Frostbite Chapter 16

Sixteen LISSA FOUND ME LATER IN the day. I'd fallen asleep after Mason left, too dejected to leave the bed. Her slamming of the door jolted me awake. I was happy to see her. I needed to spill about the fumbled thing with Mason, but before I could, I read her feelings. They were as troubled as mine. So, as always, I put her first. â€Å"What happened?† She sat on her bed, sinking into the feather duvet, her feelings both furious and sad. â€Å"Christian.† â€Å"Really?† I'd never known them to fight. They teased each other a lot, but it was hardly the kind of thing that could nearly bring her to tears. â€Å"He found out†¦ I was with Adrian this morning.† â€Å"Oh, wow,† I said. â€Å"Yeah. That might be a problem.† Standing up, I walked over to the dresser and found my brush. Wincing, I stood in front of the gilt-framed mirror and began brushing out the snarls acquired during my nap. She groaned. â€Å"But nothing happened! Christian's freaking out over nothing. I can't believe he doesn't trust me.† â€Å"He trusts you. The whole thing's just weird, that's all.† I thought about Dimitri and Tasha. â€Å"Jealousy makes people do and say stupid things.† â€Å"But nothing happened,† she repeated. â€Å"I mean, you were there and- hey, I never found out. What were you doing there?† â€Å"Adrian sent me a bunch of perfume.† â€Å"He- you mean that giant box you were carrying?† I nodded. â€Å"Whoa.† â€Å"Yeah. I came to return it,† I said. â€Å"The question is, what were you doing there?† â€Å"Just talking,† she said. She started to light up, on the verge of telling me something, but then she paused. I felt the thought almost reach the front of her mind and then get shoved back. â€Å"I've got a lot to tell you, but first tell me what's up with you.† â€Å"Nothing's up with me.† â€Å"Whatever, Rose. I'm not psychic like you, but I know when you're pissed off about something. You've been kind of down since Christmas. What's up?† Now wasn't the time to get into what had happened on Christmas when my mom told me about Tasha and Dimitri. But I did tell Lissa the story about Mason- editing out why I had stopped- and simply driving home how I had. â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she said when I finished. â€Å"That was your right.† â€Å"I know. But I kind of led him on. I can see why he'd be upset.† â€Å"You guys can probably fix it, though. Go talk to him. He's crazy about you.† It was more than miscommunication. Things with Mason and me couldn't be patched up so easily. â€Å"I don't know,† I told her. â€Å"Not everyone's like you and Christian.† Her face darkened. â€Å"Christian. I still can't believe he's being so stupid about this.† I didn't mean to, but I laughed. â€Å"Liss, you guys'll kiss and make up in like a day. More than kiss, probably.† It slipped out before I could stop it. Her eyes widened. â€Å"You know.† She shook her head in exasperation. â€Å"Of course you know.† â€Å"Sorry,† I said. I hadn't meant to let her know I knew about the sex thing, not until she told me herself. She eyed me. â€Å"How much do you know?† â€Å"Um, not much,† I lied. I'd finished brushing my hair but began playing with the brush's handle in order to avoid her eyes. â€Å"I have got to learn to keep you out of my mind,† she muttered. â€Å"Only way I can ‘talk' to you lately.† Another slipup. â€Å"What's that supposed to mean?† she demanded. â€Å"Nothing †¦ I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She was giving me a sharp look. â€Å"I†¦ I don't know. I just feel like we don't talk as much anymore.† â€Å"Takes two to fix that,† she said, voice kind again. â€Å"You're right,† I said, not pointing out that two could fix that only if one wasn't always with her boyfriend. True, I was guilty in my own way of locking things up- but I had wanted to talk to her a number of times lately. The timing just never seemed to be right- not even now. â€Å"You know, I never thought you'd be first. Or I guess I never thought I'd be a senior and still be a virgin.† â€Å"Yeah,† she said dryly. â€Å"Me either.† â€Å"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?† She grinned, then caught sight of her watch. Her smile fell. â€Å"Ugh. I've got to go to Priscilla's banquet. Christian was supposed to go with me, but he's off being an idiot†¦.† Her eyes focused hopefully on me. â€Å"What? No. Please, Liss. You know how I hate those formal royal things.† â€Å"Oh, come on,† she begged. â€Å"Christian flaked out. You can't throw me to the wolves. And didn't you just say we needed to talk more?† I groaned. â€Å"Besides, when you're my guardian, you'll have to do these things all the time.† â€Å"I know,† I said darkly. â€Å"I thought I could maybe enjoy my last six months of freedom.† But in the end, she conned me into going with her, as we'd both known she would. We didn't have much time, and I had to do a rush shower, blow-dry, and makeup job. I'd brought Tasha's dress on a whim, and while I still wanted her to suffer horribly for being attracted to Dimitri, I was grateful for her present now. I pulled on the silken material, happy to see the shade of red was just as killer on me as I'd imagined. It was a long, Asian-style dress with flowers embroidered into the silk. The high neck and long hem covered a lot of skin, but the material clung to me and looked sexy in a different kind of way than showing a lot of skin did. My black eye was practically nonexistent by now. Lissa, as always, looked amazing. She wore a deep purple dress by Johnna Raski, a well-known Moroi designer. It was sleeveless and made of satin. The tiny amethyst-like crystals set into the straps sparkled against her pale skin. She wore her hair up in a loose, artfully styled bun. When we reached the banquet room, we drew a few eyes. I don't think the royals had expected the Dragomir princess to bring her dhampir friend to this highly anticipated, invitation-only dinner. But hey, Lissa's invite had said â€Å"and guest.† She and I took our places at one of the tables with some royals whose names I promptly forgot. They were happy to ignore me, and I was happy to be ignored. Besides, it wasn't like there weren't plenty of other distractions. This room was done all in silver and blue. Midnight blue silk cloths covered the tables, so shiny and smooth that I was terrified to eat on them. Sconces of beeswax candles hung all over the walls, and a fireplace decorated with stained glass crackled away in one corner. The effect was a spectacular panorama of color and light, dizzying to the eye. In the corner, a slim Moroi woman played soft cello music, her face dreamy as she focused on the song. The clinking of crystal wineglasses complemented the strings' low, sweet notes. Dinner was equally amazing. The food was elaborate, but I recognized everything on my plate (china, of course) and liked all of it. No foie gras here. Salmon in a sauce of shiitake mushrooms. A salad with pears and goat cheese. Delicate almond-stuffed pastries for dessert. My only complaint was that the portions were small. The food seemed more like it was there to simply decorate the plates, and I swear, I finished it in ten bites. Moroi might still need food along with their blood, but they didn't need as much as a human- or, say, a growing dhampir girl- needed. Still, the food alone could have justified me coming along on this venture, I decided. Except, when the meal ended, Lissa told me we couldn't leave. â€Å"We have to mingle,† she whispered. Mingle? Lissa laughed at my discomfort. â€Å"You're the social one.† It was true. In most circumstances, I was the one who put myself out there and wasn't afraid to talk to people. Lissa tended to be shyer. Only, with this group, the tables were turned. This was her element, not mine, and it amazed me to see just how well she could interact with royal high society now. She was perfect, polished and polite. Everyone was eager to talk to her, and she always seemed to know the right thing to say. She wasn't using compulsion, exactly, but she definitely put out an air that drew others to her. I think it might have been an unconscious effect of spirit. Even with the meds, her magical and natural charisma came through. Whereas intense social interactions had once been forced and stressful for her, she now conducted them with ease. I was proud of her. Most of the conversation stayed pretty light: fashion, royal love lives, etc. No one seemed to want to spoil the atmosphere with ugly Strigoi talk. So I clung to her side for the rest of the night. I tried to tell myself it was just practice for the future, when I'd follow her around like a quiet shadow anyway. The truth was, I just felt too uncomfortable with this group and knew my usual snarky defense mechanisms really weren't useful here. Plus, I was painfully aware that I was the only dhampir dinner guest. There were other dhampirs, yes, but they were in formal guardian mode, hovering on the periphery of the room. As Lissa worked the crowd, we drifted over to a small group of Moroi whose voices were growing louder. One of them I recognized. He was the guy from the fight that I'd helped break up, only this time he wore a striking black tuxedo instead of a swimsuit. He glanced up at our approach, blatantly checked us out, but apparently didn't remember me. Ignoring us, he continued on with his argument. Not surprisingly, Moroi protection was the topic. He was the one who'd been in favor of Moroi going on the offensive against the Strigoi. â€Å"What part of ‘suicide' don't you understand?† asked one of the men standing nearby. He had silvery hair and a bushy mustache. He wore a tux too, but the younger guy looked better in one. â€Å"Moroi training as soldiers will be the end of our race.† â€Å"It's not suicide,† exclaimed the young guy. â€Å"It's the right thing to do. We have to start looking out for ourselves. Learning to fight and use our magic is our greatest asset, other than the guardians.† â€Å"Yes, but with the guardians, we don't need other assets,† said Silver Hair. â€Å"You've been listening to non-royals. They don't have any guardians of their own, so of course they're scared. But that's no reason to drag us down and put our lives at risk.† â€Å"Then don't,† said Lissa suddenly. Her voice was soft, but everyone in the little group stopped and looked at her. â€Å"When you talk about Moroi learning how to fight, you make it sound like an all-or-nothing matter. It's not. If you don't want to fight, then you shouldn't have to. I completely understand.† The man looked slightly mollified. â€Å"But, that's because you can rely on your guardians. A lot of Moroi can't. And if they want to learn self-defense, there's no reason why they shouldn't do it on their own.† The younger guy grinned triumphantly at his adversary. â€Å"There, you see?† â€Å"It's not that easy,† countered Silver Hair. â€Å"If it was just a matter of you crazy people wanting to get yourselves killed, then fine. Go do it. But where are you going to learn all these so-called fighting skills?† â€Å"We'll figure the magic out on our own. Guardians will teach us actual physical fighting.† â€Å"Yes, see? I knew that was where this was going. Even if the rest of us don't take part in your suicide mission, you still want to strip us of our guardians to train up your pretend army.† The young guy scowled at the word pretend, and I wondered if more fists would fly. â€Å"You owe it to us.† â€Å"No, they don't,† said Lissa. Intrigued gazes turned her way again. This time, it was Silver Hair who regarded her triumphantly. The younger guy's features flushed with anger. â€Å"Guardians are the best battle resources we have.† â€Å"They are,† she agreed, â€Å"but that doesn't give you the right to take them away from their duty.† Silver Hair practically glowed. â€Å"Then how are we supposed to learn?† demanded the other guy. â€Å"The same way guardians do,† Lissa informed him. â€Å"If you want to learn to fight, go to the academies. Form classes and start at the beginning, the same way the novices do. That way, you won't be taking guardians away from active protection. It's a safe environment, and the guardians there specialize in teaching students anyway.† She paused thoughtfully. â€Å"You could even start making defense part of the standard curriculum for Moroi students already there.† Astonished stares fell on her, mine included. It was such an elegant solution, and everyone else around us realized it. It gave no party 100 percent of its demands, but it met most in a way that didn't really harm the other side. Pure genius. The other Moroi studied her with wonder and fascination. Suddenly, everyone started talking at once, excited about the idea. They drew Lissa in, and soon there was a passionate conversation going on about her plan. I got shuffled to the edges and decided that was just fine. Then I retreated altogether and sought out a corner near a door. Along the way, I passed a server with a tray of hors d'oeuvres. Still hungry, I eyed them suspiciously but saw nothing that looked like the foie gras from the other day. I gestured to one that looked like some sort of braised, rare meat. â€Å"Is that goose liver?† I asked. She shook her head. â€Å"Sweetbread.† That didn't sound bad. I reached for it. â€Å"It's pancreas,† said a voice behind me. I jerked back. â€Å"What?† I squeaked. The waitress took my shock for rejection and moved on. Adrian Ivashkov moved into my line of sight, looking immensely pleased with himself. â€Å"Are you messing with me?† I asked. â€Å"‘Sweetbread' is pancreas?† I don't know why that shocked me so much. Moroi consumed blood. Why not internal organs? Still, I repressed a shudder. Adrian shrugged. â€Å"It's really good.† I shook my head in disgust. â€Å"Oh, man. Rich people suck.† His amusement continued. â€Å"What are you doing here, little dhampir? Are you following me around?† â€Å"Of course not,† I scoffed. He was dressed to perfection, as always. â€Å"Especially not after all the trouble you've gotten us into.† He flashed one of his tantalizing smiles, and despite how much he annoyed me, I again felt that overwhelming urge to be near him. What was up with that? â€Å"I don't know,† he teased. He looked perfectly sane now, exhibiting no trace of the weird behavior I'd witnessed in his room. And yeah, he looked a lot better in a tuxedo than any guy I'd seen in there so far. â€Å"As many times as we keep seeing each other? This is, what, the fifth time? It's starting to look suspicious. Don't worry, though. I won't tell your boyfriend. Either of them.† I opened my mouth to protest, then remembered he'd seen me with Dimitri earlier. I refused to blush. â€Å"I only have one boyfriend. Sort of. Maybe not anymore. And anyway, there's nothing to tell. I don't even like you.† â€Å"No?† asked Adrian, still smiling. He leaned toward me, like he had a secret to share. â€Å"Then why are you wearing my perfume?† This time, I did blush. I took a step back. â€Å"I'm not.† He laughed. â€Å"Of course you are. I counted the boxes after you left. Besides, I can smell it on you. It's nice. Sharp†¦but still sweet- just like I'm sure you are deep down inside. And you got it right, you know. Just enough to add an edge†¦but not enough to drown your own scent.† The way he said â€Å"scent† made it sound like a dirty word. Royal Moroi might make me uncomfortable, but smartass guys hitting on me didn't. I dealt with them on a regular basis. I shook off my shyness and remembered who I was. â€Å"Hey,† I said, tossing my hair back. â€Å"I had every right to take one. You offered them. Your mistake is in assuming me taking one means anything. It doesn't. Except that maybe you should be more careful with where you dump all that money of yours.† â€Å"Ooh, Rose Hathaway is here to play, folks.† He paused and took a glass of what looked like champagne from a passing waiter. â€Å"You want one?† â€Å"I don't drink.† â€Å"Right.† Adrian handed me a glass anyway, then shooed the waiter away and took a drink of the champagne. I had a feeling it wasn't his first of the night. â€Å"So. Sounds like our Vasilisa put my dad in his place.† â€Å"Your †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I glanced back at the group I'd just left. Silver Hair still stood there, gesticulating wildly. â€Å"That guy's your dad?† â€Å"That's what my mom says.† â€Å"You agree with him? About how Moroi fighting would be suicide?† Adrian shrugged and took another sip. â€Å"I don't really have an opinion on that.† â€Å"That's not possible. How can you not feel one way or another?† â€Å"Dunno. Just not something I think about. I've got better things to do.† â€Å"Like stalk me,† I suggested. â€Å"And Lissa.† I still wanted to know why she'd been in his room. He smiled again. â€Å"I told you, you're the one following me.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I know. Five times- † I stopped. â€Å"Five times?† He nodded. â€Å"No, it's only been four.† With my free hand, I ticked them off. â€Å"There was that first night, the night at the spa, then when I came to your room, and now tonight.† The smile turned secretive. â€Å"If you say so.† â€Å"I do say so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Again, my words trailed off. I had talked to Adrian one other time. Sort of. â€Å"You can't mean †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Mean what?† A curious, eager expression lit his eyes. It was more hopeful than presumptuous. I swallowed, recalling the dream. â€Å"Nothing.† Without thinking about it, I took a drink of champagne. Across the room, Lissa's feelings burned back to me, calm and content. Good. â€Å"Why are you smiling?† Adrian asked. â€Å"Because Lissa's still over there, working that crowd.† â€Å"No surprise there. She's one of those people who can charm anyone she wants if she tries hard enough. Even people who hate her.† I gave him a wry look. â€Å"I feel that way when I talk to you.† â€Å"But you don't hate me,† he said, finishing the last of his champagne. â€Å"Not really.† â€Å"I don't like you either.† â€Å"So you keep saying.† He took a step toward me, not threatening, just making the space between us more intimate. â€Å"But I can live with that.† â€Å"Rose!† The sharpness of my mother's voice cut through the air. A few people within earshot glanced over at us. My mother- all five angry feet of her- stormed up to us.

Dracula in Today’s Pop Culture

In his novel Dracula Bram Stoker addresses the fundamental clash between good and evil. In this view vampirism, in terms of the fascination that it holds to the modern citizen, is indeed a direct consequence of modernism. It is but a reaction to modern tendency to ignore the mystery of death. Stoker is squarely confronting the brazen attitude of modern science which believes that everything has an explanation, and which thereby proceeds to ignore the ineffable. Science cannot explain death, and simply chooses to ignore it, says Stoker.It has introduced the hustle and bustle of modern city life, where all is engaged in a mad rush towards material possession, and the frenzy is meant to erase the recollection of death. Stoker’s message is that the modern ploy of evasion will not succeed, and that death will eventually catch up with the modern citizen. This is not to say simply that someone will die, but that the process of death will be forced upon him. From the point of view of religion, especially Christianity, all life is but a preparation for death (Delany, n. p. n. ).It is not as simple as science believes, that the biological body simply stops working. And if one is not prepared at the moment of the biological cessation, then one remains â€Å"undead†. This is the vampire that Stoker, and Gothic writers in general, describe. The vampire will continue to function as long as the soul remains ignorant of death. It will prey on the living, in order to sustain a material body that is soulless. Though we cannot pronounce on the theological implications that Stoker evinces, yet it is sure that the modern fascination for vampires finds its source here.While hardcore science continues to ignore it, mass culture becomes the outlet for something that cannot be suppressed. And because Stoker’s novel is the exceptional instance in modern literature that squarely confronts the issue, the character of Dracula has become the definitive representation of the vampire in pop culture. Much of what Stoker has to say is voiced by the Dutch doctor Abraham Van Helsing, who is the real protagonist of the novel. John Seward is the representative of conventional science, a qualified medical doctor who approaches the mysterious condition of Lucy Westenra with the equipment of modern science.But it is clear that Dr Seward is completely out of his depth here, and the intervention of Van Helsing is vital. â€Å"It is the fault of our science,† he tells him, â€Å"that it wants to explain all; and if it explain not, then it says there is nothing to explain† (Stoker 228). Vampirism cannot he handled with the tools of experimental science, and therefore it reacts as if it doesn’t exist. Van Helsing is not an ignorant quack, but is a qualified scientist himself. The difference is that science is not a fanaticism to him; is useful to the extent that it is applicable.Science is properly restricted to material evaluation, and there fore it will fail if it tries to explain matters pertaining to the soul. Vampirism, as Van Helsing tries to make out, is something entirely concerned with the soul. Thus, to overcome it he must become the agent of God, and not simply a rational doctor. He knows that ancient wisdom contains truth that is inexplicable by the yardstick of science. Therefore his is an open mind, which takes in both the old and new, with intelligence and common sense as the guide. It is the middle way which Stoker presents as the ideal.The modern fascination with vampires must be put in its proper historical context. We must take note that it is a universal theme, and that people of all cultures and all epochs have tales to tell about the vampire. For example the ancient Hindu goddess Kali is depicted as bloodthirsty, and is decorated with a garland of skulls. In Indian lore it is believed that if death is not consummated then the soul is trapped in the material sphere, and it becomes a Pret, attacking t he living for its sustenance. Similar legends appear in other places, and Christian Europe is not exempt.In the eighteenth century Voltaire, in his Philosophical Dictionary, was able to give a succinct and graphic account: These vampires were corpses, who went out of their graves at night to suck the blood of the living, either at their throats or stomachs, after which they returned to their cemeteries. The persons so sucked waned, grew pale, and fell into consumption; while the sucking corpses grew fat, got rosy, and enjoyed an excellent appetite. It was in Poland, Hungary, Silesia, Moravia, Austria, and Lorraine, that the dead made this good cheer. (Ibid 371)The Enlightenment of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is the specific social phenomenon which we need to consider in this regard because it is the particular point where the old wisdom and new part ways. The Enlightenment was specifically directed against the Roman Catholic Church, but it was also against religion par se. Replacing religious doctrine, it took scientific measurement as the new criteria of judgment, declaring that science has the explanation for all things. That which did not find explanation with science was immediately judged to be superstition, meaning an irrational belief, and therefore false.We expect vampirism to have faded in such a climate, because many other â€Å"superstitions† were being discarded during this period of boundless faith in science. But instead we take note that there was a marked resurgence of vampire related activity. Reports start flooding in of vampire sightings, of graves being violated, and similar efforts to overcome the evil menace. The increased fascination with vampires is reflected in the advent of Gothic literature, which is a genre that the eighteenth century gave birth to. The fact that science and rationalism cannot overcome the reality of the vampire is the central theme of Stoker’s novel.This is reflected in Jonathan Harkerâ⠂¬â„¢s first impression on Count Dracula in his secluded castle, and he comments that â€Å"unless my senses deceive me, the old centuries had, and have, powers of their own which mere ‘modernity’ cannot kill† (Ibid 87). In fact modernity itself has become the target of the renovated vampire. The first thing we notice about Count Dracula is his suave and civilized appearance. This is in contrast to earlier depictions of the vampire as evil incarnate, and therefore gruesome in appearance at all times. The explanation for this is that subterfuge is not necessary when everyone knows that the vampire is real.But in the modern context such recognition is absent, and there is a concerted effort by society to dismiss it as superstition. In this situation Dracula has needs to practice deception, and therefore Stoker presents him to us as a refined gentleman with subterranean motives. It is not just the blood of the living which Dracula requires for his sustenance, but he is also motivated by revenge. When he has finally made it to the hub of London, to the Piccadilly quarters of Van Helsing, the Count declares, â€Å"My revenge is just begun! † (Ibid 347). The revenge is directed against modernity, that which denies his very reality.When he is hosting Jonathan Harker is Castle Dracula, he expresses a lurid curiosity about â€Å"the crowded streets of your mighty London† (Ibid 51). To him the city stands as a monumental statement of defiance against him. With a barely disguised gloating at the prospect of his revenge, he tells his guest, â€Å"I long †¦ to be in the midst of the whirl and rush of humanity, to share its life, its change, its death, and all that makes it what it is. But alas! † (Ibid). Apart from the ethereal aspect there is also a palpable human dimension to Count Dracula.To Harker he introduces himself as a descendant of the noble lineage of the Severinys. The description he provides about the exploits of h is ancestors leave no room for doubt that he is indeed descended from the real-life Dracula, and later on in the novel Mina Harker is able to confirm this, when she expresses in her journal: He must indeed have been that Voivode Dracula who won his name against the Turks†¦ If it be so, then was he no common man: for in that time, and for centuries after, he was spoken of as the cleverest and the most cunning, as well as the bravest of the sons of the ‘land beyond the forest'.(Ibid 280) The real-life Dracula in question is Vlad III Dracula, who ruled over the Wallachians in the fifteenth century. He was inordinately cruel and bloodthirsty, and was even nicknamed â€Å"The Impaler†, because he used to impale his victims, watching them die slowly, after he had first lured them into his castle (Skow, n. p. n. ). A resemblance is found here with the ancient wisdom that a vampire may only be killed by impaling through the heart by a stake. But apart from such similaritie s, Vlad the Impaler has also a direct connection to vampirism.Like his father he was initiated into the Order of the Dragon, an occult organization with rites pertaining to the vampire. Stoker was very likely to be privy to these secrets of occultism being a Freemason himself, and a member of the Order of the Golden Dawn, a cult organization deeply involved in the arcane arts (O’Connor D27). He is known to have traveled much in Eastern Europe towards his research to discover the roots of vampirism. The character of Count Dracula must therefore be declared as both ethereal and historical at the same time. Another agenda for revenge is from the point of view of being a descendent of Vlad III Dracula.He laments that the â€Å"warlike days [of his ancestors] are over. † He lusts after blood and glory, and tells Harker that â€Å"blood is too precious a thing in these days of dishonorable peace; and the -glories of the great races are as a tale that is told† (Stoker 61). The fascination that the character of Dracula commands is finally of religious implication. In the end it is the stance of science against religion that lies at the root of the preponderance of evil. Modernism is at heart a step towards irreligion. Its goal is to shed the light of science in all areas so that the mystery of religion is finally eradicated.The rise of irreligion runs parallel to the rise of modernism. If the visitation of evil is a consequence of this, then it must be combated only through a return to religion. Van Helsing makes this clear when he declares, â€Å"Thus are we ministers of God’s own wish: that the world, and men for whom His Son die, will not be given over to monsters, whose very existence would defame Him† (Ibid 360). In the words and deeds of Dracula we notice a distinct resemblance to Satan – the devil is Christian lore. This comes across clearly when we notice his particular approach to his revenge.We take note that it is t hrough the woman that he wants to perpetrate his corruption. The Biblical parallel is where the devil, disguised as a serpent, intrudes into Eden and tempts Eve to eat of the fruit of knowledge. ‘Dracula’ signifies the dragon, which in turn denotes the Biblical serpent (Vere 76). We know about the act of temptation and the impending corruption when he boasts to the men, â€Å"Your girls that you all love are mine already; and through them you and others shall yet be mine† (Stoker 347). We also take note that Dracula’s target for temptation is Lucy Westenra and not Mina Harker.While both are taken in by modernism, and may be describes as â€Å"progressive women†, Mina accommodates her modernism to the limits imposed by Christianity. She tries to keep in touch with the latest mores and technologies; for example, she is intent on learning to use the typewriter, at that time at the cutting edge of technology. But if she does so it is only because she ca n become of use to her husband. The opportunities that modern life affords do not tempt her to stray beyond the bounds of a Christian wife, whose prime duty is towards her husband and children.Van Helsing summarizes her for us in this way: â€Å"[O]ne of God’s women, fashioned by His own hand to show us men and other women that there is a heaven where we can enter, and that its light can be here on earth. So true, so sweet, so noble†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ibid 226). Lucy, on the other hand, turns liberty into license. She is so flattered when three men propose to her at once she laments â€Å"Why can’t they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her, and save all this trouble? † (Ibid 91). We are led to believe that she is aggressively sexual, and in some ways a siren.We understand why Dracula finds a ready target in her, whereas he cannot seduce Mina after repeated attempts, and despite his challenge thrown to the men that he will. Van Helsing’s mission is concerned with saving the soul, and it is not the physical life which worries him. In the second half of the novel the principal issue becomes whether Mina’s purity remains intact, and it is not at all about saving lives from a violent monster. The purity of Mina is vital because on it depends the spiritual condition of the men folk of England. She is depicted as the paragon of womanhood, and therefore suggestive of Eve in the Garden of Eden.For her to fall to the temptation of â€Å"the Dragon† is of the highest consequence, we believe. After Lucy is killed, it is the fact that she is ‘undead’ that spreads unease, so that her three suitors are determined to kill her again (or, kill the vampire that she is become), in order that the soul of Lucy attains peace and passes into the otherworld. When she is finally killed properly, by impaling her heart with a stake, her suitors, including her fiance Arthur Holmwood, look on as a hideous visage is transform ed into one of â€Å"unequalled sweetness and purity,† which is reflecting the condition of the soul within (Ibid 225).Stoker’s masterpiece crystallized the various trends in Gothic literature, and became the benchmark for all successive efforts in the genre, especially in film and television. Next to Sherlock Holmes, there is no other fictional character with more depictions in film and television than the character of Count Dracula (Dyson, n. p. n. ). The gothic genre is not especially known for quality literature. Outlandish landscapes, ancient castles, the evocation of dread, gruesome details, violence met upon ravishing young ladies, such were features that made the gothic novel, and Stoker does not depart much from the convention.But his effort is special in that he grapples with the fundamental issues, for example the visitation of evil in the wake of modernism. Stoker was not merely concerned with horror, but with evil itself. Paul Santilli points out a distinc tion between the two in terms of existentialism: â€Å"Evil is defined within a cultural matrix; horror is the undefined other of a culture. Evil represents the negation of being; horror shows the sickening presence of being as being† (173). Because the typical writer of Gothic literature is bound by the dictates of the horror genre, he tends to lose sight of the underlying theme of evil.Thus we notice in nineteenth century vampire literature a trend towards sympathizing with the representation of evil, a fundamental error. The vampires that we find in James Malcolm Rymer’s Varney the Vampire and Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla are sympathetic characters to some extent (Silver et al, 40-41). Stoker’s novel stands firm against such deterioration and presents to us evil in its most pristine form. This is why Stoker’s characterization of Dracula has become iconic, and also the standard bearer for all subsequent depictions of the vampire in popular culture .However, popular culture being what it is, the trend towards sympathizing with the vampire was resumed once mass media took hold of the character of Dracula and made it part of its own province. The picture of Dracula in the popular mind is now wholly derived from Hollywood films, and is very different from how Stoker describes him in the novel. For example in the novel he is described as having white hair and a drooping moustache; but the popular imagination sees him as dark haired, clean shaven and immaculately groomed.Bela Lugosi’s portrayal of the Count in the 1931 Hollywood production is most responsible for this picture. By most accounts this film, directed by Tod Browning, is the best adaptation to date, though it is not the first. This distinction must go to the 1922 German production Nosferatu, directed by F W Murnau, which makes the vampire particularly gruesome, and therefore is a return somewhat to the traditional depiction. But with films there is always the dan ger that villains become heroes, which happens when the film becomes very popular and even negative characters assume the charm of being famous.Once Browning’s depiction of Dracula entered the public imagination it set of a trend towards sympathizing with the embodiment of evil. In this trend must be included the series of films is that which issued from the Hammer House of Horror Studio in England. The first film appeared in 1958, with Christopher Lee in the role of the Transylvanian Count, and was largely faithful to the original novel, both in the plotline and in the depiction of the vampire. But as the series dragged along the tendency was to indulge in the evil exploits of the Count.This is in line with the general trend in Hollywood to lean more and more towards the â€Å"antihero†, and to glorify socially subversive activity. Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 production Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a consummation of this process, so that the vampire here is almost a Christ-like figure. Regarding Coppola’s cinematic technique Humphries-Brooks points out that the subjective camera is used from the Count’s point of view, â€Å"which frequently lets us see the world through Dracula's eyes and allows a visceral empathy with the character.† The major sacrilege is of introducing a love affair between Dracula and Mina Harker, thereby reversing the entire tenor of the original novel. Despite such misguided efforts, the sheer preponderance of adaptations of Stoker’s novel in film, as well as the insatiable appetite of the public for vampire films in general, is a measure of the iconic status that Stoker’s Dracula has acquired. In conclusion, the modern fascination with vampirism must be viewed as a symptom of modernity. We must trace its origin to the Age of Enlightenment, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, in which we identify the roots of modernism.It was a concerted effort to overcome the religious worldview, and to replace it with a scientific representation. The resurgence of the public fascination with vampires must also be dated to this period. The explanation of this lies in the tendency to ignore the reality of death, or the consequences for the soul after death. Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, at the turn of the twentieth century, crystallized this fascination with a masterful study of vampirism with a thoroughly entertaining plotline. Like all Gothic literature, it aimed primarily to please.But at the same time it tackled the issue of evil in the most fundamental way, and in this way recovered focus to Gothic literature. It identified modernism as the root cause behind the re-emergence of the vampire, and outlined the battle lines in which modernism and traditional belief clashed. For all these reasons the character of Count Dracula has come to acquire an iconic status in popular culture, and it continues to spurn adaptations and imitations in film and television. Works Cited Delany, Joseph F. â€Å"Preparation for Death. † New Advent.Internet. Retrieved: 23 March 2008. < http://www. newadvent. org/cathen/04660c. htm> De Vere, Nicholas. The Dragon Legacy. Contributor Tracy R. Twyman. New York: Book Tree, 2004. Dyson, Jeremy. â€Å"Battle of the bloodsuckers. † The Guardian. Wednesday October 31, 2007. Internet. Retrieved: 23 March, 2008. Humphries-Brooks, Stephenson. â€Å"The Body and the Blood of Eternal UnDeath. † The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture. Volume VI: Spring 2004. O’Connor, John.The Enduring Fascination Of ‘Dracula’. The New York Times. March 5, 1978, Sunday. Santilli, Paul. â€Å"Culture, Evil, and Horror. † The American Journal of Economics and Sociology. Volume 66, Number 1, January 2007, pp. 173-193. Skow, John. â€Å"Vlad the Impaler. † Time Magazine. Monday, Jan. 15, 1973. Silver, Alain & Ursini, James. The Vampire Film: From Nosferatu to Interview With the Va mpire. New York: Limelight Editions, 1997. Stoker, Bram. Dracula. New York: Broadview Press, 1998. Voltaire. Philosophical Dictionary Part 2. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2003.

Advanced Financial Reporting and Regulation Essay - 1

Advanced Financial Reporting and Regulation - Essay Example The problem with this approach arises when the market for the asset becomes illiquid. This sets in the use of complex models that the company must come up with through the help of a specialist. These assets are grouped as Level three assets. During the financial crisis, there was a fall in the prices of mortgage and related securities. The result was illiquid markets for them and banks marked down their assets largely. This made banks have a great problem in meeting up their capital requirement. The critics claim that money could have helped solve the crisis that existed at that time. However, banks obtained cash through the sale of assets that further made a downward trend in the prices of assets. This led to an economic downturn and became a cycle. This is the main reason, critics of fair value accounting claim that it had a hand in the financial crisis that occurred. Most critics have distinguished mark- to-market accounting a mechanism through which fair accounting can contribute to the financial crisis. There is a link between bank regulation and fair value accounting when trying to evaluate how fair value accounting can lead to a crisis. Fair value depends on the market prices, which are not consistent and sometimes can deviate due to some reasons. The distorted prices can cause a bank to write down its assets to match the distorted prices. As a result, the regulatory capital of the bank would be depleted and it may force the bank to sell assets at lower prices. If the lower prices in the distressed bank become relevant to other banks, it can result to regulatory capital problems and write-downs even for sound banks (Laux and Leuz, 2009). Laux and Leuz (2009) found out that by the management paying attention to the company’s earnings might create the contagion problems. The management can sell their assets at relatively low prices that result to a contagion effect to the other banks. This makes other banks price their assets

1.Should the sentencing process in the U. S. be changed Why or why not Essay

1.Should the sentencing process in the U. S. be changed Why or why not 2. Discuss the key relationships of the prosecutor with others in the criminal just - Essay Example They are supposed to deter individuals from committing crimes, they are supposed to incapacitate those who are likely to commit crimes, bring about the process of rehabilitation and finally, to punish those who do not follow the laws of society. However, as discussed by Bellisle (2007), the sentencing system in America seems to focus more on the idea of incarceration and putting people in prisons rather than on rehabilitation and allowing them to become productive members of society. The courts hand out sentences to eighty thousand criminal defendants every year and the number of those who go into prison are far more than those who are released (Richey, 2005). Sentences handed out by courts simply put people away for long periods of time while not looking at the impact it would have on the prison system or even the nature of their crime. Many violations of the law come with mandatory minimum sentences and these sentences can be as long as 10 years for some drug offenses. Instead of allowing a judge to come up with a reasonable idea for how long a person should be put away for smoking marijuana illegally, the laws give mandatory minimum sentences which have to be followed (Bellisle, 2007). The sentencing process could be improved drastically if the judges are trusted to establish their own criteria for punishments equivalent to the crime. Of course, it can be argued that race and ethnicity can creep into the issue when judges are allowed to have a lot of discretion with regard to sentencing but that issue can also be monitored by the higher courts to ensure that the sentencing remains fair and transparent. Undoubtedly, the transparency of the justice system is also hurt by the idea that prosecutors may manipulate the accused to get plea bargains and thus avoid trials in the first place (Murphy, 2004). In certain situations, the laws not only cause the crime to be enhanced in a crime, they may even double the minimum time which is mandated by the law. For

How spiritual and religious guides can influence the pursuit of Essay

How spiritual and religious guides can influence the pursuit of happiness - Essay Example Despite scholars presenting different definitions and causes of happiness, it is evident that the religious and spiritual perspective carries the weight towards achievement of happiness while compared to other major factors like wealth (Quinn,  2014). That has as a result made various individuals to attach spiritual and religious connotations to happiness. As such, how spiritual and religious guides can influence a person’s pursuit of happiness.The thesis of the paper seeks to outline different measures that can be implemented in order to achieve happiness.Although there is no universal definition of happiness, it can be seen that spiritual and religious guidescanconnected to spirituality. Many people struggle to search for happiness and there are many connotations attached to this concept particularly the aspect of spirituality. Individuals constantly sought for economic gains to satisfy their happiness and despite the level of economic power, happiness seems to evade these people. That serves as a clear identification that achievement of happiness is far beyond the economic strength of an individual. It results from the fact that happiness fails to possess an economic value (Borchard,  2011). There are some religious people who believe that only eternal spiritual happiness is possible after death. However, despite such believe that real happiness will result upon death; these believers live a religious and spiritual life on earth that translate to happiness before death strikes. The reason behind achieving happiness during their lifetime is attributed to the conception that real happiness lies on the wait. Some individuals have identified India as a potential sour ce of happiness. Although India has numerous negative traits associated with the rapid rate of industrialization, high population, and the lack of proper waste management, it remains a center for finding happiness.Apart from

Managing Across Cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Managing Across Cultures - Essay Example In this case then the managing across the different cultures should be professional without any discrimination drawn on the lines of culture. It is then common to find many news articles and other published materials addressing advocating for the effective management across cultures in all business organizations or companies. Therefore, the implications of business management and other aspects of culture in business decision making are mostly outlined in such articles. I found such an article with the title â€Å"Build on Your Strengths Instead of Focusing on Flaws.† In this article, Harjit Gill who is the chief executive of an electronics company based in Singapore gives his experience on how to manage the company with a team of employees with different cultures in order to meet the company’s objectives. As explained in Kolesnikov-Jessop (2014), Gill explains that a good manager is a person that is very transparent to others and someone that other people are always free to talk to and seek help from in case of any challenges or problems at the workplace. He explains that all these draw the line between a team leader and a team manager. This means that when it comes to managing and organization, one needs to ensure that that the team he is managing get to learn and step up from the level they are in. when it is about delegation of duties, an employee should be able to understand that decision made by the manger and identify how the decision is good for them and the whole organization. Gill also gives his experience while managing across cultures in the company. He says that one should generalize issues without considering the composition of the workforce and instead get to know the people well and the different cultural aspects in them (Kolesnikov-Jessop, 2014). It is important them to pull the different people into one team that can learn from each other by leveraging the differences in cultural traits of the

Johannes Brahms - Sextet No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 18 Essay

Johannes Brahms - Sextet No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 18 - Essay Example The unconventional feature of the sextets written by Brahms was the number of instruments in the ensemble; Brahms chose to complement and expand the traditional quartet with additional cello and viola, for it enabled intensification of the sound and made all instruments equal in strength. Two additional instruments are used to embellish composition instead of directly contributing to full harmonies, moreover, they make music louder and thicker and also give additional volume while sounding either simultaneously or parallellously. Brahms’ sextets are a kind of challenge and the attempt to stand out and supersede Beethoven in his mastery. Involvement of two cellos brings fresh air to the composing pattern, as the second cello is predominantly a means of embellishment and melodics, while the first cello is responsible for nourishing the compositing with substantial bass support. The sextet No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 18 is a string sextet composed in 1860 by the young Brahms and published about two years later. The sextet is a very beautiful romantic piece – and a rather long one, which is typical for young Brahms - consisting of four movements, three of them being more than ten minutes in length. The first movement is called Allegro, ma non troppo and is a brilliant calm â€Å"intro† to the composition, which reminds of sonata form and serves as a lyrical or even â€Å"pastoral† (Dean Hansen) ingredient of the sextet. The second movement is considered the most famous and powerful: it is called Andante, ma moderato and is presented by variations on lurid themes with a rather interesting ending. However, as Brahms followed the rules of structure, variations are rather strict in this respect, yet they demonstrated influence of Baroque traditions. The figures of the movement are rather diverse, and the tempo of their change leaves a listene r with the thrilling sensation, until the light-hearted and good-humored scherzo

William Shakespeares Macbeth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

William Shakespeares Macbeth - Essay Example Thus, there are spectacular evidences all through the characterisation and the plot of the play which suggest the importance of the Elizabethan culture in the representation of 'gender' in Macbeth. Therefore, a paradox of sexual confusion and gender roles is evident at the heart of the play. "'Macbeth, a virile warrior-hero, is at the same time an 'unfinished man' who murders because he has been convinced by his wife that only through violence will he achieve a state of heroism. His manhood, displayed in the utterly 'masculine' form of bloodshed, is not self-determined or innate, but rather infused into him by Lady Macbeth." (Sch'rkhuber, 2007, p. 75). Therefore, this paper analyses Shakespeare's representation of 'gender' in Macbeth and compares it with the representation of 'gender' in the 21st Century referring to current literature, media, and poetry. One of the central concerns of the critics of the play Macbeth has been the author's representation of feminism in the play which is noted for the reversal of gender roles. Thus, one finds that the playwright has been interested in representing females as dominating their counterparts and the major characters and themes of the play depict the difference in the sexual representation of males and females. Whereas both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are obsessed by the same passion of ambition, the playwright represents its effect differently in males and females. Lady Macbeth, the chief representative of females in the play, evidently violates the natural law concerning gender roles and the character of Macbeth enhances the reversal of gender roles in the play. "Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are fired by the same passion of ambition. However, while Macbeth is presented as violating moral law, Lady Macbeth seems to violate natural law: she is unfeminine. By eliminating in herself and her hus band tenderness, pity and vulnerability to feeling - human qualities her culture tends to associate with women - Lady Macbeth becomes half man herself. Through his efforts to be supreme among all men, Macbeth re-enacts the ambivalence of his sexual identity: the more he tries to prove his masculinity, the greater his fusion with Lady Macbeth." (Sch'rkhuber, 2007, p. 75). Therefore, it is palpable to a careful reader of the tragedy that Lady Macbeth makes an essential attempt to assume masculine characteristics which can make herself a stronger person. In addition, she also disparages her male counterpart, Macbeth, by attacking his own masculinity. "Macbeth shows a reversal in gender roles. The play questions what constitutes masculinity and femininity. It is important to Macbeth to be seen as a strong, powerful man. Lady Macbeth taunts him and mocks his sexuality to force him to get the courage to kill Duncan." (Thacker, 2008). In a careful analysis of the representation of feminism and masculinity in the play, one recognises that there is an evident reversal of gender roles by the playwright which can be comprehended as an attempt to identify with the contemporary Elizabethan culture.

The Surrealist movement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Surrealist movement - Research Paper Example The essay "The Surrealist movement" analyzes surrealism. Unlike the romantics, the surrealists believed that they could find revelations on the street and in daily life. The ideas of the Surrealist with regard to the subconscious mind, their interests in primitivism and myth shaped the concepts adopted by the Abstract Expressionists. Salvador Dali, a surrealist painter, was born in Figueras, Catalonia-Spain in 1904. He studied art in different parts of Spain and mastered the effortless adaptation of various styles into his repertoire. As a teenager, he became fascinated with the concepts and ideals of psychologist Sigmund Freud. He liked how the subconscious mind and artistic works linked. This caused him to focus greatly heavily on his art content. He was also influenced by the works of the Paris Surrealists who painted from the subconscious mind with no definitive purpose in mind of how the outcome of the work should be. The Persistence of Memory is arguably one of the most famous works of Dali which he painted in 1931 while a relatively young man. The painting depicts a number of pocket watches that are detached from their chains, slowly melting on a tree branch and on rocks. It is quite deceptive to the eye because the scene is a fantasy that is placed in a lifelike setting of the ocean. The main aspect portrayed by the painting is that objects known to be hard become inexplicably limp in the dreamscape. This has been interpreted to mean that things that appear strong and purposeful always reach a point.

Why do Brand Extension Strategies Fail Literature review

Why do Brand Extension Strategies Fail - Literature review Example The strategy of brand extension is being used by the organisations in order to cope up with different challenging situations and overcome the competitive pressure in the industry. According to the Han (1998), the brand extension of strategy have been beneficial for the companies in the process of reaping additional benefits from the already established brand. The main reason or rationale behind the introduction of new product under the name of well known and established brand is to make sure that the customers and market is familiar with the brand and the new product category can capture market on the basis of the positive and main characteristics of the parent brand (Buil, Chernatony, and Hem, 2009). Different options available to the brand managers in the process of brand extension are: 1. Horizontal Extension: the horizontal extension is further divided into line extension and category extension. In the line extension a whole new product, within the same category as that of the pa rent brand, is introduced in order to target and capture a new and different segment of the market. On the other hand, in the category extension the same brand is extended into a whole new product category. ... IMPACT OF BRAND EXTENSION STRATEGY ON THE BRAND IMAGE AND BUSINESS: In order to make sure that the brand extension strategy proves to be beneficial and helpful for the organisation and increase the competitiveness of the organisation it is important to identify and understand the implications of the brand extension strategy on the brand image and overall business of the organisation (Serrao and Botelho, 2008). There are several factors which directly influence the impact of the brand extensions on the brand image. According to the research study of Martinez and Chernatony (2004), the perceived brand quality by the consumers and the attitudes and behaviours of the consumers towards the overall extension strategy have positive impact on the general brand image and product brand image. The research study also concluded that the fact that consumers are familiar and aware of the brand only have impact on the general brand image and have no impact on the product brand image. On the other h and the consumers’ perceived degree of fit between the parent brand and new brand only influence the product brand image. The research study of Martinez and Chernatony (2004), have created a difference between the general brand image and the product brand image. They have correctly identified the impact of the consumers attitudes on the general brand image and product brand image. However, their stance about the impact of familiarity and awareness on the GBI and PBI is somewhat shaky. If the customers are aware and familiar with the brand it will definitely affect the PBI also, because the customers will relate the product with the overall brand image and will associate same image with it. The research study by Park, McCarthy, and Milberg (1993), concluded that the

Elements of Dance Essay Example for Free

Elements of Dance Essay After reading the handout about tribal dances and ceremonies, I learned a lot of interesting things I never knew before. I guess the fact that I havent taken a dance class ever before and wasnt taught too much about dance in grammar school or high school, I was ignorant to how important and how influential ritual dances are within a society. Dancing is an activity that can be dated as far back as the Stone Age, when people first existed on this planet. Not only that, ritual dances can be found in almost every culture today. In some areas of the world, dancing is a way of life. It can be used for a variety of reasons such as; Fertility rituals, Initiation rituals, Rituals of the Hunt and Animals, Healing and funeral rituals, and War and Weapon rituals. Rituals are traditional clusters of actions. They are performed for the most part to cast magical spells and to influence gods and spirits. Rituals are also passed down from generation to generation. The ritual dance that my group performed last Tuesday in class was titled War and Peace. It started off violent with an intense fight scene and ended with everyone being brought back to life and coming together with the linkage our hands, representing peace. With everything going on in the world right now, we thought it was an appropriate ritual dance to do because the point of it was to show how we must not kill each other. We must come together, figure out our differences and make peace. This ritual would be considered a specific ritual, which has a specific one-time purpose. The purpose obviously being the end of the terrorism thats going on and the prevention of a war. The other type of ritual the handout talks about is a cyclical. A cyclical is repeated each year or season. An example of this would be a rain dance that a tribe might do during a dry season when their crops need water. It seemed to me that the other two ritual dances did in class were probably cyclicals. They seemed as though they were dances that could be used over and over again as opposed to our ritual that had a one-time purpose. Another interesting fact I found out while reading was how sound plays such a crucial role in a ritual dance. It said that the drummer is the main music maker, and it is thought that the gods are spoken to, through drums. Since we practiced our ritual dances in class without a drumbeat, it was a real drastic change when Dave provided a beat for our final dance, making it much easier to keep a rhythm. Another important topic talked about in the article that had to do with our dance in class was Sexual roles. It said that men usually have the roles in a ritual dance dealing with war and the womens role most often deal with the caring for the bodies of the dead. This was also true for our dance we performed in class. Me and Mike started of the ritual dance with a fight symbolizing war, and the dance ended with one of the girls from our group bringing us back to life. In conclusion of this paper, I would like to say that I actually am glad we were assigned our ritual dance, I had fun. Now that I have finished this paper, I have a better understanding of what ritual dance really is.

Does Technology Hold the Key to Improved Life Expectancy?

Does Technology Hold the Key to Improved Life Expectancy? Andrew McMahon Stone   Introduction. Life expectancy is the average period a person may expect to live1. Almost universally, females live longest, as do MEDC dwellers. Globally, life expectancy has increased by 40% in the last 50 years (1960s: 50 years – present: 70 years). However, this is just an average so there will be extremes, for example, the oldest recorded person alive now is almost 116 years6 and there are babies that die within days of birth. Technology means developing, applying or studying tools and methods, thus, in context: the machinery used in hospitals; access to knowledge for educational health; and the development and use of medicines. In my family, life expectancy has stayed constant as my great grandparents lived into their eighties, two of my grandparents are still alive (aged 80), although one died at 48 years*. However I think that my brother, my cousins and I will survive for longer, given that my ancestors died from rare, non-genetic causes like cancer and brain haemorrhage. *My great grandfather was in the Great War and was shell shocked and spent the rest of his life in a mental hospital. Causes I believe that the main cause of improved life expectancy is the rate of the country’s technological growth but there are other factors, some natural, some human (Table 1) Table 1: factors affecting life expectancy There exists a correlation between population size and area and life expectancy, especially if we look at ‘extremes’, for example Monaco is the smallest country in the world, by area and almost population, and it has the highest life expectancy rate of 85 years for males and 93 years for females2. Similarly, China has the biggest population and has one of the biggest areas in the world yet it is in the top 100 for life expectancy and is rising with its population2. This might suggest that it is easier to provide access to smaller and larger concentrations of people, but then in the UK, we know that many rural dwellers often have to travel in excess of 40 miles to reach a hospital. This could prove fatal in terms of an emergency if people can’t be reached in time, thus this is where telecommunications technology and internet accessible health education (what to do if a person has a heart attack or stroke) are vital. I am very fortunate to live in an urban area and I have two hospitals within 15minutes drive of my home. Lifestyle choices affect the life expectancy of a person because someone might choose to eat healthily and exercise regularly and so, in theory, have a higher life expectancy than someone who chooses not to. This is a social factor, controlled by personal decisions, but it is mostly an MEDC issue. In LEDCs people often have little/no choice about their lifestyle as they may be limited by food/water supplies. Access to educational information via internet technology may help people make informed choices and improve life expectancies but if disregarded, then access to technology is of no benefit. Hereditary conditions like cystic fibrosis (the UK’s most common life threatening inherited disease7) can affect the life expectancy of a person as the average life expectancy for a person with CF is 37 years. There are70,000 sufferers worldwide)8 . Hereditary conditions affect people in both MEDCs and LEDCs although technologies in MEDCs are helping treat people with CF, so their life expectancy is slowly improving. The cost of such technologies is often prohibitive in LEDCs. Personal income is also a key determining economic factor. Those with more disposable income will have more opportunity to access health technology and more easily afford healthier food choices, which should result in improved life expectancy. However, it can result in poor lifestyle choices like over-eating or binge drinking so can have the opposite effect. This is unfortunately common in MEDCs, particularly the UK and USA, exacerbated by ‘supersize me’ in food outlets and BOGOF offers in supermarkets. War and conflict can be a big contributing factor to lowering life expectancy, with technology contributing in a negative way. Weapons have been developed that can kill more people more easily. Armed forces are mostly composed of men, which help explain why in some countries, they have a lower life expectancy than females. In Cambodia the life expectancy rate went down for men from 43 years in 1966 to 31 years in 1977 and for women from 46 years in 1966 to 34 years in 197714. This was because of a mass genocide by the Khmer Rouge regime15 that killed between one and two million people. In Telford, where I live, the life expectancy for males is 77.4 years which is 1.5 years less than the England average of 78.9 years. And the Telford life expectancy for females is 82 years which is 0.9 years less than the England average of 82.9 years. 9 Technology its impacts on life expectancy The true effects of technology on life expectancy depends on how you define technology; If you define technology as the access to information via the internet I would have thought that the world’s life expectancy would have reacted positively to the exponential growth of internet users in the last 20 years in figure 2. Figure 1 does show that the world’s life expectancy has increased in gradient but only very slightly steeper to the rate of growth before the early 90s. Figure 110: changes in life expectancy global Figure 2: internet users – globally (in red)11 This implies either that there are still countries that dont have a lot of internet users or that the amount of internet users does not directly affect the world’s life expectancy. I believe there is a link. To prove this, 96% of Iceland’s population13 are internet users and the average life expectancy is 81.28 years13, which puts it 6th in the world. Conversely, 0.8% of Eritrea’s population are internet users, the lowest in the world, and its average life expectancy is 61.42 years which is nearly 10 years below the worlds average. Nationally, in the UK, 87% of us are internet users and our average life expectancy is 80.05 years3, although I appreciate that the link between the two isn’t ‘exclusive’. At a personal level I have looked up symptoms to determine what illness I have and also researched how to improve my fitness which I believe will affect my life expectancy. Mobile phone technology enables people to access information about healthy lifestyles. I have a smart phone which can help me access information on any issue I might have with my health so that I can try to combat it. Nationally (UK), there is 97% coverage of the country, which enables almost everyone with an internet enabled phone or broadband connection to access. OAPs are encouraged to gain internet skills via free classes available at local libraries. Another factor contributing to improved life expectancy could be the amount of investment into research and development. Israel put the biggest percentage of their GDP into research and development, 4.2%, and their average life expectancy is 80.96 years which makes them 17th in the world. However Ethiopia only put 0.1 billion dollars into research and development which is only 0.17% of their GDP and I believe that this is a reason why their average life expectancy is 55.41 years, 14 years below the world’s average. In my country, the UK, 1.7% of the GDP is spent on research and development which is equivalent to 38.4 billion dollars5. With that money, university graduates have invented and designed technology to improve life expectancy like the portable defibrillator and the discovery of the hepatitis B vaccine 16. Non-profit organizations have also achieved similar eg a syringe that breaks after the first use to stop the spread of diseases like HIV. At a personal level my lif e expectancy has been enhanced by vaccines and medicines eg Hepatitis B immunisation as a child and the annual influenza vaccine. Continually evolving technology is bringing new developments into existence like 3D printers that can bio-print specific organs to replace failing ones although only a bladder has been printed so far. Personally all of my family have had scans sometime in their lives to diagnose specific illnesses or injuries that, if they and not been diagnosed, might have caused a lower life expectancy, eg bowel cancer screening and breast cancer screening. Technology cannot work without trained professionals! Technology can only hold the key to improved life expectancy if it is properly managed. Trained professionals are needed to operate scanners in hospitals and governments in LEDCs might not be able to afford them or to provide the training to get them and so technology would be irrelevant and ineffectual. Technology is also ineffective in places where infrastructure is either poor or non-existent e.g. electricity and internet access. Scenarios One of the biggest factors that affect life expectancy in LEDCs is maternal and infant health. Maternal and infant mortality rates are higher in LEDCs, further contributing to lower average life expectancies. If we can ensure safer births, we can improve life expectancy and the need to have so many children. This is where technology could come into play to assist midwives in challenging situations. Even without access to electricity and internet, updated written literature and health/hygiene guidance could be provided to help the situation. You could argue that this isn’t technology, but actually you need technology to design, print and distribute the books. And with the relatively new invention of the 3D printer, organizations could make models for midwifery that teach them in a practical way. If everyone in the world had access to technology I do think that globally life expectancy would increase significantly simply because of the sheer wealth of information available on the internet and people being able to gain health education. But the likelihood of everyone having access to technology in the future is low. For some, eg indigenous tribes and small groups isolated from modern civilization, there is a desire to remain untouched by external influences. Charities and wealthier governments could continue to send appropriate technology to LEDCs. I also believe that technology will develop further in the future and will eventually be able to help eradicate diseases and cancers. Conclusion I think that technology is key to improved life expectancy and I think in the future it will become the biggest influential factor. This is because other factors, I believe, will be controlled by technology. People will be able to make informed decisions regarding lifestyle choices and risks of poor lifestyle choices. If this doesnt stop them from choosing that lifestyle then the technology is there to help them with the ‘side effects’ or ‘symptoms’. Hereditary conditions will be easier to treat and cure, I think, enabling improved life expectancy. Quality of life, I also believe, will be enhanced by technology eg better quality housing. Technology is also getting cheaper by the year so should be more affordable. In the future access to clean water wont matter either because if there is an unclean water supply then filters can be fitted. Technology is (and will even more in the future) helping to reduce fatalities from happening when natural disasters occur by, simulating, in the process of building buildings that are less likely to fall, and aiding response times for emergency services to be faster. Bibliography. 1 https://www.google.co.uk/#q=define+life+expectancy – Definition of life expectancy. 2,3,5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancybHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancyy_life_expectancy World rankings for life expectancy in different years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Esperanza_de_vida.PNG – World map of life expectancies (2008). http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_tec_ach-economy-technological-achievement Technology achievement index by country. 5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countrHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_research_and_development_spendingiHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_research_and_development_spendinges_by_research_and_development_spending 6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_living_supercentenarians 7 http://www.globaladventurechallenges.com/choose-charity/cystic-fibrosis-trust/ 8 http://www.cff.org/aboutcf/ 9http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebPageHPAwebAutoListDate/Page/1278943975984 10 https://www.google.co.uk/#q=world+life+expectancy 11 http://www.theawl.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Screen-shot-2010-08-17-at-2.11.10-PM.png 12 http://wHYPERLINK http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/421390/Watch-that-tells-your-time-to-diewHYPERLINK http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/421390/Watch-that-tells-your-time-to-diew.express.co.uk/news/uk/421390/Watch-that-tells-your-time-to-die 13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_numbHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_Internet_userseHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_Internet_usersr_of_Internet_users Internet users. 14http://www.google.co.uk/publicdata/explore?ds=d5bncppjof8f9_met_y=sp_dyn_le00_inhl=endl=enidim=country:KHM:LAO:MMR#!ctype=lstrail=falsebcs=dnselm=hmet_y=sp_dyn_le00_inscale_y=linind_y=falserdim=regionidim=country:KHM:LAO:MMRifdim=regiontstart=-94435200000tend=473644800000hl=en_USdl=enind=false 15http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/02/20122314155454169.html 16http://www.theguardian.com/education/2006/jul/05/highereducation.uk2 Discoveries by UK universities.

Introduction to Sacred Geometry

Introduction to Sacred Geometry By Arthur Simoes Introduction      Ã‚   in keeping with historic cultures, outstanding scientists, brilliant minds of philosophy and religion. knows geometry is aware of the universe, it is a language that governs all laws and rules of the cosmos. The introduction of many traditions describes the universe because the paintings of an Architect who makes use of sacred geometry to create out the dimensions of the universe, wisely designing every element of it, and controlling by means of just proportions evidenced in the geometric shapes of nature. The complete Universe (which include our solar device, as well as atoms, DNA, and beings) cover the secrets of stability, rhythm, share and harmony in range, the fractal connections of pieces with each different and the complete. This agreement is expressed with the help out some key numbers. Over the entrance to Platos academy became wrote down the word: Let none enter here who are ignorant of geometry Through time many were the number of scientists and philosophers who speaks about Sacred Geometry. Galileo, Plato, Pythagoras, St. Augustine , Johannes Kepler and others. Numbers are the thoughts of God. (St. Augustine) Mathematics is the alphabet with which God has written the universe. (Galileo) Geometry existed before the creation. It is co-eternal with the mind of GodGeometry provided God with a model for the Creation (Johannes Kepler). The sacred geometry can teach us the relationship between man and the universe as Hermes Trismegistus once said : That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above, corresponds to that which is Below, to accomplish the miracles of the One Thing. What is Sacred Geometry ? In nature, we discover styles, designs, and systems from minuscule particles, to expressions of existence great through human eyes, to the greater cosmos. those necessarily follow geometrical archetypes, which reveal to us the nature of each form and its vibrations. theyre also symbolic of the basic spiritual rule of the inseparable courting of the element to the whole. its far this principle of oneness basic all geometry that fills the architecture of all shape in its countless range. This principle of connectedness inseparability and agreement gives us with a continuous reminder of our close to the entire, a blueprint for the mind to the sacred foundation of all things created.The basic concept is that geometry and mathematical ratios, harmonics, share are also found in songs, calm, cosmology. This price is visible as commonly even in prehistory, a cultural body of the human circumstance. its far considered basic to constructing sacred structures which include temples, mosques, megaliths, monuments and churches. Many forms in observed in nature may be associated with geometry. for instance, honeybees assemble hexagonal cells to avoid their honey. Sacred geometry can be understood as a worldview of pattern popularity, a complicated system of spiritual symbols and structures related to space, time and form. consistent with this view the simple patterns of lifestyles are visible as sacred. by using connecting with those, a believer expects the first-rate Mysteries and the extremely good blueprint. Sacred geometry has existed in lots of paperwork throughout the ages it is regularly mistakenly said that geometry started with the Greeks, however, earlier than they had been the Minoans, the Egyptians, Sumerians, Indus valley, Chinese, Phoenicians and of direction, megaliths all of whom left clear geometric fingerprints in their finest constructions. The Greeks may additionally properly have been the primary to have supplied geometry to the general public at massive, but they were by no means the first to comprehend it. Golden Ratio The Golden ratio is a special number found by dividing a line into two parts so that the longer part divided by the smaller part is also equal to the whole length divided by the longer part. This is also symbolized as phi, after the 21st letter of the Greek alphabet. In an equation that looks like this: a/b = (a+b)/a = 1.6180339887498948420 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ As with pi (the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter), the digits pass on and on to infinity. Phi is usually round off to 1.618. This number has been caught on and rediscovered oftentimes that is why theyve so many names to it, Golden section, divine proportion, Golden mean, and so on In records, this wide variety can be seen in an awful lot architecture of many historical creations, Pyramid Of Giza, Parthenon. on the Pyramid Of Giza, the period of every side of the base is 756 ft with a height of 481 ft. The ratio of the base to the height is 1.5717, close to the Golden ratio. Phidias (500 B.C. 432 B.C.) turned into a Greek sculptor and mathematician who is thought to have applied phi to the layout of sculptures for the Parthenon. Plato (428 B.C. 347 B.C.) taken into consideration the Golden ratio to be the most universally required of mathematical relationships. Later, Euclid (365 B.C. three hundred B.C.) related the Golden ratio to the development of a pentagram. around 1200, mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci determined the homes of the Fibonacci series. This collection is so much like the Golden Ratio because if you take two successive wide variety from the Fibonacci sequence the ratio is very near. because the numbers get larger the get in the direction of 1.618 as an instance, the ratio of 3 to five is 1.666. however, the ratio of 13 to 21 is 1.625. Getting even better, the ratio of one hundred forty-four to 233 is 1.618. The Golden Ratio can be determined in well-known artwork and sculptures from the Renaissance. In 1509, Luca Pacioli wrote a book that refers to the range because the Divine proportion, which became illustrated by Leonardo DA Vinci. Da Vinci, later himself referred to as the book Sectio Aurea or The Golden segment. Da Vinci used the Golden Ratio to demonstrate all his proportions on his painting Last Supper, in particular at the proportions of the desk on the and historical past. Golden ratio additionally appears in DA Vincis Vitruvian man and the Mona Lisa. other artists who used the Golden ratio consist of Michelangelo, Raphael, Rembrandt, Seurat, and Salvador Dali. Phi is greater than a difficult to understand time period located in mathematics and physics. It seems round us in our daily lives, even in our creative views. research have proven while taking a look at topics views random faces, the ones they believe most attractive are those with solid parallels to the Golden ratio. F aces judged because of the maximum attractive display Golden ratio proportions between the width of the face and the width of the eyes, nostril, and eyebrows. The test topics werent mathematicians and physicists educated with phi they had been just common human beings, and the Golden ratio introduced out an instinctual reaction. Fibonacci and Sequence The Fibonacci is a series of numbers is observed by using adding numbers earlier than it. beginning with zero and 1, the series is going 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,23,21,34 so forth. This sequence is called after one of the best mathematicians, Fibonacci also called Leonardo Of Pisa or Leonardo Pisano. Fibonacci turned into born round 1175 to Guglielmo Bonacci, a rich Italian service provider and, through some debts, the consul for Pisa. Guglielmo directed a trading submit in Bugia North Africa. Fibonacci as a young boy traveled with him, during this time he discovered approximately the Hindu-Arabic numeral system. Fibonacci traveled at the Mediterranean coast assembly many merchants alongside the way getting to know approximately their systems of doing mathematics. He quickly found out the benefits of the Hindu-Arabic arithmetic. afterward, in 1202 he completed writing a book called Liber Abaci which confirmed the Hindu-Arabic mathematics to the Latin-speaking countries. If you havent heard of the Fibonacci spiral Let me explain: a Fibonacci spiral is a fixed of connected quarter-circles drawn internal a group of squares with Fibonacci numbers for dimensions. The squares in shape flawlessly together due to nature of the collection, wherein the following variety is same to the sum of the 2 earlier than it. Any successive numbers have a ratio near the Golden ratio, thats kind of 1.618034. the larger the Fibonacci numbers are, the nearer it gets. The spiral ensuing are known as the Golden Ratio. The Golden Ratio represented by using the Greek letter Phi. Greek architects used the ratio for plenty well-known designs and systems inclusive of the Parthenon in Athens. Sacred Geometry in the Universe We humans beings are constantly looking at nature and its beauty, with its proportions and patterns which brings attention to our eyes. We experience this in many different structures, plants, animals, and paintings. Such as the Pyramid of Giza, The Last Supper by Da vinci, a shell

Sleep Paralysis :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Sleep Paralysis You are lying in bed taking a much-needed nap. You have had a long day and this little refresher is just what you need. You are slowly becoming awake and aware of what is going around you. You can hear someone in the kitchen cooking and through the open window by your bed you can hear the sounds of the kids of the neighborhood jumping rope and playing hand games. You can even hear Old Mrs. Jones yelling at Little Johnny for running all over her flowers. You have been sleeping for about an hour and you feel that it is about time to get up. So you open your eyes, or at least you think you do. For reason some they are not open. So you think to yourself, "That is odd, I thought I mentally told my eyes to open?" So you try again, and this time you hear your voice in your head say, "Eyes open;" but again nothing happens. Now you think maybe you are really out of it, and that you must be extremely tired and just need to rub your eyes a little to get them moving. So next you try to move your arm, only it is stuck. Then you realize that your entire body is stuck. You think that this situation has to be unreal. You are awake; you have to be. You can obviously think to yourself, and you can hear everything that is going on inside and outside, but why are you not moving? You try to open your mouth and call for help, but you cannot do that either. You are completely paralyzed! Then you start to think this that is some sort of nightmare-and it is, except it is very much real. You are experiencing sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is a condition that occurs at either the onset or upon awakening of sleep. The medical terms for the two forms of sleep paralysis are hypnogogic and hypnopompic (1). When a person falls asleep, the body secretes hormones that relax certain muscles within the body, causing it to go into paralysis. Doing this prevents the body from acting out a person's dream, which could result in an injury. Sleep paralysis generally runs within one's family or in those who suffer from narcolepsy (2), but there is currently no explanation for why some people get it while others do not.

Aristotle Essay example -- Biographies Bio Biography

Aristotle was born in 384 BCE at Stagirus, a Greek colony and seaport on the coast of Thrace. His father Nichomachus was court physician to King Amyntas of Macedonia, and from this began Aristotle's long association with the Macedonian Court, which considerably influenced his life. While he was still a boy his father died. At age 17 his guardian, Proxenus, sent him to Athens, the intellectual center of the world, to complete his education. He joined the Academy and studied under Plato, attending his lectures for a period of twenty years. In the later years of his association with Plato and the Academy he began to lecture on his own account, especially on the subject of rhetoric. At the death of Plato in 347, the pre-eminent ability of Aristotle would seem to have designated him to succeed to the leadership of the Academy. But his divergence from Plato's teaching was too great to make this possible, and Plato's nephew Speusippus was chosen instead. At the invitation of his friend Herm eas, ruler of Atarneus and Assos in Mysia, Aristotle left for his court. He stayed three year and, while there, married Pythias, the niece of the King. In later life he was married a second time to a woman named Herpyllis, who bore him a son, Nichomachus. At the end of three years Hermeas was overtaken by the Persians, and Aristotle went to Mytilene. At the invitation of Philip of Macedonia he became the tutor of his 13 year old son Alexander (later world conqueror); he did this for the next five years. Both Philip and Alexander appear to have paid Aristotle high honor, and there were stories that Aristotle was supplied by the Macedonian court, not only with funds for teaching, but also with thousands of slaves to collect specimens for his studies in n... ...sofar as they are properties of all existence. Aristotle argues that there are a handful of universal truths. Against the followers of Heraclitus and Protagoras, Aristotle defends both the laws of contradiction, and that of excluded middle. He does this by showing that their denial is suicidal. Carried out to its logical consequences, the denial of these laws would lead to the sameness of all facts and all assertions. It would also result in an indifference in conduct. As the science of being as being, the leading question of Aristotle's metaphysics is, What is meant by the real or true substance? Plato tried to solve the same question by positing a universal and invariable element of knowledge and existence -- the forms -- as the only real permanent besides the changing phenomena of the senses. Aristotle attacks Plato's theory of the forms on three different grounds.

life and career :: essays research papers

Life and Career The known facts of Chaucer's life are fragmentary and are based almost entirely on official records. He was born in London between 1340 and 1344, the son of John Chaucer, a vintner. In 1357 he was a page in the household of Prince Lionel, later duke of Clarence, whom he served for many years. In 1359–60 he was with the army of Edward III in France, where he was captured by the French but ransomed. By 1366 he had married Philippa Roet, who was probably the sister of John of Gaunt's third wife; she was a lady-in-waiting to Edward III's queen. During the years 1370 to 1378, Chaucer was frequently employed on diplomatic missions to the Continent, visiting Italy in 1372–73 and in 1378. From 1374 on he held a number of official positions, among them comptroller of customs on furs, skins, and hides for the port of London (1374–86) and clerk of the king's works (1389–91). The official date of Chaucer's death is Oct. 25, 1400. He was buried in Westminster Abbey. http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0857256.html Geoffrey Chaucer was born in London, the son of a successful wine merchant. After probably spending many of his childhood days in London's Vintry, his father did not send him to apprenticeship school, but rather to the aristocratic house of the countess of Ulster. There he trained as a page and learned the mannerisms and skills of the ruling class. He continued to be engaged in English politics, serving people such as King Edward III and the county of Kent. He was involved in many diplomatic assignments to Spain, France and Italy. Works by Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch affected much of Chaucer's writings. In addition to these famous writers, Chaucer was influenced by other French, Italian, and Latin writers as well as philosophy, comedy, religion, astrology and other sciences. Chaucer used a variety of genres, styles, tones, and subject matters in this poems and his prose. He addressed

Disadvantages of Large Population of a Country in Relation to Development Essay

â€Å"Overpopulation is a curse to the society’s overall growth. Several countries facing this problem are trying to control their population growth. India, for example, has been introducing family planning programs to curtail the growth of its population.† Population growth in a country using a capitalist economic system means more demand for products and therefore economic growth. For a country with a low population and a lot of land, it can be an advantage especially if the distribution of wealth remains close to level so everybody can prosper. That’s not a long term solution for the planet however. The disadvantage is that population growth puts tremendous pressure on economic and ecological resources. In the long term, the world will have to come to terms with the fact that we are consuming at a faster rate than nature is able to produce right now. The consequences of not making an adjustment in an orderly manner will not be a pretty sight. Some of the underdeveloped and developing countries face the problem of over population. Too many mouths to feed and fewer natural resources on hand can have a devastating effect on the economy. Countries like India and China have large population. In India, population growth has been on a higher scale than what the country’s economy can handle. The prosperity of a nation depends upon the standard of living of its people. Developed countries, such as the US with less population provide a better standard of living for their people. The Americans have good food to eat, enjoy a luxurious living as compared to the people belonging to Sou th-East Asia. What are the disadvantages of overpopulation one may ask? Depletion of Natural Resources: The effects of overpopulation are quite severe. The first of these is the depletion of resources. The Earth can only produce a limited amount of water and food, which is falling short of the current needs. Most of the environmental damage being seen in the last fifty odd years is because of the growing number of people on the planet. They are cutting down forests, hunting wildlife in a reckless manner, causing pollution and creating a host of problems. Those engaged in talking about overpopulation have noticed that acts of violence and aggression outside of  a war zone have increased tremendously while competing for resources. Degradation of Environment: With the overuse of coal, oil and natural gas, it has started producing some serious effects on our environment. Rise in the number of vehicles and industries have badly affected the quality of air. Rise in amount of CO2 emissions leads to global warming. Melting of polar ice caps, changing climate patterns, rise in sea level are few of the consequences that we might we have to face due to environment pollution. Conflicts and Wars: Overpopulation in developing countries puts a major strain on the resources it should be utilizing for development. Conflicts over water are becoming a source of tension between countries, which would result in wars. It causes more diseases to spread and makes them harder to control. Starvation is a huge issue facing the world and the mortality rate for children is being fuelled by it. Poverty is the biggest hallmark we see when talking about overpopulation. All of this will only become worse if solutions are not sought out for the factors affecting our population. We can no longer prevent it, but there are ways to control it. Rise in Unemployment: When a country becomes overpopulated, it gives rise to unemployment as there fewer jobs to support large number of people. Rise in unemployment gives rise to crime as people will steal various items to feed their family and provide them basic amenities of life. High Cost of Living: As difference between demand and supply continues to expand due to overpopulation, it raises the prices of various commodities including food, shelter and healthcare. This means that people have to pay more to survive and feed their families. Top 20 thought provoking effects of over population 1.More mouths to feed. 2.Lower standard of living. 3.Poverty. 4.Overcrowded cities. 5.Sickness and spreading of diseases. 6.Insufficient natural resources to provide adequate goods and services. 7.Inadequate facilities, such as housing, medical etc. 8.Problem of starvation and malnourished population. 9.Education facilities may not meet the requirements of the entire population. 10.Unemployment. 11.Higher crime rate due to unequal distribution of wealth and insufficient financial resources. 12.Environmental pollution. Trees are felled to make space for housing facilities. 13.Agricultural production is insufficient to meet the requirements of the entire population, which results in higher prices. 14.Money is diverted to ensure that the population is fed, rather than carrying out fundamental research. 15.Lower life expectancy. 16.People living in rural areas are not provided with employment opportunities. 17.Large number of people lives in unhygienic conditions. 18.Birth rate is high. 19.Due to lack of proper medical facilities death is also very high. People succumb to various diseases. 20.Child labor is common. To sustain themselves families force their children to work, rather than send them to school.

Ground Rules Essay

â€Å"Ground Rules are boundaries, rules and conditions within which learners can safely work and learns†. (Gravells A, 2010). This above definition explains that all learners require boundaries and rules within which to work. These must be made very clear and early on in the course; these terms could be set by organisation and/or produced by the tutor himself. In fact setting ground rules will help everyone know their limits. Learners like routine and will expect tutor to be organised and professional. â€Å"Ground rules articulate a set of expected behaviours for classroom conduct. They can be set by the instructor or created by the students themselves (some people believe that students adhere more to ground rules they have played a role in creating)†. (Carnegie Mellon, 2005). These rules must be shaped as soon as possible to help maintain order, underpin behaviour and promote respect. They should lead to a set of guidelines regarding acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and set clear boundaries within which to work. If they are not set, problems may occur which could disrupt the session and lead to misunderstandings. The instructor should explain the purpose to ensure that discussions are spirited and passionate without descending into argumentation, to ensure that everyone is heard, to ensure that participants work together toward greater understanding rather than contribute disjointed pieces. Some instructors ask students to sign a contract based on the ground rules; others simply discuss and agree to the ground rules informally. It is important for instructors to remind students of these ground rules periodically, particularly if problems occur (for example, students cutting one another off in discussion or making inappropriate personal comments). Instructors should also be sure to hold students accountable to these rules, for example, by exacting a small penalty for infractions (this can be done in a lighthearted way, perhaps by asking students who violate the rules to contribute a quid to a class party fund), by factoring conduct during discussions into a participation grade for the course, or by pulling aside and talking to students whose conduct violates the agreed-upon rules. 2. Establish Ground Rules: Classroom management and discipline can make or break a teacher. Even the most knowledgeable teachers can struggle with maintaining an effective and orderly learning environment.   Setting ground rules and consequences early, practicing procedures and enforcing rules consistently can contribute to a teacher’s educational success. Often problems arise with students because of unclear expectations about your role as a tutor and about their role as a student and a member of the class. Establishing expectations or ground-rules at the beginning of semester can help clarify these expectations and help in maintaining a good working relationship between you and the group, individual students, and among the students themselves. 2.1 Setting up the Rules: To set ground rules for student activities a behaviour code which all the class will agree with it. This helps to create feelings of trust when beginning to address the feelings the students may have when thinking and talking about the emotive problem. Getting the students to generate the ground rules themselves can also help to establish rules that will be more likely to be kept by the group, as students will feel like tutor trusted and valued their perspectives. A set of ground rules can be a helpful tool when having to deal with difficult situations at a later date. For example, if some students are dominating discussion or behaving inappropriately, being able to refer back to the ground rules that the students themselves negotiated can be quite powerful in getting back control of the class. It’s also quite useful to review the ground rules during the semester, to get feedback from students on how they think things are going, if there are any rules that aren’t working or any rules that should be added. Some possible ways to generate a set of ground rules with the learners include the following: (1) Use pyramiding to get students thinking about their expectations and what they would like as ground rules. First, ask students to think about (and write down) what kind of expectations they would like set for the group on their own, then after a couple of minutes, they turn to their partner and share their ideas, and then each pair joins with another pair and this group of 4 shares ideas and negotiates a common set of ideas. After a few minutes (say 5 – 10 minutes), ask one member of each group to report back to the whole class and you write each idea on the board. Once a set of expectations/rules has been generated, discuss the list with the class, clarifying if needed and making changes (if appropriate). (2) Start with a short list of rules and expectations that you have created, project this on an overhead projector (OHP) or write on the board, and ask the learners to form small groups (around 4 students) and discuss the list, do they agree, is anything missing, etc? Then ask each group to feed back to whole learners their comments. This then works in a similar way to the last part of pyramiding. (3) Ground rules can also be set up by having a group discussion. It is best to have the ground rules mutually agreed so that both tutor and learner has an opportunity to put their views forward and they must be doable. Once everyone’s views are considered, a set of rules that suit everyone can be designed. Learners are more likely to be committed and adherent to these rules and less likely to be broken, since they were designed by the group itself. After ground rules are agreed, they will have to be written down and distributed to every member of the classroom, and a copy will be displayed in a visible place in the classroom, all through the length of the course. Also it has to be agreed among in the learners how the tutor will react if rules are broken. Learners have to be warned, as to what actions will be taken and disciplinary procedures made aware which will be different for each institution. This will create a safe and respectful environment in which all participants will have the opportunity to benefit from the learning experience. 3. Appropriate Examples of Ground Rules: 3.1 Examples: Each and every learner is different when it comes to behaviours and respect for others. So agreements have to be made about expected behaviour in the classroom. Ground rules are mutually agreed arrangements between the tutors and the learners, which ensure that the views and needs of all learners are valued and appreciated. It helps learning, easy in the classroom. Learners need to know what the teacher expects from them and what they can expect from the teacher during the course. They need to know where the boundaries lie and what will happen if they step over the boundaries. These rules have to be established by thinking carefully, expressing clearly and enforcing consistently. Ground rules can be set either by the tutor, or by the learner or by the tutor and learners together. Here are some examples of Ground rules: * Listen actively and attentively. * Ask for clarification if you are confused. * Do not interrupt one another. * Challenge one another, but do so respectfully. * Critics ideas, not people. * Do not offer opinions without supporting evidence. * Avoid put-downs (even humorous ones). * Take responsibility for the quality of the discussion. * Build on one another’s comments; work toward shared understanding. * Always have your book/readings in front of you. * Do not monopolize discussion. * Speak from your own experience, without generalizing. * If you are offended by anything said during discussion, acknowledge it immediately. * Consider anything that is said in class strictly confidential. * Everyone will be on time. * Respect each other’s point of view. * Listen to each other, and don’t interrupt when another person is speaking. * Don’t criticise or ‘put down’ another person. * Come prepared for each class. * Turn off mobile phones. * Behave Seriously. * No Violence. * Helps other so everybody can enjoy the lesson. 4. Setting Ground Rules to promote respect for others: Well-defined rules in the classroom can prevent many behavioural difficulties. When learners are involved in the development of the rules, they are more likely to adhere to them and understand why they have been put into place. â€Å"Ground rules are boundaries, rules, and conditions within which learners can safely work and learn. If they are followed, they should promote respect for others and ensure the sessions run smoothly†. (A.Gravells, 2008) So agreements have to be made about expected behaviour in the session. Ground rules are mutually agreed arrangements between the tutors and the learners, which ensure that the views and needs of all learners are valued and appreciated. It helps learning, easy in the session. Learners need to know what the tutor expects from them and what they can expect from the tutor during the course. They need to know where the boundaries lie and what will happen if they step over the boundaries. These rules have to be established by thinking carefully, expressing clearly and enforcing consistently. Ground rules can be set either by the tutor, or by the learner or by the tutors and learners together. Ground rules can be set up by having a group discussion. It is best to have the ground rules mutually agreed so that both tutor and students have an opportunity to put their views forward and they must be doable. Once everyone’s views are considered, a set of rules that suit everyone can be designed. Learners are more likely to be committed and adherent to these rules and less likely to be broken, since they were designed by the group itself. It will instil positive discipline and maximise learning since the rules were set up with them and not enforced. As a tutor, ground rules will be to ensure that tutor will be fully prepared for the session, be punctual with start and finishing times for each session and make sure markings are completed in time. Tutor must make sure not to put down anyone, encourage the learners, assist in team work, help with course completion, be professional and honest, be non-judgemental and will have interactive teaching and no politics. Learners must have to decide on their ground rules like, respect for others, punctuality, confidentiality, honesty, equality of opportunity, learn and listen, no interruption, mobile phones off, no abusive language, self-control, no politics. After ground rules are agreed, they will have to be written down and distributed to every member of the classroom, and a copy will be displayed in a visible place in the classroom, all through the length of the course. Also it has to be agreed in the class how the tutor will react if rules are broken. Learners have to be warned, as to what actions will be taken and disciplinary procedures made aware which will be different for each institution. This will create a safe and respectful environment in which all participants will have the opportunity to benefit from the learning experience. Conclusion: This assignment focus on the ground rules between the tutor and learner. It defines some general ground rules between them, ways to establish and setting up in that way so it could promote respect for other learners. As I have already defined that Ground rules are the boundaries and conditions in which a learner can work and learn safely so these rules should be be established at the beginning of a course, and the tutor should explain the purpose they serve to ensure that discussions are spirited and passionate without descending into argumentation. It is vitally important point behind the ground rules that we could provide safe learning environment which promote respect for among the learner. At the end of this assignment, I conclude that these ground rules are the basic rules which create harmonious and safe environment during session, avoid the disaster situations and create a respective feelings for each other.