High and low culture Free Essay Example, 2000 words

In other words, the distinction between the high and the low culture shows the difference of culture as an activity promoting specific social beliefs and perceptions and culture as part of the daily life. In the second case, culture needs to incorporate or reflect the challenges of people as members of a community. If regarded as only a means for promoting specific interests, culture is isolated from the daily social life becoming close to the elite class. As analyzed in the study of Johnston (2006) the low culture has been often considered as the main tool for identifying the elements of the daily life of people within a specific social context, a target which cannot be achieved by observing the high culture which is likely to show exceptional modes of life, meaning the cultural preferences of the elite (Johnston 20). However, it is noted that the forms of low culture are often of poor quality, meaning that their aesthetic is limited, compared to high culture. It is explained that this problem has been made clear since the Renaissance (Johnston 20). We will write a custom essay sample on High and low culture or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The review of the historical development of high and low culture leads to the assumption that the distinction of these forms of culture should be considered as the result of the modernist period. As noted in the study of Bertens (236) the ‘great divide’ developed during the modernist period led to the distinction of culture to high and low in order to respond to the needs of the elite class of the above period. In the post-modernism period, the distance between the high and low culture was decreased – under the influence of the increase of power of middle/ low social classes, a result of the radical increase of population globally. The relationship between post-modernism and high/ low culture is emphasized in the study of Jameson (1983, 1984), of Ulmer (1985) and of Hirsch (1987). In accordance with Jameson, the limitation of the distance between the high and low culture, should be related with the appearance of popular culture as a mass culture (Jameson, 1983 in Giroux 62). Popular culture, as a form of culture, was introduced in order to show the forms of culture that are popular to the high percentage of the population, i.e. popular culture refers to the favorable culture of the majority of people, not necessarily restricted in terms of geography. On the other hand, it should be noted, that the popular culture is often characterized as low culture, i.e. of culture of poor quality, as this problem is described using the term ‘kitsch’ (Giroux 62); the above fact proves that even if the differentiation between high and low culture has been limited, still the acceptance of popular culture as part of modern culture is in doubt.

My Last Duchess by Robert Browning - 693 Words

‘My Last Duchess’ is all about control and jealousy. Written by Robert Browning in 1842 (the Victorian era), the dramatic monologue is set in 16th Century Italy where the Duke of Ferrara is talking to a Count’s emissary about a prospective marriage with the Counts daughter. The poem conveys the controlling nature of the Duke by the use of one stanza in the entire poem. It demonstrates this, as there is no interruption from the servant and no break whilst the Duke is talking. Any pauses in the poem, which are created by the Duke, are used to break up the Duke’s thoughts, not to allow the other person to speak. Browning uses a lot of commas to build up the pace of the Duke’s speech – it also eliminates any chance for the other person to talk. Browning uses a possessive pronoun in the Duke’s description of his late wife. He writes, â€Å"That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall.† The use of the â€Å"my† shows the objectification of the â€Å"last Duchess† by the Duke. Duke Ferrara calls the late Duchess ‘his’ to show ownership over her, this possessiveness may confirm why he is not happy with her friendliness. This kind of behaviour was normal in the 16th century as women were seen as inferior because they were classed as property of the men. During that time, most societies were an extreme patriarchal society. Browning produces a sinister undertone whilst he is talking about his wife â€Å"painted on the wall† instead of the painting of his deceased wife, which continues to develop theShow MoreRelatedMy Last Duchess By Robert Browning886 Words   |  4 Pages My Last Duchess The dramatic monologue â€Å"My Last Duchess† was penned down by Robert Browning. In this poem, the narrator is the Duke of Ferrara, and the listener is the count’s agent, through whom the Duke is arranging the proposed marriage to a second duchess. The poem is ironical and reveals its rhetorical sense, gradually. In the later part of the poem, the Duke claims that he does not have a skill in speech, but his monologue is a masterpiece of subtle rhetoric. While supposedlyRead MoreMy Last Duchess By Robert Browning951 Words   |  4 PagesMy Last Duchess by Robert Browning Robert Browning was born May 7, 1812 in Camberwell, London. His father was a senior clerk in the Bank of England. His mother was a pianist. His love for writing dramatic monologues came from his father who gave him the love Browning had for art and literature. Browning attended the University of London for half a year before returning home to read in his father s library. His first work, Pauline: A Fragment of a Confession, was first issued in 1833. It was hisRead MoreMy Last Duchess By Robert Browning Essay1058 Words   |  5 PagesMy last duchess by Robert Browning Quote Analysis My Last Duchess by Robert Browning is a mysterious monologue about a duke who is showing a portrait of his former wife or last duchess to a visitor at his palace. While showing this portrait of his former wife, the duke begins to demean the duchess character and their life together. Although the duke is very well spoken and chooses his words carefully as he describes the duchess, he ends up reveling more about himself than his last duchess. By doingRead MoreMy Last Duchess by Robert Browning1795 Words   |  7 PagesIn My Last Duchess, Robert Browning takes poetic license with a real historical character from within the Italian Renaissance: Alfonso II, the last Duke of Ferrara. The Duke married a young bride, Lucrezia de’ Medici; however, their marriage ended mysteriously after just three years (Bloom 16). Within My Last Duchess, Browning uses the character and voice of the Duke to pass comment upon some of the themes of the Italian Renaissance, particularly the juxtaposition between aesthetics and moralityRead MoreMy Last Duchess By Robert Browning1492 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"My Last Duchess† The poem â€Å"My Last Duchess† is a masterful example of a dramatic monologue written by Robert Browning. In this poem the narrator is a duke who is discussing his murder of his last duchess with a man with whom he is arranging his marriage to a count’s daughter. As it is a monologue, the man being spoken to does not say a word. It is believed by many that this character is based on the Italian Duke of Ferrara, Alfonso II, who sought out the marriage of a count’s daughter followingRead MoreMy Last Duchess By Robert Browning1529 Words   |  7 PagesGentle Into That Good Night, Havisham, The Laboratory, My Last Duchess and On My First Sonne have all crafted very emotion based poems, all 6 present strong feelings. Some through manic speech and rhythm, others through a deeper meaning. I would say the majority of these poems (Havisham, Duchess, Laboratory and Photographer) all feature protagonists with mental disorders, after or during certain situations. My Last Duchess by Robert Browning is about a pretentious man looking back on the fate onRead MoreSummary Of My Last Duchess By Robert Browning1164 Words   |  5 PagesProfessor Newberry 13 February 2017 A Reader’s Guide to Robert Browning â€Å"My Last Duchess† Title and Author Robert browning was born on May 7,1817 in Camberwell, England. To and accomplished pianist and a bank clerk. It is said by the age of five he was already proficient of writing and reading. At the age of twelve he wrote a volume of Byronic verse entitled Incondita, which his parents attempted to have published. By thirteen birthday Browning had received the rest of Shelly’s work, and declared himselfRead MoreAnalysis Of My Last Duchess By Robert Browning1523 Words   |  7 PagesZografakis English Period 8 7 November 2014 Throughout history, gender roles have been an important barrier in society. Women are forced to satisfy expectations established by men and society. â€Å"My Last Duchess,† by Robert Browning, focuses on the powerful Duke establishing certain expectations of the Duchess, and attempting to control her. Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, concentrates on Laertes establishing certain expectations of Ophelia, and seeking to control her. A Room of One’s Own, by VirginiaRead More My Last Duchess by Robert Browning Essay2275 Words   |  10 PagesMy Last Duchess by Robert Browning In his poem â€Å"My Last Duchess†, Robert Browning gives his readers a complex picture of his two main characters. The Duke, who narrates the poem, is the most immediately present but Browning sets him up to ultimately lose the reader’s trust. The Duchess becomes the sympathetic character, a victim of foul play. It is through the various representations of the Duchess within the poem that we come to know both characters. The representations of the Duchess,Read MoreAnalysis of Robert Browning ´s My Last Duchess1165 Words   |  5 Pagesgiven by a character within the poem. My Last Duchess is a narrative poem where the poetic persona is narrating to another the story of his late wife. He first expunges on the painting of the duchess and then digresses to her personality and all her transgressions. He then makes some startling revelations about himself that allow the reader to become intimately aware of his personality. It is clear that the poetic persona in Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess is the Duke who is narrating the poem

Excuses free essay sample

To Whom It May Concern: Writing a letter of special circumstance is a bittersweet experience for me. On the one side, its a wonderful opportunity to explain why my grade point average isnt where it should be. However, on the other, I feel as if I should just deal with the events and not try to make excuses for them. But still, here I am, writing about past mishaps and shortcomings, direly hoping that an explanation will earn me the right to go to Gustavus. It seems as though every year of my high school career held some sort of new personal challenge. Ive always been praised as an intelligent student and fast learner, but when depression set in, my motivation simply dropped. As a freshman at Osceola High School, my struggles were early to set in. My parents had recently divorced the summer before, and consequentially I was being bounced back and forth between houses and dealing with being the buffer between my parents mutual dislike for one another. We will write a custom essay sample on Excuses or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Many of their troubles had to do with the drowning of my little brother four years before, and they seemed to need to find someone to blame. Granted, my ten-year-old brain couldnt comprehend his death when I witnessed it, but as I grew, I let the guilt settle on myself. Of course, Im not the only child who has had to deal with a tumultuous divorce, but the added weight of coming out at a very young age was a little too much to handle. Being the gay kid set me apart in my small, rural high school, and thus, depression descended. My grades reflect my downward spiral in every year of my education. First semester is great, Im still summer-high—and then the constant abuse finally gets to me. Sophomore year, I moved in with my mother and switched schools. The pattern continued. As a junior, I regrettably reached the peak of my mental unhealthiness. After a ten-day stay in the hospital in November of 2006, it was very difficult to bounce back. As my transcript shows, Ive never failed anything, but a 2.93 GPA is not going to get me into a school whose accepting average is 3.67. However, my intelligence does assert itself in my ACT score, a 27. (Also, this score will only get better, as I am retaking the test in October.) For the record, my senior year will not portray my negative habit. While it may have taken a long three years, I have my depression in check, I am confident in myself and who I am, and I have no intention of not applying myself in class. I am prepared to give one hundred percent, and by the end of this year, my GPA will definitely be above the 3.0 spectrum. Gustavus is my top college choice—the grounds are beautiful, the architecture is superb, and the staff and students are a family that I want to fit into. I want to contribute to the college and make a name for myself; I want to prove that I really am a smart person. I only wish that this letter would be taken into careful consideration, instead of being seen as just a whiny excuse. My heart is bent on showing Im worth of being accepted. Sincerely, LaTischa

Noah Claypole Essays - English-language Films, Noah, Noach

Noah Claypole The Characterization of Noah Claypole The process of characterization is that which every author uses to make, build, or create a character. In Oliver Twist, the characterization of Noah Claypole, is carried out in three ways: the author has the character say things that tell the reader what sort of a person he is, do things that reveal his personality, and the author also has the storyteller describe Noah to expose things concerning his nature. His dialogue characterizes Noah. A young man, Noah does not speak to his lady kindly at all. He is very criticizing, ?Oh, there yer are, resting again!?(Davies). The tone of his speech is intolerant, mocking, and aggressive all at the same time. His violent nature is revealed when he threatens to kick his companion. A gentleman would never do such a thing to a lady. The use of slang words in his dialogue reflects his social background. Furthermore, he refers to his lady as a ?fool?. This is exceedingly discourteous of him. Noah is further characterized by what he does. Noah does not respect his companion at all. He does not even walk beside her. He does not feel guilty for making his lady carry a much heavier luggage. Worst of all, he paces in advance and occasionally turns to her with an impatient jerk of the head. He is a bad-tempered man whose nose grows redder as he gets mad. He cannot tolerate the fact that his lady does not urge herself to greater exertion just because she is tired. Noah is also characterized by the narrator's descriptions. The narrator mostly referred to Noah as Mr. Claypole. This affords the writer the opportunity for considerably harsh comments. The contrast of the luggage sizes mentioned allows the reader to assume Noah as a thoughtless man. There is irony in the way Davies describes Noah and his lady. Davies mentions how Noah wanted to save himself, if there were going to be any arresting, but he did not care for his companion. At the end of the same paragraph, Davies writes, ?Of course, he entered at this juncture into no explanation of his motives, and they walked on very lovingly together?(Davies). The narrator's descriptions also set a mood, which will elicit an active response from the reader. Davies characterizes Noah Claypole by his dialogues, his actions, and the narrator's descriptions. English Essays

Days of Terrorism essays

Days of Terrorism essays Violent acts such as bombings, assassinations, and hi-jacking are known to be described as terrorist actions. Terrorism is a growing international problem and governments have had little success to resolve issues in which terrorism is used. September 11, 2001, one of the most important dates I will remember throughout my life. It was morning just as I woke up to get ready for school. I was tired and didnt know what was going on. The television was on and the Chinese news was broadcasting live coverage of what is happening to the World Trade Center. The reporter reported that some terrorists hi-jacked an airplane and crashed into the building. When I first watched the news of this live coverage, I knew something was wrong. The Chinese News does not usually talk about United States news that early in the program. When I arrived at homeroom, a television was on broadcasting the same news. At this point, I got more interested in this topic. Because my first block was social studies and the teacher is my homeroom teacher, she allowed the class to watch the coverage live. Later during the coverage, the program announced that another airplane have crashed into the second tower of the World Trade Center. Shortly a fter the announcement, the bell rang and never thought about it until the very next day when the social studies teacher gave out several newspapers from the Times Colonist. At that time, I knew I should not forget about this incident. A lot of people around the world probably have tuned into a news channel during that day. As war on terrorism continues on, I expect many people will tune in to the news as well. ...

Granny Weatherall Essay Example

Granny Weatherall Essay Example Granny Weatherall Essay Granny Weatherall Essay Granny Weatherall, the central character in Katherine Anne Porters The Jilting of Granny Weatherall, is an 80-year-old elderly woman who is staring death in the face. There is a sense of disappointment with Granny that leads readers to develop their own interpretation of her relationship with her daughter, Cornelia. As the narrator, Granny unintentionally paints the picture of Cornelia as a nuisance and bothersome person. Granny thinks to herself, The thing that most annoyed her was that Cornelia thought she was deaf, dumb, and blind.Little hasty glances and tiny gestures tossed around her and over her head (2). In fact, the reader can rationalize that it is just Cornelias concern for her ailing mother that creates the situation of her seemingly being there all the time. Granny is having mental flashbacks as death approaches like a fog rose over the valley (3). Granny recalls events throughout her life, from being left at the altar on her wedding day, to losing a child, to coming to grips with her own death as the story reaches a close. All of these recollections and the realization of her own death bring together the great ironies of the story, ironies which cause not one, but two jiltings for Granny.As you read the story, the first irony becomes quite clear. On her deathbed, the memory of a lost love, which has been, suppressed for 60 years resurfaces. The memories are magnified in such a way showing that although she had tried to forget George, her former fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, she never actually did. Find him and be sure to tell him I forgot him. I want him to know I had my husband just the same and my children and my house like any other woman (5), are the words Granny speaks to create the irony. She reminisces about the wedding day and being left standing at the altar. Granny vividly remembers, What does a woman do when she has put on the white veil and set out the white cake for a man and he doesnt come? (3) This recollection causes her to start making profo und statements about, Dont let things get lost and its bitter to lose things (3).Though she never says directly why she has these thoughts, the reader realizes that she has this appreciation because of her loss, which was not marrying George. Of course, she had a nice life with John, whom she married and had children with, but there was always the thought of what might have been had George been her husband. She thinks, He never harmed me but in that (3), a direct reference to being stood up at the altar and that was the greatest harm George could have ever done. She had tried for so long to forget him, now on her deathbed, she wants to see him, find him, and let him know how she feels. Granny reflects, For sixty years she had prayed against remembering him (4). He had always been there serving as a constant reminder of the past, of things envisioned and dreamed of wasted in a single instant, relegating her to think only what if.The second irony of the story is the cause of Grannys g reatest jilting, the realization that she had been stood up twice. This feeling is caused by her perception that in death Christ had not come to meet her to take her to heaven. She asks God to give her a sign, a sign that death was now and that He would be there. Now, For the second time there was no sign (7). The irony behind that is that she wanted God to have given her a sign when George had stood her up. That thought gives the reader a sense that she feels if only she had known prior; she could have done something, anything to change the outcome or at least lessen the pain. She wanted God to give her a sign that Jesus would be there in this moment of death with her. Granny is symbolized as that light that is surrounded by the darkness.This is descriptive of the death scene within her mind. The darkness represents death and the sadness of being left at the altar, both of which just consume and swallow the light. Reading the storys conclusion, the reader can understand what Granny means when she thinks, Again no bridegroom and the priest in the house (7). In this situation, Christ is the bridegroom and He has not shown to be with her in death. In Grannys mind, this is the greatest jilting. Granny indicates this when she says, theres nothing more cruel than this-Ill never forgive it (7). In the footnotes, the author makes the reader aware that Granny is referencing to Christ.Intertwined in these two ironies are Grannys feelings about the loss of her child, Hapsy. Even while thinking about the jilting that she received from George, it was Hapsy she really wanted (4). Porter used a great metaphor in describing Grannys desire to see Hapsy writing, She had to go a long way back through a great many rooms to find Hapsy standing with a baby on her arm (4). The metaphorical statement leaves open some interpretation for the reader. Is she talking about Hapsy actually holding a baby, or is Granny reminiscing about holding Hapsy as a baby? Granny is continually engaged in mental flashbacks that affect the way she looks at tomorrow. She sees so many things left undone that she can do on her own, but it is in direct reference to her belief that her and George left things unfinished and it is something she has never forgot. She loved John, but she wanted and loved George, a jilting she could never forget, until being stood up at death with a priest in the room and no bridegroom, the presence of Christ.As Granny Weatherall stands at the doorstep of death, her mental connection to the real world fades into a sense of disillusionment. Granny experienced two jiltings in her life; jiltings that as death looms bring her thoughts to a dramatic and horrible end. As Granny thinks about these events on the day of her death, the reader learns more about her in those few hours than perhaps even her children ever knew. The reader sees the pain of loosing a child and a mate, the challenge of motherhood, and overcoming the obstacles to help your children grow.Gran ny Weatherall is a depiction of strength and fortitude and as her life draws to a close, the reader does not get a total sense of a bitter old woman, but more of a woman who accomplished much without the one thing she truly wanted, a marriage to George. These two ironies represent the type of reading that makes this story intriguing and great to read. As Granny Weatherall, stretches within herself with a deep breath and blew out the light (7), she dies with an unforgiving heart for the jiltings that consumed her mind in life and death, including the greatest of them all, being left alone by Christ to die.

Criminology & Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Criminology & Criminal Justice - Essay Example White citizens receive satisfactory services from police in comparison to other ethnic groups. It was found out that: One of the most controversial areas of police targeting relates to the policing of immigration and the people who are defined as ‘immigrants’. During the 1960s and 1970s ‘coloured immigration’ was not only a potent political issue but also one that framed black and Asian people’s experiences of policing. Many research studies uncovered evidence that ordinary policing often involved checking immigration status (asking, for instance, for passports) when people from ethnic minorities reported crimes of which they had been the victim (Newburn 2007) The criminal justice system should be the epitome of fairness and equity. Police should be fair and just in the execution of their mandate. In the United Kingdom, there have been cases of unfair policing especially towards the ethnic minorities such as blacks. Newburn (200) indicated that sometimes â€Å"a black person reporting a crime is first subject to a background check†. This should not happen since profiling of citizens based on their background is unconstitutional. Public policing should be reformed to ensure that the police do not discriminate citizens based on their ethnic background. The police should be trained to serve citizens equally irrespective of where they come from. Also, any police officer who engages in ethnic profiling should be punished and held criminally liable. The Chicago School proposes that socialization is a core factor in the evaluation of criminal activity in the society. Unlike other theories that focused on an individual’s characteristics to explain crime, the Chicago School postulates that the environment influences people. In essence, there are no people who are born as good or bad. Rather, the external influences of people and social situations play an important role in determining the behavior of a person. The

Effective Teacher Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effective Teacher Analysis - Essay Example The learners are more engaged in what is being presented in by the instructor. The instructor establishes a relaxed and non-threatening setting for the students (Bligh, 2000). The instructor also encourages queries from the beginning of the lecture. The more a tutor connects with the learners in a lecture, the livelier the instruction will be. The thoughtful utilization of queries during an instructional setting may assist move the instruction forward, make the instruction extra interesting, engage the learners, and enhance the utilization of the higher-order process of reasoning (Bligh, 2000). The instructor also provides learners a concise sense of the topic of the day and its connection to the course in general. The instructor has written a summary on the board before the start of the discussion. This technique assists learners sort out what is being presented. In addition, the summary may be useful for the learners when they are revising to pinpoint connections and ideas that the y did not get hold of during the lecture (Bligh, 2000). The instructor also offers information in a range of forms including the use of visuals. Incorporating visuals in an instruction may assist learns understand. Each visual that is utilized during the lecture has a function. For instance, the instructor lessens inappropriate information, puts significant words close to the things they explain, and highlights foremost ideas and phrases. In addition, the instruction is effective because the instructor demonstrates passion for the topic. The instructor informs learners about what is fascinating about the DISCOVER method of research. The instructor utilizes examples and applications which highlight the reasons why the topic is necessary to be learned and comprehended. The examples and applications are essential in transferring instruction. Moreover, the instructor concentrates on communicating with the learners. The instructor communicates comprehensibly so that each and every learne r can hear what is being communicated. He tutor communicates with an enthusiastic tone, but extra slowly than one would in a communication that is not formal. The instructor uses the lively tone to connect new information to what the learners know (McKeachie, 2005). The instructor utilizes informal diction, straightforward, and short sentences. This incorporates transitions that assist learners keep to the sequence of what is being conveyed in the instruction. In addition, the instructor asks a number of queries at a number of points during the instruction to help make sure that learners have got hold of significant ideas. Also, the instructor makes proper use of movement around the room, eye contact, and gestures. The instructor makes eye contact with learners in different parts of the class room, not only those who seem to be engaged. These helps engage the attention of all learners in the class room. There are a number of modifications that would support English language learners .  One is the utilizing of the first language for support. An instructor may review and preview subject using the first language in addition to employing the first language for modification and clarification. In addition, teaching learners reading comprehension techniques in the first language of the learners may enhance reading comprehension when learners read in the secondary language. Two, the instructor may assist English students in English-only surroundings. Employing techniques that have been proved to facilitate English speakers to

The last scene Essay Example for Free

The last scene Essay The monster eventually gets up the courage to introduce himself to the old man (Mr Delacey). The old man is blind, so I think the monster thought that if he met the old man, the man would look below the skin and get to know the monster on who he is, not what he looks like. The old man is welcoming to him; he offers him food, warmth and overall friendship. He speaks in a kind manner at one stage he says there is something in your word which persuades me that you are sincere. In Mr Dalaceys words, he really does come from the heart and it is the greatest and kindest way that anyone had spoke to him so far from his original creation. At the end of this chapter, the monster is found with the old man, by Felix who is the old mans child. Immediately he strikes out and attempts to kill the monster. He beats him with a stick till the monster eventually left. At this point, you begin to start feeling sorry for him, as he has no friends, family or even any dignity. As he leaves the house, you begin to wish that you were the old man, and wishing that someone would actually run after the monster and tell him youll help him, and be friends with him because in this chapter this is all I think he needs, is someone there for him. After he was beaten he treks across the wood-land, until he meets a little boy who comes running up to him. The boy starts to make a fuss and reveals that his brother is Victor Frankenstein. He seeks revenge by killing the boy. At this stage in the novel you seem shocked, from what we thought was a change in character in the last scene, where he seemed so sweet and innocent, he has now just killed a boy in revenge for Victor. At this stage you can tell that his character is defiantly changing. You can hear this in his words, for example he says to the little boy I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victim. When we read the last chapter you would never have imagined the monster saying this to a little boy. The monster seeks revenge to Victor, as Victor left the monster on his own, with no friends in the world and no clue what-so-ever of how to speak or to seek any kind of help. After the monster seeked revenge, he finally reunited himself with Victor. He tells Victor all about his troubles and his problems that he has faced since Victor abandoned him. But Victor turns around and tells him to go away and leave him alone, but the monster keeps speaking and asks Victor to create another human, for The monsters wife. But Victor responds with; Begone! I do break my promise; never will I create another like yourself. To this comment, the monster becomes furious with him, and threatens to make his life hell until he does. I feel more sympathy for Victor as he has no other choice, the monster has already killed his son and he knows that the monster is willing to go further. The monster does use threatening language in this scene though. At one stage he gets so angry he says; Remember that I have power; you believe yourself miserable, but I can make you so wretched that the light of day will be hateful to you. This means that Victor may-be miserable now but the monster is willing to make it a lot worse.  The monster demands that Victor should make him a wife, because the monster has had enough of being a freak and being on his own, he wants someone to be there for him and someone who actually understands what he is going through. The monster decides that if Victor does this one thing, he will leave him in happiness forever. Victor refuses to do this as he doesnt want to create something the same as the monster. As he would be constantly worried. At this stage I do still feel sorry for the monster, he is still all alone, no-one there for him to speak to.  The monster finally decides that if Victor wont create a companion for him, then he wants to be killed. He is fed up of being alone, and all he wants is someone. But no-one will give him that someone. He is also annoyed on how he has turned out, for example him killing the innocent. My quote to this is when the monster says; I am a wretch. I have murdered the lovely and the helpless; He understands what he has done and I still feel sorry for him. At the end of the day, it is true, if someone looked like the monster in our country, people would treat him as an outsider. He would constantly be attacked. Underneath his skin he proved that he was a nice person, but he had a temper, which I believe was the cause of Victor leaving him. The monster was always seeking revenge and he finally got what he wanted.  Mary Shelley must have had a vivid imagination, as well as a scary one. This novel isnt a horror story like people may think it is in-fact a deep down romance. It isnt a love story, but how the monster describes the leaves on the trees and the flower beds, it definitely comes across in a romantic way.

Boston forced busing :: essays research papers

â€Å"Boston Against Busing: Race, Class and Ethnicity in the 1960s and 1970s† The book â€Å"Boston Against Busing: Race, Class and Ethnicity in the 1960s and 1970s† written by Ronald P. Formisano examines the opposition of court-ordered desegregation through forced busing. The author comes to the conclusion that the issue surrounding integration is a far more complex issue than just racism that enveloped the southern half of the country during this time period. Formisano argues that there were broader elements including a class struggle, white backlash and â€Å"reactionary populism† that contributed to the emotions of those involved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Formisano is persuasive in his arguments that the Boston anti-busing movement was a led by â€Å"grass-root insurgents† from the dominate Irish-Catholic working-class neighborhoods in South Boston. These protesters felt that their tight knit existence was being threatened by the rich, suburban liberals whose children were not effected by the enforcement of the busing. The author points out that it was an issue of â€Å"white resistance† rather than racism that played a role in the violence of the protests. I believe that this is a contradictory statement. What Formisano calls â€Å"white resistance† is the violent reaction to the Page 2 movement of African American students into predominantly white neighborhood schools and the mixing of two separate but legally equal peoples. Is the rock throwing at buses carrying elementary age children, stabbings at South Boston High School and riots on the streets outside the schools affected by the integration any different from the U.S. Army escorting nine African American students into school in Little Rock, Arkansas?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The author skirts around the central issue of racism by calling it a â€Å"class struggle† within the white population of Boston during the 1960s and 1970s. Formisano discuses the phenomenon known as â€Å"white flight†, where great numbers of white families left the cities for the suburbs. This was not only for a better lifestyle, but a way to distance themselves from the African Americans, who settled in northern urban areas following the second Great Migration.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the text Formisano ignores the voices of who I believe play a key role in the forced busing era: the students involved and the African Americans from West Roxbury. His primary focus is on the Irish of South Boston, the school committee members including the most vocal opponent Louise Day Hicks and the white politicians and judges who enforced the busing. This leaves the work a bit unbalanced and does not give first hand accounts of what the students felt.

Personal Reward and Stimulation

Assessment task 4 : project 1 Ground rules for how a team will operate: Current level: We treat each other with respect. We intend to develop personal relationships to enhance trust and open communication. We value constructive feedback. We will avoid being defensive and give feedback in a constructive manner. We strive to recognize and celebrate individual and team accomplishments. As team members, we will pitch in to help where necessary to help solve problems and catch-up on behind schedule work Team member opinion: Team members can speak freely and in turn and all participants will have a sayNo one person will be allowed to dominate the discussion Team members will not speak on behalf of anyone else Team members will say what they think and not what they think someone else wants to hear Strengths and weaknesses Strengths: More friendliness, confiding in each other, and sharing personal problems; discussion of the team’s dynamics A sense of team cohesion, a common spirit an d goals Establishing and maintain team methods and boundaries Weaknesses: Arguing among members even when they agree on the real issues Defensiveness and competition; factions and â€Å"choosing sides†Establishing unrealistic goals Expressing concern about excessive work My Recommendations: Discuss team expectations Communicate; make sure everybody stay in the loop. Use organizational tools. 2 COMUNICATING RESPONSABILITIES. Current level By communicating responsabilities, you will be able to obtain desired results/outcomes, improve an employee's performance, and develop new skills. When you do meet to discuss these expectations, standards, and goals, meet in a quiet place without interruptions and have the job description and objectives in hand.Be sure to discuss the expectations with the employee and confirm that the employee understands the tasks and responsibilities of the position. Meet in a quiet place without interruptions 1. Have the employee's position description as well as unit's business plan and/or objectives at the meeting 2. Talk with employee about expectations, 3. Confirm that employee understands the tasks, responsibilities of the position 4. Ask the employee for comments, suggestions on performance standards 5. Finalize performance standards with employee, confirm the employee's understanding 6.Define performance standards at each level of performance, e. g. , meets expectations, exceeds expectations. Team member opinion Communication is one of the keys to running a successful business. And no one in a business should be exempt from workplace communication responsibilities. All employees and management of all companies no matter what size must learn proper business communications to insure excellence and productivity in the workplace Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths Skilled communicators recognize that effective communication takes forethought.For example, smart managers first evaluate their intended audience to gauge such factors as the current mood, audience education level and the context of the situation, and they frame their message accordingly. Effective communicators also evaluate all the possible channels available for communicating, such as face-to- face, over the phone and via email, and they choose the channel best suited for that particular message and audience. Also key to communicating effectively is learning to engage in actively listening: It takes two people — a sender and a receiver — to communicate.Effective communicators avoid distractions and focus on more than just the spoken word. They evaluate body language and tone of voice for clues to gauge whether their intended audience comprehends the message. Skilled communicators in the workplace also encourage open feedback, recognizing that communication is a constant process. Weaknesses: Typical weaknesses in communication include failure to adequately consider the needs of the audience. For example, rushed employees trying to me et deadlines often overload their audience with information, losing important details in the process.Additionally, many communicators inadequately evaluate their audience and ignore the impact of such crucial details as cultural background or education level on the communication process. For instance, industry experts who speak only in jargon will lose members of a general audience lacking experience with those terms. Ineffective communicators also underestimate the affect of physical distractions and emotional interference on their audience. Audiences often discount a speaker’s message if she uses bad grammar, appears sloppy or lacks enthusiasm for the topic.My Recommendation Smart business managers encourage communication strengths in the workplace by modeling superior communication skills with their own messages. Effective communicators educate themselves on the their employees’ individual frames of reference and adapt their messages accordingly. They recognize that meaning exists not in words, but in the people who use those words, and they use language that their audience will understand, avoiding slang, jargon or colloquial expressions.Most important, however, smart business managers actively listen to their audience, ask questions and encourage feedback to ensure that both the intended information and meaning of a message are understood. 3 Share tasks and activities Current level A Task is an activity that needs to be accomplished within a defined period of time or by a deadline. A task can be broken down into assignments which should also have a defined start and end date or a deadline for completion. One or more assignments on a task puts the task under execution.Completion of all assignments on a specific task normally renders the task completed. Tasks can be linked together to create dependencies. Strengths and weaknesses Strength Leaders communicate where they want to take their companies. They also organize groups for particular task s and ensure that group members have a clear understanding of their individual roles. The task- oriented is well suited to structured work environments, such as law enforcement and manufacturing assembly lines, in which repeating well-defined processes usually results in consistently high levels of productivity and quality.Weaknesses In most projects, tasks may suffer one of two major drawbacks: Task dependency: Which is normal as most tasks rely on others to get done. However, this can lead to the stagnation of a project when many tasks cannot get started unless others are finished. Unclear understanding of the term complete: For example, if a task is 90% complete, does this mean that it will take only 1/9 of the time already spent on this task to finish it? Although this is mathematically sound, it is rarely the case when it comes to practice 4 Planing and schedule activities Current level

Home Depot Supply Chain Management

Supply chain has never been Home Depot’s key strategic priorities in the past. Instead, the Atlanta-based home improvement’s management had always been focusing on expanding its stores. At the time, the company’s emphasis on expansion was appropriate considering the history of massive growth. What originally helped Home Depot’s growth was a decentralized business model where stores were populated with highly knowledgeable sales persons with backgrounds in various building trades. Regional and store-level managers, those closest to the customer, were empowered with decisions of merchandising and inventory mix instead of the people at the head quarters. IT also played a significant role. Home Depot relied heavily on home grown systems. By building its own applications, it didn't get bogged down in customizing off-the-shelf software and didn't invest time and money in endless enterprise wide implementations. In addition, a standard database design and an application architecture that reused software components allowed the IT staff to develop applications, such as the company's mobile ordering system (a cart equipped with a computer and printer that clerks could wheel around the store to reorder products and change prices). Average store revenues in prime geographical markets were roughly $60-$80 million, which could justify high levels of de-centralization. The direct-to-store model made sense to Home Depot in the past because of its high sales in each store. With network expansion and competition, per store sales dropped and a decentralized ordering model caused high inventory problems for Home Depot. The majority of supplier shipments flowed directly to the stores and resulted in the Home Depot being the single largest less-than-truckload shipper in the United States, since about 80% of goods were flowing direct to store on half-empty trucks, which was inefficient, lead to poor inventory turns, poor in-stock and high logistics cost. Meanwhile, most retailers, such as rival Lowe’s and discount powerhouse Wal-Mart, ship to distribution centers that can serve up to 100 stores. There, they break down larger shipments into smaller ones that are parceled out to stores. Home Depot’s individual stores were their own stocking centers and store associates had to spend more time in unloading trucks than serving customers. The business model became compromised as to who had the most stores in the most locations vs. superior customer service. After 30 years in business — and taking pride in towering shelves of in-stock items — Home Depot is taking the largest initiatives to move to a more traditional supply chain. In 2006, Home Depot hired Mark Holifield, formerly with Office Depot, as senior vice president of supply chain to modernize the company's supple chain. Part of this new initiative is to get the forklifts out of stores and reduce the amount of inventory piled up in stores. The move to centralized ordering means suppliers now have just one order to process instead of a hundred POs from individual stores. In addition, suppliers now ship their products in truckload quantities to the RDCs instead of sending LTL shipments to individual stores. The combined savings have enabled Home Depot to negotiate better prices with its vendors, which further reduced overall costs. Although all of these changes have helped streamline its supply chain operations, Holifield emphasizes that the overarching goal is to make Home Depot a better place to shop. The whole network is about is providing on-time and accurate service to individual stores so that they can focus on the customers.

Free Essays on Cleopatra

Cleopatra VII Cleopatra The Queen of Egypt "Life of Cleopatra" by Craig T. Staunton Cleopatra VII's family had been ruling Egypt since 305 B.C., when Ptolemy I declared himself King of Egypt sometime after Alexander the Great's death. The Ptolemy family was of Macedonian decent, not of Egyptian. The capital city which they ruled from, Alexandria, had been established by Alexander and is a port city on the Mediterranean and Nile River. This made Alexandria very important commercially, and it also became an intellectually and artistically important city as well. Cleopatra VII's father was Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos "Auletes", who began his rule of Egypt in 80 B.C. He was not well respected and thought weak, as is exhibited by his popular nickname "Auletes", which means "flute-player" in Greek. Cleopatra VII's mother could possibly be Cleopatra V Tryphaena, who either died or disappeared in 68 B.C., right after Cleopatra VII's birth in 69 B.C. Cleopatra VII had two older sisters, Cleopatra VI and Berenice IV, and one younger sister, Arsinoe IV. She also had two y! ounger brothers, Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV. In 58 B.C. Berenice IV (and perhaps Cleopatra VI) took over the kingdom, forcing Ptolemy XII "Auletes" to flee to Rome. Berenice IV ruled the kingdom until Ptolemy XII "Auletes" regained the throne in 55 B.C. Berenice IV was beheaded, and Cleopatra VI disappeared in the intervening time between 58 and 55 B.C. Ptolemy XII "Auletes" then ruled until his death in 51 B.C. His will named Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XIII as heirs to the throne. Leaders in Rome were named as guardians and were to uphold the choice of Ptolemy XII for the two to marry and jointly rule Egypt. These brother-sister marriages had been established as custom by Ptolemy II when he married his sister Arsinoe II. (From now on Cleopatra VII will be referred to simply as Cleopatra unless otherwise indicated) Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII ruled jointly and did marry, thou... Free Essays on Cleopatra Free Essays on Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Cleopatra The Queen of Egypt "Life of Cleopatra" by Craig T. Staunton Cleopatra VII's family had been ruling Egypt since 305 B.C., when Ptolemy I declared himself King of Egypt sometime after Alexander the Great's death. The Ptolemy family was of Macedonian decent, not of Egyptian. The capital city which they ruled from, Alexandria, had been established by Alexander and is a port city on the Mediterranean and Nile River. This made Alexandria very important commercially, and it also became an intellectually and artistically important city as well. Cleopatra VII's father was Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos "Auletes", who began his rule of Egypt in 80 B.C. He was not well respected and thought weak, as is exhibited by his popular nickname "Auletes", which means "flute-player" in Greek. Cleopatra VII's mother could possibly be Cleopatra V Tryphaena, who either died or disappeared in 68 B.C., right after Cleopatra VII's birth in 69 B.C. Cleopatra VII had two older sisters, Cleopatra VI and Berenice IV, and one younger sister, Arsinoe IV. She also had two y! ounger brothers, Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV. In 58 B.C. Berenice IV (and perhaps Cleopatra VI) took over the kingdom, forcing Ptolemy XII "Auletes" to flee to Rome. Berenice IV ruled the kingdom until Ptolemy XII "Auletes" regained the throne in 55 B.C. Berenice IV was beheaded, and Cleopatra VI disappeared in the intervening time between 58 and 55 B.C. Ptolemy XII "Auletes" then ruled until his death in 51 B.C. His will named Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XIII as heirs to the throne. Leaders in Rome were named as guardians and were to uphold the choice of Ptolemy XII for the two to marry and jointly rule Egypt. These brother-sister marriages had been established as custom by Ptolemy II when he married his sister Arsinoe II. (From now on Cleopatra VII will be referred to simply as Cleopatra unless otherwise indicated) Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII ruled jointly and did marry, thou... Free Essays on Cleopatra According to Theophile Gautier ," Cleopatra is a person to be wondered at (†¦) whom dreamers find always at the end of their dreams." The story of Cleopatra’s life has been told in many different forms. Cleopatra in all forms was a woman of mystery, power, sin, and eroticism. When you think of the name Cleopatra what comes to mind? Many people may think that she was a saint for not just reason and that she committed suicide in the face of adversity. Other people may think that she was a deceiving, power hungry killer that had an obsession with men. In the two thousand years since Cleopatra’s death the vision of her has changed immensely (Hughes-Hallet 1). According to Lucy Hughes –Hallett, â€Å"the vision of Cleopatra has been recreated over and over again, each time in a form that fits the prejudices and fantasies of the age that produced it â€Å"(1). For example, Cecil B. Demille created a movie about her life making her â€Å"the wickedest woman in history â€Å" (1). According to George Bernhard Shaw she was an emotionally disturbed sex kitten; to the painters of the Renaissance she was a helpless victim; to the poets of Romanticism she was a terrifying femme fatale, and to Arabic historian Al- Masudi she was a scholar and a sag e (1). Cleopatra’s personality was one of the things about her that people liked in ancient Egypt, and as of today. In ancient Egypt women were often not considered intelligent and didn’t participate in the arts. Cleopatra, however, was an exception to the old tradition (Thomas 4). According to historian Henry Thomas, Cleopatra was very intelligent and often read literature with scholars in the palace library. She could have intelligent conversations about painting, sculpture, poetry, theology, statecraft, philosophy and religion with some of the most looked up to men of her time (4). Above all of Cleopatra’s sought -after traits her hunger for power overruled. She had a marvelous passion for the g... Free Essays on Cleopatra Cleopatra VII’s life has been proven to be very interesting, but also weird. The Ptolemy’s and Cleopatra were very clever at manipulating people. Cleopatra also had many affairs with men such as Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Cleopatra was born in the capitol of Egypt, Alexandria in 69 BC. Cleopatra was the daughter of the pharaoh of Egypt, Ptolemy XII, who was also nicknamed Auletes, and his Queen, Cleopatra V Tryphaena. Cleopatra V was Auletes’ sister but it was perfectly normal for those of the Ptolemaic dynasty to marry their siblings. Many people may think it is very gross and wrong, but what they don’t understand is that they were in a whole different time; in their day and time it was just normal. Cleopatra’s father wasn’t a strong ruler at all; he was actually pretty weak. He was also proven to be a heartless ruler. That is why in 58 BC he had been overthrown by the Plebeians. In 55 BC he had regained his thrown and had his daughter, Berenice and her husband beheaded since they had taken over after he was overthrown and then ran off to Rome. Cleopatra had five sibilings. She had two younger brothers named Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV. She had two older sisters named Cleopatra VI, Berenice, and one younger sister named Arsinoe. Cleopatra VI had died of anonymous reasons that we do not know. Arsinoe died at Cleopatra’s request. She made a deal with Mark Antony, a man that became her husband and true love, she would finance his attack on Parthia and he would help to fight off her enemies and kill her sister Arisnoe. He did come back to her later too, to ask her to feed his men and round him up a fleet. She did this in exchange for Lebanon, Turkey, Syria, and Jordan. Cleopatra and her brother, Ptolemy XIII inherited the throne in 51 BC after their father died. Cleopatra was just about around 18 years old when she married brother, Ptolemy XIII who was about 12 years old, but it was just a marriage of convenienc...

Improving yourself without climbing the corporate ladder

Improving yourself without climbing the corporate ladder Many of us who enter the workforce come strapped with a host of preconceived notions about how our career journeys will ultimately pan out- the steps we’ll take as we climb the ladder to success, the positions we’ll hold, the salaries and benefits we’ll acquire along the way, and the timelines for making it all happen. Sure, we can spend all our time planning every step of our careers- from our first jobs until the day we retire- but the truth is, it’s almost impossible to predict precisely how it’ll all go. After all, a fair amount of variables that are often out of our direct control, like luck and being at the right place at the right time, factor into the professional mix along with our skill, effort, and good intentions. That said, you don’t need to climb the corporate ladder to grow and evolve. There are ways to make improvements and achieve success that doesn’t involve reaching the next rung. Also, freeing yourself from the cons tant stress and anxiety of having to hit some arbitrary career milestone may be one of the best things you do for yourself. Whether you’re at a career inflection point or want to explore new ways to effect positive professional change that doesn’t include chasing a promotion, keep reading and consider the following strategies for self-improvement.Learn a new skillThese days, too many of us are blindly focused on racing up the corporate ladder and avoid or overlook making the most of opportunities available at our current positions. However, if we slow down and take stock of where we’re currently at in our career trajectories, chances are we’ll see that there are a collection of new skills we can focus on acquiring at our current levels- which will not only benefit us now, but will also likely set us up for greater success in the long term.Consider stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new at work, or maybe even taking a class or pursuing advanced certification. What’s better, many companies are aware of the benefits of having a highly-trained staff and are willing and eager to provide and fund training opportunities for employers. It’s a total win-win situation for all!Explore your industryAre you up on all the latest and greatest developments in your industry? Or are you so focused on climbing the corporate ladder that you’re allowing yourself to fall behind when it comes to current events? Instead of constantly looking upward at your career growth, consider spending some time looking all around you and getting reacquainted with industry news and trends. This can include attending industry events and joining online groups devoted to your specific field. Not only can you come away with a whole host of knowledge and new contacts, it also might help guide and refocus the direction your career takes.Spark positive change at your companyIf all of your focus is on yourself and your career path, you m ay be missing out on opportunities to help improve things at your company. Instead of thinking solely about the next step on the ladder to success, spend some time thinking about workflow and processes in your team, department, and company. How can you share and implement ideas that can help enhance productivity and efficiency? Not only can this help your company, it can also help improve your work life, impress the higher-ups, and lead to bigger and better things in your professional future.When it comes to your career, ambition can absolutely be a good thing- but focusing all of your time and energy on climbing the corporate ladder isn’t the only way to improve yourself. Consider the strategies and advice presented here to effect positive and lasting change in new and meaningful ways.

Natural Law the Prevailing Theory in the United States Today Research Paper

Natural Law the Prevailing Theory in the United States Today - Research Paper Example Natural Law is the of knowing of right from wrong instinctively and the ability to make moral decisions based upon those instincts. This is not just a theory formulated years ago and withered with time it is a theory built into the our very being and since the days of Adam and Eve has been the law we have lived our lives by and build our criminology around. Many Christians believe that Natural Law is the will of God and the Ten Commandments certainly reflects that cause.†They Believe That The Nature of Man And The World Reflects The Will of God† (Donald, James A,) and the Ten Commandments encompass all facets of the human instincts toward right and wrong and the formation of our current day laws and how they are enacted. You do not have to believe in God or even consider yourself christian to be inherent to Natural Law, it is not a spiritual entity but an outcome of nature. Natural Law is not something that was invented or created and it existed long before Aristotle and his cronies came up with their theories. In modern day America our entire law revolves around Natural Law, not theories or ideas, and we never have and do not now need legislation to tell us that it is wrong to steal or to kill or even to treat another human being badly. We certainly dont need to visit a lawyer before committing murder or robbing a bank to ascertain if its the right or legal thing to do and the purpose of legal legislation is to give society the right to punish those who are unable to conform with Natural Law and even the perpetrators of acts against Natural Law expect the penalties they receive, if caught, because it is built into their nature to know that they are being immoral and wrong. The right to bear arms in protection of ourselves and our property has always been an inherent part of Natural Law and even now in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution it is not clear on that law.â€Å"There is considerable

TOXOPLASNOSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

TOXOPLASNOSIS - Essay Example The disease is caused by the protozoan parasites known as Toxoplasma gondii (Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, 2013). The parasite has been found in various parts of the world, in many species. Most of the species includes carnivorous and herbivorous mammals and birds. Moreover, the disease is prevalent in all human population. However, the carrier of the parasite is usually the cat and is primarily associated with the transmission of parasites in all human population (David et al., n.d.). The infection is usually reported having spread in human by eating contaminated meat especially pork and lamb (David et al., n.d.). On the other hand, the parasite has been shown to be prevalent in women of childbearing age usually 15 to 44 years of age (David et al., n.d.). As a result, the parasite has attracted attention of healthcare provider in pregnant women. The parasite is transmitted in various ways. The major form of transmission is through food (Centres for Disease Contr ol and Prevention (CDC), 2013). Most, the tissue form of parasites is transmitted to human through the food. The transmission occurs through eating undercooked or contaminated meat, failure to wash hand after handling contaminated meat, and eating food on utensils that had contact with raw contaminated meat (CDC, 2013). Secondly, transmission may occur from animal to human. Usually cats are infected by eating infected animals (CDC, 2013). Consequently, the parasite is shed in cat faeces as oocyst. As a result, people are infected in various ways. The infection may occur through ingestion of oocyst after cleaning a cat’s litter box, ingestion of oocyst after touching or ingesting anything in proximity with cats faeces, or drinking water that have parasites from a cat’s faeces (CDC, 2013). Moreover, infection can be passed from mother to unborn child. The infection occurs during pregnancy where parasites pass to the unborn child (CDC, 2013). Additionally, the parasites m ay be passed through organ transplant. The recipient may get parasites if the donor has already been infected by the parasite (CDC, 2013). However, it is rare for the parasite to be passed through blood donation. In most cases, the parasite affects people without being noticed. In fact, the infection is asymptomatic in 80% of people (Department of Health, 2007). However, the most common sign in individuals infected with the parasite is enlarged lymph nodes usually around the neck (Department of Health, 2007). The other symptoms include muscle pain, intermittent fever and malaise (Department of Health, 2007). The infection arising after birth mostly leads to mild illness. On the other hand, dominant infection may occur in a lifetime. However, the symptoms may reactivate once an individual immune system is compromised. In immune suppressed patients, the disease may develop with serious complications such as in the heart, brain, and pneumonia (Department of Health, 2007). Most of the c omplications lead to death. In individuals with AIDS, cerebral toxoplasmosis is frequent form of complication (Department of Health, 2007). On the other hand, severe toxoplasmosis during pregnancy may affect the unborn child (Department of Health, 2007). The infection leads to serious complications such as brain damage, liver damage, and spleen and eye disorders. Moreover, infection during pregnancy leads to severe complications for the foetus. The

Research-based Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research-based Analysis - Essay Example As viewers strive to be recognized alongside film characters considered as heroes, so do violence and aggression creep in from the psychological influence caused by such scenes. Consequently, the photo about Kony Make Him Famous 2012 elicits both violent and affectionate feelings from viewers of such photo or the real; film represented by the photo. Elicited feelings are much deeper in those who understand the main character, Kony. The photo conveys strong messages visually; this is further enhanced by the actual meaning of used words, the perceived meaning, the color and shadows, and the entire idea behind the photo. Bower (1-3) explains the use of symbolism in films, and the effects that such symbolism has to the viewer. For example, Bower (2) narrates the scenes in the movie, The Hours, where Woolf has some servants preparing food for her, and after doing all the cooking, she rejects the food to continue with her writing. In this case, Bower argues regarding the powerful messages passed to the viewer in such a case. One of the messages maybe that Woolf was too dedicated in her work and could not sacrifice the slightest moment to eat, or she was indeed detached from her workers that their food evoked no appetite in her. Similarly, in the photo regarding Kony, the same symbolic sentiments may be construed. For example, the photo portrays a dark, red background, and a feature that looks like a cave is visible at the background. The combination of words and the background color evokes perception of blood in viewers; blood is dark red after pouring out of the body. Blood and Kony are suggestive of violence as the history of Kony is told of his fighting with the government in a guerrilla war. Cohen (4) defines the monster and explains the body of the monster incorporates fear, anxiety, and fantasy, all which offer the monster the life they require, and an uncanny independence. Moreover, the monster is not an obvious creature as it in most cases hides, but only to resurfaces to cause havoc among the people. People are intimidated and averse with great fear. The monster does not die immediately as it incorporates a corporal and incorporeal body. This signifies its threat just shifts, but the creature never dies; it will be back again to cause more terror (Cohen, 5).The same characters can be deduced from photo about Kony. First, a monster evokes fear just as the name Kony evokes sentiments of fear in his home country. AS the photo portrays, the dark red color is the blood that Kony signifies, meaning similar to vipers or monsters, he is dangerous, hiding, and will only resurface again to spread terror and then hide again. This may be construed from the cave like features at the background of the picture. Just as the name monster itself without seeing the actual creature evokes fear, terror, and beastly acts (Cohen x-xii), so does the name Kony alone without seeing his picture evoke fear to the people affected. Kony and the beast described by K ohen have similar meanings to the viewer of such photo; they both spread terror and cause much fear in their subjects. Harold in his book, A Moral Never-Never Land explains that violence in media can stimulate views through both sympathetic and repulsive elements contained in such films (243). Moreover, Sobchack explains that increasing violence

Internet Small Computer System Interface Essay Example for Free

Internet Small Computer System Interface Essay A heterogeneous network of both IP-based SAN’s and FCP-based SAN’s should be setup based on a standard naming convention in order to facilitate communication between the client applications and the SAN which stores information. The network architecture should ideally be setup using a naming convention which is simple and precise, whilst facilitating communication between all of the network resources. This technique is based on having a convention which links a variety of technologies together as well as other resources seen on a network. A heterogeneous network consists of various network nodes with various protocols and operating systems in operation together. In the case of a Storage Area Network (SAN), the various operating systems in use on the network need to be able to see the remote storage volumes as if they are locally attached, therefore speed is essential to the successful working of a SAN. The use of a descriptive naming convention is also important as it means problem identification can be made easier and helps to minimize operator errors on the network. There are a number of protocols in operation on every network, and the need for an efficient protocol for SAN use is paramount. The current options for running a SAN are to use standard TCP/IP protocols namely the Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) protocol, or to use a specific protocol called FCP which usually operates over bespoke fiber infrastructure. These protocols are different in the way they operate, however can in fact be used together to improve the performance of a SAN. A naming convention suitable for a TCP/IP based network is very different to a naming convention for an FCP based network. TCP/IP is a network protocol which is used for communication between resources on a standard LAN, however FCP is a protocol which sends SCSI commands via a fiber optic cable to remote storage devices. The iSCSI protocol allows various network storage resources to be identified and used over standard network protocols, which requires compliance with the standard network naming policy, yet which enables the specific nature of their operation to be identified. Naming conventions for the LAN and SCSI storage devices should comply with standard network naming conventions. The servers and iSCSI devices which operate on a network should be been named in compliance with a standard policy and should be unique on the switch fabric of the network. Standard SAN naming conventions should be created with a few factors in mind, each component should be named based on its physical location, what it connects to, which database it is used by, and another unique field of identification. Naming conventions are important because they can save administrators time and effort, and must be created whilst considering many factors. Initially there must be a system whereby network names are created centrally and uniquely so that duplicate records are not made. This naming approach must be consistent throughout the network, and it must be applied across the entire organization regardless of location or operation. This element of the naming convention helps to prevent the duplicity or confusion of network names and is required to enable a high performance network to operate. This issue is not so important when dealing with an FCP-based SAN, because the devices are connected by a separate network of fiber which cannot usually be accessed by resources on the standard network which do not use specific applications or databases. In conclusion the operation of a storage area network relies on speed and an efficient and effective naming system which is able to be managed, diagnosed and repaired where necessary in the simplest and most cost effective way possible. This must be done consistently when using the standard TCP/IP protocol, however specific FCP SAN protocol allows for a much simpler convention.

Cuba, Spain, and the Road to Independence :: essays research papers

Cuba, Spain, and the Road to Independence During the Little War, fought for the independence of Cuba, Spain used propaganda to cast that the war was not a struggle for national independence but one for black supremacy. Spain manipulated the idea of a national war, with the objective to fight colonialism, into a race war with the objective of blacks uprising against whites. Cuban independence activists, therefore, campaigned diligently—mainly through writing—to negate Spain’s representations. Writings of the Ten Years War were conceived as lessons or guidelines to help pave way to a new revolution. Writings also helped reevaluate the image of the black insurgent into one that was more heroic and less threatening than that of the image depicted by Spain. Like their white counterparts, writers of color were critical in constructing these representations, but theirs were more active for black citizenship and therefore, differed from the portrayals of the passive insurgent created by white intellectuals. What ever the difference in representation however, the writings of the harmless black insurgent as well as the nation’s struggle for independence, where blacks fought alongside with whites in union, invalidated Spain’s arguments about the racial dangers of rebellion and the impossibility of Cuban nationhood. Essays and memoirs of the Ten Years War were written by authors who saw their works as writings for a new generation of Cubans. They sought to motivate patriotism with stories of courageousness, and achieve new successes through the telling of past mistakes and failures. They wanted to depict the first war in a way that would inspire activists to prepare for the next one, and by doing so, writings of the old war became a medium in which the course of a new revolt would be influenced. Writing then became more then just words on paper; it became a weapon that was fundamental to the strategy of insurgency (115). Spain, in an attempt to suppress insurgency, was spreading the propaganda that if Cuba revolted, its colored supporters would transform the struggle for an independent republic into a racial domination by blacks. Therefore a strategy was needed to reevaluate the black insurgent who was depicted by Spain as the leader of the dreaded race war and the black republic. Through reexamination, separatist writers were able to neutralize that figure into an acceptable component in the making of the Cuban nation. One transformation is of a slave named Ramon, who went from being the cause of the death of Carlos Cepedes’, the leader of the first insurrection, to a faithful and trustworthy servant.

Student Issues

Our group selected and discussed eight different essays addressing a range of subjects. Some of these essays focused on issues related to students, while others focused on issues related to our citizenship in this country and the world. The essays allowed us to consider issues that were familiar to us, as well as issues that were beyond our own personal experiences. Each essay provided us an opportunity to consider our future and how we view the world and the discussion allowed us to explore and gain insight into how we and our group members felt about these important issues. â€Å"Could Your Facebook Profile Throw a Wrench in Your Future? discusses the danger to future employment posed by information posted by students on Facebook (Dince 44-48). While some of the information in the article seems somewhat out of date, but the overall point of the essay remains relevant: You should be careful about what you put on your Facebook page because employers may be looking at it. Some people may be offended by this and it is certainly not very professional for an employer to go to great efforts to find out private information about you, but job applicants should not be surprised if employers choose to look for information about them on the Internet. Employers have difficult decisions to make when hiring employees and they want to use all the resources that are available to find out who the applicants really are. When we apply for jobs, we work hard to put our best foot forward and employers often want to know what we are really like. Information on the Internet is one way to see how an individual interacts with friends and family, personal issues he or she may have, and problems he or she may have. Many of us may feel it is an invasion of our privacy to have employers looking at our personal relationships or how we use our private time. However, we need to accept that information we put on the Internet, whether it is on Facebook, MySpace, a blog, or a website, is never truly private. We also need to be looking forward to our future plans and goals when we put personal information on the Internet. Information that seems appropriate or innocuous to us as students may appear immature or irresponsible when we are looking for professional employment. Once we put information on the Internet, it may never truly ever go away, so we have to consider that when deciding what to put on the Internet. â€Å"Earning and Learning: Are Students Working Too Much? focused on how college students are increasing focusing more time on working. I have seen this phenomenon first hand through my own college experiences (Kramer 61-65). I originally attended college right out of high school more than ten years ago and lived in the dorms and did not work. I knew students that worked, but they generally only worked a few hours a week and most of my fellow students did not work. As I have gotten older, I have observed relatives, acquaintances, and my fellow students after I returned to school feel an increasing expectation and pressure to work while they are going to school. Some of this may simply be out of necessity because of the decreasing availability of student aid. I also think that changes in cultural and societal influences have encouraged students to expect more material objects such as computers, cell phones, home theaters, game systems, and vehicles. When I was in college, the expectation was that we would eat ramen for four years and very few students had a television or computer. We all knew we were â€Å"starving students† who live a more deprived life for years, but that when we graduated we would be able work towards all those material objects. When I talk to students just starting out now, they seem to expect all the comforts and privileges that had living at home with their parents and this leads them to focus more on earning money and less on their schoolwork. While this is certainly not true for every student, I think cultural and societal pressures have affected the priorities of many students. â€Å"The Nontraditional Student in You† article (Compton & Shock 169-173) reminded me of my own experience as a non-traditional student. When I started college, I never expected that I would become a non-traditional student. I expected that I would complete college in four years and continue on to a career with my college degree. Much like many other students I know, my plans were interrupted by other circumstances of life. I took a break from school because of health problems. I then got married and for financial and practical reasons, decided to help support my wife while she finished school. At that point in my life, I felt as if I had moved on from the â€Å"college† stage of life and continued working. After working several years, I became frustrated with my ability to progress in my job and wanted to be able to have more career options. I was not able to pick up and move to a town with a university and the local community college offered extremely limited options for me since I had already completed two years of college. When I investigated other opportunities, I became aware of the increasing number of programs available online, which were option that were not available in the past. I was able to enroll in the online program and Chadron State and will finally be able to complete my degree next spring. I have encountered many nontraditional students with similar experiences. Their life experiences led them to other paths besides a college degree. After frustrations with their career options or earning potential, they decided they needed to complete college. The opportunities provided by the Internet have allowed many of these students, like me, to complete their degree and open up new opportunities. â€Å"Independent Media Alternatives† discussed the importance of independent sources of news (Barsamian 189-194). Most mainstream sources of media such as major news networks and newspapers focus on what will be popular or appealing to the general public or advertisers. While some good reporting undoubtedly takes place, the mainstream media outlets tend to shy away from positions or stories that are controversial or â€Å"rock the boat. † They sometimes focus so much on appearing fair and unbiased that they miss the truth. Since independent media sources are less focused on corporate success and less indebted to the powers that be, they can tackle controversial or groundbreaking issues. They can also help keep mainstream media focused on the important issues and make sure they are being honest. The Internet has provided even more opportunities for independent sources of media. Regular citizens can create blogs or websites to report news information at little to no cost. This allows even more individuals to report on what they observe. This allows media to belong not just to corporations, but to any individual who wants to share his observations and experiences with the world. This allows us to get more honest, unfiltered access to news from more diverse perspective. â€Å"Less Privacy is Good for Us (and You)† advocates for invasions of our privacy when they benefit others (Etzioni 131-135). The underlying issue is that many Americans think the right to privacy is inviolable, but protection of privacy at the expense of the danger of others is more important. There are undeniably situations where the life of another depends revealing someone’s private information would lead most people to agree that it would be appropriate to violate that right to privacy. However, privacy should not be violated anytime there is a potential benefit. While the right to privacy is not specifically listed in the U. S.  Constitution, many of the Amendments protect specific privacy interests and many other state and federal laws protect other aspects of privacy. It’s fundamental to a free society to protect citizens from undue intrusion by the government, and protecting privacy is an essential piece of that. While there are valid reasons to violate privacy when more significant interests are at stake, all interests and rights should be carefully balanced. Privacy should not be violated when the threat to other interests is only speculative, but only when it is truly necessary. Hate Radio† focuses on the hateful or racist statements made by commentators, most of who are on right-wing or conservative radio (William 163-172). While I do not listen to these stations, I have heard reports of some of the most outrageous and offensive comments. I find racist statements deplorable and believe that radio or TV personalities that make them are having a negative impact on society. However, I would never advocate censoring them because as much as I find their comments reprehensible, the same free speech rights that allow me to criticize them protects their right to say whatever they choose, regardless of how harmful it is. I think the appropriate response is not to censor them, but to speak out against them and encourage others to do the same. Pressuring companies to pull their ads from radio or TV shows that contain hate speech and encouraging consumers to boycott the products of companies that advertise on them can be an effective tool to make a statement against them. â€Å"Who and What is American? † discusses the way we define ourselves as American (Lapham 3-15). Lapham argues that define ourselves by labels such as â€Å"Asian-American† or â€Å"African-American† divide us and is contrary to the idea of us all being American. American culture and history is full of diverse people from diverse backgrounds all united by a common identity of being American. I believe that it is important for us each to recognize and celebrate our own background and culture as well as recognize and celebrate our common purpose as Americans. In that sense, labels can be positive and destructive, depending on how we use them. As long as labels are used to celebrate our personal and cultural heritage, they can help us identify with others and express our unique backgrounds, which is all part of the experience of being an American. If we use these kind of labels to reinforce stereotypes or create divisions, they can be destructive. Unlike the author, I don’t believe that the use of labels is inherently negative, but that we should instead use them carefully and be sure that we are using them in a positive, constructive manner. â€Å"The Internet: A Clear And Present Danger? † raises concerns about the harmful information that is available to children on the Internet and advocates for more restrictions and regulations to Internet content (Cleaver 173-178). It is clear that the Internet is full of pornography and predators. Some regulations and enforcement is important to keep children from accessing offensive or damaging information or being the victim of predators. The government has limited power to regulate and control those that post information on the Internet, especially since it is difficult to trace some Internet activity and many posting information are outside of the United States and beyond our government’s jurisdiction. The most important defense against the risk the Internet poses to children is parents. Parents need to control and monitor their children’s access to the Internet to ensure they are using it safely. Parents can observe their children while they are using the Internet, keep their computer in a public place in the home to monitor it, view their children’s past Internet activity, limit access to chat rooms, and block inappropriate sites. They can also teach their children about appropriate Internet use so that when they do use the Internet on their own, they can make safe choices. While some government action is can be helpful, the most effective way to protect children is through their parents. Parents should take the initiative and the responsibility of making sure their children’s use of the Internet is safe and productive.

“The Importance of Bees”

Barnett, Misty Carl W Simpson COM 100- section 107 4 November 2010 â€Å"The Importance of Bees† General Purpose: to inform Specific Purpose: to inform my audience of the importance of bees, and the recent decline in their numbers due to the colony collapse disorder. Central Idea:I hope my audience walks away with the knowledge that we are dependent on bees for a variety of things, and of their unexplained deterioration in numbers. Introduction I’m sure everyone in this room enjoys eating.Maybe you like eating foods like kiwi, oranges, apples, blueberries, carrots, cherries, broccoli, onions, brazil-nut, watermelon, cantaloupe, squash, pumpkin, zucchini, macadamia, passion fruit, vanilla, or honey? Did you know that all of these foods are reliant on pollination from bees to produce more food? Since the 1980’s habitat destruction of pollinating insects has made these crops reliant on honey farms to bring in bees to pollinate their crops, but since 2007 we have had some of the largest decline in bee numbers on record.As I have mentioned in my first speech, I have my own bee hive. This is my second year with my hive, it’s doing pretty good, and this last year I was able to collect 6 gallons of honey. I have worked around bees since I was knee high to a grass hopper, and bee keeping is a hobby I hope to always able to have. I have several friends that also have hives, and we get together to socialize and help each other work with our bees. The small group of friends I have has even seen a decline in bee population.Last year my friend Johnse lost four of his five hives, and Tom lost all 5 of the hives he had. Body I) The colony collapse disorder, and its affects. A) Drs. Buchmann and Nabhan stated that bees pollinate about 75% of the world's crop plants. B) Large losses for US. a) It was reported in 2007 to have killed 32 percent of America’s honeybees. And in 2008 another 36 percent—more than a million hives— were re ported dead. C) Not just the US affected. ) According to Bernard Vaissiere, a pollination specialist with the French National Institute for Agricultural Research, â€Å"the situation for bees in Europe is no better than for bees in North America. † D) The presents of losses in different countries. c) A report by the European food Safety Authority estimates that the UK lost 30% of its honeybees in 2007, while Italy lost 40 to 50 percent. II) Theories about causes of the CCD. E) Cell phones not the culprit. F) Genetically modified crops not the culprit.G) Pesticides, viruses, fungi, and poor colony nutrition are the new theories. d) Dewey Caron, a University of Delaware entomologist who co-authored a recent report on CCD's toll, â€Å"I'd bet it's a virus that's fairly new or one that's mutated to become more virulent. † e) Entomologist, Lynn Royce, says â€Å"I think we brought this on ourselves. † III) Congresses gets involved. H) Congress has earmarked a few mi llion dollars for research to get to the heart of the problem, but the money has yet to start trickling out, and results are years away.The bees might be able to wait that long, but we can’t. Conclusion So in conclusion I hope you are can now walk out of this room with a little more understanding about the important of bees, and are now more aware of how their numbers are drastically declining.Works Cited Stipp, David. Flight of the honeybee. 156th ed. New York: time inc. , 1992. Web. 13 Nov. 2010. Jesiolowski, Jill. Get bugs to boost your yields. Vol. 43. N. p. : n. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Nov. 2010. Curmmins, Coroline. Silent Spring. Vol. 17. N. p. : The Environmental Magazine, 2006. Web. 13 Nov. 2010

Strength of an uncooked spaghetti Essays

Strength of an uncooked spaghetti Essays Strength of an uncooked spaghetti Paper Strength of an uncooked spaghetti Paper Aim: To investigate and determine the relationship between the length of uncooked spaghetti and the load applied to it reaching its [uncooked spaghettis] breaking point.  General background:  Regular wheat pastas i.e. pastas that need cooking for consumption can be made simply by mixing wheat flour with water, then extruding into pasta shapes and drying. The resulting pasta has good strength, with good cooked firmness and low cooking losses. The strength of an object can be affected by various factors, such as: size, mass, temperature and many more. However, when it comes to the case of uncooked spaghetti, there are two main factors which affect the strength of uncooked spaghetti. These are: the length of uncooked spaghetti and the cross-sectional area of uncooked spaghetti.  In this experiment, I will investigate the effect the length of uncooked spaghetti has on its strength.  Hypothesis:  I predict that the longest piece of uncooked spaghetti will be more fragile and brittle compared to the shorter pieces of uncooked spaghetti. This means that the length of uncooked spaghetti will be inversely proportional to its strength i.e. the shorter the piece of uncooked spaghetti the stronger it would be and vice versa. Independent Variables:  The independent variable in this experiment was the known length of the piece of uncooked spaghetti.  Dependent Variables:  In this experiment, the dependent variable was the volume of water added to the plastic cup suspended on the piece of uncooked spaghetti.  Controlled Variables:  The controlled variables involved in this experiment were: the cross sectional area of the spaghetti i.e. the same type of spaghetti was used meaning with the same thickness and the temperature at which the experiment was conducted. 1. First I took two small tables and placed them parallel to each other. Then using pieces of cello tape I clamped the two ends of a piece of spaghetti of known length to the two tables.  2. Then I measured the mass of the plastic container used in the experiment. I tied two pieces of string to both sides of the container and rested it over the piece of spaghetti.  3. Then I filled the measuring cylinder with 25 cm3 of water and poured it into the plastic container. If the piece of spaghetti did not break due to this, I filled the measuring cylinder again and poured more water into the container. 4. I calculated the volume of water added to the container before the spaghetti broke and noted down my readings.  5. All the above steps were repeated for various lengths of spaghettis i.e. 23 cm, 20 cm, 17 cm, 14 cm, 11 cm and 8 cm.  6. Thereafter, I carried out the calculations needed using the above collected readings which are outlined in the following pages.  The length of the piece of uncooked spaghetti was varied by moving the small tables closer to or farther from each other, depending on what the span of the spaghetti had to be. And the length of the spaghetti used was measured using a measuring tape. The volume of water added to the plastic container resting over the piece of uncooked spaghetti was measured using a measuring cylinder and then added to the container. I made sure that my eye level was perpendicular to the mark on the scale towards which the lower meniscus of the water pointed.  Since the same type of spaghetti was used, the thickness i.e. the cross-sectional area of the spaghetti was kept constant hence, not affecting the readings obtained. The temperature at which all the experiments were conducted also remained constant in the room and this was made sure by constantly measuring the temperature of the room every 15 minutes and noting down the temperatures.

Synonyms for Sofa

Synonyms for Sofa Synonyms for Sofa Synonyms for Sofa By Mark Nichol The item of furniture that is usually the centerpiece of a living room or family room or a lobby or waiting room goes by any one of many names, but they have useful distinctions in meaning. Here’s a rundown of sofa and its associated terms. Sofa, ultimately from Arabic, originally denoted a raised carpeted floor, but it is now the primary term in American English for a long piece of furniture for seating. (A sectional sofa, often called simply a sectional, is formed from multiple pieces, two of which join at an angle so that the furniture can be placed in the corner of a room.) A settee- the relatively rare term stems from the Old English word setl- is a sofa, often with fewer cushions or none at all, with a back and (usually) arms. Couch, ultimately from the Latin word collocare, meaning â€Å"lay or place,† is interchangeable with sofa but originally referred to a piece of furniture for lying down that was backless, with only the head raised. It is still used in this sense in reference to furniture on which a psychiatrist’s patient lies during a session. (â€Å"Casting couch† alludes to the practice in which a film or theater producer seduces someone on the piece of furniture in exchange for giving that person a role.) Couch is also a verb with a seemingly unrelated meaning; originally, it referred to inlaying or overlaying gold, but it has also long had a sense of â€Å"put into words,† with the idea that a message is worded in such a way to obscure the truth or influence perception. Canapà ©, adopted into English from French to refer to an elegantly styled sofa, derives from the Greek word for mosquito or gnat; it originally referred to a mosquito net. (The English word canopy is cognate, and canapà ©, referring to a type of appetizer, was inspired by the furniture term.) Squab, of Scandinavian origin, is an obscure synonym for couch that can also refer to a cushion. The love seat, originally designed hundreds of years ago to accommodate one woman during an era when fashion dictated voluminous apparel, evolved into a piece of furniture that seated two people- often, a couple, hence the name. (It was also known as a courting chair.) A variation on the love seat is the tà ªtetà ªte (the term, French for â€Å"head to head,† also refers to a private two-way conversation), which seats two people facing in opposite directions and separated by an S-shaped armrest. A davenport (the name is that of a now-defunct furniture company that produced such furniture) is a large sofa that may or may not be able to be converted into a bed; the term is used primarily in the Midwest and in upstate New York, though it may refer elsewhere to a futon-style sofa. (Davenport is also the name of a compact writing desk such as that also manufactured by the same company.) The traditional Japanese futon is a portable mattress, but in the United States and other Western countries, futon refers to a sofa topped with a cushion that can be unfolded to form a mattress when the frame is adjusted to serve as a bed. A chesterfield, meanwhile, is a davenport with upright armrests. The name, which survives primarily in Canada but also, interestingly, in Northern California, derives from an earl of Chesterfield who commissioned a style of furniture that became popular during the 1700s. (Chesterfield is also the name of a type of overcoat with a velvet collar.) Several other terms denote convertible sofas: A daybed is a bed designed to be used as a sofa, a sofa bed is a sofa that can be unfolded to form a bed, and a studio couch- the name derives from the use of studio to refer to a small one-room apartment, not an artist’s chamber- is a backless couch with a cot that can be pulled out from underneath it and fitted alongside the couch to form a double bed. A divan, meanwhile- the word derives ultimately from the Persian word for a book or a bundle of papers and later a government council- is a seat that is often armless and/or backless. (In the United Kingdom, the term refers to a type of bed.) Similar items designed for one person include the fainting couch, a small, narrow fully or partially backless sofa with one end raised. (The name originated in the nineteenth century, supposedly when constricting corsets required that such furniture be conveniently located for a woman short of breath to recline and recuperate.) A recamier (named after the subject of a painting in which such an item appeared) resembles the fainting chair but is distinguished by having a curved high headrest and a matching low footrest. The chaise longue is a reclinable chair extended to provide support for the legs. (The second word is often spelled or at least pronounced in American English like lounge, though the term is French for â€Å"long chair.†) An ottoman, though not technically a sofa, is often an accessory to one or to a chair; it is a backless, armless seat on which one can sit or put up one’s feet. Originally, the name applied to a couch for reclining, a style inspired by habits observed in the Ottoman Empire during the nineteenth century. Bench, related to bank and with multiple meanings, refers in this context to a long, usually hard seat for two or more people. A banquette (the word, from French, is a diminutive of banc, meaning â€Å"bench†) is an upholstered bench, often built in along a wall, or a sofa with one arm. (The term also refers to a raised surface along a parapet or a trench used in warfare to accommodate soldiers to fire guns over the barrier; in Southern US dialect, it is also a synonym for sidewalk.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†The Writing Process75 Synonyms for â€Å"Hard†