of life has been discussed in the movie Life of Pi and short story â€Å"Two Words†. During the course main character’s life, the meaning of Pi’s life is changing throughout. At one point it is to live a happy and quiet life in India and at the other point, it is to get through all of the obstacles that happened so rapidly in his life. The influence of words contours Pi’s life. At some point Pi stated â€Å"It is true that those we meet can change us, by the actions they take or the words they say sometimes so profoundly that we are not the same afterwards, even into our names† (Life of Pi 2012). The fact that Pi said that shows how the influence of other individuals and the actions they perform are the words they say changed his life and as the result changed the meaning of his life. In the short story â€Å"Two Words† similar situation is happening, person’s meaning of life is changing throughout the story. One of the main characters Colonel wanted to become a president and he needed Belisa’s help in writing the speech for him. Belisa did very well in her job and wrote a speech for him and as well gave him two secret words that only Colonel and she knew. At some point in the story the meaning of Colonel life was to become a president, but then it slowly start changing. He was repeating his secret words, as he did more and more obsessed. He told them when he was mellow with nostalgia; he murmured them in his sleep; he carried them with him on horseback; he thought them before delivering his famous speech; and he caught himself savoring them in his leisure time. And every time he thought of those two words, he thought of Belisa Crepusculario, and his senses were inflamed with the memory of her feral scent, her fiery heat, the whisper of her hair, and her sweet mint breath in his ear, until he began to  go around like a sleepwalker, and his men realized that he might die before he ever sat in the presidential chair (Allende 4). These two words changed Colonel meaning of life from the point in which he wanted to become a president to the point where he become obsessed with two words the Belisa told to him, and he just wanted to see her. Meaning of life is a huge theme that is being conveyed through both movie Life of Pi and short story â€Å"Two words†, this two media piece brings a new perspective to the meaning of life. â€Å" Fate and self-help share equally in shaping our destiny† – Winston Churchill. Words play a crucial role in changing the persons fate or destiny in the story â€Å"Two Words† and the movie Life of Pi. â€Å"Other than becoming a prostitute or a servant in a rich man’s kitchen, there were few jobs that she can do†(Allende 2). The main character in â€Å"Two Words† Belisa Crepusculario had very few opportunities in life, and all of them were not attractive, but she stands and take action to change her destiny. She becomes very liberal, strong and confident person, â€Å"she had no need to call out her wares, because with so much walking here and there everybody knew her† (Allende 1). Therefore Belisa changed her fate and what she was meant to be, all of this is because of her occupation which consisted of selling words, and as she believed words have high and influential power on everything in life. This shows how power of words can change persons fate and what an individual is meant to be. The power of words in changing the destiny conveyed a lot in the movie Life of Pi. Similar to Belisa’s character, Pi experimenting trauma in his life, almost bringing him to solitude. At the point in life where Pis life was at one of its worst points, he states â€Å"Words are all I left to hold on to† (Life of Pi 2012). During the darkest times Pi has been writing a diary, which bring him hope and motive back to life. In addition Pi’s fathers words â€Å"how he can find a way if he cannot find a path† (Life of Pi 2012), reside in his mind as a constant reminder of the expectations that his father have of him. Therefore these words change Pi’s life and fate. Pi at one point stated â€Å"you must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it† (Life of Pi 2012). This shows the Pi’s view and thoughts about the life and destiny, and how his own ideas and his fathers words affected his life. Fate is very complicated and unpredictable, but an individual can stand and take an action to change his destiny, change his life. Inspirational movie, Life of Pi directed by Ang Lee. Life of Pi is a story of Piscine Patel, a sixteen-year-old Indian boy who survives out at sea with a Bengal tiger for 227 days and afterwards tells his story of a writer who came to Pisine for muse. The movie conveys many exceptional themes, but one that have high impact is the power of words. The theme power of words is conveyed in the story â€Å"Two Words†. â€Å"Two Words† written by Isabel Allende in 1989, the story of a female character that grown up as a poor person with no one to support her in life. She eventually learns the impact that words and reading can have on people, particularly among a society that is largely not educated and illeterate. She ends up making money by writing letters for other people. Words have high and influential power that can affect people’s identity, fate, and meaning or purpose of their lives. Two media pieces the movie Life of Pi and story â€Å"Two words† conveys a lot about the power of words and how they are influencing people throughout their lives.