Protein Characterization by Electrophoresis

EXPERIMENT NO. 15 PROTEIN CHARACTERIZATION BY ELECTROPHORESIS Abstract The molecular weights of protein extracts were assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Two sets of four protein samples, standard bovine serum albumin (BSA), invertase, egg albumin, and casein, were prepared; one set containing ? -mercaptoethanol (BME) while the other did not. These were then analyzed through SDS-PAGE with 12. 5% resolving gel, prepared using 2 M Tris-HCl at pH 8. 8 and stacking gel, prepared using 0. 0625 M Tris-HCl at pH 6. . Results showed multiple bands located on the upper half of the gel, which suggested heterogeneity of the mixture and that the samples were heavy molecules. Introduction Proteins are biological macromolecules composed of one or more polypeptides, which are polymers of amino acids. Structurally diverse, these molecules also serve a myriad of functions from enzymes, which are the biological catalysts of many physiological reactions, to components that maintain the structural integrity and organization of cells (Pratt and Cornelly, 2011). Because of this, it has been a constant effort among chemists to extract and isolate proteins to determine the mechanisms by which they act and produce the results of their reactions. Further knowledge of their biological action could translate into the discovery of many resources that could facilitate humans’ and other species’ daily lives. Electrophoresis is an analytical tool through which one can examine the movement of charged molecules in an electric field. Many modern electrophoretic techniques use a polymerized gel-like matrix as a support medium. The molecules’ migration is dependent on the applied electric field, the rigid, mazelike matrix of the gel support, and their size, shape, charge, and chemical composition. The movement of a charged molecule in an electric field is given by: v=Eq? f (1) where v is the velocity of the molecule, E is the electric field magnitude, q is the net charge of the molecule, and f is a frictional coefficient dependent on mass and shape of the molecule. Hence, it is observed that under a constant electric field magnitude, the movement is dependent on the charge-to-mass ratio of the molecule. Since each molecule is expected to have unique charges and sizes, their mobility under the electric field would also be different. Gels used in electrophoresis with different pore size may be produced by using different concentrations of cross-linking agents. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) allows enhanced resolution of sample components due to separation based on molecular sieving and electrophoretic mobility. Because of the presence of a continuous network of pores in the gel, large molecules do not move easily through the medium compared to smaller ones. Two types of gels are used: the resolving and stacking gels, each having different concentrations of acrylamide and of different pH and ionic strengths. The denaturants sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), a detergent, and ? -mercaptoethanol (BME), a reducing agent, are frequently used in PAGE. The action of these two denaturating agents cause the production of polypeptide chains of constant charge-to-mass ratios and uniform shapes due to the SDS molecules binding with the hydrophobic regions of the denatured polypeptide and masking the native charge of the protein by its negative charge. This restriction, coupled with the fact that mobility of the SDS-protein complexes are based on molecular size, forms the basis of the electrophoretic determination of purity and molecular weight (Boyer, 1993). This experiment will utilize SDS-PAGE to assess the molecular weights of the extracted proteins invertase, albumin, and casein, along with standard bovine serum albumin. The effect of the presence of ? -mercaptoethanol was also investigated. Methodology With the glass plates clean, the gel apparatus was first set up with the comb inserted between the glass plates. It was made sure of that the set-up would not leak by allowing a little amount of distilled water to enter it, which was discarded afterwards. A mark, one centimeter below the teeth of the comb, was placed on the glass plate. The resolving gel, at 12. 5% gel, was then prepared in an Erlenmeyer flask. Using a micropipette, 1450 ? L of 40% stock acrylamide, 775 ? L of 2% stock bisacrylamide, 875 ? L of 2 M Tris-HCl at pH 8. 8, and 1500 ? L of distilled water were measured and mixed in the Erlenmeyer flask. Afterwards, 47 ? L of 10% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 40 ? L of freshly prepared 10% ammonium persulfate (APS) were added to the mixture. Then, ten microliters (10 ? L) of tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED) was added and, after mixing it by swirling not more than three times, the mixture was poured into the gel apparatus with the aid of a micropipette up to the mark. The gel was then overlaid with a small amount of isobutanol-water mixture before it would start to harden. After the gel has completely polymerized, the isobutanol mixture was removed from the apparatus. Two pairs of two resolving gels were prepared as one pair would be used for samples containing ? mercaptoethanol and another pair for those that do not contain the said chemical. The stacking gel was prepared by taking 265 ? L of 40% stock acrylamide, 140 ? L of 2% stock bisacrylamide, 350 ? L of 0. 625 M Tris-HCl at pH 6. 8, and 940 ? L of distilled water and mixing all four in an Erlenmeyer flask. Afterwards, 25 ? L of 10% SDS and 60 ? L of 10% APS were added to the one in the flask. Immediately before the solution was added, 5 ? L of TEMED was added to it and swirled not more than three times, similar to that done with the resolving gel. This mixture was then rapidly transferred by a micropipette over the resolving gel and, after placing the comb over it, left to harden. The samples were prepared by getting 100 ? L of the protein sample, 20 ? L of distilled water, and 80 ? L of loading buffer with ? -mercaptoethanol in plastic tubes for the electrophoresis of the samples containing ? -mercaptoethanol. For those samples not containing the latter reagent, 80 ? L of the loading buffer was added. The same procedure was done for 100 ? L of bovine serum albumin. These were then placed in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes after which these were immediately immersed in an ice water bath for 3 minutes. The protein samples used were invertase, albumin, and casein. The loading buffer was prepared by mixing 2. 5 mL of 10% SDS, 2. 5 mL of 0. 625 M Tris-HCl at pH 6. 8, 2. 5 mL of 10% glycerol, and 5. 0 g of 0. 02% bromophenol blue, and diluting to 25 mL with distilled deionized water. Eight tubes were done all-in-all. The gel slabs were then placed in the gel chamber. The gel chambers were then filled with gel running buffer, making sure that the gel was completely immersed. This buffer was prepared by mixing 3. 0 g Tris base, 14. 4 g glycine and 1. 0 g SDS, and diluting to 1 L with distilled deionized water.. The set-up was then placed on a level surface. At this point, the comb was removed in one fluid motion to ensure that the wells would have straight edges. Ten microliters (10 ? L) of the samples with ? -mercaptoethanol was loaded into the wells using a micropipette. With the voltage set at 100 V and the protective electrode covering placed over the set-up, the gel was run until the dye reaches a level of 1 cm above the bottom of the gel slab. This was done again for those samples without the ? -mercaptoethanol. After the gels have been run, the gel slabs were transferred from the glass plates to a flat-bottom container where a small amount of staining solution was added until the slabs were completely immersed. This solution was prepared by mixing 50 mL of methanol, 10 mL of glacial acetic acid, and 0. 25 mg of Coomassie Brilliant Blue R250, and diluting to 100 mL with distilled deionized water. After that, the background staining was removed by several washings of destaining solution. This solution was prepared by mixing 25 mL of 95% ethanol and 5 mL of glacial acetic acid, and diluting to 100 mL with distilled deionized water. Results and Discussion Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (PAGE) served as an effective tool in the characterization of protein standards and extracts because of the gel’s high resolving power for molecules up to 106 Da, accommodation of larger sized samples, an inert enough matrix with respect to the migrating entities, and physical stability of the matrix (Boyer, 1993). Polyacrylamide gels were prepared by the catalyzed and cross-linked polymerization of the acrylamide-bisacrylamide mixture. The polymerization reaction was facilitated by ammonium persulfate (APS), the polymerizing agent, due to its inherent instability and, hence, its tendency to decay and to give rise to molecules initiating these polymerization. Tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED) was introduced to catalyze the decay of APS. Figure 1 presents the general equation for the polymerization reaction of the acrylamide-bisacrylamide mixture (Encor Biotechnology, Inc. , 2011). Figure 1. The polymerization reaction of the Acrylamide-bisacrylamide in the presence of ammonium persulfate and TEMED as the polymerizing agent and the catalyst respectively (Thermo Scientific, Inc. , 2011) Polymerization proceeded with the opening of an acrylamide double bond, allowing it to react with another acrylamide to produce a linear polyacrylamide. Cross links were generated through the incorporation of bisacrylamide into the linear polyacrylamides. Since molecular oxygen would react with the free radical sulfate ions (SO42-) thereby inhibiting polymerization, degassing was necessary. Furthermore, the tendency of molecular oxygen to react with SO42- would also be the reason why it would be necessary for PAGE gels to be poured into tubes or between glass plates instead of horizontal apparatuses. However, the degassing step was not done due to the unavailability of a degassing chamber. Isobutanol was added on top of the gel to also prevent the entry and accumulation of O2 (Encor Biotechnology, Inc. , 2011). Gel pore size is inversely proportional to the concentration of acrylamide. Therefore, to generate a broad and efficient range of protein separation, a discontinuous gel system was formulated, having a low acrylamide content on top and a high acrylamide content at the bottom. The capability of Tris-HCl to facilitate the propagation of electric current through the matrix qualified it as an appropriate loading buffer. It allowed the proteins to be drawn by the current through the sieving matrix slab (Thermo Scientific, Inc. , 2011). The polyacrylamide gel electrophoreses set-up had three important features. First, a stacking gel was cast over a resolving gel. Second, the two gel layers had different ionic strengths and pH. Third, the stacking gel had a lower acrylamide concentration and a lower pH. These conditions allowed the protein molecules to first concentrate into a tight band before entering the resolving solution. In this experiment in particular, the charge of the protein was kept uniform all throughout using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), a powerful detergent that would denature the protein and would leave it evenly negatively charged. Also, ? -mercaptoethanol was added to cleave the disulfide bonds, enforcing completely disrupted secondary, tertiary, and quarternary structures. Prior to the loading of the sample, the discontinuous gel system was immersed in a glycine-Tris buffer prepared at pH 8. 8. At this pH, the two form of glycine – its Zwitterion ion and glycinate – would exist in equilibrium. H3N+CH2COO- – H2NCH2COO- + H+(2) When the voltage was turned on, the entry of buffer ions (glycinate and H+) to the stacking gel (pH 6. 8) shifted the equilibrium to the left, increasing the concentration of glycine’s Zwitterion ion, which would have a zero net charge, and therefore, would be electrophoretically immobile. Since the protein molecules would still be anionic at pH 6. , they would replace the nonmobile glycine molecules in order to keep the current running. As such, the relative mobilities of the ions in the stacking gel would be Tris base > protein sample > glycinate. Furthermore, the thin band observed in the upper gel would actually pertain to the protein molecules sandwiched between the Tris-base and the glycinate ions . The resolving gel, on the other hand, had a pH of 8. 8. When the ionic front reached it, the equilibrium of glycine species shifted to the right. The increase in pH and decrease in pore size retarded the movement of proteins and rendered the glycinate ions greater mobility. The relative rates of movement then became Tris-base > glycinate ions > protein samples. From there, it was the mass of the protein molecules that governed their mobility and thus identified them (Boyer, 1993). For qualitative analysis of results, the Coomassie brilliant blue dye (R-250), being the most popular staining reagent for the electrophoresis of protein samples, was used. Its mechanism of binding to the basic and hydrophobic groups of proteins manifested in the dull, reddish-brown to intense blue color change of the solutions. The staining method was started with the water wash of the gel cast to remove the electrophoresis buffers from the matrix. The matrix was then washed with methanol followed by glacial acetic acid to prevent the diffusion of protein bands form the matrix. The treatment with the dye followed. Lastly, destaining measures were employed to get rid of excess dye from the background gel matrix. This would allow a clear visualization of the bands that had formed (Thermo Scientific, Inc. , 2011). Figures 2 and 3 are photographs of the two gels after incubation and subjection to the dye. Figure 2. Photograph of 1st gel Figure 3. Photograph of 2nd gel In figure 2, multiple bands existed. This could suggest that the samples had other components. These could come in the form of other proteins, contaminants, or other impurities. Nonetheless, any of these possibilities suggest one thing; the sample is not pure although there are occasional times when homogeneous samples result to multiple bands due to degradation during the electrophoresis procedure (Boyer, 1993). Also, the identity of the proteins could have been determined if there were standards or â€Å"markings† to compare these bands with. However, there were none. The only information that could be extracted from the photographs could be that the proteins in the samples were heavy that they were only located on the upper half of the gel. Conclusion The separation of biomolecules according to charge, size, and shape through electrophoresis could give significant information such as the purity, molecular weight, and, hence, the identity of the biomolecule. In this experiment, the multiple bands produced in the gel set-ups suggested that the samples were heterogeneous. Their location in the gel suggested that the proteins were relatively heavy ones. To gain more valuable information rom these data, it is recommended that a set of standard solutions be also run on the gel so that they could be used as references for the identification of the proteins in the samples. Also, the protein’s exact molecular size could be determined by preparing a calibration curve from a set of standard solutions of proteins, with of course, known concentration. The curve should be a plot of the logarithm of the molecular weight of the protein versus its mobility in the gel matrix. From this curve, the molecular weight of the protein in the sample solutions could be extrapolated. References 1. Boyer, Rodney. Modern Experimental Biochemistry. Third Edition. San Francisco, USA: Benjamin/Cummings, 1993. Scribd. Web. 29 November 2011. 2. Encor Biotechnology, Inc. â€Å"SDS-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). † Encor Biotechnology, Inc. Protocols. Encor Biotechnology, Inc. , 2011. Web. 30 November 2011 < http://www. encorbio. com/protocols/SDS-PAGE. htm>. 3. Thermo Scientific, Inc. â€Å"SDS-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). † Thermo Scientific, Inc. Protein Methods Library. Thermo Scientific, Inc. , 2011. Web. 30 November 2011 < http://www. piercenet. com/browse. cfm? fldID=21518847-2D72-475F-A5B9-B236EC5B641E >.

Brl Hardy Driving Forces to Become a Global Company

What are the driving forces behind BRL Hardy to become a global company? â€Å"A Global company is an organization that attempts to standardize and integrate operations worldwide in all functional areas. † In general, there are multiple Globalization forces; some of them are: * Industrial: get access to a bigger market to sell the product. * Financial: by emerging worldwide, it is easier to borrow money * Political forces: the raising globalization goes along with the decrease of the importance of the state. Companies can set up their headquarter in different countries, in function of the legislation in those countries. * Technological forces: the new discoveries and the fast evolving technology eases the communication and makes it easier to collect information about foreign/other goods. * Market: when companies globalize, they also become global customers. * Cost: By becoming global, companies can benefit from economies of scale. The company can also locate production in countries where production costs are lower. In early times, the wine industry was very little. There were little village labels and the grapes grew on tiny vineyards. Those factors made the wine industry very agricultural i. e. the harvest was very vulnerable to weather and diseases. On the other side, the wine business had very few multinational companies and therefore very few true global brands. This made BRL Hardy think about expanding its business to multiple locations over the world and become one of the world’s first global wine companies. The first company on the market has a big chance to become one of the biggest companies in his sector. By breaking the habit of growing and selling only its own wine, Hardy was able to build the scale necessary for creating strong brands and negotiating with retail stores. In 1882, BRLH won his first international gold medal at Bordeaux. Winning a price creates a certain reputation, which makes it more likely that the wine will sell if the company becomes a global company. Also, the company was Australia’s largest winemaker, and one of the most respected. Next to this, Australian wine was becoming a trend, and the demand from new customers in nontraditional markets grew rapidly. All this were driving forces to become a global company. Sources: http://www. slideshare. net/gugaslide/global-business-presentation http://www. slideshare. net/RealRedOne/harvard-business-school-brl-hardy-globalizing-an-australian-wine-company http://www. businessschoolnetherlands. com/files/bsn-article_marius-leibold_business-model-innovation_1. pdf http://www. andidas. com/academic/lse_coursework/MN498%20-%20Tesco%20Internationalisation_by_andidas. pdf http://scholar. sun. ac. za/bitstream/handle/10019. 1/3328/Ewouba-Biteghe,%20BS. pdf? sequence=1 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Globalization

A Bridge to Wiseman’s cove Essay

The novel A Bridge to Wisemans Cove is about a teenage boy named Carl who is mum left him and his brother to go live with their aunt, who is cruel, selfish and gambles. This book describes how Carl and his younger brother find happiness in the most odd places. In this novel, the author raised some issues like underage drinking, body image, child abuse, gambling, young school leavers and dysfunctional families. Carls family was tearing apart from the start, from his mum occasionally leaving them to defend for themselves as beryl explains later on that mother of yours is always taking off. to finding out that all the three children have different fathers. And Sarah their sister also leaves realizing that they could only make her life worse. The effects of Carls dysfunctional family are vast leaving kids feeling left out and alone, trapped in something that they dont like. Child abuse was a relatively big thing in this book centring the affects that aunt Beryl has on both Harley and Carl, but mostly Harley. She did not want Harley to leave the house. At one end it was looped in the window frame. At the other, met a pair of handcuffs. This is how she kept Harley at home by chaining him up. To where their mum abandons them because she cannot handle looking after them. Child abuse in this book is quite relevant for the teenage audience of this book. Gambling is a significant issue in this book, showing from how it can be addictive to how it almost possesses a person. Aunt Beryl had a gambling problem she had a win at the poker machines. and played almost everyday, and how beryl steels from Carl to get the money to gamble with, leaving Carl with no money for himself or Harley. Gambling is an awful habit that in many cases is hard to escape from and has a big impact on not just one person but friends and family. Body image was also brought up throughout the book. Describing how someone who is unhappy with themselves like Carl and Justine, Carls friend, can still have a good self image and feel good about themselves instead of hiding it. It also reflects on how Carl and Justine have something close,  something to relate to with each other. stomach bulging through the lines of his buttons describes how Carl sees himself in the mirror. Body image is a major topic in any teenagers life and it is great to see that James moloney has relised that and brought it out as a message in his book. Underage drinking is another topic in this novel describing how teenagers are not responsible with alcohol, but try to imagine that they are. Like Maddie (Justines friend) who became drunk on New Years by sculling a mix of rum and coke. It was Just rum and coke, like everyone else, but it didnt have the same effect to everyone else. Underage drinking is a problem that occurs in many teenagers lives and in some cases ruins their lives. Leaving school early is what Carl had to do when he moved to Wisemans Cove after aunt beryls greedy mind took possession of Carls life and made him go get a job instead on going to school, because aunt beryl wanted the money to go gamble with. Harley on the other hand was able to go to school only so he was out of aunt beryls face for the day. Carl was forced to get a job on the barge with aunt beryl squeezing every dollar out of him. With Carl being fifteen years old it was hard for him to get a job but after helping joy (Maddies mum) he was able to help on the barge. I didnt want to take you on.. Skip Duncan complained to Carl about not wanting to work with him. School is one of the essentials for a teenager and you cant just force one to loose the lack of education so easy. A Bridge to Wisemans Cove certainly raises the awareness of alcohol, child abuse, body image and how you feel about yourself, gambling, how families sometimes break up and how leaving school early can ruin some peoples life. I think that this book is great, making people relies that there are problems occurring out there that are usually hidden and un heard or until it is to late. Bibliography – www.bookrags.com/ A Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove Essay ‘With it’s sight restored at last, the bird jerked it’s head sideways to look at Carl and then Joy, as though it was asking, is it true? Am I free?’ James Moloney uses the image of the osprey in several ways throughout the novel. The main technique in which it is represented, is the emotion of the characters finally feeling free in there own way. The first use of the image of the osprey is shown when Carl’s mother Kerry would always leave to go on one of her ‘holiday’s’. I believe that she went on these holidays to make herself feel free. To go away for a few days and leave her real life. But in fact she was never really free. Even on her holidays she always knew that she would eventually have to come back to reality, to her children. It’s not that she didn’t love her kids, she did. Perhaps she just couldn’t handle the stress of having to raise three children as a single parent or maybe just having them around was holding her back. During the prelude of the novel an unknown women gets on board a bus. She waits out of sight and sneaks on the bus when the driver is pre-occupied. She does not have a ticket and no one knows who she is. ‘The driver gunned the engine, commanding its throaty roar and the bus pulled away from the roadhouse into the sea of darkness. Only then did the women sit up and permit herself a smile’ At the end of the novel we find out that this women was Kerry. She was on her way back to her children when the bus she was on drowned into the ocean. In the moment that Kerry died, came the realization that she knew she was finally free. Sarah, Carl’s sister also finds the courage to leave and set herself free. Free from living her own life. Since Sarah was old enough to remember she would always have to depend on herself not her mother. When her mother would leave she would have to look after Carl and Harley as though they were her own. She states in the book ‘I’m only nineteen years old. I’ve got my own life. By the time Harley’s old enough to take care of himself, I’ll be thirty.’ Although I don’t agree with the way Sarah went about just dropping Harley and Carl off at their Aunt Beryl’s, I agree that she has her own life to live and she needed to escape. Consequently, setting herself free. The image of the osprey is shown in a major way within Carl. In many ways the osprey is a mirror image of Carl, in its appearance, pain, suffering, recovery and how it is set free. The image of the osprey is remarkably similar to that of Carl’s. It was a, ‘large bird, brown and grey, its head covered by a canvas hood.’ The description of the osprey matches some aspects of Carl’s body and personality. Carl was a large boy, miserable like the colour grey and he was shy like a hood covering his head. This was because he did not want to see what people responded to his body. He was ashamed of himself and the name his family had. Although by the end of the book Carl realizes that he finally has new friends and a new family. He finds that people like him and that they ignore that he is a Matt. ‘My name is Carl Matt. M-A-T-T.’ Carl screams his name out to the world, he doesn’t care anymore. Carl was free. Free of his worries, free of his fears. He is free from the curse that everyone says he and his family has. He could let go of his sorrowful past and be alive just like how the osprey let go of its painful past and began to fly once again. The way the osprey spread it’s wings and took its first beat against the wind symbolizes the emotions rushing through Carl when he finds out his mum truly did love him and Harley. The journey of the osprey mirrored Carl’s personal life. The osprey was set free in a way that makes Carl feel alive. The image of the osprey is used to represent the characters feeling free. It mainly symbolizes as a metaphor for Carl’s life. The osprey is free from being injured by people by being nurtured from Justine and Joy. Carl was also getting injured by people. Throughout his whole life people were hurting him. Kerry, his mother, Beryl, his aunt, his older sister Sarah and kids calling him names about him weight. When he met Justine and Joy, they saved him. They made him feel alive. They set him free. A Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove Essay A bridge to wiseman’s cove, by James Moloney is a novel about a young man named Carl Matt; it goes through all the difficulties he faces during his life on wattle beach. At the beginning of this novel, the importance of family seems to be the main theme, however, as the story continues, other themes are introduced such as knowing the difference between wrong and right, how one views himself, in other words body image, abandonment, the need for love, neglect, loneliness and many more. Right from the beginning of the story the reader is introduced to some of the fundamental characters of the novel such as Kerry, the mother of Carl, his younger brother Harley and his older sister Sarah. From as early as the first few chapters the theme of abandonment is introduced when Kerry decides to abandon Carl and his two other siblings. But this isn’t the last time you read about abandonment it seems to be a reoccurring event. It is soon discovered that Kerry was also abandoned by her three previous boyfriends that she had a child each with! Sarah then tells Carl and Harley that they will be spending their holidays with their Aunt Beryl in Wattle beach while she goes on a holiday of her own. Its not long till they realise that Sarah won’t be coming back from her holiday any time soon, meaning Carl has been abandoned once again. Once you think no one else could leave Carl, Harley leaves him too live with the Duncan’s family, while living with beryl for him becomes unbearable. Being abandoned so many times, Carl is left feeling hurt, confused and neglected! This is where the themes loneliness and the need for love come in. When Carl first arrives, he is miserable and lonely: â€Å"alone in the park, Carl wishes he was a concrete statute, set there for the birds to sit on. No thoughts, no cares, no pain, just years of weathering in the sun and rain until there was nothing more† (pg. 29) He is later told by Justine that he has been â€Å"playing dead† (p. 184). Carl finally admits that he is hurt inside by what he is mother has done, and he doesn’t even know if he is loved or not. He explains to Justine that â€Å"there’s something broken inside of me. Every time I try open up it hurts and I have to stop† (p. 278). â€Å"I’m angry.  All the time it was that one fear. That she didn’t love me.† (p. 232) Carl is big, awkward, and well aware of his body. The Oxford dictionary defines â€Å"body image† as the subjective picture or mental image of one’s own body. For Carl body image is important, other then being low is self esteem, he is so self-conscience of what other people might say or think about him he wore a t-shirt when he went swimming to protect himself from public humiliation, â€Å"he was ashamed of his fleshly bulges in front of the war-painted life savers† (p. 44). As a defence mechanism Carl would often draw his arms to his stomach in order to hide it when he felt uncomfortable (p. 45) and this shows that his body image is always in his thoughts.

Anazlyzing Middle Passage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anazlyzing Middle Passage - Essay Example However, in the absence of this art of fictionalizing history, Middle Passage would represent a mere narrative about a sea journey rather than a philosophical narrative about the African-American’s journey through history. Rutherford Calhoun, a recently freed slave in 1830 with a somewhat checkered past stows away aboard the Republic, a ship docked in New Orleans. Calhoun’s goal is two-fold. He hopes to secure employment aboard the Republic as a cook and also hopes to avoid creditors as well as a forced marriage. Ironically he ends up running into problems that far surprise the unpleasant matters associated with outstanding debts and undesirable marriages. Unknown to Calhoun the Republic is en route to Africa to collect a cargo of slaves. Moreover, the journey is characterized by a mixed bag of characters and disturbing storms and misadventures. Calhoun’s observation is very clearly out of historical context as it raises a twenty-first century concern. It was not until this period that physics was applied to examining the link between religion and science. This anachronistic observation serves a symbolic purpose as does the journey on board the Republic. Somewhere at the nexus between consciousness and experience a person forms an identity. Through Calhoun’s experiences as narrated the modern reader follows Calhoun’s evolution from a thoughtless rogue-like character to a man of awareness that permits him to embrace the â€Å"countless seas of suffering.†(Johnson, p. 209) This is a contrast to the young man who at the onset of the novel whose observations were lacking in consciousness. He said: Calhoun’s evolution is certainly out of time. His rejection of stereotypes and indoctrination represents the black consciousness of the twenty-first century. Johnson however uses the Middle Passage as a means of bringing the modern reader to the realization that it was primarily the black experience that gave rise to this latter-day

Ideology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ideology - Essay Example Of course, by its manifestations in every aspect of the material world including social structure and gender roles, ideology comes to have a material existence of its own (165). When I express 'my own thoughts' in 'my own words' I am greatly circumscribed by ideological norms about what I can express and how I can express it: whether to a single listener or to a global audience. By making visible the powerful influences on communication (the material relations between author and recipient; the choice of form and style as historically determined), the study of ideology enables a piece of communication to be viewed as a product of the status quo with which it dialectically engages. Language - whether verbal or nonverbal - is a system of symbols which are given meaning by mutual agreement. There is no universal physical reality to the representation of a particular entity by the word 'dog.' In the case of onomatopoeic words there is some auditory similarity between the represented sound and the representing word: e.g. 'bow wow' is a loose mimicry of a dog barking. But the vast majority of signifiers: words (me), signs (the exclamation point) and symbols (the Mitsubishi logo) are pure symbols: the signification is perfectly non-representative. The most sophisticated forms of communication are purely symbolic: the oldest known script, Sumerian hieroglyphics, began with representative drawings which became more and more stylised and symbolic. Of course, the non-universality of symbols is not obvious: when we learn a language we agree that 'dog' indicates a particular entity in the real world and that the purely arbitrary collection of symbols 'dog' is associated w ith particular ways of moving our articulators and producing sound. Is language then, artificial Noam Chomsky suggests that human beings are born with the inherent ability to imbibe language; and this ability seems to be universal. People can learn new languages well into late life and babies can acquire multiple languages simultaneously and apparently effortlessly. It is not language that is artificial but the particular significations (signifier-signified relationships) of any given language. This kind of artificiality typifies ideology or any of its components, for example the ascription of certain human qualities to inanimate entities (the rose as a symbol of love suggests something about the culture that accepts such a symbol). Any given communication, whether interpersonal or mass-scale, can then be viewed as an iceberg, with the bulk of meaning residing under the level of consciousness. A rose with its petals being torn off by the wind evokes strong emotions not attributable to the mere sensation of watching a flower being disassembled. The ro se is not 'saying' anything new; rather, its very presence and conditions call forth a predictable set of responses: to quote Barthes: "it comes and seeks me out in order to oblige me to acknowledge the body of intentions which have motivated it and arranged it there as the signal of an individual history, as a confidence and a complicity" (Mythologies 48). The tremendous importance of

Economics of Industry - Market structure in the aircraft manufacturing Research Paper

Economics of Industry - Market structure in the aircraft manufacturing industry - Research Paper Example (Boeing, 2011) Boeing, then expanded by acquiring Vertol Aircraft Corporation in 1960. (The Boeing Company, 2011) In 1996, Boeing took over  Rockwell’s aerospace and defense units. Then in August 1997, Boeing merged with  McDonnell Douglas. This merger allowed Boeing's leadership to increase as it joined with the line of Douglas airplanes. (The Boeing Company, 2011) The tax breaks given to Boeing by the US government have also helped in the expansion of the firm. It is believed that subsidies for the defense wing of Boeing have also helped with the commercial side of aircraft manufacturing. (Irwin & Pavcnik, 2003) In 2002, Boeing’s market share was 54%, however it is now struggling to maintain it. (Taylor & tillman, 2002) Airbus Airbus  is a  subsidiary of  EADS, European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company. (Airbus, 2011) It was a government initiative by France, Germany and UK in 1967. It started off as a  consortium  of aerospace manufacturers,  Airb us Industry. The combination of the European defense and aerospace companies in 2000 led to a company  being established in 2001. BAE Systems and EADS transferred their assets to Airbus  SAS, for ownership in that company. EADS  owned 80% and  BAE Systems  20%. (BBC News, 2000) In October 2006, BAE sold its ownership to EADS. Airbus Industry was officially recognized in December 1970. It is believed that Airbus has only been successful due to protection used by the European countries and a large launch aid. WTO reached a decision in August 2010 and May 2011 that Airbus had indeed received unacceptable government subsidies from several European countries which resulted in lower sales of Boeing aircrafts. (New York Times, 2011) Airbus’ market share has been steadily increasing sine its share of 46% in 2002. (Taylor & tillman, 2002) Product Development Boeing Boeing has approximately 12,000 commercial aircrafts in use globally, which constitutes around 75 percent of th e world fleet. Through Boeing Training & Flight Services, it trains maintenance and flight staff in the 100-seat-and-above airliner market. Boeing has over 159000 employees, working in 71 countries (The telegraph, 2011). Through this diverse workforce and extensive training, the company’s product development ability has increased. In aircraft manufacturing, focus has always been on developing low cost, high quality aircrafts. Hence, approximately half of the current commercial aircrafts will be replaced in the next 20 years due to technological obsolescence and inefficiencies. This will increase the demand for new ones. Approximately 1,362 commercial aircraft orders were placed in 2010, greater than twice the amount placed in 2009. (Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, 2011) Emphasis is also on fuel efficient and environmentally friendly productions. Boeing, together with Air New Zealand has undertaken research on sustainable alternatives to conventional fuel. (Boeing, 2011) Exten sive and expensive research allows better versions of existing aircrafts to be developed and new aircrafts to be launched in this oligopolistic market. Boeing has also resorted to outsourcing its production to Japanese suppliers including  Mitsubishi Heavy Industries  and  Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The use of advanced technology has allowed Boeing to enhance its production capabilities. (Reuters, 2011) Airbus An internal air transportation system is used to airlift

Laboratory Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Laboratory Assignment - Essay Example The overlying volcanic islands (arcs) chains marks in the subduction zones. The ocean floor spreading is believed by geologist to result from the mantle convention and lower crust that results into less dense, hotter, and plastic material that move towards the surface. The cold dense rock sinks towards the mantle resulting into convective forces that tear the ocean crust within the midocenic ridge. This brings in the rift valley formation that is marked by high angle faults high heat flows and basaltic lavas. The mid oceanic ridges separates regions and comprises of foot tall mountain peaks that lie a mile below the ocean surface. Boundaries within the tectonic plate could be convergent divergent, or transform. In the divergent boundaries the extension of the crust within is thinned and mainly fractured by an upwelling hot mantle material. The relationship that exist between the islands can be explained in terms of divergent, convergent and transform boundaries. In the case of divergent boundaries, pulling of the adjacent plates is evident for example, at mid- Atlantic ridge separating North and South America plates from Africa and Eurasia. The ocean floor is formed as a result of the pulling apart forces. Another relationship exist under the context of convergent boundaries. In this case two plate’s moves towards one another where one is sub ducted and are typified by the Aleutian Trench. Good examples include; Mount St. Helens and Mount Fuji (Japan).Finally, the transform boundaries which results when a plate slides horizontally past another. For example, the earthquake-prone San Andreas Fault Zone in California. The labeled boundaries in this case represents the Earths shifting plates. Approximately all of the worlds renowned active volcanoes and earthquakes takes place along these plates, however, they are predominantly frequent within the

International trade- tariffs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International trade- tariffs - Research Paper Example Such tariffs levied on the import of good are called the import tariff. Another kind of tariff which is not very common is called the export tariff. It is levied on exported products. Ghana imposed a tax on the export of cocoa. The OPEC (Organization of the Oil Producing Countries) once imposed export tax on oil to generate revenue and also artificially create a scarcity of oil in the international markets to increase the price of the product. A more important purpose of tariffs is to produce revenue for the government. A revenue tariff may be on export or import, depending on the trade policy of the government. But in modern times when international trade has a huge impact on the economy of a country, the most important role of tariffs is for protection purpose. Different Types of Tariffs Tariffs can be classified into three categories – the specific tariff, the ad valorem tariff and the compound tariff. Each kind of tariff has their own pros and cons we shall discuss them br iefly. Specific tariff is fixed amount of money taxed on each unit of the imported goods. The advantage of this kind of tariff is that it can be very easily calculated on the standard goods that are regularly imported. However the degree of protection that this kind of tariff offers varies inversely with the price of the good in the international market. ... In such cases the domestic industry has to supply the domestic market with less expensive good to win back the consumers. But in times of depression the prices of goods in the world market falls. In such a situation the domestic markets are better protected by the specific tariff. Specific tariffs help the domestic industries against the foreign producers who reduce their prices as the extra price the domestic consumer has to pay for foreign good. Ad valorem tariff is a tax levied as a fixed percentage of the value of the imported good. Ad valorem tariff is more proportionate and progressive than specific tariff. For a slight improvement in the product which is reflected in its price a higher price needs to be paid. For example if Ad valorem tariff rate for a country is 10% then tariff for $200 iPod will be $20. For a slightly higher version of an iPod worth $220 the tariff will proportionately higher at $22. Furthermore, ad valorem rate of tariff ensures that there is a constant pro tection for the domestic industries through periods of fluctuating price. However ad valorem tariffs generate revenue for the government that is proportional to the value of imports. Therefore the government revenue may also fluctuate with price fluctuation. Another difficulty of imposing ad valorem tariff is the problem of evaluation. The evaluation of the value of the good poses a difficulty for the customs appraisers. The difficulty increases due to constant fluctuation of prices of goods in the world market. (Helpman and Krugman). Sometimes compound tariff rates are also preferred by the countries. This kind of tariff consists of a specific component and an ad valorem component. The specific tariff is used to negate the disadvantage of cost faced by the domestic producers of finished

Strategic information system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic information system - Essay Example This study mainly focused on a business related company. An information system comprises of transaction processing systems, management information systems, systems for decision-making support as well as strategic information systems. The information itself consists of the processed data which is coded to the person using. A system refers to a set of elements that are designed to operate together so as to provide a common purpose Ramesh et al 1997). In information systems, the basic element is data which basically refers to raw, unevaluated details, figures, symbols, events and other resourceful facts concerning the origination’s needs. Hence data is converted by the processor which is mainly computers into meaningful information that is useful to the user who in turn uses it in making decisions. Good information should be relevant, be timely, accurate, cost-effective, reliable, usable, exhaustive, and have aggregation level. Information is only important if it is directed to i mprove decision making activities. It can also be important if it is able to reaffirm the previous decision. ... The data collected during the knowledge stage are then used by statistical methodologies and other models to forecast possible results for every alternative. Each alternative can also be studied in ensuring technological, behavioral, and economic viability. In making of the choice, the decision maker must choose the best alternative which is suitable contributing to achieving the goals of the organization. The choices made can in turn reviewed during implementation and monitoring so that the manager to can make necessary faults. Therefore, information is very critical in the four stages of decision making which only is made more effective by systems, Simon (1977). Strategic importance of information in organization through use of systems They are useful in supporting business processes and operations. Information systems help the manager in their daily routine operations so that they function properly and effectively. For instance accounts, payrolls, employee benefits data protection and so on. In particular, the managers are able to conduct their daily activities wit a lot of ease, timely, accurately by use of software. Secondly, IS are essential in decision-making processes for employees and managers. This is simply input of data, processing the finally generating information. Therefore, managers are able to use the information processed for finding various solutions to the organization. For instance, information systems are able to analyze existing historical data about the rate of flow of customers and make necessary improvements if the turn up is very low. They also provide support in making decisions critically for competitive advantages. Information systems can provide information concerning the type

External and Internal Environmental Analysis Assignment

External and Internal Environmental Analysis - Assignment Example Davivienda which is renowned Colombian Bank and the bank is part of Bolivar Corporate Group, was established as mortgage and savings Corporation in the year 1972. In the next 30 years, the Columbian bank had diversified its business credit card portfolio and retail banking services (Davivienda, 2010). In 2002, the bank has established partnership with IFC in order to form Titularizadora de Colombia which is a securitization arm of the bank. In the last 10 years, Davivienda acquired financial institutions like Bansuperior, Confinanciera and Bancafà © along with its subsidiaries in order to become third largest financial institution in Columbia. At present, Davivienda has more than 21.5% market share in the credit cards portfolio (Davivienda, 2010) Davivienda has tried to implement technology up gradation such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) etc in order to speed up the process flow. However, still the bank lags behind global financial giants in order to ensure security of customer accounts. However, as the domestic savings in the country has decreased after economic recession hence demand for credit card has decreased slightly in Columbia in recent years. Colombian banking industry has been dominated by four major players Bogotà ¡, Davivienda, Bbva and Bancolombia and these four players contribute more than 50% of the financial sector of the country. However, Davivienda has reached third position in terms of credit balances while the bank is ranked as no. 1 in the field of agricultural banking. System side is showing overall picture of the banking industry in Colombia while the left hand side is depicting the business portfolio of Davivienda. According to the comparison, Davivienda focuses more on consumer loans in comparison to competitors and that is the reason why Davivienda is ranked second in terms of consumer loan segment in the country. Till

Urbanisation Essay Example for Free

Urbanisation Essay London in the 18th century brought about a revolution in urbanisation and the expansion of an urbanised city began in England and spread rapidly all around Europe. Urbanisation brought a dramatic and radical change to London, significantly in the impact of the Industrial Revolution which was effected urban society. There were both general and particular reasons why the eighteenth century was a century of urban growth and amoung the general reasons were the rise in national population, the expansion of industry and commerce, and the displacement of growing numbers of country-dwellers by an agricultural revolution. [1] At the beginning of the 18th century, Britain was primarily an agricultural country with most people living in rural areas and the majority of workers and industires operated within a domestic system. 2] This involved people working in their own homes to produce goods and also to cultivate food on their own farm or piece of land. During the 18th centuy, there was a gradual move away from this way of working and the growth of urbanisation changed the domestic system to improve the lives of the British public. Urbanisation brough together all the manpower it required, whether for manual work or for the tertiary sector where the new age was creating more and more jobs, especially once London became more urbanised. 3] A further indicator of the abundance of the labour supply was the enormous number of domestic servants and at the end of the 18th century, domestic servants made up over 15% of the population of London and ultimately, England had no labour shortage as it was being urbanised. [4] The invention of machines after the industrial revolution led to a transformation in the ways in which goods could be produced and the speed and scale of the process of the 18th century, saw significant changes in the size, location and lifestyle of the British population. 5] Industrialisation was a very important influence in stimulating the movement to urbanisation and the growth of factories and the availibility of work in them attracted people from rural areas and sustained higher densities of people in London. Industrialisation was a majour factor in the population growth and urbanisation in London in the 1700s and although it initially created a new urban poverty, the living standards of the working cla ss rose from the mid-18th century onwards as new employment opportunities became vailable. [6] During the 18th century, major improvements occurred whilst London was being urbanised, especially in agricultural prodoction. Modern scientific farming methods brought about new tools and farming machines, new methods, improved crops and employment rose. [7] In 1702, 1757, 1769 and 1773 Parliament passed legislation, liberalizing the economy and this led many to conclude that libralization significantly contributed to accelerate growth, due to urbanisation. 8] The vast majority of economic historians do not believe that any of these variables alone was responsible for the boom in the British economy, although many believe that urbanisation was essential for the Londons improvement in its economy beause it is frequently asserted that it was the concomitant effect of all of them that delivered the improved performance. [9] Farming was modernised through the use of enclosure, the enlargement of farms, the use of new methods, new crops and the population grew, commerce expanded, and Lon don promoted exports. 10] Due to urbanisation and the industrial revolution, the English countryside intergrated into the islands national market; as a component part of this network, English farms fed the population of the towns and industrial conurbations; they were the essential component in a domestic market which provided London to continue to develop in its early days. [11] It also had colonies, and London enjoyed the same stock of natural resources as it did a century later, all because of London becoming urbanised and it brought London into political stability as it also liberalised the economy. 12] Within the industrial revolution as a whole, Britian went through a series of individual revolutions once London became more urbanised and the British public revolutionised in its agriculture, demography, inland transport, technoloy, trade and industry. [13] As Europes commetial and finantial centre of gravity shifted to London in the early 18th century, a strong territorial state and an intefrated national economy provided the resources for a new type of commercial metropolis, the modern â€Å"world city. [14] Although urbanisation brought prosperity to London, the social consequences of urbanisation left a huge social upheaval in the 18th century which had a majour effect on the physical and social conditions in which people had to live. The consequences of a large mass of people moving to live around new factories in a relatively short space of time included – housing shortages and squalor, sanitation problems, public health problems and regular utbreaks of disease and exploytation of workers and widespread poverty. [15] As the population increased in Britain, people moved from the countryside to the unrestrainedly frowing towns, which faced serious public health problems. The poor physical conditions in urban areas in the 18t h century led to majour public health problems and rapidly growing cities experienced majour outbreaks of disease, epidemics and other problems of : overcrowded, damp, and poorly ventilated housing. 16] Urbanisation also contributed to the lack of an effective sewerage system, industrial pollution, the lack of a clean water supply and a lack of undertanding about how infectious diseases were spread and so, many people living in the 18th century died at a relatively young age of infectious diseases that were contracted because of the public health condition, a lack of servises and multiple disease epidemics at the time. 17] As London became larger, the disposal of residential and industrial wastes became even more of a challenge, partly as a result of the mountening pressure for people to migrate to cities; the growth in urban populations stripped the availibility of basic servises such as – water, transportation and electricity. [18] As a result, life in London in the 18th Century in the urban shantytownes was plagued by poverty, pollution, congestion, homelessness and unemployment. The rapid expansion also led to problems of overcrowding and insanitary conditions, bringing desease, high death rates and it was therefore only through substantial migration from the countryside that London could continue to grow. [19] Whilst England had its small though rapidly expanding population, it became the most urbanisted country in Europe in the sense that the larger proportion of its citizens lived in a directly urban environment than anywhere else. Although there were many positire reactions to London being urbanised, many critics gave cynical views on the dramatic changes of the city. As David Landers has said, â€Å"Industrialisation in England had the effect of concentrating larger numbers of weavers and spinners in manufactoring districts which, thought still rural and not yet urban, became densely packed: full of people as Defoe wrote of the country around the Halifax in the West Riding. †[20] As Jacques Bertin said, I admit I am still completely in the dark about what industrilisation means. Does it mean railways? Cotton? Coal? Metals? So, even at the time of the industrial revolution, urbanisation wasnt highly liked and many were bemused by the act that London was evolving. [21] Since urbnisation meant everything – society, economy, political structures and public opinion, the most ambitious kind of history could not embrace it because the industrial revolution along with the urbanisation of London – it threw Britain into upheaval and it was not a netely-definable phenomenon. [22]There were also pessimists who, seeing its expansion, bel ieved that urbanisation was sucking in the life-blood of the nation, among them was Dr. Richard Price, who wrote gloomingly in 1783 that the inhabitants of the cottages thrown down in the country fly to London, there to be corrupted and perished. [23] This already is a strong indication that urbanisation was not the majour element in the onset of revolutionising London; this conclusion is reinforced by the analysis of urbanisation trends and it was not the traditional network of cities which was the basis of the new industrialisation process and this process was essentially located in very small towns or villages, which obviously later became big cities. 24] Urbanisation strengthened the political power of workers and of those engaged in business, with a middle class, the bourgeoisie, formed out of managers, suppliers of services, investors, bankers, industrialists, engineers and others whose well-being depended on industrialisation and urbanisation. [25] Although urbanisation did bring prosperity to London, H.  Shmal has suggesed that high levels of urbanisation actually limited the possiblities of productive investement, especially in the new sectors and consumption demanded from the cities and even the construction needed to be absorbed to a large share of resources, that ultimately resulted in poor living and unhealthy living conditions. [26] High levels of urbanisation in London created urban under-employment, and therefore, lowered productivity on the whole economy and this under-employment also lead to a too large tertiary sector, and to rigidity in the offer and mobility of the labour force. [27]

The Family and Medical Leave Act Essay Example for Free

The Family and Medical Leave Act Essay The Family and Medical Leave Act sets regulations for job-protected leave related to family and medical reasons. FMLA applies to organizations with 50 or more employees working within 75 miles of the employee’s worksite (â€Å"Employment Laws,† n.d., para. 6). Employees who have been with their current employer for 12 months and who have worked 1250 hours of service in the previous 12 months are eligible for 12 weeks of unpaid leave through FMLA (â€Å"Eligibility Requirements,† Revised 2013). FMLA covers the following leave reasons: The birth of a child, or the placement of an adopted or foster child. A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of their job. To care for a spouse, child or parent with a serious health condition. A â€Å"qualifying exigency† arising out of a covered family member’s active duty or call to active duty in the armed forced. To care for a covered family member who has suffered an injury or illness while on active duty. Employees must be restored to their position or equivalent position when returning from leave (â€Å"Benefits and Protections,† Revised 2013). The use of accrued paid leave can be determined by individual organizations, but should be documented in a policy. It is important for an organization to create a leave policy that complies with FMLA and be consistent when applying the policy. The Family and Medical Leave Act can provide stability to employees, but can be tricky to administer. Company X needs to consider a few factors to ensure FMLA compliance. Paternal leave is included under FMLA, so Company X was in compliance when they granted leave to Employee A (assuming the employee has also worked a minimum of 1250 hours). Employee A was eligible for 12 weeks of leave, but voluntarily decided to return early. FMLA does not require Company X to pay Employee A while on leave, denying that request was also in compliance with the law. Company X met the FMLA requirements, allowing Employee A to return to the same position with the same rate of pay. My conclusion is that Company X has not violated FMLA requirements. I would recommend Company X create a policy that documents FMLA procedures and clarifies what to expect while on leave (salary and benefits). Situation B As Human Resources professionals, it is key to be mindful of protected job classes, particularly age. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 was put in place to protect workers over 40 years of age. The ADEA applies to employers with more than 20 employees and applies to all aspects of employment, including hiring, firing, promotion, layoff, compensation, benefits, job assignments and training (â€Å"Facts About Age Discrimination,† Revised 2008). Since the ADEA applies to the hiring process as well as the term of employment, employers are not allowed to ask for date of birth in any pre-hire process. There are a couple of exceptions to the law. Employees may waive their right to the act as long as the ADEA guidelines are met. In certain situations, high level executives may be asked to retire at 65 and for jobs with bona fide occupational qualifications employers may discriminate based on age (â€Å"Exceptions to the ADEA,† 2007). An example of this would be a modeling agency hiring for an ad that promotes children’s clothing. Based off of the information provided, Company X is in clear violation of the ADEA. Employee B is over 40 and therefore in a protected job class. Unless they have reason to justify their decision, employee B has a clear case for discrimination. Since employee B has higher performance and longer tenure, the promotion should have been granted. My recommendation to Company X is to create a documented policy the outlines what factors are used in promotions and rank employees accordingly. In my opinion, performance should always be first. Other factors to consider could be attendance/accountability, education and seniority. If company X followed this policy, there would be no question of age discrimination. Situation C The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibits job discrimination against people with disabilities. The ADA applies to all terms of recruitment and employment for employers with 15 or more employees (â€Å"ADA Questions and Answers,† (Revised 2009). Under the ADA, it is illegal to discriminate against qualified individuals and requires employers to make reasonable accommodations to ensure individuals with disabilities can perform the essential functions of their job. Reasonable accommodations are modifications or adjustments to the work environment that would allow someone the ability to do their job (â€Å"ADA Questions and Answers,† (Revised  2009). Reasonable accommodations may not bring undue hardship to an employer or require significant difficulty or expense. When complying with the ADA, job descriptions will help provide an outline of essentials functions of a job. In order to know if someone is able to perform the essential functions, a job description must be documented. Assuming that Applicant C was the most qualified candidate, Company X would be in violation of the ADA for denying employment. Since Applicant C is able to perform the essential functions of the position with one modification to the office, it would be discriminatory to disqualify the candidate. An additional elevator keypad would not cause operational harm to the organization and cannot be considered undue hardship. My recommendation to Company X would be to make the necessary adjustments and ultimately, hire the best candidate for the job. References ADA Questions and Answers. (Revised 2009). American with Disabilities online. Retrieved May 27, 2014 from http://www.ada.gov/qaeng02.htm Benefits and Protections. (Revised 2013). United States Department of Labor online. Retrieved May 27, 2014 from http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/posters/fmlaen.pdf Eligibility Requirements. (Revised 2013). United States Department of Labor online. Retrieved May 27, 2014 from http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/posters/fmlaen.pdf Employment Laws. (n.d.). United states Department of Labor online. Retrieved May 27, 2014 from http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/employ.htm Exceptions to the ADEA. (2007). Human Resources BLOG. Retrieved on May 27, 2014 from http://www.humanresourceblog.com/2007/09/10/exceptions-to-the-adea/ Facts About Age Discrimination. (Revised 2008). EEOC online. Retrieved May 27, 2014 from http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/age.html

Film Studies Essays Film or Book

Film Studies Essays Film or Book Which is better the film or the book? The debate over the superiority of literature over film or vice versa seems to rear its head every time a major piece of literary work is adapted. Even unbridled success stories such as Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy have dissident voices unhappy with his changes and omissions. However changes and omissions are absolutely necessary when adapting hundreds of pages of prose into a couple of hours of film. This essay will look at how narrative is adapted and retold in two films; Mrs Dalloway (Marleen Gorris, 1997) and The Color Purple. (Steven Spielberg, 1985) Mrs Dalloway is not a conventionally narrated novel. Over the course of a day it follows the eponymous protagonist through her preparations to host a party and how the unexpected arrival of am old suitor makes her reminisce about her youth.   At the same time we see how Mrs Dalloway and her associates lives intersect with that of a shell-shocked solider. What is produced is a type of mosaic narrative, which is then left for the reader to interpret and discern meaning. In the beginning of the film as she walks about London on her way to collect the flowers for her party we are allowed to view moments of her youth in flashback. These flashbacks are generally triggered by something in the present. For example a meeting with Hugh reminds her of how Peter Walsh ‘never to this day forgiven her for liking him.’ (Woolf, p 8) These are transitioned in and out of aurally, as she hears voices of people she knew in her head and the visual waits a beat before transitioning back as well. This replicates the mosaic narrative style of the book. There is however one major difference between the beginning of the book and the beginning of the film. The character of Septimus (Rupert Graves) is much more quickly established as a major character within the film. In the book he is introduced as a car backfires and he is shocked rigid by it although no immediate reason is given why. Over the course of the novel we learn more about his experiences at war and the lasting effect upon him. Mrs Dalloway and Septimus never meet in the novel, yet we are led to discern they are connected thematically through the mosaic narrative. The Film version of Mrs Dalloway opens with a brief sequence of Septimus (Rupert Graves) in the trenches of world war one.   The shot is thick with smoke and is filmed in slow motion to give the sense of a dream sequence although the title Italy 1918 suggests that this is a flashback. The camera slowly zooms into Septimus face singling him out as the protagonist of this sequence. We see his reaction to a friend being blown up by an explosion and as he sinks into despair the smoke fills the screen fading it to white and softening focus. This soft white backdrop then becomes the drapes in the bedroom of Mrs. Dalloway (Vanessa Redgrave).  Ã‚      These two environments could not be more different; however the transition is not jarring or unsettling; we are taken from the horror trenches into the gentile and elegant world of a Whitehall socialite with the greatest of ease. The transition leaves the viewer with the impression that the two people’s lives are somehow connected, but perhaps is not as subtle and gently persuasive as the book. The Color Purple tells the story of a young black woman in the Deep South. It is about the oppression and abuse she suffers in a racist sexist world and the bonds of friendship she finds with other women. The climactic emotional moment of the novel is the sequence ion which Celia tells her husband that she is leaving him and moving to Memphis. The dialogue form the scene in the film is taken almost word for word from the book. It is a moment of great personal emancipation for Celia, and a moment of fantastic performance from the unusually restrained Whoopi Goldberg. She has been abused and sub-serviant all her life and she finally has enough sense of self worth to speak up load and powerfully. â€Å"You’re a lowdown dog is what’s wrong, I say. It’s time to leave you and enter into the creation.† (Walker, p180) First of all the scene is set in Mr.____’s (Danny Glover) House as opposed to Harpo’s (Willard Pugh) in the book; this is significant because it has been Celia’s prison for several years; a place where she has been continuously abused. This adds extra dramatic tension to the scene and focuses it on Celia. However this does to some extent detract from the arcs of the other characters such as Squeak (Rea Dawn Chong) and Sofia. (Oprah Winfrey) In the novel there are continuous references to Squeak being Harpo’s mistress and mother of his child. This is less prominent in the film and as such leaves Squeaks departure with much less dramatic weight. Also the film omits the visit of Eleanor Jane and reference to Sofia’s probation. In the novel Sofia is denied her emancipation by the legalities she is still embroiled with, the film instead reinstates Sofia as a dominant force at the dinner table. What is clear from this scene is that although as the stories protagonist Celia’s narrative arc has remained intact, omissions have had to have been made on behalf of other characters within the novel due to the narrative constraints of time. Film can strive to imitate the stylistic form of literature successfully as in the case of Mrs Dalloway or unsuccessfully as in the case of The Bonfire of the Vanities (De Palma, 1990) In certain cases such as The Godfather (Coppola 1972) and Jaws (Spielberg 1975) the film adaptation can surpass the source material. Although argument other which form is better may be mere sound and fury; direct comparison of the two different narrative forms can lead to a better understanding of narration itself. Bibliography Bordwell and Thompson. (2001) Film Art: An Introduction, New York: McGraw Hill. Kawin, B (1992) How Movies Work, London: University of California press. Thompson, K (1999) Storytelling in the New Hollywood: Understanding classical Narrative Technique. London: Harvard Walker, A (2004) The Color Prurple, London: Pheonix. Woolf, V (1996) Mrs Dalloway, London: Penguin popular classics. Filmography Bonfire of the Vanities (Dir Brian De Palma, 1990, US) Color Purple, The (Dir Steven Spielberg, 1985 US) Godfather, The (Dir Francis Ford Coppola, 1972, US) Jaws (Dir Steven Spielberg, 1975, US) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (Dir Peter Jackson, 2002, US, New Zealand, Germany) Mrs. Dalloway (Dir Marleen Gorris, 1997, UK)

Joan of Arc :: biographies bio biography

Jeanne d'Arc, commonly known as Joan of Arc , is the national heroine of France. Born in 1412 she was raised as a religious French peasant in Domrà ©my, in eastern France. Joan of Arc is famed for her input in several victories during the Hundred Years War, which actually lasted 116 years, and the coronation of King Charles VII. At the young age of twelve years old Joan first encountered the heavenly "voices" sent by Saint Michael, Saint Catherine, and Saint Margaret. The "voices" told her to drive out the English and help the Dauphin, soon to be Charles VII of France, to Reims to his coronation. Joan convinced Robert de Baudricourt that she was sent by god to save France. Baudricourt was skeptical, but her persistence gradually made an impression on him. On 17 February she announced a great defeat which had befallen the French arms outside Orlà ©ans (the Battle of the Herrings). As this statement was officially confirmed a few days later, her cause gained ground. At the battle of Orleans in May 1429, Joan led the troops to a miraculous victory over the English. She continued fighting the enemy in other locations along the Loire. Fear of troops under her leadership was so formidable that when she approached Lord Talbot's army at Patay, most of the English troops and Commander Sir John Fastolfe fled the battlefield. Fastolfe was later stripped of his Order of the Garter for this act of cowardice. Although Lord Talbot stood his ground, he lost the battle and was captured along with a hundred English noblemen and lost 1800 of his soldiers. Charles VII was crowned king of France on July 17, 1429 in Reims Cathedral. At the coronation, Joan was given a place of honor next to the king. One year later she was captured by the Burgundians while defending Compiegne near Paris and was sold to the English. The English handed her over to the ecclesiastical court at Rouen led by Pierre Cauchon to be tried for witchcraft and heresy. Much was made of her wearing male clothing. She was told that for a woman to wear men's clothing was a crime against God. Her determination to continue wearing it (because her voices hadn't yet told

What was the 1850 Compromise and Why did it Fail? Essay -- politics sl

What was the 1850 Compromise and Why did it Fail? In 1850, Henry Clay one of the most influential political leaders in American history introduced a set of resolutions, which aimed to please both North and South America. The five proposals were rolled into a single 'omnibus' bill, which offered a solution to the growing sectional conflict over slavery and westward expansion, which arose from the 1846 Mexican War. The 1850 Compromise, which Senator Douglas stripped down and effectively helped pass, failed for a number of reasons, the greatest of which was that it was unable to please both anti-slave and pro-slave groups. In fact it merely 'papered over the crack', and did not prove, as Daniel Webster a Clay supporter had hoped, 'a finality that would give peace to a country long distracted by the quarrel over slavery'. Why did the Compromise ultimately fail, and lead to polarization, featuring a party, which had begun to establish itself in the 1820s. The conflict between the North and South stemmed back to 1846, when the U.S.A won a huge area of Mexican territory as the result of what became known as the Mexican War. The land acquired revived controversy over the extension of slavery, as many Northerners wanted the new territory to become a free state with no slavery, and many Southerners wanted slavery to expand. Numerous compromises were conceded, to try to resolve the sectional conflict, for example the Wilmot Proviso of 1846 attempted to exclude slavery from any territory gained as a result of the war. The Calhoun Doctrine issued in 1847, and known as 'The Platform of the South', asserted that the territories were common property of all the states. However the argument of whether slavery should be... ... of the affects to their economy. However many Northerners who did resist slavery probably had a free labour ideology; that Northern farmers could grown cotton to fuel the trade industries of the North, as a replacement for slave labour. The events that had occurred before and after 1846 had shown that expansion of America created major sectional conflict and jealousies, due principally to the question of slavery. The resolutions had actually managed to delay the immediate danger of sectional split. However as the apparent fairness of the Compromise was false, like all other attempts at compromise it failed. Slavery was a moral issue, which proved that more than a compromise was needed to resolve it. The Compromise of 1850 ultimately resulted with a large number of Southerners seceding from the union, furthermore political polarization of the Democrats.

Confession, Exploration and Comfort in Upon the Burning of Our House by Anne Bradstreet :: Upon the Burning of Our House

Confession, Exploration and Comfort in Upon the Burning  of Our House      Ã‚   The theological concept of humankind’s inherent depravity created tension in the lives of seventeenth century New England Puritans.   The Puritans believed that humans were born sinful and remained in this condition throughout life.   This doctrine stressed self-discipline and introspection, through which the Puritan sought to determine whether particular spiritual strivings were genuine marks of true religiosity.   God preordained election to heaven, and some Puritans would be saved through the righteousness of Jesus Christ despite their sins.   There was no certainty in this life what eternal destiny awaited because the knowledge of who was elect was a divine mystery.   The experience of conversion, where the soul, touched by the Holy Spirit, is turned from sinfulness to holiness, was at least some indication of election.   Although full assurance might never be attained, the conviction of having been chosen by God fortified the Puritans to contend with the hardships of creating a community of Christ in the New World.   This fundamental knowledge of personal depravity, the essence of Puritan theology, created an atmosphere of constant introspection in a cyclical battle with worldly sin always ending with the acknowledged depravity.  Ã‚   The awareness of God’s preordained elect few did not inhibit the perseverance all Puritans applied to acknowledge depravity and to try and overcome sinfulness.   This concept of depravity as the cornerstone of Puritan faith became a central theme in Puritan writing. Poet Anne Bradstreet wrote about her life and how her trials ever urged her to continue her self-inspection in an effort to attempt to subdue the carnal desires of this world.   The Puritan dogma of introspection created a framework for literary confession in the poem â€Å"Upon the Burning of Our House July 10th, 1666.†Ã‚   This framework freed Anne Bradstreet to fully explore her beliefs without direct challenge to authority; thus she both remains within and steps outside of traditional Puritan beliefs, ultimately allowing her to find solace and comfort in the promise of heavenly reward.   In the poem â€Å"Upon the Burning of Our House† Anne Bradstreet exemplifies the normal Puritan lifestyle of tension, although tempered with an allusion of hopefulness not usual in Puritan theology.   Opening with an image of sleep, the poem alerts the reader to what would be considered a moral lapse by Bradstreet, for she was not being ever watchful for sin. The notion of millenialism, to go through life as though the second coming of Christ was imminent, meant that a Puritan was always prepared for the judgement day.

Thorn Queen Chapter Two

Crossing over to the Otherworld is easier for me than most people but still requires a bit of work. Once I'd packed up what I needed, I had to drive to Saguaro National Park and hike out to a remote corner of it. Here, two very faint trails intersected in a crossroads-a common marker for gates to the Otherworld. It and the human world lie very close to each other, and certain spots between the two are thinner. Of course, even a thin spot like this wouldn't always be enough for some people to make the journey in their own bodies. They might end up going in spirit or an elemental form. But me? I bore the blood of humans and of the gentry. I could therefore travel both worlds with ease, though my gentry heritage still unnerved me. It was only a recent discovery, one I had trouble coming to terms with. Standing at the crossroads, I closed my eyes, slipping into a trance very similar to the one I used to banish the spirit yesterday. A tattoo of a greenish snake coiled around one of my arms in tribute to Hecate, the goddess who guarded transitions and chthonic magic. Invoking her, drawing on her power, I stretched my body beyond this world. A moment later, I stood in the Otherworld. In a castle. A castle that belonged to me. I recovered myself quickly since crossover side effects almost never bothered me anymore. The room I stood in was a small sitting room, sparsely furnished. In the center of it was a rabbit paperweight, white resin with little blue flowers. It was silly, but that rabbit was imbued with my essence, meaning when I crossed over from Saguaro National Park-or any other crossroads of my choice-my body would travel to this spot rather than to some remote place. Footsteps sounded on the outside hallway's stone floor. A moment later, a bright-eyed young woman with long blond hair peered inside. Her face split into a wide grin when she saw me. â€Å"Your majesty,† she breathed, delighted. Turning back around, she yelled down the hall. â€Å"The queen! The queen is here!† I winced. Man, I wished I could come here without all the hype. Bad enough I had to come here at all. Her proclamation made, Nia ran up to me, squeezing my hand. She was one of my servants. I guess you'd call her my lady-in-waiting since she was responsible for my appearance most of the time. â€Å"Everything's ready to go to the Willow Land,† she told me. â€Å"I've picked out an amazing gown for you.† I shook my head, reaching into the backpack I almost always lugged around. The gentry favored heavy brocades and other elaborateness in their fashion. I wasn't up for any of that today. â€Å"I brought my own.† She stared at the dress I produced, then looked back up at me with raised eyebrows. â€Å"You're jesting, your majesty, right?† Those blue eyes pleaded. â€Å"Right?† I was saved from an argument when others entered the room. Still staring mournfully at the dress, Nia retreated so my senior staff could talk to me. Yeah. Senior fairy staff. Three months still wasn't enough time to get used to this. A tall, very lovely woman with glossy black braids strode in, her movements both athletic and graceful. Her name was Shaya, and I depended on her more than anyone else around here. She was my regent, handling all the dirty work I didn't want to deal with, and I was grateful and lucky to have her. With her was Rurik, the captain of my guard. Having guards was also something that took a lot of getting used to-particularly since they always wanted to follow me around. Rurik and I had gotten off to a bad start, probably because he'd tried to rape me the first time we met. Sporting a large build and pale blond hair, he'd proven himself a capable servant, though I'd often found him fooling around with other women who worked here. I had let him know in a very pleasant voice that I'd rip him apart if I ever found out those women hadn't consented to his advances. A few others trailed in, officials that I'd inherited with the castle when I killed its former king. I couldn't remember half their names. â€Å"Welcome back,† said Shaya, smiling. She didn't possess Nia's rapture but still seemed genuinely pleased to see me. â€Å"Your majesty,† the others intoned, bowing. They waited for me to sit in one of the chairs, joining me a moment afterward. â€Å"Nia says we're ready to go?† I asked, unable to hide my dismay at the upcoming trip. â€Å"Yes,† Shaya told me. â€Å"We simply await your command. At an easy pace, we should be able to do it in three hours.† I groaned. â€Å"Three hours. Do you know how crazy that is? I could do it in half that time by driving to a gateway in my own world and crossing over closer.† She regarded me indulgently, having heard this argument before. â€Å"You can't show up at Queen Maiwenn's court without your retinue.† Rurik, sprawled lazily in a chair, flashed me a grin. â€Å"It's part of your image, your majesty.† I rubbed my eyes. â€Å"Alright. Whatever. Any word on Jasmine?† His smile faded. â€Å"No. We've still got scouting parties roaming the kingdoms, but they've found nothing.† â€Å"Incredible. You guys can make trees come to life and raise stones from the earth, but you can't find one pouty teenage girl.† â€Å"We'll find your sister,† Rurik said grimly. I think he'd taken this mission as a matter of personal pride. â€Å"It may take awhile, but we'll find her.† I nodded because there was nothing else to do. The waiting infuriated me. Every moment that passed meant Jasmine, a mere fifteen years old, had another chance to get pregnant and give birth to a prophesied heir that would allegedly conquer the human world. I was subject to the same prophecy but was smart enough to use birth control. â€Å"Anything else? How are things going otherwise?† Shaya schooled her face to neutrality. â€Å"We manage, your majesty.† She kept her voice as blank as her expression, but I could see badly feigned disapproval on the others' faces. They didn't like the way I neglected my duties here. I suspected Shaya disapproved as well, but it didn't stop her from sparing me the details of the Thorn Land's day-to-day affairs. She knew I didn't really want to hear them, no matter my asking, so she didn't tell me. I noticed then just how truly oppressive the heat was in here. Everyone was sweating. â€Å"My God, it's hot,† I said. They all stared at me, and I immediately felt stupid. What had I expected? When I'd conquered the kingdom, it had shaped itself to my will, transforming itself into my idea of perfection: the Sonora Desert. The castle had not changed, and remained in its constant state: thick blocks of stone. Black stone. Stone that absorbed heat like crazy and had little ventilation. It was the kind of place more suited to cold, misty moors. The land had been greener and more temperate under its last ruler, Aeson. Aeson and I had had a fair amount of friction because he'd been trying to get Jasmine pregnant and had wanted to give me a shot too, in hopes that he would be the father of that world-conquering prince. Plus, Aeson was just a total asshole. I'd killed him in battle, and when a ruler dies, the land seeks out someone else powerful. That someone else had been me. I'd claimed the land without realizing what I was doing, and that's when it had transformed to this mirror of Tucson. It occurred to me how horrible it must be to live here. The gentry lacked most of the technology of my own world. No central air-conditioning. No electric fans. This place had to be roasting these people alive, particularly after what they'd been used to before I came along. Feeling bad for them, I reached out to the air around me with my mind. For a moment, there was nothing, and then I sensed the moisture particles hanging in the air. There weren't many, but they were there. Spreading beyond the room, I pulled in more moisture, undoubtedly turning nearby halls and rooms into ovens. In here, however, the temperature dropped and grew moist. A slight thrill ran through me, as often happened when I tapped my inherited gentry magic. Tentatively, I then attempted to move the air itself in some sort of breeze. Nothing. I had managed that feat only once and couldn't repeat it. Realizing what I'd done, Shaya crooked me a grin. â€Å"Thank you, your majesty.† I smiled back and stood. They all hastily followed suit, and I waved them down. â€Å"Hang out here if you want. It should stay cool for a little longer. I'm going to go do my†¦thing. Then we'll go.† I left the castle for one of its courtyards, a wide, terraced area that I loved. Saguaros and blooming prickly pears lined it. Purple-flowered smokethorns, the tree that had given this land its name, stood sentry, as did mesquite, filling the air with sweetness. A few hummingbirds darted here and there like bright, flying gemstones. I sat on one of the steps that led to the upper gardens and closed my eyes. This was why I had to come back. If left to me, I would have never returned. But once the Thorn Land had bound itself to me, it was mine. It depended on me for its survival. I didn't entirely understand my connection to it, but it was unbreakable. It was the reason I dreamed about this place. There was no escaping it. The sun beat down on me, forever reminding us we answered to nature in the end. My body relaxed, and soon, the life of the land spread into me. It always startled me at first, and then I quickly adapted, like it was the most natural thing in the world. The land was me, and I was the land. We were one, neither of us complete without the other. When I came to, I think almost an hour had passed. I stood up, shaking off my trance. I had extracted myself from that joining with the land but knew it was still with me. It was stronger for having just made the connection. I had fulfilled my duty. My party set out shortly thereafter. Horse riding was a skill I'd had to perfect pretty quickly since hanging out around here. There were no cars or planes. Shaya, Rurik, and Nia were with me, as were about a dozen guards. The guards rode stoically, eyes alert and watchful as they surrounded us. Rurik occasionally barked out an order to them, but mostly he bantered with Shaya and flirted with Nia. I wasn't too good at casual conversation and mostly just listened, more entertained by them than I wanted to admit. It was late morning, and the sun showed us no mercy as we traveled. I fared better than the rest, wearing shorts and sunglasses. The other women at least had lightweight dresses, but the men wore full leather armor and had to suffer considerably. None of them complained, not even Rurik, but sweat poured down their faces. So, it was something of a relief when we hit our first shift in the land. It's an oddity of the Otherworld that it folds in upon itself. Traveling is disorienting. In going in a straight line out of my kingdom, it was entirely possible to cross other kingdoms and then my own again without deviating from our course. We crossed into the Oak Land, and suddenly it was as though the Thorn Land had never existed. You couldn't even see it behind us. One of the guards broke his rigid demeanor to emit a small cheer that made everyone laugh. A cool, almost chill breeze rushed over us. Late autumn had settled on the Oak Land, setting the trees on fire with brilliant colors. It was gorgeous-and much more comfortable-but I secretly hoped we'd pass out of it soon. I had too many disturbing memories of this place. Sure enough, we soon crossed into the Thorn Land again, slamming into that unforgiving heat. It felt like traveling in circles, but the others assured me we stayed on course. That stint was brief, and our next shift took us to the Rowan Land. Late summer ruled here, but it was a more temperate summer than my own kingdom's. Cherry trees filled the landscape. Last I'd seen them, pink blossoms had covered almost every square inch of the branches. Now, as I looked closer, I could see bright red fruit weighing them down. And it was then that the wights attacked. Wights were denizens of the Otherworld, and while they weren't spirits exactly, they had the ability to turn invisible. So, my guards' vigilance had done no good. I counted seven as they swooped out of the orchards. They wore gray clothing and had long, pale faces. For the most part, they looked very much like humans and gentry. Light flared around them as they rained down bolts of power upon us. Wights were even more strongly tied to magic than the gentry, and conventional weapons had little effect on them. You had to take them down with magic. Unfortunately, the storm magic I'd inherited from my father still wasn't quite up to hardcore attacks. Neither was my guards' magic. Special magic-wielding soldiers aside, I'd learned most warriors here were weak in magic; it was why they'd chosen a more physical profession. I still suspected the silver bullets in my Glock might hurt the wights. Only, I had a problem. My guards had closed rank around Nia-the only civilian here-and me. Getting a shot off would likely kill one of them. â€Å"Let me out!† I yelled. â€Å"Let me fight!† The guards ignored me and, in fact, redoubled their own shouts of â€Å"The queen! Protect the queen!† Swearing, I managed to lean through and get a shot off that took one of the wights in the chest. It didn't kill him but clearly caused severe injury. Nearby, a cherry tree ripped itself from the earth. Infused by magic and therefore potentially lethal, it attacked the wounded wight. That was Shaya's handiwork. She had been a warrior before settling into my administration. As we fought, I soon deduced the point of this attack. The wights wanted me-not to kill me, but for other†¦more amorous purposes. They didn't seem to have much organization save to hack through and see who could get to me. Whoever did could have me. It sickened me, and an old, familiar fear welled up. I could handle concussions, broken bones, and the other myriad effects of my vocation. Rape was not something I could contend with. It had become a daily danger, however, since learning about my half-gentry heritage. My father, honorifically dubbed Storm King, had been a tyrannical warlord-one of the most powerful magic users the Otherworld had ever seen. He'd been intent on crossing over and conquering humanity. He'd come damned close, too, until my stepfather, Roland, had defeated him. Unfortunately, a prophecy had surfaced in Storm King's wake, a prophecy that said his daughter's son would complete his work. That was why I was such a hot commodity among Otherworldly males who believed in Storm King's vision. It was also why Jasmine wanted to get pregnant. Giving up on the gun, I produced my jewel-studded wand and started simply casting out the wights to the Underworld. Instant death. As I did my thing and the guards did theirs, we suddenly reached a point where all grew quiet. The wights were dead or gone. Everyone in my party immediately looked to see if I was all right, which I found ridiculous since two of the guards lay on the ground, and a number of them were bleeding. â€Å"Forget about me,† I snapped. â€Å"Check on them!† None had died, much to my relief. Gentry were hard to kill in their own world. They were long-lived and hardy. One of the guards had some healing powers, and we spent a considerable amount of time patching the group up. When we finally set out again, Shaya glanced up at the sun's position and frowned. â€Å"We're going to be late.† I thought about Kiyo. Then I thought about Maiwenn, who always looked like some sort of golden goddess, even with her belly ready to burst with Kiyo's son or daughter. Walking in late to her elite baby party, breaching etiquette under her cool gaze†¦Well, suddenly I wanted to ride as we'd never ridden before. Unfortunately, our wounded couldn't do that. Frustrated, we finally split the party, and those of us who were uninjured rode on at a brisk pace, hoping to cut our time. Before long, we crossed to the Willow Land and slammed into its freezing temperatures. It was just coming out of winter, and spring thaws were in progress, but the chill proved a shock nonetheless. We rode on down the road, determined to get there. We finally made it. But we were still late. Maiwenn's castle staff eyed our bedraggled state but showed me to a room where I could clean up and get ready. Nia practically had a conniption as Shaya and I hastily washed ourselves off and pulled on fresh clothes. Nia's magical gifts gave her a knack for adorning others and arranging hair. Kind of a magical beautician. It killed her that I almost never utilized her services. I could see her itching to do something intricate to my hair, but I shook my head. â€Å"No time. Make it fast. Wear it down.† Obliging-but disapproving-she used magic and a brush to work it into gleaming, silky lengths, pulling a little of it up with a barrette and stealing a couple of small daisies from a nearby vase to tuck into the barrette. With her magic, I knew it would stay perfectly arranged for hours. I splashed on some violet perfume, hoping it would cover any sweatiness I'd missed. With that, we were off. When Shaya and I approached the ballroom, it was obvious we were the last to arrive. The room was packed. I sighed loudly. â€Å"It's all right,† murmured Shaya. â€Å"You're a queen. You're expected to be eccentric. Don't look embarrassed.† â€Å"Is it possible,† I asked, â€Å"that we could just sneak in without anyone noticing?† Before she could answer, a herald stood in the doorway and announced in a voice designed for carrying over loud crowds: â€Å"Her Royal Majesty, Queen Eugenie Markham, called Odile Dark Swan, Daughter of Tirigan the Storm King, Protector of the Thorn Land, Beloved of the Triple Moon Goddess.† Dozens of heads swiveled toward us. I sighed again and answered my own question. â€Å"Apparently not.†

The Shadow of Hate

The Shadow of Hate The documentary remarks on the origins of race and how it has affected history and its people. There has been a history of intolerance in America against the â€Å"them†, the others. â€Å"Them†, being the different, the unknown. It is clear that people are afraid of the unknown because of the uncertainty it brings thus they immediately label anything different as â€Å"them†. The ultimate concept I was able to derive from the documentary was that race is an idea created by society to further certain people; whether it be on a political, social, or economical aspect.The Shadow of Hate accounts the troubling relic embedded in our country, which is the overwhelming prejudice that has occurred in America for centuries. Quakers, Native Americans, and the Japanese-Americans are a few groups that have been significantly affected by whites’ obsession and preoccupation to remain â€Å"superior† to the rest, the â€Å"them†. The doc umentary even brings forth current tensions that cause rifts between our cities and communities.I found alarming how Thomas Jefferson, one of our nation’s own Founding Fathers and the principal writer of the Declaration of Independence, owned slaves and wrote how the blacks were â€Å"inferior to the whites†. The man who wrote â€Å"All men are created equal†, was the man who lived by exactly the opposite of his own words. Learning of how the slave trade became popular in America only deepened my view of people’s skewed perception of blacks. Since matters in Europe were settling down, less Europeans felt the need to relocate to America where they would pay for their voyage through servitude.When the indentured servants from Europe became scarce, it caused a labor shortage therefore farmers turned to the Atlantic slave trade where they traded goods in return for slaves. Trading people for materials expresses their view of how slaves were merely â€Å"mate rials† needed for their farms. Slaves were not people, they were objects, and why? Because of their skin color. Something as shallow as a color has affected so much of our history. The same goes for the Native Americans. They were moved to and fro, in their own land.They observed as their land was being taken away, not allowed to say anything. Those that did, were silenced. Americans took advantage of them by forcing them to assimilate and to become â€Å"civilized†. The Americans took away their cultural identity and rushed them into a culture completely unknown to them. I do find this to be one of the most tragic occurrence of prejudice in our nation. The Native Americans once had such a rich culture with unique clothes, music, and food; only for them to be stripped of them.Most Native Americans cooperated with the Americans and converted to Christianity, earned an English education, and learn to farm. They began own land and some even owned slaves. This I find troubl ing because I feel this gave the Native Americans a false sense of superiority and not only that, but having a minority enslave a minority makes no moral sense in my view. Eventually, with Jefferson’s support, the Native Americans assimilated and little by little, signed away their land until they were left with practically nothing (gave away over 90% of their land).The Native Americans very much tried to become part of the American culture, yet they were once again relocated as dictated by the Indian Removal Act of 1830. A quarter of them died on the journey alone in 1838. This is why I also find the Native Americans’ history of prejudice so disheartening– because they attempted to assimilate into American culture, and they did, yet they were once again abused and forced to move from their own land again. The other examples of prejudice such as when the Mexican soldier to served in the U.S. army was not allowed a proper burial at first, foreshadowed the next fe w decades of prejudice America would experience. I gained a lot from the film, learning of how warped people’s views were of blacks and other races. Educated scientists such as Agassiz, Morton, and Nott all agreed that any race that was not white, was inferior. Agassiz and other scientists even pooled together all research to conclude that blacks were a different species in â€Å"Types of Mankind†.It is alarming that educated scholars once processed information this way and truly believed they were correct. It is dangerous when educated people believe they are correct on anything and then publish because many people will read their work and believe that the writer/researcher must be correct because he/she is educated. Skin color was not the only aspect Americans based their racism upon, religion also took an important role in our country’s history with prejudice. Leo Frank was subjected to peoples’ hatred because of his religion.I find that the song state d in the documentary reflects how casually people, even children, expressed their hatred. Even at a young age, children learn a lot from their surroundings and they would objectify people based on their religion. â€Å"Little Mary Phagan went to work one day, little did she know the Jew would take her life away† was the song little kids would sing to as they danced in a circle and played around. I feel that this reflects how casually dominant prejudice appeared in society at the time.The fact alone that whites invented this â€Å"White Mans Burden† reflects their obsession with believing they are superior. An extra ego-booster for them was when they took control of Guam, Mexico and the Philippines after their victory against Spain in 1898. They felt that it was just another opportunity for them to tell other people of other cultures what to do, how to dress, how to speak, what to believe etc. America emerged as the most prosperous country and most powerful empire in th e world at the 20th century, once again, reinforcing their preoccupation with superiority.