Sophie Scholl the Final Days - Night. Comparative Essay

It has become quite ordinary to not think about the past. Sure it gets taught and everyone knows it’s there but people never want to look back. Out of shame? Fear? In today’s day, we respect the past but rarely delve into it except for certain days. Elie Wiesel’s book Night is the self-account of Wiesel’s life in the Holocaust. It reflects back to the time through the eyes of a Jewish boy living in the awful conditions. It tells the story from the first few steps that Hitler takes, to when the camps was liberated. Wiesel delivered a powerful message of peace, atonement and human dignity to humanity. The Final Days is a film about resistance in Nazi Germany of one woman in particular. The movie starts off showing the main†¦show more content†¦In elie Wiesel’s Night, a story about the author and his personal connection to the holocaust, the meaning is little muddled up as it is a memoir so it does not need a very clear meaning. Throughout the whole book Elie deals with faith issues and self-problems. There is also a theme of constantly fearing death. Death is always looming over the characters as it is the Holocaust. Although the samr thing is looming throughout the Final Days, it is a lot different. The death that is shown in Night is the death of many and the life of few. In The Final Days, it is the death of few and the life of Nazi Germany. The audience knows she will die, all it takes to know that is a quick google search, but there is still always a slight glimmer of hope which Night does not have. Hope is definitely a theme in The Final Days that is not really shown in Night. One possible reason for that is that Elie gives up fairly quickly. He loses hope and therefore loses faith. In conclusion, these media pieces both show a lot of the same ideas, but they are quite different on a number of standings

Examine the ways in which Shakespeare makes dramatic use...

Examine the ways in which Shakespeare makes dramatic use of deception and trickery in The Tempest. In your answer you should also make connections to scenes 3:2 and 3:3 of Doctor Faustus. Deception is defined as the act of deceiving someone and tricky is the practice of deception. Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ uses deception in the themes of power through his magic and control, even if this involves betraying his adored daughter, Miranda. However, in comparison to Marlowe’s ‘Dr Faustus’, deception has more negative connotions which involve cruelty, particularly in 3:2, with the treatment of the Pope, whereas Shakespeare focuses more on the positive outcomes that may occur from attempting to control and trick people, with the constant†¦show more content†¦Magic gives Prospero incredible power which he uses to his advantage, even though Ariel is one of Prospero’s most trusted and loyal friends, Prospero does not fil to mention the time Sycorax deceived Ariel by locking him the tree and freeing him, therefore Ariel has been in Prospero’s debt for a long time, which is similar to Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus, in which Faustus is in the devil’s debt in return for power as he soons has to give away his soul, therefore the theme of trickery is common as Prospero blackmails Ariel into being his servant, â€Å"Imprisoned thou didst painfully remain a dozen years†. On the other hand, the Shakespearean audience may have felt like at this time, Prospero was the deceiver as he comitted treason by choosing to practice magic on purpose, therefore the audience may blame Prospero instead of Antonio. Antonio simply took advantage of the situation and took over power as Prospero was too power-conscious. Nevertheless Prospero’s purpose is to bring his dukedom back together, alongside his people and restore justice, which are incredibly dissimilar to Antionio, Trinculo’s and Stephano’s motives who are simply greedy and materialistic. Prospero plainly wants to teach Alonso and Antonio a lesson. The storm comes to a halt and nobody is hurt, they are tricked into thinking they were going to die and their clothes were fresher than before the shipwreck, â€Å"On

A perfect life Essay Example For Students

A perfect life Essay What Is A Perfect Life?In life, the reality that we face on a normal basis is depressing, disappointing and lifeless. A perfect life is a life without hate, jealousy and pride. A creation or thought of emptiness to which only myths or legends originate from. But if a dimension of omnipotent peace was resurrected this is what it would be like. Hate, a feeling of demonic control of anger. A bitter rotting corpse of emotion balled into a pale, cold, burnt of flesh smelled dough, waiting to be molded by any passing faceless victim. But in a perfect life, people wouldnt hate, only love and consider other peoples feelings before their own. Fights and riots would cease to exist. Prejudice and racism would abolish. Race, religion and nationality wouldnt be looked at or judged. Being commended not scolded for what you have done, not what you have sinned. Forgiveness dies along with confession. No hatred, nothing done wrong, so the abolishment of priest is a must. Besides the majority of our religious leaders lie, cheat, rape and molest their congregation. Jealousy is the root of hate. Jealously, a reaction to your own self-denial of knowing your wrong. Death would halt because there would be no reason to kill. Kids being murdered for hundred dollar sneakers to match their two hundred-dollar name brand created by some rapper to which they never did any honest thing in life with the exception of dealing crack to the local crack addict and an exceptional bag of crack cocaine. The accusation of teenagers in Colorado schools would stop, leaving behind reason to make fun of kids with a lower family income. The destruction of monuments that symbolize world peace would never be a thought. Third world countries wouldnt have a reason to fly aircrafts into a melting pot of culture. Pride, makes a person cold. Pride makes a man and woman divorce. Pride makes a dead-beat dad not call to check to see if youre alive. Pride makes a teacher give you a bad grade, even when it is a great paper, because she doesnt agree with the particular subject manner. Pride creates a fasod; a mask for people to hide behind their cowardly, spineless and pointless life. Pride makes you not call an ex-girlfriend, knowing you think about her everyday. If pride was gone, emptiness and loneliness would stop. You would never lie awake in a wonder less state of depression only cured by some type of pill or illegal drugs.In the end, a perfect life couldnt exist. Sin, mistakes and forgiveness makes us as people, give us identity. God couldnt live in a perfect world because religion gives us hope. In a perfect world you need not hope, dreams, nor reasons. You are what you are; A robot brainwashed by the evils and impurities to which makes you become a slave to your own self-misery.Words/ Pages : 508 / 24

The Road Not Taken Analysis Essay Example For Students

The Road Not Taken Analysis Essay EXPLANATION: The Road Not Taken Line 1 In this line Frost introduces the elements of his primary metaphor, the diverging roads. We will write a custom essay on The Road Not Taken Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Back to Poem Lines 2-3 Here the speaker expresses his regret at his human limitations, that he must make a choice. Yet, the choice is not easy, since long I stood before coming to a decision. Back to Poem Lines 4-5 He examines the path as best he can, but his vision is limited because the path bends and is covered over. These lines indicate that although the speaker would like to acquire more information, he is prevented from doing so because of the nature of his environment. Back to Poem Lines 6-8 In these lines, the speaker seems to indicate that the second path is a more attractive choice because no one has taken it lately. However, he seems to feel ambivalent, since he also describes the path as just as fair as the first rather than more fair. Back to Poem Lines 9-12 Although the poet breaks the stanza after line 10, the central idea continues into the third stanza, creating a structural link between these parts of the poem. Here, the speaker states that the paths are really about the same. Neither path has been traveled lately. Although hes searching for a clear logical reason to decide on one path over another, that reason is unavailable. Back to Poem Lines 13-15 The speaker makes his decision, trying to persuade himself that he will eventually satisfy his desire to travel both paths, but simultaneously admitting that such a hope is unrealistic. Notice the exclamation mark after line 13; such a punctuation mark conveys excitement, but that excitement is quickly undercut by his admission in the following lines. Back to Poem Lines 16-20 In this stanza, the tone clearly shifts. This is the only stanza which also begins with a new sentence, indicating a stronger break from the previous ideas. The speaker imagines himself in the future, discussing his life. What he suggests, here, though, appears to contradict what he has said earlier. At the end of the poem, in the future, he will claim that the paths were different from each other and that he courageously did not choose the conventional route. Perhaps he will actually believe this in the future; perhaps he only wishes that he could choose ;the one less traveled by.; .

How to Write a Character Analysis Easy Steps and Tips

How to Write a Character Analysis Easy Steps and Tips Below you will find a useful text with valuable tips on how to compose a cool character analysis essay. A paper like that can be divided into three sections in order not to get lost. Every part is observed in this article. Students of both high school and college might find this guide useful. There is no necessity to follow the guidelines step by step and answer all questions. At least every student has to analyze the chosen hero from these three sides. It will help with preparing a perfect character analysis. You may also use various examples available for download online. In general, the structure will remain the same as for other types of academic papers: Introduction (with thesis statement and reasons to choose this particular story) 3-5 body paragraphs Conclusion References page An A+ literary analysis essay should: Determine the type of person you introduce to the reader. One hero can belong to two or three types. There are many categories of the characters, in fact. Describe the person you’ve chosen. To do so, use various adjectives as his or her traits. Turn to the plot of the chosen story. Focus on the main conflict. What is the role of your object in this situation? How is he/she developing throughout the story? This article will help to define different types of characters as well. We’ll discuss the other steps in writing a literary analysis as well. Various Types of Characters You can prescribe your object to one of the following categories on the list: Protagonist. Such people tend to be heroes.   Despite the beliefs of many people, the main characters do not necessarily have to possess only positive traits. Moreover, sometimes they can be villains (murderers, thieves, etc.) It all depends on the author’s imagination and vision of this world. Antagonists.  The opposite of the protagonist means being against the main character. Except for the villain or several enemies, the antagonist may be portrayed by the force of nature, animal, or else. Once again, the antagonist may sometimes possess better human qualities than the protagonist. In addition, it is a more complex and interesting person for analysis, as a rule. Major.  Majors appear when several main heroes are involved. For instance, if there are three main roles like Remark usually includes. The number of majors is unlimited as there may be several stories united into one basic plot line. Minor.  These people either help the main heroes or prevent them from achieving the goal by implementing various obstacles. These objects are good for analysis as they are part of the story too. It would be less exciting without them. These elements of the story are usually static (unchanging), so they may be less interesting to be chosen for your analysis. Dynamic. Unlike the previous section, this category is made of changing characters. They are usually protagonists or antagonists especially. Stereotypical(stock). This category includes a brainy and dull nerd, a fat policeman who is eating donuts all the time, strict university professor, stupid blonde model, etc. Analysis is barely dedicated to such characters. Foils. To make it short, it’s a copycat of the main character in some ways. Round (3 dimensional). Characters with many different personalities and roles in the story. They are interesting to be included in your analysis. On the whole, you might write your personal analysis as well as add the reviews of other people (journalists, scientists, writers, reviewers, etc.) Keep in mind that you have to use at least one example when stating each idea. This example should come from the original text where your character was born. Reading free articles will help you to come up with the best analysis essay ever. Also, don’t forget to ask your teachers for extra tips. One more way to get the extra help with your course is through contacting professional writing team from the website like this one. They will prepare any literary character analysis very soon.

Get Into Engineering Schools Like MIT, Caltech, CMU, or RPI With the SAT

Get Into Engineering Schools Like MIT, Caltech, CMU, or RPI With the SAT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Engineering schools don't look for the same things on a college application that the average school does. I would know because I have an engineering background and spent substantial time studying the process of getting into Caltech and MIT, and then I did it. Here, I reveal how they're different. Strong in SAT Math You have to, have to, be strong in math to get into engineering schools. That means that on your SAT, your SAT math section matters the most by far. 800 is ideal, but try to get at least 700 to have a decent shot at admission to top engineering schools. Consider the following: Tim has an 800 in Math and a 550 in Reading. John has a 700 in Math and a 700 in Writing. At a top liberal arts college like Brown, John is the better scorer by far: he has a higher total score, and his score is more well-rounded. But at MIT, it is reversed: Tim has the better shot by far. The difference between a 700 and 800 is quite substantial in the Math section. MIT literally admits the top 0.1% or better of engineering students. Math is the fundamental building block of all engineering. A 700 only puts you in the top 8% of students not impressive at all by comparison. In summary, on the SAT I, you should be getting close to an 800 in the Math section. If you are close to an 800, and feel that you are mainly missing test strategy, then you have a great shot, and ought to prep for math so you can get closer to an 800. If you feel like you are missing fundamental math skills and are far from an 800, then you should look at different engineering schools that are closer to your score range. Show Off Even More Math To be honest, while an 800 in Math on the SAT I is great, for a school like MIT, it's not an automatic shoo-in (some things are; I'll talk about them below). That's because the SAT has a ceiling in math difficulty (usually below Calculus). Thus, if you know everything pre-Calculus by heart, you can get an 800. Students who are good at math want to show off even more skill. This is where the SAT Math IIC comes in the content is more advanced, and you want to do well here too. Finally, take AP math courses whenever possible, and the most difficult ones, to showcase your skills. Did I Mention Math? At this point you might think I'm getting ridiculous, but I'm not. The point to drive home is that they really care about math. In particular, there are a few things you can do that will almost guarantee* you admissions to places even as hallowed as MIT and Caltech: - Score well on a specific math competition. Scoring high on the AIME often guarantees admission. - Score really, really well on any science/math competition. If you're the world winner of the International Biology Olympiad, your chances oif admission are very good. The analogues of this competition in Informatics, Chemistry, Math, and Physics are all great ways to endure your admission. - Go to a prestigious science/math camp like RSI. Note carefully the names I put in above, like "AIME" and "RSI"; they are important. They are especially well-known by top colleges and you should try for those specific programs. Close relatives of the above brands are not the same. (I am not invested in any of the above competitions, for full disclosure.) What Doesn't Matter? Most other items that you associate with standard liberal arts colleges don't matter as much. Orchestra? Debate? Top writer? For engineering schools, these are like flowers outside a restaurant: nice in an ideal candidate, but not what they came for. * All these great schools have admissions rates of around 10% or less. Anything north of 50% is a guarantee in my book with respect to college admissions. As long as you aren'ta total slacker or psycho and don't drop the ball, you'll get in. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Dr. Fred Zhang About the Author Fred is co-founder of PrepScholar. He scored a perfect score on the SAT and is passionate about sharing information with aspiring students. Fred graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor's in Mathematics and a PhD in Economics. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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Double reacation essay about David Cole interviews Dr. Francizek Piper

Double reacation about David Cole interviews Dr. Francizek Piper + David Cole on the Phil Donahue Show - Essay Example Buildings in Auschwitz and in other camps which are the alleged gas chambers of the holocaust were able to hold 700 to 800 people and openings in the roof allowed chemicals to reach those within the chamber who were told they were going to be showered or treated for lice or scabies infections. The designs allowed the doors to be airtight and bricks were used to cover windows. Disinfection signs were in place in order to keep prisoners calm. Those with no ventilation system installed took much longer for ventilation, and false showers were installed to keep with the propagation that these chambers located in the crematoriums were used for bathing and disinfection (The Seven Gas Chambers at Auschwitz). One of the chambers was able to contain around 2500 people; gas was released which would take 10-15 minutes to suffocate those inside and ventilation time was allowed before the chambers were able to be reopened. Many survivors who were indeed showered in such chambers found it miraculous to know that other chambers were used to disperse gas. Some youth in these chambers survived somehow, watching those around them die of suffocation (Weber). The Donahue interview I found somewhat shocking considering the massive amount of testimony and evidence of the holocaust. The Bergen-Belsen articles written by Mark Weber seem much more likely to be true and accurately represent facts as they were known by many. David Cole has examined actual sites, conducting forensic testing’s and viewing these ‘alleged gas chamber.’ Cole states his studies are based on his own observations yet he also shows a supposed video which he suggests provides definitive evidence that indeed there were delousing and disinfestation chambers with evidence differentiating between the two. Much of the arguments presented in the Donahue show seem to belittle the horrific fact that millions of Jews died as a result of the Holocaust regardless of the final cause of

Figurative Language vs. Literal Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Figurative Language vs. Literal Language - Essay Example According to Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language, in figurative language â€Å"figures of speech such as metaphors and similes freely occur...they are regarded as embellishments that deviate from the ‘ordinary’ uses of language.† On the other hand, literal language â€Å"suggests the influence of the letter as a measure of strictness and rightness... If something is done literally, a person follows instructions ‘to the letter’, without flexibility or imagination.† (1998) It is common for people to misuse or overly use figurative words in written or spoken language. Consequently, the minds of the readers or listeners start focussing on the language, rather than what it implies. Thus, it hinders the productivity of the thought process by engaging the mind to concentrate on words, or phrases rather than their meanings in a particular context. Following is an attempt to define the meanings and functions of a few words according to Oxford Reference Online that are often used interchangeably in different contexts. 2.Idiom â€Å"A phrase or grammatical construction that cannot be translated literally into another language because it’s meaning is not equivalent to that of its component words. † A simple idiom like ‘bring home the bacon’ means to earn money or success or profit. Consider the confusion it makes in contexts like: We planned to host a sumptuous dinner on Thanksgiving. I decided to prepare a delicious sweet potato, bacon and pomegranate salad, and bacon-roasted turkey. Everyone was looking forward to Thanksgiving as the year had been really tough and both, John and I had to work really hard to bring home the bacon. ... (Vega-Moreno, 2007, p.189) 3. Amphiboly Amphiboly is a â€Å"kind of ambiguity in which the linguistic context allows an expression to be taken in more than one way. There are several types, and writers differ over which to include out of: ambiguous grouping or scope.†2 Consider this statement: I wanted to become a fashion model for eight years. This statement is ambiguous because it implies two meanings: I have wanted for the past eight years to become a fashion model; or I want to be a fashion model for only eight years. 4. Analogy Analogy is the â€Å"respect in which one thing is similar to another. Arguing by analogy is arguing that since things are alike in some ways, they will probably be alike in others.†3 In debates or arguments, analogy is used to prove that if A is equal to B, and if B is equal to C, then by analogy, A is equal to C. While such inference might be true in mathematical domains, it is likely to generalize facts and thus obstruct critical thinkin g. 5. â€Å"Flame-word† Flame words are words that convey expressions like anger, fury, hatred, insults etc. As such words carry emotional meanings; therefore they carry compound impressions. For example: May you burn a million years in hell is based upon figurative language. 6. Metaphor â€Å"The most important figure of speech, in which one subject-matter (sometimes called the tenor) is referred to by a term or sentence (the vehicle), that does not literally describe it: the ship of state, the light of faith, etc.†4 â€Å"...consider the thematic similarity among the metaphoric expressions that are used to describe a love relationship in this fictitious â€Å"break-up† speech: Dearest, we’ve come a long way since we first met, but

The Medium Is the Massage Mcluhan Essay Example for Free

The Medium Is the Massage Mcluhan Essay This change in our perceptions of reality is the metaphor. â€Å"Our metaphors create the content of our culture. † (Postman, 1986) Postman compares the prophecies of George Orwell’s 1984 with the Aldus Huxley’s Brave New World. Orwell’s warning is of an â€Å"externally imposed oppression† while Huxley’s warning is of â€Å"people who will come to love their oppression, to adore their technologies that undo their capacities to think,† amusing their selves to death (Postman, 1986). Our culture is in danger of trivialization due to the distractions, amusements and limitations of our media today. It is our esponsibility to study the effects of our technologies to prevent any detrimental unanticipated consequences they may have on our society. Samuel Morse when he invented telegraphy, predicted that it would make â€Å"one neighborhood of the whole country. † According to Postman telegraphy â€Å"destroyed the prevailing definition of information, and in doing so gave a new meaning to public discourse. † It is with telegraphy and its union with the press that the value of information changed. Information became context- ­? free and a commodity. Information was bought and sold irrespective of its use or eaning, 1 and this is how the value of news has come to rely on its novelty, interest and curiosity and not on its functionality (Postman, 1986). â€Å"Television speaks in only one persistent voice – the voice of entertainment,† (Postman, 1986). Like the primitive technology of smoke signals, television is a medium restricted by its form. A Cherokee philosopher cannot communicate his ideas with smoke signals. Likewise, television with its inherent bias cannot be used for complex discussions. â€Å"The average length of a shot on network television is only 3. 5 seconds so that the eye never rests, lways has something new to see. † (Postman, 1986) Television favors fascinating dynamic visuals over ‘boring’ complexity and coherence- ­? which do not play well on television. All content is presented as entertainment, â€Å"requiring minimal skills to comprehend it, and is largely aimed at emotional gratification. † (Postman, 1986) However, this does not mean that there is anything wrong with entertainment or that all TV programs are useless. What is wrong is to turn to television for anything serious, expecting the meaningful. It is our obligation to be aware of the metaphor. The metaphor is new culture centered on the need to be entertained and incapable of filtering information, distinguishing what is relevant, or questioning what needs to be questioned. As we are now experiencing the boom in social media with 955 million active users on Facebook in June 2012 (Wikipedia, 2012), it is apparent that we should follow the advice of McLuhan and Postman, and study the elusive effects of social media on our culture today. Facebook tends to encourage people to only show how wonderful their life is. They engage in a form of personal propaganda, indulging in narcissistic behaviors n an environment where it is the norm to do so. It is true that social media brought the world closer together but it has also distanced us. We stay in touch without actually having a conversation through broadcasts and status messages. People compete to have as many friends as possible, making relationships shallow and communications superficial. With more than half of Facebook users accessing Facebook on their mobile devices, it is also important to note the distractions and disconnect these devices cause in our relationships in the real world. â€Å"People know what they do; they frequently now why they do what they do; but what they don’t know is what what they do does† Foucault (Mahon, 1992). In a world where technology is the way of life, it is crucial for us to investigate the effects these tools have on our societies. These tools are extensions of our human experience and therefore must be examined as phenomena that shape the very form of our existence, altering our day- ­? to- ­? day lives and dynamically influencing our culture. These influences maybe indirect and subtle and it is our responsibility to be simply conscious of their effects regardless of whether they are eneficial or not. It is through this awareness that we would be able to 2 prevent the changes that we decide do not suit our visions and goals for the human race. References: †¢ McLuhan, M. (1994). Understanding media: The extensions of man. (pp. 721). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Postman, N. (1986). Amusing ourselves to death. New York, NY: Penguin Group. Mahon, M. (1992). Foucaults nietzschean genealogy: Truth, power, and the subject. (p. 130). Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Wikipedia. (2012, August 20). http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Facebook    Facebook. Retrieved from †¢ †¢ †¢ 3

The Sociology of Scientific Knowledge Essay examples -- Sociology Essay

Sociology of Scientific Knowledge is a relatively new addition to sociology, emerging only several decades ago in the late 1970’s, and focuses on the theories and methods of science. It is seen as a notable success within the fields of sociology and sociology of science. In its infancy, SSK was primarily a British academic endeavor. These days, it is studied and practiced all over the world, with heavy influences in Germany, Scandinavia, Israel, the Netherlands, France, Australia, and North America. David Hess tells us that in science, a black box is any device for which the input and output are specified but the internal mechanisms are not. â€Å"Sometimes the study of this content is described as ‘opening a black box’† (Whitley 1972). Advocates of SSK have criticized the Institutional Sociology of Science of leaving a black box of content unopened, and examining only the exogenous, institutional aspects of science and technology. Traditionally, studying the content of science from a sociological perspective had been very controversial. Hess tells us that one way to characterize this study of the content of science and technology is with constructivism. He succinctly boils down the term and designates it as any approach which attempts to trace the incidences which shape the content of science and technology. However Hess also notes that â€Å"one can analyze the social factors that influence the content of scientific knowledge or technological design and yet also conclude that the constraints of observations or efficacy (the real world) play an equal or greater shaping role in what eventually becomes the consensus.† To understand this idea further, we can look at the term â€Å"social constructivism.† In simple terms, these are studies which ... ..., symmetry and impartiality. Collins argues that by studying scientific controversies one can determine how scientific knowledge is created, disseminated, and validated. There are three main components of the EPOR: Interpretive flexibility where the results of scientific experiments can be interpreted in different ways. Closure mechanisms where debates in science are not closed strictly on the basis of evidence, as this evidence is contested, rather microsociological factors close debates. And the third component implies that microsociological factors can, in principle, be linked to macrosociological factors. Works Cited Collins, H.M. 1981 Introduction: Stages in the Empirical Programme of Relativism, Social Studies of Science pp. 3-10 Sismondo, S. 2004 An Introduction to Science and Technology Studies Hess, D. 1997 Science Studies: An Advanced Introduction The Sociology of Scientific Knowledge Essay examples -- Sociology Essay Sociology of Scientific Knowledge is a relatively new addition to sociology, emerging only several decades ago in the late 1970’s, and focuses on the theories and methods of science. It is seen as a notable success within the fields of sociology and sociology of science. In its infancy, SSK was primarily a British academic endeavor. These days, it is studied and practiced all over the world, with heavy influences in Germany, Scandinavia, Israel, the Netherlands, France, Australia, and North America. David Hess tells us that in science, a black box is any device for which the input and output are specified but the internal mechanisms are not. â€Å"Sometimes the study of this content is described as ‘opening a black box’† (Whitley 1972). Advocates of SSK have criticized the Institutional Sociology of Science of leaving a black box of content unopened, and examining only the exogenous, institutional aspects of science and technology. Traditionally, studying the content of science from a sociological perspective had been very controversial. Hess tells us that one way to characterize this study of the content of science and technology is with constructivism. He succinctly boils down the term and designates it as any approach which attempts to trace the incidences which shape the content of science and technology. However Hess also notes that â€Å"one can analyze the social factors that influence the content of scientific knowledge or technological design and yet also conclude that the constraints of observations or efficacy (the real world) play an equal or greater shaping role in what eventually becomes the consensus.† To understand this idea further, we can look at the term â€Å"social constructivism.† In simple terms, these are studies which ... ..., symmetry and impartiality. Collins argues that by studying scientific controversies one can determine how scientific knowledge is created, disseminated, and validated. There are three main components of the EPOR: Interpretive flexibility where the results of scientific experiments can be interpreted in different ways. Closure mechanisms where debates in science are not closed strictly on the basis of evidence, as this evidence is contested, rather microsociological factors close debates. And the third component implies that microsociological factors can, in principle, be linked to macrosociological factors. Works Cited Collins, H.M. 1981 Introduction: Stages in the Empirical Programme of Relativism, Social Studies of Science pp. 3-10 Sismondo, S. 2004 An Introduction to Science and Technology Studies Hess, D. 1997 Science Studies: An Advanced Introduction

Reduce Energy Demand By Utilising Passivhaus Technologies Engineering Essay

The Christophorus House is a multi-purpose office edifice with low energy emanations. Situated in Austria it was built in 2003, the chief intent of building for this edifice was to develop a undertaking that demonstrated the capablenesss of ecological H2O and energy supply systems. The edifice consists of 1,215 mA? work topographic point for 40 individuals. The staying edifice country is used for parking of the company ‘s autos and cellar. The edifice has a cellar, a land floor and two upper floors. The chief construction is wooden frame. Architectural Concepts of Building The chief aim of the design was to cut down energy demand by using passivhaus engineerings. Equally good that the design of the edifice will let for energy to be generated from renewable beginnings such as deep sonds. The edifice layout is round, divided into two chief subdivisions. The first subdivision is four narratives high with a glass dome in the Centre that is used to convey natural visible radiation into the chief atrium. The 2nd portion of the edifice is where the works and equipment is housed. The unit of ammunition form of the edifice enables for the usage of engineered lumber that is designed to forestall heat losingss. Due to the nature of the frame used the covering walls do non transport any weight. The form besides allows twenty-four hours light to be used this really advantageous because it makes it possible to hold deeper office infinites than if the edifice was a regular form. The steering rules of optimised ecological energy usage were the chief influence on architecture. The edifice burden of 4 narratives of an office edifice is carried by a wood construction. Round columns made out of miscellaneous natural rounded short pantss alternatively of expensive and energy devouring Multi-Layer wood. The weight of the floors is brought into the wooden construction without steel-connectors. Energy Conveying Systems Main engineering for heating Deep Sonds, Heat Pump Main engineering for chilling Water Carried Systems, Deep Sonds, Night Ventilation Air carried systems Hygienic Air Ventilation Energy distribution Heating And Cooling Panels, Floor Heating Heating System The interior decorators of this green edifice established that office edifices energy ingestion come from visible radiation, air conditioning and computing machine. The energy ingestion is driven by chiefly by two factors, foremost the figure of electronic devices used in offices and user comfort in the office edifice such as temperature, day-light, light and quality of air. The determination was to hold an energy supply system that used renewable energy beginnings and was cost effectual. As a consequence a monovalent system for both heat and chilling supply as show in the illustration below. The warming system is design decreased energy demand to passivhaus criterions, with the staying energy demand recovered from renewable beginnings such as deep sonds. The warming systems are supplied with H2O heated by a heat pump which uses H2O circulated through pipes in deep boreholes. To back up this system the warming that is required per hr to heat suites was reduced through the usage of high degree insularity and limited glazing countries accordingly cut downing heating ingestion to 15 kWh/mA? . In add-on to that infiltration losingss were reduced by planing for an air stringency of 0.6 ach at 50 Pa. the warming is supplied utilizing an air distribution system and ceiling panels in the office and seminar suites, was supplemented by underfloor warming in the atrium country. Ventilation and Cooling System In summer, chilling is provided by go arounding this H2O through the ceiling panels and heat money changers in the air supply system. Extra decrease in peak summer temperatures is achieved by utilizing high thermic mass in the inside of the edifice and night-time natural airing. However the chief chilling construct for this inactive office edifice is the application of deep sonds. The temperature of the H2O, which is lead to the water-circulated Earth heat money changer is evened out and is comparatively stable in comparing to the fluctuations in outside temperature. The office and seminar suites are each served by a balanced mechanical airing system ( see ) Figure 4 providing 2 800 mA?/h and 1 000 mA?/h severally. Each system is fitted with a rotary heat money changer with efficiencies of 78 % and 86 % severally. The seminar suites are equipped with CO2 detectors which allow the supply to be regulated to guarantee that concentration does non transcend 1 000 ppm. Extra chilling is provided at dark by natural stack airing through automatically controlled blowholes. In combination with the internal thermic mass, this aids in cut downing the chilling burden. This chilling construct is supported by a natural air flow through the atrium during the dark. The watercourse of air is the consequence of the difference in denseness of the warm interior air and the cold air outside every bit good as from the cross subdivision country of the recess and mercantile establishment gaps3.3 Passive chillingDeep sondesThe chief chilling construct for this inactive office edifice is the application of deep sonds. The temperature of the H2O, which is lead to the water-circulated Earth heat money changer is evened out and is comparatively stable in comparing to the fluctuations in outside temperature. Deep sonds are used both for the warming and cooling period. They serve as both heat beginning ( heating period ) and chilling beginning ( chilling period ) . The sonds are used as heat beginning for a heat pump ( 43 kilowatt and COP = 4.03 ) during the warming period. Heat is extracted from the land and a good temperature profile is thereby established for the summer chilling period. Figure 3 illustrates the summer and winter state of affairss in the land around the sonds. The energy supply during the winter is coupled with a extremely efficient air airing system with heat recovery. Figure 3: Summer, fall, winter and spring state of affairs for the deep sonds and the Earth environing it. The deep sonds are used as alleged â€Å" direct chilling † . This direct chilling is realised through panels, which are flown through with cold H2O and integrated in the edifice constituents. It is thereby possible to hold a chilling without the application of a compressor chilling machine. The chilling capacity of this constructs is about 25 W/mA? . Figure 4 shows the panels functioning as energy disposal. The same panels are besides applied for the warming system during the heating season. Figure 4: Heating and chilling panels, which are flown with cold H2O ( chilling period ) or warm H2O ( heating period ) , merchandise â€Å" RCS † .Night airingThis chilling construct is supported by a natural air flow through the atrium during the dark. The watercourse of air is the consequence of the difference in denseness of the warm inside air and the cold air outside every bit good as from the cross subdivision country of the recess and mercantile establishment gaps. Figure 5 shows the construct of this inactive chilling for the MIVA office edifice. Figure 5: The air watercourse from deep sonds into the edifice The airing of the office edifice is carried out with the agencies of two separated airing systems with heat recovery systems ( 78 % recovery rate and 2,800 mA?/h nominal air flow ) through a rotary motion heat money changer. The airing of the seminar remises have a 86 % heat recovery and a nominal air flow of 1,000 mA?/h.Storage massThe storage mass of the edifice is the bracing component of the room temperature. The higher the storage mass, the more even are the interior temperatures. The map of the storage mass is based on that the heat, which is gained during one twenty-four hours is stored and so released during the dark. This creates a balance in the room temperature between twenty-four hours and dark. If the storage mass is encircled by cold air during the dark, the chilling consequence can be realised during the undermentioned twenty-four hours. The cooling period at dark should be at least 5 hours to range adequate capacity to take the gained heat. The pre-requisite for an effectual thermic day-night balance is suited stuff with a high thermic conduction and good heat storage capacity ( concrete, heavy-duty walls etc. ) of the building parts foreseen for thermic storage. The upper 10 centimeter in the room are decisive for this consequence. 100 dozenss of storage mass was included in the MIVA edifice.3.5 Application of renewable energy beginningsThe undertaking included alternate ways for the coevals of the electricity demand of the pumps and ventilators. The photovoltaic system has a peak burden of 9.8 kilowatts ( from which 3.6 kWpeak was integrated in the facade and 6,2 kWpeak with an angle of 40A ° on the roof ) , see figure 6. Further, the edifice has a solar thermal system with a aggregator country of 5 mA? , which supply the edifice with domestic hot H2O. In add-on domestic hot H2O is served by 5 mA? solar aggregator. Photovoltaic aggregators on the facade and roof provide 9.8 kWpeak How energy is Used in the Building to ‘passivhaus ‘ criterions, with the staying energy demand covered every bit far as possible from renewable beginnings, while at the same time supplying residents with a high criterion of comfort. Heating tonss were minimized by the usage of a high degree of insularity and limited glazing country with the purpose of cut downing heating ingestion to 15 kWh/mA? . Infiltration losingss were reduced by planing for an air stringency of 0.6 ach at 50 Pa. Heating is supplied utilizing an air distribution system and ceiling panels in the office and seminar suites, supplemented by underfloor warming in the atrium country. The air supply system, incorporates heat recovery in the signifier of air to air heat money changers, with efficiencies in the scope 78 % to 86 % . The warming systems are supplied with H2O heated by a heat pump ( 43 kilowatt ; COP = 4 ) which uses H2O circulated through pipes in deep boreholes as its beginning ( see Figure 2 ) . In summer, chilling is provided by go arounding this H2O through the ceiling panels ( see Figure 3 ) and heat money changers in the air supply system. Extra decrease in peak summer temperatures is achieved by utilizing high thermic mass in the inside of the edifice and night-time natural airing. In add-on domestic hot H2O is served by 5 mA? solar aggregator. Photovoltaic aggregators on the facade and roof provide 9.8 kWpeak electricity. Due to dynamic simulation theoretical accounts the squad was successful in accomplishing parametric quantities of 15 kWh/mA?a and even below for the Heating Energy Figure and a Primary Energy Figure for chilling of 49 kWh/mA?a. ( maximal 80kWh/mA?a ) The solution for the warming was a heating pump with earth aggregators combined with a extremely efficient air supply system including heat recycling. For chilling in summer the system with earth aggregators works contrary. The power supply for the warming pump is compensated with a 80 mA? photovoltaik characteristic. Recycling of Water 1. The edifice has a H2O basin for roll uping the rain H2O. To keep the quality of the H2O a circulation pump is used to convey the H2O to a biological sand filter with workss. 2. Rainwater aggregator In instance of rainfall the flood of H2O from both edifice roofs will be guide over the sand filter to tank. If the maximal degree is reached, the H2O goes into a drainage cavity. 3. Grey Water The H2O from the kitchen and the bite saloon is collected individually and stored in a gray H2O armored combat vehicle. A timer brings this H2O to planted filter basins, and from there is tallies to the rain H2O aggregator. 4. Rain usage From the drain H2O pit a pump system brings the H2O to lavatories, helps irrigating the workss, a is excess supply if there is nor plenty gray H2O. The system for the lavatories includes a H2O ticker for exact public fees for H2O usage. The edifice with its 2000 mA? was finished in October 2003. Demand monitoring will assist to guarantee the quality and to farther exchange the cognition addition in that experiment. Deep sonds is when heat energy is harnessed from the H2O beneath the surface through usage of a geothermic heat pump and distributed to the edifice. The fluid is so re-warmed as it flows through the land. The procedure is reversed in chilling manner. This sustainable technique can be used for chilling and warming of houses, chilling of telecommunication patchboards, etc. The chief thought of deep sonds is to utilize the heat that is stored in the land and use it to allow heating/cooling systems in edifices The establishing costs for the full edifice composite were 1,205 EUR/mA? , without royalties. The running costs for the heat pump ( 7,5 kWh/mA?a ) and for the HVAC equipment operation ( 42 kWh/mA?a ) can be calculated in entire with an electricity monetary value of 0,12 a‚ ¬/kWh ( +20 % gross revenues revenue enhancement ) and a entire annual electricity ingestion of 108,742 kWh. This consequences in running electricity cost of 13,049 a‚ ¬ ( +20 % gross revenues revenue enhancement ) .6The decrease of the energy demand for warming and chilling was a demand to construct a sustainable and besides a cost efficient energy supply system. An optimization procedure was carried out by the planing machines and the first computations resulted in really hot indoor clime during the summer ( approx. 50A °C in exposed countries ) but instead low heating demand for the winter ( approx. 30 kWh/mA?a ) . With this as base were farther computations carried out for two mention old ages, one with an utmost hot summer and one with an utmost cold winter. This was optimised with the dynamically simulation plan TRNSYS. A thermic mass of 100 dozenss was integrated into the house, as consequences from the simulations, which showed a demand for extra storage mass. The optimization computations of the edifice considered betterments in the Uvalues of the glassy countries, a pplication of thermic constructing mass, decrease of glazed countries in the atrium ( up to 50 % ) , application of solar protection glass and heat protection glass, turning away of thermic Bridgess, decrease of infiltration, optimised illuming constructs, optimised shadowing constructs, high efficient heat recovery application, application of dark airing and optimization of all HVAC equipment.

Lord of the Flies: The Evil of Human Nature Essay

â€Å"However Simon thought of the beast, there rose before his inward sight the picture of a human at once heroic and sick(Golding 128). This quote from William Goldings novel, Lord of the Flies, effectively suggests that human beings are evil; which is also the main theme of the novel. In the novel, the major characters at the ending reinforce Goldings negative view of human nature. Golding provides his view of human nature very early in the novel. The island on which the boys land is described as a paradise with a variety of flora and fauna. Upon the boys landing, the tube carrying the boys causes a scar on the island. The intensity of the destruction caused by the scar is described: All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat(Golding 11). However, the destruction does not stop there. Later, the boys burn down a large part of the island as a result of their carelessness. Here, Golding shows that humans cause destruction even if they did not mean to. He is almost suggesting that causing destruction is second nature to us humans. At the end of the novel, the destruction comes full circle when Jacks tribe burns down the entire island. The presence of the boys has completely changed the island from a beautiful paradise to a charred wreckage. Goldings pessimistic view of human nature is further expanded with the issue of hunting. As the novel progresses, Jacks level of obsession with hunting continues to escalate until the very end of the novel. It is interesting to note that although the island has an abundance of fruits and the boys can easily catch fish and crabs at the beach, Jack insists on hunting to get meat. Later on, he enjoys hunting as if it were a sport:His mind was crowded with memories; memories of the knowledge that had come to them when they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life like a satisfying drink(Golding 88). Jack hunts not with the sole intention to get meat, but he particularly enjoy exercising power over living creatures while hunting. This shows how much Jack enjoys having power; the power to control other beings. Throughout the novel, Jack does everything he can to gain the respect of the boys; to gain support for power. Later when he most of the boys join his tribe, Jack takes one last step to secure his position as chief of his tribe. He goes as far as to order his tribe to hunt and kill Ralph to eliminate the last threat to his position. Here, we can see that Jack has moved from hunting pigs to hunting humans. Thus, this shows how savage and evil man can be as he hunts even his own kin. Besides, these examples also show that humans have an unquenchable thirst for power that if not controlled, will blind us and take over our soul. In the novel, Golding uses Jack and his tribe to illustrate the effects of complete freedom to man. After Jacks tribe is formed, the members are no longer referred to as boys but as savages with Jack as their Chief. This is a direct reference to the boys regression into a primitive state of being. Jacks tribe also performs several primitive practices that are usually attributed as savage. First of all, they paint their faces and bodies to conceal themselves while hunting pigs. Next, they perform brutal killing of pigs:Roger found a lodgment point and began to push till he was leaning with his whole weight. The spear moved forward inch by inch and the terrifying squealing became a high-pitched scream. Then Jack found the throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands(Golding 168,169). Last of all, they give an offering, the pigs head, to the beast hoping it would not harm them. Thus, this shows that the boys do not understand the true nature of the beast. Their situation is similar to primitive man, who gave offerings to gods and idols to protect their own well-being from natural disasters they did not understand. It is during the presentation of the offering that Jack said: Sharpen a stick at both ends (Golding 169). Obediently, Roger sharpens a stick and Jack skewers the pigs head on one end of the stick and places the other into the ground. This statement is repeated again at the end of the novel. When Ralph asks Samneric of what Jacks tribe plan to with him once he was captured one of them replied, Roger sharpened a stick at both ends(Golding234). Although Ralph would hardly understand what the phrase means, the terrible truth becomes clear to the reader. Jacks tribe plans to behead Ralph and skewer his head on a stick sharpened at both ends as another offering to the beast. It is, by far, the most brutal display of human savagery. Without the eye of watchful adults, Jack and his tribe are uncontrollable; and Jack as their leader, has absolute power. Golding has written Lord of the Flies based on his experience in war. He realizes that war is the greatest act of human evil, for it takes the lives of innocent people and causes nothing but destruction. Therefore, it is fitting for Golding to highlight the effects of war in the novel to reinforce his pessimistic view of human nature. At the end of the novel, Golding leaves the reader with an image of a war ship, which is one of the many traces of war in the novel. If the reader examines the opening of the story, there are references to a war going on in the world, such as Piggys mention of the atomic bomb: Not them. Didnt you hear what the pilot said? About the atomic bomb? Theyre all dead(Golding 20). The reader discovers that the boys are stranded on the island because of the war. Besides that, another trace of the war is the dead parachutist. The boys mistake the dead parachutist for the beast. Ironically, the dead parachutist is the beast in the sense that he is connected to the war going on in the world outside and the beast is attributed to the evil in human nature. Even the boys have their very own war on the island. Therefore, the island could represent a microcosm of the outside world. Now, we return to the image of the war ship. The arrival of the ship allows the boys to be rescued. However, the ship only serves to remind the reader that although the boys are rescued, they are taken back to a war-torn world. After experiencing one war, the boys are being taken to another. The circle of destruction continues. To sum everything up, Golding effectively uses the main characters, especially at the ending, to prove that humans are more evil than good. The last page of the novel has one last scene of Ralph which summarizes the main themes of the novel. From his experience on the island, he is no longer an innocent child as he has been exposed to the evil nature of human beings and human savagery:And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of mans heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy(Golding 248). Works citedGolding, William. Lord of the Flies. London: Faber and Faber, 1996.

Influences On A Persons Identity Essays - Identity, Gender

Influences On A Persons Identity Essays - Identity, Gender Influences on a Person's Identity What influences a person?s identity? Is it their homes, parents, religion, or maybe where they live? When do they get one? Do they get it when they understand right from wrong, or when they can read, or are they born with it? Everyone has one and nobody has the same, is there a point in everyone?s life when they get one? A person?s identity is his own, nobody put it there and nobody can take it out. Everyone in this world has a different identity because they all make their own over the course of their life. A person?s identity also causes a person to have masculine and feminine traits. There is no one thing that gives a person their identity, there are however many different factors that contribute to one?s identity. What is someone?s identity? Is it the way they look, the way they dress, or it could be many things all put together, or is it none of the above? To me someone?s identity is a part of their being. Nobody will ever hold it, touch it, or even see it, but it is there. Everybody has one, it guilds your decision making, your thoughts, ideas, and dreams. You may think something is terrible while someone else does not even care and yet another person may laugh, why? The answer is simple, everyone has his own identity and personality. Everyone feels, acts, thinks, and dreams differently. People may have some of these things in common with one another, but they will not be totally the same, it is like a fingerprint, unique. There are many origins to a person?s identity, their family, friends, home life, religion, environment and others. But how does it get there, you do not go into a store and pick on off the shelf. A person?s identity is developed over many years and put together by the person themselves. It comes from the individuals ability to think, reason and form an opinion. Nobody has the same mind, or the same or the same conscious, so how could anyone have the same identity as another. A person?s identity is developed over many years from the time they become aware of their surroundings, to the time they decide if they are going to college, and even as they grow old there identity will change with them. As people?s dreams are dreamed and goals are accomplished their identities will change with the individual. Their aspirations and values will change, causing their identities to change with it. It may be a slight alteration or a major overhaul but there identity will adjust to the person. Gender is a major cause for a person?s identity. A person might act a certain way because of the gender that is given to them. Nature and identity might make a woman act the way that she does. Men and women are different because of society has set them up with. It is observed for men to be strong and women to be weak. raised. However with all these factors related to forming an identity the most important and most influential is the person themselves. We see people every day, some whom we want to be like and some we hope we never turn out like. With all the other outside factors to guide and help or push and hamper, the individual has the last say. You are the only on who says what you want to be like over the course of your life. Nobody will ever get inside your mind and do the thinking for you. Nobody can influence you, you may feel as if you are being forced to do something but you do not have to do anything. You make the final decision. However you act, think, and speak is totally up to you. People grow up all coming from all different kinds of places, backgrounds and families. They will all have different identities. Gender affects the decisions made by people. Their identity and the ?nature? of the person makes them act the way they do. Nobody is the same and nobody will ever be. All the outside influences will have an effect on their identities but the individual

Earn an Online Certificate From an A-List School

Earn an Online Certificate From an A-List School Did you know that you could earn a certificate from Harvard, Stanford, or Cornell without leaving your house and without having to meet rigorous enrollment requirements? Several prestigious schools offer open-enrollment distance learning certificate programs targeted to working professionals that dont have time for lengthy residencies. The coursework can be challenging. However, a certificate from a prestigious school can make your resume stand out from the crowd.Consider these certificate programs:​Stanford – Stanford offers a variety professional and graduate certificate programs that may be completed through distance learning. Many of the distance learning courses must be completed by watching live video broadcasts through the internet. Some of the science and technology based professional certificates such as the Computer Security Certificate Program (off-site link) may be earned in just a few hours online. This can be a particularly quick way to get formal recognit ion for skills you already have. Harvard - Through the Harvard Extension School, students can choose from dozens of distance learning courses each semester and even earn a graduate certificate by taking a series of five courses in a particular field. Certificates in sustainability, strategic management, web technologies, and religious studies education may be earned completely online.Cornell – eCornells distance learning website offers certificates in over twenty different subjects and five fields including Leadership and Strategic Management, Financial Management, Management Skills, Human Resources, and Hospitality and Foodservice Management. Some certificates such as the Financial Management Certificate (off-site link) ask students to complete as few as four courses. Others require more.Earning a distance learning certificate can be an effective way to improve your resume and your skills. Dont forget to mention it at your next job interview.

Change management impact on organizational culture with an application Essay

Change management impact on organizational culture with an application on public water utility in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example Globalisation exerts pressure on companies and governments to adopt policies of liberalisation and privatisation, aimed at securing a more efficient use of resources and improving the quality of life (Brittan, 1986; Kay and Thompson, 1986; Micklethwait and Wooldridge, 2000; Stiglitz, 2000 and 2002). Caught amidst these changes are organisations and workers undergoing radical transformations in their cultures and work processes. Unless these changes are managed well, liberalisation and privatisation cause severe human suffering, lead to economic failure, or in its worst case, push a country to turn its back on globalisation (Machovec, 1995; Vickers, 1995; Fischer, 1999; Summers, 2000; Stiglitz, 2000). Our paper investigates the impact of change management on the restructuring and privatisation of the public water utility Ministry of Water and Electricity in Saudi Arabia, (hereafter MOWE) and its transformation into a privately-owned organisation. We examine the importance of reducing staff resistance to change and aligning their behaviours and values with the strategic requirement of the change programme. We also look at measures to elicit targeted behaviour such as making the organisation more customer-orientated. SeResearch Objectives The research study attempts to answer the following questions: How does change management affect the public organisation's culture during the transition period How does change management reduce employee resistance What are the effective tools and methods to change organisational culture What kind of leaders and leadership style are effective in leading change Does change management make any difference in cultural change What dimensions of organisational culture could be changed in the organization Importance of the Study The study will contribute to the existing body of research in two major ways: First, by focusing on an organisation in Saudi Arabia, the research will be an important addition to the body of literature on change management predominantly founded on western models. Second, documentation of change management and their effects on public sector organisational culture in an Arab country act as a useful guide to policy developers and decision makers facing similar challenges in other Arab countries. Relation to Previous Research We look at the key

Managing conflicts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing conflicts - Essay Example Conflict management is a common phenomenon in organizations (Rainey, 2009). Managing conflict aims at lessening the interdependent between the conflicting groups. It can involve physical separation of the conflicting parties. Physical separation buffers the creation of the inventory between the units of workflow making it less independent and reduces conflict. Generally, conflict is unending in any society where people live together. Introduction Many people and organization wish to compete peacefully with their market competitors, family members, and organizational departments. However, conflicts are inseparable from persons they form part of our daily living. Conflicts are the long live Methuselah and were present even in the beginning between the two brothers that is Cain and Abel. The term conflict has no definite meaning but scholars who are interested in studying it have created different accounts over the same. In an institutional setting conflict is a breakdown in the standar d mechanism of the decision making bringing difficulty in the management of the organization. Conflict is a dynamic process underlies the organizational behavior (Rainey, 2009). When people work together, there must be tension and conflict among the individuals from time to time. Conflict is the natural and the immediate outcome of disagreement and results individuals who differ in terms of thought and likes. Sources of organization conflict National organizational groups’ conflicts source from the individuals persons who from the organization (Jones, 2010). Conflicts at work place, according to the university of Colorado faculty, stems from issues from the employees and the management or among the employees. One cause of conflict in an organization is differing values among the organization’s persons. The work place consists of individuals who have different perspective towards the daily issue that emerge in the company and life generally. Some strongly believe to the m but are unwilling to comply with the standards. These beliefs are the main cause of conflicts to these institutions (McConnell and Leibler, 2011). For example some workers strongly belief in the diversity to the business, however they may not accept the different views from others or accept opposition over their belief. Another cause of conflict in an organization is the opposing interest of interest of the workers. This may come about if a worker decides to pursue his own goal without considering the goals of the business or the well being of other workers. It may result to result to strife among the workers hence a conflict. This situation occurs when some employees focus on achieving their own objectives without regarding their effect to the company’s operation. In the first instance, the victim may forget that she is a member of the institution’s team from which they are supposed to work to achieve a certain goal (Miller, 2008). The sole worker may work according to her own schedule in a manner that builds resentment to the whole organization. Personal conflict is another cause of conflict in an organization. Two or more people in an organization are prone to clash since no person is exactly like the other. One employee may possess a reversed personality while another may be an outgoing. When these two personalities clash, the immediate expectation is a conflict in the institution. Poor communication can also lead to strife among t

Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) Essay

Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) - Essay Example This is precisely the reason why we have witnessed a shift from bureaucratic approach from the beginning of 19th century, to humanistic approach. While performing literature reviews and discussion with HR/ HC executives to understand strategic human resource management, I have found that SHRM gives a quantifiable value to contributions made by HR teams and helps them develop HR architecture and workface that aliens well to organizational objectives, giving rise to a competitive advantage. Careful analysis of strategic HRM reveals that human capital management is mandatory for today’s rapidly changing environment. In my view, the pace shown by today’s organizations and enterprises demand a fast-responding HR management teams that can alter the orientation of human capital with reference to organizational goals. This analysis of today’s human resource management practices had made me develop an understanding of this basic concept of strategic HRM. Through literatur e review and practical observations, I have observed that SHRM gives a new direction to traditional administrative role of HRM. It is about alienating the role and behavior of the workforce in a manner that corresponds to organizational objectives, mission and vision (Vosburgh, 2007). This is precisely the point where the concept of HR business partnership emerges. Going through present theories and thorough discussion with some of HR acquaintances has helped me develop an understanding that HR business partnership needs capital investment which is a sole decision made by organizational leadership. Without knowing the return on investment, it is difficult for management to provide funds for future developments. Here, SHRM emerges as the crutches that today’s weak Human capital managers need. This concept helps HR managers to analyze the value that they can bring to the business like other strategic functions of the organization (Scott-Jackson, 2009). Further discussions with HR executives helped me gain more insight of SHRM theory. In my view, SHRM defines a road map for HR executives via whom they can devise tools for acquiring and retaining suitable human capital that is well-versed with organizational practices and owns suitable skills set inventory. In addition to that, it is also important to ensure that this human capital is provided with necessary extrinsic and intrinsic benefits in order to keep them motivated. Where HRM has core responsibility of above mentioned functions, SHRM moves one step forward by devising frameworks through which HR systems and practices can actually assist organizational leaders in enhancing organizational performance and development. Hence, in my view, SHRM is a tool for gaining a competitive advantage that allows organizational management to achieve its business targets in an effective manner (Becker & Huselid, 2006). This understanding of SHRM function made me perform further analysis of the techniques used or sugges ted by today’s executives for achieving the objectives of this new regime. In order to gain this understanding, I performed a thorough analysis of various organizational models and live case studies. Through this research, I came to know that the foundation of SHRM is an understanding of the organizational objectives and goals in financial terms (Becker & Huselid, 2006). Once these concrete figures are available, HR executives are required to present HRM

World War One To An Armistice In 1918 History Essay

World War One To An Armistice In 1918 History Essay The failure of the spring offensive in 1918 indicated that Germanys military defeat was imminent. The collapse of Bulgaria and the desperate situation on the Western Front, which was only made worse by the intervention of the American troops, made the Germans take further steps. The German military leaders feared an absolute collapse of the front and that the enemies could make their way farther and could thus claim and take over German territory. In August 1918 the Allies fought the Germans back from their fronts and Ludendorff, a German general, had to inform the Kaiser: We have nearly reached the limit of our powers of resistance. The war must be ended. In September 1918 the German government began negotiations on an armistice with the American President Woodrow Wilson whose 14-points they expected to bring about a peace treaty without too much loss. At the end of September 1918 Bulgaria made peace and one month later Turkey was defeated. Austria was defeated by the Italians at Vittorio Veneto and signed an armistice with the Allies. Germany was now fighting the Allies alone. They had no other choice than to sign an armistice with the Entente in Compià ©gne, France on November 11. This treaty marked the end of World War One. Exhaustion at the front But where did the exhaustion at the front and the necessity of an armistice come from? The first and major reason is that the conditions the soldiers at the fronts had to live with were disastrous. They led to exhaustion and war weariness. When the war began many young men rushed to join the armies to proudly fight for their fatherlands. The British government asked for 100,000 volunteers but after just one month they already had 750,000. However, the peoples enthusiasm did not last. Everyone had believed the war would be over by Christmas 1914; nobody had expected they would continue fighting for four more years.  War-weariness set in. People, both at the so called home front and soldiers fighting at the actual front, were tired of war and disappointed that in spite of the large loss all the armies had suffered, and the fact that not any progress had been made, there was still no end in sight. Soldiers young men of 20 years only had seen their comrades wounded and die one after the other. Either killed by the enemies bullets or bombs or slowly dying of influenza or other disease, caused by the miserable conditions in the trenches. These brave men were fighting in a futile battle, between the dead bodies of their friends, suffering from extreme temperatures and hunger. As a result of the Allied blockade beginning in 1914 German soldiers were exceedingly poorly fed. The allied navies prevented ships sailing directly to Germany providing it with anything that could be used for making war (including food) in order to starve the Germans until they give up and surrender. The Allies also had an overwhelming superiority in artillery, tanks and mechanised transport and their equipment was greatly superior. The Germans had to rely on their superior skill, but they didnt have a top-down command structure like the British or the French. It is said that the Germans were tactically unsurpassed, but operationally deficient and strategically inept. So it was not military prowess that led to the Armistice. A part of the German military leaders didnt want to admit their failure in the battlefield. They claimed that the German army had actually been undefeated and their failure was only due to unpatriotic civilians and treacherous politicians at the home front stabbing their own forces in the back. This untrue theory was called stab-in-the-back-theory (German: Dolchstoßlegende). Exhaustion at the home front But it was not that people at the home front were being unpatriotic that led to the German defeat. Of course many people had lost their belief in their fatherland, but in fact it was the same exhaustion and war weariness as in the battlefield that forced the German leaders to start negotiating about an armistice. Generally the word home front indicates the inclusion of the civil population into warfare, even if the actual front is outside of the populations lebensraum. And indeed, they were involved and suffering from the effects of the war. The biggest problem at the home front was the acute food shortage bare hunger. The civilian population of Germany was suffering. Although the German U-Boat campaign had led to food shortages in Britain the Allied naval blockade that prevented supplies from getting into German ports hit Germany harder. Even worse was that the shortage of food during the war had led to an inflation, a rise in the general level of prices of goods. So those little supplies of food that were available was often not affordable for the common family. Even fuel was short supply and limited. Furthermore the influenza epidemic of 1918 and 1919 killed between 20 and 40 million people in Europe. The so called Spanish Flu also hit German cities and claimed many lives amongst the people, who already suffered from and were weakened by the lack of food. In November 1918 the population was not willing to accept this situation anymore. Strikes and demonstrations paralysed Berlin. Workers went on strike, soldiers refused orders, and the German navy mutinied. The strike and protest spread all over the country. Within a week, there was no more German city that was not involved into the demonstrations, protests and strike developed into a revolution. On 9 November 1918 Germany was declared a democratic republic, which was followed by the formal abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II. On 11 November the Armistice of Compià ¨gne was signed by Center Party deputy Matthias Erzberger. World War I was officially over. Conclusion Exhaustion on the front and on the home front, not military prowess, brought World War I to an Armistice in 1918. The major reasons for the exhaustion were the large losses that the countries had suffered without making any progress. Bad conditions in the battlefield such as hunger and disease caused war weariness. Hunger and very bad living conditions caused exhaustion and war weariness on the home front. The German people was not willing to take this anymore and started a revolution in November. Germany became a republic and finally signed the Armistice of Compià ¨gne on November 11. The Great War was over! An essay by Katharina Voß The information was found at the following pages: http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/learning/bitesize/standard/history/1890_1920/end_of_great_war_rev1.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/german_experience_01.shtml#three http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/braveryinthefield.htm http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/home_front_1914_to_1918.htm http://de.internationalism.org/Welt150_nov1918

Conrad: Blatant Racist Or Political Satirist? Essay -- Conrad Racism E

Conrad: Blatant Racist Or Political Satirist? There have been many critics, predominantly Chinua Achebe, that have cast a cloak of racism upon the back of Joseph Conrad. Those authors base these allegations upon the novel Heart of Darkness, calling it a vile and most ungodly novel that only seeks to set the black race as a footstool of the white race. However, one must realize that there is a much deeper meaning to the novel than that of blatant racism. It is, in fact, a connection with the past that shows both the mindset, as well as the ignorance, of those who colonized Africa in the late nineteenth century. The entire novel is a boxed narrative, thus we can see into what the storyteller truly feels about his own experience rather than an third person analysis of what the protagonist does. In this case, Charlie Marlow retells his story of how he encountered a force that could only be described as â€Å"The horror, the horror.† It is, indeed, a catharsis of sorts, but not only from Marlow, but for Conrad as well. After all, Conrad did partake in such an adventure as this before he became an author, therefore the reader must comprehend that these words are not only of the protagonist, if Marlow can be truly called that, but also of Conrad. The first example of Marlow’s opinion towards colonial Africa occurs when his ship passes a French man of war. The man of war is shelling the coast because the men claim there were â€Å"enemies† in the bushes. The ideals of the Company were geared more towards the pacification of the tribes as well as good commerce with them, yet in the midst of this goodwill, a war ship has come to â€Å"pacify† the natives. Conrad indicates a type of doublespeak within the doctrine of the Company for which Marlow works. The actions of imperialism that existed in the nineteenth century are more in tune what Marlow sees, rather than the doctrine of civilizing the tribes that he has heard. In this act, Conrad does display his satirical capabilities by showing the hypocritical mindset of Europe that existed through the span of more than 400 years. Perhaps the most recognized point of imperialism in the book is when Marlow reaches the Outer Station. He is surrounded by the natives who have been enlisted as slave labor. Around him are great holes, filled with broken machinery. This appears as â€Å"some inferno† to him, yet he soon comes face to f... ...ould have secretly longed to be a part of this world, this jungle, yet the bonds of imperialism and the promise of fortune have a yoke about his neck. Conrad was a master of prose as many critics admitted, even those who proclaimed him a racist. The writing of Heart of Darkness was not only to show the potential of what man could become, but what he already was. Marlow is the everyday man, longing to become something that he cannot even fathom. Kurtz was the ideal man that Marlow, or any man for that matter, longed to become. Kurtz was tormented in his last days because he saw the evil that was in European trade and imperialism. In this, he finds a reassuring simplicity in the ways of the natives. Conrad conveys this theme to those who search for a quality that resides in all men, rather than seeking the errors of one group or person, which is what Achebe accused Conrad of doing as he portrayed the natives as â€Å"niggers† and â€Å"common savages.† The evils of society set in motion for what Conrad sought to banish from human thought. All men have the capacity to be evil or good, yet the one ideal that determines th is state of being is the realization of what good and evil truly are.

Economic Reaction Paper Essay

This article reviews the developments of consumer prices in the euro area during the 2008-09 recessions. The European economy is commonly measured by using what is called the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP). The HICP is a price stability and inflation indicator used by the European Central Bank system, assembled using methodsthat are generally accepted throughout the European Union (E.U.). The European Central Bank uses the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices to assess when changes to short term interest rates are needed to adjust inflation levels in European economies. Compared with previous recessions, overall HICP inï ¬â€šation experienced a sharp decline, but this was the result of the greater impact of commodity price developments on the food and energy components of the HICP, rather than a response to the exceptional changes in economic slack. In fact, the more domestically generated parts of inï ¬â€šation, as measured by the HICP excluding food and energy, were re latively resilient given the severity of the recession. This resilience was in line with the weakening relationship between the degree of economic slack and inï ¬â€šation that has been observed over the last twenty years. Nominal rigidities in the labor markets, especially as inï ¬â€šation approached zero, and stronger expectations of inflation may have played an important role in the negative ï ¬â€šuctuations in price and wage inï ¬â€šation over the economic cycle. In the United States, developments in inï ¬â€šation excluding food and energy were also broadly in line with those during previous recessions. However, the labor cost adjustment in the United States was quicker to reï ¬â€šect the economic conditions than in the euro area as a whole, and was the result of both lower wage growth and gains in productivity. The ï ¬ ndings on past inï ¬â€šation adjustments can help to determine the outlook for euro area inï ¬â€šation. In particular, they can help to explain why the currently available inï ¬â€šation forecasts and projections for 2012 from private and international organizations remain elevated, despite the slowdown in growth observed in 2011. To fully understand this article, one must understand that changes in commodity prices have a direct impact on the food and energy components of the HICP, as commodities are either consumed directly or constitute signiï ¬ cant input into the ï ¬ nal product, therefore drastically effect GDP and GNP. In the case of the energy component, crude oil is the basis for reï ¬ ned energy products, such as  transport fuels and heating oil. Crude oil prices also have a strong impact on gas prices and, to a lesser extent, on electricity prices. This is what is called profit push. When crude oil prices go up, generally all other prices go up due to oil’s general overhead and it’s versatile usage in the production and transportation of goods and services. The level of oil prices also has implications for the weight of energy in the HICP basket. The above-average price trend of energy products, together with rising energy consumption, has translated into a steadily growing sha re of energy in total consumption. As a result, the weight in the HICP basket in 2011 was over 10%, which is almost double what it was in the 1970s. Mechanically, this implies that any given percentage increase in energy prices will have a greater impact on overall HICP inï ¬â€šation than in previous decades. There are several reasons why weak disinï ¬â€šation pressures may arise, even in the presence of signiï ¬ cant changes in economic activity. One of the main reasons is labor market rigidity. According to this article, labor costs account for around 27% of euro area ï ¬ rms’ total production input costs. Therefore, rigidities in the adjustment of these costs can explain a substantial part of any lack of responsiveness of inï ¬â€šation. Labor costs are ultimately determined by the combination of wages and productivity. The growth rate of unit labor costs actually increased until the end of 2008, when economic activity reached its lowest point in the recession, and this, owing to a relatively smaller fall in employment, translated into productivity losses. At first glance, I was a little taken back by all the info rmation that I was reading. But after analyzing the information, I started to understand the European economy and how inflation is manipulated. After reading this article I feel like I have a better grasp on economic rigidity in Europe and how labor is one of the main reasons for this. I feel like this article is important because it shows the causal effects from crude oil prices to goods and services in the economy. I personally enjoyed reading and analyzing this article.

Fool Chapter 2

TWO NOW, GODS, STAND UP FOR BASTARDS![11] I found Drool in the laundry resolving a wank, spouting great gouts of git-seed across the laundry walls, floors, and ceiling, giggling, as young Shanker Mary wagged her tits at him over a steaming cauldron of the king's shirts. â€Å"Put those away, tart, we've a show to do.† â€Å"I was just giving ‘im a laugh.† â€Å"If you wanted to show charity you could have bonked him honest and there'd be a lot less cleaning to do.† â€Å"That'd be a sin. Besides, I'd as soon straddle a gateman's halberd as try to get a weapon that girth up me.† Drool pumped himself dry and sat down on the floor splay-legged, huffing like a great dribbling bellows. I tried to help the lout repack his tackle, but getting him into a codpiece against his firm enthusiasm was like trying to pound a bucket over a bull's head – a scenario I thought comical enough to perhaps work into the act tonight, should things get slow. â€Å"Nothing stopping you from givin' the lad a proper cleavage toss, Mary. You had 'em out and all soaped up, a couple of jumps and a tickle and he'd have carried water for you for a fortnight.† â€Å"He already does. And I don't even want that thing near me. A Natural, he is. There's devils in his jizm.† â€Å"Devils? Devils? There's no devils in there, lass. Chock full o' nitwits, to be sure, but no devils.† A Natural was either blessed or cursed, never just an accident of nature, as the name implied. Sometime during the week, Shanker Mary had gone Christian on us, despite being a most egregious slut. You never knew anymore who you were dealing with. Half the kingdom was Christian, the other half paid tribute to the old gods of Nature, who were always showing promise on the moonrise. The Christian God with his â€Å"day of rest† was strong with the peasants come Sunday, but by Thursday when there was drinking and fucking to be done, Nature had her kit off, legs aloft, and a flagon of ale in each hand, taking converts for the Druids as fast as they could come. They were a solid majority when the holiday was about, dancing, drinking, shagging the virgins, and sharing the harvest, but on the human sacrifice or burn-down-the-King's-forest days, there was none but crickets cavorting 'round the Stonehenge – the singers having forsaken Mother Earth for Father Church. â€Å"Pretty,† said Drool, trying to wrestle back control of his tool. Mary had commenced to stirring the laundry but had neglected to pull her dress up. Had the git's attention hostage, she did. â€Å"Right. She's a bloody vision of loveliness, lad, but you've buffed yourself to a gleam already and we've work to do. The castle's awash in intrigue, subterfuge, and villainy – they'll be wanting-comic relief between the flattery and the murders.† â€Å"Intrigue and villainy?† Drool displayed a gape-toothed grin. Imagine soldiers dumping hogsheads of spittle through the crenellations atop the castle wall – thus is Drool's grin, as earnest in expression as it is damp in execution – a slurry of good cheer. He loves intrigue and villainy, as they play to his most special ability. â€Å"Will there be hiding?† â€Å"There will most certainly be hiding,† said I, as I shouldered an escaped testicle into his cod. â€Å"And listening?† â€Å"Listening of cavernous proportions – we shall hang on every word as God on Pope's prayers.† â€Å"And fuckery? Will there be fuckery, Pocket?† â€Å"Heinous fuckery most foul, lad. Heinous fuckery most foul.† â€Å"Aye, that's the dog's bollocks,[12] then!† said Drool, slapping his thigh. â€Å"Did you hear, Mary? Heinous fuckery afoot. Ain't that the dog's bollocks?† â€Å"Oh yeah, the dog's bloody B. it is, love. If the saints are smilin' on us, maybe one of them nobles will hang your wee mate there like they been threatening.† â€Å"Two fools well-hung we'd have then, wouldn't we?† said I, elbowing my apprentice in the ribs. â€Å"Aye, two fools well-hung, we'd have, wouldn't we?† said Drool, in my voice, tone to note coming out his great maw as like he'd caught an echo on his tongue and coughed it right back. That's the oaf's gift – not only can he mimic perfectly, he can recall whole conversations, hours long, recite them back to you in the original speakers' voices, and not comprehend a single word. He'd first been gifted to Lear by a Spanish duke because of his torrential dribbling and the ability to break wind that could darken a room, but when I discovered the Natural's keener talent, I took him as my apprentice to teach him the manly art of mirth. Drool laughed. â€Å"Two fools well-hung – â€Å" â€Å"Stop that!† I said. â€Å"It's unsettling.† Unsettling indeed, to hear your own voice sluicing pitch-perfect out of that mountain of lout, stripped of wit and washed of irony. Two years I'd had Drool under my wing and I was still not inured to it. He meant no harm, it was simply his nature. The anchoress at the abbey had taught me of nature, making me recite Aristotle: â€Å"It is the mark of an educated man, and a tribute to his culture, that he look for precision in a thing only as its nature allows.† I would not have Drool reading Cicero or crafting clever riddles, but under my tutelage he had become more than fair at tumbling and juggling, could belch a song, and was, at court, at least as entertaining as a trained bear, with slightly less proclivity for eating the guests. With guidance, he would make a proper fool. â€Å"Pocket is sad,† said Drool. He patted my head, which was wildly irritating, not only because we were face-to-face – me standing, him sitting bum-to-floor – but because it rang the bells of my coxcomb in a most melancholy manner. â€Å"I'm not sad,† said I. â€Å"I'm angry that you've been lost all morning.† â€Å"I weren't lost. I were right here, the whole time, having three laughs with Mary.† â€Å"Three?! You're lucky you two didn't burst into flames, you from friction and her from bloody thunderbolts of Jesus.† â€Å"Maybe four,† said Drool. â€Å"You do look the lost one, Pocket,† said Mary. â€Å"Face like a mourning orphan what's been dumped in the gutter with the chamber pots.† â€Å"I'm preoccupied. The king has kept no company but Kent this last week, the castle is brimming with backstabbers, and there's a girl-ghost rhyming ominous on the battlements.† â€Å"Well, there's always a bloody ghost, ain't there?† Mary fished a shirt out of the cauldron and bobbed it across the room on her paddle like she was out for a stroll with her own sodden, steaming ghost. â€Å"You've got no cares but making everyone laugh, right?† â€Å"Aye, carefree as a breeze. Leave that water when you're done, would you, Mary? Drool needs a dunking.† â€Å"Nooooooo!† â€Å"Hush, you can't go before the court like that, you smell of shit. Did you sleep on the dung heap again last night?† â€Å"It were warm.† I clouted him a good one on the crown with Jones. â€Å"Warm's not all, lad. If you want warm you can sleep in the great hall with everyone else.† â€Å"He ain't allowed,† offered Mary. â€Å"Chamberlain[13] says his snoring frightens the dogs.† â€Å"Not allowed?† Every commoner who didn't have quarters slept on the floor in the great hall – strewn about willy-nilly on the straw and rushes – nearly dog-piled before the fireplace in winter. An enterprising fellow with night horns aloft and a predisposal to creep might find himself accidentally sharing a blanket or a tumble with a sleepy and possibly willing wench, and then be banished for a fortnight from the hall's friendly warmth (and indeed, I owe my own modest apartment above the barbican[14] to such nocturnal proclivity), but put out for snoring? Unheard of. When night's inky cape falls o'er the great hall, a gristmill it becomes, the machines of men's breath grind their dreams with a frightful roar, and even Drool's great gears fall undistinguished among the chorus. â€Å"For snoring? Not allowed in the hall? Balderdash!† â€Å"And for having a wee on the steward's wife,† Mary added. â€Å"It were dark,† explained Drool. â€Å"Aye, and even in daylight she is easily mistaken for a privy, but have I not tutored you in the control of your fluids, lad?† â€Å"Aye, and with great success,† said Shanker Mary, rolling her eyes at the spunk-frosted wall. â€Å"Ah, Mary, well said. Let's make a pact: If you do not make attempts at wit, I will refrain from becoming a soap-smelling prick-pull. What say ye?† â€Å"You said you liked the smell of soap.† â€Å"Aye, well, speaking of smell. Drool, fetch some buckets of cold water from the well. We need to cool this kettle down and get you bathed.† â€Å"Nooooooo!† â€Å"Jones will be very unhappy with you if you don't hurry,† said I, brandishing Jones in a disapproving and somewhat threatening manner. A hard master is Jones, bitter, no doubt, from being raised as a puppet on a stick. A half-hour later, a miserable Drool sat in the steaming cauldron, fully-clothed, his natural broth having turned the lye-white water to a rich, brown oaf-sauce. Shanker Mary stirred about him with her paddle, being careful not to stir him beyond suds to lust. I was quizzing my student on the coming night's entertainments. â€Å"So, because Cornwall is on the sea, we shall portray the duke how, dear Drool?† â€Å"As a sheep-shagger,† said the despondent giant. â€Å"No, lad, that's Albany. Cornwall shall be the fish-fucker.† â€Å"Aye, sorry, Pocket.† â€Å"Not a worry, not a worry. You'll still be sodden from your bath, I suspect, so we'll work that into the jest. Bit of sloshing and squishing will but add to the merriment, and if we can thus imply that Princess Regan is herself, a fishlike consort, well I can't think of anyone who won't be amused.† â€Å"‘Cepting the princess,† said Mary. â€Å"Well, yes, but she is very literal-minded and often has to be explained the thrust of the jest a time or two before lending her appreciation.† â€Å"Aye, remedial thrusting's the remedy for Regan's stubborn wit,† said the puppet Jones. â€Å"Aye, remedial thrusting's the remedy for Regan's stubborn wit,† said Drool in Jones's voice. â€Å"You're dead men,† sighed Shanker Mary. â€Å"You're a dead man, knave!† said a man's voice from behind me. And there stood Edmund, bastard son of Gloucester, blocking the only exit, sword in hand. Dressed all in black, was the bastard: a simple silver brooch secured his cape, the hilts of his sword and dagger were silver dragon heads with emerald eyes. His jet beard was trimmed to points. I do admire the bastard's sense of style – simple, elegant, and evil. He owns his darkness. I, myself, am called the Black Fool. Not because I am a Moor, although I hold no grudge toward them (Moors are said to be talented wife-stranglers) and would take no offense at the moniker were that the case, but my skin is as snowy as any sun-starved son of England. No, I am called so because of my wardrobe, an argyle of black satin and velvet diamonds – not the rainbow motley of the run-a-day fool. Lear said: â€Å"After thy black wit shall be thy dress, fool. Perhaps a new outfit will stop you tweaking Death's nose. I'm short for the grave as it is, boy, no need to anger the worms before my arrival.† When even a king fears irony's twisted blade, what fool is ever unarmed? â€Å"Draw your weapon, fool!† said Edmund. â€Å"Sadly, sir, I have none,† said I. Jones shook his head in unarmed woe. We both were lying, of course. Across the small of my back I wore three wickedly-pointed throwing daggers – fashioned for me by the armorer to be used in our entertainments – and while I had never used them as weapons, truly flung they had spitted apples off the head of Drool, nipped plums from his outstretched fingers, and yea, even speared grapes out of the air. I had little doubt that one might find its way into Edmund's eye and thus vent his bitter mind like a lanced boil. If he needed to know he would know soon enough. If not, well, why trouble him? â€Å"If not a fight, then a murder it is,† said Edmund. He lunged, his blade aimed for my heart. I sidestepped and knocked his blade away with Jones, who lost a bell from his coxcomb for his trouble. I hopped up onto the lip of the cauldron. â€Å"But, sir, why spend your wrath on a poor, helpless fool?† Edmund slashed. I leapt. He missed. I landed on the far side of the cauldron. Drool moaned. Mary hid in the corner. â€Å"You shouted bastard at me from the battlements.† â€Å"Aye, they announced you as bastard. You, sir, are a bastard. And a bastard most unjust to make me die with the foul taste of truth still on my tongue. Allow me a lie before you strike: You have such kind eyes.† â€Å"But you spoke badly of my mother as well.† He put himself between me and the door. Bloody bad planning, building a laundry with only one exit. â€Å"I may have implied that she was a poxy whore, but from what your father says, that, too, is not breaking the bonds of verity.† â€Å"What?† asked Edmund. â€Å"What?† asked Drool, a perfect parrot of Edmund. â€Å"What?† inquired Mary. â€Å"It's true, you git! Your mother was a poxy whore!† â€Å"Beggin' your pardon, sir, poxiness ain't so bad,† said Shanker Mary, shining a ray of optimism on these dark ages. â€Å"Unfairly maligned, the poxy are. Methinks a spot o' the pox implies experience. Worldliness, if you will.† â€Å"The tart makes an excellent point, Edmund. But for the slow descent into madness and death with your bits dropping off along the way, the pox is a veritable blessing,† said I, as I skipped just out of blade's reach from the bastard, who stalked me around the great cauldron. â€Å"Take Mary here. In fact, there's an idea. Take Mary. Why spend your energy after a long journey murdering a speck of a fool when you can enjoy the pleasures of a lusty wench who is not only ready, but willing, and smells pleasantly of soap?† â€Å"Aye,† said Drool, expelling froth as he spoke. â€Å"She's a bloody vision of loveliness.† Edmund let his sword point drop and looked at Drool for the first time. â€Å"Are you eating soap?† â€Å"Just a wee sliver,† bubbled Drool. â€Å"They weren't saving it.† Edmund turned back to me. â€Å"Why are you boiling this fellow?† â€Å"Couldn't be helped,† said I. (How dramatic, the bastard, the water was barely steaming. What appeared to be boiling was Drool venting vapors.) â€Å"Common fuckin' courtesy, ain't it?† said Mary. â€Å"Speak straight, both of you.† The bastard wheeled on one heel and before I knew what was happening, he had the point of his blade at Mary's throat. â€Å"I've been nine years in the Holy Land killing Saracens, killing one or two more makes no difference to me.† â€Å"Wait!† I leapt back to the lip of the cauldron, reaching to the small of my back with my free hand. â€Å"Wait. He's being punished. By the king. For attacking me.† â€Å"Punished? For attacking a fool?† â€Å"‘Boil him alive,' the king said.† I jumped down to Edmund's side of the cauldron – moved toward the doorway. I'd needed a clear line of sight, and should he move, I didn't want the blade to hit Mary. â€Å"Everyone knows how fond the king is of his dark little fool,† said Mary, nodding enthusiastically. â€Å"Bollocks!† shouted Edmund, as he pulled the sword back to slash. Mary screamed. I flipped a dagger in the air, caught it by the blade, and was readying to send it to Edmund's heart when something hit him in the back of the head with a thud and he went bum over eyebrows into the wall, his blade clanging across the floor to my feet. Drool had stood up in the cauldron and was holding Mary's laundry paddle – a bit of dark hair and bloody scalp clung to the bleached wood. â€Å"Did you see that, Pocket? Smashing fall he did.† All of it a pantomime to Drool. Edmund was not moving. As far as I could see, he was not breathing either. â€Å"God's bloody balls, Drool, you've kilt the earl's son. We'll all be hung, now.† â€Å"But he were going to hurt Mary.† Mary sat on the floor by Edmund's prostrate body and began stroking his hair on a spot where there was no blood. â€Å"I was going to shag him docile, too.† â€Å"He would have killed you without a thought.† â€Å"Ah, blokes have their tempers, don't they? Look at him, he's a fair form of a fellow, innit he? And rich, too.† She took something from his pocket. â€Å"What's this?† â€Å"Well done, lass, not so much as a comma between grief and robbery, and much the better when he's still so fresh his fleas have not sailed to livelier ports. The Church wears well on you.† â€Å"No, I'm not robbing. Look, it's a letter.† â€Å"Give it here.† â€Å"You can read?† The tart's eyes widened as if I had confessed the ability to turn lead into gold. â€Å"I was raised in a nunnery, wench. I am a walking library of learning – bound in comely leather and suitable for stroking – at your service, should you fancy a bit of culture to go with your lack of breeding, or vice versa, of course.† Then Edmund gasped and stirred. â€Å"Oh fuckstockings. The bastard's alive.†