Puff Daddy free essay sample

In November, 1997, three of my cousins and I attended a Puff Daddy and the Family concert. It was held at Gund Arena in Downtown Cleveland. The Family tour has performed all over the United States in major cities. The show includes the majority of their current songs. To me Puff Daddy (Sean Combs) is the ultimate musician he composes, he dances, he raps, he produces, and he even has his own record label Bad Boy Entertainment. All this success for someone under thirty! Puff Daddy definitely wont stop. My main purpose in going was to see Mason Betha (Mase), one of the many members of the family. Throughout the entire concert there were a number of impressive tributes to the late Notorious B.I.G., former member of the Bad Boy family. The show also played one of Tupacs hit songs Hail Mary in tribute. The dancers, performers, audio and lighting effects in fact the whole concert was so complex it was nothing less than audiences have come to expect from this artist. We will write a custom essay sample on Puff Daddy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page .

Free Essays on Communist Manifesto

Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto â€Å"Capitalism is bad!† If Capitalism is so bad, why is it still used in today’s modern world? Although the book The Communist Manifesto has openly addressed many issues of ‘minimum wage’ and ‘exploitation’ the gap between the â€Å"bourgeoisie† and the â€Å"proletariat† has continued to widen. So how has a book, such as this, really impacted our lives? If anything, it hasn’t! Marx first proposed these ideas nearly two centuries ago, and since that time, society, moreover the world, has managed to drift further and further away from his radical ideas. In many of Marx’s works, namely The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital, he expressed the belief that all civilizations throughout history had inevitably experienced class conflict between workers and the owners of productive property. He further argued that it was this division of classes, which created a conflict that drove civilization through multiple stages of history. Marx called the middle-class owners the bourgeoisie and the workers who did the actual labor the proletariat. Capitalism is a system in which a wealthy landowner (or owner of a factory) would utilize workers who had to sell their labor for a fraction of what the labor was worth. Marx foresaw the downfall of Capitalism in industrialized countries and saw the rise of Communism in its place. He strongly believed that capitalism would end with a workers’ revolution against the owners of factories and other properties used to produce goods and services. In the revolution, the workers would gain control of economic resources and the government. (Schneck) In the Communist Manifesto he proposed that in every historical epoch the prevailing economic system by which the necessities of life are produced determines the form of societal organization and the political and intellectual history of the epoch; and that the history of society is a history of struggles bet... Free Essays on Communist Manifesto Free Essays on Communist Manifesto Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto â€Å"Capitalism is bad!† If Capitalism is so bad, why is it still used in today’s modern world? Although the book The Communist Manifesto has openly addressed many issues of ‘minimum wage’ and ‘exploitation’ the gap between the â€Å"bourgeoisie† and the â€Å"proletariat† has continued to widen. So how has a book, such as this, really impacted our lives? If anything, it hasn’t! Marx first proposed these ideas nearly two centuries ago, and since that time, society, moreover the world, has managed to drift further and further away from his radical ideas. In many of Marx’s works, namely The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital, he expressed the belief that all civilizations throughout history had inevitably experienced class conflict between workers and the owners of productive property. He further argued that it was this division of classes, which created a conflict that drove civilization through multiple stages of history. Marx called the middle-class owners the bourgeoisie and the workers who did the actual labor the proletariat. Capitalism is a system in which a wealthy landowner (or owner of a factory) would utilize workers who had to sell their labor for a fraction of what the labor was worth. Marx foresaw the downfall of Capitalism in industrialized countries and saw the rise of Communism in its place. He strongly believed that capitalism would end with a workers’ revolution against the owners of factories and other properties used to produce goods and services. In the revolution, the workers would gain control of economic resources and the government. (Schneck) In the Communist Manifesto he proposed that in every historical epoch the prevailing economic system by which the necessities of life are produced determines the form of societal organization and the political and intellectual history of the epoch; and that the history of society is a history of struggles bet... Free Essays on Communist Manifesto The Manifesto of the Communist Party was drafted as its party program by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels in Brussels at the order of the second congress of the League of Communists (December 2-8, 1847) and was first published by the order of the central authority of the league in the German language in an anonymous booklet of twenty three printed pages in London at the end of February 1848, just prior to the outbreak of the French February revolution. The Manifesto marked the end of a year-long discussion within the League of the Just about the objectives and methods of proletarian emancipation and implied the conclusion of its transformation into the League of Communists. In Marxist literature this publication, which marked a milestone in the theoretical evolution of Marx and Engels and reflected the crucial principles of their world view in a relatively self-contained and complete form, is held to be the birth certificate of scientific socialism, which was fundamentally distinct fro m utopian socialism. Brought into its final version by Marx, it undoubtedly was the most brilliant and widely read writing of Marx and Engels; thanks to its down-to-earth analysis of society with its concise and cogent portrayal of a humanizing-liberating perspective for workers and the urgent demands for a revolutionary transformation of society. It was the most effective and most widely read publication of the modern working-class movement. The Manifesto was subdivided into four sections. Starting from the thesis that past history was a history of class struggles which have always ended either "in a revolutionary re-constitution of society at large, or in the common ruin of the contending classes," the authors in the comprehensive first section outlined the historical genesis of modern capitalist society on the basis of economic processes; they assigned the "most revolutionary part" to the bourgeoisie in its efforts to transform productive forces and soc... Free Essays on Communist Manifesto Communist Manifesto Proletarians-the working class intended to â€Å"haunt† Europe and seize control of it. For these people as well as all the other European socialist and communist parties in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, The Communist Manifesto written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, eventually became one of the principal programmatic statements. The book was preaching for the fall of the ruling classes and the emergence of the workers. This being the main topic of the â€Å"Manifesto† inspired people to believe that the bourgeois exploited them as well as everything else only to benefit themselves. In four chapters and an introduction, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, develop the fall of bourgeoisie, the idea of communism and most importantly the rise of proletariat. The â€Å"Manifesto† opens with a phrase: â€Å"A spectre is haunting Europe-the spectre of communism.† The intention of it is the same as of the entire chapter, the acknowledgement of the spread of communism and its strength (â€Å"Communist Manifesto†). The role of the â€Å"Manifesto† is shown as promoting the communist beliefs. In the very next chapter â€Å"Bourgeoisie and Proletarians† some of these most radical beliefs are expressed. According to Marx and Engels, the struggle of classes is inevitable. Yet, by the working class taking over, there would be no more classes and humans would be equal. The main reason behind the bourgeois being the antagonist is that they are oppressors, the inheritors of the feudal system where they exploit their surrounding. Marx and Engels condemn free trade as a mean of exploitation, which demands the poorer people and nations to depend on the richer ones. â€Å"Universal interdependence of nations† is not seen as a beneficial factor, but just another symbol of the rich, taking all the wealth from the poor. One of the main points of the manifesto is that workers are just seen as machines, which bring power to the bou... Free Essays on Communist Manifesto NOTES†¦..COMMUNIST MANIFESTO Main Idea: The book was preaching for the fall of the ruling classes and the emergence of the workers. The â€Å"Manifesto† inspired people to believe that the bourgeois exploited them as well as everything else only to benefit themselves According to Marx and Engels, the struggle of classes is inevitable. Yet, by the working class taking over, there would be no more classes and humans would be equal. The main reason behind the bourgeois being the antagonist is that they are oppressors, the inheritors of the feudal system where they exploit their surrounding. Marx and Engels condemn free trade as a mean of exploitation, which demands the poorer people and nations to depend on the richer ones. â€Å"Universal interdependence of nations† is not seen as a beneficial factor, but just another symbol of the rich, taking all the wealth from the poor. One of the main points of the manifesto is that workers are just seen as machines, which bring power to the bourgeois, the industry. Thus, they should all unite, taking power into their own hands, â€Å"its fall and the victory of the proletariat are equally inevitable Even though it is already introduced in the very beginning of the manifesto, communism and its purpose are shown later in the second chapter: the formation of the proletariat into a class, the overthrow of the bourgeois supremacy, and the conquest of political power by the proletariat . The core of the communists is defined by a single sentence, â€Å"the abolition of private property†. The property, which has been a symbol of the power and the wealth of the bourgeois, had to be distributed to the workers supporting the previous chapter in its intent to overthrow the bourgeois. The workers deserved their land, it was hard won, self-acquired, self-earned. The loss of class in mentioned again, showing how it would destroy the hostility between the nations. The c...

Giordano Surname Meaning and Family History

Giordano Surname Meaning and Family History The Italian form of the name Jordan, the Giordano surname has its roots in Yarden, the Hebrew name of the Jordan river flowing between the countries of Jordan and Israel. Derived from  yarad, meaning descend or flow down. Its origin is Italian. Famous People With the Giordano Last Name Umberto Giordano - Italian composerTyrone Giordano - Deaf actorLuca Giordano - 17th-century Italian artistGus Giordano - Innovator of modern American jazz dance Where Do People With the Surname Live? The largest populations of individuals with the Giordano surname are in Italy, as you might expect. According to  WorldNames PublicProfiler, the Giordano last name is most popular in the southern boot of Italy- Campania, Basilicata, Puglia, and Sicilia. There is also a  slightly denser population in the Piemonte region, but the name is popular throughout Italy. It is also fairly common in Argentina. Surname distribution data from Forebears, indicates that Giordano is the 11th most popular name in Italy and the 30th most common in Monaco.Source:   Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Strategy, Business Information and Analysis Assignment - 2

Strategy, Business Information and Analysis - Assignment Example When a company does not know how to tackle the complexity being contributed by the external factors, the only option for addressing such issues would be to develop, design and implement a strategy. However, before going to implement, the strategy, it is highly significant to take into account the external and internal factors along with considering the examples of successful and failed strategies. In the following parts of this paper, first strategy has been defined in which Mintzberg’s 5Ps have been included. Subsequently, it is followed by the evolution of the word ‘strategy† has been provided. After that part, different schools of thoughts have also been included. Before the part addressing the question of strategy construction, the answer of the question (Does strategy matter?) has been provided. Strategy is a broad term (Snyder, 1999). Strategy has a specific definition and sense particularly within the context of business (Campbell et al. 2002). In this regard, Mintzberg (1987) defines strategy can have five different types of definitions: plan, ploy, pattern, position and perspective. And each is separately defined and explained below. Strategy can be defined as a plan (Mintzberg, 1987). It can be a course of action, a set of guidelines for carrying out specific actions for dealing with a particular situation (Mintzberg, 1987). Mintzberg (1987) further explains that this definition has two dimensions: the plans are developed in advance and concentrated and careful efforts are utilised for developing such plan. Subsequently, strategy can work as a ploy (Mintzberg, 1987). In this type of situation, an organisation tries to manoeuvre for the purpose of discouraging competitors from taking certain strategic action Mintzberg (1987). In this type of strategy, the organisation is not really interested to implement what it

Peer Review Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Peer Review - Article Example The writer mentioned several cases and even discussed three cases in detail where the person or a NP had to face legal actions afterwards after they tried to act as Good Samaritans. The methodology was not complex in this case because most of the specific data was reviewed and taken from cases in courts and articles published. Writer even went on to mention several suggestive measures for NP in specific and other medical professionals in general about the way they should act in case there is any emergency. The conclusion is very well supported by the case, writer has established. There is a definite confusion and synchronization among various states about this law so it is very important for a NP to act according to the law of the state she is working on. Moreover, the writer also stresses the need of stronger and better legislation among states so that NPs are not hesitant to act when they see any emergency situation. This would reduce morbidity and mortality and even provide NPs a chance to render their services for the goodwill of people. This law is not applicable in United State but has also been adopted in a slight different form by other countries as mentioned by the writer. This topic is very important for future consideration of nursing because it can relate to their life and presents a problem that any nurse can face even outside work environment. These discussions would help a nurse to make her decision in such a situation as per the laws of the state she is working in. This is a life saving procedure but involves some legal problems that can occur in some of the cases (Tumolo, J. 2002). This is one field that has a lot of scope for future research on the same lines. More studies and analysis of various cases would even highlight the issue which would help in proper law making in different states. Nurses should also be encouraged through research and publication not to hesitate when it is about

The Globe Construction Company Essay Example for Free

The Globe Construction Company Essay THE GLOBE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY The Globe Construction Company top management held a management workshop one weekend in April of 1989 for the purpose of discussing present policies and procedures with the ultimate objective of formalizing these in a new company operations manual. The company was established in the mid-50s by Mr. Eduardo Concepcion. The company grew at a very fast rate due to the construction boom in the government sector during the administration of ex-President Ferdinand E. Marcos, During the seventies and early eighties, the company constructed large projects for both the government and private sectors. However, most of its projects were for the government. Globe enjoyed high margins from its government projects during this period. Competition was not a problem. When Mrs. Aquino became President, private sector construction projects in the country outnumbered government projects. Competition became more stiff forcing Globe to reduce its margins when bidding for both sectors. This change in the environment led management to call the management workshop to discuss ways of improving organizational efficiency and effectiveness. The workshop was attended by the president, the vice-president for administration, the vice-president for operations, the purchasing manager and all the project managers ( See exhibit A for Organizational Chart) Project managers are the engineers in-charge of construction projects. The company employs twenty project managers. At present, there are about eighteen on-going projects at an estimated Bid price of at least P100 million each ranging from office condominiums, shopping centres and government buildings. The purchasing unit is headed by a purchasing manager to whom buyers report. Each buyer is completely in-charge of purchasing materials required by one or more construction projects. The VP for operations is over-all in-charge of on-going projects. During the workshop, one of the project managers, Isidro Remigio, proposed that the buyers should be located at the job site reporting to the Project Manager (See Exhibit B for the Organizational Chart at the Project Site) Mr. Remigio argued: â€Å"It takes so long, sometimes about 2 weeks, before Purchasing reacts to our purchase order (PO). If the buyers report to me directly, there is no doubt that they will attend to my PO. I will be the one who will evaluate the buyer’s performance. More importantly, his proximity to the job site will make him better understand the urgency and the nature of our requests. Communicating with him will be easier too. Sometimes, when the items I need are not available, he calls me to ask for substitutes. I always have problems reaching him by phone. If it’s not busy, he is not there! If my material are delayed, my project will not be completed as scheduled.† At this point during the workshop, the Purchasing Manager interrupted Mr. Remigio and said, â€Å"Our function is not merely to implement Pos. We purchase materials ordered by the projects only 1) if the items are not on stock in the central warehouse and 2) if the items are included in the Bill of Materials (BOM) as provided by the Executive Committee. Any order in excess of the approved by us unless there is an amended bill of materials. Therefore, if the buyers will report directly to project managers, this could lead to cost overruns. The President of the Company took the floor after hearing Mr. Remigio and the Purchasing Manager. â€Å"I am also concerned about the availability of funds for approved Pos to be acted upon by purchasing. While it is good for the projects to have the required materials on time, I wouldn’t want to encourage them to stock-up too much. This will tie-up funds and increase our interest costs. I hope that wherever Purchasing is to be located in the organization chart, we will also consider the matter of fund availability.† The Central warehouse is located in Antipolo while Head office (where the buyers gold office) is located in Paco, Manila. Approximately P10Million worth of materials are kept in the Central warehouse. Exhibit B PROJECT SITE ORGANIZATION CHART BOARD Equipment Engineering Superintendent Administration * General Foreman * Asst. Foreman Exhibit A GLOBE ORGANIZATION CHART * Marketing * Design * Estimating * Drafting * Accounting * Personnel * Finance * Treasury * Bookkeeper * Stock Clerk * Time Keeper Projects Construction Purchasing Project Development Administration Operations President BOARD

Animal Farm Relating To Russia :: Animal Farm Essays

Greed for Power, and Cruelty: Making Followers In Animal Farm, George Orwell demonstrates the danger of unquestioning acceptance of ideas and actions that are “supposed to represent'; a better way of life. Throughout the book there are many examples of hatred and evil undermining what sounds like a great utopia when introduced, but not when they are lived. The ideas are very familiar because they are based on those that drove the Russian Revolution, and what went wrong with it. The difference between a nice Utopian idea and what goes wrong in real life has to do with human nature. Greed is real, in that it drives people to do things. There is greed for power, greed for food, and greed for whatever a greedy person might want. While not everyone is greedy, some people are very much so. The very greedy people make life difficult for the rest of us. This is not such a big problem in democracies, which are constructed to balance any action with the ideas of many groups and rights. In a dictatorship, like the Soviet Union, a person like Stalin can determine every key aspect of most individuals’ lives. The more violent a Stalin is, the more power a Stalin has; and the farther from Utopia are the lives of the common people. Napoleon’s ideas and actions in Animal Farm were similar to those first of Lenin and later of Stalin during the development of the Soviet Union, which resulted in the deaths and terror that deeply affected the lives of tens of millions of Soviet citizens. For example, Napoleon had made other high-status animals confess to things they had never committed. When the eggs of the three hens were crushed really by Napoleon’s dog, they were forced to confess, “…Snowball had appeared to them in a dream and incited them to disobey Napoleon’s orders'; (93). The dogs were then murdered, making Napoleon the only ruler. Even though Napoleon clearly killed the hens’ eggs, they still confessed to something that was untrue, which made Napoleon’s “appearance'; better to those who had no direct knowledge of the incident. Joseph Stalin had appointed government officials, controlling their income, what they said, and of ten their death. Soon he made them confess to things that were untrue, such as being spies. Government officials were exiled, thrown in jail, or killed. Soon Stalin was the one, true ruler of

The Host Chapter 41: Vanished

Ian sat with me for three days in the darkness. He left for only a few short minutes at a time, to get us food and water. At first, Ian ate, though I did not. Then, as he realized that it wasn't a loss of appetite that left my tray full, he stopped eating, too. I used his brief absences to deal with the physical needs that I could not ignore, thankful for the proximity of the odorous stream. As my fast lengthened, those needs vanished. I couldn't keep from sleeping, but I did not make myself comfortable. The first day, I woke to find my head and shoulders cradled on his lap. I recoiled from him, shuddering so violently that he did not repeat the gesture. After that, I slumped against the stones where I was, and when I woke, I would curl back up into my silent ball at once. â€Å"Please,† Ian whispered on the third day-at least I thought it was the third day; there was no way to be sure of the passing time in this dark, silent place. It was the first time he'd spoken. I knew a tray of food was in front of me. He pushed it closer, till it touched my leg. I cringed away. â€Å"Please, Wanda. Please eat something.† He put his hand on my arm but moved away quickly when I flinched out from under it. â€Å"Please don't hate me. I'm so sorry. If I'd known†¦ I would have stopped them. I won't let it happen again.† He would never stop them. He was just one among many. And, as Jared had said, he'd had no objections before. I was the enemy. Even in the most compassionate, humankind's limited scope of mercy was reserved for their own. I knew Doc could never intentionally inflict pain on another person. I doubted he would even be capable of watching such a thing, tender as his feelings were. But a worm, a centipede? Why would he care about the agony of a strange alien creature? Why would it bother him to murder a baby-slowly, slicing it apart piece by piece-if it had no human mouth to scream with? â€Å"I should have told you,† Ian whispered. Would it have mattered if I'd simply been told rather than having seen the tortured remains for myself? Would the pain be less strong? â€Å"Please eat.† The silence returned. We sat in it for a while, maybe another hour. Ian got up and walked quietly away. I could make no sense of my emotions. In that moment, I hated the body I was bound to. How did it make sense that his going depressed me? Why should it pain me to have the solitude I craved? I wanted the monster back, and that was plainly wrong. I wasn't alone for long. I didn't know if Ian had gone to get him or if he'd been waiting for Ian to leave, but I recognized Jeb's contemplative whistle as it approached in the darkness. The whistling stopped a few feet from me, and there was a loud click. A beam of yellow light burned my eyes. I blinked against it. Jeb set the flashlight down, bulb up. It threw a circle of light on the low ceiling and made a wider, more diffuse sphere of light around us. Jeb settled himself against the wall beside me. â€Å"Gonna starve yourself, then? Is that the plan?† I glared at the stone floor. If I was being honest with myself, I knew that my mourning was over. I had grieved. I hadn't known the child or the other soul in the cave of horrors. I could not grieve for strangers forever. No, now I was angry. â€Å"You wanna die, there are easier and faster ways.† As if I wasn't aware of that. â€Å"So give me to Doc, then,† I croaked. Jeb wasn't surprised to hear me speak. He nodded to himself, as if this was exactly what he'd known would come out of my mouth. â€Å"Did you expect us to just give up, Wanderer?† Jeb's voice was stern and more serious than I had ever heard it before. â€Å"We have a stronger survival instinct than that. Of course we want to find a way to get our minds back. It could be any one of us someday. So many people we love are already lost. â€Å"It isn't easy. It nearly kills Doc each time he fails-you've seen that. But this is our reality, Wanda. This is our world. We've lost a war. We are about to be extinct. We're trying to find ways to save ourselves.† For the first time, Jeb spoke to me as if I were a soul and not a human. I had a sense that the distinction had always been clear to him, though. He was just a courteous monster. I couldn't deny the truth of what he was saying, or the sense of it. The shock had worn off, and I was myself again. It was in my nature to be fair. Some few of these humans could see my side of things; Ian, at least. Then I, too, could consider their perspective. They were monsters, but maybe monsters who were justified in what they were doing. Of course they would think violence was the answer. They wouldn't be able to imagine any other solution. Could I blame them that their genetic programming restricted their problem-solving abilities in this way? I cleared my throat, but my voice was still hoarse with disuse. â€Å"Hacking up babies won't save anyone, Jeb. Now they're all dead.† He was quiet for a moment. â€Å"We can't tell your young from your old.† â€Å"No, I know that.† â€Å"Your kind don't spare our babies.† â€Å"We don't torture them, though. We never intentionally cause anyone pain.† â€Å"You do worse than that. You erase them.† â€Å"You do both.† â€Å"We do, yes-because we have to try. We have to keep fighting. It's the only way we know. It's keep trying or turn our faces to the wall and die.† He raised one eyebrow at me. That must have been what it looked like I was doing. I sighed and took the water bottle Ian had left close to my foot. I drained it in one long pull, and then cleared my throat again. â€Å"It will never work, Jeb. You can keep cutting us out in pieces, but you'll just murder more and more sentient creatures of both species. We do not willingly kill, but our bodies are not weak, either. Our attachments may look like soft silver hair, but they're stronger than your organs. That's what's happening, isn't it? Doc slices up my family, and their limbs shred through the brains of yours.† â€Å"Like cottage cheese,† he agreed. I gagged and then shuddered at the image. â€Å"It makes me sick, too,† he admitted. â€Å"Doc gets real bent out of shape. Every time he thinks he's got it cracked, it goes south again. He's tried everything he can think of, but he can't save them from getting turned into oatmeal. Your souls don't respond to injected sedation†¦ or poison.† My voice came out rough with new horror. â€Å"Of course not. Our chemical makeup is completely different.† â€Å"Once, one of yours seemed to guess what was going to happen. Before Doc could knock the human out, the silver thingy tore up his brain from the inside. Course, we didn't know that until Doc opened him up. The guy just collapsed.† I was surprised, strangely impressed. That soul must have been very brave. I had not had the courage to take that step, even in the beginning when I was sure they were going to try to torture this very information from me. I didn't imagine they would try to slash the answer out for themselves; that course was so obviously doomed to failure, it had never occurred to me. â€Å"Jeb, we are relatively tiny creatures, utterly dependent on unwilling hosts. We wouldn't have lasted very long if we didn't have some defenses.† â€Å"I'm not denying that your kind have a right to those defenses. I'm just telling you that we're gonna keep fighting back, however we can. We don't mean to cause anyone pain. We're makin' this up as we go. But we will keep fighting.† We looked at each other. â€Å"Then maybe you should have Doc slice me up. What else am I good for?† â€Å"Now, now. Don't be silly, Wanda. We humans aren't so logical as all that. We have a greater range of good and bad in us than you do. Well, maybe mostly the bad.† I nodded at that, but he kept going, ignoring me. â€Å"We value the individual. We probably put too much emphasis on the individual, if it comes right down to it. How many people, in the abstract, would†¦ let's say Paige†¦ how many people would she sacrifice to keep Andy alive? The answer wouldn't make any sense if you were looking at the whole of humanity as equals. â€Å"The way you are valued here†¦ Well, that don't make much sense when you look at it from humanity's perspective, either. But there's some who would value you above a human stranger. Have to admit, I put myself in that group. I count you as a friend, Wanda. Course, that's not gonna work well if you hate me.† â€Å"I don't hate you, Jeb. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"I just don't see how I can live here anymore. Not if you're going to be slaughtering my family in the other room. And I can't leave, obviously. So you see what I mean? What else is there for me but Doc's pointless cutting?† I shuddered. He nodded seriously. â€Å"Now, that's a real valid point. It's not fair to ask you to live with that.† My stomach dropped. â€Å"If I get a choice, I'd rather you shot me, actually,† I whispered. Jeb laughed. â€Å"Slow down there, honey. Nobody's shooting my friends, or hackin' ‘ em up. I know you're not lying, Wanda. If you say doing it our way isn't going to work, then we're going to have to rethink things. I'll tell the boys they're not to bring any more souls back for now. Besides, I think Doc's nerves are toast. He can't take much more of this.† â€Å"You could be lying to me,† I reminded him. â€Å"I probably couldn't tell.† â€Å"You'll have to trust me, then. Because I'm not going to shoot you. And I'm not going to let you starve yourself, either. Eat something, kid. That's an order.† I took a deep breath, trying to think. I wasn't sure if we'd come to an accommodation or not. Nothing made sense in this body. I liked the people here too much. They were friends. Monstrous friends that I couldn't see in the proper light while sunk in emotion. Jeb picked up a thick square of cornbread soaked through with stolen honey and shoved it into my hand. It made a mess there, crumbling into gluey morsels that stuck to my fingers. I sighed again and started cleaning them off with my tongue. â€Å"That's a girl! We'll get over this rough spot. Things are gonna work out here, you'll see. Try to think positive.† â€Å"Think positive,† I mumbled around a mouthful of food, shaking my head with disbelief. Only Jeb†¦ Ian came back then. When he walked into our circle of light and saw the food in my hand, the look that spread across his face filled me with guilt. It was a look of joyous relief. No, I had never intentionally caused anyone physical pain, but I had hurt Ian deeply enough just by hurting myself. Human lives were so impossibly tangled. What a mess. â€Å"Here you are, Jeb,† he said in a subdued voice as he sat down across from us, just slightly closer to Jeb. â€Å"Jared guessed you might be here.† I dragged myself half a foot toward him, my arms aching from being motionless so long, and put my hand on his. â€Å"Sorry,† I whispered. He turned his hand up to hold mine. â€Å"Don't apologize to me.† â€Å"I should have known. Jeb's right. Of course you fight back. How can I blame you for that?† â€Å"It's different with you here. It should have stopped.† But my being here had only made it that much more important to solve the problem. How to rip me out and keep Melanie here. How to erase me to bring her back. â€Å"All's fair in war,† I murmured, trying to smile. He grinned weakly back. â€Å"And love. You forgot that part.† â€Å"Okay, break it up,† Jeb mumbled. â€Å"I'm not done here.† I looked at him curiously. What more was there? â€Å"Now.† He took a deep breath. â€Å"Try not to freak out again, okay?† he asked, looking at me. I froze, gripping Ian's hand tighter. Ian threw an anxious glance at Jeb. â€Å"You're going to tell her?† Ian asked. â€Å"What now?† I gasped. â€Å"What is it now?† Jeb had his poker face on. â€Å"It's Jamie.† Those two words turned the world upside down again. For three long days, I'd been Wanderer, a soul among humans. I was suddenly Wanda again, a very confused soul with human emotions that were too powerful to control. I jumped to my feet-yanking Ian up with me, my hand locked on his like a vise-and then swayed, my head spinning. â€Å"Sheesh. I said don't freak out, Wanda. Jamie's okay. He's just really anxious about you. He heard what happened, and he's been asking for you-worried out of his mind, that kid is-and I don't think it's good for him. I came down here to ask you to go see him. But you can't go like this. You look horrible. It will just upset him for no good reason. Sit down and eat some more food.† â€Å"His leg?† I demanded. â€Å"There's a little infection,† Ian murmured. â€Å"Doc wants him to stay down or he'd have come to get you a long time ago. If Jared wasn't practically pinning him to the bed, he would have come anyway.† Jeb nodded. â€Å"Jared almost came here and carried you out by force, but I told him to let me speak to you first. It wouldn't do the kid any good to see you catatonic.† My blood felt as though it had changed into ice water. Surely just my imagination. â€Å"What's being done?† Jeb shrugged. â€Å"Nothin' to do. Kid's strong; he'll fight it off.† â€Å"Nothing to do? What do you mean?† â€Å"It's a bacterial infection,† Ian said. â€Å"We don't have antibiotics anymore.† â€Å"Because they don't work-the bacteria are smarter than your medicines. There has to be something better, something else.† â€Å"Well, we don't have anything else,† Jeb said. â€Å"He's a healthy kid. It just has to run its course.† â€Å"Run†¦ its†¦ course.† I murmured the words in a daze. â€Å"Eat something,† Ian urged. â€Å"You'll worry him if he sees you like this.† I rubbed my eyes, trying to think straight. Jamie was sick. There was nothing to treat him with here. No options but waiting to see if his body could heal itself. And if it couldn't†¦ â€Å"No,† I gasped. I felt as if I were standing on the edge of Walter's grave again, listening to the sound of sand falling into the darkness. â€Å"No,† I moaned, fighting against the memory. I turned mechanically and started walking with stiff strides toward the exit. â€Å"Wait,† Ian said, but he didn't pull against the hand he still held. He kept pace with me. Jeb caught up to me on the other side and shoved more food into my free hand. â€Å"Eat for the kid's sake,† he said. I bit into it without tasting, chewed without thinking, swallowed without feeling the food go down. â€Å"Knew she was gonna overreact,† Jeb grumbled. â€Å"So why did you tell her?† Ian asked, frustrated. Jeb didn't answer. I wondered why he didn't. Was this worse even than I imagined? â€Å"Is he in the hospital?† I asked in an emotionless, inflectionless voice. â€Å"No, no,† Ian assured me quickly. â€Å"He's in your room.† I didn't even feel relief. Too numb for that. I would have gone into that room again for Jamie, even if it was still reeking of blood. I didn't see the familiar caves I walked through. I barely noticed that it was day. I couldn't meet the eyes of any of the humans who stopped to stare at me. I could only put one foot in front of the other until I finally reached the hallway. There were a few people clustered in front of the seventh cave. The silk screen was pushed far aside, and they craned their necks to see into Jared's room. They were all familiar, people I'd considered friends. Jamie's friends, too. Why were they here? Was his condition so unstable that they needed to check on him often? â€Å"Wanda,† someone said. Heidi. â€Å"Wanda's here.† â€Å"Let her through,† Wes said. He slapped Jeb on the back. â€Å"Good job.† I walked through the little group without looking at them. They parted for me; I might have walked right into them if they hadn't. I couldn't concentrate on anything but moving myself forward. It was bright in the high-ceilinged room. The room itself was not crowded. Doc or Jared had kept everyone out. I was vaguely aware of Jared, leaning against the far wall with his hands clasped behind him-a posture he assumed only when he was really worried. Doc knelt beside the big bed where Jamie lay, just where I had left him. Why had I left him? Jamie's face was red and sweaty. The right leg of his jeans had been cut away, and the bandage was peeled back from his wound. It wasn't as big as I'd expected. Not as horrible as I would have imagined. Just a two-inch gash with smooth edges. But the edges were a frightening shade of red, and the skin around the cut was swollen and shiny. â€Å"Wanda,† Jamie exhaled when he saw me. â€Å"Oh, you're okay. Oh.† He took a deep breath. I stumbled and fell to my knees beside him, dragging Ian down with me. I touched Jamie's face and felt the skin burn under my hand. My elbow brushed Doc's, but I barely noticed. He scooted away, but I didn't look to see what emotion was on his face, whether it was aversion or guilt. â€Å"Jamie, baby, how are you?† â€Å"Stupid,† he said, grinning. â€Å"Just plain stupid. Can you believe this?† He gestured to his leg. â€Å"Of all the luck.† I found a wet rag on his pillow and wiped it across his forehead. â€Å"You're going to be fine,† I promised. I was surprised at how fierce my voice sounded. â€Å"Of course. It's nothing. But Jared wouldn't let me come talk to you.† His face was suddenly anxious. â€Å"I heard about†¦ and Wanda, you know I -â€Å" â€Å"Shh. Don't even think of it. If I'd had any idea you were sick I would have been here sooner.† â€Å"I'm not really sick. Just a stupid infection. I'm glad you're here, though. I hated not knowing how you were.† I couldn't swallow down the lump in my throat. Monster? My Jamie? Never. â€Å"So I heard you schooled Wes the day we got back,† Jamie said, changing the subject with a wide grin. â€Å"Man, I wish I could have seen that! I bet Melanie loved it.† â€Å"Yes, she did.† â€Å"She okay? Not too worried?† â€Å"Of course she's worried,† I murmured, watching the cloth travel across his forehead as if it were someone else's hand moving it. Melanie. Where was she? I searched through my head for her familiar voice. There was nothing but silence. Why wasn't she here? Jamie's skin was burning where my fingers brushed it. The feel of it-that unwholesome heat-should have had her in the same panic I was feeling. â€Å"You okay?† Jamie asked. â€Å"Wanda?† â€Å"I'm†¦ tired. Jamie, I'm sorry. I'm just†¦ out of it.† He eyed me carefully. â€Å"You don't look so good.† What had I done? â€Å"I haven't cleaned up in a while.† â€Å"I'm fine, you know. You should go eat or something. You're pale.† â€Å"Don't worry about me.† â€Å"I'll get you some food,† Ian said. â€Å"You hungry, kid?† â€Å"Ah†¦ no, not really.† My eyes flashed back to Jamie. Jamie was always hungry. â€Å"Send someone else,† I told Ian, gripping his hand tighter. â€Å"Sure.† His face was smooth, but I could sense both surprise and worry. â€Å"Wes, could you get some food? Something for Jamie, too. I'm sure he'll find that appetite by the time you get back.† I measured Jamie's face. He was flushed, but his eyes were bright. He would be okay for a few minutes if I left him here. â€Å"Jamie, do you mind if I go wash my face? I feel sort of†¦ grimy.† He frowned at the false note in my voice. â€Å"Course not.† I pulled Ian up with me again as I rose. â€Å"I'll be right back. I mean it this time.† He smiled at my weak joke. I felt someone's eyes on me as I left the room. Jared's or Doc's, I didn't know. I didn't care. Only Jeb still stood in the hallway now; the others had gone, reassured, perhaps, that Jamie was doing okay. Jeb's head tilted to the side, curious, as he tried to figure out what I was doing. He was surprised to see me leave Jamie's side so soon and so abruptly. He, too, had heard the sham in my excuse. I hurried past his inquisitive gaze, towing Ian with me. I dragged Ian back through the room where the tunnels to all the living quarters met in a big tangle of openings. Instead of keeping on toward the main plaza, I pulled him into one of the dark corridors, picking at random. It was deserted. â€Å"Wanda, what -â€Å" â€Å"I need you to help me, Ian.† My voice was strained, frantic. â€Å"Whatever you need. You know that.† I put my hands on either side of his face, staring into his eyes. I could barely see a glint of their blue in the darkness. â€Å"I need you to kiss me, Ian. Now. Please.†

All Conflict in Literature Is, in Its Simplest Form, a Struggle Between Good and Evil Essay

â€Å"All conflict in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil. † This statement means that all the themes and struggles in literature, when broken down to their most simplest forms, are a conflict between good and evil. Usually in conflicts, there are two sides that fight over one thing. One side is considered good, while the other side is considered bad. The people that are good do it for the right thing while the people that are bad do it for the wrong reasons. This is considered to be in every conflict when carefully analyzed. This statement is not valid because a conflict does not have to be about good and evil. A conflict can be internal, where a struggle takes place in the character’s mind. Something can happen to a character that emotional scars him or her, or cause mental instability. Also, there can be a conflict between two sides but it does not mean either one is good or evil. For example, two sides are fighting each other to gain territory from the other. Neither is good or bad because they fight for the same reason, defeating the other to take what they have. One example of a book that proves this is The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger. In this book, the main character Holden Caulfield is faced with several conflicts. Some of these conflicts include conflicts with himself and conflicts with society. Holden has a hard time dealing with everyday life and secludes himself from the outside world. He believes everyone around him is phony but in actuality, Holden is the biggest phony. Most of this is caused from the death of his brother which made him mentally instable. The conflict in this story is not about good and evil, but the fact that the main character is unable to deal with others because of the way he views things. Another book that proves this is The Iliad, by Homer. There is no good or bad in this story, because each of the characters are caught in their own conflicts. On the Greek side, Menelaus wants to defeat the Trojans and take Helen back while Agamemnon wants to take over Trojan territory. On the Trojan side, Hector wants to get rid of the Greeks while Paris wants to keep Helen. Achilles does not want to get involved in the war but he fights for the Greeks to avenge his cousin’s death. These chain of conflicts all start from Helen leaving the Trojans for Paris, which leads to the war between the Greeks and Trojans. Although most conflicts are between good and evil, they do not have to be. The first example used shows that conflicts can be internal, where a problem occurs in the character’s mind through which the character reaches a new understanding of things. The second example shows that conflicts do not have to have a good or evil in them, conflict is caused because of personal reasons. The statement given may seem true but after analyzing several books, it can be proved to be false.

Ejti Stih de Fernandez de Cordova essays

Ejti Stih de Fernandez de Cordova essays Ejti Stih de Fernandez de Cordova, a Yugoslavian-born and educated painter, resides and works in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Over the course of her active studio and exhibition career, she has exhibited her paintings throughout South America and Spain. Ejti, whom is fluent in several languages including English, lectured at the University of Georgia on Tuesday, September 21, 1999. This lecture was held in the M. Smith Griffith Auditorium in the Georgia Museum of Art. She also lectured in Dr. Cochrans Art Appreciation class in the Lamar Dodd School of Art. Although she claimed to possess a lack of confidence in front of a large audience, I believe she portrayed herself brilliantly. Ejtis work is darkly humorous and filled with socio-political satire. She paints metaphorically in an expressionistic and exaggerated style, which is similar to other artists such as Jack Levine. She has been compared to Levine because of her ability to distort or pervert all genders in society, politics, religion, and sexuality with her sarcastic and ironic style. One might differentiate Ejti for her ability to distort reality and her use of symbols and stylization to give objective expression to her inner experience. Ejti also creates book, magazine, poster, and newspaper illustrations. Occasionally, she produces ceramic sculptures and prints, and has been known to design costumes for theatrical performances. During her visit to Dr. Cochrans class, Ejti discussed her twenty-five year career in the arts and the nature of her work. She believes that an artists work is derived from his or her surroundings and society, and that the work should clearly represent what the artist thinks. Ejti focused on the fact that the audience should direct their attention to the work first, and then, they should look at the title only as an extra layer to the work in order to identify s ...

Baz Luhrmanns Romeo And Juliet Review Film Studies Essay

Baz Luhrmanns Romeo And Juliet Review Film Studies Essay Baz Luhrmann brings a unique visual style to William Shakespeare’s renaissance tragedy â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†. Set in a modern Verona Beach, Luhrmann sets the assertive and trendy tone of his adaptation within a decaying Miami City. Within minutes, the opening TV prologue hurls us into the white-hot intensity of the two warring families, bombarding the audience with chaotic action scenes and passion. Constructing an edgy and dynamic environment, his brash interpretation uses rapid cuts and erratic zooming techniques to create a comic strip style sequence against the multicultural backdrop of the graffiti scattered streets of Verona. Though effective, the restlessness of the camera becomes confusing, slicing the action into short, sharp images that can mystify rather than illuminate. Such fervent action so soon into the film is dizzying and unexpected. Luhrmann attracts the audience with his lively cinema style, speeding up the action to hype up the confrontation and t he rivalry of the two families alongside an intense soundtrack of contemporary and popular music. As a contemporary film director, Luhrmann clearly values the younger audience who would usually only come into contact with Shakespeare in a school environment. This could explain the roaring energy of car engines and elaborate guns instead of horses and swords originally used in earlier productions. Encompassing the elegance of Shakespeare’s text, Luhrmann introduces the â€Å"star crossed lovers† in a tender exchange of affectionate eye contact across the shimmering light of an aquarium. The pair follow each other across the length of the glass in an enduring and delicately youthful and romantic moment, capturing the innocence of the fated pair. Luhrmann creates a sensual and glamorously romantic atmosphere whenever the lovers meet alone. The balcony and swimming pool scene in particular surrounds the pair in a glimmering sheen of water and light. Luhrmann’s use o f atmospheric lighting leaves the audience to swoon, drinking in the glow of the dreamy eyed couple as they exchange their most iconic and enduring dialogue. Though their love is prohibited by tradition, ego and prejudice in the society of Verona, Luhrmann exposes Shkespeare’s drama to a contemporary world without limits, modernising the play with radical scenes of drug use, drag queens and public brawls. A couple so concerned with the traditional morals of their families in a world of law breaking and promiscuity comes as a stark contrast which at times, is unconvincing. As the audience enjoy the rowdy and loose morality at the Capulet Ball, it is initially somewhat difficult to believe that two young people in love would not act upon their passionate attraction. However, the undeniable beauty of the couple’s love is infectious. As they lie in the church lit by thousands of candles, the beauty of Shakespeare’s romantic tale is undeniable in the soft, atmospheri c style with which Luhrmann combines light and opulent religious design to glamorize the tragic scene in which the love affair comes to an end. The language used in this film is lifted from the pages of Shakespeare’s text; which is surprising and pleasing as the dialogue fits seamlessly into the style of the film. Luhrmann has stripped the dialogue right down the necessities in order to sell to a commercial younger audience who may not understand the complexities of the original dialogue. The bare bones of the text are delivered confidently, notably by Friar Lawrence. Actor Pete Postlethwaite’s portrayal of the Friar as a new age herbalist gives the audience a glimpse of Shakespearean imagery and rhythm as he optimistically agrees to marry the pair in a bid to turn the â€Å"household’s rancour to pure love†. Similarly, Harold Perrineau’s portrayal of Mercutio adds an exotic and audacious tempo to the film. Perrineau portrays him as entrancing and compelling, emphasising Shakespeare’s skilfully witty character, which becomes most poignant during his speech before they are due at the house of Capulet. The volatile style in which he presents this famous speech builds from a jovial and bawdy exchange with Romeo at the steps of a run-down theatre, to an explosive and passionate conclusion. Delivered naturally, Luhrmann heightens suspense by climaxing the speech with a furiously bright light and sound of a single firework. The audience are brought to a peak of tension and anticipation, unsure where this volatile character will take them next.

Americas defense spending Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Americas defense spending - Essay Example the portion of the United States federal budget set aside for any expenses on behalf of the Department of Defense and defense-related expenditures in general. This includes the training, salaries, and caring for all military and civilian personnel, along with maintenance of facilities and equipment, in all branches of the United States military. This expansive definition of defense spending puts the 2009 Department of Defense figure at approximately $1 trillion (Higgs). Such an expansion in the budget for defense inevitably follows as a direct consequence of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. These two conflicts fuel the rapidly expanding allocation of federal tax revenue into defense. The efficacy of these expenditures in bringing about meaningful or measurable benefits for the American people is subject to some debate, as well as the issue of whether to increase the already overwhelming figures related to military budgets. Convincing arguments can be made for each side, w hich makes the question of increasing defense spending difficult to resolve in simple terms. In 2009, approximately 21% of the United States federal budget, and 24% of federal tax revenues, is allocated to the Department of Defense, with an additional 10% to 17% allocated to defense spending outside of the Department of Defense. Annually, military budgets expand by approximately 9%, and have done so since 2000 (Congressional Budget Office). In this time, total Department of Defense spending adds up to 4.8% of the U.S. GDP, which is not historically high, even while the Department of Defense budget, in absolute terms, is the highest it has been in history. A roughly 1% expansion in defense spending would put that 4.8% plateau of GDP back into peak military spending seen during the climax of the Cold War immediately before the collapse of the Soviet Union. The immediate impact, or tangible result, of this expansion is unclear. Nevertheless, arguments can be made for further incremental