Tuesday, December 24, 2019

How Feminists Have Made Countless Advancements For Women

Introduction Less than 100 years ago, the United States government did not allow women the right to vote. The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920 provided all citizens, regardless of gender, the opportunity to exercise this right. While this is a commonly known fact, it was only 47 years ago that a woman was not permitted to run in the Boston Marathon. The feminist movement was directly responsible for pivotal changes in our country. The belief that men and women should have access to equal rights and opportunities continues to affect our culture today. In this paper, I analyze how feminists have made countless improvements for women. As a female, high school varsity cross country/track runner, I was shocked to learn that the â€Å"powers that be† prohibited women from running in a marathon until Katherine Switzer bravely snuck in, entered, and finished one. Halfway through the incredibly exhausting 26-mile event, she thought to herself, â€Å"The reason there are no intercollegiate sports for women at big universities, no scholarships, prize money, or any races longer than 800 meters is because women don’t have the opportunities to prove they want those things.† (1967 Boston Marathon) She endured on-going verbal attacks from the race officiator and with pure determination finished the race knowing that if she did not, â€Å"people will say women can’t do it!† (1967 Boston Marathon) The effects of feminism have already had a direct impact on my life starting with theShow MoreRelatedThe Social, Political, And Economic Equality Between The Sexes1680 Words   |  7 Pageswave began, proclaiming oneself as a feminist was radical. However, people knew the real meaning at that time, that is, the actual definition. In the new wave of feminism, people have come to see this word as an ugly and undesirable title. The word itself has become skewed and twisted by the people who are against the movement, giving it a negative conno tation. Instead of imagining a brave and courageous woman who is fighting for equal treatment for all women of the world, they see a man-hating,Read MoreElizabeth Cady Stanton : Women s Rights888 Words   |  4 PagesElizabeth Cady Stanton was a woman that can be best described under a countless amount of titles. She was a women’s rights activist, feminist, editor, writer, abolitionist, and the list continues. Living in a world in which women were made to feel inferior, Stanton utilized this oppression as a catalyst for permeating into male â€Å"territory†. Fortunately for her, particular opportunities came about naturally, being that she was raised in a privileged household. Her parents were of high respect in theirRead More Anthropology and Gender Essay1576 Words   |  7 PagesThough women have played an integral part in the history of the discipline of anthropology, it was not until the early 1970’s that the field of anthropology and gender, or feminist a nthropology emerged. Sex and gender roles have always been a vital part of any ethnographic study, but the contributors of this theory began to address the androcentric nature of anthropology itself. The substantial gap in information concerning the study of women was perceived as a male bias, a prejudice made more apparentRead MoreHow Feminism Changed The Lives Of Women, Men And Families Essay1351 Words   |  6 PagesPrewriting Techniques I. Brainstorm 1. How each wave of feminism changed the lives of women, men and families 2. More women were able to get an education, so more minds contributed to discovers and breakthroughs, more people in the workforce, less strain on men to be sole provider 3. Stay at home dads, reversed gender roles II. Questioning 1. Who- Women, men and families 2. What – Feminism 3. When – when did feminism begin 4. How- How did feminism begin 5. Why- Why did feminism begin IIIRead MoreAre gender differences still prevalent in todays society?1300 Words   |  6 Pagesand wife played during that era. Women had no rights and some wanted freedom and a voice. Kate Chopin became that voice. Love and passion, marriage and independence, freedom and restraint - these are themes of her work distinctively realized in story after story. http://www.loyno.edu/~kchopin/new/women/motherhood.html Women in the 19th century, whom are considered adults, married by the age of twenty-one, they had fewer social choices when compared to modern women today. Unless they followedRead MoreGender, Sex, and the Challenge of Feminism2690 Words   |  11 Pageswith considerations of race, feminism raises issues for political philosophy not only deserve several book-length treatments (rather than the chapter section it will get here), but also arguably should infuse all aspects of political thought. Feminists have plausibly claimed that considerations of gender and gender-related inequalities play a role in the most basic dynamics of social life – in the structure of families, defining identities and opportunities for self-fulfillment, in creating rolesRead More Riot Grrrl: Empowering Women and Changing the World Essay2925 Words   |  12 Pagespersonified coat hangers. This was an issue faced by many women in the early 90’s who were interested in the punk rock scene, yet w ere unable to have their voices be heard, until now. Riot grrrl, a radical feminist movement that thrived in the underground punk scene has challenged the media to take a step back and recognize the women involved to be able to portray and express themselves without the need of society’s written standards of how or what the ideal woman should be. In Kevin Dunn and MayRead MoreWho Is The Successful Human Aviation?1709 Words   |  7 Pages Aviation has been a pivotal advancement for man-made technology in the last century. As a matter of fact, flight has always been an activity that humans have striven towards both before and after the historic airlift of the Wright Brothers with their fixed wing aircraft in the first heavier-than-air human flight at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina. Men and women alike have seen figures such as birds in the sky and have consistently questioned whether or not it was possible for a human toRead MoreAbortion Is Not A New Idea1871 Words   |  8 Pagesdefining what it is, if it should be tolerated and countless other questions that need to be answered. Up until 1973, it was illegal to have an abortion in the United States. That does not mean abortion never occurred. The purposeful removal of the fetus was possible before it was ever made legal in the United states because if an individual knew the right doctors and made enough money, she could have an abortion fairly easily. But if a woman did not have one of those two factors and did not want herRead MoreDania Jaser. Educational Psychology 2242. Kristen Kwasny.1734 Words   |  7 Pages Are Single-sex schools better? Recently single-sex schools have made a comeback, and this has raised the question of whether they are better than coeducational schools. In single-sex educational systems, male and female students are separated and taught in different school buildings or classrooms. In a historical point of view, only boys were given the opportunity to pursue formal education in the United States. Schools for women began to spread in the beginning of the nineteenth century, almost

Monday, December 16, 2019

Succubus Revealed Chapter 6 Free Essays

string(23) " with rain and clouds\." Fortunately, no dictionaries or bats ever came into play, and Seth and I spent a pleasant night together. He sent me off that weekend in a good mood, and during the time I was with him, it was easy to believe this might all end well. Once I began the tedious parts of travel by myself, the doubts began to set in. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Revealed Chapter 6 or any similar topic only for you Order Now The ride to the airport, security, safety instructions . . . all little things in and of themselves, but each one began to weigh on me. I just couldn’t see Seth moving to Las Vegas – not anytime soon, at least. That left long-distance dating, and it was hard to imagine us going through a trip like this every . . . hell, I didn’t know how often. And that was another problem. What exactly did long-distance dating mean? Visits every week? Every month? Too-frequent visits meant the irritation of travel. Too few put us in danger of out-of-sight, out-of-mind complications. So, naturally, I was all worked up by the time my flight landed in Las Vegas. And strangely, I took comfort remembering Jerome’s words, of all things. If Seth and I had survived the huge problem of immortal?Cmortal dating, then really, what was a two-hour plane ride compared to that? We could make this work. We had to. â€Å"There she is!† A familiar, booming voice startled me as I was waiting at the baggage claim. I spun around and found myself looking up at the tanned good looks of Luis, Archdemon of Las Vegas. I let him wrap me up in a giant hug, something he managed with remarkable delicacy, considering what a bear of a man he was. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked, once those muscled arms had released me. Realization hit me. â€Å"You’re not here to pick me up, are you? I mean, don’t you have people who have people to do that kind of thing?† Luis grinned at me, his dark eyes sparkling. â€Å"Sure, but I couldn’t trust an underling to pick up my favorite succubus.† â€Å"Oh, stop,† I groaned. My bag came around the carousel, but when I went for it, Luis brushed me aside and easily lifted it up. As I followed him toward the parking garage, I couldn’t even begin to picture Jerome doing something like this. â€Å"You scoff, but most of the succubi around here bore me to tears. Hell, most of our staff here does,† Luis said. â€Å"You get a full range of personalities and talent levels with so many. The exceptional and the unexceptional. You, my dear, are exceptional.† â€Å"You don’t have to try to sweet-talk me into the job,† I said, smiling in spite of myself. â€Å"Not like I have a choice.† â€Å"True,† he agreed. â€Å"But I want you to be happy here. I want everyone who works for me carrying stories about how awesome I am. It ups my cred at the annual company conference.† â€Å"Jerome’s trying to up his by having us beat Nanette’s employees in bowling.† Luis laughed at that and led us out to a gleaming black Jaguar double-parked in the handicapped zone. Once he’d stowed my suitcase, he even went so far as to open the door for me. Before starting the car, he leaned over conspiratorially and whispered loudly, â€Å"If you want to shape-shift into something else, now’s your chance while we’re still inside.† â€Å"Shape-shift into what?† He shrugged. â€Å"You’re in Vegas. Live the lifestyle. No need to resign yourself to jeans and sensible shoes. Give yourself a cocktail dress. Sequins. A corset. I mean, look at me.† Luis gestured grandly at himself, just in case it was possible to miss the gorgeous and undoubtedly custom Italian suit he was wearing. â€Å"It’s barely noon,† I pointed out. â€Å"Doesn’t matter. I dress like this the instant I get out of bed.† With a self-conscious look around the garage outside, I quickly shape-shifted out of my travel clothes and into a one-shoulder minidress that wrapped around me like a Grecian gown. The fabric glittered silvery when it caught the light just right. My long, light brown hair turned equally glam. Luis nodded in approval. â€Å"Now you’re ready for the Bellagio.† â€Å"The Bellagio?† I asked, impressed. â€Å"I figured I’d be shoved off to some crappy motel ten miles from the Strip.† I amped up my makeup for good measure. â€Å"Well,† he said, backing the car out, â€Å"that is actually what the normal budget allows for when it comes to new employee visits. I was able to pull some extra funds – and dip into my own pockets – to upgrade you a bit.† â€Å"You didn’t have to do that,† I exclaimed. â€Å"I could have paid for my own room somewhere.† Yet, even as I said it, I knew that if accruing funds over the centuries was easy for someone like me, it was a million times easier for someone with Luis’s lifespan. The car and his suit were probably bought with pocket change from his income. He waved off my concerns. â€Å"It’s nothing. Besides, my car would probably get stolen if I parked it at one of the ‘budget-friendly’ places.† The car’s readout told me the outside temperature wasn’t that far off from Seattle’s in December. The difference was in the light. â€Å"Oh my God,† I said, squinting out the window. â€Å"I haven’t seen the sun in two months.† Luis chuckled. â€Å"Ah, just you wait until high summer, when the temps hit triple digits. It cooks most people alive, but for someone like you, you’ll love it. Hot and dry. Doesn’t get below eighty at night.† I loved Seattle. Even without Seth in the picture, I could have been happy there for many, many years. But, I had to admit, my one weakness with the region was the weather. Relative to the extremes of the East Coast, Seattle was a very mild climate to live in. That meant it didn’t get very anything. Not very cold, and certainly not very warm. The hot weather we got in midsummer was fleeting, and then the mildness of the winter was marred with rain and clouds. You read "Succubus Revealed Chapter 6" in category "Essay examples" By February, I was usually ready to start consuming entire bottles of vitamin D. I’d grown up on the beaches of the Mediterranean and still missed them. â€Å"This is great,† I said. â€Å"I wish I were visiting while it was warmer.† â€Å"Oh, you don’t have long to wait,† he told me. â€Å"Another month like this, and then the temperature will start going up. You can break out your bikini by March.† I thought that might be kind of an exaggeration but returned his grin nonetheless. We were approaching the Strip and all its glory. The buildings became more flamboyant and expensive looking. Sidewalks and streets grew more crowded. Billboards advertised every form of entertainment imaginable. It was like an adult-oriented theme park. â€Å"You seem pretty happy here,† I said. â€Å"Yup,† Luis agreed. â€Å"I lucked out. Not only is the place great, but I command one of the largest groups of Hellish servants in the world. When I saw your name come up, I thought, ‘I’ve got to get her in on this.’ â€Å" Something in his words put a crack in the rose-colored glasses I was viewing the wondrous sights around me through. â€Å"When my name came up?† â€Å"Sure. We get e-mails all the time about transfers, job openings, whatever. When I saw you were being moved out of Seattle, I tossed my hat into the ring.† I turned toward the side window so he couldn’t see my face. â€Å"How long ago was that?† â€Å"Oh, I don’t know. A while ago.† He chuckled. â€Å"You know how long these things take.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said, trying to keep my voice light. â€Å"I do.† It was exactly what Roman and I had talked about: the painstakingly long time Hell took with personnel decisions. Roman swore the circumstances surrounding this transfer were suspicious and implied a rush. Yet Luis was behaving as though everything had gone along according to perfect procedure. Was it possible there really had just been some oversight with Jerome’s notification about my transfer? It was also possible, I knew, that Luis was lying. I didn’t want to believe that of him, but I knew that no matter how friendly and likable he seemed, he was still a demon at the end of the day. I couldn’t allow myself to be lulled into complete trust by his charm. We had a favorite saying among my friends: How can you tell if a demon is lying? His lips are moving. â€Å"I was surprised to be transferred at all,† I said. â€Å"I’ve been happy in Seattle. Jerome said . . . well, he said it was because I was a slacker employee. That I was being moved for bad behavior.† Luis snorted and pulled into the driveway for the Bellagio. â€Å"He did, huh? Well, don’t beat yourself up, honey. If you want a reason for them pulling you out, my guess is that it has something to do with Jerome getting himself summoned and letting nephilim and dream creatures run rampant with his succubus.† I had nothing to say to that, but fortunately, we reached the hotel’s entrance and yielded the car to a valet driver who seemed familiar with Luis and his generous tips. Entering the Bellagio, I was soon awash in stimuli – color and sound and life. A lot of the people moving in and out were dressed as glamorously as us, but plenty of average â€Å"everyday† people walked through as well. It was a mixing of all social classes and cultures, all here and united in search of enjoyment. Equally overwhelming was the intense wave of human emotion. I didn’t have any magic power to let me â€Å"see† emotion, exactly, but I was very good at reading faces and expressions. It was that same knack that had let me pick out the desperate and hopeless at the mall. This was the same, except magnified a hundred times. People swung the full gamut of hope and excitement. Some were joyous and eager, either high off of triumph or ready to risk it all for triumph to come. Others had clearly attempted it – and failed. Their faces were full of despair, disbelief at how they’d ended up in this situation and sorrow over their inability to fix things. Just as obvious were the good marks. Some guys were so blatantly trolling for a hookup that I could have propositioned them then and there. Others were ideal succubus bait, guys who had come here saying they were going to keep themselves in line – but who could easily step off the edge of temptation with the right finessing. Even with my heart tied up with Seth, I couldn’t help but take in and thrive under all the admiring looks I got. I was suddenly glad I’d taken Luis up on his shape-shifting suggestion. â€Å"So easy,† I murmured, staring around as we waited for an elevator. â€Å"They’re just there like . . .† â€Å"Cattle?† suggested Luis. I made a face. â€Å"Not quite the word I wanted.† â€Å"Not much difference.† An elevator opened, and a cute twenty-something guy gestured me forward. I smiled winningly at him, loving the effect I had. After he exited on his floor, Luis winked at me and leaned over to whisper in my ear. â€Å"Easy to get used to, huh?† Our floor came next, and Luis nodded to our right when the door opened. A few steps down the hall, I realized something. â€Å"I have a suite?† I asked, startled. â€Å"That’s a little much, even to make a good impression.† â€Å"Ah, well, that’s what I didn’t get a chance to tell you yet. You have a suite because it has more room. You have to share it with another new employee.† I nearly came screeching to a halt. Here it was, the catch in what was otherwise a sugar-coated fantasy. I envisioned myself rooming with another succubus and immediately knew I’d be seeking other accommodations. Succubi forced into close proximity put reality show drama to shame. â€Å"I don’t want to impose on anyone’s privacy,† I said delicately, wondering how I could get out of this. Luis reached a door and took out a keycard. â€Å"Nah, the place is huge. Two bedrooms and a living room and kitchen that go on forever.† He unlocked the door and opened it. â€Å"You could avoid each other all weekend if you wanted to. But somehow, I don’t think you will.† I was about to question that, but suddenly, there was no need. We’d stepped into a living room as expansive as Luis had promised, all sleek lines and modern furniture, colored in shades of gold and green with dark wood trim. A long window offered a sweeping view of the city, and a man stood in front of it, admiring the panorama. I couldn’t see his face, and something told me that even if I could, I probably wouldn’t recognize it. That didn’t matter. I knew him by his immortal signature, the unique sensory markers that distinguished him from everyone else. I could scarcely believe it, even as he turned around and smiled at me. â€Å"Bastien?† I exclaimed. How to cite Succubus Revealed Chapter 6, Essay examples

Sunday, December 8, 2019

An Analysis of the Cadastral Systems free essay sample

There is no prescribed organisational structure to these states, and land administration is a state government responsibility (Dalrymple, Williamson, Wallace, 2003). The South Australia Act was passed in 1834, allowing the Crown to establish one or more colonies in the south-west of what was then New South Wales; however it wasn’t until 1836 that Australia became a political entity of Britain (Painter, 2012). Not long after, New Zealand became a British colony through the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, which proclaimed British Sovereignty over the land. The cadastres in New Zealand and Australia serve a similar primary function of issuing and tranfering title to land, as well as the registration of any interests relating to land (Cadastral Template, 2003). Having both developed from similar roots many similarities exist between the cadastral systems of New Zealand and South Australia, but as the individual countries have matured over years, and changes have occurred within Australia, so to have differences developed between the cadastral systems. We will write a custom essay sample on An Analysis of the Cadastral Systems or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This essay seeks to analyse the differences and similarities that exist between the cadastral systems of New Zealand and South Australia. As both New Zealand and South Australia were settled by the British they both adopted a deeds registration system as their initial method of registering rights in land. The Deeds Registration System was based upon the common law rule that â€Å"No man could confer better title then he had† (Hinde, 1971). It was an expensive, time consuming, and complex system that required deeds to be registered, so that title could be derived. Due to the law that allowed only equal title to be passed on, should a previous deed be invalid for whatever reason, all subsequent dealings were also made invalid. In the mid 1850’s Robert Torrens, the Registrar-General of Deeds, introduced his system of land transfer to South Australia, which simplified the flawed system, and provided better security of title (Weir, 2007). The Torrens system was introduced into legal statute through the passing of the Real Property Act 1858 (SA). The other states followed suit, adopting this improved system, by passing of their own acts, as did New Zealand, when it passed the Land Transfer Act 1870. The most important principle of this new system was that registration provides title, and upon registration a registered owner of a fee simple title is granted an indefeasible title, providing the transfer was bona fide (Hinde, 1971). Whilst one of the purposes of the Real Property Act 1858 and the Land Transfer Act 1870 was to abolish the Deeds system, some small amounts of land owned under Deed exist in New Zealand and South Australia, these parcels are usually limited as to parcels or title, and in South Australia the refer to this as the â€Å"Old System†. A majorhisorical difference between the developments of the cadastral systems in New Zealand and South Australia are the considerations given to native or aboriginal title. When the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in1840 Maori ownership of their land and properties was recognised. As a acknowledgment of Maoris relationship with the land, customary rights were provided for in the Treaty, which was later converted into Maori Freehold title through the Maori Land Court. However when Australia was settled the land was considered terra nullis and so soverigenty was proclaimed for the Crown, with no consideration given for the aboriginies. It was not until the passing of the Indigenous Natives Act in 1993 that any legal consideration was given to and aborigninal land rights. The Cadastral Survey Act 2002 and the Survey Act 2002 are similar pieces of legislation created by New Zealand and South Australia repectively. They are both concerned with promoting and maintaining the accuracy of the cadastre through the liscencing and registration of surveyors, and the the setting of standards. Both of these Acts require a Surveyor-General to be appointed as a statutory officer to oversee the cadastre, and this position is responsible for the spatial integrity of the cadastre (ICSM, 2011). The Cadastal Survey Act also setouts the functions of Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), of which the Surveyor-General is a component, as well as detailing his other major role, to set the standards which cadstral surverys must abide by. In South Australia however, this later role is undertaken by the Minister for Infrastructure under legislation which has been administered by the Surveyor-General (ICSM, 2011). The integrity of the cadastre is checked through the auditing of lodged plans by liscenced or registered surveyors. In New Zealand this is a function of the Surveyor-General, delegated to a group within LINZ. South Australia operates a slightly different system however with the Surveyor-General responsible for field audits whilst the Register-General is responsible for office audits (ICSM, 2011). Before any plan is registered it is subject to a quality check but there is some variation to the method which this is done. In New Zealand there is both an automatic checking system, as part of LINZ’s validation process, as well as a manual check list for items to difficult to automate (ICSM, 2011). South Australia utilises a two tier system, with checks being made on items deemed critical for issuing title or retaining the integrity of the cadastre. A complete check is made on the critical items on Non Endoresed Plans (relating to the old system) and 7% of Endorsed Plans, with the remaining plans receiving a basic check (ICSM, 2011). Another way through which the reliability of the cadastre is maintained is that all practising cadastral surveyors in New Zealand and South Australia are required to be liscened. In New Zealand liscencing is the responsibility of the Cadastral Surveyors Liscencing Board, with the most common method of gaining a liscence achieved by passing the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors (NZIS) examinations associated with the cadastral component of their membership (CSLB, 2012). In South Australia this is the responsibility of the Surveyors Board of South Australia who conduct their own examinations, and this board also provides the option to become a registered surveyor for non cadastral work too (ICSM, 2011). Licenced surveyors are the only people who can legally sign a cadastral survey, although the do not have completed all the work themselves. In New Zealand there is no restriction on who can do the wor,k or the level of supervision required. In South Australia however, it is expected that graduates will receive adequate supervision from a licenced cadastral surveyor until they are competent, and those who have no relevant training should always be supervised (ICSM, 2011). Although there is no specification for supervision in New Zealand it is common practice for a similar approach to South Australia to be taken, as the liscenced surveyor is responsible for everything that they sign until they are no longer liscenced or have deceased, and so they will want to be sure everything is being done correctly. New Zealand and Australia both maintain an integrated cadastral system. In New Zealand there is a single registry known as Landonline that combines the spatial and textual components associated with the cadastre. The Digital Cadastral Database (DCDB) plays an vital role to surveyors and other land professionals in New Zealand, as it serves as a index of all lodged survey data, has a spatial view of parcels, determines the extents of electoral boundaries, and aids in the validation of lodged surveyed (ICSM, 2011). Survey data for approximately 70% of the parcels in the country have been captured from existing survey plans to improve the quality of the existing DCDB. Points that meet the accuracy requirements are given Survey-accurate Digital Cadastre (SDC) status, which is used to validate new surveys, as well as being a vital tool for surveyors as it assures them of the data accuracy, and simplifies boundary definition. (Haanen Sutherland, 2002). The cadastre in New Zealand is not a legally coordinate cadastre, but can be considered to be a geodetic cadastre. This is due to the strong connection between the cadastral network and the geodetic network. Whenever the geodetic control marks are readjusted following resurvey, deformation, or addition of new or more accurate survey data, readjustment is required to the cadastre too as it connects to this dynamic network (LINZ, 2009). The integrated cadastre in South Australia is split into two separate components, a textual component compromising of legal and fisical information, and a spatial coponent which contains the DCDB and boundaries of the land parcels. These two compnents are linked by unique identifiers associated with parcels, points, boundaries, and polygons (Toms, Williiamson, Grant, 1988). The South Australian DCDB is purely a spatial index and used for a mapping tool. The DCDB does not contain the quality of survey accurate data that New Zealands does, as only around 19% of parcels have surveyed dimensions that can be captured into the dataset (ICSM, 2011). The South Australian cadastre has been undergoing reform, as the cadastral system in Australia consisted of isolated surveys, which were not all on the same referenced to the same network, and effort is being made to coordinate these into a combined dataset. South Australia, by working from the part to the whole (the opposite of the traditional survey concept) is moving to adopt a fully coordinated cadastre that is survey accurate (Cadastral Template, 2003). One of the fundamental elements of a modern cadastre is that all information in the cadastre should be public (Toms, Williiamson, Grant, 1988). In New Zealand the DCDB is not directly accessible by the public, as users have to have a licence to access Landonline, although there is some provision of data to third parties by Land Information New Zeland. Public generally have to go through a licenced surveyor or solicitor in order to get access to data in the cadastre. South Australia has a slightly better provision for the public, enabling a ‘view only’ version of the cadastre available (ICSM, 2011). It is important to not grant full access however, to prevent any unlicenced users from tampering with the cadastre and ruining its integrity. As Australia and New Zealand are very closely related countries it is not unexpected that the cadastral systems present within each nation are quite similar, especially both cadastres serve the same purpose of recording the transfer of land ownership and registering rights in land. The roots of their cadastral systems are traceable right back to the common law inherited rom Britain which has been the foundation for all legal matters in the two countries. However being separate countries, and South Australia having its own jurisdiction over its cadaster, variations do exist as the cadastres have evolved to meet the requirements of the country or state. The major differences existing between the cadastral is the integrated digital cadastre that is present in New Zealand, whilst it is still separated in South Australia, and the levels that the DCD B’s vary between the places.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Sriram Kumaresan - 20%2F30\s Paragraph Submission Essays

Agnes Macphail Agnes Macphail deserves to be in the Canadian Hall of Fame because she changed the lives for many during her time in parliament, she accomplished what any other woman at the time would ever think of, and while in office she pursued "politics of equality". Agnes Macphail was the first female parliament member ever in Canada, she fought for things that other people never would've taken into consideration. While people were on the streets protesting for women's rights, in office Macphail was fighting for equality of all genders. She changed lives for many workers, prisoners, seniors. Macphail made the Ontario equal pay legislation which meant that workers would get paid according to the job they did, prisoners benefited from Macphail's time in office because they used to be thrown into prisons simply to be punished but thanks to her prisons are meant to make the people better, seniors benefited from Macphail as they got pensions instead of saving up their money in a bank until t hey die. Agnes Macphail was an inspiration for many people but mostly women at the time, she fought as the only woman in Parliament for things she thought needed to be changed in society. Although women's rights were slowly being generated at the time Macphail allowed them to gain confidence and get a say in the things they can and cannot do. Before Macphail they were getting payed a lot less than men and were being taken advantage of but Agnes Macphail made it so that whether a man or woman the worker would be paid the same. Macphail thought unlike any other women she thought about what she can do for everyone not focusing on one thing like women's rights. She fought for men in prisons and even men workers she allowed them to get the things they deserved for what they execute whether it be a crime or a job. To conclude Agnes Macphail was a person that took advantage of her time in office to make positive change. She was named one of the most important people produced by Canada in t he 20th Century and is even on our new 10 dollar bill as the first woman on a bill ever. For all these reasons I think that Agnes Macphail deserves a star on the Canadian Hall of Fame

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Small Company Y2K Report essays

Small Company Y2K Report essays 3. Hardware and Software Compliance It is a problem resulting from the common programming practice of using only two-digits to store the year in software. The practice dates back to the 1950's when computers began to be used for business purposes. Using two digits for dates is benign and causes no harm so long as the next year is a larger number than the current year. For example software applications that use dates have no problem with the sequence of 95,96,97,98 and 99. However, when the century ends, the year 2000 will be stored as 00. Calculations or decisions, based on dates or time periods, can go seriously wrong. Inregard to personal and small business computers, the problem is three fold. Firstly, the computer hardware must report the current date correctly. Many computers, especially early Pentiums, 486, 386 and 286 based machines, will on the 1st January 2000 Revert back to 1 April 1980 or some other date. Thus creating a potential problem until the correct date is re-entered - provided of course that the computer can be set manually to a date beyond 311299. Calculation of Leap Year dates may also be incorrect on some computers. Secondly, the computer software must carry out the correct calculations based on a four-digit year (e.g. 1999 or 2000 etc) rather than just using the last two digits. The supplier or manufacturer of the software should be approached to ascertain the compliance of their code, or their schedule to have it corrected and distributed. Thirdly, your data must be in the correct format - namely year described as a four-digit number. If your dates have been entered as described above (that is 15th Feb 1955 entered as 150255), then you have a data conversion to be carried out. To determine if Windows NT 4.0 ,Win95 and would roll to the appropriate date, the control panel applet "DATE&TIME"(d&t) was used to change the dates. The machines d&t were set to the day before each date outlined in the ...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Differences Between Compilers and Interpreters

Differences Between Compilers and Interpreters Before the Java and C# programming languages appeared, computer programs were only compiled or interpreted. Languages like Assembly Language, C, C, Fortran, Pascal were almost always compiled into machine code. Languages like Basic, VbScript and JavaScript were usually interpreted. So what is the difference between a compiled program and an Interpreted one? Compiling To write a program takes these steps: Edit the ProgramCompile the program into Machine code files.Link the Machine code files into a runnable program (also known as an exe).Debug or Run the Program With some languages like Turbo Pascal and Delphi steps 2 and 3 are combined. Machine code files are self-contained modules of machine code that require linking together to build the final program. The reason for having separate machine code files is efficiency; compilers only have to recompile source code that have changed. The machine code files from the unchanged modules are reused. This is known as making the application. If you wish to recompile and rebuild all source code then that is known as a Build. Linking is a technically complicated process where all the function calls between different modules are hooked together, memory locations are allocated for variables and all the code is laid out in memory, then written to disk as a complete program. This is often a slower step than compiling as all the machine code files must be read into memory and linked together. Interpreting The steps to run a program via an interpreter are Edit the ProgramDebug or Run the Program This is a far faster process and it helps novice programmers edit and test their code quicker than using a compiler. The disadvantage is that interpreted programs run much slower than compiled programs. As much as 5-10 times slower as every line of code has to be re-read, then re-processed. Enter Java and C# Both of these languages are semi-compiled. They generate an intermediate code that is optimized for interpretation. This intermediate language is independent of the underlying hardware and this makes it easier to port programs written in either to other processors, so long as an interpreter has been written for that hardware. Java, when compiled, produces bytecode that is interpreted at runtime by a Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Many JVMs use a Just-In-Time compiler that converts bytecode to native machine code and then runs that code to increases the interpretation speed. In effect, the Java source code is compiled in a two-stage process. C# is compiled into Common Intermediate Language (CIL, which was previously known as Microsoft Intermediate Language MSIL. This is run by the Common Language Runtime (CLR), part of the .NET framework an environment that provides support services such as garbage collection and Just-In-Time compilation. Both Java and C# employ speedup techniques so the effective speed is almost as fast as a pure compiled language. If the application spends a lot of time doing input and output like reading disk files or running database queries then the speed difference is barely noticeable. What Does this Mean to me? Unless you have a very specific need for speed and must increase the frame rate by a couple of frames per second, you can forget about speed. Any of C, C or C# will provide sufficient speed for games, compilers, and operating systems.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Information Technology Service Yakka Tech Pty Ltd Essay

Information Technology Service Yakka Tech Pty Ltd - Essay Example It seems that despite having substantial employee strength, it is not being able to meet the standards as per the demands of its customers. The customer service department has been underperforming which is the present cause of concern for the company. The company has been stagnating and the number of customer complaints has been rising dramatically. This case provides a perfect situation for the identification of management loopholes. Accordingly, suitable recommendations have been proposed for rectifying the situation. The underperformance of employees can be dealt with by applying various theories of management. Employee motivation has a key role to play in this regard. The company has also been facing the problem of employee turnover. A similar issue was raised in Cadbury’s where the turnover rates remained high because of unfavorable conditions and malpractices in the areas of human resource management. However, the situation was brought under control by restructuring the HR strategies. An ideal working environment was provided along with sick pays, holidays and other benefits for the employees (Pinnington, Macklin & Campbel, 2007, p.39). This is a critical human resource issue which requires careful understanding of the causes why the employees have been leaving the organization. It is important to make an in-depth analysis of the reasons for employee dissatisfaction, insecurity and lack of commitment (Taylor, 2002, p.60). High turnover rates result in significant costs to the company in the form of recruitment, training and productivity loss (Reichheld & Teal, 2001, p.96). Research reveals that the organizational hassles often affect the quality of work. The kind of supervision, operational hassles or disagreement about of how something requires being done may be reflected through low productivity and poor performance (Basch & Fisher, 1998, p.6). The situation in Yakka Tech is also similar where the operational hassles results on lack of coordination of resources eventually lowering the level of performance.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Cold War and Ray Bardbury's Fahrenheit 451 Essay

The Cold War and Ray Bardbury's Fahrenheit 451 - Essay Example The story is narrated by a third party with access to Montag’s thoughts and feelings; through this, the reader can easily relate to Montag’s transformation and the sentiments that drive his character. Montag has become a staunch book burner but this is not his own conviction and within no time, he must rediscover himself. The book explores the central theme of censorship and its impact on the individual as well as the community as a whole. The Cold War was an era of great tension and suspicion between democracy and communism. There were deep-rooted ideological, economic and political differences between the United States and its allies on one hand and the Soviet Union and its allies on the other. This was the time immediately before the start of the Second World War. In the novel, books have been banned in society and those that are found are burned along with the homes in which they are found. It is worth noting that the destruction of books began as self-censorship. B eatty explains to Montag how people lost a desire in books and instead opted for instant gratification in the form of television and fast cars. By illustrating censorship as a phenomenon that emerges from culture itself, the author expresses a concern that the evolution of the media is as good as a totalitarian regime in the suppression of free speech. Bradbury Ray. â€Å"Fahrenheit 451.† (New York, NY: Random House Print. 1996.) As highlighted in the book, the degree of mimetic dependence on historical experience creates a picture of the American context in the years following the end of the Second World War and the beginning of the cold war. It represents the widespread influence of the Soviet communism in eastern countries in Europe and the overreaction of America to it. This can be summed up as the fear of communism in American circles and the subsequent atmosphere of deeply rooted suspicion and political persecution in the form of witch hunt. The period represented in Fa hrenheit 451illustrates the overarching response to this pervasive paranoia in American society. This prompts the need to apply censorship in a bid to foster n all-pervasive environment of conformism and apathy.2 Given the suppression of individual thought, Fahrenheit 451 addresses the conflict between individuality and conformity. The characters’ lives revolve around pleasure-seeking and distraction. This culture does not seem to accommodate a broad range of self-expression. In fact, hedonism is the norm, coupled with mindless entertainment. When people try to question this kind of life, they are considered as threats to society. Clarisse, the young seventeen-year old girl and Montag’s friend, symbolizes expression of free thought and individuality. Once when going home from the fire station, Montag meets Clarisse who questions the nature and motivation of his job. At one point she asks him, â€Å"Have you ever read the books you burn?†1 Her questions and opini ons on life are disturbing and confusing to Montag. According to him, reading books is against the law. Bradbury Ray. â€Å"Fahrenheit 451.† (New York, NY: Random House Print. 1996.) 2 Tindal George B. and David Shi. â€Å"American.† W.W. Norton and Company, New York and London: 1997. This implies that Montage is doing this because the law demands so; Montag has to conform to this order, his own feelings and convictions

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Active Sports on Holidays Essay Example for Free

Active Sports on Holidays Essay The best-known from of this sport holiday is undoubtedly the skiing holiday. Skiing can pursued at different levels (beginner, experienced, simply for pleasure, or in pursuit of high performance and excellence ), by different age groups, and in different settings- at a ski school, a ski coursxe, a ski clup, or privately. Skiing is the classic example of sport tourism and the most populer of all winter sports activities. Every year it introduces 40-50 million visitors to the Europen Alps, with 40,000 ski runs and around 12,000 cable ways and lifs to support this popular holiday industry (Mader, 1998). From Britain alone it is estimated that around 653,000 people took ski holidays worth some US$321 million in 1991-92(Mintel international Group, 1992).0 the ski market is now said to account for around 20 percent of the total European holiday market. In the last 25 years the holiday market for winter sports has expanded to the extent that there are now holiday packages to suit many tastes and financial means. Skiing is no longer the preserve of high-altitude dwellers,nor is it limited to the rich and famous. Increasingly, with the provision of self-catering chalets and camp sites to complement hotels and clubs,millions of people throughout the has developed world can enjoy touristic experience of mountain beauty at the same time as learning to ski on all five continents of the world. Cross-country skiing,sometimes known as Nordic skiing or langlauf, has also become very popular. Because this sporth activity is easy learned and the equipment is less expensive than required for downhill skiing, it is practiced by many sportists. The fact that beginners can,from day one,enjoy langlauf in a circuit of loipe(i.e., twin-grooved tracksz) integrated in the countryside and free of the use of ski lifts are but two strong point of this sport(Clough, 1989). Snowshoes are the hottest new trend in winter recreation. Accourding to Schwiesow(1995), snowshoeing is the second fastest-growing winter sport behind snowboarding as outdoor enthusiasts for simpler, more convenient ways toget outside during the winter. Some other new trends are dogs sledding and ice fishing. Many of the best known winter sport resorts in the United States and Canada have at least one dog sled tour company from which to choose. Alaska is provably the best known place for dog sledding, the state’s official sport ( Sloan, 1995). Ice fishing is popular in Minnesota ;there are plenty of companies that will rent huts by the day, week or mount (Sloan, 1995 ). The model of the skiing holiday (that is,a holiday with a single sport as the primary intetion-offered an different levels to different age groups and under different organization forms ) has recently been adopted by varios other forms of sport. Holiday concerns, holiday organizations, (cultural ) societes, and private sport schools now provide holiday courses in sailing, gliding, riding, golf, driving, cycling, mountaineering, surfing and so forth. Cycling tours often follow the ski-holiday model. Nowdays there are hundreds of cycling holidays on offer, of all lengths, levels, and degrees of comfort. Some are organized by well-known cyclist, but very often people decide to organize their cycling holiday themselves. Cycle-friendly countries are growing in number. The world’s most cycle-friendly country is probably the Netherlands due to its low, flat physical characteristics. Bike paths are provided all over the Netherlands from the smallest village to the biggest town. Cycle weekends are also offered by youth organizations, communities, tourist boards, hotels, and so forth. Hotels especially are trying to reach the cycle tourists by offering half or full board, bike hire, and route maps, this is called a single-center or fixed point holiday because the tourists is based at one hotel orcampsite and takes day rides out from there to explore the surroundings. Some hotel chains offer hotel-to-hotel tours with accommodations each night in a different hotel; the luggage is transported by the hotel manager. More sophisticated are those bicycle tours that include not only a guide, but also a bicyle technician, a medical doctor, and support vehicle ( Cample, 1995 ). It is possible to take a cycling tour almost anywhere in the world. Reputable companies throughout North America and Europe operate bycling tours China, Africa, Vietnam, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bali, and Thailand, an deven high-altitude regions such as the Atlas Mountains and Tibet. Since the mid-1960s, the bicyle has divided into subspecies of racers, mountain bikes, toures, and hybrids. All-terrain bycling has become one of the fastest growing segments of the recreation industry. Sales of all-terrain bicycles in North America skyrocket from 300,000 bicycles in 1984 to over 2 million in 1986 ( Crandall, 1987 ). At the January 1998 London International Boat Show, the assembled boat builders acknowledged that their industry is facing worldwide problem, a declining interesting in boating:46 percent of sailorsand 35 percent of motor boaters are now over 55 years of age, and boating magazine subscriptions are down by 20 percent in six years. The problem is not limited to Great Britain-the downward trend is acute in the United States, home of the world’s biggest boat industry. In the last decade, turnover in the United States has fallen from $10 million to $8 million, an deven trough â€Å"recreational spending has grown by more than 50 percent in seven years,†¦ boating’s share has shrunk from 3.7 percent to 2.1 percent† ( Groom, 1998, p. 1 ). In 1984, owning a boat was sixth on a wish list of American consumer preferences, but by 1996 it became the 15th. Nevertheless, the link between water sports and holidays is increasing with sailing becoming a very popular holiday activity. The use of smaller and more easily transportable craft, such as dinghy car-toppers, jet skis, and windsurfes, has increased and together with multihulled and chartered cruisers these crafts provide for a wide range of interests. While the Caribbean and the Mediterranean are the most popular seas, it is now possible to charter yachts in the South Pacific, the Seychelles, Australia, Alaska, Brazil, Thailand, and the Galapagos Islands ( Robinson, 1984 ). Martin and Mason’s survey ( 1990 ) indicates that between 1.5 and 2 million people take part in water sports while on holiday in Britain. Britain has been described as a mecca for boating holidays on the country’s two thousand miles of inland waterways each year ; about 87 percent are U.K. residents and 13 percent are inbound tourists principally from Europe ( Hhoseason, 1990 ). A 1986 survey (veal, 1986 ) found that over half of those who take part in sailing do so only when on holiday. Also worth mentioning here are the old, great clipper ships thar a century or mre ago sailed around the world. The Mediterranean and the Caribbean are popular ports for such ships as the Star Clipper, the Star Flyer, the Windstar, and Clup Med’s two play boats. On some, visiting â€Å"crews† learn to navigate and handle the sails. Valef Yachts, a Greek company, advertises â€Å" a vacation fit for a million-aire,† offering its Christina I for around US$100,000 per week for 12 people, none of whom need to have previous yachting experience. With a crew of nine, it has acruising range of 9,500 kilometers of Mediterranean water and includes its own private speedboat for water skiing, a small sailboat,and aWindsurfer for exploiring the Greek islands ( Richins, 1992 ) New sports are constantly developing and tourist are continuously in search of new thrills and experiences. One of these is body-boarding, broadly practiced in Australia, NEW Zealand, and the U.S states of Hawaii and California. The Atlantic coast in France is visited by an increasing amount of tourist who want to body-board and surf.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Importance of Point of View in The Black Cat :: The Black Cat Point of View Literature Essays

The Importance of Point of View in The Black Cat Point of view is a very important aspect of The Black Cat. The main character tells the story to the reader from his first person point of view. You have a good feel for the story because you have the first person narration. As you read into the story it comes apparent however that the narrator telling the story is not a reliable interpretation of the details around him. You have a good feel for his emotions and the events of the story, but the narrators opinions are so far out that you are forced to wonder just what of the story is the askew interpretation of a madman and what is the reality of the situation. The first person narration of the story plays an integral part in the reader's level of understanding of the main character's madness, as well as the unfolding of plot of the story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story revolves around a man and his cat that loves him very devoutly. At the start of the story he is very fond of his loving companion the cat, Pluto. The cat's love for his master eventually becomes Pluto's demise. The cat would follow its master's every move. If the narrator moved the cat was at his feet, if he sat Pluto would clamor to his lap. This after a while began to enrage the narrator. He soon found himself becoming very irritable towards Pluto and his other pets. One night he came home "much intoxicated" and he grabbed Pluto. Pluto bit his hand and this sent him into a rage. "The fury of a demon instantly possessed me. I knew myself no longer. My original soul seemed, at once, to take its flight from my body; and a more than fiendish malevolence, gin-nurtured, thrilled every fibre of my frame"(Poe 103). At this point he seems to have lost it. This description is not that of someone of sane mindset. His soul taking flight from his body appears to be symbolic for the loss of his rational thought. The fury of a demon gives you the imagery of something not human. Poe takes every opportunity to use the narrator, and the point of view, to give you insight into the mind of the madman. He uses eloquent imagery and symbolism to further your understanding of the main character's rational.

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Golden Lily Chapter 19

â€Å"SHE WAS LEAVING TOWN,† I reminded him. â€Å"Not until tomorrow.† He was right, I realized. When we'd spoken to Sonya last night, she'd said two days. â€Å"Are you sure she's really disappeared?† I asked. â€Å"Maybe she's just†¦ out.† â€Å"Belikov's here, and he's freaked out. He says she never came home last night.† I nearly dropped the phone. Last night? Sonya had been gone that long? That was nearly twenty-four hours ago. â€Å"How did no one notice until now?† I demanded. â€Å"I don't know,† said Adrian. â€Å"Can you just come over? Please, Sydney?† I was powerless when he used my first name. It always took everything to an extra level of seriousness – not that this situation needed any particular help. Sonya. Gone for twenty-four hours. For all we knew, she wasn't even alive if those sword-wielding freaks had caught her. Brayden's face was a mix of incredulity and disappointment when I told him I had to leave. â€Å"But you just†¦ I mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It was a rare moment of speechlessness for him. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said earnestly. â€Å"Especially after being late and ruining the museum. But it's a family emergency.† â€Å"Your family has an awful lot of emergencies.† You have no idea, I thought. Instead of saying that, I simply apologized again. â€Å"I really am sorry. I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I nearly said I'd make it up to him, but that was what I'd said when I left the Halloween dance early. Tonight was supposed to have been the makeup date. â€Å"I'm just sorry.† ADRIAN'S PLACE WAS CLOSE ENOUGH that I could've reasonably walked, but Brayden insisted on driving me, since dusk was falling. I had no problem accepting. â€Å"Whoa,† said Brayden, when we pulled up to the building. â€Å"Nice Mustang.† â€Å"Yeah. It's a 1967 C-code,† I said automatically. â€Å"Great engine. My brother's. He's moved it again! I hope he wasn't out driving anywhere he wasn't supposed to – whoa. What's that?† Brayden looked at where I was staring. â€Å"A Jaguar?† â€Å"Obviously.† The sleek, black car was parked just in front of Adrian's Mustang. â€Å"Where'd it come from?† Brayden had no answer, of course. After more apologies and a promise to get in touch, I left him. There was no pretense of a kiss, not when he was so disappointed in the evening's outcome and I was too anxious about Sonya. In fact, I forgot all about Brayden as I walked up to the building. I had bigger concerns. â€Å"It's Clarence's,† said Adrian, as soon as he answered the door. â€Å"Huh?† I asked. â€Å"The Jag. I figured you'd want to know. He let Belikov drive it over since Sonya left with the rental.† He stepped aside as I entered and shook his head in dismay. â€Å"Can you believe it was locked away in his garage the whole time I lived with him? He said he forgot he owned it! And there I was, stuck with the bus.† I would've laughed under almost any other circumstances. But when I saw Dimitri's face, all humor left me. He was pacing the living room like a trapped animal, radiating frustration and concern. â€Å"I'm an idiot,† he muttered. It was unclear if he was talking to himself or us. â€Å"I didn't realize she was gone last night, and then I spent half the day thinking she was out gardening!† â€Å"Did you try calling her cell?† I knew it was a foolish question, but I had to begin logically. â€Å"Yes,† Dimitri said. â€Å"No answer. Then I double-checked to make sure her flight hadn't changed, and then I talked to Mikhail to see if he knew anything. He didn't. All I succeeded at doing there was making him worry.† â€Å"He should,† I murmured, sitting on the edge of the couch. Nothing good could come of this. We knew the Warriors were obsessed with Sonya, and now she'd disappeared after going out alone. â€Å"I only just found out she came to see you two,† added Dimitri. He stopped pacing and glanced between us. â€Å"Did she say anything at all about where she was going?† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"Things didn't exactly†¦ end well between us.† Dimitri nodded. â€Å"Adrian implied the same thing.† I looked up at Adrian and could tell he didn't want to get into it any more than I did. â€Å"We had an argument,† he admitted. â€Å"She was trying to push Sydney into some experiments, and Sydney refused. I jumped in when Sonya kept pushing, and finally she just took off. Never said anything about where she was going.† Dimitri's face grew darker. â€Å"So, anything could've happened. She could've been taken right outside on the street. Or she could have gone somewhere and been abducted there.† Or she could be dead. Dimitri was speaking in terms of her still being alive, but I wasn't so sure. The hunters who had jumped us in the alley had seemed pretty intent on killing her then and there. If she hadn't come home last night, the odds seemed good they'd found her then. Twenty-four hours was an awfully long time to keep a â€Å"creature of darkness† alive. Studying Dimitri's face again, I knew he was well aware of all of this. He was simply operating on the hope that we had a chance to do something, that we weren't powerless. Resolved, Dimitri strode for the door. â€Å"I have to go talk to the police.† â€Å"Missing person report?† asked Adrian. â€Å"That, and more importantly, to get a search out on that car. If she was taken†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He hesitated, driving home the fear that lurked in all of us. â€Å"Well. If she's hidden away somewhere, she's going to be very difficult to locate. But it's a lot harder to hide a car than one woman. If the police can get its description out there, we might get a clue if it turns up.† He started to open the door and then glanced back at us. â€Å"You're sure you don't remember anything else she said that could help?† Adrian and I reiterated that we didn't. Dimitri left, giving us unnecessary instructions to alert him immediately if we thought of anything or – if by a miracle – Sonya showed up. I groaned once he was gone. â€Å"This is my fault,† I said. Adrian looked at me in surprise. â€Å"Why on earth would you say that?† â€Å"Sonya came here – left when she wasn't supposed to – because of me. Because of my blood. Who knows what would've happened if I hadn't refused? Maybe a few minutes difference, and the hunters wouldn't have been around. Or maybe if she hadn't been so upset, she would've been able to defend herself more.† A million memories tumbled through my head. Sonya making the lily grow for me. Sonya talking to the queen on Adrian's behalf. Sonya showing me pictures of bridesmaid dresses. Sonya working diligently to stop Strigoi and redeem herself. All of that could be lost now. â€Å"Maybe, maybe, maybe.† Adrian sat down near me on the couch. â€Å"You can't think like that, and you sure as hell can't blame yourself for the actions of some crazy paranoid fringe group.† I knew he was right, but it didn't make me feel any better. â€Å"I should call the Alchemists. We've got ties to law enforcement too.† â€Å"Probably a good idea,† he said, though his words were a little halfhearted. â€Å"I've just got a bad feeling about those guys. Even if†¦ well, even if she's alive, I really don't know how we're going to find her. Short of some miraculous, magical solution.† I froze. â€Å"Oh my God.† â€Å"What is it?† he asked, looking at me in concern. â€Å"Did you remember something?† â€Å"Yes†¦ but not what you're thinking.† I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. No, no, no. The thought in my head was crazy. I had no business even considering it. Dimitri had the right idea. We needed to focus on normal, concrete methods of locating Sonya. â€Å"Sage?† Adrian lightly touched my arm, and I jumped at the feel of his fingertips against my skin. â€Å"You okay?† â€Å"I don't know,† I said softly. â€Å"I just thought of something crazy.† â€Å"Welcome to my world.† I looked away, conflicted about the decision before me. What I was contemplating†¦ well, some might argue it wasn't so different than what I'd done before. And yet, it all came down to the fine line between doing something by choice and doing something because I had to. There was no question here. This would be a choice. An exercising of free will. â€Å"Adrian†¦ what if I had a way to find Sonya, but it went against everything I believe in?† He took several moments to answer. â€Å"Do you believe in getting Sonya back? If so, you wouldn't be going against everything you believe in.† It was odd logic, but it gave me the nudge I needed. I took out my cell phone and dialed a number I almost never called – though I certainly received texts and calls from it all the time. An answer came after two rings. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger? This is Sydney.† â€Å"Miss Melbourne. What I can do for you?† â€Å"I need to see you. It's kind of urg – no, no ‘kind of' about it. It's urgent. Are you at the school?† â€Å"No. As shocking as it is, I do go home on occasion.† She paused for a moment. â€Å"However†¦ you are certainly welcome to come to my house.† I don't know why that made me uneasy. After all, I spent plenty of time at Clarence's. Surely a vampire's sprawling estate was much worse than a high school teacher's home. Of course, said teacher was also a witch, so I wasn't certain if I could expect a boring suburban flat or a house made of candy. I swallowed. â€Å"Do you keep a lot of the same spell books at home that you do at school?† Adrian arched an eyebrow at the word spell. Ms. Terwilliger hesitated for much longer this time. â€Å"Yes,† she said. â€Å"And more.† She gave me her address, and before I could even hang up, Adrian said, â€Å"I'm coming with you.† â€Å"You don't even know where I'm going.† â€Å"True,† he said. â€Å"But lack of information's never stopped me before. Besides, I know it has something to do with Sonya, which is good enough for me. That, and you looked scared to death. There's no way I can let you go alone.† I crossed my arms. â€Å"I've faced scarier things, and last I checked, it's not your place to ‘let' me do anything.† There was such concern in his face, however, that I knew I wouldn't be able to refuse†¦ especially since I was kind of scared. â€Å"You have to promise not to tell anyone what we're going to do. Or talk about what you see.† â€Å"Damn. What's going on, Sage?† he asked. â€Å"Are we talking animal sacrifice or something?† â€Å"Adrian,† I said quietly. He grew serious again. â€Å"I promise. Not a word, unless you say otherwise.† I didn't have to study him to know I could trust him. â€Å"Okay, then. But before we go, I need your hairbrush†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ms. Terwilliger lived in Vista Azul, the same suburb Amberwood was in. To my surprise, the house really did look quite ordinary. It was small but otherwise blended in well to its older neighborhood. The sun had long since set when we arrived, and I was conscious of the school's approaching curfew. When she let us into her house, I found the interior a bit more in line with what I'd been expecting. Sure, there was a TV and modern furniture, but the decor also featured a lot of candles and statuary of various gods and goddesses. The scent of Nag Champa hung in the air. I counted at least three cats in the first five minutes and didn't doubt there were more. â€Å"Miss Melbourne, welcome.† Ms. Terwilliger took in Adrian with interest. â€Å"And welcome to your friend.† â€Å"My brother,† I said pointedly. â€Å"Adrian.† Ms. Terwilliger – fully aware of the Moroi world – smiled. â€Å"Yes. Of course. You attend Carlton, correct?† â€Å"Yeah,† said Adrian. â€Å"You're the one who helped get me in, right? Thanks for that.† â€Å"Well,† said Ms. Terwilliger, with a shrug, â€Å"I'm always happy to help star pupils – especially those who are so diligent about keeping me in coffee. Now then, what's this urgent matter that brings you out at night?† My eyes were already on a large bookcase in her living room. The shelves were filled with old, leather-bound books – exactly the kind she always made me work on. â€Å"Do you†¦ do you have a spell that would help locate someone?† I asked. Each word caused me pain. â€Å"I mean, I know they're out there. I've come across them in my work a couple of times. But I was wondering if there was maybe one that you'd recommend over another.† Ms. Terwilliger laughed softly, and I looked away. â€Å"Well, well. This is definitely worth a late-night visit.† We were in her dining room, and she pulled out an ornate wooden chair to sit down. One of the cats brushed against her leg. â€Å"There are a number of location spells, certainly – though none are quite at your level. And by your level, I mean your constant refusal to practice or better yourself.† I scowled. â€Å"Is there one that you could do?† She shook her head. â€Å"No. This is your problem. You're going to do it. You need to.† â€Å"Well, not if it's beyond me!† I protested. â€Å"Please. This is a matter of life and death.† That, and I didn't want to taint myself with her magic. Bad enough I was encouraging her at all. â€Å"Rest easy. I wouldn't make you do it if you couldn't handle it,† she said. â€Å"To make it work, however, it's imperative we have something that can connect us to the person we're looking for. There are spells where that's not necessary – but those are definitely out of your league.† I produced Adrian's brush from my purse. â€Å"Something like a strand of hair?† â€Å"Something exactly like that,† she said, clearly impressed. I'd remembered Adrian's complaint about Sonya using some of his personal items. Although he apparently cleaned the brush regularly (and really, I'd expect nothing less from someone who spent so much time on his hair), there were still a few lingering red strands. Carefully, I plucked the longest one from the bristles and held it up. â€Å"What do I need to do?† I asked. I was trying to be strong, but my hands shook. â€Å"Let's find out.† She rose and walked into the living room, studying the shelves. Adrian turned to me. â€Å"Is she for real?† He paused and reconsidered. â€Å"Are you for real? Spells? Magic? I mean, don't get me wrong. I drink blood and control people's minds. But I've never heard of anything like this.† â€Å"Neither had I until a month ago.† I sighed. â€Å"And unfortunately, it is real. Worse, she thinks I have a knack for it. Do you remember at all when one of the Strigoi in your apartment caught on fire?† â€Å"Vaguely, but yeah. It kind of all got brushed aside, and I never thought much about it.† He frowned, troubled by the memory. â€Å"I was out of it from the bite.† â€Å"Well, it wasn't some freak accident. It was†¦ magic.† I gestured toward Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"And I made it happen.† His eyes widened. â€Å"Are you some kind of mutant human? Like a fire user? And I use mutant as a compliment, you know. I wouldn't think less of you.† â€Å"It's not like vampire magic,† I said. Some part of me supposed I should be pleased that Adrian would still be friendly with a â€Å"mutant.† â€Å"It's not some internal connection to the elements. According to her, some humans can work magic by pulling it from the world. It sounds crazy, but†¦ well. I did set a Strigoi on fire.† I could see Adrian taking all of this in as Ms. Terwilliger returned to us. She set down a book with a red leather cover and flipped through the pages before finding what she wanted. We all peered at it. â€Å"That's not English,† said Adrian helpfully. â€Å"It's just Greek,† I said, skimming the ingredient list. â€Å"It doesn't seem to require much.† â€Å"That's because a huge part of it is mental focus,† explained Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"It's more complicated than it looks. It'll take you a few hours at least.† I took in the time on an ornate grandfather clock. â€Å"I don't have a few hours. Too close to curfew.† â€Å"Easily remedied,† said Ms. Terwilliger. She picked up her cell phone from the table and dialed a number from memory. â€Å"Hello, Desiree? This is Jaclyn. Yes, fine. Thank you. I have Sydney Melrose out here right now, helping me on a very crucial project.† I nearly rolled my eyes. She was perfectly aware of my last name when she needed to be, apparently. â€Å"I'm afraid she might be out past the dorm curfew, and I was wondering if you'd be kind enough to allow an extension. Yes†¦ yes, I know. But it's very important for my work, and I think we can all agree that with her exemplary record, she's hardly the type we need to worry about abusing such privileges. She's certainly one of the most trustworthy students I know.† That got a small smirk from Adrian. Thirty more seconds, and I was free of curfew. â€Å"Who's Desiree?† I asked, once Ms. Terwilliger hung up. â€Å"Your dorm matron. Weathers.† â€Å"Really?† I thought of stout, motherly Mrs. Weathers. I never would've guessed her first name was Desiree. It was the kind of name I would associate with someone sultry and seductive. Maybe she had some scandalous life outside of school we didn't know about. â€Å"So, do I have an all-night pass?† â€Å"Not sure I'd push it that far,† said Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"But we certainly have enough time for this spell. I can't make it for you, but I can help you with the ingredients and supplies.† I tapped the book, forgetting about my fear as I scanned the lengthy list. Details like this put me back in my comfort zone. â€Å"You have all of these?† â€Å"Of course.† Ms. Terwilliger led us down a hall that branched off from the kitchen, where I'd expect to find bedrooms. One room did indeed give us a glimpse of a bed as we walked by, but our eventual destination was something else altogether: a workshop. It was kind of what you'd get if you crossed a wizard's lair with a mad scientist's lab. Part of the room had very modern equipment: beakers, a sink, burners, etc. The rest was from a different era, vials of oils and dried herbs, along with scrolls and honest-to-goodness cauldrons. Plants and herbs lined the sill of a dark window. There were two more cats in here, and I was pretty sure they weren't the same ones I'd seen in the living room. â€Å"It looks chaotic,† said Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"But I daresay it's organized enough, even for you.† Upon closer inspection, I saw she was right. All of the plants and little vials were labeled and in alphabetical order. All of the various tools were equally identified, enumerated by size and material. The room's center was a large, smooth stone table, and I set the book down on it, careful to stay on the page I needed. â€Å"What now?† I asked. â€Å"Now, you construct it,† she said. â€Å"The more of it you do on your own, the stronger your connection will be to the spell. Certainly come and get me if you have trouble with the ingredients or the directions. Otherwise, the more of your focus and concentration that goes into this, the better.† â€Å"Where are you going to be?† I asked, startled. As much as I disliked the thought of working with her in a creepy, arcane lab, I disliked the thought of being alone here even more. She gestured toward where we'd come from. â€Å"Oh, just out there. I'll entertain your ‘brother' too since you really do need to do this alone.† My anxiety increased. I'd protested Adrian's original request to come here, but now I wanted him around. â€Å"Can I at least get some coffee?† She chuckled. â€Å"Normally, I'd say yes – particularly if you were just doing grunt work to build an amulet or potion. Because you'll be using your mind, the magic will work much better if your thoughts are free and clear of any substances that affect your mental state.† â€Å"Boy, that sounds familiar,† muttered Adrian. â€Å"Okay, then,† I said, resolving to be strong. â€Å"I need to get started. Sonya's waiting.† Provided she was still alive to wait. Ms. Terwilliger left, telling me to get her when I was on the spell's last stage. Adrian delayed a moment to speak with me. â€Å"You sure you're okay with all of this? I mean, from what I know about you and the Alchemists†¦ well, it seems like you'd actually be pretty not-okay with this.† â€Å"I'm not,† I agreed. â€Å"Like I said, this goes against everything I believe – against everything they've taught me. Which is why you can't tell anyone. You heard her passive aggressive remark about me not practicing? She's been on me for a while now to develop my so-called magical skills, and I keep refusing – because it's wrong. So, she has me research spell books for my independent study with her, in the hopes of me learning by osmosis.† â€Å"That's messed up,† he said, shaking his head. â€Å"You don't have to do this. You don't have to do anything you don't want to.† I gave him a small smile. â€Å"Well, I want to find Sonya. So I do have to do this.† He gave me no smile in return. â€Å"Okay. But I'm just going to be out there – having a tea party with her cats or whatever it is she has in mind. You need me? You yell. You want to leave? We go. I'll get you out of here, no matter what.† Something clenched in my chest, and for a moment, the whole world narrowed down to the green of his eyes. â€Å"Thank you.† Adrian left, and I was alone. Well, almost. One of the cats had stuck around, a sleek black one with yellow eyes. It was lying on a high shelf, watching me curiously, like it wondered if I could really pull this off. That made two of us. For a moment, I couldn't move. I was about to willingly work magic. All the protests and arguments I'd given Ms. Terwilliger were like ash in the wind now. I started trembling and felt short of breath. Then, I thought about Sonya. Kind, brave Sonya. She'd devoted so much energy and time to doing the right thing. How could I do any less? As I'd noted to Ms. Terwilliger, the spell was deceptively simple. It didn't require half as many steps as the fire amulet. I had to keep water simmering in a copper cauldron and add different ingredients to it, most of which were clear oils that had to be measured with exacting care. The air soon grew heavy with the scent of bergamot, vanilla, and heliotrope. Some of the steps had the same ritual redundancy I'd done before. For example, I had to pluck thirteen fresh mint leaves off one of her plants, dropping each leaf in one at a time while counting them off in Greek. Then, when they had simmered for thirteen minutes, I had to remove each one with a rosewood spoon. Before leaving, Ms. Terwilliger had told me to stay focused and think about both the steps of the spell and what I was ultimately hoping to accomplish. So, I turned my thoughts toward Sonya and finding her, praying that she was okay. When I finally finished these initial steps, I saw that almost an hour had gone by. I'd barely noticed it passing. I wiped a hand over my forehead, surprised at how much the steamy room had made me sweat. I went out to find Ms. Terwilliger and Adrian, uncertain what weird activity I'd find going on. Instead, things were pretty ordinary: they were watching TV. Both glanced up at my approach. â€Å"Ready?† she asked. I nodded. â€Å"Smells like tea in here,† said Adrian, as they followed me to the workroom. Ms. Terwilliger examined the small cauldron and nodded her head in approval. â€Å"It looks excellent.† I didn't know how she could tell at a glance but figured I'd take her word for it. â€Å"Now. The actual scrying involves a silver plate, correct?† She scanned her shelves of dishes and pointed at something. â€Å"There. Use that.† I pulled down a perfectly round plate about twelve inches across. It was smooth, with no ornamentation, and had been polished to such brilliance that it reflected almost as well as a mirror. I probably could've done without that part, though, seeing as my hair and makeup were showing the wear and tear of the day. Around anyone else, I would have felt selfconscious. I set the plate on the worktable and poured one cup of water from the cauldron onto the silvery surface. All non-liquid ingredients had been removed, and the water was perfectly clear. Once it stopped rippling, the mirror effect returned. Ms. Terwilliger handed me a tiny bowl of galbanum incense, which the book said should be burning during this last stage. I lit the resin with a candle, and a bitter, green smell wafted up, contrasting with the sweetness of the liquid. â€Å"You still have the hair?† Ms. Terwilliger asked. â€Å"Of course.† I laid it across the water's smooth surface. Part of me wanted something to happen – sparks or smoke – but I'd read the directions and knew better. I pulled a stool up to the table and sat on it, allowing me to gaze down into the water. â€Å"Now I look?† â€Å"Now you look,† she confirmed. â€Å"Your mind needs to be both focused and spread out. You need to think about the components of the spell and the magic they hold, as well as your desire to find the spell's subject. At the same time, you need to maintain a perfect clarity of mind and stay fixed on your task with razor sharp focus.† I looked down at my reflection and tried to do all those things she'd just described. Nothing happened. â€Å"I don't see anything.† â€Å"Of course not,† she said. â€Å"It's only been a minute. I told you this was an advanced spell. It may take a while for you to fully muster the strength and power you need. Stay on task. We'll be waiting.† The two of them left. I stared bleakly at the water, wondering how long â€Å"a while† was. I'd been excited when the spell seemed so simple originally. Now, I wished there were more ingredients to mix, more incantations to recite. This high-level magic, relying on will and mental energy, was much more difficult – mainly because it was intangible. I liked the concrete. I liked to know exactly what was needed to make something happen. Cause and effect. But this? This was just me staring and staring, hoping I was â€Å"staying fixed† and using â€Å"razor sharp focus.† How would I know if I was? Even if I achieved that state, it might still take a while to manifest what I needed. I tried not to think of that yet. Sonya. Sonya was all that mattered right now. All of my will and energy had to go into saving her. I kept telling myself that as the minutes ticked by. Each time I was certain I should stop and ask Ms. Terwilliger what to do, I would force myself to keep looking into the water. Sonya, Sonya. Think about Sonya. And still, nothing happened. Finally, when an ache in my back made sitting unbearable, I stood up to stretch. The rest of my muscles were starting to cramp up too. I walked back to the living room; almost an hour and a half had passed since I'd last been out here. â€Å"Anything?† asked Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"I must be doing something wrong.† â€Å"You're focusing your mind? Thinking about her? About finding her?† I was really tired of hearing the word focus. Frustration was replacing my earlier anxiety about magic. â€Å"Yes, yes, and yes,† I said. â€Å"But it's still not working.† She shrugged. â€Å"And that's why we have a curfew extension. Try again.† Adrian flashed me a sympathetic look and started to say something – but then thought better of it. I nearly left but paused as a troublesome thought nagged at me. â€Å"What if she's not alive?† I asked. â€Å"Could that be why it's not working?† Ms. Terwilliger shook her head. â€Å"No. You'd still see something if she wasn't. And†¦ well, you'd know.† I returned to the workroom and tried again – with similar results. The next time I went to talk to Ms. Terwilliger, I saw that it hadn't been quite an hour. â€Å"I'm doing something wrong,† I insisted. â€Å"Either that, or I messed up the initial spell. Or this really is beyond me.† â€Å"If I know you, the spell was flawless,† she said. â€Å"And no, this isn't beyond you, but only you have the power to make it happen.† I was too tired to parse her esoteric philosophy nonsense. I turned without a word and trudged back to the workroom. When I reached it, I discovered I'd been followed. I looked up at Adrian and sighed. â€Å"No distractions, remember?† I said. â€Å"I won't stay,† he said. â€Å"I just wanted to make sure you're okay.† â€Å"Yeah†¦ I mean, I don't know. In as much as anyone can be with all of this.† I nodded toward the silver plate. â€Å"Maybe I do need you to get me out of here.† He considered for a moment and then shook his head. â€Å"I don't think that's a good idea.† I stared up at him in disbelief. â€Å"What happened to me not having to do anything I didn't want to do? And you nobly defending me?† One of his knowing little smiles played over his lips. â€Å"Well. That was back when you didn't want to do this because it challenged all your beliefs. Now that the line is crossed, your problem seems to be a little pessimism and not believing you can do this. And honestly, that's bullshit.† â€Å"A little pessimism?† I exclaimed. â€Å"Adrian, I've been staring at a bowl of water for over two hours! It's nearly one thirty. I'm exhausted, I want coffee, and every muscle in my body hurts. Oh, and I'm about ready to throw up from that incense.† â€Å"Those things all suck,† he agreed. â€Å"But I seem to recall you giving all of us lectures recently about enduring hardships to do what's right. Are you saying you can't do that to help Sonya?† â€Å"I would do anything to help her! Anything within my power, that is. And I don't think this is.† â€Å"I don't know,† he speculated. â€Å"I've had a lot of time to talk to Jackie – she lets me call her that, you know – and I've learned all about this human magic stuff. There's a lot you can do with it.† â€Å"It's wrong,† I grumbled. â€Å"And yet here you are, with the ability to find Sonya.† Adrian hesitated and then, reaching some decision, stepped toward me and rested his hands on my shoulders. â€Å"Jackie told me that you're one of the most naturally gifted people she's ever encountered for this kind of stuff. She said that with a little practice, a spell like this'll be cake for you, and she's certain you can pull it off now. And I believe her. Not because I have proof you're magically talented but because I've seen how you approach everything else. You won't fail at this. You don't fail at anything.† I was so exhausted I thought I might cry. I wanted to fall forward and have him carry me out of here, like he'd promised earlier. â€Å"That's the problem. I don't fail, but I'm afraid I will now. I don't know what it's like. And it terrifies me.† Especially because Sonya's life depends on me. Adrian reached out and traced the lily on my cheek. â€Å"You won't have to find out what it's like tonight because you aren't going to fail. You can do this. And I'll be here with you as long as it takes, okay?† I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. â€Å"Okay.† I returned to my stool after he left and tried to ignore the fatigue in my body and mind. I thought about what he'd said, about how I wouldn't fail. I thought about his faith in me. And most importantly, I thought about Sonya. I thought about how desperately I wanted to help her. All these things churned within me as I stared at the water, crystal clear except for the hair floating in it. One red line against all that silver. It was like a spark of fire, a spark that grew brighter and brighter in my eyes until it took on a more definite shape, a circle with stylized lines radiating from it. A sun, I realized. Someone had painted an orange sun onto a piece of plywood and hung it on a chain-link fence. Even with the shoddy canvas, the artist had gone to a lot of care in painting the sun, stylizing the rays and making sure the lengths were consistent with each other. The fence itself was ugly and industrial, and I caught sight of what looked like an electrifying box hanging on it. The landscape was brown and barren, but mountains in the distance told me it was still the greater Palm Springs area. This was kind of like the area Wolfe lived in, outside of town and away from the pretty greenery. Through the fence, beyond the sign, I caught sight of a large, sprawli ng building – â€Å"Ow!† The vision vanished as my head hit the floor. I had fallen off the stool. I managed to sit up, but that was all I could do. The world was spinning, and my stomach felt queasy and empty. After what could have been three seconds or three hours, I heard voices and footsteps. Strong arms caught hold of me, and Adrian helped me to my feet. I clung to the table while he picked the stool up and helped me sit back down. Ms. Terwilliger pushed the silver plate aside and replaced it with an ordinary kitchen plate filled with cheese and crackers. A glass of orange juice soon joined it. â€Å"Here,† she said. â€Å"Eat these. You'll feel better.† I was so disoriented and weak that I didn't even hesitate. I ate and drank as though I hadn't eaten in a week while Adrian and Ms. Terwilliger waited patiently. It was only when I'd practically licked the plate clean that I realized what I'd just consumed. â€Å"Havarti and orange juice?† I groaned. â€Å"That's too much fat and sugar for this time of night.† Adrian scoffed. â€Å"Glad to see there's no lasting damage.† â€Å"Get used to it if you're going to be using magic a lot,† said Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"Spells can deplete you. Not unusual at all to have your blood sugar drop afterward. Orange juice will become your best friend.† â€Å"I'll never get used to it, seeing as I'm not going to – † I gasped, as the images I'd seen in the silver plate came tumbling back to me. â€Å"Sonya! I think I saw where she's at.† I described what I'd seen, though none of us had any clue about where or what this place might be. â€Å"You're sure it was like a regular sun? With rays?† asked Adrian. â€Å"Because I thought the hunters used that old Alchemist one – the circle and dot.† â€Å"They do, but this was definitely – oh God.† I looked up at Adrian. â€Å"We have to get back to Amberwood. Right now.† â€Å"Not after that,† said Ms. Terwilliger. She was using her stern teacher voice. â€Å"That took more from you than I expected. Sleep here, and I'll make sure everything's cleared up with Desiree and the school tomorrow.† â€Å"No.† I stood up and felt my legs start to buckle, but in the end, they held. Adrian put a supportive arm around me, clearly not believing in my body's recovery. â€Å"I have to get back there. I think I know how we can find out where this place is.† Adrian was right that the sun I'd just described wasn't the design that had been on the sword or brochure. Both of those had used the ancient symbol. The one in my vision was a more modern adaptation – and this wasn't the first time I'd seen it. The sun in my vision was an exact match for Trey's tattoo.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Opera Critique Rigoletto

The Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center is home for the world’s most creative and talented artists working in opera. Upon entering the building, the vicinity at Lincoln Center is unique and elegant. Approaching the Metropolitan Opera, a stylish and well-structured water fountain full of water is gushing while the off-white marble floor allures the visitor to the building. Entering the building, the glamorous and sophisticated snowflake-like chandeliers and winding staircase gives the visitor a welcoming feel. Before sitting, the visitor will notice the red carpets and the particular set-up of the theater. As the seats are elevated upward, there are sound cushions to promote a higher quality sound on the side balconies. What felt very informative were the captions in front of the seats, that also were available in other languages, to understand the singers. Guiseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto was written between 1850 and 1851. When the stage is first viewed, it is evident the time frame Verdi had written in. Rigoletto, played by George Gagnidze, is a hunch-baked jester that acts out the part very well. Costumes in the play were very detail- oriented and focused primarily on the way individuals dressed in the 19th century. The stage settings were altered according to Act, which represented very hard work and skill. During Act II, Gilda played by Christine Schafer, and Rigoletto join together in a duet that explains the courtship and Gilda’s abduction. The costumes, although could not be seen up close, were elegant for the time period. Rigoletto is dressed during this Act in a white, somewhat formal shirt beneath his regular vest – which was a dark brown, along with white tights underneath knee length shorts. As opposed to how individuals dressed today, it seemed outlandish but well- designed. The opera singers and orchestra had the most contribution to the performance. The pitch and vocals of the performers proved to be rich with character insight. Rigoletto contains a wealth of musical empowerment and melody. As the conductors of the orchestra are observed, it is apparent the time and practice placed into the performance were well spent. Compared to modern music, the orchestra conducted music that was pleasing to the ear that gave a new cultural view of other genres of music. Overall, the performance of Rigoletto at the Metropolitan Opera House at the Lincoln Center was an enriching experience. After only viewed one other play, The Christmas Music Spectacular at Rockefeller Center, it certainly offered a cultural background for the Italian culture. The theater itself was definitely an exquisite and elegant building that often is not found in the local area. The performance was an excellent portrayal of the 18th century as far as costumes and stage set-up while the musical aspect depicted the inspired drama set in Rigoletto. This experience has given an eye-opener to a different genre of music while setting an appreciation for other cultures.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Falklands War Essays

The Falklands War Essays The Falklands War Essay The Falklands War Essay I am going to choose to do the Falklands War, which started in April1982. The Falkland Islands are situated just off the east coast of Argentina in South America. The cause of the war was when the Argentine Junta invaded the island encountering little or no resistance from people living on the islands. They did this while the British and Argentineans where still in peace negotiations about who owned the islands. After this Britain sent over a task force consisting on planes, ships and men to take back the islands and did successfully and were victorious by 15th June the same year when the Argentine forces surrendered to the British command. The Jus In Bello issues One of the conditions of a just war is proportionality, which in this conflict has not been kept to because during the bombing of Port Stanley the British Harrier Jets used cluster bombs. These bombs annihilate anything over a greater distance than a normal bomb because lots of little bombs break off and all go in different directions increasing the surface area of which the bomb affects. Some people would say is disproportionate because it may spread and get a civilian building as well as a military target. Also these bombs were far more powerful than any thing the opposing Argentines had to offer and because a less powerful bomb would have been more proportionate and would have still done the job. Also the British used phosphorous munitions, which are poisonous. This is disproportionate because it may cause a painful death, which is not usually caused by a normal bullet. The Argentines had lots of Napalm bombs; these are bombs that create fires causes a large area to be totally burned and destroyed which is disproportionate because it inflames a massive area when it may be disproportionate compared to the size of the military target which could be a lot smaller. Also in war the countries have to keep to targeting military targets and not civilian buildings and that only military people be involved and not civilians in the fighting. In the Falklands War this was kept very well with only three civilian deaths during the whole conflict. This is good because it means that the accuracy of any bombs dropped on the Falkland Islands was on target or very close to the target because there would have been a considerable amount of more deaths if the accuracy were bad. Another reason that this war was fought under the right conditions was because the prisoners taken on each side were kept and treated very well. One incident however that happened at Goose Green went against the conditions of war. Some Argentine forces were fighting and raised a white flag to surrender. Subaltern Jim Barry moved towards the Argentine troops in order to take them as prisoners. As he moved though he was shot and was instantly killed by an Argentine soldier. Although this thought to have been a mistake rather than a meaningful act it angered the British troops who immediately launched 66mm rockets and aimed concentrated machine gun fire at the building. The building was set ablaze and no survivors emerged. This action is very disproportionate as it is killing many Argentiness to retaliate for the death of one British soldier. The Falklands war did nonetheless prove that in this modern era there could be such a thing as a just war because the modern weaponry can be proportionate. Jus ad Bellum issues There was a just cause for war because when Argentina took over the islands it was because Britain gave up any land in South America or the islands near it to some Spanish Colonists and the Argentines claimed they were the successors to the Spanish colonists. However Britains claims was that they had never fully given up interest in the Falklands Islands and after Spain quit the islands in 1811, and Argentina took control until 1933 when they were evicted from the islands by an American warship after a dispute between them. After this Britain became the owners of the Islands again until Argentina invaded. It was a just cause to go to war because Britains islands were attacked without reason and they are doing so in self-defence of their islands. It could said however, that Britain did not feel under any immediate pressure by the invasion of the islands because they are so far away from Britain. Another condition is that there must be a reasonable chance of success which, from Argentinas sided was kept because they were right next to the Falklands Islands and as Britain is such a long way away they did not think that Britain would bother to reclaim the islands. Whereas on the British side that sent a task force against an unknown opposition because they did not know how many troops, planes or ships the Argentines had and so they did not know there probability of success. Also was war the last resort? -In this case it wasnt as Argentina invaded while the talks were still ongoing between the two governments. However Argentina had between debating for 150 years for the return for the islands and had been in negotiations with Britain for the last few years. Another condition in war is proportionality. Was it kept in a war in which 1000 men were sent to enable 1800 half citizens to give them a choice of government? Many people do not think so. However is it not right to protect your citizens if they belong to you despite them being thousands of miles away from the British homeland? Argentina did have a right to own the Falklands Islands but not the right to go to war with Britain because the British had not committed a fault to Argentina to have a just cause for going to war. Britain did have a right to go to war in self-defence but did the war bring less suffering to the islands than the war itself would cause. From a pacifists of principle point of view it would not be a just reason to go to war as the British government did not try and make war a last resort even thought they were attacked. From a selective objectors point of view they would agree with the war, as it is an act of self-defence but could not justify the moral issues of the war.