Essay on Russian Organized CrimeEssay Writing Service

Essay on Russian Organized CrimeEssay Writing Service Essay on Russian Organized Crime Essay on Russian Organized CrimeRussian organized crime has been analyzed by experts, including international law enforcement agencies and intelligence specialists, in order to better understand its roots, nature and causes of this phenomenon. According to Patricia Rawlinson (2014), â€Å"Cold War ideologists see its proliferation as a vindication of their struggle against the evil empire of communism manifested by endemic corruption, a failed centralize economy and totalitarianism†(p. 28). Some experts consider that Russian organized crime is the product of political and economic reforms carried out by Gorbachev in the late 1990s (Rawlinson, 2014).   In general, Russian organized crime can be assessed by means of another ideological approach, namely the establishment of the Mafia (McCormick, 2012). Today many Russian criminal organizations operate on the global stage, influencing criminal situation in many countries of the world. Thesis statement: Russian organized crime, a complex post-socialist phenomenon, the nature of which is associated with political and economic changes in the country, creates certain challenges to democracy.Organized crime: an overview of the phenomenonThe term â€Å"organized crime† can be defined as â€Å"the society that seeks to operate outside the control of the people and their governments†(Rawlinson, 2014, p. 32). According to researchers, organized crime as a phenomenon has the following characteristics: well-developed hierarchical structure, the availability of financial resources for performing tasks, labor division, the system of strict discipline and punishment. Actually, organized crime exists in any country because it is driven by economic concerns. Jay S. Albanese (2010) states that â€Å"organized crime activity† operates based on certain economic factors faced by individuals or organizations (p. 115).The Nature of Russian Organized CrimeThe most important development in organized crime in Russia is the emergence of the Russian mafia in the 1990s. According to statistical data, the number of gangs in Russia has been increased from 785 in the early 1990s to more than 8000 in late 1990s (Dunn, 2014, p. 63). As a result, the nature of Russian organized crime is based on interaction of organized crime activities and the prevailing culture. The history of organized crime in Russia highlights the significance of changing nature of this interaction because of considerable changes in political life of the country (Rawlinson, 2014).As a matter of fact, Russian organized crime is considered to be a post-communism phenomenon, which is similar to the phenomena in other states of the former USSR. It was influenced by the transformation of economic and political systems from socialist structure to capitalist structure (Plekhanov, 2004; McCormick, 2012). Many experts consider that Russian organized crime is the product of the established communist system, which limited democracy and promoted bureaucracy. In fact, â€Å"the communist system generated organized crime by seeking to supplant market mechanisms with bureaucratic command and instituting criminal penalties for most private entrepreneurial activities† (Plekhanov, 2004, p. 66).The Major Causes of Organized Crime in RussiaThe major causes of organized crime in Russia include the spread of corruption and the â€Å"worldwide proliferation of organized crime† (Plekhanov, 2004, p. 66). Although Putin managed to reduce the influence of rich businessmen on politics, Russia is ranked 154 out of 178 countries in the list on the Corruption Perceptions Index (McCormick, 2012). Besides, the rapid expansion of the market system had a strong impact on the growth of organized crime. Researchers believe that Russian organized crime is caused by a wide range of factors that are generated by political transformation in the country and failures in the functioning of the justice system. According to John McCo rmick (2012), â€Å"Russia still has a large black market, reducing the ability of the government to raise taxes and playing into the hands or organized crime, which is involved in everything from extortion to fraud, cargo theft, prostitution, and drug and arms trafficking† (p. 240). In other words, the justice system is ineffective to address the issue of the increased rate of organized crime in Russia. As a result, organized crime is growing. According to statistical data, â€Å"Russia now has one of the highest homicide rates in the world†(McCormick, 2012, p. 240).Some Facts from the History of Russian Organized CrimeThe emergence of Russian organized crime and its growth in the past decades influenced society. In the Soviet Union, organized crime was based on the established system of relationships between various sectors of society, in which the Communist party had the greatest power. The collapse of the Soviet Union led to the evolution of organized crime (Abadin sky, 2012; McCormick, 2012).   Considerable changes in economic, political and cultural systems had a strong impact on the expansion of organized crime in Russia. The transition to the market economy led to the emergence of criminal organizations. According to Howard Abadinsky (2012), â€Å"vulnerable businessmen began relying on the suddenly increasing private protection services, a large number of which operated without the proper registration or licenses†(p. 209).Actually, due to the penetration of organized crime into the legal system, more and more unlawful acts were identified in Russia. Today organized crime affects the functioning of legal system. Although corruption is prosecuted, many officials continue to take a bribe. According to researchers, today organized crime has â€Å"penetrated all the structures of power, including the media† (Rawlinson, 2014, p. 32). Russian organized crime in the USA is characterized by the existence of the traditional Russian approaches to criminal activity. The case of Ivankov (Yaponchik), a well-known leader of a criminal organization in the United States, attracts attention due to the methods used in organization of criminal activities (Finckenauer Waring, 1998). He was born in the Soviet Union. He became the champion in wrestling, lived in Moscow. Later, he was involved in criminal activity, selling the stolen goods on the black market. In 1980, he established his criminal organization. The members of his groups used false documents to commit financial crimes (Finckenauer Waring, 1998). They searched the houses of rich people and stole money. In 1982, Yaponchik was arrested. After release in 1992, he came to the USA, where he continued his criminal activity. According to FBI reports, Yaponchik managed to â€Å"turn an assortment of unruly and loosely articulated Russian gangs on American soil into a modern, nationwide crime cooperation† (Finckenauer Waring, 1998, p. 113). He was sentenced t o 9 years of imprisonment.The major categories of Russian Organized CrimeAnalyzing Russian organized crime, it is necessary to identify its major categories. Joseph L. Albini and colleagues classify the four major categories of organized crime in Russia:political-social;mercenary;in-group;syndicated (Albini, 1995, p. 213).The first three classifications of organized crime emerged during the Soviet era, namely during the Breznev years with high level of corruption (1964–82), increased during Perestroika era, and reached the highest levels after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 (McCormick, 2012). The forth category was established because of the â€Å"transformation of the Russian society from a centralized command economy to one driven by the forces of market capitalism that created the socio-pathological conditions for the malignant spread of mercenary and especially syndicated organized crime† (Albini, 1995, p. 213). In other words, the forth category includes new syndicates of criminals that involve criminal gangs with the former members of the Soviet Union’s bureaucracy.The Prosecution of Organized Crime in Russia  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Organized crime in Russia is prosecuted, but there are still many gaps in the legal system to address this issue in a proper way. According to researchers, in 1990s, there was â€Å"no definition of organized crime in Russian law† (Finckenauer Waring, 1998, p. 116). Today the Department for struggle against organized crime is involved in active work to deal with the existing problems caused by organized crime. The members of the Department examine the functioning of business organizations to prosecute people involved in organized crime. There are many examples of illegal economic and financial activities of powerful officials. The widespread corruption forms the basis of organized crime in Russia today (Taylor, 2011, p. 169).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Actually, today Russian organized crime is linked to the power of ministries in many ways. For example, many military officers are involved in criminal activity because they have the required skills and experience. New mafia groups include sportsmen and former military and law enforcement officers who effectively deal with criminals and continue to â€Å"maintain contacts with their colleagues in the security and law enforcement structures† (Taylor, 2011, p. 169). Putin highlights the necessity to combat organized crime and the shadow economy it creates. However, his legislative policies are ineffective. Some experts consider that there is a balance between organized crime and the state. In other words, the state favors this balance because this crime is manageable based on Russian standards (Taylor, 2011).Conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, it is necessary to conclude that Russian organized crime is a complex phenomenon caused by a wide range of so cial and political factors, including the collapse of the Soviet Union, the increased rate of corruption and the growth of the market economy. In fact, Russian organized crime differs from American organized crime. It is influenced by bureaucracy and lacks democracy. Many mafia organizations operate on the global stage, including Russian criminal organizations.   Generally speaking, Russian organized crime is prosecuted, but the prosecution of this type of crime in Russia represents a failure of many policies aimed at preventing criminal acts. It is necessary to use joint actions to prevent organized crime, especially today, when crime has become international. In Russia, the justice system is not effective enough to address the issue of the increased rate of organized crime.

How To Save Time Writing For Your Blog

How To Save Time Writing For Your Blog You cant invent time. No matter how appealing it sounds, it just isnt going to happen. But what if you could at least make a big dent in your efficiency and productivity? What if you really could save time writing for your blog? The number one thing that I hear over and over again from writers, bloggers, and marketers is that they simply  dont have enough time to write and create their content. Just take a look at this comment from blog reader Chuck Reynolds. He doesnt have the time either. See, youre not alone.   The question were all asking is how do I save time writing? I may not be the foremost expert, but here are a few of the strategies that I use to save time and write more content. There Are Only Three Ways To Save Time Not long ago, I hypothesized that there were only three ways to make a team more productive. Even now, I still believe that these are the only three ways to solve most productivity problems. They are: Add more tools (or in some cases people). Put in more time (or use it better). Eliminate something, and hone in on what matters. You can approach each of these differently, but they really are the only options at hand. Heres how you can apply them to your writing. Heres how to invent time and write more content. #contentmarketingOption 1: Add Better Tools One of the first places that we look for productivity improvements is in tools and talent. These are the tangible options with tangible solutions. With more people in seats, you can easily get more things done. The same goes for tools. It is easy to see why more efficient tools would help your productivity. If you can save a few minutes here and there, you can make more time available for writing, and creating the content that you want to be sharing on your blog. Here are five tools that might help your productivity right now: #1 – Evernote One of my all time favorite writing tools is most definitely Evernote. I use it to keep track of all of my blog post ideas and regularly add notes and outlines to my documents as I come up with new ideas or details for posts. With Evernote, I can easily take my blogging brain on the go, so time and location are never a limitation to my writing process. Heres this blog post in Evernote before it was a real thing. The beautiful thing about a notes application like Evernote (or OneNote, which  writer Julie prefers) is that there is nothing formal about them. They are the perfect place to literally dump your ideas on the page without making anything too final. This makes a good digital notes application the perfect option, as long as you have a system for managing these notes. Another option that you may want to consider is WordPress own SimpleNote. #2 – makes it easy to catalog and organize your blog post ideas. Using the drafts menu on the right side of the page, you can easily view blog posts that are currently in draft mode and unscheduled on the calendar. With an integrated search and filter option, post ideas are right at your fingertips. You can easily store and access your draft blogs posts with . *shameless plug, yes* At our office, we use drafts as the second level of idea cataloging. At least once each month we all get into the conference room and share our post ideas that weve created with the team. The good ones get added to the calendar or placed in the draft menu for another time. #3.  StayFocusd StayFocused is a free  Chrome extension that will help you to stay more focused on your writing by restricting the amount of time you spend on distracting websites. For exampleFacebook. You can decide to limit the amount of time that you spend on the site to 15 minutes per day. Once youve used your time up on the site, youre done for the day and have no excuses to not get back to work. How productive is that?   #4   Omm Writer OmmWriter is a desktop (Mac, Windows, or iPad) application that promises to give you your own private writing room where you can close the door behind you to focus on your writing in peace. Basically, it is an application that consumes the entire screen in an effort to block out the normal distractions that crop up in when youre writing. It provides a very pleasing experience, and can even be set to exclude sound on a desktop-based notifications. *Dont forget about WordPresss own full-screen option for writing you blog content. Its free, and even closer to home. #5 Draft Draft is another full-screen writing tools similar to Omm that works directly in your browser. It is worth mentioning because it almost combines the power of both Evernote and Omm together in one package, making it a simple place to store ideas and even write out entire posts. Save Time While Writing With These 5 Productivity-Boosting Tools Beware! New Tools Arent Always Productive It is important to keep in mind that not all tools will make you more productive. In some cases, they can even add more work, more process, and occasionally more down time. In our own office, we once added a new productivity tool to our office that felt more productive, but over time it slowly faded away because managing it was simply too cumbersome. It could do everything, and was unnecessarily complex. Sometimes, simpler tools are better tools. Option 2: Put In More Time The most basic and reliable method for  getting more done is to simply put in more time. This works, sure, but it may not always be sustainable. Most of us are struggling with time management in the first place, and putting in more time can even lead to writer burnout. The alternative is to make your time more efficient by improving your overall writing process, making your use of time much better. Here are few things you can do. #1 – Change When You Write I like to write first thing in the morning, but I didnt always know that these were some of my best hours for creativity.  For years I wrote most of my content during peak office hours, or even in the evening. I had no idea that I was missing out on some of my most creative thinking periods. By switching my normal writing time to the morning, I avoid common distractions and get things done  before the chaos of the day beings. Try experimenting with your own writing schedule. You might be surprised at what a difference a few small changes can make. #2 – Change How You Prepare To Write A while back when I was writing a new blog post every day, I started the habit of reviewing my post topic before I drove into the office. I would simply grab my iPad and open Evernote with my notes for the post that I was scheduled to write for the day. I ended up adding or  clarifying  a few things in my notes before  committing  the topic idea to  memory. Do everything you can to eliminate inefficiency from your writing process. This simple act would set off a chain reaction in my mind. I would spend the entire drive to work  reviewing  the post idea and coming up with new approaches or  additional  content, making double use of that drive time. The result was an efficient use of time, and a much faster writing process when it finally came time to begin writing.   #3 – Adjust Your Writing Process In the beginning, I used to sit down and write everything as if I was crafting the final draft. I would write (and then re-write) each sentence before finally moving on to my next point. This method was slow, and overly cumbersome, costing me precious time. I finally adjusted my writing workflow and began by creating an extremely rough version of post in a matter of a few minutes. This method allowed me to make progress quickly and get a big picture look at the post before I added final edits. As content creators, we can easily get ourselves in a rut where we follow the process without ever evaluating how we are getting there. By simply stepping back for a wider view, we might be able to eliminate inefficiency and save time writing for our blog. Your Writing Process Itself Is Preventing You From Saving Time While WritingOption 3: Hone In On What Matters The most difficult (and probably the most effective) method for saving time is to simply eliminate some things that you are doing. With less stuff to do, there is more time available for the things that matter. By making tough decisions now and cutting out activities or projects that might be otherwise good projects, you are better able to focus more closely on a few key goals and excel at them.

Catcher in the rye Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Catcher in the rye - Essay Example The writer has effectively used symbolism to help pass the message that maturation and the Loss of innocence are inevitable rites of passage for all humanity. The author has used the symbol of the Museum of natural history, the Catcher in the Rye and the darks in the frozen pond to show that it is always difficult for an individual to avoid the loss of his or her innocence. The Museum of natural history that Holden used to visit symbolizes a world without changes. Holden wishes that this could apply in life where by nothing had to change. He acknowledges that the main reason why he loved the museum was the fact that everything remained as it was. â€Å"The best thing though in that museum was that everything stayed right where it was. The only different thing in there was you† (Salinger 204). Holden admire the event that everything had to stay the same forever just like the thought of innocence preservation. However, Holden knows that this is not possible and he even goes ahead to admit that he had become a different person in that his innocence had become diminished since he last visited the museum. Another symbol that has been used in the Novel is the Cather in the Rye. Holden say that he would like to be a catcher in the Rye to protect children from tumbling over the edge of a cliff. On the actual sense Holden had misheard the song of which the actual lyrics were if a body meet a body coming through the rye. â€Å"I thought it was if a body catch a body† (Salinger 190). The word meet in the song refers to an encounter that leads to recreational sex. Holden intends to catch children before they fall out of innocence into the knowledge of both sex and adulthood â€Å"That all al do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the eye† (Salinger 194). The last symbol is the dark in the pond. He wonders what happens to the dark in the pond when

MYOB's Interdepartmental Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MYOB's Interdepartmental Communication - Essay Example This is referred to as interdepartmental communication. Every department needs to communicate with the other departments to inform them as to what are the updates and/or changes that a particular department would be implementing. It is not to know whether the department is doing its designated task, however it is more on knowing how the change would affect the organization as a whole. A particular department’s change would definitely affect the whole company as each department is linked to one another (Carroll, 2010, pp. 10-12). Though working in just one company, people from different departments still find it difficult to communicate with other people belonging to another department. As Carroll (2010, p. 11) expressed, â€Å"interdepartmental communication is a challenge in many industries – one department may not know how its action or inaction affects another department. The managers may incorrectly assume that other departments understand what they need and why.â €  It is not good to assume that everything is okay when memorandums are sent. There should be counter-checking with regard to the comprehension of the memos that were transmitted. MYOB has been providing Australia and New Zealand with downloadable computer software which aids many professionals in their jobs since 1991. Since the company uses the worldwide web as its medium in disseminating this software, the company has options to expand its market internationally without any additional cost (MYOB, 2012). It is known that when a company starts expanding, there would be a need to create departments that would focus on particular aspects of maintaining the website and running the company as a whole at the headquarters. Though working in the same company, there would be instances that employees would not be given the chance to meet everybody on the payroll. The usual mode of communication used in companies in recent years is through company’s electronic mail or e-mail. If s uch is the case, an employee should habitually check his company e-mail for the latest memos or updates circulated to everyone, or an e-mail directly addressed to the person for any issues that need clarifications, or just any direct instruction or message. With the numerous tasks waiting to be accomplished, there would be times that an employee would only be able to check the e-mail at least twice a day, which would be upon coming to work and before leaving the workplace. Since the company is dealing with customers purchasing their products online, people who are using the software can either use the phone numbers listed on the website or just click on the picture on their Contact Us page to be redirected to the proper support group. For this kind of company, it is the support group and the technical department that need to ensure that their interdepartmental communication is synched. Other department that should be synched with each other are the finance and the advertising depart ments. During the latter part of 2011, MYOB released the latest version of one of its accounting software. This should be kudos to the technical department. However, as reported by Sholto Macpherson (2011), there were bugs present in the newer version that either slows down the program itself or makes it unusable at all. Surely, the support group received complaints regarding the bug; however, the technical team was not properly informed about the concern. The scenario would be likely as the latter statement or the technical team

The change in the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth Essay Example for Free

The change in the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth Essay The banquet scene is a pivotal one. Discuss this comment in terms of plot, staging, character and relationships, particularly the change in the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Act 3, scene four of Macbeth the play, by William Shakespeare contains many of the themes that run throughout the play, which make the scene such a pivotal one. A main theme of the play is witchcraft and the supernatural. This is symbolised by the witches, and Macbeths vow to visit them the following day- I will to-morrow (and betimes I will) to the Weird Sisters. and is also, more importantly, present in the form of Banquos ghost in the banquet scene. This theme of the supernatural is not only vital to the plot, but was written into the play specifically to please King James 1 of England. The play was written, and performed in 1606, with the aim of impressing the new king. Shakespeare knew that King James was greatly interested in witchcraft and the supernatural- so much so that the king actually wrote a book called Daemonologie all about supernatural occurrences. Therefore, in order to make the play appealing for the king, Shakespeare included witches and a running theme of the supernatural. Another feature of the play included for the new King, is the character of Banquo. The inspiration for the story actually came from real life, in 11th century Scotland, but was changed to suit the melodrama of a play. The character of Banquo was based on a real ancestor of King James, and this, therefore, associated the king further with the plot. Banquo is shown as the good character throughout, matching Macbeths courage and bravery in war, but lacking the ambition that grips him and eventually drives him to murder. This is shown earlier in the play, when the witches predict the future. Macbeths strong sense of ambition takes over and he follows up what the witches told him. Banquo, however, does not pursue the idea. An incident that greatly affects scene four is the murder of Duncan by Macbeth. This is the beginning of the line of murders that Macbeth commits- this he does himself, others using assassins- and where he effectively steps into the blood. It is here that the tragic hero makes his fate. It is, in fact, Banquos murder in act three, scene three that confirms the swing of doubtful wrong to definite evil for Macbeth. Macbeth himself confirms this change at the end of act 3 scene 4 by saying I am in blood steppd in so far, that should I wade no more returning were as tedious as go oer and we are yet but young in deed . Another feature of act 3 scene 4 is the obvious change in relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth and his Lords. Evidence of the first can be found earlier in the play, where Lady Macbeth and her husband have a very trusting relationship, and plot Duncans murder together. When Macbeth feels nervous about killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth reassures him, knowing exactly how to make him change his mind- Wouldst thou have that which thou esteemst the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem, letting I dare not wait upon I would, like the poor cat I the adage? It is evident throughout the play that Macbeth does not like people doubting his manliness I dare do all that may become a man; who dares do more, is none., and Lady Macbeth has obviously picked up on this. For instance in act two, scene four, when Macbeth has doubts about killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth says When you durst do it, then you were a man: and to be so much more than what you were, you would be so much more the man. After she says this, Macbeth goes ahead with the murder, showing the effect his wife has on him Lady Macbeth holds the same want of power as Macbeth, and both think of killing the king before talking to the other about it. This shows that they know the way the other thinks, and want the same things. When we first see the couple meet, Macbeth greets his wife by saying My dearest love which shows his obvious affection for her. However, scene four of act three is a pivotal one in terms of the relationship between Lady Macbeth and her husband. A massive change in the relationship is evident throughout the scene. Here we see that he has not let her in on the murder of Banquo, and as he hallucinates about Banquos ghost, he still does not tell her of his deed. Lady Macbeths love of her husband and fear of getting caught is shown by her desperate attempt to conceal his guilt and to get rid of the guests. However, the change in the relationship between the two is possibly more of a reflection on the change in Macbeths character, rather than the relationship its self. Macbeths growing distrust is also shown in this scene, resulting in the break down of the so far successful relationship between he and his wife. As he goes on in his plans, his circle of trust is slowly closing in and now even his wife, whom he plotted the first murder with, is on the outside. She is not aware that he has employed the murder of Banquo and Fleance, and she thinks the ghost he sees is that of Duncan. This also shows the difference in the twos view on their relationship. Lady Macbeth, at this point, has no idea that she is being left out of proceedings, and feels she and her husband have plotted together throughout. Macbeth however, knows that he has kept Banquos murder from her, and therefore is beginning to feel that her can not even trust her. This suggests that the breakdown of their relationship has more to do with a change in Macbeths character than the relationship itself. The distrust taking over Macbeth is also evident in act three, scene three, where he hires a third murderer to ensure that Banquo and Fleance are killed. The banquet scene not only shows Macbeths character becoming more guarded and distrusting, but shows his shift from good to evil. He decides that his crimes are such that there is no point trying to reform his character. His sense of right and wrong has disintegrated into a need for power. He no longer feels as much guilt for his murders, and sees no way out of what he has already done. This is shown in the line I am in blood steppd in so far, that should I wade no more returning were as tedious as go oer . The line we are yet but young in deed also shows that Macbeth has no intention of stopping the murders, and has more plans in mind. Another change in relationship that is evident in the scene is that of Macbeth and his lords. This scene is pivotal in that we see an obvious suspicion of Macbeth from the lords that until now has been very subtle. They are startled by their new kings behaviour, and begin to question him- What sights, my lord? Lady Macbeth picks up on this and becomes worried that her husband will reveal the truth about Duncans murder. This is shown by her haste to remove the lords from the room- Stand not upon the order of your going, but go at once. This is a contrast with the calmness at the start of the scene, where everyone is civilised and relaxed, and shows the disorder brought on by the death of Banquo and his ghost. The staging of the banquet scene is very important in terms of understanding the plot, especially the ghost. If done properly, the scene can be very effective, however if not, the idea of the ghost can become very confusing to the audience. The main issue when thinking of staging is putting the fact that Banquo is now a ghost and that only Macbeth can see him, across to the audience. This can be done in many ways, using different dramatic techniques. The first that could be used, is a cinematic projection of the character onto the stage. This could flicker slightly every now and again, emphasising the fact that the ghost is not real. The image would be of Banquo walking to the chair, and sitting down, projected onto a plain background or even just the scenery. I think this would be especially effective because the audience can see what Macbeth is seeing, but at the same time are aware that it is not real. While the image is playing, the rest of the cast could be brought into freeze frame while Macbeth reacts to the ghost, once again emphasising the fact that the ghost is only visible to Macbeth. The lights around the rest of the cast could also be brought down, adding to the effect made by the freeze frame. Meanwhile, a spotlight could shine on Macbeth, not only showing that he can see the ghost, but that he is now almost totally alone in his plans. Earlier it was he and Lady Macbeth that plotted together, but now he is on his own, trusting only himself. The projected image of Banquo would be the same character that played him in the performance however a costume change would be needed in order to make it authentic. The character would have to have rips in his costume, and blood and wounds on his face. This would show the audience that Banquo was in fact dead and this was his ghost. Costume change is a useful technique that would make the next idea more feasible. The actual character that played Banquo could play the ghost, and appear back on stage. This idea would be slightly less clear to the audience, but could still work. The character, once again, could have ripped clothes and blood and wounds on his face, although more care would have to be taken in order to make it clear to the audience that Banquo is actually dead. Lights could be used to great effect with this idea, for instance the main lights could go down, then lights could shine upwards on Banquo. This would give more of a spooky feel, and increase the feeling of the supernatural. Here, once again, a spotlight could be shone on Macbeth, signifying his isolation form the people he was once close to. Another way to do the lights would be to shine a spotlight on Banquo and Macbeth, leaving the others in the room in darkness. This would show that only those two were involved in the action, and could also signify the fact that they are the only two in the room that know of Banquos murder. Here, instead of using the technique of freeze frame the other characters in the scene could be moving around as they would normally be, but in silence. This would show that no one has noticed Macbeths strange behaviour yet. When using a real person, routes onto stage have to be thought of. Trapdoors could be used to give the idea that the ghost is just appearing out of no where, then disappearing, using smoke to camouflage what is happening. Another way the ghost could be hidden from the audience is just by using the wings. The ghost could enter from one side, then leave from the other, hiding in the wings, then reappearing. When the ghost enters the lights should be brought down, then brightened up again immediately as the ghost leaves. As the lights come up, the rest of the cast could come out of the freeze frame, or begin to talk if freeze frame is not used, showing that they had not seen the ghost at all. In conclusion, when considering staging plot and relationships, the banquet scene is a particularly important one. It shows a huge change in relationships between Macbeth and his wife, and his friends. It is here that the tragic hero can either redeem himself, or fall further into the clutches of despair. Macbeth chooses the easy option of continuing down the same road, blocking out the people he was once close to. Therefore, this scene is pivotal and shows changes in attitudes, relationships and, most importantly, character.

Free Destiny vs. Controlled Fate in Antigone Essay -- Sophocles

Fate is an old debated concept. Do one's actions truly play a role in determining one's life? Is fate freedom to some or is it binding to others, in that no individual can make completely individual decisions, and therefore, no one is truly free. Nowadays, fate is a subject often rejected in society, as it is seen as too big, too idealistic, and too hard to wrap a persons head around. However, at the time of Antigone, the concept was a terrifying reality for most people. Fate is the will of the gods, and as is apparent in Antigone, the gods' will is not to be questioned. Much of Sophocles' work focuses on the struggle between human law and what is believed to be the god’s law. Fate was an unstoppable force and it was assumed that any efforts to change one's future were unrealistic. In Sophocles' Antigone, fate plays a crucial role the choices that the characters make. Most people believe that Creon and Antigone were under the influence of forces that they could not control, in the decisions they made and the actions that they took. Despite Antigone's morals and her practice of those morals, she cannot escape the family curse. She states, â€Å"You would think that we had already suffered enough for the curse on Oedipus† (prologue.2-3). Ironically Antigone will suffer the rest of her life because of what her father/brother did. Her life had been rocked so much by this family curse that only Ismene remains, and she lost the last thing that mattered to her--her sister Antigone, who surprisingly took her own life. Antigone’s strong beliefs in the god’s laws can really be heard when she said â€Å"†¦Your edict, King, was strong, but all your strength is weakness itself against the immortal unrecorded laws of god. They are not merely now: they ... ...n offering at the altar but the god of fire failed me so the flame never blazed† (5.10-22). The birds may symbolize the family, two brothers killing each other, Creon sentencing Antigone to die. Or Antigone opting to hang herself which leads Haimon to try and kill his father but getting killed himself instead, and as a result Creon's wife commits suicide. The gods don't show acceptance of this situation, because the family has been doomed into the fate of death. A lot can be learned about an author by just reading his or her works. For instance one can easily learn about Sophocles’ view on fate just by reading Antigone. Much of Sophocles' work focuses on the struggle between human law and what is believed to be the god’s law. Sophocles believed that Fate was an unstoppable force and it was assumed that any efforts to change one's future were completely unrealistic.

“On the spirit of obligations” and “Friendship” – how each text views friendship pointing out to the meeting points

We have before us two texts; one, â€Å"on the spirit of obligations† the other, â€Å"friendship†. Both very different in terms of structure, style and images, yet both are closely linked thematically. The notions expressed in the text are ideas of friendship (as implied by the title of one of the texts) and human relations. It is interesting to explore how each text views friendship pointing out to the meeting points. The texts are of extremely different style and structure simply because they each serve a very different purpose. The first is an essay written by William Hazlitt taken from â€Å"on the spirit of obligations†, the second is a song- â€Å"friendship† by Cole Porter. Only from this we can asses that the essay is written as continues prose and is meant to publicize some opinion. An essay usually exists to be informative, present a view and thus will be serious, explanatory and detailed. This is very different from a song that is publicly released that in order to be popular has to be catchy, short verses, short snappy ideas that will be remembered, rhymes and a wider sense of appeal. The use of language in both texts differs, with relation to their purpose and their notion of friendship. In the essay, the use of language is more sophisticated, delicate more complex, almost as the friend or person Hazlitt is describing. The language also matches the nature of the friendship- more of the intellectual- â€Å"practical benevolence is not is forte†, meaning that it wasn't a friendship on the day to day basis, or that he will offer help and favors. It sees this idea as â€Å"idle and vulgar†. This stands in such contrast to the song, almost making a mockery out of it because the language and situations described in it is at times so vulgar â€Å"if you are ever lost your teeth and you are out to dine, borrow mine†. This is part of the songs' purpose- to be humors, silly, fun. The song talks about a very different notion of friendship- one that's always there to help, almost to un-realistic measures â€Å"when other friendships have been forgot, ou rs will still be hot† The tone and register are also influenced by the purpose of the text. The account of friendship in the essay is of someone describing a very specific, special person, who is very important to him. This, although he knows it is a friendship with out obligations, and that he should not look to his friend for help, we as readers still get the notion that this friend is still very important to the writer and that he, by his own description, feels very secure and welcomed, at the presence of his friend. This is again seen in the language, where the writer carefully chooses imagery and words to describe the person in question â€Å"the husk, the shell of humanity is left at the door, and the spirit, mellowed by time, resides within!†. In the song the register is different. It seems like the singer is addressing the ‘friend' directly, telling him that he will always be there. However, there is not one single line telling us about the friend in more detail, or any clue at any de eper emotions or more complex relationship. This is because of the nature of songs. Very smartly it allows us to apply it to anyone- because of the lack of specifics it can be affiliated with any per of people, but at the same time the direct form of address allows for the feeling of personalization; it can be used between two people. In both texts the imagery used is closely linked with the notion of friendship it is describing. The essay using â€Å"his silver accents, beautiful, venerable as his silver hairs, but abundant, flows as a river† creating gentle, delicate images. From the imagery we learn that the man described is probably older, and has and air of knowledge and advice to him. â€Å"his hand is closed, but what if that? His eye is ever open†¦Ã¢â‚¬  his eye is ever open suggests that he is very observant, knows a great deal and constantly aware of the situation around him. The closed hand, however, is a powerful metaphor for the lack of obligation and physical help. This stands in such contrast to the song, where it seems that the friendship is based on constant physical being. All the imagery stands along the lines of ‘if you need a hand when in trouble just call my name†¦', everything is to do with actions not words. Further more, all imagery is vulgar, everyday colloquial language, funny unreal situations. Is this the reflection of the friendship? I believe it is merely because of the appeal it has to have to the public. Thus we get imagery like â€Å"if they ever cook your goose, turn me loose†. To conclude, I think the differences of the texts out-weigh the similarities, and that they are quite noticeable. I got the feeling that the essay is almost mocking the song and that in light of the essay it shows that the song has no real message or statement concerning friendship. It almost ridicules itself, the imagery and the rhymes flattening the notion of friendship making it something so explicit, so out of touch with reality and how friendships truly work, with all the subtleties. The song is there for the sake of entertainment alone. However, it interesting to see how in both texts the language, imagery and tone were so effected by the purpose.

Lessons Form the Classroom Essay

A. I think my main strength is that I like interacting with people. In my career thus far I have worked in multi-disciplinary teams, made daily presentations and managed teams so working with people is natural and comfortable for me. I’m friendly, inclusive and approachable. I think this is an asset that will carry me far as a teacher. I have experienced teachers who were intimidating and I found it detrimental to my learning. I want my students to feel comfortable to ask me anything, repeat anything, or explain anything. I think that as time progresses in the classroom I’ll be able to develop good relationships with the students where they feel safe and uninhibited. I am naturally and therefore normally well organised and prepared which I think is a key skill in ELT. At my university induction lecture the speaker said ‘fail to plan, and plan to fail’ which I think was valuable advice and which has stuck with me. Planning my lessons appropriately helps me to better understand what I’m teaching, embeds it in my mind so I’m more confident in delivering it and helps me to predict possible problems and their solutions. I think that as my confidence and skills grow I will be able to compose highly detailed lesson plans that will deliver my objectives. I am a creative person and like devising innovative approaches to problems. I like to challenge the standard to create new ways of doing things. The results have engaged and generated new perspectives. I hope this will translate well into the classroom where I can devise games and exercises that will appeal to the students and accelerate their learning. As my confidence, knowledge and skills develop I plan to combine my own methods into my teaching. My main weakness is my inability to express grammar rules and understand grammatical terminology such as ‘present continuous’. Although my primary school was strict with grammar, punctuation and spelling, we were not taught the labels of grammar terms beyond the basics of nouns, verbs, and adjectives. So whilst I can speak and write sentences that are clear and grammatically correct I am finding the terminology challenging. As an English language teacher this is obviously something that I need to remedy as soon as possible! I am studying several grammar reference books from the suggested reading list and using mind mapping to help me understand and learn the rules. I remind myself that I already know the grammar rules I just don’t know that I know them! I have never used an interactive white board (IWB) before and have historically been reluctant to embrace new technology so I have not made full use of it as yet. As the teachers have used the IWB extensively in classes I have seen how convenient and flexible it is. I am keen to address this challenge as I believe it will be enormously beneficial to me in the classroom and therefore improve and accelerate my learners’ experiences. I am going to take advantage of break times to practise using it to build my confidence and then set myself a deadline to incorporate it into a lesson. I am sure that after using it in a few lessons I will feel more composed and will easily integrate it into classes. I would like to improve my ability to communicate with the students in a more concise and succinct way. I have found that my instructions have been too complicated and lengthy and thus caused confusion. As well as cultivating this skill I’m going to try to integrate more gestures, demonstrations and pictures to resolve the issue. My research has produced a checklist for communication, (concise, concrete, clear, correct, coherent, complete), which I will use to test my instructions going forward. B. I have been impressed with the eliciting skills of the Celta teachers. In particular James Johnson has been demonstrating how to proficiently organise materials and structure questions to draw out desired responses. He is adept at posing questions that produce the target language or lexis. His seamless ability has demonstrated how effective this technique is in encouraging the students to think for themselves rather than simply giving them the answer, keeping them alert and assessing their language level as well as understanding of the concept being taught. In this way he truly engages with the students and thus his lessons are memorable. This is a very unnatural communication for me so to be able to smoothly incorporate this skill into my teaching would be a triumph for me. All of the teachers have a very calm, confident and charming disposition, which pervades the classroom. They are clearly highly skilled and experienced, which generates trust. I think these qualities are fundamental for effective learning. These qualities seem to be intrinsic to the instructors but I’m hoping that over time I will ripen or at least acquire the ability to convey a fraction of this demeanour. C. When I have completed my Celta training I will be just at the beginning of my career so continuing professional development will be paramount to consolidate what I’ve learned so far, keep my skills up to date, learn new and different techniques from other teachers and experts, and keep abreast of industry trends. I love learning and developing myself and regularly take classes, workshops and courses for fun and personal development as well as career development, so I am highly motivated to continue my ELT development. My research has made me aware of various online communities, which could be a great way to exchange ideas. I also intend to stay in touch with my peers on the course so we can continue to learn together, share experiences, ideas, problems and solutions.

Siddhartha

Siddhartha had one single goal in life. His goal is to become empty, to become empty of thirst, desire, dreams, pleasure and sorrow - to let the Self die. No longer to be Self, to experience the peace of an emptied heart, to experience pure thought - that was his goal. When all the Self was conquered and dead, when all passions and desires were silent, then the last must awaken, the innermost of Being that is no longer Self - the great secret Siddhartha, according to his actions, was constantly in search for knowledge, regardless of what kind, or what he had to do to obtain it. In the book titled Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse, this is shown to us by Siddhartha's leaving home to join the Samanas, and all the actions leading to his residence alongside the river. Leaving his family and home everyone loved him, showed that Siddhartha not only knew what he wanted in life, but will do anything to attain it. Siddhartha did not leave his father's chambers until he had gotten his way, until his father had submitted to Siddhartha's wishes and agreed to let him leave home to join the Samanas. This stubbornness, this patience with people and situations is also a large part of Siddhartha's character. It enables him to out wait anyone or anything, which teaches him how to do without and also helps him through his time with the Samanas. "Siddhartha learned a great deal from the Samanas he learned many ways of losing the Self". Despite the new knowledge he acquired, Siddhartha realized that it was only " . . . a temporary palliative against the pain and folly of life". His next decision was to leave the Samanas and go in search of the Buddha in order to learn perhaps something he did not already know. Through this learned that Siddhartha, having !all tha t is possible in one place, moves to another in search for more wisdom in search for the secret of how to obtain inner peace, how to find the Self. This action also shows his change by showing ...

Hobbling and Cobbling

Hobbling and Cobbling Hobbling and Cobbling Hobbling and Cobbling By Maeve Maddox I could hardly believe my ears this morning when I heard a highly educated author being interviewed on NPR about a new book. A graduate of two prestigious Eastern universities, the author talked about â€Å"hobbling together† a political alliance. She meant â€Å"cobbling together.† Naturally, I hopped on the Web to see if anyone else was misusing this common expression. The following examples indicate that quite a few speakers are: I could barely hobble together some clips from wagnaria some audio from hockey highlights and some sound effects in Imovie That is the big flaw with my car a VW. No cupholders except for one for the back seat. Ive had to hobble together aftermarket bits to hold my coffee.   I finally had the time to hobble together an open source version of the headless Raspberry Pi config interface I’ve been working on. It’s not just the tweeters and the bloggers: Eagan’s head coach Mike Taylor had to hobble together a line-up after losing both first line wings to injury the night before. Global markets USA: Bruised computer giants hobble together (headline over a story about a Compaq-HP merger) I even found the altered expression in printed books. Here’s one example: The Babylonian cosmos, or at least the picture of it that scholars have managed to hobble together over the last two centuries, presents us with a scene by now quite familiar to the reader Used figuratively, the expression â€Å"to cobble together† means â€Å"To put together or join roughly or clumsily, usually from bits and pieces of whatever materials are available. The verb cobble, of unknown origin, already had the meaning of â€Å"to mend clumsily† or â€Å"to patch up† in the 15th century. In the 16th century it was used to describe the mending of shoes; a cobbler was a mender of shoes. Shakespeare plays with the word cobble in Act One, scene one of Julius Caesar (1599); a cheeky commoner offers to â€Å"cobble† a tribune. Here are some examples of the expression being used correctly: Freelancers cobble together part-time jobs to make portfolio careers Adjunct Professors Try to Cobble Together a Full Workload BJP hopes to cobble together alliance in  TN Lower Makefield officials cobble together $3.5M to pay judgment in eminent domain case involving golf course land The expression â€Å"to hobble† means to fasten an animal’s feet together to prevent it from straying. Figuratively, it means to impede someone or something. For example, a lack of money could hobble a company’s efforts to bring out a new product. Here are some examples from the web in which hobble is used correctly: U.S. says global effort has hobbled a cybercrime ring Lewisville zoning extension effort hobbled in N.C. House Markets hobbled by low volatility Teaching Your Horse to Stand Hobbled If something is being put together from bits and pieces, it’s being cobbled together. If something is being crippled, it’s being hobbled. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:16 Substitutes for â€Å"Because† or â€Å"Because Of†Capitalization Rules for Names of Historical Periods and MovementsQuiet or Quite?

Architecture and Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Architecture and Strategic Management - Essay Example (Hale, 2000; P 5) Clustering distribution centers in a single geographic area is among the new trends. There is also a move towards transportation specialization, such as companies that depend on substantial parcel air transport. Labor availability and technology advances are factors driving many companies to consolidate their distribution and structural systems into fewer but larger, regional facilities. However, not all companies are consolidating their distribution centers: in many areas, the consolidation trend itself is producing a new generation of smaller, local distribution centers. Experts say that new logistical handling systems and greater outsourcing-in particular, the increased use of third-party logistics providers-seem to be driving this trend. This trend has had a large bearing on how architects are being perceived. With the advent of management as a wholesome science that has trickled into every industry and profession, architects are now expected to handle the managerial aspects of construction and design. One of the major implications for this is cost control and financial projection, health and safety management as well as development control. When involved in a project, the major fo... When involved in a project, the major focus is on the economics and what can be achieved within a given budget. Passing this down to the architects has various dimensions to it. The creative part can be better coordinated and decided in the initial stages so as to avoid chaos later. The demerit of this is that the focus might shift from the creative to the strategic management options where some architects might be ill equipped to handle such responsibilities. The solution to such a problem is a short course or orientation program in financial and development management when educating or selecting architects. Incident Command System for High Rise Buildings Risk is also a major part of the strategic management and development part of a structure. The above diagram is a depiction of an example of sectorisation for a high rise building. The sectorisation for high rise buildings must consist of the optimum deployment and utilization of resources. Managing a high rise building is a matter of creating sectors so as to give out commands easily and smoothly in case of strategic, tactical and operational importance. The sectors for operation must include: Vulnerability assessment & intrusion detection systems Risk assessment & risk management Backups & business continuity planning Disaster recovery planning Computer incident response teams Digital investigation & incident post-mortem Privacy & anonymity in cyberspace; censorship & content filtering Management responsibilities & liabilities The future of information assurance Professional development The Harrow Court Incident The Harrow Court Incident refers to the tragic chain of events where two firefighters - Firefighter Wornham and Firefighter Miller - lost their lives on the 2nd of February, 2005. The