Haiku and Romantic poetry Flashcard

Haiku and Romantic poetry

Mistletoe

Mistletoe Mistletoe Mistletoe By Maeve Maddox Before mistletoe became an excuse to kiss people at Christmas parties, it was an important symbol in ancient Celtic religion. Pliny the Elder describes a ceremony in which Druids climbed an oak tree to harvest mistletoe with a golden sickle. Wrote Pliny: They believe that mistletoe given in drink will impart fertility to any animal that is barren and that it is an antidote to all poisons. Mistletoe figures in the story of the Norse god Baldur. (Also spelled Balder and Baldr.) Baldur was the most beloved of the Norse gods. All the gods loved him except Loki the mean-spirited troublemaker. Baldurs mother Freya dreamed that he died and was taken by Hel. Norsemen who died in battle were taken by the Valkyries to Valhalla. Everyone else went to Hel’s kingdom. When Freya woke she went to Hel and begged her not to take her son. Hel said that if she could persuade everything in the world not to harm Baldur, he could go on living. Freya extracted an oath from rocks, elves, giants, plants, and everything else. Every thing and every creature swore not to harm Baldur. Unfortunately, Freya neglected to speak to the mistletoe. It was so small and insignificant that she didn’t see how it could be a threat to anyone. When it became evident that nothing would kill Baldur, the other gods made a game of throwing weapons at him. Loki found out about the unsworn mistletoe. He went to the plant and took a cutting back to Asgard. He fastened it to an arrow and gave it to Baldur’s blind brother Hoder. Loki guided Hoder’s hand and the mistletoe on the arrow pierced Baldur’s heart, killing him. Theres more to Baldurs story, but this is the part about the mistletoe. If youre in the mood for more seasonal lore, you may enjoy these DWT posts from previous years. Dec 2008 Deck the Halls Dec 2008 December 26 Dec 2007 Festive Words Dec 2007 The Meaning of Christmas Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating â€Å"So† at the Beginning of a SentencePeople versus PersonsPlurals of Proper Names

Challenge Of The Millennium Development Goals

Challenge Of The Millennium Development Goals Introduction This essay addresses four main research questions, namely: what are the challenges of the Millennium Development Goal Two as an education development concept; how has the concept of the Millennium Development Goal Two improved the existing education system; what strategies are being used to achieve the Millennium Development Goal Two and how effective are these strategies in achieving the objective; and is 2015 a realistic objective for achieving the Millennium Development Goal Two, in terms of what means are being used to determine the achievement of the goal and how reliable/effective these tools are. Millennium Development Goals The Millennium Development Goals are to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; to achieve universal primary education; to promote gender equality and to empower women; to reduce child mortality; to improve maternal health; to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; to ensure environmental sustainability; and to develop a global partnershi p for development. Each goal is composed of a series of targets that have associated indicators for monitoring progress. The Millennium Development Goal Two, for example, aims to achieve universal primary education, with the main target being to ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls like, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling, with three main indicators for monitoring progress, namely the net enrolment ratio in primary education; the proportion of pupils starting grade 1 who reach the last grade of primary school; and the literacy rate of 15-24 year olds, both women and men. Some of the aims of the Millennium Development Goal Two overlap with those of Millennium Development Goal Three, which aims to promote gender equality, aiming to eliminate gender disparity in primary (and secondary) education in terms of the ratios of girls to boys in primary (and later) education. In Africa, the Millennium Development Goals are overseen by the MDG Afric a Steering Group, which brings together the leaders of development organisations working in Africa, the UN Secretary General and the heads of various organisations, such as the IMF, the Islamic Development Bank Group and the World Bank Group, in to order to identify the steps that are needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in Africa (MDG Africa Steering Group, 2009). The objectives of the MDG Africa Steering Group are to strengthen international mechanisms for implementation of development plans in health, education, agriculture, food security and infrastructure, to improve aid predictability and efficacy and to enhance coordination of aid at the level of individual countries (MDG Africa Steering Group, 2009). The Millennium Development Goals were developed as a fundamental part of the Millennium Declaration, which was signed by 189 countries in September 2000 (UN, 2000), supported by further countries at the 2005 World Summit via Resolution A/RES/60/1 of the UN General Assembly (UN, 2005). The Millennium Development Goals were conceptualised as a set of inter-related goals and targets that represent a way to encourage a viable partnership between developed and developing countries, in order to develop an environment – both global and national – that is conducive to development and to the elimination of the causes, and consequences, of poverty (UNDP, 2009). As of the date of signing of the Millennium Declaration, many hundreds of millions of people in the developing world lived below the poverty line, with a large proportion of these people failing to receive enough food to be able to survive. The Millennium Development Goals were, thus, developed as a concerted effort to identify where improvements were necessary and how these improvements could be made, via a series of targets and indicators, which would allow progress to be measured over the various goals. The Millennium Declaration focused on several main areas of improvement, inc luding the achievement of peace and security, poverty eradication, protecting the environment, ensuring human rights are upheld and protecting the most vulnerable members of the worldwide community, with this framework providing the conceptual basis of the Declaration and providing the holistic framework for the development of the specific goals, targets and indicators for monitoring progress.

Protestantism and Catholicism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Protestantism and Catholicism - Essay Example Other significant concerns expressed by Martin Luther entailed the notion that there were fundamental ideological differences between the religious truths as Martin Luther saw it and the doctrine of the Catholic Church. These differences included the notion of purgatory, particular judgment, devotion to Mary, the intercession of the saints, most of the sacraments, and the authority of the Pope.1 These ideological differences led to a split within the Catholic Church. This split effectively led to the creation of the Protestant Church as well as a difference in the way in which both churches set out to negotiate with the popular culture of the time. This paper will focus on these differences and illuminate the underlying causes of contention. First and foremost, in order to conceptualize the difference between Catholicism and Protestantism with regards to the negotiation of popular culture it is prudent that we discuss the basic tenets of the two religions. Most importantly, the fundamental religious beliefs of Catholics are those that have been derived from the New Testament and are symbolized through the many sacraments. The most fundamental belief is one that entails the notion that there is a holy trinity and the deity consists of three divine persons-God the father, the son and the Holy Ghost.2 Within the Catholic Church there is a central belief that God came into being as a direct result of the incarnation of his Son. Within the Catholic tradition there is an emphasis on sacraments. Essentially, there are seven sacraments. These sacraments include Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick. The Sacraments are essentially ceremonies which highlight what is impo rtant, sacred and significant in the lives of Catholics. Of these sacraments, the Baptism and the Eucharist have special prominence in that the Baptism is the sacramental entry into religious life for Catholics and the Eucharist is the symbolic memorial of the death and subsequent resurrection of Christ. Another important sacrament is that of the Reconciliation wherein Catholics are given absolution from their sins through the process of confession.3 The Protestant Reformation era represents a split within the Catholic Church and the emergence of the Protestant Church as a corrective action for dealing with what Martin Luther and other reformists felt were inherent flaws within Christianity. First and foremost, the official start of the reformation can be seen in 1517 when Martin Luther, an ex-communicated monk, produced his ninety-five theses which delineated his repugnance at the fact that there was a systematic abuse of papal power. This abuse was most evident in the sale of indulgences by Pope Leo X as a means of raising funds for the construction of the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.4 This action served to infuriate an already furious Martin Luther who was essentially appalled at the fact that the powers afforded the Pope continued to expand and had become such that the Catholic Church not only asserted its influence on the mundane existence of its constituents but its influence was now evident in the determination of the qua lity of after-life afforded to believers. Essentially, his main contention involved the fact that faith had taken a diminished role while good acts were given a more prominent role. The notion of one buying his/her way into heaven was one that disturbed Luther who

Organization psychology and Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organization psychology and Behavior - Essay Example Organizational learning has become highly important in understanding the world of modern business. Due to rapid advancement in technology, new managerial styles, quick transfer of information and dynamically changing environment; it has become highly imperative for the companies to adapt the changes. In such a scenario, only the most flexible companies will be able to sustain themselves till the last. For organizations, it is equally important to learn from their past in order to excel successfully in the future. According to Peter Senge (1990), an organization should be a place where people should be given a chance to excel in order to acquire the desired results, where they should be encouraged to think out-of-the-box, where people should be given an opportunity to learn from their environment and where they should be transformed into role models for others to derive an inspiration. To fulfill his statement; Peter Senge has developed five basic disciplines of a learning organization. These five disciplines enable people to become more productive and more participative in their organization and also, it enables them to understand the reality of their present and shape their future in a more organized manner. It is considered as the conceptual foundation stone of Senge’s approach. This discipline provides a connection between the different parts that constitutes the entire structure of an organization. It enables the managers and the key staff to understand the different components of a system that builds up the entire infrastructure of an organization. Managers should focus on understanding that how these key components interacts with each other in order to attain long term success and goals. They should give importance on how these key components can impact on the system on long term basis. This discipline refers to an individual’s ability to expand and

November the 12th 1939. Autumn. The hotel.... Essay Example for Free

November the 12th 1939. Autumn. The hotel. Essay We pulled up outside the hotel, the rain bouncing down on to the muddy track. The icy wind rattled the trees and blew the dead rotting leaves. The hotel was half covered in the gloomy fog, which hang like the black rippers cloak. This fog had been looming around for many days, but it seemed to be getting heavier. Through the heavy fog, we could see the black cut out shape of where the door used to be, now the door laid alone on the timber floor, decaying and covered in woodworm and an unusual fungus has start to move itself on to the door. Thats the front entrance for the hotel, I think? I said to my fellow partner. Has we look up the mist was so heavy we could only see the entries and the first floor of the hotel but the rested was cover in the gloomy mist. I gazed up at the full moon which was covered with the thick storm clouds which was starting gathering together like bees in a swam. The dim moonlight reflected off the dead looking trees, which casts weird, deformed, figure shapes on to the rotting leaves and the muddy path. To me the figures were moving toward us, but it just could be my eyes playing trick. I turned my head to what used to be a boating lake, but now a smelly swamp with a thick green crust of pondweed, which covered the surface. I remember the old days when I use to swimming in the lake on those hot summer days, but I would go near it now with all the pollution, which has been pumped, into it. Where are we going to start our search? George asked On the top floor, follow me I locked the car and headed to the door. Weeds and insects have taken over the hotel now. Nettles grew up from the floorboards. We entered Outside the rain stopped, but how long I asked myself The hotel was very quite accepted of the noises of the insects, too quite in my opinion. I headed towards the stairs, but at the same time I was weaving my way around the woodland weeds. I set down one foot on to the first step; the step cracked and fell to the basement below. When the wood hit the floor I heard a little grunt, but the crack of the wood hitting the floor shadowed most of the sound of the grunt I heard. Be very careful the floor is not that safe, and I think that we are not a lone. We walked up the creaky, squeaky old wooden stairs. Slowly we walked, side by side, our eyes looking dead straight, gazing forward into the thick dark hovering mist. We reached the top of the stairs in no time at all. I squinted into the darkness, trying to pick out a black book, which had a crystal object hidden in the leather cover, or so the town people said. We started to move once again, the rotting floor groaned and moaned, just crying for mercy with every step we made. The cold icy wind blew through every nook and cranny. Every breath we let out made us look like two old dragons letting steam run freely through our red scaly nose. My nose was red. My fingers were numb. At last we discover the room, 1 0 1 where thousands of mysteries lay. I took a deep icy breath and held it tight as I squeezed my red raw fingers into a fist. Very slowly I turn the knob and very slowly pushed the door open, its whining rusty hinges, screaming with pain. With a crack the doors hinges gave way to the heaviness of the old door and the door went crashing down on to the floor with a bang. As so as the door hit the floor I blinked has the little impacted of wind and the thick dust and that load boom hit me? The boom from the door shook the hotel, which was followed by a loader grunt. After the bang the old abandoned room fell silent, and the only sounds the hoot! Hoot! Of a creepy unseen owl and a Tick! Tock! Of the old grandfather clock, not forgetting the heavy thuds from our fast beating hearts. We gazed into the smelly; Bug infested, gloomy, candle lit room. The icy wind howled like a pack of blood thirty dogs or was it the wind that did the spine chilling sound? A shattered smoke stained window over looked a graveyard. The wind blew the ripped yellow cob webbed curtains, which cast a shadow of a ghost like image on to a winter picture with its crystal clear ice, which glistened and shone like the stars on a clear night. The candles flame dance to a groovy beat. The icy wind blew hard. The candle flames disappeared one by one. Total darkness. Dong! Dong! Dong! The Dong! Sound echoed around the old rotten timber hotel just like two heavy footsteps on a hard wooden floor. I pulled the torches out of my rucksack and pass one to George. With a flick of the switch the torches blinding light beaded out, I shaded my eyes best I could because I couldnt bare the light, which almost blinded us both. George peeled back his shirtsleeve and shone his torch on his watch. 3 i clock sir, are we staying or are we going? I never replied I had other thing on my mind because I was more interested about a bloodstain on the old looking bed. You are staying for ever! said a croaky young voice. After the voices two bright blue eyes peering out. I stared at the eyes and the eyes stared back. A deep chilling laugh came, like a wrinkly old teachers nail running down a black board. We cringed and covered our ears with our red raw numb hands. The windows smashed and the torches flicked, and packed up Silence The chilling eyes were still peering out. Here someones spying on us BANG OOPs Jesus Christ George what were you trying to do? Scare me to death? The two little eyes blinked and ran into a hole in the piano. A rat, just only a little rat I gave sighs of relief. I turn to face George, but George was not there? George! George! Where are you? by now I started to think if this was a good idea in the first place. I am down here you dummy I turn my head and looked to the floor. No youre not you liar Yes I am! O! Im upside down so look up at the roof You better not be lying and anyway how did you get up on the roof? I tilled my head and looked up. I dont know. By now things had started to get confusing and I started to get nervous. I felt like I was in a fun house. I sat myself down on the bed and rubbed my hands together just trying to get some warmth back into them. I gazed back up at George, but George was not there any more. Quietness Im behind you I jump once again. Do not do that to me Ive told you once I looked around. A broken glass lay on an Ouija board. A note said: The rest of the note was covered in blood. I looked out of the window and squinted to the graveyard. We need to check out that graveyard, I said. Whats this? I think its a death certificate for? For? There are no names on it. It has been erased. Look at the Signature James Wilber. James Wilber. The dead person is James Wilber. He died of suspicious circumstances. We are off to that graveyard. I turn and pointed to the window but there was no window and no door, we were stood in the graveyard? Hay! How did we get out here when we were up there? Where is the hotel? I turned and look into the distance, Theres the hotel, how ca it be? A about a minute ago we were in that room up there. I pointed. The graveyard was dark and misty. A dead ugly creepy tree hung over an old fashioned tomb. The howling wind blew a load of dead rotten leave, crisps packets and dust into my eyes. I tried to cover my eyes but it was no use so I wait for the wind to clear. While I was waiting for wind to clear, I thought of the different things, which could happen to us on our twisted little journey. When the wind cleared I opened my eyes. I saw George stumbling over roots, then stopping and slowly bending over to pick something up, it looks like a piece of paper. To me it looked like a potato chip bag, so Id carried on looking. Hey come and look at this I have just found he called over. I zigzagged my way around the gravestones. I reached his side and grabbed the paper. It was a dollar dating back to 1891. Is that real? It looks like it to me. Well where did it come from? America you dip stick. No you fool? I mean how did it get here? At this time the mist turned into a heavy fog and it was much colder. OOOUH! OW. OW. OOOUH! We have to get back to the hotel. A patter of feet, thundered on to the hard floor followed by a horrify howl. It sounds like! Like! Werewolves One of the werewolves jumps on to the tomb and gave us a horrifying look. I turned around and gazed back, 5 sets of red eyes were racing towards us. Run! The snapping of jaws and growling echoed in my ears. The hotel came in view. Closer and closer. We run through the opening and pick up the door, which was on the floor. The scrapping of claws scratched on the now replaced door. A thunderstorm started to settle in. I went for the light switch and stop and remember that the electricity was off. So I tried the torch, it was no good so I lit a candle and then found a spot to go to sleep. It was a chair with a white sheet hung over it, I ripped the sheet off, which cause a shower of dusted. The chair looked brand new. The rain started the thunder roared. The rain pounded down like bombs dropping in the war. This cause the rain to leak through the roof, which turned the room smelly, the scrapping of claws disappeared. How long will the rain last? Dont know Well I am off to sleep. George said. George lay on a couch and gazed up at the roof. Drip! Drip! Drip! Tick! Tock! Tick! Ill keep a look out for the first hour and you keep a look out for the next. Ok. Drip! Drip! Drip! Tick! Tock! Tick! I gazed over to George; he was out like a light. Bless him For many hours I tried to get to sleep that, but something was forcing me to stay a wake, The cold was getting worse so I decided to make a little fire. I got up and broke up some wooden chairs and made a pile of wood to light. I went to the cooker room and found some lighter fuel and went back. Four dips of the lighter fuel and one strike of a match and the fire was lit. The warmth rushed through my body like water out of a tap. The flames lit up the room. The full moon shone brightly through the black storm clouds and through the window. A flash of lighting lit up the room. I turn my head and flash. When the lighting flashed and the flames danced, a round object glistened in the light. I got up and walk over to the object, which was starting to bug me. Drip! Drip! Drip! Tick! Tock! Tick! Flash Crack I picked up the object and looked at it very closely. It was a coin, an America Cent. I reached deep into my pockets and pull out my glasses. The coin was dated back to 1891. On the back it said, in god we trust I walked back to the chair and reached for my side pocket and pull out the dollar bill and compared the two. On the back of the note it also said. In god we trust The same Drip! Drip! Drip! Tick! Tock! Tick! Flash Crack Dong! Dong! Dong! 12o clock Flash I gazed at the grandfather clock. What the hell? by now I am getting a bit excited because of the discovering I had just made. In side the clock was a parcel wrapped up in an America flag. I slow open the parcel just in case it was a bomb. I peeled back the flag slowly. In side the flag was a shoebox, I took the lid off slowly, I felt like a kid on Christmas day. In side the shoebox there was a black and white picture of a young man. At the top of the photograph was some writing, which said. JAMES WILBER, 21st of January 1900. In god we trust Died here in room 1 0 1 And there was the black book with the crystal object hidden in the cover we were looking for. The Young Cranky voice came again. Died here in 1 0 1 so come! Come The voice was much softer than last time, almost like a whisper. A big flash of lighting woke George up. George. Follow me. I said I headed to the stairs. We walked up the creepy, squeaky, creaky timber stairs. We reached the top of the stairs and head to the room 1 0 1 Theyre sat a ghost-like man. Thank you, thank you The ghost had a sad face but slowly the face change to a sneer. The ghost lifted its head up and starts shouting Give me the book! Why? Give me the damn book The hotel started to shake. No! Why? The ghost looked at me. His eyes seamed to burn me. Give me the book, now No The ghost rose in to the air and the eyes of the ghost changed from milky white to blood shot red. Smoke filled the room. Damn the fire down stairs I yelled loudly I turned and headed for the stairs. Stop. The ghost shouted out. No, get lost I shouted back My heart started to beat faster and faster. As soon as I hit the stairs, the stairs gave way and I hit the floor below with a THUND

Computer Technology and the Physically Challenged :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Computer Technology and the Physically Challenged Computer technology has positively affected the physically challenged. Computer technology brings new techniques for the blind, deaf, and people with movement disabilities. New programs are making it easier for the disabled. Some schools and states are helping the disabled by setting up computer labs and computer recycling programs. Computer technology has really helped the blind and the deaf. It has brought Braille keys to a regular keyboard. The blind can print out their documents as a Braille copy or a regular copy. If a blind person does not know Braille, then they can use speech synthesizers. Speech synthesizers can speak the words on the screen aloud. A 62-year-old professor uses a portable speech synthesizer. Computer technology has helped make life easier for the deaf because they can read the computer screen easier than before. A center called Adaptive Technology Resource Centre (ATRC) is making it easier for the disabled to access information technology. The new ATRC program, at the University of Toronto, designed to access information. Another program, called MathML, was intended to put math on the web. ATRC worked with MathML to make it accessible to people. The ATRC has also added haptics, the sense of touch and audio, to interactive programs. In an article I read, one example given was a periodic table that showed the relative elements and weight. Another example given was of a pendulum model that showed the properties of a pendulum. ATRC is also exploring the use of captioning and video description. People can look up a word they do not know using one of these methods. ATRC, along with three other companies, has come up with the smart card system. The smart card sets up the computer to the individuals’ preference. Another program that was set up to help disabled people is called Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI). EASI is like ATRC; it provides access to information and guidance to the physically challenged. Through a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, EASI had developed several projects. At the Georgia Institute of Technology, they are trying to make science labs more accessible to students with disabilities. They also take an interest in distant learning by having two online workshops to assist in understanding the Internet and computers. Other schools are starting to help the disabled; whether it is by setting up a new computer lab or recycling used computers.

Private military contractors Essay

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Private military contractors, also known as private security contractors provide a number of different services for the UN military in Iraq.   Various services include the preparation of meals, navigating army supply vehicles, military training and security for US officials.   Some private military contractors also provide interrogation and translating services for the US military. Contractors providing this service in particualr have been suspected of a number of human rights abuses at the Abu Ghraid Prison.   Other activities by private military contractors have raised issues about humanitarian conerns and the abuse of womren’s rights.   There are currently at least 100 private military contractors in Iraq.[1]   This discussion looks at the unique role of private military companies in Iraq and examines their impact on the rights of women. Private Military Companies in Iraq   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The US military and the State Department spends billions of dollars on private security contractors in Iraq.[2] These contractors according to the Washington Post are: â€Å"Out of public view, have been engaged in a parallel surge, boosting manpower, adding expensive armor and stepping up evasive action as attacks increase.†[3]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The primary goal is to â€Å"offset chronic troop shortage† and the number of invidual contractors are between 20,000 and 30,000.[4]   David Isenberg in a report by the British American Security Information Council published on September 4, 2004 maintains that it is impossible to accurately account for the number of private military companies currently in Iraq.   This is because only PMC’s whose contracts exceed $50 million are required â€Å"to be reported to Congress.†[5]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Isenberg complains that the legal status of private military companies is especially problematic since there is no real provision in International law to account for their role and definition.[6] While many view the private military personnel as mercenaries, they do not fit the definition of mercenry within the meaning of the Geneva Convention.[7]   Article 47 describes a mercenary as an idividual who takes part in military combat and is not a national and: â€Å"is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a Party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar ranks and functions in the armed forces of that Party†.[8]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   James Conachy however, refers to these private military personnel as â€Å"modern-day mercenaries.†[9]   Conachy aligns their physical presence with their abstract presence.   While they are by and large not subjected to transparency and legal accountability in the traditional sense they operate out of uniform and from â€Å"unmarked vehicles†.[10]   They go about their business in this manner while â€Å"manning roadblocks, or stalking outstide building, with machine guns.†[11] As a result, the private militaray presence in Iraq has â€Å"become an ubiquitous and offensive symbol of the US occupation.†[12]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conachy maintains that the need for private military presence in Iraq is obviated by the bredth of US military deployment overseas following the September 11 terrorist attacks.   Without the use of private military companies the US would be compelled to send more troops to Iraq from an already depleted armed force or would have to seriously consider â€Å"reviving the military draft.†[13] It is obvious from this assessment of the single purpose of the private military that distinguishes them from the Article 47 definition of mercenary.   Mercenaries are not aligned to a paritcular party and obviously the private military contractors are aligned to the US and are used to facilitate the US military’s shortfall.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The following description of private military duties takes them well outside of Article 47’s definition of mercenary: â€Å"Far more than in any other conflict in United States history, the Pentagon is relying on private security companies to perform crucial jobs once entrusted to the military.†[14] It is clear that private military companies are not in actual combat.   Mercernaries, according to the Geneva Convetions are actively fighting . Human Rights Concern and Women   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In an article published in the Guardian, Luke Harding explains that the full extent of abuse toward women by all sectors of the military in Iraq will not be fully known.   This is primarily because Islamic women rarely discuss violations of a sexual nature.   Rape, Harding maintains is a symbol of shame in the muslim world   and â€Å"victims can be killed to salvage family honour.†[15] The most shocking incidents of abusive treatment of women originate from the Abu Ghraib jail which was primarily manned by private military personnel.[16] Accroding to Patrap Chatterjee the private military’s role at the Abu Ghraib jail was one of interrogation which brought them into more frequent contact with the prisoners than other jail personnel.[17]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The International Committee of the Red Cross reported that in October 2003 there were approximately thirty female prisoners in the Abu Ghraib jail.[18]   According to prison personnel, that number was reduced to five by May of 2004.[19]   The Internation League for Peace and Freedom had documented some eye witness accounts of abuse at the Abu Ghraid jail.   One such account was given to Iman Khamas who heads the International Occupation Watch Center, a private organization that collects anti-human rights information.   The account came from a former prisoner who told Khamas of a rape incident at the jail.   Khamas reports that the prisoner recalls that: â€Å"†¦ the prisoner said her cellmate had been rendered unconscious for 48 hours. ‘She claimed she had been raped 17 times in one day by Iraqi police in the presence of American soldiers.’†[20]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another report originated from Mohammed Daham al-Mohammed who heads an Iraqi group, the Union of Detainees and Prisoners.   According to a-Mohammed he was informed of a â€Å"mother of four† who had been arrested in December of 2003 and killed herself after being raped by US guards who forced her husband to watch while incarcerated at the Abu Ghraib jail.[21]    According to the woman’s sister the rape victim committed suicide.[22] The victim had told her sister of incidents of physical abuse outside of the rape.   In one account she recalled a American male pulling her by the hair and forcing her to look at her husband while the American took off her clothing.   After this incident the rape took place.   Once released, the woman was afraid to face her husband since he had witnessed the rape and asked her sister to help her commit suicide.[23]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A former male prisoner reported incidents where women were constantly removed from their cells to private rooms.   The prisoner explains: â€Å"They had to pass in front of our tent and cried out, ‘Find a way to kill us’.†[24] Human Rights groups explain that rape for a Muslim woman shames the entire family which is why these women would rather die having suffered a rape.[25] Khamas recalls an incident in which she visited a woman at the Abu Ghraid jail and a female prisoner told her about a rape, but whispered in her ear despite the fact that no one else was present.[26]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Khamas, Mohommed and Hoda Nuaimi, a professor in politics at Baghdad University report that: â€Å"†¦three young rural women from the Sunni Muslim region of Al-Anbar, west of Baghdad, had been killed by their families after coming out of Abu Ghraib pregnant.Nuaimi said that in the case of another such woman, who was four months pregnant, her brother had been reluctant to kill his sister because he considered her a victim.†[27]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Luke Harding reports that the first information about abuse of female victims at the Abu Ghraib jail, a US facility first came to light by a note smuggled out of the prison by a female prisoner.[28]   In the note the woman claimed that women were being raped by US personnel and many of them had become pregnant.   The note also begged the Iraqis to â€Å"bomb the jail to spare the women further shame.†[29]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Swadi, a female lawyer among seven representing the female detainees indicated that the abuse was not limited to the Abu Ghraib jail and was happening all over Iraq.[30] The shame associated with rape and the consequence for family disgrace were evident in the following account from a female prisoner at al-Kharkh, a US military base: â€Å"She was the only woman who would talk about her case. She was crying. She told us she had been raped†¦Several American soldiers had raped her. She had tried to fight them off and they had hurt her arm. She showed us the stitches. She told us, ‘We have daughters and husbands. For God’s sake don’t tell anyone about this.’†[31]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Luke Harding also reports that an investigation conducted by the US Military which was headed by Major General Antonio Taguba confirmed the contents of the note smuggled out of the Abu Ghraib facility.   Moreover, digital photographs, according to Tajuba’s findings also depitcted US personnel engaging in sexual contact â€Å"with and Iraqi woman.†[32] Tajuba’s investigation also found videotapes of nude female prisoners.[33]   There are additional photographs of Iraqi women being forced at gun point to â€Å"bare their breasts.†[34] While these photographs have been relased to Congress they have not been released to the public.[35]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In May of 2004: â€Å"an Iraqi woman in her 70s had been harnessed and ridden like a donkey at Abu Ghraib and another coalition detention centre after being arrested last July.†[36] UK Labor Member of Parliament Ann Clwyd investigated the incident and confirmed that it was in fact true.   The Iraqi elderly woman had been held without charge for at least three weeks during which time â€Å"she was told that she was a donkey.†[37]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Luke Harding explains the devastating consequences for female rape victims which only accentuates the abuse involved.   According to Harding: â€Å"Honour killings are not unusual in Islamic society, where rape is often equated with shame and where the stigma of being raped by an American soldier would, according to one Islamic cleric, be â€Å"unbearable†. The prospects for rape victims in Iraq are grave; it is hardly surprising that no women have so far come forward to talk about their experiences in US-run jails where abuse was rife until early January.†[38]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the time of writing, Harding describes another incident of physical and mental abuse agianst female detainees in Iraq in which the private military personnel are activiely involved.   Five women, according to Harding were being held in â€Å"solitary confinement† in cells measuring just 2.5 meters in length and 1.5 meters in width at Abu Ghraib.[39] Captain Dave Quantock who was then in charge of the prisoners at Abu Ghraib told journalists that all female prisoners at Abu Ghraib are kept â€Å"in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day.†[40]   The only entertainment the women are allowed is access to the Koran.[41]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mystery surrounds the grounds upon which the five females in solitary confinement are held.   The general term used is that they are held as â€Å"security detainees.†[42] Swabi maintains that these women are being held â€Å"for who they were married to and their potential intelligence value.†[43] Be that as it may, the degree of abusse cannot be justified.   Under both US and International laws the cruel and inhuman treatement of prisoners at anytime is unlawful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   International humanitarian laws contained in the Geneva Conventions 1949 of which the United States ratified since 1955 requires that during times of war and peace all prisoners are to be treated humanly.[44] More over the Geneva Convention IV specifically prohibits rape and indecent assault on women.   Article 27 provides as follows: â€Å"Women shall be especially protected against any attack on their honour, in particular against rape, enforced prostitutiOn, or any form of indecent assault.†[45]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Judicth Gail Gardam and Hillary Charlesworth argue that women have always been at risk of violence in armed conflict.   Although the emphasis has always been on sexual violence there have been other forms of violence against women.   Gardam and Charlesworth note that the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action called for governments worldwide to map out plans for combatting: â€Å"the effects of armed or other kind of conflict on women, including those living under foreign occupation.†[46] The Iraqi conflict and occupation and the violence against women is therefore nothing new.   What is perhaps more surprising is the fact that it could happen in light of international laws and attention to violence against women in the past. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An irony arises out of these reports.   The US invasion has been called â€Å"operation Iraqi freedom† which presupposes a vastly humanitarian effort.   Yet in the course of fighting for Iraqi freedom, those sent to fight for the cause have added to the problem.   Roger Normand alleges that the US personnel in Iraq are: â€Å"†¦violating almost every law intended to protect civilians living under foreign military occupation.†[47] While many of   these crimes are being committed by private military companies,   the world at large and the Iraqi populace draw no distinction between the US soldiers and the security companies employed by them to help the cause. The private military and security personnel are agents of the US government and as such the US government is vicariosuly liable for the misconduct of the private miliatary contractors.   As long as they are permitted to continue working with and for the military and as long as they continue to violate international law particularly article 27 of the fourth Geneva Convention, the US must take responsibility for the ills committed by them.   They cannot take the benefit without the burden.    Bibliography Center for Economic and Social Rights.(n.d.) â€Å"New Report Documents Extensive U.S. War Crimes In Iraq†. Available online at: http://www.ccmep.org/2004_articles/iraq/061104_CESR.htm Retrieved December 11 2007 Chatterjee, Pratap. (May 12, 2004) â€Å"Private Contractors and Torture at Abu Ghraib, Iraq.† Democracy Now. Available online at: http://www.democracynow.org/2004/5/12/private_contractors_and_torture_at_abu Retrieved December 11, 2007 Conachy, Jamers. (May 3, 2004) â€Å"Private Military Companies in Iraq: Profiting from Colonialism.†International committee of the Fourth Amendment. Available online at: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/may2004/pmcs-m03.shtml Retrienved December 11, 2007 Fainaru, Steve. (June 16, 2007) â€Å"Iraq Contractors Face Growing Parallel War: As Security Work Increase, So do Casualties.† Washington Post Gardam, Judith, Gail and Charlesworth, Hillary. (Feb. 2000) â€Å"Protection of Women in Armed Conflict†. Human Rights Quarterly Vol. 22 No. 1 pp 148-166 Geneva Convention Harding, Luke. (May 12, 2004)† Focus Shifts to Jail Abuse of Women.† The Guardian. Harding, Luke. (May 20, 2004) â€Å"Rape in Iraq: The other prisoners.† The Guardian. Isenberg, David. (Sept. 4, 2004) â€Å"A Fistful of Contractors: A Case For a Pragmatic Assessment of Private Military Companies in Iraq.† British American Security Information Council, Research Report. Kabbara, Rouba. (May, 29, 2004) â€Å"Human Rights Groups: Iraqi Women Raoed at Abu Ghraib Jail.† Peace Women Available online at: http://www.peacewomen.org/news/Iraq/May04/Women%20in%20Prison.html   Retrieved Deember 10 2007

A Feminist Criticism of a Farewell to Arms Essay

After finishing A Farewell to Arms, I found it difficult to reconcile Judith Fetterley’s feminist attack of the novel with my own personal opinions. I agree that Hemingway does kick women to the curb in his portrayal of Catherine, but my reasons for pinning this crime on Hemingway are different from hers’. Although she means well, Fetterley makes the ridiculous claim that by portraying Catherine as an angelic, selflessly loving â€Å"woman to end all women,† Hemingway disguises misogynistic attitudes and a deep-seeded hatred towards the XX chromosome. This claim is not supported by the text. If we look at Hemingway through the lens of his own words, we find that his misogyny does not spring from a â€Å"too good to be true† portrait of Catherine, but rather in his tendency to cast her down into the dirt-Catherine is a dependent, baby-manufacturing trap that stifles Lieutenant Henry: â€Å"Poor, poor dear Cat. And this was the price you paid for sleeping together. This was the end of the trap† (320). It is his penchant for sex and his need for womanly comfort that keeps Henry coming back to Catherine, not some notion of â€Å"love† or true connection. This is Hemingway’s misogyny, however unintentional, unmasked. But to get a true sense of this â€Å"anti-Fetterley† feminist view of the novel, it is important too look at the specifics of Hemingway’s construction of Catherine-facts that stand in direct opposition to Fetterley’s stated attacks. First of all, Catherine is not Fetterley’s unique and unattainable goddess-she is an object in Henry’s universe, a feast of sensations but nothing more. She is akin to good food and good drink: â€Å"‘I was made to eat. My God, yes. Eat and drink and sleep with Catherine'† (233). Indeed, Henry’s thoughts about Catherine, both when he is at the front or by her side, mingle with longings for good wine and reflections on sumptuous meals. In Henry’s world, a good Capri would be nice, a nice hunk of cheese would be grand, and sleeping with Catherine would be sublime. These things all equate to the satisfaction of basic human needs. Every now and then, Henry feels a grumbling in his loins-a periodic hunger for the â€Å"cheese† between Catherine’s legs. Hemingway dissolves Catherine into the least common denominator-the object, devoid of meaning or real importance (when Henry isn’t hungry). How can Catherine be an angel, as Fetterley claims, when she is merely an object, a small, rocklike satellite orbiting Planet Henry? This leads us to another aspect of Hemingway’s treatment of Catherine. In the novel, she is a completely dependent and subservient slave to Henry and his desires-she is placed firmly under his heel. This is evident from her dialogue: â€Å"‘I’m good. Aren’t I good? You don’t want any other girls, do you?†¦ You see? I’m good. I do what you want'† (106). Through her words, we get a sense that the only thing that concerns Catherine is the level of Henry’s satisfaction. She needs his approval; he is the beginning and end of her world. This dependency resurfaces many times in the novel. In Milan, Catherine works herself to the bone all day, so that she can have sex with Henry all night. Throughout this period, her greatest worry is that she doesn’t tack up to the girls that he has had in the past: â€Å"‘I’ll say just what you wish and I’ll do what you wish and then you will never want any other girls'† (105). When she is pregnant, her thoughts and concerns continue to center completely around Henry’s happiness: â€Å"‘But after she’s born and I’m thin again I’m going to cut it (her hair) and then I’ll be a fine new and different girl for you'† (304). Even during her long and arduous labor, Catherine’s single worry is that she is a burden on Henry: â€Å"‘Oh, I wanted so o have this baby and not make trouble, and now I’m all done and all gone to pieces and it doesn’t work'† (322). Fetterley might claim that this amounts to â€Å"selfless-love,† but I think this phrase gives Catherine (and Hemingway) too much credit. Catherine, as portrayed in the text, seems more like an obedient dog then a virtuous, unselfish being of light; she is like a mutt that serves its master because it has no one else and cannot survive on its own. By the end of the novel, Hemingway succeeds in portraying Catherine as both an object and a docile subject in Lieutenant Henry’s kingdom. This construction diminishes Catherine’s character and allows Henry (and Hemingway) to view her and the baby completely in terms of the burden they entail. They are a â€Å"trap†-flames that burn the log that â€Å"Henry the ant† scurries around on. This makes it much easier for Hemingway to kill off Catherine and wash Henry’s hands of all responsibility-the final pieces in his misogynistic puzzle. This harsh take is a more tenable alternative to Fetterley’s feminist attacks on the novel.

Feminine Gospels Essay Essays

Feminine Gospels Essay Essays Feminine Gospels Essay Paper Feminine Gospels Essay Paper How far do you hold with the position that ‘Feminine Gospels is nil but â€Å"Feminist Propaganda? ? ? † ’ In reply refer to 2 verse forms in item. Talk about Title. The Virgins Memo. The adult female who shopped Feminism has been around since the 1910 with purpose and intent. Since so the motion gained impulse and created a 2nd and 3rd motion which have gained acknowledgment in history and still today there are existent womens rightists who kept true to the original feminist motion. However since so have attracted the attending of wannabe’s and females who have been misinformed of what feminism is. are eager to fall in some kind of cause to let females to be treated as â€Å"equals† to their male opposite numbers. Carol Ann Duffy has created a broad scope of books turn toing the literature universe of feminism non merely that is she hailed one of the greatest Feminist writers however I agree slightly with the statement that her book Feminine Gospels which she published in 2002 has a batch of feminist propaganda. : Virgin’s memo is a typical illustration of feminine propaganda as it’s a verse form of the Virgin Mary go forthing a post-state message for her boy Jesus. who harmonizing to the Bible was the boy of God. We can see this as in the 2nd line she says â€Å"son† turn toing Jesus. Duffy uses repeat to underscore merely how bad work forces are at consciousness. this is done invariably by utilizing the word â€Å"maybe† and â€Å"or† as if Mary pulled these idea’s without much idea or encephalon power. therefore by utilizing insistent words like â€Å"maybe† and â€Å"or† Duffy obviously voices her sentiment that females are better at work forces if they are given the ability or in this instance the power to alter things in the universe or do a difference and at the same clip shows work forces in a discrediting visible radiation. Furthermore Duffy besides does this by making a list of the many different jobs Jesus could’ve gotten rid of when he was alive like â€Å"abscesses. acne. asthma† and â€Å"menopause. mice. mucous secretion. son† in other words disputing what Jesus did in his life and minimizing work forces in general. Duffy adopts petroleum and humourous subject to the verse form to show the incapableness of consciousness males have for case Duffy uses crude sarcasm to maximize the effectivity of her point with â€Å"the unicorn’s love† because this beautiful animate being is fabulous animate being and was created by worlds after Jesus left the universe compared to the â€Å"rats† â€Å"giraffes† which are really existent one time once more knocking males. The verse form Beautiful displays males a negative visible radiation throughout as media of work forces dismissed. the nearing power of adult females Either of those could be used as feminist propaganda. Whatever makes adult females look better and work forces look worse. The Virgins Memo A batch of females are warranting what they do as being a womens rightist. But they are NOT womens rightists. They’re merely dorks. Feminism now is covered in obscure generalizations and many efforts to acquire the message out are transforming into statements. and is interpreted otherwise to multiple people and many are contradictory that general understanding seems to be black. Feminine Gospels is a female feel good book that boosts feminine morale by doing males slightly inferior to females.

Identification of Team background and Evaluation of its performance Assignment

Identification of Team background and Evaluation of its performance - Assignment Example This research will begin with the statement that the team to be evaluated is a professional team that appointed to ensure the prolongation of a certain audit firm, P&H, by choosing the best alternative among the many options that do not lead to an adverse effect in terms of operations. P&H boasts of a strong team of auditors that have played a big role in its success. The firm is composed of ten members with higher qualifications and credentials in different various fields of finance and management. P&H team is a traditional team that has been committed to ensuring that the firm delivers high-quality work to her clients and employs competent audit assistance and other audit technicians. The team that includes different heads of departments sharing similar goals of the firm believes that performance of every member is crucial for P&H success. Many differences that were initially experienced in the team have been resolved and different departmental heads appreciate their colleaguesâ₠¬â„¢ contribution. Team members understand each other and interact with humor, a concept that helps them provide a solution and constructive feedback. Team members are committed to the team goal thus producing great results. Team members engage in the collective and democratic decision-making process through consulting group members hence promoting workers ownership for the decisions without the team leader losing sight of the fact that he bears all the crucial responsibility of leadership.

Institutional Developments of Congress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Institutional Developments of Congress - Essay Example Following various reforms and changes, newly developed committee systems for legislation were advanced where the majority party leaders played a significant role in determining the major agenda in most of the floor seating. Majority of the party leaders had diversified advantages over the others since they enjoyed more prerogatives, and their control of issues was firm and greater. In addition to these, some of the political figures presented a great chance by shaping and expanding the committees through their personal ambitions. For instance, The House Speaker, Henry Clay emphasized in the creation of at least one committee charged with the responsibility of strategizing on the house rule reforms. They also created a domineering force in enabling the formation of these committee members. These members were to oversee on the expenditure of the executive especially with the existence of a policy-making body whose main advantage was not only to initiate their own bill proposal but also to gain more property rights over legislation.Nevertheless, the party leadership was evidenced through the sharing of interest by the party members by unifying them and institutionalizing on Reed's rule which not only focused on the alleviation of high tariffs and voting rights enforcements but also limited the house debates. It made the speaker’s prominent house powers diminish hence having a centralized party leadership in both the House and the Senate ruled by either the Democrats or the Republicans.