Peculiar Institution

lervns CH APT ER 8 The † Peculiar Institution', : Slaves Tell Their Own Story ii THE PROBLEM With the establishment of its nelw government in 1789, ihe United States became a r. irtual rnagaet for foieign traveiers, perhaps never more so than during the three Cecades immediately preceding our Civil lVar. N{iddle to up_ per class, interesied in everything from politics to prison reform to botanical specimens to the position of women in American society, these cu_ rious travelers fanrred out across the United States, and almost all wrote about their observ-ations in ieLters, pamphlets, anci books widej-v read orr both sides of rhe ocean.Regardlcss of their special interests, ho*. ever, ferv travelers f. itled to notice-an. d comment on-the â€Å"peciiliar instrtution', of' -frican Anre, rican slal,e,-v. As rl'ere narl-v nineteenth-cenlurr. 'onterr writers, English author Har_ i*t inter_ riet Martineau was especiaily tc exploit female siaves sexually, a practice that often produc ed mulatto children born into slavery. The young Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville came to study the Ameri_ can penitentiary system and stayed to investigate politics and society.In his book Democracy in America (1g42), Tocqueville expressed his belief that American slaves had completelr. lost their . drican cuiture-their custorns. lariguages, religions, ancl even ihe memories of their countries. An Eng_ ]ish novelist rvho 4/as enor. moLr_. lv poprrlar in the ! p;1†³6 Srrtr. -.. : t-,. ested in those aspects of American so_ ciety that affected women and chil_ dren. She was appalled by the slave system, believing ii deg::adcd mar_ riage by aliowing southern white rnen [1791 – ,ll {. (:ul,lAIt 3ftr1'loN†: .rrls 1'lll,l, ,tElR O'N .+,r()ltY rusty Charles Dickens, also visited in 1842. He spent very little time in the South but collected (and published) advertisemenis lor runaway slaves that contained gruesome descriptions of their burns, brandings, scars, and iron culfs and collars. As Dickens departed for a steamboat trip to bhe West. he wrote that he left â€Å"with a glateful heart that I was not doomed to live where slavery was, and had never had my s ‘nses blunted to its wrongs and horrors in a slave-rocked cradle. † I mer wrote to her sister that â€Å"they are ugly, but appear for the most part cheerful and well-fed. 2 Her subsequent trips to the plar. lations of the th' gir m( stz backcountry, however, increased her sympalhy for slaves and her distrust of white southerners' assertions that â€Å"slaves are the happiest people in the world. â€Å"l In fact, by the end o. her stay, Bremer was praising ihe slaves' morality, patience, la,cnts, and religior,s practices. to tht m( sla alc ev( gio m3 1850s, Fredrika Bremer, a Swedish novelist, traveled throughoul the United States for two vears and spent considerable time in Soulh Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana.After her first encounters with African Americans in Charieston, Bre - In the turbulent These traveiers-and many moreadded their opinions to the growing litei†ature about the nature of American slavery and its effects. But the over- sla dot pr( whelming majority of this literature was written by white people. What did the slaves themselves think? How did they express their feelings about the peculiar institulion of slavery? mi iio; sla (aI' SIn sla inc I it BACKGROUND JI ‘F the wh 3i cilLBy the time of the American Revolution, rvhat haci begrrn in 1619 as a trick-le of Africans intended to supplement the farm labor of inderrtured servants from Engiano had sweiled to a slave population of approrimateiy 500,000 people, the majority concentrated on tobacco, rice. and cotton piantations in the South. Moreover, as the African American population greu', rvhat apparen'uly had been a fairly- ioose and unregimented labor s-r. stem gradually evoived into an increasingly' harsh, rigrd. and complete Charies Dickens. Anteri-can Notes arid Picrr;res ir cn 1lol-y rLcnCon: Oxlold Unrversit. v Press. 1957), p. 3?. system of chattel slavery that tried to control neariy every aspect of the slaves' iives. By 1775, African Ameiican slavery had become a significant (some wouki have said indispensable) part of southern iife. The American Revoiution did nct reverse those trends. Although northern states in which African American slavery was nol so deeply rocted began instituting graduai emancipation, after the Revolution, the slave systemas well as its harshness-increased in the pio the Vir wh wh sec sor_ tha mo his no1 ag( 2. Fredrika Brenrer, ,|'nttri,ctt ol' the Fi. fties: i. Letters of Fredriha Brenier. cd. Adolph B.Benson (Nerv York: â€Å"{melic:rrr ,Scandinavian Foundation, I92-1r. p. 96. : I e 3 ibid , p. 1r. t0 f1801 ITAOKGROUND the South. The invention ofthe cotton gin, which enabled seeds to be removed from the easily grown short stapie cotton, permitted southerners to cultivat,e collon on the uplands, scale, and sell-preservati on other. . . . in the t the Lay, moOUS iftcan ,'er- tire did drd t,he thereby spurring the westward movement of the piantation system anci slavery. As-a result, slaverv expanded along , with settlement into nearly bverv area of the South: the . Gulf region, Tennessee, Kentucky, and uitimately Texas.Simulianeously, the slave population burgeoned, roughly doubling every thirty years (from approximately 700,000 in 1790 to 1. 5 million in 1820 to more'than 3. 2 mitiion in 1850). Because importation of slaves from Africa was banned in 1808 (although there was some iilegal slave smuggiing), most further gains in the By this time, ho*'ever, Jelferson was nearly alone among rvhite southerners. Most did not question the assertion that siaver-i 'as a necessity, that it was gooti for both the slave and the owrlrr, and that it nrusr be preserved at nny cost. Ir of[en has been pointed oul that lhe majority of rvhite southerners did not own slaves.In fact, the proportion of white southern famili es who did own slaves was actualiy declining in the nineteenth century, from one- lnt 1e) rot :han an ef- southern pcpulation, and ihose siaveholders with iarge plantations and But as the sla. re popuiation grew, the fears and anxieties of southern hundreds of slaves were an exceedingiy small group. whites grew correspondingly. Il 1793, How, then, did the pecuiiar institua slave rebellion in the Caribbean tion oi slavery, as one southerner caused tremendous consternation in the white South. Rurrrors of uprisings called it. become so embeddeci in the piotted by slaves were numerous. _nd Old South? Firsr. even though only a the actual rebeilion of Nat Turner in minority of southern whir†es owned Virginia in 1831 (in which fifty-five slaves, nearly all southern whites whites ‘were killed, many of them were somehorv touched by the instit'. rtion of slavery. Fear of black r_iprisings r,r'hile asieep) only increased white inpiorrrp'r†ed many nonsiaveholders to securities and dread. In response, support an increasingly rigrd slave southern states passed a series oflaws that made the system of siavery even system that included night patrols, more restrictive.Toward the end of rvritten passes for slaves arvay fi-om his life, Thomas Jefferson (r. i'ho did plantations. supen'ised religious servnot live to see Nat Turner's uprising) ices for slales, larr,s prohibiting teaching slaves to read or rvrite. and other agonized: measLlres to keep slar'es ignorant, cieP†itdeltt. ttrd a]r',ar': undt' thr ,,J. pi 1,1†³ But as it rs. r, e lrrve :hc rvolf bv rho rr lrit,'s. 1lrny non:lavehuicl,. r. – ;t. 😠® ears, and we can neither hold him, nor rt'ere ah'5id ttat emancipation rvoulci safel-v let hirr go. iustice is in one hling rherrr :nto dilect nc,,n,,n. ,. (. (,nrincrease. slave population were frorn natural â€Å"^rird in 1830 to roughly one-fourth b-v 1860. Moreover, nearly three-fourths of these slaveholders owned fewer than ten slave s. Slaveholders, then, lvere a distinct minorrty of the white f1811 t ,EuLlAll ;fTloN†: TEI,I, ‘S ,IR OWN fr)til' can Americans partly rested on the limitation of rights and freedoms for nally, although large planters repre- southern whites as well. l sented oniy a lraction of the white But how did the sla{‘es reacL to population, they virtuaily controlled irn economic and social system that the econopnic. ocial, and political in- meanL that neither they nor their chilstilutionsftnd were not about to injure dren would ever experience freedom? either thcmselves or their status bv Most while southerners assumed that eliminating. the slave. syslem that es- slaves were happy and content. Northsentiallv supporred thern. , ern abolitionists (a minority of the po defend their peculiar institurion, ivhite population) believed that slaves rvhite southerners constructed a re- continually yearned for I :edom. Both markabiy compleie and ciiverse sel of groups used oceans of in k to justify arguments.Siavery, they maintained, and support their claims. But evidence was actuaily a far more humane svs- of hor+' the slaves felt and thc'ught is tem than northern capitaiism. After woefuliy sparse. Given the restrictiie ail, slaves s/ere fed, clothed, shelrered, nature of the slave syltem (which incared for *'hen they rvere ill, and sup- cluded enforced illiteracy among ported in their old age, rvhereas north- slaves), this pitiful lack of evidence is ern factory workers were paid pitifully hardiy surprising. lorv rvages, used, dnd then discarded IIow, then, cail we learn horv slaves when no longer usefui. I'ur'+. ernrore, feit, and ihought about the pecuiiar inmany . ,r'hite southei'ners maintained stitution? Slave uprisings were few, that slavery was a positive good be- but does that mean most slaves were cause ir had introduced the â€Å"barba- happy with their lot? Runaways were rous† Africans to civilized Americah. common, and some, such as Frederick ways and, rnore importantiy, to Chris- Douglass and Harriet Jacobs, actuaily tianitl'. Other southern rvhites reached the North and wrote about stressei rvhat they believed lvas the their experiences as slaves. Yet how childirke. ciependent nature of African typical were their experiences?Most Americans, insisting that they could slaves were born, lived, and died in neyer cope with iife outside the pater- servitude. did not participate in organnaiistic and â€Å"benevolent† institution ized revoits, and did not run awaS'. oi iiavri-‘. in si_ich zin atmorphere, in Fiow ciid they feel about the system of rvhich many of the white southern in- slavery? tellectr,ral efforts rvent into the defense Aithough most slaves did not read or of slaven. , ciissent anci freedom of wrile, did not participate in organized thought rvere not welcome. Hence revolts, and did not attempt to run those rr'hite southerners rvho dis- away. hey did leave a remarkable agreed anci might have challen ged the amount of evidence thal can help us unScuth's ciependence on siarery re- derstand their thoughts and leeiings. mained siient. *ere hushed up, or de- Yet we must be imagrnative in horl. rve cided rcr lear. e rhe region. In man,r, approach and use that evidence. wa,vs. ihen, the enslavement of Afri- peiition with blacks; who, it was assumed, would drive down wages. Fi- In that birti size, fortf ordir bn t, tion. help who eCOnl the p of th will I and evide sout,l ing r trave often ore Nort the them gand ecdot rich tives r iave Ligat, pecur Histr awar denc, most eight older' thev [182] THFI ilE]'ilol) rl- JM? /†Ii' !i. re tves iolh +iA, ,! r rJi ,ltcc iis iive inong eis ves inere ere ick illv rut nii in a-v. In an earlier chapter, you discovered (about births, deaths, age at marriage, farm size, inheritance, tax . rolls, and so forth) can reveal a great deal about ordinary people, such. as the colonists on the eve of the American Revolution. Such demographic evidence can h elp the. historian form a picture of who these people were and the socioeconomic trends of the time, even if the people themselves . ere not aware of those trends. In this exercise, you will tre using another kind of evidence and asking different questions. Your eviCence will not . come f†om white southerners (rvhose stake in maintaining slavery was enormous), foreiga travelers (wh-ose own cultural biases often influenced ‘,vhai they reported), or even white abolitionists in the North (whcse urgent need to eradicate the â€Å"sin† of slavery sometimes led them to gross exaggerations for propaganda purposes). You will be using anecdotes, stories, and songs froia the rich orai tradition of African American slaves, supplemente

Personality, Personality Development, Spheres, Public Relations

Define personality The free dictionary: the visible aspect of one's character as it impresses others: He has a pleasing personality. the sum total of the physical, mental, emotional, and social characteristics of an individual. the organized pattern of behavioral characteristics of the individual. the quality of being a person; existence as a self-conscious human being; personal identity. the essential character of a person. http://www. thepersonalitysystem. org: â€Å"Personality is the entire mental organization of a human being at any stage of his development.It embraces every phase of human character: intellect, temperament, skill, morality, and every attitude that has beeen built up in the course of one's life. † (Warren ; Carmichael, 1930, p. 333) (In an acknowledged overstatement†¦ ) â€Å"Personality is the essence of a human being. † (Hall ; Lindzey, 1957, p. 9, characterizing statements by Gordon Allport) â€Å"An individual's pattern of psychological pr ocesses arising from motives, feelings, thoughts, and other major areas of psychological function. Personality is expressed through its influences on the body, in conscious mental life, and through the individual's social behavior. (Mayer, 2005) 2. ) Define personality development http://www. education. com: Progressive organization of the psychological traits unique to an individual, occurring as the result of maturation and learning from birth through adulthood http://www. angelfire. com: Personality development is the developing a personality cult so as to create a strong positive impression about self with the targeted group, or in general; and more pertinent aspect of such personality is to maintain and prove in a long run. http://www. healthofchildren. com:Personality development is the development of the organized pattern of behaviors and attitudes that makes a person distinctive. Personality development occurs by the ongoing interaction of temperament, character, and environ ment. 3. ) components/spheres of personality Wikianswers: 1. Physical Aspect- Height, weight, size complexion. 2. Intellectual aspect-ability to analyze, synthesized or to give opinion 3. Emotional aspect- the right time,place 4. Social aspect-capability to go other people. meet other people without necessarily withdrawing. 5.Moral Aspect- Knowing right or wrong https://sites. google. com: 11. 2. 1 Identity Identity is experienced as being aware that one exists and that one has the right to live. The person accepts his limits and is prepared to exert his right to exist. He derives strength and courage from a basic feeling of security, from self-confidence and faith in others. He accepts responsibility for his behaviour. A patient with weakness in the sphere of identity feels insecure, â€Å"not O. K. â€Å"and avoids responsibilities. This often obstructs progress in therapy.Strengthening identity then has a high priority. 11. 2. 2 Intimacy Humans are social animals. One of the fi rst needs of an individual is to relate closely to one person in particular. This produces bonding between infant and mother. Later in life the intimacy of lovers and close friends develops, one learns to be close to others without losing one's own identity. Intimacy develops on the edge of fusion (identification with the other) and self-assertion. The antithesis: fusion versus autonomy is solved by â€Å"sharing†.A person who feels supported by a strong feeling of identity can reach out and become intimate with others thereby enriching their lives. The intimacy offered in return, is a reinforcement of one's own identity. If something in the sphere of intimacy is lacking, a patient may experience trouble in developing adequate social coping skills. In a therapist an unrequited need for intimacy may give rise to problems: the transfer of feelings by the patient to the therapist may cause confusion and elicit inadequate responses. 11. 2. Drives and emotions The art of living is making the right choices and decisions. This aspect of human behaviour is studied by motivation theory. It is an important domain for the communication pathologist: many disorders have their beginning in this sphere. 11. 2. 4 Relating socially In the process of self-actualisation this is the buffer-zone that people build around their identity and intimacy. Human drives and motivations are consummated in the social sphere: identity is fostered, intimacy has to be actualised in a social context.Interaction takes place with members of the family and other people in the environment, in an ever widening circle. Out of early experiences with socialisation a complex scene of transactions between people will grow, which E. Berne has aptly described as activities, pass-times and â€Å"games†. A fair number of games get people entangled in risky social habits of which they themselves are hardly aware. A life-scenario with unwholesome games may include some vicious speech- and voice ne uroses.Replacing the dominating games and changing the scenario, by role-playing and practising game-free relationships can bring about a profound change. It will bring the person closer to a true feeling of identity (instead of a fake one) and to genuine intimate relationships. 11. 2. 5 Creative energy and the power of will Men and women are often judged by the impression of power they display in carrying out their designs and resolutions, in demanding achievements from themselves and in dominating others or, on the other hand by submitting to others.Phantasy and creative power are important factors in people's lives, and so are ambition and perseverance to carry out one's design. 11. 2. 6 Cognition: perception, discrimination, evaluation In this sphere the person keeps his internal image of the environment and of his own functioning in this environment. Cognition has been collected from and pervades all previous levels: identity, intimacy, emotional self-preservation, relating to others, creativity and willpower, have their involuntary controls as well as a conscious representation.By rational thought the person tries to make sense of what is happening to him and to his environment. Rational though they may seem to be, thoughts may be subject to distortion: Misinterpretations and false expectations may occur as a consequence of exceptionally strong experiences dating far back in time. [pic] 4. ) define public relations http://www. businessdictionary. com: The profession or practice of creating and maintaining goodwill of an organization's various publics (customers, employees, investors, suppliers, etc. , usually through publicity and other nonpaid forms of communication. These efforts may also include support of arts, charitable causes, education, sporting events, and other civic engagements. http://www. prsa. org: â€Å"Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publi cs. † www. answers. com (Britannica): Aspect of communications that involves promoting a desirable image for a person or group seeking public attention.

Night World : Huntress Chapter 10

Jez held herself perfectly still, keeping her face expressionless. Her mind was clicking through strategies. Two exits-but to go out the window meant a three-story drop, and she probably wouldn't survive that in her condition. Although, of course, she couldn't leave anyway without doing something to silence Morgead-and she wouldn't survive a fight, either†¦. She suppressed any feeling, returned Morgead's gaze, and said calmly, â€Å"And why is that?† Triumph flashed in his eyes. â€Å"Jez Redfern. That's the key, isn't it? Your family.† Ill have to kill him somehow, she thought, but he was going on. â€Å"Your family sent you. Hunter Redfern. He knows that I've really found the Wild Power, and he expects you to get it out of me.† Relief spread slowly through Jez, and her stomach muscles relaxed. She didn't let it show. â€Å"You idiot! Of course not. I don't run errands for the Council.† Morgead's lip lifted. â€Å"I didn't say the Council. I said Hunter Redfern. He's trying to steal a march on the Council, isn't he? He wants the Wild Power himself. To restore the Redferns to the glory of old. You're running errands for him.† Jez choked on exasperation. Then she listened to the part of her mind that was telling her to keep her temper and think clearly. Strategy, that part was saying. He's just handed you the answer and you're trying to smack it away. â€Å"All right; what if that is true?† she said at last, her voice curt. â€Å"What if I do come from Hunter?† â€Å"Then you can tell him to get bent. I told the Council my terms. I'm not settling for anything less.† â€Å"And what were your terms?† He sneered. â€Å"As if you didn't know.† When she just stared at him, he shrugged and stopped pacing. â€Å"A seat on the Council,† he said coolly, arms folded. Jez burst out laughing. â€Å"You,† she said, â€Å"are out of your mind.† â€Å"I know they won't give it to me.† He smiled, not a nice smile. â€Å"I expect them to offer something like control of San Francisco. And some position after the millennium.† After the millennium. Meaning after the apocalypse, after the human race had been killed or subjugated or eaten or whatever else Hunter Redfern had in mind. â€Å"You want to be a prince in the new world order,† Jez said slowly, and she was surprised at how bitterly it came out. She was surprised at how surprised she was. Wasn't it just what she expected of Morgead? â€Å"I want what's coming to me. All my Life I've had to stand around and watch humans get everything. After the millennium things will be different.† He glared at her broodingly. Jez still felt sick. But she knew what to say now. â€Å"And what makes you think the Council is going to be around after the millennium?† She shook her head. â€Å"You're better off going with Hunter. I'd bet on him against the Council any day.† Morgead blinked once, lizardlike. â€Å"He's planning on getting rid of the Council?† Jez held his gaze. â€Å"What would you do in his place?† Morgead's expression didn't get any sweeter. But she could see from his eyes that she had him. He turned away sharply and went to glower out the window. Jez could practically see the wheels turning in his head. Finally he looked back. â€Å"All right,† he said coldly. â€Å"Ill join Hunter's team-but only on my terms. After the millennium-â€Å" â€Å"After the millennium you'll get what you deserve.† Jez couldn't help glaring back at him. Morgead brought out all her worst traits, all the things she tried to control in herself. â€Å"You'll get a position,† she amended, spinning the story she knew he wanted to hear. She was winging it, but she had no choice. â€Å"Hunter wants people loyal to him in the new order. And if you can prove you're valuable, he'll want you. But first you have to prove it. Okay? Deal?† â€Å"If I can trust you.† â€Å"We can trust each other because we have to. We both want the same thing. If we do what Hunter wants, we both win.† â€Å"So we cooperate-for the time being.† â€Å"We cooperate-and we see what happens,† Jez said evenly. They stared at each other from opposite sides of the room. It was as if the blood sharing had never happened. They were back to their old roles- maybe a little more hostile, but the same old Jez and Morgead, enjoying being adversaries. Maybe it'll be easy from now on, Jez thought. As long as Hunter doesn't show up to blow my story. Then she grinned inwardly. It would never happen. Hunter Redfern hadn't visited the West Coast for fifty years. â€Å"Business,† she said crisply, out loud. â€Å"Where's the Wild Power, Morgead?† â€Å"Ill show you.† He walked over to the futon and sat down. Jez stayed where she was. â€Å"You'll show me what?† â€Å"Show you the Wild Power.† There was a TV with a VCR at the foot of the bed, sitting on the bare floor. Morgead was putting a tape in. Jez settled on the far end of the futon, glad for the chance to sit. â€Å"You've got the Wild Power on tape?† He threw her an icy glance over his shoulder. â€Å"Yeah, on America's Funniest Home Videos. Just shut up, Jez, and watch.† Jez narrowed her eyes and watched. What she was looking at was a TV movie about a doomsday asteroid. A movie she'd seen-it had been awful. Suddenly the action was interrupted by the logo of a local news station. A blond anchorwoman came on screen. â€Å"Breaking news in San Francisco this hour. We have live pictures from the Marina district where a five-alarm fire is raging through a government housing project. We go now to Linda Chin, who's on the scene.† The scene switched to a dark-haired reporter. â€Å"Regina, I'm here at Taylor Street, where firefighters are trying to prevent this spectacular blaze from spreading-â€Å" Jez looked from the TV to Morgead. â€Å"What's this got to do with the Wild Power? I saw it live. It happened a couple weeks ago. I was watching that stupid movie-â€Å" She broke off, shocked at herself. She'd actually been about to say â€Å"I was watching that stupid movie with Claire and Aunt Nan.† Just like that, to blurt out the names of the humans she lived with. She clenched her teeth, furious. She'd already let Morgead know one thing: that a couple of weeks ago she'd been in this area, where a local news station could break in. What was wrong with her? Morgead tilted a sardonic glance at her, just to show her that he hadn't missed her slip. But all he said was â€Å"Keep watching. You'll see what it's got to do with the Wild Power.† On screen the flames were brilliant orange, dazzling against the background of darkness. So bright that if Jez hadn't known that area of the Marina district well, she wouldn't have been able to tell much about it. In front of the building firefighters in yellow were carrying hoses. Smoke flooded out suddenly as one of the hoses sprayed a straight line of water into the flames. â€Å"Their greatest fear is that there may be a little girl still inside this complex-â€Å" Yes. That was what Jez remembered about this fire. There had been a kid†¦. â€Å"Look here,† Morgead said, pointing. The camera was zooming in on something, bringing the flames in close. A window in the pinky-brown concrete of the building. High up, on the third floor. Flames were pouring up from the walkway below it, making the whole area look too dangerous to approach. The reporter was still talking, but Jez had tuned her out. She leaned closer, eyes fixed on that window. Like all the other windows, it was half covered with a wrought-iron screen in a diamond pattern. Unlike the others, it had something else: On the sill there were a couple of plastic buckets with dirt and scraggly plants. A window box. And a face looking out between the plants. A child's face. â€Å"There,† Morgead said. The reporter was speaking. â€Å"Regina, the firefighters say there is definitely someone on the third floor of this building. They are looking for a way to approach the person-the little girl-â€Å" High-powered searchlights had been turned on the flames. That was the only reason the girl was visible at all. Even so, Jez couldn't distinguish any features. The girl was a small blurry blob. Firefighters were trying to maneuver some kind of ladder toward the building. People were running, appearing and disappearing in the swirling smoke. The scene was eerie, otherworldly. Jez remembered this, remembered listening to the barely suppressed horror in the reporter's voice, remembered Claire beside her hissing in a sharp breath. â€Å"It's a kid,† Claire had said, grabbing Jez's arm and digging her nails in, momentarily forgetting how much she disliked Jez. â€Å"Oh, God, a kid.† And I said something like, â€Å"It'll be okay,† Jez remembered. But I knew it wouldn't be. There was too much fire. There wasn't a chance†¦. The reporter was saying, â€Å"The entire building is involved†¦.† And the camera was going in for a close-up again, and Jez remembered realizing that they were actually going to show this girl burning alive on TV. The plastic buckets were melting. The firemen were trying to do something with the ladder. And then there was a sudden huge burst of orange, an explosion, as the flames below the window poofed and began pouring themselves upward with frantic energy. They were so bright they seemed to suck all the light out of their surroundings. They engulfed the girl's window. The reporter's voice broke. Jez remembered Claire gasping, â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and her nails drawing blood. She remembered wanting to shut her own eyes. And then, suddenly, the TV screen flickered and a huge wall of smoke billowed out from the building. Black smoke, then gray, then a light gray that looked almost white. Everything was lost in the smoke. When it finally cleared a little, the reporter was staring up at the building in open amazement, forgetting to turn toward the camera. â€Å"This is astonishing†¦. Regina, this is a complete turnaround†¦. The firefighters have-either the water has suddenly taken effect or something else has caused the fire to die†¦. I've never seen anything like this†¦.† Every window in the building was now belching white smoke. And the picture seemed to have gone washed-out and pale, because there were no more vivid orange flames against the darkness. The fire was simply gone. â€Å"I really don't know what's happened, Regina†¦. I think I can safely say that everybody here is very thankful. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The camera zoomed in on the face in the window. It was still difficult to make out features, but Jez could see coffee-colored skin and what seemed to be a calm expression. Then a hand reached out to gently pick up one of the melted plastic buckets and take it inside. The picture froze. Morgead had hit Pause. â€Å"They never did figure out what stopped the fire. It went out everywhere, all at once, as if it had been smothered.† Jez could see where he was going. â€Å"And you think it was some sort of Power that killed it. I don't know, Morgead–it's a pretty big assumption. And to jump from that to the idea that it was a Wild Power-â€Å" â€Å"You missed it, then.† Morgead sounded smug. â€Å"Missed what?† He was reversing the tape, going back to the moment before the fire went out. â€Å"I almost missed it myself when I saw it live. It was lucky I was taping it When I went back and looked again, I could see it clearly.† The tape was in slow motion now. Jez saw the burst of orange fire, frame by frame, getting larger. She saw it crawl up to engulf the window. And then there was a flash. It had only showed up as a flicker at normal speed, easily mistaken for some kind of camera problem. At this speed, though, Jez couldn't mistake it. It was blue. It looked like lightning or flame; blue-white with a halo of more intense blue around it. And it moved. It started out small, a circular spot right at the window. In the next frame it was much bigger, spreading out in all directions, fingers reaching into the flames. In the next frame it covered the entire TV screen, seeming to engulf the fire. In the next frame it was gone and the fire was gone with it. White smoke began to creep out of windows. Jez was riveted. â€Å"Goddess,† she whispered. â€Å"Blue fire.† Morgead ran the tape back to play the scene again. † ‘In blue fire, the final darkness is banished; In blood, the final price is paid.' If that girl isn't a Wild Power, Jez †¦ then what is she? You tell me.† â€Å"I don't know.† Jez bit her lip slowly, watching the strange thing blossom on the TV again. So the blue fire in the poem meant a new kind of energy. â€Å"You're beginning to convince me. But-â€Å" â€Å"Look, everybody knows that one of the Wild Powers is in San Francisco. One of the old hags in the witch circle-Grandma Harman or somebody- had a dream about it. She saw the blue fire in front of Coit Tower or something. And everybody knows that the four Wild Powers are supposed to start manifesting themselves around now. I think that girl did it for the first time when she realized she was going to die. When she got that desperate.† Jez could picture that kind of desperation; she'd pictured it the first time, when she'd been watching the fire live. How it must feel†¦ being trapped like that. Knowing that there was no earthly help for you, that you were about to experience the most terrible pain imaginable. Knowing that you were going to feel your body char and your hair burn like a torch and that it would take two or three endless minutes before you died and the horror was over. Yeah, you would be desperate, all right. Knowing all that might drag a new power out of you, a frantic burst of strength, like an unconscious scream pulled from the depths of yourself. But one thing bothered her. â€Å"If this kid is the Wild Power, why didn't her Circle notice what happened? Why didn't she tell them, ‘Hey, guys, look; I can put out fires now?'† Morgead looked annoyed. â€Å"What do you mean, her Circle?† â€Å"Well, she's a witch, right? You're not telling me vampires or shapeshifters are developing new powers like that.† â€Å"Who said anything about witches or vampires or shapeshifters? The kid's human.† Jez blinked. And blinked again, trying to conceal the extent of her astonishment. For a moment she thought Morgead was putting her on, but his green eyes were simply exasperated, not sly. â€Å"The Wild Powers†¦ can be human?† Morgead smiled suddenly-a smirk. â€Å"You really didn't know. You haven't heard all the prophecies, have you?† He struck a mocking oratorical pose. â€Å"There's supposed to be: One from the land of kings long forgotten; One from the hearth which still holds the spark; One from the Day World where two eyes are watching; One from the twilight to be one with the dark.† The Day World, Jez thought. Not the Night World, the human world. At least one of the Wild Powers had to be human. Unbelievable†¦ but why not? Wild Powers were supposed to be weird. Then she thought of something and her stomach sank. â€Å"No wonder you're so eager to turn her in,† she said softly. â€Å"Not just to get a reward-â€Å" â€Å"But because the little scum deserves to die-or whatever it is Hunter has in mind for her.† Morgead's voice was matter-of-fact. â€Å"Yeah, vermin have no right developing Night World powers. Right?† â€Å"Of course right,† Jez said without emotion. I'm going to have to watch this kid every minute, she thought. He's got no pity at all for her-Goddess knows what he might do before letting me have her. â€Å"Jez.† Morgead's voice was soft, almost pleasant, but it caught Jez's full attention. â€Å"Why didn't Hunter tell you that prophecy? The Council dug it up last week.† She glanced at him and felt an inner shiver. Suspicion was cold in the depths of his green eyes. When Morgead was yelling and furious he was dangerous enough, but when he was quiet like this, he was deadly. â€Å"I have no idea,† she said flatly, tossing the problem back at him. â€Å"Maybe because I was already out here in California when they figured it out. But why don't you call him and ask yourself? I'm sure he'd love to hear from you.† There was a pause. Then Morgead gave her a look of disgust and turned away. A good bluff is priceless, Jez thought. It was safe now to move on. She said, â€Å"So what do the ‘two eyes watching' mean in the prophecy?† He rolled his own eyes. â€Å"How should I know? You figure it out. You've always been the smart one.† Despite the heavy sarcasm, Jez felt a different kind of shiver, one of surprise. He really believed that. Morgead was so smart himself-he'd seen that flicker on the TV screen and realized what it was, when apparently none of the adults in the Bay Area had-but he thought she was smarter. â€Å"Well, you seem to be doing all right yourself,† she said. She had been looking steadily at him, to show him no weakness, and she saw his expression change. His green eyes softened slightly, and the sarcastic quirk of his lip straightened. â€Å"Nah, I'm just blundering along,† he muttered, his gaze shifting. Then he glanced back up and somehow they were caught in a moment when they were just looking at each other in silence. Neither of them turned away, and Jez's heart gave a strange thump. The moment stretched. Idiot! This is ridiculous. A minute ago you were scared of him-not to mention sickened by his attitude toward humans. You can't just suddenly switch to this. But it was no good. Even the realization that she was in danger of her life didn't help. Jez couldn't think of a thing to say to break the tension, and she couldn't seem to look away from Morgead. â€Å"Jez, look-â€Å" He leaned forward and put a hand on her forearm. He didn't even seem to know he was doing it. His expression was abstracted now, and his eyes were fixed on hers. His hand was warm. Tingles spread from the place where it touched Jez's skin. â€Å"Jez†¦ about before †¦ I didn't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Suddenly Jez's heart was beating far too quickly. I have to say something, she thought, fighting to keep her face impassive. But her throat was dry and her mind a humming blank. All she could feel clearly was the place where she and Morgead touched. All she could see clearly was his eyes. Cat's eyes, deepest emerald, with shifting green lights in them†¦. â€Å"Jez,† he said a third time. And Jez realized all at once that the silver thread between them hadn't been broken. That it might be stretched almost into invisibility, but it was still there, still pulling, trying to make her body go weak and her vision blur. Trying to make her fall toward Morgead even as he was falling toward her. And then came the sound of someone kicking in the front door.

Privacy and Security in E-Commerce Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Privacy and Security in E-Commerce - Assignment Example An overly secure environment looks into the security of the transaction by creating passwords and logins in order to ensure privacy and confidentiality of the details of the transactions. In cases where e-commerce involves financial transactions, the risk of loss of money becomes high hence making security issues key to e-commerce. However, both open and overly secure environments have both advantages and disadvantages. There are various advantages of conducting business in open environments. First, users will not require login and passwords in order to navigate on the websites. Paying for items or making orders will not require one to give login for identification purposes. This makes the process easy and faster compared to a secure environment where login is required. The graphical user interface of open environments is simpler and easy to use hence cause customer satisfaction and convenience (Becker, 2008). Cost advantage also arises in an open environment. There is no cost involv ed in developing a secure environment thereby reducing the need to engage experts in developing the site. The costs of hosting such a website are also lower compared to that of an over security environment which requires shrewd experts to develop. However, the cost may arise where customers sue the business for protection purposes. On the other hand, browsing in an insecure open environment is characterized by various drawbacks. To begin with, the computers can be hacked thus infringing on private information. This may make the future transactions insecure and further cause loss of resources. Moreover, it would be easier to get computer virus attacks, which could stall operations and further cause loss of data that may be expensive to acquire. In addition, a company can be faced with innumerable cases from customers for violation of privacy. Because of the multiple suits, the company risks spending colossal amounts in compensating the customers. In instances that the transactions in volve payment of money or transfers of money, open environments are inappropriate because unauthorized third parties might access the customers’ private information. There are cases in which customers have been defrauded money hence causing panic and financial losses to the parties. If this happens, the customers’ confidence and trust are lost hence making open environments riskier and disadvantageous. Similar to an open environment, an overly secure environment also has several advantages and drawbacks. On the side of the advantages, overly secure environment makes customers feel secure therefore promoting online sales. The high number of sales increases the revenues and reduces transaction cost associated with physical transactions. The businesses in ensuring security further achieve their fiduciary obligations of making their customers secure and hence get shielded from legal cases that may arise. A feeling of security encourages repeat purchases. Secondly, overly s ecure environment ensures that the business information is protected from hackers and crackers. When online purchases are made in an open environment, the business equipment and information will remain confidential from being stolen.  

Jury Selection Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Jury Selection Process - Essay Example (Kressel & Kressel, 2002) Since then it has experienced a growth spurt since its inception in the early 1970s. It has also received substantial publicity in the news media, e.g., for its use by the defense in the O.J. Simpson criminal trial in 1995. This relatively new field is controversial: questions exist about its effectiveness, its fairness and the fact that it is virtually unregulated. Evidence from academia largely indicates that scientific jury selection does no good, yet the market for such services continues to flourish. What methods do jury selection experts employ What are the bases for the controversy surrounding this "hot" field What, if any, solutions have been suggested to alleviate these concerns In jury selection, social scientists gain prominence but jury consultancy remains controversial in both the legal and social scientific communities (Stolle, Robbenolt & Wiener, 1996). Trial consultants have relied on a variety of methods in jury selection, including "scientific statistical methodology, folklore, pops psychology [and] astrology" (Boudouris, 1993, p. 4). However, there is also the gut feel as remarked by O.J. Simpson's attorney Jo-Ellan Dimitrius. (Dimitrius & Mazzarella, 1998, p. xiii). Traditional jury selection in most jurisdictions consists of three stages. The first stage involves the creation of a list of citizens eligible for jury duty, followed by selection of a sample of those persons to be summoned to court. The third stage occurs in court. In a process called voir dire, potential jurors are questioned either individually or in a group, sometimes by attorneys but often by the presiding judge. When jury selection experts are called in to help, they use a variety of techniques to assist in the selection of the jury that will be most favorable to, or, usually, least biased against, their side The tools at a trial consultant's disposal include community surveys, focus groups, mock trials, pretrial investigations of prospective jurors, and voir dire assistance. The widespread use of these methods indicates that SJS experts rely to a greater extent on attitudes and values than on demographic predictors, such as race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, socio-economic status and occupation, as predictors in jury decision-making (Penrod, 1990). Sophisticated statistical techniques, including factor analysis and multiple regressions, are often used to make predictions about jury decision-making from survey data. (Strier, 1999, p. 96). Trial consultants also frequently employ pretrial investigations of prospective jurors. This type of pretrial investigation takes two forms: community network modeling and surveillance. Community network modeling consists of contacting prospective jurors' coworkers or neighbors, or people in the community who are affiliated with the same school, church, or club as a prospective juror. Surveillance includes drive-by observations and photograph- taking of a prospective juro

Recommendations for a client business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Recommendations for a client business - Essay Example On the other hand, Strait’s business rival M.Y. China had their hostess at the podium to warmly greet the incoming guests and seat them most of the times. The restaurant manager also helped her seat the guests especially when more than one guest came in at the same time. This resulted in fewer complaints from customers and more importantly shorter periods in seating the customers. The hostess at M.Y. China is always in a jovial mood and welcomes guests in a friendly and a professional manner. It is apparent that from the customer comments that even when customers did not get her at the podium she made up with the welcoming gestures. She always engaged eye contact with her the guests, smiled and used a friendly tone when talking to them (Yelp). Therefore, Straits should put efforts in improving its service standards if it is to maintain its clientele, especially with increased competition from its next-door competitor M.Y. China. For instance, many customers have expressed diss atisfaction with declining food quality, service level and the restaurant’s general experience. The customers also bemoan the inattentiveness and the unprofessional manner with which the hostess and other workers behave themselves. Such negative perceptions from the customers may eventually hurt the restaurant’s business if they are not addressed. Some customers have complained about the absence of a clear job structure that results in ambiguity in the roles that different persons perform. For example, some guests have to wait to be ushered into the restaurant when the hostess is helping the servicer to clear the tables. Some customers also observed that the restaurant seems not to have an outlined task plan to ensure smooth flow of operations. This is apparent when customers who have made a reservation come into the restaurant and the hostess looks clueless when they enquire about their table. Sometimes she ends up mumbling some apologies and seating the guests in a d ifferent table. Recommendations The observers made some recommendations after a thorough evaluation of the service standards of Straits restaurant and comparing it to that of its competitor M.Y. China. Since the main issue was found to be the absence of the hostess at the podium, the group of observers formulated some recommendations that outlined tasks that would ensure that a hostess was always manning the podium area in order to greet and usher in incoming guests. The recommendations are outlined as follows: i. Organizing the reservations This would involve the hostess staying at the podium and organize any reservations that are made on the phone. The hostess should answer incoming machine messages to confirm that that all reservations have been noted. In addition, the hostess should schedule the reservations for all guests in advance and formulate a plan on how to receive and seat the guests as and when they arrive. This should include a seating chart. It is important for the ho stess to ask the guests some specific questions when they call in to make the reservations in order to have some basic information beforehand. Such information will assist the hostess in creating customer profiles that include names and contacts such as telephone numbers and e-mail addresses. However, the hostess may encounter problems that may be difficult to solve. For instance, what does the

Meteorology assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Meteorology - Assignment Example Review the sounding data available from the online repository to estimate the value of CAPE just prior to the occurrence of the Angus tornado. The atmosphere was predisposed to wards severe weather since the Environment Canada had issued tornado warnings for several communities in the area as a line of severe thunderstorms with embedded tornadoes moved into the Lake Simcoe region. On Tuesday at around 5:20 pm, a cold front spawned a number of strong to severe thunderstorms across the southern Ontario. This was said by the environmental of Canada in the storm summary early on Wednesday. i. Suppose lightning was observed in Angus, and that you had a clear line of sight from York University to it. How long would it take for you to hear the thunder corresponding to the Angus lightning? State any assumptions required for this estimation. After the storms, several thousands of homes and businesses I Angus were without power. More than 24 hours, customers in Ontario were still not having electricity. The thunderstorm went out in the following sequence, at 8:47 a.m., the first severe thunderstorm went out, then 10:54 a.m., 2:25 p.m., 2:37 p.m., 3:03 p.m. - 4:54 p.m. then the tornado warning replaces severe thunderstorm warning. According to Environment Canada, the tornado was associated with severe thunderstorm. It was accompanied by large hail, wind gusts greater than or equal to 50kts, or tornado. In other words, it was an Ordinary Cell Thunderstorm. http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/tornado-rips-through-angus-ontario-several-homes-damaged-no-major-injuries-reported/29754/. The tornado is approximated to travel at a wind speed of between 180-220 km/hr. and with limited wind shear. http://globalnews.ca/video/1475249/return-home-timing-uncertain-for-tornado-victims-in-angus. Tornadoes are very destructive as from the video link above, it led to the death of several people for instance the severe

Staying Put by Scott Russell Sanders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Staying Put by Scott Russell Sanders - Essay Example According to the research findings it can therefore be said that in terms of the perspective of theologians and religious experts, the concept of God is the center of the universe and talks about enlightenment like a zen master once said indirectly that the personal level of consciousness is the best place for enlightenment or to be the center of own universe of understanding. Awareness is the first important point to make directions toward a good future as people throughout centuries had dealt with difficult circumstances to study and create varying fields of studies to make solid patterns and knowledge on how to direct towards a better future for the entire humanity. Divergence in the specializations in knowledge reflect varying paths and mongrel realities like in the United States wherein culture, religions, beliefs, races and ideas mix in varying proportions. In relation to the dilemma of the future path of the world, it cannot be denied that there are three things that are const ant: everything changes, everything has basis and everything is interconnected. Everything changes can mean that life is dynamic while having basis means everything happens for a reason. On the other hand, everything is interconnected shows the concept of unity which most religions teach to their faithful. The downside on the current trend of the world is that people are heading toward different directions and many are caught in the complexities that cause confusion as seen in ecology.

Discuss the role of multinationals in the globalisation of innovation Essay

Discuss the role of multinationals in the globalisation of innovation - Essay Example With such economic power, the dominance of multinationals as leaders in technological innovation and this can be seen by the fact that 98% of the expenditure on Research and Development (R&D) by the 700 top R&D spenders, is done by the multinationals (Castellani and Zanfei 2005); the magnitude of the statistics can be fully comprehended when we see that the R&D expenditure of few major multinationals is more than the expenditure of some countries. This paper will attempt to show the positive role multinationals have played in the globalization of innovation with more focus on the emerging economies. Section 1 of the paper will deal with how innovation activities take place in a multinational. Section 2 looks over the research conducted by Jasjit Singh in his paper ‘Multinational Firms and International Knowledge Diffusion: Evidence using Patent Citation Data†. ... a positive light, as companies that bring in much needed technology and technical support that allows the host country’s’ citizen to able to improve their standard of living. Section 4 of the paper deals how technological innovations have also caused a dramatic rise in international trade especially in sectors which have close link to technology. In the conclusion we sum up the arguments of how multinationals have caused innovations, moreover, many of these innovations are not just technological but also supply chain process. Section 1 Innovations carried out by Multinationals fall under the second category of global generation of innovation. Since these companies operate on such large scales they usually have their own internal innovative network units based in different host countries as well as the home country. One of the many reasons for this is that, it allows the company not only to effectively and efficiently provide innovative ideas to the subsidiary unit but a lso it allows the main unit to understand the practical application process of these strategies on the local market of the host country and impart the reason for success or failure of a subsidiary to the other units. The three main strategies many multinationals use to organize their internal innovative system as stated by Archibugi and Iammarino. Centre-for-global This strategy is more commonly known in the business world as the â€Å"octopus view† of the multinational organization. As the word octopus suggest. The head of the octopus symbolizes the headquarters of the company where the entire R&D takes place. It is also the place where the top management is located thus the entire strategic planning and ideas takes place here too. It distributes its technical expertise and plans to the subsidiary

Overlapping talk and turns Essay Example for Free

Overlapping talk and turns Essay In face-to-face interactions within one language, when Ð ° speaker decides to talk, she can do so at almost any moment in the talk of another speaker. Thus, the potential exists for any one speaker to talk when Ð ° current speaker is already talking. Although many linguists have called this interruption, Bennett (1981) pointed out that when two people talk at the same time, the description of what is happening is overlap, whereas interruption is Ð ° judgment regarding individuals rights and obligations when speaking. Overlapping talk is not always nor consistently viewed by speakers as interruption ( Edelsky 1981 ; Murray 1985 ; Tannen 1989 ). Many American speakers, women for example, tolerate overlapping speech without labeling it interruption (James and Drakich 199o). The term overlap or overlapping talk, includes both brief spurts of talk and talk which could continue for longer. Instances of overlap include everything from brief listening responses, to indications of understanding or the lack of it, words of agreement or disagreement, and when two speakers begin talking at the same time. In simultaneous interpreting, one kind of overlapping talk is constantinterpreters talk as primary speakers are talking. This kind of simultaneous talk of speaker and interpreter, which, in face-to-face interpreting, can be seen or heard by all participants, is Ð ° marker of the unusual nature of an interpreting event. This Interlingua overlap becomes an accepted norm of these face-to-face encounters and is not the kind of overlapping talk discussed here. However, another kind of overlap occurs in interpreted encounters which require the interpreter to intervene. This is the overlapping talk that occurs between the two primary speakers. 6 This overlap can easily be understood because two participants can begin simultaneously, respond to anothers talk briefly or at length, ask Ð ° question, exclaim, and so on. This is not to say that overlapping talk by primary speakers is customary. In fact, it appears that, for the most part, participants in an interpreting situation are aware that something unusual is going on and adjust their usual habits of talkingthat is, they are more cautious about taking Ð ° turn, and, many times, are never sure when it is their turn. In any language there can be overlapping talk by speakers without noticeable disruption of interaction. But overlapping talk between two speakers in an interpreted meeting forces an interpreter to act. An interpreter cannot interpret two speakers at the same time; thus overlapping talk during interpreting has an impact different from when it occurs in ordinary conversation. When it occurs, two things are immediately apparent: (1) the possibility exist for three people to be talking; and (2) the interpreter must make Ð ° decision. Then the question is, what does the interpreter do, or rather what choices are available to the interpreter? 1. An interpreter can stop one (or both) speakers and allow the other speaker to continue. If an interpreter stops both speakers, then either the interpreter indicates who speaks next or one of the primary speakers decides who talks next. 2. An interpreter can momentarily ignore one speakers overlapping talk, hold the segment of talk in memory, continue interpreting the other speaker, and then produce the held talk immediately following the end of Ð ° speakers turn. Decisions about holding talk in ones memory lie within the interpreters ability to do so and the interpreters judgment regarding the importance or impact of the talk to be held in memory. 3. An interpreter can ignore overlapping talk completely. 4. An interpreter can momentarily ignore overlapping talk and upon finishing the interpretation of one speaker, offer the next turn to the other speaker, or indicate in some way that Ð ° turn was attempted. To stop Ð ° speaker, an interpreter has to do something, verbally and/or nonverbally, within microseconds of the overlapping talk. Although there may be several strategies in any language for stopping Ð ° speaker, interpreter’s also have to consider other factors, such as message importance, speaker relationships, and relative status or authority. Inevitably, interpreters have to choose strategies that work in specific situations with specific speakers. Because of the nature of interpreting employment, it is not unusual for interpreters to work in situations where they do not know the speakers or know them only slightly. This forces interpreter’s to learn the factors of Ð ° situation quickly. Thus, interpreters must know Ð ° wide range of communicative strategies and, as they learn about interlocutorsjust as interlocutors learn about participating in an interpreted eventthey make decisions about which strategies to use. This example is particularly rich with three instances of overlapping talk between the primary speakers. Two instances of overlap are within the first seven seconds of this segment, brief, and practically imperceptible. The third instance, however, is more dramatic. As three people begin to talk, the Interpreter has to do something. The first overlap occurs as the Professor begins Ð ° new topic. She has been discussing why the Students work is good but needs some corrections. Then, with almost no hesitation, the Professor switches to Ð ° new topic, chunking. At the beginning of this segment, YES is the Students response to the Professors previous utterance. As the Student says YES, the Professor simultaneously starts her new topic with Ch- but doesnt complete the word. This is the first instance of overlapping talk as the Professor and Student both utter together. Both contributions are brief; the Professor doesnt even finish her word so there is no need to stop them. The Professor appears to hear and understand the Yes, І agree rendered by the Interpreter. The second overlap occurs one line later when the Professor and the Student say chunking together. The Interpreter has let the Student know that the Professor is talking about chunking, and as the Professor says, І have no idea how, she sees the Student shrug; look puzzled, and shake his head. Although she pauses briefly, as she says, chunking again, so does the Student. As they say chunking together, they both see each other speak, and they laugh together briefly. Again, it seems Ð ° spontaneous occurrence, brief and ending quickly.

Media Ownership and Cultural Imperialism

Media Ownership and Cultural Imperialism Evaluate the claims made by authors arguing that media ownership and concentration lead to cultural imperialism with specific reference to a media text(s) of your choice. Do you agree? Media concentration and its impact on the effective citizen cultural participation has always been an important matter in both our past and modern society. Many authors argue that media ownership and concentration leads to cultural imperialism. To evaluate these claims we first need to define, with reference to several media texts, what the common terms of cultural imperialism, and media ownership and concentration generally refer to. Using multiple sources, more than refering to one specific media text, will help us to build a omniscient and objective knowledge about the subject. Throughout the years, these terms – taking into account today’s increasing wide range of media and ways of communicating – have evolved significantly in both their value and connotation, leading towards a critical point for our contemporary society and the ones to come. After explaining the meaning of cultural imperialism, we will then take a look at what media ownership and concentration stands for in our modern world and how it leads to cultural imperialism. Cultural imperialism Many authors – sociologists, anthropologists, and ‘philosophers’ – tend to explain, in the most accurate way, these two symbolic terms without any strong conviction in the end. For John Tomlinson this expression does not have a particularly long history. In the 1960s cultural Imperialism became a part of the general intellectual currency – a generic concept: It (cultural imperialism) brings together two words which are themselves extremely complex and problematic, in an attempt to provide a covering concept for a very broad range of issues (Tomlinson, 2002: 3).To make it easier we shall divide these two terms and attentively study the definition of culture and the definition of imperialism independently, ultimately arriving at a better understanding of the importance in defining this expression. In Oxford Dictionary the word â€Å"cultural† is defined as: â€Å"an improvement or refinement of mind, manners, etc., by education and training; condition of being thus trained and refined; particular form or type of intellectual development or civilization† (Shorter Oxford Dictionary, 2007: 261). Despite that the word culture is still one of the three most complicated words in the English language, by the nineteenth century the British anthropologist E.B. Tylor (1874: 185) provided probably the most popular definition of culture: â€Å"Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.† Imperialism is, itself, defined as â€Å"the policy, practice, or advocacy of extending the power and dominion of a nation especially by direct territorial acquisitions or by gaining indirect control over the political or economic life of other areas; broadly: the extension or imposition of power, authority, or influence†. Historically, imperialism is defined through the economic system (and its reference to colonial rules) and the political system, in which appears the Marxist analysis of stages, the modern capitalism and the fight between the American and Soviet Union (Williams, 1958). â€Å"Commonly associated with the policy of direct extension of sovereignty and dominion over non-contiguous and often distant overseas territories, it also denotes indirect political or economic control of powerful states over weaker peoples. Regarded also as a doctrine based on the use of deliberate force, imperialism has been subject to moral censure by its critics, and thus the term is frequently used in international propaganda as a pejorative for expansionist and aggressive foreign policy† (Wesseling, 2004: 7226-7232). If we now jointly consider these two definitions, we then nearly approach the following definition by Martin Barker and Julian Petley (2001: 22): â€Å"It seems to mean that the process of imperialist control is aided and abetted by importing supportive forms of culture.† Let us now examine a clear and direct example of cultural imperialism by Robert Cecil (1971: 6). In his folio about cultural imperialism, he essentially focuses on the impact of the colonisations across the world. For him this is the beginning of pure and simple cultural imperialism. If we have a look for instance at some meetings of The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, known as Unesco, when the French-speaking Africans and English-speaking Africans stand up to make a speech to the assembly, you can obviously distinguish characteristics of French and British culture. Respectively, French-speaking Africans speak in rather an silver-tongued, logical way; while the English-speaking Africans tend to be more blunt, empirical and, occasionally, even humorous. Which methods are used to convert a nation under cultural domination? The leading method is language. As an example, if you compel somebody, throughout an educational system or as a means of economic concern, to speak your language, to some extent you are imposing your pattern of thought on them. A French sociologist, Pierre Bourdieu, in an interview (Paris, 1996) communicated the following: Only knowledge of language enables the influence of the culture expressed by that language to be fully effective and to reach the soul of another people. We can also find this cultural panel in advertising campaigns, such as McDonald’s, Pepsi, Durex or Ford. Fords advertising, like the others cited above, adapts itself to cultural differences between the many countries in which the brand is available. The American ads are generally bringing back the classic American way of life, using old gangster movie patch-work as background references. Asian ads for Ford feature a fantastic, cartoon-ish style. While the UK ads are usually matching with the English humour style: short, direct, colorful and relevant. If we then sum up all those different approaches of the expression we can see that cultural imperialism is, finally,spreading and exalting habits and values; a practice in which diferent economic powers play a big part. It is with this link to economic power that the media ownership and concentration now interferes. Media ownership and concentration To explain the meaning of media ownership and concentration, we need to think about the natural tendency of capitalistic economic systems linking to oligopoly or monopoly. â€Å"Media concentration is defined as an increase in the presence of one (monopoly) or a few media companies (oligopoly) in any market as result of acquisitions and mergers or the disappearance of competitors† (Meier Trappel, 2004: Chap. 4). Indeed, Indeed, the world is basically ruled and owned by mainstream media conglomerates. In the late 90s, there were nine corporations (mainly from the U.S.) that dominated the media world called the Big Ones. According to an article from The Nation, the Big Ones never totally changed. The top ten media companies around early 2002 were AOL, Time Warner, Disney, General Electric (quote in the article as a media company), Sony, News Corporation, Liberty Media, Vivendi, AT T, Viacom, Vivendi and Bertelsmann (Robert W. McChesney, The Nation Magazine :1999) However, as Mark Crispin Miller points out (2007) companies may â€Å"come and go†. I chose to use the reference of mainstream media conglomerates ruling the world because these corporations, even if they seem to refer to media corporations, they share members of the board of directors (also known as the process of interlocking directorates) within a large panel of big companies, including each important economic devise such as Oil Companies, Pharmaceutical and Health car companies, Banks and technology companies. All of these companies are followed by many other â€Å"Second tiers† companies that each earn billions dollars of business. For example, ABC/Disney, among other corporations, owns FedEx, Boeing, City National Bank, Starwood Hotels Resorts; CBS/Viacom owns Dell, American Express, Akamai Technologies, Lafarge Corp, Amazon.com, etc. We are living to serve advertisers purposes. Cest notre raison dà ªtre claims the CBS C.E.O.. This capitalist economical process ruled by the constant need of power is very frequently seen as a problem for contemporary media and society. Media ownership of concentration and cultural imperialism So, how is this media ownership and concentration leading to cultural imperialism? The situation of an healthy and fair democracy is when choice is given to all. In other words, is when media impacts on the market by offering a wide range of ideas, information and types of culture. It is well-known that radion, newspapers, television and, mor recently, internet form a part of everyday life that democracy finds and uses as a way of expression in general media circles. What if, however, this circle is altered by economic ownership, competition and profit? There may be some media etablishment preaching the diversity, but it would only be on a external look. The worry is that so many agencies are often held by one giant only: â€Å"Defenders of narrowing control of the media point, accurately enough, to the large numbers of media outlets available to the population: almost 1,700 daily papers, more than 8,000 weeklies, 10,000 radio and television stations, 11,000 magazines, 2,500 book publishers and more †¦Unfortunately, the large numbers deepen the problem of excessively concentrated control. If the number of outlets is growing and the number of owners declining, then each owner controls even more formidable communications power† (http://www.globalissues.org, 2007; Bagdikian, 2000: 222). In terms of â€Å"quality† of the information reported, the media concentration makes it totally subjective (through the eyes of a few men pulling strings). While concurrential competition can be a good aspect for news reporting and media in general to push for a better quality, the concentrated control of media companies (oligolpoly) and its very special competition has reduced media under cheap popular information through crude sensationalism rather than quality, detailed reporting etc. This type of competition clearly affects the journalisms ability to spread quality news and alters the gap of theorical and professional journalism. But those decisions are firstly made because society and people change. Readers and viewers care 5more about scandals, celebrities affairs and local news (check the emergence and success of tabloids and magazines like Hello, OK, Star, and the Sun, which are also basically owned by the same man: Rupert Murdoch). Therefore, according to Fair.org we bsite: â€Å"Newspaper editors and television news executives have reduced the space and time devoted to foreign news coverage by 80% to 60% during the past 15 to 20 years† (http://www.fair.org, 2009). In terms of political aspect, there is hardly any obvious or revealed strategy adopted by governments. Of course they need to stick the law and human rights on the top of the list, but if we have a closer look over media ownership and their relation to the politics, we can find mutual gainful links (such as censorship, subtle truth distortion etc.). Although for now, let us take the example of Berlusconi. In this case, Berlusconi, with the help of the media and their stinginess, efficiently controlled the government’s and populations mind. With his own media (and with the journalists he co-opted with money) he controlled the parliament, the public opinion 1and the state bureaucracy in order to change the realistic substance of his judiciary charges, which could lock him and his subordinates to jail. By controlling the media, controlling peoples minds, spreading opinions and influencing decisions has never been so simple! Concerning diversity and homogeneity of media content, it is known that media organizations try to cover all audiences and public. They cant afford to provide worldwide information and decline it to more than thousands culture. Thus they use â€Å"omnibus media.† Transporting everything for everybody. It, then, reduces the diversity of opinions and commentary for common purposes. To widely sum up: one idea for all, which then involves a sort of imperialism since no other choice is given. Furthermore, the fact that international and national news is passed on by only a few preponderant global news agencies, and that the national and local news is delivered by only one agency makes the journalistic sources of news coverage very limited in scope. However, there is no empirical or scientific evidence that editorial quality has declined under monopoly conditions according to Werner A. Meier and Joseph Trappel (2004: chapter 4). Most of the media companies listed above are American, thus talking about cultural imperialism consequently implies to especially focus on the American media supremacy. You can travel to the most reclusive village and you will be able to satisfy your craving for a Big Mac, entertain yourself by watching a Hollywood blockbuster in your comfy Nike shoes. â€Å"This proliferation of American products across the globe is more than mere accident. As a by product of globalization, it is part of a larger trend in the conscious dissemination of American attitudes and values that is often referred to as cultural imperialism† Galeota, 2007: 1). Also, if we take cinema production as an alternative example: a few years ago, the youth of the world had a choice between Chinas history review by way of Walt Disney’s Mulan, and the Old Testament recreated by Stephen Spielberg’s The Prince of Egypt – still coming from American media productions. Foreign history and legends painted with the American background colors! At the same time, foreign productions crossing the U.S. borders are also submitted to an â€Å"Americanization† on the scenario and screen production. TenkÃ…Â « no shiro Rapyuta (Castle in the sky) is the 1986s animated film by Hayao Miyazaki. The Japenese version includes traditional and minimalist soundtracks by Joe Hisaishi. The european exported version includes the same sountrack and original dialogues with subtitles; while the American edition changes the music, dialogues and deletes scenes. After this incident, Ghibli Studios (Hayao Miyazaki production) refuses to export their films within the U.S. borders. But if America triumphs on screen in the vanguard, it must also triumph through the universal message of Hollywood – a message of individual voluntarism, easily transferable (and easily ingestible) to all peoples of the planet. Conclusion Here we tend to explain the origins and, through many sources of modern cultural imperialism, the composition of media ownership and concentration. After reading many articles, views, and claims about these different subjects, it was clear and obvious to realize their common interaction. The increasing globalization of media activities across the industry of media during the past ten years has made media ownership and concentration a fundamental socio-political, cultural and economical phenomenon. This media concentration clearly leads to a cultural imperialism interacting all over the world. Moreover, media concentration reduces the sources and information given to the reader/spectator. But on the other hand, we also have to consider another aspect of the problem: the basic psychological behaviour of our society. Historically a â€Å"leader† has always been at the forefront of society. Whether religious, monarchical, political or cultural the presence of leadership brought security and direction to the people (Montesquieu, 1748). Whether right or wrong, the views of the leader were adopted by the people often leading to cultural unrest and misguidance. The â€Å"safety needs† of the people, as Maslow claimed manifests itself in the choice and preference for leadership. In many ways the role of the leader has been adopted by the media giants who express their views to a widespread audience of followers. From the famous Thomas Hobbes (1660) claim â€Å"Man is a wolf for other men† (or commonly translated as â€Å"Dog eat Dog†), we became a society of â€Å"loup et moutons† (wolf and sheep). The population is now known for following ideas and opinions like sheep, and ingurgitates the information without questioning it (check the French INPI Campaign, 2001). Like a Sheppard herding sheep, the media giants (the Sheppard) can control and manipulate views of the people (the sheep) without the true facts being presented. So, whose fault is it if we talk about cultural imperialism? The media giants spreading the exact ideas and opinions without the foresight for a true and objective opinion or the people who blindly believe the opinions forced upon them? 2633 words Works Cited Barker, Martin, and Julian Petley. Ill effects: the media/violence debate. Vol. 2. Routledge, 2001. Print. Bourdieu, Pierre. Sur la Tà ©là ©vision. Dailymotion. 28 Nov. 2006. Web. 28 July 2009. Bourdieu, Cambridge 2005, The journalistic field, ed. Polity Car Ford Company. Advertisement. Pubstv.com. 2008. Web. 28 July 2009. . Fair.org. Interlocking Dictatorates. Fair. 2009. Web. 28 July 2009. . Galeota, Julia. Cultural Imperialism: An American Tradition. The Humanist. 2004. Web. 2009. . Meier, Werner A., and Joseph Trappel. Media Concentration and the Public Interest  . Media Policy, convergence, concentration and commerce. Euromedia research group ed. Denis Mc Quail and Karen Siune, 2004. Print. Miller, Mark Crispin. Mark Crispin Miller, January 7, 2002, What?s Wrong With This Picture?, The Nation. The Nation 7 Jan. 2002. Global Issues. Web. 28 July 2009. . Tenk? no shiro. Dir. Hayao Miyazaki. Ghibli studio, 2001. DVD. Tomlinson, John. Cultural Imperialism: a critical introduction. 2002. Print. Tylor, Edward B. Primitive culture: researches into the development of mythology, philosophy, religion, language, art and customs. H. Holt and Company, 1874. Print. Wesseling, H. L. History of Imperialism. The International Encyclopedia of the Social Behavioral Sciences Neil J. Smelser Paul B. Baltes (2004). Print. Williams, Raymond. Culture and Society. London: Chatto and Windus, 1958. Print. Robert Cecil C.M.G., M.A., 1971, Cultural Imperialism, ed. The Institute for Cultural Research Robert McChesney, 1999, Rich Media Poor Democracy, University of Illinois Press Ben H. Bagdikian, 2000, The Media Monopoly, Sixth Edition, ed. Beacon Press Montesquieu, 1748, De lesprit des lois Thomas Hobbes, 1660, Le là ©viathan Doyle Gilliam, London 2002, Media ownership: the economics and politics of convergence in the UK and European media, ed. Sage Ronald V. Bettig Jeanne Lynn Hall, 2003, Big Media, Big Money: cultural texts and political economics, published by Rowman Littlefield Publishers, INC. The Real Thing. The Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta Ga. WXYZ-TV, Yourtown, AZ. 5 Dec. 2008 Meenakshi Gigi Durham and Douglas Kellner, 2006, Media and cultural studies: keyworks, Published by Wiley-Blackwell 9/9

Impacts of the Protected Disclosures Act 2000 on Nurses

Impacts of the Protected Disclosures Act 2000 on Nurses This essay will explore the Protected Disclosures Act, 2000, specifically how it impacts nurses. Aligning the Act with the Code of Conduct will show its importance to nursing overall. The Act will be explained in terms of general content, and purpose including a brief background to serve as a rationale. The essay will touch on moral context, the role of the Ombudsmen, explore how the Act became legislation drawing on Neil Pugmires story to illustrate, and finally provide an example of the utility of the Act in an everyday scenario. Originally the essay had planned to explore a contrast of past versus future uses of the Act, however, recent research has been difficult to find in a New Zealand health context, possibly due to the privacy constraints and protections utilised within the Act. The Code of Conduct has been provided by the Nursing Council of New Zealand to create a framework for nurses to work within, while ensuring health professionals are held accountable to a certain standard of care. Medical professional accountability is important in maintaining standards and fostering trust in the profession; to be accountable is to be responsible (Wallis, 2013). Key principles of the Code of Conduct include respecting privacy and confidentiality, working in partnership with patients, working respectfully with colleagues to ensure patients receive the best possible care, acting with integrity to justify the trust given to nurses, and to maintain public trust and confidence in the nursing profession (Nursing Council of New Zealand, 2012). The Protected Disclosures Act, 2000, provides a safety net, a forum and set of processes for circumstances when nurses or practitioners whom we may work alongside, act outside the guidelines of the Code of Conduct, and where these acts result in malpractice or serious wrongdoing. The Protected Disclosures Act protects people who under the act are considered an ‘employee’ of the organisation. ‘Employee’ includes former employees, homeworkers, contractors, volunteers and people seconded to the organisation (Protected Disclosures Act, 2000). One of our roles as nurses is to act as advocates for our patients to ensure they receive the best possible care, are treated in a manner that upholds their rights, and ensure they receive the necessary care in a timely manner (Fry Johnstone, 2008). The Protected Disclosures Act, 2000, provides security, protection and appropriate support to an employee who needs to make a complaint of serious wrong-doing against their employer (Office of the Ombudsmen, 2014). The Protected Disclosures Act facilitates the disclosure and investigation of matters of serious wrong-doing in, or by an organisation, and protects employees who make these disclosures s5(ab). Employees have the right to have their confidentiality upheld during the process and are protected from employers who may try to counter-claim or take legal proceedings against the employee who has lodged a disclosure s19. The act aims to focus on serious wrong-doings (outlined in the interpretation section s3), including misuse of funds, acts or omissions which cause a risk to public health, public safety or the environment, any action that is unlawful, or acts which may be construed as being oppressive, discriminatory, and grossly negligent or constitute gross mismanagement (Protected Disclosures Act, 2000). Between 1999 and 2009 studies conducted in the US, UK and Australia found that between 4% and 16% of patients suffer from some kind of harm (including permanent disability or death) as a result of adverse events occurring while they are in the hospital (Brennan et al 1991; Department of Health 2000; Kohn et al 2000; Johnstone, 2009). Between 2004 and 2014 the New Zealand Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunals (2015) received charges against 344 health professionals most of whom were convicted of professional malpractice. While many organisations have policies and systems to prevent and detect serious wrongdoing, the people who work within an organisation may sometimes be in the best position to detect problems. Employee witnesses can provide a start to a serious investigation (State Services Commission, 2014). In a nursing setting, where there are high pressures on staff, accidents can happen and are usually dealt with promptly. The Protected Disclosures Act can be used in matters which are sensitive in nature and result in serious malpractice. While advocacy for patients, in nurses, is a part of their duties, in many cases when the need arises for advocacy, it can be difficult for the nurse to act. Rest (1984) discusses a process called moral reasoning which is applicable here. Moral sensitivity speaks to our awareness of how our actions affect others. Moral judgement relates to weighing our actions against that sensitivity. Moral motivation explains how we weigh some values more than others, while moral character is what provides the strength for an individual to carry out a moral action. When a person commits a serious wrongdoing, they are making a decision (moral motivation) that puts their values for time or money, for example, higher than their need for patients rights. If a nurse se es these acts and advocates for the patient under the Protected Disclosures Act, this too is moral motivation, with different values. It is for this purpose that the Protected Disclosures Act is aligned closely with the Ombudsmen Act, 1975, the Human Rights Act, 1993 and the Employment Relations Act, 2000. Under the Ombudsmen Act (1975), an ombudsmen may provide information and guidance to an employee on any matters concerning a protected disclosure; advise on what kinds of disclosures are covered as well as how and who to make a disclosure too, and ensure that no civil, criminal or disciplinary proceedings can be taken against a person for making a protected disclosure, or for referring one to the appropriate authority. It is unlawful under the Human Rights Act, 1993 to treat people who have made a complaint less favourably than other staff, in any way. The Act also states that an employee who suffers from retaliatory action from their employer after making a protected disclosure can file a personal grievance claim under the Employment Relations Act, 2000. This means if a person who makes a disclosure is dismissed (due to their disclosure), or suffers from victimisation or unfair treatment in the workplace, they are eligible to make a personal grievance complaint (Protected Disclosures Act, 2000; Office of the Ombudsmen, 2014; Ombudsmen Act, 1975; Human Rights Act, 1993; Employment Relations Act, 2000). Nurses and employees in general are encouraged to follow a chain of command when things go wrong, but that is not always the most effective course of action. A highly publicized example of this occurred in 1993, when Neil Pugmire, a registered psychiatric nurse, wrote in confidence to the then Minister of Health to outline concerns he had in regard to the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992. In his opinion it failed to provide compulsory detainment of patients who were deemed ‘very dangerous’. To support his claims Pugmire named a patient who was deemed at high risk of re-offending serious sexual crimes against young boys. The Minister responded that ‘mental health legislation should not be used to justify the detention of difficult or dangerous patients’ (Liddell, 1994, p. 14; Johnstone, 2009, p. 366). Pugmire, unhappy with this response, sent a copy of his letter to the then Leader of the Opposition, Mr Goff. Unknown to Mr Pugmire, Mr Goff released the letter publicly, with the patients name deleted. However the patients name was later leaked by other sources, effectively breaching the patient’s confidentiality. Mr Pugmire was suspended for ‘serious misconduct’ involving the unauthorised disclosure of confidential patient information’ (Liddell, 1994; Johnston, 2009). Mr Goff then presented the Whistleblower’s Protection Bill, in Parliament in June 1994. He is quoted as saying, â€Å"The reason for the Bill is that experience has shown quite clearly, that when a person tells the truth and speaks out in the public interest, but is without the protection of relevant legislation, the public tends to benefit from that action, but the victim invariably is the person who blows the whistle. Neil Pugmire †¦ is a man who felt the need, on moral and on professional grounds, to speak out to warn the community about the risk that he saw†¦ Ironically, the response from his employers when he spoke out was not to look at the substance of his concern, nor to listen to the message, but to shoot the messenger† (Goff, 1994). Neil Pugmire’s employer suspended him. Mr. Goff was successful and the bill was passed, initially as the Whistleblower’s Protection Bill, and later becoming the Protected Disclosures Act, 2000 (Goff, 1994). An example of how the Protected Disclosures Act works today, can be seen in an individual’s right to privacy. Everyone has the right to privacy and any violation of this where a person’s information had been made public would, under the Act, constitute a civil wrong. In a healthcare setting people’s information is protected by the Personal Information section of the Health Act, 1956 and has been developed from the Privacy Act, 1993 (Burgess, 2008; Health Act, 1956; Privacy Act, 1993). The Protected Disclosures Act serves as a foundation for proceeding against the organisation or person who disclosed personal information in a public forum and would protect the person who was making the complaint. In conclusion, this essay has outlined how valuable the Protected Disclosures Act, 2000, is. It ensures protection of employees in circumstances where serious wrong-doing results from breaches in the Code of Conduct or other malpractices. Statistics reflect the need for the Act and also the need for nurses to advocate and draw upon moral character. The Act has various ways to protect complainants and has been designed to be used in an accessible way, particularly involving the Ombudsmen. Neil Pugmire has been a prominent figure in ensuring that New Zealanders and health professionals alike have avenues to pursue when health practitioners need to be held accountable. The Act has particular relevance today, especially in cases involving the protection of a patient’s privacy.

A Modest Proposal Essay -- essays research papers

Have You Eaten Yet?: Swift’s Final Solution As a lately favored eighteenth century essay, Jonathan Swift’s "Proposal" has been canonized as a satirical model of wit. As will be discussed shortly, Swift’s essay is often seen as an allegory for England’s oppression of Ireland. Swift, himself and Irishman (Tucker 142), would seem to have pointed his razor wit against the foreign nation responsible for his city’s ruin. Wearing the lens of a New Historicist, however, requires that we reexamine the power structures at work in Swift’s society. We must delve into not only Swift’s "Proposal," but also into other of his correspondence, and even into discourse of the epoch in order to gain a thick description of the many levels of understanding present in Swift’s "Proposal." As a model of rhetorical discourse, Jonathan Swift’s "A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and for Making them Beneficial to the Public" is unique among the plethora of pamphlets which circulated Ireland in the early eighteenth century. However, it is imprudent to think of the work as having emerged purely isolated from the pressures of the society in which Swift wrote. While propositions such as "A Modest Proposal for the More Certain and yet More Easie Provision for the Poor, and Likewise for the Better Suppression of Theives†¦Tending Much to the Advancement of Trade, Especially in the most Profitable Part of It," (Author Unknown, Cited in Rawson 189) were commonly circulated in order to postulate solutions to the crises of the day, Jonathan Swift’s "Proposal" has been read as a parody of this sort of pamphlet (Rawson 189). There can be no solid support for such a thesis, and it would be wrong to infer that what is at work in Swift’s "Proposal" in any important sense is a burlesque on project concerning the poor or on the titles of certain types of economic tracts. The mimicry of these things which Swift employs is but seasoning, and not the main point. Likewise, to suggest that Swift was radically attacking the notion of economic planning of human affairs, or even that his attitude on certain central questions was humane or liberal is misleading. The majority of interp... ...ocaust becomes a close analogue to the "proposal," since the problem, whose formulation and very existence might elsewhere seem preposterous, underwent a Final Solution with hideous efficiency. This comparison reinforces the point that the "proposal" is not a sheer fantasy, nor a sardonically frivolous gesture of despair. With a New Historic lens, we must examine the interplay of interpretations of the history we have been taught. As Tyson puts it, "had the Nazis won World War II, we would all be reading a very different account of the war." (Tyson 282) We cannot be satisfied with any interpretation of history which relies on subjective information. It is not surprising that the targets of Swift’s satire cannot be, and are not meant to be, clearly distinguished from one another, nor that Swift’s allegiances between the English, the Anglo-Irish, and the natives are blurred and fluctuating things. These confusions provide essential energies of Swift’s style. The "Modest Proposal" clearly is an embodiment of the complexities and contradictions of the English-Irish relationship in the eighteenth century.

Essay on Language and Dialogue in Catch-22 -- Catch-22

Use of Language and Dialogue Catch-22      Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Catch-22 is probably best discussed in terms of its language. The prose style Heller employs is original and distinctive, appropriate and well implemented (Pearson 277).† One application of that prose style is dialogue; Heller uses dialogue to manifest the themes of the novel. Some of the themes best shown in the dialogue of the characters are Heller's hatred of war, and his perceived idiocy in military and in bureaucracy. Scattered throughout the book are several dialogues which share numerous characteristics. Some particular conversations are especially demonstrative of these elements. Heller uses these dialogues to communicate his ideas to the reader. In chapter XXXVI, several military police officers pick up the camp's Chaplain, take him to The Cellar, and interrogate him. The dialogue between the three MPs and the Chaplain is typical of dialogues throughout the book in many ways and the conversation reflects numerous themes central toCatch-22. The inter rogation scene offers many insights into the meaning of Catch-22and the dialogue therein is especially important. The camp Heller describes is bureaucratic in the worst possible way and the conversation exhibits those characteristics of bureaucracy that Heller most loathes: illogical operation, inability to take action, lateral actions (in which no real gain is made), and a maelstrom of regulations which work against each other.    One way the interrogation scene mirrors the themes of the book is that the logicemployed by the military police officers is totally illogical. Heller presents thisas a major theme in his novel: throughout the book, the thought processes of agents of themilitary make no sense whatsoever and tho... ...ph Heller": Copyright 1996 by Charles Scribner's and Sons New York, NY.    Frank, Mike. "Enos and Thanatos in Catch-22." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Roger Matuz. Vol.11. (77-87) Detroit: Gale, 1990.    Hasley, Louis. "Dramatic Tension in Catch-22." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 8 (173) , Ed. Roger Matuz. Detroit: Gale. 1990.    Heller, Joseph. The Chelsea House Library of Literary Criticism. Twentieth-Century American Literature Vol. 3. New York. Chelsea House Publishers, 1986.    Heller, Joseph. Catch-22. New York: Dell Publishing, 1955, 1961    Kennard, Jean E. "Joseph Heller: At War with Absurdity." Contemporary Literary Criticism.(75-87) Ed. Roger Matuz. Detroit:L Gale 1990.    Pearson, Carol. "Catch-22 & the Debasement of Language."Contemporary Literary Criticism. (277) Matuz . Detroit: L Gale 1990.

Major Benefits Of The Airtraq Health And Social Care Essay

The undermentioned entry lineations my proposal to present the AirtraqA ® Video Intubation ( Airtraq by Prodol, 2010 ) device into the Airway Management Clinical Practice Guidelines of Ambulance Victoria. Endotracheal Intubation ( ETI ) has ever been considered the gilded criterion of airway direction and is presently a MICA merely skill. My proposal is to present a new piece of equipment which will non merely do it easier for MICA trained paramedics, but may take to ALS paramedics one twenty-four hours besides being accredited in ET cannulation. At present Ambulance Victoria do non use any picture laryngoscopy equipment, alternatively trusting on the standard Macintosh laryngoscope and perfect line of sight of the vocal cords to execute the cannulation. Clinical grounds has shown that with the usage of the Airtraq Guided Video Intubation tool successful in increasing cannulation rates, even in awaited hard instances. The Airtraq device is compatible with IFS and RSI cannulations and has even been used in awake patients following consumption of a lignocaine solution. They have been used in morbidly corpulent patients, patients fitted with cervical neckbands, patients restrained in autos following MVA ‘s, and pediatric instances to call a few. They have besides been used as portion of a failed cannulation drill after direct laryngoscopy cannulation was non achieved. This proposal aims chiefly to present the Airtraq as the standard tool used by AV for cannulation, or neglecting that, as the following measure during a hard patient following the failed cannulation bore CPG before making for the cricothyroidotomy scalpel. Kind respects,BackgroundETI is an intricate accomplishment that requires pattern and apprehension in order to execute and keep the proficiency. To set up or keep a patent airway a soft plastic tubing is threaded past the patients vocal cords and into the windpipe. Different methods of interpolation apply and scope from necessitating general anesthesia or local anesthesia to none at all referred to as an awake cannulation. Currently cannulation in Ambulance Victoria is reserved merely for MICA officers due to the terrible reverberations if it is non performed right. However, it is a basis of advanced airway direction and indispensable in clinical scenarios where the patients air passage is compromised or oxygen bringing is imperative such as traumatic encephalon hurt. The accomplishment is non merely used in the prehospital scene but predominately in exigency sections worldwide which is where the bulk of our informations has been sourced from. Paramedics are invariably required to can nulate in less than ideal fortunes out in the field. Any device or tool that would be helpful in helping cannulation and consequence in fewer complications or troubles should be considered earnestly. Macintosh Laryngoscope ( Dimeda, 2009 ) Previous surveies show that paramedic pupils executing traditional Macintosh cannulations required extended preparation that may turn out to be financially unrealistic for an establishment ( Warner et al. , 2010 ) . The survey reported that in order to accomplish high success rates of first-pass ETI, drawn-out preparation plans and patient exposure was required. Whilst it was fortunate that the peculiar university carry oning the survey was attached to an adjoining infirmary, obtaining in-hospital patients to pattern upon may be far more ambitious for most other preparation plans and universities.So what makes the Airtraq different?The Airtraq is preponderantly based upon the Macintosh laryngoscope design. Both are long metallic blades aimed at making the groove channel to let for a good visual of the vocal cords. However the differences between the two designs and the subsequent positive consequences are good documented. AirtraqA ® Laryngoscope ( Enayah, 2010 ) There is marked curvature toward the tip of the Airtraq blade, ensuing in less manoeuvring and force per unit area during interpolation, hence supplying less opportunity of dental injury. More significantly, the in-built optical camera placed at the distal tip of the blade is designed to give the best possible position of vocal cords with the mini proctor built into the grip of the device. The two most common landmarks used during interpolation ( vallecula channel for Macintosh and epiglottis for Miller blade ) can both be used with the Airtraq, doing it a really various pick for those coming to work in Victoria from interstate of abroad ambulance services. There is the option of an extra radio proctor to give a larger image of the camera position and provides a docking station in instance charging is required. It besides integrates an anti-fog system to give the best opportunity at a clear position. Additionally the Airtraq is a individual usage disposable device that wholly cuts out any cross-contamination hazards that may originate due to improper cleansing after usage. A survey performed in the UK comparing proficiency of medical pupils with no anterior advanced airway direction preparation, provides cardinal grounds in favor of the Airtraq being used amongst ALS and MICA crew likewise. The survey compared a scope of state of affairss including normal air passages in supine place, left sidelong place, during cervical immobilization and in a pharyngeal obstructor scenario. They so evaluated the figure of cannulation efforts, figure of optimization tactics ( seting of the caput, bougie, helper ) , continuance of the cannulation efforts and dental injury caused ( Maharaj, Costello, Higgins, Harte & A ; Laffey, 2007 ) . Across the board there were better consequences recorded with the Airtraq – pupils stated it was easier to utilize, they had less trouble, cannulation times were shorter and tactics and incidence of dental injury were significantly lower compared to the Macintosh laryngoscope. The survey so went on to re-test the participants in 6 months clip in order to measure a â€Å" impairment in cannulation accomplishments † ( Maharaj et al. , 2007 ) . Consequences in favor of the Airtraq once more proved positive, frequently demoing about dual the success rate when utilizing the Airtraq. 90 % of Airtraq cannulations required zero optimization maneuverers compared to 50 % whilst utilizing the Macintosh. This information tells us that there is the possible to do ETI far easier and safer for paramedics whilst utilizing this tool compared to the current Macintosh laryngoscope. It so shows us that because of the design of the Airtraq, even if the medical practician has non used the device in a important clip, they are more likely to be able to cannulate right and rapidly utilizing the Airtraq. This would be wondrous good for those MICA staff that have n't performed ETI for a piece and are experiencing rusty. It besides shows possible that possibly in the hereafter, ETI could perchance be introduced to ALS paramedics provided a thorough and supportive preparation plan can be provided.Major benefits of the AirtraqAs the population becomes older, less active and increasingly more corpulent, new techniques and get bying schemes will necessitate to be devised to battle progressively hard cannulations. Taking patients that were undergoing bariatric surgery, a survey was performed to find the best manner in which to use the Airtraq in respects to way of interpolation ( Dhonneur et al. , 2007 ) . In mean leaden patients it is practical to utilize the standard method of laryngoscope interpolation without excessively many complications. However in morbidly corpulent patients a somewhat different method was developed to battle the extra fatty tissues barricading the throat. The blade can be inserted with the curve rotated 180A ° prior, so rotated into the normal pharyngeal place known as a contrary tactic. This process was shown to diminish cannulation times during the survey which is ideal and implies that the patient will hold the shortest clip possible in between oxygenation and airings with this method. Difficult cannulations including corpulent patients have been reported to take 4 times every bit long as standard cannulations ( Dhonneur et al. , 2007 ) so safely and efficaciously cut downing interpolation times is overriding when researching new methods and tools. An extended survey was performed to find if the Airtraq truly was every bit adept as it claimed to be when used in concurrence with patients that has suffered from spinal hurts and had later been fitted with cervical neckband. The survey was performed utilizing patients undergoing surgery whom had no anterior or current spinal injury. Alternatively motions between occipital and cervical sections were measured utilizing skiagraphy and the information was recorded in grades of angle ( Hirabayashi, Fujita, Seo & A ; Sugimoto, 2008 ) . Again, this research compared between the Macintosh laryngoscope and the Airtraq. Whilst both devices used did make some extension motion when cannulation was performed, the Numberss were still lower and in favor of the Airtraq. The research workers used the patients impersonal head place as the baseline figure and found that divergences in spinal angles were smaller, sometimes up to 40 % compared with the Macintosh. The article besides finished by saying that the troubles in go throughing a ET tubing down through the vocal cords utilizing a Macintosh blade ( being unable to put patient in the sniffing place ) would ask significant and accordingly, a important angulation of the laryngoscope ( Hirabayashi, 2008 ) . However in contrast the Airtraq has a built in counsel channel for weaving the ET tubing into the windpipe when cords have been adequately visualised. This would ensue in a decrease of motion bing less possible for spinal hurts caused by cannulation injury. Whilst old surveies had recorded and analysed the clip it took to execute cannulation with Airtraq ( Nowicki et al. , 2009 ) , this survey specifically showed scope of motion alternatively of clip and velocity.Discussion and DecisionThe information gathered in this proposal is designed to demo the board that the Airtraq device has superior effectivity when comparing cannulation consequences against the standard Macintosh laryngoscope. The curvature of the blade and camera make it far easier to visualize vocal cords whilst the patient is supine or even sitting. Cannulations performed were systematically faster and required fewer efforts than normal. The Airtraq system has proven it has a rapid acquisition curve with novitiates and professionals likewise being able to visualize class 1 cords rapidly, easy and still be far more effectual than the options at a ulterior day of the month after nothing exposure. The device has shown its ego to be the preferable tool when cannulating the corpulent or spinally immobilised. It was documented that the Airtraq did non raise blood force per unit area up by 50mmHg after cannulation unlike its Macintosh equivalent ( Maharaj et al. , 2008 ) . The Airtraq caused less dental injury and soft tissue hurt. Was suited and encouraged during hard cannulations state of affairss such as spinal hurts, corpulent patients, tissue hydrops These points and more are presumptively what a paramedic would look for in an cannulation tool if given the option. If given the pick between what is presently in usage and the easier, safer and more various option, the Airtraq appears to be a clear victor. Compatible with both IFS and RSI guidelines the Airtraq would comfortably steal into our presently used cannulation CPG ‘s and could potentially replace the Macintosh wholly. The possible cost factors at buying the disposable tool would hopefully be seen as secondary to its benefits for both the patient and the paramedic. Logistically buying the new device would hold to be determined informations exposing how many cannulations MICA performs on a regular footing. Using the Airtraq would potentially alter the manner we think about cannulation and let it to go incorporate into the ALS accomplishment set. More research would be required into uniting the Airtraq without the terrible paralytic drugs such suxamethonium used in RSI and whether it could be a possible option for ALS paramedics. Considerations for extra CPG information are included below. Airtraq by Prodol. ( 2010 ) Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //airtraq.com/airtraq/portal.portal.action Dhonneur, G. , Ndoko, S. K. , Amathieu, R. , Attias, A. , Housseini, L. E. L. , Polliand, C. , & A ; Tual, L. ( 2007 ) . A comparing of two techniques for infixing the Airtraq laryngoscope in morbidly corpulent patients. Anaesthesia, 62, 774-777 Dimeda ( 2009 ) . Dimeda Surgical Instruments. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dimeda.de/images/laryngoscope.jpg Enayah, A. ( 2010 ) . Emergency and Critical Care Solutions. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.al-enayah.com/Product.html Hirabayashi, Y. , Fujita, A. , Seo, N. , & A ; Sugimoto, H. ( 2008 ) A comparing of cervical spine motion during laryngoscopy utilizing the Airtraq or Macintosh laryngoscopes. Anaesthesia, 63, 635-640. Maharaj, C. H. , Costello, J. , Higgins, B. D. , Harte, B. H. , & A ; Laffey, J. G. ( 2007 ) . Retention of tracheal cannulation accomplishments by novice forces: a comparing of the Airtraq and Macintosh laryngoscopes. Anaesthesia, 62, 272-27. Maharaj, C. H. , Costello, J. , Higgins, B. D. , Harte, B. H. , & A ; Laffey, J. G. ( 2008 ) . Evaluation of the Airtraq and Macintosh laryngoscopes in patients at increased hazard for hard tracheal cannulation. Anaesthesia, 63, 182-188 Nowicki, T. A. , Suozzi, J. C. , Dziedzic, M. , Kamin, R. , Donahue, S. , & A ; Robinson, K. ( 2009 ) Comparison of usage of the Airtraq with direct laryngoscopy by paramedics in the fake air passage. Prehospital Emergency Care, 13 ( 1 ) , 75-80 Warner, K. J. , Carlbom, D. , Cooke, C. R. , Bulger, E. M. , Copass, M. K. , & A ; Sharar, S. R. ( 2010 ) . Paramedic preparation for adept prehospital endotracheal cannulation. Prehospital Emergency Care, 14 ( 1 ) , 103-108.