The Importance of Nature in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: Essays Papers

The Importance of Nature in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn In his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses nature not only as ally, but as a deterrent in Huck Finn's search for independence and Jim's search for freedom. The most prominent force of nature in the novel was the Mississippi River. The river was not only their escape route, but perhaps it became their biggest enemy because it was always unpredictable. Nature is the strongest factor in the novel because in a completely different geographical setting the story would have had not only a different outcome, but Huck and Jim might never have found friendship and freedom. Twain changes his tone when describing the Mississippi River from wry and sarcastic to flowing and daydreaming. This change in tone illustrates his own appreciation for the beauty and significance that nature holds for him. Twain uses personification to show the beauty of nature in contrast to the immaturity and obnoxious mentality of society. Huck would sometimes wake up to "see a steamboat coughing along upstream" that "now and then would belch a whole world of sparks up out of her chimbleys" which acts like a child without manners. (Twain, 81) In almost every chapter Twain uses colorful descriptions of nature to help the reader to imagine the setting of the scene. Twain would not have used so many examples and vivid descriptions of nature if he didn't want nature to be a huge part of the novel. In the novel, Huck's main goal is to get away from a terrible, abusive drunk of a father. Without the access of the Mississippi, Huck might not have ever escaped his father, and his father could have easily killed Huck. For Jim, who's goal was not only freedom, but to see his family again, the river was a free way to reach the free states. With Huck's fortune he could have bought a train ticket or paid another way to get to Cairo, but it was important for him to make his journey with Jim. In that time a black runaway slave could not have ridden on a train or even walked on land in the light of day without being caught in a matter of minutes.

Production Notes :: College Theatre Festival Papers

Production Notes Preface The slides and video that are found on this web site are recordings of a production of Measure for Measure mounted at the College of the Holy Cross in the fall of 1996. In February, 1997, the production was re-mounted at Brandeis University as part of the American College Theatre Festival. The following notes formed the conceptual basis for the production. First Response In the final months of the twentieth century, Measure provides us with a searing allegory about a society that is divided severely along economic and social lines. The ubiquitious moral rot of Shakespeare's play parallels our contemporary world. The political and social hypocricy of rulers who abuse power for personal gain while criticizing and punishing the lower classes comes right out of the evening news. Some issues of the play hit home harder today and in a radically different manner then they would have in Shakespeare's day. Ideas such as sexual harrassment and immorality connote wildly different things to a contemporary audience, particularly in light of recent current events. Talking Points I. Measure for Measure is a play about power--political, economic, and sexual power--and how these three interrelated phenomena intersect with catastrophic consequences when they are abused by an inadequate leader. But it is essential to note that the play is not against the use of power per se, because the entire crisis is instigated by the failure of a rightful ruler to exercise properly his responsibilities of office. Indeed, the entire arc of the play is about how this ruler--Duke Vincentio--learns about the nature of power and the necessity of its public demonstration. It can be argued that, in many respects, the play is a primer about effective leadership and must be viewed as a humanistic revision of Machievelli's The Prince. II. Political power must be exercised correctly and sexual desires must be pursued properly. Without sex there is no propagation of the species and without political restraint there is no maintenance of the social order. Political responsibility cannot be avoided and neither can the fundamental need of humans to fornicate. Without restraint, however, the pursuit of these intersecting fundamental drives will undermine the stability of society. Measure for Measure argues that political power must be exercised in a principled manner and sexual intercourse must occur under the sanction of marriage. III. A recurring theme in the plays of Shakespeare is the nature of effective leadership.

Introduction to Сommunication in Health and Social Care

Identify different reasons why people communicatePeople communicate for different reasons. To portray their feelings, opinions, emotions, pain. To express needs, share ideas and information People can communicate verbally by talking or writing. Or even by body language / sign language. Communications can be used to bring out changes in attitudes, motivate people and to create and maintain relationships. Communication is vital for providing and seeking information, and it is also crucial for developing positive relationships with people. Communication is important to understand and be understoodExplain how affective communication affects all aspects of own workEffective communication is important as it ensures that information is clear, accurate, non-judgemental and informative. This helps to reduce the possibility of mistakes being made. It ensures appropriate care service delivery. It is important to communicate with your colleagues, so that all targets and outcomes are met.Effectiv e communication is important so that yourself and the service user fully understand eachother. This includes using words, feedback, action, body language and gestures. With effective communication service users and family will enjoy the services provided.Explain why it is important to observe an individual reactions when communicating with themAll communication has an effect on the person that you are communicating with. Interactions a two way process, it is important to watch the effects so that any problems can be identified and dealt with. In order to be effective in care and supporting service users you have to be a good communicator whether this is through speaking, body language, facial expressions or gestures.Sometimes you are able to communicate with others without having to use words. When communicating face to face the other person may not always indicate verbally that they understand, or if they agree. Observing body language is very important as it helps the speaker unde rstand if the other person agrees or understands etc.Find out an individual's communication and language needs, wishes and preferencesEffective communication happens when the right method is used to send a message so it can be received and understood. Care workers need to know about a range of communication methods. They should also be skilled at identifying the communication and language needs, wishes and preferences of the people with whom they work and interact. Service users can be people from a diverse range of backgrounds who will want to communicate in different ways. Finding out about each individual’s language needs, wishes and preferences is an important part of your role.You can do this by:Asking people whether they or their relatives have particular language or communication needs.Referring to the Service users Care PlanReading reports and notes about service users that provide information on speech and language issues, learning difficulties, disabilities e.g. (he aring or visual impairment) or physical conditions (e.g. stroke, cleft palate) that may affect their ability to communicate.Being aware that an individual’s culture, ethnicity and   nationality may affect their language preferences and needs.Observing the people who use your setting to see how they use their communication and language skills.Asking your supervisor/mentor, senior staff and specialist professionals such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and social workers for information, advice and support about how best to communicate with adults who have special communication needs.Show how and when to seek advice about communication.There may be situations in which you feel unsure about how you should  communicate with a service user or another person in your work setting. In some situations you will be aware that you are struggling to communicate effectively with somebody. In situations like these, you should seek advice and obtain support.You can do this by: talking to your supervisor, mentor or line manager about the difficulty, You can ask for their advice about how to deal with the problem, You can also speak with the communication or language support specialists (teachers, psychologists or speech and language therapists). Your goal is always to ensure that the messages you send can be received and understood. To achieve this you may sometimes need to change or adapt the form of communication that meets each individual’s needs, wishes and preferences.Identify  barriers to communicationTo identify the barriers to communication, the sender and receiver of the message need to consider several factors.Sensory DeprivationWhen someone speaks a different language or uses sign language, they may not be able to make any sense of information they are being given by someone trying to help them if that person does not speak their language.JargonWhen a service provider uses technical language the service user may not unde rstand. For example – The doctor may say that a patient needs bloods or an MRI scan. That can sound very frightening to someone who has been rushed into hospital. It is better if the doctor explains that they need to take some blood to do dome simple tests and then explains what an MRI scan is. Understanding the facts can make something seem less scary.SlangWhen a service user uses language that not everyone uses, such as saying they have a problem with their waterworks. This can mean their plumbing system. But also means a problem going to the toilet. Sometimes it may be appropriate to use slang with your peers, but whilst working with colleagues or service users you should avoid using any language that can be misunderstood, misinterpreted or may cause offence.Emotional difficultiesWe all have emotional difficulties at times and become upset, you might of split up with your boyfriend / girlfriend or had an argument, or you could have had some bad news. The effect can be not to hear or understand what people are saying to you. This can lead to misunderstandings.Health IssuesWhen you are feeling unwell, you may not be able to communicate as effectively as when you are feeling well. This can affect your colleagues and service users. Similarly, people who are being cared for in hospital because of an illness may not be able to communicate in their normal way. Some long term ‘chronic' illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis also affect an individual’s ability to communicate and you need to be aware of this if you are working with these people.Environmental problemsWhen communication is affected by the environment that people find themselves in. For example – Someone who does not see very well will struggle to read written information in a dimly lit room. A person who is in a wheelchair may find it impossible to communicate with the receptionist at the dentist if the desk is too high and above the wheelchair use rs head. Identify sources of information and support or services to enable more effective communicationTranslation servicesThis service can help with changing the written text from language to another.Interpreting servicesThis service can help with converting spoken language to another language.Speech and language servicesSupport people who have had a stroke and have problems with their speech.Advocacy servicesThis service can support people who are unable to speak up for themselves. This service trys to understand the needs, wishes and preferences of people, and will argue on their behalf.Sometimes you will need to find specialist advice because a person’s communication needs are too complex for you to deal with alone. Someone who has an illness that affects their ability to produce sounds or control their neck and facial muscles may need to speak using a piece of assistive technology. For these type of issues, you will need the advice of a speech and language therapist who is an expe rt and will be able to advise on and kind of specialised communication needs.Explain the term confidentialityConfidentiality means not sharing information about individuals without their knowledge and agreement and ensuring that written and electronic information cannot be accessed or read by people who have no reason to see it. Confidentiality is important because: People may not trust a support worker who does not keep information confidential People may not feel valued or able to keep their self esteem if their private details are shared with others Peoples safety may be put at risk if details of their property and habits are shared publiclyA professional service that maintains respect for individuals must keep private information confidential. There are legal requirements under the data protection act 1998 to keep professional requirements laid down by the regulators that make it the duty of professionals to keep information confidential.Describe situations where information nor mally considered to be confidential might need to be passed on.Sometimes confidential information disclosed by a service user may need to be passed on to others if there is a risk of danger or harm to the service user or other people, if abuse is suspected, or if there is suspected misconduct of a colleague, in respect of care of a service user (whistle blowing) You must inform the service user why the information needs to be passed on to others, and that it is your responsibility to do so.Explain how and when to seek advice about confidentialityIt is very important as a care worker that you understand when to seek advice about confidentiality. Confidentiality is essential in care work to improve trust and working relationships between the service users and their carers. Certain information is however shared amongst teams if it is needed to effectively support service users and others involved in their care. Take for example when there is a prospect of danger or harm to the service user, staff or members of the public.Additionally if abuse is suspected within the home or seen anywhere or if there is a misconduct of a staff. It is the responsibility to the supervisors or the appropriate bodies to take appropriate actions. In most cases organisations have whistle blowing policies to guide and protect staff from victimisation after blowing the whistle and also to guide them on how to break confidentiality.

Love Is a Fallacy Revision

Laken Sutton March 20, 2013 English 102 Gompf Revised Paper Women vs. â€Å"Love is a Fallacy† â€Å"Love is a Fallacy† is often viewed as an anti-women story. To many this piece exploits females by insulting women using stereotypes that have been around for a long time. The female sex, as a whole, has been fighting to overcome these degrading assumptions. This story uses a girl named Polly to display all women. She depicts them as ignorant and gullible individuals. During the Story, Polly is treated like an object or mere possession, rather than a human being with emotions, ideas, and thoughts of her own.The men focus mainly on her physical beauty. They also suggest that she could be trained, in the same way wild animals are usually trained, to think and act for herself. The end of the story leads you to believe that Polly, still representing women, is only interested in shallow material items when choosing relationships. The men in this story are shown in a way that m akes them seem superior to women using intelligence, wittiness, and patience along with physical and material attractiveness. In the beginning of â€Å"Love is a Fallacy†, the two men make a deal to trade Polly as if they owned or had rights to her.What is even worse than the act itself is the object she is being traded for, a fur coat. This implies that Polly is only worth a useless, stinky, old fur coat. When evaluating her worth, the man judges her physical beauty and how useful she could be to him. He then decides to take her on as a project for him to improve. Then to show Polly’s ignorance, the writer has her follow the man to be â€Å"trained† or taught to think. As he instructs her and becomes increasingly rude and impatient with Polly, she continues to use ignorant phrases and gestures to comply with the man’s commands and to please him.In the end, even though Polly stands up for herself and uses his teachings against him, she still is only speak ing from what he had taught her and not from her own thoughts. This gives the illusion that women can be taught, by men, to think and act a particular way. Polly then chooses to date one of the men who treated her as a mindless objected because he owns a popular coat (the fur coat that he traded for her in the beginning). This leads the audience to believe that Polly, still representing women, is only interested in material things and doesn’t mind how she is valued or treated.Women should find this story very insulting. For so long, women have fought to overcome these stereotypes. The female sex has always been judged based solely on their gender. A woman was taught to attract a man and begin a family. Once you had a husband, as a woman, your only priorities should have been to cook, clean, and care-give. Woman were also seen as ignorant pieces of property. Woman had to fight to work, get good jobs, vote, and so much more to prove their equality to men. Men were always seen i n the same way as the two men in this story. The two in this tale are extremely shallow, egotistical, and ride.This is not true for all men, but the older stereotypes set men and women as opposites. Women should be meek, stupid, kind, and proper. Men should be opinionated, intelligent, stern, and in control. These are almost complete opposites. Now it is accepted that woman and men are all different and yet equal. This story is rude to both sexes, but is harsher on the role of women. The women are seen in this story as objects that can be trained, traded, or owned. This could be avoided using a clearly satire atmosphere, or less extreme depictions of the female sex.This story was, however, very informative (for a student such as myself) learning to construct arguments correctly. Regardless of the anti-female message, â€Å"Love is a Fallacy† is perfect to teach fallacies. Shulman’s story gives a very blunt and clear understanding to the definition and purpose of fallac ies. It also gives very good examples of how to, or not to, use them in an argument. These tips can help a learning audience identify and avoid fallacies that would weaken their argument. This being true does not excuse the rude insulting projection of women.

CU1513 & Food Essay

Children need to be in a positive environment because if the child spends their day in an effective designed environment, the child will be physically, socially, emotionally, and aesthetically nurtured. The environment can maximise their intellectual potential and provide a foundation for the development of their emotional security. A positive environment for children and young people must be a safe place to work in, so a number of legal health and safety requirements should be in place. Whatever the setting, policies and procedures guide the workplace. 2) In my work setting, we work within the care standards regulations by making sure the setting is a safe place to be in, and being hygienic, we have a sterilising unit which is used everyday, and also sterilise the plastic toys and make sure everything is cleaned well. We wear aprons and gloves whilst changing babies nappies, and to go around every morning and evening checking that nothings broken. We also give out daily sheets to give to the parent/carer at the end of the day, to tell them what they’ve had and what they’ve done during the day. The Special Needs Code of Practice is designed to help make effective decisions regarding children and young people with special educational needs, but this does not mean you can tell them exactly what to do in each individual case. A positive environment and routine teaches children how to behave with people in general, in my work setting the ages are 3-18 months, so the older babies might get an early understanding on how to be around people and how to be around one another. If the staff are positive and approachable, it could also help children to talk to staff more about any concerns they may have. Also it allows parents to talk to the staff more easily, and feel included and equal. 3) This is part of children’s learning about self care and personal hygiene. We can help them do this by encouraging them to wash their hands before and after eating, and also giving them a mirror which can help them too. In my work setting, ages 3-18 months, it is very different, as they’d need their nappies changed regularly to prevent infections and sores, and to also talk to the parent/carer about any allergies or skin conditions their child might have. We also talk to parents/carers about their child’s hair in case they have any allergies or conditions as they may require special products. And we will ask them to bring in hats, especially during Summer. Teeth are important too, as well as having healthy milk teeth, it encourages the healthy adult teeth. With older children, workers can encourage children to brush their own teeth in the morning and before bedtime with the guidance of the parent/carer. 4) Rest and exercise both play a crucial part in health and well being of children. Learning and memory are at there best in well rested children. Exercise is equally important, playing a vital role in physical health, which promotes muscle and bone strength. In my work setting we promote exercise by doing activities with them which can include dancing, going out to the outside play area or going for a walk to the park, and then when they get out of their prams, they explore and identify new things too. We encourage rest by doing certain activities which includes sitting down and reading books and putting them to bed after lunch time and if they are tired at any time throughout the day we will put them in a cot/pram. 5) The basic nutritional requirements include plenty of fruit and veg, which we should be having at least five portions of a variety everyday. In my work setting we encourage the children to eat fruit and veg everyday by giving a different variety at both snack times. Bread, rice, potatoes and pasta and other starchy foods, milk and dairy foods, and also some meat, fish and alternatives, also to have a small amounts of foods and drink which is high in fat or sugar, although this should be kept restricted to special occasion foods only. 6) When children come together at meal/snack time, they should be all eating the same food, however there can be special requirements. For example, children with chewing or digestive difficulties may need their food chopped or liquidized. Specific food additives may cause allergic reactions. And even cultural/religious preferences may restrict specific foods, as either a general rule, or certain times and holidays. Whoever cant eat meat for any reason, we give alternatives to the foods given. 7) Food is a common way for illness to spread, workers who are ill or have recently been ill can unknowingly contaminate foods which are prepared and served to the children. In childcare settings, food safety is everyone’s responsibility, any member of staff that comes in contact with the food should be familiar with safe food handling practices and all work places should have a food safety book. The National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC) provides national guidelines for childcare which covers all areas of care, which includes information on all aspects of quality childcare, including hygiene, communications, discipline, food and nutrition. Research time journal. 40 minutes on questions 1-4 30 minutes on questions 5-7

Succubus Shadows Chapter 14

I was never entirely sure how much of that dream was true and how much was a lie. That it was a mix, I felt certain. I couldn't think of any reason the Oneroi would show me Kayla noticing my absence when no one else did. That had to be true. Yet, I also couldn't imagine Seth and Maddie slandering me so much. I especially couldn't imagine him breaking a confidence. Surely that was a lie†¦right? And as for the rest of the dream†¦well, it didn't matter. The Oneroi offered no answers. And as more and more dreams came to me, the fate they'd foretold began to come true: I could no longer tell what was real and what wasn't. Often, I tried to tell myself that it was all a lie. That was easier than living with the doubt. No matter how hard I tried, though, I couldn't shake the feel of truth that some had. So, I was always questioning everything, and it grew maddening after a while. It was made worse by the fact that the Oneroi were always feeding off of those dreams, which consequently sucked up my energy. A succubus needed that energy to function. It gave me the ability to move in the world, to think clearly, to shape-shift. Draining me of it wouldn't kill me – I was still immortal, after all – but it made me useless. Not that it mattered in my prison. I still had the sensation of being crammed inside a box in the dark, and what little awareness of my body I had left was simply showing me pain and weakness. Had I been relea sed, I would have had trouble walking. I would also likely be in my true shape. Since I was mostly suspended consciousness now, the physical aspects became irrelevant. My mind became the true liability, as both the lack of energy and torture from the dreams began to rip me apart. I was more coherent and analytical during the dreams themselves, but when they ended and the emotions hit me, my rational thought began fracturing. My banter with the Oneroi became primal insults and screams. Most of the time I couldn't think at all. I was just pain and despair. And rage. It seemed impossible, yet underneath the agony that smothered me, a small spark of anger just barely managed to stay alive, fueled every time I saw the Oneroi. I think holding on to that fury was the only thing that kept my shattered mind from completely giving in to insanity. I lost all sense of time, but that had more to do with the strange nature of dreams and not so much my brain. I actually think little time passed in the real world because every time the Oneroi showed me a glimpse of it, no progress seemed to have been made in finding me – something I believed the Oneroi hoped would break me further. â€Å"Why do you keep asking us?† The question came from Cody. I was now watching him, Peter, and Hugh being interrogated by Jerome. Carter sat in a far corner, smoking in spite of Peter's no-cigarettes-in-the-apartment rule. Roman was there too, invisible in body and aura. That meant I shouldn't have been able to see him, yet something – maybe because he was my target in this dream – allowed me to know he was there, despite what my senses told me. My friends knew about him. He had no need to hide his physical appearance, unless Jerome feared there might be demonic eyes watching Seattle – which wasn't that unreasonable. My disappearance had probably made him extra suspicious. Cody's question had been directed toward Jerome, and I had never in my life seen such fury on the young vampire's face. He was the mildest of us all, newest to Seattle's immortal circle. He still jumped when Jerome said jump and spent more time watching and learning than taking an active role. Seeing him like this was a shock. â€Å"We don't know anything!† Cody continued. â€Å"Our powers are limited. You're the one who's supposed to be almighty and powerful. Doesn't Hell control half the universe?† â€Å"‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,'† quoted Carter solemnly. â€Å"Shut up, both of you,† snapped Jerome. He glared at the angel. â€Å"I've already heard you use that one before.† Carter shrugged. â€Å"You've heard me use all of them before. Many, many times.† Jerome turned back to my three friends. â€Å"Nothing. You're absolutely certain you noticed nothing about her before this happened?† â€Å"She was down,† said Peter. â€Å"She's always down,† said Hugh. â€Å"She didn't tell any of us about this thing she kept feeling,† growled Cody. â€Å"She only told Roman. Why aren't you questioning him?† â€Å"I have,† said Jerome. He took a step near the young vampire and leaned his face in close. â€Å"And watch your tone. You're lucky I'm feeling kindly right now.† â€Å"What's Mei doing?† asked Peter. His tone was proper and polite as he cast an uneasy glance at Cody. Half of Peter's question was probably a ploy to save his prot? ¦g? ¦ from being smote then and there. Jerome sighed and stepped back. â€Å"Questioning others. Finding any trace – any at all – of another of our immortals who might have felt something.† Hugh, who was sitting on the couch and keeping his distance from our angry boss, cleared his throat nervously. â€Å"I don't want to bring this up†¦but, you're already kind of on probation after the, um, summoning.† Jerome's smoldering gaze fell on the imp, who flinched. â€Å"Don't you think I know that? Why is everyone here giving me useless information?† â€Å"All I'm saying,† said Hugh, â€Å"is that if someone wanted to take advantage of the situation, making you lose one of your immortals would be a good way. Someone who, say, maybe wanted a job promotion.† â€Å"Mei couldn't do this,† said Jerome, catching on. He'd already had one lieutenant demoness turn, so Hugh's hypothesis wasn't that bad. â€Å"She couldn't hide Georgina like this†¦even if she was working with someone who could, she'd find a better way to get to me.† There was almost a proud note in his voice. â€Å"What about Simone?† demanded Cody. â€Å"She's out there impersonating Georgina, you know.† Both Peter and Hugh stared in astonishment. â€Å"She's what?† exclaimed the imp. The attention from his friends seemed to fluster Cody more than Jerome's wrath. â€Å"Yeah, I was, um, visiting Gabrielle at the bookstore, and I saw Simone. She had Georgina's shape, but I could feel it was her.† â€Å"You saw Gabrielle?† asked Carter with interest, like my disappearance from the universe had now lessened in comparison to Cody's romance. Cody flushed. â€Å"We†¦had a date. But I canceled it when I heard about Georgina. It's no big deal.† No big deal? My kidnapping was now ruining Cody's chances with the woman of his dreams. â€Å"This is more useless information,† growled Jerome. â€Å"And, yes, I know about Simone.† â€Å"Maybe you should be talking to her,† said Cody. â€Å"She didn't do it,† said Jerome. The way he spoke implied that it was a closed case. Peter was still treading cautiously around Jerome. â€Å"If you say she didn't†¦then she didn't. But why is she impersonating Georgina if she's innocent in all this?† â€Å"She has her reasons,† said Jerome vaguely. Cody was outraged. â€Å"And you're just going to let her do it! How can you?† â€Å"Because I don't care!† roared Jerome. A wave of power flared out from him like a shock wave. Everyone except Carter was blown back by it. The china in Peter's cabinet rattled. â€Å"I don't care what that other succubus does. I don't care about Georgina's human friends or what they think. If anything, you should be grateful. Simone's act is keeping the others from noticing what happened.† None of my friends had anything to say to that. With an exasperated snarl, Jerome turned toward the door. â€Å"I've had enough of this. I need real answers.† He stormed out into the hall, leaving the door open. Presumably, he did it as an act of angry defiance, but I knew it was so Roman could follow him. Normally, the demon would have simply teleported out, but for whatever reason, father and son were investigating together today. Once alone on the stairwell, Jerome muttered, â€Å"Hold on.† Roman must have because Jerome disappeared. He reappeared – and me along with him – in a new setting: Erik's store. It was evening, and Erik had shut down for the night. The fountains were off. The music had stopped playing. Yet, near the back of the store, a few notes of humming could be heard. They cut off almost immediately, and footsteps sounded as someone approached. Jerome stayed where he was, not deigning to move. He knew his presence would have been promptly felt. He knew Erik would come to him. And sure enough, gait still unsteady from being sick recently, Erik made his way to the store's front. He radiated wariness as he moved. For me, he always had a kindly smile and cup of tea. Even Carter, the most powerful immortal in Seattle, would earn a respectful smile. But Erik was on his guard now – which really wasn't that weird, considering who stood in his store. Erik came to a stop a few feet from Jerome and straightened himself up as well as he could to his full height. He gave Jerome the smallest nod of greeting. â€Å"Mr. Hanan'el,† said Erik. â€Å"An unexpected visit.† Jerome had just taken a cigarette out of his coat, and it fell from his fingers. The look he gave Erik was a hundred times more terrifying than anything I'd ever seen. I expected another flare-up of power, one that would blow the entire building apart. â€Å"Do not,† said Jerome, â€Å"ever let that name cross your lips again, or I will rip them off.† His voice was low and even, simmering with the rage and power he was holding back. Had I been there, I would have gasped. Jerome's true name. Erik knew Jerome's true name. I used fake names to blend in and forget my identity. But for angels and demons, names were power. In the right hands, a name could be used to summon or control a greater immortal. In fact, for Dante to have summoned Jerome in the spring, Grace must have revealed that name. Erik didn't flinch at Jerome being in smite mode. â€Å"I assume,† said Erik, â€Å"you are seeking something.† â€Å"Yes,† said Jerome, slightly mimicking Erik's tone. â€Å"I am ‘seeking' my succubus.† Erik's eyebrows rose slightly. â€Å"Miss Kincaid?† â€Å"Of course! Who else?† Jerome did technically have another succubus, Tawny. But maybe he wouldn't have gone hunting for her if she disappeared. He took out another cigarette and lit it without a lighter. â€Å"Do you know where she is? And don't lie to me. If you're keeping her from me, I will rip you apart, leaving your tongue for last.† â€Å"Ripping body parts appears to be a theme tonight,† replied Erik, clasping his hands behind his back. â€Å"But no, I don't know where Miss Kincaid is. I didn't know she was missing.† Jerome took a step forward, eyes narrowed. â€Å"I told you, do not lie to me.† â€Å"I have no reason to lie. I like Miss Kincaid. I would never wish her harm. If I can help her, I will.† Erik's wording was careful. It was me he was offering to help – not Jerome. â€Å"She spoke to you about some force – some ‘siren song' that kept coming to her,† said Jerome. He gave a curt report of what Roman had observed when I disappeared. â€Å"What do you know about this thing? What kind of creature was it? It was feeding off her depression.† From the moment this dream had started, Jerome had displayed nothing but rage and terror. Yet†¦as he shot off questions, it was almost like he was rambling. There was desperation under all that anger. Desperation and frustration because he was in a situation with no answers and felt powerless. Demons, as a general rule, do not like feeling powerless. Resorting to human help – a human who knew his name, no less – must have been excruciatingly painful for my boss. Erik, classy as always, remained calm and formal. â€Å"There are creatures who do that, yes, but I don't believe it was one of those. I believe it chose those times because she was weakest. It was simply a lure – probably not the creature or culprit itself.† â€Å"Then what creature is it?† Erik spread his hands wide. â€Å"It could be any number of things.† â€Å"God-fucking-damn-it,† said Jerome, dropping his cigarette onto Erik's floor and stomping on it hard. â€Å"You're no longer connected to her?† â€Å"Correct.† â€Å"You have no awareness of her – one of your kind isn't masking her?† â€Å"Correct.† â€Å"And you know she's not dead?† â€Å"Correct.† Erik's brown eyes were thoughtful. â€Å"Then the creature is likely one outside of your scope.† â€Å"Why,† asked Jerome wearily, â€Å"does everyone keep telling me things I already know?† The question could have been directed to Erik, Roman, or the air. The demon took out another cigarette. â€Å"You need to figure out who would take her and why. She has enemies. Nyx was not pleased with the resolution of her last visit.† â€Å"Nyx is locked up.† Jerome spoke as though he had stated that a hundred times. I was pretty sure he'd been asked all those questions about me a hundred times too. â€Å"Your summoner, Mr. Moriarty, was not overly pleased with her either.† Although Erik remained professional, his lips twisted ever so slightly, like he'd tasted something bitter. Regardless of his feelings for the demon, both Erik and Jerome shared a mutual hatred of Dante. This gave Jerome pause. â€Å"I doubt this was human magic, though I suppose he could have had help – he's sought allies before. I'll look into it.† He dropped this new cigarette and stepped on it too. â€Å"Regardless, I still can't believe I'd have no sense of her in the world.† â€Å"Maybe she's not in this world.† Erik's words hung between them for several seconds. â€Å"No,† said Jerome at last. â€Å"Many have interest in her – but none who would do that.† I saw in Erik's face that the words â€Å"Many have interest in her† had caught his notice. He stayed silent, however, and waited for Jerome's next profound statement. Which wasn't that profound. â€Å"Time to go,† said the demon, probably so Roman could grab hold again. Jerome teleported, off to wherever it was he had to go. And me? I returned to my prison.

Social Impact of Technology

The Social Impact of Technology There is no doubt that technological change brings about social change. The Industrial revolution saw many people displaced from their land, to find work in crowded city factories. Serfdom was abolished and the population shifted from villages to the cities. Strong family ties, self sufficiency and the right to occupy land were replaced with uncertain tenancy of land, dependency on trade and a weakening of the family unit. Economically, goods and money abounded, and trade flourished.The merchant class profited from the wealth that was generated on the backs of the displaced population of urban workers. Children were sent to work in factories, in order for families to make enough money to live. The peasant class worked long hard hours in poor conditions with no security. The Industrial revolution led to the alienation of the working class and although many union battles have since led to the adoption of better working conditions, the effects of the Indu strial revolution remain.The family unit is even more vulnerable today with soaring divorce rates, high rates of teenage suicide, most of society are either heavily mortgaged to banks or paying high rents, and no one can be self-sufficient in a world governed by free wheeling free trade. Advances in technology, is generally not equitably shared within society. People with money have more opportunity to aquire technology, which enables them to acquire even more wealth. It is also important to remember that war has been and will continue to be the driving force for technology and innovation. Power and wealth are intrinsically tied together.Technology leads to greater social economic division. Laborers are viewed as commodities and expendable. Technology leads to alienation because it can create jobs that require no specialist knowledge. To date, since the industrial revolution we have seen technology used to the detriment of society. The right to occupy land has become a privelege tha t must be worked for and earned and now the battle is on to control all the world's food and textiles through genetically modified seeds and animals. The insidious part of GM is that there is no recall once it is released into the environment.Salmon that will grow ten times faster than normal salmon will destroy river systems, as their unfair genetically modified advantage will see all smaller life forms extinguished, and genetically modified crops that are dependent on pesticides will contaminate organic, heritage seeds that have sustained people for thousands of years. Seeds will no longer be able to be harvested and replanted but the farmer will have to buy new seed every year from GM seed makers. This fight is more important that the fight over open source because it involves the right of people everywhere to have clean, safe food that has not been genetically altered.Essentially GM is a tax on everyone because a patent will be on every seed and seeds are made to be sterile the following year. This is something to become angry about. The greedy corporations and individuals that want control over our food, water and land, do not care about the irreversible damage to the environment. people and animals that they cause. We have the right to eat tomatoes that are free of fish DNA, meat and milk that is free of human DNA, pigs that haven't been grown to harvest anthrax antibodies. They will never be able to prove the safety of GM food and no long term studies have been done.Nor will GM solve the problem of soil erosion, and pollution of rivers from artificial fertilizers and pesticides. Only a return to responsible organic and biodynamic farming practices will solve these problems. The 50 harmful effects of GM food Courts are not keen to pursue pesticide makers for poisoning farmers, or GM seed makers for monopolizing the world's seeds through patents, (through genetic engineering that not only renders the seed worthless for replanting the next year but also co ntaminates non-GM crops by cross pollination.Already the majority of the world's seed stock is controlled by a handful of corporations – see http://www. cqs. com/50harm. htm and http://www. seedsavers. net ) The internet in its current form was developed as a free exchange of information, unregulated by any one government or owned by any one person or company. In its raw form it was the playground of hackers and computer geeks, who challenged the status quo. It brings about a new era, the technological revolution.The free flow of information, has brought about technological advances at an unprecedented rate and has made many rich and brought companies who failed to adapt to a standstill. How will this technological revolution impact on our society? If the industrial revolution is any thing to go by, there will be winners and losers to technological revolution. E-commerce will affect the middle man and allow direct trade with consumers. Efficiency brings about lower prices for the consumer, but it is more accurate to argue that efficiency brings about greater wealth for shareholders, directors and owners.The intrinsic weave of social interactions of trade, can be disentangled and made into a horizontal supply chain. E-commerce will create efficiencies that effectively remove the need for a long supply chain but at the expense of social relationships. The effect of e-commerce, and the internet will impact on every society on the earth. Already, the barriers of trade between individuals in different countries are non-existent. Company contact details are searchable through powerful search engines, and trade can commerce between two individuals who would otherwise never have met.The internet dissolves national boundaries, and the consequences for cities that have developed as centers of administration and trade will be disastrous, if they do not embrace the technological advances in communication and trade that the internet brings. While at the same time, f ree trade means fierce competition without the protection of award wages. People are reduced to consumers and suppliers. Resisting the tide of technological change is impossible. Of course it is possible to do business without a website or email or mobile phone or a fax machine.People have been doing business well before any of these gadgets were invented. But business today is about competition, and technology is about leverage. Technology can lead to alienation if it is not widely dispersed in society. The Industrial age saw the concentration of technology in the hands of the rich and powerful, allowing them to dominate and subdue the population into harsh working conditions and the social impact of the internet and computers is only just beginning, will it challenge the status quo or will it lead to greater population control?The latter is probably more likely, and many will look on this time as the golden age of the internet. Already technology like digital TV is being pushed in the guise of better quality but the benefits to those who own the systems is that they will be able to track what you watch, when you watch it, whether or not you switch off an ad, and perhaps even whether that pizza ad makes you pick up the phone and call for a pizza.Knowledge is power, and with access to tapping phone lines, reading emails, reading your credit card statements, knowing by GPS where you are by tracking your mobile phone, it can be a scary world, if all that knowledge and power were to be used to oppress and control. On the upside, technology has made the developed world a richer place to the detriment of the environment. Machines have allowed people to move away from physical work, so that now in Australia there is 100,000 accountants and 85,000 farmers.Perhaps, technology has gone too far, and there are more people counting beans than growing them ! Impact of technology on government The legal system is dependent on local jurisdictions under common law. Historical ly, one has to remember that before the age of the internet, airplanes and telephones, the vast majority of business was done locally. Technology has rapidly changed the way people do business but there has not adapted to the changes. There is no one body that governs international trade. What are the implications?If you buy a product from a local supplier in your State, and it turns out that the item is faulty, you can go back to your supplier to work out repair or replacement and if they don't help you, you can take the matter to local Trades office or file legal action in your state. If however, you buy a product outside your jurisdiction, you must file a claim in the State, where the supplier is located. You can only use a lawyer in the State where you file your action, your local llawyer can only act as a consultant and has no authority to represent you in court or to serve papers.Therefore, we have a world which is governed by local laws and yet the businesses and individuals are now actively trading outside of their local area. Governments are trying to make laws about content on the internet but have no jurisdiction to enforce those laws. This has created havens in small developing countries, that are happy to accept companies that want to run online gambling websites that may be outlawed in their jurisdiction or companies that wish to reduce their tax liabilities by opening up bank accounts in developing countries.We see arising now a homogenizing of local laws on issues like SPAM, and even sending a international letter from anywhere in the world involves the completion of almost identical forms, Governments are making agreements, in an attempt to be relevant in a world where people are able to trade more freely and where digital communication has enabled businesses to work, almost without physical boundaries. Business names and the Internet In the beginning, it was easy to start a new business.You would go to your local business registration office in your State and apply for a business name. If it was taken, you would choose another name. Most people do not realize that a business name is only valid for the State that it is registered in and the only way to protect your business name is to incorporate a company. In Australia, you would lodge forms with ASIC to incorporate a company and you then have rights to use your business name exclusively in Australia and its territories.However, with the birth of the internet, your Australian company name may be the same as the name of a company overseas. This has resulted in legal action being taken, as companies tussle of business names and the rights to use those names and a court system that is unable to deal effectively with international disputes over business names and has resulted in greater costs to people who want to start a business as they must register multiple domain names, take about international trademarks and find a name that has not already been taken.Even if they con tact lawyers to register all the domain names and trademarks to avoid disputes(both local and international), legal action can still be taken against them. And when it comes to justice, money wins almost every time, unless companies want to relocate to safe havens in developing countries where they cannot be pursued in court. Conclusion Technology has allowed man to move from manual labour of the fields to cities and machines. It has allowed huge cities to arise, because of the urban poor that have migrated to cities for improved services and job opportunities.Technology has spawned the growth of modern society but it is also now used to control the population, in a way the Roman Caesars could only have dreamed of The economic impact of information technology has been a subject of a great deal of debate. For business economists, it is useful to identify how information technology (IT) is likely to impact the economy, because IT (defined as computer and communications technology and its applications) is likely to have a substantial impact on the economy's growth during the coming decades.The reason for this is the use of IT by nearly all industries in the economy's base, so that IT becomes a universal input to nearly all other outputs. If IT costs decline, they can create substantial economic gains for many of the industries that use IT, because money spent on IT can be invested in other inputs and improvements in production or services. Furthermore, because business relies upon IT to do a wide range of tasks and to create competitive advantage, by facilitating these tasks for end users, important gains are achieved that are difficult to measure in a classic input-output framework.In addition, IT, seen in a larger context, should have even wider impacts on the economy, because new channels of communications, such as the Internet, cellular television, and broadband applications, will provide business with new channels to reach customers and suppliers. In the pas t, the economic impact of IT has been subject to much debate. The productivity paradox was first proposed by Steven Roach, the chief economist at Morgan Stanley, who found that BLS data on investments in computers had a clear negative rather than a positive impact on productivity gains in several major industries.Roach's paradox appeared to be valid because quite a few service industries had negative productivity gains between 1977 and 1984. Some tried to explain this paradox by noting that it was difficult for workers to adjust to computers. Others noted that few computer applications made significant improvements in the amount of work most workers could do. Still additional commentators felt that the paradox was a product of poor statistical measurement.Because this paradox was driven by the negative productivity results for several service industries, one approach was to see if the service productivity figures were accurate. One study, by Joel Popkin and Company for IBM,(1) found that the BLS productivity statistics Roach used for several service sectors had important shortcomings. Most importantly, the BLS productivity data relied on output measures that did not truly reflect the changes in the nature of work in some service industries. If these are corrected in several important service industries, two things could be shown.