Frostbite Chapter 9

Nine I DIDN'T SEE DIMITRI FOR a while after that. He'd sent a message later that day saying that he thought we should cancel our next two sessions because of the rapidly approaching plans to leave campus. Classes were about to end anyway, he said; taking a break from practice seemed like the reasonable thing. It was a lame excuse, and I knew that wasn't the reason he was canceling. If he wanted to avoid me, I would have preferred he made up something about how he and the other guardians had to up Moroi security or practice top-secret ninja moves. Regardless of his story, I knew he was avoiding me because of the kiss. That damned kiss. I didn't regret it, not exactly. God only knew how much I'd been wanting to kiss him. But I'd done it for the wrong reasons. I'd done it because I was upset and frustrated and had simply wanted to prove that I could. I was so tired of doing the right thing, the smart thing. I was trying to be more in control lately, but I seemed to be slipping. I hadn't forgotten the warning that he'd once given me- that us being together wasn't just about age. It would interfere with our jobs. Pushing him into the kiss†¦well, I'd fanned the flames of a problem that could eventually hurt Lissa. I shouldn't have done it. Yesterday, I'd been unable to stop myself. Today I could see more clearly and couldn't believe what I'd done. Mason met me on Christmas morning, and we went to go hang out with the others. It provided a good opportunity to push Dimitri out of my head. I liked Mason- a lot. And it wasn't like I had to run off and marry him. Like Lissa had said, it would be healthy for me to just date someone again. Tasha was hosting our Christmas brunch in an elegant parlor in the Academy's guest quarters. Lots of group activities and parties were occurring throughout the school, but I'd quickly noticed that Tasha's presence always created a disturbance. People either secretly stared or went out of their way to avoid her. Sometimes she would challenge them. Sometimes she would just lie low. Today, she'd chosen to stay out of the other royals' way and simply enjoy this small, private party of those who didn't shun her. Dimitri had been invited to the gathering, and a bit of my resolve faltered when I saw him. He'd actually dressed up for the occasion. Okay, â€Å"dressed up† might have been an exaggeration, but it was the closest I'd ever seen him come to that. Usually he just looked a little rough†¦like he could spring into battle at any given moment. Today, his dark hair was tied at the back of his neck, as though he'd actually tried to make it neat. He wore his usual jeans and leather boots, but instead of a T-shirt or thermal shirt, he had on a finely knit black sweater. It was just an ordinary sweater, nothing designer or expensive, but it added a touch of polish I didn't usually see, and good God, did it fit him well. Dimitri wasn't mean to me or anything, but he certainly didn't go out of his way to make conversation with me. He did talk to Tasha, however, and I watched with fascination as they conversed in that easy way of theirs. I'd since learned that a good friend of his was a distant cousin of Tasha's family; that was how the two of them knew each other. â€Å"Five?† asked Dimitri in surprise. They were discussing the friend's children. â€Å"I hadn't heard that.† Tasha nodded. â€Å"It's insane. I swear, I don't think his wife's had more than six months off between kids. She's short, too- so she just gets wider and wider.† â€Å"When I first met him, he swore he didn't even want kids.† Her eyes widened excitedly. â€Å"I know! I can't believe it. You should see him now. He just melts around them. I can't even understand him half the time. I swear, he speaks more baby talk than English.† Dimitri smiled his rare smile. â€Å"Well†¦children do that to people.† â€Å"I can't imagine it happening to you,† she laughed. â€Å"You're always so stoic. Of course †¦ I suppose you'd be doing baby talk in Russian, so no one would ever know.† They both laughed at that, and I turned away, grateful Mason was there to talk to. He was a good distraction from everything, because in addition to Dimitri ignoring me, Lissa and Christian were chatting on in their own little world too. Sex appeared to have made them that much more in love, and I wondered if I'd get to spend any time with her at all on the ski trip. She did eventually break away from him to give me my Christmas present. I opened the box and stared inside. I saw a string of maroon-colored beads, and the scent of roses floated out. â€Å"What the †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I lifted the beads out, and a heavy gold crucifix swung from the end of them. She'd given me a chotki. It was similar to a rosary, only smaller. Bracelet-size. â€Å"Are you trying to convert me?† I asked wryly. Lissa wasn't a religious nut or anything, but she believed in God and attended church regularly. Like many Moroi families who'd come from Russia and Eastern Europe, she was an Orthodox Christian. Me? I was pretty much an Orthodox Agnostic. I figured God probably existed, but I didn't have the time or energy to investigate. Lissa respected that and never tried to push her faith on me, which made the gift that much weirder. â€Å"Flip it over,† she said, clearly amused at my shock. I did. On the back of the cross, a dragon wreathed in flowers had been carved into the gold. The Dragomir crest. I looked up at her, puzzled. â€Å"It's a family heirloom,† she said. â€Å"One of my dad's good friends has been saving boxes of his stuff. This was in it. It belonged to my great-grandmother's guardian.† â€Å"Liss †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said. The chotki took on a whole new meaning. â€Å"I can't†¦ you can't give me something like this.† â€Å"Well, I certainly can't keep it. It's meant for a guardian. My guardian.† I wound the beads around one wrist. The cross felt cool against my skin. â€Å"You know,† I teased, â€Å"there's a good possibility I'll get kicked out of school before I can become your guardian.† She grinned. â€Å"Well, then you can give it back.† Everyone laughed. Tasha started to say something, then stopped when she looked up at the door. â€Å"Janine!† My mother stood there, looking as stiff and impassive as ever. â€Å"Sorry I'm late,† she said. â€Å"I had business to take care of.† Business. As always. Even on Christmas. I felt my stomach turn and heat rise to my cheeks as the details of our fight came rushing back to my mind. She'd never sent one word of communication since it had happened two days ago, not even when I was in the infirmary. No apologies. Nothing. I gritted my teeth. She sat down with us and soon joined in the conversation. I'd long since discovered she could really only talk about one subject: guardian business. I wondered if she had any hobbies. The Badica attack was on everyone's mind, and this drove her into a conversation about some similar fight she'd been in. To my horror, Mason was riveted by her every word. â€Å"Well, decapitations aren't as easy as they seem,† she said in her matter-of-fact way. I'd never thought they were easy at all, but her tone suggested that she believed everyone thought they were cake. â€Å"You've got to get through the spinal cord and tendons.† Through the bond, I felt Lissa grow queasy. She wasn't one for gruesome talk. Mason's eyes lit up. â€Å"What's the best weapon to do it with?† My mother considered. â€Å"An axe. You can get more weight behind it.† She made a swinging motion by way of illustration. â€Å"Cool,† he said. â€Å"Man, I hope they let me carry an axe.† It was a comical and ludicrous idea, since axes were hardly convenient weapons to carry around. For half a second, the thought of Mason walking down the street with an axe over his shoulder lightened my mood a little. The moment quickly passed. I honestly couldn't believe we were having this conversation on Christmas. Her presence had soured everything. Fortunately, the gathering eventually dispersed. Christian and Lissa went off to do their own thing, and Dimitri and Tasha apparently had more catching up to do. Mason and I were well on our way to the dhampir dorm when my mother joined us. None of us said anything. Stars cluttered the black sky, sharp and bright, their glitter matched in the ice and snow around us. I wore my ivory parka with fake fur trimming. It did a good job keeping my body warm, even though it did nothing against the chilly gusts that seared my face. The whole time we walked, I kept expecting my mother to turn off toward the other guardian areas, but she came right inside the dorm with us. â€Å"I've been wanting to talk to you,† she finally said. My alarms clicked on. What had I done now? That was all she said, but Mason picked up on the hint immediately. He was neither stupid nor oblivious to social cues, though at that moment, I kind of wished he was. I also found it ironic that he wanted to fight every Strigoi in the world but was afraid of my mother. He glanced at me apologetically, shrugged, and said, â€Å"Hey, I've got to get, um, somewhere. I'll see you later.† I watched with regret as he left, wishing I could run after him. Probably my mom would only tackle me and punch my other eye if I tried to escape. Better to do things her way and get this over with. Shifting uncomfortably, I looked everywhere but at her and waited for her to speak. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a few people glancing over at us. Recalling how everyone in the world seemed to know about her giving me the black eye, I suddenly decided I didn't want witnesses around for whatever lecture she was about to unleash on me. â€Å"You want to, um, go to my room?† I asked. She looked surprised, almost uncertain. â€Å"Sure.† I led her upstairs, keeping a safe distance away as we walked. Awkward tension built between us. She didn't say anything when we reached my room, but I saw her examine every detail carefully, as though a Strigoi might be lurking in there. I sat on the bed and waited while she paced, unsure what I should do. She ran her fingers over a stack of books on animal behavior and evolution. â€Å"Are these for a report?† she asked. â€Å"No. I'm just interested in it, that's all.† Her eyebrows rose. She hadn't known that. But how would she? She didn't know anything about me. She continued her appraisal, stopping to study little things that apparently surprised her about me. A picture of Lissa and me dressed up like fairies for Halloween. A bag of SweeTarts. It was as though my mother were meeting me for the first time. Abruptly, she turned and extended her hand toward me. â€Å"Here.† Startled, I leaned forward and held my palm out underneath hers. Something small and cool dropped into my hand. It was a round pendant, a small one- not much bigger than a dime in diameter. A base of silver held a flat disc of colored glass circles. Frowning, I ran my thumb over its surface. It was strange, but the circles almost made it look like an eye. The inner one was small, just like a pupil. It was so dark blue that it looked black. Surrounding it was a larger circle of pale blue, which was in turn surrounded by a circle of white. A very, very thin ring of that dark blue color circled the outside. â€Å"Thanks,† I said. I hadn't expected anything from her. The gift was weird- why the hell would she give me an eye?- but it was a gift. â€Å"I†¦ I didn't get you anything.† My mom nodded, face blank and unconcerned once more. â€Å"It's fine. I don't need anything.† She turned away again and started walking around the room. She didn't have a lot of space to do it, but her shorter height gave her a smaller stride. Each time she passed in front of the window over my bed, the light would catch her auburn hair and light it up. I watched her curiously and realized she was as nervous as me. She halted in her pacing and glanced back toward me. â€Å"How's your eye?† â€Å"Getting better.† â€Å"Good.† She opened her mouth, and I had a feeling she was on the verge of apologizing. But she didn't. When she started pacing again, I decided I couldn't stand the inactivity. I began putting my presents away. I'd gotten a pretty nice haul of stuff this morning. One of them was a silk dress from Tasha, red and embroidered with flowers. My mother watched me hang it in the room's tiny closet. â€Å"That was very nice of Tasha.† â€Å"Yeah,† I agreed. â€Å"I didn't know she was going to get me anything. I really like her.† â€Å"Me too.† I turned from the closet in surprise and stared at my mom. Her astonishment mirrored mine. If I hadn't known any better, I'd have said we'd just agreed on something. Maybe Christmas miracles did happen. â€Å"Guardian Belikov will be a good match for her.† â€Å"I- † I blinked, not entirely sure what she was talking about. â€Å"Dimitri?† â€Å"Guardian Belikov,† she corrected sternly, still not approving of my casual way of addressing him. â€Å"What†¦ what kind of match?† I asked. She raised an eyebrow. â€Å"You haven't heard? She's asked him to be her guardian- since she doesn't have one.† I felt like I'd been punched again. â€Å"But he's†¦assigned here. And to Lissa.† â€Å"Arrangements can be made. And regardless of the Ozera reputation†¦she's still royal. If she pushes, she can get her way.† I stared bleakly into space. â€Å"Well, I guess they are friends and everything.† â€Å"More than that- or possibly could be.† Bam! Punched again. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Hmm? Oh. She's†¦interested in him.† By my mother's tone, it was clear that romantic matters actually held no interest for her. â€Å"She's willing to have dhampir children, so it's possible they might eventually make an, um, arrangement if he were her guardian.† Oh. My. God. Time froze. My heart stopped beating. I realized my mother was waiting for a response. She was leaning against my desk, watching me. She might be able to hunt down Strigoi, but she was oblivious to my feelings. â€Å"Is †¦ is he going to do it? Be her guardian?† I asked weakly. My mom shrugged. â€Å"I don't think he's agreed to it yet, but of course he will. It's a great opportunity.† â€Å"Of course,† I echoed. Why would Dimitri turn down the chance to be a guardian to a friend of his and to have a baby? I think my mom said something else after that, but I didn't hear it. I didn't hear anything. I kept thinking about Dimitri leaving the Academy, leaving me. I thought about the way he and Tasha had gotten along with each other so well. And then, after those recollections, my imagination started improvising future scenarios. Tasha and Dimitri together. Touching. Kissing. Naked. Other things †¦ I squeezed my eyes shut for half a second and then opened them. â€Å"I'm really tired.† My mom stopped mid-sentence. I had no idea what she'd been saying before I interrupted her. â€Å"I'm really tired,† I repeated. I could hear the hollowness in my own voice. Empty. No emotion. â€Å"Thanks for the eye†¦um, thing, but if you don't mind †¦Ã¢â‚¬  My mother stared at me in surprise, her features open and confused. Then, just like that, her usual wall of cool professionalism slammed back into place. Until that moment, I hadn't realized how much she'd let it up. But she had. For just a brief time, she'd made herself vulnerable with me. That vulnerability was now gone. â€Å"Of course,† she said stiffly. â€Å"I don't want to bother you.† I wanted to tell her it wasn't that. I wanted to tell her I wasn't kicking her out for any personal reason. And I wanted to tell her that I wished she were the kind of loving, understanding mother you always hear about, one I could confide in. Maybe even a mother I could discuss my troubled love life with. God. I wished I could tell anyone about that, actually. Especially right now. But I was too caught up in my own personal drama to say a word. I felt like someone had ripped my heart out and tossed it across the other side of the room. There was a burning, agonizing pain in my chest, and I had no idea how it could ever be filled. It was one thing to accept that I couldn't have Dimitri. It was something entirely different to realize someone else could. I didn't say anything else to her because my speech capabilities no longer existed. Fury glinted in her eyes, and her lips flattened out into that tight expression of displeasure she so often wore. Without another word, she turned around and left, slamming the door behind her. That door slam was something I would have done too, actually. I guess we really did share some genes. But I forgot about her almost immediately. I just kept sitting there and thinking. Thinking and imagining. I spent the rest of the day doing little more than that. I skipped dinner. I shed a few tears. But mostly, I just sat on my bed thinking and growing more and more depressed. I also discovered that the only thing worse than imagining Dimitri and Tasha together was remembering when he and I had been together. He would never touch me again like that, never kiss me again†¦ This was the worst Christmas ever.

History of Sepak Takraw

HISTORY OF SEPAK TAKRAW In 1935, during the Golden Jubilee Celebrations for King George V, the game of sepak raga was played on a badminton court, in the Malaysian State of Negeri Sembilan. The development of the game was interupted by the war. In 1945 in Penang the net was again introduced and the popularity spread to surrounding areas and then countries. n 1965 Malaysia hosted the South East Asian Peninsular games (SEAP) and sepak raga was introduced. There were lengthy discussion between Malaysian and Singapore delegates, on the one hand, and Laos and Thai delegates, on the other, with regard to the official name of the sport. An agreement was subsequently arrived at and it was decided that the sport would be known as â€Å"Sepak Takraw†. Sepak means KICK in Malay and Takraw means BALL in Thai word. Almost every nation that played this game knew it by a different name. In Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, it's called ‘sepak raga', whereas in Thailand it's commonly known as ‘takraw'. The same game goes by the name of ‘sipa' in the Philippines, ‘da cau' in Vietnam, ‘rago' in Indonesia, and ‘kator' in Laos. Since sepak takraw was played and enjoyed in several countries, there were a lot of inconsistencies in terms of how the game was played and judged. In 1960, representatives from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Lao and Thailand met in Kuala Lumpur to standardise rules and regulations for the game. And after a long and heated debate, consensus was reached that the sport would henceforth be officially called sepak takraw. They also formed the Asian Sepak Takraw Federation (ASTAF), and translated the rules into English, setting the stage for the first international competition, held in Malaysia in 1965, at the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, or SEAP Games, the predecessor to today's Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games). This chain of events set the stage for the international development of sepak takraw. However, it was the replacement of the natural rattan ball, which tended to splinter and warp, with the more standardised synthetic plastic ball that really kicked the game's popularity into high gear. In 1990, sepak takraw was included at the Asian Games in Beijing. Women also got in on the action with the first women's championships in Thailand hosted in 1997. Today, more than 20 countries have national sepak takraw associations with representatives on the board of the global governing body, the International Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTAF). * FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT Court The standard court of the Sport Sepak Takraw is an area of 13. 4m X 6. 1m free from all obstacles up to a height of 8m. It is advisable that the court is flat concrete surface. The width of the lines that determines the perimeter of the court should not be more than 0. 04m measured and drawn inside the measurements of the court. The lines of the court should also be at least 3. 0m away from any obstacles. Each side should have a 6. 7X6. 1m area. The centerline of the Sepak Takraw court, measuring about 0. 02m, divides the court into two equal halves. A quarter circle must also be drawn at the intersection of each of the sidelines with the centerline, measuring 0. 9m in radius. The quarter circle must be drawn outwards from the edge of the measured radius. The court should also have a service circle of about 0. 3m in radius. This circle is drawn on the left on the left and from the sidelines. The 0. 04m line will be measured on the right court and should be drawn outward from the ledge. The sideline facing the net should have a 2. 45m distance from the center of the circle and 3. 05m from the side. Posts The post height differs with males and females. The official height of the posts for males is 1. 55m from the floor and 1. 45m for the females. It should be made using very strong material and shall not be more than 0. 04 in diameter. The position of the posts should be 0. 3 m away from the sideline and should be positioned in line with the centerline. * Both male and female players are required to wear shorts and sleeved t-shirts. Players must tuck-in their shirts. The t-shirts for all players must also be numbered permanently in which numbers are only ranged from 1 to 15. The captain of each regu (team of 3 or 4 players) is required to wear an armband on their left arm. Any apparel that could endanger opponents is not allowed. * RULES AND REGULATION 1. THE COURT 1. 1. Area of 14. 4m (7. 2m X7. 2m each side of the court) x 6. 5m free from all obstacles up to the height of 8 m measured from the floor surface. The surface of the court must be beach sand. 1. 2. The width of the lines bounding the court should not be more than 0. 04m measured and drawn inwards from the edge of the court measurements. A tape or rope can be used to be the boundary lines. All the boundary lines should be drawn at least 3. 0m away from all obstacles. 1. 3. The Centerline of 0. 2m should be drawn equally dividing the right and left court. 2. THE POST 2. 1. The posts shall be 1. 55m (1. 45m for women) in height from the ground and shall be sufficiently firm to maintain high net tension. It should be made from very strong materials and shall not be more 0. 04m in radius. 2. 2. The posts shall be erected or placed firmly 0. 3m away from the sideline and in line with the Centerli ne. 3. THE NET 3. 1. The net shall be made of fine ordinary cord or nylon with 0. 06m to 0. 08m mesh. The net shall be 0. 7m in width and not shorter than 6. 50m in length and taped at 0. 5m from tape double at the top and sideline, called boundary tape. 3. 2. The net shall be edged with 0. 05m tape double at the top and the bottom of the net supported by a fine ordinary cord or nylon cord that runs through the tape and strain over and flush with the top of the posts. The top of the net shall be 1. 52m (1. 42m for women) in height from the center and 1. 55m (1. 45m for women) at the posts. 4. THE SEPAKTAKRAW BALL 4. 1. The Sepaktakraw ball shall be spherical having 12 holes, 20 intersections. It shall be made of synthetic fibre of one woven layer covering with synthetic rubber. The circumference shall not be less than 0. 0m and not more than 0. 44m. The weight before play shall not be less than 170 gm and not more than 200 gm for men and women. 4. 2. All world, international, region al competitions sanctioned by ISTAF, including but not limited to, the Olympic Games, World Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Sea Games, must be played with ISTAF approved sepaktakraw balls. 5. THE PLAYERS 5. 1. A team comprises four players and two reserves. The game is played by two â€Å"REGU's† consisting of four players (per team) on each side. 5. 2. The player serving will position himself behind the baseline of the court. Any one of the four players can execute the serve. 5. 3. The other three players shall be in their respective court. 6. PLAYER’S ATTIRE 6. 1. The players are allowed to wear anything besides jeans, long pants, and as long as the attire is decent. It is forbidden for players to wear anything that endanger themselves or their opponents during the game. 6. 2. Players wearing earrings, chains, watches and any other form of accessories are not allowed to play in the court. 6. 3. For women swimming costume is allowed but shorts or bermudas must be worn to overlap the costume. Jerseys T-Shirt, Singlet Round neck shirts Bermudas Shorts Tights Caps Sunglasses or Visors Goggles 6. 4. The players are permitted to use sun visors, goggles and caps to protect their eyes from the sun. 6. 5. The entire apparel of a player is regarded as part of his/her body 6. 6. The regu captain is identified with a marking or an armband on the left arm. ) 6. 7. Anything that helps to speed the ball or movement of a player is not allowed 7. SUBSTITUTION 7. 1. Substitution of a player is allowed at any time on request made by the Team Manager to the Official Referee when the ball is not in play. . 2. Each â€Å"Regu† is allowed to make one substitution per set only. 7. 3. A Player who has been sent off by Referee during a match may be substituted, provided no substitution has been made. 7. 4. Any player having played in the starting line-up or as a substitute in the current game is not allowed to play again. 7. 5. Any â€Å"Regu† having less than 4 players will not be allowed to conti nue the game and will be considered as having lost. 8. OFFICIALS For International Tournaments, the game shall be managed by the following officials: i) 2 Technical Delegates ii) 6 Jury ii) 1 Official referee (Seated behind the referee’s chair) 2 Referees (1 Referee seated in an elevated position and the other also seated in elevated position to help the referee. ) iv) 2 Linesmen Standing at the baseline facing the Referee 8. 1. Two technical delegates to the Sea Games, Asian Games and World Championships and any other international competitions that are sanctioned by ISTAF. The expenses of the Technical Delegates involving round trip air tickets, accommodations, meals and allowances of US$75. 00 per day shall be paid by the organizing committee. The host country must guarantee proper accreditation for technical delegates who have been appointed. The technical delegates must be allowed to inspect the competition venue, facilities and equipment to insure that they conform to ISTAF regulations 8. 2. ISTAF Members Jury of Appeals – 4 members to be appointed to a Jury of Appeal to any ISTAF sanctioned competitions including Asian Games, Sea Games and other International and Continental competitions sanctioned by ISTAF. The host country shall provide accommodations, meals and internal transportation during the competition period. Members of the Jury shall be paid US$20. 00 per day for their services. Two (2) members of the Jury of Appeal are to be appointed by the host country of whom one of them is the technical committee chairman and shall act as the chairman of the Jury of Appeal. As for the other member of the Jury of Appeal from the host country, he will act as secretary without vote. 9. THE TOSS AND WARM UP 9. 1. Before commencing the game, the Referee will toss a coin or disc and the side winning the toss will choose side or service. The side that loses the toss will abide with the decision. The side winning the tossshall â€Å"warm-up† first for 2 minutes followed by the other â€Å"Regu†. Only 5 persons are allowed to move freely in the court with the official ball. 10. POSITION OF PLAYERS DURING SERVICE 10. 1. At the start of play, the players of both â€Å"Regu's† must be in their respective courts in a ready position. 10. 2. The Player serving the ball must have both feet outside the base line. 10. 3. The other three players shall be within their side of the court and remain in one spot, while ‘serve’ is being made. 10. 4. The opponent or receiving Regu is free to be anywhere within its court. 11. START OF PLAY AND SERVICE 11. 1. The â€Å"Regu† that chooses â€Å"service† shall start the match. 11. 2. Once the Referee calls the score, the player doing the service will toss the ball in the air and kicks the ball over to the opponent. The ball can be kicked in any manner using the foot. If the Tekong throws the ball before the Referee calls the score, it shall be a re-throw and a warning will be given to the thrower. The serve can be executed anywhere along the baseline. 11. 3. During the service, as soon as the Tekong kicks the ball, all the players are allowed to move about freely in their respective courts. 1. 4. The service is valid if the ball passes over the net, whether it touches the net or not, and inside the boundary of the two net tapes and boundary lines of the opponent's court. 12. FAULT 12. 1. The Serving Side During Service 12. 1. 1. The â€Å"Tekong† plays about with the ball (bumping, giving to other player, etc. ) after the call of score h as been made by the Referee. 12. 1. 2. The â€Å"Inside† player lifts his feet or steps on the line or crosses over or touches the net while throwing the ball. 12. 1. 3. The â€Å"Tekong† does not kick the ball on the service throw. 12. 1. 4. The ball touches his own player before crossing over the opponent court. 12. 1. 5. The ball goes over the net but falls outside the court. 12. 1. 6. The ball does not cross to the opponent side. 12. 1. 7. The tekong foot touches the baseline or any other markings in the court before he kicks the ball to serve? 12. 1. 8. A player uses his hand or hands, or any other parts of his arm or arms to facilitate the execution of a kick even if the hand or arm does not directly touches the ball, but it touches other objects or surfaces instead when doing so. 12. 2. For Both Regus During The Game 12. 2. 1. Stepping on the centre line (except during a follow through) 12. 2. 2. Any player who touches the ball on the opponent side. 12. 2. 3. Any part of player's body crosses over into opponent's court whether above or under the net except during the follow through of the ball. 12. 2. For Both Regus During The Game 12. 2. 1. Stepping on the centre line (except during a follow through) 12. 2. 2. Any player who touches the ball on the opponent side. 12. 2. 3. Any part of player's body crosses over into opponent's court whether above or under the net except during the follow through of the ball 12. 2. For Both Regus During The Game 12. 2. 1. Stepping on the centre line (except during a follow through) 12. 2. 2. Any player who touches the ball on the opponent side. 12. 2. 3. Any part of player's body crosses over into opponent's court whether above or under the net except during the follow through of the ball. 15. SCORING OF POINTS 15. 1. A point is given to the Regu when its opponent have committed any fault 16. SCORING SYSTEM 16. 1. The winning point for the match is a maximum of 21 points 16. 2. The change of side shall occur whereby one Regu has reaches 11 Points 17. TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF PLAY 17. . The Referee can suspend play temporarily in the event of obstructions, disturbances or any injury to a player who needs immediate treatment, for not more than 5 minutes. 17. 2. An injured player is allowed up to 5 minutes injury time-out. If after 5 minutes, the player is unable to continue, a substitution must be made. If the injured player's team has already made a substitution, the match will be declared a forfeit in favor of the opposing team. 17. 3. In the course of such suspension, all players are not allowed to leave the court 18. DISCIPLINE 18. 1. Every player must abide by the rules of the game. 8. 2. Only the Captain of the â€Å"Regu† is allowed to approach the Referee during the game. 18. 3. Players are not allowed to wear any jewelry or accessories e. g. earrings, chains, watches etc. in the court. 19. PENALTY 19. 1. Players disobeying rules will be penalised by the Referee 19. 1. 1. Showing dissent by words or action towards any officials, with regards to any decision and to any players or spectators 19. 1. 2. Using foul or abusive language to any officials, players or spectator 19. 1. 3. To take any improper step or action in order to influence any decision made by the officials 19. 1. 4. To leave the court without the permission of the Referee 19. 1. 5. To commit ungentlemanly conduct 19. 1. 6. To disobey orders and rules of play The Referee may use one of the following cards: Yellow Card – Caution Red Card – Expulsion Red card shall be given to the following offences committed â€Å"INTENTIONALLY† 19. 1. 7. Persist in misconduct after receiving a caution 19. 1. 8. Violent conduct (eg. Striking, kicking the opponent, spitting, etc) 19. 1. 9. Using foul or abusive language Note: Any player who is shown the Red Card shall be sent off the court and disciplinary action shall be taken against him. The Player concerned shall not be allowed to play in any game until sanction has been made. 19. 2. Fouls and misconduct are penalized as follows: Disciplinary Sanctions – 19. 2. 1. Cautionable Offence A player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the following six offences: 19. 2. 1. 1. Is guilty of unsporting behavior by the display of such action that can be reasonably regarded as either a mitigated or unmitigated violation of the norms of sporting ethics, which can be considered as having or will have a detrimental effect on the proper conduct of the match as a wh19. . 1. 4. Delays the restart of play. 19. 2. 1. 5. Enters or re-enters the court without the referee's permission. 19. 2. 1. 6. Deliberately leaves the court without the referee’s permissionole. 19. 2. 1. 2. Shows dissent by word or action. 19. 2. 1. 3. Persistently infringes the Laws of the Game 19. 3. Sending-off Offences A player is sent off and shown the red card if he commits an y of the following five offences: 19. 3. 1. Is guilty of serious foul play. 19. 3. 2. Is guilty of violent conduct, including an act executed with deliberate intent to cause injury to his opponent. 9. 3. 3. Spits at an opponent or any other person. 19. 3. 4. Using offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures. 19. 4. A player who commits a cautionable offence either on or off the court, whether directed towards opponent, team-mate, the referee, an assistant referee or any other person, for which a yellow card is awarded for each the offence committed is disciplined as follows: 19. 4. 1. Offence: First Yellow Card: Penalty: Normal Caution 19. 4. 2. Offence: Second Yellow Card received by the same player in different matches, but in the same tournament. Penalty: a) One Match Suspension 19. 4. 3. Offence: Third Yellow Card received after suspension for the first two Yellow Cards in the tournament by the same player. Penalty: a) Two (2) Matches Suspension b) A Fine of US$100 (One Hundred Dollars is to be paid by the club or any other body the player represent in the match. 19. 4. 4. Offence: Fourth Yellow Card Yellow card received after two matches' suspension for the earlier Third Yellow Card in the same tournament by the same player. Penalty: Immediate suspension from playing in the next or subsequent matches in any tournament sanctioned by relevant Sepak takraw controlling authority until a Disciplinary Committee is convened and a have been reached on the matter. 19. 4. 5. Offence: Two Yellow Cards received by the same player within the Same match. Penalty: b) Two (2) Matches Suspension c) A Fine of US$100 (One Hundred Dollars is to be paid by the club or any other body the player represent in the match. d) A Red Card will be given for a third disciplinary offence committed in any other matches in the tournament. 19. 5. A player who commits a sending-off offence either on or off the court, whether directed towards opponent, team-mate, the referee, an assistant referee or any other person, for which a red card is awarded for each of the offence committed is disciplined according to the nature of the offence committed is disciplined as follows: Offence: 19. 5. 1. A Red Card Penalty: Send-Off from the game and immediate suspension from playing in any tournament sanctioned by the relevant controlling authority for Sepak takraw until a Disciplinary Committee is convened and a decision has been reached on the matter. 0. MISCONDUCT OF TEAM OFFICIALS 20. 1. Disciplinary action will be taken against Team Officials or his team for any misconduct or disturbances committed by the official or team during a tournament whether in or outside the court. 20. 2. Any team official who commits misconduct or disturbances will be immediately escorted out from the arena by the tournament officials and the official referee and will also be immediately suspended from being a team official, until a Disciplinary Committee is convened and a decision has been reached on the matter. 21. GENERAL 21. 1. In the event of any question or any matter arising out of any point, which is not expressly provided for in any of the rules of the game, the decision of the Official Referee shall be final. BASIC AND FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS: Inside Kick. Arguably it is the most important skill. This is the kick you will use the most. Watch any top class players in action and you'll see that this is the control kick of choice. This move sets up all the killer spikes. While doing an inside kick, you should stand in a good athletic stance. Feet shoulder width apart. Remember to bend your support leg at the knee. And, it is important, always keep an eye on the ball! The kicking motion is easy and don't swing at the ball too hard. The ball is bouncy and you need to just hit it in the right spot on your foot as well as with the proper motion. Try a few times of simply tossing the ball to yourself. Focus on the ball and pop it back up to your hands. Catch the ball and then try again. Do this until the ball is consistently coming back up with ease and pop it back up to your hands. Once you have gained consistency in this drill you can begin to try to link some kicks together. Try dropping to your strong foot, popping the ball up and then kicking with your weak foot before catching the ball. Try to link three kicks together, on alternating feet. You should be able to see your progression. All rights reserved. Spiker Dek is owned by Sport Action International in the promotion of sepak takraw in the Takraw Thailand League. All rights reserved. Knee/Thigh kick. The knee and thigh is used when the ball comes fast towards the area between your knees and your waist. This skill is used to â€Å"bump† or deflect the ball up enough to use an inside kick to control the ball. It is also used when kicking consecutive kicks or in a circle and the ball gets to close to your body. The motion is like a high step marching motion. Simply raise the leg with your hip allowing your knee to bend. Try to contact the ball on the thigh where possible instead of the knee as it provides better control. Make sure the ball hits the fleshy part of the thigh to â€Å"bump† the ball up and out a bit. Try a few back up to your hands. Once you feel comfortable, try to link with one inside kick, and then catch the ball. Do this over and over until it comes naturally. Once you get this combination and doing it naturally without thinking, you will be aware of your improvement in skill. Header. The header is probably the second most important skill to have, especially in the net game. The header is used to pop up a ball that comes higher than the waist. The best way to learn the header is like the inside kick. The contact point should be just above the forehead at the hairline, not too much on the forehead and not too much on the top of the head, right in between. Toss the ball to yourself, hit it with your head and then catch it. Do this several times until you feel comfortable with this skill. When doing the header, remember to bend your knees and get low beneath the ball. Like the other kicks, you don't need to focus on power but on accuracy and placement. The next step in this skill drill is to toss the ball higher and again control it with your head before catching the ball. It hurts a bit at first, but you'll get use to it. The graduating step is to a header from a high inside kick or from a header to a controlling inside kick. Try both combinations as you will be using both of them as you begin to play more Front kick/Toe kick. The toe kick is a defensive kick, great for saving a ball that has gotten out in front of you. It is not, however, a good control kick. Those who play soccer may disagree, but in sepak takraw the inside is the right way. Learn the toe kick for saves, the inside for control. The toe kick is achieved by placing the foot out for the ball and depending on the height of the, either lifting the foot with your hip or just letting the ball bounce off. You don't need much power because the ball tends to fly off uncontrollably. Do it slow and take it easy. Like the other kicks, do the same toss and catch drill. Then try with different combinations. Do the same progression. * TERMINOLOGY : Block: Blocking is a defensive skill used to counter a spike coming from close to the net. Block is usually made by jumping in the air and raising a leg and/or back to divert the ball back into the opponents court. A block counts as one contact. Center Line: Divides the length of the playing court into two equal halves. Dig: The act of fielding hard hit ball successfully, usually a spike or block, to regain control. i. e. The Dig by Thailand came at crucial point in the game.. Dink: A soft hit ball -usually either a â€Å"dink serve† or a â€Å"dink spike† Fault: A violation of one of the rules of the game. Feeder: Person who â€Å"sets† the ball to the â€Å"spiker†. First Ball: Term used to describe receiving the serve by the opposing team. Killer: Same as Spiker. Common in international terminology. Quarter Circle: Place on court where the serving team's forwards (left inside and right inside players) must remain until the ball has been kicked by the server or back player. Regu: Malaysian word for team. In takraw, a team of 4 players (3 starters plus 1 reserve) is known as a â€Å"Regu† and a squad of 3 â€Å"Regu's is known as a â€Å"Team†. Roll Spike: Spike in which the player jumps with his back to the net, rotates in the air and kicks the ball over the opposite shoulder from the kicking foot with a flip like motion. The most dramatic and famous move in the game! Service Over: When the serving team fails to return the ball over the net or commits a fault or foul. The opposing team becomes the serving team but a point is not awarded to either team. USA also uses the same term as volleyball – â€Å"Side Out†. Serving Circle: Circle of 1 foot radius located in both halves of the court. The server is required to have one foot touching the ground inside the serving circle during a serve. Set (1): A period of play which is concluded when one team reaches 15 points. Matches consists of the best of three sets. Set (2): A high pass by one player to a team-mate or to self to enable a spike. Service: The act of putting the ball into play by the back player. Service (Hand) Toss: A hand throw of the ball by one of the forward â€Å"inside† players to the â€Å"back† who must kick the ball into play in one try. Spike: A powerfully hit shot directed into the opponents half of the court by the foot or head. Sunback Spike: Spike in which the player jumps with his back to the net and kicks the ball over the same shoulder as the kicking foot. In soccer this is known as a â€Å"bicycle kick† or â€Å"bike† for short. * STRATEGIES: The strategies in Sepak Takraw are very similar to those in volleyball. The receiving team will attempt to play the takraw ball towards the front of the net, making the best use of their 3 hits, to set and spike the ball. THE GOAL The goal in any form of takraw is to keep the hand-woven ball off the ground for as long as possible using any part of the body except hands and arms. Takraw challenges an individual's assumptions of what they are, and are not, capable of doing. As you gain control of the takraw ball, you will find it very rewarding when you can easily whiz through a string of consecutive kicks or place an accurate pass to another player. While amazing yourself and your friends, you will also be having fun, greatly increasing your eye-foot coordination and overall ball control (super for enhancing and refining soccer skills), strengthening your legs and really increasing your flexibility. GETTING STARTED: Try the FIVE BASIC KICKS/HITS shown here. These kicks may seem awkward at first, but be patient and practice each kick individually. What was impossible yesterday, can be achieved today. Once the basics are learned, try the free style kicks (and make up some of your own), then you can play a whole series of games, including the ones below. . INSIDE KICK There are 5 basic kicks/hits that any good Takraw player will have mastered. The most important of these is the inside kick, for it provides maximum ball control. Use this kick to field a ball dropping in front of you. With your planted leg flexed at the knee, lift up your other leg and swing the foot and lower part of the leg in and up sideways like a pendulum in fro nt of you, turning the ankle so that you hit the ball with the flat surface of the inside of your foot. The inside kick is commonly used for passing and setting the ball up high for a spike. 2. THE OUTSIDE KICK The Outside Kick is used when the Takraw ball drops outside your shoulders and slightly behind you. It is similar to the Inside Kick in that your leg swings like a pendulum, but out and upward (rather than in and upward). Shift weight to ball of support foot as you lift kicking leg up away from body. Turn your ankle so that toes are pointing out (not down), which enables you to kick the ball up with the flat, outside surface of your foot. Avoid swinging or kicking your leg forward (only lift it upward). 3. FRONT FOOT KICK This kick is primarily used to save a low ropping ball in front of you. To propel the ball upwards most consistently, the front of your foot must be flicked up in a quick smooth motion as the ball is contacted (remaining loose at the ankle, not stiff). 4. THE KNEE BUMP The Knee Bump is usually used to deflect upwards a low angle pass or a fast serve to the mid-body. Lift your knee up very quickly, with the foot following underneath (not kicking out) . The ball is contacted at about waist level with the front of your thigh, just behind the knee, for maximum upward thrust and height. Contact with ball in mid-thigh area will serve he same purpose, but ball will not be thrust up as high. Note: both the Front Foot Kick and Knee Bump are used for added control when making a save or controlling a pass. They do not always provide consistent control. 5. THE HEADER The fifth basic hit is the Header, and it is used frequently in games to deflect upwards a high angle pass or fast serve to the upper body. With legs flexed at the knees, put the top of your forehead in front of the ball, lifting up your chin and spring up from the legs as the ball strikes the forehead so as to deflect it up high in your own court. General Helpful Hints: aIways be in a ready stance, with feet pointing ahead and shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, weight low and slightly forward. – with the basic kicks/hits, usually you should face the direction t hat you want to direct the ball to as you contact it. – approach contact with the ball in a slow, easy and relaxed fashion, it is more important to first develop good timing (knowing when and how to contact the ball) than it is to kick the ball hard. – the support leg provides your balance so should maintain a low profile and be flexed at the knee as your other foot executes the kick. ambidexterity is key to being a more versatile player, when ball approaches your right side, kick it with your right foot – left side, left foot. FREE STYLE This is your chance to expand on your basic kicks and come up with some more challenging moves of your own. Here are a couple to get you started. FLYING CLIPPER Leap off the same foot that you'll use to kick the ball. Cross your kicking foot behind and under your other leg. Lift your kicking foot, turning your ankle and making contact with the ball with the flay surface on the inside of your foot. HAND LOOP This move can be don e with a number of kicks. Position our arms to form a loop. The idea is to have the ball first fall through the hand loop then kick it back upward through the loop. Different Games SOLO PLAY The object of play is to keep the takraw ball in the air as long as possible without using hands or arms, anything else goes! CIRCLE GAME The object of the traditional â€Å"Circle Game† is the same as â€Å"SoIo Play†, except with a group of players standing in a circle. This activity was played as far back as the 14th century in India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines and Thailand using a similar ball that was woven out of a rattan material, available in abundance there. SEPAK TAKRAW – THE NET GAME â€Å"Sepak† is Malay for â€Å"kick† and â€Å"Takraw† is Thai for the â€Å"hand-woven ball† that is used. In 1945 enthusiasts added a court and net with the same dimensions as in doubles badminton, and a set of rules similar to volleyball (without using hands or arms) to form a fantastic spectator sport with world championship tournaments held in both Malaysia and Thailand. In western countries it has been mostly Laotian immigrants who have first introduced Takraw to others. Now ASEC INTERNATIONAL is also happy to help introduce, promote and organize this fun and exciting recreational activity/sport! PLAYER'S POSITIONS: 1. The serving team's forwards must remain in their quarter circles' while the back player must have only one foot in the ‘serving circle' until the ball is contacted by the servers foot. 2. The receiving teams players may stand anywhere in their side of the court, but usually the back player stands just in front of the serving circle with the forwards on either side of him. 3. Players are allowed to move freely on each half of the court once the ball is has been served. TO BEGIN PLAY: The game begins by one of the forwards tossing the takraw ball to the back player. The back player must then kick the ball, with the foot that is outside the serving circle, into the opponent's court in one try (usually with an extended version of the inside kick). The serve is still good if the ball hits the net as it goes into the other half of the court. SCORING: 1. Only the serving team can make a point. 2. A fault by the team possessing the ball constitutes a loss of serve'. 3. A set is won by scoring 21 points, unless the points are tied 20 -20, then the set shall be decided on a difference of two points, up to a ceiling of 25 points. 4. A match is won by winning two out of three sets. . If each team wins one set, the tie breaker set only goes to 15 points,unless the points are tied 14 – 14, then the set shall be decided on a difference of two points, up to a ceiling of 17 points. FAULTS: 1. The back player does not kick the ball over the net on the service toss. 2. The ball falls to the ground inside or outside of the court. 3. The ball is hit more th an three times in succession by one side. 4. The ball hits the net but does not go over it. 5. The ball hits the hand or arm of a player. 6. Any part of the body touches, crosses the plane, or goes under the net. . The ball rolls on the body or is stalled. Note: One player may hit the ball twice, or even three times, consecutively. The ball may be hit up to 6 feet outside court's perimeter. CONTROL: When receiving a serve, stay low and deflect the oncoming ball upwards (head and thigh shots are highly effective for this purpose). SETTING: Setting is a skill which is executed by propelling the ball high above the net to enable the same, or another, player to smash the ball into the opponent's court. Usually the player with the best ball control is setter. SPIKING: After the ball has been set, it can be spiked down into the opponent's court by the spiker's head or foot. This is the most effective and dramatic move in the sport. Usually one of the forward players is designated as spiker during the game so that no confusion will arise as to who will spike the ball. BLOCKING: A block is a defensive skill used mainly for the purpose of preventing a spiked ball,that is coming from above and close to the net, from flying into the defending side. A block is usually made by jumping and raising the side of one's foot and leg above the net, or by turning and jumping up with the back to the net. OFFICIALS: a. Member of Referees' Committee b. Referee c. Assist. Referee d. Reserve Referee e. Standby Referee f. Team's Manager g. Team's Coach h. Players i. Spectators Referees shall avoid getting themselves involved in dispute members of the public, the press, Sepak Takraw officials or players on matters pertaining to refereeing. An unpleasant incident encount ered must promptly be reported to Chairman Referee. Referees must at all times uphold the Laws of the Game, The Rules and Regulations. Referees must at times observe the 3Fs – Firm, Fair and Fit. The level of physical fitness must always be maintained to ensure consistency with the requirements of good refereeing. Referees must behave as professionals and conduct themselves in a manner that will bring honour to themselves and the country. Referees detailed to officiate in a sepak takraw tournament must report at the venue at least 30 minutes earlier for local games and 1 hour earlier for International Games. Official Referees must ensure that all referees stay behind until all games have ended before giving a short briefing and officially release the referees to go home. Official Referee is responsible to record down the names of

Iran Country Assessment

The Islamic Republic of Iran is a country governed by a regime that began with a revolution headed by Ayatollah Khomeini over two decades ago. Khomeini was the first to label the United States as the ‘Great Satan. ’ Although the Iranian government denies it, terrorism has been actively supported, both materially and morally, for years by Iran and Iran supports efforts damaging to the U. S. If the more extreme elements in Iran continue to hold power and arm themselves with nuclear weapons, the international repercussions would be far-reaching.Understanding of Iran is important for members of the U. S. Armed Forces in order to comprehend the scope of Iran’s extremist’s leanings. On the other hand, many of Iran’s citizens love the United States and are resentful of Iran’s oppressive regime. The anti democracy and hindrance of personal liberty have taken a large toll on the Iranian youth. Iran’s younger generation has put forth a lot of res istance against this oppressive regime. Over two thirds of Iran’s population is under the age of 30, which is good from an operational standpoint.This massive amount of young people generally feels that there is hope to moderate if not remove the oppressive regime. Recently a few young Iranians have been frustrated to the point of actively demonstrating against the regime. It is also important to mention many younger Iranians want improved relations with the United States. Most urban Iranians have access to the Internet and satellite television and are able to compare their standard of living with that of the United States and Western Europe.The Kurdish people believe that they are a nation in itself that are deserving of a sovereign homeland. After the formation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, many Kurdish sided with the Iranian leftist and protested against Ayatollah Khomeini and his regime. In 1979, the Kurdish formed a rebellion, which ended with thousands of Kurdish dea d. Shortly after this, Khomeini centered his power and banded Kurds from serving in government office and greatly enforced freedom of expression.The Party of Free Life of Kurdistan is a militant group that is based out of Iraq but has been consistently performing operations in Iran. Iran has prepared to conduct military action against the group and has moved a large portion of Iran’s military to Kurdistan to hinder the uprising of the militant group. The Party of Free Life of Kurdistan would be a great asset to possible future operation in Kurdistan. The party is semi supportive of the United States but will most likely be more than willing to help in U.S operations in Iran due to their long-term goal of destroying the regime. Iran is a tough operational problem set due to their advanced military and technical power. Operations in Iran should be focused on using the people of Iran to include the youth and Kurdish people. Intelligence operations would be better suited for usin g Iran’s youth because they are more supportive of the Untied States and have the ability to work in Iran’s government and military. The Kurdish are not trusted in the government and would not be able to provide accurate intelligence.Operations should be held out of North East Iraq due to the likelihood of Iraq cooperating with the United States during operations. Iraq has a large portion of Kurdistan and it would be easy to work with the Kurds right out of Iraq. Iran and Iraq have a long history of war which only furthers Iraqs likelihood of helping the U. S. Iran is a very dynamic and technologically advanced country, which presents many intelligence issues. The help of Kurdistan, Iranian youth and Iraq would greatly increase the likelihood of operational success in Iran.

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Contrasting Cultural Views Between U.S. and India - Essay Example Having said so, the policies of the government are designed in such a way so that reservations are made in government jobs for the scheduled caste, scheduled tribes, and other backward classes. At present 49% of the seats are reserved for them so that the underprivileged gets ample opportunities. Reservations are not found in the private sector; instead here the basis of selection is often synonymous with the American style. Egalitarian societies are supposed to be informal. There an informal association between the employer and employee is considered to be very conducive for efficient business. This similar atmosphere is very much seen in America. On the contrary Indians are more hierarchical nature and a line is always drawn between the employer and the employee. While doing business with India one needs to keep these things in mind. The Indian economy has made a tremendous progress since its independence from the British rule. The country has per capita GDP of $3,339 in 2010. A series of economic reforms has brought improvement compared to its previous performances. In fact the difference in the average earning of the people with the United States has decreased over the years. However it can be said that the per capita income is still at a very low level. Over population, defective planning, less development of the industrial sector and lack of technological progress can be the reasons for such poor performance. The median American income in 2010 had been $46,326. There has been improvement since the financial crisis but the figure also suggests there is concentration of wealth. Cost of living is directly related to the level of development. In a country like India a difference in the cost of living can be noticed in cities and rural living. The reason for this difference is lack of facilities. The rural economy in India is agrarian in nature is still stagnant and people are satisfied with the basic

Financial accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Financial accounting - Essay Example Marks and Spencer’s well established business attracts a great deal of consumer base irrespective of demography. The primary business of the company comprises of selling general merchandise which mainly consists of womenswear. menswear and an expanding kids wear. The company, through its resilient and effective marketing tactics, has able to capture market share of around 11.0% by value and 11.2% by volume. Another source from where the company earns a great deal of its revenue is through selling food items. Marks and Spencer is the leading provider when it comes to selling fine quality food. The company sells everything from fresh meals to canned food items, highly acclaimed and praised range of wines to other groceries products. The company has improved its shelf availability and has adopted the strategy of renewing its food range. The proactive approach has resulted in an increase of 1.8% in sales revenue from food business. The financial year 2010 proved to be another prog ressive year for Marks and Spencer. During the current year, Marks and Spencer’s revenue increased by 5.2% during the current year to an impressive ?9.5 billion which has caused the operating profit to increase by 9.8%. The company, following its growth strategy, aspires transform its operation into multi channel business. The company has taken major steps in investing its direct sales business which enhanced the revenue by 27% during the current financial year. In addition, the company is actively following its strategy of refurbishing its stores and giving them a new and improved look. The refurbishment has resulted in an increased storage space and has created a fashionable shopping environment. The following table compares the financial results of Marks and Spencer, for the financial year 2010 with that of the year 2009. As quite evident from the above comparison, the financial outlook of the company has improved. The increase in group revenue primarily pertains to the in crease in like-for-like sales as well as the addition of new stores and outlets, both in and outside of England. Since Marks and Spencer do a significant number of its sales overseas, the company’s revenue is majorly increased due to the fluctuation in exchange rate. Although the recent credit crisis and global economic meltdown proved to be a hurdle, but the impact was offset by prudent risk management and apt allocation of capital investment. The gross profit to sales ratio for the year ended December 31, 2010 was 8.93% which has decreased by 0.67% during the current year. Despite the decrease in gross profit to sales ratio, the net profit of the company has increased by ?16.2 million. The increase in net profit is due to the fact that during the current year the company did not spend any exceptional cost which it incurred during the prior year on strategic restructure. In addition, the company took strong measures to control its finance cost during the current year and cur tailed it by ?52.3 million. An analysis of balance sheet of Marks and Spencer highlights the fact that during the current year the company’s non-current liabilities, in terms of borrowings from banks and other financial institutions, was comparatively less than the previous year. The fact that Marks and Spencer curtailed its borrowings highlight the fact that the company is focusing on gearing is business through raising capital by issuance of share capital, rather than acquiring capital from financers. The earnings per share (EPS) of

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Alice walker's everyday use (short story) - Essay Example It draws on critical views and opinions of literary analysts who have reviewed the book. In an overview of the whole story, Tate states that â€Å"Everyday use provides a strong narration about the evolution of the African-American society during the civil rights movements between the 1950s and 1970s† (309). This assertion is very true because the narration describes an African-American family divided into two social systems by the transition of Black people in America. One side of the family was living in the same cultural context that their ancestors had lived within for centuries whilst another had gotten the benefit of urban life and had encountered the civil rights movement and the need to build some African-American pride. Maggies lifestyle shows that she lacks confidence. When her sister visits, â€Å"...she will stand in the corner until she goes† (Walker 56). This means that she was timid and lacked self confidence. Her nature and traits as a relatively unattractive person who is accustomed to the trends in rural life made her a very localized individual steeped in the traditions of the rural south. The narrator, Grandmama however had a vision of seeing her other daughter, Dee make it to the highest levels in the city. She even dreamt that Dee will make it to the point that she will â€Å"embrace her on television† (Walker 57). According to Whitsitt, â€Å"every African-American mother in rural America wished that her children in the city will get the best in what they do and propel them to fame† (447). However, the narrator, Grandmama saw herself as a big woman with rough hands (Walker 57). This shows that she was accustomed to the old and traditional methods of life that her ancestors had lived in the south since the days of slavery. She was not in anyway â€Å"... courting the idea of losing weight and had the permanent traits of a woman who lived like the rural folks a hundred years earlier† (Kiszner & Mandell 81). Grandmama had a

Describe the contributions of 'psychoanalytic theory' to film theory Essay

Describe the contributions of 'psychoanalytic theory' to film theory and visual culture in general. Be sure to discuss the effect of 'pleasure' and the 'gaze' i - Essay Example Psychoanalytic thought pointed to early films of the 1940s as examples, and stated that some of these films were aimed at particular groups of viewers/spectators, in this case women as the films of this era have become known as a genre of "women's films". The subject of women in these films was considered to provide real world women with an ideal subject in that they were the perfect spectator regardless of the meaning delivered by the film. Also the work of Foucault has been drawn upon to empahsise the use of institutional power to normalize the gaze. For example, how things are understood by a person is influenced by the society and institutions in which that person is embedded, as these social norms are presented within the visual images used by that society. In this way, visual culture becomes a body of knowledge that defines and limits what can be said about sexuality and gender relations as well as the identification of self. He considered issues of power and knowledge to be a cooperative state, not a coercive one, so that the maintenance of a dominant gendered, (i.e., male) over a subordinate one (i.e., female) was dependant on the acceptance of each gender as to the social norms that dictate such states. He considered docile bodies as presented on photographic film as conforming to the social norms of the ideal body and sexuality. Metz (1970) has characterised spectatorship as the process of the viewer suspending their disbelief of a fantasy on film and identifying with particular characters presented through the film. Especially, the spectator identifies with the underlying ideology of the film by way of identifying with the structure and visual points of view present within the film. The process of spectatorship initiates fantasy structures that are housed within the unconscious; for example, how to be the ideal woman, or to have the ideal marriage.In this way psychoanalytic theory described human functioning as a process of suppressing unconscious desires, fears and particular memories so as to maintain a socially acceptable lifestyle. In contrast to Lacan's later theories, Freud advocated that the unconscious was a phenomenon that existed within each individual and that drove current behaviours. The idea of the unconscious had a dramatic effect on how academics, philosophers and human psychology theorists approached the human psych. The reality of an unconscious deconstructed a humanist ideal that existed about the self at this time. Freud anticipated that making the knowledge of the unconscious conscious within each person that repression of desires and memories would be reduced, and so too experiences of neurosis which were seen to arise from repression. He emphasized that the "id" or unconscious would be the predominant response to life circumstances if repressed, and so replace the "I" or consciousness and self-identity. He summed this in his famous quote "Where It was, shall I be". In this sense the overall goal of Freud's psychoanalytic approach was to strengthen the "I" and to maintain a conscious and rational identity within people that could be more powerful than the unconscious.Later theories of Jaques Lancan (1978) and subjectivity, investigated film analysis of the 1970s. As such, the gaze was seen as representing a view of language and the language structures used in co mmunication that in turn reinforce culturally-bound experiences of subjectivity. Positional gazes refer to viewing

Power Influence Approach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Power Influence Approach - Essay Example This view of leadership that talk about power and how it is used to influence people in order to get the job done. Power influence approach sees power as the central element of leadership and is interested in finding how leaders assume and lose power. The influence of power is considered important in this approach because it makes people follow the leader. Power influence approach also explains how a leader can use his or her power to influence not only subordinates but also peers, customers, and suppliers (Yukul, 2010). The French and Raven (1959) model outlines five sources of power namely expert, referent, reward, coercive, and legitimate. These sources can be used to assume power and then can be used to ‘influence’ subordinates. Expert power comes from unique set of knowledge and skill that builds trust of subordinates and in turn subordinates follow the leader. Doctors and high tech engineers can have expert power. Reward power is the power to delegate rewards and this can also make employees follow their leader. Referent power is related to personal approval and acceptance. Celebrities and political figures have this power usually. Coercive power breeds compliance by use of threats and punishment. Legitimate power stems from the position or job title of a leader. All these sources of power can be used to influence employees. This approach is extremely effective because power can be used to get the job done. People are usually influenced by power and therefore the relationship between power and leadership seems strong. Also this approach takes a very natural look at leadership and simply suggests how employees can be made to follow their bosses. Weaknesses of this approach are quite obvious. Power is always not a good thing for building relationships. Managers might use power to influence employees but this might undermine employee satisfaction. Moreover power sometimes underpins creativity as people begin to follow a

Participation Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Participation Questions - Essay Example In order to perform E-business a company must educate themselves on the different business regulations that affect their particular industry. Due to the fact that e-commerce takes places across national boundaries a company must be aware of the exchange rate conversions in order to establish a pricing policing that considers the relative value of a currency. A business enterprise that incorporates a lot of the characteristics you mention of an efficient supply chain is Walt-Mart. The company achieves economies of scale by purchasing in bulk. They also have superior logistics and distribution system. A study performed by John Mentzer on the supply chain management practices of hundreds of companies revealed that companies can gain a competitive advantage by leveraging the management of their supply chains (Mentzer, 2007). I like your idea of designing products through the use of independent modules. This approach is simple and follows a sound production methodology similar to lean manufacturing. Your answer to the postponement strategy question was very insightful. Eliminating customization in the front end of the cycle can help a company achieve inventory savings. Mentzer, J. (2007). Achieving Competitive Advantage Through Supply Chain Management. IndustryWeek. Retrieved September 4, 2009 from http://www.industryweek.com/articles/achieving_competitive_advantage_through_supply_chain_management_13355.aspx Your recommendation of partnering with technologically savvy suppliers is outstanding. The internet, wireless technology, and advances in information technology can enhance the functionality of the supplier chain. Wireless applications such as radio frequency identification tags have gain a lot of popularity among supplier chain managers. In 2007 the RFID market was valued at $4.9 billion (Das & Harrop, 2008). As you mentioned flexibility is also an important characteristic in a

Social, Professional and Ethical Issues in Information System Literature review

Social, Professional and Ethical Issues in Information System - Literature review Example This has surely been possible with the advancement in technology. Furthermore, this need was fulfilled by the web and software IT designers in a much effective and functional manner, as explained in the book published by the Center for Financial Training. On the contrary, it is necessary to understand if these software and IT systems are in breach of any of the ethical laws or legal principles set by the governing authorities, or if these IT systems are strong and protective enough to avoid any frauds or theft of the client’s information, data, or belongings since it is the technology that leads towards the secruity violations (Center for Financial Training., 2009). Kondabagil, claims that although, online banking has been claimed as the most secured method by the banking sector but it has been facing ups and down regarding the security and privacy of the client’s data and thefts. ... Data Protection Act of 1998 According to the Data Protection Act of 1998, the British Government has provided a detailed list of the provisions that comes under the Act. From ‘Right to Access Personal Data’ to ‘Code of Practice’, ‘Restrictions’ and ‘Penalties’, every topic has been discussed to minimize chances of confusion regarding fraud data usage (Legislation.Gov.UK, 1998). This may help the online banking services and the IT systems that are designed for it. For example, if stricter laws will be applied and handsome penalties and punishments will be given to the accused then he or she will think twice before violating any law or regulation or conducting any ATM crime (Quinn, 2010). Relationship between Privacy and Online Banking There are numerous issues regarding privacy and online banking, which has shown the failure of the IT systems. These issues have given rise to different social, professional and ethical problems in the society. In legal terms, these issues have also violated many regulations, laws, and principles, which are solely designed as a guideline for online social, professional, and legal ethics. Because of this percentage of e-crime in different countries is increasing enormously. According to ‘The 2013 Identity Fraud Report’ issued by the ‘Javelin Strategy and Research’ it was revealed that more than $21 Billion have been stolen through different online fraud cases in banks. Different categories of online banking had been the victim of IT malfunction or ATM theft. It was reported that 5.26% of U.S. adults are affected every year because of this issue. These IT issues vary from social to ethical and legal aspects while talking about

Instructional planning Essay Example for Free

Instructional planning Essay Introduction Proper planning is a core prerequisite to an effective instruction process. Teaching disabled persons poses great challenges to instructors and calls for the careful planning of a lesson so that it may meet the needs of the learners. Disabled persons have special needs occasioned by hearing impairment, vision impairment; nervous problems as well as physical movement problems, therefore any good lesson plan must make sure that children with special needs receive as much gains from the learning process as their regular students. The learning process is very important; there is a need to avail services and facilities such as walking chairs for the physically disabled, hearing devices for the hearing impairment and any other necessary facilities. Another necessary adoption teachers can make to lesson plans to make them more responsive to the needs of the disabled includes the use of technologically mediated communication through computers to aid the learning process. In all adjustments to suit lessons to the special needs of learners, cognitive needs, psychomotor needs and the affective needs of the learner must be borne in mind. From both lesson 1 and 3 it is very clear that the lesson plan is only effective for a regular class. Notably the action verbs used for the objectives such as ‘by the end of the lesson learners should learn the colors’ is biased because the students are supposed to learn by sight or observation. When the teacher uses pictures as a resource material in the lesson, it implies that only the students with visual ability can benefit. The lesson can be adjusted to cater for the disabled and especially the visually impaired by deemphasizing the color aspect of the pictures and concentrating on shapes and texture which can effectively guide a disabled student to meet the lesson objectives. Another objective in lesson 1 and 3 requires the student to participate in physical activity. This again favors the students who are physically normal but it portends a challenge to the physically disabled to which physical activity may be a barrier to the learning process. The lessons can be adapted to suit the disabled students by only choosing the physical activities that the disabled can participate in or availing the necessary equipment to aid the physical activities. The lesson plans involve a lot of drawing and writing activities something that may be a barrier and a challenge at the same time to the physically disabled. Some students are not able to draw or write while others may not be able to even hold a pencil or crayon. Further, the lesson activities involve the use of music that is again insensitive to the hearing impaired. To make the lesson fully useful to the disabled students, the lesson plans should incorporate only special types of music which is responsive to the needs of the hearing impaired. The other key instrument to the lesson involves use of Braille or special computers, use of special needs expert to assist in the lessons as well as the strict use of materials that are responsive to the needs of the disabled learners. The other adaptation of teachers or disabled children is to involve a lot of games in the lesson plans activities. The games can help children to discover their ability to serve in spite of their challenges (Basil, Reys, 2003). As a principle, every lesson plan should be a fit-all type of lesson plan to cater for different disabilities of the disabled students. Conclusion For a lesson plan to be effective, it has to bear in mind the cognitive, affective and psychomotor needs of disabled students. There is a need for teachers to design lesson plans factoring in the special needs of the disabled students so as to give such an equal opportunity as their regular counterparts. Only making changes to the lesson plan to reflect the needs of disabled learners can help teachers achieve learning objectives. References Basil, C. Reys, S. (2003). Acquisition of literacy skills by children with severe disability. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, vol. 19, no. 1.

The Evolution of Morality Essay Example for Free

The Evolution of Morality Essay De Waal, author of Good Natured, is one of the most foremost proponents of debate over the evolution of morality. He is a famous primatologist and ethologist who bases his opinions partially on Darwinism and partially on his own personal viewing of primates. According to De Waal, morality comes from two separate sources. De Waal’s theory of morality rests upon the observations of primate behaviors of empathy and sympathy, the selection of kin, reciprocal altruism with regards to fairness, and the simple ability to get along, in conjunction with the idea that one part of our human morality is biological and one part is a result of cultural development. If the idea of a moral code were to be described using only one source, the theory would fail almost immediately. In the human sector, de Waal suggests that our cultural norm is a result of the collaboration of two separate things. The first would be our biological makeup. He claims that all humans are born with some sort of moral ideas. These are, in some cases, fueled by the simple needs and desires that simply come with the territory of being an infant, adolescent, or adult. However, the simple existence of an awareness of what is right and what is wrong is in no way weighty enough to incur a full-fledged code of morals. In order for it to be a sense that is strong enough to sway human behavior it needs to be manipulated by another set of values. This is where cultural decision begins to play a part. Much of the human’s idea of a moral code is embedded in what society believes to be correct behavior. This can encompass many things whether it be how a community should function, how other humans would like to be treated, or the innate desire for friendship. The key point that de Waal is striving to make is that our human morality is consistently evolving with the times. Fairness, normality, and obligation are cultural ideas formed simply by the majority’s expectations. De Waal’s theory rests upon the fusion of these two human traits. However, his ideas also draw from proof of his own scientific observations in the field of primates. However, human morality is not a concept that can be grasped simply by what has occurred to actual human beings over the course of history. In order to fully understand it, one must take into consideration the fact that there may be other entities that practice or abide by the same moral code. De Waal is famous for stating that â€Å"By limiting the concept of morality to the form that is able to be practiced by human beings, we are limiting our understanding of what made us moral in the first place† (4). The â€Å"building blocks of morality† encompass many different characteristics that even primates demonstrate. The ones that are most obviously identifiable in animal behavior are empathy, the selection of kin, reciprocal altruism, demonstrations of fairness, and even their need to resolve conflict. These are all human traits that can undoubtedly be recognized outside of the human spectrum at an undeniable level. This is where de Waal’s theory comes in. His evolution of morality stands on the idea of primates also exemplifying human characteristics. The first and most obvious things that primates show are empathy and sympathy. Some would argue that all animals contain this trait because of the need to nurture and care for young. They are shown through multiple things whether it be emotional attachment, giving simple help to a fellow monkey, or caring for children. De Waal gives a specific example of this when he tells of Yeroen. This primate has just lost a pertinent fight over who will take leadership in his community. Instead of being left to fend for himself emotionally, another young chimpanzee runs over to console him. De Waal also offers multiple flashbacks of monkeys protectively positioning themselves with and around those who are wounded or are their family. Many of these things are human tendencies and de Waal wastes no time in using them to support his ideas of the evolution of morality. Familial bonds are also something that is, surprisingly, not unique to human nature. The selection of kin is also seen in primate life. Maternal instincts are strong, and a father is often seen as the head 1 / 2 of his family. De Waal writes: â€Å"Attached with an emotional umbilical cord to her offspring, the primate mother is never free† (122). The community also institutes multiple ideas of rank and order within their tribes as well. The story of Socko stealing alpha male Jimoh’s choice female and suffering wrath for it is a prime example. Reciprocal altruism can arguably be the most obvious way in which primates demonstrate a code of morality. This is simply the idea of a Golden Rule. Often times, cultural expectations are tied to what one person (or in this case primate) will do with the expectation that they will ultimately receive the same treatment. Many societies base their entire code of ethics around this simple truth, so it is impossible that chimpanzees do this without knowing. Fairness is another trait that de Waal rests his theory upon when it comes to what he has observed in the world of primates. He claims that as a community they share food, take revenge, and even executively hand out justice. There are ranks and rules that need to be followed. This goes hand-in-hand with the final building block which is the ability to resolve conflict. Within a communal setting, this is an inevitable side affect. De Waal writes: â€Å"Golden monkeys do it with mutual hand-holding, chimpanzees with a kiss on the mouth, bonobos with sex, and tonkeana macaques with clasping and lipsmacking. Each species follows its own peacemaking protocol† (176). De Waal concludes his book Good Natured with his statements over moral code as a whole. Ultimately, he lends notability to the idea that humans came up with a case for morality partially because of biological makeup and partially because of cultural compromise and normality. However, his theory is different in his insistence that primates demonstrate the building blocks of a code of morality in their portrayal of empathy and sympathy, their selection of kin, reciprocal altruism, and the ability to get along in regards to fairness and resolving conflict. The fusion of these three things is what de Waal rests his case upon, with much credibility. References De Waal, Frans. Good Natured: The Origins of Right and Wrong in Humans and Other Animals. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1996. Print. POWERED BY TCPDF (WWW. TCPDF. ORG).

The Characteristics of Retroviruses

The Characteristics of Retroviruses Retroviruses have various characteristics that make them unique as gene delivery vehicles. Their life cycle includes an integrated state in the DNA of the host chromosome. Retroviruses are the only animal viruses that integrate into the host cells genome during the normal growth cycle. They use an integrase that acts in a site-specific manner to join the ends of the viral cDNA to target sequences in host cell DNA. The linear ds cDNA made in the cytoplasm is transported to the nucleus where it is also found as circles and as integrated DNA. Two forms of circular DNA are generally found: one having a single Long Terminal Repeat (LTR) and one having two LTRs. It is now thought that the original integrated proviruses were linear molecules with two LTRs. The retroviral promoter can direct high-level, efficient expression of genes encoded within the viral capsid of its genome using chromatin. The retroviral genomes can accommodate changes to its configuration. Retroviruses offer gene therapy researchers aid for delivering genes to target cells at high efficiency that allows for long-term, stable expression of introduced genetic elements The retroviral life cycle begins in the nucleus of an infected cell. At the beginning of the life cycle the retroviral genome is a DNA element integrated into and covalently attached to the DNA of the host cell. Full-length genomic mRNA is made starting at the beginning of the repeat at the 5 LTR (Long Terminal Repeat). The free particle can infect new cells by binding to a cell surface receptor. The specificity of the virus-cell interaction is determined most commonly by the envelope proteins of the retrovirus. Infection leads to injection of the virus nucleoprotein core (consisting of many gag-derived proteins, full-length genomic RNA, and the reverse transcriptase protein). Once inside the cell, the nucleoprotein complex accesses intracellular DNA nucleotide triphosphate pools, where the reverse transcriptase protein initiates and creation of a double-stranded DNA copy of the genome of the virus is prepared for integration into the host cell chromosome. When reverse transcription is completed, the viral enzyme integrase looks for an appropriate storage place for the DNA, which the integrase clips the host DNA to and binds the double-stranded DNA into the host DNA. The virus is the able to initiate a new round of replication again. 3 major proteins encoded in a retroviral genome Gag is a polyprotein and is an acronym for Group Antigens (ag). Pol is the reverse transcriptase. Env is the envelope protein. The group antigens form the viral core structure and are the major proteins which comprise the nucleoprotein core particles. Reverse transcriptase is the essential enzyme that carries out the reverse transcription process that take the RNA genome to a double-stranded DNA preintegrate form. General transcription and proteins are encoded from spliced mRNA of retroviruses. Transcription proceeds through the genome and mRNA is polyadenylated and processed using signals in transcribed regions from the 3 LTR at the end of the transcribed R (repeat). The full-length message can be spliced to lead to production of envelope proteins (or other proteins depending upon retroviral class). Unspliced full-length mRNA can give rise to gag-pol proteins. Gag and Pol are made as either Gag protein or a Gag-Pol precursor. Translated proteins assemble a retroviral particle at the cell surface. Full-length genomic unspliced mRNA is bound by gag-derived proteins and incorporated into the budding particle. Virion structures In retroviruses particle shapes can be divided into distinct categories: A-type particles are immature intracellular forms derived from endogenous retrovirus-like elements and the immature form of MMTV. B-type particles correspond to the extracellular form of MMTV and are characterised by prominent surface protein spikes and a dense asentric nucleocapsid. C-type particles form at the surface of the cell at the site of budding. Lentiviruses bud like C type particles but have a distinctive blunted cone shaped core. D-type particles are the MMPV related viruses of sub-human primates, and differ from B-type particles by a lack of surface spikes. The gag (group specific antigen) gene encodes the viral matrix, capsid and nucleoproteins The protease encodes a product that cleaves the gag polyprotein precursor. It can be encoded as part of Gag or a Gag-Pro-Pol polyprotein The major read-through product is derived from the pol gene which encodes the reverse transcriptase and an integrase which is involved in provirus integration. The envelope gene encodes the surface glycoprotein (SU) transmembrane (TM) polyprotein. Viral entry Retroviruses enter by at least two different manners, dependent upon the retroviral subclass. The viral envelope is critical in each case for recognising appropriate surface receptors to initiate viral fusion to the host target cells. The RNA genome in the free retrovirus is arranged as a diploid genome with identical sequences. The mRNA associates with a tRNA primer (pro, trp, or lys) that is bound by complementary base pairing to 18 base pairs to the U5 region. The integrated form (proviral) of all retroviruses contain transcription regulatory sequences primarily in Long Terminal Repeats (LTR). LTR sequences are derived from sequences unique to the 5 end of viral RNA (U5), from sequences unique to the 3 end of viral RNA (U3), and from sequences repeated at both ends of the viral RNA. The integrated provirus is larger than the viral genome but its complexity is the same because of duplication of U3 and U5 during synthesis. Replication of retroviruses is sensitive to the transcription inhibitors Actinomycin D, alpha-amanitin nucleoside and analogues like 5-bromodioxyuridine and cytosine arabinoside. 5 bromodioxyuridine and cytosine arabinoside are thought to inhibit DNA replication.

Comparing Gothic Elements in Fall of the House of Usher, Uncle Toms Ca

Comparing Gothic Elements in Fall of the House of Usher, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Ligeia, and American Slave Gothic literature has a number of conventions, including evils of horror, present of light and dark, suggestions of the supernatural, and dark and exotic localities such as castles and crumbling mansions (American). Violence in gothic literature never occurs just for the sake of violence; there is always a moral dilemma (Clarke 209). By going the extremes, a gothic author is able to accentuate a contrast allowing the author's point to be made more easily. American fiction was based on fantasy works of writers like Edgar Allan Poe. Although Edgar Allan Poe, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Frederick Douglass, all used gothic devices in their work, the question arises whether Poe's gothic techniques represented his fantasy, or did they represent his reality like they do with Stowe and Douglass. Poe's use of gothic device leads the readers into a downward fall of an insane world representing fantasy. Stowe and Douglass, on the other hand, used gothic details to reflect the reality of th e lives of slaves as they struggle to climb upwards out of the descending fall of their lives. Edgar Allan Poe is primarily known for his mastery of the gothic genre. He constantly explored subjects such as self-destruction, madness, imagination, and earned a reputation for his fascination with death, especially the death of women (Scharf). Poe uses the interplay dark and light and colors such as black, gray, white and red in order to present the downward fall of his characters rather then an upward gain in their lives. Unlike the stories of Stowe and Douglass, these colors are present to represent the upward struggle of the characters ... ...r cause (Scharf ). All three writers depend on the gothic devices to make their narratives attention getting, but Stowe and Douglass went beyond this. They wanted their readers to know their narratives were not fantasy, but could be almost dreamlike. Poe leaves his readers questioning the sanity and desires of his fictional characters while Stowe and Douglass leave their readers astonished by the insanity of a cruel and truly indescribable world. Works Cited Clarke, Doug. Themes and Issues of the Gothic Genre. http://members.aol. com/franzpoet/intro.html An American Cottage -- American Edition of Smith's Dictionary of the Bible http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/browse.author/a.81.html Scharf, Douglas. Edgar Allan Poe: Biographical Contexts For "The Fall of the House of Usher". http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/wohlpart/alra/ PoeFall. htm#First.

Frankenstein :: essays research papers

In a series of letters, Robert Walton, the captain of a ship bound for the North Pole, recounts to his sister back in England the progress of his dangerous mission. Successful early on, the mission is soon interrupted by seas full of impassable ice. Trapped, Walton encounters Victor Frankenstein, who has been traveling by dog-drawn sledge across the ice and is weakened by the cold. Walton takes him aboard ship, helps nurse him back to health, and hears the fantastic tale of the monster that Frankenstein created. Victor first describes his early life in Geneva. At the end of a blissful childhood spent in the company of Elizabeth Lavenza (his cousin in the 1818 edition, his adopted sister in the 1831 edition) and friend Henry Clerval, Victor enters the university of Ingolstadt to study natural philosophy and chemistry. There, he is consumed by the desire to discover the secret of life and, after several years of research, becomes convinced that he has found it. Armed with the knowledge he has long been seeking, Victor spends months feverishly fashioning a creature out of old body parts. One climactic night, in the secrecy of his apartment, he brings his creation to life. When he looks at the monstrosity that he has created, however, the sight horrifies him. After a fitful night of sleep, interrupted by the specter of the monster looming over him, he runs into the streets, eventually wandering in remorse. Victor runs into Henry, who has come to study at the university, and he takes his friend back to his apartment. Though the monster is gone, Victor falls into a feverish illness. Sickened by his horrific deed, Victor prepares to return to Geneva, to his family, and to health. Just before departing Ingolstadt, however, he receives a letter from his father informing him that his youngest brother, William, has been murdered. Grief-stricken, Victor hurries home. While passing through the woods where William was strangled, he catches sight of the monster and becomes convinced that the monster is his brother's murderer. Arriving in Geneva, Victor finds that Justine Moritz, a kind, gentle girl who had been adopted by the Frankenstein household, has been accused. She is tried, condemned, and executed, despite her assertions of innocence. Victor grows despondent, guilty with the knowledge that the monster he has created bears responsibility for the death of two innocent loved ones. Hoping to ease his grief, Victor takes a vacation to the mountains. While he is alone one day, crossing an enormous glacier, the monster approaches him. The monster admits the

Grapes of Wrath - Many Questions and Few Answers :: Grapes Wrath essays

Many Questions and Few Answers in The Grapes of Wrath    The book The Grapes of Wrath focuses on a particular section of America called the "Dust Bowl" during the early nineteen thirties. During this time, when tenant farming was a way of life for so many Oklahomans, there came a drought which drastically cut down production of crops and forced the bank to evict the tenants in order to cut losses. The problem may seem straightforward at first, and maybe it is, but the cause of the problem should not be simplified. Naturally, the three participants in this disaster, the tenants, the bank and the workers, have their own separate, and logical, points of view. Who is right? In the larger picture, events occurring during this time period involving banks and corporations are primitive examples of the widespread greedy capitalism infused in our modern society. One cannot think of the tenants of these farms without feeling some sort of pity or sympathy, because they had no concept of banks or land ownership. To them, land was theirs if they lived, struggled, and eventually died on it; not just because of a flimsy sheet of paper in hand. "My pa come here fifty years ago. An' I ain't a-goin'."(60), was the sentiment expressed by Muley Graves and felt by many Oklahomans when first ordered off their farms. Some reacted quite violently, threatening to shoot anyone who came onto their land with a tractor to tear down their house, but when the tractor came and one of their friends drove it, they laid down their guns in submission. "Who gave you orders? I'll go after him. He's the one to kill."(49), said one disgruntled farmer. "You're wrong. He got his orders from the bank." the driver replied. The farmer also found out that the bank got their orders from the East and wondered in exasperation, "But where does it stop? Who can we shoot?"(49) Basica lly, the tenants were cut off from their livelihood and without hope since they weren't even sure whom they could kill or what person to talk to in order to keep the land. The Bank. Who is a bank? Is it a person? A physical thing? Couldn't it see that it was causing such suffering and despair? Although the heads of the bank could sympathize with the plight of the tenants, they felt that for some reason, the eviction could not be stopped.