Persepolis The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 738 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/07/01 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Persepolis Essay Did you like this example? Persepolis: The story of a childhood by Marjane Satrapi is an intriguing and heartbreaking, coming of age novel with a refreshing twist. The story portrays the Islamic Revolution through Marjis innocent eyes and conveys how The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi" essay for you Create order †Albert Einstein. The stark black and white imagery creates a personal connection and adds complexity to the story. In 1980, a year after the start of the Islamic Revolution it became obligatory for young women to wear veils to school. Although Marjis family is avant-garde she is forced to wear a veil and attend a religious, girls only school. She doesnt understand why her families personal life is drastically different from their public life. As Marji learns the reason behind the violence surrounding her country, she also learns about its eventful past. Satrapi also derived the title of the book from Irans past, Persepolis was the name of the city that was once the Capital of the ancient Persian empire. This title reflects Marjis struggles of holding on to her Persian ancestors beliefs or fighting for modern change. Her parents Ebi and Taji want the Shah to step down as leader of the country and frequently participate in protests. Although Marji doesnt quite understand the situation she decides to give up on her dream off being a prophet and instead become a revolutionary. After the Shahs removal, Islamic fundamentalist begin to run the government, they hunt and execute potential threats. When her Uncle Anoosh is executed by the government and depicted as a Russian spy in the newspaper, Marji begins to realize the lies surrounding her leaders. This event shapes her views on the government and creates a stronger bond between her and her family. When Marjis parents learn about a demonstration planned for the next day, Marji insists on attending. Although her father opposed the idea, Marjis mother believes she should learn to defend her rights as a woman now. Her mother encourages Marji to form independent opinions about her culture and government helping her become a strong woman. She is a role model for young women everywhere, fighting for freedom and equal treatment. As she is handing out flyers she witnesses violence with her own eyes for the first time. As the regime becomes stronger, laws become stricter forcing women to completely cover their hair with veils in public and banning alcohol. All western products are also banned including music, books, clothing, and artwork. When Marji is almost detained by the Guardians of the Revolution, a group who arrest women improperly veiled, her parents begin to question her safety. After two quarrels with her principal, Marjis parents decide to send her to Austria, fearing her rebellious behavior may cause her to be arrested. Marjis story continues in Persepolis 2, living in Vienna throughout her high school years attending Lycee Franais de Vienne (French School of Vienna). In a foreign country without friends or family to support her, Marji feels more lost and alienated than ever. Satrapi published her four part se ries Persepolis in French from 2000 2003. After earning critical acclaim the books were published in English translation in two parts from 2003 2004. In 2007 the novel was turned into a major motion picture earning $25,397,460 worldwide. The movie premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it co-won the Jury Prize. The autobiography won the Angoulme Coup de Coeur Award in 2001 at the Angoulme International Comics Festival. She went on to publish Embroideries, nominated for the Angoulme Album of the Year Award in 2003, the Award was won by her other book Chicken with Plums in 2005. Growing up in Tehran, as a child, Satrapi witnessed how the government hunted and executed those who threatened their power and suppressed the citizens liberties. Between the oppressive ideals of her country and her care free parents, Marji struggles in finding her true identity. Persepolis: The story of a childhood paints a clear picture of life in Iran and contradictions between home life and public life. The stark black and white imagery com pliment the carefully chosen words and create a stunning piece of literature with a personal connection and complexity. Although readers may not relate to the culture or the setting, the novel shows a young woman in search of a true sense of self.

Why Do We Have A Feeling Something Just Isn t Quite Right

Why do we have a feeling something just isn’t quite right? Why does it no longer matter who you vote for, nothing changes? What happened to Workers of the World Unite ? In today’s world of indoctrination, propaganda and conspiracy theories, there is very rarely a clear cut line between fact and fiction. For every explanation there is a counter explanation and it is left to the individual to make sense of the world around them. In the upside down and back to front west, where beliefs replace reality and an estimated 40% of Europeans suffer from some form of mental illness, shape shifting reptiles and the belief that Clinton is demonically possessed, now carry as much weight as does common sense. Marx got it wrong; it wasn’t about class, but culture. Culture makes us what we are and provides the norms and values that create a society consensus. Enter cultural Marxists Lukà ¡cs and Gramsci, providing the theory behind the the long march through the institutions using social chaos to deconstruct society from within and introduce progressivism, which is all communism ever was. If the masses won’t come to the revolution, the revolution must come to the masses. A brief summary of what cultural Marxism is in Culture Watch and a detailed explanation by the author in, Cultural Marxism - Social Chaos. Why do we have a feeling that something just isn’t quite right? The collapse of the USSR did not destroy the ideology behind communism, which previously was termed liberalShow MoreRelatedThe Death Of The Barn Essay1543 Words   |  7 Pagesbut you ll have to stay in the barn; the salesman, not having many options, agreed and wandered to the barn. Early the next morning the farmer came in, and said, Were you comfortable? The salesman replied, I had a great time; I talked to all the animals. 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As he wakes up he finds himself to be tied down to a chair in the basement of the alleged attackerRead MoreThe s Common Sense Entitlement Cynics Trust1528 Words   |  7 Pagespeople and different creatures. We need to put into various classifications, ourselves - humankind that is - and whatever is left of the living scene, says the main British neurobiologist, Prof Sir Colin Blakemore. Prof Carl Cohen of the University of Michigan, Anne Arbor shares that view. Creatures, he contends, don t know anything about profound quality: Creatures don t carry out violations, creatures are not assaulted for their ethical perspe ctives. Rights are an idea extraordinary to theRead MoreWhat Could A Normal Teenager Be Doing On A Friday Night?1586 Words   |  7 Pagesmessy my beautiful room was. First of all, it wasn t messy, there were just a few things on the floor along with half of my clothes. Books were scattered everywhere and a huge pile of homework was on my desk. Blame the teachers, not me. As I was cleaning, I found a book. It wasn t just an ordinary book, it was the one that Leo gave me. I totally forgot about it and left it on the wooden floor. I ve had it for over 2 weeks now and I haven t even read a single page. With the book in my handRead MoreWhat Can We Do About It?1467 Words   |  6 Pagesto thinking they aren t good enough, women would most likely be taken away and are more likely to be tortured or raped. Women aren t meant for fighting, men are. If we enable the women from engaging in combat, we would have a safer country, and a happier life. I will be researching the following questions; What can we do about it? If we did this how would it affect us? Why don t we do this? Would/Are Women Treated Equally While in Combat? Background Information Women did engage in combat in WW2

Environmental Stewardship And Social Impact Of Marketing - Sample

Question: Discuss about the Environmental Stewardship And Social Impact Of Marketing. Answer: Introduction Environmental stewardship is refers is seen to be responsible for the protection and the use of the natural environment with the various types of the sustainable and the conservation practices. The three main forms of the environmental stewards have been discerned with doers, donors, and practitioners. The concept of doers is related to going out and taking the appropriate action. The donor has been identified as the person who will be able to able to assist financially for a particular cause. These can be done in form of increasing of funds, hosting of the public events and donating money. The donors are seen to be further identified with hosting of public events for raising the appropriate funds. The Government agencies have been further are seen to be typically associated with environmental stewardship program (Barendse et al. 2016). The study related to the topic marketing makes a positive contribution to the common good and marketers are serious about environmental stewardship, is aimed to discuss on the social impact of marketing and the different types of the challenges which has been seen to be associated to define the common good. A social evaluation of the marketing is seen to follow two paths. The main contrast has been seen to be included with anecdotal case assessments of situations based on the normative principles. This has been observation from the history and the current events has been taken into consideration based on the various types of the considerations as per the pathological business based on the financial objectives based on the deceptive advertising, environmentally destructive products and various types of the distribution system. The deceptive advertising and the environmental destructive products and the distribution system of the consumer vulnerabilities have been also discussed in the report. The report will further discuss on the various aspects of the economic issues, legal issues and ethical issues based on the inclusion of various organization (Peng et al. 2015). Economic Issues The economic issues among has been identified with supermarket retailer such as Coles, who has been able to post a full year profit of $ 407 million. The conglomerate has faced several problems associated to market conditions in the mining sector which has been identified as the remaining as a challenge in the near term. The profit of the company was seen to be reduced down heavily based on the post tax impairment. This has been seen with $1.84 billion has been identified with Wesfarmers' Curragh coal mine and due to the worsening economic situation, the company has been seen to be facing post impairment charges. It has been further identified that the pre-tax of Curragh mine was reduced down to $ 2.1 Billion, however total amount of pre-tax has been identified with restructuring charge. The groups impairment for the profit reduced down to 3.6% to 2.35 billion which is ahead of the market expectations. Wesfarmers supermarket business has been seen to be exceeding the expectations wit h 4.1% increase in terms of the comparable sales of the store (Palmer, Biggs and Cumming 2015). The investment banking group of the company Woolworthss has been recognised with various types of the economic issues seen with slowing down of consumer cycle. The taxation has been further seen to be identified with the number of the challenges which have led to increased tax rate and higher amount of leasing cost. A lower option with the Australian Dollar has been further seen to be evident with the decreasing amount of the equity required with de-rating. Several types of the challenges have been seen with cut in the price target with $27, from $30. The growth in the company has been seen to be evidently slow due to the changes to the Caltex-Woolworths petrol JV. This has been further seen to be evident with poor marketing efforts, taken by the company. The various types of the issues has been further seen to be related to the various types of the economic issues has been further seen to be determined based on the several types of the assumptions which has been able to state on the changing market dynamic and the impact of the same on the company (Romolini, Grove and Locke 2013). More companies such as Aldi have been seen with the various types of the expansion strategy which has been affected due to the economic issues. Some of the main form of the economic issues has been further stated with rapidly growing competition in the market. The main problem with the different types of the economic issues has been further seen to be identified based on the several number of the issues which has been identified with various types of environmental changes has been identified to be related to the average girth expands. Some of the main problems have been further identified with lower amount of the sales volume by 2.1% from 3.4%. The Australians are seen to be drinking less than the actual paying price for the products. The flipside to the various types of the market issues has been prevalent in Costa Group which has been identified as Australias one of the largest fruit and vegetable producer working for Costa Group. The main result of this has been seen with the grow th of 9% and earning by 26.6%. In 2015, Costas share has increased from an amount of A $2.25 to more than A$3.50, however the marketing initiatives associated to the company has considerably decreased. This has been mainly seen to be identified based on the lower growth of the market share of the company (Barritt 2014). Legal issues The development of the various types of the legal issue has been taken into consideration based on ensuring good corporate governance, employment conditions, working rights, education to the workers, training and product responsibility. The aforementioned factors have been seen to be identified based on the various types of the factors which have been seen to be directly related to the evaluation of the negative effects on the marketing initiatives taken by the company. In the case study assessment of Wesfarmers Limited form of the legal issues has been seen to be getting affected due to the failure to the compliance of the different types of the rules which has been seen to be associated to lower companies with the corporate governance aspects. Due to the non disclosure of the several types of the subheadings under the corporate governance issues such as quality benchmarks has led to the main problems which are seen to be associated with the poor performance of the company. It has b een further seen to be discerned with the other companies such as Costa Group has been seen to be discerned based on the minimum standard which needs to be followed for the compliance of the various types of self-designed voluntary standards. The various types of the marketing benefits have been further seen to be dependent on the several types of the initiatives which are seen to be directly related to the adherence of the legal codes. Some of the various types the initiatives taken by the company have been identified with the compliance of performance reporting, codes of conduct, performance standards, government standards principles, assurance standards and different types of the legal with the Australian issues have been determined with management systems (Di Paola 2013). In market environment some of the main problems have been identified with the existence of legal codes such as OECD MNE. In several companies which are seen to be related to the manufacturing operations are seen to be associated with the non-compliance with the GRI guidelines. Some of the various types of the mining based industries have been seen to particularly getting affected with the noncompliance of the legal issues. In order to meet the different types of the definitional expectation the companies has been seen to be getting affected with the incorporation of the self-designed voluntary standards. The improvement in the social and environmental performance of the companies has been seen with emphasis on the strict self regulation and governmental regulations (Sheppard, Ryan and Blahna 2017). Ethical issues The consideration of the various types of the ethical issues has been seen to be associated with the open number of interpretations related to the companys relation to the people and environment. In general CSR has been seen with the understanding of the multilayered perspectives of CSR, which is associated to business generosity towards the community projects and charitable donations. It has been further seen that the various types of the association with the organisation has been further seen to be based on the capturing of the valuable contributions which a company has to make. The main form of the ethical issue has been further seen to be based on the considerations of compliance with the CSR compliances. The main form of the CSR has been identified with the perceptions of the private sectors has identified with the relation to the internal various types of the perceptions which based on the various types of the perceptions for the private sector, government and the civil society organizations. The ethical aspects of the company have been identified with the non compliance of the business with the internal stakeholders (Molsher and Townsend 2016). The role of the business has been discerned with the internal stakeholders such as shareholders, employees, suppliers and customers. The main issues faced by the business have been identified with main role of the business to state on the inter-state institutions or the standards. There have been several instances where companies such as BHP Billiton, Wesfarmers and Woolworth have not been able to reduce the carbon footprints from their production activities. It has been further seen to be discerned that the various types of the main problems with these companies has been seen to be based on the various types of the aspects which are seen to be directly related to good focus on the marketing aspect defaulting in terms of the ethical aspects. The sustainable development of the companies has been discerned with the continuing commitment of the business to act in an ethical manner. The main challenges of organizations failing to comply with the various aspects of the ethical issues have led to the downfall of the marketing practices (van Putten et al. 2014). Several citizens have been seen to be dealing with the environmental stewardship which is seen to be related to making certain contributions to the society and the people of the communities. In several cases the mining companies based in Australia has been seen to be affected due to the various types of the non considerations of the ethical compliance and non focus on the community and the society. Some of the decreasing most noted decreasing performance in terms of the CSR has been evident with company such as BHP Billiton. The different types of the mining activities taken place by the company have seen to be not complying with the general specification of the standards (Courtney et al. 2013). Conclusion The main aspects of the study has showed The economic issues among has been identified with supermarket retailer such as Coles, who has been able to post a full year profit of $ 407 million. The conglomerate has faced several problems associated to market conditions in the mining sector which has been identified as the remaining as a challenge in the near term. The investment banking group of the company Woolworthss has been recognised with various types of the economic issues seen with slowing down of consumer cycle. The taxation has been further seen to be identified with the number of the challenges which have led to increased tax rate and higher amount of leasing cost. The economic issues among has been identified with supermarket retailer such as Coles, who has been able to post a full year profit of $ 407 million. The aforementioned factors have been seen to be identified based on the various types of the factors which have been seen to be directly related to the evaluation of the negative effects on the marketing initiatives taken by the company. The consideration of the various types of the ethical issues has been seen to be associated with the open number of interpretations related to the companys relation to the people and environment. In general CSR has been seen with the understanding of the multilayered perspectives of CSR, which is associated to business generosity towards the community projects and charitable donations. References Barendse, J., Roux, D., Currie, B., Wilson, N. and Fabricius, C. (2016) A broader view of stewardship to achieve conservation and sustainability goals in South Africa, South African Journal of Science. doi: 10.17159/sajs.2016/20150359. Barritt, E. (2014) Conceptualising stewardship in environmental law, Journal of Environmental Law, 26(1), pp. 123. doi: 10.1093/jel/eqt030. Courtney, P., Mills, J., Gaskell, P. and Chaplin, S. (2013) Investigating the incidental benefits of Environmental Stewardship schemes in England, Land Use Policy, 31, pp. 2637. doi: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2012.01.013. Molsher, R. and Townsend, M. (2016) Improving wellbeing and environmental stewardship through volunteering in nature, EcoHealth, 13(1), pp. 151155. doi: 10.1007/s10393-015-1089-1. Palmer, C. G., Biggs, R. and Cumming, G. S. (2015) Applied research for enhancing human well-being and environmental stewardship: Using complexity thinking in Southern Africa, Ecology and Society, 20(1). doi: 10.5751/ES-07087-200153. Di Paola, M. (2013) Environmental stewardship, moral psychology and gardens, Environmental Values, 22(4), pp. 503521. doi: 10.3197/096327113X13690717320784. Peng, G. ., Privette, J. L. ., Kearns, E. J. ., Ritchey, N. A. . and Ansari, S. . (2015) A unified framework for measuring stewardship practices applied to digital environmental datasets, Data Science Journal, 13(February), pp. 231253. doi: 10.2481/dsj.14-049. van Putten, I., Boschetti, F., Fulton, E. A., Smith, A. D. M. and Thebaud, O. (2014) Individual transferable quota contribution to environmental stewardship: A theory in need of validation, Ecology and Society, 19(2). doi: 10.5751/ES-06466-190235. Romolini, M., Grove, J. M. and Locke, D. H. (2013) Assessing and comparing relationships between urban environmental stewardship networks and land cover in Baltimore and Seattle, Landscape and Urban Planning, 120, pp. 190207. doi: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2013.08.008. Sheppard, J. C., Ryan, C. M. and Blahna, D. J. (2017) Evaluating ecological monitoring of civic environmental stewardship in the Green-Duwamish watershed, Washington, Landscape and Urban Planning, 158, pp. 8795. doi: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.09.017.

Sexual Harassment Case Essays - Workplace Bullying, Business Ethics

Sexual Harassment Case Susan Parker vs. Randy Louvenberger The Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions (EEOC) sexual harassment guidelines and the Civil Act of 1964, indicate that Susan Parker was indeed sexually harassed throughout her employment at Plastech Industries. The EEOC has created a set of guidelines that determine liability. These EEOC guidelines say that A key factor in determining liability is whether the employer has an effective internal grievance procedure that allows employees to bypass immediate supervisors (who are often the offenders) (Making the Sale p.46). According to the EEOC and section 703 of Title VII in the Civil Act of 1964, sexual harassment is: sex discrimination not because of the sexual nature of the conduct to which the victim is subjected but because the harasser treats a member or members of one sex differently from members of the opposite sex. However, it is the sexual nature of the prohibited conduct which makes this form of sex discrimination sexual harassment (EEOC Compliance Manual). The two types of sexual harassment recognized today are known as quid pro quo and hostile environment. According to the EEOC guidelines, quid pro quo exists when submission to or rejection of (unwelcome sexual) conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual. Hostile environment exists when unwelcome sexual conduct greatly disturbs an individual and interferes with the individuals job performance. Hostile environment also creates an intimidating workplace for all employees. (EEOC Compliance Manual) The EEOC has also stated that a victim of sexual harassment need not say anything to any supervisor. Co-workers and supervisors are liable if any one knew or should have known that unprofessional conduct was occurring. If it can be proved that the harasser knew what (s)he was doing was wrong, the harasser can be held responsible even though nothing about the matter was reported. As part 5 of section 615.2 (b) of the EEOC Compliance Manual states, There is no requirement that the victim complain to the harasser or report the sexual harassment to his/her supervisor or employer in order for the employer to be held responsible for the unlawful conduct when the harassment is committed by the supervisor. And likewise, there is no requirement that the victim complain to the harasser or report the sexual harassment where the act is committed by a co-worker or a non-employee, the employer will not be held responsible for the act unless it knew or should have known that the act occurred and failed to appropriate corrective action. In the case of Susan Parker vs. Randy Louvenberger, the victim (Susan Parker) did not keep quiet about the harassment she received. Since the level of sexual harassment in Plastech Industries is demonstrably high, any competent supervisor should be able to recognize and eliminate the harassment. Although her supervisor, Randy Louvenberger, ceased to harass Susan Parker after being confronted about his behavior, such a confrontation should not even have been necessary. Mr. Louvenbergers comments about her playing hard-to-get indicate his recognition that Ms. Parker did not enjoy the suggestive remarks made by male Co-workers. In fact, this comment shows that he was aware that Susan Parker had declined the offers that she had received, and he should have known at that point that she was not interested in dating him. When Susan Parker applied for a promotion, Randy Louvenberger denied it. She stated in her testimony that she felt her loss of promotion was due to their earlier conversation regarding the inappropriateness of Louvenbergers actions towards her. The fact that she made this statement may show that he gave her reason to feel this way. If Mr. Louvenberger did base his decision about the promotion on the fact that Ms. Parker embarrassed him, he is clearly in violation of part 2 of section 1604.11(a) of the EEOC Compliance Manual. This section states that no employment decision may have any sexual favors implied. Randy Louvenbergers earlier actions created a hostile environment for Susan Parker, and that is his primary violation of laws against sexual harassment. In the case of Henson vs. City of Dundee and Rogers vs. EEOC, the court ruled that the manager was guilty of sexual harassment even though the victim seemed to play along with

20 Topics for a Thesis on the History of American Business

20 Topics for a Thesis on the History of American Business In the previous guide, we discussed 10 facts for a thesis on the history of American business. It provided you with an adequate amount of information on the subject, thus laying a solid foundation for your thesis statement. In our second guide, 20 Topics for a Thesis on the history of American business, we discuss 20 relevant topics you can take inspiration from to start writing your thesis statement. We have also included a sample essay at the end that would aid you in better understanding how a thesis statement is written. We highly recommend you go through our third and final guide, how to write a thesis on the history of American business, right after reading this one. Even if you know how to write a thesis statement, reading this guide would nicely polish off your current knowledge and allow you to write even more flawlessly. Without further ado, here are 20 Topics on the history of American business: How the Vision of an Industrial Nation Became a Reality in the 1790s. The Initiative of a Privately Owned Bank in the United States that Provided a Uniform Financial System for 13 States The Bank War of 1832 and How it Led to the Destruction of the Second Bank of the United States The Importance of Railroads in America and How it Led to American businesses Sprouting in Five Dimensions The Transformation of Retail, Wholesale, Manufacturing, Finance and Agriculture Economy Due to a Highly Efficient Network of Shipping Freight and Passengers How Railroads were Able to Finance the Private Financial System When the Construction of Railroads Was Too Expensive than Canals or Factories How Railroads Helped Design a Complex Managerial System that Allowed the Local Factory Owners to be More Productive and to Do More in Less Time The Evolution of Retirement: Rise of the American Pension System to Discourage Employees from Leaving Love-Hate Relationship with the Railroads: The Empowering Realization that Everyone Could Buy a Ticket for a Thousand-Mile Trip How Railroads Helped Unify, Dignify, Expand and Enrich the Nation of America How Railroads Become a Part of Public Celebrations of Republicanism The Era of a Cheaper, Easier and More Common Traveling System in America that Changed the Entire Course of American Business and its History Love-Hate Railroads Relationship: Why Poets and Novelists Fretted Over How Railroads Would Destroy the American Landscape The Dominators of Rural America before the post-1910 Dawn of the Automobile Why Rural General Stores and Itinerant Peddlers Were the Main Sources of Supply How Retail in Towns and Small Cities Become a Success and How it Appealed to the Middle-Class Women (Better Educated) Who Did Most of the Shopping The Era of Big City Department Stores: How Alexander T. Stewart Became the Founding Father of Big Department Stores that Sold Everything from Dress Goods to Toys and Sports Equipment Self-Service: An Early 20th Century Innovation which Flourished Supermarket Grocery Chains and Other Varieties of Chain Stores How Advertising on American Soil Became a Successful Marketing Regimen to Promote Businesses The Golden Age of Black Businesses: Role of The National Negro Business League in Promoting Black Business Perfect! Now you have 20 topics to choose from and you can start writing your own thesis statement based on any one of them. Read on to the sample essay below that would serve as your eyes and ears during the thesis writing process. We have chosen a topic from above to help you get accustomed to writing a thesis statement. Here it is: Sample Thesis: The Importance of Railroads in America and How it Led to American Businesses Sprouting in Five Dimensions The railroad industry became a pioneer in helping American businesses thrive and flourish. In fact, it was so significant that it had a dramatic large-scale impact on American businesses in five dimensions. In my opinion, the railroads were the founding fathers of the American business we see today ― from automobiles to consumer products, everything came into fruition due to the dawn of railroads in America. Railroads provided an excellent network of freight and passenger shipments across a big national market. This led to a major carryover effect on major some sections of the economy such as but not limited to: manufacturing, finance, agriculture, wholesale and retail. Due to the addition of telegraphs, the national market of the United States became as big as the Europe’s market, which was supported by one common, unified financial, language and legal system. Railroads were also behind the materialization of private financial systems which paved the way for investments coming from private investors. Over the course of several years, total railroad bones and stocks went from $1.8 billion to $10.6 billion, whereas the total debt at that time was merely $1.2 billion. New York became the dominating financial market which led to the emergence of the financial system based on these railroad bonds. Eventually, Boston officially became the first financial center in the US. Following a fatal accident, the Western Railroad of Massachusetts became the leading force in taking responsibility to place an accountability system. This allowed the dispatchers and district managers to keep an eye on all train movements. To prevent further accidents from occurring, a disciplined rulebook had to be followed by everyone, creating a much better managed environment in the railroad industry. Railroads opened opportunities for young men aged between 18 to 20 years to spend their entire lives working in the railroad industry which was both innovative and inspiring. These men first started out as workers on tracks, and in time, were promoted to an engineer position owing to their hard work and dedication. However, women who were interested in becoming a part of the railroad industry were never hired. To discourage employees from working for someone else, railroad companies invented the American pension system that promised pensions right after the employees were retired ― usually following 40 to 50 years of service. Eventually, railroads became a profound proponent of a love-hate relationship in America. Although many American societies embraced the rise of railroads and saw it as a new way to travel thousands of miles, which also seemed to empower the nation, novelists and poets thought otherwise. Railroads received a damaging blow due to the dark side of this love-hate relationship, but it also flourished exponentially due to the all the positives it brought to American society. In my opinion, railroads were the big investors in making American businesses rise and thrive. It opened career paths for young men, promised them pensions, became a pioneer in the invention of a proper railroad management system, and greatly impacted the main sectors of American economy. Even though it was the center of controversial talk between novelists and poets, it also became anodyne among American societies which did help railroads flourish. You’re just one step away from gaining complete skill and mastery over writing a flawless thesis statement for your paper. Read our final guide, how to write a thesis on the history of American business, and call it a day! References: Bray Hammond, Bank and Politics in America: From the Revolution to the Civil War (1957) David Cowen, 1791-1797 The origins and economic impact of the First Bank of the United States, (Garland Pub., 2000). Andrew Shankman, (2003) A New Thing on Earth: Alexander Hamilton, Pro-Manufacturing Republicans, and the Democratization of American Political Economy. Journal of the Early Republic 23.3 : 323-352 Dora L. Costa, 1880-1990 The evolution of retirement. in Costa, The Evolution of Retirement: An American Economic History, (U of Chicago Press, 1998), pp 6-31 Leland H. Jenks, (1944) Railroads as an economic force in American development. Journal of Economic History 4#1 : 1-20. An 1827 report shows the motivations of early boosters: Wooddy, William (1827). Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Proceedings of sundry citizens of Baltimore, convented for the Purpose of Devising the most efficient Means of Improving the Intercourse between that City and the Western States. The North American Review. Boston: Frederick T. Gray. 25 (56): 62–73. Alfred D. Chandler and Stephen Salsbury. (MIT Press, 1965) The railroads: Innovators in modern business administration. in Bruce Mazlish, ed., The Railroad and the Space Program pp 127-62

WikiLeaks and the Arab Media Essay Sample

WikiLeaks and the Arab Media Essay Sample WikiLeaks and the Arab Media Essay Sample WikiLeaks and the Arab Media Essay Sample With the appearance of WikiLeaks, the revelation of secret information concerning governmental programs, intelligence operations, and conspiracies has blown the Internet. The publications of the information on Afghanistan and Iraq war crimes were expected to raise concerns and call for the demand of their investigation. Under the governmental control, the leaked documents were played down or even silenced in the main Arab media. They were replaced by the news on praising Arab leaders and governmental policies or accusing Israel, Europe and the US of trying to damage the international relations between the Arabian Peninsula and the world. All possible issues but information from the WikiLeaks reports were discussed. The reason for that might have been that the provided proofs showed that the US had had to use military force. However, the more documents have been revealed, the more arguments and criticism appeared worldwide. This paper will investigate how the political and military id eas got distributed in the Arab and world media due to WikiLeaks development. WikiLeaks: Appearance and Sources of Information WikiLeaks is a non-profitable media organization, founded by Julian Assange, which aims at publishing different news along with revealing important and, usually, secret information to public (WikiLeaks). Thus, the organization has faced numerous attacks from all possible world governmental offices to protect the top-secret information from common people. Based on the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, WikiLeaks’ main statement is Article 19 that claims the following: â€Å"everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including freedom to hold opinions without interference to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers† (WikiLeaks). The organization strongly believes that the authorities cannot hide the truth from their people and have no right to work behind the backs of those who elect and trust them. The organization also does not have a constant domain, as all possible international government institutions are working on how to close it. It is also worth mentioning that numerous anonymous sources worldwide have not been revealed by WikiLeaks so far. There are even certain instructions about how to provide the information without being traced. For instance, to send materials via Internet cafes or other wireless hot spots. Such precautions are eminently reasonable if the source is of political or intelligence interests. Having several international servers under operation and not keeping logs, makes it hard to trace the Internet traffic. Furthermore, in case the information check is needed, different parts of the organization â€Å"conspire with each other to strip submitters of their anonymity† (WikiLeaks). For WikiLeaks, these are sources of information, while governments and intelligence call them spies, who endanger world relations by publishing the documents. The found er of WikiLeaks, being accused of espionage and sex offenses, is hiding from different governmental agencies of the USA, Sweden, France, and others (WikiLeaks). However, Julian Assange was granted political asylum by Ecuador after addressing to country’s Embassy in London. The security technologies of WikiLeaks are extremely progressive in a way to protect the possible attacks against the media. The working group consists of journalists, software programmers, network engineers, and mathematicians. Moreover, it has got a network of committed and talented lawyers, who are always willing to defend the rights of the organization and represent its right in a legal way. World’s Reaction to Leaks Connected with the Middle East Situation Numerous articles appearing in the world media prove that the question of war crimes and the overall situation in the Middle East really matters. For instance, the leak of video that were crucial for American military forces and showed the US air crew shooting Iraqi civilians, their inhumane reaction along with inappropriate commentaries to this tragedy was discussed in The Guardian. The article has at least embarrassed the US defense department as far as the video was blocked, when Reuters tried to get it â€Å"thus WikiLeaks had to break through encryptions by the military to view it† (Black, 2010). Another article in the newspaper highlighted Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s dismissal of the hostility to Iran. It was claimed that the King of Saudi Arabia used simple psychological tricks. Such behavior was an evidence of silencing the information within his country (Black, 2010). Another leak of secret military documents, which was crucial for the US army, was published by Priva te Manning, who worked in Army intelligence unit in Iraq. He sent to WikiLeaks up to 700,000 secret government files (Savage, 2013). The Arab Media Reaction and Responses to WikiLeaks Information Most Arab media did not publish or comment the cables or excerpts, mainly for local considerations or for their late availability, Gulf News Bahrain states. The official explanation of such neglect was that many news outlets closed earlier than the leaked information was presented. However, in Bahrain, the newspapers close late. Thus, they â€Å"referred to the news about the controversial leaks†, but did not consider the plot of the cables necessary to publish (Toummi, 2010). Again, little attention was paid by the Mainstream Arab media. It did not consider that the release of the documents was something to be published. Cairo journalist, Issandr El Amrani, claimed that bringing the details of American-Arab conversation could cause anxiety and anger among the people. The reason is that the revealing cables provide extremely exact and precise insight into the daily life of the leader along with conversation records to prove the statements (Black, 2010). The most popular Arab c hannel, Al Jazeera, practically neglected the cables only mentioning some references to them and official position of the US (Toummi, 2010). The Economist in one of its blogs published the coverage, which provides brief extracts from Arab media to show the moods and reactions on the leaks. Namely, a Baghdad’s daily, Al-Sabah, claimed that the documents’ seriousness should be respected. Thus, WikiLeaks papers cannot be disregarded. Moreover, data cannot be ignored for the sake of justice and freedom of access to the information. Osama al-Sherif in the article for a Jordanian newspaper Ad-Dustour called the revelations by the WikiLeaks â€Å"a victory for true investigative journalism [†¦] despite government’s attempts to conceal the truth† (Savage, 2013). Yousuf al-Kuwayleet, from a Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadh, said that the purpose of the documents should lie in using them as â€Å"highly powerful weapon,† an evidence of war crimes committed by the military, and could be a reason for charges against those whose guilt had been obvious (Savage, 2013). Their power could be used to persua de the whole nations. Hence, the documents concerning both Iraq and Afghanistan war are unveiling facts, which can damage the US top policy-makers. Yousuf al-Kuwayleet also called these wars â€Å"deliberately planned genocidal wars† and demanded prosecution in order to teach all the others a lesson (Savage, 2013). A pan-Arab daily, Dar al-Hayat mentioned another side of these revelations. Its journalist supposes that the level of distrust and suspicion to America’s prospering and bright image will be growing. Moreover, the leaked cables will also put under the question â€Å"Iran’s role in Iraq’s bloodbath† and the concerns toward its political course will also be growing along with Syria’s role in the situation (Savage, 2013). However, not all the media discussed the American side in this case. Mr. Sawi, a columnist for Egyptian independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm would not advise Julian Assange visiting Arab capitals due to revealing information that is potentially damaging for the existing regime. It is meant that the site contains information, which may undermine the government’s positions and â€Å"foster openings in their closed society and help fight corruption† (Savage, 2013). He said that no one being conscientious and having direct acce ss to secret files would dare to publish them without facing serious consequences of the choice they have been making. The Arab media outlets also made accusations against Julian Assange of being in cooperation with Israel, as the organization somehow escaped the embarrassing publications on the Jewish state (McGeal, 2010). Hence, they claim no serious documents of anti-Israeli direction were leaked. The position of the Arab media does not seem to be supportive for the war crimes revelation. The appearance of WikiLeaks caused numerous discussions especially after it started revealing secret information connected to different spheres of world’s life. It remains intangible for the international organizations, which are chasing it. However, the cases of the US military activity in the Middle East had been questioning their legacy so far. Numerous arguments on the purpose of these publications have also appeared. Different media, European, American, and Arab, provided various views on the situation. However, despite crucial criticism of war policy in the Middle East, some media stand for rather than against of the publications by WikiLeaks. The reason is that, nowadays, it is possibly one of the most trustworthy and fullest sources of the information of the kind providing both news along with official documents, reviews, reports, and cables on politics and military conditions. Yet, the Arab media’s views differ. Some support the idea of revealing the documents as important evidence of unrighteous behavior toward the Arabs during the war time, while the others consider its aim to destroy the political system and societal orders.

Occupational health and safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Occupational health and safety - Essay Example OSH increases workplace productivity. This is because OSH stipulates that all organizations have the duty of care of ensuring that employees and other parties who may be affected by organizations undertaking are safe at all times. Moral obligations in this case involve the protection of the lives and health of employees. Because of measures that are put in place in respect to moral obligations, employees become less susceptible to injuries and harm and thereby making the realization of a more secure, sustainable and healthier workforce. This in turn leads to abated levels of absenteeism, heightened motivation and ultimately, improved productivity. It is against this backdrop for instance that the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EASHW) established the finding that for every Euro that is invested in OSH, the Return on Investment (ROI) that is realized falls between 3 and 5 Euros, due to reduced costs that stem from reduction in absenteeism. In the US, the issue of absent eeism is underscored by the data that released to the same effect. Specifically, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics established that machine-related accidents and injuries alone claimed 64,170 cases that required long sick-offs, in 2008 alone. Similarly, more than a fourth of these injury cases required more than 30 days being spent away from work (Reese, 2008). The fact that following OSH stipulations entails the installation of workplace risk prevention and the enhancement of proper health and safety management means that cases dealing with serious harm and injuries on employees are assuaged. Cases where these injuries are commonly recurrent are concomitant with high employee turnover, as organizations are compelled to look for another source of manpower or skilled labor. Adhering to OSH in turn alleviates cases of terminal injuries and thereby reducing the chances of high employee turnover that would be incurred as an organization tries to replenish the size of its work force. In a closely related wavelength, adhering to the standards and stipulations set by OSH gives organizational productivity the quality of continuity and stability. With the aforementioned abated cases of injuries and harm on employees, a corporate entity is succored from the task of having to retrain and nurture fledgeling personnel to acquire the necessary skills and experiences that an injured team possessed. This is significant, since training and nurturing organizational workforce entails numerous workshop drives and training programs. Reese (2008) points out that an organization also benefits directly when it adheres to OSH regulations and standards. This benefit takes the form of increased security from the ravages of workplace accidents, malfunction and human error. This is because; OSH is broad enough to include interactions with other subject areas such as safety engineering, chemistry and industrial engineering. This is especially more pronounced in industries that ha ve inherently high proclivity to accidents such as mining, construction and crisis management which have over time developed safety procedures and methods as a way of managing physical danger at the workplace. For instance, since 1992, engineering workshops specializing in welding of components are to adhere to the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) regulations, and thereby curtailing high chances for

Horizon ElectroniX is a start-up business located along Cardiff Bay Coursework

Horizon ElectroniX is a start-up business located along Cardiff Bay - Coursework Example It will also carry mobile phones and tablets. The Marketing strategies will focus on people who prefer higher-end electronic pieces. This particular market is perceived to put great importance in their entertainment equipment and is open to spending and investing in these items for greater value and long-term use. They prefer quality versus price, yet they will demand for value-for-money qualities. Horizon ElectroniX is a business under sole proprietorship. The owner shall also perform the duties of a Chief Executive Officer, working with department managers and their staff. He will employ personnel who will be trained to perform their assigned duties, and create a corporate environment where there is ownership and pride in the business. The main business strategy is to form solid partnerships with distributors and manufacturers to be able to implement promotions and marketing activities that are beneficial to both parties. The Purchasing, Inventory and Marketing Departments hold key responsibilities in ensuring the success of the company. Further, after sales or customer service is given as much regard as sales. Management sees that they key to keep the clients coming back is to have a highly skilled, knowledgeable and reliable after sales team to assist the customers in their requirements. Horizon ElectroniX is envisioned to be the market leader in computer, electronics and gadgets within Cardiff, UK. By focusing on its strengths, its customers and the underlying values that they need, the company will establish market presence and reach gross sales to ?5M for the first three years of operations, while also improving on gross margins on sales and cash management and working capital. II. INTRODUCTION – HISTORY AND BACKGROUND Horizon ElectroniX was created on the assumption that information technology is not an inherently a do-it-yourself prospect. Each gadget or electronic piece comes with a manual, whose contents are often not friendly to those not tec h-savvy. Often times, new owners need the help or guide of an expert who will walk him through each function and characteristic, to enable them to enjoy and maximize each unit’s use. Clients who are not exactly computer hobbyists need to find quality vendors of reliable hardware, software, service, and support. They see these trusted vendors as allies, whose professional expertise are even worth more than the gadget itself. The owners and management wishes to position Horizon ElectroniX as such a vendor. It aims to serve its clients as a trusted ally, to provide them with the loyalty of a business partner and the economics of an outside vendor. Management wants to make sure clients have what they need for their personal consumption, and also to run their businesses, with maximum efficiency and reliability. Many of the company’s information applications are mission critical, so the management endeavors to give the clients an assurance that our after sales teams are alwa ys available to serve them. The company’s keys to success are as follows: 1. Offering after sales and service support with applicable charges. This puts premium into the company brand as a retailer. 2. Its strong inventory management policies. Horizon Electro

Byzantine Art Essay Example for Free

Byzantine Art Essay There are many differences and similarities between the following two pieces of art; the Toreador Fresco and the Egyptian Fowling Scene. The Toreador Fresco is a fresco depicting a bull-leaping ceremony. It is from the palace at Knossos(Crete), Greece and from around 1450-1400 BCE. The Egyptian Fowling Scene is a mural painting from the tomb of Nebamun. It is from Thebes, Egypt and from the 18th Dynasty, ca. 1400-1350 BCE. The styles between these two periods are very different, but there are still a few similarities found between the two pieces of art. The Toreador Fresco depicts a bull in the center, and a man leaping over its back. There is a woman on each side of the bull. Unlike the Fowling Scene, this fresco includes a border. In the Egyptian Fowling Scene, Nebamun is standing in his boat, flushing birds from a papyrus swamp. He is holding his throwing stick in one hand and three birds in the other hand. He is accompanied by his wife and daughter who are both shown holding lotus flowers. In the Toreador Fresco, the bull is the central figure of the painting while in the Fowling Scene every space was filled with lively details such as lotus flowers and butterflies. As for the depiction of the human figure, in the Toreador Fresco, the human figures have stylized shapes with pinched waists and they are highly animated. Also, in order to distinguish between male and female, the artist painted the young women with fair skin and the man with dark skin. This was a widely accepted ancient Minoan convention. This is very different from the depiction of human figures in the Fowling Scene. The skin color of Nebamun, his daughter and his wife are all the same dark color. The artist scaled down their figures in proportion to their rank. The wife and daughter were much smaller than Nebamun. Also, in the Fowling Scene, the animals show a naturalism based on careful observation. One similarity between the paintings was that the human figures were painted with the profile pose with the full-view eye. Another similarity between the two paintings would be that they both represent rituals and traditions. The Toreador Fresco depicts the Minoan ceremony of bull-leaping while the Fowling Scene is a tomb painting showing that Nebamun is enjoying himself in the afterlife. Another difference would be that in the Toreador Fresco, the artist used curved lines to suggest the elasticity of the living and moving beings unlike the Fowling Scene where the depiction of movement was not represented very well. In the Toreador Fresco, the artist also elongated the animal’s shape to show the powerful charge of the bull and used sweeping lines to form a funnel of energy. It is easily seen how the depiction of movement is better represented in the Toreador Fresco than in the Fowling Scene. In the Fowling Scene, the artist used many different and lively colors whereas in the Toreador Fresco, there is not a great variety of colors used. In the Toreador Fresco, you can tell that it is Minoan art by the elegance of the Cretan figures, with their long, curly hair and proud and self-confident bearing. This distinguishes them from all other early figures styles. You can also see a few cultural differences between the two periods just by comparing the two paintings. The human figures in the paintings are all dressed much differently. Also, in ancient Egypt, the artists often used hierarchal scale in their paintings. They would make the size of the human figures larger based on their social status. That is why in the Fowling Scene, the wife and the daughter of Nebamun are much smaller than him. Whereas, in the Toreador Fresco, you do not see a hierarchal scale, the human figures are all the same size. In conclusion, there are many differences and similarities between the Toreador Fresco and the Fowling Scene. Both paintings represent rituals and traditions. Also, they both have figures painted with the profile pose. In the Toreador Fresco, it includes a border and the bull is the central figure. The human figures are wasp-waisted, and highly animated. The depiction of movement is much better represented in this piece of art than the Fowling Scene because the artist used curved lines to emphasize the movement of the figures. He also elongated the bull’s shape to show the powerful charge of the animal and used sweeping lines to form a funnel of energy. In comparison, in the Fowling Scene, the artists filled every space with lively details. The marsh is full of lotus flowers and butterflies. Although the depiction of movement is not shown as well as the Toreador Fresco, a variety of lively colors is shown in the painting. Unlike the Toreador Fresco, the hierarchal scale is shown in the Fowling Scene.

Essay examples --

All-star football player, Lieutenant Commander, University of Michigan graduate, Yale graduate, adopted, and also the thirty-eighth president of the united states? These are all some ways that you could describe a man by the name of Leslie King Jr. You may be wondering who that is, but he is a president of these United States of America. Leslie King Jr. is the original name of Gerald Rudolph Ford. I am going to tell you all about his childhood, his high school experience, his college experience, his whole election process, his presidency, and his post-presidency experience. Gerald Ford was born July 14, 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska. His parents, Dorothy Ayer Gardner and his father Leslie Lynch King Sr. separated just sixteen days after Ford was born. His father was a wool trader and also was the son of a banker. They were officially divorced in December 1913, where Fords mother Dorothy was granted full custody. Soon after, Ford and his mother moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan to live with Fords grandparents. (Dorothy’s parents) Fords grandfather (Leslie Sr.’s father) paid child support until his death. In Ford’s biography, written by a member of his administration, Ford said that his biological father was known to get physical with his mother. He also stated that the main reason for their divorce was a few days after Ford’s birth his father threatened his mother with a butcher knife. In the biography it said that his father first hit his mother on their honeymoon, for smiling at another man. In 1916 Dorothy remarried a salesman by the name of Gerald Rudolph Ford. Gerald then went on to adopt Leslie, later renaming him Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. Ford grew up with three younger half-brothers from his mother’s second marriage. Thomas ... ... for the vice presidency. That one time in 1960 he almost became the vice president, but the Republican nominee Richard Nixon chose Massachusetts senator Henry Cabot Lodge instead of Ford. Ford continued to run for Congress and continually got reelected. The Fifth District constituents liked ford a lot. They always gave Ford at least sixty percent of their votes. Later in 1963 Ford was named Republican conference Chairman, and two years later was named House Minority Leader. Ford was not commonly known by very many Americans except those from Michigan and those who are part of Congress. This all changed when Ford and Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen talked together at some press conferences, criticizing the â€Å"Great Society Programs† of President Lyndon B. Johnson. These press conferences were known to many as â€Å" The Ev and Jerry Show† (Frank N. Magill, 791) Essay examples -- All-star football player, Lieutenant Commander, University of Michigan graduate, Yale graduate, adopted, and also the thirty-eighth president of the united states? These are all some ways that you could describe a man by the name of Leslie King Jr. You may be wondering who that is, but he is a president of these United States of America. Leslie King Jr. is the original name of Gerald Rudolph Ford. I am going to tell you all about his childhood, his high school experience, his college experience, his whole election process, his presidency, and his post-presidency experience. Gerald Ford was born July 14, 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska. His parents, Dorothy Ayer Gardner and his father Leslie Lynch King Sr. separated just sixteen days after Ford was born. His father was a wool trader and also was the son of a banker. They were officially divorced in December 1913, where Fords mother Dorothy was granted full custody. Soon after, Ford and his mother moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan to live with Fords grandparents. (Dorothy’s parents) Fords grandfather (Leslie Sr.’s father) paid child support until his death. In Ford’s biography, written by a member of his administration, Ford said that his biological father was known to get physical with his mother. He also stated that the main reason for their divorce was a few days after Ford’s birth his father threatened his mother with a butcher knife. In the biography it said that his father first hit his mother on their honeymoon, for smiling at another man. In 1916 Dorothy remarried a salesman by the name of Gerald Rudolph Ford. Gerald then went on to adopt Leslie, later renaming him Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. Ford grew up with three younger half-brothers from his mother’s second marriage. Thomas ... ... for the vice presidency. That one time in 1960 he almost became the vice president, but the Republican nominee Richard Nixon chose Massachusetts senator Henry Cabot Lodge instead of Ford. Ford continued to run for Congress and continually got reelected. The Fifth District constituents liked ford a lot. They always gave Ford at least sixty percent of their votes. Later in 1963 Ford was named Republican conference Chairman, and two years later was named House Minority Leader. Ford was not commonly known by very many Americans except those from Michigan and those who are part of Congress. This all changed when Ford and Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen talked together at some press conferences, criticizing the â€Å"Great Society Programs† of President Lyndon B. Johnson. These press conferences were known to many as â€Å" The Ev and Jerry Show† (Frank N. Magill, 791)

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 8

Grace called me that night while I was on my way to talk to Isabelle. â€Å"Hello, Georgina. This is Grace.† I waited patiently for Mei's complementary greeting. When it didn't come, I asked in surprise, â€Å"It's just you? Not Mei?† Grace's voice, while as flat as usual, held the tiniest puzzled note in it. â€Å"Why would Mei be here?† It apparently hadn't occurred to her that I had never received a call or a visit from either of them alone. They always functioned as a unit, kind of giving the impression that the fabric of the universe might rip open if they were ever apart. This was as weird as them nearly accepting coffee the other day. â€Å"Never mind. What's up?† â€Å"Jerome wanted me to tell you that he is†¦pleased.† â€Å"Over what?† â€Å"Over you successfully embarrassing Cedric.† â€Å"But I didn't-† I bit my lip, suddenly wondering if I should be so quick to deny my involvement. Jerome hadn't been happy with me recently. While the stupid spectacle at Queen Elizabeth Park had put me on Cedric's shit list, it might very well take me off Jerome's and hasten my permanent return to Seattle. I stayed silent. â€Å"He's glad you took his talk to heart,† Grace continued. â€Å"Although, he does wish to remind you that you being sent to Cedric is supposed to be a gesture of good will. So try not to be too efficient. Jerome encourages you to keep up with these small jabs but to remember that you do ultimately want this group undone.† I sighed. â€Å"Noted.† Grace disconnected. Great. This was all I needed. Jerome thought I was guilty too-of trying to score extra credit with him. Cedric had told me I could find Isabelle at a jazz club a few miles from my hotel. It was over on a street lined with clubs and bars, and the excitement and energy in the air as I walked toward Isabelle's hangout was palpable. It was Saturday night, after all, and the streets teemed with humans eager and excited for life and love. I couldn't see their souls or energy the way an imp like Hugh could, but I didn't need to. It was apparent in the way they moved and talked and eyed each other for potential hook-ups. Even after my recent tryst, being in this electric atmosphere made me itch for another conquest. I'd have to cruise these clubs once I'd concluded business with Isabelle. The jazz club was small and dark, exactly the way you expected such places to be. All the tables were filled, and lots of people stood by the bar or along the wall. I didn't have any trouble finding Isabelle, though. The signature of a greater immortal filled up a place like this. Hers made me think of sunlight shining through crystals, fracturing into sparkles of color. She sat alone at a corner table. Most obviously single women in there were being hit on-in fact, I got a number of appraising looks as I walked through-but no one other than the wait staff seemed to notice Isabelle. It reminded me of how no one ever noticed Jerome's resemblance to John Cusack. Isabelle wore a long blue dress with spaghetti straps, surprisingly risqu? ¦ for an angel. Her hair was sunny blond and worn loose to her lower back-not unlike a golden cloak, I thought wryly. She sensed me, of course, and didn't seem surprised at all when I sat down across from her. With a smile, she glanced up and crooked a finger toward the nearest waiter. He hurried over and took my gimlet order. Once he was gone, Isabelle turned her attention on me. â€Å"So. Jerome's succubus.† Cedric had called me the same thing when we first met. I kind of resented my identity being based on my association with-or rather, possession by-someone else. â€Å"Yeah,† I said. She watched me pleasantly, neither cold nor friendly. With angels, you never knew which extreme you might get. Mostly, she looked curious, so I figured I could get right down to business. â€Å"So I-â€Å" â€Å"Shh.† â€Å"Wh-â€Å" She held up her hand, dark eyes focusing on something beyond me. The band was in the middle of a song, and the trumpet player had just put the instrument to his lips. A long, high note came out, kicking off what turned into a mournful solo. When he finished a minute or so later, I turned back to Isabelle and saw the waiter had brought my gimlet. The angel's face was alight with wonder-and wistfulness. â€Å"Did you hear that?† she asked me. â€Å"Those notes weren't complicated, yet he managed to put so much into them. His heart, his emotions, his soul. A world of sorrow, exquisite agony†¦all in those few notes.† She took a sip of her wine. â€Å"You can't do that. Not even I can do that-not the way he did.† Her words surprised me, but I knew exactly what she meant. Part of the reason I was always a little in awe of Seth's books was because he, as a mortal, had a talent that an immortal like me never could possess. â€Å"Only humans have the gift of creation,† I murmured. Her eyebrows rose slightly, and she smiled. â€Å"Yes, exactly. So tell me, what can I do for you, Jerome's succubus?† I felt a little weird interrogating her now. There was something a little sad and vulnerable about her that made her appealing. Nonetheless, I pushed forward. Angels and demons came from the same stock. Both were good at making you believe what they wanted. â€Å"You†¦you know about those so-called Satanists, right? The Army of Darkness?† Isabelle's smile twitched. â€Å"Great movie, silly cult. Did you have anything to do with their display today? I really liked the goat mask.† I shook my head. â€Å"Actually, I was wondering if you had anything to do with it.† â€Å"Me?† She laughed. â€Å"I only wish I could think up things that good-but there we are again: humans and creation. Why do you ask?† â€Å"Because they say they're being directed by an angel.† I gave her an abridged version of what the group had told me. â€Å"And you assume they literally meant an angel?† â€Å"I'm trying not to assume anything. But I think someone or something is directing them, and your side has as good a reason as any to stir up trouble for Cedric and make the authorities on all sides come down on him.† â€Å"And your side has just as good a reason. Demons try to oust each other all the time.† I tapped my nails along my glass's edge and eyed her warily. â€Å"And you haven't actually answered my question,† I pointed out. â€Å"You haven't directly denied being involved.† Angels couldn't technically lie, but oh, they were masters at not always telling the truth. Isabelle finished off her wine and smiled at me again. â€Å"Oh, you are delightful. This is just like being on a TV cop show. No wonder Carter likes you so much.† I sighed in exasperation, realizing I was going to get nowhere. Fucking angels. Her grin dimmed a little, but she was still clearly amused. â€Å"Look, Georgina,† she said. She knew my name; no real surprise. â€Å"I like you. You're clever and endearing, but here's how it is: I don't want to see Cedric leave Vancouver. I like him. And anyway, that saying about keeping your enemies close is true. I know him, I understand him. And when you're playing a game like ours, the better you know the pieces on the board, the better you'll do. I don't want to have to live with an archdemon I don't know, one who's a lot more unpleasant than he is.† A new glass of wine had been delivered, and she paused to take a sip. â€Å"And that's the truth.† I didn't know what to say. I wanted to believe her but had no idea if I could. I simply sighed again. â€Å"What are you thinking?† she asked. â€Å"I wish I could believe you when you say you aren't involved. Even with the whole not-lying thing, I don't know that I can. I don't think that I can trust anyone.† â€Å"That,† she said firmly, â€Å"is absolutely something I agree with: you can't trust anyone. On any side. Everyone's got their own agenda, and there's something in the air right now-it's like a building storm, to use a clich? ¦. Be careful.† Her face looked momentarily troubled, and then she relaxed again as her attention returned to the stage. â€Å"Ah, the soloist is back.† I slid my empty glass to the center of the table. I started to take out some cash too, but she waved it away. â€Å"Thanks for talking,† I told her, rising from my chair. Suddenly, I hesitated. â€Å"You mentioned Carter. I don't suppose†¦I don't suppose you know where he's been lately?† I'd never thought I would utter those words. Carter had tormented me for years with his unsolicited, cryptic advice. He'd particularly loved to comment about Seth and me, as though he had some special interest in our relationship. Since it had ended, I'd hardly seen Carter at all. He used to come hang out with my friends and me but had only surfaced a couple of times in the last few months. Isabelle smiled. â€Å"He's closer than you think.† â€Å"Typical angel answer,† I groaned. I turned around to leave and then yelped. Carter stood by the club's entrance. Abandoning Isabelle, I hurried across the crowded room. Oblivious to the dress code, Carter wore his typical grungy clothing, ratty jeans and a plain gray T-shirt. A flannel shirt was tied around his waist, and his blond hair could have handled a good washing and brushing. He smiled expectantly at my approach and stepped outside to the crowded street. I followed. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked, taking out my cigarettes. I grabbed one for myself and then offered him the pack. He took one too. â€Å"What are you doing here?† he returned pleasantly. â€Å"You know what I'm doing here. Everyone knows what I'm doing here.† I fumbled in my purse for my new lighter and found a matchbook instead. I pulled it out. Mark's Mad Martini Bar. I'd forgotten them. â€Å"What's wrong?† asked Carter, noting my frown. I shook my head. â€Å"Nothing.† I traded the matches for my lighter, and we lit up. â€Å"You were lurking with your signature hidden,† I continued. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Element of surprise,† he said. â€Å"It was worth it to see your face.† We walked past the club lines and drunken groups, no clear destination in mind-at least none that I knew of. â€Å"You haven't been around in a while,† I accused. â€Å"Why, Daughter of Lilith, have you missed me?† â€Å"No! But I was starting to feel like you were only interested in me while I was dating Seth.† â€Å"Of course not.† There was a long, overly nonchalant pause. â€Å"So†¦have you talked to him lately?† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"You are only interested in Seth! You're going to have to let it go, Carter. Seth and I are finished. Why can't you obsess on me and my new boyfriend instead?† â€Å"Because you can do better.† â€Å"Everyone keeps saying that. But I'm a succubus. How much better can I do?† â€Å"The fact that people keep telling you that should be answer enough.† â€Å"Seth broke up with me ,† I said through gritted teeth. â€Å"He doesn't want me anymore, end of story.† â€Å"Oh, come now. Do you really believe that?† â€Å"Seeing as I was there at the break-up? Yes.† Carter tsked. â€Å"Georgina, Georgina. You're letting your anger and other emotions cloud your reason, which is unfortunate since you're a lot smarter than people give you credit for. Go back and think. Why did Seth break up with you?† I stared off at the far side of the street, refusing to look at him. â€Å"Because he thought if we stayed together, we'd both get hurt. That it would be better if we split, no matter how painful at the time.† â€Å"And you think that makes him a bad person?† â€Å"Yes.† I turned back toward Carter. â€Å"Because I didn't agree. I was willing to take the risk. He gave up.† â€Å"Sometimes it takes more courage to know when to retreat than to keep fighting.† â€Å"I don't think it could have taken that much courage. He ended up with Maddie pretty quickly.† No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't keep the bitterness from my voice. â€Å"That takes courage too, forcing yourself to start over with someone new, to keep moving on with your life.† â€Å"Seems more like a rebound to me.† Carter took a long drag on his cigarette. â€Å"Seth didn't leave and go to Maddie because he stopped loving you. If there were no complications in the world, you would be the one he chose. You are his ideal, his first choice.† â€Å"That's not flattering to Maddie.† â€Å"It doesn't make her less. It just means he loves her differently. And when you decide you have to move on, that's how it is. Just because things don't work out, it doesn't mean there aren't other people you can't love. Love is too big a thing for you to go without it in life.† â€Å"Oh yes,† I said. â€Å"I have so missed these cryptic conversations.† Carter crooked me a grin. â€Å"I'm glad to see you're back to your old self.† â€Å"I've missed the sarcasm too.† â€Å"No, I'm serious. You weren't a lot of fun these last few months. You were kind of†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦bitchy?† He shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. You were angry and depressed and frustrated. You stopped caring about the people around you. You weren't†¦well, you.† â€Å"You don't know me or what I am.† â€Å"I know you better than you think. I know you're still hurting and think the universe has given up on you. It hasn't. I also know that as far as all this demon business is concerned, your curiosity is going to tangle you up further in something you shouldn't be involved with in the first place. Jerome,† he declared, â€Å"is a fool.† â€Å"Do you know what's going on?† I asked eagerly, coming to a stop. â€Å"Who's leading that cult? Who's supposedly running this huge game that's going on that I can't see?† â€Å"No,† said Carter, expression dark. â€Å"I don't know any of that. But if I were you, I'd get back to Seattle soon. Stay close to Jerome.† â€Å"He hates me right now.† â€Å"No, he doesn't. Stay close to him. He'll protect you. If he can't†¦well, I will. If I can.† There was nothing romantic in his offer of protection. It wasn't spoken with chivalrous fierceness. His manner was uneasy, like he was dealing with a last resort. I also couldn't help but replay his last words: if I can . Angels-or demons-didn't use the word â€Å"if† very often. â€Å"What do you mean if-â€Å" â€Å"Go back home, Daughter of Lilith.† He tipped his head back to stare at the night sky, blew smoke into the air, and then looked down at me with his silvery gray eyes. â€Å"We'll talk soon.† He dropped the cigarette to the sidewalk and vanished. I glanced around, worried someone had seen us, but we'd walked far from the partiers. I stamped out the cigarette, turned, and headed back in the direction of all the nightlife to go find some guys I'd noticed checking me out. A night with drunken men might still leave me feeling hollow, but at least their motives were easier to understand than angels'.

Once Upon a Time Nadine Gordimer Essay

In Nadine Gordimer’s â€Å"Once Upon a Time†, Gordimer discusses the consequences of the family’s actions due to paranoia of the outside world. In the extract, Gordimer paints a picture of how the couple had taken extreme measures, erecting physical barriers around them to protect themselves from the purported dangers of their external environment, until they are unaware about the dangers that these barriers pose to themselves. Hence, the extract underlines the dangers that prejudice poses for oneself and the futility of trying to protect oneself from the infinite dangers lurking. In the above extract, Gordimer employs the use of the third person narrative, which â€Å"reveals the thoughts of the family members†. The reader is allowed a bird’s eye view into the reasons why safety was paramount to the couple and the measures taken by them to keep their house safe. Also, with the third person narrative, details that foreshadow the grisly fate awaiting the little boy are made more apparent. Moreover, without any names pegged to the characters, Gordimer leads the reader to believe that the incident seems typical, which conversely allows the reader to be provoked into a stronger reaction towards the devasting effects that prejudice brings and the possibility that it can happen to almost anyone. Therefore, with the third person narrative, Gordimer not only manages to invoke the reader’s incredulity towards the extreme measures taken by the family in protecting themselves, but also foreshadows the unhappy ending for a supposed fairytale. The purposeful omission of the boy at the start of Gordimer’s narration in the above extract foreshadows that the boy would not be living â€Å"happily ever after†. The story’s structure is a reversal of a classic fairytale’s structure, by stating that â€Å"a man and his wife who loved each other very much and were living happily ever after† at the beginning. The story begins with the premise that the couple is living happily ever after, but only introduces their child later, which breaks the conventional fairytale’s structure, foreshadowing an unhappy ending. Thus, Gordimer foreshadows that the boy was unable to live happily at the end of the story with a reversed fairytale’s structure and the deliberate separation of the boy from his parents. Gordimer also makes use of imagery and irony to emphasise the extreme prejudice that the family harbours and the effects of prejudice that they would later experience. In the extract, the plaque to deter intruders had â€Å"the silhouette of a would-be intruder† which â€Å"was masked† which â€Å"therefore proved the property owner was no racist† a s one could not tell if the would-be intruder â€Å"was black or white† . The image of a silhouette already conjures up a black person in one’s mind, which adds an ironic element when one continues reading that â€Å"people of another colour were quartered† and â€Å"not allowed into the suburb† . The colour of a silhouette has one linking the intruder with black people as it is dark. This further adds on to the irony with the panic that the wife experiences that the black people might â€Å"open the gates and stream in†, as the family was concerned about protecting themselves from people who were already barred from their suburb merely due to their race. One could not tell a person’s race merely from a silhouette, which emphasises how narrow-minded and racially biased the community is. Thus, Gordimer points out the absurdity of actions carried out due to a person’s racist outlook and foretells the disastrous consequences in store for the family. Gordimer also uses diction to convey the absurdity of the protective measures as taken by the family. She writes that anyone who â€Å"tried to open the gates† and â€Å"pulled off the sign† is oddly required to â€Å"announce his intentions† with the installation of gates meant to keep intruders out. With the word â€Å"announce†, Gordimer highlights the futility of the security measures taken by the family, because no intruder will request for permission to break in and underlines the ludicrousness of trying to be protected from intruders. The irony is that the intruder is now depicted as a civilized individual who would await permission before intruding. Additionally, the gates were meant to keep intruders at bay, not to serve as a warning to the family before the house was broken into. Thus, Gordimer allows the reader to rethink the effectiveness of the security measures employed by the family and the futility of such measures, as one cannot prevent someone who just wants to break in. Word Count: 762 words

Collateral Learning Essay Example

Collateral Learning Essay Example Collateral Learning Paper Collateral Learning Paper When it came to Neil Postman who talked about how television and movies can also double as being educational, I would have to agree with him. There are many shows on television that prove to be a good way to learn about different aspects of life that one may not have known about before. For example, the food network is where one would turn in order to learn more about a certain food dish, while a channel like the history channel would be used to learn about past times and other countries. Then, there are childrens shows Like Dora the Explorer, that help children learn Spanish Just by watching television for a mere thirty minutes. Postman made It clear that the television was not the only answer to educating people. There skull needs to be a classroom environment In order to ask questions and socialize with other people. On the other hand, Bell Hooks talked about how many television shows and movies portrayed poorer people as sort of lazy and not really wanting to better their lives for themselves and their families. She did not like this because she herself came from a poorer background which she got herself out of by going to Stanford. Even though she had to take out many loans in order to attend the school and often could not go home for holidays, the people she ended up spending the holidays with taught her that she did need to be there In order to improve her life and move up in the world. The television show the Fresh Prince of Bell-Alarm, was a good example to me that Postmans concept of learning from watching something Is extremely true, and also Hooks concept of someone wanting to better their life Is also true. During episodes of this television show, you see a young man who came from almost nothing, make his way into becoming a well-educated and independent man. When it came to what Bell Hooks had to say about representing the poor, I believe that this show did a good job of that. The main character Will Smith, was a lower class citizen from West Philadelphia where he would get into trouble often and have a bad life for himself. But once he moved to Bell-Air to live with his wealthy aunt and uncle, e learned that there was a different life out there that he wanted. Will finished high school and ended up going to a college in California called LILA. Here, is where he knew that what he was doing would make him have the life he wanted, as long as he worked hard for It. Watching him proved that nothing comes easy and everyone must work hard for what they want In order to better their life. Collectively, between Postman and Hooks, what many can learn Is that It Is k to watch television and movies because although they are there for entertainment they are also there for earning purposes. Although sometimes television snows may portray something In a way that does not always shine the best light on it, people need to look past that and see that there is something better out there than what those people are currently in. Everything one sees whether it be in television, movies, or even plays, proves to be a teaching experience, even if it does not seem like it is at the moment. In the end, Postman and Hooks points both prove to make sense and have reasoning behind them that many people will be able to understand.

Emperor Montezuma Before the Spanish Arrived

Emperor Montezuma Before the Spanish Arrived Emperor Montezuma Xocoyotzà ­n (other spellings include Motecuzoma and Moctezuma) is remembered by history as the indecisive leader of the Mexica Empire who let Hernan Cortes and his conquistadors into the magnificent city of Tenochtitlan virtually unopposed. Although it is true that Montezuma was unsure of how to deal with the Spaniards and that his indecision led in no small measure to the downfall of the Aztec Empire, this is only part of the story. Before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, Montezuma was a renowned war leader, skilled diplomat and an able leader of his people who oversaw the consolidation of the Mexica Empire. A Prince of the Mexica Montezuma was born in 1467, a prince of the royal family of the Mexica Empire. Not one hundred years before Montezumas birth, the Mexica had been an outsider tribe in the Valley of Mexico, vassals of the mighty Tepanecs. During the reign of Mexica leader Itzcotl, however, the Triple Alliance of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tacuba was formed and together they overthrew the Tepanecs. Successive emperors had expanded the empire, and by 1467 the Mexica were the unquestioned leaders of the Valley of Mexico and beyond. Montezuma was born for greatness: he was named after his grandfather Moctezuma Ilhuicamina, one of the greatest Tlatoanis or Emperors of the Mexica. Montezumas Father Axaycatl and his uncles Tà ­zoc and Ahuà ­tzotl had also been tlatoque (emperors). His name Montezuma meant he who makes himself angry, and Xocoyotzà ­n meant the younger to distinguish him from his grandfather. The Mexica Empire in 1502 In 1502, Montezumas uncle Ahuitzotl, who had served as emperor since 1486, died. He left an organized, massive Empire which stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific and covered most of present-day Central Mexico. Ahuitzotl had roughly doubled the area controlled by the Aztecs, launching conquests to the north, northeast, west and south. The conquered tribes were made vassals of the mighty Mexica and forced to send quantities of food, goods, slaves and sacrifices to Tenochtitlan. Succession of Montezuma as Tlatoani The ruler of the Mexica was called the Tlatoani, which means speaker or he who commands. When it came time to select a new ruler, the Mexica did not automatically select the previous rulers eldest son like they did in Europe. When the old Tlatoani died, a council of elders of the royal family came together to select the next one. The candidates could include all male, high-born relatives of the previous Tlatoani, but since the elders were looking for a younger man with proven battlefield and diplomatic experience, in reality they were choosing from a limited pool of several candidates. As a young prince of the royal family, Montezuma had been trained for warfare, politics, religion and diplomacy from an early age. When his uncle died in 1502, Montezuma was thirty-five years old and had distinguished himself as a warrior, general and diplomat. He had also served as a high priest. He was active in the various conquests undertaken by his uncle Ahuitzotl. Montezuma was a strong candidate, but was by no means his uncles undlisputed successor. He was elected by the elders, however, and became Tlatoani in 1502. Coronation of Montezuma A Mexica coronation was a drawn-out, splendid affair. Montezuma first went into a spiritual retreat for a few days, fasting and praying. Once that was done, there was music, dancing, festivals, feasts and the arrival of visiting nobility from allied and vassal cities. On the day of the coronation, the lords of Tacuba and Tezcoco, the most important allies of the Mexica, crowned Montezuma, because only a reigning sovereign could crown another. Once he had been crowned, Montezuma had to be confirmed. The first major step was to carry out a military campaign for the purposes of acquiring sacrificial victims for the ceremonies. Montezuma chose to war against Nopallan and Icpatepec, vassals of the Mexica who were currently in rebellion. These were in the present-day Mexican State of Oaxaca. The campaigns went smoothly; many captives were brought back to Tenochtitlan and the two rebellious city-states began paying tribute to the Aztecs.   With the sacrifices ready, it was time to confirm Montezuma as tlatoani. Great lords came from all over the Empire once again, and at a great dance led by the rulers of Tezcoco and Tacuba, Montezuma appeared in a wreath of incense smoke. Now it was official: Montezuma was the ninth tlatoani of the mighty Mexica Empire. After this appearance, Montezuma formally handed out offices to his highest ranking officials. Finally, the captives taken in battle were sacrificed. As tlatoani, he was the maximum political, military and religious figure in the land: like a king, general and pope all rolled into one. Montezuma Tlatoani The new Tlatoani had a completely different style from his predecessor, his uncle Ahuitzotl. Montezuma was an elitist: he abolished the title of quauhpilli, which meant Eagle Lord and was awarded to soldiers of common birth who had shown great courage and aptitude in battle and warfare. Instead, he filled all military and civil positions with members of the noble class. He removed or killed many of Ahutzotls top officials. The policy of reserving important posts for the nobility strengthened the Mexica hold on allied states, however. The royal court at Tenochtitlan was home to many princes of allies, who were there as hostages against the good behavior of their city-states, but they were also educated and had many opportunities in the Aztec army. Montezuma allowed them to rise in military ranks, binding them - and their families - to the tlatoani. As tlatoani, Montezuma lived a luxurious life. He had one main wife named Teotlalco, a princess from Tula of Toltec descent, and several other wives, most of them princesses of important families of allied or subjugated city-states. He also had countless concubines and he had many children by these different women. He lived in his own palace in Tenochtitlan, where he ate off of plates reserved for only him, waited on by a legion of servant boys. He changed clothes frequently and never wore the same tunic twice. He enjoyed music and there were many musicians and their instruments at his palace. War and Conquest Under Montezuma During Montezuma Xocoyotzà ­ns reign, the Mexica were in a near-constant state of war. Like his predecessors, Montezuma was charged with preserving the lands he inherited and expanding the empire. Because he inherited a large empire, much of which had been added by his predecessor Ahuitzotl, Montezuma primarily concerned himself with maintaining the empire and defeating those isolated holdout states within the Aztec sphere of influence. In addition, Montezumas armies fought frequent Flower Wars against other city states: the main purpose of these wars was not subjugation and conquest, but rather a chance for both sides to take prisoners for sacrifice in a limited military engagement.   Montezuma enjoyed mostly successes in his wars of conquest. Much of the fiercest fighting took place to the south and east of Tenochtitlan, where the various city-states of the Huaxyacac resisted Aztec rule. Montezuma was eventually victorious in bringing the region to heel. Once the troublesome peoples of the Huaxyacac tribes had been subjugated, Montezuma turned his attention to the north, where warlike Chichimec tribes still ruled, defeating the cities of Mollanco and Tlachinolticpac. Meanwhile, the stubborn region of Tlaxcala remained defiant. It was a region made up of some 200 smallish city-states led by the Tlaxcalan people united in their hatred of the Aztecs, and none of Montezumas predecessors had been able to defeat it. Montezuma tried several times to defeat the Tlaxcalans, launching large campaigns in 1503 and again in 1515. Each attempt to subjugate the fierce Tlaxcalans ended in defeat for the Mexica. This failure to neutralize their traditional enemies would come back to haunt Montezuma: in 1519, Hernan Cortes and the Spanish conquistadors befriended the Tlaxcalans, who proved to be invaluable allies against the Mexica, their most hated foe. Montezuma in 1519 In 1519, when Hernan Cortes and the Spanish conquistadors invaded, Montezuma was at the height of his power. He ruled an empire which stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific and could summon more than a million warriors. Although he was firm and decisive in dealing with his empire, he was weak when faced with the unknown invaders, which in part led to his downfall. Resources and Further Reading Berdan, Frances: Moctezuma II: la Expansion del Imperio Mexica. Arqueologà ­a Mexicana XVII - 98 (July-August 2009) 47-53.Hassig, Ross. Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control. Norman and London: University of Oklahoma Press, 1988.Levy, Buddy. . New York: Bantam, 2008.Matos Moctezuma, Eduardo. Moctezuma II: la Gloria del Imperio. Arqueologà ­a Mexicana XVII - 98 (July-August 2009) 54-60.Smith, Michael. The Aztecs. 1988. Chichester: Wiley, Blackwell. Third Edition, 2012.Thomas, Hugh. . New York: Touchstone, 1993.Townsend, Richard F. The Aztecs. 1992, London: Thames and Hudson. Third Edition, 2009Vela, Enrique. Moctezuma Xocoyotzin, El que se muestra enojado, el joven. Arqueologia Mexicana Ed. Especial 40 (Oct 2011), 66-73.