Political and ideological discourse Essay Example for Free

Political and ideological discourse Essay America is founded upon some deeply disturbing prejudices, which are dangerously implanted in our youth at a young age. The impact is a sick culture, capable of terrible acts of impulse that are inspired by fear and contempt. This is at the core of The Crucible. In many ways, The Crucible, which recounts the awful details of the Salem Witch Trials, still resonates today. The term Witch Hunt is often invoked in modern social, political and ideological discourse to characterize any malicious or unfounded crusade against an innocent party or parties. The narrative of the 1954 Arthur Miller play helps to keep fresh the understanding of that which we are capable of at our worst, our most misguided and our most ignorant. In addition, it cautions against the type of repression which marked the Salem society, elucidating that such unnaturally draconian standards will inevitably cause revolt. Perhaps among the most shocking elements of the play is that which is revealed to the play’s reader in the introduction regarding the extraordinary young age of the girls. Acknowledging them as being barely out of their puberty, this introduction helps to pave the way for the cruel behavior perpetrated by such young aggressors, producing a useful discussion on the cultural impact bore upon our young by a culture that behaves with such virulent fanaticism. This also helps us in our consideration of the realities surrounding the witch trials, with Miller’s telling pairing with some historical notes of interest. These do help us to appreciate the danger tread by Americans in this context and in those modern parallels thereto. To this extent, the shocking detail noted in the introduction relates to the fact that in the years after the witch trials, when the state of Massachusetts had come to fully acknowledge and provide reparations for what had occurred, it did so with precious little remorse. Though it provided a small financial sum to the compensation of the Proctors—with John Proctor already deceased by execution—â€Å"perversely, damages were paid not only to the victims but also to such people as William Good, who was his wife’s accuser, and Abigail Hobbs, a ‘confessed witch’ who became a hostile witness. ’† (viii) In addition to this grotesque distortion of a reconciliation, the statement provided by the Governor accompanying this statement of apology would argue nonetheless that the accusers could be forgiven for their atrocities due to the fact that the time and place in question was â€Å"infested with a horrible Witchcraft. † (vii) This would seem a most unyielding apology. These observations lead to a number of questions concerning the play as a whole. Particularly, the fact of this unrepentence causes us to wonder whether Miller’s political enemies recognized the parallels suggested between McCarthyism and the Witch Trials. A second question wonders whether this play might have been made had not the era of McCarthyism begun to impact artists, authors and entertainers, even in spite of the fact that it was based on events more than 200 years passed. A final question as we enter further discussion on this subject questions whether or not—without a loaded intention—Miller’s analogy between the Witch Trials and the anti-communist loyalty trials of the 1950s. The story is presented with some dramatic elements which do not blunt but tend instead to make more relatable the impact of certain characters. The most prominent of distinctions from history is the set of dramatic liberties taken with regard to personal relationships, such as the affair between Proctor and Abigail, which would be a device intended to move forward themes of personal vindictiveness. Additional distinctions are the characterizations which in many contexts, Miller acknowledges, were intended as ‘composite’ sketches of groups of individuals identified by historical record. His characters were fictionalized for the purpose of economy. An additional detail of importance is that many of the character ages were altered in order to create dramatic tensions and possibilities central to the narrative action but distinct from historical accuracy. Ultimately, none of these distinction detract from the imposition of Miller’s message, which is that the danger present in this age would emerge once again in the era of McCarthyism, and perhaps we might argue, again today in the age of terrorism. Namely, we can see that fear of an unseen villain has bred a blind and irrational wave of paranoia and its attendant behaviors, establishing a society deeply vulnerable to exploitation and mob mentality. 2. Ultimately, it is impossible for this reason of mob mentality to place the blame for the horrific series of events upon any one individual. Though some appear as more insidious than others, and where others still will tend to even demonstrate remorse in eventuality, all individuals in the society may be said to play a hand in the disgrace for which Miller’s play accounts. Indeed, as much as the aggressive pursuit shown by some, it would be the spineless docility of others which would allow so many to lose there lives. Indeed, we may be immediately struck by how fast speculation is turned around in the sequence described by Act I. Here, the manipulative young girls escape culpability for deviant behavior by exploiting the primitive instincts of the townsfolk. Miller’s work seems largely fixated upon the easy and willing susceptibility of the Salem townsfolk to such a ploy. The story utilized fast sequence of narrative action in order to demonstrate the stunning quickness with which the Church moves to respond to allegations, eschewing sensible law enforcement or due process to instead begin a series of completely unfounded arrests. Indeed, the arrival of Hale, the specialist on witchcraft, brings with it a gloomy sense of foreboding that seems to target this man with the onus of blame for that which is to occur. With the sentence of death being the outcome to such proceedings as those brought forth, the reader is moved by the remarkably errant posing of Church authority. The courtroom drama which is used in the Third Act of the play is compelling if a little overstated. Here, the genuine hysteria has set in and the outrageous turnabout between first Mary and John toward Abigail and ultimately, Mary and Abigail toward John demonstrates the greatest problem of the play. It is clear that everybody is on trial, which we may denote is likewise how Miller views it. To his perspective, the town is indeed on trial for its behavior. The carnage and extremity of the outcome is perhaps less surprising therefore than something such as the reversal of Hale in the finally act. Initially, the reader views him as a sinister figure but it is clear by this juncture that the forces governing Salem had leapt far beyond his intent or control. The finality of the play here is unforgiving, as the accused are hanged with no redemption. The theme of intolerance as a crime of which the whole town is guilty is presented largely in the descriptions by Miller, who portrayed the Puritans as living in what â€Å"was a barbaric frontier inhabited by a sect of fanatics who, nevertheless, were shipping out products of slowly increasing quantity and value. † (4) Miller would describe them as a people who ‘forbade anything resembling a theater or ‘vain enjoyment. ’ We might therefore argue that the theme of intolerance is best exemplified by the impact which it has on the cruel and hateful children, made so by the puritan society. A contrary indication, given by the kindly Rebecca, notes that â€Å"a child’s spirit is like a child, you can never catch it by running after; you must stand still, and, for love, it will soon itself come back. † (24) Here, we are given an intuition otherwise absent from Salem, and much to the destruction of its people as it drives the neglected children to become ripe with meanness. Indeed, all are guilty, right down to the children who laughed while others died. Works Cited: Miller, A. (1964) The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts. Penguin Books.

Drink and Creative Writing Planning Essay Example for Free

Drink and Creative Writing Planning Essay Sometimes people choose to try things for the first time because they want to or they like trying new things or they are forced to. It was the day I was always waiting for, my first ever 9th grade party. I was so thrilled that the person even invited me, only the ‘cool’ people were invited to huge parties and well let’s just say I was an ordinary girl. My friend Adriana and got ready at my place with excitement and off we went to experience our one life opportunity with the popular groups. I walked in the big huge giant building I started to have goose bumps all over my body, my heart started to race as fast as a rocket, I was so nervous. It was all dark and the music was so loud my ears felt as if I was on a plane and about to take off. Everyone was dancing, drinking and doing all sorts of things I only thought happened in movies. I looked on my right and there was Adriana with some guy sitting on his lap and drinking, she moved quit fast. I went over to check if she was okay. She said she was but she sure didn’t look okay. I was already starting to regret coming to this party. I didn’t fit with these people, I was with all the ‘popular’ people but I still felt like an outcast. Sitting in the corner alone, then a loud voice crawled into my ear â€Å"Hey, what are you doing sitting down alone? Come with me! † I had never seen this girl in my life, or maybe I have but she was just covered by the heavy make-up. The strange girl handed me a drink, and told me to drink it, it’s nothing. Mum warned me about this, not taking drinks from random people. I hesitated and told the girl I don’t want the drink. But she kept implying that I should just take a little bit and I was in the middle of all her friends and I didn’t want to be humiliated. I took my first sip of alcohol and then I saw myself dancing and making a complete full of myself. The room started to spin uncontrollably. I don’t remember half of the things I even did; it was like I was a different person. I look to my right and I see two people fighting and Adriana in the middle. I was so worried she was in trouble so I headed over there to help her. I was pushed and shoved around trying to get to Adriana and all I remember is some aggressive boy picking up a bottle and I was on the floor. All I could see was a blurred vision of Adriana screaming my name and it all went blank. That night would have to be the worst night of my life. One single drop of alcohol changed my whole night. I regret every single decision I made that night. I wish I can take it all back. Who would’ve thought the impossible could be possible.

Definition And Concepts In Building Refurbishment Construction Essay

Definition And Concepts In Building Refurbishment Construction Essay Although building cannot have an infinite economic life, it is widely acknowledged that the process of fabric and structural decline can be slowed down by routine maintenance programs. Occasionally, a shortsighted slumlord will direct a property manager to operate a property to get the maximum returns in term of rental. This usually occurs when an owner refuses to make any repairs except those necessary to keep the property operating. This type of owner treats building as an operating asset in state of an investment. Nowadays, this kind of situation is getting lesser and lesser cause more and more office building is being held as investment by public listed company of good reputation. This is true especially for building acquired and maintained by REITs company as the property portfolio. Nowadays, more building owners treat their property as an investment. This is especially true when they engage the service of a property manager. In this situation, property is being exploited by achieving the best return on capital possible and generates productivity from occupier. At the same time, the property will also be well managed in order to add capital appreciation to the property. Failure to maintain the property regularly can impair the structural integrity of the fabric, accelerating the decline in investment returns until the point where refurbishment options need to be considered (John R. Mansfield, 2000). Technically, refurbishment is the process of making as good as new, including essential modernization and renovations. But, Quah suggests that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“refurbishmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  has become a generic, interchangeable term, apparently distinguishable from other specialist activities. Therefore, a clear definition of refurbishment is being quoted from other researchers to clear the doubts. Egbu (1996) considers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“refurbishmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  to encompass rehabilitation, alteration, adaption, extension, improvement, modernization and repair work carried out to an existing building to permit it reuse for various specific reasons. This definition tells the main reasons of refurbishment, which is to make sure a building is able to operate continuously, and offer better services that suit the demand of the tenants. Normally owners have different perspective when it comes to decide whether to refurbish or redevelop their office building. There are also no rules in the decision-making for refurbishment or redevelopment of office building. But, Reginald Lee from university of Reading has formulated three important issues when it comes to the stage when decision is required. The existing condition of the building needs to be surveyed. If the structural was sound, refurbishment might be considered. If it was very dilapidated, demolition and redevelopment mould probably be the only realistic course of action. This might occur where the structure has been allowed to deteriorate over a no of years, beyond useful refurbishment. The third issue concerning desirable level of refurbishment cannot be considered in isolation. As construction resource is limited and required a large amount of capital, a correct decision is important. Refurbishment by arresting decay extends the physical life of a building, thereby delays and defers expenditure on redevelopment to a large extend this will depend upon the degree to which it is possible to modify the internal layout to accommodate changing tenants requirements there is thus a relationship between the adaptability of the design, building life, maintenance costs and new construction cost. Older building do not make the best possible use of space for modern-day use. Normally in Malaysia, a design efficiency of 75% is considered the desirable norm of an office building. New high rise building aim to have a design efficiency of above 75% whereas buildings constructed between 1920 and 1970 have at best 60% to 70% efficiency. In order to adapt a building for today processes, refurbishment may become so intensive to make redevelopment a better alternative. Better use of space can often be achieved by a completely new design. If the existing space available is insufficient, the possibility of extending the premises may be considered. If space around the site does not permit this approach, some form of redevelopment may become essential. Te efficiency ratio (net let table area divided by gross floor area) of older buildings. A well conceived building today can have an efficiency ratio of about 80% If building cost is expected to rise drastically in the future, it is better not to postponed the decision for redevelopment by choosing refurbishment. The expected rise in building cost will have an effect on the decision

An Introduction to the CYC Knowledge Base Essay -- CYC Project Technol

An Introduction to the CYC Knowledge Base I. Abstract This paper is intended to be an introductory tutorial on the Very Large Knowledge Base (VLKB) called CYC. Described herein is the reasoning for the origination of the CYC project, the intended usefulness of the project (application areas), how CYC is being constructed, and a brief introduction to the supporting tools that have been developed to interact with the CYC knowledge base. II. Introduction Many Knowledge Bases (KB) have been developed to help people solve problems in very specific applications. These are relatively simple to build since the knowledge required by the specific system needs to be only those facts required to solve the problem in that particular application. An example of this type of KB would be one that contains only the information needed to diagnose particular fungal and bacterial infections. The KB would need to know about the different attributes of the microscopic organisms and their affects on the host but would not need to know that the grass is green or that the earth revolves around the sun. The CYC common sense Knowledge Base takes the opposite approach. CYC is being created to hold information that most people would consider to be common sense knowledge. The idea is to create a KB that would supply the basic knowledge needed to be applicable to many different applications. By building a KB with this general knowledge, it is hoped that the KB will be able to learn (create new inferences) by itself and be able to tell when it does not have enough information in a particular domain to resolve a problem. The CYC project was started by Doug Lenat at MCC (Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation, now Cycorp, Inc.) in Aust... ...nology", Cycorp, Inc, http://www.cyc.com Ginsberg, Matthew L., Essentials of Artificial Intelligence. Morgan Kaufmann, 1993. ISBN 1-55860-221-6 Lenat, D.B., Guha, R.V., "Ideas for Applying CYC", Cycorp, Inc, http://www.cyc.com/tech-reports/act-cyc-407-91/act-cyc-407-91.html Mayfield, James; Finin, Tim; Narayanaswamy, Rajkumar; Shah, Chetan; MacCartney, William; Goolsbey, Keith, "The Cycic Friends Network: getting Cyc agents to reason together", University Of Maryland - Baltimore County, http://www.cs.umbc.edu/~cikm/iia/submitted/viewing/mayfield Pratt, Vaughan, "CYC Report", Stanford University, April 16, 1994, http://www.cs.umbc.edu/~narayan/proj/cyc-critic.html Rajkumar & Shah, "A Study to assess the usefulness of CYC in a mediated architecture", University Of Maryland - Baltimore County, CYC KQML Project, http://www.cs.umbc.edu/~narayan/proj/doc.html

Automotive Electrical System :: automobile car vehicle electric system

The electrical system consist of the generator (alternator), the regulator, the battery, the starter, and of course all the necessary wiring. Generator (alternator)- The generator converts the mechanical energy, which it obtains from the crackshaft through a pulley and belt system, into the electrical energy needed for ignition, lights, and all other electric accessories the vehicla contains. It also recharges the battery. The generator consist of two basic parts: the Field Coils which create the magnetic field and the Armature Winding which rotates in the magnetic field producing a flow of current. It's common to have a fan attached to the generator to help cool the system. Regulator- The regulator controls the generator's output according to the needs of the electrical system. Battery- The battery stores electrical energy for starting the engine and the operating electrical units when the output produced by the generator is not sufficient. It principle is to convert chemical energy into electrical energy. Batteries are built in a series of cells, each producing approximately 2 volts. A 6 volt battery will then have 3 cells and a 12 volt battery will have 6 cells. The cells are all connected in series. Starting Motor (starter)- This is a special type of an electrical motor designed to crank the engine at a speed high enough to permit it to start. It is capable of operating under heavy overload and creates great power, but only for a short time. When the starter is engaged, the driving pinion gear, which is attached to its shaft, is thrust forward to engage the teeth of the flywheel. The flywheel rotates the crankshaft to which is mounted, thus cranking the engine. As soon as the engine starts up, the driving pinion is automatically disengaged from the flywheel. The ignition system is designed to transform the low voltage from the battery or generator to the high tension voltage required to produce the sparks that ignite the compressed mixture of air and fuel in the combustion chamber. This system consist of the ignition coil, the distributor, the spark plugs, and high and low tension wires. Ignition Coil- This is a transformer designed to step up the 6 or 12 volts from the battery to approximately 20,000 volts. Distributor- The distributor which is driven by the camshaft, sends the high tension current it recieves from the ignition coil to the proper spark plug at the correct instant that the corresponding piston reaches the top of the compression stroke.

Comparison of Popes The rape of the Lock and Swifts A Modest Proposal

Although Alexander Pope's, The Rape of the Lock, and Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal are both witty satires, they differ on their style, intention, and mood. To begin, in The Rape of the Lock, Alexander Pope uses satire to invoke a capricious, melancholy mood to illustrate the absurdity of fighting over the cutting of one's hair. Hidden inside this poem is a crafty criticism of the society that helps create the crisis over the stolen lock. A Society in which appearances ere more important to a person’s sense of identity, and treats the insignificant with utmost importance. The very title of this mock- epic gives the audience a clue, the word "rape" and all its implications bring to mind a heinous crime of violation. Pope chose to utilize the heroic couplet to trivialize this mock- epic â€Å"But when to mischief mortals bend their will, how soon they find it instruments of ill!† (3. 53-54). He also employs in many instances, historic allusions to give the poem a serious feel â€Å"Fear the just Gods, and think of Scylla's fate! chang'd to a bird, and sent to flit in air, she dearl...

Capitalism and Freedom Book Review

Warren Bryan 3/5/12 Book Review: Capitalism & Freedom Author: Milton Friedman Milton Friedman’s Capitalism & Freedom is one of the most important books regarding economics of the 20th century. His thoughts laid the groundwork for the emerging modern conservative movement, which was an evolution of the 19th century beliefs surrounding liberalism.Friedman’s major themes of his most famous work consist of the roles of competitive capitalism, as well as the role that government should play in a society â€Å"dedicated to freedom and relying primarily on the market to organize economic activity. † The book touches on a multitude of other economic issues; however, his first two chapters regarding the major themes of the book are most relevant in today’s study of economics. Most of Friedman’s viewpoints I agree with in terms of promoting freedom and its necessity to promoting prosperity and growth.Friedman, however, lacks a certain level of clarity regardi ng the specificity of his definition of â€Å"economic freedom† and the other variants of â€Å"freedom. † Friedman argues that a free market economic policy is by definition part of freedom, or in his words, â€Å"†¦freedom in economic arrangement is itself a component of freedom broadly understood, so economic freedom is an end in itself. † This is one of his prime arguments supporting his claim that free market economic policies are critical for a free society.The implications surrounding this statement are that anyone who is against a free market economic policy is also against the American values of liberty and the liberal tradition, or as Friedman puts it, â€Å"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. † What he lacks in his explanation concerning the connection between freedom and economic freedom is his disregard to define the concept of freedom, whether concerning its origins, how it developed, or what it means specifically relative to all the different economic issues it applies to.For example he lists several present day scenarios that violate one’s economic freedom: having to pay 10% of income to social security, not being able to follow an occupation of your own choice without professional licensure, being forbidden to exchange certain items because of quotas that prevent such exchanges, being thrown in jail for setting prices lower than the manufacture specified (fair trade laws), and the farmer who cannot grow the amount he desires because of price supports.Under complete economic freedom, the government should not be able to tell us how or where to spend our money, dispose of our goods, or how we should labor because it’s in violation of our individual freedom, or our entitlement to property and labor, according to Friedman. Surely these are all characteristics of being free, however his explanation is certainly not the end all-be all. It is more rela tive to examine what is exactly entitled to the elements of freedom.A famous example comes from a Supreme Court Justice who said, â€Å"My freedom to move my fist must be limited by the proximity of your chin. † This coincides with John Locke’s paradoxical claim that one must give up certain rights to achieve freedom. An absolute interpretation of â€Å"freedom† is just not plausible because of the endless amounts of extenuating circumstances that would, and should, interfere with ones freedom. The very nature of society and law places these restrictions on absolute freedom because your actions are limited by the protection of another’s entitlements.Friedman acknowledges this impossibility and admits that there is still an important role for the government to make the rules and act as â€Å"umpire† toward them. He concludes on this thought stating, â€Å"What the market does is to reduce greatly the range of issues that must be decided through pol itical means, and thereby minimize the extent to which government need participate directly in the game. † Friedman more narrowly believed the government should intervene with â€Å"indivisible matters. † A problem with this claim regarding indivisible matters is he never clarifies what constitutes an indivisible matter.The example he gives is in relation to national defense, â€Å"I cannot get the amount of national defense I want and you a different amount. With respect to such indivisible matters we can discuss, argue, and vote. But having decided we must conform. † Thus, we shall let the government deal with indivisible matters where we must meet a consensus on basic things such as defense. How do we know that a flat tax, a tax reform mentioned by Friedman, counts as a matter that government should control whereas a tax for social security does not?The criteria must be explained for the difference between the two. Friedman believed that the market allows bett er proportional representation than the democratic process. â€Å"The market allows the voluntary exchange of goods between individuals without coercion. † â€Å"Exchange can therefore bring about co-ordination without coercion†¦no exchange will take place unless both parties do benefit from it. Cooperation is thereby achieved without coercion. † This implies that the free market system gives people what they want instead of what some group thinks they â€Å"ought to want. This is a basis for his belief in laissez-faire. Friedman believed that government intervention enforces conformity. Policies are implemented based on a majority vote, or at best a 2/3rd vote, thus imposing a view from the majority onto the minority. A valid point that Friedman fails to comprehend that government is necessary for exchange even to begin. What he fails to comprehend is that the market only exists by being founded on laws that the government has already defined.The perceived freed om of the market and tolerance of diversity is not the product of free markets, yet the benefit and consequence of agreements that makes the market possible to begin with. The possibility that people can exchange goods in the market place pre-supposed that there are contracts, notions of property, enforcement systems for violations and so on. The most crucial part in regards to what makes freedom possible in the market is directly related to the government, the very thing he believed enforced conformity.I argue that Friedman fails to recognize both types of freedoms, the first being the freedom to participate in the market but not the freedom in regards to the agreement undertaken to participate within the market in the first place, or the rules of the game. An analogy I found clarifies this concept. The analogy compares the games of checkers and chess. Chess has a more complex rule set than checkers does relative to the extent of moves allowable, however most people would probably choose to play chess for this very reason.Thus, a reduction in rules with the government doesn’t necessarily mean we are more economically free, but yet that we choose to â€Å"play† a different game. Surely I agree with Friedman that the more economic freedom the better, but it is ultimately the government’s job for how we settle the â€Å"rules of the game. † As Friedman’s book proves, as well as my arguments against some of his claims, it is very hard to establish a fine line between governments and markets. The degree of freedom will always be in question within a free society.However, there are many different degrees within these free markets and there can be multiple ways to draw the line between government and the market and still be classified as a â€Å"free market. † ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Milton Friedman, Capitalism And Freedom (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962, 1982, 2002), 4. [ 2 ]. Milton Friedman, Capitalism And Freedom (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962, 1982, 2002), 6 [ 3 ]. Milton Friedman, Capitalism And Freedom (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962, 1982, 2002), 9 [ 4 ].Howard Schwartz, â€Å"What Color Tie Do you Vote For? † Jan. 2007, 5 March 2012 [ 5 ]. Milton Friedman, Capitalism And Freedom (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962, 1982, 2002), 24 [ 6 ]. Milton Friedman, Capitalism And Freedom (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962, 1982, 2002), 33 [ 7 ]. Milton Friedman, Capitalism And Freedom (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962, 1982, 2002), 35 [ 8 ]. Milton Friedman, Capitalism And Freedom (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962, 1982, 2002), 35