Krokodil: Signing Your Own Death Essay

Krokodil is a drug that is mostly sold in Russia. According to unofficial estimates, Russia is the country with the highest amount of heroin addicts; approximately two million. However, not everyone can afford this drug. Krokodil is a drug more powerful and more destructive than heroin and it is also a lot cheaper. Whereas heroin may cost $150 US and up per use, Krokodil can be obtained for $6-$8 US per injection. So what is Krokodil? It is home made and pretty much anyone can cook it. This drug is pretty much codeine turned into desomorphine by a relatively easy process of cooking. Codeine is narcotic found at any pharmacy. The problem with the desomorphine is that it has to be made by professionals in a special facility or laboratory to be perfectly pure. So these random citizens trying to perform this at home are going to use home products to turn the codeine into desomorphine, which is the cause of why the results after consuming this drug is so destructive. People use gasoline as a solvent, red phosphorus; which we find on average matches, iodine and hydrochloric acid, which is a highly corrosive substance, found naturally in gastric acid, it also balances the pH level of acidity which is why it is used in swimming pool treatment solutions, making it easy to purchase at specialized supermarkets. What does this drug do to you? The corrosive acids will eventually turn the skin greenish with a rough texture, which is why this drug is called Krokodil. The skin around the injection site is the first to gain this appearance and becomes an easy target for gangrene. The skin literally becomes rotten and, in time, it ends up sloughing off, exposing the bone. Victor Ivanov, the head of Russia’s Drug Control Agency, estimates that five percent of drug users in Russia are consuming Krokodil and other equally dangerous home made drugs. Heroin alone kills around 300 thousand people in Russia every year, but Krokodil brings a much faster death. Some of its consumers only inject it when they have no money to buy heroin; however, as soon as they manage to get the money they will stop using the Krokodil. In poorer regions of Russia, though, people are becoming 24/7 Krokodil addicts, which gives them no longer than a year to live, from the moment they first inject this drug. What’s bad about this is that there are actually websites showing how to cook this drug and it’s a growing hidden epidemic. After seeing pictures of what people look like after some doses of Krokodil, I wonder how someone would ever do this to themselves. Having said this, why do people still get themselves into this? What could be so terrible about their lives that they pick the path to self destruction in such a sordid, painful way? krokodil is 3 times more powerful and 10 times cheaper than heroin, and has become an epidemic in Russia. Krokodil has almost the same effects as heroin except heroin does not eat up your skin like krokodil does heroin is not that harmful as krokodil. Kokodril is consumed mainly injecting yourself the substance in your blood stream that’s the cause why it reacts destructively with your body. Many people call kokodril the drug that eats junkies. Many scientists say that this drug is one of the most dangerous drugs in the world. One good thing is that this drug is mainly used only in Russia but not in the united states. Overall if you take krokodil you basically sign your own death.

Deception Point Page 29

Rachel noted how careful the President was being not to mention her father. He spoke only in terms of â€Å"the opposition† or â€Å"political opponents.† â€Å"And you think your opposition will cry conspiracy simply for political reasons?† she asked. â€Å"That is the nature of the game. All anyone needs to do is cast a faint doubt, saying that this discovery is some kind of political fraud concocted by NASA and the White House, and all of a sudden, I'm facing an inquiry. The newspapers forget NASA has found proof of extraterrestrial life, and the media starts focusing on uncovering evidence of a conspiracy. Sadly, any innuendo of conspiracy with respect to this discovery will be bad for science, bad for the White House, bad for NASA, and, quite frankly, bad for the country.† â€Å"Which is why you postponed announcing until you had full confirmation and some reputable civilian endorsements.† â€Å"My goal is to present this data in so incontrovertible a way that any cynicism is nipped in the bud. I want this discovery celebrated with the untainted dignity it deserves. NASA merits no less.† Rachel's intuition was tingling now. What does he want from me? â€Å"Obviously,† he continued, â€Å"you're in a unique position to help me. Your experience as an analyst as well as your obvious ties to my opponent give you enormous credibility with respect to this discovery.† Rachel felt a growing disillusionment. He wants to use me†¦ just like Pickering said he would! â€Å"That said,† Herney continued, â€Å"I would like to ask that you endorse this discovery personally, for the record, as my White House intelligence liaison†¦ and as the daughter of my opponent.† There it was. On the table. Herney wants me to endorse. Rachel really had thought Zach Herney was above this kind of spiteful politics. A public endorsement from Rachel would immediately make the meteorite a personal issue for her father, leaving the senator unable to attack the discovery's credibility without attacking the credibility of his own daughter-a death sentence for a â€Å"families first† candidate. â€Å"Frankly, sir,† Rachel said, looking into the monitor, â€Å"I'm stunned you would ask me to do that.† The President looked taken aback. â€Å"I thought you would be excited to help out.† â€Å"Excited? Sir, my differences with my father aside, this request puts me in an impossible position. I have enough problems with my father without going head-to-head with him in some kind of public death match. Despite my admitted dislike of the man, he is my father, and pitting me against him in a public forum frankly seems beneath you.† â€Å"Hold on!† Herney waved his hands in surrender. â€Å"Who said anything about a public forum?† Rachel paused. â€Å"I assume you'd like me to join the administrator of NASA on the podium for the eight o'clock press conference.† Herney's guffaw boomed in the audio speakers. â€Å"Rachel, what kind of man do you think I am? Do you really imagine I'd ask someone to stab her father in the back on national television?† â€Å"But, you said-â€Å" â€Å"And do you think I would make the NASA administrator share the limelight with the daughter of his arch enemy? Not to burst your bubble, Rachel, but this press conference is a scientific presentation. I'm not sure your knowledge of meteorites, fossils, or ice structures would lend the event much credibility.† Rachel felt herself flush. â€Å"But then†¦ what endorsement did you have in mind?† â€Å"One more appropriate to your position.† â€Å"Sir?† â€Å"You are my White House intelligence liaison. You brief my staff on issues of national importance.† â€Å"You want me to endorse this for your staff?† Herney still looked amused by the misunderstanding. â€Å"Yes, I do. The skepticism I'll face outside the White House is nothing compared to what I'm facing from my staff right now. We're in the midst of a full-scale mutiny here. My credibility in-house is shot. My staff has begged me to cut back NASA funding. I've ignored them, and it's been political suicide.† â€Å"Until now.† â€Å"Exactly. As we discussed this morning, this discovery's timing will seem suspect to political cynics, and nobody's as cynical as my staff is at the moment. Therefore, when they hear this information for the first time, I want it to come from-â€Å" â€Å"You haven't told your staff about the meteorite?† â€Å"Only a few top advisers. Keeping this discovery a secret has been a top priority.† Rachel was stunned. No wonder he's facing a mutiny. â€Å"But this is not my usual area. A meteorite could hardly be considered an intelligence-related gist.† â€Å"Not in the traditional sense, but it certainly has all the elements of your usual work-complex data that needs to be distilled, substantial political ramifications-â€Å" â€Å"I am not a meteorite specialist, sir. Shouldn't your staff be briefed by the administrator of NASA?† â€Å"Are you kidding? Everyone here hates him. As far as my staff is concerned, Ekstrom is the snake-oil salesman who has lured me into bad deal after bad deal.† Rachel could see the point. â€Å"How about Corky Marlinson? The National Medal in Astrophysics? He's got far more credibility than I do.† â€Å"My staff is made up of politicians, Rachel, not scientists. You've met Dr. Marlinson. I think he's terrific, but if I let an astrophysicist loose on my team of left-brain, think-inside-the-box intellectuals, I'll end up with a herd of deer in the headlights. I need someone accessible. You're the one, Rachel. My staff knows your work, and considering your family name, you're about as unbiased a spokesperson as my staff could hope to hear from.† Rachel felt herself being pulled in by the President's affable style. â€Å"At least you admit my being the daughter of your opponent has something to do with your request.† The President gave a sheepish chuckle. â€Å"Of course it does. But, as you can imagine, my staff will be briefed one way or another, no matter what you decide. You are not the cake, Rachel, you are simply the icing. You are the individual most qualified to do this briefing, and you also happen to be a close relative of the man who wants to kick my staff out of the White House next term. You've got credibility on two accounts.† â€Å"You should be in sales.† â€Å"As a matter of fact, I am. As is your father. And to be honest, I'd like to close a deal for a change.† The President removed his glasses and looked into Rachel's eyes. She felt a touch of her father's power in him. â€Å"I am asking you as a favor, Rachel, and also because I believe it is part of your job. So which is it? Yes or no? Will you brief my staff on this matter?† Rachel felt trapped inside the tiny PSC trailer. Nothing like the hard sell. Even from three thousand miles away, Rachel could feel the strength of his will pressing through the video screen. She also knew this was a perfectly reasonable request, whether she liked it or not. â€Å"I'd have conditions,† Rachel said. Herney arched his eyebrows. â€Å"Being?† â€Å"I meet your staff in private. No reporters. This is a private briefing, not a public endorsement.† â€Å"You have my word. Your meeting is already slated for a very private location.† Rachel sighed. â€Å"All right then.† The President beamed. â€Å"Excellent.† Rachel checked her watch, surprised to see it was already a little past four o'clock. â€Å"Hold on,† she said, puzzled, â€Å"if you're going live at eight P.M., we don't have time. Even in that vile contraption you sent me up here in, I couldn't get back to the White House for another couple of hours at the very fastest. I'd have to prepare my remarks and-â€Å"

Benefits of ICT in Education and Classroom Management

Benefits of ICT in Education and Classroom Management ICT has so many advantages in the learning and teaching process. Classroom management is one of them that gained benefits from ICT. According to experienced teachers who use ICT in their classrooms that ICT may make the classroom controlling more effortless because ICT provides materials that make the class more interesting and easy to control (Cox and Webb, 2004). The existence of several sorts of ICT tools gives the class other support of learning especially in terms of visual and auditory learning. Thus the definition of classroom management â€Å"Content management occurs when teachers manage space, materials, equipment, the movement of people, and lessons that are part of a curriculum or program of studies† (Froyen they have ‘eyes in the back of their heads’ so are able to pay attention to several things at the same time; Letting pupils know what behavior is expected of them at any given point in time; Smoothness: teachers are able to guide pupil behavior v erbally or non- verbally without having to interrupt teaching; Maintaining group focus and interest.† Leask and Pachler(2005:44) ICT is beneficial for teachers too, to discipline student’s deportments in the class. In â€Å"withitness† teachers never are busy with other things in the class while answering a question or other activities (Leask and Pachler, 2005). They should pay their attention to students behaviour even they observe them out of the corner of their eye, it will be good. In addition, students know what they are going to do next time. Finally, in â€Å"smoothness† teachers use efficient techniques that guide students in a way, which does not lead to a noisy atmosphere in the class, but without interrupting teaching process. ICT and Motivation: The British educational communications and technology agency (Becta, 2003) has a research about ICT and motivation, which reports that regular use of ICT across various curriculum subjects, may have a u seful motivational impact on students learning (cited in Cox, 1997). It is clear that students stand more time in front of their tasks by using ICT like computer than other methods such as: classic method, which was manual, which is manual. ICT may solve discipline problems and decrease them. Moreover, students who used ICT for educational reasons in school feel more successful were more motivated to learn and have raised self-confidence and self-esteem (cited in Software and information industry association 2000). For example, while writing a paragraph by hand there is no grammar check to correct mistakes, but while ICT programs such as Microsoft Office word, which will detect most of the spelling and grammar mistakes. This process will encourage and motivate students certainly. Leask and Pachler, 2005 refer that the impaCT2 project evaluated the motivation of students through 15 case studies in their books. Researchers found that ICT not only encourages students to become more con centrated on the task. ICT also was seen by some teachers to improve both the competency and cognitive functioning (Cited in Comber et al., 2002, p. 9).

Gun Control Issues in the United States Research Paper

Gun Control Issues in the United States - Research Paper Example The national firearms act was the first act that restricted the rights to own guns. The guns were then provided to the people after complete background checking and assuring as if they really needed the gun for a fair use. The federal act of gun control was introduced in 1968, and as per this act, each gun is provided with a unique serial number that is held by the gun buyer. 1990s’ amendment then proscribes the criminals to become a gun owner and makes it essential to check the criminal record of the buyer during the sales time. Gun control opponents argue that people bearing handguns are able to defend themselves from criminal offense assuring personal safety. Whereas, the advocates of gun control suggest that increase in crime rates is an outcome of widespread ownership of the gun and ultimately bring negative consequences both in terms of private and public (Gun Control Debate 2011).   Since 1934, various federal laws have been acted out to promote federal regulation of firearms and ammunition, the constitutionality, and efficacy of which is continued to be a strong debate. Gun control proponents argue that laws and regulation to control gun ownership and holding can prohibit convicted felons, mentally challenged and other individuals who are not safe to the society to misuse guns to create harm. The advocates of gun control also suggest that accessibility of guns to these high-risk individuals can successfully be reduced by only the federal regulations and policies for gun usage. Some people even sought for extensive modifications in gun control policy such as non-police handgun possession and the registration of all firearm owners or firearms should be prohibited almost exclusively. For this prohibitive act regarding firearms, they insist that such regulation is not barred by the constitution and it does not incur any substantial social costs. Some proponents do not consider such strict policies rather they go for moderate policy alternatives suc h as the ones which would not hinder legitimate possession and transfer of firearms. The opponents of such federal policies have much stronger arguments. They refuse to accept that federal regulation can prevent firearms access by high-risk persons. They argue against the gun control acts indicating that such controls often disturb law observant citizens by creating burdens on them. Some people consider these policies as a violation of constitutional rights catered by the Second Amendment. They even give reasons for their opposition to gun control by demonstrating that they consider the widespread possession of the gun as one of the best impediments to criminal offenses and to likely despotism as well, whether through the use of guns by gangs or by the government. Some opponents may also criticize the impression of enhancing federal powers as opposed to state and police forces (Gun Control 2002). Gun control had been considered a prominent issue neither in the 2004 Presidential camp aign nor in the 2008 campaign.  Ã‚  

Self-Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Self-Reflection - Essay Example nationality being that of Somalia (check 1st week blog).The two Chinese girls in my group had been friends before and therefore were in good terms with one another. At the beginning of the project, we did not all have very strong ties with each other. Opening discussions however brought us closer. We started discussing our goals and aims and reflected upon our previous accomplishments. Such discussions assisted us in understanding each other and we began to get closer as group. The best explanation of the way we adopted the model, interacted with each other and settles on what would be done by who is the Tuckman’s stages of group development (Chapman, 2009) shown below; The â€Å"Forming† part took us a lot of time to cover. From the time we started the group, we not only added each other as friends on Facebook but also created a group profile which facilitated our exchanging of messages and everyone could see this simultaneously. In accordance to Belbin (1993), so as for a group to function well, it is very important that the members know each other something that assists in the Forming and Norming process. We gradually covered the stages of â€Å"forming† to â€Å"norming†. So as to accomplish this, we decided to do these roles together and everybody comes with whatever information they gathered to the meetings. After this, we did not spend much time trying to hit the â€Å"storming† section of the theory Tuckman (1965).As time went by I felt that the participation of other group members was very minute since they were all expecting me to do all the work and had to inform our supervisor regarding this. It was thus agreed that tasks should be delegated and had to stop doing tasks together as had been before since it was no longer working. Consequently, it is at that point that we proceeded to the last phase of Truckman theory (1965), which is performing. At this stage Tang and I were already well versed with what was required of us to do and were thorough with

Media Technology Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Media Technology Management - Assignment Example .8V-unbuffered-non-ECC, Operating System – Windows Vista Business (SP1), Graphics card – Inno3D nVIDIA GeForce 9800GT Graphics Card - 1GB GDDR3 - PCI-E - 256-Bit - Dual DVI - Memory clock - HDCP - HDTV, Hard drive – Seagate OEM 500GB Barracuda 7200.12 Internal Hard Disk Drive (7200RPM, SATA, 32MB Cache), Monitor – LCD Samsung T220HD 22-inch Widescreen LCD TFT Monitor, 2ms, Rose Black, 10000:1, TV Tuner. As far as the software for audio editing, video editing and authoring is concerned, Vegas Pro 8 of Sony Creative Software would suit both our needs and the pocket. Now entering into the cost part, the PC computer costs totally -  £ 913.07 and the Vegas Pro 8 software costs  £524.34. So the total expenditure for the computer and software bundle would be -  £1437.41 (including VAT). External hard drive which we employ here for archiving work is of the following specification – 500 GB space & USB2.0 compliant. This is a product of G-Tech, and we use them because they are one among the leaders in external hard drive manufacturers. The model is G-Drive FW400, and it costs  £113.25 The duplicator that we use is, Copystars CD DVD Duplicator. It’s specifications are – 115/230v switchable with AC Adaptor power cord and ready to use duplication tower. It has been chosen because it has the capability to duplicate dual layer and various formats of discs, it can also name hard drives, count discs, perform error and data integrity checks etc. They are also very user friendly as they use smart DVD duplicator technology. It will cost  £250 We have gone for an - All-in-One Multifunction Scanner and CD/DVD Printer as it saves considerable amount of money. We are employing a Hewlett Packard’s product of the following specification: Print technology – Thermal Inkjet, Print speed – 32 ppm, Maximum scan size – 216 x 297 mm, Scan speed – 10 x 15 cm color photo into Microsoft Word less than 22 sec, Scan Technology - Contact Image Sensor (CIS), Model Number –

Factortame Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Factortame - Essay Example 101). This decision seriously threatened the livelihood of Factortame Limited, whose Spanish directors had re-registered 53 Spanish-registered boats as British boats, and also purchased 42 British-registered boats, for a fleet of almost 100 fishing boats to use in UK waters. When the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 was passed, Factortame sought to have a British court overturn it, because it violated the Common Fisheries Policy, and legal principle held that Community law held sway over national law. This had been set as precedent by the ECJ in Costa v. ENEL in 1964 (Drewry, p. 101), but that did not stop the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords make Factortame seek remedy in the ECJ before starting the process on British soil. The Factortame received far more publicity than did Costa, and it brought home to the British public a fact that had been clear to the British legal community for some time: that, in many ways, British sovereignty had been changed as soon as the British government acc eded to membership in the EC (Oliver p. 2). Over time, the British courts have moved to make this change a reality through case law. In the instance of Factortame, the court invalidated provisions that were contradictory to European law, and precedents over time have altered the doctrine of implied repeal. Other changes have included an alteration in the common law presumption of compliance between British statutes and international law, as well as a change in the way that the common law of remedies works, so that it dovetails with European requirements (Oliver, p. 1). Much press has been given to the ways that the European Union has allegedly attempted to rob its member countries of their individuality by instituting regulations in a number of silly ways. According to an editorial in the New York Times, a large urban mythology about this has grown up: The European Union has long tried to dispel myths that its zealous bureaucrats are trying to impinge on national cultures in their bid to harmonize standards in the world's biggest trading bloc. Such myths have included that cucumbers sold in the European Union must not arch more than 10 millimeters for every 10 millimeters of length; that it is against health rules to feed swans stale bread; and that Brussels had decided that shellfish must be given rest breaks and stress-relieving showers during boat journeys over 50 kilometers long." (European Union). Since the Factortame case came well after the Costa case, which was the groundbreaking precedent in establishing the supremacy of European law over national law, it is interesting that it was this case that attracted such attention in the public arena. As Gavin Drewry points out, the case of Factortame was much less of an earthquake in legal circles than it was in public opinion, because relevant precedent had been set almost fifteen years before, and the legal community was accustomed to seeing British statutes get set aside when they came into conflict with European law. The timing of Factortame was what made the case such a significant event in the public arena: it occurred during Prime Minister Thatcher's Conservative

AFA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

AFA - Essay Example This apartheid regime passed the 1962 Sabotage Act in response to the constitution of militant units and increase in sabotage. According to Kithinji, the Act gave the justice ministry immense powers such that it could silence political activism and further condemn â€Å"communist agitators† to house arrest (240). Indeed, apartheid had devastating effects on the social lives of the people. This was further aggravated by the suppression of the opposition early in the 1960s as propagated by the apartheid rule. The 1959 Promotion of Bantu Self-Government Bill passed by the parliament allowed homelands to be completely independent states. This â€Å"independence† to the Bantustans was used by the apartheid regime to develop national consciousness in the groups it created as observed by Kithinji (241). The rights of the Africans continued to be held in the hands of the apartheid which maintained social control and propagated destruction. The banning of all forbidden organizations including the ANC, the Pan-African Congress and the South Africa Communist Party among others on 2 February 1990 was an indication of the readiness for national negotiations on the adoption of new political order according to Kithinji (245). A few resultant crises caused the regime to collapse. This included the prolonged socio-political instability which destabilized the economy and created structural weaknesses. This became apparent with the military involvement of South Africa in Angola in support of Jonas Savimbi’s rebel National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, UNITA which was in the fight to oust the leftist Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, MPLA government (Kithinji 244). Kithinji, Michael Mwenda. â€Å"Apartheid in South Africa.† (Re) Tracing Africa: A Multi-Disciplinary Study of African History, Societies, and Cultures. Eds. Salome

Sale of Goods Act 1979 sections 20A & 20B - Passing of Property & Risk Essay

Sale of Goods Act 1979 sections 20A & 20B - Passing of Property & Risk - Essay Example Section 20A is applicable to Contracts of sale where there is a â€Å"specified quantity of unascertained goods.† Section 20B was enacted to supplement the lacuna created by section 20A where there has been deemed consent by the buyer as a co-owner of goods from the bulk and the protection of liquidators from any action in case of insolvency. It means that an act done under Section 20A by one of the co-owners (buyers) binds the other but in case of the seller’s insolvency before passing of property paid for, the buyer is protected. Therefore, the researcher concludes that the legislature never introduced any form of injustice to replace another by enacting Sections 20A and 20B but they cured the mischief in law and strengthened the justice system that could have created endless litigations due to uncertainty of goods, undefined deemed consent and the insolvency of the seller where property had not passed to the buyer. Analysis Sections 20A and 20B Section 20A of the Sal e of Goods Act as amended specifically deals with contracts where the parties traded in â€Å"specified quantity of unascertained goods† in the bulk and gives legal parameters to the effect that property and risk in goods is deemed to have passed upon ascertainment as per the Avory J in Healey v Howlett & Sons (1917). This can either be by identification of goods by the buyer, appropriation by the seller, abatement and or severance of the goods in the bulk by the buyer. In this vein, particular conditions should be fulfilled which includes; that such goods for sale or a sample from the bulk should be clearly identified as forming part of the contract or by any other subsequent contract by parties to that agreement (Burns, 1996, P.268). Secondly, there should be consideration for those goods forming wholly or part of the contract according to Burns, (1996, P.268) and also upheld by the Court in Cohen v Roche (1927). It is an exception to the old rule of thumb that goods pass u pon delivery and payment (Ward (RV) Ltd v Bignall,1967, P.545). In this circumstance, it’s upon ascertainment. Where upon the above conditions are satisfied, property and risk is premafacie passed onto the buyer for those ascertained goods in the bulk as per the Court in Pignataro v Gilroy & Sons (1919) involving the sale of unascertained rice2. The only exception is where there is an agreement to the contrally between the contracting parties (The Sale of Goods Act, 1795, S.20A (2)) or if there are special factors forming part of the essential terms of the contract (Nicole, 1979, P.143). Property further passes in unascertained goods by the buyer’s approval of goods produced by the seller before delivery but the seller should notify the buyer of that production (Wilkins v Bromhead, 1844). This thus means that there has been appropriation of goods hence passing of property and risk (Noblett v Hopkinson, 1905). Furthermore, part payment for the goods being ascertained is in the circumstance treated as consideration and therefore makes the buyer owner of the goods. Property is thus deemed to have passed according to Hendy Lenox Ltd v Grahame Puttick Ltd (1984). However, the terms of the contract must be fulfilled failure of which negatives the passing of property as was the case in Carlos Federspiel & Co SA v Charles Twigg & Co Ltd (1957) involving the sale of bicycles which didn’t pass until they had passed the ship rail. Therefore, sections 20A and 20B were not

The Hobbit Questions Essay Example for Free

The Hobbit Questions Essay 1. The first three chapters reveal Bilbo’s â€Å"ordinary world†, how he is comfortable and relaxed with his same old life, then the â€Å"call to adventure†, when Gandalf shows up and asks Bilbo for his help and Bilbo’s â€Å"refusal of the call†, and â€Å"meeting with the mentor† was when all the dwarves and Gandalf took over Bilbo’s house, then the morning after the â€Å"crossing the first threshold† is revealed when Bilbo leaves his house and town accompanying the dwarves into the new mysterious world. 2. The Hero – Bilbo Baggins, he is the main character, â€Å"The Hobbit†. Mentor – Gandalf, he is very wise, he guides and helps Bilbo. 3. Bilbo’s â€Å"ordinary world† is his house and town, and Bilbo crossing the threshold is when he enters the unknown world, which is when he accompanies the dwarves without proper preparation and encounters his first enemies, the trolls. 4. Smaug, â€Å"The Shodow†, is introduced in the dwarves’ story as the dragon that drove all the dwarves out of their mountain and claiming their treasure. Smaug’s flaming breath can scorch a city, his huge wings can carry him great distances, and his armor-like hide is almost impenetrable. Smaug can also speak and possesses a dark, ironic sense of humor. 5. At Chapter one, in Bilbo’s â€Å"Ordinary World† food wasn’t the issue at all, Bilbo’s little party had lots of food and everyone ate. At Chapter 2 food was very limited and was hard to find. Chapter 5 1. I believe that Gollum is the â€Å"Shapeshifter†, he might not change his look but he is two-faced, as if there are 2 people in his little body, which disrupts Bilbo from his adventure. 2. In Chapter 5 Bilbo is alone without Gandalf or the dwarves to assist him and he has to deal with Gollum all by himself. This helps Bilbo transform and grow into a smarter, more courageous and confident little â€Å"Hero† by making his own decisions the â€Å"right† decisions, for example he could’ve killed Gollum but he felt bad and let him live. 3. The Hobbit is a children’s story and since Chapter 5 seems to be a dark scary place Tolkien had to use something to enlighten the mood and he used riddles and he made Gollum have almost like 2 sides, a â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† side. Up to Chapter 14 1. Bilbo had to overcome trolls in the forest, goblins in the misty mountains cavern, Gollum in the tunnels bellow, the goblins’ Wargs chasing the group down, giant spiders in Mirkwood, being then captured by the wood elves, dealing with Smaug in his lair. 2. In the beginning Bilbo Baggins is very home-sick, he wanted to be back in his â€Å"ordinary world†, but the Took in him made him want to continue with the journey. After every challenge, enemy or problem Bilbo overcame he became smarter, making better decisions, confident and courageous, making him less scared to move forward and fair, being caring towards all. 3. Bilbo was hired to be a â€Å"burglar† and most of the crew thought of him being useless although he ended up being far more than that, he saved his crew countless number of times from their enemy, he also was doubting himself a whole bunch in the beginning, he then overcame one problem at a time, building his inner confidence, and without Bilbo and his perks (the ring, his fairness and decision making skills) his crew would’ve gone nowhere.

Rise of the Merchant Class in the Middle Ages

Rise of the Merchant Class in the Middle Ages The Middle Ages, which is considered to be the time between 500 and 1500 AD gave rise to a new economic and cultural experience in Europe. The transition from the Classical Age to the Renaissance was a process of evolution. After the barbarian invasions of Europe during the fourth and fifth centuries by the Anglos, Saxons, Goths, and Huns, the great Roman Empire declined. It was only starting in the eighth century that Europe slowly began its cultural, as well as economic, recovery. Politically, several new states emerged starting in the year 900, including the consolidated Scandinavian states under King Sweyn of Denmark; the creation of a Hungarian state; and the states of Bohemia and Poland. These states were very stable monarchies, which helped widen commercial exchange between one another. The Scandinavians traded extensively with the east, the Mediterranean countries, and with Russia. The end of various civil wars in Europe helped countries like Italy make a name for themselves in trade with the Mediterranean. Pisa, Genoa, and Amalfi, were all major commercial hubs. Germany and northern Europe were also able to make use of trade routes to the Mediterranean through Italy and France. Another result of the more settled Europe was the revival of agriculture, which was further stimulated by commercial expansion due to the growing exchange economy. Many cities began expanding, creating the demand for larger amounts of agricultural produce. As a result, previously unproductive lands in countries such as France and Germany were converted to fertile farms, rich with grazing herds. Nobleman with large pieces of uncultivated land offered these lands to peasants for cultivation in return for which they collected payment or rent. This was the beginning of the feudal system in Europe. Under the feudal system, kings gave nobleman large grants of land in exchange for soldiers. In exchange for fighting, the soldiers were given gifts of jewels, horses, and sometimes land, in territories that had been newly conquered, called fiefs. These vassals, or servants to the king had authority over the peasants, called the serfs, who worked on their land. The vassals became powerful local rulers who made their own laws, which the workers on their land were required to obey. Economic progress stimulated by this system gave rise to new towns and a rise in population in areas that were previously unsettled. The rapid increase in population due to the economic revolution resulted in a shortage of land. However, instead of causing a problem, farming and land cultivation techniques improved so that land could be used more efficiently. This also shifted quite an amount of the population away from farming jobs, and into jobs in towns and cities. By the 1100s, these hard working urban citizens formed the middle class and were enterprising, ambitious, and contributed to the success of an early form of capitalism. This medieval capitalism is often referred to as the birth of capitalism. Contributing to the development of the European intellectual, religious, and moral recovery was the setting up of new monasteries, since the church had also suffered due to the numerous invasions in the past. The more settled political climate helped bring back the influence of the church. A few of the great noblemen founded new reformed monastic houses that were more inclusive including the famous abbey of Einsiedeln, the monastic school of St. Emmereram, and the Episcopal school of Bamberg. This reformation of the monasteries broke down regional differences and revived discipline as well as literary and artistic life. The feudal ideas of lordship extended even to the monasteries, as in the case of the abbot of Cluny who was the head of all monasteries founded or reformed by his order. Even though there was much political, economic, and religious progress, new problems were created by all this development. Consolidation of kingdoms created complications for German, Italian, Hungarian, and Polish rulers. In Germany, the economic recovery caused tension between the aristocracy, which was only interested in profiting as much as possible from the revived economy, and the government. In Italy, it led to antagonism between the knights, and their feudal lords, or bishops. However, the social revolution between the knights and the bishops gave rise to powerful new classes that strived to better their positions, leading to nobles and non-nobles. In spite of all of these tensions, people still had jobs to support the growing population in cities and towns. Any commodity that was unavailable in individual fiefdoms, was obtained by barter. Artisans made farm implements, dishes, and clothing, which they exchanged for the grain, wine, and meat produced on the farms. Beginning in the tenth century, a new class of trading people emerged, referred to as peddlers. Peddlers traveled from town to town, supplying the nobility and the peasants with the products they needed. The areas frequently visited by them quickly developed into towns, which emerged as major centers of trade and attracted many merchants who supplied the prospering nobility. As the nobility got wealthier, they were able to afford gems, silks, exotic spices, and other symbols of wealth. The merchants who previously went from town to town, were now traveling to foreign locations such as Egypt, Morrocco, and Turkey. The activities of the traders permanently altered the f ace of European society, leading to a commercial revolution, which was essentially the shift of power from the landlords and nobility to the merchants. Concentration of wealth in emerging cities such as Florence, Venice, London, and Paris attracted merchants worldwide. By the tenth century, extensive trade routes had been established connecting Britain, the European continent, the Middle East, and North Africa, by river and by sea. Asia and the Middle East had several excellent overland trade routes. For instance, the four thousand mile long Silk Road led out of China all the way to the Black Sea in Eastern Europe, through Persia, Afghanistan, and India. Germanys Hanseatic League saved traders time with their larger ships that carried wine and salt to the East in exchange for the grain and timber they bought back. Some traders and merchants began plying the sea routes in search of more goods and profits. Due to its location between the East and Europe, Italy was a vital trading country. Merchants from Venice traded with those from the Byzantine Empire through Turkey, and merchants from Pisa and Genoa traded with cities in North Africa. They brought back African gold and ivory, precious stones, silks, perfumes, and spices from Persia and India, Turkish carpets, Persian ceramics, and Syrian glass and metalwork, all of which commanded high prices in Europe. In the eleventh century, local merchants primarily sold their goods in weekly markets. A network of weekly markets was one of the main components of the booming economic progress that swept across Europe in the Middle Ages. These markets spurred the creation of money, and harbored huge amounts of wealth to the merchants. Fairs, which lasted for weeks and were held at crossroads of important trade routes, were another means by which well-established merchants bought and sold goods. Some of the most important trading fairs included the 12-day cloth fair and the 8-day leather fair, both held in Champagne, France. Since fairs and markets could easily be ruined by undesirable weather conditions, some traders eventually came up with ways to make profits without ever leaving their homes. Using credit, they bought and sold goods through agents at various fairs, giving rise to a form of banking. This contributed to a free flow of money, which enriched the lives of people in all classes of society. This increase in wealth helped patronize artisans, goldsmiths, and retailers. The towns that expanded around the fair sites attracted business and brought about the standardization of currency, weights and measures. The merchant class largely populated the new towns that sprang up, and influenced the economy and social life of their societies. The towns attracted specialists such as grocers, spice merchants, cobblers, apothecaries, and goldsmiths who formed unions called guilds. These guilds set the prices for the goods they produced, as they were the only ones in the area creating this product in the area. Therefore the citizens in this area were willing to pay whatever price they charged. Their control over these prices led to much of their control over the economy. Additionally, they effected and influenced social life with the elaborate feasts and celebrations they held for religious services, holidays, and similar events. With the increase of merchant activities and the rise of the merchant class, it became necessary for them to learn to read, write, do arithmetic, and have a general knowledge of foreign affairs. Local governments and scholars, both of which profited from teaching the children of these merchants, set up schools to take care of the demand for education. The success of the schools in turn, led to the establishment of universities, so that people were able to continue their education if they desired. Some of these universities include Oxford, Cambridge, Chartres, Reims, and the University of Paris. The rising importance of schools broke the monopoly that the church previously had in the area of education. Since merchants made great profits from buying and selling goods, they were considered sinners by the church, because they enriched themselves rather than working for common good. The fear of hell was very real and the church often confiscated merchant estates. To avoid this, merchants began contributing some of the wealth they made to monasteries and churches, and providing funds to charitable causes including hospitals and homes for those without shelter. The rise of the merchant class gained them access to high society and some became famous patrons of the arts, constructing concert halls, churches, and other cultural centers. These merchants spread wealth and culture to the masses and assisted in dissolving the previously existing social structure by creating a society where even a peasant was able to rise in wealth and status. Merchants that joined the ranks of nobility further strengthened their position in society by patronizing the arts even more. They hired artists, musicians, and writers to produce works that still live on today, including works of art such as Madonna and Child, Nativity, and the Wise Man, by renowned artists such as Michaelangelo, Botticelli, and Leonardo Da Vinci. Some of the extremely successful merchants, known as the merchant princes, sometimes became so powerful they controlled their countries wealth. The Medicis, a family of bankers that lived Italy, are an example of such powerful and successful merchants. As a result of this patronage of the arts, many architectural and artistic gems were produced during this time. Some of the buildings built during the Middle Ages using the Gothic or Romanesque styles used such advanced techniques that these buildings are still existent today. The Chartres cathedral, the Laon Cathedral, and St. Denis, all in France for instance, represent the quality of the churches, houses, and castles built during that time. Also produced during the Middle Ages was some beautiful art work that is often overlooked, including jewelry, pottery, metalwork, carved woodwork, sculptures, and illustrated manuscripts. Most of the art work was created in the setting of the church, such as murals of Biblical stories, chalices, shrines, reliquaries, and statues of angels and saints. The rise of the merchant class also made portraits very popular, along with intricate work for personal use such as woven tapestries, decorated manuscripts, tableware, jewelry, and carved furniture . Inventions and technology during the Middle Ages were in the form of a gradual improvement in the way things were done, rather than a series of dramatic discoveries. It took place in the form of a gradual shift away from mass slavery, the use of wind power, of open fields in agriculture, the use of the wheelbarrow, double entry book-keeping, and finally the use of firearms and printing. The windlass, a rope around a barrel which turned using a crank, was used to lift heavy loads. Water mills and windmills were used to power all kinds of machinery. For instance, a hammer driven by a mill was used in fulling cloth, which is a method of cleaning fabric used in textile production. A new kind of loom was introduced as well as the invention of the spinning wheel, which greatly reduced the time taken to weave cloth, and produce new fabrics. The secrets of producing silk were passed on from Greece to other parts of Europe. Papermaking was brought back from China, greatly reducing the cost an d time to write and produce books. The growth and progress of the European civilization in the middle ages was largely due to the rise of the merchant class. With their ambition and hard work, they paved the way for modern times. Under their leadership, Europe enjoyed a prosperity not known since the Roman Empire. When Europe emerged from the Middle Ages, it had attained a level of sophistication in its universities, literature, art, learning, science and technology, that were unmatched in the world. Significant advances were made in the areas of tenant farming, harnessing the horse to the plough, cloth making, iron working, ship building and navigation. This technical progress would not have amounted to much if it had not been coupled with the intellectual tools that the businessmen of that time used to manage his business and observe and measure fluctuations in the economy. The world of trade had to perfect various systems: from dealing with rates of exchange for goods and services outside their towns or even countr ies, establishing credit procedures, legal bases in keeping with the times, and methods for monitoring and balancing their accounts. All of these eventually became the foundation for our modern system of economic relations. Although it is often ignored in history, the Middle Ages saw the birth of a new cultural experience in Europe, which eventually led to the Renaissance. The cultural heritage of the Middle Ages is still apparent in architecture, art, education, science and technology, that have survived the test of time. Bibliography: Gold and Spices: The Rise of Commerce in the Middle Ages, Jean Favier The Medieval Merchant, Stuart A. Kallen The Middle Ages, Giovanni Caselli The Late Middle Ages, Raintree Steck-Vaughn Library The Medieval World, Mike Corbishley Life During the Middle Ages, Earle Rice, Jr.

The Good Earth in relation to food and culture :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The following in a report on the themes and action of The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck as it relates to food and culture. This novel tells the story of Wang Lung. He is a man who rises from being a poor farmer to a very wealthy man because of his faith in the good earth. In the beginning of the story Wang Lung tries to see as little water as possible because he feels safest with his land under his feet. His family is very poor so he must feed his father corn gruel and tea. Wang Lung needs a wife so saves up the little money he has and buys a woman who is a slave named O-lan. O-lan is sold to Wang Lung so she can take care of the home, cooking and bear children. Wang Lung is disappointed when he first sees O-lan because she does not have bound feet which was a desirable quality at that time but he does enjoy when O-lan has the food ready when he comes in a night from the land. Wang Lung is very proud when O-lan makes cakes that no one else in the village knows how to makes and when his family comes to feast for the new year at their house. As a humble farmer Wang Lung always pay his respects to the figures of the Earth god and his mistress when he passes. Wang Lung’s love for the earth is the chief driving force in his life. It is also the foundation of his family and the one he turns to when he has troubles. Land is a sign and a symbol to Wang Lung. When O-lan’s and Wang Lung’s first child is born they dye eggs red and distribute them to the village to shown their first born is a male. After a year of good rains Wang Lung begins to amass a good fortune so he hides the money that they make so people will not try to borrow it. Again, the produce from the year is good, and Wang Lung is able to hide more silver. He buy land from the great house in town and it is very fruitful, yielding more harvest than his own land. Now everyone in the village knows that Wang Lung is the owner of a piece of the Hwang land. His status rises in the village. The following year the rains don’t come and the land dries up. The Good Earth in relation to food and culture :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The following in a report on the themes and action of The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck as it relates to food and culture. This novel tells the story of Wang Lung. He is a man who rises from being a poor farmer to a very wealthy man because of his faith in the good earth. In the beginning of the story Wang Lung tries to see as little water as possible because he feels safest with his land under his feet. His family is very poor so he must feed his father corn gruel and tea. Wang Lung needs a wife so saves up the little money he has and buys a woman who is a slave named O-lan. O-lan is sold to Wang Lung so she can take care of the home, cooking and bear children. Wang Lung is disappointed when he first sees O-lan because she does not have bound feet which was a desirable quality at that time but he does enjoy when O-lan has the food ready when he comes in a night from the land. Wang Lung is very proud when O-lan makes cakes that no one else in the village knows how to makes and when his family comes to feast for the new year at their house. As a humble farmer Wang Lung always pay his respects to the figures of the Earth god and his mistress when he passes. Wang Lung’s love for the earth is the chief driving force in his life. It is also the foundation of his family and the one he turns to when he has troubles. Land is a sign and a symbol to Wang Lung. When O-lan’s and Wang Lung’s first child is born they dye eggs red and distribute them to the village to shown their first born is a male. After a year of good rains Wang Lung begins to amass a good fortune so he hides the money that they make so people will not try to borrow it. Again, the produce from the year is good, and Wang Lung is able to hide more silver. He buy land from the great house in town and it is very fruitful, yielding more harvest than his own land. Now everyone in the village knows that Wang Lung is the owner of a piece of the Hwang land. His status rises in the village. The following year the rains don’t come and the land dries up.

Rosa Parks Essay -- History Rosa Parks Racism Essays

Rosa Parks Rosa Parks, born in Tuskegee, Alabama on February 4, 1913 in was raised in an era during which segregation was normal and black suppression was a way of life. She lived with relatives in Montgomery, where she finished high school in 1933 and continued her education at Alabama State College. She married her husband, Raymond Parks, a barber, in 1932. She worked as a clerk, an insurance salesperson, and a tailor’s assistant at a department store. She was also employed as a seamstress by white residents of Montgomery who were supporters of black Americans’ struggle for freedom and equal rights. Parks became active in civil rights work in the 1930’s. In 1943 Rosa became one of the first women to join the Montgomery National Association for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Between 1943 and 1956 she served as a secretary for the group and later as an advisor to the NAACP Youth Council. She also contributed to the Montgomery Voters League to increase black voter registration. During the summer of 1955 Rosa accepted a scholarship given to community leaders which gave her a chance to work on school integration at the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee. This was an excellent opportunity for her because she was able to experience racial harmony which nurtured her activism. Obviously Rosa, like many others, dedicated many years of her life trying to increase equality for black Americans. Though these efforts did not go unnoticed or fail in making any progress, it wasn’t until Dec. 1 of 1955 that Rosa made a decision that would later make her known as the â€Å"Mother of the Civil Rights Movement†. On this significant day Rosa simply refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man who was standing. Though i... ... it was the way in which she did it. She didn’t argue, she didn’t yell or threaten anyone. She did not make a scene. She protested in a peaceful way, and it’s great to know that even if young people are not taught the details of her life they can admire her and realize that violence and hatred are not needed for things to change. On Dec. 1 of 1955 Rosa simply remained seated, and by doing so took a stand, one that has made her one of the most honorable figures in US history. Works Cited 1. â€Å"Rosa Louis McCauley Parks 1913-.† African American Almanac. 1985. 2. Koeller, David. â€Å"The Montgomery Bus Boycott.† North Park University. 1999 dkoeller@northpark.edu* 3. â€Å"Rosa Parks.† Acheivement.org. 1997. The Hall of Public Service. 2000. http://www.acheivement.org/autodoc/page/par0bio-1* 4. Parks, Rosa. Rosa Parks: My Story. New York, 1992.

The Future for Chicago Public Housing :: Sociology

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

Bottle

I'm a column shape water bottle with a greenish colour of cap and birth label on my transparent colour and wale pattern body. The label state all the information of mine which including my weight with 350ml, my organ and blood system in the ingredient part, place of birth at Melaka, Malaysia and of course my identity which people used to called it barcode and obtain me by scan on it. I was sent to a shop named seven- eleven with siblings when 2-weeks-old but this was where the tragedy happened. It's at the moonlight night, a night people used to have their sweet dream on the lovely ed.Unluckily, I was an inconspicuous bottle who loitering and crying on the lonely slopes street because of a drunken old man who obtain me and ‘suck in' all the blood in my body to sober up his brain. My body is now rubbing to the road and play a sweet symphony. This short Journey is like fast and furious 5 in the scene but I'm act to dodge the big stone and deep hole instead of car. The rubbing mak es me feel some stabbing pain which in the affordable range. But the most broken-hearted is my skin has been scratching by rubbing and become full of scratches. The cool but lustery weather makes me hard to stop myself on the street.I had no idea how to stop and felt forlornness to this situation because I might be obliged stuck somewhere on the street for whole life. The wind presumptuous indecent me and forced me to loiter along the street. Finally I stopped on the street near the drain since a huge tire block my way. I look around but there were no people or even a cat in my sight at this lonely night. I scream and shout with heartbreaks to the old man to pick me up or bring me home thus I won't stick at there forever. He couldn't hear me and went away afterword. I felt sleepy after this entire thrilling Journey. I was awakened by the ear-piercing horn.The glare and dazzle sun makes me couldn't open my eyes and suddenly I hear ‘Pi Pi Piak Piak sound. I felt unbearable pain from my body and soul since an old truck filled with waste mercilessly run over me without any warning and alert. But I was also unable to do anything even it gave me a whisper horn. When I was feeling the unbearable pain, a limousine as quickly as lighting run over me and left me a wisp of smelly grey smoke. The vehicles on the road treat me like an ant that keep run over me continuously and I was drifted by hem from where to where since I couldn't remember where I am.I thought my miserable wandering life would bring me to heaven but it stopped after few hours. I opened my eyes and realized that I was stuck by an old towering tree because the old roots locked me firmly. In this sad moment, I remember and missed my siblings, missed the days we chatting together happily. I think they might be sent back to the place we birth to refill the blood now, they might be missed me also. I remember that the place I birth was very clean and the air was fresh. Unlike the street and this tree whi ch full of dust.The days I stuck by the old tree, originally didn't had any wind or rain but there were people who forced to help me take bath by pee at me. Sometimes, there would be people who drunk and vomit to me. I couldn't did anything even I didn't like it. So, I learned to be optimism, treat that like bathing. But days by days, I became smelly, estimated mildew. I started to talk and pray to god, hope that any scavengers would pity me and pick me up. I did it every day and didn't give up this small hope. In the leisure time, I would always look around, I always imagined leaving here and backing home.One day, I hear â€Å"nah grandpa, here is nother empty cans†, I look up and saw an old scavenger holding a little girl. He was dragging a big plastic bad which full of recycle items. I was so enw and desperate to go in that plastic bag, this was the only chance I could go back to recycle station and sent back to home. I keep scream and shout, moving my body even these was useless since the old scavenger couldn't hear and saw what I did to him. After they passed by me, I was totally give up and forlornness again†¦ But, there was always a ‘but' in life journey which could change your life, so, Just think of the bright sight of the life.The little girl like sensed me and look back, she saw me and came towards me to pick me up. I was so sincere thanks to the little girl since she save my life. After that, I follow them to back to their home, the little took me out from the plastic bag and help me to wash my smelly and dirty body. She cut me into half after that and used me as flower pot to plant her flower. I didn't felt any remorse since she save my life, she keep watering the flower which I used to plant and talking to it every day. I felt that this might be another type of lifestyle for me. I was enjoyed and happy.

The Advantages of Being Legal

There are many arguments on the question of whether or not to legalize marijuana. The benefits of legalizing marijuana include its medicinal value and its many uses to produce commercial products like paper, rope, oil, textiles, and canvas. Another good reason to legalize marijuana is that hundreds of thousands of non-violent drug offenders are overpopulating prisons, costing taxpayers millions of dollars. Legalization would also put marijuana dealers out of business and it would bring revenue to the government like alcohol and tobacco does. Some opposition to legalizing marijuana is that traffic atalities would increase, and that more people like school teachers and bus drivers would be smoking legally purchased marijuana. They also believe that more young people would smoke more marijuana. Marijuana is medicine and has been used as medicine for thousands of years to treat a wide variety of ailments. It is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known. Marijuana is often useful in the treatment of cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and chronic pain. For cancer patients, marijuana alleviates the nausea, vomiting, and loss f appetite caused by chemotherapy treatment. It does the same for people with AIDS. By reducing intraocular pressure, marijuana helps slow or halt the gradual increasing eye pressure suffered by glaucoma patients. Marijuana reduces the muscle pain and spastically caused by multiple sclerosis. It also helps some patients control their bladders. With some epileptic patients, marijuana prevents seizures. Marijuana is also a very effective pain reliever. Hemp, a plant mainly grown for its use as a fiber source, is from the same plant that produces marijuana. It is different because industrial hemp is grown with minute amounts of delta-9 and tetrahydrocannibinol, abbreviated as THC, which is the element in marijuana that gives the high sensation’. Industrial hemp is one of nature’s strongest and most versatile agricultural crops. It can be used to produce various things such as textiles, paper, clothing, plastics, cosmetics, food stuffs, insulation, and animal feed. Hemp seeds can be used to make high protein foods and the oil can be used to produce non-toxic paint, varnish, detergent, diesel fuel, ink, and lubricating oil. One acre of hemp produces as much fiber as two to three acres of cotton and one acre also produces as much paper as two to four acres of trees. The advantage of using paper products produced by hemp is that hemp’s growing cycle is around one hundred days, while it takes trees years to grow to produce the same amount of paper. Hemp was cultivated in the U. S. until 1937, when the Marijuana Tax Act outlawed marijuana. In 1942 the government encouraged American farmers to cultivate hemp for the war effort, but then in 1955 prohibitionists had reasserted a total ban on production. Now the DEA, Drug Enforcement Administration, remains firmly opposed to any notion of revising the federal laws to allow hemp’s domestic cultivation. Every year 400,000 Americans are arrested for marijuana and thousands of them are sent to prison. Marijuana users and dealers account for sixty percent of all prisoners today. Because of new anti-drug laws, these prisoners can be jailed for up to thirty years, and most are, even for minor crimes. Federal and State governments are spending billions to build more prisons to house hundreds of thousands of non-violent drug offenders. Legalization would kill the black market for marijuana. Marijuana sales would be regulated by state and federal governments. It would also help the economy by a reduction in law enforcement costs, and police could focus more on dangerous drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and crystal meth. Some people who oppose the legalization of marijuana say that traffic fatalities would increase. The myth is that 40% of drug related emergency room visits are marijuana related. The fact is that this statistic purposely excludes the legal drug of alcohol, a drug notorious for causing violence and accidents. A marijuana related emergency room visit does not mean marijuana caused the incident. If the patient admits to using marijuana days or weeks before the incident or if someone involved in the incident is found only possessing marijuana, then the emergency room admission is counted as marijuana related. At first, the amount of people using marijuana may increase. The idea that people like school teachers, day care providers, and bus drivers smoking legally purchased marijuana and endangering others is something that should not be worried about. Do these people drink alcohol before going to work or smoke igarettes during work They are mostly responsible adults and if they choose to smoke the legally purchased marijuana, they would do it responsibly. Most recreational marijuana smokers will continue to smoke even if marijuana is never legalized. I was forced to temporarily quit smoking because of the system. I used to occasionally smoke until my room was searched at the college I attended freshman year. I felt that my personal rights were violated when every room on my hall was searched after someone set off a firework. The search was conducted by a R. A. a person who is my age, and it was done without my roommate or I present. Nothing was left in plain sight, in fact, all of the paraphernalia was found in a backpack which was in a filing cabinet that was in my closet. I felt as though I did not commit a crime, but as though I was the victim. As former president Lincoln said, Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man’s appetite by legislation, and a makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.

One Night Stands and Regret Essay

Sex is considered a taboo up until we become college students. We have people whom want to remain chaste until marriage, we have people whom want to have experimental encounters with as many people as they can in college, and then there are people whom would only consider having sexual relations with their significant other. College parties are wild and it is guaranteed that at least 5 couples will end up hooking up at the end of the night. Most hook ups becomes one-night stands. If we were to ask those individuals if they regret their past encounters many would say yes because drugs or alcohol were involved. Drugs and and alcohol play an important role in sex. It is more likely for an intoxicated person to engage in sexual encounters than a sober person. In the magazine Psychology Today, there is an article called â€Å"If I Could do it All Over Again† that talks about the half-life of sex. In this article we are informed with statistics of men and women whom admit as to why they regret their past encounters. The article also explains scenarios of cases where sexual encounters break relationships and marriages. The biggest questioned raised by Matt Huston in his article is â€Å"When it comes to sexual misadventures, why do we feel so wrong about that which, in the heat of the moment, felt so right?† (Huston 39). Huston suggests that people feel thrill when having encounters rather than casual sex. What is there to regret of sex? Women who lose their virginity in a sexual encounter regret it because they feel like they lost their pureness to the wrong man. Women also regret having sexual encounters because they feel like they moved too fast to jump into sex. Men have other type of regrets. There are men who regret no jumping into bed and having sex with a random person. There are men who regret not being more sexually active in their youth. On a survey done to men and women, 55% of men regret not having sexual encounters. 48% of men regret not being sexually active at a young age. 43% of women regret moving too fast and jumping into sex. 41% of women regret  losing their virginity to the wrong person. Both men and women regret things differently. Women regret most of their past sexual encounters while men regret not having more sexual encounters. A very interesting study done in the Journal of Sex research, finds that regardless of sex, both genders that engage in sex with relative strangers may actually be more anxious and depressed. Another impactful statistic is that more than 70% of â€Å"college students who’d had a one-night stand had also experienced sexual regret† (39). This magazine article is very informative. It really doesn’t persuade people not to have sexual encounters; it just informs us about the people who regret sexual encounters. The magazine’s job is to inform us of a topic that really isn’t talked about on a daily basis. One can say that this magazine is sending out a subliminal message, which is to think before we engage in sexual encounters. The magazine believes that this generation has changed the idea of sex and has created a new a separate type of sex called sexual encounters. It also shows how many of these people show regret for past encounters. While shopping at Target I looked around and saw the books and magazines sections. I decided to buy a National Geographic magazine. The cover had an interesting hook; it basically said that Aliens weren’t far from earth. I bought the magazine and read the article, however, it didn’t finish the article when I decided to return the magazine to the store. The article was very boring, the language wasn’t clear to understand, and the text became boring the further I read. I went back to Target and looked around for another magazine and I decided to look at Psychology Today. My initial article to write my essay was on â€Å"Daydreams† and how those fantasies affect our futures. As I flipped through the magazine I came across the topic of sex. I read the title and I felt a relation to that topic. We’re college students and we know people whom participate in sexual encounters. Sexual encounters are something that is incredibly popular in college and especially at parties and clubs. It is interesting to know how both men and women feel after sexual encounters. Before I read this article I had no opinion on sexual encounters. I have a few friends whom participate in this type of acts. I always tell them to use protection and avoid stupid mistakes. I don’t judge people, everyone makes mistakes and many of us keep making mistakes. After I read this article it hit me. I used to believe that when someone engages in sexual encounters they aren’t sensitive and don’t have emotional feelings. But this magazine proved me wrong. Men and women do feel regret; their regret differs but they still feel regret based on a sexual encounter. I don’t regret reading this article because it really caught my attention. I scanned the article and emailed it to some of my friends. I was really amazed with the research that explained that most of the people who participate in sexual encounters are anxious and depressed. It is rude to ask personal questions to people but I’d be very interested in knowing if they are anxious or depressed. If I ever feel the necessity of participating in a sexual encounter I will think back to this article and analyze the moment. Drugs and alcohol are not our friends and intoxication can make us do things we wouldn’t do when sober. I would also think of the statistics of people whom regret the sexual encounters. This article has made me realize that there is a negative effect on sexual encounters, there is more to than just sex. Sex involves feelings. I think that every college student should read this article. Many people could prevent feeling regretful if they read an interesting article like this one. Works Cited Huston, Matt. â€Å"If I Could Do It All Over Again.† Psychology Today 1 Mar. 2014: 37-39. Print.

Ethics in Pharma Marketing Essay

The pharmaceutical market in India today is worth Rs.57206 crores up from Rs. 5000 crores in 1995*. It is one of the fastest growing markets with a growth rate of around 15%. India has a large number of Pharmaceutical companies which operate in an environment of high competition. The competition is even higher in a high generic market like in India where drugs are in fierce price competition. It is estimated that there are around 20,000 pharmaceutical companies* in India, competing for a share of the market, in a poorly regulated environment. To be ahead in the race, pharmaceutical companies are investing highly in marketing and promotion of their drugs. The Consumer International Report 2010, on an average, the Indian Pharmaceutical companies spend almost 30% of their revenue in drug promotion which is one of the highest percentage in the world. Drug promotional strategies are communication strategies through which Pharmaceutical companies convey the benefits of their products and services to their target customers. The World Organization defines promotion of drugs as all information providing and persuasive activities by drug manufacturers and distributors, which influences the prescription, supply, purchase and/or use of medical drugs. In India, the promotion of drugs is fairly pervasive and has become a part of the everyday life of most doctors. Virtually all medical journals contain advertisements of different drugs, doctors are provided unsolicited information on new drugs by the pharmaceutical companies and branded drugs are directly marketed to the consumers. However, many marketing strategies are far more personal; involving provision of gifts to the doctors, sponsoring certain educational or social activities for the physicians and cultivating a close relationship between the company’s Medical Representatives (MRs) and the physicians. This interaction and relations between the Pharmaceutical companies and the doctors has attracted a lot of attention in recent times, mainly because the primary ethical duty of the doctor is to provide patients with the most effective treatment and the pharmaceutical companies with their primary motive of extracting maximum profits through their drug sales influence the prescriber’s decisions by unethical drug promotion. While the Pharmaceutical companies have always been blamed for bribing doctors, the doctor’s perspective of not considering acceptance of gifts as unethical shouldn’t be ignored. However, among the various forms of drug promotion acceptance of gifts by the doctors from the company’s representatives has been a matter of concern as it leads to conflict of interest between the doctors and the patients. Four fundamental principles of medical ethics are as follows, 1) Autonomy To provide informed choice and to respect the patient’s decision. 2) Beneficence To always act in the best interest of the patient 3) Nonmaleficence To always protect the patient from any harm 4) Justice To follow equity in providing healthcare When physicians accept gifts or get influenced by the unethical promotion of drugs, there may be a conflict of interest between their responsibility to provide the most effective and most affordable treatment to their patient and any obligation which they may be facing to prescribe a particular company’s drug. Other activities which are unethical and still followed by the Pharmaceutical companies are- giving selective or inaccurate information to the prescribers and the patients, giving poorer quality of drug information than it is given to their western counterparts, etc. in India, currently there is no legal requirement in periodic recertification or continuing medical education. So for the prescribers there is no other way but the company’s medical representatives in obtaining information about the latest developments in the field of therapeutics. Recently in India, due to public concern about these practices, there has been development of various guidelines in the area of unethical drug promotion. However, these guidelines did not impose any restrictions on prescribers. In 2009, the Medical Council of India (MCI) passed amendments on the Code of ethics which now contains strict measures against any medical practitioner who benefits from any pharmaceutical company. Thus elaborated guidelines on the appropriate relationship between the prescribers and the pharmaceutical companies are in place. Inspite of this, medical professionals continue accepting gifts and getting influenced by the unethical drug promotion. So this raises several questions on the doctor’s perspectives on what he considers to be ethical in the current drug promotion practices. Do the prescribers consider the personalized marketing tactics to be ethically acceptable despite the critical concerns regarding it? This paper will aim to understand the prescriber’s perspective of ethics in drug promotion. The aim of this paper is to study the ethics in the drug promotion activities undertaken by the pharmaceutical companies in India and to understand the doctor’s attitudes and perceptions of ethics in these activities. Till date no study has been undertaken on the ethics in drug promotion in the Indian concept. The present study attempts to address this problem. Also the study is important for two reasons. 1) Data from India on attitudes and practices of doctors regarding ethical drug promotion are virtually non-existent. 2) In view of the recent guidelines by the Medical Council of India (MCI), it is important to know the magnitude and nature of the problem amongst the doctors.

Leading Global Workforce Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Leading Global Workforce - Case Study Example Currently Sarah and Josh are working on the promotions and branding of the next Fire Force Five film but their ideas and strategies regarding the work are extremely contrasting. When Sarah relies on traditional promotional strategies like TV ads and print campaign, Josh wants Sarah to adopt non-conventional approaches such as online promotion. For this, Josh approaches the company CEO directly without the consent of his departmental head Sarah and gets the permission to present his ideas in the next management meeting. Now Sarah is furious at the conduct of her young marketing colleague as she could not accept his disobedient behavior. While analyzing the case scenario, it seems that a combination of different factors has contributed to an unhealthy worksite relationship between Sarah and Josh. Mainly, the age difference between them and the different contexts in which they started their career have influenced their ideas and worksite behavior. To illustrate, Josh is a 23-year-old marketing associate who was graduated recently from the University of Southern California. Josh’s vision is to make films that communicate strong social messages –like Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth or Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me (Erickson, 2009, p.1). He also aims to distribute those films on open platforms so that he can convey his social messages to the greatest number of people. Josh believes that employing unconventional distribution and promotion channels is a potential strategy to implement the current project more effectively. Sarah, the 37-year-old marketing chief joined Rising Entertainment 10 y ears ago and she grew her career in the company from an entry-level copywriter, to marketing associate, to head of the 22-person film marketing unit (Erickson, p.3). Sarah had worked with all the three Triple-F movies that were released and generated more than $2.4 billion in box-office over the

Choose two books from list and summarize each book and then explain Essay

Choose two books from list and summarize each book and then explain how they compare and or contrast - Essay Example Wolfgang and Ferracuti offer explanations for the factors that drive homicide and other forms of violent criminal conduct. Ultimately the authors provide a generalized concept of the subculture of violence. Wilson and Hernstein argue that many of the theories that explain criminal behavior are based on erroneous conclusions (Wilson and Hernstein 41). For example, theorizing that economic difficulties increases the incidents of crime can encourage expectation of increased crime during â€Å"economic recessions† but will at the same time direct attention away from the possibility that â€Å"prosperity† could increase criminal conduct by loosening â€Å"social bonds† (Wilson and Hernstein 41). The fact is, there are number of factors that influence individual behavior and any realistic approach to theories in criminology must take account of the different factors that drive â€Å"individual decisions† (Wilson and Hernstein 42). It is against this background that Wilson and Hernstein bring together most of what has been gleaned from the practice of criminal justice and academic discourse such as economics, sociology, psychology and philosophy and apply this information to ascertain the underlying contributing factors to crime. The authors then come to the conclusion that there are three root causes of crime. By looking at the statistics on the young male population, Wilson and Hernstein come to the conclusion that boys with low intelligence and anger problems are predisposed to commit crimes. It therefore follows that if boys fitting that criteria increase among the population, an increase in criminal conduct will follow (Wilson and Hernstein, 104-172). In other words, the increased population of unintelligent, ill-disciplined boys in a community corresponds with an escalation in crime. The second set of factors that contribute to the propensity for criminal behavior is the potential

Argument Paper#1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Argument Paper#1 - Essay Example e method through which the government and the policy makers can increase and encourage others to donate organs is by paying donors and their family members for donations either by paying them in hard cash or providing them with benefits that have a monetary value such as tax credit or a better retirement plan. There is a heavy debate amongst policy makers about whether to use monetary incentives to promote organ donation or not. There are several reasons due to which opponents of monetary incentives are against this method, but the proponents have a very solid case to defend the position of using monetary incentives. Selling of organs should be encouraged and should be legalized in order to save important lives, in order to make organs more accessible and to decrease the healthcare cost of the government. Selling of organs should be legalized by the government if it wants to save significant lives that are waiting on the list of receiving organ donation. A huge number of people who are waiting for the donation are those who belong to the youth category of the society. This section of the society is very essential for the better future of the society. Siegel in his article has stated that there are young and healthier individuals who are waiting for a donation (Siegel, 2011). If selling of organs is legalized, it will encourage living people to donate their organs and it will even encourage people to get themselves registered for donating their organs after their death. This in turn will help in saving several young individuals who are healthy and can contribute to the society in a healthy manner. Legalizing sale of the organs will increase the accessibility of the organ donation amongst those who cannot afford to purchase organs. Currently there is a black market of organ donation and in this black market a huge number of organs are being sold at very high prices which are only accessible by those who belong to high income earning groups. At the same time there

3 key differences between managers and leaders Essay

3 key differences between managers and leaders - Essay Example Kotter asserts that when an individual is playing the role of a leader he comes up with new ideas and plans and persuades his/her followers into thinking about a future that is both positive and beneficial in nature (KOTTERMAN, 2006, p.15). A leader always has to keep his eyes open for opportunities and develop new techniques and strategies in accordance to these opportunities. On the contrary, a manager has the responsibility of maintaining how the organization is currently running and the culture that has been adopted by the organization. His main aim is to secure the organization’s bottom line and maintain discipline through his controlling role. According to Nicholaides’ research that the role of a leader is to inspire his/her followers to make them perform at their best and he is well aware of how follower’s pace of work can be increased (Nicolaides, 2010, p.32). He asserts that success in leadership is not dependent on what the individual leader does; it is rather dependant on what the followers do in response to a leader. On the other hand a manager is an individual who uses his control over the employees and subordinates by assisting them in developing their personal asserts and helping them in using their best talents. Any individual within the organization can become a leader, a leader’s power are not dependant on the position he is assigned to within the organization. For example: a leader can be an executive working in the information technology department. This is because he has expertise and information that nobody else within the organization has and in order to obtain his/her expertise, followers accept him/her as a leader. Stanley suggests that a manager obtains his power due to his/her management level position within the hierarchy of an organization (STANLEY, 2006, p.33). Grint asserts that even managers are followers of a leader as a leader creates the

Discuss the meaning and importance of the concept of elasticity in Essay

Discuss the meaning and importance of the concept of elasticity in microeconomic reasoning - Essay Example n help economists ascertain whether it would be more profitable to increase or decrease the price of a particular product based on price elasticity of demand. Elasticity helps determine if a good is of inferior quality or normal quality based on price elasticity of demand. An inferior quality product is consumed less if the consumers’ income increasing while a normal quality product has higher consumption along with rising income of the consumer. Similarly, Elasticity can help decide whether the products are compliments or supplements. The difference between the two is that with complimentary goods the demand for one leads to demand for another of the same product, while supplementary goods are those that guide to less demand for another product. Cross price elasticity of demand determines if a product is a compliment or supplement. And lastly, price elasticity of demand can help economists find out whether her a supplier e.g. a farmer, will have the capability to suddenly inc rease their supply. Farmers and other agricultural goods producers have low price elasticity of supply as it takes them a long time to increase their supplies because their supplies take a long time to produce. So, in short, elasticity is used when economists want to know how something changes in relation to a change in another. The concept of elasticity is an integral part of the theory of microeconomics. Law of demand tells us that an increase in the price of a product leads to a decrease in its demand. Here, Elasticity can tell us how much demand will decrease for every one per cent increase in price. An elasticity of 1 or higher is â€Å"elastic†. While inelastic refers to products that remain on constant demand no matter what their price

Describe and assess the evolution of China's science, technology, Essay

Describe and assess the evolution of China's science, technology, legal system and innovation policy - Essay Example As such, the Chinese government promotes the development of science and technology through increased funding, reforms in all sectors of economy. Currently, China has made significant advances in areas, such as high-tech manufacturing, education, patents, infrastructural development, commercial applications and academic publishing, some of which it has become the world leader. Currently, China is reportedly focusing on indigenous innovation, while at the same time trying to address the weaknesses in the area of science, technology and innovation in the country (Simon and Goldman 11). However, China has come a long way to reach where it has in terms of science, technology, and innovation. This paper analyzes the history of the Chinese science, technology, innovation, and legal system. Historically, China was a global leader in innovation, science, and technology. This was particularly so during the Qing Dynasty where China made significant innovations, including gunpowder, papermaking, compass and printing. These Chinese innovations contributed significantly to the economic growth of Europe and Asia. However, the Chinese focus on science, technology, and innovation soon faded from the wake of fourteenth century. The decline occurred since the Chinese scientists failed to form scholarly communities that would have helped them advance their research skills and development (Elman 43). At the same time, instead of focusing its effort on science, technology, and innovation, China concentrated on public administration, literature, and arts. In this regard, the Chinese people restricted science and technology only to limited practical applications. The increased focus on art, literature, and public administration resulted in a decline in Chinese intellectual with mathem atical and scientific skills who could carry out experiments. Lack of

Cyber Security, Cyber Crime and Cyber Forensic Assignment

Cyber Security, Cyber Crime and Cyber Forensic - Assignment Example Curbing digital crime can be overwhelming if the agencies involved do not acquire appropriate training for the job. This initiative is likely to be a costly one but since it is bound to ripe digital security then it is a priceless initiative worth taking (Santanam & Sethumadhavan, 2011). Moreover, trained personnel without the necessary equipment for the job are another inhibiting factor to the agencies’ efforts to eradicate digital crime. Ill-equipped agencies are likely to underperform since tracking down cybercrimes is likely to be impossible. The independent nature of these agencies limits their access to government support. Agencies need to have certain resources; human resource and capital for smooth operation. These essential resources must be availed to the agency on time so as to avoid disrupting its operation. Therefore the independent nature of these agencies inhibits the acquisition of this vital resource thus undermining their operation (Finklea & Theohary, 2013). The federal government agencies have the mandate to combat computer crimes. This is a well-organized agency which possesses the necessary expertise and efficient technology to combat digital crimes at the national level. The federal agency has thus created special sections within this organization so as to aid in combating this type of crime, these sections include: The secret service – this division has been created by the agency to fight computer crimes. It has been mandated to enforce the following responsibilities in relation to computer crime: (1) the section is mandated to identify frauds in financial institutions. (2) Investigation of digitals crimes that concern the federal interest. The department of justice – this department is chaired by the attorney general who is charged with the mandate to represent the state in matters that desire a legal approach. He also offers advisory services to the president.  

Histroy week1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Histroy week1 - Assignment Example Furthermore, history is important to individuals and society given that it harbors the immense beauty of the world. Besides, through numerous ways, history is discussed in order to understand real functions of subjects; in fact, this based on the talents and paths towards understanding meaning of history. Therefore, various definitions in history are utilized to understand fundamental facts identified in the present world. History is also considered a laboratory, where data that was gathered during past event can be accessed, and this can be applied in the quest to understand complexity of occurrences in the present. For instance, history has been applied in understanding of complexity among different species and their behaviors in social settings. History is unavoidable and it offers all-embracing ground that is evidential based on analysis of different functions regarding specific people. Therefore, understanding history help in embracing and acknowledging simplicity of the way peo ple live or coexist in the world. 2. What have been some important events in your personal history? Some of the most important events in my personal history regard to transitions from one way of life to another. For instance, moving out from home and living in order to earn a living and live independently. Though this was accompanied by challenges such as boredom due to change of environment, I was able to recover and proceed to live a good life. Besides, the day that I joined the university was a significant day that marked achievement of my academic objectives. Therefore, I consider my personal history to be important since it offers a basis of evaluation. Moreover, history helps me to determine the extent to which I have managed to achieve my personal objectives. I consider fundamental reasons of studying history to be based on diverse application of in my life. History serves a real purpose through its grounds based on human understanding of events in peoples’ lives. For instance, a story about a person’s live can be done in a way that reveals their functionalities and societies. In this way, history has prompted my thoughts regarding my experiences in life in terms of time and places. Therefore, my goals are sources of inspiration to make effort in reconstructing remote past, which is withdrawn from immediate present day utilization. To me, the encounters are very good as they nurtured my talent, hardened me to be able to handle challenging situation that do arise during my undertakings. This is because both positive and negative challenges we encounter offer an ample ground for learning various aspects of life interaction. 3. What do you know about your family’s history? I was unable to gather information regarding my ancestors due to lack of relevant sources of information. However, some of the relevant information concerning our family’s history regarded, where my parents lived after they got married and before I was born. I managed to access may family’s history of medical records, which indicated a number of significant issues; therefore, history has a great benefit in understanding various occurrences in the present. For instance, I wondered why I ended up to live in the neighborhood that I live in now; in fact, I realized that my ancestors were living in the same area. The historical information gathered can be very

Dramatic and relevant to a modern audience Essay Example for Free

Dramatic and relevant to a modern audience Essay Lots of the characters under go personal development: for example Reverend Hale, who at first is all to eager to shout witch but in the end is very disbelieving. My personal belief is that the events are a testament of how people shouldnt live in a social structure that is overly tight. A crucible is a metal container in which metals are melted to extract their pure element from the impurities. This can easily be linked to the play: first witches supposedly boil potions in cauldrons and a synonym for cauldron is crucible. Secondly, it has a metaphorical meaning: the society of Salem is being heated and stirred in an attempt to remove the impurities and leave only the pure members of the society. An artificial Noahs Ark, as it were, however this plan backfires some. Act 1 mainly revolves around Abigail and the girls being caught dancing in the woods. The drinking of blood is supposedly a charm to kill Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail wants to be with Proctor after Elizabeth kicked her out for having an affair with Proctor: I know that you clutched my back out side your house and sweated like a stallion when ever I come near, or did I dream that? It is she put me out, you cannot pretend it were you. I saw your face when she put me out. You loved me then and you do now! Abigail Proctor is fighting an internal conflict; we know that on one side he wants to be with Abigail because: [Looking at Abigail now, the faintest suggestion of a knowing smile on his face] Stage direction But we also know that he feels very guilty about Elizabeth: I mean to please you Elizabeth Proctor However, he does tell Abigail that he wants nothing more to do with her: Abby, I may have thought of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched Abby. Proctor All the time this encounter has been in occurrence, sexual tension is building in the audience. They are also learning about Proctors and anti-hero characteristics. We learn that his name is not entirely white. He is not perfect, and the same applies to most of the characters, they all have good and bad points. I think there are two important points here. One is that Abigail is trying to seduce Proctor with seductive language, and two: Betty is only pretending to be inert. She would have heard all of this, and that is most likely the reason behind her getting up and trying to jump out of the window. Also in Act 1 Abigail threatens marry Warren, Betty and the other girls against telling anyone anything: Let any of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you and you know I can do it I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down Abigail It is here that we learn just how aggressive and manipulative that Abigail really is. She was trying to manipulate Proctor and now she is being extremely aggressive and even explicit towards the girls. We can tell that this is a frantic and tense moment on stage by the over average use of exclamation marks and use of short sentences. We can also see physical violence from Abigail as she violently shakes Betty around. Visually this would be interesting for the audience, creating both anger and tension. There is contrast in the loud violence of this moment to the quiet seduction from Abigail before. Act 2 contrasts from the end of Act 1, in the fact that it is a calm and peaceful scene, over the loud fear-driven hysteria of the end of Act 1. Proctor comes home from seeding his farm late at night, and he sits down to eat, with Elizabeth. From the general feel of the scene we can gather that the common room of Proctors house is cold, empty and unwelcoming. This parallels with the relationship between John and Elizabeth. Theres is a great amount of tension between the pair, and they idly make chit-chat at the table, as they feel they need to: Proctor: Pray now for a good summer. Elizabeth: Aye It should be noted that it is Proctor who is trying to make conversation; Elizabeth is spoiling his attempts with one-word answers. Proctor is feeling frustrated because Elizabeth is not acknowledging that Proctor is trying his hardest to repair the relationship. He is forever claiming his desire to please Elizabeth: I mean to please you Elizabeth. Proctor I believe that the audience would to be getting frustrated with Elizabeth not forgiving him. The tension in the audience would also rise, due to the complete lack of any sexual tension. Arthur Millers The Crucible raised issues that were as relevant in the 1950s as they were today. The idea of conformity will always exist. People who define this ideologies and beliefs by which groups of people live will always exist. As will accusations made towards one group from another group, to solve their problem, or help their cause. Arthur Millers play took on some very strong issues, that are still relevant to date, it is one that cannot be ignored because of Millers ability to touch issues and themes that have plagued mankind all through history, and will continue to do so in the future.