Western Operas Depict Inaccurate Facts about the Orients

In this essay, I am going to discuss and make a stand that western operas depict inaccurate facts about the orients. In order to substantiate my stand, I will also look into some of the western operas that are based on the orient. There are many definitions of Orientalism. Some examples are as followed. According to the oxforddictionaries.com, Orientalism is â€Å"Style, artifacts, or traits considered characteristic of the peoples and cultures of Asia.† (Oxford University Press 2014) Edwards Said, author of the book â€Å"Orientalism† defines Orientalism as a â€Å"corporate institution for dealing with the Orient†, dealing with it by making statements about it, authorizing views of it, describing it, by teaching it, settling it, ruling over it: in short, Orientalism as a Western style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over the Orient.† (Locke 1993, under Reflections on Orientalism in Opera) From the definitions available, it can conclud ed that the word ‘orient’ in the term of ‘Orientalism’ is referring to either the Islamic Middle East (e.g. North Africa, Turkey, Arabia, Persia), or East and South Asia (the ‘Far East’, e.g. India, Indochina, China, Japan). Orientalism has been part of western arts for a long time. Orientalism in Music occurred since the late Renaissance. This can be seen by a widely performed dance during that period, called the Moresca, which was associated with the Moors of North Africa and was often performed with dark skin makeup and withShow MoreRelatedOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagestruth is out there, and we can objectively know it Philosophical disputes around the role of the subjective in science Epistemological and ontolological disputes: how can we ever know the ‘truth’ and is there an ‘out there’? A few words of warning about the term postmodernism Overview of the structure and rationale of the book Chapter summaries Chapter 2: Modernist organization theory: back to the future? Chapter 3: Neo-modernist organization theory: putting people first? Chapter 4: Neo-modernist

Singapore Telecom Singtel s Leading Telecommunications...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Singapore Telecom SingTel is Asia’s leading telecommunications company. Which provides a scope for telecommunication products and services in term of fixed line, internet, mobile and pay TV Headquartered in Singapore with over 130 years of operating experience and played pivotal role in country’s as major communication hub .SingTel has built up itself as the largest telecommunication provider in Singapore and the second largest in Australia by market share and also at the same time the group is also long term strategic investor in six regional mobile operators. These achievements have help SingTel keep its fast pace in the best approach to accomplish its corporate vision which is to be Asia Pacific s best multimedia solution groups. In Singapore, increased competition and quick changing business environment has been seen as the business sector is opening up to more service providers. A standout amongst the most powerful new products is the Next Generation National Broa dband Network which includes with ultra-fast speed network access to the business and residential users. And SingTel serves over 550 million customers around world .SingTel have made the right moves by becoming into the fiber service provider. SingTel also strategically invested in Asia and Africa, including Bharti Airitel (India, South Asia and Africa), Telkomsel (Indonesia), Globe telecom (Philippines) and advance information service (Thailand).SingTel group CEO Chua Sock Koong .SingaporeShow MoreRelatedCase Study : Singapore Telecom ( Singtel )1569 Words   |  7 PagesEXECUTIVE SUMMARY Singapore Telecom (SingTel) is Asia’s leading telecommunications company provides a scope for telecommunication products and services in term of fixed line, internet, mobile and pay TV. 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College Guide:- Dr. Himani Joshi Acknowledgement:- In the realization of one’s objective man is not an independent identity. It is the combined efforts of the people from diverse circle. Keeping this

Is our generation more stressed than the previous ones free essay sample

Nowadays, stress is becoming a common problem. Our younger generation thinks that modern life is generally much more stressful than in the past. However, others say that the amount of stress people have today Is overstated as older generations coped with more pressure, but they never thought about such a phenomenon as stress. This contradiction makes many people compare the negative aspects of stress to society today and in the past. On the one hand, the previous generations experienced great stress because of poor living conditions, food shortage and umerous wars, which were taking away millions of peoples lives. Moreover, they did not have such helpful technologies, which make the life of a modern person easier. Besides, without an advanced medical system many people died of simple illnesses and diseases because there were no necessary medicines and vaccines. That is why life expectancy in the past was much lower than It is now. We will write a custom essay sample on Is our generation more stressed than the previous ones? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page On the other hand, because of the increasing pace of life nowadays people are always in a chronic rush. which causes various mental and physical health problems, such as backache, epression, fatigue, headaches, high blood pressure, and insomnia. What is more, almost everybody In our modern society Is trying to achieve high standard of living, therefore, people have to spend long hour at work. As a result, they feel overworked and burn out, and hardly have time to relax and escape from everyday routine, which leads them to losing their balance between work and personal life. Furthermore, there Is no doubt that several decades ago, the environment was much better than today with fresh water, alr and food, whereas today we face air, water and noise ollution, which of course contribute to the symptoms of stress. In addition, nowadays, the majority of people lives in big and overcrowded cities and suffer from such common city problems as standstill traffic congestions, unemployment, high crime rate and high cost of living. The unemployment rate Is constantly Increasing; hence, the number of job-seeker is growing, which leads to the increasing competitiveness in Job opportunities. In my opinion, each generation suffers from stress; the difference is In the attitude to it. To my mind, today time is more ompressed than ever and because of the speedy pace of life and everyday overload, people feel exhausted as human beings are not designed for a prolonged, high- speed activity. However, we have to admit that in a certain sense our ancestors had their own reasons of stress, which should not be underestimated. To sum up, stress has been felt by all generations In their lives. It Is really hard to compare either modern generauon, or the previous one Is under more stress that the other one, because each generation has its own problems. People would better concentrate on reducing the number of stress and try to make future living conditions more favorable. 478 words Is our generation more stressed than the previous ones? By Dzennifer say that the amount of stress people have today is overstated as older generations life expectancy in the past was much lower than it is now. On the other hand, because of the increasing pace of life nowadays people are always in a chronic rush, almost everybody in our modern society is trying to achieve high standard of living, here is no doubt that several decades ago, the environment was much better than today with fresh water, air and food, whereas today we face air, water and noise crime rate and high cost of living. The unemployment rate is constantly increasing; hence, the number of Job-seeker is growing, which leads to the increasing stress; the difference is in the attitude to it. To my mind, today time is more has been felt by all generations in their lives. It is really hard to compare either modern generation, or the previous one is under more stress that the other one,

Mozart Essays (1839 words) - Mozart Family, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was born in Salzburg in Austria, the son of Leopold, Kapellmeister to the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg. By the age of three he could play the piano, and he was composing by the time he was five; minuets from this period show remarkable understanding of form. Mozart's elder sister Maria Anna (best known as Nannerl) was also a gifted keyboard player, and in 1762 their father took the two prodigies on a short performing tour, of the courts at Vienna and Munich. Encouraged by their reception, they embarked the next year on a longer tour, including two weeks at Versailles, where the children enchanted Louis XV. In 1764 they arrived in London. Here Mozart wrote his first three symphonies, under the influence of Johann Christian Bach, youngest son of Johann Sebastian, who lived in the city. After their return to Salzburg there followed three trips to Italy between 1769 and 1773. In Rome Mozart heard a performance of Allegri's Misere; the score of this work was closely guarded, but Mozart managed to transcribe the music almost perfectly from memory. On Mozart's first visit to Milan, his opera Mitridate, r? di Ponto was successfully produced, followed on a subsequent visit by Lucia Silla. The latter showed signs of the rich, full orchestration that characterizes his later operas. A trip to Vienna in 1773 failed to produce the court appointment that both Mozart and his father wished for him, but did introduce Mozart to the influence of Haydn, whose Sturm und Drang string quartets (Opus 20) had recently been published. The influence is clear in Mozart's six string quartets, K168-173, and in his Symphony in G minor, K183. Another trip in search of patronage ended less happily. Accompanied by his mother, Mozart left Salzburg in 1777, travelling through Mannheim to Paris. But in July 1778 his mother died. Nor was the trip a professional success: no longer able to pass for a prodigy, Mozart's reception there was muted and hopes of a job came nothing. Back in Salzburg Mozart worked for two years as a church organist for the new archbishop. His employer was less kindly disposed to the Mozart family than his predecessor had been, but the composer nonetheless produced some of his earliest masterpieces. The famous Sinfonia concertante for violin, violo and orchestra was written in 1780, and the following year Mozart's first great stage work, the opera Idomeneo, was produced in Munich, where Mozart also wrote his Serenade for 13 wind instruments, K361. On his return from Munich, however, the hostility brewing between him and the archbishop came to a head, and Mozart resigned. On delivering his resignation he was verbally abused and eventually, physically ejected from the archbishop's residence. Without patronage, Mozart was forced to confront the perils of a freelance existence. Initially his efforts met with some success. He took up residence in Vienna and in 1782 his opera Die Entf?hrung aus dem Serail (The abdication from the Seraglio) was produced in the city and rapturously received. The same year in Vienna's St Stephen's Cathedral Mozart married Constanze Weber. Soon afterwards he initiated a series of subscription concerts at which he performed his piano concertos and improvised at the keyboard. Most of Mozart's great piano concertos were written for these concerts, including those in C, K467, A, K488 and C minor, K491. In these concertos Mozart brought to the genre a unity and diversity it had not had before, combining bold symphonic richness with passages of subtle delicacy. In 1758 Mozart dedicated to Haydn the six string quartets that now bear Haydn's name. Including in this group are the quartets known as the Hunt, which make use of hunting calls, and the Dissonance, which opens with an eerie succession of dissonant chords. Overwhelmed by their quality, Haydn confessed to Leopold Mozart, 'Before God and as an honest man I tell you that your son is the greatest composer known to me either in person or by name.' The pieces are matched in excellence in Mozart's chamber music output only by his String Quintets, outstanding among which are those in C, K515, G minor, K516 and D, K593. Also in 178 Mozart and Lorenzo da Ponte collaborated on the first of a series of operatic masterpieces. Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) was begun that year and performed in 1786 to an enthusiastic audience in Vienna and even greater acclaim later in Prague. In 1787 Prague?s National Theatre saw the premiere of Don Giovanni, a moralizing version of the Don Juan legend

Racism in Adventures of Huckle essays

Racism in Adventures of Huckle essays Racism in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn During the Antebellum period of American history and for decades after, authors often wrote works regarding the tragedies of slavery. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, is one of the most famous works of literature dealing with the issue of slavery. Unfortunately, some claim that Twains writings are offensive to black readers, perpetuates cheap slave era stereotypes, and deserves no place on todays bookshelves (Salwen 1). This work reflects a boys struggle dealing with slavery while growing up in the South during the era of slavery. In fact, the style of the book, which is the style of Huck, is what makes it a far more convincing indictment of slavery than the sensationalist propaganda of Uncle Toms Cabin (Eliot 64). Furthermore, Huck Finn savages racism as thoroughly as any document in American history (Morrow 159). However, Attempts have been made to deprive children of the right to read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on the grounds that it is a racist tract (Morrow 155). Twains controversial usage of literary devices such as the vernacular of the time period and various speeches by the characters has raised many issues as to the worth of the work itself. Teaching Adventures of Huckleberry Finn can surely open students eyes to the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the deepest stories written on slavery. The main question that arises from readers and critics alike is What is the book really about? (Salwen 1) This question is one that the reader will have to answer for himself after reading the novel. As with any good work of literature, there always remains a range of interpretation that is still correct though it may differ from other readers. T. S. Eliot commented on Twains writings stating that he wrote w...

Harriet Quimby - First Woman Licensed Pilot in the US

Harriet Quimby - First Woman Licensed Pilot in the US Harriet Quimby Facts: Known for: the first woman licensed as a pilot in the United States; first woman to fly solo across the English Channel Occupation: pilot, journalist, actress, screenwriterDates: May 11, 1875 - July 1, 1912Also known as: Americas First Lady of the Air Harriet Quimby Biography: Harriet Quimby was born in Michigan in 1875 and was raised on a farm. She moved with her family to California in 1887. She claimed a birth date of May 1, 1884, a birthplace of Arroyo Grande, California, and wealthy parents. Harriet Quimby appears in the 1900 census in San Francisco, listing herself as an actress, but no record of any acting appearances has turned up. She did write for several San Francisco publications. New York Journalism Career In 1903, Harriet Quimby moved to New York to work for Leslies Illustrated Weekly, a popular womens journal. There, she was the drama critic, writing reviews of plays, the circus, comedians, and even that new novelty, moving pictures. She also served as a photojournalist, traveling to Europe, Mexico, Cuba, and Egypt for Leslies. She also wrote advice articles, including articles advising women on their careers, on auto repairs, and on household tips. Screenplay Writer / Independent Woman During these years, she also made the acquaintance of pioneer filmmaker D. W. Griffith and wrote seven screenplays for him. Harriet Quimby epitomized the independent woman of her day, living on her own, working at a career, driving her own car, and even smoking even before her fateful journalistic assignment in 1910. Harriet Quimby Discovers Flying In October 1910, Harriet Quimby went to the Belmont Park International Aviation Tournament, to write a story. She was bitten by the flying bug. She befriended Matilde Moisant and her brother, John Moisant. John and his brother Alfred ran a flying school, and Harriet Quimby and Matilde Moisant began taking flying lessons there though Matilde had already been flying by that time. They continued with their lessons even after John was killed in a flying accident. The press discovered Harriet Quimbys lessons she may have tipped them off and began covering her progress as a news story. Harriet herself began writing about flying for Leslies. First American Woman to Earn a Pilots License On August 1, 1911, Harriet Quimby passed her pilots test and was awarded license #37 from Aero Club of America, part of the International Aeronautic Federation, which granted international pilots licenses. Quimby was the second woman in the world to be licensed; the Baroness de la Roche had been awarded a license in France. Matilde Moisant became the second woman to be licensed as a pilot in the United States. Flying Career Immediately after winning her pilots license, Harriet Quimby began touring as an exhibition flyer in the United States and Mexico. Harriet Quimby designed her flying costume of plum-colored wool-backed satin, with a cowl hood made of the same fabric. At that time, most women pilots used adapted versions of mens clothing. Harriet Quimby and the English Channel In late 1911, Harriet Quimby decided to become the first woman to fly across the English Channel. Another woman beat her to it: Miss Trehawke-Davis flew across as a passenger. The record for the first woman pilot remained for Quimby to achieve, but she was afraid that someone would beat her to it. So she sailed secretly in March 1912 for England and borrowed a 50 HP monoplane from Louis Bleriot, who was the first person to fly across the Channel in 1909. On April 16, 1912, Harriet Quimby flew approximately the same route that Bleriot has flown but in reverse. She took off from Dover at dawn. The overcast skies forced her to rely solely on her compass for position. In about an hour, she landed in France near Calais, thirty miles from the planned landing spot, becoming the first woman to fly solo across the English Channel. Because the Titanic sank a few days before, the newspaper coverage of Harriet Quimbys record in the United States and Britain was sparse and buried deep within the papers. Harriet Quimby at Boston Harbor Harriet Quimby returned to exhibition flying. On July 1, 1912, she had agreed to fly at the Third Annual Boston Aviation Meet. She took off, with William Willard, organizer of the event, as a passenger, and circled the Boston Lighthouse. Suddenly, in view of hundreds of spectators, the two-seater plane, flying at 1500 feet, lurched. Willard fell out and plunged to his death in the mud flats below. Moments later, Harriet Quimby also fell from the plane and was killed. The plane glided to a landing in the mud, flipping over, and was damaged severely. Blanche Stuart Scott, another female pilot (but who never got a pilots license), saw the accident happen from her own plane in the air. Theories on the cause of the accident vary: cables became tangled in the plane, causing it to lurchWillard suddenly shifted his weight, unbalancing the planeWillard and Quimby failed to wear their seat belts Harriet Quimby was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in New York, and then was moved to Kenisco Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. Legacy Though Harriet Quimbys career as a pilot lasted only 11 months, she was nevertheless a heroine and role model for generations to follow even inspiring Amelia Earhart. Harriet Quimby was featured on a 1991 50-cent airmail stamp.

Social Media - Emerging Technologies in Business Communications Assignment

Social Media - Emerging Technologies in Business Communications - Assignment Example Links on the page provides a platform for connecting with other businesses and reach out to them for more exposure. Target audience is found on sites most visited. The constant posting of new content about the brand regularly, when the target audience is most active on social media, helps in the attraction of new users. It generates more exposure to new users. Constant interaction and replying to feedback and comments makes it easy to make the user experience enjoyable for the audience. In addition, interacting with clients and solving their queries effectively makes them remember the brand due to a unique helpful attitude (Wong, 2013). This gets more likes and following, therefore generating more traffic and gaining more sales. New users frequenting the brand site should be confident about the authenticity of the site in order to ensure that it runs on a genuine platform. Use of competitions and questionnaires relating to the brand enhances build up on the profile image. The brand should have a personality that suits the products and services. These strategies help in the creation of new

Bicycles in Miami Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bicycles in Miami - Essay Example ate in the manufacture and sale of high quality bicycles in the city and the growth of the industry portrays the both the potential and the future of the place of bicycles in Miami, Florida. Miami is among the leading tourist destinations in the United States famed for its wide beaches. As such, the city experiences an influx of visitors especially during summer a feature that piles pressure on the city’s transport system. In order to overcome such challenges, the state government encouraged the use of bicycles thereby giving rise to the number of bicycles in the city. The history of the city therefore includes the high number of bicycles (Mathur, 2014). Progressively, bicycles remained a fundamental feature of transport in the city as the industry expanded owing to the concerted government effort to promote clean and safe environment. As a preferred tourist destination, the use of bicycles in Miami offered a cheaper means of transport especially for the locals who had to compete for public transport with the rising number of tourists visiting the city annually. This explains the historical position of bicycles in the city, the position has not changed since to d ate both locals and tourists alike prefer the use of bicycles as the preferred means of transport in Miami. The use of bicycles remains commonplace in Miami as the government continues to expand projects that foster the growth of the industry through systematic policies. The wealthy and the rich in Miami continue to show preference for bicycle as a means of transport owing to the government’s endeavors to improve the appreciation of the means of transport. The trend spread throughout the city owing to the health benefits associated with cycling to work. Besides sustaining the cleanliness of the environment, cycling to work promises a lean healthy body since it provides the body with intense physical activity thereby burning used calories in the body (Frantz, 2009). Different arms of the government

Keeping the Family Tradition Alive Essay Example for Free

Keeping the Family Tradition Alive Essay I started keeping my family tradition of canning alive last summer. My family has canned for years and there is nothing better than opening up something I have canned on my own and thinking of the people who shared this tradition with me. Traditions are very important to keep going in families around the world. Traditions are very broad anything from what people do on holidays to cooking. My family tradition is very important to me. I knew last year that if I didn’t learn some of my family’s secret recipes while my grandmother and mom are still with us than there would be a chance that my family would never be able to taste the wonderful flavors my family has put together over the years and my family has looked so forward to the taste that we have grown to love. Before I begin canning, I must gather all the materials that I need to get started. The first step is the selection of the tomatoes. I pick all of my tomatoes from my own garden they are so much better than anything from the grocery store. Last year I used better boy tomatoes and roma tomatoes. The roma tomatoes are great to use because they have fewer seeds, thicker, meatier walls and less water. And that means thicker sauce in less cooking time! Also, I don’t want mushy, bruised or rotten tomatoes. Next I remove the tomato skins this is very important. Nothing worse than eating spaghetti and having to chew on a piece of skin left behind. Here’s a trick my grandma taught me: put the tomatoes, a few at a time in a large pot of boiling water for no more than 1 minute. Then I plunge them into a waiting bowl of ice water. This makes the skins slide right off of the tomatoes. If the skins are left on then they become tough and chewy in the sauce, not very pleasant. Now I must remove the seeds and water. After peeling the skins off the tomatoes, I cut the tomatoes in half. I remove the seeds and excess water. I call it the squeeze of the seeds. It is just like it sounds: wash hands then squeeze each tomato and I use my thumb or a spoon to scoop and shake out most of the seeds. I do leave some of the seeds because that is my preference. I toss the squeezed tomatoes into a colander or drainer while I work on the others. By draining the water off now, I end up with a thicker spaghetti sauce in less cooking time. The next step I must do is to get the lids and jars sanitized. The dishwasher is fine for the jars, especially if it has a â€Å"sanitize† cycle. I get that going while I’m preparing everything else, so it’s done by the time I’m ready to fill the jars. While the jars and lids are being sanitized I begin getting that spaghetti sauce going. I take my onions, garlic, basil, oregano, bay leaves, green peppers, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and my burgundy and place them all in the pot first. After I get the onions and pepper a little tender I add all the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook down the tomatoes until the sauce is my desired thickness. I usually let my sauce cook for about two hours. The last step I call canning time. While my sauce is simmering I get my water bath canner ready. I go ahead and feel the water up and get it boiling. I start a small pot of water boiling to put the lids in so that the lids can sanitize and helps the lids seal. When the sauce is ready I place the jar funnel on the jar and I fill them to within ? inch of the top and set the lid and hand ’tighten the ring on. I place the jars in the water bath and cook for about 20mins. I then use the jar grabber and pull the jars out one at a time and let them cool draft-free place. Once the jars are cool, I check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. I press down in the center gently with my finger. If it pops up and down then it is not sealed. If it don’t seal than I just replace the lid and do the canning time again. Now that all the steps are complete, I listen to all the little pings going on telling me that my hard work has paid off. I am so glad that I have learned the family tradition of canning. My grandmother has gotten older and doesn’t can anymore. Out of all my family it is just my mom, Aunt Susan, and myself left doing the canning. It was a nice reward to my sole a few weeks ago when I had my grandmother over for dinner. I had canned some beets and decided that was the day to open them. When my grandmother tried them she said, â€Å"These taste just like mine. † To hear her say that meant so much to me. I couldn’t image not having the taste of what I grew up with because they don’t sell it in the grocery store. This is why I am keeping my family tradition going and teaching my girls. We never know when our love ones are not going to be here anymore. If I can’t have my family with me I at least want to be able to remember them by creating what they have thought me. If people have something in their family that is done by others and would not want to miss it after that person is gone than learn how that special someone does it. I did that’s why I will always have that special connection with canning and my family.

soliloquies in the merchant of venice :: Free Merchant of Venice Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Merchant of Venice† is a play that relies on soliloquies to advance the plot, create mood and atmosphere, and to develop character among all the actors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am here to prove how this happens in two different soliloquies and show you why Shakespeare put them into the play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My first soliloquy is from Lancelot Gobbo and it is taken from Act 2 Scene 2.I know that Lancelot is a secondary character, but this speech is really important in the outcome of this scene. He is talking about if he should run away from his master, who just happens to be Shylock. This soliloquy has all the makings of what a soliloquy should do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It creates the mood that Lancelot (Shylock’s jester) is having alot of troubles trying to decide whether to run away or not. It must have alot to do with how Shylock treats him since he calls Shylock â€Å"a kind of devil† and also says that he can’t handle being â€Å"ruled by the fiend.† He must have really been mistreated under Shylock’s care to go as so far as to run away from him. It creates the mood of sadness and hatred in Lancelot, and a dark evil kind of feeling towards Shylock for what he has done.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It develops the character that Lancelot is a hard working man who is just trying to make a decent living but cannot because of the way he is being treated by Shylock. It also shows us that Shylock may be the character that, in the play, is the character to fear. We don’t know the details of what Shylock did to Lancelot so we have to cut him a little slack. But whatever he did to Lancelot has made him very angry and disgruntled.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And it develops the plot by starting off the main reason for this scene which is for Bassiano to get into the picture and for Gratiano to ask him if he can go to Belmont with him. It gets to this stage by Old Gobbo asking Bassiano if he will employ Lancelot, which he agrees to. It also tells of what to expect from Shylock in the later scenes which is unheartedness and ruthlessness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My second soliloquy is taken from act 3 scene 2. In this scene Portia asks Bassiano to wait a few days to before he makes his choice on which casket to open in order to see if he will be able to marry Portia, but Bassiano refuses and wants to make his choice immediately. He makes his choice and

Love in the Family Essay

Giving your children unconditional love and support is the best gift you can give; it will lead them to self confidence and a strong parent child relationship. Love, sounds simple right? Well today, many parents are too worried about school grades, drug usage, and their own personal problems that they are forgetting to give there children the love and support they need. Depression in teenagers is at all time high and when children have bad relationships with their parents, they may feel that they are alone. So just like The Beatles said, â€Å"all you need is love† for, by giving your children this simple gift, you are ultimately giving self confidence, support, understanding, and a friend. Love can be interpreted in many different ways, but in my opinion, it should consist of support and understanding. Teenagers today are going through many emotional situations such as peer pressure, fitting in, and rejection, they need to have someone who they can talk to, who will understand them, support them, and give them encouragement, what better person then their parents? In the poems Warren Pryor (Nowlan, Alden) and The Average (Auden, W.H.) with out a doubt the parents loved their children, but they did not support or understand them. If they had, then their children would have been comfortable talking to their parents about how they have different dreams, instead they were afraid of their parents. If children are comfortable with their parents and feel their parents love then children will not find the need to rebel and will live their best lives. Parents tend to think that they know what is best for their child solely based on their own desires. Many parents feel they can express their love through presents and money. But in my personal experience no amount of clothes, dolls, play stations, or money can replace the feeling a child feels after a failed test, a fight with a friend, or every day disappointments in life. In The Veldt (Bradbury, 100) the parents’ expressed their love by giving their children everything they wanted. They spent endless amounts of money buying their children anything they desired. Yet, with all these expensive  gifts the children hated their parents. What the parents’ did wrong was they did not spend enough time loving their children. All the things that parents were supposed to do with their children, machines did instead. If Wendy and Peter’s parents would have supported and spent quality time with their children I’m sure Wendy and Peter would not has wished their parents’ to be dead. We can learn from this story that you must not express your love through objects but through support and understanding. Many children idolize their parents and what they want more than anything is their parents’ approval. By giving your child your support you are also giving your approval. When children do not have their parents’ approval or support they tend to go to drastic measures to achieve it. The story of The Rocking Horse Winner (Lawrence, 953) is a perfect example of how important a parent’s love truly is. The mother only cared about herself and money. The son knew this and made money for his mother. He worked so hard to fulfill his mother’s wants that he ended up dieing for it. Giving your child your love and approval will prevent this from ever happening. In my own life my parents have always supported me and have always been there for me. Being the average teenage girl, I have had many emotional experiences. There have been many times where I have felt insecure about, my friends, my weight, my grades at school, my future, and endless other things. Having my parents there to support me and to listen as I expressed my feelings helped a lot. Knowing that no matter what I did in my life they would always love me and be there for me makes me feel secure. I know I will never be alone Depression in teenagers is at an all time high. Approximately one out of ten teenagers will suffer from depression. The role parents play in this is not that the parents are responsible, but having a comfortable parent child relationship prevents or helps overcome the depression. This is because teenagers who are depressed often feel they are all alone. According to the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints, â€Å"It is important that teenagers are given the encouragement and support needed to allow themselves  to express their feelings.† (www.psychologyinfo.com/depression/teens.htm). If children are not comfortable talking to their parents then they unable to express their feelings and will fell all alone. Sadly, this helps contribute to suicide being the second leading cause death in people aged from 10-24 years old (www.ldsdepression.com/depression_in_teenagers.htm). In conclusion, children need their parents’ unconditional love and support. Friends come and go but a parent is for life. I truly believe in treat other people the way you want to be treated. And why shouldn’t that apply to your children? Growing up you most likely appreciated the good relationship you had with your mother or father or you resented your parents and wished they understood you better. A parent is their child’s backbone, and if the parent isn’t there to support and understand them, no one will be. So, do your children a favour, make them feel loved and important because that is what will make a good parent child relationship; not expensive gifts, high standards, or lack of discipline, just love.

Foundation and Empire 7. Bribery

Sergeant Mori Luk made an ideal soldier of the ranks. He came from the huge agricultural planets of the Pleiades where only army life could break the bond to the soil and the unavailing life of drudgery; and he was typical of that background. Unimaginative enough to face danger without fear, he was strong and agile enough to face it successfully. He accepted orders instantly, drove the men under him unbendingly and adored his general unswervingly. And yet with that, he was of a sunny nature. If he killed a man in the line of duty without a scrap of hesitation, it was also without a scrap of animosity. That Sergeant Luk should signal at the door before entering was further a sign of tact, for he would have been perfectly within his rights to enter without signaling. The two within looked up from their evening meal and one reached out with his foot to cut off the cracked voice which rattled out of the battered pocket-transmitter with bright liveliness. â€Å"More books?† asked Lathan Devers. The sergeant held out the tightly-wound cylinder of film and scratched his neck. â€Å"It belongs to Engineer Orre, but he'll have to have it back. He's going to send it to his kids, you know, like what you might call a souvenir, you know.† Ducem Barr turned the cylinder in his hands with interest. â€Å"And where did the engineer get it? He hasn't a transmitter also, has he?† The sergeant shook his head emphatically. He pointed to the knocked-about remnant at the foot of the bed. â€Å"That's the only one in the place. This fellow, Orre, now, he got that book from one of these pig-pen worlds out here we captured. They had it in a big building by itself and he had to kill a few of the natives that tried to stop him from taking it.† He looked at it appraisingly. â€Å"It makes a good souvenir – for kids.† He paused, then said stealthily, â€Å"There's big news floating about, by the way. It's only scuttlebutt, but even so, it's too good to keep. The general did it again.† And he nodded slowly, gravely. â€Å"That so?† said Devers. â€Å"And what did he do?† â€Å"Finished the Enclosure, that's all.† The sergeant chuckled with a fatherly pride. â€Å"Isn't he the corker, though? Didn't he work it fine? One of the fellows who's strong on fancy talk, says it went as smooth and even as the music of the spheres, whatever they are.† â€Å"The big offensive starts now?† asked Barr, mildly. â€Å"Hope so,† was the boisterous response. â€Å"I want to get back on my ship now that my arm is in one piece again. I'm tired of sitting on my scupper out here.† â€Å"So am I,† muttered Devers, suddenly and savagely. There was a bit of underlip caught in his teeth, and he worried it. The sergeant looked at him doubtfully, and said, â€Å"I'd better go now. The captain's round is due and I'd just as soon he didn't catch me in here.† He paused at the door. â€Å"By the way, sir,† he said with sudden, awkward shyness to the trader, â€Å"I heard from my wife. She says that little freezer you gave me to send her works fine. It doesn't cost her anything, and she just about keeps a month's supply of food froze up complete. I appreciate it.† â€Å"It's all right. Forget it.† The great door moved noiselessly shut behind the grinning sergeant. Ducem Barr got out of his chair. â€Å"Well, he gives us a fair return for the freezer. Let's take a look at this new book. Ahh, the title is gone.† He unrolled a yard or so of the film and looked through at the light. Then he murmured, â€Å"Well, skewer me through the scupper, as the sergeant says. This is ‘The Garden of Summa,' Devers.† â€Å"That so?† said the trader, without interest. He shoved aside what was left of his dinner. â€Å"Sit down, Barr. Listening to this old-time literature isn't doing me any good. You heard what the sergeant said?† â€Å"Yes, I did. What of it?† â€Å"The offensive will start. And we sit here!† â€Å"Where do you want to sit?† â€Å"You know what I mean. There's no use just waiting.† â€Å"Isn't there?† Barr was carefully removing the old film from the transmitter and installing the new. â€Å"You told me a good deal of Foundation history in the last month, and it seems that the great leaders of past crises did precious little more than sit – and wait.† â€Å"Ah, Barr, but they knew where they were going.† â€Å"Did they? I suppose they said they did when it was over, and for all I know maybe they did. But there's no proof that things would not have worked out as well or better if they had not known where they were going. The deeper economic and sociological forces aren't directed by individual men.† Devers sneered. â€Å"No way of telling that things wouldn't have worked out worse, either. You're arguing tail-end backwards.† His eyes were brooding. â€Å"You know, suppose I blasted him?† â€Å"Whom? Riose?† â€Å"Yes.† Barr sighed. His aging eyes were troubled with a reflection of the long past. â€Å"Assassination isn't the way out, Devers. I once tried it, under provocation, when I was twenty – but it solved nothing. I removed a villain from Siwenna, but not the Imperial yoke; and it was the Imperial yoke and not the villain that mattered.† â€Å"But Riose is not just a villain, doc. He's the whole blamed army. It would fall apart without him. They hang on him like babies. The sergeant out there slobbers every time he mentions him.† â€Å"Even so. There are other armies and other leaders. You must go deeper. There is this Brodrig, for instance – no one more than he has the ear of the Emperor. He could demand hundreds of ships where Riose must struggle with ten. I know him by reputation.† â€Å"That so? What about him?† The trader's eyes lost in frustration what they gained in sharp interest. â€Å"You want a pocket outline? He's a low-born rascal who has by unfailing flattery tickled the whims of the Emperor. He's well-hated by the court aristocracy, vermin themselves, because he can lay claim to neither family nor humility. He is the Emperor's adviser in all things, and the Emperor's too in the worst things. He is faithless by choice but loyal by necessity. There is not a man in the Empire as subtle in villainy or as crude in his pleasures. And they say there is no way to the Emperor's favor but through him; and no way to his, but through infamy.† â€Å"Wow!† Devers pulled thoughtfully at his neatly trimmed beard. â€Å"And he's the old boy the Emperor sent out here to keep an eye on Riose. Do you know I have an idea?† â€Å"I do now.† â€Å"Suppose this Brodrig takes a dislike to our young Army's Delight?† â€Å"He probably has already. He's not noted for a capacity for liking.† â€Å"Suppose it gets really bad. The Emperor might hear about it, and Riose might be in trouble.† â€Å"Uh-huh. Quite likely. But how do you propose to get that to happen?† â€Å"I don't know. I suppose he could be bribed?† The patrician laughed gently. â€Å"Yes, in a way, but not in the manner you bribed the sergeant – not with a pocket freezer. And even if you reach his scale, it wouldn't be worth it. There's probably no one so easily bribed, but he lacks even the fundamental honesty of honorable corruption. He doesn't stay bribed; not for any sum. Think of something else.† Devers swung a leg over his knee and his toe nodded quickly and restlessly. â€Å"It's the first hint, though-â€Å" He stopped; the door signal was flashing once again, and the sergeant was on the threshold once more. He was excited, and his broad face was red and unsmiling. â€Å"Sir,† he began, in an agitated attempt at deference, â€Å"I am very thankful for the freezer, and you have always spoken to me very fine, although I am only the son of a farmer and you are great lords.† His Pleiades accent had grown thick, almost too much so for easy comprehension; and with excitement, his lumpish peasant derivation wiped out completely the soldierly bearing so long and so painfully cultivated. Barr said softly, â€Å"What is it, sergeant?† â€Å"Lord Brodrig is coming to see you. Tomorrow! I know, because the captain told me to have my men ready for dress review tomorrow for†¦ for him. I thought – I might warn you.† Barr said, â€Å"Thank you, sergeant, we appreciate that. But it's all right, man; no need for-â€Å" But the look on Sergeant Luk's face was now unmistakably one of fear. He spoke in a rough whisper, â€Å"You don't hear the stories the men tell about him. He has sold himself to the space fiend. No, don't laugh. There are most terrible tales told about him. They say he has men with blast-guns who follow him everywhere, and when he wants pleasure, he just tells them to blast down anyone they meet. And they do – and he laughs. They say even the Emperor is in terror of him, and that he forces the Emperor to raise taxes and won't let him listen to the complaints of the people. â€Å"And he hates the general, that's what they say. They say he would like to kill the general, because the general is so great and wise. But he can't because our general is a match for anyone and he knows Lord Brodrig is a bad ‘un.† The sergeant blinked; smiled in a sudden incongruous shyness at his own outburst; and backed toward the door. He nodded his head, jerkily. â€Å"You mind my words. Watch him.† He ducked out. And Devers looked up, hard-eyed. â€Å"This breaks things our way, doesn't it, doc?† â€Å"It depends,† said Barr, dryly, â€Å"on Brodrig, doesn't it?† But Devers was thinking, not listening. He was thinking hard. Lord Brodrig ducked his head as he stepped into the cramped living quarters of the trading ship, and his two armed guards followed quickly, with bared guns and the professionally hard scowls of the hired bravos. The Privy Secretary had little of the look of the lost soul about him just then. If the space fiend had bought him, he had left no visible mark of possession. Rather might Brodrig have been considered a breath of court-fashion come to enliven the hard, bare ugliness of an army base. The stiff, tight lines of his sheened and immaculate costume gave him the illusion of height, from the very top of which his cold, emotionless eyes stared down the declivity of a long nose at the trader. The mother-of-pearl ruches at his wrists fluttered filmily as he brought his ivory stick to the ground before him and leaned upon it daintily. â€Å"No,† he said, with a little gesture, â€Å"you remain here. Forget your toys; I am not interested in them.† He drew forth a chair, dusted it carefully with the iridescent square of fabric attached to the top of his white stick, and seated himself. Devers glanced towards the mate to the chair, but Brodrig said lazily, â€Å"You will stand in the presence of a Peer of the Realm.† He smiled. Devers shrugged. â€Å"If you're not interested in my stock in trade, what am I here for?† The Privy Secretary waited coldly, and Devers added a slow, â€Å"Sir.† â€Å"For privacy,† said the secretary. â€Å"Now is it likely that I would come two hundred parsecs through space to inspect trinkets? It's you I want to see.† He extracted a small pink tablet from an engraved box and placed it delicately between his teeth. He sucked it slowly and appreciatively. â€Å"For instance,† he said, â€Å"who are you? Are you really a citizen of this barbarian world that is creating all this fury of military frenzy?† Devers nodded gravely. â€Å"And you were really captured by him after the beginning of this squabble he calls a war. I am referring to our young general.† Devers nodded again. â€Å"So! Very well, my worthy Outlander. I see your fluency of speech is at a minimum. I shall smooth the way for you. It seems that our general here is fighting an apparently meaningless war with frightful transports of energy – and this over a forsaken fleabite of a world at the end of nowhere, which to a logical man would not seem worth a single blast of a single gun. Yet the general is not illogical. On the contrary, I would say he was extremely intelligent. Do you follow me?† â€Å"Can't say I do, sir.† The secretary inspected his fingernails and said, â€Å"Listen further, then. The general would not waste his men and ships on a sterile feat of glory. I know he talks of glory and of Imperial honor, but it is quite obvious that the affectation of being one of the insufferable old demigods of the Heroic Age won't wash. There is something more than glory hereand he does take queer, unnecessary care of you. Now if you were my prisoner and told me as little of use as you have our general, I would slit open your abdomen and strangle you with your own intestines.† Devers remained wooden. His eyes moved slightly, first to one of the secretary's bully-boys, and then to the other. They were ready; eagerly ready. The secretary smiled. â€Å"Well, now, you're a silent devil. According to the general, even a Psychic Probe made no impression, and that was a mistake on his part, by the way, for it convinced me that our young military whizz-bang was lying.† He seemed in high humor. â€Å"My honest tradesman,† he said, â€Å"I have a Psychic Probe of my own, one that ought to suit you peculiarly well. You see this-â€Å" And between thumb and forefinger, held negligently, were intricately designed, pink-and-yellow rectangles which were most definitely obvious in identity. Devers said so. â€Å"It looks like cash,† he said. â€Å"Cash it is – and the best cash of the Empire, for it is backed by my estates, which are more extensive than the Emperor's own. A hundred thousand credits. All here! Between two fingers! Yours!† â€Å"For what, sir? I am a good trader, but all trades go in both directions.† â€Å"For what? For the truth! What is the general after? Why is he fighting this war?† Lathan Devers sighed, and smoothed his beard thoughtfully. â€Å"What he's after?† His eyes were following the motions of the secretary's hands as he counted the money slowly, bill by bill. â€Å"In a word, the Empire.† â€Å"Hmp. How ordinary! It always comes to that in the end. But how? What is the road that leads from the Galaxy's edge to the peak of Empire so broadly and invitingly?† â€Å"The Foundation,† said Devers, bitterly, â€Å"has secrets. They have books, old books – so old that the language they are in is only known to a few of the top men. But the secrets are shrouded in ritual and religion, and none may use them. I tried and now I am here – and there is a death sentence waiting for me, there.† â€Å"I see. And these old secrets? Come, for one hundred thousand I deserve the intimate details.† â€Å"The transmutation of elements,† said Devers, shortly. The secretary's eyes narrowed and lost some of their detachment. â€Å"I have been told that practical transmutation is impossible by the laws of nucleics.† â€Å"So it is, if nuclear forces are used. But the ancients were smart boys. There are sources of power greater than the nuclei and more fundamental. If the Foundation used those sources as I suggested-â€Å" Devers felt a soft, creeping sensation in his stomach. The bait was dangling; the fish was nosing it. The secretary said suddenly, â€Å"Continue. The general, I am sure, is aware of a this. But what does he intend doing once he finishes this opera-bouffe affair?† Devers kept his voice rock-steady. â€Å"With transmutation he controls the economy of the whole set-up of your Empire. Mineral holdings won't be worth a sneeze when Riose can make tungsten out of aluminum and iridium out of iron. An entire production system based on the scarcity of certain elements and the abundance of others is thrown completely out of whack. There'll be the greatest disjointment the Empire has ever seen, and only Riose will be able to stop it. And there is the question of this new power I mentioned, the use of which won't give Riose religious heebies. â€Å"There's nothing that can stop him now. He's got the Foundation by the back of the neck, and once he's finished with it, he'll be Emperor in two years.† â€Å"So.† Brodrig laughed lightly. â€Å"Iridium out of iron, that's what you said, isn't it? Come, I'll tell you a state secret. Do you know that the Foundation has already been in communication with the general?† Devers' back stiffened. â€Å"You look surprised. Why not? It seems logical now. They offered him a hundred tons of iridium a year to make peace. A hundred tons of iron converted to iridium in violation of their religious principles to save their necks. Fair enough, but no wonder our rigidly incorruptible general refused – when he can have the iridium and the Empire as well. And poor Cleon called him his one honest general. My bewhiskered merchant, you have earned your money.† He tossed it, and Devers scrambled after the flying bills. Lord Brodrig stopped at the door and turned. â€Å"One reminder, trader. My playmates with the guns here have neither middle ears, tongues, education, nor intelligence. They can neither hear, speak, write, nor even make sense to a Psychic Probe. But they are very expert at interesting executions. I have bought you, man, at one hundred thousand credits. You will be good and worthy merchandise. Should you forget that you are bought at any time and attempt to†¦ say†¦ repeat our conversation to Riose, you will be executed. But executed my way.† And in that delicate face there were sudden hard lines of eager cruelty that changed the studied smile into a red-lipped snarl. For one fleeting second, Devers saw that space fiend who had bought his buyer, look out of his buyer's eyes. Silently, he preceded the two thrusting blast-guns of Brodrig's â€Å"playmates† to his quarters. And to Ducem Barr's question, he said with brooding satisfaction, â€Å"No, that's the queerest part of it. He bribed me. Two months of difficult war had left their mark on Bel Riose. There was heavy-handed gravity about him; and he was short-tempered. It was with impatience that he addressed the worshiping Sergeant Luk. â€Å"Wait outside, soldier, and conduct these men back to their quarters when I am through. No one is to enter until I call. No one at all, you understand.† The sergeant saluted himself stiffly out of the room, and Riose with muttered disgust scooped up the waiting papers on his desk, threw them into the top drawer and slammed it shut. â€Å"Take seats,† he said shortly, to the waiting two. â€Å"I haven't much time. Strictly speaking, I shouldn't be here at all, but it is necessary to see you.† He turned to Ducem Barr, whose long fingers were caressing with interest the crystal cube in which was set the simulacrum of the lined, austere face of His Imperial Majesty, Cleon II. â€Å"In the first place, patrician,† said the general, â€Å"your Seldon is losing. To be sure, he battles well, for these men of the Foundation swarm like senseless bees and fight like madmen. Every planet is defended viciously, and once taken, every planet heaves so with rebellion it is as much trouble to hold as to conquer. But they are taken, and they are held. Your Seldon is losing.† â€Å"But he has not yet lost,† murmured Barr politely. â€Å"The Foundation itself retains less optimism. They offer me millions in order that I may not put this Seldon to the final test.† â€Å"So rumor goes.† â€Å"Ah, is rumor preceding me? Does it prate also of the latest?† â€Å"What is the latest?† â€Å"Why, that Lord Brodrig, the darling of the Emperor, is now second in command at his own request.† Devers spoke for the first time. â€Å"At his own request, boss? How come? Or are you growing to like the fellow?† He chuckled. Riose said, calmly, â€Å"No, can't say I do. It's just that he bought the office at what I considered a fair and adequate price.† â€Å"Such as?† â€Å"Such as a request to the Emperor for reinforcements.† Devers' contemptuous smile broadened. â€Å"‘He has communicated with the Emperor, huh? And I take it, boss, you're just waiting for these reinforcements, but they'll come any day. Right?† â€Å"Wrong! They have already come. Five ships of the line; smooth and strong, with a personal message of congratulations from the Emperor, and more ships on the way. What's wrong, trader?† he asked, sardonically. Devers spoke through suddenly frozen lips. â€Å"Nothing!† Riose strode out from behind his desk and faced the trader, hand on the butt of his blast-gun. â€Å"I say, what's wrong, trader? The news would seem to disturb you. Surely, you have no sudden birth of interest in the Foundation.† â€Å"I haven't.† â€Å"Yes – there are queer points about you.† â€Å"That so, boss?† Devers smiled tightly, and balled the fists in his pockets. â€Å"Just you line them up and I'll knock them down for you.† â€Å"Here they are. You were caught easily. You surrendered at first blow with a burnt-out shield. You're quite ready to desert your world, and that without a price. Interesting, all this, isn't it?† â€Å"I crave to be on the winning side, boss. I'm a sensible man; you called me that yourself.† Riose said with tight throatiness, â€Å"Granted! Yet no trader since has been captured. No trade ship but has had the speed to escape at choice. No trade ship but has had a screen that could take all the beating a light cruiser could give it, should it choose to fight. And no trader but has fought to death when occasion warranted. Traders have been traced as the leaders and instigators of the guerilla warfare on occupied planets and of the flying raids in occupied space. â€Å"Are you the only sensible man then? You neither fight nor flee, but turn traitor without urging. You are unique, amazingly unique – in fact, suspiciously unique.† Devers said softly, â€Å"I take your meaning, but you have nothing on me. I've been here now six months, and I've been a good boy.† â€Å"So you have, and I have repaid you by good treatment. I have left your ship undisturbed and treated you with every consideration. Yet you fall short. Freely offered information, for instance, on your gadgets might have been helpful. The atomic principles on which they are built would seem to be used in some of the Foundation's nastiest weapons. Right?† â€Å"I am only a trader,† said Devers, â€Å"and not one of these bigwig technicians. I sell the stuff; I don't make it.† â€Å"Well, that will be seen shortly. It is what I came here for. For instance, your ship will be searched for a personal force-shield. You have never worn one; yet all soldiers of the Foundation do. It will be significant evidence that there is information you do not choose to give me. Right?† There was no answer. He continued, â€Å"And there will be more direct evidence. I have brought with me the Psychic Probe. It failed once before, but contact with the enemy is a liberal education.† His voice was smoothly threatening and Devers felt the gun thrust hard in his midriff – the general's gun, hitherto in its holster. The general said quietly, â€Å"You will remove your wristband and any other metal ornament you wear and give them to me. Slowly! Atomic fields can be distorted, you see, and Psychic Probes might probe only into static. That's right†¦ I'll take it.† The receiver on the general's desk was glowing and a message capsule clicked into the slot, near which Barr stood and still held the trimensional Imperial bust. Riose stepped behind his desk, with his blast-gun held ready. He said to Barr, â€Å"You too, patrician. Your wristband condemns you. You have been helpful earlier, however, and I am not vindictive, but I shall judge the fate of your behostaged family by the results of the Psychic Probe.† And as Riose leaned over to take out the message capsule, Barr lifted the crystal-enveloped bust of Cleon and quietly and methodically brought it down upon the general's head. It happened too suddenly for Devers to grasp. It was as if a sudden demon had grown into the old man. â€Å"Out!† said Barr, in a tooth-clenched whisper. â€Å"Quickly!† He seized Riose's dropped blaster and buried it in his blouse. Sergeant Luk turned as they emerged from the narrowest possible crack of the door. Barr said easily, â€Å"Lead on, sergeant!† Devers closed the door behind him. Sergeant Luk led in silence to their quarters, and then, with the briefest pause, continued onward, for there was the nudge of a blast-gun muzzle in his ribs, and a hard voice in his ears which said, â€Å"To the trade ship.† Devers stepped forward to open the air lock, and Barr said, â€Å"Stand where you are, Luk. You've been a decent man, and we're not going to kill you.† But the sergeant recognized the monogram on the gun. He cried in choked fury, â€Å"You've killed the general.† With a wild, incoherent yell, he charged blindly upon the blasting fury of the gun and collapsed in blasted ruin. The trade ship was rising above the dead planet before the signal lights began their eerie blink and against the creamy cobweb of the great Lens in the sky which was the Galaxy, other black forms rose. Devers said grimly, â€Å"Hold tight, Barr – and let's see if they've got a ship that can match my speed.† He knew they hadn't! And once in open space, the trader's voice seemed lost and dead as he said, â€Å"The line I fed Brodrig was a little too good. It seems as if he's thrown in with the general.† Swiftly they raced into the depths of the star-mass that was the Galaxy.

Econometrics Research Topic Ideas

Econometrics Research Topic Ideas One of the most difficult things about being an undergraduate student  in economics is that most schools require that students write an econometrics paper at some point in their studies. Econometrics is essentially the application of statistical and mathematical theories and perhaps some computer science to economic data. The objective is to develop empirical evidence for economics hypotheses and to predict future trends by testing economics models through statistical trials. Econometrics assists economists in analyzing large sets of data to unveil meaningful relationships among them. For instance, an econometrics scholar might attempt to find statistical evidence for answers to real-world economics questions like, does increased education spending lead to higher economic growth? with the help of econometrics methods. The Difficulty Behind Econometrics Projects While certainly important to the subject of economics, many students (and particularly those who do not particularly enjoy statistics)  find econometrics a necessary evil in their education. So when the moment arrives to find an econometrics research topic for a university term paper or project, they are at a loss. In my time as an economics professor, I have seen students  spend 90% of their time simply trying to come up with an econometrics research topic and then searching for the necessary data. But these steps need not be such a challenge. Econometrics Research Topic Ideas When it comes to your next econometrics  project, I have you covered. Ive come up with a few ideas for suitable undergraduate econometrics term papers and projects. All the data you will need to get started on your project is included, though you may choose to supplement with additional data. The data is available for download in Microsoft Excel format, but it can easily be converted to whatever format your course requires you to use. Here are two econometrics research topic ideas to consider. Within these links are paper topic prompts, research resources, important questions to consider, and data sets to work with. Okuns Law Use your econometrics term paper to test Okuns Law in the United States. Okuns Law is named for American economist Arthur Melvin Okun, who was the first to propose the existence of the relationship back in 1962. The relationship described by Okuns Law is between that of a countrys unemployment rate and that countrys production or gross national product (GNP). Spending on Imports and Disposable Income Use your econometrics term paper as an opportunity to answer questions about American spending behaviors. As incomes rise, how do households spend their new wealth and disposable income? Do they spend it on imported goods or domestic goods?

Using Reflexive Verbs in Spanish

Using Reflexive Verbs in Spanish A verb is used reflexively when the subject of the verb is also its object. An example of a simple sentence using a reflexive verb is Pedro se lava (Pedro is washing himself). In that sentence Pedro is both the subject (the one doing the washing) and the object (the person begin washed). Note that the reflexive pronoun (in this case se) typically precedes the verb (although it can be attached to infinitives). Key Takeaways: Spanish Reflexive Verbs The subject and object of a reflexive verb is the same. For example: She is watching herself in the mirror.Not all Spanish reflexive verbs are translated as reflexive in English.Reflexive verbs can be used for emphasis or to avoid saying who is performing the verbs action. Here are the main ways such verbs are used: Verb's Subject Acting on Itself As in the example above, this is the most straightforward use of reflexive verbs, and it is certainly the most common way they are used in English. In plural form the pronoun can often be translated as themselves or each other, depending on the context. Some examples: Puedo verme en el espejo. (I can see myself in the mirror.) ¿Quà © te compraste? (What did you buy for yourself?)Se estaban admirando. (They were admiring themselves. Or, they were admiring each other.)Pablo se habla. (Pablo talks to himself.) Verbs Used Only in Reflexive Form Some verbs in Spanish are used only in the reflexive form, and they may or may not be translated to English using a reflexive construction. In dictionaries, such verbs traditionally are listed with a se at the end of the infinitive, as in abstenerse, which means to abstain. Me abstengo de votar. (I am abstaining from voting.)Teresa se arrepentià ³ de sus errors. (Teresa regretted her errors.)Me resigno a no tener dinero. (I am resigning myself to having no money.) Reflexive Verbs Translated as Nonreflexive Verbs Some Spanish verbs make perfect sense when understood in a reflexive way, but we typically dont translate them that way into English. For example, levantar means to lift, while its reflexive counterpart, levantarse, could be understood to mean to lift oneself, but is usually translated as to get up. Quiero baà ±arme. (I want to take a bath. Literally, I want to bathe myself.) ¡Sià ©ntate! (Sit down! Literally, seat yourself!)Voy a vestirme. (I am going to get dressed. Literally, I am going to dress myself.)Me afeito cada maà ±ana. (I shave every morning. Literally, I shave myself every morning.)Patricia se acercà ³ la casa. (Patricia approached the house. Literally, Patricia brought herself closer to the house.)Se llama Eva. (Her name is Eva. Literally, she calls herself Eva.) Verbs Changing Meaning in Reflexive Form Making a verb reflexive can change its meaning in ways that arent always predictable. Sometimes the difference in meaning is subtle. Following are some common examples; not all possible meanings of the verbs are included. abonar, to pay money; abonarse, to subscribe (as to a periodical)abrir, to open; abrirse, to open up (in the sense of confiding in someone)acordar, to agree, to decide; acordarse, to rememberacusar, to accuse; acusarse, to confesscallar, to be quiet; callarse, to become quietcerrar, to close; cerrarse, to close oneself off emotionallycombinar, to combine; combinarse (plural forms), to take turnsdormir, to sleep; dormirse, to fall asleepir, to go; irse, to go awayllevar, to carry; llevarse, to take awayponer, to put; ponerse, to put on, to wearsalir, to leave; salirse, to leave unexpectedly, to leak Reflexive Verbs for Emphasis Some verbs can be used reflexively to add emphasis. The distinction isnt always readily translated to English. For example, comà ­ la hamburguesa, means I ate the hamburger, but the reflexive form, me comà ­ la hamburguesa, could be translated the same way, or perhaps as I ate up the hamburger or I ate the whole hamburger. Similarly, pià ©nsalo might be translated as think about it, whereas pià ©nsatelo might be translated the same way or as think about it thoroughly. The 'Reflexive Passive' Often, particularly with inanimate objects, the reflexive form is used to indicate an occurrence without indicating the person or thing responsible for that occurrence. Such uses of the reflexive are typically the equivalent of passive verb forms in English, as in the following examples: Se cerraron las puertas. (The doors were closed.)Se habla espaà ±ol aquà ­. (Spanish is spoken here.)Se venden recuerdos. (Souvenirs are sold, or souvenirs for sale.) Reflexive Forms for Emotional Reactions Emotional reactions are often indicated by reflexive verb forms. For example, enojar means to anger. In the reflexive form, enojarse means to become angry or to be angry. Thus, se enoja contra su amigo could be used to say, he gets angry at his friend. Among the many verbs used in such a way are aburrirse, to be bored; alegrarse, to be happy; dolerse, to be hurt; emocionarse, to be excited; horrizarse, to be horrified; and sorprenderse, to be surprised.

Applied Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Applied Research Methods - Essay Example This in turn should lead to the development of more efficient and effective business processes and organizational decision making systems. This entire system will enhance an organization’s ability to sense and respond to changes in its external environment, which will increase its chances of survival in today hostile business environment. Critical Literature Review: Knowledge Management Knowledge management is the vehicle by which organization enhance and encourage organizational learning. Knowledge management is a vehicle by which an organization can enhance its ability to learn from its environment and to incorporate knowledge into its business processes (McAdam and Reid, 2001). There are four value-adding steps in the knowledge management value chain, these are as follows (Wong and Aspinwall, 2005): Knowledge Acquisition: Organizations can acquire knowledge in multiple ways, this depends on the type of knowledge they seek to acquire. Industry libraries comprise of industry related documents, reports, presentations, and best practices. Moreover, employees of the industry are encouraged to add new knowledge based on their experiences. An industry can acquire new knowledge by developing online expert networks; this kind of network facilitates an employee to seek advice from an expert in the company who has the knowledge of the problem area in his or her head. A company operating in a particular industry can create new knowledge by discovering patterns in corporate data or by using knowledge workstations. Knowledge Storage: after discovering the fundamental patterns, documents and experts rules there need to be a repository of this industry. This data should be accessible to any new entrant or to any already operating in the industry. Knowledge Dissemination: Portals, e-mail, instant messaging and searching technology can bring about the dissemination of desired knowledge. These technologies in addition to an array of groupware technologies can increase t he rate of dissemination of information. Knowledge Application: Gathered knowledge that does not get shared and applied to a practical problem faced by a firm operating in a particular industry, than there would no value added in the current business practices of the industry. Thus in this scenario the only plausible outcome of this lackluster attitude of the firms of a particular industry is stagnation and in turn eradication from the industry. Role of Small and medium enterprises in Developing Economies One important aspect of a flourishing economy is its nourishing and germinating small and medium enterprise. The fundamental points that differentiate an SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISE from large scale enterprises are uncertainty, innovation and evolution. This sector of SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISE is further classified as micro enterprises, small enterprises, and medium enterprises. These small enterprises create the most fertile ground for the germination of industrial economy. Sinc e this industry plays a vital role in the following economic paradigms therefore it is of utmost importance that a country generates and gathers all the pertinent information that will allow the entrepreneurs of the company to nurture this sector: income distribution, tax revenue, employment, resource utilization, development of family life and etch. By having a major

Business Communication Essentials Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Business Communication Essentials - Assignment Example The presenters of these videos are Pamela Mayer and Alison Gopnik. Let us begin with the presentation of Pamela Mayer where she is giving a presentation on how to spot a liar (TedGlobal, 2011a). Mayer relies on humor and presentation aides to make her presentation interesting and light. Mayer continuously uses the help of pictures shown on a slide mounted above and behind her so that viewers are able to clearly see the pictures and without the pictures, the slide shows a close shot of Mayer. Mayer begins her presentation by interacting with the audience and giving them a chance to laugh. In an online presentation, interaction with the audience would be limited and Mayer would not have been able to point at a specific person in the audience, rather she would have asked the viewer to consider his friend as a liar. Face-to-face presentation allows Mayer to pause while the laughter subsides and the attention of the audience is back on the presentation. Also Mayer uses presentation aides which are shown for a limited period of time and from a far off an gle. In an online environment, the viewers would have been able to view these aides at his pace. The presentation of Alison Gopnik relates to what babies think (TedGlobal, 2011b). The presentation of Gopnik is very similar to that of Mayer and we observe the same pattern. Gopnik gives her presentation standing up the whole team. In an online environment, Gopnik would have had the option of sitting down and giving her presentation in a relaxed manner. Gopnik also uses the help of presentation pictures to make her presentation more effective and communicative. In an online environment, the presenters have the option of adjusting their presentation to the pace of their viewers since online presentation do not allow for any

Sexual offender registration laws Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Sexual offender registration laws - Term Paper Example The paper tells that the origins of Megan's Law can be traced from parents/guardians right to know if a dangerous sexual predator moves into their neighborhood and to protect communities from sexual offenders. Megan was kidnapped, raped and murdered by a dangerous sexual offender living in their neighborhood. Her parents circulated a petition demanding immediate legislative action. The petition amassed over 400,000 signatures, and the law was passed in 89 days. In accordance with Megan's Law, federally known as The Jacob Wetterling Act in 1994, amended in 1998 with Section 115 of the General Provisions of Title I of the Departments of Commerce, Justice and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (CJSA) provide that states are required to register sex offenders and perform community notification. However, each state differs in terms of how it administers the information/methods of registrations. Lavenson notes that bill stipulates sex offenders to be prohibited f rom living within 1,000 feet of a school, day care center, church, and anywhere where children are known to congregate, including parks, playgrounds, and bus stops and therefore, is not a practical solution. Under Georgia law, sec 5, revised paragraph 10, of sexual offenders; classification; change and enact provisions, sex crimes include: child sexual abuse, child molestation, aggravated child molestation, to entice children for indecent reasons, to sexually exploit children, transports a child to a location in order to molest the child., Sexual exploitation of a child downloading pornographic material of persons under the age of 18, child pornography, sexual battery, aggravated sodomy, rape and even kidnapping of a minor.(5) http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20092010/106632.pdf Regulations regarding sexual offender registration The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is responsible for registration of sexual offenders in accordance with O.C.G.A.  §Ã‚  42-1-12. Sec 20(a) prov ides that a sexual offender is an individual  who has been convicted of a criminal offense against a minor or any dangerous sexual offense under the laws of another state or territory, under the laws of the United States, Uniform Code of Military Justice, or in a tribal court of a criminal offense against a minor or a dangerous sexual offense. The term sexual offender is a broad term, with sexual predator being used to describe a more severe physical or repeat sexual offense (Travis, Jeremy). Sexually dangerous predator is defined in sec 21(a) as a person who was designated as a sexually dangerous predator between July 1, 1996, and June 30, 2006; or a person who is determined by the Sexual Offender Registration Review Board to be at risk of perpetrating any future dangerous sexual

Referendums: Arguments For and Against

Referendums: Arguments For and Against What are the arguments for and against the holding of popular referendums? Under what circumstances, if any, should they be held? The referendum has its origins in direct democracy, and can therefore be dated back to the 5th Century BC in the Greek city state of Athens. The concept of a referendum has changed and developed in line with democracy and can now be found in a number of differing forms throughout the developed world. A referendum is broadly defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as â€Å"a general vote by the electorate on a single political question†; however this definition fails to make distinctions between the many types of referendum which exist, or the modern day importance of referendums. In an initial classification there are three types of referendum as defined by the Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia. Obligatory referendums; which are required by law, optional referendums; which are put on the ballot when a sufficient number of voters sign a petition demanding that a law passed by the legislature be ratified by the people, and voluntary referendums; when legislatures submit to voter s to decide an issue or to test public opinion. There are a number of widely credited arguments both for and against the holding of popular referendums, however, there are only a few key ideas encapsulated in these arguments. Those in favour of referendums generally tend to point out that they; promote political participation and increase voter knowledge on issues as well as helping to strengthen democracy and further legitimate the government. Whilst arguments against referendums concentrate on ideas; that the public are ill equipped to make important political decisions, and that the information they do have is distorted through media influence, that referendums only provide an idea of public opinion at that one point in time, and that referendums weaken and remove power from the representative institutions elected by the public. The holding of popular referendums is key in a democratic system where the people are becoming, not only disengaged but disinterested in the political process as a whole. The use of referendums can help to counter this affect, provided that clear guidelines are set for when a referendum should take place. The word democracy comes from the Latin demos meaning the people and kratos meaning power or rule (OED); rule by the people. The practicalities of this literal definition, often referred to as direct democracy, are almost impossible in our world today, where in the UK in 2005 there were 44,245,939 people registered to vote (www.idea.int)[1]. However, representative democracy is a â€Å"limited and indirect form of democracy† (Heywood 2007:74) which relies on, in most cases, an electoral mandate for legitimacy. This electoral mandate has been called into question on a number of occasions in modern political history, most notably in the US presidential election of 2005 between George W Bush and Al Gore, and again in the UK General Election of 2005. Referendums could be seen in a modern political context as a stepping stone between direct and representative democracy. It is fair to say that in the majority of developed political societies people have the opportunity to vote into office representatives whom they believe to share policy views with. However, it would be impossible for any political party to represent all the views of its members and supporters, as a result parties may include certain policy promises in their manifestos that their voters do not want to see implemented (Caramani 2008:254). This, along with the fact that people vote for parties for such a wide range of reasons, mean that it is not possible to conclude that peoples policy preferences are the same as the party they vote for (Setala 1999: 14-16). Therefore, a referendum allows the public to show a direct opinion on a specific policy matter they would otherwise be impossible. Linked to the idea that referendums strengthen democracy with regards to policy decisions, there is also the theory that they legitimate government between elections. The period between major governmental elections is, in many countries, several years. In this time period governments can, for the most part, make decisions without any public consultation. There is therefore a danger that although these officials are elected as representatives, it is only the opposition parties and the checks and balances outlined in constitutions that prevent them from deviating from their original promises. Referendums allow the government to not only gauge public opinion on policy but also to make clear that the decisions they are making are in line with public attitude on issues concerning them, therefore providing another check against the power of government. Opponents to referendums argue that instead of strengthening democracy and legitimising government they in fact weaken the political system by removing power from elected bodies. Representative democracy is founded on the principle that elected officials represent the views of the people and make decisions on their behalf; therefore a referendum undermines this principle. Sir Patrick Nairne observed that â€Å"if Members of Parliament are elected to settle national issues of major policy brought before them by the Government, is it right to throw such issues back to the voters to settle† (Qvotrup 2005:23). This argument concerning the weakening of bodies is, although worth acknowledging, very limited in its view on referendums. It concentrates for the most part on the idea that referendums remove decision making power from elected bodies and would therefore render them both less effective and less powerful. However, this is an extreme view that fails to recognise that referend ums can be used to aid governments as well as the people, and provide a vital link between the two, as has already been argued. In the majority of political systems across the world we are witnessing a worrying downward trend in voter turnout. This can be attributed to a number of causes including; partisan dealignment, disenchantment with the political system and indifference to politics. Referendums can be used to help promote political participation by enabling the electorate to become better educated and informed and therefore reduce the feeling of alienation (Heywood 2007:250). By providing people with the opportunity to participate in referendums they are presented with the opportunity to educate and inform themselves on political issues. There is clearly a link between an informed electorate and higher levels of political participation, as Verba, Schlozman and Brady (1995) argue. This correlation arises from the fact that a more politically educated electorate is able understand the workings of government, and the issues affecting them; therefore seek to bring about change. Switzerland was one of the f irst countries to introduce referendums to make decisions on proposed legislation. Although turnout figures in Switzerland are not very high, around 45% (www.idea.int)[2], it can be argued that the Swiss people are more politically active than turnout figures show due to the fact that there is such a large number of referendums not everyone votes in all of them, and also that they are more involved with political parties and in other ways than most other countries. Aside from elections there are very few ways in which citizens can directly influence political decisions. There are provisions in most democratic countries for the electorate to have some personal contact with their representative, however for the most part people do not make use of this tool because they believe it to be ineffectual; issues raised in these arenas rarely have an effect on the outcome of policy. People are also able to join political parties yet; again, they are faced with the same problems of ineffectuality. A referendum therefore provides an answer to increasing ways for the electorate to positively participate in politics. A binding referendum permits the public to make the final decision on a specific policy, although these types of referendums are not widely used, it is rare for a government to go against the public even in a non-binding referendum. In 1975 the UK, both electorate and government, was divided over whether or not it should continue its membership in the European Economic Community. The overwhelming â€Å"Yes† vote to stay in Europe was upheld by the Labour government of the time, although it was not a binding referendum, and was hailed as a â€Å"historic decision† by Prime Minister Harold Wilson (www.bbc.co.uk/news)[3]. The counter arguments to increased political participation and voter knowledge through referendums are that; in fact, referendums can cause voter fatigue and decrease participation, and that the public are ill equipped to make important political decisions. The first of these arguments relies on the premise that the public would be able to vote on all or a large number of policies. However, this move back to direct democracy is not desirable for the public or the government; presenting the public with such a large number of opportunities to vote could indeed cause voting fatigue. There is a compromise to be found between allowing the public to vote on all policy and not allowing them to vote on it at all. The latter of these criticisms on referendums concern voter knowledge. It is ignorant to assume that the electorate are either not informed, or are unable, to educate themselves on political issues put to them in referendums. If people are able to vote and presumably make an informed decision on which political party they wish to represent them they are equally able to do so in a referendum. Critics argue that information is distorted through the media prior to referendums, and this is a problem worth considering. During the first referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland two of Rupert Murdochs biggest selling newspapers The Irish Sun and The Sunday Times were seen as going â€Å"hell for leather on a No vote† (www.guardian.co.uk)[4]; similarly the media coverage on the 1975 Common Market Referendum was heavily biased to the â€Å"Yes† campaign, it has been estimated that twenty times the amount of money was available to this campaign than to the â€Å"No† campa ign (www.europeansinglecurrency.com/referendum)[5]. Although in these instances the media seemed to have an influence on the final outcome there are other, more fundamental, factors which influence peoples decisions, the American political scientist John Zaller encapsulates this idea; â€Å"Every opinion is a marriage of information and predisposition† (Zaller 1992:6). For referendums to be used effectively it is important that the circumstances in which they should be held are clearly defined and upheld by law. When considering this point one must take into account that referendums should not used in a way that, as many opponents argue, undermines the authority of the elected bodies in a representative democracy. An answer to this is that referendums should only be used in matters of constitutional importance and not for other policy decisions. It is, after all, constitutions which safeguard the fundamental rights of the electorate as well as preventing the misuse of power by elected bodies (Dahl 2000: 124-127). However, only allowing people to vote on constitutional changes is very limiting, especially if the issue directly influences the way in which they live, and there may also be instances in which the government wishes to hold a referendum on another issue, therefore a wider definition for circumstances must be found. It would be almost impo ssible to define exactly which policy areas the electorate should be able to vote on in referendums. There are obviously issues on which it would be inappropriate to have a referendum, taxes are an obvious example; there are complex issues on which the public would probably not have the time or adequate resources to inform themselves on and which have no real affect on them, for example defence policies. Therefore the best course of action would probably be to allow the elected body to decide in these instances which policies it is sensible to put to a referendum. Australia, in fact follows these basic guidelines for holding referendums to great success. Compulsory national referendums are â€Å"held to approve government-proposed changes to the Australian Constitution†, the constitution specifies this; furthermore the government can also conduct optional referendums or ‘plebiscites to decide on matters outside of the constitution (www.wikipedia.org)[6]. This system of conducting referendums is ideal because the electorate are guaranteed a vote on constitutional issues as well as being given the opportunity, when appropriate, to vote on other policy matters. Referendums provide a vital direct link between government and the electorate which is otherwise unseen in representative democracies. They can help to promote political participation as well as creating a better informed electorate; they also strengthen democracy in modern society. Yet referendums, despite all of this are often criticised for the way in which they weaken elected bodies and do not provide a true gauge on public opinion, largely due to media influence. However, as has been argued none of these arguments hold much weight, especially in the face of a system where the use of referendums have clear guidelines, as in Australia, to be used for constitutional amendments and wherever else is seen as fit by the elected bodies in power. Referendums are a tool which should be used more widely in todays political systems of democracy as they are a manageable and positive step towards a hybrid political system which effectively combines representative and direct democracy. Bibliography Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia (2007) (London: Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia, Inc.) Caramani, Daniele (2008) Comparative Politics (Oxford: Oxford University Press) Dahl, Robert. A. (2000) On Democracy (Yale: Yale University Press) Heywood, Andrew (2007) Politics third edition (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan) Oxford Dictionary of English (2005) 2nd edition revised (Oxford: Oxford University Press) Setala, Maija (1999) Referendums and Democratic Government: Normative Theory and the Analysis of Institutions (Basingstoke: Macmillan) Verba, Sidney, Kay Lehman, Schlozman and Henry Brady (1995) Voice and Equality: Civic Voluntarism in American Politics (Cambridge: Harvard University Press) Zaller, John (1992) The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) [1] â€Å"United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Voter Turnout International† Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2005 < http://www.idea.int/vt/country_view.cfm?country=GB> (13 Nov. 2009) [2] â€Å"Swiss Confederation Voter Turnout† International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2007 < http://www.idea.int/vt/country_view.cfm?id=42> (13 Nov. 2009) [3] â€Å"1975: UK embraces Europe on Referendum† 1975 < http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/6/newsid_2499000/2499297.stm> (13 Nov. 2009) [4] â€Å"NI votes NO in Irish referendum† 2009 < http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/01/ireland-referendum-rupert-murdoch> (13 Nov 2009) [5] â€Å"Was the 1975 Referendum Conducted Fairley† A British Referendum 2003 < http://www.europeansinglecurrency.com/referendum.htm> (13 Nov 2009) [6] â€Å"Federal Referendums† Referendums in Australia 2009 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referendums_in_Australia> (13 Nov 2009)