The Representation of gender roles and marriage Research Paper

The Representation of gender roles and marriage - Research Paper Example For language, as well as being a vehicle for communication, is also power. The author and psychoanalyst Eva Hoffman, who left her native Poland to complete her education in Canada and the USA, and who now practices as a psychoanalyst in London, writes about the relationship between language and identity in her autobiography Lost in Translation: Life in a New Language: I was also delighted to be asked to speak at a conference marking the 60th anniversary of the host organization, Relate. My association with Relate goes back even further than that with the Commission, and I am a firm admirer of the contribution it makes nationally to trying to improve communication between women and men through its work with troubled marriages. Talk therapy does offer the chance of finding one's voice, discovering a new language in which difficult matters can be talked about, and repossessing one's identity. Relate may not have thought of itself as a language school, but it is in the business of offering interpretive services. In that, it shares an enterprise with the work of my own organization, the Tavistock Marital Studies Institute, which also celebrated an important occasion in 1998-its 50th anniversary. Both organizations are concerned with whether and how women and men talk to each other. Not far from where I live in Hertfordshire is the village of Ayot St Lawrence. One of this little village's claims to fame is that the playwright George Bernard Shaw used to live there. His best-known play is probably Pygmalion, a quintessentially English drama about the divisions of class and gender, and one made popular by the musical My Fair Lady. The plot revolves around a bet, made by a dialectician, Professor Henry Higgins, that he can train a market girl, Eliza Dolittle, to speak and act in ways that would allow her to be passed off as aristocracy. In trying to eliminate the linguistic indicators of class, Higgins becomes increasingly frustrated by the differences of gender that he encounters. One plaintive, immortalized line from the musical, pleads `Why can't a woman be more like a man?'. The boot today is on the other foot. When it comes to communication, the exasperated cry is now `Why can't a man be more like a woman?'. You hear it in the consulting rooms of counsellors a nd therapists, in research reports on family life, and in media discussions on gender relations. The questions now are `why do men stonewall?', `why can't they talk about their feelings?', `why are they so orientated towards activities?' In an age where companionability is the primary expectation of marriage and partnership, men tend to get the blame for not delivering. Their 'failure' to communicate is taken as a key reason why marriages break down. They are no longer needed to bring home the bacon, nor even to provide the socially accepted framework of marriage for conceiving and raising children, and women are asking themselves what they need men for. Men, on the other hand, are facing a decline in their market, social and biological value. As if to underline the point, sperm levels are falling in our increasingly oestrogen-ridden environment, and even male delivery systems have proved inferior (at least, in terms of efficiency) to those carried out in the hospital laboratory. Th e recent explosion of interest in the male potency drug, Viagra, tells its own story. Is this story just of `Boy's

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW - Term Paper Example Prior to the HR Act 1998, any individual seeking to challenge the government on breach of rights as provided by the Convention, usually sought refuge at the European Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg, after proving that there was no remedy in the courts in the United Kingdom. From the perspective of individuals, the HR Act 1998 has implications at the workplace, in the development of legislation, ministerial decisions and use of government policy regarding prosecutions or the enforcement of law (Home Office, 2000). Implications of HR Act 1998 The HR Act 1998 came into force in 2000. From the time it came into force it strengthens and gives effect to the rights and freedoms that are available to all citizens through the ECHR. The HR Act 1998 on its own has not created any new statutory or common law rights, but it places the onus of responsibility on public authorities like government departments, local authorities, borough councils, health authorities and the law enforcement agenci es to take actions in such a way that it is compatible to the rights provided to individuals by ECHR. Furthermore, the HR Act 1998 also makes courts and tribunals duty bound to take into consideration any relevant judgment, decision, declaration or advisory opinion of the European Court of Human Rights into consideration when settling disputes over ECHR conferred rights in the United Kingdom. In such an exercise, it is also necessary for the courts to take into consideration any opinion or decision of the European Commission for Human Rights and the decision of the Committee of Ministers under Article 46 on the jurisdiction of the European Commission for Human Rights. In addition, the reading of primary and subordinate legislation in the United Kingdom must be read in such a way as not to reduce their validity, continuing operation and validity and given effect in a compatible manner to the ECHR (Chandler, 2003). An important distinction has to be borne in mind in that the HR Act of 1998 has only vertical direct effect. This means that only civil servants and public sector undertaking employees can sue their employees, which include government departments, local authorities, borough councils, the police and other public or quasi-public authorities for damages for any believed breaches of their rights guaranteed under ECHR. This avenue is not available for private sector employees. Workers in the private sector having grievances with regard to breach of one or more of their statutory or contractual rights may pray on the basis of a particular right as provide by the ECHR, but cannot bring proceedings against employers solely on the basis of the alleged breach of this right provided by ECHR. However, the can expect the courts in the United Kingdom to interpret the law in a way that foes no harm to their rights guaranteed trough ECHR (Chandler, 2003). Thus full implications of the HR Act 1998 to a certain degree will depend on the manner in which interpretation o f primary and subordinate legislation in the United Kingdom is read against alleged breaches of human rights as guaranteed by the ECHR. Criticism of the HR Act 1998 lies in this aspect, for it is not clearly worded and the English judiciary has been used to examining words in detail, but will now have to examine and interpret on the basis of purpose and intent and also take into consid

Reflective Analysis of Viva Voce

Reflective Analysis of Viva Voce Introduction Viva voce and a reflection, both a requirement for successful completion of the course. For somebody not used to this form of assessment process, it is just but normal to ask oneself what? , why? and how?. Although a brief and complete orientation, description and information was provided in the early part of the curriculum, it is only in the end that I have fully understand its significance to my learning. Through the viva voce and a reflective writing that I was able to evaluate myself in terms of what I have learned? (Knowledge), what I can do? (Skills gained), and what I have become? (Attitude)†¦ A competent practitioner. A highlight that I have to address in the Intensive Care Course. For it is in a reflective practise that we gain new understanding and appreciation (Mann et al. 2009). Description This is a reflective piece about my viva voce that revolves around my care of a 73 year old male referred to as Mr X, 6 hours post Coronary Artery Bypass Graft. As he became hemodynamically compromised, I have discussed Mr. X’s assessment in relation to a normal physiological compensatory mechanism involve and the care given. Review of Mr. X history sheet and assessment details found in appendix 1, was suggestive of hypovolemic shock as further supported by his clinical symptoms. Clinically, it can be classified as mild, moderate or severe (Kelly, 2005). This leads to organ hypoperfusion characterized by tachycardia, hypotension, oliguria, decrease cardiac output and high Systemic Vascular Resistance (SVR) as a result of hypovolaemia. It can be due to excessive fluid loss such as haemorrhage, vomiting, diarrhoea, burns or inadequate fluid intake (Adam and Osborne, 2005). Strengths and Areas for Development Stress and anxiety, is always a major predicament that I had been most worried about. I have tried to alleviate this from reading, rehearsing and any other form of preparation needed one would have conceived about. In the end, the anticipation that your next, was the most gruelling. I believe, I was in its entirety at best well prepared, organized and chronological in my presentation of points and information with some hiccups along the way but acceptable although can be overall improve given the situation. Upon presentation of Mr. X’s assessment details and laboratory result, and concluded hypovolaemia as a cause of haemodynamic compromise based on supporting evidences, I, at some point, preceded in the discussion of physiological responses as a result of decrease in cardiac output. This is due to decrease in circulating blood volume. His Haemoglobin level was acceptable and there is no signs of active bleeding. During my discussion, I have mentioned about how low circulating blood volume results in decrease End Diastolic Volume (EDV). This stimulates the baroreceptors located at the aortic arch and carotid sinuses to send signal to the medullary centre of the brain which in turn causes the release of adrenalin and noradrenalin by the action of the adrenal medulla (Jevon and Evens, 2008). This supported why Mr. X is tachycardic. The human body compensates in various ways through the involvement of different organ system working together to establish haemostasis. In renal response I have mentioned the involvement of the Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System. Not to be exhaustive with information, this involves the release of renin through the action of the juxtaglomerular cells stimulated because of decrease renal blood flow , which in turn is converted to angiotensin 1 by angiotensinogen. Angiotensin 1 is then transformed by the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) predominantly found in the lungs to Angiotensin II, a potent vasoconstrictor. Furthermore, the release of aldosterone from the adrenal cortex causes increase in renal sodium and water retention. A surge in osmolarity in the blood stimulates the release of Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) or vasopressin from the posterior pituitary gland. This results in the reabsorption of solute free water in the distal tubules and collecting system of the kidneys and fu rther stimulates peripheral vasoconstriction (McGloin and McLeod, 2010). With the reabsorption of sodium and water, coupled with vasoconstriction the circulating blood volume is improved thus, result in the increase in the end diastolic volume. This improves muscle contraction of the heart and overall the cardiac output. Hence Mr. X low urine output. Although I felt satisfied about my presentation of cardiac and renal responses to a decrease in cardiac output, my explanation in regards to metabolic acidosis more specifically in the aspect of cellular anaerobic metabolism was somehow lacking in its content. Glucose being a major carbohydrate, is a fuel used by cells in our body. Its metabolism travels through a pathway called glycolysis with the end product referred to as pyruvate, a three carbon acid. Inside the cell with mitochondria and oxidative metabolism, this is converted completely into Co2 and water known as aerobic glycolysis (Baynes, n.d.). In contrary, lactic acid is the end product of anaerobic breakdown of glucose in the tissues during persistent oxygen deprivation secondary to an insult caused by decrease circulating blood volume, and owerwhelming of the bodies buffering abilities (Gunnerson et. al. 2013). These explains why Mr. X lactate shows an increasing pattern with a base excess noted at – 5.9. Familiarity and consistency in my opinion is my area of development. I need to continually update myself with the ever changing needs of the client more so, of the profession. This includes current research based guidelines and policies. From reading books, journals, articles, new discoveries or trends in the field of critical care. More importantly, to continue to look after haemodynamically compromised patients to help facilitate maintain and improve a level of my competency and skills in Intensive care nursing. Implication for Practice With the knowledge and skills that I have gained from the viva voce and looking after clients with haemodynamic instability, supported with theory during lectures and mentoring, I am better able to understand what is happening inside the body as is tries to compensates to maintain haemostasis. More importantly, act upon the needs of the patient, and anticipates interventions with rationales for doing so. With the knowledge and skills that I will be bringing back to the unit, I will be able to help enhance the standard of care through mentorship. References Adam, S. K. and Osbourne, S. (2005) Critical Care Nursing: Science and Practice. Second Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Baynes, J. W. (n.d.) Anaerobic Metabolism of Glucose in the Red Blood Cells [online] Available from: http://molar.crb.ucp.pt/cursos/1 º e 2 º Ciclos Lics e Lics com Mests/MD/1 ºANO/2 ºSEM/12-UBA5/TPs/TP1/Baynes Cap11- Metabolismo da Glucose.pdf [Accessed12/12/13] Jevon, P. and Ewens, B. (2008) Monitoring of the Critically Ill Patient. Second Edition. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Kelly, D. M. (2005) Critical Care Nursing. Volume 28, no. 1 pp 2-19. Lippincott. Williams and Williams, inc. Gunnerson, K et al. (2013) Lactic Acidosis[online] Available from: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/167027-overview [Accessed12/12/13] Mann, K., Gordon, J. MacLeod, A. (2009) Reflection and reflective practice in health professions education: a systematic review. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Practice, 14(4), 595-621. doi: 10.1007/s10459-007-9090-2 McGloin, S. and McLeod, A. (2010) Advance Practice in Critical Care – A Case Study Approach. Oxford. Blackwell Publishing Appendix 1 On the start of the shift , received a patient in ITU who is 73 years of age, now 6 hours post CABG. He has been weaned off sedation and now ready for extubation. Pre operatively his echo showed good LV. Upon review of his chart showed a blood pressure of 140/60 mmhg. Now fully awake, proceeded with extubation at 20:30. His risk factors are; prev. MI, HTN, DM type 2, high Cholesterol, smoker and TIA x2. At 22:00 his assessment findings are: HR 110- 120 bpm BP 85/55 mmhg MAP 55-60 mmhg CVP 2 Temp. 36.5 Urine output 25mls/ hr ( Weighs 85kg) GCS : E4V4M6 Mediatinal drain 25mls –serosanguineous Bloods: K+ 4.9 mmol/L Na 143 mmol/L Urea 8 mmol/L Creatinine 80 umol/L Hb. 9.0 g/L Hct 35% WBC 8.4 k/ul ABG’s pH 7.29 pCO2 5.54 kPa pO2 18.4 kPa HCO3 19.4 mmol/L BE -5.9 mmol/L Lactate 1.9 mmol/L He is on maintenance fluids of 85ml/hour 5% Dextrose, 2L of geloplasma cautiously given against CVP and eventually started on Noradrenaline to achieve a MAP of 70mmhg.

The Belbin Exercise :: Business and Management Studies

The Belbin Exercise Introduction During term 1 of our module I took part in 2 exercises and a Belbin test. During the 2 exercises and test I learned many skills and new ideas that will aid me in the future. Report The first element of group work that we did was the Belbin exercise. This was to ascertain you’re most effective ‘group role’. From the results we were arranged into groups which contained a mixture of roles. My role was company worker. I neither agreed nor disagreed with the result as part of me could see the logic behind the result and part of me saw myself with a position of higher authority. I don’t think the way the groups were formed made any difference in the first exercise. Maybe under different circumstances our different roles could have become more apparent. From taking part in the two exercises I have learned that planning is vital to any type of work, especially group work. I think the reason behind this is because without planning nothing is done efficiently. I have also learned that communication is very important; our second exercise was totally dependant on verbal communication. Although we had a slow start we eventually started to communicate effectively and solved the problem very fast. In the first exercise we were in smaller groups, my group contained seven people, including myself. During this exercise all group members contributed evenly. In the second exercise we worked in a much larger group, I noticed that some people didn’t contribute at all and the bulk of the discussion was coming from the same people. Although this happened the exercise was done swiftly and effectively. Good communication skills were demonstrated during the second exercise. Group members put their point across in an orderly way and the other group members listened well and contributed. During this exercise we didn’t necessarily have a strategy but we did operate a good effective system. We had one person that people fed information to, and that person then made notes of the information onto the whiteboard. Once all the information was gathered we were then able to come to a conclusion. My group also showed good communication skills in the first exercise. We had to come up with a group opinion of which person deserved the use of the available kidney machine. The way we came to our decision was to firstly decide a priority order individually, then by using a

Frederick Jackson Turner’s `Frontier Essay

The â€Å"Frontier† is a Turner wrote is â€Å"the outer wave of expansion, the meeting point between savagery and civilization.† When people left settled territory, when people went into often unexplored areas, the weight of society bore less heavily upon them. They went into areas where they had no settled established governments, no institutions like churches, courts of law, and the like. People, in a sense, left civilization behind. They had to find new ways of adjusting, new ways of peaceful coexistence at this â€Å"meeting point between savage and civilization.† This is the historical thinking popularized by Frederick Jackson Turner which laid the foundation of modern American study of American West. According to him, â€Å"The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward explain American development.† He thought largely that the frontier experience had a lasting and permanent impact on American character and society. When American pioneers escaped and left behind the settled institutions of society, a plunging into the forests, or later into the grasslands of the Great Plains, Turner thought this promoted productive individualism. When people entered areas without established social structures, each person was pretty much on a basis of equality with each other person. On this kind of set up people learn to develop civil and democratic ways of social cooperation. They have to learn how to peacefully co-exist amongst each other. This made Turner generalize that democracy sprang from this – free land, and of free, self-reliant individuals moving out on to lands unknown learning the tricks and trade of how to get along with one another. So is this what Turner really meant by the word â€Å"frontier†? If you just take a first glance, he seemed to be spousing a kind of geographical determinism, an idea or a notion that â€Å"free land bred free individuals†; that the geography itself and the way in which people reacted to that geography produced democratic equality and a democratic form of government. Settlers in a new geographical terrain learned to innovate and find ways. Where there were not adequate lakes or rivers, they dug wells. Where the grass land plains did not allow for settled farming, they invented barbed wire to hedge in cattle, to hedge in sheep. These and other various learning experiences seem to be the result of human beings acting as innovators in response to geography. The land itself, Turner seemed to say, made human beings more self-reliant. And self-reliance is at the core of the American democratic experience, or so we have long told ourselves. But as I see it, geography might have something to do with it but not solely. The development of democracy and civilization is a far more a complicated process. I would say much of it would be social development itself. Turner might be right in identifying a certain event in history at a specific location crucial social development occurred which propels modern civilization to where it is now but what I am saying is that it can happen anywhere in the world and not just in a certain specified area. References Schultz, Stanley K. and Tishler, William P., â€Å"American History 102 (Civil War to Present)†. Copyright 2004 University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents pg 4. Retrieved February 3, 2007

American Interventions Since World War Ii Essay

Since 1940, the United States has a long history of foreign interventions, long since leaving behind its former isolationism. Its motives have included the urge to fight fascist aggression, the desire to contain communism’s spread (and protect American economic interests), and preserving American access to plentiful Middle Eastern oil. Before December 1941, much of the American public favored isolation from world affairs, especially in the wake of World War I, to many a pointless conflict. However, others looked warily at the spread of fascism and militarism in Europe and eastern Asia. President Franklin Roosevelt believed by 1938 that the conflict would eventually draw in the United States, and he wanted to assist the United Kingdom in its war against Germany (which it fought with virtually no help beyond American aid programs like Lend-Lease). Roosevelt, aware that many Americans were wary of another futile war, framed the conflict in moral terms, presenting Hitler’s fascism and Japan’s militarism as evils that needed eradication by the forces of democracy. He cautiously began preparing the nation for war by expanding the armed forces and defense economy, aiding the British, and imposing embargoes on oil and metal sales to Japan, vainly hoping that Japan’s military-run government would desist from its aggressive expansion throughout eastern Asia. The Cold War began almost immediately after World War II, giving the United States no real opportunity to revert to isolationism. By mid-1945, the Soviet army had already occupied much of eastern and central Europe, claiming its right to â€Å"buffer nations† and using a dying Roosevelt’s agreement at Yalta to justify their domination of Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and much of the Balkan region. Very quickly, the Soviet Union began expanding its assisting communist rebels in various nations, and the United States saw a threat not only to its own dominance but also to capitalist economies abroad (many tied to American economic interests). Aware that much of Europe was devastated and impoverished by the war (and thus vulnerable to Soviet influence), the Truman administration actively intervened in European affairs with aid packages like the Marshall Plan, the Truman doctrine (which led to American intervention in Greece and Turkey, where communist insurgents actively sought control and the British were unable to cope), and the creation of NATO as a military response to the Soviets. The Cold War also drove the United States to intervene further in Asia, after the communist takeover in China in 1949 and the outbreak of hostilities between North and South Korea in 1950 (which turned into a sort of proxy war between the United States and China). After a cease-fire halted the Korean conflict in 1953 (indeed, it has not officially ended and American troops remain there in large numbers), the United States followed the policy of containment, initially outlined in 1946 by George Kennan NSC-68 document. Accepting the existence of both the Soviet Union and China, American policy aimed to prevent communist expansion into other nations, particularly the newly-independent Third World nations that had been European colonies before 1945. This often involved behind-the-scenes support of various regimes (sometimes democratic, often authoritarian and repressive) Though Lyndon Johnson framed the Vietnam War in Cold War terms, using the â€Å"domino theory† to argue that halting communism in southeast Asia was pivotally important, the conflict’s roots lay in the mid-1940s, when the Vietnamese declared independence from France and fought an eight-year war for liberation, ending with France’s defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The United States, which began providing aid to France as early as 1950, increasingly viewed Vietnam’s fight to reunify under Ho Chi Minh through the lens of Cold War thinking, and Johnson approached the war as a battle against communist expansion, rather than as a guerrilla war for national liberation and unity. In the Middle East, American interventions generally concerned both the region’s rich oil supplies and the nation of Israel, whose independence the United States recognized within minutes of its declaration in 1948. American support for Israel was motivated in part by Truman’s sympathy for the Jews, given their horrific experiences under Nazism) complicated relations with Arab states and incurred long-lasting Arab mistrust of the United States. In addition, the United States (being the world’s largest oil consumer) was eager to protect the region’s vast oil fields from the Soviets and drove the United States to support dictators such as the Shah of Iran and later Iraq’s Saddam Hussein – with negative consequences in both cases. When communism ended as an international threat, American leadership increasingly viewed Arab extremism as the new threat to its hegemony. The Gulf War of 1990-1991 grew from Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, which upset the region’s political status quo and jeopardized the West’s access to Kuwaiti oil. The current conflict in Iraq is a continuation of this, as well as an effort to assert American authority in a region which has long regarded the United States with suspicion and disdain. Economic and geopolitical motives were the chief factors behind American interventions abroad after 1940. The United States entered World War II to fight fascist aggression and expansion, while the Cold War was a struggle against both growing communist influence and the resulting threats to global capitalism and Vietnam transformed from efforts to help a colonial power to a Cold War fight. Finally, American activity in the Middle East has been motivated by a desire to keep the region a stable and dependable source of oil, as well as a desire to combat Muslim extremists aiming to undermine American domination. REFERENCES Boyer, Paul S. et al. The Enduring Vision. Third edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. Goldfield, David et al. The American Journey. Third edition. Upper Saddle River NJ: Prentice Hall, 2005.

Best Book Blogs for Avid Readers

Best Book Blogs for Avid Readers For those of us lost in the world of fiction, the question will always be, What should I read next? To that end, we search the depths of second-hand bookstores. We scour our local libraries, or the Amazon best-seller list and recommended purchases. We do this not simply to find a book that we will enjoy, but almost always to find a novel which strikes the same spark in our heart as the last masterpiece (the one which has now been read so often and so thoroughly that the pages have come loose in their binding).To that end, Silent Book Club, Bookanista and Book Smugglers are here to help. These three websites scratch the itch of the endlessly-reading reader; and they provide more than just a blog – they provide a cozy community of fellow readers.Silent Book ClubSilent Book Club is a website for readers like us (often introverted, sometimes too introverted) to come together and discuss their current favorite novels, and to find the next piece of fiction that really blows us away. The website boasts more than thirty active chapters, from London, England to Nagoya, Japan, which come together (usually monthly) to discuss their latest read. Silent Book Club has an active Facebook group, and they post regularly on Instagram and Twitter.For those of us with our fingers on the pulse of the book world, Silent Book Clubs use of social media is indispensable. It keeps its readers up to date on events, meetups and attractions in the world of reading and publishing. Still, the book club is growing, and though it has already stretched worldwide, the presence of a chapter in your hometown might be lacking. No matter! Silent Book Club will help you set up your own official chapter, and help you create a new tradition (your own personal meetup) in your neighborhood.This all seems too good to be true, and of course, cynical minds immediately begin whirring: we ask questions about where the site finds its profits, or what supports this community. The answer is that they run a small merchandise shop, and those proceeds go toward supporting volunteers, which keep the whole community running smoothly. Its a cute little e-shop with a selection of kitschy bookmarks, postcards and handbags (and, of course, the occasional book).Other than these optional purchases to support the community, all the services offered by the silent book club are free of charge. In fact, without even submitting an e-mail address, you can browse their calendar of meetups and find the one nearest you. This great community provides the opportunity, without commitment, for us to crawl out of our favorite arm-chair (the one we sunk into years ago and have now fortified with a particular side-table for our tea, an arm upon which the cat perches, and a bag at the side filled with knitting projects).On top of this call to action, to bring us out to the meetups, the silent book club boasts a warm blog: a welcome resource for readers. Each article is written by volunteers from the various si lent book club chapters, and if you start your own chapter, then you can contribute to the blog yourself. Though often insightful, because of the volunteer nature of the contributions, updates are sporadic – sometimes they come too fast to keep up with, and other times lag to only a single update each month. Still, when the articles are posted, they offer unique insight into the author of the post, and that writers book club.One recent article, written by the organizer of the Portland, Maine chapter, gives a wonderful overview of influential poets throughout the years. It was written for poetry month and includes excerpts by which to judge each of the poets, and gauge ones interest before delving more deeply into their works.Most articles discuss comfortable topics like what to read next and offer insightful critiques written on new works of fiction. Others delve into matters of political interest, in the reading and writing world. For example, a short series of posts called Read the World, gives details about historical publishing in nations and geographic areas, and suggests where one might begin if they want to explore the fiction of a certain area. Further still, other posts discuss the rise of audiobooks, and their place in the silent book club; they give details on how to host your own silent book club, and what makes the meetups successful. Other articles address the We Will Not Be Silent campaign, which offers a toolbox to activists, as well as hard-hitting subjects such as the effect of literature on children and on developing minds.Finally, I have personally found Silent Book Clubs presence on Facebook to be incredibly beneficial. The core Facebook group @silentbookclub is one resource: it offers updates on all the events which the silent book club promotes, and it helps us introverts look ahead to getting out of the house (and plan out our busy week so we can make time for the meetups); it brings book news like releases and author interviews conveniently into our Facebook feed; and it gives the opportunity (without being pushy) to participate in demonstrations or political activism.Beyond this core group, however, are a network of smaller silent book club groups, one for each chapter. These are usually beyond amazing. Just by making a quick search in Facebook, I stumbled on three silent book club chapters, all with very active Facebook groups. One was in my home city, and each of the other two were within quick driving distance. These sub-communities are the result of the natural branching and expanding of a good idea. Like a good book, readers know that a good idea should be shared.BookanistaThe writers at Bookanista.com refer to their site as a web magazine (as opposed to a blog). This professional demeanour isnt simply a pretentious grab for new readers: their posts are closer to scholarly journal entries than the topical discussions of many bloggers, and they take a deep dive into each discussion.That being said, it s less likely that youll find a new read in a quick skim of Bookanista. The themes and discussions on the site are often much wider, addressing issues of mental illness and gender in novels, and delving into ideas such as ambiguity in writing, and the pitfalls of considering everyone who writes a poem, a poet. With an archive stretching back to 2015, and an extensive collection of short stories and extracts, Bookanista has content to spare. There is bound to be something on the site which snags any readaholics imagination, and because of their reputation, Bookanista is often one of the first sites to get review copies and exclusive excerpts from new authors.Similarly, if you are the kind of reader who devours all the works of an author before moving on, but youve run out of your favorite writers works, then Bookanista might be able to find you a new literary love. Their author interviews are a source of insight into the latest trends in publishing and up-coming novels. They often ob scure the work itself in favor of addressing the authors method, or their stylistic choices. Rather than attempt to describe the works of each author, they let the novels and short stories speak for themselves, publishing short pieces of fiction alongside interviews and articles. Everything on Bookanista is free, and well worth a look.The Book SmugglersTheBookSmugglers.com describe themselves as, A book review blog specializing in speculative fiction and popgeekery for all ages since 2008; A digital-first publisher of speculative fiction and nonfiction since 2014; the 2017 Hugo Nominee for best Semiprozine; and a duo of awesomely badass book nerds. Their blog posts focus on new works, but especially science fiction and fantasy. For those looking for their next great read, their current headlining article is a piece called X Marks the Story, which seeks to pair the reader with excellent short fiction, to hopefully bridge the gap between great novels.On top of their blog, the book smu gglers are a publishing house with a focus on digital press. They offer book reviews for newly published novels, and support authors by showing off full and partial works on their site, in addition to longer works published by the book smuggler online imprint.Like Bookanista, the book smugglers host a collection of short fiction on their site in a section called Gods and Monsters. This section is worth a quick look, and if you are a fantasy or science fiction buff, it warrants a much longer look. The short stories included in Gods and Monsters are each written by different authors, but always play with similar themes. From religion, to humanity, to serial killers or werewolves, each story is focussed on gods and monsters, either literally or figuratively (or both). Just a quick glance at this portion of the site will find you in the company of dozens of well-polished, professionally edited shorter fictions.The wider communityThe blogs discussed here are not where these communities e nd. Silent book club, Bookanista and The Book Smugglers have a network of readers which place an emphasis on doing. Each of these sites is concerned with getting out of your chair and making change alongside like-minded individuals – or just on getting out of the house and swapping books with new friends. To this end, Silent Book Club is anything but silent within the Twitterverse. They have cultivated a massive network of friendships, bringing together dozens of sites, each with a similar attitude towards reading. Each of these three excellent blogs boast very active Twitter handles. Silent Book Club at @readwinerepeat, @bookanista, and @booksmugglers bring together a wealth of related content and inspiring images. Browsing through their combined Twitter profiles is a sure method to link a reader to a community in their geographic area, or a cause which interests them and brings them out of their shell. We all have something which gets us fired up and out of the house, and t hese communities provide valuable links to those places and people which help to establish communities of readers.In short, reading can be isolating, but it can also be the bridge of shared experience that brings like-minded individuals together in service of a cause, or to discuss the matters which are important to us. Getting out of our arm chair may be a bit uncomfortable, but so long as it means a quiet read, with those who had to struggle out of their own comfy armchair; and as long as it means a glass of good wine, and the presence of good companions; as long as the silent book club, Bookanista and the book smugglers are asking these things of us, I think we can find some time to meet in the real world (or at the very least on twitter), even if it is only to discuss the fictional worlds we love.

Sosas Reliabilism

Sosas Reliabilism Ernest Sosa likes externalism. He thinks that it is intuitively correct. But he must and does agree that it must be clarified in order to avoid certain problems. So, his mission in this paper is to first define what he calls 'Generic Reliabilism,' then to show how it is susceptible to certain objections, then to present a modified version of it, and to show that this new version is, in general, better than its predecessor. Let us look at his argument.First, we get the usual definition of generic reliabilism: S is justified in his belief that p at t if the belief is produced by some faculty that usually produces true beliefs. Then, we get a couple of Alvin Goldman's notions of justification with Sosa's revisions. A belief is strongly justified iff it is well formed, and by means of a truth conducive process. A belief is weakly justified iff it is 'blameless' (not the result of an intentional mistake?) but ill-formed, and the believer is not aware that the belief is ill-formed.Paranorm al beliefA belief is superweakly justified iff the process that produces the belief is unreliable but the subject did not intentionally come to hold the belief because it was acquired unreliably. And, finally, a belief has strong meta-justification iff the subject neither believes that nor can determine if the belief is ill-formed (hence the 'meta-' prefix), and the subject is aware of the process by which he got the belief and that the process is reliable.OK, seems reasonable enough. But, Sosa points out, there are a couple of scenarios (actually, three, but Sosa concentrates mainly on the two listed below) in which these conceptions of justification just do not work. The 'new evil demon' problem takes a couple of forms in the article, but what...

Analyzing Dickinson’s Poetry Essay Example for Free

Analyzing Dickinson’s Poetry Essay To analyze Dickinson’s poetry, this paper will involve the analysis of three of her works, `Safe in their Alabaster Chambers†, â€Å"I Heard a Fly Buzz-when I died†, and â€Å"The Brain-is wider than the Sky†. 1. The poems were written in the first person. Since most of her poems tackled the depressing situation of death, the speaker of the poem can in fact be a dead person. However, it seemed that ED may also be assuming an all-observing, all-seeing speaker like God. In the Brain-is wider than the sky, it even seemed that God was in fact the speaker since â€Å"the weight of God† was compared to the â€Å"brain†.   As for the poem’s audiences, it may be that the literary works were directed towards the ‘living’ – people who are not safe within alabaster chambers and who have not heard the buzzing fly as they lay on their deathbeds. 2. In the â€Å"The Brain – is wider than the sky†, there is really no definite setting, it can be likened to any moment of rationalization. In â€Å"I heard a fly buzz when I died†, the setting was in a deathbed while it was perhaps in the cemetery for the poem â€Å"Safe in the alabaster chambers†. The situation was related to dying. It may be that the speaker is already dead, or nearing his death. Nonetheless, the action in the poems remains the same – surrendering to the abyss. 3. Most of the poems had their verbs in the present tense, and in the indicative mood. The style may be to emphasize that the speaker is actually experiencing whatever situation is being imparted in the poems. Such style makes the poems more contemporary and typical, and thus engaging to read and easier to relate to despite the fact that they were written centuries ago. The syntax may also indicate that the poems will be eternal since the action involved is always presented as a current situation. 4. In her poems, Dickinson uses two formal patterns alternatively- tetrameter and trimeter. In every stanza, the first and third lines always have four stresses while there are only three stresses in the second and fourth lines. The rhyme schemes come in the ABCB form. 5. Dickinson uses the slant rhyme in the second and fourth lines of the first two or three stanzas to provide a sense of association and form. In the last stanza however, she then uses a true rhyme also in the last words of the second and fourth stanzas to emphasize conclusions to the proposed action. 6. In â€Å"The Brain is deeper than the sky†, the phrases â€Å"The brain is† and â€Å"The one the other will† were repeated thrice and twice, respectively, to give both indicative and comparative effects. The repetition emphasizes the subject of the poem – â€Å"the brain† – and stresses its association with other elements – the sea, the sky, and the weight of God. 7. To extensively describe the subjects of her poems, Dickinson The poem contained metaphors and personifications to describe her chosen subjects. In one poem, she likened a fly to death perhaps to stress out the repugnance of not being able to experience the simple joys of living. It is also important to note that she always compared the poem’s settings to universally recognizable elements of nature. For example, she likened the stillness of being dead to â€Å"heaves of storm†. 8. The effectiveness of Dickinson’s poems in relaying thematic obsessions may rely on the fact that she uses a mixture of images to convey the setting of her works. In `Safe in their Alabaster Chambers†, Dickinson describes the situation of the dead through their inability to be â€Å"touched by morning†, feel the sunshine, and hear the birds and the bees. She also totally equates death to â€Å"soundlessness†, darkness, and numbness. The same image associations can also be observed in â€Å"I Heard a Fly Buzz-when I died†. However, in contrast to the first poem, the latter’s scenario of soundlessness exempted the buzzing of the fly.   In â€Å"The Brain-is wider than the Sky†, visual comparisons were made with the brain and major elements of nature. 9. In most of the poems, the speaker just describes poem subjects in relation to what she sees, feels, or hears. In the process, she narrates her observations and seemingly creates an underlying story for her works. In these stories, the climactic moment is death and the resolution is one’s total submission to the darkness and numbness of losing her life. 10. Dickinson’s poems are mostly playfully dreadful as they deal with death in relation to bees, sunshine, and castles. Death was portrayed as a very awful situation of being deprived of the small things which make living simply a pleasant experience. Although not portrayed as something gruesome, the description of a death as a natural and inevitable experience adds dread to poem’s tone. Analyzing Dickinson’s Poetry. (2016, Dec 25).

Top entrepreneurs and their modern comparisons of leadership styles Research Paper

Top entrepreneurs and their modern comparisons of leadership styles and traits - Research Paper Example Indeed, several types of leadership have been advanced in the study of management as ways and means through which organizations can grow. However, it is normally very difficult to explicitly state whether a particular type of leadership is better than another. In this regard, the success of any leadership style largely depends on the leaders and their perception about the whole subject of management. Proper organizational leadership is best exemplified by the success of Southwest Airlines through its founder and Chief Executive Herb Kelleher. At best Kelleher can be described as a charismatic leader who normally seeks to achieve more. The growth of the airline over the years in the turbulent industry is certainly a clear demonstration of proper leadership at play. The airline has posted profit for a record 26 years which is a clear illustration of the type of proper leadership that Kelleher has always exhibited (Hesselbein & Cohen, 2009). It is imperative to realize that Kelleher has always largely focused on his employees as the greatest determinants of success for the organization. In this regard, he considers the employees as his greatest assets and hence is always at the forefront in addressing employee concerns. The employees at Southwest have therefore developed a sense of warmth and determination that normally originates from the CEO. Southwest is an organization that is basically driven by a very strong organizational culture that focuses on personality and charisma. Unlike many leaders, Kelleher has created an organizational culture that puts employees and not customers as the most important aspect for the organization. In response to many questions why he puts the employees first and not the customers, Kelleher simply argues that when the employees are treated well and are satisfied, they will eventually treat the outside world well. In this regard, the customers, shareholders and other stakeholders of the organization will subsequently benefit from t he ripple effect (Mayo, Nohria & Rennella, 2009). It is fundamental to stress the fact that Kelleher is certainly a charismatic leader. Charismatic leadership normally arises from the ability to command and win the favor of large masses of people. Charismatic leaders normally exhibit some types of popular traits that enable them to command a lot of popular support from the people. Such traits are normally inborn characteristics that enable some people to stay ahead of the park and thereby become good leaders. Max Weber in his study of management basically described three types of authority as normally realized in management. These include rational-legal, traditional and charismatic. He further described charismatic authority as the type of leadership that is mostly driven by the personality of the individual. Kelleher has always taken a form of unique orientation is his style of leadership which serves to demonstrate a clear sense of peculiarity in the way the Southwest has managed to stay profitable even in the face of global challenges that have faced many large corporations across the world (Bennis et al., 2003). No single term can simply describe the style of leadership that has always been exhibited by Kelleher through his years at Southwest. In a way, Kelleher is a clear demonstration of servant-leadership in the way he serves his stakeholders and addresses organizational concerns. In many organizations, the top

CRIMINAL EVIDENCE AND PROCEDURE ONLINE WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT

CRIMINAL EVIDENCE AND PROCEDURE ONLINE WRITTEN - Assignment Example Hymon identified himself as a police officer and ordered the suspect to stop. The young man crouched at the fence ignored the officer's command and attempted to over the fence. While the suspect was going over the fence, the police officer fired at the suspect hitting him in the head. The burglary suspect was a fifteen-year-old named Edward Garner who consequently died as a result of the shooting. The officer who shot Garner was acting pursuant to the law of Tennessee and the Memphis police department policy. The Memphis police policy authorizes a police officer to use deadly force to apprehend a fleeing suspect. It provides that where all other means to apprehend that suspect have been exhausted. The police are taught to shoot to kill and not trained to shoot to wound, therefore, it is apparent that Garner's death was not accidental. Thereafter the suspect’s father brought a civil rights action against the Director of Police, the Memphis Police Department, the City, the mayor and officer Hymon. Legal point of issue The action was founded on the claim that when Hymon shot and killed Garners he violated his constitutional rights as under the fourth, eighth and fourteenth amendments. The other defendants in the case were enjoined in the suit on the basis that they failed to exercise due care in the employment, training, and supervision of officer Hymon and, therefore, they were equally responsible for Garners death. Decision of the court The court decided that the using deadly force to seize a fleeing and unarmed felon is unconstitutional as indicated by the mandates of fourth, eighth and fourteenth amendments. Additionally the court found that the rule of the fleeing felon does not violate the provisions of either the fourth or the eighth amendments. Reasoning of the court In arriving at its decision, the court reasoned that a police officer could arrest an individual if there is the probable reason that the individual has committed a crime. The fourth am endment does not make any provisions concerning how the seizure is made. The seizure should have a balance of the extent of intrusion as against the reasonableness of the manner the arrest is made. To determine the reasonability of an arrest, there must be a balance of both nature and the quality of the intrusion on the individuals interests as provided for by the fourth amendment against the importance of the interests of the government to justify the seizure. The court referred to the case of Michigan v summers where it was held that the key principles of the fourth amendment are balancing competing interests. Furthermore, the court found that reasonableness depends on when the arrest is made and how it is executed. In view of this and in light of the current case, the court found that irrespective of the probable cause to apprehend a suspect the officer apprehending the suspect must not always do so by killing him. The use of such deadly force by an officer in conducting an arres t is unmatched (Kevin, Rick, & Betsy 2007). The fundamental interest of the suspect is his life and the use of lethal force in effecting an arrest frustrates the interest of the individual (Gino 2003). The use of lethal force also frustrates the interest of the society in judicially determining the guilt of the suspect and

Comparison of Alphaville with Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparison of Alphaville with Today - Essay Example The plot unleashes gradually when a secret agent is sent to catch Alphaville who is controlled by a computer Alpha 60 and the creator of this invention, Professor Von Braun (Constantine and Karina, 1965). This movie is basically symbolic of the fact that human beings have been dominated by the scientific inventions. They have lost their ability to feel and think. They have become robots like Alphaville and their behavior is termed as â€Å"outlandish†. In this scenario the relationship between Natacha Von Braun and Lemmy Caution, the secret agent, is quite significant because Natacha is unable to voice her feelings. It is not that she does not want to. She just doesn’t have the words to describe what she feels. On the other hand the poignancy of the scene touches the audience immensely where Natacha tells Lemmy that he is looking at her in a strange way to which he agrees. Then she asks if he is waiting for her to say something to him and to this also he agrees. Here, N atacha admits that she is clueless because she has never been taught the words to say what is expected of her here and that Lemmy should help. Lemmy replies that he will not be able to help her because she needs to help herself; that is the only way she will be saved. However, if she doesn’t, she would be â€Å"as lost as the dead ofAlphavile† (Constantine and Karina, 1965). ... The fact that a person, Alphaville, is being controlled by a computer also reflects the concept of totalitarianism. This is a concept or phenomenon according to which a state or government has the right to interfere with the private life of the citizens and the opinion of the citizens do not matter. The same idea has been portrayed in the 1965 film. The computers decide what is good and bad for the human beings and the human beings are not allowed to have any say in their own lives. According to Professor Bon Braun who is the creator of Alpha 60, everything is in control of science and machines(Conquest, 2001). It can be said that this movie was way ahead of its time but it still managed to capture the very essence and causes of the human decline, which is evident today. This movie made it clear that there is a very thin line between the human world and machine world and that time is not very far away when this line will be crossed by the human beings. A famous essayist,Professor Sus an Greenfield opines that people will have to wake up from their gadget-drugged and â€Å"pharmaceutically enhanced† slumber that has made their brains immune. According to him, soon there will be little if any difference between humans and machines. This quote can be related to â€Å"Alphaville† as well. The characters portrayed in the movies are expressionless and emotionless. They even talk like robots, without pausing and without much feeling with a poker face. Like Natacha Van Braun speaks rarely and whenever she does, it is on the professor’s command. For instance, when she is asked about how she is, she says, â€Å"I’m very well thank you you’re welcome.†(Greenfield, n.d.). If on one hand, this film is

METFORMIN Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

METFORMIN - Research Paper Example But the widest indication of the drug is for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The drug is given to control the blood glucose levels of patients in the normal range so that the proper bodily functions are retained and the problems of the nervous system; cardiovascular system and the renal system are avoided in the diabetic patients. The drug has an added benefit since it has been proved that the drug does not result in reduction of the blood glucose level below normal and the patient does not experience episodes of hypoglycemia. It also does not lead to increased weight in the patient who takes this drug. This is the reason that it is preferably prescribed to the diabetic patients. The drug works via various mechanisms which include increasing the sensitivity of the cells towards their response to insulin by increasing the uptake of glucose by the cells. It further promotes the intracellular metabolism of the glucose as well. Furthermore, it leads to a reduction in the amount of hepa tic glucose as well as renal glucose that is released into the bloodstream by means of reducing the amount of its production in these organs. In a similar manner, it also reduces the absorption of glucose from the intestines. The main side effects of the drug include gastrointestinal problems. These include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea as well as feeling of uneasiness in the abdomen. It has also been proven that metformin causes a decrease in the absorption of vitamin B12 by the intestine and hence it can lead to reduction in its levels. The gastrointestinal symptoms generally subside. Thus, it has been seen that the drug does not lead to very serious side effects.

Organizational Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 5

Organizational Behavior - Essay Example f organizational behavior leads to good relationships among the employees, poor organizational behavior management can lead to poor performance among the individual employees and groups (McGinnis, 2006). Group dynamics affect the operations of organizations. In most cases, group dynamics negatively affect the employee performance. Various theories explain factors responsible for the various behavioral types employees exhibit towards each other. The variance theory explains the various causes of behavior in an organizational context. The organizational structure, people, technology and the working environment are the most important factors influencing organizational behavior (McGinnis, 2006). If there is the absence of joy and happiness in the workplace, diagnosing the causes of these incidences is the only way of solving these problems. Meetings are an important component for effective management. Despite the escalated issues affecting the organization bovver time, and issues in the meetings, the organization has not done away with the meetings. The role played by meetings in the management process and policy formulation strategies has considerable effects in any organization. They help in the policy implementation process by designing the way and direction the organizations should take. In an effort to achieve normal operations in the organization and meetings serve their intended purpose, discipline is essential. Calling of names, flaming emails between co-workers, official charges brought to HR, uncivil behavior in meetings leading, sometimes, to screaming, name-calling, and physical threats is an indication of unmotivated, stressed and an organizational work that lacks morals. Changing the organizational structure is one of the ways of achieving the change (Hofstede, et al., 1997). According to systems theory, organizations are organs comprised of different parts performing a similar task. However, the criteria of organizing these parts determine the

Guatemalan civil war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Guatemalan civil war - Essay Example Guatemalan civil war It is important to undertake a critical investigation into the cause-effect of this civil war and the input of cultural structure of Latin America in this war (Natella 176). Many scholars have explored the cultural factors within the context of Latin America region and how this contributed to the long standing economic oppression and political instability that was the order of the day in Guatemala from early 1960s. Political structure is always derived from the traditions of any community in their ancient socio-political organization and the way of governance and culture of loyalty defines success of any leadership. It would equally be important to consider the foreign influence into the civil war and what they sought to gain. It is also worth to take a look at the community that suffered the full brunt of this civil war and the consequences this had on its relationship with the governing authority to date. Maya community and Indians were particularly tortured, displaced and killed. Further inquiry would also be important in regard to the civil war’s contribution towards present day modernization and democratization and its cost in Guatemala. Critical analysis of the civil war in Guatemala indicates that there were real social problems that compelled some people to revolt against the government. . Research findings establish that there was massive oppression, widespread racism and mass violence which left many people displaced, maimed and killed. The question that many people would ask is the relationship that existed between the government of the day and its citizens in regard to the violent clashes between Neoliberal and Leftist (Coerver, et al.259). To answer this question, it would be important to find the other factors that contributed to this historic civil war almost likened to genocide. United States had a hand in the clashes through their push for capitalism in Latin America. It is therefore evident that there involvement fuelled the problem and explains its length of existence I terms of years. They supplied the government military wing with resources that were used against the leftists. This was a tactical approach towards forcing the citizens to adhere to the government oppressive economic ideologies and promote their interest in the country. This explains the US installation of Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas by Central intelligence agency against the democratically-elected president, Jacobo Arbenz. The later was considered communist threat and acted in the interest of the citizens. At the height of confrontation between the leftist and the government forces, the citizens suffered more in many ways and this soured their relationship with the government between 1960’s and the 1990s (Davies and Fredric 211). Government sought to favor foreigners by taking local people’s land and allocating to the foreigners, dividing to political cronies and completely ignored the plight of common citizens through autocratic leadership. The leftist represented the people as they fought to regain lost property to the dictatorial governments. The neoliberal forces were for the idea of capitalism that promoted extremes in form of wealth and poverty and therefore got much hatred from the citizens. Despite several negotiations and international community’s intervention in Guatemala crisis, citizens still had no confidence in the government and its socio-economic and political pursuits. It is important to note that

Organizational Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 5

Organizational Behavior - Essay Example f organizational behavior leads to good relationships among the employees, poor organizational behavior management can lead to poor performance among the individual employees and groups (McGinnis, 2006). Group dynamics affect the operations of organizations. In most cases, group dynamics negatively affect the employee performance. Various theories explain factors responsible for the various behavioral types employees exhibit towards each other. The variance theory explains the various causes of behavior in an organizational context. The organizational structure, people, technology and the working environment are the most important factors influencing organizational behavior (McGinnis, 2006). If there is the absence of joy and happiness in the workplace, diagnosing the causes of these incidences is the only way of solving these problems. Meetings are an important component for effective management. Despite the escalated issues affecting the organization bovver time, and issues in the meetings, the organization has not done away with the meetings. The role played by meetings in the management process and policy formulation strategies has considerable effects in any organization. They help in the policy implementation process by designing the way and direction the organizations should take. In an effort to achieve normal operations in the organization and meetings serve their intended purpose, discipline is essential. Calling of names, flaming emails between co-workers, official charges brought to HR, uncivil behavior in meetings leading, sometimes, to screaming, name-calling, and physical threats is an indication of unmotivated, stressed and an organizational work that lacks morals. Changing the organizational structure is one of the ways of achieving the change (Hofstede, et al., 1997). According to systems theory, organizations are organs comprised of different parts performing a similar task. However, the criteria of organizing these parts determine the

Different kinds of festivals Essay Example for Free

Different kinds of festivals Essay In a year we have celebrated different kinds of festivals.Sometimes,we do celebrate festivals following our religion.Different religions have different festivals to celebrate.Festival are celebrated in a grand way and gives much joy. The same thing goes for me.I am a Hindu and I celebrate many festivals.The best festival I have ever experienced is Deepavali.Deepavali comes on the month of November and it is usually on the second week of the month.Deepavali is known as the festival of lights for the Hindus. Last year,my family and I celebrated Deepavali at our grandparent’s house.After we woke up,we had to take an oil bath which was massaged from the head down to our toes.Then, we wore our new traditional clothes,dhoti and sari.We got ready to go to the temple near the house. The priest in the temple made a special offering and prayers to the God on this special day. After prayers in the temple,we went back home.A fe w minutes later,my relatives and neighbours came to our house.My grandmother served them with scrumptious traditional food.For instance,murukku,vadai,and tose.They really enjoyed their food and they said it was very tasty. Before the guest left the house,my grandfather gave them â€Å"ang pows†.I was really shocked because throughout I know only Chinese gave â€Å"ang pows† during their festival,Chinese New Year but I never knew that Indiansdid that too. Then, it was time to take our lunch.My father prepared some banana leaves to use as plates.It had really a different taste when eating from a banana leaf.It really potraits a traditional style. In the evening,we packed our things to get ready to go back home.We really missed our grandparents because they were the only ones who celebrated Deepavali in a special way. Among all the Hindu festival,I think the last Deepavali was the best festival I had ever experienced.I like the way they celebrate the festival with lighting up lights around their house.It shows that our life always brightens with ha

Power generation

Power generation Introduction The availability of electricity and its per capita consumption is often regarded as an index of national standard of living in the present day civilization. The amount of power generated is a sign of growing gross national products which reflects prosperity of the people. Energy goes in tandem with progress. The lack of it and inadequate measure can throttle the entire economic activity and well being of the country. Therefore, energy is considered as the most basic input for any country for keeping the wheels of its economy moving. Electricity is an easy form of energy which can be produced easily, transported easily, can be used easily and also controlled easily. Power plants are used to produce electricity in bulk quantities. However, in a developing country like India, the demand for power is increasing at a very rapid rate. As a result the use of renewable forms of energy is being increased and at the same time actions are being taken to improve the overall efficiency of the existing power plants. Combined cycle power plant couples a steam and a gas power plant in order to improve the overall efficiency to 70%. This combined cycle recovers much of the exhaust energy and uses it further to drive a steam or gas turbine or a district heating plant. As a result, there is an increase in the power produced and at the same time it reduces additional cost and the generating cost. There are many other benefits of a combined cycle power plants. Benefits like high efficiency and low environment impact are the most important. In todays world, emission levels of all kinds of fuels must meet stringent regulations acceptable to the countrys government. It is therefore important for power producers to invest in plants which have low emissions level. Risk mitigation and public acceptance are paramount. Combined cycle plants especially those which use natural gas or other renewable resources are a good choice for low emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions and other gases produced in a combined cycle power plant are much lower than other fossil fuel technologies. Power Generation System Simple Power Plant Cycle A simple power plant generation cycle utilizes only a single thermodynamic cycle at a time. It converts the energy stored in fossil fuels into shaft work and ultimately into electricity. It uses water which is generally in the liquid state and sometimes even in the vapor state, as the working medium. The energy which is released by the burning the fuel is used to heat water and convert it to steam which is then further used to run a turbine to generate electricity. The steam which leaves the turbine is sent to a condenser such that the water can be re used. However, the efficiency of a simple cycle is still less and large amount of exhaust is emitted at the end of the cycle. The efficiency of a simple power plant is given by: ÃŽ ®(cycle) =W(net)/Q(1)=W(T)-W(P)/Q(1)=Q(1)-Q(2)/Q(1) =1-Q (2)/Q (1) The major components of a simple power plant cycle are as follows: (i). Compressor (ii). Combustor (iii). Power turbine (iv). Generator In a simple power plant as seen, ambient air is filtered and then compressed to a pressure of 14 to 30 bar (190 to 420 psig). As the air is compressed its pressure increases which in turn are used to burn the fuel producing hot gases with a temperature generally higher than 1,000 degree Celsius. This then expands in a turbine driving the compressor and generator. The expanded hot gases leave the turbine at ambient pressure and at a temperature between 450 to 650 degree Celsius depending on the turbine efficiency, pressure ratio, and turbine inlet temperature. Such a power plant has 35% efficiency only. Gas Compressor It is a mechanical device which is used for increasing the pressure of a gas by decreasing its volume. Generally air is used in a power plant for compression, however, oxygen, nitrogen and other gases are also compressed. There are three general types of compressors, namely, positive displacement, axial and centrifugal. Positive displacement compressors may be reciprocating piston type, in which the gas is taken in during the suction stroke of the piston, and is compressed by decreasing the volume of the gas by moving the piston in the opposite direction. Centrifugal compressors use high speed impeller to increase the energy of the gas which is then converted into pressure in the diffuser. They are used to compress large volume of gas to moderate pressures. In Axial compressors gas is made to flow parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor which in turn contains a number of rows of blades. As the gas passes through the blades its energy increases which is converted into pressure. This type of compressor is used for jet aircraft engines and gas turbines. Combustor It is a part of turbine where the combustion takes place. In a gas turbine, air enters the first combustion chamber after the compressor. Here, fuel is mixed with the compressed air and the exhaust is then used to drive the turbine to obtain work. A combustor should fulfill the four basic conditions: (i). Supply enough air for complete combustion of air. (ii). Secure enough turbulence for thorough mixing of fuel and air. (iii). Maintain a furnace temperature high enough to ignite the incoming fuel air mixture. (iv). Provide a furnace volume large enough to allow time for combustion to be completed. It is important to determine the right amount of oxygen that should enter the combustor. Amounts of Carbon-di-oxide and oxygen are indicators of excess air. If the amount of oxygen is more in the combustor than the required amount, it will burn fuel more rapidly and the efficiency would reduce. A combustor has three main components, namely, the outer casing which is the high pressure container, the combustion chamber, and the fuel injection system. [1][4] Turbine A steam turbine is a prime mover which continuously converts the energy of high-pressure, high temperature steam supplied by a steam generator into shaft work with the low temperature steam exhausted to a condenser. This energy conversion essentially occurs in two steps: (i). The high pressure, high temperature steam first expands in nozzles and comes out at high velocity. (ii). The high velocity jets of steam coming out of the nozzles, impinge on the blades mounted on a wheel, get deflected by an angle and suffer a loss of momentum which is absorbed by the rotating wheel in producing torque. A steam turbine is basically an assemblage of nozzles and blades. The fig of a Turbine is given below. Many types of turbines are used in Power Plants, namely: 1. Steam turbines are used for electricity generation in thermal power plants, i.e. plants using coal and fuel. 2. Gas turbines are also called turbine engines. Every turbine is provided with an emergency control lever which can immediately shut down the running of turbines in case a catastrophy occurs. Each power plant has a fixed turbine rotation rate. These rates at which the turbines rotate are different for different process. In a power plant the turbines fail to operate if: 1. Shaft speed exceeds 3300 rpm 2. The lubrication system fails 3. Turbine balancing is not proper 4. Temperature of plant increases 5. Cooling mechanisms not working properly Control And Supervisory Instruments: Many control and supervisory instruments are provided for the safe and effective operation of a turbine. They are as follows: 1. Pressure gauges are used to monitor the pressure of main steam at various valves. 2. Thermometers are used to record temperatures at every valve and in the combustor valve. 3. A Speed recorder is used to monitor the turbine rpm all the time and in case its speed increases beyond a set value then it is deactivated. 4. Watt meters and voltmeters are used to determine the steam and heat rates at various points in the process. 5. A trip control lever is provided in case of an emergency. Generator It is a device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. A steam generator generates steam at the desired pressure and temperature by burning fuel in its furnace. A generator forces electric charges to be in motion through an exterior electrical circuit, but it does not create electricity or charge, which is already present in the wire of its windings. As it can be seen from Fig 4, heat is produced in a generator because of losses caused by current flow in the stator and field windings. This affects the temperature in the generator. By using cooling mechanisms such an event can be avoided. Generators are usually cooled using hydrogen at very high pressures say at 3 bars. Hydrogen is used since its specific heat is the highest and its molecular weight is the least. Combined Cycle Power Generation The Carnot efficiency is the efficiency of an ideal thermal process. Generally the efficiencies of some processes are less since there are a large amount of losses involved. Thus, a distinction between energetic and exergetic losses is drawn. Energetic losses are mainly losses incurred due to heat, and are thus the energy lost in the process. Exergetic losses are internal losses caused by irreversible processes in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics. The process efficiency can be improved by raising the maximum temperature in the cycle, releasing the waste water at a lower temperature or by improving the process to minimize the internal exergetic losses. The interest in combined cycles arises particularly from these considerations. Although, no single cycle can make all the improvements. It thus seems reasonable to combine two cycles to one. Supplementary firing may raise the exhaust temperature to around 900 degree Celsius. Also, high gas temperature raises the condition of steam which in turn improves the efficiency of a power plant. The two thermodynamic cycles generally used in a combined cycle power generation are Brayton cycle and Rankine cycle. Brayton Cycle In Brayton cycle the air is first compressed and then at constant pressure reversibly heat is added to it. Due to this, expansion of air takes place in the turbine. This leads to emission of hot gases at a constant pressure which helps in bringing it to the initial state. The Brayton cycle consists of 4 cycles in total, out of which two are reversibly isentropic and the other two are reversible adiabatic. Also a Brayton cycle is called as the air standard cycle for the gas turbine power plant. [1] Cycle Processes: A. 1-2 Isentropic Compression (q = 0) B. 2-3 Isobaric Heat Addition (w = 0) C. 3-4 Isentropic Expansion (q = 0) D. 4-1 Isobaric Heat Rejection (w = 0) Rankine Cycle We can use a hypothetical value for every process in the vapor power cycle which represents its basic intended operation and something which does not produce any extraneous effect. From the steam boiler, it is used as a constant pressure heating process to convert water to form steam, for the turbine as an ideal reversible adiabatic expansion of steam, for the condenser it is a reversible constant pressure heat rejection as the steam condenses till it becomes saturated liquid, and for the pump, the ideal process is the reversible adiabatic compression of this liquid ending at the initial pressure. When all these four processes are ideal, the cycle is called a Rankine cycle. There are four basic steps in a Rankine cycle: Step1-2: working fluid is pumped to high pressure from its initially low pressure state. This process requires low energy. Step2-3: the high pressure working fluid then enters a boiler where it is heated continuously such that it becomes dry saturated vapour. Step 3-4: the dry saturated vapour is then used to turn the blades of a turbine to generate power. The temperature and pressure of the working fluid decreases. Step 4-1: the wet vapour then enters a condenser where it is condensed to become a saturated liquid. District Heating A district heating system uses hot water to bring heat to towns and communities rather than using electrical power. This technology is quite old. The oldest district heating system which is still in operation was used to warm a French village from geothermal hot springs in the fourteenth century. Later on, US were the first country to use the process of district heating in plants. A steam district heating system has been in use by the US Naval Academy since 1852. The first commercial system began in Denver in as early as 1880. As of today, nearly 30,000 district heating plants are working in the US and there are a thousand more around the world. A district heating plant contains insulated pipes which carry hot water from the plant to various sites. Also these pipes are interconnected between various buildings through a junction point as can be seen from Fig 7. From these junction points, hot water is taken from the mains to a heat exchanger which is also called a heat sub-station and present inside each building. Because of this the heating circuit which is present inside each building can be isolated from the main heating system. A temperature sensor is present on the heat substation which monitors the temperature of water at all times. Also a meter is attached, which calculates the amount of water consumed by each apartment or building and are charged accordingly. To ensure safe and smooth running of the plant, human intervention is reduced by running the plant automatically. Advantages Of Combined Cycle Power generation The worldwide demand for combined cycle power plants is growing dramatically because of its large advantages, namely: (i). High overall plant efficiency: up to 70% can be obtained. (ii). Low investment costs: up to 30% lower than that required for a conventional steam power plant. (iii). Small amount of water required: amount of cooling water required is only about 40 to 50% as much as for a steam plant. (iv). Great operating flexibility: the simple steam cycle makes it possible to start up and shut down the plants quickly which also affects the efficiency. (v). Phased installation: because the gas turbines can go into operation much sooner than the steam plant, installation in stages is possible. The gas turbine can keep on generating power as the steam plant is under construction. This makes it possible to adjust the growth in demand for energy in a grid. (vi). Simplicity of operation: combined power plants are fully automatic and are suitable for operating where the operating staff is less experienced. (vii). Low environmental impact: because of their low emission levels and high efficiency, such plants are suitable for use in a heavily populated region. [1][5] Components Of A Combined Cycle Power Plant The major components of a combined cycle power plant are listed below: i. Fuel: Different types of fuel may be used, namely, natural gas, coal, oil, petrol, diesel or any other conventional source of energy. Generally, natural gas is used as primary fuel. Also, experiments are being conducted to use renewable sources of energy like solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, nuclear energy etc as the main source of fuel. Using renewable source if energy would decrease the cost of running the plant tremendously and increase the efficiency as well. [2] ii. HRSG (Heat Recovery Steam Generator): HRSG is a heat exchanger. It is the link between the gas turbine and the steam turbine process. It is used to recover heat from a hot gas stream. It produces steam that can be used in a process. HRSG are commonly used in a combined-cycle power station, in which the exhaust is fed to the HRSG to generate steam which in-turn drives a steam turbine.There are three main types of HRSGs, namely: 1. HRSG without supplementary firing. 2. HRSG with supplementary firing. 3. Steam generators with maximum supplementary firing. HRSG without supplementary firing are the most common. Its main function is to convert the exhaust energy of gas turbine into steam. [2] iii. Deaerator: the main function of a Deaerator is to remove air and other dissolved gases from the water or steam in gas/steam cycle. This is necessary as the high oxygen content present in the steam/water corrodes the components of a plant along with the pipes. Generally, oxygen content of more than 7 to 10 parts per billion(ppb) is highly dangerous. Deaeration should be done continually since small leakages of air at air flanges and pump seals in the part of the cycle vacuum cannot be avoided. The solubility of the gases increase at a higher temperature and low pressure. A Deaerator removes these gases by heating the feed water to the saturation temperature. This feed water then passes through a heat exchanger after which it is sprayed from the top. By coming in contact dissolved oxygen and carbon di oxide get released. The Deaerator is usually kept in between the feed water system such that the total pressure difference between the boiler and the condenser is shared equally betw een the condenser pump and the boiler feed pump. The Deaerator is not used water cooled nuclear power plants as there is a danger of radioactive substance release. There are two types of Deaerators: a. Tray type Deaerator b. Spray type Deaerator iv. Control System: In todays world almost all cycles are automated in order to improve the efficiency and at the same time reducing human intervention. Control system is to a power plant what a brain is for a human body. Supervision, control, performing operations in a safe and reliable environment, continuously checking for leakages and faults is all done by the Control System. For this reason, the control and automation systems of a combined cycle power plant form a relatively complex system even though the thermal process is fairly simple. Fully electronic control systems are employed in todays modern combined cycle plants. The main features of the control system for a combined cycle power plants are: 1. Truly distributed architecture 2. Complete range of functions for process control 3. Communication capability due to several bus levels 4. Compliance with standard communication protocol 5. Openness for third party applications 6. On-line programmability with easy creation/editing of the programs v. Cooling system: An engine that is not cooled will soon reach a temperature which will seriously harm its functioning. If the heat is too intense it can cause the lubricant to burn up, leading to souring of cylinders, burning of pistons and bearings or any of variety of other mechanical troubles. Especially in a power plant where combustion of fuel continuously takes place for power generation, excess heat is like an enemy which needs to remove as soon as it is generated, least it would be dangerous. Two types of cooling systems are used, Air cooling and Liquid cooling. vi. Cogeneration: It is the simultaneous generation of electricity and useful heat. It is basically a recycling process. In conventional power plants, the waste heat is released into the atmosphere. Cogeneration captures this heat and re uses it for industrial heating purposes. In processes like district heating temperatures up to 130Â °C can be reached. Manhattan is the biggest steam district in the world. Many European countries also make use of this technology. Using cogeneration a bottoming plant captures the byproduct heat for domestic and industrial purposes thus increasing the overall efficiency of a plant. Paper and textile mills, chemical factories, sugar factories etc are few of the many industries which use saturated steam as the desired temperature for many purposes like heating and drying. For constant heating or drying steam is used. Also, the industry also needs power to drive its various machines. For this purpose combined cycle plants which use cogeneration are used since it serves both the purposes. District Heating Through Cogeneration Cogeneration involves the production of both electricity and thermal energy simultaneously from a common fuel source. The rejected or exhaust heat is used here for the process of district heating. Other applications included Desalination cooling. District heating is the latest technology for heating of homes and buildings in cold places like Europe. Heat which is produced in the thermal section in form of hot water is transported to houses and other areas using insulated pipes, such that the temperature doesnt change and a separate boiler is not needed at the receiving end. Vapor Absorption System A vapor absorption system can be used in the process of district heating. This system uses Ammonia which has a relative lower boiling point than water. Thus, less heat is needed to heat the water. Later ammonia can be removed from the water-ammonia mixture and reused again. The flow chart for such a system is as follows: Advantages Of District Heating There are many advantages of using this technology. A few of them are as follows: 1. Heat is transported to the urban areas using a heat exchanger which has a longer life. 2. Water is the main carrier. It can be easily procured from sea (desalination) or underground water. 3. Heating equipment takes less space and can be easily installed. 4. It can be used all year along without ant breaks. 5. Efficiency is more. 6. Distribution system is controlled using Computer which automatically increases or decreases the amount of water being delivered, depending upon the needs. Operation Of A Combined Cycle Power Plant Usually a combined cycle power plants are operated automatically. There are switches available which make it possible to activate the starting or shutting down of the equipment from a central control room. The commands may be given by operating staff or from a high level starting program which runs automatically. The start and stop are decided on several parameters which are pre defined in the program. Because the plants have a shorter start up time and an even quicker load change capability, the combined cycle power plants are often called to be dynamic in its behaviour. It is also quick in reacting, thus it is capable of following up quick changes. [2][6] Modern CCPP in the 50-400 MW range can be started within the following times: For a combined cycle power plant, Start up procedure is divided into three stages: 1. HRSG purging 2. Speeding up and synchronization of Gas turbine 3. Speeding up and synchronization of Steam turbine Purging of the boilers is a very important process. It prevents any explosion from unburned hydrocarbons by running the gas turbine at a high ignition speed of about more than 30% of normal speed, which helps in blowing of air through the HRSG. Purging then depends on the volume of gas left behind in the gas turbine. After the purging has been done, the gas turbines run at nominal speed, synchronized and loaded to the desired level. [7] Programmable Logic Controller Plc Definition A programmable Logic Controller, which is generally called as PLC, is a state of the art, digital industrial computer. A programmable logic controller is an industrial computer in which control devices such as limit switches, push buttons, temperature sensors or pressure sensors provide incoming control signals into the unit. An incoming control signal is called an Input. Incoming control signals interact with instructions specified in the user ladder program, which tells the PLC how to react to the incoming signals. The user program also directs the PLC on how to control the field devices like starter lights. A signal going out of the PLC to control a field device is called an Output. [5] Advantages Of Plc The main advantages of using PLC in the field are as follows: (i). Gain complete control of the manufacturing process (ii). Achieve consistency in automation (iii). Improve quality and accuracy (iv). Work in difficult hazardous condition (v). Shorten time to market (vi). Lower the cost of quality, scrap and rework (vii). Offer greater product variety (viii). Control inventory[5] How Does PLC Work Microprocessor is the main working brain of all the computers. The computers microprocessor, which is technically known as the central processing unit (CPU), supervises many controls and instructions as defined by the user. The microprocessor responds to the input signals and follows the instruction that it has been programmed to do. When the PLC is running and is following the programmers instructions it is called as solving the user problem. PLCs follow the instructions that are stored inside their memory. Also they may store programs for future use. Each instruction that has been entered will be placed inside the memory in the increasing order. These lists of instructions are called as a Ladder diagram. A basic PLC and its components are shown below. The instructions that are required to be carried out are transferred to the memory of the controller using a computer. The ladder diagram is made by the user using various kinds of latches, timers, counters and other accessories available with the software. After the ladder diagram has been verified and corrected, we download the program into the processors memory. Downloading basically means transferring the program from a personal computers memory to the logic controllers memory. Before downloading a user program, the processor must be in the program mode. After downloading the entire program all the wires have to be connected properly unless the required outputs would not be shown. Also, one can download the program as many number of times as it may be required. The continual running of the program in the PLC is useful in continuously determining if any input is being changed by the user or not. This process is called scanning. According to the commands given and the kind of timers or counters used, the output would be shown which is basically turning of the output light, which is present on the right hand side of the controller. A PLC interfaced with a computer is shown below. The PLC has come a long way since the first time it was used for industry applications. In these years, the PLCs usage has been increased drastically. It has been designed to withstand the harsh temperature. Since mostly PLCs are employed in industries where the temperature is usually on a higher side, they have been made resistant to heat. It is for this reason it is called as industrially hardened device. Also PLCs are small and easy to store. Also they require minimum of space. Also PLC gives the user the ability to try new things. The PLC can easily be programmed for any number of times. The programs are developed from the ladder diagrams. As an industrial computer, the PLC can easily replace functions of timers or counters. Also any type of sequence can be tried on the software. Also these days functions like arithmetic and data manipulation or shift registers have been made available along with the software which has increased its range of operation. The main benefit of using PLC is easy troubleshooting. In industries ladder diagrams may span for many pages. As a result it becomes very difficult to identify the errors. However, PLC software comes with an inbuilt troubleshooting device which tells the user where errors have occurred, if any. This helps in easy identifying of the problem and saves precious time. PLC, thus, is a very important tool in industry usage. RS LOGIX 500 RSLogix is a used to run a particular or a full segment in an industry. RSLogix is a product of Allen-Bradley, which provide the best industry controllers. This software offers unbeatable productivity and is widely used in industries. A simpler version called RSLogix 500 was made by Allen-Bradley for laboratory purposes. I have used this software for interfacing different cycles in a combined cycle power plant. RSLogix 500 offers [5]: (i). Flexible easy to use editors (ii). Diagnostics (iii). Troubleshooting tools (iv). Time saving features and functionality Simulation On Rs Logix 500 The project was divided into three parts: 1. Brayton Cycle 2. Rankine Cycle 3. District Heating Ladder diagrams for each were constructed after thoroughly understanding each process in detail. Use of timers, counters and switches were made in the ladder diagrams to illustrate limit switches. Temperature and pressure values have been assumed and are not based on actual standards. RSLogix 500 provides with a large variety of instruction palettes, like normally open closed switches, timers, counters etc. Values of temperature and pressure sensors were assumed and are not based on factual data. Also, various kinds of up-counters and down-counters along with many types of timers were used in designing of the ladder diagrams. I started with designing of ladder diagram for Brayton cycle. Then I designed a Rankine cycle which uses the waste of Brayton cycle as the input and lastly I designed a District Heating plant which uses the wasteful outputs of both Brayton and Rankine cycles. A Combined Cycle Power Plant increases the efficiency of a power plant by almost double. As a result, its usage is increasing globally as more and more simple plants are being converted to combined cycle power plants. Given below is the figure of an instruction palette as seen in the software. After the Ladder logic is entered, the whole file or project is verified without errors and is given access for download. The figure for the same is given below: Brayton Cycle The ladder diagram is as shown below. It has a lower efficiency than a steam cycle. The above figure shows the ladder diagram for the Brayton Cycle. The first rung illustrates the fuel which is supplied. I have taken Natural gas as the main source of fuel and Diesel for emergencies. The fuel mixes with Air. The ratio of fuel: air is about 1:30. A timer which acts like a pressure sensor is attached in parallel with the compressor. Since this timer is attached to a done bit, it cuts off the fuel and air supply after 15 seconds. This is so done since it is assumed that after, say 15 seconds, the pressure in the compressor reaches 200 Bar. If the compressor is opened for more time, then the compressor might blow off because of extreme pressure. This pressure I have assumed is totally hypothetical and varies with the type of material used in the making of the compressor. After the air and fuel gets compressed i.e. the pressure increases and the volume decreases (according to Boyles law), then the compressor valve opens. The compressor mixture then enters a combustor wher e the combustion takes place. I have attached a up-counter in parallel with the combustor. The up-counter does the same function

Waiting for the Barbarians Essay -- Literary Analysis, J.M. Coetzee

Many of us have heard of the â€Å"dysfunctional relationship† characterized by the twists and the turns of emotion and the outrageous behavior of two self-destructive individuals. However, we never envision ourselves in that situation, playing either the stereotyped role of the crazy woman or man, both blinded by love or another passionate emotion. However, in Waiting for the Barbarians, J.M. Coetzee creates an eye-brow rising, head-tilting relationship between the old and pedophilic magistrate and the damaged barbarian girl. The transformative relationship between the two individuals is based on torture, guilt, atonement, and power. Didactically, through their relationship, Coetzee intends for the reader to understand the effect of moral idleness and also to see himself reflected in the idea of the true barbarian. Quickly into the novel, torture can be discerned as an important theme which shapes the transformative relationship between the magistrate and the barbarian girl. The magistrate views himself as â€Å"a responsible official in the service of the Empire† who carries out his routine duties in a remote tranquil town, just â€Å"waiting to retire† (8). His remarkably quiet and content lifestyle is disrupted as a result of Colonel Joll’s arrival and quickly after nonsensical imprisonment and torture commence. Initially, by abstaining from the investigation and torture the magistrate perceives himself as the opposite of the evidently villainous man with â€Å"discs of glass suspended in front of his eyes† (1). Without directly causing the bruises and subsequent scars, the magistrate is still a participant in the torture by his association with the Empire. He is aware and even states that many of the prisoners, like the fisherman, are innoc... ...inistration’s desire to preserve its ideals of what is good and evil by creating a nonexistent enemy and a war. If the soldiers under Colonel Joll â€Å"could never catch them [barbarians],† were they even there to begin with? Creating problems with no valid foundation is equivalently as injurious as waiting for an evil deed to occur and waiting for others to solve the issue. Coetzee uses the odd relationship between the magistrate and the barbarian girl as penance to intellectually display the effects of guilt due to moral idleness. If empires, governments, and administrations are committing wrongful acts, as a citizen and most importantly, as a human, one should react and voice his opinions, instead of crouching in fear or helping when the damage has already been done. The novel makes us question whether we will be a another facilitator of the bystander effect.