Analysis Paper Hills Like White Elephants

Victor Aguirre ENGL 1102 (T/R 9:30a. m. ) February 1, 2013 Short Story Analysis Paper Topic: Hills like White Elephants Meaningful Hills Hills are seen as just abstract objects in a distance, some may be seen as beautiful and they are hard to get around when you don’t have the best way to overcome them. In the short story an American man and a girl named Jig are sitting in a rail station waiting for the train to Madrid. While they are waiting, they have an intense, ongoing discussion over whether or not Jig will get an abortion.The hills are viewed as a symbol of how big obstacles can set minor setback in life, but you have to find a way around to move on. In the story, Jig looked at the hills and said, â€Å"They look like white elephants. † To Jig the case was very rare to encounter such animal. The hills on the other hand represent big obstacles that we must climb, but they are not enormous mountains. This represents the fact that the girl's baby is a key obstacle in her life, but it is not the end of her life and she will make it through.The only problem is that the American is trying to convince her to go thru with the operation, thus causing certain conflict between the couple. Even though Jig knows she will be ok if she allows the baby to live, the Americans negativity affects her mood and thoughts on their relationship. Hills are also perspectives to look out from, but also block the view for those who reside in the valley. This represents how in the story Jig looks at the hills and sees opportunity, yet at the same time the American looks at the hills and sees nothing, his vision of a positive and happy future is congested by the enormous obstacle of the child.The happiness that the baby will transfer to the couple would make everything feel perfectly fine to Jig. The fact that the American sees this as a negative effect on their lives really hurts Jig. Nevertheless she wants to make things work with him, and she will try to until their j ourney comes to a stop. Like the wilderness the hills are stunning, natural and completely stationery. In other words, they have always been in the same place, and they will always be that way, that's just the way it is.This shows how settling down would be a necessity with a baby. It also shows that being pregnant is no small thing. A baby is a huge responsibility and is not something you take very lightly. Regardless of the girl's decision, it is not something that the girl will ever be able forget about. A baby is a life form which can’t be brought back to life once it’s gone and neither can you get rid of it, just because you don’t want it. All the traveling is getting to her and she wants to stay still for some time and have a family.In which she can enjoy spending time with and live a happy life with. In the story there was a part when Jig looks at the scenery and says, â€Å"And we could have all this. † (Pg. 175) Referring to on a deeper level, hi lls represent a test, new life, and opportunity. While Jig sits down and looks at the hills, seeing a chance and is considering the possibility of new life, a newborn child in her life. The opportunity of settling down and getting to a new stage in her life where she can feel proud of herself and take care of one of her own.Nothing is easy in life, and for Jig to accept the responsibility of the operation could be a pricey choice in the long run. Throughout the short story many examples where shown of how the hills resemble the view point of Jig and the American. The American is eagerly trying to convince Jig to pursue the possibility of going through with the surgery. While only thinking about his happiness and not whether Jig feels ok with it. The American tries to make his words sound mellow and convincing but Jig sees past them and realizes that the right choice is within her.Regardless of what the American wants, she is the only one who has to endure the real pain of the situat ion, nevertheless her surroundings let her visualize how they could help her with her decision. Therefore the hills help her realize how many things in life are just obstacles but can be easily overcome with by finding a resolution that will benefit everyone. Works Citied Page Hemingway, Ernest. Hills Like White Elephants. Rpt. In Literature: Approaches to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 2nd ed. Ed. Robert DiYanni. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008. 400-403. Print

Poetry Analysis Essay

?One may try and seek a definition for poetry, but there is no correct answer. In fact, each person will have his own version for the definition of poetry. But that is the beauty of poetry, the same poem will have a unique meaning for each individual that reads it. The most fitting description for poetry comes from the character Pablo Neruda in Michael Radford’s 1994 film Il Postino: The Postman, â€Å"When you explain poetry it becomes banal. Better than any explanation is the experience of feelings that poetry can reveal to a nature open enough to understand it. † Poetry is so crucial to have in the world because of the functions poetry serves as, the special qualities poetry has, and life without poetry would simply be boring. ?Poetry can function as an epiphany, awakening, for someone or to express one’s feelings. After reading a strong piece of poetry one can feel a sudden growth in confidence to change something about their life or community. In Il Postino, the character Mario Ruoppolo has an epiphany after researching poetry with the poet Pablo Neruda. Mario found the confidence to stand up to the politician who was exploiting the people of the island. Mario also became a political activist for the communist party. Poetry also helped Mario express his love for poetry. After reading a lot of poetry, Mario found confidence within himself to make changes. The epiphany poetry gave him made Mario realize he had the ability to make a difference within himself and the community. Poetry cannot just act as a catalyst for an awakening but also as a channel to express inner feelings. Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem â€Å"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways† expresses her love for her husband Robert Browning. Browning uses similes throughout the poem to express her love, â€Å"I love thee freely, as men strive for Right/ I love thee purely, as they turn to Praise. † Browning used poetry to express her forbidden love to her husband, whom she eloped with. Poetry can express other strong feelings the writer wishes to share. Poetry can be used to trigger an epiphany or to share one’s feelings. ?What is also great about poetry is that it allows writers to be creative, and to use special poetic qualities such as figures of speech or rhyme scheme. In â€Å"Young and Old† by Charles Kingsley he uses metaphors to describe the theme of aging. â€Å"When all the world is young, lad/ And all the trees are green†¦ When all the world is old, lad/ And all the trees are brown. † His successful use of metaphors paints a picture throughout the poem of being young to growing old. The use of metaphors helps the reader grasp the concept Kingsley was portraying. Rhyme scheme is a special quality poets use to make poems have a playful twist. In Philip Larkin’s poem â€Å" This Be the Verse†, the rhyming brings down the serious tone of the poem. â€Å"The fuck you up, your mum and dad/ They may not mean to, but they do. / They fill you with the faults they had/ And add some extra, just for you. † The rhyming at the end of every other line puts a playful twist on the serious tone and the strong language used. Poetry lets the writer be creative in how he wants the use poetic devices throughout the poem. ?Most importantly, try imagining life without poetry. If you’re having difficulty, try imagining the most popular genre of poetry, music. Music is a part of everyone’s life and is used in various ways such as entertainment or to cope with hardships. Music is a form of poetry with a musical beat to go along the lyrics. Artists use their music to cope with strong emotions. For example, British musician Adele used her music as a way to manage her break-up with her boyfriend. Songwriting has the same elements of poetry in the sense of expressing one’s feelings like Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Musicians also write music to shine some light on the corruption in politics. Rapper Immortal Technique uses his music to show how America’s policy making is strongly influenced by the military and corporations. He encourages society to confront policy makers to please the average working person, not the wealthiest people in society. He uses his music to inspire people to make changes like Neruda influenced Mario to have an epiphany in Il Postino.

Literature review on Consumer Choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Literature review on Consumer Choice - Essay Example The aim is to explore additional alternatives or wait. Whether mundane or not, these choices describe and shape lives. The author asks hard questions on how to choose. The author researches on whether the desire is inborn or developed. According to this literature review, the decisions we make have enormous consequences. According to B. Schwartz, too many choices end up confusing consumers. This also makes them feel have no satisfaction. Consumers have the ability to make little to choose when they have too many choices. Many choices are likely to add the quality of decisions Professor R. Iyengars research investigates how consumers respond to non-linear pricing programs. He looks at how quality of services affects the ability of a consumer to make decisions. He found that both quality and quantity matter when it comes to decision making. Most first service encounters look for quality. They are, therefore, critical. Too many choices become a problem to the consumer. Currently, people think many choices lead to quality choices. Many choices give a satisfaction to consumers and how the marginal utility affects consumer choices. Human desires are infinite and hard to manage according to this source. Confusing and overwhelming amounts of information could have a negative impact on the ability of consumers to purchase. Limited choices cause consumers to feel dissatisfied with the choices they make. Choice overload has the potential of causing consumers to choose choices they cannot handle. Manufacturers are considering streamlining the number of options they present to consumers The degree of difficulty of picking the best option from many options influences consumer purchase deferral. It is clear that consumer purchases are the outcome of two decisions i.e. to buy or not to buy. This is coupled with a selection decision. Consumer equilibrium is achieved when consumer purchases the combination that the highest

Evaluate the potential effectiveness of ECB's monetary policy decision Essay

Evaluate the potential effectiveness of ECB's monetary policy decision on the recent quantitative easing programme within the Rurozone economy - Essay Example le tend to borrow less thus decreasing consumption of goods and services in the market as the income in household decreases, this reduces the rate of demand of goods and services making unemployment a major issue as people are retrenched and companies do not employ people (Tenreyro, 2008). This in turn affects the GDP of the country negatively. This paper focuses on the Eurozone and the effects of the Quantitative Easing policy introduced by the European Central Bank. The Eurozone is a term used to refer to all the countries that use the Euro as their means of trade within Europe. It compromises of 17 countries which are Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, Finland, Spain, Slovenia, Portugal, Slovakia, Italy, Malta, Cyprus, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Estonia, Greece and Ireland (Gunyà ©, 2004), each with very different economies. Some are developed while others are struggling to find their place in the market making it very difficult to have a one size policy that’s fits all. Some countries like Germany do have a stronger economy (Anderson, 2012) compared to others like Greece that have a developing or not very well established economy. These countries within the Eurozone like all other countries have their central bank named the European Central bank which was established in 1998 to regulate prices of commodities espe cially equities through making monetary policies for countries within the Eurozone (Dominguez, 2006). The first monetary policy effected by the Euro zone in 2008 (Erà §etin, 2014) leading to a euro crisis as the ECB increased the rates of borrowing making achieving loans for financiers of firms or clients very difficult (Ciro, 2013). This lead to fewer consumption of goods and services by consumers that affected the demand curve as consumption reduced which eventually lead to inflation. This ended up affecting the rate of the currency the Euro as domestically produced goods became more expensive than the imports also affecting inflation, unemployment

The Academy Awards For Best Foreign Film Language Movie- can you take Essay

The Academy Awards For Best Foreign Film Language Movie- can you take it seriously - Essay Example Is it befitting to say that these awards ‘celebrate’ the harsh realities of common person while the common person turns a blind eye to them? In the following parts we shall discuss all this and about the past winners. Best Foreign Language nominees get a lot of attention from people around the world. They are a part of ‘meaningful cinema’ that forces people to think about the matter and to do something for the cause. This is said not without proof, Day of Glory, a nominee in 2006, made an impact on the public policy when the law for elevating the benefits to Algerian veterans was passed. It is apt to say that these movies have a niche audience because there are few people who admire the movie for its effort and for its success in bringing forth a matter that matters. Not many people are willing to give their one hour to a cinema that raises an issue and says it in an unflattering manner; people would rather watch something that entertains. This nature is common to people around the world; however, when a film is nominated for Oscars they will watch a nominee from their homeland if not all the nominees. This is a much better condition. Let us now come to the nominees from various countries and their journey to the final nomination. As already said there are many controversies surrounding a nomination. This journey of controversies starts as soon as a film has to be selected for nominee from a country. There are so many political and personal forces working at this level itself that it is hard to say whether the nominee is actually the best nominee from their respective country. Last year the nominee from India was surrounded in controversies, since a member of the jury was a close friend of the director of the movie. The matter was so serious that High Court had to interrupt and though the nominee was not backed out but a rule was passed that banned any related person to

Business Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Project Management - Essay Example However, with increased competition, widespread use of project management theories and processes in day to day functioning of businesses and blurring departmental and functional boundaries, projects are now considered no less than strategic processes underpinning theories and concepts of leadership, strategy, culture, communication, integration and appropriate know-how of relevant systems. This report aims at delving deep into this transformed outlook towards project management approach and how these management functions are shaping the traditional structure of project management into an amalgamation of project, change and process management. With the inclusion of relationship management, risk management, people satisfaction and motivation, empowerment and creativity; project management in itself is turning into a specialised body of knowledge comprising of the vital elements of management, strategy, human resources and operations. To demonstrate this tectonic shift, examples of vari ous projects ranging from big construction to IT ones have been taken so that theories and concepts can be understood in real life terms. ... Projects are time-bound, focus on a single time process and are usually complex in nature because of mingling of several distinct and unrelated functions. Limitation of time, cost and resources add to the characteristics of projects. On the contrary, processes are repeatable and do not suffer from limitations which are present in project management. Homogeneity is also more dominant in process management than do in project management. Traditional approach to project management Traditionally, projects used to be differentiated from that of processes because of superficial differences identified between the two. Their scope, extent of penetration in organization’s philosophy and strategy, resource allocation, level of inter-dependence of different functions and activities within the management of two and results achieved thereof lead to the misconception that projects cannot assume the status of processes and vice-versa. Typical project management cycle includes stereotypic phas es defined as requirements analysis, resource management, project methodology, risk management and project closure. These phases are technical in nature with clear specifications of roles, duty, inputs and respective outputs. They do not recognize the evolving nature of business place and components of business management like planning, controlling, decision making and more contemporary functions of management namely leadership, strategy, cultural ramifications, knowledge of systems and overall congruence with the components of process management. This makes the traditional approach to project management short of fulfilling the current needs of business and unique propositions. Evolved components of project management Prosci (2011) specifically highlights the tripartite nature of project

Imagine yourself in a different century and describe an average day in Assignment

Imagine yourself in a different century and describe an average day in your life - Assignment Example The handle can know how much force is required to lift an object. This was fascinating! As time moved by, the lab became my new home; I loved every independent project there. How I wish I could get access to such stuffs often. No single day passes without me passing by the game park, to watch the remaining species of birds and enjoy the relaxing sound of the three waterfalls. Can there be robotic birds, waterfalls, and trees? I bet not. And maybe never! While appreciating technological prowess, I have developed compassion with nature! I want to protect it because most robotic machines rely on command language. They can end up destroying naturally existing creatures. This must have been a good observation for today I guess! Who really thinks in such a direction? As I head home in the evening, I pass by the vendor machine to pick a cold drink! I sit quietly on a bench nearby to enjoy my drink. Do I love children again? How I wish I could join them in riding their robotic toy vehicles! Unfortunately I cannot because I am past that age! My eyes are left to admire and enjoy their

Teaching of Maths in Primary Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Teaching of Maths in Primary Schools - Essay Example Mike Askew et al in their study on effectiveness in the teaching of numeracy isolated three belief systems that were characteristic of the approaches teachers took in teaching numeracy. They were the connectionist, transmission and discovery models. An in-depth look at their respective characteristics, relative merits and overall efficacy is given below. The Connectionist Model: In the words of Askew et al (1997, p.341) it includes "beliefs based around both valuing pupils' methods and teaching effective strategies with an emphasis on establishing connections within mathematics." The stress here is on efficiency as well as effectiveness. The keyword is "connection" as connectionist oriented teachers seek to teach students to establish links between the numbers, methods and concepts in mathematics in order to facilitate a deeper understanding of the subject. Students are expected to be aware of the available methods and to demonstrate skill in selecting the appropriate method. "The connectionist orientation places a strong emphasis on developing reasoning, justification and, eventually, proof within the teaching of number."(Askew et al, 1997, p.343) These teachers believe that students come equipped with mental strategies and it is possible for anyone to achieve proficiency in mathematics with the help of effective teaching. Misunder standings are seen as a way to clarify matters and enhance understanding. An important tool for the connectionist oriented teacher is the use of dialogue as the basis of imparting knowledge. The Transmission Model: According to Askew et al (1997, p.341) it is the "beliefs based around the primacy of teaching and a view of mathematics as a collection of separate routines and procedures." Teachers of this orientation set much store by routine and paper and pencil methods. They teach mathematical concepts in isolation. A student's prior knowledge of the subject is largely seen as irrelevant. The emphasis here is on teaching rather than on learning. If the student fails to learn despite a clear verbal explanation, it is seen as a result of the child's inability to learn. The teacher uses the question and answer format to discern students' progress. The Discovery Model: Askew et al (1997, p.341 state that it includes "beliefs based around the primacy of learning and a view of mathematics as being discovered by pupils." Here the stress is on the process of discovery as the student explores and understands the world of mathematics. The method used is considered irrelevant, provided the correct answer is arrived at. It aims to focus on and improve practical skills. As per this orientation learning is of importance and students are encouraged to learn at their pace and use the strategies they see as appropriate. Numeracy is seen as a natural process and it cannot be hastened. Having noted the salient features of these belief systems, it must be remembered that they are 'ideal types' and it is unlikely that any teacher will be a purist with regard to these orientations. With regard to efficiency in teaching mathematics there is little room for doubt. Askew et al (1997, p.345) have concluded from their studies "that those teachers with a strong

Contemporary Management issue (Tom's of Maine) Essay

Contemporary Management issue (Tom's of Maine) - Essay Example Business has its own ethics. Ferrell et al state that â€Å"business ethics comprises the principles and standards that guide behaviour in the world of business† (2009). This paper will examine the ethical matters that differentiated Toms of Maine from other businesses. It would examine the dominant theories that affected the way Toms of Maine and also identify the different dilemmas that Toms of Maine went through. The paper will examine the important activities that influenced the companys ethical affairs. The report concludes by making findings and recommendations on this subject. The story of Toms of Maine is such that the company started with a modest belief that was based on the views and strong beliefs of the founder and his wife that people must be more responsible for their actions and how they use natural resources. Toms of Maine was steeped in two things: humanitarianism and environmental consciousness. In terms of humanitarianism, they believed strongly that the members of the public needed to be given the proper products that would boost their health and ease their conscience. People who purchased their products felt that they were helping to promote a kind of business that is responsible. In terms of environmental consciousness, the company used operational systems that were very responsible. They were sensitive to animals and also conscious of the systems and production they had. Also, the company used popular methods like recycling and other things. There are several ethical frameworks that can be used to help in decision making and thinking before any action is taken. There are several approaches which are always applied and they can give a view of how to decide on a matter. Deontological Ethics are based â€Å"on duties and obligations that apply, for the most part, regardless of consequences† (Thompson, 2011: 54). Deontological ethics suggest that what is

Doll House Essay Example for Free

Doll House Essay In the play â€Å"A DOLL’S HOUSE†, we are presented with a very idealistic version of life in the late 1800’s, and along with that, the very confined roles both men and women were placed into. â€Å"A DOLL’S HOUSE† lends proof to the fact that women do not always enjoy the freedom to say, do and choose a lifestyle that they find fulfilling. The story that the play presents sheds a very domineering light on males as heads of households, and in society in general, and portrays women as dependent and subservient. In the opening scene of â€Å"A DOLL’S HOUSE†, the main character Nora very tellingly hides, and later lies to her husband about eating a sugary treat (Ibsen). Although Nora’s husband Torvald grills with questions such as â€Å"Hasn’t Miss Sweet Tooth been breaking rules in town today? † she continues to deny that she has, despite having hidden a few macaroons in her pocket moments earlier (Ibsen). The question might arise: â€Å"would a man ever be subject to such questioning and severe restrictions†? We do not often see the roles reversed, were the woman controls so much of what a man eats, how much he spends, what he does in his spare time, etc. , especially in literature and other sources of entertainment. Too often, the â€Å"traditional† views of marital and societal roles regarding men and women are presented over and over; the male â€Å"wears the pants†, dictating to the woman how much she should spend, where she should spend it, and how to behave â€Å"Properly†. As the play progresses, we learn that Nora has committed a grievous crime, forging her fathers signature on a bond secured in order for she and her husband to spend time in Europe as part of Torvalds recovery from a grave illness. Nora is shown to be very dependent on money, and things of monetary value, and therefore her husband since he was obviously procurer of their financial status. Nora comes across as is very dependent on Torvald for her financial needs, and also extremely greedy as evidenced when she exclaims like a child â€Å"Money!  Ã¢â‚¬  at the sight of her husband producing more money to give her (Ibsen). She follows that with â€Å"ten shillingsa pound- -two pounds! Thank you, thank you! † (Ibsen). Such exchanges throughout the play place such a childlike dependency on Nora towards her husband. It is interesting that Nora takes a secret pride in her crime, feeling that it sets her apart and gives her more purpose, while at the same time worrying about how â€Å"humiliating it would be for Torvald, with his manly independence, to know that he owed me anything!  Ã¢â‚¬  even fearing that their â€Å"beautiful happy home would no longer be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ibsen). Further still throughout the play, we are faced with more evidence to support the fact that women were not seen as equals in marriage, but as someone to be either proud of or shamed by according to their looks, actions, and ability to keep a home running smoothly. Nora herself is very aware of her place as a thing to be admired when she remarks to her friend Mrs. Linde, â€Å"someday†¦when I am no longer as nice-looking as I am now†¦when Torvald is no longer as devoted to me as he is now; when my dancing and dressing-up and reciting have palled on him;† (Ibsen). Another very telling exchange between Torvald and Nora takes place during the preparation for a ball in which Nora is to dance. While trying to discourage her husband from getting the mail, and finding a letter from the man who was going to reveal her crime, Nora plays to Torvalds dominant tendency insisting that she cannot do it correctly without his help. Although their conversation is in reference to her dance and practicing, it seems to shed some light on the type of relationship they have. Nora exclaims â€Å"I can’t dance tomorrow if I don’t practice with you†¦criticize me, and correct me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  to which Torvald replies â€Å"with great pleasure, if you wish me to† (Ibsen). As they practice, Nora’s nerves about her crime being exposed get the best of her and she is unable to perform correctly. Torvald cries â€Å"you will need a lot of coaching†¦you can depend on me† (Ibsen).

Kiliani-fischer Synthesis of Monosaccharides

Kiliani-fischer Synthesis of Monosaccharides Teoh Shi Hao Sean Introduction Monosaccharides are the most basic unit of carbohydrates, playing an essential role in the biochemistry of life. The most important and commonly occurring form is glucose, used as an energy source in cells (Solomon et al., 2011). Monosaccharides have the chemical formula (CH2O)n (where n 3) but those with eight or more carbons are uncommon due to their inherent instability (Solomon et al., 2011; McMurry, 2008). In a monosaccharide molecule, each carbon atom has a hydroxyl group bonded to it, except one which has an oxygen atom double bonded to it instead thus forming a carbonyl group (Solomon et al., 2011). The monosaccharide is an aldehyde if the carbonyl group is located at the end of the chain, and a ketone if the carbonyl group is located at any other position. Monosaccharides can exist in acyclic or cyclic forms, and usually switch between the two forms (McMurry, 2008). The Kiliani-Fischer synthesis is a technique for lengthening these important biomolecules. Mechanism Figure 1 below shows the reaction equation of the technique. A starting sugar is first reacted with sodium cyanide to form cyanohydrin, and subsequently hydrolysed through the application of heat to form two diastereomeric aldonic acid lactone intermediates. These intermediates are later separated through separation techniques, such as chromatography, and the desired lactone is reduced using a sodium amalgam to form a resultant sugar that has one carbon atom more than the starting sugar. In this written review, the starting sugar will be a aldopentose and the resultant sugar will be a aldohexose. Figure 1 – Reaction equation of the Kiliani-Fischer synthesis (Kilini-Fischer synthesis, 2014; Fischer, 1890). Nucleophilic addition of aldehyde to form cyanohydrin The first step in Kiliani-Fischer synthesis involves nucleophilic addition of the starting sugar, an aldehyde. NaCN and H2O are used as reagents (McMurry, 2008). Figure 2 below shows the mechanism of the reaction. A lone pair on a CN ion initiates the reaction by attacking the nucleophilic carbon atom at the carbonyl group, forming a tetrahedral intermediate. The O then attacks the H atom of a H2O molecule, forming a cyanohydrin. Figure 2 – Reaction of starting sugar to form cyanohydrin. Hydrolysis of cyanohydrin to form aldonic acid The second step in Kiliani-Fischer synthesis involves the hydrolysis of the cyanohydrin to form aldonic acid (McMurry, 2008). H2O is used as the reagent, with heat applied. Figure 3 below shows the mechanism of the reaction. The lone pair on the O of OH, formed by the auto-ionization of water, attacks the nucleophilic C of the cyanohydrin forming a trigonal planar structure. The lone pair on the N then attacks an H of a H2O molecule, followed by the double bond of C=N attacking the H atom bonded to the OH group. The resultant molecule is an amide. An OH ion then attacks the nucleophilic carbon at the carbonyl group, forming a tetrahedral intermediate that collapses with NH2 leaving as a leaving group. An aldonic acid molecule is formed. Figure 3 – Hydrolysis of cyanohydrin to form aldonic acid. Esterification of aldonic acid to form lactone intermediate and subsequent reduction to form resultant sugar With the same reagent of H2O and conditions of heat, the aldonic acid produced from the hydrolysis of cyanohydrin undergoes esterification to form lactone intermediates (McMurry, 2008). Figure 4 below shows the mechanism of the reaction. A lone pair on the O at the carbonyl group of COOH attacks a proton produced by the auto-ionization of water. The tautomer of the resulting intermediate has a nucleophilic carbon, C1, which is attacked by a lone pair present on the OH group on the other end of the aldonic acid chain. The electrons from the O-H bond of the attacking OH group is withdrawn by the O+, and the resulting proton is attacked by a lone pair on the OH group attached to C1. The lone pair from the O of the other OH group attached to C1 forms a second bond between C and O, and a H2O molecule leaves as a leaving group. The electrons from the O-H bond then forms a second bond between C and O, and a proton leaves. A lactone intermediate is formed. Finally, the lactone intermediate is reduced using a sodium amalgam, Na(Hg), to form the resultant aldohexose monosaccharide (McMurry, 2008). Reagents used are sodium amalgam and sulphuric acid, in cold solution (Fischer, 1890). Figure 5 below shows the reaction equation. The exact mechanism of reduction by sodium amalgam is unknown at this point in time (Keck et al., 1994). Figure 4 – Esterification of aldonic acid to form lactone intermediate. Figure 5 – Reduction of aldonic acid to resultant sugar. History and development The Kiliani-Fischer synthesis is named after German chemists Heinrich Kiliani and Hermann Emil Fischer. Its original purpose was to elucidate all 16 stereoisomers of aldohexoses, as achieved by Fischer. Key discoveries that to the development of this technique included: (1) Louis Pasteur’s insight that the â€Å"molecule of tartaric acid came in two forms that were mirror images†, or isomers, of one another, and that each of these isomers rotated polarized light in different directions (Wagner, 2004, p.240), (2) Jacobus H. van’t Hoff’s and J. A. Le Bel’s insight of the â€Å"concept of an asymmetric carbon atom†, that isomers of compounds exist despite identical chemical formulae because of asymmetric carbon atoms, and the relationship between stereochemistry and optical activity (Wagner, 2004, p.240), and (3) Fischer’s creation of phenylhydrazine, a reagent that reacts with sugar molecules to form osazones. Prior to the discovery of this technique, relatively little was known about the structural properties of monosaccharides. It was difficult to study monosaccharides because of their â€Å"tendency to form syrups rather than solids that could be dissolved and crystallized easily† (Wagner, 2004). However, Fischer discovered phenylhydrazine which when reacted with aldonic acids (formed by oxidation of sugars) forms osazones (Kunz, 2002). These carbohydrate derivatives could be isolated easily through crystallization, and had physical forms that could be distinguished from one another (Kunz, 2002). Their subsequent analysis allowed Fischer to identify and segregate isomers of the monosaccharides (Wagner, 2004). The aldonic acid can be regenerated by addition of baryta water, or aqueous solution of barium hydroxide, to the segregated osazone (Fischer, 1890). The then purified aldonic acid can be evaporated to transform into welling-crystallizing lactone for further study (Fischer, 1 890). Using this technique, Fischer discovered that two distinct monosaccharides, D-glucose and D-mannose, yield the same osazone because osazone formation destroys the asymmetry about C2 without affecting the rest of the molecule (Wagner, 2004). Furthermore, the lactones of D-glucose and D-mannose turned polarized light in different directions. As such, he concluded that D-glucose and D-mannose have identical structures but were mirror images of one another (Wagner, 2004). However, their exact structures were still unknown. In 1886, Kiliani discovered a method to lengthen the carbon chain of an organic molecule, using cyanide as a reagent to form cyanohydrin (McMurry, 2012). Fischer realized the potential of this discovery in advancing the study of carbohydrates, adding on an additional step to convert the cyanohydrin nitrile group into an aldehyde (McMurry, 2012). Thus, the Kiliani-Fischer synthesis was created. This new technique allowed Fischer to research further into the stereoisomerism of monosaccharides and continue off where he last stopped – that D-glucose and D-mannose were stereoisomers but of unknown structures. Applications Elucidation of aldohexose stereoisomers Figure 5 on the right shows the general structure of a aldohexose. In order to apply the Kiliani-Fischer synthesis in the elucidation of aldohexose stereoisomers, Fischer had to first make a starting assumption that the –OH group of D-glucose at C5 was on the right side (Wagner, 2004). L-arabinose is an aldopentose having five carbon atoms. Its exact structure had been deciphered by Fischer, and is asymmetric at C2, C3 and C ­4 as shown in Figure 6 on the right. Fischer discovered that the Kiliani-Fischer synthesis converted L-arabinose into both D-glucose and D-mannose (Wagner, 2004). This therefore implied that D-glucose and D-mannose shared the same configuration about C3, C4 and C5 as the analogous carbons in L-arabinose (C2, C3 and C4 respectively) (Wagner, 2004). This insight led Fischer to use L-arabinose in conjunction with D-glucose and D-mannose as materials for further research. Fischer discovered that oxidizing L-arabinose created a product that was optically active (Wagner, 2004). If the starting assumption made by Fischer was true, then this implied that the –OH group at C2 in L-arabinose (and thus C3 in D-glucose and D-mannose) must be on the left side or the product would be optically inactive (Wagner, 2004). Next, Fischer determined that oxidizing D-glucose and D-mannose resulted in dicarboxylic acids that were optically active (Wagner, 2004). This implied that the –OH group at C4 in D-glucose and D-mannose (and thus C3 in L-arabinose) must be on the right side or the product would be optically inactive (Wagner, 2004). Finally, Fischer found that oxidizing D-gulose resulted in the same dicarboxylic acid as that of D-glucose (Wagner, 2004). Through logic, Fischer realized this implied that the –OH group at C2 in D-glucose must be on the right side. Piecing together all the information, Fischer finally determined the exact structure of D-glucose and D-mannose, as shown in Figure 7 below. Problems and improvements The Kiliani-Fischer synthesis is a commonly used technique in preparing aldoses. However, the last step in the reaction process, reduction, produces â€Å"mixtures containing product aldoses, unreacted lactone, aldonic acid salts, and alditols† (Serianni et al., 1979; p.71). Reduction by sodium amalgam allows the production of acylated aldoses in high yields but the subsequent removal of the acyl groups often degrades the product aldose (Serianni et al., 1979). An improvement to this method would be to reduce the nitrile over a palladium catalyst (Serianni et al., 1979; McMurry, 2012). This would yield an imine intermediate instead, that can be hydrolysed to an aldehyde. References Fischer, E. (1890). Synthesis in the sugar group. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 12(8), 400-409. Fischer, E. (1902). Syntheses in the purine and sugar group. Nobel Lectures, Chemistry 1901, 1921, 21-35. Keck, G. E., Savin, K. A. Weglarz, M. A. (1995). Use of samarium diiodide as an alternative to sodium/mercury amalgam in the Julia-Lythgoe Olefination. Journal of Organic Chemistry, 60(10), 3194–3204. Kiliani-Fischer synthesis (2014). Wikipedia. Retrieved April 2, 2014 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiliani%E2%80%93Fischer_synthesis. Kunz, H. (2002). Emil Fischer – unequalled classicist, master of organic chemistry, and inspired trailblazer of biological chemistry. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 41(23), 4439-4451. Magner, J. A. (2004). Emil Fischer (1852-1919): The stereochemical nature of sugars. The Endocrinologist, 14(5), 239-244. McMurry, J. (2008). Organic Chemistry (7th edition). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole. McMurry, J. (2012). Organic Chemistry (8th edition). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole Serianni, A. S., Nunez, H. A. Barker, R. (1979). Carbon-13 enriched carbohydrates: Preparation of aldonitrile and their reduction with a palladium catalyst. Carbohydrate Research, 72, 71-78. Solomon, E. P., Berg, L. R., Martin, D. W. (2011). Biology (9th edition). Singapore, CA: Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd.

The Turning Point in John Updikes A & P Essay -- A&P Essays

The Turning Point in John Updike's A & P John Updike's short story "A & P" reveals nineteen-year old Sammy, the central character, as a complex person. Although Sammy appears, on the surface, as carefree and driven by male hormones, he has a lengthy agenda to settle. Through depersonalization, Sammy reveals his ideas about sexuality, social class, stereotypes, responsibility, and authority. Updike's technique, his motif, is repeated again and again through the active teenage mind of the narrator Sammy. Sammy is, like most young men, object-minded. The object of his mind is the female body. Although his upbringing and the fact that he is at work do not allow him to voice his admiration for the girls in bikinis at the A & P, he lets the reader know, in no uncertain terms, what he is thinking. He gives each girl a name--Plaid, Big Tall Goony Goony, and Queenie--based on his evaluation of their physical body parts. The game is one that teenagers play the world over, with countless hours spent seeing and being seen. The primary object to view, in Sammy's eyes, is the queen. He describes how "she must have felt in the corner of her eye me and over my shoulder Stokesie in the second slot watching, but she didn't tip. Not this queen" (28). Sammy goes on to tell how "she [...] turned so slow it made [his] stomach rub the inside of [his] apron" (28). The irony of the setting is that the girls, dressed in nothing but swimsuits, have turned the neighborhood grocery store into a human meat mark et, with themselves as the commodity of choice for the male consumer. In Sammy's mind's eye, the queen was of such regal bearing that she commanded his worship. He envisioned his well-bred idol as being of a higher social class than his own. ... ...iphany that afternoon in the A & P. Sammy's immaturity and lack of experience were largely to blame for his wrestling with conflicting roles in his transition from child to adult. Updike's protagonist was at the same time an imaginative, observant young man who stood by his convictions, defending the girls to the end. Sammy was perhaps more intelligent and more gutsy than one would like to give him credit for, however. He knew what he did not want out of life. On that Thursday afternoon in the A & P, his name game caught up with him. Quitting his job was to be a turning point for him, a time for him to confront his own issues of sexuality, social class, stereotyping, responsibility, and, on a deeper leve, authority. Work Cited Updike, John. "A & P." Literature: Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. Ed. Robert DiYanni. 5th ed. New York: McGraw, 1998. 27-31.

Life in the Community Essay -- Gender Roles, Racism

Life in the Community Aren’t you supposed to be smart because you’re Asian? Aren’t you supposed to be a trouble maker because you’re African American? We are discriminated against because of our multicultural society. In our multicultural society we experience these terrible racist comments due to the diversity we have. Our society is one of the worst because of the diversity of people and religions. We have different languages, foods, religions, movies, music, and games making life confusing for the average person. We have trained our minds to think of everyone as different; judging them without even knowing them. We live with all these freedoms and choices that can led to bad reasoning. Lois Lowry explores the concept of Sameness in The Giver and shows that while there are problems with Sameness ultimately it is a positive way to run a society. Living in a society that employs Sameness corrects the problem of racism and sexism. Lily had exclaimed, â€Å"One of them—a male; I don’t know his name – kept going right to the front of the line† (Lowry 5). Lily only describes the child as a male not introducing the thought of a race. She does not describe him as anything else than a male, meaning she doesn’t know the concept of racism. It is shown that racism can also lead to there being sexism in a society. Jonas shows this by saying, â€Å"Mother, who held a prominent position at the Department of Justice, talked about her feelings† (Lowry 8). Jonas shows the reader that in his Community the idea of anyone becoming anything is true. It does not matter if they are male or female; it only matters if they are capable, making... ... violence. When violence is present in a community it normally leads to crime, and in The Giver crime is not one of the major problems. Sameness also helps the citizens of the community to make good choices. No one in Jonas’s society has the wrong job, spouse, or children. All this is due to the idea of Sameness. Would you trust someone to bath you? Sameness is the reason Elders in Jonas’s Community are not scared of being bathed by a random stranger. Sameness also gets rid of all the hardships of the climate, and environment. Sameness makes the climate and environment constant meaning no random changes will occur in it. Would you like to live in a world on no crime, violence, entrust, hardships, racism, and sexism? Lois Lowry reveals to use that a community with Sameness is more productive and reasonable that one without.

Oedipus the King- Metaphors Essay

â€Å" «Light versus Darkness Knowledge is characterized as a burst of light which contrasts the darkness of ignorance. At the beginning of the play, and towards the fourth episode, we notice the â€Å"darkness†, the lack of knowledge that Oedipus has toward mostly everything that is surrounding him. When Oedipus learns the truth, it â€Å"bursts† into light. The metaphor of light represents truth and knowledge. â€Å" «Sight versus Blindness A reference to this metaphor occurs early in the play, when Oedipus falsely accuses Tiresias and Creon of conspiracy. â€Å"So this is what he wants, Creon the loyal, Creon so long my friend! Stealing up to overthrow and snatch!† (page 22). â€Å"XTiresias responds by using the same metaphor: â€Å"I’m blind you say; you mock at that! I say you see and still are blind – appallingly: Blind to your origins and to a union in your house.† (pg 23) Thus the idea of sight is critical in Oedipus the King. Though Tiresias is physically blind, he sees the truth from the beginning, while Oedipus, who has physical eyesight, is blind to his fate. â€Å" «Ã¢â‚¬ Oh, look upon the city, see the storm that batters down this city’s prow in waves of blood† (pg 5) The priest is comparing the bad situation of Thebes to a storm that attacks at any moment and leaves behind severe damages. â€Å" «Ã¢â‚¬ Now smiled upon by all, saluted now, now drawn aside by suitors to the King, my ear their door to hope† What Creon is comparing here, is his ears to the citizens’ door to hope, meaning that he has the kind of power that makes people hope to achieve something from their request that they submitted to Creon. â€Å" «Ã¢â‚¬ You called me here, I never would have come† Tiresias is actually trying to let him understand that Oedipus is the one who is pushing himself to the truth even though it’s not favorable!!

Kate Chopin’s “Desiree’s Baby” Essay

In Kate Chopin’s â€Å"Desiree’s Baby†, she describes the tragic tale of Desiree and her baby from life to death. She uses powerful imagery and symbolism to create a dark and heavy atmosphere in attempt to evoke powerful emotion from the reader. Chopin does a formidable job as she uses descriptive imagery to lay a foundation for the atmosphere to build off of. Several points in the story where she effectively creates this atmosphere would be when she brings in the pillars and describes the plantation, when Desiree discovers the truth (or so she thinks) of her babies race, when she walks into the bayou and dies, as well as the point in which her husband realizes that he had misplaced the blame of his own faults on his wife. `When the story first begins, Chopin focuses mainly on the physical setting of the Valmonde plantation. As she describes the entire house, â€Å"The roof came down steep and black like a cowl, reaching out beyond the wide galleries that encircled the yellow stuccoed house. Big, solemn oaks grew close to it, and their thick-leaved, far-reaching branches shadowed it like a pall† she evokes a feeling of sadness about the reader. She also describes the stone pillars, which represent darkness towering over Desiree on several occasions throughout the story. Before Chopin really begins describing the characters in great detail, she creates an atmosphere strictly produced by plantation on which the story takes place (Paragraph 6, lines 7-11). At the turning point of the story, when Desiree comes to the realization that her baby is of mixed race, she is overcome with shock and cannot comprehend what is happening. Chopin describes her as though her â€Å"blood turned like ice in her veins† and â€Å"She was there like a stone image: silent, white, motionless†. This bone chilling description only scrapes the surface of what Desiree could possibly be feeling like. The portion of the story only adds to the tension that holds throughout the atmosphere even though Chopin attempts to release it through this turning point of the crisis (Paragraph 19, lines 13-14, Paragraph 31, line 3). As the climax of the story hits, Desiree walked with her baby into the bayou as â€Å"she disappeared among the reeds and willows that grew thick along the banks of the deep, sluggish bayou; and she did not come back again.† As she attempts to relieve her husband of this ordeal, which she had previously placed upon him, the reader is left feeling helpless, as Desiree gives up her and her baby’s life to ease the pain of her husband. As Chopin finishes the climax, the atmosphere leftover is a mixture of darkness, pain, and dreariness (Paragraph 38, lines 1-3). The Atmosphere is finally complete as the story reaches its dà ©nouement and Desiree’s husband Armand, stumbles upon a letter from his mother to his father which reads â€Å"night and day, I thank the good God for having so arranged our lives that our dear Armand will never know that his mother, who adores him, belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery.† It is at this point in the last lines of the story, that the truth is revealed and that the blame Armand had placed on Desiree really belonged to him. This abrupt ending after this realization concludes the atmosphere to be that of a cold and tragic one (Paragraph 42, lines 1-4). Throughout Chopin’s â€Å"Desiree’s Baby†, her excessive use of detail to create heavy imagery, creates an atmosphere that the reader cannot escape from. Desiree’s death and knowing that it could have been easily avoided because of her innocence provokes the heart of the reader and leaves them feeling if as though their â€Å"blood [had] turned like ice† (Paragraph 19, lines 13)

 Learning experience : How someone could become afraid of the dentist Essay

There are many reasons someone could become afraid of going to the dentist. Majority of people become afraid of the dentist due to a bad experience they have encountered. Just to name a few: the dentist was a painful experience, the dentist made your teeth worse, etc. In my own experience, I was afraid of the dentist because of a horror film. At nine years old, my sister let me watch a horror movie called the dentist. It was about a mentally unstable dentist who tortures some of his patients. A year or so after I had seen this movie my mother surprisingly brings me to the dentist for the first time. As we were walking into the dental office I cannot help but to tremble and burst into tears because I could not stop thinking of the dentist from the movie. That day I only had my teeth cleaned and x-rays. My mother scheduled me to have cavities filled in the next month. My brother and sister taunted me by telling me scary stories about trips to the dental so the day I was scheduled to ge t my cavities filled. I decided to run away to the library and stayed there until closing. My mother had to reschedule my appointment for the following week. That time she made sure I went. Conditioning My conditioned stimuli were triggered by walking into the dental office my condition response was crying and trembling because I was afraid that the dentist would torture me, therefore, my unconditional stimuli were watching the dentist torture and kill his patients. My unconditional response was to be scared of all dentists and run away for a few hours so I would miss my appointment. Operant Learning My training experience could have occurred through operant conditioning since I did not quite understand that what you watch on television might not be real. If my mother had not forced me to go inside the dental office would still be petrified and I would have never gone to the dentist; my teeth would be in bad shape. Observational Learning The learned experience could occur through observational learning if my mom or anyone else I knew were scared of the dentist that would have also made  me afraid of the dentist because I would be observing their response to the dental. Another reason I might have been scared of going to the dentist was hearing my brother and sister tell me scary stories about how the dentist pulls your teeth out and you can feel every slight of pain. Reinforcement My mother dragging me into the dental office is where reinforcement was experienced. When my mother gave me no other choice except to get my teeth clean I then realize that the dentist was not so bad.

The Stupidest Angel Chapter 2

Chapter 2 THE LOCAL GIRLS HAVE A WAY ABOUT THEM The Warrior Babe of the Outland steered her Honda station wagon down Cypress Street, stopping every ten feet or so for tourists who were stepping into the street from between parked cars, completely oblivious of any automobile traffic. My kingdom for a razor-blade cowcatcher and Cuisinart wheel covers to cut my path through this herd of ignorant peasant meat, she thought. Then: Whoa, I guess I really do need the meds. So she said, â€Å"They act like Cypress Street is the midway at Disneyland – like no one actually has to use the street to drive on. You guys wouldn't do that, would you?† She glanced over her shoulder at the two damp teenage boys who were huddled in the corner of the backseat of the car. They shook their heads furiously. One said, â€Å"No, Miss Michon, no we'd never. No.† Her real name was Molly Michon, but years ago, as a B-movie queen, she'd done eight movies as Kendra, Warrior Babe of the Outland. She had a wild mane of blond hair shot with gray and the body of a fitness model. She could pass for thirty or fifty, depending on the time of day, what she was wearing, and how deeply medicated she was. Fans agreed that she was probably somewhere in her early to midforties. Fans. The two teenage boys in the backseat of the car were fans. They'd made the mistake of taking part of their Christmas break to go to Pine Cove in search of the famed cult-film star, Molly Michon, and get her autograph on their copies of Warrior Babe VI: Revenge of the Savage Skank, just released on DVD, with never-before-seen outtakes of Molly's boobs popping out of her gun-metal bra. Molly had seen them skulking around the outside of the cabin she shared with her husband, Theo Crowe. She'd snuck out the back door and ambushed them on the side of the house with a garden hose – sprayed them down good, chased them through the pine forest till the hose reeled out of its cart, then she tackled the taller one and threatened to snap his neck if the other one didn't stop in his tracks. Realizing at that point that she might have made a public relations error, Molly invited her fans to come along to help pick out a Christmas tree for the Santa Rosa Chapel Christmas Party for the Lonesome. (She had been making more than a few minor misjudgments lately, as she'd stopped taking her meds a week ago in order to save money for Theo's Christmas present.) â€Å"So, where are you guys from?† she said cheerfully. â€Å"Please don't hurt us,† said Bert, the taller, thinner of the two kids (She had been thinking of them as Bert and Ernie – not because they really looked like the puppets, but because they had the same relative shapes – except for the big hand up their bottoms, of course.) â€Å"I'm not going to hurt you. It's great to have you along. The guys at the Christmas-tree lot are a little wary of me since I fed one of their coworkers to a sea monster a few years ago, so you guys can sort of act as a social buffer.† Damn, she shouldn't have mentioned the sea monster. She'd had so many years of obscurity between the time she'd been pushed out of the movie business until the revival to cult status of her movies that she'd lost most of her people skills. And then there was that fifteen-year disconnect with reality when she'd been known as Pine Cove's crazy lady – but since she'd hooked up with Theo, and had stayed on her anti-psychotics, things had been a lot better. She turned into the parking lot of Pine Cove Hardware and Gift, where a half acre of tarmac was corralled off for the Christmas-tree lot. Upon spotting her car, three middle-aged guys in canvas aprons quickstepped their way into the store, threw the bolt, and turned the  «Open » sign to CLOSED. She'd thought this might happen, but she wanted to surprise Theo, prove that she could handle getting the big Christmas tree for the chapel party. Now these narrow-minded minions of Black & Decker were foiling her plans for a perfect Christmas. She took a deep breath and tried to exhale herself into a calm moment as her yoga teacher had instructed. Well, she did live in the middle of a pine forest, didn't she? Maybe she should just go cut a Christmas tree herself. â€Å"Let's just go back to the cabin, guys I have an ax there that will work.† â€Å"Noooooooo!† screamed Ernie as he reached across his damp friend, threw the latch on the Honda's door, and rolled them both out of the moving car into a pallet of plastic reindeer. â€Å"Okay, then,† Molly said, â€Å"you guys take care. I'll just see if I can cut a tree out of the front yard.† She swung around in the parking lot and headed back home. Slick with sweat, Lena Marquez slid out of her Santa suit like a baby lizard emerging from a fuzzy red egg. The temperature had risen into the high seventies before she'd finished her shift at the Thrifty-Mart, and she was sure she'd probably lost five pounds in water in the heavy suit. Wearing only her bra and panties, she padded into the bathroom and jumped on the scale to enjoy the surprise bonus weight loss. The disk spun and settled on her usual preshower weight. Perfect for her height, light for her age, but dammit, she'd fought with her ex, been pounded with ice, rang out good cheer for the less fortunate, and endured the jolly heat of the Santa suit for eight hours, she deserved something for her efforts. She took off her bra and panties and hopped back on the scale. No discernible difference. Dammit! She sat, peed, wiped, and jumped back on the scale. Maybe a third of a pound below normal. Ah! she thought, brushing her beard aside so she could read the scale more clearly, this could be the problem. She pulled off the white beard and Santa hat, flung them into the nearby bedroom, shook out her long black hair, and waited for the scale to settle. Oh yeah. Four pounds. She did a quick Tae Bo kick of celebration and stepped into the shower. She winced as she soaped up, hitting a sore spot there by her solar plexus. There were a couple of purple bruises developing on her ribs where the ice bag had hit her. She'd had more pain after doing too many crunches at the gym, but this pain seemed to shoot on through to her heart. Maybe it was the thought of spending Christmas alone. This would be her first since the divorce. Her sister, whom she'd spent the last few Christmases with, was going with her husband and the kids to Europe. Dale, total prick that he was, had involved her in all sorts of holiday activities from which she was now excluded. The rest of her family was back in Chicago, and she hadn't had any luck with men since Dale – too much residual anger and mistrust. (He hadn't just been a prick, he had cheated on her.) Her girlfriends, all of them married or paired up with semipermanent boyfriends, told her that she needed to be single for a while, spend some time getting to know herself. That, of course, was total bullshit. She knew herself, liked herself, washed herself, dressed herself, bought herself presents, took herself out on dates, and even had sex with herself from time to time, which always ended better than it used to with Dale. â€Å"Oh, that get-to-know-yourself stuff will send you full-blown batshit,† said her friend Molly Michon. â€Å"And believe me, I am the uncrowned queen of batshit. Last time I really got to know myself it turned out there was a whole gang of bitches in there to deal with. I felt like the receptionist at a rehab center. They all had nice tits, though, I gotta say. Anyway, forget that. Go out and do stuff for someone else. That's much better for you. ‘Get to know yourself' – what good is that? What if you get to know yourself and find out you're a total harpy? Sure, I like you, but you can't trust my judgment. Go do something for other people.† It was true. Molly could be – uh, eccentric, but she did make sense occasionally. So Lena had volunteered to man the Salvation Army kettle, she'd collected canned food and frozen turkeys for the Pine Cove Anonymous Neighbors food drive, and tomorrow night, as soon as it got dark, she was going to go out and collect live Christmas trees and drop them off at the homes of people who probably wouldn't be able to afford them. That should take her mind off herself. And if it didn't work, she'd spend Christmas Eve at the Santa Rosa Chapel Party for the Lonesome. Oh God, there it was. It was Christmastime, and she was in the Christmas spirit – she was feeling lonesome. To Mavis Sand, the owner of the Head of the Slug saloon, the word lonesome rang like the bell on a cash register. Come Christmas break, Pine Cove filled up with tourists seeking small-town charm, and the Head of the Slug filled up with lonesome, disenfranchised winners seeking solace Mavis was glad to serve it up in the form of her signature (and overpriced) Christmas cocktail, the Slow Comfortable Screw in the Back of Santa's Sleigh, which consisted of – â€Å"Well, fuck off if you need to know what's in it,† Mavis would say. â€Å"I'm a professional bartender since your daddy flushed the condom that held your only hope of havin' a brain, so get in the spirit and order the goddamn drink.† Mavis was always in the Christmas spirit, right down to the Christmas-tree earrings that she wore year-round to give her that â€Å"new-car smell.† A sheaf of mistletoe the size of a moose head hung over the order station at her bar, and throughout the season, any unsuspecting drunk who leaned too far over the bar to shout his order into one of Mavis's hearing aids would find that beyond the fluttering black nylon whips of her mascara-plastered pseudo lashes, behind the mole with the hair and the palette knife-applied cakes of Red Seduction lipstick, past the Tareyton 100s breath and the clacking dentures, Mavis still had some respectable tongue action left in her. One guy, breathless and staggering toward the door, claimed that she had tongued his medulla oblongata and stimulated visions of being choked in Death's dark closet – which Mavis took as a compliment. About the same time that Dale and Lena were having their go-round down at the Thrifty-Mart, Mavis, perched on her stool behind the bar, looked up from a crossword puzzle to see the most beautiful man she'd ever lain eyes on coming through Slug's double doors. What had once been a desert bloomed down under; where for years lay a dusty streambed, a mighty river did now flow. Her heart skipped a beat and the defibrillator implanted in her chest gave her a little jolt that sent her sluicing electric off her bar stool to his service. If he ordered a wallbanger she'd come so hard her tennis shoes would rip out from the toe curl, she knew it, she felt it, she wanted it. Mavis was a romantic. â€Å"Can I help you?† she asked, batting her eyelashes, which gave the appearance of spastic wolf spiders convulsing behind her glasses. A half-dozen daytime regulars who had been sitting at the bar turned on their stools to behold the source of that oily courtesy – there was no way that voice had come out of Mavis, who normally spoke to them in tones of disdain and nicotine. â€Å"I'm looking for a child,† said the stranger. He had long blond hair that fanned out over the rain flap of a black trench coat. His eyes were violet, his facial features both rugged and delicate, finely cut and yet with no lines of age or experience. Mavis tweaked the little knob on her right hearing aid and tilted her head like a dog who has just bitten into a plastic pork chop. Oh, how the pillars of lust can crumble under the weight of stupidity. â€Å"You're looking for a child?† asked Mavis. â€Å"Yes,† said the stranger. â€Å"In a bar? On a Monday afternoon? You're looking for a child?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"A particular child, or will just any child do?† â€Å"I'll know it when I see it,† said the stranger. â€Å"You sick fuck,† said one of the daytime regulars, and Mavis, for once, nodded in agreement, her neck vertebrae clicking like a socket wrench. â€Å"Get the hell out of my bar,† she said. A long, lacquered fingernail pointed the way back out the door. â€Å"Go on, get out. What do you think this is, Bangkok?† The stranger looked at her finger. â€Å"The Nativity is approaching, am I correct?† â€Å"Yeah, Christmas is Saturday.† Mavis growled. â€Å"The hell does that have anything to do with anything?† â€Å"Then I'll need a child before Saturday,† said the stranger. Mavis reached under the bar and pulled out her miniature baseball bat. Just because he was pretty didn't mean he couldn't be improved by a smack upside the head with a piece of earnest hickory. Men: a wink, a thrill, a damp squish, and before you knew it it was time to start raising lumps and loosening teeth. Mavis was a pragmatic romantic: love – correctly performed, she believed – hurts. â€Å"Smack ‘im, Mavis,† cheered one of the daytime regulars. â€Å"What kind of perv wears an overcoat in seventy-five-degree weather?† said another. â€Å"I say brain him.† Bets were beginning to be exchanged back by the pool table. Mavis tugged at an errant chin hair and peered over her glasses at the stranger. â€Å"Think you might want to move your little search on down the road some?† â€Å"What day is it?† asked the stranger. â€Å"Monday.† â€Å"Then I'll have a diet Coke.† â€Å"What about the kid?† asked Mavis, punctuating the question by smacking the baseball bat against her palm (which hurt like hell, but she wasn't going to flinch, not a chance). â€Å"I have until Saturday,† said the beautiful perv. â€Å"For now, just a diet Coke – and a Snickers bar. Please.† â€Å"That's it,† Mavis said. â€Å"You're a dead man.† â€Å"But, I said please,† said Blondie, missing the point, somewhat. She didn't even bother to throw open the lift-away through the bar but ducked under it and charged. At that moment a bell rang, and a beam of light blasted into the bar, indicating that someone had come in from outside. When Mavis stood back up, leaning heavily on her back foot as she wound up to knock the stranger's nads well into the next county, he was gone. â€Å"Problem, Mavis?† asked Theophilus Crowe. The constable was standing right where the stranger had been. â€Å"Damn, where'd he go?† Mavis looked around behind Theo, then back at the daytime regulars. â€Å"Where'd he go?† â€Å"Got me,† they said, a chorus of shrugs. â€Å"Who?† asked Theo. â€Å"Blond guy in a black trench coat,† said Mavis. â€Å"You had to pass him on the way in.† â€Å"Trench coat? It's seventy-five degrees out,† said Theo. â€Å"I'd have noticed someone in a trench coat.† â€Å"He was a perv!† someone shouted from the back. Theo looked down at Mavis. â€Å"This guy flash you?† Their height difference was nearly two feet and Mavis had to back up a step to look him in the eye. â€Å"Hell no. I like a man who believes in truth in advertising. This guy was looking for a child.† â€Å"He told you that? He came in here and said he was looking for a kid?† â€Å"That's it. I was just getting ready to teach him some –  » â€Å"You're sure he hadn't lost his kid? That happens, Christmas shopping, they wander away – ; â€Å"No, he wasn't looking for a particular kid, he was just looking for a kid.† â€Å"Well, maybe he wanted to be a Big Brother or Secret Santa or something,† said Theo, expressing a faith in the goodness of man for which he had little to no evidence, â€Å"do something nice for Christmas.† â€Å"Goddammit, Theo, you dumbfuck, you don't have to pry a priest off an altar boy with a crowbar to figure out that he's not helping the kid with his Rosary. The guy was a perv.† â€Å"Well, I should probably go look for him.† â€Å"Well, you probably oughta should.† Theo started to turn to go out the door, then turned back. â€Å"I'm not a dumbfuck, Mavis. There's no need for that kind of talk.† â€Å"Sorry, Theo,† said Mavis, lowering her baseball bat to show the sincerity of her contrition. â€Å"Why was it you came in, then?† â€Å"Can't remember.† Theo raised his eyebrows, daring her. Mavis grinned at him. Theo was a good guy – a little flaky but a good guy. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Nah, I just wanted to check with you on the food for the Christmas party. You were going to barbecue, right?† â€Å"I was planning on it.† â€Å"Well, I just heard on the radio that there's a pretty good chance of rain, so you might want to have a backup plan.† â€Å"More liquor?† â€Å"I was thinking something that wouldn't involve cooking outdoors.† â€Å"Like more liquor?† Theo shook his head and started toward the door. â€Å"Call me or Molly if you need any help.† â€Å"It won't rain,† said Mavis. â€Å"It never rains in December.† But Theo was gone, out on the street looking for the trench-coated stranger. â€Å"It could rain,† said one of the daytime regulars. â€Å"Scientists say we could see El Nià ±o this year.† â€Å"Yeah, like they ever tell us until after half the state has washed away,† said Mavis. â€Å"Screw the scientists.† But El Ni;o was coming. El Ni;o. The Child.

If Venerus Implements the Suggested Methodology?

If Venerus implements the suggested methodology, what would be the range of discount rates that AES would use around the world? * 12% discount rate was used for all projects * Venerus felt that this model worked fairly well In 1990s this model of capital budgeting was exported to projects overseas * model became increasingly strained with the expansions in Brazil and Argentina * because hedging key exposures such as regulatory or currency risk was not feasible * the ever-increasing complexity in the financing of international operations is another problem * when subsidiaries’ local currency real exchange rates depreciated, leverage at the subsidiary and holding company level effectively increased, and the subsidiaries struggled to service their foreign currency debt * Venerus’s solution to the problem had to be consistent, transparent, and accessible As a starting point, he considered the 15 representative projects shown in Exhibit 7a and, using the financial data in Ex hibit 7b * he endeavored to derive a weighted average cost of capital (WACC) for each project using a standard methodology: * he endeavored to derive a weighted average cost of capital (WACC) for each project using a standard methodology: WACC=EVre+DVrd1-? In order to calculate each WACC, Venerus knew he would have to measure all of the constituent parts for the 15 projects: * the cost of debt * the target capital structure * the local country tax rates * an appropriate cost of equity Venerus feared the use of a World CAPM might yield artificially low costs of capital.Similarly, Venerus did not advocate the use of a â€Å"Local CAPM† where beta measured the covariance of a project’s returns with a portfolio of local equities. Countries such as Tanzania or Georgia, where AES had projects, did not have any meaningful equity markets or local benchmarks. Still, he knew he had to find a way to capture the country-specific risks in foreign markets. 1. he calculated a cost of debt and cost of equity for each of the 15 projects using U. S. market data 2. he added the difference between the yield on local government bonds and the yield on corresponding U. S. Treasury bonds to both the cost of debt and the cost of equity Summary of WACC Calculations for AES

Hybrid system Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hybrid system - Assignment Example The recommendations were also included and this is where the researcher attempted to offer some suggestions of providing an improved or well-designed hybrid system. Lastly, the conclusion provided a brief summary of what was covered in the research, and suggestion for further studies in determining the impact of hybrid systems to heat a home and also the challenges it poses in to vendors. Hybrid System Introduction Hybrid system is a modern innovative technology that combines test and measurements components from modular instrumental platforms. Hybrid systems arise when the continuous and discrete dynamics interact; this occurs especially when most high-tech systems where logic based components, fixed controllers and digital networks combine. Hybrid systems are becoming increasing common, but they are complex technologies; hence a need for the development of effective hybrid system models. This model will offer an analysis and assess the design of the system whereby logic based eleme nts and continuous system processes interact. For the last decades, the study of hybrid systems has increasingly become the major concerning aspects in field research. System developers have made significant efforts of combining tests and measurements from modular instruments platforms, but they face significant challenges. The major challenge is advancing and systematizing the knowledge about hybrid systems, which comes from such a large diverse fields. However, with increased computer technology, system developers or engineers have made significant efforts of producing a continuous and discreet system that are more economical. Purpose The purpose of hybrid system as a modern technology is that it combines with both furnace and heat pump to heat a home at fewer costs. The hybrid systems are more economical because they can heat pump, which can heat a home at low temperatures and for less cost; it is also economical because the furnace can heat home for fewer costs. Hybrid systems a re also used to model varied system such as physical systems, logic dynamic controller and also Internet congestion. Many consumers are familiar with the hybrid term, which combines electric and fuel in order to perform well; however, design developers have developed hybrid systems which reduce heating expenses during the winter season and they also keep home comfortable because they are economical. Discussions The research topics of hybrid systems have attracted the interest of many people including the mathematicians, computer scientists and engineers. One of the major arguments about this modern technology is that it is viewed as a dynamical system; hence, it should be considered as a hybrid system in case it deals with purely continuous or purely discrete invent system without ignoring significant phenomenon. Yang, Jiang and Cocquempot (2010, p. 45) argue that the term continuous and discrete are depending on the range of signals, but not with respect to time through which such signal are defined. However, this does not clearly define what hybrid system is all about; thus many theories have been implemented to elaborate on the issue of continuous and discrete systems. The hybrid system has posed a great challenge for many years until the recent when the combination of continuous and discreet was implemented to offer the clear meaning of hybrid systems.

Construction Management - Finance and Risk Management Essay

Construction Management - Finance and Risk Management - Essay Example re than eight merchant vessel which includes more than 1000 tons of displacement out of which four comprised of the Cargo ships and two included oil tankers, one was the combination of both oil ship and ore and one included refrigerated cargo. The construction and the development of the marine projects in Turkmenistan are mainly dependent on the policies and regulations of the government of Turkmenistan. The marine construction project in Turkmenistan have developed due to the participation and cooperation from the foreign countries which includes the firms of Turkish, French and Ukrainian for developing and constructing the marine based projects. The projects are undertaken by us with the assistance and the support of other industries which includes the implementation on marine construction projects that mainly comprises of designing and construction. The main mission of our marine construction industry is that it safeguards the environment and the employers consider the employees a s the asset of the industry and it shares rich values among its employees. The directors and the executives of our industry mainly focus on the strategic planning that includes the corporate planning application of the concepts of financial management and adoption of risk management. The risk management or the risk assessment process in the marine construction industry includes the identification of the occupational risk of health that is associated with the conduct of operation and also improvement or development of various health programmes for reduction or minimization of risk related to the exposure of the employees of the marine construction industry. The industry establishes or formulates standard terms, rules and regulations that are relevant to the transactions for safeguarding and protecting the company against the risk and liabilities. The industry maintains an integrity in case of its financial reporting and the formulation of the internal control system and the main

Organized Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organized Crime - Essay Example oods and services, including but not limited to gambling, prostitution, loan-sharking, narcotics, labor racketeering and other activities of the members of the organization’ (Mallory, 2006). There have been many famous gangsters who have run their crime syndicate with huge success and instilled fear and hatred in the mindset of the general public. But Al Capone of Chicago and Pablo Escobar of Columbia have been notorious for their violence ridden mass murders, rapid increase in their illegal activities and successful evasion of the law and legal network. Though both these criminals existed at different places and time, their modus operandi was quite similar and both were never actually tried for any of the cold blooded murders that they had committed through their henchmen. Despite the open knowledge of their organized crime by the state agencies, the law was always one step behind mainly because of their linkages and affiliations within the powerful political and legal arena which both of them deliberately cultivated. Al Capone was born on 1899 in Brooklyn and grew up in a neighborhood which was renowned for its unlawful activities. From the early age, he was involved into petty crimes and was member of two ‘kid gangs’, the Brooklyn Rippers and Forty Thieves Juniors (Al Capone,internet). He started on to his career in organized crime when he was employed as bouncer and bartender in Harvard Inn, run by the then notorious gangster Frankie Yale. After getting indicted in a murder case where he had killed two men in New York, he was released because of lack of evidence; he relocated to Chicago, along with his family and started working for John Torrio, another notorious gangster who was involved in bootlegging business. Capone gained the trust of his mentor and later became his partner. After Torrio moved from Chicago, Capone became the head of the ‘outfit’ and expanded and controlled the syndicate which was operating various gambling joints, brothels,

The rules on the deduction of expenses for employed and self-employed Essay

The rules on the deduction of expenses for employed and self-employed persons are different and create inequity in the tax syste - Essay Example Then, on the behalf of the employees, the employers are required to pay the deducted amount to the treasury. ITEPA 2003 provides for the taxation of employees who are resident and ordinarily resident in the UK. According to Section 18, all general earnings are subjected to tax that are received in the form of money. Section 19 deals with the general earnings received in non-monetary forms. The self-employed are those taxpayers who have their own businesses and act as sole traders. They are required to pay their taxes through self-assessment. The extent to which deductions are allowed for the self-employed tends to be more than they are for the employed taxpayers. As a general rule, all amounts that are given to the employees are taxable regardless of the fact whether the taxpayers hold the employment or not. This rule has a few exceptions though. For instance, Section 85 and 93 provide that provision of a non-cash voucher or a credit token --which is of a kind made available to the p ublic generally-- to an employee, or a member of his family, is not taxable if it is provided on no more favorable terms than to the public generally. There is a reduction in meal vouchers u/s 89. ... The income of a self-employed taxpayer is regarded as income from trade and is taxed under ITTOIA 2005. All the profits from trade are taxed after deducting all the deductible allowances. The deductible expenses include all those expenses that are incurred wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the trade and all those losses are allowed to be deducted that are connected out of the trade. Section 34b provides that for any expense that is incurred for more than one purpose, only that part or portion shall be deductible that can be identified as incurred wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the trade. In the same way, expenses that are incurred by the employees wholly and exclusively for the purposes of employment are also allowed as deductions. For instance, s 390 of Income Tax Act 2007 grants relief for loans that are sanctioned for buying plant or machinery for employment use. There are certain expenses which are of such a nature that it becomes very difficult to ascertain whether they should be allowed as deductions or not. This difficulty not only arises in the cases of employees but also extends to the self-employed. In this regard, case law is very helpful. For instance, s.337(1) of ITEPA 2003 provides that for a travelling expense to be regarded as an allowable deduction: i. â€Å"The employee is obliged to incur and pay them as holder of the employment†; and ii. It must be an expense â€Å"necessarily incurred on travelling in the performance of the duties of the office or employment†. This section was created after the judgements in three landmark cases of Ricketts v Colquhoun (1925) 10 TC 118, Owen v Pook (1969) 45 TC 571 and Taylor v Proven (1974) 49 TC 579.

Oedipus the King by Sophocles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Oedipus the King by Sophocles - Essay Example The passage tells readers that eternal laws were born in Heaven, Olympus alone is their father; they were not brought forth by the mortal nature of man, nor shall forgetfulness ever put them to sleep. A god is great in them, and he does not grow old.' The prayer of the chorus is for a life lived in accordance with these laws. Described as they are with beautiful and passionate emphasis, they are laws of divine origin, Olympian laws, comprehensive and universal. The stanzas following depict the sinner against these laws, the man full of hybris which 'begets the tyrant'. The chorus prays that the Polis may keep its old traditions. The god must remain the State's prostates, its guardian and leader. For if this is not so, if impiety takes hold of the city, then, the chorus sings, 'what need I dance (896). Then its service in honour of the gods has become senseless. In obvious retort to Iocaste's sceptical utterances on the value of Apollo's oracles, the chorus appeals to Zeus to show his power and the truth of the oracles: 'No longer Apollo is honoured, worship is dead' ( +). This passage reflects the features of a code of belief and behavior which is opposed to all only man-made beliefs and rules. The song does not repeat the striking mention of the unwritten laws, but their spirit could hardly be made more manifest. Not only does the poet stress, once more and with words of the most emphatic conviction, that the world in general as well as the Polis are ruled by eternal and divine laws, and that the political ruler who does not submit to them will become unjust and a tyrant. The eternal laws are the rules of a world, of a kosmos, of divine ordering and man's pious devotion, not of human morality and political common sense. When the Sophists discovered 'natural law', they denied the traditional (and Sophocles') divine order. For Sophocles there was only Oneness, unity: nature was divine, physis was nomos. In opposing the unwritten laws to Creon's decree Sophocles made what could perhaps be called a logical mistake. Not the slightest hint is given, and it is in itself entirely unlikely, that Creon's law was written law. It was a , a pronunciamento or proclamation. Taken quite literally, there was no conflict between written and unwritten laws. Sophocles uses the expression in a way suggesting that it was not a newly invented phrase. It is certain that in fifth-century Greece most laws were regarded as valid just because they were written. Creon's decree is fundamentally of the same kind, and Sophocles' mistake (if readers may call it so) is easily explained. He did not invent either the phrase or the matter, but he used the concept in his own way and to his own purposes; in fact, it was probably he who gave it its most forceful expression. Heraclitus was perhaps the first to speak of one divine law from which all human laws derive. He coined a striking phrase for the idea which, howev er vaguely, was generally held, that all law was of divine origin.

MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP - Research Paper Example Immelt had big shoes to fill but he has carved a niche for himself through his leadership skills and today is one most influential business leaders in the world. Immelt before becoming the CEO of GE had held numerous leadership positions in the company. He had served as Vice President and General Manager for different business division of the company. This paper is aimed at understanding and analyzing the leadership, management and motivational skills of Immelt and how he has used it to take GE to new heights. In the process, the different businesses of the company will be described along with the three major challenges Immelt has overcome in running the company since he has became the CEO. His various leadership skills and strategies can be understood while analysing the challenges. Also the impact that Immelt has had on the world through his vision, business and through other areas will be discussed. When Immelt took over as the CEO he wanted to bring about a cultural revolution in the company. In a company that was process-oriented and hard-driving, he wanted to infuse creativity, bold thinking and hunger for growth into its culture. Also it is to be noted that Immelt took over just a few days before the 9/11 attack, which means that the economic situation in which Immelt started his stint was not an ideal one. It was a great challenge to Immelt to sustain and continue the growth of the company in an era of slow-growth domestic economy, greater global competition and lesser tolerance among investors. In order to achieve his vision of reinventing GE Immelt overcame the following challenges: In order to change the organizational culture that would focus on innovation and creativity, there needed to be a change in thinking. There was very little that Immelt could do single handed to completely change the company and transform his workforce. Majority of the workforce in the company

Andy Warhol and His Screen Tests Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Andy Warhol and His Screen Tests - Essay Example The essay "Andy Warhol and His Screen Tests" investigates Screen Tests directed by Andy Warhol. Warhol's screen tests capture a variety of items created through different media including painting, hand drawing, printmaking, silk screening, films, photographs and sculpture. Part of his screen tests was computer-generated especially towards his death, following the integration of computer into the American film and media production. Regardless, Warhol’s works have been the focus of several retrospective exhibitions, publications, documentaries and feature films. This paper examines the connection between Andy Warhol’s screenshots and the pop culture between 1960s and 1980s. The important connections between Warhol’s screenshots and the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s pop life experiences have led to their resurfacing in the current century, perhaps more than they appeared in the second-half of the 20th century when they were created. In the 1970, for instance, the artist pu lled out 472 shots that he had captured between 1964 and 1966 alongside his footages of various art works from public galleries. However, between 1995 and 2007, different galleries have had their hands on these important artistic items and released them to the public for viewing for the first time in many decades as a celebration of the massive contributions Warhol made in the American visual art industry. Part of the Warhol’s earliest screenshots from films such as Kiss, Eat, and Sleep and Empire captured in the early 1960s.

Breakfast Eating Habits - UK - April 2014 Report by Researchmoz Essay Example for Free

Breakfast Eating Habits UK April 2014 Report by Researchmoz Essay

Johannes Brahms And The Romantic Period

Johannes Brahms And The Romantic Period The Romantic period was a period that spanned the entire 19th century. It came after the classical period and sought to increase the expression of deeper truths and the feelings of human beings while preserving the music structures of the classical period. Brahms is one of the prominent figures and composers of this era. Writing two serenades, two piano concertos, violin concertos, four symphonies, two orchestral overtures, and many more works that were destroyed or unpublished, Brahms became an influential figure of the Romantic period and served as an inspiration to future generations of musicians and composers alike. Johannes Brahms was born on May 7, 1833 in Hamburg, Germany. Johannes Brahms father was Johann Jakob Brahms while Johannes mother was Johanna Henrika Christiane Nissen. Johann Jakob Brahms, like his son, was a musician of the 19th century. Johann was proficient in several instruments, including the French horn and the double bass. Johanna Henrika Christiane Nissen, Johannes mother, was a seamstress living in Hamburg. Johannes Brahms also had a younger sister and a younger brother. At the age of seven, Johannes Brahms began musical training on behalf of the will of his father. Brahms studied piano with pianist Otto Friedrich Willibald Cossel. Due to his family being poor, Brahms often played in the brothels and dance halls of Hamburg. By the age of eleven, Brahms was composing sonatas for the piano. His compositions would not receive public attention or acclaim until he toured with Eduard Remenyi as an accompanist in the spring of 1853. On this tour, Johannes Brahms met Joseph Joachim, Joachim Raff, Franz Liszt, and Peter Cornelius; all were prominent musicians of the time. Joseph Joachim then introduced Robert Schumann to Johannes Brahms via a letter. Brahms then traveled to Dusseldorf to live with the Schumann family. Brahms impressed Schumann with his talent and was featured in an article in the music journal known as Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik which translates to New Journal of Music. This article brought the publics attention to the young Brahms. During th is time, Brahms, along with Schumann and Albert Dietrich, composed the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“F-A-E Sonataà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  for Joachim. Brahms found himself as a pseudo head of household in the Schumann family during his stay. He had developed a close relationship with Clara Schumann, Robert Schumanns wife and fellow German composer and pianist. This emotionally but not romantically deep relationship would last for both of the composers lifetimes, with constant communication between the both of them. When Schumann attempted suicide, he was placed in a mental rehabilitation facility. Brahms became the messenger between Clara and Robert Schumann during Roberts final years of life in the mental sanatorium. When Robert Schumann died in 1856, Brahms aided and comforted Clara for the next couple of years. This came at the sacrifice of Brahms career as few compositions were written during this period of time after Robert Schumanns death. After the death of Robert Schumann and the period of comforting his wife Clara Schumann, Johannes Brahms found himself devoting his time between his obligations as the founder and conductor of a ladies choir in Hamburg and his obligations in Detmold, Germany as the court music-teacher and composer. His Piano Concerto No.1 debuted in Hanover, Germany in 1859 and Brahms served as the soloist of the concerto. Brahms then visited Vienna in 1862 and was appointed conductor of the Vienna Singakademie, a choir based in Vienna. He composed throughout the 1850s and the 1860s, writing multiple compositions for different orchestras, but many of his works received mixed reviews from contemporary critics of the time. One of his works, Piano Concerto No.1 was poorly received in early performances of the music piece. Prominent figures of the time, including Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner of the New German School labeled Brahms as an old-fashioned and non-innovative composer. Although Brahms admired the skills of Liszt as a pianist and admired the musical works of Wagner, a conflict known as the War of the Romantics arose with Brahms being a prominent figure of the conservative side and Liszt and Wagner being prominent figures of the progressive side. Brahms rose to popularity in 1868 with the premiere of A German Requiem in Bremen. A German Requiem was Johannes Brahms largest choral work and was the composition that won the publics acclaim and established Brahms reputation in Europe as a leading composer and the conqueror of the symphony. It was with this newly formed reputation and acclaim that allowed Brahms to complete many of his earlier works that he had worked on for years such as the Rinaldo, a cantata, his third piano quartet, his first symphony, and his first string quartet. Brahms was a perfectionist and due to this, never finished or discarded many of the compositions he had worked on in the earlier years of his career. The first symphony premiered in 1876, and the other three premiered in 1877, 1883, and 1885. His Piano Concerto No.2 premiered in 1881 with Brahms once again as the soloist for the concerto. It was from this point on that Brahms was able to test his newly composed orchestral works with the Duke of Meini ngens court orchestra which was conducted by Hans von Bulow, one of the most famous composers of the 19th century. One of Brahms works, the abbreviated version of his Hungarian dance for the piano, became the earliest recorded music piece in history. The piece was recorded by Theo Wangemann, a representative on behalf of the famous American inventor Thomas Edison, when Theo visited Vienna in 1889 and invited Johannes Brahms to make the first recording of a music piece in history. In that same year, Brahms was made an honorary citizen of Hamburg, the same city where he was born. At the age of 57, Brahms made a resolve to give up on composing music for the rest of his life in 1890. Brahms was unable to follow through with this resolve and went back to composing music. It was during this time frame that Brahms composed a number of compositions that were acknowledged by critics and the public alike to be masterpieces. He composed even more music due to his admiration of Richard Muhlfeld, former violinist and now clarinettist of the Meininger Hofkapelle which was the Meiningen orchestra. These inspired musical works were Op. 114, Op. 115, Op. 116-119 also known as the Four Serious Songs, Op. 120, Op. 121, Op. 122, the Clarinet Trio, the Clarinet Quintet, the two Clarinet Sonatas, and the Eleven Chorale Preludes for the organ. Johannes Brahms developed cancer while completing the Op. 121 songs. His condition worsened which caused Brahms death on April 3, 1897 at the age of 63. Brahms was buried in the Zentralfriedhof, the most famous and largest cemetery in Vienn a. Brahms point of view combined elements of the Baroque and Classical periods and his futuristic views on music. His music was bold with its exploration of harmony and rhythm. Because of this, Johannes Brahms has a strong influence on both conservative and modernist composers. In his lifetime, Brahms was an influential figure on several composers within his circle who had a strong admiration of his music. These composers included Robert Fuchs, Heinrich von Herzogenberg, Julius Rontgen, and also Gustav Jenner who was Brahms only formal pupil. Brahms also had a great influence on Antonin Dvorak who received great amounts of help from Brahms. Dvorak admired Brahmss music and was heavily influenced by it in many works by Dvorak including the Symphony No 7 in D minor. Notable features of Brahms musical style were used with the personal styles of composers Max Reger, Wilhelm Berger, and Hans Rott. British composers Edward Elgar and Hubert Parry as well as the Swedish composer Wilhelm Stenham mar have noted that they have learned much from the works and examples set by Johannes Brahms. Brahms was honored by the Walhalla temple, the German Hall of Fame in 2000. On September 14 of that year, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as the 126th à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ruhmlich ausgezeichneter Teutscherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  which translates to glorious excellent teacher and the 13th composer among them. A bust was sculpted in honor of him by sculptor Milan Knobloch. A composer of the Romantic period, Brahms composed numerous works which left a strong impression on the public and served a model of inspiration for future musicians and composers. It was through his numerous works which have earned public acclaim that he became a leader and prominent figure of the musical scene at the time. An innovator and a traditionalist composer, Brahms was one of the most beloved musicians and composers of his time and still remains so today.