Mughal Empire Culture and Religion

Mughal Empire Culture and Religion After the decay of Hindu realm around 1000 AD, various Islamic trespassers and shippers traveled every which way yet couldn't station any huge effect on the social existence of individuals. The vast majority of the intruders were ancestral rulers from the family Hun and Pathan whose fundamental thought process was to loot the nation, plunder the property as much as could be expected under the circumstances. They had no desire to set up a domain and that is the reason their social effect is unimportant. This couldn't stay for a significant stretch. The Muslim domain was set up with the primary clash of Panipat in 1526 AD. Their after we locate a ceaseless collaboration between these two significant particular networks Hindus and Muslims. Muslims were the rulers and Hindus turned into the dominated. Hindus were utilized in various occupations under their Muslim rulers. Consistent mixing happens between these two networks in the coming a few centuries. Exchange and Commerce: The white collar Classes Nature and Standard of Living The white collar classes in medieval India comprised in the primary, traders, proficient classes, for example, vaidyas and hakims and authorities. There was serious extent of polished skill among the Indian traders. Some represented considerable authority in discount exchange and others in retail exchange, the previous being called seth or bohra and the last beoparis or banik. In south India the chettis shaped the exchanging network. There was an extraordinary class banjaras who worked in conveying exchange. The banjaras used to move here and there, now and again with a large number of bulls, weighed down with food grains, salt, ghee and so forth. The sarrafs (shroff) represented considerable authority in evolving cash, keeping cash in store or landing it, or transmitting it from one piece of the nation to the next by methods for hundi. The hundi was letter of credit payable after a specific period. The utilization of hundies made it simpler to move merchandise or to transmit cash st arting with one piece of the nation then onto the next. The hundies were liquidated at a markdown which once in a while included protection so the expense of merchandise lost or devastated in travel could be recouped. By these methods the Indian vendors could without much of a stretch boat products to nations of west Asia just as where there were Indian financial houses. English and Dutch brokers who came to Gujarat during the seventeenth century saw the Indian budgetary framework as exceptionally created and the Indian vendors to be dynamic and alarm. There was sharp rivalry for inside data and at whatever point there was a deficiency of certain merchandise in certain pieces of the nation it was made acceptable rapidly by the vendors. However, this applied to merchandise of high caliber. Food grains and mass articles were exorbitant to move overland however not all that expensive whenever moved by waterways. consequently the significant streams conveyed considerably more products i n medieval occasions than now. Anyway the all out exchange was restricted since the towns, while not totally independent, purchased just a predetermined number of things from outside, for example, salt, iron and hardly any customer merchandise. Significant distance exchange by and large took into account needs of the princely segments in the urban communities. The exchanging network India was genuinely enormous in number and remembered probably the most extravagant dealers for the world. The names of virji or vohra who ruled the Surat exchange for quite a few years and who had an enormous armada of boats, Malaya Chetti on the Coromandal coasts, and Abdul Ghaffoor Bohra who left 85 absences of rupees in real money and merchandise at the hour of his passing in 1718 are a portion of the important cases. There were numerous affluent vendors in Agra, Delhi, Orissa and Bengal. The well off traders in the costal ports of Gujarat lived in a garish way and aped the habits of the aristocrats. They lived in elevated houses with shaded tiles, wore fine garments, rode all around caparisoned ponies and had individuals conveying banners and flags before them when they moved out in broad daylight. European explorers referenced the large and very much manufactured houses in which the rich dealers of Agra and Delhi lived. Be that as it may, the conventional sorts lived in houses over their shops. The French voyager Bernier, says that that the vendors attempted to look poor since they were apprehensive they would be utilized like filled wipes that is crushed of their riches. Be that as it may, Sher Shah passed numerous laws for securing the property of the traders. The laws of Sher Shah are notable. Jahangirs laws incorporated an arrangement that if any one, regardless of whether unbeliever or Musalman should kick the bucket, his property and impacts ought to be left for his beneficiaries, and nobody ought to meddle with them. In the event that he ought to have no beneficiaries, they ought to choose examiners and separate watchmen to monitor the property, with the goal that it worth may be extended in a legitimate consumption, for example, the structure mosques and sarais, fix of broken crossed over and burrowing of tanks and wells. In this way the idea of assurance of private property, including the property of vendors plainly develop ed. Association of Trade and Commerce Role of European Trading Companies Exchange and trade extended in India during the primary portion of the seventeenth century because of various variables. Maybe the most significant factor was the political joining of the nation under Mughal rule and foundation of states of lawfulness broad territories. The Mughals focused on streets and sarais which house cleaner correspondence simpler. Uniform duty was required on products at the purposes of their entrance into the realm. Street cesses or rahdari was proclaimed unlawful however it was kept on being gathered by a portion of the neighborhood rajas. The Mughals printed silver rupees of high purities which turned into a standard coin in India and abroad and in this way help Indias exchange. Another factor which helped Indias was the appearance of the Dutch and English dealers towards the start of the seventeenth century. Ralph Fitch during Akbars rule, said Agra and Fatehpur Sikri were each bigger then London. Montserrat says Lahore was best in class of the urban communities in Europe or Asia. The development of town and town life is one of the huge highlights of seventeenth century India. The Indian brokers invited the Dutch and the English in light of the fact that these merchants helped them to break the Portuguese restraining infrastructure of ocean exchange, and in course of time, assisted with setting up an immediate connection among India and European markets. The Portuguese force have started to decay during the second 50% of the sixteenth century, as was shown by the annihilation by the Spanish task force by England in 1588. The Portuguese stayed at Goa and furthermore at Daman and Diu. Be that as it may, their offers in abroad exchange declined consistently and were unimportant before the century's over. The British couldn't prevail in India as long as the Mughal realm was solid yet it was not long approaching when the shortcoming of the domain got show. Engineering There was an upheaval of diserse social enacts in India under the Mughal rule. The convention in the field of design, painting, writing and music made during this period set a standard and profoundly impacted the succeeding ages. In this sense, the Mughal time frame can be known as a subsequent old style age following the gupta age in northern India. In this social advancement Indian conventions were amalgamated with the Turko Iranian culture brought to the nation by the Mughals. The Timurid court at Samarqand had created as the social focus of west and focal Asia. Babur was aware of this social legacy. He was resolved to set appropriate guidelines. The improvement of workmanship and culture in different locales of India during the fourteenth and fifteenth hundreds of years had held to rich and fluctuated advancement from which it was conceivable to draw upon. The Mughals fabricated great posts, royal residences, open structures, mosques and baolis and so forth. They likewise drove out numerous proper nurseries with running water in actuality utilization of running water in their royal residences, resorts was the uncommon component of the Mughals. Babur was partial to gardens and spread out hardly any nurseries in the area of Agra and Lahore. A portion of the Mughals gardens, for example, the Nishant Bagh in Kashmir. The Shalimar at Lahore and Pinjore and so forth have endure even right up 'til today. We don't discover the custom of creating gardens in earlier Hindu Kingdoms. It started with the Mughals and today is a lot of the piece of Indian culture. Akbar was the first Mughal ruler who had the opportunity to embrace development for a huge scope. He fabricated a progression of fortresses. The most well known of which is the fortification of Agra. In 1572 he initiated a royal residence cumfort complex at Fatehpur Sikri. Work on a slope, alongside an enormous counterfeit lake; it remembered numerous structures for the style of Gujarat and Bengal. The Gujarat style of design is utilized most broadly in the castle assembled likely for his Rajput spouse or wives. Akbar took an individual enthusiasm for crafted by development at both Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. Persian or focal impact can be found in the coated blue tiles utilized for enrichments in the dividers or for tiling the rooftops. The time of Shahjahan needs no notice. His period is the best time of structural turn of events. Mughal building conventions depended on a blend of Hindu and Turko Iranian structures and beautifying plans proceeded without a break into the eighteenth and mid nineteenth hundreds of years. Along these lines Mughals conventions impact the royal residence and strongholds of numerous commonplace and neighborhood realms. Indeed, even the brilliant sanctuary of the Sikhs at Amritsar which was reconstructed a few times during this period was based on the curve and vault guideline and joined numerous highlights of the Mughals customs of engineering. Painting The Mughals made a particular commitment in the field of painting. They presented new topics portraying the court, fight scenes and the pursuit, included new hues and structures. They made a living custom of painting which kept on working in various pieces of the nation long after the magnificence of the Mughals vanished. The extravagance of the style once more, was because of the way that India had an old custom of works of art. While no palm leaves more established than the twelfth century have made due to ind

Development and Poverty Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Improvement and Poverty - Term Paper Example The idea, in any case, has been in presence in the West for quite a long time. Modernization, Westernization, and particularly Industrialization are different terms individuals have utilized while talking about monetary turn of events. Albeit nobody is certain when the idea began, a great many people concur that advancement is firmly bound up with the development of free enterprise and the death of feudalism.† (University of Iowa's Center for International Finance and Development) To improve the monetary solidness, the administration of a nation must targets coordinating its approaches in the correct ways. It should try to accomplish some fundamental destinations, for example, cost control, expanding business and exchange openings. The legislature ought to endeavor hard to improve the common and social framework, similar to roadways, moderate lodging for its kin, so the general economy of the nation blasts and its advantage is moved to the individuals at grass root level. The H uman Development Index (HDI) is a compound and complex manual for rank the nations of the world by their degree of human turn of events. It separates the nations into four classes, which are extremely high human turn of events, high human turn of events, medium human turn of events, and low human turn of events nations. ... Destitution The inaccessibility of material belonging, accounts and fundamental human need, for example, cover, food and so forth alludes to the neediness of the individuals of a specific nation. Essential human necessities, for example, food, water, cover, training, wellbeing, nourishment and so forth are the obligation of the administration. Be that as it may, when the administration neglects to give its kin these offices then the individuals are compelled to carry on with an existence of neediness. The neediness edge or the destitution line is the base degree of salary which is required to get to these fundamental needs. Individuals who are not even ready to get to these crucial needs are supposed to be carrying on with a real existence underneath the neediness line. It is evaluated that 1.7 billion individuals over the globe are experiencing their lives underneath the neediness line. Neediness is the most exceedingly terrible type of viciousness. (Mohandas Gandhi)â There are nu merous methods of estimating the destitution of the individuals of a specific locale. Among them are the Gini Coefficient and the Headcount Index. The Gini Coefficient was created by an Italian analyst Corrado Gini. It is a proportion of the factual scattering and measures the disparity of a conveyance. It tells how riches is dispersed in a specific district, or among the various classes living in the general public. The Headcount Index gives the extent of the individuals who are compelled to carry on with an actual existence underneath the neediness line. On the off chance that â€Å"p† individuals are viewed as living underneath the neediness line in a populace of â€Å"n†, at that point the Headcount Index â€Å"H† can be determined as H=p/n. To figure the Headcount Index, the assessments of the individual monetary condition and the destitution line of that specific area is required. Neediness in South America South America is a locale of the world which has a high destitution rate even

Corporate Sustainability and Organizational Change - Case Of OMV Essay

Corporate Sustainability and Organizational Change - Case Of OMV Petrom Answering inquiry that recorded on request guidance - Essay Example For this situation, the integrative system (Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) shows how the organization can improve socially and ecologically while as yet keeping up its upper hand in business. The integrative model of authoritative change depends on the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA). In arranging, it gives the ongoing condition, and it causes the organization to set up its definitive objectives. In this way, the organization will comprehend its necessity to change the qualities, standards and rules, or, as such, the issues. The organization will likewise comprehend the need to infer and detail singular objectives. It should begin gathering information and diagnosing the objectives. Subsequent to understanding those components, it should change its administration to lead the organization towards set objectives. Thirdly is â€Å"Check†. The company should check and assess the exhibition of the hierarchical change and whether the partnership and the workers can meet the goals. The organization needs to take restorative measure on the off chance that it is failing to meet expectations. Fourthly is â€Å"Act†. After an enterprise accumulates the entirety of the information, it should give its response, and straighten out the arrangement on the off chance that it doesn't meet the targets. It needs to switch or think of new arrangement in order to accomplish the destinations. OMV is a major organization. The primary significant issue is that there is have to execute hierarchical change to 20000 workers. OMV needs to make the entirety of its workers to have solid responsibility towards supporting maintainable authoritative change. Also, it needs to lessen discharge by driving the organization to work with vitality effectiveness. It ought to apply wellbeing, security, natural consideration and corporate social obligation. It is over the top expensive to lead the business to work this way. The effect of manageability and hierarchical change can make workers have various mentalities. Their primary objective is the manner by which to work a

College Move In Etiquette

Here’s How to Make the Most of Move In Day It’s back-to-school season, and for many first-year college students this is the first time they’ll be living in a dorm and sharing a space with one or more roommates. College move in day can be hectic, but there’s a lot that students can do to ensure they have a smooth transition into college life. Keep the Room NeatThe jury is still out as to whether â€Å"first come, first serve† is the best policy when choosing a side of the room but, regardless, respect your roommate’s space. Stash your pile of boxes and suitcases on one side of the room—that is, don’t use your roommate’s empty bed as a receptacle for clothes waiting to be hung. Also, be courteous when divvying up closet or dresser space. Some dorm rooms have built-in drawers or bookshelves, but these are still shared spaces, even if they happen to be on your â€Å"side† of the room. Since you may not know what your room will look like until you arrive on campus, stock up on plastic under-the-bed bins if you’re worried about not having enough space for clothing. These are especially useful for bulkier items such as sweatshirts and sweatpants, and can help avoid any conflict should issues with shared storage space come up. Be FriendlyEven if you’re sweaty from carrying boxes or are nervous about making a first impression, stay pleasant! You’ll likely be running into tons of dorm-mates and their families as well as older students with whom you may cross paths in the future. While unpacking boxes, keep your room door open if you’re comfortable with floor-mates stopping by to say â€Å"hi† —you’ll come off as approachable and will also be able to see what’s happening on your floor. Give Your Roommate Some SpaceEven if it’s just for a few minutes, leave the room to give you roommate some time alone. Maybe your roommate and his or her family arrived after you, or maybe you brought the whole clan while he or she came to campus alone. Either way, it’s polite to give your roommate some time to unpack without having to make small talk with your mom, dad, and siblings. Use this time to check out the campus bookstore or meet a neighbor! Bring Some Thank You GoodiesIt’s likely that your resident advisor and additional upperclassmen will be volunteering their time to assist with the grueling move-in process. To say thanks, bring some treats along to share with those helping you. Something as simple as a box of store-bought cookies or a bag of candy is sufficient. Hold on to any leftovers and you can bet your new dorm mates will be pleased when they stop by your room! Transitioning into college life can be a challenge for some students, so it’s good to start off on the right foot with proper move in day etiquette. What tips would you add to this list? Tell us in the comments below!

Hannah Adams, American Historian and Writer

My Life As A Recovery From Substance Addiction - 1849 Words

My life’s purpose; why am I here and what do I want to accomplish? Clearly, having gone through something as significant as recovery from substance addiction, my idea of what my purpose in life is changed significantly some years ago. While I don’t intend to victimize myself for choices that were my own, its significance and impact on my life cannot be understated. When I ask myself what I want to accomplish, I have a tendency to answer the much larger, broader questions. Rather than simply think of a career path I’d like to embark upon, or accolades I’d like to earn, my mind instead wanders to more metaphysical accomplishments. For example, I desire to accomplish things that can only be possible when a group of people are working†¦show more content†¦It will forever be easier to set personal goals than to set goals that involve the participation and cooperation of others. Just because something is easier, though, doesn’t mean it is bet ter; I consider â€Å"good† decision-making to be a practice that encompasses our fellows, rather than simply focusing on ourselves. To me, this is intrinsically linked to successful leadership; the leaders that I have observed as being most successful are the ones who do not only think of themselves. Core values that guide my behavior Personally, it is not difficult to identify the core values that I hold dear, that guide my behavior. It is, however, much more difficult to rank them in terms of their importance to me. If I’m paring down a list of important values that I believe are most influential to me, responsibility, sacrifice, laughter, and integrity stand out as those that simply guide my behavior on a regular basis. If I’m attempting to put them in order, it would be as follows: 1. Laughter 2. Responsibility 3. Integrity 4. Service Laughter and responsibility are really more like a â€Å"1A† and â€Å"1B† to me. Laughter is so summarily important because one of the most consistent lessons I have ever learned is that life means little without it. Business environments are not excluded from this proverb. While there is certainly a time and a place for everything, one of the things I have always been most grateful for is to have found a potential career with an employer that

Business Law Intent and Capacity

Question: Discuss about theBusiness Lawfor Intent and Capacity. Answer: Step 1 The legal issue here is whether was a clear offer and acceptance between the parties, for the formation of a valid contract. Step 2 A contract is a legally binding document, under which a promise is exchanged for a consideration, to do or refrain from doing some act, between two or more parties. In order to form a valid contract, it needs to have the essential elements of the contract. This includes, an offer, an acceptance, consideration, intent, capacity and the clarity regarding terms of the contract (Lambiris Griffin, 2016). An offer is the expression which showcases the willingness to contract. On the other hand, invitation to treat is the expression which showcases the willingness to negotiate, and is different from an invitation to treat (Lambiris Griffin, 2016). In general, the advertisements in newspapers are treated as an invitation to treat, where the advertising party is not under the obligation to complete the sale, as an expression is made, instead of an offer. This was also established in the case of Partridge v Crittenden [1968] 1 WLR 1204. But when an advertisement is such that it contains a unilateral offer, it is termed as an offer, and not an invitation to treat (Lambiris Griffin, 2016). In the case of Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company [1893] 1 QB 256, the defendant had advertised to pay 100 to a person who would sniff the smoked ball in the stated way, and still catch influenza. This was taken as a unilateral offer and the defendant was contractually obliged to pay the stated amount to the plaintiff. In order to form a valid offer, it has to be sufficiently complete. In other words, it has to clearly state what is being offered and on what terms. Further, the offer has to be promissory; it has to contain a promise, which is to be accepted by the other party. In the case of Placer Development Ltd v Commonwealth (1969) 121 CLR 353, the judges held that the promise was illusory, due to the total discretion of the defendant to determine the payable amount (Lambiris Griffin, 2016). There should be an intention that if the offer is accepted, it would result in a contract. for instance, in the case of Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v Boots Cash Chemists (Southern) Ltd [1953] EWCA Civ 6, the intention of the parties was taken to be an invitation to treat, and not an offer to form the legal relations. The offer has to be made to a specified group or a person, and can even be made to the world as was seen in the case of Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company. The offer has to be accepted before it is expired, withdrawn or a counter offer has been made regarding the same (Lambiris Griffin, 2016). The next essential of a contract is acceptance. In order to form a valid acceptance the offer has to be accepted as was made, while it was still in existence. The acceptance has to be made by the person to whom it has been made, and in the acceptable form. The acceptance can be instantaneous, i.e. through phone, fax or face to face (Lambiris Griffin, 2016). The other essentials of contract include consideration, which can be anything decided between the parties, as long as it has an economic consideration. The parties to contract should be of legal age and of sound mind, to have the contractual capacity. And lastly, the terms of the contract should be clear to the contracting parties. When an offer is revoked, it has to be communicated to the party to which the offer was made (Lambiris Griffin, 2016). This can be done directly or indirectly. In the case of Errington v Errington Woods [1952] 1 KB 290, a unilateral offer was made by the father, and the courts decided that as long as the payment was being made by the daughter in law, along with his son, the offer of the father cannot be revoked. The reasoning behind this judgment was the party has acted over a promise; the father or his widow could not reject it. And so, if an offerree has relied on the offer and has embarked upon it, such an offer cannot be revoked or terminated. Further, there is a general rule that if an offer is made in a particular manner, then the revocation can be communicated in the same manner. Step 3 In the given case, an advertisement was made by Organic Burgers, in the radio, TV and newspapers, regarding its promotion. This advertisement was aimed at attracting the customers, into buying the product. So, this was an offer, as the intention was to get the customers to purchase the product. Here, the company had made a unilateral offer, to the ones listening to, watching or reading about the offer. As was held in the case of Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company, a unilateral offer was an offer. The company, on realizing its mistake, revoked the offer. The revocation was made in the manner in which the advertisement was made, i.e., through radio, TV and newspapers. Since, the same mode was used, the revocation cannot be denied. Jonathan had not seen the media publishing, but he was aware that the offer had been revoked. There was a clarity regarding the conditions of the offer, along with the parties having the contractual capacity. The intention was clear to enter into the contract. But by purchasing the requisite 25 burgers, Jonathon accepted this offer. An offer cannot be revoked once acceptance has been gained. Further, applying the verdict of Errington v Errington Woods in this case, a unilateral offer was made, and as Jonathan had embarked upon it, so the offer cannot be revoked or terminated in this case. As the offer had already been accepted, the condition of hearing or not hearing the revocation of offer is not of importance here. As a valid contract was formed, the company is liable to honor the terms of the contract. And in case it fails to do so, the company would be in a breach. In the case of Amanda, the offer was present and she had the tickets. The offer was made to the world at large, and so, anyone could accept it, provided they fulfilled the conditions stated in the offer. The condition was to get 25 coupons, and never stated that the boxes had to be bought. So, Amanda fulfilled the condition and was validly offered the offer. She had accepted the offer when she entered the office to redeem the prize. The offer was accepted as it was, and it was still in existence when she accepted it. The acceptance was made in an instantaneous manner, as Amanda went to the office to communicate her acceptance. Here also, a contract was formed, and so, the company is again liable to give the car to Amanda. Step 4 From the above analysis, it can be concluded that a valid offer and acceptance was present in case of both Jonathon and Amanda. And, a legally binding contract was formed in both the cases. So, Organic Burgers is obliged to provide both of them the promised car. References Lambiris, M., Griffin, L. (2016). First Principles of Business Law 2016. Sydney: CCH.

Philippine Labor Force free essay sample

Just from taking a look of the stark reality of Philippine Society today, any one would say that it would be a no – brainer to answer the question of possible change. Change, in the Philippines? They say. Impossible. Yet in spite of the dim reality we are in do I gain the audacity to say that the Philippines is not a hopeless case, I believe it is not, for the simple the reason that if I believe that nothing can be done to change our country, then that is how it will be. if I believe that there is still hope, that something can be done, then I can be a precursor of change, and hence, something can be done. Anyway, we have nothing else to lose, and everything to gain, and as such we should put ourselves in that perspective. I think the reason the Philippines is the way it is today is because somehow, someway, we, us Filipinos, somehow caused all of this to happen to us. We will write a custom essay sample on Philippine Labor Force or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Of course no individual would dare intentionally wish upon themselves poverty, what I mean is, as a collective, as a people, as an entire race that had spanned generations and generations of culture, we have somehow allowed our society which could have flourished into a rich nation – to deteriorate, very, very nearly to the point of no return. We have allowed ourselves to blindly steer into the direction of poverty when we were heading into the direction cities such as Shanghai, Singapore, and Hong Kong are in now. Many actually do believe we are at that point of no return already. But if everyone thought that we cannot change, then how then will change be possible? If we collectively keep denying that we are responsible for this Philippine mess we have collectively gotten ourselves into, then change becomes impossible. If we accept entirely that we are at some level all at cause of how things are now honestly, graciously; until we accept responsibility for the whole of our reality shall we gain the power to change part of it. So therefor, I shall accept that I am also responsible for all this mess. As a youth with certain ideologies, this is one thing I can do, accept that I have contributed to what is. I am responsible for the deterioration of my country, of its rich culture, of it’s society. I have allowed crime, poverty, corruption to flourish. So therefor shall I become an igniter of change. I shall bring people to the awareness that change is still possible. If ALL of us would accept everything as a part of their creation shall we be able to change everything. As Jose Rizal had wisely said,† Ang kabataan ay ang pag-asa ng kinabukasan,† never has that quote made perfect sense until now. Imagine if everyone thought like that. Progress would come about to our country fairly quickly, wouldn’t you think? My duty as a student may not be as grandiose as those who go out of their way to change lives, build villages, and adopt babies from those in need. My duty is simple, yet absolutely vital. My duty is bring everything I have said above to as much people as I possibly can. Awareness is start of wisdom, as the saying goes, and in juxtaposition, collective awareness is an absolutely powerful igniter of change. If we all want it enough, it happens. I wise person once told me, that the people are the true movers of change, never the government officials. Government officials follow the people. This has been perfectly demonstrated across history; from Greek governance through public opinion, to the breaking down of the Berlin Wall, to the Chinese revolutions which shifted 1920’s Communist China which started through student visions of a better China, to our very own EDSA revolutions, our own 1986 revolution. Change comes in numbers. True change is a collective effort, People Power at its most powerful. As such I cannot stress any further the importance to instill the ideas in others a sense of hope and optimism for the future. From awareness, comes action. Ideas beget action, and so does my actions as a student after imparting the ideas of hope to others. I would probably, as a student – architect, physically help In projects that aim to provide housing for underprivileged folk in scales similar to Gawad Kalinga, and maybe soon, hopefully, provide them that with my own resources. I would probably also, bring about new innovative and convenient design solutions for the impoverished, such as the recent mind-blowingly innovative creation of the coca-cola light bottle, wherin a steady stream of light is made available in low cost housing from just installing a 1. L bottle into rooftops. Some other creation that would greatly benefit the mass population is something I would like to create. Probably also, I would like to teach others who want to get into the construction industry tricks and tips and gaining skillsets required for masonry and carpentry. I want to help people learn how to catch fish with a fishing rod, instead of giving them the fish. I think they would greatly benefit from that. This has made me see the possibility of what we can do to improve Philippine Society. Call me crazy but might it be possible that we were given this framework of poverty that we may find the power within ourselves to change it? Could you entertain the possibility that we were born into this country, this context of poverty, that we might change it ourselves? Singapore has done it. The US has done it. China is doing it. Why can’t we? We have nothing else to lose, and everything to gain, and as such we should put ourselves in that perspective, and watch reality change before our eyes.

3 Reasons Why The Handmaid’s Tale Remains Relevant

3 Reasons Why 'The Handmaid’s Tale' Remains Relevant The Handmaid’s Tale is the second dystopian work of speculative fiction - after George Orwell’s 1984 - to suddenly appear on top of the bestseller lists years after its release. The renewed interest in Margaret Atwood’s classic story of a post-apocalyptic America dominated by a puritanical religious sect that reduces most women to subjugated breeder status stems from both the current political atmosphere in the United States and the adaptation airing on Hulu starring Elizabeth Moss, Alexis Bledel, and Joseph Fiennes. What’s interesting about The Handmaid’s Tale is how many people assume it’s much older than it actually is. The book was originally published in 1985, and while that’s 32 years ago many people are surprised it wasn’t penned in the 1950s or 1960s; blame this on our tendency to believe that the present and very recent past are fairly enlightened. People assume the book was written during what some see as the final gasp of patriarchy- before birth control and the women’s liberation movement started the slow, agonizing process of pursuing equality for women and raising consciousness around the world. On the other hand, a book written three decades ago still resonates with a particular power. Hulu didnt adapt The Handmaid’s Tale as a revered classic kept behind glass, but rather as a pulsing, living work of literature that speaks to modern-day America. Not many books can retain that kind of power for thirty years, and The Handmaid’s Tale remains a powerfully current story- for three distinct reasons that go beyond politics. Margaret Atwood Just Updated It One aspect of The Handmaid’s Tale that is often overlooked is the author’s dedication to the story. When the author herself regards the story as a living, breathing work and continued to discuss and develop the ideas within it, the story retains some of the immediacy that surrounded it upon publication. In fact, Atwood has actually just expanded the story. As part of the launch of the updated audio version of the novel on Audible (recorded by Claire Danes in 2012, but with a completely new sound design) Atwood wrote both an afterward discussing the book and its legacy, but also new material that extends the story. The book famously ends with the line â€Å"Are there any questions?† The new material comes in the form of an interview with Professor Piexoto, which is the sort of thing fans dream about. The material is performed by a full cast in the Audible version, giving it a rich, realistic feel. It’s also a little mind-bending, since the ending of the novel makes it clear that the good professor is discussing Offred’s story far in the future, long after Gilead has disappeared, based on audio recordings she left behind, which Atwood herself has noted makes the Audible version appropriate. It’s Not Really Science Fiction ... or Fiction First of all, we should note that Atwood dislikes the term â€Å"science fiction† when applied to her work, and prefers â€Å"speculative fiction.† It might seem like a subtle point, but it makes sense. The Handmaid’s Tale doesn’t actually involve any weird science or anything implausible. A revolution establishes a Theocratic dictatorship that severely limits all human rights (and especially those of women, who are even forbidden to read) while ecological factors reduce the fertility of the human race significantly, resulting in the creation of Handmaids, fertile women who are used for breeding. None of that is particularly sci-fi. Secondly, Atwood has stated that nothing in the book is made-up- in fact, she’s said there is â€Å"... nothing in the book that didn’t happen, somewhere.† That’s part of the chilling power of The Handmaid’s Tale. All you need to do is check out some of the darker areas of the Internet, or even some of the legislative bodies around the country, to see that male attitudes towards women haven’t changed nearly as much as we might like. When the Vice President of the United States won’t have dinner alone with a woman who isn’t his wife, it’s not hard to imagine a world not so different from Atwood’s vision coming around... again. In fact, many seem to have forgotten the 1991 film adaptation of the book, with a script written by Harold Pinter and a cast featuring Natasha Richardson, Faye Dunaway, and Robert Duvall- a film that almost didn’t get made despite the power of those names because the project encountered â€Å"a wall of ignorance, hostility, and indifference,† according to journalist Sheldon Teitelbaum as reported in The Atlantic. He goes on to say that â€Å"Movie executives declined to back the project, stating ‛that a film for and about women †¦ would be lucky if it made it to video.’† Next time you wonder if The Handmaid’s Tale is so far-fetched, consider that statement. Theres a reason women in Texas recently dressed as Handmaids as a form of protest. The Book Is Constantly Under Attack You can often judge the power and influence of a novel by the number of attempts that are made to ban it- another ghostly echo when you consider that women in the novel are forbidden to read. The Handmaid’s Tale was the 37th most-challenged book of the 1990s, according to the American Library Association. As recently as 2015, parents in Oregon complained that the book contained sexually explicit scenes and was anti-Christian, and students were offered an alternative book to read (which is certainly better than an outright ban). The fact that The Handmaid’s Tale continues to be on the receiving end of these sorts of attempts is directly related to how powerful its ideas are. It’s a slippery slide from celebrating supposedly â€Å"traditional values† and gender roles to enforcing those roles in a cruel, humorless, and terrifying way. Atwood has stated that she wrote the novel in part to â€Å"fend off† the grim future she laid out in its pages; with the release of the new Audible material and the Hulu adaptation, hopefully a new generation of people will be inspired to fend off that future as well. The Handmaid’s Tale remains a living, breathing work of potential history that’s well worth reading or listening to.

Electronic Medical Record Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Electronic Medical Record Project - Essay Example PDF converter software is essential for this process .The software is necessary for converting the information from paper form into electronic one, through indentifying the texts from the scanned copy of the document and then saving this in an electronic form. The software also recognizes the open fields that require information to be filled in, and reserves them as such, so that an individual can then fill in such fields electronically, as opposed to manual filling in, when the document is found in a paper form (Devlin, 1996). The whole process is estimated to take roughly three months. The consideration made to estimate time required is the process the document undergoes from its initial paper form to when it is converted into electronic form. The other consideration is the time it would take to back up the paper documents, just before the process of converting them to electronic form commences (Gerard, 1991). Additionally, time consideration is based on the size of the paper forms to be converted, and, the amount of text found on the form, as well as the nature of the changes deemed necessary, based on the suggested fields. The fewer the documents to be converted, and the fewer the text incorporated, the quicker the conversion process (Penn, 1983). There are various challenges involved in converting a paper document into an electronic form of document. Some form fields may be discarded in the process, and suggested new ones presented to replace them. This is a challenge in that it might end up changing the whole nature of the form, making it completely different from how it appeared on the paper form (Gerard, 1991). In case there are tables with empty cells that require to be filled in, they empty cells are converted into text boxes. This way, the nature of the form is distorted, as the text boxes may fail to fit in the actual spaces that were occupied by the empty table cells (Bruce, 1994). The greatest challenge posed by the conversion of a paper document into an electronic form is the fact that the original formatting of the paper document, as well as some paper content is lost during the conversion. After converting a paper document into an electronic form, some content, and details such as the watermarks, animated texts, page borders, line numbering, head and footnotes are lost (Harvey, 1994). This makes some essential details of the document, which were in the paper form miss out in the electronic form. Some component of the paper such as the name, the address, contacts, as well as identification number for the patients will be made mandatory. This is necessary to ensure that the information obtained can be traced to the owner of the form. This is essential to help identify the health needs of each patient, as well as track their medical history. Making such components of the form mandatory ensures the responsible use of such forms, since anyone who uses the form in an inappropriate way will easily be identified. Additionally, ma king such components mandatory ensures that the authenticity of the information given is safeguarded, and not tampered with (Devlin, 1996). This can be done by designing the form in a manner that it will indicate an error, whenever an individual wants to submit such a form without having filled in the mandatory fields (Bruce, 1994). The new form will be simple and less labor intensive, in that the speed of

The Yellow Wallpaper Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Yellow Wallpaper - Movie Review Example When one of his scams (perhaps involving back-alley plastic surgery and/or low-dollar sex change operations) goes terribly wrong, ending in a patient's death, man and wife find themselves in a high speed chase with police. It is at this point that the movie will begin and these first two characters will be introduced. The chase should be realistic (absolutely no C.G.I. stunts) and should end with John and Charlotte having a spectacular (yet believably survivable) crash. [Car has landed upside down, smoke emanates across a ground littered with broken glass, and JOHN, blood trickling down the side of his head, drags himself from the wreckage as police close in with guns drawn. He throws up his hands and falls face down to the to the pavement] JOHN: It wasn't me! It wasn't me! I was just a hostage! She's crazy!! [Camera change to the unconscious and blood-soaked face of CHARLOTTE. Fade to black with John's screams of innocence. Maintain black screen as red-colored text appears: SIX MONTHS LATER. Fade from black to scene. Setting is a prison visitation window] CHARLOTTE: You have to tell them (we see Charlotte, wearing a bright yellow prisoner's jumpsuit. Her face still bears small scars from the accident, the most obvious of which is a discolored, almost yellowish scar on her forehead). CHARLOTTE and YELLOW WOMAN: DON'T YOU WALK AWAY FROM ME, YOU SON OF A BITCH... [JOHN shows no emotion in his face as he hangs up the phone, stands up, gathers his things, and walks away. Again, next line should be spoken simultaneously] CHARLOTTE and YELLOW WOMAN: DON'T YOU WALK AWAY FROM ME, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!! You know I wasn't the one responsible for this! I'm NOT CRAZY JOHN! We KNOW it! [Prison guards start to restrain her as her rant continues. At the mention of "we," however, JOHN stops in his tracks] JOHN: And just who are "we," exactly Was there ever a "we" Are you even talking about you and me CHARLOTTE: (Breathing heavily and speaking/growling through gnashed teeth) One day, John One day we'll get out of here. We'll get out and you'll find out who we are. From this scene, the audience will be introduced to Charlotte's cell in solitary confinement. The cell should have faded yellow wallpaper or yellow painted walls. Charlotte and the Yellow lady will devise a plan to escape and take revenge on John, who has now re-married a wealthy young heiress and taken custody of his and Charlotte's young child. After escaping, Charlotte and the Yellow Woman will exact a plan of revenge on John and his new wife. The baby, however, remains something that the Yellow Woman refuses to allow Charlotte to acknowledge the existence of, which will be the source of several instances of conflict between the

Nuclear Technology and Countries of the Persian Gulf Essay Example for Free

Nuclear Technology and Countries of the Persian Gulf Essay Nuclear energy has been used widely only for thirty years . In sixtieth it was an exotic source of power, researched by scientists, and widely discussed in press. Nowadays, as Ilan Lipper Jon Stone state in their article about nuclear powers and society, it is the second largest energy source in the U. S. There are more than 110 nuclear plants throughout the U. S, and they produce more energy than hydropower, oil or gas, researchers write. For the U. S nuclear energy became a cheap and relatively safe source of energy, and many countries decided to adopt American experience in this field. Today most European and Asian countries have nuclear plants that provide them with energy. Nevertheless, a question emerges which is whether it is safe to grant access to nuclear powers to countries of the Persian Gulf, like Iran, who are known for being aggressive and searching for the means to get weapons. Politicians and usual people all over the world are discussing this question. Their main fears are that nuclear power in wrong hands may be transformed into weapon, and thus harm the ecology severely. Discussions take place all over the world about the influence of nuclear power plants on the ecology. Some say that they are not safe, even when nuclear powers are used only as a source of energy, and not as a weapon. The thing is that nuclear power plants use radioactive materials like uranium and plutonium to produce energy, and there are toxic wastes left, the authors of encyclopedia entry on renewable energy source on NationMaster, a large statistical data source claim. They add that the results of one significant radiation leakage accident on Yucca Mountain were disastrous; so people should be really very careful when using nuclear energy as the source of electricity. In the same time, Ilan Lipper Jon Stone prove that the dangers of using nuclear power are overestimated. They state that unlike the wastes that stay after burning of coal, which stay toxic forever, nuclear wastes toxicity reduces with each passing day, as its elements are not stable. They prove that the amount of toxic wastes thrown into the air each year is less in the countries where nuclear plants are the main source of electricity, than in the countries where there are few or no nuclear plants. It is clearly seen that nuclear power is a very effective source of energy, and the damage it does to ecology in normal conditions is less than that of burning coal, or other means of getting electricity. Nevertheless human factor should not be forgotten. One serious human mistake is enough to let the effective and relatively safe nuclear power lead to disastrous consequences. In case an uncontrollable chain reaction emerges on the nuclear power plant, thousands of acres of lands and thousands of tons of water would be polluted, and the health of thousands of people would be damaged. The problem with nuclear power is that it is too powerful. When used correctly it can let governments save billions of dollars, as the energy produced by nuclear power plants is relatively cheap, and protect the environment from negative influence of toxic wastes other methods of getting electricity produce, but one mistake with nuclear power can lead to unpredictable and very serious consequences. Another serious problem with using nuclear power for producing energy is that the elements used for it can also be used for creating nuclear weapon. Human beings have always been at war with each other, and since prehistoric times they have been inventing more and more accomplished methods of murdering each other. On the present moment nuclear weapon is one of the most effective ones, along with bacteriological weapon. Nuclear weapon was used only two times in history, on Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. It slaughtered all the dwellers of these cities, and polluted the area so that people could not live there. More than sixty years passed, and still no one lives in these places. The consequences of using nuclear weapon were so disastrous and cruel that humans finally understood they had to stop. Most countries signed various agreements stating that they would not use and produce nuclear weapons. Still many countries have nuclear powers, either officially on non-officially, but no one comes to the scratch to use them. Everyone understands that the first bomb dropped will became the end of the world we all live in. Nuclear weapon is so powerful that dozen bombs dropped can slaughter several millions of people, depending on bombs’ sizes. The country which became the target of the nuclear attack will fight back with nuclear weapon murdering people and making land unfit to live on. That is why the issue of giving nuclear power to aggressive countries like those of the Persian Gulf is so debatable. The leaders of these countries state they need nuclear power in order to make the life of their people better, enhance their economy and protect ecology. For example, Iranian scientists prove that the oil and gas resources Iran has are not enough for satisfying the countries need of electricity, as the plants that recycle them to get electricity are out dated, with tons of equipment broken. The article published in Herald Tribune states that the demand on electricity is getting bigger with each passing year, and using non-renewable resources like oil for satisfying it is not rational, and, moreover, dangerous for the country’s ecology. They add that 57 of 60 oil fields need major repairs and modernization in order to produce enough oil to satisfy the demand in electricity. In general their viewpoint is easy to understand, as they want to use the cheap and relatively safe method of getting electricity most European and American countries use. In the same time Iranian aggressive politics towards other countries makes everyone suspect that they can use nuclear powers in purposes other than producing electricity. Giacomo Luciani, the Director of Gulf Research Center, states in his article â€Å"The Gulf Countries and Nuclear Energy† that the resources of oil are scarce in Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. He proves that soon there will not be enough of oil there to satisfy the existing demand in electricity. He adds that the restrictions USA and its allies impose on Persian Gulf countries in the issue of nuclear energy put their industries from adequate development. Luciani reminds that there are some industries within these countries, like aluminium smelting and water desalination that are of crucial importance to this region, and to other countries. His viewpoint is that given that Persian Gulf countries are gradually becoming industrial ones it is not rational to deprive them of the means to get cheap electricity, which is essential for all industrial fields. â€Å"The key to success is exactly in viewing nuclear technology as an economic, not a political or security choice. † – says Luciani. Nevertheless, given the political situation in this region the question of granting access to nuclear power cannot be viewed as an economic issue only. Some of the leaders of these countries are too ambitious to be satisfied with current situation. Of course most people who vote for creating nuclear power plants in Iran, Dahrain and other countries of this region in fact want to provide electricity. Their goal is to help develop industry in this region, in order to provide well-being to its dwellers. Meanwhile one person in power who desires control would be enough to create nuclear power plants to security threat. There are no warranties that the leaders of these countries will not be able to access nuclear power plants, as their powers in their countries are almost unlimited. In addition, terroristic groups functioning in Persian Gulf region should not be forgotten. Terrorists are people who are ready for anything to reach their goals; murdering thousands of people is not an ethical problem for them; again, there is no warranty they will not be able to access elements used for nuclear reactions on plants producing electricity. Nuclear energy is a relatively safe and cheap source of electricity nowadays. Most American and European countries use it. Some economists see nuclear plants as a universal solution for satisfying the demand in electricity. Meanwhile there are aspects about nuclear energy that have to be considered when using it. Using nuclear power may be dangerous, as an uncontrollable chain reaction may occur, and lead to nuclear explosion. In the same time the danger exists that nuclear powers may be used to create nuclear weapons. This fear is one of the main obstacles for giving Iran and other countries of the Persian Gulf access to nuclear powers. Researchers prove it would be beneficial for their economy, but, given the current political situation in that region, the decision cannot be the purely economical one. At the moment giving nuclear powers to Persian Gulf countries is too dangerous for the well-being of all the people in the world. References 1. Lipper, I. , Stone, J. (1998). Nuclear Energy Society. Earth and Society Interaction Project. Retrieved January 3, 2008 from http://www. umich. edu/~gs265/society/nuclear. htm 2. Luciani, G. (2007). The Gulf Countries and Nuclear Energy. Gulf Monitor, 6(20-23). Retrieved January 3, 2008 from http://www. grc. ae/data/contents/uploads/Gulf_Monitor_no_6_3450. pdf 3. Renewable Energy Source. (2005). Nation Master Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 3, 2008 from http://www. nationmaster. com/encyclopedia/Renewable-energy-source#Is_nuclear_energy_renewable. 3F 4. Sahimi, M. , Mojtahed-Zadeh, P. , Afrasiabi, K. L. (2003, October 14). Energy : Iran needs nuclear power. International Herald Tribune. Retrieved January 3, 2008 from http://www. iht. com/articles/2003/10/14/edsahimi_ed3_. php

The Magic of The Coral :: Music Band Musical Essays

The Magic of The Coral The Coral fly under the radar of popular mainstream music in America: less marketed than Australian rock band and Strokes-sound-a-likes Jet, The Coral are probably slightly less-known than The Shins, perhaps on the same level as British Sea Power. But The Coral needn’t worry. Those who know them like them, and want to spread the word (despite the good feeling of discovering a band that is a gem of a secret). I first discovered The Coral about a year ago—I saw they had been on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and their CD was $10. It turned out to be a great CD—and I then knew of a great British band that my father (in England) didn’t become familiar with until about ten months later. The Coral are six young men from Liverpool, England: brothers James (vocal and guitar) and Ian (drums) Skelly, Nick Power (piano, organ and vocals), Lee Southall (guitar and vocals), Paul Duffy (bass and vocals), and Bill Ryder-Jones (guitar and trumpet). Ian Skelly, Southall, Duffy and Ryder-Jones are all the tender age of 19, Power is 20, and older sibling James Skelly is the oldest at 22. For a band of younguns their sound is so well-developed and unique—psychedelic folk-rock with a little Britpop—and comes from the distinctive twang of Southall’s guitar and singer Skelly’s distinguishing, strong vocals and lyrics that unfold like a story. With the release of their self-titled debut album, The Coral established themselves as a talented young band that would only get better with time. Their second CD, Magic and Medicine, confirms that. While their sound has matured, they haven’t lost any of the whimsy or frivolity that works so well for them . The first song, â€Å"In The Forest,† isn’t as striking as the first CD’s opener, â€Å"Spanish Main.† However, it picks up with more standard Coral-type numbers like â€Å"Don’t Think You’re The First,† â€Å"Talkin’ Gypsy Market Blues,† and especially â€Å"Bill McCai.† I’ve found The Coral are great storytellers: some of their songs are about fictional events that develop over years, and—in the case of â€Å"Bill McCai†Ã¢â‚¬â€the undoing of a man unhappy in his life. â€Å"Bill McCai† mirrors exactly the first CD’s â€Å"Simon Diamond,† about a man who was so fed up with his life that he turned himself into a tree.

Dama presented for examination Essay

A written account of practical work undertaken in year 11 resulting in a piece of drama presented for examination. We started the Christmas term 2001 with group warm-up exercises, before even thinking about what we were going to perform in late November or who we were going to work with. These were fun class activities, used to build up group relationships. We did such things as human noughts and crosses, using nine chairs in a 3 by 3 square with the girls as noughts and the boys as crosses. We played 5 games, resulting in one draw and the boys winning 3 to the girls’ 1. It was fun and used really to warm us up. We then went on to play two games of winking murder. We all sat round in a circle on chairs with our eyes closed while Mrs. Powles walked round the circle tapping someone on the shoulder, telling that person that they are the murderer. Then it’s all eyes open and we try to work out who the murderer is. Meanwhile, the murderer is winking discreetly at people, killing them. It was very enjoyable and it helped to build up group relationships. Following that, we were assigned the task of pretending to be a salesperson of some description at a drinks evening. We had to decide what we were selling and how to sell it. Once that was decided, we had to go around the class introducing ourselves to each other and trying to sell our product to them in under 2 minutes. It involved much interaction between us all and helped tremendously to strengthen group relationships. Shortly after, we were asked to write on a piece of paper who we wanted to work with and who we did not want to work with if we thought that we would not produce to the best of our ability if we were with them. Finally, I ended up working with Elise, which was great as I had never worked with her before and we were good friends. She didn’t seem to complain either, which was a good sign. Then we spent an entire double lesson going through all of Mrs. Powles’ plays that she had to decide on one to perform an extract out of for the exam in December. We settled finally on an extract from the play â€Å"The Norman Conquests† by Alan Ayckbourn, as we both decided that we wanted to do a comical piece, but not farcical, so it fitted nicely. After searching through the book for a while, we finally came across a suitable duologue between Norman and Sarah. Norman is a librarian, but this definitely does not define his character at all. He is a womaniser, married to Ruth, attempted to have an affair with her sister Annie who is engaged to Tom, and is now working his charms on his other sister-in-law, Sarah, Elise’s character, who is married to Reg. Sarah is a more strict, clean, and prim character. However, it is sometimes clear that Sarah is quite jealous of Annie because she is the one that Norman says he wants and she wants to replace Annie in Norman’s eyes. It does eventually happen, as in the second scene they kiss. The extract immediately appealed to both of us, so we decided to give it a try. The extract we did in November was actually two different dialogues taken from two different points in the play. The first is set in the living room in the house and the second is set in the garden. Immediate difficulties we experienced with the exert were few, but as ever there were some. The biggest problem in my mind at the beginning was how to perform the kissing part of the second scene effectively and without embarrassment. It really needed to look convincing as it is the peak of Sarah’s life, experiencing the closest thing she will ever feel to true love. It was essential that this came across in the performance. Then came the blocking of the scenes. First of all we just exchanged ideas and thoughts, coming up with a skeletal plan for how to go about performing both scenes. We discussed things such as how lines should be spoken, facial expressions and other small but significant effects. Afterwards we concentrated mainly on the first scene to get that near-perfect before trying the second scene. Once we had familiarized ourselves with the scene and had fairly certain ideas about what to do, we started to really act it out. Not long after, we did hot-seating as a class in which the person in the hot-seat had to answer their questions as their character. I enjoyed listening to other people answer questions with much thought, as they delved into previously unexplored regions of their character. When my turn came, I found it to be a very interesting experience, being able to answer questions as a different person. I had to capture his frame of mind and be able to answer the questions convincingly as Norman. It really helped me to get to grips with Norman’s character, behaviour and motivation and also to further my acting ability as Norman. When it was Elise’s turn, it too helped me to understand her character better than I previously did, which enabled me to respond to her better in the play. Following that, we spent most, if not all, of our time concentrating on the first scene, filling in the gaps and finalising parts of it. Performing it in front of the class also helped a lot as it was open to criticism and any ideas from the class or Mrs. Powles. One idea that really affected what we had rehearsed so far was that at the beginning of the first scene, Sarah storms in and physically removes my feet from the arm of the armchair before she sits on it. We had thought this to be a good idea to convey that Sarah was angry with Norman, which she was. The suggestion was that this was not a bad idea, just that it would be more effective if Sarah came in and stared at my feet distastefully, as if daring me to leave them there. When I then remove them, she brushes the arm with her hand before sitting in the chair. This, we decided, was much better than our original plan as it shows that Sarah is a less physical person, more prim and uptight. Throughout all the extract from then on, the amount of physical interaction Sarah did was kept to a bare minimum. We started needing the script less and less and we started on the second scene – a definite sign of all-round progress. I found the second scene much more difficult to do than the first, mainly for two reasons. The first was that I had to act drunk, as prior to this scene, offstage, Norman has been consuming large amounts of wine. The real difficulty with this was that I had to appear drunk by staggering around and slurring my words. The staggering part was okay to act but the slurring was the real problem as I still had to be understood by the audience. With practice and advice form Mrs. Powles, however, this problem was soon overcome. The second problem was the kissing part. We knew this would be difficult when we chose the piece, but we still chose to do it. Once the initial embarrassment of it was overcome, there was still an awkward feeling as Elise was my friend. But this we endured right up to the end. As the exam date drew nearer, we spent our time polishing up the piece and adding finishing touches to it, such as sound effects and music. We spent a lot of time searching through the sound effects for some birdsong to be used at the beginning of the second scene, just to inform the audience that it was set outside. As for music, we originally thought about using â€Å"When a man loves a woman†, but in the end we decided on using â€Å"Irresistible† by the Corrs. For lighting effects, we used straw and golden gels on fresnel spots. With regards to costume, we decided that I would look best in a pair of corduroy trousers with a check shirt. But unfortunately I could not obtain a pair of corduroy trousers, so we settled for a pair of chinos with a leather belt. This, we thought, conveyed Norman’s character quite well; not trendy or modern, yet laid back and charming. For Sarah, we both decided that Elise would look appropriate in a grey skirt suit, as it would convey Sarah’s prim and proper personality. When the final day came, it went very smoothly. Neither of us made any real mistakes and our lines were as perfect as they ever would have been. Overall we were both very pleased with our final performance. And, thankfully the audience did seem to enjoy it as they laughed in all the right places, sometimes a bit more enthusiastically than we both had previously expected, which could have meant only good things.

Are Muslims Exempt from Obama Health Care Law

Are Muslims exempt from carrying health insurance under the health care reform law signed by President Barack Obama in 2010? At least one widely circulated email claims that Muslims are indeed exempt from The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Acts individual mandate provision, which requires Americans to carry health insurance or face financial penalties. Muslims are specifically exempted from the government mandate to purchase insurance, and also from the penalty tax for being uninsured, the email reads. Islam considers insurance to be gambling, risk-taking and usury and is thus banned. Muslims are specifically granted exemption based on this. The email immediately raises a red flag given widespread rumors that Obama is secretly a Muslim. So is there any truth to it? Exemptions From Health Care Reform Law The health care reform law does, in fact, include a religious conscience clause that allows certain recognized religious sects an exemption to the individual mandate. The health care reform law defines those sects as ones that are also exempt from Social Security payroll taxes under 26 U.S. Code section 1402(g)(1). In other words, religious sects that seek exemption from the health care reform laws individual mandate must also waive all benefits from Social Security and Medicare. The health care reform law does not, however, specify which religious sects are, or are not, eligible for such an exemption - Muslim or otherwise. Historically, the overwhelming majority of religious sects that have sought and received exemptions from Social Security are Mennonite and Amish groups. Most if not all Mennonite and Amish groups eschew traditional, commercial health insurance in favor of plans set up by their church districts. Could Muslims Seek Exemption from Health Care Reform Law Could Muslims seek exemption from the health care reform law? Yes, but they have given no indication of intending to do so. Muslims living in non-Islamic countries such as the United States do not believe it is a sin to comply with the health care reform law. The Muslim scholar Sheikh Muhammed Al-Munajjid advises those practicing Islam in such countries: If you are forced to take out insurance and there is an accident, it is permissible for you to take from the insurance company the same amount as the payments you have made, but you should not take any more than that. If they force you to take it then you should donate it to charity. Until that belief changes, the email about Muslims exempt from the health care reform law being circulated by conspiracy theorists remains bogus. Is Congress Exempt from Obamacare? In the uproar over the law’s passage, claims that members of Congress had exempted themselves from Obamacare quickly spread across social media. However, the law actually singled out lawmakers—Republicans and Democrats—and their staffs by forcing them to give up their standard government employee health insurance and buy insurance from the Obamacare health care marketplaces. While lawmakers and their staffs do get their traditional employer contribution to put toward a plan from the marketplaces, they must still get insurance like everyone else to avoid paying a tax penalty. Who is Exempt from Obamacare? In fact, there are two categories of individuals who are exempt from Obamacare: criminals and Native Americans. Incarcerated Criminals   The Affordable Care Act specifically provides that â€Å"incarcerated individuals excluded.† The health care of inmates is the responsibility of the prisons housing them. The level of care inmates receive varies by state, but typically includes regular check-ups and emergency care. Native Americans Members of federally recognized Native Indian tribes are exempt from Obamacare. While they are not required to have insurance, they receive free health care through the U.S. Indian Health Service under one of several long-standing treaties with the federal government. Updated by Robert Longley