Is the world a better place as a result of globalization Essay

Is the world a better place as a result of globalization - Essay Example before were considered internal, are now openly and more successfully being interfered at by international organizations, justifying such actions with values that are established universal, for example, human rights (Boyle; Keck and Sikkink). Being able to enjoy things that we don’t enjoy before could immediately tell us that indeed, globalization has made the world a better place to live in. In fact to Wolf, globalization has lessened inequality between and within nations. So, if globalization has made it possible for all nations to enjoy the resources each one has; if globalization has made it possible for peoples of different cultures to converge in order to alter a medically unsafe belief; if globalization has given underdeveloped nations the opportunity to be developed; then, what is there to oppose? As Rodrik has pointed out, let us be careful in jumping to such conclusion, because to his view, globalization has in fact weakened labor and has been unwisely undermining nation states. Following Rodrik’s analysis, I, too, am skeptical that globalization is making our world a better place to live in. What made me say this, I shall argue below. The main feature or more precisely, the very logic of globalization is to liberalize the world market. Thus the driving force of globalization is not homogenization, neither convergence, in the positive sense, but the unrestricted movement of capital. It is nice to imagine that globalization will unite the world towards the betterment of humanity. Unfortunately, thinking that way would be fooling ourselves, because the fact remains that globalization is capitalism’s economic strategy. On the other hand, it would also be inaccurate to deny that globalization has opened up economic opportunities and development to poor countries. Exemplars of which are China and India, which economy has dramatically improved from impoverishment. Many more countries in Asia are also benefitted with rapid economic growth. Having the

The Torturing of Animals Essay Example for Free

The Torturing of Animals Essay Every year there are hundreds of thousands of pets being abused and this must to come to an end. I myself love animals and I would never try to hurt my pets. People take advantage of animals and try to make money off of them by making them fight. In reality, this is a type of abuse and it is illegal. There are many different types of abuse that must be stopped. Although animal abuse occurs all over the world with all sorts of animals and people it can and must be put to a halt. People mostly do this because it is an easy way to release anger but there are ways or controlling that. People all over the world abuse animals not thinking about how badly they are torturing them. Every day you see a commercial on the TV about animal abuse and people think nothing of it and how badly we need to put a stop to it. There are many different ways that people can control their anger than by that. â€Å"Every day there are about three hundred animals are abused†. â€Å"It has been shown that people abuse animals to take their anger out on them† (National Humane Society) because of these reasons and it needs to stop. You can help by donating money to the humane society and help volunteer to save these animals. People may do this because of anger problems but also people can make money by making animals fight. Animal fighting is found all over the world. People do his because they can place bets and make money off of these fights. Usually they make good money off of these animal fights. These are mostly found in the more poor communities because they need to find a way to make money. They then start to rely on crime and dog fighting when they have no other income to rely on. The only problem with this is that they animals are usually killed of badly injured and usually discarded after fights. People would rather leave them instead of help because they don’t want to pay the money to help the dog recover so they just discard them into the streets and go on with there lives like nothing happened. There are other things that people can do to make money other than abusing animals. Animal fighting is cruel and is illegal. We can stop these animal fights by reporting them to the police and or donating money towards the helping of these hurt animals. There are People that host animal fights usually do it for money but also some do it so that they can make sure their animals are being good and behaved. Last but certainly not least is to control an animal. People may try to control animals by punishing them or hurting them. This is very wrong because they don’t deserve that. Many dogs just don’t realize what is going on most of the time because they haven’t been trained properly, instead people hit and abuse the dogs for doing something that they don’t even know is wrong. These types of people shouldn’t even have dogs in the first place if they abuse them like that. People have no heart when it comes to abusing animals. I love animals and I believe that people should be sent to jail for killing and abusing animals. Animals don’t deserve this cruel and unusual punishment therefore this needs to come to an end. I truly believe that there are alternatives to animal abuse and that it can be avoided. Just because people need some way of getting money, attention or even bring there anger out on doesn’t mean that it has to be on animals. People that might refute my position might say that these animals aren’t I need of help and they are perfectly capable of protecting themselves but I think that they aren’t. I believe that we need to help them and fight against this cruelty. â€Å"Raising awareness and raising money towards the end of animal abuse will help and eventually put a stop to animal abuse† (ASPEA organization). That is where we as human beings must come into play. We must be humane in every way possible to animals. â€Å"Animals can’t speak out but you can† (National Humane Society). I like animals and I treat them very well and with respect. I don’t abuse or hurt them in anyway and I believe that other people around the world should treat them the exact same way that I do.

The Setting of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay -- Litera

The setting of The Great Gatsby is one of the most influential components of the novel. Perhaps the most significant places in the novel are the West and East Eggs. In the story, the eggs are described by Nick, the narrator, as, â€Å"†¦a pair of enormous eggs, identical in contour and separated only by a courtesy bay† (Fitzgerald 9). However, the appearance of the two eggs is almost all they have in common as Nick point out when he says, â€Å"To the wingless a more arresting phenomenon is their dissimilarity in every particular except shape and size† (Fitzgerald 9). As the story progresses, the dissimilarities between the two eggs begin to emerge, yet there is always a faint, common element among the two. The setting affects the events of the story and the clashing characters according to where the scene takes place, and which area each character is from, influencing the characters’ attitudes, background, and current lifestyle and values. The two main homes that are described in the eggs are Gatsby’s and the Buchanan’s. Gatsby’s house is described as, â€Å"†¦a factual imitation of the Hà ´tel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new†¦ and a marble swimming pool and more than forty acres of lawn and garden† (Fitzgerald 9). Gatsby’s mansion is garish and is used as an attempt to win Daisy’s attention and affection. His home is the site of lavish parties where denizens of both eggs gather. The parties at Gatsby’s house last all night and many come and go, â€Å"†¦like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars† (Fitzgerald 43). Gatsby has dozens of crates of food delivered, caterers, and orchestras for his parties. These parties are not a rare occasion, though; he has them at least ever two weeks or so. Li... ...s among their inhabitants, especially when Nick takes the reader to visit the homes of Jay Gatsby and Tom and Daisy Buchanan. The eggs also serve to represent two contrasting types of wealth: newly gained and inherited. Along with the opposing types of wealth come opposing attitudes, which greatly contribute to the story. All of the factors of the setting of The Great Gatsby affect the events of the story and the characters that make up the story considerably. Work Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2013. Print. The Setting of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay -- Litera The setting of The Great Gatsby is one of the most influential components of the novel. Perhaps the most significant places in the novel are the West and East Eggs. In the story, the eggs are described by Nick, the narrator, as, â€Å"†¦a pair of enormous eggs, identical in contour and separated only by a courtesy bay† (Fitzgerald 9). However, the appearance of the two eggs is almost all they have in common as Nick point out when he says, â€Å"To the wingless a more arresting phenomenon is their dissimilarity in every particular except shape and size† (Fitzgerald 9). As the story progresses, the dissimilarities between the two eggs begin to emerge, yet there is always a faint, common element among the two. The setting affects the events of the story and the clashing characters according to where the scene takes place, and which area each character is from, influencing the characters’ attitudes, background, and current lifestyle and values. The two main homes that are described in the eggs are Gatsby’s and the Buchanan’s. Gatsby’s house is described as, â€Å"†¦a factual imitation of the Hà ´tel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new†¦ and a marble swimming pool and more than forty acres of lawn and garden† (Fitzgerald 9). Gatsby’s mansion is garish and is used as an attempt to win Daisy’s attention and affection. His home is the site of lavish parties where denizens of both eggs gather. The parties at Gatsby’s house last all night and many come and go, â€Å"†¦like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars† (Fitzgerald 43). Gatsby has dozens of crates of food delivered, caterers, and orchestras for his parties. These parties are not a rare occasion, though; he has them at least ever two weeks or so. Li... ...s among their inhabitants, especially when Nick takes the reader to visit the homes of Jay Gatsby and Tom and Daisy Buchanan. The eggs also serve to represent two contrasting types of wealth: newly gained and inherited. Along with the opposing types of wealth come opposing attitudes, which greatly contribute to the story. All of the factors of the setting of The Great Gatsby affect the events of the story and the characters that make up the story considerably. Work Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2013. Print.

Marketing Research Report for Canadian Energy Drink

Marketing Research Report Good4U Drinks co. Exporting Beaver Buzz Product Line to India Prepared for ¬: Richard Debanks, Director of Marketing, GOOD4USports Nutrition 15621 Marine Drive White Rock, British Columbia V4B 1E1Canada Email:[email  protected] com Prepared by: Hot Point Marketing DepeshMohindra, Ankush Sharma, Gautam Sharma CONTENTS 1.Richard Debanks Hot Point Marketing Director of Marketing 80 Rouge River Drive GOOD4USports Nutrition Toronto, Ontario 15621 Marine Drive, White rock, Canada British Columbia , Canada M1B 6K3 V4B 1E1Dear Mr. Richard Debanks, Hot Point Marketing is a team of Marketing Management students at Centennial College who are determined to achieve and succeed. Our team boasts a diverse background in experience. With our collective skills we seek to provide GOOD4UDrinks co. with the opportunity to launch their product line of Beaver Buzz energy drinks in India. Attached is a copy of our marketing research report which explains how we have evaluated t he business opportunities for the company in India and also the methodologies and sources we have used..We appreciate your cooperation and assistance and thank you for taking the time to read our report . We are indebted to you for helping us apply our knowledge and skills. We look forward to hearing from you. Yours Respectfully, Depesh Mohindra Director of Hot Point Marketing? EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The market of energy drinks in India has witnessed an increase of about 50% from 2006-2011 crossing the Rs 600 crore ($109 million CAD) in 2011. Beaver Buzz Canada as a new entrant in the energy drink market can gain a significant market share in the market due to its unique flavours and product line of energy drinks.The market is dominated by Red Bull, and other energy drinks brand like Monster, Cloud9, Full throttle and XXX. This research report explains in detail the business opportunity for Beaver Buzz Canada in the Indian energy drink market. and also explains how the product should be marketed in order to gain a significant market share and increase the sales volume. It contains information on present market situation, marketing objectives of the product and also the marketing actions to be taken to achieve the marketing objectives.The document also explains about the various methodologies used to conduct the research and how data was interpreted from the various sources. ? INTRODUCTION (Beaver Buzz Canada) Good4u Drinks co. was established in 2001 in Vancouver, British Columbia by Andrew Drayson and Richard DeBanks (nutrition). They are known for making sports nutrition drinks which include drinks for endurance, recovery, calorie burning and relaxation and also Beaver Buzz product line of energy drinks (overview). Beaver Buzz was created by Good4u Drinks co. in 2005 as a purely Canadian energy drink that Canadians will be extremely pleased to call as their own.Beaver Buzz became an instant hit after its launch in the Canadian market to such an extent that the Am ericans also started to demand for their product, so the company started selling the product via internet to the Americans initially and the company launched the product line later on in August 2009 in the United States (Buzz B. ). The Buzz Beaver product line is also available in the UK by the name of Bulldog Buzz (Buzz W. t. ). Buzz Beaver is devoted to efficiency in all its efforts, from the tiniest details, to the greatest venture. Above all, the company is devoted to provide the customers with the best beverages on the planet. Buzz B. ) BUSINESS OPPURTUNITY (Energy drink market in India) Energy drinks contain legal stimulants, vitamins and minerals, including caffeine, guarana and taurine, various types of ginseng, malt dextrin, carnitine, creatine monohydrate and ginkgo biloba. Some contain high levels of glucose and glucose. This category typically included caffeinated drinks which are used for boosting energy. Currently the market of energy drinks in India is lead by two maj or firms namely Red Bull and Cloud 9. Beaver Buzz can break the ice in this market by introducing its unique energy drink line of products.Flavours Saskatoon Berry, Black current, Citrus, Core energy, Green tea and pink grapefruit can make the brand famous in the country as they are new. Also their energy shot version which is a small black bottle of 60 ml can help them capture a significant market share (Buzz B. ). According to marketing research company Datamonitor Plc, the market for energy drinks in India was estimated at Rs 600 crore($109 million CAD) in the year 2011, still at a young age when compared to carbonated beverages, which was valued at Rs 7000 crore($1. 27 billion CAD).Between 2006 and 2011, the market of energy drinks in India has grown constantly at a rate of 50%. Contrary to that the growth of carbonated drinks experienced a decrease by 0. 5% during the same period. With an increase in number of modern retail stores the energy drinks market is expected to reach R s 1100 crores ($197 million CAD) by the end of 2012. This decrease in the market of carbonated drinks and a high rate of growth in the energy drink market can be linked to the change in perception of the Indian youth towards carbonated drinks. The industry foresees a huge potential for energy drinks.The segment of energy drinks is one of the fastest growing segment in the ready to drink category, reason being the youth centric population of India and also growing number of urban areas. The energy drink market till a year back was dominated by Red Bull and Cloud9. Sales started to pick up with the entry of recognized players such as Pepsi, Amway and the latest entry of Coca Cola and GT&T proves the market potential of the energy drink industry in India. The market players in this category are adopting different styles of unique marketing strategies like distributing free samples at schools and colleges before launching their products.They also sponsor big events like sporting events and fashion shows to attract youth. These promotions are done to build a relationship of the brand with the target customer. This is a part of marketing communication strategy. The major brands in the energy drink market are Red bull, SJ XXX, Burn, Sobe, Power Horse, Amway and Rock star. The market share for the following brands is determined by the following pie chart. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Demand trends in the energy drink market (Consumer Behaviour) It has been observed that most of the energy drink users in India drink it because of the energy it provides.Basically a majority of students consume energy drinks because it gives them energy and due to the high concentration of caffeine in the energy drinks it allows them to stay up all night and because of this they are able to study better. They are motivated by the self esteem and stats that good grades provide them with. The students are sensitive to the price of the energy drinks as the energy drinks are priced higher when compar ed to carbonated beverages, if the energy drinks were priced lower the consumption of the students is bound to increase.There are also certain types of energy drink consumers in the country who believe that energy drinks are superior to carbonated beverages and therefore they should be sold at a premium price. These people also believe that by drinking premium priced energy drinks they can impress others as not everyone can afford these products on regular basis. So, these people look towards maintaining a status by consuming energy drinks. There are some other important customers of the target segment also like people who like to party hard and stay awake all night. They tend to use energy drinks because they want to stay awake throughout the night.They consider waking up for the whole night very important as they want to enjoy with their friends. It’s the sense of belongingness to the group that these type of consumers value. They are not sensitive to the price of the produ ct as they do not use the product very frequently; they use it only for the purpose of staying awake throughout the night, so price of the product does not matter to them. One of the most interesting group of consumers has been those who have started using energy drinks as a substitute for alcohol. This is because they are not comfortable consuming alcohol anymore.These consumers feel that it is difficult not consuming anything or consuming carbonated beverages in front of people who are consuming alcohol. Segmentation of the target market The map below shows various factors taken into consideration while doing segmentation Based on the above factors the following three segments were identified College students- The age of the college students range from the ones who are teenagers to those who are post graduates. This segment sees a variety of constituent individuals like energy, power of purchasing, preferences, shifting attitude towards alcoholic beverages.These types of people ha ve adopted snacks as alternative to regular meals because of the tight schedule that they have. Energy drinks are viewed as something above carbonated beverages but not alcohol, hence a tradition among this group. Moreover, because they have to study late at nights, energy drinks are becoming popular among them (India`s youth). Working Professionals- These people represent the young working population of India. These people are mainly the employees of MNCs and BPOs. They consume energy drinks when they go to pubs and bars on weekends to relax after a long week of work.They also consume energy drinks when they are working on certain occasions like when they are suffering from stress and fatigue. An energy drink at this time works as a energy booster for them and hence becomes an obvious choice for them (India`s youth). Socialites/Party Animals- These are the people who par regular visit to pubs, parties and discotheques. Therefore, energy drink consumption is normal for these people. Moreover, energy drink act as an alternative to alcoholic beverages for these king of people. Also, they are in a habit of mixing energy drinks with alcohol to serve their purpose (India`s youth).Evaluation of major brands Red Bull Energy Drink Red Bull is only functional in the energy drink segment of the beverages market. The product is an example of functional drink. The functional foods are those kinds of food that respond to consumer preferences in terms of well-being and performance. Some of the major multinational soft drink companies are trying to enter this segment of functional drinks in the country because the traditional market of soft drinks is approaching a maturity stage and the rate of growth is minimal. For these multinationals, new functional drinks offer opportunities for a new business growth.Red Bull- Positioning General positioning strategy The brand is positioned as something that energizes body and mind. It was also intended that Red Bull be drunk whenever c onsumers needed a lift, whether it was morning, noon or night. This broader type of positioning was developed to increase growth into a variety of market segments. Their advertising strategy didn’t specify any particular consumption occasions, which further helped them to elastically position themselves in the market. Pricing strategy Red Bull set the price of it product at least 10% higher than any of its competitors in the segment.This means they used product philosophy to position themselves into the market. The 250ml can of Red Bull is 300% more expensive than the traditional soft drinks in terms of per ounce. Market Share The brand has managed to maintain at least 60% of the market share in this category since its launch. XXX Energy Drink This Brand currently comes in two different forms namely – REJUVE and NICOFIX. NICOFIX contains NPR which is used to reduce the nicotine urge. This is useful for people who are trying to leave cigarettes. REJUVE is a new type of energy drink which is specially designed to suite Indian taste buds.It is made to energize the mind and the body and also to enhance the immunity system of the body, in turn, increasing the stamina of the body. Its 250 ml bottle I priced at Rs 75. Monster Energy Drink It is depicted by a logo of three claws; it is distributed by Hansen Natural Corporation, Corona California. It includes ingredients like guarana, caffeine and glucose and is designed to artificially stimulate energy in the body. Although it is not widely advertised in the media still it receives a large amount of recognition from the sponsorships that it provides to the various sporting events around the country.METHODOLOGY Data collection from secondary resources A significant number of secondary resources were available about the energy drink segment were available on the internet. We have also taken references from the various marketing research reports on the energy drink industry to evaluate the most essential fe atures required to formulate the plan of action. This provides us with a basic knowledge of the features that play a significant role in the selection of an energy drink. Data collection from primary resourcesData collection from primary resources can be done by interviewing various segments of people in depth to know the criteria to select an energy drink. We can use an online spread sheet to interview various people of various demographic profiles. Our objective of the exploratory research is to find the questions that need to be included in the questionnaire for descriptive research. Descriptive Research We have prepared a comprehensive questionnaire using the inputs of exploratory research. The soft copies of the surveys can be mailed various sections of the people. Also hard copies can be distributed to people who do not have email ids.The questionnaire was prepared for collecting primary source of data for the research. The questions were designed to do a study of marketing mi x, segmentation and target market. The questions can help us to know their perceptions and awareness about energy drinks. DATA ANALYSIS The secondary data taken from the internet was mostly used to conduct this research report. This data was used as the required funding for the primary data collection methods was not available. But still we have mentioned about the method in the methodology that we will use if funding was available for primary data collection.The data used for the research was derived from various marketing research reports found on the internet. and also some government sites on which we searched about business implications. The results found on the internet were analysed and cross referenced and then only they were included in the research. BUSINESS IMPLICATIONS Legal and political factors: In India, under PFA act 1954 no standards are there for energy drinks. Under the PFA rules 1955 the max limit of caffeine were reduced to 145ppm from 200ppm on recommendation b y central committee on food standards.For inspection food safety and standard authority established a proficient team to gather scientific literature and global positioning on usage of non carbonated and caffeine beverages and labelling and acclaim the limit under food regulations of caffeine in energy drinks. The team was supposed to recommend if there were any risk for using the energy drinks. The report determines that there was only addictive property in the chemical used but not in the caffeine. Caffeinated drinks up to 200 ppm are added as a flavouring agent but above 200 ppm it is an efficient component. The performance of caffeine at 320 ppm needs to be determined long with justified reason for solving a cut-off restricts at 320ppm. Economic Factors: Economic factor influences the power of purchasing of promising customer and cost of capital of a firm. In macro-economic the examples of factors are as follows: exchange rates, inflation rate, interest rates, economic growth. T he last reported inflation rate in India in June 2010 was 13. 73 percent. The economic system is not much designed and extensive variations among declares and areas within declares are there due to which we might have to create distinguished promotional strategies.Social-cultural factors: The Indians are conscious about health and wants to be away from diseases of heart and digestive system, obesity, bone, pain in joints, anxiety and depression, lack of stamina and sleeplessness, etc. Indian consumers are more concerned about ingredients and health benefits; to make product choice Indians confirms the nutritional information. Therefore health claims are demanded for food and beverages. Technological Factors: The technological factors can lower limitations to access, reduce the minimum effective development levels and impact freelancing decisions.Technological factors comprehend: R and D activity, rate of technology change, technology incentives automation. CONCLUSION To conclude thi s proposal our team Hot Point Marketing would like to say that the energy drink market in India is worth$109 million dollars and there are only 4 major brands in the whole country so there is large scope for Brands like Beaver Buzz who have differentiated themselves from brands like red bull in Canada and still generate a gross income of around 600, 000 dollars a month, which means they are capable of doing the same in India.So, it will be beneficial for Beaver Buzz Canada to launch its product line of Beaver Buzz energy drinks in India as the Indian energy drink market is growing at a rate of 40% every year and red bull owns 70% of the market share. Works Cited Buzz, B. (n. d. ). Beaver Buzz Energy. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www. beaverbuzz. com/about-beaverbuzz. htm Buzz, W. t. (n. d. ). Bulldog Buzz. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www. bulldogbuzz. co. uk/ Health, P. (n. d. ). Public health.Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www. publichealthgreybru ce. on. ca/home/publications/Board/BOH_Resolutions/2011/GBHU%20BOH%20Motion%202011-16,%20Energy%20Drinks. pdf India`s youth. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 30, 2012, from financialexpress: http://www. financialexpress. com/news/twothird-of-indias-youth-find-drinking-unacceptable/484312 nutrition, G. s. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www. gd4u. com/aboutus. htm overview, P. (n. d. ). Retrieved november 11, 2012, from http://www. gd4u. com/products. htm

How Fair British Education for All

HOW FAIR BRITISH EDUCATION FOR ALL This essay will analyse how education system helps to maintain class inequality in contemporary Britain. In Britain, a good quality of public education service has been promised for all children regardless of ethnicity, race or income. Unfortunately, School League Table and recent surveys show opposite. In 1944, the government passed Education Act which allowed all children to receive secondary education. Children would be selected by ability for different types of school through an IQ test called the 11+ (in Scotland, the qualifying exam). Between 1964 and 1974, all secondaries re-organised into comprehensive schools instead of IQ test selection. In today’s Britain, there are state (92%) and private (8%) schools with level of primary, secondary and tertiary. Vocational or non-vocational curriculum is being used and leaving school age is 16 since 1972. Universities continue to grow and now 40% of 18 year olds go onto university whereas in 1960s it was 5% of school leavers. Although the vast majority (80%) of private school pupils go into the university, almost 40% of state school pupils go into the further education. This shows that class inequality exists in British education system. All sociologists accept that education is important in society as people receive 15000 hours of compulsory education. However, they have different opinions about the role of education in society. The originator of the functionalist ideology, Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) argued that education is an agent of secondary socialisation which transmits norms, values and roles (value consensus) and acts as a bridge between family and the whole social system. He claims pupils should see themselves as part of a nation by learning of certain subjects which can establish a common political identity for social solidarity, i. e. history, so pupils can see similarities between themselves and the past society. American sociologist, Talcott Parsons (1903-1979) developed Durkheim’s ideas. He argues that everybody has the same chance to succeed, therefore pupils who are most successful in schools due to their effort and ability and different talents are fitted into appropriate jobs. This is known as meritocracy. People also learn skills required by modern industrial society in order to keep nation efficient and allow people earn a living. These skills may be general skills such as literacy and numeracy or specific skills required by particular occupations. The weakness of functionalism is no explanation for how all schools, including religious and fee-paying schools, can transmit a common value system while there are many individuals with different values. They assume the education system establish fair standards for everyone so pupils can achieve their status in society. This meritocratic approach cannot be true if private and grammar schools are considered as private schools have advantage to state schools. 40% gap of entering higher education between middle class and working class children shows the reality. The other strong ideology is Marxism. The founder, Karl Marx (1818-1883), assumes that education is part of society that is vital for the ruling class (bourgeoisie) to exploit the working class (proletariat). French Marxist philosopher, Louis Pierre Althusser (1918-1990) argues that education system tells people what to believe and how to achieve it which creates false consciousness known as Ideological State Apparatus (ISA). The system also legitimates inequality. Meritocracy and hidden curriculum makes people believe that individual differences are the reasons for success and failure. In addition, Bowles & Gintis suggest that education system produces a workforce with the skills and attitudes required by employers, thus ensuring that profits continue to be made for the ruling class. They also insist there is a pattern of success or failure related to social factors such as class, ethnicity and selection does not occur on basis of ability. Although Marxism provides strong ideas, it has some weak points such as not telling how teachers are â€Å"tools† of the system and showing pupils as passive. It does not explain how the bourgeoisie control the system for their own benefits. Functionalists defined â€Å"cultural deprivation† to explain working class underachievement. It means children who lack the basic cultural norms, values, language and skills that commonly shared by most other members of society. As Basil Bernstein states that working class families speak in â€Å"restricted code† which means smaller vocabulary, less adjectives and adverbs, information is short with no details or additional explanations, while middle class families speak in â€Å"elaborated code†, with more effective communication. Therefore working class pupils have limited skills required by education such as describing, analysing and comparing whereas middle class pupils have enough mental stimulation which is crucial as teachers use elaborated code. Hart & Risley supported this thesis by saying a professional’s child knows more words than a working class family’s child and likely to be more successful in school. However, it fails to consider material deprivation and structural inequalities, the organisation of school and teacher’s expectations. Nell Keddie states that working class culture is different not deficient. Blackstone and Mortimore (1994) argue that working class families have no less interest in their children’s education. Paul Willis tries to answer criticism of Marxism and shows that there is no meritocracy in a capitalist society in his study called â€Å"Learning to Labour†. The â€Å"lads† (12 pupils) had their own counter-school culture which was opposed to the values espoused by the school. The lads felt superior both to the teacher and to conformist pupils. They can see through the ideological smokescreen which means they are aware of capitalistic society is not meritocratic and they will end up having low-paid jobs so there is no need to gain qualifications. Although they believe workplace is a sense of adulthood/manhood, they still have the same attitude: the lack of respect for authority and having a â€Å"laff†. Therefore education can have unintended consequences on pupils which may not be completely beneficial to capitalism. Despite the significant findings, this study has a small-scale view as it includes only 12 boys and is gender biased so it is difficult to generalise the findings. Functionalists and Marxists try to address the problem differently, but none of them have satisfying explanations. Functionalists see the education system as providing a positive educational experience which benefits the children and society. They blame working class families or culture for the poor results of working class children. Whereas, Marxists claim that the system oppresses and harms people, and that it only benefits the powerful. Both of them ignore gender, ethnicity and labelling (Stephen Ball) which develops self-fulfilling prophecy (Rosenthal & Jacobson) means when people treat you as if you had certain attributes, you start acting that way. All these studies and recent surveys show that there is a class inequality in Britain and education system maintains it. The Sutton Trust suggests a solution: secondary schools should be more balanced and disadvantaged youngsters should be attained in order to be in better position. Tevhide Turkmen

Mitigation of disaster

Mitigation of disaster How the article aid DEM professionals in providing competent and ethical assistance to the citizens affected by disasters Digital Elevation Models are essential tools used by the geological departments in a nation to help reveal various aspects of earth’s structure. Generally, a combination of various factors is known to cause disasters; these include political factors, cultural/social factors, economic factors, and physical/geographical factors in a given area (Rovins, p.3).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Mitigation of disaster specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The above-mentioned article examines possible consequences that can be seen if proper response to a disaster is not followed by a recovery from the disaster. It reminds different professionals about their collective responsibility in managing disasters should they occur. In fact, it emphasizes the fact that there is need to predict and prepa re for such incidences. DEM professionals can thus use the model to help in predicting disasters, for instance, the possible occurrence of a volcanic eruption of faulting along some lien of weakness on the surface of the earth. The concept of physical vulnerability is described in the paper. The way the infrastructure of a country is designed in relation to the geographical location has been portrayed as one of the factors leading to disasters. It is also observed that even though attempts have been made to plan for hazards that results into disasters, implementation of such plans often fails. The DEM professionals should consider it a responsibility on their side, to be involved in the planning process. Perhaps, it is lack of enough information that could lead to poor implementation of the plans, thus these DEM professionals should be involved during the planning of infrastructure. In addition, surface terrain should be considered when designing infrastructure such as roads and rai lways, while houses that happen to have been erected on lines of weaknesses should be brought down following recommendations from the professionals. How the information can be used to create democratic public policies and programs that assist the community in mitigating, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the disasters In managing disasters, much focus has been given to mitigation planning. This paper reveals that the implementation of plans has been thwarted especially by the fact that the causative agents may not follow a predictable or regular pattern. Policies that allow for flexibility in the operations of the government could thus be enacted based on such a principle. Moreover, a special program department in a government could be created that deals with such issues. Besides, it has been stressed that planning for disasters should not be isolated from all the other planning in a community or country. Thus, a democratic system of government would be one that advo cates for the incorporation of such plans in the national budget and obtaining views from the public concerning such steps. This has been supported by the paper as reducing losses that are experienced in the response to and recovery from a disaster.Advertising Looking for critical writing on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, arguments have been put forward that the cost of mitigation planning can be very high. However, it is still acknowledged that such costs cannot be higher than the unpredictable damages that can follow a disaster. Therefore, policies to be adopted should be those that would prefer reducing benefits rather than completely losing such benefits. Evacuation of victims of disasters from the struck areas has been used in some areas in order to reduce casualties. However, the findings in the paper reveal that it is not a good solution, as it is just a temporary solution tha t would soon wither away with a short time. Instead, physical planning should be done to ensure that the population is settled on safer locations. The authority can then find appropriate activities suitable for such areas. This can be easily used in the management of flood disasters Reference Rovins, J. (2009). Effective Hazard Mitigation: Are Local Mitigation Strategies Getting the Job Done? American Military University. Retrieved from https://training.fema.gov/hiedu/highpapers.aspx

John Stuart Mills essays

John Stuart Mills essays John Stuart Mill was one of the most well regarded and widely renowned philosophers and economists in history. He was considered a philosophical genius by the age of 20, and was mainly taught only by his father. His father believed that he should be educated and be taught many different languages and philosophies to become a well-rounded individual. When he had to end his studies early in life because of a mental breakdown at the age of 20, he soon recovered and was something different than when he first studied. Not long after he recovered he showed how different he was than his father and began writing in the Westminster review. He has widely been known for his views on liberalism that he showed in On Liberty. Mill believed that the individual was essentially sovereign over his own mind and body, a belief known as individual autonomy. The only thing individuals could do justifiably to violate other individuals' autonomies was in pursuit of self-protection, where the other individuals had broken into theirs first. Millsian philosophy was completely against negative liberty, or the absence of restraint, chaos. However, on the other end of the spectrum, Mill also opposed the tyranny the majority could impose on any minority, particularly the individual, by way of legislative control. Mill strongly believed in the practice and respect of law, and that minorities of any sort should be protected and only suppressed if the greatest good for the greatest number was being harmed in a judicially illegal way as to harm the general populace, although he never set an objective standard as to what was or was not harmf ul to the majority. It is of no surprise that he also supported individual freedom of thought and expression on the grounds of individual autonomy and minority protection. He stated that such freedom would encourage and not interfere with individual development, both social a ...

Practice Using Commas, Quotes, Colons, and Dashes

Practice Using Commas, Quotes, Colons, and Dashes This exercise offers practice in applying the basic guidelines for using punctuation marks.   In the following paragraph, insert commas, quotation marks, colons, and dashes wherever you think they belong. (Try reading the paragraph aloud: at least in some cases, you should be able to hear where punctuation is needed.) When youre done, compare your work with the correctly punctuated version of the paragraph at the bottom of the page. Lost in the Witchcrafted Woods Ill never forget summer camp two weeks of cramps and campfires and slugs in my underwear. One night I got lost in the woods the witchcrafted spine-tingling woods. I dont know how I managed to get lost one moment I was marching along with my fellow scouts and the next I was marching alone. When I realized what had happened I responded like a true Boy Scout of America I sat down on a toadstool and sobbed. Oh I knew I was going to die out there. I waited for the gnats that sew your lips shut the owls that peck out your eyes the spiders that drop eggs on your tongue and the wolves that drag your carcass to their dens. I knew that by the time they found me there would be nothing left of me but my neckerchief slide. I imagined them taping it to a postcard and mailing it home to my dad. When I ran out of tears I started singing Oh, they built the ship Titanic to sail the ocean blue. And just then a flashlight found me. My patrol leader asked what I was doing out here in the woods and I spit on my palms and said Dont worry about me. I can take care of myself. That night I dreamed of dragons in the pines and I woke up screaming. Lost in the Witchcrafted Woods: Punctuation Restored Ill never forget summer  camp:  two weeks of cramps and campfires and slugs in my underwear. One night I got lost in the  woods- the  witchcrafted,  spine-tingling woods. I dont know how I managed to get  lost:  one moment I was marching along with my fellow  scouts,  and the next I was marching alone. When I realized what had  happened,  I responded like a true Boy Scout of  America:  I sat down on a toadstool and sobbed.  Oh,  I knew I was going to die out there. I waited for the gnats that sew your lips  shut,  the owls that peck out your  eyes,  the spiders that drop eggs on your  tongue,  and the wolves that drag your carcass to their dens. I knew that by the time they found me there would be nothing left of me but my neckerchief slide. I imagined them taping it to a postcard and mailing it home to my dad. When I ran out of  tears,  I started  singing, Oh,  they built the ship  Titanic  to sail the ocean  blue.  And just then a flashlight found me. My patrol leader asked what I was doing out here in the  woods,  and I spit on my palms and  said, Dont  worry about me. I can take care of  myself.  That night I dreamed of dragons in the  pines,  and I woke up screaming.

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

No topic - Essay Example The youth is engaged in disturbing activities with mothers losing. The shady nooks frighten the souls by raising questions over the state of the society. The state of extraordinary poignance has been highlighted with a tinge of hip hope that drives into a different world of distress. On the other hand â€Å"Whatever you like† song highlights a happy story full of positivism and high energy with little rap making it all the mire soothing. The song depicts the emotions of a man for whom buying sources and resources is an easy task. He often states that the girl can buy whatever she wants as the whole world is in a happy state full of sources and resources. He often states that buying good education and luxury items is within the reach and anything can be bought within no time. Comparing both the songs, it can be assumed that the grandmaster takes into the world of distress and little hope while â€Å"Whatever you like† takes into the world of happy sights, positivism and high enthusiasm. The contradiction made in the two songs belongs to two different worlds that highlight the difference between the rich and poor. Both songs can be considered as beautiful depiction of availability and paucity of emotions and

MARKETING Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

MARKETING - Assignment Example The aim is to catch the customers directly at the Point of Sale and entice them into impulse buying decisions. Kraft foods chose an alternative media of an in-store kiosk at National Retail Federation Convention in New York. Kraft teamed up with Intel, already a global giant and came up with an electronic kiosk which could help the customers to get recipes according to their facial features. Intel’s technology of Anonymous Video Analytics was capable of gauging the person’s gender and age when he/she would step in front of it. The system would then recommend recipes, suggest the shopping, present future promotional coupons accordingly. For the customers’ convenience, the kiosk also supports mobile applications through which, they can download the giving recipes and shopping lists in their iPhones. Works Cited Krafft, Manfred, and Murali K. Mantrala.  Retailing in the 21st Century: Current and Future Trends. Berlin: Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & C o. KG, 2006. Print. Agathou, Amalia. Intel and Kraft take food shopping to the next level. Amalia Agathou 2011. Internet Resource. http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2011/02/03/intel-and-krafts-take-food-shopping-to-the-next-level/

Philosophy of Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philosophy of Law - Essay Example In this context, principles can be interpreted differently, under the influence of the personal perceptions of the individual involved, while no such option is available in the case of rules (Raitio 294). The differentiation between rules and principles is made clear when referring to their use by judges. Indeed, in such case, as Dworkin states, rules apply ‘in all or nothing fashion’ (Culver 144), meaning that a rule can either be applied in a specific case or not, there is no intermediate status (Culver 144). On the contrary, principles, even if judges use them, do not oblige the judge involved to take a specific decision. For this reason, Dworkin notes that principles only ‘contribute in judges’ decision’ (Culver 144); principles cannot define the content of a court decision just to influence the reasoning of the judge in regard to the case involved (Culver 144); also, the judge decides whether he will use a principle, and at what level, when devel oping a decision. Peczenik (2009) refers to another differentiation of rules and principles, as described by Dworkin. Rules and principles are based on different criteria of validity. ... This means that principles cannot introduce ideas or set obligations, which are differentiated to the beliefs of individuals, at an average level, in regard to law and ethics. Also, principles cannot introduce ideas, which are in opposition with the statutes or the case law, as developed in the country involved (Peczenik 246). In legal rules, the existence of the above conditions is not examined. It is sufficient for a legal rule to have been verified by a competent institution, as explained above, in order to be considered as valid. The above terms of differentiation between rules and principles have been introduced by Dworkin and are valuable for understanding the conditions under which rules and principles are used in practice. The potential use of the view of Dworkin on rules and principles for explaining the decision of the court in the case Riggs v Palmer is examined in the study of Siltala (2000). According to the above researcher, the case Riggs v Palmer sets a critical dilem ma: when, in the context of a case, a conflict is developed between a rule and a principle, which should be the decision of judge? He should uphold the rule or use the principle for developing a decision in regard to the specific case? In such cases, Dworkin ‘used to redefine the normative conflict’ (Siltala 46); in this way, ‘the weight of the two principles’ (Siltala 46) should be taken into consideration for deciding which of these principles should be preferred. The differences between legal rules and principles, as Dworkin has highlighted these differences, are clear in the case of Riggs v Palmer (1889). More specifically: in the above case, the following dilemma appears:

Hiring and Recruiting Salespeople Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hiring and Recruiting Salespeople - Essay Example For instance, the hiring of right and dedicated employees increases organizational productivity, internal efficiency, effectiveness and performance. One of the most important jobs of HR managers, who also serve as employee advocates, is to hire right marketing and sales personnel. It is worthwhile to mention that sales’ people play their vital role in success and prosperity of an organisation because they are responsible for push marketing, direct selling, advertising and smooth distribution of goods and services. For instance, the capable, well – trained, educated and professional sales personnel with strong marketing skills could convince and persuade distribution channel members (such as dealers, partners, whole sellers and retailers) and end-users about the scope and profitability of business products. Therefore, the employment of dedicated, motivated, confident, enthusiastic and hard-working salesmen enable the company to increase short and long run sales, build cordial relationships with all distribution channel members, improve sales network and operations management, resolve customer issues and complaints, e nhance customer satisfaction level and perceived loyalty. In short, all manufacturing and trading firms solely depend upon the performance and contribution of sales staff because they produce and sell want – satisfying goods in the market. However, today service organizations such as insurance firms, mutual firms and other financial businesses have also become reliant on contributions from sales people, because they persuade potential customers to benefit from goods and services of their respective business enterprise.

Marketing plan for Al Fresco Show 2009 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Marketing plan for Al Fresco Show 2009 - Essay Example These initiatives will be aimed at attracting a variety of people including outdoor enthusiasts and gym members as well as families and the non active ones (Guiltinan et al, 1996). Outdoor enthusiasts include individuals across all age groups who like outdoor events and live actively. Gym members are mainly young professionals who attend gym regularly, especially those who live in cities. Families and non active individuals mainly comprise children and those who do not live an active life. The Al Fresco Show 2009 will be preceded by a number of trade shows such as The Tent Show, The Outdoor Trade Show, Outdoor Preview Show and The Outdoor Show. These shows will be done in collaboration with organizations such as Media Contact Services, Outdoor Industries Association and the European Outdoor Group. The Al Fresco Show 2009 will involve a number of its existing partners such as YHA, Duke of Edinburgh, Girl Guiding UK, Ramblers Association, British Orienteering Federation, Scouts, BMC, BCU. The show also expects to partner with a number of other organizations such as Badger Trust, Countryside Agency, English Nature, John Muir Trust, Association of Long Distance Walkers, Scottish Natural Heritage, AONBs, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Diabetes UK, Canoe Camping Club, VSO, RSPB, and National Trust. The 2009 ve Love the Outdoors Campaign Love the Outdoors Campaign, which was held in 2008, and which allowed up to three children to enter free of charge, will be done again in 2009. This is because the 2008 campaign was very successful. The 2009 version will feature a number of outdoor events. First, there will be an event known as World Theatre where great celebrities including Kate Humble, Bruce Parry and Grif Rhys Jones. Second, there will be an event dubbed Discover Ireland, which will feature Irish coffee, Irish dancing and St Patrick's Day celebrations. Third, there will be an event known as Explore Britain, which will be collaboration with the various tourist boards in United Kingdom. The Wilderness Camp will be aimed at enlightening participants on conservation and survival skills. The event will be held in collaboration with the United Kingdom Girl Guiding. The Regatta Perfect spot is another event that will combine photography and walking workshops. Cumber Arms is a country pub which will also be part of the show courtesy of Jennings Breweries. Another event dubbed Theatre will be aimed at teaching the participants about GPS, navigation and mapping skills. The Bike Arena will mainly involve mountain bike demonstrations. The event will also have a Canoe and Dive Pool that will both have go-activities as well as underwater photography activities. Other events will include the VW Beach Caf, Freespirit Beach Festival, Rock Caf, Climb Zone, BMC Summit Theatre, Craghoppers Adventure Travel, the Tent City, YHA Caving Feature and Water Sports Theatre. The campaign has a number of goals and objectives. First, it is aimed at attracting more families to its show. It is also aimed at bringing new audiences to this show and sparking their interest in outdoor events. It also hopes to get new partners such as the media and other like-minded associations.

Hiring and Recruiting Salespeople Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hiring and Recruiting Salespeople - Essay Example For instance, the hiring of right and dedicated employees increases organizational productivity, internal efficiency, effectiveness and performance. One of the most important jobs of HR managers, who also serve as employee advocates, is to hire right marketing and sales personnel. It is worthwhile to mention that sales’ people play their vital role in success and prosperity of an organisation because they are responsible for push marketing, direct selling, advertising and smooth distribution of goods and services. For instance, the capable, well – trained, educated and professional sales personnel with strong marketing skills could convince and persuade distribution channel members (such as dealers, partners, whole sellers and retailers) and end-users about the scope and profitability of business products. Therefore, the employment of dedicated, motivated, confident, enthusiastic and hard-working salesmen enable the company to increase short and long run sales, build cordial relationships with all distribution channel members, improve sales network and operations management, resolve customer issues and complaints, e nhance customer satisfaction level and perceived loyalty. In short, all manufacturing and trading firms solely depend upon the performance and contribution of sales staff because they produce and sell want – satisfying goods in the market. However, today service organizations such as insurance firms, mutual firms and other financial businesses have also become reliant on contributions from sales people, because they persuade potential customers to benefit from goods and services of their respective business enterprise.

Forming of Diamond Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Forming of Diamond - Research Paper Example This study focuses upon Diamond as the hardest mineral on earth. It is a natural mineral and is the hardest on Mohs hardness scale that is used to determine the hardness of solids, particularly minerals. This scale that lists the softest to the hardest solids has diamond as its hardest material with a ranking of 10. Although, graphite is also formed of carbon atoms, it is not as strong as diamond. However, graphite is being used in man-made diamonds due to its similarities in composition, where the ring-like structure of carbon atoms of graphite is altered to form a crystalline structure. It is a carbon component found in the form of an ore that is processed and used. The unique molecular structure of the material is what gives it its strength, as five carbon atoms forming a tetrahedron by each atom forming covalent bonds with four other carbon atoms gives diamond its unique stability which is hard to break. It is a crystalline structure with billions of carbon atoms bonding together under very high pressure and temperatures inside the Earth’s mantle at about 100 miles below its crust. These crystals are carried to the surface of the Earth by violent volcanic eruptions. Diamond is chemically inert to most of the acids and alkalis, has low thermal expansion, has a negative electron affinity, is a good thermal conductor, is least compressible, has high specific gravity, and has high refractive index and reflection. Common morphologies or or isometric crystal structures of diamond are: cubical, octahedral and do-decahedron. (Composition and properties of diamond, 2008). Advantages: Diamonds are usually transparent or pale blue but some coloured diamonds are also found due to the presence of impurities in the lattice structure. Traces of Boron, Nitrogen and other gases result in the blue, yellow and other colours of diamonds. Diamonds are found in Kimberlite and Lamproite rocks that are brought to the Earth’

Steinbecks Of Mice and Men And Gary Sinise film version as Foundation for the story Essay Example for Free

Steinbecks Of Mice and Men And Gary Sinise film version as Foundation for the story Essay Steinbecks tragic and hard writing novel critique of the us in the 1930s. The everlasting novel is about two outsiders who are looking for a job on ranch so they can collect enough money to find there own place in this unforgiving world. The opening of the novel and the film differ from each other in many ways. The film has a tense and dramatic start where as the novel is set in a quiet and peaceful woodland area as Steinbeck sets the scene in clear detail. The film opens with chilling pace of music in the background while the credits appearing in white writing for a couple of minutes. Gary Sinise puts the credits at the beginning rather than at the end. As the music fades there is black background with the infrequent, faint beam of moonlight, streaming through the open cracks in the box car of a train. The camera shot focuses on a lonely person, crouched in the corner, looking by the expression on his face as if he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. This makes the audience curious about who the man is, which makes them want to watch on to find out the identity of this character. Suddenly the film explodes into colour in a dramatic style as a panic and stricken woman, with her dress ripped, runs towards a group of men working on a ranch. The next clip is of the group of men, carrying guns on horseback, chasing two un-armed men. These two men are Lennie and George, who are racing through the grassy fields and bushes. A sense of danger and threat is created as George is continually looking over his shoulder and pushing Lennie along as the men on horseback continue to hunt the two men. When George always look over his shoulder for Lennie in real life. It shows a mother always looking over her shoulder to see if her baby is all right. Both of the men fall into a stream and hide under the overgrown Weeds and grass from the Men. The men pass by the stream and this causes a sense of excitement within the audience. The first close up on Lennie shows us his big, worried eyes, like a child, The heavy breathing stops but both men remain silent, and as time goes by the crickets begin to chirp this shows that the men have stopped chasing them. The beginning of the novel is very different as Steinbeck opens the scene in the countryside close to the Salinas River near to Soledad in USA California. Steinbeck describes this in clear detail. He creates a very peaceful atmosphere by using words such as fresh and green with every spring and the leaves lie so deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among them. Rabbits come out of the brush to sit on the sand in the evening. This is explaining how peaceful and quitter the atmosphere is. But the film shows an exciting chase in a tense and dangerous atmosphere. The first time you see Lennie and George in the novel they are nicely walking through the trees and drinking from the pool. His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down as he drank from the surface of the green pool. This is another symbol of Lennie behaving like a child. As George settles back to relax and Lennie get his nerves we are shown how George blames Lennie for making his life difficult. Lennie is described in terms of an animal, bear-like. When we first see Lennie and George in the film they are running away from a Mob of ranchers. This show the audience they are criminals. In the film they are both wearing different clothes. George is wearing denim and Lennie is wearing dungarees to make him look like a big kid. This differs from the novel as Steinbeck has the two men in the same dress. Both were dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons. And they both wore black hats. The beginnings of the Steinbecks novel and Gray Sinsie film version are very different The film effects the story line by making Lennie and George look like criminals because they are running form a mob of ranchers the first impression you get is of the Lennie and George are bad people and they have done something very bad. Before when George is in the box car this draws the audience to the film but gives them difficulty to know if that character is this makes him look suspicious because when it goes into the scene where the women is running to the ranchers the impression the audience that George is the person that attacked her. The both lets us understand to like the characters of George and Lennie so we can be sympathetic towards them this is the reason why both start better of the foundation of the end of the story then the film the end of the novel is better because we grow to love the chanters and when George shoots Lennie I fell very up set because I had stared to like them like friends but the film is does not make u feel very sympathetic.

History of the Potato Famine

History of the Potato Famine Treavor Hoffman Collen Seguin The Potato Famine Between the years of 1845 and 1850 over a million-people died of either disease, hunger or fever throughout Ireland. The Irish believed that nature was a main cause but so were the British, English and the rest of Europe. The main cause of all these deaths is what we have all typically heard and learned about and that is the potato blight or otherwise known as the potato famine. So many people died because the potato was such a big part of the Irish consumption and when you run out of something that was highly relied upon, and have very few other sources, it results in very bad outcomes. Aside from the disease that affected the crop, the other causes that contributed to such a major drop in population and death can be attributed to the lack of support from the British and English. They were the ones who caused the hunger and catastrophe throughout Ireland. Let us first talk about the history of Ireland and the potato. The population of Ireland increased rapidly from the early seventeenth century. In 1600 it was just over a million: by 1841 it had risen to something over 8 million (Toibin and Ferriter, pg. 11). So, over a 200-year span Ireland saw a huge growth in their population and were not fully prepared for it. As for the potato, it was first discovered in South America in the year 1537 by Spain and was brought back to Europe and gradually spread throughout. There are a couple of stories in how it made its way to Ireland. The first is that the potato washed ashore from the wreckage of the Spanish Armada in 1589. The other story is that an explorer named Sir Walter Raleigh brought the potato from one of his expeditions. The potato was an easy crop to grow and could grow in some of the poorest conditions making it very suitable for the Irish to raise because it was cheap and could be very plentiful (newworldencyclopedia.org). Now that we know a little about the Irish and how the potato got to Ireland, let us talk about the causes and factors of the famine. The big reason of course was the potato blight. Researchers dont know exactly how the potato blight was caused or where it came from. Before the massive potato blight there were many other failures of the potato that we dont typically hear about. Throughout the time the potato had been in Ireland it had seen around 20 other failures. But between the years of 1845 and 1850 the entire country was suffering from crop failure making it impossible for anyone to thrive. According to a chart in the book The Irish Famine in the early 1840s there was a total of about 15,000 tons worth of potatoes being grown. Then from the years 1847-1856 that number dropped to 4,423 tons and dropped even more to 3,407 tons between the years of 1857-1866 (Toibin and Ferriter, pg. 53). Two thirds of the workforce were dependent on agriculture in the 1840s while only one in seven of the population lived in towns and cities ( Toibin and Ferriter, pg. 52). The average amount of potatoes the average adult male ate pre-famine was around fourteen pounds worth, eleven pounds for women and children older than eleven, and almost five pounds worth for children under eleven. This shows us that much of the population in Ireland was reliant on this one food source and when it was gone or full of disease, many people died or became ill. The Irish famine caused many deaths and saw many emigrants. There was a total of about a million people who died due to the famine and another million who ended up leaving Ireland in search for a better way of life. Life for those who stayed was brutal and desolate. One good thing though is that when so many people left it gave opportunities for other farmers to work their land and make a profit (Toibin and Ferriter). Considerably one of the biggest reasons so many people died wasnt because the potatoes ran out and were gone but because Englands long running political dominance over Ireland. The Irish had been bullied and conquered many times by the English. They also seized much of the agriculture land which wasnt given back to the Irish. The English hired their own kind of farmers to manage the land and do all the upkeep. These same managers would then rent out the small plots of land to farmers in exchange for labor and cash. This ended up leading to higher rent prices and a plummet in the Irish economy. In a typical tenancy like this it can be effective and benefit both parties but in this case the Irish had zero rights to the land they farmed.ÂÂ   The only place that wasnt as bad were the areas high in Protestants. These were the only areas that the farmers could make any profit from what they were doing. The Irish suffered from many famines under English rule. Like a boxer with both arm s tied behind his back, the Irish could only stand and absorb blow after blow. It took the many circumstances of English policy to create the knockout punch and ultimate answer to the Irish question (mises.org). The British did not care one way or the other of what would happen to Ireland. They found them to be disgusting and referred to them as ape like. Aside from not only having to grow the potatoes the Irish also had to eat them and so did their livestock. They would feed the livestock their peelings because they did not eat that part. As for people, they did not have to many ways to make the potatoes. Most of the time it consisted of just some cabbage, butter, milk, and salt thrown in to help with the flavor and texture (Toibin and Ferriter, pg. 49) . As for the cooking of the potato they would just boil them over the fire until the inside of the potato was done and they could add the other ingredients (Toibin and Ferriter, pg. 67). Now these potatoes they were growing were not like the potatoes most of us are accustomed to today. They were of very poor quality and did not taste very well. Being a potato farmer myself I can say I have a pretty good judgment on what kind of potatoes taste good and which do not. And the ones they were growing definitely tasted bad. I can also tell you that when we read about the stories people had from the book The Irish Famine and when they say rotting potatoes smelled bad, it is most definitely true. Rotting potatoes is one of the grossest smells you may ever smell in your entire life. Unfortunately for the people of Ireland they were constantly dealing with this nasty smell and I cant even imagine what their homes and lands would smell like. There has been much research done to determine whether or not the British are responsible for the death of over a million people. Most historians believe that are enormously responsible because they just sat back and watched as Ireland fell apart. And not only did they just watch but they kept thriving off the Irish land in ways like taking all their cattle and other crops leaving the Irish with very few options but mainly the potato. It was said that the amount of dead and emigrated people was impossible to determine because of how many actually died and left the country (Toibin and Ferriter pg. 17). Before the famine struck Irishmen had already been steadily immigrating to the U.S and to other parts of the world. But once the famine struck those previous numbers were a joke. Over 72,000 emigrants entered the U.S in the year 1848 (Toibin and Ferriter, pg 172). In just one year! By 1850 the population of New York City was said to be 26 percent Irish (About.com). Overall the Irish Famine had two main causes. The first being the fungus that grew on the potatoes causing the potato blight and completely destroying the crop. And the second factor was the lack of support given by the British and how they mistreated the Irish people. This was definitely an example of an Irish Auschwitz ( Toibin and Ferriter, pg. 54). References Robert McNamara 19th Century History Expert. What Happened During the Great Irish Famine? About.com Education. N.p., 15 Dec. 2014. Web. 03 Mar. 2017. . Anne. What Caused the Irish Potato Famine? Mises Institute. N.p., 07 May 2008. Web. 03 Mar. 2017. . Potato. Potato New World Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2017. . ToÃÅ'ibiÃÅ'n, Colm, and Diarmaid Ferriter. The Irish Famine: A Documentary. London: Profile in Association with London Review of, 2004. Print.

Love story set in World War One :: English Literature Essays

Love story set in WWI A shell struck near the trench, forcing debris towards Robert. He awoke with start. His friend laughed at Robert's startled expression. "Are you still not used to that?" Dougie said wryly, knowing that no-one could ever overcome the shock of the trenches. "Here, I saved you these." He handed over some biscuits. Robert thanked him. He tried to break the biscuit to see how hard it was. He found it very difficult to snap so he wet it and smashed it to small pieces with a brick. He had learnt the hard way that biting biscuits could very easily break teeth. "Young Tom died" Dougie said nonchalantly, whilst picking lice from his head. Robert watched as he threw them into the flame of a candle. Dougie had been in the war since the start and found it easy to not get affected by the sort of things that went on. "Oh." Robert and Tom were fairly good friends. They had spoken days earlier about how they were looking forward to seeing their wives. A lump formed in Robert's throat. He spoke with a choked voice. "What happened to him?" What affected Robert the most in situations like this was that they reminded him that his life was virtually meaningless to the country and that he was in serious danger all of the time. He knew that he could very easily be dead within the hour. "He was shot on his side, about here," Dougie pointed to his lower back. "He fell down and couldn't get back up. He drowned in the mud." A shiver tickled Robert's spine. He had heard many stories of injured men drowning in the swamped ground. He had always considered it to have been the worst way to go. Sinking into the mud. Feeling your mouth fill with the slimy, watery soil. Having it in your throat. Not being able to breathe. Knowing that you could stop it all by standing up, but being unable to. Passing into unconsciousness. Dying. Robert checked the rota. He was on sentry duty. His body ached. He was eating poorly, having little sleep and working too much. The conditions in the trench added to his bad health immensely. Fleas covered his body and his frustrated scratching had meant that there were areas on his body where he had clawed his skin off. His open wounds were often infected because he very rarely had the opportunity to wash.

Rbi’s Debt Management and Monetary Policy Essay

I have shown you in class, using the IS-LM model, how the above two roles of the RBI presents a conflict between the desired positions of the LM curve and therefore the equilibrium interest rate. Some of you have expressed interest in knowing more about this debate. Therefore here are the two opposing points of view. For the motion: On this side of the debate is the government which supports an independent Debt Management Office (DMO) that is separate from the RBI. The government has received support from the Report of the Internal Working Group on Debt Management which has pointed out three conflicts that arises from the present arrangement: â€Å"If the Central Bank tries to be an effective debt manager, it would lean towards selling bonds at high prices, i.e. keeping interest rates low. This leads to an inflationary bias in monetary policy.† Second â€Å"if the Central Bank tries to do a good job of discharging its responsibility of selling bonds, it has an incentive to mandate that banks hold a large amount of government paper.† Third, â€Å"if the Central Bank administers the operating systems for the government securities markets, as the RBI currently does, this creates another conflict, where the owner/ administrator of these systems is also a participant in the market.† The Percy Mistry Committee on Making Mumbai an International Financial Centre (IFC) recommended the setting up of an autonomous DMO by saying that â€Å"looking ahead, a sound public borrowing strategy for India would incorporate three elements. . . An independent Indian â€Å"debt management office† – operating either as an autonomous agency or under the Ministry of Finance – that regularly auctioned a large quantum of INR denominated bonds in an IFC in Mumbai. The size of these auctions would be substantial by world standards and would enhance Mumbai’s stature as an IFC.† The Raghuram Rajan committee on Financial Sector Reforms (A Hundred Small Steps) has argued against RBI providing the â€Å"investment banking† function to the government as â€Å"this involves a conflict of interest, since the government would benefit from lower interest rates, which the RBI has some control over. Investors in the bond market may also perceive the sale of bonds by RBI to be informed by a sense of how interest rates will evolve in the  future. Finally, the RBI is the regulator of banks. Banking supervision could be distorted by the desire to sell bonds at an attractive price.† Media commentators have also supported the motion. See for instance Ajay Shah writing in the Business Standard,Ila Patnaik writing in the Indian Express, Shruthi Jayaram writing in the Financial Express, S. Narayan writing in the Mint. Also see what the Stanford University’s Policy Brief and the Bank for International Settlements feel about this issue. Against the motion: Predictably the RBI is opposing the above views. See this Business Standard report which quotes RBI Governor Dr Subbarao as saying that â€Å"Only central banks have the requisite market pulse and instruments to aid in making contextual judgements which an independent debt agency, driven by narrow objectives, will not be able to do.† The Governor further said that in order to achieve monetary and financial stability, separation of debt management from central bank seems to be a â€Å"sub-optimal choice†. â€Å"The case for shifting debt management function out of the central bank is made on several arguments such as resolving conflict of interest, reducing the cost of debt, facilitating debt consolidation and increasing transparency. These advantages are overstated,† Dr Subbarao said. He said market borrowings are the major source of deficit financing at state level and such borrowings are exceeding the absorptive capacity of the market. â€Å"That makes it imperative to harmonise the market borrowing programmes of the Centre and the states. Separation of the Centre’s debt management from the central bank will make such harmonisation difficult,† Dr Subbarao added. He said even internationally, there is closer association between the central bank with sovereign debt management for proper monetary policy and financial stability. Also see this Business Line report which quotes Dr Subbrao as saying that â€Å"the learning from the recent global crisis is that those systems where central bank manages government debt are more effective. When fiscal deficit is as high as it is in India, it is not only about debt management in the conventional sense. It has larger implications for liquidity management and monetary policy transmission. The balance of advantage would lie in the RBI continuing to manage public debt until fiscal deficit comes down to very comfortable levels.† RBI’s internal research  supports the above view by demonstrating that interest rates have not been affected by the government’s borrowing programme (a point made by some of you in class). Some media commentators have also supported RBI’s view (see this article in the Economic Times). You will be amused to know that Dr Subbarao himself was an advocate of an independent DMO when he used to work for the government! The confusion over this issue was evidenced by the Rakesh Mohan Committee on India’s Financial Sector Assessment which opined in favour of an independent DMO with the chairman (an ex-deputy governor of the RBI) disagreeing with the committee’s view! Tailpiece: The RBI seems to have reconciled to the setting up of an independent DMO but is insisting that they be in charge of running the office (so much for independence)! See this report from the Financial Express. Finally you may enjoy reading this article from the Economic Times on â€Å"Chidambaram vs Subbarao: How conflicts between govt and RBI could lead to better policy-making†.

Poem Interpretation: Cloudy Day

This man locked between four walls, has all the time to relive the crime, his horrible mistake that sent him to jail. Deprived of liberty, he remembers what life was like when he was free. Every second he spent outside those walls. All the people who cared for him. He was never grateful for the life he was living. It used to be no bars, no chains,no guards to wake you up in the morning. Now that time has changed as they even tell him when to bath. Sitting in the dark, watching miniature shadows creep by.These little beasts lurk in his room and become his only friends, he start talking to them, yelling at them, until they turned him mad! But then a breeze fortunately wakes you from his insanity, it makes him feel alive, the cold breeze awakens his senses. Suddenly he smells the shame brought upon himself. He feels the guilt weighing on his shoulders. He tasted the bitterness of his actions. He hears the screams over and over again until the images come back to haunt him again.As the g ushes of wind crash against the building, he smell the freshly cut grass, he see the branches, the leaves,and tries to remember the taste of berries hanging of the tree. It was standing there outside his reach, the figure breathed slowly and continuously as the rocking head looked at him purposely, it started pointing straight at him, mocking him because he is free. To evade reality, is now a nesesity. His insanity is making him angry. He needs too let himself cool off, but being locked up alone is the same as being locked in your mind.With no one to talk too he needs to look within for answers and comfort. He needs someone to to look forward in seeing again. He loves her but sometimes forgets she is there waiting. But this night the cold wind blows through his cell. The stone so cold he thought he was going to freeze. He decided to make the next four years of his life a time to learn and grow. Instead of letting himself go to the icy night he wanded to feel alive. He wanted to have something to look forward to.She was the one who was going to guide him to freedom. In the prison yard, they weren't isolated from the wind that creeped through your neck during the walk. This used to irritate him but now he has learned to embrace it. That feeling, rushing through his veins, the hairs on his arms stand on end, that shiver does not weaken him, on the contrary it makes him alive. That is what he has learned to embrace because it is one of the last feelings he is able to look forward to since love is so far out of reach.

Fool Chapter 18

EIGHTEEN KITTEN'S CLAWS We entered Castle Gloucester in stealth, which does not suit me, as you might guess. I am better suited to entering a room with a series of somersaults, a clack-stick, rude noise, and a â€Å"top o' the mornin' to ye, tossers!† I'm fitted out in bells and puppets, for fuck's sake. All this sneaking and subterfuge was wearing on me. I followed the Earl of Gloucester through a secret hatch in the stable and into a tunnel that passed under the moat. We waded through a foot of cold water in the dark, making for a slosh in my step as well as a jingle. I'd never fit Drool through the narrow passage, even if I could chase the dark with a torch. The tunnel opened through another hatch in the floor of the dungeon. The earl took his leave in the very torture chamber where I had met Regan. â€Å"I'm off to arrange the passage for your master to Dover, fool. I still have a few servants who are true to me.† I felt indebted to the old man for helping me into the castle, especially given his former bitterness toward me. â€Å"Steer clear of the bastard, your grace. I know he is your favored son, but not rightly so. He's a villain.† â€Å"Don't disparage Edmund, fool. I know your conniving ways. Only last evening he stood with me in protest against Cornwall's treatment of the king.† I could tell Gloucester about the letter I'd forged in Edgar's hand, about the bastard's plan to usurp his brother, but what could he do? Likely he'd storm into Edmund's quarters and the bastard would murder him on the spot. â€Å"Right, then,† said I. â€Å"Be careful, my lord. Cornwall and Regan are a four-fanged viper, and if they should turn their venom on Edmund, you must let him go. Do not come to his aid, lest you, too, are scratched with poisonous pricks.† â€Å"My last true son. Shame on you, fool,† said the earl. He scoffed and hurried out of the dungeon and up the stairs. I thought to prevail upon one god or another to protect the old man, but if the gods were working in my favor, they would continue unbidden, and if they opposed, there was no need to alert them to my cause. It pained me, but I took off my shoes and hat and tucked them into my jerkin to still the bells. Jones had remained back at the hovel with Lear. The laundry lay in the lower levels of the castle, so I made my way there first. The laundress with the aforementioned knockers of the smashing persuasion was hanging a basketload of shirts by the fire when I entered. â€Å"Where's Drool, love?† I asked. â€Å"Hidden,† she said. â€Å"I know he's bloody hidden, otherwise asking would have been superfluous, wouldn't it?† â€Å"Just want me to give him up, then? How do I know you're not out to kill him? That old knight who brought him here said not to let anyone know where he was.† â€Å"But I'm here to get him out of the castle. Rescue him, as it were.† â€Å"Aye, you say that, but – â€Å" â€Å"Listen, you bloody tart, give up the git!† â€Å"Emma,† said the laundress. I sat down on the hearth and rested my head in my hands. â€Å"Love, I've spent the night in a storm with a witch and two raving nutters. I've a brace of wars to see to, as well as the summary violation of two princesses and consequent cuckolding of a pair of dukes. I'm heartbroken, aggrieved for the loss of a friend, and the great drooling lummox that is my apprentice is evidently wandering the castle in search of a mortal chest wound. Pity a fool, love – another non sequitur may dash my brittle sanity to splinters.† â€Å"My name is Emma,† said the laundress. â€Å"I'm right here, Pocket,† said Drool, standing up in the great cauldron. A pile of laundry on his head had been concealing his great empty melon as he lurked in the water. â€Å"Knockers hided me. She's a love.† â€Å"You see,† said Emma. â€Å"He keeps calling me Knockers.† â€Å"It's a compliment, love.† â€Å"It's disrespectful,† she said. â€Å"My name's Emma.† I will never understand women. The laundress, it would seem, dressed in a manner that accentuated, indeed, celebrated her bosoms – a tightly cinched waist pushing bits up until they bloomed out of a swooping neckline – yet a chap notices and the lady takes offense. I will never understand it. â€Å"You know he's a complete nitwit, don't you, Emma?† â€Å"Just the same.† â€Å"Fine. Drool, apologize to Emma for saying how smashing her knockers are.† â€Å"Sorry about your knockers,† said Drool, bowing his head so his laundry hat dropped back into the drink. â€Å"Satisfied, Emma?† I asked. â€Å"I suppose.† â€Å"Good. Now, do you know where Captain Curan, the commander of King Lear's knights might be?† â€Å"Oh yes,† said Emma. â€Å"Lord Edmund and the duke consulted me this morning on all the military matters, as they are wont to do – me being a laundress and having access to all the best bloody tactics and strategies and the lot.† â€Å"Sarcasm will make your tits fall off,† said I. â€Å"Will not,† said she, her arm going to a support position. â€Å"It's a known fact,† I said, nodding earnestly, then looking to Drool, who also nodded earnestly and said, â€Å"It's a known fact,† note for note in my voice. â€Å"That's bloody spooky.† Emma shuddered. â€Å"You lot can get out of my laundry.† â€Å"Very well, then,† said I. I motioned for Drool to climb out of the cauldron. â€Å"I thank you for looking after the Natural, Emma. I wish there were something I could – â€Å" â€Å"Kill Edmund,† she said. â€Å"Pardon?† â€Å"The son of a guild builder were going to marry me before I came to work here. A respected man. Edmund took me against my will and bragged about it in the village. My lad wouldn't have me then. No one worth his salt will have me, except the bastard, and him whenever he wants. ‘Tis Edmund who commanded that I wear this low frock. Says he'll set me out with the pigs if I don't give him service. Kill him for me.† â€Å"But lass, I'm just a fool. A clown. A small one at that.† â€Å"There's more to you than that, you black-hatted rascal. I've seen them wicked daggers at your back, and I can see who's pulling the strings round this castle, and it ain't the duke or the old king. Kill the bastard.† â€Å"Edmund beated me,† said Drool. â€Å"And she do have smashing knockers.† â€Å"Drool!† â€Å"Well, she do.† â€Å"All right, then,† said I, taking the laundress's hand. â€Å"But in time. We've things to accomplish first.† I bowed over her hand, kissed it, then turned on my heel and padded barefoot out of the laundry to set history. â€Å"Heinous fuckery,† Drool whispered to the laundress with a wink. I hid Drool in the gatehouse among the heavy chains that I had used for my escape when I pursued Lear into the storm. Getting the lummox up on the wall and to the gatehouse undetected was no small task, and he left a dripping trail on the stones until we gained the castle exterior, but the guard was light in the tempest, so most of the way we went across the top of the walls unseen. My feet felt as if they'd been set in ice by the time I came back in to a fire, but there was no other way. Drool in the tight space of the secret tunnel, with his fear of the dark was not something I would wish on an enemy. I found a woolen blanket and wrapped the lout in it to await my return. â€Å"Guard my shoes and my satchel, Drool.† I made my way, dodging from nook to cranny, through the kitchen, to the servants' entrance into the great hall, hoping I might get a moment with Regan there. The hall's massive fireplace would be an enticement for the princess on such a frigid day, for as much as she took to the activities of a dungeon, she was drawn to heat like a cat. Because Castle Gloucester had no curtain wall, even the great hall was fitted with arrow loops, so the edifice might be defended at all levels from an attack by water. The arrow loops, while shuttered, were notoriously drafty, so arrases[40] were hung over the alcoves against the wind – the perfect place for a fool to watch, warm himself, and find his moment. I slipped into the room behind a brace of serving girls and into the alcove nearest the fireplace. She was there, by the fire, in a heavy, hooded, black fur robe, only her face revealed to the world. I pulled the tapestry aside and was about to call to her when the latch was thrown on the hall's main doors and the Duke of Cornwall entered, wearing his usual finery with the red lion crest on his chest, but more pointedly, Lear's crown – the one the old man had thrown on the table that fateful night at the White Tower. Even Regan seemed startled to see it on the head of her husband. â€Å"My lord, is it prudent to wear the crown of Britain when our sister is still in the castle?† â€Å"Right, right, we must keep up appearances as if we don't know that Albany raises an army against us.† Cornwall took the crown off and hid it under a cushion by the hearth. â€Å"I am to meet Edmund here and lay a plan for the duke's undoing. One hopes that your sister can be kept out of harm's way.† Regan shrugged. â€Å"If she throws herself under destiny's hooves, who are we to save her brains from being pulped?† Cornwall took her in his arms and kissed her passionately. Oh lady, thought I, push him away lest you debase your lovely lips with villainy. Then it occurred to me, and perhaps rather later than it should have, that she would no more taste villainy than a garlic eater will taste the stinking rose on another. The lady had evil on her breath already. Even as the duke held her tight and professed his adoration of her, she wiped her mouth on her sleeve behind his back. She pushed the duke away when the bastard Edmund entered the hall. â€Å"My lord,† said Edmund, only nodding to Regan. â€Å"Our plans for Albany must be delayed. Look at this letter.† The duke took the parchment from Edmund. â€Å"What?† said Regan. â€Å"What, what, what?† â€Å"France has landed forces. He knows of unrest between ourselves and Albany and has hidden forces in coastal cities all over Britain.† Regan snatched the parchment out of Cornwall's hand and read it for herself. â€Å"This is addressed to Gloucester.† Edmund bowed in false contrition. â€Å"Aye, milady, I found it in his closet and brought it here as soon as I saw its contents.† â€Å"Guard!† called Cornwall. The great doors opened and a soldier looked in. â€Å"Bring me the Earl of Gloucester. Give no deference to his title, he is a traitor.† I looked for a way back to the kitchen, to perhaps find Gloucester and warn him of the bastard's treachery, but Edmund faced the alcove where I was hiding and there was no getting out undiscovered. I opened the shutter to the arrow loop. Even if I could manage to wiggle through it, the wall was a sheer drop to the lake below. I palmed the shutter closed and latched it. The latch on the main doors clanked again and I returned to the gap between the wall and the tapestry, from which I saw Goneril enter, trailed by two soldiers who held Gloucester by the arms. The old man looked as if he had given up already and hung between the soldiers like a drowned man. â€Å"Hang him,† said Regan, turning to warm her hands by the fire. â€Å"What is this?† said Goneril. Cornwall handed her the letter and stood looking over her shoulder while she read. â€Å"Pluck out his eyes,† she said, making an effort not to look at Gloucester. Cornwall took the letter gently from her hand and put his hand on her shoulder in brotherly support. â€Å"Leave him to our displeasure, sister. Edmund, keep our sister company and see her safely home. Lady, tell your duke we must unite against this foreign force. We'll send dispatches quickly between us. Go now, Earl of Gloucester, you do not want to see the dealings with this traitor.† Edmund couldn't conceal a smile upon being addressed by the title he had lusted after for so many years. â€Å"I will,† said Edmund. He offered his arm to Goneril, who took it. They started out of the hall. â€Å"No!† said Regan. Everyone stopped. Cornwall stepped between Regan and her sister. â€Å"Lady, now is the time when we must all be united against the foreign power.† Regan gritted her teeth and turned back to the fire, waving them away. â€Å"Go.† Edmund and Goneril left the hall. â€Å"Bind him to that chair, then leave us,† Cornwall commanded his soldiers. They tied the old earl to a heavy chair and stood back. â€Å"You are my guests,† said Gloucester. â€Å"Do me no foul play.† â€Å"Filthy traitor,† said Regan. She took the letter from her husband and threw it in the old man's face. She grabbed a pinch of Gloucester's beard and yanked it out. The earl yowled. â€Å"So white, and such a traitor,† she said. â€Å"I am no traitor. I am loyal to my king.† She pulled another pinch from his beard. â€Å"What letters do you have late from France? What is their plan?† Gloucester looked at the parchment on the floor. â€Å"I have only that.† Cornwall charged up to Gloucester and pulled the old man's head back by the back of his hair. â€Å"Speak now, to whose hands have you sent the lunatic king? We know you've sent him aid.† â€Å"To Dover. I sent him to Dover. Only a few hours ago.† â€Å"Why Dover?† said Regan. â€Å"Because I would not see your cruel nails pluck out his old eyes or your sister tear his flesh with her boarish fangs. Because there are those who would care for him there. Not put him out in the storm.† â€Å"He lies,† said Regan. â€Å"There's a smashing torture chamber in the dungeon, shall we?† But Cornwall would not wait. In a second he was sitting astraddle the old man and was digging his thumb into Gloucester's eye socket. Gloucester screamed until his voice broke and there was a sickening pop. I reached for one of my throwing daggers. The main door to the hall cracked and heads popped up in the stairwell from the kitchen. â€Å"Why Dover?† said Regan. â€Å"Thou carrion bird!† said Gloucester with a cough. â€Å"Thou she-devil, I'll not say.† â€Å"Then you'll not see light again,† said Cornwall, and he was on the old man again. I would not have it. I drew back my dagger to cast it, but before I could, a band like ice encircled my wrist and I looked to see the girl ghost right beside me, staying my throw, in fact, paralyzing me. I could move only my eyes to look back on the horror playing out in the great hall. Suddenly a boy brandishing a long butcher knife ran out of the kitchen stairwell and leapt on the duke. Cornwall stood and tried to draw his sword, but could not get it clear of the scabbard before the boy was on him, plunging the knife into his side. As the lad pulled back to stab again Regan drew a dagger from the sleeve of her robe and plunged it into the boy's neck, then stepped back from the spray of blood. The boy clawed at his neck and fell. â€Å"Away!† Regan shrieked, waving the dagger at the servants in the kitchen stairwell and the main door and they all disappeared like frightened mice. Cornwall climbed unsteadily to his feet and plunged his sword into the boy's heart. Then he sheathed his sword and felt his side. His hand came away bloody. â€Å"Serves you right, you scurvy vermin,† said Gloucester. With that Cornwall was on him again. â€Å"Out, foul jelly!† he shouted, digging his thumb into the earl's good eye, but in that instant Regan's dagger snapped down and took the eye. â€Å"Don't trouble yourself, my lord.† Gloucester passed out then from the pain and hung limp in his bonds. Cornwall stood and kicked the old man's chest, knocking him over backward. The duke looked on Regan with adoring eyes, filled with the warmth and affection that can only come from watching your wife dirk another man's eye out on your behalf, evidently. â€Å"Your wound?† said Regan. Cornwall held his arm out to his wife and she walked into his embrace. â€Å"It glanced across my ribs. I'll bleed some and it pains me, but if bound, it'll not be mortal.† â€Å"Pity,† said Regan, and she plunged her dagger under his sternum and held it as his heart's blood poured over her snowy-white hand. The duke seemed somewhat surprised. â€Å"Bugger,† he said, then he fell. Regan wiped her dagger and her hands on his tunic. She sheathed the blade in her sleeve, then went to the cushion where Cornwall had hidden her father's crown, pulled back her hood, and fitted it on her head. â€Å"Well, Pocket,† said the Duchess, without turning to the alcove where I was hidden. â€Å"How does it fit?† I was somewhat surprised (although somewhat less so than the duke). The ghost released me then, and I stood behind the tapestry, my knife still poised for the throw. â€Å"You'll grow into it, kitten,† said I. She looked to my alcove and grinned. â€Å"Yes, I will, won't I? Did you want something?† â€Å"Let the old man go,† I said. â€Å"King Jeff of France has landed his army at Dover, that's why Gloucester sent Lear there. You'd be wise to set a camp farther south. Rally your forces, with Edmund's and Albany's at the White Tower, perhaps.† The great doors creaked and a head peeked in, a helmeted soldier. â€Å"Send for a physician,† Regan called, trying to sound distressed. â€Å"My lord has been wounded. Throw his attacker on the dung heap and cast this traitor out the front gate. He can smell his way to Dover and his decrepit king.† In a moment the chamber was filled with soldiers and servants and Regan walked out, casting one last look and a sly smile to my hiding place. I have no idea why she left me alive. I suspect it's because she still fancied me. I slipped out through the kitchen and made my way back to the gatehouse. The ghost stood over Drool, who was cowering under his blanket in the corner. â€Å"Come on, you lovely brute, give us a proper snog.† â€Å"Leave him be, wisp!† said I, although she was nearly as solid as a mortal woman. â€Å"Balls up[41] your jaunty murdering for the day, did I, fool?† â€Å"I might have saved the old man's second eye.† â€Å"You wouldn't have.† â€Å"I might have sent Regan to join her duke in whatever hell he inhabits.† â€Å"No, you wouldn't have.† Then she held up a ghostly finger, cleared her throat, and rhymed: â€Å"When a second sibling's base derision, Proffers lies that cloud the vision, And severs ties that families bind, Shall a madman rise to lead the blind.† â€Å"You've said that one, already.† â€Å"I know. Bit prematurely, too. Sorry. I think you'll find it much more relevant now. Even a slow git like yourself can solve the riddle now, I reckon.† â€Å"Or you could just fucking tell me what it means,† said I. â€Å"Sorry, can't do it. Ghostly mystery and whatnot. Ta.† And with that she faded away through the stone wall. â€Å"I dinna shag the ghost, Pocket,† wailed Drool. â€Å"I dinna shag her.† â€Å"I know, lad. She's gone. Get up now, we've got to monkey down the drawbridge chains and find the blind earl.†