Movie Analysis Hotel Rwanda - 1519 Words

The based on a true story trademark of the film Hotel Rwanda has implications for genocidal memory, post genocidal peace and reconciliation, and the promotion of heroism amid the udder chaos that engulfed the country. The film ultimately illustrates an oversimplified, ideologically driven version of the 1994 massacre. It emphasizes the role of a Hollywood hero, rather than the deeply rooted and complex factors at the center of the violence, leading to popular opinion of the Hutu population as barbaric and uncivilized and the Tutsi as innocent liberators. The film is historically accurate with respect to its representation of the physical similarities between both populations, as well as its depiction of the Hutu and Tutsi living in harmony prior to the assassination of the Rwandan president. Despite these accuracies, Hotel Rwanda fails to capture the true matrix of economic, political and historical mechanisms capable of motivating acts of violence of this stature. Furthermore, the f ilm utterly discounts the role played by Belgian imperialism in transforming the societal makeup of Rwanda. Instead the film maintains a violent aesthetic, emphasizing the brutality of the conflict in order to appeal to a wider audience. There is no doubt that Hotel Rwanda has contributed to the global awareness of the three-month massacre that killed roughly one million people . At the same time, the film is lacking with regards to the accuracy of details about Rwandan history. This lackShow MoreRelatedMovie Analysis of Hotel Rwanda2245 Words   |  9 PagesHotel Rwanda, released in December of 2004, is based on the true story on the life of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager of Hotel des Mille Collines, who saved the lives of 1,268 people in the face of genocide. This movie is based on the true events of the Rwandan Genocide in 1994 that occurred in Kigali, the capital and largest city of Rwanda in Africa. 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Maria Kizito is a play that focuses mainly on the trial of a catholic nun, Maria Kizito, who was charged and found guilty of promoting and facilitating the murder of seven thousand refugees who sought shelter from Hutu extremist at a local convent (Kizito 178). Whereas Hotel Rwanda focuses on the life of Paul RusesabaginaRead More Hotel Rwanda Essay example1565 Words   |  7 Pagessearch of inspiration, and I found it on the mediate.com website. Robert Benjamin’s article â€Å"Hotel Rwanda and the Guerrilla Negotiator† definitely caught my eye†¦particularly since I had checked the DVD out from the library last Friday but hadn’t yet watched it. Benjamin’s article piqued my interest enough to do some additional research on Rwanda, and passion was born. While a colony of Belgium, Rwanda was separated into two tribal groups which many say was based on physical characteristics suchRead MoreIdentity of African American Men2442 Words   |  10 Pagesmen in the media reproduces and popularizes long-standing myths about biological and intellectual differences between blacks and whites (Watkins  ¶15). Further analysis of Watkins’ article indicated that when African Americans are portrayed in television news it is generally in aggressive, violent, or criminal roles. Also, a recent analysis of the film industry asserts that blacks tend to be restricted to low budget features that focus disproportionately on crime, violence, and youth delinquencyRead More`` Night `` By Elie Wiesel1618 Words   |  7 Pagessuch as movies, songs, statistical reports, poems, and books. The implicit messages from each genre hints towards its situation at which it was written. The connection between the wars and genres will reveal the consequences of war. 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Succubus Revealed Chapter 5 Free Essays

string(129) " of your witticisms when you’re gone, but one thing I won’t miss\? Your overwhelming sense of melodrama and despair\." I’d been bracing myself for â€Å"Cleveland† or â€Å"Guam.† I was too much of a pessimist to think I might be offered something even moderately appealing. If I was already going through the trauma of leaving Seattle, then surely it would be for somewhere terrible. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Revealed Chapter 5 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Did you say Las Vegas?† I asked, sinking down onto my couch. Immediately, I guessed the catch. â€Å"Ah. It’s not Las Vegas, Nevada, right? It’s a different Las Vegas. New Mexico ? Or some other continent?† â€Å"Sorry to disappoint you and your martyr fantasies, Georgie.† Jerome lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. â€Å"It’s Las Vegas, Nevada. I think you even know the archdemon there – Luis. Isn’t he a friend of yours?† I blinked. â€Å"Luis? Yeah. I mean, in as much as an archdemon can be.† That got a small smile from Jerome, though I only barely noticed. I had worked for Luis a long time ago, and if I had to be honest, he was probably my favorite boss of all time. That wasn’t to say Jerome was a terrible one, but Luis – while strict – still had an easy way about him that could sometimes make you forget you were damned for all eternity. â€Å"So . . . my orders are to go to Las Vegas and work for Luis.† â€Å"Yes,† said Jerome. I looked back at him from where I’d been staring vacantly out the window. â€Å"Is there any way to change that? To stop it? Isn’t there anything I can do to just stay here? And are you sure it’s not a mistake – what with the delivery mix-up?† Jerome’s dark eyebrows rose. It was one of those rare moments when he’d been caught off-guard enough to display surprise. â€Å"You don’t want to go? I mean, I’m flattered you’d want to stay under my rule, but I’d think you would be pleased with this situation. Las Vegas is perfect for a half-ass succubus like you.† I ignored the jab – though he had a point. Las Vegas was such a breeding ground for sin and salvation that it was nearly packed to bursting with servants of both Heaven and Hell. It probably had one of the highest concentrations of succubi in the world, meaning it was easy to slide by with quotas. Here, I was the only succubus, so my number of corrupted souls was scrutinized heavily. In Las Vegas, there’d be plenty of go-getter succubi to cover for slackers like me. â€Å"It’s not about you,† I said slowly. â€Å"It’s about . . . Seth.† Jerome sighed loudly and stamped out his cigarette on my coffee table. I supposed I should be glad it wasn’t my couch or carpet. â€Å"Of course it is. Because in the grand scheme of the universe, your boyfriend is important enough to make Hell’s HR change their minds about a re-org. Come on, Georgie. How naive are you? How many transfers have you had over the years? Or perhaps I should ask, how many transfers do you know of that were cancelled because someone ‘didn’t feel like it’?† â€Å"None,† I admitted. At most, Hell would take unhappy employees into account and move them out of places they weren’t being productive. I had requested transfers before and gotten a couple of them. But once HR made up its mind? That was it. The cold truth of this, that it wasn’t a mistake and that I couldn’t stop it, was beginning to wrap around me. I tried to make sense of it another way. â€Å"But why? Why did they decide to this? I’ve been a good employee. . . .† Yet, even as I spoke, I grew uncertain. Jerome looked at me knowingly. â€Å"Have you?† â€Å"I haven’t been a bad employee,† I amended. â€Å"Not exactly.† â€Å"This isn’t a game. We don’t want mediocre employees who can keep the status quo. We want souls. We want to win. And you’ve spent most of your time here being mediocre. Don’t glare at me like that. You know I’m right. You’ve had fits and starts of productivity, the most notable being when you were under duress. Even that’s been inconsistent.† I’d made a bargain with Jerome a year ago, in which I’d behaved like a model succubus for a while. After I’d helped rescue him from summoning, there’d been an unspoken acceptance of me slacking off once again without getting any grief from him. â€Å"If you’d thrived here and turned over large amounts of souls, I doubt you’d be leaving. So, if you’re looking for someone to blame, look in the mirror.† â€Å"You sure sound smug about this,† I pointed out petulantly. â€Å"Like you’re happy about it.† â€Å"Happy? Happy about the gamble of getting a new employee – or of inheriting Tawny permanently? Hardly. But unlike you, I accept that my happiness means nothing to my superiors. The only thing that matters is me following their orders.† His tone and expression clearly said that the same was true for me. I almost never held back from sparring with Jerome, but today I did. Why? Because there was nothing I could say, no bargain I could make with him. I’d negotiated a number of favors and allowances in my years with him, things specifically pertaining to my existence here within Seattle. That was his domain. But the rest of the world? That was out of his control. There was nothing he could do to change this reassignment, even if he wanted to. There was nothing I could do either. You just couldn’t fight against some things. Hell was one of them. When I’d signed my soul away, I’d signed away control of my eternity to them as well. â€Å"It’s not fair.† Guessing Jerome’s snappy retort, I quickly added, â€Å"I know, you don’t have to say it. Life isn’t fair. I get it. But it’s just . . . it’s just cruel. Seth and I finally managed a working relationship. And now I have to leave him.† Jerome shook his head, and I could tell by his restless stance that he was ready to go. His patience with this conversation was running thin. â€Å"You know, I might miss some of your witticisms when you’re gone, but one thing I won’t miss? Your overwhelming sense of melodrama and despair. You read "Succubus Revealed Chapter 5" in category "Essay examples" It’s too much even for me.† The sorrow and self-pity within me transformed to anger. â€Å"I’m sorry, but this is serious to me! How can I not be upset? I love Seth. I don’t want to leave him.† â€Å"So don’t. Take him with you. Or date long distance. I honestly don’t give a fuck, so long as you stop your whining. How can you not see solutions here? You’ve apparently decided that you being immortal isn’t a deterrent to your great love . . . but a two-hour plane ride is?† I felt kind of cowed. Normally, I resented Jerome for mocking me when I was upset because I blamed it on his lack of empathy. But now, I had to admit that maybe he was onto something about me being overly melodramatic. Why couldn’t I take Seth with me? If Seth really loved me, a move shouldn’t be a problem. And of all the jobs in the world, he had one of the best suited for a change of venue. Unfortunately, it was a bit more complicated than that. I sighed. â€Å"I don’t know if he would. His family’s here, and his sister-in-law’s sick. He can’t leave them anytime soon. . . .† Jerome shrugged. â€Å"We’re back to the part where I don’t give a fuck. I do, however, care that you go there to visit sooner rather than later. Luis asked if I’d send you down in advance to scope out the area for a couple of days. Seeing as bowling practice doesn’t start until Monday, I can’t help but think this weekend would be an excellent time to get that out of the way. I’m happy to oblige him – but not at the cost of interfering with my team.† â€Å"Really?† I scoffed. â€Å"You expect me to care about bowling in light of all this?† He gave me a thin-lipped smile. â€Å"Seeing as you’re still my employee for the next four weeks, yes. I expect you to care about it immensely.† He glanced over at Roman, who had observed all of this silently. â€Å"And I expect you to come up with an excellent training regimen for them. I’ll see you both then.† Jerome vanished in a poof of smoke, further verifying how self-satisfied he felt about all of this. Losing me might be inconvenient for him, but I think his demon nature still took some delight in seeing the torment of others. I covered my eyes and rolled over to lie flat on the couch. â€Å"Oh God. What am I going to do? This can’t be happening.† Breaking up with Seth last year had torn my heart apart. I had wanted to die. Being reunited with him had felt like being born anew. I’d loved life, even my damned one. Now I was starting to feel that terrible, aching desperation again. It wasn’t possible that someone could go through so many extreme ups and downs in so short a time span. Welcome to being in love, I thought. I felt Roman sit down by my feet. A moment later, both cats joined us. I uncovered my eyes and found his sea green ones staring down at me. â€Å"He wasn’t exactly tactful, but I have to admit he had a point. Why wouldn’t Seth just move with you?† â€Å"Under normal circumstances . . .† I had to pause in order to not start laughing. Our circumstances were never normal. â€Å"Under normal circumstances, he would. But like I was saying, with Andrea, I don’t even think he can. And honestly, I wouldn’t want him to.† I didn’t realize that was true until I spoke the words. If Seth dropped everything to run off with me, he would be hurting both himself and his family for my sake. I could never allow that. My heart sank. â€Å"I can’t believe this. How could this have come about so quickly? I was so happy.† Roman scratched Aubrey’s head and leaned back. â€Å"That’s an excellent question. This was all kind of sudden. Is that how it normally is?† â€Å"Well, I mean, we never get much warning of transfers. Sometimes you know a re-org is coming. Sometimes you get one after requesting a transfer. Usually, though, someone has a meeting, plans your fate, and you find out about it later. The only weird thing here was Jerome apparently having less notice than me.† Roman had been staring at the ceiling and then snapped his head back to look at me. I flinched under the intensity of his gaze. â€Å"Explain that again. What happened and what was unusual.† I started to tell him I’d just explained it but instead swallowed off any sharp retort, knowing he wasn’t the true source of my irritation. â€Å"Normally, your archdemon meets with you to tell you the details, and then the letter with the transfer date follows. This happened so fast that I got the letter before Jerome had a chance to talk to me.† â€Å"Hell doesn’t do things without a reason.† He reconsidered. â€Å"Well, impromptu bowling competitions aside. But they like their bureaucracy, their paperwork, and all their details in order. Even if they quickly decided to do a transfer, they’d still follow all their inane procedures. For the letter to have jumped ahead of Jerome getting his instructions, things must have been seriously expedited. The question: why? Why such a rush to get you out of Seattle?† I couldn’t help a smile. â€Å"You’re looking for a conspiracy here. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I think this sucks. It’s terrible. But I don’t think there’s anything more to it than what Jerome said about me skimping at my job. Which . . . well, which is my fault.† â€Å"Yes, but Hell deals with bad employees all the time. They go through reams of procedure to figure out the best way to deal with those people. Pop might be right that Hell can’t tolerate mediocre workers, but it’s not to the extent that they have to deal with it right that second. What’s so special about you that someone would suddenly decide to initiate a hasty transfer?† I appreciated that Roman was trying to help me, but I didn’t want to get caught up in what could easily become an obsessive quest for him. Nephilim had serious grudges with Heaven and Hell and were always looking for ways to challenge and thwart them. Roman himself had once gone on a killing spree of higher immortals. There was something in his nature that wanted there to be more than bad luck here, but I just wasn’t sure I believed there was. Carter’s words echoed in my head, no matter how much I tried to shrug them off: If there’s a reason, it’s because you’ve been doing something Hell doesn’t want you to do. â€Å"You should talk to Carter,† I muttered. â€Å"He’s certain there’s a reason too.† Seeing Roman’s expectant look, I halfheartedly tried to humor him. â€Å"I don’t know what it could be. Maybe because I got captured by Oneroi? Maybe they’re worried I’m unstable or something. Or that this isn’t a safe place for me.† Roman nodded along with my words. â€Å"That does make you special. However, if I was worried about an employee losing it, I’d want to keep them in a place where I knew they felt stable. I’m sure Hell knows you’re happy here, and if anything, they might think that experience bound you to Jerome more closely. They’d want to encourage that loyalty.† â€Å"Hell doesn’t need to encourage loyalty,† I told him. â€Å"All they care about is that I signed my soul over to them. That’s bigger than loyalty.† A startled look crossed his face. â€Å"That is all they care about. Georgina, when did this happen? Exactly when did this happen?† â€Å"Er, the letter?† There was a fanatic look in his eyes. No question. He was getting obsessed. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"This morning. It showed up at Seth’s. I sensed the courier and woke up to it.† â€Å"You were at Seth’s. What were you doing at the time? What were you doing just before then?† He’d stopped petting Aubrey, and she slithered toward me in a huff, seeking a more attentive audience. â€Å"Walk me backward from that point.† â€Å"Well, like I said, I was sleeping. Before that . . .† I winced, remembering getting into bed with Ian. â€Å"I met Seth’s mom and younger brother. Before that, I was at Peter’s fondue party. Before that, I was at the mall – â€Å" â€Å"Peter’s. Tell me about Peter’s. Did anything weird happen to you there?† I cut him a look. â€Å"It was a fondue party at a vampire’s. Everything about that is weird.† â€Å"I’m trying to help you!† There was a strained, agitated quality to his voice as he leaned toward me. â€Å"Just hold off on the jokes, okay? Think. What happened – to you specifically? What did you talk about? What did they say to you?† I was growing increasingly uncomfortable at his intensity. â€Å"They were teasing me about my job,† I said. â€Å"Jerome too?† â€Å"Of course. He said me being an elf was an embarrassment and that I should do something else.† A shocking thought hit me. â€Å"Roman . . . you don’t think Jerome requested the transfer, did you? Could he really be that upset with me? That embarrassed?† â€Å"I don’t know,† admitted Roman. He absentmindedly ran a hand through his curling dark hair. â€Å"It’s possible. Some of the weirdness might be explained away if Jerome was trying to hide that he initiated all this. But then, it’s not like any of your other friends are exactly normal. If something was going to embarrass Jerome enough to get rid of an employee, I kind of feel like there would have been a lot of other opportunities before you. Anything else come up?† â€Å"I asked them about – † I hesitated. The topic was still sensitive for me. It was hard to mention to Roman, and I could hardly believe I’d had the guts to bring it up to the gang that night. Roman caught my uncertainty and pounced. â€Å"What? What else? What did you ask them about?† I waited a few more moments and then decided to tell him. It couldn’t hurt, and besides, for all I knew, Roman had mentioned my name to Seth. â€Å"About a month ago, when we were in bed, Seth called me Letha when he was half-asleep. When I asked him how he knew that name, he couldn’t remember. He couldn’t even remember calling me that. So, I asked the group that night if any of them had told my name to Seth.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"And they all said no. Cody didn’t even know my name. I got berated for being melodramatic again, and the general consensus was that Seth had just overheard it from me or someone else and forgotten.† Roman was silent, which was almost more unnerving than him grilling me. I straightened up and nudged him. â€Å"Hey, you didn’t tell Seth, did you?† â€Å"Huh? No.† He frowned, caught up in his own thoughts. â€Å"What did Jerome think? Did he concur with that theory?† â€Å"Yes. He thought me bringing it up was a total waste of time and didn’t hesitate to tell me. He was so bored by it that he started talking about bowling instead.† â€Å"That’s when he told you about the bowling team? The bowling team that came out of nowhere?† â€Å"Yeah. . . .† Now I was frowning. It was clear that Roman’s thoughts were running off to a place I wasn’t at or able to follow. â€Å"Why? What are you thinking? Is this related somehow?† â€Å"I don’t know,† he said at last. He stood up and paced the living room a couple of times. â€Å"I need to think about this. I need to ask some questions. What are you going to do now?† I rose as well and stretched, suddenly feeling weary. â€Å"I need to talk to Seth. I have to tell him what happened. And I suppose . . .† I made a face. â€Å"If I do have to go to Las Vegas, this weekend is the time to do it.† â€Å"So you don’t miss bowling practice?† teased Roman. â€Å"That, and I have it off from work. Seth’s pretty tied up with his family in town, which makes it another good time to go. Although . . . it’d kind of be nice if he went with me. I mean, if he was going to think about moving, he could check it out too.† Yet, again, that worry returned to me: how could I ask Seth to abandon Terry and Andrea? â€Å"Actually,† said Roman, humor vanishing, â€Å"I think it’s best he doesn’t go.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Because whatever the reasons, something’s just not right about this. I don’t know what’s waiting for you in Las Vegas. Maybe nothing. But I just feel like there’s a larger hand in all of this, guiding it, and that it’s safest for Seth if you don’t drag him into immortal drama.† Roman’s face softened. â€Å"I’m actually not thrilled about you facing it alone, but I’m not sure me walking into a hotbed of immortal activity is so smart either.† â€Å"I’ll be fine,† I said, trying to not be put off by his ominous words. â€Å"No matter how terrible a transfer is, I have to admit, I got kind of lucky with this one. I mean, I’m not saying I trust any demons, but if I had to, it would be Luis. He’s really great, and Vegas is, well, Vegas. Like I said. I got lucky.† Roman grew thoughtful again. â€Å"Yes. Yes, you did.† The next day, I found Seth later at his brother’s house. Andrea had had another treatment that day and was sleeping it off. Seth and Margaret were helping take care of the household as best they could, cooking a late dinner and watching the girls. I arrived at about the same time as Terry got home from work, and our double entrance was greeted with shouts and hugs. I scooped Kayla up in my arms and kissed her while Terry asked what I had been wondering. â€Å"Where’s Ian?† Seth and Margaret exchanged looks. â€Å"Ian had some things to do,† she said neutrally. â€Å"Yeah,† agreed Seth. â€Å"In the form of scoping out ironic parts of Seattle.† So much for Ian stepping up to help the family. No doubt he’d found new hipster friends at a coffee shop and was now hanging out with them somewhere, drinking PBR and regaling them with stories of all the obscure bands he knew. Terry smiled good-naturedly. â€Å"Well, that’s his loss because dinner smells great. More for us.† He swung Kendall around and kissed his other daughters before going upstairs to check on Andrea. I felt a lump form in my throat as I watched him go. He put on such a good face for the kids, but I knew this had to be tearing his heart apart. My own petty concerns seemed exactly that: petty. Small. Inconsequential. Nonetheless, news of the transfer weighed on my mind throughout dinner. I’d wanted to wait until Seth and I were alone at his place, but my face must have betrayed my feelings. â€Å"Hey,† he said gently, slipping an arm around me. The family was gathered in the living room, starting a movie, while Seth and I stood in the doorway to the kitchen. â€Å"Everything okay?† I hesitated, unsure about bringing it up here. Sensing that, he pulled me into the privacy of the kitchen. â€Å"Thetis, talk to me.† â€Å"I got some bad news today,† I began. I tried to think of a clever or funny way to lead into it, but nothing came. So, I just blurted it all out, explaining the inarguable nature of transfers and the details of mine. â€Å"Las Vegas,† he said flatly. He looked as though he’d been slapped. â€Å"You’re moving to Las Vegas.† â€Å"Not for a month,† I said, clasping his hands. â€Å"And believe me, I don’t want to. God, Seth. I still can’t believe it. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.† â€Å"Hey, don’t apologize. Not for this.† He drew me near, the kindness and compassion on his face nearly making me cry. â€Å"This isn’t your fault. You have nothing to be sorry about.† I shook my head. â€Å"I know, but . . . it’s just so crazy. I thought this was it. Our chance to be together. And now I don’t know what to do. I can’t ask you to . . .† â€Å"Ask me to what?† I leaned my head against his chest. â€Å"Come with me.† He was quiet for a few moments. â€Å"Would they let me? I always thought . . . I mean, whenever you’ve talked about your past, it always sounded like you reinvented yourself. New name, new appearance. I thought you had to leave your past life behind.† â€Å"I have, but that was always just my choice. For you . . . I mean, of course I wouldn’t do that. I’d stay Georgina Kincaid, just as you know her. But you can’t leave them.† I gestured to the living room. â€Å"It’s not worth it.† Seth moved his hands to my head, tilting my face up so I could look him in the eye. â€Å"Georgina,† he said softly. â€Å"I love you. You’re worth it. You’re everything to me. I’d follow you to the ends of the earth. And beyond.† â€Å"That doesn’t make sense.† I smiled sadly. â€Å"And I’m not everything. You love them too. And you’d hate yourself for running off with me while they need you so much.† â€Å"So, what? You’ve made my choice for me?† he asked. There was a playful note to his voice, despite the deadly seriousness of the topic. â€Å"Are we breaking up?† â€Å"No! Of course not. I just . . . I just want you to know that I don’t expect you to come with me. Do I want to be with you? Yes, of course. But I love your family, Seth. I love all of them. My happiness . . .† It was strange, speaking those words. My happiness. For so long, I’d been miserable. Happiness wasn’t even a concept I’d imagined for myself in ages. â€Å"My happiness isn’t worth theirs.† He leaned down and brushed his lips against mine. â€Å"What about mine?† I stared in astonishment. â€Å"Are you saying you’d abandon them and run off to Las Vegas?† â€Å"No,† he said firmly. â€Å"I would never abandon them. But there must be some middle ground here. Some way that doesn’t involve sacrificing us or them. We just have to figure it out. What we have is too important. Don’t give up on us yet, okay?† I hugged him, losing myself in the sweetness of his warmth and scent. My heart had lightened a little at his words, but I still didn’t want to get my hopes up. There was too much at stake, still too much that could go wrong. â€Å"I love you,† I told him. â€Å"I love you too.† He squeezed me tight and then kissed me again before pulling apart. â€Å"Now. Let’s go watch that movie and pretend to be social so that we can leave early.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Because if you’re going to Vegas this weekend, then I want to get you home and get some quality time in tonight.† I grinned and put my arm around him. â€Å"Does ‘quality time’ mean what I think it does?† â€Å"Yes,† he said, as we walked back to the living room. â€Å"Yes, it does.† â€Å"Well, then, you know that’s against the rules.† â€Å"Rules that you made up,† he pointed out. â€Å"Rules that are for your own good,† I corrected. â€Å"It’s not time yet. Remember, we have to ration ourselves.† It was part of the conditions of us getting back together. Keeping strictly platonic before had strained us, so this time, I’d agreed that some sex was okay . . . even though I cringed at the thought of how each act, no matter how small, would take away some of his life. Seth had told me he didn’t care, that he’d take any risk to be with me. I was still cautious, and he’d yielded to me to set the schedule for our rationed sex life. I still wasn’t entirely sure what constituted proper rationing in this situation, but something in my head said we should have sex only every few months. I hadn’t told Seth that, though. It had been one month since the last – and only – time we’d had sex since getting back together as a mortal and a succubus, and I knew he was getting restless. It was especially difficult for him because although he respected me, he also didn’t think such caution was needed when he was the one who faced the dangers – dangers he swore he didn’t mind. â€Å"Not tonight,† I continued. â€Å"It’s practically a special occasion, though,† he told me. â€Å"A big send-off.† â€Å"Hey, I didn’t say we couldn’t do anything,† I replied. â€Å"Just not as much as you’d like to do.† One thing we’d inherited from our chaste days was a set of several creative workarounds, mostly involving doing unto ourselves what we couldn’t do unto each other. â€Å"The question is, is there going to be a problem with your houseguests?† â€Å"Not if we’re quiet,† Seth said. After a moment, he shrugged. â€Å"Scratch that. I don’t care. Let them hear.† I scoffed. â€Å"Oh, yeah. So that your mom can come break down your door with her baseball bat.† â€Å"Don’t worry,† he said, kissing my cheek. â€Å"She’s no match for you and that dictionary.† How to cite Succubus Revealed Chapter 5, Essay examples

Dollars And Sense Essay Research Paper One free essay sample

Dollars And Sense Essay, Research Paper One of the biggest jobs I have with our society today is in athleticss. Don # 8217 ; t acquire me incorrect, I love athleticss. I love to watch the competition and seeing these work forces making apparently superhuman efforts. The job I have with athleticss is the over-commercialization and over-hyping of jocks by their agents, and themselves. I think that it is perfectly ill how so many jocks are acquiring paid so much for what they do. I did state that they performed hard athletic efforts, but a twosome of events a hebdomad for up to 10 old ages does non represent that they deserve five 100 times more than what the mean bluish collar individual earns. Of class, the blue-collar adult male is non on Television and doesn # 8217 ; t acquire the large shoe trades. The worst portion of it all is that the jocks are kicking that they do non acquire paid plenty. Scott Boras, Alex Rodriguez # 8217 ; s agent, is inquiring for an escalator clause in A-Rod # 8217 ; s new contract. That means that if the mean wage of the MLB raises, so does Rodriguez # 8217 ; s. That is on top of the $ 20 million he is demanding. If Kevin Brown wants $ 105 million for seven old ages we give it to him, and we throw off our Texas rangers, Marlins, and Padres New Jerseies. In baseball, and in all other squad athleticss, free bureau has ruined squad truenesss. We are no longer rooting for our favourite squad with a nucleus of participants recognizable in the community. We are now rooting for an aura that surrounds the squad. We are rooting for the bowl and the uniforms if we remain loyal to any squad. Manny Ramirez was one time really loyal to the Indians. He resigned with them the first clip he was up for free bureau, and he said he wanted to remain with them. That was, until John Hart turned down his petition for a 10 twelvemonth, $ 200 million contract. The same happened with Mike Mussina. He spent many old ages with the Orioles without a ailment. However, he jumped ship every bit shortly as Steinbrenner pulled out his chequebook. Why stay in Baltimore if you could do $ 88.5 million over 6 old ages for the Northerners? The wage merely keeps lifting and lifting. Back in 1930 Babe Ruth was the highest paid baseball participant of all time at $ 80,000 for that twelvemonth. In 1951 Joe DiMaggio was the highest paid participant of all time at $ 100,000. Then 25 old ages subsequently Koufax and Drysdale put an terminal to the old manner of making things by holding an agent negotiate a $ 1,000,000 trade to be split between the two of them. In the 80s Ryan got a million for himself. Then, within a five twelvemonth span we had the first $ 50 million contract in baseball, the first $ 100 million cantract and several participants rushing for the first $ 200 million contract, and it is non traveling to halt when it gets at that place. It will maintain rise and lifting until a squad # 8217 ; s paysheet will be over the sum of the Gross National Product of every state except the united stated combined. Its non merely baseball either. Manchester United, the top squad in the English Premier association football c onference, has a paysheet approaching $ 1 billion. That is the most of any squad, anyplace, of all time. Even with the sum of money the participants are doing for a wage, it is non plenty for them. Players keep acquiring more patrons and endorsment trades. Michael Jordan, one of the greatest hoops participants of all time, has his ain vesture line under Nike, and he said that the NBA could non utilize his image for their ads, merely Nike could. Tiger Woods is besides a really good jock. He is contending with the PGA over whether or non they could utilize his image for publicities. He besides wants Television money from the circuit. During this summer he got into a bug difference with Titleist, one of his biggest patrons, because he started utilizing a Nike Ball. Rumors besides circled around that Eldrick, who reportedly, made a $ 105 million contract with Nike for utilizing their ball and other dress. Alex Rodriguez is seeking to set a judicial admission in his contract stating that he could acquire room in the front office so that he could run his dress company and other concerns on to p of the $ 200 million and escalator clauses he # 8217 ; s inquiring for in the contract. The full athleticss universe is acquiring out of control, and no individual athletics is exempt from this ballyhoo and corruptness. In tennis, Anna Kournikova is in the top 20 in the universe even though she has non won a tourney. The lone ground that she is up that high is because many people know her because she is reasonably. That is why she gets the endorsement trades. Boxing, another of the not-so-famous-but-still-corrupt athleticss, has Don King. Don King has about rigged every battle he # 8217 ; s dealt with. There is besides the whole Oscar de la Hoya ordeal. When he fought Felix Trinidad he was undefeated, and he was rupturing apart all of his oppositions, on the dark of the battle he had gone the whole lucifer with about unharmed, while Trinidad # 8217 ; s face was swelling and he was shed blooding all over. De la Hoya lost the lucifer in a split determination. The sickest of all the jobs in professional athleticss merely happened. The Minnesota Timberwolves were found to hold made secrets under the table understandings with forward Joe Smith. That manner he could acquire what he wanted and they could remain under the salary cap. Even though I am through appellative pro athleticss, it doesn # 8217 ; t terminal at that place. Colleges are where a batch of over hyping starts. In college participants are besides pupils and have to make work in add-on to their sports. That is non the instance at the University of Minnesota. There, the Golden Gophers # 8217 ; hoops participants between 1994 and 1998 one of the coachs of the school write term documents and do homework for the jocks so they could remain eligible. Two Florida State broad receiving systems Peter Warrick and Lavernaues Coles, both NFL rookies this season, were caught taking utmost price reductions on expensive apparels in a Florida shop. They paid $ 40 for apparels deserving about $ 300. Both were convicted for larceny, but merely Coles was suspended for his senior twelvemonth. As a consequence of maintaining Warrick on the squad, the Seminoles went on to win the NCAA National Championship. Every twelvemonth more and more college participants are go forthing school early for the large money to play in the pros. Some participants even skip college and travel directly to the pros like Kobe Bryant did. However, in general, participants that stick out their eligibility terminal up being mature and all-around participants and people. Look at Peyton Manning, Tim Duncan, and Ricky Williams. All of these participants were able to take their squads at a really early phase in their callings, and none of them had off the field jobs. I merely hope that athleticss can acquire back to what it one time was, people viing against people because they love the game they play. Our participants are traveling soft. Tony Gwynn said that when he was a cub at spring preparation, the batting coops were backed up at 6:30 AM. Now people say that he works harder than everybody else because he does something that was one time common. In football participants are sitting out because they stubbed their little finger toe 6 hebdomads ago. Back in the good old yearss, a adult male that played for the Eagles in the 1960s played centre and line backer in an NFL Championship game. He played all 60 proceedingss, and still had adequate energy to do an interception to set the game off on the concluding drama. Walter Payton ran 275 paces in one game with a terrible instance of the grippe, and in another game he ran for 175 with two sprained mortise joints. One of the greatest Rams defensive terminals in their history, Jack Youngblood, played a game with a broken calf bone. Name one current participant that would play with a broken leg. There was a film that came out in 1998 called # 8220 ; Baseketball # 8221 ; that sums up my wants for the hereafter. In it people get disgusted with what athleticss are going, and they end up giving up on them. Then, two work forces come up with a game at a party they crashed, and it ended up brushing the state. However, they put bylaws that said participants couldn # 8217 ; t alteration squads, squads couldn # 8217 ; t alteration metropoliss, and all corporate indorsements were banned. The laminitiss of the conference still lived in the same house they created the game in. The jocks were merely like everybody else. The character # 8220 ; Squeak # 8221 ; Scolari had the best line. He said # 8220 ; This is a game where work forces with bad dorsums and bad articulatio genuss could vie on the same field as cats juiced up on steroids # 8221 ; . It kind of says anyone could make this, giving the game a strong blue-collar entreaty. I merely hope that someday we do start over like i n the film.

International and Cooperative Strategies

Downsizing employees is the process of reducing the scale of work force to cut losses due to redundancy (Baumol, Blinder, and Wolff 1). This is an unavoidable step for companies in times of economic crisis. However, managers should conduct such a process in a humane way that preserves the reputation of the company and allows the affected employees to cope beyond the period.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International and Cooperative Strategies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The process of downsizing should be steady and methodical. The manager should organize for prior communication with the affected employees thus giving them time to adjust and air their opinions. The managers should also reflect on the legal procedures and strive to exceed them by giving preference to the affected employee’s welfare. The application of company’s policies for downsizing should be fair and acceptable to both the company and the employees. The necessity of downsizing should be communicated to all other stakeholders and their opinions taken into consideration. In most cases of downsizing, particular groups of vulnerable employees are immensely affected, upon comparisons with their colleagues. Elderly employees and physically challenged become the greatest casualties in the process (Business in the Community, Briefing Note). The management should therefore balance the diversity of the employees so as not to disfavor the disadvantaged. Apart from this, the management should initiate sustenance services for the affected employees. This can be in form of new job searches, counseling and trainings on coping skills. For instance, Woolworths arranged with their partners who where purchasing their premises to absorb some of their outgoing staff (Business in the Community, Briefing Note). The management should also maintain contact with the outgoing staff with the aim of re-employing them when condit ions become better. The company can choose to offer sabbatical leaves instead of laying off. For instance General Motors opted to keep away some of their staff for a period of nine months from January to September 2009. During this time, the employees received a third of their monthly salary (Business in the Community, Briefing Note). Training for downsized employees staff Downsized employees need both economical and psychological support (Business in the Community, Briefing Note). To meet the needs, the management can offer-counseling sessions aimed at handling mental health and stress related factors. They can also initiate trainings that widen skills in the employees that will suite them for their next job. Moreover, the management can search for employment on behalf of their retrenched staff and link them with other employers.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Benefits of acceptable downsizing strategies The way a firm carries out the downsizing process is significant to its reputation. If an organization carelessly dismisses employees without prior considerations and contingency measures, it may easily lose favor with the community. Customer devotion and preservation is subject to distortion. This reputation may be very hard to regain, and the firm may fail to attract decidedly practiced staff in the future. During downsizing, the firm loses a great deal of the employees that it had invested in training. If the process is conducted in a non-humane manner, the outgoing employees may not return even when they are needed back after the crisis is over. The firm can only call back some as consultants hence their services will be hired at a more expensive cost. The remaining employees may also feel stressed and lose morale for work hence diminishing output. Research carried out by BITC/Ipsos MORI revealed that entities that carried out responsible downsiz ing improved on financial gains without losing reputation (Gebler). This proves that responsible downsizing has benefits that goes beyond the welfare of the outgoing employees and profits the firm. Conclusion Downsizing is a challenging procedure for both the management and the employees. However, it is an effective weapon for business survival in times of economic meltdown. Nevertheless, it should be done in a way that protects the affected employees’ well being and the organizations reputation. Works Cited Baumol, William. Blinder, Allan. Wolff, Edward. Downsizing in America: reality,  causes, and consequences. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation, 2005. Print. Business in the Community, Briefing Note. Responsibility in recession: A checklist for  restructuring and downsizing. 2009. Web. Gebler, David. Ethical downsizing, protecting your reputation during layoffs. 2002. Web.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International and Cooperative Strategie s specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This essay on International and Cooperative Strategies was written and submitted by user Keyla Boyle to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Informative Essay Sample on Cars and New Technology Safety and Comfort

Informative Essay Sample on Cars and New Technology Safety and Comfort I will cover several main ideas in this report. First, I will cover an overview of the technologies that will make driving more comfortable, such as In-car Internet and Coast-to-Coast Radio. I will then cover different ways to make driving easier, such as intelligent cruise control, and voice control. Finally, I will cover technology that will make driving safer. This will include push-button help, seeing through fog and NightVision, and smart seats. I will now give an overview of the new technologies that are aimed at comfort. You will soon be able to send and receive e-mail, get news, traffic reports, sports scores, and stock quotes all without taking your eyes off of the road. This will all be done on the Internet through voice commands and a voice synthesizer. In order to activate these functions, all the driver has to do is say, â€Å"Start my E-mail† into a microphone on the steering wheel and the onboard computer will go to a specified web site where it will download the requested information and convert the text to spoken words for hand and eye free operation. The price will be about $2000 and a monthly fee for connecting to the Internet. This technology will be offered on the 2001 Cadillac Seville or DeVille and the 2001 BMW 750iL and Z8 models. Another form of comfort technology is Coast-to-Coast radio. This technology is used so that you will never need to face static or have trouble finding good stations in areas away from home. By the end of the year, two companies, XM Radio and Sirius Satellite, are expected to have satellites In place that will be able to broadcast synchronized radio signals all over the country. In addition to the high fidelity, static free sound, you will be able to listen to one station, from coast to coast. There will be about 100 channels to choose from with 50 being commercial free. Youll need to pay a monthly subscription fee of $9.95 to enjoy this benefit. BMW, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler have announced to have this as an option on new models soon. A final comfort tech is active body control. This sophisticated active suspension system is designed to counteract all types of body lean. It stops all lean from cornering, braking, or acceleration so that the car stays flat at all times. The result is a plush, comfortable ride. This also gives you the ability to control the car’s ride height and give you better clearance or better aerodynamics. This is currently only available on the Mercedes Benz CL-Class. There are several new technologies that will make driving much easier for drivers. The first of these is intelligent cruise control. Any cruise control system can maintain a set speed. This new system also maintains a set distance from other cars too. This system uses radar to detect any cars ahead for about 500 feet. If a slower vehicle is detected in front of your car, the system will slow down the car until you reach the set distance that you selected earlier. This is currently only available on the Mercedes Benz CL-Class. The next technology geared towards making driving easier is the electronic parking guide. This simple system uses radar to measure how close the vehicle’s bumper is to other objects and signals the driver with both visual and audio alerts to stop the need for guessing if your close or not and gets rid of the chance of scraping your bumper. This is currently only available on the Mercedes Benz CL-Class. The next piece of sophisticated technology is voice-recognition technology, or simply the ability to control systems by talking to the car. This lets the driver keep his eyes on the road and his hands on the steering wheel. The hard part about developing this technology was getting it to recognize different voices and inflections. There are still some bugs, but it’s a good first try. You will be able to control audio, climate-control, and cellular phone systems easily. With just a word or two, drivers can control radio station, CD tracks, and volume, adjust temperature, switch audio sources, dial a number, and lots more. The driver must remember several key words for the technology to operate properly. It doesn’t always work though, sometime you have to repeat the word or the system will just ignore you. This technology will eventually get much better though since the current technology is first generation. You will be able to enjoy this feature on the Jaguar S-Type and the Mercedes Benz S-Class. I will now discuss several safety features that will be put into high tech cars. The first safety feature is push-button help. With the push of a button, you can get travel information, roadside assistance, and emergency aid with the Mercedes Benz Tele Aid System. It connects you to a 24-hour center that can track your vehicle’s location via GPS. In an accident, the system will automatically call for help and transmit your location, while center personnel direct emergency help to the vehicle. This will also easily and quickly locate your car if it is stolen. This is currently only available on the Mercedes Benz CL-Class. The next technology which will make the roads safer are Thermal Imaging and NightVision to see through fog and at night. This technology uses a heads-up-display, like on fighter jets, mounted on the dashboard in front of the driver. This heads-up-display, or HUD, then projects the image onto the windshield. This NightVision gives the driver a view of the road ahead and picks up any heat-emitting objects., such as people, animals, and running cars. Heat-emitting objects appear in white on a black background. This can sense anything three times as far as low beams. When you are driving, you don’t look directly at the HUD, but your peripheral vision would pick up the bright object in the NightVision display. This can be used to avoid deer, see cars in dense fog, or even see a parked police car with its lights out and its engine running sitting by the side of a highway. This is only available on the 2000 Cadillac DeVille. The final safety technology that I will cover is smart seats. One new system has 10 air cells which sense the passenger’s weight distribution and automatically adjusts for better support, while other seats have heaters and cooling fans in them for maximum comfort. There are even massaging backrests to calm you down. For safety, seats are being tied into the passenger airbag systems. One system uses sensors that actually detect the electrical activity in a person’s body. Using this, the system can tell if a child is in the seat (by monitoring the height) or if a person is leaning against the door. In either case, the side airbag is deactivated and the front bag deploys at a lower speed. These various systems will be options on Cadillac’s, Mercedes-Benz’s, Lincoln’s, Lexus’, BMW’s, and Acura’s. In this paper, I have covered many topics. I have shown how you can use your car to check e-mail, get the weather, or listen to the radio without interference. You will be able to let the cruise control drive for you, park easily and without worry, drive without any sort of movements inside of the car, and control the car with voice commands. You will be able to get help with the push of a button, see on a pitch-dark night, and won’t have to worry about airbags hurting you. Your life will be affected in many ways from these new technologies. You will have much less things to worry about and have more fun driving. You will be more comfortable, and also safer. With these new technologies and the other technologies that will surely come, the roads will be a much safer place with less accidents and faster trips.

English Test Options for ESL Students

English Test Options for ESL Students Students need to take English tests, as well as other tests! Of course, learners need to take English tests at school, but they are often required to take English tests such as the TOEFL, IELTS, TOEIC or FCE. In a number of instances, you can decide which English test to take. This guide will help you begin to choose the best English test to take for your English learning needs and goals for both further education and career. Each of the major English tests is discussed and point towards more resources to study and prepare for these all important English tests. To begin with, here are the major tests and their full titles:   TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign LanguageIELTS - International English Language Testing SystemTOEIC - Test of English for International CommunicationFCE - First Certificate in EnglishCAE - Certificate in   Advanced EnglishBULATS - Business Language Testing Service These English tests are created by two companies that dominate the English learning system word wide: ETS and the University of Cambridge. TOEFL and TOEIC are provided by ETS and IELTS, FCE, CAE, and BULATS are developed by the University of Cambridge. ETS ETS stands for Educational Testing Service. ETS provides the TOEFL and the TOEIC test of English. It is an American company with headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey. ETS tests focus on North American English and computer based. Questions are almost exclusively multiple choice and ask you to choose from four choices based on information you have read, heard or have to deal with in some manner. Writing is also tested on the computer, so if you have difficulties typing you may have difficulties with these questions. Expect North American accents on all listening selections. University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge based in Cambridge, England is responsible for a wide range of English exams. However, the main international tests that are discussed in this overview are the IELTS the FCE and the CAE. For business English, the BULATS is also an option. Currently, the BULATS is not as popular as the other tests, but that may change in the future. The University of Cambridge is a dominate force in the entire English learning world, producing many English learning titles, as well as administering tests. Cambridge exams have a wide variety of question types including multiple choice, gap-fill, matching, etc. You will hear a wider variety of accents on University of Cambridge exams, but they tend towards British English. Your Objective The first and most important question to ask yourself when choosing your English test is: Why do I need to take an English test? Choose from the following for your answer: I need to take an English test for study at UniversityI need to take an English test to get a job or improve my careerI want to improve my overall skills in English, but not necessarily for a purpose such as getting a better job or going to a university Study for University If you need to take an English test for study at a university or in an academic setting you have a few choices. To focus solely on academic English, take the TOEFL or the IELTS academic. Both are used as qualifications for entrance into universities. There are some important differences. Many universities around the world now accept either test, but they are more common in certain countries. TOEFL - Most common exam for study in North American (Canada or United States)IELTS - Most common exam for study in Australia or New Zealand FCE and CAE are more general in nature but are often requested by universities throughout the European Union. If you live in the European Union, the best choice is either the FCE or the CAE. Free TOEFL Exam PreparationFree IELTS Exam PreparationFCE Exam PreparationCAE Exam Preparation Resources Study for Career If career motivations are the most important reason in your choice of English test, take either the TOEIC or the IELTS general test. Both of these tests are requested by many employers and test an understanding of English as used in the workplace, as opposed the academic English which is tested in the TOEFL and IELTS academic. Also, the FCE and CAE are excellent tests for developing overall English language skills in a wide range of areas. If your employer is not specifically asking for the TOEIC or the IELTS general, I would highly recommend considering the FCE or CAE. Free IELTS Exam Preparation General English Improvement If your goal in taking an English test is to improve your overall English, I would highly recommend taking the FCE (First Certificate in English) or, for more advanced learners, the CAE (Certificate in Advanced English). In my years of teaching English, I find these tests to be most representative of English usage skills. They test all aspects of English learning and the English tests themselves are very reflective of how you would use English in everyday life. Special Note: Business English If you have worked for a number of years and want to improve your English skills exclusively for Business purposes, the BULATS exam administered by the University of Cambridge is by far the best choice. For more information from the provider of these tests you can visit the following sites: TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language IELTS - International English Language Testing System TOEIC - Test of English for International Communication FCE - First Certificate in English CAE - Certificate in   Advanced English BULATS - Business Language Testing Service

Video Games and Their Benefits Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 21

Video Games and Their Benefits - Research Paper Example The work tries to summarize all research on the positive impact of playing video games, focusing on four main domains: motivational, cognitive, emotional, and social. By assimilating understandings from positive, developmental and media psychology, as well as social psychology, we suggest some candidate ways by which playing video games may lead to real-world psychosocial benefits(Gunter, 1998). The main objective of the work is to provide solid enough evidence and a theoretical rationale to inspire new programs of research on the fundamentally unexplored mental health benefits of gaming. And finally to call to the intervention researchers and practitioners to test the constructive and positive uses of video games and giving the way forward and suggestion of doing so.  Most people normally use diverse media is in order to manage their moods and to enhance their emotional states. Through video games which are the most efficient and effective means by which youths and children genera te positive feelings which in turn improve their mood and increases their positive emotions, for example, playing puzzle video game, a game with minimal interference, high degree of accessibility and short-term commitment, improves players moods, promotes relaxation, and ward of anxiety(McGonigal, 2012). From the 2009's Annual Review of Cybertherapy and Telemedicine, gamers who suffered from mental health issues like depression and stress are able to vent their aggression and frustration by playing video games, this leads to great improvement in their state of mind. Also, most people play video games for enjoyment and improving their mood, the game also distracts them from real-world problems (e.g. bulling and other negative behaviors from young children). When the gamer succeeds in the game they get to have positive feelings, becoming more relaxed and reduced anxiety.

Being Digital - Social Networking Platform Coursework

Being Digital - Social Networking Platform - Coursework Example Best practice # 1: objectives of the media Identifying the objectives of the social media is the first best practice when developing a social media. This is a critical phase the help in deciding what the social media will do. This objective is the main thrust of the House party, therefore, shaping all subsequent practices. Objectives of a social media have more influence on the features and the operations of the social media under development (Evans, 2010 p. 291). To refine this objective, the task of keeping all students informed about parties in campus must be broken down into simpler tasks that students can achieve using the social media. For instance, students can use messaging, chats, and writing notes on their walls. Best practice # 2: Knowing the target audience Understanding the target audience forms a critical part of the developing the House Party social media. To understand the audience, it is critical to evaluate the characteristics of students, and tailor the services ac cording to their needs. For instance, most students use their cell phones to access social sites. In addition, student prefers sharing content such as photos or video clips with one another. Segmentation of the audience is a necessary step in defining the audience and meeting their needs (Powell, Groves, & Dimos, 2011, p.114). It is also valuable to determine the average age, location and gender of students, and how they access internet. Most important, it is essential to understand how students communicate with other student about parties and how these parties are organized. This information will be helpful in deciding on the strategy. Best practice # 3: Applying a strategy Selecting a proven strategy is one of the essential tasks of building a reliable and efficient social media (Golden, 2011, p. 56). With consideration of the users of House Party, the strategy will centre on the development of a social tool that will accomplish the above-identified objectives, and for a specific audience (University students). The social media must allow other students to create party events and other to join them. Typically, the strategy will be to mimic the usual activities that university student engage in relation to parties. Best practice # 4: implementation-picking the right tools With a well-defined social media—House Party, it is essential to select the right tools to implement the above strategy. Successful implementation require both software and hardware resources to design, build and run House Party giving it an online presence. The required are:- a) Computers: The developers of House party will require 3PC and 2 Macs. In addition, one Server will be required, as well. Developers will use two PCs will be used to develop the social media using website authoring tool selected for this project. These PCs will have all software using in building House Party. The Mac’s will also help in creating stunning images that will form part of House Party. Dell P recision workstation with Dual Core i3, Windows 7 professional, 4 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard drive, and Intel graphics will cost with 17† LCD screen will cost$ 1169. Two Macs each with 2.5Gz speed, 4 GB RAM, AMD Radeon graphics adapter with 511MB, 500 GB hard drive will cost $ 1199 apiece. These Macs will help in producing graphics for the website. For a server, Dell Power Edge

The Stone Angel Plot Summary Essay Example for Free

The Stone Angel Plot Summary Essay Hagar Shipley is an older woman who lives in western Canada with her son and his wife, Marvin and Doris.She starts to recall her life in Manawaka where she spent her childhood with family and friends. While the plot returns to present, her son Marvin and his wife Doris are trying to persuade Hagar selling their house and buying a smaller one. The proposal has been intensely rejected by Hagar, because she believes that the house is hers.Then, plot moves to the interview with the minister, Mr. Troy, however Hagar does not spend much time with him because she was suffering rib pain. Plot returns to her childhood while the interview finished, she recollects the memory while she backed to Manawaka from a young ladies academy in Toronto. She had conflict with her father when deciding her future because her father wanted Hagar to work with his company but Hagar wanted to become a school teacher.Finally, Hagar stayed in his father’s company as an accountant.At a dance, Hagar met Brampton Shipley who married with her. As a result, Hagar’s father removed the Hagar’s name from his will because of her marriage. Back to present, Hagar found out the information about the nursing house on newspaper and discovered that Marvin and Doris are planning to send her to there. Hagar was refractory while Marvin and Doris drove her to visit the nursing house. In there, Hagar recalled Bram’s business which is raising horses and Marvin’s birth. After visiting the nursing house, Hagar had a physical examination. As a result, the doctor suggested her to live in nursing house so that she can get better care. However, Hagar resisted the suggestion and still lived in her house. One day, Marvin tells Hagar that he booked a spot at nursing house so that Hagar has to move to there on Monday. Hagar was afraid and anger, therefore she planning to use her annuity for fleeing. At that time Hagar recalls the decision while she leaves Bram. Back to present, Hagar went to a place named Shadow Point alone and found an obsoleting house near to cannery. In the obsoleting house, she recalls her life when she w as a housekeeper for Mr.Oatley. Also she reminds the time when she went back to Manawaka because of the Great Depression, Bram was sick at that time and John who is second son of Hager took care of Bram until he passed away. Back to present, Hagar saw two children playing on the sand that makes her recalls the death of John and Arlene. In a night, Hagar encounters a man named Murray in the obsoleting house. Murray left in the morning next day but he returned to find Hagar with Marvin and Doris. Marvin and Doris sent her to hospital. She does not like the ward because they are many patients in the room that makes her no privacy. Finally, Hager has been moved to a private room, shares with another girl. Mr. Tory, Doris, the grandson Steven and Marvin visits her successively. The story ends while Hagar holds a glass of water and ready to drink.

Risks and Responsibilities of Coaching Swimming Essay -- Swimming Coac

Risks and Responsibilities of Coaching Swimming Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The purpose of this paper is to look at the area of risk management with reference to the sport of swimming. There is no doubt that the ability to prevent any types of injury to athletes is of the utmost importance. The safety of the athletes should therefore be the primary concern of both facility managers and coaches. By working together, one would hope, that all unnecessary injuries could be prevented.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most severe injuries that can occur is that of a spinal injury. The area of prevention that addresses this issue is that of spinal injury management and it will be looked at more closely later in this paper. Even with all the extra emphasis in this day and age on safety issues, these kinds of injuries are still far too prevalent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1996, Michael Berger and Judith Middleton state that in the United Kingdom, there are around 40,000 children each year that suffer from head injuries. Some of these individuals will have received severe injuries, in that they will have been unconscious for at least 20 minutes and so will most likely have suffered brain damage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The sport of swimming has the obvious danger of drowning. There are also potential risks of spinal injuries caused by collisions with the floor of the pool, the walls in the pool and other swimmers. Many other injuries can be the result of a slippery deck or training equipment not correctly stored away. There is also a risk of injury from the chemicals which are present at a pool such as chlorine. Risk Management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aquatic injury prevention should be part of any facilities risk management program. Risk management involves identifying and reducing dangerous conditions that can cause injuries and financial loss. Thus, the aim of a risk management is in a way a kind of preventative medicine, to tackle the issue of a problem thus ensuring that those kinds of accidents will not occur. There are some that would contend that those individuals that suffer an injury are unfortunate victims of circumstance. Many injuries can be avoided through an understanding of the factors that can cause injuries to occur and then a knowledge of how to go about preventing such situations to occur.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charles Bucher and March Krotee (1998) explain that there is an added risk in any physical education exercise as opposed to a ... ...water conditions, many dangers are in and around water.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Risk management in a pool environment is basically concerned with aquatic injury prevention. A highly developed risk management program will substantially reduce the risks of injury. By understanding how injuries are caused, one can better prevent them. Effective communication with patrons is critical for helping to prevent injuries. Through this communication, the patrons can have fun in a safer environment. References American Red Cross (1993). Community First Aid & Safety. Mosby Lifeline, St. Louis. (pg. 184) American Red Cross (1993). CPR For The Professional Rescuer. Mosby Lifeline, St. Louis. (pg. 10) American Red Cross (1995). Lifeguarding Today. Mosby Lifeline, St. Louis. (pp. 44-204) American Red Cross (1988). Safety Training For Swim Coaches. Mosby Lifeline, St. Louis. (pg. 26) American Red Cross ( 1992). Swimming & Diving. Mosby Lifeline, St. Louis. (pp. 33-317) Berger, M. & Middleton, J. (1996). Head Injury: Some Consequences For Injured School Pupils, Their Teachers And Schools. The Partnership, Southampton. (pg. 3) Bucher, C.A. & Krotee, M.A. (1998). Management of Physical Educ

Bob Dylans Social Commentary Essay

During an interview with the Los Angeles Free Press in 1965, Bob Dylan said, â€Å"All I can do is be me, whoever that is,† (Dylan) which perfectly describes the sentiment you get from his works. During his music career, he has changed many aspects of his image, music style and religion, going so far as to legally change his name from Robert Zimmerman to Bob Dylan. Living during a very fast changing society, his works reflect on the Civil Rights movement and other historically significant events. He is seen as a spokesperson for his generation through his deep and meaningful songs. Bob Dylan uses his pieces to comment on life and humanity, sparking social reforms. Bob Dylan was born named Robert Zimmerman in Duluth, Minnesota on May 24, 1941. He grew up in a supportive, Jewish household, and began writing poems at the age of 10. When he was 14, he taught himself to play guitar, and played in a couple different bands in high school. In college, he read an autobiography of Woody Guthrie which had a tremendous impact on his music career. Bob Dylan performed his versions of the Woody Guthrie’s songs at local coffee houses. Soon, he left college and hitchhiked to New York to visit his sick idol. After his death, Bob Dylan told Rock 100, â€Å"Guthrie was my last idol. My future idols will be myself.† This confidence contributed to his success as a musician. Bob Dylan got his break with a talent scout John Hammond. He released his self-titled first album in March 1962, which was filled with interpretations of old folk songs two original songs. A second LP came out soon after that was only original compositions. Bob Dylan released two more folk LP’s before his big transition into a more electric rock type of music. In 1965 he released a half acoustic half electric album that received a lot of criticism from fans of his folk music. One of his most popular albums, Blond on Blonde, released in 1966 featured many famous rock songs, and received much praise from critics. This album contains many protest songs including â€Å"A Hard Rains a Gonna Fall,† and â€Å"Masters of War.† These songs are thought to have been protesting the arms race during the Cold War, and exemplify how Bob Dylan used songs to comment on humanity and life. After this album, Bob Dylan broke his neck in a motorcycle accident and spent the next couple of years in recovery. After releasing many more successful albums, he went through a major transition from Judaism to Christianity. His next three albums reflected that transition, which confused much of his fan base. Bob Dylan continued to record and toured with a couple different  bands during the 80’s. In 2001, he received a Golden Globe for the best original song in a movie for â€Å"Things Have Changed†. Bob Dylan is still alive and continues to make public appe arances and occasionally perform. Bob Dylan’s songs use symbolism and imagery to reflect his views on life in a different way. The song Blowin’ in the Wind is one of his most famous works. This song uses the phrase â€Å"blowin’ in the wind† to answer multiple questions about humanity that it puts forth. The song also has war themes, shown when it asks the question, â€Å"How many times must the cannonballs fly before they’re forever banned?†(5). The lyrics exemplify his distaste for violence. The whole poem reflects his view that humanity will never learn from their mistakes. Bob Dylan also has some less political and more love themed pieces. In the song Watered down Love, he talks about how pure love will only hurt you so you need to look for a â€Å"watered down love†. The repetitious phrase, â€Å"You don’t want a love that’s pure, you want a drown love, you want a watered down love† (12). The song â€Å"Love is just a Four Letter Word† further continues the theme of true love being impossible. The song begins with him hearing others saying that love doesn’t mean anything, but in the end of the song he believes that himself. This is shown when it says â€Å"Though I never knew just what you meant when you were speaking to your man, I could only think in terms of me and now I understand,† (28). The songs are examples of how Bob Dylan uses his writing to comment on parts of life such as love and war. Bob Dylan’s writing does not go without criticism. His frequent changes in music style and image cause distaste from many critics. Jann Wenner in Rolling Stone Magazine said, â€Å"Dylan created so many images and expectations that he narrowed his room for maneuverability and finally became unsure of his own instincts,†(Wenner,†The Rolling Interview: Bob Dylan.†) There are also arguments of Bob Dylan’s role as an artist. Some believe that his songs do not qualify him as an artist and should not be read and studied as poetry. Others, such as Christopher Rooks, believe that his songs, even if they are not written in a traditional poetic way, are still art because of the â€Å"what they mean and what they can tell us about the human condition, about the nature of reality as it concerns man, which is the  very definition of art,† (Karwowski, â€Å"Is Bob Dylan an Artist?†). In another critical essay, Ellen Willis points out in Cheetah Magazine that although he may be seen as a poet, his poetry ha s â€Å"horrendous grammar, tangled phrases,  silly metaphors, embarrassing clichà ©s, muddled thought; at times he seems to believe one good image deserves five others, and he relies too much on rhyme.†(Willis, â€Å"Dylan†). Although his songs receive a lot of criticism for his changing images and whether he should be seen as an artist, no one can deny the unique way Bob Dylan portrays humanity and his role as a spokesperson for his generation. Bob Dylan is considered to be the greatest influence on popular culture of all time. His surroundings inspired him to write about important historical moments such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy’s assassination, the Civil Rights movement. Many of his songs are directly written about these events, most notably, â€Å"The Death of Emmett Till.†, which was written about the murder of 15 year old Emmett Till, a black boy who was accused of flirting with a white girl. Other songs such as â€Å"Blowin in the Wind,† â€Å"The Times they are A Changing,† and â€Å"A Hard Rains a Gonna Fall† all have political and social meaning behind them. He said that â€Å"the folk songs showed me†¦that songs can say something human.† (Dylan, 86) about his social commentary pieces. Bob Dylan was also a major player in the anti-war protests, sparked by the Vietnam War. His anti-war songs influenced activists, mostly college students who listened to his music. No other artist has had such a profound effect on the cultural evolution in America. He had an incredible influence on social reforms in this generation, as well as inspiring many other famous bands such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton. No one can deny that he was a factor in the revolution of hundreds of thousands of people. Bob Dylan uses his songs as a way to comment on life, humanity, sparking social reforms. His childhood during the time period he lived in influenced his writing greatly through watching major historical event occur such as the Civil Rights Movement, World War Two, the Vietnam War and the assassination of President Kennedy. A famous song, Blowin in the Wind talks about society’s inability to change their views, and can be translated to be an antiwar anthem or a Civil Rights commentary. Bob Dylan is criticized mainly on whether his songs can be called poetry and if he can be considered an artist. Also, the politics brought into his writing are very controversial. All in all, Bob Dylan’s songs had a considerable impact on society because of his commentary on humanity. Works Cited â€Å"Bob Dylan.† Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Student Resources in Context. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. Karwowski, Michael. â€Å"Is Bob Dylan an Artist?† Contemporary Review 1 June 2004: n. pag. Print. Wenner, Jann S. â€Å"The Rolling Stone Interview: Bob Dylan.† Rolling Stone 29 Nov. 1969: 32-35. Rolling Stone. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. Wenke, Joseph. â€Å"Bob Dylan.† The Beats: Literary Bohemians in Postwar America. Ed. Ann Charters. Detroit. Gale Research, 1983. Dictionary of Litereary Biograhy Vol 16. Literature Resource Center. Web. 9 Apr. 2013. Yaffe, David. Bob Dylan: Like a Complete Unknown. New Haven [Conn.: Yale UP, 2011. Print.

Hard Times and Utilitarianism Essay

â€Å"NOW, what I want is, Facts†, and so starts Charles Dickens novel Hard Times which first appeared as a serial publication in 1854. Dickens regularly took inspiration from the prevailing conditions as topics of his writings and proceeds to make social commentaries through his brand of creative fiction. Examples of these are Oliver Twist (Dickens, 1837) and Bleak House (Dickens, 1952). Hard Times was similarly inspired. The novel is mainly a critic of Utilitarianism, the dominant philosophy at the time the novel was written. As Geoffrey Scarre (1996) stated in his book entitled Utilitarianism, â€Å"The eighteenth century was the green youth of utilitarianism, as the nineteenth was its prime† (p. 49). The term utilitarianism was first coined by Jeremy Bentham in 1781 (Bailey, 1997, p. 3). His ideas were much derided even then and at the House of Commons at that when Lord Brougham dismissing Bentham as, â€Å"’having dealt more with books than with men† (Mack, 1963, p. 2). Yet, despite his seeming notoriety the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 was passed which defined and classified the poor and outlined how should be handled. â€Å"The Act was and is seen as more or less Benthamite† as concluded by Peter Stokes (2001) in his article entitled Bentham, Dickens and the Uses of the Workhouse (p. 711). It was against this Act that Dickens created Oliver Twist. Dickens’ continues his propaganda against such philosophy with Hard Times. While personifying the basic tenets of utilitarianism in his book, he is, on the other hand, equally condemning it in the same breath. This is already evident as you read the second paragraph where he strips his purported hero of facts of any semblance of respect when he describes the character that is Thomas Gradgrind rather comically with his hair and head as â€Å"a plantation of firs to keep the wind from its shining surface, all covered with knobs, like the crust of a plum pie† (Dickens, 2007, p. 10). This is a deliberate ploy to set an image in the reader’s mind which can effectively cloud anything the character will expound upon even if it may lean towards the rational and acceptable. Dickens’ use of various figures of speech is also ironic as it runs contrary to the basic tenets his character is espousing. This form of mockery can be seen all throughout the novel up until the end when Gradgrind sees the lights and begins â€Å"making his facts and figures subservient to Faith, Hope, and Charity†(Dickens, 2007, p. 387). What is it about utilitarianism that Dickens’ seems to be vehemently opposed to? Several of its principles were taken up in the book. Dickens took a one-sided approach and presented it on an extreme scale and argued against it. We will explore how these were countered by Dickens by using excerpts from the book. In Bentham’s (1996) An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation he declared that â€Å"An action then may be said to be conformable to the principle of utility . . . when the tendency it has to augment the happiness of the community is greater than any it has to diminish it† (p. 12-13). Simply, put, as long as the number of people who are happy is greater that those who are not happy, then all is well. However, this main concept was methodically censured by Dickens by using examples that touched heavily on human interest which therefore, from the perspective of the humane, such reasoning would not be justified at all. A question on prosperity was posed to girl number twenty to which she replied: I thought I couldn’t know whether it was a prosperous nation or not, and whether I was in a thriving state or not, unless I knew who had got the money, and whether any of it was mine. But that had nothing to do with it. (Dickens, 2007, p. 82) With this illustration, it is maintained that the individual good should not be relegated to any mathematical computations. The point was further driven home with the next example. And he said, This schoolroom is an immense town, and in it there are a million of inhabitants, and only five-and-twenty are starved to death in the streets, in the course of a year. What is your remark on that proportion? And my remark was – for I couldn’t think of a better one – that I thought it must be just as hard upon those who were starved, whether the others were a million, or a million million. And that was wrong, too. (Dickens, 2007, p. 82) It is thus contended that such principle cannot and should never be adapted in the formulation of policies and the establishment of institutions when it comes to people’s well-being as we are more than mere data and statistics. This, however, is not the case in Coketown. Coketown is the community where the all the main characters worked and dwelled, survived and tarried about. This was where the major events occurred. Since it has already been established early on that following the tenets of fact can not lead to anything fanciful, it is not surprising that Coketown was depicted to be very spartan and has retained only â€Å"what was severely workful† (Dickens, 2007, p. 37). It is an industrial town that is generally void of lively entertainment and distractions if one can see through the smoke with the textile plant as the main source of income and employment for the â€Å"Hands†, a rather curt label to its workers as if there are no living and feeling beings attached to those appendages. Coketown, as John R. Harrison (2000) described it in his essay, â€Å"represents the domination of an inhuman, utilitarian, industrial ethos† (p. 115). Yet, Coketown can be viewed as the reality of fact. It embodies the concrete representation of the theories of utilitarianism which further belies its effectivity on a community that lives to live and not just survive. Within the town, there is the school run by schoolmasters who share Gradgrind’s methods and beliefs. It can be gathered that they have great memorization skills and would most likely be able to rattle off any observable characteristics of any person, place or thing. The teaching is so rigid that there is simply no place for any sort of creativity. There is just black and white. â€Å"Murdering the Innocents† indeed as the chapter is aptly called. That in itself plainly shows Dickens’ disapproval of such a stiff approach in education where minds are dictated to rather than molded. A further commentary on the misleadingly laudable wealth of knowledge was given, â€Å"If he had only learnt a little less, how infinitely better he might have taught much more! † (Dickens, 2007, p. 18). Another argument against utilitarianism is its apparent support of inequality while still following the happiness principle of the greater good. Utilitarianism claims that a relevant reason for tolerating inequalities is a gain in efficiency; that is, we should be prepared to tolerate the fact that some persons’ lives go less well than others if some aggregate of personal good is greater. (Bailey, 1997, p. 10) This principle is personified in the book by Josiah Bounderby, owner of the textile mill, owner of the bank, owner of the loudest mouth in Coketown. How he came about his wealth was not detailed in his narration of his rags-to-riches story. However, he is not one who attracts admiration and awe for his accomplishments. On the contrary, he is morally ruined by choosing only what he deems to be advantageous to him. He fully appreciates what he has with no regard to level off the disparity. Instead, he maintains and continues to attempt to raise his status even more by denigrating the lives of others. It was a fundamental principle of the Gradgrind philosophy that everything was to be paid for. Nobody was ever on any account to give anybody anything, or render anybody help without purchase. Gratitude was to be abolished, and the virtues springing from it were not to be. Every inch of the existence of mankind, from birth to death, was to be a bargain across a counter. And if we didn’t get to Heaven that way, it was not a politico-economical place, and we had no business there. (Dickens, 2007, p. 375) Dickens demonstrates here that the greater good is subject to a lot of interpretations and it is normally self-serving in that the one who seems to be higher on the scale will never relinquish his power to those who had now been branded as the lesser good. However, the tentacles of the stick-to-the-facts approach did not stop within the boundaries of the town. It must be noted that Gradgrind was being aided by a government official during his discourse with the students in the first chapter who more than willingly shared his beliefs and even went on to imply that these teachings must be applied at all times, at every opportunity and in every aspect of one’s life even at something as mundane as papering your walls or carpeting your floors. Do not do anything that is contrary to reality. There is no form merely function. What is all the more alarming is that Gradgrind was later made a Member of Parliament, â€Å"one of the representatives of the multiplication table, one of the deaf honourable gentlemen, dumb honourable gentlemen. . . â€Å" (Dickens, 2007, p. 127). Dickens makes it known that despite the fallacies and inhumane improbabilities of the radical teachings of utilitarianism, it can still muster followers and influence policies. Therefore, Dickens continues with more events and inevitable results and consequences in his book to trample any other doubt remaining as regards unyielding adherence to facts. One thing that can be said about living things is that their behavior can never be predicted. Take, for example, the white tiger which mauled the magician Roy Horn in spite of it being with them for several years without any incident. More so with people whose thinking processes are more complex. One cannot take a general rule and expect that all will react and comply with it unvaryingly. Current studies have now shown that â€Å"all aspects of personality are fundamentally unique and idiosyncratic to each individual† (Deary, 2003, p. 6). Despite lack of any scientific proof, Dickens’ had already concluded that even individuals who practically grew up living, studying, acting out a way of life are merely suppressing their true nature and would inevitably fight back one way or the other. With these, let us now take a look at Tom, the whelp and Louisa. Tom and Louisa first made their appearance in the book in Chapter III aptly entitled The Loophole. The â€Å"eminently practical father† was basking in his conviction that his children were the models of factual upbringing when he came upon his two eldest children one peeping through a hole in the wall and other peeping through the crack underneath the wall. It could be imagined that time came to a stop with all three just looking at each other with incredulous expressions on their faces. It was bound to happen that children’s innate curiosity will get the better of them and explore realms outside their scope. The rule of thumb is when met with rules, immediately find ways to go around it; look for loophole. There were already indications of deviations from the inflexible path provided them. The mere fact that Louisa has began to wonder even if she was chastised to â€Å"never wonder† (Dickens, 2007, p. 71). There is no room for sentimentality or â€Å"fancy†, if you will, and is simply not allowed for the logical reason that it is e not concrete. It is not based on the real. It has no parts that can be broken down and studied. It cannot be calculated. Utilitarianism hinders that aspect that distinguishes us from the rest of the animal kingdom and that is the ability to feel and think in abstracts. Utilitarians, may contend however, that anatomically, it would be the opposable thumb that sets us apart. The gradual breakdown of the children who had such an upbringing took on different routes but both led to a destruction of their seemingly perfect lives. Tom gave much credence to his pseudo-freedom from the stifling rigidity of science and math and into the arms of vice. No productive outlet or substitute was provided for his suppressed emotions and was therefore easily addicted and resorted to get-rich quick schemes. Louisa, on the other hand, had no choice but to give in to expectations of her and that is to get married which led to the further repression of her emotions. Questions on social issues can be gleaned from the discussion of marriage between Gradgrind and his daughter where Gradgrind, typical of a man and worse, a man blinded by facts and practicality could not read between the lines as he itemizes the pros and the cons of the proposal of marriage as if it is a mere business proposal and must be approached with much objectivity. What should take precedence when it comes to marriages? Should it be for practical purposes or tests of compatibility? If neither is no longer present, should one cut ties altogether? Anyway, as Gradgrind continues to be practical, his daughter laments as she is about to enter into next phase of adulthood when she has yet to experience childhood. ‘Why, father,’ she pursued, ‘what a strange question to ask me! The baby-preference that even I have heard of as common among children, has never had its innocent resting-place in my breast. You have been so careful of me, that I never had a child’s heart. You have trained me so well, that I never dreamed a child’s dream. You have dealt so wisely with me, father, from my cradle to this hour, that I never had a child’s belief or a child’s fear. ’ (Dickens, 2007, p. 138) And to this, â€Å"Mr. Gradgrind was quite moved by his success, and by this testimony to itâ€Å" (Dickens, 2007, p. 138) only to listen and break down and do some soul-searching himself when Louisa has finally allowed herself several years later to break free from her suppression and made her father understood the misery in her heart and the consequences it will ultimately bring. Another hapless victim was Mrs. Gradgrind herself who was reduced to something quite insignificant as she had been unable to cope with the academic precepts. She was however given the chance to salvage what remained of her true self and only because she gave up trying to absorb the useless facts that cluttered and rattled in her mind. It also makes a resounding statement that the redeeming characters in the book were only partly or not at all exposed to the tenets prescribed by Gradgrind. There was Sissy Jupe a. k. a. Cecilia to Gradgrind a. k. a.  girl number twenty to her schoolmasters. She only joined the family later on and while she was not spared the rigors of fact bombardment, she was able to escape intact having had a solid upbringing in an atmosphere of discipline, fun and love. On impulse and on love, she was able to right the wrongs. She was able to persuade Harthouse, Louisa’s intended lover from leaving not through logic but by faith. She was able save Jane, Gradgrind’s younger daughter from the plight of Louisa by opening to her a childhood not before experienced in that household. Then there was Rachael, a Hand in the textile mill who did not have any formal schooling. Yet, this did not belittle her in the reader’s eyes because she had enough compassion to carry the whole town. Then there were the circus people. They were the only community who consistently showed a semblance of emotion, of camaraderie, of caring. Even the dog, Merrylegs, manifested human attributes and possibly gained more sympathy than Bounderby who publicly embarrassed himself for lying about his own mother and denying his heritage. All the proponents of utilitarianism met their downfall while those who showed humanity led fulfilling lives. Gradgrind himself has discovered that aside from the â€Å"wisdom of the Head. . . there is the wisdom of the Heart† (Dickens, 2007, p. 295) and Dickens was magnanimous enough to give his character a chance at true happiness. We end this paper with words from Sleary, circus owner and philosopher as he sums up how it is and how it should be when dealing with your fellow men and when dealing with life.