Farewell to the Light Essay

I am Ana’s doll. Left seated on this nook set, I have been waiting for her for hours. She said she’ll be out for a while to dine with her mother and some family colleagues. I could not join them for she said she has to be a lady tonight. She laughed at her reasoning then she kissed me farewell. I watched her leave in a dress different from all her usual dining outfits. She was wearing a new pair of stockings and heeled shoes, and her hair was poised into a lady’s coiffure. She was wearing a thin make-up as mother told her to do so, and she carried a small purse for the talc she may use to rebuff her looks later. I knew she would take long but I did not expect her to be this long. My eyes are starting to become heavy. I remember four days ago, I stood inside a doll store on one of the commercial streets of Southampton. Past the glass display window, I watched as different sets of prospective customers came. Alighting from brown and black Cadillacs, they would enter our store optimistic for a good find. Most of them mothers with daughters looking like their smaller versions, dressed in flowing silk dresses paired with mob cap hats. Some of them are lucky enough to leave with a box of Stacy, Flora, or Claudia while others settle for glances and decide to check another store for comparison. Ana and her mother looked more regal than any other customers who entered the store. As they walked past me, I overheard their conversation about a trip to America with Major Archibald Butt at noon. Ana’s mother said Major Butt, whom she had met in a restaurant some two days ago, is an important man in America and he had invited the two of them in a trip aboard a newly built state of the art steam ship. An invitation from such a man cannot be refused. † I heard Ana’s mother said. Looking at Ana who stood before me, her eyes sparkled with excitement of traveling on a very-much-talked-about ship. Trying to read her thoughts I presumed she had been in many other voyages through the years. When her father died during the Spanish-American war of 1989, Ana, just a few months old and her mother, a beautiful Northerner from a well-to-do merchant family, traveled to Europe selling various merchandise to the rich families in the different parts of the continent. They never settled and both land travels and sea voyages became a normal part of their lifestyle. But the voyage Major Butt offered her mother sounded special as according to the spreading news, the ship they will be boarding is the biggest ever made and many rich European families will be there. Boarding it will also make them a part of history as they will be passengers in the ship’s maiden voyage. Ana contemplated on this as her mother grabbed my hand and went to the counter. Then there was darkness. At noon the same day, after Ana and her mother had packed everything they would need for a free trip to the Americas, they rented a black Cadillac and headed for the port. The port was thick with so many people, some just there to be part of history and others are relatives of passengers. When we alighted from the car, Ana and I looked past the thick line of people and saw the new empress of the sea, the grandiose ship far bigger than the Olympic. The SS Titanic, afloat by the docks, belittled other vessels surrounding it with its enormous proportions. There was nothing like it and people envied us for our fortune. As we boarded, Major Butt met up with us in one of the two private promenades connected to our suite. We were to have lunch along with other prominent persons like Colonel Washington Roebling, Colonel John Jacob Astor and two more ladies I could not remember. It was the best luncheon in the trip of a lifetime and everyone in the group was talking about the structure of the Titanic and how it can accommodate more than 2000 people. Two thousand people and many elites, women in layered gowns and fine jewelry; wearing elaborate feathered hats even at night. Men wore tuxedos with flaps on the stomach and carried walking sticks though they can walk straight. In their pockets are gold time pieces some bejeweled. Ana and I were prohibited on the lower decks, thus we have no inkling of the lives of people from the other class. We were the elite; the first class and the Titanic seem to have been made especially for us. Over dessert the ladies discussed the expensive chinaware, the authentic crystal glassware, the high quality fabric of the table linens, and beautiful crystal chandeliers. The men were concerned about the casino, amazed by the built-in hospital, and the lush palm garden. Ana and I sat quiet, contemplating on all of it. According to the captain, E. J Smith, who walked us to the promenade earlier, the ship is the epitome of comfort and stability in voyages, as was very obvious in the facilities. There are 20 lifeboats that can accommodate 40-60 persons for emergency, to which he emphasized to have a low probability, since the Titanic was skillfully designed to survive all known causes of ship accidents. He added that all the heavy steel plates are held together by millions of rivets and the vessel is fully equipped with water-tight steel compartments that will prevent entry of water in case of a collision. â€Å"Thus-† he concluded, â€Å"-all passengers may sleep well at night. † This is our fourth night on the ship and this is so far the most uncomfortable. I feel very cold as if the Atlantic winds are blowing inside the room and the lights all around are flickering. The usual music playing in the background is gone, replaced by weird sounds, shrilling screams, and rushing footsteps. The room sways and the crystal chandeliers above the nook set sways with it. I looked at the door of our suite and was surprised to see water seeping through the gap between the threshold and the door. I heard a blasting sound from outside. The lights went out. The room moved rapidly to one side carrying everything with it. I shut my eyes. I heard my porcelain face shatter as I was thrown off the chair and hit the wall. As the shards fall on the flooded floor, I saw my body and the beautiful red silk doll dress Ana put on me earlier floating and being carried away. Chandelier shards are everywhere. I saw the custom made ruby ring on my right ring finger shining in the dark, carried away with my body. Then I heard the sound of cracking wood and bending steels all over, and the screaming outside become louder and louder. The unsinkable Titanic is sinking. The heavy steel compartments did not work. Ana, I guess won’t be back anytime soon. I have to shut my eyes now for salt water makes it itch and it’s too cold. I envy those wavers at Southampton, for tomorrow they will still see light.

Agrippina the Younger Essay

Agrippina the Younger, the wife of Claudius and mother of Nero, was one of the most famous women in Roman history and one of the greatest influences on Nero’s reign. She was an intelligent woman that was willing to do anything to help her son, Nero, inherit the throne. However, Nero thought that she was too powerful during his reign that he was the one to plan her death in 59 CE. Agrippina was born in Ara Ubiorum, Rome on November 6, 15 CE. Her parents, Agrippina the Elder and Germanicus Julius Caesar, were both grandchildren of Augustus. Agrippina had many other siblings. When she was thirteen, the emperor Tiberius arranged her marriage to Gnaeus Germanicus Ahenobarbus, which occurred in 28. The following year, her mother and her oldest brother were arrested and exiled for plotting against Tiberius. Afterwards, both her mother and brother passed away. In 37, Agrippina gave birth to Lucius Domitius, who was also known as Nero. Then, Gaius Caligula, her brother, became the emperor. He made Agrippina along with two other sisters honorary Vestal Virgins. He raised their status by adding their names to the annual oaths of allegiance to the emperor. Caligula accused Agrippina and his other sister Livilla of having affairs with M. Aemilius Lepidus, whom he chose as his interim successor. Also, in 39, Agrippina joined a plot to assassinate Caligula. Therefore, Agrippina and Livilla were exiled to the Pontian Islands, off the coast of Southern Italy. While she was in exile, Agrippina’ husband died in 40 CE. In 41, Agrippina’s uncle, Claudius, became the emperor. Therefore, he brought her and her sister back from exile. Agrippina got married to Claudius in 49. Her goal was to make sure that Nero inherits the throne. Thus, she convinced Claudius to adopt Nero in 50 AD. Agrippina eliminated all the potential enemies that will try to prevent Nero’s ascension to the throne. During the reign of Claudius, she received the title â€Å"Augusta†, becoming the first woman to be honored while her husband is alive and the second woman to be honored during her lifetime. Also, her name was attached to a colony for discharged veterans at oppidum Ubiorum. Unfortunately, Claudius died in 54 AD, and Agrippina was accused of poisoning him in order to make Nero the emperor. Nero inherited the throne in 54 AD. Agrippina had a lot of power during the early years of Nero’s reign, and she ruled most of the empire. Nero had many conflicts with his mother during that time because she was bossy and tried to control him. She did not approve of his affair with Acte, a freedwoman. Since Nero was not obeying her, she started supporting Britannicus, his stepbrother and Claudius’s son. This led Nero to have Britannicus killed in 35. Then, Nero chose his mistress, Poppaea Sabina, over his mother. He forced Agrippina to move out of the palace in 55. Agrippina became too powerful during Nero’s reign that he constantly tried to reduce her power. Finally, Nero began to plot Agrippina’s death. He attempted to sink the ship that she was on, but Agrippina survived and swam ashore. He sent assassin to her villa, where she was stabbed to death on 59 CE. Agrippina was cremated that same night after her death. Agrippina the Younger was very important during that time. She was one of the few women who were recognized while their husband was alive. She was determined to make Nero the emperor, and therefore, she eliminated all the people that will stop him from taking the throne. Even though she was responsible for the death of many significant people, she was still a powerful woman. Reference http://roman-emperors.org/aggieii.htm

When Should I Take the SAT or ACT?

Standardized tests are an important—and stressful—part of your application, and trying to figure out when is the right time to take them may be confusing. So just when should you sit for the SAT or ACT? It is important to remember that the age-old adage â€Å"the earlier the better† doesn’t necessarily apply here. The older you are when you take the SAT or ACT, the better you are likely to perform on the test. So, you probably won’t achieve your best possible score if you take it as a freshman. However, you are technically allowed to take take the tests as early as you want. Doing so may give you a starting point to find out the areas in which you can improve. Starting early also enables you to retake the test, although given that the the SAT is administered around seven times per year and the ACT is given around six times per year, you should have ample opportunity to do so even if you take it later on, as long as you don’t wait until the last possible sitting. It is also worth keeping in mind that you generally shouldn’t take the SAT or ACT more than three times , because you are unlikely to improve your score substantially after the second time, and admissions officers tend not to like seeing students take the tests too many times. If you are applying Early Decision, plan on taking standardized tests no later than the October or November administration deadlines your senior year of high school. This year, those dates are November 5 th for the SAT (register by October 7 th ) and October 22 nd for the ACT (for which registration has closed). If you are applying Regular Decision, your deadline is likely December or January. The 2016-2017 admission cycle, those dates are January 21, 2017 for the SAT (register by December 21 st ) and December 10 th for the ACT (register by November 4 th ). NB: There are late deadlines as well, but you will have to pay a late fee if you don’t register by the initial deadlines. Be sure to check the policies regarding standardized test deadlines of the schools to which you are applying. Some colleges may prefer that you complete all testing prior to submitting your application. There are many disadvantages to waiting until the the last possible minute to take the SAT or ACT. First, you may have to pay additional fees to rush your scores to the colleges on your list if you wait too late. As mentioned above, there are fees associated with waiting too late to register as well. Additionally, if you take the test during the final possible administration for your purposes, you won’t be able to retake it. That means you are stuck with whatever score you receive, when you could have potentially performed better if you took the test a second time—in fact, many students (though not all) do receive higher scores in their second go-around , due to a decrease in stress, better preparation, or more familiarity with the test. Our students see an average increase of 250 points on their SAT scores. Another important decision to make is when you should take the Preliminary SAT (PSAT). You are not required to take the PSAT as part of your college admissions process, but many students choose to do so any way, since it offers you a good way to practice for the SAT and discover where you should focus your improvement efforts. Additionally, the PSAT also functions as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) , meaning your scores will be used to determine if you are a National Merit finalist. You may take the PSAT earlier, but only the scores you receive on the PSAT you take your junior year may qualify you for a National Merit award. Some students choose to take the test in their sophomore year for additional practice as well as their junior year. Another advantage to taking the PSAT is that when you take it, as well as the SAT or any AP test, you have the option of opting into College Board’s Student Search Service , which shares your contact information with schools at which your academic profile is similar to that of their typical applicants. If you participate, colleges will contact you with important information, which can help with your college search and honing your final list. The PSAT is administered by your high school once a year. This year, your high school may choose among the following dates: College Board’s recommendation is the primary date. If you want to take the PSAT, you must do it on the date your high school designates. While you can usually take standardized tests as early as you would like, we at recommend that you take the PSAT in the fall of your junior year and the SAT or ACT at its first administration in the spring of your junior year. Doing so allows enough time to retake the test as many times as you need or want to, and ensures that you have reached your maximum (or near-maximum) potential score because you are older and have been in school longer than you were as a freshman or sophomore. Taking the test too early is not necessary and can cause unnecessary stress.

Music Internet Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Music Internet Assignment - Research Paper Example However, both Spotify and Pandora are yet to substantiate a business model that supports offering free music to a large portion of its users (Hull et al 22). Although they both have a small percentage of subscribers paying for its services, they are still reliant on ads to cover most of their costs. This is because they have already made the best music catalogues free for their users, which only makes it harder to convert them to a model where they pay for music (Gordon 34). In addition, most music listeners stream music because it is cheaper to listen to an entire catalogue of music compared to having to search for single physical copies. Personally, I use Spotify for my streaming services because it offers more functionality than Pandora with its messaging, library function, artist radio, and its apps. It enables the user to create playlists of what the music they wish to listen to, while also making recommendations (Sanchez 41). In addition, it is possible to use the service for l onger without paying by registering for free trials using different email addresses after expiry of the 30-day limit. My demographic would; however, pay for a streaming service that allows interaction with artists, such as iTunes did with the Beyoncà © album by offering value and a surprise element for fans. I personally would not pay for music since I attend concerts

MDCM part B Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MDCM part B - Case Study Example aper will discuss the recommended IT projects and compare the most suitable projects through using Portfolio Application Model Matrix which will be beneficial for MDCM. MDCM had confronted with several problems regarding IT and thus the company had prepared a list of IT projects which will be appropriate for improving the business performance. The objective of those IT projects is to increase value of the business and develop smooth information flow throughout the organization and lack of information was one of the major problems of MDCM. The following projects will be appropriate for MDCM in order to improve the profitability of business: It has been observed that different standards in information systems have resulted in increased contradiction and at times the projects intersect with each other. The lack of synchronization among different standards cause imperfect outcomes which in turn lead to inappropriate forecasts, scheduling problems and overfilled inventories among others. Thus, there was need to reduce the numerous different standards throughout the company. The Unify Methodology and Technical Standards aim for minimizing the projects cycles and inspire knowledge distribution within IT development groups. This initiative is vital for developing the ability of information technology systems in MDCM (Jeffery, M. & Norton, J. H., â€Å"Strategic IT Portfolio Management). Consolidation of data center and networks is made in order to reduce the expenses. In today’s business environment, meeting up to the competition and complying with the regulatory measures are the driving forces for organizations such as MDCM to shift company’s network to virtual private network (VPN). MDCM along with the subsidiary companies had almost 37 data centers and 19 distracted networks globally. Data consolidation will help MDCM to expand the business swiftness and also would align strategic IT structure with business requirements. It will be more reliable for MDCM to develop

Leadership chapter's summery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Leadership chapter's summery - Essay Example This tool is used by leader as they know convincing and giving promises is an easy way to get hold of the follower’s attention. Some leaders also use metaphors when they find themselves in situation where they may have been forced to over react. Fairhurst gave vocabularies being used as successful in language and is quoted on page 45 line 5 listing vocabularies as â€Å"facilitation, Care and understanding†. Chapter 5 in this books talks mainly about the tools which can be used in skills of framing leadership. These are tools which are intended to assist the leaders in their framework section of leadership (Sar & Fairhurst, 1996). One most important tool mentioned here is emotion. The authors state that emotion can be handled or passed through in a much descent and intelligent manner, but not making it so obvious. The way this has been brought out in the book is meant to give the understanding that even leaders are human but will not be proper for them to expose their negative reactions yet they expect the people depending on their leadership to trust them. In conclusion, Leaders are gifted with some kind of power and must have willingness to give and not to gain (Sar & Fairhurst, 1996). Their gaining may come along not because they worked with the aim of achieving it but what they may gladly want to see a successful and fruitful

Future of Employee Training and Development -3 Research Paper

Future of Employee Training and Development -3 - Research Paper Example Several organizations, therefore, use a large percentage of their resources for permanent and continuous employee training and advancement. Organizations that are constantly developing knowledge, extending it to the entire organization, and implementing it inside the new technology develop high quality products and excellent services. These activities portray the company as a learning institution with constant innovation in its business activities. These are organizations that have realized that learning and employee development is a key determinant for their business. The increasing complexity and uncertainty of the business environment requires different and advanced knowledge. Modern business activities require improved skills and knowledge that are still inadequately present in the formal school education. The gap between business requirements and training acquired at school is increasing. Current customers are highly selective, and organizations cannot continue with mass product ion. Increased and sophisticated customer demands require new solutions and knowledge. Organizations have to constantly revise their products and service mix due to increasing competition. Dynamic competition, sophisticated technology, knowledge economy, and globalization have changed the importance of employee training in organizations (Gitman and McDaniel, 2009). Differences between organizations are caused by differences in human capital. This has transformed employee knowledge and development to become the most reliable source of competitive advantage. Other factors of production are still valid, but employee skills are more relevant in the current environment. Employee training and development has become an important aspect for future organizational development. Learning and developmen

Case Study Verizon and Disney Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Verizon and Disney - Case Study Example The customers are also complaining of the high ticket prices. The customers have been experiencing these issues and because of this, they are not likely to visit the park again. The internal management itself are experiencing major issues. These issues are affected and caused by the increasing external problems. First, the Walt Disney Company is experiencing a sliding attendance figures. Their revenues are decreasing. The lower hotel occupancy rates and decline in attendance add up to their problems. And lastly, Walt Disney’s capital expenditure is down. Solutions: The goal of the company is to more with less. Walt Disney Co. CIO Roger Berry, has been helping to create a cutting-edge technology strategy. This is to restore luster of aging brand and increase efficiencies and boost attendance. The company is going to introduce IT Convergence such as use of global satellites, smart sensors, wireless technology and mobile devices. Walt Disney wanted to promote a more personalized environment with IT at the core. The most visible manifestation of the strategy implemented is the 10 ? inch tall stuffed doll, the Pal Mickey. He is the virtual tour guide powered by sensors. The idea of this is to give the park goers up to the minute information to preset preferences. The company also wants to make data accessible across all lines of business. Another initiative of Walt Disney is the destination web site called the Magical Gathering. The intention is to boost new revenues and group business bookings. The company also is looking to expand digital imaging and let the visitors staying at a Disney hotel use their room television sets to review and buy photographs taken of them on rides during the day. Berry also says the resort is looking to improve Fastpass. The company wants to have a service that allows visitors to schedule ride times to avoid long lines. RESULT: The introduction of the initiatives is getting positive feedbacks from the business analysts. By introd ucing these strategies, Walt Disney is being able to cut their expenses. They are promoting more services for no increase in expenses. By having more digitalized and personalized environment, they will surely attract more visitors. If the line issues, crowd, and ticket prices are resolved, surely the customers will be more than happy to visit the place again. Reference: D’Agostino, Debra. Case Study: Walt Disney World Resorts and CRM Strategy, (2004). Web. 23 April 2011 CASE STUDY: VERIZON Problems: Two of the Fortune Companies are going to merge. However, they are having issues enhancing an ambitious enterprise CRM program. They are preparing for the enhancement of company’s customer focus and their new brand. Both GTE and Bell Atlantic had decent CRM visions. But GTE obliged to an outdated technology platform. Bell Atlantic has a different set of issues. Bell Atlantic has a surfeit of single purpose, application centric systems. The company executives themselves are hesitant of the new CRM initiatives because they think it would be too costly and not sustainable. The Vice President for the Database Marketing for Verizon, Leonard, is having a hard time introducing this new initiative because it would mean beginning from the start or ground zero. There will be a shift from a product focus to customer focus program. This means instilling a new sense of cultural urgency. Thus, he is stuck to a great dilemma: whether to go for a broke or launch a bona fide business driven CRM. And this would

Engaging Others Unlike Me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Engaging Others Unlike Me - Essay Example In relation to this, it is apparent that I have never intentionally avoided helping any person because he or she does not belong to my in-group. I do believe that people are not the same in terms of character and ability. As a result of this, I regard every person to be good in some specific areas that I may be poor. It is because of this assumption that I find it very easy to associate with people who are unlike me. In other words, I easily socialize with people who are unlike me believing that I will learn something new in the course of socializing. In connection to what takes on the ground, I can claim that my social network is very diverse; it has insignificant boundaries. As a leader, it is very crucial to embrace diversity in a group (Bowser, 2011). Some of the things that will enhance the inclusion diverse members in a group are by empowering people. It is through the empowerment that different people develop the urge of being members of a specific group. In-groups include members in an organization with common interest or goal (Hancock & Szalma, 2008). In connection with this definition, in-groups in my working organization include members of an employees’ club, members in a specific corporation, members of the sale and marketing field, customer care providers in an organization, and peer groups within the organization. Out- groups on the other hand constitute of members with different interests and goals. Out- groups often constitute of person who is in conflict or disagreement with the in-groups (Latham, 2007). Examples of out-groups in my working organization include different peer groups within the company, different sales and marketing groups within the same company, workers who are not members of any group within the company are regarded as out-group, workers involved in selling the company’s goods and

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway Essay Example for Free

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway Essay At some point as children, we always wish we were big. It seems customary for children to want to hang out with the big kids, most likely because they are smarter or more experienced. Its said that with age comes wisdom, and thats probably why kids often look to their parents, teachers, or older siblings for advice, rather than their peers. Although children are always looking to their elders, at the same time, adults often look to children to regain their youth. For some reason, adults fear getting old, so they find spending time with younger people makes the feel young and lively again. In Ernest Hemingways novel The Old Man and the Sea, the author uses the elderly man, Santiago, to represent old age, and he uses the boy, Manolin, to represent the aspect of youth in the story. The contrast between these two characters illustrates this idea of wisdom coming with age and elderly yearning for youth. Old age is represented in this story by Santiago. He is a very old man who has been fishing for most of his life. He has been fishing for so long that he knows many of the ways and techniques to being a good fisherman. He is a very skilled fisherman, and he has a philosophy about how one fishes is how they live. He being old lives a very simple life and also fishes in a very simple way. He can survive on so little and he doesnt eat much, but he is still satisfied. He is the experienced, wise one in the relationship of him and Manolin, so he is helping the boy learn to fish, which allows Manolin to look up to him. The old man had taught the boy to fish, and the boy loved him. (p.10) Although he is so talented and knowledgeable when it comes to fishing though, his old age has weakened him physically. This prevents him from being the great fisherman that he probably was in the past. He struggles a lot throughout the book with his lack of physical strength, and in the scene where he firs t catches the fish and he is trying to hold the line, the narrator says, This will kill him, the old man thought. He cant do this forever. (p.45) This is a good example of how, despite the old mans mental strength, optimism, and wisdom, he still will feel like a failure because of his deteriorating body. One way the old man recaptures his no longer existent youth is through the dreams he has of lions laying on the beaches. This reminds him of the days when he was in Africa, the days when he was young and in good physical shape. Also, often through the book,  the old man is yearning for the boys assistance. The boy helps him feel strong as he probably was when he was young. He says, I wish I had the boy. (p.45) But Santiago stays persistent and patient, although he has not successfully caught a fish for 85 days. This shows a lot of the elderly mans intensity, and his qualities that make him a wise teacher for the young boy Manolin. This is why Santiago portrays the Christ figure in this story. As opposed to Santiago, Manolin is the young boy in the story who symbolizes youth. Unlike the old man, he is a little boy who is physically strong, as are many young boys, and he is also inexperienced in many aspects of his life. He loves and looks up to the old man, particularly because he taught the boy to fish. He hasnt fished much in his life yet because he is so young, so he really respects the old mans talent. He seems to look up to Santiago as if he was his father or his mentor. As a lot of the other men in the town made fun of the old man for not catching a fish, the boy did not. He cares too much for him. It made the boy sad to see the man come in each day with his skiff empty. (p.9) Because so often the man wishes he had Manolin with him to help, this shows how Manolin must be in good health and physical strength. As Santiago would be serving as the Christ figure in this novel, Manolin would represent one of his disciples. With age does come wisdom, as Hemingway shows in this novel? Santiago symbolizes old age and wisdom with his great fishing experience and also represents a God figure, while Manolin represents youth and looks up to the old man for wisdom. The boy makes Santiago feel strong and youthful as he once was when he was young. Many old people look to younger people because they yearn for the strength they once had, while children always yearn for the experience that older people have. This just goes to show you always want what you dont have.

Italian Neorealism In Bicycle Thieves

Italian Neorealism In Bicycle Thieves It is evident that Italian Neorealism and the life of post-war shaped DeSisas film Bicycle Thieves (1948). However, with much debate, one can argue that the sentimental nature of the film overwhelms the films potential to make a powerful political statement. With reference to important scenes from the film, Italian neorealist principles focused on; location, lighting, typage, dà ©cor, loose camera shots, eye-level angles, invincible editing and reportage, as well as and the usage of sentiment One can justifiably claim that the powerful political statement is not overwhelmed by sentiment, and in fact enhances the message the film aims to give off. The uniqueness of the Italian works, vise-a-visa other relevant cineamas, lies in their stylistic organization of elements of apparent rawness, their emotional intensity, and their focus on current political and social problems. (P. Adams Sitney, 1995) Thus, one is able to identify Italian Neorealism as the harmonizing of sentiment (emotional intensity) and awareness of political and social problems through Neorealist principles, which inevitably feeds off from an happening that affected the world, and specifically as we see in the history influence in this film; Italy. This change in society brought about characteristics and principles which became noticeable in cinema during this time period. These principles not only molded the film Bicycle Thieves, but were used to bring about a message to the audience. A message which was not overwhelmed by emotional rawness but a message of a social movement awareness reflected through cinema. Neorealism was not only what I came to see as a propaganda device, but an influential and significant movement in film history, which occurred in Italy at the ending of World War II. (John Stubbs, 2010: pg 1) Italy moved from fascism and dictatorship, whereby much was revolved around a single-party position as one can clearly see in the Holocaust, to an equal and democratic society. Here we see this so effectively reflected through Bicycle Thieves when converging neorealist principles, the idea of sentiment to enhance the political statement and the apparent rawness which adds power to the social conditions through the overall statement to justifiably prove that sentiment was not a downfall to DeSicas focus. The filmmakers and directors clearly believed they had an ethical task to use cinema and film as a means to promote the social amendment that had just occurred post the war. Ideally, it wasnt so much about the storyline of the film and its characters, but more about making the public aware of the difficulties that working people had to face. Here we see a Marxist approach on the rebuilding of Italy whereby unlike the mythology of Classic Hollywood, no single person can change the world and the ultimate society would inevitably be a classless society, as Leo Tolstroy (1882) successfully explains; Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself, for when everyone changes themselves, the world will change.   Neorealisms origin of strength lies in the documentary excellence which is used to portray the realism of the story as realism can only occupy in art a dialectal position. (Andrà © Bazin, 1971) One might speculate what Bicycle Thieves would be like in colour, however the black and white aspect highlights the tone of the film being a bleak, depressing emotion contrary to the usage of colour which would highlight liveliness and energy and go against the tone of the film. Black and white not only attaches a emotion, but Thus, clearly showing that the sentiment brings about the tone of the film which enhances the message of presenting the gloomy conditions of poverty in post-war Italy. Andre Bazin (1971: 20) describes this through referring to the term reconstituted reportage. Reconstituted reportage is seen through how the every day events are shown, and the daily happenings which would have and did happen in Italy at that period of time. This adds, as discussed above, far more truth to the film and is not the making of a documentary but rather shown and seen in a documentary-type way through what Bazin (1971) refers to as a journalistic style. Bicycle Thieves has gives off a documentary experience to the audience which could not be removed from the script without thereby eliminating the whole social setting into which its roots are so deeply sunk (Bazin, 1971: 20). Bazin (1971) points out that realism and truth in film is a product of artifice. Truth is an important principle of neorealism, as truth brings realism; the more believable the film is to the audience, the more truthful it is thus, it is seen as realistic. We see this through DeSicas film techniques extensively set out to enhance the opportunity for the audience to live in the story. The real location shooting aids far more freedom and looseness for mise-en-scene, to such an extend that the camera-man is unsure what to look for. An example from the film can be seen when Antonio and Bruno walk away from a car in the street, meander in the streets for a bit heading in the same direction and then suddenly they both go the opposite way. As a viewer, the focus of the camera comes across somewhat as uncertain as the viewer experiences when watching a film for the first time. Here we see how such a camera technique can enhance realism and the opportunity for the audience to experience it. Another technique which is so different to Eisensteins Battleships Potempkin (1925) is that montage is avoided due to jump cutting, removing a sense of truth and realism, with noting that montage is, if anything, modifies realism. This can be seen through the truth of the characters the aesthetics of realism; lighting, location, dà ©cor, camera shots, camera angles and editing. This not only brings about authenticity but also creates a much stronger message for the audience. In Bicycle Thieves, there is a correlation between truth and sentiment, and truth and the political statement Which are justifiably both used in this film without over powering one another (balance) in order to positively enhance the films message. Inevitably, in order for a director to get an actual event (post-war) understood by his audience truth and realism is the most effective approach. Neorealism focuses on the characters and themes without much focus on the plot itself as the plot is seen to warp the truth about people if focus is too much on the execution statement and not the input which is the reasoning for the statement and the very focal point the viewers need exposure to (John Stubbs, 2010: pg 4) Thus, the film wouldve not only been monotonous if there was no sentiment (due to there not being enough material if there was no storyline about characters and a central theme), but to know and understand a situation, one must be put in a stance where one has the opportunity of learning a huge amount about the faith and frustrations of a human being. Equally, a monotonous film due to no sentiment from characters and a central theme, is inevitably a failed film. Through this, neorealists are able to portray truth to a greater extend through bringing about simplicity yet a means of understanding the real life through everyday characters and a central theme (getting t he bicycle back); a main appeal in films even today. Likewise, without sentiment, we wouldnt be exposed to a equilibrium between objective shots of each of the characters and subjective shots showing the audience the characters point-of-view in the social and political conditions they are experiencing. One can also agree that the sentiment aids the whole use of Neorealism principles. Without characters, loose shots wouldnt be blatant to the audience (also in comparison to the few novelty used close-up shots) as loose shots show freedom, which thus emphasizes truth and realism. The storyline being as simple as the search for a bicycle, doesnt take the political statement too far away from the message. Likewise, the actual characters in the film are everyday normal people. We can see this through the workman being found in the factory, the child being found wondering around the streets and the wife being found through her writing. (Andre Bazin, 1971) This is known as Typage whereby there is no star system which immediately creates a far more realistic/truth approach and feel. Similarly, the locations and dà ©cor are real and not built-up or made-up, the lighting is natural which attempts to present reality as it is, the editing is invincible which enhances truth and the camera is free which is unrestricted and brings about a far more convincing viewing. Neorealists not only conformed to such techniques for that these techniques best suited execution of maximum realism in cinema, but is a cinema movement which brought about much rebellion too. Italian Neorealism had already provided a cinematic model for rebellion, both against the conventions imposed by the political and social states ideology (Mark Mesaros, 2010) and past cinema movements such as the success seen in montage in German Expressionism. With the storyline of the characters and the truth which is by principle brought about, I fully agree that it brings sentiment to the screens. However, it puts you (the audience) in a far more heart-felt and understanding position which I believe brings about the political statement in a far more expressive way, rather than a theoretical and cold approach. And as some agree, its not even sentimental its just painful. (The Internet Movie Database, 2010: retrieved 28 April) Instead of a cold theoretical approach which would entail no sentiment, we are introduced to a family who are ordinary and by no means are glamorous heros which is commonly seen in Classical Hollywood. Quite frankly, if we werent introduced to characters and the sentiment they bring, which play a role in this film, I personally dont think much of a political statement would be made as one needs interest to grasp a statement. As we see in Classic Hollywood, the emotional character identification influences the message of the film and is a central characteristic, contrary to Italian Neorealism where characters are everyday individuals who are put in a equal light which intention, also enhances the message this movement wishes to portray. The character of Ricci is the focus of the film, however we are not interested in him but rather what will happen next in the films sequence of events. And even though characters bring about sentiment and the viewer starts becoming attached to the ro le the characters plays, in Bicycle Thieves, Bruno the son unsentimentally still criticizes and looks down on his father. Noticeably very different to what we see in Classic Hollywood. In response to the representation of the political statement made in this film, we are clearly able to see this in noticeable scenes in the film. In the first scene, the camera follows Ricci from the unemployment gathering to his wife where the housing project is in the background, which is fully exhibited to the viewer showing the bleak conditions. We see the men and woman arguing about employment and shortage of water. This emphasis on long and medium shots which appeals to the truth in the film enhances the political message due to the events getting exhibited on a whole Whereas close up would bring more sentiment. Long and medium shots show the actor loosely framed in his environment and allow the viewer opportunity to look around in that environment with the added enhancement of the shots taken at eye level. As well as minimized jumps and shifts through editing to bring more real life to the cinema audience. Thus we see here that sentiment is not overwhelming the political statement, but rather the political statement is actually taking dominance in the shots. Of course DeSica did move in for close-up shots every now and then which becomes a novelty and is in effect very strong and holds the base to string along the story of the characters and the central object, which is needed to (as mentioned earlier) keep the audience interested and not bored. The central object being the bicycle. They are everywhere and yet treasured, and the shortcoming of the Ricci familys position is enforced when Antonios bicycle is stolen. Here, the object brings sentiment to enforce the political statement, and what I find even more interesting is how the title changed from Bicycle Thief to Bicycle Thieves as ultimately it becomes a vicious cycle of survival as one has to steal their own bicycle back from the thief, therefore becoming a thief resulting in thieves. This therefore constitutes to the message of the film, for the continuous battle of the haves and have-nots. Through the character of Antonio, it is the faith that drives him and allows him follow within his quest to find his stolen bicycle. Although DeSicas bleak realism of the post-war gives purpose to the central theme of the film, it is ultimately the conflict of human-optimism which gives the film and its political statement its power and without human sentiment, one can argue that the film would not produce affective power. If we look at three scenes, we are able to see how sentiment brings power to the political statement. In one scene we see Antonio and Maria trade in their bed linen. The camera moves away from them (long shot) and we see the heaps of bed-linen behind the counter-table, a tacit bleak reminder of the extensive nature of unemployment while recognizing its effect on the heart of families household lives. Again we see how realistic the lighting is and how the framing is loose to incorporate the environmental conditions to promote the political message. In another scene we see Ricci reporting his bicycle stolen and is directed by the policeman to the piles of alike reported cases. His account and circumstances are not singular, and we see here how it is not only this family that is going through this but also a lot of people. (Note the title: Thieves and not Thief) Thus portraying the political message that goes beyond this familys personal sentiment. Here we are also shown how humanitarianism prohibited Ricci from pressing official charges anti the thief, and the same moral fiber that spared him after he was caught stealing a bicycle. He did what the thief did to him. Such a film was essential in Italy as through this family we have the opportunity of being a bystander to the brutality of a civil war amoungst fascists and its on going of killing and reprisals through seeing how this effects one, and how not only effecting this family but many others. Italy in post-war was in need of healing and compassion even at the cost of a perceived injustice. (Paul Baxa, 2011) Healing does not come from the government and leaders of the country, but comes from within the everyday man on the streets you and me. Thus, from the Riccis, those being affected by the war and living within such conditions as well as the audience viewing this film who can in many ways relate. In another scene, arguably the most sentimental scene yet what I believe portrays the political message more powerfully than any other- we see the father and sons relationship come to a mend. It is understood with looking into the Italian family lifestyle, that the father and sons relationship is by far the strongest and most special. Little Brunos appearance when taking his fathers hand in the last scene is merely a realistic point of life and is a means of facing life with your father an important part in Italian culture. With Bruno being the witness of the tragedy and finally coming to realize his father is not a hero after all (contrary to Classic Hollywood), much like the audience being a witness too, this scene gives off a sense of aggravation, mortification, paradox and most of all acceptance to survival. These sentimental feelings therefore expresses the political statement as this ending of when the father and son take hands, expresses manhood and the hardship of survival one needs to go through with still looking for a sense of acceptance. Bazin (1971) explains this father/son scene as reaching puberty. Up to that moment the man has been like a god to his son and their relations came under the heading of admiration. By the fathers actions of becoming a thief, the father has in doing so compromised all heroism that his son had seen in him. However, this scene is seen as acceptance not only in survival, but also acceptance of ones father and supposed role model. He will love him henceforth as a human being, shame and all. (Bazin, 1971: pg 54) This scene inevitabely becomes a deceptive one, as the truth and reality of this acceptance and now found happiness through the fathers wrong doings, depends all on the central object the bicycle. Bicycle Thieves therefore inevitably portrayed the political statement through expressing the social conditions without expressing solutions. One might argue that this is a downfall, however at this moment in time solutions were not theoretical and if healing was going to occur it was going to have to come from the people. Thus, this film is inevitably awareness that needs to be found in each individual, which will create its own solution. Much like the theme and characters inevitably creating a plot on its own in Neorealism. The neorealist approach doesnt have an inbuilt political statement solution, as the most widespread attribute of neorealism is; on location shooting and the feeling of truth. (John Stubbs, 2010) Exactly what Bicycle Thieves so effectively does. One must also remember when viewing this film in the 21st century that twenty-five percent of the Italian workforce was unemployed at the time (William Heuvel, 2008) and if you were employed, getting to work was with th e use of a bicycle. The object of the bicycle thus symbolized survival. In conclusion, one can therefore justifiably argue that the sentimental nature of Bicycle Thieves does not overwhelm the political statement but essentially enhances it. If the political statement made in the film was to feed off a means of a solution, and the solution could only be found in the common individual like the Riccis family then one needs to understand the individuals situation as well as have an opportunity to walk in their shoes. Through sentiment that is not overly used in this film, one can see the hardship for survival through the story of these characters in order to become aware, as well as stay intrigued. Without focalizing power of the central character but rather the political statement through the characters, this film uses The death of one man is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic. (Joseph Stalin, 1953) to its advantage by effectively showing the tragedy of individuals with indication to the masses statistic through apparent rawness and emotional intensity focused on such political and social problems. (P. Adams Sitney, 1995)

The Solar System Essay -- Astronomy Plantes Stars Galaxy Essays

The Solar System What are planets? Planets are kinda like asteroid around the sun. There are nine planets in the solar system, Mercury, Venus, Earth ( Our planet ), Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. The Terrestrial Planets The terrestrial planets are the four innermost planets in the solar system, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. They are called terrestrial because they have a compact, rocky surface like the Earth's. The planets, Venus, Earth, and Mars have significant atmospheres while Mercury has almost none. The following diagram shows the approximate distance of the terrestrial planets to the Sun. The Sun The Sun is the most prominent feature in our solar system. It is the largest object and contains approximately 98% of the total solar system mass. One hundred and nine Earths would be required to fit across the Sun's disk, and its interior could hold over 1.3 million Earths. The Sun's outer visible layer is called the photosphere and has a temperature of 6,000Â °C (11,000Â °F). This layer has a mottled appearance due to the turbulent eruptions of energy at the surface. Solar energy is created deep within the core of the Sun. It is here that the temperature (15,000,000Â ° C; 27,000,000Â ° F) and pressure (340 billion times Earth's air pressure at sea level) is so intense that nuclear reactions take place. This reaction causes four protons or hydrogen nuclei to fuse together to form one alpha particle or helium nucleus. The alpha particle is about .7 percent less massive than the four protons. The difference in mass is expelled as energy and is carried to the surface of the Sun, through a process known as convection, where it is released as light and heat. Energy generated in the Sun's core takes a million years to reach its surface. Every second 700 million tons of hydrogen are converted into helium ashes. In the process 5 million tons of pure energy is released; therefore, as time goes on the Sun is becoming lighter.The chromosphere is above the photosphere. Solar energy passes through this region on its way out from the center of the Sun. Facula e and flares arise in the chromosphere. Faculae are bright luminous hydrogen clouds which form above regions where sunspots are about to form. Flares are bright filaments of hot gas emerging from sunspot regions. Sunspots are dark depressions on the photosphere with a typical temp... ...s evaporate. The evaporated molecules boil off and carry small solid particles with them, forming the comet's coma of gas and dust. When the nucleus is frozen, it can be seen only by reflected sunlight. However, when a coma develops, dust reflects still more sunlight, and gas in the coma absorbs ultraviolet radiation and begins to fluoresce. As the comet absorbs ultraviolet light, chemical processes release hydrogen, which escapes the comet's gravity, and forms a hydrogen envelope. This envelope cannot be seen from Earth because its light is absorbed by our atmosphere, but it has been detected by spacecraft. The Sun's radiation pressure and solar wind accelerate materials away from the comet's head at differing velocities according to the size and mass of the materials. Thus, relatively massive dust tails are accelerated slowly and tend to be curved. The ion tail is much less massive, and is accelerated so greatly that it appears as a nearly straight line extending away from the comet opposite the Sun. The following view of Comet West shows two distinct tails. The thin blue plasma tail is made up of gases and the broad white tail is made up of microscopic dust particles.

What do you find to admire in the poetry of Christina Rossetti? :: English Literature

What do you find to admire in the poetry of Christina Rossetti? Christina Rossetti was born on the 5th December 1830 and died in 1894. She was an English poet and a devout High Anglican, from an Anglo - Italian background. She also was the sister of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who was a famous artist. Christina Rossetti could be described as one of the 19th Century's 'great odd women.' Even though she did have a variety of poems, no one has said she was a 'great' poet; however, the reason why we are so interested in her is because she was writing poetry in Victorian England and middle - class women were not seen to have any power. The fact that she had even been writing poetry was very unusual, as most females had little rights at this time. Most of her poetry expresses unfulfilled spiritual yearning, frustrated love and the sadness that is spread through her poems may be due to unhappy love affairs in her youth, or to the ill health she constantly suffered. Some examples of this are, 'When I am deadà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦' and 'After death.' These poems are obviously about death and her poems are sometimes optimistic and depressing. But simply by writing poetry at this time, she was making a statement about how a lot of women felt during this period. One of the things I admire in the poetry of Christina Rossetti is that she was very honest in what she wrote. She was not afraid to express personal thoughts; for example in 'A Birthday' she says, 'My heart is like a singing bird.' This is very dramatic as she normally writes about darker feelings. Christina Rossetti is also not afraid of dying as she has strong religious beliefs that echo through each poem. For example in 'Song', she expresses that in some way she is looking forward to death and she feels that when she dies she will be a peace. When she wrote her poems, most of them were very depressing but she did, from time, to time write about happiness; for example the poem, which I mentioned previously, 'A Birthday.' This poem is about happiness and feelings of love that inspire her. In it, she is very happy and she cannot describe how she feels enough. Another thing that I admire is that she had the ability to write in different poetic styles; ballads, sonnets and songs, among others. Ballads are a simple song and are very sentimental often with several verses, with the same beat and rhythm. 'Maude Clare' is an example of a Ballad.

Academic Achievement of Children in Single Parent Homes Essay -- Conse

â€Å"Roberta, you will never get into Princeton University!† Said my uncle, who laughed as I exited his car. I never thought I would hear those words come from my â€Å"favorite† uncle. When he told me this, I had many emotions going through my head. At that moment I felt angry with him and myself because at that moment he made me feel like I was nothing. Where was the faith in me and my ability? This man is my uncle, one who is supposed to be my support system. My uncle works for the government as a journalist. He is an extremely intelligent man, but is known for being arrogant and selfish. He tends, to make negative comments regarding my father’s level of education and my mother’s job status. Because he is gainfully employed and has more education than my mother does not make him â€Å"better.† My father hasn't lived in the same household as me since my freshmen year of highschool. This gives my uncle the opportunity state that the absence of my father is the reason why we struggle. He also believes that my brother and I will follow in his footsteps: We will not be successful. This story is important because black women are currently being stereotyped as single parents with children, who do not amount to anything. I chose this story because it demonstrates how family can negatively influence people more than strangers. Being part of this experience challenged me to be a better person. It made me rethink who I am, while simultaneously working to prove my uncle wrong. Completing this project will allow me to hear individual’s stories regarding growing up in single parent households and overcoming struggles despite the odds. The purpose of this study is to find out how living in single parent homes influences the level of success. During... ... Works Cited: Massey, D. S. (2009). The Moynihan Report revisited: lessons and reflections after four decades. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412839-The-Moynihan-Report-Revisited.pdf Powell, Downey. (Feb., 1993). Do Children in Single-Parent Households Fare Better Living with Same-Sex Parents? http://www.jstor.org/stable/352959 Amato, Stolba. (Aug., 1993 ). Extended Single-Parent Households and Children's Behavior http://www.jstor.org/stable/4121111 Dickerson, B. (1995). African American single mothers: understanding their lives and families. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Weldon, Michele.14, May 2012. Single mothers, stand proud http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/13/opinion/weldon-single-mothers/index.html Louv, Richard. 4, February 1999. Single-Parent Success Stories. http://sparkaction.org/node/34

Are we Cheering for the Villain? Essay

When reading the play Oedipus the King, a range of feelings and perspectives arise in the audience, making us unconsciously chose sides with Oedipus or with the ruthless prediction made by the gods. This is due to the fact that as the play develops, more and more is revealed about Oedipus making the audience not only a witness of his tragic story but also emotionally engaged to him. It can be said that Oedipus suffers deeply from his destiny, which he can not run away from. Throughout the play the feeling of pity towards Oedipus builds up and we are each second sympathizing more and more with his suffering. The fact that the feeling we get is pity and not a feeling of accomplishment (that the right thing is being done by killing him) can’t stop us from asking ourselves: even though he is responsible for murders and misfortune in Thebes, why do we get a feeling of pity and not revenge when reading the play? Why do we sympathize with Oedipus? Even though the initial impression we have on Oedipus is a negative one, since his constant arrogant tone towards others is shown, we end up getting sorry for him in the end of the play. This can be said in reference to his first speech to the citizens of Thebes, â€Å"I have not thought it fit to rely on my messengers, /But am here to learn for myself – I, Oedipus, /whose name is know afar.† The fact that Oedipus excessive pride stands out in such a large extent, we build up in our minds an idea that this hubris which is constantly shown is a major characteristic of his. This makes us, as an audience feel repulsive to this vice and to this idea of superiority which lies inside him. Why should the audience feel pity for a person who is not only arrogant but also violent and careless with other people’s lives? When Oedipus kills not only Laius but other citizens the audience gets once more the impression that Oedipus deserves his tragic flaw, also known as hamartia. The truth is, the small part of us which is wishing for his prophecy to come true is growing more and more. However, it seems that even though we are faced with these sickening of disappointing characteristics and attitudes taken by Oedipus, we are still putting these feelings aside and replacing them by a feeling of empathy towards him when we realize that every violent action or sign of fatal curiosity he demonstrates is a consequence of his misfortunous destiny which he is constantly trying to avoid. No matter what Oedipus does to avoid his fate or how he tries to run away from it, it is all predicted by the gods as part of his trajectory to reach his fate. He does not know he has killed his own father, and sleeps with his mother. We feel sorry for him because he has no idea of the evil he has committed and even if he did, he wouldn’t have the power to control his actions. An example of when we empathize with his is when he says (in line 29), â€Å"†Apollo, friends, Apollo was he that brought these woes to pass, these my sore, sore woes: but the hand that struck the eyes was none save mine, wretched that I am! Why was I to see, when sight could show me nothing sweet.† The answer to the initial question of why do we feel pity and empathy towards a man that has committed consecutive crimes (as murders and incest) can be answered after reflecting on the fact that the actions taken by Oedipus were a consequence of the prophecy created by the gods and not due to acting under a influence of a purely evil mind. The fact that he was not responsible for his tragic fate, on the contrary, he tried to avoid it as much as possible, proves that even though Oedipus is not that ordinary hero we originally know from novels or movies, due to his virtuous intentions we not only can relate to him, but also feel pity and compassion for him.

Being Unemployed and the Impact of Unemployment

In this modern day, that which defines the person’s private life including his lifestyle is his personal accomplishments with regards to his work or job. He fails to see the significance of other people within the community in his achievements. Now, this paper would try to see how community and the society affect the character and attitude of the people who are unemployed.The first part of the paper would discuss the very concept of unemployment and the underlying factors that cause unemployment. The second part would present the effects of unemployment to the individuals and to the society/community.The last part would include an analysis of the problem of unemployment and conclusion First Part: What is Unemployment? Unemployment pertains to a condition wherein a willing person lacks opportunity to obtain any job or work. (Sinfield) Such lacking of opportunity can be either caused by the person himself or by the different factors that affect the community (i. e. economics, po litics, etc. ) The unemployed person could really find difficulty in finding job when he himself lacks certain requirements. For example, an aspirant wants to work with a particular company. However, he did not pass the qualifications and standard of that company (e.g. educational attainment, background check-up). Hence he loses the chance of acquiring a job mainly because the problem is he himself. No matter how willing a person is if he would not pass the standard or qualification of a company, it is most likely that he would not get a job. On the other hands, there are factor that affect unemployment. First is the economic element. The companies are closing their doors to applicants because the economy is very low such that hiring them would endanger the standing of the companies (perhaps the companies think that they cannot afford to pay the wages of these applicants if ever they hire them).Second is political element. The political instability may cause economic stability. Thus the result would be the refusal of the companies to hire new workers. (Walters) Lastly, environmental element can also be a factor in the problem of unemployment. The people may find difficulty in looking for jobs when they are situated in a place wherein companies would most likely refuse to establish themselves. These are just some of the factors that can really affect the problem of unemployment. Second Part: What are the Effects of Unemployment?Effects of unemployment can be directly manifested in the people’s lifestyle and character. (Sinfield) People who are unemployed usually live in places that are far from industrialized regions (i. e. rural areas, slum areas). They find so much difficulty in meeting their everyday needs such as food, clothing, shelter and others. Some cannot even afford to eat three times a day. The way they dress up can really show how unfortunate themselves being unemployed. Unemployed people may express their disappointment and depression by the way they behave toward other people.Unemployed people may become forceful or unwilling to socialize with other people. These people are usually the ones who boldly declare dissent towards the government and its programs and policies. (Moller) Third Part: Analysis and Conclusion on the Impact of Unemployment As an analysis, the problem of unemployment is really dependent on the key factor or elements that govern the structure and function of society. They significantly affect the lives of the unemployed (and even the employed) people.Nevertheless, if these key elements would be in good condition, the unemployment rate could be resolved granted that there are great efforts that would be put in its actualization. The effects of unemployment show how people react and behave toward other people. Moreover, unemployment may also define how people should live and think. (Moller) As a conclusion, unemployment is really a defining mark of the standard of living (or of how people live). More often, jobless people pursue to obtain work unfortunately due to the cited key elements that govern the society, having jobs is not really easy for them.And manifestations of the effects of unemployment could be illustrated by how unemployed people interact with the community or society. References: Moller, Valerie. The unemployment blues: Psychological effects of unemployment on the individual. Centre for Social and Development Studies, University of Natal, 1992. Sinfield, Adrian. What Unemployment Means. Blackwell Publishers, 1981. Walters, William. Unemployment and Government: Genealogies of the Social . Campbridge University Press, 2000.

China’s Relations with African Countries: Strategic Perspective (Case of Madagascar) Essay

Year 1st Semester Course: MEDIA IN CHINA [pic] TOPIC: CHINA’S RELATIONS WITH AFRICAN COUNTRIES: STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE (CASE OF MADAGASCAR) STU. NAME: RANDRIANASOLO Fenolanto Salome STU. NO. CLASS SCHOOL LECTUERER: PROFESSOR LUO QING GRADE: Master CHINA’S RELATIONS WITH AFRICAN COUNTRIES: STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE (CASE OF MADAGASCAR) INTRODUCTION In recent decades, while China can ignore other countries, other countries cannot ignore China. It is beginning to play an increasingly important role in many areas such as economics, political, and socio-cultural. This is a great new rising power at the beginning of the 21st century. This explosive growth of China has generated significant debates among policymakers, scholars and business leaders on a number of levels. China is now building relationships in several countries especially in Africa. There have been a number of contacts between China and African states in recent decades. This paper seeks to understand this recent shift in China’s relation with African countries such as Madagascar. Historical Background In 1955: 29 African and Asian states create the â€Å"Third world† to strengthen its base in Africa and Asia; Since 1960s: . The Chinese leader Mao supported the African independences. China supports the ambassadors of the emerging countries against Western interference in their internal affairs at the United Nations. In 1978: Deng Xiaoping decided to open the Chinese economy by establishing a new form of socialism; Since the 1990: African economies have opened up for the Asian powers including China; China becomes the spokesperson for developing countries within the WTO (world trade organization) Partnership China-Madagascar: China has become increasingly active on the African continent in recent years and this activity has drawn the attention of scholars and journalists, among others. Diplomatic Relations: Madagascar and China established diplomatic relations November 6, 1972 and bilateral relations between the two countries continue to consolidate, develop and to strengthen since. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1972, their relationship and cooperation in the economic, commercial and various grow without ceasing. In recent years, the leaders of both countries attach great importance the development of relations and exchanges of high-level increase, which gives great impetus to the rapid development of bilateral relations of friendship and Malagasy cooperation. The Minister of Foreign Affairs established the first diplomatic relations between China and Madagascar during the transition (1972-1975); The celebration of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relationship between China and Madagascar held on 6th November 2012. Several high Malagasy personalities visited China since the 1990s such as the President of the Republic Albert ZAFY in 1994; Madagascar President Marc RAVALOMANANA arrived in Beijing in 2008. During the current transitional period, Ambassador of China Shen Yongxiang has presented his credentials to the Head of State Andrinirina RAJOELINA. Several high Chinese leaders such as the President of the National People’s Congress Chen Muhua; the Second Prime Minister Jiang Chungun and the Vice President of the Republic Hu Jintao was visited Madagascar. Economic Relations: If China’s economic weight is felt in African countries, in particular Madagascar by its commercial dynamism, the country begins to be an investor not negligible. Since 2005, the partnership agreements between Madagascar and China have continued to increase. For example, the establishment of a cement factory, the construction of a large 5 star hotel by a Chinese group, the future construction of a hospital. And even well before the year 2005, investment in China has already had its place in the economy, be it in the industry â€Å"trade†. China is the largest partner of Madagascar in terms of imports; 95% of products from Madagascar benefit from the Chinese treatment tariff exemption; The agreement of economic and technical cooperation between China and Madagascar was signed in 2006. Several Chinese companies investing in Madagascar in the infrastructure, energy, the exploitation of oil and raw materials. Bilateral cooperation in the economic and commercial widens constantly rapidly increasing bilateral trade, investment activates the  day and exchanges in cultural, educational and human intensify. The consultations between the two countries in international affairs reinforce more. Cultural Relation: During 40 years of partnership, China has provided more than 350 scholarships and has trained more than 860 government officials and journalist. CONFUCIUS Institutes were established in three provinces of the Big Island. Impact and perspective: The Chinese presence opens a new perspective for developing countries and it presents many more choices in terms of policy and developing model. It allows exploitation of natural resources with higher prices of raw materials and facilitates access to international aid. It promotes the diversification of investment, a new spirit based on the expression win-win more attractive. China’s growth is pushing up global demand and therefore  the price of commodities exported by African countries. In addition, China has become the main partner of several African countries: it provides cheaper manufactured goods and reduces their dependence on their ways traditional trading partners. In the case of Madagascar, the local market is still underdeveloped in that 20% of the population live in urban areas and in this context, the abundance of Chinese products (food, textiles, toys, shoes, appliances, †¦ Markets Local penalizes local industries to the extent that the price of Chinese products is well below the cost of local industries and supply is abundant. The competitiveness of local industries is low compared to the value of a product Chinese including textiles and food products. In the Capital Antananarivo, expansion and Chinese domination can be analyzed via the rapid development of a shopping center Behoririka (name of district) in the middle Capital in the image of Chinatown. Added to this is the development of restorations. However, these imports improve the well-being of people in that price consumer goods from China are within the powers of purchases population. The development of these businesses creates jobs but the salary level remains insufficient compared to the level of wages in the private sector in Madagascar. Chinese competition also exerts downward pressure on the cost of investment. Chinese equipment (transport, agriculture) is very cheap an alternative to higher quality goods. However, the lifetime of the equipment is not long compared to the same type of equipment from Europe. Chinese growth will boost African exports but will also increase volatility. China opened its market by treating preferential tariff least developed countries, but this has not yet been impacted on African exports. In the case of Madagascar, export to the China is still insufficient compared to the values of imports and has been a decade. This increases the trade deficit Malagasy and may undermine the external reserves position of the Central Bank of Madagascar. If Europe the main export destination from Madagascar, China still relatively low and represents 2. 2%. In terms of trade between China and Madagascar, relationships become increasingly important during the last decade. Current trends regional trade showed a significant increase and the value of continuous imports from China, and a modest increase in export exports Madagascar to China. Changes in imports and exports of Madagascar with China do not evolve at the same rate, resulting in an imbalance of trade. The exchanges are obviously in favor of China. CONCLUSION In short cooperation with China is mutually beneficial and China has promoted the cultural development in Madagascar. Projects underway in Madagascar, which involve Chinese aid, are also very visible. In terms of foreign direct investment, the weight of Chinese investors is not negligible and is around 10%. The majority of Chinese capital from Hong Kong. Chinese companies are among the providers of jobs in Madagascar. If the participation of France in the capital is very dominant in Madagascar, China’s participation has increased by 0. 8% to 10. 9% over the same period and has a negative influence on the situation in France. This attests to the strengthening of the position China and offset somewhat the impact of French colonization of the current situation. The friendly cooperation in the field of education, health and trade, have borne remarkable fruit. We think that with the principle of mutual benefit, cooperation between China and Madagascar will have a bright future. REFERENCES †¢ http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/world-africa-13864364 †¢ http://www. irinnews. org/Madagascar †¢ http://www. state. gov/p/af/ci/ma/ †¢ file:///F:/feed%20back%20de%2040%20ans. htm †¢ file:///F:/CCTV%20mirrroir%20d%20afrik%20frappe%20chinoise. htm file:///F:/mada%20chine%202. htm †¢ http://www. xinhuanet. com/english/home. htm †¢ Perspectives economiques en Afrique. OCDE. 2006 †¢ Plan cadre des Nations Unies pour l’assistance au developpement (UNDAF) Madagascar 2008-2011. Systeme des Nations Unies. Juin 2007 †¢ Rapport National sur le Developpement Humain Madagascar 2006 : Le s technologies de l’information et de la communication et developpement humain. PNUD. Avril 2007 †¢ Les echanges entre la Chine et L’Afrique : Situation actuelle, perspectives et sources pour l’analyse , Jean Raphael Chaponniere, STATECO N °100, 2006.

“Of mice and men is a novel that presents both the barbarity and the beauty of human nature” Essay

I agree with this because Steinbeck shows barbarity in the characters. One example of this is when Lennie kills Curley’s wife by accident. I know this because it says â€Å"he quickly becomes excited and holds on too tight, frightening her†¦ Lennie panics and clamps his strong hands over her mouth to silence her† This is effective because Lennie doesn’t realise that he’s killed Curley’s wife by stroking her hair but it shows that his actions were cruel and his chances of his American dream has been ruined. The words â€Å"holds on too tight† shows that Lennie had got over excited while touching/stroking one of his favourite things and he doesn’t realise that he’s held on tight and can’t restrain himself from letting go of her hair. The word â€Å"panics† shows that Lennie didn’t know what to do as soon as he heard her screaming so he couldn’t help but keep holding on to her. We can tell that Lennie doesn’t choose to be barbaric towards people but due to his simple mind he just can’t help it. Another way we know Lennie is barbaric is because of his animalistic side, Steinbeck uses the deaths of the small animals to show that despite loving to stroke nice things, he ends up killing them. Steinbeck also shows the beauty of human nature in the Novel. Examples of this is when Lennie constantly gets compared to animals with his actions. I know this because it says â€Å"He walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely.† This is effective because Lennie is being compared to an animal, a bear. A massive, sometimes violent creature. The word ‘hung loosely’ shows that he was simple minded in everything he did so he didn’t really think about the things he did. Another word ‘the way a bear drags his paws’ shows that he was compared to a bear because of his strength and movement. Another quote would be â€Å"His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool; drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse. The small man stepped nervously beside him† Lennie being compared to an animal b ut this time, a horse who has to be kept from drinking too much water. It at least shows that he has some responsibility to control the natural world. Another way Steinbeck shows barbarity is with the character Crooks. He gives Crooks’ character a hatred towards the men in the ranch. I know this because it says â€Å"Crooks said sharply, â€Å"You got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me† This is effective because it shows that Crooks didn’t like the other men because of the way they treated him so he has to be barbaric to them. The word ‘sharply’ shows that Crooks actually meant what he said although Lennie was being nice, it could also demonstrate that he wanted to take out his anger to Lennie because he realised Lennie wouldn’t understand what Crooks was actually saying to him. The word ‘nobody got any right in here’ shows that he wanted treat them the exact same way they treated him in the ranch. Crooks is barbaric because he was treated that way so he might aswell treat the others the way they’ve been treating him. In conclusion I think Of mice and men does present the barbarity and beauty of human nature because the characters always had two sides to them whether they were happy or not so it did make the novel very interesting to read.

Ideas and Ideologies of Mill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ideas and Ideologies of Mill - Essay Example Later at the age of twenty Mill suffered a mental break down which made him conscious, that more was needed in life than devotion to the public good and an analytical intellect. He turned towards Coleridge, Carlyle, Wordsworth, and Goethe to cultivate his aesthetic sensibilities. From 1830 to his death, he tried to persuade the British public of the necessity of a scientific approach, h to understanding social, political and economic change while not neglecting the insights of poets and other imaginative writers. (The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy ed.) Mill was also strongly influenced by his wife Harriet Taylor and became more inclined and sympathetic towards socialism, womens rights and political and social reforms such as proportional representation, labour unions, and farm co-operatives. Mill use logic derived from the principles of the natural sciences to address questions of language and logic, induction, the relativity of knowledge, the structure of the scientific method, the structure of arithmetic and geometry, and the principles of the moral sciences. Mill was committed to the idea that our best methods of explaining the world are those employed by the natural sciences. His System of Logic 1843 was an account not only of logic, as the title implies, but of the methods of science and their applicability to social as well as purely natural phenomena. ‘The object of logic â€Å"is to ascertain how we come by that portion of our knowledge (much the greatest portion) which is not intuitive: and by what criterion we can, in matters not self-evident, distinguish between things proved and things not proved, between what is worthy and what is unworthy of belief.† (A System of Logic [System], I.i.1).

Career Progress Initiating, Inspiring, Leading Essay

Career Progress Initiating, Inspiring, Leading - Essay Example When I worked as an engineer at Intel from 2001 to 2004, I inspired my mediocre team into a top unit, by initiating an out-of-the-box thinking environment that resulted in over 30 technical innovations in just 1 year. I followed up this innovation culture by leading a cross-departmental platform where engineers from across the company could contribute and share a think tank of ideas that solved several long-running problems of many a unit. I learnt that inspiring others to achieve their dreams is a wonderful achievement in itself. I also learnt that taking initiative to lead a change process is well worth the risk of failure. The team of engineers that I led published ten articles on the prestigious Intel Disclosure Forum in one year - a record by far. From 2004 to 2007, I worked as a business consultant at Accenture, in charge of setting up the billion-dollar industry giant's operations in China. It was a daunting task to apply the best practices of the company in the traditional Chinese environment. I found my way around the problem in two ways. Customizing these practices to best suit the local needs, and innovating new ideas that helped the client learn and adopt them. I learned to interact with the top management and the employees of several Chinese companies to make them familiar of the changing business realities and inspiring them to embrace new ideas. This consulting experience gave me tremendous insight into different businesses, managerial philosophies, operational styles and global perspectives. I also got to learn how to communicate with top executives and persuade them to see my point of view. My Candidacy Since I worked as tennis coach I have always dreamed of building a tennis school of my own. Since I applied last time at Wharton my life has been very eventful. I have gone ahead and implemented my dream to some extent. I have been making plans and accumulating a small fortune on my own for my school all this time and things finally fell into place early this year. A high school was on sale in the neighborhood and I decided to buy this school and transform it into to a sports school. This sudden turn of events has caught me unawares on several skills of entrepreneurship that I had no idea about. First, I learnt how to write a business plan and persuade others to invest in it. I raised money from eleven colleagues in Intel and Accenture and four alumni. They became my founding shareholders. Secondly, I learnt the psychological side of managing people. It took a lot of efforts to make the former management team of the school to understand my ideas and to keep them from quitting. Third, I learnt about marketing & sales, a function that I had never touched before. This entrepreneurship experience has given me tremendous confidence in myself and hands-on experience in setting-up and running a business from the scratch. I feel, I am better equipped to understand the latest theories and practices of the business world than last year. I am also more focused in my approach to studies, with a well etched out career plan. Career Goals Based on the current business, I set my short-term career goal to build a brand name for this sports education venture by associating it with famous athletes, pioneering education philosophies, and sponsoring local sports events. I want to

Solid Mechanics Assignment Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Solid Mechanics Assignment - Lab Report Example After the model was imported to ALGOR FEA the log was checked to ensure that there were no import errors or missing geometry. Then a fixed boundary condition was applied to the internal surface of the larger cylinder after which a normal force of 500 N was applied to the internal surface of the smaller cylinder. The application of a fixed boundary condition to one area of the model meant that the model was constrained from moving within that axis of rotation or translation. The model could either rotate on the longitudinal axis of the constrained cylinder or it could translate in either three directions (x, y and z). Implementing a fixed boundary condition indicates that the model is unable to move in any direction at all. Generally a fixed boundary condition can be considered analogous to a welded piece that is unable to move but can bend or flex under applied force. Though this may not simulate the actual conditions one on one (where the crank actually rotates though it does not tr anslate at all), but it does provide a satisfactory numerical investigation model. Furthermore the application of a normal force to the other cylinder’s internal surface indicates the application of normal average force when the crank will be in use. This application of force assumes that the pin attached to the smaller cylinder of the crank will be able to transmit the applied force at the pedal completely and uniformly all across the surface of the cylinder and that this force will be normal to the provided surface. However practically this is not going to be possible as the pin will bear some kind of clearance to ensure free rotation and the clearance in turn will mean that the pin will contact the cylinder non-uniformly. Moreover the pin’s contact will produce a normal force at areas with complete contact while they will produce slightly skewed forces where the cylinder only partially contacts the subject surface. This method of applying a force to the model is non ideal yet the approximation is tolerable enough because what will take place inside the cylinder is similar. Any differences in force will not be very significant so using normal force’s application is a viable technique. The model was given a material of Steel 4130 which was present in the software’s library. After this the model was meshed using default settings. After meshing the model was simulated for calculating the developed stress and for the FOS (factor of safety) calculations. The results for the first run are shown below. The mesh was redefined for element size (which was lowered) although the mesh was still based on a 4 point Jacobian approach. The newly meshed model was then simulated in order to see the effects of a changed mesh size on the numerical investigation. The results from the re-meshed run are shown below. The results above clearly indicate that the stress distribution levels and the FOS distribution did not change at all indicating that the pr evious mesh control was providing a mesh independent solution. Therefore for the purpose of this analysis and optimisation the previous mesh controls were re-implemented as a mesh independent solution had been achieved. The results above clearly show that the lowest FOS is very high which indicates a rather overdesigned scenario. The current situation dictates that the FOS ought to be around 3:1 for a viable design. In order to achieve a more suitable FOS the design was optimised for a

Platos Allegory of the Cave Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Platos Allegory of the Cave - Term Paper Example For, as one should probably know, the shadow is an allegory for a man’s self, ultimately, the id. The id is what separates the humans from the animals, and this philosophy delves into what is truly the nature of a man. It consists, one realizes, not of the man’s shadow but of himself as well as the representation of himself—which can be realized in the shadow. That itself is an allegory for what is really happening here—in essence, Plato is parsing that of which humanity really consists. If one, for example—were to be chained to a cave wall—does that diminish any less one’s humanity, one’s dignity, one’s sense of pride? Perhaps, but it cannot defeat the self, which is an inimitable, integral part of the human psyche—a cave, indeed, in which Plato explores more deeply the mysteries of the human mind. Just as some philosophers might attribute parts of a speech with rooms in a house, Plato is advancing upon new territ ory here—basically a type of psychoanalysis—which delves into what really makes humans tick. He has found out, and figured out, what is at the basis of all human interest and toil. It’s a need for knowledge. The cave allegory is significant because Plato thought that the cave represented work in education. Plato felt that the cave was symbolic of something greater in a man’s life. The cave could be an allegory for the fact that man spends all of his life—in essence—figuratively chained inside a cave. One struggles and slaves away, toiling at work, in search of an education, in search of a future. Meanwhile, the real battle is trying to find oneself in the midst of living life. Seeing shadows on the wall are an allegory for noticing one’s form in sensory ways—although it does not reflect the true nature or character of the person which it represents. Indeed, the shadows are a leitmotif for something more spiritual—it coul d be said. One has probably heard the phrase, â€Å"He’s only a shadow of himself, only a shadow of what he used to be.† A shadow intimates the presence of a skeleton which does not represent the true heart or soul of a person, but only the person’s physicality—the earthiness of his or her being. Indeed, these shadows represent a filament in the light bulb of human existence, which is ignited with personality. It is in this revelatory moment that one realizes the importance and power of the human spirit—and it is in this moment that one learns how everything important about being human can be understood from the allegory of the cave. It is not just our sensory awareness that is important to have in life, but knowledge of this sensory awareness at its height is the most evolved consciousness that a human can hope or expect to have. It is this consciousness that one seeks to cultivate through education, and this is reinforced by the allegory of the c ave. The cave allegory does for philosophy what Freud’s theory did for psychology. It revolutionized everything. Plato’s cave allegory is ultimately the ability to ascribe forms to shadows, making indiscrete objects into discrete realities. Thomas Hobbes was ridiculed for taking abstract notions and then defining those in concrete terms. But if we had never had such abstractions defined, we would—in Western political philosophy—not have had notions such as justice, good, evil, right, wrong, and moral philosophy, for example. Plato’s allegory of the cave is simply another way in which he attempted to define a human element. Plato’s allegory of the cave recognizes the importance

Importance of Internal and External Factors to Economic Development Essay

Importance of Internal and External Factors to Economic Development - Essay Example However, the biggest question in the minds of everyone is what has causes varying rates of economic development in a country. What are the reasons that have seen countries such as Japan and China emerge to become among the greatest economies in the world with a record time? Additionally, one would always want to understand whether the involvement of the government in the economic process causes accelerated economic growth or should the government give the private sector autonomy in determining how they conduct their activities. Additionally, countries do not live in vacuum but have to trade with their neighbors and their security may be threatened by the activities of others and therefore they have to keep into consideration the external factors in economic development. From the foregoing introduction, it is clear that one cannot argue entirely that the level of economic development in a country is attributable to only internal or external factors. Although interplay of both internal and external factors determines the path of economic development of a country, internal factors are the greatest determinants economic development of a country. The major internal factors that determine the pace of economic development in a country is the type of governance adopted. ... It is undisputable that the leadership of a country determines the level of economic growth that a country is able to achieve. In a country, governments hold much power and are expected to offer leadership in terms of economic and social developments that take place. Consequently, when a government fails to carry out an analysis of the impacts of its policies, this may spell out the starting point of its failure. The argument that governance really plays a role in determining the pace of economic development in a country is collaborated by Gerschenkron. When assessing economic backwardness in different countries, Gerschenkron argued that there is a strong correlation between economic underdevelopment and centralized bureaucracy in a country. The type of governance adopted determines the way in which the required capital for industrialization is mobilized and allocated. In a country where the government encourages private to public sector investment, the rate of economic development i s expected to become accelerated due to efficiency in resource allocation and monitoring thereby reducing wastage. In such an economy, the government concentrates in development of the right infrastructure required for development while the private sector provides and invests capital required for industrialization. Countries that promote public-private sector partnership in economy leads to development of free markets that have high productivity and efficiency. In countries where free trade thrives, high productivity is achieved since the owners of such resources closely monitor and control the production process unlike in countries where the government controls production. Government control in the production process leads to

Country Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Country Report - Essay Example After Japan suffered defeat in World War II, Korea was liberated and Soviet-American agreements exploited the divisions that had sprung up during the previous decades. Aggravated by old resentments, nationalistic attitudes, and the politics of the new Cold War, the Soviet-American actions further divided North and South Korea, precipitated the Korean War, and erected a lasting wall dividing a country that 50 years earlier had been united. The story of Korea is the story of a once deeply unified people that have been profoundly distanced in a world apart. The divisions that existed in Korea after Japan's defeat in World War II were the result of Japan's occupational tyranny. Divisions between the left and the political right, between capitalism and Chinese communism, the nationalists and the Japanese sympathizers, only further disappointed those that expected immediate independence after Japan's defeat. Even with these disagreements across the country, Korea may have been able to heal its wounds, find some common ground and engage in a program of unification and independence. However, the Soviets and the Americans had already dashed any hope that the Korean's may have had for unification and they were unwittingly being setup for even greater division (Gourevitch). The initial plans to turn Korea into an American-Soviet trusteeship had fallen through. In the days after the atomic bombs had been dropped, but before Japan surrendered, America already was planning out the future for Korea. While the Russians occupied the Northern Provinces and the US forces occupied the South, they were forming coalitions and governments that would be sympathetic to their respective ideologies. The Northern Provinces were primarily revolutionaries and communists led by Kim Il Sung, an anti-Japanese revolutionary (Gourevitch). By 1946, the communists were able to form a cohesive political party in the North and were able to man a small army. The South, with Seoul, had the ruling seat of government but was staffed by bureaucratic positions that were more often perceived as Japanese collaborators left behind after the occupation. Late in 1945, Dr. Syngman Rhee returned to Korea after residing outside the country during the period of Japanese imperialism. Many U.S. officials favored Rhee, a staunch anti-Communist, to form the new government. Rhee and US Occupation forces made plans to establish a separate government administration in South Korea by organizing the bureaucracy left behind by the Japanese. Rhee's newly established government set out to cripple his political opponents and destroy any possibility of a leftist uprising in anticipation of overpowering the North and gaining complete control of the unified Korea. By 1949, Rhee had imprisoned 30,000 of his political enemies, had another 70,000 imprisoned in "Guidance Camps", and by December 1949 he was arresting as many as 1,000 suspected communists per day (Cumings, 223). These dictatorial tactics were designed to maintain his power while he eliminated any remaining resistance in the South for a planned invasion of the Northern Provinces. Who started the war, and who took the first offensive action