Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Dubus Andre Killers Essay Example

Dubus Andre Killers Essay Example Dubus Andre Killers Essay Dubus Andre Killers Essay Killers Richard Strout is the true killer of this story. This man walks through the â€Å"front door† (Dubus 107) of his ex-wife’s house and proceeds in shooting Frank â€Å"twice in the chest and once in the face with a nine millimeter automatic† (107). Standing over the blood spattered couch he shifts his eyes from the brainy chaos, which was a man’s face just seconds before, to the children that are sitting on that same couch. He then looks at the mother of those children, his children. She is not looking at the killer, rather she is intently staring at her babies who are covered with the remnants of the man they have recently begun to call dad. And how does the executioner react to this entire scene? He â€Å"went home to wait for the police† (107). He waits for the police as though he just stole a loaf of Wonder Bread at the dollar store. This man is cold, grey and calculating. He goes home to wait because he knows what he has done, he lives in it, accepts it. Matt and Ruth, Frank’s parents, will never accept the cold blooded murder of their son. It is pure torture for a mother or father to see the man that took away from them, something that can never be returned, their child. â€Å"He walks the goddamn streets,† (103) Matt says. Matt did not think that the justice system would release a man like this on bail. This murderer is now tending to his daily routines without a care in the world, while the victims of his injustice helplessly watch. They watch as the killer of their child is shopping at a local grocery store; Buying skirt steak and quart of two percent milk while they wait in line to buy flowers for their dead son’s tombstone. Watch as that same man, who has shattered a mothers bond, is enjoying a Saturday afternoon at a local barbershop for his weekly high and tight haircut. â€Å"It’s killing her,† said Matt. Dubus writes â€Å"she can’t even go out for cigarettes and aspirin† (103) without seeing him. Not only has he killed their child, he is now killing them indirectly. Matt’s marriage is suffering and he is only a shell of his old self. How many people must endure pain and suffering before justice is dealt? Matt cannot bear the thought of facing his son’s murderer in everyday life. He believes that the only way to remedy this problem is to take matters into his own hands. Richard Strout shot and killed Matt’s son with a nine millimeter pistol. Matt pulled the trigger on his unregistered thirty eight millimeter pistol (104) ending the life of Richard Stout hoping to find closure in his death. Both men have now committed murder. Dubus named this story Killings because of Matt’s revenge. If the Justice system worked properly this story might have been called Killer. The real problem here is not the revenge murders but the inefficiency of the criminal justice system. The criminal justice system should be blamed for the murder of Strout, releasing this man back into the same community where the murder took place is outrageous. Laws and regulations in the justice system are in place to prevent people from taking matters into their own hands. It is very difficult to deal with your emotions when you are being haunted by your child’s murderer. Everyone thinks they know someone that the world would be better off without. But why are we not running amok in the streets, viciously murdering our bosses, and curb stomping our neighbors or grimy politicians? Even the guy who stepped on your new shoes the night before nobody would miss him. We do not go around decimating each other because there is a system in place that punishes the wicked. The Laws must be followed and people must be held accountable for their actions. It is this accountability that allows us to move along comfortably through our lives. Not having to worry that you’re going to get shot in the face because you stole a parking spot from a driver that was taking too long. Or that your children are being shoved into creepy white vans after being lured with candy. The narrator tells us that Frank â€Å"was relieved when he came home in the evenings and they were there; usually the relief is the only acknowledgement of his fear , which he never spoke of, and which he controlled within his heart† (107). Frank was pushed into action due to the failure of the law to protect his family. Yes, Frank did commit murder and he should be held responsible. But there needs to be a difference between a man who blasts a guy’s head away while he’s enjoying television with his children and a guy who takes revenge because of the pain of seeing this murderer walk. The hard truth is that we need a criminal justice system that works. Criminals need to be punished to protect guys like Richard, who will never accept the cold blooded murder of his son, from taking matters into his own hands and become a criminal himself. Dubus, Andre. Killings. The Compact Bedford Introduction To Literature With 2009 MLA Update, Reading, Thinking, Writing. Ed. Michael Meyer. 8th ed. Boston, New York: Bedford/St Martins, 2009. 103-07. Print.

Friday, November 22, 2019

How to Document the Marketing Process in Six Steps - CoSchedule

How to Document the Marketing Process in Six Steps Documenting your marketing processes gives you the steps you need to complete every project you take on.  Its a vital part of executing any strategy. Perhaps you’re looking to revamp an outdated workflow or  maybe youre looking to make your team more efficient and collaborate better. This post will walk you through how to build a marketing process from start to finish. Once your process is developed, it will help you maximize your time and get things done as efficiently as possible. DID YOU KNOW: You can manage and execute your entire marketing strategy using the Marketing Suite? From social media planning and publishing to marketing project management and task organization to content marketing strategy and execution,  the Marketing Suite is the most complete marketing platform to get better results. Download Your Marketing Process  Template Marketers who document their process  are 538% more successful. Be like them. Document your own process with this easy-to-use template.Document the entire marketing process with this free template.What is a Marketing Process? A marketing process is: â€Å"A series of steps that allow organizations to identify customer problems, analyze market opportunities, and create marketing materials to reach the desired audience.† So ... how exactly does the marketing process work? And how does documenting one help you achieve...Step One: What Does Your Company Do? The first step in creating your marketing process is to highlight the mission statement of your company. All of your marketing efforts will revolve around fulfilling that statement for your customers. Take a look at some of the mission statements of these brands: Starbucks: To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. Discovery Benefits: Discovery Benefits is transforming the complexity of employee benefits administration with innovative solutions and extraordinary customer service delivered by empowered and knowledgeable employees. : A family of Agile marketing products that will help you stay focused, deliver projects on time, and make your team  happy. Patagonia: Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis. Tesla: To accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy. Each one of these companies creates materials, campaigns, and more to help foster those mission statements. Take   for example. Every feature we build helps marketing teams get organized and save time. All of your marketing efforts should relate back to fulfilling this mission or the goals that have been set. Define the goal behind your marketing process. Follow this template to get started: {My company} exists to {provide benefit} through {product or service}. Documenting your #marketing process? Start with your mission statement.Step Two: Conduct a SWOT, 5C’s or PEST Analysis The next step in creating your marketing process is running an analysis for your marketers. You have three options to choose from: A SWOT analysis.  These analyses  run through the internal and external strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that your organization faces. The 5C’s analysis.  The 5C’s analyses focus on the company, collaborators, customers, competitors, and climate of your marketing. A PEST Analysis.  The PEST analysis focuses on more environmental factors like politics, the environment, social climate, and technology. Here are three types of competitive analyses to consider when documenting the #marketing process.Conducting a SWOT Analysis A SWOT analysis  a relatively straightforward process. As a team, you will need to identify the internal strengths and weaknesses of your organization. To find your strengths  answer questions like: What does our organization do well? What processes do we have in place that help us stay efficient? What do we currently do that is a unique strength of our organization? To find your weaknesses  answer questions like: What could we improve in our organization? What is causing a constant roadblock to our progress? What are we currently doing in our marketing process that could use improvement? Each of these questions should address the internal factors that are helping or hindering the success of your marketing. The second part of the SWOT analysis is going to focus on the opportunities and threats that affect your marketing outside of your organization. To analyze the opportunities  outside your organization answer the following: What are we currently doing in our marketing that is fulfilling our mission statement or goals that have been set for our team? What is going on in the current market that we can use as an opportunity? What is changing in our industry that we could take advantage of right now? Once you’ve found opportunities to expand your marketing, analysis the threats  that may impede your success. Answer the following questions: What are our competitors doing better than us? Are there changes in our industry that could threaten our efforts? Is there anything going on politically, economically, or socially that could hinder our marketing efforts? If running a SWOT analysis is something your marketing team wants, use the analysis template that you downloaded earlier in your marketing process strategy bundle. This is how to run a SWOT analysis.How To Run A 5C’s Analysis Another analysis that your marketing team  can choose to run is a 5C’s analysis that focuses on your: Company. Collaborators. Competitors. Climate. Customers. For this analysis, answer the following questions and record them in the 5C analysis template. Company Question Examples: What marketing strategies are we employing that are making a positive impact? What strategies are we using that aren’t making an impact on our audience? What roadblocks are continually recurring that hinder our marketing process? Collaborator Question Examples: Who are we working with that is having a positive impact on our marketing efforts? Who is up and coming in our industry that we could partner with? What relationships aren’t having the same effect that they used to? Competitors Question Examples: Who are our most significant competitors? What are they doing that we currently aren’t? What tactics seems to resonant with their audience? Climate Question Examples: Is there anything happening in our industry that would affect our marketing tactics? Are their new best practices in our industry? Is our industry growing or shrinking? Customer Question Examples: What tactics are resonating with our audience? What have they come to expect from us? Is there anything we can be doing to increase the loyalty to our brand? Fill in your analysis in the marketing process template. This is how to run a 5 C's analysis.Running a PEST Analysis No, this isn’t about potential bugs in the office. A PEST analysis involves  looking at the political, economic, social, and technological factors that may affect your organization. To run a PEST analysis, record answers to the following questions. Political Climate Questions: Are there any upcoming elections that could affect the way our product is used or made? Could any upcoming legislation affect the way our organization conducts its business? If there is an upcoming legislation change that affects your organization, how quickly will that take effect? Economic Climate Questions: What is the current outlook for the economy? If you do business with foreign countries, what does the current exchange rate look like? How much are our target audience members spending on products or services we sell? Social Climate Questions: Are there any social movements that our company should be addressing? How does the upcoming generation of buyers feel about our product? Is there any social faux-pas arising that could affect how people view our business? Technological Climate Questions: Are there any new tech tools that could help us do our jobs better? Are there any new tech advancements in our industry that we could bring to our customers? If new technology is coming to our industry, how quickly will it make an appearance? Record your answers in the PEST analysis template you downloaded earlier. Here's how to run a PEST analysis.Step Three: Creating Your Marketing Strategy Now that you have a full analysis of your organization  and your industry, you can begin to shape your marketing strategy. Define Your Target Audience To start creating your strategy, you need to define who your target audience is.   Your target audience is: â€Å"The ideal customer you want to attract to your product or service through your marketing efforts.† To start finding your target audience ask your marketers the following: Who is already a part of our existing audience? Who responds best to our efforts? Why do people use our product or service? What type of problem do they experience? As you begin to format the answers to those questions, you’ll create a target audience statement which could look something like: â€Å"[Target Demographic] experiences [problem] which is leading them to interact with our organization and use our services.† Read more  about how to develop your target audience  and marketing persona. Documenting your marketing strategy? Don't forget your target audience.Creating Marketing Goals The next step in formatting your marketing strategy is to develop a series of marketing goals that connect back to the business goals that were mentioned earlier. Your marketing goals should be S.M.A.R.T. This means they should be: Specific.  You should know exactly what you'd like to accomplish. Measureable.  If you can't measure it, it's not useful. Attainable.  Stretch yourself, but avoid setting yourself up for failure. Relevant.  Your marketing goals should be connected to clear business outcomes. Time-based.  Give yourself a deadline by which you'll achieve your goal. For example, if we were to go back to the overarching goal for the mattress company which was to sell mattress your marketing goals would want to help contribute to that goal. A possible marketing goal for this example would be: â€Å"Increase the website referral traffic coming from social media channels by 25% in the next quarter.† You can set as many goals as you need to complete each marketing project. Learn how to set your goals. Every documented #marketing strategy should include clear goals.Remember, the most important thing with your marketing goals is that they are tied to wider business objectives. Ensuring Your Marketing Goals Contribute to the Bottomline Let's say your overarching business goal is to have 20 million in revenue by 2020. In order to increase revenue, you have to increase sales. In order to increase sales, you've got to increase leads coming into the marketing funnel. This is where you come in. You've identified that you need to bring in 1,000 leads per month. Working back from there helps you identify the one lead metric to focus on. Your website is the largest lead generator, so to increase the number of leads, you've got to increase traffic. Say you get 5,000 website visitors each month; is it possible to convert 20 percent of them? Likely not. In reality, a 2-5 percent conversion rate is more accurate. To hit your goal of 1,000 leads, you need between 20,000 and 50,000 website visitors. Now you've found the one metric to focus on. Every activity you do should focus on increasing the volume of website visitors from 5,000 to 20,000 (to hit a 5 percent conversion rate). Set A Budget The last step in your marketing strategy is setting a budget up. Your budget will determine what resources and strategies you use throughout the year. There are four ways you can set a budget for the year: Percent of Revenue.  This is where the revenue that your organization brings in determines what your budget will be. Top-Down.  This is where your CMO or boss decides what your marketing team will spend. Competition Matching.  This type of budget is based on trying to reverse engineer what your competitors are doing. Goal Driven.  This type of budget is based on the goals that you have set for the year. The amount you spend on each project will depend on the kind of goal you need to reach. Learn more about creating a marketing budget, with our  marketing strategy guide. Have questions about working budget into your marketing strategy? We have answers.Step Four: Building Your Marketing Mix The next step in your marketing process is going to be building  your marketing mix. According to The Economic Times: â€Å"The marketing mix refers to the set of actions, or tactics, that a company uses to promote its brand or product in the market.† This is usually broken down into the four P’s: Product, Price, Promotion, and Place. Product.  The product of your marketing mix is going to refer to how the thing that your company is selling is produced. It includes things like branding, packaging, quality of the product, features and more. Price.  Price in a marketing mix refers to how much your product or service costs. It also includes things like the discounts your company may offer, and it’s perceived value. Promotion.  Promotion is how your organization sells the product to your target audience. This includes things like advertising channels, public relations, sales and publicity efforts that sell your product. Place. Place refers to where your product or service is produced. This could involve distribution channels, outlet locations, how your product is transported and stored. Check out this SlideShare on how to build a marketing mix: As you continue to develop your mix, record it in the 4P’s spreadsheet that was in your downloaded strategy kit. What does your #marketing mix look like?Step Five: Execution The next part of your marketing process is determining how to use it when you execute your projects. Here is how each part of your marketing execution can be used. Target Marketing Process Target marketing involves breaking down your target audience into smaller segments and sending those segments messages to move them further down the marketing funnel. Here are some ways you can segment your audience: By demographic. By location. By lifestyle or income level. By behavior (hobbies, interests, shopping habits, etc). After you have your segments drawn up your marketing process should look something like this:

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Single Tuned Harmonic Filter Design Research Paper

Single Tuned Harmonic Filter Design - Research Paper Example Therefre, the filter re ued t ntrl hrmni in the netwrk. T deign uh filter, it i neery t: Minimiztin f ttl t f the filter (bjetive funtin) ubjet t ertin vlue f filter rmeter (ntrint) i the bigget hllenge fr filter deign. n timiztin re n be defined mximiztin (r minimiztin) f n bjetive funtin, f(x), ubjet t me ntrint f the rblem, g(x). Thee ntrint define the feible regin, i.e. regin tht ntin ible lutin f the rblem. The bjetive funtin i t minimize the ttl t f the filter n be frmulted : where F i the ttl filter t; R the filter reitne; X the fundmentl frequeny itive retne; XL the fundmentl frequeny indutive retne; Q the qulity ftr; X0 the rennt retne; min nd mx: dente the minimum nd the mximum limit, reetively. The ue f nventinl L tehnique i ulr, ne my ue due t the imliity f ytem mdeling nd bjetive. The qulity ftr determine hw hrly the filter i tuned t the trget hrmni rder. The dmittne f high Q filter dr ff quikly t frequenie bve nd belw it trget vlue. The timl Q fr ingle tuned filter led t hve the lwet hrmni vltge ditrtin. where ; ; ; U the inrementl t f the itr nd it i equl t 170103LE/MVR; UL the inrementl t f the retr nd it i equl t 170103LE/MVR; n the hrmni number; K=ntnt=0.4KW/MVR ; If the fundmentl urrent mnent; Ih the hrmni urrent mnent; U i ntnt, nd it i equl t : The fuzzy liner rgrmming tehnique i ued t minimize the bjetive funtin in Eq. (1) nd tify the filter rmeter (ntrint). ... The imedne f ingle tuned filter (Z) n be exreed : (7) t the trget hrmni rder, the filter retne i: (8) nd (9) where h i the trget hrmni rder. The ttl filter t bjetive funtin f filter deign f Eq. (1) n be exreed : (10) =K1R+K2X+K3XL where ; ; ; U the inrementl t f the itr nd it i equl t 170103LE/MVR; UL the inrementl t f the retr nd it i equl t 170103LE/MVR; n the hrmni number; K=ntnt=0.4KW/MVR ; If the fundmentl urrent mnent; Ih the hrmni urrent mnent; U i ntnt, nd it i equl t : (11) U=8760vFuUu where Fu i the Filter utiliztin ftr whih i equl t 1.0 nd Uu i the t f wer l/KWH whih i equl t 0.2 L.E. (12) nd N i the filter life=15 yer; I i the interet rte=0.05. 3.2. FD uing fuzzy liner rgrmming (FL) timiztin tehnique The fuzzy liner rgrmming tehnique i ued t minimize the bjetive funtin in Eq. (1) nd tify the filter rmeter (ntrint). The differene between L nd FL tehnique i tht the vlue nd ertr uing the nventinl L re ri vlue, while, the vlue nd/r ertr f the FL re Fuzzified hrteriti, uing FL tehnique. 3.2.1. Fuzzy mdeling f ntrint The red tringulr fuzzy mdeling fr the filter reitne i hwn in Fig. 1. It i een tht, memberhi funtin fr the reitne i equl t 1 igned t Rmed, eh mnent f filter i rereented by tw liner ntrint: the lwer limit nd the uer limit. The lwer limit memberhi fr the reitne f the filter i deribed fllw: (13) nd the uer reitne limit memberhi i: (14) imilrly, the red tringulr fuzzy mdeling fr the itive retne i hwn in Fig. 2. The lwer limit memberhi fr the itive retne f the filter i deribed fllw: (15) nd the uer itive retne limit memberhi i: (16) imilrly, the red tringulr fuzzy mdeling fr the indutive retne i hwn in Fig. 3. The lwer limit memberhi fr the indutive retne f the filter i deribed

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Factors other than technology that influenced military innovation Essay

Factors other than technology that influenced military innovation during the Interwar Period - Essay Example Europe was immensely affected by the devastation of the First World War while North America affected by the great depression in 1929. The worldwide depression contributed to the growth of Nazism in Germany which resulted in World War 2. The military technology of the interwar period provided ample promise for innovation, but did not determine the state of change. In many cases state of the art technology would not support operational concepts developed by military visionaries. (Williamson Murray, Allan R Millet, p.342) Civilian timidity, insufficient intelligence, and lack of political guidance contributed immensely to the lack of military innovation during the interwar period. Civilian participation is important in political and technological processes. In Britain military professionalism countered civilian curiosity; the committee system diffused arguments and sharpened pessimism rather than encouraged debate on defence options. (Williamson Murray, Allan R Millet, p.361) The general public during this period was not aware of the importance of military innovation. They had many other things to discuss like the depression, and they never took military innovation as a serious thing. They were already witnessed the drastic results of a world war and they thought the military innovations may result in another world war. The civilians concluded that the military operations are for destructive purposes only and they failed to recognize the need of defence and such attitudes of the civilians retarded the military innovation process. In the United States, civilian-military political collaboration arose in the institutionalized conflict between the Presidency and Congress over domination of military policy. (Williamson Murray, Allan R Millet, p.362) The political leaders also kept different views on the need of military innovation. Because of these conflicts among the parliamentary members, the most of the military innovation processes failed to get the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Hisory of Mexican Art Essay Example for Free

Hisory of Mexican Art Essay Mexico is known worldwide for its folk art traditions, mostly derived from the indigenous and Spanish crafts. The archeological setting in Teotihuacan is the largest in America and corresponds to a civilization that florished in the Valley of Mexico between the 200 B. C. and 250 A. D. The ruins show the remainders of a city built along the Alley of the Dead. Among its main buildings, the 5 levels 65 meters high Sun Pyramid and the smaller Moon Pyramid, with 4 levels. Ancient Aztec art was primarily a form of religious expression and a means for paying tribute to their gods. In addition, various forms of Aztec art were used to assist in communication. Pottery of all shapes and sizes depicted a variety of designs that were meaningful to the Aztec culture and religion. They typically were meant to depict or pay reverence to specific Aztec gods or to represent an Aztec tribe. In addition to the pottery made of clay, the Aztecs showed their deep religion through a variety of sculptures carved out of stone. In the 16th century, two cultures mixed: the native Mesoamerican cultures and the Spanish. This phenomenon lasted from the fall of the Aztec empire, in 1521, to the end of the Spanish domination, in 1821. Colorfully embroidered cotton garments, cotton or wool shawls and outer garments, and colorful baskets and rugs are seen everywhere. Between the Spanish conquest and the early Twentieth Century, Mexican fine arts were largely in imitation of European traditions. After the Mexican Revolution, a new generation of Mexican artists led a vibrant national movement that incorporated political, historic, and folk themes in their work. The painters Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros became world famous for their grand scale murals, often displaying clear social messages. Rufino Tamayo and Frida Kahlo produced more personal works with abstract elements. The literature of Mexico originated from the concepts of the American and Spanish settlements of Mesoamerica. Outstanding colonial writers and poets include Juan Ruiz de Alarcon and Juana Ines de la Cruz. Folk dances are regarded to be one of the most important features of Mexican culture.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Character Manipulation in The Rise of Silas Lapham Essay -- Rise Silas

Character Manipulation in Howells' The Rise of Silas Lapham  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Of all the characters who undergo change in The Rise of Silas Lapham, Lapham's change is the only one looked upon in a positive light by the narrator. William Dean Howells uses the corruption of other characters to promote Lapham's newfound morality and reinforce his ultimate triumph. Before Lapham's financial ruin, he is the only character with fault. Yet as his world crumbles, so does the credibility and innocence of his wife, two daughters, and former partner, Mr. Rogers. At the same time, the very catalyst of Lapham's ruin exonerates him. This allows Howells to reinforce Lapham's ultimate rise in the novel, despite his financial and social failures.    While Silas Lapham's character shines of perfect success in the book's opening interview, we soon learn of the fault that will lead to his ruin. In a time when his company needed help, Lapham used Mr. Rogers for his capital, then pushed him out of the company once back on his feet. Mrs. Lapham holds the strongest position towards Silas' treatment of Mr. Rogers: "No; you had better face the truth, Silas. It was no chance at all. You crowded him out. A man that had saved you! No, you had got greedy, Silas. You had made your paint your god, and you couldn't bear to let anybody else share in its blessings."(45) She believes that his treatment of Rogers is the only fault in his character, and is satisfied when he finally makes good on it by lending money to Rogers when asked. Despite his efforts to resolve the matter, Lapham refuses to admit his guilt. But the narrator tells us he is guilty*, and Silas admits feeling relieved after working it out: "'Well, I don't know when it's done me so much ... ...ng Lapham's upward motion cannot be accidental. Lapham needed his wife to nag at him about Rogers, and needed Rogers to be a "rascal" to start the events which lead to his rise. Lapham needed his daughters' distraction to ensure his lack of support and need for complete self-sufficiency during his hardships, as well as its incorporation of the Corey family to justify his involvement and failure with "society." Howells creates a plot in which Lapham figuratively steps on the other characters in order to rise.    Works Cited and Consulted Carter, Everett. Howells and the Age of Realism. Hamden, Conn.: Arcton Books, 1966 Howells, William Dean. The Rise of Silas Lapham. 1885. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1988 Van Wyck, Brooks. Howells His Life and World. Dutton, 1959. Wagenknecht, Edward. W.D. Howells The Friendly Eye. New York: Oxford University Press, 1969

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Commercial Life in Pompeii

Commercial Life in Pompeii and Herculaneum Historians have debated the nature of Pompeian economy – whether it was based on agriculture or trade. Some see the Roman empire in modern terms as one vast single market where demand drove up prices and productivity stimulated trade to a never before seen level (residue of pollution can be found in Greenland’s ice-cap and the many ship wrecks indicating the large volume of sea borne traffic).Other historians see Roman economy as ‘primitive’ based primarily on agriculture and the main aim of any community was to feed itself, with trade as the icing on the cake (based on the risky and costly sea travel, lack of banking system, social mores for respectability being against trade and laws forbidding senators and their sons from owning trade ships) (Beard pp. 152-3)[i]. More likely it was a combination of the two scenarios. Pompeii, unlike the quieter fishing/resort town of Herculaneum, can be seen to be a bustling com mercial centre, a town where making a profit and accumulating wealth was regarded as being favoured by the gods.This picture is based on evidence such as: * High number of privately owned shops, workshops, bars and inns, about 600 excavated * The markets around the Forum * The epigraphic (written) evidence of the guilds of tradesmen and retailers * The roughly 20 maritime warehouses & buildings lined with wine jars * Paintings of cargo boats on the Sarno River and porters carrying products to be loaded onto vessels * Trade signs advertise goods and services * Inscriptions on walls and floors on the benefits of making profit, eg. welcome gain† in the impluvium of the house of a carpenter * Images of Mercury, the God of commerce displayed The economies of Vesuvian towns were based on agricultural production (grain, grapes, olives and sheep) and fishing. The wealthiest families owned large houses in the city and also estates in the country side which were run and worked by fr eedmen and slaves . There were numerous medium-sized farms and villa rusticae as well as market gardens inside the walls of Pompeii occupying 10% of the town so far) that provided daily needs (wine, oil, cereals, fruit, vegetables, meat and wool). The fishing fleets of Herculaneum were large (based on the volume of fishing nets, hooks etc found) and supplied fresh seafood and the garum industry. These industries would’ve needed subsidiary industries too, such as pottery that was needed for the storage and export of products. From the evidence found in the Pompeii there were 50 occupations other than farming ii].There is a good argument to be made for the fact that Pompeii would’ve had enough surplus product for export – ancient writers associated the area with wine, as well as onions and cabbage. Also, numerous pottery jars have been found far from Pompeii, such as off the coast of Cannes (in France) stamped with the name Lasius an Oscan name with well-known mem bers of the family from Pompeii; wine jars stamped with the name Eumachus have been found in Carthage, Spain and France. Inside Pompeian houses jars have been found stamped with their origins (perhaps ready for distribution or sale) such as Spain, Crete and Rhodes.Microscopic analysis of containers in Pompeii has shown evidences of spices (such as pepper and cumin) as well as Egyptian glassware and Gallic bowls and pottery lamps (90 and 40 respectively still packed in their crates). Thus Beard reasons that â€Å"however small by comparison with the great trading centres of Puteoli or Rome, Pompeii’s port must’ve been a thriving, international and multilingual little place. † (Beard p. 162) Villa rustica in Boscoreale | Drawing of an olive press, for first pressing| Wine press, from Herculaneum| Wine and oil industries:Wine and oil were the main sources of income for people in the Vesuvian area, though only wealthy landowners could afford the outlay needed to set up and maintain these industries as the oil presses were costly and the long wait between planting and harvest. Large quantities of wine don’t appear to have been stored in bars or even inside the city, but brought in from the villas when needed which were stored large dolia â€Å"completely or partially buried in the ground thus protecting them from the weather† according to Pliny (Natural History 14). At the Villa of Pisanella at Boscoreale there was an nternal courtyard with 120 dolia that could hold up to 50,000 litres of wine which was transported in leather wineskins and decanted into amphorae for storage or serving in the thermopolia. Advertisements show there were a wide variety of types and vintages of wine on sale, Pliny said that Vesuvian wines were â€Å"injurious because of the hangover they cause, which persists until noon the following day. † The same estates also produced olive oil which was used for a variety of uses including cooking, lighting , washing and the production of perfume.Most of the pressing was done on estates in a two-step process – rubbing the olives to remove the skin and pips and then pressing them in the same press as used for wine to extract the oil. The manufacture of Garum:Pompeii was renowned for its garum, a fish sauce which was one of the main condiments used for flavouring Roman food. There were various types and qualities made from the guts and left overs of fish (such as red mullet, tuna, mackerel, sardines and anchovies) which was salted and left to ferment for a month.There is no evidence of equipment needed for production within the city itself, only dolia for distribution have been found (based on the small bones found at the bottom). The wealthiest families had a monopoly on the manufacture of garum and then sold it to street retailers or prepared it for export. | Garum jar in mosaic from the villa of Aulus Umbricius Scaurus, Pompeii, an ‘advertisement’ on the floor of h is atrium. | Cloth manufacture and treatment:Wool was the basis for one of the most important industries in Pompeii – the washing and dyeing of wool and the manufacture of cloth, as well as the laundering, bleaching and re-colouring of clothes. The raw wool was first degreased by boiling in leaden boilers, then once it was carded it was sent to spinners and weavers in private homes or shops and then it was coloured (often in bright colours such as purple and saffron) before distribution to cloth merchants. There have been 18 fullonicae (laundries) found in Pompeii and are identified by the series of interconnected basins or tanks with built in steps for washing and rinsing.Workers trod the cloth in a mixture of potash, carbonate of soda and urine (collected in jugs from the inhabitants of the town! ). Four fulleries were large and the rest have been found as part of private homes. The Fuller’s guild may have been a powerful organisation within the city. Fullery of Step hanus| Brushing the nap| Fullers standing in vats| An advertisement for the Fullonica of Stephani – cloth press| Fresco from the fullonica (fuller's shop) of Veranius Hypsaeus in Pompeii| Pistrina (Bakeries)There have been more than 30 pistrina found in Pompeii easily identified by their mills and ovens, some bakeries did the whole process from milling the grain whilst others prepared loaves from ready prepared flour. Lava stone mills were turned by donkeys and the flour collected at the bottom. The flour was then kneaded at a table, shaped into circles, scored into wedges and baked in a stone oven. In Herculaneum a baker known as Sextus Patulcus Felix appears have specialised in cakes as 25 bronze pans of various sizes from 10 to 25 cm diameter were found.In the Bakery of the Chaste Lovers there is a two roomed shop, a bakery with large oven (that had a large repaired crack, and smaller newer cracks), four mills (though only one was operational at the time of eruption) and a dining room (a very large triclunium). The remains of seven donkeys in their stables were found which suggests that bread was also delivered. The large number of animals (who were expensive to keep) also indicates that the owners of the bakery had intention of returning it to full operating output (Beard pp. 174-7).Bakery of Modesto, Pompeii, where 81 loaves were found still ‘baking’ in the oven! |   | Tabernae (Shops) Tabernae are usually translated as shops or workshops and they are found along main roads along the street front with wide open fronts that were part of insulae and integrated into the town rather than in ‘commercial zones’ as in modern town planning. Owners would live above the shop, called cenacula, accessed by stairs. An example is Insula Arriana Polliana – the white sections are an elite residence whilst the grey sections are shops (eg. 1-3 ;amp; 2-4), domus (eg. 7, 9 ;amp;10) and upper floor apartments (accessed at 18, 19, 6, 8 ;amp; 10a) available for rent. About 200 public eating and drinking places have been identified in Pompeii identified by their open fronts and the counters with dolia set into them. Though there was no ‘zoning’, there is a cluster of shops at three of the gates into the city (northern entrance of the Herculaneum Gate, to the south the Vesuvius ;amp; Stabian Gates) as well as on a 600m stretch of the Via dell’ Abbondanza.Shop and workshop owners advertised their businesses with painted signs or painting on the outside of walls. Inns and bars did continue service into the night with lamps as lighting but there is also the evidence of the wood shutters put in place for when shops did close. One of the largest tabernae found at Herculaneum opposite the Palestra had two entrances and had eight large jars set into the counter, other amphorae that may have been used for oil or sauce and a stove behind the counter that had terracotta casseroles warming over a charcoal f ire.One wine bar or tavern on Via dell’ Abbondanza in Pompeii was owned by a woman named Asellina who employed foreign waitresses named Zmyrina, Maria and Aegle (some believe they are prostitutes) has sums showing customers’ debts written on the insides of the walls of her inn and on the outside there are political slogans which may reveal her interest in politics or an ancient version of a slur campaign against a candidate. The walls of Pompeii’s inns also provide evidence for what activities occurred there, one painting shows customers seated below hanging hams and sausages, a sign reads â€Å"if you’re going to fight, get out! ; while the bill for one customer ambiguously lists the cost of a girl, bed and fodder for his mule (Butterworth ;amp; Laurence p. 280)[iii]. There were also hotels where visitors to Pompeii could rent a room, either close to the port or clustered around the northern and southern Gates. One building named Hotel of the Muses on t he banks of the Sarno River had a small jetty, 8 triclinia with brilliant frescoes and a large kitchen that is estimated could feed 50 guests. Other Industries:In Pompeii there is evidence of workshops of carpenters, plumbers, wheelwrights, tanners, tinkers, ironmongers, gold/ silver/bronze/coppersmiths, marble-workers, stonemasons, gem-cutters and glassmakers, tanneries, cobblers, painters and weavers. Many of these industries seem to have been conducted from a room in the home (based on finds of tools) or on the streets (based on paintings of street life). Metal working seems to have been big business in Pompeii as there is a profusion of metal implements all over the town.A few small workshops and retail outlets have been found, however only one forge has been uncovered so far, just outside the Vesuvian Gate. Historians also do not know where the raw materials came from. Pottery also must have been a large industry as so many activities required pottery vessels, though only two s mall potters’ premises (one of which was a specialist lamp maker) have been found within the walls. Perhaps the fire hazards of metal work and firing pottery meant that they had workshops outside the town.One luxury industry was perfume production – a combination of olive oil and flowers or spices. There are large gardens (for example the Garden of the Fugitives and the Garden of Hercules) that some historians believe to be for the growing of flowers for perfume and fragments of small terracotta and glass containers found there. Wall paintings in the House of the Vetti portray olives and flowers being pressed to extract the oil in wooden mills; another scene shows a woman seated with her feet on a cushion as sales assistants dab perfumes on her hand from a selection on display in a tiered cabinet. Butterworth ;amp; Laurence p. 272) Bronze oil lamp of the god Priapus, from Pompeii| Blue glassware from Pompeii| Replica oil lamp, Pompeii| Silver vessels from Pompeii| Word Bank: Forum, industries, main, foreign, noon, only, seafood, expensive, hazards, guests, open, tanks, olives, from, uncovered, street, god, eating, delivered, urine, room, full, traffic, easily, guts, Sarno, export, lamps, high, stone, slogans, plumbers, serving, in, economy, spices, cloth, two, lass, painted, lighting, advertising, slaves, one, packed, lived, bones, display, behind, flowers, boiling, hooks, gates, luxury, loaves, prices, feed, debts, trade, integrated, repaired, combination, estates, counters, sauce, donkeys, within, powerful, vegetables, month, far, large, sausages, farming, dolia, wealth, jars, harvest, purple, jars, business [i] Beard, Pompeii – Life of a Roman town London, Profile Books, 2008 [ii] Bradley Cities of Vesuvius – Pompeii and Herculaneum Cambridge Uni Press, Melbourne, 2006, Chapter 6 [iii] Butterworth ;amp; Laurence Pompeii – The Living City London, Orion Publishing Group, 2006

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Pakistan Case Study Research Paper Essay

The subordination of women is a prevalent issue in many middle-eastern cultures today. The absence of women in the labor force, community and decision making positions in these middle eastern societies is a detrimental drag on their economic and environmental welfare. Longstanding beliefs and traditions in the muslim culture are geared toward oppression of women and minimal civil rights. Such traditions have held these countries back from keeping up with progressive countries around the globe. Saima Muhammad, a young woman featured in Half the Sky lives in the outskirts of Lahore, Pakistan, a country which epitomizes this previously mentioned gender disparity. Gender disparity was a formidable obstacle for Saima in her goal to pay off her husband’s three thousand dollar debt. When Saima would simply take the public bus to a local marketplace in order to sell goods for her family, she was scorned by her neighbors as a loose woman. Loose women contradicted these middle-eastern values, also making life much harder for them. Saima’s house was falling apart to the point where she was forced to send her daughter to her aunt’s house just for safety. Amidst these changes, Saima was constantly beaten by her husband out of pure frustration. Following the birth of Saima’s second girl, Saima’s mother-in-law suggested her husband find somebody else to marry because she wasn’t going to have a boy. These are just a few examples of the environment that Pakistani women, or women in the muslim culture are forced to live in. Widespread poverty in Pakistan was a driving factor in Saima’s financial inability to maintain her house. Such a debt left by her husband was more of a hardship in these impoverished countries than anywhere else. This is because the means of acquiring goods to start a business are scarce due to minimal economic activity. This economic activity being primarily dominated by men is also considerably unfavorable to women, this is to be examined later on. One obvious result of widespread poverty is a drought of capital. Lack of capital was one of the most detrimental characteristics of her impoverished country. With entrepreneurial spirits, Saima needed financing if she was going to support her family. the Kashf foundation made this possible by lending Saima small amounts of money at a time. Demand for saima’s bracelets were exceeding supply. Following her entrepreneurial successes, she was met with respect from friends and family. Saima’s story is unfortunately a rare one. With gender disparity existing in a structural and foundational form, most women of Pakistan and other middle-eastern countries don’t get the opportunity to work outside of their house. Exploitation of women in Pakistan often occurs in many different forms through human rights, education, labor and many other life necessities. Due to longstanding beliefs in this culture, women are responsible for strictly household maintenance. When women are working actual jobs within agriculture or other fields, they are often exploited. Female has always been accompanying male participation within the rural agriculture sector, strictly short-term work available at the time of implant and yield of crops. In Pakistan’s case, women in rural areas are primarily unpaid workers. Women now participate in the political sector but are restricted from any high authority positions in politics due to their low literacy rate which is a result of their subordination. (ESWP) The exploitation of women for free labor, in addition to the restriction of any access to high positions or the decision-making positions is an example of gender disparity in the labor force. The dominance of men in all decision-making positions includes the allocation of natural resources. Women have shown through their agricultural work that they are capable of caring for crops and the environment in a sustainable fashion but they aren’t given the opportunity. The methods of which the men of pakistan have decided are appropriate for their country include overgrazing. With a cow population that is higher than that of its people, resources are diminished through this exploitation. When there is drought along with over-exploitation, it results in poverty. Poverty in turn leads to overexploitation which worsens the problem of desertification, It is a vicious cycle. (Voice of America News) This environmental exploitation is arguably a result of the dominance of men throughout decision-making positions, and the lack of interactive opportunities given to women. Women’s roles in the awareness and education of environmental dangers throughout Pakistan are rare. This is partially a result of an enormous lack of women’s education investments. Increasing women in the workforce is a challenge as well as an opportunity for Pakistan to develop as a country. Clearly Pakistan’s low rate of female literacy is an obstacle to increasing female workforce participation. As education levels rise, labor force participation must also rise for Pakistan to capture fully its return on investment in girls education. (Coleman Pg.1) How can a Pakistani Woman teach her country about their environment, when their country doesn’t teach them how to read? Lack of women’s education throughout these cultures is detrimental to the future of their own economy and environment. With limited opportunities for women, it becomes difficult to enlighten your community about the environment when they won’t listen to you. Opportunities have recently arisen for women in Pakistan in terms of work. These opportunities are aimed to give women in Pakistan a voice, literally. The report is aimed at creating awareness among media managers and working journalists about the importance of women’s role in the media and radio stations in Pakistan essentially giving women a voice which could be seen as a big step for their country.(BBC) This recent opportunity for women could be the next step towards voicing their opinion about environmental matters and having a role in the decisions of society. The environmental health of Pakistan is among the worst in the entire world as a result of ignorant methods of waste disposal and poor allocation of resources. The exploitation of resources has led to deforestation, desertification, and drought. The careless disposal of waste resulted in air pollution, gas emissions, toxic fertilizers, and borderline poisonous water. Pakistan’s environment is in ruins. The mayor of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, recently announced the city’s water and sewer system on the brink of collapse. Air pollution here as well as in other Pakistani cities is estimated to be 20 times higher than World Health Organization standards consider to be average. The country’s percentage of forested land is among the lowest in the world, and the rate at which it is disappearing among the highest. (Kambler Pg.1) The men in control of environmental operations, operate quite unfavorably towards women. The health of women and children are neglected in most development programs involving the widespread distribution of pesticides or fertilizers. Users are not alerted about the mandatory safety precautions, there is now enough evidence to show that peasant and other poor women share the experience of living in an ever degrading environment. (RCOWE) women naturally possess a more caring and conservative nature of work and it’s shown through their duty in agriculture. The Sindh Rural Women’s Uplift Group helped Pakistani women by allowing ten to fifteen on the farm at a time, under the guidance of female farm supervisors. Paying them the same wages as men and giving them the same responsibilities as men, there was an opportunity for comparison. The women’s agricultural output was greater than that of men’s, women also had an advantage in Mowing, Grasses for mulch, collecting farm leaves etc. Essentially, the policy instrument of which is being implemented in this situation can be seen as charity or gender equality. Charity is what the Sindh Rural Women’s Uplift Group is doing by giving these women an opportunity to be involved . Gender Equality is shown in the allocation of resources towards women for once instead of being put under the control of Pakistani men. The policy instrument of gender equality could be implemented towards economic development whether they sound related or not. In pakistan’s case, gender equality would result in an efficient allocation of resources through the implementation of females in authoritative environmental positions. The allocation of resources is better left in the hands of women for the good of the economy. Gender equity can be a determinant of just distribution of resources and income by allowing the female population of pakistan to rise to autonomy level, for once in history evenly distributing resources and income among women and men. An ecologically sustainable scale of the economy would come in time with the progression of women’s authoritative roles in not only agricultural or environmentally based occupancies, but half of Pakistan’s economy. Works Cited Council on Foreign Relations. (n.d.). Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved from http://www.cfr.org/asia/gender-disparities-economic-growth-islamization-pakistan/p7217 Full Text Electronic Journal List. (2012, November 11). Full Text Electronic Journal List. Retrieved from http://db6fj4sr6x.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004 Kambler, M. (2001, November 27). Pakistan’s Environmental Nightmare. – Page 1. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www.villagevoice.com/2001-11-27/news/pakistan-s-environmental-nightmare/ M. (2012). Employment situation of women in Pakistan. ProQuest. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://search.proquest.com/docview/821115923 anhwar, F. (1998, June 15). WOMEN AND ORGANIC AGRICULTURE IN PAKISTAN. World Conference on Horticultural Research. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www.agrsci.unibo.it/wchr/wc5/panhwar.html 2 The regional conference on women and environment. (n.d.). Embracing the Earth. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www.fao.org/docrep/X0173E/x0173e03.htm V. (2006, July 31). Pakistan Combats Growing Environmental Menace. ProQuest. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://search.proquest.com/docview/190519623

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Worlds First Monster. The Ripper Professor Ramos Blog

The Worlds First Monster. The Ripper How do we decide what’s a monster? The actions they commit, their appearance, or the overall fear they inflict on us. The monsters we know that are fictional that we hear in stories are those monsters the ones we actually fear or is it the monsters that are real life people that commit disturbing, psychopathic acts of crime. I feel Jack the Ripper fills this monster role a person that was never identified in 1888 East London killing five women in butcher like fashion from August 7 1888 to September of 1888 then ended in the fall of the same year he left people I horror. Jack the Ripper was a real person a real monster that actually existed and left an impact on history. Thesis II: The Monster Always Escapes â€Å"we see the damage that the monster wreaks,the material remains (the footprints of the yeti across Tibetan snow, the bones of the giant stranded on a rocky cliff), but the monster itself turns immaterial and vanishes, to reappear someplace else (for who is the yeti if not the medieval wild man?†(Cohen 3) Jack the Ripper killed five women and was never caught leaving the crimes unsolved with the killer’s identity a mystery. Jack the Ripper’s killings were recorded from August 7 1888 to September 11 1888 then suddenly stopped in fall of that same year adding more to the Thesis that the monster always escapes. The 1988 film â€Å"Jack the Ripper† showed a decent representation of the criminal but did have its flaws the film didn’t show the victims after they were â€Å"killed† they just stated that they were killed. That takes away the effect Jack the Ripper had on Whitecapel the bodies Jack the Ripper left were horrific to look at and people were left in terror that a person like that was capable of psychotic killing methods. The film didn’t tell the real story in the film detective Abberline couldn’t catch the killer the entire film until he got leads he needed and testimonies. That ultimately helped him catch the killer which was the deranged doctor and during the detainment of the doctor he was injured so badly he was going to die so the commission ordered Abberline to keep Jack the Ripper’s identity a secret. This isn’t a good representation of the real life killer he was never caught the identity of Jack the Ripper is still unknown which makes the killer scary because nobody knows anything about the killer especially the police. Jack the Ripper sent the police letters telling them he was going to kill again each of the five murders were within a mile of each other these murders were planned out and the police were even informed and they still couldn’t stop the murders from happening. Jack the Ripper was pure evil a monster that the world never seen before and was putting fear into everyone. According to Monster Culture (Seven thesis) Thesis IV: The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference â€Å"any kind of alterity can be inscribed across (constructed through) the monstrous body, but for the most part monstrous difference tends to be cultural, political, racial, economic, sexual). (Cohen 7) Jack the Ripper applies to this theory because Jack the Ripper caused a culture shock throughout Whitechapal, East London he/she was no ordinary killer this person was sociopathic and was the world’s first serial killer but the condition the bodies were left in is what scared people the most the victims organs and limbs being removed cut up into several pieces. Also the letters Jack the Ripper sent police taunting them telling them about how there was going to be another murder and they couldn’t do anything about it. Jack the Ripper also goes with monster Thesis V: The Monster Polices the Borders of the Possible â€Å"from its position at the limits of knowing, the monster stands as a warning against the exploration of its uncertain demesnes. The giants of Patagonia, the dragons of the Orient, and the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park together declare that curiosity is more often punished than rewarded, that one is better off safely contained within one’s own domestic sphere than abroad, away from the watchful eye of the state.† (Cohen 12) The monster Jack the Ripper is at that border of exploration that we are terrified of the victims he mutilated and butchered was on another level of killing that the world had never seen up to that point Jack the Ripper is the ideal monster he fits multiple criteria of what we define as a monster they fear he put on the small town of Whitecapel, East London was the world’s first real killer. He was never caught or even identified for the murders he committed and even to this day is talked about as one of the world’s most infamous criminals in history the way he taunted the police with letters telling them he was going to murder again and the state of all his victims was a horrifying site. His murders were from August to September and the police never found any evidence of the killers identify or whereabouts. Jack the Ripper was a real life monster unlike the fictional monsters we all know in literature but Jack the Ripper left his mark on the world this the disturbing, psychotic ways of killing and taunting the police. No monster of fiction compares to the real life threat that was Jack the Ripper a killer with five deaths to his name and not being caught or even any lead on who he was just theories and mysteries are all that remain of the terror that was Jack the Ripper. Works Cited Monster Culture (Seven Theses) Jeffery Jerome Cohen â€Å"Jack the Ripper† 1988 Film directed by David Wickes Sugden, Philip the Complete History of Jack the Ripper AE TV Networks June 7, 2019 Walkowitz, Judith Feminist Studies, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Autumn 1982), pp. 542-574 Feminist Studies, Inc. Jack the Ripper and the Myth of Male Violence

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Good Times are Killing Me

The Good Times are Killing Me If you are looking for a compelling play for a young mixed-race cast, you may want to take a look at The Good Times are Killing Me by Lynda Barry. This play, published in 1993, offers two strong female roles in which teenagers can play teenagers  and a multiplicity of issues to discuss with cast and crew during rehearsals and with audiences in talkbacks. Format This is a two-act play, but it is unusual in that it is comprised of 36 short scenes or vignettes- 26 in Act One and 10 in Act 2. The story is adolescent Edna Arkins’s story. She is the main character and she appears in every scene; she breaks the fourth wall and speaks to the audience before, during, and after interacting with the other characters. Each vignette has a title like RECORD PLAYER NIGHT CLUB or BEST FRIENDS that communicates the essence of the scene. The scenes- some only a half page long, some three pages long- reveal the story of friendship between two adolescent girls- one white and one black- in mid-1960s America. One vignette flows into the next creating a collection of scenes that reveal the difficulties of coming of age in the midst of family heartaches, personal growing pains, and racial prejudices. Cast Size There are roles for 16 females and 8 males. Broken down by race, the play calls for 10 white females and 6 black females, and 3 white males and 5 black males. Doubling in roles is possible, resulting in an overall minimal cast size of 16. Roles Edna Arkins: A white 12-13 year-old girl who lives with her family in a house on a city street that has slowly become integrated Lucy Arkins: Edna’s younger sister Edna’s Parents and Extended Family: Mom, Dad, Uncle Don, Aunt Margaret, Cousin Steve, and Cousin Ellen Bonna Willis: A black 12-13 year-old girl who recently moved into Edna’s neighborhood Bonna’s Parents and Extended Family: Mom, Dad, younger brother Elvin, and Aunt Martha Recurring Minor Roles: Two black teenagers named Earl and Bonita, and Cousin Ellen’s friend Sharon Ensemble: There are multiple scenes that would be enhanced by friends, neighbors, classmates, and other people. There are also several small roles- a teacher, a mother, a pastor, a Girl Scout leader and her daughter. Set and Costumes Most action occurs on the porches, street, yards, and kitchens of Edna’s and Bonita’s houses. Other settings are Edna’s basement, a campsite, a meeting room, a tough neighborhood, a church, and a school hallway. These can easily be suggested with lighting or a few moveable small set pieces. The time period of this play is critical to the story, so the costumes need to be early 1960s American clothing- mostly casual and inexpensive-looking. Music Songs and singing occur throughout this production, providing mood, underscoring emotions and actions, and contextualizing the story in 1960s urban America. Much of the singing occurs with the records that the characters play; some singing is a capella. The script identifies the precise songs and provides lyrics within the text or in an appendix. Content Issues Much of the content and language of this play seems so innocent given the 20-plus years since its opening night and its setting of 50-plus years ago. Even so, it’s worth noting that the play deals with marital infidelity, racial discrimination (One of Edna’s lines mentions the â€Å"No Negro Kids Can Come in Our House Rule.), and the accidental drowning of Bonna’s brother. The language is relatively tame, but the dialogue does include the words   Ã¢â‚¬Å"ass,† â€Å"boodie,† â€Å"pimp,† â€Å"butt,† and the like. There is, however, no profanity. Lynda Barry also published this story as a 144-page novel with Edna as the narrator. If you would like to hear Lynda Barry talk about her life work, please visit Accessing the Imaginary. Here is a video trailer of a high school production of the play.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Issues in Money, Banking & Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Issues in Money, Banking & Finance - Essay Example Some of the treatments that Japan has attempted in combating deflation are fiscal expansion, reduction of interest rates, depreciating the Yen, bank restructuring, two rounds of quantitative easing, and Abenomics. However, with the exception of the last measure whose effect is yet unclear, the situation has not changed much with a continuous economic recession reflected by its balance sheet (Botman et al, 2015: p32). This paper will explore the reasons why monetary and fiscal policy measures, as well as economic restructuring measures by Japan, have failed to end the deflationary pressures on its economy. As Japan’s consumption rate tax increased in 1997 followed by an economic recession and a deflationary spiral, Krugman (1999b: p1) stated that Japan had entered into a liquidity trap, in which the demand for currency was increasing dramatically, while resulting increases in the supply of currency failed to effect any changes in interest rates. This assertion was an extension of liquidity trap theory advanced by Keynes, where an economy’s general demand continues to decline despite a reduction of nominal interest rates to zero with production capability being higher than the general demand. Therefore, this definition would attribute Japan’s deflationary spiral to inadequate effective demand in relation to consumption and investment. Although Japan kept its interest rates low, this was still not enough to stimulate consumption and investment, while expansion of currency supply by the Bank of Japan was equally ineffective (Murota & Ono, 2012: p344). Krugman (1999c: p1) attributes this phenomenon to the fact that the Japanese public was more likely to save due to uncertainty about the country’s economic future, as well as fears that their income would reduce, despite having stable liquidity preference at the interest rates critical point. Therefore, the underlying factor driving this