Royal Caribbean Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Royal Caribbean - Essay Example The current system does not allow for the ship crew to effectively keep track of their passengers. This proposal will offer the development of a DSS to assist in the activity of decision making by providing a list of possible options and tools to improve the ultimate effectiveness of the decision outcome. The DSS will help be helpful in decision making through its capacity to process large information that were encountered during the course of decision making. This proposal identifies the goals and problem definition of the proposed DSS. The proposed DSS will require a decision rule in order to select among alternatives and solution to the problem. This decision rule requires gathering of data and information such as: customer satisfaction surveys, estimated cost of each alternative, feasibility estimations, initial customer feedback regarding each alternative, and current rates of missing passengers Royal Caribbean is mysteriously losing passengers during the trip and while at port. The current system does not allow for the ship crew to effectively keep track of their passengers. This is causing lost goodwill with current and future customers as well as bad publicity. ... The publicity of passengers not boarding the boat at time of departure can have a negative impact on ticket sales, revenue, market share, etc. 2. A relevant improved situation. The proposed DSS will assist Royal Caribbean in deciding among four possible alternatives.. Once a selection has been done, this new system will eliminate the current major problem that the company is facing, and thus will encourage more sales and revenue, and regained its reputation as one of the best company in the shipping industry. 3. The differences between the current and an improved situation. The company have identified four possible alternatives in order to cope with the current problem. A decision has to be made on which among the four options will have the best result in terms of overall effectiveness, based on organized data collections and models. 4. Possible (feasible) changes available to the organization. There will be changes in the overall company procedures and guidelines within the organization. Implementation of the DSS to support the decision making process is a big change among the organizations and its passengers. The best way to avoid resistance to change is to clearly explain the reason for the change and respect the viewpoints of other people. A clear vision and strategy for implementation will have a positive support and avoid restrictions within the organization. 5. A succinct, goal oriented problem definition statement. To design a DSS to determine the best way to keep track of passengers on and off the ship is the company's goal oriented problem definition

Like Water for Chocolate Essay Example for Free

Like Water for Chocolate Essay Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Squalevella Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub (Trd); ISBN: 0553472550 Copyright 1994 CHAPTER ONE. JANUARY. Chrutnuw Ro/ INGREDIENTS 1 can of arOin 1/2 choriw aaye oreyano 1 can of chitej rrano 10 haro ro PREPARATION: Take care to chop the onion fine. To keep from crying when you chop it (which is so annoying!), I suggest you place a little bit on your head. The trouble with crying over an onion is that once the chopping gets you started and the tears begin to well up, the next thing you know you just cant stop. I dont know whether thats ever happened to you, but I have to confess its happened to me, many times. Mama used to say it was because I was especially sensitive to onions, like my great-aunt, Tita. Tita was so sensitive to onions, any time they were being chopped, they say she would just cry and cry, when she was still in my greatgrandmothers belly her sobs were so loud that even Nancha, the cook, who was halfdeaf, could hear them easily. Once her wailing got so violent that it brought on an early labor. And before my greatgrandmother could let out a word or even a whimper, Tita made her entrance into this world, prematurely, right there on the kitchen table amid the smells of simmering noodle soup, thyme, bay leaves, and cilantro, steamed milk, garlic, and, of course, onion. Tita had no need for the usual slap on the bottom, because she was already crying as she emerged, maybe that was because she knew then that it would be her lot in life to be denied marriage. The way Nancha told it, Tita was literally washed into this world on a great tide of tears that spilled over the edge of t he table and flooded across the kitchen floor. That afternoon, when the uproar had subsided and the water had been dried up by the sun, Nancha swept up the residue the tears had left on the red stone floor. There was enough salt to fill a ten-pound sack-it was used for cooking and lasted a long time. Thanks to her unusual birth, Tita felt a deep love for the kitchen, where she spent most of her life from the day she was born. When she was only two days old, Titas father, my great-grandfather, died of a heart attack and Mama Elenas milk dried up from the shock. Since there was no such thing as powdered milk in those days, and they couldnt find a wet nurse anywhere, they were in a panic to satisfy the infants hunger. Nancha, who knew everything about cooking-and much more that doesnt enter the picture until later offered to take chargeof feeding Tita. She felt she had the best chance of `educating the innocent childs stomach, even though she had never mauled or had children. Though she didnt know how to read or write, when it came to cooking she knew everything there was to know. Mama Elena accepted her offer gratefully, she had enough to do between her mourning and the enormous responsibility of running the ranch and it was the ranch that would provide her children the food and education they deserved-without having to worry about feeding a newborn baby on top of everything else. From that day on, Titas domain was the kitchen, where she grew vigorous and healthy on a diet of teas and thin corn gruels. This explains the sixth sense Tita developed about everything concerning food. Her eating habits, for example, were attuned to the kitchen routine: in the morning, when she could smell that the beans were ready, at midday, when she sensed the water was ready for plucking the chickens, and in the afternoon, when the dinner bread was baking, Tita knew it was time for her to be fed. Sometimes she would cry for no reason at all, like when Nancha chopped onions, but since they both knew the cause of those tears, they didnt pay them much mind. They made them a source of entertainment, so that during her childhood Tita didnt distinguish between tears of laughter and tears of sorrow. For her laughing was a form of crying. Likewise for Tita the joy of living was wrapped up in the delights of food. It wasnt easy for a person whose knowledge of life was based onthe kitchen to comprehend the outside world. That world was an endless expanse that began at the door between the kitchen and the rest of the house, whereas everything on the kitchen side of that door, on through the door leading to the patio and the kitchen and herb gardens was completely hers-it was Titas realm. Her sisters were just the opposite: to them, Titas world seemed full of unknown dangers, and they were terrified of it. They felt that playing in the kitchen was foolish and dangerous. But once, Tita managed to convince them to join her in watching the dazzling display made by dancing water drops dribbled on a red hot griddle. While Tita was singing and waving her wet hands in time, showering drops of water down on the griddle so they would dance, Rosaura was cowering in the corner stunned by the display. Gertrudis, on the other hand, found this game enticing, and she threw herself into it with the enthusiasm she always showed where rhythm, movement, or music were involved. Then Rosaura had tried to join them-but since she barely moistened her hands and then shook them gingerly, her efforts didnt have the desired effect. So Tita tried to move her hands closer to the griddle. Rosaura resisted, and they struggled for control until Tita became annoyed and let go, so that momentum carried Rosauras hands onto it. Tita got a terrible spanking for that, and she was forbidden to play with her sisters in her own world. Nancha became her playmate then. Together they made up all sorts of games and activities having to do with cooking. Like the day they saw a man in the village plaza twisting long thin balloons into animal shapes, and they decided to do it with sausages. They didnt just make real animals, they also made up some of their own, creatures with the neck of a swan, the legs of a dog, the tail of a horse, and on and on. Then there was trouble, however, when the animals had to be taken apart to fry the sausage. Tita refused to do it. The only time she was willing to take them apart was when the sausage was intended for the Christmas rolls she loved so much. Then she not only allowed her animals to be dismantled, she watched them fry with glee. The sausage for the rolls must be fried over very low heat, so that it cooks thoroughly without getting too brown. When done, remove from the heat and add the sardines, which have been deboned ahead of time. Any black spots on the skin should also have been scraped off with a knife. Combine the onions, chopped chiles, and the ground oregano with the sardines. Let the mixture stand before filling the rolls. Tita enjoyed this step enormously, while the filling was resting, it was very pleasant to savor its aroma, for smells have the power to evoke the past, bringing back sounds and even other smells that have no match in the present. Tita liked to take a deep breath and let the characteristic smoke and smell transport her through the recesses of her memory. It was useless to try to recall the first time she had smelled one of those rolls-she couldnt, possibly because it had been before she was born. It might have been the unusual combination of sardines and sausages that had called to her and made her decide to trade the peace of ethereal existence in Mama Elenas belly for life as her daughter, in order to enter the De la Garza family and share their delicious meals and wonderful sausage. On Mama Elenas ranch, sausage making was a real ritual. The day before, they started peeling garlic, cleaning chiles, and grinding spices. All the women in the family had to participate: Mama Elena, her daughters, Gertrudis, Rosaura, and Tita, Nancha, the cook. And Chencha, the maid. They gathered around the diningroom table in the afternoon, and between the talking and the joking the time flew by until it started to get dark. Then Mama Elena would say: Thats it for today. For a good listener, it is said, a single word will suffice, so when they heard that, they all sprang into action. First they had to clear the table, then they had to assign tasks: one collected the chickens, another drew water for breakfast from the well, a third was in charge of wood for the stove. There would be no ironing, no embroidery, no sewing that day. When it was all finished, they went to their bedrooms to read, say their prayers, and go to sleep. One afternoon, before Mama Elena told them they could leave the table, Tita, who was then fifteen, announced in a trembling voice that Pedro Muzquiz would like to come and speak with her. After an endless silence during which Titas soul shrank, Mama Elena asked: And why should this gentleman want to come talk to me? Titas answer could barely be heard: I dont know. Mama Elena threw her a look that seemed to Tita to contain all the years of repression that had flowed over the family, and said: If he intends to ask for your hand, tell him not to bother. Hell be wasting his time and mine too. You know perfectly well that being the youngest daughter means you have to take care of me until the day I die. With that Mama Elena got slowly to her feet, put her glasses in her apron, and said in a tone of final command: . II Thats it for today. Tita knew that discussion was not one of the forms of communication permitted in Mama Elenas household, but even so, for the first time in her life, she intended to protest her mothers ruling. But in my opinion You dont have an opinion, and thats all I want to hear about it. For generations, not a single person in my family has ever questioned this tradition, and no daughter of mine is going to be the one to start. Tita lowered her head, and the realization of her fate struck her as forcibly as her tears struck the table. From then on they knew, she and the table, that they could never have even the slightest voice in the unknown forces that fated Tita to bow before her mothers absurd decision, and the table to continue to receive the bitter tears that she had first shed on the day of her birth. Still Tita did not submit. anxieties sprang to her mind. Doubts and the next week she didnt speak a single word to her. What passed for communication between them resumed when Mama Elena, who was inspecting the clothes each of the women had been sewing, discovered that Titas creation, which was the most perfect, had not been basted before it was sewed. Congratulations, she said, your stitches are perfect -but you didnt haste it, did you? No, answered Tita, astonished that the sentence of silence had been revoked. `Then go and rip it out. Baste it and sew it again and then come and show it to me. And remember that the lazy man and the stingy man end up walking their road twice. But thats if a person makes a mistake, and you yourself said a moment ago that my sewing was . Are you starting up with your rebelliousness again? Its enough that you have the audacity to break the rules in your sewing. Im sorry, Mami. I wont ever do it again. With that Tita succeeded in calming Mama Elenas anger. For once she had been very careful, she had called her Mami in the correct tone of voice. Mama Elena felt that the word Mama had a disrespectful sound to it, and so, from the time they were little, she had ordered her daughters to use the word Mami when speaking to her. The only one who resisted, the only one who said the word without the proper deference was Tita, which had earned her plenty of slaps. But how perfectly she had said it this time! Mama Elena took comfort in the hope For one thing, she wanted to know who started this family tradition. It would be nice if she could let that genius know about one little flaw in this perfect plan for taking care of women in their old age. If Tita couldnt marry and have children, who would take care of her when she got old? Was there a solution in a case like that? Or are daughters who stay home and take care of their mothers not expected to survive too long after the parents death? And what about women who marry and cant have children, who will take care of them? And besides, shed like to know what kind of studies had established that the youngest daughter and not the eldest is best suited to care for their mother. Had the opinion of the daughter affected by the plan ever been taken into account? If she couldnt marry, was she at least allowed to experience love? Or not even that? Tita knew perfectly well that all these questions would have to be buried forever in the archive of questions that have no answers. In the De la Garza family, one obeyedimmediately. Ignoring Tita completely, a very angry Mama Elena left the kitchen, and for that she had finally managed to subdue her youngest daughter. Unfortunately her hope was short-lived, for the very next day Pedro Muzquiz appeared at the house, his esteemed father at his side, to ask for Titas hand in marriage. His arrival caused a huge uproar, as his visit was completely unexpected. Several days earlier Tita had sent Pedro a message via Nanchas brother asking him to abandon his suit. The brother swore he had delivered the message to Pedro, and yet, there they were, in the house. Mama Elena received them in the living room, she was extremely polite and explained why it was impossible for Tita to marry. But if you really want Pedro to get married, allow me to suggest my daughter Rosaura, whos just two years older than Tita. She is one hundred percent available, and ready for marriage At that Chencha almost dropped right onto Mama Elena the tray containing coffee and cookies, which she had carried into the living room to offer don Pascual and his son. Excusing herself, she rushed back to the kitchen, where Tita, Rosaura, and Gertrudis were waiting for her to fill them in on every detail about what was going on in the living room. She burst headlong into the room, and they all immediately stopped what they were doing, so as not to miss a word she said. They were together in the kitchen making Christmas Rolls. As the name implies, these rolls are usually prepared around Christmas, but today they were being prepared in honor of Titas birthday. She would soon be sixteen years old, and she wanted to celebrate with one of her favorite dishes. Isnt that something? Your ma talks about being ready for marriage like she was dishing up a plate of enchiladas! And the worse thing is, theyre completely different! You cant just switch tacos and enchiladas like that! Chencha kept up this kind of running commentary as she told the others-in her own way, of course-about the scene she had just witnessed. Tita knew Chencha sometimes exaggerated and distorted things, so she held her aching heart in check. She would not accept what she had just heard. Feigning calm, she continued cutting the rolls for her sisters and Nancha to fill. It is best to use homemade rolls. Hard rolls can easily be obtained from a bakery, but they should be small, the larger ones are unsuited for this recipe. After filling the rolls, bake for ten minutes and serve hot. For best results, leave the rolls out overnight, wrapped in a cloth, so that the grease from the sausage soaks into the bread. When Tita was finishing wrapping the next days rolls, Mama Elena came into the kitchen and informed them that she had agreed to Pedros marriage-to Rosaura. Hearing Chenchas story confirmed, Tita felt her body fill with a wintry chill: in one sharp, quick blast she was so cold and dry her cheeks burned and turned red, red as the apples beside her. That overpowering chill a lasted a long time, and she could find no respite, not even when Nancha told her what she had overheard as she escorted don Pascual Muzquiz and his son to the ranchs gate. Nancha followed them, walking as quietly as she could in order to hear the conversation between father and son. Don Pascual and Pedro were walking slowly, speaking in low, controlled, angry voices. Why did you do that, Pedro? It will look ridiculous, your agreeing to marry Rosaura. What happened to the eternal love you swore to Tita? Arent you going to keep that vow? Of course Ill keep it. When youre told theres no way you can marry the woman you love and your only hope of being near her is to marry her sister, wouldnt you do the same? Nancha didnt manage to hear the answer, Pulque, the ranch dog, wentrunning by, barking at a rabbit he mistook for a cat. So you intend to marry without love? No, Papa, I am going to marry with a great love for Tita that willnever die. Their voices grew less and less audible, drowned out by the crackling of dried leaves beneath their feet. How strange that Nancha, who was quite hard of hearing by that time, should have claimed to have heard this conversation. Still, Tita thanked Nancha for telling her-but that did not alter the icy feelings she began to have for Pedro. It is said that the deaf cant hear but can understand. Perhaps Nancha only heard what everyone else was afraid to say. Tita could not get to sleep that night, she could not find the words for what she was feeling. How unfortunate that black holes in space had not yet been discovered, for then she might have understood the black hole in the center of her chest, infinite coldness flowing through it. Whenever she closed her eyes she saw scenes from last Christmas, the first time Pedro and his family had been invited to dinner1 the scenesgrew more and more vivid, and the cold within her grew sharper. Despite the time that had passed since that evening, she remembered it perfectly: the sounds, the smells, the way her new dress had grazed the freshly waxed floor, the look Pedro gave her . . . That look! She had been walking to the table carrying a tray of egg-yolk candies when she first felt his hot gaze burning her skin. She turned her head, and her eyes met Pedros. It was then she understood how dough feels when it is plunged into boiling oil. The heat that invaded her body was so real she was afraid she would start to bubble-her face, her stomach, her heart, her breasts-like batter, and unable to endure his gaze she lowered her eyes and hastily crossed the room, to where Gertrudis was pedaling the player piano, playing a waltz called the Eyes of Youth. She set her tray on a little table in the middle of the room, picked up a glass of Noyo liquor that was in front of her, hardly aware of what she was doing, and sat down next to Paquita Lobo, the De Ia Carzas neighbor. But even that distance between herself and Pedro was not enough1 she felt her blood pulsing, searing her veins. A deep flush suffused her face and no matter how she tried she could not find a place for her eyes to rest. Paquita saw that something was bothering her, and with a look of great concern, she asked: That liquor is pretty strong, isnt it? Pardon me? You look a little woozy, Tita. Are you feeling all right? Yes, thank you. Youre old enough to have a little drink on a special occasion, but tell me, you little devil, did your mama say it was okay? I can see youre excited-youre shaking and Im sorry but I must say youd better not have any more. You wouldnt want to make a fool of yourself. That was the last straw! To have Paquita Lobo think she was drunk. She couldnt allow the tiniest suspicion to remain in Paquitas mind or she might tell her mother. Titas fear of her mother was enough to make her forget Pedro for a moment, and she applied herself to convincing Paquita, any way she could, that she was thinking clearly, that her mind was alert. She chatted with her, she gossiped, she made small talk. She even told her the recipe for this Noyo liquor which was supposed to have had such an effect on her. The liquor is made by soaking four ounces of peaches and a half pound of apricots in water for twenty-four hours to loosen the skin1 next, they are peeled, crushed, and steeped in hot water for fifteen days. Then the liquor is distilled. After two and a half pounds of sugar have been completely dissolved in the water, four ounces of orange-flower water are added, and the mixture is stirred and strained. And so there would be no lingering doubts about her mental and physical well-being, she reminded Paquita, as if it were just an aside, that the water containers held 2.016 liters, no more and no less. So when Mama Elena came over to ask Paquita if she was being properly entertained, she replied enthusiastically. Oh yes, perfectly! You have such wonderful daughters. Such fascinating conversation! Mama Elena sent Tita to the kitchen to get something for the guests. Pedro happened to be walking by at that moment and he offered his help. Tita rushed off to the kitchen without a word. His presence made her extremely uncomfortable. He followed her in, and she quickly sent him off with one of the trays of delicious snacks that had been waiting on the kitchen table. She would never forget the moment their hands accidentally touched as they both slowly bent down to pick up the same tray. That was when Pedro confessed his love. Sen on to Tita, I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to be alone with you to tell you that I am deeply in love with you. I know this declaration is presumptuous, and that its quite sudden, but its so hard to get near you that I decided to tell you tonight. All I ask is that you tell me whether I can hope to win your love. I dont know what to say . give me time to think. No, no, I cant! I need an answer now: you dont have to think about love, you either feel it or you dont. I am a man of few words, but my word is my pledge. I swear that my love for you will last forever. What about you? Do you feel the same way about me? Yes! Yes, a thousand times. From that night on she would love him forever. And now she had to give him up. It wasnt decent to desire your sisters future husband. She had to try to put him out of her mind somehow, so she could get to sleep. She started to eat the Christmas Roll Nancha had left out on her bureau, along with a glass of milk, this remedy had proven effective many times. Nancha, with all her experience, knew that for Tita there was no pain that wouldnt disappear if she ate a delicious Christmas Roll. But this time it didnt work. She felt no relief from the hollow sensation in her stomach. Just the opposite, a wave of nausea flowed over her. She realized that the hollow sensation was not hunger but an icy feeling of grief. She had to get rid of that terrible sensation of cold. First she put on a wool robe and a heavy cloak. The cold still gripped her. Then she put on felt slippers and another two shawls. No good. Finally she went to her sewing box and pulled out the bedspread she had started the day Pedro first spoke of marriage. A bedspread like that, a crocheted one, takes about a year to complete. Exactly the length of time Pedro and Tita had planned to wait before getting married. She decided to use the yarn, not to let it go to waste, and so she worked on the bedspread and wept furiously, weeping and working until dawn, and threw it over herself. It didnt help at all. Not that night, nor many others, for as long as she lived, could she free herself from that cold. TO BE CONTINUED Next months recipe, Chabeta weooina Cake. CHAPTER TWO. FEBRUARY. Chabefa Wany Cake INGREDIENTS. 175 aranw refinco granetlate0 uyar 300 yram cake flour, fteo three tim 17eay arateo peel of one lime PREPARATION: Place five egg yolks, four whole eggs, and the sugar in a large bowl. Beat until the mixture thickens and then add two more whole eggs repeat, adding the remaining eggs two at a time until all the eggs have been added. To make the cake for Pedro and Rosauras wedding, Tita and Nancha had to multiply this recipe by ten, since they were preparing a cake not for eighteen people but for 180. Therefore, they needed 170 eggs,which meant they had to arrange to have that number of good eggs on thesame day. To get that number of eggs together, they preserved all the eggs laid by the best hens for several weeks. This preserving technique had been employed on the ranch since time immemorial to ensure a supply of this nourishing and indispensable food throughout the winter. The best time to preserve eggs is August or September. The eggs must be very fresh. Nancha preferred to use only eggs laid the same day. The eggs are placed in a cask containing crumbled sheep fodder, allowed to cool, and then covered completely. This will keep the eggs fresh for months. If you want them to keep for more than a year, place the eggs in an earthenware crock and cover them with a ten-percent lime solution. Cover tightly to keep the air out and store in the wine cellar. Tita and Nancha had chosen to use the first method because they didnt need to keep the eggs fresh for that many months. They had placed the cask containing the preserved eggs between them under the kitchen table and were taking the eggs out of it as they put the cake together. When she had beaten barely a hundred eggs, the phenomenal energy required for the task began to have a bad effect on Titas mood. To reach the goal of 170 seemed unimaginable. Tita beat the mixture while Nancha broke the eggs and added them to it. A fit of trembling shook Titas body and she broke out in goose bumps when each new egg was broken. The egg whites reminded her of the testicles of the chickens they had castrated the month before. Roosters that are castrated and then fattened up are called capons. The family had decided to serve capons at Pedro and Rosauras wedding because they would impress everyone with the quality of the dinner, as much for the amount of work required in their preparation as for the extraordinary flavor of the birds themselves. As soon as the date of the wedding was set for the twelfth of January, they ordered two hundred roosters to be bought for castrating and fattening up. This task fell to Tita and Nancha. Nancha because of her experience and Tita as punishment for feigning a headache to avoid her sister Rosauras engagement. I wont stand for disobedience, Mama Elena told her, nor am going to allow you to ruin your sisters wedding, with your acting like a victim. Youre in charge of all the preparations starting now, and dont ever let me catch you with a single tear or even a long face, do you hear?

Crime in society :: essays research papers

What is this world coming to? Our society is losing its authority. Why is there so much crime in society? There is so much because there are so many people that never consider the other person that they are stealing from or causing harm to. All of these people are self-centered and never think who they could be hurting but what they are going to gain from the crime whether it be happiness or self-respect they don’t think of the consequence or how the person on the other side of the crime feels. The reason why this is, is because the parents today are not cutting it. They are not teaching their children the difference between right and wrong. How come Aristotle says that society perfects human but yet no one is perfect? If our parents would take a little more responsibility with their children we wouldn’t have so much crime. Our parents are not putting enough restriction on the kids. There are letting them roam free because they feel guilty when their children complain and cry so they let them have their way. On a few cases the parents try their best but they still grow up to be some of the unfortunate cases that still commit crimes. These types of criminals are the ones that have an influence to commit crimes. Most of the time the main influence is peer pressure. Usually the person wants to fit in so he commits a crime thinking that he will be excepted. There are also very few cases of when the person grows up and unfortunately has a natural desire to break the rules. Fortunately this can be corrected from grammar school if caught early, if not it can lead to horrible consequences. If parents are lucky they can raise a normal child that will lead to a good life with much to gain from a few years of hard work to many years of happiness and feeling that you have completed your mission as a parent to raise a good child. I think what Aristotle is trying to say when he says that society perfects humans is that without society we would be farther away to perfection than we are now. I disagree with this because no matter what influence you have it is impossible to be perfect. Which means that society or government or anything else has nothing to do with the

Othello – Iago’s Deception of Roderigo

In this passage, Iago is trying to persuade Roderigo that they both have a common enemy, Othello, and that they should work together in their revenge against him. Iago wants revenge because Othello gave the promotion of lieutenant to Cassio instead of him. Roderigo wants revenge because Othello is married to Desdemona, the woman Roderigo is madly in love with. The passage then ends with Roderigo leaving the stage, leaving Iago alone to recite a soliloquy, revealing his true emotions to the audience for the first time. In his first speech, Iago seems very controlling over Roderigo; he starts his speech by two consecutive gestures implicating that he is the superior character in the scenario. He starts by telling Roderigo how he feels towards Iago, â€Å"Thou art sure of me†, leaving no room for Roderigo to question him. This boldly tells the audience that Iago is the decision maker in this duo, as he is making an important decision for Roderigo, whether to trust Iago or not. Roderigo’s indecision has made him ‘weak’. Iago then immediately orders Roderigo to go ‘make money’, which further emphasizes Iago’s superiority. Iago then goes on to trying to comfort Roderigo with the orders and decisions Iago is making for him, in a sense, by showing him how they are both in common and want the same final outcome (that they both hate Othello and want him to suffer). â€Å"I have told thee often, and I retell thee again and again, I hate the moor†, Iago uses the words ‘again and again’ to emphasize and make clear and definite how much he loathes Othello, and then says ‘my cause is hearted’ to express how important it is for him to have revenge on Othello (he craves it deep down in his heart, hence it is hearted). Iago then proposes that he and Roderigo should work together in an accumulative effort to avenge against Othello, and continues to try and persuade him to trust him. He says ‘ if thou canst cuckold him, thou dost thyself a pleasure, me a sport’ to ensure Roderigo that he can help him in sleeping with Desdemona, which will bring great pleasure to Roderigo, and will be easy to accomplish for Iago, much like a ‘sport’. The word ‘sport’ is particularly interesting as, in my opinion, it makes Iago seem very wicked because it seems as if sabotaging relationships is a sport to him, an act that brings him joy and others sorrow. ‘For I mine own gained†¦. But for my sport and profit’, this sentence which Iago says in his soliloquy, suggests to the audience that Iago is a selfish or self-empowering person, meaning that he would not spend time or waste knowledge unless it somehow benefited him. In Iago’s soliloquy, it is the first time the audience gets to see how he processes the events of the play and how he thinks and plans his revenge against Othello. He reveals how he plans to turn Othello and Cassio against one another and, by doing so, ‘eliminating two birds with one stone. This also stimulates a sense of suspense, as the audience is aware of the damage that will happen in the future but are not aware of how it will happen. During the soliloquy, Iago presents his two-faced character, which the audience by now will have suspected he has. After Roderigo leaves, Iago immediately starts his soliloquy by expressing how much of a fool Roderigo is, and how Iago is only using him as a sort of personal piggy bank. â€Å"Thus do I ever make my fool my purse†. This immediately makes it clear and obvious to the audience that Iago is not what he seems and what the other characters believe him to be, honest and loyal. This bluntly imprints Iago’s true personality into the minds of the audience.

High School Students on the Job Essay

High school is an important time in life; students in high school have a lot of responsibilities. Students are beginning to drive and getting into trouble. High school students that have entered the work force have less of a chance to get in trouble. Working students also have an advantage over their peers that haven’t worked. They learn money management, social skills, and responsibility. Money management is a very important part of life. Usually once high school students start working they begin to learn the importance of money and how to spend it. Saving money is one very important life lesson that high school students can learn once they start working. Saving money can help the students save up for their future, helping with bills and possibly buying their own car. Owning a car comes with expenses oil changes, unfortunate accident, tires, gas, etc. To pay for these expenses there has to be money. There also comes a time when parents may need a little help. While working, students can help their parents with a bit of money every month. Having all of these expenses students will have to learn how to manage their money so they have some left over for themselves. Next, if high school students have a job, they learn about social skills. The most important thing is treating people politely. Thus, they need to get a better communication such as talking to each other and listening very carefully. When high school students are on the job, they have to speak correctly and courteously so their customers could get the correct information. Also they have to listen very carefully. They should know what the customers are asking. In addition, they could learn about physical demeanor. At the work place, they have to keep a friendly smile and then keep a good posture by keeping themselves upright. Further, working students can learn to take responsibilities. Time management and appearance are two important responsibilities. First, working students have to get to work on time. Also, they should manage and make balance between school, work, sleep, home, family and friends. Second, many work places have special uniforms that represents them in what position they  work. They need their workers to put these specific dresses on. Working students take this responsibility too. Students have to take care of their hygiene to go into work, which includes keeping their hair clean, shaving, cutting nails, and keeping a clean scent. Money management, social skills, and responsibility are skills that are need in life to succeed. High school students that begin working learn these skills earlier than those students that don’t. Before students become adults, they need to develop money management, social skills, and sense of responsibility, so they have been preparing to adjust themsel ves to society. Therefore, I recommend teenagers work while attending high school.

Free Essays on The Case for Greatly Increased Immigration Vrs Timeout

Contrasing Two Essays In the argumentative essay â€Å"The Case for Greatly Increased Immigration† written by Julian L. Stein and also the essay â€Å"Timeout† written by Dan Stein, they are both trying to convince the audience to take their side. Stein and Simon both have different views on the subject of immigration, Simon wants the immigration rate to be increased and on the other hand, Stein wants to stop it all together until the issues are under control. Not only does Simon have evidence to justify his facts, but he also uses a number of reasons and explanations. Although Stein has some strong points, he seems to use his facts in negative ways. Simon’s essay seems to be more effective in persuading the audience to increase immigration. A strong point that makes Simon’s essay more effective than Stein’s, is that almost every one of his statements and facts are backed up by some sort of evidence. In both of the essays they talk about the number of immigrants that arrived in the U.S. in 1991. Simon said that there were about 600,00 to 750,000 admitted in that year (457). Simon also states where he got these numbers. On the other hand, in Stein’s essay he claims there were over 1,800,000 immigrants admitted to the U.S. in 1991(469). Not only was that number more than two times the number Simon gave, but also Stein does not even explain where or how he got the numbers, which makes his facts less effective. Another point, that would make Simon’s essay more effective would be the statements that he makes in letting the audience know of the ways the natives can benefit by admitting a certain number of immigrants in. Not only is he just stating the reasons, he is explaining them in detail and using examples to make them more convincing to the reader. One statement Simon’ makes is that immigration would actually save the native money: The tax and welfare data together indicate that, on balance, an immigrant famil... Free Essays on The Case for Greatly Increased Immigration Vrs Timeout Free Essays on The Case for Greatly Increased Immigration Vrs Timeout Contrasing Two Essays In the argumentative essay â€Å"The Case for Greatly Increased Immigration† written by Julian L. Stein and also the essay â€Å"Timeout† written by Dan Stein, they are both trying to convince the audience to take their side. Stein and Simon both have different views on the subject of immigration, Simon wants the immigration rate to be increased and on the other hand, Stein wants to stop it all together until the issues are under control. Not only does Simon have evidence to justify his facts, but he also uses a number of reasons and explanations. Although Stein has some strong points, he seems to use his facts in negative ways. Simon’s essay seems to be more effective in persuading the audience to increase immigration. A strong point that makes Simon’s essay more effective than Stein’s, is that almost every one of his statements and facts are backed up by some sort of evidence. In both of the essays they talk about the number of immigrants that arrived in the U.S. in 1991. Simon said that there were about 600,00 to 750,000 admitted in that year (457). Simon also states where he got these numbers. On the other hand, in Stein’s essay he claims there were over 1,800,000 immigrants admitted to the U.S. in 1991(469). Not only was that number more than two times the number Simon gave, but also Stein does not even explain where or how he got the numbers, which makes his facts less effective. Another point, that would make Simon’s essay more effective would be the statements that he makes in letting the audience know of the ways the natives can benefit by admitting a certain number of immigrants in. Not only is he just stating the reasons, he is explaining them in detail and using examples to make them more convincing to the reader. One statement Simon’ makes is that immigration would actually save the native money: The tax and welfare data together indicate that, on balance, an immigrant famil...

buy custom Law Enforcement Technology essay

buy custom Law Enforcement Technology essay According to Reichert, the contribution of technology in the last two decades has majorly been attributed to development in both the computer and communication technologies. The law enforcement has not been left out either. Reichert (2001) notes that the department has since 1990s involved itself in carrying out various researches while also trainings its staff in the relevant computer knowledge. Technology has enabled the department to improve the way it transmits data. Most significant, is the attractive and user friendly graphic interface. These advancements have greatly increased the capacity of the department in collecting, storing, analyzing and sharing of the data within and across relevant departments. However, such technological advancements have not come without challenges to the law enforcement agencies. John and Champion (2007) also noted that technologies have as well been used by the law breakers to coordinate their illegal activities. This write up looks at the advancement in law enforcement technology over the years and their impact in law enforcement. Positive Contributions of Technology to Law Enforcement For any meaningful achievement in the work of the law enforcement department there must be a medium which could help increase cooperation between communities and the police. Mitchell (2002) denotes that prevention of crime is the responsibility of both the police and the community. The law enforcement department has today taken advantage of the prevalent use of the social network, the internet and state of the art communication technology. This has greatly helped bridge the communication between the police and the community (Mitchell, 2002). According to John Champion (2007), crime prevention is a multidimensional undertaking. It engages different groups starting with the police, members of the society, the law courts and the correction facilities. However, in order to prevent crime from occurring, there is a need to stop it at its source. According to Mitchell (2002), the best way of minimizng incidences of crime, is by developing a system that easily identifies and reports criminal activities. This requires an excellent law enforcement technology that would enable easier collection, storage, analysis and sharing of information relating to crime. Reichert (2001) identifies two aspects of police work in which technology has played a significant contribution. These are crime mapping and information sharing. Over the past decade, the use of computers to map crime has continuously increased. According to Reichert (2001), this phenomenon is attributable to the developments in geo-information systems (GIS) and improvements in theoretical analysis and investigation of crime. Reportedly, a combination of GIS and mapping software in computers has significantly increased capacity to extract and analyze data. This technology has widely been used because of its ease in implementation and efficiency in data analysis. Reichert (2001) noted that technologies have also allowed the concerned individuals within the law enforcement echelon to share the gathered information by other enforcement officers. This has been possible through a pull of information called a database resulting from the created networks and internetworks that connect all law enforcement officers within the given described region. According to Reichert (2001), technology has allowed a fully integrated system with careful planning, and coordination among the concerned law enforcement agencies. With advancement in technology, the challenge of information security is quickly being addressed. Technology has presently ensured optimum security of the stored information as it makes it easy for the law enforcement agencies to control access and consistently manipulate the stored data. Ratchet (2001), notes that presently the department has developed a system in which access rights to the shared resource are defined based on seniority among the officers and urgency of cases tackled. He added that most law enforcement technologies have also provided a window through which members of the public can provide input relating to crime or suspects. Examples of the Technologies in Use Mitchell (2002) denotes that there are plentiful of such systems of law enforcement used globally to sponsor police work. In my view, the most outstanding system is one currently used by the Chicago Police Department (CPD). Reichert (2001) explains that, the CPD developed a computer based system called CLEAR which stands for Citizen and Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting CPD. The program has helped in tapping the information technology to guide in more effective management of different sectors. It has also helped reinforce the community partnerships while also enhancing the sharing of information with other criminal justice and agencies (Reichert, 2001). Apart from this technology there has also been the public Video Surveillance which has widely been used as an effective crime prevention tool. It involves the use of CCTV to capture every action taking place within a give range of distance. The technology has been installed in various towns and cities across the globe to help in crime prevention. Technology Related Challenges In spite of the benefits it has afforded law enforcement officers, technology still poses significant challenges in their line of work. There are several technology related crimes which have posed great challenges to the law enforcement department because of their faster rate of advancement. The operations of criminal organizations like those dealing with drug trafficking have also been enhanced through the very technology. Though several attempts have been made to find solutions to such problems, there have been major draw backs emanating from issues relating to privacy, harassment by the established autocracies, security concerns and the overall cost of implementation. Conclusion In conclusion, though it has come with its costs, the proper use of law enforcement technologies has gradually increased capacity and effectiveness of combating crime. Buy custom Law Enforcement Technology essay

The History of the Hygrometer

The History of the Hygrometer A hygrometer is an instrument used to measure the moisture content – that is, the humidity –  of air or any other gas. The hygrometer is a device that has had many incarnations. Leonardo da Vinci built the first crude hygrometer in the 1400s. Francesco Folli invented a more practical hygrometer in 1664.In 1783, Swiss physicist and geologist, Horace Bà ©nà ©dict de Saussure built the first hygrometer using a human hair to measure humidity. These are called mechanical hygrometers, based on the principle that organic substances (human hair) contract and expand in response to the relative humidity. The contraction and expansion move a needle gauge. Dry and Wet-Bulb Psychrometer The best-known type of hygrometer is the dry and wet-bulb psychrometer, best described as two mercury thermometers, one with a wetted base, one with a dry base. The water from the wet base evaporates and absorbs heat, causing the thermometer reading to drop. Using a calculation table, the reading from the dry thermometer and the reading drop from the wet thermometer are used to determine the relative humidity. While the term â€Å"psychrometer† was coined by a German Ernst Ferdinand August, 19th-century physicist Sir John Leslie (1776-1832) is often credited with actually inventing the device.   Some hygrometers use the measurements of changes in electrical resistance, using a thin piece of lithium chloride or other semiconductive material and measuring the resistance, which is affected by humidity. Other Hygrometer Inventors Robert Hooke: A 17th century contemporary of Sir Isaac Newton invented or improved a number of meteorological instruments such as the barometer and the anemometer. His hygrometer, regarded as the first mechanical hygrometer, used the husk of oat grain, which he noted curled and uncurled depending on the humidity of the air. Hooke’s other inventions include the universal joint, an early prototype of the respirator, the anchor escapement and the balance spring, which made more accurate clocks possible. Most famously, however, he was the first to discover cells.   John Frederic Daniell:  In 1820, British chemist and meteorologist, John Frederic invented a dew-point hygrometer, which came into widespread use to measure the temperature at which moist air reaches a saturation point. Daniel is best known for inventing the Daniell cell, an improvement over the voltaic cell used in the early history of battery development.

Business research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business - Research Paper Example This strategy was a part of the nation’s attempt to maintain the targeted exchange rate value of its domestic currency against a basket of major and influential currencies in the world. Despite a few reports about illegal resource transfers across international premises, the Chinese managed to keep a major proportion of their total stock of financial resources with themselves through profound government intervention (Morrison, 2009). The hypothesis testing conducted in the previous section, in connection with the susceptibility of Chinese firms to impacts of the crisis, also found an insignificant effect of the same. In fact, the subtle truth is that, even though the Chinese experienced hardships on account of the financial distress, they were far better off than what the Western economies felt, where recession was declared officially. As far as statistics are concerned, the Bank of China, the largest nationalised commercial bank in the nation, was responsible for a total of $10.8 billion amount of investment in US owned mortgage-backed securities, nearly 3.5% of its total investment securities portfolio in 2006. Although this figure fell down to 1.4% by the end of 2008, yet, according to Fitch Ratings, this was the highest figure among all other Asian financial institutions (Chim, 2007). The investment into securities was a consequence of excessive stocking of US financial assets, which amounted to a sum of $2.13 trillion as on June 2009, in order to keep its exchange rate floating at the targeted level, compared to that of US dollars. The Chinese government considered it wiser to invest in US securities rather than holding such a huge quantity of money idle (Morrison & Labonte, 2009). The exposure of the Chinese economy to US financial securities however, was not limited to just mortgage backed securities; rathe r there were huge investments of Chinese renminbi on credit

Pornography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pornography - Essay Example It narrates the story of the passionate and obsessive sexual affair between Kichizo Ishidaa, a hotel owner, and Sada Abe, a prostitute turned servant who works for him. By portraying the unusual relationship and obsessive love between the couple, through several sequences of sexual acts, Oshima subtly redefines the meaning of pornography and obscenity. The movie depicts an â€Å"extended repertoire of graphic sex acts† that are typical of porn movies and due to stringent censorship laws in Japan Oshima has done all the post production work in France (Williams 183). Many critics have discounted the movie as pornographic but some, including the movie’s director, defended it on the grounds that it radically attempts to extend the possibilities of pornography and challenges the â€Å"very notion of obscenity† (183). The main objective of Oshima seems to be to show the audience what they wish to see but have so far forbidden themselves from viewing. He further contend s that when the audience feels that all that they wanted to see is â€Å"revealed† the element of â€Å"obscenity disappears† and, therefore, the authorities should authorize the screening of pornographic movies (183). In her critique of the movie, writer and critic Linda Williams endorses that despite the graphic sexual acts depicted in the film, it does not â€Å"negate art† (184). People usually associate pornography and obscenity with the concept of devouring on sexual acts that people watch merely for the purpose of excitement or as a deviatory pleasure. Thus, the general notion is that pornography solely seeks to elicit erotic feelings and arouse the people who watch or read such materials. However, through the portrayal of a strong, obsessive love affair between a servant and master that finally entails in jealousy out of possessiveness, Oshima pushes the boundaries that define the term pornography and obscenity and attract the attention of the audience t o new dimensions of the term. Linda Williams attributes the film to be â€Å"too real, too hard-core† but also â€Å"too beautiful to fathom† (184). On the other hand, she further mentions the scary connotation of the castration in the movie’s climax is a befitting end, which reflects the â€Å"Lacanian allegories† of the times when the movie was made (184). Thus, Oshima has traversed beyond the normal realms of pornography and obscenity through the depiction of the tumultuous affair between the man and the woman in his movie, In the Realm of Senses. A Critical Analysis of Linda William’s Definition of Obscenity: Human cultures and civilization have evolved with the passage of time as people keep changing their perspectives based on new information and knowledge. The definition of the word â€Å"obscene,† as the humans perceive it now, has also undergone a lot of interpretation as well as transformation before it has acquired its current dim ension. In the conservative American society the word obscenity refers to any sexual representation in any art form that has been included in it simply â€Å"for sex’s sake† without adding any value the content; or in a sense it encompasses the notion of what should be â€Å"off (ob) the stage (scene) of representation† (Williams 165). Linda Williams in her essay titled, Second Thoughts on

Customized Learning Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Customized Learning Theory - Assignment Example The aim of this study is to examine the characteristics of gifted children in the school environment. The study will also look at the various elements of learning theories that relate to this group of children and further combine these elements to develop a hybrid theory that caters to the needs of gifted children. Characteristics of Gifted Children Gifted children learn faster, broadly and deeply meaning their intellectual ability is higher compared to their peers. Intellectual ability is believed to be innate and is not acquired through personal effort. Further, intellectual ability can be specific or general. An intellectually gifted individual for example maybe strikingly gifted in mathematics but lack the same strong skills in humanities or language. A combination of an adequately challenging curriculum and the necessary diligence to master learned skills often leads to academic success for the intellectually gifted (Eakin, 2007). Although intellectually gifted children are uniq ue, they share some common characteristics within the academic environment. First, they have certain cognitive characteristics including, faster learning of materials, curiosity, widely diverse interest, reasoning ability, creativity, an excellent memory and a large pool of vocabulary. In addition, intellectually gifted students are perfectionists and often fear failure. Their intellectual capability makes them feel different and their superior vocabulary makes it hard to communicate with their peers hence they will have trouble forming social relations with their classmates. Further, gifted children are highly introspective and introverted and hold very high expectations for themselves and for others. Gifted children are also highly sensitive to their environment in terms of emotional and mental over-awareness (Eakin, 2007). The learning environment for gifted children is important as with other special needs students. Gifted students should be provided with opportunities to attemp t new learning and develop their strengths in a psychologically safe environment. A modified learning environment provides gifted students with the opportunity for development and optimum growth. The social environment should also be supportive making sure that no one feels out of place and the students can establish trust with the teacher without the fear of being sanctioned. Moreover, gifted students should be provided with an opportunity to function at advanced levels of depth and complexity and their interests tied in with schoolwork. Gifted students tend to decline in performance if not challenged with abstract concepts, or presented with opportunities to go beyond what is offered in the regular classrooms. Gifted students that are rarely challenged lack confidence in their ability to perform well when presented with challenging learning tasks (Eakin, 2007). Learning Theories and Gifted Students Theories dealing with gifted children focus on the ability to adapt successfully to the environment and the ability to solve problems related to particular situations. Under the cognitive trait theories, Galton emphasizes two inherited traits whose abundance makes one intellectually gifted. The first trait is sufficient energy, which increases the capacity for labor. The second trait is sensitivity making the intellectually gi

Woman In The Dunes Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Woman In The Dunes - Movie Review Example As he set out for his expedition, he was late and thus missed the last bus back to the city. The villagers offer him a place to spend the night, guiding him down a rope ladder to a house that is under a sand quarry (Morris 1). This is the home of a young woman called Kyoko Kishida, who lives alone as her husband had died due to a sandstorm. She is employed to dig up sand for construction by the villagers, and prevent it from burying the house. On waking up the following morning, the ladder that he had climbed down on was gone. He realizes that it was a trap, as the villagers force him to stay there and help the woman in digging up the sand. Discovering that it was the villagers’ plan for him to stay there permanently, he makes several escape attempts, but they all fail (Crowther 1). Later, he learns that the woman is comfortable with the life that she lives since she knows no other life. His main task is trying to figure out how to escape from his trapped life, and at the same time, co-exist with the woman. The story later takes a turn in that, with time, Jumpei and Kyoko have a strong physical attraction for each other (Morris 1). They later adapt to each other and become lovers, despite their suffering in confinement. The producer has depicted how life can turn out to be what was not expected. The bad situation for Jumpei ends up getting him a woman to love. The tough situation for Kyoko also gets her a man to love. The two persevered for long, but they finally benefit from it. The paper describes some of the concepts, themes and characters derived from the film, after critical analysis, focusing on the main idea of the producer. Jumpei Nikki’s character The film describes an evolving character named Jumpei. At the beginning, Jumpei is portrayed as an entomologist on a field work expedition. Here, he appears as a humble, naive and curious scientist, who trusts that the villagers are friendly enough just to offer him a place to stay for the night (Morris 1). Later, when he discovers that the villagers tricked him, he clearly is furious. Reality hits and he focuses on escaping from a life of suffering. At this point, Jumpei is no longer a naive scientist, but a strong, confident man whose desperation ignites a character full of rage, focus and determination towards one goal (Crowther 1). Jumpei’s change of character, as a result of a stressful situation, is symbolic to the normal human life. It describes the human life as one defined in confinement and imprisonment. This shows how a tight situation can force the change in character of a person, whereby the survival instinct kicks (Morris 1). Kyoko Kishida’s character Suffering, lonely, toil, perseverance, are the qualities that come to mind, when considering Kyoko Kishida. She is a woman living alone in a dangerous environment, living on the edge, trying to ensure that the advancing sand does not consume her home. She is also a widow who lost her husband and so n to a sandstorm (Crowther 1). The young woman is faced with an endless task, to dig sand for the villagers’ use. However, surprisingly, this is her lifestyle; the only life she knows and is willing to die for. Having lived under such conditions for practically her whole life, she can guide Jumpei into acceptance. The symbolic significance of this is to show the coexistence between two people from different backgrounds. Jumpei is a rough, nervous man, while Kyoto is calm and composed (Morris 1). Attraction After Jumpei’s several failed attempts to escape, he begins to get absorbed into the new way of life. He realizes that the young woman, from her experience, is his best shot at survival (Crowther 1). Later, they find themselves having a sexual attraction towards each

Corporate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 6

Corporate finance - Essay Example Company’s capital structure can comprise of majority of equity or debt component, an equal combination of both or only one of them. Each approach includes its own advantages as well as disadvantages. The hypothesis on capital structure from the Modigliani & Miller is considered as one of the significant developments or progress in the area of corporate finance (Miller, 1988). The report will highlight the main foundations and implications of Modigliani & Miller approach towards the capital structure. It will also focus on how this theory is related to the purpose of weighted average cost of capital (WACC) for a company. Further, the report will take into consideration the practical applicability and usefulness of the theory in real life business. There are five assumptions of this approach which involves: no taxes; transaction price/cost for selling and buying securities and also the cost of bankruptcy is nil; there is evenness of information which means that the investor will have the right to use the similar information that the corporate would and it also means that the investors are required to behave rationally; the borrowing cost is same for companies as well as investors; and financing of debt does not involve any effect on the firm’s earnings before interest and tax (EBIT). The approach of Modigliani & Miller signifies that the value of leveraged company (i.e. the company having the mixture of equity and debt) is similar to the unleveraged company’s value (i.e. the company which is completely financed by means of equity) if the future prospects and the operating profits are same. It further explains that if the investor buys leveraged firm’s share, it would rate him on the same scale as purchasin g the unleveraged firm’s share (Casamatta, 2003). The theorem of Modigliani & Miller makes the basis of contemporary corporate finance. It defines that this

Analysis and Interpretation to Develop a Narrowly Focused Theme in A Essay

Analysis and Interpretation to Develop a Narrowly Focused Theme in A Passage to India - Essay Example The paper attempts to explore this theme through arguments and incidents along with cultural, spiritual, political and hosts of other aspects that prevent a friendship to evolve between the people of two different races. In the beginning, Forster poses a question through Hamidullah and Mahmoud Ali when they discuss "Whether or not it is possible to be friends with an Englishman" (Passage 5). Forster himself reverts at the end stating "No, not yet – No, not there" (Passage 367). Numerous interactions among the characters gradually unfold how imperialism outlook, besides many others, is the biggest stumbling block for developing a friendly and ever-lasting relationship between the people of two different races. When Mrs. Callendar utters, "The kindest thing one can do to a native is to let him die" (Passage 27), Foster presents such views of the Anglo-Indians to reveal that they do not think from the rational viewpoint and with open-mindedness. As a natural happening, Ronny was quite friendly towards the natives but soon he realizes that his position does not warrant such friendship. This is quite apparent when Ronny rebuked Mahmoud Ali in the Court as much as he could. As a matter-of-fact, he did what he believed necessary in the imperial setup of the time. He clearly articulates with his mother stating "I prefer my smoke at the club amongst my own sort" (Passage 22). Forster is more vocal in his views when he states that Cyril Fielding is not influenced by imperialistic ways because he serves education rather than government. That is why perhaps Fielding's friendship with Aziz is more enchanting than any other Anglo Indians; however, he is quick to add that how long Fielding can maintain such relationship in a Colonial India is worth watching. He observes that as soon as Fielding marries Stella and becomes a school inspector and thus, a part of the imperial Raj, he is a changed guy. Describing this, the narrator states that Fielding too has begun getting corrupted by his position and views that God bole’s school has turned into a granary. Does this mean that friendship between Fielding and Aziz will soon be in jeopardy? Forster, while depicting Ronny, is quite sympathetic toward him. It is quite surprising to note that in spite of his British upbringing and open-minded attitude he has started falling in line with those of older British Indian Officials that see natives in the inferior sense. Ronny's changed personality and blurred vision is the result of colonial imperialistic ruling that now he has become a part of. It is important to note here that colonial imperialism is not an only aspect that is preventing friendship. Because Forster is quite skeptical on this issue that the friendship can ever be achieved. Cultural differences and human selfishness are other aspects that prevent friendship. For example, initially, Mrs. Moore is in a good friendship with Dr. Aziz for she finds a spiritual connection with him; however, s ome bizarre echoes in the Marabar Caves unsettle her and she finds no meaning in the universe. Echo turns every human expression into a dullness as is said "Everything exists, nothing has value" (Passage 160). Forster wants to demean the aspects of reason of the Anglo ? Indians because metaphysical aspects do not have reasons always. Mrs. Moore tends to withdraw herself into oblivion keeping no relation with anyone including Aziz. Finally, she leaves

Corporate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 6

Corporate finance - Essay Example Company’s capital structure can comprise of majority of equity or debt component, an equal combination of both or only one of them. Each approach includes its own advantages as well as disadvantages. The hypothesis on capital structure from the Modigliani & Miller is considered as one of the significant developments or progress in the area of corporate finance (Miller, 1988). The report will highlight the main foundations and implications of Modigliani & Miller approach towards the capital structure. It will also focus on how this theory is related to the purpose of weighted average cost of capital (WACC) for a company. Further, the report will take into consideration the practical applicability and usefulness of the theory in real life business. There are five assumptions of this approach which involves: no taxes; transaction price/cost for selling and buying securities and also the cost of bankruptcy is nil; there is evenness of information which means that the investor will have the right to use the similar information that the corporate would and it also means that the investors are required to behave rationally; the borrowing cost is same for companies as well as investors; and financing of debt does not involve any effect on the firm’s earnings before interest and tax (EBIT). The approach of Modigliani & Miller signifies that the value of leveraged company (i.e. the company having the mixture of equity and debt) is similar to the unleveraged company’s value (i.e. the company which is completely financed by means of equity) if the future prospects and the operating profits are same. It further explains that if the investor buys leveraged firm’s share, it would rate him on the same scale as purchasin g the unleveraged firm’s share (Casamatta, 2003). The theorem of Modigliani & Miller makes the basis of contemporary corporate finance. It defines that this

The senior management team would like you to produce a Marketing Plan Essay

The senior management team would like you to produce a Marketing Plan Considering marketing strategies and tactics within your report - Essay Example Marketing creates link. The link involves so many stakeholders both inside an organization and the outside market. Planning to reach out to the wider market becomes therefore a critical issue and involves a good marketing plan to implement it (Ashishi, 2012, p. 21). Trafford Centre is a Shopping Centre in the city of Manchester in UK. Situated next to Trafford Park industrial estate and the situation is around 5 miles off the city centre. By retail size, the centre is the second largest retail centre in the UK. The retail centre was acquired by Intu Properties in the year 2011 through a very high scale sale in the history of acquisition in the British history (Moss & DeSanto, 2002, p. 204). This report will create a marketing plan for the shopping centre. In view of the same, the plan will analyse the SWOT analysis of the centre followed by an effective marketing audit. The plan will then make a review of the strategic objectives and discuss the control measures for the company in im plementation of the strategy. The SWOT analysis looks at the critical success factors of the company as far as the expansion strategy in the market is concerned (Cant, Strydo, & Jooste, 2009, p. 45). These will weigh the ability of the company to succeed among the many companies that have been in the area prior to its operations. One of the strengths of the company is its location. The area is accessible by more than 10% of the UK population in which there is only a 45 minute drive to the place (Sharma, 2009, p. 295). This creates s very large market if well supervised. In the orient, the centre has a very large food court in the UK and it is well known as such. It is also accessed through the Manchester shipping canal increasing its availability. The place serves a lot of commodities and services including big car parks, art galleries, the imperial war museum, cinemas and many more services. The weakness of this place is that the visitor

Holiday representatives Essay Example for Free

Holiday representatives Essay I am a property rep this is a person that represents the tour operator when you are on holiday this could be for health reasons or quires and to sell excursions. The property rep has many roles and responsibilities the main focus is to look after the holidaymakers. The property rep is responsible for customers in a number of different hotels and apartments or villas in resorts. I am always on the frontline and I am always representing my tour operator. My job has a lot of work involved, for example we can easily get bad reputation from careless property reps, which gives us a bad image, and a tour operator gets a bad image to. As I have said I am on the frontline of my tour operator so I should always be on the right path and do my work to the best of my ability and show that my tour operator is good so that it can get repeat business. If we dont represent our tour operator in a good way people will stop using them, which will come back to us, and we will be viewed and our jobs will be on the line. I am on the frontline of customer service to our customers and it must be impeccable and of high standards this will give us both a good image and customers will be happy which makes my job more enjoyable. There are two types of customer service guests get the 1st one is at the travel agent and this is very important. The last one is with the property rep, which is the last contact the guests get with the tour operator and the last contact is one you remember more, so the better customer service the more repeat business and better competitive advantage.

Care Plan and Interventions for Suicidal Patient

Care Plan and Interventions for Suicidal Patient CARE DELIVERY This essay will explore the effectiveness of the care delivered to one of the author’s service users whilst on clinical placement. This essay will demonstrate how the author developed therapeutic relationships through the use of appropriate communication and interpersonal skills in order to achieve this. Furthermore this essay will look at the formulation and documentation of the service user’s care plan involving the service user’s family and carers within a framework of informed consent. This essay will also evaluate and document the outcomes of nursing and other interventions. This essay will finally discuss the opportunities utilised and created to promote the health and well-being patients. In line with the codes of conduct for the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2010), the author has sought and received voluntary and informed consent from the client whom the author will, for the purpose of confidentiality, be referred to under the pseudonym Alice Azonto. Further to this, all names and locations will be referred to under pseudonyms for the same purpose. The author will refer to Alice Azonto by her first name ‘Alice’ as is her preference. Alice is a 47 year old woman who attempted to commit suicide having taken an overdose of paracetamol following the death of her husband. She was rushed to a local hospital for medical attention when found by her neighbour and a good friend Dona in a semi-conscious state. Alice collapsed in her kitchen floor with empty sachets of tablets beside her and a suicide note addressed to her only son John who lives in a nearby city. It appeared that Alice has not been eating and drinking well. This resulted in weight lost and a chronic lung condition because of excessive smoking. It also appeared that Alice has been neglecting herself and there were signs she had made superficial cuts to her wrists. Alice was diagnosed of depression and was detained under section 2 of the Mental Health Act (MHA, 2007) when she refused to be admitted voluntarily following an assessment. Hospital environment can be very stressful for clients when they first arrive on the ward. Nurses need to engage positively with clients to develop therapeutic relationship. Barker (2009, p.36) argues that, therapeutic relationship empower clients to learn or cope more effectively with their environment. The nurse commenced a therapeutic relationship with Alice by initially introducing himself and addressed her by her preferred name. Alice was listened to and reassured by the nurse without any immediate advice or diminishing his feelings. NMC (2010) recommends that patients must be treated as individuals and respect their dignity. Alice was offered a daily 1:1 sessions with the nursing team which enabled staff identified his goals and wishes which were incorporated into his plan of care. Department of Health (DOH, 2006) asserts that 1:1 sessions are therapeutic; they enable the service user to engage well with staff as it empowers them to express their feelings and thoughts. A person-centred plan of care was devised in other to deliver effective care to promote Alice recovery. NICE (2009) recommends that treatment and care should take into account patients’ needs and preferences. It further suggests that people with depression should be given the opportunity to make informed decisions about their treatment and care together with their healthcare professional involved in their care. Different allied health professionals such as the psychiatrists, psychologists, GP, nurses, social workers, OT and other community care providers were involved Alice care because of the severity his complex mental and physical health needs. DOH (2004) the ten essential shared capabilities recommend that professionals, patients, families and carers should work in partnership to provide quality care. Consent was sought from Alice whether she wanted his son John to be involved in her care. Gaining consent is a legal aspect of mental health nursing and it shows that patients are treated with respect (Diamond, 2008 p. 234). Alice and her son were fully involved in every aspect of the plan of care. CPA (2008) recommends that patients, families and carers should be involved in decision making in regard to their care plans. The author and the nursing team provided Alice with vital information to promote her choice and to enable Alice to make informed decisions. To make sure Alice’s needs were still being met, the MTD reviewed her mental and physical health regularly and amended her plan of care accordingly with any significant changes. No Health without Mental Health (2011) affirmed that meeting service users other needs improves their quality of life and provides good well-being. Alice was initially nursed within eyesight observation which was later reviewed to general observation due to the nature of her illness and presentation per (NICE, 2005) recommendation. Alice had prompts, reassurance and full support from the nursing team in maintaining her personal hygiene needs. Alice had regular appointments with her GP to monitor her chronic lung condition and was also provided with bereavement support and counselling. NHS (2012) recommends that bereavement support should be offered to patients, carers, and families if they lose a dear one as it has impact on their mental health and well-being. Alice was made aware of options of treatment available to her as guided by (NICE, 2009). Food and fluid intake chart was also put in place to monitor her dietary. Alice was provided with the available social support networks and with the support of an OT Alice engaged in purposeful activities to help lift her mood up and promote her independence. New Horizons (2011, p. 136) suggests that occupational activities are therapeutic and they help patients to engage with staff and other patients on the ward and builds self-worth and confidence towards discharge. In addition to the antidepressant treatment, Alice also had the team psychologist inputs to help promote her prompt recovery. NICE (2009) recommends that, people with moderate or severe depression should be provided with a high-intensity psychological intervention i.e. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or Individual Personal Therapy (IPT) with a combination of antidepressant medication. Papageorgiou, C. et al. (2011) affirms that, one of the most widely known types of psychological therapy for depression is CBT, which combines both cognitive and behavioural techniques into an integrated whole. The nurse and the MDT have educated Alice on how to promote healthier lifestyles choices and provided Alice with information in the form of leaflets about her condition and range of information on smoking cessation so that she can make her own informed choice. Wrycraft (2009) argues that, mental health promotion is an activity healthcare professionals carryout as part of their everyday practice in their roles and do not realise they are engaging in such activity. However at other times they actively seek information about health promotion activities Staff facilitated these health promotions by strengthening the patients on the ward, they increased emotional resilience through 1:1sessions and negotiating with the patients to promote her self-esteem and coping skills. The MDT should review her plan of care depending of her progress.

Comparing Evil, Abuse and Escape in Oliver Twist and Great Expectations :: comparison compare contrast essays

  In Oliver Twist and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, both main characters refuse to except the poor hand the world has dealt them.   Pip and Oliver reach a great epiphany in regards to social injustice, and in turn rebel against the system that oppresses them.   They are tired of being mistreated and neglected, and therefore decide to make a stand.   Charles Dickens exhibits through Oliver and Pip that the revolt of the weak against the strong results from the oppression of the poor.   As a result of their revolt against the system, Pip and Oliver are ostracized for their non-conformist ideals.   Thus change in an oppressing and conformist society can only be achieved through change in moral, social, and political instincts.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In both novels the main character faces abuse and neglect which result in rebellion and distancing of them from the society which chooses to hold them down.  Ã‚   In Oliver Twist, Oliver receives a great amount of abuse through the orphanage.   While suffering from starvation and malnutrition for a long period of time, Oliver is chosen by the other boys at the orphanage to request more gruel at dinner.   After making this simple request, â€Å"the master aimed a blow at Oliver’s head with a ladle; pinioned him in his arms; and shrieked aloud for the beadle† (Oliver Twist 16).   This pain and neglect caused a change in Oliver.   He realized that he must rebel against the society that wishes to oppress him, in order to truly start living.   In Great Expectations, Pip receives a great deal of abuse at the hands of his sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery.   On one occasion â€Å"I soon found myself getting heavily bumped from be hind in the nape of the neck and the small of the back, and having my face ignominiously shoved against the wall, because I did not answer those questions at sufficient length† (Great Expectations 12).   This anguish inflicted by the hands of his sister resulted in Pip distancing himself from any ties with his family.   Thus his independence grew as a direct result of the abuse he had faced.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In both novels the main characters have to escape from harsh living conditions and evil surroundings which in turn forces them to grow as individuals, and become independent from a conformist society.   Oliver finds himself residing in an orphanage that is dark and sordid.   As well he finds himself in London’s lowest slums, such as the pickpockets hideout, the surrounding streets, and the bars, which are all described as dark, gloomy, and bland.

Representations of Women in Early Irish and Welsh Literature Essay

Although there are parallels between Irish and Welsh sagas of elopement, the powerful self confident women depicted in these narratives do not represent the real women of Medieval Ireland and Wales. Proinsias Mac Cana has suggested that the dominant roles of Deirdre and Grainne in their respective tales (Longes mac nUislenn and Toruigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghrainne) are ‘literary variations on the exemplar of the sovereignty goddess’ (Doan, 1985: 90). Bitel (1996: 2) asserts that Celticists have been seduced by these dominant female characters viewing them as representative of real women with considerable power over men, a depiction which if true should be reflected in the law tracts or ‘custom in action’(Stacey, 2002: 1107). This paper will argue that the ecclesiastical and legal tracts of both Ireland and Wales offer many images of women, judgements about women, and regulations for women. They do not however present the stereotypical medieval woman as the sovereignty goddess depicted in the secular sagas. Because women left no written records, we are dependent on male literature (probably all of the texts written in early Ireland and Wales) for a definition of woman and her cultural role. These male authors wrote of women in: ‘saint’s lives; poems; sagas and myths; gnomic texts; histories; chronicles; genealogies; folktales; theological tracts; and extensive ecclesiastical tracts; and secular laws’ (Bitel, 1996: 12). Although these texts offer insights on women they must be viewed through the hermeneutical lens of the socio-historical context of the era in which they were written. Early medieval Ireland was a patriarchal society and a woman’s role and identity was determined by patriarchal norms and conventions. The literati of this era did not define woman as an independent individual. Women existed only in relation to men and therefore their representation in literature was not entirely objective or according to Bitel consistent. Tensions exist between various texts. The portrayal of women as ‘capricious beasts’ (Bitel, 1995:137) presented in the eighth century wisdom text Tecosca Cormaic contrasts sharply with the recognition of a woman as home-maker and wife with limited recourse to the law depicted in Cain Lanamna or the law of couples (O Croinin, 1995: 127) . The majority of the extant Irish law books were composed between the seventh and ninth centuries. At this stage the Irish literati were members of the nobility educated in monastic communities. Many were monks but this elite group also included jurists, historians, poets and story tellers. Mc Cone has suggested that these learned elite produced literature for the monastery which was heavily influenced by Biblical texts (Bitel, 1996: 14). Donnchadh O Corrain, Liam Breatnach and Aidan Breen have argued that there exists a close connection between ecclesiastical law and Irish vernacular law (Stacey, 2002: 1108). Stacey asserts that although the legal sources from Wales (compiled in the twelfth and thirteen centuries) are later than the Irish sources there is also a significant link between ‘legal, poetic and ecclesiastical learning’ (2002: 1108). The Irish penitential books written between the sixth and the ninth centuries reveal conflict between the ideals of Christian leaders and the customs of early Irish communities. These penitentials were designed as moral guides for confessors in attributing penance in the rite of confession (Gula, 1989: 25). According to Bitel, Christian clergy were intent on transferring social control of sex from the kin group to the individual Christian (1987: 67). Fox concurs with Bitel, asserting that by liberating the individual from the bonds of clan and family, the church was attempting to reduce kinship to ‘its lowest common denominator [the nuclear family: the lowest kinship group that is compatible with reproduction] while appearing to support basic kinship values’ (1993: 109-110). The Clergy in promoting Christian morality for the individual attempted to reorganize Early Irish society. According to Bitel, the kin group were influential in controlling sexual activity. This was necessary to ensure the survival of the community as an interdependent group. Archaeological evidence suggests that houses consisted of one room. This allowed for little individual privacy and sex was a natural and visible part of family life. Illicit encounters had to take place outside of the home, and even then they were monitored by the community. Any kind of sexual relationship that had to be conducted in secrecy was considered dangerous. The survival and welfare of the clan depended on social stability and this principle determined the attitude of the pre-Christian Irish toward sexuality. Sex in itself however was not considered immoral. Celibacy was not portrayed as a virtue in the secular literature. Cu Chulainn’s sexual exploits are recorded in the sagas; however his casual encounters did not threaten the community (Bitel, 1987: 70-71). Bitel asserts that ‘the tension between individual desire and community need had always to be resolved in favour of the community’ (1987: 72), and herefore marriage was a contractual arrangement determined not by romance or love but by the necessity of producing children and the survival of the kin group. Woman’s reproductive capacities themselves are integrated into the economic life of the society. The image of woman depicted in Cain Lanamna is a woman whose social emotional and economic orientation is directed towards the family and home. Early Irish Law, commonly known as Brehon Law was a series of civil laws which governed every aspect of daily life including marriage and divorce. Marriage and divorce were interlinked by virtue of a contract agreed and a contract dissolved. Under the Brehon system, women were free to marry in one of nine ways, although the primary type of marriage, lanamnas comthinchuir was the most common. Both partners enter this marriage with equal financial resources. In the second type of marriage, lanamnas for ferthinchur, the woman contributes little or no financial assets to the marriage. In the third category, lanamnas for bantinchur, the woman contributes the greater share of the marriage assets. These three categories required formal pre-nuptial agreements. With the remaining six types of marital union (including cohabitation with a woman with family consent, voluntary eloping without family consent, voluntary abduction without family consent, illicit rendezvous, marriage by rape and marriage of two insane people) marriage entailed the assumption of financial responsibility for child rearing (O Croinin, 1995: 128). Corresponding to the wide variety of marriages recognized by law, there were many grounds for divorce. A woman might divorce a man who failed to satisfy her sexual needs because he was sterile, impotent, bisexual or homosexual. In this instance she was entitled to be paid her coibche in addition to a fine in compensation. A woman could divorce her husband on the grounds of indiscretion should he discuss intimate details of their marriage outside of the home. A woman could also divorce her husband should he abandon her either for the church or for a life on the road as he would no longer be in a position to maintain her. Physical abuse was also considered legitimate grounds for divorce. Even if the original blemish disappeared, a woman was entitled to the equivalent of her bride price as compensation. The laws are quite clear about the validity of female testimony in matters concerning consummation of marriage. This testimony is verified by a physical examination of the woman by female dignitaries. In a case where a woman refuses her husband his conjugal rights either because of a problem pregnancy or her menstrual cycle, the law regarded her objections as valid. A woman could also choose to divorce on grounds of infidelity although extra marital relations were recognized by law (O Croinin, 1995: 129). O Croinin suggests that in general terms many women were recognized by the law in ‘their capacity as wives and in their own right as individuals’ (1995: 133) Law texts are clear that a woman’s rights in divorce are specific to each type of marriage and related marriage contract. Lanamnas Comthinchuir was regarded as the most common type of marriage at this time. It was a dignified state for the wife, she was known as a be cuitchernsa, literally ‘a woman of joint dominion, a woman of equal lordship’ (O Croinin. 1995: 128). If this category of marriage ended in divorce, the woman received what she had initially contributed to the marriage in addition to a share of the profit accrued from the couple’s joint activities during the marriage period. O Croinin records that the division of property was in accordance with fixed proportions: ‘one third went to the partner who provided the land; one third to the partner who provided the stock; and one third to the partner who provided the labour’ (1995: 128). This last provision recognized the woman’s work in the home and on the farm. The second type of marriage lanamnas for ferthinchur represented a different kind of divorce settlement. Since the woman provided neither land nor stock, she was entitled to half of her own handiwork and one sixth of the dairy produce in store. If she had worked diligently on the farm and in the home she took one ninth of the corn and cured meat in store. She also received a sack of corn for a specified time. Divorce in the third category of marriage, lanamnas for bantinchur, ensured that the woman retained a life interest in the farm. She could not however transfer any rights to the estate to her children. She could however marry one of the heirs to the property and preserve her children’s right to inherit. Although the Irish lawyers appealed to Scripture, particularly to Leviticus to justify parallel cousin marriages, church law declared parallel cousin marriages incestuous (O Corrain, 1985). The Welsh tractate ‘the laws of women’ contains rules governing marriage and division of property in medieval Wales. There are four redactions of Welsh law manuscripts: the Cyfnerth and the Blegywryd redactions both derive from south Wales; Iorwerth is classed as a north Wales redaction; and finally the Latin manuscripts (there are similarities between the Latin laws and the Welsh redactions). Although the sources from Wales are dated to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, women in the Welsh tractate like women in Cain Lanamna are portrayed as wives and home-makers (Roberts, 2008: 58-59). Stacey asserts that the most ‘striking’ passage of the ‘Laws of Women’ outlines the domestic and agricultural goods granted to each partner in cases where the marriage had lasted longer than seven years (2002: 1109). This passage is common to each of the Welsh redactions of the law books and can also be found in four of the five Latin compilations. The couple must divide their possessions equally, the pigs become the property of the man and the woman takes ownership of the sheep. If there are only sheep and goats, the sheep go to the man and the goats to the woman. The children are also divided between the couple ‘two parts go to the father, the eldest and the youngest, and the middle to the mother’ (Stacey, 2002: 1111). The division of household goods is itemised: all milk vessels, except for one pail and one dish becomes the property of the woman. The man is entitled to all of the drinking vessels and the riddle while the woman is entitled to the sieve. The man is entitled to the upper stone of the quern and the woman to the lower stone. The bed clothes which cover the couple becomes the property of the woman while the clothes which they lay on belong to the man. The man receives the cauldron and the blanket and the pillows from the bed together with the wood axe, coulter and all the sickles except for one which the woman obtains. The woman is granted the pan, the broad axe, the bill hook and all of the flax, linseed and wool. She also receives the plowshare. Any gold or silver is divided equally between the couple. The man is entitled to the corn above and below the ground, all of the hens and one cat. The remaining cats become the property of the woman. The woman receives the salted meat but if it is hung it becomes the property of the man. The woman is also granted as much flour as she can carry along with the cut meat and the partly used cheese. They each retain their own clothes except for their cloaks which must be divided equally. Any balls of wool in stock become the property of the sons (Stacey, 2002: 1111). Like Irish Marriage Law, the Welsh Laws of Women attempted to secure a measure of financial independence for each partner in the event of divorce . Unlike Irish marriage law however which divided property according to specific marriage contracts, some rovisions in the Welsh divorce law appear illogical. Jenkins suggests that the Welsh division of property on divorce, attempts to ensure that each partner has the necessary provisions to survive but he asserts that the division of the quern stones is ‘curious’ since they cannot be used independently (Stacey, 2002: 1111). Similarly the coulter is granted to the man while the plowshare is received by the woman. Since both blades would have been required for planting this division appears to make little logical or practical sense. Stacey also points out that the man receives all of the corn and hens but only one cat to protect them from vermin while the woman receives the remaining cats although she has no grain or hens to protect (Stacey, 2002: 1113-1116). Welsh divorce law does not seem to be based on the wealth brought to the marriage by each party or indeed on the status of the marriage. In Irish Law the apportionment of property is determined by both of these factors (Stacey, 2002: 1113). Stacey suggests that the division of property in a Welsh divorce is symbolic of the destructiveness of divorce and failed marriage. He asserts that this was a secular ‘homily’ on the improvident nature of divorce (2002: 1124). Although the marriage property is divided the woman ultimately is disadvantaged because under Welsh Law, she has no claim to land and must be satisfied with portable goods. Although women under Welsh law were afforded the opportunity to divorce their husbands due to his impotency, leprosy or bad breath (Roberts, 2008: 63), Nerys Patterson suggests that the woman was further disadvantaged in the wake of marital separation: female virginity was highly valued and her loss of virginity would affect her chances of remarriage (2002: 1121). These medieval divorce laws clearly situate the woman in the home, rearing children, cooking, spinning wool and working on the farm. It is tempting to view these laws as depictions of a progressive egalitarian society, however the political and social realities of a woman’s life suggest otherwise. A woman’s legal definition derived from that of her father, brother or her legal husband. A legal tract on honour price (dire) defined women’s legal and social position ‘her father had charge over her when she is a girl, her husband when she is a wife, her sons when she is a [widowed] woman with children . . the Church when she is a woman of the Church [i. e. , a nun]. She is not capable of sale or purchase or contract or transaction without the authorization of one of her superiors’ (Bitel, 1996: 8). According to Bitel, these legally and socially incapacitated women were the real Medbs of medieval Ireland. When measuring a woman’s status, the laws measured women against the legal norm of the free adult male and as such a woman’s worth remained only half that of her male guardians honour price. The Irish literati along with many medieval authors considered female bodies as ‘less valuable copies of mens’ (Bitel, 1996: 19). This principle is reflected in the only extant Irish medico-legal tracts namely Bretha Crolige and Bretha Dein Checht which accorded women less medical attention and food rations than men (Bitel, 1996: 21). Women therefore were considered physically and psychologically less than man, less than human (Bitel, 1996: 23). The ninth century Triads text, Trecheng Breth Fene unveiled some basic assumptions about the nature of woman. The Triads suggested that ‘the three drops of a wedded woman’ were drops of blood (a good wife was a virgin at marriage); sweat; and tears (a good wife should be willing to suffer hardship to support her husband and children). One of the three misfortunes of a man was proposing marriage to a bad woman. According to the Triads, women were their husband’s property and were akin to animals. ‘When a man loaned either a woman or a horse, he had to expect it to be used by the borrower’ (Bitel, 1996: 23). The wisdom text also suggested that ‘like a cow’s udder, women through her womb, was one of the three renovators of the world’ (Bitel, 1996: 24). Another wisdom text Tecosca Cormaic suggested that women ‘should be feared like beasts’ because they were ‘capricious beasts’ (Bitel, 1996: 24). A woman’s physical characteristics and fertility therefore were animal like and unreliable. The eighth or ninth-century wisdom text Senbriathra Fithail considered the characteristics of ‘a good wife’ (Bitel, 1996: 27). Advising his pupil Cormac mac Airt, Fithal (a druid) asserted that a good woman had ‘common sense, prudence, modesty, excellent Irish, delicacy, mildness, honesty, wisdom, purity and intelligence’ (Bitel, 1996: 28). All of these attributes according to Fithal were necessary for a woman to become a desirable wife. A bad wife on the other hand was characterised by ‘wretchedness, stinginess, vanity, talkativeness, laziness, indolence, noisiness, hatefulness avarice, visiting, thieving, keeping trysts, lustfulness, folly and treachery’ (Bitel, 1996: 28). Fithal asserted that it was possible to detect a woman’s character based on her physical appearance. He suggested that Cormac should avoid: ‘the fat short one’; ‘the slender short one with curling hair’; the fair tall one’; ‘the dark-limbed, unmanageable one’; ‘the dun coloured yellow one’; and ‘the slender prolific one who was lewd and jealous’ (Bitel, 1996: 28). Fithal determined that the worst wife was a be cairn or a whore. A successful marriage however could be assured by a union with the ‘tall, fair, very slender ones’ (Bitel, 1996: 28). Fithal admitted to Cormac however that the ideal woman may not exist and that most women had character flaws. The author of Tecosca Cormaic was adamant that all women were ‘chronically dissatisfied, bad tempered, untrustworthy, wanton, manipulative, ambitious, greedy, arrogant whiners’ (Bitel, 1996: 29). Bitel suggests that the real problem with women is that they were not men and the writers of the gnomic tracts could only define them by their many indefinable natures: they had similar physical bodies to men but were not men; they had reproductive characteristics and temperaments similar to animals but were not animals. The only certainty appeared to be was that women must be controlled and her inferior position in society maintained (Bitel, 1996: 30). The writers of ecclesiastical canons suggested that women could only be redeemed by denying their female characteristics and their female sexuality. Bitel argues that canonists established a ‘gender hierarchy’ (Bitel, 1996: 32). Unlike the typologies found in secular and wisdom texts, the cannon scribes attributed a moral value to virginity and abstinence. Nuns were accorded a high moral value as were ‘widows who took the veil’ (Bitel, 1996: 32). Thomas O’ Loughlin suggests that the Collectio canonum hibernesis, a systematic collection of law, codified certain patristic theories producing an understanding of marriage ‘as a state secondary to virginity’ (1997: 188). The canonists justify their position by quoting Jerome who asserts that ‘virginity follows the lamb wherever he goes’ (O’Loughlin, 1997: 192). Jerome expands on this theme suggesting that ‘earth is populated by marriage, so heaven is by virginity’ (O’Loughlin, 1997: 192). The underlying concept is clear, virginity is exemplified and sexuality creates problems. According to O’Loughlin this principle was the basis of ecclesiastical thinking on marriage throughout the middle ages and Jerome’s opinion that sexual activity was ‘inferior and earthy’ in comparison to virginity which was ‘noble and superior’ has been held responsible for the cult of virginity and celibacy in the Latin church (O’Loughlin, 1997: 193). Augustine also considered sexuality dangerous but (quoting Paul in 1 Corinthians 7) asserted that while celibacy was the desired state, ‘lawful marriage is to be preferred to burning with desire and fornication’ (O’Loughlin, 1997: 193). The dangers of sexuality therefore were to be contained within the institution of marriage. Although canonists admitted that clerics could fall to sexual temptation, the general consensus was that women as the weaker sex were more likely to succumb to sexual temptation.