Cryonics Cryogenics

Cryogenics refers to the branches of physics and engineering that study very low temperatures, how to produce them, and how materials behave at those temperatures. Cryogenics is all about temperatures below -150 °C or 123 K. One of the most amazing applications of cryogenic processing is cryonics: where the human body is exposed to cryogenic treatment in order to preserve it after death. In the United States of America, there are, currently, two organizations that offer cryogenic treatment for human bodies: The Cryonics Institute in Clinton Township, Michigan and Alcor in Scottsdale, Arizona.Once death sets in, the patient’s bodies are preserved in chemicals designed to theoretically protect cellular structure, before being lowered into steel tubes of liquid nitrogen, called dewars. Here they will be kept in ‘cold storage’ at – 196 °C in the hope that someday in the future they may be brought back to life. There are currently 147 people in cryogenic sus pension, with another 1,000 members signed up for the deep freeze. History of Human Cryogenics:In 1940, pioneer biologist Basil Luyet published a work titled â€Å"Life and Death at Low Temperatures† in which he observed that while many organisms underwent serious damages at very low temperatures. However, in some cases, he reported that he managed to restore normal function when organisms were rewarmed after freezing. Luyet's work led to a whole new area of science called cryobiology. British scientists found that by soaking cells in a solution of glycerol, red blood cells and bull semen could be frozen and then their functions could be completely restored on rewarming.The main discovery is that through human cryogenics, life can, in fact, be stopped and restarted under controlled conditions. In the United States, Robert Ettinger through his book â€Å"The Prospect of Immortality† (1964) promoted the idea that a person frozen after legal death might rationally hope to be resuscitated at some time in the far future when medicine has advanced enough to cure most diseases, reverse the aging process, and repair any residual damage caused by freezing (Klein, 2004). This came to be known as Ettinger’s concept.Many scientists shun the idea of manipulating life and death conditions of the body and hence there has not been much progress in this field since the 1960s. Cryonics is an unproven theory. There are scientific obstacles that, some would say, are insurmountable. One of the success stories in this realm is that of Gregory Fahy and his team. They have succeeded in cryopreserving a rabbit kidney, reversed the procedure and successfully re-implanted it without losing the ability to sustain the life of the recipient (Fahy, 2006). Challenges in Cryonics: Cryonic aspirants may choose to have their entire body stored or only their head frozen.The thinking behind the latter option is that an old person would not want to come back alive in his old b ody. Cryonics is an expensive option. Alcor currently charges the equivalent of ? 80,000 for the full body option and ? 42,000 for the head only (Cryonics Cryogenics, 2006). The long-term storage of biological materials, including human organs, requires very low temperatures, which typically are achieved with liquid nitrogen (LN2). While LN2 provides suitable ultralow temperatures, general storage environments have been less than satisfactory and this is an obstacle in cryonics (Lehr, 2006).Another major challenge facing cryonics is that the current technique of full-body preservation with cryoprotectant chemicals causes extensive molecular damage to the body. To successfully bring a patient back to life, cryonics would not only need to reverse this damage, but would also have to cure the original illness the patient died from. Apart from this, the process of cryonics also raises a lot of legal and ethical issues such as â€Å"How can a legally dead person have a valid contract for cryopreservation? † â€Å"Is euthanasia an option for cryonicists? † â€Å"Are cryonics organizations right in selling an unproven technology?† (Best, 2006) Cryopreservation Procedure: As soon as a patient dies, the person’s brain cells are the first to die. Hence the first step would be to stop cellular decomposition caused by oxygen deprivation. This is done by cooling the body. For every 10 °C drop in temperature there is a 50% reduction in metabolic demand which means it takes twice as long for damage to occur. The body should be kept just above freezing and then, a mechanical chest compressor is used to temporarily restore circulation before injecting medications to stop the blood clotting.Then, the patient's blood is washed out and replaced with a temporary protective fluid. Now, there is a surgical process that begins by opening the chest cavity to allow plastic cannulation tubes to be sewn into the heart to provide entry and exit points for the cryoprotectant fluid. These tubes are connected to a by-pass machine that circulates the cryopreservation fluid around the body. The process called â€Å"vitrification† involves replacing over 60% of the water in the body with, potentially toxic, preservation chemicals.When exposed to cryogenic temperatures of below -120 °C they react by turning tissue to a glass-like solid. Throughout the procedure the body is kept packed in ice inside a perspex covering. Liquid nitrogen vapor is regularly pumped around the body to keep the temperature at -3 °C. After the surgery, the body is transferred to an insulated holding chamber for the rapid cool down stage. Liquid nitrogen vapor is pumped inside and probes will monitor the body's core temperature. The temperature will be dropped rapidly to just above the glass transition point.The body is then placed in a sleeping-bag and put into a pod which is the permanent storage container where it will be cooled very slowly to liquid nitrog en temperature (Cryonics Cryogenics, 2006). Conclusion: It has been man’s inherent nature to search for eternity and eternal youth. So, it is no wonder that the science of cryonics has captivated the interests of mankind. Cryonics is a science that is still in the nascent stage. It is a controversial science that is countered by seemingly unanswerable questions.Yet, the fascination for conquering age and death keeps research in cryonics advancing. Bibliography: Platt, Charles (2006). Cryonics: A Short History The â€Å"Impossible† Dream. http://www. imminst. org/forum/index. php? s=&act=ST&f=61&t=860 Best, Ben (2006). Cryonics: The Issues. http://www. benbest. com/cryonics/cryiss. html Lehr, A. Valentine (2006). Precision, flexibility critical in long-term, ultra- low-temperature storage of biological materials. Control Considerations for Cryogenic Storage Facilities. HPAC Engineering. August 2006. http://www. hpac.com/member/feature/2006/0806/0806_lehr. htm Cryonics, Cryogenics (2006). Death in the deep freeze. http://www. mymultiplesclerosis. co. uk/stranger-than-fiction/cryogenics. html Fahy, M. Gregory (2006). Cryopreservation of Complex Systems: The Missing Link in the Regenerative Medicine Supply Chain. Rejuvenation Research. Jun 2006, Vol. 9, No. 2: 279-291. http://www. liebertonline. com/doi/abs/10. 1089/rej. 2006. 9. 279? journalCode=rej= Klein, Bruce (2004). Robert Ettinger, Father of Cryonics. http://www. imminst. org/forum/index. php? act=ST&f=67&t=4112

New York: Demographics and Cultural Differences

State and County Quick Facts 6). Its population density is 10. 94 people per square kilometer. Although the majority of residents can speak English there is still a significant number who cannot use the language. More than eight-hundred different languages are spoken in the city (Schaller 25). In 2010, New York City was comprised of 44% whites, 25. 5% blacks, 12. 7% Asians, and 28. 6% Latino and Hispanics (Sheller 28). Some of the most common languages spoken among other nations are: Chinese, Hindi, Spanish and Arabic, to mention a few. But most importantly, the make-up of the family and communities is what greatly fraternities other nations from white Christian Americans.Variant ethnicities lead to unique religious practices, as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Catholicism have specific features (Cranes & Yang 13). All of this leads to interconnected communities. For example, Asian families are more united and develop closer ties with relatives. This creates communities that support ea ch other better. Social programs must be established which in turn, will increase the quality of common living conditions. Family size is also larger for non-American families because the citizens of the unitedStates rely more on individuality and development of personal characteristics, whereas other nationalities greatly depend on relatives and siblings. This leads to couples having more children, greatly enlarging families In comparison to the American communities. New York City Is also a big Importer of students. The city higher education department delivers about 120,000 graduates to the labor market annually (Schaller 28). Although 27% of Its population have a minimum of bachelor's degree qualifications, there Is a small percentage that still lacks basic education (Schaller 28-30).New York City Is also one of the clues experiencing high level of Income disparities (Sheller 32). On average, In 2005, the annual Income for the rich was $1 88,697 while the poor only earned $9,320 (Schaller 32). This dictates the quality of housing and other services that people can afford. In 2010, there were 3,371 ,062 housing units in New York City, with a home ownership rate of 32. 6% (Sheller 33). In the same year, there were 3,049,978 households Witt an average to 3 people per household. The 2010 per capita income was $31 ,417 and the average should income was $51,270.It is worth noting that 19. 4% of the people were living below the poverty line (Sheller 33-34). Implications of the Diverse Culture New York cultural differences can cause serious challenges in provision and reception of some professional services (Baring 5). According to Baring, differences in languages, perceptions and lifestyles can hinder communication, and the understanding between parties from different cultural backgrounds (5). In this case, health care providers and other professionals would have problems in handling people who do not share common languages.Even after addressing language problems, different lifestyles and expectations can delay service delivery and leave some groups disadvantaged, which is a recipe for social-economic imbalances (Baring 6). This meaner that in order for the prevailing social-economic inequalities to be eliminated from New York City, people have to find ways of enhancing good intercultural communication (Oaten ; Expert 32). Conclusion It is an unfortunate fact, but all the different nationalities and communities are still widely secluded from each other.Each one has a unique belief system, traditions and community make-up (Hero 8). Often, this leads to misunderstandings and discrimination, which is why people should do more research about the culture and norms of other nations. Learning the languages of others or setting up common community centers or social programs would better the relationship and familiarize with other people's values and goals. Works Cited Baring, Ester. Formative View of Language. Methodological Considerations and Conse quences for the Study of Culture. Forum Qualitative Social Research,10. 2009): 5-8. Print. Cranes, Tony & Yang, Finnegan. Asian American Religions: The Making and Remaking of Borders and Boundaries. New York, NY: NYU Press, 2004. Print. Greeters, Lawrence & Cancel, Denizen. Equivalence, bias, and translations methodological issues en Cross-cultural Counseling Research. The Counseling Psychologist, 36. 2 (2008): 188-219. Print. Hero, Rodney. Racial Diversity and Social Capital: Equality and Community in America. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Print. Mohammedan, Jasmine. Redefining Organizational Cultures. AnInterpretative Anthropological Approach to Corporate Narratives. Forum Qualitative Social Research, 10. 1 (2009): 8-10. Print. Oaten, Matthias & Expert, Judith. Mapping the Landscape of Qualitative Research on Intercultural Communication. A Hitchhikers Guide to the Methodological Galaxy. Forum Qualitative Social Research, 10. 1 (2009): 30-35). Print. Schaller, Laurie. The challenge of researching trust in intercultural cooperation. Forum Qualitative Social Research, 10. 1 (2012): 24-34. Print. State and County Quick Facts. United States Census Bureau, 67. 3 (2012): 1-4. Print.

Engineering Materals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Engineering Materals - Essay Example Crevice corrosion is a localized and geometrically controlled form of corrosion. They are the products of situations containing a stagnant solution and corrosion friendly microenvironments. This type of corrosion can occur between rivet heads, lap joints, in threads and anywhere a small crevice is formed in which at least one side is a metal. As in all types of corrosion, an anodic reaction: exists which propagates over the entire surface. However, the geometry of the crevice restricts cathodic reaction such that the dissolved oxygen cannot be replaced. Thus the region within the crevice becomes exclusively anodic while the region outside becomes cathodic. An electric imbalance result attracting the negative ions into the crevice. The small size of the crevice screens the incoming ions such that the concentration of the chloride and the hydrogen ions increases within the crevice. The pH of the solution within the crevice decreases from 6 to as much as 2 or 3. This increased acidity causes further corrosion within the crevice resulting in massive material erosion from within the crevice region. In most cases, crevice corrosion is not visible from the outside and this hidden nature makes inspection as well as rectification difficult. This is schematically represented in the figure shown: Pitting corrosion is a form of localized corrosion as it does not spread laterally across an exposed surface rapidly but penetrates into the metal very quickly, usually at an angle of 90o to the surface. Stagnant solution conditions favor pitting corrosion. The presence of halide ions, chloride, fluoride bromide and iodide, can all pit metals. The most aggressive ion depends on the metal and ion combination. The effect of pitting is to cause holes on the metal surface which can corrode a large amount of material from the surface. The mechanism of pitting can be divided into two processes – the initiation

U.S. Army Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

U.S. Army - Essay Example Following Black (2004, 206) it was World War I that set the pattern for the most important future operations of the United States Army. The Superior Board consequently advocated retaining the four-regiment division and urged that it be reinforced with a large assortment of heavy supporting units in artillery and the division train. The relative immobility of the big square division, the board reasoned, accorded with certain intractable facts of modern war: that the division always attacks frontally, that it attacks in a severely constricted zone of action, and that accordingly it has little occasion for maneuver. The Superior Board insisted that with the First World War setting the pattern for the army's major future combats, the essential principle shaping the army ought to be power, not mobility. The Congresses and chief executives in the 1920s and 1930s prevented the design of the National Defense Act from attaining fruition. The statute authorized a regular army of 280,000 officers and men. Congressional appropriations failed to maintain any such level. The actual strength of the army was by 1922, 147,335; by 1932, 134,024. By 1939 there had been a gradual increase to 188,565. As a result of fiscal trimming, regular army formations became largely skeletonized after all (Black 234). Yet the few formations that were kept at an approximation of full strength and readiness remained those most likely to be involved in small wars reminiscent of the old Indian campaigns--particularly the troops along the Mexican border. MacArthur's thinking not only limited the size of tanks, but also did much to kill one of the army's few promising ventures toward preparing for a possible return from small-scale colonial wars to European war. (Sweeney 145). The choice of the small wars army, akin to the American army of the Indian-fighting past, as the basis upon which to build the post-1919 force was a choice for mobility rather than power as the central principle of the army (Sweeney 148). Late in the First World War, however, there had emerged a new potential for combining mobility and power, for designing military formations that would emphasize neither principle to the debilitation of the other, but would harmonize both (Sweeney 148). The weakness of the Army and military strategy was lack of training and 'old fashioned design' of the army. The most vigorous army chief of staff in the years following World War General Douglas MacArthur, reinforced this emphasis on a mobile army preparing for small colonial and border wars. When he began his tour as chief of staff in 1930, MacArthur found that despite the absence of prospects for another war of mass armies, his planners were busily at work on mobilization schedules for the mustering in of citizen-soldiers to wage a hypothetical grand-scale war (Sweeney 151). He turned the mobilization planners instead to designing an Immediate Readiness Force, to be drawn from the regular army for dispatch to colonial or Western Hemisphere trouble zones (Sweeney154). The concept of a light, fast-moving army tailored to wage war not against European mass armies but against elusive, highly mobile opponents emerged also, with a particularly conspicuous effect upon the subsequent comba t capacities of the army in World War II, in the restriction of the weight of American tanks to 15

Managing information risk and security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Managing information risk and security - Essay Example Information technology and systems have provided companies and organization such exceptional innovation in data and information management deemed essential for organizational capacity development and corporate business strategizing. However, as much as it has fared sophistication in this knowledge-based economy, organizations have likewise put up imperative measures to safeguard critical IS assets from system abuse and misuse by constantly upgrading and installing firewalls, anti-virus, use of encryption keys, protectors, use of comprehensive monitoring system, and of scaling control from access. IT-based corporation has also made it as standard policy to restrict employees from breaching organizational rules and requirements in the use of information systems and security policy (ISSP) to ascertain that their behaviours are also aligned on the need to secure company’s database. This paper will qualitatively discuss the importance of managing information risk and security using peer-reviewed journals and books from online sources. Researcher will attempt to bridge the theoretical constructs to advance the need of improving security management control to attain, prevent and protect internet systems from security threats and from cyber-criminalities. Recent research pertaining to internet study depicted information of data theft and establishment of malicious code to steal confidential information (Symantec Corporation, 2007). Most of these breached in the system were undertaken with gross negligence of employees in safekeeping the system. Computers and servers left open and accessible to those who have variant interests may make use of data base and information for negative actions. As IT has influenced business and government system in discharging their functions, the risks too doubled with the increasing number of hackers and cyber criminals. Cybercriminals refer to those web-based activities that include illegally downloading music files, stealing of mi llions of money from bank accounts, creating and distribution of viruses on other computers, and posting confidential information on internet, including sex videos that are illegally taped. The most modern form of cybercrime is identity theft where criminals use personal information from other users, including pictures. This is known technically as phishing  and  pharming (Techterms, 2013, p. 1). Criminals use others information to attract other users to fake websites appearing to be legitimate and where personal information are asked, such the use of usernames and passwords, phone numbers, addresses, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and other information criminals can use to "steal" another person's identity (Techterms, 2013, p. 1). Many of this information are circulated on emailing system, thus, thousands are victimized and were unfortunately advantaged by those who are unscrupulous in using technology (Techterms, 2013, p. 1). Easy preys are those people with comput ers lacking antivirus and are bereft of spyware blocking software (Techterms, 2013, p. 1). Cases of Cybercrimes Some of the cybercrimes are also undertaken to embarrass governments due to resource-based conflicts with other nations. In effects, a number of government websites are defaced by group of hackers to embarrass the IT security management of the state and to

Leading Employees and Best Practices Manual for New Supervisors Essay

Leading Employees and Best Practices Manual for New Supervisors - Essay Example Moreover, I do my best to influence the outcomes of the events in my workplace through my almost perfect work. My almost perfect work makes me to have the magnetism to attract people in the workplace. I also enjoy consulting on the workplace concerning complex issues and problems, which faces the managers. However, I also enjoy planning, directing, and controlling the staff of a department to ensure the company obtains the highest profit margins. I also consult with business groups and companies to improve effectiveness. To achieve this, I deal with level upon level of bureaucratic red tapes and pressure to improve the performance. I wake up early in the morning before sunrise and continue into late night during my job. I also get concerned on how well others do their work. I am a self-starter and full of enthusiasms about everything I do. I strive to do the best, and get involved in all competitive activities including sports. I have won several awards for outstanding performances. I also ensure that before doing a certain task, I have completed the previous one. I have an inner drive, which motivates me to accomplish something that had never been done before. In doing this, I maintain a sense of purpose and direction which is larger than I am. I would enjoy being in a job that requires hard and fast decisions. I also prefer being free and independent at work and a high salary and job security. I firmly believe that those who take the most risks with their own savings should receive the greatest financial rewards. This characteristic enables me to believe that I am courageous, energetic, and optimistic. I am also good at appraising others in the work place and I give credit readily where it is due. Instead of arguing with people, I give a benefit of doubt although very rarely. To achieve this, I am mostly honest and ruthless if others play the devious rules (Rue & Byars, 2006, p.256). A Comprehensive Best Practices Manual for New Supervisors This manual will h elp guide the supervisors to attain the best practices in this company. It contains important parts that makeup good supervisory skills that will guide supervisors throughout their supervisory level. Several elements are contained in this manual as follows. Demonstrating Communication Skills This is very important to supervisors. The employees will respond well to supervisors that communicate well and are comfortable taking instructions from them. The two best approaches in communication will involve listening and speaking. During communication, the supervisor ought to listen more while the rest of the time will be used in speaking and directing. Listening helps the supervisors gain knowledge of the people that the supervisor is responsible. It also helps the supervisor gain an insight on the weakness of the employees, their skills, complaints, and the ideas. It also involves active listening, which allows the supervisor to comprehend what the speaker is saying, and helps solve the problems. The second element involved in communication is speaking. This constitutes of a small percentage. It involves giving instructions and solutions to employees’ problems. Determining effective orientation and training methods for employee training A vital key to training employees is to ensure that they have the required information to do the job before they start the job. It is important to ensure that the employees feel as if they are embarking on an

Improving Leadership Skills and Academic Performance Assignment

Improving Leadership Skills and Academic Performance - Assignment Example Whilst I have always been extroverted in social and professional situations, prior to this study program, my over-confidence in my capabilities and knowledge complicated being a solid team member when working in groups. For instance, I had previously desired to work independently in most situations, both academic and professional, with minor levels of resentment and animosity when forced to work in team environments. It was not an inherent part of my personality in which I believed that team members were not capable, only that trust in my own talents and ability to organize made it difficult for me to build group inter-dependency and rely on others achieving team goals. Hence, I have come to learn that an effective leader is one that gives others opportunities to excel and make positive contributions to a group. Stover (2004) discusses the concept of tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge, in which individuals that maintain a specialized set of talents (tacit knowledge) must convert this knowledge to teach others. Interaction with others, according to Stover, is absolutely necessary for effective knowledge conversion to be achieved. However, as aforementioned, my personal resistance to participative teamwork challenged gaining followership from others as an effective leader. My current study program has given me ample opportunities to work with others and I have made a very competent effort at reducing the internal conflicts that arise when forced to work in groups where all members have a distinct task. Some of these attitudes and resistance to teamwork ideology is likely a product of my cultural background in the Middle East. In my home country, it is common that professional members of an organization, in politics and even general society to maintain high power distance, defined by Hofstede (2001) as a type of inequality where hierarchies are dominant business, social and political structures.

The future of tourism planning lies with a community-driven approach Essay

The future of tourism planning lies with a community-driven approach - Essay Example The general â€Å"host-guest† conflicts and stereotypes can be better overcome by tourism development through clearer local guidance which goes on to stimulate a superior stewardship of tourism resources. The participation of the stakeholders such as tourism operators, government, local residents, etc in tourism planning guides an improved fitting, longer enduring, and less exhausting tourism industry taking into consideration the local requirements, concerns, desires and abilities. Community involvement while preparing plans for tourism increases the abilities of the stakeholders thereby resulting in sustainable tourism development. Community-driven tourism planning highlights improved strategic and rational vision for growth of tourism. The approach depends upon the local residents and the community leaders who propose opportunities to clarify strengths and weaknesses for the social, economic and ecological well-being. The influence of community-driven approach assures touri sts’ satisfaction eliminating the experience of tourism as a source of anxiety and negative impact. The involvement of community in the process of tourism planning undoubtedly brings up flourishing impact on the tourism industry which otherwise would have remained less successful due to insufficient local knowledge and experience. The illustration of the Whistler Village has been cited as an ideal example of community-driven approach for tourism planning. It has been very rightly said that the future of tourism planning lies with a community-driven approach. The need for community participation in tourism planning must be felt and appreciated (Murphy, 1985a). This calls for the inclusion of strategic planning and community development standards in tourism planning processes. This will inevitably result in to the cohesive working of all the stakeholders, be it tourism industry associations, resident organizations, public organizations, government officials, social

A study on the interpersonal challenge that leaders face in their Research Paper

A study on the interpersonal challenge that leaders face in their professional lives - Research Paper Example Leaders are required to be sincere as well as fully committed to their professions as well as to their leadership. However, sometimes, a leader fails to fulfil both responsibilities due to certain reasons. In order to overcome such issues, the leader follows certain principles and theories, determined to turn around the crisis they face in their professional lives. In 2007, the researchers of Centre for Creative Leadership (CCL) conducted a study on the leadership trends in business and found that the leadership face various challenges as a result of new innovations, competitors with greater talent and potential, collaboration and globalization. OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH: To understand the challenges of risk management that the leaders face in business. To examine the trends in leadership. To understand the various impacts of challenges of risk management. To find solutions to these challenges. To draw a conclusion by justifying the solutions for these challenges Here, the paper emp loys various scholarly journals and other resources for the purpose of research, and the study is based on interpersonal challenges the leaders or business executives face in the organization. This project relates with SI as it is one of the topics, which students can understand through SI by way of discussion and such other forms. This topic must be a taken in Peer Assisted Study Session (PASS) and the ideas of this study can be taken from the SI programs. The various challenges the leaders face in their professional lives are one among the popular topics of debate currently. Hence, the relevance of this study is understood and acknowledged. RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH: In the modern economy, all areas in leadership face several challenges. In the business context, there are mainly two types of challenges: internal and external. Here the research focuses on the external interpersonal challenges faces by the leaders in their professional lives. These challenges are experienced due to la ck of direct control in areas such as market segment and other fluctuations within the industry. The organizations all around the world aim to go for the best leadership approach, as it is one of the fundamental as well as crucial elements responsible for the overall performance of a business. All types of business are interconnected with the present economy, thus demand, inflation, deflation, market etc influence the business to a large extent. Therefore, even a slight fluctuation in these factors can impact the performance of the organization. In these cases, the leaders do not have control over such factors, thus it transpires that a business concern faces more external changes than internal ones. Based on the study, various results have been obtained, and a crucial factor identified was the global economy. It is a fact that the global economy is still a little unstable since the economic crisis of 2007. The crisis occurred as a result of huge amounts of debt and as a consequence , political issues also emerged. A lot of fiscal adjustments had to be made due to the impact caused by the economic crisis. †The challenges posed by the Global Financial Crisis have impacted leaders of all major Businesses† (Anwar 2). Of these challenges, faced by the leaders, risk management is one of the most important factors to be considered. Risk management includes low prices of assets, diminished liquidity in markets

Richard Pascale (the person who known as Honda Effect) Essay

Richard Pascale (the person who known as Honda Effect) - Essay Example The four dimensions incorporate the management of past, present and future. In addition to these dimensions, there is also the need for strategic intent as well as the need for agility on the management part as these are what will drive the sustainability of the organization in the future. Power is constant in the present and future, but the learning and identity development which was carried out in the past should be added on in the present as well as in the future. Contention will always be present and hence strategies to handle these conflicts should keep on being developed. Pascale further explains that not all moves an organization makes are calculated or based on years of positive research findings. He advocates for flexibility in the management as there is no on definite prescription to success. This is evident in the Honda story where they stumbled upon success in the US market despite market research eliciting negative findings. Sometimes success simply comes because of a series of unplanned effects but the most important thing is to be prepared to handle it once it comes and strategize on sustaining or even increasing it further (Pascal, 2000). The 7s theory model is relevant in all organizations and should be implemented by management. These include: style, strategy, skills, staff, shared values, structure as well as systems. The concepts mentioned briefly above are summarized in the table below and they all focus on using the past strategies to establish the present and build on the future. They are simply a guideline to the managers by Pascale for every organization on how to ensure that they not only succeed but they sustain the success in the future. Further issues to think about in management are the attitudes of the managers towards their jobs, employees and competitors. The job attitude matters a lot and especially for the new generation of managers whose patience is not their strongest

Applied Linguistics Essay Example for Free

Applied Linguistics Essay Stylistics is the study and interpretation of texts from a linguistic perspective. As a discipline it links literary criticism and linguistics, but has no autonomous domain of its own. [1][2] The preferred object of stylistic studies is literature, but not exclusively high literature but also other forms of written texts such as text from the domains of advertising, pop culture, politics or religion. [3] Stylistics also attempts to establish principles capable of explaining the particular choices made by individuals and social groups in their use of language, such as socialisation, the production and reception of meaning, critical discourse analysis and literary criticism. Other features of stylistics include the use of dialogue, including regional accents and people’s dialects, descriptive language, the use of grammar, such as the active voice or passive voice, the distribution of sentence lengths, the use of particular language registers, etc. In addition, stylistics is a distinctive term that may be used to determine the connections between the form and effects within a particular variety of language. Therefore, stylistics looks at what is ‘going on’ within the language; what the linguistic associations are that the style of language reveals. Contents * 1 Early twentieth century * 2 Late twentieth century * 3 Literary Stylistics * 3. 1 Poetry * 3. 2 Implicature * 3. 3 Tense * 3. 4 The point of poetry * 4 See also * 5 Notes * 6 References and related reading * 7 External links| [edit] Early twentieth century. The analysis of literary style goes back to Classical rhetoric, but modern stylistics has its roots in Russian Formalism,[4] and the interrelated Prague School, in the early twentieth century. In 1909 Charles Ballys Traite de stylistique francaise had proposed stylistics as a distinct academic discipline to complement Saussurean linguistics. For Bally, Saussures linguistics by itself couldnt fully describe the language of personal expression. [5] Ballys programme fitted well with the aims of the Prague School. [6] Building on the ideas of the Russian Formalists, the Prague School developed the concept of foregrounding, whereby poetic language stands out from the background of non-literary language by means of deviation (from the norms of everyday language) or parallelism. [7] According to the Prague School, the background language isnt fixed, and the relationship between poetic and everyday language is always shifting. [8] [edit] Late twentieth century Roman Jakobson had been an active member of the Russian Formalists and the Prague School, before emigrating to America in the 1940s. He brought together Russian Formalism and American New Criticism in his Closing Statement at a conference on stylistics at Indiana University in 1958. [9] Published as Linguistics and Poetics in 1960, Jakobsons lecture is often credited with being the first coherent formulation of stylistics, and his argument was that the study of poetic language should be a sub-branch of linguistics. [10] The poetic function was one of six general functions of language he described in the lecture. Michael Halliday is an important figure in the development of British stylistics. [11] His 1971 study Linguistic Function and Literary Style: An Inquiry into the Language of William Goldings The Inheritors is a key essay. [12] One of Hallidays contributions has been the use of the term register to explain the connections between language and its context. [13] For Halliday register is distinct from dialect. Dialect refers to the habitual language of a particular user in a specific geographical or social context. Register describes the choices made by the user,[14] choices which depend on three variables: field (what the participants are actually engaged in doing, for instance, discussing a specific subject or topic),[15] tenor (who is taking part in the exchange) and mode (the use to which the language is being put). Fowler comments that different fields produce different language, most obviously at the level of vocabulary (Fowler. 1996, 192) The linguist David Crystal points out that Halliday’s ‘tenor’ stands as a roughly equivalent term for ‘style’, which is a more specific alternative used by linguists to avoid ambiguity. (Crystal. 1985, 292) Halliday’s third category, mode, is what he refers to as the symbolic organisation of the situation. Downes recognises two distinct aspects within the category of mode and suggests that not only does it describe the relation to the medium: written, spoken, and so on, but also describes the genre of the text. (Downes. 1998, 316) Halliday refers to genre as pre-coded language, language that has not simply been used before, but that predetermines the selection of textual meanings. The linguist William Downes makes the point that the principal characteristic of register, no matter how peculiar or diverse, is that it is obvious and immediately recognisable. (Downes. 1998, 309) [edit] Literary Stylistics In The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language, Crystal observes that, in practice, most stylistic analysis has attempted to deal with the complex and ‘valued’ language within literature, i. e. ‘literary stylistics’. He goes on to say that in such examination the scope is sometimes narrowed to concentrate on the more striking features of literary language, for instance, its ‘deviant’ and abnormal features, rather than the broader structures that are found in whole texts or discourses. For example, the compact language of poetry is more likely to reveal the secrets of its construction to the stylistician than is the language of plays and novels. (Crystal. 1987, 71). [edit] Poetry As well as conventional styles of language there are the unconventional – the most obvious of which is poetry. In Practical Stylistics, HG Widdowson examines the traditional form of the epitaph, as found on headstones in a cemetery. For example: His memory is dear today As in the hour he passed away. (Ernest C. Draper ‘Ern’. Died 4. 1. 38) (Widdowson. 1992, 6) Widdowson makes the point that such sentiments are usually not very interesting and suggests that they may even be dismissed as ‘crude verbal carvings’and crude verbal disturbance (Widdowson, 3). Nevertheless, Widdowson recognises that they are a very real attempt to convey feelings of human loss and preserve affectionate recollections of a beloved friend or family member. However, what may be seen as poetic in this language is not so much in the formulaic phraseology but in where it appears. The verse may be given undue reverence precisely because of the sombre situation in which it is placed. Widdowson suggests that, unlike words set in stone in a graveyard, poetry is unorthodox language that vibrates with inter-textual implications. (Widdowson. 1992, 4) Two problems with a stylistic analysis of poetry are noted by PM Wetherill in Literary Text: An Examination of Critical Methods. The first is that there may be an over-preoccupation with one particular feature that may well minimise the significance of others that are equally important. (Wetherill. 1974, 133) The second is that any attempt to see a text as simply a collection of stylistic elements will tend to ignore other ways whereby meaning is produced. (Wetherill. 1974, 133) [edit] Implicature In ‘Poetic Effects’ from Literary Pragmatics, the linguist Adrian Pilkington analyses the idea of ‘implicature’, as instigated in the previous work of Dan Sperber and Deirdre Wilson. Implicature may be divided into two categories: ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ implicature, yet between the two extremes there are a variety of other alternatives. The strongest implicature is what is emphatically implied by the speaker or writer, while weaker implicatures are the wider possibilities of meaning that the hearer or reader may conclude. Pilkington’s ‘poetic effects’, as he terms the concept, are those that achieve most relevance through a wide array of weak implicatures and not those meanings that are simply ‘read in’ by the hearer or reader. Yet the distinguishing instant at which weak implicatures and the hearer or reader’s conjecture of meaning diverge remains highly subjective. As Pilkington says: ‘there is no clear cut-off point between assumptions which the speaker certainly endorses and assumptions derived purely on the hearer’s responsibility. ’ (Pilkington.1991, 53) In addition, the stylistic qualities of poetry can be seen as an accompaniment to Pilkington’s poetic effects in understanding a poems meaning. [edit] Tense Widdowson points out that in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ (1798), the mystery of the Mariner’s abrupt appearance is sustained by an idiosyncratic use of tense. (Widdowson. 1992, 40) For instance, the Mariner ‘holds’ the wedding-guest with his ‘skinny hand’ in the present tense, but releases it in the past tense ( his hands dropt he. ); only to hold him again, this time with his ‘glittering eye’, in the present. (Widdowson. 1992, 41) [edit] The point of poetry Widdowson notices that when the content of poetry is summarised it often refers to very general and unimpressive observations, such as ‘nature is beautiful; love is great; life is lonely; time passes’, and so on. (Widdowson. 1992, 9) But to say: Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore, So do our minutes hasten to their end William Shakespeare, ‘60’. Or, indeed: Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime, Nor hours, days months, which are the rags of time John Donne, ‘The Sun Rising’, Poems (1633). This language gives us a new perspective on familiar themes and allows us to look at them without the personal or social conditioning that we unconsciously associate with them. (Widdowson. 1992, 9) So, although we may still use the same exhausted words and vague terms like ‘love’, ‘heart’ and ‘soul’ to refer to human experience, to place these words in a new and refreshing context allows the poet the ability to represent humanity and communicate honestly. This, in part, is stylistics, and this, according to Widdowson, is the point of poetry (Widdowson. 1992, 76). [edit] See also * Discourse analysis * Acrolect * Aureation * Basilect * Stylometry * Literary language * Standard language * Official language * Classical language * Liturgical language * Gender role in language * Poetics and Linguistics Association * Internet linguistics [edit] Notes 1. ^ Widdowson, H. G. 1975. Stylistics and the teaching of literature. Longman: London. ISBN 0582550769 2. ^ Simpson, Paul. 2004. Stylistics : A resource book for students. Routledge p. 2: Stylistics is a method of textual interpretation in which primacy of place is assigned to language. 3. ^ Simpson, Paul. 2004. Stylistics : A resource book for students. Routledge p.  3: The preferred object of study in stylistics is literature, whether that be institutionally sanctioned ‘Literature’ as high art or more popular ‘noncanonical’ forms of writing. . 4. ^ Lesley Jeffries, Daniel McIntyre, Stylistics, Cambridge University Press, 2010, p1. ISBN 052172869X 5. ^ Talbot J. Taylor, Mutual Misunderstanding: Scepticism and the Theorizing of Language and Interpretation, Duke University Press, 1992, p91. ISBN 0822312492 6. ^ Ulrich Ammon, Status and Function of Languages and Language Varieties, Walter de Gruyter, 1989, p518. ISBN 0899253563 7. ^ Katie Wales, A Dictionary of Stylistics, Pearson Education, 2001, p315. ISBN 0582317371 8. ^ Rob Pope, The English Studies Book: an Introduction to Language, Literature and Culture, Routledge, 2002, p88. ISBN 0415257107 9. ^ Richard Bradford, A Linguistic History of English Poetry, Routledge, 1993, p8. ISBN 0415070570 10. ^ Nikolas Coupland, Style: Language Variation and Identity, Cambridge University Press, 2007, p10. ISBN 0521853036 11. ^ Raman Selden, The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism: From Formalism to Poststructuralism, Cambridge University Press, 1989, p83. ISBN 0521300134 12. ^ Paul Simpson, Stylistics: a Resource Book for Students, Routledge, 2004, p75. ISBN 0415281040 13. ^ Helen Leckie-Tarry, Language and Context: a Functional Linguistic Theory of Register, Continuum International Publishing Group, 1995, p6. ISBN 1855672723 14. ^ Nikolas Coupland, Style: Language Variation and Identity, Cambridge University Press, 2007, p12. ISBN 0521853036 15. ^ Christopher S. Butler, Structure and Function: a Guide to Three Major Structural-Functional Theories, John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2003, p373. ISBN 1588113612 [edit] References and related reading * ed. David Birch. 1995. Context and Language: A Functional Linguistic Theory of Register (London, New York: Pinter) * Richard Bradford. 1997. Stylistics (London and New York: Routledge) * Michael Burke. 2010. Literary Reading, Cognition and Emotion: An Exploration of the Oceanic Mind (London and New York: Routledge) * David Crystal. 1998. Language Play (London: Penguin) 1985. A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, 2nd edition (Oxford: Basil Blackwell) 1997. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language, 2nd edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) * William Downes. 1998. Language and Society, 2nd edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) * Roger Fowler. 1996. Linguistic Criticism, 2nd edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press) 1995. The Language of George Orwell (London: Macmillan Press) * MAK Halliday. 1978. Language as Social Semiotic: The Social Interpretation of Language and Meaning (London: Edward Arnold) * Brian Lamont. 2005. First Impressions (Edinburgh: Penbury Press) * Geoffrey Leech and Michael H. Short. 1981. Style in Fiction: A Linguistic Introduction to English Fictional Prose (London: Longman) * A McIntosh and P Simpson. 1964. The Linguistic Science and Language Teaching (London: Longman) * George Orwell. 1949. Nineteen Eighty-Four (London: Heinemann) 1964. Inside the Whale and Other Essays (London: Penguin Books) * Adrian Pilkington. 1991. ‘Poetic Effects’, Literary Pragmatics, ed. Roger Sell (London: Routledge) * ed. Thomas A. Sebeok. 1960. Style in Language (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press) * Michael Toolan. 1998. Language in Literature: An Introduction to Stylistics (London: Hodder Arnold) * Jonathan Swift. 1994. Gulliver’s Travels (London: Penguin Popular Classics) * Katie Wales. 2001. A Dictionary of Stylistics, 2nd edition, (Harlow: Longman) * ed. Jean Jacques Weber. 1996. The Stylistics Reader: From Roman Jakobson to the Present (London: Arnold Hodder) * PM Wetherill. 1974. Literary Text: An Examination of Critical Methods (Oxford: Basil Blackwell) * HG Widdowson. 1992. Practical Stylistics (Oxford: Oxford University Press) * Joseph Williams. 2007. Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, 9th edition (New York: Pearson Longman) [edit] External links * Checklist of American and British programs in stylistics and literary linguistics * The British Poetics and Linguistics Association * http://www. brianlamont. com/ Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Stylistics_(literature) Categories: Applied linguistics | Language varieties and styles | Linguistics Hidden categories: Wikipedia articles needing style editing from October 2010 | All articles needing style editing Personal tools. * Log in / create account Namespaces * Article * Discussion Variants Views * Read * Edit * View history Actions Search - Top of Form Bottom of Form Navigation * Main page * Contents * Featured content * Current events * Random article * Donate to Wikipedia Interaction * Help * About Wikipedia * Community portal * Recent changes * Contact Wikipedia Toolbox * What links here * Related changes * Upload file * Special pages * Permanent link * Cite this page Print/export * Create a book * Download as PDF * Printable version Languages * * БÐ µÃ »Ã °Ã'€Ã'Æ'Ã' Ã ºÃ °Ã'  * БÃ'ŠÐ »Ã ³Ã °Ã'€Ã' Ã ºÃ ¸ * Catala * Cesky * Dansk. * Deutsch * Eesti * Espanol * Esperanto * Francais * Galego * * Ido * Bahasa Indonesia * Italiano * * Kiswahili * Magyar * ÐÅ"Ð ¾Ã ½Ã ³Ã ¾Ã » * Nederlands * * Polski * Portugues * Romana * Ð  Ã'Æ'Ã' Ã' Ã ºÃ ¸Ã ¹ * Slovencina * Srpskohrvatski / Ð ¡Ã'€Ð ¿Ã' Ã ºÃ ¾Ã'…Ã'€Ð ²Ã °Ã'‚Ã' Ã ºÃ ¸ * Suomi * Svenska * Ð £Ã ºÃ'€Ð °Ã'â€"Ð ½Ã' Ã'Å'Ð ºÃ ° * This page was last modified on 4 March 2011 at 05:48. * Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. 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Comparison Between Sap And Oracle Information Technology Essay

Comparison Between Sap And Oracle Information Technology Essay In this report we have to discuss about the two ERP packages named SAP and Oracle. We are making this report as we have to purchase and implement an ERP system into our organization. As we have to choose and use any one of these two in our organization. So first we will discuss about what an ERP system is, what its components are and why it is so much of importance now days. Then we will discuss about the two most dominant ERP vendors SAP and Oracle and differentiate between them on the basis of some points like cost, which one is better to use, functions, applications, technology platforms etc and finally we will give conclusion about the comparison done and evaluate that which one is better and which one is to be implemented in the organization. Introduction Of The Report- Enterprise resource planning (ERP) what does this mean, in a short and simple way and by the name we can define it as planning done in an enterprise to manage the resources. ERP is a part of Enterprise management system (EMS). EMS is defined as a system which manages an enterprise by the use of various resources available to run a business. It has various components and ERP is one of the components. In EMS, ERP system plays an important role as the major decisions are taken through it. ERP system deals with the planning and use of resources in the business. The resources are finance, material, manufacturing, capacity and human resources. The ERP provides, the methodology of accessing the resources need for a given business plan to achieve certain business objectives. It also helps to execute the plans, decisions and actions in the time bound manner. The ERP provides a support system in transaction process, updating and reporting various functions. The ERP is the main interface of the organization. The implementation of most of the ERP packages begins with the definition of enterprise structure, authorities, functions, business process and business plans. The ERP solutions are available in unique platform and also in windows NT. The typical ERP package consists of the following modules- (Wailgum, 2011) Sales, marketing and distribution. Manufacturing. Inventory management. Personnel management. Finance management. Purchase. Planning. Control. There are six system which together act as the support systems to the ERP, they are- Communication management system (CMS). Security management system (SMS). Electronic data interchange (EDI). CAD, CAM, CAE. Attendance management system (AMS). Document management system (DMS). Comparison Between SAP and Oracle As already discussed above that currently SAP and Oracle are the two most dominant ERP vendors in the market, so to select any one of them we have to do a detailed study about each of them and compare the two on the basis of some characteristics and finally evaluate that which one is best suited for our organization and implemented in it. We will analyze each of the products on the basis of business functions, technology platforms, cost, and ease of use. General functions and applicability- SAP is doing its business longer than oracle as SAP was started long before and oracle is new in the market in comparison to SAP. In my view, erect industry-specific functionality is where the rubber hits the path as the hope of enterprise applications unfolds. The ability of an ERP package is to know and take the services of the individuals and to build them according to their requirement into an application which is essentially customized according to the customer, for the individual business in the organization of that individual. This states that although a strong service infrastructure is needed, the vendors also need a large range of services with them to accumulate the further the merrier. SAP takes advantage here as it has skill in 28 verticals and has the software functionality to prove. To make available all the functions as usable for future is one of the task of SAP and if it is done than it will built more customers and can have a bright future. On the other side oracle provides functions that are deep vertical and have a partnering strategy, but this functionality is far behind the SAP functionality. So now oracle is trying to fill the blanks by having more partner products but still it is known that what the products will do and what are their applications we can say that SAP is at the advantage of the two. (SAP vs Oracle) Technology- Oracles applications are flexible and also configuration is possible, therefore its technology mound for its applications. Although the best of the solutions were there in the market but still oracle was able to embrace in the middleware market early on as company had strong middleware products. Also the oracle organization was working to simplify and to open its application architecture. Oracle provided a product which was easy to install and maintain for the customer which was its benefit. Also oracle is creating a unified data model. On the other hand SAP has five different data models for the customers to work on. If any organization wants a single source with SAP then it has to build a data ware house. But oracle makes data warehouse optional for its customers which result in faster access to information. Cost- Total cost of ownership (TCO) comprises of technology, extensibility and implementation and ROI. Now the question is which is better, SAP or Oracle? As Oracles applications are extensible and flexible it lightens the want for customization. Due to customization deployments which are coming faster, and also due to lower consulting costs of the internal resources the business operations are becoming quicker. The effect of all these attributes results in a lower cost of ownership which everyone wants. As all these attributes are present in the Oracle technology so its cost is lower than SAP and not only the cost is lower but the average three year total cost of ownership of Oracle is 48% less than SAPs, which is a huge difference in the cost of the two. Ease of use- As we know that the ERP system cant satisfy all the customers, but due to flexibility of the applications of oracle it has attracted many customers and organizations towards it. Oracle also rises and has benefit in several areas like extensibility- web applications, workflow and reporting. The web applications of Oracle are so flexible that the companys IT department can personalize the web application. For an example a web application named iProcurement can be used in such a way that someone logging from any part may get the proper information which is suitable for them. One more example of Oracles web application is iExpense. With the help of this application many organization used it to modernize their business processes related to employee expenditure and reimbursements. Also iExpense is an application which is simpler and easier to work than any SAP application. Evaluation and Conclusion- Here we will discuss that which is the better product of the two, some thinks that SAP is better but on the other hand many support Oracle. Both SAP and Oracle have some positive as well as negative points, so by evaluating the two we will finally conclude our report on the basis of some points- Which vendor to select- According to me Oracle is better than SAP, so one should select Oracle for the organization, as by studying the comparison above we can easily evaluate that oracle out beats SAP in all most all the fields. We discussed many characteristic of the two and finally we can say that Oracle is the better of the two and we should select Oracle to implement in our organization. Why to select Oracle, on what basis- Now as we have concluded that Oracle is better than SAP, so how we reached to this conclusion, what were the reasons. Some of the reasons are that Oracle applications are easy to use and can be deployed successfully in short time frame. As discussed many times its application are highly flexible and configurable. SAP basically is an closed circuit and it is too massive to handle, on the other hand Oracle solution are user friendly and also programmer friendly and also it is open and offers all the interfaces to many application, so it is at benefit in comparison with SAP. Also one of the main reasons is that the total cost of ownership (TCO) of Oracle is less than SAP and also working on Oracle applications is easier than working on SAP applications. The positive point for Oracle is that its implementation has taken less time and also at a lower cost. Oracle was established in 2004 and since 2004 it has occupied over 30 other companies as a part of its strategy. Also when customer re view was taken then also the result was positive for Oracle and customer were satisfied with Oracle then SAP. Also the profit during the past year has increased 33% for SAP which is far less than Oracle which is 47%. So we have seen both and finally we can say that Oracle have a better offering for its customer. (SAP vs. Oracle applications, 2011) Does size or domain influence the decision- No, according to me these factors are not of much importance that they will influence the decision to select the ERP package. Whether it is a small or large organization or it may be manufacturing industry or a service industry their working and aim is almost same. Everyone wants to have more profit, attract more customers, reduce its cost, want to satisfy the customer, and want to have easier work. These are the basic objectives of any firm or organization only they may differ in some extent but not much difference exists between them. SAP and Oracle applications are made in such a way that they are suitable for almost all the industries so size and domain doesnt matter in selecting the ERP package only the concern is taken on quality, cost, ease of use etc. We should choose a full ERP installation or we should pursue customizations from the vendor- According to it, if one has to select an ERP package one should opt for customization from the vendors rather than installation of the full ERP package. The reason for this is that if we go for a full ERP installation then we have to accept what that ERP package gives and offers us. It may have many things which we dont want or it might miss something which is required by us. Also we have to use it according to its manufacturer as he has designed it according to him and keeping the entire set of customers in mind. As the package is not made for an individual but for all the customers who can buy it so it will have the features and applications according to the common use of people and not according to the specific use. But if we opt for customization from the vendors, than we have lots of benefit. As it is made according to the individuals choice, so one can make changes in it. He can add and delete application according to his use. It is made according to his specification and accor ding to the need of the organization. Also its working is set according to what an organization want. So we can easily analyze hare that which one is better and we can say that customization from vendors is better than full ERP installation and the reasons for this we have already given above.

Reasons Why Catalonia Wants Independence

Reasons Why Catalonia Wants Independence Catalonia’s Pursuit of Independence â€Å"No podem ser si no podem ser lliures.† This quote from Catalan poet Salvador Espriu roughly translates to â€Å"We cannot be if we can’t be free† a statement that rings true for over half of Catalonia’s 7.5 million residents. The people of Catalonia have long been in a struggle with Spain to gain independence and feel that they should be their own nation. Recently the separatist views in Catalonia have come to the forefront of national news as the state makes a push to secede but there are those who question the likelihood and feasibility of this move. If the people of Catalonia achieve what they desire, Spain will lose one of its most well known states as well as one that provides a great amount of economic stability, but if they do not they will continue to fight for independence and their struggle could turn violent. The struggle for independence dates back to the 19th century during the Romantic age when nationalism surged. Catalan separatist fee l they have multiple reasons to secede from Spain but the main reasons are that they have their own culture, history, and language; have experienced a history of persecution as a result of Spanish rule; and that they are responsible for a large majority of Spain’s economic success. Catalonia is one of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions, each region having its own executive, legislative, and judicial branch. It is located in the northern part of Spain on the border of France and is divided into a few different regions: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. According to a census performed in 2012 the population is roughly 7.5 million accounting for just over 16% of Spain’s total population. The city of Barcelona is the regions capital and is also the second largest city in Spain with a population of about 1.63 million (Generalitat de Catalunya). Catalonia has its own history, separate from the rest of Spain, rich with culture and tradition. They also speak a language different than is spoken in the rest of Spain known as Catalan. Catalan is not a dialect of Spanish but rather a language that was developed on its own with Latin origins and is recognized as one of the four official languages in Spain. 93.8% of citizens living in Catalonia can understand Catalan (Generalitat de Catalunya) and around 9 million people worldwide speak the language. There are laws in place within Catalonia in order to preserve the language and makes sure it lives on. Some examples of such laws are that all businesses must display their material in Catalan or risk being fined, doctors are required to speak and understand Catalan, and there are quotas in place to regulate Catalan media (Miley). While it is true that 98.8% of Catalan’s understand spanish, children in public schools must be taught in Catalan and can only receive a maximum of three hours per week in spanish training (Govan). This is because the people of Catalan have realized that for their language to survive the test of time it must be heavily involved in education of the youth. Catalan’s feel that their own language and culture deserve to be recognized by national borders and wish to govern the land as they see fit.   Catalan’s rich history and culture has not always been welcome in Spain and the rest of the European Union and the people of Catalan do not feel they receive the respect they deserve. There have been several distinct attacks on Catalan language throughout history but the most recent took place during the rule of General Francisco Franco between 1939 and 1975. Franco gained power over Barcelona following the Spanish Civil War with a goal of uniting Spain and removing those that attempted to differentiate themselves, including those that speak a different language. Throughout the time of his rule Catalan speakers and academics were persecuted and repressed. The autonomy that the Catalan’s had come to know was stripped away from them and Catalan nationalism was subdued. The Catalan language was banned from being used and was completely removed from the educational system. Along with this all remnants of the language were sought out and changed including media and street na mes. There was also a wave attacks on nationalist resulting in several thousand being killed or exiled. This persecution continued until Franco’s death in 1975 but the legacy of his rule has not been forgotten. Following the death of Franco in 1975 a new ruler took the throne, King Juan Carlos. Carlos was a fair ruler to the people of Spain and pushed to democratize the country. In 1978 the Spanish constitution was written and in it Catalan was officially recognized as the official language of Catalonia (Barcelona’s Languages). To this day the people of Catalonia cherish this victory as it represents the fortitude of the Catalan people and their ability to stand up to oppression. The people of Catalan, while happy to be recognised by Spain, feel they deserve more and wish to be an official language of the European Union. Catalan is a language similar in prevalence to Castilian Spanish, Swedish, and Czech (Mari 1). As expressed in the preceding paragraph, the Spanish government has neglected to serve or even defend the people of Catalonia in the past and many Catalan’s feel they must do so individually. There are many organizations throughout Catalonia whose mission it is to spread the language and culture on an international scale. One of these is the Consortium for Language Normalization, a program which aims to help foreigners that have recently moved to Catalonia learn the Language(Mari 2).   The people of Catalonia have long been in a struggle to make their voices heard on a national and international level and believe they have not been fairly represented by Spanish rule.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The third and final reason Catalan’s wish to separate from Spain is that they are one of the wealthiest regions in Spain and believe they are not fairly compensated for the amount of money they generate for the country. Catalonia is known to be one of the wealthiest and advanced regions of Spain accounting for nearly thirty percent of Spanish exports and although its GDP per capita is slightly below average compared with other nations in the European Union, it is still about twenty percent higher than the rest of Spain (Alexopoulos). It is also estimated that Catalonia makes up for around twenty percent of Spain’s total GDP (Goodman), a contribution that would be sorely missed by the Spanish Government. Catalonia’s most popular export locations are too surrounding countries in the EU including Portugal, Germany, France, and Italy. There is also a large amount of products that are imported to the rest of the country which would make Spain one of Catalonia’s main importers if they succeed in independence. In recent years, Catalonia has grown its export rate by more than Germany, France, and the Netherlands, and in the technology sector saw an increase in exports of about 9% (Wharton University of Pennsylvania). Catalonia also asserts that it pays more in taxes to the central government of Spain than it receives back in spending on infrastructure and its citizens. Those pushing for independence say that Catalonia would be better off in the long run if it kept the money that is currently being sent to the Central Government and instead spent it themselves and provide its people with the necessary social and security services. Furthermore, a study performed by the Universit y of Edinburgh claims that independence could shift the competition for firms within Catalonia. If Catalonia were to become independent, firms would be protected from direct competition with Spain and those that would normally be pushed out of the market may be able to survive and thrive (Comerford). Although some experts believe an independent Catalonia is fiscally possible, there are many consequences that will be difficult to overcome for the people. Currently, the central government of Spain located in Madrid is opposed to any sort of independence and claims that Catalonia already has more autonomy than most places in Europe. The region is the only one in Spain that operates its own police force and also has a reasonable amount of control over other factors such as culture, transportation, education, and health (Goodman).   In recent years however the people of Catalonia have grown restless and are pushing harder and harder to gain independence. In 2006 the central government of Spain and the Catalan authorities agreed to transfer more power to the region, a move which was agreed upon by the Spanish National Parliament. In 2008, however, Spain entered an economic crisis during which many Catalan’s believe their wealth would be better served if it was only supporting the people of Catalonia and not the rest of Spain. In 2010 the constitutional court of Spain moved to strike dow key parts from the 2006 agreement stirring up the independence movement and causing over 1 million people to take to the streets of Barcelona in protest. This sparked pro-independence parties to win the regional elections. On November 9th, 2014 Catalonia held a referendum for independence, they later scrap the plan saying the vote was just an opportunity for Catalan’s voice their opinions regarding independence. Although less than half of all registered voters ended up casting ballots, more than 80 percent were in favor of secession which the national government dismissed as propaganda. In the fall of 2015 Catalonia’s pro-independence party won the majority of the regional seats and draft a pro-independence resolution. Later this same year, Spain’s constitutional court rules the resolution to be unconstitutional. In 2017 the fight for independence heats up as the national government bans the former Catalan president Artur Mas from holding any sort of public office, this coming two years after the 2014 vote. In June of 2017 Catalan President Carlos Puigdemont sets the date for a new independence vote stating that a new republic will be formed within 48 hours if a pro-independence vote wins regardless of voter turnout. One September 7th, about one month before the vote is set to happen, Spain’s constitutional court rejects the ballot following a challenge from the central government. Later that same month about a dozen Catalan leaders were arrested for organizing the referendum. Police also capture around 10 million ballot papers and the Constitutional Court of Spain tells Catalonia it will fine the electoral board daily for disobeying the court orders. On September 29th Spanish government pledges to block the referendum while Catalan leaders reaffirm their position to proceed forward with it. Protesters occupy schools to be used for voting while police tell them to either leave by the following morning, October 1st,   day of the vote,   or face the consequences. The following day, hundreds of people are injured as national police close in on polling locations but defiant Catalan voters still manage to cast their ballots. On October 3rd Spanish King, Felipe VI, accuse secessionists of tearing apart Spain but hours later Puigdemont responds claiming Catalonia will declare independence once all votes have been counted. Puigdemont does not make a formal declaration and instead enters into talks with Spanish central government. At this point Spain takes control of Catalonia and dissolves its political autonomy, firing the elected government and forcing an entirely new election. On October 27th Catalonia moves to declare independence from Spain in defiance of the central government. The move is seen as mostly symbolic as neither Spain or the international community is likely to view Catalonia as its own nation. Since the vote, Spain has taken complete control over Catalonia and has also arrested and jailed nine former Catalan separatists on charges of rebellion. It wasn’t until March 25th, 2018, however, that Puigdemont was arrested in Germany after an international warrant for his arrest was made. He will be charged with rebellion and sedition and embezzlement. In my opinion, Catalan should remain a part of Spain not only as a benefit to the rest of Spain but as a benefit to the people of Catalonia themselves. The economic consequences of leaving Spain will tear Catalonia apart. The first reason for this is that Catalonia will lose its EU status as well as all the protections that come with it. The EU has already made it clear that it will not accept an independent Catalonia and if Catalonia wishes to continue trading with member other members of the EU they will face trade tariffs that are not currently present. Furthermore it is expected that businesses headquartered in the region would be forced to move since they would no longer be able to benefit from the policies of the EU. One such example is the EU has eliminated all import/export duties between its members. There are no trade barriers and workers are free to move around without restriction. These policies are in place to promote a unitary marketplace where capital is free to move b etween states (Moussis n.pag). All Catalan companies would automatically lose these freedoms and may would most likely choose to relocate. Another economic consequence is trade with the rest of Spain. In other secessionist movements, such as Czech and the Slovak Republics or Slovenia and Croatia, it was noted that trade fell between the freshly separated nations by about 33 percent to 66 percent in the first few years after seperation (Alexopoulos). Catalan exports to the rest of Spain make up for nearly 36% of exports from Catalonia and if the past trend continues, which it has no reason not to considering the tension between the two, it can be expected that Catalonia will instantly lose a large segment of its export market. If trade falls and businesses decide to leave, unemployment rates will skyrocket and people in the area will suffer one firm, Credit Suisse, estimates that secession would cause the Catalan GDP to fall by roughly 20 percent which would greatly reduce the per capita income (Alexopoulos). Although I understand the plight of the Catalan people who wish to have their culture respected, I believe there is room in Spain for multiple cultures to thrive and flourish. The central government of Spain does not wish to destroy the Catalan culture but rather to protect the people living in the region from making emotionally charged decisions without first weighing all of the negative consequences. Catalonia is a region of Spain full of culture and tradition. They speak their own language, celebrate different holidays, and choose their own rulers. For many years throughout history Spanish rulers were not kind to the people of Catalonia attempting to suppress their culture in an attempt to create a unified Spain. What these rulers did not understand is that one of the reasons Spain is such a beautiful country is that it has such a diverse background. In recent years, however, this has not been the case and Catalonia has had political autonomy and freedom to practice their own traditions. For a large group of Catalans this freedom is simply not enough and they wish to become an independent nation. In the past few years the central government of Spain has blocked these moves citing the constitution and more recently has even taken away the political freedom Catalonia once had. While I understand the plight of the Catalan people who wish to have their culture respected by becoming its own nation, the decision is emotionally driven and the economic consequences would be to great for the nation to bear.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   References Generalitat de Catalunya. Catalonia. n.pag. Web. 21 February 2014 . http://web.gencat.cat/en Miley, Dr. Thomas Jeffrey. The Constitutional Politics of Language Policy in Catalonia, Spain. Adalahs Newsletter. October 2006. p 1-2. Web. 20 February 2014 . https://books.google.com/books?id=S6Ie_HYgjUwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=general+francisco+franco+catalonia&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjP6K_Xt97aAhUBr4MKHaFjDckQ6AEINDAC#v=onepage&q=catalonia&f=false Barcelonas Languages. Barcelona.de. n.pag. Web. 21 October 2013   Barcelona.de Mari, Bernat Joan I. The Cornerstones of Language Policy in Catalonia. Language Policy at the Government of Catalonia. p 1-2. Web. 20 February 2014 . Alexopoulos, Yiagos, et al. Catalonias Choice. Credit Suisse. 19 November 2012. p 2-11. Web. 24 February 2014 . Goodman, Al. Catalans to Link Up in Human Chain Today in their Call for Secession. CNN. 11 September 2013. n.pag. Web. 18 October 2013 Wharton University of Pennsylvania. Is Secession the Answer? The Case of Catalonia, Flanders and Scotland. 2 December 2013. n.pag. Web. 25 February 2014   Comerford, David, Nicholas Myers, and Jose V. Rodriguez Mora. â€Å"Measuring Costs and Benefits of Independence.† University of Edinburgh. 9 October 2012. p 15-20. Print. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/catalonia-s-bid-independence-spain-timeline-developments-n815091 Moussis, Nicholas. The EU Common Market. n.pag. Web. 27 February 2014  

Eating Disorders in Males Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Eating Disorders in Males Eating disorders are largely considered to be a "female disease". Statistics seem to validate this perception – of the estimated five million-plus adults in the United States who have an eating disorder, only ten percent are thought to be male ((1)). Many professionals, however, hold the opinion that these numbers are incorrect – it is impossible to base the statistics on anything other than the number of adults diagnosed with eating disorders, and men are much less likely than women to seek help for such a problem ((2)). This means that the male population probably suffers more from eating disorders than the numbers show. The fact that the number of men who suffer from eating disorders is larger than most people think, and the fact that most people do not consider men to be susceptible to eating disorders at all, raise the question of whether or not we treat men who may have an eating disorder the same way we treat women. Simply put, this knowledge begs the question: is it more dangerous to be a man with an eating disorder than it is to be a woman with one? For quite some time, there was a great deal of debate within the medical community as to whether or not men develop eating disorders for the same reasons that women do ((2)). Since very few men are willing to participate in treatment and study programs for people suffering from eating disorders, there was little way of knowing what psychological factors triggered disordered eating in males. A study published in the April 2001 issue of an APA journal, which looked at men with eating disorders and compared them to women with eating disorders and men without eating disorders, found that "men are generally very similar to women in terms of co... ... them on the early signs of an eating disorder in their child. It is also important that doctors be aware of the possibility that one of their male patients may have an eating disorder, and that they treat any of the symptoms that would lead them to believe a female patient had an eating disorder just as seriously when those symptoms occur in a male patient. By working to erode the assumption that eating disorders are fundamentally un-masculine, we assure that men feel able to seek the same help that as women. Internet Sources: 1) http://www.jsonline.com/alive/news/aug00/eat14081300.asp 2) http://www.medem.com/search/article_display.cfm?path=\\TANQUERAY\M_ContentItem&mstr=/M_ContentItem/ZZZ0626R6LC.html&soc=APA&srch_typ=NAV_SERCH 3) http://www.something-fishy.org/cultural/issuesformen.php 4) http://mentalhealth.about.com/library/sci/0401/blbul401.htm

The Beasts and Monsters in Dantes Inferno Essay example -- Divine Com

The Inferno is the first section of Dante's three-part poem, The Divine Comedy. Throughout Dante's epic journey into the depths of Inferno he encounters thirty monsters and five hybrid creatures.   The most significant of these monsters are of central importance to his journey and to the narrative, as they not only challenge Dante's presence in Inferno, but are custodians of Hell, keeping in order or guarding the "perduta gente".   In this essay I am concentrating on these prominent beasts, namely Minos, Cerberus, Plutus and Geryon, establishing why they feature in Dante's eschatological vision and discussing the sources which influenced his inclusion of these particular creatures. These four monsters all fulfil important functions as well as representing important themes in Inferno, establishing them as symbols which reinforce Dante's allegory. Minos, as the infernal judge and agent of God's justice, represents our own conscience and morality.   When the sinners come before him "tutta si confessa", which causes the reader to reflect on their own sins.His terrifying treatment of the souls is significant as after Charon, he is one of the first figures who they encounter on their passage into Hell, and his unique method of demonstrating which area of Hell that the souls should be sent to increases the horror and adds to the alarming atmosphere. His warning to Dante, is similar to several of the infernal custodians, who continually remind him that he should not be in the Otherworld, tu che vieni al doloroso ospizio, guarda com'entri e di cui tu ti fide non t'inganni l'ampiezza de l'intrare (1) However, Cerberus's reaction to Dante is one of obvious malice and vice, and rather than comment on his presence he... ...s Minos's warning to Dante and his unusual illustration of how the sinners are judged.   The monsters also form strategic narrative devices, as their confrontations with Dante and Virgil continue the pattern of incident and movement in the text, adding variety and tension. The beasts form an inherent and essential part of the narrative because of the excitement and terror that they add to Dante and Virgil's journey, as well as reinforcing Dante's classification of sin.   They also illustrate the traditional motifs of Otherworld visions, whilst simultaneously expanding and developing previous representations of the afterlife in order to form original and exciting creations.   This shows the importance Dante placed on the inclusion of these beasts as they not only express the influence of other works on Inferno, but also his own spectacular creativity and fantasy.

Fact Verses Fiction in OBriens The Things They Carried Essay

Fact Verses Fiction in O'Brien's The Things They Carried "The difference between fairy tales and war stories is that fairy tales begin with 'Once upon a time,' while war stories begin with 'Shit, I was there!'" (Lomperis 41). How does one tell a good war story? Is it important to be accurate to the events that took place? Does the reader need to trust the narrator? In The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien examines what it takes to tell a good war story. He uses his own experiences in Vietnam in conjunction with his imagination to weave together a series of short stories into a novel. First, the reader must understand just what makes a good "war story". The protagonist of the novel, Tim O'Brien, gives us his interpretation of it in the chapter "How to Tell a True War Story". A true war story is never moral. It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggest models of proper human behavior, nor restrain men from doing the things men have always done. If a story seems moral, do not believe it. If at the end of a war story you feel uplifted, or if you feel that some small bit if rectitude has been salvaged from the larger waste, then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie. There is no rectitude whatsoever. There is no virtue. As a first rule of thumb, therefore, you can tell a true war story by its absolute and uncompromising allegiance to obscenity and evil (O'Brien 68-69). With this concept, we can assess and place value on the stories presented in The Things They Carried. Yet, it is still not that simple. The reader is continually challenged to question what is real and what is imagined. The evaluation of each narrator is constant. While the protagonist continues to remind the ... ...y matter if they're true stories (Lomperis 54). Works Cited Bonn, Maria S. "Can Stories Save Us? Tim O'Brien and the efficacy of the text (The Vietnam War)." CRITIQUE: Studies in Contemporary Fiction 36.1 (Fall 1994); 2-16. Calloway, Catherine. "How to tell a true war story: Metafiction in 'The Things They Carried'." CRITIQUE: Studies in Contemporary Fiction 36.4 (Summer 1995); 249-258. Kaplan, Steven. "The Undying Uncertainty of the Narrator in Tim O'Brien's 'The Things They Carried'." CRITIQUE: Studies in Contemporary Fiction 35.1 (Fall 1993); 43-53. Lomperis, Timothy J. "Reading the Wind" The Literature of the Vietnam War . Durham: Duke UP, 1987. Neilson, Jim. Warring Fictions: American Literary Culture and the Vietnam War Narrative. Jackson: Mississippi UP, 1998 O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried . New York: Broadway, 1990.

Amish Birthing Paper

The religious and cultural beliefs of the Amish, have led to variations in health care practices that are different from main stream American culture. The Amish believe in simple lifestyles and being â€Å"separate from the world,† this is hallmark for the Amish. They don't use modern conveniences that we do, such as electricity, computers, cars, and phones. They travel by horse and buggy, and grow their own gardens and raise their own cattle for food/milk. Their days are filled with hard work and simple pleasures. Babies are a welcomed gift in the Amish culture and are viewed as a blessing rom God. They believe the # of children they have should be left in God's hands, this is why it's forbidden to use birth control, because it would interfere with God's will. Amish families tend to be large; 6-10 kids is common, and occasionally there are families with up to 20 children born to one mother. When a woman gets pregnant; therapeutic abortions, amniocentesis, and other invasive prenatal diagnostic testing (that some of us may use) is not acceptable. They are happy â€Å"to take what God gives them. † The Amish usually have homebirths or give birth at birthing centers with a midwife. The only time they do hospital births, is when there is risk to the mother or the child. At the hospitals, routine interventions of labor and delivery are not used. IVs are available, but optional. Fetal heart rate monitoring is done intermittently by doppler. Amish women usually labor quietly while husbands support them by rubbing their backs, cooling them with hand fans, and holding their hands. Labor tends to be shorter than average and happen peacefully with controlled pushing. Most mothers breastfeed and are anxious to feed the baby after elivery, but some produce no breastmilk at first, because of the huge workload and stress of a large family, and can't feed the baby until the next day. So in the mean time, they give the baby things like jello water or watermelon seed tea, which is supposed to be good for preventing jaundice. Also, they usually don't pick out names before the delivery; they wait and see â€Å"who the baby looks like† before they name him/her. Amish folk wisdom is also an integral part of their prenatal practices, such as walking under a clothes line will result in still birth, or crawling through a window or nder a table will cause the umbilical cord to be wrapped around the baby's neck. Complications such as pregnancy-induced HTN and diabetes (which is higher in Americans) is low in the Amish culture, most likely due to the well-nourished state of the mom, because she eats home-cooked and self-preserved foods (instead of fast food, which is convenient for us. The greatest risk factor for the pregnant women is development of painful varicose veins because of all the heavy work they do. In preparing for the childbirth process, a 5 week formula is sometimes used in the ast 5 weeks of pregnancy to tone and calm the uterus, quiet the nerves, ease pain, and help make labor easier and on time. This formula has also been known to help with menstrual disorders, morning sickness, and hot flashes. It has been passed down from one generation to the next. This formula consists of 5 herbs including: 1.  Red Rasberry leaves: relieves nausea and pain in labor. 2. Butcher's Broom Root: this herb is used for hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and thrombosis. 3. Black Cohosh Root: relieves spastic muscles, dilates peripheral blood vessels, and helps reduce B/P. These actions help the terus and other muscles during labor. 4. Dong Quai Root: it is an anti-inflammatory and diuretic effect and helps to treat swelling prior to labor. During labor it eases smooth muscle contractions and gives a general sedative effect. 5.  Squaw Vine Root: Used to prepare the uterus for childbirth and speed up delivery and encourage regular contractions. It has an antispasmodic action. (This is about the only pain relief/ medications that they use to help with pregnancy/delivery, besides maybe Tylenol. ) A person's life philosophy and religious views profoundly impact the childbirth and parenting experience. Having a positive attitude toward the birthing process, a healthy lifestyle, and adequate support makes childbirth a better experience for the patient. Some nursing interventions that could be used; since varicose veins are the greatest complication for pregnant Amish women (from all of their house work and laundry they do), I would remind her that she should take frequent rest periods from standing and elevate her legs. Maybe if she has older children, they could do some of the house work while mom rests. I would remind her that medication is available for pain relief if she chooses to accept it. I would provide her and her family a warm and comfortable environment, to make them feel at home. I would also encourage the family to bring in home-cooked meals to help her and her husband feel at home. After delivery, if the mother started to feel too tired, and needed some rest I would care for the baby for short periods of time, and help with diaper changes and baths. As I mentioned before, the mother sometimes can't lactate at first and isn't able to feed the baby, so as a nurse I would offer bottles of formula to her so she could feed the baby until shes able to produce er own breastmilk (whether she accepted it or not would be up to her and her husband). The only time an Amish woman gets to rest is right after she has the baby, so the families usually have a â€Å"helper† around for 6 weeks to care for the other children, clean, cook, and do laundry. So before the family leaves the hospital/birthing center, I would make sure they had someone lined up to help them out for at least 6 weeks after birth. I would also make sure she, as well as the family, understands instructions and reasons why interventions are offered.

Understanding Nourishes Belonging

Understanding nourishes belonging. A lack of understanding prevents it. Belonging is not a solo act. For belonging to exist there must be some facilitation on the sides of two separate parties. Belonging hinges on how these parties create an understanding of each other. Many of Emily Dickinson’s poems reflected the difficulty which she experienced upon attempting to forge a connection with her society.Her personas in â€Å"My Letter to the World† and â€Å"I had been hungry all the years† both initially struggle with belonging to their society, and resolve these issues through establishing a sense of understanding; the former with her peers and the latter with herself. Similarly, the titular character in Shaun Tan’s acclaimed picture book, â€Å"The Lost Thing† finds itself alienated in a world that is dismissive of things it cannot understand. This lack of understanding stems from the society’s inability to reconcile with that which is diffe rent, and the â€Å"Lost Thing† ultimately must journey to a sanctuary where it is understood and accepted.The composers of each text underscore their ideas using powerful imagery, with symbols and metaphors common features of all three. Understanding facilitates the development of belonging, and this cannot occur unless individuals go out of their way to forge connections with the larger world. The persona in Dickinson’s â€Å"My Letter to the World† attempts to do this on a massive scale, addressing her â€Å"letter† – a metonymy for her entire body of work – to a world that is dismissive of her. The persona makes it clear that she is writing to a society that â€Å"never wrote to me†, which suggests feelings of isolation.These feelings are turned around upon the establishment of a connection with the persona’s countrymen based on the persona’s love of nature, which is personified and described here with a regal and ma jestic beauty. It is due to this love that she allows herself to ask them to â€Å"judge kindly of her†. The persona’s adoration of Nature is expressed clearly through the ardent description of â€Å"Her† in the fourth line. The juxtaposition of the words, â€Å"tender† and â€Å"majesty† is striking, and impresses upon readers a sense of both nature’s gentle beauty and its powerful reign throughout the world.Nature is a commonality between the persona and the society from which she feels alienated; thus, by penning this letter and reaching out, the persona discovers a way of belonging in her society facilitated by an understanding based on their mutual respect for nature. In another of Dickinson’s poems, she addresses the possibility that by pursuing an understanding of belonging, an individual can come to experience that feeling within their own self. The persona of â€Å"I had been hungry† expresses a hunger that has spanned years, a hunger symbolising the innate human need for belonging.Dickinson employs imagery associated with food and eating throughout the poem, in keeping with this extended metaphor. The persona is given the opportunity to â€Å"sample the plenty†. The persona’s hesitance and apprehension in doing so are evident, as she â€Å"trembling drew the table near†. The persona is bewildered by the â€Å"curious wine† and comes to discover that this particular type of belonging isn’t for her. This discovery is emphasised in the metaphor in the second stanza, â€Å"Like berry of a mountain bush/Transplanted to the road†.The juxtaposition of the berry, a thing of nature, and the man-made road signifies the jarring feeling the persona is experiencing. In the end, the persona finds that, â€Å"the entering takes away†. By engaging with the possibility of belonging, much like their counterpart in â€Å"My Letter to the World†, the persona c onversely finds that it isn’t for her, and instead comes to the understanding that she was more comfortable in her own place. Lack of understanding, especially of things that are foreign to us, and how it acts as a barrier to belonging is a theme explored extensively in Shaun Tan’s â€Å"The Lost Thing†.A boy discovers a creature and takes it on a journey through the industrialised conglomerate that takes no heed of it. The â€Å"Lost Thing† is first discovered on a beach; its striking red shade and natural-looking shape instantly convey to the reader how out of place it is in respect to its rather colourless, angular surroundings. The confusion and uncertainty that the people who notice the â€Å"Thing† are epitomised in the narrator’s lines â€Å"It just sat there, looking out of place. I was baffled. † In the end, their search for the â€Å"Lost Thing’s† place, take them to a bizarre place, where all sorts of lost thi ngs have gathered.Far away from the wider society’s inability to comprehend the â€Å"Lost Thing’s† existence, here it can assimilate into a world where its features are far less likely to warrant particular notice. Throughout the book, a recurring visual motif appears in the form of a white, wavy arrow. It initially evades notice – much like the â€Å"Lost Thing† in its society – up until it becomes relevant to the story as a marker leading the two main characters to the world that the â€Å"Lost Thing† eventually finds a home in.Much like Dickinson’s persona’s, it is by making the attempt to find a place of belonging that the â€Å"Lost Thing† is able to navigate past a society that does not understand it into one that does. Society’s perceived indifference and its associated unwillingness or inability to understand play an integral role in the â€Å"My Letter to the World† persona’s percept ion of belonging. Whether this perception is the reality is not made clear; however, by playing on the insecurities of the persona this perception exacerbates her inability to belong.The persona makes it clear that she is alienated by the wider world through the line, â€Å"Her message is committed/To hands I cannot see†. As she is not privy to the contents of this letter, she is therefore not part of this understanding that is shared by the wider community. The idea that this is passed by hands that she cannot see is also significant; it gives the connotation that there is a barrier between the persona and the rest of the world, and until she bridges this barrier and shares in the understanding, she cannot belong.Through â€Å"My Letter to the World†, Dickinson expresses the idea that understanding is perhaps the key to belonging between individuals and groups. Similarly, in â€Å"The Lost Thing†, a lack of understanding gives way to the absence of belonging, a nd a desire on the part of the wider society to get rid of that which the misunderstanding originates from. The society of Tan’s book is unable to connect and interact with the objects they cannot accept into the drab surroundings of their day to day life.The society’s misguided attempts to categorise everything in their world is embodied in the â€Å"Federal Department of Odds and Ends†. Tan parodies government mottos by inventing one for his invented federal department, â€Å"sweepus underum carpetae†. The pseudo Latin suggests that the Department’s purpose is nothing more than to â€Å"sweep things under the rug†. An imperative, â€Å"Don’t Panic†, follows the question â€Å"finding that the order of day-to-day life is unexpectedly interrupted? on the Department’s advertisement, and is indicative of the entire society’s attitude to things that seem out of place. The Lost Thing’s invisibility in its soci ety is highlighted by the small size with which it is depicted against the cityscape. On one of the last pages, Tan poses a series of illustrations in which it appears as though the view is panning out from a tram to a view of several, then of hundreds; this impresses upon readers how easy it is to go unnoticed in the face of society’s lack of care and understanding.An understanding thus cannot be reached between the Lost Thing and its environment, prompting its search for one where this is possible. An understanding between individuals and groups is imperative to a sense of belonging. Both Dickinson’s poems and Tan’s picture book detail the struggles to belong that can transpire from a lack of understanding and also depict the happy reality that results from newfound understanding.