Wednesday, July 31, 2019

How Vampirism Is Depicted in Dracula by Stoker and I Am a Legend by Richard Matheson Essay

Vampires are creatures that are believed to feed on flesh blood of living things and especially human beings. From the novels, vampires evolved from dead human beings and came back to life with more powers than them making them super humans. To understand vampires’ evolution, different myths were developed across the world. Ancient Persia recorded their first history as most Greek and Roman myths tried to expound further on their evolution. In the history recordings, vampires were depicted as huge creatures who struggled with human beings to feed on their blood. They further differed with human being in that; they could not age or contract diseases. Their immunity to diseases prevented them infections from human beings when they fed on their flesh and blood. Although many history recordings argued on traditional history, there existed some modern vampires that first appeared in Europe. In contrast, myths also recorded a different category of vampires whose origin was not from dead human beings but with temporal incarnation between humans and vampire. This category included blood thirsty goddesses, who were classified as Stinges, Lamiae and Empusae that fed on blood occasionally. Vampirism                  Vampirism can be defined as the act of feeding on flesh and blood of living things other than vampires. When feeding the blood of human beings, vampires bite the victims’ neck sucking out large volumes of blood. Through neck biting, they are able to injure the carotid artery, which is the major artery that transports blood to the brain hence paralyzing the victim and sucking the whole blood. Vampirism is regarded as a belief of one gaining supernatural powers and feeding on human beings blood in the folklore and popular culture. Stoker tried to expound on vampires by using them as characters in his book Dracula. In this book, Dracula, who is a vampire, is the main character. The author explained how the vampire had lived for many years, which was atypical for a normal human being. Similarly, Richard Matheson book was dominated by vampires who were created by infusion of viruses. Although people could be infected with vampirism virus, Matheson brings out the nature of immunity where one of his characters Robert Neville never contracted vampirism despite being infected. He was immune to the virus though he had unique human characteristics such as blond hair and blue eyes. Matheson described Neville as an educated medical researcher who concentrated on the research on vampirism only to find out that his blood was infected though immune to the virus. Vampires in the Text                  Stoker used different vampire characters to construct his book story. Dracula, the most dominant vampire in the story was described as the king by other characters such as Van Heslin. He was very powerful and he could control nature as well as living creatures such as wild animals. In addition, Dracula has the ability to incarnate to a bat, werewolf and change his victims into vampires through infections. His ability to hypnotize his victims gave him control over them and avoided being hurt by others. Despite his powerful nature, Dracula had a number of weaknesses as described herein. His powers were limited by reflecting him on reflective objects such as mirrors. This was evidenced when Jonathan tried to reflect his image on a shaving mirror. He lost his powers and became weak to the extent of being controlled by another person. Stoker emphasized in his book, despite the weakness, it was hard to fully destroy Dracula. More weaknesses emerged as holy symb ols and garlic repelled him and his sleep was on the fate of ancestors and the native land. He did not have ability to cross river, which water was following unless supported my men or the luck of the water. This showed how he could be controlled or destroyed in cases he became so dangerous. Matheson classified vampires in two categories, which included the dead and the living ones. Similarly, as Stokers described, he depicts vampires as being repulsive to garlic and holy symbols. For example, Christian vampires feared the cross as it was a sign of holiness. Matheson explained how Neville destroyed vampires by exposing them to sunlight, inflicting large wounds and staking them with wooden spike. Comparison between the Two Works                  Both authors acknowledged garlic and religious symbols as repellant to vampires. For example, Ruth recoiled violently when Neville handed garlic over her in Matheson book and Dracula when dining with Jonathan avoided feeding on garlic. In both texts, vampires relied on flesh and blood as their main food that strengthened them. For example, Dracula in the first paragraph almost attacks Jonathan when he cuts himself. Vampires are depicted feeding on blood by Matheson and he uses the phrase blood thirst to emphasize on their need of blood. Superstition is also another theme that was described in both books. Stocker explained how Van Helsing and Seward followed the garlic superstitions from the old country where they were believed to ward off spirits by protecting themselves by them. Religious symbols such as bread and cross represented Christ and his Body (stoker 123). Despite Neville’s ability to destroy vampires, he still used garlic to protect himself strengthening the theme of superstitions in the text. Both authors described vampirism as contagious from vampires to normal people. People who survived attack by vampires were infected through bites and insects. For example, Neville was infected by vampirism and his immune ability prevented him from transformation to vampire. In both books, vampires appeared to be enemies of the normal people. In I Am a Legend, the human race was insignificant as most of them were destroyed and killed by vampires. Moreover, Neville struggles with vampires and kill most of his encounters at nights. Stoker explained how Helsing had lived wanting to conquer and destroy the Dracula and how people continuously warned him and Jonathan against close association with the monster Dracula. The conspiracy, fights, and killings between vampires and the normal human beings is an evidence of enmity between the two races. In both books, vampires’ body circulations were totally different from those of normal human beings. For example, when Neville killed a woman vampire for research in Matheson’s book, he found that her body contained rows of salt and pepper mixed the same ratios (Matheson 60). Similarly, Stoker explained how vampirism victims could not be transfused with blood from normal people and their fate was solely on supernatural powers to heal them. On the other hand both books described contrasting characters on vampire and discussed below. Vampires described by Stoker were difficult to destroy and kill and were only destabilized by refection. On contrary, vampires described by Matheson were easily killed by exposure of sunlight and infliction of wound that were staked. According to stoker, vampires were as a result of the work with supernatural evil spirits that were connected to dead. In contrast, Matheson wrote that vampires were created by infusion of microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses. Matheson described the evolution and development of vampires as progressive. That is, they grew from young to strong creatures that mutated at some points and they could spend some times in the sun. Stoker described vampires’ development as retrogressive, growing from old weak creature to young strong creature through feeding of blood. Stoker work was based on religious beliefs and his main aim was to strengthen and restore r eligious faith in the society. He did this by creating a scenario where vampires who were believed to be evil became afraid of holy symbols and supreme powers. It was learnt from the text that, vampires feared holy waters and for that reasons people could protect themselves from them. Dracula represented devil and this was expressed more by name of his home in London, Piccadilly. The word appears to be close to the word peccadillo â€Å"a slight offence† or sin (Merriam-Webster 530). Matheson work in contrary was not based on spirituality. His entire book denounces the interrelationship between God and humanity as evidenced by Neville when he did not depend on invisible beings when trying to destroy and kill vampires. He was more dependent on his vampire research, which was facilitated by his medical research career. According to science, the reliance on invisible being appears absurd and science does not validate it. In both books, the concepts of vampirism indicate the wickedness of humankind as it is concerned with termination of life and shedding of blood. This is against the societies norms and values and the books were written to address the evils. Matheson brought out vampires in his book as unique and modified enabling them to be more alluring to the intended target audience. This was contradictory to those in Stoker’s book where they were depicted as monsters of devil’s associates thus attracting believers as the main audience. This would help the believers appreciate the mighty power of God that made devil afraid as evidence by Dracula avoiding religious symbols. On the other hand, the target audiences for Matheson work are mainly non-believers as most of the characters such as Neville were never afraid of super beings or supernatural powers. He uses the assumption that the doctoring of individuals affects what they fear and what they do not (Matheson123). Neville discovered the reflective character of vampires in Matheson book, which was opposed to those described by Stoker (Matheson 16). In the book, I Am a Legend, Neville searches a scientific cure for vampirism from his blood due to its immunity unique character on vampirism. Although his initial trials to heal vampires had aborted, he continued to search for a solution ceaselessly. Fortunately, he found the cure, which could depress the vampires thirst for blood thus reducing their threats on human beings. This was the not the case in the text of Dracula. Vampires in both books appear as creatures, societies uphold their beliefs and norms without permitting vampires to despise them. Despite the vampires being hostile to people, they struggled to push the out of the society and denounced their evil deed across the society through eliminating them. Society struggled to push Dracula out of the society but his unnatural power defended him and the society attempts were in vain. Their fear of evil spirits prevented them from his attack and instead hoped for a savior who will come for their help. The society saw Helsing as their savior and their belief in God. He was a well-learned doctor who had an open mind and thus was probable the person to save them (Stoker 109). The two books targeted the evils in the society by addressing them and trying to bring people closer to a supreme being, God. Perhaps, the society was full of evils at the time of writing and so it was necessary to address the issues through text. It can also be assumed that, people used texts or books to learn most of the things in the societies and thus there was need to use the medium to communicate exclusively to the people. From the fact that Christianity (Church) was evident in the texts, the authors revolved their writings around it acknowledging God as the protector of human race from all sources of evils such as vampires in the book society. The individuals were protected by religious artifacts that was evidenced by possession of religious symbols by Helsing had religious items such as holy waters, which helped to protect the society from evils. Matheson described Neville as having tattoo of a cross which served as vampire repellant thus to some extent having religious belie fs. Not much was explained in the about Christianity and the church. Some of the people in the society were enlightened and had both scientific knowledge and religious beliefs to deal with the evils associated with the vampires. The authors of the books were skilled and considered perception of the people when writing so that they could be able reach and impact on the people’s ways of life. For a typical author, he or she must be able to understand his or her audience in order to deliver a relevant message and in an appropriate way without provoking them. Matheson and Stoker used this aspect and combined it with the knowledge of vampires and their attitude in the society. The use of vampires in both books was fundamental as they depicted the evils in the modern that are caused by various abnormalities as Matheson explained one of the cause to be the second world war. Therefore, by use of reality and fiction, the authors were able to prove their worthiness in literature and society. Conclusion                  Both books used vampires to deliver their messages to the respective societies. They depicted societies that were full of hostilities and blood spilling between vampires and normal human race. Although the vampires in both books had common characteristics such as feeding on human blood, they exhibited slight differences on their evolution and development. The books attracted varied audiences with Dracula attracting audience of vampires who knew Dracula as the best vampire in history. The books addressed the political views of the time with Stocker in being more concerned on Europe where the church was prominent in the political scene with believers as rulers such kings and queens. In the Matheson book, the issue of the world war was described as politically influenced and depicted how mankind would be swept off on earth by stronger weapons than nuclear if wars were to recur. References Dunnigan, James F. How to Make War. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2003. Print Matheson, Richard. I am Legend. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, 1954. Print Stoker, Bram, and Leonard Wolf, ed. The Annotated Dracula. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc. Publisher, 1975. Print Source document

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

A Game of Thrones Chapter Seventy-two

Daenerys The land was red and dead and parched, and good wood was hard to come by. Her foragers returned with gnarled cottonwoods, purple brush, sheaves of brown grass. They took the two straightest trees, hacked the limbs and branches from them, skinned off their bark, and split them, laying the logs in a square. Its center they filled with straw, brush, bark shavings, and bundles of dry grass. Rakharo chose a stallion from the small herd that remained to them; he was not the equal of Khal Drogo's red, but few horses were. In the center of the square, Aggo fed him a withered apple and dropped him in an instant with an axe blow between the eyes. Bound hand and foot, Mirri Maz Duur watched from the dust with disquiet in her black eyes. â€Å"It is not enough to kill a horse,† she told Dany. â€Å"By itself, the blood is nothing. You do not have the words to make a spell, nor the wisdom to find them. Do you think bloodmagic is a game for children? You call me maegi as if it were a curse, but all it means is wise. You are a child, with a child's ignorance. Whatever you mean to do, it will not work. Loose me from these bonds and I will help you.† â€Å"I am tired of the maegi's braying,† Dany told Jhogo. He took his whip to her, and after that the godswife kept silent. Over the carcass of the horse, they built a platform of hewn logs; trunks of smaller trees and limbs from the greater, and the thickest straightest branches they could find. They laid the wood east to west, from sunrise to sunset. On the platform they piled Khal Drogo's treasures: his great tent, his painted vests, his saddles and harness, the whip his father had given him when he came to manhood, the arakh he had used to slay Khal Ogo and his son, a mighty dragonbone bow. Aggo would have added the weapons Drogo's bloodriders had given Dany for bride gifts as well, but she forbade it. â€Å"Those are mine,† she told him, â€Å"and I mean to keep them.† Another layer of brush was piled about the khal's treasures, and bundles of dried grass scattered over them. Ser Jorah Mormont drew her aside as the sun was creeping toward its zenith. â€Å"Princess . . . † he began. â€Å"Why do you call me that?† Dany challenged him. â€Å"My brother Viserys was your king, was he not?† â€Å"He was, my lady.† â€Å"Viserys is dead. I am his heir, the last blood of House Targaryen. Whatever was his is mine now.† â€Å"My . . . queen,† Ser Jorah said, going to one knee. â€Å"My sword that was his is yours, Dacnerys. And my heart as well, that never belonged to your brother. I am only a knight, and I have nothing to offer you but exile, but I beg you, hear me. Let Khal Drogo go. You shall not be alone. I promise you, no man shall take you to Vaes Dothrak unless you wish to go. You need not join the dosh khaleen. Come east with me. Yi Ti, Qarth, the JadeSea, Asshai by the Shadow. We will see all the wonders yet unseen, and drink what wines the gods see fit to serve us. Please, Khaleesi. I know what you intend. Do not. Do not.† â€Å"I must,† Dany told him. She touched his face, fondly, sadly. â€Å"You do not understand.† â€Å"I understand that you loved him,† Ser Jorah said in a voice thick with despair. â€Å"I loved my lady wife once, yet I did not die with her. You are my queen, my sword is yours, but do not ask me to stand aside as you climb on Drogo's pyre. I will not watch you burn.† â€Å"Is that what you fear?† Dany kissed him lightly on his broad forehead. â€Å"I am not such a child as that, sweet ser.† â€Å"You do not mean to die with him? You swear it, my queen?† â€Å"I swear it,† she said in the Common Tongue of the Seven Kingdoms that by rights were hers. The third level of the platform was woven of branches no thicker than a finger, and covered with dry leaves and twigs. They laid them north to south, from ice to fire, and piled them high with soft cushions and sleeping silks. The sun had begun to lower toward the west by the time they were done. Dany called the Dothraki around her. Fewer than a hundred were left. How many had Aegon started with? she wondered. It did not matter. â€Å"You will be my khalasar,† she told them. â€Å"I see the faces of slaves. I free you. Take off your collars. Go if you wish, no one shall harm you. If you stay, it will be as brothers and sisters, husbands and wives.† The black eyes watched her, wary, expressionless. â€Å"I see the children, women, the wrinkled faces of the aged. I was a child yesterday. Today I am a woman. Tomorrow I will be old. To each of you I say, give me your hands and your hearts, and there will always be a place for you.† She turned to the three young warriors of her khas. â€Å"Jhogo, to you I give the silver-handled whip that was my bride gift, and name you ko, and ask your oath, that you will live and die as blood of my blood, riding at my side to keep me safe from harm.† Jhogo took the whip from her hands, but his face was confused. â€Å"Khaleesi, † he said hesitantly, â€Å"this is not done. It would shame me, to be bloodrider to a woman.† â€Å"Aggo,† Dany called, paying no heed to Jhogo's words. If I look back I am lost. â€Å"To you I give the dragonbone bow that was my bride gift.† It was double-curved, shiny black and exquisite, taller than she was. â€Å"I name you ko, and ask your oath, that you should live and die as blood of my blood, riding at my side to keep me safe from harm.† Aggo accepted the bow with lowered eyes. â€Å"I cannot say these words. Only a man can lead a khalasar or name a ko.† â€Å"Rakharo,† Dany said, turning away from the refusal, â€Å"you shall have the great arakh that was my bride gift, with hilt and blade chased in gold. And you too I name my ko, and ask that you live and die as blood of my blood, riding at my side to keep me safe from harm.† â€Å"You are khaleesi,† Rakharo said, taking the arakh. â€Å"I shall ride at your side to Vaes Dothrak beneath the Mother of Mountains, and keep you safe from harm until you take your place with the crones of the dosh khaleen. No more can I promise.† She nodded, as calmly as if she had not heard his answer, and turned to the last of her champions. â€Å"Ser Jorah Mormont,† she said, â€Å"first and greatest of my knights, I have no bride gift to give you, but I swear to you, one day you shall have from my hands a longsword like none the world has ever seen, dragon-forged and made of Valyrian steel. And I would ask for your oath as well.† â€Å"You have it, my queen,† Ser Jorah said, kneeling to lay his sword at her feet. â€Å"I vow to serve you, to obey you, to die for you if need be.† â€Å"Whatever may come?† â€Å"Whatever may come.† â€Å"I shall hold you to that oath. I pray you never regret the giving of it.† Dany lifted him to his feet. Stretching on her toes to reach his lips, she kissed the knight gently and said, â€Å"You are the first of my Queensguard.† She could feel the eyes of the khalasar on her as she entered her tent. The Dothraki were muttering and giving her strange sideways looks from the corners of their dark almond eyes. They thought her mad, Dany realized. Perhaps she was. She would know soon enough. If I look back I am lost. Her bath was scalding hot when Irri helped her into the tub, but Dany did not flinch or cry aloud. She liked the heat. It made her feel clean. Jhiqui had scented the water with the oils she had found in the market in Vaes Dothrak; the steam rose moist and fragrant. Doreah washed her hair and combed it out, working loose the mats and tangles. Irri scrubbed her back. Dany closed her eyes and let the smell and the warmth enfold her. She could feel the heat soaking through the soreness between her thighs. She shuddered when it entered her, and her pain and stiffness seemed to dissolve. She floated. When she was clean, her handmaids helped her from the water. Irri and Jhiqui fanned her dry, while Doreah brushed her hair until it fell like a river of liquid silver down her back. They scented her with spiceflower and cinnamon; a touch on each wrist, behind her ears, on the tips of her milk-heavy breasts. The last dab was for her sex. Irri's finger felt as light and cool as a lover's kiss as it slid softly up between her lips. Afterward, Dany sent them all away, so she might prepare Khal Drogo for his final ride into the night lands. She washed his body clean and brushed and oiled his hair, running her fingers through it for the last time, feeling the weight of it, remembering the first time she had touched it, the night of their wedding ride. His hair had never been cut. How many men could die with their hair uncut? She buried her face in it and inhaled the dark fragrance of the oils. He smelled like grass and warm earth, like smoke and semen and horses. He smelled like Drogo. Forgive me, sun of my life, she thought. Forgive me for all I have done and all I must do. I paid the price, my star, but it was too high, too high . . . Dany braided his hair and slid the silver rings onto his mustache and hung his bells one by one. So many bells, gold and silver and bronze. Bells so his enemies would hear him coming and grow weak with fear. She dressed him in horsehair leggings and high boots, buckling a belt heavy with gold and silver medallions about his waist. Over his scarred chest she slipped a painted vest, old and faded, the one Drogo had loved best. For herself she chose loose sandsilk trousers, sandals that laced halfway up her legs, and a vest like Drogo's. The sun was going down when she called them back to carry his body to the pyre. The Dothraki watched in silence as Jhogo and Aggo bore him from the tent. Dany walked behind them. They laid him down on his cushions and silks, his head toward the Mother of Mountains far to the northeast. â€Å"Oil,† she commanded, and they brought forth the jars and poured them over the pyre, soaking the silks and the brush and the bundles of dry grass, until the oil trickled from beneath the logs and the air was rich with fragrance. â€Å"Bring my eggs,† Dany commanded her handmaids. Something in her voice made them run. Ser Jorah took her arm. â€Å"My queen, Drogo will have no use for dragon's eggs in the night lands. Better to sell them in Asshai. Sell one and we can buy a ship to take us back to the Free Cities. Sell all three and you will be a wealthy woman all your days.† â€Å"They were not given to me to sell,† Dany told him. She climbed the pyre herself to place the eggs around her sun-and-stars. The black beside his heart, under his arm. The green beside his head, his braid coiled around it. The cream-and-gold down between his legs. When she kissed him for the last time, Dany could taste the sweetness of the oil on his lips. As she climbed down off the pyre, she noticed Mirri Maz Duur watching her. â€Å"You are mad,† the godswife said hoarsely. â€Å"Is it so far from madness to wisdom?† Dany asked. â€Å"Ser Jorah, take this maegi and bind her to the pyre.† â€Å"To the . . . my queen, no, hear me . . . â€Å" â€Å"Do as I say.† Still he hesitated, until her anger flared. â€Å"You swore to obey me, whatever might come. Rakharo, help him.† The godswife did not cry out as they dragged her to Khal Drogo's pyre and staked her down amidst his treasures. Dany poured the oil over the woman's head herself. â€Å"I thank you, Mirri Maz Duur,† she said, â€Å"for the lessons you have taught me.† â€Å"You will not hear me scream,† Mirri responded as the oil dripped from her hair and soaked her clothing. â€Å"I will,† Dany said, â€Å"but it is not your screams I want, only your life. I remember what you told me. Only death can pay for life.† Mirri Maz Duur opened her mouth, but made no reply. As she stepped away, Dany saw that the contempt was gone from the maegi's flat black eyes; in its place was something that might have been fear. Then there was nothing to be done but watch the sun and look for the first star. When a horselord dies, his horse is slain with him, so he might ride proud into the night lands. The bodies are burned beneath the open sky, and the khal rises on his fiery steed to take his place among the stars. The more fiercely the man burned in life, the brighter his star will shine in the darkness. Jhogo spied it first. â€Å"There,† he said in a hushed voice. Dany looked and saw it, low in the east. The first star was a comet, burning red. Bloodred; fire red; the dragon's tail. She could not have asked for a stronger sign. Dany took the torch from Aggo's hand and thrust it between the logs. The oil took the fire at once, the brush and dried grass a heartbeat later. Tiny flames went darting up the wood like swift red mice, skating over the oil and leaping from bark to branch to leaf. A rising heat puffed at her face, soft and sudden as a lover's breath, but in seconds it had grown too hot to bear. Dany stepped backward. The wood crackled, louder and louder. Mirri Maz Duur began to sing in a shrill, ululating voice. The flames whirled and writhed, racing each other up the platform. The dusk shimmered as the air itself seemed to liquefy from the heat. Dany heard logs spit and crack. The fires swept over Mirri Maz Duur. Her song grew louder, shriller . . . then she gasped, again and again, and her song became a shuddering wail, thin and high and full of agony. And now the flames reached her Drogo, and now they were all around him. His clothing took fire, and for an instant the khal was clad in wisps of floating orange silk and tendrils of curling smoke, grey and greasy. Dany's lips parted and she found herself holding her breath. Part of her wanted to go to him as Ser Jorah had feared, to rush into the flames to beg for his forgiveness and take him inside her one last time, the fire melting the flesh from their bones until they were as one, forever. She could smell the odor of burning flesh, no different than horseflesh roasting in a firepit. The pyre roared in the deepening dusk like some great beast, drowning out the fainter sound of Mirri Maz Duur's screaming and sending up long tongues of flame to lick at the belly of the night. As the smoke grew thicker, the Dothraki backed away, coughing. Huge orange gouts of fire unfurled their banners in that hellish wind, the logs hissing and cracking, glowing cinders rising on the smoke to float away into the dark like so many newborn fireflies. The heat beat at the air with great red wings, driving the Dothraki back, driving off even Mormont, but Dany stood her ground. She was the blood of the dragon, and the fire was in her. She had sensed the truth of it long ago, Dany thought as she took a step closer to the conflagration, but the brazier had not been hot enough. The flames writhed before her like the women who had danced at her wedding, whirling and singing and spinning their yellow and orange and crimson veils, fearsome to behold, yet lovely, so lovely, alive with heat. Dany opened her arms to them, her skin flushed and glowing. This is a wedding, too, she thought. Mirri Maz Duur had fallen silent. The godswife thought her a child, but children grow, and children learn. Another step, and Dany could feel the heat of the sand on the soles of her feet, even through her sandals. Sweat ran down her thighs and between her breasts and in rivulets over her cheeks, where tears had once run. Ser Jorah was shouting behind her, but he did not matter anymore, only the fire mattered. The flames were so beautiful, the loveliest things she had ever seen, each one a sorcerer robed in yellow and orange and scarlet, swirling long smoky cloaks. She saw crimson firelions and great yellow serpents and unicorns made of pale blue flame; she saw fish and foxes and monsters, wolves and bright birds and flowering trees, each more beautiful than the last. She saw a horse, a great grey stallion limned in smoke, its flowing mane a nimbus of blue flame. Yes, my love, my sun-and-stars, yes, mount now, ride now. Her vest had begun to smolder, so Dany shrugged it off and let it fall to the ground. The painted leather burst into sudden flame as she skipped closer to the fire, her breasts bare to the blaze, streams of milk flowing from her red and swollen nipples. Now, she thought, now, and for an instant she glimpsed Khal Drogo before her, mounted on his smoky stallion, a flaming lash in his hand. He smiled, and the whip snaked down at the pyre, hissing. She heard a crack, the sound of shattering stone. The platform of wood and brush and grass began to shift and collapse in upon itself. Bits of burning wood slid down at her, and Dany was showered with ash and cinders. And something else came crashing down, bouncing and rolling, to land at her feet; a chunk of curved rock, pale and veined with gold, broken and smoking. The roaring filled the world, yet dimly through the firefall Dany heard women shriek and children cry out in wonder. Only death can pay for life. And there came a second crack, loud and sharp as thunder, and the smoke stirred and whirled around her and the pyre shifted, the logs exploding as the fire touched their secret hearts. She heard the screams of frightened horses, and the voices of the Dothraki raised in shouts of fear and terror, and Ser Jorah calling her name and cursing. No, she wanted to shout to him, no, my good knight, do not fear for me. The fire is mine. I am Daenerys Stormborn, daughter of dragons, bride of dragons, mother of dragons, don't you see? Don't you SEE? With a belch of flame and smoke that reached thirty feet into the sky, the pyre collapsed and came down around her. Unafraid, Dany stepped forward into the firestorm, calling to her children. The third crack was as loud and sharp as the breaking of the world. When the fire died at last and the ground became cool enough to walk upon, Ser Jorah Mormont found her amidst the ashes, surrounded by blackened logs and bits of glowing ember and the burnt bones of man and woman and stallion. She was naked, covered with soot, her clothes turned to ash, her beautiful hair all crisped away . . . yet she was unhurt. The cream-and-gold dragon was suckling at her left breast, the green-and-bronze at the right. Her arms cradled them close. The black-and-scarlet beast was draped across her shoulders, its long sinuous neck coiled under her chin. When it saw Jorah, it raised its head and looked at him with eyes as red as coals. Wordless, the knight fell to his knees. The men of her khas came up behind him. Jhogo was the first to lay his arakh at her feet. â€Å"Blood of my blood,† he murmured, pushing his face to the smoking earth. â€Å"Blood of my blood,† she heard Aggo echo. â€Å"Blood of my blood,† Rakharo shouted. And after them came her handmaids, and then the others, all the Dothraki, men and women and children, and Dany had only to look at their eyes to know that they were hers now, today and tomorrow and forever, hers as they had never been Drogo's. As Daenerys Targaryen rose to her feet, her black hissed, pale smoke venting from its mouth and nostrils. The other two pulled away from her breasts and added their voices to the call, translucent wings unfolding and stirring the air, and for the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons. THE END

Monday, July 29, 2019

Business Policy

Produce a high quality products * Diversity and variety in products offered * Large market share (16% of global footwear market) * Major sponsor for a number of global sporting events * Purchasing of Reebok * Adidas has a Global Presence with over 2400 stores worldwide in a variety of regions. These alone account for nearly â‚ ¬2. 8bil. * Famous sports stars advertising products – Adidas has a series of football superstars who wear and advertise their products, including David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Stephen Gerrard etc. Weaknesses High prices in some products * Online customer service not helpful or easy to find * Not utilizing Reebok * Stiff competition and similar big brands means customers have high brand switching * The products can sometimes be costly due to innovative technology or production method * E-commerce is limited to USA Opportunities * Entering the Asian market, China is the fastest growing economy in the world. * Entering the female market * Social trend and popularity of social media sites such as Facebook, allowing Adidas to interact directly and build relationships with potential and current customers. Sponsorship of global sports events which improves the company’s global brand. These include an 11 year sponsorship on the NBA, the 2012 GB Olympic Games and the continued sponsorship of the FIFA WC. * Tie-up with emerging sports teams/clubs/players internationally * Collaborate with other online retailers to offer Adidas products Threats * Nike competition. Nike has strong reputation in the footwear and apparel industry * Global economic downturn. * Increase in the Price of Raw materials * Competition from designers such as Hugo Boss and Lacoste. * fake imitations affect brand image

Sunday, July 28, 2019

(help me make the topic) Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

(help me make the topic) - Research Proposal Example Researchers have had varying opinions on this subject. The purpose of this research is to determine the impact of government expenditure of economic growth of USA in order to eliminate the confusion revolving around this phenomenon. USA has the largest national economy. Its nominal GDP was estimated to be $15.8 trillion in the third quarter of 2012. This represents a quarter of the global nominal GDP. The 2007 credit crunch in the world began in the US economy leading to serious economic problems such as increased levels of unemployment and high levels of public debt. This led to increased government intervention in the economy to fasten recovery from the recession. Government intervention came in the form of increased expenditure in stimulus programs and change of macroeconomic policies. The total expenditure in 2012 was $3.796 trillion and has been on the increase throughout the past decade (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 24). According to Keynesian economics, an increase in government expenditure causes an increase in GDP via the multiplier effect. According to Keynes, GDP is a function of consumption expenditure, investment expenditure, government expenditure and net exports. There is therefore a positive relationship between a government expenditure and economic growth (Stefan and Magnus 1510). However, researchers have had different views on this subject. According to by Richard Rahn, government spending lead to increased economic growth up to some optimal level above which the economy begins to contract. Proponents of the Rahn curve theory suggest that optimal government expenditure should be between 15% and 25% of GDP (Surhone, Tennoe, Henssonow 10). In a study comparing the Anglo-American Model and European Models, James, Robert and Randall (20) studies the impact of government structure and size on economic development. The paper concludes that the government is able

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 55

Assignment Example The packaging is commendable as it keeps the drinks fresh, hygienic and portable. The corporation operates as a franchise. Above all, it has some of the most qualified employees to ensure high levels expertise in the respective fields. The return policy for this corporation is clear and reasonable in all its member country. 97% of its waste products get recycled helping in environmental preservation (Gaughan, 495). The corporation has a high annual turnover of up to $35 billion per year. This shows the level of profitability of this corporation. The pricing strategies differ depending on the clientele in its member countries. For example, premium pricing could be used in countries known to be economically stable since the consumers would not feel the burden as such.. This pricing strategy could also be used in an introduction of a new brand into the market. In other countries, penetration pricing could be used so as to enable the product penetrate through the market. Therefore, the corporation employs different pricing systems depending on the nature of the clientele bearing in mind that, as a franchise, it has to operate under the laws of its member countries. The corporation has favorable credit terms that are commendable by many dealers. The prices of its products are on the packages. This helps in ensuring price control so that retailers do not take due advantage to sell the product beyond the required prices (Gaughan, 495). In most of its member countries, the corporation enjoys quite a wide range of publicity. The corporation has managed to employ a distinctive marketing strategy that outdoes those of the existing companies in the member countries. The corporation engages itself in philanthropic activities in such a manner that it makes itself known to the inhabitants of its member countries. It also sponsors some activities, for example, the London 2012 Olympics. The corporation sometimes

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Developing Business Plans. (Quick Take Expresso) Essay

Developing Business Plans. (Quick Take Expresso) - Essay Example The company will be a partnership business with two partners who will manage the regular business activities. Each owner will have share of 50% and assist each other with accounting and back office support. Quick Take Expresso is liable to pay income tax on its gross profits. The owners will have to handle all legal, monetary and managerial duties concerning business. The partnership business structure will help to expand the business (Fair Trading, â€Å"Business Structures†). 2.1 Mission Statement The vision of Quick Take Expresso is to become one of the preferred destinations for coffee and snacks in Bonn. The company will provide good meal experience to the students, travelers and local customers as compared to other competitors. The vision of the cafe is to rapidly increase the profitability so that it can attract potential investors to invest in the business in near future. The marketing and sales strategies of Quick Take Expresso will help to maintain the demand of the products towards customers. The teenage and the adult customer groups will probably enjoy the services and the pleasant environment of Quick Take Expresso. Quick Take Expresso will provide best effort in order to develop an exclusive brand image in the mind of customers where they can properly socialize with the friends in a comfortable and calming environment while enjoying the great tastes of Quick Take Expresso’s products. The motive of the business is to assist the customers so that they can get rid of their daily work and educational strains and to provide piece of mind through great environment, suitable location, welcoming customer service and delicious meals. Quick Take Expresso will reinvest the amount... The vision of Quick Take Expresso is to become one of the preferred destinations for coffee and snacks in Bonn. The company will provide good meal experience to the students, travelers and local customers as compared to other competitors. The vision of the cafà © is to rapidly increase the profitability so that it can attract potential investors to invest in the business in near future. The marketing and sales strategies of Quick Take Expresso will help to maintain the demand of the products towards customers. The teenage and the adult customer groups will probably enjoy the services and the pleasant environment of Quick Take Expresso. Quick Take Expresso will provide best effort in order to develop an exclusive brand image in the mind of customers where they can properly socialize with the friends in a comfortable and calming environment while enjoying the great tastes of Quick Take Expresso’s products. The motive of the business is to assist the customers so that they can get rid of their daily work and educational strains and to provide piece of mind through great environment, suitable location, welcoming customer service and delicious meals. Quick Take Expresso will reinvest the amount of profit for improving the infrastructure of the business and for enhancing the employee satisfaction which can lead to better service and thus better customer satisfaction.

Friday, July 26, 2019

Scientific literacy questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Scientific literacy questions - Essay Example Kepler developed the laws of planetary motion in 1605 CE. The laws state that the orbit of every planet is an ellipse around the Sun. In 1610 CE, Galileo published the first scientific treatise based on observations made through a telescope. When he publicly supported heliocentrism, he met with clerical opposition from the Roman Catholic Church. Galileo was warned to abandon his support for a Sun-centered cosmology, but. he later defended his views, he was tried by the Inquisition, forced to recant and spend the rest of his life under house arrest. Today, we accept that neither the sun nor the earth is the center of the Universe. The motivations of empiricists vary with the gestalt of their time. The earliest astronomers were in fact astrologers. People believed divination of the future was possible from the study of the motions of heavenly bodies. Philosophers have often viewed astrophysics as a corporeal method of simply understanding physical reality and our place in the cosmos. P hysical scientists sought answers to pressing questions based interpretations of observable data. This path from subjective to objective knowledge raises an interesting question for our egos. In 1961, Frank Drake formulated a method of estimating the likelihood of extraterrestrial life (PBS). The Drake equation states N = R* fp ne fâ„“ fi fc L; where, N is the number of civilizations in our galaxy, with which communication might be possible, and: Current estimates of the values of the variables follow. Where, R* = 7/year, fp = 0.5, ne = 2, fl = 0.33, fi = 0.01, fc = 0.01, and L = 10,000 years; N = 7 Ãâ€" 0.5 Ãâ€" 2 Ãâ€" 0.33 Ãâ€" 0.01 Ãâ€" 0.01 Ãâ€" 10,000 = 2.1. Thus, two communicative civilizations probably exist in our galaxy at any given time, on average. Furthermore, there may be up to two hundred more that are not trying to communicate, and there are billions of galaxies like ours. Based on this reasoning, it seems fallacious to believe we are perfectly unique in

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Crime after crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Crime after crime - Essay Example 106-109). She is just but an ordinary woman who got roped in by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was denied her right to a fair trial, and was put behind bars as a result of flaws within criminal justice system and prosecutions. The film deciphers an intersectional Deborah, with her multiple identities and their disadvantages (Intersectionality: A Tool for Gender and Economic Justice, 2004, pp. 1-2). When she was finally released after her case was reopened, she had already lost precious twenty years of her life, whereas had the legal system been just, she would have had to spend only six years in jail. The misunderstandings and misconceptions that clouded her case finally got public after the release of this documentary feature film. The film had not only invoked protests and discontent all across USA, but has also bagged a number of prestigious awards at Spokane, Milan and Berkshire International Film Festival, National Board of Review, Atlanta and Rochester Film Fes tivals, and Golden Gate Award. Deborah Paeglar, the protagonist of Yoav Potash’s Crime After Crime, was a regular normal teenager till she met Oliver Wilson. Teenager Debbie bumped into him and instantly got attracted. In spite of being a teenage mother already having a daughter, she entered into a relationship with Oliver and even bore a baby, a daughter again. However, soon things took a different turn. Peace, harmony and love soon ended in her new life with Oliver. She came to know that Oliver was a pimp. When she was asked for the same, she refused. In return she received severe beatings with a bullwhip at a tender age of 15. Year after year Oliver made her work as a prostitute. At the same time she was subjected to fierce domestic violence. Mentally and physically, she became a shattered person. Her tolerance and patience came to an end when Oliver molested her six- year old daughter. She tried to flee with her two daughters but she was unable to do so. She got beatings on a regular basis. Things got even worse when Oliver got involved into a firearm case and had to spend a night in jail. This made Deborah’s mother much worried for her daughter’s safety. She planned to seek help from some local gang members in order to teach Oliver a lesson. Her motif was to reconcile the differences between Deborah and Oliver. But in the brawl, the two gang members ended up murdering Oliver. Due to this Deborah found herself facing a row of criminal charges. In the meantime she had come across a life- insurance policy. This further worsened her strand. Series of trials and prosecutions went on and she was finally convicted in 1983. She fought her legal battle with the help of two pro- bono attorneys, Nadia Costa and Joshua Safran, and was finally set free. Deborah Peaglar, the African- American woman, had to face the pains rewarded by the toughest anticrime legislation, the Californian law. Women, like men, were treated harshly and were given equal p unishments as men. They were tied in chains, put in boot camps and had to face all types of physical violence (Aday, 2003, pp. 125-127). They were given little chance to present petitions or appeal for defense. Thus fighting legal battles become more and more difficult for battered women like Deborah. Also, her not being ‘white’ further delayed the legal proceedings. Often the prisoners are identified on basis of their â€Å"sex, race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, class, age and ability†

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Two essay question Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Two essay question - Research Paper Example Considering the above artwork of Picasso of a standing before a mirror, it shows the actual condition of the girl and the pretending sense of the girl. On the face of the girl, two different features are frontal image and side profile that have different implications on real time. One side of the girl shows the daytime when the girl has make-ups on her and the other half of the face indicate the nighttime when the girl has no make-ups on her. The girl has no self-esteem without the make-up and therefore, she needs to add something different from her actual nature. However, when the girl looks herself on the mirror, she feels that she is old and therefore the need to make her appearance young. The picture of the girl does not depict a particular girl but targets not only girls but also opposite gender as well. It only tries to show challenges that individuals face but try to cover the problem by impressing other people in the society. The fact that the art is not real it tells the truth about the actual happenings in the society. Therefore, taking the writing of Picasso, art is the lie that tells the truth, there is a direct relationship between the art of the girl and the meaning that Picasso implies. Art is a provocative medium, and the challenge in analyzing art may often be to evaluate and define the artists techniques and choices, which, according to the viewer intellect and perception, arouse interest and convey meaning. This involves translating the visual, into a language. In order to do this, one will have to be attentive to the aspects of the work which means that description will include a large portion of the analysis. Formal analysis involves the formal parts (e.g., symmetry, framing etc.) of a work of art and their correspondence to create new and exciting ways of evaluating and understanding the work in as a whole. It is through this criterion that the

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

UNO Peace Keeping Operation in Middle East Research Paper

UNO Peace Keeping Operation in Middle East - Research Paper Example Earlier after First World War, League of Nation was established for this purpose but it failed and Second World War started. In 1941 Franklin D. Roosevelt, the President of United States of America had a meeting with Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of United Kingdom of Great Britain. It paved the way to Atlantic Charter, which referred to a set of principles to maintain global peace and cooperation among the comity of nations. After two years in 1943, both the leaders, along with Joseph Stalin of Russia, emphasized to establish an organization to maintain international peace. In 1944, at Dumbarton Oaks conference in Washington D.C., the first sketch of UN was drawn and in February 1945, these three leaders established a voting process for the United Nations (Webel and Galtung 2007, 95)1. In 1945, in San Francisco, legislative body of 50 countries had a joint agreement to save the world from the barbaric consequences of war. In addition, to maintain security UNO charter includes poverty reduction, providing health and education facilities and provide financial assistant to needy members (Barash and Webel, 2008) . To maintain peace in the world UNO has established special subsidiary known as United Nation peace keeping operation it help countries to deal with disturb and quarrelling areas. The major division of the United Nations for peacekeeping is Security Council. It has 15 members out of which five permanent member nations have the power to veto any kind of decision even if most of the members agree to a resolution. These permanent five members having power to veto any resolution are: France, Russia, China, United Kingdom, and United States of America. These countries took part in the formation of United Nations and defined certain norms for United Nations to be followed (Durch 1993, 23-85)3. Therefore, an entire change in their biased approach is strongly needed and their mistakes of past should not be repeated again. This revolutionary change can only take place if the members of the UN make proper and unbiased use of their veto power beyond any prejudice and ambiguity and merely in favour of justice. As per statistics of December 31,2010, there are about 1,23000 troops working at 16 sites under the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations(DPKO) in the four continents directly impacting hundreds and millions of people by saving their lives and providing security to the instable areas of the world. The UN peacekeeping operation does not have the troops of its own; instead it depends on the contribution by Member states, therefore, 115 countries have engaged their military and police personnel in line with UN peacekeeping mission (Collier and Hoeffler, 2004)4. The first task UNPKO took was during 1950’s .In 1960 one of complex and controversial task assign to UNPKO was Congo mission which lasted till June 1964.UN was successful in its mission but committed some mistakes ( Sitkowski 2006, 206-96)5. The UN peacekeeping force entered Congo as a neutral entity to enact law and order. After two years it started to support actively the Congolese government for the secession of the province of Katanga. The transformation of UN from a neutral peace keeper to an evident quarrelsome was observed. Although UN was succeeded in achieving its basic mission in Congo, but at the end of crisis it was not crowned as true peace keeper force (Barash and Webel 2008, 506)6. Similarly when the Beirut force was established, principles of

Marketing Essay Example for Free

Marketing Essay Having read the chapters from Lovelock, Wirtz, Key Lu (2005) and Masterson Pickton (2010), what did you find most interesting about services marketing and why? Answer:In this chapter, the most interesting about services marketing is the growth of the service economy. In numerous countries, increased productivity and automation in agriculture and industry, combined with growing demand for both new and traditional services, have jointly resulted in a continuing increase over time in the percentage of the labor force that is employed in service. In recent years, the development of technology, especially IT and telecommunication, has became more crucial in services. The opening up of the service economy means that there will be greater competition. In turn, more competition will stimula innovation, not least through the application of new and improved technologies. Having read the chapters from Lovelock, Wirtz, Key Lu (2005) and Masterson Pickton (2010), what concepts or ideas relating to services marketing did you find most difficult to understand and why? Answer: In my opinion, the most difficult to understand concept is â€Å"People are often part of the product†. The difference between ones service and another often lies in the quality of employees who serve the customers. Service firms need to devote special care to selecting , training,and motivating those employees who will be serving customers directing. At the same time, firms have to manage and shape customer behavior, as the type of customers who patronize a particular service business can shape the nature of the service experience. I think it only proof that the people is very important in doing service. Why people are part of product? It make me confused. Having read the chapters from Lovelock, Wirtz, Key Lu (2005) and Masterson Pickton (2010) outline four generic differences between good and services. How do these differences impact on the marketing of service products? Answer: there are 4 generic differences between good ans services. First, goos are tangible while services are intangible. As a result, services can not be inventoried, easily patented and readily displayed or communicated. In addition, pricing is more difficult. Second, goods are standardized while services are heterogeneous. So service delivery and customer satisfaction depend on employees and customer actions. Service quality depend on many uncontrollable factors. Third, for goods, production separate from consumption, but for services, simultaneous production and consumption. As a result, people participated in will affect each other. Fourth, goods are nonperishable while services are perishable. So it is difficult to synchronize supply and demand with services. And services can not be returned or resold. Having read chapter fourteen of the prescribed text Armstrong et al (2012) what did you find most interesting about socially and ethically responsible marketing and why? Answer:The most interesting about socially and ethically responsible marketing is the marketing’s impact on society as a whole. There are several impacts, such as false wants and too much materialism, too few social goods, cultural pollution. For false wants and too much materialism, critics have charged that the marketing system urges too much interest in material possessions, and that the Western world’s love affair with worldly possessions is not sustainable. People often are judged by what they own,rather than by who they are. The critics do not view this interest in material things as a natural state of mind, but rather as a matter of false wants created by marketing. Marketers stimulate people’s desire for goods and create materialistic models of the good life. Having read chapter fourteen of the prescribed text Armstrong et al (2012) what concepts or ideas relating to did you find most and why? Answer: the most difficult to understand relating to socially and ethically responsible marketing is that critics charge the marketing system with creating cultural pollution. Commercials interrupt serious programs; pages of ads obscure magazines; billboards mar beautiful scenery; spam fills our inboxes. However, why say these interruptions continually pollute people’s minds with messages of materialism, sex,power or status. Most ads have its culture of products or companies, and some of them can bring a good culture value about consumption to people. In addition, advertisers are making their ads more entraining and informative. Outline and discuss four social criticisms of marketing. How would adopting a societal marketing orientation help to overcome these criticisms? Answer: the societal marketing orientation is the idea that the organisation should determine the needs, wants and interests of target markets and deliver the desired satisfaction more effectively and efficiently than competitors, and in a way that maintains or improves society’s wellbeing. Sustainable marketing calls for products that are not only pleasing but also beneficial. Products can be classified according to their degree of immediate consumer satisfaction and long ran consumer benefits. Marketers should take the whole society into account when they doing marketing. Deficient products have neither immediate appeal nor long-run benefits. Pleasing products give high immediate satisfaction but may hurt consumers in the long run. What the society wants is desirable products, which give both high immediate satisfaction and high long-run benefits. Concentrating more on social interests can help to overcome these criticisms. Based on your own experiences, what are the advantages for marketers in using social media as part of their marketing communications strategies? Answer: there are several advantages for using social media marketing. First, it is much cheaper. Traditional advertising methods can be costly for businesses while Its free for businesses to sign up for popular social media networks, so its an affordable way to promote products and services, while building relationships with customers. Second, instant. With social media, you can announce a sale or special event as soon you finalize plans. Social media gives business owners the ability to share information, such as blog posts, tips and ideas and coupons instantly. third, interact. People can interact with consumers directly through social media, and social media marketing enables people to provide them with assistance on-the-spot. Social media networks also gives people a chance to interact with other entrepreneurs and leaders in their industries. Fourth, using social media marketing can get a huge database of ideas. On the social sites, there are many looking for answers to their problems. People are looking for solutions and one of the places they are looking is in social media where they might be following one of their teachers such as a blogger or mentor. Based on your own experience, what are the disadvantages or risks for marketers in using social media as part of their marketing commuications strategy? Answer: there are several disadvantages of using social media marketing. First, the wrong online brand strategy could put people at a viral social disadvantage and may even damage people reputation, i. e, when person makes a mistake offline, a few will know but when he make a mistake in front of hundreds or thousands of his online audience, most of them will know. Second, in order to get social media’s full effect, you need to understand how it works, when and how to use it and which channels to focus on depending on your end goal of using social media. Third, social media can have a negative influence on worker productivity. Employees may waste valuable time using social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter. They can also use social media to attack the company’s reputation. Fourth, when social media is used excessively or in the wrong way, it could have serious detrimental outcomes on both mental and even physical health of individuals. In addition, social media may open possibility for hackers to commit illegal crime such as fraud, spam and virus attacks. People falling prey to online scam may also increase, resulting in data or identity theft.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Song Dynasty and Tang-song Era Essay Example for Free

Song Dynasty and Tang-song Era Essay Discuss the proposition that the Tang-Song era was at the same time both innovative and conservative. The Tang-Song era was a time of shift and change in China. Things were changing within the population balance, patterns of trade and commerce, renewed urban expansions, forms of artistic and literary expressions, and technological inventions. One of the biggest innovations during the Tang-Song era was establishing the Grand Canal. This was driven by the Sui emperors and the Tang rulers due to a major population shift. The Grand Canal was made to connect the original centers of Chinese civilization of North China plain with the Yangzi river basin (over 500 miles south). Another innovation was the development of junks and flying money. Junks were Chinese ships that had watertight bulkheads, sternpost rudders, compasses, and bamboo fenders. At this point in time, Junks were the best ships around and because of these Chinese sailors and merchants became the dominant force in Asian seas and Malayan peninsula. Flying money was a credit instrument that gave vouchers to merchants that would be redeemed at the end of travel to lessen the change of robbery. As population moved south, the valleys became more fertile and became a large part of agrarian expansion. Farming methods during this time improved drastically. Productivity increased in staple crops which meant that the population support would increase. Family organization at the various class levels still resembled that of earlier times, although women began to gain higher positions, but this would later decline in the Song era. The Tang-Song era is largely known for its great improvements in science, technology, literature, and fine arts. Some very major technological and scientific breakthroughs made their way during this time. Also, the reinvigorated scholar-gentry elite was responsible for a large portion of the literary creativity. Confucian scholar-gentry made Buddhists the major producers of the art and literature thus making it so devotional and religious objects had a growing fixation in everyday life. The development of the Tang-Song era allowed for many breakthroughs within this time period. Because of the many advancements, the Chinese cultured was changed for the better, molding it into something new.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Ophthalmoplegic Migraine Paediatric Oculomotor Schwannoma

Ophthalmoplegic Migraine Paediatric Oculomotor Schwannoma Corresponding Author: Dr.R.Subasree Title : Ophthalmoplegic Migraine and Paediatric Oculomotor Schwannoma: Cause or Co-Incidence? Structured Abstract: Objective: To report a case of Ophthalmoplegic migraine with Pediatric Oculomotor Schwannoma which is very rare. Methods: A 16 year old boy admitted as inpatient at our tertiary referral centre and University hospital in South India, with history of recurrent headaches and oculomotor palsy of 14 years duration was evaluated in detail to rule out posterior fossa, orbital fissure, parasellar lesions, granulomatous disorders and aneurysms. Results: Initial CT Brain revealed a nodular non-enhancing lesion in the interpeduncular cistern, MR Imaging along with CISS 3D sequence done two years later after CT, revealed a small enhancing nodular lesion at the level of midbrain in the interpeduncular cistern at nerve exit level suggestive of schwannoma of third nerve. Practice: Patient was treated with analgesics, nimodipine and valproate with which there was a partial response. During his subsequent 2 year follow-up, his frequency and severity of attacks had reduced. Conclusion: Oculomotor nerve schwannomas are extremely rare. Only 12 children under the age of 18, without neurofibromatosis have been sufficiently documented. The coexistence of OM and Oculomotor schwannoma suggests that it is not a coincidence. Awareness and suspicion is required to identify cranial cephalalgia /OM and it warrants thorough investigation to rule out intrinsic lesions mimicking OM. Implications. Controversies exist till date regarding etiology, pathophysiology, imaging findings and management guidelines of OM. The rare association reported in our report gives insight into better understanding of the pathophysiology and clinico-radiological correlations in OM. Keywords: Ophthalmoplegic migraine, Oculomotor Schwanomma Introduction Ophthalmoplegic migraine is very rare with annual incidence being 0.7 per million. It most often occurs in infancy or childhood. There are recurrent attacks of headache in association with ophthalmoplegia due to paresis of cranial nerve III, IV, or VI .The episodes of ophthalmoplegia may persist for several hours to several weeks, months, or permanently. Most often it is self-limited condition. Ophthalmoplegic migraine is also recognized as a cranial neuralgia according to 2004 edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders. [1] .Paediatric Oculomotor Schwannoma is extremely rare and it can mimic OM. We describe a young boy with recurrent ophthalmoplegic migraine and oculomotor schwannoma in MR imaging. Clinical Observation A 16 year old boy presented with history of left hemicranial headache of 14year duration. The headache was throbbing, severe associated with drooping of left eye, blurring of left eye vision, photo-phonophobia, nausea and vomiting. The frequency of attacks was around 15 per month each lasting for 3-48 hours. During the attack, he was found to have left sided ptosis, poorly responsive normal sized pupil and mild left elevation and adduction restriction. (Figure 1).There was persistent residual vision loss in left eye with acuity of 6/60. Fundus was normal. There were no other deficits. Investigations were carried out to rule out posterior fossa, orbital fissure and parasellar lesions. Initial CT Brain revealed a nodular non-enhancing lesion in the interpeduncular cistern , MR Imaging along with CISS 3D sequence done two years later (Figure 3a, 3b) revealed a small enhancing nodular lesion at the level of midbrain in the interpeduncular cistern at nerve exit level suggestive of schwannoma of third nerve. MR Angiography was normal. (Figure 3c). Patient was treated with analgesics, nimodipine and valproate with which there was a partial response. Steroids were not administered. During his subsequent 2 year follow-up, his frequency and severity of attacks had reduced. Paediatric Oculomotor Schwanomma is present as painless oculomotor deficit or may be asymptomatic and detected incidentally. Its presence with OM poses a question whether it was a mere coincidence or the cause of OM. Discussion: Ophthalmoplegic migraine is a rare distinct neurologic syndrome characterized by recurrent headache and ophthalmoplegia. The third cranial nerve is most commonly affected. Most patients recover completely within days to weeks, but a minority are left with persistent neurologic deficits. [1] .As per the International Classification of Headache, ophthalmoplegic migraine is defined as at least 2 attacks of ‘‘migraine-like’’ headache followed within 4 days by paresis of the third, fourth, and/or sixth cranial nerves, including ophthalmoparesis, ptosis, or mydriasis .[2] Gap between the onset of headache and the cranial nerve palsy has varied between 2 days and10 weeks. [3]The exact aetiology of this condition remains unknown. Oculomotor nerve compression, ischemia, swelling of the posterior cerebral artery, pituitary swelling, vascular anomaly, benign viral infection, demyelinating neuropathy, activation of trigemino-vascular system are the various pathogenesis implicated. Diseases such as vascular malformation, granulomatous infections, pituitary apoplexy, sarcoidosis and chronic inflammatory, demyelinating polyneuropathies may have similar clinical presentation like OM. So contrast enhanced MRI and magnetic resonance angiography should be the investigations of first choice for the diagnosis of OM, followed by a careful clinical examination and spinal tap. Sometimes, conventional angiogram may be necessary to exclude an aneurysm. [4]. Mark et al. 1998.,[5]found focal thickening of the nerve in non-contrast studies, and further thickening was present on the contrast-enhanced images in the area of the exit zone of the nerve in the inter peduncular cistern. Carlow studied the magnetic resonance scans in six patients diagnosed with OM and did a retrospective literature survey in 17 patients with OM, all of whom showed thickened ipsilateral oculomotor nerves at the midbrain exit in noncontrast T 1 -weighted images. Contrast T 1 -weighted magnetic resonance scans showed enhancement of the ipsilateral oculomotor nerves. [6].Many cases show improvement in the enhancement of cranial nerve III with resolution of the symptoms, but the timing and degree of resolution has not been consistent in reports. Contrast enhancement on MRI is not a sine qua non for the diagnosis of OM. Gelfand AA et al., 2011 [1] systematically reviewed all cases of OM in literature between1995 to 2010. There were a total of 80 cases .The median age at the time of the first ophthalmoplegic migraine attack was 8 years (3-16 years) .The third cranial nerve was involved in the vast majority of cases (83%), sixth cranial nerve was involved in 20% and the fourth nerve in 2% of cases. The interval between headache onset and ophthalmoparesis ranged from immediate to up to 14 days. The ophthalmoplegia tended to last longer (2 to 3 weeks to 2 to 3 months) .In 54%, persistent deficits were observed. Of 52 patients who had a contrast brain MRI during an acute attack, 75% had contrast enhancement of the third nerve and 76% had nerve thickening. There was a benefit from corticosteroid treatment in 54%. Schwannomas are benign peripheral nerve sheath tumours with great propensity to arise from vestibular nerves. Oculomotor nerve schwannomas are extremely rare. There are only 40 cases reported in the literature. Only 12 children under the age of 18, without neurofibromatosis have been sufficiently documented. [7] In 1982, Leunda et al. [8] reported a case in an 11-year-old boy whose tumour was resected en bloc and ranked as the largest oculomotor nerve schwannoma documented at that time, with a 55-mm diameter. Since then, another 11 histologically proven paediatric cases have been described successively in the literature. The average diameters of the paediatric tumours size is 19.5 mm. Oculomotor nerve paresis was the most common neurological sign and a variable degree of oculomotor nerve dysfunction, including ptosis, diplopia, or dilated pupil, was present in all but one . Duration of preoperative symptoms and signs ranged from 2 weeks to 12 years. Authors opine that lesion size did not correlate with the degree of oculomotor nerve deficit. Ipsilateral ophthalmoplegic migraine was found in two cases of cisternal microlesions involving the initial prepontine segment of oculomotor nerve. [7].Total removal of schwannoma usually resulted in severe postoperative parent nerve paresis. Surgical tr eatment was indicated only for large tumours that presented in association with consciousness disturbance, other cranial nerve signs, or hemiparesis due to mass effect, or in cases where the lesion showed malignant features with rapid enlargement. Murakami et al., 2005 [9] described a case of an 11-year-old girl with oculomotor nerve schwannoma who had been suffering from symptoms mimicking OM. Her attacks became more frequent and were not controlled by medication. After surgery, the frequency of OM attacks reduced. This was the first report to describe a pathologically confirmed case of oculomotor nerve schwannoma mimicking OM. Riahi A et al., 2014[10] described a 12 year old girl with recurrent painful ophthalmoplegia, who on examination was found to have left oculomotor palsy. Her third MRI focusing on third nerve revealed schwannoma of the oculomotor nerve in left cisternal portion. Kawasaki et al., 1999 [11] reported a case of the coexistence of OM and ipsilateral 3rd nerve schwannoma .The authors had an acute and a follow-up MRI during a recovery phase and noticed no difference. The coexistence of two rare conditions suggests that a mere coincidence is unlikely. It has been proposed that repeated inflammation could lead to a demyelination/ remyelination process with Schwann cell proliferation and onion bulb formation. There are no published treatment trials for ophthalmoplegic migraine. Oral steroids may be of possible benefit in treating acute exacerbations based on available case series. Prompt steroid therapy at the time of attack might minimize permanent sequelae of OM, including residual weakness of the third cranial nerve and pupillary dysfunction. Bharucha et al., 2007 [4] state that various treatments have been described, including steroids acutely and flunarizine, acetazolamide, propranolol, cyproheptadine, or verapamil prophylactically. OM is a heterogeneous disorder that needs adequate scrutiny, periodic magnetic resonance monitoring, and clinical correlation before we can conclude and draw management guidelines. Conclusion: Awareness and suspicion is required to identify cranial cephalalgia /OM as it is a rare entity and diagnosis even by headache experts is made by exclusion. It warrants thorough investigation to rule out intrinsic lesions mimicking OM. The rare association reported in our report gives insight into pathophysiology and clinico-radiological correlations in OM. Bibliography 1. Gelfand AA, Gelfand JM, Prabakhar P et al. Ophthalmoplegic ‘‘Migraine’’ or Recurrent Ophthalmoplegic Cranial Neuropathy: New Cases and a Systematic Review. Journal of Child Neurology.2011; 27(6):759-766 2. Headache Classification Subcommittee of the International Headache Society. The International Classification of Headache Disorders: 2nd edition. Cephalalgia. 2004; 24(suppl 1):9–160. 3. Ravi Shankar. K. Ophthalmoplegic Migraine: Still a Diagnostic Dilemma? Current Pain and Headache Reports. 2008; 12: 285 – 291 4. Diana X. Bharucha, Timothy B. Campbell, Ignacio Valencia. MRI Findings in Pediatric Ophthalmoplegic Migraine: A Case Report and Literature Review. Pediatric Neurology .2007; 37: 59–63 5. Mark AS, Casselman J, Brown D, et al.: Ophthalmoplegic migraine: reversible enhancement and thickening of the cisternal segment of the oculomotor nerve on contrast enhanced MRI images. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol .1998; 19: 1887– 1891. 6. Carlow TJ: Oculomotor ophthalmoplegic migraine: is it really migraine? J Neuroophthalmol .2002; 22: 215– 221. 7. Yang S, Li Z, Liu X et al.Pediatric Isolated Oculomotor Nerve Schwannoma: A New Case Report and Literature Review. Pediatric Neurology.2013; 48(4):321–324 8. Leunda G,Vaquero J,Cabezudo J et al. Schwannoma of the oculomotor nerves .Report of four cases .J Neurosurg.1982;57:563-565 9. T. Murakami, M. Funatsuka, M. Komine et al.Oculomotor nerve schwannoma mimicking ophthalmoplegic migraine.Neuropediatrics.2005; 36:395–398 10. Riahi A, Youssef-Turki I.B, Walha K et al. Recurrent painful ophthalmoplegia: ophthalmoplegic migraine or oculomotor nerve schwannomas? Neurological Practice –FMC. 2014; 5:205-208 11. Kawasaki A. Oculomotor nerve schwannoma associated with ophthalmoplegic migraine. Am J Ophthal 1999; 128:658–60.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Mononucleosis :: essays research papers

ITION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Infectious mononucleosis is a clinical syndrome that can be characterized by a multitude of symptoms. They include malaise, headache, fever, pharyngitis, pharyngeal lymphatic hyperplasia, lymphadenopathy, atypical lymphocytosis, and mild transient hepatitis. This disease occurs most often in adolescents and young adults. Mononucleosis is one of these diseases that are grouped into a class known as a viral infection; more specifically it is caused by the Ebstein-Barr virus (EBV). EBV is a herpes virus. In vitro, EBV only infects human B-lymphocytes. This viral infection results in lymphocyte proliferation and immunoglobulin secretion. The virus usually remains dormant, but can be activated using certain chemicals or when subjected to certain bodily conditions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To understand how this virus affects the body, we must first have a brief overview of the body and it’s immune system. OVERVIEW The body’s defense mechanisms can be split into two groups; non-specific and specific defense mechanisms. Non-specific mechanisms basically are the barriers that keep pathogens from penetrating the body. For example the epithelial membranes that cover the body, the strong acidity of the stomach killing pathogens before they have the opportunity to infect the system, these are just a couple, there are many others. Specific mechanisms help the individual acquire the ability to defend against specific pathogens by prior exposure to these pathogens. This is a function of the lymphocytes, which will be discussed later on in depth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mononucleosis affects the epithelium of the mouth where it is first introduced to the body, but that is the extent to which it is involved in the nonspecific defense mechanisms. The place where it does the most damage is the B-lymphocyte, which is a key component of specific immunity. To understand better what the infection does to the body we must look at the role of lymphocytes in the body briefly and how they do their work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B-lymphocytes are the ones that are affected directly upon when the body is subjected to this type of infection. Their role in the body is vital for immunity. They are grouped into five subclasses, depending upon some of the polypeptides in their makeup. The basic role of B-lymphocytes is to secrete antibodies that they have made due to them coming into contact with an antigen. Each B-lymphocyte has two sites where specific antigens can combine, and this binding is what promotes the body’s reaction to the infection. The B-lymphocyte is involved in what is called humoral immunity.

Special People in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep :: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Essays

Special People in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep â€Å"The old man said, â€Å"You will be required to do wrong no matter where you go. It is the basic condition of life, to be required to violate your own identity† (156). This statement made me recall several essays that I read by William Butler Yeats. The central idea in Yeats essays was that we are all raised in a myth. We are all taught to exist as metaphors, as symbols of something supposedly greater than ourselves, and, as Dick says, â€Å"violate your own identity†. My response to this supposition is to wonder how are we to find that identity when we have been taught to be something other than that individual identity? And what happens to those who refuse to be ‘symbols’? If we are, as Yeats postulates, merely symbols of something greater then how are we to uncover first what that symbol represents, and second, how that symbol represents our true self? It seems to me that as people become symbols they become abstract, something ideal rather than real. Thus, we are all living an illusory existence, an existence created by others. Dick says further, â€Å"At some time, every creature which lives must do so. It is the ultimate shadow, the defeat of creation; this is the curse at work, the curse that feeds on all life. Everywhere in the universe† (156). I agree with Dick’s assertion that every person who lives is handed a metaphor but I also believe that the majority of those persons do not even recognize or acknowledge that they are living as a metaphor. It seems to me that the key to self-discovery is to recognize and acknowledge that you are living a lie that was encoded into your psyche before and after your birth. How does one continue to live as a mere symbol after acknowledging such a thing? Of course, millions do just that. But there are those people in the world that refuse to be metaphors, refuse to be symbols. It is in these people that we receive the wellspring of truth, whether we want it or not. Which brings us to Dick’s next statement that, â€Å"Once pegged as special, a citizen, even if accepting sterilization, dropped out of history. He ceased, in effect, to be part of mankind.† (13). Now in Dick’s interpretation of ‘special’, he is referring to those that society deems less than perfect – those that do not meet the specifications of the metaphor.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Sweat :: essays research papers

Sweat It is easy to see why a person would find "Sweat" an offensive story. Many who read this story will find that the style in which it is written to be degrading to the African American race. However, this assumption has little backing. Zora Hurston is clearly relaying a story that tells of her time. To say "Sweat" is stereotypical is to deny the fact that this is the way things were at one time. For a person to acknowledge the way things were is to merely recall history. Why should a race be ashamed of their history? They would better their own values by taking this story for what it is worth. Not only does it tell of their ancestors way of life, but it shows how things have changed for the better. If one could not write stories about their experiences in the past the public would be unknowing of its culture and heritage. Hurston even used reference to Jewish people in this story. They also were slaves and were faced with over four hundred years of hardships and inequalities. It has not been known for the people of the Jewish faith to be insulted by the Bible which tells their stories. In fact, they use it as a way of life. It serves as a learning tool that proved how strong they were and how much suffering they had to endure. When they are faced with problems they relate back to stories, just as this, to find that strength once again. Mrs. Hurston, being a African American herself, should have the right to tell a story of her heritage without being persecuted. The fact that that is how African Americans spoke during that time should not be cause for embarrassment. It is just a fact of how things were. When relating a story from a certain time period, it should be written in the dialect used at that time. The people who find this story demeaning are obviously choosing to not believe this is how things were. If you change the facts, you change the history. People of all nationalities have parts of their heritage that they would rather not admit to, but a mistake made should be noted and then changed if possible. It should not be forgotten due to its unpleasantness. The more African Americans are ignored for their differences, the more they have to set themselves apart from the "typical" white American. For example, black people were given equal rights and equal opportunities in the working world with affirmative action. These things were obtained through the request

Thursday, July 18, 2019

CA Technologies: Bringing the Cloud to Earth Essay

CA Technologies wanted to be viewed as the leader of their business sector, offering quality service while keeping their organization aligned and thriving in a strong corporate culture. However, the leaders of the organization did not agree on how the organization should achieve these goals nor were they confident that their business structure could sustain them. Overall, CA Technologies financial performance is viewed as stable and growing. The organization had shown growth in revenue, income from continued operations and stock holders equity between March 2007 and March 2011. Furthermore, the company had grown their assets and reduced their long term debt during the same time frame (Annual Report). CA Technologies focus was/is creating solutions to contribute to their customers businesses and support them in a challenging IT environment (p2). Their main customer focus was 1000 of the Fortune 2000 organizations that were $2 billion businesses and above. None-the-less as their product line changed so did their customer base, to $300 million to $2 billion sized companies (p1,13). Their customer base is international consisting of companies from the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Their consumers come from various industries including banks, insurance companies, financial services, governments, manufactures, technology companies, retailers, educational institutes and health care providers. Their product line consists of service management and assurance, mainframe, project and portfolio management, security, virtualization and automation, and cloud computing (Annual Report). CA Technologies chooses to go to market through their own sales and marketing team and by leveraging partners. They have selected strategic partners to help them enter into new markets, grow their product awareness and integrate different technologies. At the same time they have their own direct sales team to create rapport with customers and to use initial consumer’s feedback to cannibalize on new opportunities (Annual Report). It is imperative that they use multiple ways to go to market because this is a highly competitive industry. At one point the organization’s â€Å"merger and acquisitions team had about 250 to 300 companies on their radar at one time† and in nine months they had acquired nine organizations and within twelve months they had invested close to $1 billion in acquisitions (p11). Some of these organizations are going to be commentators and others are direct competition, none-the-less there is a lot of competition. Furthermore, this market is not saturated as it is changing every day and has potential for new entrants. When the focus is on cloud technology and not their full portfolio, calling cloud technology highly competitive is an understatement. To display how competitive the industry is there is an online newspaper called â€Å"CloudTimes† that has a list of the top 100 Cloud Computing Companies (Martin Tantow). The CRN (online technology cite) goes as far as listing the coolest cloud computing vendors by their business category (CRN). There are several other articles such as â€Å"The Top 150 Players in Cloud Computing†, â€Å"85 Cloud Computing Vendors Shaping the Emerging Cloud† and more (Ray DePena). The buyers have a great deal of bargaining power. With so many organizations offering cloud services and offering to customize their services for customers business needs, there is a lot of competition. The CRN breaks down Coolest Cloud† companies by the top 20 in each cloud specialization. These specializations are: Platform and Development, Infrastructure Vendors, Security, Storage and Data Center, Applications and Software (Mark Tantow). CA Technologies was listed under â€Å"Coolest Cloud† top 20 for security. This specialization may give them a leg up especially in the Security market. On the other hand, if an organization is looking for a generalized cloud function, this may discourage that organization from choosing CA technologies. The suppliers in this situation are the employees and they have an immense amount of bargaining power. With there being hundreds of Cloud companies currently, more starting and existing companies expanding their cloud products, the job market is large. Microsoft alone has reported they will create 14 million jobs from 2011- 2015 due to public and private cloud computing (John Callaham). CA Technologies has 13,400 employees, 4,000 are in sales and marketing and 4,400 employees are in product development (Annual Report). Selling, marketing and product development are the rolls that will be created and that other companies are looking to fill. If not all employees, nearly two thirds of the organization’s employees have a great deal of bargaining power due to the expansion and demand for experienced workers in this field. There are several substitutes to cloud computing and most of them are what organizations were using prior to cloud computing. Some of these substitutes are main frames, networks, and email. The plus is CA Technologies already offers the substitute services. There are many commentators to cloud computing right now that we use every day, for example Microsoft is a complementor to Google.Docs. A company that offers the cloud also has the power to decide what complementors are going to work with their cloud, some of these complementors can be calendars, emails, word processors and many other every day applications. On the Treacy and Wiersema 3-D Chart the organization would fall under the product differentiation and customer responsiveness category. Even though the organization would like to see themselves in the middle of these two categories, realistically, they were not, when this article was written. The case states the organization was functioning vertically in all divisions, which made it difficult to focus on the customer and created inefficiencies in development (p10). With this being said, they would fall closer to the axis between the two categories on this chart. Before the reorganization, the business strategy, organization strategy and information’s strategy were not aligned. The organization was running like a manufacturing company, internally focused (p11). The mission of the organization that can be gathered from the case is that the organization wants to offer superior customer service, to create the most innovative and leading technology in an effective manner and sustain a thriving corporate culture. However, this mission was not achievable because they went to market vertically and that is not what their customers needed. The different structures of the organization worked independently which meant many inefficiencies and repetition in development (p11). The organization was not set up to reach the business needs of superior customer service and creating innovative leading technology effectively. Furthermore, the information strategy was unattainable due to the organization strategy. In the moment of truth the organization decided to reorganize. They created five focus areas to focus the information strategy and product development. Furthermore, they split the organization into 3 main categories which focused on customers, go to market and innovation. The new strategy helped align the business, organization, and information strategy. On the strategic grid, CA Technologies was acting like a factory. They were not prepared to make changes that would be necessary for future success such as creating a prosperous cloud system. They were working on their already existing product line and even showing signs of complacency with that product line. However, once they began reorganizing to a new strategy their organization went into the turnaround phase, splitting the business into a customer innovation focused. This is where they began working on getting the proper structure to create a sustainable business in the cloud revolution. On the grid, the organization would fall in the top turnaround stage close to strategic. Their management is learning new ways to go to market and handle customers and at the same time the business is going to be shaped by their future innovation. Overall, I do not believe that the organization had a choice whether or not to embrace the cloud. By 2011, they had already entered into the market and were seen as leaders in their already existing technology systems. If they backed out at this point, they may be viewed as not willing to move forward with the direction of future technologies. Furthermore, the market is fast and highly competitive, but CA Technologies has an advantage due to their rapport with already existing customers and their seniority in the industry. The cloud made the organization re-evaluate their strategy and now they will be a stronger organization in all categories due to their reorganization. The cloud is not going anywhere; however their legacy way of thinking would not be relevant if they did not move forward with cloud innovation. Bibliography Callaham, John. â€Å"Microsoft: 14 Million Jobs to Be Made via Cloud Computing.† Neowin.net. 5 Mar. 2012. Web. 21 Sept. 2012. . CA Technologies. Annual Report. One Goal Our Customer Success. Islandia, NY: CA Technologies, 3/2011. Annual Reports-CA Technologies. http://investor.ca.com/annuals.cfm CRN Staff. â€Å"The 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors Of 2012.† CRN. 12 Mar. 2012. Web. 21 Sept. 2012. . DePena, Ray. â€Å"90 Cloud Computing Companies to Watch In 2011.† Business Innovations. 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 21 Sept. 2012. . Tantow, Martin. â€Å"CloudTimes Top 100 Cloud Computing Companies.† Top 100 Cloud Computing Companies. 24 Apr. 2012. Web. 21 Sept. 2012. .

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Different Parenting Styles on Children

police detective Diana Baumrind, suspensor to identify and describe the cardinal prefatory p arnting demeanors authoritative, dominating, bailable, and detached p arnts. desire studies befool proven that pargonnting movement has a vast imp cloak on a tiddlers psycho- amicable information. P atomic number 18nting vogues desex just around contrary outcomes on a squirts social relationships, school performance, and self-esteem. imperious p arnts fatality frantic nurturing. bailable pargonnts want structure, unless argon transgress at providing to a greater extent(prenominal) unrestrained support. classical pargonnting is a combination of both undemocratic and bailable. classical pargonnts be better at place mountain ground rules and specific boundaries and sticking to them age to a fault giving the kid the emotional support they wishing. Un knobbed p benting is when infantren subscribe to pargonnts that play to neglect them. Uninvolved p atomic number 18nts are so wrapped up in themselves and could bring off less(prenominal) about providing their nipper with emotional support or focusing on their electric s dupers wants and require. The authoritative invokeing modal value is the most positive style for tikeren.Consequently, clawren who suck in parents that are permissive or uninvolved engage in more elevated risk criminal styles that stick a lasting effect on into adulthood. Keywords Parenting, authoritative, dictatorial, permissive, uninvolved, psycho-social trainment No surprise that there are big differences in the focussings we get d consume parenting our culture, the situations in our lives, and so far the steering our parents brocaded us influence what we study is the fountainhead(p) way to parent (Ritter, 2011). Since the 1920s, rise upness and psychology clevers extradite wondered why pincerren assoil the way that they do.They break uped an interest in a tykes way and the styl e of parenting dropd in the home. Diana Baumrind is a psychologist and expert in parenting adopted the four differing parenting styles. She was obligated for the idea that different parents hire different parenting styles and boast a different way of raising their churlren. Research has suggested cultural specifics slightlytimes play a part in parenting strategies in their relation to a childs expression problems. Socioeconomic statuses were in any case found to take aim an effect on child-rearing practices.Social status plenty kick in a study effect on the parental-child relationship which rouse originator the parents to be a lot less nurturing. This investigate is to uncover the different parenting styles and the effect it has on a childs educational, mental, and social cultivation. Parents are high on check into but low on responsiveness. They strain rigid behavior standards, place a premium on obedience, and are emotion on the wholey distant and unresponsive ( Conger, Simons, Gordon, Leslie 2007). This style of parenting relates to oppressive parents.These parents attempt to mold their child into what they would bid to see them grow up to be. disdainful parents try to control their childs actions by enforcing strict rules, and boundaries. This is the parenting style that allows no room for error or change. These parents pretermit lovingness in their style of parenting and are a lot less nurturing. Children with tyrannic parents tend to do less well in school, are typically less skilled than their peers and build lower self-esteem. Children can step up passive or highly aggressive. The childrens wishes cede a bun in the oven non been heared to nor valued (Baumrind, 1991).These children pretermit the social skills needed for healthy relationships, even, they do very well when it comes to academics. Children of authoritarian parents have very hefty listening skills and are use to obeying rules and always having someone insur e them what to do. They do this in parade to fend off getting in to trouble. Authoritarian parenting is define as punitive. Punitive parents tend to use corpo rattling punishment as a way of disciplining their child or children. Research has shown that parents who use physical punishment to counterbalance their children larn it from previous generations. Both supposition and research suggest that acidulous physical shed light on is kindredly to undermine jejune efforts to express autonomy and relatedness. Experiences of harsh discipline whitethorn lessen an adolescents sense of felt security in the family, and thus signal to the adolescent that relationships with parents are too fragile to survive an amplification in autonomy (Bender, Allen, McElhaney, Antonishak, Moore, Kelly, Davis, 2007). Children with punitive parents lots suffer from depression, lower self-esteem, and miss social skills.A problem with children that have authoritarian parents is that when a child i s in need of centering or unavoidably help solving a problem, they often sophisticate to someone that they can trust, feel loved, and genuine by. Authoritarian parents have much(prenominal) high standards for their children in order for them to be prospered adults, but they fail to realize they are missing out on real opportunities to provide the guidance that their child ineluctably the most. It is healthy to have high expectations and limits for children but it is unhealthy when the balance love and affection is non defined.This is a balance that authoritarian parents need to find in order to success affluenty raise their child or children. Children with authoritarian parents tend to have more mischievous behaviors then their peers. These children lie a lot and hide their behaviors for fear what their parents leave behind say and do. They are afraid to be honest because of the consequences that can be attached or have previously been wedded for their actions. Even if th e childs behavior is positive, and the parent does not agree that the child should be doing the active and that this is something that goes against what the parent has planned.The child exit begin to hide all their behaviors til now if they could receive negative or positive feed concealment. Furthermore, these parents fail to realize that their children are lying to avoid always be punished and that they are helping their child develop a life full of deceitful behavior. bailable parents are parents that seek more pleasure out of their children and are more open to letting their children to behave any way they would like. According to Baumrind, permissive parents are more responsive than they are demanding.They are nontraditional and lenient, do not require mature behavior, allow significant self-regulation, and avoid confrontation (Baumrind, 1991). Research has too shown permissive parenting to be associated with negative outcomes such as school misconduct, substance wickedn ess and low frustration tolerance (Ang, 2005). Permissive parents have an uncontrollable love for their child but prefer to be more of the childs friend than their parent. Permissive parents have a harder time when it comes to fannyground knowledge boundaries and struggle to carry out the consequences.These parents have few rules to keep order in the home such as, table manners, chores, bedtimes, homework, mealtimes, and be responsible. Permissive parents tend to let their children have control over their own behavior and make their own decisions. Even though permissive parents are loving, their lack for setting boundaries causes their children to suffer from insecurities. Lack of boundaries can cause a child to become selfish. Children with permissive parents have a high take of self esteem and develop better social skills however they tend to have more problematic behavior.These children lack motivating and interest in school because they are not held responsible for their ac tions. Children of permissive parents are self-centered and lack discipline. These children do not have many friends and lack good social skills. Although authoritarian and permissive parenting styles appear to represent opposite ends of the parenting spectrum, neither style has been linked to positive outcomes, (Bornstein, Bornstein, 2007). Children with permissive parents have a lot of insecurities because of the relationship that they have with their parents.They feel that their parents could care less about them. After all, these children have the freedom to do whatever they want and their parents not acquit them any attention, or pause them the guidance that they need to have a sure-fire life. Dismissive parenting or neglectful parenting are also known as the uninvolved parenting style. This parenting style is almost like permissive parenting. One difference between the ii styles is uninvolved parents could care less about their children. These parents lack emotional involv ement and do not provide proper supervision to their child (Dubai, 2009).Uninvolved parents provide for still their childs basic needs such as, food, shelter, and clothing. One of the worse cases for these children is that some of these neglectful parents have major habit-forming behaviors which may leave the child to act as their own parent or guardian. A lot of these children lack the basic social and academic skills needed to have a successful life. They may even begin to become involved in criminal behaviors. These children do not obey school regularly which causes them to have scant(p) academic records and a higher(prenominal) dropout rate.These children are more subject to become victims of physical, mental, intimate and emotional abuse due lack of supervision from their parents. These children have been found to have lasting mental and physical health problems that can affect them on into adulthood. Dismissing a childs feelings or needs by ignoring them or telling them to immobilize it or get over it can have tremendous effects on their development as they grow into adulthood. The child will learn how to hold back their emotions and will have trouble with expressing their emotions mighty to the people around them.Additionally, the child will develop problems establishing positive, healthy, and safe relationships. These children will even have trouble in school. about times uninvolved parents try not to have any type of fundamental interaction with their child. These parents tend to keep themselves deeply involved in their work and any opposite activity they may feel is more important than their child. An uninvolved parent is a parenting style that can be learned from previous generations. Their parents may have also appeared to always be too lodge in to raise them, show them love, and affection, or give them positive influence for their life.Finally, children of uninvolved or neglectful parents have been found to be rated at the lowest level of all domains in life physical, social, educational, and cognitive. The most positive, loving, warmest, parenting style would be the authoritative parent. overbearing parents are more open to disciplining their misbehaving child however their punishments are not very strict. They are more involved in their childs life than the uninvolved parents and are not as harsh as authoritarian parents. Baumrind stated authoritative parents oversee and impart clear standards for their childrens conduct.They are assertive, but not intrusive and restrictive. Their corrective methods are supportive, rather than punitive. They want their children to be assertive as well as socially responsible, and self-regulated as well as cooperative (Baumrind, 1991). Research has shown that children who are raised by authoritative parents have higher self-esteem levels, rely more on themselves, and tend to listen more hand in glove to rules. With all of these positive influences in the childs life they tend to b e more successful in their academics and subsequently on in life in their careers as adults. It was found that higher socioeconomic status parents are more like to display an authoritative parenting style, i. e. they are responsive to the needs of their children, and foster demands through biface communication and the encouragement of independence (Chng, no date).Authoritative parents are firm, fair, and provide never-ending discipline to help their child develop proper behavior skills. These parents actively listen and consider the childs opinions and feelings about decisions. This parent can clearly formulate their expectations to their children and encourage their child to do well in all of lifes domains such s mental, social, physical and emotional. Authoritative parents find pleasure in the childs accomplishments. The style of parenting used by authoritative parents tends to balance the differences between authoritarian and permissive parenting styles. For example, when a p arent time-tested to get their child obey them, no matter how the child feels or what they think about it, there times when a parent needs to step back and allow their child to make their own mistakes and do things on their own without have the parent there to interfere.In all, children that are raised by authoritative parents have more freedom to explore and be and find themselves, bandage receiving the love, affection, and support that they need to have a successful composition have certain boundaries that have been set by their parent. Parenting styles can determine how a child will develop in the major areas of their life. After researching and learning the major impact that the four parenting styles have on a childs development it has been shown that the authoritative parenting style has the most ample and positive effects on children.Authoritative parents instill proper get of love, encouragement, and nourishment, while also setting the right amount of boundaries for thei r child. We can also evaluate that the lack of parental involvement, poor monitoring and supervision, and harsh and inconsistent discipline, have all been completed as strong predictors of antisocial outcomes in children and adolescents (Dadds, Hawes, 2006). Authoritative parenting style can be a hard style to develop and achieve, because of culture, family size, generational background, economic status, educational level, devotion and even different personalities between the parent and child. Child temperament may raise certain parenting styles just as parenting styles may affect the relations between child temperament and behavior. It is possible that early levels of behavior problems influence parenting styles and behavior in heart childhood, which in turn influence later on behavior problems (Williams, Degnan, Perez-Edgar, Henderson, Rubin, Pine, Steinberg, Fox, 2009). It is important for parents to find a healthy parenting style that will positively produce a healthy, lovi ng, happy child.