Aisha Rapant Essays (1576 words) - Literature, Absurdist Fiction

Aisha Rapant Essays (1576 words) - Literature, Absurdist Fiction Aisha Rapant Essay The Stranger Seeing past normality Albert Camus creates a series of characters in The Stranger whose personality traits and motivations mirror those that are overlooked by the average man. Camus develops various characters and scenarios that are considered rude and unpleasant, but because it has become common, society accepts it as norms. Camus incorporates atrocious personality traits of the characters, variety, consistency, and everyone's fate through the creation of the characters. Camus demonstrates the disregarded reason behind the origins of relationships between people to characterize people as selfish. The relationship between Salamano and his dog displays how Salamano as self-centered. When Meursault mentions, "He hadn't been happy with his wife, but he'd pretty much gotten used to her. When she died , he had been very lonely. So he asked a shop buddy for a dog and he'd gotten this one very young" (Camus, 44), the inconsideration is displayed. This evidence proves the wife's lack of importance towards Salamano , but along with time, he adapted to her, just like he did with the dog. After her death, he became lonely which supports the reason for him getting the dog. Not to love the dog, but instead to put an end to his loneliness. Another source of selfishness is shown through the relationship between Marie and Meursault. Meursault's lack of communication and the excess amount of physical contact desired and received is displayed by Meursault in the reference, "I kissed her. We didn't say anything more from that point on. I held her to me " (35). The textual support confirms that Meursault's purpose with Marie, for her physical appearance and not her personality. The relationship between Meursault and Raymond displays another representation of a person being egoistic in the novel. When Meursault states that " According to Raymond, all I had to do was to state that the girl had cheated on him. I agreed to act as a witness for him" (37), the contextu al evidence proves that Raymond only uses Meursault for his own benefit by making him his witness. In this relationship, Camus presents Raymond with selfish-like characteristics for using Meursault for his own benefit and not returning the favor to Meursault. Camus employs a change in routine, Meursault having food with other people, which reveals the unexpected cause for him becoming involved and encountering bad situations. Meursault mentions that "I ate at the restaurant, at Celeste's , as usual" (Camus, 3), which displays his every day routine. The principal factor of his everyday routine which involves food, usually took place at Celeste's . Meursault in the textual quote displays a shift in his food routine when mentioning, I've [Raymond] got some blood sausage and some wine at my place. How about joining me' (28)? Raymond's invitation leads up to him becoming involved in a faulty situation. Meursault mentions the situation when saying, "He'd thought of asking me to write it for him. Since I didn't say anything, he asked if I'd mind doing it right then and I said no" (32). Through the excuse of just having dinner with Raymond, it results in Meursault writing a letter to Raymond's ex-girlfriend. Later the letter cause s a quarrel which results in Meursault becoming a witness as well. Another instance of a change from Celeste's restaurant is when Meursault consumes coffee at his mother's funeral. Another change in routine is shown by Meursault when he mentions, "Then he offered to bring me a cup of coffee with milk. I like milk in my coffee, so I said yes, and he came back a few minutes later with a tray. I drank the coffee" (8). Instead of eating at Celeste's or drinking coffee there, Meursault decides to drink coffee at his mother's nursing home. During this time, he does not cry during his mother's funeral and many witnesses notice this fact. The result of not crying reappears during the court scene where they mention several times that he lacks emotions for not crying at his mother's funeral. With an alibi of lunch, Meursault goes to Masson's house and it leads him to becoming involved in a huge problem. Following with Masson's routine, "My wife always takes a nap

Steps for Writing a Short Story (Fiction)

Steps for Writing a Short Story (Fiction) Steps for Writing a Short Story (Fiction) Writing a short story is a great way to practice writing skills. Because a short story limits your word count, you have to determine which details are important and delete the others. This can be a challenge for writers who have so many ideas they want to convey. If you have been tasked with writing a short story but are stuck, here’s some information to help: What is a Short Story? Short stories are fictional works. There are three kinds of short stories: Micro fiction can be as short as five to less than 100 words Flash fiction length ranges from 101 to 1,000 words Traditional can be as long as 5,000 words per story Elements of a Short Story Writers who excel at writing short stories are able to master combining five elements that must be present. These are: Characters these are people, animals, objects, or creatures that think and talk Setting the location where the story takes place Plot the series of events that lead to the climax Theme a general â€Å"truth† about life Point of View the vantage point the author uses to tell a story Steps to Writing a Short Story A short story is an artform that takes practice and dedication. Here is a five-step plan to help you improve your short story writing: Determine what message you’re trying to convey Choosing a theme for the story makes it easier to formulate a story. When you know which lessons the characters should learn or teach the readers, it helps inspire writing. Write a plot that coincides with the message Once you’ve figured your message, create a storyline that coincides with that theme. The first step is what message you want to tell. This second step is how you deliver that message. Create your character Memorable fiction characters are detailed. Give each a distinct personality and allow them to develop. Character development is one of the biggest challenges for short story writers. You only have a handful of pages to transform certain characters. Write an attention-grabbing first paragraph The first paragraph of your story captures the attention of an audience. Make that paragraph interesting by making a bold statement, relate to the audience, appeal to the senses, or add a little mystery. Build to the climax and end with a satisfying resolution Short stories begin closer to the climax than a regular novel would. Keep your build to the climax interesting and fast, and take care not to rush it. Here’s how to build a gripping end to the story: Write a clear-cut ending that explains exactly what happens Provide an open ending that lets the readers decide for themselves how the story ends Offer a monologue from one of the characters, tying it all together Create symbolic ending with meaning beyond the literal one One of the best ways to improve your creative writing skills is to keep reading. Observe the writing techniques of authors you enjoy, and try to develop your own creative writing style. If you need help with writing, editing, proofreading, or finishing a writing assignment, is at your service.

Multi-Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Multi-Media - Essay Example ‘Why we crave horror movies’ is a story that uses the genre of realistic fiction to explain the reality behind people and their love for horror movies. It gives reason behind the popularity of horror films in America and explains the nature of the movies. ‘A GPS helps a guy always know where his couch’ uses the art of science fiction and reality genres to explain the role of technology in creating easy movement of people in the modern world as one can visit new places without difficulties with the use of GPS trackers. ‘The fast food factories’ make the use of realistic nonfiction genre to explain the event behind children molestation in the real world. Dave Barry is a famous writer from Chester city in England. He uses his literature skills to emphasize on the importance of technology in solving various circumstances in the modern societies. He points out the importance of GPS in navigation as it promotes ease in movement of people around the world. Barry audience is basically made of people who have an interest in modern technology thus have the desire to know more about the impacts of technology in the current world. In this case, he uses the context of ‘A GPS helps a guy always know where his couch’ to explain one of the impacts of modern technology which is the use of GPS in navigation. King is an American author who draws his inspiration from psychological studies. He uses this notion to explain the circumstance behind American film fanatics and their love for horror movies. His audiences are basically film funs whom he helps to understand the reason behind the love of horror movies especially in America. Amitai Etzioni is another famous writer born in Germany but spent most of his academic life in the United States. One of his best selling literatures is ‘The Fast-Food Factories’ where he target business entrepreneurs as his major audience. His story rotates around child molestation

Internal Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Internal Analysis - Essay Example rategic ways on how Wal-Mart can make use of its strengths in order to take advantage of its opportunities within its external environment will be thoroughly discussed. In the process of discussing some ways wherein the company could experience continuous business growth, recommended ways that could make Wal-Mart strengthen its weaknesses and avoid unnecessary external threats will be provided. For the conclusion, whether or not it is possible on the part of Wal-Mart to strengthen its position in the market will be defended by an argument. As a retailer, Wal-Mart has successfully established a strong brand name over the years. By selling consumer products at relatively low prices, the company managed to have the biggest market shares throughout the retail industry in the United States. (Bianco & Zellner, 2003) Due to the excessively large size of the company, it becomes very difficult on the part of its purchasers to maintain the availability of some of its product within the store outlets. Because of the weak purchasing network that causes insufficient supply of T-shirts in some of Wal-Mart’s retail store outlets during the second half of 2007 (Bianco, 2007), the company experienced a huge business opportunity loss. Aside from having a weak purchasing network, Wal-Mart’s growth strategy was reported to become inefficient since 2005. (Bianco, 2007) Basically, the rapid business growth that the company has achieved over the past few years enabled Wal-Mart to capture as much of its target market. For this reason, it becomes very difficult on the part of the company to use the same growth strategy in the near future. Even though the overhead costs of Wal-Mart significantly increased from 16.4% in 2000 up to 18.6% in 2007 (Bianco, 2007), the company is often being accused of underpaying its employees with low salary of US$8.23 per hour or US$13,861 each year (Bianco & Zellner, 2003). Having the idea of following the retail store structure of European

The Cuban Missile Crisis Essay Example for Free

The Cuban Missile Crisis Essay Remembered as perhaps the most intense episode of the Cold War due to its nuclear threat, the Cuban Missile Crisis has been analyzed extensively by historians hoping to construct an accurate picture of its cause and development. The tight control exercised by both Soviet and American government agencies, however, has limited access to relevant documents, and thus inhibited any objective study of the crisis. Until only a few years ago, most of the world would have agreed with Arthur Schlesinger Jr. s description of the event as a brilliantly controlled1 American victory- a paragon of US dedication, morale, and diplomatic skill. But as the National Security Archive has gradually opened access to key accounts, it has become apparent that what seemed so finely orchestrated was in fact wrought with misinformation, miscalculation, and misjudgment. 2 At the time, tensions were already running high due to the fierce military and psychological rivalry between superpowers, and problems within the Eastern and Western blocs themselves made it even easier to misinterpret political signals. Failures in intelligence and a general lack of central control further complicated the situation, fuelling the fires of mistrust that were already burning with the increased urgency that accompanies the prospect of nuclear war. From these revelations, we can conclude that initial assessments of the episode as a thirteen day affair are incorrect, that it was rather the result of long-term misunderstanding. And while deliberate deception did play a significant role in the development of the crisis, we must acknowledge that it was, for the most part, perpetuated by a combination of basic mistrust and political and military mishaps. It is with this knowledge in mind, then, that we proceed to examine the complex set of factors that brought the world to the brink of a cataclysmic war. The years leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis had seen a number of significant changes in the Cold War conflict. Things were very unstable, as new faces became prominent, new nations were born, and the rivalry between superpowers reached previously unvisited levels, both high and low, as Soviet and American governments experimented with foreign policy. While these factors had a significant influence on the status quo in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres, their effect was particularly marked within Khrushchevs domain, as he sought to assert his individuality by introducing anti-Stalinist mechanisms. His advocation of peaceful co-existence,3 and military disarmament, as well as his insistence on publicly denouncing Stalin, met with fiery opposition from within the Kremlin, and, by 1957, it had become apparent that he was losing control of the formerly centralized Communist world. With rebellions springing up across Eastern Europe, then, and China beginning to pursue a course independent of Khrushchevs support, it had become clear that a firm reinstatement of Soviet authority was needed, and soon. The pressure that this goal put on Khrushchev, and the conflicts between him and his advisers caused Soviet foreign policy to fluctuate drastically. After pursuing what seemed what seemed like rapprochement at Camp David, and making an amiable visit to the United States, the Soviet leader suddenly reverted to hostile tactics, refusing to negotiate over Berlin, and assuming a suspicious attitude about US actions in Europe. This dramatic change of approach was best displayed in the fact that, after years of silence on offensive American overflights, he unexpectedly ordered a U2 plane that was photographing Soviet territory shot down. Khrushchev went on to cite this incident as the cause for his failure to attend the Paris Summit Conference in May, 1960. Obviously, such inconsistency sent mixed messages to the American administration, increasing their distrust. Suspicion of the Soviets escalated to a new high, as many key officials sided with former Secretary of State John Dulles in describing the period of peace as a tactical ploy to lure the West into a false sense of security, while (they) pursuedaggressive goals in disguise.4 The Soviet desire to reassert its strength and control caused even further problems when it extended past attempts to preserve Russias hegemony in Eastern Europe to actions intended to undermine the American public image. Ultimately, it became apparent over the next year or so that Soviet movements were double-edged, designed to consolidate, certainly, but also to probe US defenses, to determine the actual extent of its interest and loyalty to its allies in Europe. Their efforts in Berlin constituted one such probe, as the construction of the Berlin Wall was intended both to plug a hole in the iron curtain,5 and, at the same time, to break down the relationship between the United States and West Germany. The Soviets felt that if the Americans failed to intervene despite the West Berliners cries for help, this would weaken Germanys confidence in their US allies, and make a statement to the rest of NATO confirming their fear that the US was unable or unwilling to offer substantial resistance to Eastern strategies. This sentiment had arisen with the Soviet launching of Sputnik in 1957, a statement of its progress in the nuclear arms race. The Americans, meanwhile, were aware that their failure to follow through on some of their ideas for NATO, including the goal to increasetroop strength to fifty divisions,6 was giving the impression that US support was all talk. Further problems with the French over the establishment of the European Defense Committee threatened the cohesion of the Western bloc and engendered a need to reinforce US interest in Europe, a need which so paralleled the Soviet goals that it set the two superpowers up for an almost inevitable collision. In addition, the new president John F. Kennedy was experiencing similar problems to those faced by Khrushchev. Confronted with a hawkist faction within his body of advisers, Kennedy was constantly under pressure to be more aggressive, to abandon containment and start to roll back Communism. Just as disagreements within the Kremlin had caused confusion and misinterpretations of political moves, conflict inside the White House allowed American foreign policy t o appear fragmented and thus unpredictable. These things ensured that an already precarious situation was complicated by factors that masked the true intentions of each side. Cuba may seem an unlikely place for this clash between superpowers to occur, but since 1959 it has been a key symbol of resistance to US imperialism both in Latin America, and, on a grander scale, in the entire western hemisphere. In 1947, a Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance had been signed by the US and a number of South and Central American countries, apparently an alliance of similar design to NATO. It had been the source of much trouble, however, as the Latin Americans had envisioned the pact as a mechanism for their own economic development and security, not as a means by which the US could prevent Soviet expansion in this part of the globe. When ten years passed with little tangible aid, but plenty of American interference in the political system, the civilians grew dissatisfied, a sentiment which intensified as the US threatened leftist Colonel Arbenz of Guatemala with military opposition if he did not step down as premier. The Cubans especially resented this, and, when similar threats were raised against their Communist leader Fidel Castro, they turned to the Soviet Union for assistance. By the end of 1959, Cuba had become a Russian client state, and a useful foothold for the Soviets in the western hemisphere. Despite the intense antagonism that existed between the Russians and the Americans, the US administration did not view the close relationship between Castro and Khrushchev with any real alarm. This was because they felt that while the Soviets wanted to undermine the American public image, they were not willing to take action that could precipitate nuclear war. Thus, Kennedy was reasonably sure that his warning to the Soviets not to deploy missiles in Cuba would be obeyed in the interests of the common goal of nuclear non-proliferation. It came as a shock, then, when U2 planes flying over Cuban territory showed that several missile sites were under construction. This greatly increased the American mistrust of the Soviets, and, as correspondence began to flow between Moscow and Washington, it became apparent that there was an inherent difference in the way that the two superpowers defined the Cuban problem. For instance, the Americans felt that they had a right to know what was happening in their part of the world, complaining that the Kremlin had given repeated assurances of what (you were) not doing7- in effect, that it had lied to them. The Soviets, on the other hand, asserted that they were under no obligation to inform the U.S of any activities (they were) carrying on in a third country.8 This statement was probably only made to promote a sense of strength and independence, but it was, to the Americans, a sign that even the prospect of nuclear war could not deter the Soviets from their campaign of domination and expansion. It is clear from similar incidents that a need to appear strong led each superpower to use a certain degree of deception in its dealings with the other. This did not essentially cause the conflict, however; as already stated, the missile crisis had been set up by intensifications in the East-West rivalry long before Soviet ships carrying nuclear arms set sail. It would be more accurate to say, then, that the bluffing that went on only served to delay the resolution of the problem. In addition, it was effective in that it gave the world a false understanding that, particularly on the American front, could be manipulated by government officials in order to create a more favorable public impression. The United States especially made a significant effort to present the Soviet action as a dangerous attempt to change the world-wide status-quo,9 ridiculing their qualms about a possible invasion of Cuba. Recent studies have shown, however, that these concerns were not so unfounded as has been previously supposed. According to the US Archives, a plan for an operation against the Castro regime had been in existence since April 1960, entailing sabotage, infiltration, and psychological warfare, activities with military exercisesfor a possible invasion.10 It is also clear that President Kennedy was well aware of this throughout the crisis negotiations, having endorsed the scheme with the comment that its final success would require decisive military intervention11. We can only conclude that the Americans assumed the stance they did to protect their public image- seeking to mask the traces of imperialism in their attitude towards Cuba, and, at the same time, to undermine the Soviet positio n by presenting them as bad liars to the rest of the world. The Soviets were less successful, but just as determined, in their attempts to use deception to work the situation to their advantage. They, in turn, lied to the Americans in stating that no missiles will be placed in Cubawhich would (be)capable of reaching the United States,12 and again, later, in their claim that the deployment of missiles to Cuba was a purely deterrent move carried out to save Castro. While it is clear that there may have been something in the concerns about invasion, the writings of Khrushchev himself show that the strategy was also invented as a means of equalizing what the West likes to call balance of power. 13 The double-edged nature of this Soviet probe became even more obvious in the correspondence that took place between the Kremlin and the White House, as Khrushchev requested two separate concessions in return for removing the missiles- a no invasion pledge, and a promise that threatening nuclear bases in Turkey be dismantled. These missile bases may have actually triggered the Soviet action in Cuba, as they provided the US with an unanswered first-strike capability, and, incidentally, had become operational just a few weeks before ships began to cross from Russia to the Cuban coast. Known as the Jupiter missiles, these nuclear bases were an important part of a US statement intended to counter general lack of confidence in American support. They were also, however, essentially provocative,14 capable, as the Cuban crisis had shown, of precipitating a nuclear war. As the Americans weighed up these two factors, their concerns about their public image again caused them to revert to deceptive measures. Their inconsistency did not exactly impress the Russians, who were one day confronted with the announcement that the missiles in Turkey were NATOs decision,15 and the next, told that they would be removed if the Soviets kept the news of this concession from the American allies. In the end, however, the US administration judged correctly when it assumed that Khrushchev would happily forget about publicizing the agreement if he were given what he had asked for. The missiles in Turkey continued to be a central issue, though, as ongoing denial of any explicit Turkey-Cuba deal created the impression that the Cuban Missile Crisis was a great American victory. To further confound a situation that was already complicated by long term misunderstanding and deliberate deception, a number of military and political mishaps occurred. For instance, the fact that an American plane was shot down over Cuba almost triggered a U.S. air strike because it was interpreted as a Kremlin initiated action. Evidence has shown, however, that this was a purely local effort on the part of the Cubans to assert their independence. Similar problems occurred in the US administration, as CIA officials undertook unauthorized operations that gave the Cubans even more reason to anticipate an American invasion. This lack of central control made communication vitalfor the whole world,16 as the White House at least, recognized. In a conflict involving nuclear weapons, Kennedy said, even if these are only valuable for their psychological effect, every precaution must be taken to prevent an accidental outbreak of war. It is clear, then, that the Cuban Missile Crisis was born out of mutual but conflicting desires to appear strong in the context of an intense ideological war. During the years leading up to the event, a number of factors, the most important of these being the threat of nuclear war, combined to escalate existing tensions to dangerously high levels. In addition, the fact that neither side was willing to acknowledge that relations were deteriorating meant that the situation was further complicated by diplomatic exchange. When the conflict broke out in 1962, both Khrushchev and Kennedy stumbled through negotiations as they weighed up various concerns: how to protect their public image at home, and yet, at the same time, undermine the enemys position; how to keep up in the arms race while avoiding nuclear war. These things, and may others ensured that any resolution of the crisis would have to offer a military quid pro quo which would diffuse the nuclear conflict without causing either superpower to lose face. The fact that Soviet and American officials still disagree about the details of the eventual agreement, however, shows that it was more the (nuclear) restraint that was practiced and expected17 that prevented the outbreak of war than any diplomatic feat. 1 Jonathan K. Reece Revising the History of the Missile Crisis, pg. 34. 2 Robert McNamara as quoted in Jonathan K. Reeces Revising the History of the Missile Crisis, pg. 34. 3 William R. Keych The 20th Century World pg. 304 4 William R. Keych The 20th Century World pg. 304 5 William R. Keych, op cit., pg. 316 6 William R. Keych, op cit. pg. 297 7 Letter from John F. Kennedy to N.S. Khrushchev of Nov. 6, 1962. 8 Soviet Ambassador Kusnetsov as quoted in letter from John F. Kennedy to N.S. Khrushchev of Nov. 6, 1962. 9 The Presidents Address, October 22,nd, 1962. 10 Top Secret document released to the US National Security Archives in January 1989. 11 Ibid. 12 Letter from John F. Kennedy to N.S. Khrushchev of Nov. 6, 1962 13 http://www.wilsoncenter.org/subsites/ccpdc/pubs/zart/Ch11.html 14 Eisenhower as quoted by Jonathan K. Reece, op cit. page 46. 15 http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/moment.html 16 Letter from John F. Kennedy, op cit. 17 http://wwww.wilsoncenter.org/subsites/ccpdc/pubs/zart/Ch.11.html

Conservation Assignment Essay --

Ailuropoda melanoleuca, also known as the Giant Panda, is one of the most endangered species. It was first found and ranged throughout the region of southern and eastern China, as well as northern Myanmar and northern Vietnam indicated by the fossil records (Là ¼, 2008). Today, giant panda is only found and restricted to six fragmented and isolated mountains including Qinling, Minshan, Liangshan, Qionglai, Xiaoxiangling, and Daxiangling in Shaanxi, Gansu and Sichuan Provinces. The current population is estimated to be around 1000-2000. Wild giant panda subpopulation is estimated to be around 50. It exhibits a female-biased dispersal due the larger amount of female compare to male and competition for mating. This led male pandas to set up territories near the birthplace, creating a uniform dispersion. Giant pandas live in coniferous and temperate forests along with dense stands of bamboo at elevations around 5000-10,000 feet. They tend to not hibernate but generally descend to lower places in the winter and take places such as hollow trees, caves and rock crevices as their temporary shelters. They spend around half of their day feeding on different species of bamboos depending on the seasons to maximize the ingestion of energy, which comprises 99% of their diets. They obtain the water that they need from bamboos. Wild pandas occasionally eat grasses, small rodents and musk deer fawns but these only make up 1% of their diets. The giant pandas that live in the zoos eat mostly bamboo and occasionally other food that wild pandas don’t eat such as sweet potatoes, carrots and some special high-fiber biscuit (national zoo, 2012). One of the main causes of the giant panda population decline is the degraded and restricted habitat. Gian... ...hough the increased amount of panda isn’t as high, it still worked. Works Cited Amsel, Sheri. â€Å"Environmental Issues.† Endangered Species -The Giant Panda. Exploring Nature Educational Resource. 2005. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. National Zoo. "Giant Panda." Facts. National Zoological Park, 2012. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. Loucks, CJ. "Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 16 Nov. 2001. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. Là ¼, Z, Wang, D. & Garshelis, D.L. (IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group) 2008. Ailuropoda melanoleuca. In: IUCN 2013. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. World Wildlife Fund. "Panda's Natural Enemies and Defenses." WWF. World Wildlife Fund, 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. Zhan, XJ. "Molecular Analysis of Dispersal in Giant Pandas." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 16 Sept. 2007. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.

‘Tis the Season

The Season Just because we all grow up physically does not mean we have to allow ourselves to become numb to all the things that made us feel giddy as a child. Everyone knows how exciting it can feel to wake up on Christmas morning. All December long, we work to ring in the Christmas spirit by giving to others, displaying festive colors of green and red, and enjoying the constant Jingle of holiday music in the background of everything we do.I personally feel like a little kid, naive and blissfully ignorant very year on December 25th. There's something magical about all the traditions and events that make me feel forever young at heart on this special day. At our house, though I am a fully-grown only child, my parents still enforce the mystery of Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve we all gather In the kitchen, warmed by the radiating heat of a wood-fired stove, and bake fresh gingersnaps that embrace every room In the house with their saccharine fragrance.We lay them out on a festive plate with a refreshing glass of cold milk, and as I sleepily tiptoe my way to bed I pretend that I actually believe a chubby man in a crimson suit will shoot out of our chimney and joyfully gobble them up while I'm asleep. Then I wake up early the next morning and peek out the window and watch puffy white flakes descend gently to the ground, and the crisp, cold air chills the palms of my hands as I touch the frosty glass.My mind says there is no such thing as magic or flying reindeer, but as I observe the delicate snowfall and notice one lonely, half-eaten gingersnap left on our plate in the kitchen, my heart starts to believe all over again. Later, when I'm done absorbing the simple leisure of Christmas morning in my solitary silence, I drag my feet all the way to my parents' bedroom and I wake them up. They reluctantly roll out of the comfort of their warm bed Like two teenagers getting up for school on a dreary Monday morning.After they pour themselves a steaming hot cup of bitter, b lack coffee, we all congregate in the living room around the Christmas tree. Before we even consider tearing into the plethora of gifts wrapped in shiny, foil paper and topped with curly ribbons, we sit together for a while, and we are hushed by the fatigue of early ironing and the distinct elegance of the glimmering lights that dress the tall, green tree that appear like stars in a cloudless midnight sky. Eventually someone will break the infinite silence by saying â€Å"Whiffs going to open the first one? Then we dig into the various gifts, being particular with which boxes we choose first. Sometimes I shake the box like a rattle to try and guess what lies within its layers of cardboard, scotch tape, and colorful wrapping paper. We all watch each other, waiting eagerly for a surprised reaction. When we are done scavenging through every Inch of the ere, we enjoy each others company and sit contently on our couch while we watch a classic, the movie A Christmas Story.Christmas, I'm sure, is celebrated very different from person to person. Hopefully, my family. Christmas is a time to believe, whether that be in a Jolly, old, overweight man, the spirit of giving, or the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas is when people should let themselves feel young again, and for me, that means baking cookies and waking up early with my parents Christmas morning so we can watch a movie together. As the wise Dry. Issues once wrote, â€Å"Maybe Christmas,' the Grinds thought, ‘doesn't come from a store.

Detective writers Essay

The dim-witted police (inspector Raglan) acted as Poirot’s sidekick. Inspector Raglan is the traditional dim-witted policeman who comes up with bad suggestions, however he is also Poirot’s right hand man. When Inspector Raglan was out of sight, Poirot claimed, â€Å"†¦that stupid inspector- for he is stupid-has everything pointing his way†. Poirot is saying that he is to stupid to see the evidence that is right in front of him and it shows you his dim-wittedness. M. Poirot had asked the inspector if he had checked all the evidence carefully, but when he was asked if he had overlooked â€Å"the quick or the dead† â€Å"The inspector looked bewildered† as if he was too stupid to understand.  Poirot had also asked if he had overlooked the fingerprints on the dagger, He had then mocked inspector Raglan by exclaiming, â€Å"It is an easy matter to verify†.  Poirot, the superior detective had come across a lot of evidence during the story, however the evidence was faulty and Poirot was intelligent enough to figure this out. During his inspection around Roger Ackroyd’s room, Poirot was told that the Grandfather chair had been moved since the departure of parker’s stay in the room, The doctor said it wasn’t important, however Poirot replied â€Å"It is completely unimportant†¦That is why it is so interesting†. Here Poirot is showing us his superior judgement. When Poirot was examining the body he was very observant and he automatically knew Mr Ackroyd did not commit suicide because of the positioning of Ackroyd’s hand, â€Å"the position of the prints was somewhat awkward†.  Poirot was the only one to spot that Mr Ackroyd was dictating a letter when Mr Raymond overheard him. Poirot knew he was dictated it from how he read it out, â€Å"Would any man use such a phrase in talking to another?† This shows us that Poirot has excellent observational skills and his intelligence. It was very surprising to know that it was Doctor Shepard who committed the murder because he seemed genuine, however it was more surprising to know that it was the murderer who was the narrator, that was a huge shock. Christie had gave us a very exciting twist which didn’t follow the traditional detective story, but gave us a very interesting ending. I think that this technique adds to the excitement of the story and also intrigues the reader much more. The surprise is that the trustworthy narrator is the murderer, you automatically assume he or she is the trustworthy distant bystander. The murder was set in King’s Abbot, a village â€Å"†¦very much like any other village†. The setting was a very unexpected place for a murder, there was nothing sinister about it, so it would be a very unusual place to have a murder, however it did intrigue the reader to know whom the murdering villager was. Although the setting seemed innocent Mr Roger Ackroyd seemed different. Poirot describes the average villager of being â€Å"a country squire† however he describes Mr Ackroyd of being â€Å"†¦an immensely successful†, a contrast between the average countryman and Mr Ackroyd. From reading ‘The Orient express’ and ‘the blue carbuncle’ you notice a huge contrast in the way the author presents his characters. When reading one of Agatha Christie’s novels you find out all the characters background information where as when you’re reading a Sir Doyle novel the back ground information is limited only if The superior detective decides to concentrate on a particular character.  Agatha Christie’s method had influenced other up and coming writers. Ruth Rendell is a more recent novelist who has manipulated detective Fiction, however she has kept the certain methods of what Agatha Christie had once used. ‘Burning End’ was very unusual to my detective genre perceptions. The story had felt peculiar to how I would perceive a detective fiction. I would perceive a detective story to contain Traditional elements, where as this one doesn’t even contain a detective. The story was a mystery, where by the reader was psychologically presuming whom the murderer was at the end of the story. It was basically an open ending for the reader to ponder upon. The story had contained a few traditional elements but not as you would assume their to be. The elements found were the perfect crime, the wrongly accused suspect, the surprise ending and the dim-witted police. Each one seems very doubtful because of the open ending, however passages in the story have made the situation controversial. The crime committed that we know no perfect to or any truth to have believed the matter to be insufficient, however if beliefs were told you would assume Linda to have committed the offence. Linda seemed very caring and had worried about the welfare of Betty. She would be her personal servant, however Betty had never shown any affection or appreciation to Linda’s hard working generosity, for example Betty’s son asks her â€Å"to come and live with them at the farm. Betty responded very differently from when she asked her†. This might have provoked Linda into uncaring motives. During the death the house that Betty was living in had naturally or unnaturally caught on fire while Betty was present. Ms Rendell gives suggestions on how it set on fire, however the likeliest possibility was that the Linda had intentionally new the house was going to be caught on fire and Linda would of used it as an attempt to dispose of Betty for her ungratefulness. Linda had discovered an unpredictable way of causing fire and found it quite astonishing. She discovered this method by noticing the paper near the vase had caught on fire, to her amazement she believed the vase had began a magnifying effect when exposed to sunlight, causing the paper to be magnified, in result to a fire. Linda had intended to move the vase for safety hazards, however Linda had felt hesitation, â€Å"It was a strange feeling she had†¦she would somehow have closed a door or missed a chance†. Linda doesn’t give reference to what she had missed a chance on, but the only explanation the reader can think of is that she has missed a chance on killing Betty in such an accidental way that to Linda it was the perfect crime. Then again it may not have been Linda. The wrongly accused might have been the doctor or even Linda. No one was literally accused, however the reader would have been suspicious on particular characters. The Doctor is the most controversial of my suspects, his remarks and attitude seem to emphasize that Betty should die early with her family â€Å"†¦best for the old folks to end their days at home whenever possible.† He seems to clarify that he wants her to die soon and â€Å"He made no comment on the cigarette† where as most doctors try to keep the patient healthy, this doctor doesn’t mind the usage of cigarette smoke around her as long as it speeds up the process. Near the end the doctor believes he had killed her, he claimed it was an accident, however if it was murder or manslaughter he didn’t feel any remorse. â€Å"I don’t feel a scrap of guilt, accidents will happen and there’s nothing you can do about it†. Any other sincere human being would have felt guilty if they knew they had caused a death, it seemed as if he intentialy left the cigarette their to cause the death. Although The Burning End doesn’t contain any dim-witted police, the story still contains a sense of dim wittedness. Like Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell uses her dim witted police role in her characters. While Brian and Michael are suggesting why Linda is miserable, they come across the fact that she feels guilty. However they don’t realise she is upset because she might have literally killed Betty. Brian and Michael knew Linda was feeling guilty but they never took it into consideration that Linda could of caused the fire. The brothers are too dim witted to see that Linda was feeling guilty over the fact that Linda may have caused the death. Michael suggests that its â€Å"guilt† that is making Linda miserable. Brian responds to Michael’s theory by blasting back â€Å"What’s she got to be guilty about? She couldn’t have done more if she’d been Mum’s own daughter.'† This would of made the crime even more perfect if it was L inda. Detective Fiction has been changed and manipulated over the past century, from Sir Doyle to Ruth Rendell. Detective Fiction has changed with time and time has changed with Detective fiction. Since Sir Doyle detective fiction has introduced new excitements and has gradually manipulated the readers thoughts. Detective stories have changed so much, from having the superior detective as the centre point to having no detective at all. Agatha Christie was the one, who began manipulating Detective Fiction, although she had made a few adjustments, she still kept the concept. Agatha intended to use the ideas of past detective writers and present them in her own way  Ruth Rendell the most recent Detective writer of my studies is a prime example of how Detective fiction has changed. Ruth stories are in contrast with Sir Doyle’s because Ruth uses the ideas and manipulations of the recent Detective writers (Agatha Christie) and recapitulates them to create new means of excitement. This is an example of how Detective fiction has changed and will proceed in the future.

Free Infrared Surveillance Essay

Free Infrared Surveillance Essay Infrared Surveillance Contemporary world experiences plenty of challenges in the sphere of security The reality is such that old traditional safety and security measures are not capable of coping with the growing threats of terrorist attacks, crimes, natural disasters, etc. Now is the time when novel sophisticated tools appear to solve the problem of ever-growing need for eliminating danger. One of the challenges of potentially dangerous situations might be solved by a tool, which enables people to see in the darkness systems of infrared surveillance. This essay focuses on infrared surveillance and spheres of its application in the modern world, ranging from military to fire control. Infrared security cameras have the special ability to render video in low-light conditions and in total darkness, thus making it possible to disclose what is happening in places where and at the time when human eyes cannot serve reliably (Security Camera Warehouse). Security PRO USA, one of online security centers, states that with the help of infrared surveillance systems people obtain a possibility to get the necessary picture even under the most severe atmospheric or environmental conditions (Security PRO USA). Infrared cameras were originally developed for the military use during the Korean War to further enhance night vision capabilities (Sierra Pacific Corp., 2012). Later on, this technology transferred to various spheres. Now infrared surveillance is widely used in numerous fields, such as military, law enforcement, maintaining perimeter integrity, mobile surveillance, marine surveillance, search and rescue, fire control, facilities safety and security, event or crowd management, etc. (Infrared Cameras Inc., 2012). Infrared surveillance has found its widest application in the military: night seeing, weapon sighting, remote sensing and force protection are just several examples of how infrared surveillance can be used in the military and paramilitary spheres (Sierra Pacific Corp., 2012). Infrared thermal imaging has become an important, cost-efficient solution for a wide variety of military missions such as surveillance, search rescue, force protection, drug interdiction, perimeter integrity maintenance and etc. (Security PRO USA). Border security is one of the vital tasks for any state today This unique challenge combines vast unpopulated territories with long distances and various climate and weather conditions. Carl Zeiss Optronics GmbH, one of the leading providers of optical and opto-electronic products and services for defense and security, indicates that monitoring and protecting larger areas presents security institutions with considerable problems, particularly at night and when poor visual conditions exist (Carl Zeiss Optronics GmbH). Infrared surveillance systems are an excellent opportunity to control a situation, as their cameras can be networked and provide high-quality imaging under any conditions (IEC Infrared Systems, 2008). Similarly, maintaining perimeter integrity at such facilities as refineries, nuclear power plants, ports, airports and other critical infrastructure also requires an overall control of the territory. Infrared surveillance enables to augment and sometimes completely replace conventional mobile patrols at night - in total darkness states Infrared Cameras Inc., one of the leaders in security systems manufacture (Infrared Cameras Inc., 2012). Mobile infrared systems enable the modern military to deal successfully with improvised explosive devices, which have become the weapon of choice for terrorists and insurgents (IEC Infrared Systems, 2008). Another task that infrared cameras help to fulfill is search and rescue of lost survivors (Infrared Cameras Inc., 2012). Search in the darkness used to be impossible and all attempts stopped at night. Now many lives are saved owing to this modern technology. One more challenging task for infrared surveillance is fire control and management Firefighting and firefighting management requires rapid information receipt. When a territory is covered in smoke, it becomes crucial to get a reliable picture as soon as possible to be able to save lives and prevent further spread of fire. Infrared cameras are the tool to gain this valuable real-time tactical information, which is invaluable in the decision making process (Infrared Cameras Inc., 2012). Many facilities have open-door displays of their products, such as automobiles or simply large areas, which should be protected from penetration. Moreover, they usually have large parking lots, warehouses or long and dark walkways, where it is almost impossible to ensure full and continuous lighting. On the one hand, using infrared surveillance helps save on electricity by eliminating unnecessary lighting over product displays and empty areas. On the other hand, it decreases the risks for employees when they are in poorly lit areas (Infrared Cameras Inc., 2012). Infrared surveillance can benefit law enforcement agencies in general, as it them with an opportunity to see what is not meant to be seen, as most crimes are committed in darkness. In this case infrared surveillance can either help witness a crime and stop it timely, or prevent it by spreading the information in the area that is being watched. There is one more sphere where infrared surveillance may play an important role, which is marine control. Waterfront security is a real challenge as people and equipment have to work in the most severe conditions and there are various threats to detect from swimmers to vessels, submarines and underwater mines. To sum up, infrared surveillance systems can help protect borders, military camps, troops, private and business property, detect explosives and drugs; search for the lost and save lives in fire. Nevertheless, infrared surveillance can not only fulfill security tasks, but also scientific queries, energy audits, etc. as it provides a wide range of applications with the possibility of receiving unique information, which cannot be obtained by other means either due to technology or conditions.

Visa O para trabajar en USA - habilidad extraordinaria

Visa O para trabajar en USA - habilidad extraordinaria Entre las visas que autorizan a  trabajar en Estados Unidos se encuentra la O, que se conceden a personas con habilidades extraordinarias. Este artà ­culo se explica cules son los puntos bsicos que deben tenerse en cuenta para considerar si es la visa apropiada y que, por lo tanto, debe buscarse. Adems, al final se hace referencia a cules son otras opciones de visa, para el caso de que la visa O no resulte la apropiada. Campos en los que es posible la visa O No todos los profesionales pueden optar a las visas O. Y es que estn limitadas a profesionales con habilidades extraordinarias y que adems estn encuadrados en los siguientes  campos: CienciasDeportesArtesEducacià ³nNegociosCine y la Televisià ³n En los cuatro primeros casos se tendrà ­a una visa O-1A, mientras que para los profesionales del cine o de la televisià ³n la visa es la O-1B. Aunque es comà ºn considerar que esta visa es, principalmente, para artistas, no es asà ­. Entre los profesionales que han recibido esta visa se encuentran: AgentesChefsDeportistas y entrenadoresDirectores de MarcaDirectores de mercadeoDirectores de publicidadEstilistas de cabelloFotà ³grafosGaleristasMaquilladoresPintoresProductoresSommeliersRestauradores de muebles, etc. Quà © se entiende por habilidad extraordinaria para la visa O Las visas O requieren que la persona extranjera que se beneficia pueda ser considerado como un profesional con una habilidad extraordinaria. En el caso de las visas O-1A no es necesario haber ganado el Premio Nobel pero sà ­ hay que ser una persona con un historial de trabajo de excelente calidad y respetada en su campo y que es considerada como que  figura entre los mejores en su campo de actuacià ³n. Esta circunstancia se puede acreditar mediante premios nacionales o locales de renombre o documentando membresà ­a en organizaciones profesionales de reconocido prestigio. Tambià ©n son vlidos como prueba los artà ­culos publicados en revistas profesionales de prestigio. En el caso particular del mundo de los negocios se puede demostrar que la capacidad de una persona ha sido crà ­tica para establecer la reputacià ³n de una compaà ±Ãƒ ­a o que tiene dotes de gestià ³n reconocidos. En todos los casos, un salario alto puede probar la habilidad laboral especial. En cuanto a la visa O-1B, los artistas deben probar que han alcanzado un nivel de distincià ³n dentro de su campo. Es decir, deben tener una reputacià ³n sobresaliente  que se puede acreditar mediante  premios de renombre, las crà ­ticas en la prensa, contratos, evidencia de à ©xito comercial o ingresos altos en relacià ³n a otros profesionales. En general se considera que es ms difà ­cil probar el carcter excepcional en  cine y televisià ³n que en el de las Artes. Visas O derivadas para personal de apoyo y para familiares Entre las visas derivadas se encuentra la O-2 para personas que con habilidades reconocidas y experiencia trabajando con el titular de una O-1 para quien su labor resulta imprescindible y no puede ser realizado por un trabajador con permiso de trabajo en EU. Estas visas sà ³lo se dan en los mbitos deportivos y artà ­sticos. Por à ºltimo, el cà ³nyuge y los hijos solteros menores de 21 aà ±os del titular de una visa O-1 y de una O-2 pueden viajar a EU con una visa O-3. Durante su estancia  no podrn trabajar. Adems, el titular de la visa O podrà ­a solicitar una B-1 para sus empleados domà ©sticos, siempre que se cumplan los requisitos. Cà ³mo se solicita la visa O La forma de solicitar este tipo de visa es presentando ante el Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS) por sus siglas en inglà ©s, el formulario I-129 de Peticià ³n de Trabajador Extranjero. Debe enviarse al menos 45 dà ­as antes de la fecha de inicio del contrato. Este tipo de visa permite el pago de una tarifa extra para acelerar su tramitacià ³n. Adems, este formulario debe presentarse junto con documentacià ³n de apoyo, entre ella lo que se conoce como consulta. Una vez que se solicita la visa es posible verificar su estatus online.  ¿En quà © consiste la consulta y cundo no es necesaria? Es una opinià ³n dada por escrito por una persona o un grupo, como por ejemplo un sindicato, que es considerado como un experto en el campo de la persona para la que se solicita la visa O. En dicho escrito se validan sus habilidades. Se recomienda que esa consulta està © en papel de carta con marca de agua para acreditar su autenticidad. Sin embargo, se considera que no es necesaria esta consulta en dos casos. En primer lugar, cuando el peticionario de la visa pueda demostrar que no existe ni persona experta ni grupo para dar su opinià ³n. Y, en segundo lugar, cuando el beneficiario de la visa ya hubiera realizado una labor similar en Estados Unidos y exista una consulta al respeto de menos de dos aà ±os. En este caso se debe solicitar una exencià ³n al requisito de la consulta.  ¿Quià ©n puede ser solicitante de una visa O? ¿Es posible auto-emplearse con visa O? Aunque es frecuente creer que es posible que un trabajador extranjero se patrocine a sà ­ mismo una visa O, lo cierto es que la respuesta es negativa. Se necesita alguien que patrocine, que puede ser: Una empresa o empleador con base en los Estados UnidosUn agente Y necesariamente se debe trabajar para quien patrocina. Esto es asà ­ con independencia de si se tiene la consideracià ³n de trabajador en sentido estricto o si se le paga como contratista independiente, utilizndose en este caso la planilla 1099. En ocasiones puede darse el caso de que una persona extranjera funde una empresa en Estados Unidos y que esta empresa pueda contratarlo a travà ©s de una   visa O-1A. Estas son 7 opciones ms. Y entonces,  ¿por quà © se conoce a la visa O como una visa freelance? Hay que decir que no lo es. De hecho, en Estados Unidos no hay una visa para freelance. Lo que sucede es que si el patrocinador es un agente pueden darse situaciones que pueden dar la apariencia de freelance.   Por ejemplo, si el agente es el empleador, pero tiene contratos con varias empresas distintas y entonces el beneficiario de la visa O realiza trabajos para distintas empresas. Pero lo importante es entender que aà ºn en esta situacià ³n el patrocinador-empleador es el agente. Duracià ³n de la visa O Una visa de trabajo es siempre necesaria, aà ºn asà ­ sea para trabajar sà ³lo medio dà ­a. Si se trabaja sin un documento que lo permita se estarà ­a cometiendo una violacià ³n migratoria con posibles consecuencias. Las visas O se conceden  por un mximo de tres aà ±os, aunque puede ser por sà ³lo unos dà ­as. En teorà ­a, pueden renovarse sin là ­mite hasta el fin de la actividad laboral de su titular. Esto en la prctica equivale a que algunas personas desarrollen toda su vida laboral con este tipo de visa. Cà ³mo interactà ºa la visa O con otros tipos de visa Puede ocurrir que una misma persona podrà ­a solicitar distintas visas o que la visa O no sea realmente una buena opcià ³n por no cumplirse los requisitos. Para decidirse sobre cul pedir, debe saberse cules son sus objetivos y cules son las ventajas de unas visas sobre otras y cules son los requisitos. En este punto es importante familiarizarse con los puntos bsicos, pero asesorarse con un abogado migratorio experto en este tipo de visas. Por ejemplo, la visa O es muy parecida a la visa EB-2. La gran diferencia es que con esta à ºltima se emigra a USA con carcter permanente y, en consecuencia, se obtiene una tarjeta de residencia. En esta opcià ³n podrà ­an encajar las personas con estudios avanzados ms all de la licenciatura y aquà ©llas con una habilidad excepcional  en el campo de las Ciencias, las Artes o los Negocios. Otro camino para la green card pero sà ³lo abierto a las personas que puedan calificar como lo mejor en los campos de Deportes, Ciencias, Artes, Educacià ³n y Negocios es la visa de inmigrante que se conoce como EB-1. En cuanto a otras visas no que conviene conocer est  H1-B  para profesionales. La gran diferencia es que en el primer caso, excepto para el supuesto de los modelos, se exigen estudios de licenciatura. Adems, con la visa la visa H-1B puede haber el problema de los cupos por aà ±o fiscal. Esta inconveniencia obliga casi todos los aà ±os a tener que celebrar una loterà ­a para determinar quà © solicitantes de H-1B vern su visa tramitada, si bien hay excepciones por categorà ­as, empleador e incluso por paà ­ses, siendo Chile un caso a tener en cuenta. Adems, en los casos de las profesiones que permiten solicitar la visa TN, à ©sta puede ser una buena opcià ³n para los mexicanos y los canadienses. Este es un articulo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Syria MDG'S Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Syria MDG'S - Essay Example The year 1946 marks the time when this country gained independence and established itself as parliamentary republic. Since its independence the country has seen many skirmishes and wars. Many coups and attempts to take over the throne have shattered Syria’s infrastructure. The al-Assad family has been ruling the country since 1970. Hafiz al-Assad ruled the office from 1970-2000 only to be usurped by his son Bashar al-Assad. Today the country is part of United Nations. But due to conflict in the region its membership has been deferred from the Arab League as well as from Organization of Islamic Cooperation. March 2012 marks the formation of Syrian National Coalition, a group that stands in opposition to the government. The Arab League invited the representative of this group to take Syria’s seat. Currently Syria is governed by President Bashar al-Asad. It has been almost 3 years since conflict began. Humanitarian development achievements in the country have now been rolled back due to consistent fighting in the area. Flying bullets from everywhere make it difficult for humanitarian workers to continue their work. The conflict in Syria has already killed over 120,000 people and displaced 6.5 million (UNDP, n.d.). The crisis has stolen employment from the 50% population pushing Syrian citizens into poverty (UNDP, n.d.). Millions of Syrians are searching for refuge in neighboring areas and their host countries face a great challenge accommodating millions of them. Influx of new refugees is a serious setback for neighboring states. Basic needs like education, health, sanitation, infrastructure and non-existent economic opportunity has created cutthroat competition for jobs in Syria (UNDP, n.d.). People are practically living in ruins. Tensions are always on the rise threatening to rip apart the social cohesion. The UNDP workers were already deployed in Syria even before the crisis began. Their work was affected due