Varying Degrees of Stupid

Changing Degrees of Stupid Changing Degrees of Stupid Changing Degrees of Stupid By Maeve Maddox As I peruse the Web, skimming remarks on different themes, single word comes up over and over: dumb. There’s no limit of individuals or things that some malcontent some place is calling inept in discourse or recorded as a hard copy. For instance: The legislature is idiotic. Ladies are idiotic. Men are idiotic. April Fool’s Day is idiotic. Penmanship is idiotic. Old style music is idiotic. Riding a bike is idiotic. What a waste! English speakers are honored with many words that pass on various shades of ineptitude. To begin with, let’s take a gander at the importance of moronic. A few speakers view it as something contrary to wise, however that’s deluding. Astute individuals frequently state and do dumb things. Inept gets from the Latin modifier stupidus, which thusly originates from the Latin action word stupere, â€Å"to be dazed or benumbed.† English moronic is as yet utilized with that significance. For instance, an individual may be â€Å"stupid from a hit to the head,† â€Å"stupid with grief,† â€Å"stupid with sleep,† â€Å"stupid from absence of sleep,† or â€Å"stupid with drink.† In these specific situations, the ineptitude is brief. It alludes to a disabled capacity to think and respond regularly. All the more ordinarily, applied to an individual, moronic methods â€Å"slow of mental perception.† An idiot is moderate witted, ailing in briskness of psyche. Applied to a thought or a thing, dumb implies that the thing is dull, uninteresting, or not well thought of. Various equivalent words for moronic exist. At the point when the goal is to call attention to a failure to comprehend the issues at hand or cautious idea, these are helpful choices in genuine conversations of writing, individual connections, and open undertakings: unintelligent stupid vacuous dull uncaring irrational hasty rash illogical ridiculous foolish foolish negligent silly not well thought of silly crazy ridiculous risible A few terms basic in casual discourse are viewed as unseemly for formal use since they get from terms once used to depict sorts of mental lacks. For instance: doltish blockhead blockhead cretinous Note: The words uninformed and imbecilic are additionally utilized conversationally to mean â€Å"mentally slow,† yet they are appalling decisions. Everybody is oblivious in certain regions. Every single uninformed mean is â€Å"lacking in knowledge.† Likewise, idiotic has an importance irrelevant to scholarly capacity: â€Å"unable to speak.† A clever, all around educated individual may for reasons unknown come up short on the capacity to talk. A few words that name hindered thinking likewise suggest mocking and scorn: thick doltish thick, half-witted diminish, idiotic dopey dozy pea-brained idiotic cerebrum dead bone-headed foolish insane split insane idiotic awry inept lamebrained nutty wacko cuckoo dimwitted crazy loopy At long last a couple of descriptors pass on the possibility of ineptitude without the sting of derision among companions, at any rate. Here are a few: ignorant dopey dozy empty-headed nutty deranged cuckoo crazy loopy Confirmation: Even with every one of these choices, now and again dumb is the main word that fulfills the sentiments of the speaker. For instance, â€Å"This dumb application keeps crashing!† Need to improve your English shortly a day? Get a membership and begin getting our composing tips and activities day by day! Continue learning! Peruse the Vocabulary class, check our famous posts, or pick a related post below:Possessive of Proper Names Ending in SHow to Punctuate Descriptions of Colors15 English Words of Indian Origin

Singapore Facts, History, and Description

Singapore Facts, History, and Description A clamoring city-state in the core of Southeast Asia, Singapore is celebrated for its blasting economy and its exacting system of lawfulness. Long a significant port of approach the monsoonal Indian Ocean exchange circuit, today Singapore brags one the universes busiest ports, just as flourishing fund and administrations divisions. How did this minuscule country become one of the universes wealthiest? What really matters to Singapore? Government As per its constitution, the Republic of Singapore is a delegate majority rule government with a parliamentary framework. Practically speaking, its governmental issues have been totally ruled by a solitary gathering, the Peoples Action Party (PAP), since 1959. The Prime Minister is the pioneer of the lion's share party in Parliament and furthermore heads the official part of government; the President assumes a for the most part stylized job as the head of state, despite the fact that the individual in question can veto the arrangement of top-level appointed authorities. As of now, the Prime Minister is Lee Hsien Loong, and the President is Tony Tan Keng Yam. The president serves a six-year term, while administrators serve five-year terms. The unicameral parliament has 87 seats and has been commanded by PAP individuals for a considerable length of time. Curiously, there are additionally upwards of nine assigned individuals, who are the losing applicants from resistance groups who came nearest to winning their races. Singapore has a generally straightforward legal framework, comprised of a High Court, a Court of Appeals, and a few kinds of Commercial Courts. The adjudicators are selected by the President upon the counsel of the Prime Minister. Populace The city-territory of Singapore brags a populace around 5,354,000, stuffed in at a thickness of in excess of 7,000 individuals for every square kilometer (very nearly 19,000 for each square mile). Truth be told, it is the third-most thickly populated nation on the planet, following just the Chinese domain of Macau and Monaco. Singapores populace is profoundly differing, and a significant number of its inhabitants are outside conceived. Only 63% of the populace are really residents of Singapore, while 37% are visitor laborers or lasting inhabitants. Ethnically, 74% of Singapores inhabitants are Chinese, 13.4% are Malay, 9.2% are Indian, and about 3% are of blended ethnicity or have a place with different gatherings. Statistics figures are to some degree slanted in light of the fact that up to this point the legislature just permitted inhabitants to choose a solitary race on their registration structures. Dialects Albeit English is the most normally utilized language in Singapore, the country has four authority dialects: Chinese, Malay, English, and Tamil. The most widely recognized native language is Chinese, with about half of the populace. Around 32% communicate in English as their first language, 12% Malay, and 3% Tamil. Clearly, composed language in Singapore is likewise perplexing, given the assortment of authentic dialects. Generally utilized composing frameworks incorporate the Latin letters in order, Chinese characters and the Tamil content, which is gotten from Indias Southern Brahmi framework. Religion in Singapore The biggest religion in Singapore is Buddhism, at about 43% of the populace. The greater part are Mahayana Buddhists, with establishes in China, however Theravada and Vajrayana Buddhism likewise have various disciples. Practically 15% of Singaporeans are Muslim, 8.5% are Taoist, about 5% Catholic, and 4% Hindu. Other Christian groups all out practically 10%, while around 15% of Singapores individuals have no strict inclination. Topography Singapore is situated in Southeast Asia, off the southern tip of Malaysia, north of Indonesia. It is comprised of 63 separate islands, with an all out zone of 704 kilometers square (272 miles square). The biggest island is Pulau Ujong, ordinarily called Singapore Island. Singapore is associated with the terrain by means of the Johor-Singapore Causeway and the Tuas Second Link. Its absolute bottom is ocean level, while the most elevated point is Bukit Timah at the grandiose rise of 166 meters (545 feet). Atmosphere Singapores atmosphere is tropical, so temperatures don't differ much consistently. Normal temperatures extend between around 23 and 32Â °C (73 to 90Â °F). The climate is commonly hot and moist. There are two monsoonal stormy seasons-June to September, and December to March. Be that as it may, in any event, during the between storm months, it rains regularly toward the evening. Economy Singapore is one of the best Asian tiger economies, with a for each capita GDP of $60,500 US, fifth on the planet. Its joblessness rate starting at 2011 was a lucky 2%, with 80% of laborers utilized in the administrations and 19.6% in industry. Singapore sends out hardware, media communications gear, pharmaceuticals, synthetic concoctions, and refined oil. It imports food and customer goodsâ but has a significant exchange excess. History of Singapore People settled the islands that currently structure Singapore in any event as ahead of schedule as the second century CE, however little is thought about the early history of the zone. Claudius Ptolemaeus, a Greek cartographer, distinguished an island in Singapores locationâ and noticed that it was a significant worldwide exchanging port. Chinese sources note the presence of the principle island in the third centuryâ but give no subtleties. In 1320, the Mongol Empire sent emissaries to a spot called Long Ya Men, or Dragons Tooth Strait, accepted to be on Singapore Island. The Mongols were looking for elephants. After 10 years, the Chinese wayfarer Wang Dayuan portrayed a privateer fortification with blended Chinese and Malay populace called Dan Ma Xi, his rendering of the Malay name Tamasik (which means Sea Port). Concerning Singapore itself, its establishing legend expresses that in the thirteenth century, a sovereign of Srivijaya, called Sang Nila Utama or Sri Tri Buana, was wrecked on the island. He saw a lion there without precedent for his lifeâ and accepting this as a sign that he should found another city, which he named Lion City-Singapura. Except if the huge feline was additionally wrecked there, it is impossible that the story is truly obvious, since the island was home to tigers however not lions. For the following 300 years, Singapore changed hands between the Java-based Majapahit Empire and the Ayutthaya Kingdom in Siam (presently Thailand). In the sixteenth century, Singapore turned into a significant exchanging stop for the Sultanate of Johor, in view of the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Notwithstanding, in 1613 Portuguese privateers set the city ablaze, and Singapore evaporated from universal notification for a long time. In 1819, Britains Stamford Raffles established the cutting edge city of Singapore as a British exchanging post Southeast Asia. It got known as the Straits Settlements in 1826â and at that point was asserted as an official Crown Colony of Britain in 1867. England held control of Singapore until 1942â when the Imperial Japanese Army propelled a grisly attack of the island as a major aspect of its Southern Expansion drive in World War II. The Japanese Occupation went on until 1945. Following the Second World War, Singapore took a meandering course to autonomy. The British accepted that the previous Crown Colony was too little to even consider functioning as a free state. In any case, somewhere in the range of 1945 and 1962, Singapore got expanding proportions of self-governance, coming full circle in self-government from 1955 to 1962. In 1962, after an open submission, Singapore joined the Malaysian Federation. Nonetheless, savage race riots broke out between ethnic Chinese and Malay residents of Singapore in 1964, and the island casted a ballot in 1965 to split away from the Federation of Malaysia again. In 1965, the Republic of Singapore turned into a completely self-overseeing, self-ruling state. Despite the fact that it has confronted troubles, incorporating more race revolts in 1969 and the East Asian money related emergency of 1997, it has demonstrated in general an entirely steady and prosperous little country.

Global economic development Essay Example for Free

Worldwide monetary advancement Essay On the off chance that Gwlad need to accomplish any monetary development and achieve a solid economy as its neighbors in Western Europe it must do nitty gritty SWOT examination. Such an examination includes deciding the country’s quality, shortcoming, openings and risk. One of the significant quality that Gwlad appreciates as a nation is it vital area. Being near the most evolved country on the planet then it will be simpler to access and fare products abroad to a market which is willing and ready to purchase. The subsequent quality is the relative harmony that the nation appreciates and that of the encompassing country which implies that remote financial specialists will set up organizations (Anderson, 2007). One of the principle shortcomings in this nation is low degree of industrialization which will mean low out put and subsequently less fare contrasted with other nation in the encompassing. Likewise with a populace of only 3 million individuals it implies that the total interest is extremely low and for worldwide who need to wander into such nation and market their produce, the low interest expected for their items may demoralize them. Besides this nation is by all accounts expecting poor foundation and this raises the expense of working together which debilitate remote direct venture (root 2006). The low degree of administrations might be another obstruction to outside direct speculation. Remote speculators Global monetary advancement 2 qualities a solid money related framework that can allot capital productively, activating sparing, screen firms, offer and assorted variety chance with the low degree of GDP the consumers’ buying influence is feeble and subsequently this further lessens the total interest and yield levels in the nation. Additionally the nation depends on hardly any divisions to help the economy and there is a need to develop such regions (Carroll, 2006). One of the significant danger that the nation faces is rivalry structure rivals who are settled and their ventures have become stable to such an extent that they can flexibly merchandise in the worldwide market requiring little to no effort. Also since the nation isn't an individual from European Union then individuals may force both levy and non tax obstructions to exchange from merchandise sent out from Gwlad which will expand the costs of good traded on individuals nation. Significant expenses will debilitate consumers’ utilization of such merchandise which will at last lessen fare and influence the country’s equalization of installment. The nation should find a way to continue with privatization of most open organizations since such move energize outside direct speculation and furthermore enhances straightforwardness and great administration of such organizations (ridout, 2005). Since the budgetary framework assume a vital job on the development of an economy the administration should execute approaches intended to smooth out the area. To energize interest in the nation then it is likewise crucial to modify its tax assessment arrangements and build up a plan equipped towards profiting remote business. Section of multinationals in the household advertise have some antagonistic impacts in that a portion of the domestics firm are not sufficiently able to contend well with remote firms to such an extent that they require insurance from the administration. In this manner the legislature Global monetary advancement 3 ought to create arrangement equipped towards securing household firms and furthermore ensuring capital flight which generally influence the equalization of installment of the nation if not mulled over. To guarantee that business level in the nation rises and that global doesn't exploit absence of work strategies to get ostracize even in regions where neighborhood can work at that point work approaches ought to be drawn which incorporates issues of negligible wages to be paid. Provincial exchanging squares, for example, the EU and others help universal exchange by lessening or dispensing with both duty and not tax hindrances to exchange in this manner incase Gwlad need to take part more in the worldwide market then it ought to realign its international strategies which will empower it to be obliged in such exchanging squares. Dynamic marking of both two-sided and multilateral understanding is fundamental in improving entrance to outside market subsequently enhancing trade which means a higher GDP (melchet, 2005). Contextual analysis 2 Though key area and the issue of wages rate are considered by a remote speculator in deciding if to put resources into a specific nation or not, there are other central point which are first thought of. The accessibility of vitality and related expense are given need in assembling enterprises since vitality cost contains a colossal level of assembling cost consequently one of the principle determinants in settling on venture choice. The degree of framework is additionally considered by business. The chance of development and political soundness ought to likewise be a basic piece of such an advertising technique since these two components will decide if a business will develop in remote market. Through the majority of the investigation directed it has additionally been demonstrated that lively monetary framework Global financial improvement 4 likewise assumes a significant job in empowering FDI (zedillo, 2005). On advertising Gwlad I would incorporate such issues as assessment framework which advantage designers e. g. charge remittance on venture. To increment remote pay from the travel industry at that point issues, for example, wonderful landscape and assortment of natural life must be incorporated. Further more innovation assume a significant job in worldwide market and in this way a notice of the mechanical accomplishment and conceivable progression in innovation ought to be remembered for the nations showcasing system as firms presently depend on innovation in performing it center business. Contextual analysis 3 Technology progression have driven nations like china and Japan to be the most industrialized and driving exporters in the worldwide Market. Subsequently their economy have developed and a nation like china with a populace higher than the entire of Africa have had the option to help its resident and much offer advances and award to different countries. Despite the fact that innovative headway is critical to financial improvement it must be coordinated with acceptable administration and visionary pioneers who can move their kin to arrive at new tallness (Polanski, 2004). In building up the monetary arrangement there are others parts which ought to be thought of. This incorporates, wellbeing, budgetary division which incorporates among different banks, protection advertise, and the capital market and aviation and car areas in the vehicle business. Contextual analysis 4 One of the significant quality of creating local organizations is that it secures capital Global financial advancement 5 cargo which unfavorably influences the equalization of installment and the swapping scale. Residential organizations for the most part utilize individuals from inside the nation which lessens the degree of joblessness. The salary created by residential firms is typically re put back in this way improving in monetary development. A portion of the other pay which is conveyed as profit to the proprietor builds the degree of total interest and sparing levels because of increment in extra cash. Where total interest expands business will be compelled to create more products which lead to their development and extension (McDonnell, 2003). As sparing levels increment organizations will have accessible capital for speculation and through the multiplier impact where venture increment the GDP will likewise increment subsequently quickening the financial development of the nation. On the off chance that means are taken to create residential organizations, at that point they may develop to a degree of being multinationals which will produce remote salary to the nation. One of the significant dangers in creating local organizations is that in the event of cruel financial condition they may not withstand and in this way breakdown. There are additionally plausibility of political obstruction in the administration and activity of such firms. Because of the restricted store accessible it may not be conceivable to benefit all the necessary capital for development which implies that such business will be working underneath limit and there will be under usage of assets. Further more the economy can develop at an extremely low rate if just the household business are depended upon to quicken development. Absence of rivalry will be another shortcoming in that business won't enhance center region of execution, for example, innovation in this manner items will be of low quality and higher Global monetary improvement 6 cost with failure o contend in worldwide market. Where rivalry need then there is low degree of imagination and advancement in items and administration improvement in this manner the economy will linger behind (Coparosa, 2004). Where the nation can pull in remote direct venture then it can enhance mechanical headway since such speculators move innovation to the host nation. Further more since the nation is encountering a capital proportioning this outside firms don't require any type of financing from government and the assets accessible could be utilized to create different segments where remote organizations are reluctant to contribute. Moreover this remote firm acquaints rivalry which powers business with produce products successfully and productively. The significant risk of urging multinationals to put resources into the nation is that they can execute nearby businesses incase where such firms can't contend well. A portion of the global which possesses a more prominent stake in the economy at times direct or impact the arrangement made by government to further their potential benefit since where e government neglect to agree they take steps to pull back. One of the primary shortcomings of utilizing FDI is the issue of capital flight. Most as a rule send the benefit produced from its activity back to it parent organization which unfavorably influence the economy. Anyway such organizations can support cruel monetary condition and furthermore improve the degree of framework in the host nation. In utilizing blend technique the legislature guarantees that household firms develop while

Identifying and Managing Risk Essay - 825 Words

Identifying and Managing Risk (Essay Sample) Content: Identifying and Managing RiskStudents NameUniversity AffiliationIdentifying and Managing RiskAccording to Kallman (2008) risk management is a process that helps create value. To achieve this goal, he opines that some managers purchase insurance to cushion their companies against financial losses. Others come up with safety projects. Every organization has some goals it intends to achieve. In the midst of these are threats hampering achievement of such goals. Kallman brings this into perspective by stating that opportunities are causes of speculative gains, threats are perils that may cause pure risk losses (2008, p.40). The first step in risk management is avoidance or acceptance of potential risk situations. By making the avoidance decision, an organization will not have a chance to gain or lose. However, if the organization feels that its risk appetite is high, then it will have to accept the situation and take risk management initiatives. Upon accepting th e risk, the next step is to make a decision on whether to commit funds in risk control measures or simply tackle the situation the way it is. Kallman (2008) suggests the use of a risk map to analyze the characteristics of risk. If an organization feels that there is a low probability for loss, the risk can be accepted just the way it is. On the contrary, where the probability is high, a lot of resources must be committed towards reducing the loss. Thirdly, he advises that risk management must be financed. He gives three risk costs that need financing. These are: loss financing, risk control and risk management administration. An example of loss financing cost is insurance. Rent, salaries and consulting fees are some examples of risk administrative costs. On the other hand, costs of risk control include advertising, promotions and prevention.Kaplan (2012) feels that risk management has been treated as an issue that can be solved by drawing up lots of rules and making sure tha t all employees follow them (50). Nonetheless, he reckons that such rules do make a lot of sense and help reduce risks that could potentially result in a loss. As a first step, Kaplan (2012) suggests that one must understand distinctions that exist between different types of risks faced by organizations. In his view, risks can be categorized into three: preventable, strategy and external risks. Preventable risks are those arising internally within an organization. They can be controlled and the organization should eliminate them. Organizations achieve no benefit from taking such risks. Strategy risks are those accepted voluntarily through business strategies and are not undesirable. Companies accept them as they do generate returns. Examples include credit risks taken by banks and research and development initiatives. External risks arise from events happening outside an organization. Political events, natural disasters and economic changes are some examples of external ri sks that organizations face with no control over them. Organizations must have risk-management processes that are tailored towards these categories. For preventable risks, companies must have a set of guidelines that clarify a companys mission, values and goals. A mission statement outlines the main purpose an organization exists. Values guide the way employees behave towards customers, fellow employees, shareholders and suppliers. Goals are milestones an organization hopes to achieve. Strategy risks, according to Kaplan (2012), should be managed through hiring of independent experts to manage a companys strategies. Facilitators come in handy to collect views from managers on risk management and assist in enhancing their awareness. For external risks, organizations should identify them, assess the impact they have on business and come up with ways of mitigating the effects. In my view, avoidance or acceptance of risk as suggested by Kallman provides an organization with a ch oice. Risk managers can assess the probability of risk before deciding whether it is w...

Essay on Oedipus, a Tragic Hero - 1040 Words

Oedipus a Tragic Hero What is a tragic hero? A Tragic hero is a man or character who has great influence, makes an error in his or her actions, and who must suffer the consequences of those actions. Oedipus’ tragic flaws starts with his excessive pride which leads to overconfidence as the people in the city lift him up and feed his ego: â€Å"You are not one of the immortal gods we know; Yet we have come to you to make our prayer. As to the man of all men best in adversity and wisest in the ways of God.† (Prologue, Line 34-37) Personality/character changes that moved him from being a great king to a blind man. In the prologue Oedipus is seen as a captain of the ship: â€Å"Ah, when years of kingship are remembered, let them not say we rose,†¦show more content†¦He begs and then demands that the seer tell him what he knows: â€Å"What a wicked old man you are! You’d try a stone’s patience! Out with it!† (P968, line 118,119) By Scene 2 Creon learns that Oedipus is making accusations against him. At this point Oedipus is angry and starts interrogating Creon: â€Å"Do you think I do not know that you plotted to kill me, plotted to steal my throne?† (P.972, line 22, 23) Things are getting worse as he acts like a hunter while questioning Creon. Next enters his wife/mother Iocaste and she tries to get them both to be reasonable. She gets Oedipus to tell her what he thinks is happening. After he tells her about the charges brought against him she tells him, â€Å"Set your mind at rest† and begins to tell him the story of how King Laios was killed. While she is talking, memories and facts for Oedipus are being revealed: â€Å"How strange a shadowy memory crossed my mind, just now while you were speaking; it chilled my heart.† (P977, line 200) He then asks her to get the servant who was there when Laios was killed. While they are waiting Iocaste gets Oedipus to confide in her more and he tells her his life story before he met her. This is where you see how compatible they are. He is searching for truth and she wants to help him. In scene 3 a messenger from Corinth arrives to let Oedipus know that his father, Polybos the king is dead. This brings some relief to him as it seems thatShow MoreRelatedOedipus As A Tragic Hero1506 Words   |  7 PagesA true hero does not merely wear a cape, but this individual possesses admirable characteristics. A hero inspires the people around him and he is honorable. Heroes influential individuals from fairytale stories and myths of a real-life hero. Yet, none of these influential people are perfect. The tragic hero is clearly defined by Aristotle as being a person of admirable character, yet completely human with noticeable flaws. Moreover, this individual is not exempt from suffering. In Sophocles’ tragicRead MoreOedipus-a Tragic Hero706 Words   |  3 PagesRunning head: Oedipus-A Tragic Hero Research Paper ENGL 102: Literature and Composition) Fall 2015 Melinda Meeds L26683811 APA Outline Thesis: In Sophocles’ â€Å"Oedipus†, Oedipus is exemplified as a tragic hero according to Aristotle’s definition because his story appeals to the reader’s humanity in the way he maintains his strengths after inadvertently causing his own downfall. I. Oedipus A. The noble birth. B. Describe Oedipus’ character. II. Tragedy A. DescribeRead MoreIs Oedipus A Tragic Hero?1167 Words   |  5 Pages2014 Is Oedipus a tragic hero? Aristotle, Ancient Greek philosopher whom did a lot of philosophizing, he believed in a logical reality. Aristotle’s objective was to come up with a universal process of reasoning that would allow man to learn every imaginable thing about reality. The initial process involved describing objects based on their characteristics, states of being and actions. Aristotle once said A man doesn t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall†. Oedipus was a mythicalRead MoreOedipus the Tragic Hero1390 Words   |  6 PagesOedipus; The Tragic Hero In the Fourth Century BC, a famous philosopher named Aristotle wrote about the qualities that a tragic hero must possess. Ever since that time, there have been many examples of tragic heroes in literature. None of those characters, however, display the tragic hero traits quite as well as Oedipus, the main character from the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Oedipus is, without a doubt, the absolute quintessence of a tragic hero. His example shines as clear as a sunny summerRead MoreOedipus As A Tragic Hero1724 Words   |  7 Pagesstory of Oedipus, Oedipus is considered a â€Å"Tragic Hero† because of the tragic fate and effect that he had upon his life. My definition of a tragedy is a great loss that has a unhappy ending to which concluded me to state that Oedipus falls under that category. Throughout the book, Oedipus is leading himself to his own destruction when trying to find the killer of the late King Laios. So when a journal article I found published by The John Hopk ins University Press stated that a â€Å"tragic hero is a manRead MoreOedipus, A Tragic Hero1648 Words   |  7 Pages Oedipus, a Tragic Hero Bob Livingston Liberty University â€Æ' Sophocles presented the world with Oedipus around 2500 years ago. Never-the-less, the story remains among the most riveting of all time. He was, in fact, a man that was driven by a very high internal moral standard. It was that internal moral standard that ultimately entwined him in a sequence of events and circumstances that placed him in the spousal relationship with his mother. Oedipus, in fact, can truly be regarded as a tragic heroRead MoreOedipus a Tragic Hero1516 Words   |  7 PagesOedipus A Tragic Hero English 102 Literature and Composition Summer B 2011 Terry Garofolo 22816762 APA Sophocles presented the world with Oedipus around 2500 years ago. Never-the-less, the story remains among the most riveting of all time. Unfortunately, today when we hear the mention of the name Oedipus we place negative connotations around it. Oedipus, after all, had an unnatural sexual relationship with his own mother! In actuality, however, this relationship emerged entirely innocentlyRead MoreOedipus As A Tragic Hero1094 Words   |  5 PagesIn the play Oedipus the King, Oedipus struggles to accept the truth and lets his temper over power him. He can be displayed as a tragic hero. His refusal to accept the truth led to Oedipus’ down fall. A tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle, â€Å"is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction.† Sophocles’ Oedipus exemplifies Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. In the play, Oedipus unknowingly has cursed the entire town of Thebes. He was cursedRead MoreOedipus, a Tragic Hero?2158 Words   |  9 PagesOedipus, a Tragic Hero? Elizabeth Howell English 102- B33 Professor Katie Robinson Liberty University October 12, 2012 Oedipus, a Tragic Hero? Thesis: Using Aristotle’s five different descriptions of a tragic hero, we will show that Oedipus in Oedipus the King is in fact a tragic hero and how his decisions led to his downfall. Outline: I. Introduction and Thesis Statement II. Is the character of noble birth? A. King of Thebes B. Real father was king III. Though the tragic heroRead MoreOedipus, A Tragic Hero1832 Words   |  8 Pagesmany others will likely fade away. Oedipus Rex is a tragic tale set in Ancient Greece. Greek thinker, Aristotle, said there were certain elements that would make a person qualified as a â€Å"tragic hero.† (Adade-Ywboah, Ahenkora Amankwah, 2012). We think of heroes being larger than life, possessing impeccable honor, integrity, strong leadership and having the higher moral ground. However, tragic heroes are different; they are imperfect and will inevitably face a tragic downfall. Per Aristotle, there are

Into the Wild Individuality Essay - 1630 Words

Into the Wild People are often told to be themselves as a way of embracing their uniqueness. This seems to not be true since conformity and lack of individualism is a big issue with society. The issue of what led Christopher McCandless, main character from Into the Wild by John Krakauer, to go on a search to find himself. In the author’s note of the novel, Krakauer introduces the term ‘schools of thought’. In the case of this book, there are two; one being that some people said it was a suicide mission and the other being that others disagreed saying he was ambitious. The story demonstrates one man’s attempt to define a lifestyle and find meaning in his life that came from something outside materialistic and civilized contemporary†¦show more content†¦The young man was trying to make an effort to have Ron change his way of living. He felt that he could enjoy his life more if he was more adventurous about it. Not only was he making a change in his own lifestyle, but he was also trying to make others realize that they should do the same. Chris wanted people to embrace who they were, rather than going with the flow and conforming to what society thought they should be. When Chris first started his adventure into the wild, he rejected the materialism of contemporary society and undertook his journey to find meaning and define identity in nature. He believes that he does not need anything more than what he can run with on his back. There has always been a vision set by the people around him of what he has to achieve in his life. His parents constantly reiterated the fact that after graduating from college, he must attend law school and become a lawyer. In their eyes, that is the definition of success. This package of success that has been pushed on Chris his entire life kept him from being able to find his true self. 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Musics Affects on Teens Essay Example For Students

Musics Affects on Teens Essay In this study, the purpose of the music can be described on how it affects people and no matter how they fight it, they will end up singing the particular song that catch their attention until the end of the day in which the teenagers call as last song syndrome. Background of the Study and Problem Statement According to a psychiatrist Edward Paddocks, music or its sounds travels to the ears. The nerves of the ears distributed the sound and have more extensive connections making the human body function based on what he/she Just heard (Matt, 2006). Since music has a power to touch the inner-self of the people, as much as influencing their moods or behaviors, what would be the effect of the rock music on the generation of the teenagers? Moreover, the negative effects of it are the main topic for this study. Research Objectives The objectives of the study come in three parts. First is to understand the rock music in the view of the teenagers and how they idealized the rock musicians. Second is to identify the possible negative effects of the rock music on teenagers. And lastly, to establish a well-ground of facts on what is the role of music, not only for teenager but on the entire society. Research Questions The study presented several questions that can help the study in learning the Ruth about the rock music. Through this system, the researcher can estimate the adequate answer which is also suitable to the main problem. 1 . What drives a person to write rock music or involved himself in listening to rock music? 2. What are the different views of the family/parents, singers/songwriters/musicians, and the psychologists on rock music? . What are the impacts created by this genre in changing the face of music industry? Literature Review In the exploration of the past studies, it is said that rock music has an equal heartsickness of drugs, alcohol, and role-playing games of witchcrafts, voodoos, and Dungeons and Dragons. This might be the reason why other clinical experts argued that music can cause violent behavior, changing of attitudes, and une xplainable feeling of depression, happiness, or energetic. Furthermore, music can stimuli the sexual behavior of a person which is based on the rhythm and pornographic images or music videos (Matt, 2006; Chevy, 2007). The irregular beat of the music can control the rhythm of the persons movements such as breathing and walking. This Music Affects on Teens By crystalline 996 the person, making the person sick, or lift up its spirit. Listening to whatever kind of music has been part of the teenagers daily activities, especially with the technologies or gadgets that are handy (Huh, 2001). Apparently, the world-wide influence of the music can be seen on the teenagers. There are evidences that show the negative effect on the ability of the student to think and learn if the student is under the spell of rock music. Students who were found engaged in rock music and peer has a less ointment on their education (Huh, 2001; Matt, 2006). This might be the truth behind the words of Jim Hendrix of 1969, who was considered as the rocks greatest genius, where he finds that through his music he can hypnotize the people and reach their weakest point (Matt, 2006). Rock music has been the necessity for the development of the youth in their search for personal and social identity and this event shows the higher response in the freedom of their choice (Hut, 2001; Chevy, 2007). Methodology The empirical method applied in the study is the use of the interviews. The participants are not asked to reveal their identity because it doesnt play essential role in this activity and the results are clearly based on their opinions. However, the research managed to set the demographic requirements on the participants such as the age, gender, and type of music they are into. .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c , .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c .postImageUrl , .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c , .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c:hover , .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c:visited , .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c:active { border:0!important; } .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c:active , .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ubbf5ff4cbe2583e95a747eab96637e5c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Music and Critical Thinking Questions EssayAnalysis Based on the interviews, most of the participants have less appreciated the rock music. While the other participants who loves the rock music are either wearing the style of their idols or making their own fashion statement for rock music. On the there hand, it is very obvious that the teenagers are pleased to hear the rock music with a combination of gothic preferences or the dark-Goth-rock music or the rock kind of music that involves intense beats which goes in the term of punk-rock music. There are also identified as MEMO or Emotionally Motivated music as a style of rock music that is have more expressive, confessional, and melodramatic lyrics and sounds. Conclusion Music everywhere and it seems like the body moves according to its rhythm and beat and can condition the human mind. As a powerful, it can be also dangerous cause there is a continuous investigation about the relation of the MEMO music in many of the suicidal attempts of the teenagers.

Peripheral Arterial Disease free essay sample

A discussion on peripheral arterial disease, also known as PAD, a chronic condition in which arteries that supply blood to the legs become blocked by a buildup of plaque. The following paper examines the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of PAD, a form of atherosclerosis, a progressive disease characterized by fatty deposits in the inner layer of the arteries, which gradually narrows the artery. The writer particularly focus on Raynauds one of the forms of PAD which causes fingers and toes to turn blue and white with cold . Its important to remember that many people have PAD without having any symptoms. Such individuals are at higher risk for a stroke or heart attack. Research indicates that the risk for dying from heart disease is six times higher for people who have PAD, and PAD patients have a 30 percent risk of dying from a cardiovascular-related problem within five years after the initial diagnosis of PAD (University of Penn Health System). We will write a custom essay sample on Peripheral Arterial Disease or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is essential that anyone who has health problems or a lifestyle that could lead to PAD be aware of the symptoms of this potentially life-threatening disease, as see a doctor for any problems. Peripheral arterial disease can be controlled in most cases. People only need to be aware of the signs.

The Types Of Ruin A Revolution In Animal Farm Essays - British Films

The Types Of Ruin A Revolution In Animal Farm Essays - British Films The Types Of Ruin A Revolution In Animal Farm The Types to Ruin a Revolution in Animal Farm There are the infamous examples of Stalin and Hitler in history in which someone takes abuse of power for their own personal gain. George Orwell emphasizes this idea of the abuse of power through animals in his novel Animal Farm. The characters of Napoleon, Squealer, the dogs, and Boxer all symbolize important types of people in the making and breaking of a revolution. Animal Farm contains the theme that there will always be some group of people who will contaminate an idealistic revolution for their own gain. The main character in Animal Farm who takes advantage of the stupider animals and completely ruins the Revolution is Napoleon, a pig. Napoleon loves power and chases away another pig with power, Snowball, so he can be the sole ruler. Napoleon symbolizes the people of the world who will do anything to be in control. One especially famous example of this type of person is the character Macbeth from William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Macbeth murdered the king, killed innocent people, and sacrificed his morals in order to become king. This type of person is needed in order for an idealistic revolution to be corrupted. Through the character of Napoleon, George Orwell emphasizes that there will always be someone willing to commit heinous deeds in order to become leader, dictator, or tyrant The pigs of the farm are much smarter then the rest of the barn animals and take up the job as the thinkers and planners. The other animals are the workers and diligently believe anything the pigs tell them. The abuse of power begins when they notice that the apples and milk start disappearing. Sqealer, the public speaker pig, explains this to the worker animals: You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organization of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! (p52) This is only the only the beginning, as the pigs keep taking more for themselves and leaving less for the rest of the animals. Eventually the worker animals are worse of then when they were with Mr. Jones. They are worked to death and on the verge of starvation because of the greed of the pigs. Orwell uses this suffering as an example of the extent some people will go to for personal gain. As any reader can see, Squealer had an important part in this process. Squealer symbolizes the public relations man who will say anything to get what he wants - kind of like a lawyer. Squealer is the most handy with words and can convince the worker animals of anything. He is even able to continually convince them that they remember things wrong. Squealer alters the past to the convenience of his idol, Napoleon. A squealer is needed for any man or animals rise to power, to brainwash the public into believing their leader is god. Orwell uses the character of Squealer to prove that there will always be a group of people who take a Revolution and corrupt it for their own personal gain. And then there are the dogs. Early in the novel , while Snowball is working on literacy for the entire farm, Napoleon steals some puppies sand raises them to be his guard dogs. The dogs symbolizes the Secret Police or law enforces that are needed to force the animal workers, or public, to do as the leader demands. The dogs are responsible for Napoleons rise to power. They look up to him as an master: It was noticed that they wagged their tails to him as the other dogs had been used to do to Mr. Jones. (p68) The dogs are also the type of people who can be easily brainwashed into believing that their master is God. They are the ones who do the dirty work. It is partly the terrorism of the dogs

Sainburys Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sainburys - Essay Example 92). Sainsbury’s was founded in 1869. Today it has over 1,000 stores, including 440 convenience stores, and employs around 150,000 employees. Sainsbury plc had revenues for the full year 2012 of 22.29bn. This was 5.65% above the prior years results. Sainsbury is one of the top food retailers in the UK. From the data above it can be easily understood that the company is growing leaps and bounds. However in the last couple of years just like most of the companies, Sainsbury also had to combat the economic downturn. A part from the financial aspect, Sainsbury also needs to adapt to the changing consumer behaviour. The study looks to deliver a probable marketing plan for the company keeping economic volatility in mind. PEST stands for political, economic, social and technological. All these factors are treated as the external of macro environmental factors. Such factors cannot be controlled by the company. However, these factors tend to have a direct on the business strategy of the companies (Kotler, 2001, p. 25). The political factors of UK are likely to have significant effect on the performance of Sainsbury. Presently the government’s debts and the consumer debts are quite high. This has affected the buying behaviour of the consumers. Therefore the company not only has to operate in such tricky market conditions, but also has to develop business gradually. Economic factors affect the businesses highly as these factors influence the cost, demand, profitability and price. During the present economic slowdown the unemployment rate and inflation in food prices are two factors to look out for. Due to the dual affect of inflation and high unemployment rate, the demand for Sainsbury products may decrease. This may slow down the production of food products creating a viscous circle. Therefore the company should look to focus on expansion into new growing markets to manage the risks related to the slowdown of the economy. Today the

Information management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Information management - Essay Example Its primary focus in the past years has been becoming a wellness, health and a nutrition company through the new acquisitions and existing brands (Dickersbach et al. 2009, p181). The brand portfolio of Nestle covers almost all the beverage and food categories. These categories include nutrition (healthcare, infant, weight and performance management), dairy and milk products, breakfast cereals, ice cream, beverages, coffee, chocolate, culinary products (cooking aids, prepared dishes, sauces), pet care, bottled water, and confectionery. Many of these brands have category leadership in the local and global market. Among the international best-known brands include Nestea, Purina, Nescafe, Maggi, Nestle and Buitoni. Revenues for Nestle exceeded 100 billion United States dollars for the year 2007 (Dickersbach et al. 2009, p181). The company is run through a decentralized group of companies that promote and rely on the organizational learning of the Group. The headquarter offers guidance, consultancy, and leadership to the local and regional organizations. Identification of the opportunities within the Businesses and Markets are done by the central competence units and they help the local management in the improvement of business performance (Dickersbach et al. 2009, p181). The company has numerous supply chains, a number of methods for predicting demand and infinite variety of ways of collecting payments and invoicing customers. The complexity of these processes has become very difficult to manage and they have been a bottleneck for the company. The Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Chief Executive, Peter Brabeck standardized the operations around the world in 2003 in order to overcome some of the difficulties faced by the company. GLOBE (Global Business Excellence programme) was then initiated and its aim was to bring all the Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s operations to utilize a single computer system for all of its financial, manufacturing and sales operations (Barnes

Television Essay Example for Free

Television Essay Disadvantages of television: 1. Television is a sort of time-consuming thing Instead of spending time on meaningful activities, many people tend to watch TV all day long. They waste time in watching their favorite programs on TV. This habit distracts them from their work, study, relationships and so on. 2. Television is a health hazard to people, especially to children Spending too much time on watching television can cause many diseases such as refractive error of the eyes (especially nearsightedness), obesity, heart attack, spine disease, mental disorder, etc. According to a report of Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia, which was published on Circle magazine, people who watch TV for more than 4 hour a day have a higher risk (80%) of dying from heart disease compared with those who watch less than two hours. In addition, sitting in front of TV for a long time without doing any exercise, and eating unhealthy food (snack, pizza, chip, etc) leads to obesity easily. Furthermore, radiation, X-rays, electronic beam, and other rays generated from TV have bad influence on users’ health, especially their eyes. 3. Television also broadcasts some inappropriate programs Even though many programs provide useful things for people, there are still some which have bad influence on their psychology, especially children and teenagers. More and more violent and â€Å"hot† scenes have appeared on TV. Children and teenagers, who have not completely developed awareness and psychology yet, tend to imitate characters’ behaviors on TV. So, that is not a good idea to let children and teenagers watch these things. 4. Television helps spread false advertisements Not all advertisements appearing on TV are reliable. Many companies are willing to pay a large amount of money to have their products been be popular on TV, even low-quality products. As you can see, the people in ads are always attractive: women are always very beautiful and sexy; men are always handsome and manly; and they always love a particular product which seems very good. Therefore, customers (usually housewives) will be attracted by these ads and desire to own it; they are likely to spend money on those products. disadvantage of television** The television has a lot of advantages, but like all scientific inventions, while it provides a lot of entertainment and knowledge to us it also has some disadvantages. The main disadvantage of television is that by providing indoor entertainment to people it has decreased the level of social interaction between people. It has especially adversely affected family ties, because while in earlier years when there was no television, children and parents spent more quality time together, now they are just glued in front of the television and dont give a lot of time to each other. It can also influence kids in a bad way if they watch the programs full of violence and crime, but then that can be monitored by the parents and they can see to it that they do not watch anything that influences them negatively. As I see it, the major disadvantage of television is that it has weakened family bonds. *** It can cause you to gain weight Its pretty intuitive that spending the evening parked in front of the T.V. doesnt burn a lot deal of calories. In fact, sitting quietly in front of the television set burns a paltry 68 calories per hour. Not exactly a formula for good health and fitness. Combine that with the high calorie snacks most people consume while watching that suspenseful television sit-com and you can see how watching T.V. can quickly pack on the pounds. One smart move not many people make is to exercise while they watch television. If more people parked an exercise bike in front of the T.V. instead of a recliner, the world would be a healthier place. ***It wastes time Television watchers should keep a log of the hours they choose to sit in front of the boob tube. After they experience the shock of realizing how much time theyve wasted, they could then make a list of ways to use that time more productively. Some suggestions might be: spend time with family, friends, and pets; start a part-time business; meditate or pray; play a sport; or pick up a hobby. They just might discover theres more to life than whats happening on the latest reality show. You can bet when people come to the end of their life they dont regret not having watched more T.V. 5.Watching TV has become bad habbits of human being. We require some kind of etiquate to educate the human beings for watching TV execessively without getting the advantages of the same. We have lost all our old heritage to socialise the environment. Watching TV does not involve the person participation actively. In sub-conscious mind we just go on watching the subject without involving our active mind. We are also loosing the social activities as well as outdoor activities which gives boosting effect on human mind. We should generate awareness among the people about the disadvantage of watching the TV. Although this great invention of science has played major role in human life to give more comfort as well as information human requires for his developement but in my view disadvantages has also played vital role to destroy of old age heritage which in fact scientifically proven that outdoor as social activities gives metal and physical satisfaction. As we are well our that our encestors have develope sense of visualising the events happening at far distant places. This has happend because human has practiced his body in such a that they can see adn visualise the thing before the events take place. But TV may not give this opportunity to develope the human mind. Watching TV has become habbit and some time we do not prefer to visit relatives and friends house and also do not prefer to be visited by them. We would like to generate the awareness in the human being to visulaise this drawback in order to avoid untoward incident to happen in futre and repent on this activity at later date. We must develope and generate a group who can devote the time to make people aware about the outcome of this activity. *..* It Can Cause You To Gain Weight It’s pretty intuitive that spending the evening parked in front of the T.V. doesn’t burn a lot deal of calories. In fact, sitting quietly in front of the television set burns a paltry 68 calories per hour. Not exactly a formula for good health and fitness. Combine that with the high calorie snacks most people consume while watching that suspenseful television sit-com and you can see how watching T.V. can quickly pack on the pounds. One smart move not many people make is to exercise while they watch television. If more people parked an exercise bike in front of the T.V. instead of a recliner, the world would be a healthier place. *..* It Wastes Time Television watchers should keep a log of the hours they choose to sit in front of the â€Å"boob tube†. After they experience the shock of realizing how much time they’ve wasted, they could then make a list of ways to use that time more productively. Some suggestions might be: spend time with family, friends, and pets; start a part-time business; meditate or pray; play a sport; or pick up a hobby. They just might discover there’s more to life than what’s happening on the latest reality show. You can bet when people come to the end of their life they don’t regret not having watched more T.V. *..* It Makes You Dumber To be assured of this, all you have to do is tune in to some of the popular reality shows to witness the dumbing down of America. A study conducted in 2005 and published in the Archives of Adolescent and Pediatric Medicine showed that kids who had their own television set scored lower on mathematics tests. Several other studies have supported this premise. It’s important to set a good example for the kids of today by encouraging them to read and engage in the arts rather than park themselves in front of the television set. *..* It Promotes Passivity Television allows its audiences to live vicariously through the situations and lives of fictional characters. It’s far easier for a television viewer to experience the thrill of a television character’s success than it is to go out and create success on their own terms. This is particularly detrimental to children and teenagers who need to develop a strong sense of self and a purpose in life. Television encourages passivity. There’s no doubt that television view does have its benefits if carefully selected programs are viewed. It’s a way to stay informed about what’s happening in the world. Plus, there are variety of channels that offer educational programming where you learn new skills ranging from cooking to crafts. The trick is to not let television overtake your life or the life of your family to the exclusion of other more important activities. Let television be a treat rather than a daily ritual. CHILDREN from disadvantaged families watch more television than children from higher socio-economic backgrounds, research has found. The joint study by the Australian Institute of Family Studies and the University of New England also found that a third of Australian children aged over two are spending more than the recommended two hours a day watching TV. AIFS researcher Dr Ben Edwards said while childrens television watching was low in the first year, by two to three years of age, television occupied a significant portion of a childs time, particularly for those from lower socio-economic families. At critical ages for child development, when children are under three years old, the more disadvantaged the childs background, the more likely it was that they would watch television for more than two hours, he said.By the time children were aged between four and five, the proportion of children from disadvantaged backgrounds watching more than three hours of television a day was more than double that of children from advantaged backgrounds. The research also found that children from higher socio-economic backgrounds spent more time reading. Among the most disadvantaged families, 41-47 per cent of children were not read to at all, compared with only 15-22 per cent of children in the most advantaged families. Dr Edwards said the findings could help explain the means through which social advantage is transmitted across generations because, he argues, longer TV viewing can encroach on other learning and developmental opportunities such as reading and imaginative play. Four years ago, Carmel and Jesper Nielsen, from Prahran, began restricting their childrens TV viewing to weekends only. Their children now watch about six hours of TV a week. Computer games are limited to two hours a week. Basically, we felt it was displacing that creative and imaginative play as well as physical activity and, just as importantly, when they were watching TV there was very little family interaction, Ms Nielsen said. She said while it was initially difficult to reduce their childrens TV viewing, they are now just as happy to play with their toys or play sport outside.

Edwin Muirs Poem The Horses Essay -- Horses Edwin Muir Essays

Edwin Muir's Poem "The Horses" "The Horses" is a poem by Edwin Muir. It tells the story of a world ravaged by nuclear war, where the few survivors live hopelessly in a desolate reality. Their outlook is changed by the arrival of the horses, a relic of the past which lets them rediscover humanity's bond with nature. "The Horses", as well as being a very beautiful and moving poem, has an important message to convey. The poet uses various methods to illustrate this. Throughout the poem, there are many biblical references. The nuclear war is described as a "seven days war", which is an allusion to Genesis, the creation and destruction of the world in seven days. This idea is furthered by the use of the phrases "our fathers' land" and "our fathers' time". The word 'covenant' has connotations of the 'Arc of Covenant', the Israelites sacred vow to God. And later in the poem, the horses are described as appearing from their own 'Eden', another biblical reference. This illustrates the importance of the poem's subject matter, by introducing a parallel to the Bible. It bears a resemblance to when God flooded the world, to wipe out all sin and allow the few on Noah's Ark to rebuild a new, better world. This poem also shows the totality of nuclear war. Although there are survivors, the ammount of death and destruction is immense. It takes so little time to destroy the world, in a way a punishment for mankind's vanity and arrogance. Technology, for so long thought to be a d...

Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings Chapter 1~2

For Jim Darling, Flip Nicklin, and Meagan Jones: extraordinary people who do extraordinary work Fluke (flook) 1. A stroke of good luck 2. A chance occurrence; an accident 3. A barb or barbed head, as on a harpoon 4. Either of the two horizontally flattened divisions of the tail of a whale PART ONE The Song An ocean without its unnamed monsters would be like a completely dreamless sleep. – JOHN STEINBECK The scientific method is nothing more than a system of rules to keep us from lying to each other. – KEN NORRIS CHAPTER ONE Big and Wet Next Question? Amy called the whale punkin. He was fifty feet long, wider than a city bus, and weighed eighty thousand pounds. One well-placed slap of his great tail would reduce the boat to fiberglass splinters and its occupants to red stains drifting in the blue Hawaiian waters. Amy leaned over the side of the boat and lowered the hydrophone down on the whale. â€Å"Good morning, punkin,† she said. Nathan Quinn shook his head and tried not to upchuck from the cuteness of it, of her, while surreptitiously sneaking a look at her bottom and feeling a little sleazy about it. Science can be complex. Nate was a scientist. Amy was a scientist, too, but she looked fantastic in a pair of khaki hiking shorts, scientifically speaking. Below, the whale sang on, the boat vibrated with each note. The stainless rail at the bow began to buzz. Nate could feel the deeper notes resonate in his rib cage. The whale was into a section of the song they called the  «green » themes, a long series of whoops that sounded like an ambulance driving through pudding. A less trained listener might have thought that the whale was rejoicing, celebrating, shouting howdy to the world to let everyone and everything know that he was alive and feeling good, but Nate was a trained listener, perhaps the most trained listener in the world, and to his expert ears the whale was saying – Well, he had no idea what in the hell the whale was saying, did he? That's why they were out there floating in that sapphire channel off Maui in a small speedboat, sloshing their breakfasts around at seven in the morning: No one knew why the humpbacks sang. Nate had been listening to them, observing them, photographing them, and poking them with stick s for twenty-five years, and he still had no idea why, exactly, they sang. â€Å"He's into his ribbits,† Amy said, identifying a section of the whale's song that usually came right before the animal was about to surface. The scientific term for this noise was  «ribbits » because that's what they sounded like. Science can be simple. Nate peeked over the side and looked at the whale that was suspended head down in the water about fifty feet below them. His flukes and pectoral fins were white and described a crystal-blue chevron in the deep blue water. So still was the great beast that he might have been floating in space, the last beacon of some long-dead space-traveling race – except that he was making croaky noises that would have sounded more appropriate coming out of a two-inch tree frog than the archaic remnant of a superrace. Nate smiled. He liked ribbits. The whale flicked his tail once and shot out of Nate's field of vision. â€Å"He's coming up,† Nate said. Amy tore off her headphones and picked up the motorized Nikon with the three-hundred-millimeter lens. Nate quickly pulled up the hydrophone, allowing the wet cord to spool into a coil at his feet, then turned to the console and started the engine. Then they waited. There was a blast of air from behind them and they both spun around to see the column of water vapor hanging in the air, but it was far, perhaps three hundred meters behind them – too far away to be their whale. That was the problem with the channel between Maui and Lanai where they worked: There were so many whales that you often had a hard time distinguishing the one you were studying from the hundreds of others. The abundance of animals was a both a blessing and a curse. â€Å"That our guy?† Amy asked. All the singers were guys. As far as they knew anyway. The DNA tests had proven that. â€Å"Nope.† There was another blow to their left, this one much closer. Nate could see the white flukes or blades of his tail under the water, even from a hundred meters away. Amy hit the stop button on her watch. Nate pushed the throttle forward and they were off. Amy braced a knee against the console to steady herself, keeping the camera pointed toward the whale as the boat bounced along. He would blow three, maybe four times, then fluke and dive. Amy had to be ready when the whale dove to get a clear shot of his flukes so he could be identified and cataloged. When they were within thirty yards of the whale, Nate backed the throttle down and held them in position. The whale blew again, and they were close enough to catch some of the mist. There was none of the dead fish and massive morning-mouth smell that they would have encountered in Alaska. Humpbacks didn't feed while they were in Hawaii. The whale fluked and Amy fired off two quick frames with the Nikon. â€Å"Good boy,† Amy said to the whale. She hit the lap timer button on her watch. Nate cut the engine and the speedboat settled into the gentle swell. He threw the hydrophone overboard, then hit the record button on the recorder that was bungee-corded to the console. Amy set the camera on the seat in front of the console, then snatched their notebook out of a waterproof pouch. â€Å"He's right on sixteen minutes,† Amy said, checking the time and recording it in the notebook. She wrote the time and the frame numbers of the film she had just shot. Nate read her the footage number off the recorder, then the longitude and latitude from the portable GPS (global positioning system) device. She put down the notebook, and they listened. They weren't right on top of the whale as they had been before, but they could hear him singing through the recorder's speaker. Nate put on the headphones and sat back to listen. That's how field research was. Moments of frantic activity followed by long periods of waiting. (Nate's first ex-wife had once commented that their sex life could be described in exactly the same way, but that was after they had separated, and she was just being snotty.) Actually, the wait here in Maui wasn't bad – ten, fifteen minutes at a throw. When he'd been studying right whales in the North Atlantic, Nate had sometimes waited weeks before he found a whale to study. Usually he liked to use the downtime (literally, the time the whale was down) to think about how he should've gotten a real job, one where you made real money and had weekends off, or at least gotten into a branch of the field where the results of his work were more palpable, like sinking whaling ships – a pirate. You know, security. Today Nate was actively trying not to watch Amy put on sunscreen. Amy was a snowflake in the land of the tanned. Most whale researchers spent a great deal of time outdoors, at sea. They were, for the most part, an intrepid, outdoorsy bunch who wore wind- and sunburn like battle scars, and there were few who didn't sport a semipermanent sunglasses raccoon tan and sun-bleached hair or a scaly bald spot. Amy, on the other hand, had milk-white skin and straight, short black hair so dark that the highlights appeared blue in the Hawaiian sun. She was wearing maroon lipstick, which was so wildly inappropriate and out of character for this setting that it approached the comical and made her seem like the goth geek of the Pacific, which was, in fact, one of the reasons her presence so disturbed Nate. (He reasoned: A well-formed bottom hanging in space is just a well-formed bottom, but you hook up a well-formed bottom to a whip-smart woman and apply a dash of the awkward and what you've got yo urself is†¦ well, trouble.) Nate did not watch her rub the SPF50 on her legs, over her ankles and feet. He did not watch her strip to her bikini top and apply the sunscreen over her chest and shoulders. (Tropical sun can fry you even through a shirt.) Nate especially did not notice when she grabbed his hand, squirted lotion into it, then turned, indicating that he should apply it to her back, which he did – not noticing anything about her in the process. Professional courtesy. He was working. He was a scientist. He was listening to the song of Megaptera novaeangliae (â€Å"big wings of New England,† a scientist had named the whale, thus proving that scientists drink), and he was not intrigued by her intriguing bottom because he had encountered and analyzed similar data in the past. According to Nate's analysis, research assistants with intriguing bottoms turned into wives 66.666 percent of the time, and wives turned into ex-wives exactly 100 percent of the time – plus or minus 5 percent factored for post-divorce comfort sex.) â€Å"Want me to do you?† Amy asked, holding out her preferred sunscreen-slathering hand. You just don't go there, thought Nate, not even in a joke. One incorrect response to a line like that and you could lose your university position, if you had one, which Nate didn't, but still†¦ You don't even think about it. â€Å"No thanks, this shirt has UV protection woven in,† he said, thinking about what it would be like to have Amy do him. Amy looked suspiciously at his faded WE LIKE WHALES CONFERENCE 89 T-shirt and wiped the remaining sunscreen on her leg. † ‘Kay,† she said. â€Å"You know, I sure wish I could figure out why these guys sing,† Nate said, the hummingbird of his mind having tasted all the flowers in the garden to return to that one plastic daisy that would just not give up the nectar. â€Å"No kidding?† Amy said, deadpan, smiling. â€Å"But if you figure it out, what would we do tomorrow?† â€Å"Show off,† Nate said, grinning. â€Å"I'd be typing all day, analyzing research, matching photographs, filing song tapes –  » â€Å"Bringing us doughnuts,† Nate added, trying to help. Amy continued, counting down the list on her fingers, â€Å"- picking up blank tapes, washing down the trucks and the boats, running to the photo lab – ; â€Å"Not so fast,† Nate interrupted. â€Å"What, you're going to deprive me the joy of running to the photo lab while you bask in scientific glory?† â€Å"No, you can still go to the photo lab, but Clay hired a guy to wash the trucks and boats.† A delicate hand went to her forehead as she swooned, the southern belle in hiking shorts, taken with the vapors. â€Å"If I faint and fall overboard, don't let me drown.† â€Å"You know, Amy,† Nate said as he undressed the crossbow, â€Å"I don't know how it was at Boston doing survey, but in behavior, research assistants are only supposed to bitch about the humiliating grunt work and lowly status to other research assistants. It was that way when I was doing it, it was that way going back centuries, it has always been that way. Darwin himself had someone on the Beagle to file dead birds and sort index cards.† â€Å"He did not. I've never read anything about that.† â€Å"Of course you didn't. Nobody writes about research assistants.† Nate grinned again, celebration for a small victory. He realized he wasn't working up to standards on managing this research assistant. His partner, Clay, had hired her almost two weeks ago, and by now he should have had her terrorized. Instead she was working him like a Starbucks froth slave. â€Å"Ten minutes,† Amy said, checking the timer on her watch. â€Å"You going to shoot him?† â€Å"Unless you want to?† Nate notched the arrow into the crossbow. He tucked the windbreaker they used to  «dress » the crossbow under the console. It was very politically incorrect to carry a weapon for shooting whales through the crowded Lahaina harbor, so they carried it inside the windbreaker, making it appear that they had a jacket on a hanger. Amy shook her head violently. â€Å"I'll drive the boat.† â€Å"You should learn to do it.† â€Å"I'll drive the boat,† Amy said. â€Å"No one drives the boat.† No one but Nate drove the boat. Granted, the Constantly Baffled was only a twenty-three-foot Mako speedboat, and an agile four-year-old could pilot it on a calm day like today. Still, no one else drove the boat. It was a man thing, being inherently uncomfortable with the thought of a woman operating a boat or a television remote control. â€Å"Up sounds,† Nate said. They had a recording of the full sixteen-minute cycle of the song now – all the way through twice, in fact. He stopped the recorder and pulled up the hydrophone, then started the engine. â€Å"There,† Amy said, pointing to the white fins and flukes moving under the water. The whale blew only twenty yards off the bow. Nate buried the throttle. Amy was wrenched off her feet and just caught herself on the railing next to the wheel console as the boat shot forward. Nate pulled up on the right side of the whale, no more than ten yards away as the whale came up for the second time. He steadied the wheel with his hip, pulled up the crossbow, and fired. The bolt bounced off the whale's rubbery back, the hollow surgical steel arrowhead taking out a cookie-cutter plug of skin and blubber the size of a pencil eraser before the wide plastic tip stopped the penetration. The whale lifted his tail out of the water and snapped it in the air, making a sound like a giant knuckle cracking as the massive tail muscles contracted. â€Å"He's pissed,† Nate said. â€Å"Let's go for a measurement.† â€Å"Now?† Amy questioned. Normally they would wait for another dive cycle. Obviously Nate thought that because of their taking the skin sample the whale might start traveling. They could lose him before getting a measurement. â€Å"Now. I'll shoot, you work the rangefinder.† Nate backed off the throttle a bit, so he would be able to catch the entire tail fluke in the camera frame when the whale dove. Amy grabbed the laser rangefinder, which looked very much like a pair of binoculars made for a cyclops. By taking a distance measurement from the animal's tail with the rangefinder and comparing the size of the tail in the frame of the picture, they could measure the relative size of the entire animal. Nate had come up with an algorithm that, so far, gave them the length of a whale with 98 percent accuracy. Just a few years ago they would've had to have been in an aircraft to measure the length of a whale. â€Å"Ready,† Amy said. The whale blew and arched its back into a high hump as he readied for the dive (the reason whalers had named them humpbacks in the first place). Amy fixed the rangefinder on the whale's back; Nate trained the camera's telephoto on the same spot, and the autofocus motors made tiny adjustments with the movement of the boat. The whale fluked, raising its tail high in the air, and there, instead of the distinct pattern of black-and-white markings by which all humpbacks were identified, were – spelled out in foot-high black letters across the white – the words BITE ME! Nate hit the shutter button. Shocked, he fell into the captain's chair, pulling back the throttle as he slumped. He let the Nikon sag in his lap. â€Å"Holy shit!† Nate said. â€Å"Did you see that?† â€Å"See what? I got seventy-three feet,† Amy said, pulling down the rangefinder. â€Å"Probably seventy-six from where you are. What were your frame numbers?† She was reaching for the notebook as she looked back at Nate. â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"Fine. Frame twenty-six, but I missed it,† he lied. His mind was shuffling though a huge stack of index cards, searching a million article abstracts he had read to find some explanation for what he'd just seen. It couldn't possibly have been real. The film would show it. â€Å"You didn't see any unusual markings when you did the ID photo?† â€Å"No, did you?† â€Å"No, never mind.† â€Å"Don't sweat it, Nate. We'll get it next time he comes up,† Amy said. â€Å"Let's go in.† â€Å"You don't want to try again for a measurement?† To make the data sample complete, they needed an ID photo, a recording of at least a full cycle of the song, a skin sample for DNA and toxin figures, and a measurement. The morning was wasted without the measurement. â€Å"Let's go back to Lahaina,† Nate said, staring down at the camera in his lap. â€Å"You drive.† CHAPTER TWO Maui No Ka Oi (Maui Is the Best) At first it was that old trickster Maui who cast his fishing line from his canoe and pulled the islands up from the bottom of the sea. When he was done fishing, he looked at those islands he had pulled up, and smack in the middle of the chain was one that was made up of two big volcanoes, sitting there together like the friendly, lopsided bosoms of the sea. Between them was a deep valley that Maui thought looked very much like cleavage, which he very much liked. And so, to that bumpy-bits island Maui gave his name, and its nickname became â€Å"The Cleavage Island,† which it stayed until some missionaries came along and renamed it â€Å"The Valley Island† (because if there's anything missionaries do well, it's seek out and destroy fun). Then Maui landed his canoe at a calm little beach on the west coast of his new island and said to himself, â€Å"I could do with a few cocktails and some nookie. I shall go into Lahaina and get some.† Well, time passed and some whalers came to the island, bringing steel tools and syphilis and other wonders from the West, and before anyone knew what was happening, they, too, were thinking that they wouldn't mind a few cocktails and a measure of nookie. So rather than sail back around the Horn to Nantucket to hoist noggins of grog and the skirts of the odd Hester, Millicent, or Prudence (so fast the dear woman would think she'd fallen down a chimney and landed on a zucchini), they pulled into Lahaina, drawn by the drunken sex magic of old Maui. They didn't come to Maui for the whales, they came for the party. And so Lahaina became a whaling town. The irony of it was that even though the humpbacks had starting coming to birth their calves and sing their songs only a few years earlier, and in those days the Hawaiian channels were teeming with the big-winged singers, it was not for the humpbacks that the whalers came. Humpbacks, like their other rorqual brothers – the streamlined blue, fin, sei, minke, and Bryde's whales – were just too fast to catch in sailing ships and man-powered whaling boats. No, the whalers came to Lahaina to rest and recreate along their way to Japanese waters where they hunted the great sperm whale, who would literally float there like a big, dumb log while you rowed up to it and stuck a harpoon in its head. It would take the advent of steamships and the decimation of the big, floaty-fat right whales (so named because they did float when dead and therefore were the  «right » whales to kill) before the hunters would turn their harpoons on the hum pbacks. Following the whalers came the missionaries, the sugar farmers, the Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, and Portuguese who all worked the sugar plantations, and Mark Twain. Mark Twain went home. Everyone else stayed. In the meantime, King Kamehameha I united the islands through the clever application of firearms against wooden spears and moved Hawaii's capital to Lahaina. Sometime after that Amy came cruising into the Lahaina harbor at the wheel of a twenty-three-foot Mako speedboat with a tall, stunned-looking Ph.D. sprawled across the bow seat. The radio chirped. Amy picked it up and keyed the mike. â€Å"Go ahead, Clay.† â€Å"Something wrong?† Clay Demodocus was obviously in the harbor and could see them coming in. It wasn't even eight in the morning. He was probably still preparing his boat to go out. â€Å"I'm not sure. Nate just decided to call it a day. I'll ask him why.† To Nate she said, â€Å"Clay wants to know why.† â€Å"Anomalous data,† Nate said. â€Å"Anomalous data,† Amy repeated into the radio. There was a pause. Then Clay said, â€Å"Uh, right, understood. That stuff gets into everything.† The harbor at Lahaina is not large. Only a hundred or so vessels can dock behind her breakwater. Most are sizable, fifty- to seventy-foot cruisers and catamarans, boats full of sunscreen-basted tourists out on the water for anything from dinner cruises to sport fishing to snorkeling at the half-sunken crater of Molokini to, of course, whale watching. Jet-skiing, parasailing, and waterskiing were all banned from December until April, while the humpbacks were in these waters, so many of the smaller boats that would normally be used to terrorize marine life in the name of recreation were leased by whale researchers for the season. On any given winter morning down at the harbor at Lahaina, you couldn't throw a coconut without conking a Ph.D. in cetacean biology (and you stood a good chance of winging two Masters of Science working on dissertations with the rebound). Clay Demodocus was engaged in a bit of research liars poker with a Ph.D. and a naval officer when Amy backed the Mako into the slip they shared with three tender zodiacs from sailing yachts anchored outside the breakwater, a thirty-two-foot motor-sailor, and the Maui Whale Research Foundation's other boat (Clay's boat), the Always Confused, a brand-new twenty-two-foot Grady White Fisherman, center console. (Slips were hard to come by in Lahaina, and circumstances this season had dictated that the Maui Whale Research Foundation – Nate and Clay – perform a nautical dog pile with six other small craft every day. You do what you have to do if you want to poke whales.) â€Å"Shame,† Clay said as Amy threw him the stern line. â€Å"Nice calm day, too.† â€Å"We got everything but a measurement on one singer,† Amy said. The scientist and the naval officer on the dock behind Clay nodded as if they understood completely. Clifford Hyland, a grizzled, gray-haired whale researcher from Iowa stood next to the young, razor-creased, snowy-white-uniformed Captain L. J. Tarwater, who was there to see that Hyland spent the navy's money appropriately. Hyland looked a little embarrassed at the whole thing and wouldn't make eye contact with Amy or Nate. Money was money, and a researcher took it where he could get it, but navy money, it was so†¦ so nasty. â€Å"Morning Amy,† said Tarwater, dazzling a perfectly even, perfectly white smile. He was lean and dark and frighteningly efficient-looking. Next to him, Clay and the scientists looked as if they'd been run through the dryer with a bag of lava rock. â€Å"Good morning, Captain. Morning Cliff.† â€Å"Hey, Amy,† Cliff Hyland said. â€Å"Hey, Nate.† Nathan Quinn shook off his confusion like a retriever who had just heard his name uttered in context with food. â€Å"What? What? Oh, hi, Cliff. What?† Hyland and Quinn had both been part of a group of thirteen scientists who had first come to Lahaina in the seventies (â€Å"The Killer Elite,† Clay still called them, as they had all gone on to distinguish themselves as leaders in their fields). Actually, the original intention hadn't been for them to be a group, but they nevertheless became one early on when they all realized that the only way they could afford to stay on the island was if they pooled their resources and lived together. So for years thirteen of them – and sometimes more if they could afford assistants, wives, or girlfriends – lived every season in a two-bedroom house they rented in Lahaina. Hyland understood Quinn's tendency to submerge himself in his research to the point of oblivion, so he wasn't surprised that once again the rangy researcher had spaced out. â€Å"Anomalous data, huh?† Cliff asked, figuring that was what had sent Nate into the ozone. â€Å"Uh, nothing I can be sure of. I mean, actually, the recorder isn't working right. Something dragging. Probably just needs to be cleaned.† And everyone, including Amy, looked at Quinn for a moment as if to say, Well, you lying satchel of walrus spit, that is the weakest story I've ever heard, and you're not fooling anyone. â€Å"Shame,† Clay said. â€Å"Nice day to miss out on the water. Maybe you can get back with the other recorder and get out again before the wind comes up.† Clay knew something was up with Nate, but he also trusted his judgment enough not to press it. Nate would tell him when he thought he should know. â€Å"Speaking of that,† Hyland said, â€Å"we'd better get going.† He headed down the dock toward his own boat. Tarwater stared at Nate just long enough to convey disgust before turning on his heel and marching after Hyland. When they were gone, Amy said, â€Å"Tarwater is a creep.† â€Å"He's all right. He's got a job to do is all,† Clay said. â€Å"What's with the recorder?† â€Å"The recorder is fine,† Nate said. â€Å"Then what gives? It's a perfect day.† Clay liked to state the obvious when it was positive. It was sunny, calm, with no wind, and the underwater visibility was two hundred feet. It was a perfect day to research whales. Nate started handing waterproof cases of equipment to Clay. â€Å"I don't know. I may have seen something out there, Clay. I have to think about it and see the pictures. I'm going to drop some film off at the lab, then go back to Papa Lani and write up some research until the film's ready.† Clay flinched, just a tad. It was Amy's job to drop off film and write up research. â€Å"Okay. How 'bout you, kiddo?† Clay said to Amy. â€Å"My new guy doesn't look like he's going to show, and I need someone topside while I'm under.† Amy looked to Nate for some kind of approval, but when he simply kept unloading cases without a reaction, she just shrugged. â€Å"Sure, I'd love to.† Clay suddenly became self-conscious and shuffled in his flip-flops, looking for a second more like a five-year-old kid than a barrel-chested, fifty-year-old man. â€Å"By calling you ‘kiddo' I didn't mean to dimmish you by age or anything, you know.† â€Å"I know,† Amy said. â€Å"And I wasn't making any sort of comment on your competency either.† â€Å"I understand, Clay.† Clay cleared his throat unnecessarily. â€Å"Okay,† he said. â€Å"Okay,† Amy said. She grabbed two Pelican cases full of equipment, stepped up onto the dock, and started schlepping the stuff to the parking area so it could be loaded into Nate's pickup. Over her shoulder she said, â€Å"You guys both so need to get laid.† â€Å"I think that's reverse harassment,† Clay said to Nate. â€Å"I may be having hallucinations,† said Nate. â€Å"No, she really said that,† Clay said. After Quinn had left, Amy climbed into the Always Confused and began untying the stern line. She glanced over her shoulder to look at the forty-foot cabin cruiser where Captain Tarwater posed on the bow looking like an advertisement for a particularly rigid laundry detergent – Bumstick Go-Be-Bright, perhaps. â€Å"Clay, you ever heard of a uniformed naval officer accompanying a researcher into the field before?† Clay looked up from doing a battery check on the GPS. â€Å"Not unless the researcher was working from a navy vessel. Once I was along on a destroyer for a study on the effects of high explosives on resident populations of southern sea lions in the Falkland Islands. They wanted to see what would happen if you set off a ten-thousand-pound charge in proximity to a sea lion colony. There was a uniformed officer in charge of that.† Amy cast the line back to the dock and turned to face Clay. â€Å"What was the effect?† â€Å"Well, it blew them the fuck up, didn't it? I mean, that's a lot of explosives.† â€Å"They let you film that for National Science?† â€Å"Just stills,† Clay said. â€Å"I don't think they anticipated it going the way it did. I got some great shots of it raining seal meat.† Clay started the engine. â€Å"Yuck.† Amy untied the bumpers and pulled them into the boat. â€Å"But you've never seen a uniformed officer working here? Before now, I mean.† â€Å"Nowhere else,† Clay said. He pulled down the gear lever. There was a thump, and the boat began to creep forward. Amy pushed them away from the surrounding boats with a padded boat hook. â€Å"What do you think they're doing?† â€Å"I was trying to find out this morning when you guys came in. They loaded an awfully big case before you got here. I asked what it was, and Tarwater got all sketchy. Cliff said it was some acoustics stuff.† â€Å"Directional array?† Amy asked. Researchers sometimes towed large arrays of hydrophones that could, unlike a single hydrophone, detect the direction from which sound was traveling. â€Å"Could be,† Clay said. â€Å"Except they don't have a winch on their boat. â€Å"A wench? What are you trying to say, Clay?† Amy feigned being offended. â€Å"Are you calling me a wench?† Clay grinned at her. â€Å"Amy, I am old and have a girlfriend, and therefore I am immune to your hotness. Please cease your useless attempts to make me uncomfortable.† â€Å"Let's follow them.† â€Å"They've been working on the lee side of Lanai. I don't want to take the Confused past the wind line.† â€Å"So you were trying to find out what they're up to?† â€Å"I fished. No bites. Cliff's not going to say anything with Tarwater standing there.† â€Å"So let's follow them.† â€Å"We actually may get some work done today. It's a good day, after all, and we might not get a dozen windless days all season here. We can't afford to lose a day, Amy. Which reminds me, what's up with Nate? Not like him to blow off a good field day.† â€Å"You know, he's nuts,† Amy said, as if it were understood. â€Å"Too much time thinking about whales.† â€Å"Oh, right. I forgot.† As they motored out of the harbor, Clay waved to a group of researchers who had gathered at the fuel station to buy coffee. Twenty universities and a dozen foundations were represented in that group. Clay was single-handedly responsible for making the scientists who worked out of Lahaina into a social community. He knew them all, and he couldn't help it – he liked people who worked with whales – and he just liked it when people got along. He'd started weekly meetings and presentations of papers at the Pacific Whale Sanctuary building in Kihei, which brought all the scientists together to socialize, trade information, and, for some, to try to weasel some useful data out of someone without the burden of field research. Amy waved to the group, too, as she dug into one of the orange Pelican waterproof cases. â€Å"Come on, Clay, let's follow Tarwater and see what he's up to.† She pulled a huge pair of twenty-power binoculars out of the case and showed them to Clay. â€Å"We can watch from a distance.† â€Å"You might want to go up in the bow and look for whales, Amy.† â€Å"Whales? They're big and wet. What else do you need to know?† â€Å"You scientists never cease to amaze me,† Clay said. â€Å"Come hold the wheel while I get a pencil to write that down.† â€Å"Let's follow Tarwater.†