Analysis of the Unforgiven

Analysis of Unforgiven Brenda J. Thompson ENG 225: Introduction to Film Nathaniel Millard October 5, 2009 Summary While the movie Unforgiven (1992) directed and starring Clint Eastwood, as William Munny, is in the genre of a western in the late 1800’s. It has a basic theme that we are still making movies about today, justice and what is acceptable and what is not acceptable in our search for it. It is a story of a journey that one man has to make in order for him to care for his children but it ends up being so much more of a journey than he anticipates. This movie is the ultimate of good versus evil on a couple of different levels. It is good guy versus bad guy and it is the evil within fighting the good within and the constant battles that both of these different levels bring to the main character and the other characters of this film. Does justice prevail in this film? Level of Ambition This movie’s level of ambition was that of a typical Clint Eastwood film, straightforward, deep and controversial. Clint Eastwood is known through his characters as the hard, smart talking, no nonsense, afraid of nothing type casted actor and so his films that are directed by him bring a whole new level to that type of character. He brings the softer side to these characters that we do not expect to see. He reveals the inner dilemma within his character to show that just because someone has done some really horrible things in their lives that does not mean that they do not have internal struggles between what is right and what is wrong. The consciousness of the guilt, the validation, and the justification of what he is doing, eats at him and his inner struggles that come with knowing what he has done but seems to diminish over the length of the movie. It seems to get easier for him to accept what needs to be done and just does it even though he no longer wants to do it. Thematic Elements The central idea of this film is injustice and what can happen when an injustice is made right in the eye of the beholder. This movie had hit on several different perspectives regarding its focus and was dependent upon which character it was highlighting at the time. One of those perspectives being from that of the main character William and his constant battle within himself to stay true to his goodness and not to allow the old evil side out. Another perspective is that of the working women who just want to be respected and not feel as though they are personal property. The Sheriff, Little Bill, who was played by Gene Hackman had of course another perspective on the whole situation which was to play off the entire ordeal by fining the two culprits instead of arresting them. With that being said, this film covered several categories regarding a central idea and subordinate ideas. Although I found injustice to be the central idea, I also felt that there were other categories that were touched on. Truth of human nature (Boggs & Petrie, 2008, pg. 26) and how even though this took place in 1880 you could still feel the injustice today and feel those feelings that were portrayed by the characters wanting to make this right although not all the characters wanted to make it right for the same reasons. The social problems that were in this film, which were the crimes against women, social acceptance and the draw that money has always and forever will have on us as a society are still prevalent today therefore we can understand and appreciate what is happening. We know now as a society that we cannot take the law into our own hands but in 1880 it was prevalent and more acceptable therefore we can relate as maybe we wish he could sometimes take the law into our own hands and make an injustice right when one has been wronged. Setting and Set Design The filming took place in the wilderness of Alberta, Canada and one scene (the train scene) in California. The majority of the scenes were either out in the wilderness or within the small town of Big Whiskey’s saloon and the adjacent main street during the fall and winter season of 1880. The buildings were dark, small and gloomy on the inside and due to the fact that the majority of the movie took place in the nighttime hours and it was stormy more than not, the outside was just as gloomy as the inside. The lighting was minimal as it would have been back then bringing mood with it. The foreshadowing of the stormy weather worked in making this movie what it was, the rain seemed to let you know when something was coming. As much as the wilderness scenery was beautiful, I found it downplayed by the drab colors of the costumes and the non use of color throughout the entire film. It seemed as though the only time color was used was determined by what that particular scene was about. For instance, as English Bob came into town the only item of color was the drab red of the stagecoach, so we knew whoever was in that stagecoach was going to become an important character to a scene coming up, everything else was a muted earth tone of tan, brown, green and blue. As stated in our text a director may simply let their settings just be a backdrop and let the action of that scene take over. (Boggs & Petrie, 2008, pg. 74) This was exactly how this movie was told; it focused on the story instead of glamorizing it with colorful costumes and scenery. We needed to see the drabness of the subject in the muted colors of the movie. Another scene that showed a pop of color was that of William (Eastwood) and Ned (Freeman) were having a conversation where William was trying to make himself and his friend believe that he was no longer an evil person, he no longer drank and no long er killed and at that point their horses walked past some very bright yellow colored trees which just brought a sense of hopefulness to that section of the movie. As if by justifying his goodness it truly made him a good man, the validation from his friend was needed by him as a reminder that he really was a good man, that this couldn’t make him a bad man again because he had been good for so long. Sound and Score The first scene of the movie was that of William Munny in the distance tending to his farming as the sun set on the other side of him. The only sound at that time was that of a very soft playing guitar that had the feeling of a ballad, soft and gentle. For the remainder of the movie the sound and scores were very minimal. Natural outdoor sounds, animals, the breeze, rain were the sounds heard most of the time. Music was minimal and was used for dramatic pauses when no words were necessary and the message needed to sink in or to build up to an upcoming scene. The softness of the music was calming and not too overbearing especially in the action parts of the movie when some directors scream music. Clint Eastwood in this movie chose to use music to â€Å"reinforce the rhythms of the action† (Boggs & Petrie, 2008, pg. 375) instead of making it a priority. He used music the same way he used his colors. I found that during the soft reflective moments of the movie that the music was that of a sole guitar or very soft music and when it involved a little more action an orchestra was involved. The most profound sound of all was that of the rain. Depending upon the message coming through made the difference between how hard it was raining and how loud it was heard. Not only was the rain foreshadowing but also the sound of the thunder and lightning that was used. It was letting us know that something was coming, something was going to happen and it was an integral part of the film. Casting and Acting Performances As it is explained in (Boggs & Petrie, 2008, Introduction to Film) â€Å"In the choice of actors, one director may take the safe, sure way by casting established stars in roles very similar to roles they have played before. † Clint Eastwood is well known for his hardened characters and his experience in westerns. I could not imagine any other actor portraying William Munny. Clint Eastwood brings to the table a hardened character that transforms himself from an uncaring murderer to a loving husband and father back to his hardened man that has to make justice where there was none. Little Bill (Hackman) was a typical sheriff of the time where he laid that law with an iron fist and was going to lay that law any way that he could. In the film you want to believe that Little Bill is one of the good guys but in the end he is no better than the men he was trying to run off. In one scene Hackman was explaining that he did not like men of no character or assassins but in true life really was no better than them but justified it to himself with his badge. Morgan Freeman played Ned, William Munny’s old partner in crime. He had also retired from the killing fields and was now a farmer married to his Indian wife, Sally Two Trees. Ned truly believed he could help his old partner but by the end of the film had realized that he could no longer kill someone and chose to return to his wife but not before being captured by Little Bill’s crew and ultimately killed. Freeman brings a sense of calmness, stability and outright warmth to the film and breaks up the stark harshness of William Munny’s character and the haracter of Scolfield Kid, played by Jaimz Woolvett, a young man looking to make some money but has no experience with that of a paid assassin or of life experiences in general. He was a simple character but one that grew throughout the film to make a realization that his view point on a glorified act has sharply turned and took another route. As the characters seem to complement each other and all of the actors seemed to fit each character to a tee, there are not too many actors in my m ind that could have lived up to the actors that were chosen for these roles. I found one character flat but only because she was written that way, I do not blame the actress as I think she did a great job, it was the character as a whole. Screenplay and Narrative Structure Clint Eastwood, as the director, chose to tell this story very simply by filling the audience in with a written narrative in the first scene. It tells you about the main character prior to this time in his life without taking up more time than was needed. It was straightforward and simple. It was not told through any one character but you could feel the story through each of the characters it was focusing on in that scene. As there is no way of knowing how the screenplay was written it is hard to tell if Eastwood followed what the screenwriter had envisioned or what he envisioned but for what it is worth, Eastwood brought himself to this film in a way that shows not only the hard side of a prior life of killing but the softer side of a man that chose the good of a woman and wanting to please her. There is also a narrative at the end of the film that lets us know that William Munny chose in the end, his children and his wife’s goodness. He chose to leave and moved himself and children to Los Angeles and works productively in dry goods. We know that not only did he make it through that darkness but came full circle twice. He started out killing, bettered himself with the help of his late wife, killed again when his friend was killed because of the act that he committed and then went back to the goodness when he felt as though justice had been served. Once his friend was killed and he took a drink of the alcohol, he lost himself in his old ways as the anger and guilt came bubbling out. Once he felt as though he had righted a wrong, he took his children away from all of the bad and started anew. Objective Evaluation Overall this film was successful in bringing to an audience a western drama with compassion, with ignorance, with greed, with honesty. It showed the softer side of a killer, one side we don’t normally see in a film, we saw the journey of a man trying to find who he is without being defined as an assassin and the struggles within that journey. By suppressing the colors and tones of the film and leaving the lighting at a minimal it really focuses on the feelings and the story as a whole. It wasn’t about the actions but about how people react to certain situations (especially when information is misconstrued) for an example, this all started by a whore getting cut in the face but by the time the information was received by William Munny, the crime had more than doubled in severity. If the story of the cutting had stayed true would this story ever had happened? Would the characters have wanted to kill those men if they had known she still had her fingers and such? Maybe that was what William Munny’s inner struggle was about once he had met the cut woman. The story was easy to follow and William Munny’s character was easy to like, he had been trying to live right for 11 years but when he realized he couldn’t provide for his children because the pigs were getting sick, he had to resort to what he knew he was good at. Only problem was that he found that he was extremely rusty at it, from his shooting skills to his eyesight, he wasn’t the same at it and it didn’t feel good to do. The emotions in this film were portrayed wonderfully from Alice the fiery working girl to the laid back calm character of Ned. You could feel their emotions and understand them and connect with them as people. Final Analysis In closing, the movie Unforgiven was a great movie filled with emotion and heroism. Although this movie was about injustice and human nature, it was also about healing, renewing and hope. As gloomy as the subject matter was, it was also about hope and realizing that no matter what you have done in the past you can make a choice or choices and make a new life that doesn’t have to involve criminal behavior. People like to think that justice always prevails so this movie provides that. It provides justice for the girls but at the same time caused a ripple effect and they got more than what they had bargained for, not expecting as much bloodshed as this one incident had caused. Clint Eastwood and the other cast members made this story a believable one. Not only is Munny (Eastwood) a somewhat cold type of character you end up seeing sides to him that make you like him as a person. Not only are we willing to forgive his past, we want to see him succeed whereas Little Bill (Hackman) was in a position of superiority and used it to intimidate and manipulate his way of running things. I found this character to be arrogant which showed when in building his home, asked no one to help him. Clearly it was needed. The only character I found to be flat was that of Delilah (Anna Levine), victim of the cutting. I can understand that her character might be a little timid after the ordeal but found her to be flat throughout the rest of the film and wish she had more of an impact. Overall this movie was a nice movie to watch. Not only was it easy to follow it made you want to continue watching to see what happens. The characters are believable and the storyline tells an entire story. The use of muted colors and natural sounds lent to the mood and tone of the entire movie. The focus is of the story neither the scenery nor the costumes but was strong enough to stand on its own without going over the top. Not only was this film a western but a drama as well, great for men and women as it touches emotions and evokes emotions on both sides of the gender box. References Boggs, J. , & Petrie, D. (2008). The Art of Watching Films (7th Ed. ) with tutorial CD-ROM. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield. ISBN: 9780077282301   Peoples, D. W. & Eastwood, C. (Writer/Director). (1992). Unforgiven [Motion Picture]. Hollywood: Warner Bros. Pictures

My Favorite Coat

I have a coat in my mind. Some say it is my favorite coat. Indeed, it is one of a kind. My coat has moods, just as I. The two of us must never part. In the summertime, my coat has my heart. During the fall leaves touch the ground but my coat and I are still around. In the winter when it gets cold, my coat and I never grow old. As spring comes and snow melts away, my coat and I go out to play. Frost wrote, â€Å"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,’ ‘And sorry I could not travel both’ ‘And be one traveler, long I stood’ ‘And look down one as far as I could’ ‘To where it bent in the undergrowth†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  (n.d., The Road Not Taken). So my coat and I looked this road and realized too often the heavy load. I with my burdens all the day and my coat with its colors that sometimes changes from day to day. To understand how much we have gone through, one must know my coat is true. My coat is described in the words below and in the end, my coat and I grow. Description The coat I own is very cozy. It has two pockets on the outside and one on the inside. The coat that I own is in my mind, that keeps me warm all the time. It is made of black leather on a cold winter’s day and lamb skin internal that is what I can say. Pockets are snuggly and warm like hand muffs. The sleeves come down over my wrists, which is an advantage plus. My coat turns brown when the sun glistens through the trees. When it is autumn, the coat color changes in weather that is fair. Brown for the leaves, that fall everywhere. The pockets are lined with silk that is white. One pocket inside, carries my eyesight (glasses). During long hot summers, my coat remains true. It is on these days, it turns a cool shade of blue. The sleeves zip off and I can put them together. At these times, they become my belt. My coat becomes my robe of many colors. Despite the heat, I wear it on. When the sweat comes, it pours down my face. Yet, my coat remains true to its place. In the spring, when birds fill the air, my coat can be seen given me care. My sleeves zip on, during nights I get a chill. The coat of mine warms me at will. It knows my body, snuggling me from shoulder length and then the length goes near my toes. All the years that my coat and I coexist, hardly anyone knows. My favorite coat, whether it is black, brown, or velvet blue; changes with my mood and yet, remains true. This coat of mine is worn everyday. If the sun comes out, it glistens within. No matter what, my coat is a true friend. Summer’s come often and the heat increases. My coat and I do not go to pieces. I am cooled by the cotton within. The coat, itself, never will end. â€Å"What is that†, you ask? Why, being my true friend. Now in the spring, once again, my coat and I often spend. Time together, my favorite coat and I, sit in the park and watch people walk by. Birds still chirp and sing their song. My coat and I listen to expressions that never receive a gong. Conclusion Fall comes and trees are bare. Yet, my coat and I remain in each other’s care. I am warmed all the day. The coat is cleaned whenever I say. Dry cleaners for the best of what my coat has to give. Never, I imply, my cost must live. So by the light of the moon, I take out the coat cleaner. My coat is washed until it looks leaner. Not a speck of dirt, the silk must show. When I wear my coat, we both must glow. In the summer, when the sleeves zip off once again, I remain true to my coat because it is my favorite friend. Frost mentioned, â€Å"I shall be telling this with a sigh’ ‘Somewhere ages and ages hence:’ ‘Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—‘ ‘I took the one less traveled by,’ ‘And that has made all the difference’† (n.d., The Road Not Taken). Reference Frost, R. (n.d.). Table of Contents: The Road Not Taken. Retrieved February 28, 2007, from Web site: http://www.geocities.com/jnkees/poem1.html#nottaken   

History Of Popular Culture

In Early Modern Europe festivals were the setting for heroes and their stories, to be celebrated by the populace. They posed a change from their everyday life. In those days people lived in remembrance of one festival and in expectance of the next. Different kinds of festivals were celebrated in different ways. There were festivals that marked an individual occasion and weren’t part of the festival calendar, like family festivals such as weddings and christenings. Some took place at the same time every year and ere for everyone, like community festivals like the different saints’ days. Pilgrimages took place all year round. Annuals festivals like Christmas and Midsummer always took place on the same day every year. In those days the average village in Western Europe celebrated at least 17 festivals annually, not counting family occasions and saints’ days. Some festivals, such as Carnival, lasted several days or sometimes even several weeks. In the Netherlands Carnival started every year at the 11th of November (St. Martin) and culminated in a big festival of ‘Dranck, pleijsier ende vrouwen’ (Drink, fun and women) at the end of the Carnival eriod, preceding the period of Lent. Festivals were meant to take the minds of the people off their everyday life, off the hard times and their work. Everyday life in Early Modern Europe was filled with rituals, both religious and secular. Songs and stories played an important role in their lives, although they sometimes adjusted the details of the legends and stories to fit the way they thought a certain festival should take place. Popular culture was mixed with ecclesiastical culture in many ways. The story of St. John the Baptist is a good example of this. The ancient ritual f bathing and lighting fires during Midsummer’s Eve was a remnant of a ritual from the pre-Christian period. Fire and water, symbols of purification, could be seen as the tools of St. John the Baptist, and therefore a combination of the two elements of popular and ecclesiastical culture was obvious. It looks as if the Medieval Church took over the festival and made it theirs. The same thing happened to the Midwinter Festival, which became linked with the birth of Christ, on 25 December. There are many more examples to be found, such as the connection between St. Martin and geese caused by the fact that the St. Martins Day (11 November) coincided with the period during which the people used to kill their geese in the period preceding the Christian period. Carnival plays a special role in popular culture in Early Modern Europe. It is a great example of a festival of images and texts. It was a popular festival, taking on different forms in different regions of Europe. Aside from regional variations, these differences were also caused by factors such as the climate, the political situation and the economical situation in an area. On a whole Carnival started in late December or early January and reached ts peak upon approaching Lent. The actual feast, taking place at the end of the festive period, could take days and would usually involve large quantities of food and drinks. The festival took place in the open air in the centre of a town or city. Within a region, the way Carnival was celebrated varied from town to town. The festival was a play, with the streets as a stage and the people as actors and spectators. They often depicted everyday life scenes and made fun of them. Informal events took place throughout the Carnival period. There was massive eating and drinking, as a way of ’stocking up’ for Lent. People sang and danced in the streets, using the special songs of Carnival, and people wore masks and fancy-dress. There was verbal aggression, insults were exchanged and satirical verses were sung. More formally structures events were concentrated in the last days of the Carnival period. These events took places in the central squares and were often organised by clubs or fraternities. The main theme during Carnival was usually ‘The World Upside Down’. Situations got turned around. It was an enactment of the world turned upside down. Men dressed up as women, women dressed up as men, the rich traded places with the poor, etc. There was physical reversal: people standing on their heads, horses going backwards and fishes flying. There was reversal of relationships between man and beast: the horse shoeing the master or the fish eating the fisherman. The other reversal was that of relationships between men: servants giving orders to their masters or men feeding children while their wives worked the fields. Many events centred on the figure of ‘Carnival’, often depicted as a fat man, cheerful and surrounded by food. The figure of ‘Lent’, for contrast, often took the form of a thin, old woman, dressed in black and hung with fish. These depictions varied in form and name in the different regions in Europe. A recurring element was the performance of a play, usually a farce. Mock battles were also a favourite pass-time during the Carnival period. Carnival usually ended with the defeat of ‘Carnival’ by ‘Lent’. This could happen in the form of the mock trial and execution of ‘Carnival’, (Bologna, Italy, 16th century), the beheading of a pig (Venice, Italy), or the burial of a sardine (Madrid, Spain). So what was the meaning of Carnival in Early Modern Europe? Was it merely an excuse for the populace to go crazy or did Carnival have a deeper eaning hidden behind the facade of food, violence and sex? Carnival was a holiday, a game. It was a time of ecstasy and liberation. The form was determined by three major themes: food, sex and violence. It was the time of indulgence, of abundance. It was also a time of intense sexual activity – tables of the seasonal movement of conceptions in 18th century France show a peak around February. Carnival was also a festival of aggression, destruction and desecration. It was the ideal time to insult or pester people who had wronged someone, often in the form of a mock battle of a football match. A time for paying off old grudges. Serious violence was not avoided and in most areas the rates of serious crimes and killings went up during Carnival. It was also a time of opposition, in more than one way. It opposed the ecclesiastical ritual of Lent. Lent was a period of fasting and abstinence of all things enjoyed by the people, not just food and drink but also sex and recreation. The elements that were taken out of life during Lent were emphasised during Carnival. All that was portrayed by the figures of ‘Carnival’ and ‘Lent’ (fat versus thin). Carnival was polysemous, meaning different things to different people in ifferent areas. In different regions, different heroes were celebrated. Sometimes elements were taken over from other regions. Carnival did not have the same importance all over Europe. In the north of Europe (Britain, Scandinavia) it was less important than in the rest of Europe. This was probably partly due to the climate which discouraged an elaborate street festival at that time of the year. In these regions, people preferred to elaborate the festivities during the Midsummer festival (St. John’s Eve). Two reasons for this are the pagan survivals that were stronger in these regions, partly because they were solated from the rest of Europe due to geographical obstacles, causing a lesser ecclesiastical influence, and the climatic situation as mentioned above. Carnival was a festival in extremis, but elements of Carnival can be found in every festival that was celebrated in Early Modern Europe. During the harvest season, all over Europe festivals and rituals were held. The harvest was celebrated, again, with elaborate drinking and eating, although in a more moderate way than the Carnival celebrations. All these festival had one thing in common: they offered the people an escape from their everyday life and a way to express themselves. It offered the people a way to vent their resentments and some form of entertainment. Festivals were an escape from their struggle to earn a living. They were something to look forward to and were a celebration of the community and a display of its ability to put on a good show. It is said that the mocking of outsiders (the neighbouring village or Jews) and animals might be seen as a dramatic expression of community solidarity. Some rituals might be seen as a form of social control, in a sense that it was a means for a community to express their discontent with certain embers of the community (charivari). The ritual of public punishment can be seen in this light, as it was used to deter people from committing crimes. Professor Max Gluckman used the African popular culture to explain the social function of the ritual of reversal of roles as it happened during rituals as Carnival. Similar rituals still occur in certain regions in Africa. Gluckman explains this ritual as an emphasis of certain rules and taboos through lifting them for a certain period of time. The apparent protests against the social order were intended to preserve and even to trengthen the established order. As a counter example Gluckman states that: â€Å"? in regions where the social order is seriously questioned, ‘rites of protest’ do not occur. † Riots and rebellions frequently took place during major festivals. Rebels and rioters employed rituals and symbols to legitimise their actions. Inhibitions against expressing hostility towards the authorities or individuals were weakened by the excitement of the festival and the consumption of large quantities of alcohol. If those factors were combined with discontent over a bad harvest, tax increases or other calamities, this ituation could get out of control. It could prove a good opportunity for people excluded from power to try and enforce certain changes. It is hardly surprising that members of the upper classes often suggested that particular festivals ought to be abolished. They felt threatened by the populace who during festivals tried to revolt against the ruling classes and change the economical situation they were in. The reform of popular festivals was instigated by the will of some of the ‘educated’ to change the attitudes and values of the rest of the population († to improve them†). This reformation took on different forms in different regions and it took place at different moments in time. There were also differences in the practices that were being reformed. Catholics and Protestants opposed to different elements of popular festivals and they did so for different reasons. Even within the Protestant movement, the views towards reformation of festivals and popular rituals varied. Missionaries on both sides worked in Europe to install their religious values in the local people. Reformers on both sides objected in particular to certain elements in popular religion. Festivals were part of popular religion or were at least disguised as an element of popular religion. The festival of Martinmas (11 November) was a good example of this. What were the objections of the authorities against these elements of popular culture in general and popular religion in particular? There were two essential religious objections. Firstly, the majority of festivals were seen as remnants of ancient paganism. Secondly, the festivals offered the people an occasion to over-indulge in immoral or offensive behaviour, at many occasions attacking the establishment (both ecclesiastical and civil). The first objection meant that reformers disliked many of the popular customs because they contained traces of ancient customs dating from pre-Christian times. Protestant reformers went very far in their objections, even denouncing a number of Catholic rituals as being pre-Christian survivals, considering the saints as successors of pagan gods and heroes, taking over their curative and protective functions. Magic was also considered a pagan remnant: the Protestants accused the Catholics of practising a pagan ritual by claiming that certain holy places held magical powers and could cure people. The reformers denounced the rituals they didn’t find fitting as being irreverent and blasphemous. Carnival and the charivaris were considered â€Å"the work of the devil†, because it made a mockery of certain godly elements the Church held sacred. The reformers thought people who didn’t honour God in their way to be heathen, doomed to spend their afterlife in eternal damnation. Flamboyance was to be chased out of all religious aspects of culture, and, where possible, out of all other aspects of life, according to the Protestant doctrine. In some areas, gesturing during church services was banned, as was laughter. All these things were seen as irreverent, making a mockery of religion. All these changes were introduced in order to create a sharper separation between the ’sacred’ and the ‘profane’. The ecclesiastical authorities were out to destroy the traditional familiarity with the sacred because â€Å"familiarity breeds irreverence. The objection against popular recreations stemmed from the idea that they were ‘vanities’, displeasing God because they were a waste of time and money and distracted people from going to church. This objection was shared by both the ecclesiastical and civil authorities. The latter mainly bjected because it distracted the populace from their work, which in turn affected the revenues of the leading upper classes, or from other activities that were benefiting the rich, reasons that would vary per region. Catholic and Protestant reformers were not equally hostile to popular culture, nor were they hostile for quite the same reasons. Protestant reformers were more radical, denouncing festivals as relics of popery and looking to abolish feast-days as well as the feast that came with it, because they considered the saints that were celebrated during these festivals as remnants of a pre-Christian era. Many of these Protestant reformers were equally radical in their attacks on holy images, which they considered ‘idols’. During the end of the 16th and the first half of the 17th century Dutch churches were pillaged by Protestants trying to destroy all religious relics and images (de Beeldenstorm). Catholic reformers were more modified in their actions; they tried to reach a certain modification of popular religious culture, even trying to adapt certain elements to the Catholic way of worshipping and incorporating popular elements into their religion. They insisted that some times were holier than others, and they id object to the extend to which the holy days were celebrated with food and drink. Some argued that it was impossible to obey the rites of Lent with proper reverence and devotion if they had indulged in Carnival just before. Catholic reformers also installed rules in order to regulate certain popular festivals and rituals, such as a prohibition on dressing up as a member of the clergy during Carnival or a prohibition on dancing or performing plays in churches or churchyards. Contrary to the Protestant reformers however, the Catholic reformers did not set out to abolish estivals and rituals completely. Civil authorities had their own reasons to object to popular festivals in Early Modern Europe. Apart from taking the people away from work or other obligations, the authorities feared that during the time of a festival, the abundance of alcohol could stir up the feelings of discontent the people had been hiding all throughout the year. Misery and alcohol could create a dangerous mix that would give people the courage they needed to rebel against authorities. This was a good reason for the authorities to try and stop, or at least control, popular festivals.

Effects of Addition of Nitrogen on Ph and Availability of Soil Assignment

Effects of Addition of Nitrogen on Ph and Availability of Soil Nutrients - Assignment Example If biomass is divided into root components and the ones above the ground, we find the significant effect to be root biomass of the last generation composed of high N. These effects account for less than 0.1% of variance of root and dry biomass. As 50% of biomass above the ground and root materials are returned as litter to the system, the high N’s soil deposition get greater inputs of nitrogen and organic C. Therefore, a large quantity of N and C accumulate in the soil at the top of the deposition of high N microcosms, compared to deposition of low N microcosms. However, there are no effects in the composition of high N. If soil C is increased in the deposition of high N, it reflects significantly larger NEP. Varied measures reflects decomposer activity: invertase, b-xylosidase and collembolan density activity are significantly larger in deposition of high N microcosms: furthermore, there is no effect in the composition of high nitrogen on the measures. Rates of nitrogen miner alization do not differ in the combinations across, composition and though N leaching rates are a times greater in the deposition of high N. This effect is inconsistent and leaching rates are low. Storage of carbons in the POM fraction is greater under deposition of high nitrogen and is not affected by composition of high N. ... l percentage P value P value P value P value P value Above ground biomass(g/m sq) + 82.5

Laboratory report on sluice gate and hydraulic jump Coursework

Laboratory report on sluice gate and hydraulic jump - Coursework Example Generally, sluice gats are made up of a gate, a power mechanism and a frame and they are designed to withstand various water loads at different operating heights. There are two types of sluice gates. These are the wall-mounted sluice gates and the vertical rising sluice gates. For the vertical rising sluice gates, they are designed such that water flow is prevented as long as the water height does not exceed the gate height. In this types of sluice gates, the bottom and the side walls are sealed. For the wall-mounted sluice gates, also referred to as bottom sluice gates, passage of water is prevented to flow up to heights that exceed the gate. In this type, all the four sides of the sluice gates are sealed (Hager, 1992). As water flows in an open channel, it is only acted upon by atmospheric pressure implying that the gauge pressure is zero. In open channel flow, two flow depths exists, these are the subcritical flow and the supercritical flow (Khatsuria, 2004). The use of sluice in open channel alters the flow characteristics resulting in the flow changing from subcritical to supercritical. The flow rate under a sluice gate is illustrated by equation (1) below where by it is assumed that the flow is ideal (which is never the case in real situation). From the figure 1 above, it can be seen that flow under the sluice gate results into generation of a hydraulic jump just before the flow resumes back to subcritical flow from supercritical flow (Subramanya, 2009). As earlier connoted, a sluice gate changes flow from subcritical to supercritical flow. Under normal cases, the flow in an open channel is usually subcritical, therefore as the flow reverts back to sub-critical flow after passing through a sluice gate, there is sudden energy dissipation that results from the change of flow from supercritical to subcritical (Hager, 1992). This is the hydraulic jump. Where V is the velocity, is the

The construct lifestyle in market segmentation Essay

The construct lifestyle in market segmentation - Essay Example One outcome of the search for marketing innovations is market segmentation. Market segmentation basically deals with allocating the right consumer with the right product. The Investopedia (2011) explains market segmentation as â€Å"aggregating of prospective buyers into groups (segments) that have common needs and will respond similarly to a marketing action.† Closely related to this explanation, Tatum (2011) posits that market segmentation â€Å"is a strategy that involves dividing a larger market into subsets of consumers who have common needs and applications for the goods and services offered in the market.† Because market segmentation tries to limit the division of the market base, it allows for the fullest understanding of basic rudiments of a particular market segment. Out of this benefit, Gonzalez and Bello (2002) came up with a coiled concentration of market segmentation on the tourism market where he writes about â€Å"The construct "lifestyle" in market seg mentation: The behavior of tourist consumers†. This paper seeks to assess the thesis of the author in regard to the construct lifestyle and examine other innovations presented in the article. Assessment of the thesis of the authors in regards to the construct lifestyle The authors make a number of theses as far as the construct lifestyle in market segmentation for tourist consumers are concerned. One of these theses has to do with the inclusion of lifestyle to help segment the tourism market more adequately. The writers are of the view that lifestyle of consumers is very imminent if the tourist market can properly be segmented. In view of this, they define â€Å"the construct lifestyle based on the activities, interest and opinion approach.† The authors therefore believe that for any effect market segmentation that will target specific tourist consumers, players in the industry must not loss sight of the very activities that tourist would want to engage in when they are out there on tourism. As far as tourism is concerned the World Tourism Organization recognizes three groups of consumers who are visitors, overnight tourists and excursionist (Gonzalez& Bello, 2002, pp. 53). Each of these three categories of consumers undertake the type of tourism they do for different purposes. In doing this, they participate in different pre-intended activities based on their interest and opinion of tourism. For example one group of people on tourism would opt for animal related destinations because they have a natural love for animals. Another would opt for plant related destinations because their work has to do with plants. In the view of the authors, when such interests and activities of consumers are well harnessed in the construct lifestyle, tourism operators will be in an excellent position to attract the right consumers at the right time because they will put in place the right segmentation to meet the needs of the consumers. Another thesis outlined by the authors is the need to base the construct lifestyle on the total needs of travelers. Simply out, people’s needs reflect their lifestyle. To this effect, they assert that â€Å"good theory of tourist motivation must consider the total needs of travelers and not limit its focus to one need† (Gonzalez& Bello, 2002, pp. 53). Continuing research in tourism show that there is a lot of relation between tourist motivation

Service Quality in Marriott Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Service Quality in Marriott Corporation - Essay Example the tangible and intangible aspects of the service quality) observed during interactions with the service firm (Wakefield, 2001). Tangible aspects of service quality include all that the client can see, touch, hear, and smell upon the delivery of the services, thus, it basically involves physical facilities, equipment, and appearance of employees (Wakefield, 2001; Duffy & Kenchand, 1998). Meanwhile, the intangible aspects of service quality comprise the manner by which services are delivered (Wakefield, 2001). An example of an intangible aspect of service quality is the service performance, which describes all aspects of the delivery of services that include: reliability (i.e. the ability to perform the required service dependably, accurately, and consistently, e.g. solving customer's problems, accurate billing and record keeping); responsiveness (i.e. the willingness of staff to provide prompt and attentive service; accordingly, it is important to make customers feel the immediacy of the management or the service employee in responding to what the customers need to know); assurance (i.e. ensuring that clients feel secure and safe when they provide confidential and/or personal information and winning their trust); and, empathy (i.e., the management or the service employee must see things from the vantage point of the client, e.g. being available to the client when ne eded, providing convenient hours, understanding specific client needs, giving personal attention, and keeping the client's best interests at heart) (Wakefield, 2001). According to Kotler and Armstrong (1998) service intangibility means that services cannot be seen, tasted, felt, heard, or smelled before they are bought. Meanwhile, service variability is the quality of services depends on whom provides them as well as when, where, and how they are provided. Lastly, service perishability constitutes the services that cannot be stored for later sale or use. The perishability of services is not a problem when the demand is steady. However, when demand fluctuates, service firms often have difficult problems (Kotler & Armstrong, 1998). Service quality tends to focus more on the intangible aspects, and because intangible aspects don't involve any product, the quality of services is measured through the way it is being delivered by the service employee, which may either create satisfaction or disappointment on the part of the customer. Total Guest Satisfaction In high-contact systems customers can influence the time of demand, the exact nature of the service, and the quality of service (Lovelock & Young, 1979). If consumers somehow become better customers -- that is, more knowledgeable, participative, or productive -- the quality of the service experience will likely be enhanced for the customer and the organization (Bowers, Martin & Luker, 1990). Organizations that capitalize on customers' active participation in organizational activities can gain competitive advantage through greater sales volume, enhanced operating efficiencies, positive word-of-mouth publicity, reduced marketing expenses, and enhanced customer loyalty (Lovelock & Young, 1979; Reichheld & Sasser, 1990). Customers who actively participate in organizational activities can directly increase their personal satisfaction and perceptions of service quality (Bowers,

Business report based on the a given case study. Highland Limited Essay

Business report based on the a given case study. Highland Limited - Essay Example Frank in order to repay the loan had to sell of his centre at Shiel Bridge. Frank Rose took help from his wife Fiona and Andrew Robertson who were willing to put in funds and thereafter Fiona and Andrew took over the running of the business. Frank Rose concentrated more on the Outdoor Centre while Fiona looked after the accounts and Andrew became the Managing Director. The business operated from small cottage. The company moved into a new location in April 2008 and one of the main customers of Highland Limited, Weir’s of Glasgow made the company big enough to get viable. The relationships between the staff were informal. But steadily the employment increased post November 2008. The company did not have enough resources to meet the demands of the market and thus the company did not make any attempt to attract new customs. Approaches to retailers were discouraged as Andrew Robertson believed that until they had the capacity to satisfy the demands of the market it would not be pr ofitable to go to the retailers. The company faced a twist when it had started operating with Stoner garment, a brand of western Oil Limited. The company was eager to supply waterproof and protective clothing to the lucrative market of about 2000 workers. This provided Highland Limited with an advantage as being a local supplier the company would be able to produce jackets according to the demands and deliver at a minimal time. Therefore Highland Limited together with Stoner Garments decided to design jackets which would be acceptable to Western Oil in terms of both quality and price. Therefore by providing garments to the Western Oil the company was able to achieve success and the legal framework adopted by the company was applying the norms and regulation. Highland Limited was a company in which philosophy and raison d’etre mattered a great deal. The company realised that although the company objectives was to maximise the profits there were also secondary objectives which the company also wished to pursue. The objectives were embodied in the company’s philosophy but never written down. There was difference in the way people saw the philosophy. Thus the factors that the organisation needs to consider in reviewing its mission statement, goals and business plans for the future is firstly the company needs to develop a mission statement, a mission statement is only the starting point of the organisation. Next task is to identify a set of goals which would accomplish the organisations missions. The company needs to establish one year plan, three year and five year plan for expanding its market share in the market. Thus to achieve the goals the company have to develop short term objectives

Science and Technology - Laboratory Course (SCI103-1404A-04) Lab Report

Science and Technology - Laboratory Course (SCI103-1404A-04) - Lab Report Example d 3 appear to be more acidic due to the fact that they are located on the downwind direction from the lake described as 1 which is surrounded by an industrial and settlement area. Carbon (iv) oxide and sulphur (iv) oxide are emissions associated with industrialization and are carried downwind by the wind and fall end up falling as acid rain. Lake 2 is found to suffer most from acidity as it is said to have a higher elevation as compared to Lake 3. Acidity falls in the form of either snow, rain or fog. The pH scale usually has a range running from 0-14. A pH value that is equal to 7 is said to be neutral. A pH value that is less than 7 is said to be acidic in nature and a pH that is greater than 7 is said to be basic. The PH scale is normally used to measure the concentration of hydrogen ions that is present in a solution. A low pH usually represents solutions that have a high concentration of hydrogen ion while high PH usually represents solutions with low concentration of hydrogen ions. Acids on a PH scale are substances that when added to water increases the concentration of hydrogen ions thus lowering the PH. A base on the other hand usually lowers the concentration of hydrogen ions thus raising the PH. There are other substances called buffers that enable solutions to resist changes in

Response to 4 students with 60 words each and 2 references for each Coursework

Response to 4 students with 60 words each and 2 references for each response - Coursework Example This was in the sense that the writer looked beyond just one area or aspect of resistance to identify three clear forms of resistance. These were the individual, group and larger system (quote). With this, it was possible to outline and equip global managers with some of the major areas of organizational change that they can give their focus to especially when they want to curtail the problem of resistance (quote). It was therefore of great importance that the writer systematically divided the forms of resistance. This particular writer paid much tribute to the fact that organizational changes are inevitable and reasons why resistance to organizational change may be resistance (quote). Much attention was however given to these that not much that not much in-depth analysis could be done on ways of addressing the resistance. Meanwhile, for the manager who uses the present study, the best way that he would benefit is for him to be made aware of some of the key problem solving solutions to resistance to organizational change (quote). The writer focused on causes of resistance to organizational change. As much as this is a useful step and way of informing managers of some practices that could lead to resistance to the changes they profess to undertake (quote), it would have been more useful if specific solutions to addressing the issues were outlined. Some of these solutions could be given in a real life case study of a known

What went wrong with LIBOR, EURIBOR, etc Assignment

What went wrong with LIBOR, EURIBOR, etc - Assignment Example A lot of cases involving misconduct among employees were reported. It is reported that Barclay derivative dealers made several requests to fix the currency rates. The Barclays traders would regularly call the Libor and Euribor traders asking for a specific rate. The liquidity concerns became high in the public domain. Part of this was contributed by the instant collapse of Northern Rock. Investigations were yet underway, but it was almost obvious that Barclays had played a role. At one point, senior treasury managers had to intervene to reduce publicity against Libor. It was later discovered that Libor submissions was being set unrealistically low. It was revealed by Barclay’s agent that they were underreporting as a means of trying to reduce the level of stigma against Libor. From these realizations, the litigation process began in the bid to unveil what was behind this. The matter was undertaken by officials from New York Federal Reserve Bank. The case proceeded up to 2012 when Barclays submitted to misconduct and the bank was fined about $60

Money Laundering Sources Essay Example for Free

Money Laundering Sources Essay 1.Drug traffic: it is considered as the most important financial source in the illegal business. The important money operation is related to drug dealings. 2.Bribery: it is one of the sources that lead to have illegal money. Most of the laws prohibited the bribery in its different ways and have imposed some punishments when bribery takes place. 3.Money embezzlements: the crime of embezzling money is one of the important crimes that is related to administrative corruption. People who get the embezzled money tend to put it in banks outside the country with the intention of bringing it back in an illegal way. 4.The illegal evading from paying taxes: it is also called â€Å"tax cheating† or â€Å"tax evading†. This means that one can evade or escape from paying the due taxes through practicing cheating and counterfeiting in the records and breaking the taxation rules and laws. The evading process is considered one of the sources that lead to gain huge amounts of money that will become later a target for the money laundering operations. 5.The crime of money: these are crimes that aim to gain huge amounts of money and the people that commit such crime work on hiding or concealing its sources so it can look as if it is legal. 6.The crimes of people with white collars: these crimes are done by people who have a high position socially and economically while practicing their businesses. 7.The crimes of the politicians: the money laundering operations is connected to the political corruption that is associated with the utilization of the power and authority to gain the huge amounts of money then, smuggle it outside to be laundered and bring it back in a legal way. There is also the method of buying the stocks and assets where the money launderers buy perceptible assets such as cars, boats, real estate, precious stones, drawings for famous artists, or buying cash instruments like banking checks, paying orders, traveler‘s checks, notes and many other means. The most favored technique for the money launderers is buying commercial notes, especially depositing certificates, for example instead of depositing cash money which in many cases can be detected if the amount is big, it is divided into the ways of buying the notes which could be easily bought in value ranges between 100 and 100,000 dollars. Some commercial activities that can be used for laundering money are : 1.Operations of the equivalent markets: in this type of plans, the launderers tend to replace the dirty dollars with other foreign currencies and sometimes, they switch it back to dollars again. 2.Illusive deals: counterfeiting operations is considered one of the popular activities used in laundering money. With the use of exaggerated prices, money launderers can establish illusive companies or work with their partners for finding illusive bills where the prices included in these bills are either exaggerated to an extent exceeding the amount paid actually, or that the commodity is never bought at all. 3.Insurance companies: there is another planning for cash brokers in the free commercial areas which appears in accepting cash liquidity from the drug dealers to buy life insurance documents and get back its value by the virtue of checks. 4.Off shore companies: the off shore companies are traditionally used by money launderers. For example, a money launderer can establish commercial business in Lebanon as a cover for opening a commercial account in a bank. Then, the money launderers travels to one of the countries that are refuges for free taxation with the help of a lawyer or local agents to establish an external company in the free area. The local agent can be the owner and the boss of that company where the name of the launderer isn‘t used in any of the external documents. After that, the illusive company pretends to do some commercial activities and then transfer the dirty money telegraphically from the commercial account in Lebanon to the account of the external company in the free area. This could be done through the counterfeited bills which are used to pretend that there are legal commercial dealings. As the dirty money is put in the Off Shore companies, it can be transferred telegraphically to any place in the world. Money laundering is not restricted to banks but in the banking field for example, the money launderers are used to collude with the employees of the banks administrations. This is often done by using methods of corruption to allow the passing of the special transaction related to transferring huge amounts to pass by without filling the application from or through splitting them into small amounts to avoid the procedures.

Sustainable Technologies For A Green World Environmental Sciences Essay

Sustainable Technologies For A Green World Environmental Sciences Essay The word green designates more than a color. It is a way of life, one that is becoming more and more common throughout the world. The reason for this is green technology helps to sustain life on earth. This not only applies to humans but to plants, animals, and the rest of the ecosystem. This is why throughout the world it is typical to see windmills for air quality or solar panel rooftops for heat control/energy solution. While these are the most typical green technologies available, there are still others that help to protect life on this planet. This article focuses on particular green technologies that are in the works. The technologies are determined to find more innovative methods for keeping the ecosystem alive and active. To make these goals clear, this article tells what each technology is and how it achieves green goals. For now, the technologies are works-in-progress, but it is still important to know what benefits the planet will reap from these in the future. The first of these green technologies is plastic. Decomposable and inexpensive plastic is made into goods such as toys, farming supplies, and construction supplies. After usage, these are often sent to a landfill/digester, and the subsequent methane will be returned to the microbial course. These biodegradable and bio-based plastics will be in high demand due to growing government rules on plastics, a desire to reduce dependence on oil, and consumer preferences for green products. The process starts with methane, a potent global warming gas that is frequently considered waste, which is amply accessible and normally manufactured as a byproduct at waste treatment and agricultural facilities. A second technology involves showering, which represents a huge portion of water and energy use in many houses, so users are happy to access water at a low cost. Fortunately, the innovative shower system can reduce water, energy use, and cost by 70 percent without reducing flow at the showerhead or time spent in the shower. A portable and affordable solar and wind device can be made available to cook, heat, and generate power. It is suitable for city housing and environmentally sensitive for national parks and other natural areas. Buildings are also depending on green technology, especially because of shortcomings with more traditional technology. Expanded polystyrene is one of these traditional types, an insulation material used in buildings. Because this is not sustainable, more companies are applying green insulation as a healthy, affordable, and effective replacement. One of the reasons why green insulation is effective is because of the technology and raw material it requires. It often involves a revolutionary new manufacturing process that uses a growing organism algae or mushroom root fibers to turn waste cellulose into a rigid biological resin. It can also be allowed by flexible platform used to make sustainable materials for different products. Of particular importance to buildings is that green insulations have a significantly better CO2 balance than its competitors, with a low energy footprint and the capacity to bind significantly more CO2 than other fibers. The insulation stores CO2 long-term while cutting buildings energy use. Of particular note is its use for the farming of cattails (a global resource nobody is using up to now). In the biomass, CO2 is stored in large quantities, so even cattail cultivation saves CO2 as degraded wetlands. Additionally, it saves costs, oil, and the health of individuals living in insulated houses. Another frontier technology is computer technology. A small black box can be designed for enhancing and monitoring energy use. It can serve as a router for a Local Energy Network in the neighborhood. A particle board can be made from natural wood which will not contain any formaldehyde. The product has several notable incentives in green technology. It eliminates CO2 emissions by offering farmers an alternative to the customary burning while growing their revenue. The boards do not add to deforestation/water pollution, take little energy to create. They can be recycled in floors, ceilings, and walls. Manufactured from renewable plants and algae (and later, up-cycled into biodiesel), they are sequesters of greenhouse gases. The lubricants non-toxicity aids community welfare and decreases businesses liability. They can be used in most industries that use heavy industrial equipment to meet sustainability goals, reduce liabilities, decrease petroleum use, or support domestic products. The used hydraulic fluids will be up-cycled into bio-diesel with the assistance of bio-refining business associates so that they, too, can displace petroleum and increase the use of renewable products. The influence of non-toxic and recyclable lubricant would mean that personnel in industry who have direct contact with industrial lubricants without being exposed to the cancer-causing toxins found in conventional lubricants. Finally, the low-cost, carbon-neutral technologies comprise green coke, activated carbon, bio-char, and graphite. Its customizable process could slash emissions by replacing fossil carbon in industry, decreasing emissions from organic waste decomposition, and offering companies products made from local materials. These carbon-neutral technologies substitute fossil carbon in current value chains. By using clean energy and bio-fuels, the emissions can be abridged by enabling businesses and publics to create low-carbon cradle-to-cradle resource cycles anywhere in the world. This would enable individuals and industries to considerably decrease carbon emissions and other environmental pollutants, regardless of their opinions about climate change and worldwide reserve exhaustion. Conclusion Motivated by environmental missions, the additional worth to agricultural residues is vital. The aim for these residues is to reduce CO2 emissions, save trees, cultivate forests for the next generation, and alleviate poverty in rural farm communities. Measures are being taken to ensure the technologies are up to standards and are benign for the wellness of its end users, workers, and communities that use them. The solar devices, green insulation, and other items discussed in this article all point to hopeful road for the future of earth. Without their developments, the planet risks intense pollution and overuse of toxic wastes that could kill human and natural life on the planet. It must be noted, however, that these technologies are still in the development stage, which makes it necessary for the planets green goals to be achieved because those who take care of the planet are, in return, taking care of themselves. This respect for nature will encourage users to protect their environ ment and themselves at the same time.

Public Health Delivery In Mauritius

Public Health Delivery In Mauritius As the saying goes health is wealth, the provision of proper healthcare is extremely important as this implies well-being, happiness, and a good quality of life. A healthy population is essential for the growth and prosperity of a country. A nations health system should thus aim at providing quality healthcare to its population. The Ministry of Health Quality of Life, to whom an overall yearly budget of Rs 5 billion is allocated, provides public healthcare in Mauritius as a welfare service. (Source: Newsletter Ministry of Health Quality of Life July 2009). As at the year ended 2008, health services were provided through 13 public hospitals including 5 specialised ones, 22 Area Health Centres and 108 Community Health Centres located throughout the country. (Source: Ministry of Health Quality of Life). Free healthcare provided by the Ministry of Health Quality of Life has improved the health situation of the citizens of Mauritius. This is shown in table 1.2 below. Table 1.2: Health Indicators in Mauritius for the years 1990 and 2008 (Source: Ministry of Health Quality of Life) The health indicators in Table 1.2 show favourable changes in the health situation of Mauritians in 2008 compared to 1990. Apart from providing health services to the citizens of Mauritius through its hospitals and health centres, The Ministry of Health Quality of Life being highly concerned about the well-being of the Mauritian population, tries to create awareness amongst them by carrying out several welfare activities. The latter include the launching of a Mobile Clinic which was done on 7 May 2009, public demonstration of physical activities such as yoga, aerobics, Tai Chi and physical exercise that are organised to encourage people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, tips given with regards to a healthy nutrition so as to fight obesity, organising empowerment programmes to sensitise the population on the adverse effects of tobacco and alcohol, talks on stress management and a National Cancer Control Programme has been developed to fight against cancer. (Source: Newsletter Ministry of Health Quality of Life July 2009) Furthermore, The Ministry of Health Quality of Life aims at improving the quality of healthcare provided to the citizens of Mauritius. Recently, on 27 April 2009, it introduced the implementation of the ISO 9001: 2008 in health services so as to increase customer satisfaction and meet the needs of the Mauritian population. (Newsletter Ministry of Health Quality of Life July 2009). The future plans of the Ministry include the setting up of Medical Schools where proper training will be given to healthcare providers and improving the hospitality and catering services provided in its hospitals. (Source: Newsletter Ministry of Health Quality of Life March 2009) From the above, it can be noted that The Ministry of Health Quality of Life is highly concerned with the health of the citizens of Mauritius. However despite all the efforts of The Ministry of Health Quality of Life, the Mauritian population does not seem to be fully satisfied with its healthcare services. Patients are increasingly filing medical malpractice cases which nowadays are repeatedly seen as being the headline of many newspapers. Media reporting has created an increased awareness of harm related to healthcare errors. Additionally, despite the fact that industrialisation and economic growth during the last years have positively changed the lifestyle and the standard of living of the Mauritian population, the latter is highly exposed to diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cancer, HIV/AIDS and so forth. Research has shown that 1 out of 5 Mauritians aged 30 and above has diabetes that is mostly caused due to obesity, unhealthy eating habits, lack of physical activity and alcohol abuse. (Source: Newsletter Ministry of Health Quality of Life July 2009) The HIV/AIDS status in Mauritius is quite high with 3792 cases registered from October 1987 to March 2009. This has resulted in 249 deaths as at March 2009. Prior to 2000, 20 to 30 new cases of HIV were being reported annually. However over the period of 2001 2005 the number had increased by almost twice annually: 55 in 2001, 98 in 2002, 225 in 2003, 525 in 2004 and 921 in 2005. The 538 new cases registered in 2008 showed that in spite of all the efforts of the Ministry of Health Quality of Life, HIV in Mauritius is on a rising trend. (Source: Ministry of Health Quality of Life: An analysis of Health Situation in Mauritius as at year ended 2008) Furthermore each year more than 1400 new cases of cancer are registered in Mauritius. In 2008, 12% of all deaths were due to this disease. (Source: Newsletter Ministry of Health Quality of Life July 2009) Heart diseases and Diabetes mellitus were the first two main causes of mortality in 2008. Comparing the causes of death in 2008 with those of 1975: Causes 1975 2008 All diseases related to the circulatory system including heart diseases 28.4% 35.0% Diabetes Mellitus 2.7% 22.8% Table 1.3: Causes of death in the years 1975 and 2008 (Source: Ministry of Health Quality of Life: An analysis of Health Situation in Mauritius for the year ended 2008) Table 1.3 shows a rapid increase in death due to heart diseases and diabetes mellitus over the last three decades. This can be explained by a change in the lifestyle and eating habits of the citizens of Mauritius which is making them become more prone to such non-communicable diseases. Morbidity in Mauritius and the litigation/complaints concerning medical mal-practice therefore indicate that the Ministry of Health Quality of Life is not meeting the needs of the Mauritian population. The healthcare system in Mauritius is getting bigger and more complex as the expectations of the population are increasing. The citizens of Mauritius who are now better educated, have become highly demanding in terms of choice, access, quality of care and service. They furthermore feel that the system is deteriorating and becoming less responsive to their needs as the press only publicises the bad points. Such negative media comments definitely demoralise the health care providers. The aim of this project is to investigate the problems faced by the public health care sector of Mauritius. This will be done through an empirical study at Flacq Hospital, one of the well-known general hospitals operated by the Ministry of Health Quality of Life. Throughout this study, it is intended to assess the healthcare quality provided at Flacq Hospital and analyse the factors linked to service experience and patient satisfaction. By evaluating patient experience important information can be obtained for identifying problems and taking appropriate measures for quality improvement in health-care facilities (Labarere and Franà §ois, 1999; Batchelor et al., 1994). Improving the quality of service in hospitals will thus be beneficial to everybody namely patients, physicians, nursing staff, management and tax-payers. Such a win-win situation will be advantageous to the whole country.

this is nothing :: essays research papers

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Hamlet - Is there Indecision? Essay -- GCSE English Literature Coursew

     Ã‚  Ã‚   The Bard of Avon has in the character of Hamlet (in the tragedy of that name) a hero who has been accused of hesitation and indecisiveness. Are such accusations appropriate? L.C. Knights in â€Å"An Approach to Hamlet† explains the modern appeal of the tragedy in terms of the indecisiveness of its hero: Hamlet is a man who in the face of life and of death can make no affirmation, and it may well be that this irresolution – which goes far deeper than irresolution about the performance of a specific act – this fundamental doubt, explains the great appeal of the play in modern times. The point has been made by D.G. James in The Dream of Learning. Shakespeare’s play, he says, â€Å"is an image of modernity, of the soul without clear belief losing its way, and bringing itself and others to great distress and finally to disaster†; it is â€Å"a tragedy not of excessive thought but of defeated thought,† and Hamlet himself is â€Å"a man caught in ethical and metaphysical uncertainties.† Now I am sure that Mr. James is right in emphasizing the element of scepticism in Hamlet’s makeup – the weighing of alternative possibilities in such a way as to make choice between them virtually impossible [. . .] . (64)    Is there a connection between verbal hesitation and hesitation in action and decisions? Lawrence Danson in the essay â€Å"Tragic Alphabet† discusses the hesitation in action by the hero as related to his hesitation in speech:    To speak or act in a world where all speech and action are equivocal seeming is, for Hamlet, both perilous and demeaning, a kind of whoring. The whole vexed question of Hamlet’s delay ought, I believe, to be considered in light of this dilemma. To a man alienated from his society’s most basic symboli... ...ions: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Rpt. from Tragic Form in Shakespeare. N.p.: Princeton University Press, 1972.    Rose, Mark. â€Å"Reforming the Role.† Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Rpt. from Homer to Brecht: The European Epic and Dramatic Traditions. Ed. Michael Seidel and Edward Mendelson. N.p.: Yale University Press, 1977.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html No line nos.    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.         

Development of pre-dried and blended lime mortars for the ready-mix market

Mortar is a mixture of sand, a binder such as cement, and water. This mixture is used in masonry construction to fill the gaps between the bricks and blocks used in construction. It is applied as a paste during construction, and then later sets hard, holding the blocks, or bricks together firmly. It can also be used to fix parts of a construction where its original mortar may have been washed away. Currently, mortar can be either mixed on site, or factory-produced ready-to-use mortar can be bought. (Allen, 2003)Ready-to-use mortars are replacing on-site mixed mortars, due to their advantages over on-site mixed mortar. They are made in factories under tightly-controlled conditions and delivered to site, ready to use. They have guaranteed mix proportions and overcome any potential problems relating to site mixing. They contain accurate cement ratio in the mixture. This is because the cement content is controlled in the production factory, where accurate measuring techniques are put int o use.The factory-made mortars also offer the advantage of consistence in quality, since the mixing procedures and contents are constant in the factories. This also results to consistence in strength and color. Since all the mixing is done in the factory, using these mortars reduces mixing and labor costs, and also reduces wastage of materials that is experienced during mixing of mortar on site. Health and safety on site is improved, as worker’s direct contact with the mortar is reduced.Wet ready-to-use mortars are stored in tubs on site and require no further mixing. They have a retarding agent, which makes them fully usable for a certain period of time, normally around 36 hours.Dry ready-to-use mortars are stored in silos or bags. Silos are delivered to site complete with integral mixers and requiring only power and water supplies to be connected.The factory-produced silo mortars offer a range of mix proportions and overcome many potential  problems experienced in on site mixing. The silo is delivered to site, complete with integral mixer. Once power and water supplies are connected, mortar can be produced as required. The rate at which water is added can be controlled to achieve the required consistency. The silos can either be single-compartment or two-compartment.(http://www.mortar.org.uk/)Since the factory produced silo mortars are of guaranteed composition, and are thoroughly mixed, they will therefore provide satisfactory durability. However, the designer still has theresponsibility to specify the correct mortar designation for the type of structure, exposureconditions and type of masonry units. In hot conditions some stiffening may occur which may be corrected by the addition of a small amount of water followed by trowel mixing on the spot board in the traditional manner. Once the initial set has started the mortar must not be reconstituted in a mechanical mixer or by any other method.The setting of cement is affected by weather and will proc eed more slowly when it is colder.This factor is taken into account when the mortars are manufactured but subsequentsignificant reductions in temperature may increase the retardation period and extend theworking life and will have no adverse effect on the masonry. It is inadvisable to proceed with the construction of masonry whilst the temperature is below 3 ºC and falling. If the mortar freezes any frozen material or crust should be discarded.Currently Used BindersPortland cement mortar is made by mixing Portland cement, which in this case is the binder, with sand and water. This type of mortar was invented in the mid-nineteenth century, as part of scientific efforts to develop stronger mortars than those that existed at the time. It was popularized during the late nineteenth century.   One of its main advantages is that it sets hard and quickly, increasing the speed of construction.However, it is not advisable for it to be used for the repair of older buildings constructed in lime mortar, because this type of binder lacks the flexibility, softness and breathability of lime that is required for such functions for proper function. Sulfate-resisting Portland cement may be used to replace ordinary Portland cement in cement:sand, cement:lime:sand and cement:sand with plasticizer mortars to reduce sulfate attack, in cases where wet conditions might be prolonged in the presence of soluble sulfates either in the ground or in clay bricks.Polymers are other types of binders, which are used in conjunction with cement hydrate binders of conventional cement mortar. The polymeric binders include latexes or emulsions, redispersible polymer powders, water-soluble polymers, liquid resins and monomers. The mortar made using this combination of binders has low permeability, and it reduces cases of drying shrinkage cracking, and its mainly designed for purposes of repairing concrete structures. An example of polymeric binders is MagneLine (Allen, 2003).Masonry cement itself is a pre-mixed, complete binder. Normally masonry cement contains roughly  ¾ of ordinary Portland cement,  ¼ of an inert fine mineral filler, and then a powdered air-entraining component is added. Because of this make-up of the material and the air-entrainment, masonry cement mortars are made up with proportions differing from the other mortar types.Polymer cement mortars (PCM) are the materials which are made by partially replacing the cement hydrate binders of conventional cement mortar with polymers. The polymeric admixtures include latexes or emulsions, redispersible polymer powders, water-soluble polymers, liquid resins and monomers. It has low permeability, and it reduces the incidence of drying shrinkage cracking, mainly designed for repairing concrete structures. Example: MagneLineAnother binder is pozzolana. Pozzolana is a fine, sandy volcanic ash, originally discovered and dug in Italy, but later at a number of other sites.   It is found in various colours: black, w hite, grey and red. When finely ground and mixed with lime, it acts as Portland cement and makes a strong mortar. The mortar made using this composition has the advantage that will also set under water.Non-hydraulic or semi-hydraulic limes are other types of binders. These, however, have insufficient setting and hardening strength, hence they are not considered as suitable total binders, but may be added as a binder constituent to produce a cement: lime: sand mortar.Using LimeLime mortar is created by mixing sand, slaked lime (the binder) and water. In making lime mortar, Limestone is burnt in a kiln to form quicklime, which is then slaked (mixed with water) to form slaked lime, either in the form of lime putty or of hydrated lime powder. Sand and water are then added to form the mortar. This kind of lime mortar, known as non-hydraulic, sets very slowly through the process of reaction with the carbon dioxide in the air (Boynton,1980).The speed of set can be increased by using impure limestones in the kiln, to form a hydraulic lime that will set on contact with water. Another alternative is the use of   a pozzolanic material, such as calcined clay or brick dust, which is added to the mortar. This will have the same effect of making the mortar set reasonably quickly by reaction with the water in the mortar.Lime mortar is considered breathable, because it will allow moisture to freely move through it, and then evaporate from its surface. It remains slightly flexible, even when it is set, and it will let walls move without cracking too much. Lime mortars also repair fine cracks themselves as rainwater slowly deposits fresh calcium carbonate taken into solution from the surrounding lime mortar, hence the fine cracks end up repairing themselves.Lime mortar is not mixed in the same way as cement mortars, which are simply turned over and over,with occasional chopping. In order to make a strong lime mortar, it is essential to coat each particle of aggregate with lime paste, hence the   pile of mortar, after initially mixing in the aggregates with a shovel, must be beaten with pick axe handles in addition to chopping and turning. The longer mixing and beating can be prolonged the better and more efficient the mortar will be. It is also of importance that only the smallest amount of extra water is added during the mixing stage. One must not pour lots of water in an attempt to make mixing easier. Adding the extra water will severely weaken the mix, causing a lot of shrinkage and cracking during drying.Its also of utmost importance that the required ratio of aggregate to binder be maintained. After the mixing process, the mortar should be stored for as long as possible before putting it into use. The purpose of this is to enable the lime to completely coat every particle of aggregate, forming an efficient and well bound mortar. On the contrary, if this does not take place the lime mortar will not completely bond with the aggregate. (Boynton,1980) .During this storage period, the lime particles become smaller as they mature and develop closer contact with the aggregate.The basic manufacturing process of non hydraulic lime for constructional purposes involves the following; quarrying calcium carbonate (CaCO3), commonly in the form of limestone, chalk or shell. This is then heated in a kiln at around 700-900 °C, at which temperature, carbon dioxide is pressurized and disassociates itself from the raw material, forming calcium oxide (CaO), or quicklime.When the calcium oxide (quicklime) is combined with water (referred to as the slaking process), it reacts violently, breaking down to form calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) (slaked lime). At this stage two forms of material are achievable, a hydrated lime (a dry powder slaked with a minimum of water) or a lime putty (a wet material slaked with an excess of water). To make a basic mortar, the calcium hydroxide is then mixed with sand (and water if made from a dry hydrated lime). The fi nal stage in this process is the setting of the lime in which the carbon dioxide is reabsorbed back into the calcium hydroxide to form calcium carbonate, generally in the form of calcite. This process is known as carbonation.When we use a fresh lime mortar for mass masonry construction the amount of calcite present depends upon the degree to which the carbonation of calcium hydroxide has occurred. In walls that are relatively thick the ability of CO2 to diffuse through the fabric is often reduced. In addition an increase in the hydraulicity in the hydraulic lime can also inhibit the diffusion of CO2 into the wall core due to higher quantities of relatively dense calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) and calcium aluminate hydrates (C-A-H). It is clear that in this situation we would have both lime in the form of calcium hydroxide and calcite forming the mass of the mortar with the calcium hydroxide being noted in regions in which CO2 cannot effectively penetrate.Generally speaking calciu m hydroxide is considered to be free lime, which Allen (2003) define as:Lime in a mortar or hydraulic lime which remains as calcium hydroxide and has not yet converted or combined with a pozzolan or other minerals or compounds. It is more soluble than calcium carbonate and can be transported within the pore solution and is available for deposition to heal fine cracks – autogenous healing. Not to be confused with free present as calcium oxide in Portland cement, which is much lower quantity and is a measure of efficiency of burning, i.e. low free lime equals well burnt Portland cement.It is clear that calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2)/free lime is highly soluble when compared with other components within the mortar. It is however, important to emphasize that calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is also soluble in water, although 100 times less soluble than calcium hydroxide. Although the solubility of CaCO3 is low it does contribute to the overall quantity of lime that can enter into solution and cannot therefore be discounted from this study.The ability of both calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) to dissolve is a function of the water temperature and both decrease with an increase in temperature.Boynton (1980) further emphasises that â€Å"solubility decreases steadily as temperature is raised above 0 °C†. It is clear that the conversion of calcium hydroxide into calcite is extremely important in preventing dissolution and potential migration especially in saturated masonry conditions.It is the author's view that both calcium hydroxide and calcium carbonate components of the mortar can be viewed as high and low solubility, with low being associated with calcite (CaCO3) and other polymorphs, such as aragonite and vaterite, and high with calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2). However, it must be emphasised that different solubility levels may also be associated with different polymorphs of CaCO3 i.e. calcite and aragonite, and may be explained by the different relative surface areas of the crystallites.In addition, the solubility of both CaCO3 and Ca(OH)2 can be seen as a function of not only the temperature of the water but also the concentration of CO2 dissolved into the water and the presence of other solutes such as calcium chloride.The relationship between temperature and solubility illustrates that those buildings exposed to high levels of cold rainfall may be more vulnerable than their counterparts in warmer climates.Why Select lime?The use of lime as the binder has a number of advantages over Portland cement. Mortars and plasters made with no lime and a low percentage of Portland cement will end up having low workability (the correct combination of flow, water retention and cohesiveness), they will also be porous and will not be so durable. If an attempt is made to overcome this by increasing cement, other problems such as harshness, brittleness and shrinkage will in turn tend to occur.Lime is a much better binder than c ement in plasterwork. Although its setting will be slow, the result will look better and the softer surface will be less prone to cracking. Lime mortars have a high degree of workability which is highly desirable in mortars and plasters. Due to the slow setting property of lime mortars, they allow mixing in large quantities without fear of going off before use.In harsh climatic conditions, lime mortars and plasters may not be very durable but this can easily be overcome by the use of hydraulic limes or the addition of a small percentage of Portland cement into the mix. Siliceous materials, known as pozzolanas (eg volcanic ash and rice husk ash), can also be mixed with lime to improve its strength and durability.Architects are increasingly becoming aware of the problems of Portland cement mortars and many now specify blended lime-Portland cement mortars. Recently, lime has played a leading role, worldwide, in the conservation of old buildings, most of which were built in the ‘p re-Portland cement' era. It is well recognized that successful preservation of ancient monuments, such as churches, castles and other historic sites, necessitates the application of the same binding systems as were used originally. Attempts in the past at patching up these buildings with ordinary Portland cement-based mixes have invariably led to even greater problems of decay occurring at a later stage. (http://environment.uwe.ac.uk/video/cd_new_demo/conweb/walls/mortars, retrieved 29th sept 2008)ReferencesAllen, G. (2003), Hydraulic Lime Mortar for Stone, Brick and Block Masonry, Donhead, Shaftesbury,Boynton, R.S. (1980), Chemistry and Technology of Lime and Limestone, 2nd ed., John Wiley & Son, New York, NY, .Beckman, P. (1995), Structural Aspects of Building Conservation, McGraw-Hill, New York, NYhttp://www.mortar.org.uk/ , retrieved 29th sep. 2008http://environment.uwe.ac.uk/video/cd_new_demo/conweb/walls/mortars, retrieved 29th sept 2008

Problems Facing United States Today Essay

It is now year 2008, and after bush-league administrations destructive decisions to humankindity, America is now face tremendous worrys at home and abroad. I fancy moral standard as the trouble which should be taken about seriously. Why? Be bugger off it has been in question since the scrubbing administration decl bed war against Iraq and go against not just the human rights notwithstanding besides the rights of the country and the rules of war. Justice was not given. Though there were a matter of Americans that opposed these attacks, the effects violence has effected to perplexity on moral standards of most Americans. conterminous is, the problem arising now in medical and social security aspects. It is a problem that should be dealt with as soon as possible for the reason that the judicature is spend large amount of money and that wellness is considered a gritty priority for the benefits of the citizens. thither are also issues regarding the inequalities in the m edicare system. The judicature should protect its citizens through improving this grapheme of services. The third problem I consider to be taken with high richness are issues between the Republicans and the Democrats which constitutes the political controversies blanket either other problems America is facing. in that location are far more classical issues than the rivalries between the two parties. With this, the politicians tend to strain on such issues and controversies, rather than solvent the states problems regarding the governments inefficient services. Fol starting this is the failing apprize of dollar. As a result of this, the scrimping of US is under a unfavourable condition. If not solved, this whitethorn affect their house servant and international trades. The prices of services and goods may also increase, that may result to revolutions or the misery of the standard of living of the Americans. When this happens, it may cause the less competitiveness of their market to unusual trade. The fifth problem I considered is the omit of preparedness and actions for natural disasters. The whole planet is under climate change and the hoi polloi are not aware of what is it all about. The natural disasters now and stronger and are not detected and reported accurately. One practice is the typhoon that hit a state in US wherein hundreds of people died and the government was unprepared, so the rescue operation and the services were of busted quality.Not only that, the spread of reading and educating the people about natural disasters is rattling minimal. Next is the poor control of government spending. Like the war in Iraq which personify them millions of dollars, but they failed to give justice to both sides. Also the depots they provide for musculus quadriceps femoris exploration in order to cope with other countries that are advancing in that field like Russia. Another is the fund for war weapons which are not rationally used, and gives high risk to the citizens security and health. The seventh problem on my list is the human rights violation abroad brought by the wars launched during Bush administration. The war violated the human rights of roughly all the population consisting Iraq. Its effects are long term because it has caused and American citizens residing in Middle East can be in danger for attacks as the result of the war. Next is the lack of help in restoring the environment which is I think is affiliated with the issue on lack of preparedness.This is a problem because the whole planet is experiencing climate change, and given that US is a stolon world country and has a high contribution in the worlds pollution, I think they should launch programs and go bad other countries in restoring mother nature. The ninth on my list is the problem in spite of appearance family relations. There is an increase in the publication of partners getting a divorce, though they rush institutions to help these famili es, still it makes their moral standards low since children of broken families are the victims. The last problem is the illegal aliens inside their territory that may cheat taxes and commit crimes causing other set of problems to the nation.ReferencesThe Real Problem face up America. January 18, 2008 retrieved from http//gopublius.com/the- real-problem-facing-america/Some More Information on the National Healthcare Plan How It buttocks Be Done. January 18, 2008 retrieved from http//www.blogs4me.com/johnnyangel/Importance of Your Family History to Your Marriage. January 18, 2008 retrieved from http//marriage.about.com/od/familyoforigin/a/familyhistory.htmTop Ten US Natural Disasters. January 18, 2008 retrieved from http//www.livescience.com/environment/top10_naturaldisasterthreats_us.html