US and Vietnam War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

US and Vietnam War - Essay Example The final contingent of the U.S. commitment departed Vietnam 60 days after the signing, but the level of violence between Vietnamese adversaries did not significantly decline; no peace came to Vietnam. In the United States, Watergate was changing from amber to red, and as his presidency unraveled in 1973, President Richard Nixon's secret commitments to South Vietnam's President Nguyen Van Thieu were rendered meaningless. Less than two years later, faced with funding a $722 million budget supplement, the U.S. Congress showed little interest in providing military equipment or financial support to America's longtime ally, South Vietnam. On April 30, 1975, South Vietnam ceased to exist. For most Americans, the last images of the war were of the dazed U.S. Ambassador Graham Martin carrying a folded American flag under his arm during the final evacuation from the U.S. Embassy; or perhaps the chaos surrounding the evacuation of U.S. personnel and Vietnamese families from the Embassy rooftop. No one seemed interested in such critical questions as the nature of the war, why the United States chose to fight the way it did, how North Vietnam had prevailed, the relationship of political objectives to military strategy, or the lessons that could be derived from the public diplomacy and secret negotiations that had characterized so much of the conflict. The dire situation would change as scholars gained access to a series of significant declassifications of primary source documents located in archival depositories in the United States, Vietnam, China, and Russia, and as principal architects of policy-the so-called "best and brightest"-began to reflect and write on their roles during the period. In 1995, former Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara broke his own long silence on the subject with the admission that "we were wrong, terribly wrong" (McNamara & Van De Mark 1995). Another principal architect of Vietnam policy, political scientist Henry Kissinger, has generated several books that address why the United States fought in Vietnam (Kissinger 1999). We approach our topic chronologically by examining 30 years of war from 1945 to 1975-beginning with the historic Vietnamese proclamation of independence and ending with the fall of South Vietnam in April 1975. We have identified what we believe are important components of this unfolding saga, and we begin from the intellectual premise that truly understanding why the United States fought in Vietnam requires that we comprehend the roots of the conflict (before it became America's war in Vietnam) from the perspective of countries other than the United States- specifically, Vietnam, China, and the Soviet Union. After all, it was the United States that chose to fight in Vietnam's war (Young 1991). Research The disciplines of history and political science have illuminated many important aspects of the war, including presidential personality and leadership, war powers, public opinion, the role of the media, advisory processes and interactions, political dissent, and congressional-executive relations. Political science has also contributed significant theoretical advances on

Actions and context of social Essay Example for Free

Actions and context of social Essay Hale arrives in Salem and begins to interrogate Abigail. He is very direct and soon Abigail realises that she cannot avoid his questions any more. She knows she must escape his attention but she cannot run otherwise she will look suspicious. Instead, she cleverly implicates Tituba. Abigail constructs her involvement to become the leader of the proceedings, trying to force the other girls and her into following her lead. After confession, Tituba is told to tell the names of people seen with the devil. Mrs Putnam asks whether her past midwives had been in contact with the devil. Abigail soon says the names of Sarah Good and Goody Osburne as she quickly reveals that they are in contact with the devil. By satisfying her interrogators suspicions, despite their untruthfulness she can divert attention away from herself. Her intelligence and unique influence is demonstrated as she does so and sends the professional men of the court into a frenzied excitement, as they believe they have found someone in touch with the devil. By being the first and shouting out names, she has power and trust with the court. She then begins to call out more names, adding to Titubas list. This excites Betty whom immediately rises and joins in the chanting of names. She is described to be calling out hysterically and with great relief. Then their ecstatic cries turn into a gleeful tone, adding an evil edge. Abigail has forged her way out of trouble and Betty has picked up on the plan, assured that she is safe from punishment and joins Abigail. They are now beyond accusation or danger and happy to call names out. Betty is following Abigail, but Abigail has no need to continue as she has already said Elizabeths name. The other names of people, she has no involvement with and most importantly, people who bear no importance in Salem and are vulnerable to prosecution. It is a fiendish scene, as if the girls are possessed by evil. They are not however and that leaves only one reason, that Abigail is wreaking her specific revenge for her parents deaths. It is one of her more evil actions in the play, as it cannot be accounted for. This shows that she does not hate and have power over people she wants revenge for, but everyone of human society. In my opinion, she is a disturbed character. She is initially perceived as being wild bright and proud. Her character then develops a ghastly quality that becomes a large influence over everybody in the village of Salem. She abuses this ability to turn things to her advantage and others fate. She develops an evil insensitive, which would seem to be her character, however occasionally she shows different emotions in moments of intense passion and fear. Abigail is the hidden secret of the play. She covers behind her sweet little girl innocence and manipulates it between the characters, which brings up many truths from the past. Her quest however, soon becomes an addiction as she has people killed and blames anyone to get back John Proctor.

Workplace Violence Essay -- Workplace Health and Safety

Workplace Violence In January 1997, a man drove into the parking lot of a major company in Baltimore County, pulled out a gun, and aimed it at his girlfriend who was sitting in her car and killed her. The man shot himself. Several days after that, another man in another part of the county, in attempt to commit suicide, drove his vehicle the wall of a business and injured an employee who was sitting at his desk. (National, 1996) There is a general perception that violence is growing in our society. Almost everyday we can turn on the news or read the newspaper and we hear stories about horrific workplace murders and assaults. Not only is the workplace violence increasing in those workplaces where violence is expected, such as correction, enforcement, and mental health, but also it has become a danger in almost every occupation that deals with the public. Therefore, few would argue that over the last ten years, occupational violence has become a serious problem facing workers and employers alike. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, murder was the second leading cause of death in the workplace in 1996, accounting for 15% of all workplace deaths. Although the press focuses on the â€Å"crazy worker-type violence,† where a worker kills his supervisor or co-worker, violence among co-workers occurs very infrequently compared to other types of workplace violence. Since 1992, violence among co-worker s has averaged only about 6% of all work-related homicides. The rest are the result of robberies or other crimes. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, each year nearly one million individuals become victims of violent crime while working or on duty. Eight percent of all rapes, 7% of all robberies, and 16% of all assault... ...al Safety and Health Alert: Request for Assistance in Prevention Homicide in the Workplace, US Department of Health and Human Services, Sept 1993. 6. Irvine, Robert B, â€Å"Workplace Violence, What To Do When Tragedy Strikesâ€Å", Public Relations TACTICS, Dec. 1995. 7. Labor Occupational Health Program, Violence on the Job: A Guidebook for Labor and Management, University of California, Berkeley, 1997 8. Mattman, Jurg W, â€Å"Preventing Violence in the Workplace â€Å", Online Available: http://www.noworkviolence.com/articles/preventing_violence.htm 9. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, â€Å"Violence in the Workplace, Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies†, Current Intelligence Bulletin 57, June 1996. 10. Robinson, Janet, â€Å"10 Facts Every Employer Should Know About Workplace Violence†, Online Available: http://www.smartbiz.com/sbs/columns/robin1.htm Workplace Violence Essay -- Workplace Health and Safety Workplace Violence In January 1997, a man drove into the parking lot of a major company in Baltimore County, pulled out a gun, and aimed it at his girlfriend who was sitting in her car and killed her. The man shot himself. Several days after that, another man in another part of the county, in attempt to commit suicide, drove his vehicle the wall of a business and injured an employee who was sitting at his desk. (National, 1996) There is a general perception that violence is growing in our society. Almost everyday we can turn on the news or read the newspaper and we hear stories about horrific workplace murders and assaults. Not only is the workplace violence increasing in those workplaces where violence is expected, such as correction, enforcement, and mental health, but also it has become a danger in almost every occupation that deals with the public. Therefore, few would argue that over the last ten years, occupational violence has become a serious problem facing workers and employers alike. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, murder was the second leading cause of death in the workplace in 1996, accounting for 15% of all workplace deaths. Although the press focuses on the â€Å"crazy worker-type violence,† where a worker kills his supervisor or co-worker, violence among co-workers occurs very infrequently compared to other types of workplace violence. Since 1992, violence among co-worker s has averaged only about 6% of all work-related homicides. The rest are the result of robberies or other crimes. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, each year nearly one million individuals become victims of violent crime while working or on duty. Eight percent of all rapes, 7% of all robberies, and 16% of all assault... ...al Safety and Health Alert: Request for Assistance in Prevention Homicide in the Workplace, US Department of Health and Human Services, Sept 1993. 6. Irvine, Robert B, â€Å"Workplace Violence, What To Do When Tragedy Strikesâ€Å", Public Relations TACTICS, Dec. 1995. 7. Labor Occupational Health Program, Violence on the Job: A Guidebook for Labor and Management, University of California, Berkeley, 1997 8. Mattman, Jurg W, â€Å"Preventing Violence in the Workplace â€Å", Online Available: http://www.noworkviolence.com/articles/preventing_violence.htm 9. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, â€Å"Violence in the Workplace, Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies†, Current Intelligence Bulletin 57, June 1996. 10. Robinson, Janet, â€Å"10 Facts Every Employer Should Know About Workplace Violence†, Online Available: http://www.smartbiz.com/sbs/columns/robin1.htm

The Xia Dynasty Essay

The first prehistoric dynasty is said to be Xia, from about the twenty-first to the sixteenth century B.C. Xia-dynasty was founded by the Si-clan, who were descendants of the clan’s foundation father, Yu. Because of the lack of written sources, historians have still not gained a correct idea of how the people lived at that time. According to the later tradition, Yu spent thirteen years to dig out channels and maintain dikes. When emperor Shun died, the officials disagreed with the imperial decision of letting Shun’s son inherit the throne. They wanted Yu instead, who after his death was followed by his son. It was Yu who founded the first imperial dynasty in China. Until scientific excavations were made at early bronze-age sites at Anyang, Henan Province, in 1928, it was difficult to separate myth from reality in regard to the Xia. But since then, and especially in the 1960s and 1970s, archaeologists have uncovered urban sites, bronze implements, and tombs that point to the existence of Xia civilization in the same locations cited in ancient Chinese historical texts. At minimum, the Xia period marked an evolutionary stage between the late neolithic cultures and the typical Chinese urban civilization of the Shang dynasty. Xia was conquered by Tang, and a new era had begun, the Shang-dynasty was founded. Created by Yang Lu Stunning Capital of Xia Dynasty Unearthed Chinese archaeologists recently found a large-scale building foundation in Erlitou Ruins of Yanshi, central China’s Henan Province, which belongs to the later period of Xia Dynasty. The discovery, the first of its kind in China, again excited the archaeological field after the heated discussion on the division of Xia and Shang dynasties . â€Å"The site causes great concern because it was founded at the key moment when the Xia Dynasty (c. 2100 BC – c. 1600 BC) was replaced by the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC – c. 1100 BC),† said Dr. Xu Hong, head of the Erlitou Archaeological Team under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. â€Å"Was it built by people of the Xia or the Shang? Further excavation will help find the final resolution and provide new materials for periodization of the two dynasties.† Erlitou Ruins, a new mystery The Erlitou Ruins were discovered by Chinese scholars in their field research of Xia culture. In the following 40 years’ outdoor excavation, they obtained rich relics and references. As a result, the Erlitou Ruins were confirmed as the ruins of an important capital existing between the Xia and Shang dynasties. The first-hand information and scientific materials laid a solid foundation for the research of Xia culture. Meanwhile, since its discovery, disputes about it have never ended. Situated in the central area of the Xia Dynasty as shown in historical records chronologized as in the Xia Dynasty, the Erlitou Ruins naturally became a key site in the exploration of the Xia culture as well as the division between Xia and Shang dynasties. The question remaining is whether it is a Xia-dynasty capital or the Shang capital Xibo. Disputes also center on the nature of the Erlitou culture. Some think it featured Xia culture in early period and Shang culture in later period, while others believe it was of pure Xia culture. After the periodization of the Xia, Shang and Zhou (c. 1100 BC – 221 BC) was completed, more and more experts tended to believe Erlitou was a site of Xia ruins and it once served as the capital during the dynasty’s middle and later periods. â€Å"This means people can almost touch the pulse of China’s first dynasty. I say ‘almost’ because many mysteries about the Erlitou Ruins remain unsolved,† Dr. Xu Hong said. â€Å"We’ve got only an outline of the information it has provided, such as the internal layout, evolution process, culture, social life, organizational structure and ethnics, of this capital.† â€Å"The final solution to the mysteries of Erlitou culture and Xia culture still depends on more historical witnesses, such as the creation of characters,† Xu said. â€Å"With further investigation, excavation and research on the Erlitou  Ruins, people will better understand the significance of the ruins in exploring the source of Chinese culture, Chinese early civilization and formation of state.† Palace complex: the earliest ever found Under the No.2 site of Erlitou Ruins, which is the foundation of a large-scale palace complex, archaeologists recently discovered a new site of rammed earth, which indicates an earlier, larger and more complicated structure once existed there. It pushes the age of China earliest palace complex back 100 years. According to Dr. Xu Hong, the site, encoded No.3, should belong to early-period Erlitou culture. To date, it has been confirmed that the structure was about 150 meters long, and its major body comprises at least three courtyards. Before the discovery, archaeologists believed the No.1 and No.2 sites of Erlitou were the earliest large-scale palaces in China, leading to the conclusion that the early period palace was simple in structure and usually had one gate and one courtyard. The excavation of No.3 site, however, made them change minds. The Erlitou Ruins, dating back 3,850-3,550 years, were found in 1959. As early as in 1978, archaeologists had noticed large-scale rammed earth under the No.2 palace site and decided to explore its scale, structure and date. In recent years, the Erlitou Archaeological Team has focused their field work on early buildings of Erlitou and its relationship with later buildings. Since autumn 2001, more than 3,000 square meters have been excavated. The result is the discovery of the more complicated No.3 and No.5 palace sites, which sit side by side, one in the east, the other in the west. Under the passageway between them, there is a 100-meter-long wooden-structured drainage culvert. In the middle and south courtyards of No.3 site, archaeologists also found rows of medium-sized tombs, of which five have been cleaned up. All of the tombs are paved with cinnabar and traces of coffins can still be seen. Burial articles unearthed include bronze, jade, lacquer and white pottery ware as well as glazed pottery inlayed with turquoise and artifacts made from seashells. Many items, such as white pottery in shape of wide-rimmed bamboo hat, jade ornament looking like a bird’s head, large vessel inlayed with turquoise and ornament composed of nearly 100 gear-like holed clams, had never been seen before. The discovery of the tombs with so many aristocrats is of great significance to the study of the nature of No.3 site and the burial ceremonies of the Erlitou culture. Basic structure of Erlitou made clear In the past half a century, Chinese archaeologists have dedicated themselves to seeking relics of the Xia Dynasty and their work centers on western Henan Province. Historical records show the western part of Henan Province was the central area for activities in the Xia Dynasty. In 1959, historian Xu Xusheng found the large ruins of Erlitou in Yanshi of western Henan Province. Since then, three generations of archaeologists have conducted more than 40 excavations. Research proves this was the largest living community in China and even in East Asia in the first half of c. 2000 BC. It boasted the earliest palace building group of China, earliest bronze sacrificial vessel group and earliest bronze smelting workshop. It is the earliest capital city which can be confirmed to date. Dr. Xu Hong, head of the Erlitou Archaeological Team under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stresses the academic significance of the work: it helps better understand the nature of Erlitou Ruins as a capital, the emergence of city, and the early form of state. The palaces in the Erlitou Ruins had three avenues: the one in the east was nearly 700 meters long, the other two in the north and south were over 300 meters each, with a distance of 400 meters between them. Also, several paths were discovered in the palace area. Between No.1 and No.2 sites, large areas of earth, hundreds square meters of pebble and some rammed-earth foundations were found. The latest exploration and excavation show the palace ruins were distributed in a northwest-southeast trend along the ancient Yiluo River. The longest distance from east to west was 2,400 meters, and that from north to south, 1,900 meters. The northern part of it had been damaged by the Luohe River, with only a three-square-kilometer area left. The most important part was the highland in the southeast, with palace foundation ruins, bronze smelting workshop ruins and medium-sized tombs. The western part of it was relatively low and used to be common residential areas. On the edge of the eastern part a ditch extending 500 meters intermittently was found. It was believed to be a ditch providing earth for construction or pottery making in the past. Also, it formed the eastern border of the palace. Background: Journey into the Xia Dynasty Erlitou is a common village on the northern bank of the Luohe River, Henan Province. Few has known it was the location of the capital of China’s first dynasty, Xia between c.1900 BC to c. 1600 BC. It witnessed the prosperity of the Xia and the transmission from the Xia to the Shang. However, the memory about the Chinese nation seemed to dim from people’s mind and some even doubted if there had been such a brilliance. In the 20th century, the discovery of inscriptions on tortoise shells or animal bones and excavation of the Yin Ruins of Anyang proved the existence of the Shang Dynasty. This greatly encouraged Chinese scholars, who hoped to restore the real appearance of the Xia Dynasty by seeking relevant relics. Since Erlitou was discovered by Xu Xusheng and his archaeological team in 1959, Chinese archaeologists have entered a new stage in the exploration of  the Xia culture. The continuous excavation brought to light ruins of large-scale palace foundations, large-scale bronze smelting workshop, pottery making and bone article workshops as well as buildings related to religious sacrifice, 400 tombs, sets of bronze and jade sacrificial vessels. All these have proven Erlitou was the earliest capital ever founded in China. Along with new discoveries, the disputes over Xia culture and the division of the Xia and Shang dynasties have heated up again, attracting both domestic and overseas scholars. The periodization of the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties greatly promoted the study of Xia culture. The initial building of the Shang city in Yanshi has been confirmed as a boundary mark between the Xia and Shang dynasties, and Erlitou Ruins, a capital of the Xia Dynasty. More and more scholars begin to accept the view that the mainstay of Erlitou culture was Xia culture. Now the exploration on the source of Chinese civilization and Xia culture is still going on. Dr. Xu Hong, as well as other scholars devoted to this study, is fully confident of the future: â€Å"The discovery of the Yin Ruins astounded the world in the 20th century. We believe the Erlitou Ruins will lead the study of Chinese ancient civilization to a new stage in the 21st century.† The first prehistoric dynasty is said to be Xia, from about the twenty-first to the sixteenth century BC. Until scientific excavations were made at early bronze-age sites at Anyang, Henan Province, in 1928, it was difficult to seperate myth from reality in regard to the Xia. But since then, and especially in the 1960s and 1970s, archaeologists have uncovered urban sites, bronze implements, and tombs that point to the existence of Xia civilization in the same locations cited in ancient Chinese historical texts. At minimum, the Xia period marked an evolutionary stage between the late neolithic cultures and the typical Chinese urban civilization of the Shang Dynasty. The Xia Dynasty is traditionallly supposed to have begun with the reign of Yu the Great and ended with the fall of Jie,lasting for more than 400 years, from approximately the 21st century BC to a little earlier  to the 16th century BC. THere were altogether seventeen kings in fourteen generations. According to an ancient version of history, however, it was not Yu, but his son Qi, who founded the dynasty. Towards the end of the Xia Dynasty, social contradictions and confict grew sharper. Tradition has it that in the 16th century BC, the last ruler of Xia, Jie, abused his power and increased oppression. He exhausted the resources of the people to build palaces and pavilions for himself. The people were also forced to go to war. Filled with hatred for Jie, the people could no longer put up with his despotic rule and fled in large numbers. Even his court officials cursed him and wished his death, although that might mean that they themselves would perish. The origin of Xia Dynasty — The Great Yu and the terrible Flood Shang Tang sezed this opportunity. took a revolt and finally overthrew the Xia Dynasty and founded the house known as the Shang Dynasty. Legend has it that some four or five thousand years ago there occurred once in the Yellow River valley a terrible flood which washed away whole villages with their houses and inundated large areas of cropland. Many people lost their lives in the flood and those who were fortunate enough to survive were forced to abandon their homes and go and live on hillsides or migrate to places far, far away. At that time, the leader of the confederation of tribes was a man named Yao who at once summoned together the chieftains of all the tribes to discuss how to get the flood under control. At the meeting, a man named Gun was elected by unanimous vote to take charge of the fight against the flood. Under Gun’s leadership, the people spent nine long years building dams and dykes to stop the flow of the rivers. All the efforts however ended only in more disastrous floods. It happened more than once that no sooner was a dam or dyke built than it was destroyed by flood which carried sands and mud downstream until the mouth of the Yellow River was choked up and the afflicted areas became larger and larger while the number of victims  increased. By this time Yao himself was getting very old and so he yielded his place to one named Shun who attached great importance to flood control and went to the work sites for a personal inspection. When he found that Gun had failed in his mission, he first had him incarcerated on Feather Hill and then killed. After that he gave orders that Gun’s son Yu should carry on the work of fighting the flood. There have been many mythical stories about Yu’s birth. One is that three years after Gun was killed, his dead body still showed no signs of putrefaction and when someone cut it open, out bounded the boy Yu. Another has it that Yu’s mother gave birth to him after eating a kind of wild fruit. Anyway, in ancient times everyone seemed to believe that Yu was the son of a god, an ingenious, capable and peerless hero. It was barely four days after he got married when Yu received Shun’s order. Determined to have the flood under control and remove the menace to the people, he left his wife behind and set off for the work site. Yu first made a study of the causes that had led to his father’s failure. Then he made a careful survey of the afflicted areas and asked for advice from experienced workers. Knowing that water tends to flow from higher to lower regions, he abandoned Gun’s method of building dams and dykes to stop the flow of waters. Instead he led his men in digging ditches and canals to divert the flood and also in dredging the river channels so as to provide outlets for the floods into the sea. In those days there was a high mountain, Mount Longmen, in the upper reaches of the Yellow River that blocked the way of the river. When the turbulent waters reached the mountain, it overflowed the banks, causing floods in the vicinity. In order to cut a canal into the mountain, Yu turned himself into a bear and stole into the mountains to do the digging. He also enlisted the help of Ying Long, Huang Di’s brave warrior. Eventually, he succeeded in cutting a canal through Mount Longmen an d thus made it possible for the floods to flow by way of this canal and the dredged rivers into the sea. Rain or shine, Yu worked in the midst of his men, digging and taking earth away all through the four seasons of a year. His face became sun-burnt and his body spare and thin. Even the hair on his calves was worn away. But he was so dedicated that it was said that he had three times refrained from entering the door of his home when he was passing by. One story has it that he happened to be passing the door when his wife was giving birth to his son Qi. He heard the baby crying, but in order to get the flood under control as early as he could he turned away from his door. Thus after thirteen long years of continuous efforts, Yu and his men succeeded in dredging all the rivers, big and small, and in doing away with the evil of flood. Those who had gone to live on hillsides or had migrated to remote places now came back to their native places. Under Yu’s leadership, they tilled the land and planted crops and developed agricultural production. As a result, people were beginning to lead a good life. Yu was held in great reverence by all the tribes who now addressed him as Yu the Great. Shun was convinced that Yu had both fine qualities and great competence and so recommended him as his successor. After the death of Shun, Yu became the head of the tribal confederation. Later his own son Qi set himself as the successor and it was Qi that set up the first slave-owning state in Chinese history – the Xia Dynasty Xia Dynasty 2100 BC – 1700 BC According to legend, the Chinese people originated in the Huang He (Yellow River) valley created by the god, Pan Ku. There is little archaeological evidence of this, although remains of Homo Erectus dating back 460,000 years have been found near Beijing. Several villages & farms from about 10,000 BC have been found by archaeologists in northern China. Although little is known about the Xia Dynasty, the Xia are assumed to be descended from the Huang He people. Until recently the dynasty was thought of as mythical but archaeological evidence has now proved its existence. In about 3000 BC the  Lungshan people emerged and were the first people of the Xia Dynasty. They made silk, fine pottery and bricks baked in ovens to build their homes. They learned how to control floods and irrigate fields and had great engineering skills. There are no written records although it is assumed that they had a writing system of some sort. This first hereditary dynasty lasted some 400 years and tradition says it ended when a Xia ruler started mistreating the people and was overthrown. The Xia Dynasty is portrayed as the tutorial missions in Emperor. In prehistoric ancient China several nomadic families joined together and settled along the fertile banks of the Wei River. The settlement of Banpo starts very small requiring only the basics of life but, as the years pass, the settlement prospers and they establish farms together with the manufacture of luxuries such as beautiful ceramics. Later still, explorers go out from the town to search for other communities and a new town is established on the plains of Erlitou and rudimentary trade between cities is started. At last the silk-worm and the beautiful fabric that can be made from it are discovered. As with most societies, war threatens and copper is mined to make weapons and arm soldiers. Taxes have to be levied with the tax collectors using wooden ledgers for record keeping. Finally the tutorials (and Xia Dynasty) end with victory in battle The establishment of the Xia Dynasty (21st – 17th century BC) is an important milestone in the history of Chinese civilization and marks the end of the Primitive Society and the beginning of the Class Society. It is the first dynasty in Chinese history, and lasted nearly 500 years including the reigns of 17 emperors. It is thought that most of the Xia people probably inhabited the western area of Henan Province and southern Shanxi Province. Political History It is Yu the Great who first set up the dynasty under the Abdication System (choosing the leader according to their ability). After he died, his son Qi broke up this system and made himself the Xia emperor. From that time onwards, the Abdication System gave way to the Hereditary System. Following the system of hereditary, 15 offspring of Qi succeeded him after  his death. Among them, emperors like Shaokang, and Huai made great contributions to the development of Chinese society. However, there were also many tyrannical emperors during this period such as Taikang, Kongjia, and Jie. Economy and Crafts During this dynasty, many achievements were made. People lived mainly through agriculture using tools made of stone or bone. The Jade ware at that time was quite delicate and bronze vessels were well smelted. Craftwork made of bronze embedded with jade also appeared. Commodity exchanges developed. A calendar system was devised which used both lunar and solar movements. Decline Xia ended under the reign of Jie, a very notorious tyrannical emperor in Chinese history. After he succeeded to the throne, he lived an extravagant life day and night without any thought for his country or its people. In addition, he killed the patriotic ministers who presented him with good advice. All of his actions enraged the people so much that at last they rose up under the leadership of Tang (the chief of the Shang tribe and latter set up Shang Dynasty (17th – 11th century BC) and overthrew Xia. The realm of China has been well renowned for its sundry and unique culture – that is why a lot of researchers, students, and tourists became very much fascinated with the historical background and roots of this culture. For decades, Chinese history and culture have undergone huge tons of changes – from the places, food, clothing, political beliefs, spiritual choices, attitude of people, structure of buildings and residences, government types, arts, and others alike. All of the alleged factors have undergone change and innovation throughout the point in time, living massive impact on its people. To better acquire an understanding of the up-to-date transformation in the ethnicity and traditions of China, it is better to be aware of the roots of modernization where innovation and colossal amendment took place. According to unswerving sources, there are proof and substantiation that the immense variations on the Chinese history and culture was distinguished and  took consign during the Xia Dynasty, roughly around 2100 B.C. to 1600 B.C. The Xia Dynasty lasted for nearly 500 years and during those long years, a lot of modification has been made doable under diverse leaders from one generation to another. All through those years, the nation of China has been under the leadership of 17 different emperors that has left a lot of remarkable changes in the country’s culture. The Origins and Development of the Xia Dynasty First, it is important to go through the origin of the Xia Dynasty – where did it all start? There are a lot of different versions and story lines on the subject of the roots of the Xia Dynasty but regardless of those speculations, lone factor will remain the same, and that is Xia was the very first established dynasty system in China. Long before, the Xia Dynasty had been established through battles between two tribes that had long existed – the two battling tribes are the Xia tribe and Chiyou’s tribe. The Patriarch of the Xia Tribe The Xia tribe was noted to progressively develop and took place during the time of Zhuanxu, who is well acknowledged as one of the five great emperors of China. According to classical research, reviews and historical texts, a lot of evidences have proved that Yu the Great, which is the first leader of China during the Xia Dynasty was the grandson of Zhuanxu. Other classical facts and historical rites profess that Xia is a member of the fifth generation of Zhuanxu. Whether of the alleged facts are true or not, the only fact that will remain the same is that the first conqueror and leader of China’s Xia Dynasty originated from the Zhuanxu, evidently making it possible that the Xia clan was mainly the descendants of the great emperor. Areas of Habitation and the Abdication System The development of the Xia Dynasty served as a very significant part of the Chinese history and culture since during those periods the development has marked the end of the Primitive civilization and highlighted the beginning of the class and more modernized society. Most people during the Xia Dynasty period localized in the western area of the province of Henan and some also inhabited the northern and southern part of the province of Shanxi. During  the earlier times of Xia Dynasty, the approach in selecting the right leader was first set up by Yu the Great, who made the Abdication System the way of choosing the right leader. The Abdication System is an approach where a leader is chosen according to their advanced ability and competence. Gun’s Mission to Stop the Flooding at the Yellow River Throughout the Xia Dynasty, the main problem that Yu the Great had to deal with was the flooding of the Yellow River. Long before the time of Gun, known as the earliest member of the Xia clan and also the father of Yu the Great, Gun and other tribe members attempted to solve the problems of flooding. Gun was appointed by Yao to stop the flooding of the Yellow river; Yao ordered the establishment and construction of large line of defense and blockade that would stop the flooding and destruction of their farm or field crops. The attempt of Yu’s father to build a defense and effective barrier to prevent and control the flood lasted for nine long years, but in the end they still failed to attain their goal since the flood became stronger and more uncontrollable. That failure has lead to the order of execution of Yu the Great’s father Gun, who was ordered by Shun the succeeding leader of the throne. Gun’s Execution and Yu’s Mission Gun was ordered to be executed on the mountain located between the Donghai countries – because of his father’s failure to solve the flooding, Yu the Great was motivated to continue his father’s attempt to stop the flooding of the Yellow River. Since Yu the Great was highly trusted by Shun, he was then assigned to continue his father’s work – the method and technique of Yu greatly differ from his father’s approach. As you can recall, the method used by Gun was to build a blockade that will redirect the path of the water to stop the flood but since it is a failure, Yu the Great tried a whole lot of different approach. The first step that Yu considered was to acquire help from other tribes. What he did was unite people coming from the different tribes and ordered them to lend him a hand in solving their flooding problems by effectively building canals in all the major rivers around China, which will redirect the water into its way to the sea, co nsequently preventing it from flooding their farms. Yu’s Dedication to Stopping the Yellow River Floods Yu the great has dedicated 13 years of his life in order to complete his mission and during those 13 years, he did not go home to see his family. It was said that throughout that 13 years he only passed by looking at his house without going inside and talking to his family. He was very much dedicated and highly motivated, he was an epitome of strength and intelligence may be that is the reason why all his hard work eventually paid off, and his technique was successful in leading the water directly into the sea, thus preventing the flood. Mission Accomplished: Prosperity Ensues The prevention of the flood eventually lead to the affluence and growth of the farm crops that was usually destroyed by the flood and this growth has lead to the strengthening of the Xia tribe, making Yu the leader of other surrounding tribes. Then eventually after several years, Shun abdicated his throne to Yu since Shun himself is getting old and needs to pass the throne and authority to a competent leader – he then chose Yu to succeed on his position. And that was noted as the first year of Yu’s leadership and also the birth of the Xia Dynasty. After several years of leadership, Yu was ought to pass the throne to a worthy leader but instead of choosing according to the competence and ability Yu chose to give the throne to his son Qi; that act marked the start of the Hereditary System in selecting a leader and began the era of clan leadership style of governing. The throne was continuously passed to sons of the kings, from generation to generation until the time of Jie took place. Jie was the last ruler of the Xia dynasty he was perceived as a corrupt leader, which lead to the rebellion of the people against his leadership that eventually lead him to be overthrown by Tang who started the Shang Dynasty. Xia Dynasty Technology & Innovation Other changes that were noted from the period of Xia Dynasty was subsequent, the use of stone tools like the hand axe, they also made use of fire in perfecting the stone tools that they created. Agriculture was also improved during the Xia period and pasturing was started. Irrigation technology was also greatly improved, the production of dried and earthen goods also took place, the use of ships and vehicles arose, the use of varnish became common practice. Silk production and weaving also took place during the Xia dynasty  as well as drilling and carving technology. But the most recognized innovation during this period was the creation of the calendar based on two different patterns, the use of jade, bronze vessels, and bronze casting also became popular at this era. XIA Dynasty Religion Government Geography Economy Society First Chinese Dynasty Marked the transition between primitive society and class society. First began with an abdiction system Choosing leader by ability. After Yu the great died, his son Qi changed to the hereditary system choosing the leader by the bloodline. The Xia Dynasty had no written records so at times they are considered myth. There society was based on slavery. Their culture was very into astronomy. They were among the first to chart constellations and supernovas. Most of the Xia was learned from ancient records from other civilizations because the Xia themeselves had no form of writing. Some of these records include the Bamboo Annals and the Records of the Grand Historian. They were believed to be Aryans who migrated into the area and they were able to take down the locals and conquer it. There are credited for discovering silk and an early lunar calendar. In the beginning they believed in natural religion. This included shamans, spirits, and cremation of the dead bodies. With time the larger population became Buddhist. Tangut monks translated many sutras to the Xia language. After the 11th century the Xia went into Lamaism Thats another form of Buddhism. Smaller religion present was Chinese Daoism. They were very family oriented, they honored their family. Most of the myths about the Xia had godlike leaders or gods included in them. They had a large amount of cattle herds that they used to make a lot of woolen products. They depended on their resources. For example fishermen depend on fish. They had no trade with others because they were involved in so much war. Had frontier market to supply their own country. Made coins to buy within their country. Made tools and weapons out of stone, bone, and wood. In the time of Yu the Great there were many floods that destroyed the crops and home of the people. Due to excessive floods, Yu built canals leading to the river and the sea. The canals also helped with agriculture when they began farming. There were a total of 17 emperors The first one was Xiayu, who was in power for 45 years The Xia was based on  slavery The leader that ended the Xia dynasty was named Jie he was a tyrant. Jie was in charge for 52 years They lived next to the yellow riverbend. The Xia were very good fishers. The Xia had descended from a wide-spread Yellow River valley Neolithic culture known as the Longshan culture. There is only some written records of this. The Xia dynasty lasted 500 years. On a warm spring day, in Xia times, some children went out in the fields to play. In those days, if you had a problem you went to see the local wise woman. In this village, the wise woman’s name was Loawnu. Alarmed at what they saw in the fields, the children ran up the hill to Loawnu’s house. â€Å"Loawnu,† they shouted. â€Å"The sky is falling down!† Loawnu smiled at the children. â€Å"Don’t be worried. Find all the pieces of sky that have fallen, and bring them to me. I’ll sew them together again in time for the festival.† The spring festival was nearing. This was a time when the young people gathered from many villages to meet one another and to find husbands and wives. The children’s village had been honored this year as the meeting village. It would be a horrible time for the sky to fall down. The village would be disgraced! Off the children ran to pick up the pieces. But some were missing! â€Å"Loawnu!† cried the children, as they tore up the hill, breathing heavily. Loawnu only smiled. The next day, the children ran outside and looked up. The sky looked as it always looked on a warm spring day, clean and fresh and blue. They were so happy. That night, they were amazed! The sky had always been dark at night. That night, it was filled with light! Loawnu had patched the missing pieces of sky with bright twinkling light! How beautiful! How clever! We shall have the happiest spring festival in all the land! How lucky we are to know Loawnu! All the village agreed. From the canals that Yu built, he was praised and was made him the leader of the Xia Dynasty Archeologists found bronze implements and tombs proving that the Xia dynasty lived through 2100- 1800 BC.

The Culture at Starbucks

Organizational culture refers to â€Å"a system of shared meaning held by members [of an organization] that distinguishes [it] from other organizations† (Robbins, 2005). In other words, organizational culture is the collection of characteristics and qualities which the employees of an organizations or the organization as a whole, values and consequently seeks to preserve. Robbins 92005) put forward seven basic characteristics which make up an organizational culture. The first of these characteristics is innovation and risk taking which refers to how management allows their employees to take some amount of risk in order to introduce new approaches and methods of work.Second is attention to detail – which means that a company requires its workers to give their full attention to specifics and the fine points of their jobs, so to speak. The third characteristic of organizational culture is outcome orientation, which indicates that management is not very much into rules and procedures as long as the desired results are accomplished, followed by people orientation which refers to management’s concern with how managerial decisions affect their employees or even their customers base.This could be taken to mean that no matter how beneficial a decision might be for the organization if such a decision could prove harmful to its employees, it is most likely to be shelved. The fifth characteristic is team orientation – by this Robbins refers to how the organization organizes its activities around work teams instead of encouraging individualism among its employees.Aggressiveness, the sixth characteristic, on the other hand, means that management wants its employees to show aggressiveness because it gives premium to competition. Finally, the last characteristic of organizational culture is stability. Robbins uses this term to refer to the preference of management to keep things secure and steady, thereby sustaining the existing state of affairs as long as the organization is profitable. This is resorted to by companies who do not want to go all out for growth and expansion.The cultural characteristic at Starbucks which best appeals to me is the aggressiveness encouraged by management. For a growth-oriented individual, Starbucks is an attractive company to work for because undoubtedly it gives value to employee aggressiveness because it is essentially a growth company. As a matter of fact, aside from being the â€Å"first specialty coffee retailer† in the world, Starbucks has more than 8500 branches and franchises in 25 countries around the world (Tripp, L., Siwapiragam, V., Rahim, N., & Horton, E. (2005).Innovation and risk taking, team orientation, and attention to detail are the other characteristics that make the company appealing. The culture at Starbucks is customer-responsive. It hires service-oriented and friendly employees who are not bound by rigid customer relation rules. The low level of formalization observ ed by the company allows its employees to adjust to different kinds of customers who come from all walks of life.This practice could be called empowerment, permitting employees to do what they deem necessary in order to satisfy customer needs. In its customer-responsive culture, Starbucks employees are clearly conscientious in pleasing their customers and are willing to go out of their way just to satisfy the needs of their customers. (Robbins, 2005)Employees of Starbucks know just what is expected of them. The company wants them to satisfy their customers from the quality of their coffee and other products to the services that they provide. They are committed to this expectation and focus all their efforts in achieving it. This shows that the culture in the company is strong as it is characterized by a â€Å"high degree of sharedness and intensity creates an internal climate of high behavioral control.† This expectation, therefore, effectively shapes the behavior of Starbuck s employees. (Robbins, 2005)The Customer Base of StarbucksThe customer base of Starbucks could be described as people who go out to have their snacks or take a cup of coffee outside their homes for different reasons. They could generally be classified into two categories: those who usually hang out with friends to socialize over cups of coffee and slices of sandwiches and those who go out to celebrate special occasions or to treat their visitors and friends to something special. Notwithstanding their category, however, the customers of Starbucks value their money and would want to have their money’s worth – in terms of quality, cleanliness, and satisfactory customer service. It is the company’s primary objective, therefore, to meet all of these customer requirements.Customer Service Standards for StarbucksPeople who are going out for their favorite blend of coffee whether habitually or occasionally expect not only excellent coffee but commendable service in retu rn for their money. For Starbucks, therefore, customer service starts with its product. For this reason, the first concern that should be addressed by the company is product quality, specifically its coffee. It should therefore exert every effort to achieve the highest possible product quality at all times. Management could make this possible by exercising due diligence in ensuring that only excellent coffee beans are brewed. This is the only way to ensure that their customers keep coming back.After product quality, the company should take into account the problem of cleanliness and sanitation. The dining room, rest rooms, and kitchen should be immaculately clean. Customers should be fully convinced that they are being served with clean food prepared in a sanitary manner and handled only by sterile workers. To this end, it would be very effective if customers are allowed to observe how their coffee and sandwiches are being prepared by clean-cut and healthy-looking personnel. Custome rs also prefer to eat in clean surroundings. Starbucks management should therefore see to it that every item in the dining room – from the furniture to the tableware and cutlery – are spotlessly clean with no insects buzzing around while they eat.The final customer service concern should be the quality of service. The sales staff, the food servers, and the maintenance people should be in clean uniform and should convey an image of clean living and over-all health. It would not be advisable for management to employ people who look as if they are indulging in substance abuse during their spare time. Employees should likewise be courteous and polite at all times, making it mandatory for management to focus employee selection on these aspects.These standards are meant to capture customer confidence and establish a management-customer relationship based on trust. If customers are satisfied that management is doing everything in order to safeguard their health and well-being by preparing the food carefully and in a sanitary manner, providing them with a sterile dining area, manned by neat and courteous employees who see to their every need while dining, then the company should have achieved a good foundation for a profitable business.ReferenceRobbins, S.P. (2005). Organizational Behavior, Eleventh Edition. Prentice-Hall.Tripp, L., Siwapiragam, V., Rahim, N., & Horton, E. (2005). Project V – Industrial toInformation Model of an Enterprise. Retrieved September 7, 2007, from

Understanding Iridium Flares

Understanding Iridium Flares Our night skies are packed full of stars and planets to observe on a dark night. However, there are more objects closer to home that observers plan on seeing every so often. These include the International Space Station (ISS) and numerous satellites. The ISS appears as a slow-moving high-altitude craft during its crossings. Many people often mistake it for a very high-flying jet. Most satellites look like dimmer points of light moving against the backdrop of stars. Some satellites appear to move east to west, while others are in polar orbits (moving nearly north-south). They generally take a little longer to cross the sky than the ISS does. A pair of Iridium satellites flaring. Jupiter is to the right and the bright star Arcturus is to the lower left. Jud McCranie, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0. There are thousands of artificial satellites around Earth, in addition to thousands of other objects such as rockets, reactor cores, and pieces of space debris (sometimes referred to as space junk). Not all of them can be seen with the naked eye. Theres a whole collection of objects called Iridium satellites that can look very bright during certain times of day and night. Glints of sunlight bouncing from them are referred to as Iridium flares and for years they have been observed fairly easily. Many people probably have seen an iridium flare and simply not known what they were looking at. It also turns out that other satellites can show these glints, although most are not as bright as the iridium flares. Whats Iridium? Satellite phone or pager users are major users of the Iridium satellite constellation. The constellation is a set of 66 orbiting stations that provide global telecommunications coverage. They follow highly inclined orbits, which means that their paths around the planet are close to (but not quite) from pole to pole. Their orbits are roughly 100 minutes long and each satellite can link to three others in the constellation. The first  Iridium  satellites were planned to be launched as a set of 77. The name Iridium comes from the element iridium, which is number 77 in the periodic table of the elements. It turns out that 77 were not needed. Today, the constellation is used largely by the military, as well as other clients in the airline and air traffic control communities. Each  Iridium  satellite has a spacecraft bus, solar panels, and a set of antennae. The first generations of these satellites go around Earth in roughly 100-minute orbits at a speed of 27,000 kilometers per ho ur. The History of Iridium Satellites Satellites have been orbiting Earth since the late 1950s when  Sputnik 1  was launched. It soon became obvious that having telecommunication stations in low-Earth orbit would make long-distance communications much easier and so countries began launching their own satellites in the 1960s. Eventually, companies got involved, including the Iridium Communications corporation. Its founders came up with the idea of a constellation of stations in orbit in the 1990s. After the company struggled to find customers and eventually went bankrupt, the constellation is still in operation today and its current owners are planning a new generation of satellites to replacing the aging fleet. Some of the new satellites, called Iridium NEXT, have already been launched aboard SpaceX rockets and more will be sent to space to orbits that will likely not produce as many flares as the older generation has. What Is an Iridium Flare?   As each Iridium satellite orbits the planet, it has a chance to reflect sunlight toward Earth from its triad of antennae. That flash of light as seen from Earth is called an Iridium flare. It looks very much like a meteor flashing through the air very rapidly. These brilliant events can happen up to four times a night and can get as bright as -8 magnitude. At that brightness, they can be spotted in the daytime, although its much easier to see them at night or in twilight. Observers can often spot the satellites themselves crossing the sky, just as they would any other satellite. Looking for an Iridium Flare It turns out that Iridium flares can be predicted. This is because the satellite orbits are well known. The best way to find out when to see one to use a site called  Heavens Above, which keeps track of many known bright satellites, including the Iridium constellation. Simply enter your location and get a feel for when you might see a flare and where to look for it in the sky. The website will give the time, brightness, location in the sky, and length of the flare for as long as they continue to occur. Saying Goodbye to Iridium Flares Over the next few years, many of the low-orbiting Iridium satellites that have been reliably producing flares will be decommissioned. The next generation of satellites wont be producing such flares as reliably as the old ones did due to their orbital configurations. So, it may be that Iridium flares could become a thing of the past. Fast Facts Iridium flares are caused by sunlight glinting from the surfades of low-orbiting Iridium satellites.Such flares can be very bright and last only a few seconds.As new generations of Iridium satellites are being put into higher orbits, Iridium flares may become a thing of the past.

The Ethereal Plane Essays

The Ethereal Plane Essays The Ethereal Plane Paper The Ethereal Plane Paper Without Time on your side I cannot be stoped. My Daemon forces will soon pour onto the Ethereal Planes, and this fool he pointed his finger towards the semi concious Sirch who was attempting to clamber up to a standing position has sent a large majority of your Solar forces to defend the City Of Knights. You are doomed mohahahhhahahah. And with a swish of his cloak he was gone, the Dark Lord had left. His laugh still echoed through the minds of the stupidfied Ethereal beings. All but Rezarf looked to stunned to move, he helped Sirch to his feet and then spoke. Gather all the Solar and Angelic forces you can. he decreed And move with great haste to the Gates of Hell, we must fight him. Sir! Our forward scouts report the seals on the Gate have been broken, but it has yet to be opened. Good work Colonel, gather your forces and prepare to march on the Gate. We cannot let the creatures of the Nine Hells lose on the Ethereal Plane. Very Good, Rezarf my liege. And so it was.. The combined Solar and Angleic forces of the Gods of Good marched towards the Gates of Hell. Each God defending the Ethereal Planes was armoured and battle ready, for Ethereal Powers alone could not stop other immortals. Rezarf was dorned in glittering white plate mail, and held in his hand the legendary great sword Mikil; Sirch marhced alongside side him in golden mail crafted for him by Deah Neequ (the Elvish God of Craftsmen) and carried with him a long sword of Lighting; Amme was suited in light chain mail of heavy crimson and brandished two Rapiers of solid light; and the fearless Semloh (the God of Battle) lead the legions of Ethereal light adorned in his armour forged from the skin of Daemons, carrying his huge two handed battle-axe over his shoulder. Their forces numbered light, with only 200 Solar warriors and 300 Angelic fighters (as Sirch had sent 2000 Ethereal Guardsmen to the Prime Material from whence the could not be reclaimed in time). The did however know their Godly forces outnumbered those of the Dark Lords. 15 Human Gods marched alongside Rezarf, aswell as 5 Elvish, 4 Dwarfish, and 2 of the Halfling race, but they all knew only Rezarf alone could face up to the Dark Lord Iekkob. The marched forward with vigour and purpose, covering the ground very quickly. Whilst the heavenly light shined down upon them from the ever clear skies of the Ethereal Plane. Their shields, swords, and armour glinted and shimmered in the light. Their brightly coloured helms clinked, and their boots ruslted as they marched. The holy sound of the immortal troops marching to become mortal filled the canyons and hills as they passed. And as the grew ever closer to this possible doom the expressions on the faces of the Ethereal dwellers began to change, their brows grew furrowed and their eyes slender, they knew what was awaiting them was eternal nothingness if they failed. though for a lot they knew the void called for them even if they were victorious. Rezarfs expression, however, never changed; his face radiated steely deterimation and unquestionable belief, and this seemed to lift the downheartend soldiers of good. HALT ! Semloh gave a great cry and raised his hand, and the legions behind him began to stop. He moved to Rezarfs side, and they both stood deathly still. They gazed ahead for what seemed like an eternity for the forces of good, they all could sense the great evil emiting from the Gate but were not sure why they had halted so close to their journeys end. Ummm. Rezarf for once Sirch did not sound sure of himself Why have you and Semloh halted our army? Neither of the two answered him, so he joined them staring waiting. A loud hissing filled the air, the troops readyed themselves for battle. Shields were swung from backs, swords drawn from sheaths, and helms repositioned. Only Rezarf and Semloh did not move, the only apparent change was that they now seemed to b consetrating hard staring forwards with a purpose. Suddenly, very quickly, the unmistakable figure of the Dark Lord appeared. He was wearing no armour, only a robe of pure red and orange that seemed to be alight, and he carried no weapon, save for the staff of fire. He walked forward a few paces, bowed to Rezarf and Semloh, and started clapping. Bravo my dear friends. It seems there are some Stayers of the Light less gormless than your friend Sirch. I am proud of you Rezarf, you have done well to sense my concealed army. But I am afraid I must say NOW MY FIENDS KILL THE HARVANGERS OF LIGHT AND GOOD !!!!! He gave his arm a dramatic spin and pointed towards the bemused Ethereal Gods. They were looking from side to side, and some even took a shifty look behind them. Then out of no where a huge army of Daemons and other foul beasts of Hell appeared from behind Iekkob, charging forward. At the front of their lines where the Gods of Evil, and High Daemon Beast of Hell. The legions of light held their ground, drawing their swords and staying their shields. Crunch. The oncoming wave of Darkness had hit the barrier of light. The Solar, Angels, and Ethereal Beings held firm. Daemon after Daemon fell against the Solar Warriors. The Gods of Light and Evil were locked in combat, fighting to put each other into the void that awaited. Iekkob however slowly walked forwards towards Rezarf and Semloh, who stood together as Sirch had flinched at the oncoming wave and retreated to the lines of light. The occasionaly Daemon ran at Rezarf and Semloh, but with a blood curldling thud they fell as the Battle God swung his great axe. And likewise for Iekkob, though it was his glare that seemed to fell the majority of Solars and Angels approaching him. He approached the two leaders of light and spoke clearly heavenly through the choas. Come my friend Semloh, you are the God of Battle, are you afraid to face me in combat. Semloh growled a heavy growl, and bellowed as he charged towards the Dark Lord. I AM AFRAID OF NO FIEND !!!! Semloh swung his great axe as soon as he was in ranged of Iekkob. It was swung with great power, great strength, and incredible speed. For a fraction of a second it seemed to be a clean swing, looking to take the Dark Lords neck, but with timing and uncanny speed the calm, almost complacent, Iekkob raised his staff and defelected the blow. He then thurst his hand outwards and the invisible force pushed Semloh to the ground, about a metre away. He jumped to his feet, but the Dark Lord was their, and he was knocked down by a heavy blow from the staff. The Battle Gods forehead burned and blead as he lie gasping for air on the hard floor. As he looked up he saw the staff decsending towards his chest, he closed his eyes and accepted his fate. The Dark Lord smiled and withdrew his staff from the Gods chest, feeling Semlohs power draining into him. He looked at Rezarf and continued towrds him. Rezarf turned his gaze from Iekkob, and moved it across the battlefield. His eyes feel upon the figure of Yug diving in front of Amme, and taking the spear of Ydrof through the chest. Sirch was battling against Liwl valiantly his sword moving with speed to deflect the two lighting quick daggers of Liwl, but in vain as he was sliced with blood gussing accuracy by Elags from behind. Elechim had drawn her katana and buckler and was slicing through the ranks of the Daemon High Lords, only to be beheaded by a Harkul King, and lost to the void. Yadand, thanks to his great strength, was holding his own and Xela lay dead at his feet, the Drowish Gods entrails spilling along the floor as her summoned Drow Kings fought to protect her body; but even he fell to the skillful spear of Ydrof. Amme shrieked with anger and launched herself at Rehcturc, her beautiful hair billowing as she ran. The God of Orcs, and so forth, lunged without skill his great two handed sword thrusting forward. Amme deflected the thrust with her first Rapier and dislogded Rehcturc head with the second. Iemaj was quick on the action, he disimbowled a Solar Warrior, and thrust his short sword into the Ammes back her squeal covered the battlefield curdling the blood of the Ethereal Troops. Rezarf turned his gaze back towards Iekkob, who had stopped only 2 metres away from him waiting for his attention. Do you see now Rezarf, your cause is noble but pointless. My hordes of Daemons are slaughtering your Ethereal forces. The Gods who fought beside you are fallen deities. Where as my allies are strong, enhanced by the inheritance of the powers of your Gods of Good. I see nothing you wish me to Iekkob, you are evil. That is all I wish to know. And understand me good shall outlive evil. Look around you, my friend. Your army is all but routed and once your powers are mine I shall rule supreme on the Ethereal Plane. No. you wont. I shall stop you Iekkob, your were once my friend and for that reason I am truly sorry. Rezarf sighed heavily and thurst his hand forward, attempting use the unearthly force to throw Iekkob down. But he did not move, the Dark Lord simply laughed. You should know better Rezarf ! Neither of us can use our Godly powers this shall be a mortal fight. And with those words he leaped the remaining distance between them. Rezarfs sword flashed upwards, thrusting towards the Dark Lords chest, but was swiped away by the staff of fire. The had engage in a battle, where upon one would become supreme and the other would enter the void to be forgotten. You shall not be victorious Iekkob ! Rezarf shouted as he fought, warnings of his un-utterable belief in the power of good bellowed from him. The light shall prevail over the darkness. The glorious sword glinted and shone as its Ethereal owner used it to perfection. It hummed in the air, slash after thrust, after stab. Each was timing and speed to perfection. But the Dark Lords staff deflected every blow, with a sudden blaze of fire and embers as the two weapons smashed against each other. The Dark Lord fought his equal opposite, as did Mikil (the sword of Heavenly Light) as it was pitted against the staff of Hells Fury. Each as evil and righteous as their owner, the weapons blazed with their owners hatred for each other. The two most powerful immortals on the Ethereal Plane fought and fought, even as the battle drew to a close. Daemon forces were hunting and slaughtering the last of the Solar warriors and Angelic Fighters. Good and light shone only from its last carrier, Rezarf. He fought valiantly, though the Dark Lord fought supremely. Rezarf slashed downwards at the Dark Lords chest, but the staff caught the blow and deflected the sword. With speed yet unseen in the battle, Iekkob swung the staff of evil around and thrust hard. Rezarf fell to the floor, gasping for air, blood pouring from the open wound in his chest where the blow had landed. Mikil slipping from his grasp had fallen away. I have won my old friend. Goodbye. You have beaten me but you have not won Iekkob. I have seen your path and you shall lead the way to the void before me. The Dark Lord raised his staff and plunged it downwards, towards the Ethereal heart of Rezarf.   The shout echoed around the battlefield, Daemons cringed, Solars weapt, and the whole Plane shook with the sound of death. Storms crashed through the mortal Planes, as the powers gathered by this one of the most powerful immortals transended into a new host. The Dark Lord looked down, and through his chest stuck Mikil thrust from behind. The sword of Light radiated as the blood of evil itself ran down its glimmering blade. It was withdrawn and its wielder watched as the lifeless body of the Dark Lord fell to the ground, blood gushing from the weeping wound in his chest. His entrails slithered along the beaten grass and his eyes stared in fear as the void engulfed him. Thank You gasped Rezarf Light has prevailed because of youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu !!!!!! Rezarfs head rolled away across the battlefield, severed from his body, by the sword of Good. His corpe twitched as his Godly essence raced from it and into its knew host, and then it lay still dead. Rezarfs head had come to rest on the body of the Dark Lord, his eyes looking eeriely into the Iekkobs, his mouth parted into a smile his profecy had become truth. Hahahahahahah A Dark laugh filled the battlefield. Its owner stood proud and tall above the fallen bodies of the two most powerful Gods. As the dust cleared the Daemon forces turned their watchful gaze, and saw the figure of a Drowish King his enormous weapon held in front of him. The Daemons, Gods of Evil, and remaining Ethereal troops bowed and chanted.

Using Repetition to Produce Parallel Structure

Using Repetition to Produce Parallel Structure Using Repetition to Produce Parallel Structure Using Repetition to Produce Parallel Structure By Mark Nichol Sentences that fail to observe a sound grammatical structure sometimes do so because a key word or phrase is not repeated (or balanced with a similar word or phrase) as part of an element equivalent to a previous element in the sentence. Each of the sentences below is missing a repeated word or phrase; the discussions that follow the examples explain what is lacking and the revisions demonstrate how to resolve the issues. 1. Measurements should align to business objectives and demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship when possible. The writer assumes that the phrase beginning with demonstrate can share should with the one beginning with align, but the sentence can easily be misread as stating that measurements merely should align to business objectives but do in fact demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship. To clarify that should applies to both phrases, the qualifier should be repeated: â€Å"Measurements should align to business objectives and should demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship when possible.† 2. This action can affect companies that rely on suppliers in that country to make their products as well as the country’s consumers to buy those products. The phrase â€Å"make their products as well as† implies that a comparison is being made, rather than that â€Å"as well as† is serving as a conjunctive phrase. Also, the distance between the phrase beginning with suppliers and the one beginning with â€Å"the country’s consumers† obscures their parallel functions. To clarify the intent of the sentence, repeat the key verb phrase: â€Å"This action can affect companies that rely on suppliers in that country to make their products as well as rely on the country’s consumers to buy those products.† (Alternatively use a synonym for rely such as count instead of repeating it.) 3. These reforms have now led to significant adjustments to how short-term credit is provided and the demise of a number of firms operating in this space. The phrase â€Å"the demise of a number of firms operating in this space† seems abruptly tacked on to this sentence. To clarify that the phrase is parallel to â€Å"significant adjustments to how short-term credit is provided,† it could be preceded by to, but the reader might mistake it as equivalent to â€Å"how short-term credit is provided† because that phrase also follows an instance of to. Better yet, launch the last part of the sentence with a more thorough linking phrase: â€Å"These reforms have now led to significant adjustments to how short-term credit is provided and has resulted in the demise of a number of firms operating in this space.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†What's a Male Mistress?The Difference Between "Un-" and "Dis-"

International Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

International Management - Essay Example India is a country which is having the second largest population in the world. Moreover, it is blessed with different religions, languages and cultures across the country. â€Å"India comprises of 28 states and seven union territories† (India States, 2009) â€Å""Unity in diversity". It is not just another phrase or quotation. But, these words are highly prudent to a country like India that is incredibly rich in culture and heritage† (India Culture, 2009) â€Å"India is an enormously hierarchical society (arguably the most hierarchical in the world) and this, obviously, has an impact on management style† (Indian Management Style, n.d) Most of the Indian organizations consist of people from different parts of the country and the management should address the cultural diversity aspects all the time. Different management styles like conservative, entrepreneurial, professional, bureaucratic, organic, authoritarian, participative, intuitive, familial, altruistic etc are prevailing in Indian organizations (Khandwalla, 2009) I have worked as a production, planning and control executive in one of the topmost tire manufacturing companies in India called Apollo Tires situated in Cochin, Kerala. My organization consists of around 3000 workers divided in three shifts of eight hour duration. My organization was owned by a Punjabi Sikh person and hence some of the top management people were Punjabis. In Indian organizations, getting a promotion can be accomplished in two ways; purely on the basis of merits and on the basis of influence at the top management level. Some people utilizes their influences to get higher positions even though they were not qualified enough. One of the top production managers in my organization was a person from Punjab who has reached this position purely on the basis of his influence rather than academic qualification or expertise. This person often created problems to others because of his lack of ideas and knowledge in the

Management - Service Package Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Management - Service Package - Essay Example An elderly care center is a specialized place designed to take care of elderly people in the society. Therefore, a number of supporting facilities must be taken care of before elderly people are admitted into the elderly care center. In some states, it is a requirement that all elderly care centers comply with state regulations concerning the nursing home reform act. Supporting facilities Supporting facilities refer to physical resources that must be in place before a service can be given out. A key component of facilitating goods encompasses architectural appropriateness, which means that the structures should be tailored according to the needs of the elderly people. In terms of architecture, the houses should be constructed in line with the prevailing climatic conditions of the place where the elderly care centre will be located (White & Duncan 263). The houses should encompass various rooms with washrooms, which are well maintained to cater for the needs of the elderly. The archit ectural design should provide for facilities such as places where the elderly can rest whenever they want to relax. The interior decor should consist of quality furniture and the house should be well decorated. The tables, sofas, and other furniture should be made with appropriate designs and from quality timber. The layout of the facility should be placed in a location with a good flow of traffic to avoid any unnecessary disturbance to the elderly. Other essential supporting facilities include facilities to ensure safety against fire, grab bars in bathrooms and toilets, private toilets and bathrooms, safes, and locked drawers. The houses should also be equipped with supporting facilities such as temperature controls and heating facilities. Other supporting facilities include fitness rooms, libraries, activity rooms, theatres, open grounds for exercises, and walking facilities for persons with walking problems (White & Duncan 268). To improve on security within the housing facility, wander alert systems, alarmed exits, automated fire sprinkler systems, and enclosed yards should be considered. Facilitating goods Facilitating goods refer to goods consumed by buyer or goods as well as materials purchased and consumed by the providers of services. The facilitating goods necessary in an elderly care centre include quality mattresses and warm blankets. Quality will ensure that the elderly feel comfortable when they sleep while the warm blankets will significantly reduce the chances of them to feel cold. Sleeping in a comfortable place can reduce the chances of conditions such as backaches and flu. The caregivers should also be provided with mattresses of high quality as well as warm blankets. This will ensure that they do not have any hindrance while providing services to the elderly (Johnston & Clark 32). Other essential facilitating goods, which should be made available in the elderly care centre, include toothpaste, shampoo, as well as uniforms for the elders and caregivers. Toothpaste and shampoo are essential goods, which ensure the general well being and hygiene in the elderly care centre. Uniforms should be provided as they play an essential role in identifying both the caregivers and the elders. This helps in differentiating between the elderly and caregivers. Service explicit The explicit services refer to benefits, which can be observed and felt with the use of the senses. The achievement of explicit services calls for the employment of qualified caregivers who can treat

International Political Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Political Economy - Essay Example This paper stresses that the spread of globalization today is not viewed as simply an invasion into the markets of nation-states but as also an encroachment of the political stability experienced by sovereign states. Globalization has brought with it the erosion of state sovereignty such as the change of their monetary policy leaving them at the mercy of the global economy. Although the development of regional organizations and international agencies is on the rise to ‘protect’ the privileges and sovereignty of nation-states, they are also under the control of a political power and its actions are highly influenced by it. This is a major problem in the International Political Economy since some nation-states are retaliating from opening their markets for globalization in the feat of losing control of their democracy, morals and governance as demonstrated by countries in the Middle East. This report makes a conclusion that the challenge of globalization is a difficult one since it grows on a daily basis, the best remedy that the International Political Economy can try to implement is to make sure that global political influence is limited. the International Political Economy faces a lot of challenges most of which are minor , and can be easily remedied with the implementation of regulations on a global level the realization of a purely independent and free International Political Economy is not far not is it close because it has to overcome all of its challenges first.

Client brief Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Client brief - Assignment Example It depends upon the generosity and kindness of the West Australian Community for the purpose of funding. The main objective of this organization is reducing the disabling effects of osteoporosis, arthritis and various other related diseases among the people of West Australia by means of conducting various programs in Education and Research, Care etc. The services provided by the organization include Telephony Advisory Service, Support Group Service, Education & Self Management Programs, Public Seminars, Warm Water and Hydrotherapy Exercise Classes, Disease Information etc. Stakeholders and Competitors The employees of the organization provide services for reducing the effect of musculoskeletal diseases. There are members within the organization who provide direction and advice related to how and where the services are needed to be delivered for the West Australian society with musculoskeletal condition. They facilitate the availability of the services to people at right time, with pr oper care, by the most appropriate team and at the right place. Arthritis and Osteoporosis WA is highly committed to take care of those people who are affected by arthritis, osteoporosis and various other related diseases. The organization conducts several programs for curing the disease. It has launched programs which help children in coping up with chronic diseases (â€Å"Arthritis and Osteoporosis WA launch program† 2013). It has been stated that every 1 out of 2 women and every 1 out of 3 men will suffer from the pain due to osteoporotic fracture on reaching above 60 years in Australia. There are various other health organizations, Medicare Local, pharmacies and private businesses in West Australia providing high quality services to the people in the country. Some of the competitors are Asthma Foundation of WA, Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Epilepsy Action Australia, Down Syndrome Association of WA Inc, etc. However Arthritis and Osteoporosis WA has maintained diffe rentiation in its service product by providing focused services (Bosworth and Holland 2004, 48) to the people only affected by the musculoskeletal health disease (â€Å"HBF Run for a Reason† 2013). PESTEL Analysis Political/Legal The Australian Health Industry is one of the most important contributors of the national preventative health strategy against various health factors (Sekendiz 2011). The Government has conducted frameworks which facilitate their successful operation within the country. The country is facing increased problems due to obesity, arthritis, osteoporosis and other diseases. The Government has made various rules which support conducting health programs for reducing these health issues. Economic The concerns related to the health issues are often neglected by the people of the country. This leads to various issues like lack of proper funding ultimately resulting in increased competency within the industry. Social The people in Australia do not have proper kn owledge about diseases like arthritis, osteoporosis and other related factors. They do not consider these diseases to be major reasons of concern and as a result give less importance to chronic pain and osteoporotic frac

History of Western Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of Western Art - Essay Example athedrals, the traditional basilican form which has a central nave flanked with by a twin tower in its exterior an an entrance adored with lavish structures and stained glass window. This era of architecture developed in four stages: early gothic, lancet gothic, rayonnant gothic and late gothic. In early gothic, the use of pointed vaults like in the Notre Dame of Paris developed. Pointed arches evident in the Bourges Cathedral developed during the Lancet period while in the rayonnant era, structures where usually made of glass with a thin skeletal masonry frame. An example is the Saint Chapelle of Paris. The late gothic style is also known as the flamboyant style because of its form of suggesting flames in their structure. An example of this is the Church of Saint Maclou in France. Gothic architecture also spread out of France to other European countries like Italy, Germany and England. The Milan Cathedral in Italy is a perfect example of this style where it is of a classical basis characterized of a vast span and simple arches. In Germany, gothic structures are evident in the Cologne Cathedral which is built on bricks rather than stone. Their style is greatly influenced by France’s gothic structures. The structures in England were subdivided into three stages that is the early English, the decorated style and the perpendicular style. The English style developed in the 12th to the 13th century and is influenced by the Norman architecture. An example of this is the Lincoln Cathedral and the Salisbury Cathedral. The decorated style flourished during the 13th to the 14th century while the perpendicular style developed in the 14th to the 16th century was predominated with vertical lines. A perfect sample is the cathedral located in Gloucester and the King’s College Chapel in Cambridge. Synthesizing, gothic architecture has three distinctive characteristics that are structures with pointed arches, flying buttresses and ribbed vaults that help support the ceiling

Macroeconomics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Macroeconomics - Coursework Example When the relationship between demand and price is illustrated in a graphical form it is called the demand curve. The demand curve slopes downward from left to right, because the price of a product goes up the quantity demanded decreases. The demand curve is drawn with the assumption that only the price changes while other factors remain same. Besides such a demand for money in order to carry out various transactions, some people demand it for hoarding or holding wealth in liquid form. It can conveniently be used according to variations in the market conditions (Pinkmonkey.com). Keynes was the first economist to admit the role of speculative activities in modern economy and that of demand for money made by speculators. Such demand is made to invest in capital market for buying shares, bonds, securities etc. when their prices are low. But speculators quickly dispose of their securities when their prices are sufficiently high. They make capital gains from such transactions. In order to carry out this activity, speculators create demand for money on a large scale. Keeping money in this idle form is known as hoarding of money. Keynes has shown that speculative demand for money is highly fluctuating. It all depends upon fluctuating prices and market conditions for securities. Demand for money means demand to hold money on hand. Money in one’s hands earns no income. If converted into goods or other financial assets one can derive either additional utility or income. There are three motives as described by Keynes that makes people hold money on hand. They are: For instance, the working class will get their salaries only on the first of every month, while their expenditures are distributed through out the month. To cater to their day-to-day expenses, people keep aside certain part of their income. It implies that the income which the people receive is periodic while the expenditure incurred by them is continuous. Hence, the

History of Western Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of Western Art - Essay Example athedrals, the traditional basilican form which has a central nave flanked with by a twin tower in its exterior an an entrance adored with lavish structures and stained glass window. This era of architecture developed in four stages: early gothic, lancet gothic, rayonnant gothic and late gothic. In early gothic, the use of pointed vaults like in the Notre Dame of Paris developed. Pointed arches evident in the Bourges Cathedral developed during the Lancet period while in the rayonnant era, structures where usually made of glass with a thin skeletal masonry frame. An example is the Saint Chapelle of Paris. The late gothic style is also known as the flamboyant style because of its form of suggesting flames in their structure. An example of this is the Church of Saint Maclou in France. Gothic architecture also spread out of France to other European countries like Italy, Germany and England. The Milan Cathedral in Italy is a perfect example of this style where it is of a classical basis characterized of a vast span and simple arches. In Germany, gothic structures are evident in the Cologne Cathedral which is built on bricks rather than stone. Their style is greatly influenced by France’s gothic structures. The structures in England were subdivided into three stages that is the early English, the decorated style and the perpendicular style. The English style developed in the 12th to the 13th century and is influenced by the Norman architecture. An example of this is the Lincoln Cathedral and the Salisbury Cathedral. The decorated style flourished during the 13th to the 14th century while the perpendicular style developed in the 14th to the 16th century was predominated with vertical lines. A perfect sample is the cathedral located in Gloucester and the King’s College Chapel in Cambridge. Synthesizing, gothic architecture has three distinctive characteristics that are structures with pointed arches, flying buttresses and ribbed vaults that help support the ceiling

Canadian Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Canadian Government - Essay Example Canada is a democratic country, practicing what is known as the liberal form of democracy (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 8). This paper purports to discuss and analyze the different types of democratic governments in relation to the Canadian political system, highlighting some of the pros and cons of the practiced form. As already mentioned, the Canadian government is liberal in nature. Liberal democracy essentially imparts greater freedom to the public than is offered by the simple definition of democracy which merely empowers the general public to choose their political representatives through voting and elections (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 8). Liberal democracy ensures greater empowerment through three stipulations: the government works within a legally defined parameter and is checked by rules and laws, written in the form of a constitution; the public has freedom to gather and express political views through a free media and open access to information; and the political representati ves compete in a fair election where the public is free to choose amongst them through open voting (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 8). A democratic government, be it liberal or otherwise, can be of one of two basic forms: direct and representative or indirect. The direct form of democratic government is essentially what was practiced in the Greek politics, where the general public is literally given the power to choose and plan every law and policy that the government proposes and wishes to implement (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 7). These policies and laws are voted upon by the public, so that the voting system is not restricted merely to the election of the representatives (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 7). However, this system is not appropriate and practical for the modern day complex societies (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 7). Therefore, an indirect method of democracy is practiced whereby the public chooses their representatives who then make the appropriate laws and policies without public intervention (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 7). The government, in this case, is authorized to implement policies even by force, that is, through the use of the police and military, and other government agencies (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 7). The public chooses the representatives that it considers to best serve their interests (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 7). The parties prepare an agenda beforehand on the basis of which they fight the elections. This agenda is often the only way of predicting the party’s course of action once it is in authority (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 7). In turn, the government, at least that of Canada, is expected to be responsible, that is, it is answerable to the public, and has duties in the social and economic fields that it needs to fulfill to make the state a welfare state (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 7). The representative form of democracy is

The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay Example for Free

The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay The following essay will explore the character of Dorian Gray in Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. The idea of Dorian’s deteriorating morality will be emphasized in this essay and the juxtaposition of the character’s picture and his physical appearance will be a main component in the development of thesis of this essay. The theme of morality will be a major issue in this paper as it is through morality that Dorian has drastically declined into his stygian state. Oscar Wilde presents the reader with a very modern day novel, both in theme, place setting, and character development. The reader is introduced to Dorian Gray through Basil Hallward; the two characters are the crux of the novel’s actions. In fact the two characters, Basil and Dorian, although equally enthralled with each other at the start of the novel, become increasingly distance as the novel progresses and as Dorian finds himself in moral turpitude through the tutelage of Lord Henry Wotton Lord Henry looked at him. Yes, he was certainly wonderfully handsome, with his finely-curved scarlet lips, his frank blue eyes, his crisp gold hair. There was something in his face that made one trust him at once. All the candour of youth was there, as well as all youth’s passionate purity. One felt that he had kept himself unspotted from the world. No wonder Basil Hallward worshipped him (Chapter Two). In the first exchange between Dorian and Lord Henry, the theme of the novel, that of youth and its disappearance, brings Dorian to curse his portrait because it will only be a reminder of how beautiful and young he once was, and with this curse it is revealed to the reader how important the aspect of youth is to Dorian whose sole belief in himself rests with this characteristic. Within the theme of youth is the ultimate curse of Dorian, for it is within this context that he becomes a doomed ‘hero’ and therefore loses his love, his life, and in the end of the story, his youth. Thus, the item which he once treasured becomes his downfall. It is with this curse that is Dorian’s lamenting of the portraits everlasting youth, that Dorian offers his soul in exchange for the portraits youth to be transferred to him while the portrait bears the brutality of Dorian’s life. In a type of Faustian decline, Lord Henry introduces Dorian into a very debilitating lifestyle in which Dorian becomes absolutely enthralled. This new lifestyle is full of carnal pleasures and Dorian dives into it headfirst, exercising no judgment only the thrill of the moment, without regret, remorse, or reason at times (Baker 1969). Although this may be considered to be Lord Henry’s influence, Dorian embraces this lifestyle with fervor. It is Dorian’s choice how he lives, and even though it may be considered to have been a type of brainwashing, Dorian latches onto the ideals presented by Lord Henry in that first conversation in Basil’s house. In fact, the reason that Basil had admired Dorian, at least according to Dorian, is because of his youth and beauty. Thus, Basil in the act of painting Dorian reiterates this theme. The support for this thesis runs consistent for most of the interactions among the characters in the novel. In one of the first examples the reader discovers of Dorian’s changing portrait is when Dorian falls in love with an actress by the name of Sibyl Vane. However, the plight of these two lovers is that Dorian falls in love with Sibyl because of her acting abilities; the twist is that since Sibyl has fallen in love with Dorian she no longer believes she can pretend to be in love on stage and thus quits her acting career (Wikipedia). After this event, Dorian rejects Sibyl and breaks off their engagement, â€Å"He flung himself down on the sofa, and turned away his face. â€Å"You have killed my love,† he muttered. † (Chapter Seven). This is when the audience and Dorian see the first changes in Dorian’s picture; his picture, once full of youth, beauty and a hopeful innocence, now sneers. This is the first sign of decline and it is not seen on Dorian’s picture perfect face but instead is relayed to the audience through the portraits physiognomy (Brown p. 264). After this realization that Dorian’s curse has come true, Dorian seeks to make retributions with his moral fortitude and to make amends with Sibyl. Despite this last ditch effort, or even of the one chance Dorian has in the course of the novel to make reprimands, Lord Henry tells Dorian that Sibyl has killed herself and that he, Dorian, should take the suicide as a type of artistic triumph. Thus, Dorian is urged to live without regret or worse, with no remorse for his actions and involvement in the young girl’s death Yet it was watching him, with its beautiful marred face and its cruel smile. Its bright hair gleamed in the early sunlight. Its blue eyes met his own. A sense of infinite pity, not for himself, but for the painted image of himself, came over him. It had altered already, and would alter more. Its gold would wither into grey. Its red and white roses would die. For every sin that he committed, a stain would fleck and wreck its fairness. But he would not sin. The picture, changed or unchanged, would be to him the visible emblem of conscience. He would resist temptation. He would not see Lord Henry any more—(End of Chapter Seven). From this point in the novel and onwards, there can be no rescue of Dorian since this is taken to be the crossroads of the story. If Dorian cannot succumb to change his carnal lifestyle at the suicide, which he aided in, of his love, then there seems to be no hope for the young man and the rest of the course of the plot is full of Dorian’s revolting moral character and the constant influence of Lord Henry, and the gentle if somewhat absent depictions of Dorian as seen through Basil’s eyes. The story is very much like Faust because it is at the climax of the carnal lifestyle and its full meaning that Dorian has a change of heart and repents, but it is not until after Dorian has had his carnal lifestyle that this penance is shown. Dorian is conscious of his changing moral character and in this light, he seeks to hide his portrait in an upper room of his house where only he may see the changing and aberrant images transforming Dorian’s physiognomy. The catch in the novel however is that in the eighteen years of Dorian’s interaction with London society on a debasing character, the elite of society continual to accept him, despite his moral character because Dorian remains young and beautiful. While the fight between Lord Henry and Basil has occurred in the early stages of the novel, and it is obvious that Lord Henry has won, Basil nevertheless goes to Dorian’s house to confront Dorian about his flagging reputation in London society. While at Dorian’s house however, Dorian decides to show Basil his portrait of Dorian, and thus, the artist is confronted with how Dorian’s soul has been distorted through almost two decades of immoral living. Basil however is not put off by this effrontery and still begs Dorian to change his ways. The reader however knows that the time for change would have been with Sibyl, and if Dorian cannot change his character after her suicide, then all hope is lost. Basil still persists, and in a fit of rage, against himself, and for Basil having witnessed the truth of Dorian’s soul, Dorian stabs Basil to death The mad passions of a hunted animal stirred within him, and he loathed the man who was seated at the table, more than in his whole life he had ever loathed anything. He glanced wildly around. Something glimmered on the top of the painted chest that faced him. His eye fell on it. He knew what it was. It was a knife that he had brought up, some days before, to cut a piece of cord, and had forgotten to take away with him. He moved slowly towards it, passing Hallward as he did so. As soon as he got behind him, he seized it, and turned round. Hallward stirred in his chair as if he was going to rise. He rushed at him, and dug the knife into the great vein that is behind the ear, crushing the man’s head down on the table, and stabbing again and again (Chapter 13). Dorian’s goal in life now is to escape from guilt, which is a difficult task because only the guilty party has the ultimate power to induce remorse. After being confronted by Sibyl’s brother James Vane, and after James’ accidental death at a hunting party Dorian wishes to change his life. Dorian does not know how to repent his since without a complete confession of them and so fear causes him to be stagnant in his decision. In Dorian’s decision to confess his crimes, and yet not able to be plucky enough to do it, his portrait now reflects his intents to be hypocrisy. In this new vein of the story, Dorian, in yet another classic fit of rage, revenge, or helplessness, Dorian picks up the same knife he used to kill Basil and attacks his self-portrait. The story then goes to the third person narrative and the servants hear a loud crash and go to find out what the noise was, and when they open the door, the servants and the readers find that the portrait has been restored to its formal beauty and youth and that Dorian lies an old, disfigured man on the floor with a knife plunged into his heart. Thus, with Dorian’s final act of repentance, he is able to change that which he had cursed and traded his soul for in the beginning of Wilde’s story (Lawler Knott p. 390). This, as mentioned prior is the Faust aspect of the story, the change of heart of the protagonist after having fulfilled his pleasure and had his share of dark fun. Dorian’s character then consists of a youth who is innocence, then persuaded by Lord Henry to live only for pleasure, then after murdering Basil, and seeing his love’s brother killed, and after staring at the state of his soul in the portrait Dorian changes. It is this last that has the full affect on him; Dorian, faced with his true image, and the hate, jealousy, snide nature that has become him, becomes overwhelmed with truth and cannot believe the state of it, and thus, must cover up this last bit of evidence; he must kill himself. With this final act, the reader is faced with the ambiguous finding of whether or not through his actions Dorian was able to change what he had created through eighteen years of carnal pleasure seeking with his one act of retribution; stabbing his own self, after finally recognizing the evil that he had become. Is this guild-ridden remorse for fear of eternal damnation? No, it is in fact Dorian finally confronting his sins and paying the ultimate price for them by his own hand; and thus is his morality reversed in the act of the stabbing and the recognition of the symbolism of it through the human Dorian and the portrait changing their appearances. This proves that Wilde wrote this story in order for a degradation morality to have a chance of change, even at the last moment and failings of life. Dorian had thought himself beguiled by Basil’s own forceful praise of youth and then his introduction to Lord Henry who confirmed youth was the greatest prize; however, by the end of the story, Dorian has changed his morality into thinking that he is indeed responsible for his own actions through the course of his life and that with this responsibility and his owning of the action of stabbing himself, Dorian becomes purified and thus takes his true form. Work Cited Baker, H. A. Jr. A Tragedy of the Artist: The Picture of Dorian Gray. Nineteenth-Century Fiction, Vol. 24, No. 3 (Dec. , 1969), pp. 349-355. Brown, R. D. Suetonius, Symonds, and Gibbon in The Picture of Dorian Gray Modern Language Notes, Vol. 71, No. 4 (Apr. , 1956), p. 264. Lawler, D. C. E. Knott. The Context of Invention: Suggested Origins of Dorian Gray Modern Philology, Vol. 73, No. 4, Part 1 (May, 1976), pp. 389-398. Wikipedia. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Online Accessed April 19, 2007. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Dorian_Gray. Wilde, O. The Picture of Dorian Gray Modern Library Classics, New York. 1998.