Contract law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Contract law - Essay Example The advertisement which Kelly has placed in the local newspaper is an offer that has been made to the world at large, such as for example in the case of Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co.3 A mere offer will only constitute a unilateral contract, which will also be deemed valid only if some party proffers an unconditional acceptance of the terms of the offer.4 John has seen the advertisement in the paper and has posted his acceptance to Kelly. However as McKendrick states, for a contract to be valid, â€Å"there must be a definite offer mirrored by a definite acceptance.†5 An acceptance will be said to occur when the offeree’s words or conduct can give rise to an objective reference that he/she has assented to the terms offered.6 On this basis, Kelly’s advertisement in the paper constitutes a definite offer and John’s reply constitutes an acceptance of the terms of the offer. In the case of Gibson v Manchester City Council, it was held that the acceptance of the offer must also be communicated before it can be valid on a contractual basis.7 According to Lord Denning no contract will come into existence unless and until the acceptance has been communicated to the offerer8. Therefore, if a contract is to exist between Kelly and John, then Kelly should have received John’s acceptance of her original offer, without any changes in its terms. John has indeed accepted the offer as per its original terms and since John’s acceptance of the offer has been sent by post then it will be held to be a valid acceptance as soon as he posted his letter.9 In fact, the courts have held that where a postal; acceptance is concerned, it will hold good even in those instances where the letter is delayed or lost in the post so that it never reaches the offerer.10 However, an offer cannot be accepted by the offeree unless and until the offer is communicated to him/her and silence cannot be

Finance in International Markets Essay Example for Free

Finance in International Markets Essay Describe the tradeoffs that are involved for each method (such as exporting, direct foreign investment, etc. ) that Snyder could use to achieve its goal. ANSWER: Snyder can export the clubs, but the transportation expenses may be high. If could establish a subsidiary in Brazil to produce and sell the clubs, but this may require a large investment of funds. It could use licensing, in which it specifies to a Brazilian firm how to produce the clubs. In this way, it does not have to establish its own subsidiary there. b. Which method would you recommend for this firm? Justify your recommendation. ANSWER: If the amount of golf clubs to be sold in Brazil is small, it may decide to export. However, if the expected sales level is high, it may benefit from licensing. If it is confident that the expected sales level will remain high, it may be willing to establish a subsidiary. The wages are lower in Brazil, and the large investment needed to establish a subsidiary may be worthwhile. 15. Impact of Political Risk. Explain why political risk may discourage international business. Some foreign projects would have been feasible if there was no political risk, but will not be feasible because of political risk. 17. International Joint Venture. Anheuser-Busch, the producer of Budweiser and other beers, has recently expanded into Japan by engaging in a joint venture with Kirin Brewery, the largest brewery in Japan. The joint venture enables Anheuser-Busch to have its beer distributed through Kirin’s distribution channels in Japan. In addition, it can utilize Kirin’s facilities to produce beer that will be sold locally. In return, Anheuser-Busch provides information about the American beer market to Kirin. . Explain how the joint venture can enable Anheuser-Busch to achieve its objective of maximizing shareholder wealth. ANSWER: The joint venture creates a way for Anheuser-Busch to distribute Budweiser throughout Japan. It enables Anheuser-Busch to penetrate the Japanese market without requiring a substantial investment in Japan. b. Explain how the jo int venture can limit the risk of the international business. ANSWER: The joint venture has limited risk because Anheuser-Busch does not need to establish its own distribution network in Japan. Thus, Anheuser-Busch may be able to use a smaller investment for the international business, and there is a higher probability that the international business will be successful. c. Many international joint ventures are intended to circumvent barriers that normally prevent foreign competition. What barrier in Japan is Anheuser-Busch circumventing as a result of the joint venture? What barrier in the United States is Kirin circumventing as a result of the joint venture? ANSWER: Anheuser-Busch is able to benefit from Kirin’s distribution system in Japan, which would not normally be so accessible. Kirin is able to learn more about how Anheuser-Busch expanded its product across numerous countries, and therefore breaks through an â€Å"information† barrier. d. Explain how Anheuser-Busch could lose some of its market share in countries outside Japan as a result of this particular joint venture. ANSWER: Anheuser-Busch could lose some of its market share to Kirin as a result of explaining its worldwide expansion strategies to Kirin. However, it appears that Anheuser-Busch expects the potential benefits of the joint venture to outweigh any potential adverse effects.

The Ultimate Pet: A Pet Rock Essay -- essays research papers

The Ultimate Pet: A Pet Rock A pet rock can be as comforting to me as any canine or feline. Some would believe that a man's best friend is a dog. However, living in a confined two bedroom apartment, I do not have the luxury or permission for a forty pound dog to be plopping around. This is why I have found comfort in my pet rock. A pet rock can replace many of the duties, such as a companionship, I can get from a pet dog or cat. When I go shopping for a pet, I look for the appropriate size and color to meet my needs. Some people like big animals, some small. Some animals come in black, brown, white, yellow; yet some are spotted. The same goes for my rock. When I went "shopping" for my rock, I didn't want o...

Electronic Literature as an Information System Essay

ABSTRACT Electronic literature is a term that encompasses artistic texts produced for printed media which are consumed in electronic format, as well as text produced for electronic media that could not be printed without losing essential qualities. Some have argued that the essence of electronic literature is the use of multimedia, fragmentation, and/or non-linearity. Others focus on the role of computation and complex processing. â€Å"Cybertext† does not sufficiently describe these systems. In this paper we propose that works of electronic literature, understood as text (with possible inclusion of multimedia elements) designed to be consumed in bi- or multi-directional electronic media, are best understood as 3-tier (or n-tier) information systems. These tiers include data (the textual content), process (computational interactions) and presentation (on-screen rendering of the narrative). The interaction between these layers produces what is known as the work of electronic literature. This paradigm for electronic literature moves beyond the initial approaches which either treated electronic literature as computerized versions of print literature or focused solely on one aspect of the system. In this paper, we build two basic arguments. On the one hand, we propose that the conception of electronic literature as an  information system gets at the essence of electronic media, and we predict that this paradigm will become dominant in this field within the next few years. On the other hand, we propose that building information systems may also lead in a shift of emphasis from one-time artistic novelties to reusable systems. Demonstrating this approach, we read works from the _Electronic Literature Collection Volume 1_ (Jason Nelson and Emily Short) as well as newer works by Mez and the team gathered by Kate Pullinger and Chris Joseph. Glancing toward the future, we discuss the n-tier analysis of the Global Poetic System and the La Flood Project. INTRODUCTION The fundamental attributes of digital narrative have been, so far, mostly faithful to the origin of electronic text: a set of linked episodes that contain hypermedia elements. Whether or not some features could be reproduced in printed media has been subject of debate by opponents and proponents of digital narratives. However, as the electronic media evolves, some features truly unique to digital narrative have appeared. For instance, significant effort has been invested in creating hypertexts responsive to the reader’s actions by making links dynamic; additionally, there have been efforts to create systems capable of producing fiction, with varying degrees of success. Both approaches have in common that they grant greater autonomy to the computer, thus making of it an active part of the literary exchange. The increasing complexity of these systems has directed critical attention to the novelty of the processes that produce the texts. As critics produce a flood of neologisms to classify these works, the field is suffering from a lack of a shared language for these works, as opposed to drawing from the available computer science and well-articulated terminology of information systems. The set {Reader, Computer, Author} forms a system in which there is flow and manipulation of information, i.e. an _information system_. The interaction between the elements of an information system can be isolated in functional tiers. For instance: one or many data tiers, processing tiers, and presentation tiers. In general we will talk about n-tier information  systems. We will expand this definition in the next section. In this system, a portion of information produced (output) is taken, totally or partially, as input, i.e. there is a feedback loop and therefore the process can be characterized as a cybernetic process. Of course, the field has already embraced the notion of the cybertext. The term cybertext was brought to the literary world’s attention by Espen Aarseth (1997). His concept focuses on the organization of the text in order to analyze the influence of media as an integral part of literary dynamics. According to Aarseth, cybertext is not a genre in itself. In order to classify traditions, literary genres and aesthetic value, Aarseth argues, we should inspect texts at a much more local level. The concept of cybertext offers a way to expand the reach of literary studies to include phenomena that are perceived today as foreign or marginal. In Aarseth’s work, cybertext denotes the general set of text machines which, operated by readers, yield different texts for reading. Aarseth (1997, p. 19), refuses to narrow this definition of cybertext to â€Å"such vague and unfocused terms such as digital text or electronic literature.† For the course of this paper, we will use the phrase â€Å"electronic literature,† as we are interested in those works that are markedly literary in that they resonate (at least on one level) through evocative linguistic content and engage with an existing literary corpus. While we find â€Å"cybertext† to be a useful concept, the taxonomies and schematics that attend this approach interfere with interdisciplinary discussions of electronic literature. Instead of using Aarseth’s neologisms such as textons, scriptons and traversal functions, we will use widely-accepted terminology in the field of computer science. This shift is important because the concepts introduced by Aarseth, which are relevant to the current discussion, can be perfectly mapped to concepts developed years earlier in computer science. While the neologisms introduced by Aarseth remain arcane, the terms used in computer science are pervasive. Although the term cybertext adds a sense of increasingly complex interactivity, its focus is primarily on the interaction between a user and  a single art object. Such a framework, however, insufficiently describes the constitution of such an object. Within his treatise, Aarseth is compelled to create tables of attributes and taxonomies to map and classify each of these objects. What is needed is a framework for discussing how these systems operate and how that operation contributes to an overall literary experience. We want to make a clear distinction between this notion of cybertext as a reading process and more thorough description of a work’s infrastructure. Clearly, there are many ways in which the interaction between a reader and a piece of electronic literature can happen; for instance, a piece of electronic literature could be written in HTML or in Flash, yet presenting the same interaction with the reader. In this paper, we adapt the notion of n-tier information systems to provide a scaffolding for reading and interpreting works of electronic literature. The fact that the field of electronic literature is largely comprised of cybertexts (in the sense described above) that require some sort of processing by the computer, has made of this processing a defining characteristic. Critics and public approach new works of electronic literature with the expectation of finding creativity and innovation not only at the narrative level but also at the processing level; in many cases the newness of the latter has dominated other considerations. NEW, NEWER, NEWEST MEDIA Until now, electronic literature, or elit, has been focused on the new, leading to a constant drive to reinvent the wheel, the word, the image, the delivery system, and consequently reading itself. However, such an emphasis raises a number of questions. To what extent does the â€Å"novel† requirement of electronic literature (as the field is currently defined) de-emphasize a textual investment in exploring the (post)human condition (â€Å"the literary†)? How does this emphasis on the â€Å"new† constrain the development of New Media both for authors and for prospective authors? Or how does such an emphasis put elit authors into an artistic arms race taking on the aethetics of the militiary-industrial complex that produces their tools? Literary essays that treat electronic literature focus on Flash movies, blogs, HTML pages, dynamically generated pages, conversation agents, computer games, and other software applications. A recent edition of Leonardo Almanac (AA.VV. 2006) offers several examples. Its critics/poets analyze the â€Å"information landscapes† of David Small, the text art experiments of Suguru Ishizaki (2003), Brian Kim Stefans’ 11-minute Flash performance, and Philippe Bootz’s matrix poetry program. Though not all the objects are new, what they share most of all is the novelty of their surface or process or text. These works bear little resemblance to one another, a definitive characteristic of electronic literature (dissimilarity); however, their inclusion under one rubric reflects the field’s fetishization of the new. This addiction, mimicking that of the hard sciences it so admires, must constantly replace old forms and old systems with the latest system. Arguably, therefore, any piece of electronic literature may only be as interesting as its form or its novel use of the form. Moreover, such an emphasis shifts the critical attention from the content (what we will call data) to its rendering (or presentation plus processes) primarily. Marie-Laure Ryan (2005) raised charges against such an aesthetic in her _dichtung-digital_ article. In this piece, she rails against a certain style of new media, net.art, elit art object that follows WYSINWYG (What you see is _NOT_ what you get), where the surface presents a text that is considered interesting only because of a more interesting process beneath the surface. This approach, according to Ryan, focuses on â€Å"the meta-property of algorithmic operation.† For this aesthetic, â€Å"the art resides in the productive formula, and in the sophistication of the programming, rather than in the output itself† (Ryan). This means that literary, or artistic value, does not reside in what appears on the screen, but in the virtuoso programming performance that underlies the text. While Ryan goes too far in her dismissal of experimentation, her critique holds, in as much as electronic literary criticism that puts process uber alis risks not only minimizing the textual to insignificance but also losing what should be one of elit’s biggest goals: developing new forms for other authors to use and  explore. Such an emphasis reveals a bias that has thus far dominated new media scholarship. This same bias leads new media scholars away from literary venues for their discourse communities and instead to Boing Boing and Siggraph, sites where curiosity or commercial technological development dominate the discussions. It is also what spells instant obsolescence to many authorware forms. The person who uses authorware as it was intended is not the new media artist. It is the person who uses it in a new way or who reconfigures the software to do something unintended. This trend means that electronic literary artists will constantly be compelled to drive their works towards the new, even while it means a perpetual pruning of all prior authorware, cutting them off from the†literary† tree. (We see this same logic in commerical software production where the 4.0 release reconfigures the interface and removes some of the functionality we had grown to love.) A disproportionate emphasis on the new overlooks the tremendous areas of growth in authorship on the stabilizing, if rudimentary, authoring systems. The tide of productivity (in terms of textual output of all levels of quality) is not from an endless stream of innovations but from people who are writing text in established author information formats, from traditional print to blogs. It is through the use of stabilized and reusable information systems that the greater public is being attracted to consume and produce content through digital media. Blogging is the clearest example. This is not equivalent to saying that all blogging is literary, just as not all writing is; however, blogging has created a social practice of reading and writing in digital media, thus increasing the frequency at which literary pieces appear through that venue. This increased community activity would have been impossible if each blogger had to develop their own authoring systems. To help redistribute the scholarly priorities, we propose a reconsideration of electronic literature as an n-tier information system. The consequence of this shift will be twofold: First of all, it will allow us to treat content and processing independently, thus creating a clear distinction between works of literary merit and works of technological craftsmanship. While this  distinction is at best problematic, considering the information system as a whole will move the analysis away from over-priveleging processes. Secondly, we claim that this approach provides a unified framework with which all pieces of electronic literature can be studied. This paper is organized as follows: in Section 1 (Introduction) we describe what is the problem we intend to explore, and what are the type of systems that will be described in this paper. Section 2 (Information Systems) explores the components of an information system and compares the approaches of different researchers in the field. Section 3 (Examples) demonstrates that the n-tier information system approach can be used to describe a multifarious array of pieces of electronic literature. Section 4 (Discussion) explores the conclusions drawn from this study and set future directions. INFORMATION SYSTEMS Since electronic literature is mediated by a computer, it is clear that there must exist methods to enter information into the system, to process it, and to render an output for readers; that is to say, a piece of electronic literature can be considered as an _information system_. The term â€Å"information system† has different meanings. For instance, in mathematics an â€Å"information system† is a basic knowledge-representation matrix comprised of attributes (columns) and objects (rows). In sociology, â€Å"information systems† are systems whose behavior is determined by goals of individual as well as technology. In our context, â€Å"information system† will refer to a set of persons and machines organized to collect, store, transform, and represent data, a definition which coincides with the one widely accepted in computer science. The domain-specific twist comes when we specify that the data contains, but is not limited to, literary information. Information systems, due to their complexity, are usually built in layers. The earliest antecedent to a multi-layer approach to software architectures goes back to Trygve Reenskaug who proposed in 1979, while visiting the Smalltalk group at Xerox PARC, a pattern known as Model-View-Controller  (MVC) that intended to isolate the process layer from the presentation layer. This paradigm evolved during the next decade to give rise to multi-tier architectures, in which presentation, data and processes were isolated. In principle, it is possible to have multiple data tiers, multiple process tiers, and multiple presentation tiers. One of the most prominent paradigms to approach information systems in the field of computer science, and the one we deem more appropriate for electronic literature, is the 3-tier architecture (Eckerson, 1995). This paradigm indicates that processes of different categories should be encapsulated in three different layers: 1. Presentation Layer: The physical rendering of the narrative piece, for example, a sequence of physical pages or the on-screen presentation of the text. 2. Process Layer: The rules necessary to read a text. A reader of Latin alphabet in printed narrative, for example, must cross the text from left to right, from top to bottom and pass the page after the last word of the last line. In digital narrative, this layer could contain the rules programmed in a computer to build a text output. 3. Data Layer: Here lays the text itself. It is the set of words, images, video, etc., which form the narrative space. In the proposed 3-tier model, feedback is not only possible, but also a _sine qua non_ condition for the literary exchange. It is the continuation of McLluhan’s mantra: â€Å"the media is the message†. In digital narrative, the media acts on the message. The cycle of feedback in digital narrative is: (i) Readers receive a piece of information, and based on it they execute a new interaction with the system. (ii) The computer then takes that input and applies logic rules that have been programmed into it by the author. (iii) The computer takes content from the data layer and renders it to the reader in the presentation layer. (iv) step -i – is repeated again. Steps i through v describe a complete cycle of feedback, thus the maximum realization of a cybertext. N-tier information systems have had, surprisingly, a relatively short penetration in the field of electronic literature. Aarseth (1997, p.62) introduced a typology for his textonomy that maps perfectly a 3-tier system: Scriptons (â€Å"strings as they appear to readers†) correspond to the presentation layer, textons (â€Å"strings as they exist in the text†) correspond to the data layer, and traversal function (â€Å"the mechanism by which scriptons are revealed or generated from textons and presented to the user†) corresponds to the process layer. These neologisms, while necessary if we study all forms of textuality, are unnecessary if we focus on electronic literature. The methods developed in computer science permeate constantly, and at an accelerating rate, the field of electronic literature, specially as artists create pieces of increasing complexity. Practitioners in the field of electronic literature will be better equipped to benefit from the advances in information technology if the knowledge acquired in both fields can be bridged; without a common terminology attempts to generate dialog are thwarted. The first reference that used computer science terminology applied to electronic literature appeared in an article by Gutierrez (2002), in which the three layers (data, logic and presentation) were clearly defined and proposed as a paradigm for electronic literature. Gutierrez (2004, 2006) explored in detail the logic (middle) layer, proposing algorithms to manage the processes needed to deliver literary content through electronic media. His proposal follows the paradigm proposed by Eckerson (1995) and Jacobson et al (1999): the system is divided into (a) topological stationary components, (b) users, (c) and transient components (processes). The processes in the system are analyzed and represented using sequence diagrams to depict how the actions of the users cause movement and transformation of information across different topological components. The next reference belongs to Wardrip-Fruin (2006); he proposes not three, but seven components: (i) author, (ii) data, (iii) process, (iv) surface, (v) interaction, (vi) outside processes, and (vii) audiences. This vision corresponds to an extensive research in diverse fields, and the interpretation is given from a literary perspective. Even though  Wardrip-Fruin does not use the terminology already established in computer science, nor he makes a clear distinction between topology, actors and processes, his proposal is essentially equivalent, and independent, from Gutierrez’s model. In Wardrip-Fruin’s model, author -i- and audience -vii- correspond to actors in the Unified Process (UP); process -iii- and interaction -v- correspond to the process layer in the 3-tier architecture (how the actors move information across layers and how it is modified); data -ii- maps directly the data layer in the 3-tier model; finally, surface -iv- corresponds to the presentation layer. The emergence of these information systems approaches marks the awareness that these new literary forms arise from the world of software and hence benefit from traditional computer science approaches to software. In the Language of New Media, Lev Manovich called for such analysis under the rubric of Software Studies. Applying the schematics of computer science to electronic literature allows critics to consider the complexities of that literature without falling prey to the tendency to colonize electronic literature with literary theory, as Espen Aarseth warned in Cybertext. Such a framework provides a terminology rather than the imposition of yet another taxonomy or set of metaphors that will always prove to be both helpful and glaringly insufficient. That is not to say that n-tier approaches fit works without conflict. In fact, some of the most fruitful readings come from the pieces that complicate the n-tier distinctions. EXAMPLES DREAMAPHAGE 1 & 2: REVISING OUR SYSTEMS Jason Nelson’s Dreamaphage (2003, 2004) demonstrates the ways in which the n-tier model can open up the complexities and ironies of works of electronic literature. Nelson is an auteur of interfaces, and in the first version of this piece he transforms the two-dimensional screen into a three-dimensional navigable space full of various planes. The interactor travels through these planes, encountering texts on them, documentation of the disease. It is as if we are traveling through the data structure of the story itself, as if  the data has been brought to the surface. Though in strict terms, the data is where it always was supposed to be. Each plane is an object, rendered in Flash on the fly by the processing of the navigation input and the production of vector graphics to fill the screen. However, Nelsons’ work distances us, alienates us from the visual metaphors that we have taken for the physical structures of data in the computer. Designers of operating systems work hard to naturalize our relationship to our information. Opening windows, shuffling folders, becomes not a visual manifestation but the transparent glimpse of the structures themselves. Neal Stephenson has written very persuasively on the effect of replacing the command line interface with these illusions. The story (or data) behind the piece is the tale of a virus epidemic, whose primary symptom is the constant repetition of a dream. Nelson writes of the virus’ â€Å"drifting eyes.† Ultimately the disease proves fatal, as patients go insane then comatose. Here the piece is evocative of the repetitive lexias of classical electronic literature, information systems that lead the reader into the same texts as a natural component of traversing the narrative. Of course, the disease also describes the interface of the planes that the user travels through, one after the other, semi-transparent planes, dreamlike visions. This version of Dreamaphage was not the only one Nelson published. In 2004, Nelson published a second interface. Nelson writes of the piece, â€Å"Unfortunately the first version of Dreamaphage suffered from usability problems. The main interface was unwieldy (but pretty) and the books hard to find (plus the occasional computer crash)† (â€Å"Dreamaphage, _ELC I_) He reconceived of the piece in two dimensions to create a more stable interface. The second version is two-dimensional and Nelson has also â€Å"added a few more extra bits and readjusted the medical reports.† In the terms of n-tier, his changes primarily affected the interface and the data layers. Here is the artist of the interface facing the uncanny return of their own artistic creation in a world where information systems do not lie in the stable binding in a book but in a contingent state that is always dependent  on the environments (operating systems) and frames (browser) in which they circulate. As the user tries to find a grounding in the spaces and lost moments of the disease, Nelson himself attempts to build stability into that which is always shifting. However, do to a particular difference in the way that Firefox 2.0 renders Flash at the processing layer, interactors will discover that the†opening† page of the second version is squeezed into a fraction of their window, rather than expanding to fill the entire window. At this point, we are reminded of the work’s epigram, â€Å"All other methods are errors. The words of these books, their dreams, contain the cure. But where is the pattern? In sleeping the same dream came again. How long before I become another lost?† (â€Å"opening†). As we compare these two versions of the same information system, we see the same dream coming again. The first version haunts the second as we ask when will it, too, become one of the lost. Though Nelson himself seems to have an insatiable appetite for novel interfaces, his own artistic practices resonate well with the ethos of this article. At speaking engagements, he has made it a practice to bring his interfaces, his .fla (Flash source) files, for the attendees to take and use as they please. Nelson presents his information systems with a humble declaration that the audience may no doubt be able to find even more powerful uses for these interfaces. GALATEA: NOVELTY RETURNS Emily Short’s ground-breaking work of interactive fiction offers another work that, like its namesake in the piece, opens up to this discussion when approached carefully. Galatea’s presentation layer appears to be straight forward IF fare. The interactor is a critic, encountering Galatea, which appears to be a statue of a woman but then begins to move and talk. In this novel work of interactive fiction, the interactor will not find the traditional spacial navigation verbs (go, open, throw) to be productive, as the action focuses on one room. Likewise will other verbs prove themselves unhelpful as the user is encouraged in the help instructions to â€Å"talk† or  Ã¢â‚¬Å"ask† about topics. In Short’s piece, the navigational system of IF, as it was originally instantiated in Adventure, begins to mimic a conversational system driven by keywords, ala Joseph Weizenbaum’s ELIZA. Spelunking through a cave is replaced with conversing through an array of conversational replies. Galatea does not always answer the same way. She has moods, or rather, your relationship with Galatea has levels of emotion. The logic layer proves to be more complex than the few verbs portend. The hunt is to figure out the combination that leads to more data. Galatea uses a novel process to put the user in the position of a safe cracker, trying to unlock the treasure of answers. Notice how novelty has re-emerged as a key attribute here. Could there be a second Galatea? Could someone write another story using Galatea’s procesess. Technically no, since the work was released in a No-Derivs Creative Commons license. However, in many ways, Galatea is a second, coming in the experimental wave of artistic revisions of interactive fiction that followed the demise of the commercially produced text adventures from Infocom and others. Written in Z-Machine format, Galatea is already reimagining an information system. It is a new work written in the context of Infocom’s interactive fiction system. Short’s work is admittedly novel in its processes, but the literary value of this work is not defined by its novely. The data, the replies, the context they describe, the relationship they create are rich and full of literary allusions. Short has gone on to help others make their own Galatea, not only in her work to help develop the natural language IF authoring system Inform 7 but also in the conversation libraries she has authored. In doing so, she moved into the work of other developers of authoring systems, such as the makers of chatbot systems. Richard S. Wallace developed one of the most popular of these (A.I.M.L..bot), and his work demonstrates the power of creating and sharing authorware, even in the context of the tyranny of the novel. A.L.I.C.E. is the base-line conversational system, which can be downloaded and customized. Downloading the basic, functioning A.L.I.C.E. chatbot as a foundation allows users to concentrate on editing recognizeable inputs and systematic responses. Rather than worrying about how the system will respond to input, authors, or botmasters, can focus on creating what they system will say. To gain respect as a botmaster/author, one cannot merely modify an out-of-the-box ALICE. The user should further customize or build from the ground up using AIML, artificial intelligence markup language, the site-specific language created for Wallace’s system. They must change the way the system operates–largely, because the critical attention around chatbots follows more the model of scientific innovation more than literary depth. However, according to Wallace, despite the critics’ emphasis on innovations, the users have been flocking to ALICE, as tens of thousands of users have created chatbots using the system (Be Your Own Botmaster). AIML becomes an important test case because while users may access some elements of the system, because they are not changing fundamentals, they can only make limited forays into the scientific/innovation chatbot discussions. Thus while our n-tier model stresses the importance of creating authorware and understanding information systems, novelty still holds an important role in the development of electronic literature. Nonetheless, interactors can at least use their pre-existing literacies when they encounter an AIML bot or a work of interactive fiction written on a familiar platform. LITERATRONICA Literatronic is yet another example of an n-tier system. Its design was based entirely in the concept of division between presentation, process and data layers. Every interaction of the readers is stored in a centralized database, and influences the subsequent response of the system to each reader’s interactions. The presentation layer employs web pages on which the reader can access multiple books by multiple authors in multiple languages.  The process layer is rather complex, since it uses a specialized artificial intelligence engine to adapt the book to each reader, based upon his/her interaction, i.e. and adaptive system. The data layer is a relational database that stores not only the narrative, but also reader’s interaction. Since there is a clear distinction between presentation, data and process, Literatronica is a 3-tier system that allows authors of multiple language to focus on the business of literary creation. MEZ’S CODE: THE SYSTEMS THAT DO NOT USE A COMPUTER[1] As with many systematic critical approaches, the place where n-tier is most fruitful is the where it produces or reveals contradictions. While some works of electronic literature lend themselves to clear divisions between parts of the information system, many works in electronic literature complicate that very distinction as articulated in such essays as Rita Raley’s code.surface||code.depth, in which she traces out codeworks that challenge distinctions between presentation and processing layers. In the works of Mez (Maryanne Breeze), she creates works written in what N. Katherine Hayles has called a creole of computer and human languages. Mez, and other codework authors, display the data layer on the presentation layer. One critical response is to point out that as an information system, the presentation layer are the lines of code and the rest of the system is whatever medium is displaying her poem. However, such an approach missed the very complexity of Mez’s work. Indeed, Mez’s work is often traditional static text that puts users in the role of the processor. The n-tier model illuminates her sleight of hand. trEm[d]o[lls]r_ [by Mez] doll_tre[ru]mor[s] = var=’msg’ val=’YourPleading’/> † TREMOR Consider her short codework â€Å"trEm[d]o[lls]r_† published on her site and on the Critical Code Studies blog. It is a program that seems to describe (or self-define) the birth pangs of a new world. The work, written in what appears to be XML, cannot function by itself. It appears to assign a value to a variable named â€Å"doll_tre[ru]mor[s]†, a Mez-ian (Mezozoic?) portmenteau of doll_tremors and rumors. This particular rumor beign defined is called, the fifth world, which calls up images of the Native American belief in a the perfected world coming to replace our current fourth world. This belief appears most readily in the Hopi tribe of North America. A child of this fifth world are â€Å"fractures,† or put another way, the tremor of the coming world brings with it fractures. The first, post 2 inscription, contains polymers: a user set to â€Å"YourDollUserName,† a â€Å"3rdperson† set to â€Å"Your3rdPerson,† a location set to â€Å"YourSoddenSelf†, and a â€Å"spikey† set to â€Å"YourSpiKeySelf.† The user then becomes a molecule name within the fracture, a component of the fracture. These references to dolls and 3rd person seem to evoke the world of avatars. In virtual worlds, users have dolls. If the first fracture is located in the avatar of the person, in their avatar, the second centers on communication from this person or user. Here the user is defined with â€Å"YourPolyannaUserName,† and we are in the world of overreaching optimism, in the face of a â€Å"msg† or message of â€Å"YourPleading† and a â€Å"lastword.† Combining these two fractures we have a sodden and spikey self pleading and uttering a last word presumably before the coming rupture into the fifth world. As with many codeworks, the presentation layer appears to be the data and logic layer. However, there is clearly another logic layer that makes these words appear on whatever inerface the reader is using. Thus, the presentation layer is a deception, a challenge to the very division of layers, a revelation that hides. At the same time, we are compelled to execute the presneted code by tracing out its logic. We must take the place of the compiler with the understanding that the coding structures are also  meant to launch or allusive subroutines, that part of our brain that is constantly listening for echoes and whispers To produce that reading, we have had to execute that poem, at least step through it, acting as the processor. In the process of writing poetic works as data, she has swapped our traditional position vis-a-vis n-tier systems. Where traditional poetry establishes idenitity through I’s, Mez has us identify with a system ready to process the user who is not ready for the fifth world, whatever that may bring. At the same time, universal or even mythical realities have been systematized or simulated. There is another layer of data that is missing, supplied by the user presumably. The poem leaves its tremors in a state of potential, waiting to operate in the context of a larger system and waiting for a user to supply the names, pleading, and lastwords. The codework means nothing to the computer. This is not to make some sort of Searlean intervention about the inability of computers to comprehend but to point out that Mez’s code is not valid XML. Of course, Mez is not writing for computer validation but instead relies on the less systematic processing of humans who rely on a far less rigorously specified language structure. Tremors fracture even the process of assigning some signified to these doll_tre[ru]mor[s]. Mez’s poem plays upon the layers of n-tier, exposing them and inverting them. Through the close-reading tools of Critical Code Studies, we can get to her inference and innuendo. However, we should not miss the central irony of the work, the data that is hidden, the notable lack of processing performed by this piece. Mez has hailed us into the system, and our compliance, begins the tremors that brings about this fifth world even as it lies in potential. N-tier is not the fifth world of interpretation. However, it is a tremor of recognition that literacy in information systems offers a critical awareness crucial in these emerging forms of literature. FUTURE PROJECTS Two new projects give the sense of the electronic literature to come. The authors of this paper have been collaborating to create systems that answer Hayles’ call at â€Å"The Future of Electronic Literature† in Maryland to create works that move beyond the desktop. The â€Å"Global Poetic System† and â€Å"The LA Flood Project† combine GPS, literary texts, and civic spaces to create art objects that rely on a complex relationship between various pieces of software and hardware, from mobile phones to PBX telephony to satellite technology. To fully discuss such works with the same approaches we apply to video games or Flash-based literary works is to miss this intricate interaction. However, n-tier provides a scalable framework for discussing the complex networking of systems to produce an artistic experience through software and hardware. These projects explore four types of interfaces (mobile phones, PDAs, desktop clients, and web applications) and three ways of reading (literary adaptative texts, literary classic texts, texts constructed from the interaction of the community). The central piece that glues together literary information is geolocation. When the interactor in the world is one of the input systems, critics need a framework that can handle complexity. Because of the heterogeneity of platforms in which these systems run, there are multiple presentation layers (e.g. phone, laptop, etc.), multiple parallel processing layers, and multiple sources of information (e.g. weather, traffic, literary content, user routes, etc.), thus requiring a n-tier approach for analysis and implementation. It is clear that as electronic literature becomes more complex, knowledge of the n-tier dilineations will be crucial not only to the reception but also the production of such works. Since the interaction of heterogenous systems is the state of our world, an n-tier approach will up critics to open up these works in ways that help identify patterns and systems in our lives. DISCUSSION Let us bring down the great walls of neologisms. Let us pause for reflection  in the race for newer new media. Let us collaborate on the n-tiers of information systems to create robust writing forms and the possibility of a extending the audiences that are literate in these systems. In this paper, we have described an analytical framework that is useful to divide works of electronic literature into their forming elements, in such a way that is coherent with advances in computer science and information technology, and at the same time using a language that could be easily adopted by the electronic literature community. This framework places creators, technicians, and critics on common ground. This field does not have a unified method to analyze creative works; this void is a result, perhaps, in the conviction that works of electronic literature require an element of newness and a reinvention of paradigms with every new piece. Critics are always looking for innovation. However, the unrestrained celebration of the new or novel has lead New Media to the aesthetic equivalent of an arms race. In this article we found common elements to all these pieces, bridging the gap between computer science and electronic literature with the hopes of encouraging the production of sustainable new forms, be they â€Å"stand alone† or composed of a conglomeration of media forms, software, and users. As works of electronic literature continue to become more complex, bringing together more heterogeneous digital forms, the n-tier model will prove scalable and nuanced to help describe each layer of the work without forcing it into a pre-set positions for the sake of theory. We have to ask at this point: how does this framework handle exceptions and increasing complexity? It is interesting to consider how the proposed n-tier model might be adapted to cope with dynamic data, which seems to be the most complex case. Current literary works tend to process a fixed set of data, generated by the author; it is the mode of traversing what changes. Several software solutions may be used to solve the issue of how this traversal is left in the hands of the user or mediated yet in some way by the author through the presentation system. The n-tier model provides a way of identifying three basic ingredients: the data to be traversed, the logic for deciding how to  traverse them, and the presentation which conveys to the user the selected portions at the selected moments. In this way, such systems give the impression that the reader is shaping the literary work by his/her actions. Yet this, in the simple configuration, is just an illusion. In following the labyrinth set out by the author, readers may feel that their journey through it is always being built anew. But the labyrinth itself is already fixed. Consider what would happen when these systems leave computer screens and move into the world of mobile devices and ubiquitous art as Hayles predicted they would at the 2007 ELO conference. How could the system cope with changing data, with a labyrinth that rebuilds itself differently each time based on the path of the user? In this endeavor, we would be shifting an increasing responsibility into the machine which is running the work. The data need not be modified by the system itself. A simple initial approach might be to allow a subset of the data to be drawn from the real environment outside the literary work. This would introduce a measure of uncertainty into the set of possible situations that the user and the system will be faced with. And it would force the author to consider a much wider range of alternative situations and/or means of solving them. Interesting initiatives along these lines might be found in the various systems that combine literary material with real-world information by using, for example, mobile hand-held devices, provided with means of geolocation and networking. With respect to the n-tier model, the changes introduced in the data layer would force additional changes in the other layers. The process layer would grow in complexity to acquire the ability to react to the different possible changes in the data layer. It could be possible for the process layer to absorb all the required changes, while retaining a version of the presentation layer similar to the one used when dealing with static data. However, this may put a heavy load on the process layer, which may result in a slightly clumsy presentation. The clumsiness would be perceived by the reader as a slight imbalance between the dynamic content being presented and the static means used for presenting it. The breaking point would be reached when readers become aware that the material they are receiving is being presented inadequately, and it is apparent that there might have been better  ways of presenting it. In these cases, a more complex presentation layer is also required. In all cases, to enable the computer to deal with the new type of situations would require the programmer to encode some means of appreciating the material that is being handled, and some means of automatically converting it into a adequate format for communicating it to the user. In these task, current research into knowledge representation, natural language understanding, and natural language generation may provide very interesting tools. But, again, these tools would exist in processing layers, and would be dependent on data layers, so the n-tier model would still apply. The n-tier information system approach remains valid even in the most marginal cases. It promises to provide a unified framework of analysis for the field of electronic literature. Looking at electronic literature as an information system may signal another shift in disciplinary emphasis, one from a kind of high-theory humanities criticism towards something more like Human Computer Interface scholarship, which is, by its nature, highly pragmatic. Perhaps a better way would be to try bring these two approaches closer together and to encourage dialogue between usability scientists and the agents of interpretation and meaning. Until this shift happens, the future of â€Å"new† media may be a developmental 404 error page. REFERENCES AA.VV. â€Å"New Media Poetry and Poetics Special† _Leonardo Almanac_, 14:5, September 2006. URL:  «http://www.leoalmanac.org/journal/vol_14/lea_v14_n05-06/index.asp » First accessed on 12/2006. AARSETH , Espen J. _Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature_. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, 1997. CALVI, Licia.†Ã¢â‚¬ËœLector in rebus’: The role of the reader and the characteristics of hyperreading†. In _Proceedings of the Tenth ACM Conference on Hypertext and Hypermedia_, pp 101-109. ACM Press, 1999. COOVER, Robert.†Literary Hypertext: The Passing of the Golden Age of Hypertext.† _Feed Magazine_.  «http://www.feedmag.com/document/do291lofi.html » First accessed 4 August 2006. ECKERSON, Wayne W.†Three Tier Client/Server Architecture: Achieving Scalability, Performance, and Efficiency in Client Server Applications.† _Open Information Systems_ 10, 1. January 1995: 3(20). GENETTE, Gerard. _Paratexts: Thresholds of Interpretations_. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, 1997. GUTIERREZ, Juan B. â€Å"Literatrà ³nica – sobre cà ³mo y porquà © crear ficcià ³n para medios digitales.† In _Proceedings of the 1er Congreso ONLINE del Observatorio para la CiberSociedad_, Barcelona,  «http://cibersociedad.rediris.es/congreso/comms/g04gutierrez.htm » First accessed on 01/2003. GUTIERREZ, Juan B. â€Å"Literatrà ³nica: Hipertexto Literario Adaptativo.† in _Proceedings of the 2o Congreso del Observatorio para la Cibersociedad_. Barcelona, Spain. URL:  «http://www.cibersociedad.net/congres2004/index_f.html » First accessed on 11/2004. GUTIERREZ, Juan B. â€Å"Literatronic: Use of Hamiltonian cycles to produce adaptivity in literary hypertext†. In _Proceedings of The Bridges Conference: Mathematical Connections in Art, Music, and Science_, pages 215-222. Institute of Education, University of London, August 2006. HAYLES, N. Katherine. â€Å"Deeper into the Machine: The Future of Electronic Literature.† _Culture Machine_. Vol 5. 2003.  «http://svr91.edns1.com/~culturem/index.php/cm/article/viewArticle/245/241 » First accessed 09/2004. — â€Å"Storytelling in the Digital Age: Narrative and Data.† Digital Narratives conference. UCLA. 7 April 2005. HILLNER, Matthias.†Ã¢â‚¬ËœVirtual Typography’: Time Perception in Relation to Digital Communication.† New Media Poetry and Poetics Special Issue, _Leonardo Electronic Almanac_ Vol 14, No. 5 – 6 (2006).  «http://leoalmanac.org/journal/vol_14/lea_v14_n05-06/mengberg.asp » First accessed 25 Sep. 2006 JACOBSON I, BOOCH G, RUMBAUGH J. _The unified software development process_. Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc. Boston, MA, USA, 1999. LANDOW George P. _Hypertext 2.0_. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, 1997. MANOVICH, Lev. _The Language of New Media_. MIT, Cambridge, MA, 2002. MARINO, Mark. â€Å"Critical Code Studies.† _Electronic Book Review_, December 2006.  «http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/electropoetics/codology » First Accessed 12/2006. MEZ.†trEm[d]o[lls]r_† _Critical Code Studies_. April 2008.  «http://criticalcodestudies.com/wordpress/2008/04/28/_tremdollsr_/ » First accessed 04/2008. MONTFORT, Nick.†Cybertext â€Å". _Electronic Book Review_, January 2001. URL:  «http://www.altx.com/EBR/ebr11/11mon » First accessed on 06/2006. NEA. _Reading At Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America_. National Endowment for the Arts, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Washington, DC 20506-0001, 2004. PAJARES TOSCA, Susana and Jill Walker.†Selected Bibliography of Hypertext Critcism.† _JoDI_.  «http://jodi.tamu.edu/Articles/v03/i03/bibliography.html » First accessed October 24, 2006. Raley, Rita. â€Å"Code.surface||Code.depth.† _Dichtung Digital_. 2006.  «http://www.dichtung-digital.org/2006/1-Raley.htm » First accessed 08/2006. RODRà GUEZ, Jaime Alejandro. â€Å"Teorà ­a, Prà ¡ctica y Enseà ±anza del Hipertexto de Ficcià ³n: El Relato Digital.† Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotà ¡, Colombia, 2003.  «http://www.javeriana.edu.co/relatodigital » First accessed on 09/2003. RYAN, Marie-Laure. â€Å"Narrative and the Split Condition of Digital Textuality.† 1. 2005. URL:  «http://www.brown.edu/Research/dichtung-digital/2005/1/Ryan/ » First accessed 4 October 2006 VERSHBOW, Ben.†Flight Paths a Networked Novel.† _IF: Future of the Book_. December 2007  «http://www.futureofthebook.org/blog/archives/2007/12/flight_paths_a_networked_novel.html » First Accessed 01/2008. WALLACE, Richard S. â€Å"Be Your Own Botmaster.† Alice AI Foundation Inc. 2nd ed. 2004. WARDRIP-FRUIN, Noah. _Expressive Processing: On Process-Intensive Literature and Digital Media_. Brown University. Providence, Rhode Island. May 2006. WARDRIP-FRUIN,Noah. Christopher Strachey: the first digital artist? _Grand Text Auto_. 1 August 2005.  «http://grandtextauto.gatech.edu/2005/08/01/christopher-strachey-first-digital-artist/ » First accessed 3 September 2006. ZWASS, Vladimir. _Foundations of Information Systems_. Mcgraw-Hill College, NY 1997.

Non-Violence as the Bigger Statement Essay

In the documentary _Eyes on the Prize_, John Lewis- an attendee of the 1960 Nashville Lunch Counter Sit-In, regales the use of nonviolence in their fight for racial equality, saying â€Å"We took our seats in a very orderly, peaceful fashion†¦We just sit there, and we continue to sit all day long†¦ But for me, I’ll tell you; it was like being involved in a holy crusade. It became a badge of honor† (PBS). The Civil Rights Movement, which began in 1954, was so deeply impactful largely in part to the unusual nature of its participant’s actions against their opposition. Scarce physical tactics or retaliation was threatened against the white opposition on the black insurgent’s behalf in order to achieve what they sought. Instead, the African Americans took a stance of nonviolence as their weapon of choice, hoping to reach a middle ground of peace between all of the nation’s races. Some of the historical and structural causes at the core of this stance were the guidance of Martin Luther King Jr., the organized fight to dismantle long-standing norms of racial segregation within the white communities, and the effort to raise awareness to a blind political system. In introducing the concept of social insurgency, Doug McAdam says, â€Å"At the close of 1876-1930 period, the southern black population was only just beginning to develop the institutional strength so vital to the generation of social insurgency† (McAdam 94). Historically, black Southern Americans had experienced little to no sense of togetherness as a community; it would take someone or something with enough passion and commitment to bring them together. Obtaining a leader to push such idealistic views for the African American race is practically a requirement to incite immense social change. An organizer is the heart of the movement, because they diffuse centralized direction and coordination (McAdam 47). Having Martin Luther King Jr. as a guiding force behind the Civil Rights Movement was, arguably, the biggest motivation for non-violence as a directive in community institutions during this period. In his _Letter from Birmingham Jail_, often called the Call for Unity, Dr. King says, â€Å"In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic  steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action† (Letter 2). Martin, born and raised in the church, came from humble beginnings; his father, a pastor, sermonized many ideals of a future of peace and the effectiveness of words over physicality. Dr. King went on to preach the ideals of a future based on equality, regardless of skin color or nationality, to his followers. His goals primarily focused on the rise of the nation as a whole- as one- rather than just the rise of the African American race. In his _Chicago Freedom Movement Rally Speech_, he stated, â€Å"The Negro needs the white man to free him from his fears. The white man needs the negro to free him from his guilt† (King). Dr. King was aware that for there to be peace and success for our country, we would have to learn to coexist as one community, instead of having one dominant race in any aspect. In another excerpt from the Chicago rally, he summarizes his intent with nonviolence, saying, â€Å"Nonviolence does not mean doing nothing. It does not mean passively accepting evil. It means standing up so strongly with your body and soul that you cannot stoop to the low places of violence and hatred. I am still convinced that nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon, it cuts without wounding† (King). In result, his practices flourished, inspiring others to come together and follow in his footsteps. Historically, it also aided that typically only violence had been used to fight battles and/or change things in the past, which had only gotten them to the point they found themselves at then. The typical day-to-day life of White Southerners consisted of structural norms within the economy, the government, and social customs. Breaking down the barriers of such an established arrangement would never be an easy feat. Blacks in the South knew this and therefore banned together, creating solid organizations such as CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference), and the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee). These organizations were so vital to the cause and effect of the nonviolence movement, as â€Å"A conductive political environment only affords the aggrieved population the opportunity for successful insurgent action. It is the resources of the minority community that enable insurgent groups to exploit these opportunities† (McAdam 43). As could be expected, white oppositionists reacted extremely violently to the changes  that were being force-fed to them through the motions of the Civil Rights Movement. The way of life that they’d known for so long was being threatened and as human nature would have it, we are programmed much of the time to fear what we do not know. African American advocates in the South were brutally beaten, humiliated, and killed as a retaliation tactic. Thus, such actions sparked black insurgence to essentially stray away from â€Å"feeding the fire†, and instead choose to demonstrate the direction of race relations that they strived for. In order to achieve results, they had to ban together to strengthen their ideals within the community, thus creating strong indigenous organizations as a backbone for their fight. McAdams states, â€Å"†¦the same dynamic is evident in regard to the relationship between organizational strength and insurgency, with the pace, character, and outcome of collective protest shaping the availability of those organizational resources on which further movement activity depends† (McAdam 53). Thus, as the black insurgent groups gained the social stability, they were able to engrain their nonviolent tactics within a larger audience as they gained support. It was such growth of backing that allowed them to create cracks in the barriers that upheld the white Southerners’ traditions. It was also such groups that were the pillar to sustain an ongoing protest. The Political Process Model that McAdam lays out considers that â€Å"a structure cannot function without the routinized exercise of structural power, and any threat to structural power becomes a threat to that system itself. Thus†¦any system contains within itself the possibility of a power strong enough to alter it† (McAdam 37). Politically, much opportunity was to be gained for black insurgents through the use of non-violent action. W.E.B. DuBois issued an example of such a possible process of advancement, saying â€Å"We need sufficient income for health and home; to supplement our education and recreation; to fight our own crime problem; and above all to finance a continued, planned and intelligent agitation for political, civil, and social equality† (B., DuBois 197). Since the black population felt so absolutely undermined as a race by the government, it would do them no good to repeat the same actions as those before them when trying to change the way things worked. McAdam discourses that â€Å"the point is that any event or broad social process that serves to undermine the calculations and  assumptions on which the political establishment is structured occasions a shift in political opportunities† (McAdam 41). In other words, if someone is questioning the way the government works in the first place, already a shift has been sparked in the standards, just by drawing attention to it. To some degree, all changes involving social movement for the nation are going to imply some level of struggle to change and/or pull for institutionalized power (McAdam 36). Using this explanation in the cause of the non-violent tactics, once the aggrieved population shed light on the issues of political alignment through a peaceful approach, the movement only continued to gain attention and leverage over political opponents. McAdam sums it up when he synopsizes, â€Å"the contention is that, far from remaining constant, the organizational resources available to southern blacks increased simultaneously with the expansion in political opportunities† (McAdam 87). Like most ideals in life, the concept of nonviolence as a promising tactic for change started with one individual. Martin Luther King Jr. not only believed in what he preached, but practiced it in his own life. Through his consistent stand-by of nonviolence, the subsequent growth in support through organizational groups, and said group’s ability to power through the withstanding customs of white folk, nonviolence flourished. In his closing statements, McAdam reminds, â€Å"it must be remembered that the movement was able, in a matter of years, to dismantle a thoroughgoing system of caste restrictions that had remained impervious to change for some seventy-five years†¦These gains are hardly insignificant† (McAdam 232). Therefore, though near the end black insurgency took a turn for the worse, the influence that nonviolence caused on the nation absolutely left a lasting imprint on history. Work Cited B., Du Bois W. E. Dusk of Dawn. Millwood, NY: Kraus-Thomson Organization, 1975. Print. King, Martin Luther, Jr. â€Å"Chicago Freedom Movement Rally Speech.† Courtesy of the King Center. Atlanta, Georgia. African-American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp. September 24, 2014. King, Martin Luther. _Letter from Birmingham Jail_. Stamford, CT: Overbrook, 1968. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. McAdam, Doug. Political Process and the Development of Black Insurgency, 1930-1970. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1982. Print. PBS, prod. â€Å"Ain’t Scared of Your Jails.† _Eyes on the Prize_. PBS. N.d. _PBS_. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.

Free Essays on The Biggest Surprise

The Biggest Surprise When I turned seventeen, like many teens, I gained the privilege of being a licensed driver. I’ve always pictured myself in a little red convertible on a sweltering day going to the beach; but in reality, my financial status for this dream did not exist. My mother was very overprotective wither her vehicle, and she never let me take it out for a spin after being licensed. After months of having a license I never thought I would live up my dream, or even have wheels of my own. The date of my birth, November twelve, was right around the corner again, and still my mom did not budge in letting me use her car. It was a warm fall day in early November when my mom woke up early in the morning and headed out. To my recollection, she left every Saturday morning for a month about the same time, I thought she was going to the mall to save on early bird sales. My mom was very cool, calm, and poised; she is excellent at keeping secrets. As soon as she arrived home at around midday she said, â€Å"Susan, we are eating dinner at Titas house tonight at around six, you can invite Jesse and Meagan if you want, ok baby†? She said to me in her loving sweet tender voice. â€Å"Si, Mami†. I answered in Spanish. â€Å"Oh, yea Susan, dress nice, ok? And have one of your friends give you a ride; I am going over Titas’ now to help with the dinner†. Mami said in her broken English. â€Å"Si, Mami†. I said. Tita, was my aunt, an accomplice of my mothers in this situation. I thought nothing of it because it is normal for my aunt to host dinner parties. Am I naive? It was four days before my birthday and I did not put the pieces of the puzzle together. I called my boyfriend and he said he would come over to pick me up. After Jesse picked me up we were headed to my aunts’ house. As I walked up the entrance to my aunts’ house, I noticed complete darkness. As I entered through the door, everyone yelled ï ¿ ½... Free Essays on The Biggest Surprise Free Essays on The Biggest Surprise The Biggest Surprise When I turned seventeen, like many teens, I gained the privilege of being a licensed driver. I’ve always pictured myself in a little red convertible on a sweltering day going to the beach; but in reality, my financial status for this dream did not exist. My mother was very overprotective wither her vehicle, and she never let me take it out for a spin after being licensed. After months of having a license I never thought I would live up my dream, or even have wheels of my own. The date of my birth, November twelve, was right around the corner again, and still my mom did not budge in letting me use her car. It was a warm fall day in early November when my mom woke up early in the morning and headed out. To my recollection, she left every Saturday morning for a month about the same time, I thought she was going to the mall to save on early bird sales. My mom was very cool, calm, and poised; she is excellent at keeping secrets. As soon as she arrived home at around midday she said, â€Å"Susan, we are eating dinner at Titas house tonight at around six, you can invite Jesse and Meagan if you want, ok baby†? She said to me in her loving sweet tender voice. â€Å"Si, Mami†. I answered in Spanish. â€Å"Oh, yea Susan, dress nice, ok? And have one of your friends give you a ride; I am going over Titas’ now to help with the dinner†. Mami said in her broken English. â€Å"Si, Mami†. I said. Tita, was my aunt, an accomplice of my mothers in this situation. I thought nothing of it because it is normal for my aunt to host dinner parties. Am I naive? It was four days before my birthday and I did not put the pieces of the puzzle together. I called my boyfriend and he said he would come over to pick me up. After Jesse picked me up we were headed to my aunts’ house. As I walked up the entrance to my aunts’ house, I noticed complete darkness. As I entered through the door, everyone yelled ï ¿ ½...

Brief History and Geography of Tibet

Brief History and Geography of Tibet The Tibetan Plateau is a huge region of southwestern China consistently above 4000 meters. This region that was a thriving independent kingdom that began in the eighth century and developed into an independent country in the twentieth century is now under the firm control of China. Persecution of the Tibetan people and their practice of Buddhism is widely reported. History Tibet closed its borders to foreigners in 1792, keeping the British of India (Tibets southwestern neighbor) at bay until the British desire for a trade route with China caused them to take Tibet by force in 1903. In 1906 the British and Chinese signed a peace treaty that gave Tibet to the Chinese. Five years later, the Tibetans expelled the Chinese and declared their independence, which lasted until 1950. In 1950, shortly after Mao Zedongs communist revolution, China invaded Tibet. Tibet pleaded for assistance from the United Nations, the British, and the newly independent Indians for assistance to no avail. In 1959 a Tibetan uprising was squelched by the Chinese and the leader of the theocratic Tibetan government, the Dalai Lama, fled to Dharamsala, India and created a government-in-exile. China administered Tibet with a firm hand, prosecuting Tibetan Buddhists and destroying their places of worship, especially during the time of the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). After Maos death in 1976, the Tibetans gained limited autonomy although many of the Tibetan government officials installed were of Chinese nationality. The Chinese government has administered Tibet as the Autonomous Region of Tibet (Xizang) since 1965. Many Chinese have been financially encouraged to move to Tibet, diluting the effect of the ethnic Tibetans. Its likely that the Tibetans will become a minority in their land within a few years. The total population of Xizang is approximately 2.6 million. Additional uprisings occurred throughout the next few decades and martial law was imposed upon Tibet in 1988. The Dalai Lamas efforts to work with China toward solving problems to bring peace to Tibet earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. Through the work of the Dalai Lama, the United Nations has called upon China to consider giving the Tibetan people a right to self-determination. In recent years, China has been spending billions to improve the economical outlook for Tibet by encouraging tourism and trade to the region. The Potala, the former seat of the Tibetan government and the home of the Dalai Lama is a major attraction in Lhasa. Culture The Tibetan culture is an ancient one that includes the Tibetan language and a specific Tibetan style of Buddhism. Regional dialects vary across Tibet so the Lhasa dialect has become the Tibetan lingua franca. Industry Industry was non-existent in Tibet prior to the Chinese invasion and today small industries are located in the capital of Lhasa (2000 population of 140,000) and other towns. Outside of cities, the indigenous Tibetan culture is comprised primarily of nomads, farmers (barley and root vegetables are primary crops), and forest dwellers. Due to the cold dry air of Tibet, grain can be stored for up to 50 to 60 years and butter (yak butter is the perennial favorite) can be stored for a year. Disease and epidemics are rare on the dry high plateau, which is surrounded by the worlds tallest mountains, including Mount Everest in the south. Geography Though the plateau is rather dry and receives an average of 18 inches (46 cm) of precipitation each year, the plateau is the source for major rivers of Asia, including the Indus River. Alluvial soils comprise the terrain of Tibet. Due to the high altitude of the region, the seasonal variation in temperature is rather limited and the diurnal (daily) variation is more important- the temperature in Lhasa can range as much as -2 F to 85 F (-19 C to 30 C). Sandstorms and hailstorms (with hail of tennis-ball size) are problems in Tibet. (A special classification of spiritual magicians was once paid to ward off the hail.) Thus, the status of Tibet remains in question. Will the culture be diluted by the influx of Chinese or will Tibet once again become Free and independent?

Ghazals, Short Lyrical Poems that Blend Arabic and American Cultures

Ghazals, Short Lyrical Poems that Blend Arabic and American Cultures Like  the pantoum, the ghazal arose in another language and has recently come to life in English despite the difficulties of technical translation. Ghazals originated in 8th century Arabic verse, came to the Indian subcontinent with Sufis in the 12th century, and flourished in the voices of the great Persian mystics, Rumi in the 13th century and Hafez in the 14th century. After Goethe became enamored of the form, ghazals became popular among 19th century German poets, as well as more recent generations like the Spanish poet and playwright Federico Garcà ­a Lorca. In the last 20 years, the ghazal has taken its place among the adopted poetic forms used by many contemporary poets writing in English. A ghazal is a short lyric poem composed of a series of about 5 to 15 couplets, each of which stands independently on its own as a poetic thought. The couplets are linked through a rhyme scheme established in both lines of the first couplet and continued in the 2nd line of each following pair of lines. (Some critics specify that this rhyme carried through the 2nd line of each couplet must actually, in strict ghazal form, be the same ending word.) The meter is not strictly determined, but the lines of the couplets must be of equal length. Themes usually are connected to love and longing, either romantic desire for a mortal beloved, or a spiritual longing for communion with a higher power. The closing signature couplet of a ghazal often includes the poet’s name or an allusion to it. Ghazals traditionally invoke universal themes like love, melancholy, desire and address metaphysical questions. Indian musicians like Ravi Shankar and Begum Akhtar made ghazals popular in the United States during the 1960s. Americans also discovered ghazals through the New Delhi poet Agha Shahid Ali, who blended Indo-Islamic traditions with American-style storytelling.

PepsiCo Business Level and Corporate Level Strategies Research Paper

PepsiCo Business Level and Corporate Level Strategies - Research Paper Example From the paper, PepsiCo emerged in 1965 as a business union between Frito- Lay, and Pepsi- Cola. Later on, the company acquired Tropicana in 1998. Additionally, in 1998 it merged with Quaker Oats and later with Gatorade in 2001. PepsiCo mainly deals with beverages, snacks, and foods with revenues over $ 65 million dollars. The company aims to be a global leader in the production of convenient beverages and foods. In addition, it aims to increase shareholder’s wealth, empower employees, business associates and communities in which they conduct business. The company is divided into PepsiCo Americas Foods, PepsiCo Europe, PepsiCo Americas Beverages and PepsiCo Middle East and Africa. Under the business strategy, corporations with various businesses treat each as a separate strategic business unit. Essentially, in each unit, there are independent markets or products served by organizations with each serving diverse environments. For each market (or product segment), there is a uni que environment suitable for that division. In order to attain a competitive advantage then the organization ought to satisfy the needs of customers with a focus on youth. The essence of the business level strategy is the customers; the young people. The unique taste and features of the customers are a critical factor in ensuring that the strategy works properly. In addition, the consumption patterns of the youth should be taken into account when implementing the business level strategy. Market research on the customer’s preferences helps to gain a competitive advantage over Coca-Cola, which is more recognized globally in the beverages sector than Pepsi Cola. Maintaining a good relationship with customers has been effective by providing superior products to customers. The massive investment in market research and R&D is a testament to this. The Company focuses on brand loyalty, particularly in America. This loyalty translates to value creation and an increase in profitability for the company. The business strategy also tries to reach more global customers given that international business is more globalized than ever before. The business level strategy is also related to the generic five forces of competition. Thus, the strategies aim to gain a competitive edge over similar companies. One of the forces is the threat of new entrants. Given the popularity of soft drinks and the vast revenues among beverage companies, new entrants pose a huge threat. The emergence of new entrants is likely to come from emerging countries due to the low cost of production. In spite of the threat posed by new entrants, the industry is capital intensive with research and development a necessity for the companies.

Sexual offender registration and Notification laws in the State of Essay

Sexual offender registration and Notification laws in the State of Florida - Essay Example e and corrections organizations in the enactment of this legislation has helped reduce the occurrence of sexual offenses among the citizen population and visiting tourists. Sexual Offender Registration and Notification laws are beneficial in the state of Florida because they offer the community access to information significant to their ability to safeguard themselves and their families against sexual criminals. The comprehensive national registration system for the registration of sexual offenders reacts to the brutal attacks by forceful sexual marauders on victims such as Jacob Wetterling and Megan Nicole Kanka. The law covers both those who are yet to start their sentence and those who have completed their criminal sentences. The aim is to keep track of the activities the sexual offenders partake and their current residence. This is essential to dissuade current offenders and future offenders. In addition, it ensures that residents are aware of the history of offenders and avert themselves from potential risks. It is easy to enforce restrictions through the application of laws such as the Jacob Wetterling Act. For instance, sexual offenders should not stay next to school institution or near minors. These restrictions must be disparate from those that apply to probationers or parolees. Although critics may argue that the laws are too austere to rehabilitate criminals, sexual offenders still pose a threat to humanity and there is a need to monitor their activities and

Role play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Role play - Essay Example As such, they have a closer look of things or a firsthand perspective of operations and services in a department. They are in a strategic position to detect any system deficiencies. As such they can report the deficiencies and propose reengineering that can be done to reverse or improve the situation. The recommendations offered by nurse leaders are based on experience and continuous research. Thus, such recommendations are highly effective and likely to be implemented. As noted, reengineering results in a leaner and efficient healthcare system. In this regard, nurse leaders can use their leadership positions to lodge formal proposals on issues that need changes in departments. As discussed, nurse leaders have a direct link to nurses and thus can collect actionable information from the nurses and patients. Nurse leaders have a direct role of assigning role and hence can identify deficiencies and fill them accordingly. There are situations that may demand more nurses than the others for optimal performance. Hence, nurse leaders can have a direct influence on health care reengineering. Ellerbe,  S., & Regen,  D. (2012). Responding to Health Care Reform by Addressing the Institute of Medicine Report on the Future of Nursing. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 36(3), 210-216. Retrieved from

Influence of Drilling Fluid on oil Recovery in Homogenous Reservoirs Essay

Influence of Drilling Fluid on oil Recovery in Homogenous Reservoirs - Essay Example Needless to say, as significant as 70 percent produce of mines in the world, produce water contaminated by metals, which come from acid mines drainage and process streams (Srivastava & Majunder, 2008). The waste water, such as that containing metal and sulphate contaminates, are accompanied by far reaching environmental consequences. Moreover, the costs associated with managing these consequences are significant. This paper gives an overview of water contamination in the mining industries, followed by an exploration of the common methods under development and operation. Considering that current water treatment techniques have varied limitations, this paper proposes a way forward for mining industries to avoid water contamination. There are various elements within the earth crust, which include hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, sodium, magnesium, phosphorous, sulphur, chlorine, potassium and calcium. These constitute 99 percent of the earth living matter. On the other hand, there are fourteen essential elements. These include boron, fluorine, silicon, manganese, iron, cobalt, and copper, among others. Metals such as Mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, copper manganese and zinc are not essential, and their interaction with the aquatic environment is hazardous. On the other hand, heavy metals are a class of metallic elements that contain relatively high densities whose low concentrations are highly toxic. The atomic metals have atomic weight that range from 63.5 to 2006. Heavy metals can are additionally classified as toxic metals, precious metals and radio-nuclide. Radionuclides include uranium and thorium. Precious metals include silver and gold, among others (Srivastava & Majunder, 2008). Acid solutions resu lt from the interaction of the ground or of surface water with the acidic materials, such as pyrites that are found in rocks at the mines, piles of earthen refuse and auger holes. The iron sulphide mineral pyrites are usually found near subsurface coal seams, together with compounds containing aluminium and manganese, among other metals. In the presence of oxygen, rainwater or ground waters contact sulphur to form sulphuric acid. Acid concentration in the acid mine drainage can reach as significant levels such as ten thousand times the neutral water. Evidently, this presents a powerful leaching agent with the potential of dissolving significant amounts of metal substances, as well as additional leaching substances that are common at most mine sites. Rock layers and earth above the coalmines contain traces of metals such as iron, aluminium and manganese, but can also contain other heavy metals such as lead and cadmium (Han & Chan, 2006). These metals dissolve in the acid mine drainag e and are washed into water sources through run off. Eventually, such metal concentrations harm aquatic organisms such as fish. For instance, dissolved iron precipitates can kill aquatic organisms that serve as food for fishes. Iron precipitate can result in fish gill clogging. Additionally, iron precipitation in the drainage channels alter aquatic food chains; thereby adversely affecting fish populations. Treatment of waste water The concern for environmental scientists has been to establish possible ways of regulating hazardous metal concentrations and mitigate associated environmental concerns. Methods in the treatment of the acid mine drainage can be broadly categorized into two; active treatment and passive treatment methods. Active techniques entail mechanical addition of the alkaline solutions with the aim of raising PH concentrations besides precipitating metals. Passive treatment

Research methods (the development of Abu Dhabi) Essay

Research methods (the development of Abu Dhabi) - Essay Example 5. To study the role of Connectivity in the urbanization of Abu Dhabi. Without connectivity no city can be developed to it's fullest for which this objective has to be studied in order to achieve the hypothesis. 6. To study the identity and opportunity as a factor for urbanization of Abu Dhabi. In order for a city to develop it is important that many opportunities are given to the people who live there. It also gives a strong identity. Abu Dhabi till 2030 will be all this to it's its residents. Thus this objective will help in supporting the hypothesis. Every great leader dreams of expanding and enlarging his domain, as did the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Today Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE as well as Ruler of Abu Dhabi, continues to enhance the vision. The Plan set out by Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed provides a contemporary and culturally compassionate platform for the urban development of Abu Dhabi city. The main values outlined by the government for determining the growth of the city under Plan Abu Dhabi 2030, are that, Abu Dhabi will continue to be a current appearance of an Arab City, where the people maintain a healthy and supportive lifestyle. However, this kind of massive expenditure requires a plethora of studies and researches, there are many things to consider for instance the economic outlook, real estate development, sustainability, evolving culture and environment, opportunity and connectivity. A specific kind of research method must be used for the above mentioned factors in order f or this plan to be carried out successfully. The number one thing to be reviewed is the actual vision of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed. Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 should be deeply studied, so that to fully understand which direction His Highness would like to point Abu Dhabi towards. One must understand whether he would prefer to keep his culture and develop the city within the guidelines, or develop the city with a baseline of his cultural heritage adding to it the modern ways, or would he like to completely move away from the cultural side and move towards a modern and innovative city. As per his plans mentioned on September 21st 2007, he would like to evolve the metropolitan into a global city without loosing the Arab culture. The weakness of this study however can be that His Highness might change his mind along the way and decide to change the vision completely. However considering the amount of investment involved in this project, this is very unlikely to happen. "The

Influence of Drilling Fluid on oil Recovery in Homogenous Reservoirs Essay

Influence of Drilling Fluid on oil Recovery in Homogenous Reservoirs - Essay Example Needless to say, as significant as 70 percent produce of mines in the world, produce water contaminated by metals, which come from acid mines drainage and process streams (Srivastava & Majunder, 2008). The waste water, such as that containing metal and sulphate contaminates, are accompanied by far reaching environmental consequences. Moreover, the costs associated with managing these consequences are significant. This paper gives an overview of water contamination in the mining industries, followed by an exploration of the common methods under development and operation. Considering that current water treatment techniques have varied limitations, this paper proposes a way forward for mining industries to avoid water contamination. There are various elements within the earth crust, which include hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, sodium, magnesium, phosphorous, sulphur, chlorine, potassium and calcium. These constitute 99 percent of the earth living matter. On the other hand, there are fourteen essential elements. These include boron, fluorine, silicon, manganese, iron, cobalt, and copper, among others. Metals such as Mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, copper manganese and zinc are not essential, and their interaction with the aquatic environment is hazardous. On the other hand, heavy metals are a class of metallic elements that contain relatively high densities whose low concentrations are highly toxic. The atomic metals have atomic weight that range from 63.5 to 2006. Heavy metals can are additionally classified as toxic metals, precious metals and radio-nuclide. Radionuclides include uranium and thorium. Precious metals include silver and gold, among others (Srivastava & Majunder, 2008). Acid solutions resu lt from the interaction of the ground or of surface water with the acidic materials, such as pyrites that are found in rocks at the mines, piles of earthen refuse and auger holes. The iron sulphide mineral pyrites are usually found near subsurface coal seams, together with compounds containing aluminium and manganese, among other metals. In the presence of oxygen, rainwater or ground waters contact sulphur to form sulphuric acid. Acid concentration in the acid mine drainage can reach as significant levels such as ten thousand times the neutral water. Evidently, this presents a powerful leaching agent with the potential of dissolving significant amounts of metal substances, as well as additional leaching substances that are common at most mine sites. Rock layers and earth above the coalmines contain traces of metals such as iron, aluminium and manganese, but can also contain other heavy metals such as lead and cadmium (Han & Chan, 2006). These metals dissolve in the acid mine drainag e and are washed into water sources through run off. Eventually, such metal concentrations harm aquatic organisms such as fish. For instance, dissolved iron precipitates can kill aquatic organisms that serve as food for fishes. Iron precipitate can result in fish gill clogging. Additionally, iron precipitation in the drainage channels alter aquatic food chains; thereby adversely affecting fish populations. Treatment of waste water The concern for environmental scientists has been to establish possible ways of regulating hazardous metal concentrations and mitigate associated environmental concerns. Methods in the treatment of the acid mine drainage can be broadly categorized into two; active treatment and passive treatment methods. Active techniques entail mechanical addition of the alkaline solutions with the aim of raising PH concentrations besides precipitating metals. Passive treatment

Kate Spade analysis of financial operations Research Paper

Kate Spade analysis of financial operations - Research Paper Example It is calculated by multiplying each source of finance by their relevant weight and then adding up the product of all these sources (Weighted Average Cost of Capital, 2015). Returns on investment of the company must be higher than the cost of capital. It increases the growth of the company and overall profitability. The Higher cost of capital results in loss of capital and decrease in growth over time. Return on investment of Kate Spade is 24.5% while its cost of capital is 14.48%. It means that the company is generating higher returns on capital than the cost required to generate that capital. It indicates that the future growth of the company is positive. †¢ Declining economic conditions and instability in economic markets in Asia and Europe can significantly affect the consumers’ confidence and may lead to a decline in consumer purchases of fashion and related products. Global economic condition after the recession of 2008 have resulted in unemployment and declining consumer confidence which in turn have led to a decline in consumer spending, specifically of those goods which represents discretionary purchases including fashion related products. Significant declines in revenue were experienced by the company and it is likely that consumption patterns and habits of consumers have changed as a result of recession, and this may continue to affect the revenues of the company for a foreseeable future. If the global economy will not recover and continue to decline further, it will have a negative impact on long-term revenues, operating margin and earnings in international segments of the company. †¢ Economic conditions have also forced the company to enter into a promotional environment, and both wholesale, and retail consumers are having pressure to increase discounts on sales. It had a negative impact on the company’s profitability. Additionally, international political

Emergence and Impact of Regional Parties Essay Example for Free

Emergence and Impact of Regional Parties Essay It is raining acronyms in politics and the vibrant Indian political landscape is flooded. Well, almost so as Regional parties gain ground with amazing alacrity in a diverse India where a fast-transforming political map now promises a never before variety. SAD in Punjab on one side, SP, BSP in Uttar Pradesh on the other, RJD, JD(U) in Bihar as also DMK, AIADMK, PMK, MDMK and DMDK in the deep South and TMC, AGP and others in North-East —they seem to be flowing in from all nooks and corners to lend a different hue, their own hue, to the political waters as they flow in our country today. Though the experiment with regional politics first succeeded in the late 1960s when many parties won against the Congress, it was only post-1989 that regional politics really became a phenomenon, here to stay, courtesy the National Parties themselves. The alphabet-soup illustrating the striking transformation of Indias politics over the past two decades, brewed on the fire provided by the space vacated by National Parties to be wedded to the cause of regional issues, local aspirations and territorial priorities. Also, shrinking space of the National Parties led to creation of a vacuum which the Regional parties were happy to fill. They sprung up and marched ahead as a consequence of the leanings of the public to advance its aspirations. Essentially individualistic, personality-driven parties bound by a lose chain of thought rather than a cohesive coordinated ideology, these pandered to regional populism with a much narrower vision of things sans any broad-based National consensus on ideology and issues. But, then, what did the mushrooming of these regional parties, finally, find reflection in? While it strengthened the federal structure with assertion by the States of the Union for its share in power, privileges, taxes, revenues and benefits of micro-macro schemes, it also led to a certain amount of healthy competition inter se states, making us the republic that we really are. It also gave rise to the concept of shared sovereignty, marked by an increase in the capacity of the state to influence its own development performance while enhancing the representative character of India’s democracy. The relentless rise of these regional home-grown parties, sharing the one common attribute of having a mass base in only the state of their birth, led to a spate of constitutional and legislative reforms in terms of judicial, administrative and centre-state relations. Not only this, it weaved together an interplay of forces, prompting National parties to not only rope them in for support but also brought about a dependence which lent a Regional flavor to National Policies. Then, it is in this that emerged the beauty of the dove-tailing of the National and these Regional entities. But, then, since beauty is never blemish-free, there is a flip side too. Given their â€Å"strategic† positioning, the Regional parties have not only exploited this dependence of the National Parties for their own advantage but, at times, even arm-twisted the latter to get their way. There’s a way out of this of labyrinth in which National Parties find themselves lost in and it does not lie in a top-down approach which, in the present times, seems not only inadequate but also outdated. We have an India defined by mobilization of a plethora of identity and interest groups which have taken the shape and form of Regional parties to diffuse real power from the Centre to the states. The National Parties need to wake up and smell the coffee. The crutches of dependence on Regional parties have to go and they have to not only learn to stand on their own feet but even walk that extra mile to fulfill regional aspirations to show that each one of the 28 states matters as much. For this, they must permit regional units to function at the local level as semi-independent units with adequate flexibility for leadership-building at the regional level. This will help balance the regional interest with the National interest which many a times end upconflicting with each other. Besides, a cohesive National party with semiindependent regional strait-jacketed unit to cater to regional interests is the only guarantee for ensuring continuous unification within India’s multi-ethnic diversity which weaves the many strands of region, religion, culture and politics into one social fabric we call India.

Silver Lining in the Sky A Story

Silver Lining in the Sky A Story Silver Lining in the Sky We often come to here the proverb that life is not bed of roses. It may seem the old and overused statement, but, it really is true. We often judge happiness pleasure in lives by economic prosperity, which does not holds true for all the cases. People may have a lot of money, but, are still unhappy and have forlorn because they feel that money cannot buy everything for them. and in case of lack of prosperity, the life itself became difficult because a person fails to fulfill his dreams and cannot buy or get according to his wishes. People may have experiences that may change affect their whole life and transform them to a completely different one. Such experiences can either make a person a sad loser or transform him to a successful and wise person, these results are dependent on the personality of the person and how he sees his situation o r world. I have listened about and observed a person who with the power of optimism and hopefulness changed his miserable and depressed life into the a shining example for everyone. This narrative is about one of the sons of our maid Zainab, who used to work in our since our childhood. I have not seen anyone so honest and dedicated in her life, as Zainab. When I was toddler, she was a middle aged woman and had two sons and one daughter. With the time she spent I our home and the long time for which she worked, she was considered the most entrusted servant of our house and we use to leave our house in her supervision alone and go for hours, but, never found anything misplaced or stolen. The long detail about Zainab is actually related to her son also. My mom told me that Zainab was not always the same poor and unfortunate women. She herself belonged to an uneducated and mediocre family, but, her husband was a really rich man and against the Arabic traditions, he married Zainab without consultation from his family, that’s why his family stayed away from him forever. Her husband used to work as the successful broker in stock exchange, but, unluckily, he invested in a unsuccessful company hoping that later it will bring more money to him, but his plan failed and he lost all money. This happened after eight years of his marriage with Zainab. A few weeks after that the family was travelling and they got into accident, her husband died on spot her elder son Khalid apparently bruised his legs only. The death of Khalid’s mother came as real loss for the family, with no sources of income and lack of education, unfortunately Zainab had to go to peoples home and work as maid. She used to work her in several homes to feed them. Khalid was seven, when his mother started working as maid. Initially he got really depressed, when he had to see his mother sweeping the floors of others because he himself led the life, where people used to do work for them. Khalid became really quiet after the death of his father and also really sensitive. Being the eldest he realized that he has to take care of his siblings, but, still the difference in lifestyle and daily routine put a lot of pressure on the nerves of the child. He was always a happy and confident child, but, he started having nightmares and never wanted to leave his mother’s side. He used to wonder why all this happened to him and his family. It was the time he started getting lazy and also started complaining about pain in his legs. Initially everyone felt that he could not adjust in accordance with the present circumstances. His complaining did not stop and with the passage of time deformation in his legs were observed. Later his mother took him to doctor. After looking at his condition, the dr. inquired, whether Khalid was vaccinated for polio, the mother denied any such knowledge. After tests, it was revealed that Khalid had polio and had become paralyzed for his life. It was another shock for the family, but, his strong hearted mother always consoled him and taught his to see silver lining in the sky. With the passage of time Khalid learned that life without hope s useless. But, he was still young boy at that time. Lives without father and also as a paralyzed person seem to be really difficult for him. The real shock came after world. When his father lost his fortune, most of their acquaintances left them on their ow n, like they had contact ad acquaintances with them only because of their fortune. Even their family friends left them. He used to wonder, why people stopped meeting them and coming to their house. He didn’t realize anything until his father died and they were left alone in the world and without any financial aid. Soon after his mother started working as the maid for people, the remaining people stopped their contact and even forbade their children to play with them. They also have to shift in a smaller place, which was in a slum. Their new friends and acquaintances were the people of that slum. When he got polio, even his new friends started teasing him for his present condition and used to call him by the names of handicap, disfigured and game legged. Hearing such words and being called by his fellows was a real pain for him. He was also fond of soccer before his disability; the pain that he cannot play soccer for ever brought his more pain in the heart. The main issue was that due to lack of finances, he did not have clutches or wheelchair. It means that he was totally dependent on the other for his movements and the daily routine. Most pain came from the fact that, in the slums people were illiterate and had no knowledge of disease polio. Most of the people thought that it was an infectiou s disease and told their children not to visit Khalid again. How much pain the little boy might have suffered after losing fortune, father and later his friends, who were the only hope at that difficult time? In that time of despair, his mother used to tell him that how they were facing difficulties because she was not educated and did not have awareness about the necessity and essentiality of vaccination. He learned from his mother that a person can bring positive change in his life by studying because it is only education that can bring prosperity and happiness in their lives. He started taking interest in studies, with the help of one of his employers, Zainab sent her son to a public school. Initially the little boy also got rejected from most of his fellow students, but, his hope and vision of future did not let him go astray. Whenever he felt dejected, his mother was always there to console him. In spite of behavior of his fellow students, he continued to work hard and gave proper attention to his studies. He never felt ashamed that he as to ask a question again and again because he did not get that first time. His attitude helped him to clear his concepts, which later helped him in increase in his knowledge. At the end of that academic year, Khalid got second position in his class. It was after that, he felt that behavior of his fellow students started changing with him. He was listened to and was respected by his fellow students. This made him realize that how education can help him to earn respect. But, still that was not the end of his misfortunes, the time in which he was supposed to take admission in high school, his youngest sister got really ill and the money that had been set aside for his admission in high school was spent on his sister’s treatment. His sister was playing when she tripped while running and a piece of metal entered her arm near wrist. That was a really deep cut and she lost a lot of blood. He used to love his youngest sister a lot and could not see her in such pain. He started thinking that due to lack of money he could not get admission in high school and his beloved sister could not get better treatment. They had to take their sister out of hospital early because they did not have enough money. In her home her stitches got infected, but, they could not take her to hospital. Later the infection spread in her whole arm and they had to cut it, in order to save rest of her body. This was another shock for Khalid, as he felt really helpless because he could not help his sister. He even thought of leaving further education, but, again the hope that his education can help them to survive in this world helped him to continue struggling. Khalid was really bright student and watching this, my father gave money for his admission in highs school. In high school, he worked even harder and passed with distinction. This gave him opportunity to take admission in college with scholarship. He got admission in the college with scholar ship and chose accounting as the major. In spite of being the difficult subject, his hard work helped him to make it easier for him. This path was also not easy for him. Here also, he had to bear the typical attitude of the people towards handicapped. Some totally rejected him and some gave more than necessary attention to him. He always wanted to be treated as normal people, but, his wish was never fulfilled. He showed even better result here and later on scholarship got admission in Chartered Accountancy course. The path was although difficult for him, but was not possible to achieve. He believed that his hard work could help him to achieve whatever he wanted. But, in meantime, his mother got ill and they lost their source of finances temporarily. In order to feed his family and get money for her treatment, he had to take tuitions. But, the expensive were more and the tuitions that he used to give students could not get him enough money. Because of this pressure, he had to leave studies temporarily. He requested for his semester to be frozen and took a minor job at an office. This job along with the tuitions enabled him to give proper treatment to his mother. After the period of six months his mother got recovered and went on her previous job. He continued his studies, but, still gave tuitions because it helped his sibling to get a slightly better living. His efforts and hard work gave his fruits when he passed Chartered Accountancy exam with distinction. His excellent educational record and personal traits like perseverance and hard work helped him to get job in on of the top accountancy firms of the country. He got two promotions in the time of five years and now he is working as a successful professional and his  family is leading really good life with better lifestyle. Their family still visits us occasionally and the company and the life of Khalid taught me that nothing is difficult in life. We may face difficulties and misfortunes, but, instead of giving importance to them, we should keep our focus on the silver lining in the sky. Khalid once said that his disability proved to be an actual opportunity in disguise. Because before this disability, he was not serious and determined about doing anything good with his life, later, with the encouragement of his mother he learned the importance of education and hope. He believes that life without hope is nothing. After watching him and listening about his journey, I came to realize that the difficulties in life cannot stop a person from doing anything good because when there is hope and will there is always a promise of better future.