A Clean, Well Lighted Place By Ernest Hemingway - 1628 Words

In Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† the use of plot, symbolism, characters, and theme creates an intricate and complex story line. The elements of plot keep the readers engaged by guiding the reader though the story. Hemingway emphasizes on despair, loneliness, and isolation as major themes in his short story to help the reader understand the main idea. The themes represent the challenge of finding meaning in life. He also challenges the reader’s understanding of compassion though the character’s actions and thoughts. Throughout the story the reader can recognize Hemingway’s idea that as an induvial grows older their outlook on life changes significantly. The setting of â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† takes place in a cafe, the street, a bar, and the older waiter’s house. The actions and dialogue between the main characters take place in the cafà ©. Here, the â€Å"clean and pleasant† setting creates a relaxed mood and brings a since of order into the story. The use of setting helps enhance the mood of the scenes by creating a polished atmosphere. This could also represent the old man’s attempt of connecting to others to create a feeling of normality. Hemingway uses the street to act as a background for each of the settings. This setting is briefly presented when the waiters talk about the soldier and a girl walking on the street. Even though the street is not very significant, it connects each setting in the story by linking them together. Another setting found inShow MoreRelatedA Clean Well-Lighted Place, by Ernest Hemingway990 Words   |  4 Pages Ernest Hemingway’s short story, A C lean Well Lighted Place, created literary controversy when it was initially published in 1933. During this time, there were several literary critics concerned with the dialogue inconsistencies. In the original story, the reader would not be able to distinguish between the two waiters. Hemingway failure to identify the characters by name leaves the story flawed according to the literary critics. Hemingway does not go into the mind of any characters butRead MoreA Clean, Well Lighted Place By Ernest Hemingway1640 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† is possibly one of Hemingway’s most excellent short stories. It depicts the techniques of his signature writing style. The narrative is a perfect example of an initiation story, a short story that focuses on the key character that comes across a concept, encounter, practice or knowledge he never knew. The characters in his story are the old man, young waiter, and the old waiter. Hemingway employs a num ber of literary tools in the story to convey his themes of lifeRead MoreA Clean, Well Lighted Place By Ernest Hemingway1034 Words   |  5 PagesErnest Hemingway developed his own style of writing and follows it in â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place†. Hemingway’s elegance in writing is such that he indirectly gives all of the information to the reader without making any judgment; thus allowing one to create an opinion about every minute detail of the story. Hemingway illustrates his foundations of writing in â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† by providing small clues that provide an indirect view of the larger meaning. Hemingway illustrates one ofRead MoreA Clean, Well Lighted Place By Ernest Hemingway1950 Words   |  8 Pageseverything humanity values in life is utterly meaningless. The author Ernest Hemingway is one of the few people who understands this concept of a pointless life. In his short story, â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,† Hemingway reveals the principle of existentialism, that life is inherently meaningless and people must attempt to give their own lives purpose, through an analysis of the inner workings of life as a human. Hemingway first reveals life’s meaningless nature through a description of the coreRead MoreA Clean, Well Lighted Place By Ernest Hemingway1024 Words   |  5 PagesWhen profound emotions and heartfelt experiences lay beneath a narrative subtext, a simple short story can become an elaborate puzzle where one continues to discover new pieces. Ernest Hemingway’s, â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† is a fascinating short story that has a powerful theme of ‘nothingness’ and ‘loneliness’ enveloped beneath its dialogue. This short story’s re-readability pulls us, the reader, back into its’ text just to discover that a specific character’s dialogue could elude to yet anotherRead MoreA Clean, Well Lighted Place By Ernest Hemingway1854 Words   |  8 PagesErnest Hemingway is a noble prize winner that is noticed as one of the great American twentieth century writers, and is known for works like â€Å"The Sun Also Risesâ⠂¬  and â€Å"For Whom the Bell Tolls†. When first reading Ernest Hemingway’s short story â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† it seemed to be a plain, emotionless, and almost not finished short story. Although, as the reader looks deeper into the short story, they realize it’s not just about a clean, quiet, well lighted cafà © that has two employees thatRead MoreA Clean, Well Lighted Place By Ernest Hemingway972 Words   |  4 Pagesin a Clean, Well-Lighted Place Despair is an emotion that can rob one’s joy, inner peace, and eventually, life. The desire for serenity is usually sought after by a person whose life is futile and is at his or her wit’s end. That individual is usually left with no other alternative but to come to the realization that if he or she fails at his or her attempts (such as suicide) to alleviate despair, then the opportunity of finding peace and comfort is an alternative worth pursuing. In Ernest Hemingway’sRead MoreA Clean, Well Lighted Place By Ernest Hemingway849 Words   |  4 Pagesin life, and try to make rational existing in an irrational universe. The fact that humans are conscious of their mortality, and must make decisions about their life is basically what existentialism is all about. In the story â€Å"A clean, Well-lighted place† by Ernest Hemingway was about two waiters waiting to close up the restaurant/cafà © for the night. They only had one customer left, an old man who wa s deaf and drunk. But he wasn’t causing any trouble, just keeping to himself. The two waiters apparentlyRead More Nothingness in A Clean Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway1369 Words   |  6 PagesNothingness in A Clean Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway Man is often plagued by the question of his own existence. Existentialism is a subjective philosophy that is centered upon the examination of man’s existence, emphasizing the liberation, responsibility, and usually the solitude of the individual. It focuses on individuals finding a reason for living within themselves. The philosophy forces man to make choices for himself, on the premise that nothing is preordained, there is no fateRead MoreA Clean, Well-Lighted Place, by Ernest Hemingway Essay examples1296 Words   |  6 Pagesmeans by which we arrive at that goal. For Ernest Hemingway, the characters that he places in his stories are forever searching for peace. Much like in life itself, the achievement of temporary peace throughout the path of a lifetime can be both minute and momentous. The writer uses the literary devices of indirect characterization, setting and symbolism in order to enhance his final classification of peace. In Hemingways A Clean Well-Lighted Place, the author uses literary devices to define

The Responsible Citizen Free Essays

Responsibilities of a citizen| April 3 2013 | The responsibilities of a citizen. Responsibilities of a citizen General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: To inform general public on the true responsibilities of a citizen Thesis Statement: Embrace a far more holistic and positive outlook on what it means to be a part of a community or a wider social group. Introduction: I. We will write a custom essay sample on The Responsible Citizen or any similar topic only for you Order Now The government II. What are the roles of a citizen? III. The concept of ubuntu Body I. Ubuntu a. The heart of ubuntu II. The Plan a. Spread ubuntu III. What makes a citizen â€Å"good? † a. Opinions b. Perspectives Conclusion I. Embracing ubuntu II. Holistic and positive outlook III. If this philosophy is spread the result will be a more just, prosperous and equitable America Unlike the Government’s role that is clearly stated in the Preamble, the role of a citizen isn’t as clear. Even the bill of rights clearly states the rights of a citizen. It has been amended and made inclusive as to what defines a citizen. Every citizen has an opinion on what the role is exactly, which makes it easy to be interpreted freely. It’s tempting to view the concept of citizenship from a Western perspective. This would lead naturally to such ideas as obeying laws, voting, defending one’s country, and so on. Implicit in this perspective is the sense of an individual, and of â€Å"us† and â€Å"them†. For many, these are not satisfactory, and leave a lingering sense of something missing. Perhaps it is the implied â€Å"should†, â€Å"must† or â€Å"have to† that causes a ripple of rebellion in the soul against these ideals. Throughout the years it has become evident that the role of a citizen goes beyond that. Those who are simple minded view their role as such. People who are deep thinkers tend to see other perspectives, many of which embrace a far more holistic and positive outlook on what it means to be a part of a community or a wider social group. One of them is the African concept of ubuntu. The word ubuntu comes from the southern African Bantu languages. Roughly translated, it means â€Å"I am what I am because of who we all are†. Ubuntu is the essence of being human. At the heart of the ubuntu philosophy is the idea that a person cannot be human in isolation. We are all connected, and a part of a greater whole. Therefore, we all benefit and grow when one person grows, and we are all diminished when one person is oppressed, humiliated or diminished in any way. Spreading the concept of ubuntu is the plan. This philosophy is an ideal one but it is more than possible. Increasing the knowledge of it will help citizens of the US become more in tune with their neighbors, more involved with society, and conscious of their actions on a daily bases. Citizens won’t be ashamed or embarrassed by what they don’t have or haven’t yet achieved and even if they are their fellow citizens won’t make them feel any worse than they already do. In fact they would embrace them up and push them to acknowledge the thing that they do have and what they have achieved. So what then are the duties as a citizen within this philosophy? Simply, it is their responsibility to be open, generous of spirit, and affirming. Just as importantly, they never need to feel threatened by someone else’s success or happiness, because they belong to the greater whole, and so they are benefiting from everyone else’s happiness. Following rules or obeying laws is a natural consequence of this belief. The shift is from a negative to a positive point of view. So while the results may in many cases be the same, the motivation, sense of belonging and level of happiness can be dramatically different. In conclusion it is obvious that American society might not embrace this philosophy with open arms because of how â€Å"unusual† it may seem and the fact the society is basically every â€Å"man† for his self. The philosophy of ubuntu will make so many people uncomfortable because of how open they will have to be with one another. Since it is so different from any philosophy that is embraced by American society it may be hard to get someone to listen, accept, and practice it. America can embrace a far more holistic and positive outlook on what it means to be a part of a community or a wider social group. There is hope for this philosophy yet, Americans must learn to love and trust one another. This philosophy is the key to that lost love and trust. Some already practice it without knowledge. They are natural open, generous of spirit, and affirming. Too bad everyone cannot be like those individuals. Anything is possible and change is the only thing that remains constant, it just takes time. If this philosophy is spread the result will be a more just, prosperous and equitable America. Works Cited Ellis-Christensen, Tricia, and O. Wallace. â€Å"What Does It Mean to Be a US Citizen? † WiseGeek. Conjecture, 05 Oct. 2011. Web. 09 Mar. 2013. http://www. wisegeek. com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-us-citizen. htm. Flippin, Jr. , Reverend William E. Ubuntu: Applying African Philosophy in Building Community. † The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost. com, 05 Feb. 2012. Web. 01 Apr. 2013. http://www. huffingtonpost. com/reverend-william-e-flippin-jr/ubuntu-applying-african-p_b_1243904. html. Kelchner, Jen. â€Å"Ubuntu: The Philosophy of Interconnectedness-Change Your Life. Find The True You. † Avid Seed. Avid Seed, 08 Aug. 2012. Web. 01 Mar. 2013. http://www. avidseed. org/2012/08/ubuntu-the-philosophy-interconnectedness/ . 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David McCullough free essay sample

McCullough talks about the paltry and considerable wars and the commands from both sides leaving out no details. McCullough brought numerous aspects into this book that various non- action books cannot achieve. 1776 is filled with umpteen details that help make the book more clear and visible to the mind. Starting on the first page, there are stellar details describing this halcyon setting. The day was cool, but clear skies and sunshine, a rarity in London, brightened everything, and the royal cavalcade, spruced and polished, shone to Weather its gossip from General Howe (267) or about a play teasing famous leaders (75) McCullough leaves out no juicy fun facts from that time period that most people do not know, which helps make the book further interesting. One sough aspect that McCullough successfully avoided was dragging on one topic to the point where it gets tedious and uninteresting, which helps make the book effortless to read. We will write a custom essay sample on David McCullough or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Like everything the book also has flaws to it. I personally do not like history so I did not savor 1 776 as much as I would a book of my choice. The Revolutionary War is not a favorite time period of mine that would pick a book to read about, which is an issue to anyone. Not knowing the key points of the war could also make the book slightly confusing and the plot a bit vague. The details given are swell but so many people and places are given tit so many details which makes ifs tough to understand whats essential to the overall plot.I would not recommend 1776 by David McCullough because myself didnt enjoy the book much. If someone didnt know the time period well or was uninterested in the topic such as myself, they wouldnt grasp it or find it interesting and entertaining to read. The majority of people enjoy novels or fictional books and do not care much for books based on facts. If I knew the person liked history than I would recommend it, but for the general public I do not. 1776 By Near-Chorine

Where Do I Belong free essay sample

A few days ago, I saw a tiny black ant making its way up the pink-tiled wall of my bathroom. Oddly amused, I watched this little creature climb up three feet and then fall to the floor. I found two things  ­extremely shocking. First, I had never seen an ant fall; second, I was actually getting worried about the little guy, and tried to  ­explain to him that he had to stay away from the vertical lines of grout. Never mind the fact that I was talking to an ant. But the most amazing part was that just a second after falling from well over 500 times his height, this little  ­genius found his way back to the wall and started climbing again. One would think that he would  ­either hurt himself or learn a lesson, but he insisted on going up that wall again and again. And he kept falling, keeping me  ­absolutely mesmerized, as though I had witnessed Medusa herself and not an ant, hypothesizing as to where exactly he was trying to go. We will write a custom essay sample on Where Do I Belong? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Finally, I gave up and went on to what I had to do that day. My final theory was that he was simply trying to get home, because it was already quite late, and he seemed to be scurrying along in the general direction of the crack between the window and the wall. I guess I’ll never know whether he made it. There is, however, a point to my ant story: In the summer after sophomore year, I took a rather uncommon and  ­extensive vacation – to a post-Communist developing country. Having been born and raised in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, I was, on the one hand, returning home to visit my grandparents. But as soon as my mom and I stepped into the Bishkek airport, I realized how out of place I felt. My mom was right at home, speaking her native language with the people she spent most of her life with. But I spoke Russian hesitantly and with an accent, and insisted on talking to my mom in English. The place I had once called home had become a foreign country, and that little girl was now an American – a dreadful thing to be in a Russian-speaking Asian country. When I returned to my now well- ­appreciated South Florida town, I once again felt like a stranger in a place I had called home. I realized that I wasn’t like most of my friends, who had been born in Fort Lauderdale and spent their entire childhood in the suburbs. I had come from an alien world and could  ­never be a flag-waving American. Sometimes, you see, I feel just like that ant on my bathroom wall. I try to get home but the world is so big and dangerous that I don’t even know where home is. Yet I keep trying and trying, no matter how many times I trip over the grout and fall to the floor, because I’m convinced that eventually I will reach a place that will really be my home – not my mother’s and not my stepfather’s, and not my best friend’s. My visit to – and return from – Bishkek taught me, among other things, that I will never feel truly at home –  ­either in the U.S. or in Kyrgyzstan. I  ­realize I must let go of both the places I have called home. Caught between two cultures and belonging to neither, I have to focus not on what country I’m from or what language I speak, but on who I am. And though not belonging isn’t  ­exactly the best teenage condition, I am beginning to understand it is actually to my advantage to be an outsider. In my cosmopolitan epiphany, I may have lost a national flag or two, but I gained something truly worthwhile – an irreplaceable freedom of the soul that can never be taken from me. That’s not to say, however, that I’ve  ­given up scaling that pink-tiled wall. But that little crack between the window and the wall isn’t a country or a house anymore; it’s me.

Greek Gatsby Essay essays

Greek Gatsby Essay essays Gatsbys expectations of his relationship with Daisy are extremely high, and very unrealistic. In his relationship with Daisy, it seems that all he wants is for the last four years to be completely erased with a simple I never loved you to Tom. He wants to have that same connection and bond that he had with her when they were much younger. Especially in this he is obsessive he doesnt seem to realise (as the romantically obsessed often are) that his dream is just that, and that reality is quite nearly impossible. It seems as if he is yearning for some indefinable quality that they shared together for her to be able to understand and to repeat the past with him. His reminiscing with Nick shows how idealised his image of his romance with Daisy has become: she blossomed for him like a flower; and even the description of an idyllic summers night shows just how unrealistic his expectations are. Nick recognises this, yet at the same time there is the sense that what Gatsby is saying isnt completely false and there is some reality hidden under Gatsbys illusion of Daisy ( I was reminded of something...uncommunicable forever). In pages 105-107, we begin to really get a glimpse of how obsessed Gatsby really is. There really is the sense felt that Gatsby has gone to all of this effort solely for Daisy, and he falls into depression upon seeing just how much things have changed between them ( I feel far away from her...Its hard to make her understand). He also feels depressed on meeting Tom properly, and on seeing how far apart their social crowds still are (even after all his effort) - the cold hard reality is almost sinking in. However after this his hope and optimism returns (his rare gift) and his dream is rebuilding itself. He still thinks, even after meeting Tom and Daisy not understanding him, that the past ca ...

Best Toe Kick Dimensions for Cabinet Design

Best Toe Kick Dimensions for Cabinet Design At the bottom of every base floor cabinet in your kitchen or bathroom, you will notice a notched profile below the front door of the cabinet. This notched profile, called a toe kick, is an ergonomic feature designed to make it safer and more comfortable to work at the cabinets countertop. This might seem like a small advantage, but long experience shows that this small amount makes it much easier for a user to stand for long periods without uncomfortable leaning and without struggling to maintain balance. As with many other standard features of home and furniture design, the toe kick follows a fairly common measurement standard.  So universal is this standard that factory-made stock cabinets always follow these standard dimensions for a toe kick,  and an experienced carpenter or woodworker who constructs  a base cabinet will include the toe kick with these standard dimensions. Standards such as these are neither  legal requirements nor mandated by building code. Rather, builders have established over time that such measurements make for greater comfort and safety, so it is wisest to follow these measurements unless specifically directed otherwise.    Standard Dimensions for Toe Kicks The optimal depth for a toe kick is 3 inches. This provides an adequate recess to stand comfortably and maintain balance while working at a countertop. Almost all factory-made stock cabinets will comply with this depth standard.   Toe-kick depths greater than 3 inches do not hurt the effectiveness of the toe kick, but depths less than 3 inches should usually be avoided, as they interfere with ergonomic effectiveness.   The optimal height for a toe kick is 3 1/2 inches, and heights up to 4 inches are common. Increasing the height over 3 1/2 inches does not hurt the effectiveness of the toe kick, but it may very slightly reduce the space in your base cabinet. Is There Any Reason to Change the Dimensions of Your Toe Kick? Its quite rare that a reason presents itself to vary from these standard dimensions for your base cabinet toe kicks. It is actually only possible at all in custom cabinets built to specifications or having a carpenter alter the installation of factory cabinets.   Family need for altered dimensions is generally the catalyst for requests for alteration of such specs. For example, a very tall person with large feet might find a larger toe kick more accommodating. The likelihood of a need to reduce the size of the toe kick is slim, although a very short person might consider this as a means of slightly lowering the countertop height to provide an added level of comfort to a workspace.

Art and the Patron Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Art and the Patron - Essay Example In the dying embers of this world, artists began to come into fashion, creating a refined position within culture. Artists have been subject to the morality, philosophy, and social construction of their time and American artists have had to navigate these frameworks in order to find their place within the cultural context. Art has had to balance a double sided card for most of its existence, the expression of the artist tempered by the desires of the patron or authority over the artist to dictate the theme and representations that the artist uses. It is a rare moment in time when an artist has true control over those things that he or she wishes to depict within his or her art. The hidden elements that are not always obvious to the patron or the controlling party have been one of the joys that artists have been able to use to express their individual point of view within a dictated framework. As time has progressed, the types of hold that patrons have had over the theme and content o f the work has changed, but artists are often subjected to control in order to appease those who are willing to support their work. The privilege of total freedom is rare and has been denied to artists even within the expectations placed upon American art. The nature of artistic freedom has been subjected to morality, flattery, and the need to represent themes that suited the national rhetorical discourse. The economic needs of the individual to survive have been in tension with the need to express artistic vision throughout history. In New England in the 17th century, the trend of portraiture followed from England as a form of artistic employment, artists needing the patronage of those who desired their portraits to be done by them in order to create a form of wage for their work. Craven (1998) discusses the idea that the concept of the portrait as a commercial product was dependent upon a sufficient number of elite in the region who were willing to spend money on such a transactio n. He goes on to discuss how very talented artists came to American with the realization that their former training and income resource was likely to not be profitable enough in the new land in order to make a living so they were forced to take on other similar work such as painting signs or the interiors of houses. Because of the influx of immigrants that were of Dutch origins, there is evidence of the influences of Dutch portraiture aesthetics in many of the works from the 17th century American artists. Therefore, there is a long history of competent and extensive studies on Dutch art from American scholars (Liedtke, 2000). The influences of Dutch portraiture can be seen in the beginnings of a developing style in early American-European settlements as in evidence by the Freake portraitures. According to Roark (2003) the Freake portraits, done by an unknown artist, is the largest existing collection of artworks from this region and from this time in American history. The paintings share similar characteristics that suggest training in the art of portraiture as well as a defined perspective on how to represent the individual. Craven (1998) discusses the nature of the paintings in reference to the way in which they make social statements about the subjects of the paintings, the hair of the patriarch of the family, John Freake wore his hair naturally and shoulder

Ukrainian Cuisine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ukrainian Cuisine - Essay Example Remote ancestors of modern Ukrainians were farmers and cattle breeders: exceptionally fertile soil and climate of Ukraine created perfect conditions for farming. Thus, the earliest archeological culture discovered on the territory of modern Ukraine, Trypillian culture (4500-2000 B.C.), practiced settled form of life and cultivated variety of crops and bred cattle, pigs, sheep, and poultry. Therefore, it is mostly agriculture that had an immense influence on the shaping of traditional Ukrainian cuisine (Artiukh, 1977). The origins of modern Ukrainian cookery can be traced back to the times of Kyivan Rus' that emerged on the land of modern Ukraine around 900 A.D. Historical records of that period contain mentioning of various foods and drinks cooked by the ancestors of modern Ukrainians. Simplicity and economy of cooking were the most characteristic features of those days' cuisine. The most popular dishes were various soups with different vegetables, grains and meat and simple bread. Cooking techniques were not complicated and ensured easiness of cooking (Terlets'ka, 1971). The turn from simple peasant and rural made dishes to more complex and varied cookery occurred in the 17th-18th century during the Cossack period. Development of domestic and international trade resulted in introduction of new plants, foods and new cooking techniques. For example, eggplants and melons were brought from Asia and potatoes that play one of the key roles in traditional Ukrainian cuisine were brought to the country at that time. The list of new plants that became part of Ukrainian agriculture also included tomatoes, corn, beans, various kinds of peppers, and other vegetables, berries and spices. Availability of the new crops contributed to the growing diversity and complexity of Ukrainian foods (Stechishin 1991). However, it was not until the 19th century that cooking developed into a sort of art and formed the foundation of modern Ukrainian cuisine. Rulers and nobles of the Russian Empire Ukrainian lands were part of which began inviting European chefs who brought an entirely new attitude to cooking, new spices and plants uncharacteristic to Ukrainian cooking tradition. Variety, luxury and style of dishes cooked by Europeans had enormous effects on development of both Russian and Ukrainian cuisines. Although some of the dishes that appeared at that time preserved their original form to this day, their numerous variations can also be found in modern Ukrainian cuisine (Stechishin, 1991). The Soviet revolution of 1917 marked a new period in development of Ukrainian cuisine. Perhaps the most characteristic feature of the Soviet period, especially during the first three decades was permanent food shortages that could not but negatively affect cooking patterns and variety of dishes prepared in Ukraine at that time. Shortages of meat, bread, milk, butter, fat, and vegetables which were the most common ingredients of Ukrainian cookery, coupled with high prices on cheese, eggs and other items resulted in simplification of dishes. Ukrainian cuisine of the Soviet times largely returned to its origins: foods based prepared from potatoes, cabbage, and grains (Hordiienko 1979). Cuisines of Ukraine History and geography of Ukrainian lands made the country highly vulnerable to external influences that also affected the

Black Men and Public Space Essay Example for Free

Black Men and Public Space Essay In Brent Staples’ personal essay â€Å"Black Men and Public Space†, he tells the readers what happen to a young black man in an urban setting. He pinpointed that people often stereotype you because of color, race, gender, culture or appearance. In addition, the author expresses to us that he notices the space between him and other people, such as women on the street. Some people may disagree that women set a certain amount of space when walking by a black man on the street. This statement is not true and public space is not about race, gender, color, culture, or appearance. Do we as a people stereotype other people because of race or gender? I believe that race plays a big role when viewing other people, either if were walking down the street or walking into the store. We have a specific view of people from other races and even their own. For example, a black businesswoman might stereotype another woman from her own race because she may not have the same attire as her or grew up in a different area. A white businesswoman might look down on another white women who make less money than her like she is no one, which is not true. But back to Staples’, he once said that a woman cast worried glance at Staples when she saw him walking down the street. Staples found this to be a little strange as he walks too close to the women she seems to pick up her pace of speed after a few glimpses of Staples. In this part of the essay, Staples had a sense that a woman who barely knows him was probably stereotyping him. In addition, he stated that when he would walk in front of a car when people were at a stoplight, men and women would lock their car doors. In recent news in the put exact month it happened year 2013, there was a famous story about a young boy named Trayvon Martin. Trayvon’s story can relate well with the author personal essay. Just like Staples, Travyon was a young African American boy who was stereotyped by the way he looked by someone of another race. The person that speculated young Trayvon to be dangerous was a Latino man, name George Zimmerman who was well over Trayvon’s age, and thought the young boy had a gun in his pocket and was going to shoot him. Zimmerman perceived Trayvon to be a dangerous threat to the person of a different race but in reality he was a young boy with a hoodie over his head and skittles in his pocket. Staples personal essay relates to this story because when he walks into a store or down the street people would look at him in a different light. Just because he is young African American man walking down the street or into the store doesn’t mean he will steal, kill, or rape someone. Instead looking down on people of other races than our own, we other need to be optimistic because not everyone is the same. People shouldn’t have to change their demeanor for other people not to be scared of them because of what they look like or their race. Brent Staples believed that the woman in his personal essay thought he was a rapist, mugger, or worse, he noted that there was a certain amount distance between him and women especially at night. This proves to show that when people are being stereotyped they pay close attention to gender as well as race. You’re less likely to be afraid of a black woman, or any woman, walking down the street at night. When the woman saw a black man it seemed as if she felt trapped and that the narrator closing in on her only made her more anxious and ready to run. Would the situation be the same if a black woman were walking behind her? I believe the situation would be nothing similar to what the narrator experienced. Most people see women as less intimidating than a man. I know if a woman was wearing a hoodie and walking behind me I would be less scared and intimidated than if a man was walking behind me. I think part of that is our perception of the opposite sex. I perceive men as stronger than women, no matter what their race is. It’s just the image that we get from the media, our parents, and our surroundings. Either way people are stereotyped everyday, it doesn’t matter if you are black/white or a man/woman. As a whole we need to stop labeling people by the way they look because one day we might mistake the wrong person that appears to be a good a person but in reality they are the rapist or mugger. So before you decide to give off any perception of anyone by the way they look, you should be optimistic and have an open mind towards other people, but still have guard up.

The Power is in the People :: essays papers

The Power is in the People Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. (The United States Constitution: The First Amendment). By the action taken on December 12, 1791 (when the Bill of Rights was adopted), the United States of America granted its people a power that would prove extremely potent one-hundred and twenty-nine years later. During the era of Prohibition (1920-1933), people took whatever action necessary to get their way, and did so through the rights afforded to them in the First Amendment. Individuals in favor of Prohibition, seeing the benefits of the institution, worked together to sustain it. Those against Prohibition, feeling a violation of their rights, acted just as intensely, if not even more so, to stop the movement. The government, ignoring the voice of the people, was primarily concerned with keeping Prohibition alive. However, the right to individual voice, a principle upon which the United States was founded, made it impossible for an institution such as Prohibition to exist successfully. In the years prior to and during Prohibition, many people did everything within their power to keep the nation free of alcohol. Numerous committees were formed for the purpose of pursuing the enactment and continuation of Prohibition. Church and religion also played a large part in the fight to keep the nation â€Å"dry†. Some individuals even entered politics and took office in the government in an effort to be heard. People made an united effort to reveal the virtues of Prohibition to the nation. The Anti-Saloon League of America was founded in 1893 at Oberlin, Ohio. Throughout Prohibition, its members went from town to town speaking out against saloons and alcohol (Merz 8). On January 16, 1920, they also declared, â€Å"it is here at last - dry America’s first birthday† (Kobler 11). Women established a group of their own as well. In 1874, Protestant women formed the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. They, like the Anti-Saloon League of America, cited the advantages of Prohibition (Kobler 10). As a whole, groups such as these utilized their First Amendment rights to the fullest to preach what they believed.

Chemistry

Mixture separation Lab I am one of the chemists assigned to design a cost effective procedure for handling the separation and recovery and hazardous waste disposal. The difficulties were trying to figure out Is how we can effectively separate Carbons, sand, and naphthalene? The hypothesis we chose to solve this problem was If we put the mixture into water, alcohol, and mineral spirit, then in each solution one or more substance will not dissolve, will be visible, and also able to separate.According to our data our hypothesis supported the experiment because and sand are lobule in water while naphthalene is not. The CARBONS, and sand will dissolve in the liquid solvent and the naphthalene will remain in the solid phase. In the other substances methanol and mineral spirit were not soluble in both Carbons and sand. Also in naphthalene mineral spirit was not soluble. To accomplish this experiment we did the following as to have a successful hypothesis.First use three separate ml test tub e, and added ml of each substance Including water, methanol, and mineral split. If the Carbons Is something that Is water soluble, then water can be added to the mixture and then It can be altered as the sand is insoluble and will be left behind. Also add 0. 20 grams of each mixture including Carbons, naphthalene, and sand to each test tube. Try to stir or shake the substance to dissolve.If that didn't work to dissolve the mixture we made a filter paper and placed it in a funnel then try to filter it by pouring the sample in. After that this leads us on to the third option of separation which is evaporation. At last we placed our sample test in an Erlenmeyer flask and then placed it on a hot surface with melting point 8. 2 0 c, waited to evaporate then recorded our data. After each test, try to observe If the sample was soluble In any of the substance.My data definitely supported my hypothesis because In that experience we found out In the lab that H2O was not soluble In naphthalene , and sand. Methanol was not soluble in Carbons, and sand. Also mineral spirit was not soluble in all the substances. Some errors that might have affected my experiment was the evaporation state I think we left it a little bit too long or took it our earlier for the solution. In the filtering stage we might have spilled some of the sample result so hat's why we maybe got different result.

Project Management Recommendation Essay

Dear Mr. Gritsch: In continuation of your email dated February 10, 2014, I have completed analysis of three projects: Juniper, Palomino and Stargazer. The risk levels in Juniper, Palomino, and Stargazer are low, medium, and high respectively. It is in the best interest of Piper Industries Corporation to move forward with the Stargazer project. Stargazer is selected due to its feasibility and risk level. From market feasibility study, some strategic customers have already indicated interest in the product. Therefore, I would recommend that the board invest in the project, Stargazer; particularly because the company has already invested $450,000 and the ROI is very high. My feasibility study focused on Return on Investment (ROI), length of project, risk level and overall benefit to Piper Industries. See below for the results. Juniper: Return on Investment (ROI): 77% or $250,000 for a period of 2 to 3 years Length of project: Uncertain Risk of completion on time: Low Overall benefit: Enhancement of current product, increased product demand Palomino: Return on Investment (ROI): 69% or $450,000 for a period of 5 years Length of project: 7 Years Risk of completion on time: Medium Overall benefit: New product, use of existing technology, custom part, constant demand Stargazer: Return on Investment (ROI): 278% or $1,600,000 for a period of 3 years Length of project: 7 Years Risk of completion on time: High Overall benefit: Research & Development of a new product, market leader, project in-progress Five Phases of a Project: A project can have any number of phases depending on how you break it down. A project for land reclamation in dump site would probably have three phases such as: 1. Facility Decommissioning Phase 2. Waste removal phase 3. Landscaping Phase. While a project involving the building of a new factory may contain four phases such as: 1. Environmental Impact Assessment Phase 2. Design Phase 3. Construction Phase 4. Commissioning Phase. It is therefore assumed that what is been referred to here as five phases of a project is what is known in project management as process groups. The following phases / process groups will be used to complete the project: 1. Project conception and initiation The conception of the project is that the project is a new line widget product including enhancements through the use of existing technology. The initiation of this project will be upon the approval of the project by the CEO. 2. Project definition and planning Stage two of the project is making a project plan. The project plan will be completed by the project team with the consultation of the technicians and experts. The project plan will be in writing and will be well defined. 3. Project launch or execution The project plans and task will be discussed amongst all team members and the task will be divided among the project team. 4. Project performance and control The project manager will be the leader of the project. His or her task will be to monitor performance and control. All project team members are responsible in evaluating each other and helping the team to perform better together. 5. Project close The project will be closed only upon completion of the project, evaluation of the project, and client approval of the project. Key deliverables associated with the selected project: If after the Estimated Budget at Completion of $575,000 is spent and the  product is developed as specified in the project plan, then the project would have met the substantial product deliverable. Secondly, if the Piper Industries Corporation is able to deliver the product within 12 months, the company would have met the project schedule deliverable.

People In California Essays - American Old West, Free Essays

People In California Essays - American Old West, Free Essays People in California People in California wanted mail. The telegraph line was not connected that far west in 1860, and trains did not pass the Missouri river. It took almost took a month to get a letter by ship or stage coach. That's why the Pony Express was started. In the mid 1800's gold was discovered in California. Thousands of people hitched their wagons and headed west for the chance of striking it rich. The state of California grew from about 20,000 to 500,000 people in 5 years. They wanted the conveniences they had back east, especially regular mail service. The railroad and telegraph lines did not reach California, and ships and stage coaches took too long. Finally, in 1860 plans for a 10 day mail route using horses was introduced and called the Pony Express. An ad in many newspapers across the states read: Wanted Young, skinny, wiry, fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred. Wages $25.00 per week. The advertisement was luring. Twenty-five dollars a week was a high salary at that time and being a rider was a glamourous job. Hundreds of young men answered the ad but only 80 were chosen. Those 80 riders had to have high moral standards and take an oath that said that said that they wouldn't drink, fight or use profane language. Despite the oath, it is difficult to imagine these riders not uttering some colorful language when being hotly pursued by Indians. To protect themselves against Indian attacks the riders were given two revolvers, a shotgun, a knife, and a bible. After awhile they couldn't find room for the bible or the shotgun so they dumped them. They were also given horns to sound their arrival to a station but found them unnecessary figuring that the hoofbeats were lounder than the horns so the horns were dumped also. In the beginning the pony riders had a uniform. Red shirts, slouch hats, and denim jeans tucked into their boots. After awhile the uniforms were abandoned and the riders wore whatever was most comfortable. The first run started in St. Joseph, Missouri on April 3, 1860. Johnny Frey the first carrier would ride as fast as possible for about 75 miles stopping every 10-15 miles at a station for a fresh horse and then pass the mail to another rider. The next rider would travel 75 miles and pass it to another rider and so on for day and night for 2,000 miles and 10 days. Mail would travel both ways, east and west, once or twice a week. When the mail arrived in California all work was abandoned. Everyone wanted to hear from their relatives and friends from back east. The rider was the most welcome sight in California. The Pony Express lasted for 18 months, 308 runs, and 34,753 pieces of mail. Day by day the telegraph wire was stretched further west and the Pony Express become less and less important. Along with that and a little bad management the Pony Express ended on November 21, 1861. The riders had given the United States a vital service for 18 months.

An Analysis Of Liberal Democracy In Russia Politics Essay

An Analysis Of Liberal Democracy In Russia Politics Essay Russia is one of the important countries and the largest country in the world, which established worldwide power and influence in the international politics. The arguable question, in which interested a lot of knowledgeable people, is what the regime has the Russian Federation after the death of Communism and how it works. The majority of Western Europe and USA has very critical opinion about Russian politics and definitely argue that Russia has not liberal democracy. They also believe that it is unlikely to thrive in post-Communist Russia. In my essay I will debate if liberal democracy could thrive or not in Russian Federation, giving the arguments and facts of both sides. Firstly I will argue that liberal democracy cannot thrive in Russia because of many arguments. The first is the high level of corruption. The second is the siloviki and oligarchs, who have enormous political power. The third is absence of media freedom. The fourth is lack of civil society. The fifth is Constituti on, which give a lot of power to the president and no strong opposition. It means that Russia has a one-party system. However, there is some soil for liberal democracy. The first argument is democratic experience. The second argument is a right to create political parties. The third is a right to practise citizens’ culture and religious. The fourth is a freedom of speech, belief and discussion. I argue that liberal democracy could thrive in Russia, only if the barriers to liberal democracy will pass, such as corruption, siloviki, absence of media freedom. I will argue that to make more suitable soil for liberal democracy Russia should change a Constitution, to create a strong opposition, and emphasis for reforms, which protect individual rights, increase civil liberties, improve the well-being of citizens; develop society to pursue their interests and develop own talents. But, when these criteria would not be achieved, liberal democracy is unlikely to thrive in post-communist Russia. Criteria of liberal democracy Firstly, I would like to define democracy and describe the criteria of liberal democracy, looking which of them Russia has. According to McFaul, democracy is the institutional arrangement where the individuals have the power to make political decisions by means of competitive struggle. According to this minimal definition and implicit in ‘analysis of the rule of law, civil society and the party system in Russia is an ideal type of liberal democracy rather than a minimal standard of electoral democracy’ (McFaul, 2004: 2-3). However, liberal democracy has the criteria, by which we could judge Russian regime. The first is the control of the state by elected civilian officials; the military is subordinate to the government. The second is a right to form a party and contest the elections by any group, which adheres to constitutional principles. Thirdly, a right for different ethnic, religious or different minority groups should exist fo r practicing their culture or express their interests in the political process. Fourthly, the freedom of belief, opinions, discussion and speech should exist. The last is that the citizens are equal under the law.

Case analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Analysis - Case Study Example The customer loyalty gained by this company emanates from the trust bestowed upon its good intentions and commitment to sharing the music experience with the community both locally and beyond. Although sharing a similar financial history, the companys principal competitors include the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra both of which have operated at deficits in the past. San Francisco Symphony has a high corporate strategy that appreciates its current position, its future aspirations and aims at defining the means of getting to its destination. Under its business strategy, the symphony can be said to have a good long-term plan on how to achieve its strategic objectives by the year 2018. In terms of its human resources, the company takes pride in the rich experience of its director, president and board members as a reliable, functional strategy for both its planning, development and marketing needs. The symphonys superior music experience in terms of recording and performance make up its strengths (Hall & Taylor, 2014). However, the consistent deficits and periodic poor financial performance is a weakness that must be improved to make the companyâ⠂¬â„¢s future brighter. Considering the customer base, and its good leadership, the Symphony has an open opportunity for growth. However, competition and the unionization of the music industry are major threats. An analysis of the competitiveness of the company, the ethical issues that arise in its operations, its financial status and the overall framework shall be made with the aim of establishing its actual position. The competitive analysis will adopt the Porters Five Forces analysis and the VRIO framework. The unstable financial stability of the company marked by consistent deficits will be deeply analysed. The study will endeavour to make recommendations that can improve the company in both its corporate, business and functional strategies. Through its

Researching Political Analysis Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Researching Political Analysis Report - Essay Example Thus, it came as a surprise when the 2001 and 2005 elections voter turnout statistics was announced. In the 2001 General Elections, voter turnout fell to a historic through of 59.4 percent followed by a slight increase of 61.3 percent in the 2005 elections. The 2001 results alone sent shockwaves throughout the British media and the political system. In a 2004 report by baston and Ritchie for the Electoral Reform Society entitled ‘Turning Out or Turning Off’, the authors opened with a note that the turnout of 3 out of 5 electors was the worst in its post-war record. The last time that the turnout results registered this percentage was in 1918 where many of the registered voters were just beginning to return after the end of World War I. For the first time since 1923, the total number of those who did not exercise their voting rights was larger than the number of voters that determined the winning party. Knowing all of this statistics, the British political system became worried and there was much generated fanfare. The main concern over the 2005 elections was not who wo n for what seat. Instead, it was how many cared to participate in the elections. Why is it that British voters are not turning up in polls? There are different, though not necessarily unrelated, theories explaining this social phenomena. Voter turnout is considered to be an index which can be used to assess the state of democracy in the country concerned. A decline in voter turnout can be considered as a decline in democracy. It can indicate that the political system is becoming authoritative and imposing such that the people are dissuaded or inhibited in exercising their voting rights. The legitimacy of the government is put into question because the decrease may imply lack of representation of certain groups. (Rose, 1997) Another plausible explanation is that it is due to the dissatisfaction of

Recruitment and Selection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Recruitment and Selection - Essay Example To be able to fully benefit from the technology, network and database systems, and media technologies that can be used for interview, high-sped connectivity to the internet is advised and technical support staff are advised (Horwitz et al, 2006). Another key issue that is being focused in e-recruitment is the issue regarding security and fraud. Among the concerns regarding security is the accesses to applicants' information particularly contact details (E-recruitment, 2006). Though e-commerce and related online regulations have already addressed these issues, there are still some fears that information is being sold to third parties or used for other purposes either with or without the consent of e-recruiters (Nickel & Schaumburg, 2004). As e-recruitment also became more popular, recruitment frauds also became prevalent. Aside for standard anti-fraud regulation, most of the efforts to curb the activities have been initiated largely by legitimate e-recruiters (Grabner-Kruter & Kaluscha, 2003). E-recruitment has encouraged the flexibility of labor and has encouraged work migration. It has also been able to improve data basing and management employee information to support other human resource functions (Sridhar, 2005). Another key improvement it has been able to bring to the industry is in the enhancement of communications with prospective employees and hiring agencies. It has allowed real time coordination and management of information that has been effective in shortening and improving efficiency of the whole hiring process (Liu and Wang, 2006). On the part of applicants, it has in turn allowed to more options and access to jobs and companies respectively. The utilization of online applications has also significantly cut the cost of applying for jobs and communicating with perspective companies (Yoon Kin Tong & Sivanand). Development E-recruitment developed in conjunction with the trend of outsourcing of support services as part of down-sizing efforts in the late 1980's. However, e-recruitment has to wait a few more years before it came into the form we know today because of the lack of necessary technological capacity to support it. The first forms of e-recruitment involved either the posting of job vacancies in traditional media or coursing of applications to online addresses or by posting of jobs on online posting boards and coursing through snail mail or offices (Grabner-Kruter & Kaluscha, 2003). The eventual popularity of e-mails, increased capacity of the internet communications and higher computing capacity are the basis of e-recruitment industry as it is known today. E-recruitment models today have to develop the "capability of HR to facilitate the system and to view the staffing process as an end-to-end process" (Kerrin & Kettley, 2006) E-commerce E-recruitment is one of the success stories of e-commerce. The first models took the form of job postings that were part packaged with traditional recruitment outsourcing services. Improvement on the internet and database capacity eventually created the next model of e-recruitment that was an independent service. This model asked for employees to become members of the service by including their information into a database wherein they could view available jobs online (New E-recruitment

Why Is Desalination Becoming So Important?

Why Is Desalination Becoming So Important? Desalination is a technology which includes several processes that remove salt and other minerals from seawater to produce freshwater. In recent decades, this technology developed rapidly and becoming more and more popular around the world. This essay will focus on the effects of using desalination. It begins with the reason why this technology develop rapidly in the recent years. After that, some economic and environmental benefits and drawbacks of desalination will be analysed. Finally, give a conclusion. Water is a basic and crucial resource for survival and growth of life. We can not live without water. However, there is a research by Fiorenza (2002) shows that nearly one fourth of mankind is suffering from inadequate fresh water supply, both of quality and quantity. Considering water shortage concerns about 80 countries and has caused some serious results in many places, the water shortage phenomenon is becoming a serious global problem that affects peoples daily life and hindered the social development. Because of the increasing number of global population and expansion of both industrial and agricultural activities, the water requirement will increasing rapidly in a very near future. It is obviously that the traditional fresh water supply system can not meet the requirement any more. An alternative water supply option is need to help us deal with this problem. Water is so important for human beings, therefore, we have already developed many kinds of water supply systems. But all of them have a common problem and also the fatal problem is that they all need natural fresh water resources. The research by Khawaji (2007) illustrates that nearly 97% of the earthà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s water is seawater while another 2% is fresh water but locked in icecaps and glaciers. The available fresh water just accounts for about 0.5% of the earthà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s total water supply. Another point should be considered is human activities have polluted a large amount of fresh water resource. It means that all the traditional water supply systems just can use much less than 0.5% water resource. It is obvious that we can not just rely on these traditional water supply systems any more. Comparing with these traditional options, the desalination technology does not need natural fresh water resources, desalination equipment can prod uce fresh water from seawater. This technology give human beings an opportunity that we can use the majority of earthà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s water resource. This is really a revolutionary change that we need not rely on natural fresh water resources any more. Because of this unique advantage, desalination has developed rapidly in recent decades and playing an important role in many countries now. For example, according to research by Zhou (2003), in Saudi Arabia the desalination equipment produces more than 6,000,000 m3 of freshwater per day. This technology has become a reliable fresh water source for human beings. In fourth century BC, Aristotle found that when saltwater turns into vapor, salt and freshwater will separated. This was the first desalination theory and it has already been discoverd more than 2000 years. The previous analysis shows that desalination has a lot of advantages, but it can be questioned just used in recent years. It is because the former desalination technology cost too much and was not reliable enough. This is also the main reason why there are many critics against the use of desalination. However, the desalination technology has advanced a lot in the last 30 years, especially, the invention of multi-stage flash process and reverse osmosis. According to the research by Tsiourtis (2001) shows that 86% desalination factory use these two desalination processes now. In addition, these two methods are the most commercially important desalination technologies. Furthermore technological advances were made on the multi-stage flash (MSF) process (materials and process) and on reverse osmosis (RO), with improvement on the membranes and the energy recovery equipment. (qtd. Tsiourtis, 2001) So these technological advances in the last 30 years have driven down the cost of desalinated water very much. The figure 1 illustrats that the price of desalination shows a decreasing trend from 1988 to 2000. The total cost of desalination decreased from1.7$/m3 in 1998 to 0.7$/m3 in 2000. It is an acceptable price for many countries now and due to the decreasing trend, it can be predicted that the desalination will more cheaper in the future. The decreasing cost trend is just one economic benefit of desalination. Another reason is in some situations, desalination is a cheaper water supply option. For example, Chinas water resources are uneven distributed and many places in northern China are facing the water shortage problem. So, the government decides to build a long pipeline to transfer water from the Yangtze River to area in northern China. Research by Liu and Zheng (2002) shows the main canal would be 1150 km long. From the research by Kally (1993) we already find that the cost of transport is around 0.061$/m3 per 100 km. Therefore, it means that the cost of transferring water will more than 0.07$/m3. It is higher than using desalination, additionally, because of the desalination cost has fallen from 1.7$/m3 to 0.7 $/m3 and still keep an decreasing trend. There is no reason to believe that the trend will not continue in the future. So desalination also has its economic benefits in some situations. Desalination not only has economic benefits, but also has many environmental advantages. Firstly, compares with the water transport, desalination does not need so much pipeline and pumping stations. It means that less land will be occupied and less energy will be wasted in the transferring process. After that, because these traditional water supply options need fresh water supply, the overuse of surface water and groundwater has caused many serious consequences. For instance, the ground surface settlement happened in many places in China just because of the abuse of groundwater. Research by Chai et al. (2004) shows that due to the abuse of groundwater, surface surveys of land subsidence is 2 to 3 meters in the central area of Shanghai. Ground surface settlement is harmful to a buildings foundation and will cause dangerous results. However, desalinations resource is seawater, it will never limited and never will have these troubles. So, compare with some traditional water supply optio ns, the desalination system also has some of its own environmental benefits. From the above analysis we find that a desalination system has its own advantages no matter in economic and environmental aspects. But it is undeniable that this technology still has some drawbacks in both aspects. Firstly, the desalination process has a by-product called brine, What is a kind of water that contents double salt of seawater and also contains membrane cleaning chemicals and other chemicals used for scale and corrosion control(qtd .Tsiourtis, 2001). If we can not treat the brine well, it will cause serious pollution. Then there are some chemicals will be used in the desalination process. It also will cause some pollution. After that, noise pollution is another problem, the noise produced by these machines will trouble people. Furthermore, comparing with other water supply options, desalination still a little expensive than these traditional ones in normal situations, many countries can afford this technology as the option to solve their water shortage problems. Overall, desalination is already becoming a very important water supply option, especially in these energy-rich, dry and lack of freshwater resource areas, such as these Middle East countries. This technology give human beings an new option to solve water shortage problem. Although, this technology still have some problems but because of its own advantages and the trend of desalination technology development, we can believe that desalination will have a bright future. This technology will play an more important role in future. Word count: 1294

A Rose for Emily Essay -- essays papers

A Rose for Emily Emily is a woman that has had a hard life. Her family made it so that she was held in high regard in the public eye. She was not suppose to encounter relationships that were below her stature. The town, being the antagonist, drives Emily to her insanity because they will not allow her to lead a normal life. They liked the â€Å"show† they were watching a refused to give it up. The narrator explores how Emily is defined in her position in the town by her name and her father. â€Å"People in our town, [. . .], believed the Griersons held themselves a little too high for what they really were.† (pg.83) Emily’s father had been controlling during her early life and had stopped all suitors from visiting her. â€Å" we had all remembered all the young men her father had driven away, [. . . ]† Emily is forced to live in a house were her father will is paramount to her own. When he dies we understand this lose is almost to much for her to bear. â€Å" Miss Emily met them at the door, dressed as usual with no trace of grief on her face. She told them her father was not...

A Dirty Job Chapter 19

19 We're OKAY, AS LONG AS THINGS DON'T GET WEIRD ALVIN AND MOHAMMED When Charlie arrived home from his mother's funeral, he was met at the door by two very large, very enthusiastic canines, who, undistracted by keeping watch over Sophie's love hostage, were now able to visit the full measure of their affection and joy upon their returning master. It is generally agreed, and in fact stated in the bylaws of the American Kennel Club, that you have not been truly dog-humped until you have been double-dog-humped by a pair of four-hundred-pound hounds from hell (Section 5, paragraph 7: Standards of Humping and Ass-dragging). And despite having used an extra-strength antiperspirant that very morning before leaving Sedona, Charlie found that getting poked repeatedly in the armpits by two damp devil-dog dicks was leaving him feeling less than fresh. â€Å"Sophie, call them off. Call them off.† â€Å"The puppies are dancing with Daddy.† Sophie giggled. â€Å"Dance, Daddy!† Mrs. Ling covered Sophie's eyes to shield her from the abomination of her father's unwilling journey into bestiality. â€Å"Go wash hands, Sophie. Have lunch while you daddy make nasty with shiksas.† Mrs. Ling couldn't help but do a quick appraisal of the monetary value of the slippery red dogwoods currently pummeling her landlord's oxford-cloth shirt like piston-driven leviathan lipsticks. The herbalist in Chinatown would pay a fortune for a powder made from the desiccated members of Alvin and Mohammed. (The men of her homeland would go to any length to enhance their virility, including grinding up endangered species and brewing them in tea, not unlike certain American presidents, who believe there is no stiffy like the one you get from bombing a few thousand foreigners.) Yet it appeared that the desiccated-dog-dick fortune would remain unclaimed. Mrs. Ling had long ago given up on collecting hellhound bits, when after trying to dispatch Alvin with a sharp and ringing blow to the cranium from her cast-iron skillet, he bit the skillet off its handle, crunched it down in a slurry of dog drool and iron filings, and then sat up and begged for seconds. â€Å"Throw some water on them!† Charlie cried. â€Å"Down, doggies. Good doggies. Oh, yuck.† Mrs. Ling was galvanized into action by Charlie's distress call, and timing her move with the oscillating pyramid of man and dog meat in the doorway, dashed by Charlie, into the hallway, and down the steps. LILY Lily came up the stairs and skidded to a stop on the hallway carpet when she saw the hellhounds pounding away at Charlie. â€Å"Oh, Asher, you sick bastard!† â€Å"Help,† Charlie said. Lily pulled the fire extinguisher off the wall, dragged it to the doorway, pulled the pin, and proceeded to unload on the bouncing trio. Two minutes later Charlie was collapsed in a frosty heap on the threshold and Alvin and Mohammed were locked in Charlie's bedroom, where they were joyfully chewing away on the expended fire extinguisher. Lily had lured them in there when they had tried to bite the CO2 stream, seeming to enjoy the freezing novelty of it over the welcome-home humping they were giving Charlie. â€Å"You okay?† Lily said. She was wearing one of her chef coats over a red leather skirt and knee-high platform boots. â€Å"It's been kind of a rough week,† Charlie said. She helped him to his feet, trying to avoid touching the damp spots on his shirt. Charlie did a controlled fall toward the couch. Lily helped him land, ending with one arm pinned awkwardly under his back. â€Å"Thanks,† Charlie said. There was still frost in his hair and eyelashes from the fire extinguisher. â€Å"Asher,† Lily said, trying not to look him in the eye. â€Å"I'm not comfortable with this, but I think, given the situation, that it's time I said something.† â€Å"Okay, Lily. You want some coffee?† â€Å"No. Please shut up. Thank you.† She paused and took a deep breath, but did not extricate her arm from behind Charlie's back. â€Å"You have been good to me over the years, and although I would not admit this to anyone else, I probably wouldn't have finished school or turned out as well as I have if it hadn't been for your influence.† Charlie was still trying to see, blinking away ice crystals on his eyelids, thinking that maybe his eyeballs were frostbitten. â€Å"It was nothing,† he said. â€Å"Please, please, shut up,† Lily said. Another deep breath. â€Å"You have always been decent to me, despite what I would call some of my bitchier moments, and in spite of the fact that you are some dark death dude, and probably had other things to worry about – sorry about your mom, by the way.† â€Å"Thanks,† Charlie said. â€Å"Well, given what I've heard about your night out before your mom died and whatnot, and what I've seen here today, I think – that it's only right – that I do you.† â€Å"Do me?† â€Å"Yes,† she said, â€Å"for the greater good, even though you are a complete tool.† Charlie squirmed away from her on the couch. He looked at her for a second, trying to figure out if she was putting him on, then, deciding that she wasn't, he said, â€Å"That's very sweet of you, Lily, and – â€Å" â€Å"Nothing weird, Asher. You need to understand that I'm only doing this out of basic human decency and pity. You can just take it to the hoes on Broadway if you need to get your freak on.† â€Å"Lily, I don't know what – â€Å" â€Å"And not in the butt,† Lily added. There was a high-pitched little-girl giggle from behind the couch. â€Å"Hi, Daddy,† Sophie said, popping up behind him. â€Å"I missed you.† Charlie swung her up over the back of the couch and gave her a big kiss. â€Å"I missed you, too, sweetie.† Sophie pushed him away. â€Å"How come you have frosting on your hair?† â€Å"Oh, that – Lily had to spray some frost on Alvin and Mohammed to settle them down and it got on me.† â€Å"They missed you, too.† â€Å"I could tell,† Charlie said. â€Å"Honey, could you go play in your room for a bit while I talk to Lily about business?† â€Å"Where are the puppies?† Sophie asked. â€Å"They're having a T.O. in Daddy's room. Can you go play and we'll have some Cheese Newts in a little while?† â€Å"Okay,† Sophie said, sliding to the floor. â€Å"Bye, Lily.† She waved to Lily. â€Å"Bye, Sophie,† Lily said, looking even more pale than usual. Sophie marched away in rhythm to her new chant, â€Å"Not in the butt – not in the butt – not in the butt.† Charlie turned to face Lily. â€Å"Well, that ought to liven up Mrs. Magnussen's first-grade class.† â€Å"Sure, it's embarrassing now,† Lily said, without missing a beat, â€Å"but someday she'll thank me.† Charlie tried to look at his shirt buttons as if he were deep in thought, but instead started to giggle, tried to stop, and ended up snorting a little. â€Å"Jeez, Lily, you're like a little sister to me, I could never – â€Å" â€Å"Oh, fine. I offer you a gift, out of the goodness of my heart, and you – â€Å" â€Å"Coffee, Lily,† Charlie said with a sigh. â€Å"Could I just get you to make me a cup of coffee instead of doing me – and sit and talk to me while I drink it? You're the only one who knows what's going on with Sophie and me, and I need to try to sort things out.† â€Å"Well, that will probably take longer than doing you,† Lily said, looking at her watch. â€Å"Let me call down to the store and tell Ray that I'll be a while.† â€Å"That would be great,† Charlie said. â€Å"I was only going to do you in exchange for information about your Death Merchant thing, anyway,† Lily said, picking up the phone on the breakfast bar. Charlie sighed again. â€Å"That's what I need to sort out.† â€Å"Either way,† Lily said, â€Å"I'm unbending on the butt issue.† Charlie tried to nod gravely, but started giggling again. Lily chucked the San Francisco Yellow Pages at him. THE MORRIGAN â€Å"This soul smells like ham,† said Nemain, wrinkling her nose at a lump of meat she had impaled on one long claw. â€Å"I want some,† said Babd. â€Å"Gimme.† She slashed at the carrion with her own talons, snagging a fist-sized hunk of flesh in the process. The three were in a forgotten subbasement beneath Chinatown, lounging on timbers that had been burned black in the great fire of 1906. Macha, who was starting to manifest the pearl headdress she wore in her woman form, studied the skull of a small animal by the light of a candle she'd made from the fat of dead babies. (Macha was ever the artsy-craftsy one, and the other two were jealous of her skills.) â€Å"I don't understand why the soul is in the meat, but not in a man.† â€Å"Tastes like ham, too, I think,† Nemain said, spitting glowing red bits of soul when she talked. â€Å"Macha, do you remember ham? Do we like it?† Babd ate her bit of meat and wiped her claws on her breast feathers. â€Å"I think ham is new,† she said, â€Å"like cell phones.† â€Å"Ham is not new,† Macha said. â€Å"It's smoked pork.† â€Å"No,† said Babd, aghast. â€Å"Yes,† said Macha. â€Å"Not human flesh? Then how is there a soul in it?† â€Å"Thank you,† Macha said. â€Å"That's what I've been trying to say.† â€Å"I've decided that we like ham,† said Nemain. â€Å"There's something wrong,† Macha said. â€Å"It shouldn't be this easy.† â€Å"Easy?† said Babd. â€Å"Easy? It's taken hundreds – no, thousands of years to get this far. How many thousands of years, Nemain?† Babd looked to the poison sister. â€Å"Many,† said Nemain. â€Å"Many,† said Babd. â€Å"Many thousands of years. That's not easy.† â€Å"Souls coming to us, without bodies, without the soul stealers, that seems too easy.† â€Å"I like it,† Nemain said. They were quiet for a moment, Nemain nibbled at the glowing soul, Babd preened, and Macha studied the animal skull, turning it over in her talons. â€Å"I think it's a woodchuck,† Macha said. â€Å"Can you make ham from woodchuck?† Nemain asked. â€Å"Don't know,† said Macha. â€Å"I don't remember woodchuck,† Nemain said. Babd sighed heavily. â€Å"Things are going so well. Do you two ever think about when we are Above all the time, and Darkness rules all, about, you know, what then?† â€Å"What do you mean, what then?† Macha asked. â€Å"We will hold dominion over all souls, and visit death as we wish until we consume all the light of humanity.† â€Å"Yeah, I know,† Babd said, â€Å"but then what? I mean, you know, dominion and all that is nice, but will Orcus always have to be around, snorting and growling?† Macha put down her skull and sat up on a blackened beam. â€Å"What's this about?† Nemain smiled, her teeth perfectly even, the canines just a little too long. â€Å"She's pining about that skinny soul stealer with the sword.† â€Å"New Meat?† Macha couldn't believe her ears, which had become visible only a few days ago when the first of the gift souls had wandered into their claws, so they hadn't been tested in a while. â€Å"You like New Meat?† â€Å"Like is a little strong,† Babd said. â€Å"I just think he's interesting.† â€Å"Interesting in that you'd like to arrange his entrails in interesting patterns in the dirt?† Macha said. â€Å"Well, no, I'm not talented that way like you.† Macha looked at Nemain, who grinned and shrugged. â€Å"We could probably try to kill Orcus once Darkness rises,† Nemain said. â€Å"I am a little tired of his preaching, and he'll be impossible if the Luminatus doesn't appear.† Macha shrugged a surrender. â€Å"Sure, why not.† THE EMPEROR The Emperor of San Francisco was troubled. He sensed that something very wrong was going on in the City, yet he was at a loss as to what to do. He didn't want to alarm the people unduly, but he did not want them to be unprepared for whatever danger they might face. He believed that a just and benevolent ruler would not use fear to manipulate his people, and until he had some sort of proof that there was an actual threat, it would be criminal to call for any action. â€Å"Sometimes,† he said to Lazarus, the steadfast golden retriever, â€Å"a man must muster all of his courage to simply sit still. How much humanity has been spoiled for the confusion of movement with progress, my friend? How much?† Still, he'd been seeing things, strange things. One late night in Chinatown he'd seen a dragon made of fog snaking through the streets. Then, early one morning, down by the Boudin Bakery at Ghirardelli Square, he saw what looked like a nude woman covered in motor oil crawl out of a storm sewer and grab a tall, half-full latte cup out of the trash, then dive right back in the sewer as a policeman on a bicycle rounded the corner. He knew that he saw these things because he was more sensitive than other people, and because he lived on the streets and could sense the slightest nuance of change there, and largely because he was completely barking-at-the-moon batshit. But none of that relieved him of the responsibility to his people, nor did it ease his mind about the disturbing nature of what he was seeing. The squirrel in the hoop skirt was really bothering the Emperor, but he couldn't exactly say why. He liked squirrels – often took the men to Golden Gate Park to chase them, in fact – but a squirrel walking upright and digging through the trash behind the Empanada Emporium while wearing a pink ball gown from the eighteenth century – well – it was off-putting. He was sure that Bummer, who was curled up sleeping in the oversized pocket of his coat, would agree. (Bummer, being a rat dog at heart, had a less than enlightened outlook upon coexistence with any rodent, no less one dressed for the court of Louis XVI.) â€Å"Not to be critical,† said the Emperor, â€Å"but shoes would be a welcome complement to the ensemble, don't you think, Lazarus?† Lazarus, normally tolerant of all noncookie creatures great and small, growled at the squirrel, who appeared to have the feet of a chicken sticking out from under her skirt, which – you know – was weird. With the growl, Bummer squirmed awake and emerged from the woolen bedchamber like Grendel from his lair. He immediately erupted into an apoplectic barking fit, as if to say, You guys, in case you didn't notice, there's a squirrel in a ball gown going through the trash over there and you're just sitting here like a couple of concrete library lions! The message thus barked, off he went, a furry squirrel-seeking missile, bent on single-minded annihilation of all things rodent. â€Å"Bummer,† called the Emperor. â€Å"Wait.† Too late. The squirrel had tried to take off up the side of the brick building, but snagged her skirt on a gutter and fell back to the alley, just as Bummer was hitting full stride. Then the squirrel snatched up a small board from a broken pallet and swung it at his pursuer, who leapt just in time to miss taking a nail in one of his bug eyes. Growling ensued. The Emperor noticed at that point that the squirrel's hands were reptilian in nature, the fingernails painted a pleasant pink to match her gown. â€Å"You don't see that every day,† the Emperor said. Lazarus barked in agreement. The squirrel dropped the board and took off toward the street, moving nicely on her chicken feet, her skirt held up in her lizard hands. Bummer had recovered from the initial shock of a weapon-wielding squirrel (something he had encountered before only in doggie nightmares brought on by the late-night gift of chorizo pizza from a charitable Domino's guy) and took off after the squirrel, followed closely by the Emperor and Lazarus. â€Å"No, Bummer,† the Emperor called. â€Å"She's not a normal squirrel.† Lazarus, because he did not know how to say â€Å"well, duh,† stopped in his tracks and looked at the Emperor. The squirrel rocketed out of the alley and took a quick turn down the gutter, falling now to all fours as she went. Just as he reached the corner, the Emperor saw the trail of the tiny pink dress disappear down a storm sewer, followed closely by the intrepid Bummer. The Emperor could hear the terrier's bark echoing out of the grate, fading as Bummer pursued his prey into the darkness. RIVERA Nick Cavuto sat down across from Rivera with a plate of buffalo stew roughly the size of a garbage-can lid. They were having lunch at Tommy's Joynt, an old-school eatery on Van Ness that served home-style food like meat loaf, roasted turkey and stuffing, and buffalo stew every day of the year, and featured San Francisco sports teams on the TV over the bar whenever anyone was playing. â€Å"What?† said the big cop, when he saw his partner roll his eyes. â€Å"Fucking what?† â€Å"Buffalo almost went extinct once,† Rivera said. â€Å"You have ancestors on the Great Plains?† â€Å"Special law enforcement portions – protecting and serving and stuff requires protein.† â€Å"A whole bison?† â€Å"Do I criticize your hobbies?† Rivera looked at his half a turkey sandwich and cup of bean soup, then at Cavuto's stew, then at his runt of a sandwich, then at his partner's colossus of a stew. â€Å"My lunch is embarrassed,† he said. â€Å"Serves you right. Revenge for the Italian suits. I love going to every call with people thinking I'm the victim.† â€Å"You could buy a steamer, or I could have my guy find you some nice clothes.† â€Å"Your guy the serial-killing thrift-store owner? No thanks.† â€Å"He's not a serial killer. He's got some weird shit going on, but he's not a killer.† â€Å"Just what we need, more weird shit. What was he really doing when you had that shots-fired report?† â€Å"Just like it said, I was going by and a guy tried to rob him at gunpoint. I drew my weapon and told the perp to halt, he drew down on me, and I fired.† â€Å"Your ass. You never fired eleven shots in your life you didn't hit the ten X ring with nine of them. The fuck happened?† Rivera looked down the long table, made sure the three guys sitting down at the other end were engaged in the game showing on the TV over the bar. â€Å"I hit her with every shot.† â€Å"Her? Perp was a woman?† â€Å"I didn't say that.† Cavuto dropped his spoon. â€Å"Partner? Don't tell me you shot the redhead? I thought that was over.† â€Å"No. This was a new thing – like – Nick, you know me, I'm not going to fire unless it's justified.† â€Å"Just say what happened. I got your back.† â€Å"It was like this bird woman or something. All black. I mean fucking black as tar. Had claws that looked like – I don't know, like three-inch-long silver ice picks or something. My shots took chunks out of her – feathers and black goo and shit everywhere. She took nine in the torso and flew away.† â€Å"Flew?† Rivera sipped his coffee, eyeing his partner's reaction over the edge of the cup. They had been through some extraordinary things working together, but if the situation had been reversed, he wasn't sure he'd believe this story either. â€Å"Yeah, flew.† Cavuto nodded. â€Å"Okay, I can see why you wouldn't put that in the report.† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"So this bird woman,† Cavuto said, like that was settled, he totally believed it, now what? â€Å"She was robbing the Asher guy from the thrift shop?† â€Å"Giving him a hand job.† Cavuto nodded, picked up his spoon, and took a huge bite of stew and rice, still nodding as he chewed. He looked as if he were going to say something, then quickly took another bite, as if to stop himself. He appeared to be distracted by the game on television, and finished his lunch without another word. Rivera ate his soup and sandwich in silence as well. As they were leaving, Cavuto grabbed two toothpicks from the dispenser by the register and gave one to Rivera as they walked out into a beautiful San Francisco day. â€Å"So you were following Asher?† â€Å"I've been trying to keep an eye on him. Just in case.† â€Å"And you shot her nine times for giving the guy a hand job,† Cavuto finally asked. â€Å"I guess,† Rivera said. â€Å"You know, Alphonse, that right there is why I don't hang out with you socially. Your values are fucked up.† â€Å"She wasn't human, Nick.† â€Å"Still. A hand job? Deadly force? I don't know – â€Å" â€Å"It wasn't deadly force. I didn't kill her.† â€Å"Nine to the chest?† â€Å"I saw her – it – last night. On my street. Watching me from a storm sewer.† â€Å"Ever think to ask Asher how he happened to know the flying bulletproof bird woman in the first place?† â€Å"Yeah, I did, but I can't tell you what he said. It's too weird.† Cavuto threw his arms in the air. â€Å"Well, sweet Tidy Bowl Jesus skipping on the blue toilet water, we wouldn't want it to get fucking weird, would we?† LILY They were on their second cup of coffee and Charlie had told Lily about not getting the two soul vessels, about the encounter with the sewer harpy, about the shadow coming out of the mountains in Sedona and the other version of The Great Big Book of Death, and his suspicions that there was a frightening problem with his little girl, the symptoms of which were two giant dogs and an ability to kill with the word kitty. To Charlie's thinking, Lily was reacting to the wrong story. â€Å"You hooked up with a demon from the Underworld and I'm not good enough for you?† â€Å"It's not a competition, Lily. Can we not talk about that? I knew I shouldn't have told you. I'm worried about other stuff.† â€Å"I want details, Asher.† â€Å"Lily, a gentleman doesn't share the details of his amorous encounters.† Lily crossed her arms and assumed a pose of disgusted incredulity, an eloquent pose, because before she said it, Charlie knew what was coming: â€Å"Bullshit. That cop shot pieces off her, but you're worried about protecting her honor?† Charlie smiled wistfully. â€Å"You know, we shared a moment – â€Å" â€Å"Oh my God, you complete man-whore!† â€Å"Lily, you can't possibly be hurt by my – by my response to your generous – and let me say right here – extraordinarily tempting offer. Gee whiz.† â€Å"It's because I'm too perky, isn't it? Not dark enough for you? You being Mr. Death and all.† â€Å"Lily, the shadow in Sedona was coming for me. When I left town, it went away. The sewer harpy came for me. The other Death Merchant said that I was different. They never had deaths happen as a result of their presence like I have.† â€Å"Did you just say ‘gee whiz' to me? What am I, nine? I am a woman – â€Å" â€Å"I think I might be the Luminatus, Lily.† Lily shut up. She raised her eyebrows. As if â€Å"no.† Charlie nodded. As if â€Å"yes.† â€Å"The Big Death?† â€Å"With a capital D,† Charlie said. â€Å"Well, you're totally not qualified for that,† Lily said. â€Å"Thanks, I feel better now.† MINTY FRESH Being two hundred feet under the sea always made Minty uneasy, especially if he'd been drinking sake and listening to jazz all night, which he had. He was in the last car on the last train out of Oakland, and he had the car to himself, like his own private submarine, cruising under the Bay with the echo of a tenor sax in his ear like sonar, and a half-dozen sake-sodden spicy tuna rolls sitting in his stomach like depth charges. He'd spent his evening at Sato's on the Embarcadero, Japanese restaurant and jazz club. Sushi and jazz, strange bedfellows, shacked up by opportunity and oppression. It began in the Fillmore district, which had been a Japanese neighborhood before World War II. When the Japanese were shipped off to internment camps, and their homes and belongings sold off, the blacks, who came to the city to work in the shipyards building battleships and destroyers, moved into the vacant buildings. Jazz came close behind. For years, the Fillmore was the center of the San Francisco jazz scene, and Bop City on Post Street the premier jazz club. When the war ended and the Japanese returned, many a late night might find Japanese kids standing under the windows of Bop City, listening to the likes of Billie Holiday, Oscar Peterson, or Charles Mingus, listening to art happen and dissipate into the San Francisco nights. Sato was one of those kids. It wasn't just historical happenstance – Sato had explained to Minty, late one night after the music had ended and the sake was making him wax eloquent – it was philosophical alignment: jazz was a Zen art, dig? Controlled spontaneity. Like sumi-e ink painting, like haiku, like archery, like kendo fencing – jazz wasn't something you planned, it was something you did. You practiced, you played your scales, you learned your chops, then you brought all your knowledge, your conditioning, to the moment. â€Å"And in jazz, every moment is a crisis,† Sato quoted Wynton Marsalis, â€Å"and you bring all your skill to bear on that crisis.† Like the swordsman, the archer, the poet, and the painter – it's all right there – no future, no past, just that moment and how you deal with it. Art happens. And Minty, taken by the need to escape his life as Death, had taken the train to Oakland to find a moment he could hide in, without the regret of the past or the anxiety of the future, just a pure right now resting in the bell of a tenor sax. But the sake, too much future looming ahead, and too much water overhead had brought on the blues, the moment melted, and Minty was uneasy. Things were going badly. He'd been unable to retrieve his last two soul vessels – a first in his career – and he was starting to see, or hear, the effects. Voices out of the storm sewers – louder and more numerous than ever – taunting him. Things moving in the shadows, on the periphery of his vision, shuffling, scuffling dark things that disappeared when you looked right at them. He'd even sold three discs off the soul-vessels rack to the same person, another first. He hadn't noticed it was the same woman right away, but when things started to go wrong, the faces played back and he realized. She'd been a monk the first time, a Buddhist monk of some kind, wearing gold-and-maroon robes, her hair very short, as if her head had been shaved and was growing out. What he remembered was that her eyes were a crystal blue, unusual in someone with such dark hair and skin. And there was a smile deep in those eyes that made him feel as if a soul had found its rightful place, a good home at a higher level. The next time he'd seen her was six months later and she was in jeans and leather jacket, her hair sort of out of control. She'd taken a CD from the â€Å"One Per Customer† rack, a Sarah McLachlan, which is what he'd have chosen for her if asked, and he barely noticed the crystal-blue eyes other than to think that he'd seen that smile before. Then, last week, it w as her again, with hair down around her shoulders, wearing a long skirt and a belted muslin poet's shirt – like an escapee from a Renaissance fair, not unusual for the Haight, but not quite common in the Castro – still, he thought nothing of it, until she had paid him and glanced over the top of her sunglasses to count the cash out of her wallet. The blue eyes again, electric and not quite smiling this time. He didn't know what to do. He had no proof she was the monk, the chick in the leather jacket, but he knew it was her. He brought all his skills to bear on the situation, and essentially, he folded. â€Å"So you like Mozart?† he asked her. â€Å"It's for a friend† was all she said. He rationalized not confronting her by that simple statement. A soul vessel was supposed to find its rightful owner, right? It didn't say he had to sell it directly to them. That had been a week ago, and since then the voices, the scuffling noises in the shadows, the general creepiness, had been nearly constant. Minty Fresh had spent most of his adult life alone, but never before had he felt the loneliness so profoundly. A dozen times in the last few weeks he'd been tempted to call one of the other Death Merchants under the pretense of warning them about his screwup, but mainly just to talk to someone who had a clue about what his life was like. He stretched his long legs out over three train seats and into the aisle, then closed his eyes and laid his head back against the window, feeling the rhythm of the rattling train coming through the cool glass against his shaved scalp. Oh no, that wasn't going to work. Too much sake and something akin to bed spins. He jerked his head forward and opened his eyes, then noticed through the doors that the train had gone dark two cars up. He sat upright and watched as the lights went out in the next car – no, that's not what happened. Darkness moved through the car like a flowing gas, taking the energy out of the lights as it went. â€Å"Oh, shit,† Minty said to the empty car. He couldn't even stand up inside the train, but stand up he did, staying slumped a little, his head against the ceiling, but facing the flowing darkness. The door at the end of the car opened and someone stepped through. A woman. Well, not exactly a woman. What looked like the shadow of a woman. â€Å"Hey, lover,† it said. A low voice, smoky. He'd heard this voice before, or a voice like it. The darkness flowed around the two floor lights at the far end of the car, leaving the woman illuminated in outline only, a gunmetal reflection against pure blackness. Since he was first tapped as a Death Merchant, Minty had never remembered feeling afraid, but he was afraid now. â€Å"I'm not your lover,† Minty said, his voice as smooth and steady as a bass sax, not giving up a note of fear. A crisis in every moment, he thought. â€Å"Once you've had black, you never go back,† she said, taking a step toward him, her blue-black outline the only thing visible in any direction now. He knew there was a door a few feet behind him that was held shut with powerful hydraulics, and that led to a dark tunnel two hundred feet under the Bay, lined with a deadly electric rail – but for some reason, that sounded like a really friendly place to be right now. â€Å"I've had black,† said Minty. â€Å"No, you haven't, lover. You've had shades of brown, dark cocoa and coffee maybe, but I promise you, you've never had black. Because once you do, you never ever come back.† He watched as she moved toward him – flowed toward him – and long silver claws sprouted from her fingertips, playing in the dim glow from the safety lights, dripping something that steamed when it hit the floor. There were scurrying sounds on either side of him, things moving in the darkness, low and quick. â€Å"Okay, good point,† Minty said.

Kafka’s The Metamorphosis

Many literary critics were both awed and puzzled with Franz Kafka’s brilliantly written yet absurd, and often, grossly surreal form of writing. Die Verwandlung or The Metamorphosis is Kafka’s longest work, almost resembling a novel, and is also one of the most acclaimed. From the story of Gregor, who woke up one morning to find himself transformed into an insect (beetle), the readers can slowly see the exploration of an individual’s existence and the pain he experiences due to physical isolation and other people’s indifference.Using a purely psychological outlook, it is easy to view The Metamorphosis as a mirror of Kafka’s own demons–for every artist is said to impart a portion of his self into his works. Thus, The Metamorphosis may be Kafka’s own struggle with his past and present, a personal process that gradually made its way to the writer’s conscious writings and developed into a nightmarish plot about the life of Gregor Sam za who curiously transmuted into a physically hideous creature. This is why Kafka stands to gain the empathy and compassion of viewers when the story is told from the standpoint of Gregor.First, Kafka is a struggling writer early on in his life. He lived his life in emotional dependence on his parents. There were mixed feelings of love and hate   and though he longed to marry, he considered   sex as dirty. By choosing Gregor as the main character who experiences the transformation, he elicits the empathy of readers even as he performs a lackluster life.(Franz Kafka. 1883-1924). In the story, Gregor Samza is the pillar that supports his family. He is a fairly successful salesman and earns enough to pay off his father’s debt and bring food on the table. He is the one who strives hard for the family’s upkeep.When the tragedy happens to him and not to any member of the family, then, the repercussions are greater. The pillar of their family is suddenly gone and they hav e to strive to go about their daily lives without his help. In fact, they have to bear the burden of seeing a horrible creature in their house and then to think that the creature is Gregor, back to pretending that their lives are normal, nevertheless.Second, Kafka had no intention of publishing any of his works.   He actually wanted it destroyed. It was his friend Max Brod who pursued its publication. Thus, Kafka, actually had all the liberty to create Gregor as the target of all his frustrations and dependency feelings. He gained all the outlet to release these emotions and then destroy it in the end. It gave a vicarious feeling of relief to him. (Franz Kafka. 1883-1924).Lastly, Kafka felt a certain kind of weakness despite the rebellion he showed. Creating Gregor as the brunt of all his impotence gave an apt target for the same kind of impotence that Gregor had to be imbued with. .(Franz Kafka. 1883-1924).We find reasons for Kafka’s way of telling the story because Kafka never worked as a traveling salesman nor even experienced acting as a primary financier for his family. Yet a parallelism can be seen between the two men, both before and after Gregor’s transformation. Gregor knows his father’s ruthless temper, and with respect for the old man intermingles fear. There are scenes in the story where the older Samsa demonstrates this merciless attitude towards his son because of the latter’s repugnant appearance.Mr. Samsa cruelly shoves Gregor into his room using a walking cane, and during a stressful encounter, pelts him with apples wherein an apple lodges into his insect back and begins to rot (Kafka 37-38). Nevertheless, it was through Gregor that Kafka was able to show how goodness permeates in everyone, but only when instances are happy and perfect. When things turn to worst, individuals resort to a coping strategy that alienates the ugly and the useless.Putting Gregor as the member of the family that is transformed into an in sect gives us a glimpse of how Kafka may have felt at times in his life. Apart from the refined and healthy appearance, Kafka was depressed most of the time. It was known that he suffered from migraine, constipation, and boils, which are all products of pent-up stress and unhealthy emotions common to those with troubled pasts   (â€Å"Franz Kafka†).No wonder that the bizarre dominated his form of expression, probably as a form of a release from the rigid normality that imprisons individuals into normalness. In fact, there is no other way of invoking from the readers such strong feelings akin to the emotions of the writer than by using frightful and graphic images resembling man’s outlandish nightmares.   Then again, Kafka never wanted some of his works published for the entire world to read. Writing is sacred for Kafka, and a refuge from a seemingly menacing and indifferent world (Franz Kafka. Books and Writers).Gregor’s transformation into a beetle is paral lel to Kafka’s acquiring of tuberculosis. The physical degradation means the collapse of a person’s once important status and the revulsion of others. At first, loved ones react with grief whilst trying to be considerate to the afflicted one. In the long run, however, those with debilitating weaknesses are soon scorned. This long-time fear of being weak and being segregated translated into writing, while Kafka tried his best to look normal even when recuperating.Kafka’s tuberculosis purportedly affected his writings in such a way that his stories show â€Å"fear of physical and mental collapse,† which was of course also seen in The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka). Further, the nightmarish plots pertain to â€Å"dehumanization† as exemplified with Samsa’s metamorphosis into an insect. Even more frightening is the effect of this dehumanization, wherein everything beautiful, even Grete’s kind-heartedness, comes to its fearful end.For some re aders, The Metamorphosis is allegorical. Reading the story makes one constantly hope for a totally different conclusion, or if not, for some figurative message hidden behind the lines. Yet what happened in the story is totally literal and blunt: Gregor died as a beetle, his death comes silently in the night. It is devoid of any melodrama or of any dramatic revelations, so that the whole meaning or essence of the story is left for the readers to figure out. Kafka’s literature, The Metamorphosis included, have since served as windows into the late writer’s own life and soul: his experiences, fears and tribulations. His works are full of the complexities that are deemed as representative of the human existence, and most importantly, complexities that endlessly haunted the author until his end.Kafka stands to be redeemed of his supposedly ordinary existence, even if temporary, in the way he depicted Gregor. All the angst that Kafka experienced in his life poured out on Gre gor who had to bear the brunt of his disappointments. He made Gregor useless by transforming him into a hideous insect in order to assuage his own uselessness.   It had to be Gregor because he was the breadwinner. When Gregor dies in the end, the impact is great because as Kafka writes it, that there is a heavy weight lifted from the spirit of the family and their mourning is short.The story ends with the whole family driving into the countryside and their parents’ thoughts wondering about how to find a husband for Grete. There is a great sadness in the way Kafka decides to end his story because Gregor is not missed at all, but instead, his parents just try to find ways of looking for a possible husband for Grete—a replacement for Gregor who was their breadwinner. In the final analysis, Kafka succeeds in getting the sympathy of readers as he wove his story until Gregor’s death.Works CitedKafka, Franz. Appelbaum, Stanley (trans.). The Metamorphosis and Other St ories. New York: Dover. 1996.â€Å"Franz Kafka.† In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 7 Dec 2006. Retrieved Feb. 1, 2007 at:https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Franz_Kafka&oldid=92749510â€Å"Franz Kafka.† Books and Writers. 2002. Retrieved Feb. 1, 2007 at:â€Å"Franz Kafka. (1883-1924).† Retrieved Feb. 1, 2007 at:http://www.levity.com/corduroy/kafka.htm