Analysis of a Dream of China by Ovidia Yu

Task 2: Written Assignment A Dream of China by Ovidia Yu A Dream of China is written by Ovidia Yu, a Singaporean writer during the 1980s. This story talks about a woman who grew up with many stories revolving around China. The stories were told by her father who was from a wealthy family. He and his brother joined the army to fight off the Japanese in Singapore and were disowned by their father for doing so. After the war ended, the narrator’s father decides to stay in China while the brother chose otherwise. For this choice, the father feels extremely guilty throughout the years.Being convinced that China was amazing, the narrator grabs the opportunity to visit China and finds out for herself many things that differ from her father’s stories. According to Oxford Dictionary (2010), criticism is defined as the analysis and judgement of the merits and faults of a literary or artistic work. Literary criticism therefore, means judging of literary works for both the good and bad. According to a handout of Twentieth-Century Literary Theories, there are many different kinds of literary criticism which include Formalism, Reader-Response, Sociological, Historicism, Structuralism and Psychoanalytic.Several of the mentioned theories are applicable to this text by Ovidia Yu while the others are not very suitable. One of the literary theories that are applicable to A Dream of China would be Reader-Response Criticism. As the handout describes, reader-response criticism is a critical view that sees the reader’s interaction with the text as central to interpretation. This criticism involves the reader’s elucidation and opinion towards the text because as different readers read it, they will have expectations.From those expectations, there lies a perfect explanation in the back of the reader’s mind. The beauty of it is, nobody has the exact same opinion and that is where variety of interpretations could be established. Collaboratively, these r esponses could be put together to criticise a text completely from the inside out, covering all aspects of the text. My response towards this text will be regarding the theme of the text which is an unnecessary guilt of a father. The narrator’s father’s choice of staying in Singapore after the war is a rational one ecause he has already settled down unlike his brother who was still unmarried then. â€Å"He had a wife and my eldest sister, who was already born,† (p163) perfectly justifies that the father’s choice of staying was a rational one. I believe that any man caught in that situation would make the exact same choice he did as it was the best choice available. Besides that, after the Japanese left Singapore and China, staying in Singapore was a smarter choice as it was much smaller thus, suffered less damage compared to China which is many times bigger and of course, more severely damaged.Furthermore, Singapore remains the trading hub of overseas tra ders which gives the place that much more advantage in its nation’s recovery and growth compared to China. With such advantage in the nation and a weight of responsibility towards the family, I would not see how one father would choose otherwise. This is proven the right choice again by the narrator during her expedition to China when she finally meets her nobly described uncle who turns out to be a ‘drab old man’ (p173), ‘barely tolerated by people’ and ‘children throw names at him’ (p170).All in all, they contribute and directly support the theme ‘unnecessary guilt of a father’. Another suitable literary criticism theory would be historicism. Historicism focuses on a text in relation to the historical and cultural contexts of the period in which it was created and critically evaluated. In the case of this text, it is written in the 1980s. During this time, Singapore has already made great progress with their countryâ€℠¢s development and is far more organised and modernised compared to China then in which some parts still live in extremely poor conditions.The narrator’s father however, settled in Singapore around 1945 as that was the year the Japanese left Singapore. At that point of time, Singapore as mentioned above stands a greater chance of recovering their loss and move on with development of their tiny country whereas China is so vast and was undergoing post-war clashes politically at that time. In 1946, civil war in China erupted yet again. With such circumstances, it is of no doubt that the narrator’s father, who was married and had a family living in a peaceful developing country, chooses to stay.Going back to China at such times would only be asking for trouble. This is also one of the reasons why the father feels guilty. It would be because he let his own brother make the unwise choice without trying to make him stay as stated in (p170) ‘If my father had only given h im a word of warning he would now be in Singapore living in the lap of luxury†¦ ’ In the 80s when the narrator finally visits China, which was then undergoing another reform related to communism of Mao-Zedong, she met her noble uncle who turned out to be dull, arrogant, rude and living in poverty, hated by most of the villagers.Seeing such sight would make anyone compare with their own home, in this case, Singapore, which was far more modernised and civilised where husbands treat their wives as equal in status and power unlike in Sechuan where the narrator’s uncle still ‘swore continuously at his wife’ (p169). Even now, we can still see how staying in Singapore would be the best choice at that time. In this 21st century, Singapore has become one of the most modernised countries competing alongside Japan as well as America.While in mainland China, some parts are much modernised, but many other parts are still, till this day, without electricity and wat er what more to say, education. In conclusion, both theories of literary criticism has their unique own way of approach towards literary works. The choice of theories is still ultimately up to the readers to choose which is most suitable. Without literary criticism, literature would have lost their art form that has been appealing to linguists for centuries, similar to how art would lose its value if nobody cares to analyse and evaluate it. ReferencesOxford (2010) â€Å"criticism†. Oxford Dictionaries. April 2010. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 21 March 2012 from: http://oxforddictionaries. com/definition/criticism N. A (N. D) Twentieth-Century Literary Theories. Appendix C. Pg 1940-1961. Retrieved 21 March 2012 Gay, Kathlyn. (2008). 21st Century Books. Mao Zedong's China. ISBN 0-8225-7285-0. pg 7. Retrieved 21 March 2012 from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Chinese_Civil_War Hutchings, Graham. (2001). Modern China: A Guide to a Century of Change. Harvard University Press . ISBN 0-674-00658-5. Retrieved 21 March 2012 from: http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Chinese_Civil_War March, G. Patrick. (1996). Eastern Destiny: Russia in Asia and the North Pacific. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0-275-95566-4. pg 205. Retrieved 21 March 2012 from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Chinese_Civil_War Fairbank, John King. (1994). China: A New History. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-11673-9. Retrieved 21 March 2012 from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Chinese_Civil_War Zarrow, Peter Gue. (2005). China in War and Revolution, 1895–1949. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-36447-7. pg 338. Retrieved 21 March 2012 from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Chinese_Civil_War

Case Study Analysis of an employee Essay

This case study for student analysis will look at an employee of ABC, Inc., Carl Robins, the new recruiter of only six months and his struggle to hold orientation for fifteen new hires. There are various factors that play a part of why Carl struggles to meet the promised deadline that is fast approaching. This analysis will focus on time management, job performance, and company organizational issues that are key problems with how Carl is performing his job, but will also look at how ABC, Inc. management team play is playing a part in Carl’s struggle to meet his deadline. This analysis will show alternative solutions, a proposed solution, and a recommendation that will prevent future struggles for Carl and all other employees at ABC, Incorporated. Carl Robins is the new recruiter for ABC, Inc. Carl has been in his new position for six months now. In the six month timeframe, Carl has successfully hired fifteen new trainees. Now that the trainees are hired, Carl’s next obj ective is to hold an orientation on June 15th at one time for all fifteen new hires. The orientation date is to ensure Carl will have all the new hires ready to start working by July for the Operations Manager, Monica Carrolls. On May 15th Carl is contacted by Monica Carrolls to discuss with Carl everything needed for the new hires to begin orientation; the training schedule, manuals, policy booklets, physicals, drug test, and other things. Two weeks later, Carl decides to go over the trainee files and realizes some trainees’ paperwork are incomplete and missing. All of the new hires still need to take a mandatory drug screen test. During this time, Carl becomes aware that he does not have enough copies of the orientation manuals and on top of that, there is not one complete orientation manual to make copies. Lastly, Carl checks out the training room he book earlier in the month and finds Joe, from technology services, is setting up computer terminals for training seminars for the entire month of June. Carl will need to find a new place to hold orientation. Ca rl is panicking and does not know how to proceed at this point. (University of Phoenix, 2014) There are numerous key problems to focus on with Carl as well as with ABC, Inc. Starting with Carl, some of  the key problems Carl is having includes his apparent lack of time management. Carl is also having organizational and communication issues. Carl insufficient knowledge of how to apply these skills are playing a huge factor in Carl’s struggle to be prepared and ready for orientations on June 15th. Carl also appears to have insufficient knowledge about his position and what his responsibilities requires of him daily to meet his scheduled orientation and promised deadline to have all the new hires working by July. Looking at Carl’s timeline, he hires the new trainees in the beginning of April. Carl knows he has a little over two months before orientation is scheduled will be held for the new hires. On May 15th Carl receives a call from Monica, the Operations Manager, to go over the needs for orientation to be successful. It appears that Carl does nothing for over a month in regards to checking on the status of each new hire. What is Carl doing in this timeframe needs to be investigated. Carl waits until two weeks before the scheduled orientation to finally check on the trainees’ files. It seems there is no communication between Carl and Human Resources at all. Carl should be in contact with Human Recourses about the status of each new hires paperwork and on a consistent basis. It would appear that Carl is not doing his job efficiently. ABC, Inc. has some underlying key problems that have contribute a great deal to Carl’s struggle to meet the scheduled orientation date. ABC, Inc. has failed to support Carl in his new position. There is a lack of supervision to help guide Carl. ABC, Inc. also shows there is an apparent breakdown in communication between its employees. Human Resources must not now about the orientation date for the new hires and therefore seems to be taking their time in getting all the paperwork in for each new hire. Another communication breakdown is the situation about Joe and Carl both being able to book the training room to use on June 15th. There are many alternative solutions for Carl to successfully meet his orientation deadline of June 15th and have the new trainees ready to start work for the Operations Manager by July. Carl should contact Monica Carrolls, the Operations Manager, and find out if there is anyone in the company who would be able to help assist him with getting everything in order for orientation. If there is no one in the company available to help Carl at this time, then Carl needs to find out if he has the authority to hire an outside source, if he does not, then wh o does? Time is of the  essence to have everything competed for orientation. This person will help assist Carl in completing the following tasks; contacting each new hire to schedule a drug test, make sure all necessary documents are completed, turned in, find someone in the company who has a complete orientation manual, make copies, and find a new place to have orientation. Carl is new and this his 1st recruitment orientation, he should be held responsible to check in with the Operations Manager or whoever is Carl’s Manager and give them a daily report of what he has accomplished each day and what is left to still be accomplished to meet the orientation date. All of these solutions are a Band-Aid and will aid in Carl successfully holding orientation. However, they are not solutions for the root of the problems facing ABC, Inc. Even though the struggle focuses on Carl Robins and his inability to do his job correctly, the proposed solution is directed towards ABC, Incorporated Management Team. The Management Team should be held responsible. Carl Robins is new to the company. It is apparent that Carl’s lack of experience and work history is not matched up properly for the position of recruiter. Carl clearly does not understand what it takes for him to hold successfully orientation on June 15th. Carl is going blindly about his job responsibilities without a clear understanding of time restraints for each task he needs to perform. There should be supervision over Carl on a daily basis due to this being his 1st recruitment orientation assignment. ABC, Inc. Management Team should put into place a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for each position in the company. Clearly outlining each position and it responsibilities as well as including a flow chart showing who each position reports to. At this time, it is recommended that ABC, Inc. have each and every employee attend a several work seminars. It would be best for the company to start with a seminar that will focus on learning how to communicate well with each other inside the company, how to speak up about company problems and ask for help, and learn how to work together as a team unit. A time management seminar is highly suggested and would be of great help to the company as well. Each employee should learn time management skills, how to manage their time, their workflow, and how to prioritize their job responsibilities. Another recommendation, department mangers take a seminar about being team leaders. They need to understand what exactly their employees are doing in their daily routines. Department  managers are strongly encouraged to meet with each employee and have a one on one meeting. The meeting should target each manager finding out how the employee feels about their position, what they feel the pros and cons are for their position, and if the employee have any struggles in their position that need attention. These seminars and personal one on one attention with the employees will give tools for each employee to use in becoming successful in their positions and the company as a whole. It will also boost employee morale and would be a great gesture on the company’s behalf to show the employees that the company values them, is willing to investing time in each one of them, and you care about them. In return, the company should see significant improvement in time management and communication. References Case Study for Student Analysis, University of Phoenix, 2014

Angels Demons Chapter 6263

Suddenly someone grabbed him from behind. It was Vittoria. She was breathless and tugging at his arm. From the look of terror on her face, Langdon could only imagine one thing. She found a body. He felt an upswelling of dread. â€Å"Ah, your wife!† the docent exclaimed, clearly thrilled to have another guest. He motioned to her short pants and hiking boots. â€Å"Now you I can tell are American!† Vittoria’s eyes narrowed. â€Å"I’m Italian.† The guide’s smile dimmed. â€Å"Oh, dear.† â€Å"Robert,† Vittoria whispered, trying to turn her back on the guide. â€Å"Galileo’s Diagramma. I need to see it.† â€Å"Diagramma?† the docent said, wheedling back in. â€Å"My! You two certainly know your history! Unfortunately that document is not viewable. It is under secret preservation in the Vatican Arc – â€Å" â€Å"Could you excuse us?† Langdon said. He was confused by Vittoria’s panic. He took her aside and reached in his pocket, carefully extracting the Diagramma folio. â€Å"What’s going on?† â€Å"What’s the date on this thing?† Vittoria demanded, scanning the sheet. The docent was on them again, staring at the folio, mouth agape. â€Å"That’s not†¦ really†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Tourist reproduction,† Langdon quipped. â€Å"Thank you for your help. Please, my wife and I would like a moment alone.† The docent backed off, eyes never leaving the paper. â€Å"Date,† Vittoria repeated to Langdon. â€Å"When did Galileo publish†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Langdon pointed to the Roman numeral in the lower liner. â€Å"That’s the pub date. What’s going on?† Vittoria deciphered the number. â€Å"1639?† â€Å"Yes. What’s wrong?† Vittoria’s eyes filled with foreboding. â€Å"We’re in trouble, Robert. Big trouble. The dates don’t match.† â€Å"What dates don’t match?† â€Å"Raphael’s tomb. He wasn’t buried here until 1759. A century after Diagramma was published.† Langdon stared at her, trying to make sense of the words. â€Å"No,† he replied. â€Å"Raphael died in 1520, long before Diagramma.† â€Å"Yes, but he wasn’t buried here until much later.† Langdon was lost. â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"I just read it. Raphael’s body was relocated to the Pantheon in 1758. It was part of some historic tribute to eminent Italians.† As the words settled in, Langdon felt like a rug had just been yanked out from under him. â€Å"When that poem was written,† Vittoria declared, â€Å"Raphael’s tomb was somewhere else. Back then, the Pantheon had nothing at all to do with Raphael!† Langdon could not breathe. â€Å"But that†¦ means†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes! It means we’re in the wrong place!† Langdon felt himself sway. Impossible†¦ I was certain†¦ Vittoria ran over and grabbed the docent, pulling him back. â€Å"Signore, excuse us. Where was Raphael’s body in the 1600s?† â€Å"Urb†¦ Urbino,† he stammered, now looking bewildered. â€Å"His birthplace.† â€Å"Impossible!† Langdon cursed to himself. â€Å"The Illuminati altars of science were here in Rome. I’m certain of it!† â€Å"Illuminati?† The docent gasped, looking again at the document in Langdon’s hand. â€Å"Who are you people?† Vittoria took charge. â€Å"We’re looking for something called Santi’s earthly tomb. In Rome. Can you tell us what that might be?† The docent looked unsettled. â€Å"This was Raphael’s only tomb in Rome.† Langdon tried to think, but his mind refused to engage. If Raphael’s tomb wasn’t in Rome in 1655, then what was the poem referring to? Santi’s earthly tomb with demon’s hole? What the hell is it? Think! â€Å"Was there another artist called Santi?† Vittoria asked. The docent shrugged. â€Å"Not that I know of.† â€Å"How about anyone famous at all? Maybe a scientist or a poet or an astronomer named Santi?† The docent now looked like he wanted to leave. â€Å"No, ma’am. The only Santi I’ve ever heard of is Raphael the architect.† â€Å"Architect?† Vittoria said. â€Å"I thought he was a painter!† â€Å"He was both, of course. They all were. Michelangelo, da Vinci, Raphael.† Langdon didn’t know whether it was the docent’s words or the ornate tombs around them that brought the revelation to mind, but it didn’t matter. The thought occurred. Santi was an architect. From there the progression of thoughts fell like dominoes. Renaissance architects lived for only two reasons – to glorify God with big churches, and to glorify dignitaries with lavish tombs. Santi’s tomb. Could it be? The images came faster now†¦ da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Monet’s Water Lilies. Michelangelo’s David. Santi’s earthly tomb†¦ â€Å"Santi designed the tomb,† Langdon said. Vittoria turned. â€Å"What?† â€Å"It’s not a reference to where Raphael is buried, it’s referring to a tomb he designed.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"I misunderstood the clue. It’s not Raphael’s burial site we’re looking for, it’s a tomb Raphael designed for someone else. I can’t believe I missed it. Half of the sculpting done in Renaissance and Baroque Rome was for the funeraries.† Langdon smiled with the revelation. â€Å"Raphael must have designed hundreds of tombs!† Vittoria did not look happy. â€Å"Hundreds?† Langdon’s smile faded. â€Å"Oh.† â€Å"Any of them earthly, professor?† Langdon felt suddenly inadequate. He knew embarrassingly little about Raphael’s work. Michelangelo he could have helped with, but Raphael’s work had never captivated him. Langdon could only name a couple of Raphael’s more famous tombs, but he wasn’t sure what they looked like. Apparently sensing Langdon’s stymie, Vittoria turned to the docent, who was now inching away. She grabbed his arm and reeled him in. â€Å"I need a tomb. Designed by Raphael. A tomb that could be considered earthly.† The docent now looked distressed. â€Å"A tomb of Raphael’s? I don’t know. He designed so many. And you probably would mean a chapel by Raphael, not a tomb. Architects always designed the chapels in conjunction with the tomb.† Langdon realized the man was right. â€Å"Are any of Raphael’s tombs or chapels considered earthly?† The man shrugged. â€Å"I’m sorry. I don’t know what you mean. Earthly really doesn’t describe anything I know of. I should be going.† Vittoria held his arm and read from the top line of the folio. â€Å"From Santi’s earthly tomb with demon’s hole. Does that mean anything to you?† â€Å"Not a thing.† Langdon looked up suddenly. He had momentarily forgotten the second part of the line. Demon’s hole? â€Å"Yes!† he said to the docent. â€Å"That’s it! Do any of Raphael’s chapels have an oculus in them?† The docent shook his head. â€Å"To my knowledge the Pantheon is unique.† He paused. â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But what!† Vittoria and Langdon said in unison. Now the docent cocked his head, stepping toward them again. â€Å"A demon’s hole?† He muttered to himself and picked at his teeth. â€Å"Demon’s hole†¦ that is†¦ buco divolo?† Vittoria nodded. â€Å"Literally, yes.† The docent smiled faintly. â€Å"Now there’s a term I have not heard in a while. If I’m not mistaken, a buco divolo refers to an undercroft.† â€Å"An undercroft?† Langdon asked. â€Å"As in a crypt?† â€Å"Yes, but a specific kind of crypt. I believe a demon’s hole is an ancient term for a massive burial cavity located in a chapel†¦ underneath another tomb.† â€Å"An ossuary annex?† Langdon demanded, immediately recognizing what the man was describing. The docent looked impressed. â€Å"Yes! That is the term I was looking for!† Langdon considered it. Ossuary annexes were a cheap ecclesiastic fix to an awkward dilemma. When churches honored their most distinguished members with ornate tombs inside the sanctuary, surviving family members often demanded the family be buried together†¦ thus ensuring they too would have a coveted burial spot inside the church. However, if the church did not have space or funds to create tombs for an entire family, they sometimes dug an ossuary annex – a hole in the floor near the tomb where they buried the less worthy family members. The hole was then covered with the Renaissance equivalent of a manhole cover. Although convenient, the ossuary annex went out of style quickly because of the stench that often wafted up into the cathedral. Demon’s hole, Langdon thought. He had never heard the term. It seemed eerily fitting. Langdon’s heart was now pounding fiercely. From Santi’s earthly tomb with demon’s hole. There seemed to be only one question left to ask. â€Å"Did Raphael design any tombs that had one of these demon’s holes?† The docent scratched his head. â€Å"Actually. I’m sorry†¦ I can only think of one.† Only one? Langdon could not have dreamed of a better response. â€Å"Where!† Vittoria almost shouted. The docent eyed them strangely. â€Å"It’s called the Chigi Chapel. Tomb of Agostino Chigi and his brother, wealthy patrons of the arts and sciences.† â€Å"Sciences?† Langdon said, exchanging looks with Vittoria. â€Å"Where?† Vittoria asked again. The docent ignored the question, seeming enthusiastic again to be of service. â€Å"As for whether or not the tomb is earthly, I don’t know, but certainly it is†¦ shall we say differente.† â€Å"Different?† Langdon said. â€Å"How?† â€Å"Incoherent with the architecture. Raphael was only the architect. Some other sculptor did the interior adornments. I can’t remember who.† Langdon was now all ears. The anonymous Illuminati master, perhaps? â€Å"Whoever did the interior monuments lacked taste,† the docent said. â€Å"Dio mio! Atrocits! Who would want to be buried beneath piramides?† Langdon could scarcely believe his ears. â€Å"Pyramids? The chapel contains pyramids?† â€Å"I know,† the docent scoffed. â€Å"Terrible, isn’t it?† Vittoria grabbed the docent’s arm. â€Å"Signore, where is this Chigi Chapel?† â€Å"About a mile north. In the church of Santa Maria del Popolo.† Vittoria exhaled. â€Å"Thank you. Let’s – â€Å" â€Å"Hey,† the docent said, â€Å"I just thought of something. What a fool I am.† Vittoria stopped short. â€Å"Please don’t tell me you made a mistake.† He shook his head. â€Å"No, but it should have dawned on me earlier. The Chigi Chapel was not always known as the Chigi. It used to be called Capella della Terra.† â€Å"Chapel of the Land?† Langdon asked. â€Å"No,† Vittoria said, heading for the door. â€Å"Chapel of the Earth.† Vittoria Vetra whipped out her cell phone as she dashed into Piazza della Rotunda. â€Å"Commander Olivetti,† she said. â€Å"This is the wrong place!† Olivetti sounded bewildered. â€Å"Wrong? What do you mean?† â€Å"The first altar of science is at the Chigi Chapel!† â€Å"Where?† Now Olivetti sounded angry. â€Å"But Mr. Langdon said – â€Å" â€Å"Santa Maria del Popolo! One mile north. Get your men over there now! We’ve got four minutes!† â€Å"But my men are in position here! I can’t possibly – â€Å" â€Å"Move!† Vittoria snapped the phone shut. Behind her, Langdon emerged from the Pantheon, dazed. She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the queue of seemingly driverless taxis waiting by the curb. She pounded on the hood of the first car in line. The sleeping driver bolted upright with a startled yelp. Vittoria yanked open the rear door and pushed Langdon inside. Then she jumped in behind him. â€Å"Santa Maria del Popolo,† she ordered. â€Å"Presto!† Looking delirious and half terrified, the driver hit the accelerator, peeling out down the street. 63 Gunther Glick had assumed control of the computer from Chinita Macri, who now stood hunched in the back of the cramped BBC van staring in confusion over Glick’s shoulder. â€Å"I told you,† Glick said, typing some more keys. â€Å"The British Tattler isn’t the only paper that runs stories on these guys.† Macri peered closer. Glick was right. The BBC database showed their distinguished network as having picked up and run six stories in the past ten years on the brotherhood called the Illuminati. Well, paint me purple, she thought. â€Å"Who are the journalists who ran the stories,† Macri asked. â€Å"Schlock jocks?† â€Å"BBC doesn’t hire schlock jocks.† â€Å"They hired you.† Glick scowled. â€Å"I don’t know why you’re such a skeptic. The Illuminati are well documented throughout history.† â€Å"So are witches, UFOs, and the Loch Ness Monster.† Glick read the list of stories. â€Å"You ever heard of a guy called Winston Churchill?† â€Å"Rings a bell.† â€Å"BBC did a historical a while back on Churchill’s life. Staunch Catholic by the way. Did you know that in 1920 Churchill published a statement condemning the Illuminati and warning Brits of a worldwide conspiracy against morality?† Macri was dubious. â€Å"Where did it run? In the British Tattler?† Glick smiled. â€Å"London Herald. February 8, 1920.† â€Å"No way.† â€Å"Feast your eyes.† Macri looked closer at the clip. London Herald. Feb. 8, 1920. I had no idea. â€Å"Well, Churchill was a paranoid.† â€Å"He wasn’t alone,† Glick said, reading further. â€Å"Looks like Woodrow Wilson gave three radio broadcasts in 1921 warning of growing Illuminati control over the U.S. banking system. You want a direct quote from the radio transcript?† â€Å"Not really.† Glick gave her one anyway. â€Å"He said, ‘There is a power so organized, so subtle, so complete, so pervasive, that none had better speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it.’ â€Å" â€Å"I’ve never heard anything about this.† â€Å"Maybe because in 1921 you were just a kid.† â€Å"Charming.† Macri took the jab in stride. She knew her years were showing. At forty-three, her bushy black curls were streaked with gray. She was too proud for dye. Her mom, a Southern Baptist, had taught Chinita contentedness and self-respect. When you’re a black woman, her mother said, ain’t no hiding what you are. Day you try, is the day you die. Stand tall, smile bright, and let ’em wonder what secret’s making you laugh. â€Å"Ever heard of Cecil Rhodes?† Glick asked. Macri looked up. â€Å"The British financier?† â€Å"Yeah. Founded the Rhodes Scholarships.† â€Å"Don’t tell me – â€Å" â€Å"Illuminatus.† â€Å"BS.† â€Å"BBC, actually. November 16, 1984.† â€Å"We wrote that Cecil Rhodes was Illuminati?† â€Å"Sure did. And according to our network, the Rhodes Scholarships were funds set up centuries ago to recruit the world’s brightest young minds into the Illuminati.† â€Å"That’s ridiculous! My uncle was a Rhodes Scholar!† Glick winked. â€Å"So was Bill Clinton.† Macri was getting mad now. She had never had tolerance for shoddy, alarmist reporting. Still, she knew enough about the BBC to know that every story they ran was carefully researched and confirmed. â€Å"Here’s one you’ll remember,† Glick said. â€Å"BBC, March 5, 1998. Parliament Committee Chair, Chris Mullin, required all members of British Parliament who were Masons to declare their affiliation.† Macri remembered it. The decree had eventually extended to include policemen and judges as well. â€Å"Why was it again?† Glick read. â€Å"†¦ concern that secret factions within the Masons exerted considerable control over political and financial systems.† â€Å"That’s right.† â€Å"Caused quite a bustle. The Masons in parliament were furious. Had a right to be. The vast majority turned out to be innocent men who joined the Masons for networking and charity work. They had no clue about the brotherhood’s past affiliations.† â€Å"Alleged affiliations.† â€Å"Whatever.† Glick scanned the articles. â€Å"Look at this stuff. Accounts tracing the Illuminati back to Galileo, the Guerenets of France, the Alumbrados of Spain. Even Karl Marx and the Russian Revolution.† â€Å"History has a way of rewriting itself.† â€Å"Fine, you want something current? Have a look at this. Here’s an Illuminati reference from a recent Wall Street Journal.† This caught Macri’s ear. â€Å"The Journal?† â€Å"Guess what the most popular Internet computer game in America is right now?† â€Å"Pin the tail on Pamela Anderson.† â€Å"Close. It’s called, Illuminati: New World Order.† Macri looked over his shoulder at the blurb. â€Å"Steve Jackson Games has a runaway hit†¦ a quasi-historical adventure in which an ancient satanic brotherhood from Bavaria sets out to take over the world. You can find them on-line at†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Macri looked up, feeling ill. â€Å"What do these Illuminati guys have against Christianity?† â€Å"Not just Christianity,† Glick said. â€Å"Religion in general.† Glick cocked his head and grinned. â€Å"Although from the phone call we just got, it appears they do have a special spot in their hearts for the Vatican.† â€Å"Oh, come on. You don’t really think that guy who called is who he claims to be, do you?† â€Å"A messenger of the Illuminati? Preparing to kill four cardinals?† Glick smiled. â€Å"I sure hope so.† Angels Demons Chapter 6263 Suddenly someone grabbed him from behind. It was Vittoria. She was breathless and tugging at his arm. From the look of terror on her face, Langdon could only imagine one thing. She found a body. He felt an upswelling of dread. â€Å"Ah, your wife!† the docent exclaimed, clearly thrilled to have another guest. He motioned to her short pants and hiking boots. â€Å"Now you I can tell are American!† Vittoria’s eyes narrowed. â€Å"I’m Italian.† The guide’s smile dimmed. â€Å"Oh, dear.† â€Å"Robert,† Vittoria whispered, trying to turn her back on the guide. â€Å"Galileo’s Diagramma. I need to see it.† â€Å"Diagramma?† the docent said, wheedling back in. â€Å"My! You two certainly know your history! Unfortunately that document is not viewable. It is under secret preservation in the Vatican Arc – â€Å" â€Å"Could you excuse us?† Langdon said. He was confused by Vittoria’s panic. He took her aside and reached in his pocket, carefully extracting the Diagramma folio. â€Å"What’s going on?† â€Å"What’s the date on this thing?† Vittoria demanded, scanning the sheet. The docent was on them again, staring at the folio, mouth agape. â€Å"That’s not†¦ really†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Tourist reproduction,† Langdon quipped. â€Å"Thank you for your help. Please, my wife and I would like a moment alone.† The docent backed off, eyes never leaving the paper. â€Å"Date,† Vittoria repeated to Langdon. â€Å"When did Galileo publish†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Langdon pointed to the Roman numeral in the lower liner. â€Å"That’s the pub date. What’s going on?† Vittoria deciphered the number. â€Å"1639?† â€Å"Yes. What’s wrong?† Vittoria’s eyes filled with foreboding. â€Å"We’re in trouble, Robert. Big trouble. The dates don’t match.† â€Å"What dates don’t match?† â€Å"Raphael’s tomb. He wasn’t buried here until 1759. A century after Diagramma was published.† Langdon stared at her, trying to make sense of the words. â€Å"No,† he replied. â€Å"Raphael died in 1520, long before Diagramma.† â€Å"Yes, but he wasn’t buried here until much later.† Langdon was lost. â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"I just read it. Raphael’s body was relocated to the Pantheon in 1758. It was part of some historic tribute to eminent Italians.† As the words settled in, Langdon felt like a rug had just been yanked out from under him. â€Å"When that poem was written,† Vittoria declared, â€Å"Raphael’s tomb was somewhere else. Back then, the Pantheon had nothing at all to do with Raphael!† Langdon could not breathe. â€Å"But that†¦ means†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes! It means we’re in the wrong place!† Langdon felt himself sway. Impossible†¦ I was certain†¦ Vittoria ran over and grabbed the docent, pulling him back. â€Å"Signore, excuse us. Where was Raphael’s body in the 1600s?† â€Å"Urb†¦ Urbino,† he stammered, now looking bewildered. â€Å"His birthplace.† â€Å"Impossible!† Langdon cursed to himself. â€Å"The Illuminati altars of science were here in Rome. I’m certain of it!† â€Å"Illuminati?† The docent gasped, looking again at the document in Langdon’s hand. â€Å"Who are you people?† Vittoria took charge. â€Å"We’re looking for something called Santi’s earthly tomb. In Rome. Can you tell us what that might be?† The docent looked unsettled. â€Å"This was Raphael’s only tomb in Rome.† Langdon tried to think, but his mind refused to engage. If Raphael’s tomb wasn’t in Rome in 1655, then what was the poem referring to? Santi’s earthly tomb with demon’s hole? What the hell is it? Think! â€Å"Was there another artist called Santi?† Vittoria asked. The docent shrugged. â€Å"Not that I know of.† â€Å"How about anyone famous at all? Maybe a scientist or a poet or an astronomer named Santi?† The docent now looked like he wanted to leave. â€Å"No, ma’am. The only Santi I’ve ever heard of is Raphael the architect.† â€Å"Architect?† Vittoria said. â€Å"I thought he was a painter!† â€Å"He was both, of course. They all were. Michelangelo, da Vinci, Raphael.† Langdon didn’t know whether it was the docent’s words or the ornate tombs around them that brought the revelation to mind, but it didn’t matter. The thought occurred. Santi was an architect. From there the progression of thoughts fell like dominoes. Renaissance architects lived for only two reasons – to glorify God with big churches, and to glorify dignitaries with lavish tombs. Santi’s tomb. Could it be? The images came faster now†¦ da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Monet’s Water Lilies. Michelangelo’s David. Santi’s earthly tomb†¦ â€Å"Santi designed the tomb,† Langdon said. Vittoria turned. â€Å"What?† â€Å"It’s not a reference to where Raphael is buried, it’s referring to a tomb he designed.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"I misunderstood the clue. It’s not Raphael’s burial site we’re looking for, it’s a tomb Raphael designed for someone else. I can’t believe I missed it. Half of the sculpting done in Renaissance and Baroque Rome was for the funeraries.† Langdon smiled with the revelation. â€Å"Raphael must have designed hundreds of tombs!† Vittoria did not look happy. â€Å"Hundreds?† Langdon’s smile faded. â€Å"Oh.† â€Å"Any of them earthly, professor?† Langdon felt suddenly inadequate. He knew embarrassingly little about Raphael’s work. Michelangelo he could have helped with, but Raphael’s work had never captivated him. Langdon could only name a couple of Raphael’s more famous tombs, but he wasn’t sure what they looked like. Apparently sensing Langdon’s stymie, Vittoria turned to the docent, who was now inching away. She grabbed his arm and reeled him in. â€Å"I need a tomb. Designed by Raphael. A tomb that could be considered earthly.† The docent now looked distressed. â€Å"A tomb of Raphael’s? I don’t know. He designed so many. And you probably would mean a chapel by Raphael, not a tomb. Architects always designed the chapels in conjunction with the tomb.† Langdon realized the man was right. â€Å"Are any of Raphael’s tombs or chapels considered earthly?† The man shrugged. â€Å"I’m sorry. I don’t know what you mean. Earthly really doesn’t describe anything I know of. I should be going.† Vittoria held his arm and read from the top line of the folio. â€Å"From Santi’s earthly tomb with demon’s hole. Does that mean anything to you?† â€Å"Not a thing.† Langdon looked up suddenly. He had momentarily forgotten the second part of the line. Demon’s hole? â€Å"Yes!† he said to the docent. â€Å"That’s it! Do any of Raphael’s chapels have an oculus in them?† The docent shook his head. â€Å"To my knowledge the Pantheon is unique.† He paused. â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But what!† Vittoria and Langdon said in unison. Now the docent cocked his head, stepping toward them again. â€Å"A demon’s hole?† He muttered to himself and picked at his teeth. â€Å"Demon’s hole†¦ that is†¦ buco divolo?† Vittoria nodded. â€Å"Literally, yes.† The docent smiled faintly. â€Å"Now there’s a term I have not heard in a while. If I’m not mistaken, a buco divolo refers to an undercroft.† â€Å"An undercroft?† Langdon asked. â€Å"As in a crypt?† â€Å"Yes, but a specific kind of crypt. I believe a demon’s hole is an ancient term for a massive burial cavity located in a chapel†¦ underneath another tomb.† â€Å"An ossuary annex?† Langdon demanded, immediately recognizing what the man was describing. The docent looked impressed. â€Å"Yes! That is the term I was looking for!† Langdon considered it. Ossuary annexes were a cheap ecclesiastic fix to an awkward dilemma. When churches honored their most distinguished members with ornate tombs inside the sanctuary, surviving family members often demanded the family be buried together†¦ thus ensuring they too would have a coveted burial spot inside the church. However, if the church did not have space or funds to create tombs for an entire family, they sometimes dug an ossuary annex – a hole in the floor near the tomb where they buried the less worthy family members. The hole was then covered with the Renaissance equivalent of a manhole cover. Although convenient, the ossuary annex went out of style quickly because of the stench that often wafted up into the cathedral. Demon’s hole, Langdon thought. He had never heard the term. It seemed eerily fitting. Langdon’s heart was now pounding fiercely. From Santi’s earthly tomb with demon’s hole. There seemed to be only one question left to ask. â€Å"Did Raphael design any tombs that had one of these demon’s holes?† The docent scratched his head. â€Å"Actually. I’m sorry†¦ I can only think of one.† Only one? Langdon could not have dreamed of a better response. â€Å"Where!† Vittoria almost shouted. The docent eyed them strangely. â€Å"It’s called the Chigi Chapel. Tomb of Agostino Chigi and his brother, wealthy patrons of the arts and sciences.† â€Å"Sciences?† Langdon said, exchanging looks with Vittoria. â€Å"Where?† Vittoria asked again. The docent ignored the question, seeming enthusiastic again to be of service. â€Å"As for whether or not the tomb is earthly, I don’t know, but certainly it is†¦ shall we say differente.† â€Å"Different?† Langdon said. â€Å"How?† â€Å"Incoherent with the architecture. Raphael was only the architect. Some other sculptor did the interior adornments. I can’t remember who.† Langdon was now all ears. The anonymous Illuminati master, perhaps? â€Å"Whoever did the interior monuments lacked taste,† the docent said. â€Å"Dio mio! Atrocits! Who would want to be buried beneath piramides?† Langdon could scarcely believe his ears. â€Å"Pyramids? The chapel contains pyramids?† â€Å"I know,† the docent scoffed. â€Å"Terrible, isn’t it?† Vittoria grabbed the docent’s arm. â€Å"Signore, where is this Chigi Chapel?† â€Å"About a mile north. In the church of Santa Maria del Popolo.† Vittoria exhaled. â€Å"Thank you. Let’s – â€Å" â€Å"Hey,† the docent said, â€Å"I just thought of something. What a fool I am.† Vittoria stopped short. â€Å"Please don’t tell me you made a mistake.† He shook his head. â€Å"No, but it should have dawned on me earlier. The Chigi Chapel was not always known as the Chigi. It used to be called Capella della Terra.† â€Å"Chapel of the Land?† Langdon asked. â€Å"No,† Vittoria said, heading for the door. â€Å"Chapel of the Earth.† Vittoria Vetra whipped out her cell phone as she dashed into Piazza della Rotunda. â€Å"Commander Olivetti,† she said. â€Å"This is the wrong place!† Olivetti sounded bewildered. â€Å"Wrong? What do you mean?† â€Å"The first altar of science is at the Chigi Chapel!† â€Å"Where?† Now Olivetti sounded angry. â€Å"But Mr. Langdon said – â€Å" â€Å"Santa Maria del Popolo! One mile north. Get your men over there now! We’ve got four minutes!† â€Å"But my men are in position here! I can’t possibly – â€Å" â€Å"Move!† Vittoria snapped the phone shut. Behind her, Langdon emerged from the Pantheon, dazed. She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the queue of seemingly driverless taxis waiting by the curb. She pounded on the hood of the first car in line. The sleeping driver bolted upright with a startled yelp. Vittoria yanked open the rear door and pushed Langdon inside. Then she jumped in behind him. â€Å"Santa Maria del Popolo,† she ordered. â€Å"Presto!† Looking delirious and half terrified, the driver hit the accelerator, peeling out down the street. 63 Gunther Glick had assumed control of the computer from Chinita Macri, who now stood hunched in the back of the cramped BBC van staring in confusion over Glick’s shoulder. â€Å"I told you,† Glick said, typing some more keys. â€Å"The British Tattler isn’t the only paper that runs stories on these guys.† Macri peered closer. Glick was right. The BBC database showed their distinguished network as having picked up and run six stories in the past ten years on the brotherhood called the Illuminati. Well, paint me purple, she thought. â€Å"Who are the journalists who ran the stories,† Macri asked. â€Å"Schlock jocks?† â€Å"BBC doesn’t hire schlock jocks.† â€Å"They hired you.† Glick scowled. â€Å"I don’t know why you’re such a skeptic. The Illuminati are well documented throughout history.† â€Å"So are witches, UFOs, and the Loch Ness Monster.† Glick read the list of stories. â€Å"You ever heard of a guy called Winston Churchill?† â€Å"Rings a bell.† â€Å"BBC did a historical a while back on Churchill’s life. Staunch Catholic by the way. Did you know that in 1920 Churchill published a statement condemning the Illuminati and warning Brits of a worldwide conspiracy against morality?† Macri was dubious. â€Å"Where did it run? In the British Tattler?† Glick smiled. â€Å"London Herald. February 8, 1920.† â€Å"No way.† â€Å"Feast your eyes.† Macri looked closer at the clip. London Herald. Feb. 8, 1920. I had no idea. â€Å"Well, Churchill was a paranoid.† â€Å"He wasn’t alone,† Glick said, reading further. â€Å"Looks like Woodrow Wilson gave three radio broadcasts in 1921 warning of growing Illuminati control over the U.S. banking system. You want a direct quote from the radio transcript?† â€Å"Not really.† Glick gave her one anyway. â€Å"He said, ‘There is a power so organized, so subtle, so complete, so pervasive, that none had better speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it.’ â€Å" â€Å"I’ve never heard anything about this.† â€Å"Maybe because in 1921 you were just a kid.† â€Å"Charming.† Macri took the jab in stride. She knew her years were showing. At forty-three, her bushy black curls were streaked with gray. She was too proud for dye. Her mom, a Southern Baptist, had taught Chinita contentedness and self-respect. When you’re a black woman, her mother said, ain’t no hiding what you are. Day you try, is the day you die. Stand tall, smile bright, and let ’em wonder what secret’s making you laugh. â€Å"Ever heard of Cecil Rhodes?† Glick asked. Macri looked up. â€Å"The British financier?† â€Å"Yeah. Founded the Rhodes Scholarships.† â€Å"Don’t tell me – â€Å" â€Å"Illuminatus.† â€Å"BS.† â€Å"BBC, actually. November 16, 1984.† â€Å"We wrote that Cecil Rhodes was Illuminati?† â€Å"Sure did. And according to our network, the Rhodes Scholarships were funds set up centuries ago to recruit the world’s brightest young minds into the Illuminati.† â€Å"That’s ridiculous! My uncle was a Rhodes Scholar!† Glick winked. â€Å"So was Bill Clinton.† Macri was getting mad now. She had never had tolerance for shoddy, alarmist reporting. Still, she knew enough about the BBC to know that every story they ran was carefully researched and confirmed. â€Å"Here’s one you’ll remember,† Glick said. â€Å"BBC, March 5, 1998. Parliament Committee Chair, Chris Mullin, required all members of British Parliament who were Masons to declare their affiliation.† Macri remembered it. The decree had eventually extended to include policemen and judges as well. â€Å"Why was it again?† Glick read. â€Å"†¦ concern that secret factions within the Masons exerted considerable control over political and financial systems.† â€Å"That’s right.† â€Å"Caused quite a bustle. The Masons in parliament were furious. Had a right to be. The vast majority turned out to be innocent men who joined the Masons for networking and charity work. They had no clue about the brotherhood’s past affiliations.† â€Å"Alleged affiliations.† â€Å"Whatever.† Glick scanned the articles. â€Å"Look at this stuff. Accounts tracing the Illuminati back to Galileo, the Guerenets of France, the Alumbrados of Spain. Even Karl Marx and the Russian Revolution.† â€Å"History has a way of rewriting itself.† â€Å"Fine, you want something current? Have a look at this. Here’s an Illuminati reference from a recent Wall Street Journal.† This caught Macri’s ear. â€Å"The Journal?† â€Å"Guess what the most popular Internet computer game in America is right now?† â€Å"Pin the tail on Pamela Anderson.† â€Å"Close. It’s called, Illuminati: New World Order.† Macri looked over his shoulder at the blurb. â€Å"Steve Jackson Games has a runaway hit†¦ a quasi-historical adventure in which an ancient satanic brotherhood from Bavaria sets out to take over the world. You can find them on-line at†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Macri looked up, feeling ill. â€Å"What do these Illuminati guys have against Christianity?† â€Å"Not just Christianity,† Glick said. â€Å"Religion in general.† Glick cocked his head and grinned. â€Å"Although from the phone call we just got, it appears they do have a special spot in their hearts for the Vatican.† â€Å"Oh, come on. You don’t really think that guy who called is who he claims to be, do you?† â€Å"A messenger of the Illuminati? Preparing to kill four cardinals?† Glick smiled. â€Å"I sure hope so.†

The Importance of Communication as a Business Professional Research Paper

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WP2 - Essay Example On the other hand, critics of science assert that technologies such as genetic engineering are threat to humanity and contravene societal values and morality, thus creating a tussle between science and society. In Trusting the Future? Ethics of Human Genetic Modification (Op-Ed), Stephanie Saulter explores the extent to which the modern society can trust the future for making the right decision about human genetic modification (Saulter 1). The implication is that the current society attaches too many ethical concerns for genetic engineering of humans though there has been a tremendous success in assisted reproduction and Mitochondria replacements. Saulter argues that the current taboo-driven objection to using technology to promote diversity is unjustified because of the possibility of the human race depending on this technology to maintain its existence and avoid extinction of certain genetic attributes. The topic is about genetic modification of altering human genes to improve our fragile health. The article focused on reproductive and genetic medicine whereby mothers with high risk of genetic disorder through natural conception are given invitro fertilization or pre-implantation tissue to address the defect. This eradicates mitochondrial diseases by replacing the mothers faulty mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) with healthy mDNA from a donor egg and in effect having a third DNA in the reproduction which cause a debate for its propriety. Even though many societies are resistant to technological advancements in the field of medicine, the technologies remain crucial part of survival technique of the human race. This paper explores Saulter’s arguments and delves further to offer response to the main ideas discussed by the author. The article provides enough arguments to address the rhetorical question of what the modern society should consider ethical or not ethical.

College Mathematics I Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

College Mathematics I - Speech or Presentation Example What is Melanie’s net worth? 130. Population of Mexico: In 2006, the population of Mexico was 107.4 million. If Mexico’s population continues to grow at an annual rate of 1.43%, then the population in 2020 will be (107.4) (1.0143)14 million. 100. Forensics: A forensic scientist uses the expression 72.6 + 2.5T to estimate the height in centimetres of a female with a tibia of length T cms. If a female skeleton has a tibia of length 32.4 cm, then what was the height of the person? Find the length of your tibia in cms, and use the expression in this exercise to estimate your height. 104. Crop Circles: The expression ï  °r2 gives the area of a circle with radius r. How many square meters of wheat were destroyed when an alien ship made a crop circle of diameter 25 m in the wheat field at the Southwind Ranch? Round to the nearest 10th. Find ï  ° on your calculator. 124. Marriage penalty eliminated: The value of the expression 4220 + 0.25 (x – 30,650) is the 2006 federal income tax for a single tax payer with a taxable income of x dollars, where x is over $30,650 but not over $74,200. 96. World Grain Demand: Freeport McMoRan projects that in 2010 world grain supply will be 1.8 trillion metric tonnes and the supply will be only (3/4) of the world grain demand. What will world grain demand be in 2010? 94. Raising Rabbits: Before Roland sold two female rabbits, half of his rabbits were female. After the sale, only one third of his rabbits were female. If x represents the original number of rabbits, then gives the child’s dosage d, where D is the adult dosage and a is the age of the child in years. If adult dosage of a drug is 600 mgs and a doctor uses this formula to determine that a child’s dosage is 200 mgs, then how old is the child? 18. High Risk Funds: Of the $50,000 that Natasha pocketed on her last real estate deal, $20,000 went to charity. She invested part of the remainder in Dreyfus New Leaders Fund with an

The Lost Colony of Roanoke Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Lost Colony of Roanoke - Essay Example Although it is not possible to solve this particular mystery without concrete forensic evidence or the discovery of new information, the discussion that will be presented seeks to define a likely scenario that was the result of situations that were recorded by several individuals and represented within the history of the Roanoke colonists. Before delving directly into the issue, it is necessary to appreciate that the colony of Roanoke was a charter colony; established by Sir Walter Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth I. As a charter colony, it was intended as a foothold within the New World and the potential challenge to Spain’s continue development within the region. It was the hope of Queen Elizabeth I, and Sir Walter Raleigh that the Roanoke colony would be able to provide a relatively quick return on investment in English. Whereas it is true that the coffers of Queen Elizabeth I were not shallow, these undertakings and planting colonies around the world were specifically expensive and required the dedication of resources, manpower, and ships; all of these being resources that were desired and demanded by different individuals and power throughout the kingdom. As Sir Walter Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth I shared a â€Å"special relationship†, and one that many analysts believe could have been sexual, the agreem ent to provide Raleigh with the necessary resources might not have been performed out of due diligence or based upon the possibility of profitability (Haskell, 2012). Regardless of the rationale, Queen Elizabeth the I provided Sir Walter Raleigh with five ships and a contingent of colonists and supplies that were directed to establish a preliminary colony in North America. The general agreement was that these colonists would be performing two distinct functions at the same time. The first function was to determine whether or not an English colony in North America

Night, mother by Marsha Norman Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Night, mother by Marsha Norman - Research Paper Example Basing on the plot, we can’t but consider a â€Å"Night, motherâ€Å" to be a dramatic writing. Jessie is so exhausted and upset, her life is so terrible that she considers death to be the blessing. She just wants â€Å"to rest† and the only place she can find calm and rest is another world. Jessie simply can’t see the reasons to live further, she can’t see anything in her life that could hold her to live. Thus her decision seems to be easy to take. â€Å"Jessie knows she could choose to live rather than to die, but she lacks the appetite for the choice† (Burkman). At the same time, we can admit that Jessie’s actions can be motivated by the desire to revenge her mother. Thus, we should also analyze Jessie’ s nature. From this point of view she seems not to be an unhappy victim, but an unforgiving creature. Here Jessie seems to be selfish as she made her mother go through very difficult ninety minutes. Moreover, she warned her about h er intentions and this seems to be done deliberately to make her suffer. We can admit that an unhappy woman parted from her beloved husband, suffering from illness, just turn into a neurotic creature that needs revenge. Really, suicides are never committed only because of despair, the motivation is usually closely connected with the desire to revenge. Thus, we can assume that manipulation is the motivation of Jessie, her main focus. Actually, her mother deserves that. Her mother is too childish, she concentrated her attention only on her own wishes. â€Å"â€Å"Mama hums a tune as she stretches to reach the cupcakes in a cabinet in the kitchen. She can’t see them, but she can feel around for them, and she’s eager to have one, so she’s working pretty hard at it. This may be the most serious exercise Mama ever gets† (Norman 9)†. She is so self-centered that can’t notice the state of her daughter and Jessie can’t find a key to her heart. The dialogues held by a mother and her daughter are very important in the play. A spectator can learn much from these dialogues. By means of different phrases mother and daughter try to reach their goals. Jessie tries to give her mother hints about her real intentions by specifying the locations of different household items: "I asked you if you wanted that swimming towel and you said you didn't" (Norman 19). This was daughter’s answer to the mother’s question that was asked to reveal her intentions. By means of such phrases with hidden sense Jessie manipulates her mother that is why some critics think that Jessie’s main intention was to manipulate. If she simply said: â€Å"mom, I am going to commit suicide†, it would not have such a result. She makes her mother afraid and worried and this is her decision as she wants her mother finally to pay attention to her and her problems. She is exhausted because she feels outcast and left alone with her

Japanese Economic Nationalism Essay Example for Free

Japanese Economic Nationalism Essay Economic nationalism refers to the use of policies that are guided by the idea of protecting domestic consumption, labor, and capital formation, even when these policies require the imposition of tariffs in addition to other restrictions on the movement of labor, goods, and capital. In many cases, economic nationalism is opposed to globalization or unrestricted free trade. Economic nationalism could include doctrines such as protectionism and import substitution (Economic Nationalism, 2007). What is more, Japan is a master in the use of policies that define economic nationalism (Hall). To other nations around the world, Japanese economic nationalism appears as self-seeking behavior. Besides, this self-serving attitude of Japan can drive other nations also to feel particularly touchy about their own national interests with respect to Japan. Thus, Patrick J. Buchanan (1995) speaks for the American people: With the collapse of U. S. Japan trade talks, the hour of the economic nationalist may be at hand. In British Columbia, U. S. demands that Japan open her markets to more American autos and parts were rudely rebuffed. Japans top negotiator virtually dared us to impose sanctions. We will haul you up before the World Trade Organization. Tokyo warns; and there we will have you branded a violator of the free trade principles you so noisily preach – before an international tribunal you yourselves set up. Angry Clintonites intend to impose 100 percent tariffs on $6 billion of Japans exports. This JAPANESE ECONOMIC NATIONALISM Page # 2 doesnt even qualify as a spanking. Americans are in a mood for action; and the GOP should demand more serious sanctions. Enough is enough. In 1953, we had 60 percent of Japans auto market; by 1960, our share had been slashed to 1 percent. That is all we have now. Since 1970, Japan has purchased 400,000 U. S. cars, while selling us 40 million. Nationalism is emotion arousing. And, Luke S. Roberts (1998) seems to know about the subconscious roots of economic nationalism in the Japanese mind. According to the author, these roots lie in an eighteenth century concept of political economy referred to as â€Å"kokueki† or â€Å"national prosperity. † The concept of kokueki was articulated in Tosa, which was one of more than 230 Japanese domains that made up Japan during the Tokugawa period. The domains were autonomous with regards to internal administration. Nevertheless, they were often expected to sacrifice their own economic interests to meet obligations and services required by the shogun and his government. During a period of economic crises in the first half of the eighteenth century, Tosa was compelled to adopt mercantilist policies in order to protect its own wellbeing. The concept of kokueki was at the heart of these policies. In this way, Tosa looked upon itself as a nation instead of holding itself responsible for the economic wellbeing for all Japanese domains under the shogun (Roberts). By pursuing the interests of the domain instead of those of the entire government and the shogun, Tosa acted as a model for the rest of the Japanese domains who too began to look upon JAPANESE ECONOMIC NATIONALISM Page # 3 self-interest as a lucrative attitude. Tosa had thus prepared the ground for the overthrow of the shogun’s government. Eventually, the domain along with few others like itself engineered the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate in the year 1868. Furthermore, Tosa and partners extended the concept of kokueki from their domains to the entire country. This provided the new Meiji government with a model for the establishment of a nationally organized political economy (Roberts). Economic nationalism has worked for Japan for many years, and there is no law on earth against it (Hall). Even so, Buchanan (2006) complains about it once again: â€Å"China and Japan manipulate their currencies and tax polices to promote exports, cut imports and run trade surpluses at Americas expense. † Besides putting financial pressure on Japan, in the name of tariffs, America seems to have a less burdensome and more reasonable way to convince Japan to move toward liberalization. Tariffs are, of course, burdensome also for American consumers who love Japanese cars. The United States can convince Japan to move toward liberalization more easily by the use of reason, that is, by expressing the fact that economic nationalism did the nation no good when it was time for the Asian crises of the 1990s. Prior to Japan’s prolonged doldrums at the time, its economic nationalism was looked upon as its formula for success. But this changed when Japan saw that all of the nations that followed its formula were in crises during the 1990s (Hall). International support was the need of the hour. And so, Japan should have realized that nationalist economic policies have no place in an age of economic globalization (Hall). The fact that Japan did not see economical nationalism as the real problem, is the cause of Buchanan’s JAPANESE ECONOMIC NATIONALISM Page # 4 complaint. All the same, the author may discover that in order to see the changes that he wants to see through in the Japanese economic policies – it is best to appeal to Japanese reason, and put the facts before the country before another crisis occurs. After all, economic nationalism is to the mainframe computer as globalization and internalization are to the Japanese PC!

Microeconomics Samuelson Essay Example for Free

Microeconomics Samuelson Essay Explain how the cool head might provide the essential positive economic analysis to implement the normative value judgments of the warm heart. Do you agree with Marshall’s view of the role of the teacher? Do you accept his challenge? In order to achieve the ultimate goal of economic science which is to â€Å"improve the living conditions of people in their everyday lives† (*) a cool head attitude has the knowledge and wisdom acquired through a lifetime relation to the economic momentum. Balancing this with a warm heart compassion vision, and a willingness to improve society, is the most appropriate way to use certain economic models in order to acquire economic sustainability with social improvement. We agree with Marshall’s view which was conceived through a social corporate responsibility. We, as leaders, accept his challenge through developing projects which should be not only profitable but also socially accepted and with respect to the environment. Also, we should use our cool heads to objectively take challenges and make difficult decisions that will lead us to a prosperous society with a sustainable economic growth. Some scientists believe that we are rapidly depleting our natural resources. Assume that there have only two inputs (labor and natural resources) producing two goods (concerts and gasoline) with no improvements in society’s technology over time. A. Show what would happen to the PPF over time as natural resources are exhausted. B. How would invention and technological improvement modify your answer? On the basis of this example, explain why it is said that â€Å"economic growth is a race between depletion and invention. It is said that economic growth is a race between depletion and invention because the continuous use of the natural resources of a country will tend to deplete them, over a long period of time but in the contrary, the invention of new technologies can extend a country PPF – making a race between them, since both things usually happens at the same time. Chapter 2 1. Question 1 . What determines the composition of national output? In some cases, we say th at there is â€Å"consumer sovereignty† meaning that consumers decide how to spend their income on the basis of taste and market prices. In other cases, decisions are made by political choices of legislatures. Consider the following examples: transportation, education, police, energy efficiency of appliances, health-care coverage, television advertising. For each, describe whether the allocation is by consumer sovereignty or by political decision. Would you change the method of allocation for any of these goods? National Output includes the total amount of goods and services that a country is capable to produce in a certain period of time. It is also known as the country? A country has the responsibility to decide what outputs to produce and in what quantity, how to produce them and for whom should they be produced. In a market society, the national output is influenced by consumer tastes and the resources and technology available in the country. On the other hand, governments may intervene to compensate for market failures that usually occurs inside a country, or to fund social programs. Here there are some examples that show mixed economies between consumer sovereignty and government interventions. Generally speaking transportation means are controlled by the private sector through companies that provide transportation services such as airlines, company taxis, trains, etc. Inside a country, there also exists public transportation for those people who can not afford the private one. In Peru, specially for the ground transportation, the government plays a fundamental role regulating tariffs, taxes and making sure we have a safe an organized transportation system in the country for the society. Education In a country generally exists public and private education. Usually, private schools tend to have a higher price but also delivering high quality and it is market driven. There are different private schools with different prices in the market. On the other hand, public education is provided by the government to lower socio economic levels in order to make education accessible to the whole population. Government applies procedures in order to maximize its quality. In Peru for example the government is trying to break the poverty cycle incentivizing the rural population to attend school through monetary allowances. There are also regulations in terms of the requirements asked for being a public teacher, the education syllabus of the country, etc. Police Police is a government regulated service to the population which is part of the arm forces of a country. Its function is to assure security to the population. However, in some countries where there is scarce resources allocated to this public entity, private police petrol are created. In Peru even in rural areas where police is not present, communities organize themselves to fight against crime. Energy efficiency of appliances Energy is a strategic scarce resource for a country. Therefore, the importance of having government regulations to control it, its tariffs while having private companies supplying the service in order to assure this service on the long term to the community. Health care coverage Health care is a private and public good also. Government provides health care services to the majority of the population by building public hospitals and providing insurance coverage programs. Usually private health care provides a higher quality service and is accessible to higher socio-economic levels of the population. Television advertising It is a consumer sovereignty good, driven basically by program ratings and market price. Usually, the government owns public television channels but even in those cases the advertising is not controlled. What government usually does is to control advertising of some products such as cigars, or the time and programs where you can advertise such products. Would you change the method of allocation for any of these goods? We would not change the method of allocation for any of the goods mentioned above. We think that in the examples mentioned, a mixed economy of public and private goods is the best to make services accessible to the whole population while having a market driven economy. However, if we customized this question to the Peruvian reality, we think that an example where government could intervene more is the banking regulations entity which should improve the credit policies in order to create a sustainable finance growth. 2. Question 3. This chapter discusses many â€Å"market failures† areas in which the invisible hand guides the economy poorly, and describes the role of government. It is possible that there are, as well, â€Å"government failures† government attempts to curb market failures that are worse than the original market failures? Think of some examples of government failures. Give some examples in which government failures are so bad that it is better to live with the market failures than to try and correct them. A possible failure can be represented by a tax system that discourages private and foreign investments in the country that at the end will affect government’s income. Another example is a bad monetary policy in which inorganic emission of currency will impact over inflation rate dramatically, affecting purchasing power of nationals (Peru 1985) . During this time Peru suffered more than 7000% inflation generating scarcity of basic goods and creating a parallel black market. During this time, another bad example would be that the banking system was nationalized and generated a lack of confidence in the population towards the banking system, loosing a high percentage of the savings of the population decreasing the country’s investment.

The Causes Of Over Sleeping English Language Essay

The Causes Of Over Sleeping English Language Essay What causes over sleeping you ask? Over sleeping is caused by many different factors. Things such as not getting enough sleep and not setting your alarm clock to wake you up can contribute to you not waking up from your sleep when it is time to. Many people contribute this to factors that may be deemed medical related and may actually not be medical related illnesses. While many people suffer from sleep deprivation or sleep loss, occasionally there are those who suffer from getting too much rest. Normally this would not be a problem but you have to think about this issue from the perspective of how it affects your career or your home life. Lets take for instance if you are a working person and you have a career or just a job where your employer depends on you being to work on time. A pattern of being late may get you reprimanded or even worse fired. A case of oversleeping on added to an already pattern of tardiness and or lateness for other reasons can be disastrous. Or take for exam ple you drop off your kid at your parents house and they have somewhere important to be and you dont wake up on time. This will cause a real problem for you with your parents. So this can be a problem beyond just getting way too much rest. Having a good alarm clock is essential to keeping yourself from over sleeping. You need on that is loud or audible enough to wake you up on those mornings where you just dont feel like getting out of the bed. You will need to develop a pattern of checking and double checking your alarm to make sure it is properly set to wake you up in the mornings. There is another issue with alarm clocks with making sure they are set properly and that is to ensure you have a backup battery in your alarm clock. A back up battery will give you about an hour of time to get the power back on in case of a power failure to keep your settings saved in the alarm clock. This is something that will happen from time to time that you will have no control over so in order to avoid the problem just make sure that a battery is present in the clock and that it is fully functional. http://hubpages.com/hub/what-causes-over-sleeping Problems Linked to Oversleeping Diabetes. In a study of almost 9,000 Americans, researchers found a relationship between sleep and the risk of diabetes. People who slept more than nine hours each night had a 50% greater risk of diabetes than people who slept seven hours per night. This increased risk was also seen in people who slept less than five hours per night. The researchers did not draw conclusions about the physiological link between long sleep and diabetes. But they did suggest that oversleeping could be indicative of underlying medical problems that increase the likelihood of diabetes. Obesity. Sleeping too much could make you weigh too much, as well. One recent study showed that people who slept for nine or 10 hours every night were 21% more likely to become obese over a six-year period than were people who slept between seven and eight hours. This association between sleep and obesity remained the same even when food intake and exercise were taken into account. Headaches. For some people prone to headaches, sleeping longer than usual on a weekend or vacation can cause head pain. Researchers believe this is due to the effect oversleeping has on certain neurotransmitters in the brain, including serotonin. People who sleep too much during the day and disrupt their nighttime sleep may also find themselves suffering from headaches in the morning. Back pain. There was a time when doctors told people suffering from back pain to head straight to bed. But those days are long gone. You do need to curtail your regular exercise program when you are experiencing back pain. But doctors now realize the health benefits of maintaining a certain level of activity. And they recommend against sleeping more than usual, when possible. Depression. Although insomnia is more commonly linked to depression than oversleeping, roughly 15% of people with depression sleep too much. This may in turn make their depression worse. Thats because regular sleep habits are important to the recovery process. Need another reason not to overdo the ZZZs when youre blue? In certain instances, sleep deprivation can be an effective treatment for depression. Heart disease. The Nurses Health Study involved nearly 72,000 women. A careful analysis of the data from that study showed that women who slept nine to 11 hours per night were 38% more likely to have coronary heart disease than women who slept eight hours. Researchers have not yet identified a reason for the connection between oversleeping and heart disease. Death. Multiple studies have found that people who sleep nine or more hours a night have significantly higher death rates than people sleeping seven to eight hours a night. No specific reason for this correlation has been determined. But researchers found that depression and low socioeconomic status are also associated with longer sleep. They speculate these factors could be related to the observed increase in mortality for people who sleep too much http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/physical-side-effects-oversleeping Heres How to Stop Oversleeping: Step 1: Decide to Wake Upà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Theres no easier way to say it Oversleeping is an escape  mechanism. If you want to stop oversleeping, youd have to figure out why some part of you chooses to stay in bed. Confront it. Then decide to deal with it,  instead  of running away from it by oversleeping. Step 2: Get Motivated to Stop Oversleeping Come up with at least one strong reason WHY you want to stop oversleeping. Be as specific as you can.  It might help to write it down and read it to yourself daily. Change your attitude toward sleep. If you love to sleep, you have to start thinking about sleep as something you must do in order to survive. Nothing more. Stop making excuses like I need more sleep than the average person. You should be convinced that you can sleep less and have more energy than you have now, which is most likely true. Step 3: Commit to a Steady Sleep Schedule Its best if you can go to sleep and wake up at the same times every day. At least do you best to wake up at the same time, no matter how long you had sleptà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Put the clock away from bed, set a wake up call, ask someone to throw you out of bed, whatever you need to do to make sure you wake up on time. Step 4: Improve your sleep There are many simple things you can do to get high quality sleep, which will allow you to get  more energy from less sleep. Step 5: Reduce sleep gradually If you sleep 10 hours every night, dont move to 7 hours all at once. Reduce 30-60 minutes every week or so. Dont beat yourself up when you fail, because it might only make things worse. Just learn from your mistakes and come up with a plan for the next day. Step 6: Raise your physical and mental energy Its good to stop oversleeping. Its better to be a highly energetic person.  Start working on changing your habits, lifestyle and mindset eat well, exercise, think more positively and so onà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ http://a-sleep.com/1563/how-to-stop-oversleeping/

Desiderius Erasmus, the Great Humanist :: Biography Biographies Essays

Desiderius Erasmus, the Great Humanist Desiderius Erasmus was one of the great humanists. He was well educated and practice scholasticism. He was also a great writer, who wrote books of many types. He is even called the greatest European scholar of the 16th century (Britannica Macropedia). He was also courageous, as he criticized the Church harshly. It was said by R. C. Trench that "Erasmus laid the egg of the Reformation and Luther hatched it." Erasmus was the illegitimate son of a priest named Gerard. This fact would haunt him for his entire life. He feared that, if this fact was widely known, his life would be ruined. Therefore, there has been much confusion about his early life. It has been discerned that he as born in Gouda, Holland in 1469 and that he had a brother. Erasmus tried to keep all these facts hidden, confusing modern day historians. He died in 1536. Erasmus's writings included The Praise of Folly, a satire which pointed out major problems in the clergy, saying that monks were beggars, the clergy was greedy, and that the pope had no resemblance to the Apostles. He also wrote a short satirical skit in which Pope Julius II had trouble getting into heaven. In the skit, Pope Julius II is made out to be more of a Muslim than a Catholic. Writing this had to take considerable courage, for, though the Church was in decline, it still had considerable power. He also published the Greek version of the New Testament in Latin, so Europeans could read it. Erasmus was a traveller. He lived in many places in Europe at different times. He had lived in Rome, Paris, England, and many other European countries. His worked as a writer, but was dependant on gifts of nobles as most writers of the time were. In his travels he befriended many humanists. Erasmus became a humanist because of his education. He studied both ancient Greek and Latin. He had tried to be monk and a priest, but could not. He went to Paris where he mastered Latin. He received a good education there. This education, combined with his morality, made him a great humanist. He had both the knowledge and the ethics to criticize the Church (a person who lacked ethics and criticized the Church would be a hypocrite). Surprisingly, Erasmus was both tolerant and a pacifist. He, apparently, picked up these traits when in England.

Capital Punishment :: essays research papers

Capital Punishment: Against More money is spent executing humans than keeping them in a penitentiary for life. Compared to capital punishment, life in prison is far worse. Mistakes may be made and no one can bring another human back to life. Juries are often white and this may lead to racial decisions. Of the 144 executions since the 1976 reinstatement of the death penalty in the U.S., not one white person has been executed for killing a black. Of the 16,000 executions in U.S. history, only 30 cases involved a white sentenced for killing a black. Therefore, no one, including the government, should have the power to tell another human that they must be put to death, no matter what they commit. Today's government and justice system is not as efficient as it should be. If a mistake is made in an execution sentence and an innocent person dies, no one can bring their life back. Now, if the death penalty did not exist, the person would still have their life. Juries also have to think about the families, both of the victim and the suspect. What if the suspect did not commit the murder and was executed? How would the suspect's family feel? A close relative had just died due to the fact that another mistake was made in our justice system. This in fact would send a rush of anger through my body. The justice system killed somebody's family member. The death penalty should not even exist, due to the fact that many mistakes can be made, and a life can never be brought back. Juries have been and still are mostly consisted of the white majority. Racism and money is a big part of our everyday lives. With the majority of people in the jury consisted of whites, racism might in fact be involved. Now, if a black family is poor and does not have much money, the suspect may then be issued a racist attorney. Many cases have been recorded of this happening, both of innocent and guilty men. Innocent men again were put to death, this time due to their skin color. This is just another reason leading to how poor our justice system is, and why it should not be in effect. There are few oppositions to not having the death penalty in effect. The main concern with not having the death penalty in effect is that people would not care as much when they committed a crime. Now, if the death penalty was in effect, people would think twice about their mistake before committing it.

Obtaining Start-Up Finance for a Business :: Papers

Obtaining Start-Up Finance for a Business This essay is an advise for Mr. Miyako on obtaining start-up finance for a business. Mr. Miyako wants to open a new Japanese restaurant. A suitable location has been selected in the suburban city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire of the United Kingdom, directly in opposite of the train station, with many bus stops in the vicinity. This place is near the Peak district, which is a nature reserve. In the weekends and in holidays the Peak district is visited by lots of people from the city of Sheffield and Manchester. At this moment there is no Japanese restaurant in surroundings of Sheffield. Estimated cash requirements In this paragraph the estimated cash requirements for the business is calculated. The calculations are based on a new inventory, Teppanyaki tables, a new kitchen and renovation cost of the interior. New inventory (tables, chairs, bar etc.) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 30.000,00 Teppanyaki tables (6 pieces) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 15.000,00 New kitchen à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 50.000,00 Renovation cost of the interior à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 100.000,00 ----------------------- Total à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 195.000,00 Possible sources of finance 10% of the required fund is available from Mr. Miyako's private family funds. 90% of the sum needs to be attracted from other sources. These sources are e.g.: a loan from a bank, a loan from a supplier (like the brewery) or an overdraft. Each of these sources will be described in detail. Loan from a bank A loan from a bank is an agreed amount of borrowed money that needs to be paid back in a fixed period of time with interest. To borrow money from a bank, a detailed business plan is needed. For start-up finance, the maximum loan is often not more than 50% of the required sum. Interest rates at the moment are 6-7 percent. Loan from a supplier Breweries are likely to supply loans to start-up entrepreneurs. In the loan contract the brewery can oblige Mr. Miyako to only use the beer and soft drinks supplied by the brewery. Loan can be in cash, but also

Child Marraige Essay

It blocks them from education and any possibility of independent work. It subjects them to pregnancy and childbirth before they have reached physical maturity, a circumstance that often produces serious physical trauma, psychological disturbance, and sometimes lifelong physical and/or emotional incapacities. Confusion about the legal status of child marriages results from widespread ignorance of the law by the majority of society. Even ministers were in many cases, unaware of the actual minimum ages for marriage. In Afghanistan marriage is regulated by civil law, various interpretations of Shariah law, and traditional and customary practices. Civil law sets the minimum marriage age for females at 16, but it permits a father to give his daughter in marriage at age 15, if he chooses. Shariah law sets the minimum age for females at 15. Customary practices approve marriage at earlier ages. In any case, Civil law takes precedence over both Shariah law and customary practice. (Shariah law is applied in matters not specifically set forth in the civil codes. Although the non registration of the marriages and the absence of identification documents do not allow the collection of accurate data on the subject, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) consider the non respect of the minimum age requirement to be the major violation of the right to marry or not to marry. In addition, Afghanistan is bound to end child marriage through its ratification of certain internationalconventions including The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Based on annual report of AIHRC suicides, self immolations, murders, sexual perversions and psychological disorders are amongst the many negative consequences of child marriage. These also include the increase of maternal and child mortality rates, and the low level of education for women which has a long term effect on the role these play in the country’s political, social and economic life. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report, girls who marry during their childhood do not develop properly, neither physically nor psychologically. They are frequently denied access to education and are subject to different types of diseases arising from abnormal births and isolation. Childhood marriages are common place and prevalent in Afghanistan. In this respect, the Afghan Constitution has clear provisions to support families and children. Based on the reports 57% of Afghan girls are forced to marry before the age of eighteen. Pregnancies of sixteen years old girls are relatively common in Afghanistan. Problem statement: Child marriage is a serious problem, and there are frequent cases of young girls being married to the much older men. Many times, children and teenagers are pulled out of school to marry, depriving them of an education and meaningful work. Victims suffer health risks associated with early sexual activity, such as high risks of maternal and child mortality and sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV/AIDS. They are also likely to be victims of domestic, sexual, and/or emotional abuse, and may suffer from social isolation. Child marriages have negative and unexpected consequences like propagation of disease, divorce cases and escaping from home. While parent’s poverty and illiteracy may lead to their marrying daughters as child, these very marriages will prevent the daughters from having access to education and economic progress. Research Questions: 1. What are the Social, Economic and Political consequences of forced and early marriages in rural society? Objective The focus of this concept paper is to know reasons, causes and consequences of early childhood marriages in Afghanistan. In addition this will seek on vulnerabilities which the girls face by forced and early marriages in rural areas and how it is linked with the rural society and contribute with the poverty, violence and isolation of the families. Research method: The Research will included literature review, reviews of existing files in hospitals and schools, interviews with hospital and school directors, interviews with Rural people (Target area), Government officials and NGOs. Forced Marriages in Afghanistan Afghanistan y Tahera Nassrat   |   on April 6th, 2010   |   9 comments Throughout the world, there are 49 countries that have forced marriage or child bride problems. Forced marriage is simply breach of basic human rights. It is a form of domestic violence and child abuse that contributes to a society’s problems. Afghanistan is one of the Islamic countries where people hold strongly tight to customs and traditions. Breaking the tradition of marrying young children, both boys and g irls, is not only difficult, but near impossible in most urban districts. In the rural areas of Afghanistan, girls are mostly married between ages of 7 to 11. It is really rare that a girl reaches the age of 16 and is not married. The customs, traditions and community they live in make it impossible for girls to break free from forced marriages. They do not get ask to speak for self desire. The fathers in the families mostly decide, as the mothers do not get involved in the decisions, because they are women. By marrying   children in early ages, families are putting them in situations of isolation, health problems, abuse, suicide and lack of education. They believe, they are doing best for their children and without their consents, they bond them into marriage contracts. However, they don’t consider that forced marriage affect women and young children adversely. It involves negative situations like threatening behavior, emotional blackmail, physical violence, rape, sexual abuse, suicide and even murder and young children are obviously not in the capacity to handle such pressure. According to a United Nations’ report, between 60 to 80 percent of marriages in Afghanistan are forced marriages. The report states that the reason why girls are dragged into forced marriages are; repayment of debts; to solve a dispute and to pay family expenses. Moreover, It is obvious among Pashtons, that their widow will never marry someone out of their family, as they always marry the brother of their deceased husband. However in a non-Pashton family, the girl is asked to marry her brother-in-law to get support for the children of her sister. Even worse, some sisters are married to pay for the crime of their brothers by marrying the victims. So, people in Afghanistan believe it is part of culture to marry a girl before age of 18th and not let her have a say, but they should consider that forcing a girl to marry cannot be regarded as cultural practice in any society. It is a violation of basic human rights. Therefore, women as part of society should be able to freely express their choices about their lifestyle desires. The video bellow is history of a 12 year girl who was forced into marriage. She ran away to break free from her in-laws, but unfortunately was arrested and in form of punishment by her husband (a Talib) she lost her nose and ear. Child Marriage in Afghanistan October 2, 2011 by Aamozgar01 Filed under Cultural, Featured 5 Comments If the government of Afghanistan does not stop the practice of child marriage, most mothers will lose their children besides their own lives in Afghanistan as a result of under age marriage. Indeed, getting married under the age of eighteen or sixteen is not legal according to any law around world because it is internationally accepted that at least the couples should be sixteen. Although according to the Afghan Civil Law the minimum age of marriage for male is 18 and female 16, according to reports of Medica Mondiale and UNICEF, 57 per cent of Afghan females are married under the age sixteen without their consent because of their parent’s financial problems. Moreover, Getting married under 16 sixteen will result several serious health problems for mothers that cause them not to develop properly, neither physically nor psychologically (Earily Marriage in Afghanistan). For instance, a woman living in Qala-e-Bakhtiar of Kabul with her six children has said to Medica Mondial that she was only 15 when she was married against her will. She hates the noise of her children   because   of   having   psychological   problems. (W. Mukhatari , pg 6). The marriage of children by force is against human rights. Children know nothing about their sexual relationship with their life partners, because they are still child and their parents should take care of them. Therefore, to save the Afghan female hildren from being exchanged for an amount   of   money   to   solve   a   family s   financial   problems,   Afghanistan government   should   educate   and campaign     about   consequences   of   child   marriage,   increase employment opportunities for parents, and enforce the law by making the marriage registration legal. In spite of understanding the childhood condition of children, most of the Afghan parents marry their daughters because financial problems they are facing. Poverty is a challenge, which changes the lives of children besides the culture of early child marriage. According to the report by Millennium Development Goals for Afghanistan, the average income of per member of family is 200$ a year and less than one dollar   a   day. So, they   are   considered   below   the   poverty   line     (Earily     Marriage   in Afghanistan). Thus, to get out of the financial crises the marriage of their daughters before their legal ages such 16 or 18 would be considered for some families the only option for the parents to protect their family honor, pay their debts and take a little amount of money in exchange for their. First of all, one of the reasons of child marriage is to receive an exorbitant amount of money, which is called Toyana (wedding expenses) in Dari. The payment that parents   receive from the groom family is not less than 300,000 Afs. and is not meant to be the wedding expenses, but the price of their child daughter. In a report about the child   marriages   in   Afghanistan   by   the   Women   and   Children   Legal   Research   Foundation (WCLRF) shows that most of the interviewees have said that the only reason they were married in their childhoods was to receive Toyana from the groom’s family (Earily Marriage in Afghanistan). Secondly, the other factor that makes the poor families marry their daughters under the age sixteen, often times in rural areas, is to exchange women for women which is called Badal. The practice of this type of marriage is very common among the afghan people. This kind of marriage saves a huge expense of both sides because of exchanging their child daughters from a family to another family to satisfy both sides. The wedding party of such kind of marriage is often   celebrated at one time to avoid spending an   large amount of money. Indeed, it is the little young female who is devoted for her brother and is victimized for a little amount of money. Third, debt is another function that the females are exchanged for under the age sixteen in Afghanistan. When a family is unable to pay its debt within limited time that agreed, then the family is supposed to pay a huge amount that satisfy the lender, such as building, farming land, in some cases even a daughter otherwise the family is put in jail. So, the only remaining option for the family to protect its ancestors   property would be to sacrifice a daughter as a form of repayment for debt. It does not matter whether the child daughter is 9 or 18 years. As an explicit example, Shahs Family had to marry their 9 year old daughter Khalida   two years ago. Shah had received almost 2000$ from a drug trader to grow opium in his land, but the government crop-eradication team destroyed his poppy field and put the Shah family in debt. So, he had to give his 9 years daughter to drug trader because nothing was left in his life. (Clifford) Forth, the traditional custom of Afghan people is victimizing the child females in most of the rural areas. One of the reasons of child marriage in Afghanistan is Baad, which is a traditional way of having the child females to marry one of males from the family of   enemy and forcing her to accept him as her husband in compensation for the crime that her father or brother has committed against the enemy family, and to stop the enmity between two families. For instance, Aisha, an Afghan female whose nose and ears were cut by her Al-Qaeda husband in Oruzgan province, was just 8 years old when she was given as a Baad to her husband family 10 years ago (Shaming her in-laws costs ). Because her father had killed a member of her husband family, so he had to give his daughter to compensate his crime and to avoid being imprisoned or being killed by his enemy. Unfortunately, when the child female goes to her husband house in Baad marriage she is not going to her in-laws   house as a bride but as a slave. Consequently, the child marriage has several negative impacts on the health of both, mothers and babies. The female children wh o are married under the age of 16 0r 18 would not be prepared for pregnancies and child birth. A statistic of child marriage by Women and Children Legal   Research   Foundation   (WCLRF)   shows   that   28. 7%   mothers   have   physiological   and psychological problems, 34. 1% have physically weak children,   8. 9% have handicapped and disabled children, 1. 6% have children with different types of diseases and disorders, and 40. 4% of these women have suffered from gynecological disease (Earily Marriage in Afghanistan). In addition, the child marriage would result to take the life of the mothers along with losing the babies. Most   of   the   mothers   who   are   dying   at the age of   18-19   are   because   of   their   early regnancies, and the chance of   survival for the babies would be forty per cent comparing to the mothers who married in their proper ages (Sadik). Furthermore, child marriage would result the child brides to be abused by their in-laws family. Most of the child females face various violations after t hey get married, such as no right to choose, no right to go somewhere without the permission of her husband . When the violation increase the child bride is going to be isolated from the families and relatives. Thus, the only options that remains for the child bride is to suicide or escape from home. The interview of female prisoners by   the   Medica   Mendials   legal   staff   shows   that   60%   of prisoners   were   the   escapees   from husbands   houses who were married under the age sixteen. Most of the prisoners have said that they   were   being   abused   or   even   being   threaten   to   dead by   their   in-laws   families (W. Mukhatari , pg 9) . To come out of the child marriage problem and save little young girls in Afghanistan, education and awareness of public are the main keys to prevent from child marriage. The government should provide community education programs to inform the public about negative consequences of child marriage. Such programs can be implemented easily by   Ministry of Women Affairs, which   can   easily   teach   the   women   of   an   area   without   any   problem,   or   in   other   way,   the government should pay the clergymen of mosques to advice the parents on their tribunes. These are the only sources that families can trust on. Moreover, the government should implement public awareness campaigns by international organizations and by holding Shoras and Jirgas with the elders of rural areas to talk about the negative impacts of child marriage (Earily Marriage in Afghanistan). The government of Afghanistan should enforce the law to prevent child marriages. For instance, keeping the marriage registration regularly by the government agencies and receiving the evidence and acquiescence of both sides could be a possible way to reduce the child marriage. For example, in parts of   Indonesia, registration of marriage is dependent on evidence that the marriage is not forced on couples (Sadik). The parents who marry their daughters in their childhood under the age 16 should punished and persecuted seriously by the government as governments of Norway and Kyrgyzstan did. They both have set the minimum age of the girls 17 and the punishment of those who marry the females earlier than the age 17 would be jailed for 2 to 6 years. Weak Economy is another factor, which causes most child marriages in Afghanistan. The government should try to develop the economic situation in rural areas where   women have   cannot   earn   money   for   themselves. For example,   the   project   of Micro finance Investment   Support   Facility   for   Afghanistan,   which   is   donated   by   the   World   Bank   and   is implemented by the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry, should be accessible for all women the Afghanistan. In fact, lending a little amount of money to women can be   the   start   of   their   business   to   provide   their   own   necessities. For example   Saima Mohammad who was about to be divorced by her husband because of having only a daughter and no son. Her husband had borrowed 3,000$, and he was not able to pay it back. So, Saima went to Pakistani micro finance organization called Kashf Foundation, took out only 65$ as loan and bought her 65$ bead and clothes to make embroidery from them and sell them to market in Lahor. She has everything now, and even her husband is working with her (Knistaff). The government should be serious in taking important steps against child   marriages in Afghanistan, because child marriage is dangerous for the health of both, mothers and their babies. People should be informed; the parents who force their child daughters to marry and those who marry females under the age sixteen should be punished. Most importantly, the economic situation of people should be developed to prevent them to not marry their children under the age sixteen in exchange for an amount of money. So, the Afghan government needs to increase peoples’ awareness about the outcome of early marriage, make employment opportunities and persecute those who marry their children before the age sixteen. Written by: Zabiullah Zabi http://www. aamozgar. org/child-marriage-in-afghanistan/ Forced and Child Marriage Forced and child marriages entrap women and young girls in relationships that deprive them of their basic human rights. Forced marriage constitutes a human rights violation in and of itself. Article One of the  Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages  states that â€Å"No marriage shall be legally entered into without the full and free consent of both parties, such consent to be expressed by them in person after due publicity and in the presence of the authority competent to solemnize the marriage and of witnesses, as prescribed by law. † The Marriage Convention addresses the issue of age. According to Article 2 of the  Convention, â€Å"States Parties to the present Convention shall take legislative action to specify a minimum age for marriage. No marriage shall be legally entered into by any person under this age, except where a competent authority has granted a dispensation as to age, for serious reasons, in the interest of the intending spouses. †Ã‚   Under General Assembly Resolution 2018 (XX) of 1 November 1965, â€Å"Recommendation on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages,† Principle II states that the minimum age to marry be set no lower than fifteen years. However, this is only a recommendation and it still allows room for a competent authority to grant â€Å"dispensation as to age for serious reasons. Leaving the minimum age of consent to the discretion of each country and allowing an authority to make exceptions to the minimum age of marriage aggravates the potential for early and forced marriages. Forced marriages differ from arranged marriages. In forced marriages, one or both of the partners cannot give free or valid consent to the marriage. Forced marriages i nvolve varying degrees of force, coercion or deception, ranging from emotional pressure by family or community members to abduction and imprisonment. Emotional pressure from a victim’s family includes repeatedly telling the victim that the family’s social standing and reputation are at stake, as well as isolating the victim or refusing to speak to her. In more severe cases, the victim can be subject to physical or sexual abuse, including rape. In arranged marriages, the parents and families play a leading role in arranging the marriage, but the individuals getting married can nonetheless chose whether to marry or not. Many regard arranged marriage as a well-established cultural tradition that flourishes in many communities, so a clear distinction should be drawn between forced and arranged marriages. However, in some cases the difference between a forced marriage and an arranged marriage may be purely semantic. In her January 2007 report, â€Å"Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights Aspects of the Victims of Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children,† Sigma Huda states that, â€Å"[a] marriage imposed on a woman not by explicit force, but by subjecting her to relentless pressure and/or manipulation, ften by telling her that her refusal of a suitor will harm her family’s standing in the community, can also be understood as forced. † Prevalence Forced and child marriage mainly affects young women and girls, although there are cases of young men and boys being forced to marry—especially if there are concerns about his sexual orientation. Reliable statistics on forced marriage are difficult to compile due to the unofficial and, therefore, undocumented nature of most forced marriages. In 2003, the International Centre for Research on Women estimated that more than 51 million girls under 18 years were married and they expected the figure to rise to over 100 million within the next ten years. Similarly, in 2006, experts estimated that thirty-eight percent of young women aged 20 to 24 in the fifty least developed countries were married before the age of 18. >>Learn more Causes and Risk Factors No major world religion sanctions forced marriage. It is purely a cultural practice. However, no culture exclusively practices forced marriage. Victims are forced into marriage for many different reasons. In the  United Kingdom, the Working Group on Forced Marriage found that most cases were a result of â€Å"loving manipulation, where parents genuinely felt that they were acting in their children and family’s best interests. †   To families living in poverty or economic instability, a daughter may be seen as an â€Å"economic burden† who must be married as soon as possible to take financial strain off of the family. Marriage can also be used to settle a debt, or to strengthen family or caste status through social alliances. Fears about sexual activity before marriage, or fear of rumors about such activity ruining a daughter’s opportunity to marry well, also fuel early and forced marriages. >> Learn more Consequences and Effects Forced and child marriages have severe psychological, emotional, medical, financial, and legal consequences. Victims tend to be isolated from their peers and friends. They rarely have access to social services that could assist them. Early marriages often interrupt a victim’s education. This deprives them of their right to education, as well as limits any possibility of economic independence from their spouse, making it more difficult to escape from an unwanted marriage. The unofficial nature of many of these marriages means that they often go unregistered, leaving a woman with no legal protections in cases of separation. Forced and child marriages are also more likely to become violent because the relationship is based on the power of one spouse over the other. In addition, complications during childbirth are much more common among young mothers. >>Learn more International and Domestic Law and Policies Numerous international legal instruments prohibit forced and child marriage, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Although most countries have signed onto these documents, many countries have not taken sufficient steps to implement these treaties. In 2005, the Council of Europe adopted  Resolution 1468  on forced marriages and child marriages. However, only a few countries have criminalized forced marriage.