American Psycho Book to Movie Essay

Allister Baudoin Mr. Jason Raush Lit. of Extreme Situations 8 April 2013 American Psycho Novel and Movie Comparison After the release of Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho, and the critical response that soon followed, many would believe that a film version of such a creatively gruesome novel would be an impossible task to undertake. The extended seemingly endless descriptions, stream of conscious narrative, countless scenes of grotesque violence, and not to mention a literary ban in both Germany and Australia are just a few reasons why so many believed a movie could never exist.However in the spring of 2000, director Mary Harron defied the odds and transformed this controversial work from hardcover to the big screen. Remarkably a huge success, the film captures the weaving, often-satirical, themes of the book, while staying true to the not so hidden horrors of a 1980’s New York yuppie turned serial killer Patrick Bateman. Where the book gave readers the eyes and insigh t of a warped Patrick Bateman, the movie displayed a more outward perspective, balancing the darkly comical with hints of insanity that built toward the unraveling of this American Psycho.Some may argue that serial killers are born with the inevitable urge to murder, while others believe these actions are a direct result of environmental culturing. The character of Patrick Bateman would justly cause anyone to question this notion. In the film, Mr. Batman, ingeniously portrayed by Christian Bale, begins the film with a seemingly levelheaded temperament. This illusion is short lived however and is broken when a scene, mirroring that of the second chapter of the book, shows Bateman’s obsessively thorough morning routine.The film quite accurately depicts the various products and processes that were read as lists upon lists of description within the novel. Another point in which Mary Harron illustrates the maddening obsessive tendencies of Bateman occurs during the often one-sided dialogues about his favorite musical artists. Full chapters of the novel are dedicated these shallow ramblings that send readers into an almost absorbed state of psychosis.Although the film could not hold this exact effect, many of these lines were straight from the novel, except for the Phil Collins references, and were stated under a comical tone that stayed true to the satirical nature of the work. Each of these scenes shows the progression of a Patrick Bateman that has become less of a human and more a product of society. The greatest difference from book to film lies in the scenes of abundant violence.Although the film had to alter certain portions to receive an â€Å"R† not â€Å"NC-17† rating, the movie, even with the old cuts in place, would still not even scratch the surface of the horror and revolting actions found within the novel. Events like the killing of an innocent child at a zoo, the pieces of body left in his Hell’s Kitchen apartment, cannibal ism, and other more disgusting ways of torturing women were not visually placed in the movie.Nevertheless many of them were hinted at throughout which allowed audiences to imagine the terrifying acts that Bateman partook in themselves, actors the ability to play with dialogue, and readers to notice the inner most references to scenes from the book. Not all violence and gore was left to the imagination however, but were subtly shown for example by a scrape on a women’s back or by the image of a severed head tucked away inside of Bateman’s fridge until the climax where shots of former bodies are exposed during a chase seen with a women desperately trying to escape.All of the shots are creatively angled to show just enough violence to make you feel the impact of the act while crafting an air of tension that increases until he cracks. The progression of Patrick Bateman’s mental dysfunction and the unreliability of the main characters perspective, hit its peak at the end of the film. Surreal scenes of confusion and dialogue began to cloud the interactions that Bateman had with those around him. A growing sense of urgency in his demeanor countered by the cold glare of the other characters gave a perfect bridge to the theme of the novel.Now that we see Bateman shocked that his sick acts have gone with out consequence, the audience begins to question whether or not his horrid acts are only mere imagination. The end of the book, and most of the novel, give readers the assumption that these acts must be too extreme to have actually happened. The conclusion of the film lets the wall reliability crash down with the realization that you may have just glimpsed into the mind of the main character. Just like in the book, audiences grasp that Bateman may just simply be more psychotic than first perceived.The unraveling of his sophistication being the first sign brings question to the events that occurred and further notions of insanity. Although much of th e story may have been in the mind of Patrick Bateman, the ideas and fantasies that were birthed their and why they came about, are the root of what both Bret Easton Ellis and Mary Harron are trying to being to question. Was it instilled in a man to have these desires, or was it a society that brought him to it?

Night World : Black Dawn Chapter 9

She was in his mind. It was all around her, like astrange and perilous world. A terribly frighteningworld, but one that was full of stark beauty. Everything was angles, as if she'd fallen into theheart of a giant crystal. Everything glittered, coldand clear and sharp. There were flashes of color aslight shimmered and reflected, but for the most part it was dazzling transparency in every direction. Like the fractured ice of a glacier. Really dangerous,Maggie thought. The spikes of crystal around her had edges like swords. The place looked as if it had never known warmth or softcolor. And youlive here?she thought to Delos. Go away.Delos's answering thought came to her.on a wave of cold wind. Get out! No,Maggie said. You can't scare me. I've climbed glaciers before.It was then that she realized whatthis place reminded her of. A summit. The bareand icy top of a mountain where no plants-andcertainly no people-could survive. But didn'tanything goodever happen to you? shewondered. Didn't you ever have a friend†¦or apet†¦ or something? No friends,he said shortly. No pets. Get out of here before I hurt you. Maggie didn't answer, because even as he said itthings were changing around her. It was as if the glinting surfaces of the nearby crystals were suddenly reflecting scenes, perfect little pictures withpeople moving in them. As soon as Maggie lookedat one, it swelled up and seemed to surround her. They were his memories. She was seeing bits ofhis childhood. She saw a child who had been treated as aweapon from the time he was born. It was all aboutsome prophecy. She saw men and women gatheredaround a little boy, four years old, whose blacklashed golden eyes were wide and frightened. â€Å"No question about it,† the oldest man was saying. Delos's teacher, Maggie realized, the knowledge flowing to her because Delos knew it, and shewas in Delos's mind. â€Å"This child is one of the Wild Powers,† theteacher said, and his voice was full of awe andfear. His trembling hands smoothed out a brittlepiece of scroll. As soon asMaggie saw it she knew that the scroll was terribly old and had been keptin the Dark Kingdom for centuries, preserved hereeven when it was lost to the outside world. â€Å"Four Wild Powers,† the old man said, â€Å"who willbe needed at the millennium to save the world-or-to destroy it. The prophecy tells where they willcome from.† And he read: â€Å"One from the land of kings long forgotten; One from the hearth which still holds the spark; One from the Day World where two eyes are watching; One from the twilight to be one with the dark.†, The child Delos looked around the circle of grim faces, hearing the words but not understandingthem. â€Å"‘The land of kings, long forgotten,†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ a womanwas saying. â€Å"That must be the Dark Kingdom.† â€Å"Besides, we've seen what he can do,† a big mansaid roughly. â€Å"He's a Wild Power, all right. The bluefire is in his blood. He's learned to use it too early, though; he can't control it. See?† He grabbed a small arm-the left one-and heldit up. It was twisted somehow, the fingers clawed and stiff, immobile. The little boy tried to pull his hand away, but hewas too weak. The adults ignored him. â€Å"The king wants us to find spells to hold thepower in,† the woman said. â€Å"Or he'll damage himself permanently.† â€Å"Not to mention damaging us,† the rough mansaid, and laughed harshly. The little boy sat stiff and motionless as theyhandled him like a doll. His golden eyes were dryand his small jaw was clenched with the effort notto give in to tears. That's awful,Maggie said indignantly, aiming herthought at the Delos of the present. It's a terrible way to grow up. Wasn't there anybody who cared about you? Your father? Goaway, he said. I don't need your sympathy. And your arm,Maggie said, ignoring the cold emptiness of his thought. Is that what happens toitwhen you use the blue fire? He didn't answer, not in a thought directed ather. But another memory flashed in the facets of a crystal, and Maggie found herself drawn into it. She saw a five-year-old Delos with his armwrapped in what looked like splints or a brace. Asshe looked at it, she knew it wasn't just a brace. It was made of spells and wards to confine the blue fire. â€Å"This is it,† the woman who had spoken beforewas saying to the circle of men. â€Å"We can controlhim completely.† â€Å"Are you sure? You witches are careless sometimes. You're sure he can't use it at all now?† Theman who said it was tall, with a chilly, austereface-and yellow eyes like Delos's. Your father,Maggie said wonderingly to Delos. And his name was †¦ Tormentil? But †¦She couldn't go on, but she was thinking that he didn'tlook much like a loving father. He seemed just likethe others. â€Å"Until I remove the wards, he can't use it at all.I'm sure, majesty.† The woman said the last word in an everyday tone, but Maggie felt a little shock.Hearing somebody get called majesty-it made him moreof a king, somehow. â€Å"The longer they're left on, the weaker he'll be,† the woman continued. â€Å"And hecan't take them offhimself. But I can, at any time – â€Å" â€Å"And then he'll still be useful as a weapon?† â€Å"Yes. But blood has to run before he can use the blue fire.† The king said brusquely, â€Å"Show me.† The woman murmured a few words and strippedthe brace off the boy's arm. She took a knife fromher belt and with a quick, casual motion, like Maggie's grandmother guttinga salmon, opened a gash on his wrist. Five-year-old Delos didn't flinch or make asound. His golden eyes were fixed on his father's faceas blood dripped onto the floor. â€Å"I don't think this is a good idea,† the old teachersaid. â€Å"The blue fire isn't meant to be used like this,and it damages his arm every time he does it= â€Å"Now,† the king interrupted, ignoring him andspeaking to the child for the first time. â€Å"Show mehow strong you are, son. Turn the blue fire on †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He glanced up deliberately at the teacher. â€Å"Let'ssay-him.† â€Å"Majesty!† The old man gasped, backing againstthe wall. The golden eyes were wide and afraid. â€Å"Do it!† the king said sharply, and when the littleboy shook his head mutely, he closed his hand onone small shoulder. Maggie could see his fingerstighten painfully. â€Å"Do what I tell you. Now!† Delos turned his wide golden eyes on the old man, who was now shrinking and babbling, his trembling hands held up as if to ward off a blow. The king changed his grip, lifted the boy's arm. â€Å"Now, brat! Now!† Blue fire erupted. It poured in a continuousstream like the water from a high-power fire hose.It struck the old man and spreadeagled him againstthe wall, his eyes and mouth open with horror. Andthen there was no old man. There was only a shad owy silhouette made of ashes. â€Å"Interesting,† the king said, dropping the boy'sarm. His anger had disappeared as quicklyasithad come. â€Å"Actually, I thought there would bemore power. I thought it might take out the wall.† â€Å"Give him time.† The woman's voice was slightlythick, and she was swallowing over and over. â€Å"Well, no matter what, hell be useful.† The kingturned to look at the others in the room. â€Å"Remember-all of you. A time of darkness is coming. Theend of the millennium means the end of the world.But whatever happens outside, this kingdom isgoing to survive.† Throughout all of this, the little boy sat andstared at the place where the old man had been.His eyes were wide, the pupils huge and fixed. Hisface was white, but without expression. Maggie struggled to breathe. That's-that's themost terrible thing I've ever seen.She could hardly get the words of her thought out. Theymade you kill your teacher-he made you do it. Yourfather. She didn't know what to say. Sheturned blindly, trying to find Delos himself in this strange landscape, trying to talk to him directly.She wanted to look at him, to hold him. To comfort him. I'm so sorry. I'mso sorry you had to grow uplike that. Don't be stupid,he said. I grew up to be strong.That's what counts. You grew up without anyone loving you,Maggiesaid. He sent a thought like ice. Love is for weak people. It's a delusion. And it can be deadly. Maggie didn't know how to answer. She wanted to shake him. All that stuff about the end of the millennium and the end of the world-what did that mean? Exactly what it sounded like,Delos said briefly. The prophecies are coming true. The world o f hu mans is about to end in blood and darkness. And then the Night People are going to rule again. And that's why they turned a five-year-old into alethal weapon? Maggie wondered. The thoughtwasn't for Delos, but she could feel that he heard it. I am what I was meant to be,he said. And I don't want to be anything else. Are you sure?Maggie looked around. Althoughshe couldn't have described what she was doing, she knew what it was. She was looking forsomething†¦ something to prove to him †¦ A scene flashed in the crystal. The boy Delos was eight. He stood in front of apile of boulders, rocks the size of small cars. Hisfather stood behind him. â€Å"Now!† As soonasthe king spoke, the boy lifted his arm.Blue fire flashed. A boulder exploded, disintegrating into atoms. Again! Another rock shattered. â€Å"More power! You're not trying. You're useless!†The entire pile of boulders exploded. The bluefire kept streaming, taking out a stand of trees behind the boulders and crashing into the side of amountain. It chewed through the rock, meltingshale and granite like a flamethrower burning awooden door. The king smiled cruelly and slapped his son onthe back. â€Å"That's better.† No. That's horrible,Maggie told Delos. That'swrong. This is what it should be like. And she sent to him images of her own family.Not that the Neelys were anything special. Theywere like anybody. They had fights, some of them pretty bad. But there were lots of good times, too, and that was what she showed him. She showed him her life†¦ herself. Laughingasher father frantically blew on a flaming marshmallow on some long-past campingtrip. Smelling turpentine and watching magical colors unfold on canvasas her mother painted. Perch ing dangerously on the handlebars of a bike while Miles pedaled behind her, then shrieking all theway down a hill. Waking up to a rough warmtongue licking her face, opening one eye to see Jake the Great Dane panting happily. Blowing out candles at a birthday party. Ambushing Miles from herdoorway with a heavy-duty water rifle †¦ Who is that?Delos asked. He had been thawing;Maggie could feel it. There were so many thingsin the memories that were strange to him: yellowsunshine, modern houses, bicycles, machinerybut she could feel interest and wonder stir in himat the people. Until now, when she was showing him a sixteenyear-old Miles, a Miles who looked pretty muchlike the Miles of today. That's Miles. He's my brother. He's eighteen and he just started college.Maggie paused, trying to feel what Delos was thinking. He's the reason I'm here.He got involved with this girl called Sylvia-Ithinkshe's a witch. And then he disappeared. I went tosee Sylvia, and the next thing I know I'm waking up ina slave-trader's cart. In a place I never knew existed. Delos said, I see. Delos, do you know him? Have you seen him be fore?Maggie tried to keep the question calm. She would have thought she could see anything thatDelos was thinking, that it would all be reflected inthe crystals around her, that there was nothing he could hide. But now suddenly she wasn't sure. It's best for you to leave that alone,Delos said. I can't,Maggie snapped back. He's my brother! If he's in trouble I have to find him-I have to helphim. That's what I've been trying to explainto you. We help each other. Delos said, Why? Because we do. Because that's what people are supposed to do. And even you know that, somewhere down deep. You were trying to help me in my dream She could feel him pull away. Your dreams are just your fantasies. Maggie said flatly, No. Not this one. I had it before I met you. She could remember more of it now. Here in his mind thedetailswere coming to her, all the things that had been unclear before. And there was onlyone thing to do. She showed it to Delos. The mist, the figure appearing, calling her name.The wonder and joy in his face when he caughtsight of her. The way his hands closed on hershoulders, so gently, and the look of inexpressibletenderness in his eyes. And then -I remember!Maggie said. Youtold meto look for a pass,underneath a rock thatlooked likea wave about to break You told me to get awayfromhere, to escape. Andthen†¦ She remembered what had happened then, andfaltered. And then he had kissed her. She could feel it again, his breath a soft warmthon her cheek, and then the touch of his lips, just as soft. There had been so much in that kiss, somuch of himself revealed. It had been almost shy in its gentleness, but charged with a terrible passion, as if he had known it was the last kiss theywould ever share. It was †¦ so sad,Maggie said, faltering again.Not from embarrassment, but because she was suddenly filled with an intensity of emotion that fright ened her. I don't know what it meant, but it was so sad†¦. Then, belatedly, she realized what was happeningwith Delos. He was agitated. Violently agitated. The crystalworld around Maggie was trembling with denialand fury-and fear. That wasn't me. I'm not like that,he said in avoice that was like a sword made of ice. It was,she said, not harshly but quietly. I don't understand it, but it really was you. I don't understand any of this. But there's a connection betweenus. Look what's happening to us right now. Is thisnormal? Do you people always fall into each oth ers' minds? Get out!The words were a shout that echoedaround Maggie from every surface. She could feel his anger; it was huge, violent, like a primal storm. And she could feel the terror that was underneath it, and hear the word that he was thinking anddidn't want to think, that he was trying to bury and run away from. Soulmates.That was the word. Maggie couldsense what it meant. Two people connected, boundto each other forever, soul to soul, in a way thateven death couldn't break. Two souls that were destined for each other. It's a lie,Delos said fiercely. I don't believe in souls. I don't love anyone. And I don't have any feelings! And then the world broke apart. That was what it felt like. Suddenly, all aroundMaggie, the crystals were shattering and fracturing.Pieces were falling with the musical sound of ice.Nothing was stable, everything was turning to chaos. And then, so abruptly that she lost her breath,she was out of his mind. She was sitting on the ground in a small cave lit only by a dancing, flickering flame. Shadows wavered on the walls and ceiling. She was in her ownbody, and Delos was holding her in his arms. But even as she realized it, he pulled away and stood up. Even in the dimness she could see that his face was pale, his eyes fixed. As she got to her feet, she could see somethingelse, too. It was strange, but their minds were still connected, even though he'd thrown her out of his world. And what she saw†¦was herself. Herselfthrough his eyes. She saw someone who wasn't at all the frailblond princess type, not a bit languid and perfect and artificial. She saw a sturdy, rosy-brown girlwith a straight gaze. A girl with autumn-coloredhair, warm and vivid and real, and sorrel-coloredeyes. It was the eyes that caught her attention: there was a clarity and honesty in them, a depth and spaciousness that made mere prettiness seem cheap. Maggie caught her breath. Do I look like that? she wondered dizzily. I can't. I'd have noticed inthe mirror. But it was how he saw her. In his eyes, she wasthe only vibrant, living thing in a cold world of black and white. And she could feel the connectionbetween them tightening, drawing him toward her even as he tried to pull farther away. â€Å"No.†His voice was a bare whisper in the cave.†I'm not bound to you. I don't love you.† â€Å"Delos-!' I don't love anyone. I don't have feelings.† Maggie shook her head wordlessly. She didn'thave to speak, anyway. All the time he was tellingher how much he didn't love her, he was moving closer to her, fighting it every inch. â€Å"You mean nothing to me,† he raged through clenched teeth. â€Å"Nothing!† And then his face was inches away from hers, and she could see the flame burning in his golden eyes. â€Å"Nothing,† he whispered, and then his lipstouched hers.

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Obstructive Uropathy and Myocardial Infarction Essay

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Environmental Management - Essay Example In years 2002 and 2003 approximately 333 million tonnes of waste was created in the UK. This amount does not include the agricultural waste. even though out of this household wastes is only around 30 million tonnes, it is approximated that for every tonne discarded an additional 5 tonnes waste is produced at the manufacturing phase, and 20 tonnes at the level where the unprocessed material is pulled out (Vanessa White and Stewart Bell, 2006). The Environment Agency calculates that over 90% of the resources we exhaust are either cast off as waste or emptied into the surroundings as waste matter or air expelling. Â  40% of the recyclable material is plastic bottles, glass, cans and textiles or paper. Vegetable shedding and other unprocessed material is about 38%. In spite of the possible 60% waste which can be recycled or converted, presently below than one quarter of the total waste contents are now recycled (Vanessa White and Stewart Bell, 2006). Waste management in the UK is actually a state approved industry, but still it has to face full competition from private sector investments. Decisions with regard to plans are actually set by the local government based on advises received from the central government. The Government and dropped governances are presently surveying their waste schemes (Vanessa White and Stewart Bell, 2006). The more waste generated the more disposal methods have to be invented. Some modes of disposing of waste actually liberate air contaminants and greenhouse gases into the environment. Waste recycling is one way to reduce the effect of waste discarding into the atmosphere, but availability of other methods which are more environ friendly can be adopted. The most general removal methods, in the UK, are landfill and to a small degree incineration. Every year roughly 111 million tonnes of checked waste that is household, industrial and

The Medicare Modernization Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Medicare Modernization Act - Essay Example When it comes to income that means those who are living from hand to mouth are unable to benefit from the Act. In order to analyze whether it is a step forward or backward, let us discuss the significance of MMA in the light of its pros and cons to the U.S citizens: Medicare initially was not considered among the major concerns of American national politics 3. First, there was the targeting of Medicare expenditures, which federal officials regularly forecasted to raise over the 1990s, as a way to reduce the federal budget deficit. That issue momentarily heated up the debate between the Bush and Clinton campaigns when Budget Director Richard Darman claimed in July 1992 that Medicare outlays would have to be drastically reduced if the budget deficit were to be substantially lowered. The other set of political issues involved the emergent politics of universal health insurance in the early 1990s both the realization that an extraordinary consensus had emerged about the need for far-reaching change and the presumption that, if elected, Clinton aimed to act on that consensus 4. The context for the 1997 Medicare changes reflected two long-term forces at work in American politics. One element was the wearing down of the faith in government and ameliorative social programs that had been central to Medicare's birth in the heyday of the Great Society. The second was a form of fiscal politics that emphasized the consequences of the aging of the baby boomers, particularly the budgetary strain they would put on both Medicare and Social Security in the years ahead 5. Medicare - The most costly Program Medicare makes up the largest proportion of income-assistance spending. The cost of medical benefits has risen by more than the cost of other programs since the 1970s. It is said and often considered that certain social insurance and welfare health programs raise the greatest number of people out of scarcity, especially among the elderly and retired. The success of such programs can be determined by the historical acceptance of such Acts like the Food Stamp Act in 1964 and Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, which provided health insurance for the needy and poor 6. In the early 1990s, once again there felt a need to change the existing plans and policies regarding health and medication, so certain health welfare and food stamp programs arrive but at a smaller scale. The main reason for requiring such policies was the dissatisfaction with the then welfare programs and policies. Bill Clinton, who had vowed to "end welfare as we know it" in his 1992 campaign, helped do just that, signing a bipartisan bill in 1996, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) 7. This was a dramatic and controversial measure that brought an end to six decades of federal social policy guaranteeing at least a minimum level of aid to those in poverty. The measure abolished AFDC and replaced it with a system of smaller grants to states, which established rules of eligibility but were required to end welfare to

Apple Store Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Apple Store - Research Paper Example In this avenue, the techniques applicable are a web server hosting the web address, content, and software that may mediate communications for the two parties. Remarkably, communication through this system is efficient as customers make orders for the goods they need directly to the supplier. Moreover, this technique requires provision of an internet address, which is useful to the supplier as they may use the email address to communicate to the consumer about new products on sale in future. Essentially, the use of mobile phone verbal communication also helps in the creation of dialogue with the two transacting entities. It creates trust and dialogue, which enhances customer service and satisfaction because consumers are able to make verbal communication on the specifics of the product they are buying (Ahrens 31). As for Apple store, the preferred technique for marketing communication is website communication because of the large customer base hence making it difficult to make one on one phone dialogue. Offline interactive communication In this form of traditional marketing communication, retailers make direct approach to the consumer in order to create product awareness and encourage buying. The techniques involved include direct marketing, personal selling, and sales promotions. However, the products on sale are not as per individual customer specifications, but are as per the supplier’s ideas. However, the application of this concept still applies to many businesses despite the available one to one marketing techniques. In this regard, Apple store uses sales promotions and direct marketing to market products on sale in order to attract customers to buy their products. Online passive communication techniques These are one-way progressive communication techniques where the supplier informs customers about the goods on sale without expecting any feedback from them (Kurtz 536). For instance, these techniques include television, radio gadgets, and any form of printed media. In essence, any concerns that a consumer might have does not get to the supplier hence facilitating difficulties for them in decision-making. Given the option, television is the most suited technique for apple store as it helps persuade consumers to visit the store and buy from them b ecause televisions show the images of the products available at the store. Offline passive communication techniques In the past, marketing communication was a traditional concept where communication only focused on the target population and not on individual customers. This concept is still relevant in today’s marketing strategies despite the fact that communication is not specific. For instance, this form of marketing communication uses public relations and product advertising to ensure that the message on the products reaches the potential customers. Therefore, Apple store uses product advertising as a way of reaching wider markets because of the ability to create awareness towards many. Recommendations First, the progressive technique of internet and website communication forms a vital aspect of marketing. However, Apple store should

Socialist Feminism Essay Example for Free

Socialist Feminism Essay According to (Alcoff,1995 ) Cultural feminism is the ideology that a woman needs to appropriate the value of her female nature in an attempt to authenticate her female attributes that were previously determined and undervalued by masculinity itself. In cultural feminism, a woman’s enemy lies not just in an economic institution, backward values or even a social system but the root of it all lies in masculinity itself and even in male biology. It is a celebration womanhood, of the separation of a woman’s existence from mans and taking pride in the very essence of female sexuality right down to one’s anatomy. The power of popular culture and the â€Å"Vagina monologues† All aspects of feminist culture seems to occur in waves over periods of time however overlapping and questionable in terms of generations they may be they are most evident in western parts of the world, such as the suffragists of the 1920’s and the American women who fought for sexually reproductive rights in the 1960’s. A wave of popular culture swept across America in the early 1990†s that was indeed a reflection of how cultural feminism was present in their society known as â€Å"the vagina monologues†. In her book Baumgardner (2011:102) writes about a how the series of fictional stories inspired by the real life experiences of women of different races, ages and ethnicity on their sex life’s, relationships and personal struggles inspired plays in different universities across the nation gave birth to the V-day an international movement that stands to end violence against all women and girls. This wave of popular culture encouraged not just the lesbian woman but the heterosexual female to be proud of every bit of her womanhood and sexuality. In (Alcoff, 1995:435) suggest â€Å"woman should not dismiss their biological importance simply because patriarchy has used it to overpower us, our biological make up and the paradox of a woman’s body holds the key to reconnecting with ourselves, our inner genius and beguiling physicality. † Cultural feminist movements today and the fight against FGM A primary concern of cultural feminism today can be seen in the stance against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Which according to (WHO, 2010) involves the piercing, cutting and burning off of the clitoris or labia and the stitching of the vagina. It is the horrific violation of women’s rights and is predominantly practiced as a result of cultural beliefs in Africa. (UNICEF,2011)estimates the number of women being subjected to FGM in Africa today ranges between 100 to 130 million, FGM is most prevalent in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Somalia which has approximately 98% of girls being mutilated. This is an important example of why feminist movements are still needed because third world feminist struggles and first world struggles differ. Feminist movements have developed non governmental organisations like (The Feminist Majority Foundation, 2010) Amnesty International group that seeks to replace cultural practices like FGM with symbolic ceremonies that will still promote traditional beliefs without causing any physical harm. Such Non-Governmental organisations truly represent how feminism has evolved and has become more concerned with helping vulnerable groups without the help of government aid or funding to address struggles and inequalities by providing health care without asking for anything in return and advocating for policy development and policy change that affects women. Radical feminism  It can be said that radical feminism is at the root of all types of feminism. Bates (2005:66) states that radical feminism has been the incubator from which many feminist ideas rose, from the period of 1967-1975 radical feminism was the leading edge of most feminist theory, however it is no longer fit to solely describe â€Å"feminism†. It is often misrepresented as women who detest men when in actual fact it is about women who detest patriarchy. Nachescu (2009:30)mentions how radical feminists challenged the knowledge of politics under their slogan â€Å"the personal is political† this redefined political areas that affected human life such as abortion and contraceptive laws all of which were previously part of ones personal life. Sexuality and the â€Å"closet feminist† Generally feminism is torn between two opinions on the issue of sexuality; some believe sex is the root cause of female oppression whilst others believe it is what truly liberates a woman. Prostitution challenges female liberation from male objectivity especially in states where sex work has been legalised creating miscommunication between radical feminists and prostitutes. According to (Morris 2007:6) â€Å"they only believe in finding a way for prostitutes to escape but what is wrong with having sex for a living, who am I to you if I enjoy how I earn a living, and are such people without dignity? †. Although this may be a sensitive topic, the legalisation of prostitution in some countries has served to protect sex workers. Today even though one might support various issues of feminist concern, no one wants to bear the title of the ball busting ice queen. The modern woman fears being branded as a narrow minded cliche of a radical feminist who would much rather burn a bra than buy one. Women prefer to be recognised as non-neutralists and are more content to make a sizable anonymous donation than stand and protest for the cause itself. This has sparked a trend of â€Å"closet feminists† who are deluded by the so called illusion of â€Å"having it all†. Genz, 2009:101)The modern woman can be described as an individual figure that tips her hat to past feminist accomplishments but now thinks of them as superfluous and extreme. Feminism and why the cause will never die The struggle has changed but the cause is still very much the same, society may have guaranteed equality for women on paper but in actual reality there are still hidden mechanisms still obstructing progress. Over time feminist movements have addressed the most obvious struggles and inequalities like education, equal pay and reproductive rights which previously were hard to detect at individual level. However(New York Times, 2011:22)reported â€Å"the right to vote was only granted to women by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in 2011 but women will only be allowed to vote or run for municipal positions in 2015 and only with the consent of a male family member. † Even in todays so called â€Å"enlightened era† the lists of human rights denied to women in some parts of the world are appalling. Feminist movements are still present addressing the relationship between oppression and power, which is evident in today’s society as sexual harassment and rape and attacks on the gay and lesbian communities. Roy (2011:12) journalist at the New York Times reported the rape of a 15 year old girl in New Delhi, India the story made headlines because her attacker was granted a reduced sentence on the account that he was his family’s primary breadwinner. These injustices have given birth to different kinds of global movements such as the â€Å"slut walk† in which women protest on the right to wear what they choose without fear of male attack or rape. (Reader: 2012) reports on women and men taking their protest to the streets after a Toronto police officer accused a rape victim of â€Å"asking for it† flashes of cleavage and legs on show their slogan reads â€Å"consent is sexy†. Too often very light is shed on such organised protests but this is a specific example of how the feminist movement is not over it is merely manifesting itself in different ways.

Development of police -Time line history Essay Example for Free

Development of police -Time line history Essay The Roman Vigiles are recognized world over as the first police force. Gaius Octavius who was Julius Caesars’ grandnephew created this â€Å"non-military and non-mercenary police† in 27 B.C. (Berg, B.1998) The creation of the force followed the assassination of Julius Caesar and Gaius sought to reform the Roman society as a form of revenge. This was done once Gaius ascended to power to become Augustus Caesar the â€Å"first emperor of Rome.† (Berg, B.1998) However it was not until the 17th century that elements of policing started being practiced in the US after being adopted from the English watch system. This system was to later evolve to the American watch system, which had a form of silent, and unseen policing based on â€Å"hue and cry.† (Berg, B.1998) Among the first parts to adopt this system was the Boston night watch formed in 1631; this system enlisted 6 watchmen, a constable and many volunteers. American policing is normally classified into 3 distinct eras that are discussed below. The political Era (1840-1930) The major characteristic of this era was the close relationship between the police on one hand and politicians on the other. This relationship in most cases was geared towards â€Å"making the politician happy† The police system was very decentralized and its main purpose was to provide basic social services. Inherent in the police system during this era was the endemic corruption. http://www.realpolice.net/police-history.shtml   Sometimes this era is called the â€Å"Spoils Era† which called for large-scale adaptation to the social changes that were taking place in America. This era is named so because as the term puts it â€Å"to the Victor go the spoils† whereby the political class in big cities often controlled their municipal police. http://www.realpolice.net/police-history.shtml During the period of 1835 America was hit by numerous Industrial and race riots, which involved mostly the Native Americans and the immigrant Irish. In response to these riots, the police force was assigned the function of controlling them. However, because the type of system used was variably inadequate and ineffective the answer was found in police officers that would be salaried. (Walker, S.1998) 1845 marked the beginning of a salaried police force in America. This was in New York City where the police were called â€Å"coppers† because of the copper star badges they wore. They worked throughout, day and night mainly to control riots. http://www.realpolice.net/police-history.shtml The â€Å"coppers† were armed with guns and were usually trained to think smarter than their working class counter parts. This system was to soon spread to other states like Boston where detectives and informants were being used and Philadelphia with the characteristic â€Å"mug shots.† http://www.realpolice.net/police-history.shtml The Texas Ranger which was founded in 1845 is mentioned as the first state police organization and it is always well remembered for the atrocities against Mexicans and â€Å"Comanche tribes.† However, the Pennsylvania Constabulary is generally accepted as the first professional state police agency. The constabulary initial functions was to aide mine-owners against strikes in the mines. (Walker, S. 1998) The California Gold Rush of 1848 prompted the formation of Federal police agencies that included the Border Patrol, the IRS, Postal Inspector and the Secret Service. In1855 Allan Pinkerton was a model for federal investigators after founding the Pinkerton’s private security agency. Other agencies that sprouted up during this time were Holmes Burglar Alarm Company and the Brinks and Wells Fargo armored delivery services. By early 20th century the Spoils era was coming to a close, ending in 1900 when the Pendleton Act came into being. This Act was mainly enforced by a civil service system to fight corruption and nepotism. Several innovations were made, and the form of policing shifted from â€Å"brawn to brain†. (Berg, B.1998) During this time professionalism took center stage and led to the formation in 1902 of the International Association of Chiefs of police (IACP). Richard Sylvester became the body’s first president; he was also the Washington D.C.P.D chief and is widely recognized as the â€Å"father of police professionalism.† Many aspects of paramilitary policing were developed during this time. (Walker, Samuel 1977) By 1918, August Vollmer as the chief of the Berkeley P.D became   â€Å"the patriarch of police professionalism†. During his time, for the first time in America advancement in crime labs and finger printing were realized, more and bigger police stations were built accompanied by change of job titles. The professionalism saw the establishment of police unions at the bottom ranks. (Walker, Samuel 1977) In 1915, the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) was established. The establishment of the Federation Of State County Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and the International Conference Of Police Association (ICPA), the umbrella group of teamsters, followed this. Another aspect of this era was the involvement of citizen groups in the police reforms a notable model was the Chicago Crime Commission. The commission was more of civilian oversights board that sort to bring intellectual ideas about causes of crime. During this era policewomen were given the chance to do real police work, for the first time. Another peculiar development during this era was the Volstead Act on the 18th Amendment or Prohibition in 1919.This was an era characterized by gangsterism of such renowned gangsters like Al Capone and John Dilinger. It was also a time during the Great Depression where there was widespread unemployment and law was unenforceable. Thus the main function of the police during this time was fighting crime because the number of gangsters had increased and they had become more organized. It was this period that is often described as the Prohibition Era when attempts were made to ban alcohol sales and consumption. (Walker, S. 1998) All together there was an escalation of such crimes as kidnapping, daylight bank robberies and drive by shooting. The police were under intense pressure to contain the runaway crime and most time resorted to the use of brute force including the use of dirty tricks. Notable police leaders who emerged during this time were J.Edgar Hoover and Elliot Ness. They often used covert means and latest technology to check on the raising crime. The advent of the two ways radio, the police car and the telephone transformed greatly the policing system to become a more reactive system. (Gaines, L. Vaughn J. 1999) The Reform Era (1830-1980)   The reform era was ushered in by various transformations that started taking place in the police system in the 1920s led by August Vollmer who was Berkeley, California Police Chief (Carte, G. E. 1975). During this era new technology started being adopted and greater professionalism enhanced (Walker, Samuel 1977). Such professionalism centralized the command and control of the police operations. Such officers like O.W Wilson who introduced professionalism in Wichita, Kansas and the Chicago police drastically reduced corruption. Here training of the police was greatly emphasized. (Bopp, W 1977) O.W. Wilson introduced various strategies like rotation of officers from one community to another to reduce corruption incidences, strict merit promotion system, and higher salaries to attract professionals and aggressive recruiting drives. (Bopp, W 1977) However, there remained a bad relationship between the police on one hand and the minority communities on the other because of the highly autocratic police leaders. The police during this period despite of the reformations concentrated more on felonies and other serious crimes. (Bopp, W 1977) The 1960s were marked by urban unrests that included movements such as the civil rights, the Vietnam, the student rights and counterculture. There was an escalation of serial and mass murders with an increased number of police killed in the line of duty that averaged 100 annually. The crime rates soared tripling during this period. (Carte, G. E. 1975). In 1968 the National Advisory Commission on civil disorders blamed the riots on the police and following the abolishment of the death penalty 1967-1977,the police were faced with a heavy task of checking on the rise in crime whilst doing it professionally. In 1965 President Johnson formed the Presidents Commission On Law Enforcement And Administration Of Justice whose reports were influential in providing an overhaul criminal justice system model. It was during this period that the police information system became computerized and more emphasis was placed on empowering the criminal justice system. (Carte, G. E. 1975). In the 1970s the interest shifted to the Police Community Relations when the reactive policing approach was found to be ineffective. Corruption in the police force was still endemic and various commissions were formed to investigate it. Such commissions were common and were formed by citizens and financed by the private sector or community groups. (Walker, S. 1998) Various programs were started towards enforcing the police community relations and included such programs as open houses and ride a longs, citizen self defense trainings, citizen police academies and â€Å"Coffee Klatches† or community meetings. These outreaches helped the police realize their public safety function, where â€Å"fighting the fear of crime was as important as fighting crime itself† (Gaines, L. Vaughn J. 1999) The Community Era (1980- Preset) Many law enforcement agencies in the 1990s started adopting strategies of community policing and problem oriented policing. Problem oriented policing that was characterized by a centralized problem pinpointing approach came first. (Gaines, L. Vaughn J. 1999)   Community policing defined as â€Å"a philosophy based on citizens and police working together in creative ways to help solve contemporary problems related to crime fear disorder and decay†. (Gaines, L. Vaughn J. 1999) Community policing is characterized by the incorporation of the public in combating crime, where the police are more involved with the community they police, now than ever before. (Gaines, L. Vaughn J. 1999) It was also during the 1990s that New York Police Department developed an information based crime pattern tracking and mapping system. The system’s purpose was to check the trends and patterns in crime and the accountability of dealing with crime problems is given to the police.

Reviewing Theories Of Deborah Stone On Policy Making Politics Essay

Reviewing Theories Of Deborah Stone On Policy Making Politics Essay I name my answer to question as Idea and Deborah Stone, I want go through her book and explain why ideas are so important. According to Deborah Stone, ideas will help people to define alliance, strategic considerations also ideas will help people to get the legitimacy and draw policy boundaries. (Deborah, P 34). According to Deborah Stone, ideas will decide who will be affected, how will they be affected and will they be affected legitimately (Stone, P.34). In the first Chapter, Stone starts her analysis at the city-state (the Greek term polis) level. The public policy is considered as an attempt to achieve a certain community goals (Deborah, P 21). However, due to the fact that everyone has his own understanding of ideas, therefore the political community has become a place for internal debates over who will be affected, how will they be affected and will they be affected legitimately(Deborah, P 34) . The policy-making process has thus become a continuous interaction between the conflict and cooperation. In Stones model, individuals may pursue their goals through collective action. The motivation is not only based on self-interests but also based on public concerns. This is because the public interest is be related to the goal of survival (Deborah, P 33). However, when there is a contradiction between self-interest and public interest, the policy process will be more complicated (Deborah, P 33). When the group is motivated under common ideas, the group will get more strength, and there will be a balance between private interests and public interests in the conflict. Stone directly uses the idea as the core concept of this book. In her construction of polis community vs market individual(Deborah P 33) model, ideas have become the focus. Stone tries to use struggle of idea to explain all stages of policy-making process. Policy-making is followed by a continuous constantly struggle to fight for the classification of standards, types of boundaries, and guide people to conduct the ideal typical definition. The struggle of idea can be seen in several policy levels. According to Stones theory, idea defines what people want from the policy; it is the foundation for people to cognize and understands what the policy is. Idea provides a relationship between advocators and advocacy coalitions; Idea provides causal relationship for these people and groups, and ideas will be reflected to their policy objectives through their actions of obtaining support. And these people with the shared idea will persuade decision-makers to meet their preferences. As mentioned above, Stone sees idea as a constantly changing dynamic and resources of construction. And by given different interpretations of ideas, the concept of the ideas will also change. She points out that the politics of policy is to choose the interpretation (Deborah P 75). Stone argues that the authority to interpret idea is the key factor in the policy-making process. Only legitimated idea can be transformed into policy. And using the legiti macy, peoples knowledge or behavior can be changed. And policy change can also be made through this interaction of ideas. Ideas affects how people cognized politics, and the change of politics will also feedback on ideas. To Stone, idea is not static; idea is an ongoing of constructing and reconstructing process of concepts. Now I will try to exam whether Deborah Stones idea theory can fits with other policy process theory. In the punctuated equilibrium theory, Baumgartner and Jones also argue that idea is a potential power in the policy making process. According to their book Agendas and Instability in American Politics, a powerful supporting idea is associated with the institution (Baumgartner and Jones, P 7); In page 16, they also writethe tight connection between institution and idea provides powerful support for prevailing distribution of political advantage. These statements mean that idea will help people understand what is at stake and how will they be affected (Stone, 2002), policy advocators will use institution arrangement to make their idea be legitimate. Also, in order to gain more power those policy actors will manipulate images and ideas. To Baumgartner and Jones, ideas are important because they provide some potential undergirding institutional arrangements; and the struggle of idea is the struggle over legitimate institution arrangements. In the book Agendas, alternatives and public policies, Kingdon also discusses the importance. In order to make useful policy suggestions, participants in the policy process are competing to develop new ideas; and they are trying to provide their ideas in the form of potential solutions to policy makers. According to Kingdon, policy entrepreneurs lie in wait in and around government with their solutions [already] in hand, waiting for problems to float by to which they can attach their solutions, waiting for a development in the political stream they can use to their advantage (Kingdon, P 165). Shared ideas make policy entrepreneurs into alliance; and these alliances are trying to make their ideas become legitimate. Kingdons primal policy soup (Kingdon, P 139-143) model provides us a picture of how decision makers accept idea through coherent narrative process (ideas are flowing in the streams just as molecules flowing in the soup). According to Kingdon, a policy community creates a sh ort list of ideas. If the ideas can go through the selecting process, softening up process and if they can pass the exam by specialists and policy makers, they may finally become policies. The whole process can be viewed as a continuing struggle of ideas. In this case, ideas are not only competing with other ideas, they are also struggling to survive in this primal soup. I also think Kingdons policy window model is another improvement to Deborah Stones arguments. People are now struggling to make their idea in front of the policy window at the correct time. This model discovers that the during the policy process, critical time is also important for ideas struggling. However, I think there are also some theories which do not fully support Deborah Stones argument. In the garbage can model, because the nature of unclear, policy is not necessarily to be the consequence of the ideas struggling. In Kingdons Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies, he describes that as garbage can into which various kinds of problems and solutions are dumped by participantsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ removed from the scene (Kingdon, P 85). In some sense, Deborah Stones Struggling of ideas assumption is more based on a goal-oriented policy making process, in order to make it work, there should be a clear policy goal from all participants; while the classical garbage can model is more like a method-oriented policy making process, it doesnt require a clear goal or solution at the beginning. In the garbage can model, people are not fighting with each other over ideas in the final solution selecting stage, however it is still correct to say that each solution in the garbage can is a result of deliberative idea thinking. I think there is a slight difference between Deborah Stones theory and the garbage can model. Another policy theory which doesnt fully consistent with Deborah Stones theory is the incrementalism theory. According to Lindblom, the incremental policy process is more relied on former existing policies. According to this model, the policy environment generally remains stable. Because the incremental nature of the policy, the new policy will inherent the policy environment from previous policy, if the former policy has resolved the struggling of idea, then there will be less struggling of ideas in the new policies. Since the policy environment is stable, it will be unlikely for us to speculate a violently struggle over ideas. The last policy process theory I want discuss in the context of struggling over idea is the advocacy coalition framework (ACF) theory. The central idea of this theory is that people or groups with the same beliefs (core/policy/secondary) will form a coalition. I think Sabatiers concept of belief is similar to Deborah Stones concept of idea. Especially, I think the concept of policy belief is playing the role of idea in the policy process. I think his core belief is rooted even deeper than idea. The core belief will sometimes become unnoticeable. And using the ACF model, we can find out that the policy process is a competition among different policy beliefs, and I think this observation is close to Deborahs struggle over ideas the essence of policy making.'. But it does not mean that the change in the secondary belief level is also a result of struggling, according to Sabatiers theory, such change is more like the result of an incremental learning process. In conclusion, I think Deborah Stones argument is useful for us to understand some policy process. However, by using different theories we should also notice whether policy processes are struggle over ideas should be analyzed in situations. The Punctuated-Equilibrium model, ACF model and Multiple Stream model indicate that Deborahs argument is valid. In the P-E model, the change of existing idea or appearance of new idea will bring turbulence to the policy process; in the ACF model, the learning process can change beliefs at different level, and these changes will bring feedbacks to the policy process; in the M-S model, policy entrepreneurs will using the opportunity to propose their ideas, and when critical time is come, the coupled stream will become policy. Incremental Model suggests that policy process is not necessarily linked to struggling when the time span of the policy is very short. There could be no struggle when the whole policy process is already fixed. However, I think the origin/first policy in the incremental model is a result of idea struggling. The Garbage Can model suggests that the choosing process within the policy process may appear as a random process, it is not necessarily to be the consequence of the idea struggling.

The Effect of Uncle Toms Cabin Essay -- Uncle Toms Cabin Essays

The Effect of Uncle Tom's Cabin Seldom does a one work of literature change a society or start it down the road to cataclysmic conflict. One such catalytic work is Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852). It is considered by many, one the most influential American works of fiction ever published. Uncle Tom's Cabin sold more copies than any other previous fiction title. It sold five thousand copies in its first two days, fifty thousand copies in eight weeks, three hundred thousand copies in a year and over a million copies in its first sixteen months. What makes this accomplishment even more amazing is that this book was written by a woman during a time in history women were relegated to domestic duties and child rearing and were not allowed positions of influence or leadership roles in society. Legend holds that when Abraham Lincoln met Stowe in 1682 he said, "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war". The impact of Uncle Tom's Cabin did more to arouse antislavery sentiment in the N orth and provoke angry rebuttals in the south than any other event in antebellum era. Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), born Lichfeild, Connecticut, was the daughter, sister, and wife of liberal clergymen and theologians. Her father Lyman and brother Henry Ward were two of the most preeminent theologians of the nineteenth century. This extremely devout Christian upbringing, focusing on the doctrines of sin, guilt, atonement and salvation, had an undeniable impact in her writings. &nb... ... a disconnected view. Slavery was no longer a Southern issue that had no impact on the life of those in the north. Once a majority of the northern population became polarized against the institution of slavery it was only a matter of time before conflict came to a head. Differing views about the institution of slavery contributed to the growing rift between the north and south. This chasm became the American Civil War. Uncle Tom's Cabin gave a powerful and moving voice to the Abolition movement. It shook out of complacently northerners and southerners alike, and forced a nation to look within its collective soul at the horrors of slavery and moral contradictions of the institution itself. Stowe's novel demonstrates the absurdity and contradictions of slavery.

History of False Teeth :: Dentures Dental

False teeth, which are known today as â€Å"dentures†, are bony plates which are installed into a patient’s mouth by means of adhesion to the fleshy mandibular or maxillary arch. Although these are now relatively inexpensive and their requirement is often taken for granted, they have not always been so easy to come by. A look at the history of false teeth shows a pain-staking and quirky evolution: Though it is assumed that primitive versions of false teeth have been around since the 700s B.C., the first concrete evidence of false teeth emerges from the 15th century. These were carved of bone or ivory, or they were made from random assortments of teeth that had been dug up from graveyards. However, these had no self-contained method of attachment, but rather were fastened to any remaining teeth by means of metallic or silk thread. This attachment was visible to the observer, resulting in a smile that was not only extremely uncomfortable, but also unattractive. Thus, false teeth were originally intended to serve the sole purpose of aid in eating, not aesthetic purposes. The biggest shortcoming of these archaic appliances was the fact that they were subject to decay in the wearer’s mouth. Thus, installed false teeth would have to be replaced on a regular basis, resulting in a very costly procedure. However, this problem was rectified in 1774 by Duchateau and Dubois de Chemant with their invention of the first full set of dentures that would not rot. This was due to their porcelain composition – a material that was much more conducive to the everyday wear and tear of one’s teeth. Although an incredible improvement, even the porcelain version had its difficulties. Unable to produce anything less than a full set of teeth (the surrounding porcelain was required to keep each tooth in place), patients who were missing only one or two teeth were out of luck, unless they were willing to have the rest of their teeth removed as well. And yet, in 1808, Giuseppangelo Fonzi developed the first individual appliance – a single porc elain tooth that could be held in place by a pin drilled into the jawbone. Finally, in 1845, Claudius Ash, known as the official â€Å"inventor of dentures†, produced the porcelain version that is now used today. His contributions included a suction method of adhesion for a full set of dentures, so that no form of attachment could be seen by an onlooker. History of False Teeth :: Dentures Dental False teeth, which are known today as â€Å"dentures†, are bony plates which are installed into a patient’s mouth by means of adhesion to the fleshy mandibular or maxillary arch. Although these are now relatively inexpensive and their requirement is often taken for granted, they have not always been so easy to come by. A look at the history of false teeth shows a pain-staking and quirky evolution: Though it is assumed that primitive versions of false teeth have been around since the 700s B.C., the first concrete evidence of false teeth emerges from the 15th century. These were carved of bone or ivory, or they were made from random assortments of teeth that had been dug up from graveyards. However, these had no self-contained method of attachment, but rather were fastened to any remaining teeth by means of metallic or silk thread. This attachment was visible to the observer, resulting in a smile that was not only extremely uncomfortable, but also unattractive. Thus, false teeth were originally intended to serve the sole purpose of aid in eating, not aesthetic purposes. The biggest shortcoming of these archaic appliances was the fact that they were subject to decay in the wearer’s mouth. Thus, installed false teeth would have to be replaced on a regular basis, resulting in a very costly procedure. However, this problem was rectified in 1774 by Duchateau and Dubois de Chemant with their invention of the first full set of dentures that would not rot. This was due to their porcelain composition – a material that was much more conducive to the everyday wear and tear of one’s teeth. Although an incredible improvement, even the porcelain version had its difficulties. Unable to produce anything less than a full set of teeth (the surrounding porcelain was required to keep each tooth in place), patients who were missing only one or two teeth were out of luck, unless they were willing to have the rest of their teeth removed as well. And yet, in 1808, Giuseppangelo Fonzi developed the first individual appliance – a single porc elain tooth that could be held in place by a pin drilled into the jawbone. Finally, in 1845, Claudius Ash, known as the official â€Å"inventor of dentures†, produced the porcelain version that is now used today. His contributions included a suction method of adhesion for a full set of dentures, so that no form of attachment could be seen by an onlooker.

Narrowing the Defining Boundaries of Magical Realism :: Latin American Literature Essays

Narrowing the Defining Boundaries of Magical Realism Latin American author Elena Garro wrote works such as "Recuerdos del porvenir," "Andamos huyendo Lola," "Testimonios sobre Mariana," and "The Day We Were Dogs." The short story "The Day We Were Dogs" (1964) uses events that are questionable to the reader even though the characters do not question. Because these events are questioned by the reader, it is not a Magical Realist story. This story might have been miss identified because it was written by a Latin author. In "The Day We Were Dogs," the author uses magical elements to help tell the story two sisters and there day as "dogs?". These elements seem to be magical by means of Magical Realist techniques, but becuase the author dosen't make it clear as to whether these two sisters are dogs or if they are pretending to be dogs the reader hestitates. After reading the following passage, the reader might conclude that the two girls are pretending: Eva got up and disapeared among the plants. She returned running and threw herself down next to Toni."I told them to cook for three dogs and no people." I didn't ask anything. Next to Toni the house had lost its wieght. Two ants were walking on the ground of the day; an earthworm peeked out of a hole, I touched it with my fingertip and it became a red ring. There were bits of leaves, little pieces of branches, tiny pebbles, and the black earth smelled of magnolia water. The other day was off to one side. Toni, Eva, and I watched without fear its gigantic towers and stationary winds, purple and mulberry colored."You, what is your name going to be? Look for your dog name, I'm looking for mine." "I'm a dog?" "Yes we are dogs." (208) Then readers read this following passage and questions the decision they had made by reading the former passage: The dogs got to the gate; it was hard for them to open the door; the bolts were very high. (209) By making the reader hesitate (Todorov) about whether this is supernatural or real, this story could be placed into the Fantastic genre, but we can't put it into this genre because it also has an element of the Sublime in it. The Magical Realist technique that the author uses is the closeness or near merging (Faris) two different days. This becomes apparent when the narrator states that it was "a day with two days in it" (206).

Always Running by Luis Rodriguez

Gangs, violence and drug use are realities that most people in communities where poverty proliferates. While poverty, in itself, is not the major factor, it is certainly a risk factor and leads to further complications. Those who are poor and homeless definitely have less choice in the way they live their lives. In this regard, they are forced to engage in dangerous and even criminal behavior just to win their next meal or protect themselves from other people who may be eyeing the same source of income or subsistence in the community.When a sufficient number of people within the community experience extreme poverty and they resort to extra-legal behaviors, the community will deteriorate and its citizens will have to live with the reality of gangs, violence and drugs. The book of Luis Rodriguez, Always Running, is an attempt to present the situation in East Los Angeles. Amid the splendor and the richness of Los Angeles, the community of East LA is America’s version of the third world.More than just a psychological and sociological reflection on the realities of gangs and violence, his is reflection of someone who really went through the ordeals of gangs, violence and the use of drugs in the neighborhood. By writing his memoirs, Rodriguez (1994) depicted the scenes of his neighborhood with urgency and the poignancy of someone who truly experienced the events he portrays in his book. Gangs, Violence and Drugs in East LA The prevalence of gangs, violence and drug use in any given neighborhood may be easily blamed on the adventurous spirit of young men and women who seek life outside of their families.Or to the people behind the gangs who just manipulate the lives of these young people for their own personal gain. Based on the memoir of Rodriguez (1994), however, a number of reasons may be pointed to. One is the homelessness and continuous search of protection for oneself and one’s family. The title of the book is Always Running. The status of the fami ly and one’s relationship with the family has an impact on the kids who decide to join the gang. To protect themselves from harm and to help find food for themselves and their families, gangs are an alternative for these kids.Another reason for this proliferation is the search for belonging and camaraderie they find in gangs. Gangs often function as a surrogate family, albeit a dysfunctional one, to those who choose to belong to them. Through the process of initiation, the togetherness and the invitation to â€Å"toughness,† the kids who decide to belong to gangs become caught up in a vicious cycle that becomes very difficult to break. Rodriguez (1994), himself, learned how to run away from the police, how to steal, rob, and even engage in rape and other criminal behavior.Gangs also give a semblance of order and direction for the kids who belong to them. By trusting the older and more senior members of the gangs, the young people get a semblance of direction as other g ang members tell them about the things they should do to remain as members of the gang. Through the difficulties that they face in their own lives, they can achieve a level of control through their membership in the gangs. It is a destructive process but since these gangs are available in the neighborhood, the temptation to be a part of these is too great to resist for most young people.The whole community is affected by these gangs and violence. Although most of the families in the neighborhood are fragmented by poverty, divorce and other issues, they were still a force that most kids respected. As such, to a certain level, families were heeded by gang members. Yet, the community often responds by trying to ignore these events and engaging the police and other authorities to bring order. More than that, they also live in fear of the constant fighting among gangs and the violence they leave in the wake of such fighting.Those who do not belong to the community tend to look negatively to the community and shun it. This way, the gangs may feast on strangers who happen to wander into their territories. Since gangs are territorial, they would not tolerate other gangs from wandering into their territories. Yet, as the police becomes involves, such scenario is difficult to avoid. Therefore, some gangs do get in trouble with the police and with other gangs at the same time. This scenario becomes commonplace in the community and they cease to fight it and actively go against such culture.When this happens, they simply accept the reality of gangs, violence and drug use and do their best to minimize their impact on their lives and activities. Yet, they cannot get away from these realities. There are also members of the community who feel protective of the members of the gang, but not necessarily of the gangs. This is because of the perceived way in which they contrast their situation with the situation of more affluent people in the outskirts of their community and beyon d.As such, they reason, albeit subconsciously, that the gangs are a natural outgrowth of the desire of these people to protect themselves from other groups seeking to take advantage of them. Such stance therefore justifies in their minds the existence of such gangs and the necessity for violence. Aiming for Change There are instances, however, when the community is mustered to action and inspired to spearhead some changes in the community. When the culture of the people who belong to the community is affirmed, they are moved for action.When a particular cultural group manages to prove itself, the community rouses from slumber and they respond in kind. They then affirm their collective power and empower the young people in the community to aim for their best so that their lives would improve. This also helped the young people affirm the culture that they have even if the school system did not have provisions for such. The achievements of such kids, therefore, became the achievement o f the community and became a symbol of what they can do if they choose to rise above their economic and social standing. Another important aspect of the issue of gangs is the issue of race.Cultural groups such as Chicanos would need to band together so that they would not fall prey to White kids who are intent on waging violence against those who do not belong to them. Conclusion The issue of gangs, violence and drug use is multi-faceted. As such, the solutions that would be proposed should also take into account the issues of culture, family, school, and poverty. Sociological, political and economic analyses have been made. Yet, the memoirs of Rodriguez are a stark reminder that more than just academic curiosities, the kids who belong to gangs are real people who need empowerment.Rodriguez told the story of his life with gangs, violence and drugs as a means of showing his son what it was like to live a life that was always running. By documenting his experiences, he hopes to deter his son from his foray on such a risky life. Gang members can make choices to move away from their gangster lifestyles. But they will need the economic stability and the support of the community if they were to do that. The case of Rodriguez is an example of a man who thought about his life and decided to change it for the better. Reference Rodriguez, LJ (1994). Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L. A. LA: Touchstone.

Monetary Policy of Bernanke

Ben Bernanke is current Chairmen of US Federal Reserve and his task is to ensure appropriate monetary policy in order to improve country’s economic and financial performance. Bernanke argues he has to work closely with all members of the Committee because it is the only way to develop monetary policy in such a way that it would fit country’s needs and demands. Therefore, the paper discusses issues of monetary policy offered by Bernanke as well as examines influence of globalization on overall monetary policy of the country. Actually, Bernanke is interested whether ongoing economic globalization and integration affects US monetary policy. Monetary policy operates in financial and economic environment being strongly affected by integration. Bernanke notes that monetary policy instead of stabilizing economic and financial situation in the country does little to drive powerful economic forces and to cause structural changes necessary for policy. Bernanke claims that if Federal Reserve wants to develop effective monetary policy, it should, firstly, be fully aware of all factors which are able to affect and determine the overall economic growth, inflation and employments rates in the United States. Chairman asserts that country’s economy should be open to other countries because openness plays crucial role in monetary policy affecting price stability and sustainable employment within country. Furthermore, economic openness also assists Federal Reserve in meeting congressional mandate. Bernanke cites analysts who argue that globalization puts obstacles to US monetary policy because it aims at reducing US interest rates of Federal Reserve and asset price. Also globalization diminishes the role of domestic factors affecting inflation process. Nevertheless, Bernanke doesn’t support such idea claiming that he is sure globalization should be implicated to increase effectiveness of monetary policy. Globalization and Monetary Institute was established to study impact of globalization no economy and policy of the country. Bernanke argues that monetary policy affects above all country’s financial conditions and asset prices and interest rates are under attack. Consequently, changes taken place in financial conditions would affect many households and firms, as well as would affect production, consumption and investment opportunities. Thus, Bernanke states that â€Å"the financial environment in which U.S. monetary policy is made has been irrevocably changed by the remarkable increases in the magnitudes of financial flows into and out of the United States†. (Bernanke 2007) Therefore, he argues that he Federal Reserve should pay more attention to financial stability by controlling federal funds and interest rates. Banks loans should be carefully considered as well. He recommends using open-market operations because due to policy of openness the Federal Reserve would be able to manage constant supply of funds, inter-bank markets. Such policy will keep federal funds close to the targeted rates and international integration of financial markets will not be affected or prevented. Further, Bernanke admits that the Federal Reserve should take proper control over the federal funds rates because they strongly affect short-term dollar nominal interest rates. Bernanke promotes cooperation of the Federal Reserve with modern central banks because it gives excellent opportunity to conduct monetary policy, to examine economic and financial data obtained from variety of markets, and to apply those data when considering economy and inflation. Bernanke says it is necessary to seek for alternative courses of policy to improve effectiveness of monetary policy and macroeconomic performance of the country. He recommends developing economic models to guide policymakers and forecasting techniques to ensure sustainable progress. Bernanke assumes that â€Å"monetary policymakers must therefore strike a difficult balance –conducting rigorous analysis informed by sound economic theory and empirical methods while keeping an open mind about the many factors, including myriad global influences, at play in a dynamic modern economy like that of the United States†. (Bernanke 2006) References Bernanke, Ben. (2007, March 2). Globalization and Monetary Policy. Retrieved April 19, 2007, from http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2007/20070302/ Bernanke, Ben. (2006, February 15). Testimony of Chairmen Ben S. Bernanke. Retrieved April 19, 2007, from http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/hh/2006/february/testimony.htm Bernanke: The Yield Curve and Monetary Policy. (2006, March 20). Retrieved April 19, 2007, from http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2006/03/bernanke_the_yi.html                     

Impact of Custom Union to Kazakhstan

custom uniMurat Serikbayev 20123402 Iimpact of customs union between Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan' to the car market in our country I want to start my Tethys from the history of Kazakhstan's car market, what are the prospects for the future and how it is influenced by the customs union. Before the financial crisis Kazakhstan’s car market demonstrated impressive growth, more than 25% annually, which is higher than in most developed countries.Used car market also was developed because it was cheap to buy a car abroad with a little customs tariffs in our country. So most of people preferred to have a used foreign car rather than a new car produced in Kazakhstan , it is might be because of quality of own produced cars and there are not so many choices. But after the crisis the car market rapidly declined approximately 30-40 %. The biggest factor of the recession, is a significant rise in the cost of loans by Kazakhstan banks and tightening requirements for borrowers.Used car mar ket also showed the downturn. Until 2008, every second car buyer used the bank loan. Today to get the loan for purchasing a car can only one of the 20 buyers. Nowadays Kazakhstan’s car market have 11 companies which officially sell about 40 foreign car brands. In addition to global brands we have the biggest Russian company â€Å"AvtoVaz†. Also we have own car plant in Ust Kamenogorsk which produces a car brands like AvtoVaz, Chevrolet, SsangYong, Chance, IVECO and Skoda for up to 45000 cars per year.Although until recently, the phrase â€Å"Kazakhstan's car† sounded like nonsense. In July 2011 Kazakhstan fully joined to customs union with Belarus and Russia. In that time the public and the media met this statement negatively, arguing the right to freedom of choice of products because customs tariffs for cars increased up to 30% and plus 12% VAT, so it means that it is disadvantageously to buy a new or used car abroad in order to save money they are used to do i n past like in 2007.But some said that in order to develop our production, it is necessary to protect market from third country imports. Also car dealers also agree that it will increase demand for officially new cars, as Vadim Artamonov says, Director, Rolf Import Kazakhstan  «In general, as for the market, a milestone event occurred last year. Preferential import duties on cars have been canceled for the first time since last July and Kazakhstan fully joined the Customs Union. Accordingly, this enabled the market to grow significantly.Now the market growth stands at about 30% annually.  ». In 2011, the amount of vehicles sold by official dealers in Kazakhstan increased by 49. 6% as compared to 2010. I think and aware that joining to customs union will affect positively and will give more advantages for our car producers, and we will develop own car industry like for example in Malaysia, Thailand and Brazil. For example initially in Malaysia cars produced from imported parts, b ut gradually is localized production.Now their own car marked developed well and besides the domestic market the company's products are exported to UK and some European countries, they have brand like Proton, it’s Malaysia's biggest automaker, is specialized in the production of vehicles under license from Mitsubishi. So we can do the same things, today one of fifth cars sold in the country – Kazakhstan’s production. But the potential of the domestic consumer market of these products is much higher. Also we can deliver our products to the Russian and Belarusian automotive markets.And I want to say that that it is not just developing car market in Kazakhstan, it’s also developing our economic as whole because it is imply a new jobs for our citizens means less unemployment, we invest our money in our country, not investing another countries as previously. I think we have to support and buy own produced cars instead of buying used foreign cars, and we should make a contribution on that in order to develop our production. Another thing also I want to mention is that our dealers are ready to provide loans for their cars on affordable terms and it would be good opportunity for customers.Because it is a new car and it has a guarantee from 3 to 5 years. According to experts, in an environment where the cost of imported second-hand cars increases so that they cease to be available to the masses, and new import cars get very luxury for our customers, so optimal combination of price and quality would be own produced cars. ( ) ? ? ? – , , ? . ? . . . ? . , ? ? . . , 90% . . , ? , , ? - – . . ? ? ? ? . ? ? .

Why Did European Powers Seek Colonies Overseas?

In 1871, a new form of colonisation emerged in Europe and was later differentiated from the Empires of Spain and Portugal in the 15th and 16th centuries as New Imperialism. Intelligibly, it is also referred to as ‘the Scramble for Africa’, as a result of the swift rate at which nations clamoured to gain control of weaker regions in deviated areas from the 1600’s. There is much speculation surrounding the reasoning of such accelerated expansion, however, there is a clear correlation of events that have been linked to New Imperialism.I do not attest the popular belief that this colonisation increased tension in Europe and, in this essay, I will endeavour to present a synthesis of this premise. Similar to the explorers of old imperialism, European powers were drawn to Africa for economic benefits. The British economist, J. A Hobson, argued the drive for new colonies was influenced by the desire of capitalists to profit from these regions. The credibility of this asse rtion is heightened by the knowledge of the ongoing industrialisation of Europe, prompting a demand for larger markets and cheaper raw materials and labour.It was equally the case of nations, such as Britain, that were at the end of the industrial boom, as they sought new markets for manufactured goods. The abandonment of free trade in Europe in the 1870s signified the introduction of a wave of tariffs on imported goods and resulted in a sweeping effect across Europe to search for alternative markets elsewhere. The validation of this is reflected in the leap of Britain’s overseas investments from 187 million pounds in 1871 to 4,000 million pounds in 1914.Economic advantage was certainly a motivating factor, however, some European nations, such as France, underwent little industrial growth and had gained little from colonising. It appears imperialism was a source of national pride and acted as a distraction to unfavourable events at home. This was certainly the case in France, which was still recovering from a humiliating defeat in the Franco-Prussian war and was understandably envious of its European counterparts that were replete with wealth and power.It is then unsurprising that the French became one of the leading imperialists of the time, with an empire of Indo-China, north and west Africa and over 60 million people by 1914, although their colonies contributed sparsely to the economy. Imperialism was an accepted route to regard, as was expressed by both the French statesman, Leon Gambetta in the remark, â€Å"to remain a great nation/you must colonise† and the British writer A. C Benson, in his song, â€Å"Land of Hope and Glory† which applauded colonisation.The most intriguing and often bewildering explanation for imperialism was concerned with philanthropy. Although it seems an unnatural concept in this day and age, 19th century Europeans believed they were a superior race and it was their duty to cultivate European ideas and ways of living in Africa. This perspective was a manipulated adaptation of Darwin’s theory of natural selection and was widely regarded, particularly in Britain and Germany, as the truth.The view of the British writer, Rudyard Kipling, in ‘The White Man’s Burden’ is an appropriate reflection of this and depicts the so-called â€Å"burden† upon Europeans to help less fortunate races. Evidently, it was conceited; nevertheless, missionaries such as The White Fathers and Robert Moffat made progress in Africa to soothe troubles and, polemically, converted many from Paganism to Christianity. European Governments often used Darwin’s theory as an excuse to subjugate Africans and, thus, imperialism grew in popularity.Technological advances like the railway, steamship and telegraph and improved weaponry like the breech-loading rifle, capable of firing several rounds before the need to reload also gave Europeans a distinct advantage over natives and made Afric a much more vulnerable to attack. Many saw medical advances, such as, the use of quinine as protection from malaria and advances in transport as an opportunity to explore what was known as the ‘Dark Continent’, as many of the inner regions of Africa remained untouched until this time.The most famous of which, Dr. David Livingstone, whom travelled from his native Scotland to the vast regions of Central Africa to carry out medical and missionary work, enlightened the imagination of the European public. In 1869, Henry Stanley of the New York Herald sent for Livingstone after a loss of contact for over four years, and eventually succeeded when Livingstone was found at Lake Tanganyika in east Africa, greeting him with the famous line, â€Å"Dr. Livingstone, I presume? †. Following the disclosure of the story, Europeans became increasingly nterested in what Africa had to offer and pressure was put on governments to colonise; in Germany, many lobby groups, such as The G erman Navy League were created in support of colonisation and achieved their desires when Bismark, apparently â€Å"no man for colonies† acquired colonies in the Cameroons, Togal and east Africa, south west Africa and the Pacific Islands, like Marshall Isle. In fact, it was with adept explorers that ‘The Scramble of Africa’ began, when, in 1870, Henry Stanley took his experience from travelling Africa and, under the advice of King Leopold of Belgium, formed the International African Association.He then reached agreements with tribal leaders in the Congo region, in which they placed themselves and their subjects under the protection of King Leopold. The French followed suit with their explorer, Savorgnan de Brazza, being sent to the north of the River Congo where he reached similar agreements with indigenous tribal chiefs. The Germans joined in with their protectorate over the Cameroons in 1884 and so the scramble commenced. Wilhelm II was in power in Germany from 1890 to 1914, at the height of imperialism. He is largely responsible for the damaged relations in Europe as opposed to colonisation.Under the management of Bismark, 1871-1890, Europe was reasonably calm and relations remained unchanged, regardless of the imperialism taking place at the time. Bismarck realised the potential tension that could arise as a result of the race for colonies and called The Second Conference of Berlin, 1884-1885, to resolve the issue. It was agreed that the Congo Free State would be controlled by an international organisation and was to operate on a free trade basis, meaning the importation of goods would go without taxation.Natives were not to be exploited by European powers and the slave trade was to be abolished. Most importantly, Africa was to be divided into spheres of influence, whereby European powers were to be given economic and political rights in particular areas of the continent. This move cleared any uncertainty regarding where one could colon ise, with the exception of The Fashoda Crisis, 1898, which actually resulted in improved Anglo-French relations, following a brief clash over interests in a small village on the Nile in southern Sudan.In 1896, General Kitchener led the British in an attempt to secure Sudan from the north, while French forces, under General Marchand, arrived in Fashoda, 650km from the British-occupied Khartoum, seeking the very same result. Both leaders confronted one another at Fashoda and remained there for six months, until the French Foreign Minister, Theophile Delcasse, stood down, as the French were unprepared for war without their Russian ally and their difficult time after the Dreyfus Affair. The incident ended peacefully. Following the resignation of Bismarck in 1890, European relations were severed and the balance of power shifted uneasily.However, this was not the result of colonial rivalry; Wilhelm II made numerous mistakes in his administration of German foreign policy to disrupt Europea n relations and cause tension. This began with his poor response to Britain’s humiliating defeat in what is known as, the Jameson Raid. In 1895, the British Colonial Secretary, Joseph Chamberlain, along with Cecil Rhodes, Prime Minister of the Cape Colony and Dr. Starr Jameson, official to the British South African Company led a badly organised attack on the Boers in the Transvaal area of South Africa. They were easily defeated and Jameson himself was captured.This incident humiliated the British but did not affect European relations; it was the unnecessary telegram sent by Wilhelm II to Paul Kruger, President of the Transvaal, congratulating him of his defeat of the British, â€Å"without appealing to a friendly power† that caused uproar and hostility throughout Europe. The incident to follow – the First Moroccan Crisis, 1905-1906 – was a means of sabre rattling or troublemaking for Wilhelm II. In 1905, having been suspicious of French intentions, he lan ded his yacht at Tangiers and announced his support of Moroccan independence to the Sultan and pledged German protection of that independence.He then demanded a conference to be held in Algeciras to discuss the matter which France reluctantly agreed to. The main intention of Wilhelm II at this point was to test the strength of the Entente Cordiale between France and Britain and he hoped to weaken it through this intervention. However, Germany managed only to get the support of Morocco and Austria-Hungary, while France was supported by Britain, the US, Russia, Spain and even Italy. The crisis strengthened rather than weakened the Entente and was a direct result of the sabre rattling of Wilhelm II, not colonial rivalry.He interceded once again in the Second Moroccan Crisis, 1911, when he accused France of annexing Morocco. The grounds of his argument, after the occupation of French troops of Morocco when a war had broken out in the capital, Fez and foreigners were in danger, was a sup posed breech of the terms agreed in the Algeciras Conference, 1906. Wilhelm II sent a gunboat, the Panther to Agadir, however the British then intervened by commanding his retreat and threatening to send naval forces to stop him. He surrendered and Anglo-French ties were further strengthened.Wilhelm II was viewed as a warmonger – a seeker of war – and tension within Europe was strong, as a result of his conduct. New Imperialism did not occur as a result of one factor, but of an accumulation of vacillating events, for example, industrialisation that prompted technological advances, which encouraged explorers and eventually a saturation of industry or a failure to industrialise and a need to gain prestige elsewhere – all of which contributed heavily to imperialism. Regardless of the reasoning, by the 19th century, all of Africa with the exception of Abyssinia and Liberia had been conquered by European powers.However, the important question remains on how colonisat ion affected European relations; was it truly a contributing factor to World War I or was it indeed a derivative of existing tension at home that was actually accelerated by distrust between nations? Is it possible that imperialism was simply a distraction for Europeans from their quickly diminishing relations and may have delayed the inevitable outburst of war? It remains unanswered but I simply hope I have justified a slightly different interpretation of the affairs outlined above.