A Unique Perspective of The Yellow Wallpaper - 2853 Words

My perspective of Gilman’s short story, The Yellow Wall-Paper is influenced by a great number of different and diverse methods of reading. However, one cannot overlook the feminist theorists’ on this story, for the story is often proclaimed to be a founding work of feminism. Further, the historical and biographical contexts the story was written in can be enlightened by mentioning Gilman’s relationship with S. Weir Mitchell. And I can’t help but read the story and think of Foucault’s concept of Panopticism as a method of social control. Lastly, of course, there’s the psychological perspective on the story, although in my readings of psychology, particularly the psychological knowledge surrounding both women and queers, I find the†¦show more content†¦He argues that psychologists as early as Freud have determined the importance of a person’s sexual identity in defining a person’s psychological make-up and then points out that it is impossible for a reader to divorce their sexuality from a reading of any text, that a reader brings to a text the entirety of his experiences and identity and therefore, he brings his sexual identity to the reading of a text also. I use the male pronoun at this point in this paper because the author of the article examined the homosexual male reader, which is separate from either the heterosexual identity and also separate from a lesbian identity because the homosexual male, in spite of his ‘difference’ is still a biological man, and very importantly, he is a socially constructed man, with all that this implies for phallocentrism and patriarchy (73). Therefore, it can be seen, a reader can neither divorce their sexual identity nor their gender identity from a reading of a text; in fact, because these factors play a major role in a reader’s psychological make-up, they also play a major role in aShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Charlotte Gilmans The Yellow W allpaper969 Words   |  4 PagesYellow Wallpaper Annotated Bibliography Frye, C.B. Using Literature in Health Care: Reflections on The Yellow Wallpaper. The Annals of Pharmacotherapy. (32: 7). 1998. 829.33. Print. 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It was extremely uncommon for the average women to want to furtherRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour And Charlotte Perkins Gilm an s The Yellow Wallpaper1422 Words   |  6 PagesIn Kate Chopin’s Story of an Hour and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper we see two marriages that are shaped by the hands of society at large and the husbands. Marriage in the upper classes in the late 1800s to the turn-of-the-century was primarily done to increase one party’s social standing, and as such divorce was generally severely frowned upon. Divorce, beginning at the wife’s behest at least, was unprecedented until the latter half of the 1800s. Both marriages center on womenRead MorePatriarchy, The Yellow Wallpaper, By Charlotte Perkins Gilm Patriarchy And The Treatment Of Women1538 Words   |  7 PagesProtogyrou ERH 206WX MAJ Knepper 27 Mar 2015 Patriarchy in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman illustrates the patriarchy and the treatment of women in society during the nineteenth century. This is evident through two parts. First, one sees the treatment of women directly through the narrator’s interaction with her doctor and husband, John. Finally, it is clear through the symbolic wallpaper as well as other physical characteristics of the room that’s sheRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman840 Words   |  4 PagesIndividuality + Independence = Insanity The Yellow Wallpaper written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman captivates the audience into the psyche of a young mother and wife through journal entries. The wife has been confined to her room for a cure to her depression. As the women remains in the room, she becomes obsessed with the yellow wallpaper that borders the room. She experiences hallucinations that come because of the wallpaper. Gilman’s story shows the struggle of women’s independence and individualityRead MoreObsessions Always Have Meanings Essay1218 Words   |  5 PagesIn the stories â€Å"The Birthmark† by Nathaniel Hawthorne and â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, they are similar because they both deal with the wives being obsessed with something. Also in both stories their husbands are concerned and want to help them with their obsessions. The wife in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is obsessed with the wallpaper on the wall and sees it as another world. She believe s that there is someone stuck behind the wall and is trying to get out. Tearing down the wallRead MoreEssay on A Male Dominated Society During the 19th Century952 Words   |  4 Pageswomen through history has been profound and multifaceted† (Hall 202). In other words, it is known that the male takes complete cruel supremacy over the years in our history. In The Awakening and â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin and â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, they all convey the struggles that females faced to be accepted and to find their identity. To commence, women have been denied self-expression which impacted their daily lives. First of all, in The Awakening,Read MoreLooking Back Upon Civil Rights, WomenS Campaign For Suffrage1250 Words   |  5 Pagesthe movement. The 1890s marked the beginning of the Progressive Era; a period dictated by the emergence of women from all levels of society entering the public sphere and becoming self advocates. In 1892, Charlotte Perkins Gilman authored The Yellow Wallpaper, a piece that symbolically represented the era. By the 1940s women had gained the right to vote and had begun to work, much to the chagrin of men. In 1947 Tennessee Williams produced his classic play A Streetcar Named Desire. While similar inRead MoreThe Summer People, By Shirley Jackson And Smoke Ghost By Fritz Leiber1649 Words   |  7 Pagesworld’ issues and problems† is completely false. I could choose almost any example from our readings and pick out some sort of â€Å"real world† issue or im portant thing that I have learned from them. For the sake of time, however, I will focus on â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, â€Å"The Summer People† by Shirley Jackson and â€Å"Smoke Ghost† by Fritz Leiber. Each of these stories has succeeded in broadening my horizons and has taught me something important about the world in which we live. WeirdRead MoreAnalysis Of Editha By William Dean Howells And The Yellow Wallpaper1070 Words   |  5 Pageshas worked hand in hand with romantics as it exposes the truth behind marriages in the 18th and 19th centuries. Two stories I have read that stood out the most to me on the grounds of literary realism are: Editha by William Dean Howells and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Editha by William Dean Howells, will go down as one of many strong points of evidence when it comes down to literary realism. This comes into play when life for a real man is depicted as being in war. Life in the

How to Measure a Firm Financial Perfomance Essay

Essays on How to Measure a Firm Financial Perfomance Essay The paper "How to Measure a Firm’s Financial Performance" is an outstanding example of an essay on finance and accounting. There are a number of ways to measure a firm’s financial performance. While there are competing theories on the matter, most analysts agree that all elements must be considered in aggregation (Helft 2003). Within this context of understanding, the firm’s revenue from operations, operating income or cash flow, and net income are all important considerations (Helft 2003). There are a number of further measures that examine these figures in aggregation. One of the most prominent is referred to as return on equity (ROE). ROE measures accounting earning for a period per dollar of shareholders’ equity invested. ROE is a popular determinant as it incorporates many important aspects of the company’s balance sheet (Helft 2003). Still, ROE has been shown to have some shortcomings including the timing and risk problems that consider, respe ctively, the firm’s performance in relation to past quarters and potential risk investments (Helft 2003). The value problem is another challenge to ROE investment analysis (Helft 2003). Another prominent means of investigating financial performance is through profit margin. (Higgins 2000) Analysts can use profit margin to measure a firm’s supply chain management and pricing strategy. Another prominent strategy is asset turnover, as this gives insight into business practices. Financial leverage is another important measure of financial performance (Higgins 2000). Financial leverage measures a firm’s assets in relation to the shareholders’ equity. While these financial measures are all important as measures of a firm’s financial performance, it’s necessary to consider these performance measures relative to other companies in the sector and in terms of macroeconomic market fluctuations.

Sales Manager Free Essays

In order to use the full potentials of the employees, the organization needs to motivate and encourage them. By motivating the employees, their performance level increase that results in better achieving organizational goals. However, according to Maslow’s theory, the organization needs to cater to employees five basic needs: physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem and self-actualization (Jones, George, Hill, 1998). We will write a custom essay sample on Sales Manager or any similar topic only for you Order Now Among them, physiological need is the most basic and important one. In this need, all employees need is an ample pay scale in which they fulfill their basic survival needs such as food, residence, clothes etc. Now analyzing the problem faced at NLC, the management needs to find the reasons for the lethargic attitude of the employees toward their work. The most probable complaints that the employees at NLC do is that their basic stipend is low. The employees do not feel motivated towards their job that affects to the organization’s performance. The HRM needs to review the employee policy and ask the top-management to make an increase in their salary. Besides that, the management also needs to introduce the scheme of rewarding the employees with bonus rewards in which, if the employees are able to achieve a certain sales target, they would be given additional pay. In this way not only will they get intrinsically motivated, but will also show their interest in their job tasks (Kreitner, Kinicki, 2004). In order to motivate the employees more, the top few employees of the month should also be awarded with perquisites. In this way, a sense of competition among employees will arouse and they will work harder and inclined towards their achieving the goals. Besides monetary motivation, the employees can be motivated by providing them with good job environment and ambience. The employees should also be given of certain level of delegation which triggers their decision-making power. The employees should also be given the sense of promotion on the basis of their performance. Thus the management needs to address to all those motivating factors in order to encourage them and make them work to their full capabilities. Once the NLC management would take this initiative, there is definitely going to be a change in the employee’s attitude and will try to perform at their utmost level, which will result fruitful for NLC for both short and long-term basis. How to cite Sales Manager, Papers

Information Technology Ethics Procedures

Question: Discuss about the Information Technology Ethics Procedures. Answer: Introduction: A team of academics has claimed that, in Tesco Bank a wide range of external attack is taking place due to lack of protection. The news has been reported on 2nd December, 2016 in Australia (Jones, 2016). Unsophisticated type of external attack exploited the visa card payment system that has been used by the consumer of Tesco Banking Management Company in the last month. A set of survey reported that, the new emerging technologies are enabling the cyber criminals more active as they are easily getting information regarding the debit card and credit card numbers. However, the attack technique is referred to as distributed guessing attack. The private information of more than 500 cards has been exploited currently due to lack of security features (Stolfo, SSalem Keromytis, 2012). In order to avoid these problems, many additional security features are currently added up to the online payment process. What are the different facts? Currently, the rate of hacking during online transaction process is increasing widely all over the world. In order to reduce this issue the most of the well known online retail websites are currently changed the online security setting to keep the websites secured from the external attacks (Jenjarrussakul Matsuura, 2014). Fraud prevention is one of the major concerns in online transaction. On the other hand, it has been found that hackers cannot get the details of master card users in the same way. Specifically, this kind of hacking is not applicable for master card. The guessing attack is also not applicable for those who are using the 3-D security technologies to provide extra protection (Myers, 2015). The 3-D protection technology includes verification made y visa, master security code etc. Since two to three months this issue was raised and come under focus but after the incident of Tesco bank, were more than 9,000 consumers got affected, this news was officially reported. Ethical and non ethical issues The Newcastle team has identified different types of hacking procedures. This type of hacking was based on complete guess work that generally used by the hackers. The term hacking itself is referred to as one of the major ethical issue (Kim et al., 2015). In hacking the official banking details and personnel details of the users can be theft by the attackers and those can be misuse by them at the same time. Sometimes, hacking become necessary due to its association with legal requirement, rather legal needs. In order to search criminals sometimes it becomes necessary to hack the personnel details; this is unethical but from the legal perspectives it is non ethical (Stolfo, Salem Keromytis, 2012). Cyber attack is ethical issue whereas, for the companys benefit if personnel data is getting hacked then, it will be termed as non ethical issue. Particularly for Tesco banking, hacking of debit card details is ethical issue. Who is affected? Particularly, for the Tesco banking details hacking incident, the affected were the users of the credit card and debit card. The personal data and the banking details that are required to be stored to make the cards valid were hijacked by the external attackers (Shang et al., 2014). Tough the attackers hacked those data with guess works. The victims of the hacking incident are not only the debit and credit card users but also the Tesco banking organization itself. It has been found that, the minimum data those are required, to hack the credit details are not properly secured by the company (Acharya Kamath, 2013). In order to keep the data secured currently most of the retail websites are using 3-D protection or security technologies (Jenjarrussakul Matsuura, 2014). Therefore, from the organizational perspective it can be said that, Tesco banking and the users of Tesco credit and debit cards users are affected due to the hacking incident. Ethical issue and its implication The detected ethical issue is the stealing of banking details of the users of the Tesco credit and credit card. With the help of a guess work the banking details of the users are getting hijacked and also misused. This is the ethical issue and in order to resolve this problem the banking executives have decided to use the 3-D security technology (Jones, 2016). The password or secret code of the card was guessed by the hackers and once they enable to get the code they steal the banking details. Generally during online transaction the data used to get hacked. What are the options? In order to resolve this issue already the report has given a very good option that is usage of 3-D security technology (Jones, 2016). Apart from this, there are many other options that can be used to resolve the hacking issue. Authentication is needed to be adopted so that the data stored in the banking account cannot be retrieved by any other external attackers. Another important option is encryption. In this technique all the data will be secured. A user who does not have the decryption key cannot fetch the data stored in the banking storage (Acharya Kamath, 2013). Another option is the usage of symmetric key; this kind of keys can be used by both the sender and the receiver of the data. During online transaction, if the receiver does not have the particular key that is required to retrieve the banking data, then they cannot fetch the data stored in the storage. Which option is best and why? Among the different given options the best option is the usage of 3-D security technology. The 3-D secured payment option is referred to as one of the best options of online money transaction. The technology is capable to provide a secured online payment method (Jenjarrussakul Matsuura, 2014). Basically for visa and master card, 3-D technology provides extra level of security to the users. It will help a user to protect him from unauthenticated use of the credit card. The 3-D technology is consists of master card secured code and is also verified by visa. References Acharya, U. D., Kamath, P. R. (2013). A secure and high capacity image steganography technique.arXiv preprint arXiv:1304.3629. Balogun, O. J., Ajiboye, F. A., Dunsin, A. T. (2013). An Investigative Study on Factors Influencing the Customer Satisfaction with E-Banking in Nigeria.International Journal of Academic Research in Economics and Management Sciences,2(6), 64. Jenjarrussakul, B., Matsuura, K. (2014, June). Analysis of Japanese Loyalty Programs Considering Liquidity, Security Efforts, and Actual Security Levels. InThe 13th Workshop on the Economics of Information Security. Jones, R. (2016).Tesco Bank cyber attack involved guesswork, study claims.the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2016, from [online]: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/02/tesco-bank-cyber-attack-involved-simply-guessing-details-study-claims Kim, S. J., Ma, M. C., Lee, H. K., Kim, J. B. (2015). A Study on Service Architecture for Secure Authentication System.International Journal of Security and Its Applications,9(9), 9-20. Myers, A. (2015). Cross-Border Commerce without Constraint: Shifting from Territorial-Based Regulation to an Industry-Based Code of Conduct for the Online Payment Processing Industry.Fed. Comm. LJ,67, 434-434. Shang, W., Ding, Q., Marianantoni, A., Burke, J., Zhang, L. (2014). Securing building management systems using named data networking.IEEE Network,28(3), 50-56. Stolfo, S. J., Salem, M. B., Keromytis, A. D. (2012, May). Fog computing: Mitigating insider data theft attacks in the cloud. InSecurity and Privacy Workshops (SPW), 2012 IEEE Symposium on(pp. 125-128). IEEE.

Comparison Of Huck Finn & Tom Sawyer Essays - English-language Films

Comparison Of Huck Finn & Tom Sawyer Question 1: Compare and contrast the personalities of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer are two friends with very different personalities, each bringing their own unique characteristics into this comical relationship. Tom and Huck are two adventurous souls but in very opposing ways. Huck's idea of adventure is to escape from society, their beliefs and all of their conformities, but he does it in a way that is level-headed and sensible. Tom, on the other hand, is more likely to make up an adventure based on something he had read in a book and not really trying to escape anything. All of his ideas and schemes come from books, unlike Huck, who has actually lived the fantasies Tom has imagined. The two are alike in one way though. They both have a very strong sense of adventure. I think this one trait along with their similar ages is what makes them friends. Huck seems to be the kind of person that Tom would want to be friends with because of his willingness to make other people happy. Tom lives out his escapades with no regard for the pain and suffering it causes others. Huck, on the other hand, just wants things done and done right but he gives into Tom's wild ideas and extravagant plans, which Tom loves. Tom and Huck are two interesting yet different characters. It is for these reasons that they have become an American literary classic. Book Reports

Russian Soviet Politics †Foriegn Government Research Paper (300 Level Course)

Russian Soviet Politics – Foriegn Government Research Paper (300 Level Course) Free Online Research Papers Russian Soviet Politics Foriegn Government Research Paper (300 Level Course) Russian politics is dominated by a structure of political elites who are remnants or byproducts of the Soviet Era. Coupled with the oligarchs and the organized crime syndicates, political elites make it extremely difficult for Russians who live in rural areas to effectively participate in Russia’s relatively new experiment with democracy. Rural Russians have very little recourse in influencing the current state of Russian Politics. This paper will focus on the perceptions and opinions rural Russians have about their prospects for meaningful engagement in Russian politics. Included in the discussion about politics will be the level of involvement these people have with the state economy and the extent to which the state plays a beneficial role in their lives. Also examined will be the nationalistic feelings still held by many of these people with respect to how government should function and what their ideal view of governmental affairs should be. Lastly, focus will be shifted to rural issues and in what fashion they figure into political debate. A first important point about political engagement in rural Russia is the attitude towards the government that many people hold. Russian nationalism, the attitude of Russia being a major power in the world, and of a state able to provide everything for the people still holds a powerful allure for the citizen who has been the beneficiary of the planned economy and who took pride in knowing or believing they were a cog in the works of the great Russian empire. In making the transition to embracing the democratic system, it is more difficult for Russians to accept change. Piirainen writes, â€Å"The Russians lost an empire, the other nations became independent from an empire and this makes a big difference for the formation of national consciousness and for the popular attitude towards the institutions of the new national state (Piirainen: 1997, 244).† The rural Russian psyche is reflective. The citizenry is not actively engaged in working for a better future, rather their consciousness is centered on the failing of socialism and the loss associated with being part of a world superpower. This nationalistic view of Russia does not bode well for progress. The market economy is centered on individualism and entrepreneurship. The majority of rural Russians have earned their living directly or indirectly through the collectivization programs of the planned economy. These people are used to being given the commodities necessary for making a living: livestock, tractors, seed, and tools. The transition to democracy and the market economy has left a staggering portion of the population without the education, job skills or capital required to compete in a market economy. Democracy requires a transition from the private sphere to the public sphere, the citizenry must be actively interested, informed, and opinionated on public matters. The Soviet society promoted a system where the individual was a subordinate of the state. In the United States, everyone feels that the government is held accountable to the people by the power of the vote. Unfavorable actions by government officials result in the incumbent exiting office. The Soviet model of government was one where the people were subordinate to the state as opposed to citizens of the state. The argument is made that the people were deeply concerned with matters in the private sphere and that as a result, things of a public character were disregarded (Piirainen: 1997). An understanding of political engagement and participation in Russia must first be prefaced with an examination of Russian political culture. Russians have a tradition of authoritarian government that stretches back for centuries. Historically, Russians have been concerned with the state providing order and stability. This is so due to geographic concerns related to security and also because Russia has been a step removed from the more liberal political developments of Western Europe (McCormick). Attesting to this favoritism for strong leadership is the fact that many older Russians view the atrocities of Stalin as necessary and as acts that were required at the time. Also, Yeltsin’s forays with and around the Russian legislature and his military actions were met with a rise in his approval rating. (Brown and McCormick). Another struggle Russians face in adapting to democracy is their history of closed politics. Closed politics were described as â€Å"the basic identifying characteristic† of the Soviet political system in the 1970’s. This tradition of strong leadership, the one party system, and the risk of reprisal under authoritarian regimes remains a serious impediment to political engagement. Compounding the problems associated with closed politics is the individualism inherent in a democratic society and lacking in Russian society. Russian society has been and remains largely group oriented; a collective society has existed for decades in Rus sia. Russian political tradition is the equivalent of intense political repression in western liberal democracies. The transition from serfdom, to the Soviet era, to the contemporary managed democracy, where the president exercises enormous powers makes any embrace of tangible democratic participation by the average citizen difficult. In order not to be unfair, the changes in the Russian political system are extremely recent in the context of Russia’s long history of authoritarian rule. There is not the inborn grasp of how democratic institutions function and with which methods these institutions may be influenced that is natural and identifiable in societies accustomed to democracy. However, this transition will only come with time. It must also be considered that the historically conservative Russian citizens are less inclined to challenge or meddle with the political system. Chaos has been an ever- present danger to Russia with the World Wars and the fall of the Soviet Union, the succession of satellite states, the kidnapping of political adversaries. Political parties emerge and fade in Russia leaving the same ideology in power. The grooming of successors in Russia has left the ruling ideology in power (stable opposition parties have yet to surface). The citizenry (in particular the older people and the rural population) are adverse to democracy because its forms and ramifications distance Russia from its past. This proves interesting due to what western world as atrocities under Stalin and political oppression. However, ideas such as free speech and even questioning the government are foreign to Russians and the collective society mold that has permeated their society for so long. Having said this, change is occurring in the Russian political culture, but the vast majority of this change is occurring in urban areas where younger Russians have greater entrepreneurial opportunities and less attachment to Russia’s past. Many individuals without traditional ties to a village or a closed social network find the transition to representative government easier to accept because rural Russians don’t have the exposure to political developments that urban Russians do. A crucial component of Russian political participation is the legitimacy and establishment of law. Russia’s current constitution did not provide for the power of the court until 1993 and the court structure wasn’t clearly outlined until1994 (McCormick). Russia must establish a viable legal system to reign in not only organized crime, but also the government itself. It is imperative that the court serves as a check on the executive. The supranational facets of the Russian executive must be reigned in by the constitutional court, which can gradually align the cogs of the relatively infant constitution and democracy into a political system that can be meaningfully influenced by the average Russian. Legitimate political participation in the form of strong political parties, unbiased media exposure, and political mobilization at a grassroots level are dependent upon the legal system being both responsible, prudent, and legitimate. Appointees to the Congressional Court are appointed for twelve-year terms, perhaps an advantage in effecting change more rapidly as lifetime appointments would probably cause the Court to be excessively conservative for years to come. An examination of the relationship between the public and private is instructive when examining the new relationships Russians have with the State. Under Soviet rule, the standard of living was predictable and stable. Democracy is a complete reversal of the Soviet social program. Capitalism and the entrepreneur are the forces that drive democracy. The freedom and opportunity for upward mobility in an established democracy are lost on a Russian populous who had the security of a job and health care the basic elements of life. Under Soviet rule after the Stalin era these things were ensured. Job security existed at a level that is impossible in a market economy. This stability is a product of a bygone regime and the change associated with this loss is a central lament of the adjustment to democracy. Political recourse seems unthinkable to most rural Russians. Some statistical bearing: â€Å"According to the official statistical information of the Russian Federation, 46.5 mi llion Russians, i.e. almost one=third of the population, had in June 1995 an income that was lower than the minimum subsistence level† (Piirainen, 55). The argument can be made that these figures are inflated due to the magnitude of the informal economy. Yet, â€Å"The life expectancy of Russians dropped from 70 years in 1987 to the astonishingly low level of 64 years in 1995† (Piirainen, 189). This stark statistic makes the relative success of nationalistic and communist parties more understandable. The bad government that ruled the Soviet Union was better able to provide for Russian citizens than the infant stages of democracy have been able to. The underdevelopment of civil society is a root cause for many of the problems that plague contemporary Russians. Everything revolved around the state in the Soviet era. There was no public sphere, there existed the state, which controlled everything and then there was the private the network of family and community, which provided indirectly in the areas where the state did not. Democratic development in Russia is closely linked to the role political elites play. Patrimonialism – patron/client relationships – have been a central fixture of Soviet and Russian politics. Governors no longer enjoy the immunity and the opportunity for participation associated with their former status as Duma representatives. Putin has steadily siphoned more and more tax money under the arm of the Federal Government so that he may exercise greater discretion in allocation of these funds. In 1998 47 percent of tax revenue was transferred to the federal government, in 2002 that figure had jumped to 63 percent (Steen, 104). Governors are more liable to appease the president as he begins to exercise considerably more influence in the distribution of funds. The separation between regional government, local government, and federal government is a large problem because authority is being exercised from the top down in a disproportionate manner. With the weakening gov ernors who have been hampered by both the legislature and the election of Putin (Yeltsin was much more liberal) the governors have seen their political clout significantly decrease. Russia has for all intents and purposes a one-party system. Any action deemed adverse to the presidential agenda makes it highly unlikely any regional official will advance to the upper levels of the federal political hierarchy. Russian politics is dominated at the federal level. Distinctions between how to levy taxes and whom is responsible for collection and which branch of government disburses the funds; all these issues are so new and vague that participation at the root level seems futile. The government must be able to collect enough tax revenue to guarantee public services to the common citizen. The welfare system, pensions, infrastructure, education, providing for the military; all these areas must be properly funded. If they are not the populous will simply turn to the informal economy, w hich has been both easiest viable source of survival/prosperity for decades. This is the central issue in addressing the meaningful political engagement of the rural population. Until these basis needs are addressed, the informal economy, which robs the state of both legitimacy and effectiveness, and also robs the citizen from a shot at real upward mobility political participation will, democracy will remain a synonym for traitor in rural Russia. In urban areas democracy is being accepted and adapted too at an accelerated rate in comparison with rural areas. Urban Russians are apt to be younger, have less traditional views on politics and change, and also have more opportunity. The rural populations have continued to live in the collective way of life by working and joining large farm cooperatives, by continuing a subsistence way of life through barter and by holding on to the past. Rural Russians have the perception that the state is not in their sphere of influence (and it probably is not for the time being); they view the state of Russia affairs as being a fluctuation of the state. The state is separate, they don’t identify with the fact that they are the state. They are the public, they are the government, but they don’t realize the importance of suffrage. One party rule during the Soviet era was so absolute that the ramifications of the vote are lost upon those who view the new experiment with democra cy as merely a downturn in national fortune. Now, after considering a the social and historical factors that make democracy a challenge to the Russian, focus will be shifted to what is actually occurring at the lowest strata of Russia society. How do persons ill equipped to adjust to this new system feed their children, pay their bills, feel about politics? The press often latches on to the oligarchs and their exploitation of national resources when privatization occurred, this exploitation occurs at other levels of Soviet society as well. A farm chairman responded to a journalist’s questions in 1990, â€Å"we’ve got democracy now so I don’t have to ask anyone’s permission. The district Party committee used to order me to respond to criticism so I responded, but now I don’t owe anybody anything† (O’Brien, 329). The problem with rural Russia is how to move forward in a climate which doesn’t allow for long harvest seasons, four to five months at max (which naturally encourages collective farming). Of rural areas O’Brien writes, â€Å"They still lag behind metropolitan areas with respect to economic and social development.† Totalitarian societies view competing loyalties and associations as a threat, suppression of competing social organizations occurs. Competing social organizations are what brings progress and improvement; the government views social organization as a threat as well. The de facto one party system in Russia continues to discourage this type of association even though the government has proved itself incapable of providing basis social services for the rural population. Rural populations do not have access to the normal governmental channels to improve their situation, due to this fact they seek redress â€Å"outside of the tax code† (O’B rien). Individuals rely on their interpersonal channels for success not only due to traditional conservatism, but also because they do not have faith in the government or new economic actors introduced by democracy. This recalcitrance to barge into a formal market economy is based upon good business sense as much as a resistance to change. The same theme keeps running through the problem of Russian political engagement and meaningful involvement and faith in the government. The government has not done a good enough job of providing in rural areas so the government is rejected. Why pay taxes to a government via the formal economy when an interpersonal network of contacts can provide a more stable and higher standard of living. Why embrace a government and pay taxes when conscripts into the Russian Army are dying because they cannot be fed and clothed by that same government. Why sell commodities for rubles when the exchange rate is not consistent enough to ensure that food will be on the table tomorrow. Why vote? Why vote when political actors are simply men in suits on television? Rural persons have good thoughts and intentions, but hold their self-interest above all else. This is not a unique situation. Rural persons operate on a micro-economic scale, until the government figures out and shows a legitimate ma cro-economic strategy, very little will change. The government has used a conservative strategy or reform strategy – promoting collective farms and a reform strategy alternately – private farming. A consensus among the rural population is that the government has done little to attempt to understand the intricacies of rural social and economic networks. This lack of understanding and consistent inability of the government to provide basic social services renders the legitimacy of the government shaky. It also leaves the power of the vote negligible. Why vote? Research Papers on Russian 19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraTwilight of the UAWComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

Contemporary Issues in the Real Estate and Impact of a Business Man Essay

Contemporary Issues in the Real Estate and Impact of a Business Man - Essay Example With the great interest and focus I have in real-estate business, I would majorly want to venture into lean upscale store investment as part of the real-estate portfolio I seek to build. This will make it possible to tap on the newly developing market segment in the real estate, which is spelling doom for the traditionally expansive and blotted office and tenant spaces3. Thus, my focus would be to venture in the real-estate development that specifically invests in shopping centers and malls that are strategically located in upscale neighborhoods, which are partitioned into lean stores and tenant spaces. This will enable my real-estate portfolio to take advantage of the increasing demand for lean store tenant spaces, while at the same time enabling my tenants to take advantage of the increasing online shopping trend for the retail customers. The issue of lean-store tenant space is important to me since my focus and business acumen is majorly on the real-estate business, which I seek to expand and move internationally. Online retail shopping is a globally developing customer trend. Therefore, focusing my real-estate portfolio on the construction of commercial structures offering lean tenant spaces is a facilitative strategy both for the future sustainability of my real-estate business as well as for the retail business seeking to enhance the online shopping experience for their customers. This way, building a real-estate business that is focused on upscale lean-tenant space stores development will ensure that my real estate business will have an advantage of offering low-cost renting retail spaces, thus attracting more retail businesses and increasing the demand for my real-estate portfolio in the increasingly competitive real-estate business world.

Economic Implications of the EU's Single Currency on German Economy - Dissertation

Economic Implications of the EU's Single Currency on German Economy - Research Plan - Dissertation Example Research Questions and Rationale for the Chosen Research Questions 1. What are the negative effects being created through the introduction of a single currency Euro on the German economy? 2. Does the benefit outweigh the disadvantages of using fixed exchange rate policy? 3. What are the economic consequences of using fixed exchange rate based on the economic experiences of Germany? Several authors suggest that it is wrong to believe that the use of a single currency could solve economic problems related to high unemployment rate, high inflation rate, low exportation volume, and economic stagnation (Carbaugh, 2009, p. 282; Frankel & Rose, 2002). For this reason, the first research question in this dissertation plan aims to identify and determine the negative effects associated with the introduction or use of a single currency on the economic situation in Germany. The EU’s single currency was implemented for the purpose of enhancing the inter-regional and inter-state trading amo ng the members of the European Union easier (European Commission. The EU Single Market, 2011). On top of the significant reduction in the cost of inter-regional and inter-state trading, the use of EU’s single currency could increase the market opportunities and promote price stability for the EU members (Canuse & Driga, 2010; Goodhart, 2007; Luker & Townroe, 1999). Considering the economic advantages associated with the use of a single currency, the second research question aims to determine whether or not the disadvantages of using a single currency under a fixed exchange rate policy outweigh its economic benefits. As a huge country, Germany was highly dependent on the exportation of agricultural, mining and industrial products since 1950s (Boyes, 2007). As part of examining the economic consequences of using a single currency, the third research question aims to explore how the use of a single currency under a fixed exchange rate policy has adversely affected Germanyâ€℠¢s ability to export agricultural, mining and industrial products today. Detailed Overall Planned Structure of Dissertation The proposed structure of the dissertation is based purely on secondary research data. In gathering related literature for this research topic, the researcher utilized the available books and other academic research materials and journals from the library of ____________(insert name of school) on top of the electronic reading materials which can be easily located using the Internet. In providing the readers with a better idea behind the need to introduce a single EU currency among the members of the European Union, the introduction part identified the 27 countries that agreed to become a part of the European Union. Aside from discussing the main purpose of conducting a literature review on this subject matter, the introduction part also provided a clear explanation behind the need to implement the Euro currency back in 1999. Since this study aims to determine t he economic implications of using EU’s single currency on German economy, the body of this research paper focused on addressing the research questions which served as a guide in conducting a literature review on this subject matter. In line with this, the body of the research paper includes determining the negative effects of introducing a single Euro currency on Germany’

Islamic Politics and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Islamic Politics and Culture - Essay Example The main internal and external issues to be explored or followed by the Muslim societies to bring programmatic changes are: low status of women, low development investment, lack of secular education, emergence of political Islam and religious fundamentalism. Most of the Muslim societies are male dominated and this limits the upward mobility of the women in these societies. For instance, most of the Muslim societies in the Middle East are male dominated. This limits the women from entering the public domain and confines them within their private domain or family. This is an important problem to be solved because it is totally against individual freedom and liberty. The problem of low status of women is most critical in Islamic Republics like Iran. The Islamic societies show reluctance towards foreign investment and it curbs the development of these societies. To be specific, the Islamic societies, especially the Middle Eastern nations, consider that foreign investment may lead to the influence of Western culture and lifestyle over Islamic way of life. Besides, stories about the influence of extremism over the Muslim societies create much tension among the foreign investors. The multinational corporations are not ready to invest in the Muslim societies. This leads to low development investment and underdevelopment. The Muslim societies consider religious education helps an individual to live according to the Islamic way of life. Within this context, more importance is given to religious education and it leads to the negative attitude towards secular education. One can see that secular education is helpful to have a broader outlook of the world. On the other side, education based upon a specific religion hinders the development of an individual. So, lack of secular education leads the Muslim societies to consider that other religions are their enemies. The emergence of political Islam is another issue to be

Battle Of The Sexes And The Prisoners Dilemma Philosophy Essay

Battle Of The Sexes And The Prisoners Dilemma Philosophy Essay Ive had two experiences in the cases of Battle of Sexes and Prisoners Dilemma. My friend Chris and I once had a dispute on which movie to watch either Harry Potter or Toy Story. Both of us would like to watch both of them, but Chris would like to watch Harry Potter while I prefer Toy Story. Eventually, I suggested to watch Harry Potter first and Toy Story later. The other case happened when I was a kid. I used to lie to my mum when I was young. I always failed to hand in my homework on time. However, my teacher reported to my mom about the poor quality of my work. So my mum once inspected me and caught me for watching cartoons before finishing my homework. Then, she subjects me to study sessions at school for a year so I could catch up with my school work. However, in this year, my mom was disappointed about my attitude and I could no longer enjoy watching cartoons. Ive realized I could analyze both scenarios with Game Theory, specifically Battle of Sexes and Prisoners Dilemma. And both two games belong to Two-Person Non-Zero Sum Game, which describes a situation where a participants gain or loss is not balanced by the gains or losses of the other participant. Many common social dilemmas fall into this category, such as Centipede Game, Dictator Game (these will not be discussed in the essay) and etc. Utility Theory To support the claims of these games, the term utility has to be introduced. Utility refers to a measure of relative satisfaction. However, how much pain or pleasure a person feels and psychological effects can hardly be measured. In order to create a measurable platform for mathematicians to examine the best probable solution, numbers are assigned to notate utility for the concrete numerical reward or probability a person would gain. For instance, if I watch cartoons in order to escape from 50 difficult math questions, I will gain 50 util. Although this is relatively subjective, it is better to set a more objective measurement than having pure language description. Non-cooperative In Game Theory, we will always deal with games that allow players to cooperate or not in advance. A cooperative game refers to a game in which players have complete freedom of communication to make joint binding agreements. On the other hand, a non-cooperative game does not allow players to communicate in advance. Rationally, players would make decisions that benefit them the most. However, in some cases, like the Battle of Sexes and Prisoners Dilemma, the common interests would not be maximized by their selfishness. Zero Sum Game Zero-sum describes a situation in which a participants gain or loss is exactly balanced by the losses or gains of the other participant(s). If there are n participants and their outcomes are notated as O1, O2 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ On. Mathematically speaking, If player 1 uses a set of strategy A = (A1, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ , Am) and player 2 uses B = (B1, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ , Bn), the outcome Oij would have the probability xiyj, where both 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ i, j à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ m,n . The M1(x,y) = player 1, and M2(x,y) = player 2 Basically they are the expected value function for discrete X which express the expected value of their utilities. XiYj is the probability to certain decision while Ai and Bj are the respective decisions of player 1 and 2. The motivation of player is 1 to maximize M1 and of player 2 to maximize M2. In a competitive zero-sum game we have zeros of the utility functions so that M2(x,y) = -M1(x,y) which led to the term zero-sum. Therefore, it is never advantageous to inform your opponent the strategy you plan to adopt since there is only one clear winner and clear loser. So now we understand the concept that players cannot cooperate with each other. However, Battle of Sexes and Prisoners Dilemma could maximize the outcome through cooperation because they are non-zero sum game. M2(x,y) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚   -M1(x,y). Notation Suppose we have two players Chris (C) and Me (M) in a game which one simultaneous move is allowed for each player the players do not know the decision made by each other. We will denote two sets of strategies as follows: S1: C = {C1, C2, C3 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Cm} S2: B = {M1, M2, M3 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Mn} A certain outcome Oij is resulted from a strategy from each player, Ai and Bj. Matrix: So if I pick strategy 1, Chris picks strategy 2 for himself, the outcome would become O21. Therefore, each sets of strategy between Chris and me would have a distinctive outcome, in which there are mn possibilities. However, in this essay we do not deal with many decisions, mostly 2 per person Harry Potter (HP) or Toy Story (TS), or Honest or Dishonest. So it would come down to a 22 matrix, like the following diagram shown in Two-Person Non -Zero-Sum Game. Two person Non-Zero Sum Game Non-zero-sum games are opposite to zero-sum games, and are more complicated than the zero-sum games because the sum could be negative or positive. And a two person non-zero sum game is only played by two players. In a non-zero-sum game, a normal form must give both payoffs, since the loss is not incurred by the loser, but by some other party. To illustrate a few problems, we should consider the following payoff matrix. Payoffs shows as (Player 1, Player 2) Player 1 Strategy A Strategy B Player 2 Strategy X (8,9) (6,5) Strategy Y (5,10) (1,0) Apparently, if we sum up the payoffs of player 1, we would have 8+6+5+1 = 20. While Player 2 would have the payoffs of 9+5+10 = 19. This has clearly illustrated on of the properties of a non-zero sum game. Moreover, even if their payoffs are equal, one more requirement has to be met. The sum of all outcomes has to be 0. Since we only have positive integers here, we can conclude that the sum of all outcomes in this case is strictly > 0. So this is a typical example of two-person non-zero sum game. Introduction to Pure and Mixed Strategies Suppose a player has pure strategies S1, S2à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Sk in a normal form game. The probability distribution function for all these strategies with their respective probabilities: P = p1, p2 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦pk are nonnegative and = 1 because the sum of the probability of all strategies has to be 1. A pure strategy is achieved when only one is equal to 1 and all other pm are 0. Then P is a pure strategy and could be expressed as P = . However, a pure strategy is also used in a mixed strategy. The pure strategy is used in mixed strategy P if some is > 0. So in a micro-scale, there are many strategies in the pure-strategy set S; and in macro-scale, these strategy-sets contribute to a bigger profile P. We define the payoffs to P as following: where m,k à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ 1 But if the strategy set S is not pure, the strategy profile P is considered strictly mixed; and if all the strategies are pure, the profile is completely mixed. And in the completely mixed profile, the set of pure strategies in the strategy profile P is called the support of P. For instance, in a classroom has a pure strategy for teacher to teach and for student to learn. Then these strategies, teaching and learning, are the support of the mixed strategy. Payoffs are commonly expressed as So let i ( s1,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦,sn) be the payoff to player i for using the pure-strategy profile (P1,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦,Pn) and if S is a pure strategy set for player i. Then the total payoffs would be the product of the probability of each strategy in the strategy set S (ps ) and the payoffs of each strategy (. So if we sum up all the payoffs: I (P) = , which is again similar to the expected mean payoff function we set up in the zero-sum game section. However, a key condition here is that players choices independent from each others, so the probability that the particular pure strategies can be simply notated as . Otherwise, probability of each strategy is expressed in terms of other ones. Nash Equilibrium The Nash equilibrium concept is important because we can accurately predict how people will play a game by assuming what strategies they choose by implementing a Nash equilibrium. Also, in evolutionary processes, we can model different set of successful strategies which dominate over unsuccessful ones; and stable stationary states are often Nash equilibria. On the other hand, often do we see some Nash equilibria that seem implausible, for example, a chess player dominates the game over another. In fact they might be unstable equilibria, so we would not expect to see them in the real world in long run. Thus, the chess player understands that his strategy is too aggressive and careless, which leads to continuous losses. Eventually he will not adopt the same strategy and thus is put back to Nash equilibrium. When people appear to deviate from Nash equilibria, we can conclude that they do not understand the game, or putting to ourselves, we have misinterpreted the game they play or the payoffs we attribute to them. But in important cases, people simply do not play Nash equilibria which are better for all of us. I lied to my mom because of personal interests. The Nash equilibrium in the case between my mom and me would be both being honest. Suppose the game of n players, with strategy sets si and payoff functions I (P) = , for i = 1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦n, where P is the set of strategy profiles. Let S be the set of mixed strategies for player i. where m,k à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ 1 The fundamental Theorem of a mixed-strategy equilibrium develops the principles for finding Nash equilibria. Let P = (P1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Pn) be a mixed-strategy profile for an n-player game. For any player i, let P-i represent the mixed strategies used by all the players other than player i. The fundamental theorem of mixed-strategy Nash Equilibrium says that P is a Nash equilibrium if and only if, for any player i = 1 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ n with pure-strategy set Si and if s, s Si occur with positive probability in Pi, then the payoffs to s and s, when played against P-i are equal. Battle of Sexes We shall begin with my example: At the cinema (C: Chris, M: Me) M1 M2 C1 (2,1) (-1,-1) C2 (-1,-1) (1,2) *Choice 1: Harry Potter *Choice 2: Toy Story The game can be interpreted by a situation where Chris and I could not make the choice that satisfies both of them. Chris prefers Harry Potter while I prefer a movie. Consequently, if we choose our preferred activities, they would end up at (C1, M2) where the outcomes would only be (-1,-1) because both of us would like to watch the movie together. Thus the Utility Function (U): Utility from the movie + Utility from being together. Considering a rather impossible situation where both of us do not choose our preferred options (C2, M1). This dilemma has put one of us sacrifice our entertainment and join the other, like (C1, M1) or (C2,M2). Thus the total outcome could be up to 3 util instead of -2 in the other two situations. Therefore, I made a decision to give up watching Toy Story and join Chris watching Harry Potter. Let be the probability of Chris watching Harry Potter and be the probability of me watching Toy Story. Because in a mixed-strategy equilibrium, the payoff to Harry Potter and Toy Story must be equal for Chris. Payoff for me is and Chris payoff is . Since , , which makes . On the other hand, has to be 1-2/3 = 1/3. Thus, the probability for (C1, M1) or (C2, M2) = and that for (C2, M1) and (C1, M2) = Because both go Harry Potter (2/3)(1/3) = 2/9 at the same time, and similarly for Toy Story, and otherwise they miss each other. Both players do better if they can cooperate (properties of non-zero sum game), because (2,1) and (1,2) are better than . We get the same answer if we find the Nash equilibrium by finding the intersection of the players best response functions. The payoffs are as follows: To find the payoffs of Chris relative to my probability, which is similar to probability distribution function (p.d.f.). Here are the cases Similarly for player B Thus. Chris would have a lower tendency for a positive payoff since his payoff tends to decrease if 0 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ Prisoners Dilemma Now it is the situation of where I lied to my mom. Heres the action between me and my mom. I could choose to be honest or lie to my mom while my mom, on the other hand, could only trust me or suspect me of being dishonest. The payoff matrix is as follow (Me: I, Mom: M): I1 I2 M1 (2,2) (0,3) M2 (3,0) (-1, -1) *Choice 1: Honest/Trust *Choice 2: Dishonest/Suspect This situation is a prisoners dilemma because it sets up a few key conditions. If both my mom and I choose to be honest, I would do the homework but I will not be subject to homework session for a year, and my mom will not be upset about me. So it results in the best mutual benefits (2,2). If I lie to her and she trusts me, I am happy from watching cartoon (3,0). But if she suspects me and I am honest, I would feel like a prisoner being suspected. (0,3). And eventually, if I am dishonest and she suspects me, we would end up in a bad relationship (-1,-1). Interestingly, I would prefer (I2, M1) because I have the greatest personal utility. But if I go for greatest mutual benefits, I would choose (I1, M1). Utility Function for Me: (UI): C + H + S + R C = Utility from watching cartoon H = Utility from doing homework S = Utility from homework session R = Utility from relationship with mom Now, to further discuss Prisoners dilemma for all cases, we had rather set up some variables. I1 I2 M1 (1,1) (-y,1+x) M2 (1+x,-y) (0, 0) Now let be the probability of I play I1 and be that of M playing M1 and x,y > 0. And now we could set up the payoff functions easily with these notations. Which could be simplified into is maximized when = 0, and similarly for be maximized when = 0, regardless of what each other does. So in fact it is a mutually defect equilibrium because the best-response for each other is not the best response for both of us. Therefore, one of us should sacrifice for the others or both of us cooperate to work out the best solution. In real life, people should choose to cooperate with trust. Assume that there is a psychic gain > 0 for I and > 0 for M when both of us cooperate, in addition to the tempting payoff 1+x. If we rewrite the payoffs with these assumptions and equations, we get Which can further be simplified into The first equation shows that if player I will then play I1 and if , then player M will play M1. Apparently, I would have done it because the total mutual payoffs of (I1, M1) both my mom and I are honest and trustworthy, would be higher than that of (I2, M1) where I lie to my mom who trust me. This would happen, for instance, I could get 10 candy bars and my mom can enjoy watching TV if both of us are honest. In fact, many corporates in the real world result in such way; therefore, sometimes, cooperation with others could be beneficial to ourselves. Conclusion

President Abraham Lincoln :: Biographies Bio Biography

Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809. His parents were Thomas and Nancy Lincoln. He was raised in a farm near Hodgenville, Kentucky. During his childhood Abraham was in the period of slavery, but the Lincoln family did not own any slaves, not only because they couldn’t afford it, but also his father Thomas did not approve of it. Later in 1816 the Lincoln family had to move to Indiana, near the Ohio River. Soon enough in 1818 Abraham’s mother, Nancy Lincoln, died of milk sickness. After the mother died, Thomas found a new wife named Sarah Bush Johnston. A few years later, the life in Indiana wasn’t as expected and the family had to move to Macon Country, Illinois. Abraham believed that he should be off by himself, and soon enough is what he did at the age of 23, and later he began his political career and became a member of the Whig party, and also a candidate for the Illinois House of Representatives. In 1832, after being fired from his job at a store, he decided to join the Illinois militia to help fight in the Black Hack war, and was chosen captain by his group. He served his country for 3 months, and it changed his life forever, because during the time he was in the militia, he saved an innocent Native American from being attacked from the other soldiers in the camp. When things were bad for him, he gave it his best to bring himself up again, and in 1834 Lincoln ran for state legislature, and in a few years he learned everything to become a lawyer and took an oath to the Illinois state bar. His life changed after that, and had many opportunities, even to run for governor of Illinois, but he declined it. Then in 1839 when he was at a cotillion in Springfield, he met the love of his life Mary Todd. She was from Lexington, Kentucky but from an upper class background. They were from different worlds, but they managed to work things out, and they married on November 4, 1842. The next year was their time of their life when they found out that Mary was pregnant with their son Robert, he was born August 1, 1843. Soon, they Lincoln family owned a house where they could have their own space, and a few years later, they had their second child named Edward on March 10, 1846.

King Duncan Eulogy Essay

Say not in grief; â€Å"he is no more†, but live in thankfulness that he was. Kings men and friends, today, with heavy hearts we bid adieu to a remarkable man. As we stand here today to reminisce in our fond memories of our past king, though he only held the throne for a brief time. He has changed the lives of many. Today we gather to embrace his greatness, Macbeth will be dearly missed. Some may think Macbeth was a traitor, but we must not forget the greatness that shone within him his heroic acts; a brave soldier, a strong thane, and a loving husband. In battle, Macbeth, defeated two separate invading armies—one from Ireland, led by the rebel Macdonwald, and one from Norway. Macbeth is a brave soldier and a powerful man, to embrace his battlefield valor, a brave and capable warrior, defending his As thane Husband What is done is done, What’s done cannot be undone. The death of our past king Macbeth is a great loss indeed, however A death is not the extinguishing of a light, but the putting out of the lamp because the dawn has come. What is past is past, now we embrace the future and acknowledge the greatness of our past king. Restate the focus about your thesis Summerise points made Reword into simple messages Finish with a thiughful final sentence about the characters contribution to life and how those who are left behind are all the more richer for having knowin him. Macbeth: -he always stood by Scotland against traitors (malcolm, Macduff etc†¦) – valiant and heroic in battle -courageous -confident -loved lady macbeth, despite her being a little delusional -deserved the throne – no proof he murdered duncan the teacher listed various techniques we can use in our writing such as: -witty sayings -memories -stories -prayers -descriptive passage about macbeth -tone- positive at times, sad at others -justify/explain the controversial parts of their life (THE MOST IMPORTANT) As you can see, it can be biased You must consider one thing when reading this eulogy – you do not insult the dead! I couldn’t come out and tell the truth about Macbeth, and neither could I openly pass blame (â€Å"Yeah, Macbeth was a prick, but the witches made him do it!†). So basically, I had to write this positively, even though Macbeth was a despicable man, and I couldn’t tell any outright lies. The art is in twisting the truth, silencing events, or subtly making implications. That said, enjoy the eulogy. Bear in mind I am delivering it as the Thane of Ross. Today, I stand before a nation in mourning, grieving the passing of its King, Macbeth. He shall surely be remembered in history as a noble and courageous soldier and leader who fought with a fierce patriotism and belief in Scotland. Although his reign was not trouble-free or lengthy, Macbeth inspired a unique and individual pride in his country and made every decision with careful thought, holding firmly to his ideals and principles to the very end. Scotland has lost a distinctive and peerless leader and those of us who knew him personally are now without a friend whose character shall always be remembered. If there is one term worthy of Macbeth, it is ‘courage’. He was a shining  light on the battlefield, seizing opportunities in the bleakest of times and setting an admirable example to his troops, who knew him as â€Å"valour’s minion.† The monarch before him, Duncan, recognised Macbeth’s skills and honoured him as a â€Å"valiant cousin† and â€Å"worthy gentleman,† deserving respect and reward. Macbeth regularly led his nation into battle in Duncan’s stead, and it would be hard for any present to forget his daring and fearless attitude, particularly not on the day he defeated Sweno’s Norwegian invasion and Macdonwald, the rebellious Thane of Cawdor. I termed him Bellona’s bridegroom for his ferocious and splendid skill, and when Duncan was informed of Cawdor’s treachery, he saw Macbeth as deserving a higher status, proclaiming that what â€Å"[the former Thane of Cawdor] hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.† All will acknowledge he deserved such a status, for he fought with a stubborn determination that would never surrender, and no matter how many invaders flooded our shores, he never ceased to meet them with unforgiving steel. He was a hero to the Scottish nation and his example shall be followed by thousands of soldiers to come. Macbeth carried over his admirable battle qualities to his personal life, but brought none of the violence. Indeed, Duncan observed that his castle â€Å"hath a pleasant seat,† and Lady Macbeth remarked to me on several occasions that although her husband was seen by some as a warrior, he was nonetheless â€Å"full o’ the milk of human kindness.† I can attest to the truth in this statement as could many others seated here today, though it is with profound regret that we can all see evidence of how this kind nature was abused. Few are aware of the significant influence his now deceased wife had upon him, and in his devotion, he would seek her confidence and advice when contemplating options and making decisions. Though this may have led to fault, it also meant the Macbeths shared a strong bond based upon communication, a quality both of them treasured. Together, they were gracious hosts, renowned amongst other noble families for their much-anticipated banquets. If ever there was an enjoyable social event, Macbeth was sure to be the unparalleled host. His personality was much deeper than dinner parties, however. Macbeth was a man who thought about decisions seriously and deeply, rarely acting upon a thought he had not fully considered. On numerous occasions as a guest of Macbeth, I would encounter him pacing through his castle, lost in solemn contemplation, attempting to comprehend life and philosophical concepts. This led him to recognise that life is fragile and fleeting, labelling it â€Å"a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more.† Despite this bleak outlook, he would always consider the consequences that lay before him, giving due respect to the Lord who had blessed him with his position. Although this virtue did not always lead him to the happiness he desired, Macbeth would always contemplate his actions, even in the most dire of circumstances. In his life, he faced many such situations, and once he made a decision, he stubbornly held to it. Despite criticism or hardship, he believed in himself and his information, and he sought to keep his dignity and strength regardless of what calamity he faced. At his death, he stood alone against an army of English who had moved Birnam Wood, choosing not to meekly surrender but instead to bravely fight to the end. With a call of â€Å"blow, wind! come, wrack! At least we’ll die with harness on our back,† he took up arms and fought as boldly as he ever had. He proclaimed that â€Å"bear-like †¦ [he would] fight the course,† and as was his manner, he made his word true, dying as a soldier and gallant fighter. One thing is certain, and it is that Macbeth will never be forgotten by any assembled here or by the Scottish nation as a whole. His courageous deeds as a hero of the nation’s military shone with brilliance and glory, never to dull with the passage of time, and none could honestly say that his time as national monarch was a bland or typical reign. Although famed for his skills as both a warrior and a host, his personality ran much deeper; his deep thought and loyal devotion to his wife did not always result in prosperity or universal delight, but he nevertheless made much philosophical contemplation and was capable of recognising his own failings. God gave Scotland a king unlike any other, of a standard never to be seen again, and may he rest eternally in a peace he forsook in his earthly life. While we mourn Macbeth’s passing, we should take due time to consider his life and the actions and characteristics that typified it. Everyone, from fellow nobles to peasants ekin g a living from distant land, could surely learn  valuable lessons Dear loyal subjects I would like to†¨thank you for coming out and gathering here to witness the burial of our latest†¨King. King Macbeth started as a strong, valiant and brave soldier; he was always†¨the best defender of our great Scotland. If you do recall he was named Thane of†¨Cawdor, after that traitor was taken out of power and executed. I hope that†¨somewhere deep in our hearts we can remember that man, and not the man we are†¨burying today. For Macbeths greed seemed to have gotten the best of him, for he†¨killed the honorable and noble King Duncan, his own cousin, just to have the†¨power of being king. This one simple act of wickedness set Macbeth on a†¨bloody-thirsty rampage, where he never stopped killing to keep his power, which†¨ultimately led to his down fall. Once†¨Macbeth was given the title of King of Scotland, Scotland started to fall apart†¨from the seams. In order to keep his power Macbeth killed his friend Banquo, in†¨fear that his sons would become king and steal his throne. As word got out that†¨Macduff was coming to me, to try and reclaim Scotland from Macbeth’s bloody†¨grasp, Macbeth’s murder spree continued. Macbeth then had Macduff’s wife and†¨entire family murdered; the poor souls never had a chance. Macbeth is a simple†¨example of what happens when the leader is corrupt that in turn the county†¨turns corrupt. For Macduff told me that under Macbeths rule the knell bell†¨never stopped ringing in Scotland. Macduff also told me that unnatural events†¨were happening in Scotland and that if we didn’t do something the entire†¨country would fall to pieces. So with the help of our ally England, I led†¨10,000 soldiers to take back Scotland. The honor for finally finishing Macbeth†¨goes to Macduff. Although honor must be given to the tyrant, for even in the†¨face of death he never stopped fighting. Even though we bury this evil king,†¨let us celebrate a new life for our home Scotland. -King Malcom Macbeth V: The Eulogy . What can I say about Macbeth? He was my distant relative, the Thane of Cawdor, and, once, King of Scotland. Yet, not a great King but I’ll give him that accomplishment. My father Duncan was a thousand times the man that agnostic fiend ever was, without even breaking a sweat! But, we’re not here to mourn the loss of my father; we’re here to say some final words about  Macfilth-† (cough) â€Å"-Macbeth. Before he completely lost his mind and began acting on sporadic impulses, he actually wasn’t that bad a person, if you can believe that. I do remember one particular evening though, when he took Duncan and me to go see the cargo ships at the docks. He convinced the captain to let us go on it and we pretended to be pirates, with wooden swords and everything! I started walking on a plank to the side of the boat with one foot in front of the other, you know, as children do. But, then Duncan came up behind me and scared me. In shock, I dropped my sword and as I jumped back, I slipped on it. My tiny legs hit the side of the plank hard and I feel from the tall ship face first into the water. I went in pretty deep and I tried to swim back up, but my legs wouldn’t give. They were throbbing from the hard hit I endured before falling and with every attempt to swim back up, I could feel myself being dragged deeper into the water. To top it off, I had gulped some water in my mouth and I was running out of air. My eyes began to close and the last image I remember before becoming unconscious was Macbeth swimming down to save me.† â€Å"When I learned what he’d done to my father, I refused to believe it. ’This couldn’t have been the same Macbeth that had been with me and my brother that day, could it?’ That’s why I left for England, to be surrounded by the sea, to reminisce about days past; it could have even been to disprove the ‘crooked Macbeth’ theory. But, when I fetched a ride on one of the war ships, I had an epiphany. Banquo, may he rest in peace, had spoken to me about his encounter with the witches before I left, and he told me that ever since the encounter with said witches Macbeth hadn’t been the same. He said he wasn’t even sure if this being was his old friend and that I should watch my back. I hadn’t thought of Banquo’s speech much until that day on the English war ship and as I watched the ocean’s harsh waves in the distance and the storm clouds approaching, something clicked in my head. The Macbeth that died yesterday really wasn’t the Macbeth from even a couple of months ago. This was a different Macbeth, one that had been effected by sources beyond his control, much like how the storm clouds affected the waves, Macbeth was affected by the witches; he was a different ocean. Now, I’m not saying we should take pity on this creature, I just think that we should remember him as how he was and not how he came to be. That’s why I proposed to speak this Eulogy before you, so that Scotland may be lead into a more humane and peaceful  era for years to come. Malcolm and Donalbain sons of king duncan Say not in grief; â€Å"he is no more†, but live in thankfulness that he was. Today, I stand before a nation in mourning, grieving the passing of its King, Macbeth. He shall surely be remembered in history as a noble and courageous soldier and leader who fought with a fierce patriotism and belief in Scotland. Although his reign was not trouble-free or lengthy, Macbeth inspired a unique and individual pride in his country. Scotland has lost a distinctive and peerless leader and those of us who knew him personally are now without a friend whose character shall always be remembered. What can I say about Macbeth? He was my distant relative, the Thane of Cawdor, and, once, King of Scotland. Yet, not a great King but I’ll give him that accomplishment. We’re here to say some final words about Macbeth. Before he completely lost his mind and began acting on sporadic impulses, he actually wasn’t that bad a person, if you can believe that. I do remember one wonderful evening though, when he took Malcolm and me to go see the cargo ships at the docks. He convinced the captain to let us go on it and we pretended to be pirates, with wooden swords and everything! I started walking on a plank to the side of the boat with one foot in front of the other, you know, as children do. But, then Malcolm came up behind me and scared me. In shock, I dropped my sword and as I jumped back, I slipped on it. My tiny legs hit the side of the plank hard and I feel from the tall ship face first into the water. I went in pretty deep and I tried to swim back up, but my legs wouldn’t give. They were throbbing from the hard hit I endured before falling and with every attempt to swim back up, I could feel myself being dragged deeper into the water. To top it off, I had gulped some water in my mouth and I was running out of air. My eyes began to close and the last image I remember before becoming unconscious was Macbeth swimming down to save me.† â€Å"When I learned what he’d done to my father, I refused to believe it.’This couldn’t have been the same Macbeth that had been with me and my brother  that day, could it?’ That’s why I left for England, to be surrounded by the sea, to reminisce about days past; it could have even been to disprove the ‘crooked Macbeth’ theory. But, when I fetched a ride on one of the war ships, I had an epiphany. Banquo, may he rest in peace, had spoken to me about his encounter with the witches before I left, and he told me that ever since the encounter with said witches Macbeth hadn’t been the same. He said he wasn’t even sure if this being was his old friend and that I should watch my back. I hadn’t thought of Banquo’s speech much until that day on the English war ship and as I watched the ocean’s harsh waves in the distance and the storm clouds approaching, something clicked in my head. The Macbeth that died yesterday really wasn’t the Macbeth from even a couple of months ago. This was a different Macbeth, one that had been effected by sources beyond his control, much like how the storm clouds affected the waves, Macbeth was affected by the witches; he was a different ocean. Now, I’m not saying we should take pity on this creature, I just think that we should remember him as how he was and not how he came to be. That’s why I proposed to speak this Eulogy before you, so that Scotland may be lead into a more humane and peaceful era for years to come. MACBETH AS A TRAGIC HERO Tragic heroes are within everyone, but cannot be fully exposed or understood without the essential tragic qualities. One must be a potentially noble character who endures heroic qualities and has respect and admiration from the society. Consequently, they must be essentially great. Also within the character must be a flaw or weakness that leads to a fall. Lastly, one is required to possess an element of suffering and redemption. Remorse and regret is a necessity for ones wrong doings or deeds. One’s pays for their wrong doings because of failure to find happiness and regrets for actions taken. Therefore they die heroically. In the play â€Å"Macbeth† this quality of a tragic hero is portrayed though the character Macbeth. The quality of  a tragic hero in Macbeth is portrayed first by his position in society and his establishment of greatness. Macbeth is appreciated as a noble character and endures a high rank in the country of Scotland. He aided King Duncan in several victorious battles and his ranking was increased as a result of this. He was crowned Thane of Cawdor in addition to the Thane of Glamis. Macbeth’s position was also seen as high to the Scotish citizen’s because of his relation to the king. However, Macbeth’s bravery on the battlefield was great. â€Å"Till he unseamed him from the nave to the chops, and fixed his head upon the battlements.† (Act 1, Sc.2) And for his victory he receives lavish praise in reports from the Captian and Ross, a Scotish Nobleman. â€Å" †¦As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion. I must report they were as cannons overcharged with double cracks.† (Act 1, Sc. 2) Macbeth is shown as extravagant on terms of what they say. He was also complemented several times by the Thane of Fife, Macduff. Furthermore, he was labeled several strong and brave animals on the battlefield, throughout the play. These many assessments and evaluations contribute greatly towards Macbeth’s appearance as a hero. Macbeth’s relationship with his wife, Lady Macbeth, also confirms his innate goodness and suggests well for him. Lady Macbeth highly respects and admires her husband as the Thane of Cawdor and refers to him as â€Å" †¦my dearest partner of greatness.† (Act 1, Sc.5) She constantly demands that she understands Macbeth more than any other. This results in the others being expected to believe her. However, she incessantly declares that he is much too kind, â€Å"Yet I do fear thy nature; It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Act 1, Sc 5) Lady Macbeth acknowledges that he has ambition but maintains that he lacks the evil that should attend it. Furthermore, Macbeth yearn for the crown but would as though he is riding high on the crest of the wave and endures the potential to furthur but his flaw of incessant kindness prevents his yearning. It is those strong brave qualities that rise him high in not play foully for it. It is society and Lady Macbeth wishes he would apply them appropriatly. Their stable relationship is yet another feature that brings forth Macbeth’s potential. Despite Macbeth’s great potential he endures an overriding flaw that he constantly gives in to. This overbearing flaw is his excessive ambition. He wishes to only get the crown, but demands to do nothing to rightfully achieve it. He refuses to kill his beloved king Duncan. For he belives he  too kind and nice a man to deserve such a punishment. Macbeth initially fights agianst his dark and evil impulses, but he evenutally surcomes to them. It was his wife, Lady Macbeth, who convinced Macbeth to obey his evil urges by her clever manipulation. However, Macbeth’s fall begins when he starts to doubt his untold victory of the crown. â€Å"What if we should fail?† (Act 1, Sc. 7) It is the unpleasant deed of Duncan’s murder that stirs his mind. After his job of comitting the deed he shows immediate regret and remorse for what he had done. Nevertheless, his fall is far from complete, it continues. His ambition â€Å"takes reason prinsoner†. Macbeth’s fall continues gradually when he soon grasps the idea that he had not earned his yearning of the crown. â€Å"We have scorched the snake, not killed it.† (Act 3, Sc.2) There was still a great problem. It was Banquo who would reieve hier to the throne before Macbeth. It was essiential, according to the witches, that he immediately kill Banquo and his descendants. At that demand, the deed was done. However, his attempted murder of Fleance, Banquo’s son, was not achieved. Consequently, a transition begins in Macbeth. He is acknowledged as a â€Å"hell-hound†, â€Å"butches†, â€Å"tyrant† and a hell kite† (Act 3). These were great turning point for Macbeth. For it is now his evil side that he obeys. He simply resolves his remorse by acting on his initial impulses. â€Å"The very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand.† (Act 4, Sc.1) Therefore, Macbeth’s habits became so terrible that he finally reaches his lowest ebb, the murders of the Macduffs. For he had no reason for their murders, it was simply an impulse that he immediately acted upon. He then caused Scotland suffering, famine, death and disease. This was so because of his absence of the king becoming graces. Macbeth had now lost his â€Å"good† reputation. His downfall was now complete. Macbeth, however, is shown throughout the play with an element of suffering and redemption. The murders that he comitted deeply cause this remorse and guilt. In result, Macbeth is found unable to sleep, pray or even eat because of the murder of his beloved king Duncan. â€Å"Methought I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no more!Macbeth does murder sleep†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Act 2, Sc.2) Macbeth is also seen a sense of remorse when he was found seeing the ghost of Banquo. He repetedly demanded that he did not murder him. This is a deep symptom of redemption. However, this sorrow does not compare to the large extent he receives of it towards the end of the play. He sees the future as pointless and  unthrilling. He decides that his life is not worth living. â€Å"I have lived long enough.† (Act 5, Sc.4) He is in complete despair. He soon realizes that there is nothing fo rim but curses, mouth-honor and breath. However, there is an element of self-knowledge. He recognized that he received his yearning, the crown, but it did not bring him happiness. His life becomes completely meaningless when his wife, Lady Macbeth, dies. Macbeth had lost everything and everyone who was important to him. He is alone and alienated. Despite his lonliness and shame, he still has a conscience. Enduring the strength he has, he does not quit. He continuously falls back on the hopefull predictions of the witches. â€Å"Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.† (Act 4, Sc.1) He deeply relies on this apparition, which makes him feel invinsible, until he soon finds out that Macduff was not technically born of woman. â€Å"†¦Macduff was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped.† (Act 5, Sc.6) For now Macbeth could be easily defeated. From this he is paying for his sins and regreat. Even when the last prop of life is removed, he fights. He decides he will not play the suicidal Roman fool. So, he does fight bravely and heroically. His wounds were to the front ,theredore he was not killed running away from death. He was killed fighting. Tragedy fell only upon Macbeth because of his inner most yearnings, to be king. However, he would not have been considered a tragic hero without his admiration, flaw and redemption. These are all parts of the long downfall in which he endured. His life became tragic just to be king. Even when he received his wish he was not happy. He had too much guilt and regret to continue. His life was no longer worth living. So, he fought to the bitter end and died bravery. Say not in grief; â€Å"he is no more†, but live in thankfulness that he was. Today, I stand before a nation in mourning, grieving the passing of its King, Macbeth. He shall surely be remembered in history as a noble and courageous soldier and leader who fought with a fierce patriotism and belief in Scotland. Although his reign was not trouble-free or lengthy, Macbeth, a tragic hero who inspired a unique and individual pride in his country. Scotland has lost a distinctive and peerless leader and those of us who knew him personally are now without a friend whose character shall always be remembered. What can I say about Macbeth? If there is one term commendable of Macbeth, it is ‘bravery’. No greater man have I had the privilege to charge into battle with, side by side, his courage not only fueled mine, but the rest of the army with it. Macbeth was always courageous, his bravery in battle was evident to all, He was a shining light , seizing opportunities in the bleakest of times and setting an worthy example to his troops, who knew him as â€Å"valour’s minion.† it would be hard for many to forget his daring and fearless attitude, particularly not on the day he defeated Sweno’s Norwegian invasion and Macdonwald, the rebellious Thane of Cawdor. I termed him Bellona’s bridegroom for his ferocious and splendid skill, and when Duncan was informed of Cawdor’s treachery, he saw Macbeth as deserving a higher status, proclaiming that what â€Å"[the former Thane of Cawdor] hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.† All will acknowledge he deserved such a status, for he fought with a stubborn determination that would never surrender, and no matter how many invaders flooded our shores, he never ceased to meet them with unforgiving steel. Macbeth represented the essence in strong and courageous leadership. This is what his lasting legacy to those who fought along with him would feel and perhaps, he had his flaws but what human does not? No matter what, Macbeth always had the will to achieve greatness, and that he did. Macbeth carried over his admirable battle qualities to his personal life, but brought none of the violence. Indeed, Duncan observed that his castle â€Å"hath a pleasant seat,† and Lady Macbeth remarked to me on several occasions that although her husband was seen by some as a warrior, he was nonetheless â€Å"full o’ the milk of human kindness.† I can attest to the truth in this statement as could many others seated here today, though it is with profound regret that we can all see evidence of how this kind nature was abused. Few are aware of the significant influence his now deceased wife had upon him, and in his devotion, he would seek her confidence and advice when contemplating options and making decisions. Though this may have led to fault, it also meant the Macbeths shared a strong bond, a quality both of them treasured. Together, they were gracious hosts, renowned amongst other noble families  for their much-anticipated banquets. If ever there was an enjoyable social event, Macbeth was sure to be the unparalleled host. Even in the last moments of his life, Macbeths courage and spirit remained as valiant as ever, in the face of death he declared, â€Å" Yet I will try the last. Before my body I throw my warlike shield. Lay on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Macbeth was indeed a fearsome soldier and a deer friend, however evidence shows that his good will and trust was unfortunately taken advantage of. It is said, that had been effected by sources beyond his control, clouding him from God’s watch and leading him to his own tragic demise. Indeed his fascination with the supernatural caused much distress. There were whispers of witchcraft and the supernatural, and I would not have believed it had I not witnessed with my own two eyes the affects these forces had on Macbeth. At one of his renowned banquets. What is done is done, what’s done cannot be undone. The Macbeth that died yesterday really wasn’t the Macbeth from even a couple of months ago. This was a different Macbeth, one that had been effected by sources beyond his control, Macbeth was disturbed by the witches. We shall remember him as how he was and not how he came to be.. Macbeth is a great loss indeed, however a death is not the extinguishing of a light, but the putting out of the lamp because the dawn has come.

Praying Mantis Sex and Cannibalism

Praying Mantis Sex and Cannibalism The female praying mantis is often painted as an evil seductress, a cannibalistic lover that lures males closer, only to eat them after mating. Is her reputation deserved? Does praying mantis sex always end in cannibalism of the male? Female Mantis Shaming or Truth? Rumors of the praying mantis cannibalistic tendencies began when scientists observed their mating behavior in a laboratory environment. Entomologists would offer a captive female a potential mate and would quite often be horrified to watch the female bite the head or legs off the smaller male- sometimes even before mating. After the male had served his copulatory purpose, he was nothing more than a good meal for the female and her upcoming offspring. For a long time, these observations of praying mantis sex in the lab were thought to be the way things were in the mantid world.   Much Less Common in the Wild After scientists started observing praying mantis sex in a natural setting, the story had a different ending, which is good for the males. When unconfined by laboratory terrariums (and not starving), the majority of praying mantis mating ends with the male flying off unharmed. By most estimates, sexual cannibalism by praying mantis females occurs less than 30 percent of the time outside the lab. Those are better odds for the fellows than what had been seen in the lab. Praying mantis sex, it turns out, is really a rather romantic series of courtship rituals and dances that typically ends satisfactorily and safely for both parties involved. How Males Choose Females Given a choice between females, male praying mantises will move toward females seen as less aggressive (i.e., ones they hadnt just seen eating another male) more often than the more aggressive females. The males also tend to prefer to mate with females that appear fatter and more well fed than others, as the skinnier and hungrier mantises are more likely to eat their mates during or after sex. This could also point to the males being more attracted to females that are healthier, for the betterment of their offspring.   Advantages of Beheading Your Mate There is a decided advantage for the female if she does decide to behead her lover. The praying mantis brain, located in his head, controls inhibition, while a ganglion in the abdomen controls the motions of copulation. Absent his head, a male praying mantis will lose all his inhibitions and consummate his relationship with wild abandon. And what if shes hungry? For certain, a slow-moving and deliberate predator like the praying mantis is not going to pass up an easy meal. If a male makes the unfortunate choice of a hungry female for a mate, hes probably going to be toast after theyve mated. Either Way Could Benefit the Males A twist: Being eaten by the female paradoxically may mean that that particular male has more of his genetics making it to the next  generation  if more of his sperm fertilize his mates eggs while she is eating parts of him. More eggs are laid by females who eat their mates as well (88 vs. 37.5 in one study). However, if a male can mate more than once, that also increases his odds of having his genetics passed on.

Henry David Thoreau Civil Disobedience

Henry David Thoreau Civil Disobedience Free Online Research Papers (1)Henry David Thoreau’s classical political essay Civil Disobedience was written in 1849 in Concord, Massachusetts, in response to an evening spent in jail for Thoreau’s refusal to pay six years of delinquent poll taxes, as a non-violent protest against slavery and the ongoing offensive war against Mexico. Thoreau’s purpose in penning his famed essay was not to eradicate these grievous deeds, but to demonstrate how and why every true patriot must wash his hands of the organization that perpetuates them. (2)In the work Thoreau heartily endorses a policy of limited government, and exhorts the necessity of acting according to one’s conscience. No societal structure has a conscience, except that which it attains by virtue of being populated by conscientious men. Thus, it is the duty of an individual to resist laws that perpetuate injustice, or become nothing more than an inanimate tool, to be used as the government sees fit. Thoreau next addresses the means of effecting change. While he does not believe it is one’s duty to go about ridding the world of wrongs, regardless of the magnitude of the offenses, it is one’s responsibility to forego material support of those wrongs. Thoreau claims that hypocrisy and apathy have largely defined American’s interests in slavery and the war, and calls on his fellow citizens (abolitionists in particular) to immediately withdraw their financial support from the government. Since there is no other practical manner in w hich to rebut the government’s authority, refusal to pay taxes, and the probability of large numbers of virtuous men being jailed in response, would quickly exhaust the State’s resources and force compliance. (3)Thoreau then ruminates on his night in jail. Particularly, he contemplates the manner of reproval, and concludes that it is ineffectual. Thoreau’s thoughts are the true danger to the State, and no amount of brick and mortar can confine them. He loses his little remaining respect for the State, at being treated as a creature of blood and bone merely, and declares his intention to live in accordance with his own nature, regardless of the consequences. (4)Next, Thoreau begins a careful dissection of his beliefs, and those of his neighbors. While he cannot quietly submit for the sake of facilitating comfort (his own, or his country men) he struggles with the reality of injuring the well-meaning, though ignorant. It is not his intention to quibble with his country or his neighbors, but to live in harmony with his principles. He sees the value of the governing structures and implements, and claims an instinct to conform, but conversely believes that it is only from without that a clear understanding of these affectations (and how best to reform them) can be fashioned. Lastly, Thoreau recognizes the wisdom of drinking at such sources of truth as the Constitution and the Bible, yet infers that within the truly wise there is a striving toward the source of even these. This brings him full circle, reiterating his recognition of the individual as the source of the power and authority ascribed to government. Democracy is seen as only a stage in the evolution of the rights of the individual, and Thoreau concludes with the utopic imaginings of a State that would allow full exercise of all individual rights. (5)Thoreau uses a variety of rhetorical strategies to support his claims and to resonate with his fellow Americans. He begins by appealing to the particularly American ideology of limited government with the statement, â€Å"That government is best which governs least† (par. 1). Thoreau is suspicious of government; a tool created to express the will of the people, but often manipulated by a ruling oligarchy that are corrupt and self-interested. â€Å"The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted before the people can act through it† (par. 1). He is of the opinion that government is most expedient, both morally and practically, when it refrains from interfering, and that the accomplishments of the country are directly attributable to the collective character of the American people, who have â€Å"done all that has been accomplished; and it would have done somewhat more if the government had not sometimes got in its way† (par. 2). Thoreau is establishing common ground with his compatriots: he deeply values liberty from oppressive government, and recognizes the inherent rights of the individual. (6)Thoreau then switches gears, employing a question and answer method to lead his readers down the path of his logic. â€Å"Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator?† (par. 4). His answer is that, due to the amorality of political structures â€Å"the only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right† (par. 4). He goes on to underscore that â€Å"a majority are permitted, and for a long period continue, to rule, is not because they are most likely to be in the right, nor because this seems fairest to the minority, but because they are physically the strongest† (par. 4). This naturally leads to the question â€Å"How does it become a man to behave toward this American government to-day?† (par. 7) and the rather severe reply: â€Å"I answer that he cannot without disgrace be associated with it. I cannot for an instant recognize that political organization as my government which is the slave’s government also† (par. 7). This Socratic method of reasoning earns the respect of his readers by demonstrating a deep understanding of the complicated personal and political issues, and presenting his knowledge in a thorough and logical manner. Thoreau then positions himself in congruence with the American forefathers; â€Å"All men recognize the right of revolution; that is the right to refuse allegiance to, and to resist, the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable† (par. 8). This statements inference to the American War for Independence (and the obligation of resistance) resounds with every man who considers himself a patriot, pushing readers to acquiesce to Thoreau’s argument, or risk becoming the tool of an unjust government. (7)Continuing in the vein of a question and answer method to maintain the credibility of his logic, Thoreau adds the emotional and ethical appeals of citing great thinkers and religious leaders. â€Å"Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, or shall we transgress them at once?† (par. 16). Thoreau answers â€Å"Why is it not more apt to anticipate and provide for reform? Why does it not cherish its wise minority? †¦Why does it always crucify Christ, and excommunicate Copernicus and Luther, and pronounce Washington and Franklin rebels?† (par. 16) With these comparisons, Thoreau attempts to establish the excellent company that is to be kept when one obligates himself to resisting the status quo, though at the risk of sounding manipulative and patronizing. Thoreau is hardly conciliatory toward either his audience or his target, which jeopardizes the empathy he has built thus far. The possible perception of condesc ension may cause no small disconnect to Thoreau’s cause in the minds of some of his readers, but it is merely a strategic error, and hardly one to negate the greater power of Thoreau’s logic. (8)While Thoreau’s logic is impeccable, he still faces an uphill battle in convincing his fellow American’s that â€Å"Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison† (par. 22). Certainly, many people found the practice of slavery utterly abhorrent, and were at odds with the government in concern with the Mexican war, but found the price of upholding their principles in such personally incorporeal matters to be difficult, or impossible. Thoreau simultaneously encourages and incriminates in paragraph 13. â€Å"It is not a man’s duty, as a matter of course, to devote himself to the eradication of any, even the most enormous wrong; he may still properly have other concerns to engage him; but it is his duty, at least, to wash his hands of it, and if he gives it no thought longer, not to give it practically his support. If I devote myself to other pursuits and contemplations, I must first see, at least, that I do not pursue them sitting upon another man’s shoulders.† With this, Thoreau illuminates the hypocrisy inherent in the American people, and proposes a very straightforward solution: stop paying taxes. Therein lies the truest power of Thoreau’s argument. While the issues are broad, his underlying themes (individual rights, the obligation of resistance, and limited government) intricate and his methods complicated, the solution is so simple that even a caveman could do it. Work Cited Thoreau, Henry David. â€Å"On Resistance to Civil Government.† Aesthetic Papers. 1949. Research Papers on Henry David Thoreau Civil DisobedienceComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationQuebec and Canada19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andPETSTEL analysis of IndiaAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeCapital PunishmentBringing Democracy to AfricaWhere Wild and West Meet