Thursday, November 28, 2019
3 Easy Ways to Set Ice on Fire
3 Easy Ways to Set Ice on Fire Have you ever wondered whether you could set ice on fire? These are instructions for how to make ice appear to burn and also instructions so that you can actually set it on fire. Making Ice Appear to Be on Fire Most of the photos you might see of burning ice were probably made using Photoshop, but you can get the appearance of burning ice very easily without resorting to image processing tricks. Get some glass cubes (craft stores carry them), set them on a surface that can withstand fire (metal pan, Pyrex, stoneware), pour something flammable over the ice, and set it alight. You can use 151 rum (ethanol), rubbing alcohol (try for 90% isopropyl alcohol, not the 70% alcohol stuff), or methanol (Heetâ⠢ fuel treatment from the automotive section of a store). These easy-to-obtain fuels burn cleanly, so they wont set off your smoke alarm (I know... I tried). If you want colored flames, you can add any of the usual flame colorants to the ethanol or rubbing alcohol. If you use methanol, try adding a little boric acid for a brilliant green flame. Use caution with methanol, since it burns very hot. One little display tip: You can give glass cubes the imperfect, crackled appearance of water ice b y setting one on fire and then tossing it (with tongs) into water after the fire goes out. The glass may shatter, but if you have the temperature just right youll just create internal fractures that look very pretty in photographs. Flaming Ice I basically told you how to set ice on fire when I explained how to make a flaming B-52 drink. High-proof ethanol (like 151 rum) or 90% isopropyl alcohol will float on the surface of water and mix with it so that as long as there is fuel, your ice will appear to burn. As the ice melts, it will extinguish the flame (methanol is highly toxic too). You can use ethanol on ice used for human consumption (or flaming ice cream drinks). Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) and methanol are toxic and should only be used for decorative purposes. Really Burning the Ice You may be thinking it is impossible to burn ice. Strictly speaking, that is not true. You can burn ice, just not water ice. If you make ice cubes from any of the alcohols I have listed, you can burn them. For pure alcohol ice cubes, youll need a way to freeze the liquid down to about -100à °C, give or take a few degrees depending on the specific alcohol. You dont need to get quite that cold for 75% alcohol/25% water ice, which will burn if you spritz it with a little liquid alcohol to get flammable vapor over the ice. You may be able to freeze the 75% solution over dry ice. Flaming Ice Safety Just remember two things: (1) If you want to ingest the flaming ice, only use food-grade ethanol, not some other fuel. (2) Methanol burns very, very hot! You can get away with using almost any surface if you use ethanol or isopropanol. You can even touch the flame briefly. However, the risk of getting burned or of your fire getting out of control are much higher using methanol because it produces so much heat. Is It Possible to Burn Water? The reason water is used to extinguish flames is because it has such a high heat capacity. Technically, you cant burn water because combustion is an oxidation process. In a sense, water is the product of the combustion of hydrogen. However, if you pass a sufficiently strong electrical current through water, it decomposes into its elements. The hydrogen gas is flammable, while the oxygen gas supports its combustion. If you have a flame or ignition source at the point of electrolysis, water will appear to burn. So, it follows you could make real water ice appear to burn. For this to occur, the ice would need to be floating in some liquid water. Electrolysis of the water to produce hydrogen and oxygen would yield flammable gas above the ice. Igniting the gas would make the ice appear to burn. Note this is a theoretical method of burning ice, not one youd want to try in a school science lab! Its much safer to burn hydrogen from electrolysis in bubbles or balloons than in the open. Disclaimer: Please be advised that the content provided by our website is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Fireworks and the chemicals contained within them are dangerous and should always be handled with care and used with common sense. By using this website you acknowledge that ThoughtCo., its parent About, Inc. (a/k/a Dotdash), and IAC/InterActive Corp. shall have no liability for any damages, injuries, or other legal matters caused by your use of fireworks or the knowledge or application of the information on this website. The providers of this content specifically do not condone using fireworks for disruptive, unsafe, illegal, or destructive purposes. You are responsible for following all applicable laws before using or applying the information provided on this website.
Monday, November 25, 2019
Voter Apathy essays
Voter Apathy essays Democracy can be defined as a goverment that is given power to make and enforce laws by the consent of the people governed. Although, there are many ways in which those that are governed elect those who govern. This country has a reprensentive democracy where citizens vote for officals to represent them at the local, state, and federal levels. In contrast, early Greek domecracies allowed all eligble citizens to vote on issues when they gathered in assemblies, but this could only be achieved with smaller populations. Evidence of this type of democracy is still evident in the US at the local levels, but is impossible at the federal levels. In order for a democracy to remain democratic, high levels of voter preticipation are necessary because without voter perticipation the government is illegitamate. Since the 1960's, when 64 percent of eligble voters participtated, voter participation has declined (in 1980 53.9% voted.) (Newsweek, 10/10/83, ) There are many reasons as to why voter are less likely to vote. Some can be cultural reasons such as behavior and beliefs instilled in children by there perents and plain mistrust for government especially among minorities. Another reason can be called structural. In America's past there have been many obstacles placed in front of minorities and women in order to keep them from voting. Also some think just registering to vote is problem (although legislation has passed to make registering ealier voter turnout is still down.) The main problem in my opinion is political For political and monetary reasons the two estiblished political parties ingore a large portion of the population. The Republicians seem to adhere to the upper middle class and the very wealthy while the Democrats seem to adhere to the middle class. (NYT, 10/7/96, A19) This leaves out a significant part of the US population who are eligible to vote. And it is no coquence that these two groups of eligible voter are the ones tha ...
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Illustrating your answer with specific examples, evaluate the impact Essay
Illustrating your answer with specific examples, evaluate the impact of structural adjustment programmes on agriculture in southern Africa - Essay Example They encourage balanced budgets by increasing taxes and reducing government spending on essential services like education, health and elimination of subsidies. They also encourage production of goods for export as opposed to consumption and also imports. The market is controlled by demand and supply and not the government even where intervention is required in order to stabilize prices. These structural policies were supposed to develop the economies of developing countries but less or no achievements have been made. They have discouraged private investors or made them to be monopolies hence straining the poor. The standard of living of member states has deteriorated due to high prices as a result of currency devaluation and lack of price controls. It has also contributed to poverty, unemployment due to reduced investments, and environmental degradation due to overemphasis on cash crop production among others (Holden, 1997). Environmental degradation is a hindrance to agricultural development. Agriculture has further been hindered by removal of subsidies on inputs such as fertilizer and entrance of subsidized imports from European markets as well as lack of credit for agriculture expansion. This paper is a critique of the impact of structural adjustment programmes on agriculture in Southern Africa. Agriculture is the backbone of most economies in Africa. Many countries engage in food crop production for subsistence, livestock farming and cash crop farming as a foreign exchange earner. Bryceson (1995) observes that agriculture is mostly considered as the practice for women and children as men engage in formal careers or sometimes cash crop production. Many factors affect agricultural activities leading to poor yields, hunger and malnutrition. These include; climate change, cost of farm inputs like fertilizer, market accessibility, land tenure, land degradation and health of workers among others. The southern African
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Fair and Equitable Treatment on Foreign Investment and its Effects Essay
Fair and Equitable Treatment on Foreign Investment and its Effects - Essay Example tle to the School of Law at Oxford Brookes University in 13th of February 2012, there are two significant issues that have been discussed by a plethora of scholars. The first issue is on the field of the concept of the FET standard. Some scholars discussed the difference between ââ¬Å"fairnessâ⬠and ââ¬Å"equityâ⬠. In other words, whether the FET standards contains two standards, namely ââ¬Å"fairâ⬠and ââ¬Å"equitableâ⬠with independent meaning for each one or the FET standard appears as an unified standard. Scholars examined this question, due to the fact that arbitrators always make their decision on international investment dispute according to their notions of ââ¬Å"fairnessâ⬠and ââ¬Å"equityâ⬠.4 As a result, the first argument of the dissertation is to analyse the meaning of the FET standard in order to know whether it contains two standard or not. The second issue is on the field of the interpreting the FET standard. Several scholars critic ized the heterogeneity of the FET standard language in investment treaties and illustrated how that could affect on the extent of the standard.5 In other words, they argued that whether the FET standards reflect the international minimum standards of treatment? Such as national treatment and most favoured nation treatment, or it works as an autonomous standard or independence from other standards. Scholars observed this issue because some treaties state the FET standards as equivalent to the international minimum standard required by customary international law. Therefore, the second argument on the dissertation is whether the FET standard is measured the international minimum standard required by customary international law or it is an absolute or an autonomous standard. A Literature Review In order to gather relevant information to the... The researcher started searching for information by using secondary sources first, such as books and journal articles on order to gather relevant information to the FET standard. Dolzer and Schreuer book is the first source that he has read. The authors discuss in their book the meaning of the FET according to tribunals practise in a number of cases. For instance, in the TECMED v Mexico case the tribunal presented the most comprehensive definition of the FET when it said that: The foreign investor expects the host State to act in a consistent manner, free from ambiguity and totally transparently in its relations with the foreign investorâ⬠¦ The foreign investor also expects the host State to act consistently, i.e. without arbitrarily revoking any preexisting decisions or permits issued by the State that were relied upon by the investor to assume its commitments as well as to plan and launch its commercial and business activities. The investor also expects the State to use the leg al instruments that govern the actions of the investor or the investment in conformity with the function usually assigned to such instruments, and not to deprive the investor of its investment without the required compensation. Therefore, the authors conclude that there is no a specific meaning of the FET standard owing to the fact that the concept of the standard in investment treaty is a broad and depend on different circumstances. Moreover, they analyse the history of the FET standard by illustrating multilateral investment treaties and bilateral investment treaties that contain the standard.
Monday, November 18, 2019
Critical Appraisal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Critical Appraisal - Assignment Example In addition, the care giver also records the measures that he has taken in response to the patientââ¬â¢s needs, evidence that he has comprehended and pleased the responsibility of care, has taken all reasonable steps to care for the patient and that any action or exclusion has not put into compromise patientââ¬â¢s health. The documentation also includes a record of any arrangements the nurse has made for the continuing care of a patient or client (Delaune & Ladner, 2006, p68). The documentation process in nursing is carried out for various reasons that may include some of the following. The law in most of the countries requires that health practitioners who come into contact with patients should keep health records of the patients that they handle, these records are supposed to include a brief record of the patientââ¬â¢s medical history and the care that the health practitioner gives the patient (Guido, 2006, p72). In addition, the number of litigations against nurses has in creased due to the increased public awareness of their rights therefore the documents act as evidence in courts of law of the care that the nurse gave the patient. Keeping of proper medical health records also has an implication on the quality and type of care that the patient will receive from other nurses since they are likely to dwell on the medical history of the patient written by other nurses who handled the patient. This report will critically analyse three journal articled relating to the field of documentation in nursing. Nursing Documentation: Frameworks and Barriers This paper written by Wendy Blair and Barbara Smith deals with barriers to safe, timely and accurate documentation for nurses and chooses the best framework to handle the problem of documentation (Blair & Smith, 2012, p65). This article involved studying of various literature on frameworks that ensure documentation in nursing fulfil the requirement that it should show the rational and critical thinking behind clinical decisions and interventions while still providing written evidence of the progress of the patient, some of these frameworks include narrative charting, problem-oriented approaches, clinical pathways and focus notes. Review of the literature on the frameworks that are used in documentation was the process that this article used to come up with the best framework to be used. The first framework that they reviewed was the narrative charting, which is the recording of interventions and their impact in a chronological order. They found out that this method had serious shortcomings especially in the modern practise since it involves writing a lot of notes making it difficult to retrieve relevant information, in addition, due to the large number of notes, the process is time consuming. The article also analysed the VIPS model and found out that it was time consuming among the nurses therefore not appropriate since it meant that less time would be spent giving actual care to the pa tients. The SOAP framework, which works well for single problem entries, was found to be ineffective to use since most of the nursing processes involves references to multiple problems making the documentation look disorganised. Clinical pathways such as the integrated Care Pathway (ICP) can be used to standardise the documentation process
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Greenland Rail Company: Strategic Planning and Management
Greenland Rail Company: Strategic Planning and Management Section One In activity 1, we have discussed the initial parts of the strategic planning and analyzed in depth the current scenario of The Greenland Rail Company. To continue further into the affairs of The Greenland Rail Company, here we shall apply the business assessment tools to arrive at a viable solution and evolve a healthy strategy for it or mend where necessary. The strategic planning determines the core idea, modus operandi allocation of resources to achieve the objectives or goals set in the strategic planning. Every business has its core idea and the strategy to achieve the objectives through operational plans. However to keep the operations on track, we need to have some analytical and monitoring measures. We can call them the business (assessment) tools. The idea of having these tools is minute to minute monitoring of the operations and to see if any action is harming the business or going against the strategy laid down. Here is the list of such tools: Is the strategic planning checked or analyzed on the concept of ââ¬ËSWOTââ¬â¢ analysis? Are the strategy and the strategic planning documented? Is there any internal audit or the check list for the cross check of actions with the planning? Is there any effective policy and method of remedial measures stipulated? SOPs are an effective tool to keep every action on line with the planning. All above are absolutely necessary for successful running of a business and more particularly for a business of the magnitude of The Greenland Rail Company spread countrywide by its services and utility to the nation. SWOT Analysis SWOT is abbreviation of four words which in fact gives four dimensional view of any issue or idea. There is nothing new in this. Everybody thinks on the pros and cons of an idea before putting it into practical shape or taking practical step. It consists of: Strengths: Under this heading, we see what makes an idea viable if put in practical shape. It starts from the biggest advantageous point to the smallest strength that the idea may have. Weaknesses: This heading covers the flaws in the idea and whether the flaws can be covered or they will make and prove the idea not viable. Opportunities: Having seen the strengths and weaknesses, does the idea still provide us the desired opportunities or any opportunities. This may also mean whether those opportunities that we had in mind, still exist and it is worth committing the valuable resources. Threats: the last part of the analysis is to evaluate threats to the business idea or the envisaged strategy. It is to see if threats are manageable and can be neutralized with some amendment in the strategy or they are big enough to be really called threats and give strong indications of not committing the resources. Documentation Of The Strategic Planning This is an extremely important tool that will go lifelong and will keep reminding the central idea and the principles on which the business is to be run. This provides the base for generating the operational plans for any new ventures within the existing business. The need for documenting the strategic planning cannot be over emphasized. Internal Audit Or The Check List To Cross Check The Actions With The Planning Internal audit and the checklist are two different things but serve the same purpose. The internal audit is carried out by another official of the organization whether the operators are performing correct actions. The checklist provides correct sequence of actions to be done by the operator. The checklist is guiding method whereas internal audit is pointing out the mistakes. However, both have their utility and should always exist. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) SOPs are an effective tool to keep every action on line with the planning and in fact operational plan translated in simpler form so that everybody at every level can understand the right way of doing an action. SOPs tell the only way an action has to be done and thatg is the desired action according to the operational plan. Method Of Remedial Measures We can say the last in the series is description of remedial measures. If the SOPs are being followed, no remedial measures are required. They are only for emergencies and accidents. However accidents and emergencies do not occur frequently but remedies should be well thought and well planned. They should be a part of SOPs and be documented properly. In this section we shall see the competitive strengths and weaknesses of the current business strategies. The Greenland Rail Company has: Clear philosophy to provide efficient travel service to the passenger, and, To provide efficient safe and timely transportation of commercial goods. Its strategy is based on the following elements: To schedule its services on the needs of the customers To provide sufficient number of trains To provide sufficient trained staff for operating these trains To allocate sufficient resources for the above To maintain a good standard of its services to attract the major market share. Effective marketing and good customer care service All above have all the strengths and bright chances of success. Despite these strengths it has weaknesses that it lacks locomotive production facilities and expertise, both. This is one weakness that can put the entire plan at stake of failure. However this weakness can be overcome by importing the locomotives in time and by having a good repair and maintenance workshop of its own. Its strengths can be enlisted as under: It can schedule the trains on the needs of the customers It can provide sufficient number of trains It can employ sufficient staff and can train them at its own training facilities It can allocate sufficient resources It can maintain good service standard It can have effective marketing and customers care Its weaknesses can be visualized and enlisted as under: Any breakdown of locomotives can adversely affect the schedule Motivation of the staff can be doubtful and may not prove to be as efficient as ideally required. The competitors, the road transporters can also provide the same facilities with good standard and efficiency. Track needs to be maintained continuously and may not be possible to do it. It is susceptible to miscreant actions and any defect in the track can stop the movement of trains and affect the schedule very badly. The company has single track and lacks the double track facility causing unnecessary delay in allowing the crossing of other train. There can be human error that can cause severe hindrances and even accidents. Despite these weaknesses the company has been running the trains by making an intelligent time table. However the efficiency of double track cannot be achieved by single track. The major problem faced by the company has been shortage of locomotives and making no provision for timely actions. Frustration in employees has been another factor. Core Business Values And Current Objectives Core business values are efficient service for passengers and goods transportation. Safety of passengers, comfortable travel and adhering to strict time schedule are the core values in case of passenger travel service. On the other side, transportation of goods in safe and timely manner are the core values for the cargo service. Its current business objectives are still the same, I e: To operate the trains and make the company a profitable organisation. The costs have to be met under all circumstances otherwise it would not be possible to run the trains under the conditions of continuous loss. The business objectives can only be achieved if there is efficiency in service. It is a circle; efficiency will capture the market and increase the customers and volume of goods to be transported. Low efficiency will cause losses on every side. The market will slip over in the hands of competitors and there will be sharp decline in the health of the company The comparison between the values and the objectives in now lopsided and in unfavorable balance. Values alone can do nothing if not supported by the efficient service. Loss of efficiency will result in loss of customers and cargo and that will push the company towards a sad catastrophe. Presently it is not meeting its objectives and core values are left unsatisfied. Section Two Now there is a need to compare the strengths and weaknesses and develop measures to bring the company back in good health. It may need very critical decisions. It has to do thorough audit and take stock of things. It has to eliminate all negative elements, may be manpower, some trains and some services which are not allowing the company to meet its expenses. Golden handshake, laying off or compulsory retirement may have to be resorted to foe labour turnover and replacing the inefficient and dishonest with better educated, young and enthusiastic manpower. Some sections of the rail service will have to be closed temporarily till the financial conditions improve and expense of less productive trains can be borne. The goods transport service is more yielding, therefore, has to be specially taken care of. Goods trains should be given equal priority and more cargo handling services can be installed for efficient booking, transportation and delivery of the goods. There is a need of job description of each employee and then he has to be supervised appropriately for efficiency and honesty. Options For Future Strategy The Greenland Rail Company has two issues at hand: Future strategy and, Options for the future strategy. Future Strategy Basically it remains the same with slight variation. Its strategy would be: To provide good travel service to the passengers To provide good transportation for the cargo To eliminate all elements causing losses and working against the interest of the company. To evolve efficient check and balance system. To maintain technical efficiency to the state of the art level for mai8ntaining the schedule. There has to be a ruthless accountability of every employee and every system. A very system of accounting has to be implemented. Future Options The long past history of the company has a lot to teach and draw the lessons. It has been running successfully 50 years back and even 30 years back. It started deteriorating in mid 80ââ¬â¢s. the reasons could be traced as under: In 1950 it was not in good shape and faced scarcity of resources in all directions. In 1960 it improved its service, by induction of new rolling stock and new generation of diesel electric locomotives. Till 1980 it kept progressing and introduced new services and had better arrangements. However there were major political changes in the country and affected this company also. There is another dimension to the problem as well. It had following factor to affect: In 1950 it had to cater for the needs of population of 20 million people and number of passengers was relatively small. The volume of trade was also not much; therefore it did not have that much stress on any side. In 1960, the need for goods trains increased and population had also risen to 40 million relatively increasing the number of people traveling. Still the company handled the situation in fairly good manner and situation was not that bad. By 1975, the country gone through major political disasters, many resources were lost and the political scenario changed the whole situation in sphere of life. Besides political changes, the population had increased to around 75 million and stress was felt on the rail company. The oil prices escalated and number of passengers had sizably increased and number of industries and industrial unit had also increased. The company had to run the trains under political pressure and losses started showing. Now when the population has risen to 180 million and following g major changes have taken place and all of them have hit the company very badly, sinking it day by day: Oil prices increased tremendously Wages also increased and number of employees increase under the pressure of political govt to provide employment to the people. The operation cost increased tremendously. The balance between income and expense was also lost Companyââ¬â¢s debts also increased The condition of rolling stock deteriorated and became unserviceable. The locomotives started breaking down enroute which not only caused the delays and upset the entire schedule but also added to the cost in recovery of stuck up trains. Track needed to be maintained, doubled and new trains needed to be introduced. Cargo handling facilities also needed to be installed at prominent destinations. Nothing was and has been done. Emergence and development of road transport companies has also created lot of competition and snatched a big share of the market reducing the4 business and revenue of the rail company There is a catastrophic scenario everywhere. Some miracle or very drastic measures can only save the organization. In view of the above situation still there is a hope to rescue this great enterprise and restore it to its previous glory. It has following options for the future: Enter into a joint venture with some rail company of another country who is running the railway successfully; or else, Seek the help of govt in paying off the debts. Procure new locomotives, improve rolling stock and suspend service on all unproductive or less productive sections. Accounting system needs to be changed. No collective accounting of all the trains should be done. Each train should be treated as a separate subsidiary company and revenue and expense of each train should be accounted for separately. No loss or decrease of revenue should be shared by other trains. Separate accounting system will exactly pin point the source of loss and reason there of. Criteria For Reviewing The Options Once the options have been analyzed and selected to be implemented, they are to be monitored for strict compliance. A set of rules, and checklist points will have to be framed and made mendatory for compliance. The automatic and most obvious criteria would be results in multi directions. They can be: An increase in revenue Less reports of pilferage and misappropriations Increase in customers and volume of goods transportation. Balance in revenue and expense. The ultimate criteria for the validity of options is volume of profit earned because of the options. Section Three Now we have fair amount of information to evolve a strategic plan for The Greenland Rail Company. It should restructure its strategy on the basis of above analysis. The changes are to be made as under: The basic or the core idea remains same. New rolling stock and locomotives should be procured; or number of trains should be reduced proportionate to resources but the service should be more efficient. All stakeholders should be made aware through wide publicity ensuring a better service The difference should be visible in practical shape rather than announcements only. The increasing costs should not always be passed on to the customers. They should be absorbed by the organisation by improvement in efficiency of systems and plugging the pilferage. Resource Allocation Resource allocation should be in priority as under: In all those areas which are absolutely necessary for provision of service and increasing the clientage. All assets, particularly the rolling stock, locomotives, administrative services get the first priority. The administrative and office expenses should be the minimum. Stores inventory should be maintained at the minimum level or may even be on the principle of ââ¬ËJust In Timeââ¬â¢ (JIT) No over staffing be allowed under any circumstances. This practice not only increases unproductive costs but also the political inductees cause frustration among the efficient employees. Initially some part of the revenue will go in paying off the debts. Strategic Plan The Greenland Rail Company has the following strategic plan: To revive the company to its previous prestigious position. To provide efficient means of travel to all the citizens with safety speed and in time. To provide efficient goods transport system to the business community. To compete with the road transport industry by efficient services and economical cast to the customers. Vision Statement The Greenland Rail Company is determined to be the market leader in transport industry by providing the best services to the customers at economical costs. We visualize satisfied clientele and satisfied employees to contribute towards betterment of the company and the nation. Our vision is on practical footing and honest effort. Schedule Of Implementation The new strategic plan needs be implemented in the following manner: All operational plans must be reviewed in the light of analysis and new strategy formulated. Overstaffing must be reduced to the right size Trains must be rescheduled keeping in view the companyââ¬â¢s present potential and the customersââ¬â¢ needs. Separate accounting for each train be implemented immediately. Monitoring system should be introduced and made more effective. All excess inventory should be first segregated and noted particularly to avoid more purchase and blocking the valuable and limited resources. Start the operation on above outline with a new zeal of efficient service. Conclusion The Greenland Rail Company scenario is worst possible which has dropped from magnificent position to depth of destruction and still striving to regain its position. An analysis has been carried out giving all details and possible way out for the company. Although the difficulties seem very big but remedies are quite simple but need stern action on the part of management. Tough decisions, clear vision and honest effort are the only means available to The Greenland Rail Company. The strongest point in favour of the company is the strong base of business and need for its services. Hopefully it will survive.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Essay --
(a) Deadweight loss, or as termed in the question, ââ¬Ëwelfare lossââ¬â¢, is the loss of consumer and producer surplus as a result of inefficient market activity, including monopolistic competition. According to the Theory of the Firm, monopoly power includes a much higher barrier of entry, which further impedes competition by increasing the start-up cost, which essentially creates high product prices, compared to the firms, which hold the monopoly power of production, and have already established production. As a result there a loss of productive and allocate efficiency, thus encouraging welfare loss, by decreasing consumer surplus due to limited competition and subsequent monopoly powers, which enable profit-maximization at a small production output, creating a deadweight loss. (b) By using anti-monopoly legislation and price regulations, two different forms of government interventional policies that are utilized to offset the market inefficiency, and subsequent loss of welfare, which monopoly power encourages, governments are able to reduce monopoly power in a sector of economy. The diagram below compares monopolistic competition and perfect competition: As the diagram above illustrates, the monopolistic profit maximization lies at the average market cost, representing a large deadweight loss in the triangle formed by ATC, AR and Monopoly Output. To combat this, reducing welfare loss by increasing output and lowering prices, government intervention may prove an efficient method of solving the problem of monopoly. By legislating anti-monopolistic policies, for example lowering barriers of entry to encourage competition that was previously unsuccessful due to the monopoly-induced high barriers of entry. This would profit companie... ... directly allocates funds to purposes of increase economic development, then they unconsciously limit the growth, which the nation will experience, because the financial resources have been used for secondary purposes. This can be exemplified in several socialists economic measures, such as taxation, transfer payments, indirect taxes, excessive government expenditure, with which the government aims to improve equity and income equality, but at the cost of economic and financial growth. However, taxation and transfer payments, will reduce the utilization of scarce resources of human labour, in the sense that it might limit the individual incentive to work, when the state offers alternative ways of income. This is observed in countries with large taxations, where transfer payment represent a living for many citizens, again with reference to the Scandinavian countries.
Monday, November 11, 2019
A Game of Thrones Chapter Fifty-five
Catelyn It was too far to make out the banners clearly, but even through the drifting fog she could see that they were white, with a dark smudge in their center that could only be the direwolf of Stark, grey upon its icy field. When she saw it with her own eyes, Catelyn reined up her horse and bowed her head in thanks. The gods were good. She was not too late. ââ¬Å"They await our coming, my lady,â⬠Ser Wylis Manderly said, ââ¬Å"as my lord father swore they would.â⬠ââ¬Å"Let us not keep them waiting any longer, ser.â⬠Ser Brynden Tully put the spurs to his horse and trotted briskly toward the banners. Catelyn rode beside him. Ser Wylis and his brother Ser Wendel followed, leading their levies, near fifteen hundred men: some twenty-odd knights and as many squires, two hundred mounted lances, swordsmen, and freeriders, and the rest foot, armed with spears, pikes and tridents. Lord Wyman had remained behind to see to the defenses of WhiteHarbor. A man of near sixty years, he had grown too stout to sit a horse. ââ¬Å"If I had thought to see war again in my lifetime, I should have eaten a few less eels,â⬠he'd told Catelyn when he met her ship, slapping his massive belly with both hands. His fingers were fat as sausages. ââ¬Å"My boys will see you safe to your son, though, have no fear.â⬠His ââ¬Å"boysâ⬠were both older than Catelyn, and she might have wished that they did not take after their father quite so closely. Ser Wylis was only a few eels short of not being able to mount his own horse; she pitied the poor animal. Ser Wendel, the younger boy, would have been the fattest man she'd ever known, had she only neglected to meet his father and brother. Wylis was quiet and formal, Wendel loud and boisterous; both had ostentatious walrus mustaches and heads as bare as a baby's bottom; neither seemed to own a single garment that was not spotted with food stains. Yet she liked them well enough; they had gotten her to Robb, as their father had vowed, and nothing else mattered. She was pleased to see that her son had sent eyes out, even to the east. The Lannisters would come from the south when they came, but it was good that Robb was being careful. My son is leading a host to war, she thought, still only half believing it. She was desperately afraid for him, and for Winterfell, yet she could not deny feeling a certain pride as well. A year ago he had been a boy. What was he now? she wondered. Outriders spied the Manderly bannersââ¬âthe white merman with trident in hand, rising from a blue-green seaââ¬âand hailed them warmly. They were led to a spot of high ground dry enough for a camp. Ser Wylis called a halt there, and remained behind with his men to see the fires laid and the horses tended, while his brother Wendel rode on with Catelyn and her uncle to present their father's respects to their liege lord. The ground under their horses' hooves was soft and wet. It fell away slowly beneath them as they rode past smoky peat fires, lines of horses, and wagons heavy-laden with hardbread and salt beef. On a stony outcrop of land higher than the surrounding country, they passed a lord's pavilion with walls of heavy sailcloth. Catelyn recognized the banner, the bull moose of the Hornwoods, brown on its dark orange field. Just beyond, through the mists, she glimpsed the walls and towers of Moat Cailin . . . or what remained of them. Immense blocks of black basalt, each as large as a crofter's cottage, lay scattered and tumbled like a child's wooden blocks, half-sunk in the soft boggy soil. Nothing else remained of a curtain wall that had once stood as high as Winterfell's. The wooden keep was gone entirely, rotted away a thousand years past, with not so much as a timber to mark where it had stood. All that was left of the great stronghold of the First Men were three towers . . . three where there had once been twenty, if the taletellers could be believed. The Gatehouse Tower looked sound enough, and even boasted a few feet of standing wall to either side of it. The Drunkard's Tower, off in the bog where the south and west walls had once met, leaned like a man about to spew a bellyful of wine into the gutter. And the tall, slender Children's Tower, where legend said the children of the forest had once called upon their nameless gods to send the hammer of the waters, had lost half its crown. It looked as if some great beast had taken a bite out of the crenellations along the tower top, and spit the rubble across the bog. All three towers were green with moss. A tree was growing out between the stones on the north side of the Gatehouse Tower, its gnarled limbs festooned with ropy white blankets of ghostskin. ââ¬Å"Gods have mercy,â⬠Ser Brynden exclaimed when he saw what lay before them. ââ¬Å"This is Moat Cailin? It's no more than aââ¬ââ⬠ââ¬Å"ââ¬âdeath trap,â⬠Catelyn finished. ââ¬Å"I know how it looks, Uncle. I thought the same the first time I saw it, but Ned assured me that this ruin is more formidable than it seems. The three surviving towers command the causeway from all sides, and any enemy must pass between them. The bogs here are impenetrable, full of quicksands and suckholes and teeming with snakes. To assault any of the towers, an army would need to wade through waist-deep black muck, cross a moat full of lizard-lions, and scale walls slimy with moss, all the while exposing themselves to fire from archers in the other towers.â⬠She gave her uncle a grim smile. ââ¬Å"And when night falls, there are said to be ghosts, cold vengeful spirits of the north who hunger for southron blood.â⬠Ser Brynden chuckled. ââ¬Å"Remind me not to linger here. Last I looked, I was southron myself.â⬠Standards had been raised atop all three towers. The Karstark sunburst hung from the Drunkard's Tower, beneath the direwolf; on the Children's Tower it was the Greatjon's giant in shattered chains. But on the Gatehouse Tower, the Stark banner flew alone. That was where Robb had made his seat. Catelyn made for it, with Ser Brynden and Ser Wendel behind her, their horses stepping slowly down the log-and-plank road that had been laid across the green-and-black fields of mud. She found her son surrounded by his father's lords bannermen, in a drafty hall with a peat fire smoking in a black hearth. He was seated at a massive stone table, a pile of maps and papers in front of him, talking intently with Roose Bolton and the Greatjon. At first he did not notice her . . . but his wolf did. The great grey beast was lying near the fire, but when Catelyn entered he lifted his head, and his golden eyes met hers. The lords fell silent one by one, and Robb looked up at the sudden quiet and saw her. ââ¬Å"Mother?â⬠he said, his voice thick with emotion. Catelyn wanted to run to him, to kiss his sweet brow, to wrap him in her arms and hold him so tightly that he would never come to harm . . . but here in front of his lords, she dared not. He was playing a man's part now, and she would not take that away from him. So she held herself at the far end of the basalt slab they were using for a table. The direwolf got to his feet and padded across the room to where she stood. It seemed bigger than a wolf ought to be. ââ¬Å"You've grown a beard,â⬠she said to Robb, while Grey Wind sniffed her hand. He rubbed his stubbled jaw, suddenly awkward. ââ¬Å"Yes.â⬠His chin hairs were redder than the ones on his head. ââ¬Å"I like it.â⬠Catelyn stroked the wolfs head, gently. ââ¬Å"It makes you look like my brother Edmure.â⬠Grey Wind nipped at her fingers, playful, and trotted back to his place by the fire. Ser Helman Tallhart was the first to follow the direwolf across the room to pay his respects, kneeling before her and pressing his brow to her hand. ââ¬Å"Lady Catelyn,â⬠he said, ââ¬Å"you are fair as ever, a welcome sight in troubled times.â⬠The Glovers followed, Galbart and Robett, and Greatjon Umber, and the rest, one by one. Theon Greyjoy was the last. ââ¬Å"I had not looked to see you here, my lady,â⬠he said as he knelt. ââ¬Å"I had not thought to be here,â⬠Catelyn said, ââ¬Å"until I came ashore at White Harbor, and Lord Wyman told me that Robb had called the banners. You know his son, Ser Wendel.â⬠Wendel Manderly stepped forward and bowed as low as his girth would allow. ââ¬Å"And my uncle, Ser Brynden Tully, who has left my sister's service for mine.â⬠ââ¬Å"The Blackfish,â⬠Robb said. ââ¬Å"Thank you for joining us, ser. We need men of your courage. And you, Ser Wendel, I am glad to have you here. Is Ser Rodrik with you as well, Mother? I've missed him.â⬠ââ¬Å"Ser Rodrik is on his way north from White Harbor. I have named him castellan and commanded him to hold Winterfell till our return. Maester Luwin is a wise counsellor, but unskilled in the arts of war.â⬠ââ¬Å"Have no fear on that count, Lady Stark,â⬠the Greatjon told her in his bass rumble. ââ¬Å"Winterfell is safe. We'll shove our swords up Tywin Lannister's bunghole soon enough, begging your pardons, and then it's on to the Red Keep to free Ned.â⬠ââ¬Å"My lady, a question, as it please you.â⬠Roose Bolton, Lord of the Dreadfort, had a small voice, yet when he spoke larger men quieted to listen. His eyes were curiously pale, almost without color, and his look disturbing. ââ¬Å"It is said that you hold Lord Tywin's dwarf son as captive. Have you brought him to us? I vow, we should make good use of such a hostage.â⬠ââ¬Å"I did hold Tyrion Lannister, but no longer,â⬠Catelyn was forced to admit. A chorus of consternation greeted the news. ââ¬Å"I was no more pleased than you, my lords. The gods saw fit to free him, with some help from my fool of a sister.â⬠She ought not to be so open in her contempt, she knew, but her parting from the Eyrie had not been pleasant. She had offered to take Lord Robert with her, to foster him at Winterfell for a few years. The company of other boys would do him good, she had dared to suggest. Lysa's rage had been frightening to behold. ââ¬Å"Sister or no,â⬠she had replied, ââ¬Å"if you try to steal my son, you will leave by the Moon Door.â⬠After that there was no more to be said. The lords were anxious to question her further, but Catelyn raised a hand. ââ¬Å"No doubt we will have time for all this later, but my journey has fatigued me. I would speak with my son alone. I know you will forgive me, my lords.â⬠She gave them no choice; led by the ever-obliging Lord Hornwood, the bannermen bowed and took their leave. ââ¬Å"And you, Theon,â⬠she added when Greyjoy lingered. He smiled and left them. There was ale and cheese on the table. Catelyn tilled a horn, sat, sipped, and studied her son. He seemed taller than when she'd left, and the wisps of beard did make him look older. ââ¬Å"Edmure was sixteen when he grew his first whiskers.â⬠ââ¬Å"I will be sixteen soon enough,â⬠Robb said. ââ¬Å"And you are fifteen now. Fifteen, and leading a host to battle. Can you understand why I might fear, Robb?â⬠His look grew stubborn. ââ¬Å"There was no one else.â⬠ââ¬Å"No one?â⬠she said. ââ¬Å"Pray, who were those men I saw here a moment ago? Roose Bolton, Rickard Karstark, Galbart and Robett Glover, the Greatjon, Helman Tallhart . . . you might have given the command to any of them. Gods be good, you might even have sent Theon, though he would not be my choice.â⬠ââ¬Å"They are not Starks,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"They are men, Robb, seasoned in battle. You were fighting with wooden swords less than a year past.â⬠She saw anger in his eyes at that, but it was gone as quick as it came, and suddenly he was a boy again. ââ¬Å"I know,â⬠he said, abashed. ââ¬Å"Are you . . . are you sending me back to Winterfell?â⬠Catelyn sighed. ââ¬Å"I should. You ought never have left. Yet I dare not, not now. You have come too far. Someday these lords will look to you as their liege. If I pack you off now, like a child being sent to bed without his supper, they will remember, and laugh about it in their cups. The day will come when you need them to respect you, even fear you a little. Laughter is poison to fear. I will not do that to you, much as I might wish to keep you safe.â⬠ââ¬Å"You have my thanks, Mother,â⬠he said, his relief obvious beneath the formality. She reached across his table and touched his hair. ââ¬Å"You are my firstborn, Robb. I have only to look at you to remember the day you came into the world, red-faced and squalling.â⬠He rose, clearly uncomfortable with her touch, and walked to the hearth. Grey Wind rubbed his head against his leg. ââ¬Å"You know . . . about Father?â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes.â⬠The reports of Robert's sudden death and Ned's fall had frightened Catelyn more than she could say, but she would not let her son see her fear. ââ¬Å"Lord Manderly told me when I landed at White Harbor. Have you had any word of your sisters?â⬠ââ¬Å"There was a letter,â⬠Robb said, scratching his direwolf under the jaw. ââ¬Å"One for you as well, but it came to Winterfell with mine.â⬠He went to the table, rummaged among some maps and papers, and returned with a crumpled parchment. ââ¬Å"This is the one she wrote me, I never thought to bring yours.â⬠Something in Robb's tone troubled her. She smoothed out the paper and read. Concern gave way to disbelief, then to anger, and lastly to fear. ââ¬Å"This is Cersei's letter, not your sister's,â⬠she said when she was done. ââ¬Å"The real message is in what Sansa does not say. All this about how kindly and gently the Lannisters are treating her . . . I know the sound of a threat, even whispered. They have Sansa hostage, and they mean to keep her.â⬠ââ¬Å"There's no mention of Arya,â⬠Robb pointed out, miserable. ââ¬Å"No.â⬠Catelyn did not want to think what that might mean, not now, not here. ââ¬Å"I had hoped . . . if you still held the Imp, a trade of hostages . . . â⬠He took Sansa's letter and crumpled it in his fist, and she could tell from the way he did it that it was not the first time. ââ¬Å"Is there word from the Eyrie? I wrote to Aunt Lysa, asking help. Has she called Lord Arryn's banners, do you know? Will the knights of the Vale come join us?â⬠ââ¬Å"Only one,â⬠she said, ââ¬Å"the best of them, my uncle . . . but Brynden Blackfish was a Tully first. My sister is not about to stir beyond her Bloody Gate.â⬠Robb took it hard. ââ¬Å"Mother, what are we going to do? I brought this whole army together, eighteen thousand men, but I don't . . . I'm not certain . . . â⬠He looked to her, his eyes shining, the proud young lord melted away in an instant, and quick as that he was a child again, a fifteen-year-old boy looking to his mother for answers. It would not do. ââ¬Å"What are you so afraid of, Robb?â⬠she asked gently. ââ¬Å"I . . . â⬠He turned his head away, to hide the first tear. ââ¬Å"If we march . . . even if we win . . . the Lannisters hold Sansa, and Father. They'll kill them, won't they?â⬠ââ¬Å"They want us to think so.â⬠ââ¬Å"You mean they're lying?â⬠ââ¬Å"I do not know, Robb. What I do know is that you have no choice. If you go to King's Landing and swear fealty, you will never be allowed to leave. If you turn your tail and retreat to Winterfell, your lords will lose all respect for you. Some may even go over to the Lannisters. Then the queen, with that much less to fear, can do as she likes with her prisoners. Our best hope, our only true hope, is that you can defeat the foe in the field. If you should chance to take Lord Tywin or the Kingslayer captive, why then a trade might very well be possible, but that is not the heart of it. So long as you have power enough that they must fear you, Ned and your sister should be safe. Cersei is wise enough to know that she may need them to make her peace, should the fighting go against her.â⬠ââ¬Å"What if the fighting doesn't go against her?â⬠Robb asked. ââ¬Å"What if it goes against us?â⬠Catelyn took his hand. ââ¬Å"Robb, I will not soften the truth for you. If you lose, there is no hope for any of us. They say there is naught but stone at the heart of Casterly Rock. Remember the fate of Rhaegar's children.â⬠She saw the fear in his young eyes then, but there was a strength as well. ââ¬Å"Then I will not lose,â⬠he vowed. ââ¬Å"Tell me what you know of the fighting in the riverlands,â⬠she said. She had to learn if he was truly ready. ââ¬Å"Less than a fortnight past, they fought a battle in the hills below the Golden Tooth,â⬠Robb said. ââ¬Å"Uncle Edmure had sent Lord Vance and Lord Piper to hold the pass, but the Kingslayer descended on them and put them to flight. Lord Vance was slain. The last word we had was that Lord Piper was falling back to join your brother and his other bannermen at Riverrun, with Jaime Lannister on his heels. That's not the worst of it, though. All the time they were battling in the pass, Lord Tywin was bringing a second Lannister army around from the south. It's said to be even larger than Jaime's host. ââ¬Å"Father must have known that, because he sent out some men to oppose them, under the king's own banner. He gave the command to some southron lordling, Lord Erik or Derik or something like that, but Ser Raymun Darry rode with him, and the letter said there were other knights as well, and a force of Father's own guardsmen. Only it was a trap. Lord Derik had no sooner crossed the Red Fork than the Lannisters fell upon him, the king's banner be damned, and Gregor Clegane took them in the rear as they tried to pull back across the Mummer's Ford. This Lord Derik and a few others may have escaped, no one is certain, but Ser Raymun was killed, and most of our men from Winterfell. Lord Tywin has closed off the kingsroad, it's said, and now he's marching north toward Harrenhal, burning as he goes.â⬠Grim and grimmer, thought Catelyn. It was worse than she'd imagined. ââ¬Å"You mean to meet him here?â⬠she asked. ââ¬Å"If he comes so far, but no one thinks he will,â⬠Robb said. ââ¬Å"I've sent word to Howland Reed, Father's old friend at Greywater Watch. If the Lannisters come up the Neck, the crannogmen will bleed them every step of the way, but Galbart Glover says Lord Tywin is too smart for that, and Roose Bolton agrees. He'll stay close to the Trident, they believe, taking the castles of the river lords one by one, until Riverrun stands alone. We need to march south to meet him.â⬠The very idea of it chilled Catelyn to the bone. What chance would a fifteen-year-old boy have against seasoned battle commanders like Jaime and Tywin Lannister? ââ¬Å"Is that wise? You are strongly placed here. It's said that the old Kings in the North could stand at Moat Cailin and throw back hosts ten times the size of their own.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes, but our food and supplies are running low, and this is not land we can live off easily. We've been waiting for Lord Manderly, but now that his sons have joined us, we need to march.â⬠She was hearing the lords bannermen speaking with her son's voice, she realized. Over the years, she had hosted many of them at Winterfell, and been welcomed with Ned to their own hearths and tables. She knew what sorts of men they were, each one. She wondered if Robb did. And yet there was sense in what they said. This host her son had assembled was not a standing army such as the Free Cities were accustomed to maintain, nor a force of guardsmen paid in coin. Most of them were smallfolk: crofters, fieldhands, fishermen, sheepherders, the sons of innkeeps and traders and tanners, leavened with a smattering of sellswords and freeriders hungry for plunder. When their lords called, they came . . . but not forever. ââ¬Å"Marching is all very well,â⬠she said to her son, ââ¬Å"but where, and to what purpose? What do you mean to do?â⬠Robb hesitated. ââ¬Å"The Greatjon thinks we should take the battle to Lord Tywin and surprise him,â⬠he said, ââ¬Å"but the Glovers and the Karstarks feel we'd be wiser to go around his army and join up with Uncle Ser Edmure against the Kingslayer.â⬠He ran his fingers through his shaggy mane of auburn hair, looking unhappy. ââ¬Å"Though by the time we reach Riverrun . . . I'm not certain . . . ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Be certain,â⬠Catelyn told her son, ââ¬Å"or go home and take up that wooden sword again. You cannot afford to seem indecisive in front of men like Roose Bolton and Rickard Karstark. Make no mistake, Robbââ¬âthese are your bannermen, not your friends. You named yourself battle commander. Command.â⬠Her son looked at her, startled, as if he could not credit what he was hearing. ââ¬Å"As you say, Mother.â⬠ââ¬Å"I'll ask you again. What do you mean to do?â⬠Robb drew a map across the table, a ragged piece of old leather covered with lines of faded paint. One end curled up from being rolled; he weighed it down with his dagger. ââ¬Å"Both plans have virtues, but . . . look, if we try to swing around Lord Tywin's host, we take the risk of being caught between him and the Kingslayer, and if we attack him . . . by all reports, he has more men than I do, and a lot more armored horse. The Greatjon says that won't matter if we catch him with his breeches down, but it seems to me that a man who has fought as many battles as Tywin Lannister won't be so easily surprised.â⬠ââ¬Å"Good,â⬠she said. She could hear echoes of Ned in his voice, as he sat there, puzzling over the map. ââ¬Å"Tell me more.â⬠ââ¬Å"I'd leave a small force here to hold Moat Cailin, archers mostly, and march the rest down the causeway,â⬠he said, ââ¬Å"but once we're below the Neck, I'd split our host in two. The foot can continue down the kingsroad, while our horsemen cross the Green Fork at the Twins.â⬠He pointed. ââ¬Å"When Lord Tywin gets word that we've come south, he'll march north to engage our main host, leaving our riders free to hurry down the west bank to Riverrun.â⬠Robb sat back, not quite daring to smile, but pleased with himself and hungry for her praise. Catelyn frowned down at the map. ââ¬Å"You'd put a river between the two parts of your army.â⬠ââ¬Å"And between Jaime and Lord Tywin,â⬠he said eagerly. The smile came at last. ââ¬Å"There's no crossing on the Green Fork above the ruby ford, where Robert won his crown. Not until the Twins, all the way up here, and Lord Frey controls that bridge. He's your father's bannerman, isn't that so?â⬠The Late Lord Frey, Catelyn thought. ââ¬Å"He is,â⬠she admitted, ââ¬Å"but my father has never trusted him. Nor should you.â⬠ââ¬Å"I won't,â⬠Robb promised. ââ¬Å"What do you think?â⬠She was impressed despite herself. He looks like a Tully, she thought, yet he's still his father's son, and Ned taught him well. ââ¬Å"Which force would you command?â⬠ââ¬Å"The horse,â⬠he answered at once. Again like his father; Ned would always take the more dangerous task himself. ââ¬Å"And the other?â⬠ââ¬Å"The Greatjon is always saying that we should smash Lord Tywin. I thought I'd give him the honor.â⬠It was his first misstep, but how to make him see it without wounding his fledgling confidence? ââ¬Å"Your father once told me that the Greatjon was as fearless as any man he had ever known.â⬠Robb grinned. ââ¬Å"Grey Wind ate two of his fingers, and he laughed about it. So you agree, then?â⬠ââ¬Å"Your father is not fearless,â⬠Catelyn pointed out. ââ¬Å"He is brave, but that is very different.â⬠Her son considered that for a moment. ââ¬Å"The eastern host will be all that stands between Lord Tywin and Winterfell,â⬠he said thoughtfully. ââ¬Å"Well, them and whatever few bowmen I leave here at the Moat. So I don't want someone fearless, do I?â⬠ââ¬Å"No. You want cold cunning, I should think, not courage.â⬠ââ¬Å"Roose Bolton,â⬠Robb said at once. ââ¬Å"That man scares me.â⬠ââ¬Å"Then let us pray he will scare Tywin Lannister as well.â⬠Robb nodded and rolled up the map. ââ¬Å"I'll give the commands, and assemble an escort to take you home to Winterfell.â⬠Catelyn had fought to keep herself strong, for Ned's sake and for this stubborn brave son of theirs. She had put despair and fear aside, as if they were garments she did not choose to wear . . . but now she saw that she had donned them after all. ââ¬Å"I am not going to Winterfell,â⬠she heard herself say, surprised at the sudden rush of tears that blurred her vision. ââ¬Å"My father may be dying behind the walls of Riverrun. My brother is surrounded by foes. I must go to them.ââ¬
Friday, November 8, 2019
Importance of Folk Tales in Russian History essays
Importance of Folk Tales in Russian History essays Modern day knowledge of the early Russian history exists because of folk tales. In the developing Russian society between the years of 1100 A.D. and 1400 A.D., plagued by poverty, the Mongol invasion, and most importantly, illiteracy, keeping a written history of past events, obviously, was out of the question and oral tradition passed on the history from generation to generation. Although mythological and fantastical, folk tales repeatedly depict basic elements of Russian daily life and provide historically accurate details that give present-day historians insights into the Russian culture during its infancy. The tales convey the significance of key factors such as the lack of arable land in an agriculturally dependent society, the degree of poverty in the country, and the importance of autocratic rule. With virtually every opening similarly looking like, In a certain village there was once a peasant... (The Seven Simeons), In a certain town there once lived a merchant and his wife... (The Lad Who Knew the Language of the Birds), and In a certain kingdom, in a certain realm there was once a soldier who served the king... (The Petrified Kingdom), the reader is immediately able to identify a few major characteristics. The word certain echoes the troubles and uncertainties of the times and works to emphasize the importance of the oral traditions role in retaining the nations history. Otherwise, right from the first sentence, it is evident that the tale will address a major theme of Russias early history, be it agriculture, poverty, or autocracy. Folk tales are used chiefly to set moral and ethical codes in the society. Each story distinguishes between what is right and what is wrong, what is acceptable and what is unacceptable, what is moral and what is immoral. Obedience of authority whether to a king, he decided to take him to the king and ask him to take th...
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens Essay"Those considered, vilest of mankind often have an agreeable persona, while those considered, the saviours of mankind often lack the persona in question" (Pierre Trudeau). This quotation signifies that a person that appears to be composed of a despicable nature often has a bit of good within him while a person with an assumed moral nature may lack the certain goodness that the despicable personage harbours. The above quotation often applies to society because people appear to be very noble and appear to be very sinful. When people are put in a circumstance where ones true intentions become known, a supposed evil personage will often demonstrate some good quality that isolates him from a total evil persona and vice-versa. For example, a person of supposed evil often takes care of their family members. They may commit many acts of injustice upon others but they refrain from doing so towards their family and strive to fulfill their needs, resources permitting.Fagin in his cell.
Monday, November 4, 2019
Comparison of Judaism and Islam Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Comparison of Judaism and Islam - Research Paper Example The more understanding we gain with regards to anything, the more broadmindedness we become by evaluating Judaism and Islam. These systems of beliefs share the same thought of worshipping of a supernatural power or god. From this plain word, an enormous figure of individual interpretations has taken place. Religion has not merely turned out to be an arrangement of belief but a source for individualism, pre-eminence and conflict. All the way through the centuries rules have been performed, terrain taken, formed and then ruined and wars have been struggled in an attempt to protect oneââ¬â¢s religion. Several religions have close towards nothing in common whereas others have various similarities. As compared with the three foremost western religions: In ââ¬Å"Universal Peace: To Unite a Universal Brotherhoodâ⬠, Mohammed Talib wrote that ââ¬Å"Judaism and Islam, there have been indications of communal practice, perception and lawâ⬠(Talib (2005), p. 71). Judaism appears to be one of the ancient religions recognized by man.à Judaism came to view roughly around 4000 years ago.à Several prominent individuals, as said by Arye Forta in the book ââ¬Å"Judaismâ⬠, have been ââ¬Å"Jewish citizens like Jesus, Moses, Einstein, Freud, Marx, even Mahlerâ⬠. This religion is said to be a monotheistic creed, denoting that Jewish natives pray to solely one god.à There werenââ¬â¢t lots of religions like this since it was launched which made Judaism very exceptional during that time.à Nearly all of the religions during those days were polytheistic, meaning that they prayed towards more than one God (Forta (1995), p. 5). On the other hand the ââ¬Å"word "Islam" indicates "obedience to Allah."â⬠This was written in the book of R. W. Maqsoodââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Islamâ⬠. Anybody who does definitely present themselves towards the desires of Allah as obliged by Islam is labeled as a "Muslim," which implies one who has surrendered towards the
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Analysis of The Various Legal Provisions Research Paper
Analysis of The Various Legal Provisions - Research Paper Example However, dealing with employment laws is a day to day affair for any business or industrial undertaking irrespective of the size and magnitude of the operations. Hence it becomes very essential that the employers understand and appreciate their legal obligations under the employment laws especially when the employers are keen of making changes in the working place or in the terms of employment of the workers in order to be competitive and efficient.Ã Ã As a matter of fact, "United Kingdom [UK] employment law has mushroomed in recent years. Modern UK employment law first saw huge changes during the 1970s. Several Acts of Parliament introduced new and complex legislation in areas such as Equal Pay, Sex Discrimination, Race Discrimination, and Health & Safety. Since then there have been even further extensions to UK employment law, particularly brought about by UK's membership of the European Union which required changes to the UK Employment Law. Changes to the UK employment law have included areas such as the Transfer of Undertakings, Disability Discrimination, National Minimum Wages and Working Time Regulations. Year after year UK employment law continues to extend in all areas of working life."Ã In the UK the main employment legislation is the Employment Rights Act 1996. Labor legislation like the Redundancy Payments Act 1965 in the UK and the Acquired Rights Directive 1977(ARD) concerning the employment regulations of EU are examples of the development of the legal face of the employment legislation. Similarly every year tens of thousands of UK companies fall foul of UK employment law, many due to lack of knowledge of the legal obligations they face. As a result, many face huge compensation and legal costs.
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