Suspense in The Turn of the Screw Essay Example

Suspense in The Turn of the Screw Essay Suspense in The Turn of the Screw 1 . Keep the stakes high: Throughout the novel, the governess is shown to be somewhat in love with her employer. She describes him as a gentleman in the prime of life, such a figure had never risen, save in a dream or an old novel, before a fluttered, anxious girl and goes on to say he struck her, in evitably, as gallant and splendid (4). In her perspective, she lives to please her employer by carrying out her duties successfully. Yet the ghosts pose a crisis thats devastating to the rotagonists world, and she is willing to do anything to prevent the corruption of the children from the ghosts. This mindset creates suspense and allows the readers to empathize with the governess to some point. 2. Apply pressure: As the antagonists of the novel are the ghosts that corrupt the children, the protagonist, the governess, can only be against insurmountable odds; she is fighting against supernatural beings. Yet, another element that adds to the pressure is the fact that she has nowhere to escape. Mrs. Grose points out that the master didnt like tale-bearing†he hated omplaints. He was terribly short with anything of that kind (35). This installs in the protagonist a resolution to never let this ghost troubles be known to her employer, as she admires him and wants to please him in all ways; now she has to deal with the ghosts by herself. This creates suspense in that the screw has been turned even more; she has no escape. 3. Create dilemmas. Suspense loves a dilemma: The most prominent dilemmas that first appear in the novel consist of the governess struggle with the childrens telling the truth about the ghosts Peter Quint and Miss Jessel. We will write a custom essay sample on Suspense in The Turn of the Screw specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Suspense in The Turn of the Screw specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Suspense in The Turn of the Screw specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer For example, when the governess sees that Floras little bed was empty, she catches her breath with all the terror that, five minutes before, [she] had been able to resist (55). She continuously believes that Flora and Miles are seeing the ghost but are lying to her. This creates a huge dilemma, as the governess faith towards the children is extinguished and the corruption of the children comes more near. This dilemma creates suspense and doubt at the same time, allowing the readers to ponder about the existence of the ghosts. 4. Complicate matters: The novel poses arious complications to the governess; starting with Miles letter of dismissal, the fact that the ghosts are of her predecessor and her lover, and mostly due to the fact that there are two turning of the screw, two children who are corrupted by the ghosts, heightens the complexity of matters to the governess. Everything crashes to the ground at the end of the novel, as Miles little heart, dispossessed, had stopped (117). 5. Create a really good villain: The villains of this novel are the ghost of Peter Quint and Miss Jessel, the governess predecessor. These villains, despite eing apparitions or ghosts, are highly Msible. The governess describes Peter Quints ghost vividly; He has red hair, very red, close-curling, and a pale face, long in shape, with straight rather queer whiskers that are as red as his hair (30). They seem to be rather clever and strongly motivated, and are powerful in the way that they have the ability to corrupt the children and destroy the governess new life. By creating fear in both the readers and the governess, these villains successfully create suspense throughout the novel. *Page numbers are fit to my book, which has a

The Strengths and Weaknesses o essays

The Strengths and Weaknesses o essays Machine politics had numerous strengths among which were the high levels of political participation it encouraged. It also satisfied important social needs that official government institutions could not fulfill due to the decentralized structure of government provided for by the Constitution. Effective party bosses were able organize and centralize fragmented power in order to satisfy the needs of different groups in their community. It humanized and personalized assistance to the needy by directly appealing to individual concerns instead of to broader public interests. It replaced what was perceived by immigrants to be the cold, bureaucratic dispensation of limited aid following upon detailed investigations of legal claims to aid of the client... with the more personal techniques employed by the precinct captain who asks no questions, exacts no compliance with legal rules of eligibility and does not snoop into private affairs.(Urban Politics A Reader, 104) Politicians of the machine were seen as just one of us and the machine politics became a system of patronage and personal ties. This was the case especially for immigrants, who faced discrimination and had limited opportunities for upward mobility. Machines provided immigrants as well as deprived classes with alternative paths for social mobility when these groups encountered the relative absence of opportunity for achieving these types of success. Machine politics also benefited business both those that engaged legitimate and illegal endeavors by providing them with services that business required to grow and prosper but could not attain through conventional and/or morally acceptable means.(104) However, machine politics also has its drawbacks. It tended to be exclusionary as the machine would only represent certain ethnic groups and not others. For example, Stephen Erie described the limited effectiveness of machines abi...

.docx Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers, Research Papers

1.1 , ={155; 0>, 160; 0.1>, 165; 0.3>, 170; 0.8>, 175; 1>, 180; 1>, 185; 0.5>, 190; 0>}. A.2 2.3 (max-prod) -=B, , : ={1, 2} Y={y1, y2},- : Y Z={z1, z2, z3}. : ;2 3. 5 , , .2 4. 7, ,.3 5. 8 ,(70 / ),.3 6. 9 ={1, 2, 3, 4, 5} Y={5, 10, 15, 20}. , ( ) = , y= , ={1;0,1>, 2;0,2>, 3;0,6>, 4;0,9>, 5;1,0>}, ={5;1,0>, 10;0,8>, 15;0,4>, 20;0,2>}. Q, = , y= , ( ).3 7. 10 ={1, 2, 3, 4, 5} Y={5, 10, 15, 20}. , ( ) = , y= , ={1;0,0>, 2;0,1>, 3;0,5>, 4;0,8>, 5;1,0>}, ={5;1,0>, 10;0,8>, 15;0,4>, 20;0,2>}. Q, = , y= , ( ).4 8. 11 , : ={1;1,0>, 2;1,0>, 3;0,9>, 4;0,8>, 5;0,6>, 6;0,5>, 7;0,4>, 8;0,2>, 9;0,1>}, , , : ={1;0,5>, 2;1,0>, 3;0,6>, 4;0,4>, 5;0,2>, 6;0>, 7;0>, 8;0>, 9;0>}. = .5 9. 12 Q R,={1, 2, 3, 4, 5}.:6 . U= .6 10. 13 = =, = {1; 0.0>, 2; 0.1>, 3; 0.5>, 4; 0.8>, 5; 1.0>}, ={5; 1.0>, 10; 0.8>, 15; 0.4>, 20; 0.2>}., , t- .6 11. 14 = = R,. ( y),y= , = ( ), ={1;0,3>, 2;0,5>, 3;1,0>, 4;0,7>, 5;0,4>}.7 12. 8 1.1 , ={155; 0>, 160; 0.1>, 165; 0.3>, 170; 0.8>, 175; 1>, 180; 1>, 185; 0.5>, 190; 0>}. A. , ={155; 0>, 160; 0.1>, 165; 0.3>, 170; 0.8>, 175; 1>, 180; 1>, 185; 0.5>, 190; 0>}. A. 2.3 (max-prod) -=B, , : ={1, 2} Y={y1, y2},- : Y Z={z1, z2, z3}. : ; (max-prod) -=B, , : ={1, 2} Y={y1, y2},- : Y Z={z1, z2, z3}. : ; : ; ; ; ; ; . : 3. 5 , , . , , . , ,, B=(I1 - I2). -1=1-2min{0.2;0.3}=0.2 0=1-1=2-2max{min{0.2;1.0}; min{1.0;0.3}}=0.3 1=1-0=2-1=3-2max{min{0.2;0.2}; min{1.0;1.0}; min{0.3;0.3}}=1.0 2=2-0=3-1max{min{0.2;1.0}; min{1.0;0.3}}=0.3 3=3-0 min{0.2;0.3}=0.2 : 4. 7,

Euonymus alata - Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Euonymus alata - - Essay Example long and have tapering tips. During the Autumn season the leaves of this plant turn a bright reddish color. It is also called the â€Å"winged euonymus† because most of these cultivars possess two t three corky flanges or wings that are present along the length of the branches. The branches which are lime green in color when the plant is young become ash gray as the plant grows older. The flowers are small and grow in Axillary pairs on ‘Y’ shaped stems. The flowering season for the Euonymus alata takes place between the months of late April to June. By September or October the flowers mature and turn into reddish – purple fruits that have four seeds inside. These seeds are dispersed by birds and also gravity. The Euonymus alata is an exceedingly tolerant plant and can withstand a lot of sunlight and thrives in poor soil conditions. Therefore this plant becomes quite a threat to grow in open environments. Seeds could be stored up to long periods and made use of much later as it possesses good longevity. For healthy growth the Euonymus alata could be treated with an application of herbicide. The Euonymus alata is also called the â€Å"burning bush† which is deciduous and grows to a height of about 20 ft. It thrives greatly throughout eastern United States and is a highly invasive plant. This plant is a native of Northeastern Asia and for the first time it was introduced to North Americans in the 1860’s for the purpose of using it as an ornamental plant. The leaves which are dark green in color are rounded, smooth and taper at the tips. This winged burning bush invades forests and also a wide variety of other habitats, fields, roadsides and side- walks. Once these plants are strongly established, they grow wildly and form dense thickets, covering the other plants and displacing other native flora in the area. Invasive plants grow at a much quicker rate and aggressively, spreading wildly and displacing other fauna in the same area around

How effective have The European institutions been in dealing with the Dissertation

How effective have The European institutions been in dealing with the economic crisis - Dissertation Example It goes without saying that the game has evolved a fair bit over the past couple of centuries. While profits and returns will of course remain as the deciding factor when it comes to success, there are other factors that will also make a difference when it comes to the final result. Indeed, to succeed in today's economy requires one to have comprehensive understanding and mastery of business systems, marketing strategies, resource management and goal setting. And from there, both macro- and micromanagement skills are required in order to achieve the best possible results. Such may seem simple and easy enough at first. However, when considers how all these concepts are influenced by the various factors that affect the economy and the market itself, the truth of its complexity can easily be seen. Given how either economy or market conditions can change at the drop of a hat, the burden falls on the organization itself, as well as those running it, to make the necessary adjustments in re sponse. First and foremost, one needs to know the rules of the game in order to understand what his objectives ought to be, so that he might then strive toward them. Of course, it should also be noted that some ways of doing so are smarter and more effective than others, which explains the need to have effective marketing strategies. Different strategies have varying viability in various situations, and so one needs to consider this and then plan accordingly. One also needs to be able to be aware of his limitations with respect to resources, and thus keep those in mind as he does what he needs to do to succeed. And finally, just as one's strategies need to be viable and practical, so too must goals be set in a manner that is practical and realistic. Aiming high is always a good thing, but aiming far too high is not - in fact, it may even end up backfiring. At a glance, one can already guess at the complex and many-layered nature of the economy, but understanding the underlying struc tures reveal that even the word 'complex' hardly begins to describe it. The global economy in this day and age is such that neither capital nor technical knowledge alone will guarantee one's survival, especially in an increasingly competitive corporate environment. Most companies choose to deal with this by making sure to hire only the most competent and skilled employees. This is actually a valid strategy, and a rather effective one at that, considering that it is the company's employees who happen to be its single greatest untapped resource, and its biggest weapon in the fight to attain competitive advantage. Managerial staff also qualify to a lesser extent, if only because even their most brilliant strategies, schemes and plans will hardly bear any fruit without a competent workforce to put them into action. Conversely, even the most skilled employees will be limited in terms of their capabilities if their managers and supervisors leave much to be desired by way of competence. Ne edless to say, a company that has a competent workforce in addition to competent managerial staff stands the greatest chance of attaining competitive advantage. As has been stated, it is a perfectly legitimate and effective strategy for a company to keep an eye out for the most talented individuals to be recruited into their ranks to

Snow White and the Huntsman Essay Example for Free

Snow White and the Huntsman Essay Snow white and the huntsman is the battle between beauty and innocence for fairest blood. This is a four star dark twist to the traditional fairy tale of the orphaned princess, Snow White (Kristen Stewart), and her escape from her step mother and evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron). From the producers of Alice and the Wonderland, An Evil Queen, Ravenna, tricks, seduces, and kills the king; she takes the kingdom and rules with intimidation and magic. She draws her life force and youth from magic which is fuelled by the draining of other beautiful young hearts and souls. Her life is to be the fairest in all of the land yet another has come of age to surpass even the strongest magic. â€Å"She is life itself† Snow White, the late king’s daughter, was kept alive for many years in a tower in the castle since she was a little girl. Now she is what stands between Ravenna and immortality. â€Å"Be warned, her innocence and purity is all that can destroy you but she is also your salvation†. In a flurry of lust and luck, as well as her connection with Mother Nature, she escapes into the dark forest. The adventure begins as the Queen hires the Huntsman who knows the dangerous dark forest, to bring the princess back to her. The pursuit of Snow White, on an evil Queen’s quest for immortality – the princesses snow white heart. The pursuit of the princesses’ heart starts†¦ and ends with the flawless acting of Oscar winner Charlize Theron. The South African born Theron, known for her blonde hair and revengeful roles in Monster (Alieen Wuornos), and The Italian Job (Stella Bridger), graces the screen in a five star performance. She shows her versatility as a lead actress in her not revengeful but narcissistic character of Ravenna. This is portrayed in the second Mirror scene. Ravenna asks the Mirror â€Å"Mirror Mirror on the wall, who is fairest of them all?† The mirror tells her† My queen, you have defied nature and robbed it of its fairest root. But on this day there is one more beautiful than you.† She becomes angry as she longs to be the most beautiful in all the land. Ravenna’s last words to the king before she murdered him were â€Å"Men use women. They ruin us and when they are finished with us they toss us to the dogs like scraps†. Her conviction as an actress is authentic but what triumphs over that are her powerful actions that can convey an entire conversation in a simple movement. This is best seen where she is dragging herself out of the black goop after killing Snow White. She uses one hand and reaches, in vain, out to the Mirror as if to beg it to tell her she is most beautiful now the princess is dead. Even during her own near death moment her narcissistic personality shows though a very basic need for power and prestige. Allot of power and prestige of Ravenna comes to this movie through the main soundtrack ‘Breath of life’ by Florence and the Machine. After a drum beat beginning that sets the medieval mood, a choir and rhythmic beats adds a flare to the unique voice of Florence. Jon Dolan of the Rolling Stone reviews comments that it was â€Å"All doom-drum rush and endless-midnight orchestral sweep† Ravenna looking for her breath of life (I was looking for a breath of life, A little touch of heavenly light), but the world that had once turned on itself now turned on her and cried no (But all the choirs in my head sang, No oh oh). You can hear in the beat that she is fighting life itself. The casting of this movie was a mix of brilliance and flawed choices. Where Theron’s casting was no doubt the brilliance, Kristen Stewart as Snow White was the major flaw. Stuart, known to her fans as new girl Bella, from the Twilight saga, showed her incapability of holding a lead actress role. Unlike the role she played in twilight, she has no other main characters to hold her up. She drains the personality from Snow White in addition to the lack of importance felt in her character. This is predominantly seen in the â€Å"fight to the death† scene with Snow White and Ravenna. While Theron oozes fire and elegance, Stuart can’t seem to capture a believable character. Snow White is supposed to be innocence and humility in contrast to the Queens magic and pride. Her sharp angled face, greasy voice, and empty facial expressions she was a flawed choice by the directors. Drunk, bitter and half dead. The gorgeous Chris Hemsworth plays the in between of life and death as the Huntsman. Once being a small point in the original brothers Grimm fairy tale, Hemsworth’s huntsman has created a new take on the contrast between the two main roles. This is greatly shown when he is pulled out of a dirty tub of water with a hangover and a debt and he is brought to the queen’s throne. When the queen’s guards draw spears against him he says â€Å"Do me the favour, I beg of you.† He can’t stand to be alive because the Queens magic killed his wife for her youth. Finn tells the Huntsman â€Å"She screamed your name but you werent there. Now you can beg her forgiveness in the other world.† Now as Snow White lay dead the Huntsman begs for forgiveness from her â€Å"Im so sorry I failed you. Im so sorry. But youll be a queen in Heaven now and sit among the angels.† It’s his kiss and sorrow which awakens her from death itself. Colleen Atwood is a name that is very familiar in the movie designer world and with a BAFTA and OSCAR nomination is certainly one of the very important people in the makings of this movie. Some of the best designing seen this decade has come from Atwood who is known for her dark works in Dark Shadows (2012), Alice in the Wonderland (2010), Edward Scissorhands (1990) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Her epic fantasy costumes bring the film to a whole new gene of evil allure. From the Huntsman ancient clothes to the modern flare of Snow Whites traditional dress, Atwood’s best work has to be Ravenna’s wardrobe. A beautiful wedding dress fit for a Queen to an evil black cape fit for a Witch empress, the skilful dress of this movie would be the floor length silver dress. Worn in the scene in which she is stabbed with a dagger, this piece of art is exquisite, with the flared sleeves, fitted body, and square neck brings the vintage era setting to life. This dress would not be complete without being coupled with a fabulous collection of accessories including a black and silver choker with matching earrings, a purple pendant encrusted with silver on a beaded chain and a crown that mimics the one on the statue of liberty. The most powerful accessory would have to be the claws on her right hand. This simple yet vicious prop is used in small roles throughout the movie but the best example is when she uses her index claw to eat a raven heart. This will in no doubt send a delicate shiver of disgust down your spine. This dark, evil and beautiful movie is worth all its four stars. Even though Kristen Stewart’s performances as Snow White was not nearly up to par, if looked upon as the story of Ravenna’s demise, Theron more than makes up for what Stuart lacks. A story of Beauty, lust, pride and a quest for fairest blood, this is the must see the movie of 2012. â€Å"Lips red as blood, Hair dark as night, bring me your heart, my dear, dear Snow White.†

Electoral College :: essays research papers fc

The Opportunity of a Lifetime The upcoming election will not only pass the reins on to another president, but shape history for the next four years. The person selected will be the first, elected president of the new millennium, after his Inauguration Day on January 20. The major issues of this years candidates are welfare reform, Social Security, education, and abortion; thus, suggesting a predicament. Who should be the next individual to run the United States of America? Is the best man Al Gore or George W. Bush? One major problem facing the U.S. government is change in the welfare system. Al Gore says: "I believe our prosperity gives us not just an opportunity, but a great obligation. We must make sure that no one is consigned to be left out or left behind (www.algore.com).† Gore plans to make work pay, to help families get from welfare to work, and to promote responsibilities for fathers. Al Gore plans to put pressure on men to give financial support and respect to the mothers of their children, and to spend time with those offspring. He has proposed state bonuses and employment programs to benefit low-income fathers. As president, Gore would also promote welfare to work by providing local, tribal, state, and community grants. Raising the minimum wage one dollar over the next two years is also in his plan. On the other side, George W. Bush believes that our children are our most priceless treasure and link to the future. He deems that everything we can do to ensure safety, stability, and the ability to love our children must be done. He has some of the same views as Gore in that he wants to encourage fathers to take part in their children’s lives, and he plans to do this by providing over two hundred million dollars in grants to communities that promote responsible fatherhood. Social Security appears to be another major problem that the next president will have to deal with. Social Security has been a retirement system for our seniors for a long time, and with the baby-boomer generation starting to draw from it in eight years, it looks like the Social Security system will go bankrupt. Al Gore says: â€Å"To me, Social Security is more than a government program. It is a solemn compact between the generations. It is responsible to make the strength an solvency of Social Security a major national priority.

Castros Regime

Cuba and Castros Coming to Power In: Historical Events Cuba and Castros Coming to Power History Essay – Fidel Castro Castro’s Social Policies After coming to power in 1959 with the aim of making radical change to the country. He promised to end inequality, corruption and the economic dependency on USA. With these aims, he implemented economic policies to generate economic growth. The ups and downs of Cuba’s economic performance had not affected the state’s considerable investment in social reform, foreign aid and military involvement.Underpinned by long term credit and trade agreements with USSR, the Cubans had achieved standards of health and literacy rivaling those of developed countries. After his coming to power, Castro had managed to reduce the infant mortality rate, a yardstick of development of development from 60 per thousand live children in 1958 to 13. 2 in 1980. On the eve of the revolution there had been one doctor for 5,000 Cubans, whereas thi rty years later there was one per 400. Average life expectancy had risen from 74 to 57 and only 2 percent of the population was illiterate compared to 24 percent in 1958.All children of primary school age now attended schools whereas only 56 percent had done so before the revolution. The bare figures conceal the extent of social and economic change in Cuba. Castro’s reform aimed to introduce social justice and allow all sectors of society to have equal oppurtunities. Reforms in health, education and the treatment of women and of minorities were implemented among other areas. Some of these reforms clashed with Cuban traditions and culture. Hence, arts played a fundamental role in designing a new Cuban culture in which for instance, the role of women as workers was implemented and promoted.Castro’s social policies had their main targets as women and education. It evaluated the part played by FMC and the literacy campaign to change the status of women and promote educatio n. One of the most significant changes brought about by the Cuban Revolution has been to the lives and status of women. One of the most significant changes brought about by the Cuban Revolution has been to the lives and status of women. Before 1959 the role of most Cuban women resembled that of other women in the patriarchal societies of Latin America where there existed rigid stereotypes and a division of roles between the sexes in the home and in society.The undisputed role of a woman was that of wife and homemaker in a family headed by her husband or partner. Women enjoyed few rights and were expected to sacrifice not just their academic potential and broader interests, but also their health and happiness in order to ensure the stability and wellbeing of the family. In cases of maltreatment by men, despite the existence of laws forbidding such treatment, women were given minimal support by the police and the legal establishment. The status of women in Cuba by 1959 was different f rom that in many latin American countries.They were only given right to vote in 1934. The 1940 constitution also granted them equality before the law where women could not be discriminated against a work and were to receive equal pay for work. Although women were allowed to vote, study, ad even sue for divorce, pre-revolutionary Cuba remained in many ways a traditional society. Only a few occupations like teaching and nursing were considered to be appropriate for women in the pre-revolutionary years. They were victims of discrimination at work as the jobs with greater pay and responsibility went to men.Hence in the middle and upper classes, men preferred women to stay at home. The defense to the rights of women at work was largely a response to Cuba’s economic needs. Castro had an aim to achieve modernization and industrialization and to do so women were needed to produce record harvests, woman needed to join the workforce. New legislations were passed reinforcing the equal r ights of men and women to access all types of jobs. They were offered training at technical and professional levels. They had entered the fields which were men dominated, such as construction, biotechnology and IT.In villages the Agrarian reforms had offerd women the opportunity for work in areas like driving and repair of equipment. To facilitate this change and support the women, Castro facilitated the opening of an increasing numbers of daycare centers for working women to help them join the work force. Under Castro, women were expected to work for long hours in the agricultural fields leaving alone their homes and families for long intervals however this most often made conflicts with their husbands. To solve this problem, Castro came up with a new family code which stipulated equality of both the sexes at home and work.Men were expected to share their household duties and the education of children. Despite this Castro had to admit that the presence of women on work fields was a lways lower than expected. The policies made by Castro were aimed towards encouraging of equality of women seem to have been focused more towards increasing the workforce than gender equality. More than 600,000 Cubans who were idle migrated from the island in 1960’s and hence to fill up the vacancies, women were brought n picture. They were trained for these works which they had denied before and they also played an important part in education and health campaigns.Cuba in the Batista’s regime had acess to only limited education that too in varied geographical regions, being more restricted in the rural arean and the ghettos of the poor. Hence it was also limited by economic status. In the years preceding 1959, Cuba had the highest ill-literacy rates in ltin America. It had reached a peak of 24% in children under 10 years. Public education was nil, there was no infrastructure or presence of teachers to provide satisfactory quality of educstion while the acess of univers ity was limited to the privelliged classes.Castr in the sierra time had promised the resurrection of illiteracy within a year for which he needed to solve two initial barrios, the lack of infrastructure and that of teachers. Castro had declared 1961 as the year of education when the rebel army personally taught the illiterate and had launched the famous slogan â€Å"If you don’t know; learn, if you know; teach†. Due to the shortages of school buildings, Castro transformed military barracks into educational complexes and many new schools were built all along the city, focusing in the rural and undeveloped areas.Between 1959 when Fidel began his policy of school expansion and 1962 more schools had been developed than in the past history of 8 years of Cuba. In the following years, Castro implemented a training programme for 271,000 teachers. To reach all areas, they were sent all across the counry to teach people at their homes. Literate citizens were turned into â€Å"l iterate voulenteers† in free time. Each one was dressed in olive green uniforms and were sent to country sideto teach the peasents. In the year of 1962, illiteracy dropped by 4%.The success of the campaign was spectacular and as such it increased the hopes in revolution. The aim of the literacy campaign had been twofold. First, it sought to fight illiteracy among the poor ans second, it aimed to make middle-classs youth illiterate youth familiarize themelves with the living conditions and the hardships of the poor, and to act in response to the values of the revolution; self service and sacrifice for the state. * Words: 1258 * Pages: 6 * Highlight Text * Print Paper * Saved * Report this Essay Similar Documents * Cuba And Castros Coming To Power The Consolidation Of Fidel Castro’s Power Between 1959 And1961 Was More Of a Result Of Domestic Issues Rather Than United States Economic Policies. * Fdi Risk Analysis Of Cuba * Power Politics * Three Days In Cuba For Pope Bened ict Xvi * Guantanamo Bay * Chomsky * Bush * How China Rises * Treasures * The United States Political And Economy * American Expansionism And Imperialism In The Late Nineteenth Century * Domino's Sizzles With Pizza Tracker * Hispanic American Diversity * The Reagan Doctrine * Politics * Worlds Scerets * Ap Euro Notes Containing Communism Through Cia Covert Operations * To What Extent Was Hitler's Economic Policy Coherent? 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Central Valley Forest Fires Essay

The cities of California’s Great Central Valley Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Fresno and Bakersfield, which are together called the heart of Ca1ifornia, have repeatedly entered American popular culture and folklore. The cities have their own fire departments and in times of need firefighters and equipment might be taken on supplementary purpose. There have been quite a few incidents of forest fire in these cities and there always is a debate on how crisis management could improve and minimize the impact of these incidents on the environment and human health. This paper explores threats posed by the forest fires in California and its surrounded lower central valley between Bakersfield and Modesto. The paper first describes the nature and impact of forest fires and then follows to damaged forest fires and what it does to the environment. Finally a global and national environmental picture is presented relating to the subject. A forest fire is a powerful force of nature. It can kill people, animals, and trees. It can destroy homes and buildings. But it also is part of a forest’s natural life cycle. Forest fires clean out forest lands by burning dead leaves, plants, and trees (Simon 34-40). The dead and dried timber is undoubtedly one of the reasons why wildfires in the United States have been so devastating in recent years. According to the National Climatic Data Center, dryer than average conditions over most of the country have contributed to burns in excess of 9.5 million acres in 2006 and over 8.5 million in 2005 (Wagtendonk 3-17). These figures broke the old record of 7.4 million acres in 2000, and almost doubled that of the 4.5 million acres burned in 1960. The extended drought, forest die-offs from insect Infestation and human encroachment have all contributed to the increase in wildfires. But the primary cause of forest fires can be attributed to climate change. It has been the shift in ocean currents and weather patterns that has brought about the extended drought conditions. Added to this are the warmer conditions and heat waves triggered by the increase in global temperature. This has led to a drying of the foliage and a prolific increase in insect infestation. As we have seen, these parasitic tree killing insects such as the Bark Beetle and Pine Beetle have moved to higher altitudes and more northerly climates due to warmer temperatures (ReVelle & ReVelle 321-366). All these conditions have placed great stress on the forests of North America, making them ripe for forests fires. Battling wildfires is a challenging task because wild-land firefighters have to contain the rambling fires while they withstand intense heat, poor vision and dangers of the wilds. Thousands of full-time firefighters and volunteers, planes, helicopters and fleet of engines are employed by firefighting agencies along with different technologies such as shovels and infrared imaging, to control wildfires. There are specially trained firefighters such as smokejumpers, who are employed by firefighting agencies to extinguish fires by parachuting in unreachable areas during the early stages of fire. â€Å"Helitack† crews are also hired by firefighting agencies to attack fires when landing is not an option. Thus the Helitack crew lowers firefighting equipment in such areas and then firefighters are able to reach the surface. Sometimes, water or retardant which can be up to 3,000 gallons is dropped by airplanes and infrared aircraft at a time, in a long string for creating a line. The pilot is allowed to see where he can land with the help of a pink dye. Sometimes, shovels and other tools are also used by firefighters to build firelines which refer to a 3-5 feet path created by firefighters by clearing away leaves and branches. Wildfires can spread to several acres of land. How bad a fire can be is determined by topography, weather and fuel supply. When a fire breaks out, it can stretch across acres of land and its own weather patterns can be created. The fire first spreads into the crown of the tree and when it gets more oxygen from below like a chimney, it is nourished and gets worse. Dry fuel away from the fire can also be ignited by the floating embers, thus it is essential to control the fire as soon as it breaks out (McNamara). Fiscal stress came to California from three distinct sources: natural events, other events beyond the state’s control, and events that were induced by California citizens, and out of those three sources fires have been among the most costly. Three types of natural catastrophes have contributed to the fiscal stress. The drought of 1987-1992 (and which apparently has recurred in 1994) has cost California farmers about $3—$4 billion; the Loma Prieta quake of 1989 resulted in about $10 billion in direct and indirect losses, with net losses after federal aid being about $6 to $7 billion; and property losses from the 11 Oakland fire and the 1993 Southern California fires were about $4.7 billion.’ There are three exogenous events that are consistently mentioned in any discussion of the stresses on the state’s economy: the recession that began in 1990; the cut in defense expenditures, including the closing of many military bases; and the immigration of undocumente d aliens. In October of 2007 wildfires broke out in Southern California (Carle 71-79). From Malibu to the Mexican border, over 16 separate fires raged while being whipped by the Santa Anna winds. Thousands of acres were scorched, over 2000 homes destroyed and nearly one million people were evacuated. This was the largest evacuation in American history, exceeding even that caused by Hurricane Katrina. Over ninety aircraft and 6,000 firefighters were involved in suppressing the fires. The total cost of lighting the fires, including the damage inflicted, is estimated to exceed 1 billion dollars. Due to the forest fires budget cuts in 2012, lost fire fighters have added more to the difficulties faced by the firefighting department. For instance, when a wildfire broke out in June, 2011 north of Highway 180 in Fresno County, firefighters had difficulty controlling the fire. The fire broke out through thick grass and burned down oak trees in the area. It was a regular event for firefighters, who attacked the fire from two sides. Nearly 300-foot hose extensions were carried by them as they tried to circle the fire before it spread further. However, due to the firefighter budget cuts, there were only three fighters per engine instead of four firefighters who normally worked during the wildfire season. Since there were only three firefighters per engine, it took long to get water around the fire. Due to the above mentioned cuts firefighters are concerned about their first-strike capabilities to attack severe wildfire because they think that their work has been affected due to staffing cuts. According to a Cal Fire Capt, it became difficult to control the fire with a three-man crew due to the fatigue factor. Fire, which the captain hoped to keep to less than 10 acres, had stretched across 133 acres because of the shortage of the crew which cost $300,000 to extinguish. In 2011, the budget cut saved $34 million because 750 seasonal firefighters in California were laid off. It implies that there will be three firefighters per engine instead of four for handling thousands of feet of hose lines and for sharing the hard work to control wildfires. This has severely affected the extinguishing capabilities of firefighters because they require more time and energy to control the blazing fire (Hecht). The staggering one billion dollars attributed to the 2007 California wildfires is just the beginning. When all the fires and climate change related disasters are added to this figure. The amount assumes unimaginable proportions. The National Climatic Data Center records seventeen separate weather related events occurring in the United States from 1998 to 2002, which cost over 1 billion dollars each. These events include droughts, floods, fire seasons, tropical storms, hailstorms, tornadoes, heat waves, ice storms, and hurricanes (Carle 44-60). The consequences of forest fires are the atmospheric emissions of various environmentally significant gases and solid particulates that contribute to local, regional and global phenomena in the biosphere. Pollutants emitted include atmospheric particulate matter (I1) and gaseous compounds. Such as carbon dioxide (C02), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC), nitrogen oxides, (NO) and nitrous oxide (N20). Smoke pollution due to forest fire events can represent an important public health issue to the community, particularly for personnel involved in firefighting operations. In addition, high levels of trospospheric ozone can occur at great distances from emission sources (Simon 85-90). The environmental effects of these emissions are related to the transport and deposition processes involved (Johnson & Miyanishi 25-39). The protection of homes and communities from the threat of forest fire depends on the proper treatment of wildland-urban interface, the area directly adjacent to homes and communities. However, current efforts to protect communities from the threat of forest fire are protecting homes and communities from forest fires. Projects that reduced forest fuels are often implemented far away from communities, in areas where treatment will do the least good. Considering the current risks and the limited resources available for the implementation of fuels reduction projects, individual projects and strategic plans need to utilize the best available science to develop the most effective and efficient methods for protecting the homes and communities (Johnson & Miyanishi 25-39). At the same time, focused fuels reduction in the wildland-urban interface is necessary to avoid damaging adjacent forest ecosystems and wildlife habitat with poorly planned and ineffective logging projects. Wildfires can be prevented by not parking the vehicles on dry grass, never taking out burning sticks out of a fire, never using lanterns, stoves and heaters in a tent, by storing flammable liquid containers in a safe area and knowing the area’s outdoor burning laws because to burn trash is a punishable crime. It is essential to contact a Ranger as soon as possible when the first sign of a wildfire is seen. The area should be left immediately by recognized roads or trails but if the escape route is blocked, it is important to go to the nearest stream or lake (McNamara). Wildfires which consume Southern California are extremely dangerous because they have affected a large number of houses; they started abruptly and stretched across acres of land rapidly. According to scientists, the severity of wildfires is associated with the changing climate and it is believed that wildfires will become more common because of global warming (â€Å"California Wildfires and Global Warming†). The USA seems to have reached a tipping point: the majority of citizens now accept the reality of global warming. National discussions have steadily shifted from whether climate change exists to what America should do about it. To be sure government and industry are dragging their feet, hard. They argue that global warming is a natural (not human-caused) cycle; that it won’t be that bad; that there’s nothing we can do about it; or that, most especially making drastic changes to quickly combat global warming is too costly to the nation’s economichealth to consider. According to a 2011 study, greenhouse gas is boosted by wildfires thus, global warming is accelerated. The study found that the release of nitrous oxide from soil is boosted because of wildfires, change in the climate and nitrogen deposits which accelerates global warming (â€Å"Wildfires boost greenhouse gas to accelerate global warming, study finds†) Concern for air pollution has led to a society-wide discussion about greenhouse gases touching every aspect of modern life: from building design and light bulbs to auto emissions and planting trees. While states wrestle with the federal government over how much and how quickly to raise auto fuel economy standards (currently averaging 21 mpg), car-loving consumers are starting to vote with their pocketbooks (Johnson & Miyanishi 98-109). In addition to this, Water issues are particularly acute in the West: the region’s underground aquifer is being drained at a phenomenal rate, and increasing water salinity is playing havoc with farming. Also, the West has witnessed a surge in new oil and gas drilling, in part because of government- approved industry exemptions in 2005 to the Clean Water Act. An unlikely coalition of ranchers, hunters and conservationists is lighting this all-too- common sacrifice of health for cheap energy (IJWF 116-26). Wildfires are very dangerous because they destroy land and harm the environment. Fire ravages dry vegetation, burning everything in its way. Under prolonged dry conditions with even moderate winds fire can spread across a wide area very quickly, stretching the emergency services and testing their ability to contain and manage the spread and to minimize risk and damage to people and property. Natural fires have traditionally caused extensive damage to grassland, woodland and forest. Wild fires can stir a primeval fear and fascination in most of us. Many have long been concerned about the loss of valuable timber to fire and about the effects of fire on soils, watersheds, water quality, and wildlife (Simon 96-121). Fierce battles over the environment have been a fixture of the American political landscape for over a century, and for business, this last argument has been a winner, whether the issue is pollution, dwindling resources or endangered species. This effectiveness rests, in part, on the dependable reluctance of us citizens to make sacrifices in their consumptive lifestyles. Typically, Americans support regulations and alter their habits only when environmental problems become undeniable, quantifiable and urgent. With global warming, that moment seems to have arrived. The U.S. citizens and the government are well aware of the environmental concerns and have from time to time addressed these issues. The environment protection agency (EPA) has been the forefront player in this regard and has formulated strategies and policies to control forest fire hazards. California is home to a great variety of wildlife habit and environmental protection can help save many of the endangered species in the lower central valley. Works Cited â€Å"California Wildfires and Global Warming.† Global Warming – California Wildfires Influenced by Global Warming – The Daily Green. October 23, 2007. Web. May 13, 2012. Carle, David. Introduction to Fire in California: Berkeley, University of California Press, 2008. Print. Hecht, Peter. â€Å"Budget cuts mean fewer firefighters to fight California wildfires.† Budget cuts mean fewer firefighter to fight California wildfires — Society’s Child — Sott_net. Aug 1, 2011. Web. April 29, 2012. Johnson A. Edward, and Kiyoko Miyanishi. Forest fires: Behavior and Ecological Effects. San Diego: Academic Press, 2001. Print. Keeley, Jon E. â€Å"Fire intensity, fire severity and burn severity: a brief review and suggested usage.† International Journal of Wildland Fire (2009): 116–126. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. McNamara, Melissa. â€Å"Wildfire Safety Tips.† Wildfire Safety Tips – CBS News. February 11, 2009. Web. April 29, 2012. ReVelle, Penelope, and Charles ReVelle. The Global Environment: Securing a Sustainable Future. Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett, 1992. Print. Seymour, Simon. Wildfires. New York: Harper Collins, 2008. Print. Sugihara G. Neil, Fire in California’s Ecosystems, Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006. Print. Wagtendonk Van, and Jan Wagtendonk. â€Å"The History and Evolution of Wildland Fire Use.† Journal of Fire Ecology 3.2 (2007): 3–17. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. â€Å"Wildfires boost greenhouse gas to accelerate global warming, study finds.† Wildfires boost greenhouse gas to accelerate global warming, study finds. June 8, 2011. Web. May 13, 2012.

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Title IX Since the conception of America, 11,698 people have served in congress. Of those 11,698, 216 have been women. Currently, women are 51% of the population, 14.3% of the Cabinet, 14% of the U.S. Senate, 14.26% of the U.S. House, 22% of the U.S. Supreme Court, 20.6% of Federal Judges, 18% of state Governors, 20.8% of State Senators, 23% of state Representatives, 9% of state Judges, and 20.8% of big city mayors (Brown Par. 1). Women are increasingly becoming a bigger part of the U.S. government, but not quite equivalent to their population dominance. Despite these relatively small numbers, women have made an impact on politics. Specifically with their contributions to Title IX which went into effect July 1, 1972 (U.S. Department of Education 5). Title IX was a landmark legislation that had a large impact on the women’s movement. Title IX has benefited women in many ways, by requiring equal opportunity for both males and females. Title IX has changed assumptions about female s, lowered the drop-out rate among females, increasing opportunities in both math and science, increasing the completion of post-secondary programs among females, opened up professions and employment opportunities for females, and increased female participation in sports. As the women's civil rights movement gained momentum in the late 1960s and early 1970s, feminists began to focus attention on inequities that prevented the progress of women in education. These issues in education were first brought into the public eye when Representative Edith Green from Oregon, introduced a higher education bill with provisions regarding sex equality. In 1971 more legislation was introduced to ban sex discrimination in education. All the bills that were introduced were compiled into one to form Title IX. Title IX went into effect July 1, 1972. (U.S. Department of Education 5) Title IX stated that "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, b... Free Essays on Title IX Free Essays on Title IX Title IX Since the conception of America, 11,698 people have served in congress. Of those 11,698, 216 have been women. Currently, women are 51% of the population, 14.3% of the Cabinet, 14% of the U.S. Senate, 14.26% of the U.S. House, 22% of the U.S. Supreme Court, 20.6% of Federal Judges, 18% of state Governors, 20.8% of State Senators, 23% of state Representatives, 9% of state Judges, and 20.8% of big city mayors (Brown Par. 1). Women are increasingly becoming a bigger part of the U.S. government, but not quite equivalent to their population dominance. Despite these relatively small numbers, women have made an impact on politics. Specifically with their contributions to Title IX which went into effect July 1, 1972 (U.S. Department of Education 5). Title IX was a landmark legislation that had a large impact on the women’s movement. Title IX has benefited women in many ways, by requiring equal opportunity for both males and females. Title IX has changed assumptions about female s, lowered the drop-out rate among females, increasing opportunities in both math and science, increasing the completion of post-secondary programs among females, opened up professions and employment opportunities for females, and increased female participation in sports. As the women's civil rights movement gained momentum in the late 1960s and early 1970s, feminists began to focus attention on inequities that prevented the progress of women in education. These issues in education were first brought into the public eye when Representative Edith Green from Oregon, introduced a higher education bill with provisions regarding sex equality. In 1971 more legislation was introduced to ban sex discrimination in education. All the bills that were introduced were compiled into one to form Title IX. Title IX went into effect July 1, 1972. (U.S. Department of Education 5) Title IX stated that "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, b...

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Political cultures of texas Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Political cultures of texas - Research Paper Example This culture establishes the outer boundary of all the possibilities within the political dominion. According to ‘Texas Politics, today’ (Maxwell et al., pp. 20-39), the political culture of Texas consists of three sub-cultures: traditional, individualistic, and moralistic. The individualistic culture stresses minimum government intervention that should be limited to safeguarding individual rights while other social and political relationships should be upon private sector. One the other hand, moralistic political culture urges government intervention in social and economic matters for the well-being of the people and general welfare. Traditional subculture, however, has a different viewpoint. It states that since the political power lies in the hands of the dominating or elite group therefore role of the government should be limited to maintaining the social order and tradition. The traditional subculture dominates in East Texas while other subcultures dominate in the r est of Texas. The political culture and philosophy is elaborated under three philosophical streams: classical liberalism, social conservation, and populism. Firstly, Classical liberalism’ focus is to place political value on political measures which helps an individual to exercise full liberty until and unless others are not limited by it. It often forms opposition to the use of the government to attain social goals. They press for the market forces or private motives to provide the best outcome. Moreover, historically Texas also supported religious acceptance for civil liberties for both individualism and entrepreneurship. One of the classic examples of reputation in Texas is H. Ross Perot (political candidate and rich businessperson). Other examples also include Willie Nelson and several Texans who disobeyed social values, rejected the acceptance of race and gender like Barbara Jordan (Maxwell et al., pp. 23-25). Social conservatism came out of classical conservatism viewed liberalism with distrust and appreciated traditional hierarchical social relations. This has rooted in feudal English and European thinking. Moreover, in contemporary forms, the idea of government intervention to reinforce social relations is very well substantiated by the social conservatives. They value traditional practices such as religious beliefs and respect traditional authorities, which can include business or religious leaders. While on the other hand, socially conservatism continues to influence within Democratic Party since decades although their ideology is under the ideas of Republican Party. Populism, the third category, is concerned with well being of ordinary people and has both political and social dimensions. Popular will is the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong in political position. The idea of Populism supports government politically in managing society and the economy. Populism depends on the style and rhetorical appeal to its audience rather than on the content of the policies of the political candidates. Populism can also take socially conservative forms in its support to the political leader. Thus, populism has different positions to support, which depend on the context. Moreover, it ignores the traditional views