Is Iago The Perfect Villain? Essay

Few Shakespearian villains radiate evilness and jealously quite as much as Iago, the unbeknown nemesis of the play’s title character, Othello. In other plays written by the bard of Avon the villains can come across as one-dimensional- weak, personified by a flaw in their genetic make-up or unattainable ambition yet Iago is a far more complex and compelling character. True, he has the power to both betray and murder those he once worked alongside, but Iago isn’t the complete cold-blooded murderer in the same sense of Macbeth or King Claudius from Hamlet. True, he meticulously plans the death of Cassio but he plans it to be by hands of Rodrigo, his puppet. In the end opportunity presents itself to Iago and he seizes the moment to stab Cassio in the back but the blow fails to kill him. Iago also reveals a moral conscience through his three soliloquy’s which I will explore in more detail later. In short Iago is like no other of Shakespeare’s villains which makes him an utterly compelling and absorbing character. And like the other characters in the play, Iago delights in absorbing us, the viewer†¦ The tragedy of Othello was believed to have been first performed in the early 1600’s and is one of Shakespeare’s more famous plays. The play is also rich in historical context and features the Moorish race heavily, leading many to believe it was influenced by a visit to the capital of the Empire by the Moorish ambassador, who is said to have met with the ruling monarch. In the play, only Iago voiced an explicitly stereotypical view on Othello and his race and, the fact that Iago is the main villain of the play, means most scholars view the play as Shakespeare’s statement on society, notably that people are the same, regardless of skin colour- a message many would do well to remember in this current day and age. The fact that Iago is the only character to mention Othello’s skin colour is also signs of one of his weakness- the fact that he is blinded by stereotypes. This character trait is explored further by Shakespeare in Iago’s soliloquies. The play Othello is one of Shakespeare’s tragedy’s, ending in a dramatic, breathtaking climax. The proud, noble and trustworthy character of Othello promotes his young solder Cassio ahead of his more experienced ally Iago, setting off a chain of events which eventually ends with the demise of Othello, his young wife Desdemona and Iago himself. Twisted with jealously and rage Iago sets out to manipulate and exploit Othello’s trustworthy nature, instead revealing him to be slightly naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and gullible. After a series of Iago-inspired mis-understandings, Othello believes his wife to be sleeping with his new lieutenant, Cassio and thus commences to kill his wife. However not long after he fatally wounds his wife, he learns the truth from Iago’s wife and, after apologising to Cassio, kills himself. Othello is one of Shakespeare’s only plays where the villain of the piece speaks more lines then the title character or protagonist. This fact reflects Iago’s incredible contribution to the play and also sets the tone for the story- for the most part we see things from Iago’s perspective as, after the audience, Iago has the most knowledge on what is going on in the play. You could even argue that, at times, Iago knows even more than the audience, which is a trait of a true, compelling villain. We never know what face Iago is going to show next, never know what move he is going to make, partly helped by the fact that for long stretches of the play Iago is in â€Å"good† mode. He is seemingly kind, loyal and truthful to Othello, all signs of a true friend. It is only through the intimate soliloquies that the real Iago comes to the fore. Othello’s race is particularly important in the play, despite the fact that only one character slurs his race in the play: Iago. Othello is frequently called â€Å"The Moor† in the play, implying he is either of African descent or simply just a Muslim. The fact that Shakespeare does not allot Othello a specific race could be due to the fact that he wanted his audience to see that race isn’t crucial in understanding a person or character and only the narrow minded (or evil, like Iago) would see race as a barrier. The fact that Othello is not native to Italy is especially important to the play and it’s affect on it’s audience: it makes Othello’s demise more saddening and guilt tinged as Iago has manipulated a man of a different culture and robbed the only person who he felt a real, strong connection with and, who in turn, respected him back- Desdemona. In many of Shakespeare’s other plays, the phrase: â€Å"actions speak louder then words†, could be applied to the villain of the play. Many of the villain’s true characters are revealed when they are committing their piece of true evil however with Iago, it is the opposite way around. He keeps up a false face when around Othello; â€Å"pouring pestilence into his ear† with his â€Å"heavenly shows† and this is arguably the greatest of Iago’s many evil deeds. He is manipulating Othello, influencing him. This is one of the many factors that could be seen as making Iago into the â€Å"perfect villain†. Unlike other villains of plays from the same age, Iago isn’t a butcherer, a thug. He is cold, calculative- a sadist. Yet he is also intelligent, which would have frightened the Elizabethan audience watching. His intelligence and sadism are revealed in his three soliloquies, which I will explore in this essay. â€Å"Thus do I ever make my fool my purse:† Iago’s first soliloquy, included in Act one Scene 3 opens on a sinister, malicious note. This is the first line he speaks to the audience and the audience alone and Shakespeare has made it as twisted and warped as possible. Shakespeare knows that in the soliloquies he will try to gain Iago some empathy but, he is still the villain, and with a line like this opening his first soliloquy, Shakespeare doesn’t let us, the audience, forget it. Iago is commenting on how he is able to make money from fools, from manipulating them. He shows instantly that he exploits people and revels in it. He is boasting to the audience, proud of his achievements. The words â€Å"my fool† also imply that he is in complete control of the people he decides to manipulate, suggesting that he is in a â€Å"Godly† sort of position. He is also inferring that the latest fool that is â€Å"making his purse† is Othello, a man revered by others for his honest and noble nature. Shakespeare is contrasting Othello’s just nature with Iago’s snide, evil nature, juxtaposing their characters and personalities. Iago could also be referring to his accomplice Rodrigo. Despite working closely with him, Iago is only using Rodrigo as a puppet. In an ironic twist, Iago is doing to Rodrigo what made him so angry in the first place. He is overlooking Rodrigo and instead totally committed to the demise of Othello. Similarly, Othello overlooked Iago and instead lavished his praise, and a promotion, on Michael Cassio. The line: â€Å"I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets† is the first real example of Iago’s moral conscience struggling to break through in the soliloquy. On first glance, the line seems as malevolent as ever, Iago calls Othello not by his name, but by his race: Moor. Iago is also commenting on how some â€Å"abroad† (possibly referring to when he was away fighting with Othello) suspect that Othello has slept with Emilia, Iago’s wife. Indeed, it seems on first glance that the line is meant to make Iago even more evil, as it sounds like he has a solid motive for wanting to ruin the life of Othello. But when one reads between the lines one can begin to see Iago’s inner moral dilemma. After all the lines dedicated to describing how fair and just Othello is, it is highly unlikely that Shakespeare wrote this line as truth. Indeed, he is more likely to be hinting at Iago’s more sensitive nature. Iago was once a great friend of Othello’s and popular with the rest of the men. Many former solders comment on the bond shared between men on the battlefield, a love and commitment so strong that many would willingly lay down their lives for their comrades, fully aware of the possible consequences. Iago and Othello would have most likely have shared this connection, and it would have been impossible for Iago to lose it overnight. Iago is simply trying to justify his actions, in a perverse way he is almost pleading with them to accept why he is angry, and to not see him as a villain. This shows Iago’s morality and makes his character progression in the play all the more startling. Throughout the play, we see the small amount of morality Iago possesses diminish whereas in some of Shakespeare’s other plays, the villains are evil from the start, leaving them more detached from the audience and making it incredibly hard for the audience to direct any empathy towards them. The final two lines of Iago’s first soliloquy: â€Å"I have’t. It is engendered. Hell and night, Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light,† show once more that Iago knows what he is doing is wrong, but also hint at the fact that he has forgave any chance of redemption, and knows that his future will end in the death of his former friend, and the loss of his soul to evil. Whether this pains him, however, is never fully explored or revealed by Shakespeare. The quotation also compares Iago to the Devil, which would have shocked the Jacobean audience. People of this time would have been devoutly religious and the devil would have frightened them, as he was seen as the ultimate evil. The phrase â€Å"hell and night† implies that evil often materialises during the night, during the darkness, which juxtaposes the image of heaven and light, which could be associated to Othello. This is slightly ironic as the character of Othello is black, yet he is the â€Å"light† character being manipulated by the â€Å"black† Iago. The adjective â€Å"monstrous† proves that Iago is aware of his wrongdoing. Yet when used in his soliloquy, used after he passionately describes his plan, the word sounds very ominous and sinister. One gets the impression that Shakespeare wanted the actor portraying Iago to spit the word to the audience. The word â€Å"birth† also suggests that Iago is comparing the manifestation of his evil plan to a newborn baby. This links in with the idea of Iago hating women as he has a rather shallow relationship with Emilia and mentions in the play how he thinks women are good only for sex. In the soliloquy, by describing his plan has having a â€Å"birth† he is slurring females, as his plan is one of evil and vindictiveness. Iago’s second soliloquy continues where the first left off and provides us with a number of reasons for why Iago is so hell-bent on Othello’s destruction. Throughout this second soliloquy the possible motives of Iago progress from the rumour that Othello slept with Emilia, to the more disturbing and disconcerting motive of Iago desiring Othello’s love before destroying him, the idea of Iago being thrust into a â€Å"Godly† position. The first possible motive Iago mentions for wanting to destroy Othello is jealously. â€Å"I do suspect the lustful Moor hath leaped into my seat†¦like a poisonous mineral doth gnaw my inwards,† is evidence of this possible motive. All other evidence in the play categorically proves that it is incredibly unlikely that Othello would have slept with Emilia and it is possible that Iago too understands that Othello wound never cheat on Desdemona. However Iago finds that he has to lie to himself to keep strong and to help justify his actions to the audience, proving that he must feel some guilt. Iago is also comparing the jealously he feels to an animal or a monster â€Å"gnawing away at his inwards†. This comparison links with another line Iago speaks, however this time it is directed to Othello, not the audience. In Act 3 Scene 3 Iago tells Othello to: â€Å"Beware†¦the green eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.† In this case Shakespeare is b eing extremely ironic, as it is Iago who has succumbed to jealously and let it change his character forever, not Othello who loses his better judgement momentarily and then repents in the final scene. Iago shows in his second soliloquy that he sees people as tools, ready to be manipulated, hinting at the sense of detachment he feels. The lines: â€Å"Which thing to do, If this poor trash of Venice, whom I trash,† show this aptly. After becoming so consumed with jealously, greed or whatever is driving him on, Iago now feels no real emotional connection with ordinary people. In fact the only true relationship he has with another person is the perverse relationship he shares with Othello. Despite hating Othello, he still desires his love and praise. Iago is extremely confused and, after recoiling away from Emilia’s love the only person he feels any connection with is Othello. This makes him an extremely perverse and sadistic character, which could go some way to making him the â€Å"perfect villain†. Unlike other evil characters, who want their foes dead so they can achieve power or peace Iago has despised Othello so much that his hatred has gone full circle, and he has ended up now desiring Othello’s love again, as proved by the line: â€Å"Make the Moor thank me, love me and reward me†. This kind of relationship makes Iago seem slightly unstable thus making putting the audience one step behind Iago. Iago could commit nearly any possible action after this statement and it would still seem believable to the audience, as they recognise him as slightly un-hinged. Whereas other villains, such as Macbeth, are limited in what they can do before the story becomes too unbelievable, Iago can do just about anything as he harbours a wide range of emotions for Othello- love, respect and, ultimately, hatred. This ultimately contributes to him being the perfect villain, he is unrestricted, Shakespeare can take his character anywhere and the audience will never be able to second- guess him. This is proved in perfect fashion in the last scene of the play, where Othello and the guards confront Iago. When pushed for a reason for destroying the lives of so many people, Iago simply says: â€Å"Demand me nothing. What you know, you know. From this time forth I will never speak word.† This epitomises the character of Iago. Throughout the play, Iago evidences his love of talking and communicating and, when presented with no other characters to interact with, he instead communicates with the audience in his soliloquies. Therefore many would be forgiven for thinking Iago’s final stand involves a hail of angry metaphors and lies, as he finally lays into Othello. Yet instead he remains cool and hideously restrained. He doesn’t fulfil what people think he will do, making him unpredictable, compelling and, ultimately, the perfect villain. Iago’s third and final soliloquy reveals just how evil Iago can be. He loses most, if not all, of the empathy the audience have gained from him in the space of nearly 30 lines, in preparation for the plays finale where Shakespeare presumably wanted all of the initial, spontaneous empathy to be directed towards Desdemona, Emilia and Othello. Iago slightly sarcastically plays on the title â€Å"Honest Iago† in his third soliloquy, after many of the characters start addressing him by this title. â€Å"And what’s he then that says I play the villain, When this advice is free I give, and honest,† are the two lines that open his final soliloquy. Whilst some people feel that Iago us trying to gain some empathy by implying he is not totally in the wrong I personally don’t believe Shakespeare wanted these two lines to be spoken seriously by the actor portraying Iago. I get the impression that Shakespeare wanted these two lines to be spoken slightly sarcastically, as Iago is boasting in this sequence. By having Iago boast so close to the dramatic and disastrous finale, I believe that Shakespeare is showing that, despite being extremely clever and in many cases the perfect villain, Iago is still only human. He is mistaken here, as Othello and the guards eventually find him out and it is Emilia who revea ls his deceit, which is very ironic as Iago isn’t quiet in his contempt of women and believes all women to be stupid. Iago carefully maintains a veneer of â€Å"honesty and trust† but like many people, his outward appearance belies a inner deception. Iago is commonly referred to as Machiavellian, a term coined for Prince Machiavelli. Machiavelli is famous for his political treatise, â€Å"The Prince† which espouses, among other things, that the ends to power always justify the means. Machiavelli was a well known villain in the Jacobean era but, importantly, he was also renowned for his intelligence. By comparing the two men, Shakespeare is making an important statement: Iago is no fool. In many of Shakespeare’s other plays, the villain of the piece is foolish and slow, but in this play, the villain is arguably the smartest of all the characters. This keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, making Othello one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. The lines: â€Å"Divinity of Hell† When Devils do their blackest sins put on, They do suggest at first with heavenly shows,† show how Shakespeare compares Iago to the Devil, implying that Iago is the physical manifestation of evil. Contrary to popular belief, the Devil, or Lucifer, is or was not a fire-spitting, all-powerful behemoth. He was instead a fallen angel, once a trusted servant of God who eventually fell to Earth after letting ambition and greed cloud his judgement. The Devil also influences others by tempting them, in a similar fashion to Iago. Whilst prone to fits of rage, such as when he kills Emilia and wounds Cassio, Iago does the majority of his work through the spoken word. He is a master of language in a similar way that the Devil is the master of temptation. Shakespeare also uses an oxymoron, â€Å"Divinity of Hell!† to represent Iago’s conflicting personality. The phrase also somewhat represents Iago, as he is the slick, controlled face of evil, able to deceive and manipulate others, making him such an affective villain. Iago ends his final soliloquy with the two lines: â€Å"And out of her own goodness make the net, That shall enmesh them all.† Here, Iago is fantasizing about putting his plan into action. He is also once again revealing the sense of detachment he feels, he is planning on manipulating Desdemona’s innocence and purity into a weapon, thus highlighting the ruthless nature of his character. The fact that Iago sees these qualities as factors to be exploited sum up his nature in perfect fashion. Iago is an opportunist, a speculator. He is extremely apt in finding a gap in someone’s character and using it to fulfil his own needs. Whilst most would see this as a weakness, Iago sees it as strength and it serves him well until he is caught. The fact that Shakespeare compares Iago manipulating everyone around him to â€Å"enmeshing people† suggests that Iago is in a higher position than everybody else. He is rounding up the other characters, and delighting in the fact that it is Desdemona’s innocence that is luring people in. He is doing the dirty work whilst using another character o take the blame. In conclusion, I do see Iago as the perfect villain. He is opportunistic, ruthless and compelling, a perfect villain in so many ways. An Elizabethan audience would most likely have at first reacted very negatively to Iago, but such is the strength of his character that his motives for destroying Othello begin to be understood long after the play has been performed. Whilst at first he seems purely evil, upon further reflection you begin to see Iago as a victim, a victim of what ambition can do to a man. The soliloquies also help Iago gain, and lose empathy. Shakespeare uses them as a tool, an instrument in engaging the audience. First the audience feel sorry for Iago, before Shakespeare turns the story on it’s head and makes Iago utterly evil once more. This all contributes to making Iago the perfect villain; he is unreadable and unpredictable, unlike other Shakespearean characters that remain the same character throughout. Iago is constantly changing, evolving and developing.

Negotiation Strategy Analysis

The first article is retrieved from Bloomberg. com â€Å"Saudi Oil Tanker Owners in Negotiations with Pirates† where the Saudi Arabian supertanker hijacked off the coast of Somalia. The supertanker belongs to Saudi Arabia's state-owned shipping line, Vela International Marine Ltd. The negotiation is between the pirates that have captured the Sirius Star and the owners of the Saudi Arabian supertanker. The pirates have the advantage in the negotiation because they have the 25 crew with different nationalities as hostage, and the tanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil worth $110 million. Saudi Arabia is unlikely considering an armed response because it may endanger the crew, and would require a great deal of international agreement and cooperation. The ship is carrying Liberian flag, owned by a Saudi company, in Somali waters, with so many nationalities onboard. The owners have to pay ransom money for the safe delivery of the supertanker. The hijackers can actually force the owners into paying large ransom money (Alexander, & Krause, November 19, 2008). The second article is retrieved from the Eagle Tribune: â€Å"Fate of Detroit's Big 3 will trickle down locally†, where the CEO's of the big three automakers, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler have united to lobby Congress for a 25 billion loan. The negotiation is between the big three automaker companies and the government. The arguments is if their companies goes under, and one of them declared bankruptcy, an estimates of as high as 2. 5 million U. S jobs losses and more than 730,000 workers will be unemployed. This is a pressure tactic utilized to force the government to give the $25 billion loan (Kirk, November 26, 2008). The two negotiation articles describe a negotiation situation that employs different negotiation strategies. The first article, the pirates uses distributive bargaining strategy which is characterized by mistrust and suspicion, designed to beat the other party (Lewicki, Saunders, & Barry, 2006). The pirates have the advantage over the owner by intimidating or threatening to eradicate the crew and the supertanker. While on the other hand, the three car automakers and the government uses integrative negotiation strategy which is characterized by openness and trust, designed to achieve the best possible solution for all parties involve (Lewicki, Saunders, & Barry, 2006). The US government cannot be forced to provide a loan to the three auto companies, the only possible way to persuade them of giving $25 billion dollars to the three automakers is the possibility of loss of millions of jobs and the increase of unemployment in the event the automakers goes under or declared bankruptcy. The comparison between the two situations is both negotiation disputes are used to influence the other party to part with money. The first scenario is the owners of the supertanker, and the US government on the second scenario. In both scenarios, the stand taken by the negotiators is â€Å"pay or otherwise†. Each situation involved, terms, counter offers, and demands placed by the parties from which the payment is claimed.

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The Lyrics About Artist's Difficulty in the Song - Case Study Example According to the song, the artist explained his involvement in a gang that was into the illegal drug trade. As part of the song’s second stanza says, he became part of the gang while he was looking for a father that has gone. Besides this, he was in need of money, considering that peddling illegal drugs is the only way he can overcome his poverty. To show his gratitude and love for his mother, he sends money often. It is obvious in the song that the artist disliked how his mother took other men whose characters were only as bad as that of their irresponsible father. Despite this, the artist still managed to show his appreciation for the maternal love and concern he received even if he was beginning to be a major problem for his mother. The lines that said how he felt when his mother gave him a hug from a jail cell aptly depict this. It is not clear in the song if the artist’s father left the family before he died. However, whether he was actually present the whole time until he died, the artist considered him a stranger. This means that he was actually an entity whose existence was not appreciated at all by his kids. Because of this, the kids were more attached to their mother, the only person whom they saw carrying out the role of a parent to them. However, even at the end of the song, the lyrics about his difficulty in showing his appreciation to his mother are repeated. Despite the fact that he has already been sending money to her, he still thinks that this was not enough.

Time Value of Money _ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Time Value of Money _ - Essay Example It is important that lawyers should note the key issues in annuity sale and investment. The relationship between a trustee and the beneficiaries is fiduciary (Warren, Reeve & Duchac, 2012). Trustee must in his profession exercise diligence, prudence, and care in managing the affairs of other persons. The principal duties of a trustee include; not making profit out of his trust, acting in good faith, to be accountable to his beneficiaries, not to misuse confidential information or put himself in a position where interests and duty is conflict (Warren, Reeve & Duchac, 2012). The circumstances that trustee should consider while making investments include the general economic conditions, the expected tax consequences of investment strategies, the possible effects of inflation or deflation, the appreciation of capital and expected total returns, the other resources that the beneficiary has, needs for liquidity and regularities of income, an assets special value to the purposes of the trust and to the other beneficiaries. Variable annuities can either be deferred or immediate. Variable annuities allow an investor to choose from sub accounts that include geographic, sector and brood index stock funds. They also have affixed account.Varible annuities convert capital gains into ordinary income and have considerably higher expenses compared with comparable mutual funds. For this reason they are quite unsuitable for most investors. Equity indexed annuities offer reduced equity participation but with protection against losses. The level of equity indexed annuities caps will be related with interest rates and not stock prices. EIAs have larger commissions associated with them. Larger commissions are usually linked to complex surrender charges for long periods, hence less liquid and elastic. Equity indexed annuities promise a capped participation in equity returns, with a guarantee that no losses will be incurred. Equity indexed annuities are a hybrid fixed not

Balloon Car Essay Example for Free

Balloon Car Essay Our first idea was to make a paper Lamborghini. We looked on many websites to find ways to make an origami-type Lamborghini. All of the instructional videos that we found were at least an hour-and-a-half, or did not even look like a car. As we got to school I had the idea to look up paper models of Lamborghinis, the kind where it has the dotted lines and you cut it out, fold it where it says to, and tape it together. We printed it out and we could not get it big enough on a standard-sized piece of printer paper. There were five basic shapes on the model so we just decided to take five pieces of paper and draw the shapes much bigger and duplicate the design. After we drew the design and cut it all out we decided to cut out pieces of cardboard the same shape and put it behind the paper so it was more stable and added some weight. For our balloon, we put a hole in the back of the car that we could put a straw through, and taped the balloon to the straw. We taped the straw up on the back part of the car so when we blew up the balloon it would go straight up. Our wheel idea came to mind when I was drawing out an idea for our car. I was using a blue highlighter, accidentally dropped it, and we discovered how fast it rolled. We decided to try to pop out the center part of the highlighter so we could put a piece of wire through the center through the two ends and hook the wire through the bottom part of the sides of the car. We were going to use two highlighters, one in the front and one in the back, instead of â€Å"4 wheels†. However, we could not get the center out of the highlighters. We went â€Å"dumpster diving† around the school and ending up getting pop caps from Ms. Chambers. Since our idea was to use highlighters and the wire, once we hammered a hold through each of the caps, we couldn’t figure out how to make them turn because we did not have a good axle. We tried to use just a straw for the axle and that did not work. We then tried to compact the straw so it was not as big around and that did not work either. We also tried to put nails through the caps and stick the nails into the side of the car but that did not work either. Our next idea was to go to the band room and put four timpani wheels on the bottom of our car, but they were way too heavy. Eventually we smashed the straws to make them thinner and put it inside a hollowed-out pen. This made a good axle and we used this for our car. As we tested our car to see if it would move, it did not. We realized that our car may be too heavy so we had to think of a Plan B. We decided to take five kabob sticks and hot glue them side-by-side so it was pretty much flat. We then put our Pepsi cap wheels on the bottom, and taped the straw and balloon on top. We tested it and it moved over five meters and the path it took was fairly straight. The speed of our car is 2. 37 Meters/second. We found our speed because it took 2. 37 seconds to travel one meter. Our car is a good example of inertia. It keeps moving until its â€Å"power source† (balloon) runs out of air. It stops it because if the balloon never ran out of air, and if there was nothing in its path, our car would never stop moving. It’s also an example of acceleration because it starts off slow, gets a little faster, and as the balloon starts to run out of air, it slows down again. It’s also an example of every action has an equal and opposite reaction, because as the balloon releases air the car moves.

Analysis Of The Uk Renewable Energy Industry Environmental Sciences Essay

Analysis Of The Uk Renewable Energy Industry Environmental Sciences Essay Renewable energy is the energy generated from natural resources such as biomass, sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable, that is, naturally replenished(Wikipedia, 2010). Renewable energy technologies are essential contributors to energy supply portfolio, as they contribute to world energy security, reduce dependency on fossil fuels, and provide opportunities for mitigating greenhouse gases (IEA, 2007). Renewable energy is also considered by some to be a potentially significant contributor toward the economic development of rural areas, a means of reducing poverty through the creation of employment and improving the quality of lives (Mark et al, 2008). Renewable energy sources were very unpopular in the past decades because of their comparative cost disadvantage. With the exception of large hydropower, combustible biomass, and larger geothermal projects, the average cost of renewable energy are generally not competitive with the wholesale electricity and fossil fuel prices(IEA, 2007). However, this decade has witnessed a tremendous development in renewable energy sector. The rising oil prices, issue of global warming , carbon gas emission, terrorism and political instability in many oil producing countries in the middle east are the major forces driving this development. The International Energy Agency estimates that nearly 50% of global electricity supplies will need to come from renewable energy sources in order to reduce carbon dioxide emission by 50% by 2050 and minimise significant, irreversible climate change impacts (IEA, 2008). During the five- years period from the end of 2004 -2009, worldwide renewable energy grew at the rates of 10-60% for many technologies (REN21, 2010). In 2008 for the first time, more renewable energy than convectional power capacity was added in both European Union and United States, demonstrating a fundamental transition of the worlds energy markets towards renewable (Eric et al, 2009). Renewable energy sector is growing at a very amazing rate in UK. Between 2003 and 2009 there was 138 per cent increase in power generation from renewables in the UK, but faster rates of growth were recorded in Northern Ireland (702 per cent), East Midlands (268 per cent), North East (211 per cent), Scotland (188 per cent), South East (146 per cent) and Yorkshire and the Humber (139 per cent) (DECC, 2010). Higher growth rate is expected in the next decade. This can be inferred from the fact that power generation from the UKs oil and gas and nuclear reactors have been on a long-term downward trend and tend towards the end of their life span (Keynote, 2008). As a result, UK government has devised a comprehensive approach to support the development of the renewable energy sector through the UK renewable energy strategy 2009. Renewable energy in UK is supported through a range of measures. The renewable obligation Order requires electricity suppliers to purchase a specified amount of the electricity they supply from renewable sources (Keynote, 2010). Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) are obtained to demonstrate that renewable sources have been used. The climate change levy is a fossil-fuel tax from which exemptions can be obtained by using certain renewable technologies. Capital grants are available for research and development for a wide range of renewable energy projects. Grants are also available for the cultivation of energy crops. Obviously, these are good incentives to stimulate investments in renewable energy. However, investors need assurance that these incentives and subsidies will be available over a larger part of the product life cycle and not just trap-in-incentives. This will enable renewable energy companies to build a more stable and viable strategic plan to take best advantage of t he incentives. The favourable geographical location of UK in terms of its windy condition, long coastline and excellent infrastructural facilities contributes to the rapid growth of renewable energy. The amount of power generated in terms of renewable energy in UK grew each year between 2004 and 2008 (DECC, 2009).A total of 17,566 gigawatt hours (GWh) was generated in 2008 which is 76.2% more than the amount generated in 2004. Biomass produced most of the renewable electricity in 2008 (46.1%) of the total, followed by wind and wave power (40.4%) and hydropower (13.4%), see table 1. Renewable energy is expected to develop into a major sector, providing scope for business growth and a substantial source of employment (Keynote, 2010). UK Renewable Energy Strategy, (2009) estimated that 500, 000 jobs could be created in the market by 2020. Table 1 : Electricity Generated from UK Renewable Energy Sources (gigawatt hours), 2004-2008 Biomass 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Landfill 4,004 4,290 4,424 4,677 4,757 Co-firing with fossils fuels 1,022 2,533 2,528 1,956 1,613 Animal biomass 565 468 434 555 587 Plant biomass 362 382 363 409 568 Sewage-sludge digestion 440 470 456 496 564 Total biomass 6,393 8,143 8,204 8,092 8,090 Wind wave power Onshore 1,736 2,501 3,574 4,491 5,792 Offshore 199 403 651 783 1,305 Total wind wave power 1,935 2,904 4,225 5,274 7,097 Hydropower Small scale 283 444 478 534 568 Other hydro 1,353 1,542 1,969 1,912 1,794 Total hydropower 1,636 1,986 2,447 2,446 2,362 Solar photovoltaics 4 8 11 14 17 Total 9,968 13,040 14,887 15,826 17,566 Source :Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2009, Department of Energy and Climate Change Having presented the general overview of renewable energy industry , a critical environmental analysis of the industry will be examined using PEST analysis, SWOT analysis and Porters five model of competitive advantage. PEST ANALYSIS The environment in which an organisation operates is divided into macro and micro environments(Philip, 2000). The micro environment has a major and direct impact upon the organisation, and its strategic planning process while the macro environment comprises those conditions that have a broad, rather than direct, impact upon the organisation (Wendy,1997). Brannan (1992) identified the major potential macro environmental factors that could significantly impact on organisation performance and a possible framework for listing such factors is PEST-Politics, Economics, Sociology and Technological developments. POLITICAL FACTORS The long-term decline in UKs oil and gas fortunes has led to an increasing import of oil and gas (Keynote, 2010). This means UK will be competing in the world markets for its oil and gas requirements with emerging economies, such as China and India. These countries have different cultures and political structures to the UK, and it could be a challenge for the UK to maintain a good relationship with them. Political instability and terrorism in the middle east is also of concern on the security of global energy supply. Therefore, Energy supply could become a very political issues in the future. It is hopeful that renewable energy sector will gain enormous political support from the UK government as an alternative to heavy reliance on importation of oil and gas. This will create favourable atmosphere and opportunities for investment in renewable energy sector. The quest to solve the problem of global warming has great political impact on government policies towards renewable energy. There is co-operation among the western world to reduce global warming by reducing carbon gas emission . The UK Government takes a prominent role in mitigating the effects of climate change by reducing carbon gas emission. Several government initiatives and legislation have been put in place, notable among these are; The Climate Change Act 2008-a commitment to reduce the UKs greenhouse gas emissions to at least 80% below the 1990 levels by 2050, Energy Act 2008 and Renewable Obligation (Keynote,2010). Renewable Obligation requires electricity suppliers to supply a specific amount of electricity from renewable sources. This is a good initiative to develop renewable energy. According to Deloitte(2010), UK has nearly 30 different low carbon energy incentives in form of tax credits and subsidies. The argument here is the certainty of the availability of the incenti ves throughout the project life cycle. This is vital for long term strategic plans. Nonetheless, the political imperative to introduce regulatory and fiscal incentives will continue to create opportunities for investors (Deloitte, 2010). ECONOMIC FACTORS GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP) There was an annual increase in the UKs GDP between 2005 and 2008, but a decline of 4.8% was seen in annual chain-linked GDP in 2009, NSW,2010 (cited in keynote, 2010). GDP forecast for the period from 2009 to 2013 are well below the growth experienced during the 2005 to 2008 period (when annual growth was between 3.4% and 5.7% at current prices) TIA,2009 (Cited in Keynote, 2010). Growth is forecast to fall steeply to -4.2% in 2009, followed by a slow recovery to 2.6% in 2013. By 2013, GDP annual growth will still not be as great as any year in the period from 2005 to 2008. It is likely that lower GDP will have a depressing effect on renewable energy demand. However, this notion has been proved otherwise by the year on year increase in UK demand for renewable energy (DECC, 2009). UK demand for renewable energy increased by 6.7% between 2006 and 2007 and by 12.9% between 2007 and 2008. It is expected that the demand for renewable energy will continue to increase over the years to 2020 as government has put in place several incentives to attract private investors in a bid to achieve the goals of UK renewable energy strategy by 2020. According to the secretary of state for energy and climate change (UK renewable energy strategy, 2009), UK government aims at reducing carbon emissions by expanding renewable energy to account for 15% of energy demand by 2020, reduce UKs of fossil fuels by around 10% by 2020. Through the implementation of this strategy, enough renewable energy will be in place by 2020 to supply the equivalent of nearly all 26 million homes in the UK with their current electricity needs and 4 million homes with their current heating needs. This radical approach will require a seven -fold increase in renewable energy in the 11 years from 2009 to 2020. The lead scenario of this proposed massive expansion is based on more than 30% of electricity needs to be generated from renewable (up from around 5.5% now), mostly from wind power, 12% of heat needs and 1 0% of transport needs from the current level of 2.6%. If the proposal is fully implemented and progressed as planned, it will create a huge investment opportunities for investors in the renewable energy sector. It will also promote innovation and catalyse infrastructural development in the renewable energy sector. If infrastructural and technological development are sustained over a period of time, it can bring economy of scale in terms of reduced energy cost. This will improve the competitive strength of renewable energy. UNEMPLOYMENT Another important economic variable is unemployment. UK unemployment rose from 860,000 in 2005 to 910,000 in 2008, before suffering a huge rise of 68.1% to reach 1.5million in 2009 (Keynote, 2010). The drastic rise in unemployment rate was as a direct consequence of economic meltdown. The 5-year period from 2009 to 2013 is forecast to experience unemployment levels well above any annual figure in the preceding period (2005 -2009),unemployment is forecast to rise from 1.5million in 2009 to 2.16 million in 2010, after which it will decline to 1.86 million in 2013 TIA, 2009 (Cited in keynote, 2010). The implication of this is that with fewer people at work, it is to be expected that energy consumption in the workplace will decline. There will, however, be an increase in domestic energy consumption if a large number of people are at home during cold weather. INFLATION A stable inflation rate over time is essential for a more realistic strategic plans, whereas, in a situation of fluctuating inflation it may be difficult for organisations to have stable plans as adjustment will have to be made from time to time. UK inflation increased from 2.8% to 4.3% between 2005 and 2007, it fell to 4% in 2008 and a deflation of 0.5% set in 2009 (Keynote, 2010). From the economic point of view, a slightly rising inflation over time tends to favour investment as higher returns will be accrued to factors of production. Energy prices increased generally between 2005 and 2009 (Keynote, 2010). This can be partially attributed to increase in inflation rate over the same period. However, a well stable inflation over time can lead to economic stagnation, which can impact negatively on renewable energy market demand. SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS Renewable energy is often considered as the solution to the worlds climate change and wider environmental concerns (Deloitte,2010). The success of renewable energy as an environmentally friendly and alternative energy source is always questioned by its scope and sustainability. The issue of sustainability is rising and corporate social responsibility is becoming an increasing concern for all companies. Therefore, there is more pressure on renewable energy companies to deliver an effective sustainability agenda (Deloitte, 2010). Renewable energy can involve large infrastructure, its construction and operation has both environmental and social consequences. These include questions regarding the carbon benefits of bio-fuels and argument that they are contributing to rising food prices, fears over the impact of wind farms and tidal barrages on local biodiversity, as well as the social impact of large hydro projects which can involve relocation of villages (Deloitte, 2010). As renewable e nergy continues to become a larger part of the energy equation, there will be increasing focus on its sustainability credentials. The strategic implication of this for a renewable energy companies is that they should undertake thorough environmental and social assessments embedding sustainability into their overall corporate strategy and supply chain in order to preserve their own and the industrys reputation (Deloitte, 2010). It can be inferred that increased sustainability and social responsibilities will lead to increased renewable energy cost . A survey by electric utility week (2010), found that the single most energy related problem facing consumers today is high cost of various forms of energy. Another social factor militating the development of renewable energy project is the difficulties in obtaining planning permission (Michael, 2008). The reason for this is local NIMBY (Not-in-my backyard) opposition. But, this has been borne out of a fear of change and a lack of appreciation of the benefits that renewable energy can play in local communities. This constraint can be eliminated by encouraging local communities to co-invest in small scale renewable energy projects (Deloitte, 2010). This approach will assist in alleviating rural poverty and at the same time raise awareness on the benefits of renewable energy. POPULATION The population of a region, its distribution, composition, growth and trend over time is an important environmental factor that could play a key role in designing an effective corporate strategies over a relatively long period of time .Understanding population dynamics of the market in which corporate organizations operate promotes recruitment policies, gives better understanding of demand for the products and proper segmentation of the market. In 2009, the UK resident population was 61.8 million, which grew by 0.7% compared with previous figures of 61.38million in 2008 and by 2.6% compared with 60.24million in 2005 (NSW,2010). The UK population is projected to grow by 0.7% per annum between 2009 and 2013, rising from 61.8 million to 63.7 million (GAD,2009).This strong population growth and forecast is a favourable factor for the current and future prospects for the renewable energy industry. A favourable population growth can lead to increase demand for renewable energy, as a result companies can expand their market share which will impact positively on the organizations bottom line (profit motive). However, a growing population could also a challenge for the industry to continue to provide a good service as it aims to reduce carbon emissions(Keynote, 2010). TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS The growing demand for renewable energy of all kinds is generating a need for people with appropriate skills. Companies need to consider how to build up, manage and retain their human capital, particularly where projects may face an uncertain development period (Deloitte, 2010). Already, there have been reports of shortages of turbine blades, restricting wind-farm development (Keynote, 2008). Renewable energy in UK is a world-class industry and with government commitment to realise the sectors full potentials, it is essential that its skill base grows to support its expansion. Key players in the oil and gas industry are also stakeholders in the development of renewable energy sector. These companies employ the latest technology, possess well- trained engineers and other personnel. Some of these skills can be readily transferred to renewable energy sector (Deloitte, 2010 ). Technological developments in the global renewable energy world is also important. For instance, China is already the largest and fastest renewable energy economy in the word, their focus is not just domestic but international, and their impact will be felt everywhere (Deloitte, 2010). COMPETITIVE STRUCTURE Organizations do not exist in isolation but operate in a dynamic, turbulent and constantly changing world with many forces in place. Among the significant environmental variables are those relating to the nature of competition in particular market as these will determine current profitability and the scope for manoeuvring within that market (Wendy,1997). These environmental variables were identified by Porter through his five forces model of competitive structure, Porter, 1980 (cited in Wendy, 1997). These environmental variables include; threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitute products or services and rivalry among existing competitors. The current competitive position of any organization will be the net force of these five aggregated (Porter, 1980). This model will be used to analyse the competitive structure of the renewable energy industry in UK. RIVALRY BETWEEN COMPETITORS UK energy industry is dominated by many multinational energy companies. Notable among are ; AMEC Plc, BP Plc, Centrica plc, EDF Plc, E.ON Climate and Renewables UK Operations Ltd, Renewable Energy System Ltd, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, RWE Power Plc, Scottish Power Ltd, Scottish and Southern Energy Plc, AES Solar, Bio-energy Technology Ltd, among others (Keynote, 2010). These companies have very strong financial strength, employ latest technology and possess first class manpower. Their recent interests and investments in various renewable technologies in UK is making the competition tougher than before. For instance, in 2008, BP Plc invested $1.4b in its alternative energy business and Centrica Plc announced that its proposed 250MW offshore wind farm off the Lincolnshire coast had received official consent (Keynote, 2010). This trend is expected to continue because of the global interest in reducing global warming and carbon emission through low carbon energy sources. The implication of this is that competition between rival will grow more intense. Moreover, renewable energy is a fast growing sector of the energy industry in UK. The renewable energy sector is expected to experienced a spontaneous and sustained growth over the next two decades because of the government supports to develop the sector. As the sector grows spontaneously over time, competition among competitors tends to be more intense. It is hopeful that increased competition will lead to overall industry efficiency and consequently reduced energy cost. THREATS OF NEW ENTRANTS Availability of different incentives in terms of tax credit and subsidies will definitely woo potential investors to invest in UK renewable energy sector. The existing companies in the UK renewable energy sector are mostly multinationals with robust balance sheet, highly innovative and technologically advanced. Their size and efficient technology give them economic of scale advantage in the area of production, marketing and distribution of renewable energy over the incoming companies. The effect of this is reduced energy cost per unit that can be favourably transferred to consumers. The greatest concern about the future of renewable energy is the acceptability of its higher cost compare to other traditional energy sources to consumers. However, injection of huge capital at start-up by new companies, with right management team and dedicated staff could neutralise the retaliation power of the existing competitor. This could as well serve as threats to the existing companies. THREATS OF SUBSTITUTES In recent years, renewable energy sector has received tremendous supports for its increase share of total energy supply not only from the UK government but also from EU and the world at large. This is attributed to its positive effects on climate change. However, much have not been said about the comparative cost of renewable energy with other convectional energy sources. A study carried out by the BP Power for Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE, 2010) revealed that renewable energy sources are generally more expensive than convectional energy sources. The studies attributed the higher cost of renewable energy to immaturity of the technology and limited opportunity to take advantage of cost savings through economy of scale. Convectional energy sources are good substitutes to renewable energy and constitute a serious threat to its growth and development . However, it is hopeful that with the global trend towards renewable energy, the sector will experience a technological revolution an d take advantage of economy of scale from increased market opportunities. THE POWER OF BUYERS AND SUPPLIERS The bargaining power of suppliers is relatively high. This is driven by the small number of renewable energy suppliers and relatively lack of information and product choice for buyers. SWOT ANALYSIS This is a model for assessing the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats that face an organization . Strengths and weaknesses define the internal context of the organization, while opportunities and threats examine the external environment (Philip, 2000). STRENGHTS One of the greatest environmental problems facing the world today is global warming. Global warming is caused by carbon gas emission from the convectional fossil fuels . The focus of the western world is to reduce carbon emission to as low as possible. The fundamental approach to this is the development of global alternative energy sources with low carbon emission, of which renewable energy is viable and feasible option. UK is playing a leading role at reducing global carbon emission. A comprehensive approach towards achieving these goals, UK Renewable Energy Strategy 2009 was presented to the house of parliament in July, 2009. The strategy contains various incentives to attract private investors and proposed huge government capital investment in different areas of renewable sector. Renewable energy already benefits  £485 million a year through the Renewable Obligation and plans are on ground to offer further subsidies (e.g. reductions in transmission charges) through amendments to the electricity bills (RAE, 2010). Also, recent legislation in the UK and EU provides a framework for more commitment to the development of renewable energy. Furthermore, UK is blessed with many suitable locations for the development of various forms of renewable energy. As at 2009, a total of 1,648 sites generated electricity from different renewable sources; 939 (57%) were in England , 436 (26.4%) were in Scotland, 143 (8.7%) were in Wales and 130(7.9%) were in Northern Ireland (DECC, 2010). The location advantage couple with UK government and EU supports is a strong impetus that could drive a revolutionary development in the renewable energy sector. Also, the long- term decline in the UKs offshore oil and gas industry adds strength for an increase in renewable energy. OPPORTUNITIES UK has a stable political structure characterised by high technological and infrastructural development. Thus, the economy is capable of developing extensive expertise in a wide range of renewable technologies, including design, research, manufacture and installation (Keynote, 2009). The availability of world class facilities and manpower in various UK universities can be harnessed to channel research towards developing a first class renewable energy technologies that will promote overall industry efficiency in the sector. The impact of research and technology in the development of a sustainable renewable energy economy cannot be overemphasised. It will drive the industry into maturity from which economy of scale can be achieved. Also, renewable energy sector opens opportunities for many multinational oil and gas companies to increase their stake or as new entrants. These companies have appropriate skills mix and technology. Development in renewable energy sector can also open opport unity for companies to enter foreign markets. THREATS Large energy companies review the whole global energy market to identify the best returns for their investment. Some of these companies have decided to curtail investment in renewable energy in certain regions and technologies, as more interesting opportunities (not necessarily in renewable energy ) lie outside UK (keynote, 2009). Also the proposed plans to replace the UKs ageing nuclear power stations with new nuclear power stations pose a serious threat to the future of renewable energy. They have very low carbon emissions and represent perfect substitute to renewable energy in this respect. WEAKNESSESS The development of large scale renewable energy and the necessary infrastructures require substantial amount of capital which is difficult to come by. Investors are finding it very difficult to obtain the much needed fund from the banks because of the recession. Also, it has been established by research that, in the short run, renewable energy are more expensive than the convectional energy sources . The business implication of this is that profitability will be affected in the short run. Energy supply has little product differentiation and consumers will only go for the cheapest energy source. Thus, new renewable energy companies may be forced to apply price penetration policy to gain enough market share from which they can enjoy economy of scale. Shortage of equipment, for instance in wind farm power sector also hinders development of renewable energy (Keynote, 2010). CONCLUSION This analysis has shown that renewable energy is a growing sector of the energy industry in UK with many potentials to develop into a major energy sector. Many forces are responsible for the growth of renewable energy industry. These include; the global and EU commitments to reduce carbon gas emission from the convectional fossil fuel and gas, UK government supports in terms of incentives and subsidies, location advantage of UK, long term decline in UKs oil and gas output and various government legislations. In addition to this, renewable energy if fully developed provides a permanent energy source unlike other convectional sources with limited supply life span. However, the greatest challenges facing the development of renewable energy sector are uncertainty of supply as most renewable sources are affected by natural conditions that are difficult to control, and high cost of renewable energy. Studies have shown that renewable energy sources are more expensive than other convectional energy sources(Lucintel, 2010, IEA, 2007 RAE, 2010). The reasons given for this are both technical and economic. The technical aspect of the cost has to do with the level of technology while economic relates to cost savings through economy of scale. According to Reuters (2009), the high cost of renewable energy sources relative to convectional energy sources is a short term technical and economic bottleneck, which will be eliminated as the sector grows in scope, expand its market share and tends towards maturity. Al Gore (2009) claimed that as time progresses, renewable energy cost generally gets cheaper, while fossil fuel generally gets more expensive. It is expected that the UK 11 years (2009-2020) strategic plans for developing the renewable energy industry as analysed by UK renewable energy strategy 2009, will drive the industry into maturity through innovation and high technology. The continuous increase in demand and market share by the renewable energy over the years is an indication that in the very near future, the sector can achieve reduced energy cost per unit through economy of scale. Thus, the sector will be able to compete favourably in terms of cost with other sources of energy. It is therefore, evident that there are potential and viable business opportunities for investors in renewable energy sector of the UK economy.

Mary Crow Dog in the American Indian Movement :: essays research papers

During the American Indian Movement, many Native Americans tribes came together as a unit and fought against the injustices that were thrust upon them by American governmental polices. The fact that many Native people were ?whitemanized? through Christianity and other things that such as boarding school played a role in shaping Native peoples identity. However, the involvement in the American Indian Movement shaped the identity of Mary Crow Dog by making her accept who she was ?an Indian woman, and by making her more willing to fight for the rights of Native Americans. Before joining the American Indian Movement, Mary Crow Dog was forced into boarding school and she questioned her identity many times. For instance, she said that as a young girl she wanted to know who she was because her skin was very light. Because of this she wanted a to lay out in the sun so that she could become a real skin Indian. She questioned her Indian identity because her father was white and also because she was a ?iyeska.? This meaning a half blood Indian and as a result she was looked down upon by white people and full bloods Indians. When Mary Crow Dog joined the American Indian Movement, her outlook on life as an Indian changed because she accepted who she was and she was proud of being and Indian as well. She held on to her old religion and she participated in old Indian traditions such as Ghost dancing. She also went back to using medicine man and peyote roadman. In her point of view ?holding on to her own religion was one way of resisting a slow death of the Indian culture that was being perpetuated by the white man. In addition, she stated that to be an Indian she had to go to the full bloods and listen to what they had to say. This is because the full blood was humble and they had hearts. Another thing that allowed Mary Crow dog to accept who she was, was the fact that AIM brought a lot of different tribes together and they all fought collectively against White America. One of the most important things that the American Indian Movement did for Mary Crow dog was it made her more willing to fight for Indian rights. For example, she protested in Washington with AIM and she was part of the native people that took over the Bureau of Indian Affairs building.

The Grafenberg Area :: Sex Anatomy Papers

The Grafenberg Area Just what is the purpose of existence? This question has been raised countless times by countless millions of people, wondering just what exactly they are here for. Some of those among us decide to make the study of that question their life's work, and spend many hours thinking, writing, and speaking about it. These specialists, philosophers, exist to give us some idea of why we continue to exist. One school of philosophical thought holds that the only thing of any value whatsoever is pleasure, and that the purpose of existence is to experience as much pleasure as possible. This school of philosophical thought, called hedonism, is theoretically sound. All actions taken by human beings can be argued to have been performed because the performer discerned or imagined a tangible reward for performing the act. Hedonists hold that individuals should identify that which gives them pleasure, and act upon that knowledge to derive the maximum amount of pleasure possible from any situation. As sex is among the more powerful forms of pleasurable stimuli known to man, researchers among the biological, anthropological, and medical fields have endeavored to discover greater knowledge of human sexuality. Sexual research is performed to provide accurate information to several audiences. The general public benefits from this research in that people develop a higher awareness of their own capacity for sexual fulfillment; they discover the extent to which their body and mind are geared to pleasure, and they learn how to exercise that capacity while minimizing the risk of exposure to sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. Many people come to accept the feelings their bodies are capable of producing without feelings of guilt or shame. This is a significant event in my opinion, because I believe the path of ascension for the human race lies in self-awareness. Particularly among those cultures which are historically sexually repressive, the widespread dissemination of sexual information can bring about a very positive change in the way people feel about themselves. Medical professionals, too, greatly benefit from the research of sexuality. Clinical research and scientific surveys give physicians more accurate data on the proper functioning of human sexual organs, allowing physicians to find more effective forms of contraception and disease prevention, and allowing more accurate diagnoses of potential problems. These more accurate diagnoses can lead to more effective treatments for sexual disorders. Among the other major beneficiaries of sexual research are judiciary officials, who when given more accurate definitions of sexual deviancy and sexual criminality are better able to pronounce just sentencing.

Binary Oppositions in Leda and the Swan Essays -- Leda and the Swan Es

Binary Oppositions in Leda and the Swan Yeats' "Leda and the Swan" uses the binary oppositions of the beauty and viciousness of Zeus as a swan and the helplessness and eventual strength of Leda, Yeats reveals that even the mightiest entities may suffer the consequences of their misuse of power. In "Leda and the Swan," the beauty of the swan is contrasted with the physical attributes of a swan who acts out his male animalistic power over his female prey, demonstrating the raw male and female relationships in nature. Swan are huge birds, and as pointed out in the Internet site "The Swan and Leda" (a poem on the same subject as "Leda and the Swan") "Swans, unlike most birds, have external genitals" (1). Thus, the swan is a perfect animal for such a hideous crime as Zeus performs on Leda. In further developing the underlying repercussion theme, the basis of the poem must be analyzed. In Greek Mythology, Zeus disguises himself as a swan in order to lure the pure and sexually ripe Leda into violence. Critical Survey of Poetry, edited by Frank N. Magill, says, "In the tale from antiquity, a Spartan Queen, Leda, was so beautiful that Zeus, ruler of the Gods, decided that he must have her. Since the immortals usually did not present themselves to humankind in their divine forms, Zeus changed himself into a great swan and in that shape ravished the helpless girl" (3716). Zeus as the swan is described as being "great" and of "feathered glory" (lines 1-6). He is a terrific product of nature, yet his male sexual tendencies get the better of him, and he gives into his uncontrollable lust for Leda. Zeus is a selfish male who uses his superhuman powers to exploit an innocent human. Clearly, the oppositions Yeats uses provoke intrig... ...Literary Criticism. Ed. Dennis Poupard. Detroit: Gale Publishing, 1989. 397. Hathorn, Richmond Y. Greek Mythology. Lebanon: The American University of Beirut, 1977. Johnsen, William. Yeats and Postmodernism. New York: Syracuse University Press, 1991. Kuehn, Robert E. "Yeats." Contemporary Literature Criticism. Ed. Dedria Bryfronski. Detroit: Gale Publishing, 1979. 284. Lucas, John. "Yeats." World Literature Criticism. Ed. James P. Draper. Detroit: Gale Publishing, 1992. 4110. Magill, Frank N. ed. Critical Survey of Poetry. Pasedena: Salem Press, 1992. "The Swan and Leda." On-line. Internet. July, 1996. Available Netscape Navigator: http://charm.physics.ucsb.edu/people/hart/poem/swan.html Yeats, William Butler.   "Leda and the Swan." Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense.   4th ed.   Ed. Laurence Perrine.   New York: Harcourt.   1983.   636

Solution for the Decline of Circulation of Newspaper

Newspapers face stiff competition against other mediums that broadcast news, such as the television, the radio, and the biggest competition, the World Wide Web. With the fast advancement in technology, news no longer needs to be viewed sedentarily. Electronic companies are catering to the fast-paced and busy lifestyles of Americans; therefore, creating devices that are portable and convenient for getting the news. New technology such as tablet PCs, e-book readers, and smart phones are replacing the way we have been receiving the news. However, these new devices cannot replace the worth of owning a hard copy. If the traditional printing of newspaper was to continue, what needs to be done is simply combining technology and printed newspaper as one medium, in doing so, we can also promote free subscriptions to see how much success this idea can go. Newspaper and online resources both have components that are lacking. â€Å"The newspaper industry has changed dramatically and there is no doubt that we’ll continue to see a change in the print of newspaper. But there are some very interesting opportunities that should be focused on and that is: delivering content to readers in the preferred medium, generating new methods of advertising that are more relevant for the consumer and effective for the advertiser, controlling costs for the newspaper publisher. † (Peck) Seeing that the decline in newspaper sales became a popular trend over decades of time, I would like to propose a solution to the problem that would approach news in a different and effective way. This idea would be to embed digital components within the newspaper itself. For example, â€Å"Touch sensitive screens, audio and video players which would be water proof, flexible, shock proof and have a decent quality. † (Mahaptra, Kumar) The idea would be to have newspaper and reader interaction. Touch screens of suitable dimensions with flash memory that would be pre-programmed and stitched into the newspaper. A user would just need to touch the screen to get whatever image is being portrayed. Similarly, embedding an audio player would be programmed to read out a particular news selection. This idea is similar to the movie scenes in the Harry Potter series where an individual is reading a newspaper that portrays content as the layout of pictures change magically. In this case, for my solution would be to interpret the images digitally. This idea is revolutionary and innovative as well as a creative approach to delivering content in the interest of users. This would be the closest way to keep within tradition of the printed newspaper and in turn compensating the demands of the â€Å"fast-paced and busy lifestyles of Americans. â€Å"News needs to be more attuned to readers' personal priorities and this means journalists moving from ‘wide audience, low relevance' stories (i. e. , small earthquake reported in Peru) to ‘low audience, high relevance' stories. A newspaper's service is to aggregate and deliver all the news that a reader should be interested in that day. † (Crosbie) By doing so this service would save readers time making it more plausible i n using this approach. It would save them from searching hundreds or even millions of articles on the world's most recent news. With â€Å"The worldwide recession of 2008, combined with the rapid growth of web-based alternatives, causing a serious decline in advertising and circulation, as many papers close or sharply retrench their operations. † (Mahaptra, Kumar) It is this service that should be provided for which newspaper companies should be able to generate greater revenue and secure larger readership today. The mass customization of newspaper editions relevant to each reader's interests is one of the many solutions necessary for the industry to survive. Technological advancement has been an obstacle for the newspaper industry, but the low circulation rates also arise from the individuals who depend on the new technology. These individuals are use to and love the word â€Å"free†, they don’t think they need to pay for content. â€Å"A solution that ignores this simple fact is destined to fail, regardless of technology, software or widgets. This requires a behavioral change, from both the newspapers and its readers†¦The goal is to change mindsets, alter behavior, and generate revenue in a sustainable way (i. e. , make papers structurally profitable). (Ritholtz) A great approach would be to promote free subscriptions and later charging for continual subscriptions. This method would require registering an account and providing credit card information. By doing so, individuals are allowed access to a bundle of news articles. If not registered, individuals are only able to see a certain amount of content within that ar ticle. This is similar to approach to online essay websites that post other writers' essay, and a purchase is required to see the full essay. However, the primary goal at this point is not to generate revenue, but to get the public used to paying for content. This in urn will give control over cost of newspaper and aid to the decline of newspaper circulation with the help of public media consumers. There are many possible solutions in instigating ways to fix the decline of newspaper circulation. In order for the newspaper industry to thrive, we must consider technology as a new way to cope with the demands of individuals, consider individuals preference for content, and consider that individuals and the industry itself must work together make this change possible. In effect, this will make that difference that can change the way people read news and still keeping to tradition of a printed newspaper.

Night World : Witchlight Chapter 16

We were so careful, she thought, setting up wards three days early and having agents watch the house. Nothing got inside during those three days; we were sure of that, and so we thought we were safe. But we didn't stop to think-what if the dragon was already inside when we put the wards up? Brett. He's the dragon. It could take on any shape, assume any animal's form, and know all that the animal knew. A human being was an animal. So why couldn't it touch a human and know all the human knew? It would be the perfect disguise. And we all fell for it, Keller thought. I knew there was something creepy about him, but I just put it down to him being obnoxious. And he's been here all the time, inside the wards, laughing at us, waiting for Iliana to come. And Iliana's with him right now. Keller felt sure of that in her gut. She wanted to throw herself against the door again, but that wouldn't do any good. She needed to be calm now, to think, because she couldn't afford to waste any time. The window. Keller tried to open it, looking down at a hedge of rhododendron bushes below. The sash was stuck, nailed fast. But it didn't matter. Glass was more breakable than wood. She stepped back and changed. Melting, flowing, jumpsuit becoming fur. Tail shooting free. Ears. Whiskers. Heavy paws thumping down. A single long stretch to get used to the new body and being on four feet instead of two. She was a panther, and she felt good. Strong and mean. Her muscles were like steel under her soft coat, and her big paws were twitching to bat someone silly. That dragon would be sorry he'd ever messed with her. With a rasping yowl that she couldn't help, she gathered herself and sprang straight at the window. The full weight of her panther body hit the glass, and it shattered, and then she was flying in the cold night air. She got cut. Panthers actually had thin and delicate skin compared to other animals. But she was indifferent to the pain. She landed and took off running, shaking her paws in flight to get rid of little bits of glass. She raced around the mansion, looking for a place to enter. Eventually, she found a low, unshuttered window, and once again, she gathered herself and jumped. She landed in a sitting room with glass falling all around her onto a fine, old carpet Brett. And Iliana. She would smell them out. She lifted her muzzle, smelling currents in the air. At the same time, she expanded her sense of hearing to its fullest. No Iliana. She couldn't get even a whiff of her. That was bad, but she would try again from the game room, where Iliana had been last. That was where she was going anyway, because that was where Brett was. Not Brett, she reminded herself as she loped through corridors and rooms. The dragon. She raced through the ballroom and heard a scream. She barely turned her head to notice a girl standing frozen, just lifting her hand to point. The college band crashed to a halt, almost as one, except the drummer, who went on playing for a moment with his eyes shut. Keller ignored them all, running at top speed and leaping down the stairs, her heavy front paws hitting the carpeted floor first, then her back paws hitting almost on either side of them. Each spring propelled her into the next. She burst into the game room. For an instant, she stood still, taking in the scene. She wanted to make sure with her eyes that what her ears and her nose told her was true: Iliana wasn't here. It was true. Winnie was missing, too, and Keller couldn't smell them anywhere. Then someone spotted her, a full-grown panther, jet black, with glowing eyes and long teeth just showing as she panted gently, standing in the doorway with her tail lashing. â€Å"Oh, my God!† The voice soared over the babble. â€Å"Look at that!† Everyone looked. Everyone froze for an instant. Chaos erupted. Girls were screaming. Boys were yelling. Plenty of boys were screaming, too. They saw her, and they fell over themselves, diving for the exits or for hiding places. They poured out of the room, dragging each other, sometimes trampling each other. Keller gave a loud, snarling yowl to help them on, and they scattered like chickens. The only one Keller cared about was the Brett-dragon. He turned and ran down a corridor. Luring her? He must be. Maybe he didn't realize she had found out yet Maybe he had some reason for continuing the charade. She threw her head back and gave a snarl that resounded through the house. It wasn't just anger. It was calling Nissa and Galen. If they could hear her, they would understand and come running. Then she took off after the dragon. As she loped down the corridor, she changed again. This time, she couldn't just try to kill him; she needed to be able to talk. But she also needed her claws, so she changed to her half-and-half form, fur shriveling off her arms, body rearing up to run on booted feet, hair flying out behind her. The dragon was almost at the end of the corridor when she jumped him. She knocked him down and rolled him over, straddling him. She was braced to feel the agony of the dark power crackling through her, but it didn't come. She pinned his arms and showed her teeth and screamed in his face. â€Å"Where is she? What did you do with her?† The face looked back at her. It looked just like Brett, just like a human. It was sickly white, with rolling eyeballs and spittle at the corners of the mouth. The only answer she got was a moan of what sounded like terror. â€Å"Tell me! Where is she?† â€Å"-it's not my fault†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What?† She lifted his body and banged it down again. His head flopped on his neck like a dead fish. He looked like someone about to faint Something was wrong. â€Å"She's in the bedroom with my parents. They're all asleep-or something-â€Å" His forehead. When she shook him, his hair flew around. It was uncharacteristically messy, but the forehead underneath was smooth. â€Å"I couldn't help it He did something to my brain. I couldn't even think until a few minutes ago. I just did what he told me to do. I was like a robot! And you don't know what it was like, having him in the house the last three days, and feeling like a puppet, and when he let go a few minutes ago, I thought I was going to be killed-â€Å" The babbling went on, but Keller's mind had disengaged. She had lots of thoughts all at once, like layers in a parfait. Chalk up another ability for dragons: telepathic mind control. Of weak human subjects, anyway. Nissa was right* the Night World did know what had happened in the music room. The substitution was probably made right after that. They could have grabbed Jaime on her way back to class. The car incident was designed to make us sympathetic and to lull our suspicions before they began. We thought of her as a victim. The doctors at the hospital must have been controlled, too. They had to have been-they'd looked at Jaime's head. Jaime's headaches have kept her at home for the past three days, so she never had to cross the wards. Diana trusts Jaime implicitly and would go anywhere with her without a fight Jaime wears bangs. And on the last layer, rushing at her cold and sharp as crystal: Jaime is the dragon. Jaime is the dragon. A vast, silent calm seemed to have filled Keller. She felt as if there was too much space inside her head. Very slowly, she looked down at Brett again. â€Å"Stop talking.† It was almost a whisper, but his gabble stopped as if she'd turned off a faucet â€Å"Now. Who's in the bedroom with your parents? Your sister?† He nodded, terrified. Tears spurted out of his eyes. â€Å"Your real sister.† He nodded again. They must have brought her in sometime, Keller thought. Certainly before we put the wards up and started checking cars, maybe even before the fake Jaime got back from the hospital. Why they'd kept her alive was a mystery, but Keller didn't have time to worry about it â€Å"Brett,† she said, still in a careful whisper, â€Å"what I want to know is where Iliana is. Do you know where she's been taken?† He choked. ‘1 don't know. He didn't tell me anything, even when he was in my mind. But I noticed-4here were some people down in the cellar. I think they were making a tunnel.† A tunnel. Under the wards, of course. So we were made fools of twice. She had to grit her teeth to keep from screaming. The floor plan of the house was a blur in her mind. She hauled Brett up by his shirt and said, â€Å"Where's the basement door? Show me!† Ic-can't-â€Å" â€Å"Move!† He moved, staggering. She followed, pushing him along, until they got to a door and stairs. Then he collapsed. â€Å"Down there. Don't ask me to go with you. I can't. I can't look at him again.† He huddled, rocking himself. Keller left him. Three stairs down, she bounded back up and grabbed him by the shirt. â€Å"That phone call from Iliana's mother-does he really have the baby?† She need to know if it came to bargaining. â€Å"I don't know,† Brett moaned in a sick voice. He was clutching his stomach as if he were wounded. â€Å"There wasn't any phone call, but I don't know what he's been doing.† He threw her a desperate look and whispered hoarsely, â€Å"What is he?† Keller dropped him. â€Å"You don't want to know,† she said, and left him again. She took the stairs very quietly but very quickly. Her senses were open, but the farther she went down, the less useful they were. They were being swamped by an overpowering sickly-sweet odor and by a rushing sound that seemed to fill her head. By the time she got to the last step, her fur was bristling, and her heart was pounding. Her tail stood out stiffly, and her pupils were wide. It was very dark, but details of the room slowly came into focus. It was a large furnished basement, or had been. Now every piece of furniture seemed to be broken and piled in a heap in the corner. There was a raw hole in one concrete wall, a hole that opened into a black tunnel. And the sickly-sweet smell came from piles of dung. They were lying on the floor all around, along with giant scratch marks that had dug grooves into the tile. The entire place looked like nothing so much as a huge animal's den. She couldn't sense anything alive in the room. Keller moved toward the tunnel, fast but stealthy. Ripple, freeze. Ripple, freeze. Leopards could move this way across grassland bare of cover and not be seen. But nothing jumped out to attack her. The mouth of the tunnel was wet, the soil crumbly. Keller climbed in, still moving lightly. Water dripped from the mat of roots and earth above her. The whole thing looked ready to cave in at any moment. He must have made it The dragon. Goddess knows how; maybe with claws. Anyway, he wasn't too fussy about it; it was meant to be a temporary thing. The smell was just as powerful here, and the rushing sound was even clearer. There must be an underground stream-or maybe just water pipes- very close. Come on, girl, what are you waiting for? You're a grunt, it's your job to move! Don't stand around trying to think! It was hard to make herself go deeper and deeper into that damp and confining place. Her senses were all useless, even sight, because the bore twisted and turned so she could never see more than a few feet ahead. She was heading blind and deaf into she had no idea what. At any moment, she might reach a shaft or a side tunnel where something could attack her. And the feel of the earth above her was almost crushing. She kept going. Please let her be alive. He doesn't need to kill her. He should try to make her join him first Please, please, don't let him have killed her. After what seemed like forever, she realized that the angle of the tunnel was changing. She was heading up. Then a current of air swirled to her, barely sniffable under the thick dragon smell, and it was fresh. Night air. Somewhere ahead. The end of the tunnel. A new panic invaded her. Please don't let them have gotten away. She threw aside all caution and sprinted. Up, up-and she could smell it clearly now. Cold air, unfouled. Up, up-and she could hear sounds. A yell that suddenly broke off. The voice sounded like- Galen! she thought, and her heart tore. Then she saw light Moonlight. She gathered her muscles and jumped. She scrambled out of the mouth of the tunnel. And there, in moonlight that hurt her eyes, she saw everything. A car, a black Jeep, parked under a tree. The engine running but the seats empty. And in front of it, what looked like a battlefield. There were bodies everywhere. Several were vampires in black-dark ninjas. But also on the ground were the bodies of Nissa and Winnie and Galen. So they followed, a distant part of Keller's mind said, not interfering in the slightest with the part that was getting ready for the fight. They followed the dragon-which must have done something to Winnie to get Iliana away from her. That was why I couldn't smell anybody; they all went into the tunnel while I was upstairs with brother Brett. She couldn't tell if they were dead. They were all tying very still, and there was blood on Winnie's head and on Nissa's right arm and back. Blood and daw marks. And Galen†¦ he was sprawled out full-length, with no signs of breathing. He wasn't even a warrior. He'd never had a chance. Then Keller saw something that drove the others out of her head. The dragon. It was standing near the Jeep, but frozen, as if it had just wheeled to face her. It was holding a limp figure in silvery-white casually, almost tucked under its arm. And it still looked like Jaime Ashton-Hughes. It was wearing Jaime's pretty blue dress. Its soft brown hair blew gently about its face, and Keller could feel its dark blue eyes fixed on her. But there were differences, too. Its skin was deadly pale, and something yellowish was oozing from a cut on its cheekbone. Its lips were drawn back from its teeth in a grinning snarl that Jaime never could have managed. And when the wind blew the soft hair off its forehead, Keller could see horns. There they were. Stubby and soft-looking-or at least soft on the outside, like downy skin over bone. They were so obviously real and yet so grotesque that Keller felt her stomach turn. And there were five of them. Five. The book said one to three! Keller thought indignantly. And in rare cases four. But this thing has five! Five seats of shapeshifting power, not to mention the black energy, mind control, and whatever else it's been keeping up its sleeve just for me. I'm dead. Well, she had known that from the beginning, of course. She'd known it six days ago when she first leaped for the dragon's back in the mall. But now the realization was more bitter, because not only was she dead, so was all hope. I can't kill that thing. It's going to slaughter me as easily as the others. And then take Iliana. It didn't matter. She had to try. â€Å"Put the girl down,† she said. She kept her half-and-half shape to say it. Maybe she could startle it by changing suddenly when she sprang. â€Å"I don't think so,† the dragon said with Jaime's mouth. It had Jaime's voice down perfectly. But then it opened the mouth, and basso profundo laughter came out, so deep and startling that Keller felt ice down her spine. â€Å"Come on,† Keller said. â€Å"Neither of us wants her hurt.† While she was talking, she was moving slowly, trying to circle behind it. But it turned with her, keeping its back to the Jeep. â€Å"You may not,† the dragon said. â€Å"But I really don't care. She's already hurt; I don't know if she'll make it anyway.† Its grin spread wider. â€Å"Put her down,† Keller said again. She knew that it wouldn't. But she wanted to keep talking, keep it off guard. She also knew it wasn't going to let her get behind it. Panthers naturally attack from behind. It wasn't going to be an option. Keller's eyes shifted to the huge and ancient pine tree the Jeep was parked under. Or they didn't actually shift, because that would have given the dragon a clue. She expanded her awareness to take it in. It was her chance. â€Å"We haven't even properly introduced ourselves-† she began. And then, in mid-sentence, she leaped.