Two Party System Essay Example for Free

Two Party System Essay It is commonly argued that political parties are becoming weaker and interest groups are becoming more powerful in America.   Keeping these changes in mind, is it possible that the United States will ever move away from the two-party system and have three or more strong parties? In 1992, Texan billionaire Ross Perot won more votes than any `third party` candidate for President ever had before. Coincidence, or will a smaller party ever become a strong enough force to rule the United States, or indeed have an influential presence in Parliament?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Statistics suggest that Americans are in favor of a third major force in their political scenario.    According to a poll conducted by Angus Reid Global Monitor: â€Å"Many adults in the United States believe there should be a viable alternative to Republicans and Democrats, according to a poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates for the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. 53 per cent of respondents believe there should be a third major political party in the country, up three points since June 2004.† (Angus Reid Global Monitor, 2003). And according to VoteBuddy.com, 2006, more than two thirds of Americans want a third party because of the following reasons:   Most people are simply aware that government of, by, and for the Democrats and Republicans has not been working; they have little idea why. Part of the reason is that neither party really stands for what it used to. Instead, both of them have moved to the center in hopes of capturing the many moderate voters out there. A lot of people really miss having a party that represents the principles they believe in. Others have specific concerns that they believe have been abandoned by the one major party that ever showed any interest in them. (VoteBuddy.com, 2006). Indeed the voting trends of the past decade or two have perhaps been indicative of this new trend towards a third, independent party.   In recent years, Ross Perot and Ralph Nader, both representatives of independent parties, have gained a fairly large part of the vote over their Democratic and Republican competitors, not enough to cause worry to leaders of the two major parties yet, but certainly more than in previous years. Also worth noting is the low percentage of voter turnout at American polls.   Are those who don’t turn out to vote independent supporters who are just thinking that their vote will be wasted?   Or are they so happy with the system as it is that they don’t feel they need to vote?   Today, American voters give all kinds of reasons for not voting. The cost of being involved in the voting process is among them. On the one hand, many find it difficult to register and stay registered (moving means having to reregister), despite efforts like the federal motor-voter bill, which allows Americans to register while renewing drivers licenses, and popular pushes like MTVs Rock the Vote campaign.   (Hough, 2006) Others get turned off by the enormous time commitment needed to follow the race. This years presidential election, for example, saw candidates jockeying for position nearly two years before the actual election. Unfortunately, instead of giving Americans more time to absorb the issues, according to results from the Vanishing Voter Project, the long campaign has them tuning out.   (Hough, 2006) You can make an argument for a long campaign, acknowledged Patterson, but our data show its a disincentive. During the second week of the projects polling — a full year before the election — only 5 percent of Americans said they were paying a great deal of attention to the campaign. Roughly 60 percent said they were paying little or no attention. By week three, despite heavy news coverage, Americans interest in the campaign actually declined.   (Hough, 2006) Whatever the case is, a true representation of political feeling in America will only be obtained once voter turnout is higher. Another aspect which would make it hard for a third party to gain strength is congressional opposition to third parties.   Traditionally, according to Wikipedia, a two party system works as follows: A two-party system is a form of party system where two major political parties dominate the voting in nearly all elections. As a result, all, or nearly all, elected offices end up being held by candidates endorsed by the two major parties. Coalition governments occur only rarely in two-party systems, though each party may internally look like a coalition. Under a two-party system, one of two major parties typically holds a majority in the legislature (or a legislative house in a bicameral system), and is referred to as the Majority Party. The other major party is referred to as the Minority Party. The leader of the majority party may be referred to as the Majority Leader, assisted by the Majority Whip, and the leader of the major opposition party may be referred to as the Minority Leader, assisted by the Minority Whip. Two-party systems often develop spontaneously when the voting system used for elections discriminates against third or smaller parties, because the number of votes received for a party in a whole country is not directly related to the proportion of seats it receives in the countrys assembly/assemblies. (Wikipedia, 2006). We can see how a system structured in a way like this would make it very difficult for a third party to prosper. In addition, some reports state that Congress itself shows opposition to third parties, which, at least for the current time, would make it very hard for a third party to achieve any sort of effectiveness in Congress. In BC Politics, Kevin Surbaugh (2006), reports that he has read in a Green Party document. He states: â€Å"This article is about the Democrats trying to pass a bill (HR 4694) that effectively seeks to ban any and all third parties, basically making it so only the Republicans and Democrats will have access to power. Its already difficult for an independent or third party candidate to gain ballot access, but this new bill would make it almost impossible. HR 4694 (Let the People Decide Clean Campaign Act) would mean that the official nominees of parties (i.e., Democrats and Republicans) that had averaged 25% of the vote for House races in a given district in the last two elections would get full public funding. All others (i.e., third party and independent candidates) would be required to submit petitions signed by 10% of the number of people who voted in the last election to get partial funding, and 20% petitions to get full funding. The press release gives an example of the 2nd district in Missouri, where 10% of that district would be some 35,000 signatures, just to spend anything at all, including your/his/her own money. This is a bill that people of all parties should be concerned about.: (Surbaugh, 2006). Surbaugh calls for actions from Americans to prevent this bill from occurring. Perhaps the best form of action they can take would be to present themselves at the polls and vote for the people that they want to vote for. Again, statistics show that Americans don’t vote for independents because they are afraid that they will be â€Å"wasting† their vote.   Terry Mitchell commented on this in July 2006 in an article called â€Å"Voters are to Blame for Bad Politics†, as follows: â€Å"One of our biggest problems is our unwillingness to vote for independent or third party candidates. These candidates generally do not have obligations to party bosses or quid pro quo relationships with lobbyists like the major party candidates do. Very often, we will vote for the lesser of two evils, rather than an independent or third party candidate who might be much better. Of course, when you vote for the lesser of two evils, youre still voting for an evil. Many people feel like they would be wasting their vote by voting for any of those other candidates. This is simply not true. A voter only wastes his/her vote when he/she votes for someone he/she does not really like. Instead, we create a voting catch-22 for ourselves, i.e., no one will vote for Mr. Independent because he has no chance; Mr. Independent has no chance because no one will vote for him. If enough people decided to start voting their conscience, we could break that vicious cycle.† (Mitchell, 2006) When Americans go to the poll on 7 November 2006, there will not only be two parties on the ballot paper. Democrats and Republicans will be joined by the likes of the Constitution Party, the Liberation Party, interest groups such as the Green Party, and even the Peace and Freedom Party.   How will the 45% of Americans who want a third party in Government vote?   Indeed, will they vote at all?   Once before we have seen how powerful an effective third party vote can be.   Some have said that Perot cost George Bush the 1992 election. During the spring primaries in the big industrial states like New York and Pennsylvania, when attention might have been paid to Clinton and former California Governor Jerry Brown as they fought each other and debated a domestic agenda for the new administration, all the media covered was the undeclared candidacy of Ross Perot (Ieinsdorf.com, 2006). And did Nader cost Gore the election in 2000? A closer look shows if Nader wasnt a choice, the 2.7% who supported Nader would have split so Gore would have picked up about 2% more support and Bush would have picked up an additional 1%. In a non-Nader race, Gore would have prevailed over Bush 50% to 49%. (Mike Hersh, 2003). This is indicative of exactly how much impact the third party vote can have, and the fact that these two events occurred in close succession are indicative that the public is slowly beginning to vote for who they actually want to.   This suggests that while there is still huge opposition, in the end a third party will prevail. In conclusion, we can see that while it may be that Americans are in favor of a third major political party in their country (the votes for Ralph Nader and Ross Perot in recent years are indicative of this, and not purely mirage), some reform is needed before this can happen. Is this trend to continue?   The results of the upcoming election will be interesting. Americans themselves must actually go to the polls, and once there, they must vote for the candidates they actually believe the most in.   Congressional opposition to new parties also needs to be overcome and traditional two party system beliefs changed. While I believe that a third party will be prevalent in American politics in the future, I do not believe that it will occur very soon.   The three determining factors – Congressional opposition, low voter turnout, and voters not voting for who they really want, need to be overcome first. Works Cited Angus Reid Global Monitor, â€Å"Americans Want Third Major Political Party† (2003), retrieved 6 Nov 2006 from the website http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewItemitemID=11673 Hersh, Mike, (2003) â€Å"Did Nader Help Al Gore in 2000†, retrieved 6 Nov 2006 from the website http://www.mikehersh.com/Did_Nader_Help_or_Hurt_Al_Gore.shtml Hough, Lory, (2006) â€Å"The American Voter† retrieved 6 Nov 2006 from the website http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/ksgpress/bulletin/spring2000/american_vote.html Iensdorf, (2006) â€Å"Perot Did not Cost George Bush the 1992 Election† retrieved 6 Nov 2006 from the website http://www.leinsdorf.com/perot.htm Mitchell, Terry, (2006), â€Å"Voters are To Blame for Bad Politics† retrieved 6 Nov 2006 from the website http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=11264 Surbaugh, Kevin, (2006) â€Å"Congress Planning to Shut down Third Parties†, retrieved 6 Nov 2006 from the website http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/02/11/034246.php VoteBuddy.com, â€Å"Our Vote is Held Hostage†,   2006 retrieved 6 Nov 2006 from the website http://votebuddy.com/ Wikipedia, (2006), â€Å"Two Party System†, retrieved 6 Nov 2006 from the website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-party_system

Labov’s Model of Narrative Analysis

Labov’s Model of Narrative Analysis William Labov’s model of narrative analysis differs from some of the earlier approaches in that his method focuses on oral narrative instead of written text. Earlier linguists, such as Ferdinand de Saussure, believed in a structural approach. This meant that language had to be approached as a fixed, clearly defined set of symbols, which furthermore had to be studied in isolation. However, later linguists, among them Uriel Weinrich, Labov’s mentor, believed that the structural approach failed to assist us in understanding â€Å"the transition of a language from state to state† (Labov 1972:xv). Labov’s focus has been to study language as it is spoken, as a fluid and constantly changing dynamic. Most of Labov’s model of narrative analysis is based on his belief that â€Å"one cannot understand the development of a language change apart from the social life of the community in which it occurs† (1972:3). He feels strongly that observing and recording sound changes is not enough to understand the process of change—that one has to view that change within the context of the community in which it is being made, as it is being made. Using this theory, he carefully chose communities where he felt he could do this most effectively. He conducted the first of several in-depth studies in Martha’s Vineyard, a small, closed island community located in Dukes County, Massachusetts. Labov saw Martha’s Vineyard as an ideal study site primarily because it was very self-contained. In addition, it was physically isolated, located three miles from the mainland. For his next series of studies, Labov selected parts of New York City. One particular area he focused on in the New York City study focused on Black English as it was used in certain parts of the city, specifically Harlem. Although Harlem did not have geographical distance from New York the way Martha’s Vineyard did from Massachusetts, racial and socioeconomic boundaries made it an isolated community in its own way. The main points of Labov’s model were first published in 1972 in an essay entitled â€Å"The Transformation of Experience in Narrative Syntax.† In this essay Labov introduces and explains what he sees as the six main parts of a narrative. He discusses each part as a tool which we can use to analyze narrative patterns, to help recognize recurring themes and ideas. The six main parts of Labov’s model are: abstract; orientation; complicating action; evaluation; resolution; and coda. It is not necessary that all six of these be present in every narrative; for example, some narratives will not have an abstract, while others may not have a coda. Additionally, these components need not appear in a specific order, and each may be present in a variety of ways—these factors are also considered in the final analysis. Labov uses the term â€Å"abstract† to refer to the introductory part of the narrative. This may be, literally, an â€Å"abstract,† or a brief summary of the events; or it may be simply a line or two that will spark the reader’s interest. The role of the abstract is to attract the listener’s interest, and to get the listener to want to hear the rest of the story. The next stage is called â€Å"orientation.† During this phase the speaker gives the listener information about the setting of the story. For example, the speaker will introduce and describe the people or characters who will interact in the story, as well the setting (the place the action occurs) and the time frame. For the story to be valid and understandable to the reader, it is essential that he or she be informed of the time and place in which the narrative unfolds. Following orientation is the â€Å"complicating action.† This refers to the actual events of the narrative, the occurrences that move it ahead. Complicating actions may be physical actions. They may be also be statements spoken aloud, or they may be thought acts â€Å"Evaluation† refers to the point, or reason, the narrative is being told, and it can be done in a number of ways. â€Å"Evaluations† may be specifically and clearly stated, or they may be implied. â€Å"Internal† evaluations are those revealed while the story is taking place, while â€Å"external† evaluations take place outside the immediate action of the story (for example, after the story is told). Another evaluation technique is the â€Å"embedded evaluation.† This can be an explanation offered by one of the people in the story, or by the storyteller directly. In addition, it may also be an event in the story. Following this is what Labov calls the â€Å"result† or â€Å"resolution†: this, basically, is the conclusion. At this point the narrator indicates that the story has come to a close, that a final action has occurred. Finally, there may be a â€Å"coda.† By â€Å"coda† Labov means that the narrator points out the relevance of the story by connecting it with every-day life, or with other events or actions that fall outside the story frame. The coda does not always have to be present. It may also be present without being explicitly stated. One of the issues to be discussed concerning Labov’s model for narrative analysis is the method of data collection, since â€Å"the means used to gather the data interfere with the data to be gathered† (Labov 1972:43). The interview itself may be considered â€Å"public speech.† However, even within this realm, there are other conditions to be considered. For example, does the relationship of the interviewer to the interviewee affect the latter’s speech patterns? Does the use of a recording device affect the interviewee’s choice of words, perhaps make word selection more formal than it ordinarily would be? One way of monitoring this is to compare the subject’s speech patterns during the course of the interview with his or her speech patterns outside the interview setting. For example, the interviewer could also observe the subject while he or she is relaxed with peers or family members in a less formal setting. Labov’s model has strongly influenced language studies since its introduction in 1972, and it continues to be influential in additional settings. With the widespread growth of the internet, we now have a new, informal sort of communication. Linguist Michael Toolan suggests that Labov’s model is a useful tool in the analysis of internet writing. Internet writing is often less formal than academic or other types of writing, but more structured than spoken language. Thus, Labov’s model remains effective today. As language itself continues to grow and change, it is quite probable that Labov’s model will grow to accommodate that change, and to continue to be a useful tool in years to come. REFERENCES Labov, William (1972) Socioloinguistic Patterns. Philadelphia: University of  Pennsylvania Press. Toolan, Michael (1988) Narrative: A Critical Linguistic Introduction London:  Routledge..

The Problem With Sweatshops Economics Essay

The Problem With Sweatshops Economics Essay Sweat shops can be included by harmful materials, hazardous situations, extreme temperatures, or abuse from employers. The sweatshop workers often work long hours but just for a little pay, regardless of any laws mandating overtime pay or a minimum wage. A minimum wage means the lowest hourly, daily or monthly wage which employers pay to employees or workers legally . It is the lowest wage at which workers sell their labour without consider anything of their rights. The Sweatshops may not only exist in developing countries but also in developed countries. This kind of factory have existed in several different countries and cultures, including in the United States and European countries. And sweatshops usually ask for low levels of technology, but can produce many different kinds of goods, for example like toys, shoes, clothing, and furniture etc. Currently, the existence of sweat shops came out lots of arguments, problem like wether there have enough sweat shops for the humans who are in poor situations are more and more put forward to. In my point of view, the sweat shops can not be build up more, enterprise should treat their workers in human nature and government should give the factory a supervisory control. Discussion of the problem-There are not enough sweat shops of them There is no right or wrong for people judging to sweat shops. Like one proverbs said that every coin have two sides. Setting more sweat shops absolutly can increase the power of productions and also can reduce the rate of unemployment. But if we take a look at the situation of how workers work in the sweat shops and the way of how the tsarists treat their workers, issues which relate to human naturals and moral arguments will come out and make people deeply thinks. Sweat shops What is a sweat shop? When people think of sweat shop always image women and childern work in that place. They may working long hours in hot, dusty factories, under conditions that are bad for their health, and usually get very low wages paid. The location of this sort of sweatshop is often in a developing country. Actually, the description is not far from the reality, besides there are many kinds of sweatshops and they are found all over the world. A sweatshop is any factory which does not treat its workers in a fair way. And the condition of the sweat shops is terrible out of peopleà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s imaging. If any one of the above labour standards is not followed, life at a factory can be very umcomfortable and unpleasant. Workers may have more demanded of them than is humanly possible, and may lose their jobs if they do not comply. Sweatshops are notorious for having unsafe conditions. Buildings that have been built quickly and without obeying with building regulations can collapse on workers, and machinery can be faulty to cause other hazards, including dangerous chemicals or electrical products, the serious of accidents can all cause terrible injuries. Excessive overtime is common in sweatshops. Working 12-hour days, six days a week is not uncommon in garment factories. Short-term contracts that favour the employer are also a very common issue. Origenally, the poor people or the migrants who desperate to find work, will accept a position on the very loosest of contractual agreements and as a result, when the employer fails to pay people or simply fires them without good reason, they have few legal rights to fall back on to gain compensation. The division of labour in sweatshops is gendered because of the vast majority of workers are young women. The problems faced by many workers are also gendered as a result of gender-based notions of what is acceptable inform working conditions. Thus medical or maternity leave, employer and employee relations and the right to organize can all become gender biased. So the negative aspects of sweatshops have a disproportionate impact on women. And because of this, some people argue that efforts to fight with the poor working conditions in sweatshops should focus more on empowering women. Things like mistreatment of workers can come in various forms too. It is not useful to compare the actual hourly wage of workers across different countries because the standard of living varies from country to country is different. So a better way of comparing how a person is being well paid is whether or not they can support the basic needs of a family by their wage alone. This benchmark is often used rather than a countryà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s minimum wage, if the minimum wage is quite low, people cannot realistically survive on it. In any case, the pressure from Apple company soon will be to the Foxconn, because it can not afford any further damage to its brand, which can improve the working environment of workers. Years, Nikeà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s sweatshops in Vietnam events, so that severely damaged the Nike brand, after Nike to promote the implementation of a strict foundry policy. Economic globalization and Labour Protections Economic globalization, promoting worldwide economic development and wealth growth, but also led some labor issues worldwide. Reflected in the labor problem is not inadequate social-economic underdevelopment or wealth, but wealth and the inequitable distribution of social rights. This situation is due to the nature of economic globalization decision. The so-called economic globalization refers to a new world economic landscape. In this situation, the world has become a common market, economic and trade activities break the national and regional boundaries, not only commodities, but also capital flows which have also been broken the boundaries of national and regional capital Without Borders. The rules and practices of a market economy has become the worlds economic and trade activities within the framework of common values. WTO aims to free trade under capitalism and the market can not be non-discriminatory treatment of intervention. In promoting a global scale market economy, free trade can be realized with the undeniable positive significance. However, this promotion is based on the expansion of capital for the purpose and means, while capital requirements are for the expansion of the direct repression of labor. With economic globalization and trade liberalization, rapid development, social issues and labor-management conflict s have also become increasingly prominent problems. This is mainly as follows: the wealthy beneficiaries of globalization, the serious polarization of wealth distribution, a significant increase in unemployed workers, inadequate social security, working conditions deteriorate, a considerable number of workers trapped in poverty. The problems are not just widespread in developing countries, but also starting to spread to developed countries. With the economic globalization, the labor issue has already became a global issue. Thus, in order to make labor as the main body of the anti-globalization movement, and with the process of globalization go hand in hand, especially in December 1999, the WTO meeting was held in Seattle simultaneous large-scale public protests against globalization protesters in order to Protection of the rights of workers and against unfair competition as the call to dissolve the WTO. Then from the Quebec Summit of the Organization of American States, to the European Union summit in Gothenburg and Genoa Group of Eight summit, accompanied by labor as the main body of the public anti-globalization protests. As intensified anti-globalization movement around the world, showing that labor-management conflicts brought about by globalization has reached a very intense level. However, economic globalization has become an irreversible trend of development. And the WTO status and role are also can not be replaced and shaked. But if we do not face up and coordination of the growing international labor dispute, the aims and objectives of WTO will be fulfilled. Solving labor problem is not only an important condition for economic development, but also is important content of the economic and social development. Because globalization has brought wealth, but also brings inequality, while the greatest threat we face will be widening inequalities instability. A realistic option is that in the process of economic globalization, labor rights must be protected at the same time as a global goal. To achieve this goal, the basic purpose of the implementation of WTO and trade rules must be accompanied by implementation of the provisions of international labor conventions and of the international labor standards. Wether an enterprises should contract outside of the social responsibility is based on economic responsibility system and also depends on factors in enterprises. Under different social systems have different performance. The changes in Chinas corporate responsibility are decided by the change of government. If in the economic system, China is still a planned economy, then the corporate social responsibility is both infinite and limited. If the Chinese society is still a big government, small society model, then the business does not entail the number of do nothing outside social responsibility. If the change of government toward small government, big society, the direction of change, then the enterprise undertaken by the social responsibility of non-rigid bound must be increased. Therefore, the number of Chinese enterprises to take social responsibility in the future depends largely on the Chinese government in the direction of reform. On the current situation in China, Chinas compan ies rests primarily due to stay in the envy of things, some companies even within the responsibility of also failed to meet, such as payment of social insurance fund. The enterprises come from the society, and also will restore the society. This is a new situation for the relationship between social enterprises. Whatever the corporate life or death, grow or stay, it will finally taken by a community to accept its price of failure. More importantly, the society is the living environment of enterprises. Without a good environment, the enterprises hard to survive. Therefore, enterprises have a common prosperity and social relations, the market economy, enterprises and society even have a closer relationship, rather than become relatively distant relationship. The famouse strategic master Michael Porter (Michael E. Porter) said that there is no one company will have sufficient capacity and resources to solve all social problems, they must select and cross-cutting business of their own social problems to resolve. In one hand, the sweat shops engage market share to the enterpreneur, in the other hand, the sweat shops deprive the rights of the worker. It is the issue crossed by business and social ethics. We need to find an appropriate way to give the sweat shops and world economy a balance. Conclusion Although the argument of the existence of the sweat shops still continued. And what matter the effect it will take. The workers who are working in the sweat shops are still suffering with terribel accidents that anytime can happened. They still just can get lowest paid and still have their poor family on their more and more heavier shoulders. They are unhappy and that is againest the human naturals. We can hang up a slogn said that we want to fairness but we can not see the workers in the sweat shops are treated in equality. The Chinaà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s chairman Mao Zedong taught us that: the people, only the people, is the real motive force of historical development. A corporation can not stay in a long time without the people, the man power. Doing business in ethical way, considering problem with moral principle and treat human beings in human natural are the keys for corporations to be successful and evergreen.

Roman City Planning Essay -- Rome History Roman Historical Essays

Roman City Planning   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The design and structure of a city is as important as the people who dwell within her walls. The placement of streets and the structures built there are carefully plotted for optimal use. Foot and cart traffic, fire hazard, and access to water were all key factors in city planning. Eventually the Romans had fine tuned their design principals in such an advantageous way that they molded all of their city states similarly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rome developed from the combination of small farming communities around a hilltop fortification. The city, which was founded before regularized city planning, consisted of a confusing maze of crooked and gnarled streets. The focal point of which was the city’s forum, the main meeting place and site of the many religious and civic buildings such as the Senate house, records office, and basilica. (Rich, 20) Augustan Rome, with a population estimated at between 700,000 and one million, was the only megalopolis in the West. Rome’s street plan, which at its greatest extent had 85 km of road, was an irregular maze. Most streets were footpaths or could accommodate only one cart at a time. The central city had only two viea (streets on which two carts could pass each other), on opposing sides of the main forum. (Nicholas, 6) A law passed under Julius Caesar, which was still in force well after his death, stated that carriages were forbidden to use these streets by day, since it was found that there was not room in them both for wheeled vehicles and pedestrians. Public streets would be decorated with marble and stone, some houses, as they decayed, have revealed alleyways and passages that existed before reconstruction. (Bowra, 34) Main streets were often designed carefully to accentuate the housing and monuments that would appear on any given street. Side streets would often be no more than passages, with flights of steps, and sometimes scarcely broad enough for two people to pass in comfort. Many streets were colonnaded; a Roman technique intended to bring shape to shadow and direct light through the streets. Earlier centuries used the stoa, or free-standing portico, to give effects of light and shade to their constructions. It is suggested that the colonnaded street developed out of the stoa; and partly also, perhaps, out of the thrifty use of available space, with the upper stories of houses jutting forw... ...ordinated plan of the city. The main streets led directly from the center of town to the gates, and the pomerial road ran around the city immediately inside the walls. (owens, 150) Rome was a living organism constantly changing and evolving as all cities do. However, the design and structure of Rome was born out of knotted roots. The placement of streets and the structures grew from dirt roads to paved passage ways meant to convey movement and beauty. Key factors in city planning revolved around the citizens and their needs. The Roman design principals forged a template by which all of their city states were similarly molded. Works Cited Bowra, Maurice Et. Al. Golden Ages of the Great Cities. London, England: Thames and Hudson, 1951. Morris, AE. History of Urban Form. London, England: George Godwin LTD, 1972 Nicholas, David. The Growth of Medieval City: From late Antiquity to Early Fourteenth Century. New York, NY: Longman Publishing, 1997. Owens, E. J. The City in the Greek and Roman World. London, England: Routledge Publishing, 1991. Rich, John & Wallace-Hadrill, Andrew. City and the Country in the Ancient World. London, England: Routledge Publishing, 1991.

El Nino :: essays papers

El Nino This morning, before writing this essay, I spent a considerable amount of time watering my wilting garden. Meanwhile, the New York Yankees have been rained out for their third consecutive game. And out in California? Rain, no rain, rain, no rain... Why are we suffering such severe weather this summer? In case you have not heard, we are experiencing a weather phenomenon called El Nino. What is El Nino, and How Long Will This Last? According to Michael McPhaden, director of the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Array, an El Nino is born when west-blowing Pacific trade winds relax or reverse. Without the wind at its back, seawater that typically piles up on the jagged western edge of the Pacific -- around Indonesia, the Philippines and Australia -- slides back toward the Americas. The sliding water moves in what scientists call Kelvin waves. "It pushes the cold water down. That causes the initial warming," said McPhaden. At the same time, the Pacific reacts to the lost wind by building another series of waves under water. Called , they roll west toward Indonesia, the Philippines and Australia. Eventually, the series of waves strikes the coasts of those countries. Then, it reverses and heads back toward South America, traveling along the equator. "As it passes," McPhaden said, "it leaves cold water closer to the surface." El Nino normally occurs around Christmas and usually last for a few weeks to a few months. Sometimes an extremely warm event can develop that last for much longer time periods. A strong El Nino developed in 1991 and lasted until 1995. We are apparently experiencing one of these stronger El Ninos, as this one has lasted for nearly six months . But how long will this last? And then what? The Onset of La Nina After an El Nino event, weather conditions usually return to normal. However, in some years the trade winds can become extremely strong and an abnormal accumulation of cold water can occur in the central and eastern Pacific. This event is called La Nina. Where El Nino refers to a body of unusually warm water astride the equator by South America, La Nina describes a sea that's abnormally cool. Two independent computer models that forecast El Nino see on the horizon a pronounced cooling of the same area of the Pacific. Sometimes, the cold water is just enough to return ocean temperatures to normal. Not always. "Sometimes, it overshoots," McPhaden said. "That would bring a La Nina after El Nino." "The models say . . . there will be a cold effect sometime next year --

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 42

I Need a Huge Favor On New Year's Eve day, after agreeing to buy unlimited beer for our neighbors, Jake manages to trade seats with the season-ticket holder in front of me – and once Jake is seated, he props my cast up onto his shoulder so I am able to sit down during the Falcons game. A few minutes into the first quarter, head coach Andy Reid pulls the starters, and the game announcer reports that Dallas has somehow lost to Detroit, which means that the Birds have clinched the NFC East for the fifth time in the last six years and the current game is meaningless. Everyone in the Linc cheers, high fives abound, and it is hard to stay in a seated position. With the starting wide receivers out, I get my hopes up for Hank Baskett, and he actually does catch a few balls in the first half, each of which Scott, Jake, and I celebrate excessively because I am wearing my Baskett jersey over my winter coat, and we all like to root for the undrafted rookie. It's 17 – 10 Eagles at halftime, and Scott actually leaves the game, saying that he promised his wife he'd come home for New Year's Eve if the Cowboys lost and the Eagles game became meaningless. I give him a hard time about leaving and am surprised that my brother does not join in with the ribbing. But shortly after Scott takes off, Jake says, â€Å"Listen, Pat. Caitlin has me going to this black-tie New Year's Eve party at the Rittenhouse Hotel. She was mad at me for going to the game today, and I was sort of thinking about taking off early so I could surprise her. But I don't want to leave you here with the cast and all. So how do you feel about leaving early?† I'm shocked, and a little mad. â€Å"I want to see if Baskett gets his second touchdown,† I say. â€Å"But you can go. I'll be all right here with all the real Eagles fans – the people who are staying to see the whole game.† It's not a very nice thing for me to say, especially since Caitlin is probably already dressed and waiting for Jake to come home, but the truth is, I need my brother's help getting out of the Linc on crutches. I have a feeling that Baskett will get the ball a lot in the second half, and I know Jake really wants to see the game anyway; maybe he'll be able to use his mentally ill brother as a good excuse for missing the first part of Caitlin's New Year's Eve party; maybe this is what Jake really wants and needs. â€Å"Beer man!† I yell to the Coors Light guy who is passing our row. When he stops, I say, â€Å"Only one beer because this guy here is leaving his crippled, mentally insane brother to go to the Rittenhouse Hotel so that he can swill champagne with non-Eagl es fans in tuxedos.† My brother looks like I punched him in the gut, and soon he is pulling out his wallet. â€Å"All right. Fuck it. Make it two beers,† Jake says, and I smile as my brother sits down in Scott's seat and helps me prop my cast up onto the back of the empty seat in front of me. Through the second half, Baskett continues to catch A. J. Feeley's throws, and early in the fourth quarter my favorite player runs an out, catches the ball, and runs down the sideline eighty-nine yards for the second touchdown of his young career. Jake helps me stand, and then everyone in our section is high-fiving me and slapping my back because over my coat I am wearing the Baskett jersey my brother gave me when I first got out of the bad place. I would later learn that Baskett is the first Eagles player to catch two touchdown passes longer than eighty yards in the same season – which is an accomplishment, even if number 84 has only been a marginal player this year. â€Å"And you wanted to leave,† I say to Jake. â€Å"Go Baskett!† he says, and then gives me a one-armed sideways hug – shoulder-to-shoulder. After the Eagles' backup players win the last regular season game, the Birds finish their season at 10-6, locking up at least one home play-off game in the process. I crutch my way out of the Linc with Jake as my fullback, parting the crowds, shouting, â€Å"Cripple coming through! Cripple coming through! Move out the way!† We don't meet up with Cliff's gang until we get back to the fat men's tent and the Asian Invasion bus. But when we do, our friends greet us with a Baskett chant because number 84 had a career-high 177-yard day and an 89-yard TD. With play-offs to discuss, everyone is reluctant to leave, so we drink beers and discuss the 8-8 Giants, whom the Birds will play in the first round. When Cliff asks me if I think our team will beat the Giants, I tell my therapist, â€Å"Not only will the Eagles win, but Hank Baskett will catch another touchdown.† Cliff nods and smiles and says, â€Å"You called it before the season even started: Hank Baskett is the man!† Jake leaves first because he and Caitlin have that hotel New Year's Eve party to attend, so we all make fun of him and call him whipped – but even though he is leaving us for his woman, I give him a hug and thank him again for staying, getting me a season ticket, and paying for the play-off tickets too, which are pretty expensive. And I know Jake has forgiven me for making him miss the second Dallas game, because he hugs me back and says, â€Å"No problem, brother. I love you. Always. You know that.† After Jake leaves, we drink beers for another half hour or so, but eventually many of the guys admit they too have New Year's Eve plans with their wives, and I take the Asian Invasion bus home to New Jersey. The Eagles have won the last five games and the NFC East, so there's no stopping Ashwini from blowing the Asian Invasion bus horn when he pulls up to my parents' house, and when he does, the chant blares loudly – â€Å"E!-A!-G!-L!-E!-S! EAGLES!† – which brings my mother to the door. Standing on the front step, Mom and I wave as the green bus pulls away. We eat a late New Year's Eve dinner together as a family, but even after another Eagles win and with Super Bowl hopes alive, my father doesn't say much, and he heads for his study before Mom finishes her meal, probably so he can read historical fiction. Just before the ball drops on Dad's huge flat-screen television, Mom asks me if I want to go outside and bang pots and pans like we used to do when I was a kid. I tell Mom I don't really want to bang pots and pans, especially since I am tired from spending the day outside in the cold, so from the couch, we watch people celebrating in Times Square. Two thousand and six becomes 2007. â€Å"It's going to be a good year for us,† Mom says, and then forces a smile. I smile back at Mom, not because I think it is going to be a good year, but because my father went to bed an hour ago, Nikki never came back, there's not even the slightest inclination to suggest that 2007 is going to be a good year for either Mom or me, and yet Mom is still trying to find that silver lining she taught me about so long ago. She is still holding on to hope. â€Å"It's going to be a good year,† I say. When Mom falls asleep on the couch, I turn off the television and watch her breathe. She still looks pretty, and seeing her resting so peacefully makes me angry at my dad, even though I know he can't change who he is, but I wish that he would at least try to appreciate Mom more and spend some quality time with her, especially since he doesn't even have the Eagles to be grumpy about anymore, because the season is already a success regardless of what happens in the play-offs, especially after making it this far without McNabb. And yet I know my father is not likely to change, because I have known him for thirty-five years, and he has always been the same man. Mom tucks her knees and elbows in close to her body and begins to shiver, so I push myself up, grab my crutches, and crutch my way over to the closet. I pull a blanket from the bottom of the closet, crutch my way over to Mom, and cover her – but she continues to shiver. Back at the closet, I see a heavier blanket on the top shelf, so I reach up and pull it down. It falls on top of my head just after I hear a little crash. I look down, and by my feet is a videocassette in a white plastic case that has two ringing bells on the cover. I crutch my way over to my mother and cover her with the heavier blanket. It is hard to pick up the cassette with my cast preventing me from squatting – I actually have to sit down on the floor to pick it up. After sliding over to the TV, I slip the cassette into the VCR. I look over my shoulder, checking to make sure that Mom is sleeping soundly, and then turn down the volume before I hit PLAY. The video is not completely rewound, and the part that pops up on-screen is the beginning of the reception dinner. Our guests are seated in the banquet room of the Glenmont Country Club, which is near a golf course in a swanky little town just outside Baltimore. The camera is focused on the entrance doorway, but you can see the dance floor and the band too. Using the microphone, the lead singer says, â€Å"Let's introduce the wedding party Philly style,† at which point the horn section of the band begins playing the opening notes of â€Å"Gonna Fly Now!† The guitarist and bassist and drummer soon begin playing, and even though it doesn't sound exactly like Rocky's theme song, it's close enough to get the job done. â€Å"Parents of the groom, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Peoples!† Our guests clap politely as my mom and dad cross the dance floor arm in arm, and the painful expression on my father's face suggests that this was one of the worst experiences of his life – being announced at my wedding. â€Å"Parents of the bride, Mr. and Mrs. George Gates.† Nikki's parents do a little skipping routine into the banquet hall, making them look sloshed, which they were, and I laugh thinking about how much fun my in-laws were when they drank. I really do miss Nikki's parents. â€Å"Bridesmaid, Elizabeth Richards, and groomsman, Ronnie Brown.† Liz and Ronnie come out waving to our guests, as if they are royalty or something, which was strange, and the tactic all but mutes their applause. Ronnie looks young in the video, and I think about how he was not yet a father, how Emily did not even exist when this video was shot. â€Å"Maid of honor, Wendy Rumsford, and best man, Jake Peoples!† Jake and Wendy walk across the dance floor and directly toward the camera until their faces are life-size on my father's huge flat-screen television. Wendy just sort of screams like she is at an Eagles game or something, but Jake says, â€Å"I love you, brother!† and then kisses the camera lens, leaving a lip-shaped smudge mark. I see the videographer's hand emerge and quickly wipe the lens with a piece of cloth. â€Å"And now, for the first time ever, allow me to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Pat Peoples!† Everyone stands and cheers as we walk into the banquet room. Nikki looks so pretty in her wedding dress. She's holding her head in that cute, shy position, with her chin close to her chest, and seeing her now makes me cry because I miss her so much. When we move to the dance floor, the band shifts gears, and I hear those sexy synthesizer chords, faint high-hat taps, and then the soprano saxophonist steps forward and â€Å"Songbird† takes flight. Something in my mind begins to melt, and it feels as though I am experiencing an ice-cream headache – or as if someone is churning my brain with an ice pick. I'm not seeing the television screen anymore, I'm seeing the road through a fogged windshield, and it's raining something fierce. It's not even four in the afternoon, but it's as dark as midnight. I'm upset because we have a big game coming up and yet the gym roof is leaking again like a sieve, which has forced me to cancel basketball practice. All I want to do is take a shower and then watch game tapes. But when I enter my house, I hear a soprano sax moaning, and it's strange to hear Kenny G's smooth jazz coming from my bathroom at a time like this. Mr. G's notes are swirling all about. I open the bathroom door; I feel the steam lick my skin, and I wonder why Nikki is listening to our wedding song in the shower. Kenny G's solo has reached a climax once more. The CD player is on the sink, and two piles of clothes rest on the floor, and a pair of men's glasses are on the sink next to the CD player. Sexy synthesizer chords, faint high-hat taps. â€Å"You fucking whore!† I scream as I rip the shower curtain off the rod, exposing so much awful, soapy flesh. I'm standing in the tub. My hands are around his throat. I'm between them now, the shower is spraying the back of my coat with hot spokes, weighing down my sweatpants, and he is in the air, begging me with his eyes, pleading for a breath of air. His hands are trying to break my grip, but he is a tiny, weak man. Nikki is screaming; Kenny G is playing; Nikki's lover is turning purple. He's so small, I can hold him up against the tiles with one hand. I cock my elbow back, squeeze a tight, teeth-shattering fist, and take aim. His nose explodes like a packet of ketchup. His eyes are rolling into the back of his head; his hands have fallen away from mine. When I cock back my fist a second time, the music stops playing, and then I'm on my back in the tub and Nikki's naked lover has fallen out of the tub and naked Nikki is holding the CD player in her trembling hands. When I try to stand, she smashes the CD player over my head once more; my knees give out, and I see the silver faucet rise li ke some fat, shiny snake to strike the hard spot just above my right eyebrow, and then – – I wake up in a hospital and immediately begin vomiting all over myself, until nurses arrive and tell me not to move my head. And I'm crying and calling for Nikki, but she does not come to me. My head hurts so badly. When I touch my forehead, I feel some sort of bandage, but then my hands are being forced to my sides. The nurses are screaming and holding me down, and then doctors are restraining me too. I feel a prick in my arm, and †¦ When I blink, I see my reflection in the blank television screen. The video has ended. I look life-size on my father's flat screen, and I can see my mother asleep on the couch, just over my right shoulder. As I continue to stare at myself, my little white scar begins to itch, but I do not really want to smash my forehead with my fist. I find my feet and crutch my way into the kitchen. The address book is still in the cabinet above the stove. I place a call to Jake's apartment. As the phone rings, I look at the microwave and see that it is 2:54 a.m., but I remember that Jake is at a swanky hotel party and won't be home until tomorrow, so I decide to leave a message. Hello, you've reached Jake and Caitlin's machine. Please leave a message after the beep. Beep. â€Å"Jake, it's your brother, Pat. I need a huge favor †¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

King of Kong

The King of Kong: A fistful of Quarters. The King of Kong: A fistful of Quarters provided many techniques and insights into interviewing different people. This documentary profiled people and showed how they had become the people they were in there everyday lives. Many times it showed previous achievements or failures and how they directly affected a persons will to succeed in the future. At the beginning of this film, Billy Mitchell was introduced as the successful gamer of the 80's that everyone one liked and looked up to.He was the idol of the gaming world that had begun to exist when he achieved his high scores in many of the classic arcade games such as donkey kong. The directors clearly focused on Billy Mitchell's self arrogance as he grew older and was engulfed into the persona of being the best gamer in the world. By the end of the documentary, it is clear that Billy Mitchell is now viewed by some as living in his own reality of the gaming world. The competitor in this film, Steve Wiebe, is portrayed as someone who has never quite been able to reach his goals.He has not been as lucky as Billy Mitchell and he assumes the underdog role. Throughout the film he is forever attempting to reach his goal of breaking the Donkey Kong record only to be shut down by unfair circumstances. Many quotes are taken from Steve and his wife about his reliance, and need of achieving the record for self justification. Throughout the entire story, Steve is followed and shown the changes in his life do to this new gaming need.Steve does not achieve his goal when he wanted to but the interviewees choose to come back and show that he did eventually persevere and obtain his goal. They chose to show that Steve was not a quitter, and could achieve what he wanted to with dedication. Overall, this documentary shows man techniques of providing different sides and views of a story. They used family members, friends, and the persons own account to express the different experiences that had occurred.