Journal 6 - World Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Journal 6 - World Literature - Essay Example They fought with each other to death and this incidence amused the spectators and same incidence was repeated after many years, the passengers of the boat amused themselves by throwing the coins on natives and when the writer requested the lady who started it to stop, her response was, â€Å"I love charity.† The Carbide Tower, which rises in the middle of Buna and whose top is rarely visible in the fog, was built by us. Its bricks were called Ziegel, briques, tegula, cegli, kamenny, mattoni, teglak, and they were cemented by hate; hate and discord, like the Tower of Babel, and it is this that we call it: —Babelturm, Bobelturm; and in it we hate the insane dream of grandeur of our masters, their contempt for God and men, for us men. Is the expression from the memoir A Good day. The tower of hate was built by the captives and it was an insane dream of their masters. And presently that building stands as a curse of divine and Germens also feel that. At sunset, the siren of the Feierabend   sounds, the end of work; and as we are all satiated, at least for a few hours, no quarrels arise, we feel good, the Kapo feels no urge to hit us, and we are able to think of our mothers and wives, which usually does not happen. For a few hours we can be unhappy in the manner of free men. This extract also explains the plight of the workers in the camp. It is the day when they have a stomach full. There is a certain change in everyone’s attitude. Everyone is satisfied and there is no grumbling and fights that arise due to empty or half full stomachs and in fact their leader doesn’t feel any urge to hit them. The irony is when the stomach is full the near and dear one’s are remembered. The above three examples from the Memoirs relate how effectively they take the readers into flash back and evoke the images as they have happened just before the reader’s eyes. As both these memoirs are the survivor type in nature they are able to capture writers struggle and sufferings. It does not just appear before the reader as a fiction but with a personal reconstruction and impact. 3. Destruction was caused or perpetrated by individuals who neither felt nor expressed any remorse for their actions; one of the leaders that fall in this list is Saddam Hussein. He was born on 28 April 1937 in the village of al-Awja, near Tikrit, on the Tigris River in northwest Iraq, into a landless but influential Sunni family. He was a member of the al-Khatab clan. Saddam later fabricated his genealogy to claim direct descent from the Prophet Mohammed. He had a battered childhood as his father abandoned his mother when she was pregnant with him and he was brought up in the custody of his maternal uncle as his mother remarried. With such emotionless up bringing Saddam never felt remorse for

Reagans War on Drugs Essay Example for Free

Reagans War on Drugs Essay The phrase â€Å"sex, drugs, and rock and roll† held true to its well-earned spot in 1970’s and 1980’s society. With a new, looser culture, explicit music, raunchy and rambunctious movies as well as a societal focus on many things immoral, it was an era of challenging social norms. As the use of recreational and psychoactive drugs, as well as alcohol, increased, a new problem arose; how does law enforcement and the government undo the damage being made by this new society? Laws were passed, bureaus and commissions were formed, and the President of the United States began what he called â€Å"The War on Drugs†. Over the years, some of these solutions have proven to make some impact. The initiation, tactics, and attempts at dealing a major blow to drug abuse have all affected the way America sees drugs today. A new type of warfare had made its way into the country, and after all these years, it has made its fair share of positive and negative effects. â€Å"Just say no. † (Reagan Declares War on Drugs, 1982). This was one of the many scare tactics used in America’s new war on drugs. The president needed to construct a plan to detract the public eye from drugs’ fame. Nancy Reagan was equally as adamant about keeping America safe and clean. She traveled to and spoke at many schools, enforcing the idea of simply refusing the temptation of drugs. Before the Reagan’s began their wartime, Richard Nixon introduced his own ‘war’ on drugs, stating, â€Å"America’s public enemy number one is drug abuse. In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new, all-out offensive. † (Remarks About an Intensified Program for Drug Abuse Prevention, 1971). This mindset was yet another strategy used to make America energized and willing to fight this war. Nixon passed the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act in the 1970’s as a way to keep a constant eye on the drug industry. This act required the pharmaceutical industry to maintain physical security and strict record keeping for certain types of drugs. When Reagan became president he gave a speech, announcing, â€Å"We are taking down the surrender flag that has flown over so many drug efforts; we’re running up a battle flag. † (Reagan’s ‘War on Drugs’ Speech, 1981). America’s first clear attack on the use of drugs was verbal – this strategy temporarily affected the country, but more had to be done to combat this enemy. The United States and its’ presidents had to take a fighting stance if they wanted to decrease drug abuse. One of the first instances of this was President Nixon’s Operation Intercept. Announced even before the official ‘war’ on drugs began – in September 1969 – this campaign focused on reducing the amount of cannabis entering the United States from Mexico. Following this effort, the United States government funded the controversial Methadone Maintenance Program. Methadone Maintenance treatment, a program in which addicted individuals receive daily doses of methadone, was developed as part of a broad, multicomponent treatment program. † (Center for Disease Control, 2002). After Nixon’s trials and failures, President Carter went at the fight with a different, looser approach. Carter called for the decriminalization of marijuana. With a less vicious outlook, Carter believed that the punishment of a crime should not be more brutal than that said crime. President Carter’s tactic proved unworthy, as while he was in office, use of cocaine increased dramatically. Finally, as Reagan took center stage and stepped into presidential office, he kept a strong belief against this criminal act. Reagan created the Office of National Drug Control Policy to eradicate illicit drug use, manufacturing and trafficking of drugs, as well as put an end to drug related violence and crimes. Reagan put policies in place to strengthen his deadly grasp on drug-ridden society. He required mandatory minimum prison sentences for drug dealers – a policy he initiated in hopes of making drugs seem less glamorous and infinitely more criminal. He began the South Florida Task Force, which dealt with the increase of drug trafficking in Southern Florida. This force worked hand in hand with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Operation Swordfish was put in place by the DEA to attack international drug organizations. â€Å"The operation was dubbed operation swordfish because it was intended to snare the ‘big fish’ in drug trade. † (Drug Enforcement Agency, Operation Swordfish, 1980). Vice President George H. W. Bush began insisting that the CIA and U. S. Military become involved in drug interdiction efforts. The Drug-Free Media Campaign Act of 1988 was passed in hopes to convince America’s youth and future generations to stray away from drugs. After all of these battles, did America finally win this war? â€Å"The U. S. Federal Government spent over $15 billion in 2010 on the War on Drugs, a rate of about $500 per second. † (The Budgetary Impact of Drug Prohibition, 2010). This is a sign that perhaps Reagan’s War on Drugs wasn’t quite as effective as he had so hoped. The United States today has the highest incarceration rate and prison population of any country in the world. This is provided in part by the amount of arrests and incarcerations due to drug sentencing guidelines and policies. â€Å"In the 1980’s, while the number of arrests for all crimes had risen by 28%, the number of arrests for drug offenses rose 126%. † (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2010). This did not specifically mean that there were more drug-related crimes, but that law enforcement had simply cracked down on the arrests of said crimes. In comparison, Time Magazine’s study states, â€Å"Drug convictions went from 15 inmates per 100,000 adults in 1980 to 148 in 1996, an almost tenfold increase. More than half of Americas federal inmates today are in prison on drug convictions. In 2009 alone, 1. 66 million Americans were arrested on drug charges†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Time Magazine, 2012). While this war on drugs may still be in effect, it may have positive outcomes for further in the future. As for the time being, America has two main stances on the subject: some call for further reparations in the war on drugs, while others believe the war is unsuccessful, and the focus needs to be shifted to more important and dire issues. The War on Drugs has failed. † (19 Member Commission, June 2, 2011). In another instance, a poll was taken throughout the country, and its results, â€Å"three in four Americans believe that the War on Drugs is failing. † (October 2008 Poll). Suggestions of decriminalization have been made by many. The legalization of drugs is claimed to have many positive effects on the country as a whole, including positive economic effects. While this ‘war’ on drugs started off as a full-fledged attack on all users and distributors of illegal narcotics, it seems to have transformed into a war against itself: will continuing these attacks help the country, or will allowing certain, less harmful drugs to be legal prove to be a more reasonable solution? â€Å"Legalizing drugs would save taxpayers $76. 8 billion a year in the United States $44. 1 billion from law enforcement savings, and at least $32. 7 billion in tax revenue†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Harvard Study by Jeffrey A. Miron, 2008). In addition, the policies put into effect by Nixon and Reagan may ave had a positive impact on crime in the United States, but it may not have been in the way they had wished. â€Å"Drugs got enormously cheaper so users didn’t have to hit as many old ladies over the head and steal their pocketbooks. † (Travis Wendel, â€Å"More Drugs, Less Crime†, 2010). Murders, robberies and other violent crimes seemed to decline as the price of drugs went down – could this happen if drugs were legalized as well? America in this day and age has a vast amount of governmental and international issues in desperate need of resolution – is drug control still one of them? The United States of America is a country known by many as ‘land of the free’, but does this mean that its citizens should be allowed to participate in activities such as drug use with such a negative connotation? Did Reagan’s War on Drugs really make an effective impact on the way America sees drugs today? The answer to that question is this – while his tactics may not have worked the way he had desired, America as a whole has indeed seen less drug related crime. This does not mean it does not exist, nor does it mean that by legalizing drugs will solve all of the country’s problems. What this does mean is that Reagan’s war on drugs did not put an end to drug use, but it just may have opened America’s eyes to more clear and present danger. While drugs are in no way going to solve America’s problems, the once War on Drugs may now need to be adjusted to a name more fitting. A War on Crime as a whole perhaps? A War on Drug Related Violence? Reagan had the correct idea, now the country can put it into proper use. His War was not an end all war, but it just may have been enough to enhance America as a whole.

Eco-feminism :: essays research papers

"No political movement on the contemporary scene has achieved the astonishing range of feminism . . . the movement has generously grown to embrace issues of race, poverty, sexual preference, child abuse, war, the Third World, religion, endangered cultures, endangered species, the global environment." (Theodore Roszak, The Voice of the Earth: An Exploration of Ecopsychology, p. 238.) The term "ecofeminisme" was first used in 1974 by a French literary [critic] who encouraged women to develop their potential at preserving the ecological balance of the earth. Francoise d'Eaubonne considered this potential to be realized in an ecological revolution. As such, present ecofeminism is considered a social movement on the leading edge, and includes peace, feminist, and ecological concerns, as well as drawing content from ancient traditions. Ecofeminism identifies patriarchal dominations: sexism, racism, classism, heterosexism, plus naturism. It is the union of radical or cultural feminism with radical ecology. Ecofeminism's approach further develops feminism in relation to the natural environment. Its tenets include diversity through relationship, mutuality rather than use, and rejection of the either/or approach that encourages exclusion. The idea is to identify patriarchal culture in its forms of domination: industrial, mechanistic, militaristic and hierarchica l. "The domination of nature originates in society and therefore must be resolved in society . . . it is the embodied woman as social historical agent, rather than as a product of natural law, who is the subject of ecofeminism . . . . In ecofeminism, nature is the central category of analysis. An analysis of the interrelated dominations of nature - psyche and sexuality, human oppression, and nonhuman nature - and the historic position of women in relation to those forms of domination, is the starting point of ecofeminist theory." (Ynestra King, "Healing the Wounds" in Reweaving the World: The Emergence of Ecofeminism, p. 117.) Other compatible movements are deep ecology, Green Politics, bioregionalism, creation-centered spirituality and animal rights. To open any gate one's brain must first receive the message. The physical action through body follows. Direct experience of our environment is required to perceive the "nature of the wild." Nature is a whole system. Earth's circulatory system is complex and alive. Water is a common thread for life's continuance. The weather is another indicator of the health of the planet. "By changing the weather we make every spot on earth manmade [sic] and artificial. We have deprived nature of its independence, and that is fatal to its meaning. Eco-feminism :: essays research papers "No political movement on the contemporary scene has achieved the astonishing range of feminism . . . the movement has generously grown to embrace issues of race, poverty, sexual preference, child abuse, war, the Third World, religion, endangered cultures, endangered species, the global environment." (Theodore Roszak, The Voice of the Earth: An Exploration of Ecopsychology, p. 238.) The term "ecofeminisme" was first used in 1974 by a French literary [critic] who encouraged women to develop their potential at preserving the ecological balance of the earth. Francoise d'Eaubonne considered this potential to be realized in an ecological revolution. As such, present ecofeminism is considered a social movement on the leading edge, and includes peace, feminist, and ecological concerns, as well as drawing content from ancient traditions. Ecofeminism identifies patriarchal dominations: sexism, racism, classism, heterosexism, plus naturism. It is the union of radical or cultural feminism with radical ecology. Ecofeminism's approach further develops feminism in relation to the natural environment. Its tenets include diversity through relationship, mutuality rather than use, and rejection of the either/or approach that encourages exclusion. The idea is to identify patriarchal culture in its forms of domination: industrial, mechanistic, militaristic and hierarchica l. "The domination of nature originates in society and therefore must be resolved in society . . . it is the embodied woman as social historical agent, rather than as a product of natural law, who is the subject of ecofeminism . . . . In ecofeminism, nature is the central category of analysis. An analysis of the interrelated dominations of nature - psyche and sexuality, human oppression, and nonhuman nature - and the historic position of women in relation to those forms of domination, is the starting point of ecofeminist theory." (Ynestra King, "Healing the Wounds" in Reweaving the World: The Emergence of Ecofeminism, p. 117.) Other compatible movements are deep ecology, Green Politics, bioregionalism, creation-centered spirituality and animal rights. To open any gate one's brain must first receive the message. The physical action through body follows. Direct experience of our environment is required to perceive the "nature of the wild." Nature is a whole system. Earth's circulatory system is complex and alive. Water is a common thread for life's continuance. The weather is another indicator of the health of the planet. "By changing the weather we make every spot on earth manmade [sic] and artificial. We have deprived nature of its independence, and that is fatal to its meaning.

Bauman, John F. And Thomas H. Coode. In The Eye Of The Great Depression. DeKalb: Northern Illinois Press, 1988.

John Bauman and Thomas Coode’s In the Eye of the Great Depression is not simply a study of how the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) studied American poverty in the early years of the New Deal; it is also a pointed critique of the biases that affected reformers in general in the early twentieth century. The book’s chief theme is how FERA-appointed reporters explored and depicted the mood of the American people, as filtered through their own assumptions about poverty and ethnic groups.The result, the authors claim, was a new understanding of American culture that transcended the material and looked more at folkways and beliefs, though it was not a totally radical view perspective. They write that FERA’s reporters redefined the â€Å"American way of life† by studying the folkways and beliefs of the middle- and working-class population. FERA’s study shaped the creation of a national welfare system, but Bauman and Coode argue that it did no t radically break from traditional views that blamed individuals for their poverty, not their environments.The reports FERA chief Harry Hopkins recruited were largely educated, middle-class, products of the Progressive Era who believed in positive social change yet often feared and disdained the poor. They tended to divide the poor into groups deserving or undeserving of assistance, based on arbitrary or bigoted criteria. One reporter, Martha Gellhorn, considered poverty the result of â€Å"incompetence and emotional lassitude† (Bauman and Coode 27).Some were ambivalent toward the South, while others noted poor people’s ambivalence toward welfare; for example, Maine’s Calvinist Yankees refused help and disdained their French-Canadian neighbors for accepting it (Bauman and Coode 126-127). Nonetheless, they adhered to Hopkins’ orders to report everything they witnessed and link it to a sense of decay in American culture. Bauman and Coode seem generally fair in their treatment of the FERA reporters, using a post-revisionist approach to criticize the writers’ class and race biases while also acknowledging their good intentions and valuable work.The authors maintain that, despite their Progressive influences and aims, FERA’s writers were often insensitive to urban blacks’ problems and blamed intermarriage for Appalachian poverty (Bauman and Coode 64, 102). They do not depict the New Dealers here as either heroes or villains, but as individuals shaped by their times and experiences who performed unprecedented tasks generally well, if not flawlessly. What emerges is a realistic look at reformers at large and how their outlooks shaped the imperfect yet necessary federal relief programs of the 1930s.Bauman and Coode incorporate a wide array of sources. The primary materials include FERA reports, department correspondence, biographical information about the reporters, contemporary studies of the poor, and other academic a nd journalistic writings of the 1930s. The secondary sources include various general histories of the Depression and New Deal, including works by eminent historian William Leuchtenberg, as well as regional histories of the places the FERA reports studied.The authors use these well, drawing from them an even-handed picture of the people who performed this work and the prejudices and higher aims that guided them. In the Eye of the Great Depression is an even-handed work that looks less at the relief programs themselves (about which much has been written) than at the methods and biases its employees used to determine the mood and needs of those affected by the crisis. It works well as not so much as a history of reform, but as an understanding of how reformers thought and perceived the situations they tried to remedy.

Karen Olsson’s Up Against Wal-Mart Essay

In â€Å"Up Against Wal-Mart† by Karen Olsson, she finds the truth about how Wal-Mart treats its customers and more importantly how the million dollar company treats its employees. In this essay, Olsson strongly believes that Wal-Mart keeps its stores understaffed and their employees overworked and underpaid, with minimal options for reasonable benefits. Olsson begins with an individual employee, Jennifer McLaughlin, who is a mother of one child, and is currently employed with Wal-Mart in Paris, Texas. She is a very hard worker and puts in a lot of effort every day. But she is not able to afford life, with the amount that the company pays her. Health insurance is too much to afford on her wage, so she has to rely on government assistance to give her child the things he needs. She is forced to work over time, is underpaid and also treated unfairly. According to Olsson, â€Å"On a given shift McLaughlin might man a register, hop on a mechanical lift to retrieve something from a high shelf, catch fish from a tank, run over to another department to help locate an item, restock the shelves, dust off the bike racks, or field questions about potting soil and lawn mowers† (607). In other words, Olsson points out that Wal-Mart does not hire enough workers and also overwork its employees. The other issue is the company Wal-Mart is not unionized. The workers at Wal-Mart have started to try to create a union. But a union at Wal-Mart was never formed due to the company’s anti-union group that created by Wal-Mart, which employees who voted for the union were fired. Olsson states that â€Å"Wal-Mart has responded to the union drive by trying to stop workers from organizing—sometimes in violation of federal labor law† (609). Here she proves that Wal-Mart is against the union and will do what it can to stop one from forming. This essay shows that Wal-Mart’s rapid growth rate and lack of change in fair treatment for its employees is only creating more insubstantial jobs for poor people. The topic of Olsson’s opinions about that Wal-Mart treats its employees badly can be approached from several different angles due to its complexity. Some people seem to think that Wal-Mart is bad for the poor people while others tend to consider that Wal-Mart actually helps the poor people. Upon a close examination of both sides of this issue, I have also developed my own point of view. Personally, I disagree with Olsson’s view that Wal-Mart is bad for poor people because she lacks for hearing opinions from both sides. One reason I cannot support the Olsson’s view is Wal-Mart’s â€Å"every day low price.† Wal-Mart’s low cost of goods saves its consumers billions per year. It not only presents job opportunities for poor families, but offers them discounts on food and necessities. Even though Wal-Mart employees are paid low wages, the low cost of food and other basics makes up for the low wages. For me, Wal-Mart in fact helps the lower income families in the world because their prices are more affordable. Wal-Mart’s prices are helping them purchase more food and basic necessities for their families than they would be able to purchase at other retail stores. Works Cited Olsson, Karen. â€Å"Up Against Wal-Mart.† They Say/I Say, with Readings. 2nd ed. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst. New York: Norton, 2012. 606-619. Print.

Task Environment Essays

Task Environment Essays Task Environment Essay Task Environment Essay Threat of new entrants Carnival Corporation has only a small threat of new entrants in their market. It takes a huge amount of money to get into the cruise business because capital expenditures are large. There are also many regulations and licenses concerning world travel that would have to be acquired before beginning. For these reasons, it is difficult for new entrants to get into the cruise line business. However, there have been a couple of new entrants such as Disney. Bargaining power of buyers In the cruise vacation market, buyers do not have the power to affect the market that much. If they want to take a cruise, they have to pay the price. Threat of substitute products or services This is definitely a threat to Carnival Corporation. Consumers can easily replace the cruise vacation with cheaper land based vacations. They can make individual arraignments for all of the services they need, or they can purchase an all inclusive land based vacation that is quite similar to the cruise package. Any of these options are quite easy to book today with the addition of online companies like Travelocity. com or Expedia. com. Bargaining power of suppliers With respect to the suppliers of ships, there are not many suppliers. Part of Carnival Corporations strategy is to keep the most state-of-the-art ships with all of the amenities that the cruise customers prefer. They also feel that they need more ships in order to grow their company at the rate they would like. This could put the shipbuilders in a nice position of demanding more money for the ships. I would also assume that depending on where there ships are based (they wholly own, and partially own several cruise lines), suppliers may have good bargaining power. One area in particular that suppliers have a great amount of bargaining power, regardless of base of operations, is fuel. This supplier could cause Carnival Corporations profit margin to deteriorate rapidly. Rivalry among competing firms At the current time, there is a very strong rivalry among the top competitors in this industry. Many of the larger companies are merging with, or buying, other cruise lines in order to maintain margins and capture a larger market share. Relative power of unions, governments, special interest groups, etc. This could be an area that may cause Carnival Corporation some problems. Unions have already tried to unionize Carnivals shipboard employees. If that occurs, Carnival Corporations margins will shrink drastically because they use very inexpensive labor aboard the ships. Concerning the environment, special interest groups such as Greenpeace could have an effect on Carnivals operations. Since Carnivals area of operations is in many countries, those governments have a lot of power to dictate to Carnival Corporation. As far as the societal environment is concerned, Carnival Corporation needs to be cognizant of several factors. To begin with, the current state of the economy has to be considered. They must recognize that the lions share of their contemporary segment has lost some of its disposable income and are less likely to take a vacation at this time. Technologically speaking, Carnival should recognize that many individuals are using the Internet to book their vacations and consider how to take advantage of that particular distribution system. With the current state of instability in the world political arena, Carnival Corporation needs to realize that many people are uncomfortable traveling abroad at this time and make some adjustments to offset travelers fears. Finally, they should realize the need to be as environmentally friendly as possible to avoid any conflict with environmental groups. They also should realize the huge market potential of the aging Baby Boomer demographic that will have more money and time to spend on vacationing. In the task environment, they need not worry about new entrants but rather on the competition merging and cutting into the market share. They should always keep in mind that individuals have several options when it comes to vacations and make sure that the can compete with those options in both price and conveniences offered. They should also keep their relationships with foreign governments in the forefront of their mind so as not to close themselves out of some areas. Finally, they should make sure that they keep their employees happy in order to keep them from unionizing.

Palo Mayombe

Palo Mayombe Introduction Palo Mayombe is a Congo-inspired cult, which is one of the variant forms of Reglas de Congo religious cults, widely practiced in Havana, Cuba. It has its origins in the Bantu of Congo in Central Africa and encompasses many Congo religious cults including the Biyumba, Vrillumba, and Regla Conga.Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Palo Mayombe specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Bantu/Congo religious practices reflect the sorcery/magical aspects common in many African beliefs, as well as the magical healing practices. The word â€Å"Palo† means the branches or sticks obtained from the forest (el monte), which are used in making sacred objects (nganga) for magical spells. Often, the practitioners of Palo (paleros) use corpses and herbs to cast evil spells when practicing black magic (Verger, 1984, p. 176). Essentially, Palo is a specialized cult involving the dead with emphasis on evil pacts with the dead, normally made at a graveyard, alongside the nganga. A distinctive iron cauldron houses the nganga alongside other ritual objects such as sticks and bones, which give it magical powers. The practice of involving the dead by the Palo experts makes them mightily feared and regarded as dangerous. In Cuba, the Palo practices are widespread are known to steal corpses for use in the magic ngangas. In the colonial era, the Africans themselves used sorcery to their advantage, as the whites in power considerably feared sorcery. The Palo uses the same magic rites, which have earned them the name, â€Å"the dark side of Santeria† that encompasses all Congo-based cults including the Regla de Ocha (Brown, 2003, p. 117). The presence of Congo in Cuba began since the colonial times in the eighteenth century comprising of majority Reglas de Congo and the Reglas Lacumi. The Reglas de Congo settled mostly in the eastern Cuba in places such as Guantnamo and Santiago de Cuba. The Congo ritu al influence has since spread in most parts of the island characterized by chanting and sacred songs. Because of the harm the objects of Palo works (obras, trabajos) have, Palo witchcraft is widely feared in Cuba. The Palo witchcraft involves working with the dead and involvement of the dead in their witchcraft practices.Advertising Looking for thesis on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Origins of Palo Mayombe Palo Mayombe is specifically Congo-inspired different from the West African derived Santo also called Lacumi or Ocha in Havana. Its presence in Cuba can be traced from the Central African slaves in Cuba under the Cuban colonialism. The emergence of Palo dates back to the late seventeenth century and the early eighteenth century, as a cauldron of many Congo-derived cults (Clark, 2005, p. 233). During this period, the cults had healing rites treating people under the name â€Å"ngoma†. M ost notable were the Lemba healing society, who prior to spreading to Cuba occupied the banks of Congo River in the early seventeenth century. Due to contact with the Portuguese during the slave trade, the lemba gained entry into the Americas to inspire many religions. Another Congo-derived sacred society that made passage into Cuba resulting into the birth of the Palo was the Nkita. The Nkita people were among the Congo people who lived at the lower banks of the Congo River in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and they experienced much social disruption resulting from the slave trade. In the initiation into the Nkita healing society, the Nkita affiliated its members with the ancestors, who they believed possessed the ultimate authority over them (Brown, 2003, p. 120). In Palo, the names â€Å"lemba†, â€Å"nkita† and â€Å"ngoma† are common in their sacred speech. In1725-1875 as more people from Central Africa arrived in Cuba, they brought many cultures and cultic practices, which were primarily nurtured in Havana (Brown, 2003, p. 118). The lemba and Nkita were among the Central African inspirations that struggled against one another in seeking followers mainly from people burdened by enslavement. As the slavery and Spanish occupation in Cuba ended in the twentieth century, the two inspirations emerged as the Palo, which in Havana refers to â€Å"Regla de Congo† translated as â€Å"Kongo Rule† (Bockie, 1993, p. 72). The Regla de Congo or Kong law subsequently formed a â€Å"Palo society†, a powerful social society that spreads fear due to its involvement of the dead in its witchcraft practices. The Palo society comprises of four main branches or â€Å"ramas† in Havana. Each of these branches has distinct practices musically, linguistically and ritually compared to another. The branches include â€Å"Palo Kimbisa†, â€Å"Palo Monte†, â€Å"Palo Mayombe† and â€Å"Palo Briyumba† . However, in the countryside, and throughout Cuba, the Kongo inspirations take different names and engage in diverse forms of religious practices (Brown, 1998, p. 307).Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Palo Mayombe specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The â€Å"Palo Mayombe† just like the â€Å"Palo Briyumba† and â€Å"Palo Monte† are Havana-based and proliferates into various communities and practitioners’ temple houses. Palo literally means stick derived from the mango tree or â€Å"un palo de mango† (a stick of the mango tree) (Bockie, 1993, p. 82). The use of â€Å"Palo† to mean Kongo-Cuban religious practices reflects the power associated with the Kongo-Cuban magic objects. The branches of powerful trees or the â€Å"Palo† make up the â€Å"prendas†, which are the objects used for witchcraft for healing or harming others. The sticks (Palo) are symbolic of the sticks used to kindle fires to destroy one’s enemies (Bockie, 1993, p. 87). The Palo Mayombe Practices and the Dead Palo Mayombe essentially involves the practice of working with the dead. Its adherents are believed to communicate directly with the dead (Brown, 1998, p. 293). During initiations into the cult, the individuals must possess a â€Å"sense of wandering† with the dead spirits in order to understand the prendas and the practice of harming or healing of the Palo Mayombe. The Palo Mayombe craft involves stories, specified songs, and recollections that are held in consciousness and serve as a mode of visceral apprehension of the dead in the body of the living. Their definition of the dead involves the visceral affirmation felt in the bodies of living and the surrounding world. Thus, the Palo invokes the dead or certain aspects of the dead in all their teaching and crafts. The dead could be a deceased sibling, a parent or unknown number of the dead (Kalunga el m uerto) that spread fear to many people (Moore, 1997, p. 30). The dead make up the word of ancestors that come back to fill the minds of the practitioners with scary imaginations. The practitioners use bones or blood exhumed from graves of the dead that saturates the imaginations of the living and thus attributing to the presence of the dead among the living. The Cuban-Kongo dead comprise one of the aspects of the Palo’s dead forming an unknown mass of the dead, (â€Å"Kulunga el muerto†), which proliferates to form a dominant entity. The aspects of the dead that echo in the minds of the living first arise from the Kalunga before apprehension by the sensing living body (Brown, 1998, p. 327).Advertising Looking for thesis on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Kalunga el muerto comprise of many dead that could exist forming an indistinguishable mass that spread fear among the living. During the initiation of a new individual into the Palo Mayombe, a Palero priest baptizes the person into the secrets and mysteries of the Palo Mayombe. A palero priest serves to protect and serve the community. The Palero priest bears the light in the darkness that attracts the blessings of the evil spirits (Brandon, 1991, p. 57). However, in death, God, the Olodumare, extinguishes the Palero priest, who then becomes elevated to a spiritual guide for the darkness. The Palo Mayombe Initiation Ceremonies Any individual wishing to join Palo Mayombe must consult a Palero priest who, through the direct contact with the spirit world, will inform the person if he/she can practice Palo Mayombe. Often, rejection occurs because Palo Mayombe may not be part of the person’s destiny or spiritual path. Rejection can also arise of an individual lacks the capacit y to handle the responsibilities of the Palo Mayombe as a Palero priest. The initiation marks the first step in the Palo Mayombe practice and the involvement of the dead in their craft (Cervantes, 1994, p. 119). Upon initiation, an individual enters into the expansive spirit world of the Palo Mayombe. One of the spirits is the Zibranda that means a divine messenger and facilitate direct communication between humankind and the spirits. The spiritual cauldron for Zibranda spirit contains holy water, human bones from the dead, sticks among others. An individual initiated into Palo Mayombe collects these items at given times, over a seven-day initiation period under the supervision of the Palero priest, to construct a person’s spiritual zibranda. Another initiation ceremony is the Madre De La Luna, which simply means the â€Å"witch of the night† or the goddess of the moon. This initiation ceremony for Madre de la luna occurs in a field at night when there is a full moon. It is prevalent among the Mexican witches. The individual being initiated receives a knife that contains power for casting love spells. The knife is a source of power for any individual initiated into the mysteries of Madre de la Luna. The spiritual cauldron for Madre de la Luna consists of crystal beads of quartz and a crystal skull (Bueno, 2000, p. 154). For Madre de Agua, another powerful spirit in Palo Mayombe, the initiation ceremony occurs inside a Santeria Sopera. The Madre de Agua is particularly feared for its power and magic for strong love and money. It also serves as powerful magic in other magical works. The spiritual cauldron for the Madre de Agua comprises of two clear beads, a coral bead, and seven multicolored beads. In contrast, the La Santisima Piedra Iman spirit primarily serves to attract wealth and money among businesspersons in Latin America. Its spiritual cauldron consists of green and black beads. The Mama Chola spirit is a powerful female spirit for casting spells of fertility and love as one of the practices of Palo Mayombe. The last ceremony that an individual can be initiated to in Palo Mayombe is the Francisco de loss Siete Rayos translated as â€Å"Francisco of the seven rays† (Bueno, 2000, p. 156). It is among the ancient traditional ceremonies of the Palo Mayombe. The secrets and its rules involve a spirit contained in an iron cauldron or a bowl. This spirit rules the four winds among the Palo Mayombe religious practices. The Power and the Practice of the Ngangas The sacred objects or ngangas serves to cast magical spells and usually involves communal ritual participation. The participation in the communal nganga rituals may be large especially during initiation ceremonies. The Palo Mayombe healing more often involves attacking the enemy or threatening them while promising prosperity in the lives of the afflicted. The harming or healing is achieved using prendas that bear the force of spirits of a kalunga el muerta or ma ss of the dead. The forms of attack often involve an attack by ruinous storms, hunting cats, birds of prey or bulls (Brandon, 1991, p. 59). The involvement of the dead, (kalunga el muerta), assures the keeper of protection through his/her prenda while taking advantage of the immediacy they have with the dead to attack the â€Å"unprotected lives† they target. They travel with the waves of the dead and repeatedly attack the life they want to destroy until it is carried away with the dead. The Palo Mayombe can make the nganga in various forms with different appearances managed by the paleros. While the rituals of the Palo Mayombe are shrouded with mystery, the nganga reflects the spiritual meanings in the physical world. Although every Palero can keep his or her spirits in ngangas or an outside house, most spirits of Palo Mayombe reside in a special house for the dead (La Casa de Los Muertos). Any spiritual guide cannot keep the spirits because they are so powerful and fierce ( Brandon, 1991, p. 64). Traditionally, the dark spirits are kept in a given house or under lock and key. Within the closet or room, access to other people is limited, lit only with a burning candle always. The La Casa de Los Muertos is stocked with elixirs of a magical nature for the spirits. The Production of Munansos in Palo Mayombe In Palo Mayombe practices, the munanso signifies a crucial space or room that houses the nganga. It can also mean the group membership in communal initiation ceremonies. In particular, the communal participation involves the palero, the mayombero or the ngangulero spiritual leaders depending on the nature of the ceremony or activities. The craft for Palo Mayombe involves a gradual process of ritual implementation by the practitioners (Monroe 2004). The spiritual leaders or mayombero or paleros possess plenty of knowledge gained through years of interaction with the dead and other religious members. The paleros and ahijados (children) form their own muna nso resulting into a religious family of palo at a given locality. Thus, the â€Å"munanso† represents a religious sect that consists of the members at a given locality. However, it can sometimes extend to include the participation of the whole community nationally or internationally. Initiates to nganguleros or munanso comprise of the padrino (father), ahijados (children) and the madrina (mother) forming a socio-religious organization. It is in these circles that the Palo Mayombe practices revolve with the minanso providing the channels of interaction in the Palo Mayombe practice. Teaching of the Palo Mayombe beliefs, rituals and religious language occurs within the ranks of the munanso (religious group). The padrina and the madrina undertake the initiation ceremonies of new individuals or ahijados into the munanso as they lead by example (Verger, 1984, p. 179). The responsibilities and the benefits of the group identify and determine the position of the group and its member s in the community. Thus, a munanso comprises of families of practitioners that have distinctive ritual ceremonies, beliefs and songs. In a common munanso ceremony, different practitioners play different roles including singing, playing drums or supplying religious elixirs including rum and tobacco. Sometimes during munanso ceremonies, the attendees give a small contribution in the form of pesos or human labor in the animal sacrifices and food preparations in readiness for the initiation ceremony (Clark, 2005, p. 231). Although most palero services are non-commercial, non-initiates seeking the services or adverse from a powerful palero usually pay a small fee or give some given goods or services. An older initiate enjoys a higher status and is accorded much respect from the other group members who, as years pass, become tatangangas (nganga owners). There are those who participate in various tasks such as singing or drumming and develop exceptional relationships with the paleros. Thu s, the participation of an individual in the ritual ceremonies is noteworthy as it provides a platform for social expression and religious ranking of a munanso. There are different levels in the ranking of a munanso, and each has distinct roles and functions (Bueno, 2000, p. 157). The position held by an individual depends on the roles and status during initiation and other operations. The Palo Mayombe initiation accords an individual access to the protection and guidance by munanso members, as well as, participation in ceremonies. The learning of the ritual languages occurs through song and dance during the religious ceremonies (Conrad, 1983, p. 342). However, the initiate’s religious affiliations or family determines the learning of the ritual languages. The ritual languages are extremely significant as the lack of knowledge of these languages limit an individual’s access into munanso ceremonies. In addition, participation in the ritual activities requires use of rel igious songs or mambos, which reinforces the use of the ritual language. The Palo Mayombe is a participatory religion, where each munanso member participates in ritual activities, ritual songs and various tasks during initiation ceremonies. Although it is a participatory religion, few members are destined to undertake prominent roles (Conrad, 1983, p. 346) Learning is essential in knowledge transfer and requires healthy relationships between the palores, the ahijados and the padrino/madrina. These relationships provide the means through which the Palo Mayombe practices are learned organized and replicated in each mananso. The number of the ahijados in each munanso is different led by religious leaders who instruct them, and in the process, they build a social network. Normally, a munanso in Palo Mayombe consists of family members and a few intimate friends. The predecessors or the godfathers pass on distinctive Munanso’s practices from one generation to the next, which form t he precise foundation of religious identity. Though munansos are largely distinct, some munansos bear similarities and common histories of beliefs and practices. Often, multiple interactions involving people from different munansos represents the solidarity in Palo Mayombe (Cervantes, 1994, p. 127). However, sometimes the paleros possess multiple religious identities such as catholic and santero, which illustrates the multiple religiosities of the Afro-Cuban people and cultures. Conclusion The Palo Mayombe is one of the many variants of Congo-inspired religious cults otherwise known as Reglas de Congo. The Reglas de Kongo or the Kongo law refers to the Palo society that comprise of the Palo Mayombe. The Palo Mayombe practices, most distinctively, involve working or wondering with the dead or dead spirits (kalunga el muerto). Their initiation ceremonies conducted by a palero or a spiritual priest are also distinctive and various items are required for constructing cauldrons or  "ngangas† for healing or harming. The dead spirits are housed in a â€Å"munanso†, which also signifies a religious society comprising of palero and aihijados. In Palo Mayombe, the magic and casting of spells for healing or harming others involve communication with the dead or dead spirits. Reference List Bockie, S. (1993). Death and the Invisible Powers: The World of Kongo Belief.  Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. Brandon, G. (1991). The Uses of Plants in Healing in an Afro Cuban Religion, Santeria.  The Journal of Black Studies, 22 (1), 55-76. Brown, J. (1998). Black Liverpool, Black America, and the Gendering of Diasporic Space. Cultural Anthropology, 13(3), 291-325. Brown, D. (2003). Santeria Enthroned: Art, Ritual and the Innovation in an Afro-Cuban  Religion. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Bueno, G. (2000). An Initiation Ceremony in Regla de Palo. Gainesville: University of Florida. Cervantes, F. (1994).The Devil in the New World. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. Clark, M. (2005).Where Men are Wives and Mothers Rule: Santeria Ritual Practices and  Their Gender Implications. Gainesville: University of Florida Press. Conrad, J. (1983). Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer. New York: Signet Classics. Moore, R. (1997). Nationalizing Blackness: AfroCubanismo and Artistic Revolution in  Havana, 1920-1940. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. Verger, P. (1984). Latin America in Africa. In Africa in Latin America: Essays on History,  Culture and Socialization: 273-285. New York: Holmes Meier Publishers, Inc.

How to Make a Book in 5 Ultra-Simple Steps

How to Make a Book in 5 Ultra-Simple Steps How to Make a Book: Binding a Hardback in 5 Simple Steps When we talk about how to make a book in 2018, we often talk about exporting files to Kindles and other ebook readers. But what about the old-fashioned art of making a book by hand? Some say that bookbinding is a dying art - but we reckon it’s due for a comeback.In this post, we’ll show you how to make a beautiful book. Not just any blank tome but a beautiful novel, memoir, or non-fiction book - formatted to a professional standard, and bound in a hardback cover. And the best part is that it should cost you no more than fifteen or twenty dollars! Want to know how to hand-make a hardback book? Look no further! So if you’ve written a piece of fiction or non-fiction and you want to know how to make a copy that you can gift to someone special (or have as a keepsake), simply follow all the steps below. Or if you’re looking to create a blank notebook, feel free to jump straight to step three.You will learn how to:Format your book to a professional standard (for free)Print your book into signaturesAssemble the signatures into bound foliosCreate a hardcoverCombine the elementsWhat you will needAnd there you have it! A beautiful work of art that will take pride of place on your bookshelf - and you made it all by yourself. Congratulations!If you have any questions about making a book or using Reedsy’s formatting tool, drop us a comment in the box below.

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Pacifism and violence - Assignment Example Alice Hertz’s sacrifice, like many others who did as she did, was meant for a noble cause. This noble cause was to save more lives from being wasted in the Vietnam war. Whether, that worked or not is a different issue altogether. In this reading, Gould (2010) is evaluating the question of pacifists who believe that disputes can be settled peacefully. The reading suggests that pacifists’ virtues occur in their rejection of war and their affirmation of nonviolent communication and conflict resolution. That pacifists seek lifelong nonviolent moral commitment is a proactive moral commitment. To their opposites, they are cowards because they necessitate no moral commitment. Pacifists may not be heroes per se, but they embody no cowardice. Where cowardice saves life and brings about peaceful coexistence, pacifism becomes a virtue. Pacifists emphasize their value for life by endeavoring to end violent ways of seeking peace. This effort works to support a moral commitment to preserve life. Therefore, the question of whether pacifists are cowards or brave lies in ones moral

Consumer Behavior Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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Consumer Behavior Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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Sales Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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World Religions Essay Example for Free

World Religions Essay The roles of women within the three major religious groups have changed throughout the years. Their beginnings; as-well-as, their current situation, have played an important part in how women are viewed within the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic communities. For this paper, I plan to examine what those roles were and how women in these faiths are now CEO’s, business owners, and important leaders within their respective communities. Roles of women within the Islamic faith vary from country-to-country. However, the roles of Islamic women are fairly standard and, in many countries, are open to interpretation based on how devoted they and their families are. The majority of Muslims live in more conservative countries, where women are required by law to be completely covered while in public or in the presence of men who are not family, or their husband. In these that require this of their women, those women are not allowed to work outside their homes. Their â€Å"job† is to maintain the household and tend to the children. In westernized countries, the burqua is seen as a symbol of repression for Islamic women. But for most of the women who live in the countries where it is required, they see the burqua as a means of protection for unwanted attention by the opposite sex. The â€Å"dress code† for these women have changed in ways that might not be apparent to the outsiders, but women now wear heels, brightly colored nail polish and other things that many westerners take for granted. Another change for conservative Muslim women, is the allowance of women to compete for their countries in athletic events such as the Olympics. They are still required to keep their legs covered, and are required to compete in their events wearing their head coverings and track suits. Conservative Muslim women are now allowed to walk around in public unaccompanied by a male, and they are slowing starting to enter the work force. Some Afghan women are even starting their own businesses outside their homes. In other Islamic countries where the laws concerning women aren’t as strict, women are attending public schools, universities, and raising up in the ranks of international corporations. The country of Jordan is one of these less strict countries. In an interview with Queen Noor al-Hussin of Jordan back in 1983, she states that Jordan was in the midst of a five-year development plan which emphasized the role of women in the development of a more modern Jordan. Islamic women all over the world have been given greater opportunities for education from primary up through the university levels. This increase in educational opportunities have led Islamic women to be able to serve in parliaments; such-as the Egyptian Parliament and even in the Egyptian cabinet. Islamic women has also been named director of national television stations, and even the Minister of Culture for Syria was a woman. It safe to say that Islamic countries, even those who are very traditional and conservative, are starting to realize that women are vital to their economy; as-well-as; vital to the needs of their own households. Within the next 20 years, Islamic women will no longer be forced to do anything they aren’t willing to do, nor suffer the harsh punishments that are dealt out when an Islamic woman wants to better herself. Furthermore, Islamic women in countries like Afghanistan, will continue to become heads of states, foreign dignitaries, business owners, and CEO’s, while maintaining their faith. Women’s roles within the Jewish communities have also changed. Women are and were, seen has being the heart of the home. Their role, according to Jewish law, was to be the primary vehicle of religious expression. Though for the most part, their role cannot be defined as simply that of mother, sister, or wife, but it assumes different forms as each women develops herself accordance with the general parameters of Jewish law and philosophy. Their roles have always been central and considered an asset to the Jewish communities, yet, they were limited and traditional and dominated their identities. In the more liberal synagogues, Jewish women now wear ritual garments and can read from the Torah, but at one time and even within the Orthodox Synagogues, women are forbidden to even hold a position of any meaningful leadership. However, a few years ago, a female was ordained as a Rabbi. This was a big step for Jewish women everywhere. It is now common in not only in a worship setting, but also, in a business setting for Jewish women; especially; women in the Orthodox Church, to hold jobs outside the home. Not long ago, Jewish women were not allowed to study the Torah, a right that was reserved for strictly the men. However, women are now starting their own Torah prayer groups which are being led by those same women. This, among other changes have caused heated debates within the Jewish world. In the future, not only will women in the more strict synagogues become leaders within their communities, but will also become future CEO’s, which currently, they are not allowed to do. One prime example is Gold Meir, the first Jewish Prime Minister of Israel from 1969 to 1974. If a Jewish woman can become Prime Minister, imagine what they could do, we could even have a Jewish woman as President of the United States. I saved Christianity for last. Christian women have had their own issues within the business world; however; since Christianity isn’t as strict as some of the other religions on what they considered to be the â€Å"proper† roles for women, their entrance into the business world was a bit easier. The roles of women within Christianity have changed. At one point, like in other religions, women were expected to take care of the household, their husbands and children. Their education wasn’t up to the same standards as men, and were not allowed to discuss anything that was considered to be â€Å"mans† talk. Colleges and Universities were open to only men; whereas; women went off to â€Å"finishing† schools where they learned how to be a â€Å"proper† hostess, etc. Things started to change at the turn of the 20th century. Women started to become doctors, lawyers, and owned and operated their own businesses. They went to college and were determined to be educated the same as men were. Just recently the tide has shifted and there are almost as many women in the corporate world has men. Some of those women even holding places of authority. Women will always have a place in the business world, regardless of their religion. Hopefully, those women who decide to go against the grain and become more than their communities feel they are, will help other women see their potential. Women may be able to manage a household, but there isn’t much of a difference between fighting children and fighting co-workers. They will and are using their â€Å"homemaker† skills in the business world and in the future, will led to better businesses, less ethical issues and a higher economy.

Torsional Effects On Irregular Buildings Under Seismic Loads Construction Essay

Torsional Effects On Irregular Buildings Under Seismic Loads Construction Essay This chapter presents a brief review of literature available on the subject torsional effects on irregular buildings under seismic loads. Efforts were made to collect related research material. Review of literature encompass research papers on the topic in general and specifically aims at latest trend to control asymmetry, design requirements, configuration requirements, torsional irregularity, performance of irregular buildings, and behaviour of appropriate structural system. At the end of the chapter, selection of lateral force procedures is also described. 2.2 RELATED RESEARCH WORK Latest available research papers are studied related to subject of thesis. Few of research papers are described here under 1) Torsional irregularity of any structure can be determined by calculating the deflections at the ends in every storey. Codes and guidelines give the definite numbers or coefficients to limit the excess torsion in irregular structures. In this paper adequacy of code provisions regarding the torsional irregularity coefficient is checked and concerned over limits are expressed. For this particular research works different groups of buildings are made with different changes in plans such as position of shear walls, number of grids and number of storey etc. Four groups are made namely A, B, C and D with different locations of shear walls in plan. At first, variation of torsional irregularity with respect to number of grids is investigated. Analysis has been performed for each variation of gridlines in a particular group and conclusions carried out. Graphs are plotted by changing the number of grids lines in each group A, B, C and D against irregularity coefficients. It is observed from theses graphs that in each particular group A, B, C or D there exist different numbers of grid lines against which maximum results are obtained in that particular group. Maximum value of irregularity coefficient is determent in group C in which shear walls is away from the gravity center but not at the edges. Irregularity coefficient reach a maximum value for certain number of grid lines then decrease by increasing the number of axis. In second stage, torsional irregularity coefficient is calculated by changing the number of storeys. General trend which graphs shows that with increasing the number of storey for any particular structures, keeping position of shear walls and number of axis same, torsional irregularity coefficient decreases. Curves for structure group C for 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 storey shows that lesser number of storey yields more critical results because as the number of stories increases center of rigidity shifts toward center causing lesser torsion consequently gives less critical results. In the last, position of walls is changed to determine the effects on the torsional irregularity coefficient. Graphs are plotted for each individual structural group against the torsional irregularity coefficient. Curves of different storeys predict the lesser the number of storeys more critical will the results. By changing the location of the shear walls in any particular key plan indicate that critical results are obtain for shear wall placed in between the center and edges of the structures. (Guany Ozmen, 2004) 2) Parametric analysis of irregular structures under seismic loading reveals the effect of torsion as per Turkish Earthquake Code. For the purpose center of stiffness were changed and torsional irregularity was created. Different number of storeys was considered which were analyzed using static force procedure and dynamic force procedures. Results for both of the methods were compared and conclusion drawn. Effect of non-orthogonality was also studied by changing the orientation of the non-orthogonal walls. All these cases were studied for five different directions of earthquake. From these research results limitations in Turkish earthquake code suggested to be improve. (Semih S. Tezcan and Cenk Alhan, 2000) The earthquake forces produced in the irregular buildings are unpredictable and can not be determine with greater accuracy thus such structures are more critically prone to earthquakes. A series of five, framed and walled structures are taken with different irregularity coefficients. This paper shows the behavior of different modules against earthquake forces and results drawn. Paper suggests more elaborative measures need to be taken by codes and standards to take over the issue of torsional irregularity. (Ozmen G and Gulay F.G. 2002) 3) Codes and Standards direct that along with the static force procedure non linear analysis are need to be performed to know the exact behavior of the structure. In this paper investigation is done by creating two different models. In first model eccentricity made only in one direction by shifting mass, whereas in second case eccentricity was produced in both directions. Near-fault zone effects were investigated alongwith far-fault results. Research work shows that displacement demand of the structures remains the same irrespective of distance from fault. The paper concludes that non linear analysis needs to be performed necessarily linear classic analysis alone are not sufficient for analysis of torsionally irregular structures. ( Emrah Erduran, February 2008) 4) To control seismic response of unsymmetrical building viscous damper are placed. With help of modal analysis effect of plan wise distribution of damping were investigated and torsional dynamic behavior were examined. For input seismic earthquake suitable performance indexes were represented by mean of norms. These norms help to distribute plan wise distribution of extra dampers with help of parametrical analysis on asymmetrical plan. Design formulas are prepared to represent the results for norms which were verified by experimentation, which is representative of seismic response of asymmetrical systems. (L. Petti , M. De Iuliis, 2008) 5) Accidental eccentricity applications provided in codes are evaluated and compared with alternative interpretations. An effect of accidental eccentricity is evaluated on the strength of different components. Flexible side elements behavior is investigated and protection measures are described to limit the forces such a comparison is made using different codes. A proposal is made with respect to codes provisions regarding accidental eccentricity, minimum value is specified laterally responding systems. Evaluation of results based on inelastic dynamic analyses indicates that all codes satisfactorily fulfill the requirements to control the response of torsionally unbalanced buildings. Similarly ductility demand and element deformation demand for all the codes are considered. This response demand has a consistence relationship with time period and geometric of the buildings. Codes requirement in design of stiff side elements are verified and found to be satisfactory. ( A.M Chandler, J. C Correnza and G.L. Hutchinson, 1995) TORSIONAL IRREGULARITY Torsional irregularity is defined in Building Code of Pakistan 2007 (BCP 2007) and is reproduced in Table No.2.1. and Table No. 2.2 Table 2.1 Plan Structural Irregularities IRREGULARITY TYPE AND DEFINITION 1.Torsional irregularity to be considered when diaphragms are not flexible Torsional irregularity shall be considered to exist when the maximum storey drift, computed including accidental torsion, at one end of the structure transverse to an axis is more than 1.2 times the average of the storey drifts of the two ends of the structure. 2. Re-entrant corners Plan configurations of a structure and its lateral-force-resisting system contain re-entrant corners, where both projections of the structure beyond a re-entrant corner are greater than 15 percent of the plan dimension of the structure in the given direction. 3. Diaphragm discontinuity Diaphragms with abrupt discontinuities or variations in stiffness, including those having cutout or open areas greater than 50 percent of the gross enclosed area of the diaphragm, or changes in effective diaphragm stiffness of more than 50 percent from one storey to the next. 4. Out-of-plane offsets Discontinuities in a lateral force path, such as out-of-plane offsets of the vertical elements. 5. Nonparallel systems The vertical lateral-load-resisting elements are not parallel to or symmetric about the major orthogonal axes of the lateral-force-resisting system. Table 2.2 Vertical Structural Irregularities IRREGULARITY TYPE AND DEFINITION 1. Stiffness irregularity soft storey A soft storey is one in which the lateral stiffness is less than 70 percent of that in the storey above or less than 80 percent of the average stiffness of the three storeys above. 2. Weight (mass) irregularity Mass irregularity shall be considered to exist where the effective mass of any storey is more than 150 percent of the effective mass of an adjacent storey. A roof that is lighter than the floor below need not be considered. 3. Vertical geometric irregularity Vertical geometric irregularity shall be considered to exist where the horizontal dimension of the lateral-force-resisting system in any storey is more than 130 percent of that in an adjacent storey. One-storey penthouses need not be considered. 4. In-plane discontinuity in vertical lateral-force-resisting element An in-plane offset of the lateral-load-resisting elements greater than the length of those elements. 5. Discontinuity in capacity weak storey A weak storey is one in which the storey strength is less than 80 percent of that in the storey above. The storey strength is the total strength of all seismic-resisting elements sharing the storey shear for the direction under consideration. 2.4 CONFIGURATION REQUIREMENTS Regular structures have no significant physical discontinuities in plan or vertical configuration or in their lateral-force-resisting systems such as the irregular features. Irregular structures have significant physical discontinuities in configuration or in their lateral-force-resisting systems. Irregular features include, but are not limited to, those described in code. All structures in Seismic Zone 1 and Occupancy Categories 4 and 5 in Seismic Zone 2 need to be evaluated only for vertical irregularities of Type 5 (Table 2.2) and horizontal irregularities of Type 1 (Table 2.1). Structures having any of the features listed in Table 2.2 shall be designated as if having a vertical irregularity. (UBC 1629.5.3) Where no storey drift ratio under design lateral forces is greater than 1.3 times the storey drift ratio of the storey above, the structure may be deemed to not have the structural irregularities of Type 1 or 2 in Table 2.2. The storey drift ratio for the top two storeys need not be considered. (UBC 1629.5.3) The storey drifts for this determination may be calculated neglecting torsional effects. Structures may have irregularity in plan or elevation listed in BCP 2007. 2.5 STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS Structural systems shall be classified as one of the types listed BCP-2007 and defined under. Bearing Wall System A structural system without a complete vertical load-carrying space frame. Bearing walls or bracing systems provide support for all or most gravity loads. Resistance to lateral load is provided by shear walls or braced frames. Building Frame System A structural system with an essentially complete space frame providing support for gravity loads. Resistance to lateral load is provided by shear walls or braced frames. Moment-Resisting Frame System A structural system with an essentially complete space frame providing support for gravity loads. Moment-resisting frames provide resistance to lateral load primarily by flexural action of members. Dual System A structural system with the following features comes in the category of dual system: 1. Essentially complete space frame that provides support for gravity loads. 2. Resistance to lateral load is provided by shear walls or braced frames and moment-resisting frames (SMRF, IMRF, MMRWF or steel OMRF). The moment-resisting frames shall be designed to independently resist at least 25 percent of the design base shear. 3. The two systems shall be designed to resist the total design base shear in proportion to their relative rigidities considering the interaction of the dual system at all levels. 2.6 DRIFT AND STOREY DRIFT LIMILATION Drift Drift or horizontal displacements of the structure shall be computed where required. For both Allowable Stress Design and Strength Design, the Maximum Inelastic Response Displacement, ΆM, of the structure caused by the Design Basis Ground Motion shall be determined in accordance with this section. The drifts corresponding to the design seismic forces ΆS, shall be determined. To determine ΆM, these drifts shall be amplified. A static, elastic analysis of the lateral force-resisting system shall be prepared using the design seismic forces. Where Allowable Stress Design is used and where drift is being computed, the related load combinations shall be used. The resulting deformations, denoted as ΆS, shall be determined at all critical locations in the structure. Calculated drift shall include translational and torsional deflections. The Maximum Inelastic Response Displacement, ΆM, shall be computed as follows (BCP 2007): ΆM = 0.7 R ΆS (2.1) Alternatively, ΆM may be computed by nonlinear time history analysis. The analysis used to determine the Maximum Inelastic Response Displacement ΆM shall consider P-Ά effects. Storey Drift Limitation Storey drifts shall be computed using the Maximum Inelastic Response Displacement, ΆM. Calculated storey drift using ΆM shall not exceed 0.025 times the storey height for structures having a fundamental period of less than 0.7 second. For structures having a fundamental period of 0.7 second or greater, the calculated storey drift shall not exceed 0.020 times the storey height, with exceptions of: 1. These drift limits may be exceeded when it is demonstrated that greater drift can be tolerated by both structural elements and nonstructural elements that could affect life safety. The drift used in this assessment shall be based upon the Maximum Inelastic Response Displacement, Ά M. 2. There shall be no drift limit in single-storey steel-framed structures classified as Groups B, F and S Occupancies or Group H, Occupancies. In Groups B, F and S Occupancies, the primary use shall be limited to storage, factories or workshops. Structures on which this exception is used shall not have equipment attached to the structural frame or shall have such equipment detailed to accommodate the additional drift. Walls that are laterally supported by the steel frame shall be designed to accommodate the drift. The design lateral forces used to determine the calculated drift may disregard the limitations and may be based on the period determined, neglecting the 30 or 40 percent limitations. 2.7 SELECTION OF LATERAL-FORCE PROCEDURE Any structure may be, and certain structures defined below shall be, designed using the dynamic lateral-force procedures. (UBC 16.8) Simplified Static The simplified static lateral-force procedure may be used for the following structures of Occupancy Category 4 or 5 (UBC 1629.8.2) 1. Buildings of any occupancy (including single-family dwellings) not more than three storeys excluding basements that use light-frame construction. 2. Other buildings not more than two storeys in height excluding basements. The static lateral force procedure may be used for the following structures: (UBC 1629.8.3) 1. All structures, regular or irregular, in Seismic Zone 1 and in Occupancy Categories 4 and 5 in Seismic Zone 2. 2. Regular structures under 73.0 meters (240 feet) in height with lateral force resistance provided by different systems. 3. Irregular structures not more than five storeys or 20 meters (65 feet) in their height. 4. Structures having a flexible upper portion supported on a rigid lower portion where both portions of the structure considered separately can be classified as being regular, the average storey stiffness of the lower portion is at least 10 times the average storey stiffness of the upper portion and the period of the entire structure is not greater than 1.1 times the period of the upper portion considered as a separate structure fixed at the base. Dynamic Lateral Force Procedure The dynamic lateral-force procedure shall be used for structures, including the following: (UBC 1629.8.4) 1. Structures 73 meters (240 feet) or more in height 2. Structures having a stiffness, weight or geometric vertical irregularity of Type 1, 2 or 3 or structures having irregular features not described in code. 3. Structures over five storeys or 20 meters (65 feet) in height in Seismic Zones 3 and 4 not having the same structural system throughout their height. 4. Structures, regular or irregular, located on Soil Profile Type SF that has a period greater than 0.7 second. The analysis shall include the effects of the soils at the site . Structures with a discontinuity in capacity, vertical irregularity Type 5, shall not be over two storeys or 9 meters (30 feet) in height where the weak storey has a calculated strength of less than 65 percent of the storey above. Where the weak storey is capable of resisting a total lateral seismic force of ÃŽÂ ©o times the design force prescribed. Where ÃŽÂ ©o = Seismic force over strength factor given in Table 16-N of UBC 97

People for Gun Control Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Example Essay

People for Gun Control The recent events that has happened, such as the school shootings and all the violence seen on television, has without a doubt made many of us consider gun control as a possible solution to the violence that has spread across the nation. On the other hand there are other ways to reduce the violence besides using gun control to do that, which are teaching proper gun handling and making mandatory licensing to obtain a gun. With gun control laws the government is putting the average citizen in harms way by taking there gun away from them. More important that gun control is gun safety. People need to learn not only how, but also when to use a gun. Most of the people who go out and buy guns usually don't have the proper training. This is dangerous for them and the people they interact with. There are to many people that treat guns as toys, and forget their killing power. Gun owners need to learn the responsibility that is needed to own and handle a gun. As Carol Simmons once stated, "It strikes me odd that a person has to take a test and get license in order to drive a car, but they don't have to take a test or get a license to purchase a gun. Maybe if such enforcement's were implied and enforced there would be no need to limit the purchase of guns."(Simmons 4) A person must also purchase a hunting license, which gives them permission to use the gun for hunting, but that doesn't mean that they know the proper and safe way to use it. Gun control was designed to protect citizens from criminals who should not have a gun in the first place. But only 27 percent of criminals who are in prison for crimes involving guns have obtained them legally. (Bogus 188) If criminals can get guns illegally n... ...rue gun control lessons the amounts of guns on the streets, but it takes the guns out of the hands of responsible owners, not from criminals. Illegally purchased firearms can't be regulated and these are the guns that are doing most of the killing. By placing a block on legal purchasing the government is denying the common citizens the ability to protect themselves. It seems such a shame that one would have to die because the government wouldn't allow them to have a gun. The emphasis of gun control should be placed on teaching gun safety to those who haven't already had any experience and licensing those wishing to use there firearms and putting stricter regulations on criminals and criminal acts with guns. By doing so, the government would be helping the average gun owner learn what his of her mistakes might be, and keep some of the deaths by guns occurring.

Coursework in Arts Essay

1. In Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun’s painting of the Queen of France, Marie-Antoinette, in the late 18th century, the queen is shown sitting with her three children in a formal gown at the edge of the Hall of Mirrors. Colors that were used can be described as basically feminine—shades of ruby, cherry, velvet, scarlet, and salmon; yet darker colors were used in the crib of the eldest son to portray his death. From the colors of the painting, the queen appears to be sitting on a shiny spot, but around her is a darker, gloomier color that may portray danger to her and her children. Textures, on the other hand, appear to be soft and feathery, which shows wealth and comfort. The lines in the background are parallel and horizontal, which points to her straight, firm position in her seat. The position of the queen and her two children beside her form a straight cross beside the crib that looks like a cave. The eldest son alive who points to the crib may appear like the angel beside the cave where Jesus was buried. The son was like saying, ‘You’re looking for my brother? He’s not here anymore but has gone up to the Father. ’ On the other hand, the eldest son alive stands firmly alone, which shows independence and strength†¦even at an early age. The stairs in the background may mean political fame, but it was portrayed to be darker and more shadowy above, so that it would be best for the queen to be where she is—with her children and her home (please see painting in the appendix). Formal elements show that this good queen is a devoted mother—full of quiet dignity—by the way the colors, the textures, the lines, the shapes, and the space interact with one another. The whole scene portrays quietness, peacefulness, as well as acceptance—things that picture her as a good and pleasant being. There is also the hint of wealth and extravagance, especially the portrayal of the Hall of Mirrors. In the overall, the painting is meant to give her a positive, submissive, and motherly aura. 2. John Singleton Copley’s painting of Paul Revere in 1768 is an example of a Rococo painting. The Rococo style, which emerged in France, characterizes opulence, grace, and lightness, as seen in the painting (Figure 2 in the appendix). Copley used contrasting colors like black (as the background) and white (as Revere’s shirt) to put more emphasis on the main object. The lines, colors, and objects are all simple. Lines, especially in the head and in the table, are all parallel, which may point to neutralism and evenhandedness. It was said that Revere was â€Å"uninterested in politics; he wanted only to be neutral, which was not possible† (Artchive, 2007). The eyes, on the other hand, portray innocence, knowledge, and fairness. The textures used are all smooth and shiny, which may also reflect opulence. It focuses on ‘carefree aristocratic life’, with direct reference on Revere’s being a silversmith—with a piece of silverware on his hand. He was portrayed with such extravagance, as shown in the linen cloth, which at that time was not yet available in America and could only be imported to the land†¦ as well as the golden buttons that lay on his vest. However, the portrayal of ‘flowing linen’ could point—not to the linens of England—but to the production of a hundred ells of linen in America during that time, which for Revere was something to be proud of. However, it is said that the painting is a sort of a ‘balancing act’ conducted by painter Copley (Artchive, 2007), especially that he is about to marry one of the Clarkes who were owners of â€Å"the notorious tea concession† (Artchive, 2007). The silver teapot appears to be a large issue then, since only their enemies—the Tories—drank tea (the Whigs drank the Boston tea, which was a punch). Revere is shown as a neutral person who wears rich linen clothing, but which comes from his own land. He is holding a silverware teapot, which is one of his expertise, but points to the character of the enemies and to the business of the Clarkes with which Copley is about to share his life with. Therefore, Revere is neutral, as he is open to all.