Magic Rocks Crystal Growing Kit Review

Magic Rocks Crystal Growing Kit Review Compare Prices Magic Rocks are a classic instant crystal growing kit. You pour a magic solution over magic rocks and a fanciful crystal garden starts growing as you watch. Are Magic Rocks worth trying? Heres my review of the Magic Rocks kit. What You Get What You Need There are different Magic Rock kits on the market. Some of them only include the Magic Rocks and the Magic Solution. I bought a kit that included a plastic display tank and some decorations. If you dont get a kit that includes a display tank, you will need a small plastic or glass bowl (a small fishbowl works). For any kit, you will need: room temperature water (~70 °F)measuring cupplastic spoon or wooden stick My Experience with Magic Rocks I grew Magic Rocks when I was a kid. I still think they are fun. They arent a fool-proof project, though. Success depends on one thing: following the directions! Read the directions before beginning this project. The exact instructions will depend on your kit, but they go something like this: Read the instructions.Mix the Magic Solution with the amount of water indicated in the instructions. Be sure the water is room temperature and not hold/cold. Mix the solution well (this is important).Place half of the Magic Rocks on the bottom of the display tank. The rocks should not touch each other or the sides of the tank.Pour in the diluted Magic Solution. If any of the rocks were disturbed, use ​a  plastic spoon or wooden stick to put them back in place. Do not use your finger!Set the container somewhere where it wont get bumped. This location should have a stable temperature and should be out of reach of young children and pets.Look! The crystals start growing immediately. Its pretty cool.About 6 hours later, add the other half of the Magic Rocks. Try to avoid landing them on each other or against the side of the container.After another 6 hours, carefully dump the Magic Solution down the drain. Flush this solution away with lots of water to be sure no one will acciden tally touch it. Gently fill the tank with clean room-temperature water. If the water is cloudy, you can replace the water a couple more times to cleanse the tank.At this point, your Magic Rocks are complete. You can top off the display tank with water to keep the crystal garden as long as you like. What I Liked and Didnt Like About Magic Rocks What I Liked Instant gratification. Crystals begin to grow as soon as you add the Magic Solution to the Magic Rocks. You dont have to wait around for something to happen.The crystal garden is beautiful. Nothing looks quite the same.The project is easy.You can keep your creation indefinitely. What I Didnt Like Magic Rocks are not non-toxic. The ingredients are harmful if swallowed, plus they are a skin and eye irritant. That makes them unsuitable for very young children. Keep them away from pets, too. It is safe to rinse the materials down the drain, but clean-up is a little more critical than with non-toxic projects.You can get poor results if you dont adhere to the instructions. If the rocks are too close together, your crystals will look flat and uninteresting. If your water is too warm or too cold your crystals will be too spindly to support themselves or will be stunted.The instructions dont explain the science behind how Magic Rocks work. In case you are wondering, you arent really growing crystals in this project. You are precipitating colored metal salts. Its still awesome. The Bottom Line Magic Rocks have been around since the 1940s and are still around today because this project is a lot of fun, is easy to do, and makes an interesting chemical garden. I might hold off on playing with Magic Rocks if I had very young children in the house (recommended age is 10), but otherwise, I think they are great. You could make your own Magic Rocks, but most kits are inexpensive. Magic Rocks are a memorable science project. Compare Prices

Amazon Value Proposition Essays

Amazon Value Proposition Essays Amazon Value Proposition Essay Amazon Value Proposition Essay Its value proposition was mainly the ease of election and convenience to the book lovers and they translated the same value in the other segments after diversifying. Its revenue model is Sales revenue model as it derives its revenue from selling of goods, information and services. It also derives a majority of its sales from third party sellers who sell product on Amazon. Process followed and issues faced while selecting the company: Before starting with which company to pick for, tried to understand about the history of the e-commerce as discussed in detail in class. Then, searched to find some of the best known e-commerce companies. There were issues like there is too much information on the internet and there is not one particular company which one can find complete to understand at this junction of the course. Have taken this particular company because of its repeated reference in all the books and lectures. Also, another reason for picking up this company is that Amazon does not only act in the ICC domain but also EBB. Along with that it was a first mover in its market place so it will be interesting to know how they managed it. My objective will be to understand its current value proposition and revenue model. Talking about revenue model, noticed one thing that although it is primarily sales revenue model but it also allows companies to advertise their products by paying to be listed as featured products. So, is it purely a sales model or has an essence of advertising model also? This question will try to understand in detail. One other objective which I would like to cover in this course is that in year 201 3, it entered Indian e-commerce market as Amazon. In. The difference in he Indian scenario is that due to regulatory hurdles, it can not own any of the merchandise it sells. So, it primarily acts as a sales channel. Therefore, it will be interesting to study how they will tweak their business model to stay competitive against local and established players like Flippant, Snappers etc.

What Can Be Done with Violence against Women Essay

What Can Be Done with Violence against Women - Essay Example The International Women’s Human Right Foundation has defined Human right with regard to Women in several ways. First under the umbrella called The Universal Declaration of Human Rights   it has been stated   that "everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or another opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or another status." (Article 2).secondly, The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women states that "violence against women means any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life." (Article 1) It further asserts that states have an obligation to " exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate and, in accor dance with national legislation, punish acts of violence against women, whether those acts are perpetrated by the State or by private persons." (Article 4-c).the third and last definition is from The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Here, discrimination against women has been defined as any "distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women. This is irrespective of their marital status, on the basis of equality between men and women, of human rights or fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field."  Ã‚  

What am I Learning in Global Perspectives Essay

What am I Learning in Global Perspectives - Essay Example These views have been cultivated, transmitted, and declared functional at all times. Thus, cultures are viewed as not only end results of past behavior but also shapers of upcoming behavior. The tendency of equating culture with an ethnic group is very common in people. In connection with this claim, it is apparent there is diverseness in cultural values. The paper expounds on cultural perspectives, the impact of an individual on others and the immediate environment, and the contribution of the module used in discussion in learning. Sharing personal values to strangers is very difficult. Many people including me consider sharing personal values with people different from me as not only an unsafe practice but also the exposure of oneself weaknesses. As a result of this, it is normal to see some people avoiding at all cost to share their personal values with people different from them. However, my engagement in the discussions and lead events changed my perception on personal values. First, I learnt that it is important to share personal values. The sharing of values enables people to learn each other’s interests and to allow each other to be what they are without any confrontation. In addition to this, it is apparent that sharing of values with other people enables individuals to learn the values that they have in common. The sharing of values not only makes individuals compatible but also strengthens the foundation of relationships between people. In addition to this, the discussion proved that people le arn many things in life through sharing their personal values with other people. Many people in the society correlate well with people from their race or ethnic groups. In tandem with this claim, I can affirm that majority of my friends are from my ethnic group. We cope up well with people from my ethnic group. However, this cultural practice is declining in institutions because of people’s diverseness.

Polygamy reasons in Islam Essay Example for Free

Polygamy reasons in Islam Essay Polygamy is a Greek word that means the practice of multiple marriages. Polygamy was considered to fulfill men’s desires on the grounds of strong cultural considerations. Nowadays, Polygamy is considered in Islamic countries and some rural areas around the word. However, it was difficult to provide statistics on the issue of polygamy because of the lack of communication. The man can marry up to four wives. Each wife constitutes a separate household with the husband visiting his wives in turn. Human Rights: Human rights deny gender differences and strive to maintain equality in social rules. Gender equality means an equal visibility, empowerment and participation of both sexes in all spheres of public and private life. Human rights discourse prohibits polygamy and the act of practicing it. Human rights theory is against the notion of polygamy. Human rights discourse states that polygamy is against the dignity of women and their human rights. Polygamy violates the right of equality between men and women; indeed, by allowing men to have more than one wife but preventing women from doing it, the right of equality is violated. In addition, human rights discourse is against the practice of polygamy. It violates women’s right of spending enough time with their husband and children’s right to be raised within a stable family. The idea of allowing the husband to choose polygamy is not considered as slavery or exclusion of the women’s right to decide; on the other hand, it is considered as traditional family life in which the husband is the head of the family. However, the wife can take the place of her husband as the head of the family when the law deprives his civil rights, as if the husband is in jail. On the other hand, polygamy violates the rights of children. Men that have more than one wife do not have enough time to spend it with their children compared with men that have one wife. In addition, their wives try to compete with other wives in order to impress and entertain the man. As a result, children will not have enough time to spend it with their parents. Polygamy requires a lot of time and money; indeed, the man is ordered to fulfill the needs of his wives equally. That will decrease his financial status and this will result in a decrease in health and educational status. Kent acknowledges that polygamists refuse the common life styles and beliefs they live apart from public scrutiny or association, and are more vulnerable to violating civil rights (Kant, 2006). Canadian civil marriage act (2005) defines marriage as â€Å"the lawful union of one two persons to the exclusion of others†. This definition of marriage excludes polygamy. Even though there were laws in Canada prohibiting polygamy before 2009, Winston Blackmore and James Oler were the first polygamists arrested in Canada in January 2009. The maximum penalty for polygamists is 5 years in jail. Although Canadian law assures freedom of religious expression, Polygamy is prohibited. Legal experts say the case promises to pit Canadas antipolygamy law against the countrys Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees freedom of religious expression. Divine Command: Divine command theory in Islam respect gender differences and it maintains equality between men and women. However, it is different in some cases. Divine command explains gender differences as being compatible to each other, which explains the differences in some cases. One of these few cases is polygamy. Islamic law allows polygamy as stated in the quran â€Å"And if you fear that you cannot act equitably towards orphans, then marry such women as seem good to you, two and three and four; but if you fear that you will not do justice between them, then marry only one or what your right hands possess; this is more proper, that you may not deviate from the right course† (4:3). There are several conditions to be maintained in order for the man to marry more than one woman. The first and most fundamental condition is justice, the man have to maintain equality between his wives. He has to be equal in the time spent with the wife and the financial matters, but not his heart inclination. The man can love a wife or her children more than the other but he should keep that to himself and do not show it to his other wives by his behavior. A man should have a reasonable issue to have more than one wife, he should not have more than what he wants. As a result, if two women are enough their husband does not have to marry a third wife and so on. In addition, the man should be able to aid his family, so he cannot marry more than one wife if he is not able to satisfy all of his wives equally. There are several types of aid: financial aid that extends to his children, the ability to satisfy the wives sexual desires. If the man is not able to satisfy the sexual desires of one wife, then he is not allowed to marry more than one. If a women states that her husband does not satisfy her sexual desires, she has the right to ask for divorce. To sum up, the man has to apply justice in the concepts of expenses, sex, and treatment in order to be eligible to have more than one wife. Polygamy is allowed in Islam due to several reasons. First of all is increasing the population. Although one says that increased population causes problems on the society, it results in increased labour, which will increase economy. For example, China has the largest population in the world and they have a strong economical force. Another reason is the increased number of women compared with men in some countries. For example, an official statistic in Germany shows that in 1990 there were approximately 2.7 million more females than males; moreover, the incidents of dying men are more then women. This means that there will be many women without a husband that will lead to a decrease in the population and an increase in adultery and sexually transmitted disease. Childs of adultery are missing the traditional family life and that will reverse it on their behaviour. There are many men that can not handle their sexual interactions and they need more than one women, so if they had more than one that will prevent them from adultery. In addition, men are prohibited to have sex during menstruation or confinement due to its medical harm. The most reason that makes men marry is to make a family, but this dream is impossible if the woman is infertile or has an illness. As a result, it is fair to marry another fertile women. One says that polygamy will cause problems to the family and the wives will be competing with each other. The response for this critique is that problems can occur in every family even if there is one wife. Moreover, each wife has the right to live in her own house and the man can not force them to live in the same house. Another one argues that if polygamy is allowed for men, it should be allowed for women as well. The response to this critique is that women are the carrier of the off spring and by having sex with more than a man the child’s identity will be lost. The children will not be able to recognize their father and it will confuse the society. In addition, the ties of the fatherhood with the children are going to be weak. On April 15th, 2009 Afghanistan women protested in a Shia mosque in the country’s capital city because of a new law that was passed which forbid women to leave their homes without permission from a male relative and these women were also not allowed to refuse to have sex with their husbands. The 300 women who protested were young and organized by women’s rights activists. These Afghan women believed this new law was unacceptable and was a return to Taliban rule. Many local men were outraged by the protesting of these women and threw gravel and small stones at them. As a result, polygamy will decrese these problems. Conclusion: From my point of view, I think that polygamy have more advantages and disadvantages. We can adapt and solve the disadvantages to make polygamy more successful. For example, one can spend more time with his family to make sure that the women and children are satisfied. On the other hand, polygamy should not be allowed without its provisions. Indeed, courts should make sure that polygamy conditions are accomplished, especially the right of justice and equality. References: Kent, S. (2006, August). A matter of principle: fundamentalist Mormon polygamy, children, and human rights debates. Nova religio, 10(1), 7-29. Retrieved June 18, 2009, from ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials database. Polygamists arrested for first time in Canada. (2009, February 10). Christian Century, Retrieved June 18, 2009, from Humanities International Complete database. Polygamy Is Against Womens Human Rights and Their Dignity, Experts Say, (2000). Retrieved June 14, 2009, from http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/51DA40508951B238C1256988002EE12E?opendocument Polygamy reasons and conditions in Islam, (2007). Retrieved June 17, 2009, from http://akhawat.islamway.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=49647 Polygamy reasons in Islam, (2002). Retrieved June 14, 2009, from http://www.islamway.com/?iw_s=Articleiw_a=viewarticle_id=218#(1)

King Lear Essay -- essays research papers

King Lear Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The play, â€Å"King Lear† by William Shakespeare, starts with noblemen Kent and Gloucester having a conversation and the audience finds out that Gloucester has two sons. Edgar who is his heir, and Edmund his unimportant son. This info. leads to the mini-plot. Then, Lear enters to say that he is going to end his life’s tasks and problems. He then points to the map, he tells the people there that he will split his land into three parts. They are going to be given to his three daughters. The two oldest, Goneril and Regan, tell their father that their love for him goes beyond expectations. The youngest one, Cordelia, tells him that she loves him, but only as she should love her father. He is then angered and disappointed at the lack of love by her. Then splits his land evenly between Goneril and Regan, and then banishes Cordelia. Then France decides to marry the now banished Cordelia. When Kent tries to defend Cordelia, he banishes him too.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Meanwhile, Goneril and Regan decide that if Lear becomes too much of a nuisance, they will have to decide what disciplinary actions to take. In the developing subplot, Edmund complains of his unhappiness at being an illegitimate—and thus, disinherited—son. As part of his plot to claim what is not his, Edmund gives a false letter to his father, Gloucester, declaring that Edgar is proposing that they kill their father and split the wealth between them. The cunning Edmu...

Why society is unfair with teen male?

The way in which my son is branded and spoken of is very exaggerated and unfair. Through the past month he experienced a difficult time going through a split with his fellow peer. He tried to reach for help through his teachers and a social worker, hoping to find a way to cope and instead he was abused with statements such as â€Å"this young man Is experiencing significant mental health Issues. † This all occurred because he dared to cry and show sorrow when he was told by the peer that she felt uncomfortable talking to him.Furthermore, after this incident that occurred on March 24, 2014, the peer contacted my son first on the same day. Approximately two weeks after, I was phoned at work by the principal, informing me that she would call the police if I was not able to come and pick up my son after school. I asked her to wait for me around 5-10 minutes, and moments after we had finished our conversation, she called the police nonetheless. She had also told my son that she wou ld not call the police unless he left the school.He did not leave and the police was still called. My son was escorted by the police to the RE per the principals statement that my son was having a â€Å"suicidal crisis. The principal came to this conclusion based on a Faceable conversation between my son and the peer which was shown to the principal by the peer. Recently, I read the messages In which my son stated â€Å"I'm always going to be there for you. † These words obviously show no intentions to commit suicide. My son was assessed by the RE team by DRP.Doe, a psychiatrist at H ¶tell-Died Grace Hospital where he was escorted by the police. He was released in the same night from the hospital as the RE team claimed that he was not in a crisis. The psychiatrist had not considered he needed any follow-up appointments or medication. He was not diagnosed with ant mental health illness. I communicated all of the results to the principal; however, she didn't accept my son to go back to school for a week now, though he was not suspended.During the ten school years of his life, I never once heard a complaint from any of his teachers regarding his behavior. His average mark Is over 90%. He has won numerous awards for his academic success and he was only ever praised by his teachers. Please help me rehabilitate my son's reputation at school and gain fair treatment by his principal and social worker at school. This incident was a small part of his school fife and his great sorrow was misinterpreted as a mental illness.Based on this event we cannot throw away and ignore all his years of hard work, and great behavior. Why society is unfair with teen male? By conspire â€Å"this young man is experiencing significant mental health issues. † This all occurred was shown to the principal by the peer. Recently, I read the messages in which my intentions to commit suicide. My son was assessed by the RE team by DRP. Doe,a communicated all of the results to the principal; however, she didn't accept my son to regarding his behavior. His average mark is over 90%. He has won numerous

Romantic Elements in Frankenstein and the Fall of the House of Usher

Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, and Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, The Fall of the House of Usher, although published in different periods, on different continents, have in common many of the main ideas that stood behind the literary movement of Romanticism (the sublime, the Romantic hero, imagination, isolation), combined with elements of the Gothic (the mysterious and remote setting dominated by a gloomy atmosphere, death, sin, pain, exotic elements, supernatural). One of the main elements that is integrated into the Romantic movement is the sublime. In his A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful , Edmund Burke defined the sublime as â€Å"Whatever is fitted in any sort to excite the ideas of pain and danger, that is to say, whatever is in any sort terrible, or is conversant about terrible objects, or operates in a manner analogous to terror, is a source of the sublime; that is, it is productive of the strongest emotion which the mind is capable of feeling. In Burke’s view, the typical qualities that characterize a sublime landscape are vastness of dimensions (especially in contrast with the limitations of the human body and mind), obscurity (that blurs the definition of boundaries), deep darkness or intense light. Through the impact that magnificent landscapes and violent storms produce, and in the midst of the terrors that nature creates, the characters experience the sublime, are overflown wi th dread, fear and a sense of astonishment, which eventually allows them to sense the divine. In Frankenstein, nature is a very powerful entity that can soothe and punish; this duality is especially obvious in the connection between Victor and nature that Shelly cultivates throughout the novel. More often than not, Victor takes sustenance from nature, which provides him with what could be described as personal therapy when he is subjected to stress or torment. When he falls ill, it is not the constant care and attention of his closest friends that ensure his recovery, but the beneficial influence of the fresh ir that he breathes: â€Å"We passed a fortnight in these perambulations: my health and spirits had long been restored, and they gained additional strength from the salubrious air I breathed, the natural incidents of our progress . . . I became the same happy creature who, a few years ago, loved and beloved by all, had no sorrow or care. When happy, inanimate nature had the power of bestowing on me the most delightful sensations. A serene sky and verdant fields filled m e with ecstasy. â€Å" After his brother William is brutally murdered by the Creature, Victor falls into a deep state of despair, unable to find solace in the company of the rest of his family, or his best friend Henry. Once again, it is nature that heals him and allows him to maintain his sanity:  «I remained two days at Lausanne, in this painful state of mind. I contemplated the lake: the waters were placid; all around was calm, and the snowy mountains, â€Å"the palaces of nature,† were not changed. By degrees the calm and heavenly scene restored me, and I continued my journey towards Geneva. The road ran by the side of the lake, which became narrower as I approached my native town. I discovered more distinctly the black sides of Jura, and the bright summit of Mont Blanc. I wept like a child: â€Å"Dear mountains! My own beautiful lake! How do you welcome your wanderer? Your summits are clear; the sky and lake are blue and placid. Is this to prognosticate peace or to mock at my unhappiness? †  » Aside from providing Victor with restoration and happiness when needed, nature prove to also be an omnipotent force of foreshadowing. The lightning shredding the tree in front of Victor’s eyes is a warning that his endeavors will ultimately bring destruction. When he is notified about William’s death, nature reflects his feelings of despair and suggests dark prospects of the future: â€Å"Night also closed around; and when I could hardly see the dark mountains, I felt still more gloomily. The picture appeared a vast and dim scene of evil, and I foresaw obscurely that I was destined to become the most wretched of human beings. The night that Victor gives life to his creations is â€Å"a dreary night of November†, with rain patting â€Å"dismally against the panes†. This is similar with the gloomy nature described at the beginning of The Fall of the House of Usher, where the imminent destruction of this ancient family is foreshadowed by the atmosphere of melancholy and decay and the eerie semblance of the house, covered by minute fungi and weakened by the fissure that extends from the roo f to the foundations: During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. † Poe’s description of the unearthly storm that takes place on the dreadful night that brings the ultimate destruction to the ancient House of Usher is strikingly similar with the ones described in Frankestein: It was, indeed, a tempestuous yet sternly beautiful night, and one wildly singular in its terror and its beauty. A whirlwind had apparently collected its force in our vicinity; for there were frequent and violent alterations in the direction of the wind; and the exceeding density of the clouds (which hung so low as to press upon the turrets of the house) did not prevent our perceiving the life-like velocity with which they flew careering from all points against each other, without passing away into the distance. † Although both works present an overwhelmingly powerful nature, that can foreshadow future events, the nature in The Fall of the House of Usher lacks the vast landscapes that are often depicted in Frankenstein; the prevailing feeling that dominates Poe’s story is confinement, narrowness to the point of claustrophobia: the Usher estate is shut off from light and the initial description of the house, reflected by the tarn which is in turn mirrored by the windows creates the illusion of an enclosed space, from which escape is almost impossible. The house eventually becomes the tomb of Roderick and Madeline, collapsing onto itself and sinking into the reflecting pool. Supernatural, supported by the dark themes that are prevailing in both literary works, plays an important part in the plot development, both authors dwelling on the blurred boundary between the living and the dead, with an emphasis on the mysteries of life and the mysteries of existence. In Poe’s story, Madeline’s condition causing her to fall into a coma-like state that will lead to her being buried alive is highly unbelievable, especially in combination with the account of her incredible escape from the vault, which is presented in parallel with the plot of The Mad Trist. In addition to this, the destruction of the house in the storm on the night Madeline returns to the living only to be crushed together with her brother, thus ending the Usher bloodline is just as unrealistic, yet with a great artistic effect on the reader. As if in the superhuman energy of his utterance there had been found the potency of a spell — the huge antique panels to which the speaker pointed, threw slowly back, upon the instant, their ponderous and ebony jaws. It was the work of the rushing gust — but then without those doors there DID stand the lofty and enshrouded figure of the lady Madeline of Usher. There was blood upon her every portion of her emaciated frame. For a moment she remained trembling and reeling to and from upon the threshold, then, with a low moaning cry, fell heavily inward upon the person of her brother, and in her violent and now final death-agonies, bore him to the floor a corpse, and a victim to the terrors he had anticipated. † In Frankenstein, the major supernatural event (the creation of new life) is disguised under the appearance of a scientific experiment: Frankenstein manipulates nature in a bizarre and outlandish way, he uses electricity to animate a corpse composed of body parts collected from different cadavers. The result of his work is a creature so grotesque and uncanny, that it makes him run in fear and hide in his chamber: â€Å"How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips. The characters in both Frankenstein and The Fall of the House of Usher are deeply Romantic characters, with a strong propensity towards the Gothic. Roderick Usher is a strange figure, excessively reserved and somewhat mysterious, he lives isolated in a decrepit, dark and scary house. His physical appearance is quite shocking to the outside visitor, he looks dead even though he is still alive: A cadaverousness of complexion; an eye large, liquid, and luminous beyond comparison; lips somewhat thin and very pallid, but of a s urpassingly beautiful curve; a nose of a delicate Hebrew model, but with a breadth of nostril unusual in similar formations; a finely moulded chin, speaking, in its want of prominence, of a want of moral energy; hair of a a more than web-like softness and tenuity; these features, with an inordinate expansion above the regions of the temple, made up altogether a countenance not easily to be forgotten. † He suffers from a mysterious â€Å"nervous affection†, with bizarre symptoms (his senses are incredibly heightened, he can only bear to wear certain types of fabric, he cannot stand light or the smell of flowers, and all music, with the exception of some stringed instruments inspire him with horror). He often oscillates between vivacity and sullenness, between reason and incoherence, between amazement and dread. Roderick’s interests lie within the field of Arts, he is skilled at music and at painting, and the narrator compares him with a real artist, Fuseli, stating that â€Å"If ever mortal painted an idea, that mortal was Roderick Usher†. Roderick’s artistic creations reflect his state of mind, his obsession with death, the one painting of his that is described by the narrator is that of a tomb, â€Å"an immense long and rectangular vault or tunnel†, while one of the songs he plays at his guitar is The Haunted Palace. Roderick shows signs of other intellectual pursuits, he develops the idea of sentience of all vegetables and even inanimate things, like â€Å"the gray stones of the home of his forefathers†, giving as proof of their sentience â€Å"the gradual yet certain condensation of an atmosphere of their own about the waters and the walls†. Unlike Roderick, who is portrayed as an artist, Victor Frankenstein is depicted as a scientist. He is animated with a â€Å"thirst for knowledge†, a passionate desire to learn the secrets of heaven and earth; however, these feelings, noble at first are distorted into a morbid obsession, a dark hope of becoming god-like, of being liberated of earthly law and limitations, obsession that will ultimately lead to his demise. In his quest to discover the â€Å"principle of life†, Victor undergoes the study of its inevitable counterpart, death, and immerses himself in midnight labors, pillaging cemeteries and charnel houses and torturing living creatures. His ambition to create new life affects his entire being in such a way, that he undergoes intense emotional and mental changes, and manages to transcend the limited condition of an ordinary mortal, achieving a status similar to that of Dr. Faustus: â€Å"After days and nights of incredible labour and fatigue, I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life; nay, more, I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter. (†¦)No one can conceive the variety of feelings which bore me onwards, like a hurricane, in the first enthusiasm of success. Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world. A new species would bless me as its creator and source (†¦) I pursued nature to her hiding-places. Who shall conceive the horrors of my secret toil as I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave or tortured the living animal to animate the lifeless clay? † Although not typical, the Creature is also a Romantic figure, a troubled soul forced into self-isolation, that strives to overcome his own limitations and possesses surprising depth and sensitivity. He has a dual nature, both inherently good and capable of evil, and is compared to both Adam (the creature that has been forsaken by his creator) and Satan (the fallen angel turned deviant in the absence of his god, capable of unspeakable acts of cruelty). He is torn between compassion and vengefulness, between the desire to be integrated into human society and the desire to destroy humans for rejecting and shunning him based on his grotesque appearance. He proves his benevolence when he saves a little girl from drowning and when he helps the De Laceys by providing them with firewood, but he is also a â€Å"wretched† creature that lets himself overtaken by the thirst for revenge and kills all the members of Victor’s family, including his best friend, Henry Clerval. The destinies of creator and creation are inextricably connected, they are viewed as doubles of each other: they both suffer from an impenetrable solitude, feeling like a â€Å"miserable wretch† unfit for human society, they both continually oscillate between good and evil, between elation and despair. Their identities are intricately intermingled, at one point the creature calls Victor his slave, reminding him that :†You are my creator, but I am your master†. Moreover, the reader is not able to discern who the real monster is between these two characters: Frankenstein, that out of purely selfish reasons brings the Creature into this world and abandons it, refusing to assume any type of responsibility for his actions, or the abominably-looking creature that succumbs to the dark dimension of his spirit and seeks to achieve revenge for his sufferings, thus destroying many innocent lives in the process. The same motif of the double (Doppelganger) can be found in Poe’s story, where there is a strong connection between Roderick and Madeline Usher, the last descendents of the Usher clan, the twins that mirror each other as Poe places an emphasis on the â€Å"striking similitude between brother and sister†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The siblings share an inexplicable state of illness, they are both affected by a malady for which no remedy has been found: In the manner of my friend I was at once struck with an incoherence — an inconsistency; and I soon found this to arise from a series of feeble and futile struggles to overcome an habitual trepidancy — an excessive nervous agitation. (†¦)It was, he said, a constitutional and a family evil, and one for which he despaired to find a remedy — a mere nervous affection, he immediately added, which would undoubtedly soon pass off. It displayed itself in a host of unnatural sensations.  »  «The disease of the lady Madeli ne had long baffled the skill of her physicians. A settled apathy, a gradual wasting away of the person, and frequent although transient affectations of a partially cataleptical character were the unusual diagnosis.  » â€Å"Roderick and Madeline are not just brother and sister but twins who share â€Å"sympathies of a scarcely intelligible nature† which connect his mental disintegration with her physical decline. † (Martha Womak, Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†). Moreover, according to Edward H. Davidson in his book Poe: A Critical Study, the fissure in the decaying mansion represents â€Å"an irreconcilable fracture in the individual’s personality†. Roderick represents the mind, the intellect, the conscious, while Madeline is the unconscious, the embodiment of the senses (hearing, seeing, touching, tasting and smelling). One of the conceptions that Gothic cultivated was that man was born basically evil, and that humans have to struggle throughout their entire lives in order to prevent their evil nature from overtaking them. In Poe’s story the two brothers visibly struggle against their psychological issues, the mental illnesses brought on by centuries of intermarriage in the family. He uses these characters to explore the human psychology, with a special mphasis on the perverse and self-destructive nature of the conscious and subconscious mind. In Frankenstein, the Creature seems to have been born evil based on his abominable appearance, yet later on his account of his first memories reveal his innocent nature, that is distorted by the hardships and constant rejections he is subjected to. Symbols play a significant role. The House of Usher refers both to the actual mansion and the last of the â€Å"all time-honoured Usher race†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and becomes an actual character, being presented with a humanized description, with â€Å"vacant eye-like windows†. The house seems to be an extension of the siblings’ souls, mirroring their state of mind, and Roderick develops a theory that the stones of the house have â€Å"sentience† and that they embody the fate of the Usher family . The fissure that is barely visible on its facade and the fungi that cover it are symbolic of the decay of the Usher bloodline. The collapsing of the house straight down into the tarn symbolizes the linearity of the Usher’s family tree, bereft of branches, and its inevitable collapse. The two main symbols in Frankenstein are light and fire. Walton expects to unveil the secrets of the universe in the North Pole, described as â€Å"a country of eternal light. † Nearly all of Victor’s epiphanies are under the sign of light. When he becomes interested in natural philosophy, he says that â€Å"A new light seemed to dawn upon my mind†, and when his ceaseless endeavors finally lead him to the discovery of the secret to creating new life, he describes his feelings as if â€Å"a sudden light broke in upon me. He compares the creation of a new species to pouring a â€Å"torrent of light into our dark world†. However, both Victor and Walton fail to understand that light that’s too bright is also blinding and they disregard the dangerous consequences of their quests for enlightenment. The importance of fire as a symbol is prefigured by the novel’s full title: Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus. In Greek mythology, Prometheus was the titan who gave the knowledge of fire to humanity and for his generous action he was severely punished by the Gods. In Frankenstein, Victor attempts to give the gift of the secret of life to humanity, but ends up suffering grave punishment as a result of defying God: his creation kills his entire family and destroys his life. Throughout the novel, fire is depicted as a powerful yet dangerous force that can be used both for sustenance (the discovery of the wonders of fire by the monster) as well as for punishment (the description of demons suffering in the lake of fire in hell). Concerning narrative techniques and point of view, both stories are told using first person point of view, but with significant differences. The narrator of The Fall of the House of usher is a character of whom we know very little, highly unreliable, as we have no proof of his sanity; moreover, he is called â€Å"madman† by Roderick twice at the end of the story. He is submerged into the underworld of the human mind, where irrationality prevails over reason, where fantasy suppresses reality, and he is the only one that manages to escape and tell the story of what had happened. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is also written using the first person narrative, but from multiple perspectives, using a complex narrative structure, that combines the form of an epistolary novel with that of a frame story: the plot is completely encased in Robert Waldon’s letters, who he relates his encounter with Victor Frankenstein, who in turn gives an account of his terrible life story, including the confessions and lamentations of the creature. Each shift of perspective provides the reader with new insight regarding the facts of the story and the distinctive traits of the characters involved. In conclusion, both Frankenstein and The Fall of the House of Usher can be considered landmarks of Romantic and Gothic literature, the authors managing to combine standard and specific elements in a unique and captivating manner that has kept them relevant even almost two hundred years after they were first published.

Free Essays on An Aquaintance With Darkness

The story begins when Emily hears a knocking at her door. She goes and answer it since she and her mother are the only one’s left in the house. Emily mother is very sick so Emily takes care of her. While Emily walked to the door she hoped a border would be at it, but she knew it would probably Johnny surrat. She had guessed correctly. Emily was filled with so much joy to see Johnny. She hadn’t seen him since a week before the end of March. During that week Johnny had taken Emily and her friend honora to Ford’s Theater. Before letting Johnny in to the house she and him had a small argument. Johnny asked Emily what she was going to do. She replied by saying she was going to take care of her mama until she died. After that she would go to Richmond to live her aunt. Johnny told Emily not to go to Richmond. He told her this because Richmond had been destroyed. Johnny also told Emily he was leaving Washington and might not come back. He told her the war was ending. Emily really didn’t care about the war, because her father died fighting in it. Before he left Johnny asked Emily if she would go live with his mother, he alsogave her twenty gold pieces and a number to call for one of his friends to bring her mother some medicine. Weeks went by until finally Emily mother died. Before she died Emily’s mother made her promise not to let her uncle valentine touch her body. She also made her promise not to let her uncle persuade her to live with him. Emily’s mother disliked her brother in law a lot. After her mother died the Paul bearers and the undertaker came. They took her measurements to make sure her steel coffin was the right size. In the middle of the story came the eulogy for Emily mother. It was good. People brought lots of gossip. The next day Emily had awaken to a house that had no food. She had remembered Maude uncle valentine’s maid taking all the food. The only edible items left in the house were some hard ... Free Essays on An Aquaintance With Darkness Free Essays on An Aquaintance With Darkness The story begins when Emily hears a knocking at her door. She goes and answer it since she and her mother are the only one’s left in the house. Emily mother is very sick so Emily takes care of her. While Emily walked to the door she hoped a border would be at it, but she knew it would probably Johnny surrat. She had guessed correctly. Emily was filled with so much joy to see Johnny. She hadn’t seen him since a week before the end of March. During that week Johnny had taken Emily and her friend honora to Ford’s Theater. Before letting Johnny in to the house she and him had a small argument. Johnny asked Emily what she was going to do. She replied by saying she was going to take care of her mama until she died. After that she would go to Richmond to live her aunt. Johnny told Emily not to go to Richmond. He told her this because Richmond had been destroyed. Johnny also told Emily he was leaving Washington and might not come back. He told her the war was ending. Emily really didn’t care about the war, because her father died fighting in it. Before he left Johnny asked Emily if she would go live with his mother, he alsogave her twenty gold pieces and a number to call for one of his friends to bring her mother some medicine. Weeks went by until finally Emily mother died. Before she died Emily’s mother made her promise not to let her uncle valentine touch her body. She also made her promise not to let her uncle persuade her to live with him. Emily’s mother disliked her brother in law a lot. After her mother died the Paul bearers and the undertaker came. They took her measurements to make sure her steel coffin was the right size. In the middle of the story came the eulogy for Emily mother. It was good. People brought lots of gossip. The next day Emily had awaken to a house that had no food. She had remembered Maude uncle valentine’s maid taking all the food. The only edible items left in the house were some hard ...

Colonel General Heinz Guderian in World War II

Colonel General Heinz Guderian in World War II Colonel General Heinz Guderian was German military officer who helped pioneer blitzkrieg warfare using armor and motorized infantry. A veteran of World War I, he elected to remain in the service during the interwar years and published his ideas on mobile warfare as the book Achtung - Panzer!. With the beginning of World War II, Guderian commanded armored formations in the invasions of Poland, France, and the Soviet Union. Briefly falling out of favor, he later served as Inspector-General of the Armored Troops and Acting Chief of the General Staff. Guderian ultimately surrendered to American forces on May 10, 1945. Early Life Career The son of a German soldier, Heinz Guderian was born at Kulm, Germany (now Chelmno, Poland) on June 17, 1888. Entering military school in 1901, he continued for six years until joining his fathers unit, Jger Bataillon No. 10, as a cadet. After brief service with this unit, he was dispatched to a military academy at Metz. Graduating in 1908, he was commissioned as a lieutenant and returned to the jgers. In 1911, he met Margarete Goerne and quickly fell in love. Believing his son too young to marry, his father forbade the union and sent him for instruction with the 3rd Telegraph Battalion of the Signal Corps. World War I Returning in 1913, he was permitted to marry Margarete. In the year before World War I, Guderian underwent staff training in Berlin. With the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he found himself working in signals and staff assignments. Though not at the front lines, these postings allowed him to develop his skills in strategic planning and the direction of large-scale battles. Despite his rear area assignments, Guderian sometimes found himself in action and earned the Iron Cross first and second class during the conflict. Though he often clashed with his superiors, Guderian was seen as an officer with great promise. With the war winding down in 1918, he was angered by the German decision to surrender as he believed that the nation should have fought until the end. A captain at the end of the war, Guderian elected to remain in the postwar German Army (Reichswehr) and was given command of a company in the 10th Jger Battalion. Following this assignment, he was shifted to the Truppenamt which served as the armys de facto general staff. Promoted to major in 1927, Guderian was posted to the Truppenamt section for transport. Colonel General Heinz Guderian Rank: Colonel GeneralService: German ArmyNickname(s): Hammering HeinzBorn: June 17 1888 in Kulm, German EmpireDied: May 14, 1954 in Schwangau, West GermanyParents: Friedrich and Clara GuderianSpouse: Margarete GoerneChildren: Heinz (1914-2004), Kurt (1918-1984)Conflicts: World War I, World War IIKnown For: Invasion of Poland, Battle of France, Operation Barbarossa Developing Mobile Warfare In this role, Guderian was able to play a key role in developing and teaching motorized and armored tactics. Extensively studying the works of mobile warfare theorists, such as J.F.C. Fuller, he began to conceive of what would ultimately become the blitzkrieg approach to warfare. Believing that armor should play the key role in any attack, he argued that formations should be mixed and contain motorized infantry to aid and support the tanks. By including support units with the armor, breakthroughs could be quickly exploited and rapid advances sustained. Espousing these theories, Guderian was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1931 and made chief of staff to the Inspectorate of Motorized Troops. A promotion to colonel quickly followed two years later. With German rearmament in 1935, Guderian was given command of the 2nd Panzer Division and received a promotion to major general in 1936. Over the next year, Guderian recorded his ideas on mobile warfare, and those of his compatriots, into the book Achtung - Panzer!. Making a persuasive case for his approach to war, Guderian also introduced a combined arms element as he incorporated air power into his theories. Promoted to lieutenant general on February 4, 1938, Guderian received command of the XVI Army Corps. With the conclusion of the Munich Agreement later that year, his troops led the German occupation of the Sudetenland. Advanced to general in 1939, Guderian was made Chief of Fast Troops with responsibility for recruiting, organizing and training the armys motorized and armored troops. In this position, he was able to shape panzer units to effectively implement his ideas of mobile warfare. As the year passed, Guderian was given command of the XIX Army Corps in preparation for the invasion of Poland. World War II German forces opened World War II on September 1, 1939, when they invaded Poland. Putting his ideas into use, Guderians corps slashed through Poland and he personally oversaw German forces at the Battles of Wizna and Kobryn. With the conclusion of the campaign, Guderian received a large country estate in what became Reichsgau Wartheland. Shifted west, XIX Corps played a key role in the Battle of France in May and June 1940. Driving through the Ardennes, Guderian led a lightning campaign that split the Allied forces. Heinz Guderian during the Battle of France. Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-769-0229-12A / Borchert, Erich (Eric) / CC-BY-SA 3.0 Breaking through the Allied lines, his rapid advances constantly kept the Allies off balance as his troops disrupted rear areas and overran headquarters. Though his superiors wished to slow his advance, threats of resignation and requests for reconnaissances in force kept his offensive moving. Driving west, his corps led the race to the sea and reached the English Channel on May 20. Turning south, Guderian aided in the final defeat of France. Promoted to colonel general (generaloberst), Guderian took his command, now dubbed Panzergruppe 2, east in 1941 to participate in Operation Barbarossa. In Russia Attacking the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, German forces made quick gains. Driving east, Guderians troops overwhelmed the Red Army and aided in the capture of Smolensk in early August. Through his troops were preparing for a rapid advance on Moscow, Guderian was angered when Adolf Hitler ordered his troops to turn south toward Kiev. Protesting this order, he quickly lost Hitlers confidence. Ultimately obeying, he aided in the capture of the Ukrainian capital. Returning to his advance on Moscow, Guderian and German forces were halted in front of the city in December. Hienz Guderian during Operation Barbarossa, 1941. Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-139-1112-17 / Knobloch, Ludwig / CC-BY-SA 3.0 Later Assignments On December 25, Guderian and several senior German commanders on the Eastern Front were relieved for conducting a strategic retreat against the wishes of Hitler. His relief was facilitated by Army Group Center commander Field Marshal Gunther von Kluge with whom Guderian had frequently clashed. Departing Russia, Guderian was placed on the reserve list and retired to his estate with his career effectively over. In September 1942, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel requested that Guderian serve as his relief in Africa while he returned to Germany for medical treatment. This request was refused by the German high command with the statement, Guderian is not accepted. With the German defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad, Guderian was given new life when Hitler recalled him to serve as Inspector-General of the Armored Troops. In this role, he advocated for the production of more Panzer IVs which were more reliable than the newer Panther and Tiger tanks. Reporting directly to Hitler, he was tasked with overseeing armor strategy, production, and training. On July 21, 1944, a day after the failed attempt on Hitlers life, he was elevated to Army Chief of Staff. After several months of arguments with Hitler over how to defend Germany and fight a two-front war, Guderian was relieved for medical reasons on March 28, 1945. Later Life As the war wound down, Guderian and his staff moved west and surrendered to American forces on May 10. Kept as a prisoner of war until 1948, he was not charged with war crimes at the Nuremburg Trials despite requests from the Soviet and Polish governments. In the years after the war, he aided in the reconstruction of the German Army (Bundeswehr). Heinz Guderian died at Schwangau on May 14, 1954. He was buried at Friedhof Hildesheimer Strasse in Goslar, Germany.

Logistic and Global Supply Chain Management M&S Case Study Assignment

Logistic and Global Supply Chain Management M&S Case Study - Assignment Example The report outlines and explains the different measures and steps taken by the management of Marks and Spencer (M&S) to change the clothing business and supply chain strategy in order to remain competitive in the industry. Changes made by Marks and Spencer (M&S) in its Clothing Business to enhance its Competitiveness: Marks and Spencer (M&S) is a big name in the UK clothing retail industry. The company has been providing the customers with high quality products at competitive prices. Marks and Spencer (M&S) made record profits until year 1998 and expanded into different international markets (Davies, 1999). However, in 1998 the company faced increasing issues and challenges which resulted in negatively affecting the performance of the organisation and hence the organisation started showing negative results (Christopher and Peck, 2001). The main reason behind these negative outcomes was the long supply chain which decreased the responsiveness of the company (Harrison and Pavitt, 2001; Mellahi, Jackson, & Sparks, 2002). However, the management of Marks and Spencer (M&S) analysed and explored the situation and came up with several changes not only in operational practices but also in its overall clothing business in order to increase the competitiveness in the market. On one hand the company focused on reshaping and redesigning its supply chain order to make sure that the customers are provided with clothes on time according to the changing needs and trends in the market. On the other hand the management of Marks and Spencer (M&S) worked on improving and updating the clothing segment according to the changing requirements and preferences of the customers (Burt, Mellahi, Jackson, & Sparks, 2002). The management of the company came up with different clothing brand lines in order to cater to the needs and requirements of different sets of target customers. As a result the company introduced different brands for its clothing business namely: per una, The Autograph, Th e Perfect Collection, The Classic Collection, Indigo Collection, Blue Harbour, and several other (Harrison and Pavitt, 2001). The management of Marks and Spencer (M&S) came up with different brand identities and positioning statements for its different clothing brands and collections keeping in view the different requirements and needs of the targeted customer segments. This in turn allowed the company to increase the overall sales and enhance the growth and performance. Marks and Spencer (M&S) has learned from its initial mistakes and now is monitoring the marketing trends closely in order to respond to the changes on timely basis with effective and efficient strategies. Due to the increasing competition in the clothing retail industry, the company is facing increasing competition in street retailing from the other clothing retailers in the market like Zara and Primak and for this reason the management of Marks and Spencer (M&S) is spending heavy amount to survive and win in the wa r of street retailing (Ruddick, 2012). On the other hand the management of Marks and Spencer (M&S) is looking for other channels to reach the customers including e-commerce and m-commerce. For instance, the company has also provided the customers with the facility of the online

Compare and Contrast the United States Healthcare System with the Term Paper

Compare and Contrast the United States Healthcare System with the Healthcare System of Japan - Term Paper Example It is a combined effort of governments, creeds, charities, or other organizations to provide healthcare services to the common masses. According to World Health Organization (WHO), the concerned goal of healthcare system is to ensure effective care process with minimum financial costs. Healthcare system depends on four important factors that are source generation, provision of healthcare services, financing and stewardship (World Health Organization, 2012).Concerning the healthcare services being provided, it has been viewed that there can be several shortcomings a nation can face in terms of increased expenses, mortality rate and improper funding among others. In present day context, it has been revealed that healthcare system of the United States is deteriorating in the global platform due to the prevalence of certain major gaps within the entire system. Focusing on these aspects, the paper intends to present a comparison and contrast between the United States healthcare system and the Japanese healthcare system. This study focuses on determining the various setbacks faced by the healthcare system of both the countries and thereby would assist in deriving better knowledge regarding the loopholes of the entire healthcare system that need to be addressed. ... Consequently, government and concerned authorities require developing sustainable budget based healthcare plans that can address the evolving needs. Considering health statistics, it can be comprehended that it is applied to derive actual information about the cost, time-consumption and the difficulty level associated with the existing healthcare plan. In the United States, healthcare facilities are broadly operated and owned by the private organizations. Government provides health insurance for its employees but to a certain limit. It has been perceived that 60-65% of healthcare expenses of the US come from the Tricare, Medicare, Medicaid and child care programs (World Health Organization, 2012). Life Expectancy is a term that indicates the number of years an individual is expected to live according to the statistical estimates. The statistical factors of life expectancy entails certain calculations associated with a few imperative factors such as sex, occupation and physical condit ion. The United States’ life expectancy measures reveal the country to be ranked in the 42nd position worldwide. With regard to the report of WHO, it has been evaluated that the life expectancy rate associated with birth in the USA is 78 years (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). As per the recent study of the WHO, it can be ascertained that the depicted result related to life expectancy shows loopholes within the healthcare system of the US. In this regard, the reasons behind such setbacks include income and geographical factors. On the other hand, according to a recent survey conducted, it has been revealed that Japan has the longest life expectancy at birth worldwide. With regard to the detailed analysis