Nightmare Cover Art Essay

Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. The band was formed in 1999. Presently, they consist of Matt Shadows(Vocalist), Johnny Christ(Bassist), Zacky Vengeance(Rhythm Guitarist) and Synyster Gates(Lead guitarist). Matt Sanders(M. Shadows); the lead singer of the band is one of the original founding members. He came up with the band name on being inspired by the fourth chapter in the Book of Genesis. It involves God asking Cain where his brother, Abel was. Cain answered that he didn’t know, when in fact, he had killed Abel. â€Å"†¦ whoever kills you will suffer seven times the vengeance.† (Genesis 4:15, International Standard Version). Jonathan Seward(Johnny Christ) is the fourth bassist, and joined the band while he was still in High School in the year 2003. He is the youngest and shortest in the band. Zack Baker(Zacky Vengeance) is the band’s left-handed rhythm guitarist and backup vocalist. Zacky was a self-taught guitarist and would play his dad’s right-handed guitar upside-down by watching his favourite bands play and other people he knew that played, and practised as much as he could. Brian Haner Jr.(Synyster Gates) plays the lead guitar, and does backup vocals for the band. His father is Brian Haner. He also plays in some Avenged Sevenfold tracks. He mostly plays acoustic guitar solos that duel back and forth with Synyster’s electric guitar and also helped his son write â€Å"So Far Away†, a track on the band’s latest album that Brian had finished writing in memory of his late best friend and band-mate, Jimmy â€Å"The Rev† Sullivan. The Rev was known to the world as one of the greatest drummers of all time. He passed away on 28th December 2009, due to an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. Avenged Sevenfold kicked off with a metalcore sound on their first album ‘Sounding the Seventh Trumpet’, which included a lot of screaming vocals and heavy-metal guitar riffs. They then changed their style on their third release, ‘City of Evil’, which featured more of a mainstream hard rock style. They have still retained their heavy metal feel by using blazing guitar solos and blistering double-bass drumming patterns, while keeping their musical aggression at a minimum level compared to their earlier work which makes their music all the more appealing to the larger crowd. â€Å"The Rev ‘Seized the Day’ to conquer the ‘City of Evil’ in ‘Bat Country’, and forced the ‘Beast and the Harlot’ to ‘Scream’ their ‘Unholy Confessions’. He left them ‘Trashed and Scattered’ and ‘Blinded In Chains’ with the ‘Strength of the World’. He found it ‘Almost Easy’ and became a ‘Sidewinder’ and slithered to ‘A Little Piece of Heaven’ in his ‘Afterlife’, now he is ‘M.I.A.’ and his ‘Nightmare’ has come to pass. RIP Jimmy â€Å"The Rev† Sullivan, you’re gone but NEVER forgotten!† Sevenfold, A. (n.d.). Quote by Avenged Sevenfold. Retrieved December 10th, 2012 from http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/308559-the-rev-seized-the-day-to-conquer-the-city-of This meaningful quote is a tribute to the late legend and also uses quite a few of Avenged Sevenfold’s track names as characteristics of the quote to convey a very important message about The Rev’s personality. Avenged Sevenfold has released five studio albums, fifteen singles, and one live album/compilation. The album artwork of their latest album ‘Nightmare’ deeply reflects on the music and the band’s life without their beloved friend, The Rev. The musicality has advanced since their emergence and this is their most technically advance album yet. At first glance, it’s no doubt that the band is Avenged Sevenfold. Not just because of the text stating the obvious, but because of their signature symbol that they have made known all over the world as the â€Å"Deathbat†. It was originally designed by their high school friend named Micah Montague. The Deathbat is the key element in almost any Avenged Sevenfold image or poster and has also appeared on every album cover, many of which were done by Cameron Rackam, a close acquaintance of the band. Another key element in this album’s artwork is the noticeable highlighting of the alphabets ‘REV’ in the word ‘Forever’ on the tombstone. There is a pretty deep connection through whic h emotions play a major role as to how the overall message is being conveyed, which in this case is the fact that The Rev; who was by no doubt a great person and who was loved by the whole world; has moved on into his afterlife and that his memories will be treasured in everyone’s hearts and minds ‘foREVer’. With regard to color theory, it’s safe to say that Nightmare’s album art is analogous in nature. Ranging from the green(dark; leaves) end to the blue end of the color spectrum wheel. In terms of temperature, this artwork has been designed to incline more towards the cooler half of the spectrum as it can be easily inferred because of its blue sky, especially at the point where the smoke is lighter in colour, in turn providing a chilled and cold effect. The girl’s pale skin is also a sign of fear which is a marvellous combination of taking the word ‘cold’ both, literally as well as metaphorically. The fonts used are pretty spooky too. The frequent uneven thickness in certain parts of different letters in ‘Avenged Sevenfold’ makes it the most noticeable component of the art. Also, as it is white in colour, it stands out from the rest of the contrasting colours. The red ‘Nightmare’ is the only warm colour used in the entire cover. It must be so because the artist was trying to convey feelings of passion and love towards their late friend. But also since the font has more edgy feel to it, it could have slight traces of anger and anxiety too. The deathbat here is no longer just a floating skull with small wings. The symbolism used here shows that the band has grown in maturity as well as musically; hence the large deathbat with a cloak covering its presently unknown body. The album is titled ‘Nightmare’ as it is a dark word that sends shivers down one’s spine. They’ve used a good combination of the cold environment in the picture along with the hot portrayal of the album-name(red in colour). It is called so because on the day they completed writing the record’s lyrics, The Rev admitted that he was totally excited and eager to record this album. But sadly, he passed away three days after that. This came as a shock to everyone and was a nightmare to the band. Hence they dedicated this album to him. Every time I look at the cover while listening to any of this album’s songs, it feels as though a story is being told. Every song is a reminder of The Rev and that was another reason why this album topped the billboard charts, standing at #1 in the first week itself. This album really connected to all Avenged Sevenfold fans.

Neoliberalism in Latin America Essay

From the 1930s until the 1980s state intervention and protection were key components of most Latin American economies. In these years many Latin American countries were used an Import-substitution industrialization based economy trying to reduce dependence on foreign imports and replacing them with domestic production. Due to the use of an Import-substitution industrialization based economy Latin American countries were forced to keep high tariffs to protect the private companies of their countries. This combined with many Latin America countries providing numerous government subsidized programs eventually led to the 1982 debt crisis. This debt crisis created a vacuum affect in Latin America with many of the countries taking on a new neoliberal economic model, and by the early 1990s John Charles Chasteen claims that almost every Latin American country was led by a president that was pro neoliberalism. This neoliberal economic model called for the slashing of tariffs as well as the reduction of removal of all nationalist-inspired subsides. Also following the neoliberal model, Latin American countries stopped the printing of money to slow inflation effectively undermining the functionality of their local markets. All of this was done so that a completely â€Å"free market† could be created. It was believed that this free market would not only help improve the economies of Latin American countries, but also create more personal freedoms for the people of Latin America. In the article â€Å"Neoliberalism, Neoclassicism and Economic Welfare†, John T. Harvey claims the complete opposite, arguing although a neoliberal economic model was created to produce conditions conducive to social provisioning or democratic problem solving, the exact opposite has occurred. Harvery states in his article, â€Å"Instead of growth, stability, and the narrowing of income gaps, we have seen stagnation, volatility, and increased inequality. † By researching neoliberalism a clear picture can be drawn. Neoliberalism created class stratification with the upper and middle class greatly benefiting from the new policies sanctioned by neoliberalism, while the poor continued to become more impoverished and unable to provide for themselves. Many historians argue that the neoliberal economic model was most beneficial for the small wealthy upper-class of Latin America as well as many upper-class business owners from other countries. The existence of a â€Å"free market† due to neoliberalism in Latin America created many opportunities for upper-class citizens to continue to become considerably wealthier. The upper-class benefit from neoliberalism in many ways but the two largest benefits come from the privatization of government subsidized programs and the lowering of tariffs. Not only did both of these policies line the pockets of the upper-class of Latin America but foreign investors as well. In order to balance their federal budget many Latin American governments privatized their government subsidized programs as well as cut federal jobs. First, the privatization of federal jobs allowed many upper-class citizens to take over these businesses and use them in their benefit to create capital. Former government projects such as constructing roads and government buildings were now being completed by companies that were owned by the upper-class. Prior to neoliberalism these jobs were paid out of the federal budget and were used as a way to lower unemployment by hiring more workers than were really needed. Now that private companies were doing the work efficiency was the most important thing leading to the loss of many jobs for the poor class of Latin America. In the article, â€Å"Neo-Liberalism in Latin America: Limits and Alternatives† Ian Roxborough argues that the immediate beneficiaries of the privatization of government subsidized programs and federal jobs, or what he calls real assets, were foreign investors and people with â€Å"flight cash†. This was because when these programs became privatized upper-class people from other countries as well as Latin America were able to come in and by penny cheap shares of these programs and soon to be private companies. This excrementally helped the upper-class because after they bought this stock at largely discounted prices it quickly grew in value. Clearly, lower classes that did not have extra cash could not benefit from this because they were unable to purchase any of the shares of these newly privatized commodities. This created two problems, not only did real assets of Latin America get lost to upper-class foreign investors, it also created a significantly larger wealth gap between the poor and upper-class because of the large amounts of money the upper-class made from the gains of the stock that they bought at such cheap prices. Another benefit the upper-class of Latin America and other foreign countries gained from neoliberalism was the reduction of tariffs. The reduction of Tariffs allowed foreign companies to come into Latin America and build maquiladoras. This was beneficial for the foreign investors because they could now come into Latin America where working wages were much cheaper and produce their goods at lower prices, which entail created more profit. Lower tariffs were beneficial for Latin American upper-class citizens because as the foreign companies came into Latin America they were able to invest in these companies. The ability to invest in these companies that wouldn’t have come to Latin America with the previous tariffs was just one more way people who already had money in Latin America were able to benefit even more from a neoliberal economic model. Neoliberalism also benefitted the middle class of Latin America. Chasteen argues the middle class benefited from a neoliberal economic model because of the cheap products that were produced due to the maquiladoras in Latin America as well as cheap products that were being imported to Latin America because of the newly reduced tariffs. This was very beneficial for the middle class for two reasons. First, under neoliberalism the middle class society who had money to spend, now had more choices because the large influx of items that were now being imported into Latin America. In his article, â€Å"Magical Neoliberalism†, Alberto Fuguet argues that neoliberalism was what led to amenities like large scale movies from Hollywood and other services, like fast food chains, to come to Latin America. Secondly, neoliberalism was beneficial to the middle class because with a larger selection of goods comes competition. With competition companies foreign and local now had to produce the best quality goods at the lowest price in order to continue to receive business from the middle class. Neoliberalism also benefited the middle class of Latin America because of the advancement in technology that occurred because of the privatization of water resource centers, electrical companies, and telecommunication companies. The privatization of these companies allowed them to modernize as well as make them more reliable. Some argue that neoliberalism was also beneficial for the women of Latin America. In her article â€Å"Love in the Time of Neo-Liberalism: Gender, Work, and Power in a Costa Rican Marriage†, Susan E. Mannon argues neoliberalism allowed women to gain more power and independence then they previously had. Mannon claims that neoliberalism, and the reduced tariffs that come with it, led to the creation of maquiladoras where women could seek employment. Latin American women’s new ability to gain employment in maquiladoras allowed them to earn a wage creating dual-income households. Not only did this give them more power and independence in their individual households, but the ability to buy goods also allowed them to participate in the local economy giving them more power as well. Those who stood to gain the least under a neoliberal economic model were the poor people of Latin America. This is because the privatization of state-run corporations and public service programs made them unaffordable for the poor working class, leaving many homeless and hungry. In the article, â€Å"From Democracy to Development: The Political Economy of Post-Neoliberal Reform in Latin America†, Alfred P. Montero states claims that neoliberalism leads to deepening levels of inequality, a growing percentage of people living below the poverty line, decaying infrastructure, poor access to even low-quality primary education, rising criminality, and inefficient productivity. All of these problems can be linked to privatization of government subsidized programs and the loss of government jobs. With neoliberalism the loss of jobs and government programs made unemployment skyrocket and education too expensive for much of the poor class of Latin America to afford. This lack of education is what many argue led to the problems that Montero claims such as a rise in criminal activity. Also, because neoliberalism privatizes companies that control commodities such as water, telecommunications, and electricity the poor class was unable to afford them, essentially leaving the poor of Latin America in the dark without water or electricity. Neoliberalism also led to the creation of Maquiladora’s which initially created what poor Latin American believed to be desirable jobs. Quickly the poor found out that many of these jobs did not pay a wage that was enough for a person to survive. With the poor pay of maquiladoras also came very poor working conditions that were conducive to creating injury. Omar Gil a former maquiladora worker stated in an interview that his first maquiladora job paid him a dismal forty dollars a week in working conditions that were less than safe. Omar attested that maquiladora workers were injured often because of the intense pressure of Forman’s to produce as much product as possible. Also with neoliberalism came the lack of available occupations. Due to the reduction of tariffs foreign companies were able to bring mass produced goods into Latin American countries at prices cheaper than local inhabitants were able to produce them. This created large scale unemployment and forced Latin American people into the unsafe and low paying maquiladoras. Chasteen argues that for the poor class the inability to produce goods far outweighed the benefits of being able to be a small-time consumer from the dismal wages that were earned in maquiladoras. It is clear that the neoliberal economic model is not beneficial for anyone but the wealthy elites and middle class of Latin American Countries. A neoliberal economic model became fashionably popular in Latin America because the people who were in charge were upper-class citizens and during a down turn in 1982 neoliberalism seemed like a solution due to its approach to better balance the budget of Latin American countries. Unfortunately, either the leadership of these countries assumed wrong, or just didn’t care about the wellbeing of its impoverished people, but clearly a neoliberal economic model does nothing but create a larger wealth gap, create more social stratification, and deplete living conditions for the poor even more. In the article, â€Å"Exploring the Impact of Neoliberal Economic Development on Poverty in Costa Rica: What Went Wrong? †, Paul B Lubliner argues that in order for economic prosperity to complement poverty reduction the state should have more control over the economy not less. I agree and argue by privatizing all state subsidized programs as well as depleting the amount of government jobs to almost zero Latin American countries actually went backwards in their pursuit to shorten the wealth gap as well as social stratification. Abusing your population to closer balance budget is in no way the solution to guarantee countries prosperity in the foreseeable future. Neoliberalism was clearly one sided only benefiting the rich and middle class, disfranchising each countries poor setting them back further then they were before.

Blood Promise Chapter TwentyFour

I’d never seen it coming. Hell, no one had. Avery had made a good show of being an air user. Each Moroi had a very low level of control in each element. She’d just barely done enough with air to make it seem like that was her specialization. No one had questioned her further because honestly, who would have ever expected another spirit user around? And since she was out of school, she had no reason to be tested anymore or forced to demonstrate her ability. No one was there to call her on it. The more I thought about it, the more the little signs were there. The charming personality, the way she could talk people into anything. How many of her interactions were spirit controlled? And was it possible†¦ was it possible that Adrian’s attraction had been compulsion on her part? I had no reason to feel happy about that, but†¦ well, I did. More to the point, what did Avery want with Lissa? Avery compelling Adrian into liking her wasn’t too out there. He was good-looking and came from an important family. He was the queen’s great-nephew, and although family members of the current monarch could never inherit the throne immediately afterward, he’d have a good future, one that would always keep him in the highest circles of society. But Lissa? What was Avery’s game there? What did she have to gain? Lissa’s behavior all made sense now-the uncharacteristic partying, weird moods, jealousy, fights with Christian†¦ Avery was pushing Lissa over the edge, causing her to make horrible choices. Avery was using some sort of compulsion to spin Lissa out of control, alienating her and putting her life in danger. Why? What did Avery want? It didn’t matter. The why wasn’t important. The how was, as in how I was going to get out of here and back to my best friend. I looked down at myself, at the delicate silk dress I wore. Suddenly, I hated it. It was a sign of how I’d been, weak and useless. I hastily took it off and ransacked my closet. They’d taken away my jeans and T-shirt, but I’d at least been allowed to keep my hoodie. I put on the green sweater dress, seeing as it was the sturdiest thing I had, feeling moderately more capable. I slipped the hoodie on over it. It hardly made me feel like a badass warrior, but I did feel more competent. Sufficiently dressed for action, I returned to the living room and started that pacing that tended to help me think better-not that I had any reason to believe I was going to come up with new ideas. I’d been trying to for days and days with no luck. Nothing was going to change. â€Å"Damn it!† I yelled, feeling better with the outburst. Angry, I flounced into the desk chair, amazed that I hadn’t simply thrown it against the wall in my frustration. The chair wobbled, ever so slightly. Frowning, I stood up and looked at it. Everything else in this place was state-of-the-art. Odd that I’d have a faulty chair. I knelt down and examined it more closely. There, on one of the legs, was a crack near where the leg joined with the seat. I stared. All of the furniture here was industrial strength, with no obvious joints. I should know, seeing how long I’d beat this chair against the wall when I first arrived. I hadn’t even dented it. Where had this crack come from? Slamming it over and over had done nothing. But I hadn’t been the only one to hit it. That very first day, I’d fought with Dimitri and come after him with the chair. He’d taken it from me and thrown it against the wall. I’d never paid attention to it again, having given up on breaking it. When I’d later tried cracking the window, I’d used an end table because it was heavier. My strength hadn’t been able to damage the chair-but his had. I picked up the chair and immediately slammed it into that diamond-hard window, half-hoping I might kill two birds with one stone. Nope. Both remained intact. So I did it again. And again. I lost track of how many times I slammed that chair into the glass. My hands hurt, and I knew despite my recovery, I still wasn’t at full strength. It was infuriating. Finally, on what felt like my gazillionth try, I looked at the chair and saw the crack had grown bigger. The progress renewed my will and strength. I hit and hit, ignoring the pain as the wood bit into my hands. At long last, I heard a crack, and the leg broke off. I picked it up and stared in amazement. The break hadn’t been clean. It was splintered and sharp. Sharp enough to be a stake? I wasn’t sure. But I knew for a fact that wood was hard, and if I used enough force, I might be able to hit a Strigoi’s heart. It wouldn’t kill one, but the blow would stun. I didn’t know if it’d be enough to get me out of here, but it was all I had now. And it was a hell of a lot more than I’d had one hour ago. I sat back on the bed, recovering from my battle with the chair and tossing the makeshift stake back and forth. Okay. I had a weapon now. But what could I do with it? Dimitri’s face flashed in my mind’s eye. Damn it. There was no question about it. He was the obvious target, the one I’d have to deal with first. The door suddenly clicked open, and I looked up with alarm. Quickly, I shoved the chair into a dark corner as panic raced through me. No, no. I wasn’t ready. I hadn’t fully convinced myself to stake him. It was Inna. She carried a tray but didn’t wear her usual subservient expression. The brief look she gave me was filled with hate. I didn’t know what she had to be pissed off about. It wasn’t like I’d caused her any damage. Yet. I strode over like I was going to examine the tray. Lifting the lid, I saw a ham sandwich and french fries. It looked good-I hadn’t eaten in a while -but the adrenaline running through me had shoved any appetite I might have to the background. I glanced back up at her, smiling sweetly. She shot me daggers. Don’t hesitate, Dimitri had always said. I didn’t. I jumped at Inna, throwing her so hard against the floor that her head slammed back. She looked dazed, but quickly recovered and tried to fight back. I wasn’t drugged up this time-well, not much-and my years of training and natural strength finally showed themselves again. I pressed my body against her, keeping her firmly in place. Then, I produced the stake I’d had concealed and pressed those sharp points against her neck. It was like being back in the days of pinning Strigoi in alleys. She couldn’t see that my weapon was a chair leg, but the sharp points got her attention as I dug them into her throat. â€Å"The code,† I said. â€Å"What is the code?† Her only response was a string of obscenities in Russian. Okay, not a surprise, considering she probably didn’t understand me. I flipped through the meager Russian-English dictionary in my head. I’d been in the country long enough to pick up some vocabulary. Admittedly, it was equivalent to a two-year-old’s, but even they could communicate. â€Å"Numbers,† I said in Russian. â€Å"Door.† At least, that’s what I hoped I said. She said more impolite things to me, her expression defiant. It really was the Strigoi interrogation all over. My stake bit harder, drawing blood, and I forcibly restrained myself. I might question whether I had the strength to pierce a Strigoi heart with this, but severing a human’s vein? Cake. She faltered a little, apparently realizing the same thing. Again, I attempted my broken Russian. â€Å"Kill you. No Nathan. Never†¦Ã¢â‚¬  What was the word? The church service came back to me, and I hoped I had it right. â€Å"Never eternal life.† It got her attention. Nathan and eternal life. The things most important to her. She bit her lip, still angry, but her tirade had stopped. â€Å"Numbers. Door,† I repeated. I pushed the stake in harder, and she cried out in pain. At last she spoke, rattling off a series of digits. Russian numbers were something I had memorized pretty solidly, at least. They were essential for addresses and phone numbers. She cited seven numbers. â€Å"Again,† I said. I made her say it three times and hoped I had it. But there was more. I was pretty sure the outer door had a different code. â€Å"Numbers. Door. Two.† I felt like a caveman. Inna stared, not quite getting it. â€Å"Door. Two.† Understanding glinted in her eyes, and she looked mad. I think she’d hoped I wouldn’t realize the other door had its own code. More cutting with the stake made her scream seven more numbers. Again, I made her repeat them, realizing I had no way to know if she was telling me the truth at least until I tried the numbers. For that reason, I decided to keep her around. I felt guilty about what I did next, but these were desperate times. In guardian training, I’d been taught both to kill and to incapacitate. I did the latter this time, slamming her head back against the floor and rendering her unconscious. Her expression went slack, her eyelids drooping. Damn. I was reduced to hurting teenage humans. Standing up, I moved to the door and punched in the first set of numbers, hoping I had them right. To my complete and utter astonishment, I did. The electronic lock clicked, but before I could open the door, I just barely made out another click. Someone had unlocked the outer door. â€Å"Shit,† I muttered. I pulled away from the door immediately, picked up Inna’s unconscious body, and hurried to the bathroom. I set her in the tub as gently as possible and had just shut the bathroom door when I heard the main door open. I felt the telltale nausea that signaled a Strigoi was nearby. I knew one of the Strigoi could smell a human, and I hoped shutting her away would be enough to mute Inna’s scent. I emerged from the hall and found Dimitri in the living room. I grinned at him and ran into his arms. â€Å"You’re back,† I said happily. He held me briefly and then stepped back. â€Å"Yes.† He seemed slightly pleased at the greeting, but soon his face was all business. â€Å"Have you made your decision?† No hello. No how are you feeling? My heart sank. This wasn’t Dimitri. â€Å"I have more questions.† I went over to the bed and lay down in a casual way, just like we always did. He followed a few moments later and sat on the edge, looking down at me. â€Å"How long will it take?† I asked. â€Å"When you awaken me? Is it instantaneous?† Once more, I launched into an interrogation session. Honestly, I was running out of questions, and at this point, I didn’t really want to know the intricacies of becoming Strigoi. I was becoming more and more agitated with each passing moment. I had to act. I had to make use of my fleeting opportunity here. And yet†¦ before I could act, I had to reassure myself that this really wasn’t Dimitri. It was stupid. I should know by now. I could see the physical changes. I’d seen his coldness, the brutality. I’d seen him come fresh from a kill. This wasn’t the man I’d loved. And yet†¦ for that one fleeting moment earlier†¦ With a sigh, Dimitri stretched out beside me. â€Å"Rose,† he interrupted, â€Å"if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were stalling for time.† Yeah, even as a Strigoi, Dimitri knew how I thought and schemed. I realized if I was going to be convincing, I had to stop playing dumb and remember to be Rose Hathaway. I put on a look of outrage. â€Å"Of course I am! This is a big deal. I came here to kill you, and now you’re asking me to join you. You think this is easy for me to do?† â€Å"Do you think it’s been easy for me to wait this long?† he asked. â€Å"The only ones who get choices are Moroi who willingly kill, like the Ozeras. No one else gets a choice. I didn’t get a choice.† â€Å"And don’t you regret that?† â€Å"No, not now. Now that I’m who I was meant to be.† He frowned. â€Å"The only thing hurt is my pride-that Nathan forced me and that he acts as though I’m indebted to him. Which is why I’m being kind enough to give you the choice now, for the sake of your pride.† Kind, huh? I looked at him and felt my heart breaking all over again. It was like hearing the news of his death once more. I suddenly grew afraid I might cry. No. No tears. Dimitri always talked about prey and predators. I had to be the predator. â€Å"You’re sweating,† he said suddenly. â€Å"Why?† Damn, damn, damn. Of course I was sweating. I was contemplating staking the man I loved-or thought I’d loved. And along with sweat, I was sure I was giving off pheromones of my agitation. Strigoi could smell all of those things, too. â€Å"Because I’m scared,† I whispered. I propped myself up and stroked the edge of his face, trying to memorize all of his features. The eyes. The hair. The shape of his cheekbones. In my imagination, I overlaid the things I remembered. Dark eyes. Tanned skin. Sweet smile. â€Å"I†¦ I think I’m ready, but it’s†¦ I don’t know. It’s such a big thing.† â€Å"It’ll be the best decision of your life, Roza.† My breathing was growing rapid, and I prayed he’d think it was because of my fear of being turned. â€Å"Tell me again. One more time. Why do you want to awaken me so badly?† A slightly weary look crossed his face. â€Å"Because I want you. I’ve always wanted you.† And that’s when I knew. I finally realized the problem. He’d given that same answer over and over, and each time, something about it had bothered me. I’d never been able to pinpoint it, though. Now I could. He wanted me. Wanted me in the way people wanted possessions or collectibles. The Dimitri I’d known†¦ the one I’d fallen for and slept with†¦ that Dimitri would have said he wanted us to be together because he loved me. There was no love here. I smiled at him. Leaning down, I kissed him gently. He probably thought I was doing it for the reasons I always did, out of attraction and desire. In truth, it was a goodbye kiss. His mouth answered mine, his lips warm and eager. I held out the kiss a little longer, both to fight back the tears leaking out of my eyes and to lull him into an unsuspecting state. My hand closed around the chair leg, which I’d hidden in my hoodie pocket. I would never forget Dimitri, not for the rest of my life. And this time, I wouldn’t forget his lessons. With a speed he wasn’t ready for, I struck out and plunged the stake through his chest. My strength was there-sliding the stake past the ribs and straight into his heart. And as I did it, it was like piercing my own heart at the same time. Blood Promise Chapter TwentyFour I’d never seen it coming. Hell, no one had. Avery had made a good show of being an air user. Each Moroi had a very low level of control in each element. She’d just barely done enough with air to make it seem like that was her specialization. No one had questioned her further because honestly, who would have ever expected another spirit user around? And since she was out of school, she had no reason to be tested anymore or forced to demonstrate her ability. No one was there to call her on it. The more I thought about it, the more the little signs were there. The charming personality, the way she could talk people into anything. How many of her interactions were spirit controlled? And was it possible†¦ was it possible that Adrian’s attraction had been compulsion on her part? I had no reason to feel happy about that, but†¦ well, I did. More to the point, what did Avery want with Lissa? Avery compelling Adrian into liking her wasn’t too out there. He was good-looking and came from an important family. He was the queen’s great-nephew, and although family members of the current monarch could never inherit the throne immediately afterward, he’d have a good future, one that would always keep him in the highest circles of society. But Lissa? What was Avery’s game there? What did she have to gain? Lissa’s behavior all made sense now-the uncharacteristic partying, weird moods, jealousy, fights with Christian†¦ Avery was pushing Lissa over the edge, causing her to make horrible choices. Avery was using some sort of compulsion to spin Lissa out of control, alienating her and putting her life in danger. Why? What did Avery want? It didn’t matter. The why wasn’t important. The how was, as in how I was going to get out of here and back to my best friend. I looked down at myself, at the delicate silk dress I wore. Suddenly, I hated it. It was a sign of how I’d been, weak and useless. I hastily took it off and ransacked my closet. They’d taken away my jeans and T-shirt, but I’d at least been allowed to keep my hoodie. I put on the green sweater dress, seeing as it was the sturdiest thing I had, feeling moderately more capable. I slipped the hoodie on over it. It hardly made me feel like a badass warrior, but I did feel more competent. Sufficiently dressed for action, I returned to the living room and started that pacing that tended to help me think better-not that I had any reason to believe I was going to come up with new ideas. I’d been trying to for days and days with no luck. Nothing was going to change. â€Å"Damn it!† I yelled, feeling better with the outburst. Angry, I flounced into the desk chair, amazed that I hadn’t simply thrown it against the wall in my frustration. The chair wobbled, ever so slightly. Frowning, I stood up and looked at it. Everything else in this place was state-of-the-art. Odd that I’d have a faulty chair. I knelt down and examined it more closely. There, on one of the legs, was a crack near where the leg joined with the seat. I stared. All of the furniture here was industrial strength, with no obvious joints. I should know, seeing how long I’d beat this chair against the wall when I first arrived. I hadn’t even dented it. Where had this crack come from? Slamming it over and over had done nothing. But I hadn’t been the only one to hit it. That very first day, I’d fought with Dimitri and come after him with the chair. He’d taken it from me and thrown it against the wall. I’d never paid attention to it again, having given up on breaking it. When I’d later tried cracking the window, I’d used an end table because it was heavier. My strength hadn’t been able to damage the chair-but his had. I picked up the chair and immediately slammed it into that diamond-hard window, half-hoping I might kill two birds with one stone. Nope. Both remained intact. So I did it again. And again. I lost track of how many times I slammed that chair into the glass. My hands hurt, and I knew despite my recovery, I still wasn’t at full strength. It was infuriating. Finally, on what felt like my gazillionth try, I looked at the chair and saw the crack had grown bigger. The progress renewed my will and strength. I hit and hit, ignoring the pain as the wood bit into my hands. At long last, I heard a crack, and the leg broke off. I picked it up and stared in amazement. The break hadn’t been clean. It was splintered and sharp. Sharp enough to be a stake? I wasn’t sure. But I knew for a fact that wood was hard, and if I used enough force, I might be able to hit a Strigoi’s heart. It wouldn’t kill one, but the blow would stun. I didn’t know if it’d be enough to get me out of here, but it was all I had now. And it was a hell of a lot more than I’d had one hour ago. I sat back on the bed, recovering from my battle with the chair and tossing the makeshift stake back and forth. Okay. I had a weapon now. But what could I do with it? Dimitri’s face flashed in my mind’s eye. Damn it. There was no question about it. He was the obvious target, the one I’d have to deal with first. The door suddenly clicked open, and I looked up with alarm. Quickly, I shoved the chair into a dark corner as panic raced through me. No, no. I wasn’t ready. I hadn’t fully convinced myself to stake him. It was Inna. She carried a tray but didn’t wear her usual subservient expression. The brief look she gave me was filled with hate. I didn’t know what she had to be pissed off about. It wasn’t like I’d caused her any damage. Yet. I strode over like I was going to examine the tray. Lifting the lid, I saw a ham sandwich and french fries. It looked good-I hadn’t eaten in a while -but the adrenaline running through me had shoved any appetite I might have to the background. I glanced back up at her, smiling sweetly. She shot me daggers. Don’t hesitate, Dimitri had always said. I didn’t. I jumped at Inna, throwing her so hard against the floor that her head slammed back. She looked dazed, but quickly recovered and tried to fight back. I wasn’t drugged up this time-well, not much-and my years of training and natural strength finally showed themselves again. I pressed my body against her, keeping her firmly in place. Then, I produced the stake I’d had concealed and pressed those sharp points against her neck. It was like being back in the days of pinning Strigoi in alleys. She couldn’t see that my weapon was a chair leg, but the sharp points got her attention as I dug them into her throat. â€Å"The code,† I said. â€Å"What is the code?† Her only response was a string of obscenities in Russian. Okay, not a surprise, considering she probably didn’t understand me. I flipped through the meager Russian-English dictionary in my head. I’d been in the country long enough to pick up some vocabulary. Admittedly, it was equivalent to a two-year-old’s, but even they could communicate. â€Å"Numbers,† I said in Russian. â€Å"Door.† At least, that’s what I hoped I said. She said more impolite things to me, her expression defiant. It really was the Strigoi interrogation all over. My stake bit harder, drawing blood, and I forcibly restrained myself. I might question whether I had the strength to pierce a Strigoi heart with this, but severing a human’s vein? Cake. She faltered a little, apparently realizing the same thing. Again, I attempted my broken Russian. â€Å"Kill you. No Nathan. Never†¦Ã¢â‚¬  What was the word? The church service came back to me, and I hoped I had it right. â€Å"Never eternal life.† It got her attention. Nathan and eternal life. The things most important to her. She bit her lip, still angry, but her tirade had stopped. â€Å"Numbers. Door,† I repeated. I pushed the stake in harder, and she cried out in pain. At last she spoke, rattling off a series of digits. Russian numbers were something I had memorized pretty solidly, at least. They were essential for addresses and phone numbers. She cited seven numbers. â€Å"Again,† I said. I made her say it three times and hoped I had it. But there was more. I was pretty sure the outer door had a different code. â€Å"Numbers. Door. Two.† I felt like a caveman. Inna stared, not quite getting it. â€Å"Door. Two.† Understanding glinted in her eyes, and she looked mad. I think she’d hoped I wouldn’t realize the other door had its own code. More cutting with the stake made her scream seven more numbers. Again, I made her repeat them, realizing I had no way to know if she was telling me the truth at least until I tried the numbers. For that reason, I decided to keep her around. I felt guilty about what I did next, but these were desperate times. In guardian training, I’d been taught both to kill and to incapacitate. I did the latter this time, slamming her head back against the floor and rendering her unconscious. Her expression went slack, her eyelids drooping. Damn. I was reduced to hurting teenage humans. Standing up, I moved to the door and punched in the first set of numbers, hoping I had them right. To my complete and utter astonishment, I did. The electronic lock clicked, but before I could open the door, I just barely made out another click. Someone had unlocked the outer door. â€Å"Shit,† I muttered. I pulled away from the door immediately, picked up Inna’s unconscious body, and hurried to the bathroom. I set her in the tub as gently as possible and had just shut the bathroom door when I heard the main door open. I felt the telltale nausea that signaled a Strigoi was nearby. I knew one of the Strigoi could smell a human, and I hoped shutting her away would be enough to mute Inna’s scent. I emerged from the hall and found Dimitri in the living room. I grinned at him and ran into his arms. â€Å"You’re back,† I said happily. He held me briefly and then stepped back. â€Å"Yes.† He seemed slightly pleased at the greeting, but soon his face was all business. â€Å"Have you made your decision?† No hello. No how are you feeling? My heart sank. This wasn’t Dimitri. â€Å"I have more questions.† I went over to the bed and lay down in a casual way, just like we always did. He followed a few moments later and sat on the edge, looking down at me. â€Å"How long will it take?† I asked. â€Å"When you awaken me? Is it instantaneous?† Once more, I launched into an interrogation session. Honestly, I was running out of questions, and at this point, I didn’t really want to know the intricacies of becoming Strigoi. I was becoming more and more agitated with each passing moment. I had to act. I had to make use of my fleeting opportunity here. And yet†¦ before I could act, I had to reassure myself that this really wasn’t Dimitri. It was stupid. I should know by now. I could see the physical changes. I’d seen his coldness, the brutality. I’d seen him come fresh from a kill. This wasn’t the man I’d loved. And yet†¦ for that one fleeting moment earlier†¦ With a sigh, Dimitri stretched out beside me. â€Å"Rose,† he interrupted, â€Å"if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were stalling for time.† Yeah, even as a Strigoi, Dimitri knew how I thought and schemed. I realized if I was going to be convincing, I had to stop playing dumb and remember to be Rose Hathaway. I put on a look of outrage. â€Å"Of course I am! This is a big deal. I came here to kill you, and now you’re asking me to join you. You think this is easy for me to do?† â€Å"Do you think it’s been easy for me to wait this long?† he asked. â€Å"The only ones who get choices are Moroi who willingly kill, like the Ozeras. No one else gets a choice. I didn’t get a choice.† â€Å"And don’t you regret that?† â€Å"No, not now. Now that I’m who I was meant to be.† He frowned. â€Å"The only thing hurt is my pride-that Nathan forced me and that he acts as though I’m indebted to him. Which is why I’m being kind enough to give you the choice now, for the sake of your pride.† Kind, huh? I looked at him and felt my heart breaking all over again. It was like hearing the news of his death once more. I suddenly grew afraid I might cry. No. No tears. Dimitri always talked about prey and predators. I had to be the predator. â€Å"You’re sweating,† he said suddenly. â€Å"Why?† Damn, damn, damn. Of course I was sweating. I was contemplating staking the man I loved-or thought I’d loved. And along with sweat, I was sure I was giving off pheromones of my agitation. Strigoi could smell all of those things, too. â€Å"Because I’m scared,† I whispered. I propped myself up and stroked the edge of his face, trying to memorize all of his features. The eyes. The hair. The shape of his cheekbones. In my imagination, I overlaid the things I remembered. Dark eyes. Tanned skin. Sweet smile. â€Å"I†¦ I think I’m ready, but it’s†¦ I don’t know. It’s such a big thing.† â€Å"It’ll be the best decision of your life, Roza.† My breathing was growing rapid, and I prayed he’d think it was because of my fear of being turned. â€Å"Tell me again. One more time. Why do you want to awaken me so badly?† A slightly weary look crossed his face. â€Å"Because I want you. I’ve always wanted you.† And that’s when I knew. I finally realized the problem. He’d given that same answer over and over, and each time, something about it had bothered me. I’d never been able to pinpoint it, though. Now I could. He wanted me. Wanted me in the way people wanted possessions or collectibles. The Dimitri I’d known†¦ the one I’d fallen for and slept with†¦ that Dimitri would have said he wanted us to be together because he loved me. There was no love here. I smiled at him. Leaning down, I kissed him gently. He probably thought I was doing it for the reasons I always did, out of attraction and desire. In truth, it was a goodbye kiss. His mouth answered mine, his lips warm and eager. I held out the kiss a little longer, both to fight back the tears leaking out of my eyes and to lull him into an unsuspecting state. My hand closed around the chair leg, which I’d hidden in my hoodie pocket. I would never forget Dimitri, not for the rest of my life. And this time, I wouldn’t forget his lessons. With a speed he wasn’t ready for, I struck out and plunged the stake through his chest. My strength was there-sliding the stake past the ribs and straight into his heart. And as I did it, it was like piercing my own heart at the same time.

Acceptance of Children With Disabilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Acceptance of Children With Disabilities - Essay Example relation to the education and other services they provide. This means they must plan ahead, identify barriers to learning and, as far as possible, take action to remove them; schools are also required to draw up accessibility plans". (http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/ete/agencies/primaryschool/)Bicker (1995) is of the view that successful inclusion of a child in a classroom setting consists of three key factors. The first factor comprises of the attitude of the teacher. Throughout the school day, young children without disabilities are able to perform a number of tasks that a disabled child may not be able to carry out or may have difficulty in executing. Thus, it often falls upon the teacher to administer the situation in such a manner that the disabled child does not feel humiliated and/or self-conscious about his inability. In addition, the teacher also has to help the children without disabilities to understand and be sensitive towards his/her peer(s).

It has been said that we are living in a period of the cult of the Essay

It has been said that we are living in a period of the cult of the personality. With specific examples, consider the emergence and criticisms of docusoaps and - Essay Example The contemporary media scene is such that the main focus is on vague and superficial qualities such as â€Å"the personality† and â€Å"the style† – a distinguishable shift from earlier programming that was more intellectually stimulating and culturally refined. Genres such as Reality shows, talent hunts, game shows, etc rule the roost in what is becoming an increasingly consolidated media space. Within an apparently diverse offering to the public, the issues and topics that find representation are very limited, more so in the news media (Marshall; 2004: 102). The rest of the essay will discuss the conditions that led to the present state of popular media, the direction it is headed and some possible remedies to reverse the situation. To begin with, let us consider the meaning of the phrase â€Å"the cult of the personality†. The phenomenon of people being famous for being famous, as commonly seen in popular media of today is an apt description of the term â€Å"personality cult† (Marshall; 2004: 102). Such factors as the famous person’s achievements, virtues, values, etc are pushed to the background and intellectually thin attributes such as aesthetic looks, eccentric lifestyles, etc are given greater importance. The end result is the manufacturing of celebrity figures, conjured up on the basis of some superficial merits; hog a large share of communication airwaves, depriving representation for more weighty public issues. So while a majority of the general public is addicted to the â€Å"often-grotesque desperation of the rich and the famous†, we have to ask who the real beneficiary of this enterprise is: â€Å"One of the attractions is the many, many levels of stardom. So, while at the top of the pile sit the Madonnas and the Tom Hankses of this world, at the bottom are the reality TV cast-offs that spend their day chasing agents to get them something - anything - that will allow them to strut around inquiring

The Gypsys Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Gypsys - Essay Example The Roma people are one of the largest ethic minority groups living in Europe. The reason why they remain so small is because of the large amounts of persecution that they have faced down the centuries. For this reason, many Roma people are afraid to reveal their true identity and instead prefer to blend in with the local population. This can be evidenced by the languages that most of them speak; Roma people used to speak Romani, although now they conform to the dominant language of the country in which they reside. Although the Roma people can be considered as a distinct ethnic group, they do not represent one nationality. This is because they are mostly spread out across Europe and the rest are scattered around the four corners of the globe. Because they are not represented by one state, it means that they do not have the same rights as those individuals who live in their own countries. Maybe this explains why they have been persecuted so much; there is no fear of a backlash from them because they have no power to do so. In many ways, this is very similar to the Jewish people until 65 years ago. Because they are not united under one legal banner, it is very hard for them to progress as a culture. In Europe, the Roma people are often one of the poorest minority groups. People generally hold a bad view of the Roma people because of this. Back in 2007 when Romania became a part of the EU, many Italians protested when a significant number of gypsies moved to live in Rome. Racism does certainly pl ay a part when it comes to discriminating against gypsies, but crime rates among this group are often higher than other ethnicities. Part of the problem with discrimination against gypsies is that the legal system in a country like Italy does not fully protect their rights. Prevailing cultural attitudes often take preference when a gypsy is involved in a crime. Because the Roma people have been persecuted for much of their history,

Principles of Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Principles of Accounting - Essay Example In simple terms accounting can be also referred to as â€Å"the language of business† because of its role that helped in recording and processing the financial information that the firm requires for management purpose (Mukherjee & Hanif, 2003; Galanza, 1995). The main purpose of accounting is to provide financial information that is required by an economic unit to enhance the efficiency of its operations. The tern economic entity not only signifies a business unit but also the entities that are operating without the purpose of profit-making like the public charities, clubs, churches and government bodies. The accounting information helps in decision making in the organization. For instance decision like availability of cash while going for purchasing of new equipments or whether the business is running in profit requires the knowledge of accounting information. This accounting information for a business unit is recorded by the accountant (Nobles, et al., 2012). Book keeping Me thod Book-keeping is referred to as the science and arts of recording business transactions and other financial transactions that are related to any institution, firm and associations of person or company. It is recorded in certain books at regular interval following certain definite rules. It is called as science because it represents certain systemized knowledge that are based on certain set of principles, which are followed throughout the process to ensure that the reason for recording the transaction can be explained carefully. On the other hand it is called arts since it involves the human ability and skill for recording the business transaction as per the principles (Kumar & Prasad, 1999). Scope The process of Book keeping involves two significant steps. Firstly the process involves recording of all the transaction in a book called journal. Secondly transferring all the transactions that were previously recorded into another book called as ledger. In order to know the net effe ct of all the transactions the various accounts that are recorded into the ledger are balanced. The main theme of book keeping is to prepare and maintain the records till the stage of preparation of Trial Balance (Rao, 2005). Importance Book-keeping serves as the foundation of the entire financial reporting and accounting process. The responsibility of book-keeper is to analyze and record all the financial transaction occurring in an organization. The sum total of all the transaction forms the basis of everything that includes grant proposals, cash forecast, budget, tax return and financial reports. The employees and other staff of an organization must understand the goal and mission of a non-profitable organization, in order to perform their jobs in an effective and professional way. This is particularly true for the accounting system. Each transaction that is being recorded while book-keeping is significant for the volunteers, donors, board members, management, community and emplo yees of the organization. Accurate information delivered in timely manner provides the stakeholders of the organization with the comment regarding the financial health of the organization.  

How Advertising and the Media Have Created a New China Research Paper

How Advertising and the Media Have Created a New China - Research Paper Example China is no exception: a country with a long history of communism, China slowly adopts a new, westernized vision of the global reality. Chinese media reflect and contribute to the development of new consumer images. The influence of advertising on individual and collective identities is difficult to overestimate. More important are the influences of media advertising on the development of gender relations and the changing perceptions of femininity in the postmodern Chinese culture. A content analysis of Chinese printed ads will provide a brief insight into the role of media and advertising in creating the country’s female ideals. Advertising and the making of new China: Setting the context How advertising shapes new China is a question surrounded by much controversy. It is no secret that the end of the 1970s marked a new stage in the political, economic, and cultural evolution of China. Since the end of the 1970s, China has changed dramatically from being predominantly Marxist to a becoming a new, market-socialist country (Tse, Belk & Zhou 457). The no-advertising culture gave place to a well-developed advertising infrastructure, which both facilitates and is facilitated by the rapid development of modern media sources and consumer values (Tse, Belk & Zhou 457). ... Chinese consumers gradually realize the value of market openness. In their consumer choices they mostly rely on the popular media sources. Product choices in China are no longer limited to bicycles and wristwatches but make Chinese consumers think twice, before they choose the best of the best in highly competitive Chinese and international markets (Tse, Belk & Zhou 458). Against the background of market openness and relative freedom of competition, the Chinese media have become an important carrier of unique cultural meanings. Advertising does not merely sell goods but has the strong potential to create a new collective identity (Johansson 357). Advertising creates a new image of self in Chinese consumers; it strengthens the sense of belonging to one or several societal groups; eventually, advertising creates a distinct borderline between Self and Others, but whether advertising praises or judges otherness depends on numerous contextual factors (Johansson 357). Chinese media context s are extremely complex and diverse. They create and sustain a self-otherness dichotomy which characterizes most, if not all, media processes in today’s China. Women are excessively susceptible to this type of media influences. It would be fair to assume that the role of women in the Chinese society and advertising in popular media are closely interrelated: the media reflect the dramatic changes in the women-society relationship and, simultaneously, drive the development of new gender realities. Advertising shapes new China, through new typologies of women and changes in female perceptions of Chinese cultural realities. This is probably why the role of advertising in the development of female identities and their implications for new

Harlem Renaissance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Harlem Renaissance - Essay Example It brought to the forefront the cultural specifics of the black community in all possible spheres. In literature, Harlem Renaissance enriched poetry, fiction, drama and essay. In arts, the traditional and popular songs, dance forms and paintings exhibit a vibrancy characteristic of the Harlem spirit of the times. And politically, the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) has brought the revolutionary ideas of W.E.B Du Bois and Marcus Garvey to good effect, which eventually led to appropriate representations and fortifications of the black community. 4. ‘Renaissance’ can literally means a rebirth or reawakening. The term is usually used to encompass a period that shows a renewed interest in art, literature or music. The Italian Renaissance of the 14th Century that focused mainly on painting led to a flowering of all forms of arts, literature and cultural artifacts in all Europe that lasted till the 16thy Century. In Harlem Renaissance, the interest in black tradition and art forms were evident. Moreover, it was a period when an abundance of artistic and literary products took birth and were circulated. 5. Harlem Renaissance works carried the general theme of a dual identity – of being an American and a black a colored individual at the same time. They explore the African-American identity with a lot of enthusiasm and optimism, since the racial prejudices were ameliorated at the time due to various reasons. The fact that there was scope for black arts at the specific environment gave the players of the movement great confidence and a sense of significance. The characteristic feature of the Renaissance is that it relied on the African heritage and tradition as much as it proclaimed the contemporary African-American existence and its accommodative, liberal spirit. New art forms like the Jazz did break away from traditions

Mary Shelley tell us about the education Essay Example for Free

Mary Shelley tell us about the education Essay Nothing could exceed in beauty the contrast between these two excellent creatures has also learnt to think logically, to reason, given very well laid out reasons as to why they are so beautiful, backing up his argument. The next thing is one of the most important things which VC learns it is a lesson of morals. He sees several times [the younger cottagers] placed food before the old man when they reserved none for themselves I had been accustomed to steal some of their store, but when I found that in doing this I inflicted pain on the cottagers, I abstained. This shows that he understands and acts out of compassion. He also observes with pleasure when he sees he has been of help. Still to come are the most important facets of VCs education; the ability to read, to appreciate the highs and lows of human capability and to appreciate emotion as key to humanity. It is from Sorrows of Werter that VC learns about the importance of emotion to any definition of humanity (the English Review). This is complimented with the violent but apparently glorious history of man which Lives provides, giving VC a varied and balanced view of what beauty there is in human nature, and what horror there is, too. Paradise Lost is another book which VC stumbles upon; though this teaches him little in it self, the parallels which VC draws between its key characters and himself are important; he can see different aspects of each in himself. This shows the how VC has learnt to take something from a book and place into a real-life situation (I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed). By far the most important part of VCs education is his learning to speak. Though it has been proved that it is impossible to learn language in the fashion that VC does, we must remember that this is just a novel. In his learning to speak, VC gains the ability to articulate the feelings inside him, the ability to read and the ability to communicate his dreams. He learns as Safie learns, being taught by Felix. Being taught to speak and listen to speech opens the door to all other avenues of Frankensteins learning; his learning about humanity is increased tenfold after this. Whether this is a curse or a blessing, however, is left for us to decide after learning how to speak and read, VC sees just how outcast he is, just how far outside the circle of love that is there between Safie, Felix, Agatha and the old man. Once he can see the extent of his loneliness, and can grasp what potential there is once he learns that there is more to life than suffering he is gripped by an insatiable desire to be a part of society. Societys rejection of him, it can be argued, is what turns him from a noble savage to an educated murderer. b Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

Code of the Street Elijah Anderson

Code of the Street Elijah Anderson The book, Code of The Street, by Yale Professor Elijah Anderson puts in light the various issues that are common in the city today. The street codes majorly affect the actions and behavior of many youths in the inner city. In the inner city, Anderson shows that there are many social evils like high rates of unemployment, teenage pregnancy. The main force contributing to these street codes according to him is racism though that kind of behavior is accelerated by the existing economic and political commands in the city (Anderson 34). The Code of Street applies to the behavior for the public and is a norm for the community which is alienated (Anderson 69) .if these codes of conducts within the street are not fully immersed into the lives of the young they tend to switch to the behaviors that they find on the street, Learning of the street code starts early in ones life from his or her parents to the street families who introduce them to such codes. Parents dont take role in tending their children leaving them to do it themselves (Anderson 49). The code of the street is worrying according to the sociologist Anderson as it is attributed to ills like increased rate of crime, stress, drug trafficking and all forms of violence with ultimate result of death. The urban life within the ghettos majorly contributed to the street codes. He brings out clearly the issue of respect .According to Anderson, the codes of the street is majorly affected by the poor dwellings the youth live in .In addition to the environment they live in (Anderson 50). The inner city is seems to be morally decayed as it lacks role models to be copied by the youth and the economy favors few people. With the relocation of the creators of employment to oversee leaving the youth idle within the inner city .Comparing the middle class and the lower class males of the lower class are involved in rebellious acts. Another factor is frustration of the disadvantaged youth led s to adaptation of the street codes. The inner city families were described to be decent with good values while the street families excluded themselves from the greater society Apart from the two types of families being distinct they greatly interact on the streets. Also in the schools, open publics areas are other places where these people interact. (Anderson 54). The major determining factor of how people behaved lied on the families values one is brought up with those brought up in the decent homes have proper street codes ,while those of the street families were viewed as those found like drug to commit ills like drug trafficking and all negativities of the neighborhoods like murder and violence .People fought and even shot each other to acquire respect .Lack of respect could render one to be tried by his or her peers and to the extreme the strangers. Respect was used as a measure of ones credibility within the streets. Ethics of hard work, appreciating religion and achievements in the academics were considered as respectable action within the streets. (Anderson 45). According to Anderson, teens became pregnant because they dont know the implication of having sex. For the adolescents, they became pregnant knowingly or sometimes not knowingly. The males portray a behavior of escapism of responsibilities and most times the females are left to take care of their children without father figure or sometimes get a helping hand from their family members. Many men or fathers deny the fatherhood to their children especially if they doubt their fatherhood to that child or the character of the mother may cause this. Anderson conducted ethnography study in Philadelphia in 1990 where he studied African Americans in certain classes within the city coupled with his observation (Anderson 43). According to Anderson (2000), the people in the mainstream society have proper values that dont allow them to retaliate after an attack rather they move away from the areas of fight. This makes them uphold their self esteem (Anderson 34) .This is a show of respect. Their counter parts on the other hand cant suffer the humiliation of walking away all in all they have nothing to lose as their status is low .Those from the low status communities want to uphold their respect even though it calls for the fighting to show how they are they can attack their counterparts The methods used in this research include survey whereby various households were sampled and the youth in those families who were capable of being interviewed were interviewed to gather information from them. This could help in giving the data collector an insight on the youth violence. The youth by the time they are teen, they learnt these codes, make them part and parcel of their lifes and thus the survey conducted on the youth in their adolescence is valid (Anderson 83). In the society classes i.e. middle and lower classes, Anderson interviews the subjects of target whom are faced with the daily decadency of the urban ills ranging from teens pregnancy, child delinquency and family disagreement. Anderson the code of street heroes is those that overcome the streets temptations to have a brighter tomorrow for the future people Findings according to Anderson show that peer aggression, having been a victim of violence and type of parenting are associated with the following and obeying the street code related to beliefs. Those who have ever been victims of a circumstance tend to refrain from the bad codes. Also anger is a contributing factor to the adherence of these codes. Though being involved in prior victimization might be seen as a factor towards the adherence of the codes, it isnt. Instead it makes the victim learn from the prior experience (Anderson 70). Several matters have made the scope of this study to be limited .First; the subculture thesis assessment according to Anderson is not dealt in depth. There is dire need to do in-depth investigation on this thesis. Anderson just gave a highlight .more need to be added especially on the code switching, how the people take their authorities that instill these behaviors. To add on that, the role of race in bringing out the belief related codes and the contributing to the youth violence is not clearly brought out. The youth violence is not only attributed to the blacks even the other races are victims of it. Also other factors like poverty coupled with the few opportunities could still contribute to this. Finally, the findings are more side lined on male youth violence. To the male youth, even some cliques of inner city girls are found to incite the infighting (Anderson 92). At this juncture, gender role in not clearly brought out in the contribution to the youth violence. In conclusion from the studies, it shown that the beliefs in our traditional subcultures contribute a lot in the violent behavior among the youth. Violence is more prevalent with those follow those beliefs that are in agreement with the street codes. Though it is not possible to get the etiology of these code beliefs but it is seen that the way one is socialized, the role models one looks up to and the parental upbringing matters (Anderson 97). Those youth who claim lack of future for them and had prior victimized tend to acquire the aggressive behavior in future. Also the way of parenting is also a factor where by those parents who are aggressive to their children tend to acquire violent behaviors from them. Then they will be the pioneers of all the crimes, violence in the society. Thus provision of future opportunity to our youth is of great importance as well as personal protection especially parent to their children (Anderson 120). Work Cited Anderson, Elijah. Code of the Street: Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner City. New York: W.W. Norton, 2000.

anorexia nervosa :: essays research papers

Anorexia nervosa Overview | Treatment | Images Definition An eating disorder associated with a distorted body image that may be caused by a mental disorder. Inadequate calorie intake results in severe weight loss (see also bulimia and intentional weight loss). Alternative names Eating disorder - anorexia nervosa Causes, incidences, and risk factors The exact cause of this disorder is not known, but social attitudes towards body appearance and family factors play a role in its development. The condition affects females more frequently, usually in adolescence or young adulthood. Gorging followed by vomiting (spontaneous or self-induced) and inappropriate use of laxatives or diuretics are behaviors that may accompany this disorder. Risk factors are being Caucasian, having an upper or middle economic background, being female, and having a goal-oriented family or personality. The incidence is 4 out of 100,000 people. Prevention In some cases, prevention may not be possible. Encouraging healthy, realistic attitudes toward weight and diet may be helpful. Sometimes, counselling can help. Symptoms  · weight loss of 25% or greater  · cold intolerance  · constipation  · menstruation, absent  · skeletal muscle atrophy  · loss of fatty tissue  · low blood pressure  · dental cavities  · increased susceptibility to infection  · blotchy or yellow skin  · dry hair, hair loss  · depression (may be present http://health.yahoo.com/health/dc/000362/0.html Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. Anorexia Nervosa has five primary symptoms:  · Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for height, body type, age, and activity level.  · Intense fear of weight gain or being "fat."  · Feeling "fat" or overweight despite dramatic weight loss.  · Loss of menstrual periods in girls and women post-puberty.  · Extreme concern with body weight and shape. The chances for recovery increase the earlier anorexia nervosa is detected. Therefore, it is important to be aware of some of the warning signs of anorexia nervosa. Warning Signs of Anorexia Nervosa:  · Dramatic weight loss.  · Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, fat grams, and dieting .  · Refusal to eat certain foods, progressing to restrictions against whole categories of food (i.e., no carbohydrates, etc.).  · Frequent comments about feeling "fat" or overweight despite weight loss.  · Anxiety about gaining weight or being "fat."  · Denial of hunger.  · Development of food rituals (i.e., eating foods in certain orders, excessive chewing, rearranging food on a plate).  · Consistent excuses to avoid mealtimes or situations involving food.  · Excessive, rigid exercise regimen--despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury, the need to "burn off" calories taken in.

Video Game Violence Make Teens and Children More Aggressive Essay

The term violence is a broad word that has many different views depending on what it is associated with. When it comes to teens and children, violence can be anything from pushing, shoving, and fighting too. Violence has and always will be an ongoing problem around the world. Everything that can be done to prevent it will benefit our society. Today’s video games and featured television shows have become much more graphic than they have ever been, showing brutal images that can be accessed by all ages. Video games have become one of children’s favorite leisure activities, and they spend long amounts of time playing them. It has been shown that children with high exposure to such violent games have a much higher score of serious violence (Freedman 2002). After playing these games for long and countless hours, children begin to view these behaviors as acceptable while out with their friends or in public. Violence is any action that may cause harm to another such as pushing, fighting, language, wrestling, and killing. Violent video games have a strong positive correlation with aggressive behaviors because of intense graphics, lack of effective parental control, and the amount of time playing these games. Aggressive Minds. Video games that are made these days are completely different from how they were made a decade ago. The games are much more detailed and realistic, and they give you the feeling that you are actually in the game. Elizabeth Carll, PhD in Psychology says â€Å"A comprehensive analysis of violence in interactive video game research suggests exposure increases aggressive behavior, aggressive thoughts, angry feeling, and physiological arousal and decreases helpful behavior†. Children that have played thes... ...ngs, E., Karas, T., Winsler, A., Way, E., Madigan, A., & Tyler, S. (2009). Young children's video/computer game use: relations with school performance and behavior. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 30(10), 638-649. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. JAMA and Archives Journals (2007, July 4). Study Examines Video Game Play Among Adolescents. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 18, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070702161141.htm Straus, M. (1972). Measuring Intrafamily Conflict and Violence: The Conflict Tactics (CT) Scales. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/pss/351733. Violent Video Game Campaign (1998-2011). Are you worried about the increasingly violent and graphic content in video games? Retrieved February 18, 2011. Van Horn, R. (1999). Violence and Video Games. Phi Delta Kappan, 81(2), 173. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Iago as a Character in Othello :: essays papers

Iago as a Character in Othello Perhaps the most interesting and exotic character in the tragic play "Othello," by William Shakespeare, is "Honest" Iago. Through some carefully thought-out words and actions, Iago is able to manipulate others to do things in a way that benefits him and moves him closer toward his goals. He is the main driving force in this play, pushing Othello and everyone else towards their tragic end. Iago is not your ordinary villain. The role he plays is rather unique and complex, far from what one might expect. Iago is smart. He is an expert judge of people and their characters and uses this to his advantage. For example, he knows Roderigo is in love with Desdemona and figures that he would do anything to have her as his own. Iago says about Roderigo, "Thus do I ever make my fool my purse." [Act I, Scene III, Line 355] By playing on his hopes, Iago is able to swindle money and jewels from Roderigo, making himself a substantial profit, while using Roderigo to forward his other goals. He also thinks quick on his feet and is able to improvise whenever something unexpected occurs. When Cassio takes hold of Desdemona's hand before the arrival of the Moor Othello, Iago says, "With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio." [Act II, Scene I, Line 163] His cunning and craftiness make him a truly dastardly villain indeed. Being as smart as he is, Iago is quick to recognize the advantages of trust and uses it as a tool to forward his purposes. Throughout the story he is commonly known as, and commonly called, "Honest Iago." He even says of himself, "I am an honest man...." [Act II, Scene III, Line 245] Trust is a very powerful emotion that is easily abused. Othello, "holds [him] well;/The better shall [Iago's] purpose work on him." [pg. 1244, Line 362] Iago is a master of abuse in this case turning people's trust in him into tools to forward his own goals. His "med'cine works! Thus credulous fools are caught...." [pg. 1284, Line 44] Iago slowly poisons people's thoughts, creating ideas in their heads

Serial Dilution Homework

Serial Dilution Homework Problems Name:_Vidya Punati_____________________ Section #:__36_______________________ 1. In the image above, the final dilution is 1:____1X10^-8___________________. 2. You make six 2-fold serial dilutions of a solution. Your final dilution will be 1:_64_________. 3. You dilute 1 ml of an unknown sample of bacteria to 1 x 10-6 and plate out 100? l onto a Petri dish. The next day you count 64 colonies.The number of viable bacteria in the original sample was a. 6. 4 x 107 cells/ml b. 6. 4 x 108 cells/ml c. 6. 4 x 109 cells/ml d. 6. 4 x 1010 cells/ml 4. A 1 ml sample of bacteria was diluted to 10-6 and 100? l was plated on the Petri dish at right. What was the approximate concentration of the original sample? 8 x 10^7 bacteria per mL. | | 5. What are two reasons serial dilution is a useful technique for counting populations of bacteria? ) When there are a lot of bacteria, it is hard to count undiluted colonies accurately because there could be hundreds of them. Serial dilution is a useful technique because the colonies are counted twice with different people and the average number of colonies is reported as the number of bacteria present in the sample after multiplying the dilution factor. 2) If the number of bacteria in the samples is high, colonies of bacteria are likely to cover the whole plate so that one cannot count any colonies at all.

Hoebel, The Cheyennes: Indians Of The Great Plains Essay

E. Adamson Hoebel’s The Cheyennes: Indians of the Great Plains is a detailed, comprehensive ethnographic study of the tribe’s beliefs, practices, and adaptation to their harsh environment. Though not the strongest Plains people, the Cheyenne used their strengths to overcome their obstacles and maintain a cohesive, stable culture. A sedentary village culture of the Algonquian language family, the Cheyenne moved from the upper Mississippi valley to the high plains of Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming around 1800 to escape the hostilities of the neighboring Lakota (5). Their settled ways were disrupted and they became horse-riding and nomadic, leaving behind their village ways. Hoebel depicts their culture as structured yet flexible, â€Å"rational and skilled in cultural adaptation† (103), and geared toward internal harmony as a means of maintaining cohesion. The harsh plains environment, with extreme weather and little water or wood, â€Å"is the essential ecological fact controlling the Cheyenne† (63). They adapted to this by becoming mobile, moving according to where resources could be easily obtained, mastering their gathering, hunting, and trading skills over a wide area, and relying heavily on horses. Their religion is hierarchical, with being at all levels endowed with spiritual powers. Spirits can manifest in human form and their attributes lie in their knowledge of how to operate within the universe. Hoebel writes that the Cheyenne believe â€Å"the universe if essentially a mechanical system which is good in essence, but which must be properly understood and used to keep it producing what humans need† (89). They see the universe mechanically, with spirits responding somewhat predictably according to human acts. To survive in their dry grassland environment, the Cheyenne divided their labor rigidly along gender lines. The women gathered roots, berries, and seeds while also foraging for wood, raising and mending tipis, while the men hunted big game (mainly bison, antelope, and elk) for meat and smaller animals (wolves and fox) for fur. Gender roles govern not only labor, but also most areas of Cheyenne social life. Males and females generally stop mixed-sex socializing at adolescence, and males join any of five military clubs once they reach fighting age, while women have only the Robe Quillers (an outgrowth of their role as makers of clothing). However, some deviation exists – â€Å"Contraries† become transvestites while overdoing the warrior role, while â€Å"halfmen-halfwomen† are homosexual. (Both are isolated yet tolerated. ) The Cheyenne economic system relied heavily on trade, though because of their location on the high plains they had limited access to many traders. They often served as intermediaries between poorer and richer tribes, traveled great distances to trade their meat and vegetable goods (as well as robes and leather goods) for more food, as well as ornamental items like beads and silver jewelry. Their most important commodity was the horse, often acquired in trade or stolen from enemies in raids. Cheyenne politics were organized by family, kindred, and band, and governed by the tribal council, where power lay â€Å"not in the hands of aggressive war leaders but under the control of even-tempered peace chiefs† (43). Composed mainly of older men elected for ten-year terms, the council worked to resolve internal conflicts, which were considered more threatening than war, and had a nearly supernatural authority. A head priest-chief (the Sweet Medicine Chief) and five medicine chiefs presided and had control over most rituals. Hoebel’s study examines most major areas of the Cheyennes’ lives and depicts them as a tribe that survived not by overwhelming power, but by adapting well to a demanding environment, trading as well as possible, and maintaining internal harmony and stability. Hoebel, E. Adamson. The Cheyennes: Indians of the Great Plains. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1978.

Happy Family Environment

My family has 4 people: Dad, Mom, R, and A. Dad is a Chemist and Mom is an Engineer. Regardless of that they both are well educated; they have been arguing a lot. R is a 16 year old son and A is an 11 year old daughter and both are dramatized by their parents’ fighting. As a mom, she wishes to have a happy family. A happy family environment should not be so difficult to accomplish. A few positive things such as the parents should not be fighting any more, everyday children doing their homework dynamically and having dinner together, and we all sleep in the same cozy room. These would make us a very happy family. When parents have different opinions, they should communicate with each other in a good perceptive way. They should listen and understand what the other would like to express instead of being defensive. Parents should not being sarcastic to each other. Parents should only say positive and encouragement words to each other. Parents should support each other; especially, in front of the children. When parents are able to show compassionate and love to each other, children will also feel the love. When parents are no longer fight, the whole family will experience a very happy family. As a mom, after work, she comes home and prepares dinner for the family. She would be very happy to see Dad and the children surround the diner table studying. She understands it is a hard work for Dad to coordinate the children to doing their homework; however, with Dad’s direction, she would think the children would do the work much efficiently. After prepared the dinner, she would serve and we all have dinner together everyday. During dinner time, we can share our day and enlighten each other with a joke or a funny story. This will sure award us as a very happy family. And last, our house is huge with many rooms of our own, but sleeping in the same room would make everyone feels close to each other. Not to mention that we could save a bit on the electricity bills yet it is very cozy. We have each other in one cozy room for the night. Nothing can make us happier. In conclusion, to have a happy family environment, parents should never fight, children finish their homework accordingly while mom preparing for dinner, and we all sleep in one cozy room. These would make us the happiest family in the whole world. No one would ask for anything else.

Explain Why the Boycott of Jewish Businesses Took Place in April 1933

Explain why the boycott of Jewish businesses took place in April 1933. [12 marks] In April 1933, only 1 week after the Enabling Act was passed, a boycott against Jewish businesses took place, which targeted mainly Jewish shops and businesses but also Jewish professionals such as doctors and lawyers. There are many reasons as to why this event took place. The most important reason, in my opinion was to introduce explicit anti-Semitic propaganda. When it was decided that the boycott would take place, Gobbels organised an intensive propaganda campaign to maximise the impact of the boycott.The boycott made a big public impact and featured prominently in the news. Gobbels made it clear that the boycott was an act of anti-Semitic violence as he had the Star of David painted largely on the windows of all Jewish businesses and had signs put up saying ‘Don’t buy from Jews’ or ‘Jews are our misfortune’. While some Germans weren’t too bothered about the b oycott, others disapproved. This leads to the next reason the boycott took place. Now that Hitler had the power to do as he pleased, he needed to see how German citizens would react to his extreme anti-Semitic views.The SA stood outside of Jewish shops in order to intimidate people into not going in to the shop. As mentioned earlier, some Germans weren’t too bothered about the boycott. Most of these Germans where owners of small businesses that were afraid that large Jewish chain businesses would eventually put them out of business. This boycott meant that their businesses would be saved. Others, on the other hand, thought the boycott was terrible that it was the work of extremists and that Hitler was sure to put a stop to it soon. Some went purposely went into Jewish shops and Jewish shops only to show their disapproval of Nazi policies.But, whether they were for or against the boycott, it was agreed everywhere that the boycott showed the unleashing of Nazi violence by an ag gressive new dictatorship. The main purpose of the boycott of Jewish businesses was to get German people to start to act and think anti-Semitic. Although the reaction to the boycott was varied, it could be said that they boycott did exactly what it was meant to do; turn normal German citizens against the German Jews. For example, one month after the boycott of Jewish businesses, the Burning of the Books took place. Gobbels announced, â€Å"the Age of Jewish materialism is ended! He then started a fire and, along with gangs of SA men, started to throw in book that were written by Jews. A crowd of some 40,000 people gathered at the scene. This suggests that the boycott ‘eased’ German citizens into the anti-Semitic atrocities that were yet to come. In conclusion, the boycott of Jewish businesses could be both – a success and a failure. It was a failure because the Nazi party only portrayed themselves as a violent dictatorship. But, it was a success because it got G erman citizens thinking and acting anti-Semitic like the Nazis and prepared them for what was to come.

Finance and Accounting in the Entrepreneurship Business coursework Essay

Finance and Accounting in the Entrepreneurship Business coursework - Essay Example ase of the demand for the slap-up industrial coating material in the market, the SIJIA Industrial Material intends to come into the market of advanced PVC used as slap-up industrial coating material. According to the research, the demand for slap-up industrial coating material increases more rapidly than the supply. There are less than 10 manufactures which produce slap-up industrial coating material exclusively. Although some manufactures which produce mid/low end products whilst supplying the slap-up products, the scales are very small. And some of our existing customers are willing to purchase our slap-up products if we supply. The current thinking in Financial Management is that financial managers do not perform the role of goal keeping of financial data and information, and arranging funds, whenever directed to do so by the Board of Directors of Companies. Rather, financial managers perform key roles in top management areas by solving complex management problems. Financial management is a concept which deals with the efficient and effective use of economic resources, such as capital funds, in a most appropriate manner. Moreover, the concept of both finance and accounting is closely inter-related. As a finance manager, it is essential to provide a thorough analysis of almost all areas of business, to order to ensure the beneficial applicability of plans, policies and procedures. Finance managers lay stress on making judicious judgments on the profitability, solvency, liquidity, and growth aspects of the firm. Financial data occupy a bottom slot in business planning, albeit an important one, in business co ncepts and performance of the management team. Income statements are simple and straightforward reports on the proposed businesss cash-generating abilities. The advanced PVC used as slap-up industrial coating material is an important kind of the material for uniform such as the environment-protecting people’s clothes which require the highly damp proof

Northeast Utilities Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Northeast Utilities - Research Paper Example The company that is the subject of this research is Northeast Utilities Industries. This company was formed in 1966 following the successful business merger that occurred between Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P), the Hartford Electric Light Company, and the Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECO). This merger made the companies come under one management qualifying to be the largest multi-state holding following the Public Utility Holding Act of 1935. Other companies later joined the merger in the subsequent years and in this case, Holyoke Water Power Company (HWP) joined in 1967 and finally, in 1992, Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH) signed a deal to merge with the company. This informs that five companies that were once independent constitute the Utility. In 2010, Northeast Utility further eluded their intention to the merger with NSTAR but maintaining the title as Northeast Utility and this is still a subject of approval. It is worth noting that the co mpany is listed in the Fortune 500 with the headquarters at Berlin, Connecticut. The company also runs several subsidiaries in the business of retailing electricity and natural gas. The company’s customer base in New England is about 2.1 million and this qualifies it to be one of the largest public utilities in New England. In this regard, the company has electric transmission lines covering 3,140 miles with about 32, 802 distribution pole miles. Their natural gas distribution also covers an area of about 5,000 km2.... In any business, it is very important to understand these forces so that one can identify the source of business strength and weaknesses so that the necessary adjustments can follow. In this case, this industry faces fierce competition from other companies providing similar products-competitive rivalry. This includes other companies like, First Energy, UIL Holdings, UNITIL, NSTAR, and EnerNOC (Murray, 2012). The existence of these companies in the provision of the same product has elicited severe competition in the provision of the same service-energy. There is different customer’s loyalty experienced in the market and other factors like switching cost that make the competition based on the existence similar products industries to be fierce. In the industry, there is need to achieve change in different categories; to achieve change in the efficiency of the energy production and distribution, this is aimed at reducing the cost of energy to the final consumers. When the cost of production is reduced, there is possibility of reducing the cost of the final product that goes to the consumers and thus a company is able to cut themselves a niche in the market. In this sense, the factor that is driving change in the company is the need to provide the consumers with products at moderated prizes to acquire a larger share in the market place. The reliability and safety of the product is also a concern of the company, the company dealing in the provision of the utilities tend to have the sense of reliability to the customers so that they do not lose market on that grounds. Competitors in the Industry Like any other business, the provision of the energy in which Northeast Utility is involved is experiencing the same competition from other service providers.

Toni Morrison Sula and Mahasweta Devi Breast Giver Essay

Toni Morrison Sula and Mahasweta Devi Breast Giver - Essay Example For a book of this stature, most readers wanted a heroine they could identify with- someone who was basically good despite her minor flaws and few blunders- someone like Nel. But that is not to be. Sula is the protagonist of the novel and she is by no means a traditional heroine. In fact for many, she is an evil woman who refuses to conform to societal expectations of her and does some truly inexcusable things such as sleeping with her best friend's husband. Sula presents a different, unique but definitely negative image of a woman. But it was not done to highlight the evil side of women instead it was done more with the purpose of asserting women rights and independence. Women rights and their position in the society is also the topic of controversial story Breast Giver by Indian author Mahasweta Devi. The story revolves around a woman Joshuda who considers her breasts her chief possession since they bring food for her family. She is hired as a professional mother for several children in a high class Brahmin family referred to as the big house in the story. The story deals with the subject of unpaid labor and a woman's reproductive capabilities going unwaged. Joshuda's low caste body that goes from being the most fruitful to decayed and diseased is used as an allegory and thus the entire plot can be considered allegorical. For many in the west, this story may appear too fictitious to ever be true but we must not forget that this is about an Indian woman in a small town of India where breast feeding children of wealthy families had been a custom for a very long time. The author chooses to highlight the social divide as well the collapse of Mother Ind ia myth. She uses Joshuda's body as a representation of third world countries while the big house represents the capitalist bourgeois in the developed world. While the capitalist powers have always been a source of contention in India, the author explains that by creating such vast social divisions, we are actually fostering the very capitalist forces that we otherwise vehemently oppose. Spivak in her analysis of the story thus asserts that the fictional character Jashoda 'calls into question that aspect of Western Marxist feminism which, from the point of view of work, trivializes the theory of value and, from the point of view of mothering as work, ignores the mother as subject' (Spivak 1987:258). 'Breast Giver', further argues that in this story 'we see cancer rather than the clitoral orgasm as the excess of the woman's body' (Spivak 1993:90). Breast giver highlights in almost dramatic fashion the exploitation of a woman's body in much the same way as colonies of imperial powers had once been exploited. The gruesome death of Jashoda from breast cancer is another important highlight of this work as Spivak notices the importance of the phrase, 'The sores on her breast kept mocking her with a hundred mouths, a hundred eyes' (Spivak 1987:260). Sula is the story of two black women coming of age in Ohio sometime during the two world wars. Sula is wild and aggressive woman with an individualistic streak and a strong desire to break free of tradition and rules. Nel on the other hand is the compassionate gentle figure that can best be described as a 'nice' person. But Sula is not interested in being the conformist. She is an independent woman whose personality is largely shaped by the place she lived in- Bottom. Bottom was not even half as good as it was made out